CURRENT AFFAIRS 1ST NOVEMBER TO 5TH NOVEMBER 2016

thanks: testbook.com

01-11-2016

BrahMos missile range to be doubled

India and Russia have agreed to double the range of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from 290 km to over 600 km. The decision in this regard was taken during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Goa on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. India and Russia had teamed up to develop the BrahMos missile in 1998.

India to get power from wind plants

India will get electricity generated by wind-propelled plants installed in Guj & TN in about 5 years as part of the country’s green energy development programmes. A FOWIND consortium has done a series of report on wind conditions for wind-generated electricity and its integration into a grid along the coastlines of Guj & TN. FOWIND is supported by the Indo-European Coop on Renewable Energy program.

IISC designs ‘salt’ to combat infections

A team from the Indian Institute of Science has designed a solid in the form of salt to fight bacterial infections. This first-of-its-kind study has focused on the efficacy of the dendrimers in blocking pores formed by a pore forming toxin produced by certain strains of E.coli and other bacteria. This, the researchers say, will prevent cell death and reduce the intensity of the infection.

300 mn children live with polluted air

According to UNICEF some 300 mn children live with outdoor air so polluted it can cause serious physical damage. More or less 1 child in 7 around the globe breathes outdoor air that is minimum six times dirtier than international recommendations. The study indicates that almost 90% of the world’s children live in places where outdoor air pollution exceeds WHO limit.

Scientists develop new variety of arhar

Scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute have developed a new arhar (pigeon-pea) variety that matures in 120 days and gives the same 20 quintal-per-hectare yields of normal 160-180 day plants. Arhar, or pigeon pea, is among the most widely consumed pulses in India. Its prices shot up to as much as Rs 200 per kg last year due to lower production, leading to a surge in imports.

Michel Aoun elected as Lebanon’s Prez

Michel Aoun has been elected as President of Lebanon. He will replace Michel Sleiman. After four rounds of voting, Aoun won the 83 lawmakers out of 127 members. The post has been lying vacant since May 2014 because of divided political powers were repeatedly unable to reach consensus on a candidate for president.

Scientists turn CO2 into fuel

Researchers from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered a catalyst that transformed carbon dioxide into high yields of ethanol. The researchers used tiny spikes of carbon and copper to turn CO2 into ethanol. The catalyst’s novelty lies in its nanoscale structure, consisting of copper nanoparticles embedded in carbon spikes which are cheap and economical.

World’s Oldest Active Theater Actor Dies

The world’s oldest theatre actor, Vladimir Zeldin passed away on 31 October. He was 101. Vladimir Mikhailovich Zeldin was born on 10 February 1915 in Kozlov.In 1935 he graduated from the theatre college at the Mossovet Theatre and became its actor. For over 60 years he has been working in the Russian Army Theatre, Moscow.

World Savings Day observed

World Savings Day or World Thrift Day is observed every year on 31 Oct to promote the savings all over the World. It was established during the 1st International Savings Bank Congress in 1924. In India, World Savings Day was observed on October 30 because of the death of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the same day in 1984. 2016 Theme is ‘Grabbing Hold of Your Financial Future’

India’s first ‘Design Yatra’ launched

To spread awareness & designs to the masses, India’s first ‘Design Yatra’, launched by the Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID) in Kerala. This yatra Launched on Feb 20 this year, the yatra will travel to 29 cities across the country by Feb 2017, covering 15000 kms. It will visit places to give design inputs to make specific locations & public places in the city more user-friendly.

50th Anniversary of Delhi HC

Delhi HC celebrated its 50th anniversary on Oct 31. PM Modi attended the function. The theme of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations has been fixed as “Justice for all”. He paid tribute to the contribution of all those who have been associated with the HC , over the last 5 decades.

India, Palestine sign MoU

India and Palestine signed a MoU for setting up of Palestine-India Techo Park in Ramallah. India has announced grant of $12 million for setting up the Park. Palestinian side has made the land available for the project. The announcement of the Techno Park was made during President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Palestine in 2015.

7 states celebrate foundation day

On 1 November 7 states celebrated their foundation day. On this day, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Punjab& Rajasthan were formed. Chhattisgarh was formed in 2000, Haryana & Punjab in 1966, Karnataka, Kerala & Madhya Pradesh in 1956.

