IASbaba Press Information Bureau

(PIB)- 31st Oct to 6th Nov, 2016

GS-2
International Forum on Adopting an ICT Perspective to Education and
Learning

(Topic: Human resource and development)

About- International Bureau of Education (IBE), UNESCO in partnership with

Google and in collaboration with the UNESCO International Institute of
Technology for Education (IITE) in Moscow the National Council for Education
Research and Training (NCERT) in New Delhi and the Ministry of Human
Resource Development of the Government of India (MHRD-GOI) is organizing
an International Forum on Adopting an ICT Perspective to Education and
Learning.

IBE-

IBE supports countries efforts both through direct technical assistance

but also by proving platform to share experiences and best practices from
around the world and build country capacity to harness technology to
strengthen education systems for sustained improvement of education
quality, equity and inclusion.

IBE partner Google is contributing significantly not only India a group of

officials/faculty representing RMSA, SCERTs, School Teachers, and
National ICT Awardee.

The forum targets mainly countries which are implementing the UNESCO
developed General Education Quality Analysis Framework (GEQAF).

Participating countries include

 Azerbaijan, Botswana, Egypt, Gabon, India, Lithuania, Oman, Seychelles,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Swaziland. Experts from Brazil,
Mauritius and the United State are also participating.

NCERT and senior officials from MHRD-GOI and Autonomous bodies

under MHRD-GOI are likely to participate.

Key Highlights-

The International Forum is designed differently than the common

practice of conferences and workshop characterized by extensive
presentations and with very little interaction and hands-on activities

For adopting an ICT Perspective to Education and Learning experiential

learning is very essential. Therefore, the sessions of the forum are
designed to be interactive and to build on concrete cases of ICT
integration and inclusion thought practical hands-on activities. Best
practice cases from countries like India, Lithuania, Mauritius, Oman and
South Africa will be presented in innovating and engaging ways.

Kerala declared Open Defecation Free

(Topic: Drinking water and sanitation)

About- The State of Kerala became the third State overall and the largest State
so far to be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) under the Swachh Bharat
Mission (SBM) (Gramin).

Kerala ODF Statistic-

With this, all 14 districts, 152 blocks, 940 Gram Panchayats and 2117
villages of the State have been declared free from open defecation.

Kerala, with a rural population of approximately 3.5 crores, is also the

largest State so far to have achieved the ODF Status.

Which states are on the first and second position????

 Sikkim (~6 lakhs of rural population) and Himachal Pradesh (~70
lakhs rural population)}

Outcome-

Freedom from open defecation has been proven to lead to Significant health
benefits in terms of incidences of water-borne diseases, especially in children,
and provide safety and dignity for all, especially women and senior citizens.

Textiles Minister to Inaugurate National Handicrafts Fair at Dilli Haat

(Topic: Indian Textile industry)

About- Minister of Textile will inaugurate a fortnight long Exhibition cum sale
of Handicrafts developed by Artisans of Clusters at Dilli Haat on 2nd November
2016

Fair is promoted and marketed by- Council of Handicrafts Development

Corporations (COHANDS), with financial assistance from the office of
Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).

Schedule and Participants- It will remain open for public till 15th of
November 2016. Cluster Artisans from all over India will participate in the fair
during this programme.

Fair has been conceptualized with a view to provide-

Direct marketing platform for innovative products developed by 120

Artisans of Handicrafts Clusters supported and promoted by Office of the
Development Commissioner Handicrafts covering different crafts like->
leather, embroidery, zari and chikankari, Madhubani painting, artificial
jewellery, metal ware, paper machei etc.

About 22 types of craft are on display with live demonstration during this
period. The event will showcase the best of Indian Handicrafts in quality,
design and versatility from all over the country. This programme is being
organized as an exclusive fair for Handicraft products in India at a grand
scale to increase visibility of the products in domestic market.

Outcome-
 Programme will benefit the artisans from Clusters who are unable to
participate in the International Fairs due to high cost.

Space rental and infrastructure shall be provided free of cost to these

participants.

A Thematic Display at Dilli Haat for the benefit of Cluster Artisans, a

Craft Awareness Programme with a view to support the local level
awareness that targets general public and spread awareness about our
crafts and a cultural programme representing the folk art/dance
covering cultural heritage of the country covering east to west and north
to south is also being organized on the occasion.

Prime Minister to inaugurate AMCDRR

(Topic: Important International organisations)

About- Prime Minister will inaugurate the Asian Ministerial Conference on

Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016. This is the first major inter-
governmental event after the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction (SFDRR).

Conference will pave the way towards-

Implementation of this Framework in the Asian region.

It will also devise a mechanism for monitoring its progress.

Lets come on to Sendai Framework now-

Adopted at the third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan in

March, 2015, is the first major agreement of the post-2015 development
agenda and identifies targets and priority action areas towards
reducing disaster risk.

Framework is for 15 years, 2015-2030.

It is a voluntary and non-binding agreement which recognizes that the

State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but responsibility should
 be shared with other stakeholders including local government, the private
sector and other stakeholders.

Framework is the successor instrument to the Hygo Framework for

Action (HFA) 2005-2050: Building the Resilience of Nations and
Communities to Disaster.

Indias Commitment-

India is committed to address issues concerning DRR and strengthen

resilience to disasters. To realise this, launched Indias first National
Disaster Management Plan, designed in line with the priorities defined
in the Sendai Framework, earlier this year. The hosting of the AMCDRR
2016 reaffirms Indias commitment to the cause of DRR.

AMCDRR

Established in 2005, AMCDRR is a biennial conference.

Jointly organized by different Asian countries and the United Nations

Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

So far, six AMCDRR conferences have been organised. India had also
hosted the second AMCDRR in New Delhi in 2007.

Key Highlights of the Event-

The Conference will discuss issues related to DRR in 6 technical, 22

thematic and 3 featured sessions during the Conference.

Technical events will be broadly based on themes related to Risk

Sensitive Development for Community Resilience.

All the three featured events

Risk Resilient Infrastructure for Sustainable Development,

Application of Science and Technology for prevention of new risks

Regional Cooperation will be chaired by India.

 Led by governments as well as NGOs, academics and other stakeholders,
the thematic sessions will be held in parallel on 3rd and 4th November.
These sessions will dwell on issues such as Gender sensitive DRR, Child-
centered DRR etc., at length.

Various DRR-centric activities will be organised during the Conference

to spread awareness about disaster risk reduction and its role in
safeguarding lives, livelihoods and infrastructure.

Various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), government and UN bodies

are participating in the DRR exhibition. With a thematic focus on Make
in India, the exhibition will showcase good practices in Disaster Risk
Management.

The commemoration of the first World Tsunami Awareness Day, to

spread awareness about the dangers of tsunami and the importance of
early warning systems in mitigating its impact, will also be held on 5th

Conference will adopt the New Delhi Declaration, a political

commitment of participating governments towards preventing and
reducing disaster risk. It will also adopt the Asian Regional Plan for
Implementation of the Sendai Framework. Voluntary statements of
action of stakeholder groups towards a shared responsibility approach
in implementation of the SFDRR would also be adopted.

About New Delhi Declaration-

The New Delhi Declaration is a political statement spelling out the

commitment of participating governments towards

Preventing and reducing disaster risk

Strengthening the resilience of communities, nations and the Asian

region.

Recognising the need to accelerate the implementation of global

frameworks, it commits to a people-centred and whole-of-society
approach towards DRR. It also emphasises the need to enhance the
capacity of communities and ensure participation of all stakeholder
groups towards achieving resilience.
About Asian Regional Plan-

The Asian Regional Plan for Implementation of the Sendai Framework

focuses on How to reduce disaster risk at national and local levels.

It has arrived at a longer term road map of cooperation and

collaboration, spanning the 15-year horizon of the Sendai Framework, as
well as a two-year action plan to further disaster risk reduction with
specific, actionable activities.

India, UNISDR sign Statement of Cooperation on Sendai Framework

(Topic: Important International organisations)

About- India and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction signed a
Statement of Cooperation during the second day of the Asian Ministerial
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016

Cooperation aims to ensure-

Effective implementation and monitoring of the Sendai Framework

through Training and capacity building for Asian countries

Promoting international and regional cooperation to reinforce political

commitment

Facilitate knowledge sharing and strengthen the capacity of UNISDR for

monitoring and review of the Sendai Framework.

Statement underlined

Guiding principles, objectives and areas of cooperation between India

and UNISDR towards the effective implementation and monitoring of the
Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), which was
adopted at the Third World Conference on DRR at Sendai in Japan in
March, 2015

India and UNISDR-

India will partner with UNISDR to work towards strengthening the

capacity of Asian countries in ensuring risk resilient development.
 It will also facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experiences, and
collaborative efforts towards addressing critical regional challenges.

ASEAN renews efforts for collective response to disasters in and outside

the region

(Topic: Important International organisations)

About- The ASEAN Secretariat, in partnership with Ministry of Home Affairs

(MHA) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
launched the ASEAN Declaration One ASEAN, One Response: ASEAN
Responding to Disasters as One in the Region and Outside the Region

Declaration is a commitment from ten ASEAN Member States to provide

faster and collective response to disasters in and outside the region.

Aim-

To achieve faster response, mobilise greater resources and establish

stronger coordination to ensure ASEANs collective response to disasters.

It also emphasises the role of ASEAN in rendering support and sharing

accumulated expertise in disaster management to other parts of the
world.

ASEAN-

ASEAN, as one community, will share experience and expertise gained

from its disaster responses in the region to friends and partners in the
global community.

It is also committed to working closely with regional and international

disaster management and humanitarian players to provide the much
needed assistance to affected communities to quickly alleviate their
sufferings after any disaster

Between 2004 and 2014, the ASEAN region recorded more than 50% of
the total global disaster fatalities or 3, 54, 000 of the 7, 00, 000 deaths in
disasters worldwide. The total economic loss was estimated at US$91
billion.
 In the last decade, the region suffered from two high-impact, large-scale
disasters that captured the attention of the world namely the 2008
Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan in the
Philippines.

Prone to disasters, ASEAN considers disaster management and

humanitarian assistance one of its top priorities. Community that stands
ready to provide relief and recovery efforts to the population affected by
disasters, ASEAN has appointed its Secretary-General as the ASEAN
Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator to be activated in times of severe
calamity.

It also formed a voluntary pool of ASEAN-Emergency Response and

Assessment Team and established the ASEAN Coordinating Centre
for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) as the primary ASEAN
regional coordinating agency on disaster management and emergency
response.

In peacetime, ASEAN continues its collective efforts to build a robust

disaster planning and preparedness through the implementation of the
ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response.

India to host Seventh Session of the Conference of Parties (COP7) Health

Minister to inaugurate it on 7th Nov

(Topic: Important International organisations)

About- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is hosting the
Seventh Session of the Conference of Parties (COP7) to WHO FCTC during 7-12
November, 2016.

Key Highlights-

It is the first occasion that a Conference of Parties (COP) meeting is

being held in India and signals a strong commitment of the Government
of India to increase international co-operation and awareness of the WHO
FCTC globally and especially in the WHO South-East Asia Region.
Participants- Approx. 1500 delegates are expected to participate in the
conference from around 180 countries along with other Observers in Official
Relations with the WHO FCTC Secretariat, Geneva.

What is WHO FCTC?

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the

first global evidence-based public health treaty that recognises the
right of all people to the highest standard of health.

Treaty was developed by countries in response to the globalization of the

tobacco epidemic. There are currently 180 Parties to the Convention.

India and FCTC-

India has been the forerunner in ratification of this public health treaty
and was the 7thCountry to ratify the Convention in 2004.

India provided a leadership role in the negotiations of FCTC and was also
the Regional Coordinator for the South-East Asia Region.

India ratified the treaty on 27thFebruary 2005 and is therefore obligated

to comply with the treaty provisions and its guidelines to reduce tobacco
consumption globally.

COP

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the Governing Body of the WHO
FCTC and is comprised of all Parties to the Convention.

It keeps under regular review the implementation of the Convention and

takes the decisions necessary to promote its effective implementation,
and may also adopt protocols, annexes and amendments to the
Convention.

The regular sessions of COP are held at two yearly intervals and
therefore, this time, the Seventh Session of Conference of Parties (COP7)
is being hosted by Government of India in partnership with the WHO
FCTC Secretariat, which is based at the WHO Headquarters in
Geneva.
Steps taken by India-

India has taken significant steps to implement decisions of previous COP

sessions.

As per the decisions taken during the Sixth Session of Conference of

Parties (COP6), Government of India has set up a Global Knowledge
Hub on Smokeless Tobacco at National Institute of Cancer
Prevention and Research (NICPR). This hub serves as a repository of
knowledge related to smokeless tobacco.

FSSAI Strengthens the Food Testing Infrastructure in the Country

(Topic: Food safety and Standards)

About- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has rolled
out a major scheme for strengthening of Food Testing Infrastructure in the
country at an estimated cost of Rs. 482-crore, in the light of the recent
observations by Honble High Court, Mumbai regarding the urgent need to
upgrade Food Testing Laboratories in India.

Steps taken for implementation of Scheme-

The Empowered Committee constituted for implementing this scheme

held its first Meeting on November 2, 2016 in New Delhi, which was
chaired by Chairperson, FSSAI.

Representatives from various Ministries such as Ministry of Health and

Family Welfare, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Export Inspection
Council, NABL and seven States/UTs were present. Proposals from 7
States/UTs, namely, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu and Punjab were considered for strengthening their food
Testing infrastructure.

Two proposals, from Chandigarh (Punjab) and Calicut (Kerala), were

approved in principle. The other States were requested to revise and
resubmit their proposals according to the scheme guidelines with
mentorship support from FSSAI.
 Committee also approved the proposal for strengthening the Referral
Food Laboratory at Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI)
through provision of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities
Introduction of these equipment facilities would significantly enhance the
testing capability of CFTRI for adulteration of honey and pesticide and
antibiotic residues in food samples.

About the scheme-

Under this scheme, 45 State/UT Food Testing labs (at least one in each
State/UT with a provision of two labs in larger states) and 14 Referral
Food Testing labs will be upgraded to enable them to obtain NABL
accreditation.

62 Mobile Testing labs will also be established across all States/UTs.

There are currently 4 Mobile food Testing labs in Punjab, Gujarat, Kerala
and Tamil Nadu, which will serve as a model for these Mobile Testing
labs.

Capacity building of the Food Testing labs is also an important

component of this scheme.

In addition, a School Food and Hygiene Programme has been envisaged

under which basic Food Testing labs will be set up in 1500
schools/colleges across the country to promote a culture of safe and
whole some food.

ECI launches online survey to assess level of awareness among Overseas

Indian voters

(Topic: Election commission)

About- ECI has initiated an online survey for Overseas Indian Citizens.

It is for- In order to assess level of awareness about the registration and voting
process.

Objective- To study and determine the registration and participation rates

among overseas electors.
Unique survey launched by ECI in collaboration with Tata Institute of
Social Sciences (TISS) will help in gathering opinions and voting preferences of
Overseas Indians.

Benefit-

The survey shall help in not only identifying information gaps but also in
finding the preferred methods of voting which can subsequently be
shared with the Government and Legislators.

An Online competition-

Apart from the survey, ECI has also launched an online competition,
as a part of the initiative, to engage with the target population and seek
their contribution to the cause Every Indian Vote counts.

Under the competition, participants can upload their original entries in

categories like Slogans, Songs, Posters, Photographs, Essays and Short
Film and Audio Visual formats.

The winning entries will get round trip to India and a lifetime chance to
be honored by the Election Commission of India on National Voters Day,
25th January 2017 in New Delhi.

Background-

The provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 was

amended in 2011to make special provisions for citizens of India residing
outside the country to get enrolled as an elector in the constituency in
which his/her place of residence in India as mentioned in his passport is
located.

Despite there being 11.4 million non-resident Indians across the world,
at present only around 16000 of them are registered on the electoral roll
as Overseas Indian electors.

Election Commission of India is now taking up steps to reach out to the

overseas Indians so that they get enrolled and also vote in elections in
their respective constituencies.
Union Home Minister to inaugurate 11th Annual Convention of CIC on 7th
November

(Topic: Government initiatives)

About- Union Home Minister will inaugurate the two-day 11th Annual
Convention of Central Information Commission (CIC).

