Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 31 March 2015

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 31 March 2015

:: National ::

Haryana to start excavation in search of river Saraswati

  • The Haryana government would soon start the excavation of the mythical Saraswati river from Adi Badri, the point from where it is said to have originated.

  • Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said his government would ensure development of Adi Badri Heritage Board to increase the importance of the site.

  • At a public meeting in Yamunanagar district, he announced the start of the excavation, among the biggest projects to be undertaken in the area.

  • Since assuming office last October, the BJP government has worked to preserve and promote Hindu cultural sites.

  • Earlier in February, the Forest Department started work on bringing the Saraswati to the surface by creating a stream at its point of origin at Saraswati Udgam Sthal at the foothills of the Shivaliks in the Adi Badri area.

  • Department officials visited the Udgam Sthal and surrounding areas to find ways to create a water channel that would retrace the path of the river which is believed to have flowed all the way to Allahabad.

  • Forest Department has begun work to bring the river to the surface by creating a stream at Saraswati Udgam Sthal, where it is said to have originated.

Srinagar on edge as Jhelum rises menacingly

  • Srinagar remained on the edge throughout with thousands of shopkeepers moving out goods from their shops and people ferrying their families to safer areas as the water level in the Jhelum kept rising till this evening.

  • Though the rain stopped early on Sunday morning, the Meteorological Department has forecast more rain, with heavy showers expected all through Wednesday, fuelling fears of a repeat of the September 2014 deluge.

  • While the water level in south Kashmir’s Sangam gauge went down through the day from 22.30 feet at 11 a.m. to 21 feet at 5 p.m. because of the let-up in the rain, the water levels rose in Srinagar from 19.50 feet to 19.70 feet during the same period. It takes the water several hours to travel from south Kashmir to Srinagar and around evening will see the water level come down as well.

  • Around 6.30 p.m., it began raining again in several areas of south Kashmir.

  • “We are doing everything to save the city. The administration is out on the field and we have decided to follow the directions of the flood manual to the end,” Cabinet Minister Altaf Bukhari said.

  • Mr. Bukhari said if the situation did not improve and if it rained again posing a threat to the Valley, the government would breach the Kandizaal embankment to divert the flood waters to one side of the city. The breach would affect Padshahi Bagh, Mehjoor Nagar, Naik Bagh, Natipora, Budshah Nagar and several other areas but the rest of the city would be unaffected, he added.

Janata Parivar merger likely by weekend

  • The Janata Parivar hopes to present itself as a single political party in the second half of the budget session of Parliament that will commence on April 20, top Janata Dal (United) sources told.

  • If it succeeds, it will have 15 MPs in the Lok Sabha, making it the eighth largest party in the Lower House, with double that number — 30 MPs — in the Rajya Sabha, representing Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Karnataka.

  • By weekend, these sources said, the merger of six parties — the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the JD (U), the Indian National Lok Dal, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Samajwadi Janata Party — is likely to take place, with SP supremo Mulayam Singh the leader of the new party, and its emblem, the SP symbol, the bicycle.

  • Mr. Mulayam Singh, who was mandated to talk to the leaders of these six entities, has completed his negotiations: he is scheduled to be here on Tuesday when the processes that have to be followed ahead of the formal merger will begin.

  • The initial talks began in early November last year, and a month later, the leaders of these six parties entrusted the SP leader with working out the modalities.

  • The parties keenest to fast-forward the merger were the JD (U) and the RJD as they wished to strengthen themselves ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for later this year in Bihar.

  • However, the internal problems within the JD (U) resulting from Jitan Ram Manjhi refusing to step down as Chief Minister of the eastern State and returning the baton to Nitish Kumar delayed the process.

  • Now that problem has been partially resolved with Mr. Kumar once again Chief Minister of Bihar — partially, because the breakaway Manjhi faction will erode some of the JD (U)’s base.

  • The other reason for the delay was the wedding that brought the families of Mr. Mulayam Singh and RJD boss Lalu Prasad together, when the former’s grandnephew wed the latter’s youngest daughter.

  • Now that is all over, and it is back to politics.

  • And one of the Janata parivar’s first actions will be to draw up an agitational programme to oppose the Modi government’s Land Bill in the States where it has a presence.

  • The initial impetus for the merger came from the belief that the Congress had all but vacated the Opposition space, as well as approaching Assembly elections in Bihar and U.P., where the JD (U) and the SP are currently in power. Assembly elections in Bihar are due later this year and in Uttar Pradesh in 2017.

Centre revises figure, 106 lakh hectares hit (Register and Login to read Full News..)

Bharat Ratna conferred on Malviya (Register and Login to read Full News..)

Centre allows pre-paid mobile for 2 years in J&K, northeast (Register and Login to read Full News..)

JMB footprint found in three States: NIA (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: International :

China releases details of Silk Road plans

  • China has provided details about its proposed Silk Road initiatives, which would impact 4.4 billion people and, within a decade, could generate trade above 2.5 trillion dollars.

