1. Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has made it mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to provide emission and noise pollution details for every vehicle they produce by April 2017.
In this regard, the ministry has amended Form 22 under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1989 through which manufactures provide the initial certification of compliance of vehicles.
Basically, it will include pollution standards, safety standards of component quality and road-worthiness certificate for all vehicles.
With this mandatory measure, the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in future intends to award five star ratings to vehicles based on their emission and noise pollution standards.
What are provisions of amended Form 22?
Automobile manufacturers must specify the levels of each pollutant like carbon monoxide, hydro carbon, non-methane HC, NOx, HC+NOx, PM etc. for petrol and diesel vehicles.
They should also specify the sound level for horn and pass-by noise values of all vehicles. Earlier, Form 22 only certified that the vehicle in question complied with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989 and rules there under, including the relevant emission norms.
2. Indian Navy has commissioned INS Tihayu, a Car Nicobar Class water jet fast attack craft (WJFAC).
It was commissioned by the Flag-Officer-Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command Vice-Admiral H.C.S. Bisht in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
About INS Tahiyu
What are Car Nicobar Class WJFACs?
3. India has signed agreement with Russia to lease second Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine (SSN).
Background
The second indigenous nuclear submarine of the same class, INS Aridhaman, will be commissioned in 2018.
Pakistan does not have a nuclear submarine and lacks a nuclear triad.
China has four nuclear-powered submarines in operation and in a couple of years this number that will go up to six. China’s Nuclear-submarines carry a version of the Dong Feng nuclear missile that has a range of up to 7,000 km.
4. Rajasthani and Bhojpuri language to get official status under 8th schedule of 22 languages.
5. PM Modi government is all set to bring back the detention system in schools, something that the UPA regime had put an end to.
The Centre is convinced that the quality of education has gone down in the country, and so has decided to amend the Right to Education [RTE] Act to make children repeat a class if they do not clear the annual examination.
6. India china hold joint military exercise on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in Ladakh.
7. India to be 3rd largest aviation market by 2026 by Global Airlines IATA. Top two China and USA.
IATA International Air Transport Association is a trade association of the world’s airlines. Consisting of 268 airlines, primarily major carriers, representing 117 countries, the IATA's member airlines account for carrying approximately 83% of total Available Seat Kilometers air traffic
8. India and Myanmar signed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) to boost bilateral relations between two neighbouring nations.
Signed MoUs are
9. Election Commission of India hosted the first ever International Conference on Voter Education in New Delhi.
The three day (from 19 to 21 October, 2016) conference was inaugurated by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr Nasim Zaidi.
Key Facts
10. World Bank has pledged 2 billion US dollars aid package to Bangladesh to tackle climate change over the next three years.
The aid package is part of the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries.
Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to climate change and accounts for almost 70% of all storm surges in the world.
The aid package aims to further develop the resilience of the people at a time when climate change is putting their lives and livelihoods at greater risk.
Background
The estimated phosphate reserve in Algeria is estimated to be more than 5 billion tonnes and possible Indian investment in the sector is expected to be $5 to 7 billion.
Background:
OTHER IMP NEWS :-
1. The city that became the first Indian city to be officially declared as one of the venues for hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup is - Kochi
2. The skill development initiative that was launched by Maharashtra Government for students is - Kaushalya SETU (Self-Employment and Talent Utilisation)
3. The Union Ministry of Shipping on 17 October 2016 sanctioned the Capital Dredging Project for Ro Pax Ferry Services between Gogha & Dahej, in Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat.
The step was taken as a part of promoting coastal shipping in the country under Sagarmala programme. It is one of the flagship projects under Sagarmala which aims to increase share of waterways transportation in modal mix to 10% from present level of 7% by year 2025.
4.Indian Boxing Council (IBC) in the second week of October 2016 was inducted into the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) with voting rights. The decision was taken at the WBO's annual convention at Puerto Rico.
The Indian Boxing Council is a licensing body for the country's professional boxers.
About World Boxing Organisation
• The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization that recognizes professional boxing world champions.
• It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups. The other groups are the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF).
• The WBO's headquarters are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
5. 10th Indo-US trade forum began on Thursday in Delhi. As part of the Trade Policy Forum, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and US Trade Representative Michael Froman are meeting in New Delhi.
Visa, customs cooperation, greater market access for goods and intellectual property rights are the key issues expected to be discussed during the trade policy forum meeting.
Before the ministerial level meeting, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia and Deputy US Trade Representative Robert Holleyman deliberated upon the issues on October 19.
In this regard, the ministry has amended Form 22 under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1989 through which manufactures provide the initial certification of compliance of vehicles.
Basically, it will include pollution standards, safety standards of component quality and road-worthiness certificate for all vehicles.
With this mandatory measure, the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in future intends to award five star ratings to vehicles based on their emission and noise pollution standards.
What are provisions of amended Form 22?
- Mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to provide emission and noise pollution details for every vehicle including makers of electric rickshaws and electric carts.
- The Form will include the brand, engine number, chassis number and emission norm of the vehicle.
- It will apply to all vehicles including petrol, CNG, LPG, electric, diesel and hybrid.
