Current Affairs

Prime Minister Modi receives "Global Goalkeeper" award for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the "Global Goalkeeper" award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by his government. Mr Modi dedicated the award to those Indians who transformed the Swachh Bharat campaign into a "people's movement" and accorded topmost priority to cleanliness in their day-to-day lives.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister said, when 130 crore people take a pledge, any challenge can be overcome. Mr Modi said, over 11 crore toilets were built in the country in the last five years, which is a record. Prime Minister said, the poor people and the women of India were benefitted the most by it.



Gandhi Solar Park inaugurated at UN headquarters on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his thoughts on Mahatma Gandhi at a programme hosted by India in New York this morning. Mr Modi along with others world leaders also inaugurated the Gandhi Solar Park at the UN headquarters and released a commemorative stamp issued by the UN on the occasion of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.  

Mr Modi said, the platform is a living example that Mahatma Gandhi was from India but did not belong only to India. He said, even those who had never met Gandhiji were deeply influenced by his life. The prime minister said, Gandhiji had stressed on the real strength of democracy. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and a number of heads of state were present on the occasion.



Strong earthquake jolts PoK, kills 22 and injures 700; tremors felt in Delhi

A powerful 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast Pakistan on Tuesday, badly damaging scores of homes and shops and killing at least 22 people and injuring over 700, officials said.

The quake badly damaged a key road leading to the town of Mirpur in the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and adjoining villages, where most of the damage was located.

Mushtaf Minhas, information minister in Pakistan-held Kashmir, said 22 people, including women and children, were killed in the quake, mostly due to collapsing roofs and walls.

"We are supplying tents, food and other essential items to earthquake-affected people. We are facing a tragedy but we will try our best to ensure the rehabilitation of affected people as soon as possible," he told The Associated Press.



Amitabh Bachchan to get Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Actor Amitabh Bachchan will be awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar has tweeted. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in cinema.

Javadekar tweeted on Tuesday, “The legend Amitabh Bachchan who entertained and inspired for 2 generations has been selected unanimously for #DadaSahabPhalke award. The entire country and international community is happy. My heartiest Congratulations to him.”



Women’s badminton coach Kim resigns

National women’s coach Korean Kim Ji-Hyun, who played a vital role in helping P.V. Sindhu win the 2019 badminton World Championship gold, has resigned from her post to be with her ailing husband.

As a result she is unlikely to be with the Indian team ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“Kim has informed us that she would not be able to come back within the next six months as she has to attend to her husband,” chief National coach P. Gopi Chand told The Hindu.



Ramanujan prize for U.K. mathematician

The SASTRA Ramanujan prize for 2019 will be awarded to mathematician Adam Harper, Assistant Professor with the University of Warwick, England.

The prize carries a citation and an award of $10,000 and is conferred annually on mathematicians from across the world who are less than 32 years of age, working in an area influenced by the genius Srinivasa Ramanujan.

“The SASTRA-Ramanujan Award has gained global repute ever since it was instituted in 2005 and today is easily amongst the top five awards of this type for mathematics. Many previous winners, including Manjul Bhargava and Akshay Venkatesh, went on to win the Fields Medal later,” said Dr. S. Vaidhyasubramaniam, Vice-Chancellor of SASTRA University, in a press release.



Wipro to develop online business platform with Brazil’s financial services body

Wipro has said it would develop an online platform, noomis, for the financial services industry in Brazil. The Bengaluru-based software services provider has tied up with Febraban, an industry body representing the Latin American country’s financial services industry.

FEBRABAN also organizes CIAB, an information technology trade show for financial services in Latin America. Noomis will serve as a meeting point and a discussion platform for the finance professionals in Brazil who participate in CIAB FEBRABAN.

Built with digital cloud technologies, the platform is envisaged to change the way companies collaborate and share information. Noomis will provide reliable, analytical, and unbiased information via news reports, biogs, videos, and newsletters that will enable participants to stay up to date on financial market trends.



Sonu Nigam bags Magnificent Performing Arts Award at 21st Century Icon Award in UK

Popular Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam has been honoured with the Magnificent Performing Arts Award at the annual 21st Century Icon Awards in London. Nigam was among a host of winners across a range of categories at a gala awards ceremony last week, devised as a celebration of dynamic entrepreneurs and successful individuals chosen from hundreds of nominations from around the world.

“I am truly humbled to be chosen for this award. The nominations were from 22 different countries and it means a lot to me that I was the one chosen for this honour,” Nigam said in his acceptance speech ahead of the ceremony as he was engaged with his UK concert tour at the time.



Free Travel for Women in DTC, Cluster Buses to Begin from October 29 as Board Approves Scheme

Pink tickets will be issued to women passengers under the Delhi government's scheme for free travel in DTC and cluster buses which was approved by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) board on Monday, sources said.

The scheme has been approved till March 2020 and it will be rolled out on Bhai Dooj on October 29, they said. "The DTC board has approved free travel for women in its buses. It has also given a go-ahead to procure 300 electric buses," the sources said.



Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod triumphs

Young Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod beat Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar 21-13, 21-11 to win the Maldives International Future Series, and claim her maiden title, on Sunday.

However, in men’s singles, Kevin Arokia Walter finished runner-up after losing 21-13, 21-14 to Thailand’s Kantawat Leelavechabutr.