7-8 Jan

Quikr launched instant messenger Quikr Nxt to enable seamless transactions

08-JAN-2015

Online Classifieds Company Quikr on 7 January 2015 launched instant messenger Quikr Nxt to enable seamless transactions between its users. The product was launched by Quikr CEO and founder Pranay Chulet.

The messenger will allow users to chat using the website or mobile app. The messenger has been integrated into Quikr’s mobile app, mobile site and website.

The company claimed the new product is the world’s first instant messenger by a classifieds company.

With the Quikr Nxt, buyers/sellers do not need to share their contact number or e-mail address and the only point of reference is the Quikr ID. This prevents bombarding by multiple e-mails and phone calls and safeguards the user’s privacy.

About Quikr

Quikr was launched in July 2008. Quikr has more than 30 million active users. Quikr operates in over 13 categories and 170 sub-categories including mobile phones, household goods, cars, real estate, jobs, services and education.

Quikr raised over 900 crore rupees in 2014 from investors, including Tiger Global Management, Kinnevik, Matrix Partners, eBay Inc, Warburg Pincus among others.

Australian airline Qantas named world’s safest by AirlineRatings.com

08-JAN-2015

Australia’s national airline Qantas was named as the world’s safest airline by AirlineRatings.com on 6 January 2015. The airline was lauded for amassing an extraordinary record of firsts in safety history and operations over its 94-year history.

Qantas was praised for the way it monitors the engines of its aircraft using satellite communications and had a fatality free record in the jet era.

The website said that the Australian airline Qantas has been a leader in development of the Future Air Navigation System, Flight Data Recorder to monitor plane and later crew performance, automatic landings using Global Navigation Satellite System as well as precision approaches around mountains in cloud using RNP.

The website announced its top ten safest airlines and top ten safest low cost airlines for 2015 from 449 it monitors.

Top ten safest airlines include
• Qantas of Australia
• Air New Zealand of New Zealand
• British Airways of the UK
• Cathay Pacific Airways of Hong Kong
• Emirates of UAE
• Etihad Airways of UAE
• EVA Air of Taiwan
• Finnair of Finland
• Lufthansa of Germany
• Singapore Airlines of Singapore

Top ten safest low cost airlines include
• Aer Lingus of Ireland
• Alaska Airlines of the US
• Icelandair of Iceland
• Jetblue of the US
• Jetstar of Australia
• Kulula.com of South Africa
• Monarch Airlines of Britain
• Thomas Cook of Britain
• TUI Fly of Germany
• Westjet of Canada

About AirlineRatings.com

It is world’s only safety and product rating website and was launched in June 2013. To rate the airlines it takes into account a range of factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies such as the FAA and ICAO as well as government audits and the airline’s fatality record. It also examines each airline’s operational history, incident records and operational excellence.

IT services firm Synechron acquired Paris-based Team Trade

08-JAN-2015

IT services firm Synechron on 8 January 2015 acquired Paris-based Team Trade. The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

Synechron specializes in software integration and business consulting. The acquisition by the New York-Based Synechron is to expand its footprints in Europe.

Team Trade will operate as an independent company after the acquisition and will continue to take the joint value proposition to its customers.

Synechron provides a range of software solutions with a vertical focus in capital markets, insurance, banking and digital sectors.

Over the last six years, Synechron had acquired 4 firms in addition to Team Trade over the last six years following a strategy of organic and inorganic growth.

Synechron co-founder and CEO is Faisal Husain.

About Team Trade

Team Trade was founded in 2000. It has subsidiaries in Geneva, Luxembourg, London, Milan, Montreal, New York, Novi Sad, Singapore and Sydney.

Team Trade has unique capabilities in software packages like Murex and Calypso, which are widely used by top financial institutions.

Team Trade co-founder and Partner is Pascal Rellier.

Union Government launched National Toll Free Helpline to assist the drug dependent persons

08-JAN-2015

Union Ministry for Social Justice & Empowerment on 7 January 2015 launched National Toll Free Helpline (1XXX-XX-0031) to assist the alcoholic and drug

dependent persons. The helpline was launched by the Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot.

Main characteristics of the Helpline

• It has been made with technical support from M/s TCIL, a Government of India undertaking.
• It will operate from 9.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and will be upgraded to 24x7, based on the number of calls and the response in this regard.
• It will help in order to mitigate the problems of drug abuse and create public awareness.

The helpline was launched after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the National programme Mann ki Baat on 14 December 2014 show his desire of setting up of a Toll Free Helpline to assist the alcoholic and drug dependent persons, their family members and community at large.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal Ministry for drug demand reduction and rehabilitation of victims of alcoholism and drug abuse.

China included potatoes as staple diet after rice, wheat and corn

08-JAN-2015

Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) of China on 7 January 2015 announced to include potatoes as staple diet after rice, wheat and corn.

The decision was based upon an attempt to ensure food security, ease the pressure on the environment and increase the income of farmers.

The addition of potatoes as another staple food was consistent with the government's policy of adjusting the agriculture structure to achieve sustainable development.

The officials claimed that almost 50 per cent of annual production of potatoes will be consumed as a staple food by 2020 in China to improve the food security.

To maintain the food security, China will turn potatoes into noodles, steamed bread and other staple food products. They will convert potatoes to a series of manufactured food items which lead to a healthier diet.

As potato is easy to grow even in barren lands, it would also guarantee food supply. The potato is of higher nutritional value compared with rice and wheat flour, which lose considerable dietary fiber and nutrients during processing.

To meet the increasing demand the techniques of processing potatoes will also be improved. They also called for a campaign to promote the consumption of potatoes.

Popularising the consumption of potatoes would not compromise the existing cultivated land for wheat, rice and corn.

Comment

Many potato-lovers supported the policy, while others doubted if the policy was a result of inadequate production of traditional staple food in China.

China is under pressure with a huge population but limited farmland, which makes potatoes a perfect supplement to the present staple food system of China.

The decision would encourage the increased planting of potatoes and bring some improvements to the food processing industry, but this would require greater government support.

NASA Kepler Space Telescope made 1000th Exoplanet Discovery

08-JAN-2015

NASA Kepler Space Telescope on 6 January 2015 made 1000th Exoplanet Discovery. Using Kepler data, scientists reached this millenary milestone after validating that eight more candidates spotted by the planet-hunting telescope are, in fact, planets.

Three of the newly-validated planets are located in their distant suns’ habitable zone, the range of distances from the host star where liquid water might exist on the surface of an orbiting planet. Of the three, two are likely made of rock, like Earth.

