Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 12 August 2015

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 12 August 2015

:: National ::

India is biggest market for FB after US

Facebook on Tuesday launched FB Start, a new programme designed to help early stage mobile startups in India. FB Start provides startups with exclusive community access, worldwide events, mentorship and up to $80,000 worth of free tools and services.
Ime Archibong, director of strategic partnerships at Facebook, said, “Outside the US, India continues to be a highly important region for Facebook. Of the $50 million in benefits distributed to Asia Pacific startups through FB Start since 2014, more than $21 million went to startups in India.”
Archibong added that more than 70% of Facebook developers were located outside the US and more developers were building apps with Facebook in India than any other country outside the US.
Facebook has more than 1,000 members as part of the FB Start programme and it has held events in London, New York, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei. In India, it is hosting these events in Bangalore and Gurgaon.

India & Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index

According to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2015, of the World Economic Forum, India ranks 52nd this year from 65th in 2013.

India,s voluntary emission reduction targets soon (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: International ::

Google’s Alphabet logic

Most would have heard of Google's self-driving cars, and the Google Glass. Some would have heard about its efforts to build drones that can deliver stuff.
But these are just three of the many things that the company is today working on, including an ambitious biotech effort to "conquer death".
So, one way to look at its new moniker, Alphabet, would be to think of it as working on everything from A to Z. One unofficial, user-generated web tile actually puts together a Google initiative for each letter of the alphabet, from Analytics and Books to YouTube and Zeitgeist; 'J' was the only letter for which it could not find something.
The new corporate structure — where Google is just one venture among several under the Alphabet holding company — is designed to give the emerging spaces, and their top executives, more breathing space to build their businesses.
It will also give investors better visibility into the core business of search, something that investors love, and which was reflected in a 6% surge in Google's share price soon after the announcement was made.
Search is what today brings in most of the money for Alphabet. But Alphabet is, as noted earlier, already much more, and it probably wants to be a lot more, given the way its fundamental internet, analytics and machine-learning technologies are reshaping literally every aspect of the world.
Early last year it bought the smart-thermostat maker Nest Labs for $3.2 billion and that initiative is becoming the base of Alphabet's work in the area of internet-connected devices for the home.
Calico is an anti-aging biotech company that it launched in 2013 with Arthur Levinson, former CEO of biotech pioneer Genentech, leading it. It is Google's ambitious effort to conquer death, as some have put it.

:: Sports ::

Rohit Sharma selected for Arjuna award

Sania Mirza today became only the second tennis player to be recommended for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, while star cricketer Rohit Sharma and ace shooter Jitu Rai were among the 17 sportspersons picked for this year's Arjuna awards.
Sania, currently ranked world number one in women's doubles, scripted history by becoming the first Indian to clinch a women's doubles Grand Slam when she partnered Swiss great Martina Hingis for the Wimbledon trophy earlier this year.
Sania is only the second tennis player after Leander Paes to be named for the top award. Paes had been bestowed the honour way back in 1996 after his bronze medal in the Atlanta Olympics.
The 28-year-old, who has won three mixed doubles Grand Slams in her career, beat competition from squash player Deepika Pallikal, discus thrower Vikas Gowda, track and field star Tintu Luka, rising shuttler P V Sindhu, and hockey captain Sardar Singh for the coveted honour.
It is learnt that the committee recommended 17 names for the Arjuna awards, including those of Jitu, Rohit, gymnast Dipa Karmakar, hockey player P R Sreejesh, wrestling duo of Bajrang and Babita, athlete M R Poovamma, shuttler K Srikanth and boxer Mandeep Jangra.
The recommendations will now be sent to the Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who will take a final decision.
The Khel Ratna carries a prize money of Rs 7.5 lakh along with a citation, while the Arjuna awards come with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation.
Rohit has been India's batting mainstay in the ODIs and became the highest individual scorer with a knock of 264 against Sri Lanka last year.