Current Affairs One liner of the Day: 1 November 2016

Current Affairs One liner of the Day: 1 November 2016 on 31 October 2016 launched the first ever Agricultural Marketing & Farm Friendly Reforms Index. The index was topped by Maharashtra. Maharashtra implemented most of the marketing reforms and offers best environment for doing agribusiness among all the states and Union Territories (UTs). Key highlights of the index • Maharashtra topped the index with a score of 81.7 out of 100. • Gujarat ranks second with a score of 71.5. • Rajasthan stood third with a score of 70.0 and Madhya Pradesh scored 69.5. • Almost two third states could not reach even halfway mark of reforms score. Major states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir are in this group. • Some states and UTs either did not adopt APMC Act or revoked it. They include Bihar, Kerala, Manipur, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar. Therefore, they are not included in the ranking. About Agricultural Marketing & Farm Friendly Reforms Index • NITI Aayog launched an index to rank States and UTs that is based on implementation of seven provisions proposed under model APMC Act, joining eNAM initiative, special treatment to fruits and vegetables for marketing and level of taxes in mandis. • These indicators reveal ease of doing agribusiness as well as opportunities for farmers to benefit from modern trade and commerce and have wider option for sale of her/his produce. • These indicators also represent competitiveness, efficiency and transparency in agri markets. • The second area of reforms included in the index is relaxation in restrictions related to lease in and lease out agricultural land and change in law to recognise tenant and safeguard land owners liberalisation. • The third area included in the index represent freedom given to farmers for felling and transit of trees grown on private land. This represents opportunity to diversify farm business. • The index has a score which can have minimum value 0 implying no reforms and maximum value 100 implying complete reforms in the selected areas. States and UTs have been ranked in terms of the score of the index.

Environment and ecology

World's largest Marine Protected Area declared in Antarctica The Ross Sea, a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, was declared as world’s largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) on 28 October 2016. With this, there will be a blanket ban on commercial fishing across about three quarters of that area for 35 years. It will be the world's largest marine protected area and covers 1.6 million square kilometers. The deal was clinched after the meeting of Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) consisting of 24 countries and European Union in Hobart, Australia. All the participant nations including the European Union unanimously agreed to create the world's largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the ocean next to Antarctica. The agreement comes after years of negotiations brokered by the UN's Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. It also saw high-level talks between the US and Russia, which was rejected in the past. Environmentalists have welcomed the move to protect the Earth's most pristine marine ecosystem. Ross Sea • The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land. • It derives its name from the British explorer James Ross who visited this area in 1841. • To the west of the sea lies Ross Island and to the east Roosevelt Island, while the southernmost part is covered by the Ross Ice Shelf, and is about 200 miles (320 km) from the South Pole. • The nutrient-laden water supports an abundance of plankton and this encourages a rich marine fauna. • At least ten mammal species, six bird species and 95 fish species are found here, as well as many invertebrates, and the sea remains relatively unaffected by human activities. • Some species of birds that nest in and near the Ross Sea include the Adelie penguin, emperor penguin, Antarctic petrel, snow petrel, and south polar skua. • Marine mammals in the Ross Sea include the Antarctic minke whale, killer whale, Weddell seal, Crabeater seal, and leopard seal. • Antarctic toothfish, Antarctic silverfish, Antarctic krill, and crystal krill also swim in the cold Antarctic water of the Ross Sea.

Current Affairs One liner of the Day: 1 November 2016

Current Affairs One liner of the Day: 1 November 2016 The one liner of the day covers important current affairs of the day like Asian Hockey Champions Trophy, Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran and notification of the Real Estate Rules for Union Territories among others. •    The winner of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy for men is - India •    The winner of the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix is - Lewis Hamilton •    The Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is observed annually to commemorate the birth anniversary of - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel •    The state that recently became India’s open defecation free state is - Himachal Pradesh •    The first Indian state to be declared Open Defecation Free is - Sikkim •    Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran recently commenced at Saljhandi in Nepal. It is the - 10th edition of the exercise •    The theme of the 2016 Rashtriya Ekta Diwas that was observed recently is - Integration of India •    Digital exhibition that was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 141st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is - Uniting India: Sardar Patel •    The initiative that was launched by PM Modi on 31 October 2016 to promote greater awareness among people of various States about one another, hence promoting the spirit of Unity in Diversity is – Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat •    The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) (General) Rules, 2016 notified for Union Territories (UTs) will be applicable in these five UTs - Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Lakshadweep •    The state that celebrated 51st year of its making as Golden Jubilee (Swarna Jyanti) across the state is – Haryana •    India and Palestine signed a Memorandum of Understanding for setting up of Palestine-India Techo Park in - Ramallah •    He was adjudged as the Man of the Match of the fifth ODI series played between India and New Zealand – Amit Mishra •    The 92-year-old Indian Navy veteran who won a gold medal in a 5000-metres race walk at the World Masters Athletics Championships being held in Perth is - Commodore V Sriramulu (Retd) •    Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) chief who has resigned is - Iyad Madani.

