Long Range Surface to Air Missile Barak 8 Missile successfully tested from INS Kolkata

India, Israel jointly developed Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) Barak 8 was successfully test fired from INS Kolkata. The firing trial of the LR SAM has been jointly carried out by Indian Navy, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries. This successful test marks a significant milestone in enhancing Indian Navy’s Anti Air Warfare capability and also India, Israel relations.
About Barak 8 missile:

• LRSAM Barak 8 missile in Hebrew language means Lightning. It is an advanced, long,range missile defence and air defence system.


• Main features are long range, active radar seeker missile, vertical launch and multiple simultaneous engagements.


• For the LRSAM, DRDO has developed dual pulse propulsion system along with other safety arm mechanisms for Solid Propulsion system.


• The LRSAM programme consists of Missiles, Weapon Control System, MFSTAR , Vertical Launcher unit and double way data link.


• It is capable to counter a wide variety of air borne threats such as anti-ship missiles, aircraft, UAVs and drones as well as supersonic cruise missiles.


• Barak 8 missiles will be in-corporated onboard of the Kolkata Class Destroyers and also on all future major warships of the Indian Navy.


• This missile along with the Multi Functional Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar (MF STAR) would provide these ships the capability to neutralize aerial threats at extended ranges.

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Long Range Surface to Air Missile Barak 8 Missile successfully tested from INS Kolkata

China successfully launched Gaofen 4 dual use geostationary satellite

On 29 December 2015 China successfully launched Gaofe-4 Earth observation satellite toward a geostationary orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the south western province of Sichuan. The Satellite was launched aboard a Long March 3B carrier rocket.

Launched as a part of the China High resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS), Gaofen-4 is located at the orbit 36000 kilometres away from the earth and moves synchronously with the earth.
Highlights of the Gaofen-4

• It can see an oil tanker on the sea with a huge CMOS camera, reaching the best imaging level among global high-orbit remote sensing satellites.

• It will be used for disaster prevention and relief, surveillance of geological disasters & forest disasters, and meteorologic forecast.

• It will offer optical spatial resolution of better than 50 metres and infrared sensing capabilities from geostationary orbit.

• It is designed to operate for 8 years at an altitude of almost 36000 km above the Earth.

The satellite was launched as a part of Gaofen project that aims to launch 7 high-definition observation satellites before 2020. Gaofen-1, the 1st satellite of the project, was launched in April 2013.

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China successfully launched Gaofen 4 dual use geostationary satellite

Gujarat wins prestigious Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy

Gujarat has won the 14th season of prestigious Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy for season 2015–16 for 1st time in its history of championship. In the final match played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru they defeated Delhi by 139 runs.
About Vijay Hazare Trophy:

• It is annual limited overs cricket domestic competition started in 2002–03 and is played among state teams from the Ranji Trophy plates.


• The trophy is also known as the Ranji One Day Trophy and is named after the famous Indian cricketer Vijay Hazare.


• Tamil Nadu has won the trophy for record Four times i.e. in seasons 2002–03, 2004–05, 2008–09 and 2009–10.

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Gujarat wins prestigious Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy

Ex Chief of Indian Army General Om Prakash Malhotra passed away

General Om Prakash Malhotra, former Punjab Governor and Ex Chief of Army, passed away on 29 December 2015 due to old age. Om Prakash was 93. He is survived by his wife and 2 children.

General Om Prakash Malhotra was the 13th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1978 to 1981.

About General Om Prakash Malhotra:

• He was born in Srinagar, Kashmir, in August 1922 and attended Government College in Lahore before being selected to join the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun.

• He was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery. He commanded different Artillery Regiments between November 1950 & July 1961.

• He was the Military Attache at the Indian Embassy in Moscow for over 3 years from June 1962.

• He served as the Ambassador of India to Indonesia from 1981 to 1984.

• He was appointed as the Governor of Punjab & Administrator of Chandigarh from 1990 – 1991.

• He was also the President of the Equestrian Federation of India for nearly 9 years.

• For his outstanding services to the nation and the Indian Army, he was honoured with Param Vishsist Seva Medal in 1976.

• In 1994, Om Prakash was conferred with the Degree of Doctor of Letters (Honours Causa) by the University of Jammu.

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Ex Chief of Indian Army General Om Prakash Malhotra passed away

Gujarati writer Raghuveer Chaudhary selected for 51st Jnanpith award

On 29 December 2015 Eminent Gujarati litterateur Raghuveer Chaudhary was selected for the 51st Jnanpith award for his contribution to the Indian literature.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the Jnanpith Selection Board(JSB) chaired by noted scholar Namwar Singh. Other members of the selection board are Shamim Hanfi, Harish Trivedi, Suranjan Das, Ramakant Rath, Chandrakant Patil, Alok Rai, Dinesh Misra and Leeladhar Mandloi.

Raghuveer Chaudhary is the 4th Gujarati litterateur to bag this prestigious Jnanpith award after Uma Shankar Joshi (1967), Pannalal Patel (1985) and Rajendra Shah (2001).

