24 October 2016 Current Affairs

October 24: United Nations Day

The United Nations Day is being observed globally on October 24. The day marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter (the founding document of UNO) in 1945. It entered into force on 24 October 1945 after it was ratified by the original five permanent members of the Security Council—China, France, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (now Russia), United Kingdom, and United States and majority of the other signatories. With the ratification of UN Charter, the United Nations officially came into existence. This year’s UN Day will be used to highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Besides, UN Day Concert is also organised in the United Nations General Assembly Hall with the theme “Freedom First”. This day is part of United Nations Week, which runs from 20 to 26 October.


CO2 level reaches record high in 2016: WMO

According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the atmosphere has reached a record high. The globally averaged concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere reached to 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in 2015. It is expected to surge again to new records in 2016 on the back of the very powerful El Niño event. This is for the first time CO2 levels have reached the 400 ppm barrier on a global average basis for the entire year.


PM Narendra Modi launches Urja Ganga in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of Urja Ganga, the highly ambitious gas pipeline project in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The gas pipeline project aims to provide piped cooking (PNG) gas to residents of the eastern region of the country and CNG gas for the vehicles. The project is being implemented by state-run gas utility GAIL. It envisages laying a 2,050-km pipeline connecting Jagdishpur (UP) to Haldia (West Bengal) by 2018. From Varanasi’s perspective, 50,000 households and 20,000 vehicles will get cleaner and cheaper fuel PNG urja-gangaand CNG gas respectively.


ISRO starts landing tests for Chandrayaan-2 mission

The Indian Space Research Organsiation (ISRO) has started a series of ground and aerial tests linked to the critical Moon landing of Chandrayaan-2. These tests were started as ISRO’s new site at Challakere in Chitradurga district, 400 km from Bengaluru. This site has simulated craters. ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) is the lead centre for the second Moon mission. It has artificially created close to ten craters to simulate the lunar terrain and test the Lander’s sensors. ISAC will conduct many tests including on avionics and electronics, testing the Lander’s legs, followed by a combined full test. Chandrayaan-2 mission is tentatively set for late 2017 or early 2018. The mission includes an Orbiter, a Lander and a Rover. The Orbiter spacecraft will be launched from Sriharikota will travel to the Moon and release the Lander, which will in turn deploy a tiny Rover to roam the lunar surface. The mission includes soft-landing on Moon and moving a rover on its surface. All three project components will be sending data and pictures to Earth.


China’s Space Lab Tiangong-2 launches Micro-Satellite Banxing-2

China’s experimental space lab Tiangong-2 orbiting the Earth with two astronauts on board has successfully launched a micro-satellite Banxing-2. The two astronauts were launched into space onboard of the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft carried two astronauts on 11 October 2016. It docked with Tiangong-2 on 13 October 2016. The micro-satellite Banxing-2 is roughly the size of a desktop printer and the media has nicknamed “Selfie Stick”. It weighs 47 kilogrammes. It has series of visible light cameras, including a 25 megapixel camera and wide-angle imagers. It also has an infrared camera that is temperature-sensitive. Its mission is to take photographs of Tiangong II and the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft, which has been docked with the lab. The micro-satellite has three solar panels which generates enough power to adjust its orbit to shoot pictures of the lab and spacecraft. its predecessor, Banxing-1, accomplished the same mission for Shenzhou VII in 2008. Banxing-2 is new model of its predecessor Banxing-1 which had accomplished the same mission for Shenzhou VII in 2008. However Banxing-1 is smaller and has a higher capacity.


Ratan Tata replaces Cyrus Mistry as Tata Sons chairman

In one of the biggest upheaval in the corporate sector, the Tata Sons Board has appointed Ratan Tata as the interim chairman of the group, replacing Cyrus Mistry. The decision was taken at a Board meeting. Mistry has resigned from his post as chairman.


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