Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 26 April 2015

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 26 April 2015

:: National ::

RSS think tank pitches for Institute for Classical Studies

  • After the aggressive appropriation of B.R. Ambedkar as a nationalist Hindu icon, taking a leaf out of the Chinese government rule book, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has now proposed that Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani establish an Indian Institute of Classical Studies to promote Indian languages abroad, on the lines of China’s Confucius Institute.

  • The proposal comes from the India Policy Foundation, a think tank funded entirely by the RSS, with senior Sangh functionaries Dattatreya Hosabale and Manmohan Vaidya on its board.

  • While Mr. Hosabale, sah sarkaryavah or joint secretary of the RSS and tipped to take over its reins in the near future, Mr. Vaidya is the All India Prachar Pramukh of the RSS.

  • The foundation, it is learnt, wields considerable clout and has stalled key legislation in the past.

  • Looking to the Confucius Institute for inspiration, in a letter dated April 23, the honorary director of the institute, Rakesh Sinha, writes: “Given that Indian literature and languages are already recognised as one of the most scientific languages in the world, the Government of India must consider conceptualising an institution/centre which could be established in reputed universities in foreign countries — on the lines of the Confucius Institute.”

  • The India Policy Foundation, a think tank funded entirely by the RSS, has written to Human Resources Minister Smriti Irani calling for the setting up of Indian Institute of Classical Studies to promote Indian languages abroad.

  • Director of the Institute Rakesh Sinha’s letter to Ms Irani says, “The global integration is demanding a coordinated effort of economic, education and cultural initiatives in the present context of geo-political developments. An institutionalised initiative by the MHRD, under your leadership (Ms Irani) will mark an international presence of Indian language, literature and civilisational culture helping India in its philosophical dignity and global endeavours.”

  • Mr Sinha adds, “For example, the Confucius Institute has established more than 450 institutions in universities close to 100 countries in past 10 years to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally and facilitate cultural exchanges.”

  • In its endeavour, the RSS seems to be diluting its aggressive Hindi stance by making a pitch for other classical Indian languages, namely Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Bangla, Marathi, Assamese, Odiya and several others. “Indian cultural and intellectual heritage that have given India pre-eminence in the world need our rejuvenated efforts to make them available to general readers. It will help people in India and abroad to find the glorious tradition in our cultural history is one of the pillars of cultural nationalism,” the letter states.

  • Incidentally, the Confucius Institute is governed by a council whose members are drawn from the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

Centre announces Rs. 2 lakh relief to families of quake victims (Register and Login to read Full News..) 

:: International :

Indian-origin scientist wins Heinz Award

  • An Indian-origin scientist at MIT, who has developed artificial human microlivers for drug testing, has won a prestigious $2,50,000 Heinz award for her work in tissue engineering and disease detection.

  • Sangeeta Bhatia at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been named the recipient of the 2015 Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy, and Employment. The award includes an unrestricted prize of $ 2,50,000.

  • The Heinz Awards annually recognise individuals for their extraordinary contributions to arts and humanities; environment; human condition; public policy; and technology, the economy, and employment.

  • “This type of recognition helps to bring science into the public eye so that everyone can appreciate the dedication and innovation that is happening in laboratories all over the country,” said Bhatia, the John J and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

  • Ms. Bhatia’s team has pioneered the fabrication of artificial human microlivers, which are being used by many biopharmaceutical companies to test the toxicity of drug candidates.

  • She is also using microlivers in the lab to model malaria infection and test drugs that can eradicate malaria parasites completely. She hopes to eventually develop implantable liver tissue as a complement or substitute for whole-organ transplant.

India, other countries continue to send help to Nepal (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: Business and Economy ::

Ratan Tata picks up stake in Xiaomi

  • Iconic business leader Ratan Tata has acquired a stake in Chinese handset maker Xiaomi, the first investment by any Indian in the smartphone maker.

  • The company declined to disclose the quantum and value of the stake, which Tata Group’s former chief has picked in his personal capacity.

  • “We are truly excited to have Mr Tata on board. We will seek his advice in our journey to becoming an Indian company,” Xiaomi India head Manu Jain told.

  • Mr. Tata, who retired as head of over $100 billion conglomerate in December 2012 and currently serves as chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, has emerged as a major venture capital investor since his retirement.

  • He has already made personal investments in homegrown e-commerce players like Snapdeal, Urban Ladder, Bluestone and Cardekho.com. In March this year, he also invested in mobile commerce firm Paytm.

  • “India is our biggest market outside of mainland China and also an extremely important one. Our goal is to become number one in the next 3-5 years and we are keen on partnerships here,” Xiaomi co-founder and president Bin Lin said.

  • Last week, Xiaomi announced its first ‘made for India’ handset Mi 4i, priced at Rs. 12,999.

  • “Mr Tata is one of the most well-respected business leaders in the world. An investment by him is an affirmation of the strategy we have undertaken in India so far. This is just the start of an exciting journey, and we are looking forward to bringing more products into India,” Xiaomi CEO Jun said.

