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Daily Current Affairs – 4th March 2016, Friday

Manaswini Panda

1. Jerry Pinto chosen for the 2016 Windham-Campbell Prize

  1. Columnist and author Jerry Pinto has been chosen for the 2016 Windham-Campbell Prize. He is among the nine recipients of the annual prize, which is awarded to English-language writers “for their literary achievements or their potential”.
  2. Pinto won the award for his first novel ‘Em and The Big Hoom’ in the fiction category. The book was published in 2012.
  3. The Donald Windham Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prizes is an American literary award that was established at Yale University in 2011 and offers prizes in fiction, non-fiction and drama.

2. Playwright Ratan Thiyam to be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award

  1. Veteran playwright and director Ratan Thiyam will be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in upcoming 11th edition of the Mahindra Excellence Theatre Awards (META).
  2. Thiyam has been recognised for creating a new language in theatre and enhancing the art form in various roles as writer, director, designer, composer and choreographer.
  3. Former recipients of the award include Zohra Sehgal, Badal Sarkar, Khaled Chowdhury, Ebrahim Alkazi, Girish Karnad and Heisnam Kanhailal.
  4. META is one of the Indian theatre industry’s premier awards. It rewards all aspects of theatre production. It aims to raise awareness and appreciation of Indian theatre.

3. CCEA approves winding up of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council

  1. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for winding up of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) with immediate effect as the Council has fulfilled the mandate for which it was constituted.
  2. The NMCC was established in 2004 as a part of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the UPA government to provide a continuing forum for policy dialogue to energise and sustain the growth of manufacturing industry.

4. Rajya Sabha passes Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015

  1. Rajya Sabha has passed the Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The bill will aid in enhancing compensation for air travellers in case of death, injury, lost baggage or even inordinate delay in flights.
  2. It also intends to change the liability limits in case of damage, loss, or delay of baggage and cargo as per global counterparts.
  3. The bill was presented by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju and now has been passed in both Houses of the Parliament.
  4. The legislation will allow the government to revise the liability limits of airlines in line with the Montreal Convention, which was acceded to by India in May 2009.

5. CCS clears acquisition of two AWACS

  1. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has cleared a proposal to acquire two more Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) at the cost of Rs.7,500 crore under a tripartite deal with Israel and Russia.
  2. AWACS are advanced radars mounted on an aircraft to give 360 degree coverage to detect incoming aircraft and missiles at long ranges. It also helps monitor the military build-up, troop and aircraft movements nearly 200 km while flying.
  3. India had previously procured 3 Phalcon AWACS, Israel radars mounted on Russian IL-76 transport aircraft, in 2003 for 1 billion dollars. These AWACS were inducted in Indian Air Force in January 2009.

6. Flipkart launches online wallet to face rivals like Freecharge and Paytm

  1. Flipkart has launched a digital wallet called
    Flipkart Money, which will help in cutting costs related to handling cash on
    product returns, in addition to offering users a new payment method.

  2. The digital wallet called ‘Flipkart Money’ has been launched on the company’s Android app, where users can hold a balance of Rs.10,000 at a time. Consumers can utilise the wallet for purchases of a maximum of Rs.25,000 a month using their credit cards, debit cards or net banking.
  3. ‘Flipkart Money’ will enable people to enjoy the benefits of single click payments, cash backs and discounts. 

7. Indian-American investor Sunil Sabharwal appointed as Alternate Executive Director of IMF

  1. Indian American investor Sunil Sabharwal has assumed position as the Alternate Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund.
  2. Considering that the US has over 16.81% of the total IMF voting share, this is one of the most powerful positions in the organisation.
  3. Sabharwal has previously served as board chairman of Ogone, a European e-commerce payment services firm and advised Warburg Pincus on its acquisition of easycash.
  4. He is an alumnus of Ohio State University and the London Business School.

8. Amazon to set up second-largest global delivery centre in Hyderabad

  1. Global e-commerce player Amazon is going to set up its second-largest global delivery centre outside the US in Hyderabad, which could attract a large portion of its proposed investments of $2 billion into India.
  2. This comes a year after the e-commerce firm decided to build one of its largest Indian fulfilment centres over an area of 2,80,000 sq ft near Hyderabad.
  3. It should be noted that Apple is going to set up its largest technology development centre outside the US in the south Indian city and Google has also announced to have a huge campus there.
  4. Amazon has reportedly been allotted an area of 10 acres to build 2.9 million square feet development centre to house a 13,500 member strong team. The current headcount at Amazon development centre at Hyderabad is around 1,000 across multiple offices.

9. UNHCR, UNICEF launch Blue Dot support centers for migrating families across Europe

  1. UNHCR, UNICEF have launched a Twenty Child and Family Support Hubs, known as Blue Dots. These support centers will acts as a special support centers for children and families along the most frequently used migration routes in Europe.
  2. This will also help in protecting the growing numbers of children and others with specific needs arriving in Europe.
  3. The 20 Blue Dot hubs will be fully operational in the next three months and will include service like restoring family links, private rooms for counseling, legal counseling and safe spaces for women and children to sleep, among others.

10. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma passes away

  1. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma has passed away, aged 68.
  2. Sangma was the first tribal individual to hold the post of cabinet minister in 1995 and the Lok Sabha Speaker in 1996.
  3. Sangma was a nine-time member of the house. He also held important portfolios in the Union government.
  4. He was also the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990 and Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly from 1990 to 1991.

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