Current Affairs Summary-June 2016
Recently, President Pranab Mukherjee returned three bills the Manipur Assembly had passed on August 31, 2015. Since last year Manipur has been experiencing various forms of agitations in connection with these bills. The contentious bills are the Manipur Land Reforms and Land Revenue (7th Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Manipur Shops and Establishment (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Protection of Peoples Bill, 2015. Manipur merged with India on October 15, 1949. Before the merger, entry into the State was regulated by a permit system, which was later abolished. This permit system known as Inner Line Permit (ILP) was introduced by the British colonial government to protect its commercial interests. As per the Bill, “Manipur people means persons of Manipur whose names are in the National Register of Citizens, 1951, Census report 1951 and village directory of 1951 and their descendants who have contributed to the collective social, cultural and economic life of Manipur.” This census is considered to be flawed as the census exercise that year did not cover the entire State. The infrastructure at that time was not enough and many people were left out in the process. So as per the bill many of the hill people (the Kukis and the Nagas) could have found themselves declared non-Manipuris. There is a lingering apprehension among the hill people that the state government would use the bills as a strategic political ploy to gain control over their land.
The Election Commission of India sought amendment to RPA to include specific powers to postpone or countermand polls on the grounds of use of money power. At present, there is no specific provision in the law to this effect and commission has to resort to extraordinary powers under Article 324 of constitution which, it feels should be used sparingly. Clause 58 A empowers the Election Commission to cancel polls only if there is an evidence of booth-capturing or use of muscle power. Thus, EC seeks a new clause ‘58 B’ in the Act for dealing with use of money power in elections or amendment to this effect in the existing clause ‘58A’.
President has refused to give his consent to the amendment to the Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1997, to exempt the post of Parliamentary Secretary from the purview of ‘office-of-profit’. Parliamentary Secretary in Other States. At present, the posts do exist in various states such as Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan. Various petitions in the High Court have challenged the appointment of Parliament Secretary. In June 2015, Calcutta HC quashed appointment of 24 Parliamentary Secretaries in West Bengal dubbing it unconstitutional.
In 2015, Delhi Govt. had appointed 21 parliamentary secretaries to six Ministers.
- This post was not exempted from the definition of “Office of Profit”.
- Delhi govt. brought an amendment to Delhi Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1997, to make the position of Parliamentary Secretary exempt from definition of “Office of Profit”.
- But the President has refused to give his consent to the amendment.
- Due to the special status of Delhi as a Union Territory, a Bill passed by the Assembly is not considered an applicable “law” unless it is passed by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor and the President of India.
- The Delhi govt. argues that as Parliamentary Secretaries are not eligible for any remuneration or perks from the government, the post should be exempt from the office of profit.
What is Specific Relief Act
As per the act, in an event where the actual damage for not performing the contract cannot be measured or monetary compensation is not adequate, one party can ask the court to direct the other party to fulfill the requirements of the contract. This is called specific performance of a contract. This extends to infrastructure contracts, like construction of housing societies or sale and purchase of land. A Central government-appointed expert committee has submitted its report recommending changes to the Specific Relief Act 1963.
Need for changes in the Act
There is a provision in the act which says that there will be no specific performance of those contracts where
- Monetary compensation is sufficient
- The contract involves performance of a continuous duty which the court cannot supervise
However, it is left to the court to decide whether specific performance should be given to a party asking for it. This gives rise to uncertainty in contracts. The committee has recommended for specific performance to be made the rule and not an exception. This would mean that even if contractual obligations cannot be met, the court could ask the parties to fulfill terms of the contract. Monetary compensation will be an alternative when contracts cannot be fulfilled.
DRAFT NATIONAL WATER FRAMEWORK BILL
What is it?
It provides an overarching national legal framework to manage water in a better and efficient way. As water is a state subject, these guidelines will not be binding on states. The guidelines are based on principles for protection, conservation, regulation and management of water as a vital and stressed natural resource. It defines “water for life” as the “fundamental right of life of each human being” needed for basic purposes including drinking, cooking, sanitation, requirement of women etc. It shall not be denied to anyone on the ground of inability to pay and would take precedence over all other uses, including agricultural, industrial and commercial. The appropriate governments from time to time would determine this minimum water requirement.
The law wants to introduce “graded pricing system” for domestic water supply with
- ‘full cost recovery’ pricing for high-income groups
- ‘affordable pricing’ for middle-income,
- ‘certain quantum of free supply’ to the poor
- Alternatively, a minimal quantum of water may be supplied free to all.
A “binding” national water quality standards for every kind of use is proposed to be introduced.A “binding” national water footprint standards for “every activity or product” are also sought to be evolved to reduce water footprint of all entities. Integrated river basin development and management plan. For rejuvenation of river systems by ensuring Aviral Dhara (continuous flow), Nirmal Dhara (unpolluted flow) and Swachh Kinara (clean and aesthetic river banks).
