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Current Affairs 12
Apr 2014
to
Current Affairs 12 Apr 2014
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) 2014 conferred on Kanak
Rele, R. Sathyanarayana, and Mahesh Elkunchwar.
o The 'Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards' (Akademi Puraskar) has been given to 17
eminent artists; nine in the field of music and eight for theatre.
o The twin awards, established in 1953, are national honours bestowed on artists,
teachers and scholars in the field of performing arts.
o The fellows (Akademi Ratnas) received a cash prize of Rs. 3 lakh whereas the
Sangeet Natak Akademi awardees got Rs. 1 lakh.
Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha, the senior-most judge of the apex court, is to be the new
Chief Justice of India from 27th April, 2014.
o He, due to retire on September 27 this year, will have a brief tenure of just five
months.
Rushikulya Rookery, a major nesting site of endangered marine turtles, brought Six lakh
newborn Olive Ridley turtles to life this year.
o Its a coast located in Ganjam district of south Odisha.
o The site witnessed comparatively low mass hatching this year than the previous
one.
Shikhar Dhawan is the sole Indian to feature in the coveted list of 'Wisden’s Five
Cricketers of the Year' for his performance in 2013.
o This honour, given annually since 1889, can be won by any cricketer only once in
his/her career.
The other four are...
o Chris Rogers and Ryan Harris of Australia
o Joe Root of England
o English women's skipper Charlotte Edwards
Millennium Technology Prize 2014 goes to British-American physicist Stuart Parkin
for enabling a revolutionary thousand-fold increase in digital data storage on magnetic
disks.
o The one-million euro prize honours significant technological breakthroughs.
o The biennial Prize, introduced in 2004, is given by the Technology Academy
Finland.
o Previous winners: Shuji Nakamura of Japan for laser research and Time Berners-
Lee for the World Wide Web
Heartbleed: The major internet security bug
o Its a security bug in OpenSSL software that has exposed user's sensitive personal
data like usernames, passwords, and credit card information to the hackers.
o The security deficiency has rendered about half a million websites that use
OpenSSL "vulnerable".
o The bug was discovered by security firm Codenomicon and Google researcher
Neel Mehta.
Current Affairs 11 Apr 2014
The UN Security Council gives a go-ahead to the creation of a UN peacekeeping force in
the war-torn Central African Republic
The UN Security Council has unanimously given the go-ahead to the establishment of a UN
peacekeeping force in the war-torn Central African Republic.
The 11,800-strong force named MINUSCA, aims to put an end to the sectarian violence
(bordering on genocide) raging on between Christians and Muslims in the landlocked country.
Key Points
The force named MINUSCA (UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in
CAR) will consist of 10,000 military troops plus 1,800 police.
It will assume the responsibilities from the now-deployed African-led International
Support Mission (MISCA) from 15 September 2014.
MISCA, the 5000-strong African Union peacekeeper, has not been able to stop the
violence largely due to logistical and operational resource crunch.
France, the erstwhile colonizer, will also contribute to the peace efforts by deploying a separate
2,000-strong force with a bold mandate of employing “all necessary means” to restore peace
and security.
The Background of the Bloodshed
The impoverished country was plunged into initial chaos in a coup last year (March
2013), when Muslim dominated Seleka rebels seized power and launched a brutal
regime.
The Christian anti-Balaka militiamen in response waged a war against them to wrest the
power.
The rebel Seleka government crumbled in January but the pro-christians anti-Balaka
militia didn't relent.
They turned the power-struggle into ethnic war forcing tens of thousands of Muslims to
flee.
The brutal war is still raging on with both parties indulged in gross human rights abuse in
the territory they control.
The abuse ranges from killings and torture to sexual violence and enforced
disappearances.
Objectives of the Mission
Disarmament of combatants and the cessation of all forms of violence
Restoration of peace and law and order.
Investigation into all violations of human rights and humanitarian law
(The Central African Republic, being a signatory, falls under the purview of International
Criminal Court.)
To prepare groundwork for free and fair elections by February 2015.
Some Facts
Area: 622,984 square km (45th largest in the world)
Slightly smaller than Pakistan
Population (2009 estimate): About 44 lacs (124th largest in the world)
Slightly bigger than Indian state of Tripura
Capital and largest city: Bangui
Israeli startup 'StoreDot' develops a battery capable of recharging a smartphone in just 30
seconds.
The battery, based on Nanodots technology, is presently the size of a small brick but can
be engineered into a size fit for a smartphone in future.
R Chandrasekaran has been appointed as the Chairman of Nasscom for 2014-15.
He, executive vice-chairman of Cognizant India, succeeds Krishnakumar Natarajan as
such.
Nasscom is a trade association of Indian Information Technology and Business Process
Outsourcing industry.
Sachin Tendulkar becomes the 1st Indian cricketer to feature on the cover page of the
"Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2014".
The annual 'cricket reference book', introduced in 1864, is in its 151st year of publication.
Ratan Tata is to be conferred on the 'Knight Grand Cross', one of the highest civilian
honours in Britain, by the queen Elizabeth.
He is one among five foreign nationals to get this award for 2014.
He earlier was honoured with a KBE (Knight Commander) in 2009.
India’s first aircraft Carrier 'INS Vikrant' is auctioned off to 'IB Commercial Pvt Ltd' for 60
crores.
Pygmy hogs' a fresh breath of life
There is some good news for the conservationist from the Manas National Park in Assam. The
state forest officials have found an estimated 21 nests of the critically-endangered Pygmy hog in
this wildlife sanctuary said to be their last remaining resort in the wild.
Details
The GPS-aided survey detected traces of their existence in signs such as their
droppings and nests.
The research team has also stumbled upon pellets and feeding signs of another of the
almost-extinct species endemic to this habitat "hispid hare".
The study was conducted for grassland species in 17 camp sites located across two
ranges of Bansbari and Bhuyanpara.
While the pellets of the Hispid hare were available across almost all sites, Pygmy hog's
nest proved a little scarce as it could only be found in three separate locations.
Points to Know
Both Pygmy hog and Hispid Hare are Schedule I species.
Schedule I and Schedule II species are given absolute protection under the
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and offences against them attract heavy penalties.
Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary was the only other wild habitat for this species till
it deteriorated beyond hospitability.
The sanctuary offers wet alluvial grasslands dominated by Barenga and Ulu species
which are considered critical for survival of pygmy hog.
Species like Hog deer, swamp deer and Bengal florican also remained
conspicuous through their traces in the finding.
What is Pigmy Hog?
This smallest and rarest wild pig has traditionally been present across India, Nepal,
and Bhutan.
Consistent human encroachment and poaching has shrunk its population to a pathetic
150 making it endangered species endemic to Assam (India).
Manas National Park
This is an UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an
Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve.
The sanctuary is located in Assam and is contiguous with the Royal Manas National
Park in Bhutan.
Its known for being the last reserve of endangered species like Assam Roofed
Turtle, Hispid Hare, Golden Langur and Pygmy Hog
Current Affairs 09 Apr 2014
Swiss cement firm Holcim is set to acquire its french rival and the world's largest cement
manufacturer Lafarge.
o The new firm called LafargeHolcim will be based in Switzerland.
Arunachal capital 'Itanagar' gets the rail connectivity with the introduction of a
passenger train linking the town of Dekargaon to the capital city.
o The state will soon have a functioning rail connectivity to premier cities of India.
Indonesia begins vote to elect national and local government.
o Its the 4th general elections since the ouster of Suharto in 1998 after his 3-decade
long dictatorial regime.
o The outcome of this election will determine who will qualify to run for upcoming
presidential election.
o A party/coalition needs 20 percent of the seats in the 560-seat lower house or 25
percent of the total valid national vote to put up a presidential candidate.
UNEP award for 'Directorate of revenue Intelligence'
UNEP has honoured the DRI (Directorate of revenue Intelligence) with 'ECA Ozone Protection
Award for Customs & Enforcement Officers'. It has been recognized for helping the enviornment
by seizing a record amount of (over 2.4 lakh kg) ozone-depleting restricted refrigeration gas ‘R-
22’.
More
DRI is the nation's elite intelligence agency handling violation of excise and customs
laws.
The gas, used primarily as refrigerant for Air Conditioners, is banned in India under the
Montreal Protocol.
The prestigious award, in its 3rd edition, also recognizes 4 other entities.
What is R-22 ?
Mainly used as a propellant and refrigerant this colorless gas is a
Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC).
Its not only harmful for Ozone layer but also contribute to global warming.
Developing countries like India and China have been becoming its greatest consumers
with the exponential growth in sales of ACs.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Enviornmental arm of UN that seek to promote the wise use and sustainable development
of the global environment.
How to stop use (and thus rampant smuggling)
We need to persuade users to shift to green alternative technologies for refrigerants.
Strict crackdown by the law enforcement agencies.
Montreal Protocol
It seeks to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of many substances
believed to be responsible for ozone depletion.
It was signed in the year 1987 in canadian city of Montreal.
The protocol has, to a certain extent, reversed the ozone layer depletion.
India is a signatory to this protocol.
Current Affairs 08 Apr 2014
World Health Day is observed across the globe on April 7.
o The day, in celebration since 1950, marks the anniversary of the founding of
World Health Organization in 1948.
o The Theme for 2014 is 'Vector-borne diseases: small bite, big threat'.
o Vectors (mosquitoes, flies, bugs etc) transmit diseases like malaria, dengue,
yellow fever etc.
o The theme for the last year was 'Healthy heart beat, Healthy blood pressure'.
Punjab retains the 4th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2014 (Division
A) by thrashing Odisha 6-2 in the finals.
o Meanwhile, Haryana secured the 3rd place by defeating Sports Authority of India
by 7-3.
o Harjeet Singh (Punjab) has been conferred on the Man of the Tournament award.
Indian shooter Heena Sidhu becomes world no.1 in the 10 metres air pistol event.
o She recently (Mar 2014) won a gold in Asian Air Gun Championship and
followed that by securing a silver in the ISSF rifle/pistol World Cup held at Fort
Benning, US.
The Lowland, 2nd novel of Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri, has been shortlisted
with 5 others for the 2014 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.
o This exclusive award for women, earlier called the Orange Prize, is open to all
women novel writers (English) across the world.
o AM Homes had won it last year for her work 'May We Be Forgiven'.
o The Lowland had also been shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize.
Veteran cinematographer VK Murthy dies aged 91.
o He was the first cinematographer to receive Dada Saheb Phalke award in 2008.
o Cinematic masterpieces like Pyaasa and 'Kagaz Ke Phool' gave him an
iconic status for his camera work.
Ashish Bose, demographer who coined the term 'BIMARU', breathes his last at 83.
o BIMARU referred to the underprivileged states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh whose poverty was further augmented by their
exploding population.
o He had used the term in a reserch paper presented to the then PM Rajiv Gandhi.
Ravi Chauhan has been appointed as the Managing Director of SAP India.
o SAP, one of the largest software companies worldwide, is known for making
enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations.
Current Affairs 07 Apr 2014
Nigeria overtakes South Africa as the largest economy of Africa.
o Nigerian GDP clocks over $500bn after the country rebased the GDP calculation
first time since 1990.
o Nigeria, with a population of over 17 crore, is the most populous country in
Africa.
Sri Lanka clinches their maiden T20 world cup having thrashed India by six wickets in
the final.
Sri Lanka has finally ended their 18-year-long world cup drought by clinching the T20 world
cup 2014. The 'island nation" achieved this feat by humbling India by 6 wickets in the final.
Points to Remember
Its their maiden T20 world cup and 2nd world Cup overall after the shock victory in 1996
(50-over).
Virat Kohli, the highest scorer of the tournament with 319 runs, was declared the 'Man of
the Series'.
It was a fitting farewell for the stalwarts 'Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara'
who pulled the curtains on their T20 careers here.
It was the 5th edition of World T20 competition after ones in 2007, 2009, 2010, and
2012.
The tournament featured 16 teams, the highest so far.
"Char Chokka Hoi Hoi" was the official theme song for the tournament.
Women's T20 World Cup 2014
Australia retains the women's T-20 world cup crown for the 3rd consecutive time beating
England by 6 wickets.
England’s Anya Shrubsole received player of the series award.
It was the 4th edition of Women's World Twenty20 that began in 2009 and is held
concurrently, since then, with men's tournament.
Apart from the inaugural edition, lifted by host 'England' in 2009, all the other 3 editions
(2010, 2012 & 2014) has been captured by Australians.
Having it both ways
The multi-talented Australian all-rounder 'Ellyse Alexandra Perry' also plays football for
Australian national team
Hungary gives another 4-year term to incumbent PM Viktor Orban as he captures near two-
thirds majority in a 199-seat legislature.
It will be his 3rd (2nd in a row) stint as the PM of Hungary after 1998-2002 and 2010-
14.
Malaysian 'Lee Chong Wei' lifts his 3rd India Open Super Series men's singles title beating
Chen Long of China by 21-13, 21-17 in final.
World number one Malaysian 'Lee Chong Wei' has retained the men's singles title at the India
Open Super Series by trumping Chinese challenger 'Chen Long' with an impressive scoreline of
21-13, 21-17 in final.
More
This was his 3rd title at the event, the most by far in this category (in 2011, 2013 & 2014)
He pocketed $250,000 in prize money, $50,000 more than last year's 2 lac USD.
The championship is being held as the Super Series tournament, a 2nd level tournament
in the badminton world, since 2011.
Level one competitions in Badminton
The Thomas (men), Uber (women), and Sudirman Cups, the Olympics, and the BWF
World (and World Junior Championships).
Other Champions
Women's singles:
Shixian Wang of China clinched the women's singles title by pipping compatriot Li Xuerui by
22-20, 21-19 in a thrilling encounter.
Previous winner: Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand
Women's doubles:
Chinese pair of 'Yuanting Tang & Yang Yu' overcame the South Korean pair of 'Kyung
Eun Jung & Ha Na Kim' by 21-10, 13-21, 21-16.
Men's doubles:
Danes 'Mathias Boe & Carsten Mogensen' trumped Chinese challengers 'Xiaolong Liu &
Zihan Qiu' by 17-21, 21-15, 21-15.
Mixed doubles:
Joachim Fischer Nielsen & Christinna Pedersen (both from Denmark) defeated 'Sung
Hyun Ko & Ha Na Kim' (South Koreans) by 21-16, 18-21, 21-18
Current Affairs 05 Apr 2014
Malta gets its new president in Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.
o She, the ninth and the 2nd woman president of the country, succeeds George
Abela as such.
o Maltan presidents are just figureheads with no executive powers.
o They serve for five years and can't be re-appointed.
Bangladesh concedes transit facility for a 6,000-megawatt Indian power transmission
line.
o A committee has been formed to study feasibility of transmitting power through
Rangia Raota (Assam) to Borakpur (Bihar) via Boro Pukuria (Northwestern
Dinajpur, Bangladesh).
o The two countries also plan to join a proposed regional grid connectivity also
involving Bhutan and Nepal through a new electricity network.
Afghanistan holds presidential election amidst heavy security against threat of violence
by the Taliban.
o Afghans are going to get a new president this time round as incumbent president
Hamid Karzai is not contesting being constitutionally barred from a third term.
The European Union launches Sentinel-1A, the first satellite of its Copernicus Earth
observation project, from Kourou in French Guiana.
o It is meant to monitor Earth for climate change and environmental damage and
help disaster relief operations.
Kandla port handles the most iron ores among all ports in the country for the 2013-14
period.
o The port retains its numero uno position by tackling 87.01 million tonnes.
o Its followed in the list by ports of Paradip (68 million), JNPT (62.35 million) and
Mumbai (59.19 million) as per the report of Indian Ports Association.
R Gandhi has been appointed as the Deputy Governor of the RBI for a 3 year term.
o He succeeds Anand Sinha as such.
Indian-American Sunil Sabharwal named as the Alternate Executive Director of US at
International Monetary Fund.
o He is an independent Indian American investor in the payments sector.
Israel unearths a 1400 years old monastery of Byzantine period in the Negev region of its
southern part.
o Byzantine Empire was what remained of Roman Empire after the fall of its
western part.
Current Affairs 04 Apr 2014
ISRO launches IRNSS 1B - 2nd of the 7 satellites constituting the Indian Regional
Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) - the Indian equivalent of Global Positioning
System of the US.
India has taken another significant step towards the dream of having it own Satellite Navigation
System with the successful launch of IRNSS 1B- 2nd of the 7 satellites constituting the Indian
Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS). The satellite, bound to join its predecessor
IRNSS-1A at a longitude of 55 degrees east, was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at
Sriharikota.
IRNSS 1B
The satellite weighs 1,432 kilograms (614 kg without fuel) and is expected to have a
mission life of 10 years.
It was projected into space aboard the "Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle" C24.
It was the 26th (22nd successful in a row) PSLV mission since its beginning in 1993.
ISRO plans launch of 2 more IRNSS satellites, the 2nd pair, by the end of this year and
hope to put all the seven in orbit by mid-2015.
Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)
The IRNSS system will consist of three geostationary satellites and two pairs of
spacecraft in inclined geosynchronous orbits.
This launch has put the first pair of satellites with inclined geosynchronous orbits
successfully in the space.
The second pair will be deployed at 111 degrees east, while the 3 geostationary
satellites take up positions at 34, 83 and 132 degrees.
More about the mission
Will have a range of 1500km (thus neighbouring countries like Nepal, Srilanka would
also be able to use)
Positional accuracy of better than 20 metres in the "primary service area" (i.e 1500km)
Services:
1) Standard Positioning Service : Available for all users
2) Restricted Service : encrypted service (only for authorised users like Military and
other government agencies)
Some Applications (where it will be useful once all 7 satellites are in space):
Will provide accurate position information service to users (precise timing ), disaster
management, Navigation : (marine, aerial, terrestrial), aid to hikers, mountaineers,
trekkers and other travellers.
Vehicle tracking ; visual-voice navigation in driving; fleet management, mapping and
geodetic data capture, together with many other applications when integrated with mobile
phones.
Other Navigational Satellite Systems in the world
Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) : Russia,
Global Positioning System (GPS) : United States,
Galileo (GNSS) : European Union,
BeiDou satellite navigation system (COMPASS) : China
Quasi-Zenith Satellite System : Japan
The Satish Dhawan Space Centre
Named in the honour of former ISRO chairman (1972-84) 'Satish Dhawan' in 2002 after
his death.
Earlier it was known as Sriharikota High Altitude Range (SHAR).
ISRO Chairman : Koppillil Radhakrishnan
RBI replaces Wholesale Price Index (WPI) with Consumer Price Index (CPI) as the measure
of inflation.
The step is in sync with the suggestion of Urjit R Patel Committee that claimed CPI to be
a better measure of inflation as it reflects the correct cost of living.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has been awarded the Most Efficient Navratna Award
for the year 2013.
The awards recognize the significant contribution and performance of various PSUs in
the country.
At present there are 14 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) which have been
designated as Navratnas by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)
under the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
DK Pathak becomes the new Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF).
He, given a tenure till 2016, succeeds Subhash Joshi as such.
BSF is tasked with maintaining peacetime security and law & order at our international
borders.
World observes "International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action" on
April 4.
India languishes at 102nd spot in the recently released 2nd Social Progress Index (SPI) 2014
India languishes at 102nd spot in the recently released 2nd Social Progress Index (SPI) 2014.
The index has been topped by New Zealand among a total of 132 nations surveyed.
About
The index made its debut last year (2013) where it ranked 50 countries across the globe.
The report has been prepared by not-for-profit American organization Social Progress
Imperative.
The index ranks countries by their performance on social and environmental indicators
rather than GDP.
It believes GDP or other economic output not to be the true depiction of nation's socio-
economical development.
The report aims to push and guide countries to achieve equitable and sustainable
development.
India
All other Brics country performed better than us.
Even neighbours like Bangladesh and Nepal edged slightly ahead of us.
Top 5
New Zealand
Switzerland
Iceland,
Netherlands
Norway
Major Powers
Germany: 12th
United Kingdom: 13th
Japan: 14th
United States: 16th
France: 20th
BRICS
Brazil: 46th (Best in the BRICS)
China: 90th
South Africa: 69
Russia: 80
India: 102
Bottom Five (Worst to bad)
Chad
Central African Republic
Burundi
Guinea
Sudan
Neighbours
Sri Lanka: 85th
Nepal: 101st
Bangladesh: 99
Pakistan: 124th
Pakistan deplorably features in the bottom 10 of the list, among mostly Sub-Saharan
countries.
Key Points
It reveals that economic growth doesn't always translate into social progress despite both
being correlated.
All the countries were evaluated across 3 dimensions to measure their social progress and
well being.
There were over 50 indicators scrutinizing each country progress.
Dimensions
The basic human needs
It has indicators like...
Nutrition and basic medical care
Water and Sanitation
Shelter and personal safety etc.
The foundations of wellbeing
It has indicators like...
Access to basic knowledge
Information and Communications
Health and Wellness
Ecosystem sustainability etc.
Opportunity
It has indicators like...
Personal rights
Freedom and choice
Tolerance and inclusion
Access to education etc.
Current Affairs 03 Apr 2014
Karim Massimov replaces Serik Akhmetov as the new Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.
o He was sworn in by the President Nursultan Nazarbayev after the resignation of
Serik Akhmetov.
Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) gets derecognized by Sports Ministry for
failing to revamp its constitution.
o The IABF is already facing suspension from the global governing body AIBA
(International Boxing Association).
o The Ministry had instructed the IABF to hold fresh elections and revamp its
constitution in sync with the National Sports Code.
RBI instruct banks not to fine consumers for non-maintenance of minimum balance in
their saving accounts.
o Though banks are allowed to suspend certain services of such account holders.
Election Commission appoints actor Aamir Khan as national icon to promote ethical
participation (voting) in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
o Other such icons roped in by EC are APJ Abdul Kalam, M S Dhoni, Saina
Nehwal and Mary Kom.
Young Achiever Award 2013 has been conferred on Dr B Vinoth Kumar for his
contribution in the field of agriculture.
o The award was set up by the 'Society of Advancement of Human and Nature'
(SADHNA), Himachal Pradesh.
Satellite INSAT-3E falls out of commission : Communications satellite INSAT-3E has finally
been decommissioned by the ISRO days after it started to dwindle away to defunctness. The 3rd
generation satellite, supposed to function for 15 years, could only last ten-and-a-half years. ISRO
has already begun to migrate its users to other satellites.
Points to know
It was the 4th satellite (chronologically) launched in the INSAT-3 series of ISRO in
September 2003.
It was developed to provide high-speed communication, Television, VSAT & Tele-
education services.
It was studded with 36 transponders — 24 C-band and 12 extended C-band transponders.
It ran into trouble in 2009 which crippled its capacity to just 25 working transponders.
The Failure
The immediate reason was the unavailability of on-board oxidiser which had supposedly
been used up.
Oxidiser along with fuel are mandatory to keep the satellites stationed over India (any
given place).
They also come handy in the day to day operations.
It is likely to be replaced with soon to be launched GSAT-16.
Now its going to be pushed into a higher orbit so as to safeguard other working spacecraft
-transiting the space- from collision or damage.
INSAT (Indian National Satellite System)
A series of geo-stationary satellites launched by ISRO to serve the nation in the area of
telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology, and search and rescue operations.
INSAT, the largest domestic communication system in the Asia Pacific Region, has so
far launched 21 satellites into space.
Eleven of them are still in operation.
The List
INSAT-1A
INSAT-1B
INSAT-1C
INSAT-1D
INSAT-2DT
INSAT-2A
INSAT-2B:
INSAT-2C
INSAT-2D
All the above satellites are defunct now!
All below satellites are still in operation (except INSAT-3E)...
INSAT-2E
INSAT-3A
INSAT-3B
INSAT-3C
INSAT-3D
INSAT-3E : defunct
INSAT-4A
INSAT-4B
INSAT-4C
INSAT-4CR
INSAT-4D
INSAT-4G
Current Affairs 02 Apr 2014
Manuel Valls replaces Jean-Marc Ayrault as the new Prime Minister of France.
o The rejig by the President Francois Hollande has come in the wake of recent
debacle of the ruling party in municipal elections held in March.
o He, interior minister in the regime, is presently seen as the most popular Socialist
leader with a wide acceptability base.
Indian-American cardiologist Dr Sumeet Chugh has been honoured with the coveted
Simon Dack Award by the American College of Cardiology.
o He receives the award for outstanding scholarship in recognition of his
contributions to the organisation's peer-reviewed medical journals.
o He is an expert in heart rhythm disorders such as sudden cardiac arrest and atrial
fibrillation.
o Another award given by the organization namely 'Distinguished Scientist Award'
(Basic Domain) for 2014 has gone to Eduardo Marban.
Noel Naval Tata assumes charge as chairman of Trent - the retail arm of the Tata
group.
o He, brother-in-law of Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry, succeeds now retired
'FK Kavarana'.
Anil Agarwal assumes charge as new chairman emeritus of Sesa Sterlite - a firm of
mining giant Vedanta Resources group.
o He was earlier the non-executive chairman in the company.
o His brother Navin Agarwal also joins as the new chairman of the board.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) release its report titled
"Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability"
o It holds the Global Warming responsible for unseasonal rains in India that may
have adverse impact on food production in the country.
o It also forecasts contamination of fresh water resources.
The world observes the 7th annual World Autism Awareness Day on April 2.
Nancy Powell, US ambassador to India, quits.
o The move is seen as a reflection on her unimpressive stint that saw the diplomatic
relations between the two nations plummets.
International Court of Justice declares Japanese whale hunting illegal:
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in a landmark judgement for conservationist,
has declared the Japan's whale hunt in Southern Ocean as illegal under international
law. Though the commercial whaling is banned under the law, Japan has been found to
be carrying it out in the guise of 'scientific whaling' (legally allowed).
Points to Remember
The verdict has come in the case where Australia charged Japan of violating the rules
of whale-hunting for scientific purpose.
Australia won the ruling by 12 votes to 4.
International Whaling Commission (IWC) set rules governing hunting of whales
for scientific purpose.
Possible Consequence
The Japanese Government may frame a new hunt regime to match the criteria set by the
ICJ.
Whale hunting
Whale hunting is primarily conducted for meat and oil.
Now that its oil is no longer popular its exclusively used for consumption.
Japan is one of the pioneer in consuming whale meat.
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW)
It came into force in 1946.
It primary motive is to protect and preserve all whale species from overhunting and
thus getting extinct.
It governs the commercial, scientific, and aboriginal subsistence whaling practices of
all its 59 member states.
International Whaling Commission (IWC)
Its the executive organ of the ICRW
It was set up under the ICRW to set and govern rules regarding hunting of whales and
other relevant matters.
The rules dont apply on the non-member countries.
Though those outside its purview are encoraged to conduct their own
management programs.
The IWC has banned the commercial whaling since 1985–86 allowing only
scientific hunting subject to strict guidelines.
Apparently there still are certain loopholes in the laws which critics fear to
be 'exploitable'.
Current Affairs 01 Apr 2014
Indian shuttler Sourabh Varma loses to Indonesian Simon Santoso in the final of
Malaysia Grand Prix gold badminton championship.
Andrej Kiska to be the next president of Slovakia after a shock landslide victory
over the current Prime Minister Robert Fico.
o He, a millionaire-turned-philanthropist, secured 59.4 percent votes as against
Fico’s 40.6 percent.
President re-promulgates the ordinance on SEBI Securities Laws (Amendment) Bill 2013
as it lapsed owing to the parliament inability to pass it in its final session.
o It aims to give powers to Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) to act
against Ponzi scheme.
o An ordinances lapses in case it does not get passed by the parliament within six
weeks of its reassembling.
Russia, in a concilliatory gesture to west, pulls out a motorised infantry battalion from
Ukraine's eastern border a day after the talks with US in Paris.
Current Affairs 31 Mar 2014
Indian shooter Heena Sidhu captures a silver medal in the women's final of the 10m air
pistol event at the ISSF World Cup being held in Fort Benning, US.
o Its her 3rd medals at the ISSF World Cup; Gold in 2013 (Germany) and silver in
2009 (Beijing) and now in US.
o She, the world number two air pistol shooter, is the only Indian pistol shooter to
bag 3 medals in World Cup.
Novak Djokovic humbles Rafael Nadal to clinch his 4th Miami Masters (Sony Open)
title.
o Its the 4th straight final defeat for the numero uno Nadal here after losing the
finals in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
o In the women's singles, Serena Williams beat Chinese Li Na to capture her 59th
WTA title.
N Lavanya (Jharkhand) clinches gold medal in the women recurve event at the 2nd
National Ranking Tournament.
o Rahul Banerjee wins the gold in men’s recurve event.
Saudi king 'Abdullah' anoints his half-brother Moqren as the crown-prince of the
kingdom.
o Moqren is presently the 2nd deputy Prime Minister of the largest crude oil
exporter of the world.
Supreme Court commutes the death sentence of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, a
Khalistani separatist convicted for 1993 Delhi bomb blast, to life imprisonment.
o The verdict has been taken in view of his mental illness and inordinate delay in
decision on his mercy plea.
Trans-Pacific Partnership: A brief
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), is a proposed trade agreement which seek to expand the reach
and scope of present 4 nation trade agreement namely TPSEP (Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic
Partnership Agreement). Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore had inked the trade treaty
'TPSEP' in 2005.
And like all other international trade agreement it seeks to integrate these economies to promote
growth and development by facilitating trade conducing enviornment.
The Proposed Members
Apart from the above four the negotiations are on with US, Canada, Australia, Japan,
Peru, Malaysia, Vietnam and Mexico for expansion of membership (reach).
Two more countries namely South Korea and Taiwan are also showing interest in joining
this group.
Likey Advantages
The treaty, should it come into force, will enhance trade and investment in the region
catapulting economic growth through jobs creation.
It will also assist in promoting innovation through a strict regime of copyrights.
Controversies
It has also drawn huge criticism for controversial clauses like clandenstine proceedings
and expansive scope.
New Zealand is the most vocal opponent of this provision.
Highly restrictive regime of Intellectual Property Rights
Elimination of affordable generic medicines as consumers will be bound to buy
exclusively available expensive brands due to biological patents.
The same rule will also hit the small scale publishers and relatively open internet
services.
Expansive scope
It grants right to individuals to sue governments under international law thus weakening
state influence and will possibly lead to compromise in the pro-public stance on
environment, human rights and public welfare.
Secrecy clause
The details of agreement not be released to general public (fearing public backlash) until
the treaty is inked.
Even then, only the final text of agreement will be made available.
Masses will have to wait another 4 years to get the nitty gritty of the negotiations.
To many it appears like an anti-people pact that will serve the exclusive interest of wealthiest by
letting them maximize profit and their domination of national governments and working class.
