International affairs

International:
• Law and Justice Party win Poland elections In Poland, conservative opposition Law and Justice Party has won parliamentary elections. Its eurosceptic leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has claimed victory, and the outgoing Prime Minister, Ewa Kopacz of the centrist Civic Platform party, has admitted defeat.
  
• Massive quake hits Afghanistan, PakistanMore than 260 people have died, mostly in Pakistan, after a magnitude-7.5 earthquake hit north-eastern Afghanistan. Tremors from the quake were also felt in northern India and Tajikistan. At least 12 of the victims were Afghan schoolgirls killed in a crush as they tried to get out of their building.
  
  The earthquake was centred in the mountainous Hindu Kush region, 76km (45 miles) south of Faizabad, the US Geological Survey reported. The death toll is set to rise as the most severely affected areas are very remote and communications have been cut off.
  
  The quake was 196 km deep and centred 82 km southeast of Feyzabad in a remote area of Afghanistan in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
  
  Even at its revised magnitude of 7.5, this was a powerful tremor. Around the world only about 20 quakes each year, on average, measure greater than 7.0.
  
  But its focus was deep - much further below the surface than the 7.8 quake which brought widespread destruction to eastern Nepal in April. That event was only 8km deep and was followed in early May by an aftershock with magnitude 7.3.
  
  Similarly, the devastating 2005 Kashmir earthquake was magnitude 7.6 and just 26km deep. Today's quake, at a depth of more than 200km, appears to have caused widespread but less severe ground shaking.
  
  Earthquakes can alter Earth's crust, says study: Earthquakes can change elastic properties of the Earth's crust up to 6,000 kilometres away, altering its ability to withstand stresses for up to a few weeks, a new study has found. The research demonstrates that the Earth is a dynamic and interconnected system, where one large earthquake can create a cascading sequence of events thousands of kilometres away, according to researchers
  
  When a surface wave from an earthquake some way off passes through another fault region, it changes the balance between the frictional properties that keep the surfaces locked together, the elasticity that allows the crust to withstand strain, and the stress state that can cause it to fail In the new research, published in the journal Science Advances, scientists studied the 2012 earthquake off the coast of North Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 8.6, is known to have been followed by two earthquakes in Japan with a magnitude greater than 5.5.
  
  The researchers studied data from strain metre readings, GPS equipment, and information on seismicity -- or the number of small-magnitude earthquakes -- in the region, as well as the migration of the earthquakes. They found that the two triggered quakes with a magnitude of greater than 5.5 were part of a cluster of activity in the area in the days after the Indian Ocean event.
  
  This region of the Earth's crust was already critically stressed following the major Japanese earthquake of 2011, so the additional stress, albeit temporary, caused by the surface wave passing through, was enough to trigger another cluster of quakes.
  
  When a fault fails and an earthquake occurs, it also pushes into the neighboring region, reducing the available space and compressing the crust in this area.
  
  So the researchers also looked for signs of compressive stress in this region of Japan following the Indian Ocean earthquake. They found signs that cracks in the rock under the Japanese mainland were closing as a result of compressive stress, increasing the shear strength of the crust.
  
• Underworld don Chhota Rajan arrested in Indonesia on India's request: CBIFugitive Chhota Rajan has been arrested in Indonesia after decades on the run. Wanted over a series of murders in India, Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, alias Chhota Rajan was detained by Indonesian authorities on 25th October, as he arrived in the popular resort island of Bali.
  
  Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju said that Underworld don Chhota Rajan was arrested after a close coordination among the agencies of India, Indonesia and Australia. He said, now the CBI will further process deportation of Rajan.
  
• European leaders agree to refugee welcome centresEuropean leaders at an emergency summit in Brussels agreed to create another one lakh spaces in refugee welcome centres. The heads of 11 EU states and three non-EU countries met to discuss how to handle growing number of migrants. Under the deal, Greece will open reception centres with enough room for thirty thousand migrants by the end of the year.
  
  The UN's refugee body, the UNHCR, will provide another twenty thousand spaces in the same time. It will also add another reception centres with fifty thousand spaces in Balkan countries, which are the most popular routes north for migrants looking to travel north to Germany and Scandinavia.
  
  More than nine thousand migrants arrived in Greece every day last week, the highest rate so far this year.
  
• UN Security Council reforms process gets new chairUnited Nations Security Council UNSC reforms process is now having a new chair. Luxembourg envoy to the UN Sylvie Lucas has been appointed as the next chair of the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on UNSC reforms. The move comes ahead of the next round of negotiations that are beginning in the first week of November.
  
  Lucas replaces Ambassador Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica who had achieved a breakthrough of sorts by putting on the table a negotiating text that contained the positions of various UN members on expansion of the council.
  
  Ahead of the IGN talks, General Assembly 70th anniversary session president Morgens Lykketoft said he will convene a plenary debate on question of equitable representation and increase in the membership of the UN Security Council on October 30.
  
• 191 members vote resolution condemning US embargo on CubaIndia along with 190 other members of the UN General Assembly, UNGA, has voted in support of a resolution condemning an economic embargo imposed by the US on Cuba. It is stated that existence of such restrictions undermines multi-lateralism and credibility of the UN.
  
  In a near unanimous vote, the 193-member United Nations General Assembly on 27th October adopted the resolution renewing its call for an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the US against Cuba. Israel and the US were the only two countries to vote against the resolution.
  
  The Assembly, however, welcomed the resumption of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba announced last July and the willingness of US President Barack Obama to work towards the lifting of the economic, financial and trade embargo against Cuba.
  
• Fuel agreement inked with ChinaNepal signed its first fuel agreement with China on 28th October to supply petroleum to ease a crippling shortage after protests blocked imports from sole supplier India. Scores of trucks have been stranded at a key India-Nepal border checkpoint for more than a month, cutting off vital supplies and forcing fuel rationing across the landlocked Himalayan nation.
  
  The shortages have led to overnight queues at gas stations in the Nepalese capital and prompted the government to turn to its northern neighbour for help, ending a decades-long monopoly by India as tensions deepen between India and Nepal.
  
• China abandons its decades old 'one child policy'China will allow all couples to have two children, abandoning its decades-long one-child policy, according to a communique issued on 29th October by the ruling Communist Party. The restriction was introduced in 1980 as a way to curb the population and limit demands for water and other resources.
  
  The controversial policy restricted most couples to only a single offspring, and for years authorities argued that it was a key contributor to China's economic boom.
  
• Human rights violation: Sri Lanka decides to set up Committee The Sri Lanka government has decided to set up an All Religious Committee to facilitate national and religious reconciliation and implement UN recommendations on human right violations.
  
  The decision was announced by President Maithripala Sirisena during a special discussion with religious leaders of all faiths at the Presidential Secretariat.
  
  The leaders were called to discuss the United Nations Human Rights Council proposals on accountability for war crimes and reconciliation.
  
  This was a part of consultation process that Sri Lankan government is undertaking before setting up institutions to address rights violations allegations and demands for political reconciliation.
  
  President called for national unity to face the challenges and informed the religious leaders of the opinions expressed by various political parties on the issue during the all-party meet held earlier in October, 2015.
  
• Russian plane crashes in Sinai killing all 224 people on board A Russian airliner has crashed in central Sinai killing all 224 people on board. The Airbus A-321 had just taken off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on 31st October, on its way to the Russian city of St Petersburg. Russian authorities said it was carrying 217 passengers, 17 of them children, and seven crew.
  
