HIMACHAL PRADESH

 

• Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll date announced

 

• The Himachal Pradesh Assembly election will be held on November 9, and counting of votes will be held on December 18, said the Election Commission (EC) today.
• The term of the 68-member Himachal Assembly ends on January 7.

 

• Of the five Assembly polls held earlier this year, the BJP won four, sweeping Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and cobbling together a majority in Goa and Manipur.

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

 

·       International Day of the Girl Child is observed on 11 October

• 11th October marked is marked as the International Day of the Girl Child.
• The day theme is The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030.
• The main aim of the day is to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

 

·       Japan launches fourth Michibiki satellite for hi-tech GPS

 

• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched Michibiki-4 satellite (QZSS-4) onboard of H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima Space Centre.
• It was the fourth satellite in Michibiki series i.e. Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), which is a satellite-based high-precision global positioning system.
• Michibiki-4is third QZSS satellite to be launched in 2017 and once operational it will bring the constellation of QZSS to its operating capacity of four until a planned expansion to 8 satellites occurs around 2023.

 

• Madhu Valli from USA crowned Miss India Worldwide

 

• Madhu Valli, an emerging hip hop artist and a student of criminal law at George Mason University in Virginia, has been crowned as Miss India Worldwide 2017.
• Stephanie Madavane from France was declared runner up at the 26th edition of the beauty pageant held in New Jersey.

 

• The beauty pageant attracts people of Indian origin from across the world.

 

• Sarita Pattnaik from Texas was declared Mrs India Worldwide.

 

• Organised by New York-based India Festival Committee, Miss India Worldwide is the only international Indian pageant with affiliates in over 35 countries and considered among the top ethnic pageants in the world.

 

 

• IMF cuts India’s 2017 growth forecast

 

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) pared its growth forecast for India by half a percentage point to 6.7% for 2017.

 

• In its latest World Economic Outlook, IMF said the world economy is going through a cyclical upswing that began midway through 2016.

 

 

• It raised the global growth estimate marginally for 2017 to 3.6% while flagging downside risks.

 

NATIONAL 

 

·       ICICI Bank Aid to Armed Forces

 

• ICICI Bankthe country’s largest private sector bank by consolidated assets, committed financial assistance of  10 crores to the Indian Armed Forces.
• This contribution by ICICI Bank would be made in two equal tranches. This fund will be used for two programs.
• The first will support post-graduation education of the widows of the soldiers and education for their wards.
• The second program will provide financial assistance for marriages of the daughters of ex-servicemen.

 

·       Union Government approved Rs 2,000 crore to set up Aadhaar units in Post offices

 

• The Central Government approved Rs 2,000 crore for setting up Aadhaar centers in post offices.
• The centers will have machines approved by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and trained personnel who will be responsible for the operations.
• By March 81, 2018, Government will set up Aadhaar enrolment and update facilities in around 15,000 post offices.

 

• Kempegowda Airport will be India’s first Aadhaar-enabled airport

 

• Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) is all set to be become country’s first Aadhaar-enabled airport by 2018.

 

• After a two-month pilot project in February, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has decided to make KIA fully compliant with Aadhaaar-enabled entry and biometric boarding system.