(Current Affairs) National Events | January: 2015

National Events

PM Modi among world’s most powerful people, ranked 15th: Forbes

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his debut among the world’s most powerful people, ranked 15th on the Forbes list topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin who pipped his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama for a second year in a row.

  • The list of 72 most powerful people in the world also included the names of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani at 36th, ArcelorMittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal at 57th and Microsoft’s Indian-born CEO Satya Nadella at 64th.

Blue Revolution can start from Kerala: Radha Mohan Singh

  • Kerala is the right place for a start to India’s Blue Revolution, said Union Minister for Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh in Kochi.

  • He said that issues related to the makeover of the fisheries sector would be discussed before the next Union Budget. He was speaking at the inauguration of the three-day Global Agro Meet and exhibition of organic products BIOFACH India 2014 at Kurkutty, near Angamaly.

  • The Blue Revolution envisages transformation of the fisheries sector, chiefly marine fisheries and the Centre had appointed a committee to review India’s marine fisheries policy.

SC issued notice to Health Ministry on rigging in MCI election

  • The Supreme Court issued notice to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Medical Council of India (MCI) on a PIL seeking a CBI investigation into alleged rigging in MCI election in 2013.

  • A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu also sought the response of Dr. Ketan Desai, former president of MCI, to the PIL filed by NGO People for Better Treatment. The NGO alleged that Dr. Desai had a role in the tainted poll process.

  • The petitioner has also sought prosecution of all the MCI members involved in the alleged rigging and amendment to Section 3 of the Indian Medical Council Act.

‘Make in India’ programme will meet Russia’s ‘Eastern pivot’

  • The government’s “Make in India” programme and Russia’s “Eastern pivot” will meet as Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin will discuss more cooperation on energy, the co-production of fighter aircraft and nuclear cooperation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

  • During the visit, Mr. Rogozin will chair the 20th commission (IRIGC-TEC) along with Ms. Swaraj, as well as draw up the plan for “deliverables” for President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Delhi, expected in December for the annual India-Russia summit.

  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected at the end of November as well. “Each of these fields, from defence production to nuclear and space programmes, are fields India is looking to Russia for closer cooperation, and so Mr. Rogozin’s visit is important,” an official told.

Harappan drawings discovered near Hampi

  • Pictographs of the Sindu (Harappan) culture have been discovered on rocks at the world famous Hampi. As many as 20 drawings were found on a boulder on top of a hill near Talwarghatta, adjacent to river Tungabhadra.
  • Experts in Gondi script, including Dr. Moti Ravan Kangale and Sri Prakash Salame of Nagpur, have identified them as Sindu (Harappan) culture-based script in Gondi dialect.

Charges framed in 2G-Scam

  • A special court framed charges against former Telecom Minister A. Raja, DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi and Dayalu Ammal, wife of party president M. Karunanidhi, for allegedly laundering money in the 2G scam.

  • Special Judge O.P. Saini fixed November 11 as the date for recording of prosecution evidence.

  • According to the complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate, Kalaignar TV, in which Ms. Dayalu Ammal and Ms. Kanimozhi had stake, received Rs. 200 crore as illegal gratification from connected companies of Swan Telecom.

  • Swan Telecom was allotted Unified Access Services licences allegedly in an illegal manner in 13 service areas with the connivance of Mr. Raja and others.

  • The complaint said Kalaignar TV had received the alleged bribe on behalf of Mr. Raja. It had later returned the money through the same routes through which it had come with an interest amount of Rs. 31.36 crore to show that it was a genuine loan transaction, the complaint said.

  • The Rs. 200-crore bribe had also been transferred to Kalaignar TV in the same manner after deducting interest amounts to show that it was loan transaction, the complaint added.

Chennai will host Global Investors’ Meet (GIM) in May 2015

  • The Tamil Nadu Government announced that the Global Investors’ Meet (GIM) would be held during May 23-24 next year in Chennai to showcase the ample endowments and boundless potential of the State.
  • Among the sectors that would be highlighted were electronics and electronics hardware, textiles, agro and food processing, IT/ITES, automobiles and auto components, chemicals and petrochemicals, engineering and heavy engineering, Infrastructure including roads and minor port development, industrial parks and SEZs, urban infrastructure and renewable energy.
  • The government, in the budget for 2014-2015, set apart Rs. 100 crore for the proposed event.

India will take ideas from Barcelona for ‘smart city’ model

  • As foreign countries line up to offer their expertise in ‘smart cities,’ India will next be looking at Barcelona to borrow best practices for its own model.
  • Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has been invited by the Mayor of Barcelona to attend the Smart City World Conference to be held between November 18 and 20.
  • “Contrary to the perception that we are behind time in shaping the contours of the smart cities plan, we have a fair idea of what the smart cities are going to look like,” Mr. Naidu told.

PM Promises Visa-on-Arrival Facility

  • India’s Prime Minister Narendra assured Australia a visa-on-arrival facility for tourists, and announced a two–month deadline for the long–pending merger of OCI and PIO status to woo the Indian diaspora from whom he sought support for his Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

  • Addressing a frenzied crowd of around 20,000 in the packed Allphones Arena here, Mr. Modi took a dig at the previous governments saying while they were happy to make laws he was “happier to remove” them.

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