WBCS Current Affairs 17/10/2014 to 30/10/2014

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1. 27 year old Anirban Lahiri won the Venetian Macau Open, making it his second title of 2014 and fifth career win on the Asian Tour. He edged out 2013 winner Australian Scott Hend and Thai Prom Meesawat by one stroke.
Lahiri began the game with a ranking of 90, and has now moved up to 72. Lahiri’s goal in 2014 has been to land in the top 50 in the World Rankings.
Other Indians participating landed the following ranks – Shiv Kapur was 8th with 274, while Jyoti Randhawa was tied 15th with 278, Jeev Milkha Singh was tied 26th with 285 and S.S.P. Chowrasia was tied 32nd with 286.
The only player who has won the Macau tournament twice is China’s Zhang Lian-wei. India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar has also previously won the Macau Open.

2.Zimbabwean national Cara Black and Indian Sania Mirza won the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore Doubles title. They defeated the defending champions Peng Shuai and Hsieh Su-wei.
With the doubles title, Black and Mirza won the Martina Navratilova Trophy and US $5,00,000. Peng Shuai and Hsieh Su-wei were awarded a cash prize of US $ 2,50,000.
Notably, the Black and Mirza pair are set to split up after this match. Mirza will team up with Hsieh Su-wei for the next season.

3.UK has formally withdrawn from Afghanistan, ending the 13 year war that it was a part of. The lowering of the Union Flag in Camp Bastion marked the end of Britain’s campaign, which is believed to be its longest involvement in a conflict in modern times.

4.SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft has concluded its mission to the ISS (International Space Station) and returned to Earth. The spacecraft was launched in September in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle. This was Dragon’s fifth visit to the ISS.
Cargo
Dragon carried cargo of almost 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station during a month long stay. The Dragon delivered a multitude of food, clothing, equipment, experiments and supplies for the ISS and her crew including a 3D printer.
Mice
Dragon also carried 20 mice who will now stay at the ISS. The mice were taken into space in a new hardware system designed to carry rodents safely from Earth to the ISS and provide long-term accommodation aboard the ISS. It is being done to help researchers study the long-term effects of microgravity on mammalian physiology.

5.Cyclone Nilofer
A deep depression that has formed over the Arabian Sea is expected to turn into a tropical cyclone Nilofar. Nilofar has the potential to strengthen to the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane before its Arabian Peninsula landfall.
In India, the North Gujarat coast is expected to bear the brunt of Nilofar. It is expected to land in Gujarat on October 31 with a wind speed of over 120 kmph

6.Jairam Ramesh, former Environment Minister, has been asked to chair the Future Earth Engagement Committee.
Future Earth Engagement Committee
The Committee is a global research platform panel on sustainable development. The strategic advisory group was instituted by an alliance of organisations including the UNEP (UN Environment Programme), UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). However, the Committee is the flagship initiative of the Science and Technology Alliance for Global Sustainability.
The committee will provide knowledge and support to hasten the introduction of sustainable technologies. The committee will consist of leaders from stakeholder groups, including business, policy and civil society and will be representative of various societal partners, who can help bring about change.
The Committee will comprise of 18 members and will be fully constituted by the end of 2014.
Earlier roles in international fora
Jairam Ramesh was also a member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Global Sustainability Panel between 2011 and 2012. He also played a key role in the UN Climate Change Conferences at Copenhagen in 2009 and Cancun in 2010.

7.The Centre is planning to create a SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) to implement the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project. Interlinking the rivers of India has been one of the major initiative of the NDA government at the Centre.
Ken-Betwa River Linking Project
The Ken-Betwa link is one of the 16 river linking proposals under the Peninsular Component of the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for water resources development. It envisages diversion of surplus water from the Ken basin to the water-deficit Betwa basin. The project will have a dam on Ken river along with a 221 km link canal. The project was conceived in two phases, with the first phase benefitting both states, and the second phase confined to Madhya Pradesh. There are plans to implement both phases at the same time.
The project is expected to facilitate annual irrigation for 6.35 lakh hectares and supply drinking water to 13.42 lakh people. Also, a 78MW hydropower plant is expected to become operational after the two rivers are linked.
Approvals
The project will involve the two neighbouring states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, both of which have in principle given their consent for creation of the SPV. Also the Ministry of Environment and Forests has given its approval for conducting the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) Study for the project.

8.The Hijri new year marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year. It is also known as Ras as-Sanah al-Hijriyah. The first day of the year is observed on the first day of Muharram, which is the first month in the Islamic calendar.
Advent of the Islamic Calendar
The first Islamic year began in 622 AD and is believed to mark the emigration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina. The word Hijrah means immigration. The Islamic Calendar was started 1434 years before by the second Caliph Omar Ibn Khattab, which makes the current year 1436 AH according to the Islamic calendar. The AH here stands for the Latin term ‘Anno Hegirae’ or ‘After Hijrah’.

