October Edited

Contents
1 GA in News: ................................................................................................................................................. 21
1.1 Bank of Baroda signs MoU with Indian Army ........................................................................................ 21
1.2 P K Gupta appointed as new CMD of NBCC ........................................................................................... 21
1.3 Government appoints Mallikarjuna Rao as MD and CEO of PNB ........................................................... 21
1.4 Abhishek Singh appointed as the CEO of MyGov India .......................................................................... 21
1.5 Mahindra & Mahindra forms joint venture with Ford, picks 51% stake in India unit .............................. 21
1.6 Sindhu drops to World No. 6: BWF Rankings 2019 ................................................................................ 21
1.7 Book titled The ‘““: ‘oad aps fo the st Ce tu eleased ............................................................ 21
1.8 Military Nursing Service celebrates 94th Raising Day ............................................................................ 22
1.9 NBCC bags Rs 400-cr contract to develop National Sports University in Imphal ..................................... 22
1.10 P eside t of I dia ill o fe Va osh eshtha Samman – ........................................................... 22
1.11 IRCTC to compensate Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express passengers for delay.............................................. 22
1.12 Amazon partners with Vodafone to set up pick-up points for customers .............................................. 22
1.13 Bank of Baroda partners Agra-based NBFC Paisalo Digital for micro lending ......................................... 22
1.14 Pradipta Kumar Bisoi appointed as Secretary, Department of Posts ...................................................... 22
1.15 Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora assumes charge as Vice Chief of the Air Staff ......................................... 23
1.16 Nepal Speaker resigns over rape allegation .......................................................................................... 23
1.17 Jessye Norman, the international opera star, passed away ................................................................... 23
1.18 P.V. Sindhu inaugurated Dasara Sports ................................................................................................. 23
1.19 MAMI to honour Fernando Meirelles, Deepti Naval with lifetime achievement awards ........................ 23
1.20 Cost of data breaches will grow to $5 trillion in 2024 ............................................................................ 23
1.21 Drone Innovators Network Summit-2019 held ...................................................................................... 23
1.22 Rajasthan bans certain categories of pan masala .................................................................................. 23
1.23 Economist Surjit Bhalla appointed executive director for India at IMF................................................... 23
1.24 Kapil Dev resigns as CAC chief............................................................................................................... 24
1.25 New book on digital transformation features chapter on AI written by AI ............................................. 24
1.26 International Day of Non-Violence observed on 2nd October ............................................................... 24
1.27 PM releases commemorative stamps, Rs 150 coins on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary ...... 24
1.28 Sachin Tendulkar gets most effective Swachhata Ambassador Award ................................................... 24
1.29 Ecuador to withdraw from OPEC in January 2020 ................................................................................. 24
1.30 ITC launches first multilayered plastic (MLP) collection, recycling drive in Pune .................................... 25
1.31 Digital E hi itio o Mahat a Ga dhi titled Digital Ga dhi G a -Vig a i augu ated ...................... 25
1.32 WAPCOS organized Cleanliness Drive to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi .. 25
1.33 Defence Minister unveiled Statue of Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th Birth Anniversary ......................... 25
1.34 I dia s oldest hi pa zee dies at ..................................................................................................... 25
1.35 Sports Ministry organises Fit India Plog Run in a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi ....................................... 25
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1.36 PM Modi inaugurates metro service, ENT hospital in Mauritius ............................................................ 25
1.37 KAZIND 2019: India and Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise commenced ............................................... 26
1.38 Tata Communications names Amur Lakshminarayanan as MD and Group Chief Executive Officer
designate of the company ................................................................................................................................ 26
1.39 Ministry of Tourism launches Audio Guide facility App "Audio Odigos" for 12 sites of India .................. 26
1.40 House Building Advance Interest Rate Reduced from 8.5% to 7.9% for a Period of One Year ................ 26
1.41 Home Minister flagged off New Delhi-Katra 'Vande Bharat' Express ..................................................... 26
1.42 Indo-Mongolian Joint Exercise commenced: Nomadic Elephant 2019 ................................................... 26
1.43 Indo Maldives joint Exercise commenced: Ekuverin 2019 .................................................................... 26
1.44 Maj AQ Khan Won Silver Medal in 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports Championship 2019 . 27
1.45 Sandeep Gulati is new MD of Manpower Group in India ....................................................................... 27
1.46 Ba ita Tade has ee appoi ted as A a ati dist i t s a assado fo the Ele tio Co issio s “VEEP
programme...................................................................................................................................................... 27
1.47 “ha ti ‘agha a , Dipesh “uta i a i “o ial E t ep e eu of the Yea A a d ....................................... 27
1.48 Government has announced mega divestment plans for four blue-chip public-sector companies ......... 27
1.49 Air India launches 'Namaskar Sewa' for passengers at Delhi airport ...................................................... 27
1.50 Cognizant appoints Daniel Cohen as its new BFSI head ......................................................................... 27
1.51 Railway will connect country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari before August 2022 .................................. 28
1.52 'Sarbat Da Bhala Express' train flagged off at New Delhi railway station................................................ 28
1.53 NHSRC to be WHO collaborating centre for medical devices ................................................................. 28
1.54 Goa Maritime Conclave– 2019 Inaugurated .......................................................................................... 28
1.55 India - Bangladesh Business forum meets in New Delhi ........................................................................ 28
1.56 F““AI s T a s-Fat F ee logo lau hed .................................................................................................. 28
1.57 World Cotton Day being observed from 7th October to 11th October 2019 in Geneva ......................... 28
1.58 I dia s fi st e-waste clinic to be set up in Bhopal ................................................................................... 29
1.59 Ravindra Jadeja becomes second fastest Indian to scalp 200 Test wickets ............................................ 29
1.60 Delhi a i et app o es Bill to set up I dia s fi st “po ts University...................................................... 29
1.61 Houston University receives $ 2 mn commitment to support Tamil language ....................................... 29
1.62 North East Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition inaugurated ............................................................... 29
1.63 I dia lau hes G ee C a ke s i its id to u ai pollutio ............................................................. 29
1.64 PayPal becomes first member to exit Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency group ....................................... 29
1.65 Rajnath Singh approves 4-fold increase in compensation to kin of martyrs ........................................... 30
1.66 5th World Parliament of science, religion and philosophy 2019 held .................................................... 30
1.67 Glo al su it o “pi itualit fo U it , Pea e a d P ospe it held ..................................................... 30
1.68 I dia s fi st pla t to p odu e diesel from plastic waste ......................................................................... 30
1.69 Kochi to host National health informatics meet in 2020 ........................................................................ 30
1.70 Diahann Carroll passes away in Los Angeles.......................................................................................... 30

1.71 Ne ook a ed Yea s of ele ati g the Mahat a the “outh Af i a Lega eleased .............. 30
1.72 Wildlife week celebrated from 2nd - 8th October, 2019 ....................................................................... 30
1.73 Tripura gets its first ever SEZ ................................................................................................................ 31
1.74 India, Bangladesh sign MoU on coastal radar system ............................................................................ 31
1.75 World Space Week : October 4 to 10 .................................................................................................... 31
1.76 Golden Jubilee Edition of International Film Festival of India(IFFI) ........................................................ 31
1.77 Ministry of Tourism organises first of its kind Adventure Trekking Training course in Ladakh ................ 31
1.78 Army's biggest mountain combat exercise 'Him Vijay' begins in Arunachal Pradesh .............................. 31
1.79 2019 Nobel Prize for Medicine.............................................................................................................. 32
Three researchers are : .................................................................................................................................... 32
1.80 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry ............................................................................................................ 32
1.81 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics ................................................................................................................. 32
1.82 2018 and 2019 Nobel Prizes for Literature ............................................................................................ 32
1.83 IIT Madras students develop AI- ased E e i the “k fo disaste elief............................................... 32
1.84 Wipro completes acquisition of International TechneGroup ................................................................. 32
1.85 IIT-Guwahati develops AI-based tool for electric vehicle motor ............................................................ 33
1.86 First Training Squadron at Mombasa, Kenya ......................................................................................... 33
1.87 Dr Harsh Vardhan launches eDantseva website and mobile application ................................................ 33
1.88 India to shift to BS VI vehicular emission norms by April next year: Union Environment Minister .......... 33
1.89 Novak Djokovic takes Japan Open with eye on Tokyo Olympics ............................................................ 33
1.90 Chris Silverwood appointed England head coach .................................................................................. 34
1.91 October 6 : World Cerebral Palsy Day ................................................................................................... 34
1.92 I dia s Vish u Na da to joi la gest e e A ti expedition ................................................................. 34
1.93 Discovery of 20 new moons on Saturn .................................................................................................. 34
1.94 GEMINI system to aid fishermen .......................................................................................................... 35
1.95 Cabinet approves MoUs signed between India and Foreign Broadcasters in the field of Radio and
Television ........................................................................................................................................................ 35
1.96 39th World Congress of Poets to take place in Bhubaneshwar ............................................................... 35
1.97 CSIR launches eco-friendly crackers ...................................................................................................... 35
1.98 Government launches Ganga Aamantran Abhiyan ................................................................................ 35
1.99 PM Modi launches commemorative stamp to honour Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh ................................ 35
1.100 38th India Carpet Expo in Varanasi..................................................................................................... 36
1.101 Solar, wind farms soon along India-Pak border ................................................................................. 36
1.102 India, Bangladesh sign MoU for setting up a coastal surveillance system radar in Bangladesh ........... 36
1.103 Yes Bank appoints new COO and CMO .............................................................................................. 36
1.104 CK Venkataraman takes over as MD of Titan ..................................................................................... 36
1.105 IAF receives first of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft purchased from France ................................................ 36

1.106 October 10th : World Sight Day ........................................................................................................ 37
1.107 13th edition of PII-ICRC annual awards declared ............................................................................... 37
1.108 Ha i ali app lau hed fo E i o e t P ote tio i Go e e t Colo ies ............................ 37
1.109 Conference of Power and Renewable Energy Ministers of States and UTs held ................................. 37
1.110 India – Bangladesh Navies Undertake Coordinated Patrol in North Bay of Bengal ............................. 37
1.111 A Co a de s Co fe e e held ............................................................................................... 37
1.112 First ever I dia I te atio al Coope ati es T ade Fai i augu ated ................................................. 37
1.113 India and Comoros sign MoUs on Defence Cooperation, health, culture and arts.............................. 38
1.114 E thiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali wins Peace Nobel Prize ...................................................................... 38
1.115 Noted saxophone exponent Kadri Gopalnath passes away................................................................ 38
1.116 D . ‘edd s hai a is e IPA p eside t ....................................................................................... 38
1.117 Mood s uts I dia s FY g o th to . % ........................................................................................ 38
1.118 I te atio al o fe e e o Ad a es i o puti g a d i fo atio te h olog o ganised ......... 38
1.119 NASA launches satellite to explore where air meets space ................................................................ 39
1.120 Environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt awarded Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration by
Congress 39
1.121 Annual Ganges river dolphin census begins ...................................................................................... 39
1.122 Fi st Natio al Hi di “ ie e ite s o fe e e held i Lu k o ..................................................... 39
1.123 UNICEF becomes first UN organisation to accept donation through cryptocurrencies ....................... 39
1.124 C40 World Mayors Summit held in Copenhagen ............................................................................... 39
1.125 India becomes seventh most valuable nation brand ......................................................................... 40
1.126 Olympic medallist Conor Dwyer retires after receiving 20-month doping ban ................................... 40
1.127 Sara Danius passes away .................................................................................................................. 40
1.128 Alexei Leonov, the first human to walk in space, dies in Moscow ...................................................... 40
1.129 World Arthritis day observed on 12 October ..................................................................................... 40
1.130 26th foundation day of National Human Rights Commission celebrated ........................................... 40
1.131 ADB, India sign $190 million loan for improving road connectivity in Rajasthan ................................ 40
1.132 Indo-Japan Joint Military Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN – 2019 will be held...................................... 41
1.133 2nd India-China Informal Summit held in Chennai ............................................................................ 41
1.134 Tamil Nadu, Fujian Province to establish 'sister-state relations' ........................................................ 41
1.135 Malayalam film 'Biriyani' bags honours at Asiatica film fete .............................................................. 41
1.136 E i e t a ade i ia Cheeti A odh a ‘a a ‘ao passes a a ........................................................ 41
1.137 UK to issue coin to mark 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi .............................................. 41
1.138 Ma Ko i s o ze at Wo ld Wo e s Bo i g Cha pio ship..................................................... 41
1.139 India extends over 60 million dollar line of credit to Comoros ........................................................... 41
1.140 Indo-US joint military exercise 'Vajra Prahar' took place in Seattle .................................................... 41
1.141 Pope Francis to declare Indian nun Thresia Mankidiyan a saint ......................................................... 42

1.142 Dubai to host 2019 First Global DXB Challenge ................................................................................. 42
1.143 India announces a Line of Credit of US$ 30 million to Sierra Leone for Irrigation development ......... 42
1.144 th editio of ‘asht i a “a sk iti Mahotsa i augu ated i Ja alpu ............................................. 42
1.145 B‘IC“ Cultu e Mi iste s Meet held at Cu iti a, B azil ....................................................................... 42
1.146 Lakshya Sen bags first World Tour title ............................................................................................. 42
1.147 US releases USD 50 million in stabilisation assistance for Syria.......................................................... 43
1.148 Sourav Ganguly to be new BCCI president ........................................................................................ 43
1.149 Dubai launches World Logistics Passport .......................................................................................... 43
1.150 Typhoon Hagibis hits Japan............................................................................................................... 43
1.151 Valtteri Bottas wins Japanese Grand Prix .......................................................................................... 43
1.152 Abhijit Bannerjee conferred with Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences .................................................. 43
1.153 DPIIT launches website, mobile app for IPR ...................................................................................... 44
1.154 Wo ld “ta da d Da o se ed o O to e ................................................................................. 44
1.155 Shri Pradeep Kumar takes charge as Member (Signal & Telecom), Railway Board ............................. 44
1.156 Pranjal Patil, first visually challenged woman IAS officer, takes charge in Kerala ............................... 44
1.157 Mood s do g ades I dia ulls HFC ................................................................................................ 44
1.158 Shiv Nadar tops FY19 Hurun philanthropy list ................................................................................... 44
1.159 IIT Madras to collaborate with ExxonMobil for research in Energy and Biofuels ................................ 44
1.160 49th World artistic gymnastics championships 2019 held in Stuttgart, Germany ............................... 45
1.161 Kais Saied elected as new president of Tunisia .................................................................................. 45
1.162 Kishan Dan Dewal accredited as next ambassador of India to Georgia .............................................. 45
1.163 Sangam Youth Festival organised by Indian Army ............................................................................. 45
1.164 India and Netherlands launched the second phase of the LOTUS-HR as a part of joint collaboration . 45
1.165 Jeyandran Venugopal appointed as chief product and technology officer (CPTO) of flipkart.............. 46
1.166 Air India becomes the first to use Taxibot on commercial Airbus flight.............................................. 46
1.167 IMF slashes India's FY20 GDP growth forecast to 6.1% ...................................................................... 46
1.168 IIIT H de a ad i ks MoU ith EBTC to esta lish Li i g La p oje t on campus ................................ 46
1.169 ICICI Bank introduces new fixed deposit scheme 'FD Health' ............................................................. 46
1.170 World Students' Day 2019 observed on 15 October .......................................................................... 46
1.171 International Day of Rural Women 2019 observed on 15 October .................................................... 46
1.172 I dia ‘ail a s lau hed i e “e a “e i e T ai s ......................................................................... 46
1.173 India hands over 2 more Mi-24 Helicopters to Afghan Air Force ........................................................ 47
1.174 India Post launches mobile banking facility for savings accounts ....................................................... 47
1.175 Zimbabwe, Nepal readmitted as ICC members.................................................................................. 47
1.176 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) & Expo to be held in Bengaluru from September 7-12, 2020 .... 47
1.177 National Postal Week celebrated from 9th to 15th October .............................................................. 47
1.178 ‘elease of t o diag osti kits de eloped u de Make i I dia i itiati e ......................................... 47
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1.179 Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav 2019 ................................................................................................... 48
1.180 New Controller General of Accounts appointed : Sh J.P.S Chawla...................................................... 48
1.181 Inauguration of 48th edition of the Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF)....................................... 48
1.182 Kiran Uniyal sets World Record ......................................................................................................... 48
1.183 Seapower Seminar 2019 Commences at Indian Naval Academy ........................................................ 48
1.184 Exercise Eastern Bridge - V................................................................................................................ 49
1.185 20th All India Conference of Directors of Fingerprint Bureaus ........................................................... 49
1.186 41st D‘DO Di e to s Co fe e e held i Ne Delhi .......................................................................... 49
1.187 11th Nuclear Energy Conclave............................................................................................................ 49
1.188 Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit 2019 ....................................................................................... 49
1.189 Sainik Schools to take the admission of girl students......................................................................... 49
1.190 NDMA and Ministry of Jal Shakti conduct workshop on Management of Floods................................ 50
1.191 Frankfurt International Book Fair ...................................................................................................... 50
1.192 IAF to hold exercises from civil airfields ............................................................................................ 50
1.193 Indian Railways first Buddhist Circuit train to run from October 19-26 .............................................. 50
1.194 Postal stamp on National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) released.......................................................... 50
1.195 IIT-Hyderabad to develop bio-brick ................................................................................................... 51
1.196 Konkan Railway celebrates 29th Foundation Day ............................................................................... 51
1.197 IAAF brings in new transgender rules ................................................................................................ 51
1.198 17th October 2019 : International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2019 ....................................... 51
1.199 Lionel Messi wins sixth Golden Shoe award ...................................................................................... 51
1.200 I“‘O s spa e shuttle-like Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) to attempt its first landing in Karnataka ..... 51
1.201 Indian army inducts precision-guided Excalibur ................................................................................ 52
1.202 Chenani-Nashri Tunnel to be renamed after Shyama Prasad Mukherjee ........................................... 52
1.203 Sajjan Jindal appointed as the Vice-Chairman of Worldsteel ............................................................ 52
1.204 India Bangladesh old rail links to be reopened .................................................................................. 52
1.205 Indian Army launches OASIS ............................................................................................................. 52
1.206 Highway in Punjab after Guru Nanak Dev ......................................................................................... 52
1.207 Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde appointed next Chief Justice of India .................................................... 52
1.208 Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman awarded to 79 community Durga Pujas ............................................. 53
1.209 Anup Kumar Singh takes charge as new DG of National Security Guard ............................................ 53
1.210 Defence of Andaman and Nicobar Islands exercise 2019 (Danx-19) ................................................... 53
1.211 Shirui Lily Festival inaugurated in Manipur ........................................................................................ 53
1.212 RIL becomes first co to hit Rs 9 lakh cr m-cap mark ........................................................................... 53
1.213 Raunak Sadhwani becomes India's 65th Grandmaster ...................................................................... 53
1.214 The Book B idgital Natio eleased P i e Mi iste ................................................................... 54
1.215 76th Year of Establishment of Azad Hind Government ...................................................................... 54
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1.216 India & the Philippines sign 4 agreements to bolster defence ties ..................................................... 54
1.217 Army Commanders Conference: 14-18 October 2019 ....................................................................... 54
1.218 NA“A s fi st all-female spacewalk ..................................................................................................... 54
1.219 The 7th CISM World Games 2019 are launched ................................................................................. 54
1.220 20th October : World Statistics Day ................................................................................................... 54
1.221 IMNEX-2019: India-Myanmar Naval Exercise .................................................................................... 54
1.222 'Ex EKUVERIN - 2019' : India-Maldives joint military exercise ............................................................ 55
1.223 Sultan of Johor Cup 2019 .................................................................................................................. 55
1.224 US India Strategic Partnership Forum held in New Delhi ................................................................... 55
1.225 Joko Widodo has been re-elected as the President of Indonesia ....................................................... 55
1.226 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Defence
55
1.227 19th Session of the Indo-Swedish Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial and Scientific
Cooperation held in Sweden ............................................................................................................................ 56
1.228 E-Po tal of CC‘T Digital Bha at Digital “a sk iti lau hed ................................................................ 56
1.229 Gully Boy, Delhi Crime Win Big at Asian Academy Creative Awards ................................................... 56
1.230 Marconi Society's Celestini Program Recognizes Indian Students Apps ............................................. 56
1.231 Andrew McDonald appointed as Rajasthan Royals coach .................................................................. 56
1.232 JP Morgan commits to invest $25 million in skill development in India.............................................. 57
1.233 Siachen area, world's highest battlefield has been opened to tourists .............................................. 57
1.234 Hurun Research Institute released Global Unicorn List ...................................................................... 57
1.235 China has unveiled new commercial space carrier rockets ................................................................ 57
1.236 Bali Jatra, one of the biggest trade fairs of Odisha will be held in November ..................................... 57
1.237 PM Modi eleased ook titled B idgital Natio ................................................................................ 57
1.238 Col Chewang Rinchen Setu inaugurated in Eastern Ladakh................................................................ 58
1.239 Police Commemoration Day observed on 21 October ....................................................................... 58
1.240 United Nations WFP launches 'Feed Our Future' cinema ad campaign .............................................. 58
1.241 Wo ld s oldest k o n natural pearl discovered on Marawah Island .................................................. 58
1.242 Pine Labs partners with SBI and Federal Bank to offer EMI facility for debit card customers ............. 58
1.243 Bureaucratic reshuffle in the Central administration ......................................................................... 58
1.244 6 new lizard species found in Western Ghats .................................................................................... 59
1.245 I dia A to o du t e e ise “i dhu “uda sha i ‘ajastha .................................................... 59
1.246 Deepika Padukone, PV Sindhu flag- ea e s of Bha at Ki La i i itiati e.......................................... 59
1.247 Veteran actor T.P. Radhamani passes away ...................................................................................... 59
1.248 Measu i g Po e t a ou d the o ld , ook A tho Atki so eleased..................................... 59
1.249 International lead poisoning prevention week of action organised from 20-26th October ................ 59
1.250 Most advanced Electronic Interlocking System installed on the Grand Chord route .......................... 60
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1.251 Japanese Emperor Naruhito ascends Chrysanthemum Throne .......................................................... 60
1.252 Delhi becomes first Asian city to get public transport feature from Uber .......................................... 60
1.253 Sunil Lulla appointed BARC India CEO ............................................................................................... 60
1.254 Assam announces two-child limit for government jobs ..................................................................... 60
1.255 B“NL, MTNL to e e ged as pa t of a ₹ , o e es ue pla .................................................... 60
1.256 Male White Bell i d is the o ld s loudest i d................................................................................. 61
1.257 Abhishek Nayar retires from all forms of cricket ............................................................................... 61
1.258 Paralympic champion Marieke Vervoort ends life by euthanasia....................................................... 61
1.259 President of India lays foundation stone for Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti project at Sai no Sato
61
1.260 18th summit of NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) held in Baku ............................................................ 61
1.261 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Different Countries ............................... 62
1.262 India launched the first National Protocol to enumerate Snow Leopard Population .......................... 62
1.263 Sukhbir Sandhu appointed as NHAI Chairman ................................................................................... 62
1.264 Google uilt a o pute that has ea hed Qua tu “up e a ................................................... 62
1.265 Kotak Mahindra Bank launches first overseas branch at Dubai .......................................................... 62
1.266 Praveen Kumar Bags Gold in Wushu World Championship ................................................................ 63
1.267 Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity held in Tokyo ........................................................................ 63
1.268 International Conference on Neurological Disorders and Therapeutics held at Gandhinagar ............. 63
1.269 Sailesh assumes charge as Secretary in Department of Public Enterprises......................................... 63
1.270 India signs the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement with Pakistan.................................................... 63
1.271 Chenani Nashari Tunnel renamed after Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee .............................................. 63
1.272 Fi st Glo al Bio-I dia “u it ill e held i Ne Delhi......................................................... 63
1.273 First India- Bangladesh stakeholders meet held in Assam ................................................................. 63
1.274 Government accords 'Maharatna' status to HPCL and PGCIL ............................................................. 64
1.275 Indo-F a e joi t A e e ise E -Shakti- ill e held i ‘ajastha ...................................... 64
1.276 Ruth Bader Ginsburg wins $1million Berggruen Prize for philosophy and culture .............................. 64
1.277 Ilham Tohti won Sakharov Prize ........................................................................................................ 64
1.278 Prince Faisal bin Farhan named new Saudi Foreign Minister ............................................................. 64
1.279 India, Nepal, Bhutan plan trans-border conservation area ................................................................ 64
1.280 Indian Railway launches One Touch ATVM at 42 Suburban Stations of Central Railway ..................... 65
1.281 IRDAI Constitutes Committee headed by TR Alamelu to recommend amendments to Reinsurance,
Investment ...................................................................................................................................................... 65
1.282 UN day observed on 24th October .................................................................................................... 65
1.283 Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas accredited as India's High Commissioner to Gambia ............................. 65
1.284 Brazil announced visa-free entry for Indians and Chinese tourists ..................................................... 65
1.285 Tata Steel, six other companies join hands with WEF for responsible sourcing .................................. 65
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1.286 Bumrah, Mandhana win Wisden India Almanack 'Cricketer of the Year' award ................................. 66
1.287 Jeff Bezos loses world's richest man title to Microsoft's Bill Gates ..................................................... 66
1.288 Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi elected as President of Botswana .............................................. 66
1.289 UK's Natural History Museum names Blind Beetle after climate activist Greta Thunberg .................. 66
1.290 ICC U19 World cup 2020 will be held in South Africa ......................................................................... 66
1.291 European Open 2019 held in Antwerp, Belgium ................................................................................ 66
1.292 Ha ika D o a alli o Best o e s pla e P ize i FIDE hess. o G a d “ iss tou a e t . 66
1.293 Vijay Hazare Trophy: Karnataka defeated Tamil Nadu ....................................................................... 67
1.294 Veteran sports journalist K R Wadhwaney passes away .................................................................... 67
1.295 Former Gujarat CM Dilip Parikh passes away .................................................................................... 67
1.296 Gandhinagar becomes first kerosene-free district of Gujarat ............................................................ 67
1.297 Lucknow-based school enters Guinness World Record...................................................................... 67
1.298 Girish Chandra Murmu, R K Mathur appointed new LGs of J-K, Ladakh UTs....................................... 67
1.299 People with orthopaedic disability to pay lower 18% GST on some vehicles ...................................... 67
1.300 2 9th BASIC ministerial meeting on Climate Change held at Beijing ................................................... 68
1.301 Dineshwar Sharma named new Administrator of Lakshadweep ........................................................ 68
1.302 National Ayurveda Day celebrated on 25th October ......................................................................... 68
1.303 Vigilance Awareness Week to be observed from 28th October to 2nd November ............................. 68
1.304 Pramod Kumar Das assumes charge as Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs .................................. 68
1.305 DEFCOM 2019 to be held at New Delhi ............................................................................................. 68
1.306 Telangana government to declare 2020 as the 'Year of Artificial Intelligence' ................................... 68
1.307 Vice President interacted with the President of Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela on the
sidelines of NAM Summit ................................................................................................................................. 68
1.308 Disabled, people over 80 can vote through postal ballot ................................................................... 69
1.309 ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed by US forces ......................................................................... 69
1.310 Veteran journalist C Raghavachari Passes Away ................................................................................ 69
1.311 Manohar Lal Khattar sworn in as Haryana CM for a second straight term ......................................... 69
1.312 Alberto Fernandez became new president of Argentina.................................................................... 69
1.313 Filipe Nyusi became President of Mozambique ................................................................................. 69
1.314 Belgium names first female prime minister to lead caretaker government........................................ 70
1.315 C lo e K a e o es the fi st “upe C lo e i Arabian Sea in 12 years ...................................... 70
1.316 Tiger Woods won the Zozo Championship in Japan ........................................................................... 70
1.317 Lewis Hamilton wins Mexican Grand Prix .......................................................................................... 70
1.318 Papua New Guinea, Ireland qualify for T20 World Cup 2020 ............................................................. 70
1.319 Former Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma dies ..................................................................................... 70
1.320 Record 600,000 diyas lit on Saryu banks of Ayodhya on eve of Diwali ............................................... 70
1.321 First ever Ladakh Literature Festival.................................................................................................. 70
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1.322 I dia ‘ail a s lau hes Ope atio Dha ush agai st ti ket touts ................................................... 70
1.323 Indo-French Joint Exercise Shakti-2019 ............................................................................................. 71
1.324 Commemorative Coin on Paramahansa Yogananda released ............................................................ 71
1.325 Pakistan releases a coin on Baba Guru Nanak ................................................................................... 71
1.326 ASI finds trade centre of early historic period in Andhra Pradesh ...................................................... 71
1.327 'Aa a h - common foundation course for IAS probationers........................................................... 71
1.328 Philippine army to buy BrahMos missiles .......................................................................................... 71
1.329 President of India Presents National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards .................................... 71
1.330 110th birth anniversary of Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha celebrated ...................................................... 71
1.331 Tiny beetle named after teen climate activist Greta Thunberg .......................................................... 72
1.332 Air India depicts 'Ek Onkar' symbol on its aircraft to mark Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary ...... 72
1.333 Alberto Fernández elected as the President of Argentina.................................................................. 72
1.334 Trade Centre of Early Historic Period found in Gottiprolu, Andhra Pradesh ....................................... 72
1.335 F irst Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir : Shri Girish Chandra Murmu
sworn in as ...................................................................................................................................................... 72
1.336 First Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh : Shri Radha Krishna Mathur ..................................................... 72
1.337 Indian Railways organize Run for Unity to commemorate Rashtriya Ekta Diwas ................................ 72
1.338 Bamboo Technology Parks to be set up in the two new UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh ...... 72
1.339 'IndiGen' project : Sequencing Indian genes ...................................................................................... 73
1.340 'PRAKHAR' : anti-street crime vans in New Delhi ............................................................................... 73
1.341 Rafael Grossi elected as the new IAEA head ...................................................................................... 73
1.342 Three Indian-origin CEOs in the list of 10 best-performing CEOs ....................................................... 73
1.343 The 5th International Conference on ROADTECH was held ................................................................. 73
1.344 M Venkaiah Naidu unveils 15-point reform charter for effective functioning of Parliament, state
legislatures ...................................................................................................................................................... 73
1.345 Artificial Intelligence software AISoft to be developed by IIT Madras ................................................ 73
1.346 First Day Night test match between India and Bangladesh ................................................................ 73
1.347 China completes maiden flight of its first electric plane .................................................................... 74
1.348 Uber Money to launch in India by 2020 ............................................................................................ 74
1.349 Veteran CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta passes away .......................................................................... 74
1.350 Cyclone Maha hits Kerala.................................................................................................................. 74
1.351 Dhanlaxmi Bank MD, CEO T. Latha resigns ........................................................................................ 74
1.352 Government appoints Atanu Chakraborty as expenditure secretary ................................................. 74
1.353 Gandhi Mandela Award 2019 ........................................................................................................... 74
1.354 Nirmal Purja: Nepali climber carves mountaineering history ............................................................. 75
1.355 Ta il Nadu s fa ous Yoga i st u to Na a al passes a a ........................................................... 75
1.356 Singapore sees world's first digital exchange platform for airlines to trade carbon credits ................ 75
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1.357 Sadako Ogata: First female UN refugee chief dies at 92 .................................................................... 75
1.358 October 31st : Word Cities Day ......................................................................................................... 75
1.359 28th Vyas Samman conferred on Leeladhar Jagoori .......................................................................... 75
2 GA + ESI in news........................................................................................................................................... 76
2.1 India achieved one-crore LED street light mark under the Streetlight replacement programme ............ 76
2.2 Chhattisgarh government started five new schemes on Gandhi Jayanti ................................................ 76
2.3 Union Minister of Consumer Affairs launched app for registering consumer grievances ....................... 77
2.4 Telangana becomes fully electrified state ............................................................................................. 77
2.5 J&K Governor gives assent to Jammu and Kashmir National Law University Bill, 2019........................... 77
2.6 Trade apprentices to get minimum monthly stipend ranging from Rs 5000 to 9000 .............................. 78
2.7 Single window online system for licensing of eating houses/lodging houses launched .......................... 78
2.8 Ke ala, Cha diga h top NITI Aa og s “ hool Edu atio Qualit I de “EQI , ................................ 78
2.9 WTO cuts global trade growth forecasts for 2019 to 1.2% amid slowdown ........................................... 79
2.10 Country's top three cleanest railway stations are from Rajasthan: Railway Cleanliness Survey 2019 ..... 79
2.11 Single-use plastics to be banned inside monuments ............................................................................. 80
2.12 Pa ata Pa to p o ote tou is to e i augu ated i Ne Delhi .......................................... 80
2.13 Mo “a ka i itiati e lau hed ............................................................................................................. 80
2.14 Andhra Pradesh launches Village Secretariat system ............................................................................ 81
2.15 IT Ministry launches performance smart-board for monitoring key programmes .................................. 81
2.16 Government launches portal for improving coal supply coordination to power plants .......................... 81
2.17 Indian Oil launches drive to turn plastic waste into bitumen ................................................................. 82
2.18 India can become global hotspot for electric mobility: EV Ready India Report ...................................... 82
2.19 AIM, NITI Aayog, UNDP India Jointly Launch Youth Co:Lab .................................................................... 83
2.20 A dh a P adesh CM to lau h Y“‘ Vaha a Mit a “ he e ................................................................... 83
2.21 Google to scale up online presence of Ayushman Bharat ...................................................................... 83
2.22 WTO to host first World Cotton Day celebrations in Geneva ................................................................. 84
2.23 IFS officer Ramesh Pandey selected for Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by UNEP ................... 85
2.24 World Habitat Day : October 7.............................................................................................................. 85
2.25 India announces Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) for 5 African Countries on World Cotton Day . 86
2.26 India starts sharing maritime data ........................................................................................................ 86
2.27 I dia gets fi st t a he of “ iss a ou t details u de auto ati e ha ge f a e o k ..................... 87
2.28 India ranks 68th on Global Competitiveness Index ................................................................................ 87
2.29 Ca i et app o es ₹ . lakh pa kage fo PoK fa ilies ho settled outside J-K after Partition ................ 89
2.30 EESL partners with NIIF for smart meters deployment .......................................................................... 89
2.31 Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches WHO IndiaCountry Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023 ............................... 89
2.32 Union HRD Minister launches a unique Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme (PMILP)-
DH‘UV ........................................................................................................................................................... 90
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2.33 Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launches Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship
Programme with IIM Bangalore ....................................................................................................................... 91
2.34 World Mental Health Day : 10th October 2019 ...................................................................................... 92
2.35 PMJAY completes first year: 90,000 cancer claims, Tamil Nadu tops list................................................ 92
2.36 SUMAN scheme launched by the Government ..................................................................................... 92
2.37 9th RCEP Intersessional Ministerial Meeting in Thailand ........................................................................ 93
2.38 UNICEF becomes first UN organization to start accepting cryptocurrency donations ............................ 94
2.39 Dearness allowance (DA) of government employees hiked by 5% ......................................................... 94
2.40 India to work with China, Pakistan to gauge impact of climate change .................................................. 94
2.41 First National Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Survey (2015-19) ...................................................... 95
2.42 National Health Mission performance index ......................................................................................... 95
2.43 World Sight Day 2019: Andhra to launch 'YSR Kanti Velugu' health scheme .......................................... 96
2.44 SARAS Aajeevika Mela organised at India Gate ..................................................................................... 97
2.45 Kanyashree University to set up to empower girls ................................................................................ 97
2.46 POSHAN atlas to map local crops, food grains for tackling malnutrition ................................................ 97
2.47 Kayakalp Awards: AIIMS Delhi wins top cleanliness award .................................................................... 98
2.48 Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme launched ................................. 98
2.49 Bangladesh, Nepal to grow faster than India: World Bank report .......................................................... 99
2.50 National Nutrition Survey 2019 conducted ........................................................................................... 99
2.51 Go e e t to lau h Vig a J oti p og a e to p o ote “TEM edu atio a o g gi l stude ts ... 100
2.52 Government to come up with Water Quality Rankings for preventing water borne diseases .............. 101
2.53 Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2019 released .................................................................... 101
2.54 IMF slashes India's FY20 GDP growth forecast to 6.1% ........................................................................ 102
2.55 Global Hunger Index (2019) released .................................................................................................. 102
2.56 India Ministerial Dialogue held at 3rd India Energy Forum by CERAWeek ........................................... 103
2.57 Ayushman Bharat provided benefit to over 50 lakh people ................................................................. 103
2.58 CBIC launches scheme to attract investment and support Make in India programme ......................... 104
2.59 Shri Arjun Munda launches Van Dhan Internship Programme of TRIFED ............................................. 104
2.60 Central Government launched Food Safety Mitra (FSM) scheme on World Food Day.......................... 105
2.61 Facebook launches second phase of digital literacy project for tribal girls ........................................... 106
2.62 NITI Aayog launches India Innovation Index 2019 ............................................................................... 106
2.63 Union HRD Minister chairs the 2nd meeting of IIIT Coordination Forum ............................................. 109
2.64 Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying releases 20th Livestock Census..................................... 109
2.65 Italy to introduce web tax on digital giants from 2020 ........................................................................ 110
2.66 International Monetary Fund releases World Economic Outlook ........................................................ 110
2.67 Centre Launches 'Made In India' Diagnostic Kits for Encephalitis, Bluetongue Virus With Export Potential
113
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2.68 UAE announces establishment of 1st graduate-level, research-based AI university in world ............... 113
2.69 2nd Indo-French Knowledge Summit in Lyon on October 17-18 .......................................................... 113
2.70 First Edition of ASIA HEALTH 2019 takes place in New Delhi ............................................................... 113
2.71 India-UK collaboration creates a hand-washing robot ......................................................................... 114
2.72 D Ha sh Va dha sha es I dia s isio fo i lusi e health at G Oka a a Health Mi iste s Meeti g
114
2.73 India to host Interpol General Assembly in 2022 ................................................................................. 115
2.74 Legislative Council abolished in J&K .................................................................................................... 115
2.75 Uzbekistan President to be Chief Guest at Vibrant Gujarat Summit .................................................... 116
2.76 New initiatives unveiled to mark first MeitY Start-up Summit ............................................................. 116
2.77 IIT Delhi becomes first IIT to launch Endowment Fund ........................................................................ 117
2.78 Crime in India report 2017 released .................................................................................................... 117
2.79 Next 'Hunar Haat' to be held in Prayagraj ........................................................................................... 118
2.80 QS India University Rankings 2020: IIT Bombay tops again .................................................................. 118
2.81 10th edition of the Global Wealth Report published ........................................................................... 119
2.82 Natio al eposito of I dia s e te h apa ilities lau hed ........................................................... 119
2.83 National Panchayat Awards 2019 ....................................................................................................... 119
2.84 CBSE, NCERT to launch 'Tamanna' aptitude test for Class 9, 10 students ............................................. 120
2.85 Government sets up panel to resolve MeitY and Niti fight over AI ...................................................... 120
2.86 “ i La ka a d UNEP adopted Colo o De la atio ........................................................................... 120
2.87 Odisha government plans to make state child marriage free by 2030 ................................................. 121
2.88 Wo ld Ba k s Doi g Busi ess ‘epo t eleased ............................................................................ 121
2.89 World Bank inks agreement project to support smallholder farmers in Odisha ................................... 122
2.90 New Development Bank approves two projects with loans aggregating to $800mn ............................ 122
2.91 Odisha Government launches 'Odisha Mo Parivar' programme .......................................................... 123
2.92 Global Health Security (GHS) Index, 2019 released ............................................................................. 123
2.93 India to adopt Brazil model of human milk bank ................................................................................. 123
2.94 Uttar Pradesh Government launches Rs 1,200 crore financial assistance scheme for girls ................... 124
2.95 Odisha Government inks LoU for 'drink from tap mission' with UNICEF ............................................. 124
2.96 Dr. Harsh Vardhan releases the 14th National Health Profile, 2019 ...................................................... 125
2.97 MNRE Hosts 2nd Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) on 31 October In New Delhi .............. 125
2.98 Natio al “ posiu o the the e U ited to Eli i ate L phati Fila iasis ..................................... 126
2.99 EK Bharat Shreshth Bharat Parv inaugurated ...................................................................................... 126
2.100 I dia s a i e e po ts to Chi a headi g fo U“D illio a k ...................................................... 127
2.101 The 50th U io Wo ld Co fe e e o Lu g Health ......................................................................... 127
2.102 MoU Signed between AIIA and Frankfurter Innovationszentrum Biotechnologie GmbH, Germany .. 128
2.103 Over 2,000 panchayats brought under natural farming in HP .......................................................... 128
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2.104 India, Saudi Arabia sign Strategic Partnership Council pact ............................................................. 128
2.105 Fourteen start-ups selected for 2019 SEED Awards ......................................................................... 129
2.106 FM Nirmala Sitharaman chairs meeting of NIIF's governing council ................................................. 129
2.107 Nagaland Government launches Ex-gratia Scheme for Students ..................................................... 130
2.108 Financial Times's global ranking : IIM Calcutta gets 17th rank .......................................................... 130
2.109 Central Government sets up panel to examine the problems face by Telecom Operators ............... 130
2.110 India signs MoU with Saudi Arabia to launch RuPay card in Gulf Kingdom ....................................... 131
2.111 WTO panel rules India export subsidies illegal, upholds US case ..................................................... 131
2.112 IIIT Hyderabad researchers create first ever Indian Brain atlas ........................................................ 131
2.113 AP launches online platform SMARTPORT....................................................................................... 131
2.114 TN becomes first State to enact law on contract farming ................................................................ 132
2.115 Ease of doing business ranking : India's rank jumps 14 places ......................................................... 132
2.116 COP25 climate talks cancelled ........................................................................................................ 133
2.117 OCI can now apply for National Pension System ............................................................................. 133
3 GA + Finance in news ................................................................................................................................. 135
3.1 Government to launch Bharat-22 ETF's 4th tranche ............................................................................ 135
3.2 Reserve Bank of India imposed penalty on United Overseas Bank Limited .......................................... 135
3.3 RBI cuts repo rate by 25 basis points, slashes GDP growth estimates .................................................. 135
3.4 ‘BI i eases le di g li it of MFIs to ₹ . lakh................................................................................. 135
3.5 RBI to provide liquidity support to banks for smooth NEFT transactions ............................................. 136
3.6 RBI allows rupee derivatives to be traded in IFSCs .............................................................................. 136
3.7 RBI asks state level bankers to expand digital payments ecosystem .................................................... 137
3.8 Consumer confidence drops to six-year low: RBI survey ..................................................................... 138
3.9 Inauguration of National Tax e-assessment Centre in New Delhi......................................................... 138
3.10 Competition Commission of India has received first green channel combination ................................ 139
3.11 Mutual Funds assets dip ₹ , o e i “epte e o o po ate ede ptio ............................ 140
3.12 RBI rejects Indiabulls Housing, Lakshmi Vilas Bank merger deal .......................................................... 140
3.13 Deposit insurance coverage in India among the lowest in world: SBI report ........................................ 141
3.14 Air India Special Purpose Vehicle raises anothe ₹ , o e ............................................................ 141
3.15 Government constitutes panel to suggest measures to augment GST revenue ................................... 141
3.16 RBI okays proposal to merge district co-ope ati e a ks to fo Ke ala Ba k ................................... 142
3.17 Fintech start-up Shubh Loans gets NBFC licence from RBI ................................................................... 143
3.18 BSE joins hands with FICCI to enhance MSME and start-up environment ............................................ 143
3.20 “EBI s e FPI ‘ules a i pa t Mau itius ........................................................................................ 144
3.21 RBI introduces new reporting system for co-operative banks ............................................................. 144
3.22 GeM signs MOU with Union Bank of India .......................................................................................... 144
3.23 CIBIL to give real time alerts on changes in customers credit profile ................................................... 145
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1 GA in News:
1.1 Bank of Baroda signs MoU with Indian Army

