Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 21 January 2015

:: National ::

Haryana’s decision to reduce retirement age to 58 upheld

The retirement age of Haryana government employees now stands reduced to 58 years from 60 years as the Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the decision of the Manohar Lal Khattar government to the effect.
The decision is likely to impact nearly 5,000 of the 3 lakh employees on an immediate basis.
Government sources had earlier claimed that while the reduction in retirement age would result in an additional burden of Rs. 200 crore on the exchequer on immediate basis it would prove beneficial in the long run as it would lead to more job opportunities at the entry level.
It was on November 25 that Mr. Khattar had announced the reduction in retirement age of employees.

1-crore award for villages attaining balanced sex ratio (Register and Login to read Full News..)

Periyar Tiger Reserve wins NTCA award (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: International ::

India is world’s second most trusting nation: survey

Moving up the ranks, India has emerged as the second most trusted country in the world in terms of faith reposed on its institutions even as globally trust levels have fallen, says a survey.
As the world’s rich and powerful gather in the Swiss resort of Davos, a study by public relations firm Edelman has found that general level of trust in institutions among college-educated people around the globe are at levels not seen since 2009 in many of the markets it surveyed.
Trust in institutions in India has improved sharply in 2015 with the country moving up three notches to the second place among 27 nations.
While the number of “truster” countries are at an all-time low of six in 2015 including UAE, India, China and Netherlands, the number of “distruster” countries has grown significantly to 13 including Japan, Russia, Hong Kong, South Africa and Italy.
Brazil, Malaysia, France and the US are among the 8 “neutral” nations as per the trust index, the survey said.
India, which last year saw the BJP-led NDA government storming to power at the Centre, stands tall.
According to the report, an “alarming evaporation of trust” has happened across all institutions, reaching the lows of the Great Recession in 2009.
Trust in government, business, media and NGOs in the general population is below 50 per cent in two-thirds of countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Germany, it said.
From fifth most trusted in 2014, India has now become the second-most trusted in 2015 with a score of 79 per cent in the barometer. The study has put India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image on the first page.

:: Business & Economy ::

India to beat China in growth in 2016: IMF (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: Science & Technology ::

GPS tracking devices to monitor Obama convoy

Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices and satellite images would be used by intelligence and security agencies to keep a constant watch on the movements of U.S. President Barack Obama’s convoy during his visit.
It is learnt that a dedicated joint control room consisting of senior Indian and U.S. security officials has been set up to monitor the security arrangements for Mr. Obama. A part of ITC Maurya, where the U.S. President will stay, has been converted into a control room.
As a precautionary measure, agencies may block public access to online GPS maps of about a dozen places in Delhi, which Mr. Obama is scheduled to visit. GPS maps of all venues have been designed to keep track of his movement. However, no drones will be deployed for aerial surveillance.
U.S. sleuths have brought along anti-sabotage scanners to sanitise the venues in coordination with their Indian counterparts.
Cyber security experts have been engaged for surveillance of suspicious online activity. Mr. Obama will use his own vehicle ‘The Beast.’ “His will be a larger cavalcade with over two dozen vehicles,” .
Following several rounds of meetings, it has been decided that on Republic Day, Mr. Obama will not accompany President Pranab Mukherjee to the parade venue, but will arrive in his 18-foot long Presidential car with Mr. Mukherjee’s cavalcade.
“In 2007, as the chief guest at the Republic Day parade, the then Russian President Vladimir Putin had also used his own vehicle,” said the official. The entire city will be turned into a no-fly zone, allowing only the flypast of Indian Air Force aircraft.
‘The Beast’ is an explosion-proof heavily armoured vehicle fitted with a night vision system. It is a virtual shield capable of withstanding biochemical attacks and has its own oxygen supply mechanism. The seven-seater vehicle functions as a control room for the U.S. President to remain in touch with the Pentagon and senior U.S. government functionaries through video-conferencing or encrypted satellite phone communications. It is fitted with emergency medical equipment and has a bank of his blood type. The vehicle’s fuel tank, with a special foam coating, is armour-plated and its doors have eight-inch-thick armour plating. The car’s five-inch-thick windows are bulletproof. Its driver undergoes special week-long training at a secret service academy.