WBCS Current Affairs 05/11/2015 to 19/11/2015

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1. Union Government has launched the Technology Acquisition and Development Fund (TADF) under the National Manufacturing Policy (NMP), 2011. It was launched by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi. Key facts TADF will facilitate Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) to acquire clean, green and energy efficient technologies. It will also catalyse the manufacturing growth in MSME sector with an aim to contribute to ‘Make in India’ initiative. Implementation: The scheme will be implemented through Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA) which is a joint venture company of CII and Department of Science & Technology. GITA was launched in 2007-08 to stimulate private sector’s investment in Research and Development. Direct Support for Technology Acquisition: Proposals will be invited for reimbursement of 50 per cent or up to 20 lakh rupees of technology transfer fee from Indian industry. In-direct Support for Technology Acquisition through Patent Pool: TADF will provide financial support to MSME’s to acquire patent from across the world based on applications. Patent/Technology would be licensed to selected MSME’s and they will get a subsidy of 50 per cent of mutually agreed value or upto 20 lakh rupees. Technology/Equipment Manufacturing Subsidies:TADF will support manufacturing of equipment for reducing energy consumption, controlling pollution and water conservation. In this regard, subsidy of up to 10 per cent of capital expenditure and machinery will be provided to the manufacturing units subjected to a maximum of 50 lakh rupees. Green Manufacturing–Incentive Scheme: TDAF seeks to facilitate resource conservation activities in industries located in National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ). In this regard, financial support for under incentive or subsidy schemes will be provided for construction of green buildings, energy or water audits and implementation of waste treatment facilities.

2.7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) headed by Justice AK Mathur has recommended 23.55 percent hike in pay and allowances of government employees. In this regard the commission has submitted its report to Union Finance Ministry in New Delhi and the recommended pay revision will come into effect from 1 January 2016. Recommendations of 7th CPC Minimum basic pay of 18 thousand and maximum of 2.5 lakh rupees per month. Abolition of grade pay and pay band structure. The rate of annual increment for employees will be three percent. The pay will go up by 16 percent, allowances by 63 percent and pension by 24 percent. Abolition of 52 allowances and introduction of a Health Insurance Scheme. One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for central government staffers, para military as well as armed forces personnel. Increase in military service pay and revised pension formula for civil employees including Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Defense Personnel retiring before 1 January 2016. Implications The pay revision will impact 47 lakh serving employee and 52 lakh pensioners of the Central Government including in the Defence and Railways. It will cost public exchequer over 1 lakh crore rupees annually. The implementation of Pay Commission will impact fiscal deficit by 0.65 percent. Finance Ministry is setting up committee headed by Expenditure Secretary to go through the report for its implementation. Background The 7th Central Pay Commission was set up in February 2014 to revise remuneration of employees and pensioners of central government including Defence and Railways. Its recommendations will also have a bearing on the salaries of the state government staff. The CPC is constituted by the Union Government after almost every 10 years in order to revise the pay scales of employees. The 6th CPC under the Chairmanship of B.N.Srikrishna was approved in July 2006.

3. The second World Congress on Disaster Management (WCDM) has started in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The 4-day conference was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and was attended by Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Kiran Rijiju. Key facts The Congress is being jointly hosted by the Disaster Management, Infrastructure and Control Society (DMICS) and Andhra Pradesh government. It will address among a host of other issues which are interconnected, complex and along with emerging risks in today societies. It will also comprise technical sessions, paper presentations, exhibitions and cultural events. The first kind of such congress was held in Hyderabad in 2008. Address and discuss issues such as implementation of the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction. It will further explore various dimensions of natural and manmade hazards, vulnerabilities and exposures, their impacts across sectors. It will also explore the various efforts and initiatives for building resilience at all levels. It will also share knowledge, experience and discussing operational and strategic level issues for reducing the risks of disasters. It is estimated that about 1,500 delegates and policy makers from about 100 countries are likely to participate in the 4 day global meet. The outcome of the congress will be presented to the government as recommendations.

4. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended Russia’s anti-doping agency RUSADA for being non-compliant with the global body’s anti-doping charter in sports. This decision was unanimously passed by WADA’s foundation board and would possibly bar Russian track sportspersons from participating in 2016 Rio Olympics. WADA’s decision comes in lines with its report which had uncovered a state-sponsored doping program in Russia. Since the release of report, RUSADA had been heavily implicated in the state-sponsored doping scandal and was accused of destroying samples requested for analysis by WADA. Earlier, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) had suspended Russia from international competition but had left the door open for the 2016 Olympics. About World Anti-Doping Agency WADA is global Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that aims at harmonizing anti-doping regulations in all sports and countries. It is collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It was established in 1999 in Lausanne Switzerland under so called Declaration of Lausanne to coordinate, promote and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. Its headquarters are located at Montreal, Canada.

5. Tata Steel has commissioned the first phase of its integrated steel plant at Kalinganagar steel plant in Jajpur district of Odisha. It was inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as part of his Government ambition of industrialising the state rapidly. Key facts Kalinga Nagar steel plant is the second biggest plant of the company and is the largest Greenfield steel project in the country. The plant is spread across 2200 acre land and has been established at an investment of Rs 25,000 crore. It has a production capacity of 6 million tonne per annum and generally would produce flat, lighter, high-tensile strength steel. The plant also boasts of India’s largest blast furnace at 4,330 cubic meters. On completion it would provide employment for 45,000 people. The plant also has most advanced carbon hearth technology in the country along with on-site power generation of 202 MW through waste gases discharged by coke oven and blast furnace.

