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www.jagranjosh.com Affairs ( April 2017 )

IAS | BANKING | SSC| NDA/CDS| AND OTHER COMPETITIVE EXAMS

Sharath Charged
25 years of India-Israel ties:
What Next?

Film Censorship
in India

Drug Price Control


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Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

PREFACE
The Current Affairs April-2017 eBook covers the current events that happened in the
month of March. Current Affairs is a crucial component of any competitive exams including
IAS|PCS, SSC, Banking and MBA.

The Current Affairs play the bigger role in many competitive and government exams. It
holds the power of making or breaking your chance of success. Therefore, the candidates
should cover the Current Affairs thoroughly and smartly.

However, there are huge numbers of student who are often confused about how to
prepare the current affairs section of the different competitive exams. To clear such doubts
and confusion, Jagranjosh.com has come up with eBook concept.

We at jagranjosh.com work tirelessly to create this magazine and bring it to you with a
great sense of gratitude every month. We always strive for excellence and therefore, our
research team continuously endeavour to give you the best material.

The Current Affairs April-2017 eBook is divided into different section keeping in mind
the need of various exams. The sections covered namely are International, National,
Economy, Ecology and Environment, Science & Technology, Corporate, Sports, States News
Makers and few others.

Every news item in each section is arranged date wise with the most recent news
being covered first and so on. Highlights of the issue are- 25 years of India-Israel ties:
Whats next?, Drug price control, Film censorship in India, ISRO: What does the launch of
104 satellites signify for India.

Presentation of the given current affairs has been planned meticulously. It has been
planned in such a way that it remains in the minds of readers for a longer duration.
Wherever necessary each news item is presented along with a background and analysis so
as to help candidates contemplate all the important current events at the time of exam in
an effective way.

Copyright Jagranjosh.com
All rights reserved. No part or the whole of this eBook may be copied, reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted and/or cited
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Disclaimer
Readers are requested to verify/cross-check up to their satisfaction themselves about the advertisements, advertorials, and external
contents. If any miss-happening, ill result, mass depletion or any similar incident occurs due to any information cited or referenced in this
e-book, Editor, Director/s, employees of Jagranjosh.com cant be held liable/responsible in any matter whatsoever. No responsibilities lie
as well in case of the advertisements, advertorials, and external contents.

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

INDEX
cover story ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8

National | India ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Economy .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 68

Report | Survey .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................92

Corporate ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 106

Committees | Commissions ............................................................................................................................................................................................112

Defence | Security .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................119

Environment | Ecology ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................135

Science | Technology............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 159

International ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................175

Summit | Conference............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 215

Art & Culture ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................220

Awards | Honours...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 229

Sports .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................248

Person Appointed .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 275

Person Died....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 295

States........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 302

Day | Week | Year ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 322

State Budgets 2017-18 ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................339

Person Resigned ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 362

Exam Boosters............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 364

Quizzes .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 377

New India Assurance Prelims 2017: Practice Set-1 .......................................................................................................................... 382

Sarkari Naukri ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 409

5 INDEX | www.jagranjosh.com
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COVER STORY
Drug Price Control in India
The right to health is
not mentioned in Indian
Constitution but health
remains a very important
aspect of human life. The
supreme court of India
held in one of its decisions
on the scope of article 21
which states Right to life
covers the Right to good
health.
In recent years, the government has taken steps to control the prices of drugs and
medical tools in India so that the medical benefits could be provided to all at affordable
prices.
Here, we have briefed the history of drug price control in India, the recent steps taken
by the government for drug price reduction and its impacts on people and industry.

