23-24 October 2015

23 October

Jacques Kallis appointed as Head Coach of Kolkata Knight Riders

Former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis was on 22 October 2015 appointed as the Head Coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team. He succeeds Trevor Bayliss, who was appointed as the Head Coach of England earlier in 2015.

Kallis will be assisted by another legend Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, who has been serving as the team’s Bowling Coach for the past few seasons.

Kallis has been a part of Kolkata Knight Riders team since 2011 when he was brought in as a player at a fee of 1.1 million US dollars. Prior joining KKR, he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the initial three editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He played an important role in the resurgence of KKR with two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, during which he was the top scorer in the 2012 season, besides finishing runners-up in the 2014 Champions League Twenty20 edition. 
However, after having finished a disappointing IPL 8 season at fifth spot, Kallis was drafted into the coaching staff in December  2014.

Saina Nehwal lost World No. 1 ranking to Carolina Marin

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal on 22 October 2015 lost her World No.1 ranking to All England and World champion Carolina Marin of Spain. She lost her rank after making early exists from Japan Open and Denmark Open. 
According to the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings, Nehwal dropped to No. 2 spot in women’s singles with 81782 points and is 1630 points behind Marin in women's singles. Both the players have reached the second round of the ongoing French Open Super Series.

Meanwhile, two-time World Championship bronze medallist PV Sindhu maintained her position at world number 13 after reaching her maiden Super Series final at Denmark Open.
Other Indian players who lost spots in singles ranking chart are Kidambi Srikanth (fell from fifth position to sixth), Parupalli Kashyap (fell from eighth position to 10) and HS Prannoy (fell from 16th position to 17).

Bollywood singer Labh Janjua died

Bollywood singer and songwriter Labh Janjua was found dead at his Mumbai residence on 22 October 2015. He was 56. 
The singer was most famous for songs like Jee Karda from Akshay Kumar's Singh is Kinng, Dance Pe Chance from Rabb Ne Mila Di Jodi, Soni De Nakhre from Partner and London Thumka from Queen, among others.

Janjua was also known for his Punjabi-bhangra style singing.

Pakistan Nuclear Forces, 2015 Report released by Bulletin of Atomic Scientists

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a USA based online magazine, on 19 October 2015 released a report entitled Pakistan Nuclear Forces, 2015 delineating the present status and expected future trends in nuclear arsenal of Pakistan.

It is an update of Nuclear Notebook on Pakistan released in 2011 by Hans M Kristensen and Robert S Norris of Denmark and the USA respectively.

Highlights of Nuclear Forces, 2015 Report

• Pakistan has a nuclear weapons stockpile of 110 to 130 warheads, an increase from an estimated 90 to 110 warheads in 2011.
• With several delivery systems in development, four operating plutonium production reactors, and uranium facilities, the country’s stockpile will likely increase over the next 10 years.
• How much Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal will depend on two key factors-how many nuclear-capable launchers Islamabad plans to deploy, and how much the Indian nuclear arsenal grows.
• Based on Pakistan’s performance over the past 20 years and its current and anticipated weapons deployments, its stockpile could realistically grow to 220 to 250 warheads by 2025, making it the world’s fifth largest nuclear weapon state.

• Pakistan appears to have six types of currently operational nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, plus at least two more under development: the short-range Shaheen-1A and medium-range Shaheen-3. 
• Pakistan is also developing two new cruise missiles, the ground-launched Babur (Hatf-7) and the air-launched Ra’ad (Hatf-8).
• As of late 2014, the International Panel on Fissile Materials estimated that Pakistan had an inventory of approximately 3100 kg of highly enriched uranium (HEU) and roughly 170 kg of weapon-grade plutonium that is enough to potentially produce 200 to 300 warheads.

List of nuclear-capable missiles

Land-based ballistic missiles

• Abdali (Hatf-2)
• Ghaznavi (Hatf-3)
• Shaheen-1 (Hatf-4)
• Shaheen-1A (Hatf-4)
• Shaheen-2 (Hatf-6)
• Shaheen-3
• Ghauri (Hatf-5)
• NASR (Hatf-9)

Cruise missiles

• Babur (Hatf-7)
• Ra’ad (Hatf-8)

RBI issued direction on implementation of Gold Monetisation Scheme 2015

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 22 October 2015 issued a Direction to all Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) on implementation of the Gold Monetisation Scheme, 2015 notified by the Union Government.

