Latest Daily News – August 2015
Aug 5, 2015
USA’s NASA signed contract of 490 million USD with Russia’s space agency Roscosmos for carrying US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
Airtel Telecom launched high-speed 4G services across 296 towns across India . In April 2012, Airtel launched its 4G services in Kolkata and then conducted trials in 51 cities. For 4G devices, Airtel has teamed up with handset maker Samsung to develop 4G-enabled handsets in India.
Indian-American Atul Keshap has been appointed as USA’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives. He became second Indian-origin diplomat to be posted to the region after Richard Rahul Verma (USA Ambassador to India).
Rajasthan government signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with several private companies worth Rs 2,452 crore at an investor meet in New Delhi. The Investment will generate over 7000 jobs in the State.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi launched major expansion of new Suez Canal. The new waterway is will boost traffic passing through canal by allowing bigger ships to pass smoothly. The expansion project had estimated cost of 8 billion USD.
The expansion is expected to double the ship capacity of the Suez Canal from 49 to 97 ships a day by 2023.
About Suez Canal – Suez Canal was opened in 1869 after ten years of construction. It is an artificial waterway in Egypt that connects Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. The canal allows traders and ships to navigate between Europe to South Asia without passing through Africa. Egypt earns about 5 billion USD every year through Suez Canal.
Indo-UK bilateral Air Exercise Indradhanush Completed in UK.
Maharashtra government announced construction of 800 kilometers of Nagpur-Mumbai six-lane expressway, also called Communication Super-expressway. Cost of the project will be 30000 crore rupees.
Sri Lanka announced to renovate one Hindu Temple (Rato Machindranath) and one Buddhist temple (Swayambhunath ) in Nepal that were destroyed in recent earthquake at a cost of 34 crore Sri Lankan rupees.
Tamil Nadu government started a youth award in name of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The award will have 8 gram gold, 5 laks rupees and a citation. It will be given from 2015 onwards on every Independence Day to a person who works exceptionally in science, humanities and students welfare. Tamilnadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced that Dr Kalam’s birthday on October 15th would be celebrated as the Youth Revival Day.
Indian Squash Player Joshna Chinappa won women’s squash title in Victorian Open in Melbourne (Australia).
India foiled a British Company’s bid to patent use of turmeric, pine bark and tea for treating hair loss to protect its traditional knowledge.
UK based Pangaea Laboratories Limited had filed patent application at European Patent office in February 2011 on a medicinal composition containing turmeric, pine bark and green tea for treating hair loss. India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) filed pre-grant opposition along with prior-art evidences to prove that turmeric, pine bark and green tea, are used as a treatment for hair loss, since long in Indian systems of medicine like Ayurveda and Unani.
Aadi Perukku festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu by thousands of people including newlywed couples. Aadi Perukku is a Hindu Tamil festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi (mid-July to mid-August) in gratitude to water bodies especially Cauvery River.
Forbes World’s Highest-Paid Actors List 2015 –
The List has names of 34 global actors, topped by Robert Downey Jr. for the third year in a row with earnings of 80 million USD
Jackie Chan is second with 50 million USD earnings, Vin Diesel third (47 million USD).
Indian Actors in List –
Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan are seventh in List with earnings of 33.5 Million USD Each.
Akshay Kumar is ninth in list with earnings of 32.5 Million USD.
The Forbes list has 12 newcomers of which five are from India alone.
The Indian actors are second with combined earnings of 140.5 million USD, just after USA.
Haryana government launched Thari Pension Thare Pass scheme ensure transparency in disbursement of social security pensions.
Aug 4, 2015
Asia’s biggest telescope – Multi-Application Solar Telescope (MAST) has been inaugurated at Udaipur Solar Observatory (Rajasthan). The project will be monitored by Ahmedabad based Physical Research Laboratory.
