WBCS Current Affairs 09/10/2015 to 16/10/2015

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1. Defence Research Development Organisation’s (DRDO’s) Missile Complex in Hyderabad has been renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex. It was renamed after late President and Missile Man A P J Abdul Kalam on the occasion of his 84th birth anniversary in a ceremony presided by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The function was held at the Research Centre Imarat (RCI). Dr Kalam was RCI’s Founder-Director and had steered it as a generator of critical missile technologies. The Hyderabad Missile Complex is considered to be the brain child of Dr Kalam. It comprises Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat. Dr Kalam had joined Missile Complex in 1982 and was a part of it for nearly two decades. He was the 11th President of India and was in office from 2002 to 2007. During his stint as President he was popularly known as the People’s President. He is recipient of India’s highest civilian Award Bharat Ratna.

2. Union Government has flagged off Climate Special Science Express Climate Action Special with the theme of Climate Change. It was flagged off by Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan from Safdarjung railway station in New Delhi.

3. One of India’s greatest fast bowlers Zaheer Khan has announced his retirement from international cricket with an immediate effect. He cited reason that he could no longer handle the rigours of the game and is looking forward to signing off his last season in domestic cricket after conclusion of the IPL season 9. Zaheer Khan’s International cricket career Test matches: He had played in 92 Test matches and was left-arm pacer. He had taken 311 wickets. He is 4th highest wicket-taker in India after Anil Kumble (619), Kapil Dev (434) and Harbhajan Singh (417). One Day Internationals (ODIs): He had played in 200 ODIs and had taken 282 wickets. T-20 Internationals: He had played in T-20 Internationals and had taken 17 wickets. He had played a major role in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph by taking 21 wickets. Since 2011, he was moving in and out of the Indian International team due to recurrent injuries which took a toll on his body.

4. Supreme Court (SC) has permitted Union Government to voluntary use Aadhaar card scheme in Welfare Schemes. It has been extended for schemes like MGNREGA, PM’s Jan Dhan Yojana, all types of pension schemes and EPF. The apex court modified its earlier order which restricted use of Aadhaar to public distribution system (LPG) and LPG (cooking gas) subsidy. The modified order was ruled by five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu and mentioned that Aadhaar card scheme is purely voluntary and not mandatory. It was issued on a batch of requests made by Union Government, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDIA), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and various government regulators IRDAI,SEBI, TRAI etc.

5. Kundhavi Kadiresanwas appointed as the Assistant Director (AD) of United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. She was appointed at the post by FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva and succeeds Hiroyuki Konuma who has retired.

6. Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been selected for the prestigious 2015 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award. He has been awarded this award in recognition for championing the cause of child reform and ending all forms of violence against children. About Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award. It is an annual award given by US based Harvard University. It recognise the works and deeds individuals who have improved the quality of lives and inspired people to greater heights. Some of the recipients of are Kofi Annan, Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Javier Perez etc.

7. The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Mozambique in field of renewable energy. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The MoU was signed between both nations in August, 2015, during the official visit of President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi to India.

8. India, United States and Japan navies have started 2015 Malabar Naval Exercise of the eastern coast in Bay of Bengal and India Ocean. The high-end warfighting and complex trilateral exercise is part of annual series of exercises conducted to advance multi-national maritime relationships and mutual security issues.

9. Pranab Mukherjee became first Indian President to address Israeli Parliament Knesset. He addressed the Knesset as last leg of his official visit to 3 countries of west Asia viz. Jordan, Palestine and Israel. He is also is first Indian President to make a state visit Israel.

10. Jamaican author Marlon James has won the prestigious 2015 Man Booker Prize for his novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. With this, he became first Jamaican to win Man Booker Prize. His 680-page epic novel is inspired by the attempted assassination on Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley in the 1970s. It has been published by Oneworld Publications. Judges had shortlished James’s from a list of 8 writers including him along with India’s Sunjeev Sahota, Hanya Yanagihara, Tom McCarthy, Anne Tyler, Chigozie Obioma and Marlon James.