SWACHH YUG CAMPAIGN
As part of its efforts to make villages located along Ganga open defecation-free, Government has launched a campaign ‘Swachh Yug’. It is a collaborative effort of three Union Ministries, to bring about behavioural change among people staying in villages along the river. Ministries involved in campaign. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation – mission mode strategy to focus on cleanliness of village through proper solid and liquid waste management. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the coordination of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, will enlist support of youth agencies like Bharat Scouts and Guides, Nehru Yuva Kendras and National Service Scheme. Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has framed a New Print Media Advertisement Policy for Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity (DAVP) with the objective to promote transparency and accountability in issuing of advertisements in print media. For the first time the policy introduces a New Marking System for newspapers to incentivize Newspapers who have better professional standing. It includes circulation verification Procedure for empanelment of Newspapers/Journals with DAVP.
African Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (ANWFZT)
The ANWFZT, also known as the Treaty of Pelindaba, is named after South Africa’s main Nuclear Research Centre.
Pelindaba was the location where South Africa’s atomic bombs of the 1970s were developed, constructed and subsequently stored.
The Pelindaba Treaty signed in 1996 aims at preventing nuclear proliferation and preventing strategic minerals of Africa from being exported freely.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors without Borders, an international NGO has warned India that it will no more remain ‘the pharmacy of the developing world’ if the proposed proposals in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement are adopted.
As per the intellectual property text which is being discussed at the RCEP negotiations, two of the most worrying are the demands for ‘Data Exclusivity’ and ‘Patent Term Extensions’.
Data exclusivity is a form of legal monopoly protection for a drug, over and above the patent protections. This is given expressly to compensate for the investment made during clinical trials. It implied that regulators cannot approve a similar drug with similar data for the next five years. Patent term extensions are given to compensate the company for delays in processing patent applications. A patent term extension will give another five-year monopoly to the innovator company.
Tunisia’s is the ‘cradle of Arab Spring’, the string of popular uprisings that swept the Arab world in 2011. The Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia was the trigger for Arab uprisings.
SHANGRI LA DIALOGUE: ASIA SECURITY SUMMIT
The IISS Asia Security Summit was launched in 2002 by British think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Singaporean government. This annual dialogue brings together defence ministers and military chiefs from 28 Asia-Pacific countries to talk about security in the region. It gets its name from the location of the meeting, the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore. India’s defence Minister participated in the 15th Shangri-La security summit
Exercise Malabar is a trilateral naval exercise involving the US, Japan and India as permanent partners. Originally a bilateral exercise between India and the US, Japan became a permanent partner in 2015.
HAGUE CODE OF CONDUCT (HCOC)
The International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, also known as the Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC), was established in 2002 to prevent the proliferation of ballistic missiles.
HCOC is voluntary, legally non-binding, preventing the spread of ballistic missiles that can deliver weapons of mass destruction.
MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR)
India became the 35th member of the MTCR. India’s efforts to get in got a boost after it joined the Hague Code of Conduct, dealing with the ballistic missile non-proliferation arrangement. Significance of membership The MTCR membership will provide a boost to India’s space and missile technology, besides the government’s Make in India initiative.
India’s space programme will be an obvious beneficiary, albeit belatedly – in the 1990s, New Delhi’s pursuit of Russian cryogenic engine technology was stymied by the MTCR.
It will enable India to buy high-end missile technology and also enhance its joint ventures with Russia.
It will ease the way for export of supersonic BrahMos cruise missile, co-developed with Russia India will be able to import Predator drones from the US.
The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a multilateral export control regime. It is an informal and voluntary partnership among 35 countries to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology capable of carrying above 500 kg payload for more than 300 km.
China, Israel and Pakistan are not members of MTCR.
USA, UK, Russia, France, Japan, Italy, Germany, Brazil, South Korea and Australia are prominent members of the group.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) annual summit was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
At the summit, for the first time, the SCO will be expanded to accommodate new countries and make them permanent members of the group.
India and Pakistan signed the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent, thereby starting the formal process of joining the SCO as a full member
India’s entry into the SCO as a full member will provide it an opportunity to have extended cooperation with member countries in areas of defence, security and counter-terrorism.
Vietnam, which is building a naval deterrent to China with Russian-made Kilo-class submarines, is keen on India training its submarine personnel.
It also has expressed interest to acquire Indian-made BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
India has recently provided Vietnam with a US$100 million Line of Credit which is being utilised by Vietnam for procurement of Offshore Patrol Boats for their Border Guards.
Defence Minister Visit indicates that India is keen to deepen military engagement with Vietnam with a view to counter China’s increasing footprint in the Indian Ocean region.
Prime Minister Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani jointly inaugurated the Afghan-India Friendship Dam in Herat province, Afghanistan. Prime Minister was conferred with Afghanistan’s highest civilian honour, the Amir Amanullah Khan Award.
The Afghan govt. in 2015 changed the name of the project from Salma dam to Afghan-India Friendship Dam.
The 42 MW dam will boost the agricultural and industrial sectors of Herat.
India’s contribution is in institution and infrastructure building:
India has contributed close to $ 2 billion in institution and infrastructure development in Afghanistan. It has also signed the TAPI pipeline project that aims to bring natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India.