About Raghuveer Chaudhary:

• Raghuveer Chaudhary Born in 1938 in Gujarat, he is a novelist, poet, critic, a prominent figure on contemporary Gujarati literary scene and a Gandhian.

• His talent has been influenced by works of Govardhanram Tripathi, Kaka Kalelkar, Suresh Joshi, Prof. Ramdarash Mishra and Prof. GN Dickey.

• He authored more than 80 books and some of his notable novels include Amrita, Venu Vatsala, Purvarang & Laagni Samjyaa Vinaa Chuuta Padvanu.

• Raghuveer Chaudhary also had worked as a columnist for numerous newspapers such as Sandesh, Janmabhumi, Nirikshaka & Divya Bhaskar.

• He was a teacher at the Gujarat University until his retirement in 1998.

• He has received numerous awards including Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Trilogy Uparvaas in 1977.

About Jnanpith Award

• Jnanpith award is one of the prestigious literary awards in India. The name of award is taken from Sanskrit words Jnana and Pitha which means knowledge Seat.

• The award was instituted in 1961 and is presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain family.

• The award is given to any Indian citizen who writes in any 22 official languages of India mentioned in VIII Schedule of Constitution of India.

• The award includes cash prize of 11 lakh rupees, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati.

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Gujarati writer Raghuveer Chaudhary selected for 51st Jnanpith award

Andhra Pradesh Govt. ink MoU with the Microsoft India on technology initiatives

The Andhra Pradesh Government has signed Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the tech giant Microsoft India on various technology initiatives for governance. The MoU was signed after a meeting between the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella in Hyderabad, Telangana. The technology provided by the Microsoft would be utilized by state government to check school dropouts, improve agricultural productivity and providing better citizen services.
Key features of MoU:

• The MoU seeks to improve use of Information & communications technology (ICT) drive for digital inclusion and provide better IT based services to citizens.


• For digital inclusion Microsoft India will provide technical knowledge to Andhra Pradesh Government & support building 3 proof-of-concept (PoC) solutions.


• PoC solutions would be supported by applying Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and Advanced Visualization method in the fields of agriculture, eCitizen services & education.


• These solutions would use the lab method for data gathering, analysis, predictive analysis and policy planning which would be built and deployed to address specific problems within each of the fields to achieve better outcomes for the State.


• The company will set up a Centre for Excellence (CoE) in Visakhapatnam to train state Government’s key IT executives.

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Andhra Pradesh Govt. ink MoU with the Microsoft India on technology initiatives

Union Government links LPG subsidy to income of consumers

The Union Government has announced to link LPG subsidy to income of consumers in order to ensure that the subsidy benefits go to the targeted group. Henceforth, the LPG subsidy will not be available to LPG consumers if the consumer or his/her spouse has taxable income of more than 10 lakh rupees. This income would be as per the previous financial year computed under Income Tax Act, 1961. This decision will be given effect to initially on self declaration basis of LPG consumers while booking cylinders January 2016. This move will affect at least 60 lakh LPG consumers of the total 16.5 crore LPG consumers in the country & Government will save upto Rs. 113 crore from this decision.
Background:

Earlier under the ‘Give it Up’ campaign many LPG consumers have given up subsidy voluntarily but Government felt that consumers in the higher income bracket should get LPG cylinders at the market price. So far, 57.50 lakh LPG consumers have opted out of LPG subsidy voluntarily under the campaign that aims to ensure that the subsidy benefits go to the targeted group.

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Union Government links LPG subsidy to income of consumers

Reliance Jio launches 4G telecom service using LTE

Reliance Jio has launched the 4G telecom service using LTE (Long Term Evolution) Technology. The service was launched by the company’s Chairman Mukesh Ambani on the 83rd birth anniversary of Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of the Reliance Industries Limited in Navy Mumbai, Maharashtra. This initial phase of 4G service was launched for limited to 85000 employees and their families of the company. However the commercial services to begin by April 2016 throughout country.
Features:

The Jio 4G Service has 3 pronged features focusing on broadband networks, affordable smart phones and the availability of rich content & applications. It seeks to provide unique combination of high speed data up to 1 gigabyte(GB) per second (Gbps), telecom, media, digital commerce or payment services.

India’s 4G profile

With this launch Reliance Jio became 4th telecom service provider in India to launch 4G service. Sunil Bharti Mittal led Airtel was the 1st telecom service provider in the country to launch 4G service using LTE Technology in Kolkata in 2012. It was followed by Aircel in July 2014 (in 4 circles Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar & Odisha) and Vodafone India on 8th December 2015 in Kochi, Kerala.
About 4G:

• 4G LTE is wireless communications standard developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).


• Standards: 4G LTE is one of several competing 4G standards along with WiMax (IEEE 802.16) and Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB). Presently 2 standards are commercially used world-wide viz. LTE and Mobile WiMax standard.


• WiMax standard was 1st commercially in South Korea in 2007 and LTE standard was 1st used in Norway and Sweden in 2009.


• Speed:
  
  Designed to provide up to 10x speeds of 3G networks for mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones, netbooks and wireless hotspots etc. It can provide internet speed of at least 100 Mbit per second (Mbps) to 1 Gbps.


