4 December 2013 Current Affairs
GSM operators add 16.6 lakh Rural Users In October
GSM mobile operators added 16.6 lakh new subscribers in rural areas in October to take the overall base in such areas to 27.43 crore, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) announced on 4 December 2013. GSM rural subscribers net additions in October 2013 stood at 1.66 million with 0.61 per cent increase from previous month.
Scientists Discovered ‘Super Gene’ That Boost Rice Yields
A group of international scientists from Japan and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Manila , has discovered a rice gene named ” Spike ” that can increase the production of indica rice varieties, which includes basmati, by up to 36% . Most of the rice produced in Southern Asia, including India and Thailand, is indica rice.The use of Spike in rice breeding could contribute to food security in indica-growing regions such as South and Southeast Asia.