04 October 2016 Current Affairs
4–10 October: World Space Week
World Space Week is an annual event that is observed from 4 October to 10 October 2016 in various parts of the world including Europe and Asia. The 2016 theme is “Remote Sensing: Enabling our Future”. This year’s theme celebrates Earth Observation from Space for the betterment of the human race. By Resolution 54/68 of 6 December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed World Space Week, to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition. The dates recall the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik I, on 4 October 1957 and its entry into force on 10 October 1967, of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.
France becomes first country to ban plastic cups and plates
France has become the first country in the world to ban disposable plastic cups and plates. The country has passed a law in September 2016 that will go into effect in January 2020. The law will require all disposable tableware to be made from 50% biologically-sourced materials that can be composted at home. That number will rise to 60% by January of 2025. The measure is an addition to France’s Energy Transition for Green Growth Act, a wide-reaching law adopted in 2015 with the aim of mitigating the impact of climate change.
India, Singapore sign three agreements
India and Singapore have signed three agreements (MoUs) in the fields of skill development and IPR to boost bilateral relations between them. These agreements were signed in New Delhi during Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s official state visit to India.
Signed MoUs are:
MoU in the field of Industrial Property Cooperation.
MoU on collaboration in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (between National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and ITEES Singapore).
MoU on collaboration in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (between Government of Assam and ITEES Singapore).
Fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2016-17
The Reserve bank of India has reduced the key policy rate or the repo rate by 25 bps to 6.25 per cent in the fourth bimonthly policy review announced on 04 October. New Governor Urjit Patel, who took over a month ago from Dr Raghuram Rajan, announced his first monetary policy. There was no change in the cash reserve ratio (CRR) or the amount of money parked with the central bank as a percentage of bank deposits at 4 per cent. The decision to cut was taken after a two-day deliberation by the newly formed Monetary Policy Committee. The committee has three external members and three internal members from the RBI including the Governor. All 6 members voted in favour of a cut. The committee was headed by RBI Governor Urjit Patel and comprises six members.
Thouless, Haldane & Kosterlitz win the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2016 has been divided, one half awarded to David J. Thouless, the other half jointly to F. Duncan M. Haldane and J. Michael Kosterlitz “for theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter.” Announcing the Prize on Oct 04 in Stockholm, a statement by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said that “This year’s Laureates opened the door on an unknown world where matter can assume strange states. They have used advanced mathematical methods to study unusual phases, or states, of matter, such as superconductors, superfluids or thin magnetic films. Thanks to their pioneering work, the hunt is now on for new and exotic phases of matter.” Last year, Physics Nobel was awarded to Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. MacDonald for their work with neutrinos.