13th Nov to 14th Nov 2014
CPI inflation declined to 6.46 percent in September 2014
14-OCT-2014
Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation or retail inflation of September 2014 stood at 6.46 percent as compared to the 7.3 percent in August 2014. The CPI inflation data was released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on 13 October 2014.
The retail inflation of September 2014 is the second straight fall, due to lower food and fuel costs. This fall is the lowest since the new series of Consumer Price Index was released in January 2012.
The retail inflation of fuel and light cost came down to 3.45 percent from 4.15 percent of August 2014.
The retail inflation for over all food inflation dropped to 7.67 percent in September 2014 from 9.35 percent in August 2014.
The retail inflation of fruits slowed to 22.4 percent in September 2014 from 24.27 percent in August 2014. There is a price rise in protein rich items like eggs, fish and meat was slower in September against August 2014.
The retail inflation is 6.34 percent in urban areas and 6.68 percent in rural areas in September in 2014.
The RBI is expected to reduce the CPI inflation 8 percent by January 2015 and 6 percent by January 2016.
Sea levels rose rapidly in past 150 years: study of Australian scientists
14-OCT-2014
Scientists from the Australian National University (ANU) based in Canberra found that the sea levels have risen more in past century as compared to any century in past 6000 years. The team came on the conclusion while looking at the fluctuation of ocean levels over the past 35000 years, based on ice volume changes around the world.
The team, in their study found that the sea levels saw 20 cm rise since the start of the 20th century, which was caused largely by global warming and the melting of polar ice. They claimed that sea levels have remained steady for thousands of years but saw rapid rises over past 150 years, since global industrialisation.
Professor Kurt Lambeck from ANU said that comparing the historical data with recent data from tidal gauges shows an increasing rate of sea level rise in recent times.
Basis of the research
The team of scientists came to their conclusion after studying about 1000 ancient sediment samples off Britain, North America, Greenland and the Seychelles. These sediments were collected in past two decades and in their study they picked submerged sediments that may include tree roots that suggested a previously lower sea level or mollusks, whose fossil records were measured to determine the previous sea level.
The study was published on 12 September 2014 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Global Hunger Index Report 2014 released: India Ranked at 55th Position
14-OCT-2014
2014 Global Hunger Index- The challenge of hidden hunger
The 2014 Global Hunger Index (GHI) was released on 13 October 2014 by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide.
It revealed that two billion people were suffering from hidden hunger even though the levels of hunger in many developing countries decreased. The 2014 GHI was calculated for 120 developing countries and countries in transition, 55 of which have a serious or worse hunger situation.
Highlights of Global Hunger Index Report 2014
The 2014 GHI presented a multidimensional measure of national, regional, and global hunger. It showed that the world has made progress in reducing hunger since 1990, but still has far to go as the levels of hunger remain alarming or extremely alarming in 16 countries. Globally, 805 million people still suffer from hunger.
Regionally, the highest hunger levels are observed in Africa South of the Sahara and South Asia which have also experienced the greatest absolute improvements since 2005. South Asia saw the sharp absolute decline in GHI scores since 1990. Progress in addressing child underweight was the main factor behind the improved GHI score for the region since 1990.
From 1990 to 2014, 26 countries reduced their scores by 50 percent. In terms of absolute progress, Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chad, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Thailand, and Vietnam witnessed the biggest improvement in scores since 1990.
The severity of hunger was found to be low in 44 countries. These countries include Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mexico and Turkey.
Moreover, countries like Burundi and Eritrea were classified as extremely alarming as per the 2014 GHI. However, reliable data for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia was sorely lacking.
