WBCS Current Affairs 26/09/2015 to 02/10/2015

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1. Inuit and Arctic activist Sheila Watt-Cloutier of Canada has won the 2015 Right Livelihood Award. She was honoured for her lifelong work dedicated to protect the Inuit of the Arctic and defend their right to maintain their livelihoods and culture which threatened by climate change. Sheila Watt will share the prize with Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera: Ugandan activist Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, `who fights for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersexual (LGBTI) communities. Italian doctor Gino Strada: Founder of the medical charity Emergency which helps to rehabilitate war victims. About Right Livelihood Award The award was established in 1980 by Swedish-German philatelist Jakob von Uexkull. It honours efforts of people in the fields of the environment and international development. The award is promoted as an Alternative Nobel Prize and carries prize money of 3-million-kronor.

2. Union Urban Development Ministry has announced crucial policy changes to allow generation of electricity and compost from municipal solid waste. It was announced by the Ministry on the occasion of first anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission which was launched on 2 October 2014. The Ministry is also finalising the pricing model for the compost produced out of city trash which would be sold to farmers on subsidised rates. Other Ministries involved in this project Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers will forward proposal before Cabinet to provide Market Development Assistance on sale of city compost to farmers. Union Ministry of Power is also in the process of amending the Electricity Act 2003 to enable mandatory purchase of power generated from municipal solid waste. It will also finalise a tariff rate that would help waste to energy projects to sustain in the market.

3. India has emerged world’s largest cotton producer in the season ending in September 30, 2015 by surpassing China. As per data released by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) India has produced 6.51 million tonnes (mt) of the cotton against 6.48 mt registered by China in the cotton year 2014-15. US Department of Agriculture has predicted that India will retain its top position till next cotton season by producing around 29 million bales or around 27 per cent of the global cotton crop.

4. India has pledged to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35 per cent compared to 2005 levels by 2030. The figures of mitigation action were announced by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar in New Delhi ahead of the Paris Climate Change Conference. In this regard, Union Government has submitted Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). To achieve these targets Union Government wil Boost the renewable energy capacity to 40 per cent by 2030. About 40 per cent of country’s electricity requirement will be met through non-fossil fuel sources. Increase tree cover across the country to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. Require about 2.5 trillion dollars in addition to a number of clean technologies to meet these targets and measures for adaptation to climate change.

5. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has decided to provide 120 million dollars loan to upgrade the India-Bangladesh electricity network. This loan fund will allow Bangladesh to meet its increasing power demand from India and support power exchanges across South Asia region. It will also double the existing capacity of the inter-grid connectivity which links the power grid of eastern India at Baharampur with the power grid of western Bangladesh at Berhamara.

6. Maharashtra government has decided to impose ‘drought tax’ in a bid to raise funds to tackle the drought like situation in the state. Decision in this regard was taken at State Cabinet subcommittee on the Relief and Rehabilitation headed by Finance Minister Sudhir Munguntiwar. Drought tax include Surcharge tax of 2 rupees per litre will be charged on petrol and diesel. Surcharge Value Added Tax (VAT) on liquor, cigarettes and beverages has been raised by 5 per cent. Surcharge VAT on gold and diamond jewelleries has been raised from 1 to 1.20 per cent. This arrangement will valid for the next 5 months and will be reviewed during the next budget session. It should be noted that this is the first time since 1973 that state government has decided to take such a drastic step.

7. United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has unanimously adopted US-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka on the report submitted by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka. The resolution follows up on the report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka and was co-sponsored by 25 countries besides the US and Sri Lanka. It has called for the Office of Human Rights Commissioner to continue the monitoring of Sri Lanka’s progress in the implementation of its recommendations. India has welcomed the consensus resolution saying that Sri Lanka has rejected extremist voices and is moving towards genuine reconciliation with the minority community.

8. Every year October 2 is being observed as International Day of Non-violence throughout the world on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Significance of Day: This day is observed by all member countries of the United Nations to promote the principles of non-violence through education and public awareness. In India, this day is referred as Gandhi Jayanti.

9. Every year 1st October is being observed as International day of Older Persons (IDOP). Significance of Day: To raise awareness about issues affecting the elderly and to appreciate the contributions that older people make to society. Theme for year 2015: ‘Sustainability and Age Inclusiveness in the Urban Environment‘.

