Current Affairs Oct 19 - Oct 20, 2016.

1. Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has made it mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to provide emission and noise pollution details for every vehicle they produce by April 2017.

In this regard, the ministry has amended Form 22 under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1989 through which manufactures provide the initial certification of compliance of vehicles.

Basically, it will include pollution standards, safety standards of component quality and road-worthiness certificate for all vehicles.
With this mandatory measure, the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in future intends to award five star ratings to vehicles based on their emission and noise pollution standards.

What are provisions of amended Form 22?

• Mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to provide emission and noise pollution details for every vehicle including makers of electric rickshaws and electric carts. 
• The Form will include the brand, engine number, chassis number and emission norm of the vehicle. 
• It will apply to all vehicles including petrol, CNG, LPG, electric, diesel and hybrid. 

Automobile manufacturers must specify the levels of each pollutant like carbon monoxide, hydro carbon, non-methane HC, NOx, HC+NOx, PM etc. for petrol and diesel vehicles.

They should also specify the sound level for horn and pass-by noise values of all vehicles. Earlier, Form 22 only certified that the vehicle in question complied with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989 and rules there under, including the relevant emission norms.

2. Indian Navy has commissioned INS Tihayu, a Car Nicobar Class water jet fast attack craft (WJFAC).

It was commissioned by the Flag-Officer-Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command Vice-Admiral H.C.S. Bisht in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.


About INS Tahiyu

• INS Tahiyu is the sixth WJFAC Car Nicobar Class vessel to be commissioned and allotted to the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy. 
• It has been built by Kolkata-based shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). 
• Overall, INS Tahiyu is the 20th vessel in this class to be built by the shipyard. Indian Navy has commissioned INS Tihayu, a Car Nicobar Class water jet fast attack craft (WJFAC). 
•  It is an improved version of the earlier vessels. It has been fitted with three water jet propulsion systems, powered by marine diesel engines generating 2720 KW of power.
•  It also has been loaded with an indigenously-built 30 mm CRN gun, an assorted variant of machine guns and shoulder-launched IGLA surface to air missile. 

What are Car Nicobar Class WJFACs?

• The Car Nicobar class water jet fast attack crafts are high-speed offshore patrol vessels built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy. 
• The class and its vessels are named after Car Nicobar island part of Andaman and Nicobar They are the first water jet propelled vessels of the Indian Navy.

3. India has signed agreement with Russia to lease second Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine (SSN). 

• The deal is believed to be worth about $2 billion. 
• The lease to transfer a multipurpose Project 971 nuclear submarine to India from the Russian Navy was signed in Goa on the sidelines of 8th BRICS Summit. 
• The second nuclear submarine is expected to arrive in Indian waters in 2020-21. 

Background 

• India had earlier leased first Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine (SSN) for a period of 10 years from Russia. 
• It was inducted into service as INS Chakra (formerly known as K-152 Nerpa) in April 2012. 
• Its lease expires in 2021. 
• Since then, India had expressed interest in leasing at least one more submarine to train Navy crew in complex submarine operations to have a large fleet of nuclear submarines. 
• Akula-class submarines Akula-class submarines of Project 97 (NATO name Akula-II) weigh around 8,140 tonnes. 

• They are considered one of the most silent SSNs in service and are capable of sailing at speeds up to 35 knots. They are nuclear powered but are armed with conventional land attack missiles.
  
• INS Arihant Earlier in August 2016, India had quietly inducted its first indigenously built nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Arihant into service completing its nuclear triad.
  
• Besides, follow-on submarines are also planned and at least two are in various stages of construction which will give India strategic foothold in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 

The second indigenous nuclear submarine of the same class, INS Aridhaman, will be commissioned in 2018.

Pakistan does not have a nuclear submarine and lacks a nuclear triad.
 China has four nuclear-powered submarines in operation and in a couple of years this number that will go up to six. China’s Nuclear-submarines carry a version of the Dong Feng nuclear missile that has a range of up to 7,000 km.


4. Rajasthani and Bhojpuri language to get official status under 8th schedule of 22 languages.


5. PM Modi government is all set to bring back the detention system in schools, something that the UPA regime had put an end to.

