5 December

 

India beats Pakistan to win 2016 Women's Asia Cup

India women’s cricket team on 4 December 2016 defeated Pakistan to win the 2016 Asia Cup T20 at Bangkok, Thailand.

India defeated Pakistan in the final of the regional tournament by 17 runs. The win is India’s sixth Asia Cup crown.

In the final, India, who remained undefeated during the tournament, batted first and scored 121/5.

• Player of the Series: Mithali Raj (India)

• Most runs in the Series: 220 by Mithali Raj (India)

• Most wickets in the Series: 12 by Sana Mir (Pakistan)

About Women's Asia Cup

• The Women's Asia Cup is an international One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket tournament.

• It is contested by women's cricket teams from Asia.

• It has been played six times to date.

• In 2012, Indian had defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final of T20 in Guangzhou, China.

India, Qatar signed four agreements including visa and cyberspace

India and Qatar on 3 December 2016 signed four agreements to boost the bilateral relations between the two nations.

The agreements were inked in New Delhi after delegation level talks held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Qatar Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani. Emir Al Thani was on a two-day visit to India.

List of agreements exchanged include

• Agreement on the exemption from visa requirement for holders of diplomatic, special and official passports: The agreement allows holders of diplomatic, special and official passport of the two countries to visa-free travel between the two countries.
• Protocol on Technical Cooperation in cyber space and combating cyber crime: This Protocol adds an important dimension of bilateral Technical Cooperation in Cyber Space and Combating Cyber Crime to the existing framework agreement in the field of security signed on 10 November 2008.
• Letter of Intent regarding negotiations on an Agreement on the grant of e-Visa for businessmen and tourists of the two countries: This allows negotiations on an agreement on the grant of e-visa to businessmen and tourists of the two countries.
• MoU between Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy of Qatar and Confederation of Indian Industry: This MoU will provide the framework for project experts for Indian companies in Qatar, including through participation in infrastructure projects in Qatar undertaken for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Besides, a MoU to collaborate and exchange in the field of national ports management was inked between Qatar Ports Management Company "Mwani Qatar” and Indian Ports Global Private Limited (IPGPL).

New Zealand PM announces surprise resignation

In a surprising move, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key announced his resignation during a weekly press conference in Wellington on 5 December 2016. He cited family reasons for his sudden exit.

Key will be leaving the post after almost eight years of service. Explaining his decision, he stated that there was no way he could have sat through an entire fourth term. He, however, does plan to stay long enough to avoid by-election for his seat.

About John Key

• He started his career as a foreign exchange dealer and then went on to become the head of global foreign exchange at Merril Lynch in 1995.
• He was also appointed as a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
• He entered politics through New Zealand National Party. He was one of the few new National members of Parliament in the 2002 elections.
• He was appointed as the Finance Spokesman of the party in 2004 and two years later, he succeeded Don Brash as its new leader.
• After serving as the leader of Opposition for two years, Key led his party to victory in 2008 elections and became the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand.
• His winning streak continued into the next two general elections as well, which were held subsequently in 2011 and 2014.

Overall, Key’s governance was well appreciated, especially in the way how he steered New Zealand’s economy out of deep crisis following the recession in the late 2000s and a major earthquake in the country’s second largest city, Christchurch.

His resignation will be effective from 12 December 2016. The National Party would be convening on the same day to decide his successor. The most likely candidate for the role would be current deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Bill English.

 

South America’s Trade Bloc Mercosur removes Venezuela for failure to follow rules

Venezuela on 2 December 2016 was removed from the South America’s trade group Mercosur over the country’s failure to comply with the pact’s democratic principles and trade bylaws.

Mercosur’s member states, in a letter addressed to Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez, stated that the “oil-rich country had been stripped of membership rights immediately and that it will be required to renegotiate its membership.”

On the other hand, the Government of Venezuela stated that it is being unfairly targeted by right-wing regional leaders and that it complies with bylaws.

Timeline

In 2013, Paraguay has objected to Venezuela's inclusion in the trading bloc. The reason given by Paraguay was that a new member can only be included after a unanimous vote. The country also argued that such a vote should not have been held while Paraguay was suspended.

In August 2016, the presidents of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay met to discuss suspending Venezuela from Mercosur. The three countries were in doubt about regarding Venezuela’s compliance with the union's requirements for full membership. In fact, Venezuela was rejected from assuming the presidency of Mercosur by those three countries.

