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1. Pakistan has postponed the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit after India and four other countries announced to boycott the Summit. The summit was schedule to be held on November 9th and 10th, 2016 in Islamabad, capital city of Pakistan. Besides, it was also announced that new set of dates for holding the summit at Islamabad will be announced soon by Nepal, the Chair of SAARC. Comment Pakistan’s decision is a boost for India’s diplomatic efforts to corner Pakistan over the terror attack at Ur. It also comes a day after Pakistan suffered humiliating Indian cross-border raids (surgical strikes) on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Background Earlier India and three other countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan in a synchronized effort, had informed the SAARC Secretariat that their leaders will not attend the summit citing concerns over cross-border terrorism in the region. Later, Sri Lanka also expressed its unwillingness to attend the Summit. The move by the five countries means the Summit cannot go ahead as the SAARC charter mandates that all decisions of the regional bloc must be made unanimously. The absence of even one member-state leads to the automatic postponement or cancellation of a Summit. About the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) SAARC is regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia. It promotes development of economical and regional integration. As of 2015, SAARC member countries compromise of 3% of the world’s area, 21% of the world’s population and 9.12% of the global economy. Member Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan (joined in 2007). Nine observer states: Australia, China, European Union, Japan, Iran, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea, and United States. Formation History: The idea for the SAARC was proposed by Ziaur Rahman, the then President of Bangladesh on May 2, 1980. The seven founding countries had met for first time in April 1981 and then for second time in 1985 creating SAARC Charter. The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka (Bangladesh) in December 1985. The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu (Nepal) on 16 January 1987.

2. The Union Finance Ministry has decided that sports infrastructure will be included under the harmonised master list of infrastructure sub-sectors. Earlier, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Affairs had moved the proposal for inclusion of sports in the list to address the issue of deficit of sports infrastructure in the country. Key Facts It will include sports stadia and infrastructure for academies for training and research in sports and sports-related activities in the infrastructure sub-sectors. With this, sports sector becomes eligible for obtaining long term financial support from banks and other financial institutions on same principle available to other infrastructure projects. It will also encourage private investment in a public good which has socio-economic externalities in a country with young population. It will also bolster investment in sports infrastructure sector which will contribute to the economy and help in promotion of health and fitness of the people. It will also provide opportunities for employment in the new and existing sectors. Besides, investment from private sector will widen the platform from where the country can become a sporting power in future.

3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India Sanitation conference (INDOSAN) in New Delhi ahead of second anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission. PM Modi in his inaugural speech highlighted need of behavioural change to achieve the dream of Swachch Bharat and also need to ensure a dirt free India like Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha which was instrumental for the end of colonialism. Cleanliness awards The Prime Minister also gave away cleanliness awards to Sindhudurg District (Maharashtra), Mandi district (Himachal Pradesh), Pune, Chandigarh and Mysore Municipal Corporations, Gangtok city (Sikkim), National Cadet Corps (NCC), Surat railway station, PGIMER Chandigarh, heritage site Rani ki vav in Gujarat and Kendriya Vidyalaya FRI Dehradun. About India Sanitation conference (INDOSAN) INDOSAN is envisaged as an annual national event, that seeks to brings together all stakeholders working in sanitation. Thus, it will be one platform for a shared vision for Government, NGOs, academicians, researchers, partner agencies and corporates. It will create an opportunity for collective understanding, collective vision of the key elements of the Swachh Bharat Mission programme as sanitation is seen as a citizen movement with involvement of all sectors of the society. INDOSAN will discuss on all these approaches, learnings, emerging innovations for the benefit of all. Besides, each state will share their approaches most suitable to them to reach the goal of making India Open Defecation Free (ODF) by the year 2019 which marks 150th Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

4. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reached an agreement to cut oil production for the first time since 2008 after an informal meeting in Algiers, Algeria. It was decided that OPEC would reduce output to a range of 32.5 to 33.0 million barrels per day (bpd) from its current output at 33.24 million bpd. However, how much each country will or reduce its output will be decided at the OPEC’s next formal meeting scheduled in November 2016. In this meeting, special invitation will be sent to Russia (non-OPEC member) to join cuts in production. Impact on India India, being the 3rd largest importer of crude oil imports 85% of total oil and 95% of natural gas from OPEC nations. In recent time due to cheaper oil prices in international market due to overproduction and non-coordination among OPEC countries Indian economy had immensely benefited. However, this decision may result in spike in oil prices which can have major implications for the India’s current account deficit and overall economy in general. In recent times, lower oil prices kept the Indian economy on the shining path and managed to keep inflation under control making it fastest growing economy in G20 countries. About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) The OPEC is an intergovernmental organization of 14 oil-exporting developing nations that coordinates and unifies the petroleum policies of its member countries. Established: 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq by the first five members. Headquarters: Vienna, Austria. OPEC Members: Algeria, Angola, Libya, Nigeria and Gabon (from Africa); Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia (the de facto leader) Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (from Asia); Ecuador and Venezuela (from Latin America). As of 2015, these 14 OPEC member countries accounted for an estimated 43% of global oil production and 73% of the world’s oil reserves. Two-thirds of OPEC’s oil production and reserves are in its six Middle Eastern (west Asian) countries that surround the oil-rich Persian Gulf.`