  • “We want to become an Indian company. That is why we are building an R&D team here and setting up data centre. We want to manufacture and also invest in start ups in India,” Mr. Lin said.

  • Indian corporate honchos have been aggressively investing in the burgeoning online retail sector.

  • Wipro Chairman Azim Premji has investments in Myntra and Snapdeal, while his rival and Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy (through Catamaran Ventures) started a joint venture with Amazon to help small and medium businesses come online.

  • In December last year, Xiaomi raised $1.1 billion, valuing the firm at $45 billion. Often touted as the ‘Apple of China’, the company has grown to become a major competition to global giants like Samsung and Apple.

  • While the company already ranks at the top in Chinese market, in India it is among the top five players as per the estimates of research firm Gartner.

:: Science and Technology ::

Magnitude-6.7 aftershock hits Nepal, tremors felt across India

  • Massive rescue and relief efforts were mounted by India and other neighbours in Nepal, as two powerful aftershocks rattled the country, adding to the devastation in which the casualties soared to 2,200 people dead and over 5,600 others injured.

  • The 7.9-magnitude temblor on Saturday left a trail of devastation and suffering, with people spending the cold night in the open because of a series of aftershocks that scared several of the survivors from returning to their homes.

  • According to the latest figures available with the Home Ministry, over 2,200 people have been killed and 5,654 are injured.
    1,053 people are reported killed in the Kathmandu Valley alone. Officials fear the death toll could rise as desperate search for survivors continued.

  • A strong 6.7-magnitude aftershock followed by another measuring 6.5 on the Richter Scale today sent people running for open spaces.

  • International teams, including from India, have touched down here as Nepal declared a state of emergency in the wake of the disaster, the worst in over 80 years of the country’s recorded history.

  • Rescuers have been hunting for survivors under heaps of debris with bare hands as well as heavy equipment though the efforts have been hampered due to fresh tremors, thunderstorms and snowfall in the mountain ranges.

  • Locals and tourists sifted through mounds of debris for survivors. Cheers rose when people were found alive, though mostly bodies were pulled out.

  • Climbers said the aftershocks caused more avalanches at the Mount Everest, where at least 22 people have been killed.

  • MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have carried out five casualty evacuation sorties and the injured have been moved to military hospitals.

Uttar Pradesh

  • Fresh tremors were felt in parts of Uttar Pradesh even as the toll mounted to 13 with one more person succumbing to injuries in Kushinagar, which was among the badly affected district of the state.

  • Fresh aftershocks were felt for a few seconds in different parts of the state, but there was no immediate report of causality or damage to property in the latest temblor.

  • In Khusinagar district bordering Nepal, one person died during tremors in in Nauka Chappara village in Kushinagar district, a police spokesman said in Lucknow.

  • Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday sent relief material to Nepal and areas affected by earthquake on Saturday.

  • The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had announced a financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh to the kin of those killed in the earthquake, Rs. 50,000 to grievously injured and Rs. 20,000 to those having minor injuries, an official spokesman said.

  • The Chief Minister had also talked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprised him of the situation in the state, the official said.

  • “The CM called the Prime Minister and apprised him with the measures being taken by the state government,” the spokesman said.

  • Mr. Yadav had asked state Chief Secretary and DGP along with the District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to assess loss of life and property caused by the earthquake.

Rajasthan

  • A minor girl was killed and seven children were injured when a hut collapsed on them at Roniza village in Bharatpur district as fresh tremors which hit parts of Rajasthan.

  • The tremors were felt in Jaipur and adjoining towns scaring people to come out of their houses, a MeT official said.

  • The deceased eight year old girl was yet to be identified, while injured kids were rushed to the nearby hospitals in Nadbai by their parents, the SP Bharatpur Rahul Prakash told.

  • The thatched roof was supported by stone slabs and the kids were playing when the mishap occurred around 12:56 pm, the SP said, adding it was to be ascertained by the seismology experts whether it was collapsed due to tremors or any other reason.

  • A rescue team of policemen went from Nadbai to take stock of the situation, he said.

  • Meanwhile, Rajasthan Police has started a Helpline for people whose relatives live in Nepal.

  • The tremors, which had a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter Scale and epicentred in Nepal, were experienced in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Delhi for over 30 seconds at 12:42 PM.

Odisha

  • Fresh tremors jolted several parts of Odisha, triggering panic among people as the aftershocks came a day after a powerful earthquake rocked Nepal and several parts of India.

  • The MeT office here said that an earthquake of moderate intensity having its magnitude 6.9 on the Richter scale occurred at 12.39 hours IST with its epicentre at latitude 27.60 North and longitude 85.90 East in Nepal.

  • The epicentre of the earthquake is about 810 km from Bhubaneswar in the direction of North. The earthquake is felt in some parts of Odisha, it said.

  • Apart from the state capital Bhubaneswar, the tremors were felt in Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda and other areas which had also been jolted by Saturday’s earthquake.

  • Shaken by the fresh tremors, panic-stricken people moved out of buildings, particularly multi-storeyed and high-rise structures to open areas.

  • However, there was no immediate report of damage to property or anyone getting hurt, officials said.

