Current Affairs 05/11/2013 to 12/11/2013

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1.India’s Mangalyaan blasts off for 300-day odyssey to Red Planet.
India’s ambitious Mars mission, orbiter Mangalyaan lifted off into space from Sriharikota spaceport, starting its 300-day voyage to study the Red Planet’s atmosphere.
The 350-tonne rocket carrying the 1,340-kg spacecraft was launched from the space facility on November 5, 2013 at 2.38pm as scheduled.
Further Activities:
The rocket will place the spacecraft into an elliptic parking orbit in an hour after the launch. After this, the spacecraft will perform a number of technical maneuvers and short burns to elevate its orbit before it catapults toward Mars.
After travelling around 780 million km, the spacecraft will reach Mars in September 2014, making India the only Asian country to reach Mars with a programme designed to demonstrate its low-cost space technology.
About India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) ‘Mangalyan’:
The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has been named ‘Mangalyan‘
Launched onboard PSLV C25 on November 5, 2013 at 14:38 hours from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
India’s first interplanetary mission to planet Mars with an orbiter craft designed to orbit Mars in an elliptical orbit.
It will reach Martian transfer trajectory in September 2014. Subsequently, it is planned to enter into a 372 km by 80000 km elliptical orbit around Mars.
Objectives of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) ‘Mangalyan’:
The main objectives of the Mars mission are to showcase India’s technological prowess to send a satellite to orbit around Mars and conduct important experiments such as looking for signs of life, take pictures of the red planet and study Martian environment.
To develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission.
Design and realisation of a Mars orbiter with a capability to survive and perform Earth bound manoeuvres, cruise phase of 300 days, Mars orbit insertion or capture.
Deep space communication, navigation, mission planning and management.
Incorporate autonomous features to handle contingency situations.
Exploration of Mars surface features, morphology, mineralogy and Martian atmosphere by indigenous scientific instruments.
Key Payloads on PSLV C25:
Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP)
Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM)
Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA)
Mars Colour Camera (MCC)
Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometre (TIS)
After the jubilant launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), India’s space research organization ISRO is preparing for flight-testing of GSLV with indigenous cryogenic engine.
The launch is scheduled for December 15, 2013. ISRO’s maiden flight testing of the indigenous cryogenic engine and stage conducted in GSLV-D3 on April 15, 2010, failed.
In August 2013, ISRO planned GSLV-D5 but the launch was cancelled as a leak was observed in the UH25 fuel system of the liquid second stage during the pre-launch pressurisation phase on the vehicle just two hours before the scheduled lift-off.
What is GSLV?
GSLV is a three stage vehicle. It is 49 metre tall, with 414 tonne lift off weight. Its first stage comprises S125 solid booster with four liquid (L40) strap-ons. Second stage (GS2) is liquid engine and the third stage (GS3) is a cryostage.
Why cryogenic stage is important?
The cryostage is more efficient compared to the liquid stage in PSLV. This means that the thrust developed by burning each kg of propellant is higher in cryo engine, hence can place larger payloads with higher weight into orbit. This stage is crucial for a launcher with higher payload capacity.
How GSLV has advantage over PSLV?
The main limitation of PSLV is its inability to launch heavy satellites of the weight of 2000 kg or above. PSLV is capable of launching 1600 kg satellites in 620 km sun-synchronous polar orbit and 1050 kg satellite in geo-synchronous transfer orbit (GTO). On the other hand, the GSLV is capable of launching satellites which are 2000 kg – 2500 kg which matches with the GSAT class of Communication satellites.

2.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given up to the opposition’s pressure against his participation in the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Sri Lanka. He has decided not to attend the meeting. In the absence of PM, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will lead the Indian delegation at the meet.
Why there is opposition to PM participation in Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)?
There is opposition by parties in Tamil Nadu as well as a section in Congress who want PM to skip the CHOGM as a show of protest against the Sri Lankan government alleging it of inflicting atrocities on Tamils by the Sri Lankan military forces during the war against LTTE. They are also cynical about Sri Lankan government plans to devolve powers to the ethnic Tamils.

3.As per Global Intellectual Property Centre (GIPC), the use of licenced software can help to boost India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $739 billion.
As per GIPC:
The music industry alone faced an estimated total loss of $431 million in 2012 due to piracy.
In 2011, the software industry accounted a 63% rate of PC software piracy with a commercial value of unlicensed software estimated to be over $2.9 billion.
If the use of licensed software is increased by 1%, it would generate almost $1.3 billion in national production for India, compared with $554 million from a similar increase in pirated software.
It suggests Government, law enforcement and industry in India to take measures to realize this gain by reducing piracy and encouraging use of licensed software.
The physical, online and mobile piracy, illegal recording of movies from cinema screens and unlicensed use of software by enterprises, print and photocopy piracy strangulate the market for other creative sectors.

