GK and Current Affairs Updates

Ali Salem, a famed Egyptian satirical writer whose works include one of the Arab world's most popular comedic plays, died  in his home in Cairo of natural causes, Egypt's state-run Middle East News Agency said. He was 79.Salem's writings include 15 books and 25 plays. His most famous work was "School of the Troublemakers," a 1971 comedic play about a class of riotous teenagers reformed by a female teacher.Salem courted controversy by visiting Israel in 1994, travelling by himself without even telling his wife or three daughters. He drove a car across the border after Israel and the Palestinians signed the 1993 Oslo peace agreements. He said he had been thinking about visiting the country since late President Anwar Sadat made the trip in 1977, leading to Egypt's becoming the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, in 1979.

Salem's book "A Drive to Israel" sold more than 60,000 copies, a best-seller by Egyptian standards. But he was shunned in Egypt for the visit and fellow writers labeled him a sellout or collaborator.Salem's calls for peace and normalization with Israel eventually caused him to be expelled from the Writers Syndicate, a move that was overturned by an Egyptian court. Immediately after the court ruling, he resigned from the syndicate, saying he only went to court to prove a point.

A moment of pride for India as Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai has won the ‘Community Impact Award’ at the prestigious Google Science Fair in California. She is a class IX student of DPS Damanjodi in Koraput district in Odisha.

According to The Hindu reports, this girl developed a low-cost bio-absorbent based water purifier that uses waste corn cobs as key ingredient. She won 10,000 US dollar as prize money and will receive support from Google for one year for her project.The Google Science Fair is an online science competition sponsored by Google, Lego, Virgin Galactic, National Geographic and Scientific American.

India Index Services & Products (IISL), an NSE group company, has announced the rebranding of all the existing IISL indices, including CNX Nifty, CNX 100, CNX 200, CNX 500, CNX Mid-cap and CNX Small-cap.All IISL indices will include 'Nifty' in the name, as Nifty has become a strong brand name among investors tracking Indian capital markets, the exchange said . NSE's flagship CNX Nifty Index, for instance, will be rebranded as Nifty 50. The rebranding of IISL's indices will be effective November 9, 2015.

"Over the years, Nifty 50 has become synonymous with Indian equity market both domestically and internationally. Inclusion of Nifty in the name of IISL's indices will enhance the acceptability of products linked to Nifty family worldwide," said Chitra Ramkrishna, managing director and CEO, NSE.Nifty 50 options traded on NSE are the largest traded contract globally in equity index options category. In addition to the NSE, Nifty derivatives are also traded on Singapore Exchange, Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Osaka Exchange.  Total ETF AUM (assets under management) tracking Nifty family of indices globally (domestic and international) is $2,240 million.

The government has decided to confer the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO’s) lifetime achievement award for 2015 on V S Arunachalam, formerly a scientific advisor to the defence minister and the founder chairman of the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy, for his outstanding contribution over several decades in the field of scientific research and technology. 

DRDO Director Hina Gokhale said in a letter intimating Arunachalam of the award. She wrote: “I congratulate you on the exemplary scientific achievements which have been made possible by a brilliant combination of your scientific Knowledge and unceasing zeal. Such events set examples for others to emulate. My best wishes to you to further your achievements and bring glory to the Nation.”

The Union Cabinet on 22 September 2015 approved the signing of Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between India and Germany. It was approved with minor amendments in the earlier MoU for facilitating implementation of the programme Indo-German Strategic Partnerships in Higher Education.The amendments in the earlier MoU include

• The term ‘Strategic’ will be removed from the title of the programme to make it Indo-German Partnership in Higher Education and
• The funding period for the programme will be changed from 2015-19 to 2016-20, that is, from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2020. The strengthened education relationship through this Joint Declaration of Intent will enable the higher education institutions in both the countries to benefit mutually to enhance innovative partnerships in the field of education, research and skill development. It will be beneficial for faculty development and to foster advanced research in the identified priority areas of challenges for India.

The 5th International Pars Wushu Cup concluded successfully at Azadi Sports Complex, Tehran, Iran from 18th – 21th September, 2015. More than 200 Wushu athletes took part in this championship. The Indian wushu team fetched a rich haul of one gold, four silver and seven bronze medals at the 5th International Pars Wushu Cup in Tehran . 