Highlights-

During the inauguration, the Home Minister will launch the e-Court
software which is under implementation in the Commission with the help
of National Informatics Centre. Also release a book on RTI success
stories. The book has been prepared for the Commission by Yashwantrao
Chavan Academy of Development Administration.

E-court System-

Aimed at- Enabling speedy disposal of Appeals/Complaints by using

digital technology.

System will allow online filing of appeals/complaints and case disposals

using latest technology.

Working-The system will generate a unique number which can be used

by the applicant for tracking the status of a case filed with the
Commission.

As soon as a case is filed online or offline, the system will generate

SMS/email alert to the applicant. Alerts will also be generated to inform
the applicant at the stage of Registration, issue of Facilitation Memo,
scheduling of the case hearing and also at the stage of decision
uploading.

The system will offer an online search facility which allows a user to
search for Dak, File, Hearing Notice and Decision etc.

CIC
 The Central Information Commission was constituted in 2005 for dealing
with second appeals/complaints filed under the Right to Information Act,
2005.

Commission has till now heard and disposed off about 2 lakh cases. For
convenience of the information seekers, the Commission encourages
hearings through Video Conference.

Since 1st April, 2015, the Commission has heard almost 19,000 cases
through Video Conferencing.

In all 25,960 cases were registered with CIC in 2015-16 and during the
same period 28,188 cases were disposed off. During April-October, 2016
about 12,780 cases were registered and 15,993 cases have been disposed
off by the Commission.

NITI Aayog launches the first ever Agricultural Marketing & Farm Friendly
Reforms Index. Maharashtra ranks first

(Topic: NITI Aayog)

Issue- The low levels of productivity, growth and incomes ailing the farm sector
in India and causing immense agrarian distress is well known. Without
undertaking radical reform it is impossible to transform agriculture and double
farmers income. However, state governments have been extremely lax in
implementing much needed reforms to modernize agriculture and create a
favourable policy and market environment for farmers

Three key areas for reform

Agricultural market reforms

Land lease reforms

Reforms related to forestry on private land felling and transit of trees

Agriculture Marketing-

Why needed?
 Today, marketing is extremely crucial and almost every sector has
embraced marketing principles to ensure best possible outcomes.

However, agricultural development in India has entirely ignored the

potential of marketing and has continued to follow its old
trajectory. Therefore, the benefits that can be accrued from agriculture
are largely untapped.

Productivity is some states is regrettably low and there is a vast

disconnect between prices received by farmers and the prices paid by
consumers.

Moreover, private capital and modernization have completely evaded

agriculture, resulting in barely any addition to the value chain. The poor
state of reforms in the sector is also the primary reason for the non-
performance of agricultural food processing industry in India.

This, despite very favourable demand-side factors spread across the

country. Much of the potential that post-harvest value addition can bring
to agriculture has been ignored.

Reforms in this area can bring out an enormous increase in employment

by create jobs in cleaning, processing and marketing of grain directly by
the farmer. This will also resolve underemployment encountered in
agriculture.

Then what should be done to overcome the hurdles?

First is the immediate need to amend existing regulations in order to

liberalize markets.

Farmer to should be given the freedom to decide to whom, where and

how he wants to sell his produce.

Seven indicators have been developed by NITI in this regard. The reforms
also suggest special treatment of fruits and vegetables from other farm
produce as they are perishable and produced in small quantities.

Importantly, the recommended reforms place importance on IT in

marketing for the creation of a national market for agriculture, so that
 farmers across the country may benefit from interconnected markets,
through the use of appropriate technology.

This important reform has so far eluded the country due to strong
lobbies of middlemen and the reluctance of political class to take
favourable steps.

Taking note of increasing incidents of leasing in and out of land and

suboptimal use of land with lesser number of cultivators, NITI has
reformed the land leasing law to recognize the tenant and safeguard
interest of land owners. The reforms also lay stress on the untapped
scope of agro forestry in supplementing farmers income.

NITI Aayog has launched an index to rank States and UTs

Based on implementation of seven provisions proposed under model

APMC Act, joining e NAM initiative, special treatment to fruits and
vegetables for marketing and level of taxes in mandis.

How indicators are helpful?

These indicators reveal ease of doing agribusiness as well as

opportunities for farmers to benefit from modern trade and commerce
and have wider option for sale of her/his produce.

These indicators also represent competitiveness, efficiency and

transparency in agri markets.

The second area of reforms included in the index is relaxation in

restrictions related to lease in and lease out agricultural land and change
in law to recognise tenant and safeguard land owners liberalisation.

The third area included in the index represent freedom given to farmers
for felling and transit of trees grown on private land. This represents
opportunity to diversify farm business.

Index and Ranking-

Index is named as Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly

Reforms Index and it has a score which can have minimum value 0
implying no reforms and maximum value 100 implying complete
 reforms in the selected areas. States and UTs have been ranked in terms
of the score of the index.

The state of Maharashtra achieved first rank in implementation of

various reforms. The state has implemented most of the marketing
reforms and it offers best environment for doing agribusiness among all
the states and UTs.

Gujarat ranks second with a score of 71.5 out of 100, closely followed
by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Almost two third states could not
reach even halfway mark of reforms score. Major states like U.P., Punjab,
West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and J&K are in this group.

GS-3
Setting up Waste Management Plants Under e-Nam Scheme

(Topic: Agriculture)

About- Cleaning drives were undertaken in 271 Agricultural Mandis under

Swachta Pakhawad. Swachhta Action Plan has been prepared in which it was
decided to make provision of Rs.10 lakh for each mandi for setting up waste
management plants under e-Nam scheme.

Further steps taken under this-

It was also decided that under one flagship scheme, namely RKVY,
managed by DAC&FW one percent funds will be spent on Solid and
Waste Management.

Besides this, various offices under the three Departments were cleaned
involving, inter alia, installation of sensors in toilets, installation of
motorized grinder and weeding out of unwanted records, removing
encroachments and all junk lying in the offices.

Centres of All India Soil & Land Use Survey of India (SLUSI), a
subordinate office under DAC&FW, involved local MPs/ public
representatives in the Swachhta Activities.
 Further, a Compost pit has been inaugurated in SLUSI, Kolkata.
Compost Machines are being installed in the Mandis in coordination with
States.

First-ever International Agrobiodiversity Congress to be held in New Delhi

from 6-9 November, 2016

(Topic: Agriculture)

About- The 1st International Agrobiodiversity Congress IAC 2016 will gather
900 delegates from 60 countries in New Delhi, India, from 6-9 November, 2016.

Co-organized by- The Indian Society of Plant Genetic Resources and

Bioversity International, a CGIAR Research Center headquartered in Rome,
Italy, International Agrobiodiversity Congress received support from many
Indian and international organisations engaged in the conservation and use of
genetic resources.

Agrobiodiversity-

Agricultural biodiversity or agrobiodiversity is the foundation of

sustainable agricultural development and is an essential natural
resource to ensure current and future food and nutrition security.

Why needed?

As the world faces challenges, such as global malnutrition, climate

change, increasing agricultural productivity, reducing risk and increasing
shrinking food security, we need everyones attention and concern for the
conservation and use of these precious resources because they provide
essential raw materials for our agricultural systems and peoples
livelihoods.

Outcome from Congress-

This international Congress will initiate and encourage a dialogue among

relevant stakeholders including farmers to better understand everyones role
in agrobiodiversity management and the conservation of genetic resources.

India and Agrobiodiversity

 India is the perfect venue for the first-ever International Agrobiodiversity
Congress as it is one of the most diverse countries in the world.

It takes up only 2.4% of the worlds land area, and yet it harbours 7-8%
of all recorded species, including over 45,000 species of plants and
91,000 species of animals (CBD, 2014).

International Agrobiodiversity Congress will provoke discussion and

knowledge-sharing on issues for

The effective and efficient management of genebanks; science-led

innovations in the field of genetic resources

Livelihood, food and nutrition security though crop diversification,

including use of lesser known crops and the role of crop wild relatives in
crop improvement

Issues relating to quarantine, biosafety and biosecurity

Intellectual Property Rights and Access and Benefit Sharing in the

context of exchange of germplasm.

To deliberate on the role of all the stakeholders in effective management

and use of agrobiodiversity, a Public Forum has also been planned
during the Congress.

India Society of Plant Genetic Resources was founded in 1987 as a

multidisciplinary scientific body to provide a forum to all those interested in
plant genetic resources to express their views, publish their findings and
interact with different stakeholder

Biodiversity International is a global research-for-development organization.

Bioversity International delivers scientific evidence, management practices and
policy options to use and safeguard agricultural and tree biodiversity to attain
sustainable global food and nutrition security.

India Sri Lanka Meeting on Fishermen issues (5 November 2016, New

Delhi)

(Topic: Fishing)
India and Sri Lanka Mutual Agreement on Fishing-

Fishermen from India and Sri Lanka have been fishing over centuries in
the Palk Bay area located between India and Sri Lanka. [Both the
countries have mutually entered into agreement in 1974 and in 1976 to
decide the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in accordance
with the international rules, and we have full respect to the same.]

Matter of Concern-

Given the proximity of the two countries in the sea, the incidents of
straying of fishermen and crossing the IMBL are common, especially in
the Palk-Strait and Gulf of Mannar. These have often proved to be risky
for them.

The instances of arrest of fishermen from Tamil Nadu (while fishing in Sri
Lankan waters), seizure of their boats and attack by the Sri Lankan Navy
are of great concern to the Indian government.

Possible outcome-

Both the countries should agree upon a real and practical arrangement
to address the issue of crossing the IMBL by fishermen. Issues related to
the custody of fishermen should settle on humanitarian grounds which
may only be possible through mutual consent between both the
countries.

Government of India is committed to find a permanent solution to this

problem. During the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting held in
Colombo in February 2016, both the sides have understood the
complexity of the fishermens issues and consented on the need of
moving forward in finding a permanent solution of this problem.

Concerns expressed by Sri Lankan fishermen during meeting between

Fishermens Associations of India and Sri Lanka held on 2ndNovember,
2016. Their demand for ban on bottom trawling or other destructive
fishing methods, which cause harm to the marine environment and
biodiversity in the Palk Bay, seems to be genuine. In order to ensure
availability of natural resources to future generation while meeting the
 livelihood needs of the present, have to make conscious and collective
efforts.

Take forward the bilateral mechanisms of Joint Working Group (JWG)

between India and Sri Lanka for cooperation in Fisheries and issues
related to early release of fishermen and related matters.

Steps taken by state and Central Government-

State Govt. of Tamil Nadu and also the Union Government have taken a
few effective measures to help Indian fishermen earn their livelihood in
Palk bay area peacefully and stop bottom trawling in a phased manner.

In order to reduce fishing pressure in the coastal areas and to encourage

the Deep-sea fishing the Government of India is considering the
modalities for implementation of a Scheme, in which it is proposed to
incentivize the traditional fishermen for Deep- Sea Fishing.

Traditional Fishermen from Coastal states including fishers from Tamil

Nadu will be empowered under the proposed scheme for Deep-sea
fishing.

Fishermen from the coastal areas will be encouraged to move for Deep
Sea Fishing through introduction of this scheme.

A Special Package is being considered for encouraging the fishermen of

Tamil Nadu to undertake deep sea fishing by diversifying their bottom
trawlers into Tuna long liners.

DADF/MoAFW has permitted for construction of fishing harbour at

Mukaiyur, which is being executed by the State Government. At the same
time, efforts are also being made regarding construction of fishing
harbours at Rameshvaram and Ennore in Tamil Nadu.

All these efforts may be useful in solving the fishermen issues between India
and Sri Lanka. Besides, efforts are also being made to introduce modern
technical information to the fishermen and to train them.

DRDO Signs MoU With IIT Delhi to Establish JATC

(Topic: Defence)
About- Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),
Delhi to establish a Joint Advanced Technology Centre (JATC) at a function
held in IIT, Delhi. JATC will be located in the campus of IIT Delhi at the
upcoming Science and Technology Park (Mini-Science Park MSP).

Objective for creation of JATC is

To undertake and facilitate multi-disciplinary directed basic and applied

research in the jointly identified research verticals.

The researchers will get the opportunity to work in advanced areas of

research namely Advanced Materials for Ballistic Protection, Advanced
Mathematical Modelling and Simulation, Advanced Electromagnetic
Devices and Terahertz Technologies, Smart & Intelligent Textile
Technologies, Brain Computer Interface & Brain Machine Intelligence
besides Photonic Technologies, Plasmonics and Quantum Photonics, etc.

The focused research efforts at the centre will lead to realization of

indigenous technologies in these critical areas, which will be used for
speedy self-reliance.

MoU

DRDO will support JATC in equipping it with advanced and unique

research facilities that will enable the faculty and scholars to conduct
advanced research and transform the JATC as Centre of Excellence.

DRDO scientists and engineers will work with the academic research
faculty and scholars in addressing scientific problems to find an
innovative solution. DRDO will facilitate towards advanced research to
utilize technology outcome in the futuristic applications.

Faculties and researchers in various Engineering and Science

departments of IIT Delhi will participate in the research
programme/projects of the Centre. JATC may also involve other premier
institutions in the region, based on their research strengths.

India-Bangladesh joint military exercise SAMPRITI-2016 to commence

from 05 Nov
(Topic: Defence)

About- As part of the ongoing India Bangladesh defence cooperation, a joint

military training exercise SAMPRITI 2016 is being conducted at Tangail,
Dhaka, Bangladesh from 05 to 18 November 2016.

SAMPRITI-

Exercise SAMPRITI is an important bilateral defence cooperation

endeavour between India and Bangladesh and will be the sixth edition of
the exercise which is hosted alternately by both countries

The joint exercise SAMPRITI 2016 will simulate a scenario where both
nations are working together in a Counter Insurgency and Counter
Terrorism environment under the UN Charter.

The exercise curriculum is progressively planned where the participants

will initially get familiar with each others organizational structure and
tactical drills.

Subsequently, the training will advance to joint tactical exercises wherein

the battle drills of both the armies will be practiced.

The training will culminate with a final validation exercise in which

troops of both armies will jointly practice a Counter Terrorist Operation
in a controlled and simulated environment.

Monitoring Committee to Review Control of Avian Influenza: Report

(Topic: Health issues and Environmental concerns)

About- The Monitoring Committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment,

Forest and Climate Change to oversee the outbreak of H5N8 avian influenza,
reviewed the control and containment of the avian influenza situation today.

Action taken

Surveillance continues and the zoo is being screened regularly for any
dead bird.

Bio-security measures being strictly enforced.

 Disinfection by spraying anti-virus and other solutions is being
undertaken regularly

Delhi Zoo remained closed for the safety of visitors and control of the
disease

Activities of other birds in the zoos appear to be normal.

Sample of one Muniya has also been sent to the National Institute for
High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal.

Sample of all 27 species of birds have been collected and sent for
examination in the Gandhi Zoological Park, Gwalior.

International Conference on Decarbonization of Indian Railways- Mission

Electrification

(Topic: Railways)

About- Ministry of Railways through Institution of Railways Electrical Engineer

(IREE) in partnership with ASSOCHAM India is organising the International
Conference on Decarbonisation of Indian Railways- Mission
Electrification in New Delhi.

Conference aims at- Bringing various stakeholders on a common platform

for exchange of ideas and to deliberate on implementable technological
solutions and financing options to significantly increase pace of electrification
and achieve the target for setting up of renewable energy installations with total
capacity of 1000MW by 2020.

About Conference-

An International Conference on Decarbonization of Indian Railways

Mission Electrification is being organizedin New Delhi on 3rd16.

Conference will also project Indian Railways as an attractive investment

destination considering its plans for huge investment in next 5 years
towards modernization of its electrified network and use of renewable
energy.
 Conference shall cover aspects relating to policy, technological
modernization, mechanization, innovations and financing models for
railway electrification and de-carbonization.

National Transport Development Policy Committee (NTDPC), in its report,

has identified electrification of railway tracks as a means to reduce fuel
consumption.

The report has recommended for taking up electrification on priority

through systematically tackling the bottlenecks in progress of
electrification projects.

