Notes:
The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has launched an online campaign #IamThatWoman to end gender bias in women against women.Through the campaign, the Ministry seeks to highlight the various aspects of women standing ‘by’ and ‘for’ women. The purpose of the campaign is to shed light on the enormous contributions made by women for women. For this, Twitter and Facebook users have been encouraged to tag and share stories of women helping women with a photograph and post online with the hashtag #IamThatWoman. Hence, join the ‘#IamThatWoman’ campaign and spread the message that a woman can move mountains for another woman”.

Notes:
Prabha Varma, the well-known poet, lyricist and journalist, has been chosen for the 2017 Padma Prabha Puraskaram for his contribution to Malayalam literature. Varma’s major works include ‘Chandananaazhi’,’Kalaprayaaga’, ‘Avicharithram’ and ‘Manjinotu Veyil Enna Poleyum’. The award carries cash prize of Rs 75,000, a plaque and a citation. It was instituted by Kalpetta-based Padma Prabha Memorial Trust in memory of M K Padmaprabha, a leading socialist and one of the founders of modern Wayanad.

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Kavita Devi from Haryana has become the first ever woman wrestler from India to sign up for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). She also has the distinction of being the first Indian woman to compete in a WWE ring, as she was a featured participant in the Mae Young Classic women’s tournament. She is expected to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida from January 2018. The WWE Performance Center is the home of the developmental system for WWE. With seven training rings, a world-class strength and conditioning program and cutting-edge edit and production facilities, the Performance Center allows new recruits to hone their skills through a comprehensive program that includes in-ring training, physical preparedness and character development.

Notes:
The Ratapani Tiger Reserve (RTS) is located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh and is spread around 823.84 sq. km. Some precipitous hills have cliffs; have large rock blocks and talus at the base. This unique feature provides shelter to various animals like vultures, reptiles and small mammals. The forest of Ratapani is dry deciduous and moist deciduous type, with teak as the main tree species. It is home to tiger, panther, wild dogs, hyena, jackal, fox, chital, sambhar, blue bull, four horned antelope, languor, rhesus monkey, etc.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched India’s first Roll On-Roll Off (Ro-Ro) ferry service between Ghogha in Bhavnagar district and Dahej in Bharuch district, which will facilitate vehicular and passenger ferry services across the Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat. The Ghogha-Dahej Ferry Service will reduce the distance between the two coastal towns from 310 km by road to 30 km, saving time and money. The travel time will be cut by at least 5 hours. The ferry will be able to carry up to 100 vehicles (cars, buses and trucks) and 250 passengers between the two ports. The ro-ro ferry services are vessels made to carry wheeled cargo that are driven on and off the ferry on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle. The wheeled cargo includes cars, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers, and railroad cars. This ferry service project cost stands at Rs 614 crore.

Notes:
The National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) Tiruchi has recently signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Andhra Pradesh government to develop technologies relating to banana production. As per the agreement, NRCB will be the knowledge partner in developing technologies towards value chain management, supporting banana export, organic production and waste utilisation. It will provide training, human resource development and hand hold growers and entrepreneurs to promote indigenous and commercial varieties for domestic and export markets. NRCB is an institution under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

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India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) for Skilling in Smart Cities has launched in New Delhi under Skill India Mission in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). It was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan on October 23, 2017. The purpose of the centre is to provide skill training for unemployed youth through its Short-Term Training (STT) module and contribute to the capacity building of municipal employees through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program. The ministers also laid the foundation for a Skill Development Centre at Moti Bagh and a Centre of Excellence at Dharam Marg, New Delhi.

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The World Development Information Day (WDID) is observed every year on October 24 to draw the attention of the world to development problems and the necessity of strengthening international cooperation to solve them.

Notes:
Jayant Rikhye has been appointed as the new chief executive of India operations of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd (HSBC). He will take charge from 1 December and will succeed Stuart Milne. Currently, he is HSBC’s international head for Asia-Pacific, which is responsible for 11 markets in the region.

Notes:
The World Polio Day (WPD) is observed every year by the World Health Organization (WHO) on October 24 to raise awareness about the hazards of the crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease. The day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis. There is no cure for this disease, but there are safe and effective vaccines. Polio can be prevented through immunization. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, almost always protects a child for life. The strategy to eradicate polio is therefore based on preventing infection by immunizing every child until transmission stops and the world is polio-free.