INTERNATIONAL
Britain nuclear deal with China
Britain has signed a land mark nuclear deal with China to build the UK’s first nuclear power plant. Under this deal, nuclear power plant will be built at Hinkley point, near London with total investment of 18 billion pound. The Nuclear Power Corporation of China will contribute 6 billion pounds to built the power plant. The plant will be become operational by 2025.
Law and Justice party won the Poland elections
Conservative Right-wing Law and Justice Party won the 2015 Parliamentary elections of Poland. This party won absolute majority by winning 235 of total 460 seats and securing 39.1 per cent of the votes. With this, the deputy leader of the party Beata Szydlo is set to become the next Prime Minister of Poland.
Nepal’s first woman President Bidhya Bhanadari
Nepal for the first time elected woman candidate as it’s President. Bidhya Bhandari of Communist Party of Nepal has been elected as the new President of Nepal. She began her political career in 1979. Bhandari was the minister for Defence in the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government from May 2009 to February 2011.
Bangladesh signs satellite deal with French firm
Bangladesh has signed a 250 million US Dollar deal with French-Italian firm Thales Alenia Space in Dhaka to build the country’s first communications satellite. Thales Alenia Space will build the satellite called Bangabandhu-1 for the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to be launched into space in 2017.With the launch of Bangabandhu-1, Bangladesh will become the 57th member of the exclusive club of satellite-owning countries.
Egypt, Russia signed on nuclear power plant
Egypt and Russia on 19 November 2015 signed an agreement to build a nuclear power plant in Egypt. As per the agreement, Russia will extend a loan to Egypt to cover the cost of construction. The plant is expected to be completed by 2022. The plant will be the first in Egypt and will be built at Dabaa in the North of the country. The project would involve the building of a third generation plant with four reactors.
INDIA & WORLD
India-Sri Lanka bilateral Naval Excercise ‘SLINEX15’
The fourth edition of India-Sri Lanka bilateral Naval Excercise ‘SLINEX15’ begins in Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee coast. The excercise enhance the capability of the two nations to work together and contribute towards maritime security in the region. SLINEX 15 will include naval ships, fast attack crafts, gun boats of both India & Sri Lanka.
India re-elected to UNCITRAL
India on 9 November 2015 was re-elected by the General Assembly to a six year term on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). The Assembly elected 23 members to UNCITRAL for six-year terms including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, Iran, Italy, Pakistan, Philippines, Spain, Turkey, the US&Venezuela. UNCITRAL is recognised as the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law for over 40 years.
India & UK signed a Civil Nuclear Pact
India and UK on 12 November, 2015 signed a civil nuclear pact and decided to collaborate in the field of defence and cyber security besides launching a railway rupee bond in UK. They also announced deals worth 9 billion pounds (Rs.90,000 Crores) during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to UK for three days.
India-Australia sealed Nuclear deal procedures
India and Australia have sealed Nuclear deal procedures for supply of Uranium from Australia to energy starved India. India has became the first country to buy Uranium from Australia without being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Australia has about a 40 per cent of world’s recoverable Uranium resources&annually exports around 7,000 tonnes of it.
India Vietnam deal on Animal Health
The Union Cabinet on 19 November has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Vietnam for cooperation in the field of Animal Health. The MoU was signed in September, 2014. The MoU aims to promote mutual cooperation between India and Vietnam through joint activities in the areas of Animal Health.The two nations set up Mutual Recog- nition Agreement on Veterinary hygiene, health certificate between competent authorities of the two Parties. The MoU shall remain in force for a period of 10 years.
NATIONAL
Indian Police Foundation in Delhi
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Indian Police Foundation and the Indian Police Institute on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day celebration at New Delhi.The Indian Police Foundation (IPF) and the Indian Police Institute (IPI) aim at embarking a culture of research and evidence based policing in India and to avoid subjecti-vity, personal biases and errors in decision-making.
Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for Amaravati
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of new capital of Andhra Pradesh, ‘Amaravati’. The master plan of the city was prepared with the help of Singapore government. A host of dignitaries including Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandra Sekhar Rao, five Union Ministers, ministers from Singapore and Japan, industrialists and famous personalities were present at the ceremony.
