GK and Current Affairs Updates

Government has granted “in-principle” approval to a total of 20 National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs). Of these, 12 NIMZs are located outside the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) region. These are: 

(i)    Nagpur in Maharashtra; 
(ii)    Tumkur in Karnataka; 
(iii)    Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh; 
(iv)    Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh; 
(v)    Medak in Telangana; 
(vi)    Kolar in Karnataka; 
(vii)    Bidar in Karnataka; 
(viii)    Gulbarga in Karnataka; 
(ix)    Jajpur in Odisha; 
(x)    Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu; 
(xi)    Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh; and
(xii)    Jhanshi in Uttar Pradesh. 
About National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs)
- These are under the National Manufacturing Policy(NMP) by Department of Industrial Policy and Promortion.
- The National Investment and Manufacturing Zones are being conceived as giant industrial greenfield townships to promotecl world-class manufacturing activities.
- The central government will be responsible for bearing the cost of master planning, improving/providing external physical infrastructure linkages including rail, road, ports, airports and telecom,etc.
- The identification of land will be undertaken by state governments. State governments will be responsible for water requirement, power connectivity,etc.
About National Manufacturing Policy : 
The policy is the first of its kind for the manufacturing sector as it addresses areas of regulation, infrastructure, skill development, technology, availability of finance, exit mechanism and other pertinent factors related to the growth of the sector.
Objectives of the policy:
1. An increase in manufacturing sector growth.
2. To create 100 million additional jobs by 2022 in manufacturing sector.
3. Creation of appropriate skill sets among rural migrants and the urban poor for inclusive growth.
4. Enhancing the global competitiveness of the Indian manufacturing sector.
5. Ensuring sustainability of growth, particularly with regard to environment.
6. Other key objectives of the policy include:
• Creation of National Investment and Manufacturing Zones
(NIMZs)
• Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
• Implementation of industrial training and other skill upgradation
measures
• Promotion of Green Manufacturing
• Rationalisation and simplification of business regulations
Other schemes realated industrial development 
1. Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme
2. Indian Leather Development Programme
3. Modified Comprehensive Powerloorn Cluster Development Scheme
4. Comprehensive Handlooms Cluster Development Scheme
5. Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme
6. Integrated Skill Development Scheme for the textiles and apparels sector
including jute and handicrafts
7. Scheme for Integrated Textiles Parks
8.' Scheme for Mega Food Parks
9. Scheme of Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure
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Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare launched the injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) in India as part of its commitment to the “Global Polio Endgame Strategy”.
First Phase
- introduction of vaccine in six states, viz Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
- IPV injection will be given to children below one year of age along with the third dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) at the routine immunization sessions free of cost.
Advantages
- IPV and OPV together will further strengthen the children’s immune system and will provide double protection against polio.
- Its benefits will be added in the Mission Indradanush achievements.
Types of Polio Vaccine
1. Oral Polio Vaccine
2. Inactivated Polio vaccine: a. Also called the “Salk vaccine” as developed by Dr Jonas Salk. It consists of inactivated (killed) poliovirus strains of all three poliovirus types.
Advantages:As IPV is not a 'live' vaccine, it carries no risk of vaccine-associated polio paralysis and it triggers an excellent protective immune response in most people.
Mission Indradhanush
Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW)
Objective: to ensure that all children under the age of two years as well as pregnant women are fully immunized with seven vaccine preventable diseases.
Those 7 diseases are:
1. Diphtheria
2. Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
3. Tetanus
4. Tuberculosis
5. Polio
6. Hepatitis B
7. Measles.

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports, has constituted All India Council of Sports (AICS) headed by Prof V.K. Malhotra as its President in the rank of Minister of State. Its members include eminent sports persons and coaches like Shri Sachin Tendulkar, Smt. P.T. Usha, Shri Limba Ram, Ms. N. Kunjarani Devi, Shri I.M. Vijayan, Shri P. Gopichand, Shri Baichung Bhutia and Shri Vishwanathan Anand. The salient aims & objectives of the Council are as follows:
1 popularising sports amongst youth as a way of life; 
2 increasing outreach of sports to rural and tribal areas, and areas affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), North East and Jammu & Kashmir;
3matters relating to promotion of inclusiveness in sports with special focus on women, differently-abled, tribals, etc.;
4 preventing drug abuse in sports, fraud of age and sexual harassment of women in sports;
5.early identification of sports talent and nurturing of the identified talent; and
6 Integration of sports in educational curriculum in schools, colleges and universities.
Some other schemes launched in 2015
1. Scheme of Human Resources Development in Sports
2. Scheme of Assistance for the creation of Urban Sports Infrastructure
3. Scheme for Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar

This summit is hosted by China. with theme is "Innovation, Development, Cooperation and Trust" 
Agenda: reaching consensus to help deal with issues like terrorism and climate change as well as rapid technological changes. 
About BRICS
- members: Brazil,Russia,India,China,South Africa
- Its importance: 
1. Represent over 3 billion people, or 42% of the world population.
2. he five nations have a combined nominal GDP of US$16.039 trillion, equivalent to approximately 20% of the gross world product, and an estimated US$4 trillion in combined foreign reserves.
- Objective: to encourage ommercial, political and cultural cooperation between the BRICS nations.
- Till now 7 meetings have held and last was in Ufa,Russia.
- First meeting was in Yekaterinburg,Russia.
- Next meeting will be held in 2016 in India.

Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) was successfully flight-tested for the first time from an Israeli Naval Platform. The missile is co-developed by India and Israel.
About Barak-8 Missile
- The missile system is designed to provide protection against a broad of threats,including cruise missiles, warplanes, shore-based missiles etc.
- System is developed by India defense R&D organization DRDO and the Ministry of Defense Adminstration.
- Missile aimed himself at the target made an accurate hit and destroy it completely.

HSBC  is  going to shutting down  its private banking unit in India, marking the exit of another foreign bank from the cut-throat wealth management business in Asia’s third-largest economy.
About HSBC Bank
- British multinational banking and financial services company.
- Headquarter: London
- Establishment: First established on 3rd march 1865; in Hongkong
- It is the  world's fourth largest bank by total assets.
- HSBC is organised within four business groups: Commercial Banking; Global Banking and Markets (investment banking); Retail Banking and Wealth Management; and Global Private Banking.

The first woman to occupy the post in the 53-member block's history is Patricia Scotland, a Dominica-born British lawyer. She was appointed as the Commonwealth's new Secretary General.In 2001 she had become Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department and, was made a member of the Privy Council of the UK.The Commonwealth Secretary-General is the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the central body which has served the Commonwealth of Nations since its establishment in 1965, and responsible for representing the Commonwealth publicly.
About Commonwealth Nations
- group of 53 states, all of which (except for two) were formerly part of the British Empire.some countries, such as Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Namibia were closely related to member counteries rather than former british colonies.
- All nations entered into the Commonwealth voluntarily.
- Criteria to join Commonwealth
1. It must first recognize Elizabeth II as the head of the Commonwealth. 
2. Other criteria are: racial equality, and the embrace of world peace, liberty, human rights, equality, and free trade.
3. a nation must have a ''direct constitutional link'' with any current member-state.
- Advantages of being a member:
1. consular services exist for countries in good standing.
2. ''Commonwealth Citizen'' passport issued at a British Embassy for those who who are stuck in a country that is not represented at a consulate by their government can get representation by this temporary passport.
- Functions:
1.To create strong links between rich and poor countries, bringing together a variety of religious faiths and demographics in one institution.
2. It does offer the opportunity for smaller nations to sit down with larger nations at the bi-annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 
- Commonwealth Games:
Every four years, the Commonwealth of Nations puts together the Commonwealth Games, hosted in a different city and organized by the Commonwealth Games Federation. he next Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018. 

India’s Ranking in Global Innovation Index 2015 is 81 it was 76^th in 2014.Despite of loosing some steps in postion GII report says that India is the top economy in GII rankings in Central and Southern Asia and also as one of the middle income group countries which is narrowing the gap in the innovation quality due to improved quality in higher education institutions.  
 Government measures for promotion and growth of scientific research 
1. Successive increase in plan allocations for Scientific Departments, 
2. Setting up of new institutions for science education and research, creation of centres of excellence for research and facilities in emerging and frontline S&T areas in academic and national institutes, 
3. Establishment of new and attractive fellowships for both research students and scientists, 
4.Recent substantial revision of fellowships for research students, 
5. Strengthening infrastructure for Research and Development (R&D) in universities, 6. Encouraging public-private R&D partnerships, recognition of R&D units and national awards for outstanding R&D for industries and 
6. Setting up of Technology Business Incubators and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centers.
GII recognized many steps of Indian Government, these are:
1. Establishment of Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
2. Intervention of the government and the private sector, this results in the growth in level of innovation in Indian industry.
3. India’s most recent Union budget presented in February 2015, the government placed considerable emphasis on rapid development in the SME sector by addressing the funding issue.
4. The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises has launched Intellectual Property Facilitation Centres in different parts of the country with the aim of creating an intellectual property culture within SMEs by looking at protection.

Noted litterateur and Professor Surendra Upadhyay passed away due to cardiac arrest. He was 74.
Some achievements and facts about Surendra Upadhyay
- He has served as chairman of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee Intellectual Cell.
- Recipient of Doctor of Literature (DLit) at the university of Rajasthan.
- Authored many books of short fiction, critics,poetry. 

Antonio Costa becomes PM of Portugal Atonio Costa, the leader of Portugal’s Socialist Party was named Prime Minister of Portugal.Portugal’s president on Tuesday appointed anti-austerity Socialist leader António Costa as prime minister in a move that ends weeks of political turmoil but opens the door to a period of economic uncertainty.
About Portugal
Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, being bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east. The Portugal-Spain border is 1,214 km (754 mi) long and considered the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union.