Automobile manufacturers must specify the levels of each pollutant like carbon monoxide, hydro carbon, non-methane HC, NOx, HC+NOx, PM etc. for petrol and diesel vehicles.
They should also specify the sound level for horn and pass-by noise values of all vehicles. Earlier, Form 22 only certified that the vehicle in question complied with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989 and rules there under, including the relevant emission norms.
2. Indian Navy has commissioned INS Tihayu, a Car Nicobar Class water jet fast attack craft (WJFAC).
It was commissioned by the Flag-Officer-Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command Vice-Admiral H.C.S. Bisht in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
About INS Tahiyu
- INS Tahiyu is the sixth WJFAC Car Nicobar Class vessel to be commissioned and allotted to the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy.
- It has been built by Kolkata-based shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).
- Overall, INS Tahiyu is the 20th vessel in this class to be built by the shipyard. Indian Navy has commissioned INS Tihayu, a Car Nicobar Class water jet fast attack craft (WJFAC).
- It is an improved version of the earlier vessels. It has been fitted with three water jet propulsion systems, powered by marine diesel engines generating 2720 KW of power.
- It also has been loaded with an indigenously-built 30 mm CRN gun, an assorted variant of machine guns and shoulder-launched IGLA surface to air missile.
What are Car Nicobar Class WJFACs?
- The Car Nicobar class water jet fast attack crafts are high-speed offshore patrol vessels built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy.
- The class and its vessels are named after Car Nicobar island part of Andaman and Nicobar They are the first water jet propelled vessels of the Indian Navy.
3. India has signed agreement with Russia to lease second Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine (SSN).
- The deal is believed to be worth about $2 billion.
- The lease to transfer a multipurpose Project 971 nuclear submarine to India from the Russian Navy was signed in Goa on the sidelines of 8th BRICS Summit.
- The second nuclear submarine is expected to arrive in Indian waters in 2020-21.
Background
- India had earlier leased first Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine (SSN) for a period of 10 years from Russia.
- It was inducted into service as INS Chakra (formerly known as K-152 Nerpa) in April 2012.
- Its lease expires in 2021.
- Since then, India had expressed interest in leasing at least one more submarine to train Navy crew in complex submarine operations to have a large fleet of nuclear submarines.
- Akula-class submarines Akula-class submarines of Project 97 (NATO name Akula-II) weigh around 8,140 tonnes.
- They are considered one of the most silent SSNs in service and are capable of sailing at speeds up to 35 knots. They are nuclear powered but are armed with conventional land attack missiles.
- INS Arihant Earlier in August 2016, India had quietly inducted its first indigenously built nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Arihant into service completing its nuclear triad.
- Besides, follow-on submarines are also planned and at least two are in various stages of construction which will give India strategic foothold in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The second indigenous nuclear submarine of the same class, INS Aridhaman, will be commissioned in 2018.
Pakistan does not have a nuclear submarine and lacks a nuclear triad.
China has four nuclear-powered submarines in operation and in a couple of years this number that will go up to six. China’s Nuclear-submarines carry a version of the Dong Feng nuclear missile that has a range of up to 7,000 km.
4. Rajasthani and Bhojpuri language to get official status under 8th schedule of 22 languages.
5. PM Modi government is all set to bring back the detention system in schools, something that the UPA regime had put an end to.
The Centre is convinced that the quality of education has gone down in the country, and so has decided to amend the Right to Education [RTE] Act to make children repeat a class if they do not clear the annual examination.
- The Centre favours an amendment that allows examination-based promotion from class 5 onwards.
- The RTE Act currently does not allow failing of students till class 8th.
- The Centre claims that all state governments have come on board against the no-detention policy contained in the RTE Act. “MHRD [the Ministry of Human Resources Development] will pilot a bill to amend the RTE Act to re-introduce annual examinations in school.
6. India china hold joint military exercise on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in Ladakh.
7. India to be 3rd largest aviation market by 2026 by Global Airlines IATA. Top two China and USA.
IATA International Air Transport Association is a trade association of the world’s airlines. Consisting of 268 airlines, primarily major carriers, representing 117 countries, the IATA's member airlines account for carrying approximately 83% of total Available Seat Kilometers air traffic
8. India and Myanmar signed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) to boost bilateral relations between two neighbouring nations.
Signed MoUs are
- MoU for designing an academic and professional building programme for insurance industry of Myanmar.
- MoU on Cooperation in the field of Power Sector. Under it India has offered to enhance power supply from Moreh in Manipur to Tamu in Myanmar.
- MoU on Banking Supervision. It was signed between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of Myanmar.
- Besides, India extended support to Myanmar for a better connected future. Both countries agreed to cooperate in security and strategic issues.
- They also agreed to enhance engagement in several areas including to develop a mutually beneficial arrangement for trade in pulses.
9. Election Commission of India hosted the first ever International Conference on Voter Education in New Delhi.
The three day (from 19 to 21 October, 2016) conference was inaugurated by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr Nasim Zaidi.
Key Facts
- The topic of the first of its kind conference is Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed and Ethical Participation.
- 27 countries and 5 international organizations are participating in it.