6.The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing of the Tripartite Agreement on the IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger. The IBSA fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger was set up in 2004 by three member countries India, Brazil and South Africa for South-South cooperation. Key facts The IBSA Fund undertakes development projects in third countries and the first project under it will be financed for the support of agriculture and livestock development. Contribution of IBSA countries: Each member country will contribute US$ 1 million annually for the IBSA Fund. Till January 2015 the total amount accumulated in the fund was 28.2 million US dollars. So far, India on its part has contributed total 9.1 million US dollars to the Fund. The total fund used for implemented or approved projects is around 26.2 million US dollars. Remaining 2.09 million US dollars is available for programming. The fund is one of the three pillars of cooperation under the IBSA Dialogue Forum for South-South cooperation. The other two pillars are consultation and coordination on global political issues and trilateral collaboration in concrete areas and projects. The IBSA Fund was awarded with South-South Partnership Award at the 2006 UN Day in December 2006. The award indicates the importance of the IBSA Fund in the context of South-South developmental cooperation. Background The IBSA Dialogue Forum was launched in June 2003. It is an international tripartite grouping for promoting international cooperation among three vibrant democracies and developing countries of the south viz India, Brazil and South Africa that are recognized for having global relevance and impact. The forum provides these three countries a common platform to engage in discussions for cooperation in the various fields incuding agriculture, trade, culture, and defence among others.

7. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved setting up of a National Resource Facility for Bio-medical Research (NARF) at Genome Valley in Hyderabad, Telangana. NARF will be set up by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and the proposal in this regard was forwarded by the Department of Health Research of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Key facts NARF will be the first of its kind institution for quality laboratory animals for basic and applied biomedical research in the country. It will be a world-class facility for breeding and housing of animals for testing of various R&D products. It will breed and house animals such as primates, cabines and other specialized models such as knockout and transgenic rodents. The facility will develop, create and provide access to a range of laboratory animals along with related technological resources for advancement of biomedical research in the country. It will mainly facilitate research and development in medical colleges, universities, research and academic institutions and Biotech and Bio-pharma companies. It will also provide training facilities for personnel in specialized areas in the field of biomedical research. The estimated project cost of NARF is 338.58 crores rupees and it will be functional by year 2018-19. Telangana state Government has allotted 102.69 acres of land for this project free of cost.

8. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Vietnam for cooperation in the field of Animal Health. The MoU aims to promote mutual cooperation between Vietnam and India through joint activities in the areas of Animal Health and was signed in September, 2014.

9. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved 10 per cent disinvestment in Coal India Limited (CIL). Decision in this regard, was taken by CCEA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Presently, Union Government holds around 79.65 per cent stake in CIL. It is the third disinvestment to be undertaken in CIL’s history and is expected to fetch around 21,000 crore rupees at current market capitalisation. The disinvestment in CIL will be carried out through the offer for sale mechanism and the date and price of the stake sale is yet to be decided by the Union Finance Ministry. It should be noted that the stake sale in CIL is part of Union Government’s disinvestment drive for financial year 2015-16 with target of 69,500 crore rupees. So far, Union Government raised around 12,600 crore rupees through regular disinvestment in FY 2015-16. About Coal India Limited CIL is an Indian state-controlled coal mining company. It is headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is the largest coal producer company in the world and contributes around 81% of the coal production in India. Union Government of India owns around 80 per cent of the stake in CIL and controls its operations through Union Ministry of Coal. In April 2011, CIL was conferred the Maharatna status by the Union Government. It is India’s 5th most valuable company in terms of market value.

10. Senior diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to China. He will replace Ashok Kantha, who was appointed as envoy to China in January 2014 for a two-year term i.e. till January 2016. Currently, Mr.Gokhale is serving as the India’s Ambassador to Germany. He is a 1981 batch India Foreign Service (IFS) officer. Prior, to his appointment as India’s top envoy to Germany, he had served at different Indian missions including in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Beijing and New York. Mr.Gokhale also had held the posts of director (China and East Asia) and joint secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) headquarters in New Delhi, . He is known to be one of the most knowledgeable Indian diplomat who is well versed with international affairs of China.

11.Every year World Toilet Day (WTD) is being observed on 19 November across the world. Significance of Day: Draw attention of people around the world to raise global awareness of the daily struggle for proper sanitation which in fact is a human right along with clean water. 2015 Theme: Sanitation and Nutrition. It seeks to draw attention of people across the world to raise the importance of toilets along with supporting better nutrition and improved health. The observance of this day is coordinated by United Nations-Water in collaboration with Governments of member countries and relevant stakeholders. About World Toilet Day WTD has been initiated by the World Toilet Organisation since 2001. United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) gave it official recognition in July 2013 in its 67th session under the global campaign of Sanitation For All resolution. Observance of this day now has become an important platform to demand action from governments. It seeks brings together different groups, such as media, the private sector, development organisations and civil society in a global movement to advocate for safe toilets.

12. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Justice T.S. Thakur as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) as per provisions of Article 124 of Constitution. T.S. Thakur will be 43rd Chief Justice of India and his appointment will come into effect from 3 December 2015. He will have tenure till January 3, 2017 i.e. till he attains the age of 65. Background The incumbent CJI H.L. Dattu had recommended Justice Thakur’s name for this top most post of Indian Judiciary, as he was senior-most judge of the apex court. Following the recommendation, the Union Law Ministry had processed his file and sent it to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for approval. From the PMO after its approval the file was forwarded to the President of India for approval. About Justice T. S. Thakur Born on January 4, 1952. He is the son of D.D. Thakur, who was an renowned advocate and eminent judge in the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) High Court and later served as Union Minister. Judicial career: Justice Thakur had enrolled as a Pleader in October 1972. Later, he started practising in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. He also had worked in Karnataka High Court, Delhi High Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court. He had worked as Chief Justice (CJ) of both Delhi High Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court in 2009. In Supreme Court, Justice Thakur had headed of the bench which dealt with IPL spot-fixing scam. He also had headed of the bench which is monitoring the probe in the Saradha chit fund scam case.

