Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 22 January 2015

:: National ::

The government has begun re-allocating cancelled coal blocks. E-auction, in two phases, of 46 coal mines would begin on February 14. While 23 Schedule II mines (those that are producing already) would be auctioned between February 14 and March 5, another 23 blocks, falling under Schedule III (ready to produce), would be put on offer between February 25 and March 5.
Started with 42 mines in Schedule II and 32 mines in Schedule III. Subsequently, 27 mines were transferred from Schedule I (all 204 mines) to Schedule III, and this took thereby taking the number to 101. However, with three mines falling in the ‘no go’ areas, the effective number of mines would be 98.

The United States and Cuba opened two days of historic talks in Havana to end decades of Cold War-era animosity and re-establish diplomatic relations.
The meetings in Havana follow the historic decision by U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro in December to seek normal diplomatic relations.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alex Lee and Cuban Foreign Ministry official Josefina Vidal sat down for the first day of closed-door talks.
Their opening remarks were not broadcast.
The reopening of mutual embassies, closed since relations broke in 1961, will be at the centre of Thursday’s talks, which will be led on the U.S. side by Roberta Jacobson, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.

The Bajaj group will release a book, commemorating the birth centenary of Kamalnayan Bajaj.
Titled ‘Kamalnayan Bajaj — Architect of the Bajaj Group’ and written by noted business historian Gita Piramal, the book traces the struggles, tribulations and emergence of one of the largest business houses in India and captures the spirit of the country in challenging times while profiling one of the giants of Indian industry.
From a trading group whose reins he took over from his father Jamnalal Bajaj, the group founding, till his passing in 1972, Kamalnayan (Kakaji) Bajaj transformed the group to being among the top 20 industrial houses in the country.