Current Affairs 2nd november 2015

• BrahMos missile successfully test-fired from INS Kochi

BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test fired from on board of recently inducted guided missile destroyer INS Kochi off the western coast.

Test:  It was overall 49th trial of the BrahMos missile. It successfully hit decommissioned target ship“Alleppey” which was stationed 290 km away after performing high-level and complex manoeuvres.

Comment

• This successful test provides much-needed teeth to INS Kochi which is one of the India’s most modern indigenous destroyers, making it another lethal platform of Indian Navy.
• BrahMos as the prime strike weapon of the destoroyer will ensure its invincibility in engaging long range targets in seas.

INS Kochi

• 7,500-tonne indigenously developed warship and was inducted into Indian Navy on September 30, 2015.
• It has new design concepts for stealth, manoeuvrability and survivability.
• It can carry total 16 BrahMos missiles in two 8-cell vertical launch systems along with other modern weapons and sensors.

About BrahMos missile

• BrahMos supersonic cruise missile designed and developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture of India and Russia.
• Missile’s name has been derived from the names of two rivers, India’s Brahmaputra River and Russia’s Moskva River.
• It is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against sea and land targets.
• Features: It is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kilogram and can be launched from ships, land and submarines.
• It has top supersonic speed of Mach 2.8. It can strike a target at maximum range of 290-km.
• It is two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant.

• Ruling AKP wins 2015 general election of Turkey

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a critical 2015 Parliamentary Election of Turkey.

In this election

• AKP won 316 seats of total 550 members of the Grand National Assembly of the Parliament by securing 49.4 per cent of the votes.
• Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) won 134 by securing 25.4 per cent votes.

Backgroud

• The 2015 Turkish general election was snap election which was held throughout country Turkey to elect 550 members to the Grand National Assembly.
• The snap election was called by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in August 2015 after coalition negotiations between the ruling AKP and the opposition broke down.
• It was the 25th general election in the history of the Turkish Republic and elected the country’s 26th Parliament.

• Doyen of Indian two-wheeler industry Brijmohan Lall Munjal passes away

Hero MotoCorp patriarch and Doyen of Indian two-wheeler industry Brijmohan Lall Munjal passed away in New Delhi.  He was 92.

He was the founder and chairman of Hero MotoCorp and Hero Honda which is the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.

About Brijmohan Lall Munjal

• Born on 26 August 1928 in Kamalia (now in Pakistan) in Punjab region of then British India.
• Business Career: In 1956, he had started India’s first bicycle manufacturing unit under the brand name Hero Cycles. It became the world’s largest cycle maker in 1975.
• In 1984, he set up joint venture (JV) company Hero Honda after tying up with Japanese automaker Honda.
• The Hero Honda brand had emerged as the world’s largest bike maker. The JV split in 2011 after 27 years of endured partnership.
• Hero now has grown into 28,000 crore group and has sold over 60 million two-wheeler. It still accounts for nearly half the motorcycles sold in India.
• Awards: Padma Bhushan (2005), Udyog Rattan Award, Indira Gandhi National Unity award, Punjab Rattna award for his contribution to the economy of Punjab.

• India becomes world’s 7th most valued nation brand: Report

India was placed at 7th position in world’s most valuable nation brands report among the 100 assessed nations.

It was revealed in recently released annual report compiled by Brand Finance.

Key highlights

• India as a world’s seventh most valued nation brand is having its brand value to 2.1 billion dollars. It has moved by one position compared to year 2014
• It has brand value of 2.1 billion dollars with an increase of 32 per cent. It is highest surge among all the top-20 countries on the list.
• United States had topped this edition of list with a brand valuation of 19.7 billion dollars.
• Top 7 countries: United States, China, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, France and India.
• Among BRICS nations:

 India is the second most valued brand country among BRICS emerging economies after China and followed by Brazil, Russia and South Africa.

World’s most valuable nation brands report of Brand Finance measures the strength and value of the nation brands of 100 leading countries. Its method is based on the royalty relief mechanism employed to value the world’s largest companies.

The valuation is based on 5 year forecasts of sales of all brands in each nation and follows a complex process in which Gross domestic product (GDP) is used as a proxy for total revenues.

• Indian Railways launches Vikalp scheme for waitlisted passengers

Indian Railways has launched Vikalp scheme to facilitate waitlisted passengers to get an alternative train accommodation.

The scheme has been launched on pilot basis in trains running on Delhi-Lucknow and Delhi-Jammu sectors for 6 months and option will be limited to Mail and Express trains.

With this scheme, Indian Railways aim to achieve the twin objectives

• Providing confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers.
• Ensure optimal utilisation of available accommodation for these passengers.

Under this scheme

• Waitlisted passengers will get confirmed accommodation in next alternative train if they opt for it while booking their tickets online.
• Once they opt for it passengers will get SMS alert on their mobile phone about getting confirmed accommodation in alternative train.
• No extra charges will be paid passenger to avail this scheme or any refund provided for the difference of fare.
• In the alternative train, the name of passenger who has been provided accommodation will not figure in the waitlisted charts of their original train.
• A separate list of passengers transferred in alternative train will be pasted along with the confirmed and waitlist charts.

• Odisha Government imposes 7- month ban on fishing to protect Olive Ridley sea turtles

Odisha Government has imposed seven-month ban till May, 2016 on fishing along the Puri coast in order to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles.

This ban comes prior to arrival of Olive Ridley turtles for nesting in winters along the east coast of Odhisha.

Under this ban

• Trawlers and fishermen are banned to fish within 20 kms from coastline in the turtle nesting sites.
• State Forest Department has set up turtle protection camps including 3 offshore camps in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.
• It also has set up on-shore camps at 13 places in addition to 4 temporary incubation centres for safety of eggs.

Every year endangered Olive Ridley turtles arrive during winters for mass nesting in Rushikulya river mouth and Gahirmatha marine sanctuary along Odisha coast.

The coast is considered as the only place apart from Costa Rica to witness mass nesting by Olive Ridleys. Every year, between 5 lakh to 10 lakh turtles come to the state for mass nesting.

About Olive Ridley Turtles

• Scientific name: Lepidochelys olivacea.
• They are also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle.
• Generally found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
• Protection Status: Listed as endangered species in IUCN Red Data Book because of their few remaining nesting sites in the world.
• Protected under Schedule-I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India.