21-22 september eng
Sherif Ismail sworn in as Prime Minister of Egypt
Sherif Ismail on 19 September 2015 was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Egypt by the President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
Ismail is expected to be in office till the new government will take charge after the December 2015 elections to the Parliament.
This is the seventh national government in the country since the 2011 uprising that toppled the autocratic Hosni Mubarak.
Ismail succeeded Ibrahim Mahlab who resigned in the second week of September 2015 amid a corruption probe.
Incidentally, Ismail was the minister of petroleum and mineral resources in the Mahlab’s cabinet.
He was also worked as the chairman of the Egyptian natural gas holding company (EGAS).
BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya passed away
Jagmohan Dalmiya, President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), passed away on 20 September 2015 in Kolkata, West Bengal following a brief illness. He was 75. Dalmiya is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
As a cricket administrator, he was known as the architect for the rise of Cricket in India and its financial superpower. Dalmiya was involved with the BCCI for more than three decades and had started his journey as its treasurer in 1983 before becoming its secretary.
He became BCCI president in 2001 and continued till 2004. And later again in March 2015, he became President of BCCI for second time. Dalmiya had also served as President of the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 1997 to 2000. He was first Indian and first Asian to head the ICC.
Dalmiya was a key figure in bringing the 1987 and 1996 cricket World Cups to the Indian sub-continent.
P Siva Kumar, CVRDE Director, elevated as Distinguished Scientist
P Sivakumar, Director of CVRDE, was on 19 September 2015 elevated as a Distinguished Scientist or Scientist H by the Union Ministry of Defense. It is the highest honour conferred on a scientist in India.
CVRDE stands for Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment. It is located at Avadi in Tamil Nadu.
Sivakumar’s elevation was in recognition of his dedication and diligence in self-reliance effort for defence combat vehicle systems and sub-systems.
Achievements of P Sivakumar
• He was involved in development of various products including the Arjun MBT Mark-II, Carrier Command Post Tracked Vehicle, unmanned ground vehicles.
• He worked for more than two decades in Design and Development of Transmission systems for tracked and wheeled vehicles application.
• He was instrumental in comparative trials with T-90 to decide the deployment strategy for ARJUN MBT.
• As the Director of CVRDE since March 2010 he has been instrumental in developing critical systems for the Indian armed forces.
• He received the Scientist of the Year Award 2010 of DRDO for his active role in the Arjun MBT project management.
• He is a member of many professional institutions particularly American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA), American Society of Metals (ASM) and Institution of Engineers, India.
Alexis Tsipras-led Syriza party won Greece elections
Alexis Tsipras-led Syriza party on 20 September 2015 emerged as the largest party in the general elections to the Greece’s Parliament.
It secured 35 percent of total votes resulting in 144 seats in the 300-seat Parliament. Syriza is expected to form a coalition government with Independent Greeks Party, a partner in the previous government as well.
It is the second election victory for Syriza in just nine months since the formation of its first government at the national government in January 2015.
The snap polls were called after Syriza lost its majority in August 2015 in the Parliament.
Some of its members left the party as they were opposed to the European Union sponsored 86 billion US dollar bailout package for which Tsiparis agreed to.
The present victory for Syriza is expected to give another opportunity for Greece to effectively deal with its long standing financial crisis and emigrants influx from Syria.
India, Laos signed two MoUs to strengthen bilateral ties
India and Laos on 18 September 2015 signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations. The MoUs were signed by Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari and President of Lao Choummaly Sayasone in the Presidential Palace Ho Kham, Vientiane.
The MoUs cover Air Services Agreement to start direct flights between two countries and another agreement for three Quick Impact Projects (under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation programme) in the agriculture sector.
During the meeting, the work completion and handing over certificate of the Champassack Irrigation project was presented by Maykonh Phonephommavong, Director General, Department of Irrigation, Lao to RK Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, WAPCOS Limited.
India-Laos Bilateral Relations
India has enjoyed longstanding, friendly and mutually supportive relations with Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). The diplomatic relations between Indian Government and the Government of Laos were established in February 1956.
There exist excellent political relations between India and Lao PDR. On account of this, the Lao PDR has been supportive of major issues of regional and international concerns to India. In 2010, Laos supported India’s candidatures for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the term 2011-2013.
Lao PDR and India have signed several agreements over the past few years. These agreements lay down the essential framework for bilateral cooperation in matters relating to science, technology, economic cooperation and trade, as well as in defence and consular matters.
Mariko Kipchumba of Kenya won 2015 Beijing International Marathon
Mariko Kipchumba of Kenya on 20 September 2015 won the annual Beijing International Marathon. He finished the 42.195-km course in 2 hours 14 minutes and 25 seconds.
In women’s competition, Ethiopian runner Betelhem Cherenet won the title in 2 hours 27 minutes and 31 seconds.
