Current Affairs 3-Dec-2013

1.Odisha to become 1^st HIV/AIDS free state by 2015

2. India successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile with a strike range of 350 km from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha as part of a user trial by defence forces. "The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the launch activities were carried out by the specially formed Strategic Force Command (SFC) and monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of training exercise," "The missile trajectory was tracked by DRDO radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha," Inducted into India's Strategic Forces Command in 2003, Prithvi, the first missile developed by DRDO under India's prestigious IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program), is now a proven technology, said a defence official Prithvi is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvering trajectory.

3.48 hours of winter parliament season starts today,Key Agenda are

1. The Women’s Reservation Bill: This long-debated bill would set aside a third of the seats in national and state legislatures for female representatives.

2. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011: The bill proposes setting up an independent anti-corruption ombudsman at the national level with parallel anti-graft agencies in the states.

e minister, the leader of the opposition and India’s chief justice.

3. The National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010: The bill gives legal and legislative backing to the unique identification program and allows service providers, including government agencies, to make an ID number mandatory for accessing particular services.

4. The Coal Regulatory Authority Bill, 2013: The bill seeks to set up an independent regulator for the coal industry to monitor the supply and pricing of fuel in an effort to further liberalize the sector and reduce state monopoly.

5. Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill, 2011: The bill seeks to expand the definition of communal and targeted violence, and also punish government officials guilty of negligence of duty in preventing or dealing with such incidents. The proposed legislation also prescribes a national standard for compensation for victims.

6. The Direct Taxes Code Bill, 2010: It aims to replace the country’s archaic income tax laws with simple tax procedures designed to reduce tax exemptions and lower tax rates.

7. The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008: The bill raises the limits on foreign investment from current 26% to 49% and also formulates rules that would permit foreign firms to invest in reinsurance companies.

4. An American news website “Huffington Post “regrets after it had removed the name of Congress president “Sonia Gandhi and the former emir of Qatar Hamid bin Khalifa al-Thani “from the list of richest leaders of the world " Gandhi listed as the 12th richest world leader putting her asset to $2 billion.

5.Technology giant Apple bought Twitter analytics firm Topsyfounded by Vipul Ved Prakash  & Rishab ayier ghosh about $200 million.Topsy tracks trending topics on microblogging site Twitter & other social media networks.

6. The Rangarajan Committee appointed by the Central Government, has recommended Cane prices likely to be linked to sugar prices from next season through adoption of either of the following two formulas: a) Cane price should be 70% of the revenue realised from sugar, bagasse, molasses and press mud, or b) Cane price should be 75% of the revenue realised from sugar only (giving 5% weightage to revenue from the first stage by-products)

7. The Supreme Court has asked all states to come out with a notification regulating the sale of acid by March 31, 2014. The court has said that every time there is a case of an acid attack, a parallel inquiry should be conducted by the SDM to find out from where the acid was procured.

 The Supreme Court had in July too directed state governments to pay Rs 3 lakh compensation to all acid attack victims. The apex court had asked the governments to pay Rs 1 lakh, out of the Rs 3 lakh compensation, within a period of 15 days of the incident being reported to the police.

The court had also ruled that the medical treatment and rehabilitation costs of the acid attack victims will be borne by the state governments.

8. The Supreme Court today declined a plea by Congress leader Sajjan Kumar for quashing the charges against him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

9.Mahender Singh Dhoni bags  the People choice Award

10. Mahender Singh Dhoni , Shikhar Dhawan,Rabinder Jadeja are nominated for the ICC ODI Player of the year Award,
Apart from Dhoni, two more Indians, Ravichandran Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara have been shortlisted for the ICC Test Player of the Year.

11.The next year 38 National sport to be hosted by Kerala.

12. Nation celebrates Birth anniversary of Dr. Rajendra Prasad  today

13. Brahmaputra Cruises’ by Assam Bengal Navigation Company has been recognised by CNN International as one of the top 10 Most Adventurous Cruises in the World for 2013

14. Directorate General of Foreign Trade’s electronic Bank Realization Certificate (e-BRC) project has won the 2013 eASIA Award under Trade Facilitation category. it was announced by Asia Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (AFACT) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 29 November 2013. e-BRC --electronically transmit foreign exchange realization details on exports from the respective banks to Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

15. ndia has decided to give $1 million to the trust of Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at The Hague for destruction of Syria's chemical weapons and related facilities, a move that will strengthen its case for inclusion in Geneva-II talks next month.

 

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