New species of Pika discovered in the Sikkim Himalayas

New species of Pika discovered in the Sikkim Himalayas Researchers at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru have recently identified a new species of Pika named Ochotona sikimaria high up in the Sikkim Himalayas. The Findings were published in the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution as a paper titled Genetics, morphology and ecology reveal a cryptic Pika lineage in the Sikkim Himalaya on 15 September 2016. The team of researchers including Dr Uma Ramakrishnan and her collaborators probed the genetic origins of the little mammal Pika to discover an entirely new lineage, with a unique evolutionary past. Highlights of the Study • Researchers used genetic tools in order to understand the origin and evolution of the Pika species commonly found in the Sikkim Himalayas and worked with Pika droppings to obtain DNA samples. • By comparing DNA sequences from these samples with those of commonly known Pika sequences from across the world, they concluded that there were clear differences. • Gaining a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history of this species, the researchers chose to compare the Sikkim Pika to its close relatives in China. • This analysis confirmed the fact that the new species is indeed distinct and not merely a subspecies of the Moupin Pika, as was previously believed. • Multiple lines of evidence, including genetics, ecology and morphometrics, were used clarify the origins of the Sikkim Pika and to establish that it is indeed a distinct species. About Pikas • Pikas are members of the rabbit family and live either high up in the mountains or in cold (temperate) places as they are highly cold-adapted. • This feature of their biology makes them sensitive to habitat loss from increasing global temperature. • The majority of Pika species described to date are of Asian origin. • Pikas are particularly important because they are considered indicators of climate change based on studies in North America. • Unlike other mammalian species inhabiting such harsh environments, Pikas do not hibernate. • They prepare for winter by collecting and storing hay piles for their winter food.

India ratifies historic Paris Climate Agreement India

India ratifies historic Paris Climate Agreement India on 2 October 2016 ratified historic Paris Agreement on climate change, giving a significant push for the deal to enter into force by the end 2016. The agreement is expected to give momentum to implementation of measures at international level to control global warming. India, the world's fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounts for 4.1 per cent of the emissions. China and the US is the biggest carbon emitter and are jointly responsible for around 40 per cent of the global carbon emissions. COP 21 under UNFCCC adopted Paris Agreement on Climate Change With India's move, a total of 62 countries accounting for almost 52 per cent of emissions, have ratified the accord. The pact will come into force after it has been ratified by at least 55 countries which account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.  Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin handed over the Instrument of Ratification signed by President Pranab Mukherjee, to Santiago Villalpando, the Head of the Treaties Division at the UN in a special ceremony in New York. The ceremony was attended by top UN officials and senior diplomats to commemorate the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi’s birth anniversary is observed as an International Day of Non-violence. Union Cabinet approves ratification of Paris Agreement In total, the 62 countries that have ratified the Paris Agreement account for about 51.89 per cent of the global gas emissions. This means for adoption, the agreement needs slightly more than 3 percent to reach the 55 per cent threshold. UN says that at least 14 other countries that together contribute about 12 per cent of global emissions have committed to ratify the pact before end of 2016. Earlier in September 2016, the US and China had formally ratified the Paris agreement, which was adopted by 195 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change last December in Paris. On the other hand, it is expected that the European Union and Russia, the other two among the top five emitters, will ratify the agreement soon. Paris Agreement • It was adopted by more than 190 countries at the 21st Conference of Parties of UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) held in Paris in December 2015. • It seeks to encourage global action to reduce greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This would help in preventing catastrophic effects of climate change. • It seeks to give a momentum to actions being taken to adapt to the impacts of climate change, and raise financial and technological resources to do so. • Initially, the Paris Agreement supposed to come into operation by 2020, the year when the existing Kyoto Protocol, the international arrangement to deal with climate change, expires. But later, the deadline was dropped and it will come into force after 30-days after the minimum ratifications are over. • For few years, the Paris Agreement as well as the Kyoto Protocol would exist side by side.

