DAILY GK UPDATE - 1 TO 50 DECEMBER 2015 -- BANKERSADDA
i. The United Nations (UN)
Chief Ban Ki-moon along with the agencies of the UN system on 30 November 2015
launched initiative titled Anticipate, Absorb, Reshape to build climate
resilience in the world’s most vulnerable countries.
ii. The initiative was
launched during the United Nations climate change conference (COP21) in Paris.
The initiative was launched in the wake of economic losses that have increased
by more than half over the past decade. Ecosystems, and food and water supplies
are under increasing pressure.
iii. It will strengthen the
ability of countries to anticipate hazards, absorb shocks, and reshape
development to reduce climate risks. It is expected to address the needs of the
nearly 634 million people, or a tenth of the global population who live in
at-risk coastal areas just a few meters above existing sea levels.
iv. It will also help those
living in areas at risk of droughts and floods. It will mobilize financing and
knowledge; create and operationalize partnerships at scale, help coordinate
activities to help reach tangible results, catalyze research, and develop new
tools over the next five years.
2. IMF
approved China's Yuan as Elite Reserve Currency
i. International Monetary Fund
(IMF) on 30 November 2015 included China's Yuan into its elite reserve currency
basket. Yuan's entry into the basket takes effect from 1 October 2016.
ii. Yuan also known as the
Chinese Renminbi (RMB) was included in the basket after it met the existing
criteria for its inclusion. The action was taken after the executive board at
IMF completed the regular five-yearly review of the basket of currencies that
make up the Special Drawing Right (SDR).
iii. Yuan will be a freely
usable currency and will be included in the SDR basket as a fifth currency,
along with the US Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen and British Pound. Launching the
new SDR basket on 1 October 2016 will provide sufficient lead time for the
Fund, its members and other SDR users to adjust to these changes.
iv. The inclusion of the RMB
will enhance the attractiveness of the SDR by diversifying the basket and
making it more representative of the world’s major currencies. Inclusion of
Yuan in the SDR is considered as a big political victory for China as Yuan’s
desirability as a reserve currency for investors will increase and undermine
the hegemony of the dollar as a global reserve currency.
v. The SDR basket, upon which
the SDR’s value is based, is typically reviewed every five years by the IMF’s
executive board. It is reviewed to ensure that it reflects the relative
importance of currencies in the global trading and financial systems.
3. World
leaders launched Mission Innovation for accelerating clean energy revolution
i. World leaders on 30
November 2015 launched Mission Innovation for accelerating clean energy
revolution across the world. The mission was launched by 20 participating
countries, including India, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference
2015 (COP21) in Paris-Le Bourget, France.
ii. As part o
f this
initiative, the participating countries double their clean energy research and
development funding by 2020. And, it was launched alongside Bill Gates led
Breakthrough Energy Coalition that aims at reducing demand for fossil fuels.
iii. It aims to reinvigorate
and accelerate global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean
energy widely affordable. It will augment the efforts to provide affordable and
reliable energy for everyone and to promote economic growth.
iv. Working with existing
international institutions, participating countries will cooperate and
collaborate to help governments, private investors and technology innovators.
The collaboration will cover areas such as- sharing of data, technology
expertise and analysis in order to promote commercialization and dissemination
of clean energy technologies.
4. Hinduja
Brothers received lifetime achievement award at Asian Business Leadership Forum
2015
i. Hinduja Brothers on 29
November 2015 were honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at
the annual Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) Series in Dubai. The
prestigious award recognizes the most powerful and influential business
leaders.
ii. ABLF Series' Royal Patron
and the UAE's Minister of Culture Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan presented the
award to Gopichand P Hinduja, Co-Chairman, Hinduja Group of Companies, The
Hinduja Group, UK.
iii. The Asian Business
Leadership Forum (ABLF) Series is Asia’s most prestigious annual business
leadership event series. The ABLF enjoys royal patronage in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE).
iv. The ABLF is headed by the
Governors’ Board who are responsible for shaping and projecting the vision,
path and broad scope of the ABLF. The ABLF Series has two distinct arms: The
ABLForum and the ABLF Awards.
5. Dr Abdul
Kalam IGNITE award presented by President Pranab Mukherjee
i. President Pranab Mukharjee
on 30 November 2015 presented Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE awards 2015 to a total
of 40 school students of 27 districts from 18 states. The awards were given
away for 31 grass root innovations at the prestigious Indian Institute of
Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A). At present, President is on a three day visit to
Gujarat.
ii. Besides, Gujarat Chief
Minister Anandiben Patel instructed Gujarat government and IIMA to implement
some of its innovations targeted to ease out the work of farmers and hawkers in
the state.
iii. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE
Award is a national competition of original technological ideas and innovations
by children up to class 12 or those out of school up to the age of 17 years.
iv. The competition is
organized by National Innovation Foundation (NIF) in association with Central
Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Honey Bee Network, other State Educational
Boards and other partners every year to promote creativity and originality
among children.
v. The awards of IGNITE
competition are announced every year on 15 October, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's
birthday, which is celebrated as the Children's Creativity and Innovation Day
by NIF.
6. Robert
Lewandowski awarded with four Guinness World Record certificates for scoring
five goals in nine minutes
i. Polish professional
footballer Robert Lewandowski’s nine-minute, five-goal haul for German Football
Club Bayern Munich against Wolfsburg was officially recognised on 30 November
2015 by Guinness World Record.
ii. Lewandowski was presented
with four separate official Guinness World Records certificates for his goal
scoring spree during a special press conference which took place at Bayern
Munich’s ground.
iii. On 22 September 2015, the
Polish star scored five goals during the league encounter with Wolfsburg in
nine minutes, the fastest in any major European football league since records
have been kept.
iv. He broke a series of
records including Fastest Bundesliga hat-trick (3 minutes 22 seconds), Fastest
Four Goals in a Bundesliga Match (5 minutes 42 seconds), Fastest Five Goals
Scored in a Bundesliga Match (8 minutes 59 seconds), Most Goals Scored by a Substitute
in a Bundesliga Match (5 goals).
v. Lewandowski started his
career at Varsovia, where as a teen he played for seven years. Soon, he moved
to Delta Warsaw where he managed to play in the first team, scoring four goals.