Women fighter pilots in Indian Air Force
Union Government has approved induction of women into the Fighter branch of Indian Air Force (IAF). The first women fighter pilots would be selected from the batch which is presently undergoing flying training at Air Force Academy in Hyderabad. These women pilots will be commissioned into the fighter stream in June 2016 after completion of initial training. Later, they would undergo advanced training for 1 year and would enter a fighter cockpit by June 2017. Presently, there are around 1,500 women in the IAF including 94 pilots and 14 navigators.
Three gold schemes launched
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 November 2015 launched three gold related schemes. The schemes are – Gold Monetization Scheme, Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme and Indian Gold Coins. The three schemes were announced by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 budget. The primary purpose of the schemes is to reduce dependence on imported gold, recycle the unutilized gold in the country&most impor-tantly, streamline the gold business in the country. At present, India is the largest consumer of gold in the world.
First AMRIT out let in New Delhi
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 15 November 2015 launched the Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacy outlet at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The purpose of the outlet is to reduce the expenditure incurred by patients on treatment of cancer and heart diseases by 50 to 60 percent. It is a retail pharmacy outlet that sells drugs and implants for the two ailments-cancer and heart diseases-at highly discounted rates. It has been tie-up with government owned HLL Lifecare Ltd (HLL).
STATES
2016 South Asian Rugby Championship in Jammu and Kashmir
Kashmir Valley will host South Asian Rugby 7’S Championship in 2016. The decision was made during the 131st Standing Committee meeting of J-K State Sports Council. The championship will be held at Bakhshi Stadium from 18 June to 20 June 2016. The Championship will be participated by eight teams consisting of 180 participants from various countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and India.
India’s first Paragliding World Cup
The 2015 Paragliding World Cup (PWC) was held in Bir village of Himachal Pradesh. It was for the first time India hosted a PWC and it is the biggest aero sport event held in India so far. Ajay Kumar from India emerged as the best pilot by positioning himself at the 31st rank overall. Gurpreet Dhindsa (63) and Arvind Paul (70) were the only two other Indians figured in the top 100 list. At the end of the event, while Swiss pilot Michael Kuffer topped the table in the men’s category, Yuki Sato of Japan topped the table in the women’s league.
Maharashtra approved APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna
The Maharashtra Government on 3 November 2015 approved a revised scheme, named APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna, for pregnant and lactating women in the tribal areas of the state. The scheme aims at providing at least one full hot cooked nutritious food to every pregnant lady and lactating mother. The food will be provided for six months, beginning from third trimester of pregnancy to the three months period after delivery. The meal will include pulses, rice, fruits, vegetables and boiled eggs with occasional supply of milk.
Indian Railways signed MoU with Odisha
The Odisha Government and Indian Railways on 4 November 2015 inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for implementation of railway projects in the state. The MoU aims at forming a Joint Venture Company to develop railway infrastructure in Odisha.
Northeast India’s first elephant hospital at Kaziranga National Park
Northeast India’s first exclu-sive hospital for elephants has been established at the Kazir-anga National Park in Assam. The hospital was set up at Mark Shand Memorial Learning Centre in Kaziranga National Park. It was inaugurated by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild who is founding patron of the UK-based charity Elephant Family. Kaziranga National Park was designated with National Park status in 1968 and was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 for its unique natural environment.
CONFERENCES
International Food Data Conference in Hyderabad
The 11th International Food Data Conference has been held at National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad on 3 November, 2015. The conference has been attended by 350 delegates from 51 countries. It was the first time to conduct this conference in India. The conference has been jointly organised by the International Network of Food Databases (Infoods), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN). The NIN will come out with revised ‘nutritive values of Indian foods’ in December.
12th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ meet in Luxemburg
12th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM FMM12) took place in Luxemburg on 5-6 November 2015. The ASEM FMM 12 was held under the theme Working Together for a Sustainable and Secure Future. 51 Foreign Ministers from 30 European and 21 Asian countries as well as the Secretary Gene-ral of ASEAN participated in the two day meeting.
