GK ARTICLE : 114 INDIAN SPACE MISSIONS

INDIAN SPACE MISSIONS

CURRENT UPDATE : LIBERTY MEDAL 2014

PAKISTANI EDUCATION ADVOCATE WINS LIBERTY MEDAL

A Pakistani girl who survived being shot by the Taliban because she advocated education for girls has won the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia.

Malala Yousafzai was just 15 when she was shot in the head while returning from school in Mingora, Pakistan, in October 2012.

She had angered the fundamentalist Muslim group by writing about life under the Taliban for the BBC, and arguing that girls should be allowed to pursue an education.

"It's an honour to be awarded the Liberty Medal," Yousafzai, now 17, said on Sunday.

"I accept this award on behalf of all the children around the world who are struggling to get an education."

The medal has been awarded annually since 1989, when Polish Solidarity founder Lech Walesa received it first. 

Since then, recipients have included Muhammad Ali, former President Jimmy Carter, and, last year, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Yousafzai will receive the award at a ceremony at the centre on October 21.

After surviving the attack, Yousafzai continued to be an outspoken advocate on education, prompting Gordon Brown, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, to petition the agency to recommit to a goal of universal primary education for children around the world.

The petition gained more than 3 million signatures and helped lead Pakistan to pass a Right to Education bill, a first in that country.

"Malala's courageous fight for equality and liberty from tyranny is evidence that a passionate, committed leader, regardless of age, has the power to ignite a movement for reform," said Florida Gov Jeb Bush, the chairman of the National Constitution Centre.

"Every day, around the world, individuals like Ms Yousafzai are being threatened for asserting the same fundamental rights of speech and religious conscience that are inherent in all people," said Jeffrey Rosen, the centre's president and chief executive officer. 

"Yet she is undeterred in her quest. She is an inspiring voice for liberty across the globe." 

CURRENT UPDATE : INDIA LAUNCHES 5 FOREIGN SATELLITES

INDIA LAUNCHES 5 FOREIGN SATELLITES

PSLV C23 carrying French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7 and four co-passenger spacecrafts from Singapore, Canada and Germany was successfully launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, witnessed the historic moment.

After a perfect lift off from the First Launch Pad in Satish Dhawan Space Centre here at 9.52 AM witnessed by Modi, Indian Space Research Organisation's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C23 placed all five satellites into their intended orbits, one after the other between 17 and 19 minutes after liftoff, in textbook precision. 

Though the Mission Readiness Review Committee and Launch Authorisation Board had on Friday cleared the launch, the launch time was rescheduled to 9.52 AM Monday, a delay of three minutes, attributed to "probable space debris" coming in the rocket's way. 

CURRENT UPDATE :ICC CHAIRMAN

SRINIVASAN BECOMES FIRST ICC CHAIRMAN

N Srinivasan has been formally appointed the first Chairman of the International Cricket Council. The 52-member council elected Srinivasan as the Chairman and Bangladesh’s Mustafa Kamal as the ICC President at its annual conference in Melbourne today.

In a statement released by the ICC Headquarters in Dubai, the new team assumes office from July 1 this year.

Srinivasan has been elected the Chairman after the Indian Supreme court refused to stop his nomination to the ICC position. He has been barred by the apex Court from carrying out his duties as BCCI President due to ongoing investigations into the match-fixing allegations in the 2013 edition of the IPL.

The ICC Council also approved the revamp of the administrative structure of the apex cricket body. The revamp will allow major executive decision-making authority to the 'Big Three' of the game -- India, Australia and England. 

From 2016, the ICC Board, which will continue to be the primary decision-making body, will elect the ICC Chairman for a two-year term. The ICC Board cleared the decks for Oman to become the 38th Associate Member of the ICC.

However, Affiliate Membership of Brunei was suspended, while Tonga was removed as an Affiliate Member.

CURRENT UPDATE : 'MOBILE SEVA' WINS UN AWARD

INDIAN GOVT'S INITIATIVE 'MOBILE SEVA' WINS UN AWARD

An initiative conceptualised by Indian goverment's Department of Electronics and Information Technology to enable delivery of public services electronically through the mobile platform has been awarded a United Nations public service award.

'Mobile Seva', a nationwide initiative conceptualized, funded and implemented by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), is among the second place winners of the 2014 UN Public Service Awards, along with Bahrain, Brazil, Cameroon, Republic of Korea and Spain.

The vision of Mobile Seva is to mainstream mobile governance in India as a new paradigm for e-delivery of public services through mobile devices.

It leverages the massive penetration of mobile phones in India to substantially enhance access to electronic services, especially in the rural areas. 