  A commission headed by Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov is to leave for Egypt. According to reports, Egypt's Prime Minister Sharif Ismail had a meeting with ministers and security officials regarding the crash. Sinai is the scene of an insurgency by militants who support Islamic State. Russia launched air raids against Syrian opposition groups including Islamic State on September 30.
  
  But Egyptian security sources said there was no indication that the Airbus jet had been shot down or blown up. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for downing the Russian passenger plane in the Sinai peninsula.
  
• European Parliament votes in favor of ‘dropping charges’ against SnowdenThe European Parliament has called on EU member states to drop all criminal charges against Edward Snowden and protect him against extradition to the United States.
  
  MEPs voted 285 votes to 281 in favour of a resolution that the NSA whistleblower should be allowed to seek safe asylum in the EU. The resolution, which isn't binding, is nonetheless a strong signal from MEP's that EU member states should grant Snowden protection. MEPs voting in favour of the measures described Snowden as a "human rights defender" and urged member states to "drop any criminal charges" against him.
  
  National:
• Govt appoints review committee to look into Non-NET and NET fellowshipsGovernment has appointed a Review Committee to go into the issues related to the research fellowships provided by the University Grants Commission, covering National Eligibility Test, NET and Non-NET fellowships. The Review Committee will submit its report to the Ministry by year-end.
  
  Human Resource Development Ministry in a release said all existing and continuing fellowships, NET as well as Non-NET will be continued. It said, the Ministry is in the process of reviewing the current research framework, efforts, opportunities, quality and output.
  
  All India National Eligibility Test, a competitive examination is conducted twice a year by the UGC. The Non-NET Fellowship Scheme was introduced by the UGC in 2006. It is presently limited only to fifty institutions including Central Universities and those with Potential for Excellence.
  
• Kullu Natti all set to enter Guinness Book of World Record In Himachal Pradesh, the Kullu Natti, Pride of Kullu is all set to enter the Guinness Book of World Record as the largest Folk Dance in the world. The London Office of the Guinness Book of World Record has given its final approval to all the preparations made by the Kullu Dussehra Committee for this attempt of the largest folk dance.
  
  The folk dance will be dedicated to the theme of Girl Child and participants would take a pledge to work for the cause of girl child. More than 13,000 men and women participants have registered for this Natti dance. In their traditional colourful dress they will perform at Dhalpur grounds to make this world record. More than 20 cameras including some drone cameras have been setup in the area to take different shots of the dance.
  
• Rose Garden in Chanakyapuri inaugurated External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on 25th October inaugurated India-Africa Friendship Rose Garden developed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) at Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri.
  
• Hyderabad, ‘the best Indian city to live in’ leaving behind Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore Hyderabad was included in the list of the Best Indian city to live in, by Mercer’s Quality of Living Report of 2015. Earlier, Hyderabad was named as the ‘City of Pearls’ and now as the ‘Numero Uno City’. In this report, Hyderabad is said to be the city which has the best quality of living standards.
  
  Mercer, which conducts its quality of living survey annually to help multinational companies and other employers compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments, the release said. Hyderabad leaves behind Delhi. Hyderabad was ranked 138th position globally by the Mercer report. Hyderabad beat many other cities in India like Pune (145), IT Hub Bangalore (146), Chennai (141), Mumbai (152) and India’s Capital New Delhi (154).
  
  This report was prepared considering many aspects like political and social environment, medical care and health considerations, public services, recreation facilities and natural environment. The reason behind ranking Hyderabad ahead of traditional business centers was given by the Mercer report. This pointed out that Indian cities were ‘safer’ than most others in South Asia.
  
• First-ever Hindi atlas on Mars Mission releasedUnion Minister of state for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh released the first-ever Hindi atlas on India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) on 26th October.
  
• Heritage development projects approved for 8 cities The Centre on 27th October said heritage development projects have been approved for eight cities--Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer, Dwaraka, Badami, Vellankini, Warangal and Amaravati at a cost of Rs 431 crore. Action plans under Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) for eight cities have been approved at a total cost of Rs 431 crore.
  
• Supreme Court refuses to ban firecrackersThe Supreme Court on 28th October refused to put a ban on firecrackers. However, the apex court directed the Centre to publish Pollution awareness advertisements from October 31 to November 12. The order came in response to public interest litigation. The Apex Court ruled that bursting of crackers is allowed from 6 AM to 10 PM.
  
• CPCB recommends strict enforcement: The Central Pollution Control Board, CPCB, has recommended strict enforcement of stopping use of firecrackers after 10 pm. The recommendation comes amidst concern for noise and air pollution during Diwali celebrations.
  
  CPCB conducted noise monitoring at 35 locations in seven cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bangalore and Hyderabad on the occasion of Diwali and pre-Diwali last year.
  
  The sound level ranged between 55 decibels to 65 decibels and maximum prescribed levels exceeded in Lucknow, Delhi followed by Mumbai and Chennai.
  
• Against commercial surrogacy: Govt tells Supreme CourtThe government told the Supreme Court that it does not support commercial surrogacy in order to protect the rights of surrogate mothers.
  
  In an affidavit, the government said “altruistic surrogacy to needy, infertile married Indian couples” will be allowed after thorough checks are done on the couples.
  
  On 26 October, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade restricted the import of human embryos to research purposes, as per guidelines issued by the department of health research (DHR), an arm of the health and family welfare ministry.
  
  As per a 2013 notification of the commerce ministry, which has since been withdrawn, human embryos could be freely imported, subject to a no-objection certificate from the Indian Council of Medical Research. This means foreigners can no longer avail of surrogacy services in India.
  
  The DHR guidelines suggested that only infertile married Indian couples ought to be allowed to avail of the surrogacy facility and not foreign couples.
  
  The affidavit also informed the court that DHR has framed a draft surrogacy bill which will cover state governments and Union territories. A copy of the draft Assisted Reproductive Techniques (Regulation) Bill, 2014 has been uploaded on DHR’s website for suggestions from the public and stakeholders.
  
• BARC, DRDO comes under Info: CICThe Central Information Commission has told the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and the Defence Research and Development Organisation that they cannot withhold information in the guise of national security.
  
  The decision, delivered on October 23, comes nearly a year after activists sought to ascertain the compliance of a August 2014 National Green Tribunal (NGT) verdict on the allotment of nearly 10,000 acres of grasslands for military, power generation and research purposes at Challakere in Central Karnataka. Even information regarding whether environment clearances, or plans to build pathways for villagers and to protect water bodies had been denied by DRDO and BARC.
  
  Apart from fining the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) Rs. 10,000 for “unduly delay,” Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu, termed ‘ridiculous’ the Ministry action in allowing BARC and DRDO to cite national security to withhold information.
  
  The CIC’s order have raised hope of residents and environment activists to stall military, defence and research institutes from coming up on the land.
  
• Nutrition bureau axedForty years after being established with a mandate to generate data on the nutritional status of socially vulnerable groups, the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) has been shut down by the Union Health Ministry.
  
  The bureau, under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had been critical in informing the government’s poverty alleviation interventions with periodic assessments of nutrient deficiency among tribal communities, pregnant women, adolescents and “at-risk” elderly population in India.
  
  The bureau was the only organisation involved in continuous collection of data on actual dietary intakes of households as a whole as well as by individuals belonging to different age and physiological groups in different States.
  
• KCR seeks amendment to Reorganisation ActTelangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on 28th October called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to highlight the bottlenecks in the State reorganisation Act to the detriment of the State.
  