New frog species named Litoria Bella discovered in Australia

New frog species named Litoria Bella discovered in Australia A new frog species named Cape York graceful tree frog, scientifically known as Litoria Bella, was discovered recently in Australia’s largest virgin forest in Queensland. The study was published in the journal Zootaxa on 27 September 2016.The newly discovered species closely resembles the Graceful tree frog (Litoria Gracilenta). The research and discovery was done by Dr Jodi Rowley, a curator of amphibian and reptile conservation biology at the Australian Museum, along with scientists Keith McDonald, Stephen Richards and Greta Frankham. Highlights of the Cape York graceful tree frog or Litoria Bella • The Cape York Graceful Treefrog is known from between Moa Island in the Torres Strait in the north, to about 20 km south of Coen on the Cape York Peninsula in the south. • The southern-most location of the new species is separated by 220 km from the most northern record of the Graceful Treefrog in the Endeavour Valley near Cooktown. • The Cape York Graceful frogs have a near-immaculate green dorsum, bright orange digits, bluish purple thighs and white bones. • They also measure about four centimetres long, which is considered big for the species. • They spend most of their time in the tree canopy and come down to ponds when it rains or during breeding season. • The species was thought to occur all the way from north-eastern New South Wales to northern Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. The Study • One of the researchers from the team Keith McDonald from the Queensland museum had first laid eyes on this Cape York tree frog in 2000 during one of his field-work outings. • However, the frog was determined to be a new species on 27 September 2016 after undergoing rigorous tests for a year. • By looking at differences in its appearance, as well as its advertisement call and DNA, it was concluded that the Cape York Graceful Tree frog is a distinct species, bringing the number of known frog species in Australia to 239.

Scientists use stem cells to successfully grow human lungs in a dish

Scientists use stem cells to successfully grow human lungs in a dish A team of researchers from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) created a three-dimensional lung, called as organoids, to study diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The organoids resemble sections of human lungs instead of just cells. The study was published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.  How the researchers grew lungs? • The researchers used stem cells taken from actual adult human lungs to coat tiny sticky hydrogel beads. • The beads eventually grew and self-assembled to envelope the hydrogel beads, which were all placed inside linked wells. • The resulting structure produced evenly distributed three-dimensional patterns consistent with actual air sacs like those in human lungs. • Inside each well, the lung cells grew around the beads, which linked them and formed an evenly distributed three-dimensional pattern. • To show that these tiny organoids mimicked the structure of actual lungs, the researchers compared the lab-grown tissues with real sections of human lung. • Moreover, when the researchers added certain molecular factors to the 3D cultures, the lungs developed scars similar to those seen in the lungs of people who have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. • The scientists were not able build a fully functional lung. However, they have been able to take lung cells and place them in the correct geometrical spacing and pattern to mimic a human lung. What is Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis? • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic lung disease characterised by scarring of the lungs. • The scarring makes the lungs thick and stiff, which over time results in progressively worsening shortness of breath and lack of oxygen to the brain and vital organs. • The term 'idiopathic' is used because the cause of pulmonary fibrosis is still unknown. • To study the effect of genetic mutations or drugs on lung cells, researchers have previously relied on two-dimensional cultures of the cells. But when they take cells from people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and grow them on these flat cultures, the cells appear healthy.

