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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Government notifies norms for making AAIB independent body
The government has reported the regulatory agenda for making the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) an autonomous body following the International Civil Aviation Organization (part of the United Nations)key audit of local aviation sector.
- The audit (third in last nine years) would cover aspects with aircraft investigation tool, aerodrome operations, air traffic control and air navigation.
- Norms have been notified for making AAIB(Under aviation regulator DGCA) an independent body and 21 positions plus that of Director General have also been informed.
Conference of Power, New Renewable Energy and Mines Ministers of States & UTs concluded
Power Ministers of all states and Union Territories ensured electrification of all the un-electrified villages by March 31, 2017following the Centre’s DeendayalUpadhyayaGrameenJyotiYojana (DDUGJY).
Chaired by: Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy Minister PiyushGoyal
Ministers who attended the conference:
Secretary, Power P K Pujari, Secretary MNRE UpendraTripathy and Power Secretaries of States and Union Territories
Objective:
- To work in mission mode to complete the activities in the roll out plan for achieving the 24×7 Power For All by 2019
- To ensure expeditious implementation of Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) projects by implementing them within 30 months from date of sanction.
- To achieve 15 % Aggregate Technical and Commercial Losses (AT & C) at national level by 2019-20.
Deadline for states to submit their plan for power:December 31, 2015
States who decided to replace 10 % of existing agricultural water pumps with energy efficient pumps plus solar, within one year are Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
China, Singapore starts negotiations on upgrading Free Trade Agreement
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong endorsed the promotion of negotiations to upgrade the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA).
- Singapore Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang and China’s Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng swapped letters to wave the start of discussions to check the FTA that came into force in 2009.
Agreements:
Development of a government-to-government project in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing(located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River)on strategic connectivity. This is the third joint project between the governments of Singapore and China.
Other projects : Suzhou Industrial Park and Tianjin Eco-city.
- Cooperation in education, urban planning and management and on the Sino-Singapore International Joint Research Institute in the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City.
- The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore declared that joint research institute in Guangzhou directs to develop new technologies.
Key points:
- China is Singapore’s largest trading partner whereas Singapore has been China’s largest foreign investor since 2013 and became China’s largest overseas direct investment destination in ASEAN in 2014 , will complete the review by 2016.
Australia, China ink deal to share info on Antarctica condition
Deal: to share information about sea ice conditions around Antarctica for better navigation and shipping in the Earth’s southernmost continent.
Signed between: China’s National Marine Environment Forecasting Centre and Australia’s Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) in Hobart city.
Reason: Fluctuating sea ice conditions can create problems for scientific and resupply operations in Antarctica. It has been also seen that a number of private and commercial ships got stuck in the sea ice in recent years as a result it can lead to costly rescue operations that break scientific work.
Key points:
Antarctica is the Earth’s fifth largest continent and is covered in ice. It covers Earth’s South Pole.
Cooperative Research Centre(CRC):
To enhance Australia’s industrial, commercial and economic growth through the development of sustained, user-driven, cooperative public-private research centres that achieve high levels of outputs in adoption and commercialization.
- Chief :Mark Kellehe
BUSINESS
NCML forges partnership with South African agri-business firm
National Collateral Management Services (NCML) signed an agreement with South Africa’s largest agri-business company (AFGRI) for cooperation in areas of
- Cross-border trade flow
- Grain management and marketing
- Trade finance and collateral management
- Inspection, testing and certification,
- Geo mapping
- Weather intelligence and crop estimation
It will promote India- Africa trade flows in agriculture and food products.
Key points :
- NCML is India’s leading post-harvest agriculture management firm.
- NCML Managing Director and CEO Sanjay Kaul
- AFGRI is a top food and agri-management company with presence in over 40 African countries.
- AFGRI CMD Chris Venters
Nestle India ties up with Snapdeal
Nestle India has resumed manufacturing Maggie noodles after getting the permission from certified labs and presently manufactured at Nanjangud in Karnataka, Moga in Punjab and Bicholim in Goa, has partnered with Snapdeal.
Reason of ban:
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned the production and sale of Maggi amid addressed that samples contained high levels of lead which is dangerous and the taste enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG).
- The Bombay high court abated the ban and asked the company to get samples tested by three labs accredited to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.
Key points:
- Managing director of Nestlé’s Indian arm: Suresh Narayanan
- Snapdeal owner: KunalBahl
- HQ: New Delhi
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Boeing, Tata Group announce aerospace JV in India
Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems stated a joint venture that will manufacture aero structures for aircraft and act as a teamfor integrated systems development opportunities in India.
