15 NOVEMBER 2014: Farhan Akhtar- 1st Goodwill ambassador of UNW

Ø  The Central Government proposed reduction of training duration for Indian Administrative Service officers from two to one-and-a-half years, based on Kiran Aggarwal Committee recommendations, despite reservations of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration chief. The Department of Personnel and Training has sought views from State governments by November 30. If no reply is received, it will be presumed that they have no objections. While the current training duration is 103 weeks, the Kiran Aggarwal Committee in its report submitted in February has proposed 75 weeks. LBSNAA chief Padamvir Singh has proposed 84-week duration.

Farhan Akhtar

Ø  Bollywood actor-director Farhan Akhtar has become the first man in UN Women’s history to be appointed its Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia. In his new role, the 40-year-old actor will serve as an advocate for UN Women’s newly-launched HeForShe initiative for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Ø  In an overwhelming response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for commemorating an International Day of Yoga, about 130 countries have joined as co-sponsors to an India-led U.N. General Assembly resolution recognising yoga’s benefits. The draft resolution for an ‘International Day of Yoga’ was prepared by India and informal consultations were convened last month by the Indian mission in the U.N. General Assembly where views on the topic were expressed by other delegations. The draft resolution, known as the ‘L Document,’ was finalised with 130 countries co-sponsoring it, an all-time record for a resolution of such kind. Expected to come up for adoption in the General Assembly on December 10, it would recognise that “yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being,” echoing Mr. Modi’s remarks in his maiden address to the 193-member body.

Ø  Lightning strikes are likely to increase by 50 per cent thanks to global warming, new research says. Studying predictions of precipitation and cloud buoyancy in 11 different climate models, researchers have concluded that their combined effect will generate more frequent electrical discharges to the ground.