NASA spots possible Water Plumes Erupting on Jupiter's Moon

NASA spots possible Water Plumes Erupting on Jupiter's Moon Europa The latest finding has given scientists fresh hope that a robotic spacecraft could one day fly past these potential plumes and learn about their contents without having to drill miles deep into the moon's icy shell. Using ultraviolet images taken by Hubble, a space telescope that was launched in 1990, the potential plumes were seen around the southern edge of Europa and appear as dark fingers or patches of possible absorption.  They were spotted over the course of 15 months in 2014 when scientists observed Europa passing in front of Jupiter. This was observed by a team of astronomers led by William Sparks of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore. They observed these finger-like projections while viewing Europa's limb as the moon passed in front of Jupiter. If confirmed, Europa would be the second moon in the solar system known to have water vapor plumes. In 2005, NASA's Cassini orbiter detected jets of water vapor and dust spewing off the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. About the Plumes on Europa The plumes are estimated to rise about 125 miles (200 kilometers) before, presumably, raining material back down onto Europa's surface. Europa has a huge global ocean that contains twice water than Earth’s oceans, which is protected by a layer of extremely cold and hard ice of unknown thickness. The plumes provide a tantalizing opportunity to gather samples originating from under the surface without having to land or drill through the ice. Previous Finding Earlier in 2012, a team led by Lorenz Roth of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, detected evidence of water vapor erupting from the frigid south polar region of Europa and reaching more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) into space. Although both teams used Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph instrument, each used a totally independent method to arrive at the same conclusion. Next step to confirm presence of water vapor plumes on Europa It is expected that scientists will use the infrared vision of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch in 2018, to confirm venting or plume activity on Europa. Besides, NASA is also formulating a mission to Europa with a payload that could confirm the presence of plumes and study them from close range during multiple flybys. The work by Sparks and his colleagues will be published in the 29 September 2016 issue of the Astrophysical Journal. Hubble Space Telescope It is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (the European Space Agency.) NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. STScI, which is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, conducts Hubble science operations.

World's first baby born from new procedure using DNA of three people

World's first baby born from new procedure using DNA of three people The world’s first baby was born from a new procedure that combines the DNA of three people. The baby was born in Mexico. The baby was born on 6 April 2016 after his Jordanian parents travelled to Mexico where they were cared for by US fertility specialists. The baby was born using the new and controversial technology, called mitochondrial donation, which incorporates DNA from three persons. The five-month-old boy has the usual DNA from his parents, and a small amount of genetic code from a donor. How the treatment was done? • The baby’s mother carried genes for the fatal Leigh Syndrome, which harms the developing nervous system. • The faults affect the DNA in mitochondria, the tiny battery-like structures that provide cells with energy, and are passed down from mother to child. • A team of doctors, led by John Zhang, decided to attempt the controversial procedure of mitochondrial transfer in the hope that it would give the couple a healthy child. • The doctors took the nucleus from one of the woman’s eggs and inserted it into a healthy donor’s egg that had had its own nucleus removed. Then, the egg was fertilised with the husband’s sperm. • The team created five embryos but only one developed normally. This was implanted into the mother and the baby was born nine months later. What is Mitochondrial Donation? • Mitochondrial donation is a special form of in vitro fertilization in which the future baby's mitochondrial DNA comes from a third party. • The two most common techniques in mitochondrial donation are pronuclear transfer and maternal spindle transfer. • Due to the uncharted nature of producing a child with 3 sources of DNA, this subject is currently quite contentious in the field of bioethics, as is the case with many other gene therapies. • The treatment was legalised in the UK in 2015 but so far no other country has introduced laws to permit the technique. • In February 2016, a report was issued by the U.S. Food and Drug administration declaring that further research into mitochondrial donation is ethically permissible.

successfully launched the communication satellite GSAT-18.

India on 6 October 2016 successfully launched the communication satellite GSAT-18. The satellite was launched by a heavy duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana. The European launcher Ariane-5 VA-231 injected GSAT-18 into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) shortly after orbiting co-passenger Sky Muster II satellite for Australian operator, National Broadband Network. After its injection into GTO, ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan took control of GSAT-18 and performed the initial orbit raising maneuvers using the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of the satellite, placing it in circular Geostationary Orbit. GSAT-18 • GSAT-18 is designed to provide continuity of services on operational satellites in C-band, Extended C-band and Ku-bands. • Weighing 3404 kilograms at lift-off and having a mission life of about 15 years, GSAT-18 will strengthen ISRO's current fleet of 14 operational telecommunication satellites. • It carries 48 communication transponders to provide services in Normal C-band, Upper Extended C-band and Ku-bands of the frequency spectrum. • GSAT-18 carries Ku-band beacon as well to help in accurately pointing ground antennas towards the satellite. • It will enable the continuity of the vital communication services in the country by replacing the currently ageing satellites. GSAT-18 is the 20th satellite from ISRO to be launched by the European space agency and the mission is the 280th for Arianespace launcher family. ISRO, which has been dependent on Ariane-5 rocket for carrying its heavier satellites, is developing GSLV Mk III for this purpose. GSAT-18's co-passenger Sky Muster II, built by Space Systems Loral in California, is aimed at bridging the digital divide, especially in the rural and isolated regions of Australia. Kourou is a French territory located in northeastern coast of South America. The launch, which was originally scheduled for 5 October 2016, was deferred by 24 hours due to unfavourable weather conditions at Kourou.

