14th Feb Daily Updates

India successfully test-fires BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from INS Kolkata

India has successfully test-fired its 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Navy’s indigenously built destroyer INS Kolkata.

The successful test fire of missile took place off the Goa coast after it met all its designed test parameters. Thus, showcasing INS Kolkata’s capability of firing the BrahMos missiles.

About INS Kolkata

• INS Kolkata was commissioned by the Indian Navy on 16 August 2014. The ship was indigenously built by Mazagon Dockyards Limited under Project 15-Alpha series.
• INS Kolkata has unique feature of firing 16 BrahMos missiles in one go in salvo mode compared to normal destroyer which has the capacity to fire eight missiles.
• The ship also equipped with the Universal Vertical Launcher (UVLM) which is designed, developed and patented by BrahMos Aerospace. UVLM provides ship with the benefits of stealth and permits launching of the missile vertically in any direction.

About BrahMos missile

• BrahMos supersonic cruise missile designed and developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture of India and Russia. Missile’s name has been derived from the names of two rivers, India’s Brahmaputra River and Russia’s Moskva River.
• Features- It is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kilogram and has top supersonic speed of Mach 2.8. It is two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant.
• BrahMo has already been inducted into the Indian Army and Navy. While, the Air Force version is in final stage of trial.

    

     India signs $8 million loan agreement with World Bank for SLACC Project

India signed a loan grant agreement worth US $8 million with World Bank for Sustainable Livelihoods and Adaption to Climate change (SLACC) Project.

The agreement was signed by Joint Secretary in Union Ministry of Finance Tarun Bajaj and World Bank’s India Country Director Onno Ruhl.

About Sustainable Livelihoods and Adaption to Climate change (SLACC) Project

• SLACC Project aims at improving the adaptive capacity of the rural poor particularly women farmers engaged in farm-based livelihoods to cope with climate change and scale up the demonstrated best practices.
• SLACC project will be implemented in collaboration with government programs such as Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
• While, National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) is the implementing agency of SLACC.
• It will focus to provide assistance in Climatic hazards that affect the availability of natural resources, which adversely affect the livelihoods of the poor by impacting production, affecting incomes and preventing building up of assets.

    Arvind Kejriwal sworn in as 8th CM of Delhi

Arvind Kejriwal was sworn-in as 8th Chief Minister of Delhi.

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung administered the oath of office and secrecy to him at oath taking ceremony held at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi.

Along with Arvind Kejriwal following 6 Cabinet Ministers were sworn in

• Manish Sisodia, Asim Ahmed Khan, Sandeep Kumar, Satyendar Jain, Gopal Rai and Jitender Singh Tomar.

Earlier, President Pranab Mukherjee had appointed Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister of Delhi along with 6 Ministers, effect from the date he is sworn-in as per provisions ofArticle 239AA of Constitution.

These appointments comes after President revoked the central (President’s) rule in Delhi under Article 239AB of the Constitution to pave the way for installation of an elected government.

Background

In 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, AAP staged a historic victory by sweeping 67 of the 70 seats. This will be Arvind Kejriwal‘s second term as Delhi Chief Minister. Earlier in February 2014, he had resigned after running a 49-day government with the support of Congress.

About Arvind Kejriwal

• He was born on 16 August 1968 in Siwani, Haryana.
• Education: Graduated in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur.
• He had worked for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as a Joint Commissioner in the Income Tax Department.
• He was instrumental in drafting a proposed Jan Lokpal Bill and his efforts to bring and implement the Right to Information (RTI) Act at grassroots level.
• In 2012, he had launched Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which ousted the Shiela Dixit’s regime of Congress after winning 2013 Assembly polls.
• He is second youngest Chief Minister of Delhi. Chaudhry Brahm Prakash was the youngest Chief Minsiter at 34 when he took over in 1952.
• In 2006 he was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership.