Current Affair 14, December 2015

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe visit to India – An Overview
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in India on a three-day from Dec 11 to Dec 13 for firming up on India’s first bullet train and over progress in the talks on a civil nuclear deal.

After the delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe both nations have inked 16 agreements.

Cancellation and Refund of Railway Tickets – New Rules
With effect from 12 November 2015, certain provisions of Railway Passengers (Cancellation of tickets and refund of fare) Rules have been amended and comprehensive Railway Passengers Rules 2015 have been notified through Gazette Notification G.S.R. 836(E). dated 4 November 2015.
The information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha in Rajya Sabha.
TAPI gas pipeline work instigated by Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan started work on its 1,814 Km natural gas pipeline to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) project funded by Asian Development Bank. It designed to reduce its dependence on gas sales to Russia and China.

The ground-breaking ceremony took place at city of Mary of Turkmenistan which was attended by Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif and Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari.
Project outlay – $10 bn
Completion time – December 2019
Leading partner – Turkmengaz
Haryana joins UDAY scheme for debt-laden discoms

Haryana became the 11th state to join UDAY scheme (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) for reviving debt- laden discoms.
Other states communicated in-principle approval to the Power Ministry for joining the UDAY scheme includes – Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
About UDAY

UDAY aims at reviving ailing state electricity boards and operational efficiencies of power distribution companies. It envisages on reducing interest burden, cost of power and AT&C losses.
The discoms will become sustainable to provide adequate and reliable power enabling 24×7 power supply.
The scheme provides that states would take over 75% debts of discoms as on September 30 in 2 years.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference

2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP 21 was held in Paris, France from 30 November to 12 December 2015. It was the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the Parties with a proposal of achieving zero GHG emissions growth by 2060-80.

The conference reached its objective for the first time to achieve a global agreement onreduction of climate change in the Paris Agreement, which was adopted with acclamation by nearly all states.
On the sidelines of summit 189 parties had submitted their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) on climate actions.

TAPI gas pipeline work instigated by Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan started work on its 1,814 Km natural gas pipeline to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) project funded by Asian Development Bank. It designed to reduce its dependence on gas sales to Russia and China.

The ground-breaking ceremony took place at city of Mary of Turkmenistan which was attended by Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif and Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari.
Project outlay – $10 bn
Completion time – December 2019
Leading partner – Turkmengaz

Gambia declares itself an Islamic Republic
Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has declared the tiny West African country an Islamic republic as because Islam is the majority religion of its citizens and is an attempt to break away from the country’s colonial past.

Rights of minorities
Rights of Gambia’s Christian community will be respected who make up about eight percent of the country’s population
There will be no mandates on dress.

Keys
Gambia is a popular beach destination for British tourists.
About 90 percent of Gambia’s 1.8 million people are Muslim.
The country gained independence from Britain in 1965.
Gambia Capital – Banjul
Gambia Currency – Gambian dalasi

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Etihad Airways wins world’s leading airline award
At the annual World Travel Awards Grand Finale gala ceremony 2015, Etihad Airways has been awarded the World’s Leading Airline award for the seventh consecutive year.

The company also bagged further two awards, World’s Leading First Class and the World’s Leading Cabin Crew.

About Etihad Airways:
Etihad Airways is the second-largest airline of the United Arab Emirates.
Headquarter – Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi
Establishment – 2003
Parent company – Etihad Aviation Group
Chairman – Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei

About World travel Awards
World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge excellence across the tourism industry and is widely recognised as a hallmark of ultimate quality.
The awards are decided through a global vote by more than 500,000 travel professionals and high-end tourism consumers from 171 countries.

APPOINTMENTS

First women councillors elected in “Conservative Kingdom”
A historic step for poll in which women can vote and be candidates, female winners are declared across the Saudi Arabia where women are banned from driving and face routine discrimination.

Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi was elected to the council of Madrakah, a region in the holy city of Mecca.
Rasha Hefzi, a prominent businesswoman who won a seat in Jeddah.
Municipal council elections indicated 17 female winners. These included four in Jeddah, one near Mecca and others in Tabuk, Ahsaa and Qatif.

Zensar Technologies names HCL Technologies’ Sandeep Kishore as CEO
Zensar Technologies names HCL Technologies’ Sandeep Kishore as CEOIT Company Zensar Technologies announced appointment of Sandeep Kishore as company’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. He will succeed Ganesh Natarajan. Kishore will join Zensar on January 12, 2016. He will be based in San Jose, California.
About Sandeep Kishore

Currently Mr. Kishore is HCL Technologies Corporate Vice President and Global Head for Life Sciences & Health Care and Public Services businesses.
An alumnus of IIT Bombay, he has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry.
Govt Appoints Justice L Narasimha Reddy to Head Judicial Committee on OROP
A five-member judicial commission with representatives from military fraternity, the government appointed Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, former Chief Justice of Patna High Court to head the one-man judicial committee.

Committee for : To look into the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme.
The committee is as per the points of the notification issued by the government on November 7 for implementing OROP. A statement issued by the Defence Ministry.
The committee based in Delhi, will submit its recommendations within six months of the date of its constitution.
The committee was swiftly rejected by the veterans agitating over the issue.
O P Longia new national president of IIMM
Senior supply chain professional O P Longia elected as its new National President of the Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM).Ranbaxy was elected unopposed as the national president of IIMM for 2015-17 at its national convention held in Vadodara.

About IIMM :
Mumbai-headquartered IIMM, an NGO, is the apex body of nearly 10,000 supply chain, materials and purchase professionals and is run with funding from its members.
IIMM is engaged in modernising the supply chain knowledge pool in the country as per global norms through its academic and research programmes.
It is represented on several bodies of the government and is affiliated to the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Chain Management.