Latest Current Affairs – October 09 & 10 2018
1. Cyclone Titli hits Odisha at 150 kmph; flights, trains cancelled
Cyclone Titli has hit the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing heavy rains and winds at 140-150 kmph. The East Coast Railway zone stopped movement of all trains on the Chennai-Howrah section from Wednesday afternoon till further orders. Several flights to and from Bhubaneswar airport were also cancelled. The storm is expected to move towards West Bengal by afternoon.
2. AirAsia India names Tata Steel’s Sunil Bhaskaran as MD & CEO
AirAsia India, the joint venture between Tata Sons and Malaysia’s AirAsia Group, has named Tata Steel’s Sunil Bhaskaran as MD and CEO effective November 15. Bhaskaran is currently Vice President of Corporate Services at Tata Steel. Bhaskaran’s appointment comes at a time when the airline and some of its executives are being investigated by CBI for alleged corruption.
3. 16-yr-old Saurabh wins India’s 2nd shooting gold at Youth Olympics
Indian shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won the men’s 10m Air Pistol event to bag India’s second shooting and overall third gold medal at 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina’s Buenos Aires. The 16-year-old shot a total score of 244.2 to finish first. Saurabh had also won gold medals at Asian Games and Junior ISSF World Championship this year.
4. Passport, Voter ID must for Indians to visit Bhutan from 2019
From January 1 2019, Indian tourists travelling to Bhutan via road will need either a voter ID or a valid passport to enter the country, while the accompanying children can also travel with a birth certificate. Other documents such as driver’s licence or Aadhaar card won’t be accepted. Moreover, the visitors will now get entry permits instead of identification slips.
5. Tushar Mehta named Solicitor General of India till June 2020
The government has appointed senior advocate Tushar Mehta as the Solicitor General of India till June 2020. The post of the second-highest ranking law officer of the government had fallen vacant after Ranjit Kumar resigned on October 20, 2017. Mehta has been serving as the Additional Solicitor General since mid-2014, when the BJP-led government came to power at the Centre.
6. Lt Gen Asim Munir appointed Pakistan ISI chief
Lieutenant General Asim Munir has been appointed as the new chief of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. Munir, who previously served as the head of the Military Intelligence, was recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General by the Army Promotion Board. He replaces Naveed Mukhtar who assumed the office of the Inter-Services Intelligence chief in December 2016.
7. Japanese passport named world’s most powerful, India 81st
Japan’s passport has been named the most powerful in the world, overtaking Singapore, according to the Henley Passport Index. Having gained visa-free access to Myanmar earlier this month, Japanese citizens now have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations around the world. The Indian passport has secured the 81st rank with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 60 destinations.
8. Shooter Manu Bhaker 1st Indian woman to win gold at Youth Olympics
Sixteen-year-old shooter Manu Bhaker has become the first-ever Indian woman to win gold at Youth Olympics. Bhaker achieved the feat after winning the women’s 10m Air Pistol event with a score of 236.5 at 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina’s Buenos Aires. Notably, weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga became the first-ever Indian to bag Youth Olympics.
9. Odisha launches 2018 Hockey WC official mascot at Puri beach
The Department of Sports and Youth Services and the Odisha government on Tuesday launched ‘Olly’, the official mascot of the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup at the Puri beach. The mascot was seen riding a scooter jet boat at the beach. The mascot aims to raise awareness about the conservation of the Olive Ridley turtle.
10. NSA Ajit Doval to replace Cabinet Secretary as SPG head
The PM Narendra Modi government has decided National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will replace Cabinet Secretary as the head of the Strategic Policy Group (SPG). First notified in 1999 to assist the National Security Council (NSC), the SPG, which was a 16-member body, will now be an 18-member body. The Cabinet Secretary and NITI Aayog Vice Chairman are SPG members.
11. World Post Day is celebrated on October 9
This day commemorates the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland. This day creates awareness about the role of the postal sector in the everyday activities of people its contribution to social and economic development. On this day, several countries introduce or promote new postal products and services.
12. Ruhan Rajput bags Midday Young Achiever Icons Award 2018
Ruhan Rajput was awarded in the film and television category for his work in the industry in a short period of time. He was presented the award by Ms. Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
He is the director of “Einfolge”, a company that deals with patents, trademarks, etc. He is also the owner of “Gloss Skin and Hair Clinic”.
13. Nepal bags tourism awards at 14th Annual Travel Awards ceremony held in New Delhi
The 14th Hospitality India and Explore the World Annual International Travel Awards 2018 held in New Delhi. The award ceremony was organized to honor the best-in-class in the field of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Sector in India and Nepal. The Chandragiri Hills Limited of Nepal got the best tourism destination of Nepal award in the hospitality and tourism sector.
14. Vikram Malhotra won Texas Open Squash Championship
India’s Squash player, Vikram Malhotra triumphed in the Texas Open Squash Championship, Houston, the U.S. This is his eighth Professional Squash Association (PSA) title of Vikram Malhotra’s career. He defeated Daniel Mekbeb of Czech Republic over five games 11-6, 2-11, 5-11, 15-13, 11-1. Last week, Vikram had won a PSA Challenger event in Canada.
15. Arunachal Pradesh launches two agri schemes
Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Dr.Mohesh Chai launched Chief Minister’s Sashakt Kisan Yojana (CMSKY) and the Chief Minister’s Krishi Samuh Yojana (CMKSY) schemes. The schemes are to support the farmers to increase production and their income. The schemes are to fulfil the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to double farmer’s income by 2022.
16. Indian Railways signed agreements with Government of Russian Federation
The MoC intends to carry forward the activities taken up under the MoU signed between the two countries on 24th December 2015. A MoU was signed between Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Transport of Russian Federation for development of cooperation in transport education.
17. Jharkhand, the partner state at Goa International Film Festival 2018.
Jharkhand announced to be the partner state in Goa International Film Festival 2018 which will be held on 20th to 28th of November, 2018. The decision was taken in meeting between Secretary of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Amit Khare and Chief Secretary of Jharkhand, Sudhir Tripathy at Ranchi.
18. IMF estimates growth rate of India as 7.3 percent this year
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) said that India has been estimated to grow at 7.3% in 2018 and 7.4% in 2019. This is to regain the tag of the world’s fastest-growing major economy 2018, surpassing China with more than 0.7% points. In 2017, India had clocked a 6.7% growth rate.
In India, important reforms like the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the inflation-targeting framework, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, and steps to liberalise foreign investment and make it easier to do business have been implemented in the recent years.
19. Google to shut down Google+ for consumers over the security lapse
After a bug exposed the personal data of up to 5 lakh users, Google stated that it discovered and immediately patched” the bug in March 2018 but found “no evidence” that any data was actually misused. Google company reportedly disclose the security breach because it feared regulation. According to Google, Google+ currently has “low usage and engagement” and that 90 percent of Google+ user sessions last less than 5 seconds.
20. Pakistan Test-Fires Nuclear-Capable Ghauri Ballistic Missile
The country successfully test-fired Ghauri ballistic missile capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads up to a distance of 1,300 kilometers. The launch was conducted by Army Strategic Forces Command and was aimed at testing the operational and technical readiness.