For India, Afghanistan has immense strategic potential. More important; a friendly, stable regime in Kabul is geopolitical insurance against Pakistan’s deep state.
WTO Director General has welcomed India’s proposal for a Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in Services.
India had proposed it after the December 2015 WTO ministerial conference in Nairobi (Kenya). The proposed TFA in Services is on the lines of the WTO’s TFA on goods that is aimed at easing customs rules to expedite trade flows. The proposed TFA in Services envisages, among other things, easier temporary movement of skilled workers, to boost global services trade. India has already ratified the TFA on goods. Services account for over half of India’s GDP.
NSG PLENARY
The annual plenary session of the Nuclear Suppliers Group was held in Seoul. At the session, NSG did not take decision on India’s application to join the group as a full member.
Opposition to India’s membership Both India and Pakistan, which have applied for NSG membership, have not signed the NPT. While India’s case is pushed by the US, China is backing Pakistan.
- 38 countries out of 48 were in favour of India’s membership.
- China has strongly opposed India’s membership citing to procedural hurdles (not signatory of NPT).
- Ireland and New Zealand took the line that the criteria for admission for non-NPT states should be discussed first while India’s membership can be taken up later.
India is keen to become a member of the NSG, apart from being stakeholders in the Wassenaar Agreement and Australia Group, to expand its nuclear power generation and also enter the export market.
With access to latest technology, India can commercialize production of nuclear power equipment. This in turn will boost innovation and high tech manufacturing and can be used for economic and strategic benefits. India’s entry into the NSG will strengthen the global non-proliferation regime.
It will formalize 2008 waiver that India got from NSG.
Not being a member, India does not have any full control over future amendments. It means that the waiver that India enjoyed, in a sense, can be reversed by subsequent amendments.
European Economic Area (EEA) countries have a separate secretariat in Brussels to manage the relationship between the EU and EEA. They make contributions to the EU budget and have access to the single market while staying out of the EU.
For PAYMENT BANKS the promoter’s minimum initial contribution to equity capital will have to be at least 40% for the first five years.
Need for Recapitalization of public sector banks
For reviving growth PSBs loans have to increase by 12% which requires an additional Rs.2.4 trillion of capital by end-March 2019 to meet the Basel III requirements.
Rs.70,000 crore was to come from the budget. The budgetary contribution was to be Rs.25,000 crore in each of 2015-16 and 2016-17 which is grossly inadequate.
Both restructured assets and stressed assets are currently shown as performing, but a large part could well turn into NPAs in the next two years. In that case:
o The contribution of profits to building up capital is likely to be very small.
o The prospects for raising capital from the markets also need to be revised downwards because PSU bank shares have taken a beating in the markets
Steps taken: Recapitalization using special declaration of dividends from the built-up reserves in RBI, as proposed in the Economic Survey.
o Indradhanush scheme is being implemented
The proposed National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF), operating with private partners, will provide both equity and new credit to stressed infra projects going through the SDR mechanism.
The P.J. Nayak committee had suggested creating a public sector holding company for capitalizing banks and vesting the government’s shares in the holding company.
P2P lending or Peer to Peer Lending is a method of debt financing that enables individuals to borrow and lend money – without the use of an official financial institution as an intermediary. The basic business model of an online P2P player is to provide a platform to connect lenders with borrowers. The lender will put their savings/investment into an account for it to be loaned out to borrowers and get a good rate of return.
Two prominent online lending portals in the country are Faircent and ilend.
NATIONAL MINERAL EXPLORATION POLICY
The Union Cabinet has approved the National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP). To encourage mineral exploration in the country, the Mines Ministry has already notified the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET). The NMEP primarily aims at accelerating the exploration activity in the country through enhanced participation of the private sector. States will also play a greater role by referring exploration projects, which can be taken up through NMET. NMEP has proposed that private entities engaged in carrying out regional and detailed exploration would get a certain share in revenue in mining operation from the successful bidder after the e-auction of the mineral block. The revenue-sharing could be either in the form of a lump sum or an annuity, to be paid throughout the period of mining lease with transferable rights. The pre-competitive baseline geoscientific data will be created as a public good and will be fully available for open dissemination free of charge. This is expected to benefit public and private exploration agencies.
The collaboration with scientific and research bodies, universities and industry for the scientific and technological development necessary for exploration in public- private partnership.
Government will launch a special initiative to probe deep-seated/concealed mineral deposits in the country.
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS GRID
National Highway Authority of India is proposing a ‘National Highway Grid’ which will include 27 horizontal and vertical highway corridors spread across the country. The corridors, spaced at a distance of 250 kilometres, will crisscross and connect with each other. Numbering of all highways running from east to west with even numbers, and north to south roads with odd numbers may also be done.