The RBI issued the direction to banks in exercise of powers conferred on it under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The GMS 2015 will replace the existing Gold Deposit Scheme, 1999. 
Directions on implementation of GMS 2015
• The deposits outstanding under the Gold Deposit Scheme will be allowed to run till maturity unless the depositors prematurely withdraw them.
• Resident Indians (Individuals, HUF, Trusts including Mutual Funds/Exchange Traded Funds registered under SEBI (Mutual Fund) Regulations and Companies) can make deposits under the scheme.
• The minimum deposit at any one time shall be raw gold (bars, coins, jewellery excluding stones and other metals) equivalent to 30 grams of gold of 995 fineness. 
• There is no maximum limit for deposit under the scheme. 
• The gold will be accepted at the Collection and Purity Testing Centres (CPTC) certified by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and notified by the Central Government under the Scheme. 
• The deposit certificates will be issued by banks in equivalence of 995 fineness of gold.
• The principal and interest of the deposit under the scheme will be denominated in gold.
• The designated banks will accept gold deposits under the Short Term (1-3 years) Bank Deposit (STBD) as well as Medium (5-7 years) and Long (12-15 years) Term Government Deposit Schemes. While, STBD will be accepted by banks on their own account, but the latter will be on behalf of Union Government.
• There will be provision for premature withdrawal subject to a minimum lock-in period and penalty to be determined by individual banks.
• Interest on deposits will start accruing from the date of conversion of gold deposited into tradable gold bars after refinement or 30 days after the receipt of gold at the CPTC or the bank’s designated branch.
• During the period from the date of receipt of gold by the CPTC or the designated branch to the date on which interest starts accruing, the gold accepted shall be treated as an item in safe custody held by the designated bank.
• The short term bank deposits will attract applicable cash reserve ratio (CRR) and statutory liquidity ratio (SLR). However, the stock of gold held by the banks will count towards the general SLR requirement.
• The opening of gold deposit accounts will be subject to the same rules with regard to customer identification as are applicable to any other deposit account.
Utilisation of Gold mobilised under GMS
The designated banks may sell or lend the gold accepted under STBD to MMTC for minting India Gold Coins (IGC) and to jewellers, or sell it to other designated banks participating in GMS. The gold deposited will be auctioned by MMTC or any other agency authorised by the Central Government and the sale proceeds will be credited to the Union Government’s account with the Reserve Bank. 
The entities participating in the auction may include the Reserve Bank, MMTC, banks and any other entities notified by the Union Government. Banks may utilise the gold purchased in the auction for purposes indicated above.

Risk Management under GMS
Designated banks should put in place a suitable risk management mechanism, including appropriate limits, to manage the risk arising from gold price movements in respect of their net exposure to gold. 
For this purpose, banks have been allowed to access the international exchanges, London Bullion Market Association or make use of over-the-counter contracts to hedge exposures to bullion prices subject to the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank.
Grievance Redress Process under GMS
Complaints against designated banks regarding any discrepancy in issuance of receipts and deposit certificates, redemption of deposits, payment of interest will be handled first by the bank’s grievance redress process and then by the Reserve Bank’s Banking Ombudsman.

Russia to permanently station military unit in the Arctic by 2018

Russia announced on 22 October 2015 that it will permanently station a military unit in the Arctic by 2018.

The defence minister of Russia Sergey Shoygu also announced that Russia is building several new bases in the Arctic as well as rebuilding six Soviet-era air bases in the Arctic.

It was also declared that the nation already has practically finished building bases on the Novosibirsk Archipelagoand on Kotelny Island. The nation relies on modern military technology to guard borders in the Arctic.

On 20 October 2015, Shoigu announced that a base on the Franz Josef Landarchipelago is nearly complete. Around 150 troops will be able to live on the base for up to 18 months without outside contact when it opens.

Union Government cleared first batch of AMRUT projects for 89 cities worth 2786 crore rupees

The Union Ministry of Urban Development on 22 October 2015 gave its nod to the first batch of state level Action Plans under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The approved Action Plans have a total of 143 projects in 89 AMRUT cities in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The State Annual Action Plans (SAAP)worth 2786.28 crore rupees were cleared by inter-ministerial Apex Committeeof AMRUT for 89 cities in the three states.

It is for the first time that the Urban Development Ministry approved state level plans unlike the past practice of appraising and approving individual projects.

The plans include 47 schemes relating to ensuring water supply connections and augmenting water supply. In addition, they also include 31 projects for expanding sewerage network services in identified cities and towns.

Key Points of the Action Plans

•Gujarat proposed SAAP entailed an investment of 1204.42 crore rupees, Rajasthan entailed an investment of 919 crore rupees and Andhra Pradesh proposed an investment of 662.86 crore rupees.

•Gujarat will take up sewerage projects in 25 AMRUT cities at a cost of 916 crore rupees and water supply schemes in 11 cities with an investment of 233.65 crore rupees.

•Rajasthan will take up sewerage schemes in 6 cities at a cost of 555 crore rupees and water supply projects in 10 cities at a cost of 344 crore rupees.

•Andhra Pradesh will focus on water supply in 26 AMRUT cities at a cost of 646.29 crore rupees and provision of green spaces and parks in 30 cities at a cost of 16.57 crore rupees.

•Union Government will provide an assistance of 50 percent of project cost for cities with a population of up to 10 lakhs each and one third of project cost for cities with a population of above 10 lakhs each.

Prime Minister laid foundation stone of Shri Venkateswara Mobile & Electronics Manufacturing Hub

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 October 2015 laid the foundation stone of Shri Venkateswara Mobile and Electronics Manufacturing Hub in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The hub will be a dedicated mobile handset manufacturing facility.

The foundation stone of this mobile handset manufacturing facility was laid during PM's visit to Andhra Pradesh to lay the foundation stone for new Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravati.
Shri Venkateswara Mobile & Electronics Manufacturing Hub will create more than 10000 jobs within a year. The hub is expected to contribute at least 5 percent of all-India target of 15 lakh jobs by 2019.
As per Indian Cellular Association (ICA), Andhra Pradesh is fast turning out to be a preferred destination for mobile handset and component manufacturing companies. 
ICA is also working with the Andhra government to set up design centres and incubation centres to establish the state as a truly global scale mobile handset manufacturing hub.
Foxconn has already started operations in Andhra Pradesh for manufacturing brands such as Xiomi and Gionee. Other important brands like Micromax, UTL (Karbonn) and Celkon would be starting their manufacturing operations soon in the state.