On 21 November 2016, Eladio Loizaga, Foreign Minister of Paraguay, announced that Venezuela would be suspended in December 2016 after the nation was given a three-month period to reform its laws to abide to Mercosur requirements. Mercosur had noted that "rules governing trade, politics, democracy and human rights" needed to be overhauled in Venezuela.

About Mercosur

• Mercosur is a sub-regional bloc.

• Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

• Its associate countries are Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname, while the observer countries are New Zealand and Mexico.

• The purpose of the bloc is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people and currency.

• The official languages of the bloc are Spanish, Portuguese and Guarani.

• The motto of the bloc is "Our North is the South."

Usain Bolt and Almaz Ayana win IAAF World Athlete of the Year Award

Nine-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt on 2 December 2016 won the IAAF male Athlete of the Year award. He won the award for the record sixth time.

Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana won the IAAF women Athlete of the Year award. Ayana broke the 10000m world record by over 14 seconds in winning Olympic gold in Rio in 2016.

Other Awards:

• Male Rising Star: Canada’s Andre De Grasse

• Female Rising Star: Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam

• Women in Athletics: Greece’s Polyxeni Argeitaki

• Coaching Achievement: USA’s Harry Marra

• President’s Award: Tegla Loroupe

About Usain Bolt

• Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter.

• He is regarded as the fastest human ever timed.

• He is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since fully automatic time became mandatory. He is also the world record holder as a part of the 4 × 100 metres relay. He is the reigning World and Olympic champion in these three events.

• He is an eleven-time World Champion.

• He is also known as "Lightning Bolt."

• His awards include the IAAF World Athlete of the Year, Track & Field Athlete of the Year and Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

About Almaz Ayana

• Almaz Ayana is an Ethiopian female long-distance runner.

• She competes in the 3000 metres, 5000 metres and 10000 metres events.

• At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro,  she set a new 10000 metres world record and won the gold in the event.

About IAAF World Athlete of the Year

• The IAAF Athlete of the Year award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics organised by the International Athletic Foundation of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

• In 2015, United States’ Ashton Eaton won the IAAF male Athlete of the Year award. Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba won the IAAF women Athlete of the Year award.

Hailakandi becomes first district in Assam to make cashless payment

Assam’s Hailakandi district becomes the first in the state to pay wages to tea garden workers through bank accounts.

The move follows Assam government’s directive of making cashless transactions to the plantation workers. It has, however, come much before the set deadline of 15 December 2016.

Key Highlights

• Five correspondents from the Assam Gramin Vikash Bank assisted the payment process.
• It covered at least 504 plantation workers who are employed at the Burnie Braes tea estate. They all received their wages through their individual bank accounts.
• The move was made possible through the efforts put in by the District Deputy Commissioner Moloy Bora, who held back-to-back meetings with bank officials along with the tea garden management and mobile service providers.

This move supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cashless India drive, following the shocking demonetization of old ₹500 and ₹1000 currency notes on 9 November 2016.

However, Assam is not the first Indian state to join the cashless drive, as Goa has already announced its intention of going fully cashless.  Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar revealed the same at a rally on 25 November 2016.

Dhasai, a small village in Maharashtra’s Thane District also became virtually cashless starting 2 December 2016. With a population of 5,000, it is the first village in the country to do so. The feat was made possible through the installation of 150 Point of Sale (PoS) machines.

 

Supreme Court approves action plan to tackle air pollution in Delhi NCR

The Supreme Court on 3 December 2016 approved Graded Response Action Plan of the Union Government to deal with the different levels of pollution in Delhi-NCR region.

The court also directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to upgrade its existing infrastructure and set up additional monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR within six months.

It also asked the Union Government to examine the harmful effects of petroleum coke and furnace oil used in industries and power generation plants in NCR within four weeks.

The ruling was made by the bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justices AK Sikri and SA Bobde.

Highlights of the Graded Response Action Plan
• It will be implemented under the aegis of Environment Pollution (Control and Prevention) Authority (EPCA).
• It recommends closing of brick kilns, hot mix plants, intensifying public transport services and stone crushers.
• It also suggests increase in frequency of mechanised cleaning of road and sprinkling of water on roads to tackle problem of pollution.
• It proposes common pollution code for Delhi-NCR to provide graded response to the health emergencies that are caused by toxic air.
• The code classifies the pollutants present in the air into four categories- moderate to poor, very poor, severe, very Severe or emergency depending upon the level of pollutants in air.
• The pollution level will be termed as 'severe' when the particulate matter is above 250 to 430 micrograms per cubic metre in the ambient air.
• If the air pollution level reaches the alarming situation, immediate steps will be taken like ban on construction activities and implementation of road space rationing schemes.
• The proposed new thermal power plant standards must come into force as soon as possible to reduce pollution load significantly by installing the pollution control devices without any further delay.