10. Union Government has notified Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Rules, 2015 under the Food Security Act, 2013. The new rules have been finalised by Union Government after consultation with the States and other related Ministries of Union Government. New Rules are Temporary utilization of other funds available with the school for MDM in case school exhausts funds meant for meal for any reason. Food security allowance will be paid to beneficiaries under the temporary fund utilization in case of non-supply of meal for specified reasons. To check meal quality provided in the rules, it will be tested on randomly on monthly basis by accredited Labs. If meals are not provided on 3 consecutive school days or five days in a month state government will fix responsibility on the person or agency to check it. Every child between the age group of 6 to 14 years old studying in classes from I to VIII standard will be provided hot cooked meal having nutritional standards. It is mandatory for schools shall have the facility for cooking meal in hygienic manner. Schools located in urban areas may use the facility of centralised kitchens.

11. India has been placed at 55th position on 2015 Global Competitiveness Index of the world’s most competitive economies. It was published in Global Competitiveness Report of World Economic Forum (WEF) which has assessed total 140 countries. Key facts Switzerland has retained its top position as the world’s most competitive economy for seventh year in a row. Top 10 countries are: Switzerland, Singapore, United States, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, Finland, Sweden and United Kingdom. Ranking among emerging economies: China (28th), South Africa (49th) and India (55th). India moved up 16 positions in this edition of index as compared to 71th position in 2014. The jump in India’s position has been attributed to its recent economic recovery, improvement in the competitiveness of institutions, macroeconomic environment and slight improvement in infrastructure. Most problematic factors for doing business in India are policy instability, corruption, inflation and access to finance. India ranks in areas such as investor protection, quality of education system, gross national savings, venture capital availability, GDP and domestic market size, hiring and firing practices, burden of government regulation and public trust in politicians.

12. India is going to chair Group of Twenty (G20) nations forum in year 2018 and New Delhi could be the host of the prestigious annual G20 summit. This decision was taken by G20 forum earlier in September 2015 which was chaired by Turkey. Turkey will hand over the Chair for the next year i.e. 2016 to China and in 2017 Germany is going to chair it. About Group of Twenty (G20) G20 is the premier forum (It is not an organsation) for global economic and financial cooperation. Being a forum it does not have any permanent secretariat or management and administrative structure. Established: in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors on member countries in the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The forum brings together 20 nations that represent world’s major advanced and emerging economies, representing around 85 per cent of global GDP. Presidency of the G20: Every year one nation holds the chair of G20 known as Presidency which rotates annually among its member groups. The presidency establishes a temporary secretariat for the duration till it holds the Chair. Members: Brazil, China, Russia, India, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Canada, France, Indonesia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea, United Kingdom (UK), United States (US) and European Union (EU).

13. Indian-American associate professor Kartik Chandran has been named as a 2015 MacArthur Fellow. The fellowship entitles him with a prestigious genius grant of US 625,000 dollars. He has won this prestigious fellowship for his work in transforming pollutant from wastewater into useful products such as energy sources, commodity chemicals and fertilisers. With this fellowship he joined distinguished group of 24 talented people who have demonstrated dedication and exceptional originality to their creative pursuits.

14. China has successfully launched 20th new generation satellite into space as part of its domestic BeiDou Navigation System (BDS). It was launched using Long March-3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the south-western province of Sichuan. The 20th new generation satellite has been incorporated with a Hydrogen Atomic Clock which provides most accurate time and frequency standards known compared to primary standards for international time distribution services.

15. United States, Japan and India have decided to coordinate policies in addressing China’s increasing maritime activities. This decision was taken in first Japan-US-India trilateral meeting held in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. It was attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Key facts In the meeting, Japan has expressed strong concerns over China’s rapid ongoing unilateral activities which aim at changing the status quo in the South China Sea. Japan also mentioned that China’s massive land reclamation projects followed by construction of a facility including for military purposes have further heightened tensions. In the meeting, all 3 nations agreed that the rule of law should be observed and all international disputes should be settled peacefully to maintain peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region. Three parties also agreed to launch a trilateral meeting of experts in order to enable joint rescue and relief efforts in the event of major disasters. Comment From the US perspective, the first Japan-US-India trilateral meeting is seen as part of its “pivot” toward Asia policy to counterbalance China’s influence in Southeast Asia and in case for India it is considered as part of its ambitious Act East Asia Policy. Background Currently, China is involved in numerous territorial and maritime disputes with countries in South China Sea including Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Philippines and Taiwan. In response to China’s unilateral actions, US has asked it to immediately halt its land reclamation in the disputed South China Sea.