Current Affairs 29 Mar 2014
China (estimated) executed most people in the world in 2013 followed by Iraq, Iran, Saudi
Arabia and the US as per a report by Amnesty International.
As per the latest Death Penalty Report 2013 released by human rights watchdog Amnesty
International, China (estimated) has executed most people in the world in 2013 followed by
Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the US.
Key Points
Data of public executions in China, being a state secret, is not made public.
Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia make up 80 per cent of all global (minus China) executions in
2013.
There is a growth of 15% in the number of known executions across the world in 2013.
At least 778 executions were carried out in 2013 - up from at least 682 in 2012
Over 23,000 people were on death row in the world at the end of 2013.
The practice of capital punishment has been decreasing as the number of countries
enforcing the death penalty has fallen from 37 in 1993 to 22 in 2013.
Belarus is the only country in Europe (erstwhile soviet states included) to still allow
capital punishment.
India
Mohammad Afzal Guru was the sole person executed by India in that period.
At least 400 people are supposed to be on death row at the end of the year 2013.
Top countries to execute people in 2013
China: No data available, but its estimated that this nation executed more people than rest
of the world combined in 2013.
Iran: At least 369
Iraq: 169
Saudi Arabia: 79
United States: 39
Amnesty International
Its a global organization spread across 150 countries and territories that seek to end grave
abuses of human rights across the world.
It aims to provide every person on the planet the rights enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.
It also generates data through research to draws attention to various human rights abuses
worldwide and then campaign to prevent that.
More
Founded in London in 1961 by the lawyer Peter Benenson
Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for its "campaign against torture"
United Nations Prize in Human Rights in 1978
Secretary-General: Salil Shetty
NATO designates Jens Stoltenberg, the former Prime Minister of Norway, as its new
Secretary-General.
He succeeds Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The newly inducted Super Hercules C-130J transport aircraft of Indian Air Force crashes
near Gwalior killing all five aboard.
The super costly (1000 cr) and advance aircraft was one of the six such procured from the
US.
RBI, in a major repreive to the banking sector, defers the deadline for full implementation of
the Basel III capital regulations by a year.
The banks are now required to comply with the Basel III norms by 31 March 2019.
Sunil Gavaskar appointed as the interim President of BCCI by the Supreme Court.
The apex court directed the incumbent president to N Srinivasan to remain out till the IPL
spot fixing probe concludes.
Shivlal Yadav, the senior most Vice-President of the Board, to look after the non-IPL
affairs of BCCI.
Ajay S Shriram to replace S Gopalakrishnan as the President of CII (Confederation of
Indian Industry) for 2014-15.
He is the Chairman and Sr. Managing Director of DCM Shriram Limited.
Acclaimed Malayalam director P Ramdas breathes his last at 83.
He is credited with ushering the neo-realistic wave in Malayalam cinema during the
1950s through his path breaking movie "Newspaper Boy".
He was honoured with the 'JC Daniel Award’ by the government of Kerala in 2007.
Nuclear Security Summit 2014 concludes.
The 3rd Nuclear Security Summit 2014 has concluded in Hague, Netherlands. The biennial
summit, initiated to secure world's nuclear materials from terrorist, was overshadowed by the
Russian annexation of Crimea.
Key points of 2014 summit
It was held to assess the progress made on resolutions taken in previous summits.
53 countries alongwith 4 observing organizations namely International Atomic Energy
Agency, Interpol, EU and UN participated in it.
In the backdrop of Crimea crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his Foreign
Minister in his place.
North Korea and Iran were other notable absentee.
Achievements
Japan consented to hand over a relatively small part of its nuclear material: highly
enriched uranium and plutonium to US.
35 countries accede to adopt the Nuclear Security Guidelines
While 18 countries including India, Russia and Pakistan have refused.
13 nations had so far eliminated their caches of nuclear materials.
It has done a lot in improving the security of nuclear storage facilities across the globe.
Joint Communique
It calls for drastic cut in the stocks of highly enriched uranium
It also agrees on separating the plutonium stockpile to the minimum level.
It also demand strengthening of global cooperation regime on nuclear safety.
Background
A brainchild of US president Barack Obama, It was introduced in 2010 to consolidate
efforts to safeguard sensitive nuclear materials from falling in the hands of terrorist.
1st Summit: Washington DC in 2010
2nd Summit: Seoul in 2012
Next Summit:: in the US in 2016
Classic Objectives
To cut down on the stockpile of dangerous nuclear material in the world
To bolster the security of all nuclear and radioactive materials.
To enhance global cooperation for better and secure management of such materials.
Gift baskets: A unique concept
Any given country can take up a specific security theme and try to project itself as an
example to others by improving on that. Its an effort to motivate others to join in the
initiative. This move is known as 'Gift baskets' as it prompt others to put something
(contribution) in that particular basket (initiative).
Current Affairs 28 Mar 2014
UN general assembly declares Russian annexation of Crimea illegal.
o 58 countries including India abstained from the vote.
o The vote saw only 11 nations supporting the Russian move while 100 were
against.
o Unlike the Security Council, Resolutions in the General Assembly are not legally
binding.
West Zone captures the 3rd consecutive 'Deodhar Trophy' beating North Zone by 133
runs in the final of 2013-14 edition.
o The trophy, originated in 1973-74, is named after the so called 'Grand Old Man of
Indian cricket' DB Deodhar.
o The annual one-day competition is played among the 5 zonal teams - North Zone,
South Zone, East Zone, West Zone and Central Zone.
Google has been fined Rs 1 Crore by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for
unfair trade practices.
o CCI is probing a complaint against the internet giant by matrimony.com and
Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS).
o The charge accuses it of abusing its clout in the markets of online search and
search advertising.
o CCI has also ordered Google to furnish the required documents and information
asked.
UN approves international probe into alleged war crimes committed during Sri Lanka's
civil war that ended in 2009 with complete annihilation of rebel LTTE.
o The enquiry will primarily focus on the carnage at the end of the military
campaign in 2009 which is thought to claim of as many as 40,000 civilian lives.
Jammu and Kashmir becomes the first state in the country to declare all election booths
as No Smoking Areas in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Japan frees Iwao Hakamada, the longest-serving death row inmate in the world.
o The court suspended his death sentence ordering a retrial as it found possible
fabrication in the evidence by the investigators.
o He, convicted in the murder of a family in 1966, had not been executed so far due
to lengthy appeals process.
About 7 million people died in 2012 as a result of air pollution exposure: World Health
Organization
Former Indian captain Jude Felix has been appointed as the coach of the senior men's
national hockey team.
o He, who replaces Bhaskaran as such, will work under Chief Coach Terry Walsh.
Indian archaeologists claim to have discovered the largest Harappan site at Rakhigarhi
in Hisar district, Haryana.
o At present, Mohenjo-daro (with an area of almost 300 hectares) in Pakistan is the
largest among the 2,000 Harappan sites discovered.
o The researcher recently found two additional mounds there, apart from the
existing 7, which extends the total area of the site to about 350 hectares.
Philippines inks peace agreement with Muslim rebels.
Philippines, in a landmark move that may usher peace and resultant dividend in a country
marred by armed rebellion, has inked a peace accord with the nation's largest Muslim rebel group
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The deal, though quite challenging to implement, if
succeeds will put an end to one of Asia's longest and deadliest conflicts.
The Details
The agreement has finally been achieved after a rocky phase of negotiations lasting 17
years.
The deal is supposed to cease decades of bloodshed that claimed at least 120,000 lives in
the muslim dominated southern island of Mindanao.
The deal namely "Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro" create a unified and
homogeneous region of Bangsamoro by merging five muslim dominated autonomous
provinces.
It will have greater autonomy, more economic and legal freedom and powers.
A transition body has been set up to prepare grounds for the new government that would
come up after elections in 2016.
The new government will get to keep 75 percent of taxes collected in the region together
with 75 percent of revenues from metallic minerals.
They will also enjoy partial control of fishing territories.
The efforts to seal the deal was on since 2001 in the aftermath of ceasefire that had been
in place since 1997.
The Success will depend very much on the implementation of the peace process.
The MILF
They are the largest and most influential faction among those who has been raging an
arm rebellion for independence of the muslim dominated region of Mindanao.
Under the accord the group is to give up the demand for independence and turn in their
weapons.
(Its notable that a similar deal in 1996 had failed with the original rebel group as they did
not agree to cede their weapons)
The Threat
The deal is not inclusive one as it has starkly excluded original rebel group Moro
National Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters from the peace
process.
This has the potential to derail the whole peace exercise as other are still at the
loggerheads with the establishment.
Apart from Bangsamoro, the government is also embroiled in conflict with radical
Islamist group 'Abu Sayyaf' in Jolo.
Philippines
A densely populated archipelago in Southeast Asia located in the western Pacific Ocean
Area: 300,000 square km (73rd in the world)
Population (2014 estimate): 99 million (12th in the world)
Capital: Manila
Largest city: Quezon City
More
Majority of the country's 5 million Muslims inhabit this region which they consider as
their ancestral homeland.
Christians (93% of population) enjoy a dominant majority in Philippines.
President: Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III
MILF chairman: Al Haj Murad Ebrahim
Current Affairs 27 Mar 2014
The Laureus World Sports Awards 2014 winners:
o Formula one champion 'Sebastian Vettel': Sportsman of the Year
o US swimmer Missy Franklin: World Sportswoman of the Year (youngest ever)
o Marc Marquez (Spain): Breakthrough of the Year Award
o Bayern Munich: World Team of the Year Award
o Rafael Nadal: Laureus Comeback Award
o Marie Bochet (France): World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
o Jamie Bestwick (UK): World Action Sportsperson of the Year
Two additional Awards were also presented
o Spirit of Sport Award: Afghanistan Cricket Team
o Sport for Good Award: Magic Bus (a sports-based community project in India)
The annual award, widely considered as the "Oscars of sports, was established in 1999.
India lifts the 3rd South Asian Handball Championship by trumping Pakistan 36-31 in the title
clash.
o The tournament saw 5 participants namely India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and
Bangladesh.
Rusi Dinshaw, the lone Parsi to have ever been selected in a Pakistan Test squad, breathes his
last at 86.
o He was a member (but didn't get to play) of the Pakistan first Test team that toured India
in 1952-53.
RBI constituted 'Aditya Puri' panel submits its report titled "Data Format for Furnishing of
Credit Information to Credit Information Companies (CICs)".
Archaeologist discovers ancient caves in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
o The site (five caves) holds artworks depicting at least 7000-years-old civilisation and
culture.
The 25th Arab League Summit concludes.
The 25th Arab League Summit has concluded in Kuwait with the announcement of the "Kuwait
Declaration".
The Declaration
Commitment to strenghten relations and sort out differences among Arab states through
constructive and transparent dialogues,
The joint declaration pledges to provide all possible supports to countries suffering
through political transition unleashed in the wake of Arab Spring.
The crisis in Egypt, conflict in Syria and the Palestinian cause remained high on the summit's
agenda.
The league expectedly revived its unwavering support for Palestinian cause and hoped for
the creation of a Palestinian state soon.
(That perhaps remains the sole point all the Arab states still agree on)
Syrian Civil War
The declaration calls on the Syrian government to stop the bloodshed.
It, in the same breathe, also roots for a peaceful political solution of the conflict based on
Geneva 1.
The announcemrnt also denounce all forms of terrorism and interference in the internal
affairs of other countries.
Background
The summit took place amidst the undercurrent of strained relations between member
nations
The ongoing fallout of the Arab Spring uprisings have polarised the region in an
unprecedented way.
The Civil war in Syria has split the league in two block where Iraq, Algeria and Lebanon
are supporting the government while others are dead opposed to Assad.
On the other hand Saudi Arabia and Qatar find themselves on opposite ends on the issue
of Egyptian crisis.
Saudi Arabia alongwith the UAE and Bahrain had recently recalled their ambassadors
from Qatar who is openly backing islamist like Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
They also blame Qatar of meddling in the internal affairs of countries undergoing
political upheavel through extending support to Islamist groups and thus endangering
regional security.
Qatari-Egyptian ties have soured since the Egyptian army ousted Islamist President
Mohamed Mursi, who had been supported by Doha, in July after mass protests against his
one-year rule.
Qatar had pretty close ties with the Egypt's islamist president 'Mohamed Mursi' and his
ouster by the army has strained the bilateral ties drastically.
About the Arab League
The Arab League is an organization of countries who are predominantly bound by
common Arabian language and culture.
Objectives
To boost relations and co-operations among member states to lead them towards a
common greater good.
Members
It has 22 members including Palestine, which the League regards as an independent state.
Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,
Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria,
Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Highest body: Council
Each member state has one vote
The council meets twice a year, in March and September
Secretary-general: Nabil el-Arabi: since May 2011
Few of the member countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar etc) are rich in natural oil
reserves and thus weild considerable power and influence in world politics.
Current Affairs 26 Mar 2014
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban honoured with Pritzker Prize 2014.
o The award is considered to be the most prestigious award in architecture.
o He has been awarded for serving humanity through his creative and affordable
designs for disaster relief shelters.
o The shelters designed by him happen to be easy-to-construct-and- dismantle and
has come handy in many disaster hit nations like Haiti, Sri Lanka and India.
Helm changes at FMCG firms -Britannia and Marico groups : Vinita Bali steps down
as CMD of Britannia while Harsh Mariwala as CMD of Marico group (13,500
cr. group, makers of Saffola, Parachute oils, Kaya skin clinics etc.).
o Vinita Bali : in 2005 she became "first woman to head a major consumer goods
company" (Nusli Wadia's controlled Buiscuit company) in India. Varun Berry
will replace her.
o Saugata Gupta will take over Marico's reign from Harsh Mariwala (he will
continue as Chairman)
'Bank of India' becomes the 1st public sector bank to launch Instant Money Transfer
(IMT) scheme in Mumbai. The IMT, an innovative domestic money remittance
facility, allows customers to withdraw cash from IMT-enabled ATMs without the need of
any card or bank account.
Process of Transaction
o The sender initiates IMT by providing receiver’s name, address and mobile
number to the bank either on SMS or Internet banking.
o The notification of IMT is sent on the recipient's mobile along with a four-digit
SMS Pin.
o The sender separately sends the four-digit sender code to the receiver.
o Now the recipient can withdraws cash from the special IMT-enabled ATMs by
punching in the mobile number and received sender code, and SMS Pin.
Acclaimed photographer Rajesh Bedi honoured with the Life-Time Achievement Award
at the 3rd National Photography Awards 2014.
o 12 more awards were presented across various categories at the event.
Nuclear Security Summit 2014 (3rd world summit) concludes in Hague, Netherlands
with an agreement to reduce nuclear risks to global security.
Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) lifts 4th Hockey India Senior Women
National Championship (Division A) title thumping defending Champions Haryana by
4-0 in the final.
o Jharkhand trumps Punjab to secure 3rd position in the tournament.
INDIAN OCEAN NAVAL SYMPOSIUM 2014 BEGINS IN PERTH, AUSTRALIA.
The 4th 'Indian Ocean Naval Symposium' kicks off in Perth, Australia. India, in the absence of
regular navy chief after the resignation of D K Joshi, is going unrepresented at the 4 day (March
25-28) meet. And since the active navy chief Vice Admiral RK Dhowan is only a 3-star general,
he is disqualified from participation.
About
The ‘Indian Ocean Naval Symposium’ (IONS) initiative aims to enhance maritime co-
operation among its members by providing a common platform.
Its a biennial meeting of naval chiefs (4-star general) of all its 35 member countries.
Key Points
It was instituted in 2008 to promote cooperation among the navies of the Indian Ocean
littoral states in the wake of the massive destruction caused by 2004 Tsunami.
The symposium is always chaired by the host nation.
Admiral D K Joshi has earlier resigned on moral grounds owning responsibility for the
fire-accident on INS Sindhuratna submarine that claimed 2 lives.
Members
South Asia
Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Seychelles and Sri Lanka
West Asia
Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen
East Africa
Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eriteria, France, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique,
Somalia, South Africa, Sudan and Tanzania
South East Asia and Oceania
Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste
Previous meets
The inaugural meet was held in New Delhi (India) in 2008.
The 2nd edition: Held in Abu-Dhabi in 2010.
The 3rd edition: Hosted by South Africa in Cape Town in 2012.
Related Organization
Indian Ocean Rim Association
Its an international organisation with 20 member states bordering the Indian Ocean which seeks
to promote sustainable development by maximizing economic cooperation. It has earmarked six
priority areas of cooperation which are...
Maritime Safety and Security
Trade and Investment Facilitation
Disaster Risk Management
Academic and Science & Technology Cooperation
Tourism and Cultural Exchanges
Fisheries Management
Current Affairs 25 Mar 2014
The Supreme Court lambast centre for making Aadhaar Card mandatory for availing
government-run welfare schemes and services; direct it not to discriminate on the basis of
availability of Aadhaar Card.
o The apex court also instruct the government not to share any information with any agency
- government or private - without the prior approval of the card holder (that includes
criminal investigation as well).
Govind Mishra becomes only the 2nd Hindi author to receive Sarawasti Samman (2013) after
Harivansh Rai Bachchan (1991) for his book Dhool Paudho Par published in 2008.
o The annual award and is given in recognition of outstanding prose or poetry literary
works in Indian languages that are listed in Schedule VII of the constitution of India.
o The award was established in 1991 by K. K. Birla Foundation and carries a cash prize of
10 lakh rupees along with a certificate.
Britain’s Royal Mail issues a postage stamp of Noor Inayat Khan on her centenary year.
o She worked for Britain's 'Special Operations Executive' (intelligence unit started by
Winston Churchill) against Nazis. She was ultimately captured by the Germans and
executed at the Dachau concentration camp.
o She was honoured with the George Cross - the highest British honour, while France
awarded her the Croix de Guerre.
o She was born to an Indian father, Hazrat Inayat Khan and an American mother, Ora Ray
Baker in the year 1914.
Noted Hindi and Marathi films actress 'Nanda' dies aged 75.
o She acted in films like 'Dhool Ka Phool', 'Dulhan', 'Bhabhi', 'Jab Jab Phool Khile',
'Gumnaam', 'Shor', 'Parineeta' and 'Prem Rog'.
o She, the lifelong bachelorette, won her sole Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
for the movie Aanchal in 1960.
11th National Youth Parliament Competition 2012-2013.
National Youth Parliament Competition 2012-2013 for Universities and Colleges has
concluded with the DAV Colleges (Jalandhar) clinching the top prize "Running Parliamentary
Shield and Trophy" for the 2nd consecutive year. 14 institutions from across the nation
participated in the competition.
Apart from the top award, merit trophies were awarded to 4 teams for standing first in their
respective groups.
University of Kanlyani (West Bengal)
Jai Prakash University, Chhapra (Bihar)
Jiwaji University, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh)
SMB Government College, Nathdwara (Udaipur)
Points to Remember
The competition is being organized by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs since 1997-98.
This innovative scheme aims at cultivating the spirit of self-discipline, tolerance of
diverse opinion, righteous expression of views and other virtues of a democratic way of
life among the younger generations.
Moreover it also acquaints the students with the practices and procedures of parliament,
techniques of discussion and debate and develops in them the quality of leadership
National Community Radio Awards 2014 presented.
The 3rd National Community Radio awards have been presented in all the five
stipulated categories. The award, introduced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
in 2012, aims to promote better programming on Community Radio Stations. The awardees were
selected from a total of 131 entries from 68 community radio stations across the country.
The Winners (category-wise)
Most creative /Innovative Programme Content Awards:
Yerlavani Community Radio: for its programme “Changes in cropping and
agricultural practices as per environmental change”. Its run by Yerala Projects Society,
Sangli (Maharashtra).
Community Radio JU: for its programme “Sunno Theke Suru – Types of
Quadrilateral”. Its run by Jadavpur University, Kolkata (West Bengal)
This award aims to encourage novelty in the formats of programme and presentation to improve
the efficacy.
Thematic Awards:
Anna Community Radio: for its programme, “Putholi” Kumaon Vani. Its run
by Educational Multimedia Research Centre, Anna University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu).
Kumaon Vani: for its programme, “Bazar Laye Bochhar”. Its run by The Energy
and Resource Institute (Uttarakhand).
Radio Madhuban: for its programme “Gruhasan Se Singhashan”. Its run by
Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya (Rajasthan).
This award is Given for making programmes that are relevant to the community, addressing
any issues pertaining to the need or interest of the community.
Community Engagement Awards:
Saiyere Jo Radio: for its programme “Khaso Sashan”. Its run by Saiyere Jo
Sangathan (Gujarat).
Radio Vishnu: for its programme “Vijayapadham”. Its run by Shri Vishnu
Engineering College for Women (Andhra Pradesh).
Pantnagar Janvani: for its programme “Gaon ki Baat”. Its run by G. B. Pant University
of Agriculture & Technology (Uttarakhand).
Its awarded to those radio stations which engage community in planning, content, production and
broadcast of programme.
Promoting Local Culture Awards:
Voice of SOA Community: for its programme, “Kandhai Katha”. Its run by Siksha
O Anusandhana University, Bhubaneswar (Odisha).
Radio Kissan: for its programme “Ama Kala Ama Sanskriti”. Its run by Association
for Integrated Development (Odisha).
Community Radio Sarang: for its programme “Dudi Nalike (Kunitha). Its run by
St. Aloysius College, Mangalore (Karnataka).
This award promotes incorporation of best local talent and tradition in its programming.
Sustainability Model Award:
Radio Media Village, St Joseph College of Communication (Kerala).
Current Affairs 24 Mar 2014
President Abdulla Yameen's coalition (his party Progressive Party of Maldives +
Jumhoory Party) seizes majority in Maldive's Parliamentary elections securing 54 out of
the 85 seats.
o The chief opponent and former president Mohamed Nasheed's Maldives
Democratic Party could only bag 24 seats thus losing it current majority.
o The elections were seen as challenge to President Yameen's government as they
were held under controversy due to removal (jail) of head and Deputy of Election
Commission by Supreme Court which was seen as undermining independence of
Election Commission.
Physicist Rajesh Gopakumar has been conferred on the 'GD Birla Award for
scientific research 2013'.
o The 1.5 lakh rupees award recognizes his significant contributions on topics in
Quantum Field Theory and String Theory.
o The prize was instituted in 1991 to honour exemplary scientific research
undertaken by Indian scientists (under the age of 50) working in India.
World Tuberculosis Day 2014 is being observed across the world on March 24.
o The theme for this year is "Reach the three million: A TB test, treatment and cure
for all".
o The day is celebrated to create awareness about and renew the efforts to fight off
this global epidemic which claims about 1.7 million people each year, mostly in
the developing countries.
Lt Commander Abhilash Tomy, Major Mahesh Kumar and Wing Commander
Darryl Castelino (posthumously) honoured with Kirti Chakra gallantry award.
o President also gave 10 Shaurya Chakras (5 posthumously), 15 Param Vishist seva
medals, 2 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, two Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medals and 22
Ati Vishisht Seva Medals to personnel of the Armed Forces for their distinguished
service of an exceptional order.
Protests in Taiwan against signing of Trade agreement with Mainland China ;
protesters occupy government offices/Parliament/ streets.
o 64 Service sector would be opened for China while China will open 80 of its
service sector
o while Pro China President Ma Ying-jeou asserts it will bring export
competitiveness (and facilitate entry into US led 12 country Trans Pacific
Partnership trade block) and consequential prosperity, locals fear that it will hurt
badly the local small service companies.
o Taiwan is an independent and democratic country ruled separately from China
since 1949 when Communist regime took over China. However China still
considers it as its breakaway Province and asserts a policy - "One Country, Two
System" on world stage. Majority of countries, including India, agrees to this
policy owing to economic might of China.
World observes 'World Meteorological Day 2014' on March 23 with the theme
“Weather and climate: engaging youth".
o The convention creating the World Meteorological Organization had come into
force on this very day in 1950.
Two more massive statues of Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep-iii found and unveiled in
Luxor city of Egypt-- the ancient Egyptian city of Thebis which was the capital of Egypt
during New Kingdom (16-11 centuary BC/ 18-20th Dynasties of Egypt).
o Luxor - located on the West Bank of Nile, it houses Temple complexes (also at
Karnak) of Egyptian Kings.
o Luxor is already world renowed for Memnon colossi- 3400 year old twin statues
of Amenhotep-iii in seated position
o Very near but opposite to Luxor is Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens
: Valleys where Royal Tombs are located
Adolfo Suarez, Spain's first Prime Minister (in 1975) post the regime of General
Francisco Franco, is dead.
o General Francisco Franco : Millitary dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 (till
his death) who came to power following removal of elected Spanish government
in Spanish Civil War (July 1936 - April1939)
o Following Franco's death, King Juan Carlos (Franco's successor) favoured
transition to democracy which was efficiently executed by Suarez whose
brilliant conciliatory skills oversaw Legalisation of political parties, framing of
Constitution and finally its approval through referendum in 1978.
Panasonic unveils the world's largest TV "Big Hoss". The giant device has the
dimension of 218 feet by 94.6 feet.
Assam Rifles celebrates its 179th anniversay : founded in 1835 it is India's Oldest Para
Military Force.
o Present Duty : guards the Indo- Myanmar border
o Past laurels: took part in both World Wars, Indo- China, Indo- Pak and
Operation Pawan (1987 in Srilanka : operation by the Indian Peace Keeping
Force to take control of Jaffna from LTTE).
FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS PRIZE 2014.
The Fundamental Physics Prize for the year 2014 has been conferred on the Michael B Green
(University of Cambridge) and John H Schwarz (California Institute of Technology) for
opening new perspectives on quantum gravity and the unification of forces.
About
It has been instituted by the Russian physicist and internet tycoon Yuri Milner in the
2012.
The prize is given to the physicists for their remarkable contribution to the field of
fundamental physics (or in closely related fields) by the not-for-profit Fundamental
Physics Prize Foundation.
The prize, also dubbed as Russian Nobel, is the largest academic prize in the world in
terms of monetary value.
It offers 3 million USD in prize money; more than twice than that of Nobel (around 1.2
million USD).
Categories
Mainly there are 3 categories namely Fundamental Physics Prize (the most important)
Physics Frontiers Prize and The New Horizons for Physics Prize (for young researchers).
There is also a Special Fundamental Physics Prize which is given on ad-hoc basis.
Physics Frontiers Prize
Those of the nominees who don't get to win the Fundamental Physics Prize in a given
year are automatically given this prize.
They not only bags a handsome sum of $300,000 but also get to be re-nominated for the
Fundamental Physics Prize each year for the next 5 years.
2014 Winners
Joseph Polchinski (KITP/University of California) for his contributions in many areas of
quantum field theory and string theory.
Andrew Strominger and Cumrun Vafa (Harvard University) for numerous deep and
groundbreaking contributions to quantum field theory, quantum gravity, string theory and
geometry.
The New Horizons for Physics Prize
It is bestowed upon promising junior researchers to motivate them to realize their
potential.
It offers $100,000 in prize money.
2014 Winners
Indian Shiraz Minwalla of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research has secured this
honour alongwith Freddy Cachazo (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics) and Slava
Rychkov (Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University).
Points to remember
Weightage is given to major breakthrough achievements in physics or related fields while
deciding the winner.
Recent developments in the field is also alotted priority.
There is no age bar for eligibility and number of recipients is not fixed.
One can receive the prize more than once.
So far Ashoke Sen is the sole Indian to win the Fundamental Physics Prize in the
inaugural year (2012) itself.
He was honoured for opening the path to the realization that all string theories are
different limits of the same underlying theory.
Special Fundamental Physics Prize: Prominent Winner
Stephen Hawking for his discovery of Hawking radiation from black holes, and his deep
contributions to quantum gravity and quantum aspects of the early universe.
Current Affairs 21 Mar 2014
BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) , a Not-for-Profit Company of
Government of India, Celebrates its 2nd Foundation Day.
o BIRAC has been set up as Department of Biotechnology’s interface agency with the
Private sector industries and serves as a single window for the emerging biotech
industries
o helping seed biotech start ups especially through its Biotechnology Ignition Grant
(BIG) as well as several SMEs through SBIRI (Small Business Innovation Research
Initiative) & BIPP (Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme)
o Aim : Making India Globally Competitive in the Biotech Sector (Bioeconomy)
UN-Water's “Water for Life” Best Practices Award 2014 to mark World Water Day (22 March)
: 1) “best water management practices” :- International Water Management Institute (IWMI)-Tata
Water Policy Programme, India 2) “best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and
education practices” :- “NEWater programme, Singapore
Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. In 2013, in reflection
of the International Year of Water Cooperation, World Water Day is also dedicated to the
theme of cooperation around water and is coordinated by UNESCO in collaboration with
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) on behalf of UN-Water.
World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the
importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater
resources. An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General
Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
2013 International Year of Water Cooperation
In December 2010, following the proposal initiated by Tajikistan, the United Nations General
Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation.
UNESCO was appointed by UN-Water to lead the preparations for both the 2013
International Year of Water Cooperation and the World Water Day, in collaboration with
the UNECE and with the support of the UNDESA, the UN-Water Decade Programme on
Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) and the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and
Communication (UNW-DPAC). UN has also declared 2005-2015 as the International Decade for
Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015.
Government to sell 9% of its stake (out of total 20.72%) in Axis Bank, India's 3rd
largest private sector bank.
Government holds the stake through the Specified Undertaking of UTI (SUUTI)
In the aftermath of USA's Snooping row, Google has upgraded its Gmail feature (email
sendings) by encrypting every email using an encrypted HTTPS (secure)
connection which can not be turned off.
This feature ensures safety from spying/snooping (from intelligence agencies or
hackers) when they move between user's and Gmail’s servers and also when they
move between Google’s data centres”.
the step was taken to address issue of breach of privacy of users
Thailand's Constitutional Court declares February 2013 parliamentary elections as
invalid as it violates the constitutional provision of holding elections on a single day across
the country.
INTRODUCTION⇒ People in Thailand are not happy with their current government & are trying to overthrow the
current government.⇒ Thailand, a country in South-East Asia, is a famous tourist spot.⇒ People coming here can see a lot of modernity, but the politics here is very medieval.⇒ Behind the scenes, Thailand is ruled by Royal Palace & its courtiers and the army, which is
very loyal to the Palace.
WHAT IS THE ISSUE ?⇒ The issue is related to the 2001 election of millionare businessman Thaksin Shinawatra as
Prime Minister of Thailand.⇒ He represents the elite group of the people who using popularism with the help of poor have
constructed a strong vote bank in the north & northeast of the country. So, even if fresh elections
are taken, the current government can easily win elections.⇒ Thaksin has been able to keep his power with the help of government of his own & of his
brother-in-law & now with the help of his sister. So, almost a decade he has been able to keep
the power with him.
