GK and Current Affairs Updates

China on 10 August 2016 launched Gaofen-3 Satellite, China's first Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging satellite. The satellite was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern Shanxi province on Wednesday.
Gaofen-3 is a high-resolution satellite for the protection of its maritime rights as the South China Sea dispute continues to simmer.
•    It is also China's first low orbit remote sensing satellite that has a lifespan of eight years. 
•    It will be used for disaster warning, weather forecasting, water resource assessments, and the protection of maritime rights.
•    With 12 imaging modes, the high-definition observation satellite is capable of taking wide pictures of the Earth and photographing detailed scenarios of specific areas.
•    It is able to provide high-definition remote sensing data for its users over a long period of time.
•    It was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, under the guidance of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for the development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical technology for thermal power plants.
•    In this regard, CCEA has approved a one-time grant of 900 crore rupees spread over three years for an R&D project for the development of AUSC technology for thermal power plants. 
•    The project was proposed by a consortium of three government entities to reduce coal consumption as well as Carbon dioxide emission. 
•    They are Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd , Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research National Thermal Power Corporation.
•    AUSC technology will enable Indian industries to design, manufacture and commission higher efficiency coal-fired power plants with indigenously developed technology. 
•    This will be the first time large power plant equipment will be manufactured without any technological collaboration or licensing agreement with foreign companies. 
•    Use of this technology in all future large coal-fired power plants will ensure energy security for the country for a longer period as well as greener environment.
 

The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for introducing the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Parliament.
•    The Bill seeks to amend the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. 
•    The law protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her of a ‘maternity benefit’.
•    The ‘maternity benefit’ includes full paid leave from work to take care for her child. 
•    This law is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons.
•    Proposed amendments Increase Maternity Benefit to 26 weeks from 12 weeks for two surviving children and 12 weeks for more than two children. 
•    Mandatory 12 weeks Maternity Benefit to ‘Adopting mother’ and ‘Commissioning mother’. 
•    Facilitate Work from home for women during the time of her maternity.
•    Mandatory for establishment having 50 or more employees to have Creche.
 

The Lok Sabha has passed the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill 2016 to pave the way for employers in the textile sector to avail of the income tax benefit. 
•    The Bill seeks to amends the Income Tax Act (IT), 1961 and the Customs Tariff Act, 1975.  
These changes are explained below-
•    It will provide income tax benefit to employers in the textile sector on additional employment provided the employee has worked for 150 days and not 240 days as mandated earlier Amendments to IT Act, 1961 
•    In case a public sector company demerges (split) into multiple companies under The Companies Act, 1956 the resultant company will be no longer a public sector company. 
•    The limit of employing employee for minimum of 240 days in the previous year to obtain a deduction on taxable income has been reduced to 150 days for businesses which manufacture apparel.
 

The Union Government has decided to set up a committee to look at easing the policy regime for e-commerce players, including the rules for foreign direct investment. 
•    The committee will be headed by Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog. 
•    The other members in the panel will include officials from Union Commerce Ministry and Industry and Department of electronics and IT among others.
•    Representatives from four states including Maharashtra and Karnataka will also be the members of the committee. 
•    The terms of reference of the Committee is to examine various issues in e-commerce sector and making recommendations for further liberalization of the policy. 
•    The terms of reference of the Committee is to look into all issues including FDI norms pertaining to the fast growing e-commerce industry in the country. 
•    There are issues related to e-commerce players selling pharmaceuticals and some e-commerce firms are facing taxation related problems in few states. 
•    Setting up of this committee assumes significance as the Union Government recently had permitted 100 per cent FDI in food processing sector. 
 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and South Africa for cooperation in the field of Tourism. The MoU was signed on 08.07.2016. 
The main objectives of the MoU are: 
•    To expand bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector; 
•    To exchange information and data related to tourism ; 
•    To encourage cooperation between tourism stakeholders, including hotels and tour operators. 
•    To establish exchange programmes for cooperation in Human Resource Development; 
•    Investing in the tourism and hospitality sector; 
•    To encourage visits of Tour Operators/Media/ Opinion Makers and tourists from both countries for promotion of two way tourism; 
•    To exchange experiences in the areas of promotion, education, marketing, destination development and management; 
•    To participate in travel fairs/exhibitions in each other's country; and 
•    To promote safe, honourable and sustainable tourism.
 

K M Hanumantharayappa has assumed charge as the new Chairman of Central Silk Board (CSB), for a period of three years. 
•    He is the 25th Chairman of the Central Silk Board and succeeds N S Bissegowda. 
•    KM Hanumantharayappa by profession is sericulture’s and a weaver. 
•    He hails from Doddaballapura, a traditional silk weaving cluster in Karnataka. 
•    He is a senior political leader from BJP. He is the President of Karnataka State Nekarara Horata Samithi. 
•    Earlier from 2000 to 2002, he had served as a Member to the Central Silk Board. He also had served as Chairman, Karnataka Silk Marketing Board (KSMB) during 2010 to 2013.
•    Government of Karnataka has bestowed upon him Best Agriculturist Award. 
•    CSB is a statutory body established under the Central Silk Board Act, 1948. 
•    It functions under the aegis of Union Ministry of Textile. 
•    It is a national organization for overall development of silk sector in India.
 

The NITI Aayog has inked a pact with US Energy Information Administration in a step to set up a portal to host all the data related to energy sector in the country. 
•    The web portal will host all the data related to energy sector including oil and gas, coal, solar and thermal energy etc. 
•    It will be developed as part of NITI Aayog’s efforts to set up India’s energy data agency, which would take three-four years to develop. 
•    Besides, NITI Aayog also inked an SOP with US Agency for International Development and UK’s Department of Energy & Climate Change for collaboration in the area of energy research. 
•    National Institution for Transforming India Aayog is premier policy think tank of Union Government. It has had replaced erstwhile six decade old Planning Commission.
 

Australia absorbed the expected early battering from New Zealand before winning the first Olympic gold medal in rugby sevens with a 24-17 victory in the women's final.
•    Rugby is back in the Olympics for the first time since 1924, but in the condensed sevens format and with men's and women's competitions.
•    The world sevens series-winning Aussie women took the first Olympic honors in 92 years with an unbeaten run in Rio de Janeiro, setting it up with two tries in each half to establish a 24-5 lead.
•    Kayla McAlister scored the first try for New Zealand but the Australians rallied with tries from Emma Tonegato and Evania Pelite before half-time.
•    A yellow card for New Zealand star Portia Woodman at the end of the first half resulted in a significant momentum swing for the Australians.
•    Pelite ran on to a long, floating pass from Alicia Quirk and scored in the corner on the stroke of halftime, moments after Woodman was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.
•    Canada won the bronze medal with Ghislaine Landry scoring two tries and landing four conversions in a 33-10 win over Britain.

According to a one-minute video, Bhutan is the world's first carbon negative country, meaning that the country's forests absorb more carbon dioxide each year than it produces. 
•    Around 72% of its land is under forest cover due to Bhutan's strong environment protection policies. 
•    Interestingly, Bhutan is also the world's only country to use gross national happiness to measure its growth.
•    Nearly 56.3% of all Bhutanese citizens are involved with agriculture, forestry or conservation.
•    The government aims to promote conservation as part of its plan to target Gross National Happiness.
•    It currently has net zero greenhouse gas emissions because the small amount of pollution it creates is absorbed by the forests that cover most of the country.
•    The entire country collectively produces 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.
•    Yet the immense forest covering 72% of the country acts as a carbon sink, absorbing more than four million tons of carbon dioxide every year.
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