World Vegan Day celebrated

World Vegan Day is an annual event celebrated by vegans around the world on 1 November. It was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis. Vegans around the world come together to celebrate the benefits of veganism for human health, animals and the environment. They hold street stalls about veganism, host vegan potluck events and plant memorial trees.

Fishing cat sighted in AP

A fishing cat was sighted in the moderately dense mangrove surrounding of the Gilalakalandi harbour near Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The fishing cat is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. It is the state animal of West Bengal. The movement of the fishing cat was sighted moderately dense mangrove area which is home for Asian sea bass fish species seed

Govt notifies rules for Real Estate Act

The Union Ministry of Housing has notified the Real Estate Rules, 2016, to be applicable to the 5 UTs. As per provisions of the Act, Real Estate Regulatory Authorities and Real Estate Appellate Tribunals have to be set up by the end of April, 2017. The Real Estate Act that seeks to regulate the housing sector besides bringing transparency and ensuring timely completion of projects.

Sushil Chandra to chair CBDT

Senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sushil Chandra took over as chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). He will succeed Rani Singh Nair who retired from service.Chandra is a 1980-batch officer of Indian Revenue Service. Prior to this appointment he was working in the board as Member (Investigation).

66% diff. abled attend schools

According to recently released new 2011 census data, nearly 2/3 of the disabled population in the age-group of 5-19 in 2011 were attending educational institutions. It was mentioned in the table C-22 of census which gives distribution of the disabled population in the age-group 5-19 by their attendance status in educational institution, type of disability, sex, age and residence.

Maha tops in 2016 Agri reforms index

Maharashtra has been ranked 1st in the country in 2016 Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index. The survey was conducted by the NITI Aayog. The new rankings come on the back of major central initiatives to integrate the Indian farmer with markets, like an electronic national agriculture market (eNAM) and a new crop insurance scheme.

Indo-Nepal military exercise starts

The 10th edition of Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran commenced at Army Battle School, Saljhandi, Nepal. Its emphasis will be on counter-terrorism in mountainous terrain. It will be held from 31 Oct to 13 Nov. The aim of exercise is to conduct battalion level joint training with emphasis on Counter Terrorism in mountainous terrain and disaster management.

02-11-2016

S. Korea Names New PM, Finance Minister

South Korea’s president Park Geun-hye has named a new prime minister and finance minister. Kim Byong-joon, a former senior presidential secretary was named the new prime minister to replace Hwang Kyo-ahn. Yim Jong-yong, the Financial Services Commission chairman was named the new finance minister & deputy prime minister. Yim replaces incumbent minister Yoo Il-ho.

Yes Campaign Wins Constitutional Vote

Electoral officials in Ivory Coast say the yes campaign has won referendum on a new constitution. The turnout – 42.42% is higher than an earlier 7% estimate by opposition parties that boycotted the polls. The change scraps a requirement that both parents of presidential candidates must be native-born Ivorians. The new construction removes the age limit of 75 to the post of president.

Thai Crown Prince to be King Next Month

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is to be confirmed as the new king of Thailand on 1 December. He is expected to endorse a new, military-drafted constitution and to start appointing his own team of senior royal officials. His father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, died on 13 October, aged 88. The government has declared a year-long official mourning period.

OIC Chief Iyad Madani Resigns

The Saudi secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resigned. Secretary-General Iyad Madani has resigned for health reasons. His resignation comes after infuriating Egypt over a remark that mocked President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Saudi Arabia had nominated Yusuf al-Othaimeen as Madani’s replacement. The 57-nation OIC is the largest body of Islamic nations.

Govt to Fund Films for Oscar

Under a new initiative, the Ministry of I& B has announced film promotion fund for India’s official entry to Academy Awards. It is also for the movies which are officially selected in major international festivals. The proposed fund value for films being selected to represent India at Oscars is Rs 50L to Rs 1 cr. The max amount for the competition section of Cannes film festival is Rs 20L.

S Nihal to get Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award

Veteran journalist S Nihal Singh has been chosen for the ‘Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award’ for his outstanding contribution to journalism. ‘Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award is presented by the Press Council of India (PCI). The award will be presented on Nov16 and carries a cash component of Rs 1 lakh. Renjith Jonh of Deepika Daily has been chosen for the award on Rural journalism & Developmental reporting.