9.Pankaj Advani emerged the winner at the World Billiards Championship triumph in the 150-up points format. Advani defeated Singapore’s Peter Gilchrist 6-2 in the finals of the World Championship. The points format is the shorter form of the regular billiards game.

10.Prominent freedom fighter Jagdish Sharan Pande passed away in Almora, Uttarakhand at age 95. He died after a prolonged illness.

11.PM Modi inaugurated the H.N.Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre in South Mumbai.

12.The West Bengal Government has announced that it will be introducing a Bill in the upcoming budget session of the WB State Assembly to ensure timely delivery of public services.
Paschim Banga Lok Parisheba Adhikar Bill, 2013 (West Bengal Public Services Rights Bill, 2013)
The legislation titled Paschim Banga Lok Parisheba Adhikar Bill, 2013 will be introduced for the first time in the upcoming session. The bill provides for efficient delivery of services in government offices. The dual goal of the legislation will be to reduce corruption and put in place an efficient delivery mechanism. Non-delivery of services within the provided time frame will lead to imposition of fines. Fines may range from Rs. 250 to Rs. 1,000.
Commission
The legislation also provides for the setting up of a Commission which will look into complaints from people who have not received government services on time, and take action as required.

13.21 Asian countries, including India, have signed an agreement to become the founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). China’s Vice-Finance Minister Jin Liqun, who has also been the Vice-President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), was appointed the Secretary General of AIIB.
India’s role
China has been keen to ensure India’s participation in the AIIB, and the Chinese President Jinping also pushed for it when met PM Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in July. The AIIB is in addition to the BRICS Development Bank which was also formed recently. Te BRICS Development will be located in Shanghai, and will begin operating with an Indian as its President.
The Joint Secretary of the Economic Affairs division of the Ministry of Finance signed the MoU on behalf of India at Beijing. The Joint Secretary said that the new bank will function as a rich resource base for capital for infrastructure financing, and thereby provide an impetus to regional development by playing a complementary role to multilateral agencies such as the ADB and IMF.
Voting rights of the different countries will be decided after consultations among the members over fixing the bench marks which are expected to be a combination of GDP and PPP. If such a formula is finalized, India will be the second largest share holder of AIIB after China.
AIIB
AIIB is an international financial institution that was proposed by China. It is expected to act as a balance of power with the WB, IMF and ADB all being controlled/dominated by the US, EU and Japan respectively.
The Headquarters of the AIIB will be at Beijing, and the bank is expected to be operational in 2015.
According to the agreement, the authorised capital of AIIB is US $100 bn and the initial subscribed capital is expected to be around US $50 bn. The paid-in ratio will be 20%.
The 21 members of the AIIB are China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

14.The Centre has cleared 20 FDI proposals involving investment of approximately Rs. 988.3 cr.
The approvals to the 20 FDI proposals, including six in the pharmaceutical sector, were given by the Ministry of Finance after a meeting of the FIPB
Projects which were granted approval
Tamil Nadu-based Equitas Holdings Pvt Ltd. will be bringing in the maximum investment with Rs. 325 cr
Indusind Bank’s proposal, seeking to raise the foreign investment limit in the bank up to 74% has been approved
Other proposals that have been approved are those by Fresenius Kabi Oncology for Rs. 119 cr and Amneal Pharmaceuticals Company’s for Rs. 205 cr

15.The government has widened the ambit of CSR under the new Companies Act to include contributions made towards the Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK) and the Clean Ganga Fund (CGF).
The contributions will count as being made for social welfare work.
Changes to the Companies Act
Companies having at least Rs 5 cr net profit, or Rs 1,000 cr turnover, or Rs 500 cr net worth have to spend a minimum of 2% of their three year average annual net profit towards CSR from 2014-15. Schedule VII of Companies Act, 2013, lists the activities and endeavors that can count as CSR.
The Corporate Affairs Ministry has inserted the words ‘including contribution to the Swachh Bharat Kosh set up by the central government for the promotion of sanitation’ and ‘including contribution to the Swach Bharat Kosh set up by the central government for the promotion of sanitation’ in Schedule VII of the Act through a notification.
Earlier, contributions made to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund was also included under Schedule VII. Any other fund set up by the Central Government for socio-economic development and relief and welfare of the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, other backward classes, minorities and women was also included under the schedule.
Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK)
SBK was set up to attract CSR funds from the corporate sector and contributions from individuals and philanthropists. The funds accumulated in the SBK will be utilized to achieve the objective of Clean India or Swachh Bharat by 2019 through Swachh Bharat Mission.
Clean Ganga Fund (CGF)
The CGF was constituted to fund activities to clean and conserve the river, Ganga. The CGF also accepts voluntary contributions from NRIs and PIOs towards the CGF
The CGF will be managed by a Trust to be headed by the finance minister. The Secretariat of the Trust will be set up in the Ministry of Water Resources.

