29 june

President conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar

President Pranab Mukharjee on 26 June 2015 conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar, Chairman of Sakal Media Group (SMG) at Balgandharva Auditorium in Pune.

Pawar is the 27th recipient of the Punyabhushan award and his name was selected for the award by a committee led by scientist Raghunath Mashelkar.

Besides, President also felicitated five veteran freedom fighters in the function.

Punyabhushan Award
The Punyabhushan (Pride of Pune) award constituted by Tridal, Puneis annually announced by the Punyabhushan Foundation on 23 March with a view to commemorate the memory of Indian revolutionary martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.

It is awarded to an eminent personality from the field of art, music, culture, science, industry, social service, or sports in the city of Pune Maharashtra, India. The award carries a memento and cash prize of 1 lakh rupees.

26th Punyabhushan Award was presented to Dr Cyrus Poonawalla for his contribution to the field of Medicine & Research.

 

Dealing with China: An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower by Henry M Paulson

Dealing with China: An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower: Henry M. Paulson

Book titled Dealing with China: An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower authored by Henry M. Paulson was released on 14 April 2015.

The book takes the reader behind closed doors to witness the creation and evolution and future of China’s state-controlled capitalism.

The book draws an unprecedented access to modern China’s political and business elite and answers several key questions like how so quickly China become an economic superpower, the process in which business is done in the country, best ways for Western business and political leaders to work with, compete with, and benefit from China and how can the U.S. negotiate with and influence China given its authoritarian rule, its massive environmental concerns, and its huge population's unrelenting demands for economic growth and security.

 

Nadia district won the UN Public Service Award 2015 for eliminating open defecation

The district administration of Nadia, West Bengal was on 26 June 2015 conferred with the United Nations Public Service Award 2015 for eliminating open defecation in the district.

The award was presented by acting Secretary General of the UN Lenni Montiel along with Head UN Women Stefani Senese to District Magistrate of Nadia and Sabhapati of Nadia Zilla Parishad on conclusion of United Nations Day Celebrations 2015held at Medellin, Columbia.

Nadia district could achieve this feat due to its collaborative effort with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Bank aimed at construction of toilets across the district.

Till October 2013, half of the district’s population was defecating in open spaces. However, the situation was improved under the Sabar Souchagar (Toilets for All) programmethat was launched on 2 October 2013 by the district administration.

Under this programme, around 356000 toilets were built that resulted in decline in the number of people continuing with the practice to meager 0.2 percent.

Earlier, on 30 April 2015, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared Nadia as the first open defecation-free (ODF) district in India and launched Mission Nirmal Bangla (MNB) aimed at making the state open defecation free.

She also declared 30 April as Nirmal Bangla Diwas, to be observed across the state, to mark the occasion.

About United Nations Public Service Awards

It is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service. It rewards the creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide.

In 2014, the project Mobile Seva under Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) had won the second rank in the 2014 United Nations Public Service Award.

It won the second place in the Asian and Pacific Region in the Category 3: PROMOTING WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT APPROACHES IN THE INFORMATION AGE.

 

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved Parliament

Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena dissolved the Parliament on 26 June 2015. Sirisena signed a gazette notification dissolving parliament in an effort to consolidate power and push through political reforms.

Sirisena dissolved the parliament within 160 days after assuming his office in January 2015. This dissolution ends the term of the coalition government that was appointed for a period of 100-days after the presidential election. The date of dissolution was extended to implement Constitutional reforms.

To elect a new Parliament, elections will be held on 17 August 2015.

 

International Cricket Council approved amendments to playing conditions in ODIs and T20Is

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executives Committee on 23 June 2015 approved amendments to the ICC playing conditions.

The approvals were given during the ICC Annual Conference held in Barbados.

The key changes were

• In One Day Internationals (ODIs), there will be no compulsory catchers from the first to the 10th over.
• In ODIs, no batting powerplays will be allowed between the 15th and 40th over.
• In ODIs, five fielders will be allowed outside the 30-yard circle between the 41st and 50th over, rather than the current four.
• In ODIs and T20Is, all no-balls, not just foot faults, will lead to a free hit.

These playing conditions will come into effect for series starting on or after 5 July 2015.

 

Greece PM called for referendum on extension for bailout programme

Greek Prime Minister Alexia Tsipras on 27 June 2015 called a referendum on extension to the bailout programme offered by the troika viz., International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Commission (EC) and European Central Bank (ECB).

The Greece Parliament is set to vote on 5 July 2015 on the referendum call.

