Google launched app allo

Google launches instant messaging mobile app Allo Google on 21 September 2016 launched its latest mobile chat application, Allo, along with Google Assistant that can be used in online conversations with friends. The messaging app, which is available for Android and the iPhone, has similar features to most other messaging applications. In Allo, messages are not encrypted end-to-end by default. However, the messages can be switched to an incognito mode to do so and set how long they exist before they are deleted.  Key highlights of Google Allo • Allo's ‘Smart reply’ function uses Google's machine learning technology to suggest a reply to the last message, which can be selected from a few options. • The feature also analyses images sent to the user in order to suggest responses. • Similar to the smart reply feature seen in Google's Inbox app, it learns from the user's behaviour to adapt its suggestions over time. • It supports Google Assistant, a conversational virtual assistant. • A feature ‘Whisper Shout’ allows the user to increase or decrease the size of a message to represent volume. • Allo also lets users draw on photos before sending them. • Incognito mode is an optional mode that includes expiring chats, private notifications, and end-to-end encryption. • For encryption, the app uses the Signal Protocol. Now get latest Current Affairs on mobile, Download # 1  Current Affairs App   Click below to see the complete story http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/Google-launches-instant-messaging-mobile-app-Allo-1474957698-1 Sent via Jagran Josh

Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh presented Antyodaya Krishi Puruskars

Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh presented Antyodaya Krishi Puruskars Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on 25 September 2016 gave away Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Krishi Puruskars to 12 farmers for their contribution in the agriculture sector. They were felicitated during a function at the birth place of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay in Mathura.  Winners of the award National Award for the year 2016: Krishna Yadav, an enterprising lady farmer from, Dinpur, Najafgarh, New Delhi for her outstanding achievements in the processing and value addition of food especially fruits and vegetables. Zonal awardees includes Award from Zone I: Jinder Singh, a small farmer from Roopnagar, Punjab won the award for starting a nursery of vegetable crops under the brand name ‘Chamkaur Sahib Paniri Farm’. Zone I comprises of the states of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. Award from Zone II: Pooja Sharma, a small Haryana farmer won the award for her innovative ways of farming. Zone II comprises of the states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi Award from Zone III: Moti, a small farmer from Saidasaunkh village in Mathura won the award for his outstanding skills in innovative ways of farming which includes production of seeds of new varieties and planting material and distributing it among the fellow farmers at reasonable rates. Zone III covers entire Uttar Pradesh. Award from Zone IV: Deepak Kumar Singh from Bishanpur Banka, Bihar won the award for cultivation and sale of mushroom which has enabled him to earn a sizeable income from this activity. Zone IV comprises of the states of Bihar and Jharkhand. Award from Zone V: Ashok Kumar Sarkar, Nimbudera, a small farmer from, Andaman and Nicobar Island was awarded for his outstanding entrepreneurial skill in agriculture production. Zone V comprises of the states of West Bengal, Orissa and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Award from Zone VI: Anuradha Chhetri of Pakyong, East Sikkim was awarded for diversification of agricultural activities with orchids can be a boon for the farmers having small landholding in the hilly regions of the country. Zone VI comprises of the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Award from Zone VII: Biswajit Majumder from Sabroom, Tripura has been awarded for establishment of a farmer’s club in his village. Zone VII comprises of the eastern states of Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya. Award from Zone VIII: Hasam Bhai Jumabhai Musangara, an enterprising fish farmer from Gir, Somnath, Gujarat was awarded for his outstanding achievements in Agriculture especially fisheries. Zone VIII comprises of the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Daman & Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli. Award from Zone IX: Balaram Patidar a progressive and innovative farmer from Sarangi, in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh was awarded for cultivating horticultural and cash crops using scientific technologies. Zone IX comprises of the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Award from Zone X: Alluri Suryanarayana Murthy, a small farmer from East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh was awarded for adopting an integrated farming system which has enabled the farmers in his surrounding areas to reap huge benefits. Zone X comprises of the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Award from Zone XI: A traditional fisherman A Baburaj from Kozhikode, Kerala won the award for successfully adopting sustainable brackish water aquaculture practices as a livelihood option. Zone XI comprises of the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Krishi Puruskar As part of the Centenary Celebrations of Deendayal Upadhaya, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has instituted Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Krishi Puruskar at national and zonal levels in 2016. The awards include one award at national level comprising one lakh rupees and 11 zonal awards comprising of 50 thousand rupees each along with a citation and certificate.  Purpose of setting the award This award was instituted for recognizing the contributions of marginal, small and landless farmers for developing integrated and sustainable models of agricultural farming.

ChinA unveils five hundred meter Apesphericalrthre telescope

China unveils Five-hundred-meter ApeSphericalrture Telescope in search for extraterrestrial life China on 25 September 2016 officially launched the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in a mountainous region of Guizhou province. The telescope was launched to hunt for extraterrestrial life and explore space.  Key highlights of Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope • The FAST is a radio telescope located in the Dawodang depression, a natural basin in Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, southwest China. • It consists of a fixed 500 m dish constructed in a natural depression in the landscape. • It is the world's largest filled aperture (single dish) radio telescope. • It is the second largest radio telescope after the Russian RATAN-600. • The final cost of the project is 180 million US dollars. • Construction on the FAST project began in 2011 and was completed in July 2016. • The chief scientist of the project is Nan Rendong. • It has a fixed primary reflector located in a natural hollow in the landscape, focusing radio waves on a receiver suspended 140 m above it. • The reflector is made of perforated aluminium panels supported by a mesh of steel cables hanging from the rim. • Its surface is made of 4450 triangular panels, 11 m on a side, in the form of a geodesic dome. • It is capable of pointing anywhere within ±40° from the zenith.