Mathematician Amalendu Krishna has won Ramanujan Prize 2015 for research in algebraic cycles, algebraic K-theory and theory of motives. Ramanujan Prize is named after Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan and recognizes outstanding researchers under 45 years age. First Indian to win it was Sujatha Ramadorai (2006).
IDFC Bank will start lending operations from October 1, 2015 After demerger of financial undertaking from IDFC Ltd.
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) won Esri Special Achievement in GIS Award 2015 for appreciated work in Dairy Geographical Information System. NDDB’s Internet-based Dairy Geographical Information System (i-DGIS) application is first of its kind in India for village-level integration of data at such a large scale.
Ministry of Rural Development launched SAMANVAY web portal to monitor progress of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) for development of Gram Panchayats. SAMANVAY web portal has approx 1800 Central and State government for Gram Panchayats. This portal will help Members of Parliament to utilise relevant schemes for implementation of SAGY.
To augment transport infrastructure of the city, Delhi government decided to run trams across areas including Lal Quila, Jama Masjid and Old Delhi Railway Station. Shahjahanad Redevelopment Corporation will be created to carry out infrastructure projects in Old Delhi.
A tram is a rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets (called street running). The lines or networks operated by tramcars are called tramways.
Kolkata tram in Kolkata is only public tram system in the country.
Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique visited India. On this occasion, India and Mozambique signed Memorandum of understanding for cooperation in New and Renewable Energy, maritime security and ocean economy.
International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) signed MoU to impart training to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to make them more competitive udner the second phase (Jan 2014 – Dec 2017) of Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) Global Programme.
SCORE training programme is supported by Norway Agency for Development Cooperation (NADC) and Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SSEA) and is Presently operational in eight countries.
In case of India, SCORE will help build capacity of industry body FICCI in 3 phases.
Government approved direct release of wages into the accounts of workers engaged under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Aim is to streamline flow of funds and to empower state governments to deliver entitlements as perobjectives of the Act.
Water treatment engineering company Polutech Limited of Murugappa Group signed an agreement with Organo Corp of Japan to setup an industrial water treatment requirement Joint venture company.
Numerous burial sites belonging to Megalithic period found in a village in Siddipet mandal of Medak district (Telangana).
Tamil Nadu state High Court permitted a transgender to participate in physical test for the post of Sub-Inspector.
As per recent Data, 10.2 % growth registered in Foreign Tourist Arrival in 2014 over 2013 and 2012 years.
Employees Provident Fund Organisation entered stock markets through exchange-traded funds route with an initial corpus of Rs 5,000 crore, It could possibly go up to Rs 15,000 crore next year.
Government approved hiving off BSNL’s tower assets into a separate company and offered Rs 627.20 crore as compensation to BSNL and MTNL for surrendering CDMA spectrum auctioned in March 2015.
Aug 3, 2015
India’s first Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) commissioned in Kochi, Kerala. It is Designed by Israel Aerospace Industries and is Capable of detecting threats and generating warning for all types of underwater and surface threats to harbour security.
Government conferred Arjuna Award on Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin. He became 48th cricketer to receive the prestigious Arjuna award.
India will host 2nd meeting of Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) on 21 August 2015 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Meeting will be attended by the heads of 14 island nations from Indo-Pacific oceanic region.
It will boost India’s engagement with the geostrategically and economically important Indo-Pacific oceanic region and will counter growing Chinese influence in this oceanic region.
Mercedes-Benz has appointed Roland S Folger as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of its India operations.
HDFC Bank launched Dhanchayat as educational film to raise awareness on risks of borrowing money from unorganised sources. This film has been launched under HDFC Bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative – Swachh Banking.
HDFC Bank and online marketplace Snapdeal launched co branded e-commerce credit card aimed at getting Snapdeal’s customers to make online payments instead of availing the cash on delivery option.
2015 World Archery Championships –
Organized in Copenhagen (Denmark). 623 Competitors from 96 nations Participated.
South Korea remaied at the top with 9 Medals. Denmark second with 2 Medals.