Two of the newly validated planets, Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b, are less than 1.5 times the diameter of Earth.

Kepler-438b, 475 light-years away, is 12 percent bigger than Earth and orbits its star once every 35.2 days. On the other hand, Kepler-442b, 1,100 light-years away, is 33 percent bigger than Earth and orbits its star once every 112 days.

Both Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b orbit stars smaller and cooler than our sun, making the habitable zone closer to their parent star, in the direction of the constellation Lyra.
Besides, the Kepler team led by Ames also has added another 554 candidates to the roll of potential planets, six of which are near-Earth-size and orbit in the habitable zone of stars similar to our sun.

AMCA: India’s own fifth generation fighter aircraft

08-JAN-2015

AMCA was in news in the first week of January 2015. It was revealed by the sources from Defence Ministry that the preliminary design stage of the futuristic fighter aircraft is over and the development work on the project is expected to start in 2015.

The main purpose of the AMCA is to replace the aging SEPECAT Jaguar & Dassault Mirage 2000.

Features of fifth generation fighter aircraft AMCA

• Single seat, twin engine with a diamond-shaped planform and an internal weapons bay
• High maneuverability which tends to include short-field capabilities
• Advanced avionics
• Networked data fusion from sensors and avionics
• Multirole capabilities
• Complement HAL Tejas, the Sukhoi/HAL FGFA, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and the Dassault Rafale
• AMCA would be powered by K 9 or K 10 Engine with Super cruise capability without after burner.

Genesis of AMCA

The seed for developing the indigenous fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) was sowed in 2008 but its finalised form was unveiled during Aero India 2013.

The aircraft will be developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in collaboration with Indian Air Force (IAF), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).

The amount required for the initial design and development phase is 4000 crore rupees and the initial design of AMCA is expected to be ready by 2018. The first flight of the AMCA though will only be possible by 2025.

Difference between Sukhoi-T50 and AMCA

It will be unlike the joint HAL –Sukhoi initiative between India and Russia to produce FGFA. This multi-role fighter aircraft is expected to be two-seater derivative of the in-development Russian Sukhoi T-50.

Fifth Generation Fighter Aircrafts (FGFA)

It is a fighter aircraft classification encompassing the most advanced jet fighter generation. FGFAs are designed to incorporate numerous technological advances over the fourth generation jet fighter.

Main features of FGFA

• Low Probability of Intercept Radar (LPIR)
• High-performance air frames
• Advanced avionics features
• Highly integrated computer systems capable of networking with other elements within the theatre of war for situational awareness

Top 10 FGFA

• Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor – USA: The only currently combat-ready fifth-generation fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2005.

• Chengdu J-20 (Black Eagle) – China: Expected to be operational in 2017–2019

• Sukhoi PAK FA (T-50) – Russia: The T-50 prototype performed its first flight 29 January 2010

• Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II – USA: Is under development

• KAI KF-X – South Korea

• Mitsubishi ATD-X (Shinshin) – Japan: The aircraft’s first flight is scheduled for 2014

• TAI TFX / F-X – Turkey

• HAL Sukhoi PMF/FGFA – India & Russia: The first aircraft is to begin testing in India in 2014, with introduction into service expected by 2022.

• Shenyang J-31 (F-60) – China: It is nicknamed Gyrfalcon

• HAL AMCA – India: Initial design expected to be ready by 2018

Generations of Fighter jets

• First Gen jet fighters (1940-1950): used turbojets for propulsion instead of earlier piston-driven aircraft (Messerschmitt-Me262, Mystere-IV, MiG-15)

• Second Gen fighters (1950-1960): integrated new technologies, swept or delta wings & guided missiles for BVR (Beyond Visual range)

• Third Gen fighters (1960-1970): inducted improved radars, missiles & avionics (Mirage –III, MiG-25, F-4 Phantom-II)

• Fourth Gen fighters (1970-1990): incorporated fly-by-wire controls & multi role capabilities (Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Sukhoi-27, Tornado, F-16 Fighting Falcon)

• 4.5 Gen fighters (1990s – onwards): use more advanced avionics & electronics, with some stealth. (Sukhoi-30MKI, Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16F Desert Falcon, F/A-18 Super Hornet)

The main purpose of the AMCA is to replace the aging SEPECAT Jaguar & Dassault Mirage 2000.

Features of fifth generation fighter aircraft AMCA

Genesis of AMCA

The seed for developing the indigenous fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) was sowed in 2008 but its finalised form was unveiled during Aero India 2013.

Difference between Sukhoi-T50 and AMCA

Fifth Generation Fighter Aircrafts (FGFA)

Main features of FGFA

Top 10 FGFA

• Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor – USA: The only currently combat-ready fifth-generation fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2005.

• Chengdu J-20 (Black Eagle) – China: Expected to be operational in 2017–2019

• Sukhoi PAK FA (T-50) – Russia: The T-50 prototype performed its first flight 29 January 2010

• Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II – USA: Is under development

• KAI KF-X – South Korea

• Mitsubishi ATD-X (Shinshin) – Japan: The aircraft’s first flight is scheduled for 2014

• TAI TFX / F-X – Turkey

• HAL Sukhoi PMF/FGFA – India & Russia: The first aircraft is to begin testing in India in 2014, with introduction into service expected by 2022.

• Shenyang J-31 (F-60) – China: It is nicknamed Gyrfalcon

• HAL AMCA – India: Initial design expected to be ready by 2018

Generations of Fighter jets

• First Gen jet fighters (1940-1950): used turbojets for propulsion instead of earlier piston-driven aircraft (Messerschmitt-Me262, Mystere-IV, MiG-15)

• Second Gen fighters (1950-1960): integrated new technologies, swept or delta wings & guided missiles for BVR (Beyond Visual range)

• Third Gen fighters (1960-1970): inducted improved radars, missiles & avionics (Mirage –III, MiG-25, F-4 Phantom-II)

• Fourth Gen fighters (1970-1990): incorporated fly-by-wire controls & multi role capabilities (Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Sukhoi-27, Tornado, F-16 Fighting Falcon)

• 4.5 Gen fighters (1990s – onwards): use more advanced avionics & electronics, with some stealth. (Sukhoi-30MKI, Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16F Desert Falcon, F/A-18 Super Hornet)

Pakistan-India Dosti bus service operation restricted up to Wagah border

08-JAN-2015

Pakistan restricted the movement of Dosti bus services on New Delhi – Lahore and Amritsar-Lahore-Nankana Sahib route up to Wagah border.

