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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 24 October 2014

:: National ::

It looks almost certain that the BJP and the Shiv Sena, which ended their 25-year alliance before the Assembly elections, are headed for a reunion. However, it remains to be seen what role the BJP is willing to concede to the latter in the government.
The Sena, which miscalculated its strength in the State ahead of the elections, was desperate to return to its estranged partner. This was evident after its supremo, Uddhav Thackeray, sent two trusted aides to Delhi with the message that his party was willing to do business with the BJP as a junior partner.
Anil Desai, one of the Sena emissaries, described their talks with BJP leaders as “positive.” However, there is no clarity yet on the formula on number and sharing of portfolios.

Pakistan’s Parliament unanimously passed a resolution against the alleged “unprovoked and indiscriminate” ceasefire violations by India and asked the government to seek U.N. intervention to resolve the Kashmir issue.
The resolution, moved by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, stated that the National Assembly condemned the violations at the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB). It alleged that they resulted in human deaths and material losses.
As many as 13 Pakistani nationals were killed in exchange of fire since September 13, it claimed.
While pursuing bilateral dialogue with India, it wanted the government to raise the issue at the U.N. and with the international community and urged them to play their role in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan’s military was capable of responding to all aggression and that India was mistaken if it thought Pakistan’s internal issues could be used to its advantage.

The Chennai Corporation is planning to link property tax with the current guideline values, instead of old base rates finalised in 1998. This is likely to increase the property tax rates across the city.
Following complaints from residents pertaining to anomalies and inconsistencies in the base rates, the civic body is planning to request the State government to amend the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act to revise the property tax every year based on current guideline values.
The civic body continues to calculate property tax, based on the annual rental value of a property and on base rates fixed 16 years ago.

The Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, has called for a meeting with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to discuss the controversial suspension of boxer L. Sarita Devi in New Delhi on October 28.
Sarita Devi was suspended by the International Boxing Association for refusing to accept her bronze medal at the Asian Games. Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference, IOA president N. Ramachandran, said: “I will be attending the meeting. The Sarita Devi issue will be discussed and I will put forward suggestions on how the matter could be resolved.”
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) Executive Committee Bureau decided to provisionally suspend Sarita, her coaches as well as Indian chef-de-mission Adille J. Sumariwalla.

Paddler G. Sathiyan has always been held in high esteem by coaches and peers alike. Only, it took some time for him to live up to his potential.
With two fine performances — winner in one and runner-up in another in back-to-back National zonal table tennis tournaments this month — he has jumped to No. 1 in the National rankings list.
When the 21-year-old from Chennai won his first major National title (the all-India inter-institutional tournament) in New Delhi in August this year, the victory, though a tad belated, came at a time when he was training hard with former multiple National champion S. Raman for a while, eager for a breakthrough. Sathiyan has bagged two more National zonal titles that has placed him at the top of the National rankings.
In the Central Zone tournament held in Indore, Sathiyan lost the final to Devesh Karia (4-3). However, in the next zonal event in Gandhidham (Gujarat) he drubbed reigning National champion Sanil Shetty (4-1) in the summit clash.
An elated Sathiyan, employed with ONGC, said “This (West Zone) is my first singles zonal title after a span of four years. I am really happy,” he said while thanking coach Raman, fitness trainer Ramji Srinivas and mental conditioning coach Badri Narayan and other support staff for “taking my game to the next level.”

The diverse habitats of Point Calimere near Vedaranyam, which includes a tropical dry evergreen forest, scrub jungle, mud flats, salt pans, and beaches, has made the area an ideal place for the students of ornithology to study a wide range of birds.
With the arrival of the monsoon, a variety of migratory birds are passing through Point Calimere and using it as a stopover site.
A five-day ornithology camp on bird migration began at Point Calimere on October 17. The camp is organised by the Bombay National History Society’s Bird Migration Study Centre at Point Calimere.
The Deputy Director of the Bombay Natural History Society, S. Balachandran, told that the society had been organising a one-year certificate course in subjects like basic ornithology and a leadership course in biodiversity conservation for many years.
Twenty-five participants from different parts of India, including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, are taking part in the camp. Participants were introduced to various aspects of bird migration and the techniques of bird ringing and satellite tracking.
The camp helps bird-watching enthusiasts in identifying migratory birds, and gain hands-on experience in handling and ringing birds. He said the aim of the camp was to create a network of amateur birdwatchers from different walks of life to generate data on migratory birds and their conservation.