1st Dec- 2nd Dec 2014
26th World AIDS Day observed across the world on 1 December
02-DEC-2014
26th World AIDS Day was observed across the world on 1 December 2014. The day is observed to raise awareness to the Aids pandemic caused by the spread of the HIV infection.
The theme is Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-free generation – to highlight the need to for governments and health officials, NGOs and individuals to address Aids prevention and treatment.
As a part of World AIDS Day, The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) pushed for more investment and access to treatment for children saying that more infections among children under age 15 need to be averted.
UNICEF released data that AIDS-related deaths are not decreasing in the age group 10-19 and still other groups have experienced about a 40 percent decline between 2005 and 2013.
About World AIDS Day
• The idea for World Aids Day was conceived by James Bunn and Thomas Netter, who are the public information officers for the Global Programme on Aids at the World Health Organisation in 1987.
• The history of HIV and Aids in the US began in 1981, when the country recognised a new illness among a small number of gay men. Although it widely accepted that the origin of HIV lies in Africa, the US was the first country to bring the virus into the public consciousness.
• World AIDS Day will be held on 1 December every year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.
• First World AIDS Day was held in 1988 and is the first ever global health day.
Birthday of Atal Bihari Vajpayee to be observed as National Good Governance Day
02-DEC-2014
The birthday of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the 25 December will be observed as National Good Governance Day. The decision was announced on 2 December 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bharatiya Janata Partry (BJP) Parliamentary Board meeting in New Delhi.
On that day, all BJP Member of Parliamentarians (MPs) and government officials will make the day symbolic of good governance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked all party MPs to highlight all BJP-run governments and bodies across the country as models of good governance on the day. He also asked the BJP MPs to work for an hour in their respective constituencies for the Clean India campaign.
About Atal Bihari Vajpayee
• He was born on 25 December 1924 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
• He is a three time Prime Minister of India who served the first term in 1996 for just 13 days. During his second term in 1998-1999 he served for 13 months.
• He began a push for a full-scale diplomatic peace process with Pakistan and initiated a new peace process aimed towards permanently resolving the Kashmir dispute and other conflicts with Pakistan.
• In his final and third term he completed the full five-year from 1999-2004. Thus, he became the first Prime Minister from outside the Indian National Congress party to serve a full five-year term.
• During his second term, Operation Shakti was conducted in May 1998 under which five nuclear test were conducted in Pokhran, Rajasthan.
• He began a push for a full-scale diplomatic peace process with Pakistan and initiated a new peace process aimed towards permanently resolving the Kashmir dispute and other conflicts with Pakistan. With this view he inaugurated Delhi-Lahore bus service in February 1999 and signed Lahore Declaration with Nawaz Sharif, the then PM of Pakistan.
• Lahore Declaration was followed by Kargil War in June 1999 in which India became victorious.
• During his third term, Parliament attack took place on 13 December 2001 resulting into Operation Parakaram. Also his famous pet projects National Highway Development Project and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana during his third stint as Prime Minister.
• Vajpayee was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times and twice to the Rajya Sabha.
• In 1957, Vajpayee was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh
• He was also the Minister of External Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Morarji Desai in 1978. As foreign minister, that year Vajpayee became the first person to deliver a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi.
• When Janata government collapsed, Vajpayee restarted the Jana Sangh as the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980
Nuclear-capable missile Agni-IV test fired from Wheeler Island
02-DEC-2014
Nuclear capable missile Agni-IV was test fired on 2 December 2014 from Integrated Test Range in Wheeler Island, Odisha. The test fired was conducted by Strategic Force Command (SFC) of Indian Army.
This was the fourth successful trial in a series. The long range Radars and Electro-Optical Tracking systems (EOTS) located all along the coast tracked and monitored all the parameters throughout the flight.
The missile carrying one tonne war head splashed down near its pre-designated target point in Indian Ocean.
Agni-IV is a surface-to-surface missile with 4000 km range and 20 meter-long indigenously developed missile.
The missile is a two-stage, weighing 17 tonne and 20-metre tall. Agni-IV is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, a fifth generation on-board computer and distributed architecture. It also has the latest features to correct and guide itself for in-flight disturbances.
The missile’s most accurate Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and supported by highly reliable redundant Micro Navigation System (MINGS), ensures the vehicle reach the target within two digit accuracy.
Agni-IV has already been inducted into the Army. Agni-I (700 Km), Agni-II (2000km) and Agni-III (3000 km) and Prithvi II (350 km) are already in the arsenal of armed forces.
Film artist Duncan Campbell won Turner Prize for the year 2014
02-DEC-2014
Film artist of Ireland Duncan Campbell on 1 December 2014 won Turner Prize 2014 for a video called It For Others. The video reflects on African art and includes a dance sequence inspired by Karl Marx. He received the prize of 25000 pounds at Tate Britain in London.
He became the fifth winner of Turner Prize 2014 since 1996 and the fourth graduate of Master of Fine Art programme from the Glasgow School of Art to have won the prize in the last 10 years.
In 2013, Laure Prouvost won the prize for an installation named Wantee and some of the previous winners of the Turner Prize include Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley.
About Turner Prize
• Turner Prize was established in 1984 to promote discussion of new developments in contemporary British art.
• The prize fund is 40000 pounds with 25000 pounds going to the winner and 5000 pounds each for the other shortlisted artists.
About Duncan Campbell
• Duncan was born in 1972 and he studied at the University of Ulster, Belfast, before completing a Master of Fine Art programme at Glasgow School of Art in 1998.
• His films bring together archive footage, photographs, interviews, animation and re-enactment.
• His recent solo exhibitions include The Common Guild, Glasgow (2014); Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (2012); Belfast Exposed, Belfast; Arbeit, Hotel, London (2011).
Singapore to adopt Euro VI emission standards for petrol vehicles from 2017
02-DEC-2014
Singapore on 1 December 2014 announced to adopt the Euro VI emission standards for petrol vehicles from 2017. While, for diesel vehicles Euro VI will apply from 2018.
The announcement is a part of pledge of the nation to cut carbon emissions by 7 per cent to 11 per cent below 2020 business-as-usual (BAU) levels, and in case of a binding international agreement, by 16 per cent below BAU.
The new regulation will further reduce nitrogen oxide and fine particulate emissions from vehicular emissions and help to improve Singapore’s ambient air quality.
Currently, the standards for petrol and diesel vehicles here are Euro IV and V respectively.
The EU’s vehicular emission standards impose strict rules on tailpipe gas emissions of new vehicles sold in EU member states. They have also been progressively implemented in Singapore and other countries.
From September 2017, the nation will accept petrol vehicles using Port Fuel Injection (PFI) technology that have achieved Japanese emission standards as being equivalent to meeting Euro VI emission standards
Militants attack Nigerian city Maiduguri and Damaturu
02-DEC-2014
Maiduguri & Damaturu, Nigeria: Attacked by Boko Haram militants
Maiduguri and Damaturu city in Nigeria were in news as Boko Haram militants on 1 December 2014 attacked the cities killing at least 5 people and wounding more than 40 people. Suicide attacks were made by two female bombers.
Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states in Nigeria's northeast have been the main targets of Boko Haram militants fighting for five years to carve a radical Islamist state out of Africa's top oil-producing and most populous country.
Two state capitals are located in north-east Nigeria. In Damaturu, explosions and gunfire were heard as militants rampaged through the city.
Maiduguri was the headquarters of Boko Haram, until it was driven out of the city by the security forces and vigilante groups.
SEBI allowed 123 entities to set up Alternative Investment Funds in India
02-DEC-2014
Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 1 December 2014 allowed as many as 123 entities to set up Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).
The 123 Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) have been registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) since July 2012.
Of these, around 34 entities got the approval of SEBI to operate so far in 2014, 67 in 2013 and the remaining 22 in 2011.
The AIFs that have registered with SEBI in November 2014 are Religare Dynamic Trust, Indus Way Emerging Market Fund and Carpediem Capital Partners Fund and those registered in October 2014 are Singular India Opportunities Trust.
What is Alternative Investment Funds?
AIFs are basically funds established or incorporated in India for the purpose of pooling in capital from Indian and foreign investors for investing as per a pre-decided policy.
Under SEBI guidelines, AIFs can operate broadly in three categories. The SEBI rules apply to all AIFs, including those operating as private equity funds, real estate funds and hedge funds, among others.
The Category I: AIFs are those funds that get incentives from the government, SEBI or other regulators and include Social Venture Funds, Infrastructure Funds, Venture Capital Funds and SME Funds.
The Category III: AIFs are those trading with a view to making short term returns and it includes hedge funds, among others.
The Category II: AIFs can invest anywhere in any combination but are prohibited from raising debt, except for meeting their day to day operational requirements.
These AIFs include private equity funds, debt funds or fund of funds, as also all others falling outside the ambit of above two other categories.
Human induced industrial waste causing Ocean acidification
02-DEC-2014
Human induced industrial and agricultural processes have significantly caused the Ocean acidification. This fact was revealed in a study titled Increasing anthropogenic nitrogen in the North Pacific Ocean published in latest issue of Science Magazine on 28 November 2014.
The study claimed that, recent increase in anthropogenic emissions of reactive nitrogen from northeastern Asia and the subsequent enhanced deposition over the extensive regions of the North Pacific Ocean (NPO) have led to a detectable increase in the nitrate (n) concentration of the upper ocean.
Main findings of the study
• The rate of increase of excess N relative to phosphate (P) was found to be highest (∼0.24 micromoles per kilogram per year) in the vicinity of the Asian source continent, with rates decreasing eastward across the NPO, consistent with the magnitude and distribution of atmospheric nitrogen deposition.
• This anthropogenically driven increase in the N content of the upper NPO may enhance primary production in this N-limited region, potentially leading to a long-term change of the NPO from being N-limited to P-limited.
• The rate of deposition of reactive nitrogen from the atmosphere to the open ocean has more than doubled globally over the last 100 years. This anthropogenic addition of nitrogen has reached magnitude comparable to about half of global ocean nitrogen.
Study process
In the study, the researchers used ocean data in conjunction with the state-of-the-art Earth System Model to reconstruct the history of the oceanic nitrate concentration and make predictions about the future state of the North Pacific Ocean.
Their assessment revealed a consistent picture of increasing nitrate concentrations, the magnitude and pattern of which can only be explained by the observed increase in atmospheric nitrogen deposition.
The change in nitrate concentration between the 1960s and 2000s across the open North Pacific Ocean was assessed by David Karl, at the University of Hawaii, along with researchers from Korea, Switzerland and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Border Security Force celebrated 49th Raising Day
02-DEC-2014
The Border Security Force (BSF) celebrated its 49th Raising day on 1 December 2014. The force was raised on 1 December in 1965. Home Minister Rajnath Singh also participated in the celebrations.
BSF will celebrate its Golden Jubilee year from 1 December 2014 to 30 November 2015.
The motto of BSF is Jeevan Paryant Kartavya. BSF was raised with role to provide a sense of security among the people living in the border areas, to prevent trans-border crimes, unauthorized entry into or exit from the territory of India and to prevent smuggling and any other illegal activity.
BSF was established under KF Rustamji as first Director General to guard the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangla international borders.
Currently, DG of BSF is Devendra Kumar Pathak, IPS.
About Border Security Force
The BSF is being extensively utilised on internal security duties in several states. Besides, it is manning 3323 kms length Indo-Pakistan border, which runs through the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
The force is also deployed over 288.95 km in the Line of Control (LoC) bordering Pakistan.
It is also entrusted with the duty of manning 4096.70 kms long India-Bangladesh border, which runs along the states of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.
Rajdeep Sardesai penned the book titled 2014: The Election That Changed India
02-DEC-2014
2014: The Election That Changed India: Rajdeep Sardesai
Rajdeep Sardesai penned the book titled 2014: The Election That Changed India. The book was released on 1 November 2014.
The book tracks the story of 2014 Indian general elections that changed the political landscape of India and is regarded as the most important elections in Indian history since 1977. The 2014 election led to the demise of grand old party of India Congress Party and spectacular rise of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In his book, Sardesai, the India’s top journalist tells the story through all the key players and the big news stories. The book contains the events beginning with 2012, when Narendra Modi won the state elections in Gujarat for a third time, to the scandals that crippled Manmohan Singh and UPA 2 regime and moving to the back-room strategies of Team Modi, the extraordinary missteps of Rahul Gandhi and the political dramas of an election year.
The book is a thoughtful reflection on what ails India’s sensation-seeking, ratings-addled and chronically shallow news television.
About Rajdeep Sardesai
Rajdeep Sardesai is an Indian news presenter and author. Sardesai is currently a consulting editor at the India today group and will be doing a marquee show for Headlines Today.
He was the Editor-in-Chief of IBN18 Network which includes CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat from where he left in July 2014.
Ranbaxy launched arthritis drug Infimab BOW015
02-DEC-2014
India’s largest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, on 1 December 2014 launched arthritis drug Infimab (BOW015).
Infimab is India’s first bio-similar of infliximab drug. The product was launched at the Indian Rheumatology Association Conference (IRACON) in Chandigarh.
The drug can be used for treating various conditions including rheumatoid arthritis. Infimab also has an excellent treatment potential to treat other crippling painful arthritis like ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis.
Infimab is being introduced in the Indian market through a licensing partnership with EPIRUS Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. a US and Swiss-based Biopharmaceutical Company focused on the global development and commercialization of bio-similar monoclonal antibodies.
Infimab will be manufactured by Reliance Life Sciences at a facility in Mumbai.
Infimab marks Ranbaxy’s entry into mAb (Monoclonal Antibodies) biologics, and will help the company provide greater access to quality biologic medicines in management of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases that cause disability. The literature estimates a prevalence of 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent in India.