Tsipras called for referendum against the backdrop of austerity demands put forward by the lenders as a pre-condition to extend the bailout programme for six months. It is set to expire on 30 June 2015, the same day IMF’s debt is due.

As per the troika, Greece needs to raise its primary surplus within two years in order to avail the 15.5 billion euros of funding, which in turn requires pension and tax reforms for which the Syriza government is reluctant to.

Theleft-wing governmentcame into power in January 2015 on apromise to end austerity measures.

Without the bailout funds, Greece is set to default on the loans and will be closer to imposing capital controls that will create chaos in the economy and financial markets.

If people vote for the extension of the bailout programme (Yes vote), a new government may have to be formed to finalise talks with the lenders and implement reforms agreed upon.

If people vote against the extension of the bailout programmes (No vote), it will pave the way for the exit of Greece from the Eurozone and possibly European Union.

Greece, which has been facing financial crisis since 2009, has a total debt of 320 billion euros. This is 180 percent of Greece GDP and 2 percent of the sovereign debt in  the European Union.

 

Bajaj Allianz launched weather-based crop insurance scheme for three districts of Maharashtra

Private insurer Bajaj Allianz on 28 June 2015 launched a weather-based crop insurance scheme for orange crops in Nagpur, Hingoli and Washim districts of Maharashtra. This index-based insurance policy will cover losses incurred by orange fruit-growing farmers due to deviation in weather conditions.

The losses will be assessed on the basis of pre-defined and government-approved term sheets and actual weather data received from an approved automatic weather station installed in each block of these districts.

Farmers who have taken loan through the kissan credit card(KCC) will automatically get insured under this scheme by their banks, while those who don’t have KCC but savings accounts need to visit the bank branches and authorize the banks to enroll them in the scheme.

The company also launched a campaign to create awareness about the scheme in these three districts. As part of the awareness campaign, a van will travel for 10 days in the orange-growing belt of Katol, Narkheda and Kalmeshwar and educate farmers. It will also use radio, hoardings, street plays mediums.

The company identified the need to offer the product in these areas looking at the volumes of the produce and how unfavourable weather conditions had an impact on produce. It will mitigate the losses incurred and ensure that farmers do not lose out on their income because of uncertainties of nature.

 

First species of Yeti Crab in Antarctica named Kiwa tyleri discovered

A team of British scientists led by Dr Sven Thatje on 24 June 2015 published the discovery of the first species of Yeti Crab in Antarctica in the journal PLOS ONE. The species has been named Kiwa tyleri after British deep-sea and polar biologist Professor Paul Tyler from the University of Southampton.

The crab that belongs to an enigmatic group of squat lobsters, known as Kiwaidae, was found from hydrothermal vent systems of the East Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica.

Earlier when this hairy crab was first discovered in the Antarctic waters, it was nicknamed as The Hoff, in reference to actor David Hasselhoff. 

These crabs flourish in the hot waters surrounding the geothermally heated hydrothermal vents and are dominant species at these sites occurring at extremely high densities, exceeding 700 specimens per square metre.

Yeti crabs are famous for its body, which is densely covered by bristles, known as setae, and bacteria that gives it a fur like appearance.

 

Gutta-Ponappa won women's doubles of Canada Open Badminton tournament 2015

Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa on 28 June 2015 won the women's doubles of Canada Open Badminton tournament 2015. In the final played at Calgary, the third seeded Indian pair defeated top Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek in straight games of 21-19, 21-16.

This was first title of the 2015 season for Gutta and Ponappa.

Other Results
Men’s Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) defeated Ng Ka Long Angus (Hong Kong)
Women’s singles:Michelle Li (Canada) defeated Kaori Imabeppu (Japan)
Mixed Doubles: Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen (China) defeated Kaixiang Huang and Sijie Wang (China) 

Canada Open Badminton tournament was held between 23 June 2015 and 28 June 2015.

 

Wei, Li won men's & women’s singles of Canada Open Badminton tournament 2015

Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia and Michelle Li of Canada on 28 June 2015 won the men's and women’s singles title of the Canada Open Badminton tournament respectively. 

In the finals played at Calgary, Wei defeated Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong 17-21 13-21 and Li defeated Kaori Imabeppu of Japan 21-17 25-23.

This was second back to back title for the former World Number One following an eight-month doping ban. On 22 June 2015, he won the US Open.

The mixed doubles event was won by Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen (China). They defeated Kaixiang Huang and Sijie Wang (China) 17-21 21-12 21-18. 

The women's doubles title was won by Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa. They defeated Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek in straight games of 21-19, 21-16.

Canada Open Badminton tournament was held between 23 June 2015 and 28 June 2015.