A study titled 2015 TripIndex Breakfast on best-valued destinations for overnight stay released

2015 TripIndex Breakfast, a cost comparison study was released on 20 October 2015. The inaugural study of TripAdvisor was conducted by Ipsos MORI.
TripIndex Breakfast compares the cost of an overnight stay in selected hotels with breakfast included, versus an overnight stay at the same hotel with breakfast eaten at a local restaurant.
From India, the study placed Mumbai at the 11th rank among the best value destinations in the world for an overnight stay at a four-star hotel that includes breakfast, costing 9343.92 rupees. Accommodation without breakfast will cost 8932.44 rupees in the city

Main findings of the study includes
• In context of overnight stay with breakfast, the least-cost destination is Buenos Aires with 46.38 Pound (£) while New York with an average of 342.90 Pounds was the most expensive destination for the same. Buenos Aires was more than seven times less than the price of a stay in New York.
• For overnight stay with breakfast, the study ranked London as the 5th most expensive destination at 214.78 Pounds and 4th most expensive for accommodation at 204.55 Pounds. 
• It says that opting for an accommodation only package and heading to a local restaurant for breakfast can save money. To choose this option, it suggested that travelers can make biggest saving in Kuala Lumpur, as they can save an average of 17.10 Pound by when they opt for a hotel package without breakfast and dining locally. This is followed by Sydney where travelers can save an average of 13.92 Pound.
• It suggests that the cheapest hotel breakfast can be found in Istanbul, Turkey at an average price of 3.99 Pounds, while the most expensive will be in Zurich, Switzerland with an average price of 19.29 Pounds. 
• Warsaw (the capital city of Poland) and Sharm el-Sheikh (Egyptian resort area) share the title of cheapest local restaurant breakfast; both come in at an average of 3.03 Pounds, while Hong Kong offers the most expensive local restaurant breakfast at an average of 23.95 Pounds.
The TripIndex Breakfast 2015 destination list is comprised of 37 key cities within the top 37 most searched for countries by global TripAdvisor users over the past 12 months.

10 cheapest destinations for overnight stay with breakfast

Rank

Destination

Hotel Stay with breakfast included (per night)

1

Buenos Aires, Argentina

£46.38

2

Moscow, Russia

£57.03

3

San Jose, Costa Rica

£58.35

4

Warsaw, Poland

£58.67

5

Dubrovnik, Croatia

£59.06

6

Istanbul, Turkey

£74.55

7

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

£76.85

8

Manila, Phillippines

£77.17

9

Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

£78.36

10

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

£85.16

10 most expensive destinations for overnight stay with breakfast

Rank

Destination

Hotel Stay with  breakfast included (per night)

1

New York City, USA

£342.90

2

Tokyo, Japan

£257.85

3

Paris, France

£257.65

4

Dubai, UAE

£218.51

5

London, UK

£214.78

6

Toronto, Canada

£199.86

7

Hong Kong

£182.43

8

Amsterdam

£178.65

9

Sydney, Australia

£170.69

10

Auckland, New Zealand

£160.31

New species of Giant Tortoise named Chelonoidis donfaustoi identified in Galapagos Islands

Team of Ecuadoran and international scientists have identified a new species of giant tortoise, named Chelonoidis donfaustoi on the Galapagos Islands in Pacific. The tortoise was named after a retired Galapagos park ranger.
The discovery of Chelonoidis donfaustoi was published in the Journal Plus on 21 October 2015. 
The newly-identified species, also known as the Eastern Santa Cruz tortoise, lives on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Island and was also found to be genetically different from tortoises on other islands.

These 250 slow-moving reptiles with compressed shell from other species carries more compressed shape than other species is distinct from another species on Santa Cruz Island.
Process adopted to differentiate the two species which was earlier thought to be of single named species, C. porter
The team of scientists differentiated the two species through genetic and morphological studies, within this taxon. They find that there are two evolutionarily and spatially distinct lineages on the western and eastern sectors of the island, known as the Reserva and Cerro Fatal populations, respectively. 
Analyses of DNA from natural populations and museum specimens, including the type specimen for C. porteri, confirm the genetic distinctiveness of these two lineages and support elevation of the Cerro Fatal tortoises to the rank of species. The identified that DNA characters that define this new species, and infer evolutionary relationships relative to other species of Galapagos tortoises.
Till date it was believed that the two giant tortoise populations on Island were the same species, but genetic testing proved this to be wrong. 

Giant tortoises in the Galapagos 
Chelonoidis donfaustoi is the 15th known tortoise species to be discovered on the archipelago, though four are now extinct. The species also needs protection and restoration as their estimated population is about 250. 
Giant tortoises in the Galapagos tend to weigh up to 250kg and live longer than 100 years. 
Giant tortoises were among some of the well-known creatures studied closely by British naturalist Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands in the 1830s.

Britain signed Strategic Investment Agreements for building three nuclear plants with China

Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister David Cameron on 21 October 2015 signed Strategic Investment Agreementsat a UK-China Business Summitat Mansion House in London during the official visit of Xi Jinping.

Under the agreement, China will help the UK in building three nuclear plants including Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, which will be the first since 1980s.

Highlights of the deal

•The deal was signed between China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN)and France’s EDF.