5. The European Union (EU) ministers have approved the ratification of Paris Agreement (on Climate Change). This decision brings the Paris Agreement closer to entering into force. Once approved by the European Parliament, the EU deposit its ratification instrument before national ratification processes which are completed in each member state. As of now, only 5 EU nations have ratified the agreement at the national level. Comment The 28 EU member nations together account for close to 12% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The addition of EU will take the cumulative emissions of ratifying parties of the agreement well beyond the 55% minimum required for the treaty to enter into force. The Paris Agreement has been already crossed the first condition of 55 countries ratifying the treaty to enable its entry into force. As of now, 61 countries, accounting for almost 48% of global GHG emissions have ratified the deal. India, which accounts for 4.1% of global GHG emission also has agreed to ratify it on October 2, 2016. Together with the EU, total global GHG emissions covered by ratifying parties will make the treaty ready to enter into force.

6. Noted Dalit voice, poet and Telugu writer Prof.Kalakaluri Enoch was conferred with the prestigious Moortidevi Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith for the year 2015. The prestigious literary award was bestowed upon him for his novel Anantajivanam by Veteren art historian Dr Kapila Vatsyayana function in New Delhi. His novel Ananta Jeevanam depicts the struggle of the downtrodden, weak and the common man in Rayalaseema to preserve the historical and cultural inheritance of the region during a devastating cyclone.

7. The 2016 BRICS Labour & Employment Ministerial Meet was held in New Delhi from September 27- 28, 2016 to deliberate on issues including job creation and social security for workers. The two day meeting saw the participation of the five major emerging BRICS economies viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Key Facts The meeting had dedicated sessions on employment generation, social security, inclusive development and formalization. Fruitful discussions on areas of common labour and employment issues among the BRICS countries were held. The BRICS Labour and Employment Ministerial Declaration was also adopted at the end of these discussions. Member countries proposed strong interventions and actions in areas concerning social security, employment generation and formalization of labour markets leading to inclusive and sustainable development. They also agreed to pursue bi-lateral social security agreements amongst the BRICS member states. They also acknowledged the need to develop a network of lead labour research and training institutions in BRICS member states.

8. Indian women’s beach kabaddi team has won the gold medal at the 5th Asian Beach Games held in Danang, Vietnam. In the final match, Indian team defeated Thailand by 41-31 score. With this, Indian women’s kabaddi team has won the title for the record fifth time in succession. For Thailand, it was the fifth time in a row they had lost to India in a final. The Indian women’s kabaddi team won the gold medal since the inception of the biennial Games in 2008. Earlier in women’s 70kg category kurash (a form of wrestling originated in Uzbekistan), Amisha Tokas had won a silver after losing to Nguyen Thi Lan of Vietnam in the final. In beach bodybuilding, India’s Manoj Kumar Majumdar also had won a bronze medal in upto 158cm category. So far, India has won six medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze) in the Games and is at 15th spot in the medal table which is headed by hosts Vietnam (25 gold, 22 silver, 27 bronze).

9. Former Israeli Prime Minister and President Shimon Peres passed away on 28 September 2016 in Ramat Gan, Israel. He was 93. Peres was Israel’s most eminent elder statesman and was one of the last surviving pillars of Israel’s founding generation. About Shimon Peres Peres was born on August 16, 1923 in the small village of Vishniewa, Poland. He was part of almost every major development from the country’s founding in 1948. He had played pioneering role build up Israel’s formidable military and was the prime mover behind the development of Israel’s nuclear weapons. He had served as Israel’s Prime Minister (twice) and also as Minister of Defence, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Transportation and until 2014 as President. He is best known for the 1993 Oslo Accords for peace and accommodation of Israel with the Arab world. He had shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the late former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 1994.

10. Syed Shamsul Haq, one of Bangladesh’s best known writers passed away 27 September 2016 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was 81 and was suffering from lung cancer. Mr. Haq’s literary life and career spread across genres and was known for equal mastery over novels, poetry, essays and plays. He was also vocal against religious fundamentalism. About Syed Shamsul Haq He was Born on 27 December 1935 in Kurigram in then Bengal Presidency of British India. His notable works include Boishakhey Rochito Ponktimala, Ekoda Ek Rajjey, Birotihin Utsab, Protidhwonigon and Opor Purush. He also wrote innumerable patriotic songs of immense beauty which inspired the 1971 Liberation War fighters. Awards and Honours: Bangla Academy Literary Award (1966), Ekushey Padak (1984) and Swadhinata Padak (2000), the highest civilian award of Bangladesh for his outstanding contributions to Bengali literature.

