Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 19 May 2015

::In the news:

Aruna Shanbaug passes away

Aruna Shanbaug, a former nurse at Mumbai’s King Edward Memorial Hospital who spent the last 42 years on a bed in a vegetative state after a sexual assault by a ward boy in 1973, died.
Shanbaug’s condition had been deteriorating for the last few years and she had difficulty swallowing food. The staff was feeding her nutrition powder through a tube (Ryle’s tube).
On November 27, 1973, Shanbaug, then a junior nurse at KEM, was brutally assaulted and raped by a ward boy-cum-sweeper Sohanlal B. Valmiki. He throttled her with a dog chain, cutting off the supply of blood and oxygen to key parts of her brain. She has been in a vegetative state ever since, confined to a bed at the hospital where nurses and staff took care of her.
After her death, a controversy erupted when her family members reached the hospital to claim the body, which the staff and nurses opposed. Later in the evening, a compromise was reached and she was cremated at the Bhoiwada crematorium. Dr. Supe and her family members collectively performed the last rites.

::National:

Union Govt. to bring law to punish Ganga polluters

The government has proposed a law penalising pollution of the Ganga. One of the drafts is based on suggestions made by the IIT Consortium while others are from institutions and individuals. The Ministry of Water Resources, Environment and Forests, Law and Urban Development are the key ministries involved in drafting the law.
Already, based on directions from the Green Tribunal, the government has issued notices to all 118 Urban Local Bodies and 687 grossly polluting industries to come up with Action Plans on setting up sewage infrastructure and sewage treatment plants. A conference will be soon convened with District Magistrates to give a push to the programme.

::Sport:

Himachal to host paragliding World Cup

Rejoice came for the people of the Himachal Pradesh as their state has been selected to host the first paragliding World Cup in India from October 23 to October 31 at Bir Billing in Kangra valley.
While commenting on the occasion State Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma, who is also the president of the Paragliding Association, said efforts are on to develop world-class infrastructure for the event. “The work on developing take-off sites is almost in the final stages and the Public Works Department has been directed to repair and maintain the roads leading to the paragliding sites,” he said.
Mr. Sharma said paragliding athletes from over 50 countries were expected to participate in the championship and 47 countries have already confirmed their participation. The event would go a long way in promoting sports and tourism, he said.

::India and World:

India signed seven agreements with South Korea

India and South Korea on 19th May has signed seven agreements to boost the bilateral ties. These agreements were signed in the presence of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korea President Park Geun-hye in Seoul. These agreements are:

Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income.
Agreement on Cooperation in Audio-Visual Co-Production
MOU for Cooperation between the National Security Council Secretariat of the Republic of India and the Office of National Security of the Republic of Korea
MOU between the Ministry of Power of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea concerning Cooperation in the field of Electric Power Development and New Energy Industries.
MOU between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in Youth Matters
Framework of Cooperation in the Field of Road Transport and Highways between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea
MOU between the Ministry of Shipping of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in the Fields of Maritime Transport and Logistics

::Prize and Award:

Harkeert Singh Saini wins Top Civilian Supervisor award

Harkeert Singh Saini, an Indian-American policeman has been awarded the prestigious Top Civilian Supervisor of the Year. He was conferred with award for his efficient services to the Houston Police department in the state of Texas of United States. He received this award from Houston Mayor Anise Parker and Police Chief Charles A McClelland.
Saini hails from Hoshiarpur district of Punjab and is a graduate from Deshbandu College in New Delhi. He had settled in Houston in 1998 and joined Houston Police Department in March 2000. In his 15 years of service he was subsequently promoted as an office supervisor.