13. China’s Tianhe-2 supercomputer has emerged as the world’s most powerful supercomputer system for the sixth consecutive time. It was unveiled in 46th edition of Top500 list of supercomputers. Key facts from the list The Chinese Supercomputer is capable of performing calculations with processing speed of 33.86 petaflops per second (Pflop/s). It has held the title since June 2013. Supercomputer Titan of the US Department of Energy has been placed at second position. It has a performance of 17.59 Pflop/s. Supercomputer Sequoia of Tech giant IBM was placed at third position. It has processing speed of 17.17 Pflop/s. K computer of Fujitsu was placed at fourth position. It has processing speed of 10.51 Pflop/s. Supercomputer Mira of IBM placed at fifth position. It has processing speed of 8.58 Pflop/s. About Tianhe-2 Supercomputer Tianhe-2 or Milky Way 2 has been developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology. It has processing speeds of 33.86 petaflops (1000 trillion calculations) per second. Presently, it is deployed at the National Supercomputer Center in Guangzhou and is playing important role in boosting China’s capabilities in both scientific and defence fields. The Top500 list: It is one of the most authoritative and prestigious rankings list of the world’s supercomputers published biannually. The list is compiled on the basis of the performance of supercomputers by experts from the US and Germany based on the Linpack benchmark.

14. Russia’s newest defence satellite dubbed as EKS Kosmos-2510 was successfully launched into space and has been placed into its dedicated orbit. It was launched using Russian Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome which is a military facility in north-western Russia’s Arkhangelsk region. After placing it in dedicated orbit, the control of satellite has been passed to the Titov Main Space Center of Russia’s Space Forces. Key facts EKS Kosmos-2510 is early warning satellite and has been deployed as the first satellite in a new fleet of 10 EKS military satellites to be launched by 2018 to form new defence system to detect enemy missile heading towards Russian territory. It should be noted that EKS is a Russian acronym that translates to integrated space system. The EKS satellites fleet will replace Russia’s previous Oko early warning system which had its last satellite launch in 2012. This successful launch marked the sixth consecutive space mission to lift off from Plesetsk in year 2015. It was the fourth launch using a Soyuz booster and overall 13th launch of the Soyuz rocket family in 2015.

15. India and China have decided to deepen bilateral defence ties and maintain peace and tranquillity at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Both neighbouring countries also have decided to strengthen cooperation to fight the menace of terrorism, including at the international level. These decisions were taken in a meeting between Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and General Fan Changlong, Vice-Chairman of China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) in New Delhi. Key outcomes of meeting India offered to share its expertise with China in fighting terrorism by way of joint exercises, among other initiatives. Both nations agreed to implement the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in order to maintain peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas. Agreed to further enhance communications and exchanges between the two armed forces for maintenance of peace and tranquility. Both sides welcomed the operationalisation of additional border personnel meeting points and reviewed the ongoing exchanges and expressed satisfaction at the recently-held bilateral military exercise ‘Hand-in-Hand- 2015’.

16. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has slapped penalties worth Rs 258 crore on three leading airlines- Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet for cartelisation in fixing cargo fuel surcharge. In this regard, it also issued a cease and desist order against these three airlines on the complaint filed by Express Industry Council of India (EICI). In its complaint EICI also had named Air India and GoAir apart from the three airlines. In its order, the CCI noted that These 3 airlines acted in collusion to fix fuel surcharge rates which resulted in indirectly determining the rates of air cargo transport. Imposed penalties are: 152 crores rupees upon Jet Airways, 64 crores rupees upon IndiGo and 42 crores rupees upon Spice Jet. The conduct of these airlines was contravention of the anti-competitive agreements in the air cargo industry and it undermined economic development of the country and ultimately affected the end consumers. Fuel surcharge was essentially introduced to mitigate the fuel price volatility. But cartelisation of it by these leading airliners has harmed the fair competition in the market. CCI however has imposed no penalty upon Air India and Go Airlines as they were not found violating competitive norms. It has asked Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet to immediately stop indulging in such anti-competitive practices. About Competition Commission of India The CCI was established to eliminate practices that adversely affect competition in different industries and protect interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade. Its predecessor was the MRTPC (Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission) which was functional prior to 1991 Economic Reforms. The CCI acts as a quasi-judicial body which gives opinions to statutory authorities and also deals with other cases. It is statutory body established under The Competition Act of 2002. It was established in 2003 and became fully functional in 2009.

17. Well-known neurosurgeon and Secretary General of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) Dr. Satya Paul Agarwal passed away in New Delhi. He was 70. Dr. Agarwal was a well-known public health administrator. He had played pivotal role in execution of various disaster and emergency relief operations and control of disease and epidemics outbreak in the country. He was serving as Secretary General of Indian Red Cross Society since 2005. He was also the Chair of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Advisory Body on Sustainable Development and Health. He also had served as Director General of Health Services (DGHS), for Union Government of India from 1996 to 2005. He was awarded with India’s second highest civilian award Padma Bhushan for his contributions to public services. About Indian Red Cross Society IRCS is a voluntary humanitarian organization to protect human life and health with the help of its network of over 700 branches throughout India. It was established in 1920 and is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and shares its fundamental principles. Its mission is to provide relief at the time of disasters/emergencies and also promotes healthcare facilities among vulnerable people and communities.

