Abhimanu

Weekly current affairs Series

Week- III, Nov 2015

Abhimanu’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

 The first centre is already up and running in Mahabubnagar. Over 800 villagers have been using it.

NATIONAL ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

GOVERNMENT EXTENDS CURRENCY NATIONAL POLITY SWAP FACILITY FOR SAARC MEMBERS

 The government extended the currency swap T. S. THAKUR SWORN IN AS THE 43RD CHIEF facility for SAARC members, under which the RBI JUSTICE OF offers the facility of varying sizes not exceeding $2 billion in total.  President of India, Shri has  Under the facility, RBI offers swaps of varying sizes appointed Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, Judge of to each SAARC member country (Afghanistan, Supreme Court to be the 43rd Chief Justice of India. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and  Article 124 of the Constitution of India provides for Sri Lanka) depending on their two months import the manner of appointing judges to the Supreme requirement and not exceeding USD 2 billion in Court. Though no specific provision exists in the total, in US dollar, Euro or domestic currency. Constitution for appointing the Chief Justice, who, as a result, is appointed like the other judges conventionally, the outgoing CJI recommends the PROGRAMMES/SCHEMES/INITIATIVES name of the senior-most judge (i.e. by date of appointment to the Supreme Court) for EK KADAM UNNATI KI AUR appointment by the President, as his successor.  First chief justice of India: H. J. Kania.  Chip maker Intel has launched Ek Kadam Unnati Ki Aur ,an initiative that is aimed at creating a VIJAY KESHAV GOKHALE APPOINTED blueprint for State-sponsored rural India digital AS INDIA’S AMBASSADOR TO campaigns. The company is planning to create a platform where different partners and  Senior diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale, has been stakeholders would contribute their expertise or appointed as the Ambassador to China to replace services to the programme. Ashok Kantha.  As part of the initiative, the firm has set up the first  A 1981 batch IFS officer, Mr. Gokhale is expected Unnati centre in Mahboobnagar district of to take up the assignment shortly announced by Telangana. External Affairs Ministry.  ‘Unnati’ Kendra has been set up at a Common  Presently he was working as the country’s Services Center (CSC) in Nadimpalle village of Ambassador to Germany. Before taking up position Mahabubnagar district of Telangana in Germany as top envoy, he has served in  Intel will work with Central and state governments Indian missions in , , and to create a blueprint to drive technology enabled New York. transformation at the grassroots in 10 states in India. NSCN-K DECLARED A TERRORIST  Digital India Unnati Centres will provide devices, ORGANISATION relevant local content and training to the citizens  The government declared NSCN-K, all its front organizations and formations as a terrorist

organization under the Unlawful Activities  The local Indian Army formation led by Col N (Prevention) Act, 1967. In the month of Prashanth, Contingent Commander Indian September, the government of India had banned Battalion this outfit and now declared terrorist outfit. NSCN  The 250-strong Army contingent of Russia led by (K) has resorted to terrorism by killing innocent Maj Gen Sergey N Legotin, Commander, civilians and security forces and engaged in other Independent Motorised Brigade. violent activities including the June 4, 2015 attack on the Army convoy in Chandel district of Manipur.

About National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Khaplang:

 The NSCN was established in 1980 with an aim of establishing a sovereign state of Nagalim by INTETRNATIONAL AFFAIRS unifying all the areas inhabited by the Naga people in Northeast India and Myanmar.  It was founded by Isak Chishi Swu, Thuingaleng APEC SUMMIT - 2015 Muivah and SS Khaplang opposing the Shillong Accord of 1975 signed by the then Naga National  23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Council (NNC) with Union Government. was held in Manila, Philippines. It marks the  In 1988, Naga nationalist Military group had split second time the Philippines is playing host to the into two factions- NSCN-K led by SS Khaplang (a APEC, first hosted in 1996 in Subic, Zambales. Main Myanmarese Naga) and the NSCN-IM jointly led by theme of the summit was “Building Inclusive Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah. Economies, Building a Better World: A Vision for an  In 2001, both factions had settled a ceasefire Asia-Pacific Community”. agreement with the Union government. Highlights of Summit  NSCN-K has its headquarters in Taga in Myanmar  Counter terrorism: The APEC leaders called for and is estimated to have around 700-800 cadres global intolerance against terrorism and have and the same number of sophisticated weapons vowed to take all necessary action to rid the world including rocket launchers of terrorism.  Economic growth: The leaders discussed various points about stabilising global economy and participating in collaborative measures to help MILITARY EXERCISE backward countries gain self-sufficiency.  Equality: The leaders agreed that due to INDIA-RUSSIA JOINT ARMY EXERCISE “INDRA- unprecedented economic growth, distribution of 2015” CULMINATED wealth among countries have been uneven. They plan to come up with new initiatives to get rid of  The 14 days India Russia exercise “INDRA-2015 economic inequality along the Pacific Rim. ”concluded at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, in  Fighting poverty: Poverty has been the Achilles Rajasthan. heel for the Asia-Pacific countries. Despite the  This year’s joint exercise involves a total of 500 economic boom, uneven wealth distribution has military personnel, and is aimed towards training led many people to extreme poverty. The leaders soldiers under the UN Mandate, to defeat any also addressed this problem and vowed on current and future terrorist threats that may eradicating it with immediate measures. emerge. The exercise is aimed at strengthening  Climate Change: US President Barack Obama and broadening the inter-operability and co- called for global alliance to fight climate change. operation between both the Armies. He said that the APEC members are firmly  The exercise also provided an opportunity to both committed to achieving a fair, balanced, ambitious, the armies for greater cultural understanding, durable, and dynamic agreement on climate sharing experiences and strengthening mutual change at the Paris Climate Conference in trust and co-operation. December. He reaffirmed the goals to reduce

overall energy intensity by 45 percent by 2035 and CHINA’S TIANHE-2 REMAINS WORLD’S double renewable energy production by 2030 MOST POWERFUL SUPERCOMPUTER

G- 20 SUMMIT  In TOP500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, China’s Tianhe-2 supercomputer th  10 meeting of G-20 heads of government was or Milky Way 2 has maintained its position as the held at Antalya, Turkey. Turkey took the world’s most powerful system for the sixth presidency of the G-20 from Australia on 1 consecutive time. December 2014.  Tianhe-2 is developed by China’s National Main Highlights University of Defense Technology, is the world’s  Modi was lead speaker at its inaugural session on new No. 1 system with a performance of 33.86 Climate Change and Development. Summit was petaflop/s. concluded with practical outcomes on priority  Titan, a Cray XK7 system installed at the U.S. areas such as development, climate change, Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National financing for climate change, trade, growth and Laboratory and previously the No. 1 system, is now employment. ranked No. 2.  The annual Group of 20 summit focuses on  SahasraT (SERC - Cray XC40) is the fastest economic issues and crucial discussions over Paris supercomputer of India. It is ranked 95th in this attacks by formulating plans to defeat ISIS and year’s list. continue to accommodate the refugees flooding out of Syria.

 10-point proposal on tackling global terrorism with stress on delinking terror and religion while isolating sponsors and supporters of terrorism.  Escalating international movement of “foreign terrorist fighters”. SCIENCE AboutG20

 The Group of Twenty aka G20 is an international forum created in 1999 aimed to bring together “SMB” & “MAAREECH” DEDICATED TO systemically important industrialized and NATION BY DEFENCE MINISTER developing economies to discuss issues, which limits to economic matters.  Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar dedicated a  Countries are represented by finance ministers and Seakeeping and Manoeuvring Basin (SMB) to the central bank governors and EU is represented by nation and handed over the Advanced Torpedo the European Central Bank and a rotating council Defence System “Maareech” to the Indian Navy at presidency. the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory  The members include 19 individual countries— (NSTL) in Visakhapatnam. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, About SMB – Seakeeping and Manoeuvring Basin Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South  This is to validate the design of naval platforms Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and weapon systems. The facility was designed Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United and developed using Indian equipment. It is for States—along with the European Union (EU). experimental hydro dynamics for testing ship models and submerged bodies built for the use by Indian Navy. It could be used even by civilian ship builders. SMB helps test models to predict performance of newly designed ships and submerged bodies under different environmental conditions It will optimise the motion