 

50 countries signed Articles of Agreement for China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Delegates of 50 countries on 29 June 2015 signed the 60-article agreement that will lay the legal framework for the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

Australia was first to sign the agreement at the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital Beijing.

Out of the 57 founder-member countries,the remaining seven - Denmark, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Holland and South Africa and Thailand could not sign the agreement as it was not ratified by their respective domestic authorities.

The agreement outlined the financial share of each member, policymaking, business and operational systems and governance structure of the AIIB.

Key features of AIIB

• It will have authorized capital of 100 billion US dollars and the initial subscribed capital is expected to be around 50 billion US Dollar. The paid-in ratio will be 20 per cent.
• Asian countries will contribute up to 75 percent of the total capital and be allocated a share of the quota based on their economic size.
• China will contribute 29.78 billion US dollars of the bank's 100 billion US dollars capital base, becoming its largest shareholder with a 30.34 percent stake. 
• India will be the second-biggest shareholder at 8.4 percent, followed by Russia, which will have a 6.5 percent stake. 
• China, India and Russia will have a voting share of 26.06 percent, 7.5 percent and 5.92 percent, respectively.
• It will start operations by the end of 2015 under two preconditions: At least 10 prospective members sign the agreement, and the initial subscribed capital is no less than 50 percent of the authorized capital

Member countries of AIIB

China, India, Russia, Britain, France, Australia, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Singapore, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Denmark, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Holland, South Africa, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Cambodia, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Malta, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uzbekistan and Vietnam

The number of member countries in the bank is expected to increase to about 70, exceeding the 67-member ADB.

About Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Representatives from 21 Asian countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on 24 October 2014 in Beijing.

It is designed to finance infrastructure building in Asia and is headquartered in Beijing.

It is expected to bridge the infrastructure deficit by playing a complimentary role along with other financial institutions like Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

 

GFH Financial Group signed pact with Adani Group for developing Mumbai Economic Zone

Bahrain-based GFH Financial Group on 28 June 2015 signed an agreement with Indian conglomerate Adani Group for developing aMumbai Economic Development Zone (MEDZ).

Under the agreement, the GFH's unit Energy City Navi Mumbai (ECNM) and Adani Group will work together in creating the master plan for the lands of Phases II and III of the project, which will offer world class business infrastructure for local and international services including IT companies. 

The financial group's two units ECNM and Mumbai IT and Telecom City (MITTC) are two core components of the Mumbai Economic Development Zone (MEDZ). While, Adani Group will develop core infrastructure on these lands and will also commence the pre-sales and construction works on the site. 

Investors will receive a 15 percent revenue share from sales made by Adani Group on the development on these lands and less local taxes, if any.  This agreement is a part of GFH's exit strategy for the project where annual sales payments will be made by Adani Group. 

GFH is one of the most recognised financial groups in the gulf region that includes asset management, wealth management, commercial banking and real estate development. It is listed in Bahrain Bourse, Kuwait Stock Exchange and Dubai Financial Market.

 

Satnam Singh Bhamara became first Indian basketball player to join NBA

Satnam Singh Bhamara on 25 June 2015 became the first Indian national to join National Basketball Association (NBA) of USA. He is 19 years old.

The Punjab-born player was the 52nd overall pick at the 2015 draft bythe Dallas Mavericks. He will represent the team during the upcoming 2015-16 season.

Earlier, in July 2014,Sim Bhullar became the first basketball player of Indian origin to join the NBA. He hails from Canada and his parents are from Punjab. He played for a brief period for the Sacramento Kingsduring the 2014-15 season.

Also, in 2013, the Sacramento Kings became the NBA's first team to have an Indian-origin majority owner --Vivek Ranadive.

About Satnam Singh Bhamara

• He was born at Ballo Ke near Ludhiana in Punjab. He is 7 ft 2 in tall and weighs 110 kg.
• He represented the Indian national basketball team at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship and the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.
• In 2010, he moved to Florida in USA as part of a scholarship program between IMG and Reliance for training. Since then, he has been training at the IMG Reliance Academy.
• With the inclusion in the Dallas Mavericks, he became the first player since the 2005 NBA draft to enter the draft without playing in college, overseas professionally, or in the NBA Development League.

 

Nelson Piquet Jr won the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship title

Brazilian racer Nelson Piquet Jr on 28 June 2015 won the FIA Formula E Championship title of the 2014-15 season. He won the title after finishing seventh in the final race held at Battersea Park in London, the UK.

Piquet drove for Chinese team Nextev.

It is the first such championship held by FIA, the global governing body for auto racing events.