18. G-20 leaders have decided to tackle global uneven economic growth and reaffirmed their commitment to fight terrorism unitedly. In this regard, G-20 leaders have released a communiqué at the end of the two-day 2015 G-20 summit held at Antalya in Turkey. Key highlights of 2015 G-20 Antalya Summit Economic growth: G-20 leaders noticed the risks and uncertainties in financial markets and observed that geopolitical challenges are increasingly becoming a global problem. They have reaffirmed its earlier goal of achieving 2 percent additional GDP growth by 2018. Black Money and Corruption: G-20 has developed a package under the “Base Erosion and Profit System” project to tackle the problem of transferring profits to tax havens. The project urges the automatic exchange of tax-related information system and will come into force by 2018. G-20 leaders also called for intolerance to corruption and collectively deny safe havens to illegally acquired wealth. Climate Change: G-20 leaders reiterated from their commitment to limit global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius above current levels as mentioned in the Lima Call for Action. They fair and balanced outcome in the Conference of Parties (CoP)-21 meet to be held in Paris on the issue. WTO: G-20 leaders reinstated their faith on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as the backbone of the multilateral trading system. They have urged WTO to fully implement the Bali Package that aims at lowering global trade barriers. G-20 leaders endorse global food security measures. Refugee crisis: It is a global concern and seeks to encourage global contribution in managing the crisis. IMF Reforms: G-20 leaders seek to early implementation of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) governance reforms. Remittance front: G-20 leaders seek to reduce the charges for people to send money back home to 5 percent. Terrorism: G20 leaders condemned terrorism and have collectively resolved to choke terror funding and also share information and take action for better border management. 2015 G-20 Antalya Summit and India The 2015 G-20 Antalya Summit accommodates several concerns India which were raised in various multilateral forums. Being the largest recipient of remittances, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had insisted to lower the charges and it has been included in G-20 agenda which is considered a positive development. The passage of collective movement under the “Base Erosion and Profit Shifting” project on for tax evasion is also considered a positive development in India’s fight to tackle menace of Black Money. The summit also took note of India’s viewpoints on various issues including trade, labour, infrastructure and corruption.

19. Former Director of country’s external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), K. Shankaran Nair passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was 94. He was credited with the success of covert operations that aided the liberation of then east Pakistan into new country Bangladesh in 1971.

20. Senior Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal passed away in Gurgaon, Haryana. He was 90 and was suffering from serious respiratory problems. Singhal was a bachelor and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak all his life and was the prominent leader of temple movement in Ayodhya i.e. Ramjanmabhoomi movement.

21. Union Government has approved Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Action Plans for 81 cities in 5 states with total project outlay of 5,748 crore rupees. It was approved by an inter-ministerial Apex Committee headed by Madhusudan Prasad, Secretary, Union Ministry of Urban Development. Key facts The approved cities in 5 states are Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Mizoram. The funds will be used to enhance basic infrastructure including water supply and sewerage connections in these 5 states for the year 2015-16. Union Government will provide an assistance of 2,440 crore rupees while the rest would be contributed by state governments and urban local bodies. Of the total approved outlay 4,290 crore rupees would be used to provide household water supply connections and enhance water supply in 53 cities. Half of the urban households in these selected 81 cities do not have water supply and sewerage connections. About AMRUT Scheme It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015 for urban transformation. The focus of the urban renewal projects under this scheme is to establish infrastructure that could ensure adequate robust sewerage networks and water supply. Under this scheme: Union Government provides an assistance of 50 per cent of project cost for cities with a population of up to 10 lakhs each and one third of project cost for cities with a population of above 10 lakhs each. Rest of the project cost has to be borne by the states and urban local bodies.

22. France has launched fresh air raids on Islamic State (IS) stronghold in Raqa province in northern Syria. Fleet of ten French warplanes consisting of Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighters carried out the raid by dropping around 16 bombs and simultaneously hitting and destroying two IS targets. The air raid was conducted in coordination with United States forces against Daesh which is another name for the IS militants group and destroyed their command and training centre. Since September 2015, France had carried out numerous air raids against IS in Syria and also had deployed its largest warship (aircraft carrier) named Charles de Gaulle (R91) to further boost its operations. But recently, France has stepped up its air raids against IS militant ground after 13 November 2015 attacks in Paris which are considered worst attack on France after World War II. In this worst attack more than 136 people were killed and 433 were seriously injured by the 7 armed terrorists.

23. Odisha Government has started implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 in 14 of the 30 districts of the state in first phase covering 26.33 lakh families. In this regard State Food supplies and Consumer Welfare department has issued directives to the district administration to monitor the implementation of the NFSA and rectify irregularities. Key facts 14 districts in the first phase are: Angul, Bargarh, Boudh, Balangir, Deogarh, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Sambalpur and Sonepur. Under the NFSA, beneficiaries are entitled to get 5 kg of rice at Rs 3 or 5 kg of wheat at Rs 2 from Public Distribution System (PDS) Centres. The second phase of the NFSA will be implemented in remaining 16 other districts of the State from 1st December 2015. The scheme would benefit around 93.35 lakh people in the state. About National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 NSFA aims at providing legal entitlement to 5 kg of subsidised food grains to the identified person per month. Grains like wheat, rice and coarse grain will be distributed at the price of 3 Rs. 3, Rs. 2 and Rs. 1. Pregnant women and lactating mothers and children are entitled to get meals under the prescribed nutrition by MDM and ICDS. The age group would be 6 months to 14 years. NFSA 2013 will provide high nutrition food to the age group of 6 years. Pregnant women and lactating mothers will be entitled to get maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.