• Services: 4G technologies are designed to provide IP (Internet Protocol) based voice, data & multimedia streaming at high speed.

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Reliance Jio launches 4G telecom service using LTE

North India’s 1st cable bridge named Atal Setu inaugurated in J&K

North India’s 1st cable stayed bridge named Atal Setu was inaugurated on Dunera-Basohli Bhadharwah road in Basohali town in Kathua district of J&K. It was inaugurated by the Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar along with the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag. About Basohli Cable Stayed Bridge Basohli Cable Stayed Bridge is 592 metre long and has been constructed over Ravi River on Dunera Basohli Bhadharwah road. The work of bridge started in September 2011. It has been constructed by Border Roads Organization (BRO) at a cost of Rs 145 crore. It is a joint venture (JV) of Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) and SP Singla Construction group. It will provide close connectivity among the 3 states of J&K, Himachal Pradesh & Punjab. It would boost connectivity and tourism among the 3 states. The bridge is strategically important from the defence point of view as well. It is 4th of its kind in the country and 1st in North India and J&K.

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North India’s 1st cable bridge named Atal Setu inaugurated in J&K

Seychelles government allows India to build 1st Naval Base on its Assumption Island

Seychelles government allowed India to build its 1st Naval Base on the Assumption Island in the Indian Ocean region (IOR) as a joint project between both countries. In this regard, Seychelles govt has allocated a plot of land on in its Assumption Island which will help to enhance mutual security along our western seaboard in IOR. India’s 1st Naval Base project has acquired significance following China acquiring its 1st African naval base in Djibouti (near Horn of Africa) in November 2014.

Significance:

• On completion, the naval base would be used by the defence forces both countries. It would help India to exercise greater control over the strategic western region of IOR to the piracy prone eastern African coastline that commands vital energy (oil) sea transport lines.


• This naval base will be staging posts for a large maritime security network that India is setting up with the help of the various IOR partner countries.

Other developments:

• From March 2016, India is also set to acquire a fully operational coastal radar system (CRS) in Seychelles.


• It would further enhance India’s ability to gather intelligence and assist in surveillance opreation in IOR especially vital energy lanes near Seychelles.


• India is also steadily increasing its maritime & security co-operation with Seychelles. It is also providing new patrol vessels to Seychelles in January 2016.


• Security operation in the IOR also has helped Seychelles to secure itself in the Contact Group for Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), which will hold its 1st meeting in Mumbai (Maharashtra) in January, 2016.

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Seychelles government allows India to build 1st Naval Base on its Assumption Island

Lok Sabha passed The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 2015

The Lok Sabha passed The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The Bill will allow doubling of wage ceiling for calculating bonus of factory workers.

The Bill seeks to amend the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965. The Bill 2015 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 7 December 2015.

Provisions of Bill

• It seeks to raise the eligibility limit for payment of bonus from a salary of 10000 rupees to 21000 rupees a month.

• It seeks to raise this calculation ceiling of bonus to 7000 rupees per month or as per the minimum wage notified for the employment under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (whichever is higher).

• It seeks to mandate prior publication of rules made by the Union Government in the Official Gazette to allow for more public consultation.

• It will have retrospective effect and will come into force on 1 April 2015.

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Lok Sabha passed The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 2015

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries released 2015 OPEC World Oil Outlook

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) released the 2015 OPEC World Oil Outlook (WOO).1st published in 2007, the World Oil Outlook offers a thorough review or assessment of various scenarios related to the medium and long term development of the upstream & downstream sectors of the oil industry.

As per the report, oil & gas, combined, are expected to supply around 53% of the global energy demand by 2040.
Highlights of 2015 OPEC WOO

• Global energy demand is set to increase by almost 50% in the period to 2040, with the overall energy mix continuing to be led by the fossil fuels at almost 78 %.

• Medium term oil demand is revised upward, compared to the WOO 2014, rising above 97 million barrels a day (mb/d) by 2020.

• Oil demand is projected to be at 110 mb/d by 2040.

• The Long term demand is dominated by the developing Asia region, which accounts for 70 % of the increase by 2040.

• Non OPEC liquids supply increases from 56.5 mb/d in 2014 to around 60 mb/d in 2020, a downward revision of 1 mb/d compared to the WOO 2014. By 2040, non-OPEC liquids supply falls below 60 mb/d.

•The OPEC crude expands by 10 mb/d to a level of 40.7 mb/d by 2040 – an increase of 1 mb/d compared with 2014 publication.

• The long term value of the OPEC Reference Basket is assumed to rise from more than 70 US dollars per barrel in 2020 to 95 US dollars per barrel by 2040 (both in 2014 dollars).

• At the global level, oil-related investment required to cover future demand for oil over the forecast period 2015 to 2040 is estimated at almost 10 trillion US dollars, in 2014 prices.

• A review of existing refinery projects indicates that around 7 mb/d of new distillation capacity will be added globally in the period 2015–2020.

• Surplus refining capacity in the medium-term has eased over the past year; but the outlook continues to point to a period of competition for product markets and the need for additional closures remains.