16.The Union Ministry of Culture has named N.Gopalaswami as the Chairman of the governing board of the Kalakshetra Foundation. Gopalaswami is a former IAS officer belonging to the Gujarat cadre, and former Chief Election Commissioner. He will act as Chairman for a duration of five years.
His predecessor was Gopalkrishna Gandhi who resigned in May this year.
Kalakshetra Foundation
Kalakshetra was founded in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale to nurture India’s artistic traditions. It is located in Besant Nagar, Chennai. It is a cultural academy that aims to presere the traditions of the Bharatanatyam dance form and traditional music.

17.The Union Shipping Ministry has given permission to the Andaman & Lakshadweep Harbour Works Department for a parallel sea route from Port Blair to Baratang in the Andamans.
Sea route
The sea route will serve as the entry point to the northern islands and is expected to increase the flow of tourists to the island. The sea route will act as an alternate to the Andaman Trunk road which passes through a reserve forest area where the protected Jarawa Tribals live.
SC judgment
An earlier SC ruling had asked the Andaman and Nicobar administration to close the Andaman Trunk road and opt for sea route parallel to it instead. Later, the SC modified its earlier order so that the sea route and the roadway may exist and operate simultaneously.

18.PM Modi visited J&K on the occasion of Diwali to review the relief and rehabilitation efforts. In a press release he stated that ‘good governance, quick restoration of public infrastructure, revival of economic activity and creation of a conducive environment for bringing tourists to the state’ was the key to bringing back normalcy to J&K.This is the PM’s second visit to J&K since it was affected by the floods.

19.The Defence Acquisition Council has given the clearance to defence projects amounting to 80,000 cr. Multiple deals that involve either upgradation of equipments or capability enhancement of the Navy were given approval. Other projects that have been approved are:-
Indigenous production of six submarines
Procurement of 8,000 Israeli anti-tank guided missiles
Procurement of 12 upgraded Dornier surveillance aircraft with enhanced sensors from HAL at Rs. 1,850 cr
Purchase of 8,356 Anti Tank Guided Missile from Israel worth Rs 3,200 cr (This is being bought instead of USA’s Javelin missile). The Army will also purchase 321 launchers for the missile
Purchase of 362 infantry fighting vehicle from the Ordinance Factory Board in Medak, West Bengal for Rs 662 cr
Purchase of 1,761 units of five spoke 7.5 tonne radio containers for Rs 662 cr and 1,768 critical rolling stock – open and closed wagons for transport of military equipments at a cost of Rs 740 cr from domestic vendors
Purchase of equipments for classified operations of the Navy

20.In response to the recent crash of a Sukhoi-30 plane in Pune, the Government has ordered the grounding of India’s entire fleet of Sukhoi-30 airplanes pending technical checks on each of them.

21.The Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which falls on 31 October, will be celebrated as National Integration Day of Rashtriya Ekta Divas from now on.
Objective of the Commemoration
The government will attempt to create awareness among the people about Sardar Patel’s contribution towards India’s freedom struggle and ensuring national integration in India. Sardar Patel played a pivotal role in the merger of princely states with British ruled India to form a sovereign united country called India
Rashtriya Ekta Divas (RED)
The government will try to make RED a mass movement, reaching people from all avenues of life. The participation of the people shall be voluntary.
On October 31 this year, the PM will participate in the event and broadcast a short radio address.
In the morning of October 31, a ‘run for unity’ marathon will be organized in cities, towns and villages all over India. In the evening, Police and other organizations like the NSS, NCC, Scouts and Guides, Home Guards etc will march on the streets in all district headquarters.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Sardar Patel was born on 31 October, 1875 at Karamsand, Gujarat. He was a barrister with a successful law practice, before he left the law to join the Indian national movement under Gandhi. He played a major role in organizing peasants’ movements in Kheda and Bardoli in Gujarat, and during the Quit India movement. His biggest contribution to India was his role in the integration of the over 500 princely states with India during 1947-49.

22.Indian boxer L.Sarita Devi has been provisionally suspended by the AIBA for refusing to accept the bronze medal she won after losing the semifinal fight over a controversial decision at the 2014 Asian Games.

23.he Central Government has granted approval to four out of the 14 identified strategic rail lines. The project has been in deliberation for years.
High Level Meeting
At a high level meeting of officials from the Planning Commission, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Finance, the PMO ordered Indian Railways to carry out an engineering survey of the 1,000 km of line identified by the Defence Ministry to be of strategic importance. The building of the lines will be commissioned only after the survey, which acts as a blueprint.
Four strategic lines
The four rail lines which have been identified are along the China border. They are in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and J&K. The identified lines are Missamari-Tawang (378 km) in Assam-Arunachal Pradesh, North Lakhimpur-Along-Silapathar (248 km) in Assam, Murkongselek-Pasighat-Tezu-Parashuram Kund-Rupai (256 km) in Assam-Arunachal Pradesh and Bilaspur-Mandi-Manali-Leh (498 km) in Himachal Pradesh-J&K. The rail lines are expected to be used by the Armed Forces for transporting supplies for the Army and troops movement.