• Recently, Bank of Baroda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Army
with the aim to provide new and better banking experiences for both serving & retired
personnel of Indian Army.
About Bank of Baroda
• Headquarters: Vadodra
• CEO: P.S. Jayakumar
• Tagline: I dia s I te atio al Ba k
1.2 P K Gupta appointed as new CMD of NBCC

• Recently, P K Gupta has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) of NBCC (National Buildings Construction Corporation).
• NBCC is a blue-chip Government of India Navratna enterprise and a Central Public Sector
undertaking.
1.3 Government appoints Mallikarjuna Rao as MD and CEO of PNB

• S S Mallikarjuna Rao has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer of Punjab National Bank.
• Currently, he is working as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Allahabad
Bank.
1.4 Abhishek Singh appointed as the CEO of MyGov India

• Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Abhishek Singh has been appointed as the
Chief E e uti e Offi e CEO of the go e e t s itize -centric online platform MyGov
India.
• He has replaced Arvind Gupta.
1.5 Mahindra & Mahindra forms joint venture with Ford, picks 51% stake in India unit
• Mahindra & Mahindra has formed a joint venture (JV) with Ford Motor Company after
buying a 51 per cent stake in the Indian unit of Ford.
• The e tu e ill a age Fo d s I dia ope atio s.
1.6 Sindhu drops to World No. 6: BWF Rankings 2019

• Recently, BWF rankings for year 2019 was released in which world champion P.V. Sindhu
slipped a place to the 6th spot.
• Former Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap has broken into the top 25.
• Saina Nehwal remained static at 8th rank.
1.7 Book titled The ‘““: ‘oad aps fo the st Ce tu eleased

• Recently, a book titled The ‘““: ‘oad aps fo the st Ce tu written by Sunil Ambekar
(national secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)) has been launched.
• It has been published by Rupa Books.
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1.8 Military Nursing Service celebrates 94th Raising Day
• Recently, The Military Nursing Service (MNS), the only all-woman corps in the armed
forces, marked its 94th Raising Day with officers rededicating themselves to render high
quality and selfless care to patients.
• On October 1, 1926, a permanent nursing service for the Indian troops was formed and was
designated as the Indian Military Nursing Service (IMNS).
1.9 NBCC bags Rs 400-cr contract to develop National Sports University in Imphal
• NBCC (National Buildings Construction Corporation) has bagged Rs 400-crore contract to
develop National Sports University at Imphal, Manipur.
• NBCC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Youth Affairs
and Sports to provide project management consultancy for development of National Sports
University.
1.10 P eside t of I dia ill o fe Va osh eshtha “a a –

• The P eside t of I dia ‘a Nath Ko i d ill o fe the Va osh eshtha Samman- o
the eminent senior citizens and institutions in recognition of their services towards the
cause of the elderly persons.
• Note: International Day of Older Persons is celebrated every year on 1st October since the
year 2005.
Theme for the year 2019: The Jou e to age e ualit
1.11 IRCTC to compensate Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express passengers for delay

• IRCTC will compensate passengers of the new Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express in case of delay
in the train schedule.
• An amount of 100 rupees will be paid in case the delay is for over an hour and 250 rupees for
delay of over two hours.
• This is the first of its kind offer from any national carrier.
1.12 Amazon partners with Vodafone to set up pick-up points for customers
• Amazon has announced its partnership with Vodafone Idea Limited to set up pick-up points
in Vodafone stores for its customers.
• The partnership will enable Amazon.in customers to choose their nearest Vodafone store as
a pick-up point to collect their packages at a convenient time
1.13 Bank of Baroda partners Agra-based NBFC Paisalo Digital for micro lending
• Recently, Bank of Baroda (BoB) has signed an agreement with Agra-based non-banking
financial company (NBFC) Paisalo Digital Limited (PDL) for expanding its micro lending
portfolio, especially focusing on women self-help groups (SHG).
1.14 Pradipta Kumar Bisoi appointed as Secretary, Department of Posts

• Recently, The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of
Shri Pradipta Kumar Bisoi to the post of Secretary, Department of Posts.
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1.15 Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora assumes charge as Vice Chief of the Air Staff
• Recently, Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora AVSM has taken over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
• He succeeded Air Marshal Anil Khosla to the post in May 2019.
1.16 Nepal Speaker resigns over rape allegation

• Recently, The “peake of Nepal s Pa lia e t K ish a Bahadu Maha a esig ed o e
allegation of raping a woman staff in the federal parliament secretariat.
1.17 Jessye Norman, the international opera star, passed away

• Jessye Norman, the renowned international opera star whose passionate voice won her
four Grammy Awards and the National Medal of Arts, has died.
• She was 74.
1.18 P.V. Sindhu inaugurated Dasara Sports

• Recently, International badminton star P.V. Sindhu inaugurated the Mysuru Dasara sports
at Chamundi Vihar Stadium, Mysore.
• Ms. Sindhu also inaugurated the Yuva Dasara, a popular event catering to youngsters and
those interested in popular music and dance from the world of film industry.
1.19 MAMI to honour Fernando Meirelles, Deepti Naval with lifetime achievement awards
• Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Meirelles and actor Deepti Naval will be honoured with the
Excellence in Cinema awards at Jio MAMI 21st Mumbai Film Festival.
1.20 Cost of data breaches will grow to $5 trillion in 2024

• A o di g to Ju ipe ‘esea h s e epo t titled, The Futu e of C e i e & “e u it :
Threat Analysis, Impact Assessment & Mitigation Strategies 2019- , Cost of data
breaches is expected to grow annually at 11%, from $3 trillion per year to over $5 trillion in
2024.
1.21 Drone Innovators Network Summit-2019 held

• Recently, Drone Innovators Network Summit-2019 was held at New Delhi.
• It was organised by the World Economic Forum under the aegis of the Ministry of Civil
Aviation.
1.22 Rajasthan bans certain categories of pan masala

• The Rajasthan government has announced a ban on pan masala containing magnesium
carbonate, nicotine, tobacco, mineral oil and flavoured 'supari' in the state to curb
addiction among youth.
• All such products will now be banned in the state under the Food Safety Act.
• Rajasthan has become the third state after Maharashtra and Bihar to announce such a
move.
1.23 Economist Surjit Bhalla appointed executive director for India at IMF
• Economist Surjit Bhalla has been named as representative of India in the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) for three years.
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• The post fell vacant after Subir Gokarn died in July this year.
1.24 Kapil Dev resigns as CAC chief

• Former India skipper Kapil Dev has resigned from his post as the head of the ad-hoc Cricket
Advisory Committee (CAC).
• The decision to resign from the CAC comes after BCCI Ethics Officer sent a notice with
regards to allegations of conflict of interest.
1.25 New book on digital transformation features chapter on AI written by AI

• A new book titled "The Tech Whisperer" has been released. The book has been penned by
digital transformation expert Jaspreet Bindra.
• It is one of a kind, as it features a chapter on AI written by AI itself.
• The book has been published by Penguin India.
1.26 International Day of Non-Violence observed on 2nd October

• International Day of Non-Violence is observed every year on the occasion of birth
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 02 October.
• On the ocassion, Union Minister of textiles unveiled a o ld s la gest kg ha kha
made of plastic waste in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
1.27 PM releases commemorative stamps, Rs 150 coins on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth
anniversary
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi released commemorative stamps and Rs 150 coins on the
occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.
• He also declared rural India 'open defecation free' (ODF), on the ocassion.
• He also th o a Ei stei Challe ge" to p opagate the ideas of Mahat a Ga dhi th ough
innovations.
1.28 Sachin Tendulkar gets most effective Swachhata Ambassador Award

• Recently, President Ram Nath Kovind presented the most effective Swachhta Ambassador
award to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi.
1.29 Ecuador to withdraw from OPEC in January 2020

• Recently, Ecuador has announced that it will withdraw from OPEC in January due to
financial problems.
• Ecuador joined OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) in 1973 but became
the first country to leave in 1992. It resumed its membership in 2007.
About Ecuador
• Capital: Quito
• Currency: US Dollar
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1.30 ITC launches first multilayered plastic (MLP) collection, recycling drive in Pune
• ITC has i t odu ed the ou t s fi st MLP collection and recycling initiative in Pune, tying
up with a waste-pickers co-operative (Swachh) at one end and recyclers such as Shakti
Plastic at the other to ensure sustainable plastic waste management.
1.31 Digital E hi itio o Mahat a Ga dhi titled Digital Gandhi Gyan-Vig a i augu ated
• To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Department of Science &
Te h olog , i augu ated a e hi itio titled Digital Ga dhi G a Vig a E hi itio at
New Delhi.
• The exhibition has been organised in collaboration with a technology start-up named as M/s
Vizara Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Delhi.
1.32 WAPCOS organized Cleanliness Drive to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhi
• To commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, WAPCOS Limited, A
Government of India Enterprise under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti organized a
cleanliness drive at New Delhi.
• WAPCOS is a leading technology driven consultancy and EPC organization with strong global
presence in the fields of Water, Power and Infrastructure Sectors.
1.33 Defence Minister unveiled Statue of Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th Birth Anniversary
• Recently, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Sri
Nagesh Garden in Delhi Cantonment, Delhi.
• He also flagged off the Bha ati a Ja ata Pa t s “a kalp Yat a to celeb ate Ga dhi s i th
anniversary.
1.34 I dia s oldest hi pa zee dies at

• Recently, I dia s oldest hi pa zee, ‘ita aged , died at the Delhi zoo follo i g
multiple organ failure.
• Rita was born at a zoo in Amsterdam in 1960 and was acquired by the National Zoological
Park in 1964.
1.35 Sports Ministry organises Fit India Plog Run in a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi
• Recently, The Sports Ministry organised the Fit India Plog Run, a dual initiative of creating a
clean and fit India, in a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary.
• Plogging is an interesting concept, in which people are running, walking, jogging and also
cleaning up the place.
• Also, Hardeep Singh Puri, the minister of state for housing and urban affairs, and civil
aviation, launched the Swachhata Hi Seva India Plog Run at India Gate in New Delhi.
1.36 PM Modi inaugurates metro service, ENT hospital in Mauritius

• Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated a metro express service and a
hospital in Mauritius with Mauritian premier Pravind Jugnauth and described the projects as
a symbol of New Delhi's strong commitment towards the development of the Mauritius.
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About Mauritius
• Capital: Port Louis
• Currency: Mauritian Rupee
1.37 KAZIND 2019: India and Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise commenced
• Recently, a ual ilita e e ise et ee I dia a d Kazakhsta a a ed as KA)IND
was commenced at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
• The year 2019 is the 4th edition of joint military exercise.
1.38 Tata Communications names Amur Lakshminarayanan as MD and Group Chief Executive
Officer designate of the company
• Recently, Tata Communications has named Amur S Lakshminarayanan as Managing
Director and Group Chief Executive Officer designate of the company.
1.39 Ministry of Tourism launches Audio Guide facility App "Audio Odigos" for 12 sites of India
• Recently, the Audio Guide fa ilit app Audio Odigos as lau hed fo sites of I dia
(including Iconic Sites).
• This map offers Government of India verified content, with visuals & voice over support. It
also contains an inbuilt map of the site for a smooth navigation during the tour.
• The audio can be chosen in their preferred language & version of the history.
1.40 House Building Advance Interest Rate Reduced from 8.5% to 7.9% for a Period of One Year
• Recently, the rate of interest on House Building Advance [HBA] has been reduced from
existing 8.5% to 7.9% for a period of one year, irrespective of the loan amount of HBA.
• HBA is admissible to permanent employees and all those temporary employees also who
have rendered 05 years of continuous service.
1.41 Home Minister flagged off New Delhi-Katra 'Vande Bharat' Express
• Recently, Union Minister for Home Affairs flagged off the New Delhi-Katra 'Vande Bharat'
Express, in New Delhi.
• This is the se o d Va de Bha at e p ess afte the Ne Delhi - Varanasi semi-high speed
train.
• The coaches of this train are indigenously manufactured at the Chennai Rail coach factory.
1.42 Indo-Mongolian Joint Exercise commenced: Nomadic Elephant 2019

• Recently, 14th edition of Indo – Mongolian joint military training, Exercise Nomadic
Elephant, was conducted at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
1.43 Indo Maldives joint Exercise commenced: Ekuverin 2019

• Recently, 10th edition of the Joint Military Exercise Ekuverin between the Indian Army and
the Maldives National Defence Force was commenced at Pune, Maharashtra.
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1.44 Maj AQ Khan Won Silver Medal in 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports
Championship 2019
• Recently Maj Abdul Quadir Khan of the Corps of Signals won a Silver Medal at the
prestigious 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports Championship held at Batam,
Indonesia.
1.45 Sandeep Gulati is new MD of Manpower Group in India

• Recently, Sandeep Gulati has been named as the new Managing Director of India
Operations of Manpower Group.
1.46 Ba ita Tade has ee appoi ted as A a ati dist i t s a assado fo the Ele tio
Co issio s “VEEP p og a e
• Babita Tade, ho o ₹ o e o Kau Ba ega C o epati, has been appointed as Amravati
dist i t s a assado fo the Ele tio Co issio s “VEEP p og a e.
• The “ ste ati Vote s Edu atio a d Ele to al Pa ti ipatio “VEEP is a flagship p og a e
of the Election Commission to spread voter awareness.
1.47 Shanti Raghava , Dipesh “uta i a i “o ial E t ep e eu of the Yea A a d

• Recently, Shanti Raghavan and Dipesh Sutariya of EnAble India have been awarded with
the 10th Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2019.
• They have been awarded for building an ecosystem of skilling, employment and
entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities (PwDs).
1.48 Government has announced mega divestment plans for four blue-chip public-sector
companies
• Recently, go e e t has lea ed st ategi sale of go e e t s e ti e sha eholdi g i
BPCL, Shipping Corporation of India, THDC India and North Eastern Electric Power
Corporation Ltd (NEEPCO).
• This would be the biggest privatisation of state-owned companies proposed to be
undertaken by an Indian government since the Atal Bihari Vajpayee dispensation in early
2000.
• This is ei g do e i li e ith go e e t s p oposal of aisi g ₹ . lakh o e f o
disinvestment in the current financial year.
1.49 Air India launches 'Namaskar Sewa' for passengers at Delhi airport
• Recently, Air India has started 'Namaskar Sewa' for airline passengers at Delhi airport.
• It is a meet and greet service wherein Air India staff will take care of passengers from the
airport entry gate to till being passengers board in the aircraft.
• But, the carrier will charge passengers for this service.
1.50 Cognizant appoints Daniel Cohen as its new BFSI head

• Recently, Cognizant has appointed Daniel Cohen as their new senior vice president of
banking and financial services for North America hi h o t i utes % to the o pa s
total revenue.
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1.51 Railway will connect country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari before August 2022
• Recently, Railways Ministry has announced that Indian Railways will connect the country
from Kashmir to Kanyakumari before August 15, 2022.
• It was also announced that WIFI facility is available at 5,000 railway stations and in the
coming days around 6,500 stations will be connected with the facility.
1.52 'Sarbat Da Bhala Express' train flagged off at New Delhi railway station
• 'Sarbat Da Bhala Express' train was flagged off at New Delhi railway station, and it will ply
from New Delhi to Lohian Khas via holy city Sultanpur Lodhi.
• Earlier it was named as New Delhi-Ludhiana Intercity Express.
1.53 NHSRC to be WHO collaborating centre for medical devices

• Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the World Health
Organization (WHO), has announced that National Health Systems Resource Centre
(NHSRC) has been re-designated as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Priority Medical
Devices and Health Technology Policy.
1.54 Goa Maritime Conclave– 2019 Inaugurated

• Recently, The Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC)-2019 was inaugurated by the National
Security Advisor at Goa.
• The theme for the o la e is Common Maritime Priorities in IOR and need for Regional
Ma iti e “t ateg .
1.55 India - Bangladesh Business forum meets in New Delhi

• Recently, India - Bangladesh Business Forum was held in New Delhi.
• At the event, two Government to Business (G2B) MoUs were signed between Start up
Bangladesh and Tech Mahindra and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and Adani Ports
and SEZs.
1.56 F““AI s T a s-Fat F ee logo lau hed

