WBCS Current Affairs 11/06/2016 to 17/06/2016

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1. Russia has launched the new Project 22220 nuclear powered icebreaker dubbed ‘Arktika’. It is the world’s largest and most powerful vessel of its kind. It was launched from the Baltic Shipyard located in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg. Key features of Arktika Arktika is powered by two next generation RITM-200 nuclear-reactors. These reactors will be supplied with nuclear be produced by the TVEL fuel company. It has dual-draft design which makes it possible to use it in Arctic waters and in estuaries of polar rivers. It can break through 13 feet (3 metres) thick ice. The vessel is 173.3 met

2. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has recently elected Israel to chair its Legal Committee for the first time in the world body’s 71-year history. In this regard, Israel has won the chairmanship of the UN’s legal affairs committee with 109 votes from the 193 member states in a secret ballot. Israel was a candidate for the regional Western European and Others Group (WEOG). Though the chair of Legal Committee is a largely symbolic and procedural role, but it will give Israel a chance to play a higher profile role in routine affairs at the United Nations. About UNGA’s Legal Committee The legal Committee is also known as the sixth Committee. It overseas UN activities related to international laws. It serves as a forum for the consideration of legal questions in the UN General Assembly and has universal membership. The UN’s other five standing committees oversee the areas of disarmament, economic and financial issues, human rights, decolonization and the UN budget.

3. The Union Cabinet has approved merger of country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) and its associate banks in order to bring the state-owned entity on a par with global lenders. 5 associate banks of SBI are: (i) State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, (ii) State Bank of Hyderabad, (iii) State Bank of Mysore, (iv) State Bank of Patiala and (v) State Bank of Travancore. Key Facts The merged entity will increase SBI’s market share from present 17% to 22.5-23% with total business of over 37 lakh crore rupees. It will have one-fourth of the deposit and loan market in the country and SBI’s staff strength will increase by 35-49%. The merged entity will have nearly 24,000 branches and increase SBI’s network by 6,000 branches. It will also have strong network of about 58,700 ATMs across the country as of March 2016-end and shall employ around 2.85 lakh people in 2014-15. Background The merger move of SBI and its associate banks comes after the Union Government had announced a road map for bank consolidation during Union Budget of year 2016-17. This was seen as necessary to meet the huge infrastructure financing needs of the country. This merger also seeks to feature Indian Bank in the top 50 banks of the world in terms of size as currently no bank in the country features in it.

4. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of 15 years contract for undertaking exploration and other developmental activities related to Poly-Metallic Sulphides (PMS). The contract was approved between the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences and the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The exploration and other developmental activities has been allotted in the area of 10,000 sq km in parts of Central and South – West Indian Ridges (SWIR), located in the Indian Ocean. Benefits of signing contract India’s exclusive rights for exploration of PMS in the allotted Area in the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) and South West Indian Ridge (SWIR) in Indian Ocean will be formalized. It will enhance India’s presence in the Indian Ocean where other players like China, South Korea and Germany are active. This exploration program will be implemented by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences with the participation from various national institutes and research organisations/ laboratories. What are Poly-Metallic Sulphides (PMS)? PMS are mineral deposit with three or more metals in commercial quantities that may occur in volcanogenic, magmatic or hydrothermal environments. Deep seabed PMS mainly contain iron, silver, gold, zinc, copper, platinum in variable constitutions. They are formed due to precipitation of hot fluids coming from deep interior of the oceanic crust due to upwelling hot magma discharged through mineralized chimneys. Owing to their long term commercial as well as strategic values, PMS found in the Ocean Ridges have attracted worldwide attention. About International Seabed Authority (ISA) The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an intergovernmental body that organizes, regulates and control all mineral (non-living resources) related activities in the international seabed area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. It functions under the aegis of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

5. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for India’s membership of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) consortium. In this regard, Union Government has signed a MoU with the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for geosciences. The MoU will enable India To get engaged with internationally renowned experts with profound expertise in different aspects of scientific drilling. These experts will accomplish India in deep drilling and associated investigations in Koyna region. Benefits to India India will get a seat on two ICDP panels viz. Executive Committee (EC) and Assembly of Governors (AOG). ICDP will also provide operational/ technical support, facilitate capacity building in terms of data management, manpower training in key scientific areas and support workshops for the Koyna scientific deep drilling project undertaken by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences. As a member of ICDP, Indian scientists/engineers will have right to submit proposals, to participate in all ICDP drilling projects and co-funded workshops. They will also have access to all data results from ICDP projects. This will shed new light on the genesis of seismicity, thus help in better understanding of earthquake processes.

6. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for the Civil Aviation Policy 2016 to boost the domestic aviation sector and provide passenger-friendly fares. This is for the first time since Independence that an integrated Civil Aviation Policy has been brought out by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). The policy’s mission is to provide safe, secure, sustainable and affordable air travel for passengers and air transportation of cargo with access to various parts of India and the world. Civil Aviation Policy 2016 aims at Make India 3rd largest civil aviation market by 2022 from current 9th position. Increase domestic ticketing to 30 crore by 2022 from 8 crore in 2015. Increase airports having scheduled commercial flights from 77 in 2016 to 127 by 2019. Increase cargo volumes to 10 million tonnes i.e. by 4 times by 2027. Under Regional Connectivity Scheme, enabling Indians to fly at Rs. 2,500 per hour at unserved airports. For starting international operations, requirement of 5 years of domestic flying removed. Liberalized and Flexible ‘open skies’ and ‘code share’ agreements. Incentives to Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) sector in order to develop India as hub for South Asia. Ensure availability of quality certified 3.3 lakh skilled personnel by 2025. Development of green-field airports and heliports Enhancing ease of doing business through simplified procedures, deregulation and e-governance. Promote ‘Make In India’ in Civil Aviation Sector Areas covered in the Policy (i) Regional connectivity, (ii) 5/20 Requirement for International Operations (iii) Safety (iv) Air Transport Operations (v) Route Dispersal Guidelines (vi) Bilateral traffic rights (vii) Code-share agreements (vii) Fiscal Support (ix) Aviation security, Immigration and Customs (x) Airports developed by State Governments, Private sector or in PPP mode (xi) Air-cargo (xii) Aeronautical ‘Make in India’ (xiii) Aviation education and skill development etc.

7. The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) on cooperation in the field of outer space. The MoU was signed between two parties in Ottawa, Canada in April 2015. It will lead to establishment of joint team, drawing members from CSA and ISRO. The joint team will work out the plan of action including defining and examining cooperative projects and the time-frame. It will provide opportunities for diverse research and development in the field of peaceful uses of space technologies. Background The successful space cooperation between ISRO and CSA is being pursued through Implementing Arrangements in the field of Satellite Tracking Network Operations. These agreements are in the field of the ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) Detector Subsystem of the ASTROSAT astronomy mission in December 2003 and June 2004. They aimed at future cooperation in and use of outer space technology for peaceful purposes in order to reinforce technological and scientific development and the ties between India and Canada at government, industrial and academic levels.

8. Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist Margaret Atwood was chosen for the prestigious 2016 Pen Pinter Prize. She will formerly receive the award at a public event scheduled to be held on 13 October 2016 at the British Library. About Margaret Atwood She is best known for her work as a novelist and her famous novels are The Handmaid’s Tale, The Robber Bride and The Year of the Flood etc. She has published fifteen books of poetry and many of her poems have been inspired by myths and fairy tales. She also has published short stories different magazines and also published four collections of stories and three collections of unclassifiable short prose works. She is also the inventor and developer of the LongPen and associated technologies that facilitate the remote robotic writing of documents. She is the Co-Founder and a Director of Syngrafii Inc. a company that she started in 2004 to develop, produce and distribute the LongPen technology. She is also a founder of the Writers’ Trust of Canada, a non-profit literary organization that seeks to encourage Canada’s writing community. Awards and Honours: She is a winner of the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature and Arthur C. Clarke Award. She was shortlisted for the Booker Prize five times and had won it once. In 2001, she was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. About PEN Pinter Prize The PEN Pinter Prize is an annual literary award given to a British writer or a writer resident in Britain of outstanding literary merit. The award is bestowed writer who has showed a fierce intellectual determination to define the real truth of our lives and our societies. It was launched in 2009 by English PEN in honour of the late Nobel Literature Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter. The award is one of the many PEN literary awards sponsored by PEN International affiliates. The 2015 PEN Pinter Prize was awarded to British poet and journalist James Fenton.

9. The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Taiwan for cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied Sector. Decision in this regard was taken at the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Key facts The MoU will be singed between Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India and India Taipei Association in Taipei, Taiwan. It provides for cooperation in the fields of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, Aquaculture, Fisheries and Food Processing, Genetic Resources as well as Environmental Sustainability. Both signatory parties will encourage the private sector in both countries to enter into cooperation in these areas. The cooperation between the two sides involves exchange of information, technology, visits and training and also expansion of agricultural trade while reducing trade barriers. The MoU will be in force for a period of 5 years and shall be automatically renewed for a subsequent periods of 5 years unless either party expresses its desire to terminate it.

