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- The World Cities Day is observed every year across the world on 31st October to work together for planned and sustainable urban life in the wake of rapid growth of population and problems. Theme of this year is ‘Building Sustainable and Resilient Cities’. The Day was established by UNGA by passing resolution 68/239 in December 2013. The general theme of World Cities Day is “Better City, Better Life”. The Day was celebrated for the first time in Shanghai, China on 31 October 2014 under sub-theme “Leading Urban Transformations”.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed senior IPS officer S S Deswal as Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). He will succeed R K Pachnanda, who will superannuate from office on August 31, 2021. Deswal is 1984 batch IPS officer of Haryana cadre. Prior to this appointment, he was Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). ITBP is one of five Central Armed Police Forces of India. It was raised on 24 October 1962, under CRPF Act, in wake of 1962 Sino-Indian War.
- The first ever India-US Dialogue on Intellectual Property (IP) was launched in New Delhi to deepen bilateral strategic cooperation on IP policy. It was launched by US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Centre (GIPC) and Industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in partnership with US-India Business Council (USIBC). It will be convened annually, alternating between New Delhi and Washington, DC. It aims to identify solutions and also share technical knowledge and expertise between both countries in IP domain.
- India ranked 77th among 190 countries in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) 2018 rankings. In the 2017 rankings, India ranked 100th. EODB 2018 was topped by New Zealand (consecutive for third time), followed by Singapore, Denmark, and Hong Kong. US was placed at eighth and China was ranked 46th while Pakistan is placed at 136th. EODB ranks countries based on 10 indicators across the life-cycle of a business, from starting a business to resolving insolvency
- The Minister of State for Tourism, KJ Alphons along with a delegation of senior officials attended the 109th session of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council in Manama, Bahrain. The three day Session of UNWTO Executive Council began on October 30, 2018. Alphons chaired the ‘Programme and Budget Committee’ meeting of UNWTO. . India will be the chair of Programme and Budget Committee of UNWTO Executive Council till 2021.
- The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on October 25, 2018 notified that all new public service vehicles, except auto rickshaws and e-Rickshaws, registered on and after January 1, 2019 will have to be mandatorily equipped with Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) and Emergency Buttons. In case of older public service vehicles, registered up to December 31, 2018, the respective State Governments will notify the date by which these vehicles have to install Vehicle Location Tracking Device and Panic Buttons.
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