IIT-M develops a lab-on-a-chip diagnostic device

 IIT-M develops a lab-on-a-chip diagnostic device

A team led by Prof. Ashis Kumar Sen, the corresponding author of the paper from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, used a 2-cm-long microchannel device that employs capillary force to draw blood into the device to separate plasma from whole blood and test glucose level in diabetic patients.

The first part of the microchannel device has hydrophilic walls (top and two side walls) that help the blood sample to be drawn in through capillary force. But one centimetre away, all the four walls of the microchannel are hydrophobic. Like a drop of water on a Teflon surface, the blood comes together and forms a large contact angle (more than 90 degrees) when it enters the hydrophobic region. The forward movement of the blood is suddenly impeded and the blood cells tend to accumulate in the hydrophobic region of the microchannel.

Unlike blood cells, the plasma with its low viscosity continues to move forward due to the momentum gained while passing through the hydrophilic region. “The blood cells slow down and then stop moving at the hydrophobic region and form a self built-in filter, while the plasma continues to move past the cells,” says Prof. Sen. “By creating a differential wetting behaviour in the microchannel we were able to separate the plasma from the blood cells.” Separating the plasma from blood cells is essential as it improves sensitivity and reliability. Most blood analyses are based on optical detection techniques, and the blood cells present tend to interfere with the optical path resulting in low sensitivity.

The device does not require any external or internal power as it relies on capillary force to draw blood and the separation of plasma from blood cells is achieved through differential wetting behaviour of the microchannel walls.

“Only 5 microlitre of blood is required and in 15 minutes we get 450 nanolitre of plasma which further increases with time. With suitable design modifications we have also achieved higher plasma volume up to 2 microlitre in 15 min, which is adequate for detection of most analytes,” says M. Sneha Maria, the first author of the paper from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras. It takes 15-20 minutes to test the samples and get the results.

The detection platform for different diseases and conditions can be integrated within the device inside the hydrophobic region. “This is a proof-of-concept study so we used commercially available glucose test strips to detect glucose level in the blood samples,” says Maria. The sensitivity of the disposable device is comparable to conventional blood tests, says Prof. Sen.

Unlike the microchannel device used by the IIT team, commercial glucometers rely on whole blood for testing. Using whole blood can cause measurement errors due to various hematocrit levels (the ratio of the volume of red cells to the volume of whole blood). When the hematocrit levels are high the viscosity of blood is more and this leads to low glucose concentration and underestimation. Overestimation results when the hematocrit levels are low. “There is a likelihood of more than 10 per cent error in glucose detection when whole blood is used,” says Maria.

The team is now testing the device for diagnosis of dengue. Currently, rapid diagnostic test kits (RDTs) either use whole blood which affects the sensitivity or centrifuged plasma for dengue detection. This is where the device can score over others.

Prof. Sen is hopeful that the device can be used for parallel detection of analytes for several diseases using just one blood sample. “We intend to separate the plasma to multiple detection sites for studying several diseases in one go,” he says.

Ten things to know about the PSLV's longest-ever flight

Here are the details of the launch and payloads:

 

— The PSLV-C35 will be launched from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota at 9.12 a.m. tomorrow. The total weight of all the eight satellites is about 675 kg.

— The SCATSAT-1 will be released first into a 730 km Polar Sunsynchronous Orbit (SSO) after about 17 minutes and the rest will be injected into a lower orbit of 689 km after around two hours. The flight is PSLV’s longest ever.

— There will be two re-ignitions of the launch vehicle for this purpose. The launch team engineers will shut down and restart the fourth and last stage of the vehicle twice during the flight.

— Besides SCATSAT-1, the others are PRATHAM and PISAT, two academic satellites from India; ALSAT-1B, ALSAT-2B and ALSAT-1N (all from Algeria); and Pathfinder-1 and NLS-19, from the USA and Canada, respectively.

— This will be the 15th flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration with the use of solid strap-on motors.

— The mission objectives of SCATSAT-1 are to help provide weather forecasting services, cyclone detection and tracking. It has a design life of 15 years.

— The five-kg student satellite PISAT carries an imaging camera as payload to capture imagery of 185 km x 135 km area with about 80m/pixel resolution. The satellite is developed by students of PES University, Bengaluru.

— The other student satellite, PRATHAM, is developed by IIT Bombay.

— The PSLV has so far launched 39 remote-sensing satellites of ISRO, including the Chandrayaan-1 of 2008 and the Mars mission of 2013-14.

— It has also orbited 74 foreign commercial and university satellites in a global trend where the demand for its category of launch services is increasing.

Medical Council of India

Medical Council of India

MCI: reforming the unreformed

In news:  A recent report by the NITI Aayog, authored by a committee chaired by its vice-chairperson, Arvind Panagariya, has proposed a sweeping overhaul of medical education in India. The committee’s remit was to suggest an overhaul of the Indian Medical Council Act, which dates back to 1956.

• The Medical Council of India(MCI) is a statutory body for establishing uniform and high standards of medical education in India. The Council grants recognition of medical qualifications, gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, and monitors medical practice in India.
• It is under the aegis of Indian Medical Council Act 1956, with subsequent amendments and ordinances, that the Medical Council of India (MCI) governs medical education in India.

Reforms in the sector

Looking for a big bang reform in an important sector that remains unreformed, there is important reforms proposed under the new Bill that the Panagariya committee has drafted and appended to its report.

• The most arresting and important governance-related element of the proposed reform is the scrapping of the MCI and its replacement by a new body, the National Medical Commission (NMC).