16. V Shanmuganthan has sworn in as the 17th Governor of Manipur after taking oath at ceremony held at Raj Bhawan in Imphal. He succeeded Dr. Syed Ahmed who had died in late in September 2015.

17. The Department of Posts has released a Commemorative postal stamp on father of Indian Constitution Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as part of his 125th Birth Anniversary celebrations. It was released jointly by the Union Minister Social Justice & Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot and Union Minister for Communication & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad. 125th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

18. India’s ace shooter Heena Sidhu has clinched a Gold medal in the 10-metre air pistol event of the Asian Air Gun Championships in New Delhi.

19. India’s ace shooter Gurpreet Singh has won silver medal at 2015 Asian Air Gun Championship held in New Delhi. In the finals of 10 metre Air Pistol event, Gurpreet shot a tally of 197.6 to stand second on the podium. India’s Jitu Rai finished at third position wining bronze medal in this event.

20. Union Government has launched Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy-2015 to promote greening of National Highway corridors across the country. The policy was unveiled by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi. Key features of Green Highways Policy 2015 Promote greening and development eco-friendly National Highway corridors across the country with participation of farmers, private sector and government institutions including Forest Department. It will address the issues that lie in the road of development and pave the way towards sustainable development. Objective: To reduce the impact of air pollution and dust by planting trees and shrubs along the National Highways. They will act as natural sink for air pollutants and arrest soil erosion at the embankment slopes. Stake holders: Contracts for greening highways will be given to NGOS, agencies, private companies and government organisations. These stakeholders will be responsible for the survival and health of trees. Planting of trees in any particular area will depend on the soil suitability and climatic conditions. Monitoring Agency: It will be responsible for monitoring the plantation status on continuous basis by carrying out the site visit for field verification to check survival, growth and size of plantation and maintenance of the same. Performance audit of executing agencies will be regularly conducted by the agency on an Annual basis. New contracts will be awarded to the agencies based on their past performance audit. Implications: The policy will strike a balance between highways development and environmental protection. It will also help in providing employment to 5 lakh people of the rural areas.

21. M.R. Poovamma and Babita Kumari have been conferred with prestigious Arjuna Award 2015 for their individual achievements in sports. The award was presented to them by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Youth affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi. M.R. Poovamma has been conferred with this award for her contributions in Athletics and Babita Kumari in the field of Wrestling. About Arjuna Award Established: It was instituted in 1961. Given by Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to sportsperson in recognition of their outstanding achievement in National sports. Award carries: Bronze statuette of Arjuna, a scroll and a monetary award of 5 lakh rupees.

22. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 50 basis points from 7.25 per cent to 6.75 per cent with immediate effect. It was announced in the recently released fourth bi-monthly policy of RBI since January 2015. 4th bi-monthly policy of RBI says that Policy repo rate under the LAF: Reduced by the 50 basis points from 7.25 per cent to 6.75 per cent. Cash reserve ratio (CRR): of scheduled banks has kept unchanged at 4 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL). Continuation of liquidity under overnight repos at 0.25 per cent of bank-wise NDTL at the LAF repo rate. Continuation of liquidity under 14-day term repos as well as longer term repos of up to 0.75 per cent of NDTL of the banking system through auctions. Continuation with overnight/term variable rate repos and reverse repos to smooth liquidity. Background This surprise repo rate cut decision was taken by RBI on the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation in the country. This decision was taken following abating of inflationary pressures, full monsoon outturn, no changes in US central bank actions, and greater transmission of the RBI’s front-loaded past actions.

23. Indian Navy has commissioned INS Kochi, a Kolkata-class Guided Missile Destroyer in its contingent to showcase India’s indigenous efforts in the field of underwater warfare. The ship was commissioned by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in Mumbai. It is a second ship of the three ships Kolkata-class Guided Missile Destroyer to be inducted. Earlier in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had commissioned INS Kolkata. The third and last ship of Kolkata-class Guided Missile Destroyer INS Chennai is expected to join Indian Navy in 2016. Top features of INS Kochi The ship drives its name from the port city of Kochi (Kerala) which had distinct maritime character and culture and symbolises the special bond between the Indian Navy. It has been built at Mazagaon Docks (MDL), Mumbai and it is the 10th destroyer in India’s combat fleet. Dimensions: Spans over 164 meters in length and 17 meters at the bean. Weighs over 7500 tonnes. Engine: It is propelled by 4 gas turbines and designed to achieve maximum speeds in excess of 30 knots. Weapons: It is loaded with state-of-the-art weapons, sensors and advanced stealth features including long-range BrahMos surface-to- surface missile. It has AK 630 Close In Weapon System (CIWS) and 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) designed to take on air and surface targets. Its anti-submarine arsenal consists of indigenously built Twin-tube Torpedo Launchers (ITTL), Indigenous Rocket Launchers (IRL) and bow-mounted new generation HUMSA Sonar Dome. INS Kochi is also equipped to operate 2 Sea King or Chetak helicopters. It should be noted that destroyers are second only to aircraft carriers to have raw combat power on the high seas.

