Current Affairs Notes Focused on Combined Defence Services (CDS)- II Exam, 2017

GK

Friday, February 3, 2017

7:39 AM

• New Director General of Military operations - General A K Bhatt
• 17 mountain corps raised against China.
• India has 14 corps of which 4 are strike corps.
• Akodara, Gujarat becomes India's first digital village.
• Golden Peacock for "Daughter"
• Head of CM's committee on demonetization - N Chandrababu Naidu, Andra Pradesh CM.
•  Indian Police at your call APP launched at National Police Conference at Hyderabad.
•  UNCITRAL - United Nations Commission on International Trade Law
• E- Pashuhatt portal launched by the union Agriculture farmers Welfare.
•  Pak Army chief - Lt. Gen. Qamar Bajwa.
• Marathi Author Anand Yadav passed away. Noted works - Zombi, won Sahitya academy award, 1991.
• Union Govt. launches AirSewa website to track flights, to know flight status and register complaints.
• 26 November is celebrated as National Milk Day, Birthday of Dr. Vargeese Kurian.
• 26 November is also celebrated as Constitution Day. On this day in 1949, the constitution of India was adopted.
•  Cuban former president Fidel Castro passed away- 26th Nov 2016. President from 1976 to 2008. His brother, Rahul Castro is now President.
• Indian Navy's 7th landing craft utility (LCU) L-57 was launched by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd.
• Amitabh Kant Committee to push cashless transactions. He is also the CEO of Niti Aayog.
• New Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie - Upma Chowdhary. First woman to hold this post.
• Co- Creator of MiG-29 fighter jet passes away - Ivan Mikoyan. Leading Engineer at MiG Aircraft Corporation.
• India hosted the 13th edition of World Robot Olympiad. The theme of the event was 'Rap the Scrap'.
• 25th November- International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. Theme- "Orange the World; raise funds to end violence against women"
• India ranked 138th out of 175 counties in the ICT Development Index (IDI).
• IAF upgraded Jaguar DARIN III air crafts. DARIN I Standard Jaguar is an Anglo- French jet attack aircraft which was upgraded by HAL to DARIN III standard.
• NABARD - National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. HQ- Mumbai. Established in 1982 on the recommendation of Shivaraman Committee.
• New Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) - Yudhivir Singh Malik.
• International Press Freedom Award to Malini Subramaniam.
• Renowned Scientist MGK Menon passed away- 23rd November 2016. Served in ISRO and DRDO.
• Nuclear capable Agni-I Ballistic missile successfully test fired from Abdul Kalam Island. Its range is 700 km, can be increased by reducing the Payload.
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• January 9, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. On this day in 1915, Gandhiji returned from South Africa.
• India And Switzerland sign a joint declaration for the implementation of Automatic Exchange of Information.
• Pankaj Patel was elected as the president of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI).
• Veteran Carnatic Music Exponent M Balamuralikrishna passed away on 23rd Nov, 2016.
• Captain Radhika Menon was awarded the International Maritime Organization Award for Exceptional Bravery at sea. She is the first woman to win this award.
• India becomes an Associate member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the world's largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory.
• Stealth Guided missile destroyer INS Chennai commissioned into Indian Navy. Part of Project 15A. It is the third and last Kolkata class guided missile destroyer. Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai. The other three ships are INS Kolkata and INS Kochi.
• India's longest expressway inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh. It connects Agra and Lucknow. It is 302 Km long. It also has a 2km dedicated stretch built for fighter jets to land and takes off in times of war like emergencies.
• India ranks 20th out of 58 countries in 2017 Climate Change Performance Index. 
• Twin trial of Prithvi-II missile successfully conducted. Surface to Surface nuclear capable missile. Range - 350 km. Variants -  Prithvi I for the Indian Army, Prithvi-II for the Indian Air force and Dhanush Missile for Indian Navy.
• PM launches Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana. To provide affordable, environment-friendly, safe, pucca house to every rural household by 2022.
• China launches World's longest super- secure quantum communication line.
• Pehchan Identity cards for artisans by the union textile ministry.
• PV Sindhu wins 2016 China Open Super Series Premier title.
• NASA launched Next generation Weather Satellite GOES-R
• November 19 is celebrated as World Toilet Day.
• Tamil Nadu gets world's first salt- tolerant plant garden. It was inaugurated by Mauritius president Ameenah Gurib Fakim through video conferencing.
• Jagdish Singh Khehar appointed as executive chairman of NALSA (National Legal Services Authority)
• India and UK sign three bilateral pricing agreements. Advance Pricing Agreement.
• Qaumi Ekta week (National Integration Week) observed all over the country from 19th to 25th November.
• Indian navy inducts 4 types of indigenously developed sonars. Abhay, Humsa UG, AIDSS, NACS. With this, the underwater capability of the Indian Navy will get a boost.
• India opposes MES status for China. MES - Market Economy Status.
• Iran becomes India's top crude oil supplier surpassing Saudi Arabia.
• China's Sunway Taihulight is the fastest supercomputer.
• Prevention of cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Fundamental duty Article 51A(g); Compassion towards animals. Article 21 (Right to Life); which prohibits any disturbance to the environment, including animals as it is considered essential for human life.
• President launches National Student Startup Policy (NSSP) to develop technology-driven start-ups.
• Russia withdraws from International Criminal Court.
• India's combat capable Rustom II (TAPAS 201) drone successfully completes maiden test flight. It is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance( MALE) UAV. It weighs 2 tons.  It has an endurance of 24 hours.
• CRPF for the first time deploys women commandos for anti-Naxal operations. CRPF is the world's largest central armed police force with 228 battalions and over three lakh personal.
• Pakistan conducted Raad ul Barq (strike of Thunder) military exercise in Punjab province bordering India.
• November 16, International Day of Tolerance.
• International Solar Alliance. Launched by Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande at CoP21 in Paris. It has 121 members. India's first international and inter-governmental organization.
• India, China Joint Training - "Hand in Hand 2016" (Sixth Edition) at Pune, Maharashtra.
• Special Committee for inter-linking of rivers.
• India and Asian Development Bank have inked a $500 million loan agreement to build a 9.5km bridge across Ganga. It will be the countries longest river bridge.
• India and Israel ink two agreements in the field of water resources management and agriculture.
• Special Task Force led by Deputy Governor of RBI, SS Mundra to recalibrate ATMs.
• Biggest and brightest supermoon observed.
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• Pakistan inaugurated operational activities at Gwadar port. With this, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) becomes a reality.
• November 12, World Pneumonia Day. Theme; "Keep the promise, stop Pneumonia Now"
• India-Nepal joint training exercise Surya Kiran culminates.
• Meng Hongwei from China is elected as the new president of International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). HQ at Lyon, France. It has 190 member countries.
• City Union Bank launches India's first banking robot Lakshmi in Chennai.
• India and Japan sign Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement on 11th November 2016.
• Indian has signed civil nuclear deals with 10 other countries. United States, Russia, South Korea, Mongolia, France, Namibia, Argentina, Canada, Kazakhstan and Australia.
• Peru to host 2016 Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation( APEC) from Nov 19 to 20. Theme; Quality Growth and Human Development. 
• November 10, World Science Day for Peace and Development. Theme; Celebrating science centers and science Museums.
• The union Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in three districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
• India and UK ink two MoUs on Ease of doing business and Cooperation in the field of intellectual property.

