Current Affairs Update – 10-11 Oct, 2014

• ·        
  India is projected to grow at 6.4 percent in
  2015 with industrial production and other indicators turning around thanks to
  stronger business confidence since the parliamentary elections, according to
  the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• ·        
  “India’s growth outlook has improved since
  the last national election, helped by lower uncertainty and improved business
  confidence,” the 188-nation watchdog of global economic health said in its
  October 2014 Update of Asia and Pacific Economic Outlook.
• ·        
  Despite a weaker-than-expected first half of
  the year, the outlook for the region remains solid, it said with GDP forecast
  to grow by 5.5 percent for the third consecutive year in 2014, rising slightly
  to 5.6 percent in 2015.
• ·        
  “In India, growth (based on GDP at factor
  cost) has gathered steam as industrial production and other high-frequency
  indicators have started to turn around on the back of stronger business
  confidence” since the last national elections, IMF said.

• ·        
  India and United Kingdom today launched the
  UK-India Financial Partnership to strengthen links between the financial
  services industries of the two nations.
• ·        
  “The Partnership will strengthen links
  between the financial services industries of both countries and deepen
  cooperation between London and Mumbai, two of the world’s leading financial
  centres,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
• ·        
  The partnership will initially focus on the
  collaboration to develop the corporate bond market, mutual sharing of expertise
  on banking regulation and capitalisation.
• ·        
  It will also focus on enhancing financial
  training and qualification, financial inclusion and developing programme around
  the opportunities to improve cross border provision of financial and insurance
  services.
• ·        
  Both the industry leaders will convene
  working groups of professionals to examine key areas of common interest and
  will report the progress and make recommendations to the Minister of Finance,
  India and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, UK ahead of the next UK-India
  Economic and Financial Dialogue in 2015.
• ·        
  It may be recalled that at the seventh
  UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue held in Delhi on July 8, 2014, Finance
  Minister Arun Jaitley and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne had
  welcomed the deepening of financial services links between the two countries.

• ·        
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)
  on the birth anniversary of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan on 11 October 2014.
  SAGY will be implemented under the overall supervision of Union Ministry of
  Rural Development.
• ·        
  The programme is an ambitious village development project under which
  each Member of Parliament will take the responsibility for developing physical
  and institutional infrastructure in three villages by 2019.
• ·        
  The primary goal is to develop three Adarsh Grams or model villages by
  March 2019, of which one would be achieved by 2016. Thereafter, five such
  Adarsh Grams (one per year) will be selected and developed by 2024.

• ·        
  To trigger processes which lead to holistic development of the
  identified Gram Panchayats
• ·        
  To substantially improve the standard of living and quality of life of
  all sections of the population through: a) Improved basic amenities; b) Higher
  productivity; c) Enhanced human development; d) Better livelihood
  opportunities; e) Reduced disparities; f) Access to rights and entitlements; g)
  Wider social mobilization; and h) Enriched social capital
• ·        
  To generate models of local level development and effective local
  governance which can motivate and inspire neighbouring Gram Panchayats to learn
  and adapt
• ·        
  To nurture the identified Adarsh Grams as schools of local development
  to train other Gram Panchayats

• ·        
  Google Doodle on October 10, 2014 paid tribute to ‘Malgudi Days’ creator
  R. K. Narayan on his 108th birthday.
• ·        
  “Who’s the man behind the book on our doodle in India? It’s Malgudi’s
  native son, famed Indian writer RK Narayan. Narayan is a well known pioneer of
  early Indian literature and set most of his stories in the fictional town of
  Malgudi. Happy 108th birthday to RK Narayan,” it said on its Google Doodle
  page.
• ·        
  R.K. Narayan is best known for his works set in the fictional South
  Indian town of Malgudi. Some of his other creations include Swami and Friends,
  The Bachelor of Arts and The English Teacher.

• ·        
  Renowned Bharatnatyam danseuse Leela Samson has resigned as chairperson
  of Sangeet Natak Akademi.
• ·        
  Minister of State for Culture Shripad Yesso Naik was quoted by Press
  Trust of India saying that her resignation, which was received on September 30,
  has been accepted.
• ·        
  Senior Ministry bureaucrats and Ms. Samson, who has a year of her tenure
  left, were tight-lipped although sources confirmed the development.
• ·        
  Ms. Samson, who was earlier Director of Kalakshetra Foundation in
  Chennai, continues as the chairperson of the Central Board of Film
  Certification although she has completed the three-year term. In 2012, the
  order of reinstatement of Ms. Samson as Kalakshetra Foundation Director was set
  aside by the Madras High Court.
• ·        
  Interestingly, the terms of several members of the executive board of
  the Sangeet Natak Akademi have also expired and once Ms. Samson formally moves
  out, no major decisions can be taken until a new leadership is put in place.
  The Akademi is an autonomous body fully funded by the Ministry of Culture.