Famous Indian Lion Ram Dies

One of India’s oldest and most popular lions in the wild has died from old age. Ram & his brother Shyam were a famous pair of lions that ruled over Gir forest in recent years. The forest staff named the lions Ram and Shyam which are popular Indian names & also the name of a hit Bollywood film. Gir sanctuary is home to more than 500 lions & is the only habitat of Asiatic lions in the world.

SPB to Receive Centenary Award

Veteran singer SP Balasubrahmanyam will be honoured with Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the year at the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. Minister of Information & Broadcasting, M Venkaiah Naidu made the announcement. He has rendered more than 40,000 songs till now. He holds a Guinness World Record for recording the maximum number of songs.

PM Modi Launches Jungle Safari

The PM, Shri Narendra Modi visited Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh. He dedicated Jungle Safari at Naya Raipur, Bus Rapid Transit System, Ekatma Path and unveiled the statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. He launched ‘Sour Sujla Yojna’ for the welfare of crores of farmers all over the country. Solar energy will be utilized for irrigation purposes in the agricultural fields.

Govt Launches Yamuna RiverFront Project

The Delhi government launched the Rs 200-crore Yamuna riverfront project at the second annual ‘Yamuna Aarti’ event. The Yamuna Riverfront Development initiative has plans to re-imagine the river banks at Sonia Vihar. The project aims to beautify the riverfront. The new plans not only aim to clean the river Yamuna, but also are a part of larger efforts to promote tourism in the region.

Kerala Become Open Defecation Free State

Kerala has become the third Open Defecation Free state in the country. The announcement was made by the Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary Parameswaran Iyer in New Delhi. Mr. Iyar said, over 1 lakh villages across the country have become ODF. Earlier, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim had declared themselves Open Defecation Free.

NSFs to Get Grant only after Registering

The Sports Ministry has made it mandatory for all the National Sports Federation to register themselves with NGO-PS Portal to receive grants. NITI Aayog has made it mandatory for all non-govt org to register with NGO- PS (Partnership System) Portal. The requirement for registration is in the interest of transparency. NSFs are not Government organisations & they receive grants from the GoI.

World Cup Top-Scorer Klose Retires

Germany’s prolific Miroslav Klose, the all-time World Cup top-scorer announced his retirement at the age of 38. Klose hit a record 16th goal in World Cup finals during the semi-final thrashing of hosts Brazil two years ago. Klose now plans to join Germany’s coaching staff after an invitation from head coach Joachim Loew. His final appearance for Germany was in the 2014 World Cup

NHPC Commissions 50 mw Wind Project

NHPC has announced that it has commissioned its 50 Megawatt (MW) wind power project (WPP) in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The project consists of 25 Wind Turbine Generators each of 2 MW capacity. It has been successively linked with grid in the month of October, 2016. NHPC Limited (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation) is an Indian Hydropower generation company.

Benami Property Act Comes into Force

The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, designed to curb black money and passed by parliament in August, came into effect on 1-Nov. An amendment of the 1988 Benami Transactions Act, the new law provides for up to seven years’ imprisonment and fine for those indulging in such transactions. Earlier law provided for up to three years of imprisonment or fine or both.

RBI Opens 2nd Banking Ombudsman Office

The RBI has opened a second office of the Banking Ombudsman in New Delhi, taking into account the significant increase of the banking network. The first office of the Banking Ombudsman at RBI,New Delhi, will have the jurisdiction over Delhi & J&K. The second office will have jurisdiction over Haryana except few districts & Ghaziabad & Gautam Buddha Nagar districts of U.P.

Gangadharan Named Non-Executive Chairman

South Indian Bank named Salim Gangadharan as its new non-executive/ part-time Chairman for three years with effect from Nov 2, 2016. Gangadharan is currently an Independent Director on the board of the private sector bank headquartered in Thrissur (Kerala). Amitabha Guha would demit the office of non-executive/ part-time Chairman on November 1, 2016, on completion of his tenure.

Ramadorai Quit as Chairman of NSDC,NSDA

Former Tata Consultancy Services vice-chairman S Ramadorai has resigned as the chief of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) & National Skill Development Agency (NSDA). He was appointed Chairman of NSDC in May 2013. He is also the Chairman of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, AirAsia India & BSE. The also served as the CEO of Tata Consultancy Services between 1996 and 2009.