GET SPONSORED BY BIG BRANDS

bcb4ff1e1ff95d170599167332fbc652edfdaa544d6d729b5a

The Sleepwalker's Dream authored by Dhrubajyoti Borah released

The Sleepwalker's Dream authored by Dhrubajyoti Borah released in October 2016 recommended imposition of 3050 crore rupees penalty on Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea cellular. The penalty was imposed for allegedly denying interconnectivity to newcomer Reliance Jio. TRAI, in its recommendation to the Department of Telecom, said it has found the three companies to be non-compliant with licence conditions regarding giving interconnection to Reliance Jio customers. Detail of Penalties recommended • Airtel: Penalty amounts to 1050 crore rupees for 21 service areas (all, except Jammu and Kashmir) • Vodafone: Penalty amounts to 1050 crore rupees for 21 service areas (all, except Jammu and Kashmir) • Idea: Penalty amounts to 950 crore rupees for 19 service areas (all, except Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and North-eastern States) It also noted that denial of interconnection by these operators to Reliance Jio appears to be with the ulterior motive to stifle competition and is anti-consumer. The recommendation came on complaint by Reliance Jio that over 75 percent of calls on its network are failing as incumbents were not giving sufficient points of interconnect that would help complete calls.

Japan's Morinari Watanabe elected President of International Gymnastics Federation

Japan's Morinari Watanabe elected President of International Gymnastics Federation Japan's Morinari Watanabe on 20 October 2016 was elected the new President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). Watanabe emerged victorious in the election after defeating rival candidate Georges Guelzec of France by a huge margin in a vote at the governing body's Congress. Watanabe, who is the secretary-general of Japan Gymnastics Association (JGA), won 100 of the 119 votes. Guelzec, the head of the European Union of Gymnastics (UEG), received a mere 19 votes. With this, Watanabe became the ninth President of the FIG since it was established in 1881.  He will succeed Bruno Grandi, who had held the position for 20 years. Watanabe is due to officially take charge on 1 January 2016. About International Federation of Gymnastics • The International Federation of Gymnastics is the governing body of competitive gymnastics. • It is headquartered is in Lausanne, Switzerland. • It was founded on 23 July 1881, in Liege, Belgium. • It is the world's oldest existing international sports organisation. • It was originally called the European Federation of Gymnastics. • It had three member countries, Belgium, France and the Netherlands, until 1921, when non-European countries were admitted and it received its current name. • The federation sets the rules, known as the Code of Points, that regulate how gymnasts' performances are evaluated. • Six gymnastics disciplines are governed by the FIG. They are artistic gymnastics, further classified as men's artistic gymnastics (MAG) and women's artistic gymnastics (WAG), rhythmic gymnastics (RG), aerobic gymnastics (AER), acrobatic gymnastics (ACRO) and trampolining (TRA). • The federation is also responsible for determining whether gymnasts are old enough to participate in the Olympics.

Milan confers honorary citizenship on Dalai Lama

Milan confers honorary citizenship on Dalai Lama The Milan city council on 20 October 2016 bestowed honorary citizenship on the Dalai Lama. However, China has strongly opposed another award given to him. Lamberto Bertole, Chairman of the Council of Milan, honoured the Dalai Lama with the Milan Honorary Citizenship award at a ceremony held at the Arcimboldi Theatre in Milan, Italy.  About Dalai Lama • The 14th Dalai Lama is the current Dalai Lama. • Dalai Lamas are important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism, which is nominally headed by the Ganden Tripas. • From the time of the 5th Dalai Lama to 1959, the central government of Tibet, the Ganden Phodrang, invested the position of Dalai Lama with temporal duties. • The 14th Dalai Lama was born in Taktser village, Amdo, Tibet. • He was selected as the tulku of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1937 and formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama at a public declaration near the town of Bumchen in 1939. • His enthronement ceremony as the Dalai Lama was held in Lhasa on 22 February 1940. • He eventually assumed full temporal duties on 17 November 1950, at the age of 15, after China's invasion of Tibet. • During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the Dalai Lama fled to India, where he currently lives as a refugee. • The 14th Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