  Among the issues, he highlighted that people had to enter into Andhra Pradesh and return to Telangana if they were to travel from Bhadrachalam to Dummugudem, Wajedu and Venkatpur. This was due to transfer of seven mandals in Bhadrachalam division to East and West Godavari districts by an ordinance, initially which was later made into an Amendment Act.
  
  The transfer of the mandals had also led to an imbalance in the Bhadrachalam Parliamentary and Assembly constituency. The Reorganisation Act had also envisaged increase in the number of Assembly constituencies of Telangana from 119 to 153 and that of AP from 175 to 225. Hence, Mr. Rao appealed to Mr. Singh to enact another amendment to the Act, it was stated. Mr. Rao also requested allotment of more IAS and IPS officers to the State as it was set to increase the number of districts up to 13 or 14. The State will require additional Collectors, Joint Collectors, Superintendents and Additional Superintendents of Police for the new districts.
  
• Andhra Pradesh Govt. declares 196 of 670 mandals in the state as drought affectedThe Andhra Pradesh government has declared 196 of the 670 mandals in the state as drought affected in the present Kharif season. The 196 mandals are spread over seven districts of Srikakulam, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool.
  
  The government, after studying the recommendations of the Committee on Drought and keeping in view the reports furnished by the District Collectors announced these mandals as drought hit.
  
  The State, during the southwest monsoon active period of 1 June to 30 September this year, received 519.7 mm of rainfall as against the normal rainfall of 549.1 mm with a deviation of -5.4 per cent.
  
• Govt clears Defence projects worth over Rs 10,000 crThe apex decision making body in the Defence Ministry cleared procurement proposals worth over Rs 10,000 crore, including the engine and avionics upgrade of 26 IL-76 and IL-38 aircraft. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar also approved the proposals for purchasing two Pinaka multi barrel rocket launchers, two Deep Submergence Rescue Vessels (DSRV) and four multipurpose vessels for Navy.
  
• Not a single study conducted before cleaning river Ganga: NGTNoting that not a single study was conducted before the execution of cleaning Ganga river, the National Green Tribunal on 29th October stated that the time has come to issue "appropriate directions" in connection with the matter and it will not "tolerate any laxity and deficiency" in the matter. The bench, headed by the Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, said cleaning Ganga was the project of paramount importance, which has also been stressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  
• 93 pc adults voluntarily possess Aadhaar: UIDAIUnique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on 30th October said 93 percent of adults in India voluntarily possess Aadhaar number as per a recent finding. To achieve universal Aadhaar coverage, the UIDAI is now focusing on child enrolment, besides mopping up remaining persons.
  
  UIDAI having issued first Aadhaar number on 29th September 2010, has till date generated more than 92.68 crore Aadhaar in just five years' time.
  
• National Tribal Advisory Council to be set upThe government has decided to set up a National Tribal Advisory Council for effecting monitoring and implementation of various tribal welfare schemes. This was announced by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram. The council will be chaired by the Prime Minister, and will meet once or twice in a year.
  
  The Minister stressed the need for more effective community participation for the success of various tribal welfare schemes. He said that we cannot achieve significant results, unless we involve members of the society in the implementation process of various schemes.
  
• India's first airport radio 'Mirchi T3' launchedDelhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) in association with Radio Mirchi on 30th October launched the India's first airport radio, Mirchi T3. The passengers at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport's Terminal 3 will get a chance to hear songs.
  
• Govt commissions survey of sanitation scenario in 75 major citiesUnion Urban Development Ministry has commissioned a survey of sanitation scenario in 75 major cities of the country including 53 with a population of above 10 lakhs each and state capitals. This is the first such survey since the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission (clean India programme) in October, 2014.
  
  Seventy-five major cities includes 10 cities in Maharashtra, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, 5 in Gujarat, 4 each in Tamil Nadu and Delhi, 3 each in Kerala, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and West Bengal
  
  The survey parameters have been aligned with the objectives of clean India mission with more focus on solid waste management which is adversely impacting cleanliness in urban areas, as per the direction of Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
  
  The proposed survey and subsequent ratings to be completed in January next year is aimed at fostering a spirit of competition among the major cities and state capitals in 29 states and Chandigarh to ensure sanitation in urban areas.
  
  In the proposed survey for rating of 75 major cities accounting for over 50 per cent of countrys total urban population, solid waste management is being given 60 per cent weightage followed by 15 per cent each for availability and use of household individual toilets and public and community toilets besides five per cent each for city level sanitation plans and Information, Education and Behaviour Change Communication (IEBC) activities.
  
  Under the mission, about Rs 37,000 crore of the projects cost of Rs 62,009 crore is to be incurred on solid waste management.
  
  In the last survey for ranking of 476 cities with a population of above one lakh each which was commissioned before the launch of the mission across the country, solid waste management had a weightage of only 13 per cent.
  
• Tensions, controversial comments should be controlled: MoodyNoting that there has been a rise in “ethnic tensions” and “controversial comments” from various members of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Moody’s Analytics said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must keep his party members in check or risk losing domestic and global credibility.
  
  Looking beyond the business cycle, the government’s reform agenda needs attention to achieve long-term growth, it said in a report ‘India Outlook: Searching for Potential’.
  
  Though the agency remained optimistic about the economy and pegged the growth rate at 7.6 per cent in 2015 and 2016, it said it is unclear whether India can deliver the promised reforms and hit its growth potential. The economy grew at 7.3 per cent in the quarter ended September 30, Moody’s said, adding that this is below the potential of 9-10 per cent growth. While low interest rates will buttress the economy in the short term, external headwinds are impacting exports, it said.
  
• Panel on new education policyFormer Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian will be the principal architect of the new policy that will chart the future course of education in India. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) is set to announce the constitution of a five-member committee that will be entrusted with the responsibility of drafting the country’s third National Education Policy (NEP) since Independence. The panel will be headed by Subramanian and will have four other retired bureaucrats as its members.
  
  Shailaja Chandra, who retired as the chief secretary of Delhi government, and Sudhir Mankad, who served as the chief secretary of Gujarat from 2005 to 2007, will also be part of the drafting panel.
  
  The first Education Policy was introduced in 1968 under the Indira Gandhi government following recommendations of the Kothari Commission. In 1986, Rajiv Gandhi announced the second policy on education which resulted in Operation Blackboard, a centrally-sponsored programme to supply the bare minimum crucial facilities to all primary schools.
  
  In 1992, this policy was modified under the prime ministership of P V Narsimha Rao. The Subramanian panel will assess the status of the present education scenario, review the impact of the 1986 policy and the amended education policy of 1992, assimilate the feedback based on grassroot-level consultations and draft a new one keeping in mind the changed social, economic and technological context.
  
  The committee will be asked to submit its report by year end.
  
  The HRD Ministry, under Smriti Irani, had earlier this year launched nation-wide consultations, at gram panchayat, block, district and state level, to collect feedback and suggestions for the new policy. This feedback will be provided to the drafting committee.
  
  Bilateral:
• India-Africa Forum Summit begins in New Delhi The 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit kicked off in New Delhi on 26th October with a meeting among the senior officials of the host nation and 54 countries from the African continent.
  
  The 4 day summit starting 26th of October will end on 29 of October. In a major diplomatic coup Delhi has managed to get all African countries on board for the summit.
  
  Issues like tackling piracy, joint action plan on terrorism, enhancing cooperation on WTO and a major push for reforms at the UNSC are high on the agenda. The two previous India-Africa summits were held in 2008 and 2011, in New Delhi and Addis Ababa but with only representative participation from African countries.
  
