HIMACHAL PRADESH

Heavy turnout indicates change of guard

In spite of phenomenal increase in the number of electorate since the first elections in 1952 and gradual increase in voter turnout, no proper trend has been witnessed in the state. But, heavy polling has mostly indicated change of guard.

The data on polling percentage reveals that the voter turnout is more when there is some wave or undercurrent and indications of change are discernible.

In 1952, the poll percentage was 25 per cent in the Assembly elections and it rose to 41.33 per cent in 1957 and declined to 35.51 per cent in 1962.

The voter turnout rose to 51.52 per cent in 1967 when the Congress and the Opposition secured 34 and 26 seats in the 60-member House, but it dropped to 49.95 in 1972 when the Congress swept the poll.

The polling was 58.57 per cent when the Janata Party came to power in the state in 1977, ending the hegemony of the Congress. It was a neck and neck contest in 1982 and the Congress and BJP/Janata Party shared 31 seats each and the polling percentage was up at 71.06 per cent.

INTERNATIONAL

· Saudi Arabia to Allow Women into Sports Stadiums from 2018

Turki Al-Asheikh, Chairman of the General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia announced that Saudi women will now be able to attend sports events in stadiums starting from 2018.
The move is aimed at empowering and engaging women in the society as an integral part of the development process.
All these changes support Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” plan for economic and social reforms.

· India Sends 1st Wheat Shipment to Afghanistan via Chabahar port

Iran’s key strategic port of Chabahar became operational with the maiden shipment of wheat from India to Afghanistan. It was flagged off from Kandla port in Gujarat.
This is a major push for India’s Afghan outreach bypassing Pakistan for the first time under the 2016 Indo-Afghan-Iran trilateral pact.

Chabahar port is strategically located in Sistan-Balochistan province on energy-rich Iran’s southern coast in Gulf of Oman near its border with Pakistan and can be easily accessed from India’s western coast.

NATIONAL

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas: October 31, 2017

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) is observed on 31 October every year in India.
This day marks the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who played an instrumental role in integration of princely state with Indian Union post independence.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is also known as Iron man of India.
Celebration of October 31 as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014.

· Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off ‘Run for Unity’ to mark Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off the Run For Unity in New Delhi to mark the 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
A large number of people, including sports personalities like Sardar Singh, Deepa Karmakar, Suresh Raina and Karnam Malleswari participated in the Run.
Several programmes are being organized across the country on this occasion.

· Anupam Kher receives Parmod Mahajan Smriti Award

Anupam Kher received Parmod Mahajan Smriti Awardin Pune.
He is the current Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India.
Saira Banu, who moved Supreme Court seeking a ban on instantaneous‘Triple Talaq’ among Muslims is the second recipient of Pramod Mahjan Smriti Award.
The awards were presented by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar.
The award was instituted by Pune-based organization ‘Muktachhand’ in memory of Late Pramod Mahajan who was the leader from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a former Union Cabinet Minister.

Govt launches MSME Delayed Payment Portal – MSME Samadhaan

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Shri Giriraj Singh launched MSME Delayed Payment Portal – MSME Samadhaan.
It will micro and small entrepreneurs across the country to directly register their cases relating to delayed payments by Central Ministries/Departments/CPSEs/State Governments. Shri Arun Kumar Panda, Secretary, Ministry of MSME along with other dignitaries and senior officials from the Ministry were also present.
As per the provisions, the buyer is liable to pay compound interest with monthly rests to the supplier on the amount at three times of the bank rate notified by Reserve Bank in case he does not make payment to the supplier for the supplies of goods or services within 45 days of the day of acceptance of the goods/service or the deemed day of acceptance.
Government sets up Arun Jaitley led panel on PSU bank mergers
Moving ahead with reforms in the public sector banking space, the government has constituted a ministerial panel headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that will oversee merger proposals of state-owned banks.
The other members of the panel include Railway and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The panel will oversee the proposals coming from boards of PSBs for consolidation.

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