11 October 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

11 October 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Chinese Prez Xi Jinping arrives in Chennai on 2-day visit to India

• Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Chennai on a two-day visit to India.
• Mr. Xi Jinping will hold the Second Informal Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mahabalipuram (a UNESCO world heritage town) in Tamil Nadu tomorrow.
• The two leaders will first have a one to one conversation, followed by delegation-level talks.
• At Mamallapuram, Prime Minister Modi will personally guide Mr Xi Jinping through the ancient monuments like the Arjun's Penance, Ganesh Rath, Krishna butter ball before the two leaders drive to the Panch Rathas or the five chariots of the Pandavas.

Know about Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)

• In the 7th century, Hiuen Tsang (Chinese traveller) visited Kanchipuram and landed at the bustling port of Mahabalipuram.
• Hiuen Tsang has written about the grandeur of the Pallava Kings and the Buddhist centres of learning.
• There is archaeological evidence and there are inions to prove extensive trade and cultural ties between the Chola Kings and Pallava Kings with China.

2. ‘Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan’ initiative launched by Dr Harsh Vardhan

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative in New Delhi.
• The initiative was launched during the 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi.
• The aim of the initiative is to provide dignified, respectful and quality health care at no cost and zero tolerance for denial of services for every woman and new-born public health facility in order to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
• The initiative also provides a positive birth experience to both mother and infant.

Source: AIR News

3. First National Hindi Science writers conference begins today in Lucknow

• The first National Hindi Science writers conference has been started in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
• The Objective of the National Hindi Science writers conference is to bring all Hindi and vernacular language science writers at one platform and promote the use of Hindi in the field of science writing.
• More than one thousand science writers across the country are expected to take part in this 2-day long conference.
• A dedicated website ‘WWW.VIGYANLEKHAN.COM’ has been prepared for this event.

Source: AIR News

4. 38th India Carpet Expo begins in Varanasi

• Today, the India Carpet Expo (38th) has been started in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (11th to 14th October 2019).
• The India Carpet Expo is organized twice in a year in Delhi and Varanasi.
• The expo (largest handmade carpet fairs in Asia) has been organized by the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC).
• The India Carpet Expo aims to promote the cultural heritage and weaving skills of Indian hand-made carpets and other floor coverings for the visiting overseas carpet buyers.

Note:

• India carpet expo acts as a platform for international carpet buyers, buying houses, buying agents, architects and Indian carpet manufacturers and exporters to meet and establish business relationship.

Source: PIB

5. Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurates ‘AngiKaar’ campaign

• Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has inaugurated the ‘AngiKaar’ campaign for the state.
• The objective of the ‘AngiKaar’ campaign is to bring the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U) under one-fold of other central government implemented scheme.
• The state’s target of making 26 lakh Ayushman Bharat cards by March 2020.

Source: AIR

Honour & Awards

6. Nobel Prize in Literature for 2019 & 2018 announced

• The Nobel Prizes in Literature 2018 and 2019 were announced at The Swedish Academy in Stockholm.
• The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2019 was awarded to Handke (Austrian writer) 'for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience'.
• The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2018 was awarded to Olga Tokarczuk (Polish author) for 'a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life.'
• Tokarczuk is only the 15th woman to win the Nobel literature prize in more than a century.

Note:

• The 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature was postponed following sex abuse allegations that had rocked the Swedish Academy.
• A Literature Nobel Prize laureate earns a gold medal, a diploma bearing a citation, and a sum of money.

Source: AIR News

7. U.S. astronaut 'Nick Hague' honoured with the Russian Order of Courage

• U.S. astronaut Nick Hague has been awarded Russia’s top state honour 'Russian Order of Courage' award.
• The award was presented by the Russian President Vladimir Putin to Nick Hague for his effort to survive an emergency on board a Russian spacecraft a year ago.
• In October 2018, Nick Hague, along with Alexei Ovchinin (Russian cosmonaut), made a dramatic emergency landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan when a booster rocket on their Soyuz launch vehicle failed (the first such accident in post-Soviet history).

Source: New York Post

Important Dates

8. International Day of the Girl Child being observed today

• The International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) is observed every year across the world on 11th October (8th- edition) to recognize girls’ rights and challenges girls face around the world.
• The theme of 2019 is “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable".
• The main aims of the day are to promote girl's empowerment and fulfilment of their human rights while also highlighting the challenges that girls all over the world face.

Note:

• On December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution to declare 11th October as the International Day

Source: UN

International Affairs

9. Singapore is the World's Most Competitive Economy: Global Competitiveness Index

• According to the Global Competitiveness Index(GCI), Singapore is the world's most competitive economy in the world in 2019.
• Singapore scored 84.8 out of a possible 100, pushing the United States to the top spot in the ranking of 141 economies.
• The US ranked on the 2nd place which is followed by Hong Kong at third place and Netherlands (4th) & Switzerland (5th).
• In the index, China is the highest-ranked among BRICS nation, China is the 28th competitive economy in the world.
• This year, India has moved down 10 places to rank 68^th (2018- 58th position) in the global competitiveness index.

Note:

• The Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) (launched in 1979), compiled by the World Economic Forum.
• It evaluates the 141 economies through 103 indicators organised into 12 pillars.

Obituaries

10. Eminent Saxophone master Kadri Gopalnath passes away

• Eminent Saxophone master Padamashri Kadri Gopalnath (69-years) passed away in Mangalore, Karnataka.
• Kadri had been credited with introducing the Western wind instrument Saxophone to the Carnatic music world with great technical finesse and artistic sensitivity.

Source: Indian Express

Banking & Finance

11. RBI gives final nod to Kerala govt for the formation of Kerala Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given its final approval to the Kerala Government for the formation of the Kerala Bank.
• With its formation, the proposed Kerala Bank will be the largest banking network in the state.
• The objective of the formation of the Kerala Bank was to strengthen the cooperative sector, while the Opposition had alleged that it would destroy the traditional cooperative sector.
• According to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the 13 District Cooperative Banks (DCBs) will be merged with Kerala State Co-operative Bank to form Kerala Bank.

Source: AIR News

12. Auto component major Minda to acquire Germany's Delvis for EUR21 million

• Minda Industries (Auto component manufacturer) is acquiring 100% equity capital of Germany-based Delvis Group for 21 million euros (around Rs 163 crore).
• The Delvis Group is engaged in automotive lighting design and engineering.
• It comprises of Delvis GmBH and its two wholly-owned subsidiaries Delvis Products and Delvis Solutions.
• Minda has a diversified product portfolio that encompasses safety, security and restraint systems.
• These products cater to two- and three-wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and after-market.

Source: Economic Times

13. Govt constitutes a committee to suggest measures to augment GST revenue

• The Union Government has constituted a committee of officers to suggest measures to augment Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue.
• The panel comprises state-level GST commissioners of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab besides central government officials including Principal Commissioner of GST and Joint Secretary (Revenue).
• The committee has been asked to suggest urgent measures to arrest the fall in tax revenues and suggest steps to be taken to improve revenue collection.
• The panel has been also asked to look systemic changes in GST including checks and balances to prevent misuse, measures to improve voluntary compliance as well as policy measures and changes in law needed.
• The move came in the backdrop of a decrease in GST collections in September 2019.

Source: Times of India

Sports

14. German Footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger announces his retirement

• Germany and Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger (35-years) has announced his retirement from football.
• Schweinsteiger spent 17 seasons at Bayern Munich, playing in exactly 500 matches across all competitions and scoring 68 goals.
• In the international stage, his 121 appearances make him Germany’s fourth-most capped player of all time.
• In 2014, He won the World Cup with Germany.

Source: Sky sports