The first race was held in the Chinese capital Beijing in September 2014 and the championship included 11 races held in 10 different host cities.

About Formula E Championship

• It is the highest class of competition for one-make, single-seater, electrically powered racing cars and was conceived in 2012.
• It was created in order to attract a new audience to the sport and help develop electric technology for the automotive industry.
• Racing circuits are held in cities, and are approximately 2 to 3.4 km long.
• Cars accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 3 seconds, with a maximum speed of 225 km/h.
• Noise decibel levels are approximately 80 dB compared to that of ordinary car that makes70 dB and old Formula1 car on track with 130 dB noise.
• The generators used to re-charge the batteries are powered by Glycerine, a by-product of bio-diesel production.

 

SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket broke apart in flames minutes after lifting off from Cape Canaveral

An unmanned American SpaceX rocket dubbed Falcon-9 broke apart in flames minutes after lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on 28 June 2015. The accident occurred in only two and half minutes after the launch. 

According to Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and chief, pressurization in the liquid-oxygen tank of the rocket was the main cause of the blast.

The rocket, which had 18 straight successes prior to this accident, was in the process of sending a cargo ship to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket was heading to ISS to bring food and supplies, including a robotic Dragin cargo capsule. 

The US space agency NASA said that important supplies have been lost but the orbiting lab's crew (astronauts), who rely on food, water and equipment for their operations in space have enough stock that will last till October 2015. 

This incident is the third failure to send supplies to the ISS in the last eight months.

 

Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji written by Abdul Kalam

Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam & Arun Tiwari

Book titled Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji authored by former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari was released on 15 June 2015. 

In Transcendence, the authors Dr Kalam and Arun Tiwari have mapped a journey of self-realization reflected in the eyes of Pramukh Swamiji, painting a delightful fusion of spirituality, science and leadership. His candid vignettes (literature) from life on the centre stage of Indian technology and societal missions, Indian politics and world affairs are interwoven with revelations of a profound connection with Swamiji.

Through the life of Pramukh Swamiji and the history of the Swaminarayan mission, Dr Kalam traces the great rise of the Indian diaspora across the world. Drawing from the lives of great scientists and creative leaders, Transcendence captures the spiritual essence of all religions and is as much a fountain of inspiration and a treasury of wisdom as it is a tribute to the multi-faith Indian society.

Pramukh Swamiji Maharaj, one of the most inspiring spiritual figures of modern times and the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, is the inheritor of a legacy of Gunatit gurus hearkening to the early nineteenth century. Pramukh Swamiji became a friend of the eleventh president of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Together they created an unparalleled spirituality-science fellowship.

 

Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa launched first phase of Chennai Metro Rail Service

The first phase of Chennai Metro Rail service was on 29 June 2015 launched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The first phase of Metro service covers the 10-km elevated stretch. It connects Alandur in south Chennai to Koyabedu in the north.

The whole project is implemented by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). The project was approved by then Congress-led UPA government in 2009. 

With launching of this Metro service, Chennai became seventh city in India to have metro service including Delhi, Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Kolkata and Jaipur. 

Highlights of the first phase of Chennai Metro Rail Service
• The 10-km overhead stretch, from Alandur in south Chennai to Koyabedu in the north, will be covered in 18 minutes.
• The metro will bear four coaches with a capacity of 1276 passengers.
• It will cover seven stations in the stretch- Koyambedu, Arumbakkam, Vadapalani, Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, Ashok Nagar, Ekkattuthangal.
• The two corridors of Phase-1 of Chennai Metro Rail cost 16500 rupees to the state and will cover a 45-km stretch in the city.
• Designed as half underground and the rest elevated, corridor 1 is between Washermanpet and the airport. While, corridor 2 is from Chennai Central to St Thomas Mount and is likely to be ready by the 2015 end

 

Famous Writer Vishwanath Tripathi chosen for 28th Moorti Devi Award

Veteran Writer Vishwanath Tripathi was on 27 June 2015 selected for the 28th Moorti Devi Award for the year 2014 for his book Vyomkesh Darvesh. Vyomkesh Darvesh is a lifetime story of Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi.

Born on 16 February 1931 in Bishkohar village of district Basti in Uttar Pradesh, Tripathi was a student of the Banaras Hindu University and Punjab University. 

His other works include Lokwadi Tulsidas, Meera Ka Kavya, Desh ke is Daur Main, Kuch Kahaniyan Kuch Vichar, Ped Ka Hath, Jaisa Kaha Saka and Nagatlai Ka Gaon.