It has also suggested that electrification should be viewed as a means of

making rail transport independent of imported fossil energy, while also
provide a choice in sourcing energy.

Moreover, electric traction allows regeneration of power while

braking/coasting and feeding the network, thereby reducing overall
consumption of energy and carbon emissions.

Reducing the Carbon Foot prints through use of sustainable and green
sources of energy is also a key focus area.

In line with this vision, following action plan has been planned-

Electrification of Railway Tracks

Harnessing Renewable Energy on IR to reduce energy cost and

carbon footprints

Indian Railways targets to harness 1 GW solar and 500 MW wind power

as announced in Rail Budget 2015-16

500 MW of solar units on roof tops through Central Finance Assistance

(CFA) from MNRE and balance 500 MW on land.

Introduction of Energy Efficient Rolling Stock

Acquisition/ Introduction of new energy efficient Rolling Stock has been

initiated through the following projects
 Electric Loco Manufacturing Factory at Madhepura in Bihar

Project awarded to Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited

(MELPL), a JV company of Ministry of Railways and Alstom
Manufacturing India Limited, to manufacture, supply and maintain the
state of art 12,000 HP energy efficient locomotives.

Production of Energy Efficient High Horsepower Locomotives

Last year, CLWachieved highest ever out turn of 280 locomotives, out of
which 215 were energy efficient three-phase electric locomotives.

CLW has completely switched over to production of only energy efficient

IGBT based High Horse Power three-phase locomotives from current year
and has turned out 122 such locos till Sept.16.

Head On Generation (HOG)

Indian Railways have introduced HOG system wherein the lighting, air-
conditioning and other electrical loads of passenger coaches would be fed
directly from electric power drawn by locomotive from grid.

This system will do away with the requirement of diesel power car for
feeding electric supply to coaches and also enable in carrying additional
passengers.

This system has already been introduced in NDLS-Mumbai Rajdhani

Express saving around 3,000 liters of diesel in one round trip.

Electrical Multiple Units (EMUs)

All new EMUs produced will be energy efficient with three phase
technology having regeneration capability. Around 200 energy efficient
rakes have been introduced in Mumbai Suburban area having
regenerative braking feature since 2007.

Manufacturing of energy efficient electric locos from DLW, Varanasi

In order to meet the increased requirement of electric locomotives

resulting from accelerated electrification, it has been decided to
manufacture electric locos from DLW, Varanasi also.
 It is planned to manufacture two locos in the current financial year
followed by ten locos next year and there on.

Ministry of Shipping sponsors safety training programme for ship

recycling workers under Sagarmala

(Topic: Shipping)

Aims to provide- Health and safety training to the skilled and semi-skilled
workers which is required while performing their work at ship recycling yards

About the initiative-

The safety training programme under Sagarmala has been specifically

designed and conforms to the Common Norms for Skill Development
Schemes under National Skill Qualification Framework notified by the
Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship in Gazette Notification
dated 8th August, 2015.

A new module has been proposed which would impart comprehensive

training to workers about Occupational Safety & Hazards at workplaces
that are likely to cause injuries, death or chronic occupational diseases.

The initiative has been identified in the National Perspective Plan (NPP) of
Sagarmala for the upliftment of the coastal community.

Due to the accident prone nature of the ship breaking activity, Gujarat
Maritime Board has been running an indigenous Safety Training and
Labour Welfare Institute at Alang and has trained about 1.10 lakh labors
over the last 12 years.

However, with the increased volume of ship recycling over last decade
and to bring the training standards at par with the international
regulations like UN Body -International Maritime Organization, it is
imperative to enhance the capacity build-up and upgrade the existing
training standards.

Indian Scenario-
 In India, ship recycling has emerged as an activity of sizeable volume,
supplying raw material to steel industry for both re-rolling and re-
melting.

The Alang Sosiya Recycling yard is the largest ship-recycling yard in Asia,
which employs an average 15000,-25000 labourers at a time and
generates about 35 lakh LDT (Light displacement) per annum. On an
average 350 numbers of ships are recycled every year in which more than
3 million MT of steel is generated through recycling route.

India UK Joint Tech Summit

(Topic: Science and technology)

About- India-UK Tech Summit will be jointly inaugurated by the PM and the
Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Theresa May, on 7th November, 2016 in New
Delhi. It will highlight the visions of both the Prime Ministers to create a new
era of bilateral economic relationship between the two countries.

Focus sectors at the Summit will be

Advanced Manufacturing & Robotics; Life Sciences & Healthcare and

Smart Cities. The other tracks of the Summit will be Higher Education,
Design, Intellectual Property, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Highlights-

The Summit will witness the coming together of a host of ministers,

government officials, prominent business leaders as well as renowned
academic leaders from both UK and India, with expertise in the above
sectors.

It will be critically important for showcasing Indias scientific and

technological prowess at this prestigious platform and will reflect the two
countries technological excellence, with a drive towards forging
collaborations.

The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India,

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and British High Commission, New
Delhi are co-organizers of the summit.
4th Session of India-Azerbaijan Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade
and Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation

(Topic:

About- The 4th Session of India-Azerbaijan Inter-Governmental Commission on

Trade and Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation (IA-IGC) was
held on 25-26 October, 2016 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Issues pertaining to Cooperation in the field of-

Increasing bilateral trade and enhancing bilateral investment,

Cooperation in the field of small and medium enterprises, Transport,
Energy, Agriculture and Animal products, Tourism and Culture,
Pharmaceutical and Health, Information and Communication
Technologies, Science and Education, Heavy Industry and Chemicals and
Petrochemicals sector etc. were discussed and at the end of the
deliberations, a protocol was signed by both sides.

Environment Ministry Reviews Ambient Air Quality Status of Delhi,

Directs Neighbouring States to Effectively Enforce Ban on Stubble Burning

(Topic: Environment Conservation)

About- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reviewed the
ambient air quality status of Delhi.

It has been observed that open burning of solid waste in and around Delhi,
vehicular emissions in Delhi, dust by the roadside and around construction
sites in Delhi and stubble burning of crop residue in neighbouring States of
Delhi are major contributors to pollution in Delhi. The problem has been
accentuated due to relatively low wind speeds and lower temperatures,
resulting in reduced dispersion of pollutants in Delhi.

Therefore, it has been decided that CPCB will, under relevant statutory
provisions available, direct

Municipal local bodies in and around Delhi to forthwith take all possible
measures to check open burning of solid waste.
 Municipal local bodies in and around Delhi to strictly enforce rules
related to prevention of fugitive emissions from construction activities

Punjab, Haryana and other NCR States to effectively enforce ban on

stubble burning in agriculture fields. For this purpose, Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change has summoned the concerned
Secretaries of NCR States on 4th November to review the situation and to
further deliberate on the strategy to minimise occurrences of open
burning in agriculture fields.

All public road owning agencies in Delhi to ensure that roadsides are
watered periodically to arrest re-suspension of dust in ambient air.

Delhi Police to effectively ensure that movement of traffic at busy

intersections in Delhi is streamlined to minimise pollution due to
vehicular emissions.

IASbaba Press Information Bureau

(PIB)- 7th Nov to 13th Nov, 2016
ARCHIVES

GS-2
India-Japan Joint Statement during the visit of Prime Minister to Japan

(Topic: Bilateral Agreement)

About- Prime Minister of the Republic of India, is currently on an official visit

to Japan during which they undertook a comprehensive review of the Special
Strategic and Global Partnership as outlined in the India and Japan Vision
2025 set forth on 12 December 2015. They acknowledged the significant
progress in bilateral relations over the past two years since PM Modis visit to
Japan in August-September 2014.

Synergising the Partnership

The two Prime Ministers appreciated the deep civilisation links between
the people of the two countries, including the common heritage of
Buddhist thought, and underscored their shared commitment to
democracy, openness, and the rule of law as key values to achieve
peaceful co-existence. They welcomed the high degree of convergence in
the political, economic and strategic interests of the two countries that
provides an enduring basis for a long-term partnership.

Underscored the rising importance of the Indo-Pacific region as the key

driver for the prosperity of the world. They stressed the core values of
democracy, peace, the rule of law, tolerance, and respect for the
environment in realising pluralistic and inclusive growth of the region.

They further stressed that improving connectivity between Asia and

Africa, through realising a Free and Open Indo-Pacific region, is vital
to achieving prosperity of the entire region. They decided to seek synergy
between Indias Act East Policy and Japans Expanded Partnership
for Quality Infrastructure, by closely coordinating, bilaterally and with
other partners, for better regional integration and improved connectivity
as well as industrial networks based on the principles of mutual
consultation and trust.

Reviewing the deepening interdependence and complexity of the

global agenda, the two Prime Ministers also decided to expand common
space and their cooperation on global challenges such as climate change,
countering terrorism and violent extremism, reform of the United Nations
(UN) including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), as well as
maintaining rules-based international order.

Keeping in mind the immense potential for combining Japans capital,

innovation and technologies with the rich human resources and
economic opportunities available in Indias high-growth economy, the two
Prime Ministers underlined the need to intensify cooperation in high
technology, space, clean energy and energy sector development,
infrastructure and smart cities, bio-technology, pharmaceuticals,
 ICT, as well as education and skills development to strengthen and
deepen their Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

Building a Stronger Partnership for Safer and Stable World

Stressing the role of India and Japan for stability and prosperity in the
Indo-Pacific region, the two Prime Ministers reiterated the need to further
consolidate their security and defence cooperation. They welcomed the
entry into force of the two Defence Framework Agreements
concerning the Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology and
concerning Security Measures for the Protection of Classified
Military Information.

Need to further expand defence engagement through greater two-

way collaboration and technology cooperation, co-development and
co-production, by expediting discussions for determining specific
items including through the Joint Working Group on Defence Equipment
and Technology Cooperation.

Appreciated the successful Annual Defence Ministerial Dialogue held in

New Delhi, Japans regular participation in the Malabar Exercise and the
International Fleet Review off the coast of Vishakapatnam. They
reaffirmed their desire to further deepen bilateral security and
defence dialogues, through the 2+2 Dialogue, Defence Policy
Dialogue, Military-to-Military Talks and Coast Guard-to-Coast
Guard co-operation. They also welcomed that, with the inaugural air
force staff talks held earlier this year, the two sides now have
institutional wide ranging dialogue mechanism in place covering all three
services. The two Prime Ministers shared their intention to expand
dialogue and cooperation in the defence sector to cover exchange of
observers in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR)
exercises, and exchange and training of personnel in other fields.

PM of India conveyed his appreciation for Japans readiness to provide

its state of the art defence platforms such as US-2 amphibian
aircraft. It symbolises the high degree of trust between the two
countries and the distance that Japan and India have covered in
advancing their bilateral defence exchanges.
Partnership for Prosperity

Prime Minister Modi briefed Prime Minister Abe about his Governments
efforts to accelerate economic development through innovative initiatives
such as Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Smart City,
Swachh Bharat and Start-Up India. Prime Minister Abe expressed
Japans firm support for these initiatives by sharing its advanced skills
and technologies, through active mobilisation of Japanese public and
private sector investments, including through ODA. The two Prime
Ministers underscored that these initiatives provide significant
opportunities for further collaboration between private sectors of India
and Japan.

The two Prime Ministers welcomed the steady progress made in the
Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project, a flagship
project between the two countries, through the discussion in the Joint
Committee meetings held thrice in 2016.The target schedule of the
MAHSR Project that the General Consultant will start its work in
December 2016, that the construction work will commence by the end of
2018, and that the operation will start in 2023.

Emphasised the critical importance of human resource development in

high speed rail technology, operation and maintenance in a planned
manner, including the commencement of preliminary work on
establishment of HSR Institute and development of its training
programme. The two Prime Ministers recognised the importance of
accelerating the MAHSR Project by holding the Ground Breaking
Ceremony in 2017. The two Prime Ministers noted with satisfaction, the
growing collaboration between India and Japan in the modernisation and
expansion of conventional railway system in India.

The two Prime Ministers decided to cooperate on the human resource

development in the manufacturing sector in India through
Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Programme. This
programme will enhance the manufacturing base of India and contribute
to Make in India and Skill India, through training 30,000 persons over
next 10 years with Japanese style manufacturing skills and practices
through the establishment of the Japan-India Institutes for
Manufacturing (JIM) and the Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) in
 engineering colleges designated by Japanese companies in India in
cooperation between the public and private sectors. The first three JIMs
under the Programme would start in summer 2017 in the States of
Gujarat, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

The two Prime Ministers welcomed the steady progress to realise 3.5
trillion yen of public and private financing to India in five years under the
Japan-India Investment Promotion Partnership. They also
welcomed the progress in the projects at the Western Dedicated
Freight Corridor (DFC), the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
and the Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC). The two
Prime Ministers also confirmed the importance of securing
appropriate implementation of ODA projects.

Prime Minister Modi appreciated the significant contribution of Japans

ODA in the development and modernisation of infrastructure in
India. In this regard, the two Prime Ministers welcomed progress in the
ODA projects in urban transportation sector such as the Chennai and
Ahmedabad Metro, the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link project, and the
introduction of the Intelligence Transport System along the Eastern
Peripheral Highway in Delhi. Prime Minister Abe expressed Japans
intention to support the upgrading of the ship-recycling yards of Alang,
Bhavnagar District of Gujarat.

The two Prime Ministers expressed their strong commitment to work

together to enhance connectivity, and welcomed the progress of the
projects to enhance road connectivity in North Eastern India. They
decided to build upon their cooperation in the field of smart cities to
develop smart islands by initiating consultations to identify technologies,
infrastructure, development strategies and management processes that
would facilitate development of smart islands in an efficient and effective
manner.

Prime Minister Modi appreciated the provision of ODA loan to the

irrigation project in Jharkhand, and the preparatory survey for forest
resource management in Odisha and irrigation improvement in
Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh
 Prime Minister Modi appreciated Japans efforts to support the
construction of a Convention Centre in Varanasi and recognised its
symbolic importance as a sign of strengthening bilateral ties.

Prime Minister Abe commended Prime Minister Modis strong

commitment to improve business environment in India, and welcomed
reforms undertaken for liberalising investment policies, simplifying and
rationalising taxation system through the passage of historic Goods and
Services Tax Bill, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and other
measures.

The two Prime Ministers welcomed the progress related to Japan

Industrial Townships JITs including the focused planning by selecting a
few areas out of the twelve JITs for pilot implementation and special
investment incentives. They also agreed to continue to engage in
consultation and cooperation in development of JITs.

Prime Minister Abe also expressed appreciation for the facilitation

provided by the Japan Plus for the Japanese companies in India
and the coordination by the Core Group chaired by Cabinet
Secretary for the facilitation of Japan-India Investment Promotion
Partnership. The two Prime Ministers noted with satisfaction that the
bilateral Strategic Economic Dialogue, Financial Dialogue and meetings
on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) were held
successfully this year and underlined the importance of these dialogues
and their subcommittees to deepen bilateral cooperation. They also
welcomed the entry into force of the Agreement on Social Security in
October 2016, which would reduce costs of business and further
facilitate human and economic exchanges between India and Japan.

The two Prime Ministers confirmed the importance of implementing the

Japan-India Make-in-India Special Finance Facility of up to 1.5
trillion yen by Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) and
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to promote direct
investment of Japanese companies in India. They welcomed the
Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) between the National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Japan Overseas
Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban
 Development (JOIN) to explore funding for infrastructure projects in
India.

Working together for a cleaner and greener future

Recognised that access to reliable, clean and affordable energy is

critical for economic growth of both countries, and in this regard,
they welcomed the Japan-India Energy Partnership Initiative laid
by the Japan-India 8th Energy Dialogue held in January 2016. They
further desired to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation as it will
contribute not only to the energy development of both countries, but also
to worldwide energy security, energy access and climate change issue.
They also reaffirmed their intention to promote transparent and
diversified Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) market including
elimination of destination clause.

Welcomed the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement on climate
change, and reaffirmed their commitment to work together in developing
the rules for successful implementation of the Agreement. They also
shared the intention to hold as early as possible further consultations on
the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM).

Prime Minister Abe welcomed Prime Minister Modis efforts, particularly

in the area of renewable energy, including the establishment of the
International Solar Alliance.