11. China has operationalised the Zam Hydropower Station built on Brahmaputra River which has raised concerns in India over the likelihood of disrupting water supplies of River. Key facts The dam is considered to be the world’s highest-altitude hydropower station and largest of its kind. Annually it will produce produces 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The power station is located in the Gyaca County of Tibet and is considered as the largest in this region. It has six stations to harnesses the rich water resources of Brahmaputra River which is known as Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet and flows through Tibet into India and later into Bangladesh. China’s Position: Over India’s fears China mentioned that these projects are run-of-the-river and are not designed to hold water. But India is still concerned over China’s ability and dominance to release water in times of conflict which can pose serious risk of flooding. Background Earlier in 2013, an Indian Inter-Ministerial Expert Group (IMEG) on the Brahmaputra had called for further monitoring of Chinese dams and considering their impact on the flow of waters to the lower reaches. The IMEG had raised concern over the three dams Zangmu, Jiexu and Jiacha as they are within 25 kms of each other on Brahmaputra River and are located 550 kms from the Indian border. Under an understanding reached in 2013 between both countries, China had agreed to provide more flood data of Brahmaputra River from May to October instead of June to October which was inline with the previous river water agreements signed in 2008 and 2010 respectively.

12. Union Environment Ministry has approved annual plans of National Mission for Green India (GIM) of four states viz. Kerala, Mizoram, Manipur and Jharkhand. In this regard, National Executive Council (NEC) has approved the Perspective Plans (PP) and Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) of GIM submitted by 4 states. Key facts The approval has been granted for alternative energy devices such as biogas, LPG, solar devices, biomass-based systems and improved stoves. These devices in turn will help to reduce pressure on forests and provide carbon emission benefits, along with health and other associated benefits. It will cover around 27,032 households from these 4 states for financial year 2015-16. Financial support: PP of all four states has total financial outlay of 90,202.68 lakh rupees for a plan period of five to ten years. While, APOs of 11,195.32 lakh rupees for same period. Forest and non-forest area: It will be taken up in the 4 states under GIM during the total plan period will be 1, 08,335 hectares. Out of it, 81,939 hectares will help in improving the density of existing forests and 16, 396 hectares in new areas. About National Mission for Green India (GIM) GIM is one of the 8key Missions outlined under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It aims at protecting, enhancing and restoring India’s decreasing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of mitigation and adaptation measures. The mission acknowledges the influence forests on environmental amelioration through climate change mitigation, water security, food security, biodiversity conservation and livelihood security of forest-dependent communities. It hinges on decentralized participatory approach by involving grass root level communities and organizations in decision making, planning, implementation and monitoring.

13. India has given a grant of five million US Dollars to Palestine as Budgetary assistance. It was given Indian President Pranab Mukherjee to his is Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Indian President visited Palestine as part of his three Western Asian countries Jordan, Palestine and Israel.

14. The Parliament of Iran has passed a bill that allows the government to implement a historic nuclear deal reached with world powers i.e. P5+1 countries. The accord will protect the Iran’s nuclear program and lifting of international economic sanctions. Under the provisions of bill Iranian government can withdraw from implementation of the nuclear deal if the other side fails to lift economic sanctions against Iran. It also says that International inspectors would have only limited access to military sites.

15. Microeconomist Angus Deaton has won the prestigious 2015 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has selected him for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare. His research work has linked detailed individual choices and aggregate outcomes which inturn has helped to transform the fields of macroeconomics, microeconomics and development economics. With announcement of this prize, it concludes this year’s presentations of Nobel winners. All Nobel laureates will receive the prize on December 10, 2015 on the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel’s death. About Angus Deaton Deaton was born on 19 October 1945 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He hold citizenship of both United States and United Kingdom. He is educated as a foundation scholar at Fettes College and had earned his B.A., M.A. and D.Phil. degrees from the University of Cambridge, UK. Presently, he is professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton University. About Nobel memorial prize in economic sciences In 1968, Sweden’s central bank had added the economic sciences prize as a memorial to Nobel. Thus the economics award is not a Nobel Prize as the others prizes which were established by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel in 1895. The award carries a medallion and monetary prize of 8 million Swedish krona.

16. India’s second largest software services firm, Infosys has appointed Ranganath D Mavinakere as new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He will succeed Rajiv Bansal who was Executive Vice President (EVP) and the CFO of Infosys and had resigned from the company.

17. Veteran Tamil actor, comedian, stage artiste and singer Manorama passed away on 11 October 2015 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She was 78. In her career spanning almost six decades she had acted in over 1,500 films, 1,000 stage performances and several television series in five languages.