|
Global Hunger Index 2014 Scores by Ranks |
||
|
Country |
Rank |
Score |
|
Mauritius |
1 |
5.0 |
|
Thailand |
1 |
5.0 |
|
Albania |
3 |
5.3 |
|
Columbia |
3 |
5.3 |
|
China |
5 |
5.4 |
|
Malaysia |
5 |
5.4 |
|
Peru |
7 |
5.7 |
|
Syrian Arab Republic |
8 |
5.9 |
|
Honduras |
9 |
6.0 |
|
Suriname |
9 |
6.0 |
|
Gabon |
11 |
6.1 |
|
El Salvador |
12 |
6.2 |
|
Guyana |
13 |
6.5 |
|
Dominican Republic |
14 |
7.0 |
|
Vietnam |
15 |
7.5 |
|
Ghana |
16 |
7.8 |
|
Ecuador |
17 |
7.9 |
|
Paraguay |
18 |
8.8 |
|
Mongolia |
19 |
9.6 |
|
Nicaragua |
19 |
9.6 |
|
Bolivia |
21 |
9.9 |
|
Indonesia |
22 |
10.3 |
|
Moldova |
23 |
10.8 |
|
Benin |
24 |
11.2 |
|
Mauritania |
25 |
11.9 |
|
Cameroon |
26 |
12.6 |
|
Iraq |
27 |
12.7 |
|
Mali |
28 |
13.0 |
|
Lesotho |
29 |
13.1 |
|
Philippines |
29 |
13.1 |
|
Botswana |
31 |
13.4 |
|
Gambia, The |
32 |
13.6 |
|
Malawi |
32 |
13.6 |
|
Guinea-Bissau |
34 |
13.7 |
|
Togo |
35 |
13.9 |
|
Guinea |
36 |
14.3 |
|
Senegal |
37 |
14.4 |
|
Nigeria |
38 |
14.7 |
|
Sri Lanka |
39 |
15.1 |
|
Guatemala |
40 |
15.6 |
|
Rwanda |
40 |
15.6 |
|
Cote d’ lvoire |
42 |
15.7 |
|
Combodia |
43 |
16.1 |
|
Nepal |
44 |
16.4 |
|
North Korea |
44 |
16.4 |
|
Tajikistan |
44 |
16.4 |
|
Kenya |
47 |
16.5 |
|
Swaziland |
47 |
16.5 |
|
Zimbabwe |
47 |
16.5 |
|
Liberia |
50 |
16.8 |
|
Namibia |
51 |
16.9 |
|
Uganda |
52 |
17.0 |
|
Tanzania |
53 |
17.3 |
|
Angola |
54 |
17.4 |
|
India |
55 |
17.8 |
|
Congo, Republic |
56 |
18.1 |
|
Bangladesh |
57 |
19.1 |
|
Pakistan |
57 |
19.1 |
|
Djibouti |
59 |
19.5 |
|
Burkina Faso |
60 |
19.9 |
|
Lao PDR |
61 |
20.1 |
|
Mozambique |
62 |
20.5 |
|
Niger |
63 |
21.1 |
|
Central Republic African |
64 |
21.5 |
|
Madagascar |
65 |
21.9 |
|
Sierra Leone |
66 |
22.5 |
|
Haiti |
67 |
23.0 |
|
Zambia |
68 |
23.2 |
|
Yemen, Republic |
69 |
23.4 |
|
Ethiopia |
70 |
24.4 |
|
Chad |
71 |
24.9 |
|
Sudan/South Sudan |
72 |
26.0 |
|
Comoros |
73 |
29.5 |
|
Timor-Leste |
74 |
29.8 |
|
Eritrea |
75 |
33.8 |
|
Burundi |
76 |
35.6 |
Hidden Hunger
• One form of hunger that is often ignored or overshadowed by hunger related to energy deficits is hidden hunger which is also called micronutrient deficiency. It affected some 2 billion people around the world.
• Hidden hunger can coexist with adequate or even excessive consumption of dietary energy from macronutrients such as fats and carbohydrates and also with obesity in one person or community.
• Poor diet, disease, impaired absorption and increased micronutrient needs during certain life stages, such as pregnancy, lactation, and infancy are among the causes of hidden hunger.
• Possible solutions to hidden hunger include food-based approaches: dietary diversification, fortification of commercial foods and biofortification, in which food crops are bred with increased micronutrient content.
• Food-based measures require long-term, sustained and coordinated efforts to make a lasting difference. On the other hand, vitamin and mineral supplements can help vulnerable populations combat hidden hunger in short span of time.
• Moreover to eliminate hidden hunger, Governments and multilateral institutions need to invest in and develop human and financial resources, increase coordination and ensure transparent monitoring and evaluation to build capacity on nutrition.
• Governments must also create a regulatory environment that values good nutrition. This could involve creating incentives for private sector companies to develop more nutritious seeds or foods.
India's Performance as per 2014 Global Hunger Index
India improved its position in the Global Hunger Index in 2014 as it climbed to 55th position among 76 emerging economies from 63rd position in 2013. Though, it is still trailing behind countries like Thailand, China, Ghana, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
A sharp reduction in the percentage of underweight children has helped India improve its hunger record. India’s improved ranking is due to its progress in dealing with underweight children.
However, India remains home to the largest number of chronically malnourished and stunted children under five. In the first GHI in 2006, India ranked 96 among 119 countries.
About Global Hunger Index
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger globally and by country and region. It is calculated each year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
The GHI highlights successes and failures in hunger reduction and provides insights into the drivers of hunger. To reflect the multidimensional nature of hunger, the GHI combines three equally weighted indicators in one index number:
1. Undernourishment: The proportion of undernourished as a percentage of the population (reflecting the share of the population with insufficient calorie intake)
2. Child underweight: The proportion of children younger than the age of five who are underweight (low weight for age reflecting wasting, stunted growth, or both), which is one indicator of child undernutrition
3. Child mortality: The mortality rate of children younger than the age of five (partially reflecting the fatal synergy of inadequate dietary intake and unhealthy environments).
The GHI ranks countries on a 100-point scale. Zero is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst, although neither of these extremes is reached in practice. A lower GHI score implies better nutritional standard and a higher rank for a country.