1. Members of the MCI are elected. While the current system of election to the MCI was based on noble intentions, the effect has been to keep serious medical educationists out of the body.
2. The NMC, on the other hand, would have its members selected by a high-powered committee of unimpeachable integrity, to be chaired by the cabinet secretary.

• The evaluation of medical colleges, which at present is conducted based on inputs, will switch over to an output-based evaluation.

1. This will eliminate the possibility of corruption, which has flourished under an opaque input-based system in which the MCI could threaten closure of a medical college
2. The proposed new legislation will mandate both entrance and exit exams for medical professionals. Anyone practicing medicine in India will have to pass the exit exam. This would bring India in line with the norms of medical certification in other major countries.
3. With a mandatory exit exam before anyone is allowed to practice medicine, medical colleges will have to perform. A college which charges exorbitant fees and whose students fail the exit exam will soon be out of business.

• The regulation of fees for medical education:

1. The Panagariya committee’s proposal, private medical colleges will be free to set their own fees in a transparent manner. Further, all colleges will need to announce and post upfront their structure of fees.
2. For-profit medical colleges will be permitted.

• System of Equity with Efficiency:

To take note of the concerns of states, and to work towards a system characterized by equity, not just efficiency, states will be allowed to regulate the fees that up to 40% of students are charged, with colleges free to charge the tuition fees of their choice for the remaining 60%.This amounts to what economists would call a cross-subsidy from the latter to the former group of students.

Criticism of the report

• The Panagariya committee’s proposal for for-profit colleges will increase various capitation and other hidden fees charged by the colleges that will considerably jack up a student’s costs over and above the official, regulated tuition fees.
• This can lead to a completely non-transparent system which has served no one well.

Way ahead

• Our current status is that India’s system of medical education features ostensibly non-profit medical colleges, while profiteering by unscrupulous colleges which are subject to opaque and capricious regulation has continued unabated.
• The Panagariya committee has courageously established the principle that, in medical education as in other sectors, profit is not a dirty word.
• It is far better for society to have well regulated for-profit medical colleges with transparent and upfront fees and with a scrupulous system of entrance and exit exams that will keep them honest, than our current system in which no one is genuinely accountable, standards are poor, and it is both medical professionals—and ultimately patients—who suffer.

Connecting the dots:

• “For achieving the desired objectives, it is necessary to ensure that the regulatory institution remain independent and autonomous”. Discuss in the light of experiences in recent past.
• “India’s system of medical education features ostensibly non-profit medical colleges, yet there are unregulated, profiteering and opaque colleges”. Critically analyze the recent reforms suggested by Arvind Panagariya committee

Plot sell at Allahabad

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ISRO launched 8 satellites in two different Orbits

ISRO launched 8 satellites in two different Orbits Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 26 September 2016 successfully launched eight satellites in two different orbits in a single mission. These satellites were launched with the PSLV C35 from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta.  The satellites that was carried into space include the primary payload SCATSAT-1 of India, weighing 371 kg, and seven other customer payloads (five foreign and two domestic) together weighing 304 kg during lift off. The weather satellite SCATSAT-1 will be hurled into a polar sun synchronous orbit of 730 kilometer height. The other seven satellites that will be injected into a different orbit as compared to the principal payload are  • Three smaller payloads from Algeria: Alsat-1B 103 kg, Alsat-2B 110 kg and Alsat Nano 7 kg. They are meant for earth observation, remote sensing and technology demonstration. • One from US: Pathfinder-1 of 44 kg. It is a high resolution imaging microsatellite and is owned by BlackSky. • One from Canada: NLS-19 of 8 kg developed at University of Toronto, Canada. It is a nano-satellite to experiment reduction of space debris. • The other two satellites are from India and they are a) Pratham: A student-satellite of the IIT, Bombay. It would estimate the total electron count with a resolution of 1km x 1km location grid. b) PISAT (पैसेट): It is developed by a consortium-led by the PES University in Bengaluru. It would explore remote sensing applications. The two Universities/Academic Institute Satellites and the five foreign satellites were placed into a 670 km polar orbit. SCATSAT-1 of India would serve as a continuity mission for the highly acclaimed Oceansat-2 that has completed its operational life. Its data to accurately predict the landfall of the Cyclone Phailin in Odisha coast recently helped avoid major loss of lives as precautionary measures could be taken in advance. As per reports, this will be made possible by shutting down and restarting the fourth and last stage of the vehicle twice during the flight. The ISRO has gained valuable expertise on restarting the engine of the polar synchronous satellite launch vehicle PSLV in space during June 2016 and December 2015. Through them, the scientists of the space agency gained the expertise to use a single launch mission to inject multiple satellites in different orbits altogether. So far, the PSLV has launched 39 remote-sensing satellites of ISRO including the Chandrayaan-1 of 2008 and the Mars mission of 2013-14. Apart from this, it has also launched 74 foreign commercial and university satellites.   Now get latest Current Affairs on mobile, Download # 1  Current Affairs App Click below to see the complete story http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/ISRO-launched-8-satellites-in-two-different-Orbits-1474861389-1 Sent via Jagran Josh