The decision was announced by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) on 1 January 2015 and came into effect from 2 January 2015 onwards.

With this, now the passengers from Pakistan leaving for New Delhi and Amritsar will have to catch the bus at Wagah. Similarly, passengers from India will arrive and disembark at Wagah.

Pakistan decided to restrict the services in wake of growing terror threats especially after the Taliban militants killed 150 people at an army-run school in Peshawar on 16 December 2014.

Restrictions in recent past
For the first time the bus services on Delhi – Lahore route was suspended in the aftermath of the Indian Parliament attack in 2001 but the bus service was resumed in July 2003 when bilateral relations had improved between India and Pakistan.
In 2009, the movement of Indian buses was restricted up to Wagah when there was a terrorist attack on the cricket team of Sri Lanka in Lahore.

The bus service between Delhi and Lahore was started in February 1999 by the then Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif. It operates six days a week with no service on Sunday.
The bus service on Amritsar – Lahore – Nankana Sahib Route was started in 2006 during the tenure of PM Manmohan Singh. The buses on this route ply four times in a week.

Hike Messenger acquired Zip phone to launch free voice calling

08-JAN-2015

Chat application Hike messenger on 8 January 2015 acquired US-based free voice-calling company Zip Phone to launch free voice calling. However, the details of acquisition were not disclosed.

The acquisition is aimed at expanding product range of Hike Messenger in the internet-based communication space. Zip Phone’s technology will allow Hike to introduce free voice calling to the market much faster, which is one of the top requested features from the users.

Zip Phone
• Zip Phone was founded in 2014 by Anuj Jain in the United States. The company has developed a voice calling app which works globally.
• The company was also part of the revered Y Combinator list Summer Batch (2014).
Hike Messenger
• Launched in December 2012 by Kavin Bharti Mittal, Hike Messenger has over 35 million users and has raised 86 million US dollars.
• Competing with the apps like WhatsApp, LINE and Viber, the app Hike has a user base with over 90 percent of its users being under the age of 25 and residing in India.
• The chat application has localised feature Hike Offline which lets you message your friends even when they are offline.

ICCI Bank launched Contactless credit and Debit cards

08-JAN-2015

ICICI Bank on 7 January 2015 launched contactless credit cards and debits cards called Coral Contactless Credit Card and Expressions Wave Debit Card respectively.

These cards will enable customers to make electronic payments by waving the cards near a merchant terminal instead of dipping or swiping the cards.

These cards are powered by MasterCard contactless and Visa payWave technologies.

These cards are based on the near-field communication technology that provides customers improved speed to complete a transaction and enhanced security.

The key advantage of these two cards is speed and security. The speed of transactions will add momentum to high value payments and the level of security is higher since the card doesn’t leave the customer during the transaction process.

ICC announced Associate & Affiliate panel of umpires for the year 2015

08-JAN-2015

11-member ICC Associate and Affiliate panel of international umpires for the year 2015 was announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on 7 January 2015.
The panel was named by the Associate and Affiliate selection committee comprising of senior umpire and referees manager Vince Van Der Bijl, ICC umpire and referees administration manager Adrian Griffith, ICC regional match referee David Jukes and ICC development events manager Edward Fitzgibbon.

Members in the panel includes
• Allan Haggo of Scotland
• Sameer Bandekar of India
• Kathy Cross of New Zealand
• Mark Hawthorne of Ireland
• Wynand Louw of Namibia
• Nigel Morrison of Vanuatu
• David Odhiambo of Kenya
• Buddhi Pradhan of Nepal
• Sarika Siva Prasad of India
• Ian Ramage of Scotland
• Courtney Young of Cayman Islands
Allan Haggo of Scotland who is the new joinee of the panel officiated at the ICC World Cricket League Division 4 in Singapore 2014.
On the other hand, Richard Smith, the umpire of Ireland stepped down from the panel. He officiated during ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Australia in 2012 and joined the panel in 2011.

Atul Khare appointed as the UN Under-Secretary-General

08-JAN-2015

Atul Khare was on 7 January 2015 appointed as the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General, Department of Field Support (DFS). He will succeed Ameerah Haq of Bangladesh.

His appointed was announced by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Khare is currently providing charitable medical advice in India.

Atul Khare
• Khare joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1984 and has served Indian diplomatic missions in France, Mauritius, Senegal, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
• Khare has been serving the UN since years, most recently as Assistant Secretary-General leading the Change Management Team in 2011-2012.
• He was the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and Deputy Head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York from 2010 to 2011.
• He was previously the Head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) at the level of Under-Secretary-General in 2006.

New Zealand won Test series 2-0 against Sri Lanka

08-JAN-2015

New Zealand on 7 January 2014 won the 2-match Test series played against Sri Lanka by 2-0. In the second and final test match played at Basin Reserve in Wellington from 3 January 2015 New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by 193 runs.
New Zealand won the first test by 8 wickets. The match was played from 26 December 2014 to 30 December 2014 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

• Man of the match of first match - Brendon McCullum for his 134-ball 195
• Man of the match of second match - Kane Williamson for scoring 69 and 242* in the match
Some important facts of the series
• Kane Williamson became the fastest batsman of New Zealand to reach 3000 Test runs. He took 71 innings to reach the landmark
• Williamson and Watling unbeaten partnership of 365-run is the highest ever for the 6th wicket in Tests
• Sangakkara in the series scored his 11th double hundred, and now is just one short of Sir Don Bradman's record of 12
• Kumar Sangakkara became the fastest batsman to reach 12000 Test runs, and surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's record
New Zealand from 11 January 2015 will play a seven match ODI series against on Sri Lanka at home before the World Cup campaign kick-off from 14 February 2015.

Praj Industries bagged contract from Kakira Sugars to build largest ethanol plant of Uganda

08-JAN-2015

Praj industries, a global process solution company on 7 January 2015 bagged an order from Uganda's Kakira Sugars, to build an ethanol plant with a capacity of 60000 litres per day. The plant will process cane molasses from the Kakira Sugar

Mill.
The ethanol plant will also produce premium grade extra neutral alcohol (Beverage Alcohol) by employing ECOSMART technology. Besides, the bio-compost from the plant will be used as manure to increase soil fertility making it one of sustainable distilleries.