INCOME DECLARATION SCHEME
The Finance Act 2016 passed in the budget session provided for Income Declaration Scheme which gives an opportunity to all persons to declare their undisclosed income. The Scheme becomes effective from 1st June and will be valid till 30th September for filing declarations and 30th Nov for payment of penalty. Undisclosed income will be taxed at 30% plus a “Krishi Kalyan Cess” of 25% on taxes payable and an additional penalty of 25% on taxes payable, which in totality amounts to 45% of income declared under the scheme. (30%+ (25+25)% of 30%) The scheme shall apply to undisclosed income whether in the form of investment or assets pertaining to year 15-16 or before. In case of investment the undisclosed income will be based on Fair Market value as on 1st June 2016.
The declarants are given immunity from prosecution under Income tax Act, Wealth Tax Act and Benami Tranaction Act.
However, foreign assets or income to which the Black Money Act 2015 applies are not eligible for declaration under this scheme.
Undisclosed income acquired through corruption is not covered under the scheme.
The shipping Ministry has come up with a new Central Port Authorities Bill 2016 to replace the 5 decade old Major Port Trust Act 1963. The new Bill when enacted will enable the 11 major ports to function like corporate entities as many of the provisions are in line with the Companies Act, 2013. The draft bill has proposed a simplified structure for the board by bringing it down to nine members that includes three functional heads of major ports as members apart from a Government nominee member and a labour nominee member. To increase their functional autonomy, the ports have been delegated powers to raise loans and issue securities for the purpose of capital expenditure and working capital requirement
The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of “Fund of Funds for Startups” (FFS), an initiative of Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP). The corpus of FFS is Rs.10,000 crore which shall be built up over the 14th and 15th Finance Commission cycles subject to progress of the Startup India scheme and availability of funds. The expertise of SIDBI would be utilized to manage the day-to-day operations of the FFS. The monitoring and review of performance would be linked to the implementation of the Start Up Action Plan to enable execution as per timelines and milestones.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $500 million (approximately Rs 3350 crore) loan for constructing a bridge across Ganga. Once built, the 9.8 km road bridge in Bihar will be country’s longest river bridge.
Suryamitras are skilled technicians who can install, operate, repair and maintain, provide servicing for solar powered panels, solar power plants and equipment (For ex: solar cookers, solar heaters, solar pumps etc.) “Suryamitra” is a residential program which is 100% funded by Govt. of India and implemented by NISE across the country. The institutes like universities, polytechnics, ITIs etc. are executing the “Suryamitra” skill development program at various locations in the country. To achieve and maintain the target of 100 GW solar power plants for 25 years, India requires about 6.5 lakh personnel, trained in solar energy sector.
NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION
Aims at generating 100 GW of solar power by the year 2021-22 (60 GW ground mounted grid-connected solar power and 40 GW through roof-top grid interactive solar power.) Germany has become a world leader in Solar Energy because of the system of Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs – fixed per kWh for 20 years, covering investment ) and guaranteed priority grid connections to renewable energy producers
UNCTAD
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues. The organization’s goals are to: “maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries.”
Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) in June 2016 signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Company Limited (GIFTCL) and GIFT SEZ Limited (GIFT SEZ) to establish a representative office in India.
Aim: To resolve international commercial disputes with the collaboration of SIAC and the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) with Indian companies.
CIVIL AVIATION POLICY
The Union Cabinet recently cleared the Civil Aviation Policy in order to boost the domestic aviation sector and provide passenger-friendly fares. This new policy aims at providing various benefits to domestic airline passengers. The Policy aims at India to become 3rd largest civil aviation market by 2022 from 9th.
Regional Connectivity Scheme
ü Capping of fare: Rs 1,200 for 30 minutes and Rs 2,500 for hour-long flights.
ü Revival of airstrips/airports as No-Frills Airports at an indicative cost of Rs.50 crore to Rs100 crore
Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG)
ü MoCA will categorize the air traffic routes into 3 categories.
5/20 rule scrapped.
ü Replaced with a scheme which provides a level playing field
ü All airlines can now commence international operations provided that they deploy 20 aircraft or 20% of total capacity, whichever is higher for domestic operations.
Bilateral Traffic Rights
ü GoI will enter into ‘Open Sky’ ASA on a reciprocal basis with SAARC countries and countries located beyond 5000 km from Delhi. i.e., these countries will have unlimited access, in terms of number of flights and seats, to Indian airports, leading to increased flight frequencies with these countries.
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City or GIFT
It is first of the 100 smart cities.
GIFT city is the first IFSC (International financial services centre) and to be set up in a SEZ.
As part of the budget, a reduced Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) rate of 9% was proposed for the IFSC in an SEZ in Gujarat, while retaining 18.5% MAT on all other SEZs.