With the present win, forty-one-year-old Kipchumba became the first non-Ethiopian athlete to win the event since 2011. Francis Kiprop won the 2011 event.
About Beijing International Marathon
• The annual marathon race is being held in the Chinese capital Beijing since 1981.
• It begins at Tiananmen Square and finishes at the National Olympic Sports Centre stadium.
• Every year, it sees the participation of around 5000 athletes from different parts of the world.
• In the men’s category either a Kenyan or an Ethiopian won the race since 2004.
Sania Mirza & Ajinkya Rahane conferred with Cricket Club of India’s honorary life membership
India's ace tennis player Sania Mirza and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane were in the third week of September 2015 conferred with honorary life membership of Cricket Club of India (CCI).
As the members of the club, the recipients will be allowed to use its facilities along with one’s spouse.
The membership of CCI is a prestigious ownership which is awarded regularly to sportsmen and eminent persons as recognition of their contribution to their respective fields.
About CCI
• It is a private club incorporated on 8 November 1933 with an objective to promote cricket and other sports in the country.
• Its contributions to sports and cricket in particular, have given it a unique position in the history of not only India but the entire world.
• It is located at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai that was constructed on the land given by Lord Brabourne, the then Governor of Bombay.
• Its membership list comprises who’s who of Indian and international sport; few of them are-Michael Ferreira (billiards), Geet Sethi (billiards), Sunil Gavaskar, Muralitharan and MS Dhoni.
• The club also awarded the privilege to non-sproting personalities like- John Major (former UK Prime Minister), Lata Mangeshkar, Dilip Kumar, R K Laxman, M J Akbar and Mukesh Ambani.
Nepal adopted first democratically-framed constitution
Nepal on 20 September 2015 adopted its first democratically-framed constitution with the promulgation of the charter by the president Ram Baran Yadav.
It is called as a democratically-framed constitution as it was conceptualized, developed and adopted by a representative Constituent Assembly.
The adoption is considered as historic as it puts an end to the 7-year long altercations among political parties about the nature of the Constitution that began with the abolition of the 239-year old monarchy in 2008.
Further, it also believed that the new constitution will bring fresh air in the Nepalese society plagued by devastating earthquake of April 2015 that killed around 9000 people.
However, the acceptance of the constitution was not unanimous.
Few members of the Constituent Assembly mainly royalists’ politicians voted against the constitution, on the voting day of 16 September 2015, as it favoured the republican form of government over the monarchy.
Further, members of the lowlands belonging to Madhesi and Tharu communities abstained from voting as they were dissatisfied with the federal-provincial demarcation and constituency delimitation in the terai region.
Their dissatisfaction was with the fact that the Pahadi or hill community, who constitute 50 percent of the population, got 100 seats in the parliament while the other half, Madhesi of plain region got only 65 seats.
Sebastian Vettel won 2015 Singapore Grand Prix of Formula One
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel from Germany on 20 September 2015 won the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix of Formula One. While, Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished second. The race was held on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, which is the first street circuit in Asia.
The top 5 Teams of the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix of Formula One were Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, Williams and Toro Rosso.
For Vettel, it was overall fourth victory in Singapore Grand Prix as he had earlier won in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Moreover, this was his third victory of the season 2015. Earlier he had won Malaysian Grand Prix 2015 and Hungarian Grand Prix 2015.
Rankings of 2015 Singapore Grand Prix
|
Position |
Player |
Team |
|
1 |
Sebastian Vettel |
Ferrari |
|
2 |
Daniel Ricciardo |
Red Bull |
|
3 |
Kimi Raikkonen |
Ferrari |
|
4 |
Nico Rosberg |
Mercedes |
|
5 |
Valtteri Bottas |
Williams |
|
6 |
Daniil Kvyat |
Red Bull |
|
7 |
Sergio Perez |
Force India |
|
8 |
Max Verstappen |
Toro Rosso |
|
9 |
Carlos Sainz Jr. |
Toro Rosso |
|
10 |
Felipe Nasr |
Sauber |
Veteran Leftist Sadhan Gupta died
Veteran Communist leader MP Sadhan Gupta passed away on 19 September 2015 following age-related illness. He was 98 years old.
Gupta was an eminent barrister and Independent India’s first visually challenged person to be elected as an MP.
Gupta was born on 7 November 1917 in Dhaka, now in Bangladesh. He rose to fame when he argued the case of the Emperor vs Shibnath Banerjee in pre-independence era.
As an infant, he suffered a smallpox attack that took a toll on his vision. He studied at Calcutta Blind School and ranked among top ten in Matriculation examination. He studied economics from Presidency College and passed LLB from Calcutta University.
Gupta became a CPI member in 1939. In 1969, he was elected to West Bengal Assembly from Kalighat.
In 1986, he was appointed advocate general during the Left Front regime.