About Moorti Devi Award
• Moorti Devi award was founded by Bharatiya Jnanpith and is given away to the authors who have contributed in the field of contemporary creative writing in modern Indian languages.
• It is presented annually for a contemplative and perceptive work which expresses, underlines and illumines human values rooted in the broad vision of Indian philosophy and cultural heritage.
• Books written in English and all Indian languages are considered for the Prize, which comprises a cash award of four lakhs rupees, a statue and a citation plaque.

 

Indian Railways, Indian Army among world's biggest employers: World Economic Forum Study

Two Indian organizations Indian Army and Indian Railways are among the world's biggest employers, together employing around 2.7 million people, as per a research published by the World Economic Forum on 17 June 2015.

Indian Railways was ranked at the eighth place in the list of world's biggest employers with 1.4 million staff. Immediately after Indian Railways is the Indian Armed Forces with 1.3 million people.

Highlights of the Report
• The US department of defense is the world's biggest employer which claims over 3.2 million employees on its roster. 
• On the second position is People's Liberation Army (the Chinese military) with 2.3 million and in third is the US supermarket giant Walmart with 2.1 million workers. 
• McDonald's is the 4th biggest employer with 1.9 million employees, however, as the majority of its restaurants are franchises. 
• UK's National Health Service was ranked at the 5th place with 1.7 million employees, followed by state-run China National Petroleum Corporation with 1.6 million employees in sixth place. 
• Another Chinese company, the State Grid Corporation of China was ranked at 7th place with 1.5 million employees. 
• Hon Hai Precision Factory (Foxconn) came at 10th place with 1.2 million people.

 

30 june

9th National Statistics Day observed with theme Social Development

29 June: National Statistics Day
India on 29 June 2015 observed its ninth National Statistics Day. Theme for the 9th Statistics Day is Social Development. 

The day organised by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) commemorates the birth anniversary of late Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.

PC Mahalanobis born on 29 June 1893 was an Indian Bengali scientist and applied statistician. He is best remembered for the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure. He made pioneering studies in anthropometry in India.

Later in his life, as a member of Planning Commission, he gave the Two-sector Input-output model for the Second Five Year Plan (1956-61) which became famous as Nehru-Mahalanobis model or Basic Industry strategy of economic growth.

He founded the Indian Statistical Institute, and contributed to the design of large-scale sample surveys.

World Statistics Day is celebrated on 20 October 2010 worldwide.

 

Union Government approved Shimla drinking water project for World Bank funding

The Union Government on 29 June 2015 approved 643 crore rupees drinking water and sewerage project for Shimla town for World Bank funding. Under the project, World Bank will provide a loan of 514 crore rupees and remaining 129 crore rupees will be provided by the state government as counterpart funding over a project period of three years. 

The project would help the people of Shimla and adjoining Special Planning Area in addressing the chronic water shortage problem and also sewerage connectivity.

The project approved by the Union Finance Ministry during a meet in New Delhi would have three components and they are
• Augmentation of water supply of Shimla town by lifting water from Kol Dam reservoir
• Rehabilitation of water supply distribution system
• Rejuvenation of sewerage network 

Shimla’s drinking water supply augmentation scheme envisages lifting of water from Kol Dam project near Tattapani to cater to the needs of the fast growing town for next three decades. The water distribution system would also be improved and strengthened to plug leakages and avoid wastage.

Under the sewerage project, the sanitary conditions of the town would be improved by providing sewerage facility to all households, new sewerage treatment plants will be constructed and existing treatment plants will be improved and sewerage lines will be rejuvenated.

 

Archaeologists found fresh evidence linking Azhagankulam in TN with ancient Rome trade

Azhagankulam: Ancient trade centre located in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.

Azhagnakulam village in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu was in news on 29 June 2015 as archaeologists discovered fresh evidence that proves it had been an important trading post between the Sangam Pandyas and the Romansfrom circa 50 BCE to circa 500 CE.

Azhagankulam is located about three km from the sea, near the areawhere the Vaigai River enters the Bay of Bengal. Madurai was the capital of the Pandya country and Ramanathapuram came under the Madurai region.

As part of the excavations under way since May 2015, Archaeologists from the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology discovered broken Roman Amphora jars (used for storing wine), Mediterranean pottery, embossed Roman potsherds, copper coins, Chinese Celadon ware, rouletted ware, potsherds with Tamil Brahmi letters, a potsherd with a swastika symbol among others.

Earlier in 1986-87 and again for five seasons in the 1990s excavations were made at the place that revealed that  Azhagankulam was a part of the troika of trade centres between Rome and the Tamil country during the Tamil Sangam age. Other two were Arikkamedu (Puducherry) and Pattanam aka Muziris (Kerala).

