Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 14 OCTOBER 2019

::NATIONAL::

Delhiites woke up to a thick blanket of smog on Monday with the air quality index (AQI) deteriorating further in the national capital region (NCR).
As stubble burning continues in Punjab and Haryana, New Delhi's air quality was recorded "poor" for the fifth consecutive day on Monday with AQI crossing the 235-mark at several places, including Jahagirpuri.
The AQI showed increased levels of pollution in parts Delhi-NCR - major pollutants PM 2.5 stood at 223 and PM 10 at 217, both in the poor category, at Lodhi Road.
Delhiites breathed toxic air for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday as the overall AQI reached 270 (poor category).
On Sunday, Delhi's AnandVihar experienced 'very poor' air with the AQI at crossing the 325 mark.The AQI in Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Noida and Loni also hit the 'very poor category' mark for the first time on Sunday and is likely to deteriorate further as per experts.
PM 2.5 and PM 10 remained the primary pollutants adding to the trouble. PM 2.5 and PM 10 are micro-pollutants, which enter the respiratory system and result in breathing discomfort on prolonged exposure.

Section 144 has been imposed in Ayodhya till December 10 ahead of the anticipation of verdict on the disputed land, District Magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha said.
He also said that the decision to impose Section 144 was also taken while considering the upcoming festivals.
"Decision to impose Section-144 was also taken in consideration of upcoming festivals," Anuj Kumar Jhasaid.It comes as Ayodhaya seers and VHP leaders sought permission to light diyas’ at the Ram Temple.

Commerce and Industry Minister PiyushGoyal has asked the leaders of the co-operative sector to think how they can give more strength and power to the sector by self-regulatory mechanism.
He said, it is the responsibility of all - not to bring a bad name for the co-operative sector. Mr.Goyal was addressing the closing ceremony of India International Cooperatives Trade Fair in New Delhi today.
The Minister said, there is a need to think about the small cooperatives as a large section of tribal and rural people are in the business of encouraging cooperatives and they have not yet got the opportunity to take out their art and products. He said, Indian big industries should also be added to such cooperative trade fair.

India's insistence on providing a safety valve to cover at least 50% of Chinese imports under Regional Comprehensive Partnership (RCEP), the proposed 16-nation trading bloc, has held up conclusion of talks for the mega trade agreement that has been in the works for over six years now.
During the ministerial meeting over the weekend, commerce and industry minister PiyushGoyal also demanded that India's concerns on e-commerce, investment, taxation, micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) and policies framed by local bodies should also need to be reworked before it could sign the deal, triggering complaints by negotiators from other countries, which have been pushing for early conclusion of talks, sources told.
While Asean and others are ready to sign the deal, India is accused of holding it up. Just when things looked settled, Goyal and his team raised concerns resulting in a situation where the talks ended without a joint statement by the ministers.

India and Sierra Leone signed 6 agreements today to expand the bilateral relations in various fields and also agreed to push for UNSC reforms so that one-third of mankind residing in Africa and India occupy their rightful place in decision making bodies of the UN.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Mr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Vice President who arrived in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, on the second and last leg of his tour to African nations. This is the first ever visit of an Indian Vice President to Sierra Leone.
India announced the decision to establish a High Commission in Sierra Leone, even as both the countries have agreed to enhance cooperation in agriculture, food processing, Information Technology, infrastructure development and capacity building.
Earlier, the Vice President held a tête-à-têteand delegation level talks with Mr. Julius Maada Bio. Both the leaders exchanged views on multilateral issues and decided to build on the existing cooperation at UNSC and other multilateral fora.

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has launched a satellite called ICON or Ionospheric Connection Explorer to explore the mysterious, dynamic region where air meets space.
The ICON satellite rocketed into orbit following a two-year delay and was dropped from a plane flying over the Atlantic off the Florida coast. About ICON (Ionospheric Connection Explorer) It will study the link between space weather and Earth weather.
Five seconds after the satellite’s release, the attached Pegasus rocket ignited and sent Icon on its way. Icon, a refrigerator-size satellite should have soared in 2017, but problems with air-launched Pegasus rocket interfered. Despite the long delay, as per the NASA this $252 million mission did not exceed its price cap.
The satellite has been built by Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defense technology company.

Former Indian skipper SouravGanguly is all set to become the new president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, BCCI. He said, his election will be a great opportunity for him to do something good.
GangulypippedBrijesh Patel in a see-saw battle and is expected to be the only presidential nominee. In an interaction with a news agency, he admitted that being selected unopposed is a big responsibility and that the image of the BCCI had been hampered in the recent past.