National Tourism Awards 2013-14 presented
President Pranab Mukherjee on 18 September 2015 presented the National Tourism Awards 2013-14 at a function held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
Some of the important recipients of awards
• The state of Gujarat was awarded for the Best State/UT for Comprehensive Tourism Development
• Heritage City Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh as the Best Heritage City
• Municipal Council of Maheshwar (Distt.Khargone) in Madhya Pradesh for Best Civic Management of a Tourist Destination in B Category.
• Gujarat has been awarded as the Best Film Promotion Friendly State/Union territory.
• Department of Tourism of Kerala received the award for Most Innovative use of Information technology.
• The Great backwaters of Kerala by Kerala Tourism has been awarded the Best Tourism Film.
• The Coffee Table Book Gujarat’s 50 Golden Destinations by Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd got the award of Best Tourism Promotion Publicity material.
• M/s Kuoni Travel India Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon received the first prize for Best Inbound Tour Operators/Travel agents in the category of earning Foreign Exchange of 100 crore rupees or more in a year.
• M/s Trail Blazer Tours India Pvt was given first prize in the category of earning Foreign Exchange of 50-100 crore rupees in a year.
• M/s Eco Mobility and Hospitality Pvt Ltd won the first prize in Category I of Tourist Transport Operator.
• M/s Snow Leopard Adventure Pvt Lts, Gurgaon won the prize for Best Adventure Tour Operator.
About National Tourism Awards
• The National Tourism Awards are presented annually by Union Ministry of Tourism to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. These awards are being given since the early 1990s.
• The awards are awarded to State Governments, Union Territories, hotels, travel agents, tour operators and individuals in recognition of their performance in their respective fields.
• The awards are given in several categories including Comprehensive Development of Tourism, Best Rural Tourism Project, Medical Tourism Facilities, Best Heritage City, Best Heritage Walk, Best Hotels, Awards to Inbound Tour Operators and Travel Agents for their outstanding work.
Malayalam playback singer Radhika Thilak died
Renowned Malayalam playback singer Radhika Thilak passed away in Kochi on 20 September 2015 due to cancer. She was 45 years old. She sung around 70 songs for Malayalam movies including Guru, Ottayal Pattalam and Deepasthambham Mahashcharyam.
Thilak was a known face on Doordarshan in the 1990s. She was one of the top-rated singers on All India Radio and was also one of the most popular stage singers of the time.
Apart from movie songs, Thilak also gave her voice to many devotional songs.
Her noted songs in Malayalam film industry are Arunakirana deepam, Deva sangeetham, Maya manchalil, Kaithapoo manam, Thiruvathira thira nokkiya, Ente ulludukkum kotti and Ninte kannil.
Jammu and Kashmir government banned sale of Ambuja cement in state
The Jammu and Kashmir Government on 19 September 2015 banned the sale of Ambuja Cements in the state. There were complaints of malpractices against the company. The initial enquiry found that the company sold cement bags at two different MRP rates in the region.
It was unveiled that the company sold a cement bag in Kashmir for 346.65 rupees per bag and in Jammu at 437.69 rupees. The bags were also underweight by 400 to 600 grams per bag.
Legal Metrology Department was directed to ensure the ban on sale and stock of Ambuja cement.
About Ambuja Cements Limited
Ambuja Cements Limited (ACL), a part of a global conglomerate Holcim, was formerly known as Gujarat Ambuja Cement Limited. It is a major cement producing company in India. The company mainly manufactures and markets cement and clinker for domestic and export markets.
Ajay Jayaram won Silver Medal in 2015 Korea Open Badminton tournament
India’s badminton player Ajay Jayram on 20 September 2015 won silver medal in 2015 Korea Open Badminton tournament in Men’s singles category.
In the final match played in Seoul, Jayram lost to World No. 1 Chen Long of China by 14-21, 12-21.
With this win, Jayaram became the first Indian badminton player who grabbed a medal in Korea Open Badminton tournament.
At present, Jayram is ranked 32nd in the Men's Singles world ranking.
About Ajay Jayram
Ajay Jayram was born on 28 September 1987 in Chennai, India. He is supported by Olympic Gold Quest, a non-profit organization, which identifies and supports Indian athletes.
Jayram plays for the Hyderabad HotShots in the Indian Badminton League.
International Day of Peace observed globally
The International Day of Peace was observed on 21 September 2015 across the world to recognise the efforts of those who have worked hard to end conflict and promote peace. The International Day of Peace is also a day of ceasefire.
The theme of International Day of Peace for the year 2015 isPartnerships for Peace- Dignity for All.
The International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September every year. The United Nations General Assembly has devoted this day to strengthen the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
On this day, the United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities and commemorates the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.
Background
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 of the United Nations General Assembly to coincide with its opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September. The first Peace Day was observed in September 1982.
In 2001, the General Assembly by unanimous vote adopted resolution 55/282, which established 21 September as an annual day of non-violence and cease-fire.
