Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 05th October 2017

i. Kazuo Ishiguro, “who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world”, has been awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced.

ii. Sixty-four-year-old Mr. Ishiguro was born in Japan and his family moved to the United Kingdom when he was five. His most renowned novel, The Remains of the Day (1989), was turned into film with Anthony Hopkins as the butler Stevens. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The Swedish Academy in 2016, awarded the Nobel Literature Prize to U.S. counter-culture icon and rock star Bob Dylan.

2. Forbes India Rich List 2017: Mukesh Ambani Richest With $38 Billion

i. Forbes Magazine has released its India Rich List for 2017, with Reliance Industries Limited chairman Mukesh Ambani topping the charts for the 10th consecutive year with a net worth of $38 billion.
ii. Mr Ambani is followed by tech czar Azim Premji who jumped two places with the net worth of $19 billion. Ranked third are the Hinduja brothers who added $3.2 billion to their net worth.
iii. According to Forbes, the combined net worth of the 100 richest Indians stood at $479 billion, a jump of 26% from $374 billion in 2016. Acharya Balkrishna, CEO of Patanjali Ayurved, figures at No. 19 with net worth of $6.55 billion.

i. World Teachers’ Day is held annually on 5 October since 1994 to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.

ii. The theme of 2017 World Teachers’ Day is “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers”. The 1966 Recommendation constitutes the main reference framework for addressing teachers’ rights and responsibilities on a global scale.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 
• UNESCO is responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication.

i. Centre has set up a high-level committee for proper management of water resources in the North-Eastern region. The Committee will be headed by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar.

ii. It will facilitate optimising benefits of appropriate water management in the form of hydro-electric power, agriculture, biodiversity conservation, reduced flood damage erosion, inland water transport, forestry, fishery and eco-tourism.

5. 8th SAARC Speaker, Parliamentarians Conference Started in Sri Lanka

i. The 8th conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians (ASSP) will take place from October 4 to 6 at the Hotel Hilton in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians was set up in 1992 with the vision to promote friendship and understanding amongst the peoples of South Asia.

ii. The first conference of the ASSP was held in India in 1995 and the last one in Maldives in 2013.

iii. This year’s Conference will emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals, as the main theme is ‘Association of the SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians’: a platform for the Parliamentarians of South Asia to work together to reach the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development.

Important Takeaways from Above News- 

• The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of nations in South Asia. 
• It Headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal. 
• Its Secretary-General is Mr. Amjad Hussain B. Sial (Pakistan).

6. India to be Guest Country at the World Government Summit

i. The World Government Summit announced that India is a guest country in its upcoming gathering. The Annual Gathering is scheduled from February 11 to 13, 2018.

ii. Honorary guests from India will join the notable list of speakers synonymous with the World Government Summit to showcase the country’s emerging economic growth, highlight valuable knowledge, skills, and capabilities and elaborate on the country’s unique culture.

About World Government Summit:

• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 
• Chairman: Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi.

7. World Space Week Observed Globally

i. The World Space Week is organized across the World from 4 to 10 October. In 1999, The United Nations General Assembly declared that World Space Week will take place from 4th October to 10th October every year, in commemoration and celebration of two key dates in the advancement of space technology and exploration.

ii. World Space Week theme for 2017 is ‘Exploring New Worlds In Space’. The 4th October 1957 when Sputnik, the first human-made Earth satellite was launched, and October 10th when the Treaty on Principle Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration of Space and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and other Celestial Bodies including the Moon, was signed.

i. The Mongolian Parliament confirmed Ukhnaa Khurelsukh as the country’s new Prime Minister. His confirmation comes after Jargaltulga Erdenebat was voted out of office over allegations of corruption and incompetence.

ii. Khurelsukh previously served in the army and joined the parliament as a member in 2000. He is the 30th Prime Minister of Mongolia.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Ulaanbaatar is the Capital of Mongolia.

9. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Pakistan’s New Navy Chief

i. Pakistan appointed Vice-Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi as new Chief of Naval Staff. He will replace Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah who will retire on 6 October.

ii. President Mamnoon Hussain approved the appointment of Abbasi on the advice of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. In Pakistan, all services chiefs are appointed by the president at the recommendation of the prime minister who has final say in such appointments.

i. Digital payments firm MobiKwik announced its partnership with IRCTC Rail connect app, which will allow customers book railway tickets using the former’s payment gateway.

ii. The tie-up is aimed at simplifying payment systems by introducing MobiKwik’s easy-to-use interface for all, which supports payment solution through channels like debit card, credit card, net Banking, ATM Cards and Wallets.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• M. P. Mall is the Chairman & Managing Director of IRCTC. 
• Bipin Preet Singh Founder CEO & Director of Mobikwik.

11. Reserve Bank of India Opens Branch in Dehradun

i. The Reserve Bank of India opened a branch in the Dehradun city to make transactions of the Uttarakhand State government more convenient.

ii. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated the RBI’s Branch. Earlier, the state government had to do financial transactions through the Kanpur branch of the RBI.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• RBI was established in 1935 
• It Headquarters in Mumbai. 
• The 24th and Current Governor of RBI is Dr Urjit Patel.

12. HDFC Life Launched Neo, a Bot for Twitter

i. HDFC Life Insurance Company has launched ‘Neo’, a servicing bot for Twitter that uses artificial intelligence for customer service. This is the second bot put in operation by HDFC Life, after the launch of SPOK, which was an email bot to answer customer queries.

ii. The Neo bot will be available 24/7 and has the capability to authenticate customers and give frequently sought details, like fund value, sum assured and premium amount.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• HDFC Life has launched Neo with SmartConnect Technologies. 
• Aditya Puri is the CEO of HDFC Bank. 
• It headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

13. India wins its First Ever Wushu World Championship Gold

i. Pooja Kadian became the first ever Indian sportsperson to win a gold medal at the Wushu World Championship in Kazan, Russia.

ii. Kadian, who competed in the women’s 75kg Sanda category, defeated Russia’s Evgeniya Stepanova in the final. Pooja, a head constable in the CRPF, had earlier won gold in the South Asian Games and silver in the 2013 World Championship.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The Capital of Russia is Moscow. 
• The President of Russia is Vladimir Putin.

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