• Recently, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfa e lau hed the T a s Fat F ee logo
of Food “afet & “ta da ds Autho it of I dia F““AI , at the th I te atio al Chefs
Conference in Delhi.
• This marked an important milestone in the movement against Trans-Fats and also provided a
momentum to accele ate the Eat ‘ight I dia o e e t of F““AI.
1.57 World Cotton Day being observed from 7th October to 11th October 2019 in Geneva
• Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani will represent India at World Cotton Day which is being
observed from 7th-11th October, 2019 in Geneva.
• It is being organised by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in collaboration with the
Secretariats of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Trade Centre
(ITC) and the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).
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• WTO is also hosting the event at the request of the Cotton – 4 countries, Benin, Burkina
Faso, Chad and Mali to celebrate their official application for the recognition of 7th
October as World Cotton Day by the United Nations.
1.58 I dia s fi st e-waste clinic to be set up in Bhopal

• The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
ha e joi ed ha ds to set up the ou t s fi st e-waste clinic in Bhopal.
• It would enable segregation, processing and disposal of waste from both household and
commercial units.
• The clinic is being conceived in compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
1.59 Ravindra Jadeja becomes second fastest Indian to scalp 200 Test wickets
• Recently, Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja became the second fastest Indian to scalp 200
wickets in Test cricket, during the opening match against South Africa.
• R. Ashwin is the fastest Indian to enter the 200-wicket club.
1.60 Delhi a i et app o es Bill to set up I dia s fi st “po ts U i e sit

• Recently, The Delhi Ca i et app o ed a Bill to set up I dia s fi st “po ts U i e sit i
Delhi, which will offer graduation, post-graduation and doctorate degrees in cricket, football,
and hockey among other sports.
• It will be affiliated to the CBSE, for imparting education with emphasis on sports and to
groom the students for a career in sports.
1.61 Houston University receives $ 2 mn commitment to support Tamil language

• Recently, The Houston Tamil Studies Chair (HTSC) has made a $ 2 million pledge to the
University of Houston to establish an endowment supporting the study of Tamil heritage.
• Its mission is to promote the oldest language, Tamil, which is spoken by more than 70 million
globally.
1.62 North East Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition inaugurated

• Recently, Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the North East
Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition in Aizawl, Mizoram.
• This is the first Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition being organised in the North East.
1.63 I dia lau hes G ee C a ke s i its id to u ai pollutio

• In a bid to resolve the crisis of air pollution, the Governnment has launched green
firecrackers recently.
• These fireworks are based on new formulations developed by CSIR, and will result in 30%
reduction in particulate matter.
• A green logo as well as a Quick Response (QR) coding system has been developed for
differentiation of green crackers from conventional crackers.
1.64 PayPal becomes first member to exit Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency group
• Recently, PayPal has made the decision to forgo further participation in the Libra
Association.
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• Libra Association is an alliance intended to oversee the Facebook-backed Libra
cryptocurrency, which has come under attack by regulators.
1.65 Rajnath Singh approves 4-fold increase in compensation to kin of martyrs

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has given in-principle approval to enhance monetary
assistance to next of kin of battle casualties from existing Rs 2 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.
• It will be granted under Army Battle Casualties Welfare Fund (ABCWF).
1.66 5th World Parliament of science, religion and philosophy 2019 held
• Recently, 5th World Parliament of science, religion and philosophy 2019 was held in Pune,
Maharastra.
• The theme for the year 2019 is- ‘ole of “ ie e, ‘eligio a d Philosophy for World peace
and well- ei g of a ki d .
1.67 Glo al su it o “pi itualit fo U it , Pea e a d P ospe it held

• Recently, the Vi e P eside t i augu ated the Glo al su it o spi itualit fo u it , pea e
a d p ospe it i Mou t A u, ‘ajastha .
• It was organised by the Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwarya Vishwa Vidyalaya.
1.68 I dia s fi st pla t to p odu e diesel f o plasti aste

• Recently, I dia s fi st plasti to diesel o e sio pla t as i augu ated i Mathu a at the
Mathura Municipal Corporatio s MMC t e hi g g ou ds.
• The plant will work on a public-private partnership (PPP) model for which the MMC (Mathura
Municipal Corporation) has signed a contract with Paterson Energy.
1.69 Kochi to host National health informatics meet in 2020

• The Health Informatics and Information Management Association (HIIMA), Kerala, and the
Health Records Association of India (HERAI) are jointly organising the 20th annual national
conference in Kochi on February 7 and 8 next year.
• The theme of the conference – Medrecon 2020 – is Value of Data in Health Care
E os ste .
1.70 Diahann Carroll passes away in Los Angeles

• American actress and singer Diaha Ca oll has passed a a e e tl due to cancer.
• She was the recipient of Golden Globe Award for best actress.
1.71 Ne ook a ed Yea s of ele ati g the Mahat a the “outh Af i a Lega eleased
• Recently, a book named '150 Years of Celebrating the Mahatma the South African Legacy',
has been released.
• It has been written by author and journalist Fakir Hassen.
• It records how commemorations of Gandhi's activities, including his birth and death
anniversaries, were confined to the local Indian community only.
1.72 Wildlife week celebrated from 2nd - 8th October, 2019

• Wildlife Week is being celebrated all over India from 2nd – 8th October 2019.
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• Aim: To Protect Indian wildlife species from extinction
• Theme for the year 2019: Life below water: For people and planet
• Wildlife week is being organised by National Board of Wildlife since 1972.
1.73 Tripura gets its first ever SEZ

• Recently, The Centre has given in-principle approval for setting up of Tripura's first-ever SEZ
at Sabroom.
• The estimated investment in the project will be around Rs 1550 Crore.
1.74 India, Bangladesh sign MoU on coastal radar system

• Bangladesh has signed an MoU that will enable India to set up a coastal surveillance
system radar in Bangladesh as part of efforts to harness bilateral defence cooperation and
building a closer maritime security partnership between the two countries.
1.75 World Space Week : October 4 to 10

• The World Space Week is observed every year since October 4, 1957.
• This date was selected to mark the launch of first human – made earth satellite called Sputnik ,
which was launched by Soviet Union.
• Theme 2019 – The Moon : Gateway to the stars.
1.76 Golden Jubilee Edition of International Film Festival of India(IFFI)

• The 50th International Film Festival of India is going to take place in the year 2019.
• The film HELLARO (Gujarati) directed by Abhishek Shah has been chosen as the Opening
Feature Film of Indian Panorama 2019.
• Noo eh directed by Ashish Pandey has been selected as the non-feature film for the same.
1.77 Ministry of Tourism organises first of its kind Adventure Trekking Training course in Ladakh
• Indian Institute of Skiing & Mountaineering (IISM) Gulmarg under Ministry of Tourism has
organized an Adventure Tourism Training Courses in Trekking.
• This has been done in association with Indian Institute of Travel & Tourism Management
(IITTM) an autonomous body under the Ministry of Tourism .
1.78 Army's biggest mountain combat exercise 'Him Vijay' begins in Arunachal Pradesh
• I dia A s iggest ou tai o at E e ise alled Hi Vija ' is going to take place in
Arunachal Pradesh.
• It will take place in phases - the first important phase will be from 7 -10 October and the other
phase will be from 20- 24 October.
• The exercise is taking place to test mobility, communication and coordination of the movement
of troops in difficult terrain.
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1.79 2019 Nobel Prize for Medicine
• Three researchers from the US and Britain have won a Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine
• The prize has been given for showing how cells sense and adapt to changing oxygen levels –
which led to the development of new drugs.
Three researchers are :
1. Americans William Kaelin of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston
2. Gregg Semenza of Balti o e s Joh s Hopki s Medi i e
3. Peter Ratcliffe of the Francis Crick Institute in London
1.80 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

• 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded for the development of lithium-ion batteries.
• It has been awarded to three researchers –
1. John B. Goodenough from University of Texas in USA
2. M. Stanley Whittingham from Binghamton University in USA
3. Akira Yoshino from Meijo University in Japan
1.81 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics

• 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded for the research that increases the
understanding of our place in the universe.
• It has been awarded to three researchers:
• Canadian-American cosmologist James Peebles for theoretical discoveries that have
contributed to our understanding of how the universe evolved after the Big Bang
• Swiss astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz for the first discovery, in October 1995, of
a planet outside our solar system
1.82 2018 and 2019 Nobel Prizes for Literature

• The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2018 is awarded to the Polish author Olga Tokarczuk
• The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2019 is awarded to the Austrian author Peter Handke
1.83 IIT Madras students develop AI- ased E e i the “k fo disaste elief
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras students have developed an Artificial
Intelligence(AI)- ased solutio alled E e i the “k
• It has been developed for disaster management and aid services, utilizing drones with swarm
intelligence for collecting data and analyzing it in real-time.
1.84 Wipro completes acquisition of International TechneGroup

• IT services company Wipro Ltd has completed the acquisition of US-based International
TechneGroup Inc (ITI).
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• ITI is a digital engineering and manufacturing solutions company and Wipro is based in Bengaluru
, Karnataka.
•
1.85 IIT-Guwahati develops AI-based tool for electric vehicle motor
• The Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) has announced the development of an
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted engineering system design tool alled as “ a t E gi ee .
• The tool will be used for developing the motor of an electric vehicle and seeks to counter lack of
trained human resources in engineering design and system integration.
1.86 First Training Squadron at Mombasa, Kenya

• The Indian Navy's First Training Squadron which includes four indigenously built ships have
reached at Mombasa Kenya.
• These four ships are :
1. Indian Naval Ship Tir
2. Indian Naval Ship Sujata
3. Indian Naval Ship Shardul
4. Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi
1.87 Dr Harsh Vardhan launches eDantseva website and mobile application

• eDantseva website and mobile application are the first ever national digital platform on oral
health information and knowledge dissemination.
• Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has also released the Braille booklet and Voice over on
Oral Health Education for the visually impaired individuals.
1.88 India to shift to BS VI vehicular emission norms by April next year: Union Environment
Minister
• Environment Minister has informed that India will shift to BS VI vehicular emission norms from
BS IV by April 2020.
• Bharat Stage Six (BS VI) is being considered as a revolutionary step in the transformation of fuels.
• There has been 80% reduction in Particulate Matter emissions and 30% reduction in Nitrogen
Oxides emissions in BS IV heavy duty diesel vehicles compared with BS III norms.
1.89 Novak Djokovic takes Japan Open with eye on Tokyo Olympics
• Serbian player Novak Djokovic has clinched the Japan Open title
• He has defeated Australian qualifier John Millman and marked his 10th win
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1.90 Chris Silverwood appointed England head coach
• Chris Silverwood was named England head coach on Monday in place of Trevor Bayliss
1.91 October 6 : World Cerebral Palsy Day
• World Cerebral Palsy Day is observed every year on October 6th.

• This day is observed as a movement of people with Cerebral Palsy and their families, and the
Organisations that support them.
• Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early
childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination.
1.92 I dia s Vish u Na da to joi la gest e e A ti e peditio

• Vishnu Nandan has been selected as the only Indian among 300 scientists from across the world
to participate in the multidisciplinary drifting observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate
(MOSAiC) expedition.
• MOSAiC will be the first to conduct a study of this scale at the North Pole for an entire year.
• It is the largest ever Arctic expedition in history.
1.93 Discovery of 20 new moons on Saturn

• Astronomers have found twenty new moons around Saturn , making the total number of moons
of Saturn as 82.
• Till now Jupiter was considered the planet with highest number of moons i.e 79.
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1.94 GEMINI system to aid fishermen
• The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has collaborated with a
private company called Accord to develop a portable receiver to warn fishermen of danger
GEMINI
• It is linked to ISRO-satellites and works on GAGAN and is considered to be fail proof.
1.95 Cabinet approves MoUs signed between India and Foreign Broadcasters in the field of Radio
and Television
• Union Cabinet has given its approval for the MoUs between India and Foreign Broadcasters in
the field of Radio and Television.
• The MoUs with the Foreign Broadcasters will help Public broadcaster in exploring new visions.
1.96 39th World Congress of Poets to take place in Bhubaneshwar

• The 39th World Congress of Poets (WCP) is going to take place in October 2019 in Bhubaneshwar
, Odisha.
• It has been declared by The World Academy of Arts and Culture (WAAC).
• 38th World Congress of Poets has taken place in China in the year 2018.
1.97 CSIR launches eco-friendly crackers

• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched ecofriendly crackers
• They are based on formulations developed by a consortium of eight laboratories , led by
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.
• These green crackers reduce particulate emissions by 30 per cent and are available at the same
cost as the traditional ones.
1.98 Government launches Ganga Aamantran Abhiyan

• Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched a unique initiative called 'Ganga Amantran' - a pioneering
exploratory open- water rafting and kayaking expedition on the Ganga river.
• The expedition will cover the entire stretch of Ganga river and will start at Devaprayag and
culminate at Ganga Sagar.
• It is the longest ever social campaign to spread the message of River Rejuvenation and Water
Conservation on a massive scale.
1.99 PM Modi launches commemorative stamp to honour Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh
• A commemorative stamp has been released in the honour of Marshal of the Indian Air Force
late Arjan Singh
• Arjan Singh was designated as the Marshal of the Air Force in January 2002 and is the only officer
of the IAF to be given a Five-Star rank.
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1.100 38th India Carpet Expo in Varanasi
• The Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) is organizing the 38th India Carpet Expo 2019 in
Varanasi.
• India Carpet Expo is one of the largest handmade carpet fairs in Asia and is organized twice a
year in Varanasi and Delhi.
1.101 Solar, wind farms soon along India-Pak border

• According to a government official , India is going to set up solar and wind projects on fallow
land along its international border with Pakistan.
• A 30km long and 20km wide parcel of land has been identified along the border in Kutch district
of Gujarat.
• India has set a target of achieving 175GW of clean energy capacity by 2022 under its climate
commitments.
1.102 India, Bangladesh sign MoU for setting up a coastal surveillance system radar in Bangladesh
• India has signed an MoU with Bangladesh to set up a coastal surveillance system radar in the
Bangladesh.
• This is being done as a part of efforts to harness bilateral defence cooperation and building a
closer maritime security partnership between the two countries.
1.103 Yes Bank appoints new COO and CMO

• Yes Bank Ltd has appointed Anita Pai as chief operating officer (COO) and Jasneet Bachal as chief
marketing officer(CMO)
1.104 CK Venkataraman takes over as MD of Titan

• Titan Company has announced the retirement of its Managing Director (MD) Bhaskar Bhat after
33 years of service.
• C.K. Venkataraman has taken over the role of MD with effect from October 1st 2019.
1.105 IAF receives first of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft purchased from France
• The Indian Air Force has received its first Rafale fighter jet from a series of 36 aircraft purchased
from France.
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1.106 October 10th : World Sight Day
• World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October.
• It aims to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment
• This year (2019), the Call to Action fo Wo ld “ight Da is: Vision First!
1.107 13th edition of PII-ICRC annual awards declared

• Recently, PII-ICRC annual awards for best article and best photograph on a humanitarian
subject were declared. The event was jointly organised by the Press Institute of India (PII)
and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) New Delhi Regional Delegation.
• Theme (2019): I pa t of Cli ate Cha ge o Hu a ita ia Issues .
• Best Article: U ashi “a ka fo he a ti le, Ou houses a e a ishi g
• Best Photograph: G. Sivaprasad and Malayala Manorama
1.108 Ha i ali app lau hed fo E i o e t P ote tio i Go e e t Colo ies

• Recently, Minister of State (I/c) for Housing & Urban Affairs Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri
lau hed the Ha i ali app. The app is aimed to encourage Public engagement in planting
trees and other such Green drives.
• The App provides for automatic geo-tagging of plants. This app will also enable nodal
officers to periodically monitor the plantation.
1.109 Conference of Power and Renewable Energy Ministers of States and UTs held
• Recently, Co fe e e of Po e a d ‘e e a le Energy Ministers of States and UTs held in
Gujarat.
• This is the first such conference after achieving near universal household electrification
under Saubhagya scheme wherein 26.6 million households were connected in a record time
of 16-17 months.
1.110 India – Bangladesh Navies Undertake Coordinated Patrol in North Bay of Bengal
• Recently, 2nd edition of Indian Navy(IN) –Bangladesh Navy(BN) Coordinated Patrol
(CORPAT) commenced in Northern Bay of Bengal.
• The two-day CORPAT will be followed by the maiden edition of Indian Navy-Bangladesh Navy
Bilateral Exercise at Visakhapatnam.
1.111 A Co a de s Co fe e e held
• Recently, A Co a de s Co fe e e as held i Ne Delhi.
• It is an apex level biannual event (held in April and October).
• The conference facilitates conceptual level deliberations culminating in important policy
decisions.
1.112 Fi st e e I dia I te atio al Coope ati es T ade Fai i augu ated

• Recently, U io Mi iste fo Ag i ultu e a d Fa e s Welfa e “h i Na e d a “i gh To a
i augu ated the fi st e e I dia I te atio al Coope ati es T ade Fai IICTF i Ne Delhi.
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• It is aimed at furthering the goal of dou li g fa e s i o e p o oti g oope ati e-to-
cooperative trade within India & abroad and promoting exports of key agriculture
commodities.
1.113 India and Comoros sign MoUs on Defence Cooperation, health, culture and arts
• Recently, India and Comoros signed 6 MoUs including defence cooperation, cooperation in
the fields of health and medicine, arts and culture, tele-education (e-Vidya Bharati) and tele-
medicine (e-Arogya Bharati).
About Comoros
• Comoros Capital: Moroni
• Comoros Currency: Comorian Franc
1.114E thiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali wins Peace Nobel Prize

• Recently, Prime Minister of Ethiopia Mr. Abiy Ahmed Ali has been conferred with the Nobel
Peace Prize.
• He has been selected for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in
particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.
About Ethiopia
• Capital: Addis Ababa
• Currency: Ethiopian Birr
1.115 Noted saxophone exponent Kadri Gopalnath passes away

• Recently, noted saxophone exponent Kadri Gopalnath passed away.
• He had the distinction of being the first Carnatic musician to be invited to the BBC
Promenade concert in the Royal Albert Hall at London, in 1994.
1.116 D . ‘edd s hai a is e IPA p eside t

• ‘e e tl , D . ‘edd s La o ato ies hai a Satish Reddy has been appointed president of
the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) for 2019-2021.
1.117 Mood s uts I dia s FY g o th to . %

• Recently, Mood s I esto s “e i e has pegged I dia s g oss do esti p odu t GDP
growth for the current financial year at 5.8% and 6.6% for fiscal year 2020.
1.118 I te atio al o fe e e o Ad a es i o puti g a d i fo atio te h olog o ga ised

• Recently, a two-da i te atio al o fe e e o Ad a es i o puti g a d i fo atio
te h olog as held i A a alai U i e sit , Ta il Nadu.
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1.119 NASA launches satellite to explore where air meets space
• Recently, NASA launched a satellite to explore the mysterious, dynamic region where air
meets space.
• The satellite is called ICON, short for Ionospheric Connection Explorer.
1.120 Environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt awarded Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration
by Congress
• Recently, noted environmentalist and social activist Chandi Prasad Bhatt has been awarded
the Indira Gandhi award for national integration for the years 2017 and 2018.
• He has earlier been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership in
1982, followed by the Padma Bhushan in 2005. He has also been a recipient of the Gandhi
Peace Prize.
1.121 Annual Ganges river dolphin census begins

• Recently, the annual Ganges river dolphin census began in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.
• It has been undertaken by World Wide Fund for Nature-India in collaboration with the Uttar
Pradesh Forest Department.
1.122 Fi st Natio al Hi di “ ie e ite s o fe e e held i Lu k o

• Recently, the fi st Natio al Hi di “ ie e ite s o fe e e as held i Lu k o , Utta
Pradesh.
• It was organised at Dr. Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University with an aim to
promote use of Hindi and other Vernacular languages in science writing.
1.123 UNICEF becomes first UN organisation to accept donation through cryptocurrencies

• Recently, U ited Natio s Child e s Fu d UNICEF , the Child e s age of the U ited
Nations has become the first UN organization to hold and make transactions in
cryptocurrency.
• The UNICEF has established UNICEF Cryptocurrency Fund, making UNICEF able to receive,
hold as well as disburse donations via cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether.
• Through the received donations, UNICEF will be funding open source technology that aims to
benefit children and young people globally.
1.124 C40 World Mayors Summit held in Copenhagen

• The C Wo ld Ma o s “u it as held i Cope hage , De a k.
• It is a conference where city leaders from around the world share ideas on green urban
development, and on ways to get national governments to act on climate issues.
• The cities from India that are part of the C40 are Delhi NCT, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata.
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1.125 India becomes seventh most valuable nation brand
• Recently, B a d Fi a e eleased the a ual epo t B a d Fi a e Natio B a ds .
• It is the annual report on the most valuable and strongest nation brands.
• Wo ld s Most Valua le B a d: USA (1st rank) , 2nd rank: China
• I dia s a k: 7th
• Wo ld s st o gest atio a d: Singapore
1.126 Olympic medallist Conor Dwyer retires after receiving 20-month doping ban
• Recently, Olympic gold medallist swimmer Conor Dwyer has announced his retirement,
shortly after receiving a 20-month doping ban for having testosterone pellets inserted into
his hip.
1.127 Sara Danius passes away

• Sara Danius, the first female head of the prestigious Swedish body that awards the Nobel
Prize in Literature, has died.
• She was a Swedish literary critic and philosopher, and a scholar of literature and aesthetics.
1.128 Alexei Leonov, the first human to walk in space, dies in Moscow
• Alexei Leonov, the legendary Soviet cosmonaut who became the first human to walk in
space in 1965 has died in Moscow recently.
1.129 World Arthritis day observed on 12 October

• Recently, World Arthritis Day was observed on 12th October all over the world.
• Theme (2019): Time2work
• This event was started by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI).
1.130 26th foundation day of National Human Rights Commission celebrated

• Recently, 26th foundation day of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was celebrated.
• Union Minister of Home Affairs Shri Amit Shah presided over as chief guest at the event.
About NHRC
• Established on: 12 October 1993
• Headquarters: New Delhi
1.131 ADB, India sign $190 million loan for improving road connectivity in Rajasthan
• Recently, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $190
illio loa to upg ade kilo et es of ‘ajastha s high a s a d ajo dist i t oads
(MDRs).
• It will benefit about 26 million people in 14 districts of Rajasthan.
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1.132 Indo-Japan Joint Military Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN – 2019 will be held
• Joint Military Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN-219 between India and Japan will be conducted
at Vairengte, Mizoram from 19 Oct 2019 to 02 Nov 2019.
1.133 2nd India-China Informal Summit held in Chennai

• Recently, the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi and the President of the People's
Republic of China Mr. Xi Jinping held their Second Informal Summit in Chennai, India.
1.134 Tamil Nadu, Fujian Province to establish 'sister-state relations'

• Recently, India and China has decided to esta lish siste -state elatio s et ee Ta il
Nadu and Fujian Province.
• Also, year 2020 would be designated as Year of India-China Cultural and People to People
Exchanges.
1.135 Malayalam film 'Biriyani' bags honours at Asiatica film fete

• Recently, Malayalam fil Bi i a i has o the NETPAC p ize at the Asiati a Fil Festi al
in Rome.
• The NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) recognises talented filmmakers
from Asia at various international festivals.
1.136 E i e t a ade i ia Cheeti A odh a ‘a a ‘ao passes a a

• E i e t a ade i ia a d fou de of Va i Niketha edu atio al i stitutio s Cheeti A odh a
‘a a ‘ao has passed a a e e tl .
1.137 UK to issue coin to mark 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

• Recently, it has been announced that the UK government will issue a commemorative coin
to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
1.138 Ma Ko i s o ze at Wo ld Wo e s Bo i g Cha pio ship

• Recently, M C Mary Kom (51kg) won bronze medal in the World Women's Boxing
Championships at Ulan-Ude, Russia, while Manju Rani (48kg) advanced to the final and won
silver medal.
1.139 India extends over 60 million dollar line of credit to Comoros

• India has announced that it will extend a Line of Credit of over 60 million US Dollars to
Comoros in the field of energy and maritime defence cooperation.
• Vice President of India has been conferred with 'The Order of the Green Crescent', the
highest Civilian Honour of Comoros, by Azali Assoumani, President of Comoros.
1.140 Indo-US joint military exercise 'Vajra Prahar' took place in Seattle
• Recently, the 10th edition of the joint military exercise 'Vajra Prahar' between India and
the US was held in Seattle, USA.
• Earlier in September, a joint military training exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' between India and US
also took place in Seattle.
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1.141 Pope Francis to declare Indian nun Thresia Mankidiyan a saint
• Pope Francis will declare Indian nun Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan a saint at the
Vatican City.
• She rendered service in the fields of education and social service and has built many schools,
hostels and orphanages.
1.142 Dubai to host 2019 First Global DXB Challenge

• Dubai prepares to host the 2019 First Global DXB Challenge which aims to address the
o ld s ost iti al environmental issues such as wastage of water and energy,
sustainability and pollution through a global robotics competition.
• It seeks to encourage and empower youth with a passion for science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics, develop their skills and equip them with the tools
necessary to contribute to shaping the future.
1.143 India announces a Line of Credit of US$ 30 million to Sierra Leone for Irrigation development
• Recently, India and Sierra Leone signed 6 agreements to expand the bilateral relations in
various fields and also agreed to push for UNSC reforms.
• India also announced a Line of Credit to the tune of US$ 30 million for Irrigation development
in Tomabum to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production.
About Sierra Leone
• Capital: Freetown
• Currency: Sierra Leonean Leone
1.144 th editio of ‘asht i a “a sk iti Mahotsa i augu ated i Ja alpu

• Recently, th editio of ‘asht i a “a sk iti Mahotsa u de the Ek Bha at “h estha
Bha at i itiati e was inaugurated in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
• The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme was launched in 2016 to promote engagement
to enhance mutual understanding and bonding between people of diverse cultures, thereby
securing stronger unity and integrity of India.
1.145 B‘IC“ Cultu e Mi iste s Meet held at Cu iti a, B azil

• Recently, Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent charge) Shri Prahlad
“i gh Patel pa ti ipated i B‘IC“ Cultu e Mi iste s eeti g held i Cu iti a, B azil.
1.146 Lakshya Sen bags first World Tour title

• Recently, Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen has clinched his maiden BWF World Tour title by
winning the Dutch Open title beating Yusuke Onodera of Japan.
• Lakshya, currently ranks 72nd, had won the Belgian Open and reached the final of the Polish
Open this year.
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1.147 US releases USD 50 million in stabilisation assistance for Syria
• Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump has released $50 million in stabilisation assistance
for Syria to protect persecuted ethnic and religious minorities and advance human rights.
• This funding will provide emergency financial assistance to Syrian human rights defenders
and civil society organisations.
1.148 Sourav Ganguly to be new BCCI president

• Recently, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has emerged as consensus candidate to be
BCCI's new President.
• Currently, he is working as the president of Cricket Association of Bengal.
1.149 Dubai launches World Logistics Passport

• Recently, Dubai has launched the World Logistics Passport as part of the implementation of
the first phase of the Dubai Silk Road strategy.
• The passpo t ill help oost the ole of the Du ai “ilk ‘oad a d e ha e de a d fo Du ai s
products, services and integrated transportation systems.
• The initiative also further raises the growing role played by Dubai Customs in regional and
international trade.
1.150 Typhoon Hagibis hits Japan

• Recently, Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful typhoon to hit Japan in decades has left the
capital Tokyo paralysed and many people dead.
• India has deployed INS Sahyadri and INS Kiltan to assist japan during typhoon.
1.151 Valtteri Bottas wins Japanese Grand Prix

• Recently, Valtteri Bottas won the Japanese Grand Prix, securing a Formula 1 record sixth
straight World Championship double for Mercedes.
• Sebastian Vettel finished at 2nd position in the event.
1.152 Abhijit Bannerjee conferred with Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences

• Recently, Indian-American e o o ist A hijit Ba e jee as o fe ed ith No el P ize i
E o o i “ ie es alo g ith his ife Esthe Duflo a d Mi heal K e e for their notable
contribution in the field of poverty alleviation.
Other Nobel Prizes in 2019
• Nobel Prize (Physics): Jim Peebles, Michel Mayor, Didier Queloz
• Nobel Prize (Chemistry): Akira Yoshino, M. Stanley Whittingham, John B. Goodenough
• Nobel Prize (Medicine): William G. Kaelin, Gregg L. Semenza, Peter J. Ratcliffe
• Nobel Prize (Literature): Peter Handke (2019), Olga Tokarczuk (2018)
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• Nobel Peace Prize: Abiy Ahmed Ali
1.153 DPIIT launches website, mobile app for IPR

• Recently, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), launched the
e site a d o ile appli atio L P o I dia [Lea to P ote t, Secure and Maximize Your
Innovation] on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).
• The website and app has been developed by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management
(CIPAM)-DPIIT in collaboration with Qualcomm and National Law University (NLU), Delhi.
• The L2Pro India IP e-learning platform will have 11 modules for three different levels:
Basic, Intermediate and Advanced.
1.154 Wo ld “ta da d Da o se ed o O to e
• Recently, Wo ld “ta da d Da as ele ated o O to e the Bu eau of I dia
Standards (BIS) in New Delhi.
• Theme (2019): Video “ta da ds eate a glo al stage .
1.155 Shri Pradeep Kumar takes charge as Member (Signal & Telecom), Railway Board
• Recently, Pradeep Kumar has taken over as Member (Signal & Telecom), Railway Board and
ex-officio Secretary to Government of India.
• Prior to this, he worked as Director General, National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR).
1.156 Pranjal Patil, first visually challenged woman IAS officer, takes charge in Kerala
• Recently, Pranjal Patil, the ou t s fi st isuall hallenged woman IAS officer has taken
over as Sub-Collector in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
1.157 Mood s do g ades I dia ulls HFC

• Recently, Mood s I esto s Service has downgraded the corporate family rating of
Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd. to B2 from Ba2, citing challenges to funding and governance
issues.
• Indiabulls is India's second largest housing finance company, headquartered at New Delhi
and is regulated by the National Housing Bank.
1.158 Shiv Nadar tops FY19 Hurun philanthropy list

