Current Affairs November 2011 Tit-Bits

December 28, 2011

ROSAT plunges to earth:

ROSAT or Röntgensatellit was a bus-sized defunct German satellite plunged to Earth recently after languishing in a dead orbit for more than a decade. It is not sure if any of its debris has hit the planet
Government approves Majithia Wage Board Recommendations:

The Union Cabinet has recently approved the recommendations of the Majithia Wage Board providing for an increase in the salaries and allowances of journalists and nonjournalists. However, the Indian Newspaper Society has said that financial impact of implementing the recommendations may lead to the closure of a majority of small and medium newspaper publications across the country as the proposed wage hike was very high and beyond the capacity of the industry.
International Super Series Hockey: India loses

Australia defeated India 4-1 to win the women’s title and its men’s team beat New Zealand 5-3 at the inaugural International Super Series field hockey tournament at Perth.
Global Bribe Payers Index 2011: India on 19^th

India’s score has improved the most in Global Bribe Payers Index which is prepared by Transparency International. In a list of 28 countries, India has been ranked 19th, while China and Russia fared the worst, at 27th and 28th positions, respectively.
Raj Rajaratnam goes to Jail for insider trading

Raj Rajaratnam, the Galleon Group LLC cofounder whom prosecutors called “the modern face of illegal insider trading,” was sentenced to 11 years in prison, one of the longest terms ever for insider trading, though less than half of the maximum sought by the government.
` 91 Lakh for gTDL

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has said that it will charge applicants $1,85,000 (about Rs 91 lakh) to get generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) after it allowed expansion of suffixes for websites.
Railways hikes freight rates

Recently, Indian Railways has announced a 6% hike on its freight charges for all commodities to meet the growing financial burden. The Indian Railways is facing financial burdern due to its rising operating cost.
Kucharski named Indian TT coach:

Table Tennis Federation of India has appointed Poland’s Leszek Kucharski as Indian TT Coach on a one-year contract Kucharski will take over the reins of the team from next month at a salary of $6,000 per month including free accommodation and internal travel expenses.
Water-covered planets may exist:

Astronomers have discovered a still-forming alien solar system having enough water that can fill Earth’s oceans several thousand times over, a finding they say strengthens the idea that comet impacts might have delivered most of the water on the planet. The discovery marks the first time astronomers have detected water in a dusty planet-forming disk so far from its central star, in the frigid region where comets are born.
Breakthrough in cure for leprosy:

Scientists in China have claimed a breakthrough in the treatment of leprosy that could help doctors diagnose it at an early stage and develop more effective ways to combat it. They have identified two new risk variants near IL23R and RAB 32 genes that are responsible for the disease, according to a report published in Nature Genetics.
UNSC adopts India-backed “The resolution 2015” on piracy:

On India’s initiative, the UN Security Council has for the first time adopted a resolution seeking prosecution not only for acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia but also for hostage taking. India, which has been taking the lead in addressing the problems of piracy as well as hostage taking, along with 10 other members, co-sponsored the resolution. India was represented at the security council meeting for adoption of the resolution by minister of state for external affairs E Ahamed. The resolution 2015 recognizes the increasing scope of piracy beyond the coast of Somalia, which affects not only the states in the region but also those far beyond. The resolution calls for international cooperation in sharing information for the purpose of law enforcement and for effective prosecution.
Gigantic Amoebas found in Mariana Trench:

Scientists claim to have discovered gigantic amoebas — at one of the deepest locations on Earth. A team documented the deepest known existence of xenophyophores, single-celled animals found in deep-sea environments during a July 2011 voyage to Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, the deepest region on the planet.
US dismantled its most powerful nuke B53:

B53 is the most powerful nuclear bomb of United States-hundreds of times stronger than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It is has been now disassembled after it was put into service at the height of the Cold War. The last components of B53 bomb were broken downrecently at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, the United States’ only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility.
Industrialist Arvind Mafatlal passes away:

Mafatlal Group patriarch and social reformer Arvind N Mafatlal passed away at Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh after prolonged illness. He was 88. He is survived by son Hrishikesh Mafatlal, who is the chairman of the Arvind Mafatlal Group, and daughter Maithili Desai. The legendary industrialist played a prominent role in the post-Independence growth story of the country.
China set to launch 25 satellites by 2011-end :

China has set up a target of launching 20 rockets and 25 satellites into space by the end of this year, making it the second country after Russia to accomplished that many launches in a year. China launched 15 rockets to send 20 satellites in to space in 2010, comparable numbers to the US and Russia, historically the world’s two most prolific launchers of spacecraft.
World Polio Day observed on October 24, 2011:

The World Polio Day was observed on October 24, 2011.
50th raising day celebrated by ITBP on October 24, 2011:

ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police Force) celebrated its 50th raising day on October 24, 2011.
October 29, 2011: World Stroke day observed:

World Stroke Day observed on October 29, 2011. This day emphasizes the dangerous nature and high rates of stroke, lift consciousness of the avoidance and treatment of the condition, and make sure better care and support for survivors. Organizations all over the globe arranged events accentuating education, testing, and go-aheads to ameliorate the damaging effects of stroke globally.

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