24.India and Mexico have signed pacts to cooperate in the field of space technology.
Joint Commission meeting
The pacts were signed at the sixth session of the Joint Commission meeting between India and Mexico that was held in New Delhi. The meeting was presided by India’s External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, and her Mexican counterpart, Jose Antonio Meade Kuribrena. The other issues discussed or decided at the meeting are:-
The two countries agreed to explore cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector
Both countries agreed that there was a need to expand their bilateral ties, especially in the arena of trade. Bilateral trade between the two countries increased from $2.81 bn in 2010 to $7 bn now.
Mexico agreed to set up an ‘India Room’ in the National Museum of Cultures in Mexico City for which India has gifted 108 pieces
In 2015, a ‘Days of India in Mexico’ will be launched in Mexico to commemorate the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations between the two nations
Both countries also agreed to institutionalize a bilateral mechanism on consular issues

25.The UNHRC ( United Nations Human Rights Committee) asked China to ensure universal suffrage in Hong Kong, specifying that universal voting rights included the right to stand for election as well as the right to vote.
Role of UNHRC in Hong Kong
The UNHRC monitors compliance with an international treaty on civil and political rights, namely the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), in Hong Kong. Therefore, it is concerned with violations of the treaty in Hong Kong.
Concerns of the UNHRC
The main concerns expressed by the UNHRC were focused on the right to stand for elections without unreasonable restrictions. The UNHRC has also asked for additional information on the specific method for selecting the Chief Executive Legislative Council of Hong Kong by universal suffrage, to ensure its compliance with the ICCPR. This recent statement of UNHRC is a follow-up on its recommendations made in March 2013 pertaining to the need for universal and equal suffrage in Hong Kong for all elections.
ICCPR
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was adopted by the UNGA in 1966. It guarantees fundamental freedoms including the right to self-determination and free and regular elections. China is also a signatory but it has never been ratified. However, though ICCPR is just a treaty for other countries, it is binding in Hong Kong due to the special nature and circumstances surrounding the province.
Protests in Hong Kong
Protestors in Hong Kong have also been demanding universal suffrage and that the impending elections in 2017 and 2020 be held according to international standards. The elections in question are for the Chief Executive position and Legislative Council seats.
The protest was conceived to be an act of civil disobedience by the organizers. Hong Kong citizens, unlike those of mainland China have the right to free speech and right to protest. The ruling of the National People’s Congress which triggered the protests said that candidates for the 2017 Chief Executive elections would be only those nominated by a Committee which consisted mostly of pro Beijing members.

26.The 69th UN Day was celebrated all around the world in UN’s member states. UN day falls on October 24 and it marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. October 24 is the day on which the agreement was ratified by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council.
October 24 is being commemorated since 1948. In 1971, the UNGA recommended that October 24 be observed by the member states as a public holiday.

27.The Syrian Army along with militias loyal to Assad has recaptured the central town of Morek. Morek was seized by the rebels and their Al-Qaeda allies nine months earlier.
The forces fighting for the Assad regime were also backed by heavy air raids that targeted the rebels.
Strategic importance of Morek
Morek is situated in the Hama province. It is located near the northwestern province of Idlib, most of which is held by moderate rebels who fought against ISIS. Morek is of strategic importance because it is on the main road that links Damascus to Aleppo. Large areas close to Aleppo have been under rebel control since 2012.

28.Fashion designer, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and fashion icon Oscar de la Renta passed away at age 82 at his home in Kent, Connecticut.

29.The Central Government has substantially increased the amount it pays to over 70,000 research scholars.
Details of changes in benefits
The new fellowships will be effective retrospectively from October 1.
Science students undertaking PhD and post-doctoral studies will not only receive better stipend but also other facilities like house rent allowance and medical benefits from the government.
Junior research fellowship has been enhanced to Rs 25,000 from Rs 16,000
Senior research fellowship has been increased to Rs 28,000 from Rs 18,000
Fellowship for post doctoral studies has been increased from Rs 22,000 to Rs 36,000 (for research associate-1), from Rs 23,000 to Rs 38,000 (research associate-2) and from Rs 24,000 to Rs 40,000 (research associate-3). [Research associate 1 and 2 are generally for one year, while research associate-3 can continue to work till they get a position in a research institute]

30.The judgment sentencing Olympian Oscar Pistorius for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was passed by Judge Thokozile Masipa.
Conviction
Oscar Pistorius was convicted earlier by a South African Court for the culpable homicide of his girlfriend. The Court held that Pistorius had unintentionally killed her. Pistorius had claimed that he had mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder and shot and killed her.