Current Affairs One liners

• The noted contemporary artist, who had recently released a book called Faces of Creativity, who died recently is - Yusuf Arakkal • Former ISRO Chairman who was recently inducted into the 2016 IAF Hall of Fame by the International Aeronautical Federation is - U R Rao • The country that recently became the first in the world to ban disposable plastic cups and plates is - France • The theme of the 2016 World Teachers' Day is - Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status • The winners of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry are- Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir James Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L Feringa • RBI in its 4th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2016-17 reduced the Repo rate to- 6.25 percent • RBI in its 4th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2016-17 adjusted the Reverse Repo rate to- 5.75 percent • The Union Cabinet recently approved the amendments to- HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014 • Union Cabinet recently approved the signing of MoU between India and which group of countries in the field of water resources- European Union • Indian who won the 2016 John F Richards Prize of American Historical Association- Nayanjot Lahiri • India recently signed three MoUs with Singapore to- strengthen ties on countering terrorism and skill development • Taxi-booking app that launched the offline taxi booking feature recently- Ola • The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics was won by- David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz • The first-ever BRICS trade fair will be held in- New Delhi • Person appointed as CMD of Power Finance Corporation recently- Rajeev Sharma

The different faces of Pluto

NASA has released all the hi-res images taken by the New Horizons fly-by of Pluto in a single mosaic strip, calling it "the most detailed view of Pluto’s terrain you’ll see for a very long time." Take a look. Photos by NASA.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to builders of molecular machines

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences says molecular machines "will most likely be used in the development of things such as new materials, sensors and energy storage systems".

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2016 has been awarded to Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa for developing molecular machines.

Announcing the Prize on Wednesday in Stockholm, a statement from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said,"The development of computing demonstrates how the miniaturisation of technology can lead to a revolution. The 2016 Nobel laureates in Chemistry have miniaturised machines and taken chemistry to a new dimension.

AIIMS doctors to help in treatment of Jayalalithaa

A team of experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, arrived in Chennai on Wednesday to provide consultations on further treatment for Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who has been admitted to the Apollo Hospitals here.

The team, comprising G.C. Khilnani, Professor, Pulmonary Medicine; Anjan Trikha, Professor, Anaesthesiology; and Nitish Naik, cardiologist who was also former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s personal physician, will be available for consultations over the next few days, according to sources in Delhi.

It is expected that the doctors will assess the treatment and recommend changes, if necessary, in consultation with the team of experts currently treating the Chief Minister.

It is also learnt that the London-based intensivist Dr. Richard Beale who was in Chennai last week at Apollo to assist with the treatment, may be back soon.

On Wednesday, there was no bulletin from the Apollo Hospitals on the status of Ms. Jayalalithaa. She had been hospitalised on September 22 with complaints of fever and dehydration.

Union Government launched Progress Panchayat to reach out to minority community

Union Government launched Progress Panchayat to reach out to minority community Progress Panchayat: A programme to reach out the minority community and publicize the various welfare measures The Union Government on 29 September 2016 launched Progress Panchayat. This Panchayat is aimed at reach out the minority community and publicize the various welfare measures taken by the NDA government for their betterment.  The programme was kick started by Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (independent charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi from Mewat region of Haryana. The programme will be organized in 100 places across the country in the coming days where Union Ministers will interact with people about the several schemes. During the programme, the government will also seek feedback and suggestions from the people for better implementation of the welfare schemes.

