Page 1 of 11

MONTHLE
OCTOBER 2017

Head Office: 127, Second Floor Zone II, MP Nagar, Bhopal |+91-755-4057435|www.legaledge.in Page 1 of 11
Page 2 of 11
Current Affairs Timeline
APPOINTMENTS, REMOVALS
AND RESIGNATIONS
The Union Government has appointed former
Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief Dineshwar Sharma
as its Representative (or special interlocutor) to
initiate and carry forward sustained dialogue on
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) with all stakeholders.
Sunny Verghese, co-founder and Group CEO of
Singapore-based Olam International was
appointed as the new chairman of World Business
Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
With this, he becomes first ever Asian CEO to be
appointed as Chair in the organisation’s 25 years of
history.
Former French Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay
(45) was elected as new Director General of
UNESCO – the UN’s education, science and culture
agency. With this, she b6ecomes first Jewish
Director of UNESCO.
Veteran actor Anupam Kher (62) was appointed as
new Chairman of the Film and Television Institute
of India (FTII) in Pune. He will succeed Gajendra
Chauhan whose tenure ended in March 2017.
Former US Assistant Secretary of State for South
and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal was
appointed as President of US-India Business
Council (USIBC).
Jagdish Mukhi was sworn in as new Governor of
Assam. He was administered oath of office by
Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajit Singh. Mr.
Mukhi succeeded Banwarilal Purohit who has been
appointed as the Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Banwarilal Purohit was sworn in as 25th Governor
of Tamil Nadu. He was administered oath of office
and secrecy by Madras High Court Chief Justice
Indira Banerjee. He was transferred from post of
Governor of Assam by President Ram Nath
Kovind.
Ganga Prasad was sworn in as the 17th Governor
of Meghalaya. He was administered oath of office
and secrecy by Chief Justice of Meghalaya High
Court Justice Dinesh Maheshwari. He succeeds B
Purohit who was given additional charge as
governor of Meghalaya, a temporary appointment
after V Shanmuganathan had resigned.
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
(ACC) has appointed Rajnish Kumar (59) as the
new chairman of State Bank of India (SBI). His
name was recommended by Vinod Rai-led Bank
Board Bureau. Rajnish Kumar will be 25th
chairman of the country’s largest lender and
succeeds Arundhati Bhattacharya who retired from
the service.
Satya Pal Malik (71) was sworn-in as 35th Governor
of Bihar. He was administered oath to office by
Chief Justice of Patna High Court Rajendra Menon.
He succeeds West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath
Tripathi who was holding additional charge of
Bihar after the elevation of Ram Nath Kovind as
President.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has
appointed Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (58) as one of
two deputy directors general. Dr Swaminathan will
replace Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah from Ghana, who
joined WHO as senior policy adviser to director-
general.
NATIONAL NEWS
The Union Government has made use of Public
Finance Management System (PFMS) mandatory
for all central schemes to ensure that benefits of
government schemes reach the last mile. It will help
monitor the flow of funds to beneficiaries of
different government welfare schemes.
The first phase of national optic fibre network
christened as Bharat Net project will be completed
by December 2017, thus providing internet access
to 100,000 gram panchayats. It was announced in ‘i-
Bharat 2017’ conference organised by industry
body FICCI in association with Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology based on
theme of ‘ICT Elucidations for Unserved and
Unsolved’.
The First International Consumer Protection
Conference on empowering consumers in new
markets for South, South East and East Asian
Countries was held in New Delhi from 26 to 27
October 2017. The theme of the conference was
“Empowering Consumers in New Markets”. It was
inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Page 3 of 11
The Rajasthan Assembly passed Backward Classes
(Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in
State and of Appointment and Posts in Services
under State) Bill, 2017 by voice vote The bill seeks
to provide 5% reservation to Gujjars and four other
nomadic communities viz. Banjara, Gadia-Lohar,
Raika and Gadariya in state government jobs and
educational institutions as Other Backward Classes
(OBCs).