31.The Central Government has passed an order to merge NSEL (National Spot Exchange Ltd.) with FTIL (Financial Technologies India Ltd)
Public interest
The order has been passed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. According to Section 396 of the Companies Act, 1956, the central government can order the merger of two companies if it is essential in public interest. The clause has been rarely used by the government. However, in this case, since the subsidiary is cash-strapped and has no funds to pay its dues, the government has ordered the merger. The merger with the financially viable FTIL will facilitate the recovery of dues for creditors of the NSEL.
Challenge by stakeholders
According to the law, submissions can be made to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs within 60 days of the order. The shareholders and stakeholders of FTIL are expected to file submissions with the Ministry opposing the merger. Through the merger will benefit the victims of the scam perpetrated by NSEL, it will also dilute the assets of FTIL and affect the investments of the shareholders and stakeholders of FTIL.

32.Nigeria has been declared officially free of Ebola by the WHO. Earlier, WHO also declared Senegal Ebola free.Impact of Ebola
The Ebola outbreak has killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa, mostly in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. Approximately 70% of the infected persons have died in these countries.
Criteria for declaring a nation Ebola-free
The WHO declared Nigeria Ebola free after it crossed six weeks with no reports of new cases of Ebola. WHO can declare an Ebola outbreak over if two incubation periods of 21 days pass with no new cases.

33.China has given India assurances that it is taking preparatory steps to open up a new route to Kailash Manasarovar for pilgrims by 2015.
During the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian PM Narendra Modi, President Jinping promised to open a new route to Kailash Manasarovar via Sikkim. This route is scheduled to be operational from the summer of 2015. The new route to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar will go through the Nathu La Pass.
Recently, Jiang Jie, the Vice Chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) met with the Indian Ambassador to China, Ashok Kantha, who is on a tour of Tibet with a two-fold objective: to make preparations for the pilgrims and to expand border trade through the Sikkim border. Other issues discussed were efforts being taken by the TAR to upgrade facilities for pilgrims through the existing route which passes through the Lipulekh Pass and the socio-economic conditions in the TAR.

34.Police Commemoration Day was observed on 21 October.
Background:
At the Annual Conference of Inspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories held in January 1960, it was decided that October 21 would be observed as ‘Commemoration Day’ in all Police Lines across India to mark the memory of police personnel who were killed in Ladakh in a faceoff with the Chinese Army and all the other Police personnel who have been killed on duty elsewhere.

35.Former RSS veteran and first time legislator, Manohar Lal Khattar, is set to be sworn in as the new CM of Haryana at Tau Devi Lal stadium in Panchkula on October 26. His name was finalized by BJP’s 47 MLAs after a meeting of the legislative party.
60 year old Khattar is known for being extremely tech savvy and has worked closely with Narendra Modi before. Khattar is Haryana’s first non-Jat CM in 18 years, and only the fourth non-Jat leader in Haryana’s 48 year old history. He is also the first Punjabi CM of Haryana. This is also Khattar’s first time as a legislator. He won the Karnal seat by approximately 63,000 votes.

36.The Indian National hockey team coach, Terry Walsh, withdrew his earlier tendered resignation.
Resignation by Walsh
Walsh tendered his resignation as the coach stating bureaucratic hassles, non-payment of dues and his own family commitments as reasons contributing to the decision. He questioned the decision-making process of the bureaucrats given the responsibility of regulating Indian sports. He also mentioned the difficulty in working with the SAI (Sports Authority of India) and HI (Hockey India).

37.Second seeded US Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia won the Kremlin Cup ATP title in Moscow. He defeated fifth seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut in the final. Cilic became the first Croatian to win the Moscow ATP 250 tournament since his coach Goran Ivanisevic beat Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 1996.

38.India faced Great Britain at the Taman Daya Hockey stadium in Johor Bahru in Malaysia for the finals of the Sultan of Johor under 21 hockey Cup.

39.China, Afghanistan and Pakistan held a trilateral dialogue to chalk out a roadmap for regional cooperation and strengthen ties with each other. This is the second such dialogue. The first dialogue was held in 2013 in Beijing.

40.Harshit Saumitra, a five year and eleven month old Indian has successfully climbed Kalapathar peak. Harshit Saumitra is the son of a famous mountaineer, Rajeev Saumitra.
Kalapathar Peak
The Kalapathar Peak is 200 m above the base camp of Mount Everest in Nepal. The peak is 5,554 m high. It is also the highest peak amongst all the highest peaks of three continents, Europe’s Mount Blanc (4,810 m), Antartica’s Vinson Massif (4,892 m) and Australia’s Punack Jaya or Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m).

41.The Central Government has issued an advisory asking that steps be taken so that 33% of the workforce in police forces are constituted by women. The advisory has been sent to all the states, union territories and central armed police forces. Presently, only 1.99% of the personnel in the paramilitary forces are women. The government aims to increase this number in the next 10 years.