10. Fijian diplomat Peter Thomson has been elected as President of 71st session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In the secret ballot election for the post, Peter Thomson defeated Andreas Mavroyiannis of Cyprus by 94 to 90 votes, with one abstention. With this, Peter Thomson becomes the first representative from the Pacific island states to get elected for the largely honorific post in the UN’s 71-year history. Thomson will begin his tenure in September 2016 at the commencement of the 71st session of UNGA and will replace incumbent President Mogens Lykketoft. About Peter Thomson Peter Thomson is a Fijian diplomat. Since February 2010, he was Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. For the year 2014, he was elected President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He was the architect of changing name of the UN’s Group of Asian States to the new name of the Asia-Pacific Group. He was conferred with the award of Officer of the Order of Fiji (highest honour of the Fijian honours system) in 2014. About UNGA President President of UNGA presides over the sessions of the General Assembly which is starts begins every year in September. The President is elected annually on rotational basis between the five geographic groups namely African, Asian, Eastern European, Latin American and Caribbean and Western European and other States. Interesting fact: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was first and only Indian to serve as President of UNGA in 1953. She was also the first woman President of UNGA.

11. Scientists using NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope have discovered a Jupiter-like circumbinary planet named Kepler1647b orbiting a system of two stars. The planet was discovered by astronomers from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre and San Diego State University (SDSU). Kepler1647b is the largest such cosmic body ever found. Circumbinary planets are those planets that orbit two stars. Key Facts Kepler1647b is located in the constellation Cygnus. It is 3,700 light-years away. It is about 4.4 billion years old i.e. roughly the same age as the Earth. Kepler1647b’s mass and radius nearly identical to that of Jupiter. This makes it the largest transiting circumbinary planet ever found. The planet takes 1,107 days (over 3 years) to orbit its host stars. This is the longest period of any confirmed transiting exoplanet found so far. Kepler-1647b is a gas giant which makes it unlikely to host life. The stars of the planet are similar to our Sun, with one slightly larger than our home star and the other slightly smaller. About Kepler Space Telescope (KST) KST is an unmanned space observatory launched in 2009 by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). It is tasked with determining how commonly, Earth-like planets occur throughout the Milky Way galaxy. It has been designed for a statistical mission and not to probe into the environmental conditions of planets that exist in the so-called Goldilocks zone of their stars. KST works by observing a dimming in the light of a star, known as a transit, each time an orbiting planet passes in front of it.

12. The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched a scheme for setting up of 1000 Mega Watt (MW) Wind Power Project connected to transmission network of Central Transmission Utility (CTU). The objective of the scheme is to facilitate supply of wind power to the non-windy states at a price discovered through transparent bidding process. Key Facts The Scheme will encourage competitiveness through scaling up of project sizes and introduction of transparent and efficient e-auctioning and e-bidding processes. It will also facilitate fulfilment of Non-Solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) requirement of non-windy states. Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has been designated nodal agency for implementation of the scheme. The Scheme will be implemented for setting up 1000 MW capacity of CTU connected Wind Power Projects by Wind Project Developers on build, own and operate (BOOT) basis. However, if there is higher demand from Discoms of non-windy states the capacity may go higher than 1000 MW. Background The Union Government has set an ambitious target of achieving 175 Giga Watt (GW) power capacity from clean renewable energy resources by 2022. Out of this, 60 GW target is set for wind power. The present installed wind power capacity in the country is nearly 26.7 GW accounting for nearly 9% of total installed capacity. Globally, India is at 4th position in term of installed wind power capacity after China, USA and Germany. The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) under the MNRE assesses the wind power potential in the country at 100 meter above ground level. It has estimated it over 302 GW and there are 8 windy states namely Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

13. Australian Great Barrier Reef rodent (also known as Bramble Cay melomys) has become the first mammal species driven to extinction by human-induced climate change. It was revealed after researchers in extensive survey (searches) failed to find a single specimen from its only known habitat on a sandy island in far northern Australia. The extensive survey in the hope of conserving the species was conducted by Scientists from the University of Queensland, after a study in 2014 found no sign of the species. Reasons for Extinction The main reason for extinction Bramble Cay melomys is anthropogenic climate change. The climate change caused in ocean inundation (due to sea rise) of the low-lying cay areas of their habitat over the last decade resulting in dramatic habitat loss. About Bramble Cay melomys Bramble Cay melomys is a small rat-like (rodent) animal species in the family Muridae. It is Great Barrier Reef’s only endemic (found nowhere else) mammal species. It was mainly found in a small coral cay called Bramble Cay located off the north coast of Queensland in the Torres Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Their coral cay habitat was only 340m long and 150m wide and was 3m above sea level. It was first discovered in 1845 on the cay by Europeans who shot the “large rats” for sport. The last known sighting of this species was in 2009 by a professional fisherman.

