current affairs for the month of january 2015

8/9/2019 Current Affairs for the month of January 2015

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in thismagazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily re-ect policy or position of CURRENT AFFAIRS Magazineor MADE EASY Publications. They should be understoodas the personal opinions of the author/ authors.

04 Editorial Editors Column

06 Heaven becomes Hell National Disaster

08 Ebola Virus DiseaseHealth Issue

14 HDR Report 2014

International Report

23 India State of Forest Report2013Environmental Issue

26 Union Budget 2014-15 Economic Issue

32 Rangarajan CommitteeReport on Poverty

Poverty Estimation in India

32

35 Mukul Rohatgi

Attorney General of India

35

38 BRICS 2014

40 FIFA 2014

Contents

45 National Affairs

Chinese Presidents Visit

45

67 International Affairs

PMs Japan Visit

67

85 Persons in News

97 Awards & Honours

107 Books & Authors

109 Environment and Wildlife

119 Science and Technology

128 Defence in News

136 Economy in News

PM Jan Dhan Yojana

136

nnn

142 Current Sports

CWG Games 2014

142

155 Ready Reckoners

160 Recently Held Exam Papers

Civil Services GS Solved Papers, 2014

(Prelims)

176 Current Affairs Questions

Issue: Oct-Nov-Dec, 2014

MADE EASY

Civil Services Examination | State Services Exams | Engg. Services Examination | Public Sector Exams

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AffairsCurrent

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A Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E F O R C O M P E T I T I V E E X A M I N A T I O N S

HeavenBecomesHell

R a n g a r a j a n C o m m i t t e e

R e p o r t o n P o v e r t y

E b o l a V i r u s D i s e a s e

i n W e s t e r n A f r i c a

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Enhanced Degree of General awareness for Exam success has become the epitome of the variouscritical requirements in the present day competitive examinations. General Awareness is a veryimportant part of the syllabuses in the Examination ranging from UPSC Civil Services Examination,Indian Engineering Services Examination, Indian Forest Services Examination and the Public SectorUndertakings Examinations to the various States Services Examinations. Competitive Examinationsfrom the General Studies areas are having questions belonging to the basics of the core subjects along

with the questions based upon the contemporary issues. In the light of this what, when, why, where, whoand how of those contemporary issues the content needs to be prepared in comprehensive yet precisemanner. The quintessential part of the coverage of the information is its relevance to the examinationsyou are preparing for. Ability to distinguish between relevant and immaterial content is very important,as they say in SanskritYatha kharaschandana - bharavahi bharasya vetta na tu chandanasya means the

Ass carrying its load of sandalwood knows only the weight and not the value of sandalwood. Once you will be able to understand the essence and spirit of the preparation, it will no longer be a load, you willenjoy the fragrance of the knowledge and an inevitable success attached to it.

One should never forget that Success is not automatic; it has to be earned by Intelligence, Enthusiasm,Endurance and Perseverance. For achieving success in the competitive examinations, mainly twothings are required; one is the content and the other is unrelenting and resolute preparation. Contentis the Bow and Preparation is An Arrow and both of them are required to hit the bulls eye. We haveaimed with the help of this magazine to accomplish the target of providing a qualitative content andthe readers have the onus of preparation. Discipline, hard work and focused perseverance bridgesthe gap between goals and accomplishments. Way to success may be dif cult sometimes like walkingon the thin edge of a razor. The road to success may be full of obstacles, long, perilous and you willcome across a number of naysayers throughout your march towards the goal, but do not despair. AsSwami Vivekananda said and I quote, Awake, Arise and Stop not till the goal is achieved.

While bringing the current edition of Current Affairs Made Easy, I can only say that this is an

Ebullient, Dedicated GuidesEndeavour to show such a path that when you open the pages of thisMagazine, you will be opening even the most tightly closed doors of success.