Poet-diplomat Abhay K honoured with Asia-Pacific Excellence Award
14-OCT-2014
All India National Unity Council on 11 October 2014 honoured poet-diplomat Abhay K with Asia-Pacific Excellence Award.
He was awarded for his outstanding individual achievements in the field of literature by penning Earth Anthem and SAARC song and for celebrating local, regional and global themes in his poems and writings.
Others who were honoured on this occasion were eminent lawyer Mithilesh Kumar Singh, Professor Basant Kumar Gautam of Tribhuwan University, former law-maker and Bhojpuri poet Gopal Thakur and the owner of the Dwarika Hotel Mrs. Ambika Shrestha, former Ambassador of Nepal to Japan Dr. Bishnu Hari Nepal and entrepreneur Mrs. Bhawani Rana.
The award ceremony was held at Kathmandu in Nepal in association with the Nepal-India Forum for peace and development.
About All India National Unity Council
All India National Unity Council is an organization based under the patronship of Dr. Bhishma Narayan Singh, great Gandhian and former Governor and union minister of India.
All India national Unity Conference is working for people's movement for national unity and national integration and organizing conferences, seminars and symposia to stress the need of unity and integrity of the country.
About Earth Anthem
Earth Anthem was launched in June 2013 on the occasion of the World Environment Day. It was penned by poet-diplomat Abhay K.
Earth Anthem is a celebratory song or a musical composition that eulogizes planet Earth and its inhabitants, including the flora and fauna.
Khaled Bahah appointed as Prime Minister of Yemen
14-OCT-2014
Khaled Bahah on 13 October 2014 was appointed as Prime Minister of Yemen. He was appointed by the President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. At the time of appointment Bahah was serving as permanent representative of the Republic of Yemen to the United Nations.
The appointment comes under a power-sharing deal signed between Houthis and President Mansour Hadi in September 2014. The deal aims to bring the Houthis and the wing of a separatist group into a more inclusive government.
In October 2014, President Mansour Hadi proposed Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as Prime Minister but he was rejected by Houthi, Shiite Muslim group. Houthi group proposed three names and Khaled Bahah was one among them.
About Khaled Bahah
• Khaled Bahah was born in 1965.
• He holds the master’s degree in administration, business and finance from University of Pune, India.
• He served previously as oil minister in Yemen before being appointed Yemen's envoy to the United Nations.
British House of Commons passed symbolic motion to recognise Palestinian state
14-OCT-2014
British lawmakers on 13 October 2014 voted in favour to recognise Palestine as an official state. The vote saw 274 MPs in support of the motion, while 12 voted against. This move of the lawmakers would not alter the government policy but carries symbolic value as Palestinians pursue international recognition.
The non-binding motion that was passed in Britain’s lower house (House of Commons) by 274 votes reads - this House believes that the Government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution.
Although the motion was passed with an overwhelming majority but does not signify an official change in Britain’s position regarding the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
The government may not officially recognize Palestine as a state, but says that it can change that position if it feels doing so would be constructive step to the peace process.
The vote was closely watched by Palestinians and Israelis seeking to gauge the readiness of European countries to act on Palestinian hopes for unilateral recognition by United Nations member states.
Palestinians want an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, with its capital in East Jerusalem.
Background
The debate on Palestinian statehood was first hosted by the House of Commons since 2012, after an online petition calling for the motion gathered over 100000 signatures.
Earlier in October 2014, the Swedish Parliament became the first EU country to vote in favour of recognising a Palestinian state.
The UN General Assembly in 2012 approved the de facto recognition of Palestine as a state but the United States, the European Union and most EU countries, including Britain, have yet not approved unilateral independence of Palestine.
Mary Kom voted as India's Most Valuable Player in Asian Games 2014
14-OCT-2014
Olympic bronze medalist MC Mary Kom on 13 October 2014 was chosen as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of India’s Incheon Asian Games campaign at a felicitation of the medal winners by contingent sponsors, Samsung India.
Kom, the first Indian woman boxer to win a gold medal in Asian Games was named as the MVP in a poll conducted by Samsung. The poll contest had all 11 individual/team gold winners, including the men's hockey team.
After topping the list, the gold medalist in the 2014 Incheon Games in flyweight (-51kg) class, Mary Kom received 10 lakh rupees.
India won 11 gold, 10 silver and 36 bronze in the Incheon Asian Games.
Tata Value homes launched www.tatavaluehomes.com to sell homes online
14-OCT-2014
Tata Value homes on 13 October 2014 launched www.tatavaluehomes.com to sell homes online.
With the e commerce platform, Tata is eyeing up to 1000 crore rupees revenue by financial year 2015-16. Tata Value Homes is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Housing.
Under its One Price One Nation offer, the customers will be able to buy a particular unit at a flat price across Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai.
About e- commerce platform
Under the online home buying model, the consumers can book their apartments on www.tatavaluehomes.com by paying 30000 rupees.