24. India-Sri Lanka joint military exercise MITRA SHAKTI 2015 has begun at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra. It is third edition of the joint training exercise between both countries that seeks to build Military to Military co-operation and interoperability.

25. Search engine giant Google has announced to provide high-speed public Wi-Fi in 400 Indian railway stations. To set up public Wi-Fi hotspots, Google is working with the Indian Railways and RailTel, a government-owned provider of telecommunications infrastructure to the railways. The project will be implemented in phased manner and initially it will cover 100 of the busiest stations in India before the end of 2016. The first stations are expected to come online by end of October 2015. The internet service will be offered free initially with an aim to make the project self-sustainable in order to provide Wi-Fi to more stations and other places. Once this project is implemented successfully it will benefit around 21 million passengers of Indian Railways. Presently, India has about 300 million people online or having internet connectivity.

26. Reliance Defence has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC) in defence sector. The MoU seeks to boost partnership between both countries for manufacturing, knowledge transfer, services and technology development from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

27. India’s first dedicated satellite for astronomy research Astrosat has been successfully launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta. It was launched along with 6 foreign satellites by the ISRO’s work horse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C30 (PSLV-C30). About Astrosat Astrosat is India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory and one of the major scientific mission of ISRO after the highly acclaimed Chandrayaan-I and Mangalyaan. Functions: As a space observatory it has ability to observe celestial bodies like cosmic X-Ray sources and distant stars in different wavelengths simultaneously. It will observe the universe through ultraviolet, optical, low and high energy X-ray components of the electromagnetic spectrum. Payloads: Astrosat space observatory has been mounted with sophisticated scientific payloads having six key instruments with total mass of 750 kg. It includes telescopes, sky monitors, mirrors and special imager. Six key instruments are: UltraViolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT), Soft X-ray imaging Telescope (SXT), LAXPC Instrument, Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager (CZTI), Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) and Charged Particle Monitor (CPM). These instruments have been jointly developed by ISRO, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). Orbit: Astrosat will be placed at low earth equatorial orbit at altitude of 650 km. Ground Command and Control Centre: It will be located at ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore, Karnataka. Mission life: It has science research mission life of five years and will operate as a space observatory. With the successful launch of this space observatory, India became member of select group of nations after the US, Japan, Russia and Europe having its own space observatory. Significance of PSLV-C30 Launch For the first time, PSLV-C30 took flight mission in extended configuration as it was carrying total payload weight of 1631 kg. The first and third stages of PSLV-C30 launch were powered by solid fuel while the second and fourth stages are powered by liquid fuel. This successful mission also marks the first ever commercial launch of United States (US) satellites from India. Other 6 Satellites: 4 identical LEMUR nano-satellites of Spire Global Inc of US, micro-satellite LAPAN-A2 of Indonesia and nano-satellite NLS-14 (Ev9) of the University of Toronto, Canada. It should be noted that this is third time an Indian rocket has launched seven satellites in a single mission. In 2008, ISRO had launched 10 satellites using PSLV in one go including India’s Cartosate-2A satellite.

28. Union Government has constituted an expert committee to examine various issues related to UPSC civil services examination to select IAS and IPS officers. The committee panel would be headed by the former IAS officer from Chhattisgarh cadre B.S. Baswan and shall consist of leading academicians, technocrats and senior bureaucrats. The committee will look into all aspects of civil services examination including age relaxation, eligibility, syllabus and pattern of examination. Based on the report of the committee, Union Government will further make changes in the civil services exam pattern which is conducted annually in three stages — preliminary, main and interview. Background The committee has been confronted by Union Government following the demands from across the country for revisiting the pattern and syllabus of the civil services examination. It was being alleged that the current syllabus and pattern civil services examination tends to benefit students from mathematics and engineering backgrounds. In order to meet public demand Union Government is trying to revive the examination syllabus and pattern to provide a level playing field to aspirants from diverse educational streams. Earlier, Union Government had made General Studies Paper-II (also known as CSAT) in the preliminary examination as a qualifying paper with the minimum marks fixed at 33%.

