The Daily Brief – 30th August, 2016

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• The government plans to increase the student strength of the top six Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). This comes close on the heels of the in-principle approval of a similar increase in the student intake of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The broad official vision is to facilitate a two-fold jump in student intake. The precise details will, however, be worked out only in consultation with each individual IIM.
• An expert committee on use of pellet guns, which submitted its report to the Home Ministry, has recommended that metal pellets be replaced with polymer, rubber and paper bullets. The committee, however, was not in favour of completely phasing out the use of pellet guns in the Kashmir valley.
• The tourism Ministers of BRICS countries will meet at the world famous temple city Khajuraho for a two-day long conference from September 1. Besides India, the Tourism Ministers of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa will take part in the conference to deliberate on issues related to tourism.
• The West Bengal Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution changing the name of the State to Bengal in English and Bangla in Bengali. The consent of the Parliament is however, pending, to effect the name change.
• Eminent author Padma Sachdev has been awarded the prestigious Saraswati Samman for the year 2015, for her autobiography ‘Chitt-Chete’ written in the Dogri language. She was felicitated by Delhi’s Lt Governor Najeeb Jung in New Delhi.
• The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) launched the sale of its new uniform – brown trousers – at its headquarters in Nagpur. This marks a historic shift from its erstwhile uniform of khaki shorts, for the first time in 91 years.
• India and the United States signed a Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA). The agreement will enable the forces of the two nations to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies. The agreement was signed in the Pentagon during Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s visit to the US.
• India and Myanmar signed four Memoranda of Understanding to enhance cooperation and bilateral relations between the two countries. The pacts were inked after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President of Myanmar U Htin Kyaw in New Delhi. President Kyaw was on a four day visit to India from 27 August to 30 August 2016.
• National Sports Day was observed across India on 29 August 2016. The day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of the legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand who was born on 29 August 1905. On this occasion, President Pranab Mukherjee conferred National Sports and adventure awards on sports persons at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.

• Yogeshwar Dutt, an Indian wrestler, has received an upgradation in his Olympic medal from the 2012 games. He had won a bronze medal in wrestling. However, with Russia’s Besik Kudukhov being found guilty of using banned substances, Yogeshwar’s medal has been upgraded to silver. With this, Yogeshwar will join Sushil Kumar as the second Indian wrestler, and only the fifth Indian ever, to win an individual silver medal at the Olympics.
• International Day Against Nuclear Tests was observed on 29 August 2016 across the world with an aim to raise people’s awareness on the need to prevent nuclear catastrophes to avert devastating effects on humankind, the environment and the planet. The United Nations General Assembly had declared 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests by unanimously adopting resolution 64/35 on 2 December 2009.
• The United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security released the World Risk Report 2016, that analyzes the role of infrastructure in shaping a country’s disaster risk. The World Risk Index is an integral part of the report as it ranks 171 countries according to the risk of becoming a victim of a disaster as a result of natural hazards such as floods, cyclones, or earthquakes. India ranks 77 on the World Risk Index. 
• The U.S. has offered to work together with Bangladesh to combat terrorism. The U.S.’s offer to join forces and share intelligence with Bangladesh was communicated by Secretary of State John Kerry to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a meeting in Dhaka.

• China has flagged its second train to Afghanistan, as part of its deepening economic and security engagement with Kabul. A single trip is 7,500 km and takes 15 days, and travels through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

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