GK and Current Affairs Updates

The United States declared Pakistan based Jamaat-ur-Ahrar (JuA) as a ‘terror group’ by adding it to its list of global terrorists. 
•    This declaration triggers sanctions against the terrorist faction that has staged multiple attacks on civilians, religious minorities and soldiers. 
•    Besides anyone who supports Jamaat-ur-Ahrar could have his assets frozen by the US Government. 
•    Jamaat-ur-Ahrar is a militant Sunni Islamic group. 
•    It is a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban movement. It has declared loyalty to Islamic State’s (IS). 
•    The aim of Pakistani Taliban allied with Afghan Taliban is to topple the Pakistan Government. 
•    It has claimed responsibility of 5 major attacks in Pakistan since December 2015, including the Easter Sunday bombing in a public park that killed 70 people in Lahore city.
 

Delhi High Court on 4 August 2016 held that Lt. Governor is the administrative head of the National Capital Territory.
•    A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath dismissed AAP Government's plea challenging the Union Government’s 21 May 2015 notification giving absolute powers to LG in appointing bureaucrats in the national capital.
•    The court said AAP government's contention that LG is bound to act on advice of Council of Ministers is without any substance and cannot be accepted.
•    AAP Government had contended that the notification barring Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) from proceeding against Central Government employees is neither illegal nor unsustainable.
•    Ruling that the Service matters were outside the jurisdiction of Delhi Legislative Assembly, the court said that LG exercising the powers is not unconstitutional.
•    The court also held as illegal AAP government’s order appointing Commission of Inquiry in the CNG fitness scam and DDCA scam since the same was issued without concurrence of LG.
 

Southern India's first Doppler weather radar, which can provide advance information about storms, cyclones, and other severe weather conditions, was on Thursday inaugurated at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram. 
•    This is India's second C-Band Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar (C-DWR) as the first was unveiled by PM Narendra Modi in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, in May 2015.
•    Doppler weather radar, which can provide advance information about storms, cyclones and other severe weather conditions, was today inaugurated at the Vikram Sarabahi Space Centre here.
•    The work was on for two more Doppler radars to be set up in Bhuj in Gujarat and Gopalpur.
•    The radar has been developed as a national effort to meet the country’s weather forecast requirements and establish a network to seamlessly cover the regions of interest, thereby ensuring effective weather forecast.
 

Vijay Rupani will take over as the new chief minister of Gujarat. Nitin Patel will be the deputy chief minister of Gujarat. The oath taking ceremony will take place on Sunday, 7 August, 2016.
•    Rupani was picked by party MLAs at a meeting on Friday. 
•    The meeting saw the participation of BJP president Amit Shah and senior leader Nitin Gadkari as observers.
•    Vijay Rupani is the state president of the BJP and was the minister for transport, water supply, labor and employment in Anandiben's cabinet. 
•    He was elected an MLA for the first time in 2014, winning the Rajkot West seat vacated by Vajubhai Vala. 
•    Rupani was considered the most non-controversial prospect as her successor, and enjoys wide acceptance among party cadre. 
 

The second National Handloom Day will be celebrated all over the country, on August 7, 2016. The main function will be held in Varanasi in which Sant Kabir Awards and National Handloom Awards will be presented. The Union Textiles Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani would be the Chief Guest on the occasion. Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (I/C), Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy would be the Guest of Honour. Minister of State, Textiles, Shri Ajay Tamta and the Textiles Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Mahboob Ali would also grace the occasion.
•    Besides the main event in Varanasi, there will be many other programmes. The National Handloom Day will also be celebrated at state level in all the states. In addition, the Day will also be celebrated in more than 200 handloom clusters. Doordarshan will also broadcast a special one hour long programme on that day in the evening.
•    7th August was notified by the Government of India as National Handloom Day vide Gazette Notification dated 29th  July, 2015 with the objective to generate awareness about the importance of handloom industry and its contribution to the socioeconomic development of the country in general and to promote handlooms, increase income of weavers and enhance their pride in particular. 
•    The date August 7 has been chosen due to its special significance in India’s freedom struggle; it was on this day in 1905 that the Swadeshi Movement was formally launched, at a massive meeting in the Calcutta Town hall. The movement involved revival of domestic products and production processes. The Government of India has declared August 7 as National Handloom Day every year, in memory of this.
•    The first National Handloom Day was celebrated last year and Hon’ble Prime Minister was the Chief Guest in the main event held in Chennai on 7th August, 2015
 

