Islamic Stat

Islamic State (IS) militant group has destroyed part of historical Temple of Bel in the ancient site of Palmyra in Syria. The ancient temple was dedicated to the Palmyrene gods and was one of the best preserved parts of the historical sites of Palmyra. Key facts The ancient site of Palmyra in ancient times was one of the most important cultural centres and now has monumental ruins of great ancient city. The site boasts a number of monumental projects including more than thousand columns and more than 500 tombs. The art and architecture of this city is blend of Greco-Roman techniques with combination of local traditions and Persian influences, dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries. The ancient city of Palmyra is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was a major tourist attraction of Syria before it descended into civil war. Earlier in August 2015, IS militant group had destroyed the ancient Temple of Baalshamin in same region of Palmyra.

Jain ritual

The Supreme Court (SC) of India has stayed Rajasthan High Court’s order declaring Santhara, a Jain ritual of voluntary and systematic fasting to death illegal. The stay order was given by SC Bench comprising Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy. What is Santhara? Santhara is a religious custom of Jain religion that embraces voluntary death in order to purge oneself of bad ‘karma’ and attain ‘moksha’. The practitioners of this custom take an oath to stop eating until they die of starvation. This oath is taken in consultation with a guru and follows the most detailed of procedures. Background Earlier in August 2015, Rajasthan High Court had banned the practice of Santhara by declaring it as a criminal offence and mentioning it as illegal in the eyes of law. The High Court in its ruling had made this religious practice a punishable offence under section 306 (abetment of suicide) and Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Constitutional Validity Article 25: The Rajasthan High Court in its ruling had mentioned that as per Article 25, religious liberty and freedom is only limited to the scope of essential religious practices of particular religion. So practice of Santhara is not essential religious practice of Jainism. Article 21: The Rajasthan High Court also mentioned that Protection of life and personal liberty does not include Right to die. So it is illegal from this point of view. The ruling of High Court was based on public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate and human rights activist Nikhil Soni to ban this centuries old Jain ritual claiming it as social evil and should be considered as suicide. Jain Community’s Viewpoint Jain community clearly mentioned that the practice of Santhara is an integral part of Jainism and has been mentioned in religious texts. It is also an intrinsic practice to a person’s ethical choice to live with dignity until death and not an exercise in trying to achieve an unnatural death.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal for payment of differential royalty in respect of 28 discovered fields to the respective State Governments concerned. These 28 discovered fields were awarded by the Union Government to different companies in states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Gujarat during the years 1994-95, 2001 and 2004. The royalty payment will be through budgetary allocation from the year 2015-16 onwards instead of Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB) fund. Financial Implication: The estimated expenditure for the year 2015-16 based on this payment mechanism has been estimated at 56 crore rupees of which 30 crore rupees for Arunachal Pradesh and 26 crore rupees for Gujarat. This expenditure is calculated assuming average crude oil price of 50 US dollars per barrel and one US dollar being equivalent to 60 rupees. Background The Standing Committee on Petroleum & Natural Gas (SCPNG) while examining the functioning of OIDB had recommended that differential Royalty to the concerned State Governments should be made through budgetary allocation, rather than OIDB fund in order to ensure proper utilization of the fund. What is Payment of differential royalty? In the approved proposal, payment of differential royalty is the difference between the rates of Royalty as per provisions of Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and the notified rate of Royalty on crude oil production. What is current Royalty payment mechanism? Currently, OIDB pays differential Royalty to respective State Governments based on the Oilfields (Regulation & Development) Act, 1948 and Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules, 1959. In this case, the differential Royalty is the difference between the Royalty rates as per PSC and the notified rate of Royalty on crude oil production.

India and Egypt have signed two Memorandum of Understandings

India and Egypt have signed two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in the field of Tourism, Scientific and Technical. These MoUS were signed during the visit of Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Egypt in Egypt. Signed MoUs are MoU on Cooperation in the field of Tourism: It seeks to enhance the bilateral cooperation in the field of Tourism, Hospitality and Human Resource Development (HRD) between both nations. It also seeks to draw up a road map to enhance cooperation and establish a Joint Working Group (JWG). MoU Scientific and Technical Cooperation: Signatory parties are Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of India and National Research Center (NRC) of Egypt. It seeks to support extension and promotion of cooperation in Technology Development and Scientific Research in fields of mutual interest of both countries. India, Egypt relations India is Egypt’s sixth largest trading partner. Top five Indian exports to Egypt include meat, petroleum products, transport equipment, cotton yarns and instruments. Potential sector for India to enhance trade also includes Energy and pharmaceuticals.

Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030

Union Government has announced it plans to implement the Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in letter and spirit. It was announced by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Kiren Rijiju after inaugurating a workshop on Enhancing Private Sector Partnership for Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi. About Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 It was adopted during the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan in March 2015. Its adaptation involves adopting integrated and inclusive institutional measures in order to work towards preventing vulnerability to disaster. It also seeks to increase preparedness for response and recovery and strengthen resilience in case of disaster. It opts for considering the experience gained through international and the regional strategies/institutions and plans for disaster risk reduction.

2011 census data on religion

As per recently released 2011 census data on religion, the proportion Muslim population in India has increased by 0.8 per cent and Hindu population has declined by 0.7 per cent. This religion based data during 2001-2011 was released by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. Key facts Population Composition: The total population of India was 121.09 crore population of which 96.63 crores are Hindus, 17.22 crores are Muslims, 2.78 crore  are Christians. Sikhs constitutes 2.08 crore, Buddhist 84 lakh, Jains 45 lakh and other religions and persuasions 79 lakh. Growth Rate: The overall decadal population growth rate was 17. 7 per cent. The growth rate of Muslims was 24.6 per cent, Hindus 16.8, Christians 15.5, Sikh 8.4, Buddhist 6.1 and Jain 5.4 per cent. Sikh population has declined by 0.2 per cent and Buddhist by 0.1 per cent. There has been no significant change in the population of Jains and Christians. Top 5 states/UTs having highest Muslim Population: Lakshadweep (96.2 per cent), Jammu & Kashmir (68.3), Assam (34. 2), West Bengal (27) and Kerala (26.6). As per 2001 census, India’s total population was 102 crores of which Muslim population comprised of 13.8 crore (13.4 per cent) and Hindu were 82.75 crore (80.45 per cent).

Tata Trusts has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Government to develop 264 villages. Under this initiative, all 264 villages in the Vijayawada constituency will be developed in order to transform them into smart villages. The project has been jointly undertaken by local Lok Sabha MP Kesineni Srinivas and the Tata Trust as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Tata Group. It should be noted that this is the first of its kind of project undertaken by Tata Trust in the country to develop all villages of a single Parliamentary constituency. As part of this initiative, the trusts will work in the areas of education, drinking water, health and nutrition, self-employment for the youth, bamboo cultivation, fisheries etc. by developing each village. Around 2.5 lakh households in all villages of this constituency will benefit from this ambitious project. The identified activities which will be under taken in this initiative are based on comprehensive household survey in all villages which was conducted by Tata Trust.

इण्डिगो एयरलाइन कम्पनी

 इण्डिगो (IndiGo) वर्तमान में भारत की सबसे बड़ी एयरलाइन कम्पनी है जो कम कीमतों के एयर फेयर वर्ग में संचालन करती है। इण्डिगो ने अक्टूबर 2014 में एयरबस (Airbus) से 250 एयरबस A320 Neo विमान खरीदने का प्राविधिक करार किया था तथा अब 15 अगस्त 2015 को इसी करार को अंतिम रूप में स्वीकार कर लिया गया है। यह एयरबस के इतिहास में विमानों की संख्या के आधार पर अब तक का सबसे बड़ा सौदा है जबकि कुल मूल्य के आधार पर यह दूसरा सबसे बड़ा सौदा है। इस सौदे से इण्डिगो भारत में A320 श्रेणी के विमानों की सबसे बड़ी संचालक भी बन जायेगी। उल्लेखनीय है कि एयरबस A320 Neo एयरबस A320 श्रेणी के विमानों का बिल्कुल नया तथा हल्का स्वरूप है तथा यह ईंधन की काफी किफायत प्रदान करता है। इस विमान का सीधा मुकाबला बोइंग के 737 मैक्स (Boeing 737 Max) विमान से है।

Roger Federer

World number two, Roger Federer from Switzerland has won the Cincinnati Masters title for record seventh time in men’s singles title category. In the final match played at Ohio near Cincinnati, US he defeated world number one, Novak Djokovic by 7–6, 7-1 and 6–3 score. Earlier, Roger Federer had won this title in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014. Other Results Women’s Singles Title: Serena Williams (US) won the women’s Singles Title by defeating Simona Halep (Romania) by 6–3, 7–6 and 7–5 score. Men’s Doubles champions Title: Daniel Nestor (Canada) and Édouard Roger-Vasselin (France) pair won by defeating Marcin Matkowski (Poland) and Nenad Zimonjić (Serbia) pair by 6–2, 6–2 score. Women’s Doubles champions Title: Chinese Taipei pair of Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan won by defeating Casey Dellacqua (Australia) and Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) pair by 7–5, 6–4 score. Cincinnati Masters titles: It is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city started in September 1899.  It is the second largest summer tennis event in the after the US Open in US.