WHAT OPPONENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAKSIN⇒ He bought poor with his cheap credit, health care and wasteful subsidies.
⇒ Though he resides in Dubai now, he still has enormous control over the current government
of Thailand being run by his sister.⇒ It is even said that his sister is just a puppet & he is the real master behind all the Thailand’s
politics.⇒ The current protest started because of the proposed amnesty law which would allow Thaksin
to return to Thailand. People are against this law.⇒ It was defeated in the wake of the protest. But the protest became more energetic & is now
demanding the current government of Thaksin’s Sister be removed.
VIEWS OF THAILAND’S OLD ELITE⇒ The current leader of the protest is Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban who has backing of the Thailand’s
old royalist elite.⇒ It can be easily seen that Mr. Thaugsuban is just a figure head while the actual control of the
protest is with the old royalist elite.⇒ Old royalist elite are of the view that Thaksin has done a crime of challenging the Thailand’s
revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej through his populism.⇒ The current kind turned 86 this year. The question about what will happen in Thailand after
he dies is not freely discussed because of the majeste laws which do not allow people to talk on
the subject.
VIEWS OF THE FARMERS⇒ They are thankful to Mr. Thakshin who implemented many welfare programs for them while
he was the Prime Minister.⇒ So they are in favour of Mr. Thaksin.
VIEWS OF THE PROTESTERS⇒ Mr. Thaksin is very corroupt & he is running from country to country to evade the two year
bail in relation to corruption.⇒ The current government of his sister is trying to white wash all the crimes he has made by the
proposed amnesty bill. So, even the current government is very corroupt & should be
overthrown.⇒ Mr. Thaksin is very disrespectful to the King of Thailand.⇒ Protesters are aiming at less democracy than more democracy.
⇒ They are backed by royal elite & are loyal to them and want monarchy to have more power in
the government & not the people like Thaksin.⇒ The protesters want to install a new political system where there are fewer directly elected
MPs and more appointed by the country's political elite.⇒ They are claiming it as Civil Movement for Democracy called “People’s Assembly” which
would stop vote buying & corruption.⇒ They also may want to lure the army out of the barracks so that it could install an
administration favourable to them. Despite staging 18 coups or attempted coups since the 1930s,
military commanders appear reluctant to move this time around.
WHAT ABOUT THE CURRENT PRIME MINISTER MS. YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA⇒ Ms Yingluck has called for an end to "mob rule" but has pledged that force will not be used
against the people.⇒ She would probably win fresh elections although her popularity has taken a hit by the
amnesty fiasco, corruption scandals and a disastrous scheme to benefit rice farmers that is
costing the -nation billions of dollars.
What are Red Shirts⇒ Red shirts represent the group of people who are pro-Thaksin i.e supporters of Thaksin.⇒ They mostly consist of farmers & labourers from the north & northeast.
WHAT SHOULD BE A RADICAL VIEW ABOUT THIS ISSUE⇒ Mr. Thaksin has used politics for good purpose. During his tenure, poverty drastically
reduced in Thailand as many facilities were provided to the poor of the Thailand. (But in a way
we can say that the popular schemes which he implemented were not very productive but it is
very true that these schemes bridged the gap between the poor & the rich to a great extent).⇒ Elite of the Thailand are in no position to win any election as majority of people in Thailand
are from the lower section & they are pro-Thaksin. They even support the current government
because it is run by Thaksin’s sister.⇒ So, this situation can be seen as the way by which elite people in Thailand are trying to take
the political power with them.
WHAT EXPERTS HAVE TO SAY⇒ This is an unusual situation where minority wants to rule the majority.⇒ more confrontation and the intensifying political stand-off are certain to heighten the risk of
violent clashes and external intervention⇒ Even the solution being given is that Ms. Yingluck should call fresh elections & should give a
timetable to return the mandate to the people.
WHY PROTESTERS ARE AGAINST THE FRESH ELECTIONS⇒ Fresh election are going to be held in February 2014.⇒ Protesters are against this. They know it very well that any political standing opposite to
Thaksin will not win because of his popularity.⇒ In the last twenty years no other party has been able to win in the election.⇒ Though, the current government does not belong to Thaksin it still is controlled by him & will
it will again will elections if fresh elections are held in Thailand.
CONCLUSION⇒ The tensions between Thailand’s lower class and traditional elite will not die down with the
end of these protests, no matter the outcome.⇒ But it seems that there is room for hope. Alongside these violent protests, we’ve seen progress
in public prosecution, an electorate that values justice, and a government capable of ultimately
respecting the will of the people over the impunity of the power brokers.⇒ That might be the strongest sign this decade that democracy is taking hold in Thailand.⇒ If Yingluck can maintain control and admit her mistake, here’s to hoping that Thaksin will
keep his distance to allow for compromise and reconciliation.
Current Affairs 20 Mar 2014
Central Government increases strength of all High Court judges by 25% to clear backlog of
pending cases.
o approximately 40 Lakh cases are pending in various High Courts across the country
o total number of sanctioned judges in all High Courts now stands at 1112 (from 906 out of
which about 250 are vacant currently)
Election Commission issues detailed guidelines for use of Social Media Platform by Political
Parties during election campaigning (political advertisements).
o content managers of social networking sites (eg. Twitter/ Facebook/ You tube etc.) will
have to verify that anything violative of Model Code of Conduct, is not posted (obtain
certification from Media Certification and Monitoring Committees of EC at district and
state level, before putting them in public domain).
o maintain estimate of expenditure incurred on these advertisements by
parties/individuals
"Economic Freedom of the States of India" 2013 report, Rank out of 20 largest states of India
based on index scale of 0 to 1.0 --- 1) Gujarat (0.65) 2) Tamil Nadu (0.54) 3) Andhra Pradesh
(0.50)
Economic Freedom of the States of India' 2013 report has been relesed by the Cato Institute (of
US) with Indicus Analytics and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, New Delhi. The Report is
authored by Bibek Debroy, Laveesh Bhandari and Swaminathan Aiyar. Index is compiled based
upon the same methodology used for compiling annual Economic Freedom of the World
(EFW) which is published by Fraser Institute of Canada (co-published in US by the Cato
Institute). It Ranks 20 largest states of India based on index scale of 0 to 1.0.
Top Rankers : 1) Gujarat (0.65) 2) Tamil Nadu (0.54) 3) Andhra Pradesh (0.50)
Bottom three states : 18) Jharkhand (0.33) 19) Assam (0.32) 20) Bihar (0.31)
index takes in to account- size of the government; legal structure; security of property
rights; regulation of business and labour (also governance, growth, citizens’ rights)
The median score for economic freedom among all states has now improved
to 0.43 (declined from 0.38 in 2005 to 0.36 in 2009)
Gujarat : also registered the fastest rate of improvement (from 0.46 to 0.65) ;
2nd fastest- Andhra Pradesh (from 0.40 to 0.50)
Jharkhand : Worst fall (index score fell from 0.40 in 2005 to 0.33 in 2013 and rank
from 8th to 18th (one of the lowest rates of average economic growth-- 7.3%).
Chhattisgarh : biggest improvement (from 16th to 8th Rank) ; Rajasthan (from 12th to
7th) ; Fall in Rank --- Punjab (6th to 13th)
Pakistan first ever LNG Terminal to be ready for operation soon at Karachi
Pakistan is going through severe energy crisis and LNG is seen as short term solution to
meet its energy needs.
it has LNG import deal with Qatar
India's Celebrated author/ novelist, political commentator and journalist, Khushwant Singh,
is dead.
Awards/Honours : Padma Bhushan, 1974 (returned after 1984 Operation Blue Star by
Army on Golden Temple), Padma Vibhushan (2007), Punjab Ratan, "Most honest
Indian of the year" by Sulabh International, Rajya Sabha MP(1980-86)
Editor : Planning Commission’s journal Yojana (Founder editor) , Illustrated Weekly of
India, the National Herald, Hindustan Times.
Books/Novels : Train to Pakistan, I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale, Delhi — A Novel, A
History of the Sikhs , Truth, Love and a Little Malice (Autobiography), The Sunset Club
Government allows 5 private Banks (HDFC Bank, Axis, Kotak Mahindra, IndusInd, Yes
Bank) to import Gold (beside the earlier allowed Government controlled 6 Public sector banks
and 3 Trading agencies who had three years of experience in facilitation of Gold or Jewellary
Export).
the 2nd condition (3 year experience) has been waved for these private banks
Government's 80:20 Rule to curb Gold Import (July 2013) : mandatory for these
banks/trading agencies to export 1/5th (20%) of imported Gold.
National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL) Scam : SEBI orders FTIL (Financial
Technologies India Ltd), promoted by main accused Jignesh Shah, to divest all its existing
equity holding in various exchanges Viz. MCX-SX , MCX-SX Clearing Corporation, Delhi
and Vadodra Stock exchange and NSEL.
National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL), promoted by entrepreneur Jignesh Shah’s Financial
Technologies Ltd ( in joint venture with National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation
of India), has brought back fears among traders at spot exchange as recently in August 2013 it
defaulted to pay settlement obligations to its investors. NSEL is a Commodity Exchange in India
with a mandate to bridge the divide between farmers and procurement agencies.
Crisis :
NSEL traded in Forwards Contracts for which settlement (buying and selling
transactions) was to be completed in two days (i.e T+2 settlements) and also for which it
was to be settled in 25-50 days (T+25/T+30 -- illegal as it was only allowed for T+2/spot
trading).
It gave out electronic receipts for the contracts without physically delivering the
commodity to the investors. This came out easy on investors as they engaged in what is
known in finance as “arbitrage” i.e. the purchase of currencies, securities, or commodities
in one market for immediate resale in others in order to profit from unequal prices. Thus
none took notice of the flawed contracts or the physical stock, if it sufficed to cover the
liabilities or not.
This made NSEL crisis a classic example of fraud by get-rich-overnight speculators. An
overwhelming return of as high as 15% was promised to the investors.
NSEL on Aug 1, 2013 suspended trading in all contracts except e-series (offering
commodities in the dematerialised form in smaller denominations) citing disequilibrium
in market and structural deficiencies in government’s policies, giving an impression to its
investors that there might be a default in payments and delivery and thereby created
confusion and unrest in the market.
On 5 August 2013 NSEL suspended the trading of e-series too and went for a complete
shutdown.
Government’s Response :
It is now that the payment default has taken the shape of a scam, and that the government has
sought an explanation, via its regulatory body Forward Markets Commission (FMC), to the
sudden suspension of trading in all contracts and merging of delivery and settlement of pending
contracts by NSEL. The government has announced setting up of a high-powered and focussed
committee under the chairmanship of Arvind Mayaram, Secretary of Economic Affairs in
the Ministry of Finance, a move which has been welcomed by the NSEL Investors Forum.
There has also been a PIL filed by the president of Investors' Grievances Forum Kirit
Somaiya seeking CBI probe in the scam.
In order to probe effectively into the NSEL scam the NSEL Investors’ Forum has asked
the government to allow the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) of the central
government to step in.
Impact :
This episode is reminiscent of the two decade old Harshad Mehta scam in which he had managed
to accumulate huge amount of loan from banks and financial institutions on assurance of high
returns and mobilised the same money to increase stock prices without actual movement of
stocks.
Similarly, in the NSEL case, the buyer and seller were same. That is, buyers pushed up the prices
of commodities artificially by taking funding from brokerages (and their investors). Brokers
earned money by selling it in the forwards contract to the same buyer. A hefty stock worth Rs
5500 crore is due to its investors. The crisis at NSEL would also have a cascading effect on other
exchanges run by the same promoters who happen to be high net worth individuals (HNIs).The
Saradha scam of West Bengal, not very old to trace, can also be cited here as a fraud similar to
this one except that its investors were poor, fragile, villagers who were ousted from the main
banking sector and who fell an easy prey to fraudulent easy money making schemes.
Prudent Call : Anything which advertises with “risk free” or “assured returns” is definitely an
eye catcher today but prudence of judgement should be the relying factor in making such calls
for investments. The government securities never needed any advertisement to attract investors
and “Sovereign” has held up to its name so far. But, for that matter even Government securities
are deemed as “least risky” and not as “risk free”.
SFIO : established in 2003, as a body of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, on
recommendations in Naresh Chandra Committee Report on Corporate Audit and
Governance. Though it has been accorded with more statutory powers in investigation by
the new Companies Bill, it can only initiate an investigation on directions of the
government.
Forward Markets Commission (FMC) : a statutory body set up in 1953 under the
Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952, it is the chief regulator of forwards and
futures markets in India and is overseen by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and
Public Distribution .Currently, the Commission allows commodity trading in 6 national
and 16 other exchanges in India.
Commodity Exchange : Similar to stock exchanges they offer buying and selling of
commodities over the counter. The commodities may include agricultural produce,
metals, bullions (gold/silver), etc.
Forwards Market : It is an over-the-counter market which offers trade through contracts
in commodities/derivatives and where the price of the underlying asset is set for future
delivery.
Forward Contract : a contract entered into by two parties to buy/sell a commodity at a
particular price, at a particular date in future. The buyer here is said to assume a long
position by speculating a future rise in price of the underlying commodity and profiting
from the same. In contrast, the seller is said to assume a short position in a futures
contract which means that s/he will profit if the price of the futures contract or derivative
goes down.
Commodity spot trading : buying and selling (paying cash and receiving goods) any
commodity on the ‘spot’ where both buyer and seller agree on a price and ‘fulfill’ their
side of commitment / contract within few days. A spot exchange , like NSEL, acts as a
platform to these buyer and sellers and also as “guarantor” to both parties for ensuring
that contract is settled (eg.if buyer defaults payment, exchange will sell the good to some
other person to recover money).
- These days almost all exchanges are electronic i.e buyers and sellers may not even know each
other but can enter into contract through exchange and still be at different locations.
- To facilitate such transactions exchanges designate some warehouses where seller would come,
get its contracted good (say Soyabean) verified and tested for quality/weight, give it to
warehouse and in lieu get a Warehouse receipt. This receipt is then used for trading at electronic
exchanges (receipt is being transferred from seller to buyer instead of actual physical delivery of
goods). It is this receipt which entitles buyer to either takeout the good from that very warehouse
or s/he has option to enter into other contract by selling it further (s/he just need to pay rental to
warehouse)
Current Affairs 19 Mar 2014
G7 countries mulling suspension of Russia from G8 club following Crimea's merger
with Russia and its active involvement on whole issue.
o G8-Russia Countries to meet in Netherlands soon to discuss further steps in this
direction.
o G8 Countries : US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, Russia
TIMELINE
o 11 March 2014 - Parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (of
Ukraine) adopts its "Declaration of independence from Ukraine and joining
Russia Federation"
o 16 March 2014 - Referendum in Crimea : overwhelming majority (99%) voted
in favour of "Declaration"
o 18 March 2014 - the Prime Minister of Crimea, the President of Russia, and the
mayor of Sevastopol (autonomous city at coast of the Crimean Peninsula which
hosts a Russian Naval base) jointly signed an agreement for Crimea and
Sevastopol to join the Russian Federation.
NCAER (National Council for Applied Economic Research) releases latest India
Human Development Survey (IHDS) ; largest household survey (sample size- 42,000
households) after those conducted by state body NSSO (National Sample Survey
Organisation).
o Marriage: 48% woman(over 25) were married before age 18. 59% woman (over
25) with any say in marriage.
o Average wedding expense: Groom: Rs 81,952, Bride - Rs 1,26,724
o Say in marriage: Best states: Tamil Nadu - 94%,, Assam - 90%, AP and Kerala -
86% Worst States : Rajasthan - 20%, UP - 24%, MP & Orissa- 29%. Mean age
at marriage - 17.8, Knew their husband before marriage(over 25): 18%
o Woman practice head/face covering: Highest: Rajasthan - 96%, Bihar - 91%,
Haryana & MP - 88% Lowest: T.N - 6%, AP - 13%, North east - 15%
Henderson Brooks Report on 1962 Indo-China War (in Arunachal Pradesh) made
public by an Australian Journalist Neville Maxwell
o Henderson Brooks report : commissioned by army following India's humiliating
defeat and is analysis (operations review) of the 1962 war ; the report
is classified by the government
o prepared by Indian Army's Lt Gen Henderson Brooks with the help of
Brigadier Prem Bhagat
o It critically analyses millitary preparedness, leadership role and then PM's
'Forward Policy' (believe that Indian army should dislodge Chinese by moving
forward as they are not likely to respond millitarily)
o During War : PM - Jawahar Lal Nehru ; Defence Minister : Krishna
Menon ; Army Chief : Gen P N Thapar ; Commander of newly crated IV Corps
(which was routed in the war) : Lt Gen B M Kaul (was Chief of General Staff
before the war)
Russia's most wanted man, leader of the armed rebellion in the North Caucasus
Province of Russia, Doku Umarov, is confirmed dead officially (following many
rumours earlier).
o self-styled 'Emir of the Caucasus Emirate', he was responsible for several
bombings/suicide bombings in Russia
o He united local armed groups in Chechnya, Dagestan and other North Caucasus
provinces with the aim of establishing a caliphate in the region
o Chechen Republic Premier : Ramzan Kadyrov
CHECHENYA / Chechen Republic / Ichkeria (lit land of minerals)
o federal subject (a republic) of Russia ; capital-Grozny; located in the North
Caucasus (southernmost part of Eastern Europe nera Caspian Sea)
o History : following dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Chechen-Ingush
ASSR (Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) was split into two: the Republic of
Ingushetia and the Chechen Republic (both under Russian Federation now)
o Chechen Republic proclaimed itself independent (from Russia) as Chechen
Republic of Ichkeria (following the First Chechen War with Russia)
o Russia won the Second Chechen War to put it back under its federal control
o Since then several armed groups are continuing with their rebel activities with the
aim of breaking it away as independent from Russian federation
Karnataka wins 2014 Vijay Hazare Trophy (One Day Cricket tournament) to complete
a rare treble in this domestic season as they have already won Ranji Trophy and Irani
Cup.
They defeated Railways in the finals played at Eden Gaden, Kolkata
Sachin Tendulkar voted as the 'cricketer of the generation' ; Shane Warne and
Jacques Kallis were other final contenders
o Presented by ESPNcricinfo group, he was voted by a 50-member jury of current
and former cricketers
Current Affairs 14 Mar 2014
India launches "Operation Serachlight" : a combined effort of Navy and Coast Guard in
Andaman sea to search the whereabouts of missing Malaysian aircraft MH-370.
o Boeing P8-I (maritime patrol aircraft) ,C 130J Super Hercules transport aircraft
and many other warships / aircrafts will be used in the operation which will
extend thosands of nautical mile into Andaman and Nicobar archipelago (east
and south east of Campbell bay and Car nicobar islands respectively).
o MH-370 went misssing from the radar on 7th March and search team from China,
Malaysia, Vietnam are still not able to locate any wreckage of it.
Expert Panel of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment recommends to declare
Transgenders as third Gender in India.
o Other Recommendations : right to choose their Gender ; law to prevent
discrimination and atrocities /police excesses
o Only Gender (instead of using it interchangeably with Sex) to be used in official
documents
o Sensitization through media campaigns ; compilation of data about different
transgender socio- cultural group
US Astronomers spots largest ever Yellow Star -HR 5171 A ,1300 times larger than the
Sun (which also belong to the same family i.e. Yellow star).
o among the Top 10 Largest Stars known; 1 m times brighter than Sun; 12000
light-years from earth located in the constellation Centaurus
YELLOW STAR
o are named so as they have a temperature range of 5,200–6,000 K (medium
temperature) emitting yellow/' yellowish white colour.
o Higher temp. - fuel burns faster - life span only about 10 b years or so.
o Near the end of their lives they swell up - becomes very large -
eventually shrinking again, leaving behind most of their gas which forms a
beautiful cloud around the star called a Planetary Nebula.
Tomas Halik (Czech priest/ intellectual) has been awarded 2014 Templeton Prize given
by John Templeton Foundation.
Salvador Sanchez Ceren declared winner of the El Salvador Presidential election
defeating Norman Quijano in a closely fought election.
o the winning percentage difference was less than 1/2 %
Government sell 10% stake in Indian Oil (India's largest oil firm) in a off market deal
to state owned ONGC and Oil India Ltd (5% each).
o Government now has about 69% stake in it
Current Affairs 13 Mar 2014
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposes ban on imports from
India's Sun Pharmaceutical's Karkhadi plant in Gujarat.
o FDA has issued "import alert" i.e detention without physical examination of
drugs from Sun Pharma on the ground of not meeting its good manufacturing
practices
o Sun Pharmaceutical is India's biggest drugmaker by value
o US FDA has already banned imports from all plants of Ranbaxy Pharma
(India's No.1 drugmaker by sales) some plants of Wockhardt pharma (also by
UK)
o India is second (1st - Canada) largest drug exporter to US (40% of generic and
over-the-counter drugs)
Rakesh Sethi appointed new CMD (chairman and managing director) of Kolkata
Headquartered Allahabad Bank
o He succeeds Shubhalakshmi Panse
National Community Radio Awards 2014 (3rd such award) presented by Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting.
o instituted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in 2012 to promote
better programming on Community Radio Stations.
o given in 5 categories : 1) Most creative /Innovative Programme Content Awards
2) Thematic Awards 3) Community Engagement Awards 4) Promoting Local
Culture Awards 5) Sustainability Model Award
Election Commission Data : Average number of Contestants per Lok Sabha
seat increased to a high of 25 (approx.) in 1996 General Elections from an low of 4 in
first ever 1952 Elections.
o In 2009 General Elections it was 15.
India's largest civil aviation exhibition, India Aviation-2014 (International Exhibition &
Conference on Civil Aviation) inaugurated at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad.
o This is the 4th year of the exhibition
Current Affairs 12 Mar 2014
Supreme Court asks Law Commission to go into the issue of "Hate Speeches" (made by
political / religious leaders) and frame guidelines to curb and regulate it.
The National Archives of India celebrated 124th Foundation Day on 11 March 2014
(founded on 11th March 1891 as Imperial Records Department at Imperial Secretariat
Building, Calcutta).
o National Archive : "repository of non-current records of permanent value of
Government of India
o G.W.Forrest was the First Officer incharge of the Department.
o Two exhibitions are part of the celebrations : 1) “Commemorating 100 years of
Ghadar Party (1913-2013)” and 2) “1913: The Historic Transvaal March –
100 years”
Forbes' America's most powerful CEOs under the age of 40 List - two Indians Hari K
Ravichandran (Rank 19) and Ashish Pandey (Rank 20) are in the list.
o Hari K Ravichandran is the Founder CEO of Endurance International Group (a
Website hosting company) while Ashish Pandey is the CEO Altisource Asset
Management (AAMC) , an asset management firm.
o the list of 20 CEOs ranks the head of publicly-traded companies with the highest
market capitalisations
o List : 1st) Larry Page (3rd consecutive year): Google CEO and co-founder
2) Mark Zuckerberg : Facebook founder (also the youngest in the list (29 years)
3) Marissa Mayer (2nd consecutive year) : CEO Yahoo (only woman in the list)
China to liberalise its Banking Sector by allowing Private Banks (Banks run by private
companies).
o 5 banks will be set up first on trial basis and will focus on SME (small and
medium enterprises) sector
o China is also considering loosening control over Bank's Deposit rates
o These reforms are meant to counter strong competition to state run banks by
booming Online Finance Industry which is offering better rate (interest income )
and more flexibility.
o India has also moved in this direction and may soon issue licenses to private
players to run bank
Libya's Prime Minister Ali Zeidan (first PM after 2012 overthrow of Gaddafi) removed
by its Parliament (General National Congress) following defeat in No-confidence motion.
o Defence Minister Abdullah al-Thinni has been named acting/ interim PM
o He was ousted following alleged inability to control the rebels in Eastern part
of country who have taken control of Oil ports and are independently exporting
oils to other countries. The immediate reason was escape of an oil tanker from
rebel controlled Al-Sidra port carrying rebel oil to North Korea despite alertness
of its Navy.
o Zeidan regime was not able to reign and disarm militias which have carved out
their own fiefdoms since the NATO-backed uprising that ended the 42-year rule
of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. He himself was briefly abducted by an armed
group in the heart of the capital, Tripoli in Oct13.
o Rebels are demanding a bigger share of oil revenue and political autonomy in
the east and seized three ports last summer and partly control a fourth.
o PM Zeidan has fled the country following a travel ban on him owing to his
suspected involvement in the embezzlement of public funds
Current Affairs 11 Mar 2014
Supreme Court directs lower courts to complete the trial of legislators within a year of
framing of charges.
o The move is seen as a momentous step in the process of decriminalisation of
politics
o Though Chief Justice of high court will have the authority to extend the deadline
on proper grounds.
Vishnu Prasad wins Motorsport ‘person of the year’ award at the FMSCI (Federation
of Motor Sports Club of India) awards 2013.
o Gaurav Gill becomes the first Indian driver to win the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally
Championship (APRC) title.
A team of researchers at University of Notre Dame discovers a new class of antibiotics
named "Oxadiazoles" to fight drug-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
o The research team was led by Mayland Chang and Shahriar Mobashery.
Afghanistan's Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim dies aged 56.
o He, a leader of the Tajik ethnic minority, earlier was one of the most feared
warlords.
Recent elections in North Korea, Colombia and El Salvador
North Korea
Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of North Korea, as expected has been elected with 100 per
cent votes from his constituency (Mount Paektu) in the recently held parliamentary election. The
parliament, called Supreme People’s Assembly, usually goes to poll every five years though It was first such election since the coronation of Kim Jong-un.
Election or a Farce
All the 687 district-constituency had only one candidate.
Albeit the voters were awarded the privilege of polling 'No' or 'Yes'.
The election also doubles up as a census giving officials an opportunity to track all
registered voters.
Anyone amiss is considered either to be dead or fled-abroad.
More
Kim Jong-un inherited the throne in December 2011 after the death of his father 'Kim
Jong-il'.
Needless to say that the Parliament remains subservient to the whims of the Autocrat.
Area:
120,540 square km (98th in the world)
Slightly smaller than Tamil Nadu
Population (2011 estimate):
24,554,000 (48th in the world)
Size of Haryana
Colombia
Colombia's ruling coalition has retained the majority in parliament though the numbers are down
from the previous election.
Key Points
The major South American country of 47 million elects 102 representatives to upper
house Senate and 168 to the lower chamber.
The incumbent President Jose Manuel Santos will seek a second term in the presidential
election scheduled for May this year.
The win, albeit a thin one, is expected to keep him in good stead for the upcoming vote.
The victory is seen as the endorsement for the bold move of carving out a peace deal with
the notorious rebel organisation FARC.
FARC that largely finances itself with the illegal narcotics trade has fought a five-decade
long insurgency that has claimed the lives of over 200,000 people.
Though any such deal will be a subject to a nationwide referendum before being legally
implemented.
Area
1,141,748 square km (26th in the world)
one-third of India
Population (January 2014 estimate):
47,425,437 (27th in the world)
Slightly bigger than Odisha
El Salvador
Salvador Sanchez Ceren seems to be pipping his right-wing rival Norman Quijano in the
presidenting election of El Salvador which became so close to call that a vote recount is under
way.
Preliminary results gave the ruling leftist front 'Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front'
(FMLN) candidate Salvador Sanchez Ceren a slight edge over his opponent of Nationalist
Republican Alliance (ARENA) party.
More
Sanchez Ceren is the outgoing vice-president of the country
The bloody civil war had killed nearly 75,000 people.
The ruling FMLN, a former rebel group, had stepped into electoral politics at the end of
the decade long El Salvador's civil war (1980-92).
The nation is grappling with a sluggish economy and high poverty levels.
The new president will be sworn in on 1 June for a five-year term.
Incumbent president : Mauricio Funes
Area
21,040 square km (153rd in the world)
Size of Meghalaya
Population (July 2009 estimate):
6,134,000 (99th in the world)
Slightly smaller than Himachal Pradesh
Its the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America.
Akhilesh Gupta, Head of the Climate Change Programme at the Department of Science and
Technology, has been appointed as the President of the Indian Meteorological Society for the
period of 2014-16.
He succeeds Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Current Affairs 10 Mar 2014
Mizoram clinches their maiden Santosh Trophy having blanked Railways by 3-0 in the final of
the 68th senior National Football Championship aka "Santosh Trophy".
Six people has been awarded with Stree Shakti Puraskar 2013 by President on International
Women's Day.
o Manasi Pradhan (Odisha) : Rani Lakshmibai Award for her work in the field of
women’s empowerment.
o Dr M Venkaiah (Andhra Pradesh) : Rani Rudramma Devi Award for his contribution in
the field of women’s health.
o Bina Sheth Lashkari (Maharashtra) : Mata Jijabai Award for her achievement in the
field of education and training.
o T Radha K Prashanti (Andhra Pradesh) : Kannagi Award for her achievement in the
field of providing support to orphans, visually impaired, handicapped and destitute
women.
o Dr Vartika Nanda (Delhi) : Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award for her creating awareness
on women’s issues through media.
o Dr Seema Sakhare (Maharashtra) : Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Award for her contribution
in the field of women’s rights, gender issues, legal counselling and institutional support
to women and girls.
Indian Author Pankaj Misra has been honoured with $1,50,000 Yale University prize for his
literary contribution under nonfiction category.
o 7 more writers receives the award across 3 categories of fiction, non- fiction and drama.
o The award namely Windham Campbell Literature prize gives $1,50,000 to each winner.
Sri Lanka wins its 5th Asia Cup trophy with a comprehensive 5-wicket victory over defending
champions Pakistan at Mirpur, Bangladesh.
o Sri Lanka is now tied with India as the most successful team in Asia Cup with 5
titles each.
o Sri Lanka had also won the Asia Cup in 1986, 1997, 2004 and 2008.
Jagat Singh Mehta, India's former foreign secretary (1976-79) breathes his last at 90.
o He was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2002.
ALL ENGLAND OPEN BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014: THE RESULTS
Lee Chong Wei has reclaimed the men's singles title at All England Open Badminton
Championships 2014 for the 3rd time with an emphatic straight games victory (21-13 21-18)
over Chen Long of China. The world number one Malaysian thus revenged for his last
year's loss to Chen (same opponent) in the final here.
Other Results
Women's singles
Chinese Wang Shixian won the women's singles title beating compatriot and Olympic
champion Li Xuerui 21-19, 21-18 in the final.
Men's Doubles
Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan captured the men's
doubles title with a 21-19, 21-19 win over Japanese pair of Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi
Hayakawa.
Women's Doubles
Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli of China defeated their compatriot Ma Jin and Tang
Yuanting by 21-17, 18-21 and 23-21 in the summit clash.
