Current Affairs : 2 December 2014
India Successfully Test Fires N-capable Agni-IV Missile
India
on 2 December successfully test-fired its 4,000 km nuclear capable
Agni-IV missile from a defence base in Odisha. It was the first user
trial of the long-range, nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface Agni-IV.
The operation was carried out by the Indian Army’s Strategic Forces
Command (SFC). The two-stage, 17 tonne and 20-metre tall Agni-IV missile
is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, and a fifth generation
on-board computer. This was the fourth success in a row for Agni-IV.
The first was in November 2011, the second in September 2012 and the
third in January 2014. Agni-IV has already been inducted into the army.
RBI Fifth Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Review 2014-15
The
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its fifth bi-monthly credit policy
review on 2 December has kept repo, reverse repo, cash reserve ratio
(CRR) and bank rate unchanged. With no change in key policy rates, the
repo rate (the rate at which the RBI lends money to banks) remains at
8%. Similarly reverse repo rate (the rate at which the RBI borrows from
banks), CRR, and bank rate remains at 7%, 4.00% and 9%, respectively.
The reverse repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) will
remain unchanged at 7%, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate
and the bank rate at 9%.
Former Maharashtra CM AR Antulay Died
Former
Union Minister and Maharashtra’s first Muslim Chief Minister, AR
Antulay, died on 2 December in Mumbai. He was 85. Antulay belonged to
the Congress party. Antulay was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative
Assembly from 1962 to 1976. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1976
to 1980; in 1980, he was again elected to the Maharashtra Legislative
Assembly and served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from June 1980 to
January 1982. He was forced to resign his post after allegations of
corruption and a conviction in an extortion case. From June 1995 to May
1996, he was Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, and from
February to May 1996 he was additionally in charge of Water Resources.
In 1996 he was re-elected to the 11th Lok Sabha, and in 2004 he was
elected to the 14th Lok Sabha. He was Union Minister for Ministry of
Minority Affairs (India) under Manmohan Singh’s government.
President Pranab Mukherjee Confers Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards
President
Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards
for the year 2010-11 in various categories at a function in New Delhi.
44 companies received Niryat Shree Awards, while six were honoured with
Niryat Bandhu for their outstanding performance in the field of exports.
The Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards were instituted by the
Federation of Indian Export Organizations.
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