SEBI ISSUES STRICTER KYC & DISCLOSURE REGIME FOR P-NOTES
P-Notes are a type of offshore/overseas derivative instruments (ODIs)
Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money has suggested ensuring that P-Note route is not used for money laundering. Earlier in 2007, Offshore/overseas derivative instruments (ODIs) used to account for as high as 55% of the total foreign fund flows in Indian capital markets, now their share has fallen to a record low level of 9.3%. Under the new norms, all the users of P-Notes would have to follow Indian KYC and Anti Money Laundering (ALM) Regulations, irrespective of their jurisdictions. Henceforth, P-Note issuers will be required to file suspicious transaction reports with the Indian Financial Intelligence Unit. ODI holders have to report monthly reports on ODIs all the intermediate transfers during the month. ODI issuers have to carry out reconfirmation of the ODI positions on a semi-annual basis.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has relaxed rules on Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by allowing them to invest more in under-construction projects, rationalised unit holder consent on related party transactions and removed restrictions on special purpose vehicle (SPV) to invest in other SPVs holding the assets. The current regulations cap investment of REITs’ assets in under-construction projects at 10%, which will be raised to 20%. However, the intent to allow REIT to invest more in under-construction assets may dilute the idea of a REIT. Globally, REIT is composed of only stable assets. Allowing more investments in incomplete projects may improve return on investment but on the flip-side it will also increase risks.
NPS is being regulated by the PFRDA, which gives the confidence and trust factor very important for pension dependent old-age population.
INCENTIVES OFFERED FOR TEXTILE SECTOR
Why in news?
The Centre has announced a Rs. 6,000 crore special package to help create one crore jobs, mostly for women, in the next three years.
What is in it?
The package includes several tax and production incentives. The package also provides the sector more flexible labour laws and financial incentives.
Labour welfare: Overtime hours for workers shall not to exceed eight hours per week – in line with International Labour Organisation norms.
ü Fixed term employment will be introduced for the sector to mitigate seasonal nature of employment.
Employees Provident Fund: Govt. is to bear the entire employer’s contribution of 12 per cent under the EPF Scheme, for new employees of garment industry earning less than Rs. 15,000 per month, for the first three years.
A New scheme: will be introduced to refund the state levies which were not refunded so far. Of the Rs.6,000 crore package, Rs.5,500 crore is for an additional 5% duty drawback for garments.
ü Drawback at ‘all industries rate’ would be given for domestic duty paid inputs even when fabrics are imported under ‘Advance Authorization Scheme.’
ü Rs.500 crore will be for additional incentives under Amended Technology Upgradation Funds Scheme (ATUFS), also the subsidy in this scheme is increased from 15% to 25%, providing a boost to employment generation.
Swadesh Darshan Scheme
It was launched with the aim of developing theme based tourist circuits in the country, under Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
Under the scheme thirteen thematic circuits have been identified for development.
These are North-East, Himalayan, Coastal, Krishna, Desert, Tribal, Eco, Wildlife, Rural, Spiritual, Ramayana and Heritage Circuits.
Ramayan Circuit
This circuit includes places associated with the legends of Lord Rama in various states, but dominantly in Uttar Pradesh.
Under this circuit eleven destinations spread across six states have been proposed.
The destinations covered are Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringhverpur & Chitrakoot in UP; Sitamarhi, Buxar & Darbhanga in Bihar; Hampi in Karnataka and Rameshwaram in TN.
Krishna Circuit
This circuit has places associated with the legends of Lord Krishna in various states.
Under this circuit twelve destinations spread across five states have been proposed.
The destinations are Dwarka in Gujarat; Nathdwara, Jaipur and Sikar in Rajasthan; Kurukshetra in Haryana; Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, Nandgaon and Govardhan in UP and Puri in Odisha.
VIDYANJALI SCHEME
The Ministry of HRD recently launched the Vidyanjali scheme aimed at boosting the education system by delivering volunteer teachers to government schools.
Volunteers who fulfill the criteria can apply through the government portal www.mygov.in
It will not replace the regular and professionally qualified teachers in the government schools
The volunteer’s responsibility is towards overall development of the child, not academics.
The volunteer service will be used in developing skills like public speaking, creative writing, counseling, music and dance.
No qualification is required to volunteer for this scheme.
Since it provides no monetary returns to the volunteers, it ensures that people who volunteer are really enthusiastic about the job.
As a signatory to Brasilia Declaration, India is committed to reduce the number of road accidents and fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020.The road transport sector plays a major role in the economy of the country and bears 75 per cent of the total load of passenger and freight transportation.
In Sep 2015 the twentieth anniversary of Beijing Declaration (Sep, 1995) was celebrated.
Beijing Declaration was an attempt to advance women’s rights, such as the right to live free from violence, to go to school, to participate in decision-making and to equal pay.
RECURRENCE OF POLIO
Telangana was under national and international attention after a polio strain was detected from a sewage sample collected near the Secunderabad Railway Station.
The samples from the state showed the presence of Type 2 vaccine derived polio virus (VDVP), which had undergone ten nucleotide changes.
If the weakened type-2 virus used in oral polio vaccine [OPV] continues to multiply for long, mutations may arise.
If six or more nucleotide changes happen then it is called vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDVP).
VDVP is extremely rare and found in children with immune-deficiency and among populations with low immunity levels.
Although no cases of Polio was found in the state, as a precautionary measure, Telangana will soon see the largest ever mass vaccination drive with Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV).
Trivalent OPV used until now contained live but weakened type 1, 2 and 3 polio viruses.
