5-6 may 2015
5 may
Veteran Journalist Amitabha Chowdhury passed away at 88
Amitabha Chowdhury, veteran journalist, writer and renowned Tagore researcher on 2 May 2015 passed away in Kolkata due to prolonged illness. He was 88.
He was associated with three leading Bengali dailies Anandabazar Patrika, Jugantar and Aajkal for more than three decades.
Also, he authored around 40 books, which mostly explored various facets of Rabindranath Tagore.
He was born in 1928 in Silchar. In 1956, he joined Anandabazar Patrika as a reporter, embarking on a profession that brought him much fame, acclaim and accolades apart from numerous awards throughout an illustrious career.
His Awards
•He was awarded the Padmashree in 1983.
•He was awarded the Bangavibhushan by the state government in 2013.
•He received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his reporting on individual rights and community interests in India.
Vedanta Limited launched new logo
Minerals and mining giant Vedanta Limited on 4 May 2015 launched its new logo. The logo was co-created by internal stakeholders across geographies and group companies.
The new logo has some significant changes. The brand name has been changed with the use of two colours leaf green and a shade of Yale blue.
The colours represent the distinct virtues of Vedanta's professionalism, sustainability, ethics and integrity. The colour green symbolizes Vedanta's ethical credentials and the colour blue reflects Vedanta's un-waivered integrity and professionalism.
A leaf, which represents symbol of life, has been included into the Vedanta globe, signifying commitment to the triple bottom line approach of People, Planet and Prosperity.
The globe represents the centricity and dependence on natural resources found in the earth as well as the responsibility that Vedanta has towards communities.
The new logo will strategically position Vedanta's consistent commitment towards the growth of its low cost operations, leverage technology to deliver innovation and superior value to its shareholders.
Earlier in April 2015, Sesa Sterlite announced the changing of name to Vedanta Ltd in a bid to better resemble with its London-listed company Vedanta Resources Plc.
Baleshwar Ram, former Union Minister passed away
Former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader Baleshwar Ram on 3 May 2015 passed away due to kidney-related ailments. He was 87. He was the leader from Bihar.
He was the Member of Parliament (MP) of 7th Lok Sabha from Rosera Lok Sabha Constituency.
Baleshwar Ram served the nation in different capacities during his long public life.
As a five-term member of the Bihar legislative assembly and minister in the state government in the sixties and seventies, he made immense contribution for the welfare and development of the people of Bihar, especially weaker sections.
Rajasthan Government signed deal with NHM, UNICEF & GAIN to counter malnourishment
Rajasthan Government on 4 May 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Health Mission (NHM), UNICEF and GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) in Jaipur to tackle the severe problem of malnourishment of the state.
Initially, the programme will be implemented in thirteen districts in which more than 10000 children have been identified as malnourished. To deal with malnourishment, a special management programme will be organised on the community basis.
At present, Rajasthan has 40 malnourishment treatment centres, which are equipped with 10000 beds. It is also facilitated with 107 centres with six beds.
Background
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the state budget 2015-16 announced that special attention will be given to the children falling out of medical reach in state.
World Asthma Day 2015 observed with theme You Can Control Your Asthma
World Asthma Day 2015 was observed globally on 5 May 2015. Theme of the year is You Can Control Your Asthma and sub-theme is It’s Time to Control Asthma.
World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May. The inaugural World Asthma Day was held in 1998.
The day is annually organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world.
About Asthma
Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory long-term disease of the lungs which causes breathing problems by narrowing the airways. Symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, coughing, wheezing, and feeling of tightness in the chest and shortness of breath.
Asthma cannot be cured but the symptoms can be controlled enabling people with asthma to live full lives.
Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA)
The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) was launched in 1993 in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA, and the World Health Organization. It works with health care professionals and public health officials around the world to reduce asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality.
Haryana Government notified 163 services under Right to Service Act, 2014
Haryana government on 4 May 2015 notified 163 services under Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014. The notification was released with a view to provide time bound and hassle-free services to the citizens.
These services would be provided in prescribed time period and on case of unnecessary delay, the concerned official would have to pay fine.For instance
• The Revenue Department would provide 20 services in time bound manner.
• Certified copies of all Record of Rights (Jamabandi), Girdawari and mutation would be provided in one day by Duty Patwari-1.
• The demarcation of land would be provided by Circle Revenue Officer in 45 days.
• Certificates of scheduled castes, backward classes, special backward classes, resident, economically backward classes, tapriwas and vimukt jati would be issued in seven days by the Tehsildar of the concerned Sub Division.
• In Health Department, the certified copies of birth or death in rural areas would be issued in seven days in year 2015 and in 15 days for previous years.
Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014
Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014 was notified on 26 March 2014 by Bhupinder Singh Hooda led government of Haryana. It was enacted to provide for the delivery of the services in a time-bound manner to eligible persons and for matters connected therewith.
Michael Blake, Oscar-winning author, passed away
Michael Blake, the Oscar-winning author on 3 May 2015 passed away in Tucson, Arizona, after a long battle with cancer. He was 69. He got the fame by one of his penned novel Dances With Wolves.
The novel had sold over 3.5 million copies, and was translated into 15 languages, and was later converted into film, which Kevin Costner directed and starred in.
The film bagged 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Screenplay for Blake, who also won the WGA Award and Golden Globes for the novel.
Michael Blake also had written several other novels that passionately advocated for many causes, including literacy, Native American history and the disappearing of wild horses in the West.
Some of his famous novels include The Holy Road, Airman Mortensen, Marching to Valhalla,Indian Yell, Twelve The King. His autobiography is Like A Running Dog, which had detailed his career in writing and Hollywood.
He was born in North Carolina and lived with his family in Texas before settling in southern California.
France signed 7.02 billion US dollar agreement with Qatar to supply 24 Rafale fighter jet
France on 4 May 2015 signed a 7.02 billion US dollars agreement with Qatar to supply 24 Dassault Aviation-built Rafale fighter jets. This is the third contract to sell Rafale Fighter jets after contracts with Egypt and India.
Agreement was signed by the French President Francois Hollande and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar.
The agreement also includes training of 36 Qatari pilots and 100 technicians by the French military. It will also provide for the training of a number of Qatari intelligence officers.
Since the first sale of Rafale fighter jets to Egypt, the French planes have become the best-seller worldwide and it could help to make France the world’s second biggest supplier of weaponry after the United States.
The Rafale export deals are expected to give 21 billion euro in 2015 to French economy, a significant boost for a still-struggling French economy.
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed. It was introduced in 2001 and has been built by Dassault Aviation.
Since its introduction, the Rafales have been used in combat operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali and Iraq
Rahul Yadav resigned as the CEO of Housing.com
Rahul Yadav, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Housing.com, resigned on 30 April 2015. He founded the company with a bunch of IIT Bombay graduates in June 2012.
Housing.com is one of India’s successful startup. The company has gained in value approximating 1500 crore rupees under the directorship of Rahul Yadav.
His resignation is taken up by many analysts to showcase the dangers surrounding India's new breed of start-ups.
Analysts say domestic start-ups represent a bubble because they continue to get better valuations and higher funding despite reporting negligible revenues and huge losses.
Union Cabinet cleared 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on LBA between India and Bangladesh
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 May 2015 approved the 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh.
Under the land boundary agreement, India and Bangladesh will exchange several enclaves which are under each other's adverse possession. The bill also includes the territories in Assam in addition to territories of West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya.
The bill will need ratification by the Parliament and would also require ratification of at least 50 percent of the state legislatures before it comes into effect.
Earlier in 2013, the bill in regard to this was placed in the Rajya Sabha and subsequently was referred to a select committee, which was headed by Shashi Tharoor of Congress. Later, the committee unanimously recommended implementation of the deal.
Background
The historic protocol on the Land Boundary Agreement was inked between India and Bangladesh on 6 September 2011 during the visit of the then Prime Minister Mahmohan Singh to Bangladesh. It was inked following the talks between Mahmohan Singh and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
Later, Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her visit to Bangladesh on 27 June 2014 discussed the Land Boundary Agreement with the leaders of the nation.
PM Narendra Modi joined Chinese social media platform Weibo
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 May 2015 joined Chinese social media platform Weibo. Weibo is the main microblogging service of China. Weibo is often referred to as Twitter of China.
PM Modi joined Chinese social media platform just weeks before his scheduled visit to China. Modi will start off his three-nation tour to the East on 14 May 2015 with China, Mongolia and Later South Korea.
Sina Weibo is a Chinese microblogging website. It is similar to Twitter and Facebook. It is one of the most popular sites in China, in use by well over 30% of Internet users, with a market penetration similar to the United States' Twitter.
6 may
Lu Ping, Chinese diplomat who oversaw Hong Kong transition, died
Lu Ping, the Chinese diplomat who oversaw Hong Kong’s transition from British to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, died in Beijing on 3 May 2015. He was 87.
Ping, the China’s Chief negotiator during the transfer of Hong Kong to China, termed Hong Kong’s last British Governor Chris Patten (1992–1997) as a “sinner of a thousand years” for making the territory’s elections more democratic or his unilateral electoral reform proposals.