Tata Value Homes will come up with an offer from 15 October 2014 under which customers will be able to buy a unit at a flat price across Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai.
The company has developed properties in cities like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai ranged between 29.9 lakh rupees and 59.9 lakh rupees depending on the size of the apartments that range between 1 BHK and 3 BHK.
Tata Value Homes has so far sold over one million square feet of residential space, translated into over 700 units generating over 300 crore rupees worth revenue.
Earlier, the company had tied-up with Snapdeal and Google for selling its properties.
Ajay Jayaram won Dutch Open Grand Prix badminton tournament
14-OCT-2014
Indian shuttler, Ajay Jayaram won the 50000 dollar Dutch Open Grand Prix badminton tournament on 12 October 2014. In the title clash played at the Topsportcentrum Almere in Netherlands, Jayaram defeated Indonesia’s Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 10-11, 11-6, 11-7, 1-11, 11-9.
This was maiden GP title for Jayaram and with this win, he also became the first Indian to win badminton Grand Prix tournament under the new 11x5 scoring system.
Earlier, Jayaram has won three overseas titles namely New Zealand Open (2009), Thailand Open (2010) and Czech Open (2013).
British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton won inaugural Russian Grand Prix
14-OCT-2014
British Formula One (F1) driver Lewis Hamilton on 12 October 2014 won the inaugural Russian Grand Prix of Formula One.
After the win he dedicated his victory to French F1 driver Jules Bianchi, who is in a critical condition ever since his crash at Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka in October 2014.
This was his ninth victory of the season, his fourth in a row and the 31st of his career. He thus equalled Nigel Mansell’s record for most victories by a British F1 driver.
Nico Rosberg of Germany finished the race at second place. The Williams driver Valtteri Bottas finished third.
With Hamilton and Rosberg coming first and second, Mercedes team thereby won the constructors’ title for 2014, with three races left to go.
It was Mercedes first constructors title as a team.Although Mercedes won the drivers’ title in 1954 and 1955; the constructors’ title did not exist until 1958.
Drivers Standings
Hamilton leads the drivers standings by 17 points, with 291 points, and Rosberg is in second, with 274 points. Daniel Ricciardo of the Red Bull team is third, with 199 points.
Russian Grand Prix
Although there was a Russian Grand Prix Russian Grand Prix in 1913 and in 1914, which was won by a Benz but it was the first in Formula One history, since 1950.
Lok Sabha MP Kapil Krishna Thakur died
14-OCT-2014
Lok Sabha MP Kapil Krishna Thakur died on 13 October 2014 in Kolkata following a lung failure. He was 73.
He was the elder son of Binapani Debi Thakurani (Baroma), the leader of Matua community.
Kapil Krishna Thakur
• Thakur did his graduation from the University of Calcutta.
• He was also a member of the Standing Committee on Labour.
• He won the Indian general election 2014 being an All India Trinamool Congress candidate and became a member of parliament (MP) to the 16th Lok Sabha from Bangaon Lok Sabha constituency in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
• He had received the prestigious Sri Sri Thakur Harichand-Guruchand prize for his sustained work to uplift the Matuas.
Lyricist Sameer honoured with Kishore Kumar Award for 2012-13
14-OCT-2014
Noted lyricist Sameer on 13 October 2014 was honoured with the National Kishore Kumar Award for 2012-13. He was awarded during a function at the legendary singer's birth place Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh.
The award was handed over to Sameer by Madhya Pradesh Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah.
The Jury that selected Sameer for the award included noted writer Saleem Khan, actor director Satish Kaushik, noted playback singer Anuradha Paudwal, lyricist Ibrahim Ashk and film critique Jaiprakash Choukse.
About Sameer
• Sameer officially known as Shitala Pandey is a son of noted lyricist Anjaan (Lalji Pandey)
• He was born in Banaras in Uttar Pradesh on 24 February 1958
• Sameer started his career as a lyricist in 1983 with the film Bekhabar (1983).
• The first film song he recorded was Maar Ke Kataaree Mar Jaibe for the Bhojpuri film Bairi Saawan (1984) sung by Suresh Wadkar and Preeti Sagar.
• He has composed songs for number of hit films like Dil, Aashiqui, Deewana, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Devdas, Dabangg-2 and Rowdy Rathore
• He won his first Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist in 1991 for film Aashiqui. In 1993,1994 and 1999 he once again won the Filmfare Award for film Deewana, Hum Hai Raahi Pyar Ke and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai respectively.
• A biography, Sameer – A Way with Words by Derek Bose was released by Amitabh Bachchan in 2007.
• He also has won IIFA Screen Award and Uttar Pradesh Government's Yash Bharti award.
About National Kishore Kumar Award
National Kishore Kumar Awardy is given by the Madhya Pradesh government and carries a cash prize of 2 lakh rupees, citation, shawl and shreefal. It is given in the fields of direction, screenplay and lyrics turn by turn every year.