•Chinese investment will build 2 new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point C, controlled by EDF, in Somerset, southwest England.

•CGN will take 33.5 percent stake and EDF will take 66.5 percent in the planned 18 billion pound Hinkley Point nuclear plant.

•CGN will take a two-thirds stake in the Bradwell nuclear planteast of London, where it plans to build a Chinese-designed reactor.

•CGN will also take a one-fifth stake in a project for Areva-designed reactors at the Sizewell plant.

•British oil giant BPand China Huadian Corporationalso signed a sale and purchase agreement for BP to sell Huadian up to 1 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year.

Comments

•Expected to open by 2025 at a cost of about 25 billion including financing, Hinkley Point C is a to-be-constructed 3200 MWe nuclear power station with two European Pressurised Reactors in Somerset, England.

•As per the Solar Trade Association, solar power can provide the same amount of electricity for half the subsidy cost. In addition, Hinkley’s estimated cost of 24.5 billion pounds including financing costs comes out as a huge investment for a massive company like EDF, which also makes it highly risky.

•On a bright note, Hinkley Point C will generate a stable source of clean power to around 6 million homes, and will also provide up to 25000 employment opportunities. When fully operational, the plant will employ around 900 permanent staff.

•The deal is criticized for its security concerns regarding allowing China a pivotal role in Britain's nuclear future.

China planned to form JV to develop overseas market for third-generation nuclear reactor Hualong 1

China's top two nuclear power companies, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN)and China National Nuclear Corporation, on 22 October 2015 announced that they plan to combine their technologies in the country's flagship third-generation reactor Hualong 1.

The decision to set up a company was taken to reduce competition in exporting Hualong 1 into overseas markets.

As per the announcement, the plan has been passed on to the authorities and a coordination meeting will be held soon. The joint venture will be set up before the end of 2015.

Both the companies jointly started the Research & Development of Hualong 1 in 2013 based on their respective technologies, and the general plan passed inspection by a national expert panel in August 2013.

In 2014, it was announced that the merged design was moving from preliminary design to detailed design. Power output will be 1150 MWe, with a 60-year design life, and will use a combination of passive and active safety systems with a double containment.

Initially, the merged design was to be called the ACC1000. However, it was later decided that it will be called as Hualong One or Hualong-1.

In August 2014, the Chinese nuclear regulatory review panel classified the design as a Generation IIIreactor design, with independently owned intellectual property rights.

In May 2015, construction on the first pilot project using Hualong 1 technology started in Fuqing, southeast China’s Fujian Province.

Alok Rawat appointed as first male member of NCW

Former Water Resources Secretary Alok Rawat on 21 October 2015 was appointed as the first male member of the National Commission for Women (NCW). His appointment filled the fourth seat in the five-member body.

Rawat, a 1977 batch Sikkim cadre IAS officer, has previously worked as Director/Joint Secretary in Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He also served as the Secretary in UPSC and Secretary in Coordination and Public Grievances in the Cabinet Secretariat and Secretary in Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

In August 2015, Sushma Sahuand Rekha Sharmawere also appointed in the NCW.

About National Commission for Women (NCW)

The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a statutory body of the Government of India, generally concerned with advising the government on all policy matters affecting women. It was set up in January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990(Act No. 20 of 1990 of GoI).

Objectives of the commission

•To review the Constitutional and Legal safeguards for women

•To recommend remedial legislative measures

•To facilitate redressal of grievances

•To advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women

No copyright exists on Title of literary work: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court in its judgment on 22 October 2015 held that no copyright exists on the title of a literary work. The ruling was made by a bench comprising Justices MB Lokur and SA Bobde.

The bench passed the order on an appeal filed by Krishika Lulla and others against an order of the Bombay High Court which refused to quash a complaint filed by writer Shyam Vithalrao Devkatta.
As per the judgment passed, no copyright subsists in the title of a literary work and a plaintiff or a complainant is not entitled to relief on such basis except in an action for passing off or in respect of a registered trademark comprising such titles.
The bench also held that it did not find any copyright in the title Desi Boys and thus no question of its infringement arises. The prosecution based on allegations of infringement of copyright in such a title is untenable.

Background
Writer Shyam Vithalrao Devkatta had claimed copyright in a synopsis of a story written by him with the title Desi Boys. According to him, he got the synopsis of Desi Boys registered with the Film Writers Association in 2008.
Later, he mailed the concept of the story in the form of a synopsis when one of his friends asked him for his help. His friend Ramesh Bhatnagar forwarded the story to Ahsan Sagar on 15 October 2009 terming it as just an idea by email. 
What was actually forwarded was apparently the same short synopsis of the concept with the title Desi Boys. Later, Devkatta saw the promos of a film bearing the title Desi Boys, actually spelt as Desi Boyz. According to him, the adoption of the title of the Akshay Kumar-starrer Desi Boyz was a clear infringement of the copyright in the film title Desi Boys.

Ashwini Kumar, IOC honorary member, died

Ashwini Kumar, International Olympic Committee (IOC) honorary member, died on 20 October 2015. He was 94.

Though he was an officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS) for a long time, he was better known in India and around the world as an efficient sports administrator.