Ping was appointed Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) in 1990 and retired in 1997. He had also helped in drafting the mini Constitution of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong was leased for 99-years to the British Empire by China after it lost to Britishers in the first Opium War (1939-42). As part of it, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula became a perpetual British Colony. It was transferred to China on 30 June 1997 under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declarationand became China's first Special Administrative Region on 1 July 1997 under the principle of “one country, two systems”.
Indigenously developed Akash Weapon System (AWS) inducted into Indian Army
The first regiment of the indigenously developed Surface-to-Air missile Akash Weapon System (AWS) on 5 May 2015 was inducted into the Indian Army in New Delhi.
It is part of the orders for two regiments placed by the Army worth about 19000 crore rupees.
Features of Akash Weapon System (AWS)
• Each regiment of AWS consists of six launchers with each launcher having three missiles.
• It consists of sophisticated radars and control systems to guide the missile towards the target.
• Each missile weighs 720 kg having a length of 5.78 meters.
• It is fully automated and can simultaneously engage multiple targets in all weather conditions including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in addition to helicopters and fighter planes.
• It has a large operational range from a low altitude of 30 metres to a maximum of up to 20 km.
• At 96 per cent indigenisation, it represents a major capability development for a crucial weapon system.
• Unlike the Air Force version, which was inducted in March 2012, the Army variant of Akash is designed for high mobility and can be quickly moved to any operational theatres based on necessity.
• Akash has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and is being built by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
• It was originally planned as part of the five missiles under the Integrated Guided Missile Development (IGMD) Programme initiated in 1984.
Algorithmic Trading caused BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty to close at lowest level in 2015
Algorithmic Trading: Usage of Computers to execute trades based on pre-defined instructions
The term Algorithmic Trading or Algo-Trading or Black-Box Tradingwas in news on 6 May 2015 since they triggered the two major stock indices Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex and National Stock Exchange (NSE) Nifty to close at lowest levels since 17 December 2014.
\Algo-trading refers to those trade practices which are done by computers loaded with pre-defined instructions. In this, automated order execution engines perform trade without any human intervention when certain predefined market conditions such as indices reaching a particular level (whether in bullish or bearish conditions) are met.
Algorithmic trading is primarily used by institutional traders such as investment banks, pension funds, mutual funds, etc.
Advantages of Algo-Trading
• It helps in executing trade at a huge speed and frequency, not possible for a human trader. As a result, emotional human impacts on trading activities can be circumvented.
• It makes markets more liquid as more orders are placed in the market.
• It helps in identifying trading opportunities in a milliseconds based on the codes written by the trader ensuring that trading opportunities are not missed.
• It helps in identifying mispricing and instances of inefficiency very fast by rapidly closing in on arbitrage opportunities.
Disadvantages of Algo-Trading
• It increases the volatility in the market and stock prices by generating massive orders within few seconds.
• If erroneous programmes are allowed to run they can distort market prices to a large extent.
As per an estimate, Algorithmic trading accounts for a third of the total volume on Indian cash shares and almost half of the volume in the derivatives segment. Earlier in March 2012,the stock market regulatorSecurity and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued an order saying that all the Algo-Trading orders must be routed through broker servers located in India in order to regulate them.
Union Government made PAN mandatory for Central Excise Registration
Union Finance Ministry on 4 May 2015 made Permanent Account Number (PAN) mandatory for private firms seeking Central Excise Registration.
In this regard, the Ministry issued an order mentioning that applicants seeking registration will mandatorily have to quote PAN of the proprietor or the legal entity being registered in the application form.
The new laws say that the PAN registration will be given within two days of filing online applications to improve the ease in doing business in manufacturing. While, the government departments has been exempted from the requirement of quoting PAN in their online application.
Apart from this, the order also mentions that the applicant will have to quote his e-mail address and mobile number in the application form for communication with the department.
French Parliament approved Surveillance Law to prevent terrorist attack
The French Parliament on 5 May 2015 approved a surveillance law that strengthens the intelligence services of the country.
The aim behind approving the law is to prevent terrorist attacks.
The law on intelligence-gathering adopted by 438 votes to 86, was drafted after three days of Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris in January 2015, in which 17 people were killed
The law will now be examined by the senate.
