The Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises Sunil Bharti Mittal was appointed as Chairman of GSM Association (GSMA). He succeeds Jon Fredrik Baksaas who will step down at the end of 2016. In his new role, Mittal will oversee the strategic direction of the organisation. Besides, Mari-Noëlle Jego-Laveissiere, Executive Vice President, Innovation, Orange Group was re-elected as Deputy Chairman of GSM Association. It also elected the new members of the 26-member Board of the company.

India and Russia have agreed to double the range of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from 290 km to over 600 km. The decision in this regard was taken during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Goa on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

The Union Government has reconstituted the Inter State Council (ISC) and the Standing Committee of the ISC under Clause 2 of the Inter State Council order,1990. The Inter-State Council is a constitutional body to facilitate coordination between states and the centre. It will be headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The State of Himachal Pradesh was officially declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). Every individual household in the state has functional toilet under the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’. With this, Himachal Pradesh becomes the second State in the country after Sikkim to achieve the feat. However, among bigger states Himachal Pradesh is the first state to become ODF. Himachal Pradesh has successfully achieved total rural sanitation coverage of 100% in the state. Besides, all 12 districts in state were declared as well as verified as ODF.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 27 October 2016 permitted startups to raise external commercial borrowings (ECBs) of up to USD 3 million in a financial year. Under this, Funds can be raised with a minimum maturity of 3 years.The move is aimed at boosting innovation and promoting job creation. The RBI said while issuing norms for ECB route for startups that the borrowing should be denominated in any freely convertible currency or in Indian Rupees (INR) or a combination thereof.

The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has recognized Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as the National Sports Federation (NSF) for Boxing. This decision will give massive fillip to the recently-formed BFI and also give a boost to the sport of boxing which had suffered due to absence of an NSF in the discipline since 2012. The BFI was formed recently and had conducted its elections of its office bearers in September, 2016. AIBA, the International Body for boxing had recognized these newly elected office bearers of BFI.

The Agreement will facilitate the Indian prisoners imprisoned in Estonia or vice-versa to be near to their families, for serving remaining part of their sentence and shall facilitate their social rehabilitation.

The Union Cabinet on 27 October 2016 approved the New Productivity Linked Reward (PLR) Scheme for all Major Port Trusts and Dock Labour Board employees and workers for the years 2015-16 to 2017-18.This PLR scheme will benefit about 38 thousand Port and Dock workers in all the Major Port Trusts and the yearly outgo will be over 49 crore rupees.