Kerala Governor inaugurates Ayurveda summit

NATIONAL NEWS

Kerala Governor inaugurates Ayurveda summit

• As many as 400 industry leaders and delegates from SAARC, GCC and African countries have gathered in Kochi for the third edition of Global Ayurveda Summit 2019.
• The two-day summit organized by CII will deliberate on the theme “Mainstreaming Ayurveda through Startups, Innovation and Branding”.
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan in his inaugural address noted that Ayurveda has been one of the treasures of ancient Indian knowledge that has stood the test of time.
• It has attracted worldwide attention and is growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 16.2 per cent. He expressed the hope that the summit would help position Kerala and India as a hub for wellness.

FACTS

Chief Minister of Kerala- Pinarayi Vijayan

Governor- Arif Mohammad Khan

People over 80 years of age, disabled can now vote through postal ballot

• The Law Ministry has amended the Conduct of Election Rules 1961 to give voting and ballot voting to voters with disabilities and those above 80 years of age and include them in the category of 'absentee voters'.
• In order to increase the vote percentage in the election, the government has provided the facility to the elderly and disabled voters above 80 years to vote with the postal ballot.
• The Law Ministry has issued a notification to implement this decision on 22 October on the recommendation of the Election Commission.

India to adopt Brazil model of human milk bank

• The Centre has set a target of ensuring at least 70 per cent infants to have access to breast milk by the year 2025.
• The Target will subsequently be increased to 100 per cent. India has taken inspiration from Brazil’s success in the field of human milk bank decided to adopt a similar model in creating a wide network of human milk banks.

Air India's Plane Carries 'Ik Onkar' Symbol to Celebrate Guru Nanak's 550th Birth Anniversary

• In a unique gesture to mark Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev's 550th birth anniversary, Air India has depicted Sikh religious symbol 'Ik Onkar' on the tail of one of its aircraft, set to operate its maiden flight to Stansted in the UK from Amritsar on October 31.
• 'Ik Onkar' symbol is a central tenet of Sikh religious philosophy.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

35th ASEAN Summit begins in Bangkok

• The 35th ASEAN Summit began in Bangkok. The summit will continue till November 4. Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan -o-Cha inaugurated this summit at IMPACT convention complex.
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a group of ten member countries that encourages political, economic and social co-operation in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this summit on November 3rd and 4th.
• Advancing Partnership for sustainability is the theme of the summit.

World’s first blockchain-based carbon trading exchange in Singapore

• Singapore-based AirCarbon Pte launched the worlds’ first blockchain-based carbon trading exchange.
• This will allow airlines and other corporate buyers to buy as well sell tokens backed by carbon offset credits approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
• The company is applying to the Monetary Authority of Singapore for a recognized market operator license and targets for the exchange to be fully operational in 2020.

AWARD

Nawazuddin Siddiqui receives the Golden Dragon Award at Cardiff International Film Festival

• Nawazuddin Siddiqui's first step into Bollywood might not be remembered but the actor has made commendable efforts in the industry and reached great heights.
• From appearing for a few minutes as a pickpocket in Munna Bhai MBBS to playing an important supporting role in Kahaani to starring in a romantic comedy,
• Nawazuddin Siddiqui has made sure he tries his hand wherever possible in the industry. For his efforts, the actor was awarded at the Cardiff International Film Festival.

OBITUARY

Actress Geetanjali Ramakrishna Passes Away in Hyderabad

• Senior actress and veteran heroine Geetanjali passed away
• In an illustrious career spanning for close to six decades, Geetanjali featured in over 500 films across multiple languages like Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi.
• Senior NTR introduced her to the silver screen with his self-directorial Seetharama Kalyanam in 1961.

Veteran CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta passes away

• Veteran CPI leader and former lok Sabha Member Gurudas Dasgupta passed away this morning in Kolkata following a prolonged illness. 
• Dasgupta became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1985. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha from Panskura and Ghatal constituencies of West Bengal in 2004 and 2009 respectively.
• As a parliamentarian he was known for his oratory skills and his speeches earned praise from politicians, cutting across party lines.
• In 2014, he decided not to contest Lok Sabha polls due to poor health.

SPORTS

India drops to 106th in FIFA rankings after Bangladesh draw

• The Indian football team dropped two places to 106th position in the latest FIFA rankings.
• The downward slid came following the Blue Tigers’ 1-1 draw against lower-ranked Bangladesh in the FIFA World Cup qualifier earlier this month.
• The draw against Bangladesh came after India’s impressive 0-0 stalemate against Asian champion Qatar in September.
• Bangladesh, however, benefitted from the draw, jumping three rungs to 184th spot.
• Belgium has managed to hold on to the top spot, followed by France and Brazil.
• Top-ten rivals Uruguay (5th, up 1), Croatia (7th, up 1), Argentina (9th, up 1) have edged closer to the summit, according to the FIFA website.
• England is placed fourth ahead of Uruguay, Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Argentina and Colombia.

Mary Kom named in IOC's 2020 Olympics athlete ambassadors’ group

• Six-time world champion M. C. Mary Kom has been included in a 10-member athlete ambassadors’ group to represent boxers in the build-up to next year’s Tokyo Olympics by the IOC’s Task Force for the sport, adding to the iconic pugilist’s innumerable achievements.
• Mary Kom will represent the Asian bloc in the group, which also comprises the likes of Ukrainian legend Vasyl Lamachenko (Europe), a two-time Olympic and world gold-medallist who now plies his trade in the professional circuit, and five-time world champion and 2016 Olympic gold-winner Julio Cesar La Cruz (Americas) among others.