International Volunteer Day observed across the world

5 December: International Volunteer Day

The International Volunteer Day (IVD) was observed across the world on 5 December 2016 with the theme Global Applause– give volunteers a hand.

This year's theme recognizes the volunteers worldwide and their efforts in making peace and sustainable development a reality.

To mark International Volunteer Day, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme released the data showing the increase in keyboard volunteers that is online volunteers. By volunteering online, volunteers work for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organizations.

Background
• The Day was designated in 1985 by the United Nations as an international observance day to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism.
• It is seen as a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies and the government authorities.
• The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development by promoting the recognition of volunteers and working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming.

 

World Soil Day 2016 observed

5 December: World Soil Day

The World Soil Day (WSD) 2016 was observed on 5 December 2016 at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome. The theme for the day is “Soils and pulses, a symbiosis for life.”

The theme for the 2016 WSD focuses on the positive contributions of pulses to soil properties, such as fixing the atmosphere nitrogen and improving its biodiversity, fertility and structure.

The observance of World Soil Day aims at connecting people with soils and raising awareness on their critical importance in lives of human beings.

On the other hand, 2016 was declared the International Year of Pulses (IYP).

About International Year of Pulses

• The year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the 68th UN General Assembly.

• It aims to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition.

The key objectives of the IYP 2016 are:

• To raise understanding about the important role of pulses in sustainable food production and healthy diets and their role in food security and nutrition.

• To promote the value and utilization of pulses throughout the food system, their benefits for soil fertility and climate change and for combating malnutrition.

• To encourage connections throughout the food chain to further global production of pulses, foster enhanced research, better utilize crop rotations and address the challenges in the trade of pulses.

Amritsar Declaration adopted at the 6th Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia

The 6th Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) concluded on 4 December 2016 after adopting the Amritsar Declaration. The declaration recognised terrorism as the biggest threat to peace and demands an immediate end to all forms of terrorism.

The Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference held in Amritsar was co-chaired by Arun Jaitley, Union Finance Minister and Salahuddin Rabbani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It saw the participation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and high-level representatives of the participating and supporting countries.

The Sixth Ministerial Conference was inaugurated by Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.

Highlights of the Amritsar Declaration

Terrorism

• Participating nations, for the first time, expressed concerns about the high-level of violence in Afghanistan caused by
• Taliban and other terror groups including Islamic State and its affiliates Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Haqqani Network, Al Qaida, TTP, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Jundullah and others.
• Declaration recognised the necessity of taking serious measures to address recruitment of youth to extremist and terrorist networks.
• It calls for immediate end to all forms of terrorism including support to it in any form including financing or tactical and logistical support to it.
• The document called all states to take action against terrorist entities in accordance with their respective national counter-terrorism policies, their international obligations and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy 2006.
• It called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) with consensus.
• It says that radicalisation of disaffected elements of the population, especially youth, can only be prevented by effective de-radicalisation and counter-radicalisation strategies involving all the Heart of Asia countries.

Menace of Drug

• Participating nations displayed their concern on the increase of production and cultivation of opium in Afghanistan and drug trafficking.
• The declaration calls for efforts that help in eradicating the drug menace that poses a threat to the socio-economic development, security and stability of Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia region.

Connectivity and economic cooperation

• The declaration acknowledges the crucial role of Afghanistan as a natural land bridge, which helps in promoting regional connectivity and economic integration in the region.
• It stresses that connectivity and economic development will contribute to achieving peace and stability in the region including Afghanistan.
• It will help in enhancing regional economic integration.
• The declaration welcomes the practical implementation of TAPI and completion of the first stage of the Asian International Railway Corridor between Imamnazar, Turkmenistan, and Aqina, Afghanistan -- the initial stages of TAT linking Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
• It also encourages implementation of the multinational energy and connectivity projects of TUTAP, CASA-1000, the five-nation railways, Chabahar agreement, TAT linking Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan by rail. It would play a central role in strengthening regional cooperation between Central Asia and South Asia and further forge economic connectivity and growth in the region.
• IT also welcomes the MoU on Jointly Building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road between the China and Afghanistan. All these will lay the foundations for a successful Seventh Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) planned for November 2017 in Ashgabat.

