July 8 -Tidbits

National

Advanced version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile test-fired successfully 

India on Tuesday successfully test-fired the advanced version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Odisha coast. 

The missile was test-fired from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur in Balasore. BrahMos missile, which has a range of 290 kilometres, can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300 kilograms. 

About BrahMos:

The missile, developed by the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace, has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the US subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile. This makes BrahMos one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world. 

Induction of the first version of Brahmos system in the Indian Navy commenced from 2005 with the missile being deployed onboard warship INS Rajput 

The missile can be launched from submarines, ships and aircraft. Sea and ground launched versions of the missile have been successfully tested and put into service with the army and the navy. 

BrahMos Chief:

Top Missile scientist Sudhir K Mishra will take over as the new chief of the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace Corporation on August 1, replacing A Sivathanu Pillai who will superannuate on July 31.

India's total forest cover goes up

India’s overall forest cover has increased by 5,871 sq km since 2011 and the maximum rise has been witnessed in West Bengal (3,810 sq km) followed by Odisha (1,444 sq km) and Kerala (622 sq km). 

According to the biennial report "India State of Forest Report 2013" - the 13th in the series - the total forest and tree cover of the country is 78.92 million hectare which is 24.01 percent of its geographical area. The report further said that Madhya Pradesh had the largest forest cover of 77,522 sq km followed by Arunachal Pradesh (67,321 sq km). 

PIN

Rajesh Kishore assumes charge as the next Secretary General of National Human Rights Commission

Rajesh Kishore assumed the charge of the Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission in New Delhi . Kishore is a 1980 batch IAS officer of Gujarat Cadre and belongs to Bihar. Prior to his appointment to the NHRC, he was holding the post of Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Government of Gujarat. He has served in various capacities in different departments of the Union and the state governments.

Amritraj announces launch of Champions Tennis League

Vijay Amritraj, former Indian tennis star and global ambassador of the sport, on Monday announced the launch of the Champions Tennis League (CTL) in India.

In its launch avatar, CTL will feature six city-based teams across India. CTL will see 13 matches played over a 10-day period from November 17 to 26.

The teams will be structured into two groups, each having three teams, where all teams play each other in a home and away format. The team with the highest number of games won in their respective group will play each other in the grand final to win a prize money of Rs. one crore. The runner-up will win Rs. 50 lakh.

Naveen Patnaik inaugurates World Trade Centre 

State of Odisha is poised for a significant growth with the inauguration of the world class project the World Trade Centre Bhubaneswar along with a Convention Centre and Trade Zone  at Bhubaneswar. The World Trade Centre Bhubaneswar  is promoted by the World Trade Centre Mumbai with the support of Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, the industrial promotion agency of the State Government of Odisha.

With the establishment of the WTC Bhubaneswar, key sectors like IT, electronics, manufacturing, metal based industries, handicrafts, sea food and other export oriented units will receive a major boost The Convention Centre to be established with an investment of Rs.300 crores will be an urban land mark and one of its kind in India.One of the unique features of this project is a sky walk which shall connect the WTC Tower to the adjacent Hotels and the Convention Centre.With the launch of the WTC Bhubaneswar the State of Odisha will join the international network of 330 WTCs in over 100 Countries.

India's UAE envoy named permanent representative to IRENA 

India's ambassador to the UAE T P Seetharam has been appointed as the country's permanent representative to the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

The move makes India 19th member of IRENA to designate a permanent representative to the inter-governmental organisation.

About IRENA:

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy.  IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.

Obituary

Indian Constitution scholar Granville Austin dies 

Granville Austin ,author of two celebrated political histories of the Indian Constitution, passed away in Washington DC.

Prof Austin’s The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation, first published in 1966, is a masterful analysis of debates in the Constituent Assembly, and an enduring classic. In 1999, he published Working a Democratic Constitution: The Indian Experience, an account of four decades of the working of the Constitution.

In 2011, in recognition for his writing on the framing and working of the Indian Constitution, Professor Austin was awarded a Padma Shri award, the fourth-highest civilian honour of India.

Alfredo Di Stefano : Real Madrid legend passes away at 88

Alfredo Di Stefano, the legendary Argentinian football player and honorary Real Madrid President, has passed away aged 88. He is Madrid's second highest scorer in history, behind Raul, with 307 goals in all competitions. Di Stefano is one of Madrid's finest ever players. He was central to the club's domination of European football in the 1950s, helping them win the European Cup for five straight seasons from 1956 to 1960. Internationally, he played mainly for Spain but also represented Argentina and Colombia.

Eduard Shevardnadze, ex-Georgian president, dies at 86

 Eduard Shevardnadze, a groundbreaking Soviet foreign minister and later the president of an independent Georgia, died at the age of 86. Shevardnadze swept heroically across the international stage in the final years of the Soviet empire, helping topple the Berlin Wall and end the Cold War, but as the leader of post-Soviet Georgia his career in the public eye ended in humiliation and he was chased out of his parliament and forced into retirement