Brief History of Drug Price Control in India


The Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) is issued under Section 3 of Essential
Commodities Act, 1955. It is aim is to ensure that essential drugs are available to all at
affordable prices.
The first time, the Drug Price Control Order was put in place after the Sino-Indian war of
1962 because pharmaceutical companies started to profiteer and it became necessary in
public interest to cap drug prices. Over the years, it has been modified five times.
The Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 1995 was introduced in India which covered 74 bulk
drugs and their formulations. The consequences were not quite as hoped because the
producers of many drugs shifted their manufacturing to some other countries. The result
was half the products were discontinued after their producers exited. Indian production of
something as important as penicillin shifted to China.
In 1997, the government established National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
(NPPA) which was entrusted with the task of enforcement of provisions of DPCO,
fixation/revision of prices of pharma products and monitoring of prices of controlled and
decontrolled drugs.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy-2012 was set up on 07.12.2012. The salient
features of NPPP-2012 are the regulation of prices of drugs is on the basis of essentiality of
drugs as specified under National List of Essential Medicines, (NLEM)-2011, regulating the

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

prices of formulations only and fixing the ceiling price of formulations through Market-
Based Pricing (MBP).
The new policy of DPCO was introduced in 2013. DPCO 2013 increased Indias National
List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) from 74 to 799 formulations. Since its introduction, no
new investments have been witnessed. There has been a shift towards non-controlled
products. As a consequence, new introductions of drugs and the average number of
incumbent brands and new introductions of drugs in the DPCO 2013 list has reduced
compared to the non-DPCO 2013 list. In 2015, the health ministry revised its National List
of Essential Medicines (NLEM), 2011 to include 376 drugs in the new NLEM 2015 list. A total
of 106 medicines were added, and 70 medicines have been deleted to finalize the new list.

Recent steps taken by the government to control Drug Prices in India

1. Reduction in the prices of medicines


In September 2016, drug price regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
(NPPA) reduced the prices of around 33 essential medicines, which brought down their
retail prices by 30-50%. The medicines include antibiotics and drugs used to treat ulcerative
colitis, anti-allergics used for common cold and cough, arthritis, gastro- esophageal reflux
disease (Gerd), psoriasis, and tuberculosis.
The purpose of this move is to cut down the prices of commonly used drugs for critical
diseases by expanding the span of price regulation to cover new drugs. Earlier (NPPA) issued
a notification which said the ceiling prices of 18 more drugs in its 36th meeting held on 14th
September 2016. Total drugs under price control now 467 in NLEM, 2015.
The government currently fixes the prices of essential drugs based on the simple
average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic segment, having sales of more than 1
percent. NPPA released another notification which said NPPA has fixed/revised ceiling prices
of 55 scheduled formulations of Schedule-I under Drugs (Price Control) Amendment
Order,2016 and retail price of 29 formulations under DPCO, 2013 in related Notification
/order dated 23.12.2016.
The medicines which are not under price control, manufacturers are allowed to
increase their maximum retail price by 10 per cent annually. The calculation for essential
drugs is done on the basis of the simple average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic
segment with sales of more than 1 percent. Despite getting pressure from domestic generic
drug manufacturers, NPPA has been consistently working on lowering and revising prices of
NLEM in a phased manner. So far, NPPA has revised prices of 330 out of 799 formulations.
2. Reduction in the prices of coronary stents
In July 2016, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare entailed coronary stents in the
National List of Essential Medicines, 2015 (NLEM, 2015). Afterward, on December 21, 2016,
the Department of Pharmaceuticals included coronary stents at number 31 of Schedule I of