42.Late BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s second daughter, Pritam Munde, won the Beed seat in Maharashtra by a record margin of nearly seven lakh votes. The bypoll was conducted in Beed to fill the seat left vacant by Gopinath Munde after his tragic and untimely demise.
Pritam Munde’s record
Pritam polled 9,22,416 votes, defeating former Congress minister Ashok Patil by 6,96,321 votes. Shiv Sena and NCP chose not to field any candidate against Pritam. PM Modi had begun his Maharashtra poll campaign in Beed.

43.The BJP has performed well in the first test of its popularity after the parliamentary elections. It looks set to form the government in both states.
Maharashtra Assembly Elections
With strong campaigning by the PM, the BJP won 122 seats in Maharashtra, which is almost three times the number of seats it won in the 2009 elections. However, the seats are still not enough for the BJP to solely for a government, as it falls 22 seats short of the halfway mark. The party which wishes to form the government must have a minimum of 145 seats in the 288 member Maharashtra assembly.
The NCP won 41 seats and announced that it was willing to provide unconditional support to the BJP from the outside. The Shiv Sena won 63 seats. The Congress emerged as the third largest party in the House, after BJP and Shiv Sena, winning 42 seats. Raj Thackeray’s MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) won just one seat. MNS won from only Junnar which is in Pune district. In the earlier elections, MNS has won 13 seats.
BJP’s Maharashtra unit President, Devendra Phadnavis, seems to be the most likely candidate for the Chief Minister’s post. He is from the Vidarbha region, where the BJP won 40 seats.
Haryana Assembly Elections
Haryana’s Legislative Assembly has 90 seats. Of this, BJP gained the clear majority by winning 47 seats. Haryana voters have been voting for Congress since 2005, when Bhupinder Hooda became CM. The party with the second largest seats is the INLD (Indian National Lok Dal) with 19 seats. Congress won 15 seats this year, a far lesser number than the 40 seats it won in 2009. As for the other parties, Haryana Janhit Congress (BL), Shiromani Akali Dal and BSP won 2, 1 and 1 seats respectively. Independent candidates cornered 5 seats.

44.Three day long celebrations are underway at the Eden Gardens in Kolkatta by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the iconic cricket ground.

45.After a gap of half a century, Mitsubishi Aircraft has rolled out Japan’s first commercial jet .
Nature of the MRJ
The MRJ has a little less than 100 seats. The jet is valued at $42 million. It marks Japan’s second attempt to enter the commercial aircraft market. The unique aspect of the MRJ is that is consumes one fifth less fuel than an aircraft its size.

46.The Union Cabinet has given its approval to grant financial assistance to the Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project.
The Cabinet has granted its approval for the Rs. 10,773 cr project to build Phase I of the Ahmedabad Metro Rail project.

49.The Union Cabinet has approved the relaunch of the Direct Benefits Transfer scheme with some modifications.
Some of the salient points pertaining to the new scheme are:-
Scheme is to launched in 54 districts from November 15, 2014 and in the rest of the country from January 1, 2015
It will be implemented in mission mode between 10 November and 1 January 2015
The subsidy amount to be given per domestic subsidized LPG cylinder shall remain fixed
Future beneficiaries can receive the cash subsidies by linking their Aadhaar number with the LPG connection, and have their bank account as the primary option. Alternatively, they can also directly link their LPG connection with their bank account, and may or may not include Aadhaar as the secondary option. In any scenario, possession of an Aadhaar number will not be a requirement, which is in conformity with a SC verdict which said that Aadhaar card cannot be made mandatory because it has no legal backing
Persons who have opened accounts under the newly introduced Jan Dhan Yojana can also link their LPG connection to such an account.
Persons without bank accounts or Aadhaar will also receive subsidized LPG cylinder for some time

50.Hurricane Gonzalo made landfall on October 17 in Bermuda, with rain and winds of speed 175 km/h.
Two storms
Gonzalo was the second storm to hit Bermuda this month. Earlier in the previous week, Tropical Storm Fay had damaged homes and knocked down trees and power lines.

51.The Government has reconstituted the National Committee to commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. The committee will hold its first meeting after Diwali. On its agenda will be the celebrations to be undertaken to mark Nehru’s 125th birth anniversary on 14 November, 2014.
Members of the Committee
The Committee will be chaired by the Prime Minister. The Home Minister, Minister of External Affairs, Finance Minister, Minister of Human Resource Development, Minister of Culture and Minister of Information & Broadcasting are all ex-officio members of the Committee.
Some leaders from the Congress Party like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Karan Singh etc and senior journalists Rajat Sharma, M.J.Akbar, Swapan Dasgupta have also been inducted as members.