Under the contract, Praj industries will provide key technologies for fermentation, distillation, waste water treatment including bio-methanation followed by bio-composting.
Praj Industries
Praj Industries is serving the Africa for past two decades by providing solutions for ethanol, brewery and wastewater treatment systems. It is one of the largest private-sector groups in East Africa.
• Executive Chairman of Praj Industries - Pramod Chaudhari
Kakira Sugars
Kakira Sugars is a leading sugar and power producer in Uganda. It is part of the diversified Madhvani Group, one of the largest private-sector groups in East Africa.

India to host World Bridge Championships 2015

08-JAN-2015

India will host the 42nd World Bridge Championships that will be held in Chennai from 26 September 2015 to 10 October 2015. The information was announced by Bridge Federation of India (BFI) president N R Kirubakaramoorthy on 7 January 2015.

It is for the first time that World Bridge Championships are being held in Asia. This year, 660 players from 66 teams representing over 40 countries will take part in the 15-day long event.
India comes under Asia and Middle East zone which is consist of 14 countries. This zone has two qualifiers for the World Bridge Championships. As India has got the direct entry, only one qualifying slot is left from this zone.
World Bridge Championships
• The World Bridge Championships consist of several sets of championships organized under the World Bridge Federation.
• The World Bridge Championships are contested at every odd-numbered year.
• It is comprised of three events including Bermuda Bowl trophy in the open category, Venice Cup for Women teams and D'Orsi Trophy for seniors (above 60 years) and Transnational Open teams.
• The World Transnational Open Team Championship was added to the program in 1997.
• The first World Bridge Championship was held in 1950 in Bermuda. In 2013, the 41st World Bridge Championship was held in Bali, Indonesia.

Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers approved 100 percent production of Neem-Coated Urea

08-JAN-2015

The Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers on 7 January 2015 allowed fertiliser firms to produce 100 percent Neem-Coated Urea. The decision is aimed at boosting income of the farmers and reducing subsidy bill by up to 6500 crore rupees.

Neem coated urea
• Neem coated urea also works as insecticide and it costs 5 percent more than the cost of normal urea which is about 260 rupees per tonne.
• The use of Neem coated urea will not only increase crop yields but also lower input cost of the farmers.
• It will also reduce imports of precious fertilizers as well as reduce ground and soil pollution.
• It reduces nitrogen loss by more than 10 percent thereby gaining a net savings of 13.5 rupees per bag for farmers.

Background
India produces about 22 million tonnes of urea and imports about 8-9 million tonnes to meet the shortfall. About 20-25 percent of indigenous urea is neem-coated.
Earlier, production of neem-coated urea was allowed only up to 35 percent of the total capacity of the plant. But the removal of this 35 percent cap will help India to become self-sufficient in urea in next five years.

French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo’s Paris office attacked by terrorists

08-JAN-2015

The French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo’s Paris office was attacked by three masked gunmen on 7 January 2015. At least 12 persons were killed in the attack.

The killed persons include Editor-in-Chief Stephane Charbonnie (known as Charb) and cartoonists Jean ‘Cabu’ Cabut (known as Cabu), Tignous and Wolinski, as well as Charlie Hebdo contributor and French economist Bernard Maris.

This was the deadliest terror attack of France since 1961, when right-wingers bombed a train, killing 28 people.

Why Charlie Hebdo was attacked?

The organization was attacked for its satire edition of 2011 in which it listed the Prophet Mohammed as editor-in-chief and featured cartoons. In retaliation, the office was burned in firebombing in November 2011 and its website was hacked.

Charlie Hebdo was a target of Islamist extremists since 2006, when they published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, the holiest figure of Islam.

History of Charlie Hebdo’s Controversies

Charlie Hebdo, a weekly French satirical news magazine that is being published since 1970 (had break between 1981 and 1992) is mainly known for its controversial provocative cartoons and caricatures. In past, its articles have targeted the extreme right, Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, politics, culture and others. The magazine has also targeted former Pope Benedict XVI and Orthodox Jews.

In 2012, editor of the magazine, Stephane Charbonnier described the newspaper as left-wing, secular and atheist and pushed free speech limits until his death due to his believe in freedom of expression in France.

Scientists discovered two Earth-like planets Kepler 438b and Kepler 442b

08-JAN-2015

The Scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics have discovered two Earth-like planets Kepler 438b and Kepler 442b. The findings of the discovery were published in The Astrophysical Journal on 5 January 2015.

The planets were spotted by Nasa’s Kepler space telescope which detects planets as they move across the faces of their stars. Kepler collected the data for four years.
The Harvard-Smithsonian team led by Guillermo Torres used a computer program called Blender to confirm that the planets were real.
Kepler-438b
• Kepler 438b is 475 light years away. It gets about 40 percent more heat from its red sun than Earth gets from the Sun.
• With a diameter just 12 percent bigger than Earth, Kepler-438b has a 70 percent chance of being rocky.
• The planet completes an orbit around its star every 35 days, making a year on the planet pass 10 times as fast as on Earth.
• Its proximity to its star places it in the Goldilocks or habitable zone where the temperature is appropriate for liquid water to flow.
• The mean temperature of Kepler 438b is expected to be 60 degrees Celsius.
Kepler-442b
• Kepler-442b is 1100 light-years away. It is 33 percent bigger than Earth and orbits its star once every 112 days. has a 60-percent chance of being rocky.
• There is 97 percent chance that Kepler-442b has water on its surface.
• The mean temperature of Kepler-442b is expected to be 0 degree Celsius.

102nd Indian Science Congress held in Mumbai

08-JAN-2015

The 102nd Indian Science Congress (ISC) was held from 3 January to 7 January 2015 in Mumbai. The theme of the ISC was Science and Technology for Human Development.

The 102 ISC was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ISC was organized by the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) in association with University of Mumbai.

Nobel Laureates, eminent scientists, technology experts and research students from India and abroad were participated the Indian Science Congress.

Ancient sciences through Sanskrit, Ancient Indian aviation technology, Biodiversity conservation, Space application, clean energy systems and other topics were discussed. Science and Technology in SAARC Countries and issue of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in India were also discussed.

Besides, Children’s Science Congress, Women’s Science Congress and Science Exhibition were also organised. The Children’s Science Congress was inaugurated by the former President APJ Abdul Kalam.

101th Indian Science Congress was held in Jammu with the theme: Innovations in Science & Technology for Inclusive Development in February 2014.

About Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)
ISCA was established in Kolkata in 1914. ISCA was conceived with an objective of advancing, promoting and furthering the cause of science in India, thus stimulating scientific research in India.