Four new isotopes discovered by researchers at Manipal University
Researchers from the Manipal Centre of Natural Sciences at Manipal University, Karnataka in collaboration with researchers at GSI, Germany claimed to have discovered four new atomic nuclei to be added to the Chart of the Nuclides.
The claim was made in a paper published on 2 September 2015 in the journal Physics Letters B. The paper was published by H. M. Devaraja from the Manipal Centre of Natural Sciences at Manipal University.
The collaborators focused on the development of new methods of synthesis for the super heavy elements.
The nuclei are one isotope each of the elements berkelium (Bk, atomic number 97) and neptunium (Np, atomic number 93) and two isotopes of the element americium (Am, atomic number 95). The researchers used a new, highly sensitive method to create and detect the nuclei.
How it was discovered?
The researchers shot at a 300-nanometer-thick beam of curium with accelerated calcium nuclei. In the collisions, the atomic nuclei of the two elements touched and formed a compound system for a very short time. After about a sextillionth of a second, before the compound system could fall apart again, the two nuclei involved interchanged a number of their protons and neutrons. Different isotopes formed as the end products of this exchange.
About isotopes
Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. Therefore, they differ in relative atomic mass but not in chemical properties.
Urdu scholar Shamim Hanfi awarded with Jnangarima Manad Alankaran award
Renowned Urdu scholar Shamim Hanfi was on 20 September 2015 honoured with the Jnangarima Manad Alankaran by Bharatiya Jnanpith in New Delhi.
The award was declared at the annual Kavita Samay, an evening of poetry recitation by authors in Hindi and Urdu.
The scholar is best known for his books on criticism like, Ghazal Ka Naya Manzarnama, Jadidiyat ki Falsafiyani Asas and Infiradi Shaoor aur Ijtemai Zindagi.
Hanfi was born on 17 November 1938 in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Later, he moved to Allahabad for higher studies.
The eminent scholar has also been a freelance contributor for various Hindi and Urdu newspapers and periodicals.
About Jnangarima Manad Alankaran award
• Bharatiya Jnanpith instituted the Jnangarima Manad Alankaran award in 2015 to commemorate 70 years of the institution.
• The award identifies the contribution of writers in Indian languages.
• A Saraswati statue, a silver citation and a shawl is given to the recipient of this literary honor.
Elattuvalapil Sreedharan to join UN's High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport
Metro Man Elattuvalapil Sreedharan was on 18 September 2015 appointed to serve the United Nations’ High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport (HLAG-ST). He was invited by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to serve on his HLAG-ST for a period of three years.
Sreedharan is a retired Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer. He is credited for changing the face of public transport in India. Under his leadership, Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro Rail projects were completed on time.
He was given the name of Metro Man by the Indian media for his grand success in executing the completion of the Delhi Metro on time and with stipulated budget.
He has also been conferred with various awards for his contributions including Padma Shri (2001), Padma Vibhushan (2008) and French Government’s Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur (2005).
About High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport (HLAG-ST)
• The formation of group was announced by the UN Secretary General on 8 August 2014 to formulate recommendations on sustainable transport actionable at global, national, local, and sector levels.
• The group will work with governments, transport providers- aviation, marine, ferry, rail, road, and urban public transport, businesses, financial institutions, civil society, and other stakeholders to promote sustainable transport systems.
• The group will provide a global message and recommendations on sustainable transport, including on innovative policy and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• It will also launch a Global Transport Outlook Report to provide analytical support for these recommendations.
22 sept
British-born author Jackie Collins died
Jackie Collins, the best-selling British-born author, died on 19 September 2015 in Los Angeles following breast cancer. She was 77.
She was known for her vibrant novels about the extravagance and glamour of life in Hollywood. She wrote more than 30 books, many of them filled with explicit, unrestrained sexuality and sold more than 500 million copies worldwide.
Her first novel The World Is Full of Married Men was published in 1968. Though, Australia and South Africa banned the release of this book because of its frank depiction of extramarital sex. Her other earlier works included The Stud in 1969 and Rock Star in 1988.
Many of her novels became fodder for movies and television miniseries. In 2001, she published Hollywood Wives: The New Generation which was made into a TV movie starring Farrah Fawcett, Robin Givens, Jack Scalia and Melissa Gilbert.
Her latest novel The Santangelos was published in June 2015.
NASSCOM’s report on Contributions of India’s Tech Industry to the US economy released
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 21 September 2015 released NASSCOM’S report on Contributions of India’s Tech Industry to the US economy in Washington, the USA.
It was released on the sidelines of US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.
This report tries to quantify the positive impact of investments made by Indian IT BPM companies in the US by way of job creation, contribution by way of taxes and more importantly impact of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) measures on the US economy.
Highlights of the report
• The USA is the largest market for Indian IT-BPM (Information Technology-Business Process Management) exports.