• Required cumulative distillation capacity additions are projected to be around 20 mb/d by 2040.

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Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries released 2015 OPEC World Oil Outlook

India’s 1st indigenously designed And built frigate INS Godavari decommissioned

India’s 1st indigenously designed warship INS Godavari decommissioned has been decommissioned after 32 years of service. It was decommissioned at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai (Maharashtra) after it completed its full life cycle, meeting all responsibilities and duties assigned in Three decades of service. After decommissioning, the ship would be used as a target to practice missile firing for final burial at sea.
About INS Godavari:

INS Godavari was the 1st of the 3 in her Class of guided missile frigates and was commissioned into Indian Navy on 10th December 1983. The ship was considered as a symbol of India’s growing military might and self reliance. It was 1st of 3 Godavari Class frigates, others being Ganga & Gomati.
Naval Operations:

In its 3 decades of service, the warship took part in major naval operations including Operation Jupiter (1988) in Sri Lanka, Operation Shield & Operation Bolster (1994) for de-induction of Indian Army from Somalia, Patrol of Gulf of Aden (PoG) in 2009 and anti piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden in 2011. It was also part of ‘Operation Cactus’ in 1988 where India successfully thwarted a coup d’état against the Maldivian government.

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India’s 1st indigenously designed And built frigate INS Godavari decommissioned

Dr. Rakesh K. Jain selected for National Medal of Science 2015

Indian-American professor Dr. Rakesh K. Jain has been selected for 2015 National Medal of Science of the United States. Dr. Rakesh will be presented this top award along with Sixteen other winners by the President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony in January 2016. All of them were chosen for this award for their individual achievement & leadership in advancing the fields of science & technology
About Dr. Rakesh K. Jain:

• Rakesh K. Jain is currently working as professor at Harvard Medical School and also is the director of tumour biology laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital.


• He is regarded as a pioneer in the area of tumour micro environment and widely recognized for his seminal discoveries in tumor biology, in vivo imaging, bioengineering, drug delivery and bench to bedside translation.


• He holds B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT-Kanpur. He has received around 75 awards for his contribution to engineering & medical field.


• He is also member of all 3 branches of the US National Academies viz. National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences & National Academy of Engineering and also of American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

About National Medal of Science:

• It is an annual award established in 1959 by United States Government. It is bestowed by the US President to individuals in science & engineering.


• These individuals must have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioural & social sciences, chemistry, engineering, biology, mathematics & physics.

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Dr. Rakesh K. Jain selected for National Medal of Science 2015

Reserve Bank of India extends deadline to exchange pre-2005 notes to June 30, 2016

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes of various denominations by another 6 months to June 30, 2016. From January 1, 2016 such facility for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes will only be available at identified bank branches and Issue Offices of the Reserve Bank of India. Earlier in June 2015, RBI had set the last date for public to exchange pre-2005 banknotes notes as December 31st, 2015. It is 4th time RBI has extended the deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes since March 2014. Till date RBI has shredded over 164 crore pre-2005 currency notes of various denominations, including of Rs 1,000 with the face value of around Rs 21,750 crore in its regional offices. Reasons for withdrawing pre-2005 notes from circulation Security: pre-2005 notes have fewer security features as compared to 2005 and post-2005 currency notes. Thus, lesser will be the chances of its counterfeiting newer currency notes. It will also remove fake currency notes in circulation which were being pumped in Indian economy were copies of pre-2005 notes.
Flushing out black money: The spillover effect of the RBI’s decision will be to flush out black money. Money has value only as long as it is a medium of exchange and store of value. It loses its value when it ceases to be a medium of exchange.
A disincentive for cash hoarders: With the RBI’s announcement, currency hoarders will be left with no option but to liquidate their unaccounted holdings by spending or exchanging them. Thus, this is a well thought out exercise by the RBI to capture the “money flows’’ into the system and also help flush out counterfeit notes.

International standard practice: It is an international standard practice to remove old series notes.

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Reserve Bank of India extends deadline to exchange pre-2005 notes to June 30, 2016

National Consumer Day

24th December is being observed as National Consumer Day in India,On this day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 had received the assent of the President. The enactment of this Act was considered as a historic milestone in the consumer movement in the country. This Act aims to provide consumers with effective safeguards against different types of exploitation such as defective goods, unsatisfactory services and unfair trade practices. This day provides an opportunity for individuals to highlight the importance of the consumer movement and the need to make every consumer more aware of their rights & responsibilities. It should be also noted that the World Consumer Rights Day is observed on 15 March every year.
Some facts about Consumer Protection:

In the Act, 1986 It provides consumers with speedy or inexpensive redressal grievances mechanism & specific relief or award of compensation. It recognizes 6 of the 8 rights of the consumer as provided in the UN charter.
It envisages following rights of consumers:

(i) Right to Protection.

(ii) Right of Information.

(iii) Right of Choice.

(iv) Right of Hearing.

(v) Right of Redressal

(vi) Right of Education.

