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BRAIN TREE
CIVIL SERVICES / GROUP-I EXAMINATION - 2004
CURRENT AFFAIRS - VI
1st January - 15th January, 2004
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1. The Central Statistical Organisation has pegged the economic growth rate
at 8.4% for the first quarter of the current fiscal year. Agriculture, Forestry
and Fishing have registered a 7.4% growth and the Manufacturing sector,
7.3%.
2. Mr. K. Venkata Subramaniam noted Educationist and Economist has been
selected for the Prof. M.V. Pylee award for distinguished academician for
year 2003. He is a member of the Planning Commission, a co-author of the
knowledge task force of the Planning Commission, and recipient of the Silver
Elephant National Award.
3. Researchers have propounded that the break down of Myclin, a fatty substance
covering nerve cells or neurons may be responsible for the onset of Alzheimer's
disease.
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder in which memory, thought processes
and behaviour become progressively impaired. It is named after Dr. Alois
Alzheimer, a German neurologist who first described it in the early 1900.
Women have a higher incidence of Alzheimer's than men. It is suspected
that hormonal changes following menopause may play a role. Brains afflicted
with Alzheimer's have large amount of abnormal substance called amyloid
protein.
4. The SAARC Nations, on the 1st of January, approved a draft accord
on SAFTA ( South Asian Free Trade Area ) and also signed an additional
protocol to the existing regional convention on suppression of terrorism.
5. India and Pakistan have resumed Air links. This is accompanied with
lifting of bans on flight over each other's territories.
6. The fee structures of the Indian Institute of Management are to be
rationalised by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. This
is in accordance with the recommendations of the U.R. Rao committee for
revitalizing technical education. The aim is to peg it at 30% of India's
per Capita Income i.e., Rs. 6000.
7. Hyderabad based Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO)
is to build a flight test vehicle for a "Scramjet" i.e., Supersonic
Combustion Jet. It shall be based upon Project Hyshot by the University
of Queensland, Australia.
SCRAMJET
Scramjets are air breathing engines which use oxygen in the air sucked
from the atmosphere to burn fucls, usually liquid hydrogen, while moving
at supersonic speeds.
8. The African Union has gained powers to militarily intervene in national
conflict. This involves the establishment of a Peace & Security council
for conflict management and peace building.
9. Ireland has taken over E.U's presidency for the next 6 months from
Italy. The main tasks which it shall take up are building a consensus
on the Constitution and strengthening relations between the E.U. and U.S.A.
10. INDIA'S FOREIGN TRADE - SOME STATISTICS
i. The Export growth from April to November 2003 was 8.1 percent.
ii. The Trade deficit is pegged at $11.2 billion from April to November.
iii. Imports have risen by 22% from April to November.
iv. Foreign currency convertible Bonds are now subject to a reduced interest
rate of 0.5%.
11. The President has given his assent to the Anti Defection Bill and
the bill limiting the size of council of ministers at the centre and the
states. ( 15% of the lower house ). The Constitution 91st Amendment Act
2003, restricts the size of the ministers to 15% of the strength of the
Legislature ( both the centre and the states ).
12. For the second time in its history, the Bombay Stock Exchange ( BSE
) Sensitive Index (SENSEX) touched the 6000 point mark on all round buying
by foreign funds.
13. Three different missiles viz. Akash, Trishul and Nag are to be test
fired with warheads. Akash and Trishul are surface to air missiles whereas
Nag is an anti tank missile. These, along with Agni and Prithvi form the
country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) started
in 1983.
14. The 13th SAARC Summit shall be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on January
1st, 2003.
15. India's trade with countries of SAARC has risen by 19% in dollar terms
and 21% in rupee terms.
16. The 91st Indian Science Congress was inaugurated in Chandigarh.
17. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's ( NASA) SPIRIT
ROVER has sent it's first images from Mars. Spirit and Opportunity are
two six wheeled Robots which are to roam Mars for 90 days analysing rocks
and soils for evidence of previous life. Spirit has landed in Gusev Crator,
north of the Martian equator.
18. The Indian National Science Academy has set up a group of experts
to look into the issue of ethics in Space technology, Biotechnology and
other contentious issues ( like space debris ) to develop it's own stand.
19. Afghanistan's Loya Jirga or Grand Assembly approved a new constitution
by consensus paving the way for the country's first full democratic elections
in 2004.
20. The SAARC Nations have signed a Social Charter to reaffirm their principal
goal of promoting the welfare of the people in South Asia. The aims are
:
Ò Improvement of quality of life
Ò Accelerate economic growth
Ò Social Progress
Ò Cultural Development
Ò An opportunity to live with dignity
21. The first indigenously assembled Russian Main Battle Tank ( MBT )
T-90S, shall be despatched from the Avadi Heavy Vehicles Factory on January
7th.
22. With Terror threats on the rise, the United States of America has
implemented U.S. VISIT - United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator
Technology. It is designed to check an estimated 24 million foreigners
coming annually.
23. India and Pakistan shall commence the process of a composite dialogue
in February addressing all contentious issues.
24. The care taker State Cabinet in Andhra Pradesh at a meeting has decided
to
a) Appoint a pay revision commission for government employees.
b) Declare 110 more mandals as drought hit.
c) Provide an interest Rebate on farmers loans.
d) Establish forensic labs for Warangal, Guntur, Tirupati, Kurnool and
Nizamabad.