- It has been organized with an aim to share best practices, initiatives and policies of voter education by election management bodies.
- It aims at achieving a resolution to strengthen inclusive, ethical and informed electoral participation among member countries with the help of voter education and outreach.
- It will deliberate upon five topics ranging from Role of Information Communication Technology in Voter Education, Electoral Literacy to Enhanced participation by special categories of voters and Strategies for Informed and Ethical Voting.
- The Conference will see the launch of the ambitious VoICE.NET project, a Global Knowledge Network on voter education.
- Besides, an exhibition showcasing Voter Education tools and materials will be also organized on the occasion
10. World Bank has pledged 2 billion US dollars aid package to Bangladesh to tackle climate change over the next three years.
The aid package is part of the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries.
Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to climate change and accounts for almost 70% of all storm surges in the world.
The aid package aims to further develop the resilience of the people at a time when climate change is putting their lives and livelihoods at greater risk.
Background
- This is the second large investment announcement made by the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim during his 2-day visit to Bangladesh.
- Earlier he had announced to provide US $1 billion aid to Bangladesh over the next three years to fight child malnutrition.
11. India, Algeria mull fertilizer JV.
India is keen to join hands with Algeria to explore the possibilities of setting up a multi-billion dollar fertilizer project, bearing in mind the phosphatic reserve available in this North African country which is estimated to be more than 5 billion tonnes. A meeting in this regard was also recently held between the two countries.
The estimated phosphate reserve in Algeria is estimated to be more than 5 billion tonnes and possible Indian investment in the sector is expected to be $5 to 7 billion.
Background:
Implications of this move:
- Around 90 to 95% phosphate being used by Indian fertilizer companies is imported and the production cost is also very high.
- The price of fertilizer in India is expected to come down along with the subsidy burden if the talks between the two countries lead to setting up of a joint venture mega fertilizer company in Algiers.
India currently imports raw phosphate resources from a number of African countries including Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt and Syria, as also from Russia, Canada and Israel among others.
Key facts:
- Indian fertilizer industry is producing about 12.28 million tonnes of nitrogen and 4.37 million tonnes of phosphatic nutrient production.
- India ranks second in the production of nitrogenous fertilizers and third in phosphatic fertilizers.
- According to a report of department of fertilizers, by 2016-17, fertilizer demand in the country is projected to increase to about 336.77 lakh tonnes of urea, 124.13 lakh tonnes of DAP, 59.48 lakh tonnes of SSP and 47.93 lakh tonnes of MOP.
12. Green train corridors
The Indian Railways has declared the Okha-Kanalus (141 Kms) and Porbandar-Wansjaliya (34 Kms) sections of Gujarat in Western Railway as the Green Train Corridors.
What are Green train corridors?
Green Train Corridors are sections of the railways which will be free of human waste on the tracks.
How is this being achieved?
This is being achieved by the installation of bio-toilets in all coaches of Indian Railways.
Background:
Railways have taken up a mammoth task of providing human discharge free bio-toilets in all its coaches to make the entire railway track a green corridor by 2020. Railways have already provided around 48,000 bio-toilets in about 14,000 passenger coaches.
The 114-km stretch in Tamil Nadu between Rameswaram and Manamadurai had been identified as a Human Waste Discharge Free Train Corridor and was formally inaugurated as the first green corridor in July this year. Accordingly, ten passenger trains consisting of 286 coaches moving over this section have been provided with bio-toilets.
Bio-toilets:
The technology of environment-friendly bio-toilets has been developed jointly by the Indian Railways and the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) through an MoU.
These toilets function in a manner that the human waste is collected in tanks below the toilets and the same is decomposed by the use of various bacteria.
OTHER IMP NEWS :-
1. The city that became the first Indian city to be officially declared as one of the venues for hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup is - Kochi
2. The skill development initiative that was launched by Maharashtra Government for students is - Kaushalya SETU (Self-Employment and Talent Utilisation)
3. The Union Ministry of Shipping on 17 October 2016 sanctioned the Capital Dredging Project for Ro Pax Ferry Services between Gogha & Dahej, in Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat.
The step was taken as a part of promoting coastal shipping in the country under Sagarmala programme. It is one of the flagship projects under Sagarmala which aims to increase share of waterways transportation in modal mix to 10% from present level of 7% by year 2025.
4.Indian Boxing Council (IBC) in the second week of October 2016 was inducted into the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) with voting rights. The decision was taken at the WBO's annual convention at Puerto Rico.
The Indian Boxing Council is a licensing body for the country's professional boxers.
About World Boxing Organisation
• The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization that recognizes professional boxing world champions.
• It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups. The other groups are the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF).
• The WBO's headquarters are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
5. 10th Indo-US trade forum began on Thursday in Delhi. As part of the Trade Policy Forum, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and US Trade Representative Michael Froman are meeting in New Delhi.
Visa, customs cooperation, greater market access for goods and intellectual property rights are the key issues expected to be discussed during the trade policy forum meeting.
Before the ministerial level meeting, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia and Deputy US Trade Representative Robert Holleyman deliberated upon the issues on October 19.
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