On 3 January 2015, he signed a five-year contract with Bayern Munich. He was
officially presented as a Bayern Munich player on 9 July 2014.
7. Union
Government launched IPV injection as part of Global Polio Endgame Strategy
i. The Union Government on 30
November 2015 launched the injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) as part
of its commitment to the Global Polio Endgame Strategy.
ii. The IPV injection was
launched in New Delhi by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda.
It is part of next step in India's universal immunization programme to fight
against polio in the country.
iii. The first phase this
vaccine will be introduced in six states, viz Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Bihar,
Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. IPV injection will be given to children
below one year of age along with the third dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV)
at the routine immunization sessions free of cost.
iv. New evidences now clearly
show that IPV and OPV together will further strengthen the children’s immune
system and will provide double protection against polio. The introduction of
IPV in routine immunization is as per recommendation made in World Health
Assembly in May 2015 and endorsed by Global Polio Endgame Strategy.
v. IPV will roll-out to 126
countries which are only using OPV in the National program and it will be the
largest and fastest globally-coordinated vaccine introduction project in
history.
8. NMPT
holds trade meet in Mysore
i. New Mangalore Port Trust
(NMPT), in association with Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Nanjangud
Industries Association, organized a trade meet in Mysore recently.
ii. A press release by NMPT
said here on Monday that the exporters of commodities such as textiles, tyres,
automobile parts, machinery, agarbathis, pharmaceuticals, etc., and mainline
container operators attended the meet.
iii. The purpose of the meet
was to interact with importers and exporters of Karnataka, especially from the
Mysore-Nanjangud region, where a large volume of container cargo is generated.
iv. PC Parida, Chairman of NMPT,
requested the trade and industry to make use of New Mangalore Port, which is
close to Mysore, for moving their cargo. He also explained about the
infrastructure and ongoing developmental works at the port.
v. Suresh P Shirwadkar, Deputy
Chairman of NMPT; AS Satish, President of Mysore Chamber of Commerce and
Industry; and Ram Prasad, Secretary of Nanjangud Industries Association, spoke
on the occasion.
9. Russian
film-maker Eldar Ryazanov died
i. Eldar Ryazanov, one of the
most popular Russian film directors of the Soviet era, died on 30 November 2015
following the prolonged illness. He was 88.
ii. Born in Samara, Russia in
November 1927, Ryazanov began his studies at Moscow’s prestigious Gerasimov
film school (VGIK). He became an overnight sensation after his first feature
comedy film Carnival Night in 1956.
iii. He directed some of the
most popular Soviet Era comedies such as Irony of Fate, The Garage and Office
Romance. In 1984, he received one of the top Soviet artistry title People's
Artist of the USSR and received the USSR State Prize in 1977.
10. Union Government launches GIAN Scheme to boost higher education
i. Union Ministry of Human
Resource Development (HRD) has launched Global Initiative of Academic Networks
(GIAN) Scheme to boost the quality of higher education in India. It was
launched by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani at the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) campus.
ii. GIAN Scheme aims at
improving the quality of higher education in the country through international
collaboration. Facilitate participation of high quality international
academicians for delivering short-term courses and programs in Indian
institutions.
iii. Initially 500
international faculties will be engaged in conducting courses and later in
subsequent years 1000 faculties would be engaged under GIAN throughout India.
Under this scheme, academicians will cover 13 disciplines and 352 courses to be
taught in 68 national institutions.
iv. These courses will vary in
duration from one to three weeks depending on the subject and will be free for
students of the host institution and available for nominal fees for others.
These courses will be webcasted live for students across the country through
web portal www.gian.iitkgp.ac.in designed by IIT Kharagpur.
11. International
Day for the Abolition of Slavery Observed globally
i. The International Day for
the Abolition of Slavery was observed globally on 2 December 2015. The day is
observed to focus on the elimination of human trafficking, child labour and
other forms of modern-day slavery.
ii. According to the
International Labour Organization (ILO), there are currently an estimated 21
million forced labour victims worldwide, creating 150 billion US dollars in
illegal profits in the private economy each year.
iii. To tackle with the
situation, ILO has adopted a new legally binding Protocol designed to
strengthen global efforts to eliminate forced labour and which will enter into
force in November 2016.
iv. International Day for the
Abolition of Slavery marks the date of adoption of the United Nations
Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the
Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others by UN General Assembly on 2 December
1929.
v. The day focuses on
eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons,
sexual exploitation, and the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and
the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
12. India,
France launched International Solar Alliance
i. India and France on 30 November
2015 launched the International Solar Alliance in Paris. The alliance was
launched jointly by PM Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande
during the United Nations climate change conference (COP21).
ii. The alliance also invited
all countries located fully or partly between the tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn to join the group. It will function from the National Institute of
Solar Energy in India, Gurgaon.
iii. It aims to bring 121
tropical countries together to tap solar energy. The Alliance will enable
solar-rich developing countries to make the best use of an abundant, free
natural resource. It seeks to share collective ambitions to reduce the cost of
finance and technology that is needed to deploy solar power widely.
iv. It would adapt the
generation and storage technologies to the individual countries’ needs. Among
the tasks that the Alliance would pursue are, cooperation in training, building
institutions, regulatory issues, common standards, and investment including
joint ventures.