• I a e e tl eleased Hu u s Phila th op list, HCL Technologies Chairman Shiv Nadar has
topped the list of India's most generous philanthropists.
• He contributed Rs 826 crore during the financial year 2018-19 (FY19).
• Wipro founder Azim Premji was second with Rs 453 crore. Reliance Industries Chairman
Mukesh Ambani was third with Rs 402 crore.
1.159 IIT Madras to collaborate with ExxonMobil for research in Energy and Biofuels
• Recently, IIT Madras has announced that it will collaborate with ExxonMobil on Research in
Energy and Biofuels.
• This comes in the backdrop of the Centre's new biofuel policy targets to convert the
ou t s iofuel i dust i to a $ . illio e o o .
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1.160 49th World artistic gymnastics championships 2019 held in Stuttgart, Germany
• Recently, 49th edition of World Artistic Gymnastics championship was held in Stuttgart,
Germany.
• In the championship, American gymnast Simone Biles achieved her record 19th world title.
• She also became the highest medal female gymnast by winning her 25th medal in the
championship.
• Overall, United States topped the medal tally with a total of 8 medals.
1.161 Kais Saied elected as new president of Tunisia

• Recently, Kais Saied has been elected as the new president of Tunisia.
• He succeeds Mohammed Ennaceur.
About Tunisia
• Capital: Tunis
• Currency: Tunisian Dinar
1.162 Kishan Dan Dewal accredited as next ambassador of India to Georgia

• Recently, IFS officer Kishan Dan Dewal has been appointed as ambassador of India to
Georgia.
• He succeeds Shri Yogeshwar Sangwan.
About Georgia
• Capital: Tbilisi
• Currency: Georgian Lari
1.163 Sangam Youth Festival organised by Indian Army

• Recently, Sangam Youth festival was organised by Indian Army at Bhadarwah, Jammu &
Kashmir.
• More than 1500 students from different colleges and universities participated in the event.
1.164 India and Netherlands launched the second phase of the LOTUS-HR as a part of joint
collaboration
• Recently, during the visit of king and queen of New Zealand to India, India and Netherlands
jointly launched the second phase of the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage streams for
Healthy Reuse (LOTUS-HR) program.
• LOTUS-HR project was initiated in July 2017 and aims to demonstrate a novel holistic (waste)
water management approach that will produce clean water which can be reused for various
purposes.
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1.165 Jeyandran Venugopal appointed as chief product and technology officer (CPTO) of flipkart
• Recently, Jeyandran Venugopal has been elevated as the chief product and technology
officer (CPTO) of Flipkart.
• He had previously served as the chief technology officer (CTO) of fashion firm Myntra.
1.166 Air India becomes the first to use Taxibot on commercial Airbus flight
• Recently, Air India has become the first airline in the world to use a Taxibot on an A320
aircraft with passengers onboard.
• Taxibot is a robot-used aircraft tractor for taxiing an aircraft from parking bay to runway and
vice versa.
1.167 IMF slashes India's FY20 GDP growth forecast to 6.1%

• Recently, The I te atio al Mo eta Fu d IMF has ut its p oje tio s fo I dia s g o th
to 6.1% for 2019-20 from its earlier forecast of 7%.
• It also has downgraded global economy growth for 2019 to 3 per cent. Earlier, the world
economic growth for the year was pegged at 3.2 per cent by the IMF.
1.168 IIIT H de a ad i ks MoU ith EBTC to esta lish Li i g La p oje t o a pus

• Recently, International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Hyderbad has signed a
memorandum of understanding with European Business & Technology Centre (EBTC).
• MoU has been signed fo esta lishi g a Li i g La o the i stitute s a pus to help sta tups
gather real-time data on urban infrastructure.
1.169 ICICI Bank introduces new fixed deposit scheme 'FD Health'
• ICICI Bank has launched a new Fixed Deposit (FD) scheme – FD Health .
• The scheme offers FD with a health benefit through a critical illness coverage. Customers will
be offered a complimentary insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh.
About ICICI Bank
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Tagline: Hum hai na/Khayal Apka
1.170 World Students' Day 2019 observed on 15 October

• Wo ld “tude ts Da is ele ated o O to e e e ea commemorating the birth
anniversary of the Missile Man of India Dr. Abdul Kalam.
• This day was declared by the United Nations in 2010.
1.171 International Day of Rural Women 2019 observed on 15 October

• International Rural Women's Day is observed on 15 October every year across the globe.
• This da e phasize o a fa to that the o ld s sustai a le futu e is ot possi le ithout
rural women and girls.
• Theme (2019): Rural Women and Girls Building Climate Resilience
1.172 I dia ‘ail a s lau hed i e “e a “e i e Trains

• Recently, I dia ‘ail a s lau hed i e “e a “e i e T ai s to o e t s alle to s
around major cities.
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• These trains will provide connectivity to the far-flung areas where stoppages of premiere
trains was not possible and act as link trains to serve the common man of the country.
• Out of these 5 trains will run on a daily basis, whereas the rest of them will have 6 days a
week service.
1.173 India hands over 2 more Mi-24 Helicopters to Afghan Air Force
• Recently, India handed over two more Mi-24V helicopters to Afghanistan's Air Force.
• These choppers are replacements for the four helicopters India gave to Afghanistan in 2015
and 2016.
1.174 India Post launches mobile banking facility for savings accounts
• Recently, The Department of Post has announced that it has launched mobile banking app
a ed I dia Post Mo ile Ba ki g fo its sa i gs a ou t usto e s.
• The facility has been started from 15 October for all the post office savings account holders
of the CBS (core banking solutions) post offices.
1.175 Zimbabwe, Nepal readmitted as ICC members

• Recently, Zimbabwe and Nepal were re-admitted as ICC members in a meeting held in
Dubai.
• Zimbabwe Cricket had been suspended from membership of the International Cricket Council
(ICC) in July this year and Nepal had ee a ed i fo go e e tal i te fe e e .
1.176 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) & Expo to be held in Bengaluru from September 7-12,
2020
• Recently, it has been announced that 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) & Expo to be held
in Bengaluru from September 7-12, 2020.
• This is first time that the World Coffee Conference and Expo will be held in Asia.
• The p oposed the e of WCC is “ustai a ilit th ough o su ptio .
• India will be hosting the WCC 2020 as it is the 5th largest export and producer in the coffee
in the world and is emerging as the major coffee consuming country.
1.177 National Postal Week celebrated from 9th to 15th October

• Recently, India Post celebrated National Postal Week from 9th to 15th October.
• 9th October is celebrated as World Post Day. This year, this day was celebrated as 50th
World Post Day by UPU (Universal of Postal Union).
• On the ocassion, Union Minister of Communications Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad also
announced that the Department of Posts should strive for 25 crore postal savings accounts
from the current 17 crore in coming years.
1.178 ‘elease of t o diag osti kits de eloped u de Make i I dia i itiati e

• Recently, two diagnostic kits developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) -
Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar u de the Make i I dia i itiati e,
namely the Bluetongue sandwich ELISA (sELISA) and the Japanese Encephalitis lgM ELISA
kit were released.
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1.179 Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav 2019
• 10th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) is going to take place in Sagar, Madhya
Pradesh from October 14th to 21st 2019.
• Organized by : Ministry of Culture under the Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat Initiative
• It was first organized in the year 2015
1.180 New Controller General of Accounts appointed : Sh J.P.S Chawla
• Shri J.P.S. Chawla has assumed charge as the new Controller General of Accounts under Ministry
of Finance, Department of Expenditure.
1.181 Inauguration of 48th edition of the Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF)
• 48th edition of Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) has been inaugurated in Greater Noida,
Uttar Pradesh
• Theme for the year 2019 - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
• Organized by - Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
• IHGF is amongst Asia's largest gifts & handicrafts fair and is held biannually (Spring & Autumn
edition)
1.182 Kiran Uniyal sets World Record
• Kiran Uniyal has created Individual Guinness World Records for:

1. The ost full o ta t k ee st ikes i th ee i utes o e leg fe ale , st ikes
2. The ost full o ta t k ee st ikes alte ate legs i o e i ute fe ale , st ikes
• She is the wife of a serving Colonel of Indian Army.
1.183 Seapower Seminar 2019 Commences at Indian Naval Academy
• The sixth edition of the annual Dilli seminar has taken place at Indian Naval Academy (INA) in
Ezhimala , Kerala
• Theme of the Seminar : Role of Seapower in Shaping of Nations
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1.184 Exercise Eastern Bridge - V
• Exercise Eastern Bridge is the Bilateral Joint exercise between India and Royal Air Force Oman
(RAFO).
• Fifth edition of it is going to take place at Air Force Base Masirah , Oman in the month of October
2019.
• The last exercise was held in 2017 at Jamnagar.
1.185 20th All India Conference of Directors of Fingerprint Bureaus
• 20th All India Conference of Directors of Fingerprint Bureaus has recently taken place in New
Delhi.
• It was organised by National Crime Record Bureau(NCRB).
1.186 41st D‘DO Di e to s Co fe e e held in New Delhi

• 41st edition of D‘DO Di e to s Co fe e e has taken place on 16th October 2019 in New Delhi
• It was organized by Defence Research Development Organization(DRDO)
1.187 11th Nuclear Energy Conclave

• 11th Edition of Nuclear Nuclear Energy Conclave has taken place in New Delhi on 18th October
2019
• Theme of the Conclave - E o o i s of Nu lea Po e - Innovation towards Safer & Cost
Effective Technologies
• Organized by – India Energy Forum
1.188 Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit 2019

• Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit 2019 was held at Goa from October 17-19, 2019.
• During the Summit , Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has signed 30
licensing agreements for Transfer of Technology (ToT) with 16 Indian companies.
1.189 Sainik Schools to take the admission of girl students
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal for admission of girl children in Sainik
schools.
• This is going to be implemented from the academic session 2021-22 in a phased manner.
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• The decision has been taken following the success of the pilot project started by the Ministry of
Defence for admission of girl children in Sainik School Chhingchhip in Mizoram two years ago.
1.190 NDMA and Ministry of Jal Shakti conduct workshop on Management of Floods
• A national-level workshop on the Management of Floods has taken place in in New Delhi on 17th
October.
• Organized by - National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with Ministry
of Jal Shakti.
• Theme – Management of Floods: Reservoir Management.
1.191 Frankfurt International Book Fair

• It is held annually in the month of October 2019
• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India participates in this Fair every year.
• This year (2019) Multimedia exhibition on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was
organized at Indian Pavilion.
1.192 IAF to hold exercises from civil airfields

• Indian Air Force (IAF) is scheduled to conduct fighter exercises from six civilian airfields within
the area of operations of Eastern Air Command , in the month of October 2019.
• The six airfields chosen for the exercise are - Dimapur, Imphal, Guwahati, Kolkata, Pasighat and
Andal.
1.193 Indian Railways first Buddhist Circuit train to run from October 19-26
• The Indian Railways is going to run its first Buddhist Circuit train covering sites related to Gautam
Buddha in India and Nepal from October 19th to 26th
The train will cover destinations like –
• Lumbini (where Buddha was born)

• Bodhgaya(where he gained enlightenment)
• Sarnath (where he gave his first sermon)
• Kushinagar (where he attained nirvana).
1.194 Postal stamp on National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) released

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan has released a postal stamp to
commemorate the centenary celebrations of the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).
• NIN is based in Hyderabad.
• ICM‘-NIN-Ce te a A a d has been conferred upon legendary nutrition scientist C.
Gopalan posthumously.
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1.195 IIT-Hyderabad to develop bio-brick
• Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad is going to develop bio-bricks from
agricultural waste in collaboration with KIIT School of Architecture, Bhubaneswar
• These will serve a dual purpose – better waste management and promoting eco-friendly and
sustainable building material.
1.196 Konkan Railway celebrates 29th Foundation Day

• As Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd., (KRCL) has celebrated its 29th Foundation Day on 17th
October 2019.
• It is the only corporate entity to operate trains with jurisdictional States as its stakeholders.
1.197 IAAF brings in new transgender rules

• The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council has come up with the new
rules for Transgender Athletes
New rules are :
• Female transgender athletes must lower their testosterone levels by half

• They are no longer required to be recognized by law in their new gender and only need to provide
a sig ed de la atio identifying as females.
1.198 17th October 2019 : International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2019
• 17th October is celebrated as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty across the globe
every year.
• Theme - A ti g togethe to e po e hild e , thei fa ilies a d o u ities to e d
po e t .
• This day is observed to raise awareness about the people who are struggling and living in poverty.
1.199 Lionel Messi wins sixth Golden Shoe award

• Football Player from Argentina has been presented with the European Golden Shoe for the sixth
time.
• This award is given to the player who scores the most league goals across Europe's top divisions.
1.200 I“‘O s space shuttle-like Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) to attempt its first landing in
Karnataka
• The RLV program of ISRO aims to cut down on launch costs by reusing the spacecraft.
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• The project has been develop on the lines of NASA's now-shuttered Space Shuttle program and
SpaceX's reusable rockets.
1.201 Indian army inducts precision-guided Excalibur

• Indian Army has acquired the precision-guided Excalibur artillery.
• It has been made by the American company Raytheon.
• Indian Army has also inducted the indigenously built Dhanush howitzer.
1.202 Chenani-Nashri Tunnel to be renamed after Shyama Prasad Mukherjee

• India's longest Chenani-Nashri tunnel will be rechristened after Bhartiya Jansangh founder Dr
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
• The tunnel is 9.2 Km long and links Kashmir with Jammu.
1.203 Sajjan Jindal appointed as the Vice-Chairman of Worldsteel

• The World Steel Association (Worldsteel) has elected Sajjan Jindal as Vice-Chairman of the
association for one year.
• The World Steel Association is one of the largest industry representation in the world.
• It represents 85 per cent of the world's steel production.
1.204India Bangladesh old rail links to be reopened

• Railway links of India and Bangladesh are going to be reopened , which were closed after 1965
war.
1.205 Indian Army launches OASIS
• Indian Army has launched a e soft a e Offi e s Auto ated “t u tu ed I fo atio “ ste
Oasis
• This software has been launched to digitize the records of the Army officers.
1.206 Highway in Punjab after Guru Nanak Dev

• Central Government has named the Highway as ''Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg''.
• The Highway starts from Kapurthala, connects Gobindwal Sahib and terminates near Taran
Tarana in Punjab.
• This has been done to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
1.207 Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde appointed next Chief Justice of India
• Justice Sharad A. Bobde has been appointed as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI).
• He term will start from November 18th 2019 and extend until April 2021.
• He is going to succeed CJI Ranjan Gogoi
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1.208 Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman awarded to 79 community Durga Pujas
• Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has presented Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman to
79 community Durga Pujas
• These have received awards in different categories.
1.209 Anup Kumar Singh takes charge as new DG of National Security Guard
• Senior IPS officer Anup Kumar Singh has taken charge as the new Director General (DG)
of National Security Guard (NSG).
• The NSG is a counter-terrorism unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs , raised in 1984.
1.210 Defence of Andaman and Nicobar Islands exercise 2019 (Danx-19)

• Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) has conducted the second edition of Defence of
Andaman & Nicobar Islands 2019 (DANX-19).
• It is going to take place from 14 Oct to 18 Oct 19.
1.211 Shirui Lily Festival inaugurated in Manipur

• Shirui Lily Festival, 2019 has been inaugurated in Manipur
• It is an annual festival , hosted by state Department of Tourism in Ukhrul district.
1.212 RIL becomes first co to hit Rs 9 lakh cr m-cap mark
• Reliance Industries (RIL) has become the first company in India to hit the market capitalisation
of Rs 9 lakh crore.
• The m-cap figure of companies changes daily with stock price movement.
1.213 Raunak Sadhwani becomes India's 65th Grandmaster

• Raunak Sadhwani has become the 65th Indian Grand Master (Chess) at the age of 13 years.
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• Grand Master Title is awarded to chess players by the world chess organization FIDE(Federation
Internationale des Ethecs or International Chess Federation)
1.214 The Book B idgital Natio released by Prime Minister
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has unveiled the ook B idgital Natio .
• Author - Shri N Chandrasekaran and Ms. Roopa Purushottam.
• The book presents a powerful vision of the future where technology and human beings co-exist
in a mutually beneficial ecosystem
1.215 76th Year of Establishment of Azad Hind Government

• 76th anniversary of the formation of Azad Hind Government is going to take place on on 21st
October, 2019.
• The celebrations will take place at the Red Fort, Delhi.
1.216 India & the Philippines sign 4 agreements to bolster defence ties
• India and the Philippines have signed agreements
• These have been signed to bolster defence and maritime security partnership and to make it a
key pillar of bilateral cooperation.
• One of the agreements was on the sharing of white shipping information , which refers to
exchange of advance information on the movement and identity of commercial non-military
merchant vessels.
1.217 Army Commanders Conference: 14-18 October 2019

• A Co a de s o fe e e as o du ted i Delhi f o -18 Oct 19.
• It is a biannual event that takes place every year in the month of April and October.
1.218 NA“A s fi st all-female spacewalk

• Two FEMALE astronauts from NASA will be performing the first all-female spacewalk in the
history of space travel.
• These two astronauts are - Christina Koch and Jessica Meir.
1.219 The 7th CISM World Games 2019 are launched

• The 7th edition of Military World Games be held in Chinese city of Wuhan , from 15 to 30 October
2019.
• The games are officially known as 7th CISM Military World Games.
• It is multi-sport event for military personnel from across the globe.
1.220 20th October : World Statistics Day

• United Nations observes World Statistics Day at an interval of every five years.
• It was last celebrated in the year 2015 with the Theme: Better Data, Better Lives.
• The next World Statistics Day is to be celebrated on October 20, 2020.
1.221 IMNEX-2019: India-Myanmar Naval Exercise

• The second edition of 'India Myanmar Naval Exercise' IMNEX-2019 has been conducted in
Vishakhapatnam.
• It includes two phases - Harbour phase and Sea Phase
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• Myanmar naval ships UMS Sin Phyu Shin (F-14) and UMS Tabinshweti (773) have participated in
the exercise
1.222 'Ex EKUVERIN - 2019' : India-Maldives joint military exercise

• India-Maldives joint military exercise 'Ex EKUVERIN - 2019' has recently taken place at Aundh
Military Station, Pune.
• The exercise is taking place since 2009.
1.223 Sultan of Johor Cup 2019

• Indian junior hockey men's team has lost to Great Britain in the Sultan of Johor Cup , which has
recently taken place in Johor Bahru , Malaysia
• Great Britain was the winner in 2018 as well.
• Best player- Japan Kosei Kawabe
• Top scorer - Shilanand Lakra from India (5 goals)
1.224 US India Strategic Partnership Forum held in New Delhi

• Recently, US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) was held in New Delhi. The
delegation was led by Chairman of USISPF, Mr. John Chambers.
• In the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi showcased that the unique strength of India is the
availability of three Ds - De o a , De og aph a d Di aag .
About USISPF (US India Strategic Partnership Forum)
• It is a non-profit organization, with the primary objective of strengthening the India-US

bilateral and strategic partnership.
1.225 Joko Widodo has been re-elected as the President of Indonesia
• Recently, P eside t of I do esia Joke Widodo has ee e-elected as the president for the
second term.
About Indonesia
• Capital: East Kalimantan

• Currency: Indonesian Rupiah
1.226 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of
Defence
• Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Ministry of
AYUSH and Ministry of Defence.
• Objective: Integration of AYUSH under the health establishments of Directorate General of
Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).
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1.227 19th Session of the Indo-Swedish Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial and Scientific
Cooperation held in Sweden
• Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister, Piyush Goyal is on a 2-day visit to Sweden and
will attend the 19th Session of the Indo-Swedish Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial
and Scientific Cooperation in Stockholm, Sweden.
About Sweden
• Capital: Stockholm
• Currency: Swedish Krona
1.228 E-Po tal of CC‘T Digital Bha at Digital “a sk iti launched

• Recently, Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched
the E-Po tal of CC‘T Digital Bha at Digital “a sk iti' a d CC‘T YouTu e Cha el.
• The CCRT (Centre for Cultural Resources and Training) is autonomous organisation under
Ministry of Culture of Government of India.
1.229 Gully Boy, Delhi Crime Win Big at Asian Academy Creative Awards
• Recently, Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019 were announced, in which Gully Boy, India's
official entry to the 92nd Oscar Awards, has won best film from India.
• Apart from it, Netflix's Delhi Crime also bagged several awards in various categories:
o Shefali Shah- Best Actor in a leading role
o Richie Mehta- Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay
o Beverley Mills- Best Editing
o Best Original Programme by a streaming service.
1.230 Marconi Society's Celestini Program Recognizes Indian Students Apps

• Recently, Marconi Society has awarded top prizes to students in India who developed
‘akshak a d Visio Ai appli atio s.
• Rakshak: It detects speech patterns via the audio microphone of the user's smartphone.
• VisionAir: It uses photos of the horizon taken from a smartphone to estimate air quality.
1.231 Andrew McDonald appointed as Rajasthan Royals coach

• Recently, Former Australian all-rounder Andrew McDonald has been appointed as coach of
Rajasthan Royals.
• He has replaced South African Paddy Upton.
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1.232 JP Morgan commits to invest $25 million in skill development in India
• Recently, JP Morgan has committed $25 million to skill development among low- and
middle-income communities in India.
• As part of this commitment, JP Morgan is investing $10 million as the first funder in a World
Bank-led and managed initiative called the Skills and Training in Schools for Youth Multi Donor
Trust Fund (MDTF).
• JP Mo ga s $ - illio pla is pa t of the fi s fi e-year $350-million global commitment.
1.233 Siachen area, world's highest battlefield has been opened to tourists
• Recently, Government has announced to open the entire area from Siachen base camp to
Kumar Post for tourism purposes.
• The step has been taken to boost tourism in Ladakh and give people a window to appreciate
the tough work done by Army jawans and engineers in extreme weather and inhospitable
terrains.
1.234 Hurun Research Institute released Global Unicorn List

• Recently, Hu u ‘esea h I stitute has hi h eleased its Glo al U i o List . A u i o is
a privately held startup company valued at over $1 billion.
• Acc. to this report, China is the country with the largest number of unicorns (204) in the
world, followed by US with 203 such companies. India stands at 3rd position with 21 unicorn
startups.
• E-commerce and fintech accounted for the most unicorns globally, followed by cloud
computing, artificial intelligence and logistics.
1.235 China has unveiled new commercial space carrier rockets

• Recently, China has unveiled its new generation of commercial carrier rockets which could
carry up to 1.5 tonne payload.
• The new rocket series comprises of small space rockets:
o Solid-fuelled rockets codenamed as the Smart Dragon (SD) family.
o Tenglong- the liquid-propellant rocket (which will make its first flight in 2021).
1.236 Bali Jatra, one of the biggest trade fairs of Odisha will be held in November
• Bali Jatra, one of the biggest trade fairs of Odisha is scheduled to begin on November 12. The
trade fair will continue for eight days.
• Bali Jatra (also known as Bali Yatra) is a festival which is held in the city of Cuttack, Odisha.
• It is celebrated to mark the day when ancient Sadhabas (Odia mariners) would set sail to
distant lands of Bali, as well as Java, Sumatra and Sri Lanka for trade and cultural expansion.
1.237 PM Modi eleased ook titled B idgital Natio

• Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi u eiled a ook titled B idgital Natio : “ol i g
Te h olog s People P o le i Ne Delhi.
• The book has been authored by N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Roopa
Purushothaman.
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1.238 Col Chewang Rinchen Setu inaugurated in Eastern Ladakh
• Recently, Col Chewang Rinchen Setu has been inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh.
• It is India's highest altitude all-weather permanent bridge, located on Shyok River in eastern
Ladakh.
1.239Police Commemoration Day observed on 21 October

• Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on 21 October in memory of the
policemen killed at Hot Springs in North Eastern Ladakh by Chinese troops on this date in 1959.
1.240United Nations WFP launches 'Feed Our Future' cinema ad campaign

• Recently, The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a cinema
advertisement campaign 'Feed Our Future' to raise awareness and take steps against hunger
and malnutrition in India.
• It has been launched by WFP in collaboration with UFO Movie and SAWA (Screen Advertising
World Association).
1.241 Wo ld s oldest k o atu al pearl discovered on Marawah Island

• The oldest known natural pearl in the world has been discovered by Abu Dhabi
archaeologists at Marawah Island, just off the coast of Abu Dhabi.
• It belongs to the Neolithic Period.
1.242Pine Labs partners with SBI and Federal Bank to offer EMI facility for debit card customers
• Recently, Pine Labs has partnered with State Bank of India (SBI) and Federal Bank to enable
the a k s usto e s a ail de it a d ased EMIs th ough its Point-of-Sales (PoS) terminals.
About SBI
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharastra

• Chairman: Rajnish Kumar
About Federal Bank
• Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala

• Chairman: Your Perfect Banking Partner
1.243 Bureaucratic reshuffle in the Central administration

• Pankaj Kumar- New CEO of UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India)
• Sanjeev Nandan Sahay- New Secretary, Ministry of Power
• Tuhin Kanta Pandey- New Secretary, DIPAM (Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management)
• Alok Tandon- New Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
• Nagendra Nath Sinha- New Secretary, Department of Border Management
• Rajesh Bhushan- New Secretary (Coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat
• Braj Raj Sharma- Chairman, Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
• Ashok Malik- Advisor to Ministry of External Affairs
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1.2446 new lizard species found in Western Ghats
• Recently, six new lizard species of 'Dravidogecko' family have been identified in the Western
Ghats by a group of scientists.
• Till recently, only one species was recognised under this genus.
1.245 I dia A to o du t e e ise “i dhu “uda sha i ‘ajastha

• Indian Army is going to conduct an exercise ode a ed “i dhu “uda sha i ‘ajastha
from 29 November to 4 December 2019.
• The exercise will be conducted by Southern command along with XXI Corps which is also
known as the Sudarshan Chakra Corps.
• Aim: To evaluate the capability of the Defence forces to strike deep into enemy territory in an
integrated air-land battle.
1.246 Deepika Padukone, PV Sindhu flag- ea e s of Bharat Ki Laxmi initiative

• Recently, Deepika Padukone and PV Sindhu have been named as the ambassadors for
Bha at Ki La i i itiati e.
• Bha at Ki La i is a i itiati e PM Na e d a Modi to ele ate the o t i utio a d
accomplishments of women of the nation for the public good.
1.247 Veteran actor T.P. Radhamani passes away

• Actor T.P. Radhamani, who was active in Malayalam and Tamil films, passed away recently.
• She had been under treatment for cancer.
1.248 Measu i g Po e t a ou d the o ld , ook A tho Atki so eleased

• Recently, Measu i g Po e t a ou d the o ld , a ook late B itish e o o ist A tho
B. Atkinson has been released.
• It has been published by Penguin Random House.
1.249 International lead poisoning prevention week of action organised from 20-26th October
• Recently, International lead poisoning prevention week of action was organised from 20-
26th October, with a particular focus on eliminating lead paint.
• The three key themes for 2019 are: Learn the risks, Join the action, Eliminate Lead paint.
Relevance
• In 2017, lead exposure accounted for 1.06 million deaths, with the highest burden in
developing regions.
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1.250 Most advanced Electronic Interlocking System installed on the Grand Chord route
• Recently, most advanced Electronic Interlocking System has been installed on the Grand
Chord route.
• The measure is expected to help Indian Railways speed up trains and to achieve its future
objective of reducing the travel time between Delhi and Howrah.
• Grand Chord is part of the Howrah-Gaya-Delhi line and Howrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line.
1.251 Japanese Emperor Naruhito ascends Chrysanthemum Throne

• Recently, Japanese Emperor Naruhito has formally declared his ascension to the
Ch sa the u Th o e as the atio s th e pe o .
• The throne alled Taka iku a, is a . -metre-high decorative structure resembling a gazebo.
1.252 Delhi becomes first Asian city to get public transport feature from Uber
• Recently, U e has lau hed its pu li t a spo t se i e i Delhi, the i th it glo all a d
the first in Asia to have the feature.
• With this feature, Uber users in Delhi would be able to use the public transport option that will
appear on the app.
• Once the users use this option, Uber will show the best three routes for using a metro or bus
in the city.
1.253 Sunil Lulla appointed BARC India CEO

• Recently, Sunil Lulla has been appointed as the India CEO of Broadcast Audience Research
Council (BARC).
• He will take over the role from Partho Dasgupta, the first CEO of the firm.
1.254 Assam announces two-child limit for government jobs

• Recently, Assam Cabinet has announced that those with more than two children will not be
eligible for government jobs from January 2021.
• Assam Cabinet has approved Two Child norms and Prohibition of Child Marriage Act norms for
entry and continuation in Govt. service.
1.255 B“NL, MTNL to e e ged as pa t of a ₹ , o e es ue pla

• Recently, Union cabinet has app o ed the ₹ , o e e ge a d e i al pla fo Bha at
Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd (MTNL).
• I additio , assets o th ₹ , o e ill e o etised o e the e t fou ea s a d a
voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) will be introduced to cut employee costs.
About BSNL

• MD and CEO: Pravin Kumar Purwar
About MTNL

• MD and CEO: Sunil Kumar
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1.256 Male White Bellbird is the o ld s loudest i d
• According to a recent study, Male hite Bell i d is the o ld s loudest i d.
• The call (sound) made by the bird is made as part of their mating rituals.
1.257 Abhishek Nayar retires from all forms of cricket

• Recently, Veteran Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar has retired from all forms of cricket.
• He represented India in only three ODIs but his record as a First Class player is more promising.
1.258 Paralympic champion Marieke Vervoort ends life by euthanasia

• Recently, Belgian Paralympic champion Marieke Vervoort has ended her life through
euthanasia at the age of 40.
• She was suffering from a degenerative muscle disease that caused constant pain, paralysis in
her legs.
1.259 President of India lays foundation stone for Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti project at Sai
no Sato
• Recently, the P eside t of I dia, “h i ‘a Nath Ko i d laid the fou datio sto e fo “ i
“ath a “ai “a atha a “a sk uti P oje t at “ai o “ato, Kakega a, Japa .
• Sai no Sato will be developed as a temple on the lines of Akshardham and Swaminarayan
Temple to promote Indian traditional culture.
About Japan
• Capital: Tokyo
• Currency: Japanese Yen
1.260 18th summit of NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) held in Baku