IBM signed ten-year deal with ABN Amro to provide computer infrastructure services
02-DEC-2014
US-based major International Business Machine (IBM) on 1 December 2014 signed a ten-year, multi-billion dollar deal with Dutch bank ABN Amro. The deal was signed to provide computer infrastructure services to ABN Amro running on its cloud systems.
IBM will provide fully managed services for mainframe computers, servers, storage and end-user computing as well as a help desk and other technical support.
The deal comes as IBM is trying to gain momentum in the market for Internet-delivered computing services, known as cloud computing. IBM so far has failed to keep pace with a shift to cloud-based computing services from its established business selling computer consulting and software that customers run on internal computer systems.
Earlier, in November 2014, IBM had won a 7-year outsourcing contract from Germany's Lufthansa worth 1.25 billion US dollar. In the deal, IBM has to take over the airline's information technology infrastructure services division and staff.
About ABN AMRO Bank
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is a Dutch state-owned bank with headquarters in Amsterdam. It was re-established, in its current form in 2009, following the acquisition and break-up of the original ABN AMRO by a banking consortium.
The consortium consists of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Santander Group and Fortis. Following the collapse of Fortis, it was nationalized by the Dutch government along with Fortis Bank Nederland
PSC on External Affairs recommended Government to introduce a Bill to ratify LBA with Bangladesh
02-DEC-2014
The Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on External Affairs on 1 December 2014 tabled its report in Parliament.
In the report, the panel recommended to introduce a bill to give effect to the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh and end the 67-year old dispute between the two countries.
The Standing Committee headed by Shashi Tharoor of Congress Party and comprising of Trinamool Congress’s Sugata Bose and BJP’s Ananthkumar Hegde and Varun Gandhi as members were unanimous on the point that Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) is in national interest and will pave way for broader ties with Bangladesh.
Recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee
• It asked the government to carry out effective consultations with the concerned State Governments for smooth implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement
• It asked the government to keep a blueprint ready for development of the Bangladeshi enclaves that will be ceded to India
• It also urged the Government to address all issues related to the rehabilitation of the people returning to the Indian Territory
• It asked the Centre to take measures to check the bonafides of the Bangladeshi residents who shall be extended Indian citizenship
• It also asked Government to ensure adequate safeguards for the Indian nationals who will be staying back in Bangladesh after the implementation of the Accord
The recommendation of the Standing Committee comes one day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 30 November 2014 confirmed that Government is serious to introduce the LBA and solve the problem of infiltration.
Even Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister, had also promised the Bangladesh government that the BJP would reverse its stand and push for both the LBA as well as the Teesta river water settlement.
Earlier, the Land Boundary Agreement was promised to Bangladesh by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Dhaka in 2011. But the bill was not presented in the Parliament due to opposition from the BJP over Assam enclaves and the Trinamool Congress over West Bengal enclaves.
119th Constitution amendment Bill, 2013
Earlier on 18 December 2013, the UPA Government had introduced 119th Constitution amendment Bill, 2013 in the Rajya Sabha to give effect to the LBA with Bangladesh. However, the Bill was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice on 31 December 2013.
The Bill was introduced to ratify the India-Bangladesh Agreement or Indira – Mujib pact that was signed in 1974 but not ratified as it involved transfer of territory which required a Constitutional Amendment.
Main features of the 119th Constitution amendment Bill, 2013
• It amends the First Schedule of the Constitution to give effect to the LBA between India and Bangladesh agreed on 16 May 1974. The First Schedule of the Constitution defines the area of each state and union territory which together constitute India.
• The Bill amends paragraphs in the First Schedule relating to the territories of Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Tripura.
• The Bill demarcates land boundaries in accordance with the India-Bangladesh agreement signed on 16 May 1974. This agreement underwent further modification through letters exchanged thereafter and a protocol on 6 September 2011.
• The Bill provides for swapping of territories involving handing over 17160 acres of land to Bangladesh in return for 7110 acres in 111 enclaves in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya
Comment
In the whole swap more than 50 thousand people will be involved of which about 15000 are on the Indian side of the border. The ratification of the bill will adversely affect lives of a number of Indian nationals who lives in Indian enclaves in Bangladesh territory. They would lose their claim to Indian citizenship.
RBI announced fifth Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2014-15
02-DEC-2014
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 2 December 2014 announced fifth Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement. RBI in its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement kept the policy rates unchanged.
Based on the assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, the policy rates as on 2 December 2014 are:
• Repo rate: 8 percent
• Reverse repo rate: 7 percent
• Marginal standing facility (MSF) rate: 9 percent
• Bank Rate: 9.0 percent
• Cash Reserve Ratio: 4 percent
Besides,
• Liquidity under overnight repos will continue to be provided at 0.25 percent of bank-wise NDTL at the LAF repo rate
• Liquidity under 7-day and 14-day term repos will continue to be provided at 0.75 percent of NDTL of the banking system through auctions
• Daily one-day term repos and reverse repos to smooth liquidity will be continued
Assessment of the macroeconomic situation in India
• Domestic activity weakened in Q2 of 2014-15, and activity is likely to be muted in Q3 also because of a moderate kharif harvest.
• The deficiency in the north-east monsoon rainfall has constrained the pace of rabi sowing, except in the southern States.
• Despite the uptick in September 2014, the growth of industrial production slumped to 1.1 per cent in Q2 with negative momentum in September 2014, unable to sustain the improvement recorded in the preceding quarter.
• In the services sector, the October 2014 purchasing managers’ survey indicates deceleration in new business. In contrast, tourist arrivals and domestic and international cargo movements have shown improvement.
Assessment of the macroeconomic situation of Global Economy
• Since September 2014, the global economy has slowed, though the recent sharp fall in crude prices will have a net positive impact on global growth.
• The recovery in the United States is broadening on the back of stronger domestic consumption, rising investment and industrial activity.
• In the Euro area, headwinds from recessionary forces continue to weaken industrial production and investment sentiment.
• In Japan, growth may be picking up again on the back of stronger exports, helped in part by further quantitative and qualitative easing that has led to a depreciation of the yen.
• In China, disappointing activity and still-low inflation have prompted rate cuts by the People’s Bank of China.
• In other major emerging market economies (EMEs), downside risks to growth from elevated inflation, low commodity prices, deteriorating labour market conditions and stalling domestic demand have become accentuated.
Comment
This is the fifth consecutive time that the RBI has kept key interest rates unchanged despite clamours from the industry to cut rates to boost economy. RBI Governor Raghu Ramrajan cited WPI inflation as the rationale for the status quo policy.
Union government announced 28000 crore rupees package for laying new rail lines in North-East
02-DEC-2014
Union government on 1 December 2014 announced 28000 crore rupees package for the development of North-East. The announcement was made by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi during his visit to North Eastern States of India.
During his visit, he announced
• 28000 crore rupees for laying new railway lines in the region and develop the untapped tourism potential of the area.