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National Consumer Day

CCEA approved 3000 crore rupees scheme for integrated development & management of fisheries

On 22 December 2015 the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its approval for implementation of an umbrella scheme for integrated development & management of fisheries. The scheme will be implemented at an outlay of 3000 crore rupees, for a period of 5 years.

It will cover development & management of inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries and all activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) towards realizing Blue Revolution. The scheme has the following 6 broad components, and they are

• National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and its activities

• Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture

• Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure or Post Harvest Operations

• Strengthening of Database & Geographical Information System of the Fisheries Sector

• Institutional Arrangement for Fisheries Sector

• Monitoring, Control & Surveillance (MCS) and other need-based Interventions

The scheme aims development & management of fisheries & aquaculture sector to ensure a sustained annual growth rate of 6% to 8%. It will be implemented in all the States including North East States & Union Territories.

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CCEA approved 3000 crore rupees scheme for integrated development & management of fisheries

European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia for Six months

The European Union (EU) extended its economic sanctions against Russia for 6 months over its involvement in the Ukraine crisis. The 28 member body renewed the sanctions until 31 July 2016.

The sanctions target Russia’s financial, energy and defense sectors as well as some dual use goods.

The sanctions were renewed after assessing Russia’s adherence to Minsk peace agreement in eastern Ukraine. Despite signing a cease fire deal in February 2015, Ukraine says it has still not gained control of its border with Russia. It also says that the Russian backed rebels are not respecting the cease fire conditions.

The United Nations has said that over 8000 people, most of them civilians have been killed in the conflict.

Besides, EU has separately imposed visa bans and asset freezes targeting several associates of President Vladimir Putin and others involved in Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

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European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia for Six months

Philippines became 1st Asian country to approve world"s 1st-ever dengue vaccine

On 22 December 2015 the Philippines became the first Asian country to approve the sale of the world’s 1st-ever dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia.

The Philippines’ Food & Drug Administration approved the dengue vaccine for the prevention of disease caused by all 4 dengue types in individuals from 9 to 45 years old living in endemic areas.

Earlier on 9th December 2015, Dengvaxia, manufactured by the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, secured its 1st regulatory approval in Mexico.

Key facts related to Dengvaxia vaccine

• The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) approved Dengvaxia for the prevention of disease caused by all 4 dengue virus serotypes in preadolescents, adolescents & adults, 9 to 45 years of age living in endemic areas.

• The COFEPRIS approval of Dengvaxia is based on results from an extensive clinical development program involving over 40000 people of different ages, geographic or epidemiological settings, and ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds living in 15 countries.

• According to a World Health Orgnisation report published in late 2014, the vaccine had an average rate of effectiveness of about 60.8 % in protecting against the 4 strains of dengue now circulating.

About Sanofi

• Sanofi is a French multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France.

• It was founded in 1973 as subsidiary of Elf Aquitaine.

• The company engages in the research & development(R&D), manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical drugs principally in the prescription market.

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Philippines became 1st Asian country to approve world"s 1st-ever dengue vaccine

Parliament passes Juvenile Justice Bill

Parliament has passed the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Bill, 2015 for trying juveniles as adults. The bill was 1st passed in Lok Sabha in May 2015 and later in Rajya Sabha in December 2015. Now it will go for presidential approval to come into force.
Key facts:

• The bill has provision that allows trying of juveniles between the ages of 16 & 18 years as adults for heinous offences.


• The legislation aims at ensuring protection, proper care, development or social reintegration of children in difficult circumstances by adopting a child-friendly-approach.


• The bill empowers Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB) to examine the nature of crime and decide whether it was committed as a child mind or as an adult mind. Based upon the preliminary inquiry of JJB, juvenile offender will be either sent for rehabilitation or will be tried as an adult.


• The Bill also seeks to consolidate and amend the law related to children alleged and found to be in conflict with law & children needing care and protection.


• It also has provision for the establishment of Child Welfare Committees (CWC) along with JJB in each district. The CWC will determine institutional care for juvenile in need of care & protection.

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Parliament passes Juvenile Justice Bill

India joins select club nations to build LNG ships

India has joined select club nations to build Liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships after state owned Cochin Shipyard has received certification in this regard. Cochin Shipyard also became 1st shipyard in India to get the nod to build LNG transporting ships for any client world-wide.
Key facts:

• In this regard, Cochin Shipyard has signed a license agreement with French technology company Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT).


• GTT holds patented technology for LNG ships and provides the certification in design engineering & membrane type containment systems for the transportation & storage of LNG.


• GTT would provide technology for the cryogenic containment and handling system which is most critical part of an LNG ship as the LNG is carried at a temperature of -163 degrees.


• This license agreement authorises Cochin Shipyard to use the membrane type technologies of GTT for any liquid gas carriers, more particularly the LNG carriers.


• With this India joins the league other nations including South Korea, Japan & China building LNG transportation ships.


• It also opens a new chapter in ship building technology in India & marks a big step for Make in India.