• At present, Indian IT industry supports 411000 direct and indirect jobs in the USA.
• Indian IT companies have invested 2 billion US dollars between 2011 and 2013 in the USA.
• They paid around 22.5 billion US dollars in federal, state and local taxes between 2011 and 2015.
• While direct and indirect jobs supported by India’s IT sector in the US grew at an annual rate of 10 percent between 2011 and 2014, the average jobs growth rate in the USA was only 1.7 percent during the same period.
• More than 120000 American lives touched under the CSR initiatives.
• Indian IT companies provide operational support to over 90 per cent of Fortune 500 firms and thousands of other American businesses.
• Indian technology industry pays equivalent wages to the US national and foreign worker.
• In the USA, shortage of skilled talent is expected to continue to grow and will result in shortfall of 445000 computer professionals by 2022.
About NASSCOM
NASSCOM stands for the National Association of Software and Services Companies. It is a trade association of Indian Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry.
It facilitates business and trade in software and services and encourages the advancement of research in software technology.
Its present chairman is B V R Mohan Reddy.
EMI-EMC & NFTR test facilities inaugurated at BEL-Ghaziabad
Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) – Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) test facility and Near Field Test Range (NFTR) were on 21 September 2015 inaugurated at the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)-Ghaziabad.
They were inaugurated by the Chairman Chief of Staff Committee (COSC) Anup Raha. At present, he is also the Air Chief Marshal and the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).
These testing facilities will give fillip in developing and manufacturing products of superior performance and reliability with capability to operate in dense electromagnetic environment in the battlefield.
Also, these are also part of the transformation process of BEL into a major R&D and manufacturing centre of excellence in the critical field of electronic systems in the country for the armed forces.
About Bharat Electronics Limited
• It manufactures a wide array of products in the areas of Radars, Electronic warfare Systems, Military Communication Systems, Weapon Systems, C4I Systems, Shelters, Electro Optics etc.
• It was established in Bangalore in 1954 under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• BEL (Ghaziabad) specializes in design, development, manufacturing and production of Ground Radars, Antenna systems and Command & Control Systems.
Rehearsal of Chang’e-5 lunar mission conducted in China
Chang’e-5: China’s maiden sample return mission to the moon that is currently under development.
Chang’e-5 was in news on 21 September 2015 as China shipped Long March-5 carrier rocket from Tianjin port for a rehearsal of Chang’e-5 lunar mission.
It was the first drill carried out in a launch site that involved both the carrier rocket and a probe.
Chang’e-5 is the first of its technology for China as it will be involved in automatic sampling, an unmanned docking 400000 km above the lunar surface and ascending from the moon without a launch site.
Features of Chang’e-5 lunar mission
• It is China’s maiden sample return mission to the moon.
• It was named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e.
• It is called as a sample return mission as it will return the Earth with at least 2 kilograms of lunar soil and rock samples.
• It is currently under development and is expected to land on the Moon by 2017.
• It consists of Long March 5 rocket that will be used to launch the probe.
• Long March 5’s first trial flight is expected to take place in 2016.
• The rocket will carry 14 tonnes of payload to geostationary transfer orbit, the largest carrying capacity in China.
SC issued notice to Telangana Government on omission of 26 castes from state BC list
The Supreme Court of India (SC) on 21 September 2015 issued notice to the Telangana government to state the reasons for omission of 26 castes from the state backward classes (BC) list.
The notice was issued by a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) H L Dattu on the basis of a petition filed by the Setti Balija Youth Association.
The petitioner contended that the state’s decision to remove the Setti Balija community from the BC list was illegal as it was made without any prior recommendation of the Telangana State Backward Class Commission.
Further, the petitioner pleaded for justice as the community is not eligible for reservations in neither Telangana nor Andhra Pradesh as Andhra Pradesh also consider them as non-local category.
Background
Telangana state government issued a Government Order on 11 March 2015 removing 26 castes from the state BC list by stating that these communities were prevalent in the districts which now did not form part of the state.
However, it is estimated that, at present, about 10 lakh people belonging to the Setti Balija community reside in Telangana who migrated, over the decades, from various districts of the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions prior to formation of Telangana on 2 June 2014.
They availed reservation facility in the undivided Andhra Pradesh since 23 September 1970 on the basis of recommendation of a commission of inquiry.
The commission prepared a list of 138 castes and communities eligible for reservations in the BC category that were prevalent in the composite State of Andhra Pradesh comprising 23 districts.
Richie Richardson appointed to Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on 21 September 2015 announced that former West Indies cricket captain Richie Richardson was appointed to the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.
He will replace Sri Lanka’s Roshan Mahanama who stepped down from the position in the third week of September 2015.
Richardson is expected to take over the role at the end of his current assignment as the West Indies cricket team manager.