Subsequently, the country switched to bivalent oral polio vaccine or BOPV by dropping type 2 as this variant was responsible for vaccine-derived polio cases.
Following this, the injectable IPV was introduced, containing killed viruses of all three types; viral-shedding is a non-issue with IPV.
IPV is made from heat-killed virus that cannot cause the disease in any case, because the pathogen is not alive.
PRIVATE HOSPITALS FINED FOR NOT TREATING POOR
The Delhi government recently issued fines of 600 crores on some prominent private hospitals in Delhi owing to their failure to treat the poor.
Since 1964 the Delhi Development Authority has been leasing land at subsidised rate to hospitals, schools and charitable institutions under “Nazul” laws.
‘Nazul’ land is land that belongs to the government and includes buildings on such land.
The lease given to one hospital, at Rs 1 per month, obligated it to ensure 33 per cent bed capacity and 40 per cent out patient (OPD) services for poor patients.
The penalty has been imposed based on a High Court order of 2007 on a PIL demanding the Implementation of free treatment to the poor and action against erring hospitals.
What is Hysterectomy?
A hysterectomy is an operation to remove a woman’s uterus for different reasons, which generally includes:
Cancer of the uterus, cervix, or ovaries
Endometriosis
Abnormal vaginal bleeding
Chronic pelvic pain
Adenomyosis, or a thickening of the uterus
Hysterectomy for noncancerous reasons is usually considered only after all other treatment approaches have been tried without success.
Many of the women were in their 20s and 30s and they had gone to private doctors for the procedure and had sold their jewellery to fund the procedure.
Hysterectomies have been reported from rural pockets of about half a dozen States which includes Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, especially in the last six years.
Poor illiterate women are prescribed the procedure for white discharge, irregular menstrual cycles, and even abdominal pain.
And due to fear of cancer (which doctors convince them of), they easily opt for this procedure.
Loss of daily wages during menstruation makes the prospect for opting this procedure more appealing.
HUMAN GENOME PROJECT-WRITE (HGP-WRITE)
Why in news?
On June 2, 2016, scientists from multiple academic institutions in the US published a perspective in the journal Science proposing a second human genome project, called Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-Write)
Background
The original Human Genome Project was referred to as HGP-Read.
HGP-read aimed to “read” a human genome. Many scientists now believe that to truly understand our genetic blueprint, it is necessary to “write” DNA and build human (and other) genomes from scratch.
What is the Genome Project-write?
It will be an open, academic, international scientific research project led by a multi-disciplinary group of scientific leaders who will oversee a reduction in the costs of engineering and testing large genomes, including a human genome, in cell lines by over 1,000-fold within ten years,
EXPLORING METALS IN INDIAN OCEAN
Cabinet approved signing of a 15 year contract between its Earth Sciences Ministry and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for undertaking exploration and other developmental activities related to polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean.
The exploration will be done in the allotted area of 10,000 sq km in parts of Central and South – West Indian Ridges (SWIR), in the Indian Ocean.
It will enhance India’s presence in the Indian Ocean where other players like China, Korea are active.
These polymetallic sulphides in the Ocean Ridges have attracted worldwide attention for their long term commercial as well as strategic values.
This comes after the ISA, under the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), approved an application submitted by India for allotment of 10,000 square km area along with 15 years plan of work for exploration of polymetallic sulphide (PMS) along these two areas.
POTASSIUM BROMATE
The government banned the use of potassium bromate as a food additive following a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study that found its presence in bread caused cancer.
As far as potassium iodate is concerned, it has been referred to a scientific panel.”
Potassium iodate is also used as a food additive and it too is said to be carcinogenic, it has been also referred to a scientific panel
A CSE study had found that 84 per cent of 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads, including pav and buns, tested positive for potassium bromate and potassium iodate.
The two food additives are banned in many countries and are listed as “hazardous” to public health.
According to the CSE, potassium bromate typically increases dough strength, leads to higher rising and gives uniform finish to baked products. Potassium iodate is a flour treatment agent.
LiDAR
Lidar stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.
In other words, LiDAR is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analysing the reflected light. Unprecedented new details of medieval cities in Cambodia near Angkor Wat have been revealed using Lidar, shedding new light on the civilisation.
In Telangana, the State government proposes to use LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology in preparation of high resolution maps for use in various engineering works and projects that the State is planning.
BIONIC LEAF
A “bionic leaf” that uses solar energy to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen.
The bionic leaf 2.0 is placed in water and, as it absorbs solar energy, it’s able to split the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. These can be harvested and used in fuel cells to generate electricity.
With the help of an engineered bacterium, the hydrogen can also be used to produce liquid fuels.
CASPOL
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), have developed the ceramic-polymer hybrid (CASPOL) that could protect public transport systems and poor men residing in thatched homes from fire accidents.
The water-based ready-to-coat product was originally developed to protect the rockets from high temperature and fire to which they are exposed during the initial moments of launch.