Banks to Report Frauds of Rs1 cr & Above

The Central Vigilance Commission has now made it mandatory for the public sector banks to report any bank fraud of funds of over Rs one crore. The CVC has hired four General Manager ranked officers from bank as advisors,. They will recommend whether CBI probe can be ordered in cases of bank frauds. According to the CBI data, in 2015, the agency had probed 171 cases of bank frauds.

Twitter India Head Rishi Jaitly Quits

Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly has quit the company after spending four years at the popular microblogging website. He made the announcement on Twitter itself. He has played a key role in expanding the company’s operations in India. He has also been associated with Knight Foundation and College Summit and was co-founder and CEO of Michigan Corps.

03-11-2016

03-11-2016

Saudi Arabia Awards Water Prize-1

Saudi Arabia has awarded 8 scientists International Prize for Water at a ceremony at UN headquarters in New York. The bi-annual prize, established in 2002 named after Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz. The ceremony was hosted by UN Friends of Water & presided over by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The prize committee chairman Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz also present.

Saudi Arabia Awards Water Prize-2

Dr. Rita Colwell ,Dr. Shafiqul Islam & Peter J. Webster took home the “Creativity Prize”. The Surface Water Prize went to Dr. Gary Parker. Dr. Tissa H. Illangasekare was awarded the “Ground Water Prize”. The “Alternative Water Resources Prize” was given to Dr. Rong Wang & Dr. Anthony Fang. Dr. Daniel P. Loucks won the “Water Management & Protection Prize”.

NASA Powerful Space Telescope Completed

NASA has successfully completed building its largest space telescope. It will be 100 times more powerful than the Hubble probe & may find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe. The James Webb Space Telescope will be the successor to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The Webb telescope’s infrared cameras are so sensitive that it needs to be shielded from the rays of the Sun.

Marwah is Canada’s First Sikh Senator

Former Scotia bank vice-chairman Sarabjit Singh Marwah has become the first Sikh to be appointed to the Canadian Senate. Toronto based Marwah is among six people from Ontario who have appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Marwah is one of the founders of the Sikh Foundation of Canada that promotes Sikh culture. He was born in Kolkata in 1952.

China Unveils J-20 Stealth Jet Fighter

China has showcased its new J-20 stealth fighter in southern Guangdong Province’s city of Zhuhai in a spectacular fly over at Air Show China. It is the country’s biggest meeting of aircraft makers and buyers. The J-20 is a long-range radar-evading fighter jet equipped with air-to-air missiles. It is expected to be deployed with the Chinese Air Force within the next two to three years.

Online Registration for PMAY

The govt has allowed online applications for affordable homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). This is expected to ease the process & boost the number of applications. The housing ministry has enabled online submission of applications from Nov 3. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed between housing and Electronics & Information Technology Ministry.

Bindeshwar Brand Ambassador of SRM

Railway has appointed Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak as a brand ambassador for Swachh Rail Mission. It aims to promote cleanliness at rail premises. As a pilot project, Sulabh has started cleaning and maintenance of five important railway stations from September. These railway stations are Gorakhpur, Old Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Gwalior.

Dubai Film Festival to Honour Rekha

Indian actor Rekha will be honoured by the upcoming Dubai International Film Festival with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The festival runs from Dec 7 to 14. Rekha has acted in over 180 films in a career spanning over 40 years. Apart from mainstream cinema, appeared in arthouse films, known in India as parallel cinema. Several awards have gone to her including a Padma Shri & a Filmfare .

Pranab Mukherjee Arrives in Nepal

President Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Nepal on on a three-day state visit. He was welcomed at Kathmandu’s airport by Nepal’s president, Bidhya Devi Bhandari. He will meet with the president, prime minister and top officials. He is the first presidential visit from India in 18 years to the Himalayan nation. The last Indian President to visit Nepal was KR Narayanan on May 28, 1998.

PM Modi Inaugurate AMCDRR 2016

PM Modi has inaugurated the 3-day Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction, AMCDRR in New Delhi. This is the first major inter-governmental event after the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. It was adopted at the third UN World Conference in Sendai,Japan in March, 2015. The conference aimed at regional co-operation over disaster risk reduction.

