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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Maharashtra CM unveils plan for Mumbai – Nagpur Super Communication Expressway
i. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has unveiled a detailed plan for the Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway, a 706-km link that seeks to connect 24 districts and improve access from rural communities in the east to commercial hubs in the west.
ii. The total length of this highway is700 km from Nagpur to Mumbai, excluding the portions of NH 7 and NH 3 it covers at Nagpur-Butibori and Ghoti-Kalyan-Mumbai sectors respectively.
iii. The highway, which will have at least three lanes on each side, will reduce travel time between the two cities from 12-16 hours.
iv. The Rs 46,000-crore project, formally called ‘Maharashtra Prosperity Corridor’, also involves construction of agricultural centres, warehouses and other facilities that the state hopes will lead to creation of thousands of new jobs.
India suggests the idea of creation of task force in the International Arbitration BRICS Conference
i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley suggested creation of a task force of experts and officials to deliberate on the challenges in international arbitration in the BRICS countries and put in place institutional mechanisms to establish arbitral centers in these nations.
ii. The suggestion comes at a time when there is greater push for reforms in the law to ensure dispute resolution happens quicker and there is ease of doing business.
iii. It is noted that Jaitley, delivered the valedictory speech at the conference on ‘International Arbitration in BRICS – Challenges, Opportunities and Road Ahead’.
iv. The Conference is being organized by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India with the support of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA).
v. To strengthen the arbitration mechanism, the finance minister emphasized the need to have lawyers of credibility and said it was necessary to make enforcement of awards largely free from the interference by domestic courts. This was imperative as many countries fear that the arbitral awards are loaded against the emerging countries.
vi. The emerging economies, predominantly the BRICS nations, would have to shoulder the responsibility of driving global growth. Therefore, he said, the BRICS nations would have to evolve and put forth a common agenda for growth, and the key is to develop local capabilities to deal with the challenges that lie ahead.
India’s first Textile University to be opened in Surat, Gujarat
i. Gujarat government is planning to set up India’s first textile university at Surat with an investment of about Rs 800 crore.
ii.The ultimate aim of the university is to provide all kind of support including technology, research and development (R&D), skilled manpower.
iii. The first textile university of India will be setup in Gujarat. Land has been identified near Surat. Gujarat government will provide funds worth Rs 800-900 crore for the development of the textile university.
iv. The university will build on over 250 acre land in Surat and it is expected to get operational in the next one and a half years.
v. Surat, previously known as Suryapur, is a city and former princely state in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative capital of the Surat district. The city is located 284 kilometres (176 mi) south of the state capital,Gandhinagar; 265 kilometres (165 mi) south of Ahmedabad; and 289 kilometres (180 mi) north of Mumbai.
vi. The city centre is located 22 km (14 mi) south of the Tapti River. A moat divides the older parts of the city, with their narrow streets and historical houses, from the newer suburbs.
22nd edition of ‘Delhi Book Fair’ to start from tomorrow
i. The 22nd edition of the Delhi Book Fair has kick started to promote literacy and higher education among children and the youth at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
ii. The Fair organised by Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in association with Federation of Indian Publishers will last 9 days i.e. up to September 4 from 27 August 2016.
iii. The Book Show intended to highlight initiatives undertaken by the central government for its ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan’ flagship programme to inculcate better reading habits among the younger generation.
Selfie station:
The Book Fair has a selfie station where visitors will be able to click selfies with cut-outs depicting the respective campaigns like Make in India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Digital India, Skill India, Startup India, Smart Cities, Startup India, and Umang (Unified mobile app for New-age Governance), will take over the pavillion.