18. The third edition of India- Sri Lanka Joint Training Exercise Mitra Shakti-2015 concluded at Aundh Military Camp in Pune, Maharashtra. 14 days of joint training had started on 29 September 2015 and included understanding of transnational terrorism, developing interoperability and conduct of joint tactical operations. The exercise demonstrated the determination of both countries to work closely with each other to eradicate the menace of terrorism in all its forms. MITRA SHAKTI 2015 Exercise aimed at sharing the best military practices between the two Armies and promoting healthy military to military relations. This Joint Military Exercise is considered as an important step to uphold the values of Peace, Prosperity and Stability in the South Asia region

19. Canberra based art gallery in Australia has agreed to return a 2,000-year-old Indian-origin sculpture of Gautama Buddha back to India. The Sitting Buddha sculpture which was displayed in this gallery has its roots traceable to Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. The sculpture is made of sandstone is an image and depicts very unique art of the ancient Mathura region.

20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of fourth terminal of country’s largest container port – Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai. The ambitious project will augment JNPT’s present capacity situated off the financial capital’s eastern seafront by doubling it in next two years.

21. India will observe 26 November as Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) to spread awareness of Indian Constitution and its architecture Dr B R Ambedkar. Significance of Day: On 26 November 1949, Indian constitution was adopted by the 389 member Constituent Assembly (CA) and it came into force on 26 January, 1950. It was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after laying the foundation stone of Dr Ambedkar Memorial at Indu Mills Compound in the heart of Mumbai city. Features of Dr Ambedkar Memorial The life and works of Dr. Ambedkar will be displayed at the memorial. It will feature a 150 feet tall statue of Dr. Ambedkar and 140 feet high dome stupa. It will have a research centre, library and museum, auditorium, park, ponds and plaza. It will also have meditation centre which can accommodate 13,000 people at a time. Dr Ambedkar Memorial project at Indu Mill will be part of five landmarks associated with the life of the architect of Constitution. These five landmarks (holy places) have been dubbed as Panch teerths (quintet pilgrimage). They are located in Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, Alipur House in Delhi, Indu Mill memorial, Dr Ambedkar’s residence in Mumbai and house in London.

22. Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)-CPN-UML was elected as new Prime Minister of Nepal. With this victory, he became first Prime Minister of Nepal under the newly adopted secular, republic and federal Constitution of Himalayan country. It was adopted in 20 September 2015. Background In the election for PM post in Nepalese Parliament, Mr. Oli received 338 votes out of a total of 598. He had secured 39 votes more than the 299 votes needed to get elected as PM as per provisions of new constitution. His rival Sushil Koirala of Nepali Congress President on the other hand received 249 votes..
Previous: Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has resigned from office by submitting his resignation to President Ram Baran Yadav. He has resigned to give way to Parliament to elect new Prime Minister and government as per country’s new Constitution which was adopted on September 20, 2015.

23. India and Jordan have signed six Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in various fields. These MoUs were signed in presence of Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in Amman. Jordan was first leg of President Pranab Mukherjee’s official three Middle East nations tour to Jordan, Palestine and Israel.

24. Ace Indian shuttler, Ajay Jayaram has won the 50000 dollar 2015 Dutch Open Grand Prix badminton tournament. In the title clash played at Almere in Netherlands, Jayaram defeated Estonia’s Raul Must by 21-12, 21-18 score. With this victory he deafened this title which he had won earlier in 2014. In October 2014, Jayaram had won his maiden Dutch Open GP title and was the first Indian to win badminton Grand Prix tournament under the new 11×5 scoring system.

25. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won 2015 Russian Grand Prix title of Formula One. This was his overall ninth victory of the season. Earlier he had won Australia, China, Bahrain, Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy and Japanese 2015 Grand Prix titles of F1. It should be noted Lewis Hamilton has won highest number as compared to any other British driver in the history of Formula One. He is currently 5th on the all-time list of F1 with 41 wins.

26. Every year 11th October is being observed as International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC). This year it was fourth edition of this day after it was observed for first time in 2012. Significance of Day: To recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. The observation also increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender and supports more opportunity for girls. 2015 theme: ‘The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030’. This year’s theme focuses on adolescent girls and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to be achieved by 2030. SDG has set 17 international targets including on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. The theme also highlights vulnerable demographic of adolescent girls facing social, economic and political barriers. Background In December 2011, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had adopted Canada backed Resolution to declare 11th October as the IDGC. It was first observed in 2012 with theme ‘Ending child marriage’. The theme of IDGC in 2013 and 2014 was ‘Innovating for girl’s education’ and ‘Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence’.