Indian Railway’s first set of solar plants with total
capacity of 5 megawatt peak (MWp) was launched
on roof tops of Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi,
Anand Vihar and Delhi railway stations by
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched
Start-up Sangam initiative to develop new business
models, marketing plans, technology and
innovations in heavy oil and gas industry sector by
supporting 30 start-ups.
India’s passport was ranked 75th among 94
countries in recently released Global Passport
Power Rank 2017. India was ranked three notches
better than its previous ranking. According to this
index, Singapore has world’s most powerful
passport, making it first Asian country to top it.
The first-ever meeting of BIMSTEC Task Force on
Traditional Medicine (BITFM) was held at Parvasi
Bhartiya Kendra in New Delhi. It was organized by
Union Ministry of AYUSH.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has
decided to develop Integrity Index of 25
Government Organizations in line with its broader
strategy and emphasis on preventive vigilance. The
index will be for bench-marking internal processes
and controls within organisation as well as
management of relationships and expectations of
outside stakeholders.
The Union Government has announced to build
83,677km of roads, highways, greenfield
expressways and bridges with investment of
Rs.6.92 lakh core in next five years i.e. by 2022 to
further optimise efficiency of movement of goods
and people across the country. It also includes first
phase of new umbrella programme BharatMala
Pariyojana that involves construction of 34,800 km
highways by 2022.
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
Ministries of Power and Textiles have joined hands
under SAATHI (Sustainable and Accelerated
Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help
small Industries) initiative. Under this initiative,
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a PSU
under Ministry of Power, will procure energy
efficient powerlooms, motors and rapier kits in
bulk and provide them to small and medium
Powerloom units at no upfront cost.
The official website of Cell for IPR Promotion and
Management (CIPAM) of Department of Industrial
Policy and Promotion (DIPP) was launched in New
Delhi by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh
Prabhu.
The Union Government has inked $300 million loan
agreement with Asian Development Bank for
Second West Bengal Development Finance
Program.
The Union Human Resource Development
Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced that
Paika rebellion (Paika Bidroha) of 1817 will be
named as First War of Independence against British
Rule in history books from next academic session.
The 56th raising day of the Indo Tibetan Border
Police (ITBP) was celebrated 24 October. It was
raised on 24th October in 1962. ITBP is deployed on
3488 kilometer long India-China Border from
Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in
Arunachal Pradesh.
India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra
(PMKK) for Skilling in Smart Cities was
inaugurated at Mandir Marg, New Delhi. It has
been set up by Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas
Yojana by National Skill Development Corporation
(NSDC) in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal
Council (NDMC).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated first
phase of Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) ferry service
between Ghogha in Bhavnagar district and Dahej
in Bharuch district in the Gulf of Cambay, Gujarat.
It is South Asia’s first world class Ro-Ro ferry
service.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority (APEDA) has
taken up a programme for promotion of north
eastern products in Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Page 4 of 11
The Police Commemoration Day is observed on
October 21st every year to pay homage to the Police
Martyrs. The day commemorates supreme
sacrifices of ten policemen while defending borders
with China in 1959.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has
constituted five-member Search-cum-Selection
committee to select candidate for post of editor-in-
chief of RSTV). It will be headed by Prasar Bharati
Chairman A Surya Prakash.
Rajasthan Government has introduced The Code of
Criminal Procedure (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill,
2017 in the state assembly to protect both serving
and ormer judges, magistrates and public servants
in state from being investigated for on-duty action
without its prior sanction.
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeITY) has set up an internal expert
committee to advise the government on a policy on
artificial intelligence.
India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) have signed
the IBSA Trust Fund Agreement that seeks to fight
poverty in developing countries. It was signed at
the 8th IBSA trilateral Ministerial Commission
Meeting in Durban, South Africa.
The Jaipur and Srinagar Airport were ranked first
and second respectively in ACI (Airports Council
International)-ASQ (Airport Service Quality)
Survey in the category of 2-5 million passengers.