2016 Mountain Echoes Literary Festival
i. The seventh edition of the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival 2016 Kicked off in the capital city of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan Thimbu on 26 August 2016.
ii. The festival was inaugurated by Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, (Royal Patron) which aims to provide a platform for the greatest literary minds to engage in a cultural dialogue. In this edition it will focus on climate change, women’s voices and travel writing.
iii. The three-day long Festival is an initiative of the India Bhutan Foundation, in association with Siyahi, powered by the Rajasthan government’s Department of Tourism.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
First Asian Science and Technology (S&T) Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
i. The first Asian Science and Technology (S&T) Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR 2016-DRR) was organised by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (UNISDR AP)held at Bangkok in Thailand.
ii. The event saw a discussion on Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 about shifting managing disasters to managing risks.
iii. In the conference there was a discussion about the key issues, challenges, needs and opportunities in application of science in policy making and share good practices from the region.
iv. Union Minister of Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, a UN designated DRR Champion for the Asia Region, addressed the conference on behalf of India.
19th SAARC summit to be held in Islamabad on November 9 and 10
i. The 19th Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit will be held in Islamabad on 9 and 10 November.
ii. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif invited the leaders of SAARC Member States to grace the Summit with their presence and looking forward to welcome them at Islamabad.
iii. The preparations for successful holding of the Summit at Islamabad are being made by Pakistan and in order to give impetus to the process of preparations, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, inaugurated SAARC Summit Cell at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
iv. The Saarc summit cell is headed by ambassador Amjad Sial, who is a senior diplomat and Pakistan’s nominee for the next Saarc secretary general. The Saarc summit cell will closely work with all stakeholders and concerned authorities in Pakistan. It will also liaise with the member states, Saarc observers and the Saarc secretariat for organisation of the summit.
v. It is noted that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) is comprised of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
vi. Pakistan officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the sixth-most populous country with a population exceeding 201 million people.
vii. It is the 36th largest country in the world in terms of area with an area covering 881,913 km2. Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometre (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest and China in the far northeast respectively. It is separated from Tajikistan by Afghanistan’s narrow Wakhan Corridor in the north, and also shares a maritime border with Oman.
BUSINESS
DIPP to launch a Nationwide Awareness Campaign on Intellectual Property rights
i. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, DIPP, will launch a nation-wide awareness campaign on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
ii. It will be taken forward by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) in collaboration with the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM) and Industry Associations.
iii.It is noted that CIPAM, a professional body under DIPP, has already conducted a pilot round of awareness road shows across 18 states of the country over June-July 2016, in partnership with industry associations.
iv. DIPP Secretary Ramesh Abhishek flagged off the IPR awareness campaign to build on the initial momentum created by the pilot road shows conducted by CIPAM in New Delhi.
v. The industry associations have extended their full support to the campaign and gave various ideas on how to take the awareness campaign forward for all IPRs. Discussions were held on the mode of dissemination of information and promotional content at various levels – schools, college and industry.
vi. Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion was established in the year 1995, and in the year 2000 Department of Industrial Development was merged with it. It is working under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. This department is responsible for formulation and implementation of promotional and developmental measures for growth of the industrial sector, keeping in view the national priorities and socio-economic objectives.
vii. While individual Administrative Ministries look after the production, distribution, development and planning aspects of specific industries allocated to them, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion is responsible for the overall industrial policy. It is also responsible for facilitating and increasing the FDI flows to the country.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Steeplechase pro Lalita Babar chosen for SJAM’s sports woman of the year award
i. Steeplechase specialist Lalita Babar, who finished a creditable 10th in the Rio Olympics, have been chosen for the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai’s (SJAM) Golden Jubilee Annual Awards 2016.
ii. On the other hand Chess GM Shardul Gagare will receive the Sportsman of the year award and Lalita Babar will be the Sportswoman of the year award.
iii. Lalita Babar is an Indian long-distance runner. She was born in a small village in the Satara district,Maharashtra. She predominantly competes in the 3000 metres steeplechase and is the current Indian national record holder and the reigning Asian Champion in the same event.
iv. The other awardees include Mumbai and India middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane has been chosen for the International Cricketer of the Year award.
v. Rohit Sharma for a special award for making the highest ODI score at Kolkata in 2014 while Shardul Thakur and Shreyas Iyer would share the Ranji Trophy Cricketer of the year award.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGN
Sharmila Tagore appointed as a new member of the BCCC – Broadcasting Content Complaints Council
i. Film actress Sharmila Tagore, theatre activist Arundhati Nag and film studies academician Ira Bhaskar have been appointed new members of Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC), the self-regulatory body which hears complaints against TV content.