As per historians, Azhagankulam, Arikkamedu and Korkai (Tamil Nadu) in the Tamiraparani basin on the east coastand Muziris on the west coast saw flourishing trade between the ancient Tamil country and the Romans for more than five centauries till circa 500 CE.

 

Hilleman Laboratories developed affordable Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine

Hilleman Laboratories (HL), a global vaccine research and development organisation on 24 June 2015 announced the success of a preclinical trial conducted for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine.

The research was published in the journal Vaccine.

The new vaccine formulation is expected to fill the immunization gap in the country as it is more cost effective and immunogenic compared to existing available vaccines.

The new vaccine was proved as 4 to 10 times more potent when compared to the existing licensed vaccines.

The Hib conjugate vaccine, which plays a vital role in national immunization programmes and also forms a main part of several mono-or multivalent vaccines for children, is the costliest component.

Hence, low cost of Hib makes a spectrum of vaccines more affordable and accessible even to the poor people in the country.

Hib is a deadly bacterium. It causes severe diseases like pneumonia and meningitis that are the leading causes of child deaths in India accounting for nearly 20 percent of the global deaths among children.

New Delhi based Hilleman Laboratories operates on a not-for-profit principle. It was formed as a partnership between global pharmaceutical organisation Merck & Co and the Wellcome Trust.

The UK based Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to human and animal health. In the field of medical research, it is the world's second-largest private funder after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

Union Government hiked national floor-level minimum wage to 160 rupees per day

The Union Government in June 2015 increased the national floor-level minimum wage (NFLMW) to 160 rupees per day from 137 rupees per day. The new rate will be effective from 1 July 2015.

If states revise their minimum wages as per the new NFLMW, the decision is expected to benefit millions of workers in the scheduled employments in the respective state jurisdictions.

About national floor-level minimum wage (NFLMW)

• It was implemented for the first time in 1996 on the basis of the recommendations of the National Commission on Rural Labour (NCRL) under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
• Its purpose is to have a uniform wage structure and to reduce the disparity in minimum wages across the country.
• It is a non-statutory measure and after every revision, the State Governments are persuaded to fix minimum wages such that in none of the scheduled employments, the minimum wage is less than NFLMW.
• List of scheduled employment differs from state to state and covers a wide spectrum of employment-creating sectors ranging from industry, construction, agriculture and services sectors.
• It was fixed at 35 rupees per day in 1996 and has since been revised almost regularly every two years taking into account the increase in the CPI (IW). 
• It was last raised in July 2013 from 115 rupees a day fixed in 2011.

 

Memorial for former PM Narasimha Rao constructed at Ekta Sthal Samadhi Complex in New Delhi

Construction of a memorial for former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao was completed in the fourth week of June 2015 at the Ekta Sthal Samadhi Complex in New Delhi.

The completion of the work coincided with his birth anniversary that falls on 28 June.

Already,Ekta Sthal Samadhi Complex hosts memorials of former Presidents Shankar Dayal Sharma, K R Narayanan, R Venkatraman, Giani Zail Singh and former Prime Ministers - Chandrasekhar and I K Gujral.

P V Narasimha Rao (1921-2004) was thetenth Prime Minister of India.

During his tenure between 1991 and 1996, along with his finance minister and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he introduced a slew of economic reforms, known as New Economic Policy (NEP) or Rao-Manmohan growth model.

These economic reforms laid foundation for India’s growth story in the subsequent decades.

He was also known for conceptualization and implementation of Look East Policy during his tenure that laid emphasis on building on historical and cultural ties with the East Asian nations with special emphasis on South East Asian (ASEAN) nations.

 

National Level Sikh museum to be constructed in Lakhnaur Sahib Village of Punjab

A national level museum of Sikh heritage will be setup in Lakhnaur Sahib village close to Ambala City, Punjab. This announcement was made by Ratan Lal Kataria, MP from Ambala on 29 June 2015.

Lakhnaur Sahib is a historical village as the mother of tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh, Mata Gujari belonged to the place. Guru Gobind Singh had also spent a few years of his childhood in the village. 

Around 17 acres of land belonging to Maharaja Ranjit Singh had been lying vacant in the village, which would now be utilized for the museum. Some articles belonging to Guru Gobind Singh and his mother Mata Gujari will also be kept in the museum and it would be developed on the lines of Anandpur Sahib Museum.

Kataria also announced a contribution of 11 lakh rupees for the gurudwara from Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds.