The two Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of the Agreement

between the Government of Japan and the Government of the
Republic of India for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear
Energy which reflects a new level of mutual confidence and strategic
partnership in the cause of clean energy, economic development and a
peaceful and secure world.

Collaboration between their private and public sector entities in

environmentally friendly energy efficient technologies, the two Prime
Ministers underlined the importance of promoting further cooperation
in such areas as clean coal technologies and popularisation of eco-
friendly vehicles including hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles etc.
 The two Prime Ministers expressed their intention to achieve an early
conclusion of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and
Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009.

Laying the Foundation of a Future-oriented Partnership

Recognised the vast potential for deeper bilateral collaboration of

science and technology to fundamentally transform societies. They also
stressed the importance of enhancing space cooperation, and welcomed
the signing of the MOU between JAXA and ISRO.

They also appreciated extending cooperation in the area of marine,

earth and atmospheric sciences, including through the
Memorundum of Cooperation (MOC) between the Ministry of Earth
Science and JAMSTEC. They noted the progress made in bilateral IT and
IoT cooperation through the bilateral Joint Working Group on IT and
Electronics, the Japan-India IoT Investment Initiative in cooperation with
JETRO, and Joint Committee on Science and Technology.

Both nations welcomed the successful holding of the Asian Ministerial

Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2016 in New Delhi,
following the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk
Reduction. They recognised the potential for cooperation in the area of
disaster management and disaster risk reduction. They also
acknowledged the importance of the World Tsunami Awareness Day to
raise awareness, promote better understanding of risks and develop tools
to address it.

The two Prime Ministers also welcomed progress of cooperation in the

field of healthcare including antimicrobial resistance, stem cell
research, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. They also noted the
opportunities for collaboration between Indian and Japanese
pharmaceutical companies in light of the target regarding the
quantitative share of generic medicines in Japan.

Investing in People for a Durable Partnership

Stressed the need to further strengthen the opportunities for

tourism, youth exchange and educational collaboration, and
 decided to mark the year 2017 as a year of India-Japan friendly
exchanges in the field of culture and tourism. They welcomed the
MOC in the field of Cultural Exchange. They expressed their strong
desire to promote tourism flows between the two countries and noted
with satisfaction the inaugural meeting of India-Japan Tourism Council
and look forward to the second meeting in Japan in 2017. They also
welcomed the planned opening of the Japan National Tourism
Organisation (JNTO) office in Delhi in FY 2016.

Prime Minister Abe announced a relaxation of visa requirement for

Indian students and expressed his intention to expand the number of
visa application sites for Indian nationals to twenty. Prime Minister Abe
thanked Prime Minister Modi for extending the Visa on Arrival facility as
well as long-term ten-year visas to Japanese tourists and investors.

Briefed about Japans new initiative Innovative Asia to enhance

exchange of skilled human resources in Asia. Hoped that this
initiative would provide Indian students new avenues to avail of
scholarship and internship opportunities and would further foster
innovation

The two Prime Ministers noted with satisfaction the successful

realisation of the first bilateral High-Level Policy Dialogue on
Education, and stressed the need to further strengthen
collaboration in education including through expanded university-
to-university institutionalised links. The two Prime Ministers also
underscored the importance of sharing the best practices regarding the
education models, and initiatives such as SAKURA Science Plan
(Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Programme in Science) under which
young Indian students and researchers visit Japan.

Welcomed the signing of the MOC on Sports between the Ministry of

Youth Affairs and Sports of India and the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan to promote
sharing of experiences, skills, techniques, information and knowledge,
with a special focus on Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

Stressed the importance of increased interaction between all levels of the

government, between parliament members, and between Prefectures and
 States. They welcomed the signing of the MOU between the State of
Gujarat and Hyogo Prefecture on mutual cooperation. They also
expressed satisfaction at the strengthened ties between the City of Kyoto
and Varanasi, two ancient cities integral to their respective cultural
heritage

Prime Minister Modi welcomed the growing interest in Japan in

celebrating the International Day of Yoga. Prime Minister Modi also
encouraged the Japanese Yoga enthusiasts to avail of Indian
scholarships for training in the most reputed yoga institutes in India.

Recognised the importance of the empowerment of women and the need

to strengthen cooperation in this area, including efforts through
conferences such as the World Assembly for Women (WAW!).

Sharing the view that the future of Asia needs to build on the positive
influence of traditions of non-violence, tolerance, and democracy in Asia,
the two Prime Ministers welcomed the symposium on Shared Values
and Democracy in Asia held in Tokyo in January 2016 and looked
forward to the next conference in 2017.

Working Jointly for Strengthening Rules-based International Order in the

Indo-Pacific Region and Beyond

Stressed the potential that the collaboration of India and Japan have in
realising prosperous Indo-Pacific region in the 21st century. They
decided to draw on the strength of shared values, convergent interests
and complementary skills and resources, to promote economic and social
development, capacity building, connectivity and infrastructure
development in the region.

Underscored the importance of India-Japan dialogue to promote

cooperation and collaboration in Africa, with the objective to
synergise their efforts and explore specific joint projects including in the
areas of training and capacity building, health, infrastructure and
connectivity. In this regard, they also expressed their intention to work
jointly and cooperatively with the international community to promote
the development of industrial corridors and industrial network in Asia
and Africa.
 Welcomed the prospects of cooperation between the two countries for
promoting peace and prosperity in South Asia and neighboring region,
such as Iran and Afghanistan, through both bilateral and trilateral
cooperation, inter-alia, in the development of infrastructure and
connectivity for Chabahar. They directed their officials to expeditiously
work out details for such cooperation.

Welcomed the holding of trilateral dialogue among Japan, India and

the United States, and strengthened coordination and cooperation in
such areas as HA/DR, regional connectivity as well as maritime security
and safety. Welcomed continued and deepened trilateral dialogue
among Japan, India and Australia.

Welcoming the progress in strengthening the East Asia Summit (EAS)

process as the premier leaders-led forum to discuss regional political,
economic and security issues, the two Prime Ministers decided to work
together towards making the Summit a more dynamic proactive process.
They welcomed the convening of the EAS Ambassadors Meeting in
Jakarta and the establishment of the EAS Unit within the ASEAN
Secretariat. They stressed the importance of enhancing maritime
cooperation and regional connectivity within the EAS framework.

Expressed their willingness to shaping and strengthening the evolving

regional architecture through enhanced cooperation in ASEAN-led fora
such as ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting
Plus, Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum and coordination of their
actions to tackle global and regional challenges including
maritime security, terrorism and violent extremism, and climate
change.

Both Nations condemned terrorism in strongest terms in all its forms

and manifestations in the spirit of zero tolerance. They noted with
great concern the growing menace of terrorism and violent extremism
and its universal reach. They expressed their condolences to the
bereaved families of the victims of both countries in the recent terrorist
attacks including in Dhaka and Uri. They called upon all countries to
implement the UNSC Resolution 1267 and other relevant
resolutions designating terrorist entities. They called upon all
countries to work towards eliminating terrorist safe havens and
 infrastructure, in disrupting terrorist networks and financing channels,
and stopping cross-border movement of terrorists.

Reiterated their commitment to respecting freedom of navigation and over

flight, and unimpeded lawful commerce, based on the principles of
international law, as reflected notably in the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Recognising India as the largest democracy and a fast growing large

economy in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan firmly supports Indias
membership in the APEC. Decided to work towards liberalisation and
facilitation of trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region.

Reaffirmed to cooperate towards conclusion of modern, comprehensive,

high quality and mutually beneficial Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement. Decided to work towards
liberalisation and facilitation of trade, including through WTOs Trade
Facilitation Agreement and through enhanced trade in goods and
services, and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. Reaffirmed the
importance of enhancing communication and cooperation on excess
capacity in steel industries including through the formation of the
Global Forum on steel excess capacity as called for by the G20
leaders this year

Reaffirmed their shared commitment to the total elimination of nuclear

weapons. Stressed the importance of early entry into force of the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). They called for an
immediate commencement and early conclusion of negotiations on a
non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively
verifiable Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) on the basis of
Shannon Mandate. They also expressed their resolve towards
strengthening international cooperation to address the challenges of
nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism.

Recognised the importance of effective national export control systems.

Japan welcomed Indias recent accession to the Missile Technology
Control Regime (MTCR) and the Hague Code of Conduct against
Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC) and its intensified engagement
with the export control regimes.
 The two Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to work together
for India to become a full member in the remaining three
international export control regimes: Nuclear Suppliers Group,
Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group, with the aim of
strengthening the international non-proliferation efforts.

Bilateral Trade agreement between India and Bhutan

(Topic: Bilateral Agreement)

About- Commerce and Industry Minister and Minister for Economic Affairs,
Royal Government of Bhutan signed the Agreement on Trade, Commerce and
Transit between India and the Royal Government of Bhutan.

Aim-

To enhance trade between the two countries through trade facilitation by

improving procedures, cutting down on documentation and adding
additional exit/entry points for Bhutans trade with other countries.

It is also expected to further strengthen the excellent relations between

the two countries.

Trade and Commerce Agreement-

The first Agreement on Trade and Commerce between Bhutan and India
was signed in 1972. Since then, the Agreement has been renewed four
times. The last Agreement was renewed on July 28, 2006 and was valid
till July 29, 2016.

The validity of the Agreement was extended for a period of one year or till
the date of coming into force of the new Agreement, whichever is earlier,
by exchange of diplomatic notes between the two countries.

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways13-November, 2016 17:30 IST

India, Myanmar and Thailand Friendship Motor Car Rally, 2016 Flagged-
off

(Topic: Bilateral Agreement)

About- The Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and
Chemical Fertilizer flagged off a Friendship Motor Car Rally from India Gate
lawns in Delhi to Bangkok.

Objective- To improve connectivity by road in the South-East Asian region and

to sensitize the stakeholders of India Myanmar and Thailand Motor Vehicle
Agreement regarding potential benefits of such a regulatory regime.

Benefits-

This rally will also play an important role in developing the economic,
transport and cultural relations between the three countries.

Give a boost to the Act East Policy and will improve our relationship with
our neighbouring countries.

Basic purpose of this rally would be to- Sensitize people about the fact that
an all weather road, connecting New Delhi and Bangkok would soon be
operational . With the opening of Trilateral highway, it would become a reality
to travel from New Delhi to Bangkok by road.

Rally Highlights-

The rally caravan will cover a distance of 5,722 KMs along the IMT
Trilateral Highway with about 80 participants from all the three
countries, in 20 Indian made vehicles on a journey from Delhi to
Bangkok over 19 days.

Ceremonial flag off will also be held in other cities and state capitals
enroute like Sarnath, Bodhgaya, Patna, Siliguri, Guwahati, Shillong,
Kohima and Imphal and Began and Yangoon in Myanmar and Bangkok
in Thailand.

The rally that will conclude at Bangkok on 2nd December, 2016, will
further cement cultural and economic ties among the three nations and
highlight the potential benefits of connectivity and integration in the
region and in keeping with Indias focus on its close neighborhood.

A trial run of passenger vehicles on the IMT Trilateral Highway up to

Naypitaw in Myanmar was carried out during 9-14 November, 2015 in
which Indian vehicles travelled to Myanmar on Imphal -Mandalay
 -Bagan- Naypitaw route and back and Myanmar vehicles joined the
Indian vehicles on the return journey from Naypitaw to Imphal and
returning to Myanmar.

Launch of Kahin Bhi-Kabhi Bhi medical facilities for ESIC beneficiaries

of Delhi

(Topic: Labour and Employment)

About- Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment,

launched the Kahin Bhi-Kabhi Bhi medical facilities for ESIC beneficiaries of
Delhi and Inaugurated the 06 bedded Day Care Unit of ESI Dispensary.

Kahin Bhi Kabhi Bhi Intiative-

ESIC has taken an initiative in the form of Kahin Bhi Kabhi Bhi for
ESIC beneficiaries of Delhi.

Kahin Bhi means- any dispensary/Hospital and Kabhi Bhi means any
time. Now, all the network of dispensaries of Delhi has been made
accessible to insured persons and their family members all the time. It
will save his/her time and effort to avail services it closer to his
workplace or home or any place.

Outcome- Now, insured persons and their family members of Delhi need not to
visit ESIC Hospital for minor ailments requiring only day care like Diarrhoea,
high grade fevers, acute asthama attacks, abdominal pain, chest pain etc.
Besides this, in future, Day Care Centres will be developed in three more ESIC
Dispensaries in Delhi having high OPD attendance in Nandnagari, Mangolpuri
and Jwalapuri which will cover all zones of Delhi.

Day Care-

ESI Corporation has decided to open six bed Day Care Centres in various
ESI Dispensaries, all over the country.

These Centres will become a complete unit in itself with medical facilities.

To further improve the medical services to patients from working class,

facilities like Dental Care, Physiotherapy, Yoga, X-Ray Plant on PPP
 Model, Mother and Child Tracking, courier services to deliver medicine at
Insured Person doorsteps will also be provided.

All 04 ESIC Hospitals of Delhi at Basaidarapur, Rohini, Okhla and

Jhilmil will also be converted into Super Speciality Hospitals.

ESIC-

ESIC has become one of the largest social security organizations, offering
a better and brighter service for all the ESIC beneficiaries making every
Insured Person feel like a VIP.

ESIC Dispensary Dwarka has now become a complete unit in itself with
medical facilities like General OPD Care, Family Welfare Services, full
time Laboratory and X-Ray and Diagnostic care.

MSDE Announces Launch Of Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana To Scale Up An

Ecosystem Of Entrepreneurship For Youngsters

(Topic: Skill Development)

About- Marking the 2nd Foundation Day of Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship, Minister of State(I/C) for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship launched the Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana, MSDEs
flagship scheme on entrepreneurship education and training.

Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana has national and international best practices of
learning in entrepreneurship education.

Benefit-

The scheme spans over five years (2016-17 to 2020-21) with a project
cost of Rs. 499.94 crore, and will provide entrepreneurship education
and training to over 7 lakh students in 5 years through 3050 Institutes.

It will also include easy access to information and mentor network,

credit, incubator and accelerator and advocacy to create a pathway for
the youth.

Institutes under the PMs YUVA Yojana include-

 MSDEs two institutions dedicated to entrepreneur education and
training NIESBUD and IIE- have trained more than 7 lakh trainees
including 2,600 persons from more than 125 countries in the field of
entrepreneurial skills till date. After becoming a part of this Ministry,
these two institutes are now focusing on mentorship of budding
entrepreneurs across the country.

2200 Institutes of Higher Learning (colleges, universities, and premier

institutes), 300 schools, 500 ITIs and 50 Entrepreneurship Development
Centres, through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurships (MSDE) efforts in-

Ensuring alignment to common norms, district level committees, best

practices, special projects, disadvantage groups and a robust model for
monitoring and validation and emphasised the needs for States to come
forward and handhold districts in making all skill initiatives a success at
the local level.

MSDE has plans to disburse around INR 7000 crore to states to help
align them with the centres skill development agenda and work in
conjunction with them to ensure a robust ecosystem.

MSDE also unveiled the Lab Guidelines towards standardisation of lab

equipment across skill development training centres in India.

These guidelines specify the number of job roles that can be done in a
lab, standard lab layout, and available brands of equipment which
should be used.

These guidelines will pave a pathway in increasing the employability of

trained candidates across States ensuring industry standards.

Emphasising on the importance of being self-sustainable, MSDE

announced the institutionalisation of National Entrepreneurship awards
for first generation achievers below 30 years, for the very first time.

Entrepreneurship Awards are proposed to be given on 16 January 2017.

The young entrepreneur will be awarded in various sectors contributing

to the economy of our country.
 Equal emphasis has been given to recognize the meaningful contribution
of ecosystem builders in this award process. Equal focus has been given
to recognize young people from socially disadvantaged groups.

9th International Regulatory Cooperation Meeting for Herbal Medicines

Inaugurated by AYUSH Minister

(Topic: Health)

About- The Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge), inaugurated the
9th Annual Meeting of International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal
Medicines (IRCH) in New Delhi.