Police Commemoration Day observed across India Police Commemoration Day

Police Commemoration Day observed across India Police Commemoration Day: 21 October The Police Commemoration Day was observed on 21 October 2016 across India. The day commemorates the sacrifices of ten policemen while defending the borders with China in 1959. Home Minister Rajnath Singh laid wreath and paid homage to the police martyrs at Police Memorial Ground, Chanakyapuri in Delhi. Background • On 21 October 1959, Chinese Army personnel opened fire and threw grenades at the police party of 20 personnel. • Ten of them died, seven were taken prisoners by the Chinese and the remaining managed to escape. • The Annual Conference of Inspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories held in January 1960 decided that 21 October will be observed as Commemoration Day in all Police Lines throughout India to mark the memory of these gallant personnel. • Since 1961, more than 33000 police personnel have sacrificed their lives for security of the nation and service to the society.

Union Government to establish Krishi Vigyan Kendra in each district

Union Government to establish Krishi Vigyan Kendra in each district Union Government in October 2016 decided to establish at least one Krishi Vigyan Kendra in each of the districts in country. These Kendra’s will be developed to provide technical assistance to farmers. The decision was announced by the Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh while interacting via video conference with all the Krishi Vigyan Kendra experts, district level officers associated with agriculture development and progressive farmers of 12 States. Besides, he Singh also called upon the farmers to use the residual husk after paddy farming to make organic fertilizer, in paper making and card-board industry and as animal feed. The Minister said this will prevent the adverse effect of husk burning on the environment.

Tweetcast to predict vote in upcoming US Presidential elections

Tweetcast to predict vote in upcoming US Presidential elections An online tool, TweetCast, can predict whether citizens will vote for Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton in the upcoming US Presidential elections has been developed. The tool was developed by researchers of Northwestern University in the US. TweetCast uses a machine-learning algorithm to examine words, hashtags, tagged usernames and mentioned websites to uncover which terms are most predictive of voting preference. TweetCast • The tool was designed by Larry Birnbaum, a professor of computer science in Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering and his students. • It can also predict which party will dominate a particular state in the November 8 elections. • As per the algorithm, tweet words "lying," "liberal," and "illegal" indicates a vote for Republican candidate Trump. • On the other hand, using the words "single," "humanity," and "rights", predicts a vote for Democratic rival Clinton. • The algorithm was trained on Twitter users who have publicly declared support for one of the two candidates. • Researchers said that 'TweetCast' has a prediction accuracy of over 80 per cent.

Indian football team achieves highest FIFA ranking in six years

Indian football team achieves highest FIFA ranking in six years The Indian football team on 20 October 2016 achieved its best FIFA ranking in over six years. The team jumped 11 placed to be 137th in the latest list. India, who defeated 114th ranked Puerto Rico in an International Friendly in Mumbai in September 2016, garnered 230 points for the month. In August 2010, India were ranked 137th which stayed India’s best ever FIFA Ranking since then. The Indian team was ranked 171st in February 2015 and slipped to 173rd in March 2015. At present, Argentina tops the FIFA World Rankings, followed by Germany and Brazil. About FIFA World Rankings • The FIFA World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football. • The teams of the member nations of FIFA are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest. • The rankings were introduced in December 1992, and eight teams (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain) have held the top position, of which Brazil have spent longest ranked first. • A points system is used, with points being awarded based on the results of all FIFA-recognised full international matches. • The ranking system was most recently revamped after the 2006 World Cup, with the first edition of the new series of rankings issued on 12 July 2006. The most significant change is that the rankings are now based on results over the previous four years instead of the previous eight year

SC freezes BCCI's financial transactions

SC freezes BCCI's financial transactions Supreme Court on 21 October 2016 froze all financial transactions between the BCCI and state cricket associations. The apex court directed the apex cricket body not to disburse any funds, even for the match purposes, till BCCI resolved to abide by Justice RM Lodha panel recommendations. A bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur asked Lodha panel to appoint independent auditors to scrutinize all BCCI accounts. The judgment also directed the Lodha panel to ask the auditors to scrutinize the high-value contracts provided by BCCI. Justice RM Lodha Committee submitted its report to Supreme Court The apex court also directed BCCI president Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke to give undertaking on affidavit, before the Lodha panel and apex court by 3 December 2016, stating how much time they would need to implement reforms. Highlights of the Decision • It directed the Lodha panel to ask the auditors to scrutinise the high-value contracts given by BCCI and also fix a ceiling of high-value contracts involving media rights.  • It asked the Ladha panel’s secretary to send a copy of the apex court order to the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar.