Grown a replica of a human brain

Scientists from United States (US) have successfully grown a replica of a human brain in a laboratory dish. This medical breakthrough research was undertaken team of researchers from Ohio State University led by Professor Rene Anand. Key facts The brain called ‘Organoid’ was created from reprogrammed skin cells. It is about the size of a pencil eraser. In order to build the replica human brain, the research team had transformed adult skin cells by altering their genes into induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells. This had resulted in artificial creation of stem cells which were then wheedled into developing different cell types and signalling circuitry of the brain including neurons and their signal-carrying projections, axons and dendrites along with blood circulation. This artificially grown brain also contains support and immune cells. Potential Application: This medical breakthrough can act as an essential tool in the testing of new drugs and research into brain disorders including Alzheimer.

भारत-प्रशांत द्वीप सहयोग मंच

 भारत-प्रशांत द्वीप सहयोग मंच (Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation – FIPIC) का द्वितीय शिखर सम्मेलन (Summit) 21 अगस्त 2015 को भारत के किस शहर में आयोजित हुआ जिसमें प्रशांत द्वीपीय देशों के 14 राष्ट्राध्यक्षों ने भागीदारी की? – जयपुर (Jaipur) द्वितीय FIPIC शिखर सम्मेलन का आयोजन कर भारत प्रशांत महासागर स्थित इन द्वीपीय देशों के साथ व्यापार और निवेश सम्बन्धों को और ऊँचाई पर ले जाना चाहता है। उल्लेखनीय है कि ये देश प्राकृतिक संपदा के मामले में काफी धनी हैं। इसके अलावा यह देश दक्षिणी प्रशांत महासागर में अपनी अवस्थिति के लिहाज से रणनीतिक रूप से काफी महत्वपूर्ण हैं। इस शिखर सम्मेलन हुए देश थे – फीजी (Fiji), मार्शल आइलैण्ड्स (Marshall Islands), नौरू (Nauru), नियु (Niue), पलाऊ (Palau), पापुआ न्यू गिनी (Papua New Guinea), समोआ (Samoa), तुवालु (Yuvalu), वनुआतु (Vanuatu), कुक आइलैण्ड्स (Cook Islands), किरिबाती (Kiribati), माइक्रोनेशिया (Micronesia), सोलोमन आइलैण्ड्स (Solomon Islands) और टोंगा (Tonga)।

carbon nanofibres

Scientists from United States have discovered a way to take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and convert it into valuable manufacturing material carbon nanofibres (CNFs). This method was discovered team of researchers led by Prof Stuart Licht of Washington DC based George Washington University. In this regard, they have developed a practical system. Key findings CO2 from air is absorbed by this system and converted into carbon nanofibres (CNFs). Working: This solar-powered system runs on few volts of electricity. When electricity is passed through a tank filled with a hot, molten salt the atmospheric CO2 is absorbed by the fluid in the tank. This absorbed CO2 is converted into tiny CNFs which are slowly deposited at one of the electrodes of the system. Currently the small lab model of this system produces around 10 grams of nanofibres in an hour. Implication and Potential Application: It could offer a cheaper way of making carbon nanofibres than existing costly methods which are too expensive for many applications. It can also play important role in absorbing or sequestering excess atmospheric CO2 emissions which is one of the leading factor of climate change. Carbon nanofibers (CNFs): It is cylindric nanostructures with graphene layers arranged as stacked cones, cups or plates structure. It has high tensile strength, less distortions with changes in temperature and high electromagnetic shielding. Graphene layers of CNFs wrapped into perfect cylinders are called carbon nanotubes. Applications of CFNs: They are already used in high-end applications such as electronic components and batteries. They are used as lightweight carbon composites materials in aircraft and car components.