4.The Supreme Court held the order of the Gauhati High Court, which had questioned the legality of the formation of CBI, as erroneous and contrary to the express provisions of the constitution and DSPE Act, 1946. The apex court has restored more than 9,000 criminal trials pending in CBI courts throughout the country.
The court has also empowered the CBI to carry on with its probes in the coal scam and 1,000 other cases.
The decision came when an urgent petition was filed by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), nodal Ministry for the CBI.
Noticeably, the establishment of the CBI was earlier challenged in the Rajasthan High Court in 1985 but the petition was quashed.
What is the issue of CBI and Guahati High Court?
Earlier, the Gauhati High Court set aside the Union Home Ministry resolution by which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was formed in 1963. As per the court, the CBI was neither an organ nor part of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DPSE) and thus could not be treated as a “police force” constituted under the DSPE Act.
While the court did not declare the DSPE Act, 1946 an invalid legislation, it held that the CBI was neither an organ nor part of the DSPE and the CBI couldn’t be treated as a police force constituted under the DSPE Act, 1946.
As per the HC, the Resolution, dated April 1, 1963, was neither produced before the President, nor did it ever receive the assent of the President, therefore, the Resolution cannot even be termed the decision of the Government of India and the records show that the CBI is a newly constituted body and not same as DSPE.

5.As per a report by Standard Chartered, Indian economy is likely to become the third largest economy by 2030 behind China and the USA. The report says that the world is in the midst of an economic “super-cycle”.
What is a Super-Cycle?
A super-cycle is a period of historically high global growth, which remains for a generation or more, driven by opening up of new markets, rising trade, high rates of investment, urbanization and technological innovation.

6.Gabriela Isler(25) of Venezuela has been crowned Miss Universe 2013 at a grand finale held in Moscow, Russia. Year 2012 winner Olivia Culpo of the United States placed a diamond crown on the head of Isler.
This is the third win for Venezuela in the last six Miss Universe pageants. Dayana Mendoza and Stefania Fernandez won in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

7.Bangalore based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), which is celebrating its silver jubilee, has been recognized as the institution with the “highest impact” in nano science and technology, according to the Science Citation Index for 2010-11.
Another institute, the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, has been acknowledged as the institute with highest number papers published. The rating was made after an analysis of 90,958 papers published by Indian scientists in 2010-11.

8.The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to ban the heart-clogging trans fats. As per FDA, although manufacturers already have eliminated many trans fats, the average American still eats around a gram of trans fat a day eliminating which could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths each year. Keeping this in mind, the FDA would determine a phase-out timetable in a few months.
What is Trans Fat?
Trans-isomer fatty acids, or trans fats, are a type of unsaturated fat, which is uncommon in nature but can be easily created artificially. These trans-isomer (E-isomer) fatty acids are sometimes mono-unsaturated or polyunsaturated due to the presence of a double carbon–carbon bond, but they are never saturated.
How they are formed?
Trans fats are formed during the processing of polyunsaturated fatty acids in food manufacturing. The fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid, which is why they are often called partially hydrogenated oils. In plants and animals, fatty acids generally have cis (as opposed to trans) unsaturations.
Trans fats are used both in processed food and in restaurants, often to improve the texture, shelf life or flavour. The fats are found in some baked goods such as pie crusts and biscuits and in ready-to-eat frostings.
Why trans fat is harmful to our health?
In humans, consumption of trans fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of the lipoprotein LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and lowering levels of the lipoprotein HDL (“good cholesterol”).

9.India is hosting one of the most coveted chess battles- the World Chess Championship for year 2013 in Chennai. A series of matches will be played between the defending world champion Viswanathan Anand (winner of the 2012 World Championship) and Magnus Carlsen (ranked No. 1 in the world), to determine the 2013 World Chess Champion.

10.The central islands of Philippines were slammed by category-five typhoon Haiyan. The typhoon has been recorded as the strongest recorded typhoon to make landfall. It forced millions of people to flee to safer places or take refuge in storm shelters.
The category-five super typhoon with 275 kph (170 mph) wind gusts and 5-6 metre (15-19 ft) waves smashed the islands of Leyte and Samar.

11.Providing a significant impetus to the government’s disinvestment programme to raise Rs.40,000 crore in this fiscal (2013-14), Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its approval for the Follow-on Public Offer (FPO) of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) to raise about Rs.7,500 crore.
PGCIL will issue its 17% stake through FPO. This includes 13% fresh equity and 4% stake sale by the government. The government will sell 18.51 crore shares in the public sector company.

12.Brazil is celebrating a decade of a social programme Bolsa Familia (Family Grant) that has lifted 50 million people out of poverty and inspired policies in more than 20 nations including India. On this occasion, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has pledged to continue the direct cash transfer scheme until poverty is eradicated from Brazil.
Bolsa Familia (Family Grant or Family Allowance)
It is a social welfare program of the Brazilian government, part of the Fome Zero network of federal assistance programs. The program provides financial assistance to poor Brazilian families; if they have children, families must ensure that the infants attend school and are vaccinated.