Besides, the participants reaffirmed their commitment to the principles, objectives, and outcomes enshrined in the Declarations of previous five Conferences that have defined the ideals for the working of the HoA-IP aimed at promoting regional peace and prosperity. The previous five Ministerial Conferences were held in Istanbul (2011), Kabul (2012), Almaty (2013), Beijing (2014), and Islamabad (2015).

The declaration reaffirmed that importance of the HOA-IP as an important regional platform for political dialogue and close regional cooperation. It would help in promoting stability, peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and Heart of Asia region. It will also help in enhancing Afghanistan’s connectivity with the entire region.

The declaration calls to resolve the difference in a peaceful manner and refraining threat or force against the political independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of any state.

The Amritsar Declaration was adopted by the Foreign Ministers and the Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives of the participating countries of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process. The participating nations of the conference were India, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations.

Besides, Azerbaijan displayed its willingness to host the seventh Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process in 2017.

Countries that supported the declaration of the conference: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Arab Egypt, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Poland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States.

International and regional organisations that supported the declaration of the conference: Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Economic Cooperation Organizations (ECO), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Collective Security Treaty Organizations (CSTO), and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

RBI to issue new Rs 50 & Rs 20 currency notes

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 4 December 2016 announced to issue Rs 50 and Rs 20 denomination banknotes.

However, the old Rs 50 and Rs 20 notes will also continue to be legal tender.

Features of Rs 50 denomination banknotes
• These notes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005 will not have inset letter in both the number panels.
• It will bear the signature of Dr Urjit R Patel, Governor of Reserve Bank of India.
• The year of printing that is '2016' will be printed on the reverse of the banknote.
• The design and security features of these banknotes will be similar to the banknotes of old Rs 50 denomination with the ascending font of numerals in both the number panels and without intaglio print that was issued earlier in Mahatma Gandhi Series- 2005.

Features of Rs 20 denomination banknotes
• The new Rs 20 denomination currency notes will be printed with inset letter ‘L’ in both the number panels.
• It will bear the signature of Dr Urjit R Patel, Governor of Reserve Bank of India.
• The year of printing '2016' will be printed on the backside of the banknote.
• The design and security features of these banknotes will be similar to the old banknotes of Rs 20 with the ascending font of numerals in both the number panels and without intaglio print that was issued earlier in Mahatma Gandhi Series- 2005

 

Narendra Modi wins reader’s poll for the TIME Person of the Year 2016

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the clear winner of online reader’s poll for the TIME ‘Person of the Year 2016’.

Amoung the total votes cast, 18 percent went to Modi, which is almost two times more than the percentage of yes votes received by U.S President Barack Obama, US President-elect Donald Trump and Founder of Wikileaks Julian Assange, who all got 7% votes each. The results were calculated on the basis of votes received until the midnight of 4 December 2016.

The Indian elected head was also way ahead of U.S presidential nominee Hillary Clinton who received 4 percent votes and the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, who just received 2 percent votes in his favour.

However, this is not the first time that Narendra Modi has dominated the online reader’s poll for the ‘Time Person of the Year’ title. He was at the top of the list in 2014 as well securing almost 16 percent of the total five million votes cast. That was the same year when he was elected as the Prime Minister of India, with his party gaining a landslide victory.

The official result for the TIME ‘Person of the Year’ will be announced on 7 December 2016. The winner’s name will be decided by the editors of the magazine.

The prestigious title is presented every year to an individual who has had the most impact on the news and world in the past year, regardless of whether the influence was positive or negative. Last year the title had gone to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Airtel appoints Sunil Taldar as CEO and Director for DTH business

Bharti Airtel Limited on 5 December 2016 announced the appointment of Sunil Taldar as the Chief Executive Officer and Director for its DTH business.

Taldar will take over from Shashi Arora who moved as Managing Director and CEO of Airtel Payments Bank.

Taldar will be a member of the Airtel Management Board and will report to Gopal Vittal, Chief Executive Officer at Bharti Airtel (India and South Asia).

As per Airtel, Taldar will be “responsible for driving growth and innovation for Airtel Digital TV, which is a key growth driver within the company’s B2C portfolio.”

Previously, Taldar worked with Cadbury as India Sales Director. He had also worked with Mondelez (Indonesia) as Country Head.

About Airtel digital TV

• Airtel digital TV is an Indian direct-broadcast satellite service provider.

• It is owned and operated by Bharti Airtel.

• It was launched in 2008.

• Its satellite service transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in India.