The last match to be overseen by him as the manager will be the Sydney test against Australia on 3 January 2016.
List of Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees
• David Boon (Australia)
• Chris Broad (England)
• Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)
• Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)
• Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)
• Richie Richardson (West Indies)
• Javagal Srinath (India)
Achievements of Richie Richardson
• He represented the West Indies cricket team in 86 Tests and scored 5949 runs.
• From 224 ODIs he made 6248 runs.
• He captained his side in 24 Tests and 87 ODIs.
• He played in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1987, 1992 and 1996.
• He has been the West Indies cricket team manager since January 2011
Cow declared as National Animal of Nepal
Cow was on 20 September 2015 declared as the National Animal of Nepal as per the new secular constitution of Nepal unveiled by Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav at a special ceremony held in Parliament at Kathmandu.
Cow is considered as a sacred animal to Hindus and as Nepal is a Hindu country, therefore the Nepal's government have made cow the national animal. With this, the animal has constitutional protection and cow slaughter has also been banned.
Nepal on 20 September 2015 adopted its first democratically-framed constitution with the promulgation of the charter by the president Ram Baran Yadav. The constitution was conceptualized, developed and adopted by a representative Constituent Assembly.
NASA developing space shotgun as part of its Asteroid Redirect Mission
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a space shotgun to test the strength of asteroids and other space rocks.
It was announced in the third week of September 2015 by Brooklyn-based Honeybee Robotics that is involved in the development of the technology.
The space shotgun is intended to determine whether mass is sturdy enough for sampling and it is part of NASA’s Asteriod Redirect Mission.
Features of Asteriod Redirect Mission (ARM)
• It is NASA’s first-ever robotic mission to visit a large near-Earth asteroid, collect a multi-ton boulder from its surface, and redirect it into a stable orbit around the moon.
• Once an asteroid is in a stable orbit, astronauts will explore it in the deep space and return with samples.
• The samples will lead to new scientific discoveries about the formation of our solar system and beginning of life on Earth.
• A spacecraft as part of the mission will be launched by 2020 and the astronauts will return with samples in 2020s.
• The mission also will demonstrate planetary defense techniques to deflect dangerous asteroids and protect Earth if needed in the future.
• It is part of NASA’s plan to advance the new technologies and spaceflight experience needed for a human mission to the Martian system in the 2030s.
How ARM will help NASA’s Mars Mission?
Flight to Mars will be a long and difficult journey for astronauts and launch vehicles as well.
In case of emergencies or for any support launch vehicles once launched cannot be returned easily from the deep space to the Earth.
Hence, astronauts need some mid-way stations in the space that can be used for docking, resupply and operational support.
At present, the International Space Station (ISS) at a distance of 400 km from the Earth is serving the purpose.
However, due to its limited space and nearness to the Earth it will not be suitable for deep space probes, including to Mars, in fulfilling stop-gap needs.
Hence, the asteroids redirected into stable orbits around the moon are the best replacement for the ISS as they will be located in a ‘similar’ environment to the Earth and at the same time at the appropriate distance.
Union Government released Draft National Encryption Policy
The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) in the fourth week of September 2015 released the Draft National Encryption Policy.
The purpose of the policy is to encourage use of encryption technologies and products among governmental agencies, businesses and citizens for more secure communications and financial transactions in the cyber space.
The draft policy was framed under Section 84A and Section 69 of Information Technology Act, 2000 that deals with prescribing modes or methods of encryption and decryption respectively.
Highlights of Draft National Encryption Policy
• Its vision is to enable information security environment and secure transactions in Cyber Space for individuals, businesses, Government including nationally critical information systems and networks.
• Its objectives are synchronizing with the emerging global digital economy, encouraging use of encryption for ensuring the security and confidentiality of data and encouraging wider usage of Digital Signature by all entities including government.
• It is applicable to all the Central and State Government Departments, statutory organizations, executive bodies, business and commercial establishments, Public Sector Undertakings, academic institutions, government personnel and citizens.
• It encourages use of encryption for storage and communication among the agencies and individuals covered under it.
• Under the policy, except the central and state government departments, all the organizations and citizens should store plain text information for 90 days from the date of transaction and produce the same to law enforcement agencies as and when demanded.
• However, mass use encryption products, social media applications such as facebook, twitter, etc , and SSL/TLS encryption products being used in Internet-banking and payment gateways, e-commerce and password based transactions were exempted from it purview.
• All vendors of encryption products shall register their products with the designated agency of the Government.
• The Government will notify the list of registered encryption products from time to time, without taking responsibility for security claims made by the vendors.
• Research and Development programs will be initiated for the development of indigenous algorithms and manufacture of indigenous products for Encryption, hashing and other cryptographic functions.
• A Technical Advisory Committee will monitor the technology development in the area of Cryptography to make appropriate recommendations on all aspects of Encryption policies and technologies.