• PM holds bilateral talks with Heads of African nationsIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28th October held bilateral talks with heads of several African nations during which UN reforms, combating challenge of terrorism and boosting trade and investment, particularly in oil and gas sector, figured prominently. The African leaders appreciated India's development projects in the continent and sought deepening of ties in diverse sectors including health care, education and capacity building.
  
  The heads of state and government of African countries are in India to participate in the India Africa Forum Summit tomorrow. There was a detailed discussion between South African President Zuma and Indian Prime Minister on ways to tackle threat of terrorism, with both stressing that there was a need for concrete strategy to fight the menace in a united way.
  
  The South African leader said coming together of African countries with India showed to the world that they no longer are dependent on former colonial powers. The Prime Minister also met President of Zimbabwe, and Chairman of African Union Robert Mugabe. Both the leaders discussed issues of common interest, including UN reforms and the threat of terrorism.
  
  Mr Mugabe is the co-chair for the India Africa Forum Summit, and the two leaders reviewed the preparations for the Summit. The Prime Minister also met President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana during which both sides reviewed the warm bilateral ties.
  
  Growing bilateral trade came up for discussion and both leaders stressed on the need to step up engagement in sectors like agriculture, IT, skill development, cyber security and maritime security
  
  Other important points
  • The India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is set to bring smiles to the families of Indian citizens held as prisoners in African nations of Togo and Nigeria.
  • A day ahead of the formal summit meeting, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held a record 31 structured bilateral meetings with visiting African leaders separately, discussing issues of extending more line of credit (LoC), boosting trade and investment and also combating challenges of terrorism and working together to push reforms at the United Nations.
  • During his meeting with the Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, Modi specifically raised the issue of 11 Indian prisoners, arrested last year for sailing into that country's waters. Their ship had left Ghana for Cameroon and due to technical snag, was forced to anchor in the Port of Brass.
  • On July 25 last year, the Nigerian navy arrested the workers of the ship and handed them over to the Economic Financial Crime Commission of Nigeria.
  • Earlier Swaraj raised the issue of five Indian prisoners held in Togo with its foreign minister Robert Dussey. Togo foreign minister told Swaraj that his country would look into chances of presidential pardon as well, to expedite release of Indian prisoners.
  • A common theme running across all the meetings was African leaders asking India to ensure to setup a monitoring mechanism and regular follow ups so that aid and Line of Credit is disbursed quickly to accentuate completion of projects.
  • They highlighted that due to complexity of procedures and lack of communication and absence of regular monitoring, commitments are getting derailed, even though they appreciated India's development projects in the continent and sought deepening of ties in diverse sectors including healthcare, education and capacity building.
  • There was also an agreement to work together to ensure reforms at the United Nations. Foreign Minister of Mauritius Usha Dwarka Canabady added a new dimension demanding Indian support to the small island developing states for a dedicated seat at the UN Security Council.
  • In his meeting, South African President Jacob Zuma said it was important that all like minded countries come together to ensure reform of the UN, observing that many conflicts in the world including the Syrian crisis could not be resolved because of veto powers of the UNSC member countries.
  • The South African leader also said coming together of African countries with India showed to the world that they no longer are dependent on former colonial powers.
  • The Prime Minister also met Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, and Chairman of African Union. Mugabe is the co-chair for the India Africa Forum Summit, and the two leaders reviewed the preparations for the Summit.
  
  
• India, Africa must work together to strengthen international regime against terrorismIndian President Pranab Mukherjee has said that India and Africa have to work together to strengthen the international regime against terrorism. Speaking at the 3rd India Africa Forum Summit, Mr Mukherjee said, terrorism knows no boundaries and has no ideology except that of wanton destruction.
  
  The President said the Summit is a demonstration of the importance India attaches to its relations with Africa. The active participation of all countries of Africa at this Forum reflects the desire of member countries to build an enduring partnership between both side and there peoples.
  
• Commitment for comprehensive Reforms of UNSCThe 4-day India-Africa Forum Summit came to a close on 29th October, with both sides adopting Delhi Declaration 2015 and India-Africa Framework for Strategic Co-operation. The Delhi Declaration calls for continued collaboration in peace and security, and strengthening the UN counter terrorism mechanism.
  
  The India-Africa Framework for Strategic Cooperation reaffirms strong commitment to work together for comprehensive Reforms of the United Nations system, including its Security Council, to make it more regionally representative, democratic, accountable and effective.
  
  Ahead of the crucial climate change summit in Paris, both sides urged developed nations to undertake mitigation measures to reduce carbon emissions. India and Africa also pledged to continue promoting investment and trade through opening of new markets and raising the level of economic partnership.
  
• India promises $10-bn line of credit to AfricaTo strengthen ties with African countries and counter the growing influence of China in that region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a concessional credit grant of $10 billion to Africa through the next five years.
  
  India will also offer a grant assistance of $600 million. This will include an India-Africa development fund of $100 million and an India-Africa health fund of $10 million. It will also include 50,000 scholarships in India through the next five years. And, it will support the expansion of the pan-Africa e-network and institutions of skilling, training and learning across Africa.
  
• New waterways to link India, Bangladesh on cardsIndia has kicked off the process to open new waterways with Bangladesh, a move that would facilitate the movement of people, goods and machinery between them and hugely help land-locked northeastern India.
  
  According to union Minister for DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) Jitendra Singh, India is prioritising multi-modal connectivity in the northeastern region, including water connectivity, and already 16 waterway projects, mostly involving Bangladesh, have been approved for this region.
  
  India is now implementing the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit-Transport Project through Sittwe port in Myanmar to resolve the connectivity problem in the mountainous northeast region.
  
  Economy:
• Department of Heavy Industries comes out with draft national policy on capital goodsThe Department of Heavy Industries has come out with draft national policy on capital goods. This is the first time that such a policy is being framed after active consultation with industry associations.
  
  According to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises the policy is focused on the most critical sector for achieving the vision of Make in India.
  
  This Policy on Capital Goods is envisaged to unlock the potential for this promising sector and establish India as a global manufacturing hub.
  
• NITI Aayog panel raps business environment A panel of experts asked by the NITI Aayog to examine the current initiatives on innovation and entrepreneurship in India has found the country's business environment unfriendly and not conducive for corporate investment.
  
  Complicated tax regime, difficulty in shutting down failing businesses, weak intellectual property regime, unfavourable regulatory frame-work, complex and cumbersome labour laws and infrastructure defict all create barriers to entrepreneurship, the report said.
  
  To change this, the panel wants the government to have a thorough look at the Companies Act, review Section 56 of the Income Tax Act in terms of investment by angel investors in start-ups, frame a bankruptcy law to tackle the bad debts of banks and undertake reforms in the labour sector.
  
  Headed by academician Tarun Khanna and comprising representatives from corporate India, including Swati Piramal of Piramal Enterprises, the panel was entrusted with the task of framing a detailed contours for the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Self Employment and Talent Utilisation, both announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the 2014-15 Union Budget, with an initial outlay of Rs 150 crore and Rs 1,000 crore, respectively.
  
  Section 56 of the I-T Act, it has said, greatly impacts the fair market valuation norms on angel investments. Under the current rule, introduced in the Finance Act of 2012, capital raised by an unlisted company from any individual against an issue of shares in excess of fair market value would be taxable as "income from other sources". Start-ups are liable to pay 33 per cent tax on any investment they receive.
  