The Centre is convinced that the quality of education has gone down in the country, and so has decided to amend the Right to Education [RTE] Act to make children repeat a class if they do not clear the annual examination.

• The Centre favours an amendment that allows examination-based promotion from class 5 onwards. 
• The RTE Act currently does not allow failing of students till class 8th. 
• The Centre claims that all state governments have come on board against the no-detention policy contained in the RTE Act. “MHRD [the Ministry of Human Resources Development] will pilot a bill to amend the RTE Act to re-introduce annual examinations in school.

6. India china hold joint military exercise on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in Ladakh.


7. India to be 3rd largest aviation market by 2026 by Global Airlines IATA. Top two China and USA.

 IATA International Air Transport Association is a trade association of the world’s airlines. Consisting of 268 airlines, primarily major carriers, representing 117 countries, the IATA's member airlines account for carrying approximately 83% of total Available Seat Kilometers air traffic


8. India and Myanmar signed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) to boost bilateral relations between two neighbouring nations.

Signed MoUs are

• MoU for designing an academic and professional building programme for insurance industry of Myanmar.
•  MoU on Cooperation in the field of Power Sector. Under it India has offered to enhance power supply from Moreh in Manipur to Tamu in Myanmar. 
• MoU on Banking Supervision. It was signed between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of Myanmar.
  
  
•  Besides, India extended support to Myanmar for a better connected future. Both countries agreed to cooperate in security and strategic issues. 
• They also agreed to enhance engagement in several areas including to develop a mutually beneficial arrangement for trade in pulses.
  
  

9. Election Commission of India hosted the first ever International Conference on Voter Education in New Delhi.

The three day (from 19 to 21 October, 2016) conference was inaugurated by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr Nasim Zaidi.
 Key Facts

• The topic of the first of its kind conference is Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed and Ethical Participation. 
• 27 countries and 5 international organizations are participating in it. 
• It has been organized with an aim to share best practices, initiatives and policies of voter education by election management bodies. 
• It aims at achieving a resolution to strengthen inclusive, ethical and informed electoral participation among member countries with the help of voter education and outreach. 
  
• It will deliberate upon five topics ranging from Role of Information Communication Technology in Voter Education, Electoral Literacy to Enhanced participation by special categories of voters and Strategies for Informed and Ethical Voting.
  
• The Conference will see the launch of the ambitious VoICE.NET project, a Global Knowledge Network on voter education.
  
•  Besides, an exhibition showcasing Voter Education tools and materials will be also organized on the occasion
  
  

10. World Bank has pledged 2 billion US dollars aid package to Bangladesh to tackle climate change over the next three years.

The aid package is part of the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries.
Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to climate change and accounts for almost 70% of all storm surges in the world.
The aid package aims to further develop the resilience of the people at a time when climate change is putting their lives and livelihoods at greater risk.

Background

• This is the second large investment announcement made by the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim during his 2-day visit to Bangladesh.
• Earlier he had announced to provide US $1 billion aid to Bangladesh over the next three years to fight child malnutrition.

11. India, Algeria mull fertilizer JV.

India is keen to join hands with Algeria to explore the possibilities of setting up a multi-billion dollar fertilizer project, bearing in mind the phosphatic reserve available in this North African country which is estimated to be more than 5 billion tonnes. A meeting in this regard was also recently held between the two countries.

The estimated phosphate reserve in Algeria is estimated to be more than 5 billion tonnes and possible Indian investment in the sector is expected to be $5 to 7 billion.
Background:

Implications of this move:

• Around 90 to 95% phosphate being used by Indian fertilizer companies is imported and the production cost is also very high. 
• The price of fertilizer in India is expected to come down along with the subsidy burden if the talks between the two countries lead to setting up of a joint venture mega fertilizer company in Algiers.

India currently imports raw phosphate resources from a number of African countries including Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt and Syria, as also from Russia, Canada and Israel among others.

Key facts:

• Indian fertilizer industry is producing about 12.28 million tonnes of nitrogen and 4.37 million tonnes of phosphatic nutrient production.
• India ranks second in the production of nitrogenous fertilizers and third in phosphatic fertilizers.
• According to a report of department of fertilizers, by 2016-17, fertilizer demand in the country is projected to increase to about 336.77 lakh tonnes of urea, 124.13 lakh tonnes of DAP, 59.48 lakh tonnes of SSP and 47.93 lakh tonnes of MOP.