Indian Coast Guard commissioned indigenously built vessels Apoorva & C-421
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on 21 September 2015 commissioned two indigenously built ships Apoorva and C-421 at the Naval Dock in Mumbai.
They were commissioned by Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of the Western Naval Command SPS Cheema.
The induction of the vessels is expected to boost maritime security along the Arabian Sea coast.
Features of ICGS Apoorva
• It is a 50 meter long Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV).
• It displaces 317 tonnes and can achieve a maximum speed of 33 knots.
• It is equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry, advanced communication and navigational equipment that make her an ideal platform for undertaking multifarious close-coast Surveillance, interdiction, Search & Rescue and medical evacuation missions.
• It will be based at Goa under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters No 11.
Features of ICGS C-421
• It is a water jet propelled vessel.
• It is the 27th in the series of IBs constructed by L & T Limited and can achieve a maximum speed of 45 Knots.
• It is fitted with medium range armaments, the ship is designed for close coast and shallow water operations.
• It is based at Androth (L&M Islands), under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters No 12.
Rajasthan Assembly passed Rajasthan Vexation Litigation Prevention Bill 2015
Rajasthan Assembly on 21 September 2015 passed the Rajasthan Vexation Litigation Prevention Bill, 2015 by voice vote. The objective of the bill is to prevent filing of baseless cases and to check the misuse of law for personal benefits.
With this Rajasthan became the fifth state in India after Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Madhya Pradesh to pass such legislation.
Vexatious Litigation is a legal proceeding or action initiated maliciously and without Probable Cause by an individual solely to harass or subdue an opponent or adversary. According to the bill, the tendency to file vexatious litigation was increasing.
The courts have shown their anguish by imposing heavy costs on vexatious litigants. These litigants persistently file baseless cases and misuse the process of law to settle personal scores. Besides harassing the innocent, these also put strain on the already overburdened judicial system.
Apart from the above bill Rajasthan Assembly also passed other two amendment bills:
Prisons (Amendment) Bill, 2015: It is aimed at improving the efficiency of prisons and checking violence and gang wars. The bill provides for stricter arrangements when a prisoner is taken to court.
Rajasthan Police (Amendment) Bill, 2015: The bill provides for a fine of 500 rupees for anyone who creates a nuisance on the road and obstructs or injures a person or property. If the person creates nuisance for the second time, the fine will be 5000 rupees and for the third time, 10000 rupees fine and eight days jail.
Vikram Pawah appointed as Managing Director of Harley Davidson's India operations
Vikram Pawah was on 21 September 2015 appointed as the Managing Director of India operations of US cult bike maker Harley Davidson with immediate effect. Pawah succeeded Anoop Prakash, who was appointed as the Managing Director of Harley Davidson Canada.
Pawah will manage Harley Davidson India’s leadership team responsible for in-country sales, dealer network management, marketing, service and operations activities to expand the company’s presence in the country.
Pawah has more than 24 years of experience in the auto industry, out of which he spent 21 years with Honda in India and Australia. His most recent role was as Assistant Vice President and Operating Head - Sales with Honda Cars India Ltd.
Prior to serving Honda, he worked with Jay Engineering Works Ltd, a market leader in the manufacturing of USHA brand fans, sewing machines and fuel injection equipment.
Aditya Birla Group announced sale of Australian copper mine for 10.75 million US dollars
Aditya Birla Minerals Limited (ABML) on 21 September 2015 announced the sale of its closed Birla Mt Gordon (BMG) copper mine in Queensland, Australia to Lighthouse Minerals Holdings Pty Ltd for 10.75 million US dollars.
As per the terms and conditions of the deal, Lighthouse Mineral Holdings will pay 5 million Australian dollars in cash to ABML on completion of the transaction.
Furthermore, a cash payment of 10 million Australian dollars will be made to ABML if the three-month delivery quoted price for copper on the London Metals Exchange averages at least 4.20 Australian dollars per pound over any continuous 6-month period.
About Aditya Birla Minerals
Aditya Birla Minerals, a part of Aditya Birla Group, is an Australian based mining company with a focus on copper production and exploration. ABML is also 51% owned by Hindalco Industries Ltd.
Indian Wushu team won 12 medals at Pars International Cup in Tehran
The Indian Wushu team secured 12 medals comprising of one gold, four silver and seven bronze medals at the Fifth International Pars Wushu Cup held in Tehran. The event was held from 19 September to 20 September 2015.
India’s L. Budhachandra Singh won the gold medal after defeating Masod Ansari of Iran in the final of the 56 kg category on the last day of the tournament. On the other hand, Mukesh Choudhary and Rajani Deori fetched silvers for the country.
The Indian team won two silver and three bronze medals in the previous edition held at Zenjan, Iran.
About Wushu sports
Wushu, traditional Chinese sports, is an exhibition and a full-contact sport. It is derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. At present, wushu has become an international sport through the International Wushu Federation (IWUF). The federation organizes the World Wushu Championships every two years.