• Recently, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu addressed 18th Summit of Heads of State and
Government of the Non-Aligned Movement which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• Theme (2019): Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response
to the challenges of contemporary world.
About Azerbaijan
• Capital: Baku
• Currency: Azerbaijani manat
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1.261 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Different Countries
Country Purpose
India and St. Vincent & the Grenadines Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of
Medicine
India and Kuwait Capacity building and strengthening the
accounting, financial and audit knowledge base
India and United States Science and Technology Cooperation
Ministry of Railways, India and the Cooperation in the field of Railways
Directorate General for Mobility and
Transport of the European Commission
1.262 India launched the first National Protocol to enumerate Snow Leopard Population
• On the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day, which was observed on 23 October,
2019, India launched the first national protocol to enumerate snow leopard population.
• It has been developed by scientific experts in association with the Snow Leopard States/UTs
namely, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal
Pradesh.
1.263 Sukhbir Sandhu appointed as NHAI Chairman

• Recently, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu has been appointed as the Chairman of the National
Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
• He will replace NN Sinha, who has been appointed as the secretary, Department for Border
Management recently.
1.264 Google built a o pute that has ea hed Qua tu “up e a

• Recently, Google has uilt a o pute that has ea hed Qua tu “up e a ," pe fo i g
a computation in 200 seconds that would take the fastest supercomputers about 10,000
years.
• The idea behind quantum computing is to exponentially improve the processing speed and
power of computers to be able to simulate large systems, driving advances in physics,
chemistry and other fields.
1.265 Kotak Mahindra Bank launches first overseas branch at Dubai

• Recently, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd has launched its first overseas branch at Dubai
International Financial Centre (DIFC).
• This is in addition to the banking unit at the International Financial Centre at GIFT City in
Gujarat.
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1.266 Praveen Kumar Bags Gold in Wushu World Championship
• Recently, Praveen Kumar became the first Indian man to win a gold in Wushu World
Championships, beating Russel Diaz of the Philippines in the 48kg category.
• Wushu World Championship 2019 was held in Shanghai, China.
1.267Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity held in Tokyo

• Recently, Union Minister of Steel Dharmendra Pradhan attended Global Forum on Steel
Excess Capacity (GFSEC) which was held in Tokyo.
• The GFSEC meeting was formally established in December, 2016 in Berlin. It brings together
all the G20 members and the OECD members.
1.268 International Conference on Neurological Disorders and Therapeutics held at Gandhinagar

• Recently, International Conference on Neurological Disorders and Therapeutics was held at
Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• It was organised by National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) -
Ahmedabad.
1.269Sailesh assumes charge as Secretary in Department of Public Enterprises

• Recently, Sailesh has assumed charge as Secretary in Department of Public Enterprises,
Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises.
• He had earlier served as Registrar General and Census Commissioner in the Ministry of Home
Affairs.
1.270 India signs the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement with Pakistan
• Recently, India has signed the Agreement with Pakistan on the modalities for
operationalisation of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.
• It will facilitate pilgrims from India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, round the year,
in a smooth and easy manner.
1.271 Chenani Nashari Tunnel renamed after Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee

• Recently, it has been announced that Che a i Nasha i Tu el o NH i Ja u & Kash i
has ee e a ed as D “h a a P asad Mukhe jee Tu el .
• This tunnel is the longest (9 Kms) such state of art tunnel in the country, connecting Udhampur
to Ramban in Jammu.
1.272 Fi st Glo al Bio-I dia “u it will be held in New Delhi

• The Global Bio-India 2019, one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders conglomerate will
be held for the first time in India at New Delhi.
• It will be organized by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science &
Technology, Government of India, and it's Public Sector Undertaking, Biotechnology Industry
Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
1.273 First India- Bangladesh stakeholders meet held in Assam

• Recently, the first India-Bangladesh stakeholders meet was held in Guwahati, Assam. The
eet fo used o i p o i g I dia s o e ti it ith Ba gladesh.
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• Objective: The o je ti e of the eet is to put Assa at the fo us poi t of I dia s t ade
expansion with ASEAN nations as well as Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.
About Bangladesh
• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Bangladeshi Taka
1.274 Government accords 'Maharatna' status to HPCL and PGCIL

• Recently, the government has accorded 'Maharatna' status to state-owned Hindustan
Petroleum (HPCL) and Power Grid Corporation (PGCIL).
• It will give them greater operational and financial autonomy.
About HPCL
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• CEO: Mukesh Kumar Surana
About PGCIL
• Headquarters: Gurgaon
• CEO: Kandikuppa Sreekant
1.275 Indo-France joint Army e e ise E -Shakti- ill e held i ‘ajastha

• Armies of India and France will carry out counter-terrorism drills under the joint exercise
code-named 'Ex Shakti -2019' at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.
• It will focus on counter-terrorism operations in the backdrop of semi-desert terrain under
United Nations Mandate.
1.276 Ruth Bader Ginsburg wins $1million Berggruen Prize for philosophy and culture
• Recently, American Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has won $1 million
Berggruen Prize for her work in philosophy and culture.
• She has won award for her pioneering legal work towards gender equality and her support for
the rule of law.
1.277 Ilham Tohti won Sakharov Prize

• Recently, the European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize for human rights to
Uighu i telle tual Ilha Tohti , who has been sentenced to life imprisonment in China for
sepa atis .
• He is a former Professor of economics at Beijing University, and was sentenced in 2014.
1.278Prince Faisal bin Farhan named new Saudi Foreign Minister

• Recently, Prince Faisal bin Farhan has been elected as the new Foreign Minister of Saudi
Arabia.
• He will replace Ibrahim al-Assaf.
1.279 India, Nepal, Bhutan plan trans-border conservation area

• Recently, India, Nepal and Bhutan have drafted a memorandum of understanding to create
a trans-boundary wildlife conservation named as 'Peace Park'.
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• The proposed park will include biodiversity-rich landscapes in adjoining areas of these three
countries.
• This project will maintain the natural connectivity of wildlife species, undisturbed by political
boundaries.
1.280 Indian Railway launches One Touch ATVM at 42 Suburban Stations of Central Railway
• Recently, I dia ‘ail a s has lau hed o e tou h ATVM at su u a statio s of Ce t al
Railway to render fast ticketing to millions of commuters over Mumbai Suburban Network.
• This new machine will reduce the waiting time of the passengers and allow passenger to avoid
standing in long queues.
1.281 IRDAI Constitutes Committee headed by TR Alamelu to recommend amendments to

Reinsurance, Investment
• Recently, IRDAI has constituted a top level panel to re-look into the set of existing norms on
Re-insurance, Investment, Foreign Re-insurance Branches (FRBs) and Llyods India.
• The committee will be headed by Mrs TR Alamelu.
1.282 UN day observed on 24th October

• Recently, United Nations Day is celebrated on 24th October every year.
• This day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.
1.283 Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas accredited as India's High Commissioner to Gambia

• Recently, Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas has been appointed as India's next High
Commissioner to the Gambia.
• He is currently serving as the Ambassador to Senegal.
About Gambia
• Capital: Banjul
• Currency: Gambian dalasi
1.284 Brazil announced visa-free entry for Indians and Chinese tourists
• Recently, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has announced that Chinese and Indian tourists
would be exempted from visas to enter Brazil for tourism or business purposes.
• Earlier this year, the Brazilian government ended visa requirements for tourists and
businesspeople from the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia.
About Brazil
• Capital: Brasilia
• Currency: Brazilian Real
1.285 Tata Steel, six other companies join hands with WEF for responsible sourcing
• Recently, seven mining and metals companies, including Tata Steel from India, have
partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to accelerate responsible sourcing of raw
materials.
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• The initiative will work towards experimenting, designing and deploying blockchain solutions
that will accelerate responsible sourcing and sustainability practices.
1.286 Bumrah, Mandhana win Wisden India Almanack 'Cricketer of the Year' award
• Recently, Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana are the two Indian winners among the five
i e s of the Wisde I dia Al a a k C i kete of the Yea a a d.
• The other winners from Asia are Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman, Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne and
Afghanistan Rashid Khan.
1.287 Jeff Bezos loses world's richest man title to Microsoft's Bill Gates
• Recently, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has lost the title as the world's richest man to
Bill Gates after Amazon's Q3 results resulted in Bezos losing nearly $7 billion in stock value.
• Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is currently worth $105.7 billion, while Bezos down to $103.9
billion.
1.288 Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi elected as President of Botswana

• Recently, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi has been elected as the president of Republic
of Botswana.
About Botswana
• Capital: Gaborone
• Currency: Botswana Pula
1.289 UK's Natural History Museum names Blind Beetle after climate activist Greta Thunberg
• Recently, Britain's Natural History Museum has named a tiny, blind and wingless beetle after
climate activist Greta Thunberg.
• It measures less than 1mm, and was discovered in the Nairobi in the 1960s.
1.290 ICC U19 World cup 2020 will be held in South Africa
• Recently, ICC (International Cricket Council) has announced that 13th edition of U19 Cricket
World cup 2020 will be held in South Africa.
• 16 teams will take part in the tournament.
1.291 European Open 2019 held in Antwerp, Belgium

• Recently, the fourth edition of European Open 2019 was held in Antwerp, Belgium.
• European Open is a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts.
1.292 Ha ika D o a alli o Best o e s pla e P ize i FIDE hess. o G a d “ iss tournament
2019
• Recently, Ha ika D o a alli o Best Wo e s Pla e P ize i FIDE hess. o G a d “ iss
tournament 2019 which was held in Douglas, Isle of Man.
• The tournament was organised by the IOM International Chess Limited.
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1.293 Vijay Hazare Trophy: Karnataka defeated Tamil Nadu
• Recently, 18th season of Vijay Hazare Trophy was held, in which Karnataka has defeated
Tamil Nadu.
• Final Match was held at M. Chinnaswami Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
1.294 Veteran sports journalist K R Wadhwaney passes away

• Recently, Veteran sports journalist and author K R Wadhwaney has passed away.
• He has written 31 books on sports and its various aspects.
1.295 Former Gujarat CM Dilip Parikh passes away

• Recently, Former Gujarat CM Dilip Parikh has passed away.
• He served as the 13th Chief Minister of Gujarat between October 1997 and March 1998.
1.296 Gandhinagar becomes first kerosene-free district of Gujarat

• Recently, Gandhinagar district of Gujarat has become the first Kerosene-free district of the
state.
• On the Ocassion, Union Home Minister also distributed 1000 LPG gas connections to women
beneficiaries in the state under Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana.
1.297 Lucknow-based school enters Guinness World Record

• Recently, a Lucknow- ased s hool a ed Cit Mo tesso i “ hool has o the Guinness
World Record for becoming the 'world's largest school' in terms of strength of students.
• Currently, the CMS has 18 branches and approximately 56,000 students all over the city.
1.298 Girish Chandra Murmu, R K Mathur appointed new LGs of J-K, Ladakh UTs
• Recently, IA“ offi e s Gi ish Cha d a Mu u a d ‘ K Mathu ha e ee appoi ted the
new Lt Governors of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh respectively.
• The two Union Territories will come into existence on October 31.
1.299 People with orthopaedic disability to pay lower 18% GST on some vehicles
• Recently, it has been announced by the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) that, people with
orthopaedic physical disability will pay a lower Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 18% on
vehicles up to 4 metre in size.
• The GST rate otherwise on vehicles is 28%. Patients with disability equal to or higher than 40%
will get the benefit after submitting the necessary documents to DHI.
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1.3002 9th BASIC ministerial meeting on Climate Change held at Beijing
• Recently, 29th edition of BASIC ministerial meeting on Climate change was held at Beijing,
China.
• Also, the UN Climate Change Conference will be held in Chile from December 2 to 13, 2019.
1.301 Dineshwar Sharma named new Administrator of Lakshadweep

• Recently, President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed former interlocutor for Jammu and
Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma as the new Administrator of Lakshadweep.
• He had also served as chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) from 2015 to 2017.
1.302 National Ayurveda Day celebrated on 25th October

• Recently, 4th National Ayurveda Day was celebrated on 25th October. It was celebrated at
Jaipur, Rajasthan by the Ministry of AYUSH.
• Theme (2019): Ayurveda for Longevity
1.303 Vigilance Awareness Week to be observed from 28th October to 2nd November
• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) will observe the Vigilance Awareness Week from
28th October to 2nd November, 2019.
• Every year, it is observed during the week in which the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
(31st October) falls.
• Theme (2019): I teg ity- A a of life
1.304 Pramod Kumar Das assumes charge as Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs
• Recently, Pramod Kumar Das has assumed charge as Secretary in Ministry of Minority Affairs.
• He is a Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer of 1986 batch.
1.305 DEFCOM 2019 to be held at New Delhi

• DEFCOM 2019 will be held on 26 and 27 November 2019 at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.
• Theme (2019): Co u i atio s as a De isi e Catal st fo Joi t ess
• DEFCOM is a symposium for collaboration between the Indian armed forces, and the Industry
on aspects pertaining to Information and Communications Technology.
• It will be jointly organised by the Corps of Signals and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
1.306 Telangana government to declare 2020 as the 'Year of Artificial Intelligence'

• Tela ga a go e e t has de la ed the ea as the ea of a tifi ial i tellige e AI .
• It has been done to promote use of AI in various sectors, including agriculture, urban
transportation and healthcare.
1.307 Vice President interacted with the President of Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela on
the sidelines of NAM Summit
• Recently, 18th edition of NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) summits was held in Baku,
Azerbaijan.
• During the event, Vice President interacted with the heads of different countries including
presidents of Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cuba and Venezuela.
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Country Capital Currency
Afghanistan Kabul Afghan Afghani
Vietnam Hanoi Vietnamese Dong
Cuba Havana Cuban Peso
Venezuela Caracas Venezuelan bolivar,
Petro
Note: Capital and Currency of countries, which are in news, can be asked in the exam.
1.308 Disabled, people over 80 can vote through postal ballot

• Recently, the Ministry of Law and Justice, on the recommendations of the Election
Commission, has amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, allowing the people over 80
years of age and Persons with Disability to cast their votes through postal ballot.
• However, such voters will have both the choices available either voting through postal ballot
by following due procedure or going to the polling station on polling day for voting.
• At present, voting through postal ballot is available to armed forces and those assigned poll
duties.
1.309 ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed by US forces

• Recently, U.S army led a military mission in Syria, in which ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
has been killed.
• It is reported that he killed himself by detonating a suicide vest.
• Islamic State (ISIS) has named Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi as his replacement.
1.310 Veteran journalist C Raghavachari Passes Away

• Recently, eminent journalist C Raghavachari has died following prolonged illness.
• He was editor of Telugu daily named 'Visalaandhra' for over 30 years.
1.311 Manohar Lal Khattar sworn in as Haryana CM for a second straight term
• Recently, Ma oha Lal Khatta took oath as the hief i iste of Ha a a fo a se o d
consecutive term.
• Along with him, Ja a ak Ja ta Pa t JJP leade Dush a t Chautala also took oath as the
deputy chief minister of the state.
1.312 Alberto Fernandez became new president of Argentina

• Recently, Alberto Fernandez has become the new president of Argentina.
• He defeated the former President Mauricio Macri to win the elections and secure his first
Presidential term.
1.313 Filipe Nyusi became President of Mozambique

• Recently, Filipe Nyusi has become the president of Mozambique for a second term.
About Mozambique
• Capital: Maputo
• Currency: Mozambican metical
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1.314 Belgium names first female prime minister to lead caretaker government
• Recently, “ophie Wil es has e o e the Belgiu s fi st fe ale a e take p i e i iste i
ea s of the ou t s histo .
• She has succeeded Charles Michel who has recently resigned to become the president of the
European Council.
1.315 C lo e K a e o es the fi st “upe C lo e i A a ia “ea i ea s

• Recently, Cyclone 'Kyarr' intensified to become the first Super Cyclonic storm in Arabian Sea
in last 12 years after Cyclone Gonu ravaged the Oman coast in 2007.
• Kyarr is the ninth super cyclone to have developed in the North Indian Ocean.
1.316Tiger Woods won the Zozo Championship in Japan

• Recently, Tiger Woods made history by winning the Zozo Championship in Japan for his 82nd
US PGA Tour victory, equalling Sam Snead's 54-year-old record.
• Zozo Championship is a professional golf tournament. In 2019, it was held at Chiba, Japan.
1.317 Lewis Hamilton wins Mexican Grand Prix

• Recently, Lewis Hamilton claimed his 10th win of the season for Mercedes at the Mexican
Grand Prix.
• Apart from this, he has also won Bahrain, Chinese, Spanish, Monaco, Canadian, French, British,
Hungarian, and Russian Grand Prix this season.
1.318 Papua New Guinea, Ireland qualify for T20 World Cup 2020
• Papua Ne Gui ea a d I ela d ha e ualified fo the ICC Me s T Wo ld Cup hi h
will be held in Australia next year.
• This will be the first time for Papua New Guinea team to feature in a World Cup in any format.
1.319 Former Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma dies

• Recently, Former Punjab BJP president and senior party leader Kamal Sharma has passed
away after suffering a heart attack in Ferozepur district.
1.320 Record 600,000 diyas lit on Saryu banks of Ayodhya on eve of Diwali
• Recently, a new record was created in Ayodhya as six lakh earthen lamps were lit on the
Saryu riverbank on the eve of Diwali.
• This year's count of the earthen lamps lit on the riverbank surpassed the three lakh-plus
number of 'diyas' lit last year.
1.321 First ever Ladakh Literature Festival

• Recently, the first ever Ladakh Literature Festival was held at Leh Palace, Ladakh.
• Objective: To celebrate the uniqueness of the region in the fields of Literature, Art and Culture.
1.322 I dia ‘ail a s lau hes Ope atio Dha ush agai st ti ket touts
• Recently, I dia ‘ail a s Ce t al ‘ail a zo e o du ted Ope atio Dha ush ti ket touts
involved in e-ticketing.
• The operation was carried out in all the five divisions falling under the Central Railway Zone.
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• The operation was aimed to control touts on e -ticketing in view of Diwali rush of passengers
to their native places.
1.323 Indo-French Joint Exercise Shakti-2019

• SHAKTI- 2019 is a biennial exercise started in year 2011.
• The exercise is conducted alternately in India and France , and this year the exercise is taking
place in India.
1.324 Commemorative Coin on Paramahansa Yogananda released

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has released a special commemorative coin on
Paramahansa Yogananda to mark his 125th Birth Anniversary.
• Paramahansa Yogananda was the founder of two organisations Yogoda Satsanga Society of
India and Self-Realisation Fellowship.
1.325 Pakistan releases a coin on Baba Guru Nanak

• The government of Pakistan has released a new coin to commemorate the 550th anniversary
of Baba Guru Nanak.
• The coin worth Pakistan Rupees 50 along with a postal stamp worth PKR 8 will be available at
the Kartarpur Sahib
1.326 ASI finds trade centre of early historic period in Andhra Pradesh
• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed a trade centre of early historic period.
• The trade centre has been found in Gottiprolu, Andhra Pradesh through excavation.
1.327 'Aara h - common foundation course for IAS probationers

• The first ever common foundation course for civil service probationers is taking place in
Kevadia District of Gujarat
• The theme this year is 'How to achieve the goal of making India a 5 trillion dollar economy'.
1.328 Philippine army to buy BrahMos missiles

• Philippine Army is going to buy BrahMos missile from India
• The BrahMos is the fastest supersonic cruise missile in the world.
• It is a joint venture between the Russian and India's Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
1.329 President of India Presents National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards

• The President of India has presented the National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards
(NCSRA) in New Delhi on October 29, 2019.
• The awards have been instituted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• It aims to recognize outstanding contribution in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR).
1.330 110th birth anniversary of Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha celebrated

• The 110th birth anniversary of Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha has been celebrated on 30th October
2019
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• On this day, Fou de s Da was observed at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
1.331 Tiny beetle named after teen climate activist Greta Thunberg
• A newly identified species of beetle has been named after the Greta Thunberg at Lo do s
Natural History Museum.
• Great Thunberg is a teenage environmental activist from Sweden.
1.332 Air India depicts 'Ek Onkar' symbol on its aircraft to mark Guru Nanak's 550th birth
anniversary
• Air India has depicted Sikh religious symbol 'Ek Onkar' on the tail of one of its aircraft.
• This has been done to mark 550th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji.
1.333 Alberto Fernández elected as the President of Argentina

• Alberto Fernández has been elected as the new President of Argentina.
• He has defeated the incumbent President Mauricio Macri.
About Argentina
• Capital of Argentina : Buenes Aires
• Its Currency : Argentine Peso
1.334 Trade Centre of Early Historic Period found in Gottiprolu, Andhra Pradesh
• An excavation by the Archaeological Survey of India has unearthed a trade centre of early
historic period in Gottiprolu, Andhra Pradesh.
• 2000-year-old brick structure and a Vishnu sculpture have been found at the site.
• The remains of a huge settlement surrounded by a massive brick enclosure.
1.335F irst Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir : Shri Girish Chandra
Murmu sworn in as
• Shri Girish Chandra has taken oath as the first Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of
Jammu and Kashmir
1.336 First Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh : Shri Radha Krishna Mathur

• Shri R.K. Mathur has been appointed as the new Lt. Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh
1.337 Indian Railways organize Run for Unity to commemorate Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
• Indian Railways has observed Rashtriya Ekta Diwas to commemorate the birth anniversary of
Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.
• On 31st October 2019 , 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabbhai Patel was observed.
• On this day , Ekta Diwas Parade was also organized in Gujarat.
1.338 Bamboo Technology Parks to be set up in the two new UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and
Ladakh
• Bamboo Technology Parks would be set up in the two new Union Territories of Jammu &
Kashmir and Ladakh.
• The Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC) under North East Council will implement
the project.
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1.339 'IndiGen' project : Sequencing Indian genes
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has recently concluded a six-month
e e ise of o du ti g a hole-ge o e se ue e of a , I dia s.
• The project has been conducted as a p og a e alled I diGe
1.340 'PRAKHAR' : anti-street crime vans in New Delhi

• 'PRAKHAR' vans have been flagged off in New Delhi
• These are the patrol tasked to curb street crimes as well as crimes against women in the
vulnerable areas.
1.341 Rafael Grossi elected as the new IAEA head

• Rafael Mariano Grossi has been elected as the new Director General of the International
Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA).
• Grossi hails from Argentina and has been appointed for a term of four years.
• He succeeds Yukiya Amano of Japan and ill e the IAEA s si th head.
1.342 Three Indian-origin CEOs in the list of 10 best-performing CEOs

• 'The Best-Performing CEOs in the World, 2019' list has been recently released , compiled by
the Harvard Business Review (HBR).
• The list has been topped by American technology company NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang.
• Three Indian-origin CEOs are among the world's top 10 best-performing chief executives in the
list :
1. Shantanu Narayen
2. Ajay Banga
3. Satya Nadella
1.343 The 5th International Conference on ROADTECH was held

• The 5th International Conference on ROADTECH was held in New Delhi on 30th October 2019
• Union Minister of State for Road Transport V.K. Singh has addressed the meeting.
1.344 M Venkaiah Naidu unveils 15-point reform charter for effective functioning of Parliament,
state legislatures
• Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has unveiled a 15-point reform charter to enable effective
functioning of Parliament and State Legislatures.
• The charter includes points to ensure 50 percent of their members are present in the House,
a review of the anti-defection law and the whip system.
1.345 Artificial Intelligence software AISoft to be developed by IIT Madras

• Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed an Artificial
Intelligence software called AISoft.
• The software has applications for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Deep
Learning to solve engineering problems.
1.346 First Day Night test match between India and Bangladesh
• India and Bangladesh cricket team are going to play their first day night test match.
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• The Test is scheduled to be held at the Eden Gardens(Kolkata) from November 22-26.
• Saurav Ganguly has recently taken over as BCCI President.
1.347 China completes maiden flight of its first electric plane

• China has recently conducted a flight of its electric plane named as RX4E aircraft.
• It is a four-seat electric aircraft and can fly 300 kilometers in one charge.
1.348 Uber Money to launch in India by 2020

• India is going be one of the first six countries where Uber Money will be launched in the next
6-8 months.
• Uber Money will allow drivers and Uber Eats couriers to have real-time access to their
earnings after every trip through the Uber Debit account.
• It will be based on National Payments Corp. of India's (NPCI) real-time payment system Unified
Payments Interface (UPI).
1.349 Veteran CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta passes away
• Veteran communist leader Gurudas Dasgupta has recently passed away at the age of 82.
• He belonged to the state of West Bengal.
1.350 Cyclone Maha hits Kerala

• Cyclone Maha has emerged in the Arabian Sea and has hit the state of Kerala.
• The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for five districts in the state.
1.351 Dhanlaxmi Bank MD, CEO T. Latha resigns

• Managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Dhanlaxmi Bank T.Latha has
submitted a resignation
• Dhanlaxmi Bank is a private sector bank.
1.352 Government appoints Atanu Chakraborty as expenditure secretary

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed the economic affairs secretary
Atanu Chakraborty as the secretary of the department of expenditure
• He will replace Girish Chandra Murmu
1.353 Gandhi Mandela Award 2019

• India's first International Award - The Gandhi Mandela Award has been constituted recently
• It has been announced by The Gandhi Mandela Foundation , non-profit organization under the
aegis of Interactive Forum on Indian Economy
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• These awards will be given to personalities who have made significant contribution in the
fields of Peace, Social Welfare, Culture, Environment, Education, Healthcare, Sports and
Innovation.
• The 2nd Edition of Gandhi Mandela Award in the year 2020 will be held in the year 2020
1.354 Nirmal Purja: Nepali climber carves mountaineering history

• Nepali climber Nirmal Purja has made a record by climbing the world's 14 highest mountains.
• All the 14 mountains are over the height of 8,000 metres
1.355 Tamil Nadu s famous Yoga instructor Nannamal passes away

• Famous yoga instructor from Tamil Nadu Nanammal has passed away in Coimbatore at the
age of 100.
• She was Popularly known as the Yoga g a d a .
• Nanammal was awarded the Padma Shri in 2018.
1.356 Singapore sees world's first digital exchange platform for airlines to trade carbon credits
• A global blockchain-based carbon exchange has been launched by Singapore.
• It is called AirCarbon Exchange and will provide a ready supply of credits, also called EEUs
(eligible emission units).
• It will be helpful the transportation industry to acquire carbon dioxide (CO2) offsets for
compliance and voluntary purposes when the list of compliant units is approved.
1.357 Sadako Ogata: First female UN refugee chief dies at 92

• Japanese academic and diplomat Sadako Ogata has recently passed away at the age of 92
• She was the first female to be appointed UN High Commissioner for Refugees has died aged
92.
1.358 October 31st : Word Cities Day

• The World Cities Day (WCD) is being observed by United Nations to promote the international
o u it s i te est i glo al u a izatio .
• Theme for 2019 -Better City, Better Life.
1.359 28th Vyas Samman conferred on Leeladhar Jagoori

• The 28th Vyas Samman for the year 2018 was conferred on well known Hindi writer Leeladhar
Jagoori.
• Mr Jagoori has been chosen for the prestigious award for his poetry collection- Jitne Log Utne
Prem
• The Vyas Sammanis given by K K Birla Foundation for an outstanding literary work in Hindi
authored by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years.
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2 GA + ESI in news
2.1 India achieved one-crore LED street light mark under the Streetlight replacement programme
[Sustainable Development and Environmental issues]
• As pa t of I dia s st ateg to o at li ate ha ge, 1 crore smart LED (light-emitting diode)
streetlights have been commissioned across the country, thereby helping avoid 1,119.40
megawatt (MW) of peak electricity demand.
• These lights are being installed under the Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) which
was launched with the objective to replace 1.34 crore conventional street lights with smart
and energy efficient LED street lights by March 2019.
• Now the target for replacing these street lights has been fixed for March 2020.
About Streetlight Replacement Programme
• The Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in January 2015, aiming to replace 1.34 crore conventional street lights by March, 2019.
• It is being implemented by state-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL).
Relevance
• India is now the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the US and China, and is among
countries most vulnerable to climate change.
• India plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 33-35% from its 2005 levels by 2030, as part of
its commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted by
195 countries in Paris in 2015.
2.2 Chhattisgarh government started five new schemes on Gandhi Jayanti

[Social Sectors- Health]
[Poverty Alleviation]
• Chhattisgarh government has launched five new schemes on October 2 to mark the 150th
birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The schemes are:
Mukhyamantri Suposhan Abhiyaan
• Under the scheme, fresh and nutritious food has been provided to malnourished children
and anemic women with the help of panchayats and self-help groups.
Mukhyamantri Haat Bazaar Clinic Yojana
• Under this scheme, mobile teams of health department along with doctors and necessary
equipment will visit local haat-bazaars to provide health facilities in remote tribal and forest
areas of the state.
• These teams will provide consultation, medicine, blood test and other pathological facilities
free of cost, the state government said.
Mukhyamantri Shahariya slum Swasthya Yojana
• Under the scheme, initially three mobile medical teams will be deployed in Raipur, two each
in Bhilai and Korba and one each in other municipalities.
• After getting good response of health care facilities being provided by mobile health teams in
haat bazaars, the state has decided to launch the scheme in urban slum areas also.
Universal PDS scheme
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• Families with single member will be eligible for 10 kg rice per month, a family of two members
will get 20 kg rice per month and family of three and more than three members will get 35 kg
rice per month at the cost of Rs 10 per kg.
• General category families (taxpayers and non-taxpayers) will also be eligible for food grains.
Eligibility under the general category ration card has been fixed.
Mukhyamantri ward Karyalaya
• These karyalayas are being started in cities to provide immediate availability of citizen services
and facilities to people according to their demands.
2.3 Union Minister of Consumer Affairs launched app for registering consumer grievances
[Social Justice]
• Recently, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Ramvilas Paswan lau hed a o su e app
that would help consumers across the nation to register their grievances online and give
suggestions on several consumer-related issues.
• Consumer will get all kinds of facilities including detailed access to all consumer-related issues
and information. This is a bold step taken towards achieving the objective of digital India.
• This app has been developed by National Informatics Centre.
• Any consumer can file a complaint via this app which will be further referred to respective
companies. The consumers will be informed after their issues are resolved and the case will
be closed only if they are satisfied.
• It has been claimed that consumer complaints will be redressed at least within 20 days and a
maximum of 60 days.
2.4 Telangana becomes fully electrified state

