Notes:
The first-ever International tri services joint exercise “INDRA – 2017” has started between Indian and Russian Armed Forces at the 249th Combined Army Range Sergiyevisky and in the Sea of Japan near Vladivostok port from October 19, 2017. The 11-day exercise will serve towards strengthening mutual confidence and interoperability as well as sharing of the best practices between the armed forces of both the countries. The Indian contingent will comprise of 350 personnel from Army, 80 from Air Force, two IL 76 aircraft and one Frigate and Corvette each from the Navy. The Russian Federation Armed Forces is represented by approximately 1000 troops of the 5th Army, Marines and Ships of Pacific Fleet and aircraft from Eastern Military District. The joint tri-service exercise will be a demonstration of the increasing commitment of both nations to address common challenges across the full spectrum of operations.

Notes:
Sunny Verghese, co-founder and Group CEO of Singapore-based Olam International, has been appointed as the new chairman of World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Verghese is the first ever Asian CEO to be appointed as Chair in the organisation’s 25 years of history. His term will begin on January 1, 2018 for a duration of two years and will succeed Paul Polman, whose term ends on 31 December 2017. The WBCSD is a global network of more than 200 CEOs who are responsible for combined revenue of more than $8.5 trillion and 19 million employees.

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Prof Hans Joachim Schellnhuber from Germany has won the 2017 Blue Planet Prize for establishing a new field of science ‘Earth System Analysis’ and introducing most influential concepts including the notion of tipping elements in the climate system in Tokyo. He is Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Beside him, Prof. Gretchen C. Daily (from USA) has also won the award for her work promoting practical conservation by revealing the value of nature. Each will receive a prize of 50 million yen, about $450,000. The Blue Planet Prize, which is instituted by Asahi Glass Foundation, is the world’s most prestigious award for pioneers in environmental science.

Notes:
Indian-American Gitanjali Rao has won the 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her prototype water lead contamination detector ‘Tethys’. The sensor-based device detects the quality of water and shares the results to a mobile application via bluetooth. The aim of the competition, open to citizens of the US who are enrolled from Class 5 to 8, is to identify a solution to an everyday problem that directly impacts either the contestant or the global population. The winner of the competition is awarded $25,000 along with the title of ‘America’s Top Young Scientist 2017’.

Notes:
According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s revised guidelines on interest subvention scheme, banks will provide funds to women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in rural areas at 7% under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in the current fiscal FY18. These guidelines will be implemented in 21 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and 19 private banks. All women SHGs will be eligible for interest subvention on credit upto Rs 3 lakh at 7% per annum. Banks will be subvented to the extent of difference between the Weighted Average Interest Charged and 7% subject to the maximum limit of 5.5% for the year 2017-18. The subvention will be available to banks on the condition that they make SHG credit available at 7% per annum. The interest subvention scheme on credit to women SHG during 2017-18 is applicable in 250 districts across the country.

Notes:
The 4th ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting)-Plus meeting will be held in Philippines from October 23, 2017 to deliberate extensively on the situation in Afghanistan and Syria besides China’s growing military presence in the disputed South China Sea. The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight dialogue partners to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region. The two-day meeting will discuss ways to enhance defence and security cooperation among the member nations to effectively counter various transnational security challenges facing the region. From India, Union defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attend the meeting.

Notes:
Roy Dotrice (94), a veteran British actor, has passed away in London, England on October 16, 2017. He was best known for his Tony Award-winning Broadway performance in the revival of ‘A Moon for the Misbegotten’. He also narrated the first five books in George R. R. Martin’s fantasy series ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’.

Notes:
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, has launched the ambitious ‘Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojna’ for the farmers of the state at the Krishi Upaj Mandi in Khurai, Sagar. The scheme has launched as a guarantee to ensure reasonable prices to the farmers for their agriculture produces. To get benefits of the scheme, the farmers are required to sell their crops in the mandi and obtain a receipt for the same. As per the scheme, the government will provide subsidy and loan ranging from Rs 10 lakhs to two crores to the farmers willing to invest in industries. In addition, the state government has approved a web of irrigation projects across the Sagar District which will cover 96-hectare fields.

Notes:
The National Police Commemoration Day (NPCD) is observed every year in India on October 21 to mark the memory of brave policemen who sacrificed their lives while discharging their duties. The day commemorates the sacrifices of ten policemen while defending our borders with China in 1959. Indian Police personnel were responsible for manning the 2,500 mile long border of India with Tibet until the autumn of 1959. So far since Independence, 34,418 Police personnel have sacrificed their lives for safeguarding the integrity of the nation and providing security to people of this country. During the last one year, from September 2016 to August 2017, 383 Police personnel have laid down their lives.

Notes:
The Search-cum-Selection Committee headed by Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash has been formed to select the candidate for the post of editor-in-chief of Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV). The other members of the 5-member committee are Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Additional Secretary (Personnel) in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat PPK Ramacharyulu and journalist Rahul Srivastava. Rajya Sabha TV is owned and operated by the Upper House of Parliament and the vice-president is its chairman.