Lodha committee proposes sweeping reforms for BCCI
Former
Chief Justice of India, R.M. Lodha, submitted his report on the various
aspects of reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
to the Supreme Court registry on 4 January 2016.The panel headed by
justice (retd) RM Lodha was appointed by the apex court last year in the
wake of a sport-fixing scandal in Indian Premier League (IPL), the
biggest crisis to hit the cash-rich sports body in the country. The
three-member panel, which submitted a 159-page report on January 4 to
the Supreme Court for ratification.
6.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northeast India
A
6.7 magnitude earthquake hit India’s remote northeast region of Imphal
on 4 January 2016, killing at least six people, injuring more than 100
others and causing damage to several buildings.The epicenter of the
quake was in Tamenglong region of Manipur state.
Indian consulate in Afghanistan city Mazar-i-Sharif attacked
The
Indian consulate in northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif was
site of heavy firing by unidentified gunmen on 3 January.Some firing on
the consulate were also reported on 4 January.The attack on the Indian
consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif was yet another strike at Indian diplomatic
missions in strife-torn Afghanistan over the past few years. The worst
attack was held on 7 July 2008 on the Indian embassy in Afghanistan
capital Kabul killing 58 people and injuring 141.
05 January 2016 Current Affairs
Jharkhand first state to sign MoU with Centre for power scheme UDAY
Jharkhand
state become first state in country to sign Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) on Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme with Union
Government on 5 January 2015. In this regard a tripartite MoU was signed
between the state government, Union Ministry of Power and state power
distributor Jharkhand Bijli Vitaran Nigam Ltd (JBVNL).With this, the
total number of states that would be joining UDAY become 15. The other
states that are on board UDAY are Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana,
Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.Besides, four major states — Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha — have already given their
in-principle approval to join UDAY.
Abid Ali Z. Neemuchwala appointed as CEO of Wipro
India’s
third largest IT exporter Wipro Limited has appointed Abid Ali Z.
Neemuchwala as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Member of the
Board of the company. He succeed incumbent CEO T.K. Kurien who has been
elevated as the Executive Vice Chairman of the company. Prior to this
appointment Neemuchwala was serving as the chief operating officer (COO)
of the company since April 2015. Before joining Wipro, he was working
with India’s largest IT exporter Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for 23
years.
Pranav Dhanawade Scores 1009 runs in 323 balls
Mumbai
teenager Pranav Dhanawade on 5 January 2015 scripted history by
becoming the first batsman ever to notch up a four-figure score by
smashing an unbeaten knock of 1,009 in an inter-school tournament in
Mumbai. Pranav Dhanawade, the opening batsman of Smt KC Gandhi School
(Kalyan), scored an unbeaten 1009 off 323 balls, a knock which comprised
129 fours and 59 sixes against Arya Gurukul School.He batted for 395
minutes and had a strike rate of 312.38. This innings came in the HT
Bhandari Cup inter-school tournament organised by the Mumbai Cricket
Association (MCA).
Union Government approves 33% reservation for women in CRPF & CISF
Union
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on 5 January 2015, approved 33% reservation
for women in Constable level posts in Central Reserve Police Force
(CRPF) & Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Meanwhile, 14-15%
posts at Constable level in border guarding forces i.e. Border Security
Forces, Sashastra Seema Bal & Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
will be reserved for women.In 2015, the Air Force had agreed to induct
women pilots in combat roles, in effect from 2016. The first batch will
start training at Air Force Academy from this year. In March 2015,
center had also approved induction of women in Delhi police for 33%
posts.
45 Indians in Forbes list of achievers under the age of 30
Forty-five
Indians and Indian- origin people have made it to Forbes’ annual list
of achievers in the US under the age of 30 who are “changing the rules
of the game or creating entirely new play books” across varied fields.