12. Green train corridors

The Indian Railways has declared the Okha-Kanalus (141 Kms) and Porbandar-Wansjaliya (34 Kms) sections of Gujarat in Western Railway as the Green Train Corridors.

What are Green train corridors?

Green Train Corridors are sections of the railways which will be free of human waste on the tracks.

How is this being achieved?

This is being achieved by the installation of bio-toilets in all coaches of Indian Railways.

Background:

Railways have taken up a mammoth task of providing human discharge free bio-toilets in all its coaches to make the entire railway track a green corridor by 2020. Railways have already provided around 48,000 bio-toilets in about 14,000 passenger coaches.

The 114-km stretch in Tamil Nadu between Rameswaram and Manamadurai had been identified as a Human Waste Discharge Free Train Corridor and was formally inaugurated as the first green corridor in July this year. Accordingly, ten passenger trains consisting of 286 coaches moving over this section have been provided with bio-toilets.

Bio-toilets:

The technology of environment-friendly bio-toilets has been developed jointly by the Indian Railways and the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) through an MoU.

These toilets function in a manner that the human waste is collected in tanks below the toilets and the same is decomposed by the use of various bacteria.

OTHER IMP NEWS :-

1. The city that became the first Indian city to be officially declared as one of the venues for hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup is - Kochi

2.  The skill development initiative that was launched by Maharashtra Government for students is - Kaushalya SETU (Self-Employment and Talent Utilisation)

3. The Union Ministry of Shipping on 17 October 2016 sanctioned the Capital Dredging Project for Ro Pax Ferry Services between Gogha & Dahej, in Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat.
The step was taken as a part of promoting coastal shipping in the country under Sagarmala programme. It is one of the flagship projects under Sagarmala which aims to increase share of waterways transportation in modal mix to 10% from present level of 7% by year 2025.

4.Indian Boxing Council (IBC) in the second week of October 2016 was inducted into the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) with voting rights. The decision was taken at the WBO's annual convention at Puerto Rico.
The Indian Boxing Council is a licensing body for the country's professional boxers.

About World Boxing Organisation
• The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization that recognizes professional boxing world champions.
• It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups. The other groups are the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF).
• The WBO's headquarters are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

5. 10th Indo-US trade forum began on Thursday in Delhi. As part of the Trade Policy Forum, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and US Trade Representative Michael Froman are meeting in New Delhi. 

Visa, customs cooperation, greater market access for goods and intellectual property rights are the key issues expected to be discussed during the trade policy forum meeting. 


Before the ministerial level meeting, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia and Deputy US Trade Representative Robert Holleyman deliberated upon the issues on October 19.

THANKS 

SHARING IS CARING :) 

Current Affairs Oct 16 - Oct 18, 2016

1. BRICS - BIMSTEC bring terrorism on centre stage.

The BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit which concluded on Oct 16, 2016 brought into focus the manner in which two key groupings can work together to address a wide range of issues and challenges.