Organised by Ministry of AYUSH in New Delhi from 8-10 November,

2016. Over 33 delegates from 17 countries are participating in the three day-
long Annual Meeting of IRCH.

IRCH

International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH),

established in 2006, is a global network of regulatory authorities created
by World Health Organization (WHO) responsible for regulation of herbal
medicines.

Objectives of IRCH meeting are to-

Globally promote and facilitate the safe use of herbal medicines, through
regional initiatives, sharing information and fostering dialogue

Facilitate and strengthen cooperation between national regulatory

authorities by sharing experience, information and knowledge related to
the regulation, quality, safety and efficacy of herbal medicines

Further discuss existing requirements and standards to promote the

regulation, quality, safety and efficacy of herbal medicines

Recommend future activities to WHO related to the quality and safety of

herbal medicines
 Refer issues to the International Conference of Drug Regulatory
Authorities and other bodies, where ever needed, for further discussion
related to the quality and safety of herbal medicines.

India takes a lead in TB research in a unique mission mode to End TB

(Topic: Health)

About- Tuberculosis (TB) is one of Indias severest health crises. It kills two
Indians every three minutes and more than 1,000 people every day.

India TB Research and Development Corporation (ITRDC)

It is a flagship initiative by ICMR, aims to bring together all major

national and international stakeholders to develop new tools (drug,
diagnostics, vaccines) for TB.

The vision of the corporation is To achieve Elimination of TB from India

by investing in new tools (drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines) as well as
provide these solutions to the world.

Why needed?

India has the highest TB burden in the world. The Global Tuberculosis Report
2016 released in October 2016 by the World Health Organisation updated the
estimate of incidence that is, the number of new tuberculosis cases in a year
to 2.8 million in 2015. The updated estimate of tuberculosis deaths,
excluding deaths of HIV-positive people, is 478,000 in 2015 and 483,000 in
2014.

Benefits-

The aim is to reduce the incidence on new TB cases by 95% and reduce
mortality by 95%.

Research will be accelerated to improve cure rates and to accelerate

decline in new cases.

Implementation research will focus on finding and framing strategies to

treat TB patients by involving al stakeholders. The aim is to ensure that
all TV patients get assured quality diagnosis and treatment.
Initiative has been undertaken after a consensus from-

Various Government, Non-Government and international research

organizations in a high level meeting with officials from MOH&FW, DBT,
CSIR, DST, TDB, WHO, Gates Foundation in Feb 2016 wherein all the
members agreed to support the Corporation.

The concept also has an in-principle by PMO for setting up a new entity.
In a few months time the detailed landscape analysis of the national and
global leads in four thematic areas namely diagnostics, vaccines,
therapeutics and implementation research has been done and most
advanced leads have been identified for taking forward.

The first International Scientific Advisory Group (ISAG) meeting was

convened on 9th and 10th November in New Delhi bringing together the
eminent international and national TB experts from four thematic areas.
The ISAG consisted of 6 international experts and 3 experts from India.

The ISAG members were also appreciative of the tremendous progress

made in a short span of time and the efforts put in by all the working
group members in preparing a consolidated landscape analysis of all
national and international leads in each area and shortlisting the leads
along with their plan of action.

The leads identified for taking ahead, the way forward & timelines were
critically analysed by the Group and they identified core areas and
guided on the strategy for the initiative to fight TB and achieve its goal.

New Green Urban Transport Scheme

(Topic: Urban Development)

About- Minister of Urban Development said that the Central Government is

working on new policy initiatives to encourage private investments in climate
friendly and sustainable public transport systems like Metro rail, Non-
motorised Transport and other low carbon emitting systems in urban areas

New initiatives under consideration include Green Urban Transport

Scheme, New Metro Rail Policy, revision of Metro Acts and Standardisation and
Indigenisation of Metro systems, aimed at increased private sector
participation.

Green Urban Transport Scheme

It seeks to encourage growth of urban transport along low Carbon path

for substantial and measurable reduction in pollution, provide a
permanent and sustainable framework for funding urban mobility
projects at National, State and City level with minimum recourse to
budgetary support by encouraging innovative financing of projects.

Under this Scheme, provision of Non-motorised Transport infrastructure,

increasing access to public transport, use of clean technologies, adoption
of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and private sector participation in
urban transport projects will be increased.

Scheme is being considered for for implementation in cities each with a

population of five lakhs and above and all capital cities, Central
assistance of about Rs.25,000 cr is estimated to be required which would
in turn trigger private investments to meet the resource needs, over the
next five years.

New Metro Policy-

In view of the growing demand for metro rail systems in urban areas, a
New Metro Policy would soon be unveiled to meet the demand through
increased private sector participation.

Policy mandates preparation of Comprehensive Mobility Plans of cities

mandatory to ensure last mile connectivity with metro stations.

It also seeks to bring in more innovative models of implementation

besides increased standardization and indigenization to induce
competition.

New Metro policy seeks to ensure integration of metro projects with over
all mobility needs in urban areas. Central government has so far
provided an assistance of over Rs.65,000 cr including sovereign debt to
metro projects in different cities of the country. As of now, 325 kms. of
metro rail is in operation in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai
 and Jaipur. About 517 kms of metro rail projects are under execution
and another 449 kms under planning stage, the Minister informed.

Revised Metro Acts-

The existing two Metro Acts made in the context of Kolkata and Delhi
Metros are being integrated envisaging more delegation of powers to State
Governments besides promoting PPP and private initiatives.

Why needed?

To improve the citys mobility, liveability and sustainability, Urban transport

planning shall be people centric and aim at moving people instead of moving
cars. All sections of people shall be ensured access to efficient public transport
through inclusive planning.

Concern over road accident-

Concern over one road accident every minute and one accident death
every four minutes in urban areas and half of the victims being
pedestrians, cyclists and those using two wheelers, so need for an
affordable, comfortable, reliable and safe public transport to reduce
demand for private motorized vehicles. Need for promotion of Non-
motorised transport infrastructure for encouraging walking and cycling.

NMT as a viable alternative mode of mobility would be effective if there is

a close relationship between work and living place, and called for proper
land use zoning, development control and building regulations to ensure
success of public transport system in cities.

Under new urban sector initiatives of Smart Cities Mission and Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Non-Motorised Transport is
being encourages on a large scale.

GS-3
Regional Connectivity Fund under UDAN To Stimulate Growth And
Development of Civil Aviation Sector
(Topic: Civil Aviation)

Objective of Regional Connectivity Scheme, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam

Naagrik) is- To enhance air passenger traffic in the country by stimulating
demand on regional routes. Amount collected as Regional Connectivity Fund
(RCF) will be used to provide financial support to airlines in the form of
Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for operations under the Scheme.

RCF would channel funds generated from the sector to stimulate further
growth and development of the sector itself. A part of the fund will also be
contributed to by the states that have signed the UDAN MoU: as of date, 19
states have either signed or given their consent.

Benefits

The national scheduled airlines providing services on domestic routes

where such fee per departure is levied would also be eligible under the
Scheme to avail benefits of RCS.

Similarly, even the passengers would be benefited through additional

connectivity on regional routes at prices which are at or below the airfare
caps.

Thus, the funds collected from national scheduled airlines will-

Benefit the same airlines and passengers from whom it is collected

Further expected to lead to creation of regional air connectivity / services

that would have spin-off benefits within the sector in terms of passengers
taking other flights (not under RCS) and using airports / airport services
that are not at concessional rates under RCS. The amount collected
under the levy will be ploughed back into the sector.

Reducing costs for regional operators-

UDAN recognizes the challenge of high costs faced by regional operators.

Accordingly, the scheme brings down the operating cost for an airline by
reducing taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and airport and other
charges.
 Improving liquidity in the small plane leasing market will make it easy for
entrepreneurs and airlines to start these routes. The winning bidder gets
a three year exclusivity on the route so that the route can be matured
and made profitable.

The scheme uses the power of markets to discover to the lowest subsidy
on the route. Half the seats can be sold by the winning bidder at market
prices this will also provide good information on the price the
passengers on the route are willing to pay as and when the subsidy
support goes away (between three and ten years).

Social obligation for a network business

It is important to put the amount expected to be collected under this levy

in context of other businesses which create connectivity and benefit from
the network effect, for example, telecom and railways.

The telecom industry in India generated annual net revenue of around Rs

1.8 lakh crores and paid 5% of its net revenues into a Universal Service
Obligation (USO) fund, which collected Rs 9,835 crores in financial year
2016.

The social service obligations of the Indian Railways manifests itself in

the Rs 33,004 cr loss (in FY2015) in the passenger and coaching segment
to bring connectivity to the country (this loss is on the base of passenger
fares collected of Rs 42,190 cr in the same year).

Global examples of promoting regional connectivity

The economic importance of promoting regional or remote connectivity is

well understood across the world.

Geographically large countries like the USA, Canada, Brazil and

Australia among many others support regional and remote connectivity.
UDAN is the first-of-its-kind scheme globally which harnesses the power
of the markets to provide a public good.

Ministrys expectation
 Ministry believes that this proposed levy is a small amount but which
can go a long distance in bringing more travelers and cities to the Indian
aviation network.

Given the high growth in the sector we expect that the airlines could be
in a position to absorb a part of the levy and not adversely impact the
passengers significantly.

As per an ICAO study, the output multipliers of aviation is 3.25 which

means that every Rupees 100 spent on air transport contributes to
Rupees 325 worth of indirect benefits.

More important, the employment multiplier is 6.10 which means that

every 100 direct jobs in air transport sector results in 610 jobs in the
economy as a whole. Therefore, the funds which are collected from
national scheduled airlines for RCF can provide a further boost to the
development of regional and national economies.

Indo-Japan MOU for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

(Topic: Earth science and Technology)

About- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan Agency for Marine-

Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and the Ministry of Earth Sciences,
Government of India has been approved by the Cabinet.

Objective- The advancement of academic research in the field of Earth

Sciences for the benefit of the peace and human welfare

Benefits-

The collaboration with JAMSTEC will not only enhance capability in the
field ofatmospheric and climate research, ocean technology observation
and hazard mitigation but also provide much needed exposure and
hands-on experience to Indian scientists.

The cooperation between parties and under Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) will be pursued primarily through joint
survey, cruise and research and development activities, exchange of
scientific visits, joint scientific seminars, workshops and meetings or
exchange of information and data.
First LNG fuelled bus in the country launched in Kerala

(Topic: Petroleum and Natural Gas)

About- For the 1st time in the Country, an LNG fuelled bus has been launched
by the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

Joint effort of- Petronet LNG Limited (PLL), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and
Tata Motors Ltd to introduce LNG as a fuel in commercial vehicles in the state
capital

LNG fueled bus is being launched as part of a plan of the Ministry of

Petroleum and Natural Gas to use LNG directly for mass transportation and to
reduce carbon emissions in the Country simultaneously generating savings.
The launch also coincided with the fourth meeting of the Group of Ministers
(GoM) holding Transport portfolios.

LNG-

LNG is an environmentally friendly fuel with less number of Nox, Soxand

particulate matters, as compared to any other automotive fuel.
Co2 emission is also lesser than Diesel.

LNG is greener as well as more economical as compared to Diesel. LNG is

more suitable for heavy duty segment like Trucks and Buses.

Introduction of LNG in transport segment will also help India to meet its
COP21 commitment

Government Steps-

The Government of India has already announced that it is planning to

use LNG, which is cheaper than diesel, as a fuel for Railways and long-
haul transportation.

The KSRTC, which has a fleet of 6,000 buses, has already announced
plans to use natural gas.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has already released

draft notifcation for use of LNG as an automotive fuel. Final notification
is expected to be released soon.
 Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) has formed an
expert committee to form regulations for installation of LNG Fuel tank
and dispensing stations, which is also expected to be released at an early
date.

First Training Squadron visits Chittagong (Bangladesh)

(Topic: Defence)

About- Indian Naval Ships Tir and Sujata, alongwith Indian Coast Guard Ship
Varuna, comprising the 1st Training Squadron, are on a visit to Chittagong,
Bangladesh from 11 15 Nov 16 as part of their Overseas Deployment during
Autumn Term 16. The Senior Officer of the 1st Training Squadron, Captain DJ
Revar, would be embarked on board INS Tir.

India and Bangladesh Relations-

India and Bangladesh have a close, long-standing relationship covering a

wide spectrum of activities and interactions, which has strengthened
over the years.

The people of India and Bangladesh have close cultural bonds and a
shared vision of a democratic society.

The present deployment of the Training Squadron to Chittagong would

further cement the close relations between the two nations and the two
navies.

First Training Squadron

First Training Squadron forms part of Southern Naval Command (SNC)

and comprises Indian Naval Ships Tir, Shardul, Sujata, ICGS Varuna and
two Sail Training Ships Sudarshini and Tarangini, all of which have been
built in India.

Primary aim of the Squadron is to impart training to Naval and Coast

Guard trainees, with a 24 weeks ab-initio sea training being imparted.
The trainees are imparted training in Seamanship, Navigation, Ship
Handling, Boat Work, Technical aspects, etc whilst being exposed to the
rigours of life at sea, so as to earn their sea legs.
Indian Navy-

Southern Naval Command is the Training Command of the Indian Navy,

which provides both basic and advanced training to officers and sailors
of the Indian Navy.

Indian Navy has also been providing training to personnel from Friendly
Foreign Countries for more than four decades, wherein more than 13,000
personnel from over 40 countries have been trained.

The Indian Navys focused approach for providing high quality training by
constantly adapting to evolving tactics and technologies, has gained it a
reputation of being one of the finest training destinations.

COP 22 focus on Afforestation, Ecosystem and Climate Change

(Topic: Climate Change)

About- On the third day of Conference of Parties (COP-22) on Wednesday, being

held at Marrakech in Morocco, the India Pavilion witnessed three side-events
that focused on the initiatives in afforestation and REDD+ in India, ecosystem
and climate change and sustainable transportation.

Afforestation and REDD+

Experts highlighted that forests play a crucial role in mitigating climate

change, particularly in India, where nearly 25% of the area has tree
cover.

Government has asked the forestry sector to help the country meet its
goal of creation of 2.5-3.0 billion tonnes of additional carbon sinks, as
per the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

This target will be met using a variety of means, including-

Afforestation + Reforestation+ Agro-forestry, conducted through
community participation and mechanisms like REDD+.

REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions by Deforestation and

Degradation, an initiative finalized under the UNs Paris Agreement in
2015.
 India has begun implementing REDD+ pilot projects, developing
protocols for-Improving measurement, Reporting, and verification (MRV)
and safeguard information systems (SIS).

Emphasis was also placed on promoting the exchange of information and

present potential collaborations among South Asian countries that share
Himalayan and tropical ecologies organized by Indian Council of Forestry
Research and Education (ICFRE), International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Role of forest in climate change mitigation and adaptation

Climate change alters existing biome types and can cause forest dieback
with consequent loss of biodiversity.

Various forest conservation oriented acts and policies in India are

contributing to a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,
stabilization and improvement of carbon stocks in forests, and
conservation of biodiversity.

Indias forests serve as a major sink of CO2, offsetting around 12% of the
total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the country. IUCN had
elaborated about its initiatives in India.

ICIMOD provided the information on various activities including

preparation of inventory of methodology on climate change and river
system in India.

Representative of Government of Bihar provided detailed information on

the initiatives on the agro-forestry and strategy to meet the climate
change risk.

Indias Efforts-

Indias efforts on sustainable transport solutions, the Ministry of

Railways, Government of India, with its technical partner, Council on
Energy, Environment and Water, hosted the third session on
Sustainable Transport Solutions at the India Pavilion at COP-22 in
Marrakech, where the current climate negotiations are underway.
 In addition, there have been efforts to decrease fossil-fuel dependence in
the transport sector, which have been incorporated by moving towards
cleaner sources of energy and increasing the share of renewables in
driving mobility.

Sustainable Transport Systems at the India Pavilion

India has focused its low carbon initiatives on the development of

railways, waterways, Mass Rapid Transport Systems (MRTS) and other
forms of public transport.

Initiatives such as the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) were

highlighted by Executive Director, Ministry of Railways, and the
Sagarmala projects on development of waterways by Deputy Secretary,
Ministry of Shipping.

