CURRENT UPDATE : FIRST E-CABINET MEETING IN INDIA

ANDHRA PRADESH HOLDS COUNTRY'S FIRST E-CABINET MEET

Ushering in paperless cabinet, Andhra Pradesh on Monday held e-cabinet meeting

I-pads and power point presentation replaced the papers as tech-savy Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu presided over the meeting, billed as thr first such exercise by any state cabinet in the country. 

The e-cabinet e-meeting was held to mark 100 days of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in power in the state. According to officials, the cabinet agenda was sent to the ministers in advance through e-mail. Naidu asked all ministers to come to the meet with i-pads.

Naidu, popular as high-tech chief minister, reviewed performance of his government during last 100 days aftet making a power-point presentation.

The meeting, which began at 10 a.m. and was continuing in the afternoon, is expected to take key decisions on land acquisition and funds mobilisation for building the state's new capital at Vijayawada. Minister for Municipal Administration P. Narayana, who is heading a committtee, briefed the meeting of its visit to three states to study their state capitals. 

The cabinet is also likely to take decisions on welfare measures and for implementation of farm loans waiver scheme.

CURRENT UPDATE : 2014 MIDORI PRIZE IN BIODIVERSITY

SCIENTIST KAMAL BAWA GETS 2014 MIDORI PRIZE IN BIODIVERSITY

Indian scientist Kamal Bawa, a distinguished professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, has won the 2014 Midori Prize in Biodiversity for his research, including in climate change in the Himalayas.

Bawa, founder president of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bangalore, will receive the prize with a cash award of $100,000 during the Oct 16-17 Conference of Parties (COP-12) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in South Korea. 

The prize also honours his contributions to research in ecology of tropical forests, sustainable use of tropical forests, promoting engagement of civil society in conservation efforts, and for his leadership role in setting up ATREE. 

The announcement of the prize was made Monday at the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat in Montreal, and at the AEON Environmental Foundation in Japan, co-hosts of the prize, according to a media release from ATREE.

The prize honours individuals who have made outstanding contribution to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of resources at local and global levels, and raised awareness about biodiversity.

The Midori Prize is regarded a major element "at the service of the objectives of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020". 

"I am very pleased," said Bawa.

"The prize underscores the importance of biodiversity to humanity and an inclusive and multidimensional approach to biodiversity conservation that my own research programme at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and ATREE in India have advocated during the past few decades," he said.

In 2012, Bawa, who has taught at the University of Massachusetts for more than 40 years, had also received international recognition as the recipient of the first Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science, a major international prize.

India, the current chair of the COP-11 will pass the baton to Korea at the COP-12 in South Korea. The theme of this year's COP-12 meeting is 'Biodiversity for Sustainable Development'.

CURRENT UPDATE : US OPEN 2014

US OPEN 2014 WINNERS

US OPEN 2014
EVENT	PLAYERS	WINNER
Men's Singles	K.Nishikori (JPN)	M.Cilic (CRO)
	M.Cilic (CRO)
Women's Singles	S.Williams (USA)	S.Williams (USA)
	C.Wozniacki (DEN)
Men's Doubles	B.Bryan (USA)  / M.Bryan (USA)	B.Bryan (USA)  / M.Bryan (USA)
	M.Granollers (ESP) / M.Lopez (ESP)
Women's Doubles	M.Hingis (SUI) / F.Pennetta (ITA)	E.Makarova (RUS) / E.Vesnina (RUS)
	E.Makarova (RUS) / E.Vesnina (RUS)
Mixed Doubles	S.Mirza (IND)  / B.Soares (BRA)	S.Mirza (IND)  / B.Soares (BRA)
	A.Spears (USA) / S.Gonzalez (MEX)

CURRENT AFFAIRS & GK QUIZ – 164

CURRENT AFFAIRS & GK  QUIZ

1. Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, India has an ambitious target of ____MW of

solar capacity by 2022. Fill the blank with correct option. 

[A]10,000          

[B]15,000        

[C]20,000        

[D]25,000

2. The Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project , is an under construction gravity dam coming up in which state?

[A]Assam                                

[B]Tripura

[C]Manipur                             

[D]Arunachal Pradesh

3. As per the latest study, which among the following countries has highest number of diplomats per million? 

[A]China                             

[B]India

[C]Singapore                           

[D]United States

4. Recently, India has launched third-line drug therapy or rescue therapy for people living with which disease? 

[A]Malaria                               

[B]T B

[C]HIV/AIDS                                     

[D]Dengue

5. World Bank funded India Development Market place (DM), a competitive grant -based programme for profit and non-profit organisations working in t he area of delivering services to the poor in north-eastern states of ___?

[A]Assam, Tripura, Manipur

[B]Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya

[C]Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram

[D]Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura

6. According to latest Astronomical research, P/2014 C1 is a ____?

[A]Comet                                

[B]Asteroid

[C]Dwarf Planet                     

[D]Galaxy

7. Which of the following countries has been ranked top in the World Press Freedom Index-2014?

[A]Netherland                         

[B]Norway

[C]Finland                               

[D]Denmark

8. Which of the following countries have recently made their winter Olympic Games debut at Sochi Olympics?  

1. Dominica         2. East Timor                  3.Paraguay                  4. Zimbabwe

Chose the correct answer from t he codes given below:

[A]Only 1 & 2                         

[B]Only 2 & 3

[C]Only 1 & 4                         

[D]1, 2, 3 & 4

9. Recently, countries from around the world and United Nations have signed the “London Declaration” which aims to curb the ___?

[A]Illegal Mining around the world

[B]Illegal trade in wildlife

[C]Use of chemical weapons

[D]Killing of Dolphins

10. Recently, which of the following countries has challenged the domestic content requirement of India’s solar mission saying it is against to international norms?

[A]Russia                                [B]China

[C]USA                                   [D]Japan

           ANSWER

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

CURRENT UPDATE : CAPITAL OF ANDHRA PRADESH

VIJAYAWADA TO BE CAPITAL OF ANDHRA PRADESH

Andhra Pradesh government has announced that its new capital will be developed at around Vijayawada for the residuary state, post-reorganization.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced this in the assembly in Hyderabad today.

He made a statement amidst uproar by opposition members, who demanded for a detailed discussion before taking a decision.

The Chief Minister said the government is committed to develop the new people’s capital at a place which is accessible to every one. He announced that 3 mega cities and 14 Smart Cities will be developed in the state.

He further said a Cabinet Sub-Committee will look into evolving land pool system for the acquiring land for the new capital.

Andhra Pradesh government has formally announced the decision to develop its new capital ‘around Vijayawada’ following the Central Expert Committee headed Shivaramkrishanan submitted its report.

The government has also proposed to launch a master plan to augment pace of growth with launching of nine missions to develop basic sectors like infrastructure, urban mission and services.

It proposed to set up five grids to assure universal access to water, power, gas, road and IT connectivity.

Besides, it proposed launching of four public campaigns making people as partners in eradication of poverty and illiteracy while protecting agriculture and increase environment awareness.