Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 10 October 2016

:: National ::

Terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba suffered the worst damage in the recent surgical strikes

• The Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) suffered the worst damage in the recent surgical strikes on terror launchpads carried out by the Indian Army. Radio intercepts indicate that nearly 20 militants of the banned outfit were killed.
• The assessment reports available from the Army’s field units, show that the most damage was inflicted on the LeT at the Dudniyal launchpad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, opposite the Kupwara sector in north Kashmir.
• The sources said that five teams chosen from the Army division in the area were tasked with destroying the launch pads of terror groups located at Kail, also known as Kel, and Dudniyal.
• In a well-calibrated operation, which started on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, the Army moved across the Line of Control and smashed four launch pads that were under the guard of a Pakistani post 700 metres from the Line of Control.
• The sources said the terrorists were not expecting an action by the Indian Army and were taken by surprise. The terrorists, mainly of the LeT, were seen running towards the Pakistani post, and they were killed by the Indian troops, the assessment reports say.
• Pakistani Army’s radio intercepts indicated that at least 10 LeT terrorists were killed during the multiple and near-synchronised surgical strikes on four launchpads.
• There was heavy movement of Pakistani Army vehicles till the break of dawn, and all the bodies were taken away. As per the radio intercepts, there was a mass burial in the Neelum valley.
• A similar blow was dealt to the terror launchpads at Balnoi, opposite Poonch, in which nine LeT militants were killed, the sources said. Two Pakistani soldiers belonging to 8 Northern Light Infantry were also killed.
• There were intelligence reports that terrorists were planning to enter India through Kashmir and Jammu. The Army waited for the terrorists to gather at one place before launching the attack.

SC has ordered deletion of words “adult male” the Domestic Violence

• In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court has widened the scope of the Domestic Violence Act by ordering deletion of the words “adult male” from it.
• It paved the way for prosecution of women and even non-adults for subjecting a woman relative to violence and harassment.
• The apex court has ordered striking down of the two words from Section 2(q) of the Domestic Violence Act, which deals with respondents who can be sued and prosecuted under the Act for harassing a married woman in her matrimonial home.
• Apex court said “the microscopic difference between male and female, adult and non-adult, regard being had to the object sought to be achieved by the 2005 Act, is neither real or substantial, nor does it have any rational relation to the object of the legislation.”
• The remaining part of the legislation had been kept untouched and would remain operative.

:: International ::

The Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency

• The Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency effective immediately following a week of anti-government violence that resulted in deaths and property damage across the country, especially in the restive Oromia region.
• In a televised address, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the state of emergency was declared because there has been “enormous” damage to property.

:: Business and Economy ::

A new global pollution deal for aviation

• A new global pollution deal for aviation is seen providing a long-term boost for carbon markets by generating demand for environmental offset projects that now often sell at rock-bottom prices, according to industry groups and analysts.
• The carbon offsetting scheme, the first such industry-wide initiative, will start in 2021 with at least 65 participating countries in its voluntary phases, following the deal's approval by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency.
• Carbon credits now sell for 40 cents a tonne, but can rise to $10 a tonne depending on the quality of the carbon-emission reduction project, which can range from efforts to counter deforestation, to more efficient stoves.
• Analysts estimate demand will rise closer to the deal's mandatory phase in 2027.

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 09 October 2016

:: National ::

North East Monsoon to come on time

• The much-awaited northeast monsoon, accounting for about 50 per cent of the annual rainfall of Tamil Nadu, is not likely to set in early. Also, the State is likely to experience around 40 cm rainfall in the next three months.
• These aspects have emerged as the authorities, belonging to both the Central and State governments, are making preparations to face any contingency once the monsoon arrives and the State starts feeling the full force of the season.
• The normal date of onset of the monsoon is October 20, with a deviation of plus or minus seven days. The withdrawal process of the southwest monsoon is happening only now.
• Field officials have been advised to take action against encroachments, which are in the nature of permanent structures, on water courses and bodies.

India to deploy an indigenously developed rover on the lunar surface

• India is getting ready to deploy an indigenously developed rover on the lunar surface for on-site analysis of various samples and relay them to the earth station.
• Chandrayaan-II Mission includes launching of lunar explorations by geosynchronous launch vehicles (GSLV Mk-II) with clinical precision.
• The wheeled rover would be useful in using multiple applications by collecting soil and rock sediments for on-site analysis and transmitting the findings to the earth station.
• ISRO has also taken up ambitious programme to build vehicles with cryogenic engines with bigger capacity than GSLV, Mr. Ranganathan, who came here to take part along with other scientists in World Space Week celebrations, said.
• India was ahead of other countries in space technology by continuously test-firing and deploying satellites of various types and configurations for use for communication and other applications.
• LMV3, a full-fledged vehicle will be launched in the first half of 2017. The heavy launch capability launcher would enable ISRO’s self-reliance in launching of satellites. It will send four tonne class geosynchronous satellites into the orbit.

