DAILY GK UPDATE 17 OCTOBER

1.    International Day for the Eradication of Poverty observed today

i. The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was observed on 17 October 2013 to promote people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries.

ii. Theme for the year 2013 is: Working together towards a world without discrimination: Building on the experience and knowledge of people in extreme poverty.

iii. United Nations General Assembly in 1993 by resolution 47/196 designated International Day for the Eradication of Poverty to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries. 

iv. Fighting poverty remains at the core of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda.

2.    Canada offers Malala honorary citizenship 

i. Canada will offer honorary citizenship to Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai. 

ii. Malala will become just the sixth person to be granted honorary Canadian citizenship after South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama British business magnate Aga Khan and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Thursday. 

iii. Malala was the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize nominee. 

iv. Last week, she won the European Union's prestigious Sakharov human rights prize and was welcomed at the White House by US President Barack Obama. 

v. The Pakistani Taliban, however, has said that Malala had done "nothing" to deserve a prestigious EU rights award and vowed to try again to kill her. 

3.    Govt eyes marketing North East in global tourism fest 

i. Over 150 foreign delegates from the US, the UK, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, Russia, South Korea and Sweden will take part in the three-day International Tourism Mart beginning on Friday at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, a senior tourism official said. 

ii. The foreign delegation will mainly comprise international tour operators and senior media personalities, he added. The Tourism Mart was being organised by the Union Ministry of Tourism.

iii. "The main objective of this tourism conclave is to sell brand North East to the outer world. We have everything in the North East but what we are lacking is marketing them," India Tourism Deputy Director General Sanjay Shreevats said.

iv. North East has so much variation in its culture that a glimpse of a big country can be seen and the proposed conclave aims to showcase the diverse culture of the region to the world, he added.

v. "Although hundreds of domestic delegates will take part, our focus will be on foreign invitees," Shreevats said, adding, that so far, over 160 foreign delegates have confirmed their participation. 

4.    CCEA increased the Minimum Support Price of Wheat by 50 Rupees per Quintal

i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 17 October 2013 enhanced the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat by 50 rupees per quintal to 1400 rupees for the fiscal, starting April 2014.

ii. The CCEA accepted the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. The MSP of red gram and mustard was also hiked by hundred rupees per quintal each.

iii. MSP is the rate at which government buys the grain from farmers.  The government took this step to encourage farmers to cover more area under the crop in the ongoing rabi season.

iv. The crop's sowing begins in October and harvesting begins from April onwards. The government procures wheat from farmers during April-June

5.    Union Cabinet Approved A Committee on Babhli Barrage Project

i. The Union cabinet of India approved on 17 October 2013 the appointment of a three-member supervisory committee headed by a representative of the Central Water Commission on construction of Babhli Barrage issue.
ii. The other two members of the committee were including one representative from the state of Andhra Pradesh and one representative from the Maharashtra.

iii. The Supreme Court was directed the Centre to constitute a three-member Supervisory Committee to deal with the Babhli Barrage issue on 28 February 2013.

About The Babhli barrage
• The Babhli project / barrage is a controversial reservoir project being constructed by Maharashtra state across the river Godavari.
• The project brought dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states.

6.    Hilary Clinton got the First Founders’ Award for helping AIDS Victims

i. Hilary Clinton was awarded the first founders’ award from the Elton John AIDS Foundation in New York on 15 October 2013 for her work to help HIV/AIDS victims.

ii. John’s foundation is celebrating its 21 year in USA. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton was the 67th United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, serving under President Barack Obama.

iii. The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is a nonprofit organization, established by rock musician Sir Elton John in 1992 in the United States and 1993 in the United Kingdom to support innovative HIV/AIDS prevention, education programs, direct care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS.

iv. It has raised over 200 million US dollars to support HIV/AIDS programs in fifty-five nations.

7.    Book Walking With Giants, a memoir written by former Finance Secretary G. Ramachandran,

i. Union Minister for Rural Development  Jairam Ramesh today released the book Walking With Giants — a lesson in modern Indian history a memoir written by former Finance Secretary G. Ramachandran.

ii. Ramachandran’s career spanned from the late 1940s to mid-1980s when the country went through significant changes in policy and administration.

iii. The book, Jairam Ramesh said in his address at the formal launch, is not just about anecdotes and incidents but a “source of archival information” and “original source material for those trying to understand the economic and political history” of India.

iv. Ramachandran’s book “strikes the middle path” in representing the views of politicians and bureaucrats.

v. The book is a “deep discussion” of the issues that shaped India’s history during the times when leaders such as Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Charan Singh at the Centre, and Rajaji, Kamaraj and Anna Durai at the State level were in power.

vi. The foreword to the book is written by Y. V. Reddy, chairman, 14th Finance Commission, and a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

8.    Former NSEL head Anjani Sinha arrested

i. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police today arrested former managing director and chief executive of the beleaguered National Spot Exchange (NSEL) Anjani Sinha.

ii. Before arresting him, he was interrogated by EOW for several hours; yesterday he had been interrogated at length by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

iii. Sinha was arrested for his role in the Rs 5,600-crore payment crisis at the NSEL which has affected 13,000 investors across the country, police said.

iv. This is the third arrest in the case; earlier the police had arrested Amit Mukherjee, a former assistant vice-president of the exchange on October 9, while Jay Bahukhundi, another former assistant vice-president, was arrested the next day.

v. Taking the blame for not informing the board about increasing exposure and risk of widespread defaults, Sinha stated the management allowed the exchange to function and did not stop trading due to fear of widespread defaults.

