6th October 2016 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Sri Lanka is going to sign the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India by the year-end to strengthen economic ties, Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe announced today. 
• The ETCA is expected to help the island country gain better access to India’s market.
• Note : India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement will also be further expanded.
• India has been ranked 19th among 28 nations in the Biopharmaceutical Competitiveness Survey, commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. 
• Countries were graded on scientific capabilities and infrastructure, clinical research conditions and framework, regulatory system, market access and financing, and effective intellectual property protections. 
• Note : The US topped the list.

National Affairs

• The Telangana government is finalising plans to break up the existing 10 districts into 31 smaller ones for easy administration. 
• Currently, the 1.14 lakh square kilometre state has nearly 36 lakh people residing in each district.
• Important Details about Telangana :
• Formed on : 2nd June 2014
  
• Capital : Hyderabad
• Total Districts :
• Now : 10
• After Dussehra : 31
• Chief minister : Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao
• Governor : E. S. L. Narasimhan
• Official language : Telugu / Urdu
• Official Sport : Kabaddi
• Official Song : Jaya Jaya He Telangana Janani Jayakethanam
• Official Animal : Chital (Spotted deer)
• Official Bird : Pala Pitta (Indian Roller)
• Official Flower : Tangedu Puvvu (Senna auriculata)
• Official Fruit : Mango
• Official Tree : Jammi Chettu (Prosopis cineraria)

Awards & Honors

• The Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Chamling was today conferred with the 2016 'Sustainable Development Leadership Award' by President Pranab Mukherjee during the World Sustainable Development Summit. 
• He has been honored with this award in recognition of his vision and leadership in environment and sustainable development that led to the establishment of Sikkim as India's first and only fully organic state.
• The United Nations today released a postage stamp to honour late Carnatic musician MS Subbulakshmi, who had performed at the world body 50 years ago. 
• The stamp, valued at $1.20 (around ₹80), features a photograph of Subbulakshmi and the UN symbol. 
• Important Note : This year marks the birth centenary of Subbulakshmi, the first musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna.
• Former ISRO Chairman and space scientist Prof Udupi Ramachandra Rao became the first Indian to be inducted in the Hall of Fame of International Astronautical Federation (IAF). 
• He was inducted during the closing ceremony of the 67th IAF Congress 2016 held at Guadalajara, Mexico for his outstanding contribution to the progress of astronautics.

Science & Technology

• India's latest communication satellite GSAT-18 was successfully launched today by the heavy duty Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana. 
• ISRO's GSAT-18 will add to India's fleet of 14 operational telecommunication satellites and is the 20th Indian satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA).
• The launch was deferred by 24 hours owing to bad weather conditions. 
• Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Wednesday flagged off the Guard Van of Goods (Freight) Train, the first to be equipped with a zero-discharge bio-toilet in its guard van. The van has a solar-powered light, a fan and a mobile charging point. The train, which features a battery bank for the van, set off from the Safdarjung Railway Station in Delhi.

General Knowledge

• Physicist and chemist Marie Curie, who was the first female Nobel laureate, and her immediate family have won five Nobel prizes among themselves. 
• Marie Curie and her husband Pierre Curie won the Physics Nobel in 1901 before Marie's solo Chemistry Nobel in 1911. 
• Their daughter Irène Joliot-Curie and her husband Frédéric Joliot-Curie won the Nobel prize for Chemistry in 1935.

MOUs & Agreements

• Germany and France signed an agreement to share military transport planes and announced plans to share an air base in the French city of Orleans. 
• The agreement will result in a more “active and useful” defense collaboration.
• This comes after Germany accused Britain of “paralyzing” EU efforts for military integration by voting to leave the bloc.
• The Union Cabinet gave its approval to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and African Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) for capacity building programmes in the field of rural development. 
• The MoU is being signed under which capacity building programmes for AARDO member countries for the triennium 2015 – 2017.
• The Union Cabinet has also given its approval for the signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and European Union in the field of water resources. 
• The MoU envisages strengthening technological, scientific and management capabilities of India and EU in field of water management on basis of reciprocity, equality and mutual benefit.

New Appointments

• Senior Indian Revenue Service officer Sushil Chandra was today appointed as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the apex policy making body for the Income Tax department. 
• He is going to replace Rani Singh Nair, who retires this month-end. 
• Chandra, a 1980 batch officer of IRS (Income Tax), currently serves as a Member (Investigation) of the CBDT.
• Online payments and m-commerce platform Paytm has appointed former Citigroup's Managing Director Madhur Deora as the company's Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President. 
• He will be responsible for building, managing, and expanding Paytm's financial services business. Paytm is scheduled to launch its first payments bank during Diwali this year.

Sports

• Shooter Jitu Rai has won a Silver medal in the men's 50-metre air pistol event, at the 2016 ISSF World Cup in Italy today. 

Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

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