Features of the Surveillance Law
• It allows intelligence agencies to tap phones and emails without judicial permission from judges
• It defines the purposes for which secret intelligence-gathering may be used
• Sets up a supervisory body, the National Commission for Control of Intelligence Techniques (CNCTR), with wider rules of operation
• It authorises new methods, such as the bulk collection of metadata via internet providers
• It allows placement of cameras and recording devices in private homes of suspects along with keylogger devices that record every key stroke on a targeted computer in real time by Intelligence services
• It allows authorities to keep recording for a month and metadata for five years
• It allows intelligence services to vacuum up metadata, which would then be subject to analysis for potentially suspicious behavior
It says that the metadata would be anonymous but could be followed by intelligence agents with a request to an independent panel for deeper surveillance that could yield the identity of users
• It allows authorities to force the internet providers to install so-called black boxes or complex algorithms to flag up a succession of suspect behavioural patterns online, like keywords used, sites visited and contacts made
Comment
The new law, especially the action of tapping phones and emails, has sparked protests in the country terming that the legalisation of the intrusive surveillance method surpasses the individual freedom and privacy. In wake of the law, the protesters for civil liberties group launched a campaign under banner 24 hours before 1984 in reference to George Orwell’s dystopian novel about life under an all-knowing dictatorship.
The new Surveillance Law of France is similar to mass surveillance Patriot Act of the United States which was introduced in the backdrop of 9/11 attacks. Although, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, defended the bill by saying that a law was needed to take into account the communication technology.
Save the Children released 16th annual State of the World’s Mothers (SOWM) report
Save the Children’s 16th annual State of the World’s Mothers (SOWM) report titled The Urban Disadvantage was on 5 May 2015 released by the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Najma Heptulla in New Delhi.
The report's special focus is on the struggle of poorest mothers and children in rapidly urbanizing world. It presents the Mothers’ Index for 179 countries and show where mothers and children fare best and where they face the greatest hardships.
Important findings of the report
• While great progress has been made in reducing urban under-5 mortality around the world, inequality is worsening in too many cities. In almost half of the countries, the urban survival gaps have grown.
• The poorest children in almost every city face alarmingly high risks of death. In all but one of the 36 developing countries surveyed, there are significant gaps between rich and poor urban children.
• The 10 countries showing the greatest survival divide between wealthy and poor urban children are: Rwanda, Cambodia, Kenya, Vietnam, Peru, India, Madagascar, Ghana, Bangladesh and Nigeria.
• The poorest urban mothers and children are often deprived of life saving health care like access to prenatal care and skilled birth attendance. The largest coverage gaps between rich and poor were found in Delhi (India), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Port au Prince (Haiti) and Dili (Timor-Leste).
• High child death rates in slums are rooted in disadvantage, deprivation and discrimination.
• Among capital cities in high-income countries, Washington, DC has the highest infant death risk and great inequality. Washington, DC had the highest infant mortality rate at 6.6 deaths per 1000 live births in 2013 which is 3 times the rates found in Tokyo and Stockholm.
• In cities around the world, the poorest urban children are at least twice as likely to die as the richest urban children.
• The top five countries showing lower U5MR are: Prague (Czech Republic), Stockholm (Sweden), Oslo (Norway), Tokyo (Japan) and Lisbon (Portugal).
Top 10 countries in the Mother Index
|
Rank |
Country |
|
1 |
Norway |
|
2 |
Finland |
|
3 |
Iceland |
|
4 |
Denmark |
|
5 |
Swedan |
|
6 |
Netherlands |
|
7 |
Spain |
|
8 |
Germany |
|
9 |
Australia |
|
10 |
Belgium |
Bottom 10 Countries in the Mother Index
|
Rank |
Country |
|
169 |
Haiti & Sierra Leone |
|
170 |
Guinea-Buisseau |
|
171 |
Chad |
|
172 |
Ivory Coast |
|
173 |
Gambia |
|
174 |
Niger |
|
175 |
Mali |
|
176 |
Central African Reblic |
|
178 |
DR Congo |
|
179 |
Somalia |
Recommendations of the report
• The final post-2015 framework (Sustainable Development Goals) should include an explicit commitment to equitably ending preventable child and maternal deaths with measurable targets.
• Commit to leaving no one behind by embedding equity in the final post-2015 framework.
• Improve the health of the urban poor by ensuring universal health coverage.
• All governments must follow through on Nutrition for Growth commitments and ensure that the World Health Assembly nutrition targets are met.
• National governments should develop and invest in integrated, cross-sectoral urban policies, strategies and plans that include maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and nutrition, as well as investments in improved access to clean water, sanitation and primary education.
• National governments and donors should invest in strengthening data collection to better identify disadvantaged groups, track quality and use of services and monitor progress against agreed upon plans and targets.
• Mobilize resources to end preventable child deaths in poor urban areas.
The report with respect to India
India is placed at the 140th position in the Mother’s Index which ranks countries on five key factors viz., Risk of maternal death, Under-five mortality rate, Educational status, Economic achievement and Political status.
