Daily Current Affairs : 19th October 2013

1. The Reserve Bank of India launched the new Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system for large-value funds transfer. The system has several new functionalities including advance liquidity features, gridlock resolution mechanism and hybrid settlement facility, facility to accept future value-dated transactions and options to process multi-currency transactions. The Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system is a large-value funds transfer system which banks use to settle inter-bank transfers for their own accounts as well as for their customers.

2. Financial inclusion can be better achieved through self-help groups: Nabard. An SHG is a homogeneous group, comprising 15-20 members (mostly women), where members first pool in their savings and give out small loans to needy members. The Government and the RBI hold 99.50 per cent and 0.50 per cent stake, respectively, in Nabard. The institution was promoted in 1982 for ensuring sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural prosperity through effective credit support, related services, institution development and other innovative initiatives.

3. Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban visited India. During his visit, India and Hungry signed several important agreements to further strengthen cooperation which includes a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of traditional Indian medicine systems. Earlier this year, India’s Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid had visited Hungary where he discussed regional, bilateral and international issues with his Hungarian counterpart Janos Martonyi.

4. IT bellwether Infosys Ltd Friday announced it has won the 'Corporate Sustainability Stewardship' award for efficient management of energy, waste and water resources in its production processes and operations. The Parivartan sustainability leadership awards, instituted by Sustainability Outlook, a not-for-profit social organisation, recognise corporates and their executives who contribute in the field of sustainability every year.

5. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre takes oath as new Chief Justice of Gauhati HC. In Assam, Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre today took oath as the new Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court at Rajbhawan in Guwahati. Governor J B Patnaik administered the oath to him. Justice Sapre earlier served as the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court.

6. Noted Malayalam music composer K Raghavan died at Thalassery in Kannur district of Kerala on 19 October 2013. He was 99. Raghavan infused the folk element into Malayalam film music and his rustic melodies replaced the then prevailing trend of imitations of popular Hindi tunes of the day. The music mastero, who is credited with giving a new direction and identity to Malayalam film music, has scored music for over 60 films in a career spanning for about four decades.

7. The largest Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower of India was inaugurated outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai on 18 October 2013. The tallest ATC tower stands at the length of 84 metres or around 30 storey building.  India is the 9th largest aviation market of the world and has the traffic increasing at 10 percent annually. The designing of the ATC was done by Hong Kong-based architectural firm HOK as well as the international engineering designer ARUP. These were chosen after the global competition.

8. Eminent Telugu writer and Gyanpeeth award recipient, Dr. Ravuri Bharadwaja passed away in Hyderabad on 18 October 2013. He was 86. Ravuri Bharadwaja won Gyanpeeth award for the year 2012 for his well known Telugu novel, Paakudu Raallu, which reflected real life behind the silver screen of the film industry. 

9. Pacer Pradeep Sangwan was on Saturday slapped with an 18-month ban from cricket after being found guilty of consuming a banned anabolic steroid by the BCCI’s Anti-Doping Tribunal. The ban on the 23-year-old Delhi cricketer has been imposed with retrospective effect from May this year when the IPL took place. Sangwan is only the second cricketer in the history of IPL after Pakistani speedster Mohammed Asif to have been found guilty of consuming banned drugs.

10. Ding Junhui won Indian Open Snooker Title 2013. Ding Junhui of China won the 2013 Indian Open Snooker title with a 5-0 victory over Aditya Mehta of India in New Delhi on 18 October 2013. Aditya Mehta, 72nd in the world, became the first Indian player to make the last four of a major ranking event when he reached the semi-finals on 17 October 2013 and he was also first Indian ever to reach the final of the event.

11. Australia Tour Of India 2013 3rd ODI: Australia beat India by four wickets in the third ODI in Mohali on Saturday. Earlier, Mahendra Singh Dhoni led from the front by smashing an unbeaten 139 as India recovered from a poor start to post a massive 303 for nine against Australia. Australia Leads 7-Match Series 2-1.

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