GK and Current Affairs Updates

Public Sector Broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) is planning to launch a website and mobile app for its Baluchi service to reach people who speak this language across the globe.
•    The Baluchi website and mobile app is likely to be launched later this week, sources told PTI.
•    The All India Radio has been airing hour-long Baluchi programme everyday, which also includes news as well. 
•    This service was started in 1974 and reaches those who speak the language in Pakistan as well.
•    However it is felt that with a website and mobile app, these programmes will gain a global audience especially among Baluchi speaking diaspora,” a source said.
•    It was for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan were mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence speech.
•    Earlier, DD News had also sent a team to Geneva to interview Brahumdagh Bugti, leader of Baloch Republican Party.
•    The External Services Division (ESD) of All India Radio, presently broadcasts daily in 57 radio transmissions covering over 108 countries in 27 languages.
•    Out of these, 15 are foreign including Baluchi language.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) today announced an ambitious collaborative R&D programme to develop next generation, sustainable refrigerant technologies as alternatives to HFCs. 
•    This R&D initiative brings together Government, research institutes, industry and civil society to develop long term technology solutions to mitigate impact of currently used refrigerant gases on the ozone layer and climate. 
•    With this initiative, India reaffirms its commitment to working with all other nations to safeguard the Earth’s natural ecosystem.
•    India has a small carbon footprint at citizen level and its sustainable lifestyle results in low contribution of the country to overall emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances, as compared with other developed countries.
•    However, there is an urgent need for developing new technologies indigenously as alternatives available today are patented apart from being expensive. 
•    A research based programme to look for cost effective alternatives to the currently used refrigerant gases is, therefore essential.

The third edition of BRICS Urbanisation Forum Meet has started in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. 
•    The three days conference was be inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the presence of Union Minister of Urban Development, M. Venkaiah Naidu. 
•    In this edition of conference the delegates from the BRICS nations, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are participating. 
•    During the three-day deliberations, they will discuss investments, urbanisation, formation of new cities and others. 
•    The conference will also discuss how to increase the productivity, how to make a separate urban finance system and creation of employment opportunities. 
•    Based on the discussions and deliberations ‘Vizag Declaration’ will be prepared, which will play a vital role in ministers’ conference of BRICS to be held on October 15 and 16, 2016 in Goa.

India has moved the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the subsidy given by eight US states in renewable energy under American domestic content requirements, the Commerce Ministry said on Tuesday.
•    The eight US states are - Washington, California, Montana, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Michigan, Delaware and Minnesota.
•    India's complaint is on the grounds that subsidies are inconsistent with world trade norms because they provide less favourable treatment to imported products.
•    According to WTO rules, if consultations fail to resolve the dispute within 60 days, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.
•    The US had, in 2013, brought a complaint against India before the WTO on similar grounds, alleging violation of global trading rules.
•    A WTO panel ruled earlier this year that India's domestic content requirement under its national solar programme is inconsistent with its treaty obligations.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and All India Football Federation (AIFF) have jointly launched an online portal for its Global Scouting Programme (GSP). 
•    The portal was launched by Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel in New Delhi. 
•    Under the Global Scouting Programme, boys of Indians living abroad will be able to play in India’s team in FIFA under-17 world cup scheduled in 2017 in different cities of the country. 
•    The online portal of GSP will allow applicant have to upload a two minute playing video on the site. 
•    It will provide Indian players who hold valid Indian passport a chance to present his playing talent to the scouts of India’s U-17 team.
•    The portal, which will go live on September 15, will allow Indian players who hold valid Indian passports but are residing overseas the opportunity to reach out to the scouts of the Indian team.
 

India on Wednesday launched a scathing counterattack against Pakistan by raising human rights violations it perpetrates in Balochistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). 
•    India also took aim at human rights violations by Pakistan's politico-military establishment across the country, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). 
•    Pakistan's response however steered clear of even mentioning either Balochistan or PoK, reported news agency ANI.
•    It may be seen as a counter offensive for the repeated comments and interference by Islamabad in the Kashmir unrest.
•    Not just Balochistan, India also roundly attacked Pakistan, saying it should set its own house in order first.
•    The statement gains significance in light of the persistent protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir against allegedly rigged elections that gave victory to the country's ruling parties.

India and Afghanistan on 14 September 2016 signed an Extradition Treaty to facilitate exchange of wanted terrorists and criminals.
•    The two nations also inked agreements on peaceful uses of outer space and on cooperation on civil and commercial matters.
•    The treaties were signed during Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s visit to India. He was on a visit to India from 14-15 September 2016.
•    In addition, during the meeting the two leaders President Ghani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought faster implementation of the trilateral agreement among Afghanistan, Iran and India. 
•    This agreement was reached in May 2016 with an aim of creating a network of regional connectivity around Iran’s Chahbahar port.
•    Besides, India also extended a one-billion dollar to Afghanistan for capacity and capacity building in areas like empowerment of women, education, skill development, health, energy and others. 
•    Prime Minister Modi also proposed to supply world class and easily affordable medicines from India and cooperation in solar energy through mutually agreed instruments.

There is unlikely to be a La Nina event in late 2016 as water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean should be just around average for the rest of the year, predicts a model based on NASA satellite data.
•    The GMAO uses NASA satellite data to predict the likelihood of an El Nino or La Nina event.
•    Last winter saw an extremely strong El Nino event, in which warmer-than-average water sloshed toward the eastern Pacific Ocean.
•    Historically, some of the larger El Nino events are followed by a La Nina event, in which deep, colder-than-average water surfaces in the eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of South America.
•    For GMAO, the seasonal forecasts are one way to use NASA satellite data to improve near-term climate predictions of the Earth system.

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications and Maxis Communications Berhad (MCB), promoters of Aircel, on 14 September 2016 agreed to merge their wireless businesses to form the fourth-largest telecom operator in the country.
The merger is termed as the biggest consolidation deal in India's telecom sector.
•    Sistema will continue to hold 10 per cent in standalone R-Com.
•    Both R-Com and Maxis will hold 50 per cent each in the new entity.
•    The merged company will be one of India’s largest private sector companies. It will have an asset base of over 65000 crore rupees and net worth of 35000 crore rupees.
•    The company will be managed by an independent professional team under the supervision of the board.
•    After completion of the merger in 2017, RCom’s overall debt will reduce by 20000 crore rupees or over 40 per cent of its debt.
•    Aircel’s debt will reduce by 4000 crore rupees.
•    It will enjoy enhanced business continuity through extended validity of spectrum holdings till 2033-35.

August 2016 was the hottest month measured since contemporary records began in 1880, according to a NASA analysis. 
•    It was not only the hottest August ever, but also it ties July 2016 as the hottest month ever—an extraordinary occurrence.
•    In 2015, the hottest October ever took place, and it was followed by the hottest November ever, and then by the hottest December ever—and this sequence continued right up to the present.
•    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) keeps separate records, and its streak of record-breaking months stretches even further back in time: Every month since May 2015 has been the hottest version of that month ever, according to the agency. 
•    Second, August’s record essentially ensures that 2016 will be the warmest year on record. 
•    2016 could wind up being as much as 1 degree Celsius hotter than the pre-industrial temperature average.