[Social Justice]
[Human Development]
• Recently, Telangana has become one the fully electrified states in the country after providing
electricity to over 5 lakh 15 thousand households under the Soubhagya Yojana.
• During the last two years, the entire state has been covered and the households in remote
areas have been provided electricity under the Sahaj Bijli Ghar Yojana (Soubhagya).
About Soubhagya Yojana
• The Saubhagya Scheme or Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana is an Indian government
project to provide electricity to all households.
• The project was announced in September 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said
that the aim was to complete the electrification process by December 2018.
2.5 J&K Governor gives assent to Jammu and Kashmir National Law University Bill, 2019
[Social Sectors- Education]
• Recently, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has given assent to a bill for
establishing a National Law University in Jammu and Kashmir.
• It will bring the state at par with other states where national law universities have been
established.
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• The proposal owes its origin to the resolution moved by the 'All India Law Ministers
Conference' in mid 90s, resolving to set up a law school in each state modelled on the National
Law School University for improving the quality of professional legal education.
2.6 Trade apprentices to get minimum monthly stipend ranging from Rs 5000 to 9000
[Employment Generation in India]
• The government has notified changes in Apprenticeship Rules (1992) that envisages to
increase skilled manpower in the country, and raise monetary compensation of apprentices.
• It has been announced that minimum stipend will be on qualification based and will range
from 5000-9000 rupees per month from now onwards.
• It has also lowered size-limit of an establishment with a mandatory obligation to engage
apprentices on an optional basis from 40 to 30, and reduced the size-limit of an establishment
wanting to engage apprentices from 6 to 4.
2.7 Single window online system for licensing of eating houses/lodging houses launched
[Social Justice]
• Recently, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs has launched a single window online
system for licensing of eating houses/lodging houses, in New Delhi.
• This unique initiative is a joint effort of various agencies involved in the process of licensing in
the NCT of Delhi for facilitating ease of doing business.
• This single window clearance system has been developed under Digital India programme to
facilitate people to obtain licenses to open their eatery/lodging businesses in Delhi.
• Aim: It aims at simplifying and rationalizing the regulatory processes (registration &
inspection), infusion of transparency and avoids procedural delays in getting statutory
clearances from various authorities and real time receipt of application by all agencies
simultaneously.
2.8 Ke ala, Cha diga h top NITI Aa og s “ hool Edu atio Qualit I de “EQI ,
• Recently, NITI Aayog released the first edition of the School Education Quality Index.
• NITI Aayog considered 2016-17 as the reference year for the index.
• The index is developed through a collaborative process, including key stakeholders such as
Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD), the World Bank and sector experts.
• Participation: 20 larger states, 8 smaller states & 7 UTs have been ranked on this Index.
• West Bengal did not participate in the survey.
• SEQI is based on 2 index categories which are:
1. Outcomes Category
• Learning outcomes
• Access outcomes
• Infrastructure and facilities for outcomes
• Equity outcomes
2. Governance Process aiding outcomes category
• Student Teacher attendance
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• Teacher Availability
• Administrative Adequacy
• Training accountability
• Transparency
Key Findings of the Index
Large States
• Among the 20 large states, 18 improved their overall performance score between 2015-16 and
2016-17.
• Top: 1. Kerala 2. Rajasthan 3. Karnataka
Small States
• Among the eight small states, five improved their overall score.
• Top: 1. Manipur 2. Tripura 3. Goa
Union Territories
• All seven Union territories which took part in the survey showed an improvement in their
overall performance score between 2015-16 and 2016-17.
• Top: 1. Chandigarh 2. Dadra & Nagar Haveli 3. Delhi
• Among all categories, Odisha, Haryana and Assam witnessed the maximum growth in their
rankings.
2.9 WTO cuts global trade growth forecasts for 2019 to 1.2% amid slowdown
[Regional Economic Cooperation]
• Recently, WTO has sharply cut global trade growth forecasts for 2019 to 1.2 per cent from
the earlier 2.6 per cent, mainly due to trade tensions and sluggish global economy.
About WTO (World Trade Organisation)
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Head: Pascal Lamy
2.10 Country's top three cleanest railway stations are from Rajasthan: Railway Cleanliness Survey
2019
• Recently, a epo t a ed “ a hh ‘ail, “ a hh Bha at as eleased Mi ist of
Railways.
• For this report, 720 stations were taken into consideration.
• These stations are divided into three categories — non-suburban, suburban and halt
stations, on the basis of footfalls and earnings.
• There are 3 components (each having weightage of 33.33%) on the basis of which these
rankings are given:
1. Process Evaluation
2. Direct Observation
3. Citizen Feedback
Key Findings
Non- Suburban Category
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• Jaipur topped the list, followed by Jodhpur, Durgapura, Jammu Tawi, Gandhinagar-Jp,
Suratgarh, Vijayawada, Udaipur city, Ajmer and Haridwar.
• Of the top 10, seven stations fall under North Western Railway, two under Northern Railways
(Jammu Tawi and Haridawar) and one under South Central railway (Vijayawada).
• Perungalathur station, near Chennai, came at the bottom of the list.
Suburban Category
• Andheri station topped the list, followed by Virar, Naigaon, Kandivli and Santragachi.
• All stations in the top 5 belong to Western Railway, expect Santragachi, which comes under
south Eastern Railway.
• North Western Railway followed by South East Central Railway and East Central Railway are
the top three railway zones.
2.11 Single-use plastics to be banned inside monuments

[Sustainable Development]
• Recently, Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel has announced that single-use plastics will not be
allowed on the premises of historical monuments or within 100 metres of them.
• Efforts are being made to phase out single-use plastics in various organisations of the ASI and
the Ministry of Tourism.
2.12 Pa ata Pa to p o ote tou is to e i augu ated i Ne Delhi

• Recently, Pa ata Pa as i augu ated i Ne Delhi, hi h as o ga ised Mi ist of
Tourism from 2nd to 13th October, 2019 across the country.
• Paryatan Parv 2019 is dedicated to 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• It has been organized with the objective of drawing focus on the benefits of tourism,
sho asi g the ultu al di e sit of the ou t a d ei fo i g the p i iple of Tou is fo
All .
The three components of Paryatan Parv
• Dekho Apna Desh: To encourage Indians to visit their own country. General public
engagement for the event will be promoted through the MyGov platform.
• Tourism for All: Tourism Events at sites across all States in the country are being organised.
• Tourism & Governance: Interactive Sessions & Workshops with Stakeholders on varied
themes have been organised across the Country as a part of the Paryatan Parv activities.
2.13 Mo “a ka i itiati e lau hed

[Social Justice]
• Recently, Odisha go e e t lau hed a e go e a e i itiati e a ed as Mo “a ka
on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
• The o je ti e of the Mo “a ka p og a e is to provide service with dignity to people who
are coming to government offices for different purposes.
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• The phone numbers of people who are coming to government offices will be collected
randomly with the purpose to improve the governance system by collecting feedback on
behaviour and professionalism of government officers.
Feedback collection
• The employees will be ranked as good or bad on the basis of the feedback and those with
good rank will get out-of-turn promotion and action will be taken against employees with bad
rank.
2.14 Andhra Pradesh launches Village Secretariat system

[Indian Political System]
• Andhra Pradesh has become a role model for other States by inaugurating village and ward
secretariats system recently, under which 1.26 lakh new government employees will begin
working.
• These institutions would act as a bridge between the government and the people by
rendering over 500 types of services at their doorstep.
• Under the new system, one Village Secretariat has been set up for every population of 2,000,
with each one comprising close to a dozen village officials (from different departments like
police, revenue, etc.).
• The idea behind it, is to ensure that its services reach people on the ground, and also to
strengthen the existing Panchayat Raj system.
• The ost of hi i g a out . lakh e e plo ees is goi g to e oughl a out ₹ , o ea
year for the AP government.
• Village Secretariats would showcase government programmes and make pictorial
ep ese tatio s of go e e t s hools a d hospitals u de the aptio the a d o to
show how reforms have changed their functioning.
2.15 IT Ministry launches performance smart-board for monitoring key programmes

[Social Justice]
• Recently, the IT Ministry launched an 'automated real time performance smart-board' which
will act as a single window access for Centre, state or district-specific projects implemented
by the MeitY.
• It has been launched for effective monitoring and measurement of the key programmes of the
government such as Digital India, Aadhaar, Digital Payments etc.
• This smart-board will enhance analysis through data integration by consolidating multiple data
sources into one centralised, easy-to-access platform.
• It is expected to promote transparency and enhance ease of working.
2.16 Government launches portal for improving coal supply coordination to power plants
• Recently, government launched the portal, namely 'PRAKASH', which stands for 'Power Rail
Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony'.
• It has been developed by NTPC and sources data from different stakeholders such as the CEA,
the Centre for Railway Information System and coal companies.
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• It has been launched for transparency and better coordination among stakeholders,
including Coal India Ltd, Indian Railways, power utilities and, ministries of coal and power,
for coal supplies to power plants.
• The portal is designed to help in mapping and monitoring entire coal supply chain for power
plants - coal stock at supply end (mines), coal quantities or rakes planned, coal quantity in
transit and coal availability at power generating station.
• The portal also makes available valuable information on a single platform, which will help
coal companies track stocks and coal requirement at power stations for effective production
planning.
• Currently, the portal will make available four reports -- Daily Power Plant Status, Periodic
Power Plant Status, Plant Exception Report and Coal Dispatch Report.
2.17 Indian Oil launches drive to turn plastic waste into bitumen
• Recently, Indian Oil has announced that it will use its refinery operations to convert the
single use plastic waste into a specialised bitumen that can be used for construction of roads
and highways.
• A pilot project has been started at Faridabad via the creation of a "Single Use Waste Plastic"
based bituminous road.
• The company will commercially supply the specialised bitumen for use in road construction
going ahead.
• It has been done to support the government's drive to eliminate single use plastic by
converting these toxic wastes to productive use.
• Furthermore, Indian Oil has also issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) for procurement of
single-use plastic waste which can be economically converted into the specialised bitumen.
• These initiatives were launched to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and
as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
2.18 India can become global hotspot for electric mobility: EV Ready India Report
• A o di g to EV ‘ead I dia epo t released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the
Ola Mobility Institute, India has the potential to become one of the largest electric vehicle
(EV) markets in the world following a push from its government.
• The report said electric mobility holds tremendous promise for India, one among global big
four producer (besides China, Japan and the US), to curb pollution and reduce reliance on
import of fossil fuel.
• The analysis focuses on 10 Indian states that have a notified EV policy or a draft policy
published: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,
Telangana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
• While the approaches vary amongst these states and territories, the report highlighted three
emerging trends:
1. Most states aspire to be manufacturing hubs for EV and EV components.
2. The second trend is around infrastructure development.
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For instance- UP is targeting 2 lakh charging stations by 2024, while Andhra Pradesh is
targeting 100% electrification of buses by 2029.
3. The third trend is an emphasis on the services of the EV value chain can be provided through
public awareness.
2.19 AIM, NITI Aayog, UNDP India Jointly Launch Youth Co:Lab
[Human Development]
{Terms in news}
• Recently, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) India launched Youth Co:Lab recently to recognize young people as
critical drivers of sustainable development.
• It aims at accelerating social entrepreneurship and innovation in young India.
• The first phase of Youth Co:Lab will focus on six SDGs:
1. SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
2. SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)
3. SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
4. SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
5. SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production)
6. SDG 13 (Climate Action)
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)

• AIM including Self-E plo e t a d Tale t Utilisatio “ETU is Go e e t of I dia s
endeavour to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Its objective is to serve as a platform for the promotion of world-class innovation hubs,
grand challenges, start-up businesses and other self-employment activities, particularly in
technology driven areas.
2.20 A dh a P adesh CM to lau h Y“‘ Vaha a Mit a “ he e

• Recently, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the YSR
Vahana Mitra scheme.
• Under the scheme, he ill dist i ute ₹ , fi a ial assista e to auto, ta i a d a i
driver-cum-owners.
• The annual allowance would be given to them to meet the insurance premium, licence fee
and other recurring expenses.
2.21 Google to scale up online presence of Ayushman Bharat

• The National Health Authority (NHA), the implementing body of Ayushman Bharat, has
signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with Google to collaborate and strengthen the
implementation of AB PM-JAY.
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• Google will aid the government in showcasing relevant content to the 50 crore entitled
beneficiaries and will also impart digital training.
• Furthermore, Google shall help provide training and support to NHA personnel to build on
digital skills.
About AB PM-JAY (Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana)
• Launched: 23 September 2018
• It is the o ld s la gest pu li fu ded health insurance scheme aimed to bring quality
healthcare to around 50 crore poor and vulnerable Indians across India.
2.22 WTO to host first World Cotton Day celebrations in Geneva

[International Economic Institutions - WTO]
• World Trade Organization (WTO) has hosted the first World Cotton Day (WCD) celebrations on
October 7th 2019 in Geneva , Switzerland.
• A cotton exhibition is also being held where TEXPROCIL, Handloom Export Promotion Council
(HEPC), Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
will be setting up their stalls.
Background
• This event stems from the application by the Cotton-4 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and
Mali) to the United Nations General Assembly for its official recognition of a World Cotton Day,
reflecting the importance of cotton as a global commodity.
Relevance
• The World Cotton Day launch will give more than 30 countries exposure to producers,
processors and businesses.
• More than 400 participants will be celebrating cotton in Geneva with thousand more around the
world.
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2.23 IFS officer Ramesh Pandey selected for Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by UNEP
[Sustainable Development and Environmental Issues]
• Indian Forest Service officer Ramesh Pandey has been selected for the prestigious Asia
Environmental Enforcement Award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• He will receive the award on November 13 at the United Nations Conference Centre in
Bangkok.
• Ramesh Pandey is known for his investigation and intelligence gathering on poachers.
About the Award
• The purpose of the Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards is to publicly recognise outstanding
achievements by public organisations and individuals in Asia to combat transboundary
environmental crime.
2.24 World Habitat Day : October 7

• The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat
Day.
• 2019 Theme: Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste to wealth
This ea s Glo al O se a e of Wo ld Ha itat Da has take pla e i Me i o Cit o 7th October
2019.
Relevance of the Day

• The Day is intended to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to
shape the future of our cities and towns.
• It s ai is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate
shelter.
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2.25 India announces Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) for 5 African Countries on World
Cotton Day
• India has announced the launch of the second phase of the Cotton Technical Assistance
Programme (TAP) for Africa at the Partners Conference in Geneva on 6th October 2019.
• India implemented a Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) for cotton from 2012 to 2018 in 6
African countries, namely – Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda.
About the Programme
• The Cotton TAP programme will now cover 11 African countries including the C4 (Benin, Burkina
Faso, Chad and Mali).
• Second phase is going to be five year long and, in this phase, , the programme will be scaled up
in size and coverage and will be introduced in five additional countries, namely Mali, Ghana,
Togo, Zambia and Tanzania.
2.26 India starts sharing maritime data

• The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) has started functioning as an
information sharing hub of maritime data.
• Several Indian Ocean littoral states have joined the coastal radar chain network. These include
Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Seychelles. Bangladesh is set to join the network and talks are
on with Thailand as well.
Major Centres
• The major centres with which regular exchange of maritime security information is being
undertaken include :
1. Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Centre (VRMTC)
2. Maritime Security Centre - Horn of Africa(MSCHOA)
3. Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP)
4. Information Fusion Centre-Singapore (IFC-SG)
5. International Maritime Bureau - Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC).
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Background
• The IFC-IOR was inaugurated in December 2018 within the premises of I dia Na s
Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram.
• The IMAC is the single point centre linking all the coastal radar chains to generate a seamless
real-time picture of the nearly 7,500-km coastline.
2.27 India gets first tranche of Swiss account details under automatic exchange framework
• India has received first tranche of details about financial accounts of its residents in Swiss banks.
• These details have been received under a new automatic exchange of information framework
between India and Switzerland.
• The next exchange would take place in September 2020.
Background
• India figures among ou t ies ith hi h “ itze la d s Fede al Ta Ad i ist atio FTA
has exchanged information on financial accounts within the framework of global standards on
AEOI(Automatic Exchange of Information).
• This is the first time that India has received details from Switzerland under the AEOI framework.
• This framework provides for exchange of information on financial accounts that currently
active as well as those accounts that were closed during 2018
• The legal basis for the implementation of the AEOI in Switzerland first came into force on
January 1, 2017.
2.28 India ranks 68th on Global Competitiveness Index

• World Economic Forum (WEF) has recently released its annual Global Competitiveness Index.
• India has been ranked 68th and is among the worst-performing BRICS nations along with Brazil
(ranked even lower than India at 71st this year).
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• India has moved down 10 places as compared to last year.
Top 5 nations
• “i gapo e has epla ed the U.“. as the o ld s ost o petiti e e o o .

• US has been placed at second rank.
• Hong Kong has been ranked 3rd
• Netherlands ranked 4th
• Switzerland ranked 5th
About Global Competitiveness Index
• This is the fourth version of the global competitiveness index , referred to as GCI 4.0 and was
introduced in 2018.
• It has ranked 141 countries this year.
• The basic notion behind the GCI is to map the factors that determine the Total Factor
Productivity (TFP) in a country.
• The TFP is essentially the efficiency with which different factors of production such as land,
labour and capital are put to use to create the final product. It is believed that it is the TFP in
an economy that determines the long-term economic growth of a country.
About Global Competitiveness Index
• The GCI 4.0 tracks data and/or responses on 12 factors divided into 4 broad categories.
• The first category is the E a li g E i o e t and this includes factors such as the state of
infrastructure, institutions, the macroeconomic stability of the country and its ability to adopt
new technology.
• The second category is Hu a Capital and includes health and level of skills in the economy.
• The third is the state of Ma kets such as those for labour, product, financial and the overall
market size.
• The fourth category is I o atio E os ste which includes business dynamism and
innovation capability.
Findings about India
• India has ranked high in terms of macroeconomic stability and market size.
• Its financial sector is relatively deep and stable despite the high delinquency rate, which
contributes to weakening the soundness of its banking system.
• India is ranked also high at 15th place in terms of corporate governance, while it is ranked
second globally for shareholder governance.
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• In terms of the market size, India is ranked third, while it has got the same rank for renewable
energy regulation.
• With a ratio of female workers to male workers of 0.26, India has been ranked very low at 128th
place.
• India is also ranked low at 118th in terms of meritocracy and incentivisation and at 107th place
for skills.
2.29 Ca i et app o es ₹ . lakh pa kage for PoK families who settled outside J-K after Partition
[Social Justice]
• The Union Cabinet has approved a one-ti e pa e t of ₹ . lakh as a esettle e t pa kage
for the 5,300 displaced families who had come from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
• This package is for the families who had initially settled outside Jammu and Kashmir but later
relocated to the State.
Background
• In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the resettlement package for those PoK
families who had settled in Jammu and Kashmir after the Partition on separate occasions.
2.30 EESL partners with NIIF for smart meters deployment

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund
(NIIF) have entered into a joint venture called IntelliSmart Infrastructure Private Limited
(IntelliSmart) .
Background
• This has been done to implement, finance and operate the smart meter roll-out programme of
power distribution companies.
• The Government of India plans to install 25 crore smart meters in the next few years.
Its Relevance
• Smart meters will lay the foundation for smart grids which will be crucial to meet challenges of
the e ol i g e e g i a d the Go e e t of I dia s ta get of p o idi g u i te upted
power supply to every Indian.
• With the replacement of 25 crore conventional meters with smart meters, billing efficiency can
improve from 80 percent to 100 percent.
2.31 Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches WHO IndiaCountry Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023
[Social Sector - Health]
• Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched The WHO I dia
Country Cooperation Strategy 2019– : A Ti e of T a sitio on 9th October 2019.
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• The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) provides a strategic roadmap for WHO to work with the
Government of India towards achieving its health sector goals, in improving the health of its
population and bringing in transformative changes in the health sector.
• Four areas identified for strategic cooperation of WHO with the country encompass:
1. to accelerate progress on UHC
2. to promote health and wellness by addressing determinants of health
3. to protect the population better against health emergencies
4. to e ha e I dia s glo al leade ship i health.
More about CCS
• The India CCS is one of the first that fully aligns itself with the newly adopted WHO 13th General
Programme of Work and its 'triple billion' targets, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and WHO South-East Asia ‘egio s eight Flagship Priorities.
• It captures the work of the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework for 2018–
2022.
• It outlines how WHO can support the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and other allied
Ministries to drive impact at the country level.
WHO to provide technical support for Ayushman Bharat

• The World Health Organization (WHO) is going to provide technical support to India for
go e e t s a itious s he e A ush a Bha at-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-
PMJAY).
• A ke ai of WHO s suppo t ill e to ide tif a d do u e t su essful odels of se i e
delivery, best practices and lessons learnt to inform the design of these reforms in other states.
2.32 Union HRD Minister launches a unique Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme
(PMILP)- DH‘UV
[Social Sector - Education]
• U io Hu a ‘esou e De elop e t Mi iste “h i ‘a esh Pokh i al Nisha k has launched the
Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme- DH‘UV .
• This has been launched from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Headquarters at
Bengaluru.
Its objective
• The objective of the Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme program would be to allow
talented students to realize their full potential and contribute to society.
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More about DHRUV
• The programme will be called DHRUV (after the Pole Star) and every student to be called DH‘UV
TA‘A .
• The students will thus both shine through their achievements and light a path for others to
follow.
• It will cover two areas i.e. Science and Performing Arts.
• There will be 60 students in all, 30 from each area.The 60 students come from across the country
• The students will be broadly from classes 9 to 12, from all schools including government and
private.
• This is only the first phase of the programme which will be expanded gradually to other fields
like creative writing etc.
2.33 Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launches Mahatma Gandhi National
Fellowship Programme with IIM Bangalore
[Employment generation in India]
• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has signed a contract with the Indian
Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore for introducing a two-year fellowship programme
Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) programme.
• This has been done to boost skill development at the district level.
About MGNF
• It has been designed under Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion
(SANKALP) and aims to address the challenge of non-availability of personnel for implementation
of various programmes at national, state and district levels.
• The MGNF programme has an in-built component of on-ground practical experience with the
district administration.
• It has been launched on a pilot basis in 75 districts across Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya,
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, eligible fellows for the programme have to be in
21-30 years age-group, have a graduation degree from a recognized university and be citizens
of India.
• Proficiency in official language of state of fieldwork will be mandatory.
About SANKALP
• SANKALP is a World Bank loan assisted project and has been launched by the Government in
January 2018.
• It aims to strengthen institutional mechanisms for skill development and increase access to
quality and market-relevant training for youth across the country.
• Four key result areas have been identified under SANKALP viz: (i) Institutional Strengthening;
(ii) Quality Assurance; (iii) Inclusion; and (iv) Expanding Skills through PPPs.
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2.34 World Mental Health Day : 10th October 2019
[Social sector - Health]
• Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice
& Empowerment has observed the Wo ld Me tal Health Da o th October, 2019.
• Series of activities have to be undertaken to raise awareness about Mental Health issues which
includes identification of early signs to prevent aggravation and rehabilitation/mainstreaming
of successfully cured mentally ill persons.
2.35 PMJAY completes first year: 90,000 cancer claims, Tamil Nadu tops list
• According to data available with the Union Health Ministry, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
(PMJAY) has funded the treatment of 90,000 cancer patients through 1.8 lakh hospital
admissions.
• The data shows that every year there are 11.57 lakh new cancer patients in India and 7.84 lakh
cancer deaths.
• Also at any given point, there are 22.5 lakh Indians living with cancer.
States with highest patients
• The top states where the most cancer patients have availed treatment under PMJAY :
1. Tamil Nadu
2. Kerala
3. Madhya Pradesh
4. Chhattisgarh
5. Gujarat
Background
• PMJAY was launched on 23rs September 2018 under Ayushman Bharat scheme. It is considered
the tertiary arm of it.
• National Health Authority is responsible for the implementation of PMJAY under which 10.74
crore families will be entitled to an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family.
• Until now, over 10 crore e-cards have been issued.
2.36 SUMAN scheme launched by the Government

• Central government has launched the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) scheme, under
which pregnant women, mothers up to 6 months after delivery, and all sick newborns will be
able to avail free healthcare benefits.
• The scheme is aimed towards zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths in India.
More about the Scheme
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• Under the scheme, the beneficiaries visiting public health facilities are entitled to several free
services like ante natal check-ups , Iron Folic Acid supplementation, Tetanus diptheria injection
etc.
• Under the scheme there will be zero expense access to identification and management of
complications during and after the pregnancy and the government will provide free transport
from home to health institutions.
• Under the scheme, the pregnant women will have a zero expense delivery and C-section facility
in case of complications at public health facilities
Its Relevance
• A o di g to go e e t, I dia s maternal mortality rate has declined from 254 per 1,00,000
live births in 2004-06 to 130 in 2014-16
• Between 2001 and 2016, the infant mortality rate came down from 66 per 1,000 live births to
34.
2.37 9th RCEP Intersessional Ministerial Meeting in Thailand

• 9th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, RCEP Intersessional Ministerial meeting
has taken place in Bangkok , Thailand from October 11 to 12.
• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has attended the summit.
• This will be the last i iste ial eeti g efo e the thi d Leade s “u it slated to e held o
November 4 in Bangkok.
Background
• The RCEP negotiations had commenced in early 2013.