Aniruddh Pratap Singh Editor

EDITORIAL

Take An EDGE


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Current Affairs Edition: Oct-Nov-Dec, 2014

Heaven becomes Hell : Flood tragedy in J&K

National Disaster

In rst week of September 2014,Jammu and Kashmir witnesseddisastrous oods across majorityof its districts. The death toll as ofSeptember 15 has crossed 200 and2600 villages were reported to beaffected, out of which 390 villageswere completely submerged.

Continuous heavy torrential rainfalland overowing of rivers (Jhelumand Tawi) and lakes (Dal, Wular)caused the worst ood in Jammuand Kashmir in last 60 years. The areas affected by theood are mostly districts in south kashmir which includeAnantnag, Avantipore and Pulwama.

Rescue and Relief Operations Under Operation Megh Rahat and Operation

Sahayata, over 2,26,000 ood-hit people inJammu and Kashmir have been rescued by theArmed Forces and the NDRF( National DisasterResponse Force).

The Army has deployed around 30,000 troopsfor rescue and relief work. 80 transport aircraftand helicopters of the Indian Air Force and ArmyAviation Corps have been pressed into service.A total of 2,451 sorties have been undertakenby the helicopters and aircraft of armed forces,and 3,435 tonnes of relief materials have beendropped by the air force.

220 army boats and 148 in atable boats of NDRFare involved in rescuing people still marooned inood waters. To restore road connectivity, some5,700 personnel of the Border Roads Organisa-tion have been pressed into service. Additionalcommunication equipment of BSNL are beingdispatched to restore the communication sys-tems in the state.

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi offered anassistance of ` 1000 crore to the state government, thiswas in addition to ` 1100 crore already earmarked for thedisaster. Terming it as a national disaster, Modi also took

an aerial survey of the affected areasand even offered help those affectedin the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK). Chief Minister of Maharashtraannounced an aid of ` 10 crore fromthe chief minister's relief fund for therescue and relief for Jammu andKashmir ood victims. Also, MadhyaPradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat andAndhra Pradesh, announced anassistance of ` 5 crore each and

appealed to the people to comeforward and help those in need.

Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister, has proposedthat boats be mobilised to send medical supplies to thepeople of the inundated areas of Srinagar who nd itimpossible to venture out of their homes because of thehigh ood waters.

The Union Health Minister has also urged the state healthsecretary and other ofcials of the urgent need to disposeof the carcasses lying around Srinagar. Pointing outthat a number of diseases could spread because of theomnipresence of dead animals, he also urged the launchof an information-education-communication-interventionoffensive to make people conscious of the need to boilwater before drinking and observing other hygienicparameters of the present situation.

J&K Flood is a combination of an intenseand unprecedented rainfall event combinedwith mismanagement (of drainage) and

unplanned urbanisation and lack of preparedness.

In the last 100 years, more than 50 per cent of thelakes, ponds and wetlands of Srinagar have beenencroached upon for constructing buildings androads. The banks of the Jhelum river have been takenover in a similar manner, vastly reducing the riversdrainage capacity.

Sunita Narain,

Director General,Centre for Science and Environment (CSE),

JhelumRiver

Jammu & KashmirLeh &Ladakh

SrinagarKashmir

Jammu HimachalPradesh

Punjab

Flood-hit districts


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The 2014 Ebola outbreak is considered as the largest ofthe Ebola outbreaks in the known history and it appearsto be the rst Ebola attack in West Africa. Current Ebolaoutbreak has so far (Till August 31, 2014) been conrmedfrom ve countries in West Africa: Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria,Sierra Leone, and Senegal. So far no case has beenreported from India.

As on 31st August 2014, more than 3000 cases have beenreported of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and more than 1550deaths have been reported. The World Health Organizationwarned that the number of people affected by the Ebolavirus could rise to 20,000 within the next nine months and a

projected half a billion dollars would be needed to fund theefforts aimed at stopping the spread of the disease.

Genetic analysis of the virus in this outbreak indicates thatit is closely related (97% identical) to variants of Ebolavirus (species Zaire ebolavirus) identied earlier in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon.