President signed ordinance to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

08-JAN-2015

President Pranab Mukherjee on 7 January 2015 signed an ordinance to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The ordinance paves the way for plying of e-rickshaws on roads of the National Capital Region (NCT).
Earlier, the Union Cabinet, on 24 December 2014 approved promulgation of the ordinance as a bill in this regard was not passed in the Parliament during the winter session of Parliament in December 2014. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on 18 December 2014 but got stuck in the Rajya Sabha.
E-rickshaws or battery-operated three-wheeler vehicles had gone off roads after Delhi High Court banned their plying on roads in July 2014 on safety concerns.

Main Provisions of the Ordinance
• The e-rickshaws will be allowed to carry four passengers and 40 kgs of luggage while e-carts would transport goods up to 310 kgs
• No person can be granted a learner’s licence to drive a transport vehicle unless he held the driving licence for light motor vehicle for a period of at least one year has been removed
Background
Union Government in October 2014 notified the rules for plying of e-rickshaws making driver’s licence mandatory for operating them and limiting maximum speed to 25 km/hr.
The Central Motor Vehicles (16th Amendment) Rules, 2014 sought to remove difficulties in granting licence to drivers of e-rickshaws and e-carts by amending Section 7(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 and add the definition of e-rickshaw and e-cart in the Act.

Whole plant therapy can beat malaria parasites' drug resistance: Study

07-JAN-2015

A new study has found that whole plant therapy can beat malaria parasites' drug resistance. The study was published online in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in first week of January 2015.

Scientists from University of Massachusetts Amherst microbiologist Stephen Rich and his research team conducted the study.
Researcher said that the new treatment is based on a use of the whole plant (WP) Artemesia annua, from which the current pharmaceutical drug artemisinin (AN) is extracted.
The researchers found that the whole plant treatment withstands the evolution of resistance and remains effective for up to three times longer than the pure drug and also found the whole plant therapy effective in killing rodent parasites that have previously evolved resistance to pure AN.
This is especially important given the recent reports of resistance to artemisinin in malaria -endemic regions of the world and drug longevity is crucial since new drugs are costly to develop, not only in dollars but in the cost of lives lost.
The authors point out that consuming the whole plant may be more effective than the single purified drug because the whole plant may constitute a naturally occurring combination therapy that augments artemisinin delivery and synergizes the drug's activity.

Russian President issued decree to enable foreign soldiers to serve in Russian Military

07-JAN-2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin on 6 January 2015 issued a decree to enable foreign soldiers to serve in Russian Military for at least five years. The foreigners can serve in Russian Military only if they can speak Russian.

Earlier, they were required to get Russian citizenship to serve in Russian Military, or a paper granting them Russian citizenship rights, but now they can serve legally without Russian citizenship.

Decree on recruiting foreign soldiers is part of move to professionalise the Russian armed forces. However, this decree does have diplomatic implications for Russia's relations with ex-Soviet republics.

Comment

Russian military experts Pavel Felgenhauer and Alexander Golts both told that the new decree would legalise a situation that had already existed for several years in areas where Russian troops were deployed beyond Russia's borders.

Already, there are about 300 foreigners in the Russian forces. Earlier, thousands of Tajiks had served under Russian officers during unrest in Tajikistan in the 1990s.

In the Caucasus, Russia still operates a military base in Armenia and has troops in two breakaway parts of Georgia - Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

It would make it easier for Russian forces to recruit locals in parts of Central Asia, the Caucasus and in Trans-Dniester, the pro-Russian breakaway territory in Moldova.

Russian Popov Ivan won 7th Chennai International Open Grandmaster Chess title

07-JAN-2015

Popov Ivan of Russia on 6 January 2015 won 7th Chennai International Open Grandmaster Chess title. He clinched the title via super tie-breaker after eight players ended with 7.5 points each.

The winner Popov Ivan was awarded the cash purse of two lakhs rupees, while Runner-up Dzhumaev Marat of Uzbek GM got one lakh fifty thousand rupees and third placed GM Mozharov Mikhail of Russia secured a cash award of one lakh fifteen thousand rupees.

For the first time in the history of Chennai Open, there was an eight way tie and it was resolved on quotient.

Among others, who shared the top spot were Dzhumaev Marat (Uzbekistan), Mozharov Mikhail (Russia), Ramnath Bhuvanesh R, Swapnil S Dhopade, Ravichandran Siddharth (all Indians), Gasanov Eldar (Ukraine), Nguyen Duc Hoa (Vietnam).

Also, Chennai Open saw granting of Grandmaster norms to Ramnath Bhuvanesh & Swapnil S Dhopade and International Master Norm on Rakesh Kumar Jena. Pratyusha Bodda was granted the Woman International Master Norm.

CCI cleared PepsiCo India’s proposal to sell its bottling plants to franchisee Varun Beverages

07-JAN-2015

Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 6 January 2015 cleared the proposal of beverages and snacks firm PepsiCo India to sell its bottling plants in North India to Varun Beverages.

PepsiCo India and Varun Beverages entered into the deal on 15 November 2014 following which they had approached CCI for its approval.

Proposed Deal

PepsiCo India's franchisee bottler Varun Beverages would acquire the beverage maker's four bottling plants in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh on a going concern on a slump sale basis
Varun Beverages, which is an arm of RJ Corp, would also have the rights to distribute and sell Pepsi products in the territory of Chandigarh.
Besides, Varun Beverages would also buy an undertaking in Punjab from Aradhana Drinks and Beverages Private Ltd-a group company of PepsiCo India-on a going concern on a slump sale basis.

CCI Order on Proposed Deal

In its order dated 29 December 2014 but released on 6 January 2015, CCI said that the proposed combination is not likely to have an appreciable adverse effort on competition in India.
Further it noted that PepsiCo India and Varun Beverages are not competitors but have an existing vertical relationship with each other.
Also, it noted that the proposed combination involves transfer of ownership of the bottling plants/factories, certain distribution rights and an undertaking to an existing bottler/ franchisee (Varun Beverages).
Further, post combination, PepsiCo India will continue to own, maintain and promote the Pepsi brand in India and thus there will be no significant change in the market structure as a result of the proposed combination.

About Varun Beverages

Varun Beverages is PepsiCo's largest independent bottler in India.
It currently operates PepsiCo bottling operations across parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, North East, Goa, West Bengal and Delhi with nine plants in India.
It also handles PepsiCo bottling operations in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Morocco and Mozambique.

Prime Minister released commemorative coin to mark 175th birth anniversary of Jamsetji Tata

07-JAN-2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 January 2015 released a commemorative coin to mark the 175th birth anniversary of Tata group founder Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata.