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• Indian Navy's Theatre  Level Exercise TROPEX 17
• India and France signed White shipping agreement, sharing information on Maritime traffic and maritime domain awareness.
• Improved Guided Pinaka rockets successfully test fired for the 2nd time. The earlier Pinaka rocket was an unguided one. It has now been made guided.
• Second Scorpene class submarine INS Khanderi launched at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai. It is the second of six submarines being built at MDL in collaboration with France's DCNS as part of Navy's Project 75. The first one was INS Kalvari.
• Artillery gun, Dhanush tested. 155 MM/52 based on Bofors. The range of 45 km.
• ICBM Agni-IV successfully test fired from Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha Coast. Two stage  Surface to surface nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile. Its range is 4000 km's with a 1-ton nuclear warhead.
• Air Chief Marshal Birendra Singh Dhanoa take charge as new Air Force Chief.
• CSL completes delivery of 20 FPVs to Indian Coast Guard. Fast Patrol Vessel.
• India successfully test fired Nuclear Capable ballistic missile Agni 5.
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• DRDO successfully flight tests Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW). Range; 100 Kms. It is been tested from IAF Jaguar DARIN II.
• Long range nuclear capable subsonic cruise Nirbhay test fired. Strike range of 700 km to 1000 km.
• Lt Gen Bipin Rawat appointed as Chief of Indian Army Chief.
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• Air Marshal BS Dhanoa appointed as air chief of IAF.
• Seventh Indo-Maldives joint military exercise EKUVERIN begins.
• India, Russia bilateral naval exercise, INDRA NAVY 2016. It is the 9th edition. It began in 2003.
• India becomes world's 4th largest defense spender.
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• Indian Army launches Veterans Outreach App.
• Joint maritime exercise 'Konkan 16' between India and UK begins.
• India to train Vietnam's Sukhoi-30 fighter pilots.
• December 4, Navy Day. TO commemorate Operation Trident.
• India inks Rs 5000 core defense deal with the US to buy 145M777 howitzers. It can easily be transported by helicopters. Range; 24 km.
• India-Bangladesh joint military exercise SAMPRITI 2016
•  Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran
  
