General - Current Affairs for January, 2016

Aparna Kumar, a UP cadre IPS officer has become India’s first civil servant to scale the highest peak in the Antarctica, Mount Vinson Massif. The tricolor and flag of the Uttar Pradesh Police Service on Mount Vinson Massif was hoisted by her. She emerged from the Antarctic expedition on 5th January 2016. She has scaled 5 of 7 summits which are considered most challenging for the world. During the month of March 2015, she was conferred the Rani Lakshmi Bai Puraskar by UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for her achievements and for being a role model to women.

A job portal for persons with disabilities has been launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Launching the portal, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot said the Government has given very high priority to skill training programme for Persons with Disabilities and has a target for skilling five lakh persons in next 3 years. The skill training will be provided by a network of 200 clusters of “Training Partners with financial assistance of government. A time bound action plan has been prepared for this purpose, the Government will also pursue private sector for providing them job after the training, he said.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tata Institute of Social Sciences connected with the Tata Trust to launch CLIx (Connected Learning Initiative) for alleviating learning experience for secondary school students through effective use of ICT. While the first phase encompasses 1000 state run schools across 4 states, it will expand to other states soon. Initially, the focus will be on Hindi, English and Telugu content for subjects such as English Science and Maths. Such online learning technologies can transform education.

Railways has signed an MoU with AP and Kerala for project execution. MoUs were signed with Kerala and AP governments for forming JV companies for faster implementation of rail projects in states. JV companies will have 51% stake of respective state governments and 49% stake of the railways. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu at the MoU signing ceremony indicated growing demand for numerous railway lines in many states.

Actors Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra will replace Aamir Khan as new ambassadors of the Incredible India campaign to market the nation to tourists abroad. Bachchan has been made the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism and his name was suggested by the PM’s office.

Cabinet approves India’s stand on food security at WTO clearing the ex post facto stand taken by India for food security during the last WTO meeting at Nairobi. Cabinet has provided x post facto approval for approach adopted by India at Nairobi WTO meeting.

Maharashtra government and TATA Trust on 19th January has signed an MoU for skill training programme for youth in the state. Programme has been undertaken under the Kushal Maharashtra, Rojgaryukt Maharashtra initiative.As per the skill training programme for youth, skill development and vocational training centres will be established in 10 districts in Maharashtra.

Government of India has approved the establishment of two National Centres of Aging- one under AIIMS New Delhi and Madras Medical College, Chennai. This is under the tertiary level component of the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly under the 12th 5 year plan period. National Centres of Ageing are expected to be Centres of Excellence in the field of Geriatric Care in the country. The functions of the National Centres will be (i) Health care delivery; (ii) Training of health professionals; (iii) Research activities along with 200 bedded in-patient services.

Symbiosis Institute of Health Science a constituent unit of the SIA has signed an MoU with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute/BARTI for skill based training in the healthcare sector. SIHS will provide training to BARTI candidates in areas such as home healthcare provider, dental assistant and diabetic educator.

Haryana’s child sex ratio (0-6 aged group) crossed the 900 mark for the first time in decade in December 2015. This is a major jump from 2011 when the census figures showed the state has the worst sex ratio in the nation- 834. Sirs topped the table with 999 girls per 1,000 boys in the state where there is a high incidence of female foeticide. Officials said 12 districts have recorded gender ratio of above 900. Panchkula has registered a sex ratio of 961 followed by Karnal (959), Fatehabad (952), Gurgaon (946), Sonipat (942), Jind (940), Rewari (931), Mewat (923), Bhiwani, Mahendragarh (912) and Hisar (906). State overall recorded sex ratio of 903.

Humanity is advancing but one is moving around the globe considerably lesser than that. As per United Nations estimates, 244 million people or 3.3% of the world’s population lived in a country other than which they were born. They were concentrated in just over 20 nations. The most popular destination in 2015 was the US followed by Russia, Germany and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has figures which indicate that a large number of migrant workers, not immigrants resettle in the United States. UN does not distinguish between those who migrate with legal papers and those who do not. Amidst the migrants are 20 million refugees who have fled from prosecution in their own country. Migrants are young, working age people which is a boon to nations like Europe which have a rapidly ageing population. After India, Mexico has the second largest diaspora.

Kerala has become the first state in the nation to attain total primary education. This has been attained through primary education equivalency drive of the state literacy mission-Athulyam. Equivalency programmes have produced great success and ultimate aim is to attain Plus Two education within the state.

INS Kadmatt, second ship of Project 28 class Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes was commissioned into the Indian Navy by Chief of Naval Staff at Vizag’s Naval Dockyard. The INS ship carries the name inherited from Peta Class. Cadmic also an ASW Corvettew was acquired in 1968 from erstwhile Soviet Union. INS Kadmatt has been named gayer the large Lakshadweep group of islands off India’s western coast.

Kerala is set to pay a solatium of Rs. 50 lakh to the family. The late commando’s wife, Radhika, will be given a government job and the entire education expenses of his daughter, Vismaya, would be borne by the government. The Cabinet, which took up the issue as the first item of the agenda, decided to carry out renovation to the 10-km Kollengode-Elampilassery road leading to Niranjan’s house at a cost of Rs. 4 crore. Elampilassery government ITI will also be renamed as Lt. Col. Niranjan memorial government ITI.

NSG were in action against the six fidayeen at the Pathankot airbase and three service chiefs had taken the call jointly so that the elite combat force could deal with any hostage crisis in the airbase which had around 3,000 family members of IAF personnel and 23 trainees from four foreign countries at the time of the attack, during Operation Dhangu. Commander of the Army's Western Command Lt Gen K J Singh said the NSG was deployed as it is a force specially trained to deal with a hostage crisis. Apart from family members, 23 trainees from Afghanistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Myanmar were at the airbase when fidayeen struck.

MHA minister Shri. Radiant Singh inaugurated the 7th National Conference on Women in Police at CRPF Academy in Kadarpur, Gurogaon. The three day national conference was held from January 6-8, 2016. It was attended by 300 women personnel of state and central police services from the rank of DG to constable. Women represent 50% of the population and sustained self development of the country is not possible without their participation. Home Ministry has said women’s representation is inadequate and Government is committed to provide adequate representation to them. MHA has issued instructions for 33% recruitment of women in police in UTs and CAPF recently. Kerala was the first Indian state to have women in the police force.

Arunima Sinha, the amputee mountaineer after conquering Mount Everest,has scaled Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. Arunima, in a statement, said she started her mission on the morning of December 12 and hoisted the Indian tricolour on December 25 at the summit. Aconcagua is the highest peak outside Asia, at 6,960.8 metres.

4 of the 5 Nobel laureates attending the Indian Science Congress have indicated that India should focus on discovering and inventing, not just making in India. Scientists remarked that to make in India without dependence on others, one must invent in India for which discovery is crucial. There must be a strategic plan and students must be encouraged to take up science.

Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode will be hosting the 52nd Annual Conference of TIES or The Indian Econometric Society. This is one of the oldest and largest bodies of professional economists and econometricians with over 2000 members. Prominent speakers include Rana Kapoor, CEO of YEs Bank and Professor Subhash Ray. Professor Pami Dua will preside over the conference.

Police have shot dead 2 terrorists who attacked the Pathankot Air Force station on 2nd January 2016. Terrorists attached the base from a building in a village close by at 4 am. Number of terrorists who launched the attack is said to be 4 to 6. Operation in progress is on to neutralize all of them.