The reverse face of the coin bears the image of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata in the centre, with the inscription 175 वा जन्मदिवस in Devnagri script.

With this, he became the first industrialist to be felicitated by a commemorative coin.

PM launched the coin in the presence of Minister of State (Finance) Jayant Sinha and Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry.

Jamsetji Tata founded the Tata group in 1868. The translation of his vision led to creation of India’s first integrated steel plant (Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur plant—1907), hydroelectric power plants that service Mumbai’s needs till today (Tata Power’s Khopoli plant—1910), and the Indian Institute of Science (1909).

The 100 billion US dollar Tata Group now comprises of over 100 operating companies, with operations in more than 100 countries across six continents, exporting products and services to over 150 countries.

Dinesh Oraon of BJP unanimously elected Speaker of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly

07-JAN-2015

Dr. Dinesh Oraon of Bharatiya Janata Party was elected as the Speaker of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly on 7 January 2015. Protem Speaker Stephen Marandi announced Oraon's election as unanimous.

His name for the post was proposed by the Chief Minister Raghubar Das and seconded by the Social Welfare Minister Louis Marandi.

He is the 10th Speaker of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly since the State came into being on 15 November 2000.

List of Speakers of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly

Inder Singh Namadhari: 22 November 2000 - 29 March 2004
Baagun Sumbrai (Acting): 29 March 2004 - 29 May 2004
Inder Singh Namadhari:4 June 2004 - 11 August 2004
Mrigendra Pratap Singh: 18 August 2004 - 11 January 2005
Saba Ahmad: 12 January 2005 - 1 March 2005
Inder Singh Namadhari:15 March 2005- 4 September 2006
Alamgir Alam: 20 October 2006 - 26 December 2009
Chandreswar Prasad Singh: 6 January 2010 - 19 July 2013
Shashank Sekhar Bhokta: 25 July 2013 - 23 December 2014
Dinesh Oraon: 7 January 2015 to

Amitabh Bachchan named as the Brand Ambassador of AP health sector

07-JAN-2015

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan on 6 January 2015 named as the Brand Ambassador of Andhra Pradesh (AP) health sector. His appointment was announced by the AP Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas in Hyderabad.

Being the brand ambassador of AP health sector, he will be participating in various health-related campaigns of AP government. However, Bachchan will not take any remuneration for the services he would be rendering to the state as its health ambassador.
Health Sector of Andhra Pradesh
The AP health sector was the severely affected by the bifurcation of AP and Telangana as major corporate hospitals and medical and health institutions were all located in Hyderabad.
The State government was seeking the help of experts and renowned medical doctors and specialists in various fields to promote health facilities from primary health centres to tertiary hospitals in public sector and offer latest treatment for diseases like cancer.
Moreover, the government released funds to Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences of Andhra Pradesh for rejuvenating the health sector.

Pakistan Parliament passed 21st Constitutional Amendment, Army Act Amendment Bills

07-JAN-2015

Pakistan Parliament on 6 January 2014 passed the 21st Constitution Amendment Bill 2015 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2015. Clearance of these two bills has cleared the way for establishment of military courts in the country.
The two bills will now be sent to the President for his assent.
The two Amendments were unanimously passed in both the houses National Assembly (Lower House) and Senate (Upper House).

Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed in the Lower House with 237 votes without any opposition, whereas, the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill was passed unanimously. Both the bills were unanimously adopted in the Upper House, as none of the lawmakers voted against them.
For secure passage, the constitution amendmentamendmentbill required a two-third majority in the 342-seat National Assembly and 104-seat Senate. On the other hand, the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill for passage needed a simple majority in both the Houses.
21st Constitution Amendment Bill 2015
It states that the provisions of Article 175 of the Constitution will have no application in cases of trial of persons under the Pakistan Army Act 1952, the Pakistan Army Act 1953, the Pakistan Navy Act 1961 and the Protection of Pakistan Act 2014.
Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2015
It amends Pakistan Army Act 1952 and adds a new sub-section (4), which will have the power to transfer any proceedings in any court in respect of any person accused of falling under any offence in jurisdiction of the Pakistan Army Act to a special court.

Amitabh Bachchan named as the Brand Ambassador of AP health sector

07-JAN-2015

Pakistan Parliament passed 21st Constitutional Amendment, Army Act Amendment Bills

07-JAN-2015

Pakistan Parliament on 6 January 2014 passed the 21st Constitution Amendment Bill 2015 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2015. Clearance of these two bills has cleared the way for establishment of military courts in the country.
The two bills will now be sent to the President for his assent.
The two AmendmentsAmendmentwere unanimously passed in both the houses National Assembly (Lower House) and Senate (Upper House).

Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed in the Lower House with 237 votes without any opposition, whereas, the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill was passed unanimously. Both the bills were unanimously adopted in the Upper House, as none of the lawmakers voted against them.
For secure passage, the constitution amendment bill required a two-third majority in the 342-seat National Assembly and 104-seat Senate. On the other hand, the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill for passage needed a simple majority in both the Houses.
21st Constitution Amendment Bill 2015
It states that the provisions of Article 175 of the Constitution will have no application in cases of trial of persons under the Pakistan Army Act 1952, the Pakistan Army Act 1953, the Pakistan Navy Act 1961 and the Protection of Pakistan Act 2014.
Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2015
It amends Pakistan Army Act 1952 and adds a new sub-section (4), which will have the power to transfer any proceedings in any court in respect of any person accused of falling under any offence in jurisdiction of the Pakistan Army Act to a special court.

Indian Junior weightlifters ended their campaign by bagging 14 medals

07-JAN-2015

Indian weightlifters on 5 January 2015 ended their campaign by bagging a total of 14 medals including 6 Gold Medals in the 17th Asian Youth (boys & girls), 22nd Junior Women and 29th Junior Men Asian Weightlifting Championships 2015 at Doha, Qatar.

Those six weightlifters, who failed to make it to the podium, got the top six positions in their respective body weight categories.
Highlights of the 17th Asian Youth (boys & girls), 22nd Junior Women and 29th Junior Men Asian Weightlifting Championships 2015
• India won maximum number of gold in Youth Boys division in all the three categories.
• The other three gold medals came through Youth Girls, Junior Men and Junior Women sections.
• India won a silver on the last day of the competition as Swapna Priya Baruah ended second in the Junior Women 69kg division.
• Ragala Venkat Rahul clinched a gold medal in Junior Men 85kg with a total lift of 324kg-143kg in snatch and 181kg clean & jerk.
• Two Junior Women lifters- S Thasana Chanu (58kg) and Punam Yadav (63kg) fetched bronze medals.
• Kh Nungshiton got the third spot in Youth Girls 58kg.

