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General Bipin Rawat is made the first Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) by the government of India. He’s currently serving as army general and will retire on December 31. He’ll take the new responsibility on the following day and report directly to the Prime Minister.

Chief of Defense Staff

It is the first time in India that a CDS is appointed but need of a chief for all defense forces was felt from the time of Kargil war in 1999. PM Modi has promised creating of CDS in his Independence Day speech.

The chief of three forces would report to the CDS and the latter would head the Department of Military Affairs. His salary would be equivalent to the emoluments of a service chief. The CDS post would help in improving coordination among the three services – the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

Role and requirements of CDS

A committee headed by National Security Advisor AjitDoval would determine the role and responsibilities of the Chief of Defense Staff. But his primary role would be to bring the three forces on same page. The CDS can serve the country till 65 years of age. General Bipin Rawat would serve as CDS till March 2022.

The world congratulated General Bipin Rawat

The US was the first to congratulate the first Chief of Defense Staff of India. The US Department of State tweeted that CDS would further improve US-India joint cooperation. Maldives Foreign Minister also congratulated General Bipin Rawat for becoming the first Chief of Defense Staff of India.

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National

India Would Become $5 Trillion Economy In 2026

HT News December 30, 2019

India would become the fourth-largest economy in 2026 according to a recent report by the UK-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Also, India would achieve its economic target of achieving a GDP of $5 trillion the same year.

Highlights of the CEBR report

India has already become the world’s fifth-largest economy by overtaking the UK and France
India would surpass Germany to reach the fourth-position in 2026
India would battle with Japan and Germany for the third-position over the next decade

World Economic League Table 2020 report

The report is an annual calculation by CEBR in association with Global Construction Perspectives. The report is based on the 2019 data provided by IMF World Economic Outlook.

The report highlights that India would achieve its growth target but two years later than the government’s target. The Modi government intends to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2024. But it also brings into focus the economic-crisis India is facing on its home turf. India witnessed a growth decline of 4.5% in September quarter of 2019-20. The troubling thing is that it was a six-year low.

Economic crisis in India

India is facing an economic slowdown due to negligible investments. The slowdown has impacted the consumer sector because of weak job creation and financial stress among rural households. The report is silent on how India would come out of the dark clouds gathering over the economy and become the third-largest economy over the years.

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National News & Politics

After Mamata Banerjee, Punjab And Kerala CMs Also Stand Against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

HT News December 13, 2019

Chief ministers of Kerala and Punjab have decided to follow West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee that is opposing implementation of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in West Bengal.

Mamata Banerjee on CAB

Mamata Banerjee turned down the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill even before it was passed by parliament. She voiced her concern about minorities while addressing a gathering in Kharagpur at the same time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah was speaking over CAB in the Lok Sabha. Minorities shouldn’t get scared of the bill as WB government was with them. She was also opposing National Register of Citizens.

Kerala CM on CAB

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayansaid that Kerala had no place for such an “unconstitutional law”. He further said that the constitutional guarantee of equal citizenship to all irrespective their faith was made void by this law. He said that any move to determine citizenship in the basis of religion was equal to rejecting the constitution.

Punjab CM on CAB

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that Congress with majority would oppose the bill in the assembly and block the unconstitutional bill from being implemented in the state. He further said that the law was very divisive in nature.

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

The controversial bill has been passed by the parliament and it is waiting assent of the President Ram Nath Kovind. The Indian Muslim League of Kerala has challenged the bill in Supreme Court and the Congress is expected to file its challenge soon. The bill is getting maximum opposition in North East where two people have already been killed in police firing in Guwahati.

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National

India Launched Satellite Made By An Israeli School

HT News December 12, 2019

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched Indian satellite RISAT-2BR1 with 9 satellites of four countries at 03:25 PM from Satish Dhawan space centre inSriharikota.

RISAT-2BR1 satellite

The RISAT-2BR1 is a radar imaging and earth observation satellite and it can take clear images in clouds and low light conditions. It packs 0.35-meter resolution camera that can locate and recognize to different articles even when they are only 35 cm apart. It weighs 628 kg and it would work for 5 years. This satellite would help armed forces in keeping a tab over infiltration in the border areas.

Security agencies require 4 RISAT satellites

ISRO is planning to launch the RISAT-2BR2 satellite this month and another after the second launch but no launch date is revealed yet. Security agencies need at least 4 RISAT satellites to keep a watch over specific places. These satellites would provide real help in locating infiltration and conducing encounters.