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India joins select club nations to build LNG ships

United States lifts 40 year old ban on oil export

The United States (US) has lifted a 40 year ban on oil exports marking a historic shift for the booming US oil industry. This decision was taken as part of a 1.1 trillion dollars spending bill to fund US government until 2016 received assent of President Barack Obama This move will help in economic growth and in turn create jobs along with new revenues, prosperity and enhanced energy security for other countries. It would pave the way for energy deficient countries including India to open up another frontier and diversify import basket of oil from US.
Background:

The ban of crude oil exports was born of oil shock of 1973-74 due to Arab oil embargo that had sent global shooting up of oil prices. The ban was first imposed in 1975 after Arab members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting (OPEC) Countries had banned oil exports to the US in retaliation for its support of Israel during the Arab-Israeli war. The ban was imposed by US mainly for seeking greater energy independence. US also had created an emergency stockpile of crude oil the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in 1975.

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United States lifts 40 year old ban on oil export

Chennaiyin FC wins Indian Super League Football Champions 2015

Chennaiyin FC has won the 2nd edition of Indian Super League Football tournament. In the final played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, they defeated hosts Goa FC by 3-2 goals score. Till the 87th minute of final match Goa was leading by 2-1 goals but the self goal from their keeper Laxmikant Kattimani in the 90th minute and Colombian Stiven Mendoza’s strike seconds later helped Chennai win the title.

Awards of 2015 ISL Golden boot Award:

John Stiven Mendoza Valencia (Chennaiyin FC). Scored tournament’s highest scorer of 13 goals.
Golden Glove Award:

Apoula Edima Edel Bete (Chennaiyin FC). Muthoot Group Fair Play Award: Mumbai FC.

Hero of the League award:

John Stiven Mendoza Valencia (Chennaiyin FC).
About Chennaiyin FC:

Chennaiyin FC is Chennai (Tamil Nadu) based ISL franchise. The franchise is owned by the Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Vita Dani and Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan.
About Indian Super League (ISL):

The ISL football league was launched in 2013 to promote football in India on the lines of Indian Premier League & T-20 formats of Cricket. ISL’s mission is to make India a global football power and promote the game so that India qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is supported by the AIFF (All India Football Federation). It uses a city based franchise system like IPL. Atletico de Kolkata had won the inaugural ISL football tournament in 2014.

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Chennaiyin FC wins Indian Super League Football Champions 2015

Barcelona FC wins the FIFA Club World Cup 2015 for a record 3rd time

Barcelona FC has won the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup for a record 3rd time. In the final match played at International Stadium Yokoham in Japan the winning team defeated River Plate FC by 3-0 goals. 3 goals for Barcelona FC were scored by the Lionel Messi (36 minute), Luis Suarez (49 minute) and Neymar (68 minute). Earlier Barcelona FC had won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009 & 2011 and it is their 5th trophy of season 2015.
About FIFA Club World Cup:

• The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men’s association football competition organised by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).


• It was established in 2000 and formerly was known as the FIFA Club World Championship. The inaugural FIFA Club World Cup was won by Corinthians FC of Brazil.

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Barcelona FC wins the FIFA Club World Cup 2015 for a record 3rd time

Afghanistan becomes 163rd member nation of the World Trade Organisation

Afghanistan has become 163rd member nation of World Trade Organisation (WTO), global trade body after 11 years of negotiations. World Trade Orgnisation has formally approved Afghanistan’s membership proposal at its ongoing 10th ministerial conference in the Nairobi, Kenya. In this regard, Protocol of Accession was signed by the World Trade Organisation Director General Roberto Azevedo and Afghanistan’s 1st Deputy Chief Executive Mohammad Khan Rahmani. The final accession to become a full member will come in to effect after PoA is ratified by the Afghanistan Parliament till June 2016. It will be the 36th least developed country (LDC) to join the global trade body.

Advantages for Afghanistan:

• By joining World Trade Organisation, landlocked war shattered Afghanistan hopes to reap the benefits of the World Trade Organisation membership for its post conflict reconstruction.


• Trade led growth will help to create new economic opportunities in world’s poorest economy and create jobs especially for women and in turn help to reduce poverty.


• Post conflict reconstruction will certainly contribute in a major way to reduce extremism and achieve regional peace & security.

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Afghanistan becomes 163rd member nation of the World Trade Organisation

The International Migrants Day observed across the world

International Migrants Day was observed across the world on 18th December 2015. Since 2014, more than 5000 women, men & children lost their lives in search of protection and a better life while migrating.

The year 2015 will be remembered as a year of human suffering and migrant tragedies. Tens of thousands have been exploited and abused by the human traffickers. And millions have been made into scapegoats and become the targets of xenophobic policies & alarmist rhetoric.

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, world leaders vowed to protect the labour rights of migrant workers, combat transnational criminal human trafficking networks & promote well regulated migration & mobility.

About International Migrants Day:

• The UN General Assembly on 4 December 2000 took into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world and proclaimed 18 December as the International Migrants Day.


• The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families was adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 1990.


• In October 2013, member states of UN unanimously adopted a declaration on recognizing the contribution of migration to development during the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development.

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The International Migrants Day observed across the world

Second World Internet Conference concluded in China

The 3-day long Second World Internet Conference was concluded on 18th December 2015 at Wuzen in China. Wuzen is located in Zhejiang Province in eastern China.

