1- Union Home Ministry forms three-member SIT to probe 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) for re-investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases mainly in Delhi and other States.

• Members: Three-member SIT will be headed by Pramod Asthana, an IPS officer of 1986 batch. It will have retired district and sessions judge Rakesh Kapoor and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police in Delhi Police Kumar Gyanesh as its members.
• Function: Newly-constituted SIT has been empowered to examine afresh evidence in cases which had even been closed. It will also look into all serious criminal cases relating to the riots, examine evidence and even re-open cases and file charge sheets in the courts concerned.

Three-member SIT has been given six months to complete its work, including filing of charge sheets in nearly three-decade old cases.

Background

• The SIT is constituted for re-investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases on the recommendation of government-appointed committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice G.P. Mathur.
• P. Mathur committee was constituted in December 2014 to look into the possibility of re-investigation of the 1984 riots and had submitted report to Union Government in January 2015.

2- India ranks 136 in World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) 2015

In recently released World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), India was placed at 136th rank out of 180 nations surveyed worldwide in terms of press freedom in 2015.

In WPFI 2015, India has shown improvement from its rank of 140 in 2014. However, India’s absolute score has declined from 40.34 to 40.49.

Top 10 countries: Finland (1st), Norway (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Netherlands (4th), Sweden (5th), New Zealand (6th), Austria (7th), Canada (8th), Jamaica (9th), Estonia (10th).

India’s Neighbours: Sri Lanka (165th), Pakistan (159th), Afghanistan (122th), China (176th), Bangladesh (146th).

About World Press Freedom Index (WPFI)

• World Press Freedom Index is produced by France-based international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders (RWB), or Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF).
• The WPFI ranks the performance of countries according to index calculated based upon various parameters.
• These parameters include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media operate.
• WPFI aims to promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press.

3- Indian-origin scientist Gurpreet Singh wins $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award

Gurpreet Singh

An Indian-origin scientist Gurpreet Singh has won prestigious $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award. He has won this award  for his research on Scalable liquid exfoliation processing of ultrathin two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides nanosheets for energy storage devices.

This CAREER award will help him to study large-scale production of ultrathin sheets, a few atoms thick and several micrometres wide using transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs).

At present no methods are available to produce thin TMDs in large quantities cost-effectively. His research aims to make that possible. The prestigious award will also help him to organize educational activities for high school students and teachers.

About Gurpreet Singh

Currently, Gurpreet Singh is assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering at Kansas State University.

Some of his other research had focused on using graphene oxide to improve sodium and lithium ion flexible batteries and creating carbon nanotubes for better laser detectors and rechargeable batteries.

About National Science Foundation CAREER award

National Science Foundation CAREER award is given by US National Science Foundation as part of  Faculty Early Career Development Programme.

It is awarded to persons for supporting early career faculty who effectively integrate research and education within the context of their institution’s mission.

4- Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy passes away

Kesava Reddy

Renowned Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy has passed away in Nizamabad district of Telangana. He was 68.

He was well known for his writings that had addressed many important social problems in India like poverty, prejudices and superstitions.

About Kesava Reddy

• Kesava Reddy was born 10 March 1946 in Thalapula Palli village of Chittoor District in Andhra Pradesh.
• Medical career:He was doctor by profession and had obtained MBBS degree from Pandichheri medical college. He also had PG diploma in dermatology and had worked as Medical officer in Victoria Hospital, Dichpally, Nizamabad. During his medical career, he had treated a number of leprosy patients.
• Writer Career:He had penned eight novels, short and long stories. Some of his novels were translated into English and other languages
• His novels are Mugavani Pillana Grovi (1996), Chivari gudise (1996), Athadu Adavini Jayinchadu (1980), Incredible Goddess or Kshudra Devatha (1979), Swasanam dunneru (1979), City Beautiful (1982), Ramudunaadu- Raajjaymundaadi (1982), Muneamma (2008).

5- Cipla wins Rs 1170 cr tender from Global Fund to supply HIV drugs

Indian pharmaceutical giant, Cipla has been awarded $188.95 million (around Rs. 1,172 crore) Contract by Global Fund to supply ARV (anti-retroviral) drugs.

Cipla has been selected as a Panel Supplier for a supplier partnership agreement. This contract is effective from 1 January 2015 and will run for a period of three years i.e. till 2018.

ARV drugs will be made at Cipla’s manufacturing facilities in India which has been approved by various international regulatory agencies.

Earlier, Cipla had played a pioneering role in supplying cheaper HIV/AIDS treatment. In 2001, Cipla was first pharmaceutical company to offer ARV drugs at a fraction of the cost in Africa. Since then, it had offered a triple combination ARV at less than a dollar a day and has treated several million patients. Cipla has been associated with Global Fund since 2002. It also one of the suppliers of Global Fund awarded with a long-term contract to supply anti-malarial drugs.

About Global Fund

It was established in 2002. It operates in a partnership model between governments, civil society, private sector and people to accelerate the end of diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

It raises and invests nearly $4 billion annually to support its programs in more than 140 countries.

6- Ashish Agrawal appointed as Chief Technology Officer of Micromax Informatics

Ashish Agrawal

Micromax Informatics has appointed Ashish Agrawal as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

As CTO of Micromax, he will be responsible for defining the vision and the direction of company’s software services and driving new initiatives to provide a strong impetus to its brand and bring future technology disruptions into the market.

Prior to this appointment, he was working as the CTO for mobile and cloud services player Sirqul. He had worked for the execution and adoption of Sirqul’s suite of mobile engagement products and services.

Ashish Agrawal has rich corporate experience of 16 years in the field of mobile, e-commerce, payments, web services and large scale distributed systems. Of 16 years, he had spent 14 years with eCommerce giant Amazon in software & product development including Amazon Anywhere (mobile), AWS and payments and also lead development of m-commerce applications for Amazon.

7- Fourth river festival begins in Madhya Pradesh

Fourth river festival begins in Madhya Pradesh

Fourth River festival has begun at Bandrabhan bank of Narmada River in Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh.

Three day festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Theme of this year’s river festival is River, its catchment area, chemicals and crisis.

In this year’s festival more than 100 participants will discuss topics like effects of chemicals used in agriculture on forests, wild life and human beings. Success stories on natural farming will also be part of discussion.

8- CCSHAU selected for Mahindra Samriddhi India Agri Award 2015

Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU)

Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) has been selected for the prestigious Mahindra Samridhi India Agri Award 2015.

CCSHAU was selected for this year’s award for

• Its contribution in increasing agriculture productivity, rural prosperity and agriculture development of Haryana.
• Developing two single cross maize hybrids HM-12 and HM-13 and a wheat variety WH-1105 under the innovative farming technology in year 2014. These hybrids are high yielding, disease resistant and environment friendly and capable of reducing the cost of cultivation.

About Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU)

• CCSHAU is state university established under Haryana and Punjab Agricultural Universities Act, 1970 and named after India’s 7th Prime Minister, Chaudhary Charan Singh.
• Since its formation CCSHAU had played pivotal role in Green Revolution and White Revolution in India.
• Prior to formation of Haryana state, it was a satellite campus of Punjab Agricultural University. But after formation of Haryana it was declared as an autonomous institution.
• In 1991 it was renamed as Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University.
• In 1997, university was awarded Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Award for the Best Institute.

About Mahindra Samridhi India Agri Award

• It was instituted in 2010 by multinational automobile manufacturing corporation Mahindra & Mahindra.
• Its sole objective is to commend the purposeful contributions that made a difference in the field of agriculture to increase productivity and enhance rural prosperity.

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