PSLV-C48 rocket is used in launch

It was the 50th mission of PSLV and 75th rocket launched from Sriharikota. Also, it was the 37th launch from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan space centre. ISRO has lined 13 launch mission till 6th March 2020. Out of these 13 launches, 6 belong to big vehicle mission and 7 satellite mission.

Rockets launched of other countries

ISRO launched 6 satellites of USA and 1 nano satellite each of Israel, Japan, Italy and Israel. The Israeli satellite is named Duchifat-3 and it is made by Israel Science Centre and students of Sha’arHaNegev High school.

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National News & Politics

Congress Writes To Its State Presidents To Protest The Citizenship Bill Today

HT News December 11, 2019

Congress will hold protest against the passage of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha. It has urged its leaders and workers to hold protests across the country on Wednesday.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal said that the people were aware that the Congress was opposing the CAB that was likely to be taken up in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The party needed to enlighten the public at large on the party’s stand and mobilized support in favour of party’s decision. He also wrote a letter to party state Presidents.

Letter of Mr Venugopal

He requested the party leaders and workers to undertake dharna pradarshan (protest) against the Bill in state headquarters by involving the senior leaders and frontal organisations.

The letter came out after former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi criticised the CAB calling it an attack on the constitution of India. Mr Gandhi said that anyone supporting the bill was destroying the foundation of nation.

The CAB passed in the Lok Sabha sought to give nationality to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan despite vehement opposition from major opposition parties. He also termed the bill anti-Muslim.

Parties that opposed CAB

The Congress, the TMC, Revolutionary Socialist Party, DravidaMunnetraKazhgam (DMK), All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), AIUDF, BSP, Samajwadi Party, AamAadmi Party and YSR Congress opposed CAB citing various grounds. But the bill was passed with 311 voting in its favour and 80 against the bill.

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National Viral

Chandrayaan-3 Would Cost ISRO Rs. 75 Crores

HT News December 8, 2019

Chandrayaan-3 is now official and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has started working on the ambitious project. It has sought Rs. 75 crores for this mission but the fund would be in addition to the existing budget of ISRO.

ISRO needs Rs. 60 crores for the expenditure for buying machinery, equipment and other capital expenditure for Chandrayaan-3 mission. Also, it needs Rs. 15 crores for meeting the revenue expenditure head. ISRO needs this money quick because it is preparing for the Moon landing mission next November.

ISRO’s budget for 2019-20

ISRO has demanded Rs. 666 crores over and above the funds granted in the original 2019-20 budget.The Rs. 75 crores are 11% of the Rs. 666 crores. Rest of the funds would be utilized for the following programmes.

Rs. 8.6 crores for the proposed human spaceflight programme expected to be implemented in 2022.
Rs. 12 crores for development of small satellite launch vehicle.
Rs. 120 crores for development of launchpad for small satellite launch vehicle.

But the largest demand for funds has been raised by UR Rao Satellite Centre and Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Together they need Rs. 516 crores for assembling and testing facilities and development of the spaceport respectively.

Government confirms ISRO’s demand

Sources in the central government have confirmed that ISRO has demanded more funds to meet its expenditure. The Department of Economic Affairs deals with ISRO has started the process of clearing the fund. And the department has assured that ISRO would get fund for both the projects.

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Devotional International

Why Pakistan Charges Rs. 200 From Each Muslim Devotee Of Kartarpur Sahib?

HT News December 6, 2019

Gurudwaras are open to all but in Pakistan, Muslims are discouraged from visiting the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib. While the government has levied a charge of Rs. 200 for paying obeisance to Bana Nanak, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) doesn’t allow Muslims to visit the sanctum Sanctorum.

PSGPC on Muslims visiting the gurudwara

According to PSGPS president Satwant Singh, Muslims are kept out of the sanctum Sanctorum for fear of violations of Sikh code of religious conduct that makes it mandatory for visitors to remove socks, wash hands and cover head before entering the gurudwaras.

The president further said that since the staircase leading to the sanctum at first floor is narrow, the PSGPC had to prevent locals from entering the gurudwara to make way for visitors. He said that up to 5000 to 6000 visitors visit the gurudwara daily.

On the Rs. 200 charge levied on Muslims for paying obeisance to Bana Nanak, the president reasoned that had written to the government to waive the charge from Muslim devotees. But he said that Muslims should also follow the Sikh code of religious conduct and avoid activities like taking selfies in the gurudwara.