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore
and Indian Instituted of Technology (IIT) Bombay
were ranked among world’s top 200 institutions for
engineering and computer science in Times Higher
Education subject-wise rankings. IISc was placed at
the 89th spot, while IIT Bombay was placed in the
126- 150 category, globally. In this edition, Stanford
University from US was ranked number one,
followed by California institute of Technology,
Oxford University, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) and Cambridge University.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on dedicated first
All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New
Delhi to the nation on the occasion of National
Ayurveda Day observed on the occasion of
Dhanwantari Jayanti (17 October 2017).
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
India and Japan have signed memorandum of
cooperation (MoC) on Technical Intern Training
Programme (TITP) to significantly expand the
bilateral cooperation in the field of skill
development.
The Union Ministry of Women and Child
Development (WCD) has launched online
campaign #IamThatWoman in an attempt to end
Gender bias in women against women. It was
launched by WCD Minister Meneka Gandhi.
India’s National Investment and Infrastructure
Fund (NIIF) of India on has signed an investment
agreement worth $1 billion with Abu Dhabi
Investment Authority (ADIA).
The Supreme Court has asked Union Government
to strike a balance between humanitarian concern
for Rohingya community staying in India and
country’s economic and national security interests.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution has brought into effect new Bureau of
Indian standards (BIS) Act 2016 which was notified
in March 2016. The Act replaced Bureau of Indian
Standards Act, 1986.
The Union Government has launched Sampoorna
Bima Gram (SBG) Yojana and expanded coverage
of Postal Life Insurance (PLI) in a bid to provide
affordable life insurance services to people
particularly those living in rural areas.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
has raised Rs. 660 crore as Fully Serviced Bonds.
The clinical trials of two experimental Ebola
vaccines cAd3-EBOZ and rVSV-ZEBOV were
found to be safe and capable of eliciting immune
response against Ebola virus that lasts for at least
one year.
India ranked 100th position among 119 countries
on Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2017 report released
by Washington-based International Food Policy
Research Institute (IFPRI). India slipped by three
positions as compared to 97th rank in the 2016 GHI.
The four parameters are (i) Undernourished
population (1/3rd weight), (ii) Child wasting
(1/6th weight), (iii) Child stunting (1/6th weight)
and (iv) Infant mortality rate (1/3rd weight). The
Central African Republic (CAR) has the highest
Page 5 of 11
GHI score and has been categorised as “extremely
alarming”.
The first-ever meeting of newly-constituted
Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister
(EAC-PM) was held at NITI Aayog, in New Delhi.
It was chaired by Dr. Bibek Debroy, Member NITI
Aayog.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
(CCEA) approved two World Bank supported
schemes Skills Acquisition and Knowledge
Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP)
and Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value
Enhancement (STRIVE) to boost Skill India
Mission.
India’s first Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) under
Hybrid Annuity Mode will come up in Haridwar
(Uttarakhand) and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
The 44th edition of Indian Handicrafts and Gifts
(IHGF)-Delhi Fair was held at India Expo Centre
and Mart on outskirts of Delhi in Greater Noida. It
was organised by Export Promotion Council for
Handicrafts (EPCH) and was inaugurated by
Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani.
The Union Cabinet approved signing of
Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between
India and Japan on establishing a liquid, flexible
and global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Market.
The Supreme Court has criminalised sex between
man and his underage wife below 18 years
provided the woman files a complaint within a
year. The landmark order fixes the age of consent
at 18 for all girls. The apex court gave its order on a
petition filed by NGO Independent Thought which
had challenged exception clause (2) in Section 375
IPC (which deals with rape).
The International conference on “Dialogue of
Civilizations – IV” was inaugurated by Minister of
State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Culture
Dr. Mahesh Sharma in New Delhi. It has been
organised by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI),
under Union Ministry of Culture in collaboration
with National Geographic Society (NGS). It will be
held from October 8 –15, 2017 at Delhi,
Gandhinagar and Dholavira.
The first BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-
2017 (DMEx-2017) was held in New Delhi, India
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
from October 10-13, 2017. It was conducted by
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the
lead agency in the National Capital Region (NCR).
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated 5th
edition of India Water Week (IWW) with theme
“Water and Energy for Inclusive Growth” in New
Delhi.
The Union Finance Ministry has imposed anti-
dumping duty on imports of certain steel wire rods
from China for five years to guard interest of
domestic players from cheap in-bound shipments.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
has launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush
(IMI) to accelerate full immunization coverage to
more than 90% by December 2018.
The Executive Committee of National Mission for
Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved eight projects
worth Rs. 700 crore under Namami Gange
Programme.
The GST Council has constituted a Group of
Ministers (GoM) to make the composition scheme
more attractive and revisit the goods and services
tax rates on restaurants. It will be headed by Assam
Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and submit
its report in two weeks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Pradhan
Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan
(PMGDISHA) at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
PMGDISHA is expected to make 6 crore rural
households digitally literate by March 2019.
The Union Home Ministry has formed study group
to examine various problems faced by people
residing near International Border and Line of
Control in Jammu and Kashmir in wake of regular
ceasefire violations by Pakistan. It will be headed
by Rina Mitra, Special Secretary in Home Ministry.
The First Meeting of India-Australia Joint Steering
Committee (JSC) was held in New Delhi. The
delegations for the meeting was led by TVSN
Prasad, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of
Home Affairs andStephen Bouwhuis, First
Assistant Secretary, International and Auscheck
Division, Criminal Justice Group, Attorney-
General’s Department.
India and Ethiopia have signed agreements on
trade, communication and media to boost bilateral
Page 6 of 11
ties. The agreements were signed after wide
ranging talks between President Ram Nath Kovind
and his Ethiopian counterpart Mulatu Teshome at
Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
Department of Animal husbandry, Dairying and
Fisheries in co-operation with 12 States had
undertaken Mass Embryo Transfer programme in
indigenous breeds under National Mission on
Bovine Productivity Scheme. The programme is
implemented with the objective of conservation
and development of indigenous breeds under
Rashtriya Gokul Mission using Embryo transfer
technology (ETT).
Government has signed Finance Contract with
European Investment Bank (EIB) for lending of
€300 million for Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase
II Line R6.
The Union Ministry of Tourism in collaboration
with Other Union Ministries and State
Governments has launched nationwide ‘Paryatan
Parv’ to showcase cultural diversity of country and
reinforce the principle of ‘Tourism for All’. Its
objective is to draw focus on the benefits of tourism.
It was inaugurated at Humayun’s Tomb and will
be held across the country from the 5th to 25th
October 2017.
India and Djibouti have signed an agreement to
establish regular Foreign Office-level bilateral
consultations between both countries. President
Ram Nath Kovind is first Indian leader to visit
Djibouti and it was also his maiden trip abroad
since taking office.
The Government has constituted a high-level
committee for proper management of water
resources in North Eastern Region (NER) under
Chairmanship of Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman of
NITI Aayog.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated
Golden Jubilee Year Celebrations (50 years) of the
Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) in
New Delhi.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid foundation
stone to develop Muktyal to Vijayawada waterway
stretch on River Krishna as part of National
Waterway 4 at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh.
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
The Karnataka Government has launched Mathru
Poorna Scheme to meet nutritional needs of
pregnant and lactating women in rural areas of
state.
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed five-
member commission to examine sub-categorisation
of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). It will be
headed by retired Chief Justice of Delhi High Court
G. Rohini.
The Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in
Madurai (Tamil Nadu) was adjudged as the
cleanest iconic place in country under ‘Swachhta Hi
Seva’.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
has launched countrywide Free Eye Check-up
Campaign and distribution of spectacles for truck
drivers, cleaners and helpers. It was launched by
Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways,
Shipping and Water Resources, River Development
& Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari at Panjari Toll
Plaza, Nagpur Bypass, Nagpur in Maharashtra.
The World Habitat Day was observed all over the
world on 2 October 2017. The theme for this year
was ‘Housing Policies: Affordable Homes’.
The International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) is
observed every year on October 1. The theme for
this year is “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the
Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older
Persons in Society”.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The 14th South Asian Association for Regional Co-
operation in Law (SAARCLAW) Conference was
held in Colombo, capital city of Sri Lanka along
with 11th SAARC Chief Justices Conference. The
three-day conference was inaugurated by Sri
Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and
saw participation from South Asia’s top Judges,
legal practitioners and academics.
The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH)
is observed every year on October 27. The 2017
theme of the day selected by UNESCO is “Discover,
remember and share”.
The World Polio Day is observed annually across
world on 24 October to create awareness about the
hazards of the crippling Polio disease.
Page 7 of 11
The United Nations Day is observed every year on
24th October to mark anniversary of entry into
force of UN Charter in 1945.
The World Development Information Day (WDID)
is observed every year on October 24 to draw
attention of world to development problems and
necessity of strengthening international
cooperation to solve them.
The Peruvian Congress has approved a bill to
authorises the medicinal and therapeutic use of
cannabis (marijuana) in the country. With this Peru
became sixth country in Latin America to legalise
cannabis. Uruguay was first in 2013, allowing sales
of cannabis for any purpose.
The International Day for the Eradication of
Poverty (IDEP) is observed every year on October
17. The 2017 theme - ‘Answering the Call of October
17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and
inclusive societies’.
The World Food Day is observed globally on 16
October to mark the foundation of Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United
Nations in 1945. The theme for the year 2017 is
“Change the future of migration. Invest in food
security and rural development.”
The International Day of Rural Women is observed
every year on October 15. The 2017 theme is
“Challenges and opportunities in climate-resilient
agriculture for gender equality and the
empowerment of rural women and girls”.
The World Standards Day is observed every year
on 14 October. 2017 theme - “Standards make cities
smarter”.
The United States has announced its withdrawal
from Paris-based United Nations Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), UN’s cultural
agency accusing the body of anti-Israel bias.
Besides US, Israel has also decided to pull out of
UNESCO.
The International Day for Disaster Reduction
(IDDR) is observed every year on October 13.
The International Day of the Girl Child is observed
on October 11. 2017 theme - ‘EmPOWER girls:
Before, during and after conflict’.
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
SPORTS
Pardeep Narwal scored 24 points to steer Patna
Pirates to their third consecutive Pro Kabaddi title,
beating Gujarat Fortune Giants.
17th edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup took place
in India from 6th – 28th October 2017. FIFA U-17 is
a biennial international football tournament of
men’s under-17 national teams organised by
Federation Internationale de Football Association
(FIFA).
In the final match, England defeated Spain by 5-2,
on October 28, 2017 in Vivekananda Yuba Bharati
Krirangan/Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
Phil Foden of England has been adjudged
tournament’s best player and has been awarded the
‘Golden Ball’. Rhian Brewster from England who
scored the most goals in the tournament (8 goals)
has been awarded ‘Golden Shoe’. Gabriel Brazao,
Brazil’s goalkeeper has won the ‘Golden Glove’.
The National Basketball Association (NBA)
announced that former India men’s national team
head coach Scott Fleming has joined NBA India as
Head of Basketball Operations.
Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu gave India its first gold
medal of the International Shooting Sports
Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final in New Delhi, in
the 10m air pistol mixed team event. Rai and Sidhu
picked up their third gold together in the mixed
team event, being held officially for the first time at
an ISSF World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo was named the Best FIFA’s
Men’s Player. Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane
was named the Best FIFA Men's Coach.
India’s ace shuttler Kidambi Srikanth (World No. 8)
won US $750,000 Denmark Open title of badminton
in the men’s single category. In the final match, he
defeated South Korea’s Lee Hyun II by a 21-10, 21-
5 score.
Women’s singles: Ratchanok Inthanon (Thailand)
won by defeating Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) by 14-
21 21-15 21-19.
Men’s Double: Chinese pair of Liu Cheng and
Zhang Nan won by defeating Indonesian pair of
Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya
Sukamuljo by 21-19, 22-24, 21-19.
Page 8 of 11
Women’s doubles: South Korean pair of Lee So-hee
and Shin Seung-chan won the title by defeating
Japanese pair of Shiho Tanaka and Koharu
Yonemoto by 21-13 and 21-16.
Mixed doubles: Chinese pair of Zheng Siwei and
Chen Qingchen won the title by defeating Hong
Kong pair of Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet by
22-24, 21-19 and 21-23.
India won 2017 Asia Cup hockey title by defeating
Malaysia in the final match held in Dhaka,
Bangladesh by 2-1 score. It was India’s overall third
Asiia Cup title and earlier it had won it in 2003 and
2007.
In line with FIFA’s objective to further develop
women’s football, Esther Staubli became the first
female referee to officiate a match at the FIFA U-17
World Cup in India.
Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal to win the
Shanghai Masters and register his fourth victory of
the year over his Spanish rival.
Indian football team defeated Macau by 4-1 in AFC
Asian Cup qualifying match at the Sree Kanteerava
Stadium in Bengaluru, qualifying for the 2019 AFC
Asian Cup which is going to be held in the UAE.
Iceland becomes the smallest country ever to
qualify for the final stage of the FIFA World Cup,
after topping its qualifying group.
India’s Anupama Ramachandran clinched the
World Open Under-16 Snooker Championship title
at St. Petersburg in Russia. In the girl's category,
second seed Anupama knocked out her compatriot
and top seed Keerthana Pandian 3-1 to become
World Open Under-16 champion.
China Open 2017 tennis tournament was held from
2nd to 8th October 2017 in Beijing, China.
Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal won the men’s
singles title at China Open 2017. He defeated
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in the final match.
French tennis player Caroline Garcia won the
women’s singles title at China Open 2017. She
defeated Romania’s Simona Halep in the final
match.
Henri Kontinenof Finalnd and John Peers of
Australia won the men’s doubles title at China
Open 2017.
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
Chan Yung-Jan of Taiwan and Martina Hingis of
Switzerland won the women’s doubles title at
China Open 2017.
ECONOMICS
The Union Finance Ministry (Department of
Revenue) has imposed anti-dumping duty on some
cold-rolled flat products of stainless steel from
China, United States, South Korea and European
Union to curb the influx of cheaper imports and
help local producers. The duty will be in effect till
December 2020 and exempts certain grades of
stainless steel.
The Union Government has announced Bank
Recapitalisation Plan to infuse Rs. 2.11 lakh crore
($32.4 billion) capital over next two years into
public sector banks (PSBs) and prioritised financing
support for MSMEs in 50 clusters. The capital
infusion will be accompanied by a series of banking
sector reforms that will be revealed in the coming
months.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted
high-level task force on public credit registry (PCR)
for India. It will be chaired by Y M Deosthalee,
former CMD of L&T Finance Holdings Ltd and will
have nine other members.
Largest commodity bourse Multi-Commodity
Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) launched India’s first
commodity options in gold. It was launched by
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
According to data released by Central Statistics
Office (CSO), factory output measured in terms of
Index of Industrial Production (IIP) has grown
nine-month high to 4.3% in August 2017.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its
October World Economic Outlook (WEO) has
lowered India’s economic growth forecast at 6.7%
in 2017 and 7.4% in 2018.
According to Brand Finance’s recently released
Nation Brands 2017 report, India was ranked 8th
out of 100 countries on a list of most valuable nation
brands. This year India slipped by one spot
compared to 7th rank in 2016 and ceded its
previous spot to Canada. Top 10 Valuable Nation
brands are United States (1st), China (2nd),
Germany (3rd), Japan (4th), United Kingdom (5th),
Page 9 of 11
France (6th), Canada (7th), India (8th), Italy (9th)
and South Korea (10th).
21-member Committee on corporate governance
headed by banker Uday Kotak has submitted its
report to the Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI).
The six member Monetary Policy Committee
(MPC) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided
to maintain status quo in policy rates by keeping
repo rate unchanged at 6.0% under liquidity
adjustment facility.
DEFENCE AND SPACE
Larsen and Toubro (L&T) handed over offshore
patrol vessel (OPV) named “Vikram” to the Indian
Coast Guard. It is the country’s first-ever such
defence vessel to be built in a private shipyard The
vessel was indigenously developed in-house at
L&T’s Kattupalli shipyard.
The Infantry Day in observed every year in India
on 27 October to commemorate supreme sacrifices
made by Indian Army’s infantry against Pakistan
in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in 1947.
INSV Tarini carrying all-women crew members of
Navika Sagar Parikrama, India’s first ever
circumnavigation expedition of globe by all-
women crew entered west Australian port of
Fremantle. It is the first stop over of INSV Tarini
since the expedition was flagged off by Defence
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Goa in September
2017. So far, the vessel has covered 4,800 nautical
miles from Goa, crossing Equator and Tropic of
Capricorn.
Sri Lankan Coast Guard has commissioned
Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) SURAKSHA gifted
by India at Colombo port. It is first OPV of Sri
Lankan Coast Guard. Sri Lankan Coast Guard Ship
(SLCGS) Suraksha earlier belonged to Indian Coast
Guard (ICG) and was known as Varuna. It was
officially handed over to Sri Lanka Navy at
ceremony held at Kochi Port in India in September
2017.
The fourth edition of ASEAN Defence Ministers’
Meeting (ADMM)-Plus will be held in Philippines.
India will be represented by Union Defence
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
The first tri-service armed Forces (Army, Navy, &
Air Force) exercise INDRA 2017 between India and
Russia began at the 249th Combined Army Range
Sergeevisky and in Sea of Japan near Vladivostok.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) is expected to raise
three new tri-service agencies in the fields of cyber
warfare, space and special operations shortly.
Indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare stealth
corvette INS Kiltan was commissioned into the
Indian Navy at the Eastern Naval Command
(Naval Dockyard) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh.
The 5th India-Sri Lanka joint training exercise
“Mitra Shakti 2017” was held Aundh Military
Station in Pune, Maharshtra. The two week
exercise (October 13 and 25) is based on Counter
Terrorist Operations (CTO) and Infantry company
from both countries are participating in it.
Indian Naval Ships Satpura and Kadmatt
participated in Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with
Japanese Marine Self Defence Force (JMSDF) held
at Sasebo, Japan, in pursuance of India’s Act East
Policy.
OBITUARIES
Indian classical singer Girija Devi, “Queen of
Thumri”, the recipient of India’s second highest
civilian honor, Padma Vibhushan, passed away in
Kolkata after a cardiac arrest.
Paul Weitz, a retired NASA astronaut who
commanded the first flight of the space shuttle
Challenger and also piloted the Skylab in the early
1970s, died Oct. 23, 2017.
Al Hurricane, known as the "Godfather of New
Mexico music" for developing a distinct sound
bridging the state's unique Hispanic traditions with
country and rock, died from complications related
to a long battle against prostate cancer.
Jalal Talabani, Iraq's first Kurdish president, died
Oct. 3, 2017.
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty, who with
his band The Heartbreakers helped spearhead
back-to-basics heartland rock in the late 1970s, died
after he suffered cardiac arrest.
Page 10 of 11
AWARDS AND PROMINENT
RECORDS
Veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar (72) was
honoured with the 2017 Hridaynath Mangeshkar
Award at event in Mumbai which marked 80th
birthday of veteran music composer Hridaynath
Mangeshkar and 28th anniversary of Hridayesh
Arts.
Indian-American Gitanjali Rao (11) won the 2017
Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge
for inventing a quick, low-cost test to detect lead-
contaminated water.
Prof Hans Joachim Schellnhuber from Germany
won 2017 Blue Planet Prize, world’s most
prestigious award for pioneers in environmental
science, for establishing the new field of science
‘Earth System Analysis’.
American author George Saunders won the 2017
Man Booker Prize, a high-profile literary award for
his first full-length novel “Lincoln in the Bardo”.
With this, he became second consecutive American
writer to win prize after Paul Beatty (for his novel
The Sellout).
Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna won 30th Indira
Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2015 -
16 for his services in promoting and preserving
national integration in the country. He will be
presented with the honour by Congress president
Sonia Gandhi on October 31, 2017 (Indira Gandhi’s
death anniversary).
American economist Richard H. Thaler has won
2017 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his
contributions to behavioural economics.
Late Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh awarded a
prestigious Reach All Women in WAR (RAW in
WAR) Anna Politkovskaya Award. She will share
this award with Gulalai Ismail, a Pakistani peace
activist who has faced death threats for speaking
out against the Taliban.
Norwegian Nobel Committee has selected Geneva-
based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear
Weapons (ICAN), a coalition of non-governmental
organisations from over 100 countries around globe
for 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. Its headquarters are in
Geneva, Switzerland.
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
The Swedish Academy has selected Japanese-born
English novelist Kazuo Ishiguro (62) for the 2017
Nobel Prize in literature.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Scientists have found that parasite called
Leptomonas seymouri hosting virus called Lepsey
NLV1 may be also responsible for spread of kala-
azar (visceral leishmaniasis). Earlier it was believed
that parasite Leishmania donovani (sandfly) alone
is responsible for spread of the dreaded infection.
Scientists from The Broad Institute and
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in US have
developed RNA Editing for Programmable A to I
Replacement (REPAIR), a new gene editing tool
therapies that can reverse disease-causing
mutations in humans.
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.
Geologists for the first time have discovered 152
million-year-old fossil of Ichthyosaur, an extinct
marine reptile in in Kutch desert region of Gujarat.
The specimen belongs to Ophthalmosauridae
family of ichthyosaurs that lived in oceans between
165 and 90 million years ago.
Scientists from Florida State University in the US
have developed new tool for objectively defining
onset and demise of Indian Summer Monsoon
(ISM). The new method uses rainfall rates to mark
span of ISM at any given location throughout
affected region.
Scientists from Thiruvananthapuram based CSIR-
National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and
Technology (CSIR-NIIST) have developed organic
filter that allows only near-infrared (NIR) light to
pass through it.
The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) has approved second
extension of Dawn mission at Ceres dwarf planet
which is the largest object in the asteroid belt
between Mars and Jupiter.
Page 11 of 11
Researchers have discovered new species of gecko
at Chhattisgarh’s Kanger Ghati National Park in
Eastern Ghats. It common name is the Kanger
valley rock gecko and scientific name is
Hemidactylus kangerensis, named after the valley
were it was discovered.
The world’s first negative emissions plant under
the CarbFix Project to turn atmospheric carbon
dioxide (CO2) into stone has begun operations in
Helli sheidi, Iceland. It is intended to lock away
carbon dioxide by reacting it with basaltic rocks.
Work on the project began in 2007.
National Centre for Combustion Research and
Development (NCCRD) was inaugurated at Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras in Tamil
Nadu, the world’s largest combustion research
center.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
successfully launched Michibiki-4 satellite (QZSS-
4) onboard of H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima
Space Centre.
Researchers including one of Indian origin from
North Carolina State University in US have found
that antibiotic resistance can be passed between
bacteria found in the soil.
United States Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has approved ‘Cbas Zika test’ for detecting
Zika virus in donated blood. It is first of kind test
approved by FDA for detecting Zika virus in
©LegalEdge Tutorials
Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited by the copyright laws of India
donated blood, manufactured by Roche Molecular
Systems Inc.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has
selected Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and
Richard Henderson for the 2017 Nobel Prize in
Chemistry. They were selected for developing
cryo-electron microscopy for the high resolution
structure determination of biomolecules in
solution.
Russia launched Sibir (Siberia), the world’s largest
nuclear-powered icebreaker ship built under
Project 22220 into the water at the Baltic Shipyard
in St. Petersburg.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has
selected three American scientists Rainer Weiss,
Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne for the 2017
Nobel Prize Physics. They were selected for their
decisive contributions to the LIGO (Laser
Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory)
detector and the observation of gravitational
waves.
The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
was awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall (72), Michael
Rosbash (73) and Michael W. Young (68). It was
announced by Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s
Karolinska Institute. refT aeheT a hwewT yehT
wceeeaehci Tceleerl hTceer iceceTeeilhellci Teche wc iT
eThrflrc T rechT wceeeaehceeT es l ciT reaT l ile T icc l
iwTrrc ieT w lTlrechThcele ce lThrflrcTeo that it is
synchronized with Earth’s revolutions.