Important Daily Current Affairs Updates – 17th October 2017Â
Dear Readers, Daily Current Affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Read Current Affairs Today here and stay updated with current news. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this and try Current Affairs Quiz to test your knowledge level.
IMPORTANT DAY
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: 17th October:
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) is observed globally on 17 October. The theme of this year’s IDEP is ‘Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies’. This year’s celebration also marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration of the day by the UN General Assembly, which had adopted the resolution on 22 December 1992.
2nd Ayurveda Day: 17 October:
This year’s 2nd Ayurveda Day is celebrated on 17 October in New Delhi by the Ministry of AYUSH. PM Modi will be the Chief Guest and will also inaugurate the country’s first All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi. The All India Institute of Ayurveda, set up on a total area of 10.015 acres on a budget of Rs 157 crore, is the first medical institute under the AYUSH ministry to hold the coveted National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation.
STATE
PM Modi Inaugurates 1st ever All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi, on the occasion of the 2nd Ayurveda Day. It is the first institute under the Ministry of AYUSH with a National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation. The institute will have separate Yoga, Panchakarma, and Kriya Kalpa units, among others.
Useful Info
Minister of AYUSH – Shripad Yasso Naik
Constituency – North Goa
NATIONAL
Mahindra Launches ‘Prerna’ Project for Women Farmers:
Mahindra & Mahindra has launched a program, Prerna, to empower women working in the agriculture sector by promoting efficient and ergonomic farm tools and equipment. The project will be initially launched in the state of Odisha, with the intention to positively impact the lives of over 1,500 families across 30-plus villages. The first project under Prerna is a collaboration between Mahindra & Mahindra, the Central Institution for Women in Agriculture (CIWA), a department of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Hema Malini’s Biography ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl’ Launched:
Actress Deepika Padukone launched Hema Malini’s biography ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl’ on the occasion of Hema’s 69th birthday. The biography has been penned by journalist turned writer Ram Kamal Mukherjee and also contains a short foreword written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
INTERNATIONAL
Varun Dhawan Youngest Indian Actor to get Statue at Tussauds:
Actor Varun Dhawan will get a wax statue at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, making him the youngest Indian actor to have his statue at the museum. Varun Dhawan had made his acting debut with 2012 romantic comedy Student of the Year and since then, his success rate is 100 percent with all the movies like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya, Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya and the recent Judwaa 2 entering Rs 100 crore or Rs 200 crore clubs.
Useful Info
Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, part of the renowned chain of wax museums founded by Marie Tussaud of France.
BANKING & ECONOMY
Moody’s Affirms Rating on SBI’s Bond Programs:
Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed ratings on domestic as well as foreign currency bond programs of the country’s largest lender SBI. Moody’s has affirmed the Baa3 rating on the bank’s senior unsecured debt (issued via its London branch) and (P)Baa3 rating on its senior unsecured medium-term note (MTN) program. Baa3 denotes the lowest rating in investment grade on long-term corporate obligation, which carries moderate risks.
Useful Info
SBI – State Bank of India
Headquarters of SBI – Mumbai
Chairman of SBI – Rajnish Kumar
Yes Bank Commits Rs 156 cr for Namami Gange Project:
Private sector Yes Bank has committed Rs 156 crore to fund first Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) to be constructed at Varanasi under Hybrid Annuity-PPP Model. The bank has signed a deal with Essel Infraprojects for the financial closure of Rs 156 crore that will fund the STP under Namami Gange Project.
Useful Info
Yes Bank Headquarters – Mumbai
CEO of Yes Bank – Rana Kapoor
IBM Launches Blockchain Banking Network to Speed Cross-border Payments:
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has announced the launch of IBM Blockchain, a new blockchain banking solution, that will help financial institutions for cross-border payments. In the first international payments network of its kind, IBM has partnered with regional financial services company KlickEx Group and Stellar.org, a nonprofit organization that supports an open source blockchain network for financial services.
Yes Bank Partners with Abu Dhabi Global Markets for Collaboration on Fintech:
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, and Yes Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding to further foster cross-border exchange between the fintech ecosystems of the United Arab Emirates and India. The collaboration will enable fintech innovators from the Middle East region and India to apply into Yes FinTech programmes and the ADGM’s Regulatory Laboratory and will get the opportunity to expand into each other’s markets.
Useful Info
Country – United Arab Emirates
Capital – Abu Dhabi
Currency – United Arab Emirates dirham
Abu Dhabi Global Market is an international financial centre located on Al Maryah Island in the heart of the UAE’s capital city, Abu Dhabi.