Mixed Doubles
Indonesian pair of Tontowi Ahmad and Lilyana Natsir thrashed Chinese pair of Zhang
Nan and Zhao Yunlei by 21-13, 21-17 in the mixed doubles final.
About the championship
All England Open Badminton Championships is one of the world's oldest (since 1899)
and most prestigious badminton tournaments.
The annual competition with the total prize money of $400,000 is held at Birmingham.
Most men's singles title holder
Rudy Hartono (Indonesia) : 8 titles
Most women's singles title holder
Judy Devlin (US) : 10 titles
Most successful player
England's George Alan Thomas with 4 men's singles, 9 doubles titles together with 8
captured in mixed event has a staggering total of 21 trophies.
India's performance
Pullela Gopichand has clinched men's singles title here in 2001 becoming only the 2nd
Indian after Prakash Padukone (1980) to do so.
Both had secured the men's singles titles
Current Affairs 09 Mar 2014
What is Price Stabilization Fund?
What is Price Stabilization Fund?
Basically, it is a fund.
This fund is nothing but a pool of money created by Government of India for a specific
purpose.
This fund is going to be deposited with Public Account of Government of India.
This fund will not be used to meet the money needs. The interest that the government will
be earning on these funds will be utilized to meet the needs of the growers.
What is the purpose of Prize Stabilization Fund?
Prices of various agricultural crops fall in the world market & domestic market. There is
a lot of uncertainty (volatility) in this price change.
The ultimate sufferer of this price fall is the farmer or the grower.
So to as insulate the farmer/grower from this frequent changes in the price this “fund” has
been created.
How the farmers/growers are insulated?
They are provided financial relief in the form of money which is taken from the “Price
Stabilization Fund” when the situation arises.
Is there any scheme related to this?
Yes. The scheme for the same goes by the same name i.e. “Price Stabilization Fund Scheme”.
What is covered under this scheme?
It covers tea, coffee, rubber, tobacco & cardamom (small & large).
But it requires that growers or farmers need to have operational landholding (the land
having the same plantation) of up to 10 hectares.
Who checks the operational landholding?
Anyone who wants to avail this scheme has to obtain a certificate regarding the same from the
respective commodity board. (Note: There are various boards for these types of crops. Like there
is Tea Board, Rubber Board, & So on)
How the things are going to work?
Government for this purpose have devised a term named “Price Spectrum Band” (PSB).
It is actually a range of price by which condition of the price of a particular crop (whether
high or low) can be determined.
Price Spectrum Band is calculated by taking the average of the preceding 5 years of the
international prices of that particular commodity which is in question. (Note: 5 years
includes the year in which the spectrum band is being calculated).
After calculating the PSB, the prices of a particular commodity will be categorized into
three type’s i.e. Normal, boom or distress (Note: Normal means normal price. Boom
means there is increase in the price of commodity. Distress means the prices of the
commodity has fallen.)
Boom year is the year when Domestic Price is higher than Upper Band of the Price
Spectrum Band.
Normal year is the year when Domestic Price is within the lower band & the upper band.
Distress year is the year when Domestic Price is low than the Lower Band of Price
Spectrum Band.
Financial relief via Price Stabilization Fund will be provided only in the condition of
“DISTRESS”. It won’t be provided in the case of “normal” or “boom”. (Note: Money
will be provided to the growers only in the case when the prices of the commodity fall)
What is the financial help like?
Growers have to enrol with the government first so as to get benefits of this scheme.
Grower also needs to open a special Price Stabilization Fund Saving’s Bank Account
with the designated bank.
Eligible growers will be provided with compensation to the tune of Rs. 12,000 per
hectare of operational landholding up to 10 hectares subject to a ceiling of Rs 60,000.
If there arises a situation, where there is consecutive appearance of distress years, then
compensation would be increased by 15% of normal compensation.
No claim bonus of Rs 12,000 per hectare subject to a ceiling of Rs 60,000 is payable If
there is no distress in any of the five years of operation of the scheme.
The growers will be provided with ATM-cum-photo debit cards so that they can take
money easily.
What is the difference between the Price Stabilization Fund Scheme & the Modified Price
Stabilization Fund Scheme?
Price Stabilization Fund Scheme is the older scheme launched in 2003. (It was started on
April 1, 2003, & was supposed to end on March 31, 2013 i.e. after 10 years.
Modified Price Stabilization Fund Scheme is the new scheme launched in place of the
older scheme. The new scheme will be in force for five years from April 1, 2013.
In the older, scheme the grower had to give some fixed “enrolment” fee (Rs. 500) so as to
get the benefits of the scheme.
But under the new Modified Price Stabilization Fund Scheme, grower doesn’t need to
give “enrolment” fee. It is free to join.
Also, in older scheme, debit cards were not provided to growers which resulted in the
banking bottleneck. But in new scheme, debit cards will be provided so that the grower
can get the money easily.
Also, better implementation, awareness creation and popularization of the Scheme are
being proposed in the modified scheme.
In older scheme, Price Spectrum Band was calculated on the basis of the international
prices of a particular commodity over 7 years. But in the new scheme, it is calculated by
taking into consideration, prices over 5 years.
In the older scheme, money was provided in all the three cases i.e. in case of
Distress/Boom/Normal year. But in new scheme, money is provided only when the year
is “DISTRESS”.
The new scheme envisages an evaluation of the performance of the scheme by an
independent agency in the fourth year and depending on the findings further extension of
the scheme would be considered.
Financial Relief is also provided under crisis situation. Then why to make special “FUND”
to give money?
In crisis situation, government is not ready enough to meet the expenses incurred on the
front of relief given to farmers.
In short, government can’t give expected money to the farmers/growers, which leads to
chaos & it increases the financial hardships of the growers.
So, as a precautionary measure, creation of “FUND” is a very good idea.
What is the current status of the new scheme?
The new Price Stabilization Fund Scheme may not be implemented soon, as the Cabinet
till now (March 5, 2014) has not given permission to the scheme which was proposed by
the Ministry of Commerce.
Main hurdle is that Finance Ministry is opposing this scheme of Ministry of Commerce
because of the financial problems saying that there is not sufficient money to carry out
this scheme.
What is Forensic Auditing?
Auditing (in relation to financial institution) is nothing but to check the records of the
any financial institution like bank or company, etc.
Forensic Auditing is a special type of auditing in which the examination & evaluation of
a financial institution is made in such a way that, it can be used as an evidence or proof in
a court of law.
It is done by an expert group. (Expert group can be any company or individual which has
special knowledge of conducting such forensic audit)
In simple words, Forensic Audit is an audit done by an expert group so as to provide it’s
finding in the form of proof/evidence. It is basically a testimony with regard to the Audit
provided by the expert group.
Why is it in news?
RBI had ordered recently, Forensic Audit of the Union Bank of India because of the crisis
that hit this bank due to high bad loans (Non Performing Assets) & the underreporting of
the bad loans. This bank is currently going through financial crisis. (Note: For a long
time, Union Bank of India didn’t include the date of these increasing bad loans in its
report).
It is being carried out to determine the causes of its under-performance of the bank, and
there are restrictions on its ability to extend new credit.
What are bad loans?
Bad loans are loans given by the bank which currently have no clue/proof that they will be repaid
in the future to the bank by the group or individual that has taken the loan.
What are the uses of Forensic Auditing?
Readymade proof from a third party in relation to any audit.
Gives expert comment on any fraud
Forensic Audit reports can be directly placed in the court of law for prosecuting
"Conveyor Belt of Atlantic Storm"
Why is it in News?
Britain was recently (7th February, 2014) was hit by a very strong Atlantic Storm called
as “RUTH”.
It brought winds having speed of around 80 km/hour & also brought high waves in the
coastal areas.
Many coastal areas had to abandoned for dealing with this situation.
What is the Conveyor Belt of Atlantic Storm?
“Conveyor Belt of Atlantic Storm” is just a term given by the media to the current storms
that are emerging in the Atlantic Ocean (Incident of February 5-February 8, 2014).
It is actually the Jet stream which is responsible for sending that many Atlantic Storms
towards Britain. This Jet stream is acting like a conveyor belt & hence the term
Conveyor Belt of Atlantic Storm. (Note: Conveyor belt delivers anything from one place
to other)
What are the reasons behind this?
One must first understand that the country in question is the UK i.e. United Kingdom
whose weather is dominated by Jet stream.
This jet stream is the fast flowing air flowing at great heights in the atmosphere. It is
driven by the temperature differences between the cold air of the north & the warm air of
the south (of this particular period).
This particular winter had been very contrast & very wide in its period, so much so that it
resulted into creation of strong jet stream across the Atlantic.
Storms develop due to variations in the jet stream. Variations in the jet stream can be
caused by various reasons like changes in speed. It clearly means that if the jet stream is
faster & the variation factors are powerful, then strong storms are generated because of
this.
Is the behaviour of Jet Stream normal?
Yes it is normal.
The thing is that, jet stream moves around the globe in circles which allows for varied
weather patterns through a season.
But sometimes, these jet stream will rearrange into a particular pattern. In this case they
have become strong & straight. Each particular pattern leads to certain weather. In this
case it has formed a stormy weather.
So, there is nothing abnormal about these jet streams.
Why it is creating so many problems for UK only?
Firstly, UK is like an island which is situated between Atlantic Ocean & the rest of the
European mainland.
Also, UK falls under the influence of 5 different air masses. Each air mass from this has
its own character.
That is why UK’s weather is so variable.
What is an Air mass? What are the different types of air masses present in UK?
An air mass is a large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture properties
throughout.
Various air masses that are present in UK are:
Sr.
No.Name of the Air mass From (Origin) Description / Nature
1 Polar Maritime Air MassGreenland / Arctic
SeaWet, Cold air brings cold, showery weather
2Arctic Maritime Air
MassArctic Wet, Cold brings snow in winter
3Polar Continental Air
massCentral Europe
Hot air brings dry summers, cold air brings
snow in winter
4Tropical Maritime Air
MassAtlantic
Warm, moist air brings cloud, rain and mild
weather
5Tropical Continental Air
MassNorth Africa Hot, dry air brings hot weather in summer
These different types of air masses come to UK from different directions. Each brings
different type of weather.
Weather front is created when all of them meet in UK. They have the fight in the form of
cancellation of each other. Winner dictates & has the weather according to itself.
The larger the time is required during the fight; the worse the weather is formed.
What is the term Conveyor Belt in the Cyclone Model? Is it different from Conveyor Belt
of Atlantic Storm?
Yes. They are different terms.
Conveyor Belt in the Cyclone Model is just a model that explains those types of cyclones
that are formed at mid-latitudes (often called as Extra tropical Cyclones) because of the
coiling of three distinct air streams.
Conveyor belt model is an alternative model to describe the life cycle of mid-latitude
cyclones.
In this model, a conveyor belt relocates air with distinct temperature and moisture
content.
Three interacting air streams:
Warm moist air upward in front of cold front to the north
Cold moist air upward in front of the warm front to the west
Cold dry air downward behind the cold front
What is Bit Rot?
Bit rot is a term used to refer the rotting (degradation) of any software over time.
It means that any software (as the time passes), starts giving low performance, some
problem arises in them & they start degrading. They degrade up to that level that they end
up disintegrating leaving these software’s for no further use.
In short, Bit rot is nothing but the self-erasing of the software.
Bit rot is also called as Software Rot, Code rot, Software erosion & software decay or
software entropy.
Why is it in news?
This term was recently used by Mr. Vint Cerf at one conference.
Mr. Vint is a computer scientist and founder of internet.
What Mr. Vint was referring to by Bit Rot?
He was asked to comment on the future of the library in the digital age.
He said it is good to turn our books into digital data i.e. Bit (Note: Bit is the smallest unit
of measurement in Storage. Bit is followed by Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte & so on)
But what will happen to these ‘bits’ if our software (software is the one which helps us to
understand & use the date in bits), gets Bit Rot i.e. what will happen if our software
which are running these bits are no longer available.
The point put by him is really serious considering the fact that if this software is not
there, then those bits have no meaning for us. It can cause serious threat to our digital
library & digital data.
About this issue
Bit rot is a digital issue.
Many people protect their data from Bit rot by making several copies of them & storing
them at different locations.
Types of Rot
Dormant Rot: Bit rot caused because of not using the software for a long period of time.
Active Rot: Bit rot caused because of the constant changes in the software.
Reasons for Bit Rot
Sr.
No.Topic Description
1 Change in
Environment
A particular software is made considering & assuming some
environment i.e. standards like the operating system or Processor
speed. So, a software may show bit rot if there happens to be a change
in the environment of the software.
2
User related often
termed as
“Onceability”
Often, users change the necessary data required of the software &
hence the system do not work as it should work in normal conditions
& starts malfunctioning & eventually exhibits bit rot.
3 Use of codeIf the code of software remains unused for a long period of time then
also bit rot takes place.
4 Code updatingIf the software is not regularly updated then the bugs (problem) in the
software tend to create conditions like Bit rot.
Solution for Bit Rot
Refactoring : code of the software is rewritten taking into view the changes in the new
technology & hence, the software completely fits into the new scheme
Other Solutions for protecting digital data
Sr.
No.Solution Description
1 RefreshingIn this method, after a regular interval of time, data is transferred to the
new media so that Bit rot do not take place.
2 Migration
In this method, the data is transferred to new environments like from
windows XP to Linux. (Note: Windows XP & Linux are operating
system) It helps the software to adapt to the new environment.
3 ReplicationIn this method, multiple copies of the data are created & stored at different
locations.
4 EmulationIn this method, the same requirements & specifications of a software are
emulated so as to get the data from the older systems.
5 EncapsulationIn this method, the data is made self-describing so that no effects of Bit rot
are seen on the data.
6 Persistent
Archives
In this method, a permanent infrastructure is created that helps the
software from getting Bit rotten.
Concept
7Metadata
Attachment
The information like the creation, access rights, restrictions, preservation
history, and rights management of the file can be protected if the new
software technologies are used. This method promotes use of new
technologies like XML for protecting metadata.
Some other related terms
Sr.
No. Term Definition
1Software
BrittlenessIt is used to define the difficulty in fixing the old software.
2 Code Smell
It represents that code of the software which shows problems with the
software. They do not create problems for the software but they indicate the
weakness of the software.
3 Software BloatIt is nothing but the act of software of creating multiple copies of itself &
using the resources of the computer which in reality is not required.
4Data
Degradation
It denotes the degradation of data in the computer over time. It is different
from Bit rot as it represents degradation of software in the computer over
time.
Market of Mothers' : Surrogacy Market in India
Terms used
Intended couple: It represents the male-male/male-female/female-female persons as
couple.
Intended mother: She is the women from the couple who is not able to conceive because
of medical reasons.
Intended father: He is the father from the couple who is not able to conceive because of
medical reasons.
Surrogate mother: She is the woman who is going to grow the child in her womb for nine
months.
What is Surrogacy?Surrogacy is the process in which a woman under legal contract carries & delivers the child to a
couple or person who cannot conceive because of medical reasons.
Types of Surrogacy
1) Traditional Surrogacy
In this process, the father’s sperm from the couple is injected into the surrogate mother either
naturally or artificially. But in this process, the child genetically represents father of the couple &
the surrogate mother.
2) Gestational Surrogacy
In this process, the embryo formed by the combination of intended mother’s egg & intended
father’s sperm is injected in the surrogate mother artificially. In this process, the child genetically
represents the intended father & intended mother. (Note: In this process, the child do not
genetically represent the surrogate mother. This process is preferred during surrogacy.
Gestational Surrogacy is further classified according to what is donated: i) Gestational Surrogacy
via sperm donation ii) Gestational Surrogacy via egg donation iii) Gestational Surrogacy via
Embryo donation
Advantage: There is around zero chance that there will be any “attachment bond” between the
child & surrogate mother.
What is IVF?IVF stands for In Vitro Fertilization. IVF is a process in which, the egg is fertilized by using
sperm, outside the body of the women.
Positive points of surrogacy
Serves as a nice option for Adoption
Often during adoption, adopting parents are worried about the lineage & heridtary characteristics
of the child being adopted. But with surrogacy, the child we will get will have our own flesh &
blood.
It gives the truest sense of being a parent.
Parent’s Cell are used in the process
For the surrogacy method, the cell of the parent are used i.e. the child is exact same (genetically)
to their parents.
Confidential & Protected
For surrogacy to work properly, the information about the surrogate mother & the parents has to
be kept secret. Because of presence of various laws & institutions specialized in “surrogacy
help” surrogacy is a very safe option.
Can help those couples which have fertility problems. Hence even an infertile man or
infertile women can become father or mother as the case may be. (Note: Fertility, here
denotes the low level of sperm or egg count. Sperm in the case of man & egg in the case
of women)
Surrogacy acts as an occupation & helps needy women to earn their living.
It helps particularly in the case if the parents are of same gender.
Negative Points about surrogacy
The process is much complex.
Time required for the whole process is large as it takes time to find the proper surrogate
mother, legal agencies, etc.
Finding the right mother is often hard as there are various complexities involved with the
various criteria that is expected by the parents.
Various things have to be attended like legal process, medical criteria & financial matter.
It is very expensive. Money is required for the following things: 1) Lawyer fees 2)
Medicines 3) Proper food for the surrogate mother 4) Surrogate mother fees 5) Hospital
Charges
The couple opting for surrogacy may not be able to share their happiness with the rest of
society as those people will still have a different “perspective” for you.
Surrogacy market in India
Beginning of the surrogacy market in India happened in the year 2002. India since then
has become so famous that it is being called as “BABY FACTORIES”.
Reasons for India being a famous “market” for surrogacy
Low cost in India as compared to other developed countries.
Availability of skilled doctors in India.
Bureaucracy is not very strict.
Large & never ending supply of surrogate mother in India (Note: Due to huge population
of India & the poverty levels)
Success rate of children born is high in India.
No official figures exist about how big Indian surrogacy market is.
But according to the data of a United Nations (UN) backed body suggest that Indian
surrogacy market is estimated at more than $400 million per year.
Most famous clinic for surrogacy in India is “AKANKSHA Clinic” based in Anand,
Gujarat. It is famous in India as well as abroad. Hence, Gujarat is recently being called as
“surrogacy capital”.
Famous surrogacy cities India: Delhi, Mumbai, Anand, Surat, Jamnagar, Bhopal &
Indore.
Laws for Surrogacy in India
Supreme Court has legalized surrogacy in India in 2002 itself.
No separate laws are present in India for surrogacy. But now Government is trying to pass the
surrogacy bill named “the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Bill (ART)”. This bill may come
before the parliament in the next year and aims :
to protect the children, surrogates & commissioning parents.
To establish regulatory authority to register & monitor the fertility clinics in India.
Defines the age of surrogate mother be between 21 to 35 years old.
To set maximum of five pregnancies (Note: Five pregnancies to include pregnancies of
their own)
Proper insurance & full proof legal contract be signed between the surrogate mother &
the couple.
Insurance to be mandatory.
Proper & common procedure be established for surrogacy in India.
Will make compulsory for the applying couple to show proof that the child will get the
citizenship of their country.
To stop clinics from sourcing, supplying & taking care of the surrogate mothers by
themselves.
Surrogate mother not to indulge in work or activity which can harm foetus.
Only Indian citizens will have the right for being surrogate. Indian clinics should not send
any surrogate abroad nor should they receive any surrogate in India from abroad.
A couple can’t opt for more than one surrogate at a given time.
Simultaneous transfer of embryo in the women & the surrogate mother is not allowed.
If the couple opting for surrogacy belongs to other country than India i.e. is foreigner
then they have to appoint a local guardian in India who will be legally responsible for the
child.
If the couple do not take the child after delivery, then the local guardian are free to hand
over that child to adoption agency.
If the surrogate mother is married then permission of her husband will be required before
she opts for surrogacy.
According to our revised visa laws, same sex couples are not allowed to apply for
surrogacy in India.
Flaws with the current Surrogacy Laws in India
No fixed rule/law for compensation & presence of no insurance for post-delivery
healthcare.
Medical clinics are seen doing exploitation of the surrogate mothers.
Also, surrogacy is being overused for financial reasons.
It has been seen in many cases that even when there is poor embryo quality in women,
doctors are suggesting them to go for surrogacy as it is good for the doctor in financial
terms. But such women can’t go for surrogacy as the embryo of these women is not of
good quality. In short, doctors are misleading the couples.
Points that should be covered in a “Surrogacy Contract”Following are the points that should be covered in the legal contract between the couple &
surrogate mother:
Name of the Doctor/Hospital & the kind of surrogacy method used.
Is health insurance available for the Surrogate if in case something bad happens & who is
going to pay for that insurance.
Contract should specifically include the following (strictly): 1) the termination of parental
rights of the surrogate mother & her partner on the child after 24 hours of child birth 2)
contract should legalize the intended parents to legally claim the child 3) Birth certificate
to be issued in the name of the couple.
All the responsibilities of the child are to be carried out by the couple once it is born & it
won’t be the responsibility of the surrogate mother.
All the stakeholders in the contract should be following strict confidentiality.
Change in the Indian society perspective
Indian society is conservative about surrogacy.
But due to recent surrogacy steps taken by the famous celebrities like Shahrukh Khan,
Aamir Khan & Satish Kaushik has helped Indian mindset to change.
YOJANA FEB 2014- SUMMARY
Introduction of the magazineThis month’s magazine is focusing on public health. It is also a special article on strategies for
sustainable progress.
Topic number one: financing India’s quest for universal health coverage
what this Universal Health Coverage (UHC)?UHC is about people having access to needed health care without suffering financial hardship,
thus encompassing improvements in access, quality and financial protection.
Health as per 12th five year plan?12th five year plan lays out its long-term objective of establishing a system of Universal Health
Coverage (UHC).
Various problems cited
low levels of financing
accountability issues in the public delivery system
persistent dominance of out-of-pocket spending
what is out-of-pocket spending? Anything important about this?
Out-of-pocket spending simply means the money spent by the patient directly to the
doctor from his own pocket for getting treated.
India is the only country which has highest percentage of out-of-pocket spending.
Paying out of pocket can also lead to West Indies since insurers can negotiate lower fees
with healthcare providers than individuals. Increased reliance on out-of-pocket spending
means that only those who can afford to pay can access care of reasonable quality
Some statistics
India had allotted around 4.1% of the GDP to health sector in 2008-2009
India though has 17% of the world population, it spends only 1% of the worlds total
health expenditure on this population.
Share of health spending has not kept pace with the country’s dynamic economic growth
(it was 1.8% of the GDP in 2001-2002)
four main sources of the health finance and delivery in India
out-of-pocket spending is very high. It is the most important reason for impoverishment
in India.
The second is the tax financed direct public delivery which in principle is available for all
of India’s population.
The third segment consist of social insurance schemes for formal private sector workers
and government employees
the fourth segment is voluntary private insurance (PHI) which emerged in the late 1980s
but has grown rapidly in 2000s.
Features of the health programmes in India
what about design for expansion of health coverage (starts with rural area and poorest
segment of the population first)
rapid scaling up of population coverage in a short period of time
there are several commonalities between the various health programs that is insured they
all a matter extending health coverage and improved financial protection to the poor and
other vulnerable groups in the country.
Two prominent national programs in relation to health
National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) ,program by the Ministry of health and family
welfare (now changed to national health mission and being further in urban areas)
Rashtriya Swasthya Bimah Yojana (RSBY), program by Ministry of labour and
employment.
In addition several state health programs are also being run. Famous among these are
Rajive Aarogyasri scheme (of Andhra Pradesh) & Rajeev Jeevandayee (of Maharashtra)
About NRHM:
it is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of health and family welfare
aimed at expanding health coverage in the country
it supplements and strengthens the state owned public health systems by providing
additional resources with a focus on rural areas primary care and public health problems.
Also leverages this financial support to facilitate the creation of institutional mechanisms
that enable some degree of financial autonomy and a faster flow of funds
it is also a component called Janani Suraksha Yojana, which offers conditional cash
transfer to poor women for availing free institutional maternity services created under
NRHM.
More statistics:
by 2009 about 19% of the Indian population has been covered under different
government-sponsored health insurance schemes.
Accounting for private insurance and other forms of coverage more than 25% of the
population had access to some form of health insurance in 2010.
Does India have fiscal room to finance universal health coverage?
India definitely doesn’t have that amount of money that it could support universal health
coverage.
India has three options: 1) increase the revenues that is taxes and get the money required
for universal health coverage 2) government can reprioritise health (example by reducing
expenditure on subsidies) 3) India can opt for option one an option two both
Conclusion:
financial constraints and augmentation among the health programme remains
but it is clear that the programs have their area focus clearly marked out (primary care in
the case of NRHM, secondary care in the case of RSBY and tertiary care in the case of
state health insurance schemes)
thus if these programs could further evolved to a state of close coordination and similarly
defined populations to be covered and with smoke linkages they could contribute to more
seamless comprehensive coverage for primary secondary and tertiary care.
Preventive interventions and effective case management for noncommunicable diseases
at the primary care level can contribute significantly introducing the need for
hospitalisation thereby simultaneously improving quality of life for the beneficiaries and
containing the cost of hospitalisation programs.
Topic number two: achieving universal coverage in India: resource use and policy
considerations
international examples of universal health coverage
in 2001 the government of Thailand launched a health insurance scheme that provides is
initially free coverage to large number of people in the agriculture and informal sectors in
addition to groups in the organised or formal sector. As a consequence almost its entire
population was covered by health insurance.
In the last two decades China reduced its funding for the health sector because of its pro-
market reforms. But China launched to insurance funds - one for the popullaton in urban
areas and the another for the rural areas. Recent estimates suggest that these schemes
cover almost the entire population of China.
Various concerns about universal health coverage
first, overall cost of healthcare have a tendency to rise over time. It especially because of
the rapid technological advancement and the new treatments which are coming in.
Second, in the absence of insurance or ready availability of subsidised care in public
facilities the burden of this rising cost will fall primary opponent households in the form
of out-of-pocket payments
Third, there are issues of resource wastage and equality involved. For example the
wastage caused by the out-of-pocket payment.
For major challenges in designing and implementing a strategy of universal coverage
how much will universal coverage cost?
What will it cover
who will it cover
who will provide the services
cost
there is little doubt that expanding coverage will require a much larger allocation of
public resources than in the past
also from the international examples we have seen that many of the countries who had
gone for universal health coverage that not able to support it because of the lack of funds
what benefits will it cover percent mark
should insurance cover the cost of all types of illness? Clearly resource limitations will
not permit this.
Administrative cost can be extremely high for processing multiple small claims.
There is also the risk that fully financing of all services leads to vestige due to over use of
subsidised healthcare. People could end up seeking care for minor aches and pains, cough
and colds and so on.
At the same time we do want people to use preventive care (example immunisation,
regular medical checkups, antenatal and postnatal care) that can lower the risk of later
complications and hospitalizations.
International example of how to choose
Mexico offers an example of how to choose services to be covered.
They divided healthcare services into three 1) those intended for preventive purposes 2)
to care for relatively rare conditions that are expensive to treat (example cancer) 3
intended to treat common conditions (fever, injuries, etc.)
this approach helps to offer the most health benefits per rupee
who will it cover?
Policy choice about the benefits to be covered is one strategy when resources are scarce.
Alternatively, the government target some groups for greater subsidies than others to
conserve resources.
Most important point is Universal coverage did not translate into universally free
coverage.
Problems in India for selecting the beneficiary group: we don’t have effective
identification system for identifying those people who really need health coverage
because of their poor economic position.
Who will provide healthcare services?
Financing is not the sole issue.
Expanding health insurance coverage will raise the demand for healthcare services in
India by making care more affordable.
This draws attention to the supply-side issues. The three issues have been discussed
below.
First, we need to assess the appropriate role of the private and the public sectors in the
context of the increased government financial contributions to the health sector. Private
sector is more responsive to consumer needs as compared to the public sector. Public
sector should be brought at par with the private sector. (Public sector lags behind private
sector mainly because of the unavailability of the funds. Also public sector is hampered
by its administrative and financial structures)
Secondly, the organisation of primary care and hospital care needs improvement.
Currently, individuals can directly visit hospitals and specialist completely bypassing
healthcare services at the primary level. Apart from long queues in major hospitals, this
results in inefficient use of expensive specialist time.
Third funding the reach of health services to rural and remote areas is hindered by the
limited availability of the providers there. (Note it is a matter of debate that whether
government doctors should be allowed to practice privately, outside of work hours to
make rural locations attractive.
Topic number 3: high prices of patented medicines in India: can we do anything about it?
Introduction
in 1972, India abolished product patent protection in pharmaceuticals.
It’s helped India to become a major player in the global pharmaceutical industry
but from January 1, 2005, drug product patent protection has been reintroduced in India
to comply with the requirements under the agreement’s on Trade Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
What exactly is a patent right?
Patent rights are the rights which exclude others from producing and marketing the product for
which someone has got a patent.
Economic rationalism for granting patents
it will stimulate investment for research for innovation
the basic presumption is that developing new drugs is expensive. It is argued that without
patent protection, others may be able to imitate new products thereby limiting the
innovators ability to fill the research and development cost
a delay in imitation through patent protection would stimulate research and development
for innovation.
Negative impacts of patents
there is no competition among the companies for producing a particular product. So there
is reduced efficiency.
It leads to higher prices of the products.
It also leads to less access to the products
About TRIPS agreement
TRIPS agreement not only helps for the protection of rights of patentee’s but also ensures that it
provides sufficient rights to member countries to take steps to prevent abuse of patent and other
intellectual property rights.
Flexibility provided by TRIPS to tackle the negative consequences of product patents protection:
exemptions from grant of patents in certain cases
compulsory licensing
about India:
India has used the first provision of ‘exemptions’ very efficiently by adding Section 3 (d)
India amended patents act when reintroducing product patents in pharmaceuticals in
2005.
But India is very weak in the case of compulsory licensing. Till now that he should only
one compulsory license. It shows India’s plight in the case of using the second option.
Patents under TRIPS
patentee is given for a limited time period, currently for 20 years under trips.
That is after 20 years other forms can also make the same product.
But companies particularly in the pharmaceutical industry are resorting to illegal
practices. The one called “evergreening”
Evergreening is the method by which a particular company tries to get a new patent for
the same product after the expiry of 20 years. This is accomplished by making small
changes in the ingredients of the medicine.
While it is allowed in USA, it is definitely not allowed in India.
Section 3 (d) tries to regulate such abuses of the patent system. Under this the mere
discovery of a new form of unknown substance which does not result in the enhancement
of the known secrecy of that substance is not patentable.
In short evergreening is not allowed in India.
About supreme court decision in Novartis case
Supreme Court decision is consistent with strings and has been arrived at not been really
but by following transparent and internationally accepted legal process.