27. High-risk area (HRA) boundary of maritime Piracy has been shifted from 78 degrees East to the 65 degrees East longitude off India’s western coastline. Decision in this regard was taken by European Union Chair of the Contact Group of Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) and will come into effect from December 1, 2015.
Background The HRA boundary was shifted from 65o E to 78o E longitude after surge in number of piracy cases from 2008 to 2013 off the east coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden i.e. near Horn of Africa (East Africa). This decision was considered as an unwarranted encroachment into India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). However, there was significant drop in the sea piracy cases since 2012 and it was all time low in 2014 due to collective efforts of Indian and International defence forces. Since 2013, Indian shipping regulators and defence forces were lobbying to redraw the eastern limit of the HRA as it was threat to its maritime security. Implications Economic: Reduce in insurance premium paid by shipping companies for security purpose against piracy. Consequently huge savings for India’s EXIM (export-import) trade and Indian consumers on account of reduced freight cost due to less insurance premium. Maritime Security: It will be not jeopardized as there will be shift of International maritime traffic density along the western Indian coastline which earlier had led to maritime congestion. Earlier, the presences of unregulated foreign owned floating armouries on shipping vessels near India’s coastline were potential threat to Indian maritime security interests. It will also stop clashes between Indian fishermen and security guards of big vessels. Earlier there have been cases of firing by such security guards on Indian fishing boats and some India fishermen have lost their lives.

28. British telecom giant Vodafone has the transfer pricing tax dispute case against Indian Income Tax authorities after Bombay High Court ruled in its favour. The court decision came after Vodafone India had challenged the order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT). In 2014, the IT tribunal had stayed the tax demand during the proceeding of the case and had asked Vodafone India to deposit 200 crore rupees by February 2014. What is the case? Income tax authorities had imposed Rs. 3,700 crore transfer pricing tax on Vodafone India over the capital gains made by the company after selling its call centre business to its Mauritius based subsidiary in 2008. Vodafone had argued that the IT Department has no jurisdiction in this case because the transaction was between it and its subsidiary. It also had mentioned that the transaction was not an international one so it does not attract any tax. IT Department had claimed that Vodafone’s Indian arm had deliberately sold its shares at a lower price (undervalued). These shares were sold to third party at market price making huge capital gains from the deal. What is Transfer pricing? Transfer pricing is referred to the fixing of the price for goods and services sold between related legal subsidiaries (entities) within an enterprise. This is to ensure fair pricing of the asset transferred without any manipulation of reduce tax liability. For example, if a subsidiary company sells goods to a parent company, then the cost of those sold goods is deemed as transfer price.

29. United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution authorizing the European Union (EU) and individual countries to use force to tackle the worst refugee crisis. The EU-proposed resolution was supported by majority vote of fourteen council members of total 15 including all 5 permanent members. Venezuela remained abstain from voting. Key facts The resolution allows European naval forces to board ships for inspecting, seizing and destroying vessels smuggling migrants and refugees on the high seas. It was adopted under Chapter 7 of the UN charter, which authorizes use of force. The resolution is valid for period of one year. The resolution will help to take military action against human-trafficking gangs and does not authorize action in Libyan territorial waters or on its coast. The resolution was adopted by UNSC after EU countries had launched second phase of Operation Sophia giving it greater legitimacy (but does not give mandate for this operation). The naval operation was launched against human smugglers and traffickers in the Mediterranean Sea. Background European countries are witnessing greatest illegal refugee and migrant crisis since World War II and it is considered as one of the worst humanitarian crisis. The crisis had erupted after an unprecedented number of people from North African (Libya, Eritrea, Sudan etc) and Middle Eastern (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan etc) countries started relocating to European Countries for seeking refuge for better life conditions. In year 2015 alone, around 3,092 people have died while illegally crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. In June 2015, EU had launched the first phase of Operation Sophia which was primarily involved monitoring trafficker networks and rescuing refugees from rickety boats.

30. India and Ecuador has signed a Protocol for the establishment of the India-Ecuador Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) to enhance bilateral trade and investment relations. It was signed by Mentor Villagomez, Ecuadorian Ambassador to India and Rita Teotia, Commerce Secretary during the meeting between delegations of both countries. India-Ecuador Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) JETCO aims to further improve, deepen and strengthen the existing trade relationship between India and Ecuador. It will function as the primary forum for discussion and other promotional activities on trade and investment issues. The meeting will be held once in every two years. The first meeting of the JETCO is proposed to be held early next year in India. The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at 1290.77 million US dollars during the year 2014-15.