Contributions of Ashwini Kumar to Indian Sports

• He played an active role in sport in India, particularly in hockey as President of the Indian Hockey Federation for 16 years, besides serving the International Hockey Federation (FIH) as the Vice-President for more than 15 years. 
• He headed the Indian hockey delegation at the Olympic Games in 1964 and 1968.
• He was the President of the Indian Basketball Federation and President of the Punjab Olympic Association for 12 years.
• He served the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Asian Games Federation.
• He was elected Life President of the Indian Olympic Association.

Ashwini Kumar’s association with IOC

• He was a Member of the Executive Board between 1980 and 1987 & between 1992 and 1996.
• He was the Vice-President its between 1983 and 1987.
• He served on several commissions including Olympic Solidarity (1980-1984), Olympic Movement (1983-1987, 1992-1996), Mass Media (1983-1989), preparation of the XII Olympic Congress – Congress of Unity (1985-1987), Radio (1983-1987) and Council of the Olympic Order (1983-1987).
• He became an Honorary Member in 2000.

First World Indigenous Games began in Brazil

First World Indigenous Games started in Brazil on 23 October 2015 in the northern Brazilian city of Palmas. The game will end on 31 October 2015.
The games are a multi-sport event involving indigenous athletes has around 2000 athletes participating from many indigenous ethnic groups and 30 countries like Ethiopia, Mongolia, Brazil, Australia, Russia, the Philippines, Ethiopia and New Zealand.
The participants on 22 October 2015 took part in a traditional fire lighting ceremony in Palmas's central square and danced at the ceremony in traditional outfits.

Sports included in the games are archery, spear tossing, canoeing and a race through the forest.
Besides, there will be non-competitive events showcasing the many different traditions of indigenous ethnic groups involved, such as a football-style game called xikunahity in which the ball is controlled only with the head. It is played in the Matto Gross region of Brazil.
World Indigenous Games
The first World Indigenous Games are a project conceived by Marcos Terena’s Intertribal Council (ITC), and grew from the national Jogos dos Povos Indígenas that began in 1999.  It is a joint effort by the ITC, the Brazilian Ministry of Sport, and the Municipality of Palmas. 
Led by the ideal that “In 2015, we are all indigenous” (Em 2015, somos todos indígenas), Palmas, the capital of Tocantins state, will host the games that will be participated by indigenous peoples from every corner of the earth. 
The municipal government has created the Extraordinary Secretariat for the Indigenous Games to oversee the organisation of the Games.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe awarded with 2015 Confucius Peace Prize

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was on 22 October 2015 awarded with the 2015 Confucius Peace Prize by China for supposedly injecting fresh energy into the global quest for harmony. The Prize is dubbed as Chinese equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize.

He was awarded for overcoming a number of difficulties and for contributing to building the government, economy and order in the country while continuing to work at the age of 91 actively for African peace.

Mugabe is the founding leader of Zimbabwe and has ruled the country since it gained independence in 1980 from United Kingdom. He was elected as Prime Minister in 1980 and served in that office till 1987. He became Zimbabwe’s first President in December 1987 and since then he is serving in the office.
In January 2015, he was appointed as Chairman of African Union (AU). However, in his 35 years of grip on power, he has often been seen caught in controversies. He has been criticised over allegations of corruption and his poor record on human rights. He is also blamed for a series of massacres in the 1980s and 1990s in which tens of thousands of civilians and opposition soldiers were killed.
About Confucius Peace Prize
• The prize was established in 2010 by China’s Communist Government after it was angered by Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. 
• It is bestowed for promotion of world peace from the 21st-century interpretation of Confucianism i.e. universal harmony in the world. 
• The prize comes with an award of 500000 Yuan and a gold trophy of the ancient Chinese philosopher whose name it takes. 
• Previous Recipients of the award are Vladimir Putin (2011), Kofi Annan and Yuan Longping (2012) and Fidel Castro (2014).

Why does Right to Privacy needs a re-look?

In the second week of October 2015, a five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court (SC) was formed under the Article 145 (3) of the Constitution to debate and decide upon two important questions-

1. Whether there is any “right to privacy” guaranteed under our Constitution?
2. If such a right exists, what is the source and what are the contours of such a right as there is no express provision in the Constitution delineating it?

Why the issue came into limelight now?

The court decided to take up the matter while hearingthe Justice K S Puttaswamy (Retd.) & Vs Union of India & Others case that dealt withAadhaar Card Scheme.Under this case, it was contended that making the Aadhaar enrolment as a precondition to avail social security benefits is unconstitutional as it encroaches upon citizens right to privacy.
As per the petitioners, Aadhaar enrolment requires submission of demographic and bio metric information and thus, it violates individuals to right to privacy.

Contradictions with respect to Right to Privacy

The Supreme Court took up the matter as it came to its observation that there is an apparent unresolved contradiction in the lawas declared by this Court in relation to the Right to Privacy.

While a nine-member judge bench of the Supreme Court led by the then Chief Justice MC Mahajan in 1954 held that Right to Privacy is not recognised by the Constitution makers as a fundamental right, and so there is no need to strain to make it one.

This judgment was delivered in the MP Sharma Vs Satish Chandra case which was further reinforced in the Kharak Singh Vs State of U.P. case in 1963

However, in later judgments, the SC pronounced that the Right to Privacy is a fundamental right as enshrined in the Constitution.

The most important of such cases are R Rajagopal Vs State of Tamil Nadu (1994) that is popularly known as Auto Shanker’s case andPeople’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Vs Union of India case of 1997.

