Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: December 21, 2016
National
Indian Enterprise Development Service to be created
- Union cabinet has passed a resolution for creation of a new service Indian Enterprise Development Service (IEDS).
- IEDS will function under Office of Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)
- The service is being created with the aim of achieving targets under ambitious programs like Start Up India, Stan Up India and Make in India.
- An All India Service can be created if Rajya Sabha declares in a resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of members present and voting under Article 312.
Long Range subsonic missile Nirbhay successfully test fired
- Nirbhay is a long range surface-to-surface nuclear-capable subsonic cruise missile developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- Nirbhay is nuclear capable missile with a speed of 0.7 Mach. It can strike a target at a distance of 700-1000 Kms.
- It is a terrain hugging missile which keeps on encircling the area of its target for several minutes and then hits bull’s eye’ on an opportune time. It is difficult to detect by enemy’s radars.
Maharashtra to have a separate ministry for Other Backward Classes (OBC)
- A Ministry for OBC will be created in Maharashtra.
- A first of its kind in any state, it will deal with all issues related to OBCs. OBCs form more than 35 per cent of the state’s population.
- OBCs category were identified by the Mandal Committee report, 1980 as being eligible for reservation in governemnt jobs and higher education. They have a reservation of 27 per cent.
International
First ever vaccine for Chikungunya developed in US
- Researchers from United States have developed the first vaccine for Chikungunya fever made from an insect-specific Eilat virus.
- Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus that causes the disease. It is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Its symptoms are characterised by abrupt fever and severe joint pain, often in hands and feet, and may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash. There is no specific antiviral drug treatment for chikungunya.
- Chikungunya treatment is directed primarily at relieving the symptoms, including the joint pain using anti-pyretics, optimal analgesics and fluids.