The conference was held with theme An Interconnected World Shared and Governed by Al-Building a Cyberspace Community of Shared Destiny.

It was jointly organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province.

The conference focused on facilitating strategic level discussions on global Internet governance, cyber security, the Internet industry as the engine of economic growth and social development, technological innovation and philosophy of the Internet.

It was held under the auspices of Geneva Internet Platform which is an initiative of Switzerland.

It was attended by 1200 leading figures from governments, international organizations, enterprises, science & technology communities and civil societies all around the world.

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Second World Internet Conference concluded in China

Radha Krishna Mathur has appointed as New Chief Information Commissioner

Former Defence Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur has been appointed as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). R K Mathur will have tenure of about 3 years or till they attain the age of 65, whichever is earlier. R k Mathur succeeds Vijai Sharma as he has retired after completion of his tenure. Conventionally, the senior most Information Commissioner is chosen as CIC. However in Mr Mathur appointment was made away from the convention of appointing senior most serving Information Commissioner as CIC.
Background:

President Pranab Mukherjee had approved the appointment R K Mathur as CIC after receiving proposal of Prime Minister led selection committee as per The Right To Information (RTI) Act, 2005. The selection committee included Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Chairman), Leader of the Largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha, Mallikaarjun Kharge and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
About R K Mathur:

R K Mathur is a retired IAS officer of Tripura cadre. He had served as Defence Secretary for 2 years. He also had served as Secretary Union Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) & Defence Production and Supplies.

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Radha Krishna Mathur has appointed as New Chief Information Commissioner

23 poets & authors chosen for prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award 2015

Sahitya Academy has announced the names of 23 poets & authors who will be conferred the prestigious 2015 Sahitya Akademi Award. This award has recognised premier works in 23 Indian languages that includes 6 books of short stories, Six of poetry, Four novels, Two books each of essays, criticism and plays and One memoir.
23 Awardee’s are:

• Poetry:


• Brajendra Kumar Brahma (Bodo), Dhian Singh (Dogri), Ramdarash Mishra (Hindi), K.V. Tirumalesh (Kannada), Kshetri Rajan (Manipuri) & Ram Shankar Awasthi (Sanskrit).

 

• Short stories:
  
  Kula Saikia (Assamese), Man Mohan Jha (Maithili), Gupta Pradhan (Nepali), Bibhuti Pattanaik (Odia), Maya Rahi (Sindhi) & Volga (Telugu).


• Novels:
  
  Cyrus Mistry (English), Jaswinder Singh (Punjabi) & Madhu Acharya ‘Ashawadi’ (Rajasthani). Essays:
  
  Rasik Shah (Gujrati) and A. Madhavan (Tamil). Plays: Uday Bhembre (Konkani), Rabilal Tudu (Santali). Books on criticism: Bashir Bhadarwahi (Kashmiri) and Shamim Tariq (Urdu).


• Memoirs:
  
  Arun Khopkar (Marathi). All 23 awardees were chosen by a distinguished jury representing 23 Indian languages. The final approval was given by the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi chaired by its President Dr. Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari. They will be presented with awards at a special function during the Festival of Letters – the annual function of the Akademi. The award in Bengali language will be announced later.

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23 poets & authors chosen for prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award 2015

National Stock Exchange launches 3 new group indices

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has launched 3 new separate indices on 3 corporate houses of India viz. Tata, Aditya Birla & Mahindra Group. The 1st of its kind 3 separate indices based on corporate houses have been designed to reflect the performance of companies belonging to the respective corporate group. Each of 3 indices will comprise all the companies of the respective business group.
The 3 separate indices are Nifty Tata Group Index:

It includes 25 companies across 12 sectors with a total market capitalisation of 7.51 lakh crore rupees. It represents 7.83 % of the total market capitalisation of companies listed on the NSE. Nifty Aditya Birla Group Index: It consists of eight companies across 7 sectors with the market capitalisation of 2.08 lakh crore rupees. It represents 2.17 % of the total market capitalisation of companies listed on the NSE.
Nifty Mahindra Group Index:

It consists of 7 companies with a market capitalisation of about 1.64 lakh crore rupees. It represents 1.71 % of the total market capitalisation of companies listed on NSE. These 3 indices have been created by the NSE’s group company India Index Services & Products Ltd (IISL). The company is planning to launch indices on other corporate groups and 3rd party products based on such indices.

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National Stock Exchange launches 3 new group indices

DAC gives nod to purchase of Russian S-400 Trium Air Defence Missile Systems

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared the purchase of Russian advance S-400 Trium Air Defence Missile Systems at an estimated cost of 40,000 crore rupees. Decision in this regard was taken by the DAC meeting chaired by the Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi. DAC approval for defence deal comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia later in December 2015. India would buy Five units of the S-400 Trium air defence missile systems that are capable of destroying incoming hostile missiles, aircraft & even drones within a range of up to 400 km. This purchase will give a major boost to the national air defence capacity and make India only the 2nd buyer of the missile system after China. The S-400 System is also capable of taking out ballistic missiles and hypersonic targets.

