Very important current Gk questions series #15 Part-2

Y V Reddy

SpiceJet
SpiceJet, the low-cost carrier, will become the only private Indian airline to fly to China, when it will launch four weekly flights from New Delhi to Guangzhou. The first flight by an Indian airline to the southern port city — home to one of the biggest Indian expatriate communities in China as well as the centre of the country’s manufacturing heartland — will leave New Delhi on February 8.

European Union
India and European Union have jointly launched an innovative project that could transform into a good green business in the near future. The project, named as ‘Water 4 Crops – India’ was formally launched here at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The project is aimed at recycling and reuse of waste water that would be collected from industries and households. Under the project, the ICRISAT, along with its consortium partners – 22 partners from EU, 12 partners from India and two investment partners – will be embarking upon recycling treated waste water (grey water), stretching to a period of four years, including two years of experimentation and validation.

Odisha br/>Under the scheme, pregnant women and lactating mothers about 19 years of age would be provided with financial assistance of Rs 5000 in four instalments.

Finland
The international organisation Reporters Without Borders has ranked Finland as the country that most respects media freedom for the third year in a row. The same three European countries that topped the list last year hold the top three positions again this year in the 2013 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Finland is followed in the listing by the Netherlands and Norway. The bottom three in the ranking of freedom of the press in 179 countries are Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea. Coinciding with the release of its 2013 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders for the first time also published what will be an annual global “indicator” of worldwide media freedom. Where as India has dropped nine places to 140 in the list of 179 countries.

Mumbai
In February 2013, Mumbai clinched the Ranji Trophy title for the record 40th time as they thrashed Saurashtra in the final.

Madhya Pradesh
Recently, the Vulture Population Estimation-2013 has been concluded in the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Technical report of Vulture Population Estimation-2013 is expected to be submitted by February-end. About 102 live nests were also found in the tiger reserve, the state claimed. Since the year 2010, Vulture Population Estimation is being undertaken in Panna Tiger Reserve in January every year. Since 2011, Vulture Estimation in Panna is carried out with public private participation with the co-operation of bird watchers from across the country.

Pakistan
Recently, the Pakistan Air Force has conducted the ‘Saffron Bandit’ exercise with elements from the Army Aviation and Army Air Defence. The exercise is being conducted against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following a string of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The Saffron Bandit exercise is held every three years.