characteristics of the hull form and effectiveness of (Tundra 11L). The satellite is designed to restore the control devices under various operations. Moscow's capability to detect, track and identify About Maareech: worldwide missile launches from space.  Maareech Advanced Torpedo Defence System  The satellite was launched using Russian Soyuz- (ATDS) have been developed by Naval Physical and 2.1b carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome Oceanographic Laboatory (NPOL), Kochi, along which is a military facility in north-western Russia’s with the Naval Science and Technological Arkhangelsk region.The launch was carried out Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam. It is an anti- under the command of Deputy Commander of torpedo system with towed and expendable Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VKO) – decoys. The system is capable of detecting, Commander of the Space Troops Alexander confusing, diverting and decoying the incoming Golovko. torpedoes. The decoy helps in exhausting the  The EKS system (meaning Unified Space System) energy of the torpedo by running the later through will consist of satellites capable of identifying long and ineffective course and prevents them ballistic missile launches from outer space. They from homing in to the targeted platform with its will identify launches of ballistic missiles by advanced counter-measure capabilities. The Indian detection of their engines’ exhaust plume in Navy had earlier placed orders for three torpedo infrared light. The new system will also defence systems that would be installed on ships complement early-warning radars. at the Mazagaon Dock Limited and now is to be  EKS is a Russian acronym that translates to deployed on Indian Navy Warships by year end. integrated space system. The EKS satellites replace Russia’s Oko early warning system, which had its AMRIT OUTLET last satellite launch in 2012.  These satellites identify ballistic missile launches  The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, from outer space and complement early warning Shri J P Nadda recently inaugurated the Affordable radars such as the Voronezh. This gives advance Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment notice of a nuclear attack and would provide (AMRIT) outlet at AIIMs, Delhi. information to the A-135 missile defence system  These are retail outlets, which will sell drugs for which protects Moscow the two ailments at highly discounted rates.

 The main aim of these outlets is to reduce the expenditure incurred by patients on treatment of cancer and heart diseases.  The AMRIT pharmacy will sell 202 cancer and 186 cardio-vascular drugs, and 148 types of cardiac implants at very affordable prices.  Patients can buy medicines and implants at 50 to QUICK FACTS 60% cheaper prices than the open market from AMRITs.  The project has been floated in a tie-up with  World Indology Conference held at -Rashtrapati government-owned HLL Lifecare Ltd (HLL) which is Bhavan, New Delhi . deputed to establish and run the AMRIT chain of  23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) pharmacies across the country. Economic Leaders Summit held at - Manila,  Soon, AMRITs will be launched in all Central Govt Philippines hospitals. Lakhs of patients will benefit from this  Next APEC summit(2016) will be held at - Peru initiative.  Second World Congress on Disaster Management was held at - Visakhapatnam. KOSMOS 2510  New Ambassador of India to China - Vijay Keshav Gokhale  Russia successfully launched an early warning satellite for its newest early warning system,  According to Oxford Dictionary which word is word named EKS or Integrated Space System. The of the year - The emoji(Tear of Joy) satellite has been officially named Kosmos 2510

 Tripartite Agreement among India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) on the IBSA Fund for - Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger  Who is appointed as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Standard Chartered Bank, India - Zarin Daruwala  First State Qawwali Festival called ‘Taali Ho’ will be held at - New Delhi  Name of the first satellite of the EKS (Tundra) satellite system that was launched by Russia on 17 November 2015 – Kosmos 2510  India elected to Board of Governors of World Water Council- Prithvi Raj Singh  First Indian to be designated as the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Champion for the Asia Region by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) - Kiren Rijiju  Winner of Brazilian Grand Prix, 2015 is - Nico Rosberg  First Public Sector Unit to launch "Masala Debt Bond" - Indian Railways Finance Corporation  Harshavardhan Neotia has been elected as president of industry body FICCI for 2016.  Professor Hrushikesh Senapaty has joined as director of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).  has been appointed as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, succeeding Asoke Mukerji.