The initiatives are aimed at increasing the share and volume of freight
traffic on the more energy efficient rail and water based transport modes.

The representative from Council on Energy, Environment and Water

highlighted that the Indian Railways has taken a leadership role by
planning to substitute its petroleum use with alternatives like bio-fuels,
and consistently pursuing a policy of railway electrification through
renewable sources of energy, with potential reduction of 138 MT of CO2
by 2030.

Ministry of Environment and Forests11-November, 2016 18:57 IST

COP 22 Discuss Climate Change Adaptability

(Topic: Climate Change)

About- The India Pavilion witnessed two major side events on Climate Change
Adaptability, organised by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) and The Ministry of Agriculture.

Climate Change Adaption- Preserving Water Resources

The opening session, Climate Change Adaptation Preserving Water

Resources was moderated by Advisor, Ministry of Water Resources.
 Highlighted the initiatives taken by National Water Mission, established
by the Government of India under the National Action Plan on Climate
Change formulated by the Prime Ministers Council on Climate Change
for adaptation and mitigation of impact of climate change on water
resources in particular and elaborated on various goals of the NWM and
emphasized the achievements of the Mission in the sphere of integrated
water resource management and development.

Second session for the day, hosted by Ministry of Agriculture, was held
under the chairmanship of Director General, MANAGE, Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.

Through various policy initiatives and efforts around afforestation, food

security, waste reduction, employment for agriculture labours,
sustainable agriculture; the Government is trying to keep pace with the
time and mitigate severe impacts of climate changes in agriculture.

Detailed presentation on various policies and schemes of the Ministry of

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, on integrated farming systems, agro-
forestry, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and integration of
various departmental activities like irrigation, agriculture, rural
development is ensured.

India International Trade Fair-2016

(Topic: Trade and Commerce)

About- The annual flagship event of India Trade Promotion Organisation

(ITPO), the 36th India International Trade Fair (November14-27, 2016)
inaugurated by the President of India, on November 14, 2016 at Pragati
Maidan, New Delhi.

Theme- IITF and its Digital India theme will project its deep commitment to
fulfil the vision of the PM of India. The theme assumes special significance
for highlighting countrys persistent efforts to alleviate poverty through
meaningful convergence of digital technologies and e-governance.

Participants-
 This year, as many as 7000 participants are taking part in the fair. The
Partner Countryis the South Korea and the Focus Country is
Belarus.

The Partner Statesare Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand while,

Haryana is participating as the Focus State.

Over 150 companies from 27 countries are taking part in the fair.
These include: Australia, Afghanistan, Belarus, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar,
Netherlands, Oman, Sri Lanka, South Africa, South Korea, Singapore,
Tibet, Turkey, Thailand, UAE and UK.

Domestic participation profilecovers- All the States and Union

Territories, Central Government Ministries/Departments, Public Sector
Undertakings, Export Promotion Councils, Commodity Board, Financial
Institutions, Corporate and non-government organisations etc.

CAPART pavilion of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of

India is participating with around 800 rural artisans and craft
persons,while 100 artisans are participating through National
Minorities Development & Finance & Corporation.

Fair highlights Indias Initiatives-

Extending Indias global appeal for investment in diverse sectors, the fair
also manifests a multi-pronged strategy of Indian economy which is
driven by Make in Indiainitiative and reforms to transform trade
and industry into an engine of socio- economic growth.

The fair also provides a glimpse with updated information on

various missions, schemes and initiatives, launched by the
Government, Swachh Bharat Campaign, Clean Ganga Mission, Jan
Dhan Yojana, Skill India, Adhar, 175 Solar Mission, Farmer Corp
Insurance, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation(AMRUT), Start up & Stand up Campaign, Smart Cities,
Model Villages, etc.
 These programmes will be demonstrated prominently in the display
profile of the pavilions of the States and Union Territories as well as
standalone pavilions.

Schemes launched by Ministry of Commerce-

It also provides first hand information of the policies, progressive

reforms and the new schemes launched by the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, Government of India under the Foreign
Trade Policy (2015-2020).

These schemes are the Merchandize Exports from India Scheme

(MEIS) and Services Exports from India Scheme (SEIS). Under
these schemes incentives are available for SEZs and e-Biz for promotion
of diverse sectors.

IITF 2016

IITF2016 is a collective effort of the Team ITPO and its associates

including different service agencies.

It involves coordination with security agencies, various municipal

wings, transport authorities, State Governments, customs, excise,
media houses plethora of organisations for smooth conduct of the
event.

IITF is an annual magnum opus of the ITPO, a founding member

of the Asian Trade Promotion Forum(ATPF) also a member
of India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) and significantly, it
has been given responsibility to play a role as Focal Point for
the BRICS Trade Promotion Group based on the BRICS Contact
Group on Economic and Trade Issues(CGETI).

Apart from IITF, it holds world class fairs and expositions in the
country and overseas, exploring new markets of Africa, ASEAN,
Latin America, North America and CIS countries for Indian
products and services.

India to Adopt International Best Practices in Fertilizer Research

(Topic: Chemicals and Fertilizers)

About- Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers, while chairing the 1st
meeting of Governing Council for Indian Council for Fertilizer and Nutrient
Research (ICFNR) held in New Delhi.

ICFNR

ICFNR, set up under the administrative control of Department of

Fertilizers (DoF), Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers (MoCF), would be
exclusively devoted to promotion of research in Fertilizer sector.

Areas of operation of ICFNR include- Promotion of research in area of

fertilizer manufacturing technology + Use of raw material and innovation
in fertilizer products + Eco-friendly micro nutrients and pesticide coated
slow release fertilizers + Bio fertilisers & organic fertilisers and their
derivatives.

ICFNR Functioning-

ICFNR would be having a Governing Council and an Executive

Committee for monitoring the progress in the field.

Governing Council is chaired by the Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers

and Executive Committee is chaired by Secretary, Fertilizers. Governing
Council will meet every six months and Executive Council will meet every
quarter.

ICFNR is located at National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) office, Noida.

NFL will also provide secretarial assistance including staff for ICFNR.

For the initial funding, seed money from the three Fertilizer PSUs viz.
NFL, RCF and FAGMIL will be provided on annual basis.

Subsequently, Government of India will provide budgetary support and

the ICFNR shall be funded by Department of Fertilizers through Plan
fund allocation for which a separate plan head will be created

India second largest consumer of fertilizers-

 India is the second largest consumer of fertilizers in the world after
China. Indian fertilizer requirement is largely dependent on imports
around 25% in case of Urea, around 50% in case of Natural gas
(feedstock), more than 50% in case of phosphatic and around 100% for
potassic fertilizers.

India is also dependent on foreign players for sourcing of technology /

licensing and technological up-gradation. Hence it is of prime importance
to have an indigenous research environment in India to achieve Food
Security for the common man

Competition Commission of India (CCI) selected to host ICN 2018 Annual

Conference in New Delhi in March April 2018

(Topic: Commerce)

About- Recognising the growing stature of Competition Commission of India

(CCI) in the world, International Competition Network (ICN) has accepted the
proposal and decided that Competition Commission of India would host the
2018 ICN Annual Conference.

Schedule- This will be held at Delhi in March April 2018.

ICN-

ICN is an international body comprising 132 members from 120

competition jurisdictions exclusively devoted to international competition
enforcement.

ICN provides competition authorities with a specialised yet informal

platform for addressing practical competition concerns, sharing
experiences and adopting international best practices.

Its members are national competition authorities and NGA (Non-

governmental Advisers) which include reputed law firms, eminent
persons, and think tanks of international repute.

The ICN holds an Annual Conference which is hosted by a member

competition agency. The last such Conference was hosted by Competition
 Commission of Singapore in April 2016 and Portuguese Competition
Authority is hosting the next conference in May 2017.

CCI-

CCI is a member of the ICN since 2003.

CCI has been set-up to prevent practices having adverse effects on

competition and to promote and protect interest of consumers and to
ensure freedom of trade carried on by other participants in markets in
India. The Act also mandates an extra territorial jurisdiction to the
Commission.

CCI has been engaged with competition authorities of other jurisdictions

and also multilateral agencies like the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation & Development (OECD) and the International Competition
Network (ICN).

By virtue of this event, CCI has also been inducted as an ex-officio

member of the steering group member of the ICN for a period of 3 years.

CCI eagerly looks forward to hosting this international event which will
provide a rare opportunity to attract domestic and international
competition enforcement experts to deliberate on international best
practices and host of competition issues being faced by the Competition
agencies the world over.

Launches Healthy India Initiative magazine and No More Tension

Mobile Application

(Topic: Health)

About- Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare as he released the

Healthy India Initiative/Swastha Bharat-ek pehal magazine and launched the
No More Tension Mobile Application

Importance of such initiatives

These initiatives will strengthen our health communications initiatives and will
bring us closer to people who need our services the most.
NCD

There is a heightened focus on preventive health along with curative

health now. Awareness is very important to keep away non-
communicable diseases (NCDs).

NCDs are acquired lifestyle ailments, which place a very high burden
through the healthcare cost.

Efforts made- Health Ministry is working on the theme of Catch them

Young and is working on effecting behaviour change among the young to
keep away from such habits that cause NCDs. Through pictorial books,
health messages shall be brought out that will educate the children and
youth about healthy living habits and activities.

Healthy India Initiative/Swastha Bharat-ek pehal

A quarterly magazine will cater to health related information and will

raise awareness about healthy living.

The magazine will cover different aspect of health: women and child
health, elderly health, seasonal ailments, daily nutritional needs, safe
medication practices, home remedies healthy living and many more.

The magazine will be made available at all the government facilities up to

the sub-centre and will be available free of cost.

The e-version of this magazine is also available for download. The current
issue is in Hindi and English and the next version will be available in 13
other languages.

No more Tension-

Stress management mobile application No More Tension helps users to

manage stress.

Main objective of No More Tension is to provide information to users

regarding stress such as, what is stress, effects, symptoms and its
management.
 The application allows the user to measure their stress level and learn
various techniques like yoga and meditation to reduce stress from their
lives. Currently, the application is available for download on Google play
store and App store and will be available shortly on Windows.

Importance of Stress Management-

There is importance of stress management in the life of an individual and

how stress affects everyone irrespective of age, gender, financial status, etc.
People suffer from stress related problems due to their busy work life and
hectic schedule, which in turn results in loss of productivity.

All Health Mobile Apps launched by the Health Ministry shall be available at
one click on the National Health Portal (NHP)

Surya Jyoti Photo-Voltaic (PV) Integrated Micro Solar Dome (MSD)

(Topic: Science and Technology)

About- Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, visited
the dwelling units of Lalbagh clusters in Azadpur area of Delhi, where the PV
Integrated Micro Solar Dome (MSD) Surya Jyoti have been installed.

MSD-

Micro Solar Dome (MSD) is a clear and green energy initiative of-
Department of Science and Technology. This project will also
supplement the Green Energy initiatives.

Micro Solar Dome (MSD) is a day and night lighting single device unique
in its features, that has-

Transparent semi-spherical upper dome made of acrylic material which

captures the sunlight and the light passes through a sun-tube having a
thin layer of highly reflective coating on the inner wall of the passage.

It also contains a lower dome made of acrylic. There is a shutter in the

bottom of the lower dome which can be closed, if light is not required in
the daytime.
 It is leak proof and works throughout the day and 4 hours continuously
after sunset.

The entire development activities were taken up by an R&D Organisation

under the aegis of the Department of Science & Technology.

Objective- In order to capture day light and concentrate the same inside a dark
room, particularly in urban slum or rural areas which lack electricity supply, a
low cost and energy efficient Micro Solar Dome has been tested and developed.

Potential Users of Device-

Potential users of this device are the 10 million off-grid households in

urban and rural spaces and several folds more that do not have reliable
access to electricity.

When these Surya Jyoti lamps, giving an illumination equivalent of a

60W incandescent lamp, are installed in 10 million households it would
lead to a saving of 1750 million units of energy.

It would also lead to an Emission Reduction of about 12.5 million ton of

CO2.

About 1000 Micro Solar domes now working in the slums of Delhi,
Kolkata, Agartala, Guwahati, Bhopal and Bengaluru.

However, demand of the product is increasing manifold as more and

more people are becoming aware of the unique benefits of using the
product.

Surya Jyoti-

In order to cater to this ever increasing demand, an entrepreneurship

development programme for manufacturing and installation of Surya
Jyoti was organised during 18-22 October, 2016 in which 25
entrepreneurs and 7 voluntary organisation from 11 States of different
regions were trained.

The manufacturing process of the device is labour intensive and is

expected to generate huge job opportunities. A monthly production of
 6000 units is envisaged by December, 2016 which will go up to 20000 by
March, 2017.

There are about 130 number of Surya Jyoti at Lalbag and nearby areas.
The latest Surya Jyoti operates in three modes, day light without any
electricity, night time with solar PV and night time with conventional grid
after 17 hours of operation.

Department of Science & Technology along with Ministry of New and

Renewable Energy (MNRE) will take it up for larger distribution in bigger
areas. The Department is also training and giving licenses to young
entrepreneurs to have their own start-ups. Self-help groups have also
been trained to make these lamps and have been given licenses.

PV Intergrated Micro Solar Dome-

PV Integrated Micro Solar Dome has been included as a product for off
grid solar lighting applications by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
and is eligible for subsidy at par with other solar lighting
products. Attempts are being made to integrate Surya Jyoti for subsidy in
rural and urban housing schemes, MP Local Area Development Schemes
and corporate social responsibility activities of public sector enterprises

PV integrated Micro Solar Dome costs about Rs.1200 and Non-PV

integrated Micro Solar Dome about Rs. 500 which would further reduce
to about Rs. 900 and Rs. 400 respectively, post the scaling up of the
manufacturing process.

IASbaba Press Information Bureau

(PIB)- 14th Nov to 20th Nov, 2016
ARCHIVES

GS-2
Union HRD Minister inaugurates Kala Utsav -2016

(Topic: Human Resource Development)

About-Union HRD Minister inaugurated Kala Utsav-2016 in New Delhi.

Kala Utsav helps to discover such a special talent inherent in children.

Kala Utsav-

Kala Utsav as initiative that preserves Art and Culture by rejuvenating

and rediscovering different Art-forms and living traditions across the
country.

This will not only provide platform for children but through Art and
Culture will strengthen the cause of Nation Building.

Kala Utsav is structured as an art festival which has commenced from

the district and state level in all the four art forms.

The four day long festival will witness an assembly of all state level
winners who will compete with each other at the national level and who
will be judged by distinguished artistes from the art fraternity.

Kala Utsav as a celebration of art and cultural diversity is a learning

experience that is beyond classroom teaching.

This unity in diversity is an expression of strength of our nation.

Kala Utsav has been initiated as an annual art festival for the students of
secondary and higher secondary levels by Ministry of Human Resource
Development in 2015. Students of government schools from all across
the country joined hands to manifest the splendor of Indias cultural
diversity in its pioneering year itself.
 Kala Utsav 2016 will include competitions in four art formsDance,
Music, Theatre and Visual Arts. The festival will conclude with felicitation
ceremony of prize winners of Kala Utsav 2016 at the Siri Fort Auditorium
on 18th

Handpicked forms of Indian indigenous art forms like Morullo Dance

from Goa, Kutchi folk Dance from Gujarat, Bhawaiya from West Bengal,
Dogri folk songs (Geetdu) from Jammu and Kashmir along with
traditional theatre and visual art forms will be presented on this platform
by the 37 participating teams (35 State teams and 1 team each from KVS
and NVS).

Benefits-

It provides platform for students to interact across the different

States/UTs of the country & provides an opportunity to understand each
others values, ethos in such manner as enriches ones personality.

Along with a competitive spirit, Kala Utsav also promotes a network art,
artisans and students through the concept of online projects.

Hunar Haat Inaugurated at India International Trade Fair 2016

(Topic: Minority Affair)

About- Minister of State for Power and Coal (Independent Charge), the Minister
of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs,
along with the Minister of State for External Affairs inaugurated Hunar Haat,
which is being organised for the first time at India International Trade Fair
(2016) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
About 184 master artisans from all corners of the country are showcasing their
traditional art and skills at about 100 stalls in Hunar Haat at India
International Trade Fair.

