03 November 2017 Current Affairs
Sikkim to get its first airport this month
Sikkim is set to get its first airport by the end of November, over 30 kilometres from the state capital of Gangtok. The airport, built at an estimated cost of Rs. 300 crore, was supposed to be completed in 2012 but faced repeated delays. It is at an altitude of 4,700 feet, and will be among the five highest Indian airports. Up until now, people travelling to and from Sikkim had to trek to Bagdogra in West Bengal to access the nearest airport.
PM Modi inaugurates World Food India 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the World Food India 2017 event, at Vigyan Bhavan, in New Delhi. The three day-long event, organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, is set to host a congregation of global investors and business leaders of major food companies from November 3 to 5 in New Delhi. This is the first time that India is hosting such an event for the food processing sector. PM Modi launched “Nivesh Bandhu”, an Investor Facilitation Portal. Karnataka will be the focus State in the ‘World Food India 2017’ trade fair. In September 2017, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor was named brand ambassador for World Food India’s Food Street. Germany, Japan and Denmark are partner countries to World Food India, while Italy and the Netherlands are the focus countries.
Hindi Writer Krishna Sobti awarded Jnanpith award 2017
Eminent Hindi Litterateur Krishna Sobti (92) was awarded the 53rd Jnanpith Award for the year 2017 for her path-breaking contribution to Indian literature. She will be overall eight women to win this prestigious award. She is known for experimenting with new writing styles and creating bold and daring characters in her stories. Her language is highly influenced by the intermingling of Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi cultures.
Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Exercise “PRABAL DOSTYK 2017” begins
A fourteen-day joint training exercise “PRABAL DOSTYK – 2017” between the Indian Army and the Kazakhstan Army commenced with the Opening Ceremony at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. The joint exercise is aimed at enhancing the military ties between the two countries as also at achieving interoperability between the two armies. The training contingents comprise of platoon strength from the 11th Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army and a similar strength of the Kazakhstan Army.
President inaugurates 21st World Congress of Mental Health
The 21st World Congress of Mental Health was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi. The conference was organised by the World Federation for Mental Health in partnership with Caring Foundation and other institutions. The World Congress of Mental Health is taking place in India for the first time. India’s National Mental Health Programme is building 22 centres of excellence in the field of mental health. The District Mental health Programme has already covered 517 of the approximately 650 district in India. It is taking the conversation about mental health to the grassroots of our society.
Etikoppaka toys from Andhra Pradesh get GI tag
The Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) has given Geographical Indication (GI) tag traditional Etikoppaka toys (Etikoppaka Bommalu) from Andhra Pradesh. These traditional toys are made by artisans in Etikoppaka village located on banks of river Varaha in Visakhapatnam district of the state. With this, Etikoppaka toys join elite products from Andhra Pradesh such as Kondapalli toys, Tirupati laddu, Bobbili Veena, Srikalahasthi Kalamkari, Uppada Jamdani sarees and Shadow puppets to have coveted GI tag.
Rajesh appointed High Commissioner to Malta
Shri Rajesh Vaishnaw has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Malta. He is a 1996 batch IFS Officer. Rajesh presently holds the office of Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
World’s third largest Book Fair opens in Sharjah
With more than 1.5 million book titles and 1,650 publishing houses from 60 countries, Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) opened its doors to public and trade visitors. It is the third largest book fair in the world. The book fair was held under the theme ‘A World in My Book’. The event has been organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA). Sharjah also inaugurated Sharjah Publishing City (SPC) which is the world’s first specialised book publishing free zone.
Walmart’s first fulfillment centre in Mumbai
Walmart India launched its first fulfillment centre in Mumbai. The global chain recently signed a MoU with the Maharashtra government to build 15 Cash and Carry stores under the brand `Best Price’ in the state. This FC will bring in almost 1,500 direct and indirect jobs to the city and help develop SME suppliers in the state.
Aadhaar-mobile number linking must by February 6: Govt
The Aadhaar-Mobile SIM linking should be completed by February 6, under e-KYC verification, the Centre told the Supreme Court. The Centre also mandated production of 12-digit unique Aadhaar number for opening new bank accounts. The government has introduced three new methods, including through one-time password (OTP), to ease the process of linking the Aadhaar identity number with individual mobile numbers.
World’s highest motorable road ready in Ladakh
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the world’s highest motorable road in the cold desert of Ladakh, which has boosted the troop movement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the eastern sector. China had objected to the road construction up to Demchok, a village located at Zero Line, in 2016. This had led to a standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies in the sector. However, the motorable road has been constructed and its black-topping has already begun.
Mumbai received its first batch of four battery operated eco friendly BEST buses
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has procured six eco-friendly, battery-operated buses at a cost of Rs.10 crore. The step is aimed at reducing air and noise pollution in Mumbai. The buses take three hours to get fully charged and can cover about 300 kilometres on a full charge.
Kazakhstan to change its name by 2025
Kazakhstan is changing its name to Qazaqstan as part of a transition from Cyrillic to a Latin-based script. A national commission will be set up to oversee the transition, which will be completed by 2025.
Gagan Narang wins Silver in Commonwealth Shooting Championships
Olympic bronze-medallist Gagan Narang won a silver medal in the men’s 50m rifle prone event at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in Gold Coast, Australia. Annu Raj Singh has also won the bronze medal in the women’s 50m pistol competition. London Olympics bronze medallist Narang, who is appearing in his first major tournament since the 2016 Rio Olympics, shot a total of 617.6 in the qualification to end fourth.
Nadal secures world No.1 until end of year
Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal secured a year-end top position in the ATP Rankings following his victory over South Korean talent Chung Hyeon in the second round of the Paris Masters. This is his fourth time to be crowned world No.1 at the end of the season, after 2008, 2010 and 2013.