Potential applications of Caspol
Caspol can withstand up to 800 degree Celsius. Seats in automobiles, public transport system and seat cushions of railway coaches can be made fireproof when Caspol is applied.
Besides its ability to protect against fire and high temperature, Caspol can also make surfaces waterproof.
MALTITOL
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a bone reconstruction method similar to Joints of bone.
They have used maltitol- derived from maltose, a sweetening agent found in most sugar-free foods such as ice-creams.
PLANET 9
Why in News
Astronomers have claimed that the mysterious Planet 9 may have been stolen from its original star by our Sun some 4.5 billion years ago, possibly making it the first exoplanet to be discovered inside the solar system.
Planet Nine is a hypothetical large planet in the far outer Solar System, the gravitational effects of which would explain the improbable orbital configuration of a group of trans-Neptunian objects that orbit mostly beyond the Kuiper belt.
The predicted planet would be a super-Earth, with an estimated mass of 10 Earths, a diameter two to four times that of Earth, and a highly elliptical orbit with an orbital period of approximately 15,000 years.
Kuiper belt is a region of the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune, believed to contain many comets, asteroids, and other small bodies made largely of ice.
LISA Pathfinder would be the first dedicated space-based gravitational wave detector. It aims to measure gravitational waves directly by using laser interferometry.
Scientists have developed a new stem cell-containing bio-ink that allows 3D printing of complex living tissues that may be used for surgical implants. The bio-ink contains two different polymer components:
natural polymer extracted from seaweed, and a sacrificial synthetic polymer used in the medical industry. The special bio-ink formulation was extruded from a retrofitted benchtop 3D printer, as a liquid that transformed to a gel at 37 degrees Celsius, which allowed construction of complex living 3D architectures.
CHINA SETS UP FIRST ‘DARK SKY’ RESERVE
China has launched its first “dark sky reserve” for astronomical observation in the Tibetan prefecture of Ngari, bordering Nepal and India.
The reserve covers an area of 2,500 square kilometres and aims to limit light pollution by stepping up protection of dark-sky resources for education and tourism development.
Why Ngari is famous?
Ngari is among the best sites for astronomical observation on earth, due to its high altitude and large number of cloudless days throughout the year.
However, the recent inflow of people from other areas has given rise to increasing urbanisation, and thus the associated risk of more light pollution.
| Light pollution is excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive artificial (usually outdoor) light. Too much light pollution washes out starlight in the night sky, interferes with astronomical research, disrupts ecosystems, has adverse health effects and wastes energy. |
Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. It is a cause of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Microcephaly is a condition where a baby’s head is much smaller than expected. Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare condition in which immune system attacks nerves, leading to muscle weakness and even paralysis.
ISRO has created a new record of launching 20 satellites from a single rocket, including those of US, Germany, Canada and Indonesia, from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
This has brought India into the elite club of USA and Russia who have also launched more than 20 satellites in a single launch.
ISRO has broken its own record of launching 10 satellites in 2008.
About the mission
The PSLV-34 vehicle was used to launch 3 Indian and 17 commercial foreign satellites.
Among the 3 Indian satellites there is CARTOSAT-2 series which has potential uses in geological surveying, border management, disaster management etc.
The other two Indian satellites – SatyabhamaSat
and Swayam were made by college students.
They will be used to collect data on greenhouse gases and provide point-to-point messaging services
The foreign satellites are LAPAN-A3 from Indonesia, Brios from Germany, M3MSat and GHSSat-D from Canada, SkySat Gen 2-1 and 12 Dove satellites from the United States.
COASTAL SECURITY
The Home Ministry has extended the jurisdictional limits for notified police stations from the existing 12 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles.
Following 26/11 terror attacks, Coast Guard was made responsible for securing Indian territorial waters extending up to 12 nautical miles (about 22 Km) from the shore, and new coastal police stations had been proposed to maintain security up to five nautical miles from the shore.
The new limits of 200 nautical miles for land police will now add greater depth to the patrolling.
New change will allow greater say to local police while dealing with cases of smuggling and terrorism along India’s 7,516-km-long coastline.
About Sendai framework
The Sendai Framework is a 15-year non-binding agreement on disaster risk reduction.
It replaced the earlier Hyogo Framework.
It was adopted at the Third UN United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held at Sendai, Japan
GYPS VULTURE REINTRODUCTION PROGRAMME
Why in news?
It was launched last year by Government of Haryana by putting ten captive bred vultures in pre-release aviaries close to Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore in Haryana.
It is Asia’s first Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme
Recently, two Himalayan Griffons were released in the wild as part of this programme.
Mainly four kinds of vultures are found in India
Gyps species– also called Indian vulture, Long-billed, slender billed vulture- Critically endangered
Himalayan Griffon; closely related to Indian Gyps- not endangered; only Near Threatened
Red-Headed Vulture– Critically endangered
Egyptian Vulture– Endangered as per IUCN
The population of vultures is declining mainly due to use of Diclofenac, a drug which is given to cattle for inflammation and pain. The drug results in kidney failure in vultures when it enters its body through the Caracas. The government has banned Diclofenac since 2006 but its illegal use remains in force. People need to be made more aware of the use of alternate drug Meloxicam.