Kishore Kumar was an Indian film playback singer, actor, lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenplay writer and scriptwriter. He was considered as one of the most successful playback singers of the Hindi film industry.
He won 8 Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer and holds the record for winning the most Filmfare Awards in that category.
He was born on 4 August 1929 in Khandwa, Central Provinces and Berar (now in Madhya Pradesh), British India. He died on 13 October 1987, in Mumbai and as per his wish, his last rites was performed in Khandwa.
RCA removed former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi as its President
14-OCT-2014
Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) on 11 October 2014 removed former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi as its President.
He was removed after a no—confidence motion against him was passed in Jaipur in which 23 of the 33 districts voted against Lalit Modi. Three of Modi's supporters have also been removed.
RCA, in Modi’s place, elected Vice President Amin Pathan as the acting President.
Earlier, Modi was banned for life by the BCCI after its disciplinary committee found him guilty for misappropriation of funds during the second and third editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL). But he was elected as the President of TCA in May 2014 with an overwhelming majority.
The election of Modi as president of RCA led to imposition of ban on RCA by Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) leading to an impasse on the future of state’s cricketers on their participation in the BCCI affiliated tournaments.
RCA action is being seen as an apparent bid to end its standoff with the BCCI.
JagranJosh.com MBA Champion Competition Launched
14-OCT-2014
New Delhi: JagranJosh.com today has launched India’s biggest MBA Scholarship Competition, “MBA Champion” in association with MODY University of Science & Technology and powered by Alliance University, Bangalore.
The competition is aimed at empowering MBA aspirants to judge their competitive preparedness for the upcoming MBA admission season.
The competition will be conducted in two rounds. First round will be an Online Qualifier test while second round or Mains Test which will be an Offline test. The winning students will be awarded Cash Scholarship worth Rs 1, 00,000 & other exciting prizes.
Students can register for the test from today onwards till 30 November 2014 and can simultaneously take the online Qualifier test on JagranJosh.com
For complete details & registration, log on to www.mbachampion.in
Students can also register by just giving a miss call to the number 02233598582. Alternatively, registration can also be done through SMS by sending MBACHAMPNAME to 57272. For Example, if your name is Ashish Kumar Sharma, type “MBACHAMP Ashish Kumar Sharma” & send it to 57272. Operator charges applicable.
French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi met with an accident during Japanese GP
13-OCT-2014
Jules Bianchi, French formula one driver, on 5 October 2014 met with an accident during Japanese Grand Prix held at Suzuka track in Japan.
The accident happened when his Russian-owned team Marussiain car ploughed in the back of a recovery. It smashed into the recovery van after wheels of the car slipped on a wet track which had made the track very slippery. The crash resulted in a severe brain surgery and is in critical condition but stable.
The accident has shaken Formula One like no other event since the death of the Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna in a 190-mile-an-hour crash at Imola, Italy, in 1994.
JP Morgan cut India 2014-15 growth forecast to 5.1 percent from 5.3 percent
13-OCT-2014
JP Morgan on 10 October 2014 cut its India GDP growth projection for 2014-15 to 5.1 percent from 5.3 percent.
The reason for the trimmed growth was based on weak factory output.
JP Morgan cited that the industrial output of India in August 2014 rose to 0.4 percent compared to the estimation it was very low.
They estimated the industrial output of India for August 2014 to be around 2.4 percent.
Further, the report maintained that the slower growth and a fall in oil and commodity prices increase the chance for the RBI to attain its challenging 6 percent consumer price inflation target by January 2016.
The Reserve Bank of India projects GDP to grow at around 5.5 percent in the current fiscal year ending March 2015.
About JP Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan known as J. P. Morgan was an American financier, banker, philanthropist and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time.
In 1892, Morgan arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric.
After financing the creation of the Federal Steel Company, he merged it in 1901 with the Carnegie Steel Company and several other steel and iron businesses to form the United States Steel Corporation.
French economist Jean Tirole won the 2014 Nobel Prize for Economics
13-OCT-2014
French economist Jean Tirole on 13 October 2014 won the 2014 Nobel Prize for Economics. Jean Tirole was awarded for his analysis of market power and regulation.
The award will be presented to him on 10 December 2014 which marks the death anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel.
The Nobel Prize in Economics is officially known as Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. It was established in 1968 and was not part of the original group of five awards established by the will of the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel in 1895.
Jean Tirole
• Jean Tirole is a French professor of economics. He works on industrial organization, game theory, banking and finance, and economics and psychology.
• Tirole is chairman of the board of the Jean-Jacques Laffont Foundation at the Toulouse School of Economics.
• As a scientific director of Industrial Economics Institute (IDEI) in Toulouse, Tirole developed his ideas about the impact of regulation on industrial organizations using game theory.
• He is a founding member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST).