• At the end of the September 2016 quarter, Airtel digital TV had 12.4 million customers and recorded revenue growth of 21 per cent.

Rakesh Asthana appointed as Interim Director of CBI

Senior IPS officer Rakesh Asthana was on 3 December 2016 appointed as the Interim Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He was given this additional charge by the Union Government following retirement of Anil Sinha.

This was the first time in last 10 years and second time in the CBI’s history that no new Director was named to succeed an incumbent.

About Rakesh Asthana
• He is a 1984 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Gujarat Cadre.
• Before this appointment, he was serving as Additional Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation itself.
• He served as the commissioner of police of Vadodara and Surat region.
• He headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) while it was probing the Godhra train incident of February 2002.

About Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
• It is the chief investigative police agency in India and derives its power from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
• It was established in 1941 as the Special Police Establishment and was later renamed as CBI in 1963.
• It has its headquarters in New Delhi and serve the motto of 'Industry, Impartiality, Integrity'.
• It is headed by Director who should be an IPS officer of DGP rank. The director is selected as per the provisions of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Act, 2003.
• The CBI Director is selected by a collegium comprising Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and Leader of Opposition or leader of the largest party in opposition in Lok Sabha.

 

Srinidhi Shetty won 2016 Miss Supranational title

Srinidhi Shetty, a girl from Mangalore, was crowned Miss Supranational 2016 in the first week of December 2016. She was crowned at a ceremony held in Krynica Zdroj, Poland. With this, India became the first country to win Miss Supranational twice in three years.

Along with the crown, Shetty, an engineer by profession, also received the prize amount of $30,000. In addition, she also won the title of Miss Asia-Oceania.

Other four finalists of the title were

• Venezuela's Valeria Vespoli (2nd)

• Suriname's Jaleesa Pigot (3rd)

• Sri Lanka’s Ornella Gunesekere (4th)

• Hungary's Korinna Kocsis (5th)

Process of selection

Unlike other beauty pageants, Shetty or any other finalists were not asked any question from the jury. Instead, the jury asked the five finalists to ask questions with each-others.

Shetty’s Question: The question that helped Shetty to claim the crown was asked by Valeria Vespoli, the Venezuelan contestant. Vespoli’s question to Shetty was “what was her biggest take away from the event”.

Shetty’s Reply: “Being a part of an arena of women from different countries and religions, where all are competing for the same goal being happy under one roof, was an enriching experience”.

Shetty is the second Indian to win the title after Asha Bhatt. Bhatt clinched the title three years ago.

Ancient Camping site discovered in Ladakh

An ancient camping site has been discovered in Ladakh by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The site is located 14,000 feet above sea level near Saser La in the Nubra Valley.

It was discovered during an exploration of the Nubra Valley by a team of researchers led by Dr. S B Ota, the Joint Director General of ASI. They stumbled upon it by chance, as road construction had left a portion of land exposed that showed layers of burning residue.

Key Highlights

• The researcher team found charcoal pieces and bone remains at the site. The charcoal was sent for date identification to Beta Analytic in Florida, US.
• The test revealed that the sample dated back to circa 8500 BCE.
• The team returned to the site to collect more samples to validate the result of the previous test.
• It was then revealed that the site is almost 10500 years old, making it the earliest camping site in Ladakh.
• It was also revealed that humans once inhabited the place. It could have been used as a temporary settlement by hunter-gatherers of the pre-historic period.  
• In fact, the place reportedly saw considerable human activity until about 800 years ago.

With a stretch of barren land, a gorge and snow covered peaks at a distance, the site beholds the image of an ideal camping site. This is by far, the most interesting discovery in the region of Ladakh, which is replete with picturesque landscapes.  

Though rough terrain and extreme weather made it difficult for any explorer to dwell deeper into the region, Ota‘s team made it possible through their persistent efforts. ASI now plans to conduct a further excavation to find more clues about the culture of the people who dwelled there, their camping patterns, the tools used by them and the extent of the whole camping area.

6 December

 

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa passes away

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa who suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday passed away on 5 December 2016. She was 68. AIADMK supremo breathed her last at 11:30 PM at the Apollo Hospital.

She was put on heart assist device following the attack and her condition was stated to be critical by senior doctors at the Apollo hospital.

The minister was brought in with complaints of temperature, dehydration, and congestion on 22 September 2016 but after the tests, it was revealed that there was a collection of fluid in her lungs and she was put in intensive care.

AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa sworn-in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for sixth term

However, the 68-year-old former actress was on her way to full recovery when she suffered the cardiac arrest, following which a team of best doctors was employed to revive her including UK-based intensivist Dr. Richard Beale and a special team dispatched from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. The Delhi team comprised three renowned doctors, pulmonologist Dr. G Khilnani, anaesthesiologist Dr. Anjan Trikha, and cardiologist Nitish Nayak.

Despite this, her situation was reported to be highly critical, she passed away on Monday evening, leaving hopes of thousands of Tamilians high and dry.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2016 Results: Jayalalithaa back to power for second consecutive time

All of Tamil Nadu has been brought to a standstill. Many schools and offices shut early today, as tension enveloped the city. The news of her critical state itself had wreaked havoc outside the Apollo hospital, leading to the summoning of thousands of police officials from around the state. Paramilitary forces have also been called in to control the worsening situation.

After her death, the state government has announced a seven-day State Mourning from 6 December 2016. During this period, the national flag on all government buildings will be flown at half-mast. The government also declared a three-day holiday for all educational institutions in the state.

Besides, the neighbouring union territory of Puducherry has also announced a holiday for all government offices and educational institutions on 6 December 2016 as a mark of respect to Jayalalithaa.

About J Jayalalithaa

• In the 1980s, she was made the propaganda secretary of AIADMK by founder-leader MG Ramachandran

• She entered the Rajya Sabha in 1984

• In 1989, she was elected to the Tamil Nadu assembly for the first time after which she became the Chief Minister of the state in 1991

• She is the second female chief minister of Tamil Nadu after Janaki Ramachandran

Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa held guilty in disproportionate assets case

• She is called Amma (Mother) and Puratchi Thalaivi (Revolutionary Leader) by her followers.

• The five-time Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa was a pioneer of several social sector schemes like

a) Cradle to baby scheme aimed at fighting the curse of female foeticide

b) Amma Canteens to provide low-priced food to the urban poor

c) Other similar pro-poor schemes launched by her included 'Amma salt', 'Amma water' and 'Amma medicines'.

• Before starting her political career, she acted in over 100 movies mostly in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.  She also acted in few Hindi and English films.

• She made her debut in a Kannada movie at the age of 16.

• Some of her films included Vennira Aadai (her first Tamil movie), Pattikada Pattanama, Aayirathil Oruvan (for which she won Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 1973) Sri Krishna Satya

• Her last film was the Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal (1980)

• She was born on 2 February 1948

O Panneerselvam sworn-in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

O Panneerselvam was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 5 December 2016. He succeeded AIADMK supremo and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister who earlier died at the Apollo Hospital.

Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath of office and secrecy for Panneerselvam at a somber ceremony at the Raj Bhawan. Other 31 ministers of the erstwhile Jayalalithaa Cabinet were also sworn-in.

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa passes away

This was Panneerselvam’s third swearing-in as Chief Minister. Earlier, he had served Tamil Nadu as its Chief Minster, during 2001-02 and 2014-15, after Jayalalithaa was unseated by the courts.

Tamil Nadu government has announced a seven-day State Mourning from 6 November 2016. The government has also declared a three-day holiday for all educational institutions in the state.

O Panneerselvam sworn-in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

O Panneerselvam

• Panneerselvam was born on 14 January 1951.

• He was once a tea stall owner and an agriculturist.

• He is a member of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party of Tamil Nadu.

• Panneerselvam served as the chairman of Periakulam municipality in 1996.

• He became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in September 2001 when then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was barred from holding office by the Supreme Court of India. He served the office till 2002.

• He also served as the Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu in the Jayalalithaa cabinet from 2011 to 2014.

• He represents the Bodinayakanur Assembly constituency in the current assembly. The constituency is located in Theni district.

B S Bhullar appointed Chief of Directorate General of Civil Aviation

Senior IAS officer B.S. Bhullar on 5 December 2016 was appointed the Chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

At present, Bhullar, a 1986-batch IAS officer, is working as an Additional Secretary in Civil Aviation Ministry. He was also holding the additional charge of the DGCA.

The post of the Chief of DGCA was lying vacant for over four months after M Sathiyavathy, a 1982-batch IAS officer of the union territories cadre, was named as new Union Labour Secretary in July 2016. She was the first woman chief of the aviation regulator.

About Directorate General of Civil Aviation

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the Indian governmental regulatory body for civil aviation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

• It investigates aviation accidents and incidents.

• It is headquartered in New Delhi.

• Lately, the Indian government has been planning to replace the organisation with a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA is said to be modelled on the lines of the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).