Current Affairs 27th October 2018

Current Affairs 27th October 2018 - Important Points

• India’s first engineless train set for trials on - 29th October 2018
• India Mobile Congress 2018 held in New Delhi  between - 25th October 2018
• Government to set up National Sports Stadium for differently-abled in - Meghalaya
• Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board to issue masala bonds worth Rs 5,000 crore for - Development works
• Winners of Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony announced by - Ministry of Culture 

Current Affairs 27th October 2018 - Details

India’s first engineless train set for trials on - 29th October 2018

India’s 1st Made in India engineless train ‘Train 18’ is planned to hit the tracks for trials on October 29th, 2018.  The train will be unveiled on October 29th for 3-4 days trial outside the Coach Factory’s premises. Following successful trials, the train will be handed over to Research Design and Standards Organisation for further tests. The Train 18 will be verified at a speed of 180 km/h. It will feature a stainless-steel body, with full scape windows and driver’s cabin at both ends of the train.
Important Highlights

• Train 18 is started by a self-propulsion module without a separate engine.
• It is capable of operating at a speed of about 160 km/h. It will slash travel time by 15% as compared to the Shatabdi Express.
• The superior 16-coach model of the train has been built by the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory in time span of just eighteen months.
• It took an investment of about Rupees 100 crores to shape this prototype and the subsequent production would diminsh the cost.
• It will be fully air-conditioned train and the train will also be loaded with CCTV cameras.
• It will have 2 executive compartments in the middle with 52 seats each and the trailer coaches would have 78 seats each.
• Train 18 has soft lighting, automatic doors, footsteps and GPS grounded Passenger Information System.
• The footstep in a coach’s doorway slides outward when the train halts at a station enabling travellers to board/deboard safely with comfort. 
• Train 18 is regarded as a successor to the 30 years old Shatabdi Express. Shatabdi was introduced in 1988 and is currently working on more than 20 routes connecting metros with other significant cities.

India Mobile Congress 2018 held in New Delhi  between - 25th October 2018

The 2nd edition of India Mobile Congress- IMC 2018 was organised New Delhi from October 25th-27th, 2018. It was held by Department of Telecommunications and Cellular Operators Association of India. The theme of IMC 2018 was “New Digital Horizons. Connect. Create. Innovate”.
India Mobile Congress 2018

• It witnessed contribution of above 200,000 specialists from telecom industry, encompassing 5G, start-up ecosystem, Internet of Things, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Smart Cities and allied industry sectors.
• The display highlighted above 1,300 exhibitors.
• It witnessed greater International presence with involvement of policy makers and regulators from ASEAN partner nations and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, besides United States, Canada and European Union. 
  More about IMC
• Indian Mobile Congress was released in 2017 to deliver platform for policy makers, industry and
  regulators to involve in meaningful discussions to drive the future direction of telecom industry.
• The 1st Indian Mobile Congress organised in September 2017 was witnessed by approximately 2,000 representatives, 32,000 visitors, 152 speakers, 100 exhibitors and 100 start-ups.

Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board to issue masala bonds worth Rs 5,000 crore for - Development works

Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board- KIIFB is planning to release masala bonds worth Rupees
5,000 crores to mobilise funds for numerous development works. Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board has selected Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings for rating the masala bonds issue. The bonds will be registered in London and Singapore stock exchanges. The funds will be collected in tranches over period of ten years.
More about Masala bonds

• Masala bonds are rupee-denominated bonds through which Indian units can generate money from
  foreign markets in rupee and not in overseas currency.
• Basically, it is debt instruments utilised by corporates to generate money from overseas investors in local currency.
• The issuance of rupee-denominated bond transfers risk linked with currency fluctuations to investors and not to the issuers, especially during depreciation of domestic money and when borrowing is in foreign denomination as company has to pay more while repaying its debt.
• From the issuer’s motive, masala bonds deliver cheaper borrowings rates as compared to generating funds in India besides assistance in spreading its sources of fund-raising.
• Besides, it also assists in internationalization of the rupee and in development of Indian bond markets.
• Its issuance in long term can assist to check transparency of rupee and also decrease present account deficit over time.

Winners of Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony announced by - Ministry of Culture 

Ministry of Culture has proclaimed winners of Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for year 2014, 2015
and 2016. The awardees were nominated by award jury led by PM Narendra Modi and involved Chief

Justice of India Justice Ranjan Gogoi, former chief election commissioner N.Gopalaswami and National
Vice President BJP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.
Awardees

• Awardee for 2014 is Rajkumar Singhajit Singh. He is leader of Manipuri dance. He is also teacher,
  performer and choreographer.
• Awardee for 2015 is Chhayanaut. It is the cultural group of Bangladesh recognized in 1961. It has played leading role in encouraging Tagore’s works in Bengali culture, music and literature not only within Bangladesh, but worldwide.
• Awardee for 2016 is Ram Vanji Sutar. He is famous sculptor and his 1st notable work was the 45-feet Chambal monument at the Gandhi Sagar Dam in MP.
• He is also recipient of Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
  Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony
• This is an annual award introduced by Government of India in 2011 as part of honour of 150th Birth
  Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
• The award is issued for cultural harmony and has amount of Rupee One crore, citation in scroll, plaque as well as exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.
• The award is open to all regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex. It was deliberated for 1st time on Indian Sitar Maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar in 2012 and 2nd time on Shri Zubin Mehta in 2013.

Government to set up National Sports Stadium for differently-abled in - Meghalaya

The Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot, proclaimed on October
25th, 2018 that a stadium of international standard for differently-abled people will be construct in
Meghalaya. The stadium will be built at an approximate cost of more than Rupees 200 crore. The declaration was done at the Samajik Adhikarita Shivir, aids and assistive devices distribution camp, for differently-abled people.
Important highlights

• The Union Social Justice Ministry proposes to construct national sports stadium for differently-
  abled people in 5 states across the nation and Meghalaya is one of the states.
• The conclusion was taken after Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma came forward with the suggestion
  and also issued 50 acres of land for this stadium.
• The detail project report for this stadium will be arranged soon. The stadium is anticipated to be
  completed before National Games 2022.
• The Social Justice Ministry would also be forming up a Composite regional centre in Meghalaya,
  which will begin working once space is allocated.