• Sanctioned 5000 crore rupees to provide 2G mobile coverage in the area for comprehensive telecom development plan of the northeast region
• To set up a National Sports University in Manipur and the people of the region will be great beneficiaries.
• To set up six new agriculture colleges in North East region to make it organic capital of the country.
• To set up Apparel manufacturing centres in each of the eight Northeast states starting with Assam, Nagaland and Sikkim.
• To provide scholarships for students from the Northeast saying that 10000 students will be beneficiaries of the same
Veteran music critic SV Krishnamurthy passed away
02-DEC-2014
The veteran music critic of The Hindu SV Krishnamurthy passed away on 30 November 2014 after a brief illness. He was 89.
SV Krishnamurthy
• Born in 1925, Krishnamurthy joined The Hindu in 1947 in a Kasturiranga Iyengar studentship and was promoted as a sub-editor in 1948.
• He rose to be an Assistant Editor in 1970, first looking at the editions and then working for the Sunday magazine .
• Though he formally retired in 1983, he was on extension of service till 1990.
• He continued as a consultant and music critic of the newspaper till the very end.
Egypt court dropped charges against former President Hosni Mubarak
02-DEC-2014
Egypt court on 29 November 2014 dropped charges against former President Hosni Mubarak over the killing of 239 protesters during the 2011 uprising in Egypt.
The court also dropped the charges against seven senior ex-officials and the decision could be appealed to higher court.
The judge said that Mubarak should not have been a defendant in the case as the charges against him were added late.
At present Hosni Mubarak is serving a separate three year sentence for embezzlement of public funds. He is held in military hospital and is expected to serve at least a few more months of three years sentence.
About the case
Mubarak, Habib al-Adly, who his former Interior Minister and six others had been convicted of conspiracy to kill people during the 2011 uprising in Egypt. They were sentenced to life in prison in June 2012 but a retrial was ordered on a technicality in 2013.
Mubarak was also cleared of a corruption charge involving gas exports to Israel and his sons Gamal and Alaa were also cleared of separate corruption charges by the same court on 29 November 2014.
Renowned Egyptian novelist Radwa Ashour died
02-DEC-2014
Acclaimed Egyptian novelist and educator Radwa Ashour died on 30 November 2014 in Cairo after a long battle with cancer. She was 68.
Radwa Ashour
• Born in Cairo in 1946, Ashour obtained her Ph.D. in African-American literature from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
• She chronicled her fight against cancer in her novel Heavier than Radwa which was set against the turbulent days of Egypt's revolution.
• She wrote more than fifteen books, the best-known of which is the Granada trilogy, which chronicles the rise and fall of Arab civilization in Spain.
• Ashour won multiple awards including the Constantine Cavafy Prize for Literature in 2007 and the Owais Prize in 2011.
Global Warming to impact Polar Bear population in Canadian Arctic Archipelago by 2100
02-DEC-2014
Global warming will impact Polar Bear population in Canadian Arctic Archipelago by 2100. This was revealed by a study titled Projected Polar Bear Sea Ice Habitat in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago published in the latest issue of Journal PLOS ONE. The lead author of the study was Stephen G. Hamilton from University of Alberta.
The study claimed that, due to heavy loss of Arctic sea ice induced by global warming, Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) may face starvation and reproductive failure by 2100.
Main Findings of the Study
• Polar bears are inextricably linked to Arctic sea ice and are sensitive to sea ice loss
• Polar bears rely on sea ice as a platform for hunting, migrating, and mating, but are forced to move to land in regions where sea ice does not seasonally persist
• Sea ice across the Arctic is declining and altering physical characteristics of marine ecosystems. Polar bears have been identified as vulnerable to changes in sea ice conditions.
• Energetics modeling and population projections indicate that continued sea ice loss with climate warming will negatively affect polar bear survival and reproduction potentially leading to population declines
Study Process
To gain insight into the conversation challenges for polar bears with respect to habitat loss, the team used sea ice projections for the Canadian Arctic Archipelago from 2006 – 2100 by using metrics developed from polar bear energetics modeling.
Prime Minister of Taiwan Jiang Yi-huah resigned after election loss
02-DEC-2014
The Prime Minister of Taiwan Jiang Yi-huah on 29 November 2014 resigned after election loss. He lost his first election since protests erupted over a controversial trade deal with mainland China.
His ruling party Kuomintang party (KMT) was placed second in election with just over 40 percent support. Democratic Progressive Party won the elections with more than 47 percent of the vote.
KMT had lost in five out of Taiwan's six large municipalities. Prior to the vote they had held four of them. The polls are seen as an important test ahead of the 2016 presidential race, with China policy a key issue.
The election came months after protesters from what Taiwanese media dubbed the Sunflower Movement occupied Taiwan's parliament and hit the streets to rail against the trade agreement between Taiwan and mainland China, its longtime adversary, which was signed in Shanghai in 2013.
The move by Jiang Yi-huah sets the stage for significant turnover, and possibly reforms, in the East Asian island.
Bollywood actor-comedian Deven Verma died at 78
02-DEC-2014
Veteran Bollywood actor-comedian, director and producer Deven Verma died on 2 December 2014 in Pune after a severe cardiac attack and kidney failure. He was 78.
He was best known for his comic performance in movies like Khatta Meetha, Angoor (dual role of Bahadur) and Andaz Apna Apna. He worked in around 149 films.
He is survived by his wife Rupa Ganguly, the younger daughter of the late legendary actor Ashok Kumar.
About Deven Verma
• He made his Bollywood debut with a supporting role in Yash Chopra's Dharmputra in 1961
• He became famous as an actor with his performance in film Chori Mera Kaam of 1975, which bagged him his first Filmfare Award for Best Comedian
• He had worked with eminent filmmakers like Basu Chatterji, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar
• He had also worked in Marathi and Bhojpuri films
• Some of his memorable films include Chor Ke Ghar Chor, Angoor, Gol Maal, Khatta Meetha, Naastik, Rang Birangi, Dil, Judaai, Andaz Apna Apna, Bemisal, Kora Kagaz and Dil Toh Pagal Hai.
• He produced and directed films like Yakeen (debut as producer), Nadaan (debut as director).
• He produced and directed Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Besharam in 1978
• Verma had won three Filmfare awards
a) In 1976 he won it for 1976 Chori Mera Kaam
b) In 1979 for Chor Ke Ghar Chor
c) In 1983 for Angoor
• He was last seen on the big screen in 2003 film Calcutta Mail
• He was born on 23 October 1937 in Pune and studied at the Nowrosjee Wadia College for Arts and Science (University of Pune) (1953–57)
Russia launched new generation GLONASS-K navigation satellite
02-DEC-2014
Russia on 30 November 2014 launched the new generation navigation satellite GLONASS-K from the Plesetsk space centre in Russia’s northwestern Arkhangelsk region.
The satellite was launched on a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with a Fregat upper stage. The carrier rocket was launched in a normal mode.
