1) 2nd Ayurveda Day: 17 October
•This year's 2nd Ayurveda Day is celebrated on 17 October in New Delhi by the Ministry of AYUSH. PM Modi will be the Chief Guest and will also inaugurate the country's first All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi.
•The All India Institute of Ayurveda, set up on a total area of 10.015 acres on a budget of Rs 157 crore, is the first medical institute under the AYUSH ministry to hold the coveted National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation.
2) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: 17 October
•International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) is observed globally on 17 October. The theme of this year's IDEP is ‘Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies’.
•This year’s celebration also marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration of the day by the UN General Assembly, which had adopted the resolution on 22 December 1992.
3) PM Modi Inaugurates 1st ever All India Institute of Ayurveda
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi, on the occasion of the 2nd Ayurveda Day.
•It is the first institute under the Ministry of AYUSH with a National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation. The institute will have separate Yoga, Panchakarma, and Kriya Kalpa units, among others.
4) Dharmendra Pradhan on a Three-Day Visit to Japan
•Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is on a three-day visit to Japan to participate in the 6th annual LNG Producers Consumer Conference. The visit is important to enhance the bilateral engagements in the Oil and Gas sectors within the overall framework of India-Japan Energy Dialogue.
•The visit also aims to enhance cooperation in establishing a transparent, efficient, truly global and balanced Liquefied natural gas (LNG) market. Energy Ministers from Qatar, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Japan and other leading hydrocarbon experts will participate in the Conference.
5) Eminent Poet Prabha Varma Chosen for Padma Prabha Puraskaram
•Eminent poet, lyricist and journalist Prabha Varma has been selected for the Padma Prabha Puraskaram for 2017. The announcement was made by the chairman-cum-managing director of ‘Mathrubhumi’ daily, M P Veerendra Kumar.
•A jury headed by ace novelist M Mukundan chose Varma for the prestigious award, considering his contribution to Malayalam literature. The award, carrying a cash prize of Rs 75,000, a plaque and a citation, was instituted by the Padma Prabha Memorial Trust.
6) Hema Malini's Biography 'Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl' Launched
•Actress Deepika Padukone launched Hema Malini's biography 'Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl' on the occasion of Hema's 69th birthday.
•The biography has been penned by journalist turned writer Ram Kamal Mukherjee and also contains a short foreword written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
7) Meet Kavita Devi, India’s First Woman Wrestler to Sign for WWE
•Kavita Devi, a former competitive powerlifter, has become the first ever Indian woman to be signed by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Jinder Mahal, the current WWE champion, confirmed the news in a special visit to New Delhi.
•Hailing from Haryana, Kavita underwent training to be a professional wrestler under the guidance of The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) at his Punjab based wrestling promotion and training academy. She also won a gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games.