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the Drug Prices Control Order, 2013. This inclusion effectively gave it the status of a
scheduled formulation as defined in the Drug Price Control Order 2013.
On 13 February 2017, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) issued an
order which capped the price of coronary stents up to 40 per cent lower than their existing
market prices. It has ended a long-winded saga that started with the inclusion of these
devices in the National List of Essential Medicines in July 2016.
The notification has categorized stents into two types. One is bare metal stents (BMS)
and second is drug-eluting stents. A stent is a tube-shaped device. It is inserted into a
blocked blood vessel, which helps in clearing the blockage, sometimes through physical
means but often through the drugs, it gives out at a slow rate.
The price cap for bare metal stents is Rs 7,260. And the price cap for a drug-eluting
stent is Rs 29,600. This price cap amounts to 40 percent lower than the existing prices with
the range currently at Rs 25,000-Rs 1,50,000. Industry sources say that 35 per cent of the
stent products are available at the lower end of the spectrum.
The notification does not give any provision on whether a stent is branded or
unbranded, manufactured locally or abroad. But the notification has made it clear that so
long as it is being sold in the country, no stent can cost more than Rs 29,600 though there is
room for the addition of VAT, local taxes etc.
The notification clearly states the fact that a stent will have to be put in by a hospital
set-up and the product is usually billed by institutions rather than the people selling them.
The notification also says that institutions such as nursing homes, hospitals, and clinics
performing cardiac procedures using coronary stents will have to comply with the price
ceilings.

Impacts on the Industry


Industry estimates suggest that the total pharmaceutical market in India is worth $50
billion. It is likely to grow many times in the future because of the huge burden of diabetes
and hypertension in the Indian population. The core committee that analyzed the pros and
cons of bringing coronary stents under price control in its report to the government last year
mentioned the high incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in India describing it as a
major public health problem. That is why stents were ruled to be essential for public
health, a criterion that is key to the price control principle.
The industry has been unhappy with the inclusion of stents under the price cap. A lot
of dire predictions claiming patients being deprived of the latest technological
advancements have come out from the industry.
But many health activists have welcomed the move. Activists said we strongly support
the use of Paragraph 19 of the DPCO to set right the balance in favor of the public interest.
Impacts on People

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

According to some research medical expenditure takes almost 60 percent of the


income of an individual. This tells the sad story of health in India and why the people are
people on a scale of health, food, and shelter. And India is relatively a poor country. So the
reduction in the prices of life-saving drugs, and medical equipment would always be a
welcome step among the people of India.

-x-x-x-x-

Film Censorship in India


What Central Board of Film certification actually is?
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a
statutory body formed under the Cinematograph Act
1952. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting. The Cinematograph Act
manufactures a regime of pre-censorship which is, in
technical terms, called a regime of prior restraint.
The main responsibility of the board is to ensure
that any content of any film does not fall into any of the categories of reasonable
restrictions upon free speech. These restrictions are mentioned under Article 19(2) of the
Constitution. Article 19(2) of the constitution consists of a set of abstract phrases such as
defamation, decency or morality, public order, and so on.
The CBFC has certain guidelines which have been changed from time to time. At
present, these guidelines check (among other things) mainly three things:
1. Words or visuals which promote obscurantist, communal, anti-national, and anti-
scientific attitudes are not presented in the movie.
2. The double meaning words which obviously cater to baser instincts are not allowed.
3. It also checks that whether any part of the movie does not offend human
sensibilities by depravity, vulgarity, or obscenity.
Any film can be exhibited in the country publicly only after they have been duly
certified by this organization.

How CBFC functions?


The central government appoints a Chairman and the non-official members who
constitute the Board. Headquarter of the board is located in Mumbai. The CBFC has nine
regional offices which include Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore Chennai, Hyderabad,
Thiruvananthapuram, New Delhi, Guwahati and Cuttack. The advisory panels assist the
regional offices in the examination of the films. The members of the advisory panels belong
to different walks of life. These members are nominated by the Central government for
tenure of two years.