• ·        
  As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to visit Australia next month,
  the first Gujarati film, “Bey Yaar” (Two Friends), was released on Thursday in
  three cities of Australia.
• ·        
  The film, already a blockbuster in Gujarat, was released in Sydney,
  Melbourne and Brisbane. “All the theatres where it is being screened saw a
  heavy rush of viewers,” according to a release here on Friday.
• ·        
  The latest flick has been directed by Abhishek Jain, whose first film
  “Kevi Reete Jaeesh” (How Would I Go?), depicting the Gujaratis’ desire to visit
  the USA, was also a big hit.
• ·        
  In fact, “Bey Yaar” has been well received in various Indian towns and
  cities as well, particularly by the Gujaratis settled there. It has got rave
  views across the Gujarati media and even non-Gujarati critics and filmmakers
  have hailed its cinematic values and direction.
• ·        
  Impressed by it, Bollywood’s veteran film director, producer and
  screenwriter Subhash Ghai has also expressed his wish to produce a Gujarati
  movie, the release said, adding  Abhishek
  Jain has received offers for remake of “Bey Yaar” in other languages.

• ·        
  India and Russia discussed cooperation in a number of areas including
  setting up of joint ventures in sectors such as civil aviation,
  pharmaceuticals, automobiles and fertilisers in a meeting of the working group
  on modernisation and industrial cooperation on Friday.
• ·        
  With Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled to visit India in
  December, the two sides also reviewed progress in the priority investment
  projects identified in earlier meetings and do some ground-work for the visit,
  a Commerce Ministry official told BusinessLine.
• ·        
  The Russian side, led by First Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade
  Nikitin Gleb, included representatives from a number of Russian companies with
  business interests in India such as Kamaz Motorz Ltd, GAZ Group, REP and
  Uralmashzavod.

• ·        
  India’s new health policy which calls for recognition of mental
  disorders and a more accessible and holistic treatment of mental illnesses also
  pushes for decriminalisation of attempted suicide.
• ·        
  Released on the occasion of World Mental Health Day on Friday, the
  policy takes a fresh look at the health services being offered for mental
  illnesses, lays down the guidelines for mental health care, and recommends
  changes in the law that criminalises suicide, now considered a major cause of
  death among people with a mental illness.
• ·        
  Releasing the policy, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said: “The
  Indian Lunatic Asylum Act, 1858, and Indian Lunacy Act, 1912, ignored the human
  rights aspect and were concerned only with custodial issues. After
  Independence, it took 31 years for India to attempt the first enactment, which
  resulted another nine years later in the Mental Health Act, 1987. But due to
  many defects, the Act never came into force.”
• ·        
  Advocating a change in attitude towards mental illnesses, he said: “When
  someone attempts suicide and fails, it is considered a crime; attempted suicides
  should be decriminalised.”
• ·        
  The new policy is backed up by the “Mental Health Action Plan 365” which
  spells out specific roles for the Centre, States, local bodies and civil
  society organisations.

• ·        
  An Indo-Pak and Hindu-Muslim combination of Kailash Satyarthi and Malala
  Yousafzai today shared the Nobel Peace Prize honours for 2014 for their work on
  promoting child rights in the troubled sub-continent.
• ·        
  60-year-old Satyarthi, who runs an NGO in India that has been in the
  forefront of rescuing children from forced labour and trafficking, and
  17-year-old Malala, who shot to the limelight after Taliban militants pumped
  bullets into her for advocating education for girls, were named by the Nobel
  Peace Prize Committee for the top global award this year.
• ·        
  “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize
  for 2014 is to be awarded to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai for their
  struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the
  rights of all children to education,” the jury said.
• ·        
  Satyarthi, who runs NGO Bachpan Bachao Aandolan (Save Childhood
  Movement), has maintained the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and headed various
  forms of peaceful protests, “focusing on the grave exploitation of children for
  financial gain,” the Nobel committee said.
• ·        
  The Committee said it “regards it as an important point for a Hindu and
  a Muslim, an Indian and a Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education
  and against extremism.”
• ·        
  Malala, who was nominated in the peace prize category last year also,
  had displayed tremendous courage even after the Taliban attack when she
  resolutely expressed her determination to carry on with her campiagn for child
  rights and girls education especially in a country like Pakistan.
• ·        
  She has become the youngest Nobel laureate.
• ·        
  Satyarthi, the second Indian after Mother Teresa to be named for the
  peace prize, and Malala join a select league of eminent international
  personalities who have shared the Nobel Peace Prize for their outstanding work
  in furthering world peace and in other fields.

