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IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF OCTOBER 31^th, 2018

                       IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF OCTOBER 31^th, 2018

1.     (31st October) is World Savings Day.

a.       This day was established on October 31, 1924, during the 1st International Savings Bank Congress (World Society of Savings Banks) in Milano, Italy.

2. (31st October) is World Cities Day.

a.       Aim of this day : To promote international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.  

b.       Theme of World Cities Day 2018 : "Building Sustainable and Resilient Cities"

3.      Today is Halloween.

a.       The word Halloween came from 'Hallowed evening', and is the day before All Hallows Day - also known as All Saints' Day.

4.      Austria has announced that it is withdrawing from the United Nations' (UN) Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration Agreement which is due to be formally approved in December in Morocco. 

a.       Austria said that the pact will blur the distinction between legal and illegal migration. 

b.       This agreement aims to boost international cooperation on migration issues.

5.      India and Italy today agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in areas of defence, trade and infrastructure and condemned those providing safe havens to terror groups. 

a.       India invited Italian defence firms to invest under the 'Make in India' initiative. 

b.       Note : This is the first time that the nations agreed on broad defence production since the Agusta Westland case surfaced in 2013.

6.      Nation is observing Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) to mark the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. .

a.       Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's memorial in Gujarat's Narmada district. 

b.       Called the Statue of Unity, the bronze sculpture is the world's tallest statuemeasuring 600 feet (182m) and overshadows China's Spring Temple Buddha (153m) and USA's Statue of Liberty (93m). 

c.       The 182-metre-tall Statue of Unity honouring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is double the height of USA's Statue of Liberty (93 metres). 

d.       The memorial has an observation deck at 153 metres to accommodate 200 visitors for a view of the Narmada Dam. Built by 250 engineers and over 3,000 workers, it can withstand 6.5-magnitude earthquakes and winds of up to 130 kmph.

e.       Important Points to Note about 'Statue of Unity'

i)       Inaugurated on : 31st October 2013

ii)     Completed on : 31st October 2018

iii)   Height : 182 meters (597 ft)

iv)   Material : Steel, Concrete, Bronze

v)     Cost :  ₹ 2989 Crore

vi)   Designed by : Ram V. Sutar

vii) Location : Narmada District, Gujarat

7.      Amid deteriorating air quality levels, Delhi is going to observe 'Clean Air Week' between November 1-5 in collaboration with UP and Haryana governments. 

a.       52 teams have been tasked with ensuring that the Supreme Court's regulation on firecrackers is followed. 

b.       Criminal proceedings will be initiated against repeat offenders.

8.      The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today retired its 1st planet-hunting mission as the Kepler Space Telescope ran out of fuel.

a.       Launched in March 2009 into an Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit, Kepler discovered over 2,600 planets and surveyed over 5,00,000 stars. 

9.      Prof Ashis Mukherjee, a senior faculty member of Tezpur University was awarded the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Teachers Award 2018. 

a.       He won the prestigious award for his consistent and high level of teaching and inspiring and mentoring students to take up careers in Science and Technology.

10. India's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) and payments solution provider Hitachi Payment Services India entered into an agreement to form a Joint Venturefor establishing a card acceptance and digital payment platform.

11. The reduction in cash withdrawal limit to ₹20,000 from ₹40,000 by State Bank of India on its Classic and Maestro debit cards came into effect.

a.       According to SBI, this move will help in checking frauds and promote digital transactions.

12. The government is going to sell up to 9% stake in Coal India on October 31 and November 1, which is expected to fetch nearly ₹14,900 crore to the exchequer. 

a.       The government currently holds 78.32% stake in India's largest coal producer. 

13. China today eased the ban on the trading of tiger bones and rhinoceros horns, allowing it for scientific, medical, educational and cultural use. 

a.       Note : China had imposed a complete ban on trade in rhinoceros and tiger parts in 1993 to protect the endangered species.

14. The world’s largest airport terminal “under one roof” with a capacity to serve 90 million passengers has been officially opened in Istanbul. 

a.       The airport has been envisioned to have a total capacity of up to 200 million passengers, once all four phases are completed in the next 10 years.

15. India has signed a $950-million deal with Russia to buy two Admiral Grigorovich-class guided-missile frigates for service in the Navy. 

a.       The frigates can be used in anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and anti-air warfare missions. 

b.       Note : Earlier, India inked a $5-billion deal to buy S-400 missile system from Russia, despite threats of US sanctions on defence trade with Russia.

16. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena swore in a new cabinet today amid the political crisis in the island nation. 

a.       Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed as the Prime Minister after Sirisena sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe, got the Finance and Economic Affairs portfolio. 

b.       A total of 12 new Cabinet Ministers, one State Minister and a Deputy Minister were sworn in.