• He holds engineering degrees from Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées as well as a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• From the mid-1980s onwards, Jean Tirole has breathed new life into research on market failures. He has clarified how to understand and regulate industries with a few powerful firms.
• Jean Tirole has published about two hundred professional articles in economics and finance as well as 10 books including The Theory of Industrial Organization, Game Theory.
India to host first leg of Asia Cup Archery Tournament in Delhi in January 2015
13-OCT-2014
India will host first leg of Asia Cup Archery Tournament in Delhi in January 2015. The announcement was made on 12 October 2014 by Archery Association India (AAI).
The Asia Cup will be held on the format of the annual World Cups. Asia Cup will replace the Asian GP.
The first leg will be conducted in Delhi in January 2015 while the second and third legs was allotted to Bangkok and Tehran.
Second leg will be held in March 2015 and the third leg will be held in June 2015.
About Asia Cup Archery Tournament
Asian Archery Championships is the Archery Asian Championship organized by the Asian Archery Federation.
It has been held biannually, and since 2001 has included both the recurve and compound disciplines.
The tournament began in 1980 and it was first hosted in India. Countries such as South Korea, China, Japan and India compete, with many of the world's leading archers representing them.
India signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury
13-OCT-2014
India on 30 September 2014 signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The convention is named after the Japanese city Minamata that has become synonymous with deadly mercury contamination since 1950.
The Minamata Convention gives five years time to India to control and reduce emissions from new power plants and 10 years time for the already existing power plants.
Minamata Convention
The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. It was agreed at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Geneva, Switzerland on 19 January 2013.
The Minamata Convention is part of a cluster of agreements that include:
• Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal.
• Rotterdam Convention for managing international trade in hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
• Stockholm Convention on the restriction and elimination of the production and use of persistent organic pollutants.
The major highlights of the Minamata Convention on Mercury include a ban on new mercury mines, the phase-out of existing ones, control measures on air emissions, and the international regulation of the informal sector for artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
Mercury pollution in India
In India, Mercury pollution has not been a part of the environmental discourse. However, mercury pollution concerns have hit various places.
At Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu, controversy regarding Mercury pollution has existed for years following the closure of a thermometer manufacturing factory of Hindustan Unilever Ltd. The factory was shut down by a closure order of the state pollution control board in March 2001.
The second high-profile case is that of the Singrauli region that falls in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh and also spills over into Madhya Pradesh. This is a huge private and public sector industrial and power-generating cluster. It is estimated that around 17 percent of India’s power plant mercury emissions are from this cluster alone.
In December 2009, the Ministry of Environment and Forests declared Singrauli as being among the 43 most critically polluted industrial clusters in the country.
Apart from Kodaikanal and Singrauli, Ganjam in Odisha is another area where mercury pollution has reached serious levels.
Considering all these factors, it is imperative that India should now establish and enforce mercury emission standards for coal-fired power plants.
Mercury pollution
Mercury is used in the chemical and petrochemical industries and also in household products like compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and thermometers. It is heavily used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining to separate gold from the ore.
Mercury emissions to the atmosphere also take place from coal-fired power plants. Mercury is present in industrial effluents that are let into water bodies and the sea and enters the human food chain through the consumption of fish. This is what caused the disaster at Minamata in the 1950s.
Mercury pollution arises from a variety of sources. Contaminated sites including old mines, landfills and waste disposal locations are also important sources of mercury pollution.
Amazon and Future Groups signed deal to jointly sell goods online
13-OCT-2014
US Online store Amazon and retailer Future Group on 12 October 2014 signed a deal to jointly sell goods over the internet.
According to deal, Future group's portfolio of over 40 brands will be retailed exclusively through Amazon.in platform. The partnership will initially focus on Future Group's fashion brands and will subsequently cover all other categories.
The alliance will leverage strong product knowledge, extensive brand portfolio and sourcing base of Future Group, and the e-commerce platform, customer base and reach of Amazon.in. Both the firms will also explore synergies in areas such as distribution network, customer acquisition and cross-promotions.
Besides, Amazon and Future will also jointly develop discounting strategy and price tags on their products won't be very different from rates at stores so that both channels don't end up cannibalizing each other
NASA successfully installed its first Earth-observing instrument ISS-RapidScat on the ISS
13-OCT-2014
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on 21 September 2014 successfully installed and activated its first Earth-observing instrument ISS-RapidScat (ISS Rapid Scatterometer) on the International Space Station (ISS). It was launched aboard during the SpaceX CRS-4 mission.
The ISS-RapidScat will monitor ocean winds for climate research as well as weather predictions and hurricane monitoring.
It has a different orbit than other Earth remote sensing platforms. It is closer to Earth and it sees Earth at different times of the day with a different schedule.
The first image from ISS-RapidScat was released by NASA on 6 October 2014 which depicts preliminary measurements of global ocean near-surface wind speeds and directions.
NASA has already launched the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, a joint mission with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in February 2014 and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) carbon observatory in July 2014.