Raosaheb Patil Danve appointed as the Maharashtra BJP President

07-JAN-2015

Raosaheb Patil Danve, was appointed as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President of Maharashtra on 6 January 2015. He is the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
He was appointed as the Party President for the Maharashtra Unit by BJP’s National President Amit Shah.
59-year-old, Danve succeeded Devendra Fadnavis who at present is serving Maharashtra as its Chief Minister. Earlier, he had served the party as vice-president in Maharashtra.

About Raosaheb Patil Danve
• Danve is the Member of Parliament from Jalna Parliamentary constituency of Maharashtra
• He has been an MLA (twice) from Bhokardan assembly constituency
• He was actively associated with the cooperative movement of the state

President signed Ordinance to amend Citizenship Act, 1955

07-JAN-2015

President Pranab Mukherjee on 6 January 2015 signed the Ordinance that amends’ Citizenship Act, 1955. The ordinance provides life-long Indian visa facility to Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and exempts them from appearing before the local police station on every visit.
Earlier, Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister had approved the promulgation of ordinance to amend the Act. The ordinance was promulgated after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was not passed in either House of Parliament during the winter session of Parliament in December 2014. It was introduced in Lok Sabha on 23 December 2014.

Main Provisions of the Ordinance
• It merges Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO), thus making PIO eligible for life-long visa and bringing them on equal footing with OCI.
• It relaxes the requirement of 12 months in cases related to citizenship by registration and naturalization. Instead it allows for breaks up to 30 days if the Union government is satisfied that special circumstances exist, and has recorded them in writing.
• It provides certain additional grounds on which a person may register for overseas citizenship card. Additional grounds covered are:
a) A minor child whose parent(s) are Indian citizens
b) Spouse of an Indian citizen or an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder or a person of Indian origin subject to certain conditions
c) Great grandchild of a person who is a citizen of another country, but who meets one of several conditions required for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• It allows the Union government to cancel overseas citizenship where it is obtained by the spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder or PIO, if:
a) The marriage is dissolved by a court, or
b) The spouse enters into another marriage even while the first marriage has not been dissolved

Background
This ordinance was the ninth ordinance promulgated by Narendra Modi-led government since it came to power in May 2014.
The ordinance is in-line with the promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Indian diaspora at Madison Square Garden in New York during his September 2014 visit. During his visit, he assured the Indian diaspora that the government will merge the two schemes. He also announced that PIOs will be granted lifetime visa to India.

US firm Digipas launched smart luggage lock called eGeeTouch

07-JAN-2015

US company Digipas on 4 January 2015 launched the first smart luggage lock eGeeTouch at the International Consumer Electronics Show 2015.

The digital lock allows users to open or lock a suitcase with just a swipe of their smartphone. It offers hassle free security of luggage for the highly mobile worldwide travellers.
About eGeeTouch
• Approved by the US Transport Security Administration, eGeeTouch is waterproof and can handle both extreme hot and cold weather.
• The lock can be accessed with just a tap of a Near field communication (NFC)-enabled smartphone, tablet or smartwatch.
• If the user does not have an NFC-enabled device, he can access the lock by using a pre-paired NFC smart tag or sticker.
• The lock runs on battery power, but can be recharged with an external USB portable power source.

Subramanium committee

recommended single window system for environment projects

07-JAN-2015

High-level committee (HLC) headed by former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanium was in news in first week of January 2015. The four member high-level committee (HLC) was appointed by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and Climate Change (CC) to review environmental laws.

In its recommendation, the committee suggested single window clearance mechanism for green nods.

The committee submitted its reports with recommendations after studying six environment laws. Some recommendations include
• To evaluate project clearance in a time bound manner, it has asked for setting a full-time expert body, National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) at the Centre and State Environmental Management Authority (SEMA), which will be the pivotal authorities to process applications for green clearance. Existing Central Pollution Control Board and corresponding State agencies will be subsumed under these agencies
• To benefit community at large as well as power and mining projects and projects of national importance, it had recommended fast tracking procedure for linear projects
• Use of national GIS enabled environmental information data base which would assist both the project proponent and the scrutinising agency in obtaining authentic data vital for decision making on an application.
These recommendations were suggested after the committee observed that the corporate seek short cuts to get clearance for their environment projects.

Nilesh Shah resigned as MD & CEO of AXIS Capital Limited

07-JAN-2015

Nilesh Shah on 5 January 2015 resigned as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD &CEO) of Axis Capital Limited.

Shah with over 20 years of experience in capital markets has worked with the investment bank for nearly four years.

Shah joined Axis Bank as President, Strategic Initiatives—Corporate Banking in March 2011. He took over as MD & CEO of Axis Capital in November 2013.

Prior to joining Axis, he was the Deputy-MD at the ICICI Prudential Asset Management. At ICICI he quit after serving for seven years when assets more than quadrupled.

ICICI Prudential's Discovery, Dynamic and Infrastructure schemes under his watch delivered higher-than-average returns between 2007 and 2010.

About Axis Capital Limited

In 2001, AXIS Capital Holdings Limited was founded in Pembroke, Bermuda. In February 2014, the company formed a Healthcare unit providing professional liability insurance.

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited is the holding company for AXIS group of companies. It offers various risk transfer products and services through subsidiaries and branch networks.

Current President and CEO of Axis Capital is Albert A. Benchimol.

Avijit Ghosh took over the charge of CMD of Heavy Engineering Corporation

07-JAN-2015

Avijit Ghosh on 1 January 2015 took over the charge of Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC). He is the 21st CMD of HEC which is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU).

He succeeded R. Misra whose tenure of three year ended on 31 December 2014.

His appointment was confirmed by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) under the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. The board had recommended his name on 26 June 2014.

Prior to this, he was serving as the Director (Mining) of Hindustan Copper Limited.

He also served as the Assistant Vice-President of Jindal Steel and Power Limited and was posted in Ranchi before he joined Hindustan Copper Limited as its Director (mining) in 2010.

Ghosh also held key managerial positions in a number of private and public sector companies. He was adjudged Eminent Mining Engineer by the Institution of Engineers (India) in 2012. He is a pass out from St John's School in Ranchi and an alumnus of Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad.

About Heavy Engineering Corporation

HEC was established in the year 1958 as one of the largest Integrated Engineering Complex in India. Headquartered in Ranchi, it manufactures and supplies capital equipments and machineries and renders project execution required for core sector industries.

