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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 10 June 2014

Four Cabinet panels dissolved

Ten days after `abolition’ of all Group of Ministers (GoMs) and Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoMs) `for greater accountability and empowerment’, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced discontinuation of four Standing Committees of the Cabinet.
A statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the functions of Cabinet Committee on Management of Natural Calamities which stands discontinued will be handled by the Committee under the Cabinet Secretary whenever natural calamities occur.
Functions of Cabinet Committee on Prices will be handled by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs; of the Cabinet Committee on World Trade Organisation Matters by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and, whenever necessary, by the full Cabinet and on the Cabinet Committee on Unique Identification Authority of India related issues it said that major decisions in this area have already been taken and the remaining issues will be brought to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

The supersonic anti-ship cruise missile BrahMos was test-fired for the first time from a warship built in India, the yet-to-be-commissioned destroyer INS Kolkata, off the coast of Karwar in Karnataka .
While the Indo-Russian missile, with a 290-km range, is already in service on the Russia-built Rajput-class destroyers and Talwar-class frigates of the Navy, it was the first time that the missile demonstrated its capability from an indigenous warship.
Built by the defence shipyard Mazagon Dock, INS Kolkata, displacing 7,000 tonnes, is the largest indigenous warship and the lead vessel of the class of three ships being constructed under the Navy’s Project 15-A.

Iraqi police and army forces abandoned their posts in the northern city of Mosul after militants overran the provincial government headquarters and other key buildings, dealing a serious blow to Baghdad’s efforts to control a widening insurgency in the country.
The insurgents seized the government complex, a key symbol of state authority following days of fighting in the country’s second—largest city, a former al—Qaida stronghold situated in what has long been one of the more restive parts of Iraq. The gunmen also torched several of the city’s police stations, freeing detainees held in lockups.
The fighters are believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, an al—Qaida splinter group that is behind the bulk of the bloody attacks in Iraq and is among the most ruthless rebel forces fighting to topple President Bashar Assad in neighboring Syria. The group has also tried to position itself as a champion for Iraq’s large and disaffected Sunni minority.
The militants’ push comes as Iraq’s embattled Shiite prime minister, Nouri al—Maliki, struggles to hold onto power following parliamentary elections in late April that left him with the most seats but short of a majority needed to form a new government outright.
Iraq has been grappling with its worst surge in violence since the sectarian bloodletting of 2006 and 2007.

Taliban militants attacked a training camp of the Airport Security Force near Karachi international airport in Karachi, but fled after Pakistani forces repulsed the assault, a day after an all-night siege at the facility left nearly 40 people dead.
Two militants attacked the camp number 2, located at the ASF academy in Bitai Abad, near the Jinnah International Airport which had been cleared of militants after fierce clashes between forces and terrorists on Monday.
The attackers failed to penetrate the security cordon and managed to flee into nearby residential areas.
Eleven airport security guards, along with a paramilitary ranger and a policeman, 14 civilian workers and 10 militants were killed in the previous attack.
The attack came a day after the deadly assault at Karachi international airport. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attack on the airport.

Toyota, whose market share in India remains below expectations, sees lot of opportunities to improve over the medium and long term. For this, it intends to adopt a strategy focussed on better understanding of customers and spreading wings to smaller cities.
Behind the confidence was the relatively better showing in certain markets, like the 14 per cent market share in Karnataka as against a pan-India share of 4-5 per cent, he said. With the new government, the sentiments were also expected to improve, he added. The car maker looks forward to the Centre continuing with the reduced rate of excise duty announced this February.