Showing posts with label current affairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label current affairs. Show all posts

Friday, December 10, 2021

Neeli Bendapudi first Woman To Be President Of US' Penn State University

Neeli Bendapudi, an Indian-origin academic, has become the first woman and person of colour to be named president of America's famed Pennsylvania State University, the educational institution announced on Thursday.

Ms Bendapudi is the president and professor of marketing at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. She was born in Visakhapatnam and moved to the United States for higher education in 1986.

The Penn State Board of Trustees overwhelmingly named her as the university's next president on December 9, according to a statement on the university's website

Thursday, December 9, 2021

No Regular Foreign Flights Till Jan 31 due to Omicron Effect

Regular international commercial flights will not resume until January 31, the government stated on Friday, amid widespread concern about the new Omicron coronavirus type. Those covered by the "air bubble" agreements, on the other hand, will continue to operate as usual.

International flights were supposed to start again on December 15th. However, due to the spread of the new 'Omicron' type in multiple countries, the country has halted its preparations to resume international flights.

In a circular, the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that the suspension on foreign flights would be extended until January 31, but that it would not apply to international all-cargo operations or flights that it had specifically approved.

year-long farmers’ agitation is called off

After receiving an official letter from the government, detailing the unconditional withdrawal of all police cases filed against demonstrators throughout the agitation, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Joginder Ugrahan stated that the protest will be called off.

India records 8,439 new cases of the Coronavirus, up 23% from the previous day.

On Wednesday, India recorded 8,439 new Covid cases, a daily increase of 23% over the previous day. The active caseload dropped to 93,733, the lowest level in 555 days. A total of 195 deaths were recorded during the day, bringing the total number of deaths to 4,73,952.

Active cases in India account for less than 1% of total cases, and are now at 0.27 percent, the lowest level since March 2020.

So far, the Nationwide Vaccination Drive has resulted in the administration of 129.54 crore vaccine doses.

India's overall recovery rate is now at 98.36%, the highest since March 2020, after 9,525 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 3,40,89,137.

Meanwhile, a WHO official stated that the Omicron form does not appear to produce any more severe disease than prior Covid variants, and that it is "very likely."

The Canadian government has announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics.

Canada announced on Wednesday that it will join the United States and other nations in a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February. "We are profoundly disturbed, as are many (of our) partners around the world, by the Chinese government's persistent human rights transgressions," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a news conference. "As a result, we are announcing today that no diplomatic representation will be sent to the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games this winter."

He stated that Canadian athletes will compete in the Games.

The decision comes after the US announced a diplomatic boycott of China on Monday, citing "genocide" of the Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region and other human rights violations.

Government accepts demands, farm stir may end soon

: On Tuesday, sources said the centre had indicated it is willing to offer a written assurance on a number of the farmers' demands, including a committee on MSP.

Farmers who have been protesting farm laws and demanding a legal guarantee for MSP for the past 15 months are on the verge of ending their agitation after receiving a second draught proposal from the government that contains assurances on MSP and the removal of police cases. "We have approved the center's revised draught in response to our demands regarding farmers' protests against three farm regulations. We'll meet again tomorrow as soon as we have a formal letter from the centre. The demonstrations are still going on "On Wednesday, farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni remarked.

At 12 p.m. on Thursday, the conference will make a final decision on lessening the level of protests, which might include thousands of farmers camped out outside Delhi returning home.

General Bipin Rawat, India’s first CDS, Dies In Chopper Crash

Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat died on 8/12/2021 after an Air Force helicopter carrying him and 13 others crashed shortly after take-off in Coonoor Tamil Nadu. General Rawat's wife Madhulika Rawat was killed.

The Russian-made Mi-17 V5 chopper crashed shortly after taking off from the Air Force base in Sulur, Coimbatore, for Wellington in the Nilgiri Hills.

The chopper was already on its way down and would have landed in about 10 minutes. According to news agency AFP, it fell down around 10 kilometres from the nearest road, forcing emergency responders to hike to the accident site.

Around 12.20 p.m., reports of the crash surfaced.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Agni-1 successfully test-fired

India on  12-Sep-2014 successfully test-fired it’s indigenously built nuclear capable Agni-I missile, which has a strike range of 700 km, from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the Army.

The surface-to-surface, single-stage missile, powered by solid propellants, was test-fired from a mobile launcher at about 11.11 hrs from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island, about 100 km from Balasore, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) spokesman Ravi Kumar Gupta said on Thursday.

Describing the trial as fully successful, Gupta said the ballistic missile was launched by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the army as part of a training exercise.

"The entire exercise was conducted in a perfect manner and the trial was totally successful," he said

EC reprimands Adityanath for hate speech

Two days ahead of bypolls in UP, the Election Commission on Thursday reprimanded controversial BJP MP Yogi Adityanath for "provoking feelings of enmity" during a recent speech in Noida and asked the state poll officials to ensure filing of an FIR against him.

The EC's rebuke for the Hindutva hardliner for allegedly invoking "religion" and making "appeal on this ground to secure votes" for his party came a day after he was booked for defying a ban on election meeting in Lucknow.

The poll body in its order also cautioned the BJP leader to be careful in his future public utterances.

Asking the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that an FIR is lodged against him for violation of the Model Code of Conduct in his speech last week, if it has not been filed till now, the EC demanded a compliance report by 5 PM tomorrow.

Bypolls will take place on Saturday in Noida and other assembly constituencies of UP and Adityanath is BJP's lead campaigner.