11. Indian Army has successfully conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control () in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) i.e. along India’s de-facto border with Pakistan. The surgical strikes were India’s first direct military response to attack on Uri army base by Pakistan-based militants that had killed 18 Indian soldiers. The motive of the operation was to hit out at the terrorists who were planning to infiltrate into the Indian territory. During the operation, significant casualty was caused to terrorists . The cross-border action comes India reviewed Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and pulled out of the regional SAARC Summit that was scheduled to be held in Islamabad, Pakistan as part of a wider diplomatic offensive to isolate Pakistan. What is surgical strike? Surgical strike is a military attack which is intended to only damage to the intended legitimate military target and no or minimal collateral damage to surrounding structures, general public infrastructure, vehicles, buildings and utilities.

12. The Union Cabinet has given its approval to ratify the Paris Agreement (on Climate Change) on Gandhi Jayanti i.e. on 2nd October 2016. The Paris Agreement was adopted by 185 nations in December 2015. India had signed the agreement in New York in April 2016. So far, 191 countries have signed the agreement. When the agreement will come in force? The Paris treaty on Climate Change will come into force when 55 countries contributing to 55 % of total global emission ratify the agreement. So far, 61 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification, approval or acceptance accounting in total for 47.79% of the total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With the gathering momentum and willingness expressed by several other countries it is expected that the Agreement will enter into force soon. Significance of India’s Ratification India’s decision to ratify the agreement will take the number of cumulative level of emission of countries that have ratified the agreement so far to 51.89%. With its decision, India will be one of the key countries that will be instrumental in bringing the Paris Agreement into force. Underlines the important role played by India’s responsive leadership in the community of nations committed to global cause of climate justice and environmental protection. Paris Agreement gives thrust to the global actions to address climate change and pertains to post-2020 climate actions. In the pre-2020 period, developed countries are to act as per Kyoto Protocol and some developing countries have taken voluntary pledges.

13. The world’s first three-parent baby boy was born in Mexico to a Jordanian couple with the help a controversial new fertility technique that incorporates DNA from three people in the embryo. The ‘three-parent’ technique also known as Mitochondrial donation (Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy) allows parents with rare genetic mutations to have healthy babies. What is the case? The boy’s mother was carrying genes for Leigh syndrome, a fatal genetic disorder that affects the brain, muscles and nerves of developing infants. Genes for the genetic disease reside in DNA in the mitochondria (powerhouse of the cell), which provide energy for our cells. In this case spindle nuclear transfer was used to remove the faulty nucleus from one of the mother’s eggs and inserted it into a donor egg that had its own nucleus removed. The resulting egg with nuclear DNA from the mother and mitochondrial DNA from a donor – was then fertilised with the father’s sperm to create embryos. This embryo was implanted in the mother and the child was born nine months later in April 2016. Researchers have tested the boy’s mitochondria and found it contains less than 1% mutation. What is Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy (MRT) MRT or Mitochondrial donation is a medical technique in which defective mitochondria carried by a woman is replaced with the healthy mitochondria of a donor. Through invitro fertilization technique (IVF), the egg is then fertilised with the partner’s sperm. Thus the embryo remains free from any such defects. The two most common techniques in mitochondrial donation are maternal spindle transfer and pronuclear transfer. Thus this medical technique prevents the transmission of mitochondrial (genetic) disease from one generation to the next. MRT proposes to give parents chance of having a child that is over 99% genetically matched to them and most importantly free of the mitochondrial disease.

14. The World Maritime Day is observed across the world on 29 September to highlight the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment. Several events are organised to mark this day by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), member Governments, maritime industry etc. 2016 Theme: “Shipping: indispensable to the world”. The theme focuses on the critical link between shipping and global society. It also raises awareness of the relevance of the role of IMO as the global regulatory body for international shipping. Key Facts According to UNCTAD, around 80% of global trade by volume and over 70% of global trade by value are carried by sea and are handled by ports worldwide. These shares are even higher in the case of most developing countries. Without shipping import and export of goods on scale necessary to sustain modern world will be not be possible. There are more than 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, transporting every kind of cargo and manned by more than a million seafarers. Over the past 5 decades and more, IMO has developed and adopted a comprehensive framework of global regulations covering legal matters, maritime safety, environmental protection and other areas. Under this global regulatory framework, shipping has become more efficient, progressively safer and more environment-friendly. Background The World Maritime Day marks the date on which convention of the IMO (a specialized agency of the United Nations) was adopted in 1958. It was first observed in 1978, The IMO’s original name was the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) but it was changed to IMO in 1982.

15. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved ‘Project SAKSHAM’. The Project SAKSHAM is a New Indirect Tax Network (Systems Integration) of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). It seeks to bolster the information technology network for the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime that the Union Government intends to roll out from 1st April 2017. The Project SAKSHAM will help in Integration of CBEC IT systems with the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN). Extension of Indian Customs Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) Other taxpayer-friendly initiatives under Digital India and Ease of Doing Business of CBEC. Background With the implementation of GST, the Union government expects the number of taxpayers under indirect tax laws to increase to about 65 lakh from the current 36 lakh. CBEC’s IT systems need to integrate with the GSTN for processing of registration, payment and returns data sent by GSTN systems to CBEC. It will also act as a front-end for other modules like audit, appeal and investigation. However, there is no overlap in the GST-related systems of GSTN and CBEC. IT infrastructure is also required for continuation of CBEC’s e-services in customs, central excise and service tax, implementation of taxpayer services, extension of SWIFT initiative and integration with government initiatives such as e-Taal, e-Nivesh and e-Sign.

16. India is going to invest 2 billion dollars in Sri Lanka in the next three-four years. It was announced by Union Minister for State (MoS) Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman during her visit to Sri Lanka. She had visited Sri Lanka for talks on the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) to discuss the terms of the agreement. About Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) ETCA agreement seeks to boost cooperation in scientific expertise, technical areas and research amongst institutions between India and Sri Lanka. It also seeks to boost standards of goods and services to compete on global market and improve opportunities for manpower training and human resource development. The ETCA initiative follows unfruitful negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between two countries. Objectives of ETCA: (i) Strengthen and advance the economic, trade, investment and technology cooperation. (ii) Promote further liberalization of trade in goods, trade in services and gradually establish transparent, fair and facilitative trading, investment and investment protection mechanisms (iii) Establish a cooperation mechanism and expand areas of economic cooperation. Background The bilateral trade between India and Sri Lanka in 2015 was 4.6 billion dollars, of which Indian exports were valued at about 4 billion dollars and Sri Lankan exports 645 million dollars. India and Sri Lanka already have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) since 1998.

17. The Telangana government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to promote education. The MoU was inked between Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communication of Telangana and ISRO’s Development & Educational Communication Unit (DECU). Key Facts Under the MoU, ISRO will help to improve services of Telangana’s educational channel ‘Mana TV’ by using Satcom. Both parties will work together to create and disseminate educational content so that it reaches the entire population of the state. It will help Mana TV channel to start coaching classes for those appearing for Group II services examination of the Telangana Public Service Commission (TPSC). The channel will telecast daily a four-hour programme for candidates preparing for the examination. Later, Mana TV will also launch similar coaching programmes for the students preparing for various competitive examinations. Mana TV: It was started by then undivided Andhra Pradesh state in 2006 to provide programmes on distance education, agriculture extension and telemedicine under different channels with help of ISRO.

18. As per the study conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) air pollution caused by fine particulate matter (PM) is causing long-lasting disease chronic illnesses. About a fifth of the 3 million people died worldwide because of exposure to fine PM2.5 which may have aggravated or been directly responsible for cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. How WHO study was conducted? The findings were based on data derived from satellite measurements, ground station monitors for more than 3000 locations, both rural and urban and air transport models. The study did not tool actual impact of air pollution as it does not include the separate impacts on health from other air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) or ozone (O3). Key outcomes of the WHO study? Air pollution caused by fine particulate matter is the world’s biggest environmental risk to health and it must be addressed on a priority basis as it continues to rise. It could have killed at least 600,000 Indians in 2012 just behind China which witnessed an estimated 800,000 deaths due to air pollution. The impact of fine PM2.5 is felt through a broad spectrum of acute and chronic illnesses that cause premature death. These include lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular diseases. PM pollution is an environmental health problem that affects people worldwide, but low- and middle-income countries disproportionately experience the burden. While all regions of the world are affected by the PM air pollution but the populations in low-income cities are the most impacted. Overall, 98% of cities in low- and middle income countries with more than 100,000 inhabitants do not meet 10µg/m3 WHO air quality standard of PM2.5. However, in high-income countries, this percentage decreases to 56%.

19. The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY) 2003 and Varistha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY) 2014. The Cabinet also granted approval for expenditure incurred on subsidy amount released to LIC for the both schemes. Key Facts VPBY was launched on 14th July, 2003 and was open till 14th August, 2015 and VPBY was launched on 14th August, 2014. Both the schemes are closed for future subscriptions. These schemes were implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). Both are pension schemes intended to give an assured minimum pension to Senior Citizens based on an assured minimum return on the subscription amount. The pension is envisaged until death from the date of subscription, with payback of the subscription amount on death of the subscriber to the nominee. The difference between the actual yield earned by LIC on the funds invested under the schemes and the assured return committed by Union Government is paid as subsidy to LIC. The policies sold during currency of policy are being serviced as per the guaranteed 9% return assured by the Government. As of March 2016, a total number of 3,17,991 annuitants are being benefited under VPBY 2014. Similarly, 2,84,699 annuitants are being benefited under VPBY- 2003.

20. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for closure of Hindustan Cables Limited (HCL), Kolkata as per the provisions of Companies Act, 1956/2013 and other relevant Acts. Besides, Cabinet also approved infusion of 4,777.05 crore rupees towards payment of salaries and conversion of loan into equity etc. The employees of HCL will be offered attractive VRS/ VSS Package at notional 2007 pay scales. The assets of company will be disposed in terms of the guidelines of Department of Public Enterprises on time bound closure of sick or loss making CPSEs. Background HCL was established in the year 1952 with registered office located at Kolkata. It was set up to cater to the needs of Government-owned telecom companies BSNL and MTNL for manufacture of telecom cables. It had four manufacturing units at Rupnarainpur (West Bengal), Naini (Uttar Pradesh), Hyderabad (Telengana) and Narendrapur (West Bengal). The company was not able to cope up with changing time as due to rapid change in telecommunication technology (wire-line to wireless) demand for telecom cables has been drastically reduced.

21. India has been ranked 39th among the 138 countries in the 2016-17 Global Competitiveness Index (GCI). The index was released as part of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report for 2016-17. Key Facts Top 5 Countries: Switzerland (1st), Singapore (2nd), United States (3rd), Netherlands (4th) and Germany (5th). BRICS Countries: China (28th), Russia (43rd), South Africa (47th) and Brazil (81st). India related facts: In the 2016-17 edition of GCI, India has jumped 16 places compared to 55th position in 2015-16 GCI. India has emerged as the highest rising economy due to improvement in goods market efficiency, business sophistication and innovation. India’s overall competitiveness has increased due to improvements in institutions and infrastructure along with recent reforms such as opening the economy to foreign investors and increasing transparency in the financial system. Indian economy boasts the highest growth among G20 economies mainly due to improved monetary and fiscal policies, as well as lower oil prices which has stabilized economy. India’s competitiveness has improved across the board, particularly in innovation (29), goods market efficiency (60) and business sophistication (35) indicators of GCI. India still needs remove labour market rigidities and the presence of large, public enterprises especially in the utilities and financial sector make the economy less efficient. About Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) The GCI released by the WEF is one of the major studies which indicate how a country scores in the scale of global competitiveness. The index is calculated by aggregating indicators across 12 pillars in the report which covers both business and social indicators. These 12 pillars or indicators directly or indirectly impact the competitiveness of the country in the global arena. The GCI measures 12 pillars which include institutions, macro-economic environment, infrastructure, health and primary education, higher education and training, labour market efficiency, goods and market efficiency among others.

22. The World Rabies Day is observed on 28 September across the world to raise awareness about the rabies disease and its preventable measures. Observance of the day seeks to raise awareness about the impact of rabies on animals and human beings. It also seeks to share information on how to prevent the disease. 2016 Theme: “Rabies: Educate. Vaccinate. Eliminate”. Background The World Rabies Day is an initiative of Global Alliance for Rabies Control. Observance of the day was initiated in 2007 to create a global opportunity for people to focus on rabies prevention. The day is annually on 28 September on the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur, a French chemist and microbiologist who had developed the first rabies vaccine along with his colleagues. About Rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain (acute encephalitis) in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic disease i.e. transmitted from one species to another, commonly by a bite from an infected animal such as from dogs to humans. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system (CNS) and ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. Domestic dogs are the most common reservoir of the rabies virus. Dog-mediated rabies accounts for more than 95% of human deaths.

23. Jim Yong Kim has been re-appointed as President of World Bank for a second five-year term beginning 1 July 2017. He was unanimously chosen by the Executive Directors of the World Bank. He was the only candidate in a process. About Jim Yong Kim Jim Yong Kim is a South Korean-American physician and anthropologist. He is the 12th President of the World Bank and for first time was appointed in 2012. He was a global health leader and was formerly the Chair of Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The Forbes Magazine had named him in its list of the world’s 50th most powerful in 2013. About World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs. It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the International Development Association (IDA). Formation: July 1944. Headquarters: Washington DC, United States. Motto: Working for a World Free of Poverty. Membership: 189 countries (IBRD), 173 countries (IDA) The World Bank is one of the five components of the World Bank Group, which is part of the United Nations system.

24. India and China have hold the first High Level Dialogue on Counter-terrorism and Security held in Beijing, capital city of China. The meeting was co-chaired by R N Ravi, Chairman of Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and Wang Yongqing, Secretary General of Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of China. Key Facts In the high level dialogue both countries discussed on ways to enhance security and cooperation to combat terror. They exchanged information on respective policies to deal with terrorism, and further enhance their understanding on issues of major concern. They also exchanged views on the international and regional security situation. It also deliberated on measures to jointly deal with security threats and reached important consensus in this regard.

