9-10 October 2015
Sekhar Basu appointed as chairman of Atomic Energy Commission
Sekhar Basu was on 10 October 2015 appointed as the chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). By virtue of this position, he will also occupy the office of secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
He will succeed RK Sinha who superannuates on 23 October 2015 and will be in the office till 19 September 2016.
Basu is presently the director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, and also the Chief Executive of Nuclear Recycle Board (NRB), which is a part of BARC.
Contributions of Sekhar Basu
• Basu and his colleagues are mainly responsible for evolving strategies for safe radioactive disposal of waste in gas, liquid and solid forms containing various levels of radioactivity.
• He has designed and built reprocessing plants, fuel storage facilities and nuclear waste treatment facilities at Trombay, Tarapur and Kalpakkam.
• He developed best practices for all the back-end operations of the closed fuel cycle for the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR).
• As the Chief Executive, Nuclear Recycle Board, he is responsible for the design, development, construction and operation of nuclear recycle plants involving reprocessing and waste management.
• He is the Chairman of the International Design Review Committee for heat removal and cooling water systems of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, in which India is one of the participating countries.
For his contributions to the Indian nuclear energy programme at various levels, he was conferred with several awards and honoursincluding Padma Shri (2014), the DAE Special Achievement Award (2007) and Indian Nuclear Society Award (2002).
Andhra Pradesh Government launched e-Pragati project
Government of Andhra Pradesh on 9 October 2015 launched Andhra Pradesh State Enterprise Architecture (APSEA). It is alternatively called as e-Pragati project.
It was launched by the state Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at a function held in Visakhapatnam.
Features of e-Pragati
• It aims for a transformational change in the way government services are conceived, designed, delivered and consumed.
• The public private partnership (PPP) has been designed as a tool to provide integrated services to its citizens by adopting a Whole-of Government approach.
• It seeks to enhance the Quality of Life by deploying the cutting edge technologies, including SMAC, in various sectors like Agriculture, Education, Healthcare, Construction, Skill Development, Urban and Rural Development.
• It forms the basic IT Fabric that supports the 7 Developmental Missions comprising the Sunrise AP.
• It realizes the goal of establishing ONE Government, by adopting the best principles of Enterprise.
• Architecture, like establishing shared infrastructure and applications, enforcing technology standards, ensuring interoperability through the use of a SOA-based middleware called e-Highway.
• It includes 72 projects, made into 14 packages for ease of implementation over the next 3 years, at a cost of 2398 crore rupees.
Veteran music director Ravindra Jain passed away
Renowned music director and lyricist Ravindra Jain passed away on 9 October 2015 following a multiple-organ failure in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was 71. He is survived by his wife and son.
He started his singing career at a very tender age by reciting bhajans and poetry at temples. He began his musical journey in Bollywood in the 1970s. Since then, he has composed music for almost 150 movies apart from working with Sagar Films for their television series.
His famous songs are Geet Gaata Chal, Chor Machaye Shor, Chitchor, Nadiya ke Paar, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se, Do Jasoos and Henna.
He has also been conferred with various awards for his work including Filmfare Award for Best Music for Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Lata Mangeshkar Lifetime Achievement Award of Maharashtra Government and Padmashri in 2015.
He was born on 28 February 1944 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
Wipro and First Book to provide 35000 new books to kids in need in 5 Cities in U.S. & Canada
India’s leading information technology company Wipro Ltd. and First Book, a non-profit social enterprise, on 8 October 2015 entered into a partnership to provide new books to children in need across five cities in the USA and Canada.
Under this partnership, around 35000 books will be distributed to educators and program leaders serving kids from low-income families in Jefferson City (Missouri), Atlanta, Houston, East Brunswick (New Jersey) and Edmonton, Canada.
The present initiative is in addition to the Wipro Fellowship programthat was launched for US teachers in 2013 to help improve Science & Math Education in Schools.
It was launched in alignment with the initiative of the science & technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Educationinitiative of the US Department of Education.
Besides, Wipro is also active serving the Indian education sector with its initiatives like Applying Thought in Schools-to improve the quality of school education-and Mission10X-to enhance employability skills of engineering graduates.
About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 155 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families through the United States and Canada.
Rajasthan Government unveiled Rajasthan Startup Policy 2015
Rajasthan Government on 29 September 2015 unveiled the Rajasthan Startup Policy 2015 to galvanize the start-up ecosystem in the state and provide them required sustenance to the entrepreneurial talent. The start-up policy was unveiled by CM Vasundhara Raje during the Rajasthan Startup Fest 2015.
Key features of Policy
• The policy was launched with an aim to establish 50 incubator organizations in next five years.
• It seeks to support and incubate around 500 innovative start-ups from the state and create 100000 square feet of incubation space.
• It will mobilise angel and venture capital of 500 crore rupees for start-ups in the next five years. They will be provided with sustenance allowance of 10000 rupees per month for a year.
• Start-ups will be also provided with marketing assistance of 10 lakh rupees at launch stage
Other Announcements
The State Government also approved the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Policy 2015 with an aim to establish new industries, MSME clusters, Khadi, handloom and handicraft development, cheaper loan, assistance for startups to new entrepreneurs, to provide marketing to products, quality improvement and for rehabilitation of sick industries.
The cabinet also cleared Rajasthan Sick Micro & Small Enterprises (Revival and Rehabilitation) Scheme, 2015. The new scheme has been brought for those sick Micro & Small Industries which have been given revival package. Provision has been made for various concessions for public and enterprises.
