1) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 October 2014 kicked-off an overhaul of archaic labour rules in the country by launching a series of ambitious steps. What was the name of this programme which integrates numerous labour related reforms? – “Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram”
Explanation: Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram was launched to implement a series of labour reforms. This includes measures to end the so-called ‘Inspector-Raj’ with a system that is expected to sharply curb the element of discretion with labour inspectors and a single window compliance process.
Important initiatives under “Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram” are –
- Shram Suvidha Portal for single-window clearance of business proposals. Shram Suvidha Portal simplifies compliance of 16 labour laws, through a single online form.
- Web-based labour inspection system for random selection of units for inspection
- Apprentice Protsahan Yojana and the Effective Implementation of revamped Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) for labour in the unorganized sector
- Universal account number for Provident Fund with easy portability of PF accounts
- Appointment of National Brand Ambassadors of Vocational Training to instill pride and confidence in ITI students
2) A Euro 2016 qualifier match between which two countries was abandoned mid-way on 14 October 2014 after a controversial flag was flown above the stadium by a drone device? – Albania and Serbia
Explanation: The match between Albania and Serbia was being played at Serbian capital Belgrade when the drone device above stadium carried a flag of a so-called Greater Albania, an area covering all parts of the Balkans where ethnic Albanians live. That was enough to infuriate Serbs on and off the pitch and when Albanian players joined in the melee, an unseemly brawl ensued. After a delay of around half an hour, English referee Martin Atkinson abandoned the game, which stood at 0-0. Both Serbian and Albanian fans have a long history of violence and racial abuse.
3) Who was appointed as the next Chief Economic Adviser on 16 October 2014? – Arvind Subramanian
Explanation: Arvind Subramanian was earlier a senior fellow at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International economics. He is pronouncedly pro-market and has in the past argued for quicker subsidy reforms, fast introduction of GST, and faster deficit reduction than the temporal target set by the government. The post of Chief Economic Adviser has been lying vacant since Raghuram Rajan left the Finance Ministry to join the Reserve Bank of India as the Governor more than a year ago.
4) Finance Secretary and Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram was transferred to the Tourism Ministry in a major reshuffle by the Union Government on 16 October 2014. Who replaced him as the Economic Affairs Secretary? –Rajiv Mehrishi
Explanation: Rajiv Mehrishi is a 1978-batch Rajasthan cadre officer IAS officer and is currently the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan. He will join as Economic Affairs Secretary from 1 November 2014. Mayaram, who had twin roles as both finance and economic affairs secretary, was appointed by the previous UPA government. His transfer is part of the first major shuffle of top civil servants since Modi took office in May. In all, 20 senior officials were transferred, many at the level of secretary.
5) Which country is on its way to become the first cruelty-free cosmetics zone in South Asia by following a national ban on animal testing for cosmetics by banning the import of animal-tested cosmetics as well? – India
Explanation: This significant development makes India the first cruelty-free cosmetics zone in South Asia and an example for other nations to follow. The ban comes in the form of Rule 135-B that states Complete prohibition of import of cosmetics tested on animals. No cosmetic that has been tested on animals after the commencement of Drugs and Cosmetics (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2014 shall be imported into the country”. The notification will come into effect on 13 November, 2014. Pro-life groups across the world have long campaigned to end the practice of testing cosmetics on animals.
6) Which subsidiary firm of Indian IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is to be merged with the company as announced on 16 October 2014? – CMC Limited
Explanation: CMC was established as Computer Management Corporation Limited, a govt. company in January 1975. Later the name was changed to Computer Maintenance Corporation Limited in 1984. The name was again changed to CMC Limited later. It was privatised in 2001 by transferring its majority stake to TCS. TCS held 51% stake in CMC presently. Under the merger plan, shareholders of CMC will receive 79 equity share of Rs. 1 each of TCS for 100 equity shares of Rs. 10 each of CMC.
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