24. Ace Young Indian shuttler Siril Verma has won silver medal at the prestigious 2015 BWF World Junior badminton Championships. In the final match played at the Peruvian capital of Lima, the 15-year-old Siril lost to Taipei’s Chia Hung Lu Chia by 21-17, 10-21, 7-21 score. By winning silver medal, Siril has joined the elite list of Indians shuttlers such as Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, RMV Gurusaidutt, HS Prannoy and Sameer Verma who have won medals for India in the Junior World Championships. Presently, Siril is undergoing training at the Hyderabad based Pullela Gopichand Academy which trains India’s top badminton players.

25. Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson (age 34) has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket. He made this announcement after conclusion to the second Test match against New Zealand at WACA. With this, he has joined his fellow team mates who had recently retired from international cricket including Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson.

26. World football governing body Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has banned Ganesh Thapa, President of the All-Nepal Football Association (ANFA) for 10 years. He was banned by FIFA’s ethics committee over corruption allegations after the Himalayan country’s football team’s image had deteriorated as its several national football players were accused of match-fixing.

27. Senior Indian diplomat Syed Akbaruddin has been appointed as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations at New York. He will succeed Asoke Kumar Mukerji who will be retiring soon. In his new role, Akbaruddin’s main task would be to push India’s bid to gain permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and also strongly advocate its position on key issues. Akbaruddin is 1985 batch officer of Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Prior to this appointment he was serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Earlier he served as MEA’s high-profile spokesperson and also was Chief Coordinator of successful third India Africa Foreign Summit held in New Delhi in October 2015. He also had served at the Geneva based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is an expert on the West Asia where he had earlier served in various capacities.

28. Veteran actor Saeed Jaffrey has passed away in London, England. He was 86. He is best-known for his acting roles in movies like Gandhi, Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Henna and Ram Teri Ganga Maili.

29. Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has declared Naga militant outfit National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) formally known as NSCN (K) as a terrorist organization. In this regard MHA has issued an official gazette notification mentioning that NSCN (K) and all its formations and front organisations have been declared as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. NSCN (K) has resorted to terrorism by killing civilians and security forces and in June 2015 it was engaged in other violent activities including the attack on an Army convoy in Chandel district of Manipur. About National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Khaplang NSCN (K) came into existence in 1988 under the leadership of S.S. Khaplang. It is as an offshoot of NSCN which was established with an objective of forming a sovereign state of Nagalim by unifying all the areas inhabited by the Naga people in Northeast India and Myanmar. Presently NSCN-K is active along the Indo-Myanmar border and has strength of around 1,000 cadres with several camps across the border in Myanmar.

30. India and Bangladesh have signed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for operationalising the Agreement on Coastal Shipping between both countries. The agreement was signed in June 2015 in order to improve the bilateral trade by reducing the logistic costs of EXIM transport. Key facts of SOP The SOP has been framed as per the terms and conditions of the Agreement on Coastal Shipping and its provisions have been agreed by both the countries. It would pave the way to promote coastal shipping between India and Bangladesh and further enhance bilateral trade by bringing down the cost of transportation of export-import (EXIM) cargo. It would in turn facilitate trade and transportation of goods between the two neighbours through coastal and inland waters. Both countries would stipulate same treatment to each other’s national vessels on similar grounds of national vessels used in international sea transportation. The two sides also have agreed to use of vessels of River Sea Vessel (RSV) category for Indo-Bangladesh coastal shipping. Advantages of agreement Connectivity to North East India: It would enable opening of coastal shipping between India and Bangladesh. Thus, help to enhance the movement of cargo to the landlocked North East Indian states through coastal shipping up to Chittagong and thereafter by road and inland waterways. Hub ports: The deep draft ports on the eastern coast of India can be used as hub ports for the further onward transportation of cargo via the coastal mode through RSV category of vessels to Bangladesh. Attract enhanced cargo: Indian ports will be able to attract enhanced cargo and help in reducing the overall transportation cost to Bangladesh. Trans-shipment ports: Indian ports can also serve as trans-shipment ports for transportation of cargo from Bangladesh. Thus, it will enhance throughput as a result of Indo-Bangladesh coastal trade. It should be noted that, during the past few years India’s trade with Bangladesh has grown rapidly and now Bangladesh has emerged as India’s largest trading partner in South Asia.

31. Philippines is going to host 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit from 18–19 November 2015 in its capital city Manila for the first time in nearly two decades. It is second time Philippines hosting the Asia-Pacific region’s most high-level business event i.e. APEC summit and had previously hosted it in 1996. For first time Philippines had hosted the APEC summit under the leadership of then-President Fidel Ramos who had vowed to help develop an action plan on facilitating free trade in the region. Theme of 2015 APEC Summit: “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World”. Under this theme, Philippines is going to push for inclusive growth and highlight the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which account for more than 97 per cent of businesses in APEC economies. Two key road maps will be endorsed in 2015 APEC Summit. They are The Cebu Action Plan for financial integration: Aims to protect the APEC member countries from financial crises. Boracay Action Agenda: It is meant to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to access the regional and global market. About Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC is regional economic forum comprising of 21 member countries accounting nearly half of the world’s trade and about 57 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP). It was established in 1989 in order to leverage the growing interdependence of Asia-Pacific region’s economies and promote free trade in the region. Headquarter: Hong Kong. 21 Members are: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Peru, Russian and Vietnam. India is observer of APEC since 2011 and has applied for membership.

