Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 24 March 2015

:: National ::

Live TV coverage of anti-terror ops banned

• TV channels will be barred from airing live coverage of anti-terrorist operations by security forces as per a new rule approved by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
• Broadcasters in such situations will have to restrict themselves to reporting periodic briefing by designated officers, as per the new rule.
• Officials said a new clause will be added in the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 as per which TV channels will not carry content “which contains live coverage of any anti-terrorist operation by security forces, wherein media coverage shall be restricted to periodic briefing by an officer designated by the appropriate Government, till such operation concludes.”

Madhav Gadgil wins Tyler Prize

• At a time when the Union government has junked his crucial report on the conservation of the Western Ghats, ecologist Madhav Gadgil has been chosen for the prestigious Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for 2015.

• The prize, instituted in 1973, is awarded by the Tyler Prize Executive Committee with the administrative support of the University of Southern California.

• Dr. Gadgil, who was chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), will share the $200,000 cash prize with American marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco for their work in changing policy and especially for their “leadership and engagement in the development of conservation and sustainability policies in the United States, India and internationally,” said a release issued by Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement Executive Committee.

• The winners will receive the prize and a gold medallion at a private ceremony in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, on April 24. They will deliver public lectures on their work at The Forum in the University the day before the award ceremony.

• “Both …laureates have bridged science with cultural and economic realities — like the impact on indigenous peoples in India or fishing communities in the United States — to advance the best possible conservation policies,” the release said.

• Dr. Gadgil’s report on the preservation of the unique ecosystem of the Western Ghats was specially cited as the reason for the honour, besides his contributions to the crafting of the National Biodiversity Act, 2002.

• Dr. Lubchenco, recently named the first-ever U.S. Science Envoy for the Ocean by the Department of State, gets the award for her dedication to spreading the importance of the ocean and ocean ecosystems, notably during her tenure, from 2009 to 2013, as Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

• The award commended her drive and passion in restoring fisheries and improving ocean health which led to her advocacy for the unique “catch share” model – an alternative rights-based approach to fisheries attempting to change the economic incentives for fishermen that has been adopted by a number of regional fishery management councils in Alaska, along the Pacific Coast, the Gulf of Mexico and other regions across the American seaboard.

Now sale of gutka to be non-bailable offence

• Sale of gutka will be a non-bailable offence in Maharashtra, the government announced in the Assembly.

• During question hour, Food and Drugs Minister Girish Bapat assured the House that steps were being taken to effectively implement the ban.

• Manufacturing and sale of gutka are banned in the State, but it is not implemented effectively as there are no such restrictions in the neighbouring States and gutka is smuggled in.

• Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan of the Congress said that despite the ban on gutka, it was sold in the State even outside the Assembly.

• Mr. Bapat told the House that 72,000 shops had been searched and gutka worth Rs. 32 crore had been seized so far. “Directives have been given to the police to book the accused under Section 328 of the IPC which is non-bailable,” he said.

• Section 328 of the IPC carries the charge of “causing hurt by means of poison etc. with intent to commit an offence” and the person who administers or causes any person to take any poison or any stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug” could be imprisoned for a term which may extend up to 10 years with fine.

• When asked by Mangalprabhat Lodha of the BJP whether the licences of shops where gutka was sold would be cancelled, the Minister said there was no separate licence to sell gutka. “But the government would consider a proposal to scrap the licence of the shops from where gutka is seized,” Mr. Bapat said.

• As per the information given by the government, 1,538 cases of illegal sale of gutka are being tried in courts.

• Maharashtra has seized gutka worth Rs. 32 crore so far, says Minister

Centre to re-brand ‘Jan Aushadhi’ scheme (Register and Login to read Full News..)

Dadasaheb Phalke award for Shashi Kapoor (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: International :

Lee Kuan Yew dead at 91

• Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father and first Prime Minister of Singapore who transformed the tiny island into one of the wealthiest and least corrupt countries in Asia, died. He was 91.

• “The Prime Minister is deeply grieved to announce the passing of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore,” a statement on the PM’s official website said. “Mr. Lee passed away peacefully at the Singapore General Hospital today at 3.18 am.”

• Mr. Lee was Prime Minister from 1959, when Singapore gained full self-government from the British, until 1990, when he stepped down. Late into his life, he remained the dominant personality and driving force in what he called a First World oasis in a Third World region. The nation reflected the man: efficient, unsentimental, incorrupt, inventive, forward looking and pragmatic. “We are ideology free,” Mr. Lee said in an interview with The New York Times in 2007, stating what had become Singapore’s ideology. “Does it work? If it works, let’s try it. If it’s fine, let’s continue it. If it doesn’t work, toss it out, try another one.”