HOW BIMSTEC WILL MOVE FORWARD  -- To take matters forward..the leaders committed to expedite signing of BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters -- They also agreed on early ratification of the BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking -- They resolved to strengthen cooperation to protect environment -- and stressed the necessity of implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at regional and national levels  4 key sectors were identified for swift action as well and intructions issued. HOW BIMSTEC WILL MOVE FORWARD -- The leaders also agreed to enhance connectivity for regional integration where possibility of BIMSTEC Motor Vehicles Agreement will be explored -- They also agreed to have closer cooperation in disaster management -- There was decision to expedite signing of BIMSTEC MoU on Grid Interconnection -- There was agreement to deepen cooperation in agriculture, horticulture, blue economy and health -- Negotiations are to be expedited of BIMSTEC Free Trade Area -- several ways were identified for work on people to people contact including tourism The BIMSTEC leaders further committed to effective implementation of the BIMSTEC Poverty Plan of Action adopted at the 2014 summit in Myanmar.  They also direct the BIMSTEC Secretariat to plan a series of activities to be to undertaken to celebrate the 20th annivesary of the establishment of the grouping in 2017. BIMSTEC           (HQ - DHAKA Established - 6 June 1997) Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia. These are: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. 2. India and Brazil signed 4 agreements in areas of investment cooperation and facilitation, cattle genomics, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. 3. Blast off! China sends two astronauts to live onboard its space station in nation's longest manned mission yet The Shenzhou-11 spacecraft   blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert. Two astronauts are onboard and they will take around two days to reach the Tiangong-2 space lab  They will remain on board for 30 days to conduct tests on spacecraft technologies and experiments Space laboratory is part of a broader plan to have a permanent manned space station in service in 2022. 4. Modi launches SC/ST hub in Ludhiana  Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled key initiatives and a hub, to provide support to entrepreneurs from the SC/ST community in Ludhiana.  The National SC/ST Hub, under the MSME Ministry, was announced in the Budget as well. With an initial outlay of 490 crore rupees, the hub will work towards strengthening market access/linkage, monitoring, capacity building, leveraging financial support schemes and sharing industry-best practices.  Prime Minister Modi also launched ‘zero defect, zero effect’ (on environment) scheme which is aimed at raising quality levels in the unregulated MSME sector.  PM Modi also said a spirit of entrepreneurship among Dalits will benefit the country. He added there are youngsters whose dreams are to create enterprises and jobs. 5. SC dismisses BCCI review petition in Lodha panel logjam. In a fresh blow to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed BCCI's petition, seeking review of the court verdict on July 18, which had validated the Lodha Panel recommendations.  In the order passed on July 18, the court had okay-ed the reforms suggested by former Chief Justice of India R M Lodha-led panel which had made widespread ideas to improve the administration of the game in the country and make it cleaner. Some of the most important reforms are one state-one vote, one person-one post and a 70-year age limit for office bearers. But in the months since, BCCI have been reluctant to implement these three important recommendations while the board accepted small reforms at its recent Special General Meeting. The Court on Monday decided to consider imposing monetary sanctions on the BCCI until the board implements the reforms mooted by the panel. The court reserved its orders on issues such as fixing a limit on money the BCCI could use, and seeking the Lodha panel's approval for all financial contracts and agreements. The court also has an option to appoint independent administrators in place of the current office holders but that plan has been considered as an "extreme option". The court had barred BCCI from handing funds to state associations with some state bodies disallowed from using these funds. 6. The crucial three-day meeting of the all-powerful GST Council, starting Oct 18, 2016 will decide on the tax rate and sort out issues like compensation formula for rollout of the new indirect tax regime from April 1, 2017.  With the finance ministry setting November 22 as the deadline for building consensus on all the issues in the Council, the upcoming meeting is significant as it will decide on the most crucial aspect of tax rate that will have a bearing on the common man.  At its previous meeting last month, the GST Council, which has all state finance ministers as members, had finalised area-based exemptions and how 11 states, mostly in the North-East and hilly regions, will be treated under the new tax regime.  The meeting will also deliberate on the vexed issue of the Centre retaining power to assess 11 lakh service tax filers under the new dispensation.  While a decision to this effect was taken at the first meeting of the GST Council, at least two states dithered on approving the minutes of the meeting, saying they are not in favour of losing power of assessment of these assessees.  The finance ministry will try and reach a consensus on the key issues so that the subsequent central GST (CGST) and integrated GST (IGST) legislations can be introduced in the month-long Winter Session of Parliament beginning November 16.  Last year, a panel headed by Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian had suggested 17-18 per cent as the standard rate for bulk of goods and services while recommending 12 per cent for low rate goods and 40 per cent for demerit ones like luxury car, aerated beverages, pan masala and tobacco. For precious metal, it recommended a range of 2-6 per cent.  Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had last week said tax on environment-unfriendly products will be “distinct” from others in the GST framework.  As for the formula for the Centre compensating loss of revenue to states, 3-4 alternatives were discussed at the first meet, but a decision could not be reached.  As per the proposals, a state can be compensated if the revenue under GST falls short of the average tax earnings in the best three years out of the past five years.  Second, of the five years, two outliers are left out and an average is taken. If the revenue under GST is short of this, then states get compensated. Third, a base year can be fixed and a particular growth rate decided for all states. If the revenue falls short of that, then the state gets compensated. The base year would be 2015-16. .  So far, as many as 6 issues have been settled by the GST Council, including finalisation of rules for registration, rules for payments, returns, refunds and invoices.  In the first meeting, the Centre and states had reached an agreement on keeping traders with annual revenue of up to Rs 20 lakh out of the new national sales tax ambit that will subsume all cesses.  It also resolved issues over dual control over small traders, and decided that states will have exclusive control over all dealers up to a revenue threshold of Rs 1.5 crore in a year.  A mechanism will be worked out for traders above Rs 1.5 crore to ensure a dealer is regulated either by the central government or the state and not both. 7.  New sensor can detect vitamin B12 deficiency in minutes. Scientists have developed a new world-first optical sensor that may quickly detect vitamin B12 defficiency, a condition linked to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.   Research - University of Adelaide in Australia.  The device would enable the tracking of vitamin B12 levels in high-risk patients and early intervention ? to top up vitamin B12 levels when low - and help overcome the limitations of current testing methods which are time-consuming and costly.  "Vitamin B12 deficiency has been shown to be a potential modifiable risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer's disease and is associated with cognitive decline. "Older adults are particularly at risk of B12 deficiency due to age-related reduction in absorbing vitamin B12 received through their diet," said Tsiminis.  "Our sensor is an early first step towards a point-of-care solution for measuring and tracking B12 in healthy ageing adults. This would allow doctors to monitor B12 levels and intervene as soon as B12 deficiency was detected. The sensor is still at proof-of-concept stage but, with development, has wide-reaching potential applications.  "However, this is the first time a rapid technique based on optical spectroscopy has been shown to be able to detect vitamin B12 in human blood serum.  This is the first demonstration of vitamin B12 being measured in human blood serum without the need for a full laboratory test.  The sensor uses an optical measuring technique called Raman spectroscopy which produces a unique optical fingerprint of a target molecule, in this case vitamin B12.  8. Mining Surveillance System The government has launched the Mining Surveillance System (MSS). It uses space technology for curbing illegal mining activity in the country. What is it? MSS is a satellite-based monitoring system which aims to establish a regime of responsive mineral administration, through public participation, by curbing instances of illegal mining activity through automatic remote sensing detection technology. Who developed it? Ministry of Mines, through Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), has developed the MSS, in coordination with Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). Significance of MSS: Developed under the Digital India Programme, MSS is one of the first such surveillance systems developed in the world using space technology. The current system of monitoring of illegal mining activity is based on local complaints and unconfirmed information. There is no robust mechanism to monitor the action taken on such complaints. 9. Kigali makes history with HFC freeze. 197 countries have struck a new landmark deal at Kigali in Rwanda to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which could prevent up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of global warming by year 2100. The announcement came at Kigali where 197 countries that are party to the Montreal Protocol were trying to negotiate a deal to substantially reduce the use of HFCs by 2030. Highlights: The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is legally binding. The agreement at Kigali came after seven years of negotiations under which the 197 Montreal Protocol parties reached a compromise wherein developed countries will start to phase down HFCs by 2019. Developing countries will follow with a freeze of HFCs consumption levels in 2024, with some countries freezing consumption in 2028. By the late 2040s, all countries are expected to consume no more than 15-20% of their respective baselines. Overall, the agreement is expected to reduce HFC use by 85% by 2045. As per the agreement, China, which is the largest producer of HFCs in the world, will reduce HFC use by 80% by 2045 over the 2020-22 baseline. India will reduce the use of HFCs by 85% over the 2024-26 baseline. The countries negotiating at Kigali also agreed to provide adequate financing for HFCs reduction—which runs in billions of dollars globally. The exact amount of additional funding will be agreed at the next meeting of the Parties in Montreal, in 2017. The amendment will enter into force on 1 January, 2019, provided that at least 20 instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval of the Amendment have been deposited