Poratl For Education Loan

The portal has been developed and maintained by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited (NSDL e-Gov) under the guidance of Ministry of Finance, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA). It is a first of its kind portal that provides access to information and makes application for educational loans provided by banks and also government scholarships under a single window. The portal also has a provision to apply to multiple banks for educational loans and facility for banks to download students’ loan applications among others. It also carter facility for banks to upload loan processing status and students can view status of their loan application and linkage to National Scholarship Portal for information and application for government scholarships on the dashboard of the portal. Up till now over 13 banks have registered and 22 educational loan schemes on the Vidya Lakshmi Portal. SBI, Bank of India, IDBI Bank, Canara Bank & Union Bank of India have integrated their system with the portal for providing loan processing status to students.

start payments banks

Reserve Bank of India granted ‘in-principle’ approval to 11 applicants to start payments banks. The Committee of the Central Board (CCB) of RBI has selected 11 entities among the 41 applicant who has the reach and the technological and financial strength to provide service to the customers and promote government’s initiative of financial inclusion across the country. The selected applicants are: Reliance Industries Airtel M Commerce Services Tech Mahindra Vodafone m-pesa Aditya Birla Nuvo Department of Posts Cholamandalam Distribution Services Fino PayTech PayTm National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) Sun Pharma. As per RBI notification for Payment Banks: RBI has given ‘in principle’ approval to these 11 applicants to set payment banks is valid for 18 month period. The payments banks will be able to take deposits and remittances, internet banking and other specified services but cannot undertake lending services. Their holding are restricted to a maximum balance of Rs 1 lakh per individual customer. They can issue ATM/debit cards but not credit cards and can also issue other prepaid payment instruments. They can distribute non-risk sharing simple financial products like mutual funds and insurance products. Non resident Indians will not be allowed to open accounts in payment banks. Finance Minister had directed RBI to create a framework for licensing payment banks so as to meet government’s financial inclusion target. It is mandatory for payment banks to hold minimum capital of Rs. 100 crore. FDI of 74 per cent is allowed in payment bank. Selection: The applicants were detailed inspected by an External Advisory Committee (EAC) under the Chairmanship of Dr. Nachiket Mor the Director, Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India.

Bangladesh has won maiden Under-16

Bangladesh has won maiden Under-16 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) championship title 2015. In the title clash played at the Sylhet District Stadium the hosts defeated defending champions India 4-2 in penalties shoot out. In the regular play, both team had scored equal one goal against each other. The goals were scored by Fahim Murshed (Bangladesh) in the 46th minute and later Amay Morajkar (India) scored equalised goal in the 60th minute of the match. In the penalty shootout, Bangladesh did not miss any of their four penalties, while India failed to score its second and fourth shootout resulting Bangladesh to win title for the first time. In this edition Under-16 SAFF tournament Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and the Maldives had participated.

Demarcation of eco-sensitive zone

Union Government has completed the demarcation of eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the Okhla Bird Sanctuary in the national capital region (NCR) of Delhi. It was announced by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar mentioning that notification in this regard will be issued soon. Earlier, National Green Tribunal (NGT) had passed an order barring any infrastructure development within 10 kilometre radius from the sanctuary’s boundary. This order did not allow the people to get occupancy certificates who had booked flats in this protected area. In order solve this problem NGT had directed the Union Ministry of Environment to issue the final notification on ESZ demarcation around the sanctuary. Once the final demarcation notification is issued by the government, the home buyers outside the ESZ will be allowed to get occupancy certificates of their flats which were pending due to NGT’s order. About Okhla Bird Sanctuary Okhla Bird Sanctuary is situated in Noida Gautam Buddh Nagar district on Delhi-Uttar Pradesh state border. Location: Okhla barrage over Yamuna River at the point where the river enters Uttar Pradesh. It was designated a bird sanctuary in 1990 with an area of 3.5 square kilometres by the Uttar Pradesh Government of under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Okhla Bird Sanctuary is known as a haven for over 300 bird species, especially waterbirds.