This is the fifth launch of a Global Navigation Satellite System satellite (GLONASS) from the Plesetsk space centre. The first launch of a GLONASS satellite from Plesetsk took place on 26 February 2011.
GLONASS-K
• GLONASS is a space-based satellite navigation system operated by the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces and is Russia’s counterpart of the US Global Positioning System (GPS).
• Developed by the Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems, the GLONASS-K marks a substantial improvement over the previous GLONASS-M second-generation satellites.
• The K Series are an advanced improvement of the previous M second-generation satellites with longer lifespan and better accuracy.
• By 2010, GLONASS achieved 100 percent coverage of Russia’s territory.
• In October 2011, the full orbital constellation of 24 satellites was restored which allowed the system to cover the entire globe.
Maoist attacked CRPF personnel in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh
02-DEC-2014
Chintagufa area of Sukma district: Maoist killed dozen CRPF personnel
Chintagufa area of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh on 1 December 2014 was in news as Maoists killed more than dozen CRPF personnel in an attack. Several others were injured in the attack. The victims of the attack were from the 223 battalion of the CRPF.
CRPF personnel were inside the forest for an operation when the Maoists ambushed them.
This Maoist-attack is being considered as one of the biggest single-day casualty of 2014 in Chhattisgarh area of Sukma district.
The incident took place in the same region where seven personnel were injured in a Maoist attack on 21 November 2014, when they also attacked the IAF helicopter Mi17 that was sent to evacuate the injured.
The CRPF in November 2014 launched massive operations in the interior areas of Sukma against Maoists. Under the operation about 5000 CRPF personnel were deployed in the forests of Bastar. Might be possible, this ambush by Maoists is a response to CRPF operation.
The attack took place around nine km from Chintagufa, where 76 jawans were killed in 2008 in one of the worst Maoist attacks ever.
The attack also comes a day before the People’s Liberation of Guerrilla Army of the CPI (Maoist) is set to begin its foundation week from 2 to 8 December 2014.
According to Home Ministry, the Maoists are one of the biggest internal security threats to the nation, as they are operational in 20 of the India’s 29 states. They have several thousands of fighters.
Union government decided to amend the Consumer Protection Act 1986
02-DEC-2014
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on 30 November 2014 decided to amend the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) 1986.
The move aims to strengthen the three-tier grievance redressal system stipulated under the Act.
Ministry announced the following amendment:
• The amendment will set up a consumer protection authority that will take care of groups or classes for which no remedial measures could be taken under the present form of the Act as it focuses on cases pertaining to individuals only.
• The amendment covers e-commerce, product liability, misleading advertisements within its purview.
• The strength of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) will be increased and five more members, including a woman and one each from SC, ST, OBC and minority communities, will be added to it. At present is has 10 members and a Chairman.
• The strength of the state consumer commissions and district fora will also be strengthened.
• The amendment is set to introduce product liability charges even in cases like train or flight delays. Instead of just refunding the amount paid, the service providers will be liable to punitive action, fine and compensation.
• The amendment will also do away with the compromise rule under the CPA if the matter is related to ‘danger to life’ or ‘public safety’.
• The issue of misleading advertisements that promise moon to the consumers will also be handled. The changes in the CPA will ensure that such advertisers are punished.
President Pranab Mukherjee presented Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards
02-DEC-2014
The President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 1 December 2014 presented the Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards for outstanding performance in exports for the year 2010-11 and 2011-12 in New Delhi .
Forty-four companies received Niryat Shree Awards while six were honoured with Niryat Bandhu for their outstanding performance in the field of exports.
The Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards were instituted by the Federation of Indian Export Organizations.
Contribution of Exports Sector to India's GDP
India has done reasonably well in all parameters of socio-economic activity over the last decade. It is today the third largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity with economy growing at an average rate of 7.6 percent per year from 2004-05 to 2013-14.
The international trade to GDP ratio, which was less than 15 percent in 1991-92 is now close to 42 percent. From 17.9 billion US dollars in 1991-92, the value of exports has increased to 312.6 billion US dollars in 2013-14.
The compound average growth rate of our exports during 1991-92 to 2001-02 was 9.4 percent. This has increased to 17.8 percent during the period 2001-02 to 2013-14.
Union Ministry of CA rejected reappointment of Vijay Mallya as MD of Kingfisher Airlines
02-DEC-2014
The Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (CA) on 1 December 2014 rejected a proposal for reappointment of Vijay Mallya as Managing Director (MD) of Kingfisher Airlines which has remained grounded since October 2012.
Moreover, the company’s shares were suspended from trading due to penal reasons.
Background
The cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines suspended operations in October 2012 after its employees stopped the work over months of unpaid salaries.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) subsequently suspended its flying licence after the airline failed to produce a business plan to restart operations.
All of Kingfisher's planes and some of its properties have been seized either by leasing companies or banks over constant defaults on loans.
Moreover, Vijay Mallya is already engaged in legal tussle with several lenders who are trying to recover their loans amounting to thousands of crores of rupees from Kingfisher and some of them have also declared him as a wilful defaulter.
However, Kingfisher Airlines under Section 269 of the Companies Act, 1956 applied to Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs for approval of the Central Government for reappointment of Vijay Mallya as MD of the company for a period of five years from 16 October 2013 without remuneration.
South Korean fishing boat Oryong 501 sank in Bering Sea
02-DEC-2014
South Korean fishing boat Oryong 501 sank in the Bering Sea off Russia's far-eastern Chukotka peninsula on 1 December 2014. One person died in the incident and at least 54 are missing.
South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said that the boat sank with 60 crew members on board, of which eight people were rescued, but one of them died later.
The 2153-ton trawler Oryong 501 operated by Sajo industries sank in the Bering Sea while catching pollock, a popular fish in South Korea. The cause of sinking, in the frigid waters that lie between far-eastern Russia and Alaska, wasn't clear.
At the time, when the trawler went down near the Chukotka peninsula there were more than 60 people on board. Seven people had been saved, including citizens of several Asian Nations. The crew consisted of 35 Indonesians, 13 Filipinos, 11 South Koreans and one Russian
Union Home Ministry approved appointment of OP Singh as Director General of NDRF
02-DEC-2014
Union Home Ministry on 1 December 2014 approved the appointment of OP Singh as Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
A 1983-batch IPS officer of UP cadre, Singh will now be the full fledged Chief of NDRF in the rank of Additional Director General for his remaining period of central deputation till 15 January 2018.
He was posted in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and NDRF was an additional charge given to him. OP Singh took over additional charge of Director General of NDRF on 2 September 2014. He succeeded Mahboob Alam who retired on 31 August 2014.
Other appointments approved by Union Home Ministry
• AP Maheshwari, IPS officer of the 1984 batch was appointed as Additional Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF).
• DK Pandey was appointed as Additional DirectorGeneral of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Pandey succeeded RK Pachnanda.
• RK Pachnanda was posted as Additional Director- General (Airport) of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He will be looking after the security of 59 civil airports in the country.
