Current Affairs - October 10, 2017 Current Affairs

Uttarakhand State Government and a charitable funding agency named Swan Cultural Center and Foundation launched 'Solar Briefcase' in Kedarnath Dham. The initiative was taken to provide electricity to far-flung areas in the hill state.

The World Post Day is celebrated to mark the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern.It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969. The World Post Day does not have a particular theme. Most of the countries organize philatelic exhibitions on World Post Day.

IIT-Kharagpur signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Samsung India for the setting up of a digital academy on the institute's campus. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the institute will host the Samsung Innovation Lab and train students on the Internet of Things (IoT) through Tizen-based operating systems, commonly used by the company for its mobile phones and home appliances.

India is ranked the eighth most valuable nation brand while the United States retained its top position and China took the second spot in the league of nations according to Brand Finance's Nation Brands 2017. The Top 10 Valuable Nation brands are: United States, China, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Canada, India, Italy, South Korea.

The Supreme Court (SC) imposed a ban on the sale of firecrackers till 31st October 2017, in the National Capital Region (NCR)-Delhi. The SC suspended all licenses issued by the Delhi Police to shopkeepers that allowed them to sell fireworks.The SC permitted the sale of firecrackers after 1st November 2017.

Iceland becomes the smallest country ever to qualify for the final stage of the FIFA World Cup, after topping its qualifying group. The island nation has a population of over 3,34,000 with over 20,000 registered football players. Last year, Iceland played its first major tournament, the UEFA European Championship, where the team defeated England and reached the quarter-final stage.

The Department of Tourism (Kerala) launched a 3 year long Continuous Tourist Survey (CTS), to increase the growth of tourism in Kerala. The Continuous Tourist Survey (CTS) 2017-2020 sample survey is conducted in collaboration with M/s Datamation Consultants. The Central Government would provide funds for Rs.25 lakhs.

The 2017 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences has been awarded to Richard H. Thaler for his contributions to behavioural economics. Thaler is an US economist and the Ralph and Dorothy Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The Nobel Prize for Economics, worth 9 million kronor, will be presented in Oslo on December 10, 2017.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind made his first foreign trip as the head of state from 4th - 5th October 2017. He visited two African countries, Ethiopia and Djibouti. India and Ethiopia signed agreements on trade, communication and media to boost bilateral ties.

Under 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bhara' programme, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost cultural ties. Under this, the states will connect with each other to know more about the culture, heritage and traditions of each other. The purpose of the programme is to actively enhance interaction between people of diverse cultures living in different states and union territories, with the objective of promoting greater mutual understanding among them.

The Union Ministry of Science and Technology's Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Scheme has received 260 applications from foreign sciences. The scheme is meant to attract top international talent to country's Research and development (R&D) ecosystem. The pilot project of the scheme was launched by Department of Science and Technology (DST) in May 2017.

Lenskart announced that, Bollywood actress, Katrina Kaif will be the brand ambassador of Lenskart for the next two years and would feature in the brand's new campaign. Lenskart was founded in 2010. Lenskart is present in more than 350 stores across more than 80 cities in India.

President Shri Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate India Water Week 2017 on October 10, 2017 in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari and Union Ministers of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Shri Dr. Satya Pal Singh. About 1500 delegates from India and 13 other countries will attend the five-day international event. The theme of India Water Week - 2017 is "Water and Energy for Inclusive Growth".

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.

Reliance Commercial Finance Limited signed an agreement with Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA) for Rs.300 crore loan, in Mumbai. RCFL finances wind and solar energy projects besides providing assistance for developing infrastructure and projects in renewable energy space backed by the government.