*CURRENT AFFAIRS (20th October 2014)

1. India look for new route to
Afghanistan through Iran;
without Pakistan.
- Indian government is going to
float a company to set up
Chabahar port in Iran.
- The port would provide a sea-
land access route to Afghanistan
through Iran's eastern borders.
- Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust
(JNPT) and the Kandla Port Trust
(KPT) will be a part of this
strategic investment plan worth
$86 million.
2. Aadhar card not mandatory to
avail LPG direct transfer subsidy.
- Centre gives a go-ahead to the
Modified 'Direct Benefit Transfer
Scheme in LPG'.
- The scheme will be re-launched
in 54 districts from mid-
November, 2014 and in rest of
country from January 1, 2015.
- The subsidy will be directly
transferred into consumers 'bank
account'; Aadhaar linked or
otherwise.
The salient features:
- All LPG consumers who had
already joined the scheme solely
based on Aadhaar number will
start getting subsidy in their
Aadhaar linked bank accounts
after scheme is launched.
- LPG consumers will get a Grace
Period of 3 months during which
consumers who have joined the
scheme will get subsidy in bank
account and others will continue
to get cylinders at subsidized
price.
- LPG consumers who do not join
the scheme after the 3 month
grace period, will be eligible for
an additional subsidy Parking
Period of 3 months.
- During this period, LPG cylinders
to all such consumers will be
supplied at market price, but the
subsidy due on all LPG supplies
will be credited to the bank
account as soon as consumer
joins the scheme in this period.
- A grievance addressal
mechanism will also be put in
place for consumers.
3. Joko Widodo is elected as the
new President of Indonesia.
4. Pritam Munde (BJP) clinches
Beed Lok Sabha seat by whopping
7 lakh votes; the new national
record.
- She won the seat, vacated due to
the death of her father Gopinath
Munde, in the by-election held
alongside state assembly election.
- The previous record was held by
Anil Basu of CPM, who had a
victory margin of 5,92,502 votes,
from Arambagh (West Bengal) in
2004 Lok Sabha elections.
5. India (Under -21) clinches
'Sultan of Johor Cup' hockey
tournament by beating Great
Britain 2-1 in the final.
- India was playing as the
defending champion having won
the previous (3rd) edition in
2013.
- Malaysia is the inaugural
champion (2011), while Germany
grabbed the title in 2012.
6. 2nd 'Asian Para Games 2014'
gets underway in Incheon, South
Korea.
- About 4,500 disabled athletes
from 41 countries are competing
across 23 sports.
- It will take place from October
18 to October 24, 2014.
- The Games are held after the
Asian Games at the same venue.
- The first Games was held in
2010 in Guangzhou.
- India has grabbed 6 medals (0
Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze) by the
end of the day 2.
7. Karur Vysya Bank bags the sixth
consecutive 'Best Bank Award for
Business Intelligence Initiatives'
among small banks for the year
2013-14.
- The prize is awarded by IDRBT
(Institute for Development and
Research in Banking).