Railways Ministry launches various Railways Services

Railways Ministry launches various Railways Services Railways Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 29 September 2016 launched various Railways Services and dedicated them to the nation. These Railways services are: • Liberalised station to station special freight rates policy. • Policy providing sub quota of 33% to women within reserved categories for the allotment in catering units. • Policy giving preference to local domicile holders for commercial licenses at stations. • New system of allocating vacant berths after final charting to wayside stations. • Launch of the new tag Train at a Glance 2016 and new Time Table effective from 1 October 2016. Liberalised station to station special freight rates policy • Existing as well as new traffic shall be eligible. • Concession shall be granted up to a maximum of 30 percent on the incremental traffic over and above the benchmark NTKM. • Concession shall be in the form of percentage discount over the Normal Tariff Rate (NTR). It should be ensured that the concessional freight should not be less than the NTR of Class 100. • Concession shall be admissible to Block rake, two/multi point rake, Mini Rake etc. • Concession may be granted for retention of traffic also up to maximum of 15 percent. • STS scheme will be applicable for all terminals namely goods sheds, sidings, ports, CRTs, PFTOs etc. • Commodities excluded from STS are - All commodities with classification below Class-100,  All commodities under Main Commodity Head Coal & Coke, Iron ore, Military traffic, POL and RMC. Policy providing sub quota of 33% to women for the allotment in catering units • A Sub Quota of 33 percent for women in allotment of the reserved catering units was introduced in order to extend economic empowerment for women. • This will ensure allotment of minimum 8 percent stalls to women at A1, A, B & C category station and minimum 17 percent allotment at D, E and F category station. • There are approximately 8000 Minor Catering Units over Indian Railways. • Under this provision, Railways shall ensure that women participation does not fall below a specific level. Policy giving preference to local domicile holders for commercial licenses at stations • In compliance of Budget Announcement 2016-17, a process of giving weightage to district Domicile Holders for commercial licenses at stations is being proliferated at all stations over Indian Railways. • It would help to build local ownership and rural empowerment along with socio-economic development. • The weightage to district domicile holders is being proliferated for allotment of Catering Units at all categories of stations. • It will ensure protection of livelihood of the small vendors. • The allotment of Minor Units over Indian Railways will ensure local ownership and will also promote regional / local cuisine, which is always a preferred choice. Transfer of vacant berths for optimal utilisation of berths • This facility of transfer of berths remaining vacant after second charting at the train originating station to the next and subsequent stations will clear the way for the waitlisted passengers at such stations. • The PRS system will automatically allot vacant berths available at the originating stations after preparation of second chart to the subsequent stations where waitlisted passengers are available. • The passenger will get SMS on his registered mobile indicating the coach and berth number allotted. • This will help passengers boarding at road side stations to get confirmed berths. • The TTEs will be able to allot vacant berths on board after departure of the train only upto the next station where quota is available for the train. • At present about 3 lakh berths per year go unutilised while there may be demand at intermediate stations.

Patna High Court quashes Bihar Prohibition of Liquor Act

Patna High Court quashes Bihar Prohibition of Liquor Act Patna High Court on 30 September 2016 quashed Bihar government notification completely banning liquor in the state. The court said that the notification is ultra vires to the Constitution. A division bench of the court comprising Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and Justice Navaniti Prasad Singh quashed the 5 April 2016 notification of the state government to stop consumption and sale of alcohol in the state. The court in its verdict said that the notification is ultra vires to the Constitution, hence not enforceable. The same bench had on 20 May 2016 reserved its order on a batch of writ petitions filed by Liquor Trade Association and many individuals challenging the liquor law which has stringent penal provisions. Ultra vires means beyond one's legal power or authority. If an act requires legal authority and it is done with such authority, it is characterised in law as intra vires. The Nitish Kumar-led Grand Secular Alliance government had first banned the manufacture, trade, sale, consumption of country-made liquor since 1 April 2016, but later imposed a blanket ban on all types of liquor including foreign liquor in the state. In August 2016, the liquor law was made more stringent after the Assembly passed the Bihar Excise and Prohibition Bill with voice vote. Under this law, all adult members of the family could be arrested if liquor was found stored in any household. It also called for collective fines on villages and localities which are found repeatedly breaking prohibition law.