It benefits the poor, illiterate, disabled, elderly, and the women in accessing e-governance services as access to mobile phones is much higher in these segments of the population as compared to access to the internet.

The main objectives of the initiative are to be a one-stop solution for all mobile-based public service delivery needs through mobile-based channels, including SMS, voice/Integrated Voice Response System and mobile applications, a statement said.

UN Awards and Forum celebrate public service initiatives innovating governance for sustainable development and people's well-being.

"The annual observance of Public Service Day highlights the invaluable contributions of public servants and administrators in our efforts to build a better world for all," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement.

"At a time of complex and interdependent global challenges, effective governance and efficient public administration are central to meeting our development goals. They will also be vital for implementing the post-2015 development agenda," Ban said.

"These winning institutions demonstrate the principles that support transparent, accountable and collaborative governance. They have explored new pathways to enhance the role of responsive and accountable governance for sustainable development," said Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo.

Some of this year's winning projects involve improving education, increasing access to potable water in rural areas, improving access to and the quality of health care, integrating government data including social security systems, enhancing transparency through increased access to information for citizens and reducing infant mortality rate.

The first place winners are Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Morocco, Oman, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay.

Winners from 14 countries will be honoured for their innovative projects in fighting poverty and promoting sustainable development at a ceremony on June 26 in Seoul.

The forum and awards are hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea and organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence.

In 2003, the UN General Assembly designated June 23 as the UN Public Service Day to celebrate the value and virtue of service to the community.

CURRENT UPDATE : JNANPITH AWARD - 2013

HINDI POET KEDARNATH SINGH WINS JNANPITH

Noted Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh has been chosen for the prestigious Jnanpith award for 2013.

Singh is the 10th Hindi writer to receive the honour and joins the likes of Sumitra Nandan Pant, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar among others. He will be the recipient of the 49th Jnanpith award.

Singh, 80, who has also written essays and stories, was born in Balia, UP, and Abhi bilkul abhi and Yahan se dekho are among his prominent works.

The award includes Rs 11 lakh and a citation, a release from the Jnanpith award committee said.

CURRENT UPDATE :PEN PINTER WRITING PRIZE

RUSHDIE WINS PEN PINTER WRITING PRIZE

Indian-born Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie was on Friday named the winner of this year's prestigious Pen Pinter Prize for his outstanding literary output and support for freedom of expression.

The award was established in 2009 by writers' charity English Pen in memory of famous British playwright and Nobel laureate Harold Pinter. 

Maureen Freely, chair of the judging panel, said "This prize is English Pens way of thanking Salman Rushdie not just for his books and his many years of speaking out for freedom of expression, but also for his countless private acts of kindness. "When he sees writers unjustly vilified, prosecuted, or forced into exile, he takes a personal interest. I think he would be the first to say that it was Harold Pinter who set the example in this regard: the engaged writer never sleeps." 

Rushdie, 67, said it was moving to win an award named after his friend. "It's very moving to receive an award named after my friend Harold Pinter, whose literary genius was matched by his passion for social justice, and to follow in the distinguished footsteps of the previous recipients Tony Harrison, Hanif Kureishi, David Hare, Carol Ann Duffy and Tom Stoppard," Rushdie said. 

"The work of Pen, both in promoting the best of world literature and in opposing abuses of freedom, continues to be vitally important, and I'm proud to have been a part of that effort in England as well as the United States," he added. 

The New York-based author will be presented with this prize at a ceremony at the British Library in London on October 7 and will deliver an address at the event. His prize will be shared with an "International Writer of Courage", selected by him in association with English Pen's Writers at Risk committee. 

Rushdie is best known for his acclaimed novel 'Midnight's Children', for which he won the Booker followed by the one-off Best of Booker in 2008, and the controversial 'The Satanic Verses' for which he went into hiding in 1989 after it sparked widespread protests by Muslims and a fatwa from Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini. 

The author was knighted in 2007 for services to literature. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS & GK QUIZ – 159

CURRENT AFFAIRS & GK  QUIZ 

1. What is the name of the only novel written by Charlie Chaplin that is being made public for the first time

[A]Limelight               

[B]The Comedian

[C]Foot light              

[D]A Memory Never Fade

2. “Watson” is an artificially intelligent computer system capable of answering quest ions posed in natural language, developed by ____?