  
• India and Russia agreed to double the range of BrahMos Missile.
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• One man judicial committee on OROP submits the report to Defense Minister. L Narasimha Reddy.
• India Srilanka Joint military exercise MITRA AHAKTI 2016.
• India signs a pact with Russia to lease second nuclear submarine. The first one was INS Chakra.
• INS Arihant; First indigenously built nuclear ballistic submarine.
• India and China conducted Joint tactical exercise 'Sino-India Cooperation 2016' in Ladakh. It compliments 'Hand in Hand' series of India-China joint military exercises.
• Indian Navy commissions INS Tihayu, a car Nicobar Class water jet fast attack craft (WJFAC). Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders Ltd.
• India complete nuclear triad by commissioning INS Arihant. Thus becoming the 6th country to have a nuclear triad.
• Russia and India ink defense deal on S-400 Defense Systems worth 39,000 core. Five S-400 Triumf Air Defense Systems. It is capable of destroying incoming air targets at ranges up to 400 km's.
• Reliance and Dassault to set up joint venture-  Dassault Reliance Aerospace.
• India and US joint Military training exercise - Yudh Abhyas 2016.
• India and Russia joint military exercise INDRA 2016
• Long range Air to Air Missile, MICA fired from Mirage- 2000.
• Long range surface to air Barak-8 missile successfully test fired. India and Israel Jointly developed.
• China, Russia conduct joint navel exercises 'Joint Sea 2016' in South China Sea.
• Indian Navy's most Advanced Guided Missile Destroyer Mormugao launched. Built by Mazagaon docks. Belongs to Visakhapatnam class of ships being constructed under Project 15B. It is fitted with Barak 8 Long Range Missiles.
• India - Kazakhstan Joint Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK 16.
• India-US ink $1 billion deal to buy four Poseidon 81 aircraft.
• RIMPAC is world's largest international maritime warfare exercise.
• LCA Tejas is not the first indigenous fighter to be inducted into the IAF. In April 1967, IAF had formed the first operational squadron with the indigenous HF-24 Marut fighter.
• Anti-submarine torpedo Varunastra inducted in the Indian Navy.
• India's first integrated Defense communication Network{DCN} launched.
• India becomes the 35th member of Missile Technology Control Regime(MTCR)

• Ashok Chakra: Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami (Posthumous). He belonged to 9 PARA (Special Force) and laid down his life while fighting LeT militants in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Kirti Chakra: Subedar Mahendra Singh of 9 PARA (Special Force).
• Sepoy Jagdish Chand (Posthumous) of 546 DSC Platoon.
• Shaurya Chakra: Colonel Santosh Mahadik (Posthumous) of 41 Rashtriya Rifle (PARA).
• Major Praphul Kumar Bhardwaj of 12 PARA (Special Force).
• Major Sandip Yadav of 55 Rashtriya Rifle (Armed).
• Major Anurag Kumar of 9 PARA (Special Force).
• Lieutenant Harjinder Singh of 3 KUMAON.
• Naik Satish Kumar (Posthumous) of 21 Rashtriya Rifle (Guards).
• Naik Kheem Singh Mehra of 21 KUMAON.
• Sepoy Dharma Ram (Posthumous) of 1 Rashtriya Rifle (MAHAR).

Kirti Chakra is the second highest peace time gallantry award i.e. awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. Shaurya Chakra is third highest peacetime gallantry award generally awarded for counterinsurgency operations and actions against the enemy during peace-time.

(The notes are based on http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/)