General Election of Srilanka 2015

United National Party (UNP) led United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) has emerged as largest group by winning 106 seats in a 225 member Sri Lankan. Leader of the UNFGG and UNP and current Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to form a new government with the support of 95 MPs of United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena. Background Sri Lankan parliamentary election 2015 was held on 17 August 2015 to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka’s 15th Parliament. The voter turnout for this election was record 77.66 per cent. Seat Allocation: Of the total 225 seats, 196 were to be directly elected from 22 multi-member electoral districts based on open party-list proportional representation method. While, remaining 29 seats are National list seats which are allotted to the parties on basis of their overall votes secured by them. Party wise results United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) – 93 seats were won in direct election and 13 seats in National list. Thus total seats won are 106. United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) – won 83 seats directly won and 12 seats in National list. Thus total seats won are 95. It should be noted that UPFA was led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Tamil National Alliance (TNA)-won 16 seats. They are largest party representing Sri Lankan Tamils. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna– won 6 seats. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress– won 1 seat. Eelam People’s Democratic Party- won 1 seat.

Tamil Nadu state has topped in organ donation in the country by harvesting organs of 683 persons and donating them to over 3000 beneficiaries. It was announced by State Health Minister C Vijaya Bhaskar after state observed Organ Donation Day on 13th August 2015. In Tamil Nadu, the overall organ transplantations included 144 heart transplants, 636 liver transplants, 1233 kidney, 69 lung transplants, 4 pancreas, 618 heart valves, 2 small bowels, 1,032 cornea, 22 skin and 2 blood vessels. The success of the voluntarily organ donation in the state has been attributed of Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TATN) which was established in 2008. The TATN had played pivotal role in streamlining organ transplantation in the state.

China successfully tested the power system (engines)

China successfully tested the power system (engines) of its stated to be the largest space launch vehicle viz. Long March-5 carrier. In the test engines of the rocket were successfully fired on the ground. This power system will be used in China’s ambitious Chang’e-5 lunar mission of 2017. Key facts Long March-5 has the carrying capacity twice of the payload compared to other present carriers of China. It has payload capacity of 25 tonnes to low Earth orbits and 14 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit. Thus, greatly increasing China’s ability to enter space with higher payload. The launch vehicle uses non-toxic and non-polluting liquefied propellant with high trust generating capacity. It will play important role in the final chapter of China’s ambition of building manned space stations and 3 step current program of orbiting, landing and returning from lunar mission. About Long March rocket family It should be noted that since 1970s, the Long March rocket family of China has completed more than 200 missions. China’s first satellite, Dong Fang Hong (the East is Red)-1 was successfully put into Earth orbit by Long March-1 on 24 April 1970 (after one failed attempt in November 1969).

IRDAI

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has allowed banks to tie up with insurers. This decision was taken as part of the IRDAI’s new Bancassurance model guidelines which will be notified soon. Prior to this decision, banks were not allowed to  have insurance agency tie-ups with more than one insurer. As per new decision banks can tie up with nine insurers from three segments viz. life, non–life and standalone health. It will not be binding on banks and they are free to take their call. Earlier, IRDAI had constituted a 7 member committee to study the reviewing of the existing architecture of the Banacassurance model. About Bancassurance model Bancassurance is a French term referred as selling of insurance through a bank’s. Thus it can be said that Bancassurance= Banks as Insurance Agents. In this case, selling insurance means distribution of insurance and other financial products of insurance companies through Banks. Under this model banks act as a major distribution channel for insurers which in turn helps them to generate profits from alternative source. This model originated in France and soon spread to other European countries. In case of India a number of insurers have already tied up with banks under bancassurance model and some banks already have flagged off selected insurance products.

PAHAL scheme

Union Government’s ambitious Pratyaksha Hastaantarit Laabh (PAHAL) scheme has been acknowledged as the world’s largest cash transfer program (households) by the Guinness Book of World Records. Pratyaksha Hastaantarit Laabh (PAHAL) scheme The scheme was formally launched as Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme for LPG subsidy in 2013 in 291 districts under the aegis of Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It was modified and christened as PaHal in November 2014 and was launched in 54 districts. Later it was extended nationwide on 1 January 2015. Under the scheme, subsidized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders are sold at market rates and consumers are entitled to receive LPG subsidy directly into their bank accounts. It is done either through bank account or Aadhaar linkage. Currently it covers more than 9.75 crore LPG consumers across the country. The scheme aims at reducing eliminating duplication or bogus LPG connections and its diversion. It also seeks to meet substantive savings in LPG subsidy. Success of the scheme: It is attributed to the intensive Information and Education Campaign of  Petroleum ministry which comprised of intensive advertising through various means. It is also attributed to dealer level campaigns and direct reaching out to consumers.