Two additional NASA Earth science instruments are scheduled to be launched in 2016.
ISS-RapidScat (ISS Rapid Scatterometer)
• ISS-RapidScat is NASA’s first research payload aimed at conducting near global Earth science from the stations exterior and will be augmented with others in coming years.
• It is a space-based scatterometer that replaces the inoperable SeaWinds payload aboard the QuickSCAT satellite.
• Scatterometers are radar instruments that measure wind speed and direction over the ocean, and are useful for weather forecasting, hurricane monitoring, and observations of large-scale climate phenomena such as El Nino.
• The ISS RapidScat instrument enhances measurements from other international scatterometers by cross-checking their data and demonstrates a unique way to replace an instrument aboard an aging satellite.
Fortune released the list of powerful people titled 40 under 40
13-OCT-2014
Fortune released the list of powerful people titled 40 under 40 on 9 October 2014. The list included most powerful, influential, important people in business under 40.
The list was topped by ridesharing service company Uber's 38-year-old co-founder Travis Kalanick and community-driven hospitality company Airbnb's 33-year-old CEO Brian Chesky.
Followed by, Founder and CEO of Facebook, 30-year-old Mark Zuckerberg, at the number two spot and Italy's youngest Prime Minister Matteo Renzi (39) at the third position.
The list also included 38-year-old co-founder and CEO of texting company WhatsApp, Jan Koum on rank 5, Yahoo's 38-year old CEO Marissa Mayer (ranked 6), New York Stock Exchange President 38-year-old Tom Farley (ranked 7) and Twitter co-founder and CEO 37-year-old Jack Dorsey (ranked 11).
Women share
Out of 40 powerful persons list, Fifteen powerful and influential women have made it to the Fortune’s list. The women’s top slot was named by Marissa Mayer, who is ranked 6. She is the President and CEO of Yahoo.
Others were Elizabeth Holmes, Emily White, Liv Garfield, Megan Ellison, Julie Smolyansky, and others.
Indians in the list
The Indians on the list are Economics professor at Harvard Raj Chetty, who is ranked 16, Micromax co-founder and CEO Rahul Sharma (ranked 21), Snapdeal Co-Founder and CEO Kunal Bahl (ranked 25) and Twitter's General counsel and the only woman on the company's executive team Vijaya Gadde (28).
Turkey to allow US led coalition to use its Incirlik Air Base to fight against ISIS
13-OCT-2014
Turkey on 12 October 2014 allowed US led coalition to use its Incirlik Air Base to fight against Islamic State (ISIS).
It further allowed to use its territory as part of a training program for Syrian opposition fighters.
US stand
Defence Secretary said that the use of Incirlik for Syria Missions was one of the key U.S. requests. U.S. officials confirmed that it will take several months to vet up to 5000 opposition fighters, and up to an additional eight months for the training to be completed.
Turkey has joined Saudi Arabia in agreeing to the training program. Their facilities inside of Turkey can be used by the coalition forces to engage in activities inside of Iraq and Syria.
Turkey stand
Turkey had been reluctant to sign on to the coalition against the Islamic State, which it believed has diverted attention from the effort to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Its government has long been critical of delays in the U.S. training program.
Turkey shares a border with Syria and Iraq, but has so far ruled out any ground operation of its own.
About Incirlik Air Base
Incirlik is a U.S.-built facility about 35 miles inland from the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, near Turkey’s border with Syria. Incirlik is a joint facility where both the Turkish and U.S. air forces operate.
Powerful typhoon Vongfong struck Japan
13-OCT-2014
Powerful typhoon Vongfong struck Japan on 13 October 2014. The typhoon made its landfall in Makurazaki on Kyushu Island with winds of up to 180 kilometers per hour.
Typhoon Vongfong that is the strongest storm to hit Japan in 2014 had injured more than 30 people and led to cancellation of more than 300 flights, while hundreds of thousands had to evacuate their homes. It brought heavy rain and fierce winds to the southern island of Okinawa with it.
Vongfong means wasp in Cantonese is categorised as a super-typhoon after it picked up strength through several South Pacific islands, including Guam.
Earlier in the first week of October 2014, Japan was hit be Typhoon Phanfone that killed at least nine people as per Japan’s Kyodo news agency. The killed people included three US military servicemen in Okinawa who were washed out to sea.
Indian Embassy in Kuwait simplified visa procedure
13-OCT-2014
Indian Embassy in Kuwait on 12 October 2014 simplified the visa procedure for Kuwaiti nationals as well as for emigrants living in Kuwait.
The aim behind the decision is to enhance travel to India for business, tourism, medical treatment and study purposes.
The Embassy will continue to accept visa applications directly in cases of emergency and for all diplomats or Special Passport holders.
The Embassy has already been issuing five-year and one-year business visa (multiple entry), one-year medical visa (multiple entry) and six-month tourist visas (multiple entry) for Kuwaiti nationals and expatriates resident in Kuwait so that they can visit India for business, tourism, medical treatment as per their convenience.