India and Ebola Virus Disease

As of now no case in India has been reported of sufferingfrom EVD. Although there will remain a risk of the potentialimport into the country if the large population of Indians

working in these affected West African nationsreturn. There are around 45,000 -50000 Indiannationals living and working in Guinea, Liberia,Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal. India hasalready started the step to have necessarypreparedness to combat the disease if thisVirus unfortunately enters India.

On a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) seekingSupreme Courts direction that passengerscoming on international ights from Ebola-af-

fected countries in African be screened to en-sure that they are free from the deadly virus,Supreme Court recently issued this noticeto the central government. A bench of ChiefJustice R.M.Lodha, Justice Kurian Josephand Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman was urgedfor direction that the government should takeimmediate steps for the screening of pas-sengers on the ights from affected countriesand to take adequate steps to prevent andcure the deadly epidemic. Around 900 pas-sengers have been tracked in India for EbolaVirus Disease but so far no high risk suspectcase has been admitted in India.

Ebola virus diseaseEbola virus disease (EVD) (formerly known asEbola haemorrhagic fever) is a severe, oftenfatal illness, with a death rate of up to 90%. Theillness affects humans and nonhuman primates(monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).

Ebola Virus Disease

Health Issue


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EVD outbreaks occur primarily in remote villages in Centraland West Africa, near tropical rainforests. The virus istransmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in thehuman population through human-to-human transmission.

First Known CaseEbola rst appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks,one in a village near the Ebola River in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, and the other in a remote area ofSudan. The name Ebola virus has been given because ofthe rst outbreak near Ebola river.

Origin and HostThe origin of the virus is unknown but fruit bats(Pteropodidae) are considered to be the likely host of theEbola virus.

Virus TransmissionIt is transmitted when a person comes into contact withan animal that has Ebola and gets affected within thecommunity from human to human. In the current outbreakin West Africa, the majority of cases in humans haveoccurred as a result of human-to-human transmission.

Infection occurs from direct contact through broken skinor mucous membranes with the blood, or other bodilyuids or secretions (stool, urine, saliva, semen) of infectedpeople. Infection can also occur if broken skin or mucousmembranes of a healthy person come into contact with

environments that have become contaminated with anEbola patients infectious uids such as soiled clothing,bed linen, or used needles.

Additional transmission has occurred in communitiesduring funerals and burial rituals. Burial ceremonies inwhich mourners have direct contact with the body of thedeceased person have played a role in the transmission ofEbola. Persons who have died of Ebola must be handledusing strong protective clothing and gloves and must beburied immediately.

People remain infectious as long as their blood andsecretions contain the virus. Men who have recovered fromthe illness can still spread the virus to their partner throughtheir semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery.

Symptoms of EbolaNormally the symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to21 days after exposure to ebolavirus, although 8-10 daysis most common. The symptoms of a person suffering fromthe Ebola Virus Attack typically include:

Symptoms

1 Sudden onset of Fever

2 Severe headache

3 Muscle pain

4 Intense weakness

5 Sore throat

6 Diarrhea

7 Vomiting

8 Abdominal (stomach) pain

9 Lack of appetite

10 Impaired kidney and liver function

11 Internal and external bleeding

12 Laboratory ndings include low white bloodcell and platelet counts, and elevated liverenzymes.

EVD 2014: Highlights The outbreak of current episode of EVD was rst

witnessed in Guinea.

Nearly all of the cases of EVD 2014 are a result ofhuman-to-human transmission.

The incubation period from time of infection to

symptoms is 2 to 21 days. In EVD 2014 outbreak, the survival rate has been

higher than previous outbreaks. The overall casefatality rate in EVD 2014 is around 50%.

TreatmentAs of now there is currently no specic treatment to curethe Ebola virus disease. The best treatment is intensivesupportive treatment provided in the hospital by healthworkers using strict infection control procedures. Theinfection can be controlled through recommended protective

measures. The patients are frequently dehydrated andneed intravenous uids or oral rehydration with solutionsthat contain electrolytes. To help control further spreadof the virus, people that are suspected or conrmed tohave the disease should be isolated from other patientsand treated by health workers using strict infection controlprecautions.

current affairs for the month of january 2015

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