Daily Current Affairs : 16th October 2013

1. "World Food Day" celebrated on 16 October every year across the world since 1981. The main objective of the World Food Day is to strengthen national and international solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food security and agricultural development. The Theme of the World Food Day 2013 is "Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition". World Food Day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1979.

2. New Zealand' Eleanor Catton won the Man Booker Award for her novel ''The Luminaries''. She is not only the youngest novelist to win the coveted literary prize, but has set a new record for the longest winning novel. The Luminaries is 852 pages.

3. The Railways today appointed acting Chairman of the Railway Board Arunendra Kumar as the head of the Board. Kumar, the Mechanical Member, was holding additional charge of Chairman, Railway Board (CRB) after the retirement of Vinay Mittal on June 30.

4. The Reserve Bank of India has rejected IIFCL’s proposal to provide takeout finance at the latter’s wholly-owned London subsidiary. This is despite the Centre giving its nod to IIFCL’s London arm to operate in the takeout finance segment.

5. The World Bank has revised downwards India’s economic growth forecast for the current fiscal to 4.7 per cent. This is down from 6.1 per cent economic growth projected in April this year. The World Bank’s latest India GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal is higher than the International Monetary Fund’s recent downward revised projection of 4.25 per cent for 2013-14.

6. The 2013 Global Hunger Index (GHI), released on 14 October 2013 by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Welthungerhilfe, and Concern Worldwide- revealed that 842 million people were chronically under nourished across the world. The 2013 GHI is calculated for 120 countries, its scores are based on three equally weighted indicators. India has moved from 65 to 63 in the Global Hunger Index, making a marginal improvement since 2012, but continues to suffering far behind other emerging economies. The score for India has improved slightly from 22.9 in 2012 to 21.3 in 2013. Within SAARC countries also, India continued to trail behind Pakistan and Bangladesh on the index.

The GHI combines three equally weighted indicators into one score: 

• The proportion of people who are undernourished. 
• The proportion of children under five who are underweight. 
• The mortality rate of children younger than age five. 

7. Justice M B Shah Commission, appointed to probe illegal mining across the country, has submitted its third and final report which is mainly on the menace in Goa.  The Commission has made a thorough probe into the bank transactions of exporters, traders and mining lease owners to track down the exact financial transaction, the source added. The term of the Commission expires on Wednesday.

8. The Government is considering a proposal to rename the public distribution system after Indira Gandhi to prevent Opposition parties from taking credit for implementing the National Food Security Act.

9. The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) has elected Mahindra group Chairman and Managing Director Anand Mahindra as its Chairperson for a term of three years. Mahindra succeeds NR Narayana Murthy, Infosys founder, Executive Chairman, who has held the position since July 2011. Established in 2006 as a public-private initiative, PHFI is an independent foundation headquartered in New Delhi.

10. A powerful typhoon Wipha on 16 October 2013 caused landslides and flooding on Izu Oshima Island, South of Tokyo. The storm brought strong winds and record rainfall - 122mm (4.8 inches) in one hour to Izu Oshima Island, which lies some 120km (75 miles) south of Tokyo. It caused damage to property and human lives. Wipha is the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane. Wipha is the 12th typhoon and 26th named storm of the west Pacific typhoon season. It was the strongest storm to impact the region since Typhoon Tokage in October, 2004.

11.  Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar announced retirement from all forms of after 16-year of career during which he played in 26 Tests and 191 ODIs besides leading Mumbai to their 40th Ranji Trophy title last season. He took 58 test wickets and 288 in ODI wickets. He scored 571 runs in Tests between 1998 and 2006 and 1269 in ODIs from 1998 to 2007, which included the then fastest 50 in 21 balls against Zimbabwe.

12. India vs Aus(2nd ODI): India won by 9 wickets Virat Kohli becomes the fastest Indian to score an ODI hundred.He did it in just 52 balls thus breaking Sehwag's record.

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