Daily GK Update: 4th November 2015

1. Maharashtra Government approves APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna

i. The Maharashtra state Government has approved a revised scheme, named APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna, for pregnant and lactating women in the tribal areas of the state. The scheme aims at providing at least one full hot cooked nutritious food to every pregnant lady and lactating mother.

ii. The scheme will be rolled out on 15 November 2015. The anganwadis workers, the tribal women and the local meal committees will implement the scheme. The Women and Child Welfare Department will spend 10 crore rupees in stipend to anganwadi workers.

iii. The scheme will be executed in 16 districts having tribal population. A four-member meal committee will be constituted in every tribal village across 16 districts. A woman panchayat member will head the committee, along with two pregnant or lactating mothers and an anganwadi worker.

iv. The food will be provided for six months, beginning from third trimester of pregnancy to the three months period after delivery. The meal will include pulses, rice, fruits, vegetables and boiled eggs with occasional supply of milk.

2. Justice T S Thakur will be next Chief Justice of India. 

i. Justice T S Thakur (63)  will be next Chief Justice of India. His name has been recommended by current  CJI Justice Dattu. Current CJI Justice Dattu will retire on December 2, 2015. Presently, Justice Thakur is the senior most judge of the Supreme Court. He would be the 43rd CJI.

ii. Justice Thakur was born on January 4, 1952 and enrolled as a Pleader in October 1972. Later, he started practising in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. His father D D Thakur was an eminent advocate who became a judge of J& K High Court and later also as a union minister.Justice Thakur worked in Karnataka High Court, Delhi High Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court. 

3. UNGA Disarmament Committee adopts draft resolution backing abolition of nuclear arms

i. The United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) Disarmament Committee has adopted a draft resolution submitted by Japan calling for the abolition of nuclear arms. The resolution was adopted by 156 member countries, while 17 abstaining and 3 voting against it including China and Russia. But it failed to secure endorsement US, Britain, France and other key powers as they abstained from voting despite supporting it.

ii. The resolution Stresses the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and urges nuclear powers to be more transparent in their disarmament efforts. The resolution asks world leaders to visit the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which were devastated by the nuclear attacks. Since 1994, Japan has been spearheading efforts UNGA Disarmament Committee to introduce resolutions on nuclear arms every year.

iii. The UNGA Disarmament Committee or First Committee deals with disarmament, threats to peace and global challenges that affect the international community. It seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international security regime.

5. Impose AFSPA in Garo Hills: Meghalaya High Court

i. The Meghalaya High Court has asked the Centre to consider enforcing Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in militancy-hit Garo Hills region in the state to help the administration restore the rule of law. 

ii. Recently the Meghalaya state is witnessing a rise in number of militancy incidents in the region especially in Garo Hills including abduction of a Meghalaya Government Officials by Garo National Liberation Army militants. Though in past decade the insurgency was more or less contained in the state, but in last 2 years there has been a rise in the number of violence as several dormant insurgent groups in state started resurfacing.

6. Mysuru Railway Station became the first blind-friendly Railway Station in India

i. Mysuru Railway Station (Karnataka, India) became the first blind-friendly Railway Station in India. The visually impaired – friendly facilities at Mysuru Railway Station  has been inaugurated by Mysuru’s Member of Parliament Pratap Simha. Tactile maps of the railway station and train schedules in Braille were unveiled on the occasion of inauguration. The authorities have also put up 400 metal signages in Braille along the railings of the staircases leading to various platforms.

ii. Anuprayaas, a Non – Governmental Organisation assisted the railways in making Mysuru railway station blind-friendly. The Railway Budget 2015-16 stated that 200 more stations will be constructed under Adarsh Station scheme which will include facility of Wi–Fi at B stations, facility of self-operated lockers to be made available at stations, provision of concierge services through IRCTC at major stations, online booking of wheel chair on payment basis for senior citizens, patients and the differently-abled passengers through IRCTC on selected stations.

7. Tropical Cyclone Chapala hits Yemen triggering heavy floods

i. A rare tropical Cyclone Chapala has slammed into Yemen triggering heavy flooding and causing damage in coastal region of the war racked country. The cyclone made landfall in the south eastern provinces of Hadramawt and Shabwa along the Gulf of Aden coast of Yemen in Arabian Sea bringing winds of speed more than 100 kms per hour.

ii. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has categorized Cyclone Chapala as a Category 4 equivalent storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. It is believed that Cyclone Chapala is the most powerful storm that has hit Yemen in last five decades. 

iii. It is the second-strongest cyclone on record over the Arabian Sea, only after Cylone Gonu (2007). The rainfall brought by cyclone has caused flooding of rivers which are usually dry causing destructive mudslides. Earlier the cyclone had wreaked havoc on the island of Socotra, located 350 kilometers off the Yemeni mainland. 

8. Priyanka Chopra bags People’s Choice Awards nomination

i. The 33-year-old “Mary Kom” actress, who has made it to the top five, will be competing with big names like Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Marcia Gay Harden and Lia Michele. In her debut American TV thriller “Quantico” the “Gunday’ star plays the lead role of a young FBI recruit Alex Parish. The news of her being one of 15 actresses vying for a final nomination in the category came last month.

ii. Apart from the actress, the show has also bagged the final nomination in the Favourite New TV Drama category.

9. Pakistani Cricketer Shoaib Malik announces retirement from Test Cricket

i. Veteran Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, who made a spectacular comeback into the Pakistani Test squad after five years, has announced retirement from the longest format of the game. The 33-year-old said that he wanted to vacate the place for youngsters who are ready to fill in his shoes. Malik added that he wanted to focus more on ODIs and is willing to play the 2019 World Cup. In the first Test of the on-oing three-match series, Malik slammed 245 runs against England at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The match ended in a draw.

ii. Malik has played 35 Tests for Pakistan where he has scored 1898 runs at an average of 35.14.

10. Inzamam to be Afghanistan coach for Two years

i. Inzamam ul Haq, the former Pakistan captain, has been roped in as the Afghanistan coach for a two-year period. Inzamam had agreed to be the batting consultant for the Asian side during the recent tour of Zimbabwe. Kabir Khan, the former coach of the Afghanistan team who is a national selector in Pakistan, said Inzamam had agreed to sign a proper two-year coaching contract with Afghanistan Cricket Board.  Kabir said Afghanistan had always had aggressive bowlers and fielders but they needed to improve their batting and Inzamam, who played 120 Tests and 388 ODIs for Pakistan, was ideal for them.

ii. Inzamam was also offered a similar position with the Pakistan team two years ago but he declined after financial matters between him and Pakistan Cricket Board didn’t work out.