21st INCOFYRA in Bengaluru in 2016
The 21st International Conference on Frontiers in Yoga Research and its Applications (INCOFYRA) will be held from 3 to 7 January 2016 at Prashanti Kutiram, Bengaluru. The summit will be organized by the Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Sansthana. The theme of the conference is Yoga in Integrated Healthcare Systems. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will inaugurate the conference. The conference targets to promulgate the research findings in the field of integrative medicine.
23rd APEC Economic Leaders Summit
23rd Asia-Pacific Econo-mic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Lea-ders Summit was held at Manila, Philip-pines on 18-19 Novem-ber 2015. The summit was chaired by Philippines President Benigno S. Aquino III. The theme of the Summit was Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World. The leaders from 21 member-countries issued the 2015 Leaders Declaration titled Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World: A Vision for an Asia-Pacific Community. The next 24th summit will be held in 2016 at Peru.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Indian movie won People’s Choice Award
Indian movie ‘Angry Indian Goddesses’ was awarded with People’s Choice Award at Rome Film Festival held in Rome, Italy. The winner was selected through on line voting system, by the audience. The movie also received an eight minute-long standing oration at the festival.
AR Rahman conferred with 2015 Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award
Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has been confferred with prestigious 2015 Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award in Mumbai. He was presented with fifth edition of award by Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai for his contribution to the Indian music on the occasion of 78th birthday of Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
Indian Scientist team won the NASA Award
The NASA award for an innovative technology named Burst Prevention & Puncture Curative (BPPC) technology was won by a team of Indian scientist led by Sameer Panda from Odisha 2015. Smitiparna Satpathy, KN Panda and Udit Bondia are the other members of the team. They won the award in the contest jointly organized by NASA and Society of Automobile Engineers, International named Create the Future Design Contest- 2015. They won the award for Mild Run Flat Tyre based on BPPC technology.
London doctorate to Ashok Amritraj
Tennis champion-turned Hollywood filmmaker Ashok Amritraj on 19 November 2015 was awarded with an honorary doctorate of Arts by the University of East London. Amritraj was honoured for promoting talented moviemakers from across the world, including India. Amritraj started his career as a tennis player who represented India on an international level. He competed in doubles at Wimbledon and the US Open.
SPORTS & GAMES
Hoogeveen Chess Title for Abhijeet
Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won the Hoogeveen International Open Chess Tournament after defeating Neelotpal Das in the ninth and final round, in Hoogeveen, The Netherlands. Gupta scored seven points out of nine and stood as first in the tournament. Deep Sengupta of India finished second with 6.5 points.
2015 Swiss Indoors men’s singles title winner
Roger Federer Roger Federer of Switzerland on 1 November, 2015 won the Swiss Indoors men’s singles title. He defeated Rafel Nadel of Spain in the final match held at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. It was the seventh Swiss Indoors title and 88th of his career. In this year it was his sixth title.
Indian Railways Won Hockey Tournament
Indian Railways has won 32nd edition of Indian Oil Surjit Hockey tournament for the first time. In the final match played at Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar (Punjab), Indian Railways team defeated defending champions Indian Oil Mumbai by 4-3 score. The winning team bagged 5 lakh rupees cash award and Winners Trophy. While, the runners up got 2.50 lakh rupees cash and Runners Up Trophy. Malak Singh of Indian Railways was adjudged as Player of the Tournament and was given a cash prize of 25,000 rupees.
Wasim Jaffer is the first cricketer to score 10000 runs in Ranji
Wasim Haffer who is opener of Vidarbha has became first ever cricketer in Ranji Trophy history to score 10000 runs. He reached at this milestone while playing a match against Bengal at the Jadavpur University second campus ground in Saltlake.
2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner Nigeria
Nigeria on 8 November 2015 won the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In the finals Nigeria defeated Mali with 2-0 score. India will host the bi-annual championship in 2017. It is the third championship for Nigeria.
ECONOMY
RBI allows NRIs for National Pension System
Reserve Bank of India allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to subscribe to the National Pension System (NPS). NRIs may subscribe to the NPS governed and administered by the Pension Fund Regulating and Development Authority (PFRDA), and the person is eligible to invest as per the provisions of the PFRDA Act. The subscription amount shall be paid by the NRIs either by inward remittance through normal banking channels or out of funds held in their NRE/FCNR/NRO account.