WINNERS-L. Budhachandra Singh won a gold medal in the 56kg category, beating Masod Ansari of Iran in the final. Mukesh Choudhry lost his final against Asian Games gold-medallist Mohsen Seifi, while Rajani Deori went down to Sajas Abbasi of Iran in the summit clash.In the last edition, the Indian team won two silver and three bronze medals in the tournament at Zenjan, Iran
KEY Points--Wushu sport is of China origin and also called Kung fu, CMA, WS The term wushu is Chinese for “martial arts”Composed of two disciplines – taolu and sanda
International Wushu Federation (IWUF), which holds the World Wushu Championships every two years.

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on 21 September 2015 commissioned two indigenously built ships Apoorva and C-421 at the Naval Dock in Mumbai.They were commissioned by Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of the Western Naval Command SPS Cheema.The induction of the vessels is expected to boost maritime security along the Arabian Sea coast.

Features of ICGS Apoorva

• It is a 50 meter long Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV).
• It displaces 317 tonnes and can achieve a maximum speed of 33 knots.
• It is equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry, advanced communication and navigational equipment that make her an ideal platform for undertaking multifarious close-coast Surveillance, interdiction, Search & Rescue and medical evacuation missions. 
• It will be based at Goa under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters No 11.Features of ICGS C-421

• It is a water jet propelled vessel.
• It is the 27th in the series of IBs constructed by L & T Limited and can achieve a maximum speed of 45 Knots.
• It is fitted with medium range armaments, the ship is designed for close coast and shallow water operations. 
• It is based at Androth (L&M Islands), under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters No 12.

Zayn Khan was on 22 September 2015 unanimously elected as the President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). His appointment was necessitated by the death of R Bharath Raj, who passed away while serving as President on August 15.

Khan is a resident of Hyderabad and represents the Western India Automobile Association. He has years of hands-on experience in the sport and has contributed a lot for the technical side of the sport in India. As head of the stewards development, training and deployment, Khan has extensive knowledge about rallying. He also has experience in officiating at the international level. 

About The Federation of Motor Sports Club of India (FMSCI) 
• FMSCI was formed in the year 1971 as a federation of five clubs to promote motorsporting events in the country.
• It is a Private Limited company registered under Section 25 of the Indian Companies Act 1956.
• It is also recognised as the National Sports Federation (NSF) by the Indian Government for the promotion and governance of motorsports in India.
• Its main functions are formulation of sporting rules for various types of motorsports, issue of competition licenses, permits to clubs to organize motorsporting events, training and deputation of sporting officials and to raise the standard of Indian Motorsports to International levels.

Former West Indies captain Richie Richardson was inducted into the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, replacing Sri Lanka’s Roshan Mahanama who stepped down last week. “Mr. Richardson will take over the match referee’s role after he has finished his current  assignment as the West Indies  cricket team manager, which will end with the Sydney Test against Australia starting on January 3, 2016,” the ICC said in a statement. 
 Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees:
David Boon, Chris Broad, Jeff  Crowe, Ranjan Madugalle, Andy Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal Srinath.

The Union Cabinet approved an agreement signed between India and Cambodia for bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector that aims at enhancing investment and promoting exchange of experience in marketing, destination development and management in this field. 

"The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister NarendraModi, has given its ex-post facto approval for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Cambodia for cooperation in the field of tourism with an aim to promoting bilateral tourism between the two countries," a statement said. Cambodia is an emerging tourism source market for India. India has extended the Electronic Tourist Visa (eTV) facility to the country's citizens which has elicited good response from the travel trade of both countries. 

The government believes that the MoU signed with Cambodia will further increase tourist arrivals from the Southeast Asian nation. The MoU was signed during Vice President Hamid Ansari's Cambodia visit on September 16. The main objectives of this agreement are expansion of bilateral cooperation in tourism sector, exchange of data and information related to tourism, encouraging cooperation between tourism stakeholders including hotels and tour operators. It also focuses on establishing exchange of programmes for cooperation in human resources development, investment in tourism and hospitality sectors, exchange of visits of tour operators/media/opinion makers for promotion of two way tourism.  The agreement also seeks to promote exchange of experience in areas of promotion, marketing, destination development and management, encourage participation in travel fairs/ exhibitions in each other's country and promoting safe, honourable and sustainable tourism.