Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Daily Current Affairs 17 October 2018. These are important for the upcoming Indian Bank PO, IBPS PO and Clerk 2018 Exams.
Daily Current Affairs 17 October 2018 for Bank, SSC and Competitive Exams
Current Affairs related to India and states
Lady Irwin College, Ministry of Rural Development sign MoU for establishing ROSHN
- The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), under the Union Ministry of Rural Development signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lady Irwin College for establishing ROSHNI – Centre of Women Collectives led Social Action.
- ROSHNI is technically and financially supported by UNICEF India that also serves as a technical support unit at national level for DAY-NRLM and is embedded in the Department of Development Communication and Extension, Lady Irwin College, New Delhi.
- A model that brings the much needed focus on women’s nutrition and that demonstrates layering of of Food, Health, Nutrition and WASH (FHNW) interventions on DAY-NRLM platforms is Swabhimaan.
- Swabhimaan makes the last mile delivery of FHNW interventions, which has been considered a voluntary function for field mobilisers for too long.
- Launched in 2016, Swabhimaan is a collaborative initiative of DAY- NRLM and UNICEF India in five poorest DAY-NRLM resource blocks in four districts of three Indian states Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
West Bengal extends food security to more than 8.5 crore people
- The West Bengal government ensured food security to more than 8.5 crore people of the State under the ‘Khadya Sathi’ scheme.
- As per this scheme, people would get rice and wheat at Rs 2 per kg.
- The Khadya Sathi Scheme was launched on January 27, 2016.
- Special assistance is also being given to the people of Jangalmahal and Hill areas besides Aila-affected areas and farmers of Singur.
Government launches Swasth Bharat Yatra national campaign for food safety
- The Union Government launched national campaign ‘Swasth Bharat Yatra’ on occasion of World Food Day to sensitise people about eating safe food and be healthy.
- The campaign was launched in association with states and led by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
- Under it, pan-India cycle rally was organised to create consumer awareness about eating safe and nutritious food for becoming healthy and combating food adulteration.
- In this rally, about 7500 cyclists are participating in over 18,000 km travelling across six tracks through almost every state and UT over 100 days to propagate a powerful message ‘Eat Right India’.
- The cyclathon will culminate in the national capital on January 27, 2019.
Foreign tourists can now visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands without any restrictions
- Government allowed foreign tourists to visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands without any restrictions.
- In this regard, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has modified its earlier order which made it mandatory for foreign tourists to register with Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) within 24 hours of their arrival.
- The step was taken on suggestion made by Union Tourism Ministry to boost foreign tourist arrivals in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- This order follows earlier directive which allowed foreigners to visit 29 inhabited and 11 uninhabited islands in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which were prohibited as visitors under Foreigners (Restricted Area) Order, 1963, without any restrictions.
NITI Aayog launches guidelines for public-private partnership in treatment of NCDs
- NITI Aayog on October 17, 2018 launched the model guidelines for Public-Private partnership in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
- Under the guidelines, the private partner will invest in upgrading, building and deploying human resources. They will be responsible for operational management and service delivery.
- The model guidelines suggest that the state governments will provide the required physical space.
- They also suggest that the tariff structure for the services offered under the NCD care facility may be linked to the existing state and central government health insurance scheme.
- Further, in case a government health insurance scheme is introduced in a state after the adoption of CGHS tariff, the tariff rates would be revised in accordance with the newly introduced scheme in the state.
- Besides, all the services in the NCD care facility will be offered by a single entity, be it a trust, company and consortium under the PPP arrangement.
Health on GeM workshop organised
- The six-week long National Mission Series concluded with a workshop on Health on GeM in New Delhi.
- The workshop organised by Government eMarketplace (GeM), in partnership with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was aimed to sensitise vendors, suppliers and buyers from various parts of the country and different government agencies on the proven benefits of GeM.
- Presently, GeM records close to 15000 transactions for healthcare products which is about Rs 220 crore worth of business.
- Two panel discussions were held during the workshop. The first panel discussion focused on the challenges in transforming procurement of medical equipment, medical devices and drugs through GeM.