The Commission also expressed its displeasure with the MP for not addressing his reply to the EC in this regard and rather marking the communication vaguely as "What So Ever It May Concern".

One lakh evacuated in J & K flood

One lakh people in flood- hit Kashmir Valley were evacuated so far in rescue operations as authorities today shifted focus to relief supplies to lakhs of stranded victims and prepared to combat possible spread of waterborne diseases with flood waters receding.


With many stranded people reluctant to leave their homes, authorities said they are concentrating more on providing them food and water.

As a tragedy of epic proportions unfolded in the worst-ever floods to hit Kashmir in 109 years after heavy rains from September 2, the death toll was stated to be around 250.

Authorities fear that the number of dead could be higher.

Kamal Bawa gets 2014 Midori Prize in Biodiversity

The 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.

Monday, September 1, 2014

WHO sounds alarm over Ebola infections as deaths top 1,500

World Health Organization said that the number of Ebola cases was increasing rapidly and could exceed 20,000 before the virus is brought under control, as the death toll topped 1,500.

New figures showed the massive scale of the crisis, which the WHO said indicated a "rapid increase still in the intensity of transmission" that could cost at least $490 million (370 million euros) to tackle.

Bruce Aylward, the WHO's head of emergency programmes, said it could take six to nine months to bring Ebola under control, by which time the number of infections could have passed 20,000.

Renowned historian Bipin Chandra passes away

A Padma Bhushan awardee, historian Bipin Chandra died at his residence after prolonged illness. He was 86.
He is considered as  a specialist in economic and political history of India, Chandra had authored several books including 'The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism', 'In the Name of Democracy: The JP Movement and the Emergency', 'Nationalism and Colonialism in Modern India' and 'The Making of Modern India: From Marx to Gandhi', among others.

The left leaning author had founded the journal 'Enquiry' and was a member of its editorial board for a long time.

Born in 1928 in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, Chandra studied at the Forman Christian College, Lahore, Stanford University, US and the University of Delhi.

He worked as the Reader at Hindu College of Delhi University and then became the professor of History at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Chandra's text books on History have been taught in schools and colleges in the country for a long time. Chandra served as sectional President and then the general president of the Indian History Congress in 1985, was also awarded 'Itihas Ratna' on his 86th birthday in December this year, by the Asiatic Society of Bihar.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

PM vows relook at 1950 Treaty with Nepal

with an intent of opening a new chapter in ties with Nepal, India on 04-Aug-2014 announced a slew of sops for it focusing on 4Cs cooperation, connectivity, culture and constitution amid PM Narendra Modi's promise to review any aspect of the 1950 Treaty.

Indian PM wound up his two-day historic visit during which he sought to allay Nepal's apprehensions, India announced its decision to expeditiously assist in building of some key roads, cooperate in power sector and increase the number of scholarships from 180 to 250.

Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Nepal in 17 years, stressed the importance of the ongoing peace process and Constitution-writing to the Nepalese leadership with a promise to help them with a "pace and manner at which they are comfortable

Kerala Tourism, UNESCO sign MoU to retrace Spice Route

The memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Kerala Tourism Secretary, Suman Billa, and UNESCO Director and Representative to India, Shigeru Aoyagi, in the presence of State Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar and K M Chandrasekhar, Vice Chairman, Kerala State Planning Board.

The spice Route project is a new milestone in the growth of tourism in Kerala. It is a revival of the ancient spice route that connected 31 countries," Anil Kumar said.

"For the project to be successful, it needs the support from all the 31 countries. That is why we have sought the cooperation of UNESCO," he said.

Under the agreement, the Spice Route Initiative of the state government will form the bedrock of the cooperation and partnership between the two sides along with protection of promotion of historical areas of Kerala

World Bank pledges USD 200 million to fight Ebola

The World Bank has said that it would provide up to USD 200 million to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to help the West African nations contain a deadly Ebola outbreak.

2011 Civil Service aspirants may appear again in civil services exam in 2015

MoS Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a brief statement Singh said, "Candidates, who appeared in Civil Services Examination 2011, may be given one more attempt in 2015."


Government is of the opinion that in the Civil Services Preliminary examination, Paper-II, the marks of the question section on 'English Language comprehension skills' should not be included for gradation or merit," MoS Personnel Jitendra Singh said seeking to mollify the agitating candidates.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Kerry-Swaraj joint Press address

- There is growing global partnership to the relationship, says Sushma Swaraj.

-India and US are indispensable partners in 21st century. There are incredible possibilities in our relationship: John Kerry.

-In weeks to come, we will take series of steps to pave the way for PM Narendra Modi's visit to US in September: John Kerry.

- We raised the issue of snooping and conveyed that such spying was not acceptable, says Sushma Swaraj.

- We are encouraging India to reach a compromise formula on WTO deal, says John Kerry.

Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag takes over as new Army Chief

Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag took over as the head of the 1.3 million strong force succeeding Gen Bikram Singh.

Gen Suhag assumed charge after his predecessor handed over to him the Chief of Army Staff baton in his South Block office in New Delhi.

The new Chief takes over at a time when the force is facing challenges of modernsation in its artillery, infantry and air defence arms and is also preparing itself for facing a possible multi-front war.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Abhinav Bindra bagged the 10m Air Rifle gold medal

India`s only individual Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra made the country once again proud as he bagged maiden singles gold medal in Men`s 10m Air Rifle event on Day 2 of Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The young schoolgirl Malaika Goel turning out to be surprise package winning silver in the 10m air pistol event.