14. President Pranab Mukherjee has been presented National Order of the Republic of Ivory Coast, the highest civilian award of the West African country. The award was bestowed upon Pranab Mukherjee during his two days visit to Ivory Coast on the second leg of his three-nation African tour. With this, Mr Mukherjee’s became the first Indian President to visit Ivory Coast. He was invited by Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara. About National Order of the Republic of Ivory Coast It is highest state order of knighthood of the Ivory Coast. Established: 10 April 1961 to celebrate the independence of the Ivory Coast from France in 1960. It is state honour awarded to those who have highly distinguished themselves to the service to the state. The Collar, one of the five grades of the award is awarded solely to foreign heads of state.

16. Renowned Hindi novelist and critique Mudrarakshas passed away due to old age related causes in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He was 82. He was distinguished Hindi writer, activist, thinker and cultural personality. His write-ups invariably hinged on various vital social issues and causes. About Mudrarakshasa He was born as Subhash Chandra in Behta near Lucknow in 1931. He was rechristened as Mudrarakshasa by his teacher Dr Devendra when he had started writing. He graduated from Lucknow University and later worked as as Assistant Editor of Hindi Journal Gyanodaya, that was published from Calcutta from 1955 to 1958. He was the editor of Calcutta based magazine Anuvrata and was also associated with All India Radio (AIR) as Editor from 1962 to 1976. He has about 30 stage productions to his credit and his works of theatrical criticism include Rang Bhumikayen and a book on Nemichandra Jain.

17. Public Sector Power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned 195 MW unit at Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station in Bihar. This is the second 195 MW unit to be commissioned by BHEL at the 2×195 MW Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station Stage-II of Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Limited (KBUNL). KBUNL is a joint venture (JV) of NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) and BSPGCL (Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited). The first 195 MW unit was commissioned in March, 2015. For this thermal power plant, BHEL had envisaged design, manufacturing, engineering, supply, erection and commissioning of steam turbines, generators and boilers, along with associated auxiliaries etc. It should be note that BHEL is the leading supplier of coal-based main plant equipment to NTPC and its joint ventures. It has an over 80% share in their installed capacity in them. About Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) BHEL is a power plant equipment manufacturer completely owned by Union Government. It was established in 1964 and was awarded a Maharatna Company status in 2013. It is the largest engineering and manufacturing company of its kind in India.

18. The World Blood Donor Day is being observed across the world on 14 June to raise the public awareness about the need for safe blood donation. Observance of the day seeks to spread awareness about the need for safe and secure blood supplies. It also seeks to provide an opportunity to draw public attention to the importance of blood donation for saving lives. Key Facts 2016 Theme: “Blood connects us all”. The theme highlights the common bond that all people share in their blood. 2016 slogan: “Share life, give blood”. It seeks to draw attention to the role that voluntary donation systems play in encouraging people to care for one another and promoting community cohesion. 2016 host country: Netherlands. Background World Blood Donor Day is being celebrated annually since 2004. The day seeks to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their voluntary donations. It is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by the WHO.

19. India and Ghana have signed three bilateral agreements to strengthen co-operation in varied fields. These agreements were signed after delegation level talks between President Pranab Mukherjee and his Ghanaian counterpart John Dramani Mahama in Accra. The signed agreements include one for visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports and one for setting up a Joint Commission. Civil Nuclear Cooperation During the delegation level talks between Indian President and his Ghanaian counterpart, the African country has sought India’s civil nuclear cooperation to reduce its dependence on traditional energy sources. President’s 3 African countries tour Ghana is the first country visited by the President during the six-day three countries tour as part of India’s agenda of deepening ties with the African countries. The other two African countries include Ivory Coast and Namibia. It should be noted that this is the first visit of any Indian President to Ghana and Ivory Coast whereas to Namibia, such official visit comes after two decades. India-Ghana Relations India is the largest foreign investor in Ghana with more than 700 projects. Most of these projects are in the manufacturing sector. In recent times, bilateral trade between India and Ghana has increased to 1.2 billion dollars from 538 million dollars in 2010. Ghana’s main trade with India mainly consists of gold exports which accounts for nearly 80% of total trade. Ghanaian gold is in great demand in India. Ghana also has a very prosperous Indian-origin community, roughly around 10,000. Of this population 7,000 have Indian passports with some families arriving here as early as 1920’s.

20. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued guidelines called Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A). The main aim of these guidelines is to (i) Strengthen the lenders’ ability to deal with stressed assets and (ii) Put real assets back on track of entities facing genuine difficulties by providing an avenue for reworking financial structure. Key Facts The RBI has formulated the S4A as an optional framework for the resolution of large stressed accounts. The S4A envisages determination of sustainable debt level of a stressed borrower and bifurcate outstanding debt into sustainable debt and equity/quasi-equity instruments. The sustainable debt and equity/quasi-equity instruments are expected to provide upside to the lenders when the borrower turns around. The resolution plan will be prepared by credible professional agencies in order to make sure that entire exercise is carried out in a prudent and transparent manner. Besides, an Overseeing Committee comprising of eminent experts will be set up by the Indian Banks Association (IBA) in consultation with the RBI. The committee will independently review the processes involved in preparation of the resolution plan under the S4A.