अमिताभ बच्चन बचाएंगे बाघ

महाराष्ट्र सरकार ने अमिताभ बच्चन को राज्य में 'बाघ संरक्षण' के लिए ऐम्बेसडर चुना है.
इस घोषणा के साथ ही महाराष्ट्र सरकार ने उन्हें बाघ का एक पुतला भी उपहार में दिया है.
अमिताभ ने बताया कि वे बाघ संरक्षण मुहिम में पहले से शामिल हैं और इस मुद्दे की एहमियत समझते हैं.
अमिताभ कहते हैं, "बाघ के संरक्षण से सिर्फ़ एक जीव का ही नहीं पर्यावरण का भी संरक्षण होता है और महाराष्ट्र में तो कुल 6 टाइगर रिज़र्व हैं. ऐसे में इस प्राकृतिक संपदा के लिए मैं कुछ कर सकूं तो मुझे ख़ुशी होगी.''
अमिताभ बच्चन
वे कहते हैं, "बहुत लोगों को पता नहीं है कि देश में सबसे ज़्यादा 199 बाघ महाराष्ट्र में हैं. इसे और बढ़ाने का इरादा है."
अमिताभ इसी समारोह के दौरान शोले के 40 साल पूरे होने के सवाल पर थोड़ा मज़ाक़ में आ गए और फिर बोले, "मान्यवर वैसे तो ये मुद्दा टाइगर का है तो बातें टाइगर की होनी चाहिए लेकिन शोले भी टाइगर से कम नहीं है."

Acharya Dev Vrat was sworn in as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh

Acharya Dev Vrat was sworn in as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh at oath taking ceremony held in Raj Bhawan, Shimla. He is 27th Governor and 18th regular Governor of the Himachal Pradesh, since it was granted full statehood in 1971. Vrat took his oath of office in Sanskrit and it was administered by Chief Justice of the Himachal High Court, Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir as per provisions of Article 159 of Constitution. About Acharya Dev Vrat Acharya Dev Vrat is an eminent educationist and hails from Haryana. He was born on 18 January 1959. He holds double post-graduate in History and Hindi from the Punjab and Kurukshetra University, respectively. He also has studied Naturopathy and Yogic Science. He has served as Principal (Pracharya) in Samprati Gurukul, Kurukshetra for 34 years and had been actively involved in social activities including girl’s education, promotion of Yoga, Ayurveda and naturopathy and environment protection. He has also authored several books including Gurukul Kurukshetra ka Gauravshali Itihaas, Swasthya ka Anmol Marg – Prakritik Chikitsa (Hindi and English editions) besides, editing various magazines and translation works.

Government of India and the World Bank signed the Financing Agreement

On 11 August 2015 Government of India and the World Bank signed the Financing Agreement for the assistance of National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project- I & II (NCRMP- I & II) for $ 104.00 Million and $ 308.40 Million respectively. The two separate financing agreements were signed for NCRMP- I & II under a common objective for coastal states to mitigate vulnerability to the cyclone and hazards prone coastal communities. NCRMP-I covers States of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. NCRMP-II covers States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala,  and West Bengal The agreement for the project with respect to these state were signed by the representatives of the respective State Governments. Objective of NCRMP-I&II It proposes to reduce vulnerability to cyclone and other hydro-meteorological hazards of coastal communities in the respective States through; Establishing Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) and Capacity building for coastal communities. By increasing the capacity of the State entities to effectively plan for and respond to disasters. Establishing Cyclone Risk Mitigation Infrastructure and early warning systems benefitting coastal communities in the target states. Financing technical assistance for strengthening of multi-hazard risk management at the national level. Supporting Project Management and Implementation of project. Implementation: The project is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs through National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and executed by the respective State Disaster Management Authorities at the State level.

Aadhar card is not mandatory

The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that Aadhar card is not mandatory for availing benefits of various welfare schemes of the government. Ruling in this regard was given by three-judge Constitution bench of SC while on hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Aadhar scheme. Supreme Court ruling Not mandatorily for citizens to have Aadhar card. The card will not be mandatory for availing facilities Public Distribution Scheme (PDS), kerosene and LPG distribution system. Barred the government authorities from sharing personal biometric data collected for enrollment under the scheme. Union Government shall give wide publicity through print and electronic media that the card is not mandatory to avail the schemes. Restrained Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) from sharing any personal biometric details of Aadhar cardholders with anyone. However it can be shared in case of criminal investigation monitored or mandated by a court order. It should be noted that Constitution bench of SC will decide the larger question of whether right to privacy was a fundamental right and if collecting biometric data for preparing Aadhar cards infringed an individual’s privacy in the another ruling.