Current Affairs Quiz: 24 September 2016

1.    Name the long range air-to-air missile that was successfully test fired by Indian Air Force from Mirage-2000 Upgrade combat aircraft. a)    Novator K-100 b)    Barack-8 c)    MICA d)    Astra 2.    Name the state/union territory that increased the retirement age of doctors working in its hospitals to 65 years. a)    Pondicherry b)    Delhi c)    West Bengal d)    Punjab 3.    Name the Sangeet Natak Akademi winning Hindi and Urdu writer and television personality who died in September 2016. a)    Reoti Saran Sharma b)    Nalinidhar Bhattacharyya c)    Gobind Tez d)    TA Rasaq 4.    Name the country with which India started a Joint Military Exercise ‘INDRA-2016’? a)    Nepal b)    Russia c)    Sri Lanka d)    China 5.    Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special Envoy to a country called the countries crisis as the worst humanitarian tragedy since the Second World War. Name the country. a)    Iraq b)    North Korea c)    Syria d)    Ukraine 6.    Name the venue from where Asia’s oldest and world’s 3rd toughest mountain biking (MTB) race kicked off. a)    Shimla b)    Nainital c)    Mussoorie d)    Manali 7.    By what percent, the Union Government cut import duty on wheat and potato to boost supplies and check prices of the commodities during the upcoming festival season? a)    5 percent b)    10 percent c)    15 percent d)    20 percent 8.    Name the state that adopted the resolution to use Cauvery water only for drinking needs. a)    Tamil Nadu b)    Pondicherry c)    Kerala d)    Karnataka 9.    Name the person for whose birth centenary commemoration the Union Government approved the constitution of two committees. a)    Bal Gangadhar Tilak b)    MS Golwalkar c)    Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay d)    Vinayak Damodar Savarkar 10.    Name the state that quashed all notifications regarding 10 percent quota for EBC Economically Backward Classes. a)    Haryana b)    Gujarat c)    Goa d)    Maharashtra 11.    Name the Pakistani cricketer who became the first Pakistani to receive Test mace from ICC. a)    Mohammad Hafeez b)    Shahid Afridi c)    Misbah-ul-Haq d)    Younis Khan 12.    Who of the following was appointed as the Indian ambassador to the United States of America? a)    Pavan Kapoor b)    Navtej Sarna c)    Pankaj Saran d)    Ronen Sen 13.    Who of the following topped in the 2016 Forbes list of 100 Richest Indians? a)    Azim Premji b)    Acharya Balkrishna c)    Anil Ambani d)    Mukesh Ambani 14.    In what number of high focus districts the Union Government will soon launch Mission Parivar Vikas for improved family planning services? a)    120 b)    136 c)    145 d)    162 15.    Who of the following was appointed as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court? a)    Girish Chandra Gupta b)    Mohan M. Shantanagoudar c)    Chittatosh Mookerjee d)    Ashok Bhushan Answer. 1. (c) MICA 2. (b) Delhi 3. (a) Reoti Saran Sharma 4. (b) Russia 5. (c) Syria 6. (a) Shimla 7. (b) 10 percent 8. (d) Karnataka 9. (c) Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay 10. (b) Gujarat 11. (c) Misbah-ul-Haq 12. (b) Navtej Sarna 13. (d) Mukesh Ambani 14. (c) 145 15. (b) Mohan M. Shantanagoudar

Current Affairs One Liners of the Week:

Current Affairs One Liners of the Week: 19 September to 24 September 2016 The recap of the week covers important current affairs of the week like India-Russia Joint Military Exercise ‘INDRA-2016’, Rafale fighter jet deal between India and France and 2016 Right Livelihood Award among others. •    Indian Air Force successfully fired the recently acquired long range air-to-air MICA missile on a manoeuvring target from - Mirage-2000 Upgrade combat aircraft •    The renowned Hindi and Urdu writer, playwright and television personality, who died in New Delhi is - Reoti Saran Sharma •    Delhi government on 23 September 2016 increased the retirement age of doctors working in its hospitals from 62 to - 65 •    The eighth edition of India-Russia Joint Military Exercise ‘INDRA-2016’ begun in - Ussiriysk District in Vladivostok, Russia •    The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura called the Syrian crisis the worst humanitarian tragedy since - the Second World War •    Test captain of the Pakistan national cricket team who became the first Pakistani to receive the prestigious ICC Test Championship mace after topping in the ICC Test Team Rankings - Misbah-ul-Haq •    He was appointed as India’s Ambassador to the US - Navtej Sarna •    He was appointed as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court – Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar •    India and France inked the 7.8-billion Euro deal for - 36 Rafale fighter jets •    State that will now have its own bravery awards and these awards will be given out on Independence Day and Republic Day every year is - Delhi •    Afghanistan signed a peace agreement with one of the country's largest militant groups Hezb-e-Islami led by - Gulbuddin Hekmatyar •    Two Indian forest officials, who were selected for the 2016 Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Awards are - Sanjay Dutta and Ritesh Sarothiya •    Hindustani classical singer who will be honoured with the annual 'LalitArpan Samman' this year is - Shubha Mudgal •    The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) signed a contract with M/s DST, Germany to design vessels, especially suited to navigate the 1620 km stretch of - National Waterway-1 (NW-1) •    Author of the book "Citizen and Society" that was launched by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is - Vice President Mohd Hamid Ansari •    China's city that is set to host India Week celebrations with a business and investment meeting to be attended by CEOs of top Indian firms is - Yangzhou •    Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the 10 percent reservation given to economically weaker sections in - Haryana •    Winners of the 2016 Right Livelihood Award widely referred as the Alternative Nobel Prize are - Syria Civil Defence (The White Helmets), Egypt’s Mozn Hassan and Nazra for Feminist Studies, Russia’s Svetlana Gannushkina and Turkish daily Cumhuriyet •    The state where about 52000 government primary and upper primary schools functioning under the School and Mass Education Department, have no teacher for each class is – Odisha •    The country where the Muslim Brotherhood has made a return to parliament after winning 16 seats in the 130-member house is - Jordan •    Government's think-tank Niti Aayog has devised a short-term and medium-to-long term action plan to help India achieve 50 medals in - 2024 summer Olympics •    The company that has landed a 99.7-million dollar contract from Vietnam Border Guard to design, construct and supply high-speed patrol vessels is - Larsen & Toubro (L&T) •    Two institutions that signed an MoU to work jointly towards sustainable development of the tea sector are - the United Planters' Association of Southern India (UPASI) and the China Tea Marketing Association (CTMA) •    Asian Development Bank in September 2016 approved 631 million US dollars loan for- Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor •    Two companies that recently signed MoU with Dhamra LNG Terminal Private Limited for taking equity stake in the Terminal- Indian Oil Corporation Limited and GAIL India Limited •  CCEA approved the partial capital grant of 5176 crore rupees for development of 2539 km long Jagdishpur-Haidia and Bokaro-Dhamra Gas Pipeline (JHBDPL) project to- GAIL (India) Limited •    Person appointed as the World Bank Country Director for India recently- Junaid Ahmad •    PV Bharathi was recently appointed as the Executive Director (ED) of- Canara Ban •    Oscar-winning director of movie LA Confidential who passed away recently- Curtis Hanson •    The India cricketer who was recently named the captain of the India's all time Test XI by Wisden is - MS Dhoni •    The person recently appointed the chairman of the BCCI Selection Committee is - MSK Prasad •    The Indian industrialist who was recently conferred the Clinton Global Citizen Award is - Adi Godrej •    Person sworn in as the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court- Girish Chandra Gupta •    The team lifted the title of the Obaidullah Khan Heritage Cup Hockey Tournament by defeating Indian Railways - Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) •    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for initiating the process of winding up of Hindustan Diamond Company Private Limited (HDCPL), which is a - 50:50 joint venture of the Union Government and De Beers Centenary Mauritius Limited (DBCML) •    The Union Cabinet approved the signing and ratification of agreement for the exchange of information with respect to Taxes with – Samoa •    The Union Cabinet approved the provision of a direct communication link through a dedicated submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) between - Mainland (Chennai) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands •    The two nations that was requested by Assam Government to immediately rectify their travel advisory to its citizens to the state - UK and Australia •    Country that topped the World Economic Freedom (WEF) Index 2016- Hong Kong •   India stood at which position in the World Economic Freedom (WEF) Index 2016- 112th •   Nobel laureate who was honoured as the 2016 Humanitarian of the Year by the Harvard Foundation- Aung San Suu Kyi •    Person appointed as the India's Ambassador to Sweden recently- Monika Kapil Mohta • Transportation app Ola in September 2016 tied-up for Cab Booking Interface Integration with- Yatra.Com •    Country hit by Typhoon Meranti recently- China •    Joint Sea-2016 naval exercise was conducted between- China and Russia •    Person appointed as the Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India recently- VK Sharma •  International Day of Peace was observed across the world on 21 September 2016 with theme - The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace •    The Giant African Land Snail (GALS) was spotted in the campus of - the Goa University at Taleigao •    Number of cities in the third list of Smart Cities that was released by Union Government – 27 •    Scientists at MIT have developed a spectroscopic technique that would help the 2020 Mars Rover to identify the signs of life at – Mars •    Rushiraj Barot won gold in the junior men's 25m rapid fire pistol event in - ISSF Junior World Cup •    The state that objected to Genetically-Modified (GM) mustard from being considered for commercial cultivation in India is – Kerala •    Two-day North East Connectivity Summit was held in- Agartala •    Person who resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jubilant FoodWorks Limited recently- Ajay Kaul •    Company acquired by Facebook recently to build Wi-Fi drones, data servers and virtual reality goggles faster- Nascent Objects •    Service launched by Indian Railways recently to facilitate access to wheelchairs, battery operated cars for elderly, differently-abled people- Yatri Mitra Sewa •    World Leaders recently at the United Nations General Assembly Summit for Refugees and Migrants adopted the- New York Declaration •    Company that was recently conferred with the prestigious membership of the Asia-Pacific Aerospace Quality Group- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited •    The first football referee of Odisha who recently passed away at age of 100 is - Narottam Mohanty •   Naropa Festival recently started in Ladakh region of India. The festival is also known as - Kumbh of Himalayas •    A team of researchers recently created a three-dimensional lung, called as organoids. This technique could be used to study specifically - Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis •    The financial services firm with which the Board of Control for Cricket in India recently tied up is - Janalakshmi Financial Services •    Anandi Ramalingam has been appointed as the first woman Director (Marketing) of - Bharat Electronics Limited •    He became the first minority actor in 18 years to win the Emmy Award for best leading actor in a drama series - Rami Malek •    India successfully test-fired the most advanced surface-to-air missile off the Odisha coast - 'Barak-8' •    Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on 19 September 2016 inaugurated the super computer PARAM ISHAN at - IIT Guwahati campus •    President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party on 19 September 2016 won the Russian parliamentary election by securing 343 seats of the total 450 in - Duma, the lower house of Russian Parliament •    The Cauvery Supervisory Committee headed by Shashi Shekhar directed Karnataka to release 3000 cusecs of water per day from 21 to 30 September 2016 to - Tamil Nadu •    Guided Missile Destroyer Ship that was launched recently at Mazagaon Dock Ship Builders Limited (MDL), Mumbai- INS Mormugao •    Malayalam critic chosen for the prestigious N Mohanan Suvarna Mudra Award 2016- M Leelavathy •    Pulitzer-winning US playwright who authored the masterpiece Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and died recently- Edward Albee •    Person appointed as the Head of International Society for Blood Transfusion (ISBT) recently- Ravi Reddy •    Sports personality appointed as Brand Ambassador of Punjab National Bank recently- Virat Kohli •    The UPSC member who was recently appointed the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission is- Alka Sirohi •    Charkhi Dadri has been recently declared as the 22nd district of - Haryana •    The Indian hearing-impaired shooter who won the bronze medal in the first World Deaf Shooting Championships is - Priyesha Deshmukh\ •    The recent joint naval exercises conducted between China and Russia in the South China Sea is - Joint Sea-2016 •    The drama series that won the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards is - Game of Thrones •    The Indian wrestler who won gold medal in Junior World Wrestling Championships is – Manisha •    Indian shooters clinched seven medals, including three golds, on the opening day of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup for pistol, rifle and shotgun at - Gabala in Azerbaijan •    The new import policy for marble and travertine blocks and marble and granite slabs notified by the government will come into effect from - 1 October 2016 •    First Indian music and dance festival aimed to showcase the country's rich and diverse culture was kicked off in - Sydney, Australia •    7-day-long Naropa festival is being celebrated in- Jammu and Kashmir