Gurudwara Lakhnaur Sahib 
Gurudwara Lakhnaur Sahib is located on the Ambala Barola Road in village Lakhnaur, about twelve km from Ambala City. It is associated with the Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Lakhnaur was the ancestral home of Mata Gujari, the mother of Guru Gobind Singh and wife of Guru Tegh Bahadur. 

The Gurudwara building is called Mata Gujari da Khuh (Mother Gujari's Well). Mata Gujari's well, sarovar and Baoli are remnants of the visit of Guru Gobind Singh Ji to this village. Among the other articles associated with the Guru and his family on display here include the Guru's bed, Mata Gujari's bed, weapons and utensils used in the langar.

 

Nearly 30 percent of China’s Great Wall disappeared over time: Survey

The Great Wall: A series of fortifications built along the historical northern borders of China.

The Great Wall of China, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was in news in the fourth week of June 2015 as Beijing Times published a survey report stating that around 30 percent of the Wall disappeared overtime and around 1185 km of the fortification are in poor condition.

The survey was conducted by the Great Wall of China Society in 2014.

As per the survey, the disappearance of over 1962 kms length of the wall, out of the total length varying between 9000 km to 21000 km, was caused by numerous factors over many centuries.

Some of them are perennial exposure to wind and rain, tourism, growth of plants in the walls and reckless human activities like stealing the bricks to build houses, etc.

The Great Wall is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials built along an east-to-west line across the northern borders of China. It is considered as the longest human construction in the world.

It stretches from Shanhaiguan on the east coast to Jiayuguan on the edge of the Gobi desert.

Its purpose was to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe.

Though the construction of the UNESCO World Heritage site was first begun in the third century BC, nearly 6300 kms were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

 

ITU defined 5G network speed as 20 Gbps

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) defined the speed of 5G (Fifth Generation) standard for mobile networking as 20 Gigabits per second (Gbps).

A decision was taken in this regard at an ITU conference on 5G standard held at San Diego in California of USA between 10 June and 18 June 2015.

The final details for the 5G standard will be confirmed in October 2015, following approval from the 193 ITU member countries.

Features of 5G technology

• In terms of data speeds, data will be transferred at the rate of 20 Gbps that is 20 times faster than the 1Gbps specification for 4G.
• In terms of actual user speeds, customers should receive speeds in the region of 100 to 1000 Mbps under the 5G network compared to that of 10Mbps of 4G.
• The technology is expected to open up access to higher resolution 4K video content and holographic technology via mobile networks.
• It will cater for future internet-of-things (IoT) technologies as 5G will have to be able to provide more than 100 Mbps average data transmission to over 1 million IoT devices within a 1 square kilometre radius.
• It will be called IMT-2020. IMT-2000 was the name for 3G networks and IMT-Advanced for 4G.
• International spectrum for the 5G network should begin distribution in 2019, with commercialized implementations expected sometime in 2020.

 

US Supreme Court ruled against EPA limiting mercury emissions from power plants

The United States (US) Supreme Court on 29 June 2015 ruled against the rules of Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) limiting mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants, undermining the Barack Obama administration's drive to cut pollution from electricity generators.

The court ruled 5-4 in an opinion written by Justice Antonin Scalia. The case looked at the EPA's regulation of mercury and other emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act, 1970. The Clean Air Act directs the EPA to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants from certain stationary sources such as refineries and factories.

The question before the court hinged on the interpretation of a line in the Clean Air Act stating that the EPA shall regulate emissions from electric utilities if the agency finds that such regulation is “appropriate and necessary”.

The court assessed whether the EPA's interpretation of the word ‘appropriate’ had to include the ‘costs of compliance.’ It said that EPA interpreted the law unreasonably when it failed to consider the costs of compliance with the new regulations. Over more than a decade, EPA took costs into account at multiple stages and through multiple means as it set emissions limits for power plants.

The ruling puts the administration under pressure to redo the rules before President Barack Obama’s second term ends. 

Background
The EPA adopted the mercury rules limiting the release of mercury, heavy metals and acid gases from power plants in December 2011 and they went into effect in 2015. While many newer power plants have technology to curb those hazardous releases, the rules target plants that still do not capture those emissions.

The rules affected about 600 US power plants, the majority of which were fueled by coal. Industry groups and 23 states challenged the rule, arguing that the EPA failed to take into account the cost of compliance, which they put at 9.6 billion US dollars.

 

Elephant Census Report 2015 of Odisha released

The Elephant Census Report 2015 of Odisha was released on 29 June 2015 by Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh. According to it, in 2015 the elephant population in Odisha increased to 1954 from 1930 recorded in 2012 Census.  

The highest number of elephants 487 was recorded in Similipal Tiger Reserve followed by Satkosia Tiger Reserve with 234 elephants.

