Monday, 14 September 2015

Current Affairs. 11th to 14th September 2015.


- According to a World Bank Report 2015 on Ease of Doing of Business.
_Gujarat bags top slot. AP, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh & MP among first 5 .
_The report assesses implementation status of 98-point reform measures across the following eight areas: Setting up a business, Allotment of land and obtaining construction permit, Complying with environment procedures, Complying with labour regulations, Obtaining infrastructure related utilities, Registering and complying with tax procedures, Carrying out inspections and Enforcing contracts.

- China has build the world's longest solar park in Pakistan. Pakistan will get about 100 MW electricity with the help of this solar park. China has installed around 400,000 solar panels to build the world's longest Solar Park. The park is being installed on 200 hectares.

- Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to submit State Annual Action Plan under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) targeting universal coverage in respect of water supply connections and sewerage connections to all urban households in the state. The State Government has proposed projects under these two categories worth Rs.1,087 cr for approval by the Union Urban Development Ministry during the current financial year. Under the State Annual Action Plan, AMRUT projects are proposed to be taken up in 13 of the 28 AMRUT cities in Rajasthan.

- The UN General Assembly gave its overwhelming approval to a Palestinian resolution which permits the flag of Palestine to fly at the UN Headquarters in New York, despite this country not being a member of the UN.

- India and Australia began their first bilateral naval exercise that will focus on anti-submarine warfare as the two countries look at deepening defence cooperation especially in the Indian Ocean. AUSINDEX-15 is being conducted off the east coast of India from September 11-19.

- Obituary.
Renowned water policy expert Ramaswamy R. Iyer passed away in New Delhi. He was 86. Iyer was known for forming an expert committee on water policy and environmental issues. His last held position was that of an honorary research professor at the Centre for Policy Research. Prior to that, Iyer served as Secretary of Water Resources in the central government as an officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service.

- The Indian government has approved the purchase of 10 missile-armed drones from Israel — a crucial acquisition that will enhance India's cross-border military strike capability. Government approved this $400-million proposal for buying armed Heron TP drones from Israel. These drones will be operated by the Indian Air Force.

- All about Mooshak.
_Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a Hindi networking site, 'Mooshak' envisaged on the lines of popular English social media platform Twitter in the 10th World Hindi Conference. This new networking site is targeted at Hindi language buffs. According to the Hindi networking site's CEO Anurag Gaud the word limit on Twitter is 140, while in 'Mooshak' it is 500 words. 'Mooshak' can be accessed on smart-phones by downloading it from Google Play Store or visiting its website of the same name. The Madhya Pradesh capital is hosting the 10th World Hindi Conference from September 10 to 12. The three-day meet is being organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

- The Union Cabinet allowed 100% FDI under the automatic route for white label ATM operation. White labeled ATMs are set up by private non-bank companies that own and operate their own brand of ATMs. Till date, foreign investment in White Label ATM Operations (WLAO), was allowed through the government approval route. This required some processing time and projects were delayed. The move to allow 100% FDI under the automatic route for white label ATM operations is expected to promote financial inclusion in the country.

- Axis Bank has launched the mobile wallet app 'LIME'  to shop, pay and bank

Axis Bank will allow customers   both account and non-account holders  to compare and shop, split bills, transfer money and even share their mobile banking wallets. This will be through the lender's mobile banking app, 'LIME'. The country's third-largest private sector lender launched the app.

- Indian scientists decode Tulsi plant genome
_BY- A multi-institutional team led by Sowdhamini Ramanathan from the National Centre of Biological Science, Bengaluru.
_ First report of draft genome
_The genome map will help in making new medicines using the plant.
_Tulsi to make ursolic acid a medically important compound
_The plant synthesises a wide range of bioactive compounds, known for their anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-pyretic and anti-cancer properties.
_These compounds are metabolites, compounds that are a by-product of plant metabolism, typically used for plant self-defence. These metabolites are very poorly understood because of lack of genomic information.