International Translation Day

International Translation Day observed across the world 30 September: International Translation Day The International Translation Day was on 30 September 2016 observed across the world with the theme Translation and Interpreting: Connecting Worlds. This is the annual event for the translation community and event is marked with a series of dedicated events, seminars and symposiums across the world. Background • The Day was established in 1953 by the International Federation of Translators (FIT). • It is celebrated every year on 30 September on the feast of St Jerome, the Bible translator who is considered the patron saint of translators. • In 1991, FIT launched the idea of an officially recognised International Translation Day to show solidarity of the worldwide translation community in an effort to promote the translation profession.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Current Affairs One liners: 29 September 2016 The one liners of the day covers important current affairs of the day like Project SAKSHAM, 19th SAARC Summit boycotted, and ISRO-Telangana agreement among others. •    The Union Cabinet recently approved closure of - Hindustan Cables Limited •    The world’s first baby was born from a new procedure that combines the DNA of three people. The name of the procedure is - Mitochondrial Donation •    The country with which Russia recently signed an agreement on Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation is - Cuba •    Indian women’s Kabbadi team on 28 September 2016 bagged gold medal at - the 5th Asian Beach Games •    The Union Government on 28 September 2016 approved assistance of 1269 crore rupees for drought affected - Maharashtra •    The former Australian cricketer, nicknamed as Tangles, who passed away recently is - Max Walker •    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 28 September 2016 approved ‘Project SAKSHAM’ that is - New Indirect Tax Network (Systems Integration) of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) •    Four SAARC member countries that decided to boycott the 19th SAARC Summit to be hosted by Pakistan from 9 to 10 November 2016 are - India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan •    Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Telangana government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide digital classes across the state through its state channel named - Mana TV •    World Maritime Day was observed across the world on 29 September 2016 with the years theme - Shipping: indispensable to the world •    The US and Vietnamese navies have begun the 7th annual Naval Engagement Activity (NEA), Vietnam 2016 at - Tien Sa Port in Da Nang •    The annual cap of coal for sale through State Nominated Agencies has been hiked from four thousand two hundred tonnes per annum to - Ten thousand tonnes per annum •    Outlet of the pharmacy was inaugurated by Union Health Minister JP Nadda at Gauhati medical college and hospital – AMRIT pharmacy •    The second Italian marine accused of killing two Indian fishermen who was allowed to remain in his country by Supreme Court is - Massimiliano Latorre •    The two-day national conference on Prison Reforms will be held in - New Delhi •    Air India will introduce three more flights on the Australia-India air route next year, increasing the frequency to - 10 flights per week •    Union Cabinet in September 2016 approved MoU between India and Singapore in the field of- Industrial Property Cooperation •    Region declared as Measles free recently by WHO- The Americas •    Person appointed as the Chief Secretary to the Karnataka Government recently- Subhash Chandra Khuntia •    Person elected as the President of Indian Statistical Institute recently- Vijay Kelkar •    The World Heart Day is celebrated every year on- 29 September

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Union Government decides to raise EPFO Investment in ETF from 5 to 10 per cent The Union Government on 30 September 2016 decided to raise the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) investment in Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) from existing 5 per cent to 10 per cent. The decision has been taken considering the good returns in ETF investment. An official release said, in the last one year, the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has invested 6577 crore rupees. The investment has yielded a good return of 13.24 per cent. The past performance of the last six months from April, 2016 to August, 2016 also showed gradual appreciation in the returns from 0.37 per cent in March 2016 to 13.24 per cent in August 2016. Five per cent EPF has been invested in NIFTY 50 and SENSEX. The pattern of investment prescribed by the Ministry of Finance has given guidelines for investment in equity from 5 per cent to 15 per cent.