It issued 10000 visas in 2014 against 7600 visas issued during the same period in 2013 registering a jump of 30 percent.
Kuwait-India relations
India and Kuwait enjoy traditionally friendly relations which are rooted in shared history and have stood the test of time. Geographic proximity, historical trade links, cultural affinities and presence of a large number of Indian expatriates continue to sustain and nurture this long standing relationship.
India has been a natural trading partner and a destination for higher learning. Until 1961, the Indian Rupee was the legal tender in Kuwait.
Major items exported from India to Kuwait cover a broad range including food items, cereals, textiles, garments, electrical and engineering equipment, cars, trucks, buses, tires, chemicals, jewellery, handicrafts, metal products, articles of iron or steel, etc.
Meanwhile, Kuwait has been a reliable and third largest supplier of crude oil to India after Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Cyclone Hudhud struck coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
13-OCT-2014
Cyclonic Storm Hudhud struck the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on 12 October 2014. The cyclone carried heavy rains and winds of almost 155 to 190 kilometer per hour with it and killed at least eight people and left behind a trail of devastation.
Hudhud that made its landfall in Visakhapatnam known to locals as Vizag disrupted electricity and telecommunications services as well as road and rail traffic along the coast. It also damaged thousands of homes and uprooted several trees.
India Meteorological Department has predicted that the cyclone will bring heavy rainfall at few places including Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts of north Andhra Pradesh and Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Phulbani districts of south Odisha during the next 24 hours.
Response of the action team to the Cyclone
In response to the devastation caused by the cyclone, the navy will lead a joint armed forces relief operation code named Lehar. The Air Force sent its machines from Delhi, Jorhat bases and the Indian Coast Guard inducted its 17 vessels and 11 planes for rescue and relief operations in Andhra and Odisha. The Army also alerted its areas offices in Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala and kept its columns ready to take up rescue and relief operations.
The rescue team evacuated more than 7 lakh people (5 lakh in Andhra Pradesh and 2 lakh in Odisha) from the coastal areas of both states and kept them in more than 3000 shelter centers.
The cyclone Hudhud was similar to cyclone Phailin that crossed the Odisha coast in 2013 leaving behind a trail of destruction.
About Hudhud
Cyclone Hudhud was named after the national bird of Israel and was taken from the list of names suggested by Oman. The name was derived from the Hoopoe bird, a colorful insectivorous bird found across Afro-Eurasia. Hudhud is an Arabic word for hoopoe and as a bird it finds special references in the Koranand is described as the leader of birds in the Persian text The Conference of the Birds.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) that issues cyclone advisors to eight countries (India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand) has a list of names that has been contributed by each of these countries. The name of the cyclone that occurs in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal is picked from the list of the names that has been submitted. The cyclones are named in such way that each country is given a chance to name a cyclone and once each of them gets their turn a next list of names is followed.
The current cyclone is named Hudud (Oman) and the others that will occur in future will be named as Nilofar (Pakistan), Priya (Sri Lanka) and Komen (Thailand).
Srilankan President Yal Devi Express flagged off from Palai after 25 years
13-OCT-2014
Srilankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 13 October 2014 flagged off Yal Devi Express from Palai after 25 years. The train will be extended to Jaffna.
The India Railway Construction International (IRCON) has now completed the restoration of the railway lines from Palai to Jaffna. IRCON is an Indian railway subsidiary.
The Jaffna railway station features many modern facilities including novel communication electronic signal system.
Currently, Yal Devi is running between Colombo and Palai. Four trains will be deployed from Jaffna to Colombo and Colombo Fort to Jaffna. The Yal Devi will cost 360 rupees for the 3rd class and 600 rupees for the 2nd class.
Background
The rebuilding of the track began in March 2011 and was carried out in stages. The work took a full three years, with workers on the 146-km (91-mile) single track.
The services of the trains to the northern peninsula of Jaffna ground was halted 25 years ago after dozens of passengers were killed in attacks by guerrillas seeking an independent homeland for Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils.
The railway was ripped up to make bunkers after a truce between the Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces collapsed and fighting erupted in June 1990.
Reopening the railway was a priority to allow reconstruction materials to be brought into the area devastated by years of war and restore a key lifeline to Jaffna which is also the political capital of the Northern Province.
Roger Federer won Shanghai Masters trophy of Tennis
13-OCT-2014
In Tennis, the 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer won his maiden ATP Shanghai Masters trophy. In the title clash played on 12 October 2014, Switzerland’s Federer defeated Frenchman Gilles Simon, 7-6, 7-6.
In 2010, Federer lost in the finals of the Shanghai Masters to Briton Andy Murray.
Apart from this, America’s top seeded Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike won the Doubles title by defeating French team of Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 6-3, 7-6. With this they became the first pair to win all nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments. This was the 101st career title for the 35-year old siblings in their 152nd final.