1- NASA’s Dawn space probe completes its orbit around dwarf planet Ceres

NASA’s Dawn space probe has completed its orbit around dwarf planet Ceres which is the largest object in the Solar System between Mars and Jupiter. With the completion of orbit, Dawn probe has become first spacecraft to visit dwarf planet.

Dawn has taken 7.5 years to reach the orbit of Ceres. Scientists are hoping to glean information from the Ceres which can tell them about the Solar System’s beginnings after its formation four and a half billion ago.

Earlier during its journey from 2011 to 2012, the spacecraft also had explored and surveyed the giant asteroid Vesta. It had delivered new insights and thousands of images from the asteroid.

About Dawn space probe

• Launched– In 2007 by NASA.
• Objective-to study the two massive protoplanets of the asteroid belt: Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres.
• The mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
• Probes major components are contributed by NASA’s European partners i.e. from German Aerospace Center, Italian Space Agency and Italian National Astrophysical Institute.
• Dawn space probe is the first NASA exploratory mission to use ion propulsion to enter orbits.

2- Walmart India appoints Ashwin Mittal as CFO

Walmart

Walmart India has appointed Ashwin Mittal as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He will replace incumbent CFO Jill Anderson as he will be soon repatriated back to Walmart in US.

About Ashwin Mittal

• Ashwin Mittal is a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) has rich work experience of 25 years in multinational companies, including Yum Restaurants and Silicon Graphics Cray.
• He had joined Walmart in 2007 as Head of Financial Planning and Analysis. Since then, he had served at various key roles in the company including Head -Business Finance and Strategy, Chief Business Development Officer and Deputy CFO.

Walmart India also appointed Javier Rojo as head of its Real Estate and Business Development. Javier will be responsible for Store Planning & Real Estate, Design & Construction.

About Javier Rojo

• Javier holds an MBA from Kellogg at Northwestern University in Chicago. He has over 25 years of experience. It includes experience of 10 years with US McDonalds and 15 years with US Walmart.
• He also served as Director of Development for Walmart Puerto Rico.
• Prior to this appointment, he was Senior Real Estate Director for the New England, US division of Walmart.

3- Prime Minister inaugurates two 600 MW Thermal Power Units in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two units each of 600 Mega Watt (MW) capacity in Shree Singaji Thermal Power Project in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.

Shree Singaji Thermal Power Plant is a coal-fired project. It is owned and developed by Madhya Pradesh Power Generation Company Limited (MPPGCL).

The two units were inaugurated as part of the first phase of the project which added additional 1200 MW power capacity. This additional power capacity will help to increase the thermal power generation capacity of the State to 4500 MW and will play key role state government’s Atal Jyoti Abhiyan which is aimed at providing 24 X 7 power supply.

Apart from this inauguration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also laid the foundation stone of two units each of 660 MW of the same power plant as part of second phase.

4- Kerala Assembly speaker G Karthikeyan passes away

G Karthikeyan

Senior Congress leader and Kerala Assembly Speaker G Karthikeyan passed away in Bangalore, Karnataka. He was 66. Karthikeyan died while he was undergoing treatment in Bangalore after he was diagnosed with liver cancer.

About G Karthikeyan

• Karthikeyan was a prominent Congress leader in Kerala. He had started his political career through Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student outfit of Congress.
• Later he was appointed state president of KSU and Youth Congress. He was also vice-president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.
• Karthikeyan was elected to Kerala state assembly for 6 times i.e. in 1982 (from Trivandrum North constituency) 1991, 1996 2001, 2006 (from Aryanadand constituency) and 2011 (Aruvikkara constituency).
• In 1995, he had served as Power Minister of state in the A K Antony led Congress government. In 2001, he also had served as Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the Congress government.
• Karthikeyan was elected as the Speaker of Kerala state Legislative in 2011, after Congress returned to power.
• He was born on 20 January 1949 in Varkala, a coastal town in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala.

5- NPCI links 15 crore bank accounts with Aadhaar

Aadhaar

National Payments Corporation (NPCI) has successfully linked 15 crore Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) accounts with the Aadhaar numbers.

With this achievement NPCI has moved a step closer to map its target of linking all 17 crore DBT accounts with Aadhaar numbers by 30 June 2015. Under the linking programme of DBT accounts with Aadhaar numbers, Government is seeking to bring all beneficiaries of all government subsidies/benefit transfers under the programme in order to plug leakages and save cost.

Apart from this linking programme NPCI is also nodal agency for all retail payment systems under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) which was launched in 2014 to push DBT and financial inclusion.

About National Payments Corporation (NPCI)

• NPCI is an umbrella body for all retail payments system in India. It operates under the aegis of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was incorporated in 2008 under the Companies Act.
• Its main objective is to facilitate an affordable payment mechanism in order facilitate financial inclusion and benefit the common man across the country.
• It also seeks to consolidate and integrate the multiple systems with varying service levels into nation-wide uniform and standard business process for all retail payment systems.

6- EU formally adopts climate change targets for December 2015 UNFCCC Paris Conference

The European Union (EU) has formally adopted climate change targets for December 2015 UNFCCC Paris Conference. Adopted climate change target includes a 40 per cent cut in emissions by 2030.

These targets were agreed by leaders of the 28 EU member-states at a summit in October 2014 but now have been officially forwarded to the United Nations. EU announcement comes prior to the deadline of March 31, 2015 as it is binding on countries to announce their commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

EU countries when taken together form the world’s biggest economy and accounts for nine per cent of global emissions of greenhouse gases. EU has agreed to cut the greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent compared to 1990 levels.

United States also has formally announced its intention to reduce emissions by 26-28 per cent in 2025 compared with their level in 2005. It should be noted that US accounts for 12 per cent of global greenhouse gases emissions.

While, China has set a target date of 2030 for its global greenhouse gases emissions to reach peak.

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