Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 22 November 2015

:: National ::

The U.N. Security Council on Friday authorised countries around the world to “take all necessary measures” to fight the Islamic State in a resolution that won unanimous backing, even as threats of terror strikes locked down Brussels, the Belgium capital that houses the European Commission headquarters.
The French-drafted measure calls on all U.N. member states to “redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist attacks” committed by the IS and other extremist groups linked to the Al-Qaeda.
Turkish authorities arrested three persons with suspected ties to the IS for the November 13 attacks in Paris
One of the suspects was identified as Ahmet Dahmani, 26, a Belgian national of Moroccan descent, who allegedly scouted targets for the attacks.

French President Francois Hollande will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade of January 26.
Mr. Hollande’s visit will be symbolic and is expected to send out a message of a solidarity among the democratic countries against terrorism of the ISIS.

The Tribunal was hearing a plea filed by environmental activist Anand Arya who had filed a petition against the Centre.
But, considering the gravity of the matter, the NGT asked all states to implead themselves as parties to the case and file their responses.
Concerned over the shrinkage of wetlands in India, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Centre and the states to make their stand clear on how they will identify wetlands and ensure their protection
The Wetlands are a vital part of the hydrological cycle, are highly productive, support exceptionally large biological diversity, and provide a wide range of ecosystem services such as waste assimilation, water purification, flood mitigation, erosion control, groundwater recharge, micro climate regulation, aesthetic enhancement of the landscape while simultaneously supporting many significant recreational, social and cultural activities besides being a part of the cultural heritage and hence require immediate protection

Taking a step towards closer economic ties with China and to deliberate on macroeconomic issues, a team led by Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya will engage in a dialogue with China's Development Research Centre (DRC)
It will be the first dialogue between NITI Aayog and the DRC after the body was constituted to replace the erstwhile Planning Commission.
There will be deliberations on opportunities and challenges for both the nations in the current global economic scenario.
issues related to regional trade associations and their implications for India as well as China.
strengthening Sino-Indian economic cooperation. The officials and experts of the two bodies will deliberate on building closer developmental partnership.
The issue of the wide trade imbalance between the two nations will also be discussed at the China-India Development Roundtable 2015 beginning on November 23.
India's trade deficit with China increased about 34 per cent to USD 48.43 billion in 2014-15 from USD 36.21 billion in the previous fiscal.

India’s easternmost strategic airfield at Teju has been revived with a new runway.
The runway can now host heavy lift aircraft as well as long range bombers which can cross the Greater Himalayan range within minutes.
Teju is part of the six strategic airfields that were planned for Arunachal Pradesh. But the Teju airfield which will increase air connectivity with the region is unique as it is the easternmost landing strip in the country.

India would have a comprehensive national intellectual property rights (IPR) policy by the 2015 end, and a national investment and infrastructure fund for leveraging public investments.
Speaking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business and Investment Summit, Narendra Modi said India was committed to protecting the IPRs of all innovators. It was also moving fast to ensure a transparent and predictable tax regime.
India is also coming up with tax-free infrastructure bonds with a view to broadening the corporate bond market and providing long-term finance for infrastructure.
To revitalise flow of funds from global investors, the government had launched the second set of structural and financial reforms.
These included more FDI in such key sectors as insurance, defence and railways; rationalised FDI policies in other sectors, including construction, plantation and medical devices; and liberalisation of the licensing regime to improve the ease of doing business.
Even while cutting the fiscal deficit, the government had substantially increased productive investment.
This was made possible by decontrolling diesel prices and thereby eliminating energy subsidies; and by reducing wasteful expenditure through innovative methods, including targeting subsidies at the deserving through technology.

The Home Ministries of India and China have agreed to be only a phone call away from each other, by deciding to establish missing telecom links, as part of a broader security engagement between the two neighbours.
Counter-terrorism experts of the two countries will now meet to discuss details of cooperation for combating terrorism.
In view of the global reach of terrorism, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which annually holds large-scale counter-terrorism exercises, could well become part of India’s anti-terror template
The dialogue with the Chinese authorities also covered discussions on Afghanistan and Pakistan—two countries with strong connections with global terrorism

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the trade between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) should increase to $100 billion by 2020 and to $200 billion by 2025.
During 2014-15, after a temporary decline, the trade stood at $76.5 billion.
India would soon extend electronic visa facility to all 10 Asean members.
The Prime Minister also intends to set up an Asean-India innovation platform to facilitate commercialisation of low-cost technologies, technology transfer and collaborative research and development projects.
Laying special emphasis on India’s partnership with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, PM said India would create a project development fund to create manufacturing hubs in the four countries.
As for climate change, Mr. Modi proposed an international solar alliance of 122 solar-rich countries, which he and French President Francois Hollande would launch at the Paris convention on November 30, 2015

Omnicom Group Inc, the world's second largest advertising company, has agreed to pay 1 billion reais ($270 million) for Brazil's Grupo ABC.
Omnicom is a New York based company.
Grupo ABC was founded by Guanaes and Valente in 2002

Aurobindo Pharma on Saturday received final approval from the USFDA to manufacture and market generic version of Pfizer’s Revatio (sildenafil citrate) tablets used in the treatment of high blood pressure in lungs.

India's ace cueist Pankaj Advani won the 2015 IBSF World snooker title defeating Zhao Xintong of China 8-6 in a thrilling final.
This is Advani's 15th World title and he now is the first person in history to take the short (6-Red) and the long snooker format in the same year.