52.The Central Government has finalized a new pricing mechanism for natural gas. The new gas pricing formula is believed to be much lesser than the formula suggested by the Rangarajan Committee.
Process of finalization
The Centre had constituted a panel of secretaries to determine the methodology of pricing gas. The central cabinet accepted the recommendations of this panel at its meeting held on October 20.
New pricing formula
As per the new formula, domestic gas price will now increase from $4.2 per mmBtu (million British thermal unit) to $5.61 per mmBtu. The Rangarajan Committee has recommended revision of prices to $8.4 per mmBtu.
This price will, however be revised every six months.
This new gas pricing formula will be effective from the 1st of November.
Balancing viability and consumer interests
The new gas pricing formula aims to keep the price high enough so that drilling projects remain viable, while keeping the price reasonable enough so that the consumers don’t buckle under the high costs.
Also the review that is to be carried out every six months will ensure that the prices are modified suitably to protect the interest of all stakeholders. This six monthly review will eventually lead to free natural gas prices.

53.The Central government has deregulated the price of diesel. This means that just like petrol prices, the price of diesel too will be determined by the global market forces. The price of diesel shall vary depending on the rise and fall of oil in the international markets
Fall in price
Currently, the price of oil in global markets is on a declining trend. The oil prices are at a four year low. Hence, the deregulation is expected to result in the reduction of diesel prices. In Delhi, the price of diesel is expected to fall by Rs. 3.37 a litre This will be the first reduction in diesel rates in over five years.
Scenario prior to deregulation
From January 2013, diesel prices are being raised in stages through a 50 paisa per litre increase every month, in an effort to bring them to the global diesel price levels. Since January 2013, the rates have cumulatively risen by Rs. 11.81 per litre over a span 19 measured periodical increases. Traditionally, oil firms have incurred huge losses on diesel, because the price tends to be much lower than the costs incurred by the companies in procuring and distributing the fuel .However, since the second half of September, the companies have actually started making profits because of the fall in global oil prices. The profit has reportedly since reached Rs 3.56 per litre. This reduction did not reflect in the prevalent prices of diesel. However, now with deregulation, the price of diesel will be adjusted to reflect this.
Relief for PSUs
The deregulation bodes well for PSUs like ONGC which will no longer have to bear the brunt of subsidizing diesel.

54.Nigeria’s military has issued a statement saying that the Nigerian government and Boko Haram had reached a ceasefire that will lead to the release of around 200 girls that Boko Haram had kidnapped.
The terrorist organization was founded in 2002. The group is mostly active in Nigeria, but tends to cross over into Cameroon too. Its initial focus was on opposing Western education. However, by 2009, it has launched military operations with the objective of creating an Islamic state.
Till date, thousands have been killed and millions displaced because of the violence caused by the Boko Haram. It has also attacked police and UN headquarters in the Nigerian capital, Abuja
Boko Haram was declared a terrorist group by USA in 2013.

55.The Election Commission (EC) submitted before the SC that providing NRIs with the option of e-voting will not be possible due to threats such as viruses, spyware, and malware.
Case before the SC
An NRI had filed a PIL before the SC alleging that the provision requiring NRIs to be physically present in the constituency to exercise their vote was discriminatory and violative of their fundamental rights. It is in regard to this case that the EC made representation before the SC.
The ruling will affect 12,000 NRIs who are registered as voters.

56.he Central government has launched a National Air Quality Index to provide an easy, understandable measure of air quality. For the next 45 days, the draft National Air Quality Index will be made available to stakeholders and register their comments. If the suggestions are accepted, changes will be made, and the Index will be formalized later this year, and made active by 2015. read more here

57.The SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity) was finalized at the 5th SAARC Energy Ministers Meeting and will be signed by all the parties at the upcoming SAARC Summit that is to be held in November 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation
This agreement has been pending since 2010 and is an important step in developing a SAARC Market for Electricity (SAME) on a regional basis. Bangladesh will convene the meeting of Energy Regulators or Agencies in SAARC countries by December 2014.
India’s role
India has offered to host a seminar on “Sharing Experiences on Energy Pricing Mechanism in the SAARC Region” and also host the second meeting of the Expert Group on Technology/Knowledge Sharing (including Energy Efficiency, coal, etc.) in 2015.
SAARC
SAARC or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation was established in 1985, with its secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal.

58.The government extended the operation of the Company Law Settlement Scheme by a month, with the deadline now being November 15. At the end of August 2014, there were around 1.42 lakh companies that had not filed their annual returns or balance sheets for more than three consecutive years.
Company Law Settlement Scheme 2014
This scheme, introduced under the new Companies Act, allows companies that have failed to make their statutory filings to do so without attracting prosecution. This scheme initially had a time limit of two months wherein the defaulting companies had to meet the requirements by October 2014. This scheme condones lack or delay of filings by companies by granting immunity from prosecution to the companies and also, give them the advantage of reduced additional fees

59.The India-LAC (Latin America and Carribean) investment conclave was held under the auspices of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and Ministry of Commerce and Industry on October 16 and 17.
Objectives of the conclave
The objectives of the conclave are as follows:-
Provide insights to LAC region industries on lucrative investment opportunities available in India
Provide Indian industries insight into the LAC region to enable them to develop suitable strategies to penetrate the LAC region markets
Facilitate partnerships between industries in the Indian and LAC region
Enable government representatives from both regions to enhance economic engagement between India and LAC region.