21. Private power producer Tata Power Co. Ltd has agreed to acquire renewable energy company Welspun Renewables Energy Pvt. Ltd. In this regard, Tata Power’s renewable energy unit Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) has signed share purchase agreement to acquire Welspun Renewables Energy. The transaction deal is sized at 9,249 crore rupees which is considered as largest transaction in renewables space in India. This acquisition will help Tata Power to grow its clean energy portfolio to 2.3 gigawatts (GW) Welspun Renewables is a part of the 3 billion dollars Welspun Group. It has about 1,140 megawatts (MW) of solar and wind power assets across 8 states in India. Of this, about 990 MW is in solar projects and about 150 MW in wind projects. Tata Power, one of the largest integrated power companies in India. Its subsidiary TPREL currently operates 294 MW of renewable power capacity across the country and about 400 MW of solar and wind projects are under implementation.

22. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has announced four proposed names for the four new elements that were added in periodic table in January 2016. These names and symbols were chosen by the by nuclear researchers who discovered them. They will be finalised after public review and formal nod by the IUPAC Council. Key facts All these four elements are super heavy and are synthetic in nature i.e. they were created in laboratory. These new elements are Nihonium (Nh), Moscovium (Mc), Tennessine (Ts), and Oganesson (Og). They were added in the seventh row of the periodic table. Their addition has completed the seventh row of the periodic table of the elements. Atomic No Element Name Element Symbol Facts 113 Nihonium Nh It was created by a group of Japanese researchers. The element incorporates word “Nihon” which means Japan in Japanese. 115 Moscovium Mc It has been named after Russian capital Moscow. 117 Tennessine Ts It has been named after American state of Tennessee by American researchers. Indian scientist Susanta Lahiri also had played an important role in discovering it. 118 Oganesson Og Named in honour of Russian researcher Yuri Oganessian. It is only the second element to be named after a living scientist. About International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) IUPAC is panel of scientist that governs chemical research and the admission of the new elements in the periodic table. Under it rules, names of the elements must reflect one of the physical characteristics or chemical properties, a place, a mineral, a scientist (living or dead), or a mythological concept. The names of elements is finalised by IUPAC which are easy to translate across major languages. The names usually have endings like “-ine”, “-ium,” or “-on,” depending on the grouping of elements they belong to.

23. Norway has become the first country in the world to prohibit deforestation. In this regard, Norwegian Parliament had pledged to make government’s public procurement policy deforestation-free. The step was taken by Norwegian Government based on official recommendations of Norwegian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Energy and Environment as part of the Action Plan on Nature Diversity. Key facts Henceforth, Norway will no longer procure use or procure products that encourage deforestation. Under the pledge, Norwegian Government will also not award contracts to any company that cuts down and destroys forests. In addition, Norwegian lawmakers also committed to find a way to source essential products such as soy, palm oil, beef and timber that have little or no impact on ecosystems. The standing committee also has asked Government to frame separate biodiversity policy and use funds provided by Government Pension Fund Global to increase biodiversity protection.

24. The markets regulator SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has put in place a stricter KYC (Know Your Customer) norms and disclosure regime for Participatory Notes (P-Notes). P-Notes are offshore/overseas derivative instruments (ODIs) issued by registered foreign institutional investors (FII) to overseas investors. They provide easier and cost-effective route to foreign investors to invest in Indian markets without directly registering as Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs). Key facts The aim of SEBI’s stricter KYC, disclosure norms is to make it tougher to use these offshore instruments that do not disclose the money-trail and details of their users. Under the new norms, all the users of P-Notes would have to follow Indian KYC and Anti Money Laundering (ALM) Regulations, irrespective of their jurisdictions. Henceforth, P-Note issuers will be required to file suspicious transaction reports with the Indian Financial Intelligence Unit. ODI holders have to report monthly reports on ODIs all the intermediate transfers during the month. Besides, ODI issuers have to carry out reconfirmation of the ODI positions on a semi-annual basis. Background The measure was issued after taking into account suggestions from Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money to ensure this route is not used for money laundering. In recent times ODIs have often been in controversy in India for alleged misuse for round-tripping of funds. But since the SEBI made stringent norms in the recent years, they have also become less attractive. Earlier in 2007, ODIs used to account for as high as 55% of the total foreign fund flows in Indian capital markets, now their share has fallen to a record low level of 9.3%.