Current Affairs One liner of the Day: 21 October 2016

brings for its reader daily updated quizzes that cover the topics like honorary citizenship on Dalai Lama, SBI’s 5th zone in North-East India and book The Adivasi Will Not Dance among others. 1.    Which of the following cities recently bestowed honorary citizenship on Dalai Lama? a)    Rome b)    Venice c)    Milan d)    Sicily 2.    Who of the following was recently elected as the President of the International Gymnastics Federation? a)    Georges Guelzec b)    Morinari Watanabe c)    Bruno Grandi d)    Vasily Titov 3.    Who was appointed as the Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala in Kerala? a)    Vice Admiral S V Bhokare b)    Vice Admiral S V Bhosle c)    Vice Admiral Karambir Singh d)    Vice Admiral G. Ashok Kumar 4.    When is the Police Commemoration Day observed? a)    20 October b)    19 October c)    21 October d)    15 October 5.    The State Bank of India (SBI) declared its 5th zone in North-East India. Name the place where this zone is located. a)    Guwahati b)    Shillong c)    Dibrugarh d)    Silchar 6.    Name the Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) that was commissioned by Indian Navy in the third week of October 2016. a)    INS Tihayu b)    INS Chakra c)    INS Kalvari d)    INS Kursura 7.    Satyadev Katare recently passed away. Who was he? a)    Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly b)    A Gandhian activist c)    An artist d)    None of the above 8.    Who is the author of the book titled The Adivasi Will Not Dance? a)    Kiran Doshi b)    Kunal Basu c)    Manjula Padmanabhan d)    Hansda Sowendra Shekhar 9.    Identify the well-known Gandhian activist, who passed away recently. a)    Eqbal Ahmad b)    Uri Avnery c)    Joan Baez d)    Mewa Ramgobin 10.    Who of the following is the author of the book The Sleepwalker's Dream? a)    Amitav Ghosh b)    Dhrubajyoti Borah c)    Ramachandra Guha d)    Margaret Alva 11.    Name the country that along with the United States imposed sanctions on alleged Hezbollah members and financial backers. a)    Saudi Arabia b)    Israel c)    Japan d)    Iraq 12.    Who of the following has authored the book Andhere Se Ujale Ki Aur that was released in October 2016? a)    Swapan Das Gupta b)    Amit Shah c)    Arun Jaitley d)    Madhu Dandavate 13.    Name the country that will posthumously pardon thousands of gay and bisexual men. a)    China b)    Russia c)    The United States of America d)    The United Kingdom 14.    India was ranked at what position in the FIFA ranking that was released on 20 October 2016? a)    146 b)    137 c)    123 d)    121 15.    Name the cloud service firm that will be acquired by Wipro Limited? a)    Concur Technologies b)    Taleo c)    Appirio d)    Success Factors ANSWER 1. (c) Milan 2. (b) Morinari Watanabe 3. (a) Vice Admiral S V Bhokare 4. (c) 21 October 5. (d) Silchar 6. (a) INS Tihayu 7. (a) Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly 8. (d) Hansda Sowendra Shekhar 9. (d) Mewa Ramgobin 10. (b) Dhrubajyoti Borah 11. (a) Saudi Arabia 12. (c) Arun Jaitley 13. (d) The United Kingdom 14. (b) 137 15. (c) Appirio