25. The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has become Asia-Pacific’s only and one of the world’s few airports to achieve a carbon neutral status. The announcement in this regard was made by the Airports Council International (ACI) during the Airport Carbon Accreditation certificate presentation ceremony to IGI in Montreal, Canada. Key Facts The Airport Carbon Accreditation certificated has upgraded the IGI airport’s status to “Level 3+, Neutrality,” the highest level for airports across the world. Less than 25 airports in the world and most of them are located in Europe, have earned this carbon neutral status. The IGI airport is managed by private operator Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a joint venture between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and GMR Group-led consortium. The airport boasts green buildings, rainwater harvesting system, solar power plants etc., which have helped it reduce and offset its carbon emissions. Various sustainable development measures undertaken by IGI Airport are Eco-friendly vehicles. Energy efficiency fixture and improvements. 84 MW solar power plant Terminal 3, which is a LEED gold certified green building. Water Conservation which allows recycled water and rainwater harvesting. Fixed electric ground power units and preconditioned air supply systems. Energy efficient lighting systems and bridge mounted equipment.

26. The Union Government has given its approval to change the name of Gurgaon to ‘Gurugram’. With this both the city as well as the district of Gurgaon would be known as Gurugram. It was announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar after presiding over the first meeting of the State-level ‘Swarna Jayanti Celebrations Committee’ at Panchkula.

27. The Colombian Government and left-wing FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) rebels have signed a historic agreement that formally brings an end to 52 years of civil war. The agreement was signed by President Juan Manuel Santos and rebel leader Timoleon Jimenez, known as Timochenko at the ceremony in Cartagena. Key Facts Under the deal, the FARC will be relaunched as a political party and will be able to contest elections scheduled to be held in October 2016. The agreement comes after four years of talks between President Santos and Timochenko in Havana, Cuba. Significance of Agreement The agreement brings end Latin America’s longest-running conflict (civil war) which has killed 260,000 people and left six million internally displaced. Now as part of the deal FARC rebels must hand over weapons to the United Nations within 180 days. About Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) FARC is Colombia’s largest rebel group and Latin America’s oldest left-wing insurgency. It was established in 1964 as a communist-inspired peasant army fighting to reduce the gulf dividing rich and poor and land reform for equality in the Andean country. Since its formation it was also active other Latin American countries in Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador besides Colombia. In recent times, the FARC had shifted from its original ideology and was active in illegal drug trade, kidnapping and extortion activities.

28. Russia and Cuba have signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful atomic energy use. The agreement was signed between Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom and Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in Vienna. Key Facts The agreement was signed on the sidelines of International 60th Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference held in Vienna, capital city of Austria. The deal lays down the basis for further cooperation in different fields from agriculture to training nuclear specialists. To facilitate the implementation of the agreement special coordinating committees and bilateral working groups will be created.

29. The Union Government has decided to suspend all talks on India-Pakistan Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of the Uri attack. Decision in this regard was taken by meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was attended by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, tWater Resources Secretary and senior PMO officials. Key Highlights of Meeting No review or abrogation of the Indus Waters Treaty. Decision to utilise water under India’s share to fullest. Suspend talks on the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), the dispute redressal mechanism until terrorism stops. Review the 1987 suspension of the Tulbbul navigation project that Pakistan had objected. Build more run-of-the-river hydropower projects on western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to exploit full potential. Expedite construction of Pakal Dul, Sawalkot, Bursar dams in Jammu and Kashmir. Use 20% of river water allocated under treaty for Jammu and Kashmir farmers. About Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) IWT is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan. It brokered by the World Bank (then the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development). The treaty deals with sharing of water of six rivers — Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum between the two countries. It was signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan in Karachi on September 19, 1960. As per treaty, control over three eastern rivers —Ravi, Beas and Sutlej was given to India. While control over three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab was given to Pakistan. It allows India to use only 20% of the water of Indus river, which flows through it first, for irrigation, power generation and transport. Most disagreements and disputes have been settled via legal procedures, provided for within the framework of the treaty. The treaty has survived India-Pakistan wars of 1965, 1971 and the 1999 Kargil standoff besides Kashmir insurgency since 1990. It is most successful water treaty in world.

30. The World Tourism Day (WTD) is being observed annually on 27th September to raise awareness about the importance of tourism. Significance of the day: To foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. 2016 Theme: ‘Tourism for all – promoting universal accessibility’. It seeks to spread both the importance and immense benefits universal accessibility of tourism. Celebrations Celebrating the day, India will focus on cleanliness, security and better connectivity of tourist areas to boost tourism in the country. Union Tourism Ministry will give impetus to the cleanliness initiative. Government has decided to ban polythene at all tourist spots from October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi Besides,’Swachh Paryatan Run’ will be flagged off and a special sightseeing tour of the monuments and museums in Delhi for Divyang children will be organised. Background The World Tourism Day marks adaptation of Statutes of the UNWTO on September 27, 1970. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community. It also seeks to demonstrate the impact of tourism sector on social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.

31. India has won the test match against New Zealand by 197-runs in their historic 500th cricket Test in Kanpur. On the fifth and final day of the match at Green Park, India bowled out the visitors for 236 in their second innings. Shortly after Lunch, they set them an improbable target of 434. Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had taken 6 wickets in the innings, completed his fifth six-wicket haul in his career. Ravinder Jadeja was declared Man of the Match for his fine all-round performance. He had taken six wickets and scored 92 runs in the match. This victory was India’s 88th on the home turf. It also gave them a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series. With this, India has now taken their unbeaten tally on home soil to 11 matches. On the other hand New Zealand has remained without a win on the Indian soil since 1998. Special Note India is the 4th country to play 500 Tests in a format which has 10 participants. Others are England (played 976 test matches), Australia (791) and West Indies (517). The first ever Test match was played by India in England on June 25, 1932 under Douglas Jardine. CK Nayudu was the captain of the Indian team.

32. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for first time has successfully launched eight satellites into two different orbits in a single mission. These satellites were launched onboard of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C35 (PSLV C35) from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta. It was PSLV’s longest and most complex mission. It is also for the first time PSLV has successfully placed satellites in two different orbits in single mission. Key Facts Among the eight satellites launched, three satellites were from India, three from Algeria and one each from Canada and United States. SCATSAT-1 satellite of India weighing 371 kg was the primary payload and remaining other seven customer satellites were secondary payloads (5 foreign and 2 domestic satellite) weighing 304 kg in total. SCATSAT-1 satellite: It is weather satellite that was placed in polar sun synchronous orbit of 730 kilometer height. It will provide weather forecasting services meant for ocean and weather forecasts, cyclone detection and tracking through wind-vector products. It will have life of five years. Pratham: It is a 10-kg satellite developed by students from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. It will be used to study the total electron count in space with a resolution of 1km x 1km location grid. PISAT: It is a 5.25-kg satellite made by students of Bengaluru’s PES University. It will take pictures of earth for remote sensing applications. Three Algerian satellites: Alsat-1B (103 kg), Alsat-2B (110 kg) and Alsat Nano (7 kg). They will be used for remote sensing, earth observation, and technology demonstration. Pathfinder-1: It is US satellite owned by BlackSky. It weighs 44 kg and has a high resolution imaging microsatellite. NLS-19: It is Canadian satellite developed by University of Toronto. It is a nano-satellite weighing 8 kg. It will be used for experiments for reducing space debris. Comment It was longest and most complex mission because most countries launch satellites in a single orbit and even if multiple satellites are injected in a sequence in the same orbit. However, in this mission PSLV launched its payloads in two different orbits by following twin-orbit manoeuvre. It was recently accomplished by European Space Agency’s Vega rocket. This is a challenging two-in-one mission also puts India in a unique league of nations having the capability to achieve two different orbits in a single mission. This successful mission also has enhanced marketability and versatility of PSLV, ISRO’s workhorse and also increased its unique position global satellite launch services market.

33. India’s largest civilian research and development agency Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) celebrated its platinum jubilee. The platinum jubilee celebrations were inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is also the President of CSIR. PM Modi also released seven new plant varieties developed at CSIR laboratories. He also witnessed exclusive CSIR Showcase on major technological contributions of CSIR. Besides, prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes was presented to eminent scientists on the occasion along with other CSIR awards. About Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) CSIR is an autonomous body and the largest research and development (R&D) organisation in India. It became operational on 26 September 1942. It operates as an autonomous body registered under the Registration of Societies Act of 1860. It is mainly funded by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology. CSIR’s R&D activities include aerospace engineering, ocean sciences, structural engineering, metallurgy, life sciences, chemicals, mining, food, petroleum, leather, and environment.

34. China has built world’s largest radio telescope nicknamed Tianyan (Heavenly Eye” or “The Eye of Heaven) or the five-hundred-metre aperture spherical radio telescope (FAST). It has started its operation and is part of China’s drive to become a science powerhouse. It is located in the Dawodang depression (vast natural crater), a natural basin in Pingtang County in the Guizhou Province, Southwest China. Key Facts With its opening, the intensive testing phase of the telescope will begin. It will take nearly three years to calibrate the instruments of telescope to become fully operational. The facility is part of China’s drive to become a science powerhouse. It is an ambitious project of the National Astronomical Observatories of China. It is the world’s largest filled aperture (single dish) radio telescope and the second largest radio telescope after the Russian RATAN-600, which has a sparsely filled aperture. It is made up of 4,450 panels and has reflector as large as 30 football pitches. It has 500 meters diameter, giving it more sensitivity. It will be used to search for signs of intelligent life and to observe distant pulsars – tiny, rapidly spinning neutron stars believed to be the products of supernova explosions. It will be also used to study stellar radio emissions, gravitational waves and potentially signals from extraterrestrial civilizations. China’s best supercomputers the SkyEye-1 will be used to process the massive amounts of data supplied by FAST.