Union Bank launches bilingual Android App:
Union Bank of India has launched an Android app, Union Sahyog, as part of its drive to digitise customer-facing banking services. The Union Sahyog app is bilingual — offering both English and Hindi language — and packs in all mobile-based banking applications, missed call/SMS-based services, Internet banking login and self-user creation, deposit and loan product information, online account opening, online loan application, online complaints and even RTI. It also offers extras such as branch locator, EMI calculator, social media links and digital banking information.
Useful Info
Union Bank of India Headquarters – Mumbai
MD & CEO of Union Bank of India – Rajkiran G Rai
AGREEMENT
Myntra, Textile Ministry Tie-up to Promote Handloom Industry:
E-commerce major Myntra launched its CSR initiative in association with the Union Textile Ministry, to work directly with weavers and elevate their economic stature. With an initiative to uplift the handloom products in India, the company (Myntra) is committing itself along with some of its partner brands to bring artisans and their products online, providing them access to new customers and opportunities. These products will retail on Myntra via a dedicated online store, thereby creating a one-stop shop for all handloom products.
Useful Info
Union Minister for Textiles – Smriti Zubin Irani
Constituency – Gujarat, Rajya Sabha
Flipkart is the Parent Organization of Myntra.
NIIF Inks Pact Worth $1 billion with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority:
The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India has signed an investment agreement worth $1 billion with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). The government has set up NIIF with the aim to attract investments from both domestic and international sources for infrastructure development in commercially viable projects. As part of the comprehensive partnership agreement, ADIA will become the first institutional investor in NIIF’s Master Fund and a shareholder in National Investment and Infrastructure Limited, the NIIF’s investment management company.
Useful Info
CEO of NIIF (National Investment and Infrastructure Fund) – Sujoy Bose
AWARD
Eminent Poet Prabha Varma Chosen for Padma Prabha Puraskaram:
Eminent poet, lyricist and journalist Prabha Varma has been selected for the Padma Prabha Puraskaram for 2017. The announcement was made by the chairman-cum-managing director of ‘Mathrubhumi’ daily, M P Veerendra Kumar. A jury headed by ace novelist M Mukundan chose Varma for the prestigious award, considering his contribution to Malayalam literature. The award, carrying a cash prize of Rs 75,000, a plaque and a citation, was instituted by the Padma Prabha Memorial Trust.
SPORT
Meet Kavita Devi, India’s First Woman Wrestler to Sign for WWE:
Kavita Devi, a former competitive powerlifter, has become the first ever Indian woman to be signed by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Jinder Mahal, the current WWE champion, confirmed the news in a special visit to New Delhi. Hailing from Haryana, Kavita underwent training to be a professional wrestler under the guidance of The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) at his Punjab based wrestling promotion and training academy. She also won a gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games.
Useful Info
Kavita Devi also has the distinction of being the first Indian woman to compete in a WWE ring, as she was a featured participant in the Mae Young Classic women’s tournament.
Legendary Brazilian Sailor Robert Scheidt Retires from Olympics:
Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004 gold medal-winning sailor Robert Scheidt (44 years old) has announced his retirement from Olympic competition, ending a career that spanned a quarter of a century. He would continue to participate in non-Olympic events and support Brazil’s elite sailors as they prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Games. Scheidt won Olympic gold in the laser class in 1996 and 2004 while also claiming silver at the Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 Games.
Useful Info
Robert Scheidt claimed bronze in London in 2012 and finished fourth in Rio 2016.
Maria Sharapova Wins Tianjin Open, Claims First Title Since Drugs Ban:
Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova was made to fight by 102nd-ranked teenager Aryna Sabalenka at the Tianjin Open before winning her first title since her 15-month doping ban. The former world number one, who returned to action in April, came from behind in both sets and needed four championship points in the tie-breaker before beating the 19-year-old 7-5, 7-6 (10/8).
Useful Info
Maria Sharapova is a Russian professional tennis player
OBITUARY
Shamsher Khan, India’s First Olympic Swimmer Passes Away:
India’s first Olympic swimmer Shamsher Khan passed away in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district. He was 87. Mr. Khan had represented India in 1956 Melbourne Olympics. He was the first swimmer to represent India in Olympics. He narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth in 200-meter butterfly and breaststroke events in Melbourne Games. Khan, who created a national record in the butterfly event, had learned swimming after joining the Army in 1946.
Useful Info
Shamsher Khan took part in the 1962 war against China and the 1971 war against Pakistan.
Click Here for More Current Affairs Updates – IBPS RRB PO/Clerk Mains 2017
