Current Affairs 07 - 08 October, 2019

1. India celebrated its 87th Air Force Day on 8th October 2019.

• The year 2019 is special because the Indian Air force received the first of 36 long-awaited Rafale fighter jets. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to France will receive the fighter jets.
• IAF is conducted a spectacular air display ceremony will take place at the Hindon Air Force base near Delhi. IAF showcased its Chinook and Apache helicopters for the first time. Both these helicopters were acquired from the United States and inducted within the last few months.
• The Air Force Day 2019 will be celebrated in the presence of IAF chief Birender Singh Dhanoa and senior officials of the three armed forces.

Foot Notes
About Indian Air Force (IAF)
1. Founded on: 8 October 1932
2. Headquarters: New Delhi
3. Part of: Indian Armed Force
4. Motto: Touch the Sky with Glory
5. Chief of the Air Staff (CAS): Air Chief Marshal RK Singh Bhadauria
6. Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS): Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora

2. State Bank  launches debit card with EMI facility on POS

• In order to provide a superior and affordable shopping experience to its customers, Indian multinational, public sector bank, the State Bank of India (SBI) has launched the “Debit Card EMI facility” for its existing customers. Under this service, the consumer can opt for an EMI (equated monthly installment) period ranging from 6 months to 18 months.
• Some other major benefits that customers get while using this service are zero documentation, no processing fees, no need for branch visit, instant disbursal and zero cost EMI at select brands.
• This facility can be availed in less than one minute, irrespective of the amount of balance in existing savings account. EMI will commence one month after the completion of the transaction.

Foot Notes:
About SBI
1. Formation: 1 July 1955
2. Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
3. Chairman: Rajnish Kumar

3. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launches trans-fat free logo

• Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhanlaunched the "Trans-Fat Free" logo during the 8th International Chefs Conference.
• The campaign to end trans-fat is seen as one of the important steps to accelerate the 'Eat Right India' campaign led by the FSSAI under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• "In compliance with the Food Safety and Standards (Advertisement and Claims) Regulations, 2018, food establishments that use trans-fat free fats/oil and do not have industrial trans-fat more than 0.2g/100g of food are eligible to display the logo," .

4. IFS officer Ramesh Pandey selected for Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by UNEP

• Senior Indian Forest Service officer Ramesh Pandey has been selected for the prestigious Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by the United Nations Environment Programme.
• The 1996-batch IFS officer, posted as Chief Conservator Forests in Lucknow and Secretary, UP State Bio-diversity Board, is known for his investigation and intelligence gathering on poachers. Pandey will receive the award on November 13 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.  
• The citation said that the excellent work in combating trans-boundary environmental crime by Mr  Panday has been recognised by the selection panel.The purpose of the Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards is to publicly recognise outstanding achievements by public organisations and individuals in Asia to combat transboundary environmental crime.

Foot Notes:
About United Nations Environment Programme
Headquarters location: Nairobi, Kenya
Director: Inger Andersen

5. Grammy awardee, Drummer Ginger Baker passed away at the age of 80

• English drummer Peter Edward Ginger Baker is familiarly known as Ginger Baker and co-founder of the rock band “Cream” passed away at the age of 80 in England due to old age ailments.
• Born on August 19, 1939 in London, England Ginger Baker’s music career spanned for 6 decades and emerged as the first superstar percussionist. He won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 1993 as a member of ‘Cream’.

6. 5th World Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy begins at the MIT World Peace University in Pune, Maharashtra.

• The three-day event 5th World Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy will be held at the MIT World Peace University in Pune, Maharashtra.
• The theme of the programme this year is ‘role of science, religion and philosophy for world peace and well-being of mankind’.
• The primary objective of the event was to create and promote interfaith and inter-religious movement for World Peace.

About Maharashtra
1. Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
2. Capital: Mumbai
3. Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis

7. World Habitat day observed on October 7, 2019

• The World Habitat Day is observed every year on first Monday in October all over the world. This year it was observed on October 7, 2019 with the theme “Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste to wealth”.
• The aim of this day is to reflect on the state of cities and towns and the basic human right to adequate shelter. The theme for 2019 aims to promote the contribution of innovative frontier technologies such as automation, robotics, electric vehicles, renewable energy technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to sustainable waste management to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 11: inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities.
• In 1985 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day through Resolution 40/202. It was first celebrated in 1986.

Foot Notes:
About United Nations
1. Founded: 24 October 1945
2. Headquarters: New York, US
3. Secretary General : Mr.Antonio Guterres

8. Pakistan’s pacer Mohammad Hasnain becomes youngest player to take a T20I hat-trick

• Pakistani fast bowler MohammadHasnain became the youngest ever cricketer to take a hat-trick in T20I (Twenty 20 Internationals) cricket in the 2nd T20 match against Sri Lanka at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan during the Sri Lankan cricket team tour in Pakistan. He is 19 years and 183 days old.
•  It was his second T20I match. Mohammad Hasnain becomes youngest player to take a T20I hat-trick. He dismissed Bhanuka Rajapaksa (32), Dasun Shanaka (17) and Shehan Jayasuriya (0) off consecutive deliveries.
• He became the ninth player to take a hat-trick in T20I cricket and 2nd Pakistani cricketer.

9. Naomi Osaka beats Ashleigh Barty to win China Open

• Japan’s Naomi Osaka has won theChina Open held in Beijing, China. She defeated world number one Ashleigh Barty with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
• This was a third title of 2019 for Osaka and fifth in her short career.

Foot Notes:
About China
President: Xi Jinping
Capital: Beijing
Currency: Renminbi

10. The first-ever World Cotton Day was celebrated by the WTO on October 7, 2019 .

• World Trade Organisation, WTO will host the first World Cotton Day (WCD) celebrations in Geneva . This event stems from the application by the Cotton-4 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) to the United Nations General Assembly for its official recognition of a World Cotton Day, reflecting the importance of cotton as a global commodity.
• The five-day event of World Cotton Day being observed at Geneva. The plenary session will be attended by heads of states, heads of international organisations and executives from the private sector.
• World Cotton Day will celebrate the many advantages of cotton, from its qualities as a natural fibre, to the benefits people obtain from its production, transformation, trade and consumption. World Cotton Day will also serve to shed light on the challenges faced by cotton economies around the world because cotton is important to least developed, developing and developed economies worldwide.

Foot Notes:
About World Trade Organisation
1. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
2. Head: Pascal Lamy