Current Affairs 22th november 2015

• Railway Ministry inaugurates landmark Silchar-Lumding broad gauge rail line in Assam

Union Railways Ministry has inaugurated the landmark Silchar-Lumding broad gauge rail line in Assam.

It was inaugurated by Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu by flagging off a passenger train from New Delhi via video-conference.

Key facts

• Silchar-Lumding broad gauge rail line brings Assam’s underdeveloped but strategically important Barak Valley on the broad gauge map.
• The broad gauge line is also a milestone for connectivity in the northeast region and one of the largest gauge conversion projects of Indian Railways.
• The line has 75 major bridges and 340 minor bridges along the track. It passes through 21 tunnels. The entire project cost was around 3, 500 crore rupees.
• It would play an important role in accelerating development in Barak Valley of Assam and other Northeastern states like Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram as it would act as lifeline.

Background

The Lumding-Silchar Gauge Conversion Project was sanctioned by Government of India in 1996-97 under the Northeast Frontier Railway. The strategic project was declared as a National Project in 2004. The project was hit by insurgency from 2006 to 2009 but later the Territorial Army was deployed to take on the insurgents.

• Harshavardhan Neotia elected as President of FICCI

Harshavardhan Neotia has been elected as the President of industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

He shall have one year term as President i.e. for the year 2016 and presently is serving as Vice President (VP) of FICCI.

He will succeed incumbent FICCI President Jyotsna Suri during the chamber’s AGM in December 2015. Jyotsna Suri is chairperson and Managing Director of Bharat Hotels Ltd.

About Harshavardhan Neotia

• Harshavardhan Neotia is the Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group which covers wide spectrum of the Real Estate industry including housing, health care, hospitality and education.
• Presently, he is also a member of West Bengal Chief Minister’s Core Committee on Industry and the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Advisory Council.
• Government of India has conferred Padma Shri on him for his outstanding initiative in social housing.

About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry

• FICCI is the largest and oldest apex business organization in India. It is a non-governmental and non-profit organization.
• Establish: 1927
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Mission: To enhance efficiency and global competitiveness of Indian industry. To expand business opportunities both in domestic and foreign markets through a range of specialized services and global linkages.

• Pankaj Advani wins 2015 IBSF World Snooker Championship

Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani won the 2015 IBSF World Snooker Championship.

In the final match played at Hurghada (Egypt), he defeated his Chinese opponent Zhua Xintong by 8-6 score in the best-of-15 final. He had entered the finals of the Championship after defeating Alex Borg of Malta by 6-0 score.

With this victory, Pankaj Advani has won the World Snooker Championship for record 15 times. He also became the first person in history of Snooker to take the short (6-Red) and the long snooker format in the same calender year.

Earlier in September 2015, he had won the 2015 IBSF World Billiards Championship. Presently he is ranked world number 1 in 6-red snooker and World Team Billiards.

• Rajasthan Government government has signed 295 MoUs

MoUs has been signed by Rajasthan Government worth 3.3 lakh crore rupees investment during the Resurgent Partnership Summit 2015.

Highlights of the MoUs

• Manufacturing sector of the state fetched MoUs worth 11760 crore rupees and Infrastructure got MoUs worth 17038 crore rupees.
• Roads and Highways got 10000 crore rupees MoUs.
• Around 239694 lakh jobs will be provided in the state.
• MoUs worth 190000 crore rupees were received by the Energy sector followed by MoUs worth rupees 77657 crore rupees by Petroleum.
• Education got 1807 crore rupees MoUs, Agriculture with 2402 crore rupees, Tourism was allotted with 5783 crore rupees MoUs and Medical and Health with 4752 crore rupees MoUs.