17 September 2017 Current Affairs
Arjan Singh: Sole marshal of IAF passes away
The sole Marshal of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Arjan Singh passed away following cardiac arrest in New Delhi. He was 98. He was known for shaping IAF in its early years as well as during some of its most difficult junctures. In 2002, on the occasion of Republic Day, he was granted honorary rank of Marshal, highest military rank attainable, which before him only two Army chiefs, K M Carriappa and Sam Manekshaw, had achieved.
PV Sindhu wins gold
PV Sindhu becomes the first Indian to win the Korea Open Superseries with an outstanding 22-20, 11-21, 21-18 win over Nozomi Okuhara in the much-talked-about women’s singles final in Seoul. Olympic silver medallist shuttler P V Sindhu beat world champion Nozomi Okuhara in a thrilling final to clinch the women’s singles title at the Korea Open Super Series.
Modi inaugurates Sardar Sarovar Dam, Called ‘Gujarat’s Lifeline’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Sardar Sarovar Dam – the world’s second biggest – on the river Narmada in Gujarat. The 1.2-km-long dam, which is 163 metres deep, will irrigate over 18 lakh hectares in the state, according to officials; the water from Narmada will flow into over 9,000 villages through a canal network, Sardar Sarovar Nigam Limited (SSNL). After inaugurating the dam, PM Modi will head to Sadhu Bet, an island in the river Narmada where a 182-metre-tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – called the ‘Statue of Unity’.
Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2017 commences
The 13th edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2017, a joint military exercise between Indian and US armies commenced at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, USA. During the two week long exercise soldiers from both countries will hone their tactical skills in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations under a joint brigade headquarter. Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats that may be encountered in UN peace keeping operations. The Yudh Abhyas series of joint military exercise started in the year 2004 under US Army Pacific Partnership Program.
Iceland Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson resigns
Iceland Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson gave his resignation to President Gudni Th. Johannesson. Th resignation paves the way for new election to be held on November 4, 2017. Benediktsson took office in January 2017, uniting his Independence Party, the Reform Party and the centrists. Benediktsson lost his nine-month-old, center-right coalition after one party quit over an attempt by the prime minister’s father to help clear the name of a convicted pedophile.
Indian start-up wins award in Israel
An Indian startup has won a prestigious award in Israel for developing an affordable modular greenhouse that aims to give farmers steady & dependable income. Kheyti, was chosen among 10 finalists in MassChallenge Israel contest that saw participation from over 500 companies. Kheyti design, adapt & implement low-cost farming solutions that help farmers increase yield & predictability of produce.
Nepal begins its first attempt to remeasure Mount Everest
Nepal has begun its first-ever survey to remeasure Mount Everest to check if the world’s tallest peak’s height was altered by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country in 2015. Notably, the official height of Mount Everest, which lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas, is 8,848 metres (29,029 feet), first recorded by an Indian survey in 1954.
Cassini spacecraft ends 20-year journey
NASA’s $3.9 bn Cassini spacecraft ended its 20-year-long groundbreaking journey with a fiery plunge into Saturn’s crushing atmosphere. Cassini began its mission to Saturn in 1997, reaching the ringed planet in 2004. Its aim was to take pictures, giving the most detailed look at Saturn’s rings & its moons. Cassini found new moons orbiting the planet, signs of possible life on existing moons.