[A]Google                              

[B]IBM

[C]Microsoft                         

[D]Dell

3. Which of t he following countries will host 2018 Winter Olympics?

[A]South Korea                      

[B]Japan

[C]Singapore                          

[D]Netherland

4.  The government of India has decided t o set up a new major port at Dugarajapatnam, which is located in

[A]Andhra Pradesh                 

[B]Karnataka

[C]Tamil Nadu                        

[D]Kerala

5. Who among the following has been elected as president of Indian Olympic Association (IOA)? 

[A]Anil Khanna                         

[B]Rajeev Mehta

[C]Ramachandran                   

[D]N Srinivasan

6. Recently, RBI has released a draft report on enabling PKI in payment system application. What does PKI stands f or___?

[A]Public Key Infrastructure

[B]Primary Key Infrastructure

[C]Primary Key Institute

[D]Public Kiosk Infrastructure

7. Tungabhadra Multipurpose project is an interstate project between which among t he following states?

[A]Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh

[B]Karnataka & Maharashtra

[C]Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh

[D]Karnataka & Goa

8. Recently opened Taishan Antarctic research station belongs to which one of the following countries?

[A]South Korea               

[B]Japan

[C]China                                

[D]Singapore

9. Which among the following chemical is most suit able in Food Processing industry, to be used as a food preservatives?

[A]Sodium Carbonate             

[B]Acetylene

[C]Methyl Salicylate               

[D]Benzoic Acid

10. Which among the following Lat in American country is not a member of MERCOSUR?

[A]Chile                                  

[B]Argentina

[C]Paraguay                            

[D]Uruguay

           ANSWER

1	C	6	A
2	B	7	A
3	A	8	C
4	A	9	D
5	C	10	A

CURRENT UPDATE : GLOBAL PEACE INDEX 2014

INDIA 143^rd  ON GLOBAL PEACE INDEX; VIOLENCE COSTS $177 BILLION

Ranking India among 20 most violent places in the world, a global study today said the country's economy took a hit of over Rs 1 lakh crore in containing and dealing with cases of violence last year.

In the latest annual ranking of Global Peace Index, India has been ranked at 143rd position out of 162 countries surveyed. While India has slipped two positions, Iceland continues to top the list as the world's most peaceful place. However, Syria has replaced Afghanistan as the most violent place.

"The economic impact of containing and dealing with the consequences of India's levels of violence was estimated to cost the national economy USD 177 billion (about Rs 1.07 lakh crore) in 2013," the Sydney-based international think tank Institute for Economics and Peace said in its report adding that is equivalent to 3.6 per cent of India's GDP, or USD 145 per person.

It estimated the impact of violence on global economy at USD 9.8 trillion or 11.3 per cent of world GDP in 2013, an increase of USD 179 billion from the previous year.

The increase has been largely attributed to upward revisions of China's military expenditure and the number and intensity of internal conflicts. Within South Asia, Bhutan has been ranked as the most peaceful country, followed by Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. India is ranked fifth in the region -- better than Pakistan at sixth and Afghanistan at seventh. 

Globally, Pakistan is ranked 154th, while Afghanistan is at 161st position in this year's list. As per the report, India suffers chronically from international tensions and widespread internal conflict.

"While Maoist movements are one of the biggest threats to India's internal security, sporadic conflict with its neighbours also threatens the country's external security," it said. In concurrence, India is ranked number 4 out of 159 countries in the Global Terrorism Index.

"If India could improve its overall levels of peace, the dividend that would flow from this would substantially improve the country's economic growth rates. This can be achieved by a renewed government focus on building the underlying qualities that create and sustain peaceful societies such as low levels of corruption, well-functioning government and equitable distribution of resources," IEP founder and Executive Chairman Steve Killelea said.

The GPI is the world's leading measure of global peacefulness produced by the IEP. It gauges on-going domestic and international conflict, safety and security in society, and militarisation in 162 countries by taking into account 22 indicators.

CURRENT UPDATE : 2014 WORLD FOOD PRIZE

INDIA-BORN SCIENTIST NAMED WINNER OF 2014 WORLD FOOD PRIZE

India-born plant scientist Sanjaya Rajaram has been named the winner of the USD 250,000 World Food Prize for his contribution in increasing global wheat production by more than 200 million tonnes in the years following the Green Revolution.

Rajaram's breakthrough achievement in successfully cross-breeding winter and spring wheat varieties, which were distinct gene pools and had been isolated from one another for hundreds of years, led to him developing plants that have higher yields and a broad genetic base. 

More than 480 high-yielding wheat varieties bred by Rajaram have been released in 51 countries on six continents and have been widely adopted by small- and large-scale farmers alike. 

"Dr Rajaram's work serves as an inspiration to us all to do more, whether in the private or public sector," said Secretary of State, John Kerry, at an event where he delivered the keynote address. 