Highlights:
Benefits: Growth of the Indian aerospace sector as well as provide access to India’s world-class manufacturing capability, skilled talent and competitive cost structures.
- Tata Advanced Materials has provided multiple panels for the power and mission equipment cabinets and supporting power unit door fairings for the P-8I long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. TAL Manufacturing Solutions is manufacturing complex floor beams out of composite materials for the
- Boeing 787-9 is the most modern aircraft with uniqueenvironmental and fuel-efficientaptitudes.
Key points :
- TASL is manufacturing and association of both aircraft and helicopters.
- MD &CEO( Tata Advanced Systems):Sukaran Singh
- President and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security:Chris Chadwick,
- Boeing Chairman: Jim Mc Nerney
Adani Ports to acquire L&T’s Kattupalli Port in TN
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) through its subsidiary Adani Kattupalli Port has acquired the Kattupalli Port in Tamil Nadu from L&T Shipbuilding announced by Gautam Adani, chairman, Adani Group.
About Kattupalli Port :
- The Port commenced commercial operations in January 2013 and has two berths with a total quay length of about 710 meters.
- The port has a cargo handling capacity of 1.2 Million TEUs per annum. The Kattupalli Port is located adjacent to and north of Ennore Port where APSEZ is developing the Ennore container terminal.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
N Srinivasan was dethroned as ICC Chairman
Srinivasan was dethroned as the ICC Chairman after the BCCI decided to recall him and nominate its newly elected President Shashank Manohar as the chief of the world body.
- Decision to remove Srinivasan was taken at the BCCI’s 86th Annual General Meetingvirtually wavingthe end of his tenure.
- Already been expelledas the BCCI President in 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal in which his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was charged for betting charges. Supreme Court appointed R M Lodha committee had reproachedhim for not acting on the fundamentalswhich stainedthe IPL.
Key points:
Now he is only the president of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and his company India Cements had owned the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, was banned for two years after its officials were held guilty of betting.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Ballistic missile Agni-IV test-fired as part of user trial
Ballistic missile Agni-IV test-fired as part of user trial with strike range of 4,000 km from a test complex off Odisha coast.
- Tested from:Dr A P J Abdul Kalam(Wheeler) Island launch complex.
- Previous versions:Agni-I, II and III and Prithvi missiles are already in the arsenal of the armed forceswith reach of about 3000 km
- Properties of Agni-IV :Surface to surface Agni-IV missile
- Strike range:4000 km(two stage missile)
- Length and weight: 20 meter,17tonnes
- Special features: Equipped with state of the art Avionics
- 5th generation On Board Computer and distributed architecture
Latest features to correct and guide itself for in-flightturbulences.
- Most accurate Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS),supported by reliable redundant Micro Navigation System (MINGS) so the vehicle reach the target within two digit accuracy
- Re-entry heat shield can enduretemperatures upto4000 degree centigrade and makes sure the avionics function normally with inside temperature remaining less than 50 degree centigrade
- This was the fifth trial of Agni-IV missile. The last flight test steeredby the strategic force command (SFC) of the Indian Army as part of user trial on December 2, 2014 was also successful.
Highly encrypted Cloud system of the army launched
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurate the 2 initiative system for Indian army.
- A highly encrypted Cloud system of the Indian Army
- Digital Army
Army Cloud :
- Army Cloud includes a central date centre and near line data centre, both in Delhi.
- A disaster recovery site for a replication of its critical data along with virtualised servers and storage in an environmentally controlled complex.
- This is similar to ‘Meghraj’ – the Cloud system of National Informatics Centre, and will provide all information technology infrastructure, including servers for computing, storage, network security equipment centrally for automation of Indian Army.
Digital Army Initiative :
- ‘Digi-Locker‘ which provides a secure and exclusive data storage space to all the units and formation headquarters of the army over its dedicated data network.
- The digi-locker of the army is similar toe-Locker of Digital India programme and has all the features like digital signatures and watermarking.
Key points :
- Indian Army Chief : General Dalbir Singh Suhag
CISF launches mobile app for jawans
CISF has launched a new mobile application ‘m-Power‘ was launched by CISF Director General Surender Singh
For Whom : Civil aviation,Aerospace and Nuclear power domain.
- For its troops which will enable them to check their pay-related queries and register grievances while being on the move.
- This is the first phase of the mobile-based application which offers one-touch access to information about locations and contact details of all force units, an employees’ pay, interface for lodging grievance, monitoring its status and for knowing other service-related details.
SPORTS
Nigeria won 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The Nigeria U-17 team, Golden Eaglets won the FIFA U-17 World Cup held in between October 17 and November 8 in Chile.