The Bio-Technology Policy 2015 was also unveiled along with the approval for the amendment in Rajasthan Engineering Service (Building & Road Branch) Rules, 1954. After the amendment now engineers of mechanical and electrical branches along with civil branch could be promoted as Chief Engineer based on seniority.
EU launched second phase of Operation Sophia to fight traffickers in Mediterranean Sea
Operation Sophia: Naval operation launched by the European Union against human smugglers and traffickers in the Mediterranean Sea.
The term Operation Sophia was in news on 7 October 2015 as the European Union Naval Force for Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED)launched its second phase.
The launch has become necessary as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that the death toll due to the ongoing the Mediterranean Migration Crisis could go up to 30000 in 2015 as around 1 million refugees are set to cross the sea in unregulated and illegal vessels owned by traffickers.
About Operation Sophia
• Its aim is to undertake systematic efforts to identify, capture and dispose of vessels as well as enabling assets used or suspected of being used by migrant smugglers or traffickers.
• Its first phase was launched by the EUNAFOR MED as part of the European Union's Comprehensive Approach to Migration on 22 June 2015.
• While the phase 1 was limited to gathering information and detecting and monitoring the smuggling networks on the high seas, the second phase involves efforts to identify, capture and dispose of vessels as well as enabling assets used or suspected of being used by migrant smugglers or traffickers.
• Though the phase 2 involves military operations it will be conducted in full compliance with international law including humanitarian, refugee, and Human rights.
• In the third phase that is yet to begin would allow the disposal of vessels and related assets, preferably before use, and to apprehend traffickers and smugglers.
Kerala Government launched Operation Valsalya to track missing children
The Kerala government on 9 October 2015 launched the Operation Valsalya project to trace, rescue and reunite the missing children with their family. This ambitious programme is envisaged to be implemented on the lines of the much acclaimed Operation Smile project in Ghaziabad.
According to police statistics of Kerala, as many as 69 children have been kidnapped or abducted across the state till June this year. While 116 children were kidnapped in the state in 2014, the number was 136 in 2013 and 147 in 2012.
Highlights of the Operation Valsalya
- The operation was initiated by Kerala's Social Justice Department on a small scale. However, it will be extended across the state after evaluating its success
- Cooperation and support of police, childline volunteers and non-governmental organizations have been sought in this regard.
- It is expected to provide relief to parents who live in the painful memories of their missing children.
- Under the programme, officials with expert training in Juvenile Justice Act, Protection of Child Rights Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, will carry out searches in locations like bus stands, railway stations, pilgrim centers and so on.
- Searches would also be carried out in children homes and orphanages by vigilant squads.
- Identity of wandering children and inmates of orphanages will also be recorded.
- Awareness programmes and poster and sticker campaigns will also be carried out to propagate the cause.
- The picture and other whereabouts of children, rescued from various parts of the state under the mission, will be uploaded on the website www.trackthemissingchild.nic.in.
Tapan Ray appointed to Board of Securities and Exchange Board of India
Corporate Affairs Secretary Tapan Ray was on 9 October 2015 appointed to the Board of capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Ray succeeded Anjuly Chib Duggal on the SEBI board.
Ray took charge as a Secretary in Union Corporate Affairs Ministry in August 2015. A Gujarat cadre IAS officer, Ray has served in various capacities in Gujarat between 1984 and 1994. He has also handled other assignments at the Centre in Power, Science and Technology, Textiles and Defence Ministries.
Ray has done his post graduation in Public Policy and International Affairs and holds diplomas in German language, international law and international business.
Renowned Carnatic Flautist Natesan Ramani died
Renowned Carnatic flautist Natesan Ramani died of cancer on 9 October 2015 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was 82. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.
He was known for introducing the long flute in Carnatic music and had developed his own inimitable style in the field of flute music especially on Venu flute. He first learnt the music from his maternal grandfather Sri Aazhiyur Narayanaswami Iyer who was a well-known flute artist and singer.
Ramani also performed jugalbandhis with Hariprasad Chaurasia, MS Gopalakrishnan, N Rajam, Pandit Viswamohan and even with mandolin U Srinivas.
Ramani performed his first concert on All India Radio in 1945. Later, he became an artist of international fame. He had also been awarded with many awards for his conmtribution to Indian music including Sangita Kalanidhi title (1996) of the Music Academy and Sangeetha Kalasikhamani award (2007).
He was born on 15 October 1934 in Tiruvarur city of Tamil Nadu.
Retail major Future Group tied-up with Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved
Retail major Future Group on 9 October 2015 tied-up with Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved to sell the Patanjali's FMCG products on its stores with plans for joint manufacturing in future.
With this partnership, Patanjali's FMCG products including staples, nutrition, hair care, skin care, dental care and toiletries will now onwards be also sold on Future Group's Big Bazaar, KB's and EasyDay outlets across India.
Moreover, Patanjali is also planning to launch products like pasta, oats, noodles, juices and muesli soon and is targeting to achieve 5000 crore rupees turnover this fiscal. It will also increase number of its production units in different parts of India including South India, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, among others, without sharing investments details.
Kishore Biyani-led Future Group expects sales from Patanjali to the tune of 1000 crore rupees in the next 20 months. The Future Group stores chain is spread across 240 cities and receives 35 crore footfalls a year.