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IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF OCTOBER 7^th, 2018

                         IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF OCTOBER 7^th, 2018

1.     (7th October) is World Day for Decent Work .

a.      During this day trade unions, union federations and other workers associations develop their actions to promote the idea of Decent Work. 

b.     Theme of World Day for Decent Work 2018  :  “Change the Rules”.

2.     President Ram Nath Kovind embarked on a 3-day visit to Tajikistan.

a.      During this visit, he will hold talks with the top leadership of the country to strengthen India's ties with the Central Asian country. 

b.     He will meet his Tajik counterpart Emamoli Rahmon, Speaker of Parliament Shukurjon Zuhurov, and Speaker of the Lower House (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of Parliament. 

c.      Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda will also call on the president.

d.     About Tajikistan :

i)      Capital : Dushanbe

ii)    Official Language : Tajik

iii) Currency : Somoni

iv) President : Emomali Rahmon

v)    Prime Minister : Kokhir Rasulzoda

3.     Idiocracy, Fam, Alt-right and Nothingburger are among new​ words added to the latest Oxford English Dictionary (OED) for the year 2018.

a.      Idiocracy : A society consisting of or governed by people characterised as idiots.

b.     Fam : A slang to refer to family, close friends or members of a particular group.

c.      Nothingburger  : Someone or something that has little importance.

d.     Alt-right : Short form for 'alternative right'.

4.     India’s and Asia’s 1st Dolphin research centre titled National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) is going to be set up on the banks of the Ganga river in Patna University campus in Patna (Bihar).

5.     Indian IT industry’s apex body National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has launched its Centre of Excellence for the Internet of Things (CoE – IoT) at Gurugram, Haryana. 

a.      This centre was launched in collaboration with Haryana government and is part of nationwide collaborative initiative involving the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

6.     The Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to celebrate it's 86th anniversary tomorrow.

a.      On this day in the year 1932 it was officially established as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honored India's aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal.

b.     Important Points to Note :

i)      Headquarters : New Delhi

ii)    Founded on : 8th October 1932

iii) Motto : नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम्  (Touch the Sky with Glory)

iv) Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) : Birender Singh Dhanoa

v)    Vice Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) : Anil Khosla

7.     Government has inked $110 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to upgrade all-weather rural roads in Madhya Pradesh under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).  

a.      It is second tranche of $500 million Second Rural Connectivity Investment Programme for India approved by ADB in December 2017.

8.     Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the maiden Uttarakhand Investors Summit in Dehradun today.

a.      Leading industrial houses are participating in the two-day event which will explore investment opportunities in the state.

b.     Apart from Indian investors, those from Japan, Czech Republic, Argentina, Mauritius and Nepal will also participate.

9.     The government is going to auction over 100 Mineral blocks by March 2019.

a.      Jharkhand will auction the highest number of blocks at 20, followed by Rajasthan at 16. 

b.     Note : The government has auctioned 50 mineral blocks since 2015, out of which it will earn a revenue of ₹1.81 lakh crore over the lease period.

10.                       NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed flyby of Venus at distance of about 2,415 kilometres during its first gravity assist from planet. 

a.      These gravity assists will help spacecraft tighten its orbit closer to Sun over course of the mission. 

b.     The spacecraft in future will be carrying six Venus gravity assists over the course of the seven-year mission.

11.                       Eminent Gandhian social worker Natwar Thakkar (86) passed away.

a.      He is popularly known as 'Nagaland's Gandhi'.

b.     A Padma Shri awardee, Thakkar hailed from Maharashtra and had migrated to Nagaland in 1955 at the age of 23. 

c.      He founded the Nagaland Gandhi Ashram at the Chuchuyimlang village in the Mokokchung district of Nagaland.

12.                       Saudi businesswoman Lubna Al Olayan will chair a new bank being formed out of a merger between the Saudi British Bank (SABB) and Alawwal Bank. 

a.      This is for the first time a woman has been appointed to run a Saudi Arabian bank.

13. US President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh, was sworn in today.

14. Pankaj Sharma has been appointed as India’s Ambassador and permanent representative to United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

a.      He will replace Amandeep Gill. 

b.     He is currently working as joint secretary (Disarmament and International Security Division) in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).