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Click here to try Current Affairs Quiz : October 10 2016
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Union Power Minister assured electricity for all by May 2017
i. India would have 100 % electrification for all by May 1, 2017 was the announcement made by the Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal.
ii. He has the confident that 100 per cent electrification in rural, Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) districts and dense forests would be achieved by May 1, 2017, a year ahead of the schedule Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
iii. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and West Bengal are considered LWE or Maoist affected states.
iv. The state-run Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) is also formulating a scheme to extend soft loans to the states at a flat rate on long-term to achieve 100 per cent household electrification across the country.
v. Power ministers and officials from 20 states and two Union Territories participated in the conference along with heads of state-run energy firms.
India to light up IEA’s global LED programme
i. India, through its company Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has performed exceedingly well in terms of vastly improving access to LED lighting while reducing their cost drastically.
ii. The LED programme by EESL has been so successful that IEA is partnering with it to take the programme global was reported by Paul Simons, Deputy Executive Director at the IEA.
iii. The price at which EESL has been purchasing LED lights to distribute under the government’s Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (Ujala) scheme has been consistently falling over the last couple of years. The company purchased LEDs at Rs.310 per piece in 2014, and the price fell to Rs.55 as of March 2016.
iv. The International Energy Agency (IEA)) is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.
4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting held at Jaipur
i. 4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was held at Jaipur, Rajasthan on 8 October, 2016 to strengthen the collaboration amongst the BRICS countries in the areas of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
ii. Theme – Building, Responsive Inclusive and Collective Solutions
iii. The meeting was chaired by the Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan. The Vice Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil, Mr. lvaro Toubes Prata, Deputy Minister of Federation of Russia, Mr. Alexey Lopatia, Vice Minister of S&T of Peoples Republic of China, H.E.Mr. Jiang Hua, Minister of Science and Technology of South Africa H.E. Madam Naledi Pandor led their respective country delegations.
iv. The Jaipur Declaration was adopted by all the BRICS countries. The member countries resolved to intensify, diversify and institutionalize STI cooperation through the BRICS research & innovation initiative.
Other related events :
♦ India hosted the 1st BRICS Young Scientists Conclave at Bengaluru and Hampi last week.
MP Gov launched ‘Lalima Abhiyan’ to make state free from anaemia
i. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided to launch a scheme-‘Lalima Abhiyan’ to make Madhya Pradesh anaemia-free. It will be effective from November 1, 2016
ii. Free iron folic acid tablets will be provided in aaganwadis’, academic institutions and hospitals.
iii. Ferrous escorbate tablets instead of ferrous sulphate tablets will be distributed by the state’s Health Minister, Jagat Prasad Nadda
iv. Minister of State for Women and Child Development Lalita Yadav has appealed to public representatives, non-governmental organisations and government officers and employees to cooperate for the success of the campaign.
SC widens scope of Domestic Violence Act, makes it gender-neutral
i. Supreme Court has widened the scope of the Domestic Violence Act by ordering deletion of the words “adult male” from it, paving the way for prosecution of women and even non-adults for subjecting a woman relative to violence and harassment.
ii. The apex court has ordered striking down of the two words from section 2(q) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, which deals with respondents who can be sued and prosecuted under the Act for harassing a married woman in her matrimonial home.
iii. According to the apex court, the microscopic difference between male and female, adult and non adult, regard being had to the object sought to be achieved by the 2005 Act, is neither real or substantial, nor does it have any rational relation to the object of the legislation.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Coordinated Patrol and India-Indonesia Bilateral Maritime Exercise Commenced at Belawan, Indonesia
i. India and Indonesia commenced their second coordinated patrol and bilateral maritime exercise in the Andaman Sea.
ii. Indian Naval Ship Karmuk, an indigenously built missile warship, based under the Andaman and Nicobar Command,along with a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft, participated in the 28th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol and Second Bilateral Maritime Exercise, scheduled in the Andaman Sea.
iii. The two navies have been carrying out Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) on respective sides of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping, International trade and legitimate marine activities.
iv. The CORPAT has strengthened understanding and interoperability between the two navies and promoted net maritime security in the region.
v. The bilateral cooperation has increased significantly with the scheduling of the Second Bilateral Maritime Exercise along with the 28th edition of the CORPAT.