PM Gives away RNG Journalism Awards

PM Modi gave away the Ramnath Goenka awards for excellence in journalism in New Delhi. PM Modi gave away the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards across 28 categories for exceptional work in print, broadcast and online journalism. The awards were instituted by the Ramnath Goenka Foundation in 2005 to celebrate the legacy of the founder of The Indian Express Group.

Ministry Tell NSFs to Identify Prospects

The Sports Ministry has directed the National Sports Federations (NSFs) to identify potential medallists for the 2020 Olympics. The move is to ensure that the core probable get support of dedicated world class support staff on a continuing basis. The Ministry has further advised NSFs to prepare the programme of training and exposures of the medal prospects for the year 2017.

Pratul Wins Bahrain International Title

Young Indian shuttler Pratul Joshi clinched his maiden international title. He won against Aditya Joshi in the finals of the Bahrain International Challenge badminton tournament at Segayya in Bahrain. He prevailed 21-17, 12-21, 21-15 over Aditya in the summit clash. In the semi-finals, Pratul, seeded third, had beaten compatriot Siddharth Thakur 21-16, 22-20.

NCR Bags Largest ATM Order from SBI

US-based ATM manufacturer NCR Corporation has bagged a Rs 334-crore order from SBI to install over 7,000 cash-vending machines. State Bank has awarded NCR with the single largest order of ATMs in the country. NCR is the largest player in the domestic ATM market with over 1 lakh cash-vending machines running. Its new ATMs are equipped with the latest anti-fraud security solutions.

Chipmaker Broadcom to Buy Brocade

Chipmaker Broadcom Ltd said it would buy Brocade Communications Systems Inc for $5.5 billion. The deal will allow Broadcom to corner a larger share of the data center products market. Singapore-based Broadcom, formerly Avago Technologies, is known for its connectivity chips used in products ranging from mobiles to servers. Brocade makes networking switches, software & storage products.

S&P Sticks with India’s Credit Ratings

International rating agency Standard & Poor’s has affirmed its ‘BBB-/A-3’ credit ratings for India. S&P affirms ‘BBB-/A-3’ rating on India with stable outlook. S&P had last in September 2014 upgraded India’s rating tostable from negative. The rating agency expects India’s economy to grow 7.9 percent in 2016 with current account deficit at 1.4 per cent of the gross domestic product.

LinkedIn Inks MoU with HRD Ministry

LinkedIn has signed an agreement with the human resource development ministry to create more job opportunities for Indian students. As part of the MoU, LinkedIn’s ‘Placements’ product will be adopted by all Indian colleges affiliated with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). It gives them direct access to thousands of openings in 35 top corporates in India.

Zensar Acquires UK-based Foolproof

Pune-based Zensar Technologies acquired Foolproof Limited and three of its subsidiaries for an undisclosed sum to build its digital portfolio. Foolproof helps global brands design digital products and services. It had revenues of £8.5 million for last 12 months and employs 100 consultants. Foolproof will continue to be managed by founders Peter Ballard and Tom Wood.

ICICI Bank Rolls Out Overdraft Facility

ICICI Bank has launched a credit facility against home loans for salaried customers. It will enable customers to seek loans upto Rs 1 crore for personal needs against property. His offering provides customers with the dual advantage of a term loan and an overdraft facility. The minimum and maximum loan over the Home Overdraft facility is Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 1 crore, respectively.

SBI Cuts Home Loan Rate by 15 bps

SBI has slashed interest rate on home loans by 15 basis points to 9.15 per cent. The revised rates for new borrowers will be for loans up to Rs 75 lakh. For woman borrowers, SBI has brought down the interest rate to 9.10% per annum from 9.25% while for others to 9.15% from 9.30%. This means that on a home loan of Rs 50 lakh of 30 years, a home buyer can save Rs 542 per month on EMIs.

04-11-2016

Indian Researcher Wins the Talent Award

Indian researcher Shamik Chowdhury was awarded the German Green Talent Award. He is a PhD student in environmental engineering from the National University of Singapore. His name is among the list of 25 young researchers who have been honoured with the award. They were awarded for their innovative green ideas by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Putin Grant Citizenship to Steven Seagal

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin issued a presidential decree that grants Russian citizenship to U.S action-movie star Steven Seagal. Putin and Seagal are longtime friends. Seagal is the latest in a string of foreign celebrities to be awarded Russian nationality by the Kremlin in recent years. Others include French actor Gerard Depardieu and US boxer Roy Jones Jr.