9.    Liverpool launched Football Academy in India

i. Top English Premier League side Liverpool on 16 October 2013 launched a residential football academy in Pune in partnership with city-based DSK Shivajians FC.

ii. The academy was named as LFC International Football Academy DSK. It will have a world class residential complex, full size pitches, practice areas, classrooms, residential, medical facilities, lecture theatre and canteen.

iii. The academy will support young footballers up to the age of 18. It will provide the players with the opportunity to develop their game in a professional academy environment.

iv. Coaches from Liverpool FC will work on the project in India and will provide technical expertise to the players and coaches involved in the Academy. 

v. This is the first time an English football club has partnered with an Indian team to help them bring through local talent.

10.  Greg du Toit was Named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013

i. Photographer Greg du Toit was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 by the panel of international judges. 

ii. The winners of 2013 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition were announced on 17 October 2013 at the awards ceremony held at Natural History Museum in London.

iii. He was given the award for his image Essence of elephants-an energetic and lively portrait of African elephants in the Northern Tuli Games Reserve in Botswana.

iv. Greg du Toit is from South Africa. He won the award beating almost 43000 contestants from across 96 countries. Chair of the judging panel was wildlife photographer Jim Brandenburg.

Note: Fourteen-year-old photographer from India Udayan Rao Pawar won the award as Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 for his image Mother’s little headful.

ii. This image depicts the gharial crocodiles on the banks of the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh, India. This area is increasingly under threat from illegal sand mining and fishing.

11.  Yes Bank, Care Ratings tie up for SME segment services

i. Private sector lender Yes Bank and credit rating company Care Ratings have entered into an agreement to offer services and products in the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment.

ii. The collaboration will also work towards creating awareness on the importance of external ratings for SMEs, and funding avenues through knowledge dissemination workshops.

iii. Customisation of product/ service offerings and enhanced outreach will be the key to facilitate adequate access to credit for the SMEs. With ratings covering an increasingly large segment of the MSMEs, the benefits of rating in terms of easier access to bank finance are getting acknowledged.”

12.  Noted Marathi Playwright G.P. Deshpande Passed away

i. Noted Marathi playwright and political thinker Govind P Deshpande died on 16 October 2013 due to age-related ailments. He was 75.

ii. G P Deshpande won acclaim for his plays including Udhvasta Dharmashala and Satyashodhak. (His famous Satyashodhak centred on the mission of pioneering social reformer Mahatma Phule).

iii. His most well known plays are Udhwastha Dharamshala , Raastey , Andhar Yatra and Satyashodhak . 

13.  Virat Kohli: India’s Fastest ODI Century Scorer

i. Virat Kohli became fastest century scorer (in 52 balls) of India on 16 October 2013 in One day International (ODI) held at Jaipur. He was the seventh fastest century scorer in ODI in the world.

ii. He made the fastest Century in ODI's against Australia in Jaipur on 16 October 2013.

iii. Virender Sehwag was the second fastest century scorer (60 balls) in One day International (ODI) in India.

14.  Ajit Agarkar announced Retirement from all forms of Cricket

i. Former India bowler Ajit Agarkar on 16 October 2013 announced Retirement from all forms of Cricket.

ii. He played 110 first-class games in all, taking 299 wickets at 30.69, as well as 270 List A games and 62 T20s in a career that began in 1996-97.

iii. Agarkar started his career as a capable batsman by scoring a triple hundred in junior cricket before shifting his focus to pace bowling. 

iv. He scored a fifty off 21 balls in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Rajkot in 2000, which remains the fastest one-day fifty by an Indian.

v. Agarkar had led Mumbai, for whom he played his entire Ranji Trophy cricket, to the domestic first-class title in the 2012-13 season.

15.  India crush Australia by 9 wickets in record run chase

i. An inspired India tonight pulled off an incredible nine-wicket victory over Australia in the second cricket one-dayer, achieving the second highest ever run chase in ODI history in what turned out to be a high scoring contest.

ii. Chasing an mammoth victory target of 360 on a belter of a track at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, India crossed the line with a 40 balls to spare as records tumbled like nine pins.

iii. This is also India’s highest ever successful run chase as the hosts restored parity 1-1 in the seven-match series.

iv. Rohit Sharma (141 not out), Virat Kohli (100 not out) and Shikhar Dhawan (95) were the main contributors for India.