Jatayu conservation breeding centre : It is a facility within Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary for the breeding and conservation of Indian vultures in Pinjore town near Chandigarh, Haryana.
TRANSBOUNDARY MANAS CONSERVATION AREA (TRAMCA)
The second monitoring of big cats across the Transboundary Manas Conservation Area (TraMCA) covering Manas National Park (MNP) in Indian side and the Royal Manas National Park (RMNP) in Bhutan has found altogether 21 individual tigers.
The first monitoring in TraMCA in 2011-12 found 14 individual tigers in the landscape.
Findings also suggest that there is unhindered movement of the tigers and wildlife across the corridors of cross border forests. This underscores the importance of maintaining the connectivity between the respective protected areas comprising the landscape, for long term conservation of the big cats.
A palaeochannel is a remnant of an inactive river or stream channel that has been either filled or buried by younger sediment.
- Environment Ministry recently provided a spate of clearances allowing culling of several species in different states.
The state Boards were permitted to declare animals that were coming in conflict with humans like nilgai, rhesus monkey, wild pigs etc. as vermin in Bihar, HP and Uttarakhand
This means that those who kill these animals will, for a year, will not be subject to the jail terms and fines that hunting these animals typically invite.
Wild animals are protected by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 under which animals and birds are classified, on the basis of threats they face, into four schedules.
The highly endangered tiger is in the highest Schedule 1 and hares in Schedule 4.
Each class gets different grades of protection and the law allows all, except Schedule 1 animals, to be temporarily slotted as Schedule 5 or ‘vermin.’
FIRST MAMMAL TO GO EXTINCT
Melomys rubicola, a small rat-like animal, may be the first mammal lost to the phenomenon of climate change.
It is an endemic species found only in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
It will promote the usage of gas fuel; India needs to increase the use of gas fuel over petrol and diesel as it is more efficient and environment friendly. The Gas share in the country’s fuel basket is just 7% compared to world average of around 24%.
Exercise jalrahat is a joint initiative taken by the Assam state government and Armed forces towards the objective of improving disaster preparedness during floods.
Similar exercises will be done in
ü Vishakhapatnam by Indian Navy- Exercise Prakampana for preparedness in case of super cyclone
ü Bhuj, Gujarat by Indian Air Force- Exercise Sahayata for major earthquake
The IUPAC has announced the proposed names for elements 113, 115, 117 and 118: nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson.
Einstein Ring has been discovered at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias in Chile. The team used a spectrograph on the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS to confirm the discovery, which is now being called the “Canarias Einstein ring.”
A pair of distant galaxies 10,000 and 6,000 million light years away happen to be in the perfect position relative to Earth to create a rare ‘Einstein ring’.
Because the two galaxies are aligned so perfectly, light from the most distant, or source galaxy, is being bent by the gravity of the closer one. This makes the light from the furthest galaxy appear as an almost perfect circle when viewed from Earth.
“Einstein Ring”, first predicted by Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, is a rarely observed, astronomical phenomenon that occurs when two distant galaxies are perfectly aligned, millions of light years apart.
An Einstein ring is a distorted image of a very distant galaxy, which is termed ‘the source’. The distortion is produced by the bending of the light rays from the source due to a massive galaxy, termed ‘the lens’, lying between it and the observer
CIRCUMBINARY PLANET
Scientists, using NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, have discovered a Jupiter-like planet Kepler1647b, orbiting a system of two stars, making it the largest transiting circumbinary planet ever found.
Planets that orbit two stars are known as circumbinary planets.
The planet Kepler1647b, located in the constellation Cygnus is 3,700 light-years away and about 4.4 billion years old, roughly the same age as the Earth.
Like Jupiter, Kepler-1647b is a gas giant, making the planet unlikely to host life.
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for Indian membership of the International Continental Scientific
Drilling Program (ICDP) consortium by signing an MoU (for a
period of five years) with the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ
German Research Centre for geosciences.
The Koyna Dam located in Maharashtra, western India is the most outstanding example of Reservoir Triggered Seismicity (RTS), where triggered earthquakes have been occurring in a restricted area of 20×30 sq km since the impoundment of Shivajisagar Lake in 1962.
According to the Central Electricity Authority data, the total capacity of renewable energy sector increased to 42,849.38 MW, surpassing the total capacity of hydro power sector at 42,783.42 MW, out of the nation’s total installed capacity of a little over 3 lakh MW on April 30, 2016. (300 GW total 40 GW renewable)
A new app calculator has been found on smart phones of terrorists infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir which helps them to remain in touch with their handlers in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) without being detected by technical surveillance by army.
The technology is based on the concept of cognitive digital radio that enables users to turn their smartphones into peer-to-peer, off-grid communication tools. It was first used by a US-based company during Hurricane Katrina so that the affected could remain in touch with each other.
The Army’s signal unit relies largely on technical intercepts – usage of wireless and mobile phones.