While in R Rajagopal’s case it was held that the “right to privacy” is implicit under Article 21of the Constitution, in PUCL’s case it was stated that the “right to privacy” insofar as it pertains to speech is part of fundamental rights under Articles 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution

Arguments in favour of Right to Privacy

1. Right to Privacy is an inalienable part of the Article 21 of the constitution. Further, as India is a signatory of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights of the UN, in which the right to privacy is a part, she should respect it.

2. Its breach is an anathema to Democracy as the privacy is a sine qua nun for self expression.

3. Since the state agencies are equipped with powerful surveillance apparatus, the personal data (like bio metrics) is prone to be misused by the ‘elite’ in the political and administrative set up against their opponents.

4. Though the intent of the policy makers to ‘know’ their citizens better is bona fide, the lower level bureaucracy may misuse the data for petty monetary gains. Frequent news of BPO operators selling information of clients to fraudsters is a case in point.

Arguments against Right to Privacy

1. The right has no legal standing as it is no where mentioned in the Constitution of India.
2. When citizens/residents have nothing to hide, what is the problem in subsuming their privacy to legitimate institutions for greater good of the country?
3. Instead of terming it as a breach of privacy, the initiatives should be understood as the government’s genuine effort to know their citizens in a better way which is essential for efficient allocation of scarce resources to the needy population in a diverse country like India.

Why the re-look is important?

Ambit of right to privacy is no more limited to search and seizure at the physical level as construed a few decades ago (1954 MP Sharma Case).With the growing presence of individuals and the corporate in the digital sphere, coupled with the ‘monopoly’ of the government over the internet it is high time to define the role of the state vis-à-vis citizen in matters of privacy.

Though such instances of abuse of administrative powers or extreme encroachments on citizen privacy have not reported in India so far, taking a cue from the international experiences like-NSA’s surveillance of citizens as revealed by Edward Snowdenin the post 9/11 period, Rupert Murdoch-led tabloids snooping in the UK and European Court’s order to Google on Right to be forgotten show how vulnerable citizens privacy in the modern society.

Conclusion

The Constitution of India begins with and represents We the People. Nevertheless, citizens should understand that, even in democracy, no right is absolute and they have to subsume a part of their rights to enable the government to function in an effective manner. On the other hand, the government should show restraint while dealing with citizens’ private space and must establish credible procedures to deal with instances of breach of privacy for illegitimate reasons.

24 October

Indian mountaineers climbed an untouched mountain peak, named it after APJ Abdul Kalam

Two mountaineers Arjun Vajpai and Bhupesh Kumar in third week of October 2015 created history by becoming first people to climb 6180 meter high unnamed peak in Himachal’s Spiti Valley. The duo named the peak as Mout Kalam, in honour of former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam. 
Newly named Mt. Kalam is located near Bara Shigri Glacier, largest glacier located in Himachal Pradesh. Bara-Sigri glacier is the second longest glacier in Himalaya after Gangotri both are around 30 km long.

Vajpai and Kumar hailing from Noida and Bulandshahr respectively started the expedition on 8 October 2015 from Noida and completed the climb on 14 October 2015 and hoisted the Indian national flag. They returned back on ground on 20 October 2015. 
Earlier in 2010, Vajpai became the youngest Indian to climb Mt. Everest. He climbed the highest peak in the world at the age of 16. Bhupesh has scaled 17 peaks in India.

Haryana Government announced New Integrated Licensing Policy 2015

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on 23 October 2015 announced the launch of New Integrated Licensing Policy (NILP) 2015 for development of Hyper and High Potential Urban Complexes (HHPUC). 
These HHPUC will be created in Gurgaon-Manesar, Faridabad-Ballabhgarh, Sohna, Sonepat-Kundli, Panipat and Panchkula-Kalka-Pinjore.
The NILP 2015 policy brings in internationally acclaimed models of Transferable Development Rights (TDR), coupled with unique provisions that prevent the need for the government to resort to compulsory acquisition of land.

Features of New Integrated Licensing Policy (NILP) 2015
• It enables small landowners to voluntarily monetise their land by participating in the process of licencing, real estate development, marketing and sale of their transferable development rights. 
• Now builders, who want to use farmers' land for their projects, will have to sign transferable development rights (TDR) agreement. 
• TDR agreements will ensure that farmer or landowners get the market price from the builder for their land. The government will be a facilitator as the custodian of farmers' interests. 
• The TDR certificate will be valid for two years from the date of issuance.
• The policy will allow real estate developers to set up projects at less than an area of 100 acres. Bringing down the area norms for establishing a colony from 100 acres to 25 acres, the policy provides for a global Floor Area Ratio (FAR) between 1.0 to 1.25 for colony size of 25 acres to 50 acres and above 50 acres, respectively. 
• These builders can respectively raise their FAR utilisation to 1.25 (for colonies up to 50 acres) and 1.50 (for colonies more than 50 acres) by purchasing the TDRs of the land owners.
• The land owners will have complete freedom in selling the FAR to any builder in a large planning unit. 
• Each farmer will be eligible to sell his TDR certificate equivalent to 1 FAR for his land at market rates.

Indian-origin Ashok-Alexander Sridharan sworn in as mayor of Bonn in Germany

Indian-origin Ashok-Alexander Sridharan on 21 October 2015 sworn in as the mayor of Bonn in Germany. Bonn is the 18th most populated city in Germany and the provisional capital of erstwhile West Germany.