31. BRICS nations viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have issued a Joint Declaration to ensure orderly and legal migration amongst member nations and respect human rights. The declaration was issued at the first BRICS Ministerial meeting on Migration held in Sochi, Russia in line with Ufa Declaration. Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had led the Indian delegation to this meeting. It was also attended by representatives of Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and other International bodies on migration. Key features of Joint Declaration Affirmed BRICS nations interest in sharing experience and exchanging views on migration issues. Accepted the inter-relationship between transnational migration and development. It also accepted the need to address the opportunities and issues that migration presents. Reaffirmed the openness of the BRICS nations to strengthen collaboration in matters related to migration with other countries, international and regional organisations. This collaboration will be based on principle of equality and mutual respect for discussing and addressing the issue of international migration. Acknowledged the effect of migration to the social and economic development in the member countries and expressed their interest in sharing best practices in the implementation and development of national migration policies or procedures. Called for strengthening of the dialogue and cooperation in the context of migration. It includes migration policies, strategies and procedures as well as discussions of representatives of the migration authorities of the BRICS countries. In this meeting India has expressed concern over the brain drain through direct outflow of qualified professionals and educational emigration for all the BRICS nations as it leads to a significant loss of highly qualified labour force.

32. Renowned scientist Shekhar Basu has been appointed as the Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). He will replace R K Sinha who superannuates on 23 October 2015. He will have tenure till September 19, 2016 i.e. till he attains the age of 64 years. Prior to this appointment Mr. Basu was Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Chief executive of the Nuclear Recycle Board (NRB). Achievements of Shekhar Basu Instrumental in setting up waste management and reprocessing facilities at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. Credited for commissioning land-based Nuclear Submarine Propulsion Plant (NSPP) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. One of the architects of India’s 80 megawatt (MW) compact pressurised water reactor (PWR), which will power country’s nuclear-powered submarine Arihant. Instrumental in setting up India Neutrino Observatory (INO) and Power Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant at Tarapur. Awards: Padma Shri. About Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) AEC is the governing body of the DAE which is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister. It was established in 1948 to look after atomic energy activities in the country. Functions: (i) Organise research in atomic scientists in India (ii) Train atomic scientists in the country (iii) Promote nuclear research in commission’s own laboratories (iv) Undertake prospecting of atomic minerals and extract such minerals for use on industrial scale.

33. Rajashthan Government has unveiled Rajasthan Startup Policy- 2015 to galvanize the start-up ecosystem in the state and provide them required sustenance to the entrepreneurial talent. State’s first start-up policy was unveiled by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje at Jaipur in the Rajasthan Startup Fest 2015. Key features of Policy Aims to strengthen the start-up eco-system in the state by setting up 50 incubators or accelerators like establishments. Seeks to support and incubate around 500 innovative start-ups from the state and create 100,000 square feet of incubation space. Mobilise angel and venture capital of 500 crore rupees for start-ups in the next five years. They will be provided with sustenance allowance of 10,000 rupees per month for a year. Start-ups will be also provided with marketing assistance of 10 lakh rupees at launch stage

34. Renowned Carnatic flautist Dr. Natesan Ramani passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was 82 and died due throat cancer. He was known for introducing the long flute in Carnatic music and had developed his own inimitable style in the field of flute music especially on Venu flute.

35. Oscar-winning composer Allah-Rakha Rahman has been named the Cultural Ambassador for Seychelles. In this regard Seychelles government has issued a certificate validating his new role for his contribution in enhancing the country’s art and culture development. A.R. Rahman is one of the most globally popular Indian music icons. He has won multiple international awards including 2 Academy Awards (famously known as Oscars), 2 Grammy Awards, BAFTA Award and Golden Globe Award.

36. India’s first Dolphin Community Reserve will be established in West Bengal to protect the endangered mammal, Gangetic river dolphins. Decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the State Wildlife Board chaired by state Chief Wildlife Warden Azam Zaidi. The reserve would be set up in the Hooghly River between Malda and Sundarbans as per provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. State Forest department also has announced that it would also conduct a census to estimate the population of dolphins. About Gangetic river dolphins Gangetic river dolphins is India’s national aquatic animal and is often known as the ‘Tiger of the Ganges’. This dolphin species is an indicator animal which represent healthy river ecosystem in a same position as a tiger in a forest. Their population is estimated to be less than 2,000 in the country. Threats: Some of the major threats are habitat fragmentation due to construction of dams and barrages, direct killing, indiscriminate fishing and pollution of rivers. Hooghly River in West Bengal is the last stretch of the Ganges River. It passes through the densely populated Kolkata city and finally meets Bay of Bengal in the Sundarbans.