The Forbes fifth annual ‘30 Under 30’ list features 600 women and men,
who are America’s “most important young entrepreneurs, creative leaders
and brightest stars” and are “changing the world” across 20 varied
sectors.Others in the field are 28-year old Gagan Biyani and Neeraj
Berry who co-founded Sprig, a mobile app that lets one find and order
healthy meals. Nila Das, 27, vice-president at Citigroup is also among
the list.
06 January 2016 Current Affairs
North Korea successfully conducted a hydrogen bomb test
The
Government of North Korea claimed on 6 January 2016 that it has tested
a Hydrogen bomb which is a kind of Nuclear Bomb. The explosion due to
the test was so strong that it generated an earthquake measuring about
5.1 on the richter scale. All major countries of the world have
condemned the test of such weapon of mass destruction.
Kuwait recalls diplomats from Iran
The
diplomatic crisis surrounding Saudi Arabia and Iran widened on 6
January 2016 as Kuwait recalled its ambassador to Tehran and Bahrain
severed air links in the face of growing international concern. Joining
Riyadh and its Sunni Arab allies in taking diplomatic action, Kuwait
said it was withdrawing its envoy over a weekend attack on the Saudi
embassy in Tehran.
India to implement stricter emission norms from April 1, 2020
In
a bid to curb vehicular pollution, the government on 6 January 2016
decided to implement stricter emission norms of Bharat Stage (BS) VI
from 1 April 2020 by skipping BS-V altogether.At present, BS IV norms
are followed in parts of India and by 1 April 2017, the whole of the
country is scheduled to be covered under it.Government has decided to
leapfrog from BS-IV to BS-VI directly by 1 April 2020. Government
decided to skip BS V emission norms.
Consumer Electronics Show 2016 held at Las Vegas (Nevada, US)
Consumer
Electronics Show or the CES is an international electronics and
technology trade show which brings together renowned companies and
industry professionals under one roof. The show is held every year in
the month of January at the Las Vegas Convention Centre in Las Vegas,
Nevada, United States. This year the CES was inaugurated on 6 January
2016. The show is organized by Consumer Electronics Association and it
was inaugurated back in June 1967.
07 January 2016 Current Affairs
J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed dead
Chief
Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away in
New Delhi on 7 January 2015 due to multiple organ failure. He was 79.Mr
Sayeed, a two-time chief minister, started his second tenure on March
1st, 2015 in alliance with the BJP, after having led the State
government between 2002-05 previously. He was the founder of the Jammu
and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (JKPDP) that he founded in 1999.
Amitabh Kant to take over as NITI Aayog CEO
The
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has appointed Amitabh Kant as the chief executive officer
of NITI Aayog on 7 January 2016. The appointment will take effect after
Mr.Kant retires from service in March.A 1980 batch Kerala cadre IAS
officer, Mr.Kant is currently serving as the Secretary in the Department
of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the Ministry of Commerce and
Industry.January 4, the Cabinet’s Appointments Committee had given
Mr.Kant additional charge of the NITI Aayog CEO from January 1, with the
extended tenure of the previous CEO Sindhushree Khullar coming to an
end on December 31.
Cabinet approves MoU with Singapore to manage airports
The
Union Cabinet on 6 January 2016 approved the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding with Singapore for operating and maintaining the terminal
building of airports at Jaipur and Ahmedabad. This is the first time
the Airports Authority of India will award operation and maintenance
contract to any entity for terminal building. The objective of this MoU
is to establish mutual cooperation in the field of civil aviation.The
MoU envisages collaboration with Singapore in areas such as traffic
development, commercial development, master planning and design,
training and development, cargo handling and management among others.
Israeli journalist, Palestinian pastor won Swedish rights prize
Israeli
journalist Gideon Levy and Palestinian pastor Mitri Raheb on 7 January
2016 won the 2015 Olof Palme human rights prize for their “fight against
occupation and violence”.Levy, a journalist at the left-leaning Israeli
daily Haaretz, and Raheb, a preacher and pastor in the Lutheran church
in Bethlehem, were honoured for their “courageous and indefatigable
fight against occupation and violence, and for a future Middle East
characterised by peaceful coexistence and equality for all”. Levy has
published articles opposing the Israeli army’s operations in Gaza in
December 2008-January 2009 and in July-August 2014.The Olof Palme Prize
is an annual prize worth $75,000 (69,000 euros) awarded by the Swedish
labour movement.It commemorates the memory of the Nordic country’s
Social Democratic prime minister Olof Palme, an outspoken international
human rights advocate who was assassinated in the Swedish capital in
1986.Since 1987 the award has honoured human rights defenders around the
world including Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi and former UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan.