Sridharan was elected to the office as a candidate of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel-led Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) party in an election held in September 2015.

With this win, Sridharan became the first Person of Indian Origin (PIO) to be elected as the mayor of a major city in the country.

Further, he also became the city’s first mayor from an immigrant background.

It was for the first time in 21 years that a candidate from the CDU won the Bonn mayoral election leaving the Social Democratic Party (SPD) out in the cold.

About Ashok-Alexander Sridharan
• He was born in Bonn in 1965 to an Indian Diplomat and German mother.
• He studied law at the prestigious Bonn University after completing high school education and in 1996 he joined the municipal administration in the nearby town of Koenigswinter.
• He gained more than 21 years of experience in municipal administration by working in various departments. 
• He was promoted as an assistant to the town's mayor in 2002 which he held till his present elevation.

President promulgated Ordinances on Constitution of Commercial Courts and Amendment to the Arbitration & Conciliation Act 1996

The President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 23 October 2015 promulgated two ordinances - Constitution of Commercial Courts and Amendment of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996. 

Ordinance on Constitution of Commercial Courts seeks constitution of Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division in the High Courts for adjudicating commercial disputes of specified value and for matters connected there with or incidental thereto.

The ordinance on amending the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996seeks amendments based on the Law Commission’s recommendations of 246th reports and suggestions received from stakeholders.
The Union Cabinet earlier on 21 October 2015 approved promulgation of these ordinances and recommended the same to the President.

US President designated Brett McGurk as Envoy to US-led coalition fighting ISIS

US President Barack Obama on 23 October 2015 designated veteran Iraq expert Brett McGurk as Special Presidential Envoy to the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS). President Obama described McGurk as one of his most trusted advisers on Iraq.

He succeeded General John Allen who will retire from the post on 12 November 2015. Allen played a key role in trying to hold together the disparate 65-member coalition and steps down after a year marked by setbacks, policy reversals and increasing regional chaos.
Comment & Analysis
This appointment of McGurk signals that US is rethinking its policy on Iraq. Earlier, Obama had scrapped a 600 million dollar mission to train Syrian opposition fighters to take on Islamic State.  The group controls swathes of northern Syria and is within striking distance of Baghdad.

The task has become more complex since Russia and Iran have intervened to prop up the Syrian government and deepen ties with Baghdad.

PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of Amaravati, new capital of Andhra Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 October 2015 laid foundation stone of the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh-Amaravati-at Uddandayauruni Palem village.

The village is located 19 kilometer away from Vijayawada in Krishna District on the banks of River Krishna and is one of the three villages where the seed capital will come up. The other two seed villages’ are-Lingayapalem and Thallayapalem.

Construction of new capital became necessary for Andhra Pradesh asthe AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, through which the state was bifurcated, mandates that Hyderabad will be the common capital for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana at most for 10 years.

After the stipulated time, Hyderabad, which is geographically located within Telangana, will remain as the sole capital of Telangana State.

Key facts related to Amaravati

• The name Amaravti is derived from the capital of erstwhile Satavahana rulers. 
• Amaravati is the fifth planned capital city built in independent India preceded by Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar and Naya Raipur.
• It will be constructed in an area of around 33000 acres or 217 square kilometre in a multi-phased manner through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
• The land needed for Amaravti was collected on ‘pooling’ basis from farmers.
• The first phase of the city will be ready by 2018.

About Ancient Amaravati

• It was located on the banks of river Krishna and derives its name from Lord Amareswara temple in the village which is known as Dakshina Kashi (Kashi of the South). 
• It was the ancient seat of power of the Satavahanas for over 400 years who ruled the country way back in 230 BCE.
• It also means the City of Gods (in Sanskrit, it literally means the Abode of Immortals) and as per Puranas, the city was ruled by Lord Indra.
• It is a place, where not only Saivism and Vaishnavism developed but also Buddhism and Jainism flourished here.
• It is one of the 12 heritage cities of the country which was chosen by the Union Government for development.

Maldivian Vice-President arrested on suspicion of links to a blast on President's boat

Vice President of Maldives Ahmed Adeeb was arrested on 24 October 2015 at the airport when he returned from an official visit to China.
Police said that Adeeb was arrested on suspicion of links to a blast on the Presidential boat that occurred on 28 September 2015. 
The explosion took place aboard the boat when President Yameen Abdul Gayoom and his wife were returning to the capital from the airport after a Haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Gayooom escaped unhurt but his wife, an aide and a bodyguard were injured.
Earlier, it was said that the explosion could have been a result of mechanical failure. Later, authorities said that it was an attempt to assassinate Gayoom and launched a criminal investigation. They thought the blast as an assassination attempt as the device used to set off the explosion was placed under the seat usually occupied by the President. 
According to Maldives Constitution, if the president dies, is incapacitated or resigns, the vice president succeeds him.

Hurricane Patricia struck Mexico's Pacific coast

Hurricane Patricia, one of the most powerful storms on record, struck Mexico's Pacific coast on 23 October 2015. The hurricane carrying destructive winds with a speed of 165mph forced thousands to flee homes and beach front resorts.
Patricia landed about 55 miles west-northwest of Manzanillo, home to the largest container port on Mexico's Pacific seaboard.
There were no reported casualties and officials said the damage might not be as catastrophic as feared.