  As for the Companies Act, it is actually only around three years old, having replaced the earlier legislation of 1956, with several amendments. The Niti Aayog panel wants it to be further changed, to distinguish between closely held private companies, public companies, and publicly listed companies.
  
  It also wanted changes in the Act to lift a ban on employee stock options to independent directors of unlisted companies. "Such rules deter talented and experienced individuals from taking up these positions," the report said.
  
  As for the proposed bankruptcy law, it said this would be a key for improving access to capital. The aim is to allow faster closure of troubled businesses and give creditors easier and faster exit options. Therefore, it should expedite the cleansing of bank balance sheets, and allow fresh lending.
  
  The report said AIM should be headed by the vice-chairman of NITI Aayog and secretaries from seven major ministries should form its board of directors. Of these, four should have voting rights.
  
  To improve access to capital, the committee favoured granting of more bank licences, deepening the corporate bond market, giving a level playing field for offshore and onshore private equity and venture capital, and a stable and transparent regulatory and taxation regime.
  
  For the corporate sector, the report also recommended a "central identification number", where all other corporate identities such as tax-payer identification number for commercial taxes and service tax number would converge.
  
  It said as part of labour law reforms, employers should be given a choice of compliance under the Factories Act or the Shops and Establishments Act in all non-hazardous industries, and all the 44 central labour laws should be consolidated into four labour codes.
  
  It wanted the Trade Unions Act to be amended to reduce, if not remove, the role of outsiders in TUs because the politicisation of trade unions is toxic for the Make in India campaign, it felt. States should be encouraged to use Article 254 (2) of the Constitution (whereby they may, with central assent, legislate matter where there is already Union legislation) to amend labour laws.
  
  To prevent the growth of unaccounted money, the committee recommended, creation of an online nationwide portal for the registration of all land purchase, sale deals by all entities and their beneficiaries, within 48 hours of a transaction, with strict penal provisions.
  
  India's intellectual property regime (IPR) is weak, and a deterrent to innovation. It ranks at the bottom of the US Chamber of Commerce's Global Intellectual Property Center's ranking of 25 countries, in terms of its intellectual property environment. To change this, the committee said enforcement of IPR laws should be made more prompt.
  
  It said that apart from issues related to infrastructure and capital, business leaders often complain of a slow and inefficient bureaucracy, which leads to delay in decisions and in implementation. To overcome these, the panel in the short term has favoured incentivising those innovations which provide low-cost solutions to India's most intractable problems.
  
  On education and skilling, the committee said the private sector can be tapped to fund research and development at universities and one per cent of corporate profit could be directed towards research labs for this. To improve the standard of education, it favoured a system of annual assessment of schools and faculty on basic science, maths and literacy, on the lines of the one being done in Pratham's Annual Status of Education Report.
  
  On skilling, the report said the number of apprentices needs to be increased to 10 million a year from the current 400,000. And, employment exchanges need to be converted to career centres (last year, the 1,200 exchanges led to only 300,000 jobs for the 40 mn registered).
  
• Trade facilitation pact can boost global exports by $1 tn: WTOFull implementation of the trade facilitation agreement (TFA) reached in December 2013 could increase global merchandise exports by up to $1 trillion annually, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said in a report on 26th October.
  
  The overall boost to world export growth per annum has been estimated at up to 2.7 percent due to the TFA deal on standardising global customs procedures, which was the first multilateral agreement concluded by the WTO, it said. The TFA approved by 160 WTO members in Geneva in November aims to streamline and harmonise customs procedures to bring an estimated saving of over $1 trillion annually.
  
  The agreement will come into force when two-thirds of the 161 WTO members have ratified it. Fifty have done it so far. An agreement between India and the US last year opened the way for a consensus on the TFA which eluded the WTO members.
  
  India has asked for a permanent solution to the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes and not restricted for a period of four years as decided earlier during the WTO ministerial meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in 2013.
  
• Central schemes: NITI Aayog panel for more funding flexibility for StatesA NITI Aayog sub-group has suggested increasing the flexi-fund component of centrally-sponsored schemes (CSS) to 25 per cent from the current 10.
  
  This would give more flexibility to States to spend on development and social welfare schemes, said Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Convenor of the NITI Aayog’s sub-group of Chief Ministers on ‘Rationalisation of Centrally-sponsored Schemes’, after submitting the report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27th October.
  
  ‘Flexi-fund’ was introduced in January 2014 to give States more leeway to meet local needs and requirements within the overall objective of each programme. The fund is also for piloting innovations, improving efficiencies, and mitigation/restoration activities in case of natural calamities.
  
  On the funding pattern, Chouhan said that it should remain the same for core schemes, at 90:10 (wherein 90 per cent comes from the Centre and 10 per cent from States), for 11 special category States, and 60:40 for other States. For optional schemes, it suggested a funding pattern of 80:20 for special category States and 50:50 for others.
  
  The report also elaborates on how the funding will continue for projects where work has been partially completed. The sub-group has suggested splitting CSS into three categories for deciding the funding pattern. However, for schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act, it has suggested maintaining the same funding pattern.
  
  The sub-group was constituted on March 9, after the first meeting of the governing council of the NITI Aayog, headed by the Prime Minister, took a decision on February 8.
  
  The sub-group was tasked with examining the existing CSS and recommending measures for ensuring their proper implementation. The sub-group was also asked to recommend measures for coordination between the Centre and the States in the backdrop of the Finance Commission’s suggestion to increase devolution of taxes to the states and higher revenue deficit grants.
  
• India jumps 12 spots on World Bank's ease of doing business listIndia has jumped 12 spots in the World Bank's rankings in terms of ease of doing business. For 2016, India has been ranked 130th on a list of 189 countries, compared with a ranking of 142nd this year, the steepest rise seen by the country in recent years.
  
  The rise was primarily on account of improvement in two areas - ease of starting a business and securing an electricity connection.
  
  In 2014, the government of India launched an ambitious programme of regulatory reform, aimed at making it easier to do business. Spanning a range of areas measured by 'Doing Business', the programme represents a great deal of effort to create a more business-friendly environment, particularly in Delhi and Mumbai," said the report, titled Doing Business 2016, Measuring Regulatory Quality and Efficiency.
  
  Singapore retained the top spot in the rankings, followed by New Zealand, Denmark and South Korea. While China's ranking improved from 90th to 84th, Pakistan fell 10 positions to 138th from 128th last year.
  
  The World Bank ranks countries on 10 parameters - starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority shareholders, paying taxes, enforcing contracts, trading across borders and resolving insolvency.
  
  For India, the ranking covers data from Delhi and Mumbai, with weights of 53 per cent and 47 per cent, respectively. In terms of starting a business, India's ranking improved to 155th from 158th last year, essentially on account of elimination of minimum capital requirement, which was 111.2 per cent of income per capita till last year.
  
• India ranked 8th in protecting minority investor interests; betters US, JapanIndia is the eighth best country in the world when it comes to protecting the interests of minority investors, says a World Bank report titled Doing Business 2016.
  
  It measures the strength of minority shareholder protections against misuse of corporate assets by directors for their personal gains as well as shareholder rights, governance safeguards and corporate transparency requirements that reduce the risk of abuse.
  
  The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2015. India is ahead of many developed and major developing nations, including the US (35th rank), Japan (36), Germany (49) and Australia (66).
  
  The World Bank gave India a score of 6.7 out of 10 with regard to extent of conflict of interest regulations index, 8 on 10 for extent of shareholder governance index and 7.3 on 10 for strength of minority investor protection index.
  