Brexit Will Require a Vote in Parliament

A British court ruled that the government needs parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union. The High Court ruled that the government needs parliament’s backing to trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty. The government said it would appeal against the High Court ruling. Britain’s Supreme Court is expected to consider the case early next month.

China Launches First Heavy-Lift Rocket

China has successfully launched its most powerful heavy-lift rocket which is expected to be used in future space programmes. The Long March 5 rocket can carry up to 25 tons around the same weight as 16 cars into low earth orbit (LEO). The rocket’s design will be used in future years to propel the core module of China’s permanent space station as well as lunar and Mars missions.

Paris Climate Pact Enters into Force

The global accord to combat climate change agreed in Paris last year officially entered into force. The Paris Agreement’s entry into force comes a month after countries representing 55% of the world’s emissions committed to joining the deal. The agreement aims to limiting the rise in average world temperatures to “well below” 2.0 degrees Celsius above preindustrial times.

Delhi Facing Worst Smog in 17 years

Delhi witnessed the worst spell of smog in 17 years, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said. Experts said the situation should be now treated as an emergency & effort should be made to protect children & the old. All the monitoring stations of SAFAR had air quality in the severe category. Peak level of respirable pollutants PM2.5 & PM10 also violated the safe limits.

Google Ties up with ASI

Google has tied up with Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) for 360 degree virtual tour of 280-odd monuments across the country. ASI had given the permission to Google for creating the virtual tour, which would be available in the maps. Some of the major monuments are Taj Mahal, Victoria Memorial and the ruins of Hampi. One billion people across the globe were using Google maps.

IAF Lands C-17 at Arunachal Pradesh

The Indian Air Force landed its largest military transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster at Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh at an elevation of 6,200 feet above sea level. The landing of the aircraft gives further boost to the IAF’s transport capabilities. The strip called the ‘Advanced Landing Ground’ (ALG) is maintained by the IAF. It will be one of its key forward bases along the China border.

Prez Receives Honorary D Litt Degree

President Pranab Mukherjee received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D Litt) from the Kathmandu University. Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also the ex-officio Chancellor of the University, conferred the title on the President at a special convocation ceremony. Mr Mukherjee is in Nepal on a three-day state visit to Nepal.

Railway Set 100% de-carbonisation Target

The Indian Railways has set a target to achieve 100% de-carbonisation, with 90% electrification in next five years. Railway Minister said with the investment of Rs 25,000 cr,electrification of nearly 25,000 km will generate employment for youth. It will also promote local manufacturer and vendor to support the Make in India. Electrification will reduce the fuel bill by Rs 10,000 cr annually.

Chicago Cubs win 2016 World Series

The Chicago Cubs have won baseball’s World Series. The Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings, winning the series four games to three. It was the Cubs’ first World Series win since 1908. For more than 100 years, the Cubs have been known as “lovable losers.” The team has many fans all across the country, but it never seems to be able to win big games.

MobiKwik,IRCTC Tie up for E-cash Payment

Mobile payments network MobiKwik has partnered with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to launch e-cash payments for tatkal bookings. The instantaneous e-cash payments will help tatkal online in managing the load of over a thousand ticket bookings per minute. The service will also help users in ensuring that their bookings do not get rejected due to payment delays.

Yes Bank Launches Mobile Banking App

Private sector bank Yes Bank has launched a mobile banking app, YES MOBILE 2.0. The app claims to be equipped with various industry-first features and supports banking transactions via Apple and Android-based smart watches as well. It boasts of features like an customisable user interface, one touch comprehensive bill payment & speech-to-text capabilities among others.

Twitter MD for India & SE Asia Quits

Twitter’s Managing Director for Southeast Asia, India, Middle East and North Africa region Parminder Singh has quit the company. Following this,the micro-blogging website has appointed Maya Hari as its new Managing Director for South East Asia and India. Mr. Singh’s move comes after Twitter’s India head Rishi Jaitly has quit. Twitter recently reduced nine per cent of its workforce globally.

Suzuki Motor to Invest $970 million

Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp will invest about 100 billion yen ($970.97 million) in a second vehicle production line at its new plant in Gujarat. The second line could debut in early 2019. It will manufacture the same yearly volume as the first production line, which is slated to debut in 2017. The addition of the production lines are expected to increase Suzuki’s manufacturing capacity.