• His leadership was criticised for suppressing freedom, but the formula succeeded. Singapore became a business and financial center admired for its efficiency and low level of corruption.

Mission Impossible 5 titled ‘Rogue Nation’

• Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise-starrer Mission: Impossible 5 has been officially named as Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation.
• Rogue Nation will open more than three years after Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.
• The plot follows Hunt and his team as they take on a highly-skilled rogue syndicate.

Farkhunda was innocent: Afghan Minister (Register and Login to read Full News..)

Sirisena hands over land deeds to Northern Tamils (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: Business and Economy ::

Curbs on online train ticket booking

• Now only one train ticket can be booked online with one log-in after which the booking session will expire during the peak hours, as per the curbs put by the railways to check the menace of touts.
• However, this restriction will not be applicable while booking onward journey/return journey e-tickets. The restriction will not be applied on defence booking under warrant.

• “There will be a restriction of only one booking in one user log-in session in E-ticketing and forced logging out of the user before another booking for all users including IRCTC agents,” said a Railway Ministry statement. The restriction will be applicable while booking of e-ticket between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m

Financial SEZs: move for capital a/c convertibility

• India will allow greater capital account convertibility in financial special economic zones (SEZs). The first such notified SEZ to benefit from the reform will be the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), coming up near Ahmedabad, said Union Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher.

• “The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Reserve Bank of India are looking at drafting the regulations that will make greater capital account convertibility possible in notified financial SEZs...GIFT will be the first to benefit,” Mr. Kher told reporters.

• It will be possible for the corporate sector to raise foreign currency loans in such SEZs the way they do overseas right now, he said giving an example.

• The proposal is based on the Percy Mistry Committee report in 2007, which had recommended a slew of reforms to enable India to set up financial districts on the lines of those in London and New York.

• The financial SEZs are also aimed at attracting to India the huge volumes of global trading in rupee and the National Stock Exchange’s index Nifty that right now take place offshore in locations such as Singapore, London and Dubai.

• SEBI had set up some of the norms under its purview required for giving shape to International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) such as GIFT. The norms aim to ease the setting up of stock exchanges and capital market infrastructure in such centres.

• Responding to questions about the slump in India’s export performance — de-growth of 15 per cent in February, as per the latest available data extending January’s fall of 11.12 per cent — Mr. Kher said it was due to the sharp contraction in global demand. “India’s largest export destinations are experiencing a slowdown as a result the demand for India’s exports has taken a hit,” Mr. Kher said.

• The sharp decline in exports growth has put out of reach the $340-billion target India had set for 2014-15.

Phaneesh Murthy floats healthcare venture (Register and Login to read Full News..)

Centre plans 10 urea plants in coal-rich States (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: Science and Technology ::

Red Planet mission delayed by 2 years

• Mars One’s ambitious mission to send four people to colonise the red planet in 2024, which includes three Indians among its 100 finalists, has been pushed back by two years.
• Mars One, a Netherlands-based non-profit, aims to send four people on a one-way trip to the red planet every two years.
• Three Indians, 29-year-old Taranjeet Singh Bhatia, who is studying computer science at the University of Central Florida, Ritika Singh, 29, who lives in Dubai, and 19-year-old Shradha Prasad from Kerala, are among the 100 finalists for the Mars mission announced last month.
• Out of these 100 finalists, 24 will be trained to go to the Red Planet. The company has now pushed its planned launch of the first humans on Mars back by two years. The four-member crew will now depart for Mars in 2026 and land near the outpost in 2027.
• The delay was necessitated by a lack of investment funding, which has slowed work on a robotic precursor mission that Mars One had wanted to send toward the Red Planet in 2018, Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp said.
• The robotic mission aims to launch a lander and orbiter to Mars, to test out technologies needed for human settlement.

:: Sports ::

Djokovic claims 50th ATP title

• Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer to successfully defend his Indian Wells crown and claim his 50th career ATP title.
• The 27-year-old world No. 1 from Serbia also captured his fourth Indian Wells crown and is now tied with world No. 2 Federer for the most men’s titles in the California desert.
• “The trophy is very heavy,” Djokovic told the crowd as he celebrated adding to the titles he won in 2008 and 2011 as well as last year.
• Djokovic surpassed his coach Boris Becker (49) to become the 12th player in Open era history with 50 ATP Tour titles.

UEFA hikes CL prize money

• Champions League and Europa League clubs will share more than €1.6 billion in prize money from next season, UEFA announced. The Champions League winner could get €37.4 million, plus a share from a €400 million TV rights pool.

Ministry reviews classification of sports (Register and Login to read Full News..)

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Sources: Various News Papers & PIB

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