13.Pakistan successfully test-fired surface-to-surface short-range Hatf IX (Nasr) missile as part of efforts to strengthen its nuclear arsenal. The test was conducted with successive launches of 4 x missiles (Salvo) from a multi tube launcher.
Nasr, with a range of 60 Kilometer and in-flight maneuver capability, is a quick response system, with shoot and scoot features. It contributes to the full spectrum detterence against threats. Pakistan’s full spectrum deterrence is meant to counter India’s purported Cold Start Doctrine.
What is Cod Start Doctrine of India?
Cod Start Doctrine is a military strategy developed by the Indian Armed Forces for use in a possible war with Pakistan. It involves the various branches of India’s military conducting offensive operations as part of unified battle groups. The Cold Start doctrine is intended to allow India’s conventional forces to perform holding attacks in order to prevent a nuclear retaliation from Pakistan in case of a conflict. The doctrine is intended to allow India’s conventional forces to perform swift and sudden attacks on Pakistan before international pressure could come to bear on India and before the Pakistani military could react within the first 72 hours of a conflict.

14.India’s first renowned masterchef and food writer, Tarla Dalal (77) passed away at her residence in Mumbai.

15.Indian Navy inducted the first fully indigenous Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited at INS Dega in Vishakhapatnam.
About Hawk AJT
Hawk AJT is a dual seat multi-purpose aircraft powered by a single Rolls Royce Adour Mk.871 engine. The AJT is primarily used for basic, advanced and weapons training of the pilots. The aircraft can be used as a ground attack aircraft or for air defence. It has superb flying characteristics with good stability, and has the capability to be flown at night and can perform a wide range of aerobatic manoeuvres.

16.The HRD ministry has given its nod to establish an IIT, an IIM and 3 central universities among other institutes for the region. The decision would be placed before the GoM for consideration. The ministry has also cleared an IISER and an IIIT for the region.

17.After putting the India’s maiden spacecraft to Mars into space from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, the nerve centre of the ongoing Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has been shifted to the Bangalore-based tracking centre,ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command network).

18.As per the announcement by Ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs, New Delhi will host the 12th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to be held from January 7 to January 9, 2014.
The theme of the event is - Engaging Diaspora – Connecting across Generations- with a special focus on the younger generation.

19.India and the US to start their next round of “Malabar” naval war-games in the Bay of Bengal on November 5, 2013. The exercise will be held from November 5, 2013 till November 11, 2013.

20.Armies of India and China are all set to hold their 3rd joint military exercise in China. 150-member Indian contingent arrived in Chengdu city (China) to take part in anti-terrorism drills. The 10-day exercise has been code named “hand in hand” and will be inaugurated on November 6, 2013.

21.Singer of hit songs like ‘Dama Dam Mast Kalandar’ and ‘Lambi Judai’, the legendary India born Pakistani folk singer Reshma passed away. Reshma was born in 1947 in Bikaner (Rajasthan, India) in a Banjara (Gypsy) family. Her tribe migrated to Pakistan soon after partition. She mesmerised music lovers beyond borders with her trademark rustic voice.

22.6 major central banks of the world to make their network of currency swap facility permanent. These banks will convert their temporary bilateral liquidity swap facility into standing facility that will remain permanent until further notice. The 6 central banks are:-
The Bank of Japan
US Federal Reserve
The European Central Bank
The Bank of England
The Central Bank of Canada
The Central Bank of Switzerland
What are the reasons behind making currency swap arrangements permanent?
A prudent liquidity backstop
The Currency swap lines kept a check on the funding costs which had risen very high owing to concerns over counter-party risk in response to the 2007-09 financial crisis
To avoid uncertainty as these Currency swap lines arrangements were next due for review in February 2014

23.Shashi Kant Sharma, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India wonthe election to the UN Board of Auditors. Shashi Kant Sharma won 124 out of 186 votes at the UN General Assembly’s 5th Committee on Administrative and Budgetary questions. India won by 62 votes against its closest contender the Philippines. India had last sat on the board in 1993 for 6 years.
The United Nations Board of Auditors (the ‘Board’) was established in 1946 by the General Assembly. The Auditors-Generals of UN member states are elected to the Board.
Tenure of Office:
Non-consecutive term of 6 years duration. Appointments are staggered in such a way that the term of office of one of the members expires every two years. The General­ Assembly therefore appoints a new Board member every two years.

24.Under the Zero Landless (Citizens) Kerala Project, Kannur (Kerala) has been declared as the the first zero-landless district in India.
What is Zero Landless (Citizens) Kerala Project?
It is a project which seeks to provide 3 cents of land each to 2.44 lakh landless in the State of Kerala by 2015. On October 1, 2013 Ms Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the first phase of the distribution of title deeds to the landless under this Project. About 1 lakh titles are being distributed in the first phase.

25.The world’s first Bitcoin ATM machine which can transact digital currency – Bitcoins -for any official currency has been unveiled in Vancouver, Canada.
The ATM named Robocoin allows users to buy or sell the digital currency known as bitcoins. The ATM in Vancouver is operated by Las Vegas-based Robocoin and Vancouver-based Bitcoiniacs.