India Imposes Anti-Dumping Duty

The Indian government has imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of steel wire rods from China. It has been imposed to protect domestic manufacturers from cheap in-bound shipments. Anti-dumping duty has been imposed for six months on import of wire rod of alloy or non-alloy steel from China. The measure follows recommendation by the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD).

Tata Motors Signs MoU with PT Pindad

Tata Motors has signed an MoU with Indonesia’s PT Pindad. The MoU aims for cooperation, to effectively explore market potential of Tata armoured vehicles in Indonesia. The MoU includes a study to check the feasibility of locally assembling Tata armoured vehicles at PT Pindad’s facility. PT Pindad is an Indonesian state-owned enterprise specialising in military and commercial products.

RBI Allows Banks to Issue Masala Bonds

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed banks to issue rupee-denominated bonds, or masala bonds, in the overseas market. It aims to shore up their capital base as well as for financing infrastructure and affordable housing. The rupee bond route will open an additional avenue to raise funds for banks. It will help develop the market of rupee-denominated bonds abroad.

HDFC, ICICI Bank Cut Home Loan Rate

Biggest mortgage firm HDFC & private sector lender ICICI Bank cut home loan rate by 0.15 per cent. Home loans from HDFC up to Rs 75 lakh for women borrowers will now attract an interest of 9.15 per cent and for others it will be 9.20 per cent. ICICI Bank home loans up to Rs 75 lakh for women borrowers will attract an interest of 9.15 per cent from the earlier rate of 9.30 per cent.

GST Rate Structure Finalized

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be levied at multiple rates ranging from 0% to 28%. Ultra luxuries, demerit and sin goods, will attract a cess for a period of five years on top of the 28% GST. The lowest slab of 5 per cent will be for items of common consumption. There would be two standard rates of 12 per cent and 18 per cent, which would fall on the bulk of the goods and services.

05-11-2016

5-Nov: World Tsunami Awareness Day

The 5th of Nov has been designated by the UN as the World Tsunami Awareness Day(WTAD). This first celebration in 2016 is under the coordination of the UN Office for Disaster Reduction. A tsunami is a series of waves caused by large earthquakes & the waves can become fast moving walls of water which can affect lives and property. The first WTAD will focus on education and evacuation drills.

Latvia to Link with Belt Road Initiative

Latvia has become the first country in the Baltic Sea area to sign a MoU to link up with China’s Belt & Road Initiative. The MoU was signed after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s meeting with his Latvian counterpart Maris Kucinskis. The initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt & the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to boost connectivity and trade across Asia, Africa & Europe.

The World’s Highest-Paid Women In Music

Taylor Swift has been named the highest-paid woman in music for 2016 in Forbes’ annual list. The US business magazine estimated Swift earned $170m between 1 June 2015 and 1 June 2016. Trailing behind Swift on the list was Adele, who placed second with $US80.5 million. Number three on the list was Madonna, off the back of the successful Rebel Heart tour which grossed $US170 million.

Curiosity Rover Discovers Rare Egg Rock

A globular, golf-ball-size object discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars has been confirmed as a rare iron-nickel meteorite. Iron-nickel meteorites are a common class of space rocks found on Earth. But this one, called “Egg Rock,”is the first on Mars examined with a laser-firing spectrometer. Egg Rock may have fallen to the surface of Mars many millions of years ago.

Xuanzang China Official Entry to Oscars

China has selected historical adventure film “Xuanzang” as its official entry for the 89th Academy Awards. It also stars Bollywood actor Sonu Sood. Directed by Huo Jianqi, it also stars Indian actors Neha Sharma and Ali Fazal. Xuanzang is a historical movie that shows the seventeen year old journey of the Chinese Buddhist monk, Xuanzang to India during the Tang dynasty.

Former J&K Deputy CM Mangat Ram Dies

Former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma has passed away. The six-time legislator also served as the speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. He served as Deputy Chief Minister in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed led PDP-Congress coalition government. He also held important positions in the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee.

Govt Launches PMSMA for Pregnant Women

Govt has launched a scheme to provide free health check-ups to pregnant women at government health centres & hospitals. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) was announced by PM Modi during his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat on June 9. It invites the private sector to provide free ante-natal services (ANC) on the 9th of every month on a voluntary basis to pregnant women.