  While Singapore topped the rank in protecting minority investors, New Zealand and Hong Kong jointly hold the first position; Malaysia and the UK share the fourth position, followed by Canada and Slovenia. India along with Albania, Ireland, Israel, Mongolia and Korea share the eighth position.
  
  India’s position in the Ease of Doing Business index also improved to 130 among 189 countries and the number of days to start a business has come down dramatically to 29 in 2015 from 127 in 2004.
  
• IMF, World Bank must reflect rise of developing economies: IndiaUnited Nations India has called for reforming the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reflect the rise of the developing and transitional economies and give them more say in governance.
  
  The share of the developing and economies in transition in the world gross domestic product has increased from 39 percent in 2008-2010 to 49 percent in 2012-14, but the shareholding patterns at the financial institutions have not kept pace with the change, Amit Narang, a counsellor at the Indian Mission told a session of the General Assembly committee that deals with economic and financial matters on 27th October.
  
  As for the IMF, he said it was facing an "unprecedented situation" having failed to implement the quota of shares set during the last review in 2010 even as the time has come for the next review.
  
  The Republican-controlled US Congress has blocked the implementation of the new quota structure, which would increase the shares of India, Brazil, Russia and China-the BRIC countries-putting them among the 10 largest shareholders of the IMF. The share quotas determine the voting power and access to funding.
  
  He also criticised the Financing for Development Conference for "formalising the status quo which effectively keeps out the voices of a large number of countries" in the Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development.
  
• Govt to launch 100 highway projects through PPP Government will launch 100 highway projects through Public-private partnership next year. According to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari the government will float tenders for about 18 projects by December. The minister added Forty per cent cost will be borne by the government while 60 per cent will be funded by the private investor in PPP mode. Of the 60 per cent, banks will provide 30 per cent of the requirement.
  
• World Bank maintains 7.5% GDP growth forecast for India in FY16The World Bank has maintained its growth forecast for India at 7.5 per cent for 2015-16, but marginally lowered the projections for 2016-17 and 2017-18 to 7.8 per cent and 7.9 per cent, respectively. The projection is, however, more optimistic than by other agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, which has pegged India’s GDP (gross domestic product) growth at 7.3 per cent this fiscal. The earlier Update, released in April, had pegged GDP growth at 7.9 per cent next fiscal and at 8 per cent in 2017-18. Though India is well positioned to weather the global volatility in the short term, the country will not remain immune to a slowdown in global demand and heightened volatility in the medium term, it noted. The World Bank also called for three crucial reforms in the economy to boost growth — improving the asset quality of banks; rolling out the goods and services tax (GST); and improving service delivery by States and local bodies.
  
  Underlining challenges before the economy, the report said the government’s efforts to lower the fiscal deficit next year onwards beyond the targeted 3.9 per cent of GDP this fiscal may have limited impact.
  
  Global crude oil prices are unlikely to fall further, mounting payments from contingent liabilities from the infrastructure sector, and implementations of the Seventh Pay Commission report would take a toll on the finances.
  
  Terming the additional levies of excise duty on petrol and diesel this year as “implicit carbon tax”, the World Bank said that pricing reforms have led to a reduction in emissions. The petroleum subsidy burden came down from 1.4 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 to 0.2 per cent in 2015-16, while excise duties for petrol and diesel increased by an average of 130 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2014-15 (year-on-year).
  
• RBI allows NRIs to subscribe to National Pension SystemTo enable Indians living abroad to access old age income security, the Reserve Bank of India has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to subscribe to the National Pension System (NPS). NRIs may subscribe to the NPS governed and administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), provided such subscriptions are made through normal banking channels.
  
  The subscription amounts shall be paid by the NRIs either by inward remittance through normal banking channels or out of funds held in their NRE/FCNR/NRO account.
  
• RBI grants permission to Indian corporate to issue rupee denominated bonds outside IndiaThe RBI has granted permission to the Indian corporate to issue rupee denominated bonds outside India. According to the Finance Ministry, the matter of taxation of income from such bonds under Income-tax Act has been considered by the Government.
  
  The government also clarified that the taxation of interest income from these INR off-shore bonds in the case of non-resident investors is 5 percent, which is in the nature of final tax and it would be applicable in the same way as it is applicable for off-shore dollar denominated bond.
  
  The government also decided the Capital gains, arising in case of appreciation of rupee between the date of Issue and the date of redemption against the foreign currency in which the investment is made, would be exempted from capital gains tax.
  
• Centre announces draft aviation policyThe centre on 30th October announced draft aviation policy aimed at popularizing air travel among the people. The draft proposes to improve air connectivity among the smaller cities.
  
  Airlines will not be allowed to charge more than 2500 rupees for one hour flight between two small cities. As per the new draft, about 300 airports and air strips in smaller cities could be operationalized.
  
  The draft says the government will provide money for it by setting up a special fund. To boost the aviation sector, the draft proposes tax incentives to airlines by giving them custom exception on aviation fuel. The policy aims to bring India to third position from the current 10th position in the global aviation sector.
  
  Government has proposed a slew of tax incentives for airlines and maintenance works in the draft civil aviation policy unveiled on 30th October. It has proposed hiking FDI in domestic airlines to over 50 per cent in open skies policy, which is 49 per cent at present. Under open skies policy, overseas airlines can operate unlimited number of flights into and out of India.
  
  The policy proposes to put service tax at zero to promote Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul, MRO facility in order to develop India as an MRO hub in Asia.
  
  It also seeks to revive under-served airstrips and build no-frills airports at a cost of 50 crore rupees under Regional Connectivity Scheme. The Draft Policy proposes two per cent levy on all domestic and overseas tickets for funding the Scheme. Another proposal is to cap fare at 2,500 rupees for one-hour flight under regional connectivity scheme.
  
  The policy proposes separate regulations for helicopters from the first of April, 2016. Centre will support growth of helicopters for remote area connectivity, intra-city movement, tourism, law enforcement, disaster relief and medical evacuation.
  
  However, the government has decided to seek more comments from stakeholders before taking a final call on 5/20 norms - whereby local airlines can fly overseas only when they have five years operational experience and at least a fleet of 20 aircraft.
  
  Other policy reforms which have been envisaged are greater de regulation, transparency and e governance, aviation education and skill building, and promotion of sustainable aviation practices. The policy is open to comments from the industry and various stakeholders before being finalised.
  
• India's fiscal deficit reaches 68 pct of 2015/16 target India's fiscal deficit reached 3.79 trillion rupees ($58.1 billion) during April-September or 68.1 percent of the full-year target, government data showed on 30th October. The deficit amounted to 82.6 percent of the annual target in the same period a year ago. Net tax receipts stood at 3.7 trillion rupees in the first half of the fiscal year that ends in March 2016, while total spending touched 9.1 trillion rupees.
  
• India needs more action to support fiscal stability: IMFIndia needs to take further policy action to support external and fiscal stability in the future, and should focus on revenue-side measures and adopt additional structural reforms to sustain strong growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on 30th October.
  
  The IMF said, that since 2013, reductions in spending have fostered some improvement in fiscal deficit, and current account deficit has narrowed more than expected. More recently, economic activity has been strengthening, as business and consumer confidence have rallied in response to favourable policies and increased political certainty following the 2014 election, it said.
  
  Going forward, strong growth is expected to continue as a result of lower oil prices and favourable policy measures, though inflation expectations remain elevated despite relatively tight monetary policy and lower global commodity prices, IMF said.
  
