Current Affairs Today – August 10 2015

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Indian Affairs 

• Kerala Government to Install GPS in Public Vehicles
• Government launches Suraksha Bandhan drive in Mission Mode
• GOI launches ‘Nai Manzil’ scheme for minorities
• Telecom Minister launched mobile app “DISHA” for digital literacy
• Union Government launched School Nursery Yojana
• Indian army tops popularity charts on Facebook

International Affairs

Tom Davies completes around the world cycling trip

• A British teenager Tom Davies-19, completed 30,000 kilometer around-the-world cycling journey .
• He stepped the final leg in Dorset, UK on August,9  2015 after 6 months on the road.
• He has raised nearly £60,000 for charity, pedalling about 100 miles a day at at an average speed of about 17mph.
• The trip raised money for charities including Prostate Cancer UK,Carney’s Community, which works with disadvantaged young people, and the Sohana Research Fund, set up to support Sohana Collins, a teenager who suffers from recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, an incurable and often fatal illness that causes severe blistering of the skin.

Bank & Finance

•  CBDT notifies changes in IT rules to comply with FATCA pact

Business

Xiaomi ties up with Foxconn to set up 1st Assembly line in Andhra Pradesh

• Xiaomi has tied up with electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn to set up a manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri City.The company’s move to make phones in India is a major boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship “Make in India” campaign.
• In India  Xiaomi entered in July last year, has fast become its second-largest market as the company’s low-priced, feature-rich phones find favour with young and cost-conscious customers.
• Xiaomi ranked seventh in terms of smartphone shipments to India.Xiaomi declined to reveal the size of its investment in the new assembly line or planned production capacity.
• Redmi 2 Prime will be available for Rs 6,999 on Mi.com and other partner sites such as Flipkart, Amazon, and Snapdeal.

India tops in Beef export

• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, India retains its top position as the world’s largest exporter of beef which extended its lead over Brazil.
• India’s buffalo meat exports have been growing at an average of nearly 14 per cent each year since 2011 and according to the data,India exported 2.4 million tonnes of beef and veal in FY2015, compared to 2 million tonnes by Brazil and 1.5 million by Australia.
• India alone accounted for 23.5 percent of the exports,while comparing three countries account for 58.7 percent of all thebeef exports in the world.
• Cow slaughter is banned in the following states of India – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana , Bihar, Chattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Phicomm to invest $1 billion to set up India unit

• Shanghai-based Smartphone maker, Phicomm by 2017 to set up five business units which includes mobile phones, SOHO, Enterprise, Cloud services and Intelligent Cities in a phased manner plans to invest around $1 billion (Rs6400 crore) in India.
• Company would set up an R&D unit in Gurgaon or Bangalore, local Brownfield assembly unit and contract manufacturing units in India.
• Company earns revenue of $1.5 billion in 2014 and expects to see it growing at 50% in 2015.
• Phicomm had launched its first device in India in June this year. It will launch a mass market 4G device “Energy 653” priced under Rs 6,000, on August 10.

Appointment

DoT Secretary Rakesh Garg to hold additional charge of DEITY

• Telecomunications secretary rakesh Garg has been given additinal charge of secretary in department of electronics and information technology(DEITY) replacing S. Sharma, who has been nominated as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
• The ACC approved appointment of Rakesh Garg, at present in the cadre, as secretary, department of telecommunications, ministry of communications and IT in vacancy of MF Farooqui.
• Farooqui retired onJune 30 after which the secretary at department of electronics and IT, RS Sharma given additional charge of DoT.

About Rakesh Garg:

• Rakesh Garg, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, will hold the additional charge for three months Presently ,Garg is principal secretary in Uttar Pradesh.
• During his central deputation he has served at the post of additional secretary in ministry of tourism, joint secretary at department of food and public distribution.

 Awards

Suhasini Haidar wins Prem Bhatia Award

• Suhasini Haidar,selected for the Prem Bhatia Memorial Award for Excellence in Political Reporting and Analysis, 2014.
• She was Diplomatic and Strategic Affairs Editor at The Hindu.
• The award, instituted by the Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust, carries a cash prize of Rs. 2,00,000 and a citation. Prem Bhatia was one of India’s eminent and influential journalists, whose career spanned six decades.
• The award will be presented on August 11, 2015 in New Delhi at the 2015 Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture, which will be delivered by Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta on “India’s Aborted Transitions”.
• Previous award-winners: Harish Khare, P. Sainath, Gargi Parsai, Nirupama Subramanian, Pallavi Aiyar, Smita Gupta, Shalini Singh and Amit Baruah.

 Ajeet Kumar Saroj, Varanasi jail inmate awarded with IGNOU gold medal

• A 23-year-old prisoner Ajeet Kumar Saroj lodged in the Varanasi Central Jail has been awarded a gold medal by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for topping in Diploma in Tourism Studies (DTS).
• He was awarded his diploma at the 28th convocation of IGNOU,Given by Vice-chancellor of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Faizabad, G C Jaiswal.

• The convocation ceremony was telecast live for the very first time on DD Bharti from the varsity’s Convention Centre.

Sports

Gurbaj Singh suspended for 9 months

• The Indian hockey team midfielder Gurbaj Singh from punjab has been suspended for 9 months by Hockey India. The 27-year-old was suspended because  of his  ‘misbehaviour and creating disharmony within the team’.
• The decision was taken by the Hockey India disciplinary committee headed by Mr.Harbinder Singh. which means due to this suspension he will be unable to play for India till May 9, 2016.
• The report was given by  Jude Felix in his (Hockey World League) report he had brought up disciplinary issues against Gurbaj.
• Felix also mentioned in his report that Gurbaj had indulged in ‘groupism within the team’ and did not co-operate well with the coaches and staff during his participation in the recently-concluded World League.
• He was suspended for a brief period after the London Olympics following similar accusations from the then chief coach Michael Nobbs .
• Gurbaj Singh (born 9 August 1988) represented India in Men’s Hockey during the 2012 London Olympics.Gurbaj made his India debut in 2006 at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

India Eye 3rd Spot in ICC Test Rankings

• The Indian test cricket team trying to get  third in the ICC Test rankings .It will acheive it if Virat Kohli’s men whitewash Sri Lanka in the three-match series starting August 12th 2015 .
• At present India is at fifth rank  know that a 3-0 victory can give  them up the rankings table, and depending on the final result  in the ongoing Ashes series, they can  even climb to as high as third place, provided Australia defeats England at The Oval. If India gets 2-1 victory it would gain three points.
• If seventh-placed Sri Lanka whitewash India by  3-0 then they will gain eight rankings points and could climb to fifth and India would drop to 89 points.
• Present position of Countries in ICC test Rankings

Team	Matches	Points	Rating
South Africa	24	3008	125
Australia	26	2894	111
Pakistan	24	2419	101
New Zealand	29	2875	99
India	23	2242	97
England	30	2920	97
Sri Lanka	25	2307	92

Obituary

Freedom fighter Kayyara Kinhanna Rai passes away

• Freedom fighter, teacher, journalist and poet Kayyara Kinhanna Rai died in Kasargod, Kerala.Kinhanna, who turned 100 onJune 8, was considered a bridge between Kannada and Malayalam literature.
• He was 100-years-old Kinhanna was considered as a  bridge between Kannada and Malayalam literature.

About Kayyara Kinhanna:

• Kinhanna born  on June 8, 1915 to Duggappa and Deyyakka Rai, Kinhanna Rai plunged into freedom struggle and then pioneer the movement for unification of Kasargod with Karnataka.
• He also supported the formation of a separate Tulunadu for the Tulu speaking population.Having started his career as a teacher, Rai went on to writing articles for various publications.
• He was conferred a honorary doctorate by Mangalore University in 2005 for his contributions to various fields.
• A series of awards came his way including Karnataka Sahitya Academy award in 1969, National Award for Best Teacher in the same year,
  Honorary Fellowship by Manipal Academy of Higher Education (1970), Pejawar Award in literature in 2004.
• He got  the first Karnataka Gadinada Ratna Award and the Pampa Award in 2014 on his 99th birthday. 

Important Days

World Bio-Fuel Day

• Every year 10th August is observed as World Bio-Fuel Day to create awareness about non fossil-fuels.
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited has successfully launched eco-friendly  Bio-Diesel Blended Diesel B5 HSD.
• Bio fuel blended diesel were launched by Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. These outlets are located in Delhi, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Haldiya.

B5 HSD :

• It is an environment friendly fuel which has almost no sulphur or aromatics and has about 10% built in oxygen.
• Blending of bio diesel would result in reduction of unburnt hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter in auto emissions.
• The biodiesel (B100) shall be blended in a ratio of 5% with Diesel and marketed as Biodiesel blended Diesel B5 HSD.

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