60.The Government has decided to import potatoes from countries like Europe and Pakistan by next month. This is the first time that the government has decided to import potatoes.

61.The Central Government has replaced Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram with Rajasthan Chief Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi. Mayaram is being shifted to the Tourism Ministry. Both officers are IAS officers from the 1978 Rajasthan cadre.

62.Renowned economist Arvind Subramanian has been appointed the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment, on a contract basis, for three years.
Facts About Arvind Subramanian
Arvind Subramanian is a well respected academician, economist, author and global thinker.
The US based economist obtained his undergraduate degree from St.Stephens College in Delhi, postgraduate degree from IIM-Ahmedabad and did his doctorate at the University of Oxford in UK.
Subramanian has been advising the Indian government in different capacities. He has been a member of the Finance Minister’s Expert Group on the G-20. He was Assistant Director in the Research Department of the IMF and was associated with the GATT (1988-92) during the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations.
Duties as CEA
The CEA is expected to immediately start working on the next fiscal’s budget. In a statement made after his appointment, Mr.Subramanian identified two areas of focus for the Indian economy, namely, maintaining macro-economic stability and creating conditions conducive for rapid investment and growth.

63.President Pranab Mukherjee returned from a five day visit to Norway and Finland on October 17. He signed a multitude of agreements during his time there.
Nuclear Energy
India signed an agreement for nuclear cooperation with Finland. The agreement was signed between the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) of India and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland. Other than nuclear cooperation, radiation safety regulation, exchange of information and personnel related to the peaceful use of nuclear energy will be the spheres of collaboration.
Trade
India and Finland agreed to double bilateral trade to $2 bn over the next three years. Around 19 agreements for cooperation across various fields like education, biotechnology, nuclear and radiation safety, and renewable energy were signed to further increase the bilateral trade.
Energy cooperation
A joint venture partnership agreement was signed between Chempolis Oy and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. to build India’s first BioRefinery.
Science & Technology
An MoU was signed between the Department of Biotechnology and Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation to increase cooperation in the field of biotechnology. This will help the two countries collaborate in the areas of diagnostics in health and well being through joint funding of projects and workshops.
Agreements with Norway
India and Norway also signed a plethora of agreements to increase cooperation in defence, science and technology, education and other areas.

64.India successfully tested Nirbhay, India’s first indigenously designed and developed long range sub-sonic cruise missile. The missile was fired from the Integrated Test Range at Balasore, Odisha. Nirbhay maintained an accuracy better than 10 m throughout its path and covered a distance of more than 1000 km.

65.M Modi and other political leaders and senior bureaucrats met top military officers at the war room of the Defence Ministry. This Combined Commanders’ Conference is the first meeting of the PM with the commanders of the three wings of the Armed Forces.

66.The Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister has announced its decision to introduce the practice of ‘Tithi Bhojan’ as a part of the Mid Day Meal scheme. The HRD Minister headed a meeting of the Empowered Committee on Mid Day Meal Scheme to review the functioning of the Mid Day Meal scheme. The meeting consisted of representatives of State Governments, Food and Nutrition experts and senior officers of the Central Government. The Committee was formed last year.
Decisions of the Committee
The committee made the following decision during its meeting:-
The members agreed to strengthen the monitoring system of the scheme
Ensure greater community participation in the execution of the Scheme through Tithi Bhojan
Introduce and implement a protocol for standards in food safety and testing, from 2015, to ensure the quality of the meal and compliance with appropriate nutrition standards
Focus on establishing a community participatory model and use that to act as a system of checks and balance on the implementation of themid day meal scheme
Creation of an open forum on the Mid Day Meal scheme’s website so that people’s opinion of the scheme may be shared online. Complaints can also be made on the forum.
Crucial role for the community in checking quality of ingredients and preventing contamination
Mandatory checking of meals at kitchen level
Tithi Bhojan
Some of the features of Tithi Bhojan are:-
Tithi Bhojan was first successfully implemented in Gujarat, and will now be replicated across the country
It seeks to involve the members of the community in the effort to provide nutritious and healthy food to the children
The members of the community may contribute/sponsor either utensils or food on special occasions/festivals. This is completely voluntary, and the people in the community may contribute food items supplementary to the mid day already being provided like sweet, namkeen or sprouts.
Greater participation and involvement of religious and charitable institutions is also being promoted