DAC also gave approval for

• Indian Army’s proposal for the purchase of Six regiments of the Pinaka rocket system under the ‘Make in India’ category for 14,600 crore rupees.


• Each regiment of the Pinaka rocket system comes with 18 launchers and every launcher has the capability of firing 12 rockets at the same time.


• Indian Army’s demand for 571 light bullet proof vehicles to be used in counter terrorism & counter insurgency operations. It was cleared at a cost of 310 crore rupees.


• Purchase of 120 trawls to be used on Russia origin T-72 & T-90 tanks under Buy Global category for 450 crore rupees.


• It should be noted that DAC is the apex body of Union Defence Ministry for clearing defence procurement proposals forwarded by the Indian Army, Navy & Air Force.

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DAC gives nod to purchase of Russian S-400 Trium Air Defence Missile Systems

World Bank offers $1.5 billion loan for Swachh Bharat Mission

The World Bank has approved a 1.5 billion dollars loan to support the Union government’s flagship cleanliness drive Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). The loan funds would be used for SBM Support Operation Project and shall support SBM’s rural component known as SBM-Gramin (SBM-G). The loan has a maturity of 18 years including a grace period of 5 years.

Key facts:

• SBM Support Operation Project aims at strengthening the implementation of the SBM initiative of the government.


• The project will support SBM-Gramin over a 5 year period using a new performance-based program. Two important components of this project are incentivising good performance by states and the focus on behavioural changes.


• Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) will be nodal agency for overseeing and coordinating role for the programme and support the participating states.


• The loan funds will be mainly used to develop the capacity of MDWS in program management, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation.


• Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): Aims to ensure that all citizens have access to improved sanitation such as a toilet or latrine.


• It mainly focuses on changing behaviour of citizens in ending the practice of open defecation by 2019.

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World Bank offers $1.5 billion loan for Swachh Bharat Mission

ISRO successfully launches SIX Singapore Satellites onboard PSLV-C29

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully placed six commercial satellites from Singapore in their dedicated orbits. These satellites were launched using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C29) from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This successful launch coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore in year 2015.

Key facts:

• The PSLV-C29 was launched in the core-alone version. The total lift-off mass was of 227.6 tonne that included 600 kg payload weight. It was overall PSLV’s 32nd space flight and the 31st consecutively successful one.


• The major payload was TeLEOS-One remote sensing satellite weighing 400 kg. It would be used for urban planning and disaster monitoring of Singapore.


• The other five satellites included two micro satellites and one nano satellite. These satellites are VELOX-CI (123 kg), VELOX-II (13 kg) 6U-Cubesat technology demonstrator, Athenoxat-1, Kent Ridge-1 (78 kg) and Galassia (3.4 kg) 2U-Cubesat.


• All of these satellites were successfully launched into a 550 km circular orbit inclined at 150 to the equator.


• So far Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of ISRO has successfully launched more than 55 foreign satellites of 20 countries into space.


• Some of its customer countries are US, UK, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and South Korea.

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ISRO successfully launches SIX Singapore Satellites onboard PSLV-C29

Arun Kumar Jain appointed as Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes

Senior revenue service officer Arun Kumar Jain appointed as the  Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet  headed by the  Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Jain is Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officer of a 1978 batch. Prior to this appointment Arun kumar was serving as acting Chairman of the board following superannuation of Anita Kapur on November 30th, 2015. He will have short tenure of 2 months as Chairman of CBDt till January 2016. Presently, he is also holding additional charge of Member (Personnel & Vigilance) in the CBDT. About Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) CBDT is apex policy making body of Income Tax department in India and is the supreme body for framing policies related to direct taxes. It is a statutory authority established under The Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963. The composition of CBDT includes Chairman and 6 members.

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Arun Kumar Jain appointed as Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes

Supreme Court bans the registration of new diesel SUVs, luxury cars in Delhi(NCR)

The Supreme Court has banned the registration of all diesel SUVs and luxury cars in the entire National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi. The ban will be valid to SUVs, luxury cars with engine capacity of 2000 cc or more till March 31, 2016. The SC ruling aims at curbing the alarming pollution level in Delhi.

The Supreme Court ruled that:

• All trucks not bound for Delhi would be not allowed to enter the capital through National Highways 1 & 8. Trucks carrying goods for Delhi will have to shell out a steep environment compensation charge (ECC).


• EEC will be of 2,600 rupees for big trucks & 1,400 rupees for light commercial vehicles. All the private cabs operating in Delhi should convert into Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by March 1, 2016.


• Commercial vehicles registered before 2005 are banned from entering Delhi. Delhi govt. and all civic bodies to stop burning of waste.


• Asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee  to enforce construction norms strictly to stop builders from polluting the NCR region. Delhi(NCR)

Presently, over 23 % (around 8.5 million) of the vehicles on Delhi roads run on diesel & more than 1,400 new cars are added every day. These diesel vehicles produce much more carcinogenic nitrogen oxide than petrol cars and are one main source of Particulate Matters.

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Supreme Court bans the registration of new diesel SUVs, luxury cars in Delhi(NCR)