Rare plant species Chlorophytum palghatense found in Palakkad district of Kerala

07-JAN-2015

The Scientists at the Centre for Medicinal Plants Research, Kottakkal in Kerala discovered a rare plant species named Chlorophytum palghatense at the Dhoni hills in Palakkad district of Kerala. The findings were published in the journal Phytotaxa on 17 December 2014.

The researchers led by scientist Konickal Mambetta Prabhu Kumar came across this new species in the grasslands of the Palamala hills in the Dhoni mountain range during an expedition to study the floristic diversity of the high mountains in the southern regions of the Western Ghats.

Besides, another team of scientists from the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi also found the this species of plant in the Elival hills of Muthikulam in Palakkad.

About Chlorophytum palghatense
• The plant belongs to the genus Chlorophytum of the Asparagaceae family. The Chlorophytum genus is represented by 17 species in India, of which 15 occur in the Western Ghats.
• It was named Chlorophytum palghatense after the place of discovery- Palakkad district of Kerala.
• The plant is a perennial herb endemic to the grassland ecosystem of the Dhoni and Muthikulam forests at a height above 6000 feet.
• The plant flowers and fruits from September to November.
• The plant shows affinities with C. sharmae that is widespread in Munnar, but shows many morphological differences.

Ishpreet Singh Chadha won National Sub-Junior Snooker title 2015

07-JAN-2015

Ishpreet Singh Chadha of Maharashtra on 6 January 2015 won his maiden National Sub-Junior Snooker title 2015 at the BRC Gloster National Billiards & Snooker Championship 2015. He defeated Shobhit Sethi of Punjab by 3-0 in a final match.

Ishpreet reached the finals by deafeating Mandeep Singh of Uttar Pradesh while Shobhit Sethi reached the finals by beating Rohan Sahani of Maharashtra.
In the Quarterfinals, Shobhit defeated Johnson Narsidani of Gujarat by 59-0, 71-41 and Ishpreet defeated Hritik Jain of Madhya Pradesh by 62-29, 58-37.
Ishpreet Singh Chadha was trained under former Asian champion Yasin Merchant.

Bihar Government increased maternity leave period to 180 days from 135 days

07-JAN-2015

State Government of Bihar on 6 January 2015 increased the duration of maternity leave to 180 days and also made provisions for 730 days of child care leave. Earlier, duration of maternity leave was 135 days only.
The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.
The state government took the decision for well-being of its women employees as there was no provision for child care leave for women government employees in the Bihar Service Rules.
The 730 days child care leave will help women to attend children during their illness, examinations and to raise them up.

Limitation of the maternity and child care leave
These leaves will be granted to any women government servants for two children only during their entire service period.

Other decision made during the Cabinet meet
The state cabinet approved setting up a liquor distillation and a bottling unit at Devadi village in Bhojpur district. The units will be established by Chandigarh-based company Bihar Distillers and Bottlers at a cost of 160 crore rupees. For setting-up of two liquor units, the government also arranged 29 acres of land. These projects would provide direct employment to 320 skilled and unskilled workers.

Tencent Holdings Limited launched China's first online bank WeBank

07-JAN-2015

Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings Limited on 6 January 2015 launched China's first online bank named WeBank to boost small businesses.

The online bank aims at lowering costs for delivering practical benefits to small businesses, while forcing traditional financial institutions to accelerate reforms.
WeBank's first loan amounting to about 5600 US dollars was availed by a truck driver at the bank’s opening ceremony.
Background
Tencent and Alibaba were among ten private investors that received a nod from the Chinese government in 2014 to launch five private banks.
The pilot program is aimed at making credit more easily available to small businesses, that often face disadvantage when it comes to availing loans from state-owned banks.
This program is part of Chinese government’s attempt to combat criticism of the current banking system, which is dominated by state-owned banks and has been accused of favouring private enterprise.

Larry Page named Business Person of the Year 2014

07-JAN-2015

Larry Page, the chief executive officer and co-founder of Google was named as the Business person of the Year for 2014 on 6 January 2015 by Fortune magazine.
Page came on the top in the list of global corporate leaders’ by surpassing people like Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The list was compiled by the magazine on the basis of various factors including company’s performance, leadership style and total shareholder returns.

Top twenty people included in the list were
• Larry Page – CEO and Co-Founder of Google
• Tim Cook – CEO of Apple
• John C. Martin – Chairman and CEO of Gilead Sciences
• Montgomery Moran and Steve Ells – co-CEOs of fast food chain Chipotle
• Denise Ramos – CEO and President of ITT
• Bob Iger - Chairman and CEO of Walt Disney Co.
• Ken Hicks – CEO and President of Foot Locker
• Mary Dillon – CEO of Ultra Beauty
• George Scangos – CEO of Biogen
• Jack Ma – the co-founder of Alibaba
• Fred Smith – Chairman and CEO of Fedex
• Carol Meyrotwiz – CEO of TJX Cos
• Mark Zuckerberg – CEO of Facebook
• Elizabeth Holmes – Founder and CEO of Theranos
• Brad Smith – President and CEO of Intuit
• Gary Kelly – Chairman, President, and CEO of Southwest Airlines
• Elon Musk – Chairman, Product Architect, and CEO of Tesla
• Walt Bettinger – President and CEO of Charles Schwab
• Kevin Plank – CEO and Chairman of Under Armour
• Laura Alber – President and CEO of Williams-Sonoma
Other parameters which were included to prepare the list included financial results of the company including 12-month and three year growth in profits and revenues, company's stock performance and total shareholder returns over the same periods. Several non-financial elements like business influence, leadership style and strategic initiatives played a part in evaluation were also included.

Facebook Inc acquired voice recognition startup company Wit.ai

07-JAN-2015

Facebook Inc on 5 January 2015 acquired startup company Wit.ai in an attempt to develop voice recognition. However, the details of acquisition were not disclosed by the firms.

The Wit.ai platform will remain open and will be available entirely free for everyone even after the acquisition.
Through this acquisition, Facebook aims to connect everyone and build amazing experiences for the over 1.3 billion people on its platform.
Wit.ai
• Wit.ai is a Y Combinator startup founded in 2013 by Alexandre Lebrun.
• Wit.ai has created an API for building voice-activated interfaces. Now, it has 6000 developers on its platform who have built hundreds of apps.
• Wit.ai has built an incredible yet simple natural language that has helped developers turn speech and text into actionable data.