- All about Paryushana Parv.
Paryushana Parv Celebrated across India
_Paryushana  Parv is an important Jain festival celebrated by the Jain community in the month of August or September.
_Normally Svetambaras refer to it as Paryushana, while Digambaras refer it as Das Lakshana.
_Paryushana means "abiding, coming together". The duration of Paryusana is for eight days for Swetambar jains and ten days for jains belonging to the Digambara sect.
_Paryusana is a time when the laity take on vows of study and fasting with a spiritual intensity similar to temporary monasticism.
Recently, Bombay HC upheld the ban at Mumbai but ban takes place in other part of the country includes Ahmedabad, J&K etc.
On 14 March 2008, The Supreme Court of India upheld the ban on slaughter houses in Ahmedabad during Paryushan festival for 8 days .
_The date for the Paryushana festival is Bhadra shukla chaturthi. For this minimum duration, Paryushana must be initiated by panchami (the fifth day) of the shukla paksha phase of Bhadra._
_The last day is called Samvatsari, short for Samvatsari Pratikramana.
_During the 8day festival, the Svetambaras Murtipujaki recite the Kalpa Sūtra, which includes a recitation of the section on birth of Mahavira on the fifth day. Some Śvētāmbara Sthanakvasis recite the Antagada Sutra, which details the life of great men and women who attained moksha during the eras of Neminatha and Mahavira.

- Indian-American Jagdeep Grewal sworn-in as the first woman postmaster of Sacramento city in California. With her swearing-in, Sacramento got a female postmaster after a span of 166 years.

- Scientists have discovered a new ancestral species in the human family tree dubbed as Homonaledi in South Africa.
_The new discovered species were named after the location where it was found i.e. naledi which means star in Sesotho, a local South African language.

- Dr. G Satheesh Reddy, an eminent missile scientist of DRDO conferred with prestigious Silver Medal by London based Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS).

- Largest volcano of Japan Mount Aso Volcano erupted .
_The 1592-metre Mount Aso is one of the most active peaks in Japan but is also a popular hiking spot.
_It is also the second largest mountain in Japan and is one of the biggest calderas in the world, encompassing an area 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) north to south and 18 kilometers (11.2 miles) east to west.
_ Japan is located in a horseshoe-shaped band of fault lines and volcanoes running around the edges of the Pacific Ocean known as Ring of Fire. There are over 100 active volcanoes in the area.

- TN to set up Tamil Nadu Fibernet Corporation to implement the Union Government's Bharatnet scheme.
_The corporation will be established at an estimated cost of 3000 crore rupees and will oversee the linkage of 12524 villages in the state through optical fibre network.

- Axis Bank has launched the mobile wallet app 'LIME'  to shop, pay and bank
_Axis Bank will allow customers   both account and non-account holders  to compare and shop, split bills, transfer money and even share their mobile banking wallets. This will be through the lender's mobile banking app, 'LIME'. The country's third-largest private sector lender launched the app.

- Indian scientists decode Tulsi plant genome
BY- A multi-institutional team led by Sowdhamini Ramanathan from the National Centre of Biological Science, Bengaluru.
_First report of draft genome
_ The genome map will help in making new medicines using the plant.
_ Tulsi to make ursolic acid a medically important compound
_ The plant synthesises a wide range of bioactive compounds, known for their anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-pyretic and anti-cancer properties.
_ These compounds are metabolites, compounds that are a by-product of plant metabolism, typically used for plant self-defence. These metabolites are very poorly understood because of lack of genomic information.

- Renowned Hindi writer Uday Prakash has returned his Sahitya Akademi Award as protest against the recent killing of Kannada litterateur M.M. Kalburgi, and in disapproval of the national literary body's deafening silence over the assaults on writers. The 63-year-old writer had received the award in 2010 for his creation 'Mohandas'

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