India won 2 Silver Medals. One by women’s recurve archery team consisting of Laxmirani Majhi, Deepika Kumari, and Rimil Buriuly. Other silver medal was won by Rajat Chauhann the compound category.
Government extended term of Rajan S Katoch as Director of the Enforcement Directorate till October 31, 2015.
HSBC India’s chairman Naina Lal Kidwai announced to launch ’green bonds’ in India for raising funds for investments in environmental projects.
Operation Muskaan launched as an initiative by railway police to trace missing and destitute children and reunite them with parents.
Telecom operator Bharti Airtel acquired YTS Solutions mobile payments solutions for an undisclosed price.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially recognised ‘Frisbee’ as an Olympic sport during 128th IOC Session held in Kuala Lumpur (Malayasia). IOC gave official recognition to World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF). Frisbee is the sport of flying disc which became popular in the 1960s and 70s.
Aug 2, 2015
Dharmendra Pradhan (Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum & Natural Gas) visited Ashgabat (Capital of Turkmenistan) to attend 22nd Steering Committee meeting of TAPI (Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline) natural gas pipeline project.
Motoyuki Fujii, Japan’s Minister of State for Science & Technology, Education, Culture, and Sports visited India.
President Pranab Mukherjee Inaugurated International Conference on ‘Inclusive Museums’ with Theme Museums as Civic Spaces.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is establishing a Centre for World Natural Heritage Management and Training for the Asia and Pacific Region as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. It is for the first time that an existing institute has been accorded status of UNESCO Category 2 Centre (C2C) and is also first centre to be established for management and training in natural heritage.
Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari cisited Egypt.
Union Minister Mahesh Sharma released film Shesher Kobita as part of 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore.
Government included 36 more countries under e-Tourist Visa scheme, taking total countries under this scheme up to 113.7 more Indian airports as designated airports for entry on e-Tourist Visa.
Scientist Soumya Swaminathan has been appointed as Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research and and Secretary in Department of Health Research.
Government of India deferred proposed talks between Chief negotiators on India – EU Broadbased Investment and Trade Agreement (EU-BTIA) due to disappointment by action of European Union for imposing ban on sale of around 700 pharma products by Indian Company GVK Biosciences.
The award money given to Awardee Teachers has been enhanced to Rs. 50,000 from Rs. 25000 Currently.
National Awardas are given every year by President of India on 5th September (Teacher’s Day) to upto 378 meritorious school Teachers.
Aug 1, 2015
Iqbal Ahmed Ansari has been appointed as Chief Justice of Patna High Court (Bihar).
Narendra Kumar Sinha has been appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Tourism.
Kundan Sinha appointed as a New Member Traffic in Railway Board.
Bharat Parv, a 13 day celebration of Culture & Cuisine from different Indian states started in Delhi as a part of Independence Day celebrations.
Special Summer Olympic Games 2015 (Los Angles -USA) –
6500 Atheletes from 177 Countries Participated in various events in 25 sports.
Indian Athletes won total 173 medals – 47 gold, 54 silver and 72 bronze.
Ranvir Singh Saini became first Indian golfer to win a gold medal in special olympics.
Government approved setting up of Central Research Institute for Yoga and Naturoapthy (CRIYN) at Nagmangla (Karnataka) and Jhajjar (Haryana).
Tamil Nadu has most (751) registered Yoga & Naturopathy practitioners in the country, followed by Karnataka (609). There are total 2034 such registered practitioners across India.
Government has established National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) of Rs.350 crores for 2015-16 and 2016-17 and estimated requirement of Rs.181.5 crores for 2017-18. Aim is to assist vulnerable States to the effects of climate change in meeting the cost of adaptation. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is appointed as Implementing Entity for adaptation projects under NAFCC.
Government signed peace accord with Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) to end insurgency in northeastern state of Nagaland.
Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique (Southeast African Country) visited India.
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