Titanium Project Begins Test Production

The first titanium project of India being established by Saraf Group in Ganjam district of Odisha started its test production. This is first of its kind titanium plant and the only one in the country. During the test run, one of its four furnaces became functional. After inception this plant is expected to produce 36,000 tons of titanium slag and 20,000 tons of pig iron per year.

Maha 1st to Launch Cyber Police Stations

Maharashtra is converting 42 state-of-the-art cyber crime labs into cyber police stations. The move is part of BJP-led government’s strategy to take on cyber criminals. Maharashtra is the first state in the country which will have a cyber police station in each district. Any offence related to cyber crime will be registered in these police stations at the district level.

Tharoor Book on British Empire Released

Vice President Shri. M Hamid Ansari has released the book ‘An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India’ authored by Dr Shashi Tharoor. Shashi Tharoor is a Lok Sabha MP & former Congress minister. He was previously Minister of State for External Affairs (2009–2010). The book recalls in some detail the misdeeds of the British in looting India & making it suffer an agonising &violent death.

IITs to Hold Entrance Exams in Kathmandu

Students from Nepal will be able to write entrance examinations of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) from next year. For this, our IITs will open their entrance examinations to Nepali students. This was announced by President Mukherjee while Addressing a seminar titled Nepal & India: Exploring New Vistas. Mukherjee is currently on a three-day visit to Nepal.

Switzerland Tourism Appoints Ranveer

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has been now named the first Indian ambassador for Switzerland Tourism. He will now be in charge of promoting Switzerland Tourism’s campaign for 2017 – “Nature wants you back!”. Switzerland is a mountainous Central European country, home to numerous lakes & the high peaks of the Alps. Switzerland has always been known for its serenity & its natural beauty.

Palpreet Included in NBA D-League Draft

Palpreet Singh was selected 11th in the fourth Round of the NBA D-League Draft held in New York. He was winner of National Finals of ACG-NBA Jump, India’s first national basketball talent search program. The NBA is devoted to identifying and developing talent. Satnam Singh, who became the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA when he was selected 52nd overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.

US Cuts N Korea Off From Banking System

The United States has formally prohibited U.S. financial institutions from opening or maintaining accounts created on behalf of North Korean banks. The U.S. Treasury Department said North Korea was using front companies to conduct illicit financial transactions & support the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. North Korea has conducted its fifth nuclear test in September.

President Approves Payment of 2% DA

President Pranab Mukherjee has approved the 2% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) to central government employees. A move that could benefit 50.68 lakh employees and 54.24 lakh pensioners. DA is provided to employees and pensioners to minimise the impact of price rise on their earnings. The DA will result in an annual burden of Rs 5,622.10 crore.

Amazon Most Attractive Internet Brand

US-based online retailer Amazon has been ranked as the most attractive Internet brand in the country according to India’s Most Attractive Brands Study 2016. The study was carried out by Trust Research Advisory (TRA). Google emerged as the second-most attractive Internet brand in the country while its overall ranking was 102. Flipkart grabbed the third position in the Internet category.

RIL Fined $1.55 bn in ONGC Gas Dispute

The government has slapped a $1.55-billion penalty on the Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL). The fine was imposed for producing state-owned ONGC share of natural gas in the Krishna-Godavari basin. RIL is already locked in arbitration with the govt on various other issues. KG Basin is spread across 50,000 sq km in the Krishna & Godavari river basins near the coast of Andhra Pradesh.

Government Sells 1.63% in L&T

The government has sold nearly 1.5 crore shares of construction and engineering major Larsen & Toubro (L&T), or 1.6% for about Rs 2,100 crore. The government stakes were held in Administrator of the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI). Funds mobilised through this stake sale will help meet the government’s target to garner finances through divestments in various PSUs.

Shyamal Mukherjee Elected PWC Chairman

Shyamal Mukherjee has been elected as the chairman of PwC India, replacing two-time chairman Deepak Kapoor. As per PwC Governance rules, a chairman is allowed to serve a maximum of two terms. The new chairman will take over from Deepak Kapoor on January 1, 2017. Mukherjee is a member of the India leadership team and part of PwC’s Global Strategy team.