Barack Obama vetoed a bill

Barack Obama vetoed a bill that would have allowed families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia US President Barack Obama on 23 September 2016 vetoed a bill that would have allowed the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia. Earlier, the Justice against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) was passed by both the chambers of the Republican controlled Congress. As per President, the JASTA, would have jeopardized the long standing international principles regarding sovereignty and would have made adverse impact with US interests and nationals overseas.  In his message accompanying his veto, he said that the bill departs from longstanding standards and practice under US Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. It also threatens to strip all foreign governments of immunity from judicial process in the country based solely upon allegations by private litigants that a foreign government's overseas conduct had some role or connection to a group or person that carried out a terrorist attack inside the United States. The US President said the bill would upset longstanding international principles regarding sovereign immunity, putting in place rules that, if applied globally, could have serious implications for the country's national interests and it can even complicate relations with its closest partners.

Asia’s oldest MTB race kicks off in Shimla

Asia’s oldest MTB race kicks off in Shimla The 12th edition of Asia’s oldest and world’s 3rd toughest mountain biking (MTB) race kicked off on 24 September 2016 from historic Ridge Maidan of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. Nearly 67 participants from 14 countries including 11 men of SSB are taking part in the race which would conclude on 3 October 2016 in Dharmshala, the district headquarter of Kangra. Mohit Sood, President Himalayan Adventure Sport and Tourism Promotion Association said that total 650 kilometers would be covered by the participants during their journey. This year the new route of race is going to be more challenging to the riders in terms of terrain. There will be an equal amount of uphill and downhill segments in the race. Looped circuits of approximately 60-70 km each day of the race will be covered by the riders. On the way these bikers would also meet 10000 school children’s studying in the different government schools and aware them to preserve environment as well as adopt habit of cycling in their day today activities.

Word of the day

Today's Word of the Day is : Philanthropist = परोपकारी

Quata of the week

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT GOOD, AT LEAST YOU MAKE IT LOOK GOOD