• These were launched by leaders from 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei Darussalam,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam) and 6 ASEAN FTA partners (Australia, People's Republic of China, India, Japan,
Republic of Korea and New Zealand).
• The objective of launching RCEP negotiation is to achieve a modern, comprehensive, high quality
and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement among the ASEAN member states and
ASEAN's FTA partners.
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2.38 UNICEF becomes first UN organization to start accepting cryptocurrency donations
[International Economic Organization]
• U ited Natio s Child e Fu d UNICEF) has become the first UN organization to make
transactions in cryptocurrency , with the setting up of its new Cryptocurrency Fund.
• It has announced that it will be accepting, disbursing, and holding donations in the form of
bitcoin and ether.
More about the Cryptocurrency fund
• UNICEF will be funding open source technology that aims to benefit children and young people
globally.
• The Ethereum Foundation will be the first one to be contributing to UNICEF through the
Cryptocurrency Fund, in the form of donations to three grantees of the UNICEF Innovation
Fund.
• UNICEF will now be able to receive, hold and disburse donations of cryptocurrencies ether and
bitcoin through this fund.
• The launch of this fund is a part of UNICEF s o goi g o k ith lo k hai te h olog .
2.39 Dearness allowance (DA) of government employees hiked by 5%

• The Central Government has hiked the dearness allowance (DA) by 5% for the employees , which
means the dearness allowance has been increased from 12% to 17%.
• The decision has been approved in a cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Its Relevance
• This increase is based on the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

• The hike would be effective from July 2019 and its cost to the exchequer will be ₹16,000 crore.
• The move will benefit at least 50 lakh government employees and 65 lakh pensioners.
2.40 India to work with China, Pakistan to gauge impact of climate change
• The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is going to collaborate with meteorological
agencies in China and Pakistan to provide climate forecast services to countries in the region.
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• This has been announced by IMD to better gauge the impact of climate change on the Hindu
Kush mountains, which includes the Himalayas.
Background
• The Hindu-Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region spans Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India,
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• It is considered the Third Pole [after the North and South Poles] and has significant implications
for climate.
• It contains vast cryospheric zones and is the o ld s la gest sto e of s o a d i e outside the
polar region.
2.41 First National Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Survey (2015-19)

• The Union Health Ministry has released the first National Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy
Survey (2015-19).
About the Survey
• The Union Health ministry has released this survey in collaboration with All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS)- RP Eye Centre.
• The survey was conducted in 21 districts , on the people above 50 years of age.
Findings of the Survey
• The prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is 16.9 per cent while the prevalence of sight-
threatening DR is 3.6 per cent.
• The prevalence of mild retinopathy is about 11.8 per cent.
• The prevalence of diabetes in the surveyed population has been recorded 11.8 per cent while
the prevalence of Known Diabetes (KD) - 8.0 per cent.
• The survey mentions that there are no recent studies on the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy
(DR) in different parts of India.
• Prevalence of blindness among diabetics was 2.1% and visual impairment was 13.7%. Blindness
and visual impairment were comparable in diabetics and non-diabetics.
2.42 National Health Mission performance index

• The first ever exercise has taken place to rate the performance of various states on several
parameters of the National Health Mission(NHM).
• Twenty per cent of NHM funds are based on the states pe fo a e, hi h ea s ette
performing states received a financial incentive — Rs 3,000 crore is set aside for incentive-
based payments.
Top 5 States
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• Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Assam, Kerala and Punjab have emerged as the top five
states or Union Territories
Penalised states
• West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Bihar have been penalised
as the did t a hie e the set e h a ks fo e tal health se i es.
Other Findings of the Index
• Twenty-three states have earned an incentive for screening of 30-plus population for non-
communicable diseases, including 11 states that earned full points for screening more than 15
per cent of the 30-plus population.
• Tamil Nadu has reported 100 per cent screening, followed by Goa (68 per cent) and Daman and
Diu (57 per cent).
• Only six states — Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala, Punjab and Tripura — earned full
incentive for implementation of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS).
• Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and UP were able to partially achieve the target in terms of HRIS
implementation.
Parameters of the Index
• Among the parameters, the highest weightage was given to incremental improvement as per
the NITI Aa og a ki g of states o Pe fo a e o Health Out o es .
• Other parameters include :
1. operationalisation of Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
2. provisioning of mental health services in districts covered under the National Mental Health
Programme
3. screening of 30-plus population for non-communicable diseases
4. implementation of HRIS
5. grading of Primary Health Centres (both urban and rural).
2.43 World Sight Day 2019: Andhra to launch 'YSR Kanti Velugu' health scheme
• The Andhra Pradesh government has announced the launch of a health scheme, 'YSR Kanti
Velugu' on World Sight Day(10th October 2019) to provide comprehensive eye care and rectify
vision defects among the State's over five crore population.
• Under the scheme, the government will bear the entire cost from preliminary eye check-up to
surgeries wherever required for the entire 54 million population.
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• Over 7 million school children would be covered under the scheme in the first two phases from
October 10.
• In the first phase, preliminary eye screening would be conducted on all students in government
and private schools for a week.
• Children found to be having vision defects would be provided advanced treatment in the
second phase from November 1.
• The third phase of YSR Kanti Velugu will begin on February 1, 2020 where the rest of the state
population will be covered, spread over three other phases in the next three years.
Monitoring of the Scheme

• A task force headed by the Collector would monitor the programme in each district
2.44 SARAS Aajeevika Mela organised at India Gate

• Recently, SARAS Aajeevika Mela was organised at India gate, New Delhi by the marketing
a of the ‘u al De elop e t Mi ist , Cou il fo Ad a e e t of People s Action and
Rural Technology (CAPART).
• SARAS Aajeevika Mela is an initiative by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural
Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
• Objective: To bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) formed with support of DAY-
NRLM, under one platform to show-case their skills, sell their products and help them build
linkages with bulk buyers.
2.45 Kanyashree University to set up to empower girls

• Recently, the West Bengal government has taken the initiative to set up a Kanyashree
University in Nadia district and Kanyashree colleges across the state, aiming to empower
the girls.
• The Kanyashree University would be only for women.
Relevance
• West Be gal s go e e t sta ted the Ka ash ee s he e to e power girls, and it has
been allocated a budget of Rs 7,000 crore since its launch in 2013.
• The main objective of the scheme is to ensure that girls study in schools and delay their
marriages until the age of 18 years.
• West Be gal s go e e t has ee a arded by the United Nations for Public Service for its
Kanyashree scheme in 2017.
2.46 POSHAN atlas to map local crops, food grains for tackling malnutrition
[Poverty Alleviation]
• Recently, go e e t has a ou ed that it is de elopi g a PO“HAN Atlas to map the
crops and food grains grown in different regions of the country so that nutritious protein
rich food in local areas can be promoted.
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• It is being developed under POSHAN Abhiyan by the Ministry of Women and Child
Development (WCD) in association with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Deendayal
Research Institute.
About POSHAN Atlas
• The POSHAN atlas will map the crops and food grains grown in different regions of the
country because the solution to tackling malnutrition lies in promoting regional cropping
patterns and embracing local food that are rich in protein.
A out PO“HAN PM s O e a hi g “ he e fo Holisti Nou ish e t A hi a
• POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to ensure
attainment of malnutrition free India by 2022.
• The objective of POSHAN Abhiyaan to reduce stunting in identified Districts of India with the
highest malnutrition burden by improving utilization of key Anganwadi Services and
improving the quality of Anganwadi Services delivery.
• Its aim is to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women,
mothers and children.
Relevance
• According to the World Bank Global Nutrition Report – 2018, malnutrition costs India at least
$10 billion annually in terms of lost productivity, illness and death.
2.47 Kayakalp Awards: AIIMS Delhi wins top cleanliness award

• Recently, Kayakalp Awards were conferred to public health facilities for showing dedication
towards the mission of the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.
• U de the Ce t al Go e e t Hospitals A atego :
1. AIIMS Delhi
2. Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER),
Puducherry
• U de B Catego :
1. Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital (VBCH), Silvassa
2. AIIMS Bhubaneswar
About Kayakalp Awards
• The Kayakalp Award was instituted as part of the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' on 15 May,
2015 as a national initiative to recognize and felicitate public health facilities that
demonstrate high levels of cleanliness, hygiene and infection control measure on promoting
cleanliness in public spaces.
2.48 Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme launched

• Recently, Yuva Sahakar scheme was launched at the opening e e o of the fi st e e I dia
I te atio al Coope ati es T ade Fai .
About Yuva Sahakar scheme:
• Formulated by: National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
• Aim: To promote young entrepreneurs in the cooperatives.
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• Ministry: Mi ist of Ag i ultu e a d Fa e s Welfa e .
Objective
• The objective of NCDC Yuva Sahakar Yojana is to motivate and promote the entrepreneurs
of India in the Cooperative Enterprise and those individuals working for business.
• This is done by providing cheaper loans for initiating startups in the cooperative sectors.
Features
• NCDC has produced a dedicated fund with entitling youth to avail the scheme.
• The scheme is linked with Rs 1000 crores of the Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund
that has been authorised by the NCDC.
• The scheme provides more incentives to the cooperatives working in the North Eastern
region and the aspirational districts.
• Exclusive benefits are also provided for women, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
candidates.
2.49 Bangladesh, Nepal to grow faster than India: World Bank report
[IMF and World Bank]
• Recently a report named 'South Asia Economic Focus: Making (De) Centralization Work' has
been released by World Bank, according to which Bangladesh has become the second
fastest growing economy in south Asia after Bhutan.
Key findings of the report
• Bangladesh and Nepal are estimated to grow faster than India in 2019.
• Growth in South Asia is projected to fall to 5.9% in 2019, casting uncertainty about a rebound
in the short term.
• Imports have declined severely across South Asia, contracting between 15 and 20% in
Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• In India, domestic demand has slipped, with private consumption growing 3.1% in the last
quarter from 7.3% a year ago, while manufacturing growth plummeted to below 1% in the
second quarter of 2019 compared to over 10 per cent a year ago.
• In India, growth is projected to fall to 6.0% this fiscal year. Growth is then expected to
gradually recover to 6.9% in fiscal year 2021 and to 7.2 per cent in the following year.
2.50 National Nutrition Survey 2019 conducted

• The first-ever comprehensive National Nutrition Survey has been conducted by the Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) to measure
malnutrition.
• The survey was conducted between 2016 and 2018. It surveyed a sample of 112,000
children in 30 states.
• The survey recorded not only micronutrient deficiencies but also details of non-
communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and kidney function in
children and adolescents.
• In India, for the first time the ministry measured malnutrition that included micro nutrient
deficiencies. It was done by collecting urine samples and blood samples.
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Key Findings of the survey
• Around 10% of children in the age group of 5 to 9 years and adolescents in the age group 10
to 19 years are pre – diabetic. 5% of them were overweight and 5% suffered from blood
pressure.
• One in five children in the age group 5 to 9 years were stunted.
• The survey for the first time proved the coexistence of obesity and under nutrition.
Problem of Obesity
• The highest prevalence of overweight children, five to nine years, was in Goa and
Nagaland, while the lowest prevalence of overweight children was in Jharkhand and Bihar,
where less than 1 per cent were overweight.
• Tamil Nadu and Goa had the highest number of adolescents who were obese or
overweight.
• Only 1% of children from households in the lowest wealth quintile were overweight
compared to 9% of children in the highest wealth quintile.
• Compared to rural areas, more children in urban areas suffered from obesity.
• The least prevalence of overweight and obesity among different social groups was in children
belonging to scheduled tribes (ST).
2.51 Government to lau h Vig a J oti p og a e to promote STEM education among girl
students
• Ce t al Go e e t is pla i g to lau h Vig a J oti p og a e to promote STEM
Education among girl students, following reports of poor gender diversity in the Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education.
• Aim: Vigyan Jyoti Programme aims to help girl students pick science and allied subjects for
their academics in school and higher education level.
Key Features of the Programme
• The government plans to pick 100 girl students from over 550 districts from 2020 to 2025
to pursue higher education in STEM and allied subjects.
• The girl students selected for the programme will be selected on the basis of their percentile
score.
• The programme will cover girl students from grade 9 to 12.
• As part of the programme, the Department will hold science camps for girl students in and
around premier technology institutes such as IITs and NITs.
• Such science camps are expected to give a hands-on experience about the being on a campus
of a premiere institute in terms of culture, motivation, interaction with scientists.
Relevance
• Acc. to the data shared by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), females
comprised 24 per cent of the total pas-out students in STEM subjects in engineering, 22 per
cent at the post graduate level, 28 per cent at M Phil and 35 per cent at the PhD level.
• Also, there are only 10 per cent of girls in the IITs and the number has remained static over
the years.

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2.52 Government to come up with Water Quality Rankings for preventing water borne diseases
• On the event of World Standards Day (14 October), Union Minister of Consumer Affairs,
Food and Public Distribution announced that government will soon come out with Water
Quality Rankings, in a bid to ensure clean drinking water for keeping water borne diseases
at bay.
• Under Water Quality Rankings, The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will rank state capitals
and 100 smart cities in the next three months for quality tap water.
Key points
• The BIS will also test quality of tap water at district level in the next six months.
• BIS standards will be made mandatory on drinking water. At present, the BIS standards for
drinking water are voluntary.
About BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards)
• BIS is the national body that frames quality norms for products and services and works under
the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
Relevance
• According to the latest union health ministry data available, at least 10,738 deaths were
caused due to water-borne diseases--cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid and viral hepatitis over
five years to 2017.
2.53 Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2019 released

• Recently, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the
Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report (APTIR) 2019 .
• Theme (2019) of APTIR: Navigating Non-tariff Measures (NTMs) towards Sustainable
Development
• The report provides information on developments in-
1. Intra- and inter-regional trade in goods and services
2. Foreign direct investment
3. Trade facilitation measures
4. Trade policy measures
5. Preferential trade policies and agreements
Highlights of the Report
• Acc. to report, Non-tariff measures (NTMs) have increased in the past two decades and are
affecting trade as well sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Asian countries.
• Around half the Asia-Pa ifi s e o o ies ha e at least o e NTM add essi g ate a d e e g
efficiency and only 10% have measures addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated(IUU)
fishing and illegal timber trade.
• NTMs can also affect foreign direct investment negati el hi h a slo do ou t ies
economic activities.

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• It can also have a direct impact on the performance of trading partners.
2.54 IMF slashes India's FY20 GDP growth forecast to 6.1%

• Recently, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its projections for I dia s g o th to
6.1% for 2019-20 from its earlier forecast of 7%.
• It also has downgraded global economy growth for 2019 to 3 per cent. Earlier, the world
economic growth for the year was pegged at 3.2 per cent by the IMF.
I dia s g o th ate p oje tio s fo FY a ious o ga isatio s
• Economic Survey: 7%
• RBI: 6.1%
• Asian Development Bank (ADB): 6.5%
• International Monetary Fund (IMF): 6.1%
• World Bank: 6%
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): 5.9%
2.55 Global Hunger Index (2019) released

[Poverty alleviation]
• Recently, Global Hunger Index report for the year 2019 was released. The report has been
prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Co e Wo ld ide and German organisation Welt
Hunger Hilfe .
• The index is being calculated on the basis of four indicators:
1. Child mortality
2. Undernourishment
3. Child wasting (weight for age)
4. Child stunting
Key findings of the Report
Findings specific to India
• I dia s Rank: 102 out of 117 Countries
• India ranked below Pakistan (94), Bangladesh (88), Nepal (73) and Sri Lanka (66) among other
South Asian countries.
• As per the report, India is one of the 45 countries where hunger causes serious crisis.
• In India, only 9.6% of all children between 6 to 23 months of age are given a minimum
acceptable diet.
• As per the report, the child wasting rate is the highest (20.8%) in the world while the child
stunting rate is 37.9% in India.
• India has demonstrated improvement in some indicators constituting the index which are:
• The under-5 mortality rate
• Prevalence of stunting among children
• Prevalence of undernourishment owing to inadequate food
Global Findings

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• The report highlights that the climate crisis is bringing alarming levels of hunger in the
world.
• Some countries that are facing alarming situation are – Yemen, Chad, Madagascar and
Zambia.
• However, there are nine countries that are categorized in a worse situation. These
countries are – the Central African Republic, Yemen, Malaysia, Madagascar, Venezuela,
Lebanon, Mauritania, Jordan and Oman.
• The report found that 785 million people were suffering from hunger while 822 million
people were found affected with hunger in 2018.
• GHI highlights that among the 117 countries a ked, ou t ies a e i se ious a d
ala i g hu ge le els a d o e i iti all ala i g .
2.56 India Ministerial Dialogue held at 3rd India Energy Forum by CERAWeek
• Recently, The India Ministerial Dialogue was held at 3rd India Energy Forum by CERAWeek
in New Delhi.
Key Discussions
• Indian railways has set target to have 100% electrification done by 2023 and also plans to
e o e et ze o e itte of a o .
• India is expected to get $58 billion investment in the exploration and production sector by
2023 and an estimated investment of $60 billion is underway for augmenting gas
infrastructure.
• The government is pushing to achieve 10% blending percentage of ethanol in petrol by 2022,
which in turn will boost farm economy.
• Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Dharmendra Pradhan called for the
inclusion of petroleum products under GST regime and urged Union finance minister to at
least begin by including natural gas and ATF (aviation turbine fuel) in GST.
• Indian Government has also set target to set up a 450GW of renewable energy capacity by
2030.
2.57 Ayushman Bharat provided benefit to over 50 lakh people

• Recently, India achieved a major milestone of providing benefit to over 50 Lakh people
under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
About Ayushman Bharat Scheme
• A ush a Bha at is o ld s la gest health i su a e s he e, lau hed i , hi h ai s
to provide easy access to medical facilities to over 10.74 Crore poor people in the country.
• Under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya (PM-JAY), 16,085 Hospitals have been
empanelled and over 10 Crore e-Cards issued.
• Nearly 17,150 Health & Wellness Centers have become operational across the country
under Ayushman Bharat.

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2.58 CBIC launches scheme to attract investment and support Make in India programme
• Recently, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has launched a revamped and
streamlined programme to attract investments into India and strengthen Make in India
through manufacture and other operations under bond scheme, under Customs Act, 1962.
• The scheme has been modernized with clear and transparent procedures, simplified
compliance requirements ICT-based documentation and account keeping.
• The scheme is expected to play a critical role in promoting investments in India and in
enhancing ease of doing business.
Changes introduced in revamped scheme
• A single application cum approval form prescribed for uniformity of practice.
• The jurisdictional Commissioner of Customs will function as a single point of approval to
set up and oversee the operations of such units.
• No geographical limitation on where such units can be set up.
• The unit can import goods (both inputs and capital goods) under a customs duty deferment
program. The duties are fully remitted if the processed goods are exported.
• There will be no interest liability and units will benefit through improved liquidity.
• GST compliant goods can be procured from the domestic market for use in manufacture
and other operations in a section 65 unit.
• A single digital account has been prescribed for ease of doing business and easy
compliance.
• The scheme would also enable efficient capacity utilization, as there is no limit on quantum
of clearances that can be exported or cleared to the domestic market.
2.59 Shri Arjun Munda launches Van Dhan Internship Programme of TRIFED
[Social Justice]
• Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda has launched the Va Dha Internship
P og a e organised by TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
About the Internship Programme
• 18 interns have been selected for the participation in the Va Dha I te ship P og a e .
• These interns have been selected to go and work on Van Dhan programme in the field.
• These interns will work with the team of TRIFED in various states and districts in tribal areas in
development of tribal welfare and inclusive growth.
• They will support the TRIFED activities on livelihood promotion.
TRIFED
• The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) is a national-level

apex organization for fixing the prize of the goods produced by the Tribal People.

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• It was established in the year 1987 and functions under the administrative control of Ministry of
Tribal Affairs.
2.60 Central Government launched Food Safety Mitra (FSM) scheme on World Food Day
• World Food Day 2019 is observed every year on 16th October 2019.
• Theme for 2019 : Health Diets fo a )e o Hu ge Wo ld .
Initiatives by the Government
• On this occasion , Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched the Food “afet Mit a F“M s he e, Eat
‘ight Ja ket , and Eat ‘ight Jhola to strengthen food safety administration and scale up the
Eat ‘ight I dia o e e t.
Food Safety Mitra Scheme
• It will support small and medium scale food businesses to comply with the food safety laws
and facilitate licensing and registration, hygiene ratings and training.
• This scheme would also create new employment opportunities for youth, particularly with food
and nutrition background.
• The Food Safety Mitras would undergo training and certification by FSSAI to do their work and
get paid by food businesses for their services.
Eat Right Jacket
• The Eat ‘ight Ja ket ill e used the field staff.

• This jacket has a smart design to hold tech devices like tablets/smart phone, a QR code and RFID
tag for identification and tracking.
• It would bring in efficiency, professionalism and transparency in food safety administration.
Eat Right Jhola
• The Eat ‘ight Jhola is a reusable cloth bag.

• It will replace plastic bags for grocery shopping in various retail chains.

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2.61 Facebook launches second phase of digital literacy project for tribal girls
{Terms in news}
• Union Minister of Tribal Affairs has announced the second phase of GOAL (Going Online as
Leaders).
About GOAL
• It is a program aimed at inspiring, guiding and encouraging tribal girls from across India to
become village-level digital young leaders for their communities.
• It was launched by Facebook in March 2019
• It aims to connects underprivileged young women from tribal areas with senior expert mentors
in the areas of business, fashion and arts to learn digital and life skills.
Second Phase of the Programme
• In the second phase of the programme, ou g o e i I dia s t i al do i ated dist i ts

will be digitally mentored , by Facebook and Ministry of Tribal Affairs jointly.
2.62 NITI Aayog launches India Innovation Index 2019

{Reports, Ranking and Indices}
• The India Innovation Index (III) 2019 has been released by NITI Aayog with The Institute for
Competitiveness as its knowledge partner.
Findings of the Index
• The states have been bifurcated into three categories: major states, north-east, and hill states,
and union territories/city states/small states.

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More about the Index
• The India Innovation Index 2019 is calculated as the average of the scores of its two dimensions
- Enablers and Performance.
• Enablers - These are the factors that underpin innovative capacities, grouped in five pillars:
1. Human Capital
2. Investment
3. Knowledge Workers
4. Business Environment
5. Safety and Legal Environment.
• Performance – This dimension captures benefits that a nation derives from the inputs, divided
in two pillars:
6. Knowledge Output
7. Knowledge Diffusion.
Aim of the Index
• The aim is to create a holistic tool which can be used by policymakers across the country to
identify the challenges to be addressed and strengths to build on when designing the economic
growth policies for their regions.
2.63 Union HRD Minister chairs the 2nd meeting of IIIT Coordination Forum
[Social Sector - Education]
• U io H‘D Mi iste “h i ‘a esh Pokh i al Nisha k has chaired the 2nd meeting of the IIIT
Coordination Forum in New Delhi on 17th October 2019.
• The HRD Minister who is also the Chairman of the IIIT Council.
About IIIT Coordination Forum
• Indian Institute of information Technology (IIITs) Coordination Forum is the apex body for
deciding policy and directions for 20 IIITs established under Public Private Partnership mode.
• IIITs are partially supported by Government and are required to become self-sufficient in a short
span of time.
2.64 Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying releases 20th Livestock Census
{Terms in news}
• 20th Livestock Census report has been recently released by The Department of Animal
Husbandry & Dairying under The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
• It provides some key results reflecting the aggregate counts of various species as well as its
comparison with previous census.
Findings of the Census

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• The total Livestock population is 535.78 million in the country showing an increase of 4.6% over
Livestock Census-2012
• Total Bovine population (Cattle, Buffalo, Mithun and Yak) is 302.79 Million in 2019 which shows
an increase of about 1% over the previous census.
• The total number of cattle in the country in 2019 is 192.49 million showing an increase of 0.8
% over previous Census.
• The Female Cattle (Cows population) is 145.12 million, increased by 18.0% over the previous
census (2012).
About 20th Livestock Census
• The Livestock Census has been conducted in the country periodically since 1919-20.
• It covers all domesticated animals and its headcounts.
• The 20th Livestock Census has been conducted in participation with all States and Union
Territories. The enumeration was done both in rural and urban areas.
2.65 Italy to introduce web tax on digital giants from 2020

[Globalization]
• Italy has recently approved a new tax on digital companies as part of its 2020 draft budget on
October 16th 2019.
• It will oblige companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon , to pay a 3% levy on internet
transactions and is due to be introduced from next year.
Background
• Italy and other European Union members have long complained about the way web giants
collect huge profits in their countries but pay only a few million euros in taxes each year.
2.66 International Monetary Fund releases World Economic Outlook

[IMF]
• IMF has recently released The World Economic Outlook
Findings of the Report
• It has downgraded global growth to 3% for 2019, which is a 0.3 percentage point downgrade
from April 2019.
• the lowest since 2008–09 and
Highlights of the report
Bad business
• Over the year, a common feature across the world has been a slowdown in industrial output.
The graph depicts year-on-year percentage change across economic indicators.

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Investments decline
• Downturns in global trade are related to reduced investment spending.

• Global investment did slow down in line with reduced imports.
Trade woes
• Production slowdown led to a standstill in trade.

• In the first half of 2019, global trade volume was just 1% above its value a year ago, the slowest
pace for a 6-month period since 2012.

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Auto slump impact
• Another contributor to the slowdown in global trade has been the slump in car sales, which is
reflected in a slowdown in the purchase of consumer durables.

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2.67 Centre Launches 'Made In India' Diagnostic Kits for Encephalitis, Bluetongue Virus With Export
Potential
[Social Sector- Health]
• The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry &
Dairying have jointly released diagnostic kits which can prevent the spread of Japanese
Encephalitis and the Bluetongue virus in animals.
• This will help in predicting thei out eak i hu a s u de the Make i I dia i itiati e.
• Name of the Kits - Bluetongue sandwich ELISA and the Japanese Encephalitis 1gM ELISA
• Developed by - Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Veterinary Research
Institute (IVRI) jointly
2.68 UAE announces establishment of 1st graduate-level, research-based AI university in world

[Social Sector- Education]
• United Arab Emirates(UAE) has announced the establishment of the first graduate-level,
research-based AI university in the world.
• It would be called as Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence( MBZUAI).
More about the University
• MBZUAI will introduce a new model of academia and research to the field of AI.
• It would provide stude ts a d fa ult a ess to so e of the o ld s ost ad a ed AI s ste s
to unleash its potential for economic and societal development.
The fi st lass of g aduate stude ts ill o e e ou se o k at MB)UAI s Masda Cit a pus
in September 2020.
2.69 2nd Indo-French Knowledge Summit in Lyon on October 17-18

• The second edition of the Indo-French Knowledge Summit will take place at the University of
Lyon in France on October 17-18.
• The Summit is dedicated to higher education, research and innovation.
• Organized by - The Embassy of France in India in association with the Ministry of Science and
Technology and the HRD Ministry.
Background
• The first Knowledge Summit was held during the 2018 state visit of French President Emmanuel
Macron to India.
• The summit involves a series of interactive sessions, allowing participants to deepen scientific
and academic cooperation between the two countries and launch concrete initiatives.
2.70 First Edition of ASIA HEALTH 2019 takes place in New Delhi
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is organizing the first edition of the ASIA HEALTH
2019 from 16 -19 October 2019 in New Delhi.
• These are exciting times for the healthcare Sector both in India & globally.
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Its Relevance
• ASIA HEALTH 2019 is a unique health platform converging multiple stake holders in the Health
ecosystem to deliberate and discuss the future of Health.
• It will see a global conglomeration of Industry experts, senior policy makers, ministers, decision
makers from the ASIA region, and the multiple stakeholders including innovators who imagine a
more equitable and healthier world.
2.71 India-UK collaboration creates a hand-washing robot

• Researchers from UK and India have developed a robot called Pepe, which encourages children
to wash their hands.
• The robot has been recently used by students at a primary school in Kerala as a fresh approach
to hygiene.
Its Relevance
• The outcomes from the research project have been presented on 15th October, which is
observed as Global Handwashing Day , at the 28TH IEEE International Conference on Robot and
Human Interactive Communication in New Delhi.
• The study has revealed that more than 90 per cent of the students have liked the robot and said
they would like to see "Pepe" again after school vacation.
2.72 D Ha sh Va dha sha es I dia s isio fo i lusi e health at G Oka a a Health Mi iste s
Meeting
• Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has attended the G20
Oka a a Health Mi iste s Meeti g o O to e -20, 2019.
• The meeting has taken place under the Presidency of Japan in Okayama City, Japan.
Deliberations of the meeting

• The deliberations of the G 20 Health Ministers focused on four major global health issues:
1. Achievement of Universal Health Coverage
2. Response to population aging
3. Management of health risks and health security management including Anti-Microbial
Resistance (AMR) and its containment.
Okayama Declaration of the G 20 Health Ministers
• The G20 Health Ministers meeting has concluded by adopting the Oka a a De la atio of the
G 20 Health Ministers".
• The declaration endorses the Commitment of G20 countries to address the major global health
issues.

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• It includes 52 articles and paves the way towards an inclusive and sustainable world, as
envisioned in the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
• G20 members have committed to continue this dialogue during the upcoming G20 presidency in
Saudi Arabia.
2.73 India to host Interpol General Assembly in 2022

[Globalization]
• India has won the vote to host the Interpol General Assembly in New Delhi in the year 2022.
• This comes as part of the celebrations of 75th Anniversary of India s Independence.
Background
• 88th Interpol General Assembly has taken place in Santiago.
• The director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Rishi Kumar Shukla moved the proposal
which was then put to vote.
About Interpol
• The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is an international organization with

194 member states.
• It is headquartered in Lyon , France
• Interpol has 17 databases that house 90 million records.
2.74 Legislative Council abolished in J&K

• Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council has been abolished recently.
• This has been done as per Section 57 of the J&K Reorganisation Bill, 2019, which reduced the
State to the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Background
• Through this legislation the central government revoked the special status granted to J&K and
bifurcated the state into two Union territories of J&K and Ladakh.
• The government issued orders under section 57 of J&K Reorganisation Bill stating that all the
staff members of the legislative council should report to the general administration department.

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• J&K legislative council, with a strength of 36 members, was created in 1957 following adoption
of a new constitution by the state constituent assembly and passing of the Legislative Councils
Act in Parliament.
2.75 Uzbekistan President to be Chief Guest at Vibrant Gujarat Summit

• President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev is going to attend the Vibrant Gujarat international
investment summit as a key guest.
• Uzbekistan has become the first Central Asian country to participate as a country partner in the
flagship investment summit of Gujarat.
Background
• Uzbekistan provides most favored nation (MFN) status to 45 countries, including India.
• In Uzbekistan, 18 free economic zones (FEZ) have been established with a 30-year operational
life and the possibility of a subsequent extension. Seven of them have a pharmaceutical focus.
• At the Vibrant Gujarat Summit , a country seminar on Uzbekistan will be held with a special focus
on Uzbek Indian Free Pharmaceutical Zone in Andijan.
2.76 New initiatives unveiled to mark first MeitY Start-up Summit

• Recently, the first MeitY Start-up Summit was held in New Delhi.
• At the event, Union Minister of Law & Justice Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad unveiled a series of new
initiatives by Ministry of Electronics & Information (MeitY), which are as follows:
• BHIM 2.0 (new functionalities): supports additional languages (Konkani, Haryanvi, Bhojpuri)
and has increased transaction limits
• StartUp Hub portal: It is an overarching collaborative platform to act as a national
coordination, facilitation and interconnected centre for all activities in the tech startup
ecosystem.
• Indian software product registry: It will act as a single window portal to collate Indian software
product database.
Awards
• At the event, awards were also given to selected fintechs and banks that promoted digital
landscape in the nation.

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• Induslnd Bank has been awarded with DigiDhan Mission Digital Payments Award for 'Overall
Performance in 'Digital Payments'.
2.77 IIT Delhi becomes first IIT to launch Endowment Fund

• Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Delhi, is all set to launch Endowment Fund to garner USD
1 Billion over the next six years.
• The initial amount of the Endowment Fund will be raised from around 20 alumni who have
o itted et ee ₹ o ea d₹ o e ea h.
• The fund will expand and gradually raise funds from industry leaders and alumni who are now
in senior management positions at companies in India and abroad.
• Endowment funds are a big source of income for best global universities.
• These funds are primarily used for development work and students scholarship.
2.78 Crime in India report 2017 released

[Gender Issues]
• Recently, the annual Crime in India Report 2017 has been published by the National Crime
Records Bureau (NCRB) after the delay of 2 years (last came in 2016).
Key Findings
Crime against women
• As per the report, 3, 59, 849 cases of crime against women were reported in the country.
• Uttar Pradesh topped the list, followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal.
• Majo it of ases u de i es agai st o e e e egiste ed u de C uelt Hus a d o
his Relatives .
Riots
• As per the report, 58,880 incidents of rioting were reported, of which the maximum incidents
were reported from Bihar, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Kidnapping and Abduction
• A total of 95,893 cases of kidnapping and abduction were registered during 2017, showing an
increase of 9.0% over 2016 (88,008 cases).
• A total of 63,349 children were reported missing in 2017.
Fake news and rumours
• NC‘B, fo the fi st ti e, olle ted data o i ulatio of false/fake e s a d u ou s.

• Under the category, maximum incidents were reported from Madhya Pradesh (138), Uttar
Pradesh (32) and Kerala (18).
Rape cases
• According to the report, as many as 32,559 rapes were reported in India in 2017 and accused
were known to the victims in 93.1% of the cases.