:: International ::

Inter-Services Intelligence chief to be replaced

• Chief of Pakistan’s powerful spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar, is likely to be replaced within the next few weeks, a media report said.
• Lt. Gen. Akhtar was appointed the Director-General of ISI in September 2014 and took office in November 2014, when he replaced the retiring Lt. Gen.Zaheer-ul-Islam.
• The appointment is normally for a three-year period unless the ISI chief retires or is replaced by the Army chief.
• The Nation , citing a security official privy to the development, reported of the impending change of command and said preparations were under way for the changes.
• The corps commander of Karachi, Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, is most likely to replace him.

:: India and World ::

Pakistan’s reference of Kashmir rejected by India

• India has strongly rejected Pakistan’s references on Kashmir at the U.N., saying such remarks are a self-serving attempt by Islamabad to bring extraneous issues to the world body for its “territorial aggrandisement.”
• India, exercising the Right of Reply after Pakistan’s envoy to the U.N.raised the Kashmir issue at the U.N, said that Pakistan had made references to the Indian State of J&K in a self-serving attempt to bring extraneous issues before the committee.
• Such efforts were a flagrant misuse of the body for Pakistan’s own territorial aggrandisement, India said, recalling that the Special Committee on Decolonisation was concerned only with Non-Self-Governing Territories.
• It asserted that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India.
• Exercising its Right of Reply, Pakistan said India continued to perpetrate misinformation on the Kashmir issue year after year.

:: Business and Economy ::

Government to give push to stalled hydro projects

• In a bid to boost hydro power sector, the government is planning to formulate a policy to push stalled projects and extend the benefits for renewable sources like wind and solar to hydro projects beyond 25 MW capacity.
• According to a proposal of the Power ministry, projects with capacities of up to 25 MW have been categorised as small hydro-power projects and would get the benefits as extended to other renewable energy projects.
• Hydro power potential in the country has been estimated at about 150 GW, with 50 GW coming from Arunachal Pradesh alone.
• The Power ministry had earlier said that the planned hydro power generation capacity addition of 4,371 MW out of the total target of 10,897 MW in the 12th Plan will not be completed.

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 08 October 2016

:: National ::

Home Minister says Pakistan border will be sealed within two years

Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the surgical strikes, Union Home Minister said the entire stretch of 3,323 km border would be “completely sealed” by December 2018, for which a time-bound action plan would be formulated.
Mr. Singh said the procedure for sealing the international border would be developed in a planned manner.
A mechanism would be put in place for periodic monitoring “by Home Secretary at the Central level, BSF from the security forces perspective and Chief Secretaries at the State level.”
Mr. Singh said the government would apply technological solutions for sealing the border in difficult terrains. A border security grid would also be formed, with guidelines to be framed with suggestions from all stakeholders in the border areas.
A notification would be issued after inputs from the Chief Ministers, Home Secretaries and Directors-General of Police, he added.
Eighty percent of the Jan Dhan Yojana now have balance

Eighty percent of the 240 million new bank accounts created under the Narendra Modi government’s Jan Dhan Yojana now have balance in them, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said.
Mr. Jaitley was participating in a panel discussion at the World Bank on financial inclusion and de-risking or measures to prevent the illicit use of the banking system.
The Ministers of India, Indonesia, treasury secretary of the U.S. and the Governor of the People’s Bank of China who were part of the panel along with World Bank President represented 43 per cent of the world population and 40 per cent of unbanked adults.
Mr. Kim said the progress made by India in financial inclusion is a model that is inspiring for the rest of the world. Other speakers also lauded India’s progress in financial inclusion.

:: International ::

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize

• Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize for his “resolute” efforts to end more than five decades of war in his country, despite voters’ shock rejection of a historic peace deal.
• The award was unexpected after voters rejected the terms of the landmark accord Mr. Santos clinched last month with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) leader Rodrigo Londono.
• The Norwegian Nobel committee rewarded Mr. Santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country’s more than 50-year-long civil war to an end.
• The deal, signed on September 26 after nearly four years of talks, was supposed to be ratified following an October 2 referendum but voters shot down the agreement, leaving the country teetering between war and peace.
• The Colombia conflict has claimed more than 260,000 lives and left 45,000 missing over five decades, drawing in several Leftist guerilla groups, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs.

:: Business and Economy ::

India’s foreign exchange reserves scaled to a new high

• India’s foreign exchange reserves scaled a new high of $371.99 billion, up $1.223 billion for the week to September 30, as per the Reserve Bank data.
• The increase was on account of a $1.468-billion surge in the foreign currency assets. In the previous week, the reserves had risen by $1.166 billion to $370.766 billion.
• Previously, they had touched a high of $371.279 billion in the week to September 9. Foreign currency assets which are a major component of the overall reserves surged by $1.468 billion to $346.71 billion, the Reserve Bank said.