Cauvery River Row

Cauvery River Row: Where Water flares the flame The Cauvery water dispute, which has been a bone of contention amongst Karnataka and Tamil Nadu throughout recent decades, has again prompted brutality in the area after Supreme Court affirmed its order. The court has guided Karnataka state government to discharge 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for the following 10 days trying to spare the samba crops.  Cauvery Horata Samiti, the association which has been at the cutting edge of issue in Karnataka, required a statewide "bandh" prompting vicious dissents by farmers. The disruption has affected public transport offices, schools, universities and government workplaces in Mandya. The Cauvery water debate has affected the local politics for long with gatherings mixing feelings of individuals as the river has a profound social, economic and religious significance for them. This, thus, prompted a circumstance where the general assessment turned out to be more rigid with time, making it even troublesome for the political parties to locate a shared conviction. Why so much angst about the Cauvery? The waterway Cauvery is the biggest in southern India, and starts close Mercara in the Coorg area at a height of 1,341 m (4400 ft) above ocean level towards the Western Ghats, taking an easterly course through the conditions of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, before joining the Bay of Bengal. The Cauvery's upper hill catchment lies in Karnataka and Kerala. It is affected by the typically tried and true south-west storm amid June to September. Its lower part lies in the plains of Tamil Nadu, served by the not really dependable north-east Monsoon amid October to December. In specialized water law dialect, Karnataka is the upper riparian state where the waterway begins; Tamil Nadu is a lower riparian state. Puducherry needs its offer of the Cauvery on the grounds that it is the place the stream streams into the Bay of Bengal. Also, Kerala really contributes more water to the waterway than it can use, as a result of its topography. How old is the dispute over the Cauvery? It is over 150 years of age. Amidst the nineteenth century, the administration of Mysore (as Karnataka was then called) needed to assemble various new irrigation project. This made nervousness what was then the condition of Madras, which was reliant on the Cauvery for water system. After a few rounds of dialogs between the two and the government of India, an assention was marked in 1892, which represented various interstate streams. Another understanding was marked in 1924, identifying with the utilization, conveyance, and control of the Cauvery waters particularly. Both understandings expressed that current water system ought not be hindered by the development of new works upstream, and downstream irrigation ought not be decreased. Besides, all works must in the arranging stages be affirmed by the downstream state government (i.e., Tamil Nadu for Cauvery's situation). At the end of the day, under the law Mysore could do nothing that would reduce water supply to Tamil Nadu, the lower riparian state. Karnataka did not execute these agreements or understanding. Rather, it shaped four new projects by developing dams over the tributaries of Cauvery, without getting leeway from the Centre, Planning Commission, and Central Water Commission.   In 1910, the administration of Mysore proposed a reservoir at Kannambadi, and looked for the assent of the Madras government under the 1892 understanding. As the Madras government did not concur, it was alluded to arbitration. The arbitration board's grant was not adequate to the Madras government and it appealed. At the point when the Government of India did not intercede, moves were started that prompted the consenting to of the 1924 Arrangement. The dispute Timeline: Feb 5, 2007: After 16 years, Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal holds as valid the two agreements of 1892 and 1924 executed between the governments of Madras and Mysore on the apportionment of water to Tamil Nadu The final award makes an annual allocation of 419 tmcft to Tamil Nadu in the entire Cauvery basin, 270 tmcft to Karnataka, 30 tmcft to Kerala and 7 tmcft to Puducherry out of the total 740 TMC available in the Cauvery basin in a normal year. Sept 19, 2012: At the seventh meeting of the CRA, Manmohan Singh directs Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu at Biligundlu. Both the CMs — Jayalalithaa and Jagadish Shettar — term it "unacceptable". This is the first CRA meet since the UPA came to power at the Centre in 2004.Sept 28, 2012: The Supreme Court slams the Karnataka government for not complying with the PM’s direction.Feb 29, 2013: The Centre notifies the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT). The Central government was mandated to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) simultaneously with the gazette notification of the final award of the Tribunal dated February 19.March 10, 2013: The Tamil Nadu chief minister says she will work for the formation of the Cauvery Water Board during a felicitation ceremony organised in Thanjavur for her efforts to get the final award notified in the Union gazette.March 19, 2013: Tamil Nadu moves the Supreme Court to give directions to the water ministry for constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.May 28, 2013: Tamil Nadu moves Supreme Court, seeking Rs 2,480 crore in damages from Karnataka for not following the orders of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.June 1, 2013:The Union water resources secretary chairs the first meeting of the supervisory committee in which Tamil Nadu demanded its share of water for June as stipulated in the award.June 2, 2013: Water cannot be released as and when TN demands, says Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah.June 6, 2013:Karnataka says it cannot release 134 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu between June and September.June 12, 2013:The Cauvery Supervisory Committee terms as not "feasible" Tamil Nadu’s plea for direction to Karnataka for release of Cauvery water.June 14, 2013:Tamil Nadu decides to file contempt plea against Karnataka for its stand on the Cauvery Supervisory Committee.June 15, 2013:Chief minister Jayalaithaa says the Tamil Nadu government will approach the Supreme Court for the formation of the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority.June 26, 2013:Contending that the setting up of a supervisory committee had become a futile exercise, Tamil Nadu moves SC for constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.June 28, 2013:Tamil Nadu files contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for his defiant stand against the Supervisory CommitteeJuly 15, 2013:Karnataka and Tamil Nadu clash during the third meeting of the Cauvery Supervisory Committee over the latter’s share of the river water. While Tamil Nadu sought 34 tmcft in July and 50 tmcft in August to save the Samba crop, Karnataka says that it had already released 34 tmcft between June and July 13.August 2016: Tamil Nadu asks the Supreme Court to direct Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu after Siddaramiah says there is no water in the reservoirs.Sept 6, 2016:SC directs Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs a day till Sept 15. Protests break out in Karnataka  Rivers are complicated? It is. Not only in India, but also at a global level. Internbational law has reams of statute on interstate streams (waterways that go through the regions of the few states), saying that such waters can't be said to be situated in any one state, and that no state can assert select responsibility for waters to deny other downstream state of their equitable offer. In this way, no state can successfully legislate for the utilization of such waters, since its administrative force does not reach out past its territories. In a federal system, for example, India, things are similar. What are the grievances of Tamil Nadu? TN says that the aggregate volume of water from Karnataka for streaming down to the Mettur dam is turning out to be less and less. It additionally affirms that the water discharges were not being made in time to address the issue of development of crops, especially in the Cauvery delta of TN. TN needs the yearly discharges to be made in a managed way, from week to week, from June to May. How did the latest dispute start? There are four parties to the debate—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. Karnataka built four projects on and close to the Cauvery: Harangi, Kabini, Hemavathi and Suvarnavathy. For these, Karnataka did not get the earlier assent of the Tamil Nadu government. From 1974, Karnataka began diverting river flows into the four new supplies. Not able to resolve the dispute, the Center alluded it to the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 1990.   