25. China has successfully launched a 23rd BeiDou Navigation Satellite to support its global navigation and positioning network. The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on board of Long March-3C carrier rocket. It is the 23rd satellite in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, which is being developed as an alternative to GPS (Global Positioning System) of US. It was the 229th launch of the Long March carrier rocket. 23rd BeiDou Navigation Satellite after entering its designed work orbit and finishing in-orbit testing, will join others satellite of the system already in orbit. It will help to improve the stability of the BeiDou Navigation system to offer global coverage. About BeiDou Navigation System (BNS) BNS is 2nd generation of the Chinese navigational system seen as rival to the US’s Global Positioning System (GPS). The system comprises total 35 satellites in two separate satellite constellations (i) Limited test system (operational since 2000) (ii) A full-scale global navigation system which is currently under construction. The BNS became operational in December 2011 in China with the constellation of 10 satellites of the system. In December 2012, the system began offering services to customers in the Asia-Pacific region. On its completion in 2020, the system will provide services to global customers. After completion, the navigaton system would become an equivalent of the US Global Positioning System, Europe’s Galileo and Russia’s Glonass. Applications: (i) Civilian services: Navigation, messaging, transportation and weather forecasting sectors. (ii) Military applications: Ensure privacy for its military communications and missile launches by reducing the dependence on US operated GPS.

26. Indian American author Akhil Sharma won the prestigious 2016 International Dublin Literary Award for his semi-autobiographical novel “Family Life.” His novel was shortlisted out of an initial 160 nominations by a panel of judges of award that included novelists Ian Sansom, Juan Pablo Villalobos and Carlo Gebler. Family Life is Sharma’s second novel and took him 13 years to write. The novel traces the journey of a family that emigrates from New Delhi to New York, where one brother is left severely brain-damaged after a tragedy strikes.

27. In a unique experiment, scientists from Iceland have discovered a new way to trap the greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide (CO2) deep underground by changing it into rock. The new way was discovered as by Scientists from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and other institutions as part of a pilot program called CarbFix project. The pilot program was launched in 2012 at the Hellisheidi power plant- the world’s largest geothermal facility in Iceland. Key Facts In the CarbFix project, scientists pumped CO2 and water, 540 metre underground into volcanic rock at the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant. In this method, CO2 is dissolved with water (termed as carbonation) is pumped into volcanic rocks called basalts. Later, the CO2 solidifies turning into a solid mineral (calcite), which can then be stored. In the research it was found that 95% of the gas was captured and converted in two years. Significance This technique the speedy carbonation has potential to combat climate change and may provide a safer, faster way to sequester CO2 and limit global warming. In future, it could be a viable way to store CO2 underground permanently and without risk of leakage.

28. Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has won the 2016 Australian Open Super Series Badminton tournament title in women’s singles category. In the final match played at Sydney, Saina defeated Chinese Sun Yu by 11-21, 21-14, 21-19 score. It was Saina’s first title of year 2016 season and overall second Australian Open title of her career. She won her first Australian Open title in 2014. On the other hand, Hans-Kristian Vittinghus from Denmark won the Australian Open Badminton Super series title in the men’s singles category. In the final match, Vittinghus defeated Jeon Hyeok-Jin from South Kor

29. Veteran theatre personality, playwright and doyen of Assam’s mobile theatre movement Achyut Lahkar passed away in Pathsala, Assam following a protracted illness. He was 85. He was considered as the father of the Bhryamyman or Mobile Theatre of Assam. He had given birth to mobile theatre in Assam in the 1960s.

30. Distinguished journalist, editor and author Inder Malhotra passed away following a long illness in New Delhi. He was 86. He had served as a resident editor of The Times of India and The Statesman. In his journalistic career he had mapped the ebb and flow of the Indian politics under every Prime Minister of independent India.

31. The World Day Against Child Labour is being observed annually across world on 12 June to bring awareness against child labour. Significance of the day: The observance of the day seeks to bring together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them. 2016 Theme: ‘End child labour in supply chains – It’s everyone’s business.’ The theme focuses on child labour and supply chains. To mark the occasion, many events are being organised across the country and create awareness against child labour. The United Nations states that more than 168 million children are still in child labour. The supply chains that run the risk of child labour range from agriculture to manufacturing, services to construction. Background The International Labour Organization (ILO), an UN body had launched World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.

32. The Union Ministry of Railways launched three passenger service initiatives viz. a Janani Sewa for mothers, optional catering in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains on a pilot basis and a children’s menu on trains. These services were launched by Union Railways minister Suresh Prabhu on 8th June 2016 in New Delhi. Key Facts Janani Sewa: Under this scheme hot milk, hot water and baby food will be available at railway stations. Initially on pilot basis this scheme will be available at 25 railway stations including New Delhi, Howrah, Mumbai, Chennai, Surat and Lucknow. Optional catering services project: It will be available only on the Secunderabad-Pune Shatabdi Express and Mumbai Central-Hazrat Nizammudin Rajdhani Express on a pilot basis for 45 days initially. The catering charges would be deducted from the cost of the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express ticket if a passenger opts out of the catering service. Children’s menu on trains’ scheme: It seeks to make travel a happier experience for children. Under it, IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) will provide food items like french fries, noodles, burgers and meal combos through through its e-catering services.