13. Delhi
Development Authority awarded with E-India Award
i. The Delhi Development
Authority (DDA) was on 1 December 2015 awarded with the E-India Award for
adopting technology to serve the public better and using resources efficiently
through mobile applications.
ii. The award was received by
VS Tomar, Director (Systems) DDA during the e-INDIA SUMMIT 2015 in Mumbai.
iii. It bagged the award under
the category of Digital India IT initiatives for extraordinary IT initiatives
in the field of land protection and engineering projects. It was awarded for
the vacant land photo uploading system app wherein officials of the land and
engineering department upload photographs of vacant land to keep a check on
encroachment.
iv. The second award winning
app of DDA was the Measurement Books for e-filing of measurement of engineering
projects for exact estimation of parameters and project requirements.
14.
Renowned violinist L Subramaniam to be honoured with ITC Sangeet Samman
i. Renowned violinist
Lakshminarayana Subramaniam will be honoured with the Sangeet Samman at the ITC
Sangeet Sammelan 2015 beginning on 4 December 2015 at the Victoria Memorial
Hall, Kolkata. The ITC Sangeet Research Academy Executive Director Rabi
Srinibasan on 1 December 2015 announced the name of the artist for the award.
ii. Born on 23 July 1947,
Subramaniam was trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition and Western
classical music. The artiste is known for his virtuoso playing techniques and
compositions in orchestral fusion.
iii. The violinist has also
composed the film scores for the films like Salaam Bombay and Mississippi
Masala directed by Mira Nair.
iv. Subramaniam has been
awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Limca Book of Records in 2012.
He also won the President's Award for Best Violinist, All India Radio in 1963.
In 2001, the renowned violinist was honoured with the Padma Bhushan.
15. Sarangi
maestro Ustad Sabri Khan passed away
i. Renowned sarangi player
Ustad Sabri Khan died on 30 November 2015 in New Delhi due to breathing
problems. He was 88. Born on 21 May 1927 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Khan
belonged to the Sainia Gharana, which traces the tradition of its music back to
Tansen.
ii. The sarangi maestro was
initiated into Sarangi by his grandfather Ustad Haji Mohammed Khan. Later,
Sabri Khan continued his training under his father Ustad Chajju Khan.
iii. For his contribution to
the Classical Music of India, Ustad Sabri Khan had received numerous honours
and awards, including the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, UP Sangeet Natak Academy
iv. Award, National Sangeet Natak Academy Award. The Government of India also
honoured him with the prestigious Padma Shree Award in 1992 and Padma Bhushan
Award in 2006.
16.
President gave nod to Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to allow women to work
in night shifts
i. President Pranab Mukherjee
on 1 December 2015 gave assent to Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2015 of
Maharashtra. Among other things, the bill amends Section 66(1)(c) of the
Factories Act, 1948 that restricts women from working at a factory between 7 PM
and 6 AM.
ii. The Factories (Amendment)
Bill, 2015 was passed by the Maharashtra legislature in July 2015. Later, it
was reserved for consideration of the President by the State Governor C
Vidyasagar Rao under article 200 of the Constitution.
iii. The other proposed
changes to the Factories Act, 1948 include
(a) Workers to be eligible for
paid leave after working for 90 days in a year instead of the existing 240 days
or more.
(b) It would not be mandatory
for workers to take the management's permission for overtime, the limit for
which in three months will be increased to 115 hours from the current 75.
(c) It will prevent inspectors
from filing cases on petty matters against factories and consequently, will
help in curbing corruption and harassment from factory inspectors.
(d) If a factory inspector has
to file a case, he has to take prior permission from the chief factory
inspector.
iv. The decision of the state
government to change the 67-year-old existing law will bring a much needed help
for workers working in more than 14000 factories across the state.
17. Sir
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan assumed Presidency of the Royal Society.
i. Sir Venkatraman
Ramakrishnan on 1 December 2015 assumed Presidency of the Royal Society in London.
He was elected to the office in March 2015 by the society’s council and will
serve for up to five years.
ii. With this appointment, he
became the 61st president of the society. And, he joined the elite club that
has included Christopher Wren, Samuel Pepys, Isaac Newton, Joseph Banks,
Humphry Davy, and Ernest Rutherford.
iii. He studied how genetic
information is translated by the ribosome to make proteins and the action of
antibiotics on this process. The Indian-American scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009 with Tom Steitz and Ada Yonath.
He was awarded a knighthood in 2012
iv. He has a B.Sc in physics
from Baroda University, India and a PhD from Ohio University in the USA. He
studied biology at the University of California, San Diego and worked as a
post-doctoral fellow at Yale University. Subsequently, he was a biophysicist at
Brookhaven National Laboratory and professor of biochemistry at the University
of Utah before he moved to the UK in 1999.
18. India’s
Thakur Anoop Singh won gold medal in World Bodybuilding and Physique
Championships
i. India’s Thakur Anoop Singh
on 28 November 2015 won gold medal in the 7th WBPF World Bodybuilding and
Physique Championships.
ii. He won the medal in the
fitness physique category. Overall, India won 11 medals in the championships
that saw participation from 47 nations. The championships were held in Bangkok,
Thailand.
iii. Along with him, Arambam
Boby (Manipur) also won gold in the championship. For him, it was the 4th world
title in his career.
iv. 0Also, Thingbaijam Sarita
who had won a silver medal in Asian Bodybuilding Championships 2015 also bagged
a bronze medal in the event.