ii. Sharmila Tagore is an Indian film actress known for her works predominantly in Hindi cinema. She has received two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards for her performances.
iii. She led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 till March 2011. In December 2005 she was chosen as an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She was one of the International Competition’s Jury Members at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In 2013, she was awarded Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.
iv. Tagore began her career as an actress in Satyajit Ray’s 1959 Bengali film Apur Sansar (The World of Apu), as the ill-fated bride of the title character. She later appeared in Shakti Samanta’s Kashmir Ki Kali in 1964. Samanta cast her in many more films, including An Evening in Paris (1967), in which she became the first Indian actress to appear in a bikini, which established Tagore as somewhat of a sex symbol in Hindi films.
v. She has been honored with Padma Bushan in 2013 and she had won two national awards in 1975 and 2003.
Punit Misra named CEO of Zee Entertainment domestic broadcast biz
i. Indian media and Entertainment Company based in Mumbai Zee Entertainment Enterprises has appointed Punit Misra as Chief Executive Officer for domestic broadcast business.
ii. Misra’s appointment will come to effect from October 1 will report to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Punit Goenka.
iii. Earlier Misra was Executive Director-Sales and Customer Development at Hindustan Unilever and joined HUL as a management trainee in 1996.
iv. He had several stints in leadership roles across customer development, brand building, brand development and general management within the FMCG major at customer development team of Unilever in the domestic and international scale.
Zee entertainment enterprises ltd
Founded: October 1992
CEO: Punit Goenka
Headquarters: Mumbai
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Japanese scientists detect rare deep-Earth tremor S wave microseism
i. Japan researchers found a tremor known as an S wave microseism, using seismic equipment on land and on the seafloor that usually detects the Earth’s crust crumbling during earthquakes.
ii. This finding will help the experts to learn more about the Earth’s inner structure and improve detection of earthquakes and oceanic storms.
iii. The elusive S waves, or secondary waves, are slower, and move only through rock, not liquid. Humans feel them during earthquakes.
iv. Microseism S waves are so faint that they occur in the 0.05 to 0.5 Hz frequency range.
v. The study in the journal Science details how researchers traced the direction and distance to the waves’ origins, and the paths they traveled.
‘Dark’ Milky Way-sized galaxy discovered
i. Astronomers have found a galaxy as big as the Milky Way that consists almost entirely of dark matter accounts 99.99 percent of the stuff in this galaxy that can’t be seen.
ii. Scientists consider that dark matter exists because they can see the effects of its gravity on other things in space.
iii. The galaxy named Dragonfly 44, is located in the nearby Coma constellation was first detected in 2015, through the use of the Dragonfly Telephoto Array in New Mexico.
iv. This time The Scientists spotted Dragonfly 44 using the W M Keck Observatory and the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii.
v. The research was published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
ENVIRONMENT
US to create world’s largest protected marine area off Hawaii
i. US Government has created the world’s largest marine protected area by expanding an existing ocean reserve off Hawaii to cover 582,578 square miles that will provide critical protections for more than 7,000 marine species.
ii. The move multiplies the size of the Papahānaumokuākea marine national monument four times, which was declared a World Heritage site in 2010.
iii. The monument which has cream of Spices a quarter of them found nowhere was is now double the size of Texas, stretches outward from the north-western Hawaiian islands and includes Midway Atoll.
SPORTS
PM Modi announces Task Force to prepare India for next three Olympics
i. After India’s dismal show in the concluded Rio Olympics 2016 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said about constituting a task force, which will make various suggestions to the roadmap for the next three quadrennial Games 2020 (Tokyo), 2024 and 2028.
ii. The PM announced that the task will be announced over the next few days at a meeting of the Council of Ministers held in New Delhi.
iii. The Task Force will comprise of members who are in house experts as well as those from outside members intended to put a strategy for sports facility, training, selection procedure and other related matters.
iv. In Rio India staged 118 athletes and finished 67th in the medal standings with a silver won by PV Sindhu in badminton and a bronze by Sakshi Malik in wrestling.