India seventh most valued ‘Nation Brand’ in the world
India has moved up one position to become the world’s seventh most valued ‘Nation Brand’ with an increase of 32% in it’s brand value to 2.1 billion dollars. The US remains on top with a valuation of 19.7 billion dollars followed by China and Germany as per the annual report on the world’s most valuable nation brands compiled by Brand Finance.
India signs with Asian Development Bank
Union government signed an agreement of 273 million dollars loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to improve rural roads in Assam, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha&West Bengal. This is the last tranche of the 800 million dollars financing facility under the Rural Connectivity Invest-ment Programme. The loan will help in constructuring over 6,000 kilometers of rural roads in five states.
Narendra Modi launches Neev Fund in UK
India’s first Low Income State Infrastructure Equity Partnership (the Neev Fund) was launched on 13 November, 2015 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in UK. The fund has co-investment from the UK Department of International Development and the State Bank of India. The fund aims to provide equity partnerships for small infrastructure development in sectors like water & sanitation, clean energy and urban infrastructure.
RBI allows RRBs to launch internet banking
Reserve Bank of India has allowed strong regional rural banks (RRBs) to launch online transaction through internet banking. Profitable RRBs with minimum Rs.100 crore net worth and better asset quality will be allowed to offer this service. Banks with capital adequacy ratio over 10% will be allowed to introduce the online transaction services. Weak banks will be allowed to offer internet services without online transaction facilities.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
World’s fastest cruise missile ‘BrahMos’ successfully test fired
The supersonic cruise missile BrahMos with a strike range of over 290 Km, was on 1 November test fired successfully from the Navy’s newest stealth destroyer, INS Kochi and hit it’s target ‘Allepy’, a decommissioned ship in the Arabian Sea. After two trials from INS Kolkata, test firing from INS Kochi has validated the newly commissioned ship’s system.
Agni-IV missile successfully test-fired
Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) on 9 November 2015 successfully test-fired surface-tosurface Agni-IV missile. The 4000-km range nuclear capable missile was test-fired from Abdul Kalam (Wheeler) Island off the Odisha coast. It is 20 meters in length weighs 17 tonnes and carries a pay load of one tone. It was developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is the fourth missile in the series of Agni missiles.
India’s Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel – ‘Samarth’ commissioned
India’s coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ‘Samarth’ was commissioned by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 10 November, 2015 at Vasco in Goa. It is the Coast guard’s largest OPV. The 105 m OPV is fitted with most advance technology, navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery. It has a maximum speed of 23 knots. It will be used in Exclusive Economic Zone.
GSAT-15 successfully launched
GSAT-15, India’s latest com-munications satellite, was laun-ched successfully by the European Ariane 5 VA-227 launch Vehicle on November 11, 2015. The 3164 kg GSAT-15 carries communication transponders in Ku-band and a GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in L1 & L5 bands.
Defence satellite EKS Kosmos-2510
Russia’s newest defence satellite named as EKS Kosmos-2510 was successfully launched into space and has been placed into its dedicated orbit. It was launched using Russian Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. EKS Kosmos-2510 is early warning satellite and has been deployed as the first satellite in a new fleet of 10 EKS military satellites to be launched by 2018 to form new defence system to detect enemy missile heading towards Russian territory.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Alok Rawat appointed National Council for Women
Former water resources secretary Alok Rawat has been appointed as the fourth member of the National Commission for Women (NCW). He became the first man to be part of the five member body. Two other members Sushma Sahu and Rekha Sharma were appointed to the commission in the month of August.
P K Gupta as next MD of SBI
P K Gupta will be elevated as Managing Director of country’s largest bank State Bank of India in place of P Pradeep Kumar, who is superannuating this month-end. Gupta, who is of Deputy Managing Director (DMD) rank, is presently Managing Director of the bank’s investment banking arm SBI Caps. He will be in this post for four years.
Shaktikanta Das nominated to RBI central Board
Economic Affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das has been nominated to the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He has nominated by the Union Government in place of Ajay Tyagi. 10 Directors are nominated by Union Government in order to represent important elements from India’s economy.