• ·        
  The United Nations owes India USD 110 million, the second highest
  outstanding payment to any country, for costs relating to peacekeeping
  operations and troops, a top UN official said.
• ·        
  India, one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN
  peacekeeping missions, owed the money for troops/formed police,
  contingent-owned equipment and consumables letters of assist, deaths and
  disability.
• ·        
  UN Under Secretary General for Management Yukio Takasu told a news
  agency that as of October 3 this year, a total of USD 110 million was owed to
  India but the organisation is expected to begin making payments over the next
  two days to countries, including to those contribute troops and other personnel
  to peacekeeping missions.
• ·        
  The UN hopes to reduce by half its outstanding payments to member
  nations for various expenses by the end of the year.
• ·        
  Takasu acknowledged India’s large contributions to UN peacekeeping and
  said the amount owed to the country was among the highest that the world body
  owes to nations.
• ·        
  Apart from India, Ethiopia was owed the largest amount at USD 137
  million, Pakistan at USD 109 million and Bangladesh at USD 108 million.

• ·        
  International edition of Encyclopedia of Hinduism by India Heritage
  Research Foundation was released in New Delhi on 10 October 2014. The
  encyclopedia was released by Vice-President of India Hamid Ansari. It consists
  of 11-volumes and approximately 7000 entries.
• ·        
  The aim of Encyclopedia is to show the richness of ancient India and
  timelessness of Hindu culture and heritage to the entire world, in a way that
  is authentic, academic, comprehensive and illuminating.
• ·        
  The entries of the Encyclopedia are conveniently prepared under the
  following areas, viz., art, Hinduism in global context, Women’s issues,
  scholarships in Hindu studies, Spiritual disciplines, social institutions &
  movements, sciences, religion & spirituality, polity, philosophy, language
  & literature, history, historiography & geography.
• ·        
  Subject Areas of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism are presented lucidly and
  authentically covers the vast panorama of Hinduism, giving a faithful record of
  the world’s oldest living spiritual tradition.
• ·        
  The project is founded, guided, inspired and led by spiritual leaders,
  Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswat and it is a colossal product of more than 1000
  esteemed scholars from around the world.

• ·        
  A book titled A Man and A Motorcycle, How Hamid Karzai Came to Power
  written by Bette Dam was launched in September 2014. Bette Dam is a Dutch
  journalist based in Afghanistan.
• ·        
  The book reveals about the life of former Afghanistan President Hamid
  Karzai and his journey towards the highest office of the land and the situation
  in Afghanistan.
• ·        
  In the book, Dam writes that Karzai was under a lot of pressure from the
  west as well as key domestic players; however, he was more in touch with the
  internal figures than the west.

• ·        
  Government Girls Senior Secondary (GGSS)
  School of Hisar, Haryana on 10 October 2014 won the Under-17 title of the 55th
  Subroto Cup football tournament.
• ·        
  In the final held at Ambedkar Stadium in New
  Delhi, it defeated Assam’s Kiyang Kasiya Memorial Tribal School 3-0.
• ·        
  With this win, GGSS School claimed the purse
  of 3.5 lakh rupees while the Kiyang Kasiya Memorial Tribal School claimed 2
  lakh rupees.
• ·        
  Haryana girls won the tournament on their
  very first debut and remained the only team not to have conceded a goal in the
  competition.
• ·        
  The coach of the GGSS School was Ashwini Kumar
  and the Best player of the tournament went to Renu of GGSS School who topped
  the goal chart with 12 goals.
• ·        
  In the year 2013, the U-17 title 54th Subroto
  Cup was won by RMSM Vidyalaya, Nambol Phoijing, Bishnupur,Nambol, Manipur.

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