19. Justice Tirath Singh Thakur sworn in as 43rd Chief Justice of India
i. Justice Tirath Singh (TS)
Thakur was on 3 December 2015 sworn in as 43rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) by
President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Thakur succeeded
incumbent Justice H L Dattu who retired on 2 December 2015.
ii. He will have the tenure as
CJI for over one year and will retire on 4 January 2017. Born on 4 January
1952, Justice Thakur enrolled as a Pleader in October 1972. He was designated
as a senior advocate in 1990.
iii. In February 1994, he was
appointed as an additional judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and was
transferred as a judge of the Karnataka High Court in March 1994. He was
appointed as a permanent judge in September 1995 and transferred to the Delhi
High Court in July 2004.
iv. He was appointed as acting
Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in April 2008 and in August 2008, he took
over as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was elevated as
a judge of the Supreme Court on 17 November 2009.
20.
Industrialist MAM Ramaswamy died
i. Industrialist, founder of
Chettinad Group, former parliamentarian MAM Ramaswamy passed away on 2 December
2015 in Chennai due to prolonged illness. He was 84.
ii. Popularly known as MAMR in
political, business and sports circles, Ramaswamy was born on 30 September 1931
into a respected family in the Nattukottai Chettiar community, also known as
The Rajah Family.
iii. MAMR’s grandfather Rajah
Sir Annamalai Chettiar and his father Rajah Sir MA Muthiah Chettiar along with
his uncles MRM Ramanathan Chettiar and MA Chidambaram Chettiar built the
Chettinad Group into a business empire in Tamil Nadu.
iv. MAMR transformed the
Annamalai University in Chidambaram, founded by his family in 1929, into an
institution with 48 departments.
v. The industrialist also
served as the Member of the Parliament of India representing Karnataka in the
Rajya Sabha.
21. Adidas
India’s Pulin Kumar won prestigious INBA Award
i. Pulin Kumar, Group Senior
Legal and Compliance Director of Adidas India, on 26 November 2015 was
conferred with the Indian National Bar Association's (INBA) General Counsel of
the year 2015 - Retail Award in New Delhi.
ii. Senior lawyer Ram
Jethmalani presented the award to Kumar on the occasion of INBA's Annual
International Conference-66th National Law Day. The Indian National Bar
Association has constituted 12 awards categories for general counsel in the
field of technology, infrastructure, real estate, retail, corporate, privacy
and data protection, law firm and insurance.
iii. INBA Awards also
acknowledge top women lawyers, young women general counsel, young emerging
lawyers and global general counsel. Every year, INBA invites nominations for
the awards. The jury panel for consideration of the awards constitute renowned
people from the legal field.
22. Union
Cabinet approved signing of MoU between India and Iran on visa facilitation
i. The Union Cabinet on 2
December 2015 approved the signing of the agreement between India and Iran on
visa facilitation for Diplomatic, Official/Service and Ordinary passport
holders.
ii. As per the agreement, upon
presentation of an official note by the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs along
with the visa application, the resident Diplomatic Missions in the host country
would, within 20 working days, issue a gratis visa valid for 90 days for the
holders of valid Diplomatic/Official/Service passports, assigned on long-term
missions to the Diplomatic Missions or the Consulates General.
iii. Appropriate gratis visas
of three months' validity for visiting close family members (blood relations
such as parents, siblings, adult children as well as in-laws) and visas for
other close relatives of the assignees, on the payment of visa fees due would
be issued.
iv. The agreement says that on
presentation of an official note by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating the
purpose of the visit, a non-extendable gratis entry visa will be issued within
three working days, with a validity of up to fifteen days, to political
authorities and officials travelling for specific bilateral purposes or to
participate in a conference or seminar.
v. This Agreement can be
amended at any time as decided and mutually agreed upon in writing by the
Parties. Any dispute arising out of the interpretation, implementation or
application of any provision of this Agreement shall be settled amicably
through consultation or negotiation between the Parties.
23. Navy
inducts decoy system Maareech
i. A fully indigenous decoy
system, that can divert underwater torpedo attacks on ships and submarines, has
been developed by Visakhapatnam-based Naval Science and Technological
Laboratory (NSTL).
ii. The torpedo defence
system, Maareech, was recently inducted into the Indian Navy. Maareech has been
termed a complete package involving sensors and decoys for defence against
torpedoes.
ii. Maareech is a joint
project of the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, Kochi, and NSTL.
Sources said two production-grade Maareech systems have been developed and user
evaluation trials were completed onboard two Indian Navy ships.
iv. Maareech is capable of
diverting incoming torpedoes and is an advanced version of the regular decoys.
While submarines use decoys as anti-torpedo systems, the system has been
developed for the first time for surface ships.
v. Maareech has been termed
“an excellent model of synergy between the DRDO (Defence Research and
Development Organisation), Indian Navy, and public and private industries.”
24. Brazil
entered longest recession since 1930s
i. Brazil’s economy contracted
by 1.7 percent during July-September 2015 compared to April-June period in
2015. An announcement in this regard was made by the government on 1 December
2015.
ii. It was Brazil's third
consecutive quarter of contraction starting from January 2015 and thus, making
it the country's longest recession since the 1930s.
iii. Inflation rose to over 10
percent, the highest in 12 years, in October 2015. Unemployment rate was pegged
at 8.9 percent during July-September 2015 up from 6.8 percent in 2014-15. Due
to lower earnings, household spending fell by 4.5 percent during July-September
2015.
iv. Real, Brazil's currency
was down about 31 percent against the dollar between January-November 2015.
Bovespa, Brazil's main stock index, has been decelerated by about 27 percent
since September 2014. Foreign and domestic investments in Brazil have declined
for nine straight quarters.
v. Primary reasons for
recession in Brazil are multiple. They range from continuing global economic
slowdown, shrinkage in exports and unprecedented scandal at the government-run
oil company Petrobras.