32. India and Australia have sealed Nuclear-deal procedures for supply of uranium from later to energy starved India. N-deal procedures were formally completed between both countries following a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Malcolm Turnbull in Antalya, Turkey on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. Following the conclusion of the agreement, India has become the first country to buy Uranium from Australia without being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). Background India and Australia had started talks on the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in 2012 after Australia had lifted the long-standing ban on selling uranium to energy-starved India. The cooperation agreement was signed between two countries in September 2014 to sell uranium as a nuclear fuel for peaceful power generation. It should be noted that Australia has about a 40 percent of world’s recoverable uranium resource and annually exports around 7,000 tonnes of it. In India, nuclear energy contributes just 3% of its electricity generation and it has currently signed nuclear energy agreements with 11 countries. Presently, India imports uranium from France, Russia and Kazakhstan to supply fuel to its two dozen small reactors at six sites with a total capacity of 4,780 MW which accounts for 2% of its total power capacity.

33. Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has won silver medal at 2015 China Open Superseries Premier Badminton tournament after finishing at second position in the Women’s Singles category. In the final match played at the Haixia Olympic Sports Centre in Fuzhou, the defending champion and top seeded Saina lost to sixth placed Xuerui Li from China by 12-21, 15-21 score. Saina and Li had met 12 times against each other and Saina has won just 2 of those games. The final of China Open tournament was overall Saina’s fifth final of the year 2015 and the third instance in 2015 that the World No. 1 has come out second best.

34. A noted writer of children’s books Kamala Laxman passed away on 14 November 2015 in Pune. She was 90. She was widow of legendary cartoonist R K Laxman who was best known for his creation The Common Man for his daily cartoon strip You Said It in the daily The Times of India.

35. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated 35th edition of India International Trade Fair (IITF) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The 14 day fair has been organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), under aegis of Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In this edition over 7,000 firms from India and overseas are participating.

36. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the recently acquired Ambedkar memorial by Maharashtra Government at King Henry’s Road in London, United Kingdom. On this occasion, Prime Minister unveiled a plaque to mark the dedication of the Memorial and was accompanied by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

37. Bhawana Somaaya, Satish Shah and Brijendra Pal Singh have been nominated as members of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society. They were nominated by Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the category of Film critic Bhawana Somaaya, Actor Satish Shah: Persons of eminence connected with films and television education, literature, fine arts, journalism, dramatics and performing Arts. TV producer Brijendra Pal Singh: Nominated under the category of FTII alumni. About Film and Television Institute of India FTII is an autonomous institute under the aegis of Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It is aided by the Union Government. Established in 1960 and is situated in Pune on the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Film Company. Since its inception, FTII has become India’s premier film and television institute. Its alumni have become technicians, actors and directors in the film and television industry.

38. INS Vishwakarma, the erstwhile Shipwright School (SWS) and a premier training establishment of the Indian Navy has been commissioned. It was commissioned by Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of the Naval Staff at a formal ceremony held at Visakhapatnam. INS Vishwakarma was commissioned in keeping with the Navy’s thrust towards indigenisation and ‘Make in India’ initiative. It also was commissioned keeping in view the role of the SWS which has assumed greater significance presently in honing Indian Navy’s warship and submarine design. Background Shipwright School (SWS) was established in 1941 at INS Shivaji for training shipwright artificers of Indian Navy. SWS was a premier technical establishment and alma mater for Naval Architect Officers, Shipwright Officers and Shipwright Sailors of the Indian Navy. It was subsequently shifted in 1943 to Naval Barracks, Mumbai (now INS Angre). In 1981, it was again shifted to the present premises at Visakhapatnam as a dedicated training establishment with independent facilities for training of shipwright apprentices.

39. Northeast India’s first exclusive hospital for elephants has been established at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. The hospital was set up at Mark Shand Memorial Learning Centre in Kaziranga National Park. It was inaugurated by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild who is founding patron of the UK-based charity Elephant Family. About Kaziranga National Park It is located in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam and is circumscribed by the Brahmaputra River. It was designated with National Park status in 1968 and was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 for its unique natural environment. The park hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses which are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species. It is also home to large breeding populations of tigers, elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga is also recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for conservation of avifaunal species.

40. Pakistan and China kicked off their ambitious 46 billion US Dollar China- Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) project. It was kicked off after China successfully acquired over 2,000 acres of land in restive Balochistan to develop the strategic Gwadar port. Earlier both countries had signed a deal in this regard to give the usage right of the land to a Chinese company. Under this ambitious project, China is expected to invest around 1.62 billion US dollars in the Gwadar project. It includes construction of an expressway linking the harbour and coastline with a rail link, breakwater. It also includes other 9 projects which is expected to be completed in three to five years. China- Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) project CPEC seeks to connect the Gwadar port in Pakistan to the Xinjiang region in China by means of highways, airways and railways and also deploy pipeline to transport oil and gas. The corridor will also act as a trade route for Chinese goods and commodities meant for the Middle East and Africa. India has already objected to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor as it passes through the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). However, China has defended the project saying it is a commercial venture aimed at improving livelihoods of local people in Pakistan and strengthening the infrastructure in this region.

41. Renowned economist Subir Gokaran has been appointed as an Executive Director on the board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Mr. Gokarn’s name was cleared by Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will replace Rakesh Mohan whose 3 year tenure ends in November 2015. He will represent grouping of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan on the IMF’s Executive Board with a total casting vote of 2.8 per cent of which India has more than 2.3 per cent. Earlier he had served as Deputy Governor of RBI from 2009 to 2012 and was the youngest Deputy Governors of the central bank at that time. He also had served as a nominee Board Member of the State Bank of India (SBI). Executive Board of IMF The Executive Board of IMF is based in Washington and is responsible for conducting the day-to-day business of it. Composition: The board comprises 24 Directors, who are appointed or elected by groups of countries or by member countries. It is headed by the Managing Director (MD) who serves as its Chairman. Functions: The Executive Board meets several times in each week and carries out its work largely on the basis of papers prepared by IMF management and staff.