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There are 25 members and 60 advisory panel members in the board from across India.
All these members are appointed by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. The CEO is
mainly responsible for administrative functions, and regional officers are responsible for the
examining committees that certify films.
The relevant regional officer receives an application for certification, and then he
appoints an Examining Committee. In the case of short films, the examining committee
consists of a member of an examining officer and the advisory panel, one of whom must be
a woman. For general films, the committee consists of an examining officer and four
members of the advisory panel and. Two members of the committee must be women.
If the applicant isnt satisfied with the list of changes and the certification he or she
can apply to the Revising Committee for a review. The revising committee has the
chairperson, a mix of the Board and the Advisory, and up to nine committee members. Any
member who was part of the committee who viewed the film is not included in the revising
committee.
A similar process is adopted at this stage too, and the chairman has the final say on
the matter.
In case of further dissatisfaction with the certification, the matter goes to an independent
Appellate Tribunal. The members of Appellate Tribunal are appointed by Information and
Broadcast ministry for a term of three years. Any further dispute goes to court.

The Certification Process


The certification process is based on the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the guidelines
issued by the Central government u/s 5 (B) and the Cinematograph (certification) Rules,
1983.
The primary function of the body is to assign each film to one of the four categories
U Unrestricted public exhibition
A- Restricted to adults
UA Unrestricted public exhibition (a word of caution is mentioned for parents that
Parental discretion required for children below 12 years)
S Restricted to any special class of people (for example, Teachers, Doctors)
The goal of the CBFC is to ascertain that healthy entertainment is provided to the
general public of the country. The certification process is usually kept very transparent. Any
film, be it Indian or Foreign, must get certified by the CBFC before being screened in India.

Reasons of Film Controversies


The roots of many controversies pertaining to the CBFC are the 19-point guidelines
formulated by the Information and Broadcast Ministry in 1978 which were amended in
1991. These guidelines are followed by tan advisory panel member, who views films and

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

certifies them. These guidelines suggest cuts or certifying films. Here are some examples of
such guidelines which become a reason for controversy when it comes to censor and certify
the films.

1. Rule 2(vi) a, says that scenes tending to justify, encourage, or glamorize


consumption of tobacco or smoking are not shown. How this statement is used by the
viewing panel is completely subjective.
The Centre had ordered CBFC to make it mandatory for filmmakers to show a
disclaimer during smoking scenes. Anurag Kashyap, a film director challenged this rule as
arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional. He lost the battle in the High Court.
2. Guideline 2(vii) states that human sensibilities are not offended by obscenity,
vulgarity, or depravity makes an impactful combination with guideline 2(viii) which states
that such dual meaning words which directly cater to baser instincts are not allowed.
Guideline 2(ix) states that scenes which denigrate or degrade women in any manner
are not presented and all these scenes would be applicable to the cuss words list. The
application of this guideline has created many controversies the recent one is Udata Punjab.
3. Similarly, the clutch of guidelines that censor words or scenes or words that
question national integrity and sovereignty, endanger or jeopardize the security of the state,
could impact friendly relations with foreign states, or endanger public order, are not
allowed.
An example of it are cuts in documentary filmmaker Pankaj Butalias film The
Textures of Loss which examines the impact of two decades of violent insurgency on
Kashmiri people.

The Governments Attempt to Solve the Film Controversies in India:


There is no paucity of committees that have examined issues and problems pertaining
to certification of films in India. In 1969, the Khosla Committee report had suggested the
necessity of doing away with the hegemony of the Centre over the Censor Board.
Recently, the government has made two major half-hearted attempts to salve the
problems by appointing commissions to review the process of censorship. In this direction,
the government formed the Mukul Mudgal Committee in 2013. But its report was found
inadequate and eventually consigned to the dustbin.
Then expectations shifted to the recently-formed Shyam Benegal Committee (2016)
on film censorship. Many eminent film personalities were on the Benegal committee and
there was hope that at least, this time, the issue would be solved with the seriousness it
deserved. But the final report released by the committee has shunned most of the
expectations.
The main themes of the report have indicated that from now on the focus will be on