The US National Hurricane Center said the hurricane hit as a Category Five storm - the highest classification. But it has since weakened to a Category Four, and will be downgraded to a tropical storm in the coming hours. It also said that it would lead to life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in rural areas.

Some of the most powerful storms in recent years
Typhoon Tip: It was the largest and most intense cyclone ever recorded with wind speeds of 190mph. It struck Japan in October 1979 and killed around 100 people. 
Hurricane Allen: It was strongest Atlantic hurricane with winds speeds of 190mph. It struck Haiti and US state of Texas in August 1980 and led to death of around 300 people. 
Bangladesh cyclone:Also known as 02B, the cyclone struck the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 mph on 29 April 1991 and resulted into death of at least 138000 people. 
Odisha Cyclone:Also known as Cyclone 05B, and Paradip cyclone was the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean. It was the deadliest Indian storm since 1971. 
It killed at least 10000 people, mostly in India. 
Hurricane Katrina: It struck the US states of Louisiana and Mississippi in August 2005 and killed at least 1836 people. It carried wind at a speed of 175mph. 
Hurricane Wilma:It was the most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin with wind speed of around 184mph. It struck the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in October 2005 and killed arund 87 people. 
Typhoon Haiyan: It struck Philippines in November 2013 with the speed of around 196mph and killed at least 6300 people.

Categorisation of Storms
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale categorizes storms based on their sustained wind speed and estimates property damage. 
• Category 1: 74 to 95 mph, they can lead to some damage
• Category 2: 96 to 110 mph, they can cause extensive damage.
• Category 3: 111 to 129 mph, they can lead huge damage
• Category 4: 130 to 156 mph, they can cause catastrophic damage 
• Category 5: 157 mph and higher, they can cause catastrophic damage 
Pattern of naming storms that can graduate to hurricanes
The process of naming storms started in 1953 and since then it has continued. Name of storms are kept in alphabetical order in which letters Q, U, X, Y and Z has been omitted. The international committee of World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an agency of the United Nations, is the in-charge that names the Atlantic tropical storms that sometimes become hurricanes. Whereas, the lists originated by the National Hurricane Center.
The process of naming the storms consider six years of lists and the list is reused every six years (2008 list is being used in 2014). Earlier, the name list featured only women’s names but in 1979 the list was updated and saw men’s names also. These names are alternate with the women’s names.

Defence Ministry approved induction of women as IAF fighter pilots

Ministry of Defence on 24 October 2015 approved the induction of women into the combat stream of Indian Air Force (IAF). This approval clears the path for women to fly warplanes for the first time. 
As per the decision, first batch of women pilots will be selected from the batch which is presently undergoing flying training at the Air Force Academy. They will be commissioned into the IAF in June 2016; thereafter they will undergo advanced training for a year and would enter the fighter cockpit by June 2017.

Earlier in first week of October 2015, the Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha at IAF's Hindon air base near Delhi on the occasion of 83rd Air Force Day parade announced a major policy shift in IAF, which intends to allow women to become fighter pilots.
At present, around 1500 women serve in the Indian Air Force of which around 90 as pilots and about 15 as navigators. IAF had women in seven areas of administration, logistics, meteorology, navigation, education, aeronautical engineering mechanical and electrical and accounts.
Earlier, the Air Force refused to allow women in fighter squadrons because of the fears of torture and rape, if they were shot down in combat.

Grant Agreement on gas interconnector between Poland & Lithuania signed

Poland and three Baltic states-Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on 15 October 2015 signed the grant agreement on the GIPL (Gas Interconnector Poland – Lithuania) in Brussels, Belgium.

The agreement facilitates construction of first gas pipeline between Poland and Lithuania and thus, ends the long lasting isolation of the Baltic Sea region.

The agreement was signed by representatives of three countries in the presence of Jean-Claude Juncker (President of the European Commission), Ewa Kopacz (PM of Poland), Dalia Grybauskaite (President of Lithuania), Laimdota Straujuma (PM of Latvia) and, Taavi Roivas (PM of Estonia) at the EU headquarters.

Features of Gas Interconnector Poland – Lithuania

• It is the first gas interconnector between the Eastern Baltic Sea region and the Continental Europe.
• It will be of total length of 534 kilometres, including 357 km in Poland and 177 km in Lithuania.
• It will integrate the gas systems of the Baltic Sea region into the internal EU gas markets.
• The project was facilitated by the European Commission in the framework of the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan initiative (BEMIP).
• It will be constructed at a cost of 558 million euros by December 2019.
• It will bring socio-economic benefits to the three Baltic States and Finland, post-the extension, by increasing the security of gas supply through alternative routes.

Western Digital to buy SanDisk for 19 billion US dollar

Western Digital Corporation on 21 October 2015 announced that it entered into a definitive agreement with SanDisk Corporation to buy it for 19 billion US dollar. Both the Multi National Corporations (MNCs) are based in the USA.

The acquisition is expected to pave the way for utilization of complementary product lines of both the companies and will provide the foundation for a broader set of products and technologies from consumer to datacenter.

While Western Digital is an industry-leading developer and manufacturer of storage solutions that enable people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content, SanDisk is a Fortune 500 and company and is a global leader in flash storage solutions.

SanDisk was co-founded by Indian-origin entrepreneur Sanjay Mehrotra in 1988 and has market capitalization worth 13.3 billion US dollars as of June 2015.

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