Importance- This exhibition is an outstanding display of traditional Indian art

and handicrafts. Preserving the rich traditional and culture of our artisans is
our duty.

Hunar Haat
 Hunar Haat (Skill Haat) exhibition is aimed at promoting and supporting
artisans from Minority communities and providing them domestic as well
as international market for display and sell their products.

This is providing an excellent platform to artisans belonging to Minority

communities from across the nation to display their art and skills before
the domestic and international visitors.

Hunar Haat is an amazing gathering of artisans from every corner from

26 states and Union Territories of the country.

Special feature of this unique Hunar Haat is that besides providing free
of cost stall to artisans/craftsmen, the Minority Affairs Ministry has also
made arrangements for their transport and helping in their daily
expenses. This has helped poor but rich in art & skill artisans to reach
Delhi easily and display their arts/skills at the international platform.

The artefacts at display include-

Cane and bamboo work from North eastern states; cloth work and
embroidery (chikan) work, brass artefacts, Jardoji clothes work of Uttar
Pradesh

Collection of pottery work of Southern states; sandalwood and other

wooden artefacts; handicrafts from Bihar-Jharkhand

Indigenous goods for domestic use from Bengal-Odisha and herbal

products made from aloe vera, neem, tulsi etc.

Other arts/crafts like marble work from Rajasthan

Beautiful handicrafts from Gujarat; Pashmina and bronze work from

Kashmir.

Besides, centuries old Ayurvedic, Unani health care; glass artefacts

Indian silk-cotton work are also a part of the exhibition. The artisans are
also displaying live making of products before visitors.

USTTAD
 The USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts
for Development) of Ministry of Minority Affairs scheme aims at
preserving & promoting the rich heritage of the traditional arts &
crafts of the Minority communities. These crafts have gradually lost
their employability in the light of globalisation & competitive market.

Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for SC

(Topic: Social justice and empowerment)

About- Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for SC

Objective of the Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for SC is to promote

entrepreneurship amongst the Scheduled Castes, by providing Credit
Enhancement Guarantee to Banks and Financial Institutions (FIs), who shall
be providing financial assistance to these entrepreneurs.

Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for SC

Scheme was launched in May 2015, only 3 SC entrepreneurs whom

Bank has given loan have been covered under the Credit Enhancement
Guarantee Scheme for Schedule Castes and projects of 57 entrepreneurs
have been approved under the Scheme of Venture Capital Fund for
Scheduled Castes (VCF-SC).

Government has initially allocated a corpus of Rs.200 crore for the

Scheme, out of which the guarantee shall be extended to Banks & FIs.
IFCI Ltd is the Nodal Agency under the Scheme, to issue the guarantee to
the Banks & FIs.

Under the Scheme, Companies, Partnerships, Societies & Proprietorship

firms belonging to Scheduled Castes are eligible for loans.

Deputy General Manager, National Schedule Caste Finance and Development

Corporation is a Member of the Screening Committee, constituted for the
scheme VCF-SC, that assesses the proposals in terms of prescribed eligibility
criteria and preliminary appraisal parameters.

Qaumi Ekta Week

(Topic: National Integration)

About- Qaumi Ekta Week (National Integration Week) will be observed all over
the country, from 19th to 25th November, 2016.

Aim- To foster and reinforce the spirit of Communal Harmony, National

Integration and pride in vibrant, composite culture and nationhood, the

Week long programmes to be observed during Qaumi Ekta Week will be as

under-

November 19 will be observed as National Integration Day and

programmes like meetings, symposia and seminars will be organized to
emphasize the themes of secularism, anti-communalism and non-
violence.

November 20 will be observed as Welfare of Minorities Day and items of

the 15 Point Programme are emphasized on this day.

November 21 will be observed as Linguistic Harmony Day. Programmes

like Special literary functions and Kavi Sammelans will be organized to
enable people of each region to appreciate the linguistic heritage of other
parts of India.

November 22 will be observed as Weaker Sections Day and meetings

and rallies will be organized to highlight programmes under various
Governments which help SCs/STs and weaker sections with particular
emphasis on the distribution of surplus land to landless labourers.

November 23 will be observed as Cultural Unity Day and cultural

functions will be organized to present the Indian tradition of unity in
diversity and for promoting cultural conservation and integration.

November 24 will be observed as Womens Day. On this day, the

importance of Women in Indian Society and their role in development of
nation-building are highlighted.

November 25 will be observed as Conservation Day and several

meetings and functions will be organized to emphasise the growing need
for awareness and action to conserve the environment.
Help-

To highlight the inherent strength and resilience of our nation to

withstand actual and potential threats to the eclectic and secular fabric
of our country, and nurture a spirit of communal harmony in its widest
sense.

Provides an opportunity to reaffirm age old traditions and faith in the

values of tolerance, co-existence and brotherhood in a multi-cultural and
multi-religious society.

NFCH-

National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), an autonomous

organisation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, organises Communal
Harmony Campaign coinciding with the Qaumi Ekta Week and observes
the Communal Harmony Flag Day on 25th

Foundation promotes Communal Harmony and strengthens National

Integration. It also provides financial assistance for relief and
rehabilitation of children rendered orphan or destitute in communal,
caste, ethnic or terrorist violence.

Cabinet approves Status-cum-Progress Report and constitution of Special

Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers in compliance of judgment of
Supreme Court

(Topic: Cabinet Decision)

About- Union Cabinet chaired by the PM has given its approval to the Status-
cum-Progress Report and constitution of Special Committee for Inter-Linking
of Rivers in compliance of Supreme Court judgment in the matter of Writ
Petition: Networking of Rivers along.

Help in-

Monitoring of the precious Inter-linking of River Projects to be carried out

under National Perspective Plan 1980 of Government of India.
 The Status-cum-Progress Report of Special Committee for Inter-linking of
Rivers will be submitted bi-annually for information of Cabinet, which
will facilitate faster and appropriate decisions in the interest of the
country as expeditiously as possible.

GS-3
Meeting of Consultative Committee of MPs for the Ministry Of Railways
with the Agenda Harnessing Green Energy For Railways Held

(Topic: Railway)

About- Minister of Railways presided over the meeting of the consultative

committee of MPs for the Ministry of Railways. This was the 2nd meeting for the
year 2016.

Agenda meeting was Harnessing green energy on the Railways.

Indian Railways-

Indian Railways being a significant consumer of energy, identifying cost-

effective options to achieve and realize an energy system with least
environmental impacts is essential.

Vision 2020 document of the Indian Railways states that the key target is
to utilize at least 10% of its energy requirement from renewable sources.

As a part of this, Indian Railways has planned to set up 1000 MW solar

power plant and about 200 MW of wind power plants by 2020 across
Zonal Railways & Productions Units.

First major feat was achieved in Harnessing Green Energy on Railways

when a 10.5 MW capacity Wind Power plant was set up in 2009 by the
Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai-a premier Production Unit of
Indian Railways, making ICF the First Green Production Unit of Indian
Railways.
 Next significant effort was setting up of 26 MegaWatt Solar Power Plant
commissioned in 2016 at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan in North Western
Railway (NWR).

As of now, Railway is already harnessing 50MW Green Energy from solar

and wind power plants including harnessing solar energy at rooftop of
stations and service buildings. This includes 500 KW each on Varanasi,
Katra, Jaipur, Kolkata Metro and Secunderabad Railway Stations.

Steps taken in the field of solar energy in Railways

Its cost of production is gradually becoming less and but there are still
issues of storage of solar energy.

Globally there are efforts going on for developing storage technologies

and a breakthrough is likely to be achieved soon.

Using biodiesel by blending it in a small percentage with the diesel.

The other important activity which Railways has done is replacement of

conventional light sources with LED light sources which is more energy
efficient and more environmental friendly.

Producing energy through waste and biomass are other options which
need to be looked into.

Railways has already done energy audit and working for more energy
efficient system.

Indian Railways is taking many green initiatives like bio toilets, waste
recycling, revival of water bodies, plantation along the tracks, etc and will
continue to take such measures.

Important Initiatives of Railways for Research & Development

(Topic: Railways)

About- Important Initiatives of Railways for Upgradation of Research and

Development (R&D) capabilities to keep pace with world standards is a
continuous process.
Important initiatives taken-

Technology Mission for Indian Railways (TMIR) has been set up as a

consortium of Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Human Resource
Development, Ministry of Science & Technology and Industries, on an
investment sharing model for taking up identified railway projects for
applied research and use on Indian Railways.

Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), the Research &

Development wing of Indian Railways, has signed Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Railway Technical Research Institute, Japan
for joint research co-operation.

Centres for Railway Research (CRR) has been sanctioned at Indian

Institute of Technology (IIT)/Kharagpur, Mumbai University, IIT/Roorkee,
IIT/Chennai and IIT/Kanpur to carry out research work in various areas.

MoU with Ministry of Urban Development for Development of Railway

Stations

(Topic: Railways)

About- An MOU has been entered into between Ministry of Railways (MOR) and
Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD) for integrated planning of railway
stations in the cities included in the SMART Cities and AMRUT scheme.

Benefit- This would lead to an integrated public transit hub around the railway
stations and encourage Transit Oriented Development.

Steps taken-

Each Smart City has incorporated a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to

execute the Smart City Plan. The SPV may form a joint venture company
with an MOR-designated entity to implement railway station
redevelopment projects in that city and in its suburbs.

Another form of joint venture could be between the MOR designated

entity, the Smart City SPV and the National Building Construction
Corporation Ltd. (NBCC), a Public Sector Undertaking under MOUD.
 Besides above two models, MOUD and MOR may decide jointly about any
other mutually agreed model if considered necessary.

As these projects are complex in nature and require detailed techno-

economic feasibility studies, no time frame has been presently set for
completion of these projects.

Setting up of Industry Driven SRTMI

(Topic: Industrial Development)

About- Ministry of Steel is facilitating an Industry driven institutional

mechanism namely Steel Research & Technology Mission of India (SRTMI)

Aim- To facilitate joint collaborative research projects in the iron & steel sector
in India.

Salient features of SRTMI are as under:

SRTMI is an industry driven initiative which has been setup as a

Registered Society wherein Ministry of Steel is a facilitator.

SRTMI will be governed and administered by a Governing Body

comprising the steel CEOs, Domain Experts and a representative of
Ministry of Steel.

Executive functioning of SRTMI will be carried out by the Director,

SRTMI, who will be assisted by a suitable/appropriate supporting
structure.

Initial corpus for setting up of SRTMI is Rs. 200 crore of which 50% is to
be provided by Ministry of Steel and the balance by the participating
steel companies.

Thereafter, the centre will run on yearly contributions from the steel
companies based on their turnover of the previous year.

The R&D investment of the leading steel companies in India in terms of

percentage of their turnover ranges from 0.05 to 0.5% vis--vis upto 1% in
leading steel companies internationally. Some of the steel companies have also
formulated their R&D masterplans to increase their R&D expenditure to 1% of
their turnover. SRTMI is likely to enhance the R&D investments in the industry
to international levels.

Induction of DRDO developed Naval Systems into Indian Navy A Curtain

Raiser

(Topic: Defence)

About- Four Naval Systems developed by DRDO will be handed over to the
Indian Navy by the Defence Minister at a function.

Four Naval Systems include

ABHAY Compact Hull Mounted SONAR for Shallow Water Crafts

HUMSA UG Upgrade for the HUMSA SONAR System,

NACS Near-field Acoustic Characterisation System,

AIDSS Advanced Indigenous Distress SONAR System for submarines.

Systems designed and developed by-

The systems have been designed and developed by NPOL, a Kochi based
premier laboratory of DRDO which has outstanding contributions and
achievements in the design of SONAR systems for the Indian Navy to its
credit.

ABHAY

ABHAY is an advanced Active-cum-Passive integrated SONAR system

designed and developed for the smaller platforms such as shallow water
crafts and coastal surveillance/patrol vessels.

Designed using the latest technology in hardware architecture and

advanced signal processing algorithms, the SONAR is capable of
detecting, localizing, classifying and tracking sub-surface and surface
targets in both its active and passive modes of operation.

The prototype of this compact SONAR ABHAY installed onboard a

nominated Naval platform has successfully completed all user evaluation
 trials to demonstrate the features as per the Naval Staff Qualification
Requirements. Indian Navy has proposed to induct this SONAR on three
of the ABHAY class ships.

HUMSA UG

Intensifying the command over the high seas is the HUMSA-UG that is
designed for upgrading the existing HUMSA SONAR system of the Indian
Naval platforms.

The hardware architecture is based on the state-of-the-art open

architecture processor technologies that will enable smooth upgrade of
the system capabilities. This system is proposed to be installed on seven
ships of three different classes of ships.

NACS-

NACS determines the in-situ performance of the SONAR systems which

are used to find the frequency-dependent 3-D transmission and reception
characteristics of the SONAR.

It is also used to measure the magnitude and phase characteristics of the

SONAR transmission and reception electronics and the transducers.

NACS has been integrated with the HUMSA-NG SONAR array and proved
onboard naval platforms and this will be fitted on all frontline ships.

AIDSS-

NPOL has also developed AIDSS, a distress SONAR that is an Emergency

Sound Signaling Device which is used to indicate that a submarine is in
distress and enable quick rescue and salvage.

It is a life-saving alarm system designed to transmit SONAR signals of a

pre-designated frequency and pulse shape in an emergency situation
from a submarine for long period, so as to attract the attention of Passive
SONARS of Ships or Submarines in the vicinity and all types of standard
rescue vessels in operation. It is also provided with a transponder
capability.
 With the induction of these four systems, the underwater surveillance
capability of the Indian Navy will get a boost, besides providing a fillip to
the quest for self-reliance in this critical area of technology.

Successful Maiden Flight of Rustom II

(Topic: Defence)

About- Heralding a new era in the indigenous development of Unmanned Aerial

Vehicle (UAV), DRDO today successfully carried out the maiden flight of TAPAS
201 (RUSTOM II), a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV. The test
flight took place from Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, 250 km from
Bangalore which is a newly developed flight test range for the testing of UAVs
and manned aircraft.

Flight accomplished the main objectives of proving the flying platform, such
as take-off, bank, level flight and landing etc.

TAPAS 201(RUSTOM -II)

TAPAS 201, a multi-mission UAV is being developed to carry out the

Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) roles for the three
Armed Forces with an endurance of 24 hours.

It is capable to carry different combinations of payloads like Medium

Range Electro Optic (MREO), Long Range Electro Optic (LREO), Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR), Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), Communication
Intelligence (COMINT) and Situational Awareness Payloads (SAP) to
perform missions during day and night.

TAPAS 201, the MALE UAV has been designed and developed by
Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), the Bangalore-based
premier lab of DRDO with HAL-BEL as the production partners.

The UAV weighing two tonnes was put into air by a dedicated team of
young scientists of DRDO. It was piloted (external and internal) by the
pilots from the Armed Forces.

It is also the first R&D prototype UAV which has undergone certification
and qualification for the first flight from the Center for Military
 Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC) and Directorate General of
Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA).

Development of UAV immensely contributes towards the Make-in-India

initiative as many critical systems such as airframe, landing gear, and flight
control and avionics sub-systems are being developed in India with the
collaboration of private industries. Defence Electronics Application Laboratory
(DEAL) of DRDO has developed the data link for the UAV. Rustom- II will
undergo further trials for validating the design parameters, before going for
User Validation Trials.

International Conference on Brucellosis 2016

(Topic: Science and Technology)

About- Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences has
called for villagers to be trained to handle animal diseases like Brucellosis on a
cooperative basis.

Concern that Brucellosis is endemic in India and that it could spread to

humans.

Launched programme of Brucella Free Villages for implementation on pilot

scale in 50 villages covering 10 states

This programme will be supported by guidelines and standard operating

practices along with an IT enabled application.

Brucellosis-

Brucellosis is a dreadful disease caused by the genus of the bacteria

known as Brucella infecting various species of Brucella cows, buffalos,
sheep, goats, deer, pigs, dogs and other animals as well as humans. The
disease causes economic losses of about Rs. 28000.00 Crores.

Infection Spread-

Human become infected by coming in contact with animals or animal

product like meat and milk contaminated with these bacteria.
 Dairy man, veterinarians, butchers and other animal handlers are
exposed to high risk of brucellosis infection.