42. President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Bill, 2015 or Haryana Cow Protection Bill, 2015. Thus, with the presidential assent the bill has come into force in the form of a law (Act). It completely bans cow slaughter, sale of beef and beef products in Haryana. It also has provisions for rigorous imprisonment and penalty for violators.

43. Annual Hundred Drums Wangala Festival has begun on a cultural fervor at Asanang near Tura town in Meghalaya. The three day-long started with the arrival of ten Wangala Dance Troupes from various parts of Garo Hills.

44. India has inked Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with six countries namely in the field of International Civil Aviation Negotiations. They were signed by Indian delegation representing Union Ministry of Civil Aviation in the International Civil Aviation Negotiations (ICAN) 2015 conference. These 6 signed MoUs are with Oman: MoU was signed to for adding additional 5131 seats in order to make the total capacity entitlements from present 16018 seats per week to 21149 seats per week. Kazakhstan: MoU was signed to review the initialled Air Services Agreement (ASA) as per the latest Article 11 given by the Indian side. Kenya: MoU was signed to enhance the capacity entitlements between both sides by increasing it from present 14 frequencies to 21 additional frequencies. Ethiopia: MoU was signed to enhance the capacity entitlements between both sides by increasing it from the existing 21 frequencies per week to 28 frequencies per week. Finland: MoU was signed for code share, intermodal services, routing flexibility and open sky on cargo, which are mandatory requirement of Horizontal Agreement. Sweden, Norway and Denmark: MoU was signed by both the parties in 4 provisions namely, code shares, routing flexibility, intermodal and open sky on cargo which is a mandatory requirement of Horizontal Agreement agreed by these three Scandinavian countries. In this conference, the Indian delegation also met the delegations from Greece, Qatar, Serbia, European Union and Brunei Darussalam. They discussed about expansion of air services between India and these countries.

45. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan has been appointed as vice chairman of the board of directors of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). With this, he became the first Indian to be appointed to this position in the BIS and shall have tenure of three years starting from 10 November 2015. In his new role Dr. Rajan will assist BIS Chairman Jens Weidmann, who is also president of Germany’s Bundesbank. He had joined the BIS board of directors for first time in December 2013. About Bank for International Settlements BIS was established in 1930 and is world’s oldest international financial organisation. Head office is located in Basel, Switzerland. BIS also has two representative offices in Hong Kong and Mexico City. BIS serves central banks of countries in their pursuit of financial and monetary stability in order to foster international cooperation. It also acts as a bank for central banks. Presently, BIS has 60 central banks as its members which are representing countries from around the world accounting about 95 percent of world GDP.

46. The seventh edition India-Russia Joint Military Exercise ‘Indra-2015’ has begun in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. This edition of exercise is focusing on ‘Counter Terrorism Operations in Desert Terrain under a United Nations Mandate’. Key facts The bilateral exercise would be held between Indian Army’s Infantry Battalion and Independent Russian Motorised Brigade from 7 to 20 November 2015. It would be conducted 2 phases, namely ‘Combat Conditioning & Tactical Training’ and ‘Validation’ phases. Both participating battalions would initially acquaint themselves with each other’s counter terrorism approaches including Command and Control systems, operations, arms and equipment. They would also focus on ensuring a high degree of physical fitness, tactical drills, techniques and procedures. This joint exercise will also engage in variety of joint missions including joint planning, Search and Rescue, Cordon and Search operations, special arms skills and joint tactical drills. The bilateral exercise seeks to further boost people to people as well as military to military ties between India and Russia.

47. Indian Army has successfully test fired the Brahmos supersonic land attack cruise missile at Pokhran in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. Test: It was conducted by Indian Army and Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). It was test fired from an Autonomous Mobile Launcher (AML) in full configuration and met all the mission objectives. About Brahmos supersonic land attack missile It is a fire-and-forget Missile with capability of destroying surface-based targets by flying a combined high-low trajectory by evading enemy air defence systems. It has been designed and developed by a joint venture between DRDO of India and NPO Mashinostroyeniya (NPOM) of Russia. The name Brahmos has been derived from the names of two rivers namely the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia. Features: It has range of 300-km and a top supersonic speed of Mach 2.8. It can be launched from sea, sub-sea, land and air against sea and land targets. Capable of carrying a conventional as well as nuclear warhead of 300 kilogram. It is two-stage missile, first stage being propelled by solid propellant and second stage propelled by Ramjet liquid propellant. Induction: Indian Army already has inducted 3 regiments of Brahmos in its arsenal and land-attack version has been operationalised since 2007 in the Army. The powerful Brahmos weapon system has given Indian Army a distinct and strategic operational advantage to destroy any enemy target in the most difficult and hidden terrains.

