Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: October 26, 27, 2016

Hello readers, 

Here are today's important headlines with key details for UPSC, SSC, IBPS and other competitive examinations.

National

Union Government launches Biotech-KISAN and Cattle Genomics to empower farmers

• The Union Ministry of Science and Technology has launched two new schemes Biotech-KISAN and Cattle Genomics to boost the Indian rural economy. The intent of these programmes is to form a network between farmers and agricultural experts.

Biotech-KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) Scheme

• Its purpose is to connect farmers, scientists and science institutions across the country. Under it, fellowship will be given to women farmers for training and education in farm practice.
• Scientists will spend time on farms and link communication tools to soil, water, seed and market. The main aim of the scheme is to understand individual problems of the small holding farmers and provide ready solutions. It will be implemented in 15 agro-climatic zones of India.

Cattle Genomics Scheme

• The scheme aims at boosting selective breeding of the native livestock more accurately to ensure high-yielding, disease-resistant, resilient livestock.
• Under it, the Government will undertake an ambitious project of genome sequencing of 40 registered indigenous cattle breeds of India. Besides this, a high-density DNA chips will be developed under this scheme to reduce the cost and time interval of breeding of the native livestock.
• Genome selection will use information on variations in DNA sequences between animals to predict the breeding value more accurately. Thus, it will help transform livestock breeding.

IPS officer Karnal Singh appointed as Director of Enforcement Directorate

• The Union Government has appointed Senior IPS officer Karnal Singh as the Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED). Decision in this regard was taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

What is Enforcement Directorate (ED)?

• Economic Enforcement is the economic intelligence and law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India. It functions under the aegis of the Department of Revenue, Union Ministry of Finance. It has a mandate to enforce two of the most stringent laws in the country.
• They are Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to check black money and hawala trade cases.

India, New Zealand sign three pacts including avoidance of double taxation

India and New Zealand signed three agreements in the areas of double taxation avoidance, food security and sports, on October 26, 2016.List of agreements

• Arrangement regarding Food Safety Cooperation: It was inked between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Ministry for Primary Industries of New Zealand.
• MoU for cooperation in the field of Youth Affairs and Sports: It was inked between the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and the Government of New Zealand.
• Third Protocol to the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income: It was inked between the Union Government and the Government of New Zealand.
• Apart from this, the two nations also agreed to establish a Bilateral Ministerial dialogue between two Foreign Ministries. They also agreed for establishment of Annual Foreign Ministry Consultations at Senior Officials Level and cooperation and Dialogue on Cyber Issues.

International

World Economic Forum released Global Gender Gap Report 2016

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) on October 25, 2016, released the Global Gender Gap Report for the year 2016. The report provides Gender Gap scores for 144 countries compared to 145 countries included in 2015 report.

India and the Report

• India which was ranked at the 87th position had succeeded in closing the gender gap with regards to wage equality and across all indicators of the Educational Attainment sub-index, fully closing its primary and secondary education enrolment gender gaps.
• However, the report shows some regression on women’s estimated earned income and continues to rank third-lowest in the world on Health and Survival, remaining the world’s least-improved country on this sub-index over the past decade.
• Economic Participation and Opportunity: India was ranked at 136th position with 0.408 score. In this segment, India’s performance was one of the lowest among the surveyed countries. In 2015, India was placed at 139th position.
• Educational attainment: India was ranked at 113th position with 0.950 score.
• Health and survival: India was ranked at 142nd position with 0.942 score.
• Political empowerment: India was placed at 9th position with 0.433 score.

Paul Beatty wins Man Booker 2016

Paul Beatty (54) has won the 2016 Man Booker Prize. With this he becomes the first US author to win this prestigious literary award. He was bestowed with this award for his racial satirical novel ‘The Sellout’ at a ceremony held in London’s Guildhall. His novel tells the story of a young black man who tries to reinstate slavery and racial segregation in a suburb of Los Angeles.About Paul Beatty

• Born in Los Angeles in 1962, Beatty did his MFA in creative writing from Brooklyn College and an MA in psychology from Boston University. He wrote novels like The White Boy Shuffle (1996), Tuff (2000), Slumberland (2008) and The Sellout (2015).
• In 2016, he was bestowed with the National Book Critics Circle Award (Fiction) for his novel The Sellout.

About Man Booker Prize:

• The Man Booker Prize is the world’s most prestigious literary award. It was launched in 1969 and presented by the Man Group.
• The award aims at promoting the finest literary work in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written in English and published in the United Kingdom. It carries a cash prize of 50,000 pounds. T
• The authors are shortlisted by judges from a wide range of disciplines and all with a passion for quality fiction.
• The 2015 Man Booker Prize was conferred on Jamaican author Marlon James for his book A Brief History of Seven Killings.