Syed Akbaruddin appointed as next Permanent Representative of India to UN
On 16th November 2015, Syed Akbaruddin was appointed as the next Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. He succeeded Asoke Kumar Mukerji. He is a 1985 batch officer of Indian Foreign Service. At present, he is serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
B) RESIGNS
Romania’s Prime Minister resigned
Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta on 4 November 2015 resigned from his position following a deadly nightclub blaze which left 32 dead and nearly 200 injured. His resignation came after more than 20000 people rallied in Bucharest to demand he step down. Ponta had been Romania’s Prime Minister since 2012.
C) DEATHS
IOC member Ashwini Kumar died
Honararay member of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Ashwini Kumar (94) passed away on 20th October, 2015. He was the President of the Indian Basket Ball Federation and President of the Punjab Olympic Association for 12 years.
Brijmohan Lal Munjal died
Hero MotoCorp founder and doyer of the Indian two wheeler industry, Brijmohan Lal Munjal (92) died on 1 November, 2015 in New Delhi. He became the Chairman-emeritus of the group earlier this year and remained on the board of the company as non-executive member. Hero MotoCorp is the world’s largest two wheeler company. He was conferred with the ‘Padma Bhushan’in 2005.
Children’s Book Writer Kamala Laxman away
Well noted children’s book writer Kamala Laxman (90) died on 14 November 2015 in Pune. She was widow of legendary cartoonist R.K. Laxman. She wrote many famous children books which include : The Thama Stories, Raman of Tenali & Other Stories, Thama and His Missing Mother etc.
D) VISITORS
Hamid Ansari Visited Indonesia
Vice President Hamid Ansari on 1 November, 2015 visited Indonesia to make key agreements in maritime security cooperation, bilateral trade and cultural exchange with Indonesia. Three crusial MoUs are done with Jakarta. One was a collaboration between the Ayush Ministry and Bali’s Uddiyana University in the field of Ayurveda.
China Vice President visit to India
Vice-President of China, Li Yuanchao, visited India on 3-7 November, 2015. Li is the first Chinese Vice President to visit India in more than six decades. Li has visited Aurangabad and Kolkata before Delhi. In Aurangabad he visited the Ajanta Caves and also met with the city mayor. In Kolkata he visited the House of Rabindranath Tagore. In Delhi on 6th November he met with the Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held meetings with them. India and China signed two agreements including one in the field of water resources on sharing hydrological data on Sutlej river. Under the cultural pact, India will hold exhibition of art from the Gupta period, which was known as “golden period” in the country and during which famous Chinese traveller Fa Hien came. He also focussed on the achievements of India-China cooperation, especially in the South Asian region, to mark his visit to India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit to Turkey
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Turkey on 15-16 November, 2015. After successful three-day tour of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 November night reached the resort town of Antalya in Turkey for the G-20 Summit. In Antalya, PM Modi raised issues related to terrorism, climate change and global cooperation to unearth black money, among others. He conducted bilateral talks with Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The procedures for bringing India and Australia nuclear deal into force was completed at the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
E) MISCELLANEOUS
Punjabi is the third most common language in Canadian Parliament
After English and French, Punjabi has now become the third most common language in the House of Commons in Canadian Parliament after 20 Punjabispeaking candidates were elected to the parliament in October this year. 23 lawmakers of Indian-origin were elected after general elections that were held on October 19, 2015. Of the 23 law makers, three do not speak Punjabi.
Modi ranks 9th in World’s Most Powerful list
The Forbes list of the World’s Most Powerful People 2015 was released on 4 November 2015. The list provided the annual ranking of the World’s 73 Most Powerful People.India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ranked as the world’s ninth most powerful person. In 2014, Modi was placed at 14th position.
Twitter launches Make In India emoji
The Indian government on 4 November, 2015 became the first non-US based brand to have a twitter emoji.. # MakeInIndia – which aims to promote the country as a global manufacturing hub. An emoji of a black lion on an orange background will now appear next to the #MakeInIndia hashtag in any tweet world wide.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to co-chair the 2016 World Economic Forum meet
Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella will co-chair the World Economic Forum’s annual meet in January, an event that is likely to be attended by over 100 Indian business leaders. More than 2,500 leaders from across the world, including from business, government and international organisations, would be coming together for the WEF meeting to be held in Davos from January 20 to January 23 next year. The theme of the meet would be ‘Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
PLACES IN NEWS
First world Indigenous Games
The first World Indigenous Games started in Palmas of Brazil. These games are nine-day event in which around 2000 native people from Brazilian tribes and nearly 20 countries will participate. These games will include archery, canoeing, tug-of-war and a race through the forest.