D K Sikri appointed CCI chief
Devender
Kumar Sikri, a former Gujarat cadre IAS officer, was appointed as
Chairman of fair-trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI)
on 7 January 2016. 62-year-old Sikri succeeds Ashok Chawla, whose over
four-year tenure as CCI chief ended January 7. Chawla has been the
former Finance Secretary and had succeeded Dhanendra Kumar, who demitted
office in June 2011. Sikri will have a tenure of about two and half
years, i.e till he attains the age of 65 . He superannuated as
Secretary, Department of Justice on July 31, 2013. The former IAS
officer had also been Secretary in Ministry of Women and Child
Development, Registrar General of Census and Collector of Rajkot and
Jamnagar, among others.
08 January 2016 Current Affairs
Azim Premji tops philanthropic list for third consecutive year
According
to a report from Hurun Research Institute Azim Premji has been named
the most philanthropic Indian for the third consecutive year. His
contribution for education more than doubled to Rs 27,514 crore in 2015.
His Foundation works to improve the quality of education across many
government schools in India.
RBI Urjit Patel reappointed as RBI deputy governor for three years
The
government on 8 January 2016 re-appointed Urjit R. Patel as the Deputy
Governor of the Reserve Bank of India for a further period of three
years with effect from taking charge of the post on or after January 11,
2016, or, until further orders, whichever is earlier.Patel was earlier
appointed as Deputy Governor for a period of three years from January
11, 2013. Including Patel, the RBI has four Deputy Governors. The other
three Deputy Governors are – HR Khan, R Gandhi and SS Mundra.
Jallikattu in T.N., bullock cart race in Maharashtra cleared
The
Centre on 8 January 2016 issued a notification to permit jallikattu,
Tamil Nadu’s traditional bull-taming sport, ahead of the Pongal
festival.The notification overturns a 2011 notification that prohibited
the exhibition or training of bulls, and some other animals, as
performing animals. The Supreme Court had in 2014 upheld the 2011
government order.The present order permits jallikattu — and bullock cart
races in Maharashtra, etc. — despite Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi
reportedly advising the government against revoking the ban in view of
the Supreme Court’s ruling.
ISRO chairman received Reva Lifetime Achievement Award
ISRO
chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar received Reva Lifetime Achievement Award.The
award, carrying a purse of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation, presented to him
on Founder’s Day that will be held on the university’s premises (Rukmini
Knowledge Park, Yelahanka, Bengalore).
International short film festival begins in Warngal
International
Short Film Festival is scheduled to begin in Hanmakonda, Warngal on 8
January 2016. This is the first such film festival after the formation
of Telangana state. Short film makers from several countries besides
regional directors will take part in the three-day event. All the short
films will be aired at the Kakatiya University auditorium. Maker of
blockbuster movie ‘Rudramadevi’ director Gunasekhar and writer Thota
Prasad will be felicitated on the occasion.On the second day of the
event on Saturday, IT minister KT Rama Rao will preside over the
proceedings. The chairman of the film festival is K Nageshwara Rao.
Raghuram Rajan conferred Central Banker Award by FT group
The
Reserve Bank of India Governor, Raghuram Rajan has been conferred with
the Central Banker of the Year Award (Global and Asia Pacific) for 2016
by ‘The Banker’, a monthly publication of the Financial Times Group
focusing on banking. Rajan was selected for his efforts in stabilising
the Indian rupee, initiating key reforms to attract much needed foreign
capital in the country and reining in a runaway price appreciation.