Indonesia:
♦ Capital: Jakarta
♦ Currency: Indonesian rupiah
♦ President: Joko Widodo
BANKING & FINANCE
SEBI proposes ban on trading tips through SMS, social media
i. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed a ban on unauthorised trading tips through social media platforms like SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook
ii. SEBI also proposed to curb unsolicited investment advice through electronic and broadcasting media platforms and a detailed advertisement code for those providing such advice.
iii. Banks, NBFCs and various corporate bodies would have to set up a separate subsidiary for investment advisory services. Sebi has proposed a time period of three years for existing entities offering investment advisory services through separate department or division to set up a separate subsidiary.
SEBI :
♦ Headquarters : Mumbai
♦ It was established by The Government of India on 12 April 1988 and given statutory powers in 1992 with SEBI Act 1992 being passed by the Indian Parliament.
BUSINESS
Government extended anti-dumping duty on certain Chinese products
i. Revenue department has extended anti-dumping duty on import of certain Chinese products, used in garment, footwear and toys manufacturing, for another five years.The anti-dumping duty on ‘narrow woven fabrics hook and loop velcro tapes’ would be charged at the rate of USD 1.87 per kilogram.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) based on recommendations of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD).
iii. Anti-Dumping Duty is a trade levy imposed by any government on imported products which have prices less than their fair normal values in their domestic market.
iv. It was imposed under the multilateral World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime and varies from product to product and from country to country.
IndiGo introduces child-free zones on its flights
i. India based airlines IndiGo has introduced child-free zones on all of its flights.
ii. According to this rows 1 to 4 and 11 to 14 are designated quiet zones so that business travelers can do their work without interruption.
iii. The airline avoids seating children below the age of 12 in these rows, which are near emergency exits.
BHEL commissions another 660 Mw thermal unit in UP
i. New Delhi based BHEL is commissioned another 660 MW coal-based supercritical thermal power unit in Uttar Pradesh.
ii. It has added 4,300 MW of power generation capacity in the state of Uttar Pradesh in December 2015
iii. The project is owned by Prayagraj Power Generation Company Ltd (PPGCL), a subsidiary company of Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd
Railways, Odisha sign MoU for Cost Sharing of Nabarangpur, Malkangiri Rail Lines
i. Ministry of Railways signed MoU with Government of Odisha for cost sharing of two new railway line projects.
ii. The Mou was signed in the presence of Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu and Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik.
iii. Accoding to the MoU, Odisha will bear entire land cost and 50% cost of construction of Jeyore- Nabarangpur (38) km, and 25% of total cost of Jeypore-Malkangiri(130 km) Rail Line Projects.
iv. This two new line projects viz. Jeypore- Nabarangpur and Jeypore- Malkangiri was included by Indian Railways in the Railway budget 2016-17. Rs. 4880 Crore has been provided to Odisha
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan bagged Outstanding Celebrity Woman of the Year award
i. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan recently received the ‘Outstanding Celebrity Woman of the Year’ award while featuring among Outlook Business’ 19 outstanding women
ii. The former Miss World looked gorgeous on the cover of the issue, 19 women achievers shared their successful, entrepreneurial journey in a candid conversation with Outlook Business.
iii. Aishwarya Rai was born on 1 November 1973 at Mangalore, Karnataka. She is an Indian actress, model and the winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant.
iv. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS). In 2003, she was the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.
Chandigarh International Airports limited (CHIAL) terminal won IBC award
i. The new integrated terminal building of Chandigarh International Airports Limited (CHIAL) has bagged the 2014-15 India Building Congress (IBC) Award for Excellence in Built Environment.
ii. AAI General Manager for engineering projects D Kamra received the award from Union Urban Development, and Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu at the 21st annual convention inaugural function.
iii. The terminal is being operated and maintained by CHIAL, which is a joint venture firm between AAI and the governments of Punjab and Haryana.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Indian researcher produces stable solar cells
i. A researcher from Pune’s Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) has successfully produced a stable, high-efficiency, all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystal solar cells.
ii. The new material has 10.77% efficiency to convert sunlight to electricity.
iii. According to the scientist, Generally, more electrical energy is required to get low energy emission in LEDs. But less electrical energy was sufficient to produce red light in LEDs made using using the nanocrystal thin film.