West Bengal

  • Fresh tremors were felt in several parts of West Bengal at around 12.40 p.m. causing panic among the people who ran out of their homes and assembled on the streets.

  • “The tremor had its epicentre further east of the region in Nepal that witnessed an earthquake yesterday. The magnitude of the earthquake on the Richter Scale is 6.9 and the tremors were felt here in the city and the surrounding areas. We are still waiting for more details,” a senior official of Kolkata Meteorological department told .

  • The tremor was felt in different parts of the city especially in Behala, Garia, Kidderpore, Lake Town, Salt Lake, Dalhousie and Park street areas.

  • Metro services in the city were temporarily stopped following the tremor, a senior official of Kolkata Metro said.

  • “Mainly because of safety reasons, we have stopped the services. We are running a check whether there is any damage of the tracks or elsewhere. Once that’s complete we will resume the services,” he said.

  • A police official said that they had not received report of any casualty in the city.

  • Tremors were also experienced in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Bankura and East Midnapur districts of the state, reports reaching here said.

  • In West Bengal, three persons were killed and 69, including 43 school children, were injured after a 7.9—magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal and several parts of the country.

  • West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to visit North Bengal this afternoon which was most affected in yesterday’s quake.

  • The Nepal government has sought assistance from the West Bengal government following Saturday's devastating earthquake.

Assam

  • Two fresh tremors shook Assam though there was no immediate report of any casualty or damage to property.

  • The first tremor, which lasted for a second, was felt around 1242 hrs and the second one was felt after a few seconds in almost all districts of the state, officials said.

  • The quake shook buildings, rattled windows in houses and swayed electric poles.

  • Quake was 6.9 on the Richter Scale in Nepal at a depth of 10 km with epicentre at Latitude 27.6 degree North and Longitude 85.9 degree East, Met office said.

  • Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has directed Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla to take stock of the situation, alert the Assam State Disaster Management Authority and other line departments.

  • The Chief Minister has further asked Khosla to take required steps to see if any individual from the state was stranded in Nepal and ensure his/her safe return, officials said.

  • Meanwhile, the state government has opened a toll free number 1070 for relatives of people from the state who are stuck in Nepal following Saturday’s earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale.

  • Assam Police has also opened two helpline numbers for people from the state affected by the earthquake in Nepal with IGP Special Branch Hiren Nath to act as the Nodal officer.

Jharkhand

  • Tremors were felt in several parts of Jharkhand. Mild tremors shook Ranchi, Dumka, Sahibganj, Lohardaga and other parts of the state around 12.42 pm, officials said. There was no report of any casualty or damage to property, they added.

  • Ambassador-designate of Nepal Deep Kumar Upadhyay expressed gratitude to India for its quick response in helping its quake-hit neighbour. All relief operations headed to Kathmandu have been kept on hold till 4 p.m. due to fresh tremors in Nepal, according to the Defence Ministry.

  • The Weather Forecasting Center of the India Meteorological Department has predicted fairly widespread rain or thundershower activity over Nepal during the next 24 hours, an official release informed.

  • In a statement, the U.S. embassy said that the US expresses its “deepest condolences” to all those affected by Saturday’s earthquake in Nepal, including the families of those killed or injured. U.S. Ambassador to Nepal Peter Bodde has issued a disaster declaration in order to immediately release an initial $1 million for emergency assistance.

:: Sports ::

Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly to find new India coach

  • Former stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid will be part of the Committee which will find Indian cricket team’s new coach and the support staff.

  • The trio, according to sources, will provide input to BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya and Secretary General Anurag Thakur, who were on Sunday entrusted with the job of finding the new coach at the Working Committee meeting of the Board.

  • “The process to identify the coach and support staff for the Senior National team will be undertaken by the Hon. President and the Hon. Secretary,” a BCCI release said.

  • Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher’s contract ended at the end of the World Cup while former India cricketer Ravi Shastri was the with team in the capacity of Team Director. It is expected that assistant coaches Sanjay Bangar, Bharath Arun and R. Sridhar will be retained.

  • A Working Committee member made it clear that Ganguly will not be in the running for the coveted job even as speculation is rife that the former Indian cricketer is the top contender for the job along with Shastri.

  • “Since Sourav will be in the Committee, he at least technically does not qualify for the job,” the member said.

  • The Working Committee also authorised President Dalmiya to constitute a cricket advisory committee comprising of prominent cricketers who will share their recommendations on the overall conduct and development of the game.

  • The Working Committee has decided to recommend batsman Rohit Sharma for the Arjuna award for the year 2015.

  • The Working Committee also paid homage to the departed young cricketers from Bengal, Ankit Keshri, Gaurav Kumar of

  • Jharkhand and the unfortunate victims of the earthquake which devastated Nepal and India.

  • Kehshri passed away after sustaining a head injury during a CAB senior one-day knock-out match against Bhowanipore SC on April 17. He was in hospital for three days and was showing signs of recovery but died on April 20 after a massive cardiac arrest.

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Sources: Various News Papers & PIB

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