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• Majo it of ases u de i es agai st o e e e egiste ed u de uelt hus a d o
his relatives" at 27.9%, followed assault o o e ith i te t to out age he odest " at
. %, kid appi g a d a du tio of o e " at . % a d ape" a ou ti g fo o l . %.
Crime Rate
• While the i e ate" is defi ed as offe es egiste ed pe o e lakh people", Assa recorded
the highest crime rate of 143 in the country in 2017. Odisha and Telangana came in second.
Crime against Children
• I pe e tage te s, ajo i e heads u de i e agai st hild e du i g ee

kidnapping and abduction (42.0%) and 25.3% cases under the Protection of Children from
Sexual Offences Act, 2012, including child rape.
2.79 Next 'Hunar Haat' to be held in Prayagraj

• The next 'Hunar Haat', will be organised in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, where more than 300
master artisans and culinary experts will participate.
• All the 'Hunar Haats' to be organised in 2019 and 2020 will be based on the theme of "Ek
Bharat Shrestha Bharat".
Relevance
• The Ministry of Minority Affairs has decided to organise about 100 'Hunar Haats' in the next
five years across the country to provide market, employment and employment opportunities
to master artisans and culinary experts.
2.80 QS India University Rankings 2020: IIT Bombay tops again

• Recently, Quacqua elli “ o ds Q“ has eleased the I dia U i e sit ‘a ki gs .
• This is the second time QS has published separate ranking for top institutions in India. The first
edition was released in 2019.
• QS has ranked the higher education institutions in India on the basis of eight parameters
which have different weightage:
1. Academic reputation (30%)
2. Employer reputation (20%)
3. Faculty student ratio (20%)
4. Staff with PhD (10%)
5. Papers per faculty (10%)
6. Citation per paper (5%)
7. International faculty (2.5%)
8. International students (2.5%)
Key Results
• 1st rank: Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IITB)

• 2nd rank: Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

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• 3rd rank: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
• Six IITs have found a place among the top ten institutions in the QS list of top Indian
institutions.
• Among the non-IITs, Delhi University occupies the first spot at number seven — followed by
Hyderabad University
2.81 10th edition of the Global Wealth Report published

[Human Development]
• Recently, th editio of the Glo al Wealth ‘epo t as eleased C edit “uisse ‘esea h
Institute, according to which global wealth has risen by $9 trillion to $360 trillion in 2019.
• India has made a contribution of $625 billion (nearly 7% of total) to the global wealth.
• The biggest contribution has come from the US at $4 trillion (45% of total) and China at $1.9
trillion (21% of total).
Average Wealth
• Acc. to this report, the average wealth per adult globally stood at $70,849.
• Wealth per adult for India at $14,569 is nearly 80% below the global average. The US and
Europe have the highest wealth per adult at $417,694 and $153,973, respectively.
Key Findings about India
• India is a la ge o t i uto to the glo al ealth list. The ou t has , adults i the
top 1% of global wealth holders, which is a 1.6% share.
• The growth in household debt for India was one of the highest globally at 11.5% versus global
average of 4%. Still, it is below that for the developed nations.
• For India, the growth in financial assets was just 1.4% to $37 billion. The growth was below
global average of 2%.
2.82 Natio al eposito of I dia s e te h apa ilities lau hed

• Recently, The National Cyber Security Coordinator's office in partnership with Data Security
Council (DSCI) of India has launched TechSagar.
• Te h“aga is a platfo to dis o e I dia s te h ologi al apa ilit th ough a po tal.
• The portal will list business and research entities from the IT industry, startups, academia, and
individual researchers.
2.83 National Panchayat Awards 2019

• Recently, Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, conferred the
Natio al Pa ha at A a ds to pa ha ats out of the . lakh pa ha ats i the
country.
• The Awards were given under the following categories:
1. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar
2. Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar
3. Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Award
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4. Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award
5. E-Panchayat Puraskar
• A “patial Pla i g Appli atio alled G a Ma hit a as also lau hed which is a Geo
Spatial based decision support system for the panchayats.
• The panchayats can utilize this App to plan, develop and monitor developmental activities on
real time basis.
2.84 CBSE, NCERT to launch 'Tamanna' aptitude test for Class 9, 10 students
• Recently, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and National Council for Educational
‘esea h a d T ai i g NCE‘T ha e lau hed a o li e aptitude test alled as Ta a a
(Try and Measure Aptitude and Natural Abilities), in a bid to help students make the right
career choices.
What is Tamanna?
• Tamanna is an aptitude test that aims at helping students of Class 9 and 10 make a better
choice of subjects, eventually helping them in making an informed decision while choosing
subjects in Class 11 and 12.
• CBSE (Know your aptitude) KYA exam will assess a student's weaknesses and strengths in
academics.
• This exam should be taken voluntarily by interested students and must not be used to impose
any subject, courses of study and/or vocations etc. on the students.
2.85 Government sets up panel to resolve MeitY and Niti fight over AI
• Recently, the government has formed a committee to resolve differences between the Niti
Aayog and the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) over who will implement its
ambitious artificial intelligence mission.
• The committee, ill e headed p i ipal s ie tifi ad iso K Vija ‘agha a .
• The panel has been formed to resolve the overlaps et ee Niti Aa og s a d Meit s pla s fo
AI.
2.86 “ i La ka a d UNEP adopted Colo o De la atio

• Recently, Sri Lanka and UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) convened a two-
day event at which they ca e togethe to adopt Colo o De la atio o “ustai a le
Nitrogen Management.
• This declaration has an ambition to halve nitrogen waste by 2030.
• The Colombo Declaration has been developed with the technical support of the International
Nitrogen Management System (INMS) and the International Nitrogen Initiative supported by
the Global Environment Facility.
• As part of the Declaration, environment ministers representing the governments of more
than 30 countries endorsed United Nations plans for a campaign on sustainable nitrogen
a age e t alled Nit oge fo Life .
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• This campaign stemmed from the Sustainable Nitrogen Management Resolution which was
adopted during the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly held from 11 – 15 March
2019 at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
2.87 Odisha government plans to make state child marriage free by 2030
[Gender Issues]
• Recently, the Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti, Odisha has
launched a state Strategic Action Plan (SAP) with the support of UNICEF & UNFPA, in a bid
to end child marriage in Odisha.
• The State Strategic Action Plan is a comprehensive and time-bound approach to accelerate
actions to deal with the complexities of ending child marriage, and it will be implemented from
2019 to 2024.
Relevance
• According to National Family Health Survey-4, the prevalence of child marriages among girls
in Odisha was reported to be 21.3 percent against a national average of 26.8, whereas for
boys it is only 11 per cent against the national average of 20.3 per cent.
2.88 Wo ld Ba k s Doi g Busi ess ‘epo t 2020 released

• Recently, The World Bank released its latest Doing Business Report (DBR, 2020).
• Objective: It provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement
across 190 economies.
• It ranks countries on the basis of Distance to Frontier (DTF), a score that shows the gap of an
economy to the global best practice.
Indicators
• It ranks countries on the basis of 10 indicators:

1. Resolving Insolvency
2. Construction Permits
3. Trading Across Borders
4. Registering Property
5. Paying Taxes
6. Getting Electricity
7. Starting a Business
8. Getting Credit
9. Protecting minority investors
10. Enforcing Contracts
Key Findings
Findings about India
• I dia s a k: 63rd (has recorded a jump of 14 positions against its rank of 77 in 2019)
• This year, I dia s DTF score improved to 71.0 from 67.23 in the previous year. India is amongst
the top 10 improvers.
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• India continues to maintain its first position among South Asian countries.
• India has improved its rank in 7 out of 10 indicators. Significant improvements have been
egiste ed i ‘esol i g I sol e (improved significantly from 26.5% to 71.6%), 'Dealing with
Construction Pe its', ‘egiste i g P ope t , T adi g a oss Boa ds a d Pa i g Ta es
indicators.
• The cities covered in India for carrying out the study are New Delhi and Mumbai.
Global Findings
• 1st Rank: New Zealand

2nd Rank: Singapore
3rd Rank: Hong Kong, China
• The top ten economies with most noted improvement, including India, Saudi Arabia, Jordan,
Togo, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, China, India and Nigeria, implemented one-fifth of
all the reforms recorded worldwide in 2018-19.
2.89 World Bank inks agreement project to support smallholder farmers in Odisha
• Recently, the Central Government, Odisha government and the World Bank have signed a
loan agreement worth $165 million to support smallholder farmers in the state.
• The loan from the World Bank, has a 6-year grace period, and a maturity of 24 years.
• The project "The Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture" will
be implemented in Odisha's rural areas which are vulnerable to droughts and largely
dependent on rainfed agriculture.
• It will benefit about 125,000 smallholder farmer households from 15 districts of Odisha
managing 128,000 hectares of agricultural land.
2.90 New Development Bank approves two projects with loans aggregating to $800mn
[International Economic Institutions]
• Recently, the Board of Directors of the New Development Bank (NDB) have approved two
p oje ts a el Fu do Cli a – B azil Natio al Cli ate Fu d P oje t a d ‘e e a le E e g
“e to De elop e t P oje t o th $ .
• Now, the Bank's portfolio stands at 44 projects with loans aggregating to USD 12.4 billion.
• Fundo Clima – Brazil National Climate Fund Project: NDB will provide a sovereign loan of
$500mn for this project which is aimed at capitalizing Fundo Clima to expand its on-lending
operations to sub-projects contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Renewable Energy Sector Development Project, India: NDB will provide a loan of USD 300
million to this project which is aimed at improving the energy mix in India by providing funds
for the construction and commissioning of renewable energy sub-projects.
About NDB
• Headquarters: Shanghai, China

• Founders: BRICS countries
• President: K. V. Kamath

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2.91 Odisha Government launches 'Odisha Mo Parivar' programme
[Social Justice]
• Recently, Odisha government has lau hed a so ial se i e i itiati e a ed Odisha Mo
Pa i a , aimed at encouraging environment protection, blood donation and the welfare of
Odias in distress.
• Under this programme, party leaders will dedicate themselves to protect the environment
and undertake extensive planting of trees, and create awareness among the public.
• The initiative will also come to the rescue of Odias stranded in foreign countries.
2.92 Global Health Security (GHS) Index, 2019 released

• Recently, Global Health Security Index, 2019 was released. It is the first comprehensive
assessment of epidemic and pandemic threats globally.
• This index is a project of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Johns Hopkins University
Center for Health Security, with research by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
Indicators
• The countries are assessed on the basis of 6 indicators:

1. Prevention
2. Detection & Reporting
3. Rapid Response
4. Health System
5. Compliance with International Norms
6. Risk Environment
Key Findings
• United States has topped the list globally (overall with a score of 83.5), followed by United
Kingdom and Netherlands.
• Thailand and South Korea are among the best-performing countries in Asia.
• I dia s a k: 57th rank (with a score of 46.5)
• This report has revealed that stronger health security conditions are not dependent on
whether a country is wealthy, but are driven by a multitude of factors, including effective
governance and a strong disease surveillance system.
• Indeed, gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP per head are not strong determinants of global
health security. More than 100 high- and middle-income countries score below 50 in the index.
2.93 India to adopt Brazil model of human milk bank

[Social Sector – Health]
• The Central Government has set a target of ensuring at least 70 per cent infants to have access
to breast milk by the year 2025.
• The Target will subsequently be increased to 100 per cent.
• India has taken inspiration from Brazil's success in the field of human milk bank decided to
adopt a similar model in creating a wide network of human milk banks.

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Background
• Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey went to attend the
Brazil , Russia, India , China and South Africa (BRICS) Health Ministers' Conference in Brazil.
• Member countries of the Conference have decided to take coordinated efforts to reduce infant
mortality rate, increase the access of breast milk to the infants and ensuring affordable
medicine to all.
2.94 Uttar Pradesh Government launches Rs 1,200 crore financial assistance scheme for girls
• Uttar Pradesh government has launched a scheme called as the Ka a “u a gala Yoja a .
• The scheme aims to provide financial assistance of Rs.15,000 to the girl child at different key
stages of life, from birth to graduation.

• The s he e s oad o je ti es a e to stop female foeticide and nurture a positive and
constructive approach to girls in a state that fares poorly on gender indicators.
• The six-stage pla gi es ash i e ti es at a ious sig ifi a t stages i the le of a gi l hild s
life starting from Rs. 2000 at the time of birth , then Rs.1000 on completion of vaccination in a
year.
• Rs. 2000 upon admission to class one and class six
• R. 3000 upon admission to class 9
• admission to two-year diploma courses or graduation after completion of class 10 or 12 will
make them eligible for receiving Rs 5,000.
Eligibility Conditions
• Eligibility conditions for the scheme include permanent residence of the state and annual
family income of less than Rs 3 lakh.
• The benefits can only be availed by a family of two children and will be available only to two
daughters in a family.
2.95 Odisha Government inks LoU for 'drink from tap mission' with UNICEF
• Odisha Government has inked a Letter of Understanding (LoU) on "drink from tap mission"
with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

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• This has been done to provide quality drinking water to every urban household in the state of
Odisha.
More about the Mission

• According to the Housing and Urban Development Department, UNICEF will provide technical
cooperation to the government of Odisha for implementation of the "drink from tap" program.
• It aims at providing piped quality drinking water supply to each household on a 24-hour basis,
in first phase 1.20 lakh people are going to benefit.
2.96 Dr. Harsh Vardhan releases the 14th National Health Profile, 2019
[Social sector – Health]
• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan has recently released the 14th
National Health Profile (NHP) 2019 & its e-book (digital version).
• It has been launched in continuation of the publication since 2005.
Who has prepared it?

• The NHP is prepared by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI).
What does it cover?

• It covers comprehensive information on demographic, socio-economic health status, health
finance indicators, health infrastructure and health of human resources in the country.
About NHP
• The NHP highlights substantial health information under major indicators :
1. Demographic indicators (population and vital statistics)
2. Socio-economic indicators (education, employment, housing and amenities, drinking water
and sanitation)
3. Health status indicators (incidence and prevalence of common communicable and non-
communicable diseases and RCH) etc.
• The health finance section provides an overview of health insurance and expenditure on
health, both public and Out of Pocket Expenditure (OOP) etc.
• The section on human resources provides an overview of availability of manpower working in
the health sector, while health infrastructure section provides details of Medical and Dental
Colleges, AYUSH Institutes, Nursing Courses and Paramedical Courses etc.
2.97 MNRE Hosts 2nd Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) on 31 October In New Delhi
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has hosted the second Assembly of International
Solar Alliance (ISA) on 30th and 31st October 2019.
• It has taken place in New Delhi.

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About ISA
• The ISA is an initiative by India and launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President
of France on 30 November 2015 at Paris, France(COP-21)
• It was launched with 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the
tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn as prospective members.
• The objective of the ISA is to collectively address key common challenges to the scaling up
of solar energy in ISA member countries.
• It aims to undertake joint efforts required to reduce the cost of finance and the cost of
technology, mobilize investments needed for massive deployment of solar energy, and pave
the way for future technologies adapted to the needs.
More about the Assembly

• The Assembly is the supreme decision making body of the International Solar Alliance
• It gives directions on various administrative, financial and programme related issue.
2.98 Natio al “ posiu o the the e U ited to Eli i ate L phati Fila iasis
• Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated
National Symposium .
• Theme - U ited to Eli i ate L phati Fila iasis .
About Lymphatic Filiarisis

• It is a parasitic infection , which is spread by mosquitoes.
• It is contracted in childhood, often before the age of five.
More about Symposium

• Special mention was given to Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
• NTDs are a group of debilitating infectious diseases that impact over 1.5 billion people
globally and hold back the poorest communities from reaching their full potential.
• India is committed to eliminate two of these NTDs - Lymphatic Filariasis (Hathipaon) and
Visceral Leishmaniases (Kala-Azar).
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan has signed the Call to A tio to eli i ate L phati Fila iasis
2.99 EK Bharat Shreshth Bharat Parv inaugurated

[Social Justice]
• EK Bharat Shreshth Bharat Parv has been organized by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan under
Ministry of Human Resource Development in New Delhi
• This event was organized to p i a il sho ase the spi it of Ek Bha at “h eshth Bha at .
About Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative

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• The programme was announced by the prime minister on October 32, 2015 on the 140th birth
anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Subsequently, the finance minister announced the initiative in his Budget speech for 2016-17.
• The programme aims to actively enhance interaction between people of diverse cultures
living in different states and union territories in the country with the objective of promoting
greater mutual understanding amongst them.
2.100 I dia s a i e e po ts to Chi a headi g fo U“D illio ak

• As pe the data eleased Chi a s usto s autho it e e tl , I dia s e po ts of a i e

products to China has tripled.
• It has touched almost USD 800 million, in the first nine months of 2019.
• I dia s a i e e po ts a e e pe ted to oss U“D illio ark by the end of this year.
Background
• A Chinese trade delegation has signed a contract for the import of marine products worth
USD 500 million in the next two years.
• The Embassy of India under the guidance of Ministry of Commerce and Marine Products Export
Development Authority (MPEDA) has been promoting Indian marine products in China.
• It has also organized a promotional event and buyer seller meet on marine products in
collaboration with MPEDA on the side lines of China Fisheries and Seafood expo in the coastal
city of Qingdao, which is also a major port of imports.
2.101 The 50th U io Wo ld Co fe e e o Lu g Health

• Vice President of India has recently inaugurated The th Union World Conference on Lung
Health i H de a ad.
• Theme of the Conference - 'Ending the Emergency: Science, Leadership, Action'.
About the Conference

• India is the host country of the conference for this year .
• India currently holds the current highest burden of TB in the world and has an ambitious target
to eliminate TB by 2025.

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• The Conference provides a unique backdrop to discussions on ending TB and lung disease and
it focuses on what is needed to ensure commitments become action, and that lifesaving
targets are met.
2.102 MoU Signed between AIIA and Frankfurter Innovationszentrum Biotechnologie GmbH,
Germany
• An MOU has been signed between All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under Ministry of
AYUSH and Frankfurter Innovationszentrum Biotechnologie GmbH (FiZ) on the occasion of
the event Ge a /I dia k o ledge e ha ge ega di g u e t de elop e ts i the
health a e se to .
Relevance of this MoU

• One important goal of the collaboration is to research in the field of genomics and develop
evidence-based guidelines supported with latest technologies like Artificial Intelligence and
machine learning
• This has been done to integrate Ayurvedic principles and practises into modern medicine for
the wider reach to the masses.
2.103 Over 2,000 panchayats brought under natural farming in HP

• A meeting by state-level Task Force for Promotion of Organic and Zero Budget Natural
Farming has recently taken place in Himachal Pradesh
• In the meeting it was announced that a total of 2,209 panchayats out of the total 3,226 have
been brought under the ambit of natural farming in Himachal Pradesh.
What is natural farming?

• Natural farming is a technique of farming that requires no ploughing or tilting or use of
chemical fertilizers.
2.104 India, Saudi Arabia sign Strategic Partnership Council pact

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have signed the
Strategic Partnership Council Agreement to coordinate on important issues.

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• This has been to provide a significant boost to the strategic ties between India and Saudi
Arabia.
India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council

• India and Saudi Arabia have signed the agreement to establish the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic
Partnership Council to coordinate decisions regarding strategically important issues.
• The council will be headed by Prime Minister Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed.
• The council will meet every two years.
2.105 Fourteen start-ups selected for 2019 SEED Awards

• Fourteen start-ups ha e ee sele ted fo this ea s SEED awards , which includes 4 Indian
Startups.
• Awards for the year 2019 were given for the categories : SEED Low carbon, SEED South Africa
Climate Adaptation, SEED Africa Awards and SEED Gender Equality Awards
• Under the SEED Low Carbon category, an organisation called Aikya Organics, located in
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has won the award from India.
About the Awards

• The award are granted annually to the organisations working on sustainable development.
• They highlight the contribution of green and social enterprises to advancing the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
About SEED
• SEED is a global partnership for action on sustainable development and the green economy.
• It was founded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
• The initiative supports small and growing enterprises with business and capacity-building
support.
2.106 FM Nirmala Sitharaman chairs meeting of NIIF's governing council

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has chaired the governing council meeting of the
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).
About NIIF
• The NIIF is a fund manager that invests in infrastructure and related sectors in the country.
• It is operationalised by establishing three alternative investment funds (AIFs) under the SEBI
regulations.
• The proposed corpus of NIIF is Rs 40,000 crore.
• The Government of India's contribution to the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) under the
NIIF scheme is 49 per cent of the total commitment.
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2.107 Nagaland Government launches Ex-gratia Scheme for Students
• Nagaland Government has launched the Nagaland Ex-gratia Scheme.
• It has been launched for Students Studying outside Nagaland belonging to any recognized
scheduled tribes and indigenous inhabitants of the state.
More about the scheme

• The scheme is targeted for students who die outside the state while pursuing secular,
technical, professional, diploma and theology courses.
• Corpus Fund of five crore Rupees will be kept in a fixed deposit for the same
• The interest accruing from the deposit will be utilized for payment of ex-gratia amounting to
five lakh rupees to the nominee of the deceased students.
2.108 Financial Times's global ranking : IIM Calcutta gets 17th rank
• Indian Institute of Management Calcutta has secured the 17th rank globally in the 'Financial
Times Masters in Management Rankings 2019'.
• The institute has got the ranking for its 2-Year Masters in Business Administration (formerly
Post Graduate Programme in Management).
• University of St. Gallen from Switzerland has received the top spot in the ranking
Ranking if Indian Institutes

• Until 2018, only three IIMs were part of the FT MIM ranking - IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and
Calcutta.
• In 2019, IIM Calcutta has been ranked 17th
• IIM Ahmedabad has been ranked 21st
• IIM Bangalore has been ranked 44th
• IIM Udaipur has been ranked 76th
• IIM Indore has been ranked 81st
2.109 Central Government sets up panel to examine the problems face by Telecom Operators
• The Central Government has set up a panel to examine the problems faced by telecom
operators and suggest ways to revive their financial health.
• A committee of secretaries (CoS) has been setup by the Government , which will be headed by
the cabinet secretary(presently Rajiv Gauba)
What will this panel do?

• The panel will consider the demands of telcos and suggest ways to alleviate their financial
stress and create a favourable investment environment.
• It will also look at measures such as reducing levies, including spectrum usage charges and the
universal service obligation fund (Usof) fee paid by telcos.

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2.110 India signs MoU with Saudi Arabia to launch RuPay card in Gulf Kingdom
• India has recently signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia to launch the RuPay card in the
country.
• India has already launched the RuPay card in the UAE, Bahrain, Singapore and Bhutan.
Its Relevance
• There are over 2.6 million Indians working in Saudi Arabia.
• Nearly two lakh Haj pilgrims and over three hundred thousand Umrah pilgrims from India visit
Saudi Arabia every year and acceptance of Rupay card will allow them to transact at cheaper
rates.
About RuPay Card

• The RuPay card is a first-of-its-kind Indian domestic Debit and Credit Card payment network,
with acceptance at ATMs, POS devices and e-commerce websites.
• It was launched in 2012.
• It was launched to fulfil the Reserve Bank of India's vision to have a domestic, open and
multilateral system of payments.
2.111 WTO panel rules India export subsidies illegal, upholds US case
[Globalization]
• A World Trade Organization (WTO) upheld a complaint brought by the United States against
India.
• It has ruled that Indian export subsidies are prohibited and should be removed.
• The panel largely agreed with US claims challenging export subsidies granted in the form of
exemptions from customs duties and a national tax, while rejecting some US arguments.
• It called on India to withdraw the export-contingent subsidies within periods varying from 90
to 180 days.
2.112IIIT Hyderabad researchers create first ever Indian Brain atlas

• Researchers at the IIIT Hyderabad has created the first ever Indian Brain Atlas (IBA).
• The study has revealed that the Indian brain is smaller in height, width and volume when
compared to Western and other Eastern populations.
• This will help in better/earl diag osis of Alzhei e s a d othe ai -related ailments.
2.113 AP launches online platform SMARTPORT

• Andhra Pradesh has recently launched a new initiative called SMARTPORT.
• SMARTPORT is an online platform launched as part of implementing the Ease of Doing
Business Reforms related to trade and export promotion in all ports in the state.
About SMARTPORT
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• SMARTPORT will be covered under the Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act.
• It will enable online services like request for entry of vessels into Indian waters, furnishing
cargo declaration, request for entry certificate of vessels, furnishing import/export
parameters and request for final clearance certificate.
• It will also facilitate registration, renewal of an agency or firm, payment of offshore support
vessel charges, payments for drawl of seawater, pipeline charges, barge registration, renewal
or change of ownership and fishing harbor permission.
2.114 TN becomes first State to enact law on contract farming

• Tamil Nadu has become the first State in the country to enact a law on contract farming ,
called as the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion
and Facilitation) Act.
What is the relevance of this law?

• It would safeguard interests of farmers during times of bumper harvest or fluctuating market
prices.
• The farmers would be paid at a pre-determined price, which had been arrived at the time of
signing agreements with buyers.
• Central government is encouraging States to come out with such a law.
2.115 Ease of doing business ranking : India's rank jumps 14 places

• India has climbed 14 ranks i the Wo ld Ba k s Ease of Doi g Busi ess su e .
• It has been ranked 63 , among 190 countries from 77 position last year.
rd th
• This makes o e of o ld s top ost i p o ed ou t ies fo the thi d o se uti e ti e.
Top 10 Economies
• The top 10 best places in the world to do business, are New Zealand (with a score of 86.8 out
of 100), Singapore (86.2), Hong Kong SAR, China (85.3), Denmark (85.3), the Republic of Korea
(84), the United States (84), Georgia (83.7), the United Kingdom (83.5), Norway (82.6), and
Sweden (82).
Top 10 improvers
8146207241
• In Doing Business 2020, the 10 top improvers are Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Togo, Bahrain,
Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, China, India, and Nigeria.
How is it measured?
‘easo s fo I dia s i p o e e t
• India has witnessed the biggest jump in ranking in esol i g insolvency" category, to 52nd
rank from 108th, due to the implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
• Another improvement in Dealing with Co st u tio Pe its to th f o d a d T adi g
across Borders" (to 68th from 80th).
• I dia s ranking deteriorated on two parameters - p ote ti g i o it i esto s" f o th to
th positio a d getti g ele t i it " f o d to th .
• It has remained unchanged in e fo i g o t a ts" at d.
• I dia s a ki g i p o ed i ‘egiste i g P operty" to 154th rank from 166th
2.116 COP25 climate talks cancelled

• United Nations Climate Conference -Conference of Parties 25 (COP 25) which was scheduled
to be held in Santiago, Chile, has been cancelled which was scheduled to be held in December
2019.
• Chile has been facing acts of violence and destruction.
• COP24 was held in Poland
• COP26 is to be held in London in 2020.
2.117 OCI can now apply for National Pension System

• Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has permitted Overseas Citizen
of India to enrol in National Pension System.
• Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) will now be eligible to apply for the National Pension System
at par with Non Resident Indians (NRIs).
Notification by Finance Ministry

8146207241
• According to the notification by Finance Ministry ,OCI may subscribe to NPS provided such
person is eligible to invest as per the provisions of the PFRDA Act and the accumulated saving
will be repatriable, subject to Foreign Exchange Management Act guidelines.
• Now, any Indian citizen, resident or non-resident and OCIs are eligible to join NPS till the age
of 65 years.

8146207241

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Contents

6|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

7|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

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1.1 Bank of Baroda signs MoU with Indian Army

1.2 P K Gupta appointed as new CMD of NBCC

1.3 Government appoints Mallikarjuna Rao as MD and CEO of PNB

1.4 Abhishek Singh appointed as the CEO of MyGov India

1.6 Sindhu drops to World No. 6: BWF Rankings 2019

1.7 Book titled The ‘““: ‘oad aps fo the st Ce tu eleased

1.10 P eside t of I dia ill o fe Va osh eshtha “a a –

1.11 IRCTC to compensate Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express passengers for delay

1.14 Pradipta Kumar Bisoi appointed as Secretary, Department of Posts

1.16 Nepal Speaker resigns over rape allegation

1.17 Jessye Norman, the international opera star, passed away

1.18 P.V. Sindhu inaugurated Dasara Sports

1.20 Cost of data breaches will grow to $5 trillion in 2024

1.21 Drone Innovators Network Summit-2019 held

1.22 Rajasthan bans certain categories of pan masala

1.24 Kapil Dev resigns as CAC chief

1.25 New book on digital transformation features chapter on AI written by AI

1.26 International Day of Non-Violence observed on 2nd October

1.28 Sachin Tendulkar gets most effective Swachhata Ambassador Award

1.29 Ecuador to withdraw from OPEC in January 2020

1.34 I dia s oldest hi pa zee dies at

1.36 PM Modi inaugurates metro service, ENT hospital in Mauritius

1.42 Indo-Mongolian Joint Exercise commenced: Nomadic Elephant 2019

1.43 Indo Maldives joint Exercise commenced: Ekuverin 2019

1.45 Sandeep Gulati is new MD of Manpower Group in India

1.47 Shanti Raghava , Dipesh “uta i a i “o ial E t ep e eu of the Yea A a d

1.50 Cognizant appoints Daniel Cohen as its new BFSI head

1.53 NHSRC to be WHO collaborating centre for medical devices

1.54 Goa Maritime Conclave– 2019 Inaugurated

1.55 India - Bangladesh Business forum meets in New Delhi

1.56 F““AI s T a s-Fat F ee logo lau hed

1.58 I dia s fi st e-waste clinic to be set up in Bhopal

1.60 Delhi a i et app o es Bill to set up I dia s fi st “po ts U i e sit

1.61 Houston University receives $ 2 mn commitment to support Tamil language

1.62 North East Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition inaugurated

1.63 I dia lau hes G ee C a ke s i its id to u ai pollutio

1.65 Rajnath Singh approves 4-fold increase in compensation to kin of martyrs

1.67 Glo al su it o “pi itualit fo U it , Pea e a d P ospe it held

1.68 I dia s fi st pla t to p odu e diesel f o plasti aste

1.69 Kochi to host National health informatics meet in 2020

1.70 Diahann Carroll passes away in Los Angeles

1.72 Wildlife week celebrated from 2nd - 8th October, 2019

1.73 Tripura gets its first ever SEZ

1.74 India, Bangladesh sign MoU on coastal radar system

1.75 World Space Week : October 4 to 10

1.76 Golden Jubilee Edition of International Film Festival of India(IFFI)

1.80 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

1.81 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics

1.82 2018 and 2019 Nobel Prizes for Literature

1.84 Wipro completes acquisition of International TechneGroup

1.86 First Training Squadron at Mombasa, Kenya

1.87 Dr Harsh Vardhan launches eDantseva website and mobile application

1.91 October 6 : World Cerebral Palsy Day

• World Cerebral Palsy Day is observed every year on October 6th.

1.92 I dia s Vish u Na da to joi la gest e e A ti e peditio

1.93 Discovery of 20 new moons on Saturn

1.96 39th World Congress of Poets to take place in Bhubaneshwar