In humans brucellosis can cause range of symptoms that are similar to

the flu and may include fever, sweats, headache, back pain and physical
weakness.

Severe infections of the central nervous system or lining of the heart may
also occur. Quite often brucellosis is diagnosed after ruling out all other
fevers such as those caused by malaria, typhoid, dengue etc. Therefore,
the disease is under reported and many medical professionals are not
even aware of the problem.

ICB

The International Brucellosis Conference 2016 shall provide a technical

platform for scientist and experts from all over the world. Participants
from 26 countries include USA, Belgium, Germany, Nigeria, Argentina,
Spain, Turkey, Costa Rica, Norway, Nepal, Korea, Bangladesh, Armenia,
Jordan, France, Iran, Mexico, Georgia, United Kingdom, Kenya, Thailand,
Sudan, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Sri Lanka.

The three days deliberations would address various issues on Brucellosis

covering broad and interdisciplinary field of One Health concept
revolving around Brucella Pathogenesis & Host-pathogen interaction;
Human Brucellosis; Epidemiology and Control; Brucella research in
India; Canine and Wildlife Brucellosis; Diagnostic methods; and Vaccines
& Immunology.

The three day International Conference on Brucellosis, is being

organized by the Department of Biotechnology in collaboration with
Indian Council for Agriculture Research. The conference is result of
DBTs network programme on Brucellosis launched in 2012 to address
this epidemiology and for development of new generation of vaccines and
diagnostic kits.

Launch of online portal for facilitating trade between India and Iran

(Topic: Commerce and industry)

About- An Online Portal for facilitating trade between India and Iran was
launched by Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce in the presence of
Ambassador of Islamic Republic of Iran, CMD, STC, and other Directors of
STC.

Hind- Iran Portal-

Hind-Iran portal (hindirantrade.org) is a joint initiative of STC and

Douman Queshm, Iran.

Objective of the trade portal is to disseminate information relevant to

Indo-Iran Trade, and to provide an e-marketplace for the buyers and
sellers of the two countries.

India and Iran-

Iran and India have enjoyed deep social, cultural, economic and political
connections and relations that have enriched both countries.

The two countries have grown closer in the turbulent times at the peak of
the economic sanctions against Iran, when it was India which emerged as
a valuable trading partner of Iran.

The portal is aimed at bridging the communication divide which the

business communities face, and which arevery interested in trading with
each other.

Environment Minister attends Session on Impact of Climate Change in the

Himalayan Ecosystem at COP 22

(Topic: Environment)

Himalayas must be seen as a single, living entity and not in separate parts.
Only if Himalayas survive will Indian culture and civilisation survive, Minister
of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said
at COP 22 in Marrakech. Addressing a session Impact of Climate Change on
the Himalayan Ecosystem held as a side-event at the India Pavilion in COP 22.

Expected outcomes from the session include

 Key inputs for developing strategic plan for addressing issues of Climate
Change impacts on the Himalayan ecosystem.

The side-event held at the India Pavilion was an attempt to highlight the
emerging needs for evolving new models of conservation and sustainable
development that help restoring intricate balance between economic
interests and ecological imperatives in the region under changing climate
scenario.

NAPCC

Indias National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) recognizes the

Himalayan ecosystem, vital for preserving ecological security of Indian
sub-continent and underlines intense vulnerability of this ecosystem

The vulnerability of the Himalayan region is likely to worsen due to the

impacts of climate change. Himalayan Glaciers represent nearly 29% of
glaciers in Central Asia and 4.8% of glaciers and ice-caps in the world.

Himalayas-

The Himalayas are among the most sensitive ecosystems to climate

change and being affected at a faster rate than other terrestrial habitats.

Climate impacts form an important threat to mountain ecosystems.

Over 80% of the population is involved in agriculture, animal husbandry,

forestry and other biodiversity dependent livelihood activities.

Nearly 70% of the population still relies for health care on medicinal
plants.

Himalayas are nicknamed the Water Tower of Asia. IPCC estimate

suggest that glaciers in Himalayas supply freshwater to 500 million
people in Himalaya-Hindu-Kush region and to 250 million people in
China.

The session was organized under the aegis of GB Pant Institute of

Himalayan environment and development.

Proposal to develop new Sea Routes and Shipping Services

(Topic: Shipping)

About-Government proposes to develop new sea routes and shipping services

connecting with various countries.

New Services reviewed and restructured-

These services are reviewed and restructured as per the viability study,
giving due regard to the availability of cargo for a given port-pair at
desired freight levels, transit time and other such considerations which
impact the service schedule and profitability.

New sea routes are considered with a view to enhance regional

connectivity from the strategic and trade perspectives, and also to
enhance maritime cooperation with neighbouring countries like Sri
Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand.

Following steps have been initiated by Government as part of various

preventive/ mitigating security measures to deal with sea-piracy-

Guidelines for anti-piracy measures to be implemented on Indian Ships

through issue of Merchant Shipping Notice by the Directorate General of
Shipping for elaborate anti-piracy measures (Best Management
Practices), including safe house/citadel for vessels.

Banning of sailing vessels to ply in waters south or west of the line

joining Salala and Male through Merchant Shipping Notice

Naval escort provided by Indian naval ships in the Gulf of Aden since
2008.

Enhanced vigil by the Indian Navy in the Indian Exclusive Economic

Zone (EFZ) and westward upto 65 degree east longitude.

Active participation of India in the security meeting of the International

Maritime Organization Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia
(CGPCS) and other international fora.

Directorate General of Shipping has issued circulars from time to time,

emphasizing action to be taken by Indian Merchant Ships, Shipping
companies and other departments/ associations to deal with piracy and
 included Seafarers Piracy Awareness module/training program of 2 days
duration to sensitize seafarers about piracy and guidelines provided in
Best Management Practices (BMP) Version 4 issued by the International
Shipping Industry.

Steps taken by AYUSH Ministry for prevention and management of Vector

Borne Diseases

(Topic: Health and Family Welfare)

Context- In order to achieve objective of making public aware of the benefits of

AYUSH system of medicines and increase its usage, the Ministry through its
five Research Councils, namely, Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic
Sciences (CCRAS), Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy
(CCRYN), Central Council for Research in Unani Medicines (CCRUM), Central
Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) and Central Council for Research in
Homoeopathy (CCRH) have published advisories in national dailies for
prevention and management of vector borne diseases like dengue and
chickungunya during July- October, 2016

Guidelines for AYUSH practitioners were prepared and uploaded on the

websites of the Research Councils. All the State Governments were also urged
to bring the guidelines to the notice of the practitioners in their State.

Actions taken by the Government to combat vector borne diseases

through AYUSH system of medicines are as follows:

Development of AYUSH-PJ7 for dengue, AYUSH-SL for filarisis, and

AYUSH 64 for malaria by CCRAS.

Treatment study for dengue in Delhi; preventive study for chikungunya;

preventive, pre-clinical and treatment study for Japanese encephalitis
and Malariaand multi-centric study for filarisis by CCRH;

Clinical studies on vector borne diseases namely, malaria, filariasis and

kala-azar; validation of efficacy of unani formulations in such disease
conditions.
 Prospective case control study in dengue with Nilavembu kudineer; in
vitro / in vivo evaluation of theraupic potential of various Siddha drugs
on H1N1 infection/ chikungunya virus infection.

Revised Double Taxation Avoidance and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion

(DTAA) Agreement signed today between India and Cyprus

(Topic: Taxation)

About- A revised Agreement between India and Cyprus for the Avoidance of
Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal evasion (DTAA) with respect to
taxes on income, along with its Protocol, was signed in Nicosia, which will
replace the existing DTAA that was signed by two countries on 13th June 1994.

New DTAA provides for

Source based taxation of capital gains arising from alienation of shares,

instead of residence based taxation provided under the existing DTAA.

However, a grandfathering clause has been provided for investments

made prior to 1st April, 2017, in respect of which capital gains would
continue to be taxed in the country of which taxpayer is a resident.

New Agreement provides for Assistance between the two countries for
collection of taxes.

The new Agreement also updates the provisions related to Exchange of

Information to accepted international standards, which will enable
exchange of banking information and allow the use of such information
for purposes other than taxation with the prior approval of the
Competent Authorities of the country providing the information.

The new Agreement expands the scope of permanent establishment and

reduces the tax rate on royalty in the country from which payments are
made to 10% from the existing rate of 15%, in line with the tax rate
under Indian tax laws.

It also updates the text of other provisions in accordance with the

international standards and consistent policy of India in respect of tax
treaties.
 Provisions of new DTAA will enter into force after the completion of
necessary internal procedures in both countries and is expected to come
into effect in India in respect of income derived in fiscal years beginning
on or after 1st April, 2017.

India and UK Sign three Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (B- APAs)
taking the total number of APAs signed [both- bilateral and unilateral] to
111

(Topic: Taxation)

About- Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signed three (3) Bilateral Advance
Pricing Agreements (APAs) taking the total number of APAs signed [both-
bilateral and unilateral] so far to 111. These Agreements are a result of the
understanding reached with the Competent Authority of United Kingdom (UK)
some time ago.

Key Highlights-

Competent Authorities of India and UK had earlier exchanged mutual

agreements amongst them under the Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP)
Article of the India-UK Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC).

These three (3) Agreements cover international transactions in the nature

of payment of intra-group service charges and pertain to the telecom
industry. They also have a roll-back provision.

With this, India and UK have concluded 5 bilateral APAs and some more
would be concluded in the near future. The total number of bilateral
APAs concluded so far by the CBDT is 7.

APA

The Advance Pricing Agreement (APA) Programme was introduced by the

Finance Act, 2012 with a view to provide a predictable and non-
adversarial tax regime and to reduce the litigation in the Indian transfer
pricing arena. An APA can be entered into for a maximum of 5 years at a
time.
 Since the notification of the APA scheme on 30.08.2012, a total of about
700 APA applications have been received during the first 4 years of the
Programme (Financial Years 2012-13 to 2015-16), which indicates the
wide acceptance of the APA programme by the taxpayers.

Rollback of APAs was announced in the Budget in July 2014 to provide

certainty on the pricing of international transactions for 4 prior years
(rollback years) preceding the first year from which APA is to be
applicable.

The Indian APA programme has been appreciated nationally and

internationally for being able to address complex transfer pricing issues
in a fair and transparent manner.

Disposal of Bio-Medical Waste

(Topic: Waste Management)

About- Government of India (GoI) has notified the Bio-medical Waste

(Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 under the Environment (Protection) Act,
1986 and these rules are further amended in the year 2000 and 2003.

During the last three years including the current year, complaints as and when
received by Central Pollution Control Board are forwarded to the concerned
State Pollution Control Boards/ Pollution Control Committees to examine the
issues raised and to take necessary action in light of the provisions of the Bio-
Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules.

Bio-Medical Waste-

In supersession of the Bio-medical Waste (Management & Handling)

Rules, 1998, Government of India (GoI) has notified the revamped Bio-
medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 which came into force from
28.03.2016.

According toRule 7 (i) Treatment anddisposal, the health care facilities

(HCFs) and common bio-medical waste treatment facility (CBWTF) shall
treat and dispose the Bio-medical waste in accordance with Schedule-I,
and in compliance with the standards provided in Schedule-II.
 Apart from notification ofBio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling)
Rules, 1998 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Government
has taken various steps for ensuring proper treatment and disposal of
bio-medical waste in the country, some of them are as follows-

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), requested all the State Pollution
Control Board (SPCBs,) Pollution Control Committee (PCCs) and Director
General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) for

Constitution of State Level Advisory Committee (SLAC) by the State

Government or UT Administration in the respective State or UT and the
activities initiated by the SLAC

Constitution of the District Level Monitoring Committee (DLMC) by the

State Government or UT Administration in the respective State/UT and
the activities initiated by the State Level Advisory Committee (SLAC) and
also totake necessary steps for ensuring effective implementation of the
Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 notified under the
Environment (P) Act, 1986.

CPCB has also prepared the following guidelines relating to management

of Bio-Medical Waste-

Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs)

Design & Construction of Bio-Medical Waste incinerators.

Disposal of Bio-Medical Waste generated during Universal Immunization

Programm

Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury Waste

generated from the Health Care Facilities.

New Initiatives of 47th IFFI

(Topic: Information broadcasting)

About- Government has taken a new initiative to create a Film Promotion Fund
to promote Indian cinema in the International Film Festivals.

Initiative would help

 Independent filmmakers to promote their work across the globe.

Government efforts to project India as a soft power and Filming

Destination has been a win-win situation so far, in terms of attracting
global stakeholders from various quarters of film industry to India as well
as Indian films, expertise and talent being accepted globally at
international festivals. Announcement to this effect was made at the
curtain raiser Press Conference for IFFI 2016 in Delhi.

Film Promotion fund would provide-

Financial assistance to the films which would be selected in any

competition section of an International Film Festival of repute or being
Indias official nomination to the Academy Awards under Foreign Film
Category for promotional activities.

Directorate of Film Festivals has been designated as the nodal agency for
implementing this initiative based on the recommendations of a panel of
experts constituted by the Government.

IFFI

The 47th edition of IFFI would screen three films for specially-abled
children with special audio described technology under the Accessible
India Campaign/ Sugamaya Bharat Abhiyan. This screening would take
place in collaboration with UNESCO and Saksham.

Inspired by the Governments Clean India Drive, IFFI 2016 will showcase
a special package of 20 award winning short films based on the Swachh
Bharat theme.

These 20 films were short listed from 4,346 entries and awarded at the
Swachh Bharat Film Festival organized by National Film Development
Corporation on 2nd October in New Delhi.

Another initiative is Centenary Award for Best Debut Feature of a

Director.

IFFI would recognize young talent under this new competition section.
This section would showcase some of the outstanding directorial debuts
 of 2016 from across the world of cinema. The winner would be honoured
with a Silver Peacock and a cash price of rupees ten lakhs.

2016 in collaboration with the International Council for Film, Television

and Audio-visual Communication (ICFT), Paris and UNESCO would also
present the ICFT- UNESCO Gandhi Medal to a film, which reflects the
ideals of peace, tolerance and non-violence.

IFFI 2016 is introducing a new laser based phosphor wheel projector

from Barco Electronics, used for the very first time in any film festival
across the globe.

ITPO to Hold National Participation in INTERMODA FAIR, MEXICO

(Topic: Commerce and industry)

About-India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) is holding Indias country

level participation in IM INTERMODA-International Apparel & Textile Fair at
Expo Guadalajara Exhibition Centre, Guadalajara (Mexico) from January 17 to
20, 2017.

Aim-

ITPO aims to provide an excellent business opportunity in high potential

Mexican markets which attract a large number of buyers from North
America and Latin American regions.

To further strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation

between India and Mexico, the participation in the fair assumes a
special significance in the backdrop of Mexico visit of the PM of
India in June 2016.Mexico is a strategically located Latin America
country bound by the United States to the North and Belize and
Guatemala to the South-East.

Participation offers-

Excellent opportunities for Indian companies to export apparel, textile,

leather garments, fashion accessories blouses, skirts, evening wear,
woollen shawls, tie & die items, made-ups, fashion jewellery, wooden
block printed garments, terracotta items, etc.
 The fair also brings together Mexican and international companies,
manufacturers, importers and distributors. It is an ideal place to
publicize brand image as well, and to analyze the competition, step up
sales, launch new products, get to know the market trends and expand
network of business contacts.

IM Intermoda-

IM Intermoda is the continents largest specialized exhibition that

attracts more than 10,000 businessmen including top buyers, the
worlds leading apparel, textile buyers of fashion wear manufacturers and
service providers. Apart from Mexico, they are mainly from Portugal,
Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, India, USA,
China, South Korea, Peru, Canada, Chile, etc.

It is one of the most qualified, important and specialized events in Latin

America. The fair will be supplemented with a number of conferences on
color, textures and fabric as well as fashion shows highlighting new
trends and merchandising.

This will bring together Mexican and International companies,

manufacturers, Importers, distributors.

It is the ideal place to publicize the Indian brand and step up sales,
launch new products and expand companys network of business
contacts in the highly potential Latin American market.