Current Affairs 30th december 2015

• Haryana Government sets educational qualification for municipal polls

Haryana Government has decided to fix a minimum educational qualification for aspirant of contesting urban local bodies (ULB) elections in the state on the lines of panchayat polls.

Decision in this regard was taken by state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh.

Proposed qualification

• Minimum educational qualification for male candidates would be matriculation while for females it would be middle pass.
• Male belonging to scheduled caste should be middle pass and in case of women belonging to scheduled caste must be primary pass.
• Candidates should have functional toilet at home and they should not be defaulter of cooperative bank loans and electricity department.

In this regard, state legislature is going to amend section 13 A of Haryana Municipal Act, 1973 and section 8 of Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994.

Earlier government has amended the Panchayati Raj Act to set minimum educational qualification for candidates to contest panchayat polls. The decision was challenged in the Supreme Court, but the apex court had pronounced decision in favour of State government.

• Russia inks $1 billion deal with HAL to manufacture 200 Kamov 226T helicopters

Russia’s Rostech State Corporation has signed one billion US dollar deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture 200 Kamov 226T light helicopters.

These helicopters will be manufactured under make in India initiative and shall replace the ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.

This is the first Russian-Indian high-tech project implemented by the Indian government within the framework of the ‘Make in India’ programme with the help of Russia.

Under this manufacturing deal Rostech State Corporation will organize in India the production of Russian Ka-226T and its modifications in around 200 units. It will also carry out maintenance, operation and repair of helicopters.

This deal comes after an agreement was signed between the two countries on cooperation in the field of helicopter manufacturing during recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia.

Kamov 226T light helicopters will be mainly used to move troops and equipment to high-altitude locations like Siachen. This work was earlier carried by outdated fleet of Cheetah and Chetak choppers which had claimed a number of lives in mishaps.

• Giorgi Kvirikashvili elected as Prime Minister of Georgia

Giorgi Kvirikashvili has been elected as the 12th Prime Minister of Georgia by the Parliament of the country.

He was elected by the Parliament after then Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili had resigned from the post on December 29, 2015 without explaining his decision.

The new government under the leadership of Giorgi Kvirikashvili was approved by Georgia’s Parliament by 86 votes to 28 against it. Now President Giorgi Margvelashvili will officially ratify this decision.

Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili had served as Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister since July 2013 and Minister of Foreign Affairs since September 2015. He was also Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development from October 2012 till September 2015.

Kvirikashvili’s new government has pledged to push ahead the ruling Georgian Dream coalition’s policy of seeking closer ties with the West by endorsing its full membership in the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and pursuing a pragmatic and peaceful policy towards Russia which was shattered by a brief 2008 war.

• Gujarati litterateur Raghuveer Chaudhary selected for 2015 Jnanpith Award

Eminent Gujarati litterateur Raghuveer Chaudhary has been selected for the 51st Jnanpith award.

Mr. Chaudhary is the fourth Gujarati litterateur to bag this prestigious award after Uma Shankar Joshi (1967), Pannalal Patel (1985) and Rajendra Shah (2001).

About Raghuveer Chaudhary

• Born: 5 December 1938 in Bapupura near Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• He is novelist, poet, critic and a Gandhian and his talent has been influenced by works of Gowardhan Ram Tripathi , Kaka Kalelkar and Suresh Joshi.
• His work: He has authored more than 80 books and some of his notable novels include Amrita, Venu Vatsala, Purvarang and Laagni Samjyaa Vinaa Chuuta Padvanu.
• He also had worked as a columnist for numerous newspapers such as Sandesh, Janmabhumi, Nirikshaka and Divya Bhaskar. He was a teacher at the Gujarat University until his retirement in 1998.
• Awards and Honours: He has received numerous accolades including Sahitya Acadmi Award for his novelTrilogy Uparvaas in 1977.

About Jnanpith Award

• Jnanpith Award is one of the prestigious literary awards in country and its name has been taken from Sanskrit words Jnana and Pitha which means knowledge-seat.
• It was instituted in 1961 and is presented annually by Bharatiya Jnanpith trust founded by the Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain family that owns the Times of India newspaper group.
• It is bestowed upon any Indian citizen who writes in any 22 official languages of India mentioned in VIII Schedule of Constitution of India.
• Prior to 1982, the award was only given for a single work by a writer. But after 1982, the award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian literature.
• Award Carries: Includes cash prize of 11 lakh rupees, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati.

• Gujarat wins maiden Vijay Hazare title

Gujarat has won the 14th season of prestigious Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy for season 2015–16 for first time in its history of championship.

In the final match played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (Karnataka) they defeated Delhi by 139 runs.

About Vijay Hazare Trophy

• It is annual limited-overs cricket domestic competition started in 2002–03 and is played among state teams from the Ranji Trophy plates.
• The trophy is also known as the Ranji One Day Trophy and is named after the famous Indian cricketer Vijay Hazare.
• Tamil Nadu has won the trophy for record 4 times i.e. in seasons 2002–03, 2004–05, 2008–09 and 2009–10