Asia’s biggest telescope MAST inaugurated at Udaipur Solar Observatory in Rajasthan

Multi-Application Solar Telescope (MAST), Asia’s biggest telescope was inaugurated at the Udaipur Solar Observatory in Rajasthan. It was inaugurated by Professor U.R Rao, Chairman of Physical Research Laboratory, inaugurated. Facts about of MAST The telescope was installed under the project undertaken by Union Ministry of Science and Technology and was funded by Department of Space (DoS). The project will be monitored by Ahmedabad based Physical Research Laboratory. Features: MAST has a lens of 50 cm in diameter. These lenses were developed on the basis of optical and mechanical system of Belgium. The rear part of MAS has been developed by the observatory while its front part was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). MAST has been designed in 2004 and its optical elements were added to it in 2008. In 2013, it was installed at the Udaipur Solar Observatory. Applications: It will provide 3 Dimensional (3D) images of solar activities such as solar blast and solar flares. It will also in vital studies about other planetary movements even in the day time. Site Specifications: Udaipur Solar Observatory was chosen as project site due to pleasant temperature around it as it is surrounded by water. Besides, the site provides ambient spot for observatory as it has more than 250 days of continuous sunshine, allowing observing the sun properly during day time.

Union Government to allow Aadhaar enrolments of NRIs, PIOs, OICs

Union Government has decided to allow Aadhaar enrollment of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), Overseas Citizen of India (OCIs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). It was announced by Union Planning Minister Rao Inderjit Singh in written reply to Lok Sabha. This move will help all persons on the Indian soil (including resident Indian, OCI/PIO, NRIs and visa holding visitors) to authenticate their identity digitally. In this regard Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is working on the policy for Aadhaar enrolment of NRIs, PIOs and OICs as per directions from the government. However, no time frame has been formulated at this stage for achieving the goal. Presently, UIDAI is providing Aadhaar number all residents including Indian national and foreigners with valid visas who are enrolling for it. About Aadhaar number Union Government had established UIDAI in January 2009 to issue Aadhaar numbers to all citizens which can be verified digitally using the database. Aadhaar  is a 12-digit unique identity number which helps enrolled persons in availing various services and benefits provided by the government. It is considered the world’s largest national identification number project. It is also valid as know your customers (KYC) document for various services including banking, cooking gas subsidy, government scholarships, telecom, vehicle registration and driving licence, public distribution system and pension. It should be noted that UIDAI was earlier attached to Planning Commission of India and now it is attached to the NITI Aayog. So far it has allotted around 89.43 Aadhaar numbers to Indian citizens.

India-Pakistan partition

Partitioning India on religious ground was a nasty idea of colonial British. It was designed to sow the seeds of long term future confrontation on the Indian sub-Continent after they departed. Leaving intact a giant nation would not be in the interest of global political interests. The colonial looters would have been happier creating more fragments but could not find other sectarian leaders outside the Muslim community. For example, Christian missionaries had not converted sizeable number of people into Christianity so they could not create another State for them.

Anyway, birth of  Pakistan in the name of Islam was a great victory of  a handful Islamic separatists, led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah whose lifestyle was anything but Islamic. Almost instantly, their political ambitions reached stratospheric heights – they just discovered that they can grab anything, in the name of Islam. Kashmir and Balochistan soon became victims of Pakistani greed – again in the name of Islam – people of these regions are still the biggest victims even after over six decades of India’s partition and creation of Islamic Pakistan.

Partition fuelled the communal disharmony, leading to massive blood-bath and mass migration of Hindus and Muslims from both sides. It gave wounds to lakhs of people that would take generations to heal.  Wise people rightly say:  Religious fanaticism is as deadly as the epidemics of Cholera, Malaria or Ebola. A lot of wise and progressive Muslims consciously chose to stay in India, away from fanaticism of some of their co-religions, and feel satisfied looking at the status of  today’s highly radicalized Pakistani society.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have inked MoU to impart training to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to make them competitive and boost productivity. The MoU was signed as part of the second phase of Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) Global Programme. The second phase covers three years period from January 2014 to December 2017 wherein national institutes will provide training to MSMEs. SCORE is a training programme which seeks to empower employers and workers and increase productivity and competitiveness of MSMEs. It is being supported by the Norway Agency for Development Cooperation (NADC) and the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SSEA). Presently it is operational in eight countries including India. In case of India, the objective of SCORE is entrusted with building capacity of industry body FICCI in 3 phases. It seeks to enable the FICCI to effectively coordinate and manage SCORE training services. Each phase under this global programme will approximately have year or more period and will be governed by a technical partnership agreement. The first phase was covered between October 2009 and December 2013.

तीरंदाज़ी टीम की स्टार खिलाड़ी दीपिका कुमारी

रियो ओलंपिक में अपनी जगह पक्की कराने वाली भारतीय महिला तीरंदाज़ी टीम की स्टार खिलाड़ी दीपिका कुमारी का कहना है कि पुराने खिलाड़ियों पर अच्छे प्रदर्शन का भारी दबाव रहता है.
पिछले दिनों दीपिका कुमारी, लक्ष्मीरानी माझी और रिमिल बूरूली की तिकड़ी ने महिला रिकर्व टीम स्पर्धा के लिए रियो ओलंपिक का टिकट हासिल किया.
यह उपलब्धि उन्होंने डेनमार्क में आयोजित विश्व तीरंदाज़ी चैंपियनशिप में हासिल की. इस टीम ने फाइनल में रूस के साथ 5-4 से हारने के बाद रजत पदक हासिल किया.
विश्व चैंपियनशिप में महिला टीम रिकर्व मुक़ाबलों में 10वीं वरीयता के साथ खेलने वाली भारतीय टीम के लिए यह क़ामयाबी बेहद विशेष है.
इसके अलावा भारत के रजत चौहान ने कंपाउड स्पर्धा में रजत पदक जीता. किसी भी विश्व तीरंदाज़ी चैंपियनशिप में भारत को मिलने वाली यह सबसे बड़ी कामयाबी है.
दीपिका कुमारी, लक्ष्मीरानी माझी और रिमिल बूरूली ने बीबीसी से ख़ास बातचीत की.

पैंक्रियाटिक कैंसर

इंग्लैंड और स्पेन के वैज्ञानिकों ने एक कम खर्च वाला टेस्ट विकसित किया है जिससे पैंक्रियाटिक कैंसर का पता शुरूआती चरण में ही लगाया जा सकेगा. वैज्ञानिक इसे एक महत्त्वपूर्ण और उत्साहित करने वाला कदम मान रहे हैं. पैंक्रियाटिक कैंसर यानी अग्न्याशय के कैंसर में रोगी के बचने की काफी कम संभावना देखी जाती है. तीन प्रोटीन लगाएंगे कैंसर का पता  इस टेस्ट में पेशाब में तीन प्रोटीन की जांच की जाती है.
अब तक इस टेस्ट के 90 फीसदी नतीजे सही पाए गए हैं. लंदन के बार्ट्स कैन्सर सेन्टर के प्रोफेसर निक लेमोइन ने संयुक्त रूप से इस टेस्ट पर रिपोर्ट लिखी है. प्रोफेसर निक लेमोइन ने कहा, "हम चाहते हैं कि ऐसे अवसर हों कि शुरूआती चरण में ही कैंसर का पता लगाया जा सके. इन तीन प्रोटीन के निशान केवल उन रोगियों के पेशाब में मिलते हैं जिन्हें अग्न्याशय का कैंसर है." उन्होंने कहा, "हम चाहते हैं कि अग्न्याशय के कैंसर से आश्चर्यजनक रूप से बचने वालों की जो संख्या है वह बढ़े. वर्तमान स्थिति यह है कि काफी कम रोगियों की सर्जरी हो पाती है और बहुत कम लोग स्वस्थ हो पाते हैं." रोगियों के लिए उम्मीद की किरण pancreatic cancer spl एलिसन स्टंट को आठ साल पहले पता चला कि उन्हें पैंक्रियाटिक कैन्सर है और वे उन चंद लोगों में से हैं जो बच पाई हैं. एलिसन ने कहा, "मुझे उम्मीद है कि कई अन्य लोग नए टेस्ट की वजह से इस जानलेवा कैंसर से बच पाएंगे." (बीबीसी हिन्दी के एंड्रॉएड ऐप के लिए यहां क्लिक करें. आप हमें फ़ेसबुक और ट्विटर पर फ़ॉलो भी कर सकते हैं.)