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certification and not censorship. And the numbers of members of the CBFC will be reduced
from 25 to 9.
It also increased the categories of certification by two i.e. one for adults and one for
minors. The combination of political appointments in committees and the politics of state
ensure that films are censored and not certified.
Way Forward
The Benegal Committee could look at recommendations made in the past for clues to
the future, Perhaps the Benegal Committee could recommend doing away with the
Information and Broadcasting Ministrys powers to appoint members to the censor board. It
may help in keeping political influence away from the process of certifying and censoring
the films.
The restrictive norms on creative freedom have loosened over the decade. And in a
democratic setup, the freedom of speech and expression symbolize the right of
individuality. Since creative freedom is not an unbridled right, the need of the hour is to
review the intent and the motive behind such norms. It is important that the ministry of
broadcasting and information provides a white paper with the detailed processes of a
voluntary rating system and its implementation written on it.
And, in case, the CBFC declines to clear films and advises cuts on the basis of section
5B(1), which filmmakers think are not just and appropriate, they can always challenge the
decision in the court.

-x-x-x-x-

ISRO: What Does The Launch Of 104 Satellites Signify?


Launch of 104 Satellites
On 15 February 2017, India Space Research
Organization created a history by launching 104
satellites on a single Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV) mission. ISRO launch of 104
satellites on a single Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV) mission kept the space community
breathless and astonished. The whole flight of
the PSLV-C37 rocket took nearly 29 minutes.

It is just four minutes longer than a regular PSLV that carries one or two satellites.
Before this, the highest number of satellites was 37 which were launched in a single mission
into space, in June 2014 by a Russian DNEPR rocket.
The PSLV became operational in 1993, and it was its 39th mission. PSLV-C37 was used
for this mission that delivered a payload of 1,378 kg into space in its 38th consecutive

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

successful flight. The greatest degree of difficulty in the mission has been attributed to the
synchronous release of the satellite payload from the final stage of the PSLV rocket.
The description of the satellites which were launched is given below:

Indian Satellites
Apart from 101 foreign satellites, there were three indigenous satellites which are
ISROs earth observation Cartosat-2 satellite (714 kg) and its two technology
demonstration nano- satellites (INS-1 and 2). All other satellites were commercial launches
for international customers, through agreements with ISROs commercial arm Antrix
Corporation.

Foreign Satellites
There were 101 foreign satellites launched by PSLV on this mission. Among them, 96
were from the USA. Out of these, 88 satellites are from the start-up, Planet Labs, a San
Francisco-based earth imaging company. And one satellite is from the Netherlands,
Switzerland, Israel, Kazakhstan and the UAE each.
Except eight of the satellites launched today were meant for commercial applications
and belonged to private companies. Among those companies, none of which are Indian. In
Indian laws, privately-operated satellites are still not allowed to offer commercial
applications in India. This mission is likely to change this situation now.

Similar Experiments in recent past


ISRO also holds the record for launching the most number of satellites in one mission
between 2008 and 2013. ISRO launched 10 satellites in April 2008 on board PSLV C9. This
number was overtaken by NASA with the launch of 29 satellites on the Minotaur 1 rocket, in
November 2013. After this, this record was broken by the Russian space agency Roscosmos
State Corporations DNEPR rocket in November 2013 and June 2014. It launched 33 and 37
satellites respectively.
Earlier, the highest number of satellites launched on a single mission by ISRO was 20
satellites in June 2016. Here, PSLV C34 was used for this mission.
An ISRO statement said after separation, the two solar arrays of the Cartosat-2 series
satellite were deployed automatically and ISROs Telemetry, Tracking and Command
Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore took over the control of the satellite.
This is the fourth satellite which was launched in ISROs Cartosat-2 series. The satellite
will be useful for mapping rural and urban regions, management of road networks, water
distribution, regulation of coastal land use, and other several other purposes.
ISROs two Nano -satellites (INS-1 and 2) are taking instruments from its and
Laboratory for Electro -Optics Systems (LEOS) and Space Applications Centre (SAC) for
experiments.

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With this landmark launch, the PSLV has put 226 satellites in space, including 46
homegrown ones and 180 foreign satellites.

