16.December.2015

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WTO chief calls for a Paris-style deal  –   (Economics)

  • The World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) first Ministerial Conference is held in the Kenya’s capital Nairobi, Africa with leaders from the continent.
  • WTO chief Roberto Azevedo encouraged the 162 member countries of the WTO to be inspired by  the ‘historic’ Paris agreement on measures to curb global warming, and reach a similarly ambitious pact to liberalise world trade for lifting millions of people out of poverty.

 

CBI raids- Questions of legality  –    (Indian Polity)

  • The CBI raids at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office have raised questions of both legality and constitutional propriety

  • The Supreme Court had over a series of judgments warned the premier investigating agency that it should not act as a “caged parrot” blindly obeying “his master’s voice.”
  • The Constitutional propriety demands that the Home Minister or the PM call a meeting of the larger parties, place the evidence before them and say we are going ahead.

 

India vigilant on security front: PM  –   (Defence)

  • From aboard the INS Vikramaditya, the PM witnessed a naval operational demonstration involving the aircraft carrier INS Viraat and nuclear submarine INS Chakra, frontline warships and aircraft.
  • The Combined Commanders’ Conference held for the first time outside Delhi in Kochi.

 

Karnataka has the highest stillbirth rate  –    (Social Issues)

  • Still birth rate is calculated Stillbirth/ 1000 births and Karnataka has the highest still birth rate at 12 deaths per 1000 births, followed by Himachal Pradesh, at 11 , Chhattisgarh at 9, Harayana at 8 and Assam & Tamil Nadu at 7 deaths.

 

India Business Card for SAARC trade  –   (International Relation)

  • With renewed ties with Pakistan, India is to launch ” Indian Business card” for businessmen of high repute in all sever SAARC countries that include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
  • It is aimed at easing business and aligns with make in India policy of the Government.

 

Pak. test-fires ‘Shaheen 1A’  –   (International Relation)

  • Pakistan successfully test-fired Shaheen 1A, a nuclear capable ballistic missile with a range of 900 kilometres.

  • Pakistan also had recently test fired, Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 2,750 kilometres.

 

Kazakhstan key in China’s connectivity initiative   –   (International Relation)

  • China is looking at Kazakhstan as an key ally in Central Asia in the ‘Belt and Road’ connectivity initiative across the Eurasian landmass, in partnership with Russia.

 

IAEA closes Iran nuclear probe   –   (International Relation)

  • The International Atomic Energy Agency closed a 12 year investigation into Iran’s secret nuclear weapons programme.

  • This is paved the way for Germany, France, China, Britain, Russia and the European Union clinch historic nuclear deal in July 2015 with Iran.

 

Transactions above Rs. 2 lakh need PAN from January 1 to curb black money  –    (Economics)

  • The government has made it mandatory to quote PAN (permanent account number) for all transactions in excess of Rs.2 lakh, regardless of the mode of payment, to curb black money with effective from  1st January 2016.

 

Kenya backs food security, farmers’ interests  –    (Economics)

  • Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the country hosting the WTO Ministerial Conference, echoed India’s stand in the WTO on  food security rights and protecting  the  poor farmers from the heavily subsidised agricultural imports from the rich world.

  • India has also made it clear that protection of poor farmers’ interests and its food security programmes are not up for any bargain at the negotiations.