Daily GK Update 18th October 2017

1. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Launches 'Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana'

i. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the ambitious 'Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojna' for the farmers of the state.

ii. Madhya Pradesh is the first state to lend money to farmers at zero percent interest. The government has approved a web of irrigation projects across the Sagar District which will cover 96-hectare fields.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the CM of Madhya Pradesh.
• Om Prakash Kohli (Add. Charge) is the Governor of Madhya Pradesh.

2. Ministry WCD Launched Campaign on 'women for women'

i. In an attempt to end Gender bias in women against women, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is undertaking an online campaign #IamThatWoman.

ii. Through the campaign, the Ministry seeks to highlight the various aspects of women standing 'by' and 'for' women. Ministry of WCD has urged people to shun stereotypes associated with women harming other women. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Minister for Women and Child Development is Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.

3. Google Viewed as Most Authentic Brand in India: Survey

i. Indian consumers regard Google as the most authentic brand, even though Amazon.com tops the list globally, reveal results of the 2017 "Authentic Brands Study" by the new survey of global communications agency Cohn & Wolfe.

ii. In India, Google is followed by Microsoft, Amazon.com, Maruti Suzuki and Apple. Globally, Apple takes the second spot after Amazon in the authenticity race.

4. India Signs Pact to Send Interns to Japan for Training

i. India has signed a Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) with Japan to send youngsters there as technical interns for on-the-job training for a period of three to five years.

ii. The MoC on Technical Intern Training Programme was signed by Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Japanese Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare with Katsunobu Kato in Tokyo. India is the third country with which Japan has signed the MoC.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Tokyo is the Capital of Japan.
• Shinzo Abe is the PM of Japan.

5. US Author George Saunders Wins 2017 Man Booker Prize

i. US author George Saunders has won the 2017 Man Booker Prize. He became only the second American writer to win Britain’s renowned Prize, which was awarded for his first full-length novel “Lincoln in the Bardo”.

ii. The prize was announced at a ceremony in London. Judges for the prestigious English-language literary award praised the book as utterly original that chronicles the death of Abraham Lincoln’s 11-year-old son Willie using the accounts of hundreds of narrators.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The 2016 Man Booker Prize went to 'The Sellout' by Paul Beatty.

6. India's Selena Clinches Triple Gold at Egypt Junior and Cadet TT

i. India's young paddler Selena Selvakumar completed a golden sweep in the Egypt Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Open, adding the junior girls' singles and doubles titles at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

ii. The 17-year-old Chennai had claimed the Girls' Team gold earlier to make it three out of three. She remained unbeaten all through this elite 2017 ITTF World Junior Circuit event.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Cairo is the capital of Egypt.
• Egyptian pound is the currency of Egypt.

7. Veteran British Actor Roy Dotrice Passes Away

i. Roy Dotrice, a veteran British actor, died in London. He was 94. Dotrice was known for his role as Leopold Mozart in the Oscar-winning film Amadeus and his many theater and TV roles.

ii. He won many accolades throughout his lengthy career including a Tony Award in 2000 for his role in the Broadway revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Dotrice is remembered for his role in the CBS TV series Beauty and the Beast and won a BAFTA best TV actor award in 1969 for his role in Misleading Cases.