33. Additional Solicitor General of India and former Parliamentarian Satya Pal Jain was appointed as a part-time member of the 21st Law Commission of India. His appointment is in addition to present charge as an Additional Solicitor General of India.

34. Sikkim became the first state in India to have an open government data portal linked ‘sikkim.data.gov.in’. The portal was launched by Lok Sabha MP, P D Rai and also launched Open Government Data Platform (Sikkim). Key facts The portal has been developed by Government of Sikkim’s Information Technology Department and NIC team from Delhi. The open government data portal facilitates free use, reuse and redistribution of data produced or commissioned by the government or government controlled entities by anyone.

35. India was ranked 141 on a Global Peace Index (GPI) for year 2016 out of 163 countries, making it less peaceful country. The GPI ranking of 163 countries was compiled by global think Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). India has moved up two positions from 143rd rank in 2015 GPI. Key facts from 2016 Global Peace Index Top 10 peaceful countries: Iceland (1st), Denmark (2nd), Austria (3rd), New Zealand (4th), Portugal (5th), Czech Republic (6th), Switzerland (7th), Canada (8th), Japan (9th) and Slovenia (10th). Top least peaceful countries: Pakistan (153rd), Libya (154th), Sudan (155th), Ukraine (156th), Central African Republic (157th), Yemen (158th), Somalia (159th), Afghanistan (160th), Iraq (161st), South Sudan (162nd) and Syria (163rd). India’s neighbours: Bhutan (13th), Nepal (78th), Bangladesh (83rd), Sri Lanka (97th), China (120th) and Pakistan (153rd). In year 2016, the economic impact of violence on the global economy was around US 13.6 trillion dollars (13.3 % of gross world product). In this year world became a less peaceful mainly on account of increased terrorism and higher levels of political instability. About Global Peace Index (GPI) GPI is an annual report published by the Sydney (Australia) based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) since 2007. GPI uses 22 indicators to measure levels of world peace. Indicators range from a nation’s level of military expenditure to its relations with neighboring nations and the percentage of prison population in 162 countries. It also includes safety and security in society, extent of domestic and international conflict. The IEP is an international and independent think tank dedicated to draw the world’s attention towards peace as a positive, achievable, and tangible measure of human well-being and development.

36. India, Japan and United States (US) navies have kicked off 2016 MALABAR trilateral naval Exercise near South China Sea. This year it is the 20th edition of the naval exercise in which over 100 aircraft and 22 naval ships including a nuclear submarine are participating. Key facts The 20th edition of the naval exercise will be conducted for 8 days. It includes harbour phase exercises at Sasebo, Japan and the sea phase exercises in the Pacific Ocean. Aim of exercise: Increase interoperability amongst the three navies and develop common understanding of procedures for Maritime Security Operations. Scope of 2016 MALABAR: It includes professional interactions in harbour and sea phases, including complex sub-surface, surface and air operations. Participation: The joint fleet of 3 navies will include aircraft carriers, warships and fast attack submarines. India’s Participation: Four ships of Indian Navy from the Eastern Fleet are participating in the naval exercise in consonance with country’s ‘Act East Policy’. They are Missile stealth frigates INS Sahyadri and INS Satpura, modern fleet tanker and support ship INS Shakti, missile corvette INS Kirch These ships have embarked one Sea King 42B ASW helicopter and 2 Chetak utility helicopters. US Participation: US Navy will be represented by ships from CTF 70 of the USN 7th fleet based at Yokosuka, Japan. The CTF includes aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis (CVN 74), Arleigh Burke class destroyers USS Stockdale and USS Chung Hoon and Ticonderoga class Cruiser USS Mobile Bay. All these ships will be embarked helicopters. In addition, 1 nuclear powered submarine, Long Range Maritime Patrol aircraft and carrier wing aircraft are also participating in the exercise. Japan’s Participation: Japanese navy will be represented by a helicopter carrier JS Hyuga with SH 60 K integral helicopters. Long Range Maritime Patrol aircraft are also participating besides other advanced warships for specific parts of the exercise. Background Since 1992, Indian and US navies have regularly conducted the annual bilateral exercise. Since 2007, Malabar has been held alternatively off India and in the Western Pacific. In 2015, it was conducted off Chennai coast in Bay of Bengal and included participation of Japan making it trilateral naval exercise. Comment 2016 MALABAR naval exercise is seen as significant step in strengthening mutual confidence and inter-operability as well as sharing of best practices between the Indian, Japanese and US Navies. The exercise will support maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region and benefit the global maritime community. In recent times, the exercise assumes significance as it is being conducted close to South China Sea when Chinese assertiveness in this region is a raging issue. The exercise also aims to achieve deeper military ties and greater interoperability amid rising tensions in the region.