48. World Health Organization (WHO), a U.N. health agency has officially declared Sierra Leone Ebola-free. This announcement is considered as a major milestone in UN-backed efforts to wipe out Ebola from the three western African countries viz. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

49. Indian Railways has won 32nd edition of Indian Oil Surjit Hockey tournament for the first time. In the final match played at Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar (Punjab), Indian Railways team defeated defending champions Indian Oil Mumbai by 4-3 score. Score Indian Railways: Captain Vinod Kumar (18th minute), Malak Singh scored two goals (34th minute and 43rd minute), Affan Yusuf (45th minute). Indian Oil Mumbai: Captain Deepak Thakur scored two goals (13th minute and 63rd minute), Sunil Yadav (55th minute). With this victory, the winning team bagged 5 lakh rupees cash award and Winners Trophy. While, the runners up got 2.50 lakh rupees cash and Runners Up Trophy. Malak Singh of Indian Railways was adjudged as Player of the Tournament and was given a cash prize of 25,000 rupees. About Surjit Memorial Hockey Tournament It is an annual hockey tournament organized by Surjit Hockey Society in Jalandhar, Punjab in the memory of Surjit Singh Randhawa. Surjit Singh was an Indian field hockey player, who had represented India national field hockey team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and was captain of team.

50. Ace Indian shooter, Heena Sidhu has won Gold medal in 10 metre Air Pistol event in women’s category at 13th Asian Shooting Championships held in Kuwait. In the final match, Heena shot 198.2 score to defeat Gundegma Otreyad of Mongolia who shot 198 winning Silver medal. Jangmi Kim of South Korea won the bronze with a score of 176.2.

51. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched three gold related scheme viz Gold Monetization Scheme (GMS), Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme (SGBS) and Indian Gold Coins (IGC). These ambitious schemes were launched to reduce the physical demand for gold and fish out 20,000 tonnes of the precious metal lying idle with households and institutions. Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) 2015 GMS 2015 will offer option to resident Indians to deposit their precious metal and earn an interest on it and will replace the existing Gold Deposit Scheme (GDS) 1999. All residents can invest in this scheme but are subjected to Know Your Customer (KYC) Scheme. Scheme tagline: Earn, while you secure. Implementation: As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directives all Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) will implement GMS 2015. Deposit limit: Minimum deposit at any one time of raw gold in the forms of bars, coins, jewellery excluding stones and other metals is 30 grams with 995 fineness. There is no maximum limit for the deposit. Tenure: Banks will accept gold deposits under the Short Term of Bank Deposit (STBD) of 1-3 years, Medium (5-7 years) and Long (12-15 years). Principal and Interest of the deposit: Banks are free to fix the interest rates and it will be denominated in gold. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme (SGBS) 2015 Seeks to shift part of physical gold in form of bars and coins for investment into Demat (Dematerialised) gold bonds in order to reduce the demand for physical gold. These gold bonds are interest bearing and will be payable in terms of grams of gold. Scheme tagline: Invest wisely. Earn Safely. Minimum investment: 2 grams of physical gold; Maximum investment: 500 grams. Issuing Bonds: RBI on behalf of Union Government will issue the Gold bonds in the denominations of one gram and its multiples. Tenure of Gold bonds: 8 years is maximum tenure. But there is exit option from 5th year can be exercised on interest payments dates. Tradable and Exchangeable: These bonds are available in DEMAT and paper form. It can be tradable in stock exchange and can be used as collateral for loans. Indian Gold Coin 2015 It is Indian’s first ever Indian gold coin and bullion to be officially issued by Union Government. The gold coins will bear national emblem Ashok Chakra on one side and Mahatma Gandhi’s engraved image on the other side. Denominations: The coins will be available in denominations of 5 and 10 grams and a 20 gram bullion. Available at: 125 Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation (MMTC) of India outlets across the country. These coins and bullion are easily liquidated.

52. President Pranab Mukherjee launched Impacting Research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT) India to boost research in the country. The initiative is joint venture of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISC). Key facts IMPRINT India initiative seeks to develop a roadmap for research in order to solve major engineering and technology challenges in 10 identified technology domains. These 10 domains are: Health Care, Computer Science and ICT, Advance Materials, Water Resources and River systems, Sustainable Urban Design, Defence, Nano-technology Hardware, Environmental Science and Climate Change and Energy Security. These domains are distributed among IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Bomaby, IIT Rookree, IIT Madras and IISC, Bengaluru. Objectives of this initiative: (i) identify areas of immediate relevance that requires innovation in the society. (ii) Direct scientific research in the identified areas. (iii) Ensure support and higher funding for research for identified areas (iv) Measure the outcomes of innovation and research efforts and its impact on the standard of living in the urban and rural areas.

53. France is set to deploy its largest warship (aircraft carrier) named Charles de Gaulle (R91) in order further boost its operations against Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq. Since September 2014, France has been targeting IS targets in Iraq and Syria as part of the US-led international coalition.

54. Government has hiked Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rabi crops including wheat and pulses for Rabi season 2015-16. The MSP of pulses was taken to boost the production as country is facing acute shortage due to domestic demand-supply gap/ Decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. MSP of Rabi crops for season 2015-16 Crop MSP per quintal Wheat 1525 Gram (Channa) 3500 Lentil (Masur) 3400 Mustard 3350 Safflower 3300 Barley 1225 *Note: Figures in Rupees CCEA also gave its approval for allocation of additional 27 lakh tonnes of foodgrains to Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families through Public Distribution System (PDS). This will be for states which have yet not implemented National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. So far 20 States have implemented the Act and by March 2016 rest of the states will implement the NFSA. What is Minimum Support Price (MSP)? MSP is a form of agricultural market intervention undertaken by the Central Government in order to insure agricultural producers are protected against any sharp fall in farm prices. The MSP prices are announced by the Central Government at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops. The prices are decided by CCEA on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

55. Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Colombia to strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism. Decision in this regard was taken at Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The MoU will be signed between the Union Tourism Ministry and Ministry of Trade Industry and Tourism of Colombia.