Google, Tata Trusts announced the launch of Android Developer Nanodegrees programme
Search engine Google and Tata Trusts in collaboration with Udacity on 21 September 2015 launched a scholarship programme to educate Indian students in Android development.
As a part of the programme, 1000 scholarships will be offered to deserving students by Google and Tata Trusts. The students will be awarded with Android Developer Nanodegrees.
The newly announced scholarship programme is aimed at transforming India into a hub of high-quality mobile developers for global and local applications.
The Udacity Android Nanodegree programme is an education credential designed to help developers learn new skills. It comprises of courses developed and taught by experts from the Google Developer Relations team.
It will also include project reviews, mentorship and career services from Udacity.
The programme is open for enrollment at present. The duration of the course will be an average of 6 to 9 months. The programme will cost 9800 rupees per month. Udacity will refund 50 percent of the tuition fees upon completion of the course.
MoU for Swavlamban Health Insurance Scheme for Disabled Persons Signed
The Trust Fund for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, under the Department of Empowerment of People with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MOSJ&E), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the New India Assurance Company Limited on 21 September 2015.
The MoU aims at providing an affordable health insurance, Swavlamban Health Insurance Scheme, for the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). It also aims to improve the general health condition & quality of life of persons with disabilities.
Main features of the Scheme
• The insurance scheme will provide comprehensive cover to the PwD beneficiary, spouse and two children.
• The insurance will have a single premium across age band.
• It can be availed by the beneficiary aged between 18 years and 65 years with family income of less than 300000 rupees per annum.
• The scheme will also provide health insurance cover of up to 200000 rupees per annum as family floater.
Under the MoU, the New India Assurance Company Limited will build a network of hospitals to provide cashless treatment to the insured.
The scheme will be implemented through active participation of the National Institutes and Composite Regional Centres for Persons with Disabilities (CRC’s) under the DEPwD, MOSJ&E.
Odia Lyricist Nizam Died in Bhubaneswar at 62
Renowned Odia lyricist Nizam died on 22 September 2015 in Bhubaneswar following cardiac arrest and kidney failure. He was 62 years old.
Nizam was born in Cuttack in 1952. He started his career as an All India Radio artiste. Soon, he jumped into Odia Film Industry as a lyricist in 1977 and created a niche for himself. He had written songs for over 100 films in his 35 years of career.
Some of the most famous songs penned by him are Hrudayara Eei Sunyata Ku Aaji Pachari Mu Jebe Sune, Needa Bhara Rati, Madhu Bhara Janha, Mu Je Eka Pagala Bhanra etc.
Though, Nizam was born in a Muslim family, he used to write devotional songs dedicated to Lord Jagannath.
Game of Thrones won 12 awards at 67th Primetime Emmy Awards
Famous American fantasy drama television series, Game of Thrones, created for HBO won an unprecedented 12 awards at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards held on 20 September 2015. The ceremony was held at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California.
Game of Thrones fetched 12 awards, including best drama series. It was the first time that the popular fantasy drama won the best drama series award.
Awards won by Game of Thrones
• Outstanding Drama Series
• Outstanding Supporting Actor (Peter Dinklage)
• Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
• Outstanding Direction in a Drama Series
• Outstanding Make-Up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
• Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
• Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More)
• Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series
• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Scripted Series
• Outstanding Special Visual Effects
• Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series
• Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
About Game of Thrones
The famous drama was created for HBO by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The show is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, the first of which is titled A Game of Thrones.
The show premiered on HBO in the United States on 17 April 2011. It completed its fifth season on 14 June 2015.
CANBANK Venture Capital Fund Ltd appointed as implementation agency of EDF Policy
The CANBANK Venture Capital Fund Ltd (CVCFL) was on 21 September 2015 appointed as the implementation agency of the Electronics Development Fund (EDF) policy.
The Electronic Development Fund (EDF) is set up as a Fund of Funds to participate in Daughter Funds which in turn will provide risk capital to companies developing new technologies in the area of electronics, nano-electronics and Information Technology (IT).
With appointment of CVCFL as the agency to implement EDF, the EDF is now operational and will start receiving requests for participation from Seed Funds, Angel Funds and Daughter Funds.
Highlights of Electronics Development Fund (EDF) policy
• The EDF would take minority participation in Seed Funds, Angel Funds and Venture Funds.
• It will invite requests from professionally managed private/public funds for its participation.
• EDF participation in a fund may vary depending on the nature of the fund and risk involved.
• It will support both Indian and foreign funds which are registered in India and comply with SEBI and other regulations in this regard.
Target Beneficiaries of EDF Policy
Any Daughter Fund which is registered in India and abides with relevant rules and regulations applicable to such Funds, including SEBI regulations on Venture Funds will be eligible for support from the EDF.