• Current Affairs 24th October 2015

    Updated : 24-Oct-2015

    Current Affairs 24th October 2015 - Important Points

    Current Affairs 24th October 2015 - Details

    Indian mountaineers climbed an untouched mountain peak named - APJ Abdul Kalam

    Among the important National Current Affairs, In third week of October 2015, Two mountaineers Arjun Vajpai and Bhupesh Kumar created history by becoming first people to climb 6180 meter high unnamed peak in Himachal’s Spiti Valley and named the peak as Mout Kalam, in honour of former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam.

    The mountain is located near largest glacier located in Himachal Pradesh named Bara Shigri Glacier. After Gangotri, Bara-Sigri glacier is the second longest glacier in Himalaya.

    On 8th October 2015, the duo started their expedition from Noida and completed the climb on 14th October 2015 by hoisting the Indian national flag.

    Earlier in 2010, Vajpai, at the age of 16, climbed the highest peak in the world and became the youngest Indian to climb Mt. Everest. Bhupesh has scaled 17 peaks in India.

    New Integrated Licensing Policy 2015 announced by - Haryana Government

    Among the important National Current Affairs, On 23rd October 2015, the launch of New Integrated Licensing Policy (NILP) 2015 for development of Hyper and High Potential Urban Complexes (HHPUC) was announced by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

    These HHPUC will be created in Sohna, Sonepat-Kundli, Panipat, Gurgaon-Manesar, Panchkula-Kalka-Pinjore and Faridabad-Ballabhgarh.

    The NILP 2015 policy brings in internationally acclaimed models of Transferable Development Rights (TDR), coupled with unique provisions that prevent the need for the government to resort to compulsory acquisition of land.

     

    • Builders will have to sign transferable development rights (TDR) agreement to use farmers' land for their projects.
    • Each farmer will be eligible to sell his TDR certificate equivalent to 1 FAR for his land at market rates.
    • The land owners will have complete freedom in selling the FAR to any builder in a large planning unit.
    • It enables small landowners to voluntarily monetise their land by participating in the process of licencing, real estate development, marketing and sale of their transferable development rights.
    • TDR agreements will ensure that farmer or landowners get the market price from the builder for their land. The government will be a facilitator as the custodian of farmers' interests.
    • The TDR certificate will be valid for two years from the date of issuance.
    • The policy will allow real estate developers to set up projects at less than an area of 100 acres. Bringing down the area norms for establishing a colony from 100 acres to 25 acres, the policy provides for a global Floor Area Ratio (FAR) between 1.0 to 1.25 for colony size of 25 acres to 50 acres and above 50 acres, respectively.
    • These builders can respectively raise their FAR utilisation to 1.25 (for colonies up to 50 acres) and 1.50 (for colonies more than 50 acres) by purchasing the TDRs of the land owners.

    Who has sworned in as mayor of Bonn in Germany - Ashok-Alexander Sridharan

    Among the important International Current Affairs, On 21st October 2015, Indian-origin Ashok-Alexander Sridharan sworn in as the mayor of Bonn in Germany.

    He was elected to the office as a candidate of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel-led Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) party in an election held in September 2015.

    Sridharan has became the first mayor of a major city in the country who is a person of Indian Origin (PIO).

    President promulgated Ordinances on Constitution of Commercial Courts and Amendment to the Arbitration & Conciliation Act 1996

    On 23rd October 2015, The President of India Pranab Mukherjee publicized two ordinances - Amendment of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 and Constitution of Commercial Courts.

    Ordinance on Constitution of Commercial Courts seeks constitution of Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division in the High Courts for adjudicating commercial disputes of specified value and for matters connected there with or incidental thereto.

    The ordinance on amending the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 seeks amendments based on the Law Commission’s recommendations of 246th reports and suggestions received from stakeholders.

    New capital of Andhra Pradesh - Amaravati

    Among the important National Current Affairs, On 22nd October 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh-Amaravati-at Uddandayauruni Palem village.

    The construction of new capital became necessary for Andhra Pradesh as the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, through which the state was bifurcated, mandates that Hyderabad will be the common capital for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana at most for 10 years.

    Hyderabad, which is geographically located within Telangana, will remain as the sole capital of Telangana State.

     

    • The name Amaravti is derived from the capital of erstwhile Satavahana rulers.
    • Followed by Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar and Naya Raipur, Amaravati is the fifth planned capital city built in independent India.
    • An area of 33000 acres or 217 square kilometre has been alocated for the new capital. The city will be built in a multi-phased manner through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
    • The first phase of the city will be ready by 2018.

    Name the hurricane which has struck Mexico's Pacific coast - Hurricane Patricia

    Among the important International Current Affairs, On 23rd October 2015, Mexico's Pacific coast was struck by one of the most powerful storms on record named Hurricane Patricia. The hurricane carrying destructive winds with a speed of 165mph.

    The hurricane landed about 55 miles west-northwest of Manzanillo, home to the largest container port on Mexico's Pacific seaboard.

    The US National Hurricane Center said the hurricane hit as a Category Five storm - the highest classification. But it has since weakened to a Category Four, and will be downgraded to a tropical storm in the coming hours. It also said that it would lead to life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in rural areas.

    Defence Ministry approved induction of women as - IAF fighter pilots

    On 23rd October 2015, the induction of women into the combat stream of Indian Air Force (IAF) was approved by Ministry of Defence. This approval clears the path for women to fly warplanes for the first time.

    The batch which is presently undergoing flying training at the Air Force Academy will be the first batch of women pilots. After their commission into the IAF in June 2016, they will undergo advanced training for a year and would enter the fighter cockpit by June 2017.

    On the occasion of 83rd Air Force Day parade, the Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha at IAF's Hindon air base near Delhi announced a major policy shift in IAF, which intends to allow women to become fighter pilots.

    IAF had women in seven areas of meteorology, navigation, electrical and accounts, logistics, education, aeronautical engineering mechanical and administration. At present, around 1500 women serve in the Indian Air Force of which around 90 as pilots and about 15 as navigators.