Impact of the launch


The impact of this record breaking satellite launching would liberalize the use of
satellite services in India. Till date, there are not flexible laws in India which allow the use of
the services of private satellites. After this launch, the government of India is ready to clear
the application of the first private satellite in India.
Around six-year-old application by Hughes Network will launch a communication
satellite and provide broadband data services in India. The Hughes Network claims to be the
worlds largest provider of broadband networks. It already offers satellite-based internet
services in many markets akin to India, including Brazil.
A government official said in a statement that the issue of opening the use of private
satellites from India was being considered actively but it was not specified that when the
policy could be changed.
The governments demonetization decision and its push for digitization may work in
favor of letting private satellites offer such services. Satellite-based broadband services
could be more reliable and several times faster than cabled networks that are available in
India.
Hughes is not the only company in the line, and internet services are not the only
services which can be offered via private satellites.
For example, Team Indus, a Bangalore-based corporation that is in a run with four
other teams to send a mission to the moon and win the Google XPRIZE competition is
planning for a future in which it would be able to send its own satellites for different kinds
of applications. It is already in the way of creating a communication satellite of its own.
ISRO itself is willing a greater participation from private companies in satellite building
as it wants to remain focused on its core area of space research.

-x-x-x-x-

25 years of India-Israel ties: What Next?


The relationship between India and Israel has
been steadily strengthening since the two countries
established diplomatic relations in1992. Former
Prime Minister Narasimha Raos foresight that laid
the foundation of the Indo-Israeli partnership
deserves tribute for this development. The back-
channel security talks existed before the
normalization of bilateral relations between India and
Israel. Afterward, in recent years, India has been
more willing to establish a mutually beneficial
bilateral relationship with Israel which includes
liaising on countering the terrorism and deepening military ties.

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The Shift in Policy after 2014


Post 2014, with NDA governments rise to power in 2014, Israel seems to have gained greater
priority over other West Asian countries in Indias diplomatic agenda. This very clear that India and Israel
have been deepening their ties in counterterrorism, defense, science and technology, space exploration,
agriculture, and several other areas.
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis close ties with Israel which can be traced to the period
when he was the chief minister of Gujarat when Israel emerged as a key player in helping Gujarat achieve
impressive economic growth.
On 29 January, India and Israel marked 25 years of diplomatic ties. By keeping this in view, the two
countries have planned a series of events which include the exchange of prime ministerial visits before
the close of the anniversary year in January 2018.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be visiting Israel in June this year. It would be the first- ever
visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel.
The first meeting between Modi and Netanyahu happened in September 2014 in the backdrop of
the UN General Assembly session in New York. It turned out to be the first meeting between prime
ministers of the two countries in a decade.

Presidents Visits
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee visited Israel in October 2015 which was the first visit by an
Indian president to Israel. Normally, the Indian presidents foreign visits do not attract much attention.
But, Pranab Mukherjees visits of Palestine, Jordan, and Israel were seen as a precursor to the
much-expected visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in June.
Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj also made her visit to Israel in January 2016. Her visit was
part of the continuation of the effort by New Delhi not only to strengthen Indias relationship with Israel,
but also to make it more public.

Indias Shift on Palestine Issue


In past, important visits made by top Indian leaders to Israel were combined with Palestine in a
single tour. The visits of External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Union Home Minister L. K. Advani in
2000, and S. M. Krishnas visit as an external affairs minister in 2012 were all described as regional visits
because the ministers held meetings with both Israeli and Palestinian government during their tour.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Israel in November 2014 which was a landmark visit in
the sense that it was confined to Israel only. Indian governments omission of the Palestinian Authority
from Home Ministers visit was seen as an Indian governments intent to shift the tradition of
collaborating high-level official visits to Israel with visits to Jordan and Palestine.
Now, at this time, the Indian government has decided to do away with the previous eras tradition with
Israel. Earlier, India always put restrictions on rapprochement with Israel, based on progress in the Israel-
Palestine dispute.
Evidence of Indias shift on Palestine issue can be found in the recent actions of the India
government, one of them is Indias abstention during a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) vote criticizing
Israels alleged war crimes in Gaza last year.
The vote in UNHRC was on the basis of a report by the UNHRC, which concluded that both Israel
and Palestinian armed forces may have committed war crimes during the 50-day Gaza war that killed
about 1,500 people. India was among the five countries that abstained voting. The other countries who
abstained were Macedonia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Paraguay. The US, Israels biggest ally, voted against the
resolution.