Guru Nanak had Muslim devotees

Muslims call Guru Nanak Dev ji as Bana Nanak and the come to Kartarpur Sahib to pay their obeisance to Guru Nanak Dev. When Guru Nanak passed away, their devotees decided to cremate the departed soul according to their religions. While Hindus made Samadhi of Guru Nanak, Muslims made mazar of Bana Nanak.

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National Viral

Larry Page And Sergey Brin Make Way For Sundar Pichai Take Over The Reins Of Business

HT News December 4, 2019

Sundar Pichai is promoted as CEO of Alphabet. Presently he is CEO of Google but ready to take the new responsibility as the founding fathers of the tech giant Larry Page and Sergey Brin decided to step down from the active management.

Why Page and Brin opted out of management?

The founding fathers of Alphabet had already started reducing their roles in the day-to-day operations of the company since 2015. And they thought that the it was the right time to share the responsibility.

Alphabet is well-established and Google and the “Other Bets” working properly. Also, there is little need to different CEOs for Alphabet and Google. Sundar Pichai was considered the right man for becoming CEO of Alphabet and Google. He will the executive responsible for managing the parent company and the “Other Bets”.

What was the role of Page and Brin in the present setup?

It is made clear that Larry Page and Sergey Brin are only limiting their responsibilities and that they will continue to be in the board of the company. As board of directors, they will remain in touch with Sundar Pichai in important matters. They said that the transition won’t have any affect on day-to-day business of the company.

What are the challenges for Sundar Pichai?

Google is already under pressure for mounting scrutiny over its size and data practices and the potential impact of its data policies on the society. The present shuffle is considered the biggest change in Silicon Valley. It made Sundar Pichai one of the most powerful CEOs of the world.

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National

Navy Day 2019: Indian Warships Attacked Karachi Harbour With Anti-Ship Missiles And Sank PNS Khaibar

HT News December 4, 2019

Every year on 4th December Indian Navy commemorates the victory of Indo-Pak war of 1971 as Navy Day. On this day, Indian Navy launched a fierce attack on Karachi harbour with anti-ship missiles and it was for the first time that these missiles were used in this war.

Naval attack on Karachi port

It was the chill of the intervening night of December 4-5that Indian Navy sailed its warships towards Pakistani waters and inflicted heavy losses to Pak with their anti-ship missiles. But the most amazing thing is that they sailed safely back to Indian waters.

Three Indian warships – INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer – sailed from Okha port in Gujarat towards Pakistani waters and reached 70 miles south of Karachi at night. They fired anti-ship missiles that sank a Pakistani vessel, PNS Khaibar. The Indian government honoured its naval officers with gallantry awards after the successful operation.

Navy Day celebrations

Celebrations start with a Beating Retreat ceremony at Gateway of India in Mumbai on the eve of the Navy Day. The audiences that include political bosses see naval band performing between Gateway of India and Radio Club in Mumbai. Also, the Navy opens its warships and aircrafts for visitors especially school children.

Objective of Navy Day

Navy Day encourages the Indian Navy to work towards securing marine borders and strengthening relations with neighbours through joint exercises and partnering in humanitarian missions and relief operations. It is a very important day for armed forces as it highlights the strength of India as a power.

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National

When NASA Asked Public To Find Vikram Lander?

HT News December 3, 2019

Shanmuga Subramanian became the first person to locate the debris from the Vikram moon lander on the images shared by NASA. It is a fete for this 33-year old engineer from Chennai that he guided space scientists in spotting the place where Vikram crashed.

Who is Shanmuga Subramanian?

He is a Chennai based mechanical engineer with interest in space research and this self-professed space nerd spend close to seven hours everyday after the crashing of Vikram. He studied old images and new images on side-by-side laptop in his Chennai apartment. He kept his search within 2 square kilometer area of the Vikram’s crash site. Finally, he came up with a positive identification and shared his details with NASA and ISRO on twitter.

NASA’s view on Subramanian’s findings

The US space research organizations performed additional searches to verify his claims and officially announced the findings two months later. NASA released a mosaic image of the moon taken by its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and invited public to find the crash site. Shanmuga Subramanian found the debris about 750 meters northwest of the main crash site. It was visible as a single bright pixel in the first mosaic.

Vikram incident

Vikram lander lost communication with its orbiter Chandraayan 2 while making soft landing on the moon on September 6. The US space agency released an image taken by its LRO showing the site of the spacecraft’s impact. But it is only Subramanian that could track the exact site of crashing on his laptops.

Source: https://bit.ly/2Lkk5Q3

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