#MeToo movement: Union Minister MJ Akbar resigns from his post over sexual harassment charges
- Union Minister of State for External Affairs, MJ Akbar resigned from his post on October 17, 2018 over sexual harassment charges levelled against him by several women journalists in the wake of #MeToo movement.
- President Ram Nath Kovind accepted Akbar’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect.
- Akbar’s resignation came two days after he filed a criminal defamation complaint in a Delhi’s Patiala House Court against journalist Priya Ramani, who was the first to put #MeToo allegations against Akbar.
- Following Ramani’s complaint, as many as 20 women came out in support of Priya Ramani, accusing Akbar of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour when he worked as an Editor in ‘The Asian Age’ newspaper.
Current Affairs related to Finance
CVC suggests systemic improvements after analysing top 100 Bank Frauds
- The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) analysed top 100 Bank Frauds till 2017 in which it identified loop holes and suggests systemic improvements.
- The Vigilance Commissioner Dr T M Bhasin said, the study was done in 13 sectors comprising Gems and Jewellery, Manufacturing, Agro sector, Aviation, Service Sector, Trading sector, IT Sector, Exports sector, Fixed deposits and Demand Loan.
- With a view to maintain discreteness, the names of borrower accounts and the names of the Banks have not been disclosed in the report.
- However, steps are being taken for all encompassing actions such as investigation by the Premier investigative agencies, fixing staff accountability and recovery measures for effective action.
- The modus operandi of these loans has been thoroughly analysed and various loopholes have been identified.
Current Affairs related to Appointments
Nimesh Shah elected as AMFI Chairman
- Nimesh Shah, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, was elected as the Chairman of Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).
- Shah was elected as Chairman on October 12, 2018, replacing A Balasubramanian who took over as AMFI Chairman in October 2016.
Shekhar Mande appointed as Director-General of CSIR
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed Dr Shekhar Mande as the Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Research (DSIR).
- He will succeed Girish Sahni who superannuated in August 2018.
- Dr Mande, a structural biologist, is Director of National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune.
- He worked at Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad.
Current Affairs related to Awards & Honors
Irish Author Anna Burns wins Man Booker Prize 2018 for her novel ‘Milkman’
- Irish Author Anna Burns on October 16, 2018 won the Britain’s renowned Man Booker Prize 2018 for her third novel ‘Milkman’. Burns received the award from Prince Charles’ wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as 50000 pounds (USD 65900) as the prize money.
- With this, Burns became the first writer from Northern Ireland to win the Booker Prize. The previous Irish winners were John Banville, Anne Enright and Roddy Doyle. She is also the first woman to win the award since 2013, when Eleanor Catton took the award for ‘The Luminaries’.
Music composer Khayyam wins Hridaynath Award for Lifetime Achievement
- Veteran composer, lyricist, writer and national award winning music director Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, famously known as Khayya, was 2018 Hridaynath Award for Lifetime Achievement.
- The award will be conferred by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.
- This year, the award ceremony coincides with 81st birthday of Hridaynath Mangeshkar after whom award is named.
Current Affairs related to World
ESA to send spacecraft to Mercury in a first-of-its-kind mission
- In a first-of-its-kind mission, a UK-built spacecraft will set off for Mercury to determine whether the plant, which is the closest to the Sun, contains water.
- The European Space Agency’s (ESA) BepiColombo mission will send two orbiters to explore the planet where the surface temperatures reach about 450 degrees Celsius.
- Through the mission, the space agency hopes to get answers to the questions raised by the previous missions such as whether the planet holds water.
US announces fresh sanctions on Iran, targeting banks investment companies
- The United States Treasury announced fresh sanctions on Iran, targeting banks and investment companies.
- The new sanctions focused on Bank Mellat and Mehr Eqtesad Bank.
- The US is also imposing sanctions on Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company, Steel Company and others linked to investment, commodities and engineering.
- The announcement came two weeks before the US administration re-imposed some of the US’ severe sanctions against Iran, including its oil sector.
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