Moreover it has helped other developing countries to stop Evergreening.
What is compulsory license?
The compulsory license is an authorisation by the government to non-patentee’s to use
the patent for example to manufacture and sell the patented medicine without or against
the consent of the patentee on payment of royalties.
Good points: it Indian companies are given licences to produce a patented drug under
compulsory license, competition among manufacturers would rise down prices but the
royalty paid to the innovators would continue to provide funds and the incentive for
research and development.
So we can see that compulsory license does not hamper research and development.
Various grounds for application of compulsory license
grounds of reasonable requirements of the public have not been satisfied or
the product is not available at the reasonably affordable price
the patented invention has not worked in the territory of India
international example
Canada has the most effective strategy for compulsory license.
It is straightforward transparent and fast.
A patent holder will naturally be opposed to any compulsory licenses. The Canadian
experience shows us how the practice and the procedures can be such that the patentee’s
have practically no unfortunately to delay or prevent the grant of compulsory licenses.
Indian case of compulsory license
the entire process is excessively legalistic.
The procedure is open-ended without any time limit imposed for the grant of compulsory
license.
It provides the patentee’s the opportunity to buy time through litigation.
Hence there is much delay in giving a compulsory license and litigation goes on.
No presence of automatic route for issue of compulsory license.
Another way for controlling high prices by patents
Another flexibility the India can utilize is to directly control the price of patented drugs.
Price control is not forbidden under trips or any other agreements under the WTO.
But there is problem with the price control. It is not good as compulsory license.
If price control is used the patentee companies would simply not sell their products in
India. Also it will hamper the space to generating companies which is vital for the long-
term sustenance.
Topic number 4: India Backbone Implementation Network (IBIN)
IBIN project was launched on April 19,2013 by the planning commission.
The purpose of it is to improve implementation of policies, programs and projects which
the 12th five year plan has identified as of crucial importance.
The ultimate objective is to accelerate inclusive and faster growth.
It has been launched in view of the finding that several projects and schemes have been
facing bottlenecks at the implementation level in districts, state and the Central level.
Need has been emphasised to convert confusion in the coordination, contention into
collaboration and intention in the implementation.
Topic number 5: reverse mortgage
reverse mortgage is alone that enables a borrower to convert part of the equity in their
home into cash.
It is also called Home Equity conversion loans.
If a senior citizen owns a home and has equity in it, he is entitled of the loan.
In reverse mortgage no principle or interest payments are required on the home while the
borrower occupies the property.
Repayment is needed if the borrower sells the home or moves out of the property.
It is generally given to people having age more than 62 years.
Reverse mortgage is a means to help aged people with limited income to use the money
they have put into their home to pay off debts and cover their other necessary expenses.
Topic number 6: Various Important Health Schemes
Sr.
No.Scheme Description
1National rural
health mission
Launched in 2005, National rural health Mission is an overreaching
project information more that strives to provide effective healthcare to
rural masses in the country with a focus on states with poor public
health indicators and all weak healthcare infrastructure. The programs
under this can be broadly be categorised into two: reproductive and
child health programs (RCH) and national disease control programme.
RCH programs address the issues and challenges relating to maternal
and child health care through a range of initiatives.
2 Janani Suraksha
Yojana (JSY)
Launched in 2005 as a key component of national rural health mission
and being implemented in all states and union territories with special
focus on low performing states, it aims to reduce maternal mortality
and neonatal mortality by promoting in institutional delivery of were
pregnant women. Under eight the pregnant woman from the rule BPL
family are provided Rs. 1400 as incentive to use government healthcare
facilities and also to cover travel costs and other expenses.
3
Janani-Shishu
Suraksha
Karyakram (JSSK)
It aims to provide free and cashless healthcare services to pregnant
women including normal deliveries, Caesarean operations (up to 30
days after birth) in public health institutions in both rural and urban
areas.
4
Navajat Shishu
Suraksha
Karyakram (NSSK)
Launched in 2009, it attempts to impart special training to healthcare
providers at the district hospitals, community health centres and
primary health centres in the interventions at birth aimed at
significantly reducing infant mortality ratio. The program is a part of
the policy of embedding child health strategy has an integral part of
maternal health.
5
Rashtriya Kishor
Swasthya
Karyakram (RKSK)
Launched on 7 January 2014, it is the nation’s first comprehensive
adolescent health programme. The programme is committed at
promotion of adolescent health mission across India and would address
the health needs of 24 million adolescents constituting 21% of total
population in the country.
6
National Disease
Control
Programmes
Noncommunicable diseases like cancer diabetes cardiovascular
diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases are on the rise in
the country to the change in lifestyle. Communicable diseases such as
tuberculosis, leprosy, vector borne diseases, HIV or AIDS among
others also continue to be a major public health challenge. These
endemic diseases result in high morbidity, mortality and adverse socio-
economic impact. Therefore national level programs on diseases have
been implemented with a renewed vigour and focus under national
rural health mission.
7 National
vectorborne
A comprehensive program for the prevention and control of
vectorborne diseases. It covers diseases like malaria, filarial, kala-azar,
diseases control
program
(NVBDCP)
Japanese encephalitis, dengye and Chikangunya.
8
Revised National
tuberculosis control
programme
Launched in 1997 and implemented in a phased manner, revised
National tuberculosis control programme - an application in India of
directly observed treatment short-course i.e. DOTS is a revamped
strategy to control to break losses with the objective of securing at least
85% of new sputum positive TB patients.
9National leprosy
eradication program
With the use of multidrug therapy, under this program, introduced in
1983 India achieved the goal of elimination of C defined as less than
one case per 10,000 at the national level in December 2005.
10National AIDS
control programme
It has the overall goal of hunting and reversing the epidemic in India
over the five-year period it places highest priority on preventive efforts
while at the same time seeking to integrate prevention wiki support and
treatment.
11National mental
health programme
It was introduced in 1982 with the objectives of ensuring availability
and accessibility of mental health care for all in the foreseeable future
particularly to the most vulnerable and underprivileged sections of the
population. It also aims to promote community participation in the
mental health service development and to stimulate efforts towards
self-help in the community.
12
Pradhan Mantri
Swasthya Suraksha
Yojana
It was launched in 2006 to which the huge In the accessibility of
healthcare services in the rural and urban areas. Under the program,
institutions in the model of all India Institute of medical science would
be set up along with the extensive upgrading of 13 government medical
colleges.
YOJANA MARCH 2014- SUMMARY
About the magazine:
This month’s magazine focuses on administrative reforms. There’s a special article titled
“strengthening rural lending”.
Topic number one: reforming public services: embracing a new management
philosophy Negative points about our current public services
non-friendly services
inefficient malfunctioning
According to second administrative reforms commission, there exist systematic rigidities,
needless complexities and overcentralisation in public services which make them
inefficient.
Main reason behind our failure in public management systems
The main reason lies in the fact that we have accepted Weberian model of bureaucracy
for our public services which we have inherited from the British.
Characteristics of the Weberian model of bureaucracy: 1) system of promotion based on
seniority 2) fixed remuneration for officials with the right of pension 3) organized as
hierarchy 4) adhering to rigid rules
Points of the Weberian model which are cause of concern: they are embroiled in red tape,
formalism, love tradition & stand for conservatism and status quo.
Another model which can help us
Many Commonwealth countries like New Zealand, Australia, Canada, etc., have
discarded the Weberian model of democracy.
Instead they have adopted a new model called New Public Management (NPM).
Main components of NPM: 1) devolution of authority 2) performance contracting 3)
customer focus.
Main reasons for poor functioning of public services
absence of accountability
outdated laws, rules and procedures
high degree of centralization
poor work culture
lack of professionalism
politicization of services
Solution for bringing accountability in public services
by linking promotion and career advancement of an officer with actual performance on
the job
bringing competition in civil services
enforcing strict disciplinary regime
Emphasize performance
Administrative reforms commission has said that there should be a periodic check and
review of a public servant.
Servant’s promotion, advancement and continuance should be linked to his actual
performance on the job and the non-performing servants should be removed.
Competition and specialist knowledge for senior level appointments
It has been seen that the various senior level appointments in the Central Secretariat have
been made from Indian administrative service i.e. IAS who are generalists.
These people are not having specialized knowledge of the topic.
ARC has identified 12 domains in which officers should specialize without which his
further promotion should not be made.
In short ARC has recommended the need for specialization by civil servants and the
prequalification for holding senior level post.
Enforce an effective disciplinary regime
Main problem is that once appointed, it is almost impossible to remove or demote an
employee.
Someone has quoted that “Public employees are like headless nail, you can get them in,
but you can’t get them out”.
The commission review the working of the Constitution has noted that the constitutional
safeguards have in practice acted to shield the guilty against Swift and certain
punishment for use of public office for private gain.
The commission also suggested revisiting the issue of constitutional safeguards under
article 311 to ensure that while the honest and efficient officials are given the requisite
protection but the dishonest are not allowed prospering in office.
ARC has expressed that illegal protection even has created a climate of excessive security
without fear of penalty for incompetence and wrongdoing.
Transforming work culture
Most government departments suffer from poor work culture and low productivity.
There is urgent need for improvement of work and employment and privatize some of the
services.
Both the Central and State governments have vast sprawling bureaucracy which needs to
be downsized.
Some recommendations: 1) the multilevel hierarchical structure should be reduced and an
officer oriented system with level jumping should be introduced to speed up decision-
making. 2) In ministries which are policy-making bodies, section should be abolished and
a desk officer system be introduced from where nothing of the file should begin. 3) The
ministerial staff divided in numerous categories be abolished and replaced by multiskilled
position: executive assistant who should be computer savy. 4) Government offices should
be modernized with provision of computer and other gadgets and can conducive work
environment should be created.
There is also need for giving lower post with some responsibility and decision-making
authority which is for the time is absent and which is decreasing the productivity in
government offices.
Streamline rules and procedures
A large number of rules and procedures relating to citizens day-to-day interface with
government are outdated and dysfunctional and give opportunity to public servants to
delay and harass.
These rules should be updated, simplified and discretionary powers of public servants be
eliminated.
A good part of efficiency of a government office depends on personnel, financial and
procurement management systems.
Privatization and contracting out
There is a need of privatization and outsourcing of large number of services which the
government is directly doing in order to improve efficiency and cut cost.
There is a great deal of justification in opening at least some certain sectors.
It will improve cost-effectiveness and service quality.
Performance-based organization
Today the working of the government’s highly centralized with all powers concentrated
in ministries and department’s heads.
There is a need for a paradigm shift in this approach and operational freedom is given to
persons in the field who implement programs and schemes by placing trust and
confidence in their ability to deliver results.
Many advanced countries like USA, Japan and Australia have revamped their
bureaucratic systems and migrated to professional management of the pulse of
government activity through creation of agency or performance-based organization.
In Britain which took the lead in reforming public services, the chief executives of
agency are selected through competition open to public and private sector and a higher on
the basis of a contract.
Each agency negotiates an animal performance agreement with its parent department
which includes targets for financial performance, efficiency and service quality.
The challenge
Main challenge in reforming public services is posed by the bureaucracy, who is the
creator of the policies in India.
There is a need for political will at the highest level to bring meaningful reforms.
It is the time that government understands that public service reform is an essential
prerequisite to alleviate poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition and deprivation from the country
and make India a happy healthy and prosperous place to live.
Topic number two: governance: civil service and politician interfaceWhat Sardar Patel Said?
He said that if you want an efficient all India service, then the one that does the service
should be allowed to speak freely.
Orders of seniors are very important but the most important thing is that frank opinion
should be put to by the people in service.
Some norms that should be followed by civil servants
maintain high personal integrity
Be fair in administrating law, policies and administrative decisions.
People respect you or your knowledge and skills. So acquire enough knowledge and
develop analytical ability.
Field jobs, on which civil service often is to spend time, provide an opportunity for
change in the system. Your aim should be to deliver results and work as an effective field
officer.
Good governance is a fundamental right of the citizen. Identify gaps in public service
delivery and implementation of schemes. Identify rules and regulations which are
hampering progress and suggest changes to government.
The biggest disservice to the governance structure is to hesitate in taking decisions or
deliberately avoiding it. So do not hesitate to take decisions.
In civil service you may invariably be the leader of the pack. As a full responsibility for
achieving the targets and key performance parameters of the organization which you are
heading.
Be sensitive to the needs of poor especially marginalized groups, women, SC/ST and
minorities.
While advising ministers and working as senior civil servants, analyze all the reasonable
policy options which can be considered on the issue and examination.
Do not criticize government policies in public discussions.
Develop interpersonal skills.
Adapt to IT use, new technologies and their use to ensure good governance.
Prepare well in advance to ensure effective articulation of the viewpoint of the Ministry.
Develop the ability to listen to visitors and different points of view carefully and
patiently.
Develop the ability to integrate and form a consensus viewpoint consistent with the
policy objective planned.
Make a well-informed judgment of ground realities and policies which will work.
Active challenging assignments. Do not try to get rid of it.
In face of grave provocation stand by your principles and convictions. Do not lose your
cool.
Civil servants accountable to government. There is however public accountability also.
Identify key target areas which you must achieve during your work based on government
policy and programs. Identify peoples felt needs and include them in your program too.
Things that the focus
First the corruption and governance system and delivery of public services is widespread.
It is useful to recall that all India services are creators of the Constitution (article 312).
While the services have to follow the policies let down by the government headed by the
political executive, they also have legal obligations under certain statutes.
It is important that civil servants clearly bring out their views in writing while doing an
analysis of the issues concerned when engaged in the task of policy-making.
There may be complex situations in which ministers and some civil servants tried to push
illegal orders on subordinates. This could be because of ulterior monetary interest or
corruption.
Topic Number 3: LIBORLIBOR – London Interbank Offered Rate – is an interest rate at which banks can borrow funds
from other banks in the London interbank market. One of the worlds’s most widely used
benchmarks for short-term interest rates, LIBOR rates were first used in financial markets in
1986.
LIBOR is fixed on a daily basis by the British Bankers Associations & is derived from a filtered
average of the world’s most creditworthy bans interbank deposit rates.
In 2012, regulators from around the world were probing alleged manipulation of LIBOR by US
and European banks. In 2013, a worldwide investigation discovered widespread manipulation of
this benchmark interbank lending rated by traders and brokers.
Topic Number 4: Geographical Indication
A Geographical Indication (GI) is a sign used on certain goods that have a specific
geographical origin and which possesses certain qualities, merits and features that are
essentially attributed to their place of origin.
Most commonly a geographical indication includes the name of the place of origin of the
goods.
GI is an aspect of industrial property which refer to the country or place of origin of a
product indicating an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially
attributable to the fact of its origin in that defined geographical locality, region or
country.
GI are covered as an element of intellectual property rights (IPR’s).
GI is also covered under articles 22 to 24 of the TRADE RELATED BITS OF
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (TRIPS).
As a member of the World Trade Organization, India enacted geographical indications of
goods act 1999 and it has come into force with effect from 15 September 2003.
The GI tract ensures that no other than the registered users (or at least those residing
inside the geographical territory) are allowed to use the popular product name.
Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India in 2004-2005. Since then 194
items have been added to the list.
Topic number 5: emerging paradigms of administrative reformsReasons for the presence of aberrations in the system
Existence of audio system of values on the part of political and administrative elites in
India, who have the basic responsibility of implementing the system.
There has been growing sense of zealousness amongst the people from all walks of life in
India about the constitutional rights and administrative privileges without paying due
attention to the corresponding duties that go with them.
The total lack of an ocean of accountability and responsiveness on a part of both
legislators and administrators has eroded the very essence of a responsible government.
In India poor are still poor and have increased in absolute numbers.
Strategies for good governance
Moral responsibility and accountability, sacrifice, compassion, justice and an honest
effort to achieve the common good is the need of the hour.
Ultimately it is the moral determination which provides the foundation for governance
towards a corruption free sustainable development.
Normative model of good governance
The need of the hour and Pres seems to be the adapter normative model of good
management approach incorporating both the politico-administrative as well as the moral
dimensions of good governance.
This should include:
a more strategic result oriented orientation to decision-making
Replacement of highly centralized organizational structures with decentralized
management environment integrating with the new rural urban and municipal institutions,
where decisions on resource allocation and service delivery are taken close to the point of
delivery.
Flexibility to explore alternatives to direct public provision which might provide more
cost-effective policy outcomes.
Focusing attention on the matching of authority and responsibility has a key tool
improving performance, including mechanism of explicit performance contracting.
Creating competitive environments within and between public service organizations.
Strengthening of strategic capacities at the Centre to steer the government to respond to
external changes and diverse interest quickly, flexibility and at least costs.
Greater accountability and transparency through requirements to report on the results and
their full costs.
Service wise budgeting and management systems to support and encourage these
changes.
Adapting of innovations and evolving suitable mechanism to eliminate corruption at both
political and administrative levels and strengthening citizen’s grievance redress system.
Improving the system of delivery at the cutting edge of Administration by replacing the
existing bureaucratic procedures by absorbing some appropriate percepts inherent in the
philosophy of new public management.
Making improvements in the working atmosphere of the government institutions and
offices to reflect a new work culture and changed administrative behavior incorporating
the principles of transparency, responsiveness, accountability, participative and citizen
friendly management.
Other reforms that is necessary:
Increased public-private partnership.
Increase accountability of the civil servants.
Adoption of information technology and e-governance.
Citizen oriented paradigm for management.
Corruption should be combated.
Taxation reforms to award corruption.
Curbing inflation and high prices.
Current Affairs 08 Mar 2014
World snooker champion Pankaj Advani secures his 6th national snooker title.
o He comprehensively beat Kamal Chawla by a 6-3 scoreline at the 81st national snooker
championship 2014.
o He has so far won the 7 world title in billiards and one in snooker.
o He is the only Indian with a world title in snooker.
o Vidya Pillai defeats Chitra Magimairaj to retain the women's title.
International Women's Day is celebrated across the world on March 8.
o The theme for this year observance is "Equality for Women is Progress for All".
o The day celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women
past, present and future.
The 2014 Winter Paralympics kicks off in Sochi, Russia.
o 550 athletes from 45 nations will participate in 72 disciplines across 5 sports.
o Brazil, Turkey and Uzbekistan are making their debut in the Winter Paralympic Games.
RAJIV GANDHI KHEL ABHIYAN The central Government, with a vision that may
establish India as a sporting powerhouse, introduced Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan
(RGKA) to the nation. It was launched under National Youth Policy 2014 (NYP), that
envision to empower the burgeoning youth of the country.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA)
We often rue the fact that a country of billion has to struggle tooth and nail to get even a bunch
of medals while China returns with a truckload of the same. And we, while acknowledging the
abundant raw talent that we possess, blame this ignominy on the lack of opportunity and
infrastructure in the sports. The RGKA, a unique initiative streamlining central government
schemes, has come up to address exactly that ailment.
About
It aims to build sports infrastructure at the grass-roots level.
An estimated outlay of about Rs. 9000 crores has been approved to be utilized till the end
of 13th Five Year Plan (2022).
Objectives
To promote sports as a way of life among the youth.
It will serve a tool to earn both health and fame.
To take the sports facilities throughout the country down to the lowest level
To identify and hone talents through organizing various sports competitions across the
country.
To ensure a larger collection of medals at global sports competitions like Olympics,
CWG, Asiad etc.
Games to benefit
Outdoor Games
Athletics, Archery, Badminton, Basketball, Football, Handball, Hockey, Kabaddi, Kho-
Kho, Tennis and Volley ball.
Indoor Games
Boxing, Wrestling, Table tennis and Weightlifting.
More
Provision for self defence training, especially for women.
Conduction of special category games namely Women competition, Northeast area
games, and Special area games.
National Youth Policy 2014 (NYP)
Objectives
To help the youth realize their full potential by providing them with right set of skills
and knowledge
To avail youth with healthcare facilities for maximizing their productivity
To Promote healthy lifestyle and sports among this category of population.
To promoting social and moral values among the youth,
To engage them into the process of governance and nation building
Special care for the youth with special needs and those in disadvantaged sections
through inclusive policies.
Points to Note
India is one of the youngest nations in the world and Its both a challenge and
opportunity for us.
As our future depends on the quality and the productive capability of this
generation NYP-2014 will target youth in the age-group of 15-29 years that constitutes
27.5% of India's population.
Malaysia Airlines plane Boeing 777-200ER crashes into South China Sea.
All 239 people, travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, are feared dead.
NANO MISSION GETS FINANCIAL BOOST. The government has reinforced the national
mission on nano science and technology "Nano Mission" with a boost of Rs 650 crore for the
12th plan period (2012-17)
Background
This will be the 2nd phase of this mission that was introduced in May 2007 as an
"umbrella capacity-building programme".
The first phase had an allocation of Rs 1000/- crore for 5 years.
About the Technology
Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale helping
us to dramatically improve our ability to construct high performance products.
This technology can be a real game changer for its wide applicability and scope to
improve a wide range of products and processes that touches day-to-day lives.
This complex but "enabling technology" can mould many common products and services
in a revolutionary way thus contributing to economy and national evelopment.
Objectives
To boost research and development in nano science and technology by promoting basic
research, human resource development, research infrastructure development and
international collaborations
This time the emphasis will be on developing and promoting application-oriented R&D
so that useful products, processes and technologies emerge.
The scheme covers all scientists, institutions and industry across the country.
Achievements
It so far has shown a promising glimse of what it can achieve in future through useful products
like
Nano hydrogel-based eye drops
Pesticide removal technology for drinking water
Water filters for arsenic and fluoride removal
Nano silver-based anti-microbial textile coating.
India is at present amongst the top five nations in the world in terms of scientific publications
in nano science and technology.
It has orchestrated national dialogues to promote R&D in development of standards for
nanotechnology and for laying down a National Regulatory Framework Road-Map for
Nanotechnology (NRFR-Nanotech)
Current Affairs 07 Mar 2014
Crimea's Parliament unanimously voted to join Russia, to conduct a plebiscite for the
same on March 16.
o US and EU have ruled it illegitimate.
27th Federation Cup Volleyball championship: Tamil Nadu captures the men's title by
thrashing services 25-21, 25-19, 25-19 in the final.
o Railways clinches the women's title by beating Kerala.
o Uttrakhand and Tamil Nadu wins the bronze medal in men's and women's
category respectively.
Tamil Nadu secures the men's title by trumping Punjab 74-57 in the final of the 64th
National Basketball Championship.
o The women's title went to Chhattisgarh who pipped Indian Railways 81-77.
Tom Albanese, former Rio Tinto Chief, has been appointed as the Chief Executive
Officer of Vedanta Resources.
o He will replace Mahendra Singh Mehta after his retirement at the end of March.
o Vedanta Resources is global mining giant with mostly India-centric operations.
Indian-American scientist Anil Jain develops the first ever 3-D fingerprint.
o He led a team of Michigan State University computer scientists to convert a 2-D
image of a fingerprint into a 3-D finger surface using a 3-D printer.
o This will go along way in improving this biometric technology in accuracy and
security.
National Cycling Academy comes up at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, New Delhi.
Current Affairs 06 Mar 2014
India to vote in 9 phases to elect its next government.
o The polling for general election 2014 will take place on April 9, 10, 12, 17, 24
and 30 as well as on 7 and 12 May.
o Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim will simultaneously go for assembly
elections.
o Counting will start on May 16.
Indian acid attack survivor 'Laxmi' has been honoured with International Women
of Courage Award by Michelle Obama for campaign against acid attacks on women in
India.
o She was permanently defaced in an acid attack at the young age of 16 in Delhi.
Assam becomes the first Indian state to celebrate Child Protection Day on March 4.
o November 20 is observed globally as Universal Children’s Day every year.
Luca Maestri is to succeed Peter Oppenheimer as the Chief Financial Officer of Apple
Inc in October this year.
o Peter Oppenheimer, senior vice president and CFO of Apple, has been associated
with the company since 1996.
The world observes the World Dentist Day on March 6.
o The day is celebrated annually to spread awareness about dental health.
R.Neelakantan has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of low-cost airline
SpiceJet.
o He will replace Sam Isaac as such.
NATIONAL MISSION FOR A GREEN INDIA
Government has approved Rs.46,000-crore project National Mission for a Green
India which aims to improve and enhance the alarmingly receding forest cover in the country.
Background
The diminishing forest cover is a big worry for the ecological health of the country.
The move has been taken in the light of the fact that India’s forest cover had decreased
by 367 sq.km. between 2009 and 2011.
In such a grim scenario its a pity that the environment ministry even failed (and was
lambasted for the same) to properly utilize a grant of Rs.3,044 crore for the National
afforestation programme (launched in 2002).
Mission Aim
To build up an effective mechanism through combination of adaptation and
mitigation initiatives to deal with climate change.
This entails
Enhancing carbon sinks in sustainably managed forests and other ecosystems
Adaptation of vulnerable species/ecosystems to the changing climate
Adaptation of forest-dependant communities.
Objectives
To increase forest cover on 5 million hectares of forest/non-forest land and improve
the quality of forest cover on further 5 million hectares.
The above move will help in improving the ecosystem services including
biodiversity, hydrological services and carbon sequestration.
To provide 3 million forest dependent households with forest-based livelihood.
To increase annual CO2 sequestration of 50-60 million tonnes by the year 2020.
Implementation
Gram Sabha and its Committees will carry out the mission at ground level with
flexible approach (not one size fits all).
Coordination
Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMC) and Forest Development Agency (FDA)
to be restructured to facilitate Gram Sabha in the execution.
Convergence with existing programs and other Missions
Empowerment
The mission will impart requisite skills to the people working at grassroot level for
better result.
Assessment
Regular assessment through extensive research to improve the output.
Funding
North-Eastern states to get 90% of the funds from the centre.
Centre will bear 75% of the implementation cost for other states.
Rest of the expenditure will be met by respective states.
Rs.13,000 crore of the total allocation is to be spent during the 12th five-year plan
period (2013-2017).
Challenges
Plantations by the agencies might encroach over land cultivated by tribals.
It will be a challenge for so many different agencies to co-ordinate effectively
Current Affairs 05 Mar 2014
South African cricketer Graeme Smith announces retirement from all forms of
international cricket.
o He featured in 109 test and won 53 of them as captain - both world record.
o He played in 117 tests scoring 9262 runs studded with 27 hundreds and 38 fifties.
Bill Gates is back as the most richest man on the planet as per the Forbes
magazine's annual global list of billionaires.
o He wrested the coveted title from Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim who was
heading the list for the previous 4 years.
o Carlos Slim has slipped to 2nd place followed by Amanico Ortega at 3rd.
o Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian in
the list that features 55 more billionaires from the country.
Hockey India has been granted the status of a National Sports Federation for the game of
Hockey in India.
o With this end the dispute between the two rival governing bodies for hockey
namely 'Indian Hockey Federation' (IHF) and 'Hockey India' (HI).
Minority Affairs Ministry introduces 2 new schemes namely Maulana Azad Sehat
Scheme and Nalanda Project.
o Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme is dedicated to serve the health needs of students
studying in schools financially assisted by MAEF (Maulana Azad Education
Foundation).
o Nalanda Project is a faculty development program for minorities’ higher
educational institutions.
KS Popli assumes charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Indian
Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).
o IREDA is a non-banking financial institution under the Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy which provides term loans for renewable energy and energy
efficiency projects.
Anuja Prabhudessai becomes the first woman judge of Goa high court.
The former Delhi Chief Minister 'Sheila Dikshit' has been appointed as the new
(22nd) Governor of Kerala.
o She succeeds Nikhil Kumar as such.
Current Affairs 04 Mar 2014
US, in the backdrop of recent Russian military intervention in Ukraine, calls off all
military-to-military engagements between the two nations.
3RD BIMSTEC (BAY OF BENGAL INITIATIVE FOR MULTI-SECTORAL TECHNICAL
AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION) SUMMIT KICKS OFF IN MYANMAR.
The 3rd BIMSTEC (B ay of Bengal I nitiative for M ulti- S ectoral T echnical and E conomic
C ooperation ) Summit has come to an end in the city of 'Nay Pyi Taw' (Myanmar) with many
promising declarations.
The seven member organization rolled out an extensive roadmap for collaboration in improving
connectivity and enhancing cooperation in areas like trade, energy, environment, terrorism
and organized crimes.
About
Its an international organisation comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal as member countries.
These 7 countries together account for over 20 per cent of the world population (1.5
billion) coupled with a GDP of more than USD 2.5 trillion.
It aims to facilitate cooperation in multiple sectors including trade, investment and
energy.
The grouping is said to be a byproduct of Look East Policy of India and Look West
Policy of Thailand.
Previous Summit: New Delhi (India) in 2008
Next Summit: Kathmandu (Nepal)
Current Chairman: Myanmar, since November 2009
Established in June 1997
The challenges Summit identifies and resolves to jointly work to overcome
Terrorism and the global threat it poses to peace, stability and economic progress
Climate change in general and the ensuing natural disasters in particular
Energy and Food security
Connectivity, Trade and investment
Achievements
A Memorandum of Association was signed to set up BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat in
Dhaka. That will facilitate the implementation of declared projects.
Another MoA to set up a BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in India to promote
cooperation in dealing with challenges posed by climate change.
Memorandum of Understanding for establishment of a BIMSTEC Cultural Industries
Commission and BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory.
Resolutions
To enhance cooperation in environmental protection and sustainable development
To enhance cooperation in the field of agriculture, including crops, livestock and
horticulture besides fisheries.
To finalize an agreement on trade in goods by 2014 with intent to promote regional
commerce
To conclude the Agreement on Services and Investments
To work on agreements on dispute settlement and cooperation in customs matters under
the Free Trade Area framework.
To devise a framework for establishment of the BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility.
To increase cooperation in expanding the skill and technology base of member countries.
RBI extendes the deadline for exchanging pre-2005 notes to January 1, 2015 from the earlier
March 31, 2014.
Though people can use them for any transaction till further orders in this regard.
Indian Railways launches ‘SMS Gateway' for sending SMS alerts to passengers about their
PNR Status.
Corporation Bank wins the awards for lending to MSE (micro and small enterprises) and to
micro enterprises from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) for the
year 2012-13
Indian Bank clinches the national award for excellence in lending to micro enterprises for
2012-2013.
Shri Krishna Chaudhary has been appointed as the Director General of Railway
Protection Force.
Current Affairs 03 Mar 2014
South Africa lifts its maiden Under-19 cricket world cup by thrashing 2-time
champion Pakistan by six wickets in the final.
o This was Proteas 3rd final after ones in 2002 & 2008.
o This is only the second ICC tournament title for the South Africans after winning
the inaugural ICC knockout title in 1998.
o Defending champion India finished a disappointing 5th.
o The next ICC U19 Cricket World Cup will be held in Bangladesh in 2016.