35. India and United States (US) Joint Military Training Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2016 concluded at the Chaubattia Military Station in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand. The bilateral military exercise was the twelfth edition in the YudhAbhyas series which started in the year 2004 under US Army Pacific Partnership Program. This was the third time the exercise is being conducted at Chaubattia in Uttarakhand. Key Facts The YudhAbhyas 2016 aimed at strengthening and broadening the inter-operability and cooperation between the Indian and US armies. It had witnessed Field Training Exercises of Brigade Headquarter based Command Post Exercise and also discussions on issues of mutual interest by experts of both countries. It provided an ideal platform for the personnel of the two countries to share their experiences on counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations, especially in the mountainous terrain. Exercise curriculum was planned progressively in which participants were initially made to get familiar with each other’s organizational structure, equipment, weapons, and tactical drills. Both the armies in joint drills of the training had coherently practiced advanced to joint tactical exercises. The Joint Drills included Room Intervention, Cordon and Search in Counter Terrorist Operations, Reflex Shooting, Jungle Lane Shooting, Long Range Firing and Cliff Assault Techniques. The bilateral training culminated after final validation exercise in which all the learning mutually imparted by both armies was put to test on ground. Troops were inducted by helicopters into a notional hostile area to neutralize terrorists, as part of the exercise.

36. The first military exercise between Russia and Pakistan named Druzhba-2016 (Friendship-2016) has kicked off in Pakistan. With this, Pakistani Army and Russian Ground Forces (RGF) have come together for the first time in military exercises reflecting growing military ties between two former Cold War rivals. Key Facts The military exercise is taking place at the Army High Altitude School in northern Pakistan’s Rattu and at a special forces training centre in Cherat. The two week long joint military drills aims at bolstering and building military cooperation between the two countries. It will involve experience sharing and develop coordination in carrying out practice combat tasks in a mountainous environment, including operations against illegal armed groups. About 200 troops from the two countries will take part in the two-week long military drills. Of them around 70 personnel will be from Russia’s Southern Military District (SMD).

37. The first meeting of Goods & Services Tax (GST) Council has decided to exempt businesses with annual turnover below Rs.20 lakh out of the GST net. The meeting was presided by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi and was attended by Finance ministers of states. Key Outcome of GST council’s first meeting Exemption Issue: Threshold for exemption for businesses in Northeastern and hill states will be for annual turnover below Rs.10 lakh and rest of India it will below Rs.20 lakh. The Northeastern and hill states have been accorded special status by the Constitutional Amendment paving the way for the GST. Administrative Control Issue: Consensus was reached on the contentious issue of administrative control over indirect tax assessees. States will have sole jurisdiction over assessees having a turnover of Rs.1.5 crore or less. In case turnover exceeding that limit, the administrative control will be jointly with the central and state governments. The existing 11 lakh service tax assessees will continue to be under the jurisdiction of the Centre. Revenue officials in the States will be trained for assessing assessees in the services sector as GST allows states to also tax services. Compensation formula: The compensation that Central Government will pay to states for losses of revenue because of the transition to GST regime will be routinely, quarterly or bi-monthly. Base Year: The GST Council also agreed to settle 2015-16 as the base year for calculating the compensation.

38. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has approved a resolution urging quick global implementation of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban treaty (CTBT) to ban tests of nuclear weapons. The resolution has welcomed progress made towards universalization of the Treaty with 14 votes in favour of it and one abstention (Egypt). Key Facts The CTBT bans all nuclear explosions for both civilian and military purposes. It was adopted by the UNGA under resolution 50 (1996). The Treaty will enter into force 180 days after the date of deposit of the instruments of ratification by all. So far, 183 countries have signed the CTBT and 166 States have deposited their instruments of ratification. The treaty already has a network of monitoring stations but does not have power to go on site to inspect for tests until it enters into force. But for that, the holdouts among the 44 countries that are designated nuclear capable, the United States, Egypt, China, India, Israel, Iran, North Korea and Pakistan must ratify it.

39. The second meeting of the High Level Group of Eminent Experts to strengthen the SAARC Anti-Terrorism Mechanism was held in New Delhi. Delegations from all eight SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) member countries participated in the conference. SAARC members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Key Facts Issues of terrorism and the measures to strengthen the SAARC anti-terrorism mechanism were discussed. Besides, other important issues discussed during the meeting included terrorism financing, drugs trafficking and cybercrimes. The member countries shared their national experiences on various related legislations to counter terrorism. They agreed towards operationalizing the SAARC Drugs Offences Monitoring Desk (SDOMD) and SAARC Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk (STOMD) in order to strengthen the combat efforts against terrorism. STOMD: The desk was established in 1995 in Colombo (Sri Lanka) to collate, analyse and disseminate information on terror offences, strategies, tactics and methods in SAARC region. It is not functional due to some technical issues.