Daily Current Affairs 27th October, 2017

Daily Current Affairs 27 October 2017 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

India hosted First Meeting of BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicine

Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India hosted First Meeting of BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicine on 24-25 October, 2017 at Parvasi Bhartiya Kendra, New Delhi.

India being a major stake holder in the field of Traditional Medicine plays an important role in influencing the policies and strategies related to the Traditional Medicine in the BIMSTEC Forum.

Rajasthan passes bill increasing OBC quota to 26%

The Rajasthan Assembly has passed a bill which increased reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) from 21 per cent to 26 per cent. The community includes Gujjars and four other castes. The reservation in Rajasthan now stands at 54 per cent defying the set ceiling of 50 per cent by the Supreme Court.

• The Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointment and Posts in Services under the State) Bill, 2017, seeks to provide 5 per cent reservation to Banjara, Baldiya, Labana; Gadiya Lohar, Gadoliya; Gujar, Gurjar; Raika, Rebari, Debasi and Gadariya, Gadri, Gayari.

Assam: Portal launched to provide data to people on govt projects

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched a web portal ‘Assam Darpan’ where details of government schemes and projects would be available to the people. This portal would also help in measuring the outcome and impact of the schemes for taking appropriate and timely decisions.

Arunachal CM Khandu inaugurates Tawang festival

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu declared open the fifth edition of Tawang festival at the frontier monastery town close to India-China border. School children released hundreds of balloons in air to mark the beginning of the 4-day festivity.  

India, US to implement HOSTAC to strengthen maritime security

To strengthen maritime security, India and the United States have agreed to implement the programme for Helicopter Operations from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers (HOSTAC).

Ichthyosaur fossil discovered for first time in India

Scientists in India have discovered a 152 million-year-old fossil of an ichthyosaur – an extinct marine reptile – in the western state of Gujarat. This is the first time an ichthyosaur fossil has been discovered in India.

• The fossil was found inside rocks from the Mesozoic Era, which ran between 252 and 66 million years ago, in the Kutch desert.

India to assist Sri Lanka in construction of 1,200 houses

Sri Lanka and India signed two agreements for construction of 1,200 houses through 50 model villages in the island nation, using Indian grant assistance of 600 million rupees.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Burundi becomes first country to leave International Criminal Court

Burundi is all set to become the first country to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Last year, in October 27, the East African nation presented its letter of intent to former Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon to begin with the one year withdrawal process.

Saudi Arabia grants citizenship to a robot for the first time ever

Saudi Arabia has become the first country to give a robot citizenship. The move is an attempt to promote Saudi Arabia as a place to develop artificial intelligence – and, presumably, allow it to become a full citizen. 

• The robot, named Sophia, was confirmed as a Saudi citizen during a business event in Riyadh, according to an official Saudi press release.

World’s First Smart Train Begins Test Run in China

The world’s first track-less trains have begun the test runs in China. China had unveiled the train that runs on “virtual tracks” in the city of Zhuzhou and the rail system successfully began the test runs in the Chinese city.

• Promoted as the ‘World’s First smart train,’ the vehicle operates on virtual rail lines and could travel as quickly as 70 kmh. The smart train is called Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) and was created to cope with the urban traffic problems.

14th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation in Law Conference begins in Colombo

The 14th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation in Law (SAARCLAW) conference along with the 11th SAARC Chief Justices Conference was inaugurated in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 27th October.

• The conference provides a platform for legal professionals to meet and discuss issues of mutual interests and emerging legal trends in the South Asian countries.

Come 2019, the kilogram will get a new measure

In 2019, the kilogram will get more accurate. For 125 years, a salt-shaker-sized cylinder housed at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), Paris and weighing exactly a kilogram served as the definition of the measure.

• The International Conference of heads of Metrology Institutes held in Sevres, France has decided that the measure of kilogram will no longer be pegged to cylinder. From 2019 onwards, it will be set by value of Planck constant in combination with definitions of meter and second.

ECONOMY

ADB to give $65.5 mn loan to Karnataka

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Indian government have signed a $65.5 million loan agreement to continue interventions to check coastal erosion on the western coast in Karnataka.

• The loan is the second tranche of a $250 million financing facility under the Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Investment Programme.

Government retains General Provident Fund interest rate at 7.8% for Oct-Dec

The Government of India has announced that during the financial year 2017-18, accumulations at the credit of subscribers to the GPF and other similar funds shall carry interest at the rate of 7.8% with effect from October 1 to December 31, 2017

• It retained the interest rate for general provident fund (GPF) and other related schemes, in line with that for public provident fund (PPF).

SPORTS

Puducherry granted BCCI associate membership

The next cricket season will witness the debut of Puducherry in the domestic circuit after the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) acceded to BCCI’s proposal of granting associate membership to the Union Territory.

• With three different parties claiming to be representatives from Puducherry, the CoA decided the matter in favour of the Cricket Association of Puducherry (CAP).

BOOK LAUNCH

DM Releases Coffee Table Book on Department of Defence Production

Defence Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman released a coffee table book on the Department of Defence Production (DDP), titled ‘A journey towards self-reliance’. The first ever coffee table book on the department, it chronicles the post-independence years of development, indigenisation and production of arms, ammunition and defence equipment, with a view to achieve self-reliance for the Armed Forces of India.

OBITUARY

Noted Malayalam writer Punathil Kunjabdulla passes away

Hugely popular writer and novelist Punathil Kunjabdulla, has passed away. He was a medical doctor by profession.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage: 27 October

The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage takes place every 27 October. This commemorative day was chosen by UNESCO in 2005 to raise of awareness of the significance of and preservation risks recorded sound and audiovisual documents (films, sound and video recordings, radio and television programmes).

• The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2017 Theme: “Discover, remember and share”. 

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