29. Mathematician Dr. Jacob Tsimerman from Canada has been chosen for the prestigious 2015 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize. Presently he is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, Canada and his mathematics research work is primarily in the field of Number Theory and surrounding topics. He will be conferred with the prize during the International Conference on Number Theory to be held at SASTRA University in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.
About SASTRA Ramanujan Prize The award has been named after great Indian Mathematician autodidact Srinivasa Ramanujan. It was established in 2005 by Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) University. It is an annual award bestowed on young mathematicians for his outstanding contributions to areas of mathematics influenced by the Srinivasa Ramanujan. Criteria: The age limit for the prize is 32 because Ramanujan had achieved so much in his brief life of 32 years. The prize is given annually to recipient at Kumbakonam which is Ramanujan’s hometown. It should be noted that every year 22nd December is observed as National Mathematics Day to mark birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan. Srinivasa Ramanujan is considered as doyen of number theory, infinite series, mathematical analysis, and making formulas and equations without any formal training in pure mathematics.

30. Ace Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra has clinched gold medal in the men’s 10 metre Air Rifle event of the Asian Air Gun Championships held in New Delhi. Bindra shot 208.3 points to settle at first position ahead of Kazakhstan’s Yurkov Yuriy (206.6) who is current world number eight and Yu Jaechul (185.3) of South Korea.

31. Every year World Tourism Day (WTD) is observed on September 27 to raise awareness about the importance of tourism. Theme for 2015: “One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities“. This year’s theme emphasizes the impact of the tourism sector on economic growth, job creation and development.

32. India’s ace cueist Pankaj Advani has won 2015 IBSF World Billiards Championship (Time Format) in Adelaide, Australia. It was his overall 14th World title. He won 2015 IBSF World title by defeating Peter Gilchrist of Singapore by 1168 points.

33. Manipur Governor Dr Syed Ahmad passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was 75.

34. G-4 countries viz Brazil, Germany, India and Japan have issued a Joint Statement on United Nations Security Council Reforms (UNSC). It was issued after G-4 meeting held in New York,US which was called by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. G-4 leaders in meeting Stressed on more legitimate, representative and effective UNSC reforms to address the global conflicts and crises which have spiralled in recent years. Shared the view that global conflicts and crises of the international community in the 21st century which can be solved by more Member States representing UNSC. Unanimously supported the early reforms of the Security Council as an essential element of the overall effort to reform UN with regard to maintenance of international peace and security. Strongly emphasized that the reform of the Security Council should be conducted in a fixed time frame given its urgency. Welcomed the adoption text-based negotiations by UN General Assembly presented by the President of the 69th assembly. Appreciated the efforts of Member States of the African Group, CARICOM and the L.69 Group in moving towards text-based negotiations. Supported Africa’s representation in both the permanent and non-permanent membership in the Security Council.

35. United Nations on 25 September 2015 unanimously adopted an ambitious agreement on the outcome document New Sustainable Development Agenda for the next 15 years i.e. till 2030. The document in this regard was adopted in 70th session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and was announced by its President Mogens Lykketoft at the UN headquarters in New York. Key facts The agreement outlines 17 non-binding goals termed as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 specific targets that comprise different socio-economic issues. The new agenda document called “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” was built on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These goals will succeed 8 MDGs which was adopted in 2000 for fifteen years in Rio 20+ summit of United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlines broader sustainability agenda dealing with ‘five Ps’ people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. It seeks to address the universal need for development that works for all people and root causes of poverty. It calls for eradicating hunger and poverty, improving living standards, ensuring quality education, affordable and reliable energy, achieving gender equality and taking urgent action to combat climate change etc. It also includes specific goals on economic indicators for first time.

36. India’s globally acclaimed Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft also known as Mangalyaan has completed one year of the mission life around Mars on 24 September 2015. During the entire one year, the spacecraft had acquired a large set of data of the red planet using all five payloads mounted on it by completing more than 120 orbits. To mark first anniversary of MOM, Ahmedabad based Space Applications Centre (SAC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released Mar Atlas mobile application. Mar Atlas contains compilation of photos taken at varying spatial resolutions by the Mars Colour Camera (MCC) fitted on board of the spacecraft. It also contains results obtained by other payload results in a form of scientific atlas.

37. German auto maker Volkswagen AG has appointed Matthias Mueller as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Prior to this appointment, he was serving as CEO of Volkswagen’s subsidiary Porsche AG.