25. The Islamabad Declaration of the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation ( SAARC)
i. Creation of Suitable Social and Economic Conditions for the establishment
of a South Asian Economic Union.
ii. Adoption of SAFTA and an additional protocol on suppression of terrorism.
iii. Promulgation of SAFTA by 1st January 2006.
26. Parimarjan Negi has become the youngest IM Norm holder in chess in
the country. He was awarded a nine game swiss league Norm, for his exceptional
performance in Germany by FIDE.
27. The Indian Cricket team retained the Border - Gavaskar trophy by drawing
the test series against Australia in Australia.
28. The Indigenously built Indian Main Battle Tank "Bhishma"
( T-90S) rolled out of the Heavy Vehicles factory, Avadi ( Chennai).
29. The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation ( KSIDC ) has
signed a Memorandum of understanding with National Thermal Power Corporation
( NTPC ) for establishing a liquid Natural Gas terminal at Kayam Kulam
( 2,300 MW).
30. A Health Scheme involving family pensions, personal insurance to cover
death or total disability and Universal health Insurance schemes for a
worker and his family was approved by the Union Cabinet. It is called
the Social Security Scheme.
31. The Union cabinet has given an ex-post facto approval to the agreement
on Visa free travel for holders of officials and diplomatic passports
between India and Thailand.
32. Arup Bose of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, has been selected
for the National Award in Statistics in honour of Prof. C.R. Rao for the
year 2002-03.
33. The Securities and Exchange Board of India ( SEBI ) has approved the
Newly formed Margin Trading and Securities lending scheme that would give
more flexibility for trading on the stock exchange.
34. The centre has announced the following economic initiatives :
i. A Rs. 50,000 crore agricultural infrastructure and credit fund to be
operational in four weeks.
ii. A Rs. 10,000 crore small and medium industry fund spread over two
years and operational in four weeks.
iii. Atal Grameen Griha Yojana : An insurance cover against defaults arising
from any non-enforceability of the security because of defects in the
title disputes.
iv. Dada - Dadi Bonds for individuals above the age of 60.
35. Indian corporates will henceforth, be able to make overseas investments
upto 100% of their net worth in the form of joint ventures or wholly owned
subsidiaries.
36. The Central Government has decided to establish a Pravasiya Bharatiya
Kendra with a seed capital of Rs. 25 crores to deal with various needs
of an INDIAN DIASPORA.
THE INDIAN DIASPORA - FACTS AND FIGURES
Ò The diaspora is just 1.7% of India's population and much of the
number is poor.
Ò Out of the 20 million living abroad, about 3.5 million are settled
in life and rich.
Ò Over Rs. 55,000 crore has come from NRIs and Gulf Malayalees
account for nearly half of that.
Ò Government's deposits are $ 100 billion of which $ 50 billion
is from the 4.5 million strong Gulf diaspora.
Ò Over 70% of Gulf NRIs are unskilled workers and repatriate an
equivalent of Rs. 50 billion each year.
37. India will start building 700 mega watt reactors of indigenous design
in order to generate 20,000 MW of nuclear electricity by 2020 A.D. These
shall be pressurized Heavy Water Reactors with heavy water as both moderator
and coolant.
38. The United States of America has won the Hopman Cup Tennis tournament
in Perth, Australia.
39. Carlos Moya of Spain defeated defending Champion Paradorm Srichapan
in the Tata Open tennis tournament in Chennai.
40. India, represented by the National Security Advisor, Brajesh Mishra
and China ( Dai Bingguo) held talks to find an early solution to the protracted
boundary problem between the two.
41. The Central Government has launched an experimental farm insurance
income scheme for a guaranteed income of Rs. 6000 / year for holding of
one acre. The scheme is operational in 20 districts of 13 states.
42. The Government has removed the Inland Air Travel Tax, Foreign Travel
Tax, and has halved the excise duty on Aviation Turbine Fuel from 16 to
8%. This has led to a 12 % Reduction in Passenger fares.
43. Singapore has ( for the first time ) announced it's participation
in a martitime interdiction exercise under the U.S. led Proliferation
Security Initiative ( P.S.I.).
Proliferation Security Initiative
The P.S.I. is USA's endeavour to prevent the transfer of weapons of Mass
destruction or even the technical know how from any state to another outside
the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
44. According to data released by the Central Statistical Organisation
( CSO), the Manufacturing. Mining and Electricity subsectors recorded
impressive growths of 8.1%, 4.1% and 4.3% leading to an overall growth
of 6.2% in Industrial Production.
45. The U.S. President announced that there would be an expansion of cooperation
with India on the following fronts :
i. Non-Military Nuclear Activities ii. Civilian Space Programmes
iii. Trade in High Technology iv. Missile Defence
46. India test fired it's medium range surface-to-air missile Akash,
developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation ( DRDO). It
is a 650 kg missile capable of carrying a 50 kg pay load and travelling
25 km. It is based upon the Ramjet propulsion system and is powered by
an air breathing system.
47. The visiting Prime Minister of Bahrain Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa
and the Indian Prime Minister signed five treaties viz :
i. A memorandum of understanding for foreign office consultations.
ii. An Extradition treaty.
iii. Mutual legal Assistance in Criminal, Judicial, commercial and Civil
matters.
iv. Bilateral Investment protection and promotion.
( Bahrain is the 2nd Gulf Country after the U.A..E with which India
has signed an extradition Treaty ).
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