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 06 October 2016

: India and World ::

Sri Lanka joined the demand for regional organisation to counter cross-border terrorism

• Pushing for revising the agenda of SAARC, Sri Lanka on Wednesday joined the growing demand that the regional organisation counter cross-border terrorism.
• After a meeting with PM Modi, visiting Srilanka’s PM cited Sri Lanka’s experience with war and terrorism, and warned that SAARC would become irrelevant without addressing terrorism.
• “Cross-border terrorism might worsen if SAARC is thrown away,” he said and added that three countries out of the eight-member regional grouping was afflicted by security problems. He, however cautioned against war.
• Sri Lanka was the fifth country to issue a statement against holding the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad in November.
• He said Sri Lanka’s decision against attending the summit was decided through a process of democratic consultations, and highlighted that Sri Lanka was discussing “several options” in shaping the South Asian regional order.
• India’s preparation to deal with the emerging challenges figured in Mr. Wickeremesinghe’s meeting with Mr. Modi and both sides discussed bilateral issues such as India’s aid and technical support to Sri Lanka.
• He said that in the midst of the “crucial phase” in South Asia, his country would continue with the peace-building process that started following the end of the war against the Tamil Eelam fighters.
• Mr. Wickremesinghe’s demand on SAARC with a counter-terror focus follows India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan citing “cross-border terrorism”, “imposed war” and “interference” from Pakistan.

Science and Technology ::

Trio of scientists won the Nobel Chemistry Prize for developing molecular machines

• A trio of French, British and Dutch scientists won the Nobel Chemistry Prize for developing molecular machines, the world’s smallest machines that may one day act as artificial muscles to power tiny robots or even prosthetic limbs.
• Inspired by proteins that naturally act as biological machines within cells, these synthetic copies are usually constructed of a few molecules fused together.
• Also called nanomachines or nanobots, they can be put to work as tiny motors, ratchets, pistons or wheels to produce mechanical motion in response to stimuli such as light or temperature change. Molecular machines can move objects many time their size.
• The first step towards a molecular machine was taken by Mr. Sauvage in 1983, when he succeeded in linking together two ring-shaped molecules to form a chain.
• The second step was taken by Mr. Stoddart in 1991, when he threaded a molecular ring onto a thin molecular axle and demonstrated that the ring was able to move along the axle.
• Mr. Feringa (65) was meanwhile the first person to develop a molecular motor — in 1999 he was able to make a molecular rotor blade to spin continually in the same direction. Using molecular motors, he has also designed a nanocar.

:: Business and Economy ::

Country’s services sector business activity softer in September

• The expansion of the country’s services sector business activity was softer in September vis-à-vis August as the level of new business placed with Indian services firms increased moderately.
• The headline seasonally adjusted Nikkei India Services Business Activity Index registered 52.0 in September, down from August’s 43-month high of 54.7. An index reading above 50 indicates an expansion, while below 50 a contraction.
• Reflecting softer expansions in activity at both service providers and manufacturers, the seasonally adjusted Nikkei India Composite PMI Output Index fell from August’s 42-month high of 54.6 to 52.4 in September.

World Economic Forum says India and Pak problem will not impact regional growth

• The current standoff between New Delhi and Islamabad will not impact the growth prospects of the South Asian region including India, the Geneva-based ‘World Economic Forum’ said.
• Chief economist and member of the executive committee, WEF, said South Asia was the world’s fastest growing region and there was no reason to believe that the recent geopolitical tension would impact the region’s growth prospects.
• Director-general, CII, also said the economy and business in India and South Asia would not get affected due to the tension at the India-Pakistan border.
• India Economic Summit’s focus area includes the digital economy, travel & tourism, energy, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, start-ups, skill development, gender equity, urbanisation, boosting manufacturing and urbanisation.

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 06 October 2016

:: National ::

Cabinet approved the long-awaited amendments to the HIV Bill

• The Union Cabinet approved the long-awaited amendments to the HIV Bill, granting stronger protection to the country’s HIV community.
• The Bill prohibits discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV) in accessing healthcare, acquiring jobs, renting houses or in education institutions in the public and private sectors.
• There are approximately 21 lakh persons estimated to be living with HIV in India and the percentage of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment currently stands at a mere 25.82% as against the global percentage of 41%.
• The “HIV and AIDS Bill, 2014” will bring legal accountability and establish a formal mechanism to probe discrimination complaints against those who discriminate against such people.
• Bill requires that “no person shall be compelled to disclose his HIV status except with his informed consent, and if required by a court order.”
• The Bill lists various grounds on which discrimination against HIV-positive persons and those living with them is prohibited.
• These include the denial, termination, discontinuation or unfair treatment with regard to employment, educational establishments, health care services, residing or renting property, standing for public or private office, and provision of insurance.

The International Court of Justice ruled against the Marshall Islands

• The United Nations’ highest court rejected nuclear disarmament cases filed by the Pacific nation of the Marshall Islands against Britain, India and Pakistan, saying it did not have jurisdiction.
• The International Court of Justice ruled that the Marshall Islands had failed to prove that a legal dispute over disarmament existed between it and the three nuclear powers before the case was filed in 2014.
• It took a casting vote by the court’s President Ronny Abraham to break an eight-eight deadlock between the 16 judges on the question of jurisdiction in the case against Britain.
• In a landmark 1996 advisory opinion, the court said that using or threatening to use nuclear arms would “generally be contrary to” the laws of war and humanitarian law.
• But it added that it could not definitively rule on whether the threat or use of nuclear weapons would be legal “in an extreme circumstance of self-defence, in which the very survival of a state would be at stake.”