Current Affairs For SSC CGL Exam

07 January, 2014

Trial of Prithvi-II

• India test-fired its indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile, which is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and has a strike range of 350 km, from a test range at Chandipur near Balasore.
• The test was carried out as part of a user trial by the Army. The surface-to-surface missile was test fired from a mobile launcher in salvo mode from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at 9.48 a.m.
• Inducted into India’s SFC in 2003, Prithvi-II, the first missile to be developed by the DRDO under India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme is now a proven technology.
• Prithvi-II is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twine engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory.
• The last user trial of Prithvi-II was successfully carried out from the same base on December 3, 2013.

12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

• The 12th edition of the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will commence in Delhi this time. Held under the aegis of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India, the event is aimed at engaging the Indian diaspora across the globe. The first day of the event will be dedicated to young overseas Indians. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India is the partner Ministry for the three-day event this year.

• The plenary session of this year’s PBD will be inaugurated by Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, in the presence of the Chief Guest, Datuk Seri G Palanivel, Federal Minister of Malaysia, on the second day of PBD.

• The theme of PBD this year is ‘Engaging Diaspora: Connecting Across Generations’. There will be a special session of chief ministers of different states of India. The chief ministers of Haryana, Kerala, Gujarat, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh have already confirmed attendance in this year’s PBD, he added.

• The valedictory will be given by Pranab Kumar Mukherjee, President of India, on January 9, during which awards in 14 categories will be given away.

Shah panel report

• Operations of top steel and mining companies, including Tata Steel, SAIL, Aditya Birla Group's Essel Mining, JSPL and Sarda Mines, are likely to get affected if a recommendation by the Justice M B Shah Commission to ban mining along the Baitarni river in Odisha is accepted.

• The high-powered panel, in its five-volume report on illegal mining in Odisha, has recommended revisiting the environment approvals granted to all 55 mines around the Baitarni river and its tributaries.

• The Commission said a definite decision should be taken on whether to allow large-scale mining leases to operate in the catchment area of the river.

• About 40 firms and mining lease holders operate 55 mining leases that directly impact the Baitarni river.

• Tata Steel and the Rungta Mines Group, with five mines each, are located in the area and would be the worst hit if the Commission's recommendation is accepted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

• Tata Steel, which procures 80 per cent of its iron ore requirements from Odisha, has eight mines (including manganese ore) in the state. Of these, five mines – Khandhbandh, Joda East, Joda West, Manmora and Malda -- directly affect the Baitarni river.

• SAIL's Bolani iron ore mine, the Aditya Birla group's Jilling Longalota and Kasia iron ore mines, Jindal Steel & Power's Tantra Raikela Bandhal and Adhunik Metaliks' Kulum may also face closure.

• The Rungta Mines Group's mines -- Jajang, Kolmong, Oraghat, Katasai and Kalimati, Serajuddin & Co's Balda block, Sarada Mines' Thakurani-B block, R P Sao's Guali, Odisha government-owned PSU Odisha Mining Corporation's three mines and one each of BPMEL and OMDC are part of the list.

MS Dhoni : captain in all three formats

• Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not averse to the idea of continuing as the skipper of the the Indian cricket team in all the three formats, saying it would be unfair to burden a new player with the mantle of captaincy with just one year left for the World Cup.

• Dhoni had, last year, said that he might have to give up a format to lead India's title defence in 2015 but such a decision would be made only at the end of 2013. Dhoni will be 33 by the time the World Cup starts in Australia and New Zealand.

World’s top junior shuttler: Aditya Joshi

• Young shuttler Aditya Joshi from Madhya Pradesh has become the first male junior badminton player from India to be ranked top in the world.
• Aditya, 17, recently got the number one slot in the January rankings of the World Badminton Federation (WBF).
• Aditya was at the 11th position till November, but he managed to jump ahead of all the players by achieving 18,776 points.
• Aditya started playing badminton in 2001 when he was only five and very soon, he started winning in the categories above his age in the local tournaments.

• Within six years, he started proving himself at the international arena and clinched the gold in Remensco junior international tournament held in Russia in 2011. During the same year, he won a gold medal in Asian sub-junior championship held in Japan.

• His victory in the national junior championship held at Chandigarh in December 2012 made way for his top ranking.
• Aditya was the national champion in 2013 and had won two gold medals in junior international tournament held at Pune and silver in the senior national championship while his age corresponds to junior category.

Click Here for Daily News Archive