Ranchi to host Asian Athletics Championships
Ranchi will host the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships in 2017 as the continental flagship event is set to return to India after four years. The decession was taken during the 83rd Council meeting of the Asian Athletics Association in Manila, Phillippines.
Indigenous Terra Madre 2015 held in Shillong
Indigenous Terra Madre 2015 has been held on 3 – 7 november in Shillong, Meghalaya. Over 600 delegates have arrived from every corner of the world to participate in Indigenous Terra Madre, including representatives from over 100 different tribes and ethnic groups in 58 different countries. The event bring together representatives of indigenous communities from around the world to celebrate their food cultures and discuss how to bring their knowledge and vision of food production into modern times.
ABBREVIATIONS
BIS : Bank for International Settlements
IISc : Indian Institute of Sciences
IITF : India International Trade Fair
NIN : National Institute of Nutrition
NPS : National Pension System
PFRDA : Pension Fund Regulatroy and Development Authority
CBEC : Central Board of Excise and Customs
NSM : Naval Systems and Materials
Books in News
Abdul Kalam’s Last Book ‘Advantage India-From Challenge to Opportunity’
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam’s last book ‘Advantage India-From Challenge to Opportunity’ about how can new initiatives like ‘Make in India’, ‘Swachh Bharat’ can be used to unleash country’s vast potential, was launched on 3 November at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA) in Ahmedabad. The book has been co-authored by IIMA alumnus Srijan Pal Singh, who along with IIMA director Prof Ashish Nanda were present on the occasion.
‘Rebooting India’
The book titled Rebooting India: Realizing a Billion Aspirations authored by Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah was released on 4 November 2015. The book talks about the demographic dividend of India, which is expected to be the world’s youngest country by 2020 with 64 percent (roughly 800 million) of its population of working age.
Book on Indian Space Programme “From Fishing Hamlet to Red Planet”
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 5 November, 2015 released a book on Indian Space Programme “From Fishing Hamlet to Red Planet” to commemorate second anniversary of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft launch. The book was released by Prof U R Rao, Chairman, PRL Council and Former Chair-man, ISRO, in the presence of A S Kiran Kumar, Chair-man, ISRO, Dr K Radhakrishnan, Former Chairman, ISRO and many distinguished dignitaries of ISRO.
COMMITTEES
Justice Eswar Committee on IT Laws
A high-level committee has been set up by the centre under former Delhi High Court Judge Justice R.V. Eswar to suggest simplification of Income Tax (IT) laws. The 10 member panel will study and identify the provisions in the Income Tax Act which are leading to litigation due to different interpre-tations. The panel will suggest alternatives and modifications to the existing provisions and areas to bring about predictability and certainity in tax laws without substantial impact on the tax base and revenue collection. The committee will give its report at the end of January, 2016.
Five member panel to review research grants offered by UGC
The government has appointed a five member panel to review the research grants offered by University of Grants Commission (UGC). The committee will submit it’s report to the HRD MInistry. Students protest against the scrapping of the non-NET fellowship by the UGC. The committee has been asked to determine the feasibility of enhancing the coverage of NET fellowships which are merit based.
Empowered Committee under Nirbhaya Fund
The Union Government on 4 November 2015 constituted an Empowered Committee to approve schemes proposed under the Nirbhaya Fund. The Secretary of the Women&Child Development Ministry will be the chairperson of the committee. The Committee comprises officials from various ministries, including Women and Child Development, Home Affairs, Road Transport and Railways. The Empowered Committee of Officers will take decision on the sanction of schemes/projects from Nirbhaya Fund within 15 days of the date of receipt of the proposal by the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
November 7 : World Cancer Awareness Day
November 14 : National Children’s Day
November 11 : National Education Day
November 20 : Universal Children’s Day
November 25 : International Day on Violence against Women