So, why Supreme Court order made the Kannadigas unhappy? On 5 September, a SC bench involving judges Dipak Misra and Uday Umesh Lalit asked Karnataka to discharge 15,000 cusecs (cubic feet every second) of water every day to Tamil Nadu for 10 days. Tamil Nadu was asked to discharge water proportionately to downstream Puducherry. What did Karnataka agree to and what was Tamil Nadu’s demand? Well, Karnataka was willing to discharge less water, that is, 10,000 cusecs, while Tamil Nadu needed more, that is, 20,000 cusecs for the 10-day time frame from 5 September. So, it was easy for SC to pick the median and it should have made both sides happy? Indeed, that is the thing that the Misra-led SC bench would have though, however considering the savagery in the city of Karnataka, the court's intercession in this way has not helped to resolve this crisis.   On 12th September, the SC requested Karnataka to discharge 12,000 cusecs of water a day to Tamil Nadu until 20 September. That implies Karnataka will wind up discharging more water to its neighbor. But, why SC even get dragged into this dispute whereas CWDT is supposed to sort this issue? Well, it’s interesting and long story. The CWDT had awarded the decision in 1991, for Tamil Nadu, which then told Karnataka to implement it. Karnataka was not willing. In this way, Tamil Nadu recorded suit in the Supreme Court in 2001. It is as yet pending. The next hearing of that suit is on 18th October 2016. Meanwhile, the CWDT gave its final decision in 2007 (which likewise in fact supplanted the 1892 and 1924 agreement to water sharing). What's more, the most recent SC orders have been appealed in special leave petitions (SLPs) submitted by Tamil Nadu against Karnataka. Well, then what was CWDT interim order of 1991? The Tribunal guided Karnataka to guarantee that 205,000 million cubic feet (TMC) of water was accessible in Tamil Nadu's Mettur Reservoir in a year from June to May. What happened then? Karnataka proclaimed a law, followed by an Act, to discredit the impact of the tribunal ruling. The President then made a reference to the Supreme Court for its opinion. The SC addressed this reference in November 1991, saying the statute and the Act were unconstitutional and beyond the legislative power of the State. In 1998, Centre set up the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) and a monitoring committee (MC). The CRA incorporated the Prime Minister, and the chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and of Puducherry. The MC included secretary of the union minister of water resources, and chief secretaries of the three states, and Puducherry, Chairman, Central Water Commission, and others. The CRA and the MC should manage issues on sharing of waters every now and then. So, CRA and the MC failed to resolve matters? Yes, it shows up so. Regardless, nobody knows whether despite everything they exist, as another supervisory committee has been set up in their place in 2013. Why Tamil Nadu approaches the SC time and again? Normally, Tamil Nadu approaches the SC for a bearing to Karnataka to accept and comply to what requested by the tribunal, setting a timetable for arrival of the water in various months of the year. On the majority of these events, Karnataka comes up with the excuse that as a result of the lacking precipitation, it had not been workable for it to entirely consent to the interim order by discharging the amount of water as coordinated. What does the 2007 final order of the Tribunal say and what is the conclusion it drawn? The Tribunal, in a unanimous decision, decided the aggregate accessibility of water in the Cauvery basin at 740 TMC at the Lower Coleroon Anicut site, including 14 TMC for environmental protection and drainage into the ocean. The final award made a yearly allotment of 419 TMC to Tamil Nadu in the whole Cauvery basin, 270 TMC to Karnataka, 30 TMC to Kerala, and 7 TMC to Puducherry.   It characterized an "normal or ordinary year" as one in which the aggregate yield of the Cauvery basin is 740 TMC. In a normal ordinary year, Karnataka needs to discharge to Tamil Nadu at Biligundulu 192 TMC (as against 205 TMC in the interim award) in every month. It includes 182 TMC from the designated share of TN, including 10 TMC for environmental purposes. In a distressed year, the distributed shares are to be proportionately lessened among Kerala, Karnataka, TN and Puducherry. The Tribunal likewise prescribed setting up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) to actualize the Tribunal's order, and said, otherwise, "its choice would just be on a bit of paper". Furthermore, its most part remained on paper only: the CMB has not yet been set up, despite the fact that the order has been published in the official periodical on 19 February 2013, and is binding. What is the supervisory committee, then?The supervisory committee was constituted by the Ministry of Water Resource in 2013., and incorporates individuals from the Ministry of Water Resource, chief secretaries of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, and the CWC. The function of committee was to offer impact to the execution of the Tribunal order of 5 February 2007. Clearly, this council replaces the past Cauvery River Authority and the checking advisory group, set up in 1998, and is viewed as a contrasting option to the Board, proposed by the Tribunal. The most recent Supreme Court order has requested that Tamil Nadu approach the supervisory committee to deal with its grievance. Anyway SC got involved, so what was the point? The way that the Supreme Court mediated suggests that the Judiciary is maybe pointlessly getting included in matters that are past its ability. The SC could have recently requested that this committee to meet urgently and resolve the crisis amicably, contend observers. But Supreme Court resolved the dispute now? It is basically a federal debate, and should be resolved amicably between the states on the grounds that the issue is so intricate. Top-down settling by the Supreme Court will unavoidably support one state and estrange another. The state that is seen to have lost in the case then can't control popular sentiments in the state, and will again prompt appeal, as has now apparently happened again against the SC judgment. In this manner, the matter truly must be managed by an expert body including proficient subject expert of both States. Will the dispute drag on and continue to the next century? It will, if the states concerned don't show development and rather continually depend on suit, knowing completely well that the Supreme Court can't enforce the Tribunal's last order. And at whatever point there are legal battles fought in court, emotions run high in both states on the issue.

India - Nature's wonderland

https://youtu.be/5LR-32RHhmg

PM approves constitution of two committees

PM approves constitution of two committees for birth centenary of Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 September 2016 approved the constitution of two committees for the commemoration of the birth centenary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. Modi will head the 149 member National Committee while Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the 23 member Executive Committee. Former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and H.D. Deve Gowda, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar, former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and BJP President Amit Shah are the members of National Committee.  Besides, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, Film Director Chandraprakash Dwivedi, former Hockey player Dhanraj Pillai, former Chief Justice R C Lahoti and Constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap will have also been included in the National Committee among others. The committee includes several Governors, Chief Ministers, Scientists, Journalists, Academicians, Social Workers and Spiritual Leaders. Union Minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma will be the Convenor of the committee. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, who was born on 25 September 1916 in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, was the ideologue of Jan Sangh, the parent organisation of BJP. BJP is planning year-long celebrations which will be inaugurated by the party chief at its National Council at Kozhikode.