37. Union Railways Ministry has flagged off Champaran Satyagrah Express train at a function in Motihari, Bihar. The train was flagged off by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. This train will run between Bapudham, Motihari to Anand Vihar, Delhi. Champaran Satyagrah Express train has been introduced to mark 100 years of the historic Champaran Satyagraha (movement) launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1917. It is weekly train which will have load combination of 15 coaches, including one third AC, six sleeper and six general coaches and two brake vans. Besides, the Union Minister also inaugurated Banmankhi – Purnea rail section and Pipraha Railway Station. He also inaugurated road over bridges at Motihar, Begusarai and Danapur through video conferencing. Background The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was Mahatma Gandhi’s first Satyagraha in India. It was launched against the oppressive policies European indigo planters that led to exploitation of tens of thousands of landless serfs, indentured labourers and poor farmers in Champaran and neighbouring areas. Champaran and Kheda Satyagraha were the events which later put Gandhi on the front seat of Indian National Revolution and made Satyagraha a powerful tool.

38. The Indian unit of search giant Google Inc and Tata Trusts have jointly launched ‘Internet Saathi’ program in Purulia district of West Bengal. The initiative has been launched as part of Google’s ‘Helping Women Get Online’ campaign, in order to create awareness about the benefits of Internet among women in rural India. Key facts The initiative will initially be rolled out with an objective to reach 1 lakh women in over 400 villages in Purulia district. It will focus on training women and larger communities to learn and explore various uses and benefits of the Internet. Tata Trusts will play a crucial role in training women master trainers called “saathis” identified from Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Women’s federations. Google will provide the tablet and mobile devices along with training material. It will also train the master trainers. The initiative includes an awareness module, coupled with hands-on training modules on how to use the Internet, using mobile devices in their local languages. ‘Internet Saathi’ program was launched in July 2015. So far it has trained and benefitted over 2 lakh women across villages in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Google under its Helping Women Get Online has already trained over 2 million women across the country.

39. Legendary Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe passed away at Toledo, US. He was 88. He was nicknamed Mr Hockey and had spent most of his career with the Detroit Red Wings, winning the Stanley Cup four times.

40. The Union Ministry of Power has launched Surya Mitra mobile App to serve customers in the field of renewable energy. The app was launched by Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal at National Workshop on Rooftop Solar Power held in New Delhi. The App will serve customers at their doorsteps with quality installation, repair, and Observations and Measurements (O&M) in the field of renewable energy. About Surya Mitra Mobile App Surya Mitra Mobile App has been developed by National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), an autonomous institution of Union Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE). The app has been developed in a high end technology platform that can handle thousands of customers’ calls simultaneously and can efficiently monitor all visits of Suryamitra’s. Using this app, customers can avail services like maintenance, serving and repairing at the click of a button on their mobiles. It will help enhance the employment of trained youth i.e. Suryamitra’s in solar PV technology. Further it will also help to improve the businesses of solar entrepreneurs. Suryamitra initiative: It is Union Government’s skill development program to create skilled manpower in commissioning, installation, O&M of solar power plants and equipment. It primary objective is to provide entrepreneurship and employability opportunites to rural and urban youth & women.

41. The Union Information and Broadcasting ministry has framed a New Print Media Advertisement Policy for Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP). The objective of the policy is to promote transparency and accountability in issuing of advertisements in print media. Key highlights of policy It focuses on streamlining release of Government advertisements and to also promote equity and fairness among various categories of newspapers and periodicals. For the first time it has introduced a New Marking System for newspapers to incentivize Newspapers. The system is based on 6 objective criteria with different marks each of them. The newspapers will be able get benefit from new system who have better professional standing and get their circulation verified Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) or Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI). DAVP will release advertisements to newspapers based on marks obtained by each newspaper. This will also ensure transparency and accountability in the release of advertisements by DAVP. For payment and adjustment of Bills, it mandates that DAVP will release payment of advertisement bills in the name of newspaper or company account directly through ECS or NEFT. The policy has classified newspaper and journals into three categories namely (i) small: publishing upto 25,000 copies per day, (ii) medium: between 25,001 and 75,000 copies and (iii) Big: 75,000 copies or more. DAVP: It is the nodal agency of the Union Government for advertising on behalf of various Ministries and Departments which are funded by the government.