• Ramesh P Singh, on promotion, was appointed as Additional Director General of BSF. He is also a 1984 batch IPS officer from Odhisa cadre.
Urban Mobility India Conference concluded with recommendations to address urban mobility in India
01-DEC-2014
Urban Mobility India Conference concluded on 28 November 2014. The conference was organised by the Institute of Urban Affairs and Union Ministry of Urban Development. It came out with a set of recommendations to address the urban mobility issue in India.
The conference ended with the conclusion that efficient public transport is the solution and urged early intervention to enable the emerging cities to cope up with the problem so as to avoid the unwieldy experiences of mega and major cities.
Highlights of Conference
• The conference recommended the formulation of Comprehensive Mobility Plans for cities with over one lakh population focusing on introduction of public transport systems at an early stage to avoid the kind of problems that bigger cities are facing at present.
• It recommended that urban development needs to be centred on transport planning through formulation of Comprehensive Land Use and Mobility Plans.
• It recommended the main focus is on mass transit system in combination with last mile connectivity which needs a holistic planning of Smart City.
• Building high quality public transport system based on roads, flyover and elevated roads may provide short term relief but there will soon be swamped by growing private motorized transport.
• It recommended Government to take up a Pilot Project to develop a database for one city using smart card based technologies, which could then be replicated by others, as a pre-condition to the smart cities program.
• Merely building a high cost metro or Bus Rapid Transport System (BRT) would not be enough on its own and recommended integrated multi-modal systems ensuring last mole connectivity for better outcomes.
• It recommended that media should be co-opted at the stage of conceptualization of new initiatives for subsequent wider dissemination by noting the role of media in promoting awareness about sustainable transport.
UAE captain Khurram Khan became the oldest player to score a century in ODI
01-DEC-2014
United Arab Emirates (UAE) captain Khurram Khan became the oldest player to score a century in the One-Day International (ODI). He scored the winning century against Afghanistan in Dubai on 30 November 2014.
He achieved the feat at an age of 43 years and 162 days thus breaking the record held in the name of Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka. Jayasuriya scored 107 against India in 2009 when he was 39 years old.
Khan smashed 17 fours to score unbeaten 132 run and he also put on a 160 run third wicket partnership with Mohammad Shadzad.
Singapore launched National Day song in Tamil language to celebrate 50 years of Independence
01-DEC-2014
Singapore on 30 November 2014 launched National Day song in Tamil language to celebrate 50 years of independence in 2015. Tamil is the fourth official language of Singapore.
The song and music has been composed by Logapreyan Renganathan to create something new and fresh to celebrate SG50, the abbreviation of multi-racial Singapore’s 50 years of independence.
The SG50 Celebration Fund granted 50000 Singapore dollar grant for the song and music composition project.
The main composition of Singapore population is Chinese, Malays and Indians with Malay. Chinese, Tamil and English are the official languages of Singapore.
Tabare Ramon Vazquez Rosas won Uruguay Presidential Election 2014
01-DEC-2014
Tabare Ramon Vazquez Rosas on 30 November 2014 won the 2014 presidential elections of Uruguay extending the decade-long rule of a leftist coalition. Vazquez belongs to the leftist Broad Front coalition party of Uruguay.
Vazquez won comfortably with 52.8 percent votes support while his centre-right challenger Luis Lacalle Pou of the National Party trailed on 40.5 percent votes.
He will succeed President Jose Mujica who was barred by law from running for a second consecutive term.
Vazquez won the first round of voting in October with more than 46 percent of the vote but it was not enough for an outright majority.
The Broad Front narrowly won the majority in Congress in legislative elections held in November 2014. It indicates that Vazquez will be in firm control when his term begins on 1 March 2015.
Tabare Ramon Vazquez Rosas
• Vazquez is a respected oncologist who helped heal rifts inside the Broad Front in the late 1990s and led it to power in 2005 ending two decades of conservative rule that followed a military dictatorship.
• He had been the President of Uruguay from 2005 to 2010 when his mix of welfare programs and pro-business policies helped kick-start a decade of robust growth.
• As president, he presided over considerable improvements in education and working conditions, a significant expansion of the welfare system and a dramatic reduction in poverty.
Rohtak sisters who thrashed molesters to be honoured on Republic Day
01-DEC-2014
The Haryana government on 1 December 2014 announced that it will honour the two sisters, Pooja and Aarti, who single-handedly took on three molesters in a moving bus. The two sisters will be honoured and given cash awards on the occasion of Republic Day, 26 January 2015.
Incident
Three boys, identified as Kuldeep, Mohit and Deepak tried to molest both girls (sisters) in a moving bus of Haryana Roadways at Rohtak. Opposing to their action, the two sisters thrashed these men, while the co-passengers watched the whole incident.
Two of the molesters are Indian Army personnel and the third is a college student. They have been arrested and a case under section 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage woman's modesty) and section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against them.
After the incident, the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that effective steps will be taken to ensure security of women passengers. He asked the director general of police (DGP) and the transport department to take steps to ensure safety and security of passengers, especially women, who travel in the Haryana roadways buses.
He also directed the bus driver and conductors to make sure that such incidents do not occur in future.
Former Arunachal Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin passed away
01-DEC-2014
Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Jarbom Gamlin died on 1 December 2014 following a brief illness at a hospital in Gurgaon. He was 53.
Jarbom Gamlin
• Born on 16 April 1961, Gamlin obtained his law degree from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi in 1984. Later, he practised as a lawyer in Dibrugarh.
• He was president of the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) for three years from 1981 to 1984.
• Although Gamlin first joined the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA), later he switched over to Congress and became a member of the Lok Sabha from 1999-2004.
• In 2004, he was elected to the state Assembly and became home minister in the Gegong Apang ministry. In 2009, he became power minister in the Dorjee Khandu government.
• On 5 May 2011, Gamlin became the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh after the death of Dorjee Khandu in a chopper accident.
Vijay Mallya resigned as Director of Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd
01-DEC-2014
The United Breweries Limited Chairman Vijay Mallya on 1 December 2014 resigned as the Director of Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd (MCFL) with immediate effect.
However, the reason behind his resignation is still unknown. The post of Director at Mangalore Chemicals may for now remain vacant.
Background
Mallya’s resignation comes at a time when MCFL is amidst a takeover battle between Deepak Petrochemicals and Fertilizers and Zuari Agro Chemicals and Fertilizers.
Mallya had joined forces with Kolkata-based industrialist Saroj Kumar Poddar to launch a counter bid against Deepak Fertilisers. The board of Mangalore Chemicals is being restructured to include two representatives of Poddar’s Adventz Group.
Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd (MCFL)
Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers is a fertilizers manufacturing company situated in the state of Karnataka, India.
The company with its wide range of products that include urea, di-ammonium phosphate, muriate of potash, granulated fertilizers, micronutrients, soil conditioners and specialty fertilizers, touches and enriches the lives of farmers across southern India.