by states or regional economic integration organisations that are parties to the Montreal Protocol on substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. What is the Montreal Protocol? The Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer is a landmark international agreement designed to protect the stratospheric ozone layer. The treaty was originally signed in 1987 and substantially amended in 1990 and 1992. The Montreal Protocol, which came into force in 1989, is aimed at reducing the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances in order to protect the earth’s fragile ozone layer. Background: Commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances, HFCs are currently the world’s fastest growing greenhouse gases, their emissions increasing by up to 10% each year. They are also one of the most powerful, trapping thousands of times more heat in the Earth’s atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2). Growth of HFCs has mainly been driven by a growing demand for cooling, particularly in developing countries with a fast-expanding middle class and hot climates. Sources: the hindu. 10. Kashmiri Red Stag or Hangul to be Declared Critically ENDANGERED by IUCN. THE magnificent Kashmiri Red Stag or Hangul could finally get some protection with the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) all set to declare it a 'critically endangered' species. KASHMIRI HANGUL TO GET  RECLASSIFIED Known for its giant antlers bearing 11 to 16 points, Hangul has been hunted over centuries and its habitat destroyed, leading to its population in the wild plunging to a mere 150. Even then, IUCN - the biggest international body assessing threat levels to flora and fauna - categorised it as that of 'Least Concern' by clubbing with European and other 'red deer' species of the world. OTHER IMPORTANT Affairs :- 1. CBI registered a case in connection with dope test of wrestler Narsingh Yadav. Earlier this month, Haryana govt referred case to CBI for further investigation. 2. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates three hydro-power projects of 1,752 MW capacity in  Himachal Pradesh. 3. After concluding his 3-day  Hungary tour, Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari reaches Algiers in 2nd & final leg of two-Nation visit. India and Hungary sign two agreements including co-operation in Water resources and co-operation between Indian Council of World Affairs and its Hungarian counterpart. 4. Indian shuttler Sourabh Verma wins men's singles title at the Chinese Taipei Open badminton. 5. According to Home Ministry 20 patients were killed and 109 others injured in a fire that broke out in the ICU wing of the Institute of Medical Sciences & SUM hospital in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. 6. October 16 was World Food Day. This day is observed to commemorate the founding of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation.  This year the theme is 'Climate is Changing' which focuses on climate actions for a sustainable future highlighting the close link between climate change, sustainable agriculture and food and nutrition security.  7. Maldives government in October decided to leave the 53-member Commonwealth of Nations. The decision was announced weeks after the organisation warned it of suspension by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) if it failed to take further steps to promote the rule of law and democracy. Maldives had decided to leave the Commonwealth saying it was treated unjustly and unfairly by the Commonwealth. 8. Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat retained his welterweight Asia title. In the final bout played in New Delhi on 14 October 2016, Goyat outpunched Australian Ben Kite. The fight was organised by the Professional Boxing Organisation of India. 9. Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal was appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athletes' Commission. Saina received a letter to the effect from the IOC President Thomas Bach on 17 October 2016. The letter read it is great pleasure to appoint you in consultation with the Chair, as Member of the Athletes’ Commission. This member can be termed as a rare honour for the Indian sportsperson.  The Athletes' Commission is chaired by Angela Ruggiero and it comprises nine vice presidents and 10 other members. International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athletes' Commission The IOC Athletes' Commission is a body maintained by the International Olympic Committee for the purpose of representing athletes. It was established in 1981 by the then-President of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch, and its creation was subsequently codified by the IOC in Rule 21 of the Olympic Charter. 10. The company that recently launched India’s first indigenous electric bus is - Ashok Leyland 11. INDIA has now Nuclear Triad.India on 18 October 2016 completed its nuclear triad by inducting country's first indigenously-constructed nuclear submarine INS Arihant into service. INS Arihant is the lead ship of India's Arihant class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. A nuclear triad refers to the nuclear weapons delivery of a strategic nuclear arsenal which consists of three components: strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). The purpose of having a three-branched nuclear capability is to significantly reduce the possibility that an enemy could destroy all of a nation's nuclear forces in a first-strike attack. 12. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was observed on 17 October 2016 with theme Moving from humiliation and exclusion to participation: Ending poverty in all its forms. 2016 theme of the day highlights how important it is to recognize and address the humiliation and exclusion endured by many people living in poverty.The triad also ensures a credible threat of a second strike, and thus increases a nation's nuclear deterrence THANKS  SHARING IS CARING :)