Great Balls of Fire detected by Hubble Space Telescope detects
i. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has detected Great Balls of Fire (GBF), a
mysterious super-hot blobs of gas seen near a dying star.
ii. These plasma balls were moving so fast through space that it would take only 30 minutes for them to travel from Earth to the moon. The observations suggest that these balls of fire had been appearing every 8.5 years for at least the last four centuries.
iii. The gas balls were observed near a red giant called V Hydrae that is about 1200 light-years away from Earth.If scientists are able to discover origin of these balls, it could explain other weird shapes seen in the cloud of gas around dying stars, which is difficult for scientists to explain at present.
iv. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990, and remains in operation. Although not the first space telescope, Hubble is one of the largest and most versatile, and is well known as both a vital research tool and a public relations boon for astronomy.
High-altitude glacial lab opens in the Himalayas
i. The glaciological research lab inaugurated by M. Rajeevan, Secretary to the Ministry of Earth Sciences at Himansh in the Spiti Valley on October 10, 2016. It was located at an altitude of nearly 13,500 feet.
ii. It was established by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), has automatic weather stations, ground penetrating radars, geodetic GPS systems and other sophisticated facilities to study glaciers and their discharge.
iii. The facility will serve as the base for Terrestrial Laser Scanners and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to digitise glacier movements and snow cover variations.
SPORTS
Russian Open badminton 2016
i. Ruthvika Shivani Gadde from India won the women’s singles title after beating Evgeniya Kosetskaya 21-10, 21-13 in a 26-minute at the Russain Open badminton held in Vladivostok, Russia.
ii. In the same event Indian pair N Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Chopra defeated the Russian duo of Vladimir Ivanov and Valeria Sorokina 21-17 21-19 to clinched the Mixed doubles title.
Wiiner List :
| Title | Winner | Runner |
| Men’s singles | Zulfadli Zulkiffli | Siril Verma |
| Women’s singles | Gadde Ruthvika Shivani | Evgeniya Kosetskaya |
| Men’s doubles | Vladimir Ivanov/ Ivan Sozonov | Abramov K./Zinchenko A. |
| Women’s doubles | Anastasia Chervyakova/ Olga Morozova | Kosetskaya E./Polikarpova K. |
| Mixed doubles | Pranaav Jerry Chopra /N. Sikki Reddy | Ivanov V./Sorokina V. |
OBITUARY
Veteran socialist leader Ram Ekbal Singh passes away
i. Veteran socialist leader and freedom fighter Ram Ekbal Singh has died after protracted illness. He was 94.
ii. Singh, a native of Varsi village of Bhojpur district was elected to Bihar Legislative Assembly on Socialist Party ticket in 1969.
Oscar-winning Polish film director whose movies defied communist-era censors died at the age of 90
i. A legend in the world of cinema, Polish film director Andrzej Wajda had died aged 90, leaving behind an opus of acclaimed films inspired by his country’s turbulent history.
ii. Polish media broke the news, which was also confirmed to AFP by a family friend who did not wish to be named.Wajda had died in hospital of lung failure after being being in a medically-induced coma for several days.
iii. Wajda’s last movie ‘Afterimage,’ a biopic about avant-garde painter Wladyslaw Strzeminski, whose works were banned by the communist regime, was chosen as Poland’s official entry for the 2016 Oscar for best foreign language film.
iv. In 2000, Wajda received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement. Four of his films, including ‘Man of Iron’ and ‘Katyn‘ were nominated for Oscars.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Day against the Death Penalty
i. The 14th World Day Against the Death Penalty is observed on 10 October 2016 on the theme of terrorism. Now 104 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes.
ii. Aim : To raising awareness around the application of the death penalty for terrorism-related offences, to reduce its use.
iii. It was created in 2002 in Rome and established as World Day against the Death Penalty on 10th October 2003 and has 158 member organisations
World Mental Health Day 2016
i.The idea of a course in psychological first aid and prevention dated back to 1945 and was described as an active process of prevention and management of mild conditions applicable to all individuals.
ii. The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) announced the theme for World Mental Health Day 2016: Dignity in Mental Health – Psychological & Mental Health First Aid for All.
iii. Many people who suffer from psychological and mental distress, personal crises and mental disorders could benefit from receiving psychological and mental health first aid from professionals and the general public.
iv. One out of four adults would experience mental health difficulties at one time or the other but many would receive little or no help when they present in an emergency.
v. Since the introduction of Basic Life Support (BLS) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) without equipment in the 1960’s many people have benefitted from the intervention of a passer-by, and lives have been saved.
