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Click Here to Current Affairs August 2015
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Indian Affairs
- Union Cabinet gives nod to amend Arbitration and Conciliation Bill, 2015
- Union Cabinet approved Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Civil and Commercial matters with Oman
- CCEA gives nod to Differential Royalty Payment to states on crude oil production
Government to construct ‘manimandapam’ for Sivaji Ganesan
The State government allotted 65 cents of land opposite Sathya Studio to construct the Manimandapam for thespian Sivaji Ganesan as the South Indian Film Artistes in 2002.
- But the Association failed to construct the memorial. Government allotted land measuring 65 cents on September 26, 2002, as the approach road to the quarters of the High Court Judges ran through the land, the government requested the association to give Rs. 4.2 lakh for laying a new road. But, the association paid only Rs. 2 lakh and the rest was contributed by the State government.
- Sivaji Ganesan, had acted over 300 films and received many honours, including Dadasaheb Palkhe award.
- Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the Assembly that her government would construct a manimandapam for thespian Sivaji, as Associations had failed to utilise the land allotted for the purpose.
Cabinet gives nod to include Sipai, Patni, Jamat Kahar and Tanwar Singhariya in the OBC list
Amendments in the Central List have been made by the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for Other Backward Classes in respect of Gujarat and Uttarakhand.
- Inclusion/correction of castes/communities in the other backward classes is made as per the advices received from the National Commission for Backward Classes.
- Sipai and Patni Jamat or Turk Jamat (all Muslims) in Gujarat, and Kahar and Tanwar Singhariya communities from Uttarakhand has been included in the Central OBC List.
- Persons belong to these castes/communities will also become eligible for benefit under various welfare schemes, scholarships etc. being administered by the central government, which are at present available to persons belonging to the OBCs.
India declared maternal and neonatal tetanus free
Maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) was responsible for the deaths of an estimated two lakh adults and children every year in India. Tetanus, which majorly occurs due to an open wound in the body, is one of the biggest reasons behind maternal and newborn mortality.
- India achieved a huge success recently, when WHO declared that mothers and newborns are now free from tetanus at the time of birth in the country.
- Figures have been constantly decreasing with help of aggressive medical intervention and introduction of ASHAs (Accredited social health activists).
- India’s infant mortality rate (IMR) stands at 40 while the maternal mortality rate (MMR) stands at 167, which is far less when compared to that in 1990 .
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi made this announcement that this achievement as yet another milestone for India thatWHO declared that mothers and newborns are now free from tetanus at the time of birth in India.
Delhi Sex Ratio Alarmingly Low at 896: Report
- The national capital continues to languish among the worst in terms of sex ratio in the country with 896 females to 1,000 males as per the Delhi government’s annual birth and death registration report, a negligible improvement from last year’s 895.
- Both 2011 census, which says the capital has 866 females per 1,000 males, and countrywide data of Civil Registration System, place Delhi among the worst performing states and Union territories in terms of sex ratio.
International Affairs
Three Indians named as Fellows by American Society for Metals
Three Indians named Pradeep Goyal, Vivekanand Kain, and Gankidi Madhusudhan Reddy and while three Indian-origin achievers named Pranesh Aswath, Suveen Mathaudhu, Muthukumarasamy Sadayappan are among 29 people, who have been named as Fellows this year by the American Society for Metals.
- The fellowship was created in 1969 to provide recognition to ASM members for their distinguished contributions to materials science and engineering, and to develop a broad-based forum of technical and professional leaders to serve as advisers to society.
- The fellows will be presented with their awards for the recognition during the Materials Science and Technology 2015 event in Columbus, Ohio, in October, 2015.
TCS donates Rs 231.77 crore to Carnegie University
- Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced a donation of $35 million (nearly Rs 231.77 crore) to the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the largest gift this top American educational institute has received from outside the United States.
- The donation will be used for setting up a new facility at its campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and providing scholarships for students.
- Representing the largest corporate gift to CMU and the largest gift from outside the US, this donation will fund a new facility, the TCS Building, which will support education and cutting-edge research by CMU faculty and students.
Appointments
Djokovic new UNICEF goodwill ambassador
Novak Djokovic, the number one tennis player in the world,is appointed as the a new goodwill ambassador for the UN Fund for Children, joining a roster of athletes and celebrities to hold the post.
- Djokovic, was born in Belgrade in 1987 shortly before the Balkans war broke out, spent much of his childhood in Serbia.
- Novak first teamed up with UNICEF in 2011 when he was appointed a UNICEF Serbia Ambassador, he has been lending his support to improving the lives of children, especially those who are amongst the most marginalized.
- Novak also signed Memorandum of Understanding between the World Bank and the Novak Djokovic Foundation, setting out to promote early childhood development.
- Djokovic joins a VIP list of UNICEF goodwill ambassadors that has included entertainers Danny Kaye, Audrey Hepburn, Katy Perry, Sir Roger Moore and Shakira, soccer star David Beckham and women’s tennis star Serena Williams.
Newly appointed SGPC Chief Secretary takes charge
- Newly appointed Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) Chief Secretary Harcharan Singh took over the charge of his office today in presence of senior functionaries of the Sikh religious body.
- SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar handed over the appointment letter to Singh in a brief religious function at its headquarters
Business
Mukesh Ambani dethrones Dilip Shanghvi as world’s richest Indian
- RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani has regained his position as the world’s richest Indian with a net worth of $18.2 billion, as pharma tycoon Dilip Shanghvi slipped to the second place after remaining on top for the last few months
Science & Technology
Sports
Kohli moves up to No.4, India retain 2nd spot in ODI rankings
- India’s batting mainstay Virat Kohli has climbed up a place to number four in the ICC rankings for the ODI batsmen, while the side retained its second position in the team list.
- Shikhar Dhawan and ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni are the other two Indians in the top-10 list. While Dhawan maintained his position at seventh, Dhoni is static at number nine.
- In the ODI bowlers’ chart, Ravichandran Ashwin is the lone Indian figuring in the top-10 list after gaining a place to be No. 10.