PM Narendra Modi coined acronym SMART for police forces across the country
01-DEC-2014
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 30 November 2014 coined the acronym SMART for police forces across the country. He coined the acronym at the 49th annual conference of India DGPs and IGPs hosted by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in Guwahati, Assam.
Acronym SMART policing means
• S for strict but sensitive
• M for modern and mobile
• A for alert and accountable
• R for reliable and responsive
• T for techno-savvy and trained
The two-day conference for first time was held outside the national capital, New Delhi.
Apart from this, the Prime Minister also called for documentation of stories of police martyrs and develop a document for use in training of police personnel in their respective state academies. Since independence over 33000 police personnel have laid their lives for the country.
He said that an e-book can also be developed with these stories uploaded in all the languages of our country
The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence announced
01-DEC-2014
The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence was announced on 30 November 2014. The awards were announced in the following category:
• Business Leader of the Year – Dilip Shanghvi
• Company of the Year – Tata Consultancy Services
• Emerging Company of the Year – Adani Ports & SEZ
• Global Indian of the Year – Satya Nadella
• Startup of the Year – Zomato
• Business Reformer of the Year – UK Sinha
• Corporate Citizen of the Year – Tata Steel
• Lifetime Achievement – Yusuf Hamied
• Entrepreneur of the Year - Dhiraj Rajaram
• Entrepreneur of the Year - Chandra Shekhar Ghosh
About ET Awards
ET awards are the awards conferred by The Economic Times in the field of business, corporate and government policies, economies in India. It is an annual award. The award was sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank. Since 2012, Standard Chartered Bank has been the presenting sponsor of The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence.
The winners were decided by the jury panel of 11 members. The ET Awards jury included some of India’s top industrialists, bankers and lawyer.
Global campaign Girl Rising launched in New Delhi to create awareness on girl education
01-DEC-2014
Girl Rising: A Global campaign to highlight importance of girls’ education
Bollywood actresses Priyanka Chopra and Freida Pinto launched a multi-level global campaign, Girl Rising on 29 November 2014 in New Delhi. The campaign aims at spreading awareness about importance of girls’ education and includes documentary film featuring the two stars and seven other actresses.
Priyanka and Freida are part of the global feature, which also co-stars Oscar-winners Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway.
The Indian version of the documentary that features top Bollywood actresses tells stories of nine unforgettable girls around the world striving against difficult circumstances to achieve their dreams of an education.
The girl rising campaign aims to create awareness and create a tangible platform to affect change.
What is Girl Rising?
Girl Rising’s Engage Campaign was launched in 2014 with the support of USAID. It is a global campaign for girls’ education. The campaign narrates stories to share the simple truth that educating girls can transform societies.
The campaign aims at changing the way the world values the girl by helping people understand her worth and the benefits to educating and empowering her.
Egypt court declared Islamic State of Iraq and Syria a terrorist group
01-DEC-2014
An Egyptian court on 30 November 2014 declared the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group as a terrorist organization and banned it in the country.
The court in its ruling added that it considers all of the Islamic State's affiliates to be terrorist organizations as well.
According to the verdict, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis or Champions of Jerusalem, a jihadi group based in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in November 2014 will also be designated as a terrorist group.
This jihadi group regularly attacks Egyptian security forces and has declared responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks.
The Court’s verdict came on a plea filed by a lawyer in which he demanded that the group should be labeled as terrorist group.
The ISIS has carved out a self-styled Islamic caliphate in territory that it controls in Syria and Iraq.
Researchers identified that Brain has weak spot for schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease
01-DEC-2014
The team of British researchers led by Gwenaelle Douaud of Oxford University identified that brain has weak spot for schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. The findings were published in Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PANS) on 24 November 2014.
The Study
Researchers from the University of Oxford used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to observe brain structure in 484 healthy people between ages 8 and 85.
The scans revealed a sort-of brain network within grey matter that is the last to develop and also the first to show signs of age-related decline.
This brain network of nerve cells or grey matter co-ordinate high order information coming from the different senses such as sight and sound.
This complex region shows heightened vulnerability to unhealthy developmental and aging processes as shown by schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease even though these two diseases have different origins and appear at very different times of life.
When team compared their study scans to those done on Alzheimer's and schizophrenia patients, they found significant similarities between the three. This would suggest certain areas of the brain play a role in the emergence of these diseases.
This large-scale and detailed study provides an important link between development, aging, and disease processes in the brain.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off first passenger train to Meghalaya from Assam
01-DEC-2014
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29 November 2014 flagged off first passenger train to Meghalaya from Assam. The move has put Meghalaya on India's railway map for the first time.
Modi flagged off the train via remote control at a function at Railway Stadium in Maligoan in Guwahati.
The newly-laid 19.75 Km Mendipathar (Meghalaya) -Dudhnoi (Assam) railway track will connect Mendipathar in Garo Hills to Guwahati.
Also, he laid the foundation stone of a board gauge railway line from Bhairabi to Sairang in Mizoram.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu was also present, along with chief ministers of Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram.
Chief Minister of Meghalaya Mukul Sangma said the first railway track in the state would pave a new way of economic growth and prosperity for people of Meghalaya especially the farmers.
45th International Film Festival of India concluded in Goa
01-DEC-2014
45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held in Goa from 20 November to 30 November 2014. The chief quest of the film festival was Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.
During the opening ceremony, Amitabh Bachchan along with Union Minister of Finance Arun Jaitely presented the Centenary award for Film personality of the Year to Tamil actor Rajinikanth.
The Festival screened 178 films from 79 countries across different categories which include World Cinema (61 films), Masterstrokes (11 films), Festival Kaleidoscope (20 films), Soul of Asia (7 films), Documentaries (6 films), and Animated Films (6 films).
The festival had 20 international and 91 Indian premieres including the Panorama section.
During the conclusion, the festival paid tribute to departed legends of cinema including Robin Williams, Richard Attenborough, Zohra Sehgal, Suchitra Sen and Farooq Shaikh by screening some of their works.
45th IFFI Awards
Life Time Achievement Award: Hong-Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai he is known for his films In the Mood for Love, Ashes of Time and Chungking Express.
Best Actor Award: Leviathan star- Alexel Serebriakov & Benagal actor -Dulal Sarkar for the film Chotoder Chobi
Best Actress Award: Cuban actress Arina Rodriguez for Cuban-Spanish film Behaviour &
Israeli actress Sarit Larry for film The Kindergarten Teacher
Best Director Award: Nadaf Lapid for the film The Kindgarten Teacher
Cenetary Award: Director Shrihari Sathe for the film Ek Hazaarchi Note
Special Jury Award: Director Shrihari Sathe for the film Ek Hazaarchi Note
Golden Peacock Award: Russian director Andrey Zvyaginstev for drama Leviathan
Centenary award for Film personality of the Year: Tamil actor Rajinikanth
Earth's most abundant mineral named as Bridgmanite
01-DEC-2014
The most abundant mineral on earth was named as Bridgmanite by a team of American geologists. The findings were published in the Journal Science on 28 November 2014.