The advisory committee of the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award on 30 July 2016 decided that the 23rd Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award will be given to Shubha Mudgal.
•    Shubha Mudgal is a well-known Indian singer of Hindustani classical music, Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, and Indian pop music.
•    In 1996, she was awarded the 1996 National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction for Amrit Beej.
•    At the 34th Chicago International Film Festival, she was awarded the 1998 Gold Plaque Award for Special Achievement in Music for her music in the film Dance of the Wind.
•    In 2000, she was honoured with the Padma Shri.
•    Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award is an Indian award given for outstanding contribution towards promotion of communal harmony, national integration and peace.
•    The award carries a citation and a cash award of 10 lakh rupees.
 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016.  The Amendment aims to improve
•    Every year 5 lakh road accidents are reported in the country in which 1.5 lakh people lose their lives.  Government is committed to reduce the accidents and fatalities by 50% in five years.
•    To address the issue of road safety, a draft Road Transport & Safety Bill was prepared soon after NDA Government came to power.  However, most of the States have expressed reservations.
•    To address the issue of road safety and to improve the facilitation of the citizens while dealing with transport departments, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways constituted a Group of Transport Ministers (GoM) of the States.  
•    The GoM headed by Sh. Yoonus Khan, Hon. Transport Minister of Rajasthan held three meetings.  A total of 18 Transport Ministers from different political parties participated in these meetings and they have submitted three interim reports. 
•    The GoM recommended that to address the pressing issue of road safety and improving transport scenario, Government should immediately bring amendments to the present Motor Vehicle Act.    
•    On the basis of recommendations of the GoM and other pressing requirements, MoRTH introduced the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 for consideration of the Cabinet. Today Cabinet Chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the bill.
•    In the present Motor Vehicle Act, there are 223 Sections out of which the Bill aims to amend 68 sections whereas Chapters 10 has been deleted and a Chapter 11 is being replaced with new provisions to simplify third party insurance claims and settlement process. 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for making suitable amendments in the Central List of OBCs by way of inclusion/correction/deletion of castes/communities applicable to the State of Andhra Pradesh and the newly formed State of Telangana as per the advice received from the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). 
•    A total of 35 changes recommended by NCBC in respect of Andhra Pradesh and 86 New Entries in respect of Telangana State will be notified. 
•    The changes will enable the persons belonging to these castes/ communities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to avail the benefits of reservation in Government services and posts as well as in Central Educational Institutions as per extant policy. 
•    They will also become eligible for benefit under the various welfare schemes, scholarships etc. being administered by the Central Government, which are at present available to the persons belonging to the Other Backward Classes.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the rates for Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) for various bands of spectrum for which auction are going to be conducted shortly. 
•    With this decision the path is clear for issuance of the Notice Inviting Application for spectrum auction by the Department of Telecommunications. 
•    Spectrum acquired in forthcoming auction in 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300 & 2500 MHz band is to be charged at the rate of 3% of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) excluding the revenue from wire-line services. 
•    The weighted average of SUC rates across all spectrum assigned to an operator (whether assigned administratively or through auction or through trading) in all access spectrum bands including BWA spectrum obtained in 2010 auction shall be applied for charging SUC subject to a minimum of 3% of AGR excluding revenues from wire-line services. 
•    The amount of SUC payable by the operators during 2015-16 at weighted average derived after taking into consideration the spectrum acquired in the coming auction and excluding the spectrum in 2300 MHz/2500 MHz band acquired/ allocated prior to 2015-16, shall be treated as the floor amount of the SUC to be paid by the operators. 
•    This will facilitate to move to a simple, transparent and flat ad-valorem SUC regime in accordance with the law and avoid creative accounting to bypass the revenues.
 

The Egyptian-born Nobel-winning scientist Ahmed Zewail passed away in the United States. 
•    He was 70. 
•    Mr Zewail had won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1999 for his pioneering work in femtochemistry. 
•    He is the first Arab Scientist to win the Nobel Prize. 
•    Ahmed Zewail was Born on 26 February 1946 in Damanhur, Egypt. 
•    He is famously known as the father of femtochemistry and was Science Advisor to US President Barack Obama. 
•    He had received a Bachelor of Science (BSc) 
•    He had completed his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. 
•    He was appointed as faculty at the California Institute of Technology in 1976. 
•    He became a naturalized citizen of US in 1982. 
•    In 2013, he had joined the United Nations Scientific Advisory Board. 
•    He was prolific writer and had authored about 600 scientific articles and 16 books.