37. Veteran music director and lyricist Ravindra Jain passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was 71. He was a soulful musician and an accomplished lyricist and renowned vocalist and never had let his visual disability hinder his talent.

38. Indian Railways has launched mobile application to book unreserved rail tickets for the convenience of passengers. The launched IT enabled passenger services app was launched by Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi. These services include Ticketing paperless unreserved tickets through mobile phones on suburban stations of Central railway. Paperless platform tickets at selected stations of Western, Northern and Central Railways. Passengers can download the mobile app from Google Play Store or Windows Store. Under these service passengers can book single journey ticket and the payment has to be made using R Wallet. They also can book platform ticket also by choosing appropriate option in the app.

39. National Dialogue Quartet (NDQ) in Tunisia has won prestigious 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. Norwegian Nobel Committee has selected NDQ for its decisive contribution in building pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the 2011 Jasmine Revolution. NDQ was established in 2013 as an alternative, peaceful political process at a time when Tunisia was on the brink of civil war aftermath of revolution. NDQ consists following 4 organisations in Tunisian civil society Tunisian General Labour Union. Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts. Tunisian Human Rights League. Tunisian Order of Lawyers. After the Tunisian Arab Spring (Jasmine Revolution) in 2010-2011, NDQ paved the way for a peaceful dialogue between the citizens. NDQ was also instrumental in establishing a constitutional system of government in Tunisia by guaranteeing fundamental rights for the entire population, irrespective of gender, religious belief or political conviction. About Jasmine Revolution It was an intensive campaign of civil resistance including a series of street demonstrations against the long authoritarian rule of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The events of revolution began in December 2010 and led to the ousting Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. Jasmine Revolution eventually led to a thorough democratization of the country and led to successful free and democratic elections. Arab Spring: It should be noted that Tunisia was birth place of Arab Spring which later spread to many parts of the Arab world including in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen. In every country except Tunisia the revolution had turned violent. In case of Syria it turned into civil war.

40. World Egg Day was observed on 9 October 2015 as it is being celebrated every year on second Friday of October as per the directives of International Egg Commission. Significance of Day: Celebration of this day gives a unique opportunity to help propagate the nutritive value of eggs in human nutrition. It also helps in increasing egg consumption, which is the main source of protein. On this day to promote awareness about the nutritional value of the egg, National Egg Co-ordination Committee (NECC) is conducting several programmes and campaign. Union government has decided to celebrate the day in four places in the country, Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh). Nutritive value of eggs The egg white consists primarily of water (87 per cent) and protein (13 per cent) along with all the essential amino acids in the right ratios. Eggs also contain decent amounts of vitamins, phosphorus, calcium, selenium, folate and zinc. The unique shell egg makes it only farm product that cannot be adulterated.

41. India-China Joint Military Training Exercise HAND-IN-HAND 2015 will be conducted at Kunming Military Academy of Yunnan province in China from 12 to 23 October 2015. It will be the fifth joint military exercise in the Hand-in-Hand series between armies of both countries which had started in 2007.

42. Author Svetlana Alexievich of Belarus has been selected for prestigious 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy has selected Svetlana for her polyphonic writings, courage and a monument to suffering. With this she became 14th women Literature Laureate and she is also the first writer from Belarus to receive this award. About Svetlana Alexievich She was born on 31 May 1948 in the Ukrainian town of Ivano-Frankivsk. She had studied journalism at the University of Minsk between 1967 and 1972. Later she worked as a journalist for several years and published her first book War’s Unwomanly Face in 1985. Using her journalistic skills, she has created a literature chronicling the great tragedies of World War II, Soviet Union and its collapse, Soviet war in Afghanistan and 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Her best-known works: Voices from Chernobyl (2005), Zinky Boys: Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War (1992), Awards: reviously, she had won the Swedish PEN prize in 2007 for her courage and dignity as a writer.

43. Indian Air Force (IAF) on 8 October 2015 celebrated its 83rd foundation day at the Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.