  The main risks stem from a surge in global financial market volatility, slower-than-expected progress in addressing domestic supply-side bottlenecks, and a supply-induced spike in inflation, the IMF said.
  
  According to the report, in coming years the current account deficit is expected to remain stable as downward pressure on imports associated with lower oil prices should be largely offset by stronger domestic demand and stronger external demand should buoy exports.
  
  Still, recent increase in private investment could imply larger future external deficits, particularly if national saving does not increase, it noted. The IMF said there are several risks to economic stability, from both domestic and external factors.
  
• India among most corrupt in World Bank surveyIn a survey, conducted by World Bank, it found that, corruption prevailing in India at an alarm level. The survey noted that some lower income states have much higher incidence of corruption.
  • In a representative sample of 9,281 business establishments in the private sector in India that the World Bank interviewed between June 2013 and December 2014, 23 per cent of firms, across India, reported at least one bribe request across six regulatory and utility transactions i.e., bribery incidence.
  • The World Banks Enterprise Survey complements the ease of doing business (DB) report by capturing a broad range of business environment topics, some similar to the DB report such as access to finance and electricity and some not included in the DB report, though very critical to a business environment, such as corruption and crime.
  • Interestingly, Jharkhand and Rajasthan scored high in the sub-national ranking of states in ease of doing business, in a September World Bank report for all Indian states commissioned by the Modi government.
  • The World Bank data from 136 economies on the number of newly registered firms per year over the period 2004-2014 captured by the DB 2016 ranking shows Indias new business density at 0.12 for the year 2014, lower than Nepals 0.69 and Afghanistans 0.15.
  
  
• Filpkart opens warehouse in TelanganaLeading ecommerce company Flipkart , which opened its largest 'Automated fulfillment centre at Gundlapochampally in Medchal mandal, outskirts of Hyderabad in Telangana state, on 30th October, will go to public possibly in next 5 years. The 17th warehouse spread across 2.
  
• P&G to set up planning center in HyderabadThe American consumer goods behemoth Proctor & Gamble has proposed to establish a planning center with a100 highly skilled people in Telangana that would cater to the entire South Asia operations. P&G India managing director Rajwani met with Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and sought the government's cooperation to their local plans. The company already has a fabric and home care, beauty care, oral care and feminine care product manufacturing unit in 171-acre area on the city outskirts.
  
  The company would like to set up its planning center by recruiting 50 skilled professionals in the beginning and it would double its strength later, according to the chief minister's office. It was also planning to increase the number of employees at its manufacturing unit to 1,200 from the present 786 people.
  
  Science and Technology:
• Scientists detect alcohol from gas emitted by cometAn international team of Scientists has for the first time detected alcohol from gas emitted by a comet. Their article published could shed light on the cosmic origins of earth. The scientists from NASA, the Paris Observatory and other organizations found Comet Lovejoy was releasing as much alcohol as in 500 bottles of wine every second during its peak activity. Lovejoy passed closest to the Sun in January. The team used a huge radio telescope in Sierra Nevada in Spain to study the comet's atmosphere around that time. They detected 21 different organic molecules in gas from the comet including ethyl alcohol and simple sugar.
  
  The discovery of a complex organic presence on a comet may offer important clues to the hypothesis that a falling comet collided with earth, leading to the origins of life.
  
• Tsunami early Waring system in Mumbai successfully tested Nearly 11 years after the Boxing Day tsunami, in which more than 10,000 lives were lost in India, Mumbai on 26th October successfully tested its first Tsunami early warning system siren during which a 10-minute alert was sounded in South Mumbai. The newly installed Tsunami Early Warning System Siren was tested in south Mumbai.
  
  According to officials this test will now be carried out on regular basis between 12:00-12:10 pm on second and fourth Saturday of every month commencing November 1. The siren system has a digital electronic board that gives out data about the approaching tsunami. The siren has a radical range of three kms in all directions and it gives continuous hoot for one minute.
  
  The system is installed at the Meteorology Office of Western Naval Command by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Earth and Sciences (MoES), Government of India.
  
  The siren will be connected to and remotely controlled by INCOIS, Hyderabad and will operate in case of a possible Tsunami threat in the local region. India started its own interim tsunami warning centre in the first quarter of 2005 after the devastating tsunami of December 26, 2004.
  
• First Scorpene class submarine set afloatKalavari, the first of Scorpene class submarines being manufactured at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), was set afloat in the Mumbai naval dockyard, setting the stage for its sea trials, and eventual commissioning on schedule in September 2016.
  
  The submarine mounted on a pontoon was moved out of submarine yard at the MDL, and it was set afloat in the naval dockyard on Thursday after a ceremony to mark the milestone. Scorpene submarines are 67 meters long, 6.2 meters wide and have 1,550 tonnes displacement.
  
  The state-of-art features of the Scorpene include superior stealth and the ability to launch an attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube launched anti-ship missiles, underwater or on surface.
  
  Designed to operate in all theatres including the tropics, the submarines can undertake multifarious missions including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, operations by special forces and mine laying etc.
  
• China s first moon rover sets record for longest stayChina’s first lunar rover, Yutu, has been operating on the moon for almost two years, setting a record for the longest stay by a rover according to China.
  
• Climate curbs will slow temperature rise; more needed for 2C goal-UNPlans by about 150 countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions will slow climate change this century but they need to do more to limit rising global temperatures to two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), the United Nations said on 30th October.
  
  Scientists say warming must be kept below 2 degrees by the end of the century to stave off the worst effects of climate change such as floods, droughts and rising sea levels.
  
  National strategies would restrict a rise in world emissions to the equivalent of 56.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year by 2030, four billion less than expected without the extra action, from 49.0 billion in 2010. The plans, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), will be the building blocks for a U.N. deal expected at a summit set for Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 to fight global warming in the years from 2020.
  
  Figueres' Secretariat did not formally project a likely temperature rise by 2100, because most INDCs only stretch to 2030 but she said indications from independent analysis showed the pledged reductions would limit temperatures rises at 2.7 degrees.
  
  Almost 200 governments agreed in 2010 to limit warming to 2 degrees above pre-industrial times, meaning Paris will have to agree ways to increase action in coming years. Temperatures have already gained by about 0.9 degrees Celsius (1.6 Fahrenheit).
  
  Figueres said negotiators in Paris would have to decide how the INDCs would be enshrined in the new agreement and how to periodically review the pledges.
  
  The latest report is the most authoritative attempt to sum up the impact of INDCs and was welcomed by financial investment groups.
  
• BASIC countries appeal to rich nations to do more to combat climate changeA day after a UN report flagged inadequacy of countries' action plans to check global warming, four big developing countries - India, China, Brazil and South Africa - on 31st October urged the rich nations to revisit their emission cut targets and increase it adequately to keep the average global temperature rise below 2 degree Celsius by 2100.
  
  These four countries made this appeal as part the BASIC - a group of Brazil, South Africa, India and China - which met in Beijing and issued a joint statement, asking the rich industrialized nations to scale up their both pre-2020 and post-2020 carbon emission cut targets.
  
  These countries also urged their developed counterparts to "honour their obligations to provide new, additional, predictable and adequate financial resources to developing countries in a measurable, reportable and verifiable manner".
  
  Their joint appeal assumes significance ahead of the informal round of discussions - called pre-COP (pre-conference of parties) - among environment and other ministers\representatives of over 80 countries in Paris during November 8-10 when they would try to resolve the sticky points of climate finance.
  