Current Affairs One liner of the Day: 21 October 2016

Current Affairs One liner of the Day: 21 October 2016 The one liner of the day covers important current affairs of the day like FIFA ranking, country to posthumously pardon thousands of gay and bisexual men and book The Sleepwalker's Dream among others. •    India’s rank in the FIFA ranking that was released on 20 October 2016 is - 137 •    Country that will posthumously pardon thousands of gay and bisexual men is - The United Kingdom •    An online tool that was developed by scientists that can predict whether citizens will vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in the upcoming US Presidential elections is - 'Tweetcast' •    The Police Commemoration Day is observed on - 21 October •    Vice Admiral S V Bhokare was recently appointed as the Commandant of the -Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala in Kerala •    The secretary-general of Japan Gymnastics Association elected as the President of the International Gymnastics Federation is - Morinari Watanabe •    The city that recently bestowed honorary citizenship on Dalai Lama is - Milan •    The well-known Gandhian activist, who passed away recently, is - Mewa Ramgobin •    The author of the book titled The Adivasi Will Not Dance is - Hansda Sowendra Shekhar •    Satyadev Katare recently passed away. He was - Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly •    He is the authored the book Andhere Se Ujale Ki Aur that - Arun Jaitley •    The country that along with the United States imposed sanctions on alleged Hezbollah members and financial backers is – Saudi Arabia •    Author of the book, The Sleepwalker's Dream is - Dhrubajyoti Borah, the President of Asam Sahitya Sabha •    The State Bank of India (SBI) on 20 October 2016 declared Silchar as its 5th zone in North-East India to cater to the banking needs of the people of - Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur along with the Barak Valley •    The first ever global conference to strengthen Arbitration and Enforcement in India began in - New Delhi •    Typhoon that killed at least four people in Philippines after lashing the country is - Super Typhoon Haima

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

92 percent of world’s population is breathing unhealthy air: WHO World Health Organization (WHO) on 27 September 2016 released its report on pollution, which is extremely worrying. The report claims that 92 percent of the world’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits. This mean, 9 out of 10 people globally are breathing poor quality air. Maria Neira, head of the WHO's department of public health and environment, termed the report as a 'public health emergency'. She also urged governments to take up measures like cutting the number of vehicles on the road, improving waste management and promotion of clean cooking fuel. The WHO report is based on data collected from more than 3000 sites across the globe. According to the report, poorer countries have much dirtier air than the developed world. Green Peace India released report on National Air Quality Index of 17 cities How the report was made? The report is based on WHO’s new air quality model that is based on data derived from satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors. The model was developed by WHO in collaboration with the University of Bath, United Kingdom. Air pollution’s toll on human health Some 3 million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution can be just as deadly. In 2012, an estimated 6.5 million deaths (11.6% of all global deaths) were associated with indoor and outdoor air pollution together. Nearly 90 percent of air-pollution-related deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, with nearly 2 out of 3 occurring in WHO’s South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. WHO says that 94 percent are due to non-communicable diseases – notably cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Air pollution also increases the risks for acute respiratory infections. Sources of air pollution Major sources of air pollution include inefficient modes of transport, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants, and industrial activities. However, not all air pollution originates from human activity. For example, air quality can also be influenced by dust storms, particularly in regions close to deserts.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

Tamil Nadu tops list of endemic flowering plants Botanical Survey of India (BSI) in the last week of September 2016 announced that almost one of every four species of flowering plants found in India is endemic to the country. Of these, Tamil Nadu garners the highest number of species with 410. Tamil Nadu is followed by Kerala with 357 and Maharashtra with 278. Key highlights • As per scientific data in a recently released book, Endemic Vascular Plants of India, of the 18259 flowering plants reported in the country, 4303 are found only in India. • When it comes to the geographical distribution of endemic plants, the Western Ghats tops the list with about 2116 species, followed by the Eastern Himalayas with 466 species. • At least 37 species of Black plum Syzyguim (Jamun), 10 varieties of Musa (banana), along with 274 species of orchids are found only in India. • Four different varieties of roses, two herbs and two climbers and 12 species of jasmines are exclusively found in India. • When it comes to spices, 45 species belong to the common black pepper family, 19 species of ginger and 13 different kinds of large cardamom. • There are also 40 species of bamboos, which are endemic to India. • Further some of these endemic species are restricted to only certain areas of the country, like Nepenthes khasiana, an insectivorous plant only found in the Khasi hills of Meghalaya. • A total of 58 generea of flowering plants have been found to be endemic to India. • As far as endemism regarding vascular plants in India is concerned, the publication reveals that of the 19635 vascular plants found in the country, 4381 are endemic. This includes 4303 angiosperms or flowering plants, 12 gymnosperms and 66 ferns and fern allies which come under the group Pteridophytes. • Among the most widely exploited endemic plants in country is Pterocarpus santalinus, commonly known as red sandal wood, which is found only in the southern parts of the Eastern Ghats. This plant is classified as critically endangered under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category. About Botanical Survey of India • The Botanical Survey of India is an institution set up by the Government of India in 1890 to survey the plant resources of the Indian empire. • The Botanical Survey was formally instituted on 13 February 1890 under the direction of Sir George King, who had been superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta since 1871. • King was the first ex-officio Director of BSI.