Major findings of the census
• In three Elephant Reserves (ERs), that is, Mayurbhanj, Mahanadi and Sambalpur, a total of 1450 elephants (74.21%) were recorded. These areas have eight sanctuaries.
• In 5 other sanctuaries: 102 elephants (5.22%).
• Outside ERs and outside sanctuaries: 402 elephants (20.57%).
• The proportion of   Female:Male:Young elephants in 2015 is 1096:341:490, or 3.2:1:1.4, approx
In 2015, there are 27 elephants the sex of which couldn’t be identified compared to 46 in 2012 census.
• Compared to 2012, the male population recorded is more by 7, female population is more by 9, and the unknown sex recorded is less by 19 elephants and young more by 27. The total population records an increase by 24 elephants in the present census.
• STR Core Division recorded the highest number of elephants at 337 followed by Dhenkanal Division, with 164 elephants.

Mayurbhanj elephant reserve comprises of Similipal Tiger Reserve, Rairangpur, Baripada,   Balasore Wildlife and Keonjhar Wildlife Divisions.

Mahanadi elephant reserve comprises of Satkosia Wildlife, Mahanadi Wildlife, Angul, Dhenkanal, Athgarh, Athmallik, Boudh, Nayagarh and Cuttack Divisions.

Sambalpur elephant reserve comprises of Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bamra Willdife, Bonai and Rairakhol Divisions.

 

Rock Band Yes Guitarist Chris Squire died

Chris Squire, the co-founder and longtime bassist of progressive Rock Band Yes, died on 27 June 2015 at his home in Phoenix, Arizona after battling Acute Erythroid Leukemia (AEL). He was 67.

Squire was the only member of the band who appeared on every album released from 1969 to 2014. Chris was a fantastic songwriter, having written and co-written much of Yes endearing music, as well as his solo album Fish Out of Water in 1975.

Squire formed Yes band in 1968 with Jon Anderson and their debut single titled Sweetness and first album titled Yes were released in 1968. The group's most recent studio album Heaven & Earth was released in 2014.

Squire was born in Kingsbury, North-West London.

 

Union Railway Ministry inaugurated Integrated Security System in Mumbai

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 29 June 2015 inaugurated the Integrated Security System (ISS) at four railway stations in Mumbai comprising Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Dadar, Kurla and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT).

The ISS was installed with a total cost of 21.72 crore rupees. The ISS is aimed at improving security on Railway premises, ensuring safety of the people and averting terror attacks.

The system will monitor passenger activities through a network of CCTV cameras at six railway stations comprising CST, Dadar, Kurla, LTT, Kalyan and Thane. It has a total of 118 CCTV cameras that will beam the live images of railway stations under its coverage on six monitors.

The ministry also inaugurated a modified foot over bridge (FOB) to facilitate passenger movement at Diva and another FOB at Vithalwadi apart from laying the foundation stone of a multi-level two-wheeler parking at Thane.

Once completed, the project will take up the parking area to 3000 sq meter from 700 sq meter. While the work of the first phase of the project was completed in June 2015, the second phase is expected to be completed by December 2016.

 

Three-drug lethal injection protocol use did not violate Constitution: US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court on 29 June 2015 upheld the use of three controversial drug lethal injections protocol used in executions of inmates across the country. It said that it does not violate the Constitution in terms of being cruel and unusual punishment.

While writing the opinion of the 5-4 majority Justice Samuel Alito along with Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas rejected arguments presented by lawyers of inmates in Oklahoma.

Lawyers of the inmates argued that the first injection, a sedative calledmidazolam, would not prevent their clients from feeling searing pain from the second and third injections that caused paralysis and heart failure. Hence, it was contrary to the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution that forbids cruel and unusual punishments.

Further, a divided Supreme Court ruled that the inmates who challenged the use of the sedative failed to establish that Oklahoma’s use of a massive dose of midazolam entails a substantial risk of severe pain.

The Justices also noted that the plaintiffs did not identify an alternative method of execution that significantly reduces that risk.

Background

Midazolam raised concerns after it was used in executions of three jail inmates, most notably the execution of Clayton Lockett, in Oklahoma in April 2014 that took longer time than usual.

Following which and in lieu of shortage of midazolam in the US, the state legislature of Oklahoma on 9 April 2015 passed a bill that allows use of nitrogen gas (nitrogen-induced hypoxia) as a method of execution.

Comment

The ruling clears the path for executions to continue in a number of states of the US although a number of US states are facing shortage of midazolam sedative due to European manufacturers opposing capital punishment refusing to sell the drugs to them.