Top 5 Current Affairs: 8 November 2017

Asian Boxing Championship 2017: MC Mary Kom wins Gold in 48 kg category

Indian boxer MC Mary Kom on 8 November 2017 won the Gold Medal at the Asian Boxing Championship 2017 in 48 kg category.

Mary Kom defeated North Korea’s Hyang Mi Kim by 5-0 in the 48 kg category of the Asian Women's Boxing Championship. She made her entry into the finals of the tournament on 7 November 2017 after knocking out Japan's Tsubasa Komura.

This was her fifth gold medal in the Asian Boxing Championship. In her entire boxing career, till now, Mary has won four gold and a silver in the Asian Boxing Championship.

Paytm introduces BHIM UPI payments on its platform

Mobile payments platform Paytm on 6 November 2017 introduced payments using BHIM UPI (Unified Payments Interface) on its platform

With Paytm BHIM UPI, one can now make instant money transfers directly between two bank accounts without adding beneficiary. One would also not require the bank details or IFSC code to receive money through Paytm BHIM UPI.

BHIM UPI is a mobile payment mode that allows one to create a UPI address linked to a bank account and then send or receive money using it. Moreover, one can also make payments to online merchants and outlets who accept BHIM UPI as a payment mode for transactions.

The 20th International Children's Film Festival begins in India

International Children's Film Festival India (ICFFI), popularly known as the Golden Elephant began in Hyderabad, Telangana on 8 November 2017. The festival would conclude on the occasion of Children’s Day on 14 November.

The global festival, which is held every two years, strives to bring the most imaginative cinema including both national and international to the young audiences in India.

The festival would witness participation from over hundred thousand children and hundreds of film professionals and eminent guests from around the world.

EPCA: Cut metro fares, quadruple parking fees to tackle pollution crisis in Delhi

The Environment Pollution - Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) has recommended a series of measures including slashing of Metro fares during off-peak hours and quadrupling of parking fees temporarily to tackle the severe pollution crisis in Delhi, the capital city of India.

The measures were announced by EPCA chairman Bhure Lal and member Sunita Narain under the Graded Response Action Plan. Delhi has been enveloped by a choking blanket of smog for the second consecutive day with air quality hitting the severe category.

The pollution levels in the capital city have breached permissible standards by multiple times. The situation has reportedly been triggered by the mixing of local pollutants with smoke-laden air from the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

India, World Bank sign USD 119 Million loan agreement for OHEPEE Project

India and World Bank on 7 November 2017 signed a financing agreement for loan of USD 119 million for the Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence & Equity (OHEPEE) Project.

The loan will be provided by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), subsidiary of World Bank.

The Financing Agreement was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs and Hisham A Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director of World Bank (India).