Centre approves revision of ceiling on election expenditure.
o It will be Rs.70 lakh per constituency for General Elections in all States except Arunachal
Pradesh, Goa, Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar
Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshdweep and Puducherry which has been kept at Rs.54 lakh.
o The maximum limit for assembly election is to be Rs.28 lakh in all States except the ones
mentioned above where it will only be Rs.20 lakh.
Government includes Jat community in the Central List of OBCs for the States of
Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh,
Delhi, Uttarakhand and Bihar.
o It will enable them avail the goodies of reservation.
Arvind Bhat becomes the 1st Indian shuttler to clinch men's singles title at German Open Grand
Prix Gold.
o He beat Danish Hans-Kristian Vittinghus to bag the prize money of $120,000.
o He is also the first Indian to win title here in any category.
The Union cabinet approves 'special category' status to Seemandhra for 5 years.
India's first electric bus begins operation in Bangalore.
o The bus with zero emission levels operates on a battery that lasts five hours and can
cover a distance of 250 km.
Bangaru Laxman, the 1st Dalit president of BJP, breathes his last at 74.
o His political career had ended in 2001 after a sting operation by Tehelka where he was
caught on camera receiving bribe from a supposed arms dealer.
Italian film 'The Great Beauty' secures Best foreign language film title at Oscar Awards 2014.
o The award for best picture went to 12 Years a Slave.
Centre to set up NTPC's 2640 MW Bundelkhand Super Thermal Power Project at Barethi,
Chattarpur (Madhya Pradesh).
o The plant will be equipped with environment friendly super critical technology.
Current Affairs 02 Mar 2014
WHAT ARE VACCINES?
What is a Vaccine?
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease.
A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism
and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its
surface proteins.
The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy
it, and keep a record of it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and
destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters.
Types of Vaccine
Sr.
Type of
Vaccine
Description
No.
1 KilledSome vaccines contain killed, but previously virulent, micro-organisms that
have been destroyed with chemicals, heat, radioactivity, or antibiotics.
2 Attenuated
An attenuated vaccine is a vaccine created by reducing the virulence of
a pathogen, but still keeping it viable (or "live"). Attenuation takes an infectious
agent and alters it so that it becomes harmless or less virulent. These vaccines
contrast to those produced by "killing" the virus (inactivated vaccine).
3 Toxoid
Toxoid vaccines are made from inactivated toxic compounds that cause illness
rather than the micro-organism. Such toxic compounds are produced from the
organisms externally.
4 Subunit
Protein subunit – rather than introducing an inactivated or attenuated micro-
organism to an immune system (which would constitute a "whole-agent"
vaccine), a fragment of it can create an immune response. Examples include the
subunit vaccine against Hepatitis B virus that is composed of only the surface
proteins of the virus.
INDIA DECLARED POLIO FREE
Why is it in news?
India is on its way to be declared as a polio free state.
Main reason for this move is that no polio case has been detected in India for the last
three years.
India was once known as the “epicentre” of polio.
Who is going to declare India as a Polio Free state ?World Health Organization (WHO)
What is the probable time when India will be declared polio free?
WHO would officially declare India as polio-free by the end of March, when the legal
process for certification was completed.
Also if all pending laboratory investigations return negative, in the coming weeks India
will officially be deemed to have stopped indigenous transmission of wild poliovirus
Last case detected in India of Polio
last case of the wild polio virus was detected on January 13, 2011, in a two-year-old girl
in the state of West Bengal.
It has been three years now that no case of Polio has been detected in India.
Countries where polio still exist as endemic disease:
Afghanistan
Pakistan
Nigeria
Countries where polio still exist as non-endemic disease
Somalia
Kenya
Syria
Problems faced by these foreign countries in relation to Polio
These countries face a range of challenges such as violent conflicts, weak health
systems and poor sanitation.
In Pakistan, gunmen frequently attack polio vaccination workers, accusing them of being
Western spies and part of a plot to sterilize Muslims.
What one country has to get if it needs to be declared as Polio Free ?
It needs the crucial polio eradication certificate from the World Health
Organisation(WHO).
The certificate is issued on completion of incident-free three years.
This primarily involves the destruction or safe storage of all laboratory sources of wild
poliovirus. The storage should be in laboratories that meet international standards of
biosafety.
The WHO’s Global Action Plan for containment of wild polioviruses advises that when
polio cases are decreasing, national health authorities must alert laboratories, encourage
destruction of all unneeded wild poliovirus material and compile an inventory of all
laboratories retaining such materials.
What steps India took to eradicate Polio?
millions were involved in the drive to immunize children by giving them polio drops.
They targeted migrant families at bus stations, on trains, at construction sites, and at local
festivals. Some used motorcycles or trekked by foot to reach remote villages.
As a consequence, over 170 million children are immunized every year, with millions
more targeted on house-to-house visits. The drive has cost the government $2.5 billion
since 1995.
India's success has given impetus to the global fight against polio
Polio eradication is a very costly operation and so donors and partners were losing hope
and patience. Now they are all very actively mobilized into channelling their efforts.
What is Polio?
Polio attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours of
infection.
The highly infectious disease often spreads in areas with poor sanitation - a factor that
helped it keep a grip on India for many decades.
Children under five are the most vulnerable.
But it can be prevented by population-wide vaccination.
Why was India considered as the most difficult state to eliminate Polio?
India has very poor sanitation.
Lacks in infrastructure.
Low levels of literacy.
Many families are poor economically.
Some communities live in remote or inaccessible areas.
Which Polio Viruses India has ?Type 1 & Type 3.
Types of Vaccines present for Polio • Oral polio vaccine (OPV)
• Monovalent oral polio vaccines (mOPV1 and mOPV3)
• Bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV)
• Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV)
Oral Polio Vaccine
Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) was developed by Albert Sabin in 1961.
Also called “trivalent oral polio vaccine” or “Sabin vaccine”
OPV consists of a mixture of live, attenuated (weakened) poliovirus strains of all three
poliovirus types. Hence called Trivalent Oral Polio Vaccine.
What does this vaccine do:
OPV produces antibodies in the blood to all three types of poliovirus.
In the event of infection, these antibodies protect against paralysis by preventing the
spread of wild poliovirus to the nervous system.
OPV also produces a local, mucosal immune response in the mucous membrane of the
intestines. In the event of infection, these mucosal antibodies limit the replication of the
wild poliovirus inside the intestine.
This intestinal immune response to OPV is thought to be the main reason why mass
campaigns with OPV can rapidly stop person-to-person transmission of wild poliovirus.
Advantages
OPV is administered orally. It can be given by volunteers and does not require trained
health workers or sterile injection equipment.
The vaccine is relatively inexpensive.
OPV is safe, effective, and induces long-lasting immunity to all three types of poliovirus.
For several weeks after vaccination, the vaccine virus replicates in the intestine, is
excreted in the faeces, and can be spread to others in close contact. This means that in
areas where hygiene and sanitation are poor, immunization with OPV can result in the
“passive” immunization of people who have not been directly vaccinated.
Disadvantages
Although OPV is safe and effective, in extremely rare cases (approx. 1 in every 2.7
million first doses of the vaccine) the live attenuated vaccine virus in OPV can cause
paralysis.
A second disadvantage is that very rarely the virus in the vaccine may genetically change
and start to circulate among a population.
Safety: OPV is an extremely safe vaccine.
Efficacy:
OPV is highly effective against all three types of wild poliovirus.
It is most effective against type 2.
One dose of OPV produces immunity to all three poliovirus serotypes in approximately
50% of recipients. Three doses produce immunity in more than 95% of recipients.
Immunity is long-lasting and probably life-long.
Use: Where more than one type of wild poliovirus is circulating, OPV is
epidemiologically and operationally the best vaccine to use because protection develops
to each of the three types of polio virus.
Monovalent Oral Polio Vaccines (mOPV)
Monovalent oral polio vaccines (mOPV) consist of live, attenuated (weakened)
poliovirus strains of either type 1 (mOPV1) or type 3 (mOPV3) poliovirus only. Unlike
OPV, it does not contain the other two types of poliovirus. The vaccine gives protection
against one type of poliovirus only (either type 1 or type 3 depending on the vaccine).
Monovalent oral polio vaccines were used extensively in the early days of polio
vaccination in the late 1950s and early 1960s. However, from 1963, mOPVs were
replaced by OPV, where protection against all three types of wild poliovirus could be
given at the same time – an important consideration when more than one type of wild
poliovirus was circulating.
Bivalent Oral Polio vaccine (bOPV)
Bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) consists of live, attenuated (weakened) poliovirus
strains of type 1 and type 3. It simultaneously targets the two remaining types of wild
poliovirus (type 1 and type 3) and was developed to improve the efficiency and impact of
vaccination campaigns in areas where both types of poliovirus co-circulate.
Bivalent oral polio vaccine offers the same advantages as OPV. In addition: For both
types 1 and 3 polio, bOPV is more effective than OPV and almost as good as the
monovalent vaccines, yet in a package that delivers both at once.
Bivalent OPV is at least 30% more effective than trivalent OPV and almost as good as
the respective monovalent OPVs.
Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV)
Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) was developed in 1955 by Dr Jonas Salk.
Also called the “Salk vaccine”, IPV consists of inactivated (killed) poliovirus strains of
all three poliovirus types.
IPV is given by intramuscular injection and needs to be administered by a trained health
worker.
The inactivated polio vaccine produces antibodies in the blood to all three types of
poliovirus. In the event of infection, these antibodies prevent the spread of the virus to the
central nervous system and protect against paralysis.
Advantages:
As IPV is not a 'live' vaccine, it carries no risk of vaccine-associated polio paralysis.
IPV triggers an excellent protective immune response in most people.
Disadvantages:
IPV induces very low levels of immunity in the intestine. As a result, when a person
immunized with IPV is infected with wild poliovirus, the virus can still multiply inside
the intestines and be shed in the faeces, risking continued circulation.
IPV is over five times more expensive than oral polio vaccine.
Administering the vaccine requires trained health workers and sterile injection equipment
and procedures.
Post-Certification Problems:
Rehabilitation of polio affected as the priority
Ensure that polio vaccination program do not weak.
Set up an effective surveillance for quick finding of any polio cases.
Other Children related problems in India:
High Child Mortality
Millions of Children die in the conditions that could actually be prevented like diarrhoea,
pneumonia, etc.
Child Labour
Child Trafficking
Infant Mortality
HIV/AIDS
Malnutrition
Decreased school enrolment
What are the solutions?
Economic development that raised family incomes and living standards
widespread, affordable, required and relevant education
Enforcement of anti-child labor laws (along with compulsory education laws)
Changes in public attitudes toward children that elevated the importance of education
Social services — that help children and families survive crises, such as disease, or loss
of home and shelter
Family control of fertility — so that families are not burdened by children
WHAT ARE VIRUSES ?
What are Viruses?
Viruses are the smallest biological structures even smaller than the bacteria.
They do not have proper cellular structure i.e. they are non-cellular in nature.
Viruses are the host specific, and out of the cell they are metabolically inert.
Virus causes diseases to animals, plants, and bacteria.
Life Cycle of VirusesOne thing that should be understood clearly is that viruses force the host cell to copy the viruses
DNA or RNA to make viral proteins which all assemble to form new virus particles. There are
six stages in the life cycle of the virus. They are given below:
Attachment (Stage 1): In these stage viruses attaches themselves on the host cells. It is
important to note here that Viruses attaches to only that host cell in which they can
reproduce.
Penetration (Stage 2): After attachment, the viruses penetrate in the host cell.
Uncoating (stage 3): In this stage the coating on the viruses is removed by the viral
enzymes or host enzymes. This process exposes the viral nucleic acid i.e. DNA or RNA.
Replication (Stage 4): It is the stage where a cell uses viral messenger RNA in its protein
synthesis systems to produce viral proteins. The RNA or DNA synthesis abilities of the
cell produce the virus's DNA or RNA.
Assembly (Stage 5): It takes place in the cell when the newly created viral proteins and
nucleic acid combine to form hundreds of new virus particles.
Release (Stage 6): It occurs when the new viruses escape or are released from the cell.
Most viruses achieve this by making the cells burst, a process called lysis. Other viruses
such as HIV are released more gently by a process called budding
Classification of Viruses
A particular virus has only one type of nucleic acid in its nucleus which could be a single
or double stranded DNA or RNA. It will be either DNA or RNA.
Hence Viruses are classified in two families depending on whether they have RNA or
DNA genomes and whether these genomes are double or single stranded.
RNA virus : An RNA virus is a virus that has RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its genetic
material. This nucleic acid is usually single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) but may be double-
stranded RNA (dsRNA).
Single-stranded RNA virus : Single stranded RNA viruses can be further classified
according to the sense or polarity of their RNA into negative-sense and positive-sense
RNA viruses. Some are positive in that they have a "sense" strand of RNA (coded
information about how to build proteins) as their genetic material. Positive-sense viral
RNA is identical to viral mRNA and thus can be immediately translated by the host cell.
And other RNA viruses are negative in that they have an "antisense" strand (the paired
opposite of the coded information). Negative-sense viral RNA is complementary to
mRNA.
Negative-Strand RNA virus : Also known as an antisense-strand RNA virus, a virus
whose genetic information consists of a single strand of RNA that is the negative or
antisense strand which does not encode mRNA (messenger RNA) and is complementary
to it. Therefore itmust be copied into the complementary plus-sense mRNA before
proteins can be made. Thus, besides needing to code for an RNA-dependent RNA-
polymerase, these viruses also need to package it (polymerase) in the virion so that they
can make mRNAs upon infecting the cell. The positive-sense RNA molecule then acts as
viral mRNA, which is translated into proteins by the host ribosome. The resultant protein
goes on to direct the synthesis of new virions, such as capsid proteins and RNA replicase,
which is used to produce new negative-sense RNA molecules. Examples of negative-
strand RNA viruses include influenza virus (orthomyxovirus), measles viruses
(paramyxoviruses), and rabies virus (rhabdovirus).
Positive-stranded RNA virus : Also known as a sense-strand RNA virus, a virus whose
genetic information consists of a single strand of RNA that is the positive (or sense)
strand which usually behaves as mRNA (messenger RNA). This mRNA can be translated
immediately upon infection of the host cell, producing a single protein which is modified
by host and viral proteins to form the various proteins needed for replication. Replication
in positive-strand RNA viruses is via a negative-strand intermediate.
Double-Stranded RNA Virus : The double-stranded (ds)RNA viruses represent a diverse
group of viruses that vary widely in host range (humans, animals, plants, fungi, and
bacteria), genome segment number (one to twelve), and virion organization (T-number,
capsid layers, or turrets). Members of this fascinating group include the rotaviruses,
renowned globally as the commonest cause of gastroenteritis in young children, and
bluetongue virus, an economically important pathogen of cattle and sheep. The double
stranded RNA viruses replicate in the cytoplasm, and their replication is
monocistronic(mRNA that can encode only one polypeptide per RNA molecule).
DNA Virus: DNA Virus is a virus that has DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) as its genetic
material. They are usually Large, Icosahedral, enveloped in Lipoproteins, Do not have
polymerase enzymes, and cause Latent infection. Examples include Poxviruses,
Herpesviruses, hepadnaviruses, Hepatitis b.
Evolution of Viruses
Mutation in Viruses are either spontaneous or induced one (Note: Spontaneous means
naturally. Induced one means due to external force).
Mutations:
Mutation is nothing but any event that changes genetic structure
Naturally: Mutation occur during virus replication.
Mutation in RNA viruses may be extremely rapid because RNA is a less
thermodynamically stable molecule than is DNA.
Many of the mutations which give rise to the diversity seen with the HIV virus is not a
result of the fact that the virus uses an RNA genome, but of the nature of the polymerase
enzyme that the virus uses.
Induced: Mutations can manually be introduced by Agents acting directly on bases, e.g.
nitrous acid, Agents acting indirectly, e.g. base analogs which mis-pair more frequently
than normal bases or even by Agents such as UV light or X-rays.
Exchange of Genetic Material:
This involves breaking of covalent bonds within the nucleic acid, exchange of genetic
information, and reforming of covalent bonds.
This kind of break/join recombination is common in DNA viruses or those RNA viruses
which have a DNA phase (retroviruses).
The host cell has recombination systems for DNA.
If a virus has a segmented genome and if two variants of that virus infect a single cell,
progeny virions can result with some segments from one parent, some from the other.
This is an efficient process - but is limited to viruses with segmented genomes - so far the
only human viruses characterized with segmented genomes are RNA viruses.
Difference between Retrovirus and an RNA Virus ?
A retrovirus is that RNA virus which has an intermediate stage involving it being a DNA
i.e. in it’s intermediate stage RNA converts to DNA. This virus can convert their RNA
into DNA copy. This process is catalyzed by reverse transcriptase enzyme. Then this
DNA is integrated covalently into the host genome using integrase enzyme, which is
coded by reverse transcriptase. So, retrovirus has a special advantage as a gene carrier.
They are integrated into the host genome directly, but the reverse transcription is much
faster than the normal transcription process and it is not much accurate. So offspring may
be genetically different from the first generation. Retroviruses can cause HIV and number
of cancers in animals.
On the contrary, an RNA Virus does not convert to DNA in any of the intermediate stage.
Difference between Virus and Retrovirus• Retroviruses are a group of viruses, so retroviruses carry special characteristics, which are not
seen in viruses.
• Virus contains genetic material as DNA or RNA but retrovirus contains only RNA.
• If the virus has DNA, it inserts DNA into the host cell, and it is integrated directly into the host
genome at the lytic phase, whereas retrovirus has RNA as its genetic material and needs to
convert RNA to DNA before insert it into the host genome.
• So, viruses have transcription process, whereas retroviruses have reverse transcription process.
• The second generation of the retrovirus may be different from the first generation because of
the inaccuracy of the revere transcription process, whereas mostly the second generation is
similar to first generation genetically since the virus has normal transcription process which is
accurate than the reverse transcription.
• Because of the vast genetic change in second generation of retroviruses, treatments for diseases
caused by them are difficult, than the treatments for virus caused diseases. For an example, HIV
does not have such specific treatment, whereas virus diseases have treatment like rabies or
influenza.
Difference between DNA & RNA viruses1. DNA viruses are mostly double-stranded while RNA viruses are single-stranded.
2. RNA mutation rate is higher than DNA mutation rate.
3. DNA replication takes place in the nucleus while RNA replication takes place in the
cytoplasm.
4. DNA viruses are stable while RNA viruses are unstable.
5. In DNA viruses, viral genetic code is injected in the host DNA for duplication and decoding.
RNA viruses skip DNA for duplication and decoding.
Important Biological Molecules
Three important biological molecules: (1) DNA (2) RNA (3) Protein
Are the workhorse of the cell and carry out diverse catalytic and structural roles
DNA and RNA, carry the genetic information that can be inherited from one generation
to the next. (Note: DNA or RNA is also called as the Nucleic Acid)
RNA, which stands for ribonucleic acid, is a polymeric molecule made up of one or more
nucleotides. A strand of RNA can be thought of as a chain with a nucleotide at each chain
link. Each nucleotide is made up of a base (adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil,
typically abbreviated as A, C, G and U), a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.
The structure of RNA nucleotides is very similar to that of DNA nucleotides, with the
main difference being that the ribose sugar backbone in RNA has a hydroxyl (-OH) group
that DNA does not. This gives DNA its name: DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid.
Another minor difference is that DNA uses the base thymine (T) in place of uracil (U).
Despite great structural similarities, DNA and RNA play very different roles from one
another in modern cells.
Types of RNA
Sr.
No.
Type of
RNADescription
1 Messenger
RNA
It plays an important role in the transcription of DNA. Transcription is the
process in protein synthesis that involves copying the genetic information
(mRNA)
contained within DNA into an RNA message. During transcription, certain
proteins called transcription factors unwind the DNA strand and allow the
enzyme RNA polymerase to transcribe only a single strand of DNA. DNA
contains the four nucleotide bases adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and
thymine (T) which are paired together (A-T and C-G). When RNA
polymerase transcribes the DNA into a mRNA molecule, adenine pairs with
uracil and cytosine pairs with guanine (A-U and C-G). At the end of
transcription, mRNA is transported to the cytoplasm for the completion of
protein synthesis.
2Transfer
RNA (tRNA)
It plays an important role in the translation portion of protein synthesis. Its job
is to translate the message within the nucleotide sequences of mRNA into
specific amino acid sequences. The amino acid sequences are joined together
to form a protein. Transfer RNA is shaped like a clover leaf with three hairpin
loops. It contains an amino acid attachment site on one end and a special
section in the middle loop called the anticodon site. The anticodon recognizes
a specific area on mRNA called a codon. A codon consists of three continuous
nucleotide bases that code for an amino acid or signal the end of translation.
Transfer RNA along with ribosomes read the mRNA codons and produce
apolypeptide chain. The polypeptide chain undergoes several modifications
before becoming a fully functioning protein.
3 Ribosomal
RNA
(rRNA)
It is a component of cell organelles called ribosomes. A ribosome consists of
ribosomal proteins and rRNA. Ribosomes are typically composed of two
subunits: a large subunit and a small subunit. Ribosomal subunits are
synthesized in the nucleus by the nucleolus. Ribosomes contain a binding site
for mRNA and two binding sites for tRNA located in the large ribosomal
subunit. During translation, a small ribosomal subunit attaches to a mRNA
molecule. At the same time, an initiator tRNA molecule recognizes and binds
to a specific codon sequence on the same mRNA molecule. A large ribosomal
subunit then joins the newly formed complex. Both ribosomal subunits travel
along the mRNA molecule translating the codons on mRNA into a
polypeptide chain as they go. Ribosomal RNA is responsible for creating the
peptide bonds between the amino acids in the polypeptide chain. When a
termination codon is reached on the mRNA molecule, the translation process
ends. The polypeptide chain is released from the tRNA molecule and the
ribosome splits back into large and small subunits.
INDIA INCLUSIVE INNOVATION FUND
The National Innovation Council (NInC) and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME) has come together to set up 'India Inclusive Innovation Fund' (IIIF). The
fund seeks to exploit the Venture Capital model to enable the less-privileged in setting up
businesse enterprises.
About
Its an autonomous and not for profit 500-crore fund (with ambition to expand upto Rs
5000 crore).
100 crore (20 per cent of total) is to be granted by the centre.
The rest is expected to be generated from public sector banks and various financial
institutions.
Its to be in operation for nine years with possible extension by up to two years (subject to
approval of contributors).
Advantage
The fund will provide concessional finance to ventures that are innovative and
sustainable.
The stress will be given to start-ups which seems profitable simultaneously addressing
social needs like healthcare, agriculture, education / skill development etc.
Venture Capital funded start-ups normally have to shell out 22-25% (on the average)
internal rate of return (IRR), but IIIF plans to keep it as low as 12%.
More:
The thinking behind the concept is to support small to medium entrepreneurs and thus
help job creations.
Its to add teeth to the efforts of socio-economical upliftment by assisting inadequate
philanthropy and Government grants/subsidies provided to the poors.
Latest
P Chidambaram has also announced a Rs.200 crore venture capital fund to promote Dalit
entrepreneurs in possibly his last budget speech as finance minister.
Head of the NInC: Sam Pitroda
SEBI ANNOUNCES NEW 'CORPORATE GOVERNANCE' NORMS
IntroductionCorporate world is based on the capital (money) provided to it by the numerous
stakeholders/shareholders of the companies. So, it is very important to protect the interests of the
stakeholders.
Why is it in news?
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI-regulator for securities market in India)
recently came out with a policy on corporate governance which is to be followed by all
the companies in India.
This new corporate governance code has been build & formulated over some similar
provisions present in the New Companies Act, 2013.
Big scams have happened in the recent years. The famous one is the corporate fraud by
Satyam founder and Chairman Ramalinga Raju. In fact, trouble started brewing at
Satyam around December 16 when Satyam announced its decision to buy stakes in
Maytas Properties and Infrastructure for $1.3 billion. The deal was soon called off owing
to major discontentment on the part of shareholders and plummeting share-price.
However, in what has been seen as one of the largest corporate frauds in India, Raju
confessed that the profits in the Satyam books had been inflated and that the cash
reserve with the company was minimal. Ironically, Satyam had received the Golden
Peacock Global Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance in September 2008 but
was stripped of it soon after Raju's confession.
What is Corporate Governance?
Corporate Governance may be defined as a set of systems, processes and principles
which ensure that a company is governed in the best interest of all stakeholders.
In short, it deals with conducting the affairs of a company such that there is fairness to all
stakeholders and that its actions benefit the greatest number of stakeholders.
It is the system by which companies are directed and controlled.
It is about promoting corporate fairness, transparency and accountability.
In other words, 'good corporate governance' is simply 'good business'.
The management needs to prevent asymmetry of benefits between various sections of
shareholders, especially between the owner-managers and the rest of the shareholders.
Advantages of Corporate Governance
Adequate disclosures and effective decision making to achieve corporate objectives;
Transparency in business transactions;
Statutory and legal compliances;
Protection of shareholder interests;
Commitment to values and ethical conduct of business.
Principles underlying corporate governance
Integrity
Fairness
Transparency
Complying with laws of the land
Accountability
Responsibility
Conducting business in a good manner
Objectives of Corporate Governance
A properly structured board capable of taking independent and objective decisions is in
place at the helm of affairs;
The board is balance as regards the representation of adequate number of non-executive
and independent directors who will take care of their interests and well-being of all the
stakeholders;
The board adopts transparent procedures and practices and arrives at decisions on the
strength of adequate information;
The board has an effective machinery to subserve the concerns of stakeholders;
The board keeps the shareholders informed of relevant developments impacting the
company;
The board effectively and regularly monitors the functioning of the management team;
The board remains in effective control of the affairs of the company at all times.
new norms would also seek to clearly differentiate between 'innocent mistakes' and
genuine transactions of company executives from the unlawful and serious trading
offences.
Some Important provisions under new corporate governance
Companies to justify high executive salaries
Put in place an orderly succession plan
Adopt a whistle-blower policy for employees
Limit the number of directorship a person can hold on company boards.
Various other measures to safeguard the interest of minority shareholders
Grant greater oversight by minority shareholders and independent directors and check
any unjustifiable payments to related parties
Introduce a new concept of 'Corporate Governance Rating' by independent agencies to
monitor the level of compliance by the listed companies, in addition to regular inspection
by SEBI and stock exchanges.
Greater alignment of CEO salaries with the performance and goals of the company, as
also mandatory disclosure of ratio of remuneration paid to the each of their directors and
their median staff salary. Similar provisions have been made in the new Companies Act.
Other Provisions of the New Corporate Governance
Independent director can be on the board of maximum 7 listed companies and 3 in case
the person is serving as a whole time director in a listed company Ten public companies.
No separate provision for listed companies.
Whistle blower policy made mandatory
Succession Policy Not specified
Independent director: max two terms of 5 years each
ID tenure to be computed on retrospective basis It has been specified that it should not be
applied retrospectively
No stock options for ID
Nominee director not to be treated as independent
Prior approval of Audit Committee for all material Related Party Transactions (RPTs)
Not specified
Performance evaluation of Independent Directors and the Board of Directors
Separate meeting of Independent Directors
Constitution of Stakeholders Relationship Committee
Enhanced disclosure of remuneration policies
Approval of all material RPTs by shareholders through special resolution with related
parties abstaining from voting
Mandatory constitution of Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Chairman of the
said committees shall be independent. Chairman independence not necessary
At least one woman director on the Board of the company
The scope of the definition of RPT has been widened to include elements of Companies
Act and Accounting Standards. Not clarified.
E-voting facility by top 500 companies by market capitalization for all shareholder
resolutions Not mandatory.
Providing training to Independent Directors Not specified
Most important point that SEBI has come out for corporate worldSEBI has pointed out that under the new corporate governance, companies should clearly draw a
line distinguishing the personal & corporate funds while managing the company. Till now, it has
been seen that many of the corporate funds have been used for personal benefits.
Why it is important?
It helps to maintain the confidence of people in a particular company & also in the market
Ideals of corporate governance in any country are seen by the Foreign Institutional
Investors (FII) before investing in a country.
It also helps to have a positive influence on the share price of the company.
Having a clean image on the corporate governance front could also make it easier for
companies to source capital at more reasonable costs.
What happens without the Corporate Governance?To summarize what happens without Corporate Governance is that without Corporate
Governance, big & larger scams happen in the corporate world.
What about insider trading?
Insider Trading is the buying of share of a company whose share information is known to
a person already. That person is the “insider” i.e. he either holds an important position in
the company or has close connection to the company.
For e.g. If XYZ company is going to get a tender to make rockets for NASA. It is
obvious that the share prices of that company are going to increase. To get the profit from
this, the company’s CEO (an insider) may sell the shares.
Insider Trading has not been included in the New Corporate Governance.
But it is going to be incorporated soon as per the new reports.
But it has been said that definition of the Insider Trading by the SEBI is going to be
redefined.
Under the proposed norms on insider trading many new categories of persons, including
public servants, regulatory officials, judiciary and government officials, dealing with
unpublished price-sensitive information, are being brought under the purview of insider
trading.
CANINE DISTEMPER' THREATENS INDIA'S TIGER POPULATION
Introduction:
A virus named canine distemper virus is spreading very fast in the tiger population of India. This
particular virus is very common among the dogs but it is very lethal to the Carnivores specially
Tigers. It has raised a concern as many of the tigers in India have tested positive to this virus. In
the past year, this virus has killed at least four tigers & many other animals.
Stats about Indian tigers:
India is home to more than half of the world's estimated 3,200 tigers
Despite dozens of tiger reserves in place, their numbers have sunk from an estimated
5,000-7,000 in the 1990s, when their habitat was more than twice as large.
Tiger habitat had gone down from 93687 to 81881 sq km (36,176 to 31614 sq miles) in
the four years the census was conducted.
Some disturbing findings:
The cases that reported positive to the virus tests are situated at different & distant places.
In some situations, cases have been found where there were no dogs at all i.e. the virus
appears to be spreading.
It is not just tigers that are getting this virus but also other carnivores.
Why wasn’t it detected before?
Tests for canine distemper virus are not carried on a regular basis.
Also, even if an animal dies, hardly any reason behind it is found out i.e. many of such
cases go undetected.
Also, dead bodies of very few animals that die in the wild are ever found.
Is it serious ?
There have been incidents around the world where this virus wiped out entire population
of a particular animal.
It brought the US black-footed ferret to the brink of extinction in the late 1970s.
In Tanzania in 1994, an epidemic probably introduced by tourists' dogs wiped out at least
a third of the 3,000-strong African lion population in Serengeti national park.
About the Canine Distemper Virus
Meaning: Canine means Of or relating to a pointed conical tooth. Distemper means Any
of various infectious viral diseases of animals.
