March 1st & 2nd Daily Updates

1. World’s first electric satellites successfully lifted off by SpaceX rocket

World’s first electric satellites were successfully lifted off by a Space Exploration (SpaceX) Technologies rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, United States. The rocket was carrying two all-electric commercial satellites built by Boeing. The satellites are owned by the French satellite provider Eutelsat and Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS). Eutelsat’s satellite is part of its 35-member commercial network. It will provide services like mobile, internet, video and other communications services to expand its reach into the Americas. While, ABS new satellite will serve its customers in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
 Features of electric satellites 
i. These satellites are fitted with lightweight, all-electric engines rather than conventional chemical propulsion systems. 
ii. These electric engines allow satellites to produce electric propulsion in order to reach and remain fixed in particular orbit. 
iii. Electric propulsion from these satellites consumes less fuel compared with satellite having chemical propulsion. Thus making satellites lighter in weight and further reducing cost of launch.
2. Jagmohan Dalmiya elected as President of BCCI 
Jagmohan Dalmiya was unanimously elected as President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He was elected as President at the BCCI Annual General Meeting held at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Dalmiya will succeed N. Srinivasan who was barred from contesting BCCI Presidential election by Supreme Court over the corruption and IPL spot fixing scandal. It is second term of Jagmohan Dalmiya as President of BCCI, earlier he had served from 2001–2004. He was also International Cricket Council (ICC) chief for three years from 1997 to 2000. 
In the meeting, i. K. Khanna was elected as Vice- President of Central Zone and T.C. Mathews elected as Vice- President of West Zone.
ii. Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Chief Anuarag Thakur was elected as BCCI Secretary.
iii. Amitabha Chowdhury was elected as Joint Secretary and Anirud Chaudhry was elected as Treasurer.
3. Arun Singh named as new Indian Ambassador to US 
Senior IFS officer, Arun Singh has been named as new Indian Ambassador to US. Prior to this announcement he was serving as India’s Ambassador of France. Arun Singh will replace S Jaishankar, who was appointed as Foreign Secretary. 
About Arun Singh 
i. Singh is a 1979-batch IFS officer. His first assignment abroad was at the Indian Embassy Moscow from 1981-1982. 
ii. He has served at the Indian Missions in Addis Ababa and in Tokyo. He also has served as joint secretary in-charge to Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan division in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). 
iii. Singh also has served at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations Office, New York (1993-1997) as Counsellor and had handled multilateral social and economic negotiations. 
iv. Earlier, Singh had served as ambassador to Israel (2005-2008) and later was served as deputy chief of mission in Washington (2008-2013.). 
v. Singh was appointed as ambassador to France in 2013.
4. China kicks off Silk Road infrastructure project worth $79.8bn in Gansu province
China has launched a massive Silk Road infrastructure project worth $79.8 billion in the northwest province of Gansu as part of its ambitious Silk Road plan. These project will facilitate trade and people exchanges between China and central Asian Countries. 
Key facts 
It will be six-year Silk Road development project. On its completion it is going to add more than 60,000 kilometres of road network including 4,070 km expressways. Thus improving the connectivity of the existing transportation network. 
This project will also build 12 civilian airports in the next six years. Thus, expanding the air service reach to 82 per cent of the province’s population. 
Gansu province does not share its borders with any central Asian countries but it will be an important part of the Silk Road Economic Belt. 
About Silk Road projects The Silk Road projects are part of China’s ambitious Silk Route plan, which involves maze of roads and ports connecting Asia, Europe and Africa. These projects aims to revive China’s trade links especially its declining exports besides globally enhancing its sphere of influence.
5. Oxford dictionary adds words ‘ride-share’, ‘unboxing’, ‘bioprinting’ and ‘vishing’ related to TechnologyRecently Oxford dictionary has added words ride-share, unboxing, bioprinting and vishing related to Technology in the new list.
 Oxford dictionary defined these words as 
Ride-share- to participate in an arrangement in which a passenger travels in a private vehicle driven by its owner, for free or for a fee, especially as arranged by means of a website or app. 
Bioprinting- The use of 3D printing technology with materials that incorporate viable living cells. For e.g. to produce tissue for reconstructive surgery. 
Unboxing- An act or instance of removing a newly purchased product from its packaging and examining its features, typically when filmed and shared on a social media site.
Vishing- It is like phishing, but using phone calls or voice messages instead of emails to trick people in revealing sensitive information
6. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed sworn in as Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on 1 March 2015 was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Peoples Democratic Party-Bhartiya Janta Party (PDP-BJP) coalition government of Jammu & Kashmir. As a person he became 9th Chief Minister of J&K and 12th Chief Minister as tenure wise. 
Along with Mufti Sayeed, following ministers took oaths
Deputy Chief Minister- Nirmal Singh (BJP). 
Cabinet Ministers- Abdul Rehman Bhat (Veery), Chander Parkash Ganga, Javed Mustafa Mir, Lal Singh, Abdul Haq Khan, Bali Bhagat, Syed Basharat Ahmed Bukhari, Sukhnandan Choudhary, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, Sajjad Gani Lone, Haseeb Drabu, Ghulam Nabi Lone, She’d Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Imran Hussain Ansari, Nayeem Akhtar. Minister of State- Tsering Dorjey, Abdul Majeed Paddar, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Abdul Ghani Kohli, Priya Sethi, Pawan Gupta, Ashiya Naqqash. 
All of them were administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor Narinder Nath Vohra at oath taking ceremony held at Zorawar Singh Auditorium in Jammu University. Mufti Sayeed’s swearing-in as Chief Minister brings to an end to 49 days of Governor’s rule imposed on the state. Earlier in January 2015, Governor’s rule imposed as per Section 92 of state Constitution after the no party was able to form government following hung verdict of assembly election of 2014. 
About Mufti Mohammad Sayeed He was born on 12 January 1936 in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. This is the second time Mr. Sayeed became CM of J&K. In 2002, he had led a PDP-Congress coalition government and was in office from November 2002 to November 2005. He also was first Muslim to become Union Minister for Home Affairs. He was in office during V. P. Singh’s government from December 1989 to November 1990.

 7.  Ficci appoints Arvind Virmani as Economic Mentor

i. Noted economist, will now mentor Ficci’s public policy & economic work.

ii. Arvind Virmani, served as the country’s Chief Economic Advisor and Principal Advisor in the Planning Commission.

iii. Virmani’s association as Economic Mentor to Ficci will spur the growth agenda for the Indian economy.

8. Kannan Ramesh appointed as Judicial Commissioner to Supreme Court Bench of Singapore

i. Indian-origin lawyer Kannan Ramesh was appointed as Judicial Commissioner to Singapore's Supreme Court bench.

ii. 49-year-old Senior Counsel Kannan Ramesh  has been appointed to the bench for two years. He will acquire the position on May 22.

iii. He will quit from other positions including being a member of Singapore Academy of Law's Law Reform Committee and a local telecommunications company M1 Board.

iv. Ramesh's appointment in the Supreme Court will now include 13 judges, 10 judicial commissioners and five senior judges.