25. Union
Government approved setting up of 6 new IITs
i. The Union Cabinet on 2
December 2015 approved setting up of six new Indian Institutes of Technology
(IITs) in Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Goa, Jammu, Kerala and Karnataka.
ii. The Cabinet also approved
the operationalisation of these IITs by forming Societies under the Societies
Registration Act, 1860 in order to give a legal status to them till the
amendment for their incorporation in The Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 is
enacted.
iii. Each new IIT will have an
initial intake of 180 students in its first year from temporary / transit which
would increase to 450 in the second year and to 928 in the third year of their
operation. The new IITs will be operated from their temporary campuses for the
initial period of three years before shifting into their permanent campuses in
the 4th year.
iv. Each IIT will have a
sanctioned strength of faculty members with a faculty-student ratio of 1:10.
The total cost for running these IITs is 1411.80 crore rupees and will be
incurred between 2015-16 and 2018-19.
26.
Indian-American Dr Vijay M Rao named as Chairperson of RSNA
i. Indian-American Dr Vijay M
Rao was named as the chairperson of the prestigious Radiological Society of
North America (RSNA) Board of Directors on 2 December 2015.
ii. As the chairperson at
RSNA, Dr Rao brings her expertise in health services and policy matters to bear
in a shifting healthcare landscape of increasing complexity and declining
reimbursements.
iii. At the time of
appointment in RSNA, Dr Rao was the David C Levin Professor and Chairperson of
Radiology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
iv. She is a graduate of the
All India Institute of Medical Sciences. She remained on the faculty at
Jefferson ever since completing her residency there in 1978. She was appointed
associate chair for education in 1989 and vice chair for education in 2000.
v. The Radiological Society of
North America (RSNA) is an international society of radiologists, medical
physicists and other medical professionals with more than 54000 members from
136 countries across the globe.
27. Vijay
Kumar Choudhary elected as Bihar Assembly Speaker
i. Senior Janata Dal (United)
leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary on 2 December 2015 was unanimously elected new
Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. Chaudhary was elected to the post
after consensus was generated on his name among all political parties of the
state, including the opposition.
ii. The pro-tem Speaker and
Congress MLA Sadanand Singh announced the election of Chaudhary as the new
Speaker.
iii. Chaudhary debuted in
politics after untimely demise of his legislator father in 1982. In the same
year, he won the subsequent by-election from Dalsinghsarai on a Congress
ticket.
iv. He joined JD(U) in 2005.
In 2010, he won the subsequent legislative assembly elections from Sarairanjan
and was rewarded with the crucial Water Resources ministry in the newly formed
cabinet.
28. Union
Cabinet approved DTAC agreement with Japan
i. The Union Cabinet chaired
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 December 2015 approved signing and
ratification of Protocol between India and Japan for amending the Double
Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) in order to facilitate tax-related
exchange of information.
ii. DTAC was signed between
the two countries in 1989 for avoidance of double taxation and prevention of
fiscal evasion through a protocol.
iii. The protocol will
facilitate exchange of information as per accepted international standards on
tax matters, including bank information and information without domestic tax
interest.
iv. There is a further
provision in the Protocol for sharing any information received from Japan, with
authorization of the competent authority in Japan and vice versa, in respect of
a resident of India, with other law enforcement agencies.
v. The Protocol also has a
provision for India and Japan to lend assistance to each other in collection of
revenue claims, as well as for exemption of interest income from taxation in
the source country, with respect to debt-claims insured by the Government or
Government-owned financial institutions.
29. Axis
Bank launches country's first 'display variant' debit card
i. Country's third largest
private sector lender Axis BankBSE 0.70 % today said it has launched a 'display
variant' debit card which does away with the hassles of generating one time
password (OTP) over SMS while transacting.
ii. The card, which is being
made available for high-value NRE customers, has an embedded EMV chip, a display
screen and a touch-sensitive button which helps generating the OTP on the card
itself.
iii. "This OTP, in
conjunction with the user ID and password, allows the customer to transact on
internet banking without having to wait for OTP delivery via SMS or email,"
a bank statement said, adding that it is the first lender in the country to
offer the facility.
iv. The card comes with free
ATM access across the world, offers on lounge access, loyalty points on
transactions and an air accident insurance of Rs 25 lakh and a personal
accident insurance of Rs 5 lakh. Details on the charges or the minimum balance
requirements were not immediately available.
30. ICBC to
become Tata Group’s strategic banking partner
i. Tata Sons Ltd and
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) have formed a long-term
partnership, under which ICBC will become a strategic banking partner to the
Tata group. Tata Sons is the principal investment holding company of $108
billion Tata Group and promoter of Tata companies.
ii. Under the alliance, ICBC
will provide the Tata group with financing products, global cash management,
consulting, international trade finance business, investment banking, foreign
exchange, derivatives trading, and other global financial services, Tata Sons said
in a statement on Wednesday.
iii. ICBC will also create a
global service team which will support Tata group’s strategic development
plans, it said. The alliance will be a global one with the geographies covered,
including India, China, Singapore, Europe, the US, and South America.
iv. As a natural fall out of
this alliance, the Tata group will consider proposals from ICBC and solicit its
participation on bilateral transactions and tender offers.
v. A team of Tata executives,
led by Tata Group chairman Cyrus P. Mistry, met with Jiang Jianqing, chairman
of ICBC, and his team to formalise the engagement. Tata group operates in more
than 100 countries across six continents.
31.
Himachal Pradesh became first state to launch Rotavirus vaccination project
i. Himachal Pradesh on 3
December 2015 became the first state of India to launch Rotavirus vaccination
project. The vaccine will help in controlling the child mortality rate (under
five years of age) due to diarrhoea.
ii. Rotavirus vaccines are
administered orally to infants in three dose course at ages of six, ten and
fourteen weeks and are part of Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). The
project was launched by the state Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at Dharamsala
in Kangra district. Singh administered the Rotavirus drops to children aged
under five years.
iii. International Clinical
Epidemiological Network will provide technical assistance and will also bear
the entire cost of the vaccines. The project will soon be launched in Vellore
in Karnataka and Pune in Maharashtra.
iv. It is a most common
causative agent of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea (MSD) among infants below 11
months age group in India. It is a genus of double-stranded RNA virus in the
family Reoviridae. It spreads from person to person due to bacterial agents
that are primarily transmitted through contaminated food or water.
32. Paris
Pact on Water and Climate Change Adaptation announced
i. A broad coalition of
nations, river basin organizations, business and civil society on 2 December
2015 announced the creation of the international Paris Pact on Water and
Climate Change Adaptation.
ii. The announcement was made
at the Water Resilience Focus event held under the Lima to Paris Action Agenda
on climate change. And, the event was held on the sidelines of the United
Nations Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) in Paris, France.
iii. Its objective is to make
water systems – the very foundation of sustainable human development - more
resilient to climate impacts. Almost 290 water basin organisations are engaged
under the Paris Pact on Water and Climate Change Adaptation. It involves a wide
geographic coalition of national and cross-border river basin organisations,
overnments, funding agencies, local governments, companies and civil society.
iv. It encompasses individual
commitments to implement adaptation plans, strengthening water monitoring and
measurement systems in river basins. It promotes financial sustainability and
new investment in water systems management.
v. Major collaborative
projects under the pact represent over 20 million US dollars in technical
assistance and potentially over 1 billion US dollars in financing.
33. Lok
Sabha passed bill to establish BIS as National Standards Body
i. The Lok Sabha on 3 December
2015 passed the Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 to establish the Bureau
of Indian Standards (BIS) as a National Standards Body. The bill seeks to
establish harmonious development of standardization and assessment and quality
assurance of goods, processes and services.
ii. The bill broadens BIS’
ambit, and allow the Union Government to make it mandatory for certain notified
goods, articles and processes to carry the standard mark. It allows multiple
types of conformity assessment schemes in tune with best global practices.
iii. It contains provision to
make misuse of Standard mark as a cognizable offence. Contravention of
provisions of the law will attract imprisonment for a term which may extend to
one year or with fine of at least one lakh rupees.
iv. The fine and imprisonment
may go up further depending on the value of goods produced or sold or applied
with standard mark including hallmark.
34. First
India International Science Festival began at IIT-Delhi
i. The first India
International Science Festival (IISF) began on 4 December 2015 at IIT-Delhi.
The five day festival will explore ways to translate academic research into
industrial applications benefiting the common man and encourage culmination of
scientific temperament among youngsters, especially school children.
ii. Exposing the fruits of
Science & Technology to the masses. Building strategy to instill scientific
temper among the masses. Showcasing Indian contributions in the field of
Science and Tech over the years. Providing platform to young scientists for
exchange of knowledge & ideas
iii. Supporting flagship
programs like Make in India, Digital India, Start-ups, Smart Villages, Smart
Cities, etc. initiated by the Govt. of India
iv. The five-day festival that
will conclude on 8 December 2015 was jointly organised by Ministry of Science
& Technology and Earth Sciences, Union Government. The event was organised
with an aim to create a Guinness World Record of the highest number of students
conducting an experiment at the same venue in which 2000 students are expected
to take part.
35. NTC
signed Integrity Pact with Transparency International India
i. National Textile
Corporation (NTC) Limited on 3 November 2015 signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Transparency International India (TII) for adopting
Integrity Pact (IP).
With this signing, NTC became
the 51st Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) and 49th Central PSU to sign a MoU
with TII.
ii. Integrity Pact is a tool
which ensures that all activities and transactions between a Company or
Government Department and their Suppliers are handled in a fair, transparent
and corruption-free manner. It also prohibits any kind of bribing, favour or
any other unethical practice, which is closely monitored by honorary
Independent External Monitors (IEMs).
iii. NTC is a Schedule-A
Public Sector Undertaking engaged and entrusted with Management and operation
of Sick Textile Undertakings taken over and nationalized through various Acts.
From a sick corporation NTC Ltd has moved to a turnover of 12 billion rupees in
the year 2013-14 and operation loss to Zero.
iv. Transparency International
India (TII) is an accredited chapter of Transparency International, Berlin. TII
has been working in the field of public procurement since 2005 with an aim to
bring about transparency in the tendering process. Integrity Pact, a
Transparency International conceptualized instrument, has been vital in
promoting clean procurement.
36.
US-India business meet
i. Bangalore Chamber of
Industry and Commerce (BCIC) will hold an interactive session on ‘US-India
business: Opportunities and Challenges’ at 5.30 pm on December 4 at CR Board
Room, BCIC Office.
ii. The session will be
addressed by Ron Somers, Founder & CEO, India First Group of the US, and
Clifford Samuel, SVP, Access Operations and Emerging Markets, Gilead Sciences
in the US.
iii. The session will
highlight on the strategic consulting based on extensive experience in the
US-India business/government arena.
37. YouTube
opens first video production studio in India
i. Stepping up its India focus,
YouTube along with Subhash Ghai-owned film school Whistling Woods
International, has opened its first video production studio in the country.
ii. Called YouTube Spaces, it
has similar collaborations in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, New York City, Sao Paulo,
Paris and Berlin. The company said that the “watch-time” of its content in
India was growing at 80 per cent on a year-on-year basis while the content
uploaded to India has grown by 90 per cent.
iii. Through this
collaboration, India’s popular up-and-coming YouTube creators, as well as their
students, will have free access to Whistling Woods’ studios, high-end audio,
visual and editing equipment, in addition to training programs, workshops and
community events.
iv. Lance Podell, Director,
Global Head of YouTube Spaces, said, in addition to physical studio space that
is available to students and creators, YouTube and Whistling Woods are
developing original courses to train filmmakers, especially to create content
for the digital and online media.
v. Youtube, which has a
billion in viewership, is seeing a huge surge in creator-based content. He said
the company was also looking to step up the offline views.