Technically: It is a single stranded RNA virus of the family paramyxovirus.
Particularly, the animals in the early stages of growth (cubs/young ones of the tiger in this
case) are vulnerable to this virus.
It causes high fever, watery eyes, lethargy, paralysis and death.
A close relative of measles.
associated mostly with domestic dogs
Dogs recover from it as it is regular for them. But other animals including tigers, lions
and leopards suffer fever, seizures and delirium before they die.
There is no known cure.
Spread: The main source of infection is by inhalation of aerosol droplets during close
dog-to-dog (or animal to animal) contact. Signs can take up to three weeks to appear. The
virus cannot survive easily in the environment and can be killed by most household
disinfectants.
Signs: The early signs of disease are primarily respiratory with runny eyes and nose, and
coughing. This is followed by depression, loss of appetite, vomiting and subsequently
diarrhoea. In the later stages of the disease, animals may develop thickening of the foot
pads, known as ‘hard pad’, and nose. (For Tiger specially: display strange behavior with
disorientation, inability to predate, besides loss of fear)
Treatment: There is no specific treatment for canine distemper, although supportive
therapy in the form of intravenous fluids are often given to correct the fluid loss due to
vomiting and diarrhoea. The best form of protection against this virus is through
vaccination.
Steps being taken by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
Tests for existence of this virus are being carried out in each of the area having tiger
population. (Note: there are obvious challenges in capturing the reclusive and dangerous
nighttime predators for blood tests. It needs lot of funding and lot of manpower)
Also, a campaign has been started to vaccinate dogs against canine distemper. (Note:
Dogs are there in the vicinity of zones and sanctuaries. It is not possible to vaccinate each
single dog. But even if it is possible to vaccinate 50% of these dogs, the threat can be
reduced significantly)
regular vaccination of dogs, cats and stray cattle living around tiger reserves
collection of tissue of dead animals for pathological analysis
periodical checking of water quality in tiger reserves
What experts have to say?
It is hardly possible to control the disease as much of the human population lives near the
wildlife. with rapid development people and their pets are coming closer and closer to
wildlife.
On the contrary, government should focus on other, proven threats such as poaching, prey
loss to hunting and human encroachment into forests.
What other countries have done to contain this virus?
South Africa has quarantined huge areas and created disease-free spaces in the wild.
It is not feasible here.
Some other problems being faced by the tigers:
Illegal poaching
Selling tigers in black market because of its various uses specially by the traditional
Chinese medicine practitioners
Deforestation and urban growth bring the cats ever closer to human settlements and into
conflict with villagers who will hunt any wild animals near their communities or livestock.
LI FI TECHNOLOGY : LIGHT FIDELITY
IntroductionAs we all know that light reaches everywhere. Imagine if certain information is to be passed
using light as a medium. Not only the communication will get fast but also the possibilities
coming with it. Such a technique of using Light as a medium is dubbed as the Li-Fi.
What is Wi-Fi ?
Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity.
It uses 2.4 to 5 GHz radio frequency to deliver wireless Internet access around our
homes, schools, offices and in public places.
Main problem with the Wi-Fi
Bandwidth is typically limited to 50-100 megabits per second (Mbps) today using the
IEEE802.11n standard.
It works fine with many of the internet connections. But it is unable to deliver the High
Definition Movies, music libraries or video games.
With the recent increase in the use of cloud computing (where you store your information
on certain web server & not on your local disk), Wi-Fi is not going to be useful in the
future as it will not be able to cater to the need of the increasing bandwidth & speed.
Other Problems with the Radio Spectrum
Capacity (Costly & Expensive. Less bandwidth compared to other spectrums. Insufficient
spectrum for increasing data)
Efficiency (millions of base stations consume huge amount of energy)
Availability (Available within the range of Base Stations. Limited Availability.
Unavailable in aircrafts)
Security (Less secure. It passes through walls)
Components of Electromagnetic Spectrum
Sr.
No.
Electromagnetic
SpectrumDescription
1 Radio Waves Expensive, Limited Bandwidth, less secure
2 Infrared Only for Low power Applications
3 VisibleWhich is not used so far. Sage to Use. Larger
Bandwidth.
4 Ultra-violet Dangerous for human body.
5 X-rays Used for hospitals
6 Gamma Rays Is not used generally as it is very harmful.
What is Li-Fi?
Li-Fi is the latest communication technology which can transmit data using the spectrum
of visible light.
Other names for Li-Fi: Optical Wireless technologies / Visible Light Communication
(VLC) but mostly called Li-Fi (Light Fidelity)
Speed possible to Achieve: 10 Gbit/S (Giga bit per second). It is around 250 times faster
than the “superfast” broadband.
The name “Li-Fi” was first coined by Edinburgh University’s Prof. Harald Hass in 2001.
How Li-Fi Technology works ?
It works by sending data over the light.
For this purpose a LED (Light Emitting Diode) light bulb, anyone at all, can be flicked on
and off in order to be able to generate signals. A proper Light Receiver is made for
receiving the LED signals.
The LED bulb will hold a micro-chip that will do the job of processing the data.
The light intensity can be manipulated to send data by tiny changes in amplitude.
Properties of LED: (Fundamental property of Li-Fi): (1) Intensity can be modulated into
very high speeds and varying amplitudes. (2) LED can be switched on and off with very
high speed.
The question that comes to mind is that why would someone sit below a flickering light
bulb? But this is not the thing. The technology is focusing on making sure that the light
bulb is flickered up to billions of times a second! At that rate, the human eye simply
cannot notice the light bulb being flicked on and off.
The LIFI product consists of 4 primary sub-assemblies: Bulb, RF power amplifier circuit
(PA) , Printed circuit board (PCB) & Enclosure
The PCB controls the electrical inputs and outputs of the lamp and houses the
microcontroller used to manage different lamp functions.
An RF (radio-frequency) signal is generated by the solid-state PA and is guided into an
electric field about the bulb. The high concentration of energy in the electric field
vaporizes the contents of the bulb to a plasma state at the bulb’s center; this controlled
plasma generates an intense source of light. All of these sub assemblies are contained in
an aluminum enclosure.
Function of the Bulb Sub-Assembly: At the heart of Li-Fi is the bulb sub-assembly where
a sealed bulb is embedded in a dielectric material. This design is more reliable than
conventional light sources that insert degradable electrodes into the bulb. The dielectric
material serves two purposes; first as a waveguide for the RF energy transmitted by the
PA and second as an electric field concentrator that focuses energy in the bulb. The
energy from the electric field rapidly heats the material in the bulb to a plasma state that
emits light of high intensity and full spectrum.
Infrared Rays in remote control of TV
Single data stream
10,000 or 20,000 bits per second
Not usable for video streaming
Uses of Li-Fi
For increasing Communication speed
For increasing Flexibility
For increasing Usability
Reduced cost
Greater efficiency
It uses LED instead of bulbs & hence is indirectly helping environment.
Drawback of Li-Fi
the data receiver would have to be in sight of the transmitter-bulb as visible light does not
penetrate solid materials. (Note: Some experts are considering it as an advantage as the
hackers won’t be able to hack Li-Fi network without being in sight.
Presence of Light is required.
Difference between Wi-Fi & Li-Fi
Sr.
No.Wi-Fi Li-Fi
1
Wi-Fi transmits data over the radio waves.
(Note: Both Wi-Fi & Li-Fi transmits data
over the electromagnetic spectrum.
Li-Fi transmits data over the visible light &
some Li-Fi technologies transfer data over all
the frequencies of electromagnetic spectrum.
2 It can penetrate solids. It cannot penetrate solids.
3 Data transfer rate is much slower. Data transfer rate is very fast.
4
It Wi-Fi signals there is lot of noise when
the number of Wi-Fi network increase in an
particular area.
Such type of problem is not faced by the Li-Fi.
Li-Fi and Wi-Fi
Appearance of the Li-Fi cannot wipe off the need of Wi-Fi.
Li-Fi is a complementary.
Advantages of use of Visible Light over Radio Waves
Visible light is more plentiful than the radio waves. (more bandwidth)
Visible light can achieve far greater data density.
Can be used underwater without radio interference because salt conducts electricity
Transmission can be blocked by walls so there is less risk for data leaking
Can be safely used on planes because it does not interfere with radio equipment.
Uses of Li Fi
It can be used in Hospitals where Radio Frequency signals are a threat to the medical
equipment present in the hospital.
It can be used in Mobiles to transfer data speedily.
In Radio Frequency Restricted Environments
In vehicles and traffic lights, reducing accidents and traffic congestion
Street lamps (as free access points)
In Aircraft cabins
Current Affairs 01 Mar 2014
Noted environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt has been honoured with the Gandhi
Peace Prize 2013.
o He, a noted environmentalist and social activist, is known for his work on
subaltern social ecology.
o He is also the recipient of Padma Bhushan (2005) and Ramon Magsaysay Award
(1982).
Arseniy Yatsenyuk to be the new Prime Minister of Ukraine.
o He won the parliament's approval by securing 317 votes out of the total 450.
o He has been the minister of Economy and Foreign together with being the speaker
of Parliament.
World observes the inaugural 'Zero Discrimination Day' on March 1 with the slogan
"No matter how you look, where you come from or who you love – everyone has the right
to live a full life with dignity"
o The day was introduced to the world by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel
Sidibé in Beijing recently.
GOVERNMENT APPROVES THE MISSION DOCUMENT ON THE N ATIONAL
M ISSION FOR S USTAINING THE H IMALAYAN E COSYSTEM (NMSHE).
Government has approved the Mission document on the National Mission for Sustaining the
Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE). The mission's primary objective is to improve the health of
the Himalayan Ecosystem for sustainable development through capacity building. It will also
assist executive bodies with policy-formulation and their implementation in the Indian
Himalayan Region to ensure sustainable development.
Detailed Objectives
It will study the Himalayan glaciers and associated hydrological consequences which
will help in prediction and management of natural hazards.
To calculate vulnerability of the Himalayan region with respect to climate change in
all dimensions of physical, biological and socio-cultural aspects.
Formulation of proper initiatives and building of quick response mechanism to
preserve and protect the ecosystem.
To help build capacities at all executive level to predict and assess consequences due
to climate change and launch preventive and restorative measures to beat the challenges
in the Himalayan region.
To safeguard native communities in particular and biodiversity in general in the
region from the impacts of climate change through proper mechanism.
Assist in restoration and rehabilitation process of Uttarakhand which was devastated
in last year's ravaging floods.
Coverage
The Mission covers all 12 Himalayan States of India
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, and two partial hill States
namely, Assam and West Bengal.
About
NMSHE was launched under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
with a budget outlay of Rs. 550 crore during the 12th Plan period.
More
The Department of Science and Technology will coordinate the implementation
of NMSHE.
Background
The rapidly changing climate around us is both a threat and opportunity to
the environmental and sustainable development in the world today and India is no
exception.
With this in mind, Indian Prime Minister released India’s National Action Plan on
Climate Change (NAPCC) in June 2008.
The document detailed a road map on how the country should best deal with the
challenges posed by climate change on its way to development.
The NAPCC comprises of eight national Missions
National Solar Mission
National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
National Water Mission
National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system
National Mission for a Green India
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
Nation's first post office savings bank ATM comes up in Chennai.
The move is in tune with the modernization project to revive the struggling 150-year-old
Department of Posts by using technologies.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approves Rs. 975 crore for 'River Basin
Management' (RBM) scheme of the Ministry of Water Resources during 12th Plan Period.
Acclaimed Telugu writer 'Janamaddhi Hanamachhaastri' dies aged 90.
Few of his popular books are Vidurudu, Mahasoudham, Maa Seema Kavulu and
Tyaagamoorthulu.
Arvind Saxena takes over as President and Managing Director of General Motors India.
He succeeds Lowell Paddock as such.
LIST OF SCHEMES RUN BY MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS.
National Monitoring Committee for Minorities (NMCM) has recently (February 2014) been
Set up under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Minority Affairs to evaluate several
programmes and schemes run by the Ministry.
It primary objective is to assess achievements and modify the process of planning and
execution over a period of time.
List of Schemes run by Ministry of Minority Affairs
Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP)
Launched in 2008-09
To bridge the development deficits faced by minorities through creation of socio-
economic infrastructure to give them basic amenities for their overall empowerment.
710 Minority Concentration Blocks (MCBs) and 66 Minority Concentration Towns
(MCTs) have been identified for implementation of MsDP during 12th Plan.
Scholarship Schemes
Various scholarship schemes are in operation for children of notified minority
communities with intent to improve their education, skill and employability.
Like: Pre-Matric, Post –Matric and Merit-cum Means Scholarship schemes.
Padho Pardes
It provides interest subsidy to minority students to avail loans from various banks for
overseas studies.
The National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC)
It has helped the poorest section of minorities (6.44 lakh beneficiary) with concessional
loans to the tune of Rs. 1667.41 Crore so far.
Seekho Aur Kamao (Learn & Earn)
To enhance employability by skill development of minorities
It successfully placed at least 75% of trained minority youths into jobs since inception
last year.
Women Empowerment
A Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women
Trained about 37000 women across 12 States in its inaugural year (2012-13)
Ambition to train further 40,000 women during 2013-14.
Jiyo Parsi
A scheme devoted to Parsi community started during for arresting their persistent
population decline.
It was launched in 2013-14.
Equal Opportunity Commission
The government has recently (February 2014) constituted Equal Opportunity
Commission as per the recommendation of Justice Sachar Committee.
It will be (once the bill is cleared in Parliament) a statutory body to check discrimination
of minority communities in jobs and education and instances like denial of buying rights
or accommodation in housing societies.
Minority Cyber Gram
For digital literacy of Minorities in collaboration with Digital Empowerment Foundation
in PPP mode.
The Pilot Project covers village of Chandauli in Alwar (Rajasthan).
Khidmat
A dedicated Toll Free Helpline no. 1800112001 known as “Khidmat” has been launched
to help the community with knowledge and information on various schemes/programmes
of the Ministry.
Minority Today
A quarterly tri-lingual (Hindi, English and Urdu) magazine to create awareness and open
dialogue with the target communities regarding their development.
Launched in January, 2014.
For Waqf
Waqf (Amendment) Act 2013
To streamline their resources and functioning
National Waqf Development Corporation Limited (NAWADCO)
To finance the development of Waqf properties for larger public welfare.
Constituted in January, 2014
Waqf Properties (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Bill 2013
This stand-alone legislation is solely meant to protect Waqf Properties by evicting
unauthorized occupants on Wakf properties.
Minority Affairs Ministry introduced 2 new schemes in March 2014 for minorities.
Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme
Its dedicated to serve the health needs of students studying in schools financially assisted
by MAEF (Maulana Azad Education Foundation).
Nalanda Project
Its a faculty development program for minorities’ higher educational institutions.
Current Affairs 28 Feb 2014
Government constitutes G K Pillai committee to look into the viability of carving out a
separate Bodoland state from Assam.
o This one-man committee has been assigned 9 months to submit its report after due
deliberation with all stakeholders.
THE SUPREME COURT SETS UP A FIVE-JUDGE CONSTITUTION BENCH TO LOOK
INTO THE PROSPECT OF LEGALIZATION OF MERCY KILLING .
The Supreme Court has set up a five-judge Constitution Bench to look into the prospect
of legalization of euthanasia (Mercy Killing). The move has come in the wake of petition filed
by NGO Common Cause that wants Death with Dignity to become a right much like the Life
with Dignity.
What is Euthanasia:
Its intentionally killing a patient with no hope of revival in order to relieve intractable
pain and suffering borne by him/her.
The earlier judgements in this matter
Gian Kaur case (1996):
It declared the Right to Die with Dignity is implicit in the broader Right to Live with
Dignity under Article 21 though it offered nothing concrete on the legality/ validity of
Mercy Killing whether Active or Passive.
It also advised Parliament to come up with clear law and guidelines regarding the same.
Aruna Shanbaug case (2011):
It allowed Passive Euthanasia for the terminally ill patient under strict guidelines while
rejecting Active Euthanasia outrightly.
The apex court had declined the mercy killing petition of Aruna Shanbaug in 2011 who
has been in a perpetual vegetative state for the last 37 years after a brutal rape.
2 Types of Mercy Killing
Active:
To kill the terminally ill patient, with no hope of recovery at all, using external agents
like lethal substance or injection.
Passive:
To kill (relieve the suffering of) the terminally ill patient by withdrawing necessary life
supports (medical treatments) gradually over some time.
Debate:
The matter is very controversial on the moral, ethical, and legal grounds.
What proponent say
People must be allowed the right to self-determination
Its not killing but deliverance from inhuman and intractable pain and suffering.
Its better to die than to suffer hopelessly
It does not lead to misuse and malpractices as few countries like Netherlands and
Belgium have applied it successfully.
What opponent say
Killing someone is against the sanctity of life and amount to murder
legalising euthanasia will lead to misuse and malpractices.
Countries which allow Euthanasia
Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Estonia, Albania, and the US
states of Washington, Oregon and Montana.
They allow only passive (not active) euthanasia, that too with strict guidelines.
NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY IS OBSERVED ACROSS THE NATION ON FEBRUARY 28 WITH
THE THEME ‘ FOSTERING SCIENTIFIC TEMPER ’ .
o The day celebrate anniversary of the discovery of the Raman effect by Indian
physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman on this very date in 1928.
o He was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for this achievement.
Environment ministry gives go-ahead to confined field trials of Genetically Modified
(GM) crops.
o The move will enable gene modification trials of over 200 varieties of rice, wheat,
cotton, maize among other crops.
o Though the matter is sub judice in Supreme Court, the apex court has not put any
embargo on trials so far.
Centre inaugurates All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) at Bhubaneswar,
Odisha.
o The institution is also set to launch bar-coded ‘e-health card’ (smart card) which
will keep record of patients’ ailment and treatment history.
o The same facility will be extended to all six AIIMS in the country.
Government kicks off Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Boys –
“Saksham”.
o It aims to achieve all-round development of boys by making them self-reliant,
gender-sensitive and aware citizens.
o The project is to cover all adolescent boys between 11 to 18 years of age.
o To be implemented in 20 selected districts in seven States on a pilot basis.
Renowned Spanish guitarist 'Paco de Lucia' breathes his last at 66.
o He, originally called Francisco Sanchez Gomez, was famous for his flamenco
style.
Government sanctions Rs.434 crore for establishment of four new National Institutes of
Design (NID) at Jorhat (Assam), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Vijayawada (Andhra
Pradesh) and Kurukshetra (Haryana).
Nucleus Breeding Centre for Tiger Shrimp inaugurated in Port Blair.
o India ranks second only to China in global aquaculture production producing 4.64
million tonnes annually out of the world’s total production of 60 million tones.
o The centre is estimated to earn India USD 1 Billion through aquaculture export.
Centre to set up a new rail coach manufacturing unit at Kolar, Karnataka.
o The joint venture between Indian Railways and Karnataka government is
expected to roll out 500 coaches every year.
Current Affairs 27 Feb 2014
Admiral DK Joshi becomes the first chief of Indian armed forces to resign since
independence.
o He did so in the aftermath of a fire accident aboard INS Sindhuratna submarine
which claimed at least 2 lives.
o Vice Admiral Robin Dhowan is to serve as acting Navy Chief till a new chief is
selected.
o The recent string of accidents has raised many concerns on safety in the Indian
Navy.
INDIA’S LARGEST SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANT COMES UP IN MADHYA
PRADESH.
India’s largest solar photovoltaic plant has been commissioned at Bhagwanpur in Neemuch
(Madhya Pradesh). The plant with installed capacity of 151-MW has been developed by the
India's largest private solar projects developer Welspun Energy Ltd (WEL).
Details
It is expected to supply electricity at around Rs 8 per kWh.
Renewable energy has to be given due priority in the wake of our ever growing need for
energy.
It not only provides clean energy but also is going to be the only alternative to
conventional sources of power like coal, gas and nuclear which are bound to finish one
day.
About half of India’s photovoltaic capacity is located in Gujarat.
This plant is supposed to increase country's solar capacity by 7 percent.
India currently has a grid-connected solar-power capacity of 2208 MW.
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) aims to enhance our solar energy
capacity to 20 Gigawatts by 2022.
Top 3 Solar Photovoltaic Plant in India
Welspun Solar Plant Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh): 151 MW***
Dhule (Sakri, Shivajinagar) Solar Power Plant Maharashtra : 150 MW***
Welspun Energy 50MW Rajasthan Solar Project - Phalodhi, Rajasthan: 50 MW
Bitta Solar Power Plant (Adani Power) - Bitta, Kutch District, Gujarat: 40 MW
*** due to subtle differences in Single unit/multiple unit or individual solar plant or solar park
there is some confusion regarding the actual status of largest Solar plants in India. So, kindly be
careful and bring it to our attention if some factual mistake is there in the listing.
The difference between Solar-Thermal & Solar Photovoltaic technology
Photovoltaic
Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells
containing a photovoltaic material. They convert solar radiation into electrical power.
Solar-Thermal
It uses solar energy instead of coal energy to boil the water into steam and then use the
steam power to move turbines for generating electricity.
2 types of Photovoltaic Plant
Solar Thermal energy plant
Thermal cells capture the heat energy from the sun and then use that generate steam by
boiling water.
Its the steam energy which generates power ultimately by moving turbine.
Its also used for heating water and as an indoor heating system.
Concentrating power plant
The only major difference is the addition of mirrors and lenses as catalyst to generate
more heat.
The light from the sun is concentrated onto the photovoltaic cells and that is converted
into heat energy.
The rest of the process is same.
This is more professional and efficient type of technology than the first one.
Difference between Solar Plant and Solar Park
A solar plant is an individual power generating unit run by a particular developer
whereas a Solar Park is a congregation of such plants at one place for the ease of
operation.
In Solar Park all the units has a separate transformer to connect them to the grid.
Two types of Photovoltaic Technology
Crystalline:
Efficiency is stable and have long life but are difficult to repair if damaged.
Land requirement is less (1.6 ha per MW as against 2.6 ha in thin film technology).
Thin film technology
Needs more land
Due to smaller temperature coefficient of maximum power higher the performance
improves under diffused light conditions (morning and evening hours)
Said to have a shorter life, but advancing development has improved the life span to
at least 25 years.
Susceptible to change in atmosphere: fails when condition is overcast or at night"
Largest single-unit CSP plant in the world
Abu Dhabi’s Shams 1 concentrating solar power (CSP) plant.
India is planning to install the World's largest Solar Power Plant with 4000 MW Capacity
near Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan that will sell electricity at an estimated rate of Rs 5.50 per
unit.
EGYPT GETS A NEW P RIME M INISTER IN IBRAHIM MEHLIB .
o He has been chosen by the interim president Adly Mansour to succeed Hazem el-
Beblawi.
o It will be the country's sixth government since the ouster of autocrat Hosni
Mubarak in 2011 uprising.
Sri Lanka rejects UN call for international investigation into war crimes committed by
government forces during bloody civil war.
Sourav Kothari clinches his maiden National billiards championship by pipping Alok
Kumar in a marathon encounter.
Indian origin scientist 'Madan Babu' has been honoured with Protein Science Young
Investigator Award for 2014 at Cambridge (UK).
o The prize, given by Protein Society, recognizes notable contribution made in the
study of proteins.
India Newspaper Society (INS) celebrates its Platinum Jubilee.
Born as "Indian and Eastern Newspaper Society" on February 27, 1939 in New Delhi, its
a umbrella body of Newspapers published in India and currently has more than 1,000
members having publications in 19 languages with a combined circulation of 71 million
copies.
Israel's highest civilian honour, the 'Medal of Distinction', has been awarded to German
chancellor Angela Merkel.
Government passes Bill to establish "Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural
University" at Jhansi (UP).
Objective : impart education and undertake research in different branches of
agriculture, allied sciences and programmes of extension education in the Bundelkhand
region (of UP/MP). It will also promote linkages with national and international
educational institutes towards this goal.
The university will set up colleges for agriculture, horticulture, forestry (in UP)
and veterinary, animal sciences and fisheries (in MP).
India and Russia agrees to set up a Joint Study Group for studying the scope of
CECA (Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement) with member-countries of
the Customs Union viz Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
National Monitoring Committee for Minorities (NMCM) holds its first meeting in
Delhi.
o NMCM : was constituted recently to assess the achievements and review
Ministry of Minority Affairs' planning process, programmes, strategies and
implementation process over its 9 years of establishment.
o It includes 72 experts in minority related issues
Current Affairs 26 Feb 2014
Indian-American scientist Sangeeta Bhatia developed a quick, simple and affordable
paper test to detect cancer.
o The breakthrough may replace expensive tests like mammograms and
colonoscopy.
o The diagnostic, much like a pregnancy test, is based on urine sample.
o She is professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Howard
Hughes Medical Institute.
RBI constituted Bimal Jalan panel, meant to shortlist applications for new bank
licences, submits its report.
o Licences are now expected to be allotted by the end of March.
o Kotak Mahindra Bank and Yes Bank were the last two Private Banks to get
banking licences from the RBI in 2003-04.
INDIA IS ALL SET TO CONDUCT A DRY RUN STUDY ON INTERNATIONAL
NORTH-SOUTH TRANSPORT CORRIDOR (INSTC) RAIL LINK IN MARCH 2014.
India is all set to conduct a dry run study on International North-South Transport Corridor
(INSTC) rail link in March. The massive multi-modal transport corridor passes through Nhava
Sheva (Mumbai)- Bandar Abbas (Iran)- Tehran-Bandar Anzali (Iran) and
Astrakhan(Russia).
About
The move was declared at the 3rd meeting of the Inter Governmental Commission on
Trade and Economic, Science and Technology Cooperation between India and
Azerbaijan.
Dry run (testing process) : to know and eliminate the possible adverse consequences in
advance before the facility is put into operation.
This massive effort is aimed at significantly reducing freight transportation cost and time
between India and Central Asia and Russia.
The multi-modal transport network consist of ship, rail, and road route for moving
freight from India (South Asia) to Europe primarily through Iran, the Caucasus, and
Russia.
The ambitious plan was mooted by India, Russia and Iran in St. Petersburg in 2000 and
subsequently they signed an agreement in 2001 to further develop the route.
The Route Break-up
India to Iran via sea route: connects ports on India's west coast to Bandar Abbas in Iran
Rail or road route across Iran to Armenia and Georgia till Caspian Sea: to Bandar
Anzali port on the Caspian Sea (This route is not complete as it requires rail connectivity
of about 200 km from Iran to Caspian Sea).
Sea route from Caspian Sea upto the shore of Caucasus/ Southern Russia.
To Moscow and also Europe from thereon along Volga River through Rail or road
route.
Once the cargo reaches Russia, it can then utilize the vast transportation network
connecting Russia to other neighbouring countries.
Benefits
This route will connect India to energy rich regions of Central Asia.
It will also enable us to circumvent politically unstable and not so friendly Pakistan and
Afghanistan to access Central Asia and the regions beyond.
It will unveil vast markets while reducing the costs of transport and travel.
At present freights from India to Russia and Central Asia have to transit tortuous routes
of Suez Canal.
The Suez Canal route takes about 45-60 days but this new route will reduce the time
almost by half to about 25-30 days only.
Beneficiary
India, Iran, Russia, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazhakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus and Oman
RENOWNED PAINTER PROKASH KARMAKAR BREATHES HIS LAST AT 81.
o Lalit Kala Akademi National Award (1968) was one among many honours he
received for his paintings.
Government to set up Urban Institute of India in Delhi, under the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Poverty Alleviation.
o Apex National level institution to facilitate inclusive and sustainable urban
development and provide effective capacity building in the urban sector
o creating and disseminating standards and best practices of Urban Management
o will conduct high quality research on relevant and contemporary urban issues and
policies, design, and implementation
o autonomous and not–for–profit institution ; first institute for the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Poverty
DRDO inaugurates “Anusandhan Vihar” - a modern, sophisticated and eco-friendly
residential complex at Timarpur, Delhi.
It boasts of DRDO's Bio-digester technology for sewage treatment.
Current Affairs 25 Feb 2014
Somdev Devvarman captures his 3rd ATP men's singles tennis title demolishing
Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 6-1 in the final held in Delhi.
o It was his fourth Challenger level final.
o 1st Title: Lexington (US) in 2008
o 2nd Title: Izmir (Turkey) in 2010
Egypt's Interim Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi resigns with his cabinet.
o He, an Army appointee, had come to power after ex-president Mohamed Morsi’s
government was deposed by the Army amidst escalating mass protests against his
rule last July.
o The country has been in constant state of political flux since the outbreak of Arab
Spring.
A 12-year-old Indian American boy Shubham Banerjee developes a low cost Braille
Printer named 'Braigo'.
o They convert regular data from computer devices into information in Braille on
the print-out.
o They, usually slower and noisier, tend to consume more papers for the same
amount of output.
Jayant Vishnu Narlikar to receive Y Nayudamma memorial award 2013 for his notable
contributions in astronomy and astrophysics.
o The annual honour is awarded to scientist and technologist for their worthy
contributions.
o Its named after acclaimed leather technologist and scientist Nayudamma.
Government revises NCR development plan to allow construction activities in eco-
sensitive zones of Aravali.
o This means that construction limit in nature conservation zones (NCZ) can now
go beyond 0.5 percent of land.
o It also approves of tourism activities in ecologically sensitive zones (ESZ).
Bihar to get 1320 MW (2 X 660 MW) Thermal Power Project at Kajra (Lakhisarai).
o It will be a joint collaboration between NTPC (74% stake) and Bihar State Power
Generation Company Limited (26% stake).
7200 km of state highways to be elevated to National Highways by the union
government.
o The present length of the National Highways in the country is about 80000 km.
National Centre for Good Governance Inaugurated in Mussorrie.
o It will serve as an apex think tank to advise government on good governance.
o The institute is just the upgradation of erstwhile National Institute of
Administrative Research (NIAR).
India’s 1st on Site Net Zero Building (green technology building) “Indira Paryavaran
Bhawan” comes up in Delhi.
o The building fulfils the highest green standard of GRIHA 5-Star and LEED India
Platinum.
NATIONAL GEOSCIENCE AWARDS 2012 PRESENTED. -
National Geoscience Awards – 2012 has been conferred on 27 geoscientists, including a young
researcher across 11 disciplines. The young researcher has been recognized for his work in
carbon sequestration and nuclear waste management.
About
The annual award, earlier known as National Mineral Awards Scheme, was set up in
1966 by the Ministry of Mines.
The Prize was expanded in scope and renamed as National Geoscience Awards (NGA) in
2009.
Objective
The awards honour individuals/group of scientists for their significant contributions in
the area of fundamental/applied geosciences, mining and allied areas.