"When you do the math, when our planet needs to support two billion more people in the next three decades, it's not hard to figure out: This is the time for a second green revolution," Kerry said. 

Rajaram followed Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman E Borlaug at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, CIMMYT, leading its Wheat Program from 1976 to 2001. 

The World Food Prize Foundation President and the former US Ambassador to Cambodia, Kenneth M Quinn, said the 2014 World Food Prize Laureate is an individual who worked closely with Dr Borlaug in Mexico and who then carried forward and extended his work, breaking new ground with his own achievements.

"We are grateful for the hundreds of new species of wheat Dr Rajaram developed, which deliver 200 million more tonnes of grain to global markets each year and feed millions across the world," Kerry added.

The top diplomat also talked about Feed the Future, a presidential global hunger and food security initiative, through which the US is establishing a foundation for lasting progress against global hunger. "Feed the Future supports a research agenda to harness scientific innovation and technology in agriculture," he said. 

The World Food Prize was established in 1986 by Borlaug in order to focus the world's attention on hunger and on those whose work has significantly helped efforts to end it.

This year marks the 28th anniversary of the prize, which recognises individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world

CURRENT UPDATE :UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

UGANDAN FM ELECTED UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa was elected President of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly.

Kutesa was chosen unanimously Wednesday by the African Union as the only candidate for the presidency of the 69th session. 

The president-elect will assume office at the start of the 69th session in September, replacing John William Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda, who now leads the current plenary session of the 193 UN member states.

Kutesa, 65, is a Ugandan lawyer and politician. He is the current foreign minister in the Ugandan Cabinet, a position he has held since Jan 13, 2005. He was previously the minister of state for investment in Uganda.

Offering his congratulations, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Kutesa brings "wide-ranging experience" to the job, including of a lawyer, parliamentarian, finance minister and foreign minister. 

The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the UN. It is composed of representatives of all 193 member states, each of which has one vote. 

CURRENT UPDATE : NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL OF INDIA

SENIOR ADVOCATE MUKUL ROHATGI IS NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL OF INDIA

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi has been appointed as the new Attorney General of India. Mr. Rohatgi's tenure will be for a period of three years. Earlier, he had served as Additional Solicitor General in the NDA government. The law officers like the Attorney General, Solicitor General and Additional Solicitors General represent the government in various courts and give legal advice on complex issues.

CURRENT AFFAIRS & GK QUIZ – 158

CURRENT AFFAIRS & GK  QUIZ

1. Who among the following has been recently appointed as brand ambassador for Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)?

[A]Saina Nehwal                   

[B]P V Sindhu

[C]Mary Kom                                     

[D]Salman Khan

2. Recently, t he union government has set up a committee to suggest suit able and corrective measures to address concern regarding security of people from North East . The chairman of t he committee is __?

[A]M P Bezbaruah                  

[B]H W T Syeim

[C]Tape Bagra                         

[D]P Bharat Singh

3. The Singhbhum Elephant Reserve, where government approved an iron ore mining project recently, is located in __?

[A]Jharkhand                          

[B]Odisha

[C]West Bengal                      

[D]Bihar

4. Which among the following is the first state in India to enact the Lokpal Act ?

[A]Rajasthan                           

[B]Odisha

[C]Maharashtra                       

[D]Andhra Pradesh

5. “Marry Barra” who has been topped the Fortune list of “50 most powerful women in business” associated with which organisation?

[A]IBM                                   

[B]General Motors

[C]Yahoo                                

[D]Google

6. Which one of the following is t he India’s most flood-prone state?

[A]Uttarakhand                      

[B]Uttar Pradesh

[C]Bihar                                 

[D]West Bengal

7. Which among t he following has become the first rail system in t he world t o be awarded f or energy efficiency?

[A]Delhi Metro                       

[B]Mumbai Metro

[C]Bangalore Metro                

[D]Kolkata Metro

8. India’s first monorail service has been recent ly launched in ___?

[A]Kolkata                              

[B]Mumbai

[C]New Delhi                                     

[D]Bangalore

9. Vishwanath Tripathi, who has been selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman award for the year 2013, is a famous writer in __?

[A] Kannada                           

[B]Hindi

[C]Telugu                                

[D]Bengali

10. Which among the following is t he first and only state in India t o achieve 100 per cent sanitation?

[A]Kerala                                    

[B]Sikkim

[C]Goa                                              

[D]Mizoram

             ANSWER

1	C	6	C
2	A	7	A
3	A	8	B
4	B	9	B
5	B	10	B