  India was represented by its environment minister Prakash Javadekar in the BASIC meet where all the four countries also reaffirmed their commitments to remain united under 'G77 plus China' group and worked to strengthen the voice of 134 developing countries during the Paris climate summit (COP21) and get an "equitable, ambitious, comprehensive, balanced and durable" global agreement.
  
  The COP21 is scheduled to be held during November 30-December 11 in Paris where the countries are expected to sign a legally binding climate agreement to reduce global carbon emissions.
  
  Touching upon the rich nations' pre-2020 targets, the BASIC ministers in Beijing urged them to revisit and increase their emission reduction commitments of the 2013-2020 periods in order to achieve at least 25%-40% reduction in their carbon emission by 2020 from the year 1990 level.
  
  Similarly for their post-2020 targets, the BASIC nations asked their rich counterparts to take lead by committing and implementing economy-wide absolute quantified emission reduction targets. "On their part, the developing countries will enhance their different types of mitigation efforts
  
  These appeals are significant in view of the 30th October’s UN report which analyzed climate action plans of 146 countries and said that their joint post-2020 actions may lead the average global temperature to rise by around 2.7 degree Celsius by 2100 -- a scenario which will have major disastrous consequences all around the world in the form of sea-level rise and extreme weather events.
  
  Though the report noted that the promises made by these countries as part of their efforts to fight climate change can "dramatically" slow global emissions into the atmosphere and bring down per capita emissions in next 15 years, it flagged that these commitments are not enough.
  
  Sports:
• South Africa won the series 3-2South Africa has defeated India by 214 runs in the fifth and final ODI at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. With this victory, South Africa won One day international series with 3-2. In the match:
  
  • Hashim Amla (South Africa) became the fastest batsmen to 6,000 ODI runs
  • It was the first time South Africa won a bilateral ODI series in India.
  
  
• Lee Chong Wei clinches 3rd French Int'l Badminton titleIn Paris, former world number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia clinched his third French International Badminton title win over Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen.
  
• India steady at 2nd spot, Virat Kohli rises in ICC ODI rankingsIndia have held on to their second spot in the team list in the latest ICC ODI cricket rankings issued today, despite the series loss to South Africa in the just concluded ODI series.
  
  The Proteas retained their third position in the rankings following the 3-2 series victory, which concluded with a mammoth 214-run victory in Mumbai
  
  In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen, star batsman Virat Kohli rose up a rung to second in the table. South Africa skipper de Villiers retained his number one ranking, and is now 96 points clear of Kohli. Hashim Amla has dropped three places to fifth, while Skipper M S Dhoni has moved up two places to sixth.
  
  In the ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, Australia's Mitchell Starc has returned to the top of tree as Imran Tahir has slipped four places in the top 10. Dale Steyn has dropped one place to sixth, although Morne Morkel has climbed three places to eighth. R Ashwin has dropped a place to be ranked 10th.
  
• Deepika Kumari bags silver in Archery World Cup Final Deepika Kumari has bagged the Silver medal in recurve event at the Archery World Cup Final in Mexico City. This was Deepika's fourth World Cup Final silver after being runner-up at Istanbul 2011, Tokyo 2012 and Paris 2013, an unparalleled achievement in consistency on the circuit.
  
• Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates Games Secretariat of 12th SAF Games in ShillongUnion Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports, Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Games Secretariat of the 12th South Asian Federation Games -2016 at J. N. Sports Complex, Polo Ground in Shillong. Out of 23 sports disciplines in the 12th South Asian Games 2016, 8 disciplines will be held in Shillong while the other 15 disciplines will be held at Guwahati.
  
• 16th National Women Boxing Championship kicks off in AssamThe 16th National Women Boxing Championship kicked off at Bongaigaon in Assam on 28th October with preliminary matches.
  
• Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis secure year-end number one doubles rankingIndo-Swiss pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis has secured the Year-End Women's Tennis Association (WTA) number one doubles ranking on 31st October. The duo also received a trophy in acknowledgment of their superb feat.
  
  Sania and Martina, as a pair, have won 8 titles this season, with two Grand Slam titles the Wimbledon and US Open, five WTA Premier Titles and one WTA International title.
  
  The pair also reached their 10th final of the year together today. The number one pair, stormed into Final of the year-ending WTA Finals in Singapore.
  
  The duo defeated the third placed Chinese Taipei duo of Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-Jan, 6-4, 6-2 in the semi finals. With this win, the Indo-Swiss pair of Mirza-Hingis improved their winning streak to 21 matches.
  
  Awards:
• Raif Badawi: Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for ‘insulting’ Islam, was awarded the European Parliament’s prestigious Sakharov human rights prize on 29th October. The 31-year-old blogger, who was arrested in 2012, is an outspoken advocate of free speech whose vicious public flogging in January, when he was subjected to a first round of 50 lashes, triggered an international backlash.
  
  Announcing the award, parliament head Martin Schulz called on Saudi King Salman to immediately release Badawi, denouncing his sentence as “brutal torture” and demanding that Riyadh live up to Europe’s standards on the crucial question of human rights.
  
  Badawi, who co-founded the Saudi Liberal Network Internet discussion group, was detained in 2012 on cyber crime charges. Like most Saudis, Badawi is a Sunni Muslim but his network had announced a “day of liberalism” and called for an end to the influence of religion on public life in the kingdom. He was arrested and the website shut down on grounds it criticised Saudi Arabia's notorious religious police. He was initially charged in 2013, and last year a Saudi court sentenced him to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail.
  
  Persons in News:
• Jimmy Morales: In Guatemala, a former television comedian with no political experience has been elected the new President. Jimmy Morales easily won the top office after a corruption scandal toppled the country's last leader.
  
• Narendra Modi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the 10th most admired personality globally, as per a new survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF) that has ranked the late South African President Nelson Mandela on the top.
  
  Mahatma Gandhi is ranked as the fourth most admired leader, according to a survey of more than 1,000 millennials. The respondents were spread across 285 cities in 125 countries.
  
  After Mandela, the WEF's Global Shapers Annual Survey 2015 found that Pope Francis is the second most admired leader. Others in the list are Tesla Motors' CEO Elon Musk (3rd rank), Microsoft Founder Bill Gates (5th ), US President Barack Obama (6th), Virgin Group Founder Richard Barson (7th), Apple Founder Steve Jobs (8th), Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus (9th) and US investor Warren Buffett (11th).
  
  Out of the 1,084 respondents, 3 per cent voted for Modi as well as for Yunus while 20.1 per cent favoured Mandela. All the survey respondents are members of the WEF's Global Shapers Community aged between 20 and 30 years. In the list of 11, three personalities are not alive - Mandela, Gandhi and Jobs.
  
• Vidya Devi Bhandari: In Nepal, Vidya Devi Bhandari from the ruling CPN-UML was on 28th October elected as country's first woman President after she defeated her rival from Nepali Congress by more than 100 votes.
  
  Bhandari, the Vice-president of CPN-UML and widow of late general secretary of the party Madan Bhandari, secured 327 votes against 214 votes of her rival Veteran Nepali Congress leader Kul Bahadur Gurung. The new President will succeed incumbent Ram Baran Yadav who was elected as the first President of Nepal in 2008 after the country was declared a Republic. With the promulgation of the Constitution on September 20, it was required to elect a new President within a month of the commencement of the Parliament session.
  
• Najib Shah: The government on 28th October appointed senior Indian Revenue Service officer Najib Shah as Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). Shah was appointed as Member of the indirect taxes board in May this year. Earlier, he was also posted as Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. He was acting Chairman of CBEC after Srivastava retired in May this year.