The team of American geologists extracted a sample large enough to analyse the most abundant mineral that allowed them to name it as bridgmanite.
The mineral is named in honour of Percy Bridgman, a physicist who won the 1946 Nobel Prize in Physics for his fundamental contributions to high-pressure physics. Percy Bridgman pioneered the use of high pressure experiments to understand how many geological formations can come about.
Up to now, the mineral was referred to as perovskite because according to rules set down by the International Mineralogical Association, a mineral cannot be given a formal name until a specimen has been found that can be examined first hand.
The study
The researchers looked at a meteorite that had fallen inside Australia in 1879 as a likely candidate for samples. They used a test that involved the use of a micro-focused X-ray beam in conjunction with electron microscopy.
The researchers noted that the sample had more sodium and ferric acid than had been expected.
Their discovery is expected to aid future geological research and could offer clues about what goes on when celestial bodies collide and potentially also about the formation of the universe.
Bridgmanite
• Bridgmanite makes up about 70 percent of the earth's lower mantle and 38 percent of the total volume of earth.
• It is made up of high-density magnesium iron silicate.
• The lower mantle which starts at 670 km under the crust is difficult to reach for samples.
Renowned theatre personality Veenapani Chawla died at 67
01-DEC-2014
Veenapani Chawla, an acclaimed theatre personality died on 30 November 2014 after a severe heart attack. She died at a private hospital in Puducherry. She was 67.
About Veenapani Chawla
• Chawla was an actress-director-choreographer-writer-composer
• She founded Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Art Research in 1981, which aimed to promote research into the creation of new performance methodologies
• She was considered a pioneer of experimental theatre in India
• She received a Fellowship for a one month Residency at Villa Waldberta, Munich in 2006
• In 2006, she was honoured with the Zee Astitva Award for excellence in theatre
• In 2007, she was appointed on the board of editors for Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, a theatre journal published from the University of Leeds, London
• In 2011, she was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar for her contribution to Indian theatre as a director.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project
01-DEC-2014
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 29 November 2014 inaugurated China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project in Hazara. The Economic Corridor will pass through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The inauguration of the Hazara Motorway signals the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement.
This 60 km long four lane fenced Hazara Motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province will cost 297 million US dollars and will take two years to complete.
The prime minister also announced the construction of a railway track to link Hazara with Karachi and Quetta while another track will be constructed to link Hazara with Muzaffarabad.
During his China visit earlier in November 2014, Sharif signed deals worth 45.6 billion US dollars that included projects connected with the Corridor. Sharif has promised full security to Chinese personnel involved in construction of this mammoth project.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was proposed in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement reached during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visit to Pakistan in May 2013.
The Corridor is seen as a flagship project to strengthen China’s connectivity with neighbouring countries. It is an initiative set to aid strategic framework for pragmatic cooperation between the two nations.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a development programme to connect Gwadar Port in southern Pakistan to China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang via highways, railways and pipelines to transport oil and gas.
The corridor will serve as a primary gateway to trade among China, Middle East and Africa through Pakistan. Particularly, the oil from the Middle East will be offloaded at Gwadar which is located just outside the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
The oil will be transported to China through the Baluchistan province in Pakistan. Such a link would vastly cut the 12000 kilometres route that Mideast oil supplies now take to reach Chinese ports.
First bio-fuel powered bus became operational in UK
01-DEC-2014
Bus powered entirely by human and food waste became operational in United Kingdom. This is the first bio-waste powered bus in UK. Initially its service has started between Bristol and Bath.
Engineers expect that the bus service will help in cutting emissions in polluted towns and cities by providing a sustainable way of fuelling public transport.
The 40-seater Bio-Bus runs on gas that is generated through the treatment of sewage and food waste that’s unfit for human consumption, helps to improve urban air quality as it produces fewer emissions than traditional diesel engines.
This bus that runs on the waste products, which are renewable and sustainable, can travel up to 300 kilometers on a full tank of gas. This bio-gas is generated at Bristol sewage treatment works, a plant run by the company GENeco.
Comment: The use of bio-fuel created by treating the sewage and food to create bio-methane can be beneficial for the world as it will help reduce dependability on traditional fossil fuels and providing a sustainable fuel.
Baichung Bhutia became the first Indian Footballer to conferred AFC Hall of Fame Award
01-DEC-2014
Former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia became the first Indian Footballer to be conferred with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Hall of Fame Award. The award was conferred on 30 November 2014 by FIFA president Sepp Blatter in Philippines.
The AFC organized the award ceremony for the first time to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Apart from Baichung, nine other legendary Players from Asia were also honoured.
Baichung has played 107 matches for India and scored 42 goals.
About Baichung Bhutia
Baichung Bhutia is an Indian footballer of Sikkimese – Bhutia descent. He plays as a striker. Bhutia is considered to be the torchbearer of Indian football in the international arena.
He is often nicknamed the Sikkimese Sniper because of his shooting skills in football. He became three-time Indian Player of the Year.
He became the first Indian to boycott the Olympic torch relay in support of the Tibetan independence movement.
In October 2010, he founded Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools in Delhi in partnership with football by Carlos Queiroz and Nike. In August 2011, Bhutia announced his retirement from international football.
His Honours
• Arjuna Award for football in 1998
• Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, in 2008
• Banga Bhushan award in 2014
Eight-foot bronze statue of World War II Indian pilot Mohinder Singh Pujji unveiled in UK
01-DEC-2014
World War- II Indian pilot Late Mohinder Singh Pujji was in news because UK on 28 November 2014 honoured him by unveiling his eight-foot bronze statue at St Andrew's Garden in Gravesend, Kent, Great Britain.
Squadron Leader Mohinder Singh Pujji flew Hawker Hurricanes during World War II.
About Mohinder Singh Pujji
• Pujji was an Indian Sikh fighter pilot who joined the Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) in World War II
• He learned to fly at the Delhi Flying School in 1936
• Mohinder Singh was one of 24 qualified Indians who volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1940. The Indian Air Force officers reached London on 8 October 1940
• Pujji also flew combat missions in Britain, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East during the war
• During his service, he was downed twice, first over the English Channel and then in the Middle East
• He was awarded with a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for bravery for his services in Burma
• In 2010, he published a book about his wartimes experiences entitled, For King and Another Country
• He was born in Shimla on 14 August 1918
• He died at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent at the age of 92 on 18 September 2010.
PV Sindhu won 2014 Macau Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton Title
01-DEC-2014
Two-time World Badminton Championship bronze medallist PV Sindhu won 2014 Macau Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton Title on 30 November 2014. She successfully defended the 120000 US dollar Macau Grand Prix Gold trophy.
This was first title of the season for Sindhu.
In the summit clash of the women's singles, world number eleven Sindhu defeated 91st ranked Kim Hyo Min of Korea in straight games 21-12, 21-17 at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion in Macau.
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