Further, as per the report, India along with Bangladesh has over half of poor urban children who are stunted compared to 20 percent or less of the wealthiest children and the urban poor are 3.2 times more likely to die compared to the urban rich in Delhi.
In the period between 1990 and 2013, under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) in India declined by 54.4 percent as against the global progress of 44.8 percent.
Globally every 5th child is born in India and any improvement in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of even a single state can positively impact the global situation.
NASA’s Ten-Engine Electric Plane GL-10 Prototype Completed Successful Flight Test
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully developed and flight tested the prototype of a ten-engine electric plane Greased Lightning (GL)-10. It was revealed by the US space agency on 1 May 2015 on its website.
Key Features of Greased Lightning (GL)-10
• The aircraft was conceptualized by the NASA in order to enhance its capabilities in using remotely piloted aircrafts in science investigations and to augment technology development for aircraft, cubesats and other platforms.
• It is a battery-powered 10-engine remotely piloted aircraft having eight electric motors on the wings and two electric motors on the tail.
• It weighs a maximum of 62 pounds (28.1 kilograms) at take off and has a 10-foot wingspan.
• It can take off like a helicopter and fly like an airplane.
• It produces less noise in the sense that it is quieter than a neighbor mowing the lawn with a gas-powered motor.
• At present it is in the design and testing phase and under the first phase of the It will be an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and could be used for small package delivery or vertical takeoff and landing, long endurance surveillance for agriculture, mapping and other applications.
• In the later stage, a scaled up version which can accommodate up to four persons will be developed.
Lok Sabha passed the Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2014
Lok Sabha on 6 May 2015 passed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, 2014. The bill also called Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill seeks to introduce GST regime in India.
The bill will transform India into a common market, harmonising myriads of state and central levies into a national goods and services tax which is expected to boost manufacturing and reduce corruption.
Main Highlights of the Bill
• It provides for constitution of a Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council by inserting Article 279A in the Constitution. The Council will recommend to the Union and States on the inclusion and exclusion of goods and services.
• It proposes an additional tax on supply of goods, not exceeding one percent, in the course of inter-State trade will be levied and collected by the Union for a period of two years and apportioned to the States.
• The net proceeds of additional tax on supply of goods, except the proceeds from Union Territories, will not form the part of Consolidated Fund of India.
• It provides for the compensation to the States for loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of GST for a period of five years.
• It subsumes all the Central indirect taxes, levies and Central Sales Tax and State Value Added Tax and Sales Tax.
• It covers all goods and services except alcoholic liquor for human consumption for the levy of GST.
Now, the bill needs to be passed in Rajya Sabha after which more than a half of India's 29 states must approve it before the central and state governments would get equal powers to tax goods and services.
With the passage of GST bill at every stage, the whole country, which is one-sixth of world's population, would become a single market and would give a necessary fillip as far as the trade is concerned.
Indian Army emerged champions in 19th Federation Cup National Athletic Championships
The Indian Army team on 3 May 2015 emerged as champions in the 19th Federation Cup National Senior Athletic Championships. The team scored 123.5 points at the end of the four-day event at the Mangala Stadium in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
The Tamil Nadu team notched the second position by securing 114 points.
The overall men's championships went to the Army when they totalled 123.5 points, while Tamil Nadu came second with 48 points.
Kerala claimed the overall championship in the women's category with 86 points. They were followed by Karnataka with 68 points.
The best athlete award in the men's category went to Inderjeet Singh of team Haryana. He was awarded for his stupendous toss in the shot put event, which helped him qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Best athlete in the women's category went to Srabani Nanda from Odisha for the agility she displayed in the 100 metre event.
Bollywood actor Salman Khan sentenced to five-years in jail in 2002 hit-n-run case
Bollywood actor Salman Khan was in news as on 6 April 2015 he was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Mumbai Sessions Court. He was sentenced for his 28 September 2002 hit and run case in which one pavement dweller was killed and four others were injured.
The sentence was pronounced in Sessions Court Judge Deshpande’s chamber.
Mumbai Sessions Court Judge DW Deshpande found Khan guilty and convicted him under IPC Section 304 II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The court while giving verdict said that all charges pressed against Khan under IPC Section 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing minor injuries), 338 (causing major injuries) and 427 (negligence) have been proved.
While convicting Khan, the court relied upon judgements in Alistair Pereira and Sanjeev Nanda BMW case of Delhi.
Background
Salman Khan’s, Toyota Land Cruiser on 28 September 2002 hit a bakery in the Bandra area of Mumbai after which the vehicle ran over five people sleeping on the street. In the accident, a 38-year-old Nurullah Mehboob Sharif was killed and four others were injured.