Eligibility
All Indian citizens working as a qualified Geoscientist/Engineer /Technologist
/Academician with extraordinary contribution in any field of earth sciences is eligible for
the award.
The great weightage is given to the totality of the achievements of the nominee/s.
Categories
Awards are distributed under 3 categories namely Award for Excellence, National
Geoscience Awards and Young Researcher Award.
The award for excellence: for exceptionally high lifetime achievement for a sustained
and significant contribution in any of the 16 decided disciplines.
The National Geoscience Awards: for meritorious contribution in any of the 16
disciplines.
The Young Researcher Award: for extraordinary research work in any field of
geoscience to Researchers / Scientists from Universities, Academic and Professional
Institutions.
Age limit: One has to be under 30 years of age on the 31st December of the Year of
Award.
More
671 geoscientists so far have been honoured with the National Geoscience Awards.
Current Affairs 24 Feb 2014
SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS 2014 : HOST RUSSIA TOPS MEDALS TALLY WITH 13
GOLDS, 11 SILVER AND 9 BRONZE
Host Russia has ended up at the top of the medal tally with 13 golds, 11 silver and 9 bronze in
the recently concluded Sochi Winter Olympics 2014. India, as expected, failed to open its
account in the 22nd edition of this mega event.
Medal Tally
Ranking Country Gold Silver Bronze
1 Russia 13 11 09
2 Norway 11 05 10
3 Canada 10 10 05
4 United States 09 07 12
5 Netherlands 08 07 09
India: No medal what-so-ever
Points to remember
It was the first Winter Olympics ever in Russia and 2nd Olympics overall after Moscow
Summer Olympics in 1980.
A total of 98 events over 15 disciplines in 7 sports were held.
Mascot: A polar bear, a snow hare, and a snow leopard.
For the first time in Olympic history, a public vote was held to decide the mascots for the
2014 Winter Olympics
Slogan: "Hot. Cool. Yours."
A record 88 countries qualified to compete in the games beating the previous record of 82
at the previous Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Seven nations—Dominica, Malta, Paraguay, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, and Zimbabwe
—made their debut here in Winter Olympics.
Sochi
Sochi is a Russian city located on the Black Sea coast near the border with
Georgia/Abkhazia.
Sochi had beaten contenders Salzburg (Austria) and Pyeongchang (South Korea) to bag
the hosting rights in 2007 in Guatemala
Hosts
Next Olympics: Pyeongchang (South Korea) in 2018
Previous Olympics: Vancouver (Canada)
India at Sochi
The 3-member Indian contingent luger Shiva Keshavan, alpine skier Himanshu Thakur
and cross-country skier Nadeem Iqbal initially competed as independent athletes as IOA
(Indian Olympic Association) was then facing suspension from the Olympics.
Ultimately the suspension was revoked in the wake of IOA (Indian Olympic Association)
election and athletes were able to stand under the tricolour at the closing ceremony.
Controversy
The Games was marred by several controversies including allegations of corruption and
global protest by (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) LGBT community for the
nation's anti-gay laws.
Many separatist groups like Chechens and Dagestani also threatened to attack and disrupt
the games.
As many as six positive doping tests were recorded at the games.
A Brief History of Winter Olympics
The first Winter Olympics: Chamonix (France) in 1924.
Both the Winter and Summer Olympics were held in the same years until 1992.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) then decided to put them on different four-year
cycles and accordingly the next Winter Olympics after 1992 was organized in 1994.
None of the southern hemisphere's country has ever hosted or even applied to host the
Winter Olympics till date.
The United States has hosted the Games most number of times (4) in 1932, 1960, 1980,
and 2002.
So far Japan (1972, 1998) is the only Asian country to have hosted the games.
Indian RAILWAYS (IRCTC) LAUNCHES E-WALLET SCHEME TO MAKE PAYMENT PROCESS
FAST AND HASSLE-FREE .
o Users can now deposit money in advance with IRCTC only to use that later while
booking tickets.
o The scheme, available only for PAN verified users, will significantly reduce
transaction failures.
Delhi Waveriders clinches 2nd Hockey India League title by trumping Punjab Warriors
3-1 in penalty shoot-out.
Number of voters grow over 4.7 times since independence in the country. The sample
compares the electorate size of 1951-52 with 2014.
President inaugurates national conference on TB and allied diseases at Rashtrapati
Bhavan.
The 6th Annual Defence and Security Dialogue between India and China concludes in
New Delhi.
Current Affairs 23 Feb 2014
Parliament passes "Whistleblower Bill"- it aims to protect those who discloses/exposes/
report corrupt practices (i.e. blows whistle).
as per the bill :- it will provide "adequate protection to persons reporting corruption or
wilful misuse of discretion which causes demonstrable loss to the government or
commission of a criminal offence by a public servant".
Whistleblowers, before the passage of this bill, will be covered under a 2004 resolution of
the government under which the CVC was empowered to protect them.
The Bill will also provides for punishment for false or frivolous complaints.
World's longest free Wi-Fi zone : A 20 Km long stretch of road in Bihar's capital city Patna
has been declared as free Wi-Fi zone making it World's longest.
stretch from NIT-Patna on Ashok Rajpath to Danapur
G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Annual meet Sydney, Australia : member
nations pledge to add $2 trillion to world economy by 2019 to boost global growth.
signals change in their strategy from "Austerity Measures" to "Investment led Growth".
leaders also expressed disappointment over blockage of IMF reforms (increased voting
power to developing nations) by US Congress.
G20 : accounts for 85% of the world economy.
Ukraine's Parliament (Verhovna Rada) votes to oust President Viktor Yanukovich and
temporarily hand over Presidential powers to speaker of the assembly, Oleksander Turchinov
who has prioritised formation of a National Unity Government.
The development follows months of opposition's protest at Independence Square in
capital Kiev which culminated into ouster of Yanukovich who finally agreed for
a national unity government, but has since vanished to unknown location.
Other Developments : Yanukovich main rival and former Primeminister Yulia
Tymoshenko was freed from imprisonment.
Rishang Keishing, Oldest Parliamentarian of India at 94, retires after 70 active years in
politics.
He was part of Parliamnet since First Lok Sabha Only i.e. 1952 and has since been a
MP 4 times from Manipur (also its CM four times for short durations).
International Mother Language Day observed on 21st February. It is an annual observance by
UNESCO to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
first announced on 17 November 1999 by UNESCO.
United Nations had declared 2008 as the "International Year of Languages"
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports launches two new schemes :- The National Youth
Policy- 2014 and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan.
Surface-to-air missile Akash test fired successfully by Army from Integrated Test Range in
Chandipur, Odisha.
developed by DRDO, its command and guidance system has been developed at
Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad.
Akash- an all weather air defence system, can hit enemy aircrafts (or
helicopters/missiles) at the distance of 25 km, can hit multiple target, can be transported
by rail, road or air and C4I enabled i.e. Command, Control, Communication, Computers
and Intelligence.
Following Presidential assent, Maharashtra Housing (Regulation and Development) Act
2012 , now provides for a Real State Regulator in Maharashtra.
India's first such regulator, it has the powers of civil court and will work for the
interests of consumers against Real state developers.
The Act provides for mandatory disclosure of property title, layout and completion plan
by Developer to Buyers and also registration of these details with regulator.
Current Affairs 22 Feb 2014
RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES BILL
Why is it in news?
Amendments are going to be made in the older draft of "The Rights of Persons with
Disabilities Bill".
It will expand definition of disabilities to include 19 physical and mental disabilities.
For the first time, this bill would have opened up jobs and education for people with
mental disabilities and multiple disabilities
Number of Persons with Disabilities in India
Sr. No. Type of Disability Total Number of Persons
1 In Movement 54.3 lakh
2 In Hearing 50.7 lakh
3 In seeing 50.3 lakh
Total number of Disabled Persons = 2.68 Crore
(Note: All of the above Data is according to the Census 2011).
5 Most Important Provisions in the Bill
New definitions of ‘persons with disability’, ‘high support’ and ‘rehabilitation’.(Note:
list of disabilities has been increased from seven to 19 to include disorders such as sickle
cell disease, haemophilia, thalassemia and autism.)
Persons with disabilities to enjoy legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all
aspects
All educational institutions funded or recognized by the government to provide inclusive
education
Ensuring reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities
Government to identify posts in the establishment to be held by respective category of
benchmark disabilities.
Other Provisions of the Bill
Has a provision for adding impairments in the schedule, provision for measures to be
taken to make all the contents accessible and it states that persons with disabilities have
access to electronic media.
It also mandates governments to take special measures to protect the rights of women and
children with disabilities.
Why this bill is being formulated?
To expand the scope of coverage of this bill so as to bring more and more disabled people
under its benifits and give effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities" (UN CRPD)
Objections to the Bill
The CRPD mandates an absolute prohibition on discrimination on grounds of disability.
But this Bill permits discrimination provided it is to achieve any legitimate aim, in clear
violation of the CRPD.
The CRPD prohibits deprivation of liberty on grounds of disability. The Bill cleverly
inserts one word to change the guarantee altogether: it says that no person shall be
deprived of his or her personal liberty only on grounds of disability. This formulation was
rejected while drafting the CRPD since it permits the deprivation of liberty when a person
with disability is destitute or considered to be 'dangerous'. For thousands, the addition of
'only' could mean being forced to live in institutions for the rest of their lives.
CPRD promotes right to exercise legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all
aspects of life. Presently scores of laws disqualify persons with disabilities from
marrying, inheriting, voting, etc. The CRPD seeks to offset disqualifications imposed
upon people with intellectual, psychosocial and developmental disabilities by recognising
their right to live their lives according to their will and preference. There is no mention
of legal capacity in 2014 Bill. (Note: In the amendment, legal capacity has been
recognised as an obligation of the government, not a right of persons with disabilities.)
Section 110 of the legislation states categorically that the Bill will not override any
existing laws, which means all discriminatory laws will continue to be valid.
What are the Disabled people saying about this?
Despite the many flaws in the Bill, people with the newly-included disabilities are pressing for
its enactment because these disabilities have been waiting for inclusion in the Act since 1999 and
feel they cannot wait any more.
What are activist saying?
Under the Bill, reservation for persons with disabilities has been increased from the
current three per cent to five per cent. However, this is restricted to establishments, and
the term establishment is defined as the government, or companies established by the
government. It does include any private companies, and so, there is no onus upon them to
provide employment.
Clause 2 under section 33 of the Bill could deny people a fair chance at reservation.
An establishment can, if it gets permission from the appropriate authority, switch
between disabilities for reservation, if the nature of vacancies is such that a given
category of person cannot be employed. So theoretically, an establishment can fill up its
five per cent with just visually-impaired people. They may not even have to consider
those with cerebral palsy.
Access is limited to government establishments and public buildings. Under section 40
(1) (b) of the Bill, vehicles should be made disabled-friendly — if it is technically
feasible, safe and economically viable. But who decides this? And if the costs are huge
does that mean our vehicles will not be disabled-friendly? All this indicates is that the
chances of our public transport being made disabled-friendly are slim.
This Bill is about some of the most neglected communities in India. And if doesn’t pass,
there will be a net loss of at least two years. Can persons with disabilities in this country
afford that.
What has this Bill achieved that a few amendments to the The Persons With Disabilities
Act, 1995 could not have achieved? This Bill just legitimises discrimination
Key Points of Activist against the Disabilities Bill 2014
Definition of persons with disabilities goes back to a medical model.
Recognition of legal capacity of persons with disabilities, a major feature of the UN
Convention on rights of Persons with Disabilities is completely diluted.
Sections of the most vulnerable groups children and women with disabilities, are missing
There are gaps in identification and recognition of jobs besides lacunae in reservation in
promotions
Disability rights groups have drawn up amendments that they want the current
government to accept before introducing the bill.
Key facts about the disabled people in the census 2011
Current number of disabled people stand at 26.8 million (Note: in 2001 it was 21.9
million)
It has risen from 2.13 per cent to 2.21 per cent
Out of the 26.8 million disabled people, 14.9 million are men & 11.8 million are women.
(Note: Experts from NGO’s are saying that this census is underestimating the actual
figures even when the definition of Disabled people has been increased to include various
definitions. They say that there are around 1.2 billion disabled people in India. They also
say that though awareness programs have played an important part in the urban areas for
disabled people they are completely lacking in the rural areas)
The question on disability was asked in all the Censuses since 1872 to 1931 but was
discontinued between 1941 and 1971. In the 1981 Census, information on three types of
disability was collected but was, once again, dropped in 1991. In Census 2001, the
question was again included and information on five types of disability was gathered. In
the 2011 Census, information was gathered on eight types of disability including mental
disability.
State-wise data shows, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Jammu and Kashmir
have more than 2.51 per cent disabled population whereas in Tamil Nadu, Assam,
Meghalaya, Assam and Nagaland, the percentage is less than 1.75.
The percentage share of disabled population is higher among males who comprise 55.9
per cent whereas women comprise 44.1 per cent.
Social groups wise analysis shows, 2.45 per cent of the total disabled population belong
to the Scheduled Castes, 2.05 to the Scheduled Tribes and 2.18 per cent to other than
SC/ST. Even among these two social groups, the proportion of men with disabilities is
higher as compared to women.
Over 5.4 million people have some kind of physical disability, followed by hearing
impairment affecting 5.07 million and 5.03 million who have problems with their vision.
Just about 2 million have speech disability, and 2 million are affected by mental
retardation and other mental illnesses.
The proportion of women suffering from seeing, hearing and multiple disabilities is
higher than men. Disability in seeing, hearing and movement and multiple disability is
more among STs than SCs and others while disability in speech and mental retardation is
more among others than SC/ST. Age-wise break-up of the data suggests disability is
more among people aged 80 years and above, and the least among children aged up to 4
years.
RECENT VISIT OF FRENCH PRESIDENT: INDIA-FRANCE RELATION
India – France Relations
Official language of France : French
Currency – Euro
Government type : unitary semi – presidential republic
Current President : Francois Hollande
Current Prime Minister : Jean Marc Ayrault
Relations:
Relations between India and France were traditionally close and friendly. The latter was
one of the major European nations to setup colonies in India and France was one among
the few countries who did not condemn India’s nuclear tests in 1998.
France also supports India’s permanent membership in United Nations Security Council.
Prime Minister of India was guest of honor at the 14 July Bastille Day celebrations in
2009. During that first time ever Indian military troops marched in another country
outside India.
Also, Nicolas Sarkozy was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day in 2008
‘ India is a nation which was affirmed its personality on the world stage ‘ : Jacques Chirac
India’s relations with France can be discussed under following heads:
Political
Economical
Nuclear
Space
Educational and Cultural
Military
Recent Visit
Political:
Diplomatic relations between both the nations are since 1947.
Establishment of strategic partnership in 1998.
India was the first country in Asia that the French President chose for a bilateral visit in
2013.
There have been appreciable number of bilateral visits at many levels. Following table
summaries them.
Meeting At the level of
Strategic dialogue National security advisors
Annual foreign office consultations Foreign secretaries
High level committee for defense cooperation Defense secretaries
Joint committee for economic and technical cooperation Ministers of commerce
Joint working group on counter terrorism.
In addition to above Indo – French research forum and Indo – French CEOs forum was
held.
Economical:
France is 9th largest foreign investor in India. (2% to total flows).
Top sector attracting FDI inflows from France are chemicals.
India exports services to France.
There are 800 French companies in India.
India is the 13th largest foreign investor in France.
In recent years there is a declined bilateral growth due to no demand in respective
nations.
Nuclear:
France was the first country with which India entered into an agreement on nuclear
energy following the waiver given by IAEA and NSG enabling India to resume full civil
nuclear cooperation with international community.
In September 2008, when Prime Minister of India visited France, Indo – French trade in
Nuclear energy begun and also CN cooperation.
France is the largest supplier of nuclear fuel to India.
Nuclear reactors are purchased from France.
Space:
Both the nations have signed agreement on joint cooperation on space research and
technology.
Megha – Tropiques (meteorological research satellite) jointly developed by ISRO and
CNES was placed in orbit by ISRO’s PSLV C – 18 in October, 2011
Spot 6 of France was launched by India in 2012.
SARAL, Indo – French satellite jointly developed by ISRO and CNES launched by ISRO
in February, 2013
Arianespace based at France has been major provider of launch services to Indian geo –
stationary satellites.
APPLE satellite launch on cooperative mode from both the nations. Till date 14 geo –
stationary satellites of India have been launched by Ariane on a commercial basis.
Recently, India’s GSAT – 10 was launched onboard Ariane 5 launcher from French
Guyana. It contained two satellites – GSAT 7(Communication) and INSAT – 3D
(weather).
Educational and cultural:
Both the nations have signed an agreement on social security for Indians living in France.
Consortium of Indo – French universities to increase educational cooperation.
Approximately 1300 Indian students study in France.
Two cultural festivals were celebrated, Namaste France in France and Bonjour India in
India.
There is a consistent cooperation in making IIT Rajasthan.
There are a significant number of Indians in France.
An agreement on mutual exemption for short stay visas for diplomatic passport holders
was signed during a visit to France by Indian envoy.
Military:
India objects France’s military assistance to Pakistan.
India purchased military equipment from France, especially French Mirage 2000 fighter
aircraft and Scorpene class submarines.
Government of India has selected Rafale from M/s Dassalt Aviation, France for
procurement of 126 MMRCA for Indian air force.
Military services of both nations conducting joint exercises. Following table summarizes
them.
Joint army exercise SHAKTI India
Joint army exercise SHAKTI – 13 France
Air force GARUDA IV France
Naval VARUNA Mediterranean sea
Recent visit:
Recent visit by a French President happened in February 14, 15 2013
List of documents signed were:
Cultural exchange programme for 2013 – 2015 to intensify cooperation in cultural and
intellectual areas and foster exchanges between various talents to encourage Indo –
French projects and to encourage people – to – people contacts.
Letter of intent on the intensification of cooperation in the fields of education and
research
Statement of intent for long-term cooperation in space
Joint statement to follow up and strengthen cooperation in the railway sector.
CFA (credit facility agreement) for Bangalore phase I metro project.
PROGRAMS / SCHEMES OF MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Ministry of Rural development
It has two departments : dept. of land resources and dept. of rural development
The erstwhile dept. of drinking water and sanitation has been removed from ministry of
rural development and established as an independent ministry.
Rural development means :
Economic betterment of people and greater social transformation
Providing better prospects or avenues (opportunities) for economic development to the
rural people
Increased participation of the rural people in the rural development programme i.e.
decentralization of governance.
Better enforcement of land reforms and greater access to credit.
Rural development ministry : Timeline
1952 - Community project administration set up under the planning commission for
managing community development programme (inaugurated - 2 oct,1952)
1974 - dept. of rural development established under the ministry of agriculture
1979 - dept. of rural development elevated to status of ministry of rural reconstruction
-The ministry was renamed as ministry of rural development and again changed into dept
under ministry of agriculture and rural development.
1985 - rechristened as ministry of Agriculture
1991 - department of rural development was again changed to ministry of rural
development
1995 - ministry was renamed ministry of rural areas and employment.
1999 - name was changed to ministry of rural development
Schemes of ministry of rural development
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
The act was notified in 2005, all the rural areas have been covered since 2008
Main Aim is improve the livelihood security of rural household
A right based act i.e providing unskilled manual work to those who demand it
Who can demand work? : any adult member of a rural household who is ready to do
unskilled manual work
How many days of work? : upto 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a
financial year ( apl 1st to march 31st). The days can be increased by the central govt. or
the state govt. concerned.
How is it guaranteed : providing work within 15 days of the demand for work or else
unemployment allowance has to be given. Unemployment allowance to be provided by
the state govt. at a rate of 1/4th of the wage paid for the first 30 days and half of the wage
rate for rest of the financial year.
Wage to material ration: 60 to 40 ratio for permissible work.
No contractor or machinery to be involved.
Implementation of Act
PRI to be responsible for planning, monitoring and implementation of the work.
Gram sabha to recommend works which will be executed by the panchayat.
The Programme Officer (appointed by the state govt. at intermediate panchayat level)
shall allot at least 50% of the works in terms of its cost under a Scheme to be
implemented through the Gram Panchayats.
1/3 of the beneficiaries have to be women
Methods to ensure transparency in implementation:
Social audit to be organized by the gram panchayat
District level ombudsman for grievance redressal, the ombudsman will be independent of
the central or the state government.
Photographs of the work site to be appended at the stage of before start of the work,
during course of the work and once the work is completed.
Payments to the beneficiaries are made through post office and savings bank account.
Indira AwasYojana
Objective - financial assistance to BPL household for construction of houses
Funding
75:25 bitween centre and states, In case of UT entire fund provided by the centre, In case
of NE states centre state funding 90:10
Per unit assistance in plain area 70000/-
In hilly/difficult and IAP(integrated action plan) states 75000/-
Up-gradation of kutcha house assistance 15000/-
Beneficiaries can also borrow 20000 from any nationalized bank at the interest rate of 4
%.
Criteria for allocation of funds:
From centre the funds are allocated to states and UT
is 75% on the basis of housing shortage and 25% on the basis of poverty ratio
Among districts the allocation is based 75 % on housing shortage and 25% weightage is
given to SC/ST component.
Who selects the BPL beneficiaries ?
The panchayat makes a waiting list of the beneficiaries. Gram sabha selects these beneficiaries
from the list of eligible BPL households
Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgaryojana/ National livelihood Mission (NRLM)
Launched - April 1999
Target groups:
BPL household and vulnerable section of society (SC & ST, women, minority and
disabled persons)
Extended to all states and union territories except Delhi and Chandigarh.
Objective of the scheme:
Self employment scheme, aimed at providing sustainable (continuing and long lasting)
livelihood to rural BPL families through income generating assets or economic activity.
To bring these poor above the poverty line.
Methods to achieve the objective:
Socially mobilizing the rural poor into forming Self Help Groups (SHG)
providing revolving fund
providing credit and subsidy
training and capacity building and provision of income generating assets.
Scheme transformed into NRLM or AJEEVIKA
Now the scheme is implemented in a mission mode (implies that projects have clearly defined
objectives, scopes, and implementation timelines and milestones, as well as measurable
outcomes and service levels)
What is the mission objective?
To enable poor household to access gainful self employment (employment which provide
minimum wages) and skilled wage employment opportunity resulting in appreciable
improvement in their livelihood which is sustainable, and for achieving this goal strong
grassroots level institutions have to be built in the rural areas
Ultimate Goal of NRLM:
To bring every family in the rural area out of abject poverty (a condition characterized by
deprivation to basic human needs of food, shelter, education, sanitation, drinking water and
information. It depends not only on Income but also on access to services) so that they can enjoy
a decent quality of life.
National social assistance programme
Launched : 1995
centrally sponsored scheme
Guiding principle
Directive principle of state policy- Article 41
Objective
Providing minimum social assistance to poor citizens in addition to what the states are providing
Selection
Beneficiaries to be identified by Gram Panchayat and Municipalities
Schemes under NSAP
Indira Gandhi national old age pension scheme (IGNOAPS)
Pension for BPL persons in the age group 60-79 years has been fixed at Rs 200 and for
persons aged 80 and above the amount fixed is Rs 500.
States can Contribute equal amount to NOAPS
Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)
Widows aged 40-59 years in BPL category are entitled to monthly pension of Rs200
beyond 59 years widows in this category will be covered under IGNOAPS
Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS)
persons in the BPL category aged between 18 and 59 years with severe and multiple
disabilities are entitled to 200 (raised to 300 in budget 2012-13) as monthly pension.
National Family Benefit Scheme NFBS
a household in the BPL category is entitled to a one time lump sum amount of 10000, in
case of death of primary bread winner in the family. In the budget 2012-13 this amount
has been doubled Rs 20000
Annapurna
Citizens who are eligible for IGNOAPS but are not receiving the pension will get 10 kg
of food grains per month free of cost.
Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA)
Why : Lack of modern amenities, livelihood opportunities, lack of physical and social
infrastructure leading to migration among rural population towards cities and towns
In the year 2003 APJ Abdul Kalam put forward the idea of integrated development of
villages leading to urbanization
How to achieve this objective ? - By providing Physical connectivity, Electronic Connectivity,
and knowledge connectivity. All of this will lead to economic connectivity of rural areas.
Implementation: Implemented on pilot basis for three years, starting from 2004-05 (10th five
year plan).
Lessons learnt from this phase :
Not holistic, due to lack of convergence with development programmes of other dept.
No clear guidelines or business plan.
Infrastructure centric without giving due consideration to economic activity.
Site selection was not based on growth potential
Revamped PURA, after consultation with government departments and ADB. Launched in 11th
five year plan as a pilot project
Features of revamped PURA
Convergence with other government schemes, Implemented in PPP mode,
Implementation in project mode with lifestyle approach; construction, operation and
maintenance built into the cost of infrastructure.
Gram Panchayat will partner with the private partner, thereby increasing accountability at
the grass root level itself.
CAPART (Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology)
Implementing Agency : Autonomous organization (Registered Society) under the dept. of rural
development Set up in 1986
Objective :
To promote voluntary action among rural people through the participation of the entire
community, and promoting technology that is appropriate for the rural setup.
To support schemes that increase employment opportunities, increases self-reliance,
generates awareness, creates organization and improves the overall quality of life.
How CAPART will achieve this objective:
By providing funding to voluntary organizations
It has also set up 9 regional centres. These regional centres are allowed to sanction
project proposals with an outlay of 10 lakh.
Funding to voluntary organizations is decided based on the nature of the project and
ability of the organization to complete the project.
CAPART has its own monitoring personnel.
Drought Prone Area Programme and Desert Development Programme
The overall objective of the programme is to mitigate the impact of droughts on crop
production, livestock, humans, water resources and productivity of land ultimately
leading to drought proofing of the target region
In case of desert development programme; the objective is to minimize the adverse effect
of drought, to control desertification and rejuvenating the natural resource base of the
identified Desert area.
Since 1995-96 both these programmes are implemented under Integrated Watershed
Development Programme
Programmes by the department of Land Resources
Integrated watershed development programme (IWDP)
Background
The objective of programmes like Desert Development programme (launched in 1977-78),
Drought Prone Area Programme (1973-74), and two programmes which follow watershed
approach but implemented by ministry of agriculture - Integrated Watershed Development
Programme for Rain fed area and Watershed Development in Shifting Cultivation Areas - were
to improve overall economic situation of resource poor
people inhabiting these programme areas through in-situ soil and water management
through low cost and locally available technologies.
Based on the review of DDP,DPAP, IWDP (integrated wasteland development programme-
1989) by a committee headed by Professor Hanumantha Rao, recommended a common set of
guidelines for these three programmes all over India. As such a common set of guideline was
framed and implemented in 1995 under Integrated Watershed development Programme.
In 2006 a Technical Committee under chairmanship of Shri S. Parthasarathy addressed major
issues in watershed programmes and recommended viable strategies and mechanisms for
effective implementation of Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), Desert Development
Programme (DDP) and Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP). Based on the
suggestions of the Committee, National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), in coordination with
Planning Commission, formulated Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects in
2008 to give an impetus to watershed development programmes. The provisions in the Common
Guidelines and the observations of the Parthasarthy Committee have necessitated modifications
in the watershed schemes of the Department of Land Resources.
Accordingly, DPAP, DDP and IWDP of the Department of Land Resources have been integrated
and consolidated into a single modified programme called Integrated Watershed Management
Programme (IWMP) w.e.f. 26.02.2009. The provisions of treatment of micro-watersheds on
cluster basis, reduced number of installments, delegation of power of sanction of projects to the
States, dedicated institutions, capacity building of stakeholders, monitoring & evaluation,
specific budget provision for Detailed Project Report preparation, livelihood for assetless people
and productivity enhancement are the major features of IWMP
Why a common set of guidelines?
While the focus of these programmes may have differed, the common theme that underlying
their structure has been land and water resource management, for sustainable development of
natural resources and community empowerment.
What is a watershed?
Watershed is a geo-hydrological unit from where streams of big and small rivers drain into a
common point. A watershed approach is based on a ridge to valley approach for simultaneous
conservation of soil and water in its location. The unit area for development is watershed area of
about 500 hectares but it could vary based on the location and geographical condition of the
village.The project will primarily aim at treatment of non-forest wastelands and identified
drought prone and desert areas. However, if any watershed area consists of some forestlands, it
should also be treated simultaneously under the project
Objective of watershed development programmes
Development of degraded/wasteland, desert land, and drought prone area on a watershed
basis
To improve socioeconomic condition and overall development of resource poor people
inhabiting these regions
Reducing the impact of drought and desertification on humans, crops and animals
Restoring ecological balance by sustainable use of land, water and vegetation
Encouraging village community for:
-Encouraging community for operation and maintenance of created assets and further
development of potential natural resources
-Asset creation through locally available technology which should be easy to implement and
affordable
-Employment generation, poverty alleviation, community empowerment and development of
human and other economic resources of the village
Project implementation agency:
ZillaParishad/District Rural Development Agency. But when expedient department of state
government or autonomous agencies of state or central government can also implement
watershed development projects with the approval of dept. of Land Resources
Hariyali
To involve all the village communities in area development programmes viz. DDP, DPAP,
IWDP; for which common guidelines were framed after Hanumantha Rao committee report in
1995 which resulted in a watershed approach to all the above area development programmes.
To involve Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) more meaningfully in planning, implementation
and management of economic development activities in rural areas, these new Guidelines called
Guidelines for Hariyali are being issued
Objectives
Creating sustainable source of income for village community by sustainable management
of rainwater for various agricultural and fisheries activities along with water for drinking
purpose.
Creating regular sources of income for the Panchayats from rainwater harvesting and
management
Employment generation, poverty alleviation, community empowerment and development
of human and other economic resources of the rural areas
Mitigating the adverse effects of extreme climatic conditions such as drought and
desertification on crops, human and livestock population for the overall improvement of
rural areas
Restoring ecological balance
Project Implementation Agencies
Zillaparishad / District Rural Development agency will be the nodal agency for implementation
of area development programme under the guidance of state government and central
government. It shall approve the selection of watersheds, the appointment of Project
Implementation Agencies, approve the action plan/treatment plan of the projects
Activities under watershed development
Development of small water harvesting structures such as low-cost farm ponds, nalla bunds,
check-dams, percolation tanks drinking water/irrigation/fisheries development, Fisheries
development, Afforestation,Pasture Land Development including in-situ soil and
moisture conservation measures,Drainage line treatment with a combination of vegetative and
engineering structures,Repair, restoration and up-gradation of existing common property
assets,Crop demonstrations for popularizing new crops/varieties or innovative management
practices, promotion and propagation of non-conventional energy saving devices, energy
conservation measures, bio fuel plantations