4th March 2016

A.Mumbai U-23 team wins CK Nayudu Trophy 2015-16

1.The Mumbai under-23 cricket team has won the Col CK Nayudu Trophy for the season 2015-16. With this victory, they will be awarded with a cash prize of 20 lakh rupees.

3.This was Mumbai s second big title of the season after they had won the Ranji Trophy for the 41st time earlier. Col CK Nayudu Trophy is named after country’s first Test captain Col. Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu.

2.In the final match played at Holkar Stadium, Indore they defeated Madhya Pradesh under-23 cricket team. Mumbai won this title after Madhya Pradesh scored 422 all out in second innings falling short of 155 runs to target of 577 runs set by Mumbai in the first inning. 

B.Union Government approves winding up of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council
1.The Union Government has decided to wind up of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) with immediate effect as it has fulfilled the mandate. 


2.Decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi after it was observed that NMCC has fulfilled the mandate for which it was constituted. 

About National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) 

1.The erstwhile UPA government had established NMCC in 2004 as a part of its Common Minimum Programme (CMP). 

2.Its mandate was to provide a continuing forum for policy dialogue to energize and sustain the growth of manufacturing industry. 

3.It was established as an autonomous organization with its Chairman in the rank of a Cabinet Minister and members from Government and Industry. 

4.Since its inception, NMCC had conducted various studies independently in consultation with several Government Ministries Departments and also industry association.

C.Theatre guru Ratan Thiyam selected for 11th META Lifetime Achievement Award

1.Veteran playwright and director Ratan Thiyam has been selected for prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016 at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META). 

2.He will be conferred with this award in recognition for his work for creating a new language in theatre and enriching the art form in various roles as director, writer, composer, designer and choreographer. 

3.Currently, Ratan Thiyam is Chairman of National School of Drama. 

About Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards

1.(META) Instituted in the year 2006 by the Mahindra Group and Teamwork Arts Pvt Ltd. 

2.It is a one of its kind and one of the biggest theatre festivals in the country that aims at Theatre Groups from every corner of the nation. 

3.It seeks to provide them platform to showcase their excellence in the art form on one stage. In the past, Lifetime Achievement Award has been conferred on theatre greats such as Zohra Sehgal, Badal Sarkar, Ebrahim Alkazi, Khaled Chowdhury and Girish Karnad etc.

D.India-World Bank ink Credit Agreement for MPHEQIP

1.Union Government, Madhya Pradesh government and the World Bank have signed $300 million credit agreement for Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Quality Improvement Project (MPHEQIP). 

2.The credit will be provided by the International Development Association (IDA), World Bank’s concessionary lending arm with a maturity of 25 years, including a five-year grace period. 

Key facts 

1.MPHEQIP’s objective is to improve student outcomes especially of disadvantaged groups in selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). 

2.It also seeks to increase the effectiveness of the Higher Education System in Madhya Pradesh. 

3.The project comprises of three components viz. grants support to higher education institutions, improve system management and state level Initiatives. 

4.The main impetus MPHEQIP will be on helping government colleges and universities to use institutional grants effectively in improving the quality of higher education. 

5.It also seeks at providing equitable access to education for all and ensuring better capacity utilisation as well as including activities in education for making students more employable.

E.South Korea passes first Anti-terror Bill

1.South Korea’s Parliament has passed the country’s first anti-terror bill that was first proposed 15 years ago in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in US.
5.Those found guilty under this law can face capital punishment of life imprisonment or over 10 years’ incarceration and those who join a foreign terrorist group can face over 5 years imprisonment.

2.Among total 300 parliamentary seats of the National Assembly, only 156 lawmakers voted in favour of country’s first anti-terrorism legislation. 

Key provisions Anti-terror law 

1.Defines terror as an act that can put national security and citizens’ safety at risk including disturbance of national, regional and foreign government exercising its authority. 

2.Allow National Intelligence Service (NIS) to collect personal information, conversation and location in mobile phones from suspected terrorists. 

3.It also enables NIS to track bank accounts and immigration records of the suspects. Intelligence agencies including NIS will report to the Prime Minister before they exercise their new power. 

4.Prime minister headed committee will decide anti-terror policies to be formed, as well as an anti-terror centre under the committee to manage related policing authorities. 

F.World’s most expensive train station opened in New York at 9/11 site

1.The world’s most expensive train station opened at the 9/11 site in New York, United States. It has been named World Trade Center Transportation Hub.
2.Initially it was budgeted at 2 billion dollars and lagged 7 years behind schedule.

3.It is built next to the site of the Twin Towers in New York which were destroyed in the terror attacks in 2001. 

Key facts 

1.The station was constructed at whooping cost of 3.85 billion dollars making it most expensive station in the world. 

2.It has been designed by the Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava who has called it a gift of love to the city. 

3.The station building is called Oculus and made up of steel ribs and glass laid out in elliptical shape, reaching for the sky like wings of a bird. 

4.The station space measures 107 metres (350 feet) long by 35 metres (115 feet) at its widest point. It is expected eventually to serve more than 2 lakhs commuters daily. 

G.Delhi launches country’s first HPV vaccine as public health programme in schools

1.Delhi has become the first state (UT) in the country to launch the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a public health programme for school children.

2.The vaccination programme will be completed in the current academic year 2015-16 over two phases. 

3.In the first year, girls studying in Class VI in government schools will be targeted and in the next year girls between the age of 9 and 13 will be targeted. 

4.In the first phase of the vaccination programme, 1 to 1.5 lakh school girls will be targeted and later this initiative will be expanded to the private schools. 

About Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 

1.HPV is a DNA virus from the papillomavirus family which is mainly a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that causes genital warts and cervical cancer. 

2.The infection can be prevented through routine screening and vaccines that are safe and effective.