38. GAIL,
ISRO launch satellite-based portal to monitor pipelines
i. GAIL (India) Limited in collaboration
with National Remote Sensing Centre, a unit of Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO), has launched a surveillance geo-portal – ‘Bhuvan-GAIL
Portal’ – that utilises space technology for its pipeline safety application.
ii. The launch took place in
the presence of B.C. Tripathi, Chairman GAIL (India) Ltd, V.K. Dadhwal,
Director NRSC, ISRO and senior officials from GAIL and ISRO, according to a
statement issued here.
iii. GAIL is deploying space
technology to monitor the pipeline’s Right of Use (RoU). It has more than
13,000 km of pipeline network, wherein monthly monitoring of pipeline is
presently done via helicopter surveys. By January 2016, GAIL will begin live
satellite monitoring of its pipeline RoU. It is also seeking alternative methods
such as advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), which can be integrated with
this system.
iv. The company has developed
a mobile application from which pictures of untoward incidents taken locally
from any mobile showing the actual scenario can be uploaded instantly to the
portal. A report system integrated with the Bhuvan-GAIL portal can send alerts
to relevant executives via SMS and email regarding the changes noted along the
pipeline as well as the arrival of any new satellite photos.
v. With recent progress in
satellite-sensing technology, availability of new high-resolution satellites,
object-oriented image analysis, there is the possibility to introduce space
technology for pipeline monitoring applications.
vi. This R&D pilot project
for monitoring of the 610-km-long Dahej–Vijaipur pipeline is one such effort to
keep pace with technological advancements enabling time and cost-effective
solutions. The Bhuvan-GAIL portal is operated via manual as well as auto-change
analysis options to monitor changes along the natural gas pipeline.
39. Uttar
Pradesh Government launches first International festival on Birds
i. Uttar Pradesh Government
has launched International festival on Birds in a bid to promote state as an
international bird-watching destination. The first-of-its-kind festival was
inaugurated by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the National Chambal Sanctuary
(NCS).
ii. It has been jointly
organised by the State Forest department in collaboration with Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The three-day international
festival (from 4 to 6 December 2015) on birds will be held the National Chambal
Sanctuary (NCS) in Agra. Over 80 Indian ornithlogists and around 25 top
international bird experts and are participating in the first-of-its-kind
festival.
iii. NCS was set up in 1979 as
a riverine sanctuary along the Chambal River. It is managed by the Wildlife
wing of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and its head-quartered are located
at Agra.
iv. The sanctuary is the main
area for the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), a fresh water crocodile species
reintroduction programmme in the Chambal River. The river supports the largest
population of the Gharial in the wild in the country. It also supports more
than 320 resident and migrant birds.
40. RBI
bars 56 NBFCs from conducting business
i. The Reserve Bank of India
has cancelled the certificate of registration of 56 non-banking finance
companies (NBFCs), including ABNL, Future Ventures India and Bajaj Finserve.
ii. Following the cancellation
of registration certificate, these companies cannot transact in the business of
an NBFC as laid down under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. A Bajaj Finserv
spokesperson said since Bajaj Finance is already an NBFC and Bajaj Finserv is
now a core investment company, the NBFC registration for the latter would not
have served any purpose.
iii. ABNL Investment’s share
in Aditya Birla Nuvo’s net profit was miniscule at 0.17 per cent. Future
Ventures India has now metamorphosed into Future Consumer Enterprise, a
sourcing-to-supermarket food company of the Future Group.
iv. According to Section 45I-A
of the RBI Act, among others, the central bank may cancel a certificate of
registration granted to an NBFC if it ceases to carry on the business of an
NBFC; or fails to comply with any condition subject to which the certificate of
registration had been issued to it.
v. The RBI statement did not
specify any reason for cancellation of the registration certificate.
41. Centre
to support rural entrepreneurs under MUDRA
i. In an effort to
support rural entrepreneurs of India, the Centre on Saturday said it would
think of giving loans under the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency
(MUDRA) Yojana of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ii. Speaking on the ‘e-Commerce
Services: Enhancing Rural Entrepreneurship through Common Services Centres
(CSCs), Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that he would
request the Prime Minister and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the purpose.
iii. “CSCs need to be funded,
and being small-time entrepreneurs, they are fully qualified to get banking
assistance under the MUDRA scheme. I will take up the matter with the Finance
Ministry and the Prime Minister as CSCs will play a major role to make Digital
India successful,” Prasad said.
iv. The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA
Yojana (PMMY) was launched in April, under which the overall loan disbursement
target has been set at around ₹1.22 lakh crore for this financial year.
v. He said the CSCs are very
small-scale initiatives and MUDRA is for such institutions and therefore,
people who want to start such service points but do not have any funding, MUDRA
can help them start their micro-ventures.
vi. CSCs are information and
communications technology enabled service delivery points at the village level
for delivery of government, financial, social and private services such as
applying online passports, land record, digital locker and Aadhaar cards.
vii. The Minister also
launched a Handbook on e-Commerce through CSCs and asked the e-Commerce
companies to help linking CSCs as far as possible because 60 per cent of online
markets are served in rural areas.
42. 44th
Navy Day observed on 4 December
i. 44th Navy Day was observed
on 4 December 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to naval
personnel and commended their dedication to protect the maritime interests of
nation. The occasion saw screening of Navy Telefilm 2015 titled Empowering
India Through Maritime Security and Indigenisation on DD National.
ii. The Navy day is celebrated
every year to commemorate the success of Operation Trident of Indian Navy on
Karachi Harbour during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
iii. In one-night attack the
Indian Navy sank three vessels near the largest Pakistani port of Karachi.
Operation Trident resulted in the first use of anti-ship missiles in the
region.
