India to be fastest growing economy over 10 years
According
to Harvard researchers at Centre for International Development (CID),
India with a projected annual growth rate of seven per cent, has the
potential to be the world’s fastest growing economy over the coming
decade, surging ahead of it’s South Asian economic rival, China that
will continue to see a slowdown. CID is also bullish on East Africa,
with Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya ranking in the top 10, with all
predicted to grow at least 5.5 per cent annually. The growth forecast
also looks favourably on South East Asia, where the Philippines,
Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam look to drive growth well above global
averages. The US is expected to grow at 2.8 per cent annually to 2024.
The United Nations has also predicted that India will continue to be the
fastest growing economy in the world in 2016 and 2017, projected to
grow by 7.3 per cent next year and 7.5 per cent the year after.
Rajya Sabha clears Juvenile Justice (Amendment) Bill, 2015
The
Rajya Sabha on 22 December cleared the Juvenile Justice (Amendment)
Bill, 2015 lowering the age of a legally defined juvenile from 18 to 16
in the case of heinous crimes. The bill was first passed in Lok Sabha
and later in Rajya Sabha in December 2015. It will go for Presidential
approval to come into force. The bill empowers Juvenile Justice Boards
(JJB) to examine the nature of crime and decide whether it was committed
as a child mind or as an adult mind. It also has provision for the
establishment of Child Welfare Committees (CWC) along with JJB in each
district. The CWC will determine institutional care for juvenile in need
of care and protection.
NIMHANS dedicated to the nation
The
President of India, Pranab Mukherjee dedicated the National Institute
of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore to the nation
as an institute of national importance. He also inaguarated the Magneto
Encephalography Research Centre and NIMHANS Heritage Museum on the
occasion. NIMHANS has taken a number of initiatives such as setting up a
Brain Bank, a Free Legal Aid Clinic in it’s outpatient bloc, Centre for
Well Being, Centre for Public Health and Centre for Addiction Medicine
etc. These innovations as well as the NIMHANS Community Mental Health
and Rehabiliation Centre and Neuro-biology Research Centre (NRC) are
successful models that could be replicated in other parts of the
country.
Sania-Hingis pair named 2015 World Champions
The
pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis was on 22 December, 2015 named
as the Women’s Doubles World Champions by the International Tennis
Federation (ITF) in recognition of their stupendous success in season
2015. Hingis is named World Champion in Singles in 2000. The pair won
two Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, and seven further
tournaments. They won their lost 22 matches, ending the year with a 55-7
record. Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have been named ITF World
Champions in Singles for 2015, after both players won three Grand Slam
titles this year.