Winners
| Place | Country |
| First | Nigeria |
| Second | Mali |
| Third | Belgium |
| Fourth | Mexico |
HeenaSidhu won gold in 13th Asian Shooting Championship
India’s HeenaSidhu clinched gold medal in the 10m air pistol women’s event at the 13th Asian Shooting Championship held in Kuwait city.
Medal tally(TOP 5)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1. | South Korea | 16 | 17 | 13 | 46 |
| 2. | India | 14 | 9 | 9 | 32 |
| 3. | China | 13 | 10 | 9 | 32 |
| 4. | Iran | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| 5. | Kazakhstan | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
FIFA to formally give India U-17 World Cup hosting rights
World football governing body FIFA give the right to host the third most important event on the FIFA calendar the Under-17 World Cup to India in 2017.
- The All India Football Federation (AIFF) looks upon this as an important step towards building the sport in India.
- With 24 countries playing 52 matches, the tournament is scheduled to be played across six world.
Key points :
- AIFF President : Praful Patel
- AIFF Headquarters : Shimla, HP
Indian Railways wins 32nd Indian Oil Surjit Hockey Tournament
Indian Railways won 32nd edition of Indian Oil Surjit Hockey tournament for the first time. Indian Railways team defeated Indian Oil Mumbai by 4-3 score.
Venue : Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar (Punjab).
- The winners were presented a cheque of Rs 5 lakh and the trophy. Runners-up get cash award of Rs 2.50 lakh and trophy.
- The Player of the Tournament Malak Singh of Indian Railways was given a cash award of Rs 25000.
About Surjit Memorial Hockey Tournament:
- It is an annual hockey tournament organized by Surjit Hockey Society in Jalandhar (Punjab) in the memory of Surjit Singh Randhawa(Indian field hockey player)
OBITUARY
Air Chief Marshal Om PrakashMehra passed away
Air Chief Marshal Om PrakashMehra, former Chief of Air Staff passed away. President ShriPranab Mukherjee has condoled his passing away.
Key points:
- During his service in the Air Force he flew variety of aircrafts Tiger Moth, Jaguar (in UK) and MiG-21
- Served as Governor of Maharashtra (1980) and Governor of Rajasthan (1982).
Awards:
- ParamVishishtSeva Medal(1968)
- Padma Vibhushan(1977)
Former UNI GM Virender Mohan passes away
Former General Manager of United News of India(UNI) Virender Mohan(75), died of cardiac arrest.
- He joined UNI as a young journalist and covered many news hits before being made its General Manager for the news agency.
United News of India is one of the largest news agencies in India.Its subscribers include newspapers published in 14 languages
- All India Radio and Doordarshan
- Prime Minister’s Office as well as Union Ministers’ offices
- Central and State governments
- Corporate and commercial houses besides electronic and web based media.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
What Happened to Netaji? authored by former journalist AnujDhar released
‘What Happened to Netaji’ was released at India Club in central London in the presence of the former Mayor of Harrow.Mrinal Choudhury and president of the NetajiSubhas Foundation UK SuhasKhale.
About book:
NetajiSubhash Chandra Bose in form of an unseen holy man of Faizabad,lived in numerousparts of Uttar Pradesh from 1050s to 1980s.
- Three prominent theories of Bose’s death before zeroing in on what has come to be known as the Faizabad angle to the Bose mystery.
- It sacked BJP leader Subramanian Swamy’s claim that Netaji was killed in the erst while USSR, keeping that Soviet Union had actually granted asylum to Netaji.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced earlier that the government will start revealing the secret files related to Bose from(January 23,2016)about solving the mystery about his disappearance.
About AnujDhar:
An Indian author and former journalist has published several books on the death of Subhas Chandra Bose(18 August 1945) when a Japanese plane carrying him crashed in Japanese-occupied Taiwan.
IMPORTANT DAYS
National Legal Services Day
21st National Legal Services Day was celebrated to ensure reasonable fair and justice procedure for all citizens.
Key points:
- NALSAs efforts such as legal aid clinics, Lok Adalats, prison legal aid clinics, and awareness programmes while legal assistance and legal aid clinics are essential, increasing legal awareness and empowerment is a key component in ensuring better justice delivery. NALSA has been working towards the noble goal of providing legal aid and services to the citizens in need.
- Union Law and Justice Minister Shri DV SadanandaGowda said Article 39A of the Constitution gives mandate to offer free legal services for the poor.
- NALSA Awards were also conferred to the members of legal fraternity from across the country for taking unique and creative initiatives for ensuring fair justice.
- Hon’ble Mr. Justice H.L.Dattu, the Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, Judge, Supreme Court of India is the Executive Chairman of the NALSA(National Legal Services Authority)