  • A vision document jointly prepared by a composite team from the Ministries of Commerce, Foreign Affairs and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) — a top organisation that steers the Chinese economy — has with precision revealed the geographic parameters of China’s “One belt One Road” initiative.

  • The “belt and road” have two components — the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) that would be established along the Eurasian land corridor from the Pacific coast to the Baltic Sea, and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR).

  • Analysts say that the “belt and road” initiative, backed by an extensive China-led funding infrastructure, could shift the centre of geo-economic power towards Eurasia, and undermine the “Asia Pivot” of the United States and its allies.

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping is hopeful that the mega-trade volumes among the Silk Road economies would touch $ 2.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

  • The “belt and road” run through the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, connecting the vibrant East Asia economic circle at one end and developed European economic circle at the other, says the government report.

  • Specifically, the SREB focuses on bringing together China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe (the Baltic); linking China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia and West Asia; and connecting China with Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Indian Ocean.

  • The ‘belt and road’ initiative runs through Asia, Europe and Africa.

Five-member team to take care of paper work (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: Business and Economy:

Foreign airlines come under sexual harassment Act

  • The Delhi High Court has said that any foreign airline having even one office in the country is bound by the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

  • It was hearing a public interest litigation on Monday seeking the implementation of the Vishakha guidelines on sexual harassment against women at the workplace in the aviation industry.

  • The case had been transferred as a PIL from another court which was dealing with the plea of an Indian woman, employed with the Sri Lankan Airlines, seeking action against the carrier and its official whom she had accused of sexual harassment.

  • While quashing the PIL, a Bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw said, “We are of the opinion that once the law aforesaid (the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act) has come into force, all including foreign airlines having a place of work in India and to whom such law may be applicable, are expected and required to comply therewith and there is no need for this court to issue any direction for the law to be complied with.”

  • The court further said, “If any of such foreign airlines does not comply with the law, it shall do so at its own peril.”

  • The court also noted that the Delhi Government had sent a communication to the Joint Secretary, Civil Aviation Ministry, to issue directions to all airlines operating from Delhi to constitute internal complaints committees and take steps to create awareness.

Alibaba to help small businesses

  • Looking to expand its presence in India, Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma, on Monday, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he came on a visit to India for the second time in just about four months.

  • In his meeting with Mr. Modi, Mr. Ma discussed how Alibaba could help empower small businesses in India, the ecommerce major said without elaborating further.

SEBI proposes new fund-raising platform for start-ups (Register and Login to read Full News..)

RBI tightens takeover norms for shadow banking (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: Science and Technology ::

India, France to co-develop naval missile

  • The Defence Acquisition Council has approved the ‘Maitri’ project for the co-development of a Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SR-SAM) by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with MBDA of France, Navy officers said.

  • “The DRDO has been directed by the government to engage Original Equipment Manufacturer for joint development,” a Defence Ministry official said.

  • The project has been in the works since 2007 to meet the requirements of the Army and the Air Force. The DRDO had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MBDA in 2013, but there has hardly been any progress because the DRDO’s Akash missile system has similar functions.

  • The Army and the Air Force have expressed satisfaction with the capabilities of Akash, but the Navy has made it clear that Akash is not suitable for installation on warships.

  • This is likely to be discussed further during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France next week.

  • The Defence Acquisition Council gave approval for the upgrade of 10 Kamov-28 anti-submarine helicopters of the Navy at a cost of €297 million. The helicopters are at the end of their service life.

:: Sports ::

No Indian in ICC World XI

  • New Zealand may have been thrashed by Australia in the World Cup final but it dominates ICC’s team of the tournament released, with Brendon McCullum named captain.

  • The New Zealand skipper is one of five Black Caps in the side that also includes three Australians.

  • “McCullum was chosen captain following his aggressive, innovative and inspirational leadership during the 44-day tournament that was the cornerstone of his team’s progression to the final,” the ICC said in a statement.

  • The other New Zealanders in the line-up are Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Martin Guptill and Daniel Vettori.

  • Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc were selected from the champion side along with South Africans A.B. de Villiers and Morne Morkel, with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara as wicketkeeper-batsman.

  • Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe was named 12th man.

  • The selection panel said batsmen Mahmudullah (Bangladesh) and Shaiman Anwar (UAE), fast bowlers Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami (India), Wahab Riaz (Pakistan) as well as spinners Imran Tahir (South Africa) and R. Ashwin (India) were unlucky to miss selection.

  • The ICC panel had to take into consideration several eye-catching performances including two double-centuries, 38 centuries, two hat-tricks and 28 four-wicket hauls.

  • ICC team: Martin Guptill (NZ), Brendon McCullum (NZ – capt.), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Steve Smith (Aus), A.B. de Villiers (SA), Glenn Maxwell (Aus), Corey Anderson (NZ), Daniel Vettori (NZ), Mitchell Starc (Aus), Trent Boult (NZ) and Morne Morkel (SA). 12th man: Brendan Taylor (Zim).

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Sources: Various News Papers & PIB

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