43. RBI
announced revised Priority Sector Lending norms for Regional Rural Banks
i. The Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) announced revised Priority Sector Lending (PSL) norms for Regional Rural Banks
(RRBs).
ii. Among other things, the
PSL target was increased to 75 percent of total outstanding from the existing
60 percent. The revised target will be effective from 1 January 2016. The PSL
norms have been revised considering the growing significance of RRBs in pursuit
of financial inclusion agenda.
iii. As on March 2015, there
were 56 RRBs operating in the country with a network of 20059 branches. They
cover 644 notified districts in 26 states and the Union Territory of
Puducherry.
iv. Medium enterprises, social
infrastructure and renewable energy were included under PSL category.
v. Loans to individual
farmers, for the purpose of PSL, was increased to 50 lakh rupees from the
present 10 lakh rupees against pledge/ hypothecation of agricultural produce
(including warehouse receipts) for a period not exceeding 12 months.
vi. The RBI has lowered the
quantum of loans that will qualify as PSL. Against the earlier limit of 25 lakh
rupees, loans to individuals up to 20 lakh rupees only are considered as PSL as
per revised guidelines. Housing loans to banks’ own employees will be excluded
from this limit.
44.
International Volunteer Day observed globally
i. The International Volunteer
Day (IVD) was on 5 December 2015 observed across the world with the theme The
world is changing. Are you? Volunteer!.
ii. This year's theme
challenges everyone to be a part of implementing the newly launched Global
Goals, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through volunteerism the
person can impact the sustainable development agenda by mobilizing and engaging
governments and communities.
iii. The day is viewed as a
unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, to
share their values and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the
private sector.
iv. The day also pays special
tribute to volunteers working to implement the new global goals. The
International Volunteer Day (IVD) was established by the United Nations (UN)
General Assembly through its Resolution 40/212 on 17 December 1985.
45.Delhi Assembly passes Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015
i. The Delhi Assembly has unanimously passed the Delhi Jan
Lokpal Bill, 2015 for establishment of statutory anti-corruption
ombudsman.
ii. The Bill provides powers to Lokpal to act against any
government functionary including those of the Centre and in the national
capital territory (NCT) of Delhi through its own investigation wing.
Key
provisions of Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015 Composition:
- Janlokpal will be a three member body with
Chairperson and two members. They would be appointed by on recommendation
of selection committee consisting of Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition
and Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly.
- Jurisdiction: On receiving corruption complaints
from the government or from members of public Janlokpal is empowered to
investigate an allegation of corruption in the NCT including the Chief
Minister’s office.
46.China
1st manned electric aircraft gets licence for production
i. China
has granted a license for production of first manned two seater electric
aircraft RX1E known as RX1E by the Civil Aviation Administration of
China.
ii. The aircraft has been designed by Shenyang
Aerospace University and Liaoning General Aviation Academy in northeastern
Liaoning province.
Key facts:
- RX1E electric light-sport aircraft and it is China’s
first manned electric light aircraft. This plane is powered by lithium
batteries and is capable of flying a maximum altitude of 3000
meters.
- The plane has a 47-foot wingspan and has a charging
time of 90 minutes enables it to fly for 45 to 60 minutes.
- The plane can take the maximum takeoff weight of 480
kg.
47.India's
forest & tree cover increased by 5,081 sq km: ISFR 2015
i. According to the recently released India State of Forest
Report (ISFR) 2015, India’s forest and tree cover has been increased by 5081
Square kilometre.
ii. The report was released by the Union Environment
Minister Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi.
48.South
Western Railway Zones introduces Biodiesel for trains
i.The South
Western Railways (SWR) Zone with headquarters in Hubli, Karnataka has
introduced biodiesel for trains, operating under its zone.
ii. In this regard, SWR’s first train Hubballi-Bengaluru
Janshatabdi Express powered by five per cent biodiesel blended with High Speed
Diesel was flagged off from Hubli.
iii. The main aim of the initiative is to reduce
greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission and carbon footprint and also to make fuel consumption
more efficient.
iv. To meet its biodiesel demand, SWR zone has set up
Biodiesel filling centres at Hubli, Bengaluru and Hospet. In next one year all
the 13 railway depots within the zone will have their own filling units and the
biodiesel blending will be gradually increased to ten percent.
49.CEA Dr
Arvind Subramanian Committee suggests GST rate of 17-18%
i. Chief
Economic Advisor Dr Arvind Subramanian led Committee has recommended standard
rate for Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 17 to 18 per cent.
ii. The Committee has submitted its report to Union
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi.
Recommendations
of Dr Arvind Subramanian Committee
- Standard GST rate of 17 to 18 per cent. It is the
rate at which most products would likely be taxed. Not to specify GST rate
in Constitutional Amendment Bill.
- Revenue-neutral rate of 15 to 15.5 per cent. It is a
single rate at which there will be no revenue loss to the centre and
states in the GST regime. Eliminate all taxes on inter-state trade including
one per cent inter-state tax on transfer of goods.
- Two options for states: Single rate of 1 per cent or
a range of 17-18 per cent. Allocation to states will depend on revenues
raised by Centre and states. Three-tier GST rate structure: Essential goods
will be taxed at a lower rate of 12 per cent.
50.Himachal
Pradesh becomes 1st state to launch Rotavirus vaccination project
i. Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the
country to start Rotavirus vaccination project under the Universal Immunisation
Programme (UIP).
ii. The project was launched by Chief Minister
Virbhadra Singh from Dharamsala in district Kangra by administering the
Rotavirus vaccine drops to the children aged less than 5 years.
iii. Rotavirus vaccination project is based on the
analogy of the polio vaccine. Under it Rotavirus drops would be administered to
the children at 6, 10 and 14 weeks after birth. The vaccination project will
help in controlling the deaths amongst small children due to Diarrhoea.
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