Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2017

Notes:
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) is observed every year on October 17 to raise people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries. The 2017 theme ‘Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies’ reminds us of the importance of the values of dignity, solidarity and voice underscored in the Call to Action to fight to end poverty everywhere. This year’s celebration also marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration of the day by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which had adopted the resolution on 22 December 1992.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Meghalaya Election department has entered the Limca Book of Records for the formation of the biggest human logo by newly-enrolled young voters of Meghalaya. Limca official Garima Manon conveyed this in a message to the office of Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer on October 24, 2017. It will feature in the forthcoming edition of the book 2018. A total of 2870 students from 113 schools, 3 colleges in the age group of 18 and 19 enrolled as new voters and formed a 75 feet by 120 feet size human logo named You ‘N’ I on July 1, 2017. The logo formation was part of the launching of the statewide special drive to enroll left-out voters with a special focus on first-time electors. Election to the 10th Meghalaya Assembly is expected to be held in February-March, 2018.

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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.

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The State Bank of India (SBI) has recently signed an agreement with Escorts Ltd to finance farmers for purchase of Escorts tractors. The aim of the tie-up with Escorts is to promote, market and make accessible, organised finance facility, with superior features, at competitive interest rates to farmers across the country, who wish to purchase Powertrac and Farmtrac tractors manufactured by Escorts. Escorts is a leading tractor and construction equipment manufacturer at Faridabad in Haryana.

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The Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) of India has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Punjab National Bank (PNB) to provide easy access to export finance for SMEs and merchant exporters of the council. The PNB will provide finance with assurance that loans up to Rs 10 crore would be provided within six to seven weeks at competitive rates. As per the agreement, PNB would also extend foreign currency loan facilities and provide advisory support to EEPC India members to finance projects through its more than 200 authorised foreign exchange branches. Besides, engineering exporters would be given a ‘Gold card’ under which additional benefits like quicker sanction and disbursal of loan will be extended. The gold card facilities would be extended to the exporters with internal credit rating of B1 and above and those outside the RBI caution list.

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Freedom fighter and lawyer Gaur Kishore Ganguli (96) has passed away in his native village in Purulia in West Bengal. Born on October 21, 1923 in Purulia in West Bengal Ganguli was influenced by his father Sasodhar Ganguli, a freedom fighter. He joined the Quit India movement in 1942 when he was 19 years old and a student of Ranchi College. He served a two-and-half-year long jail term along with his father in the prisons of Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Patna. He began practising in Dhanbad district court after the reorganization of states in 1956 and was a member of the bar association.

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The Topchanchi Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) is located in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand and covers an area of 8.75 Sq. Km. It is home to Leopard, Jungle Cat, Cheetal, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Mongoose, Langur, Jackal, Fox, Wild Dog, etc. The Topchanchi Lake increases the richness of the habitat and is visited by migratory winter birds such as pochards, red crested pochards and coots. The forests here are of Dry Mixed Deciduous type with Dry Peninsular Sal in Baneshpur and Bawardaha, the other tree species being Asan, Bijasal, Dhow, Semal, Kendu, Piar, Karam, Siris, Sidha etc. The grassland and bamboo crops are also present.