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Deals between India and Israel


At present, Israel is one of Indias top defence partners with India. India has been importing
unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance, surface-to-air missile systems, and radars and anti-tank
missiles from Israel between 1992 and 2016. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research
Institute (SIPRI) which analyses global defence sales, India has been the worlds biggest importer of major
arms from 2012 through 2016. Indias arms imports account for 13% of the global total. The SIPRI data
also shows that the last five years, defence trade between India and Israel has averaged more than
$1billion annually.
India is also seeking to buy a medium-range surface-to-air missile defence system from Israel. This
deal would be worth of $2.5 billion.
Apart from Defence, counter-terrorism constitutes the most high profile part of the India-Israel
relationship. The relationship also constitutes food security, energy, water, agriculture and academia,
education and health.

Impacts
Indo-Israel strong relationship would directly impact the Indo-US relation which is
seen as a new formed axis between India, Israel and the U.S.
It would also impact Indias long fought war against terrorism. It will help India to
corner Pakistan in international State.
Strong bilateral relationship might boost Indias defence strategy.
India is also expecting to get a support from Israel in UNSE permanent
membership.
It would also give India a special recognition in other international front like NATO,
ASEAN, BRICS etc.
Farmers of India will benefit from Israeli expertise in drip irrigation. Many Start-ups
in Hyderabad and Bangalore see Israeli agricultural firms as role models.

Challenges
India has historically supported the independence cause of Palestinian state. Some experts have
argued that a solo visit could seriously jeopardize Indias traditional stance. Till now, India has managed
to preserve a pragmatic balancing act between regional players in the West Asian region. It would be
difficult for India to ignore its crucial energy ties with Iran and the Gulf states. And one could also wonder
that whether Indian Prime Ministers solo visit would be able to achieve new tangible results.
Another challenge in front of India is New Delhis bid for permanent membership in the UN
Security Council. India requires a firm endorsement of its candidature from the Arab countries. Those
Arab countries form a large group in the UN General Assembly and they might not like to see India
distancing itself from the Palestinian cause.

Conclusion
Israeli diplomats and politicians have been very candid about Israels close friendship with India.
This favourable public reference to Israel makes present Indian government different from its
predecessors in dealing with Israel. Positive signs appear with these developments between Israel and
India. It is also visible in Indias discernible shift in Israel policy. Given this, it can be anticipated that India
will succeed in delinking Indo-Israeli relations from domestic and international political concerns, and
Indias relations with the Arab world.

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NATIONAL | INDIA
NPPA asks hospitals to display revised price list of cardiac stents
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) on 22 February 2017 asked hospitals
to display revised price list of cardiac stents. In its notification, the authority said that the
state drug controllers have been sensitized on this issue.

The notification also said that it will inspect more hospitals in the coming days to
check the compliance with its price cap order issued on 14 February 2017.

Besides, the authority also warned the manufacturers and importers against shortage
and said the companies were under legal obligation to maintain smooth production and
supply of coronary stents.

The authority has said, if there is any non-availability or withdrawal of stents it should
inform to NPPA immediately.

Background
Earlier, the authority has slashed the prices of the life saving coronary stents by up to
85 per cent by capping them at Rs 7260 for Bare Metal Stents (BMS) and Rs 29600 for Drug
Eluting Stents (DES). These prices are exclusive of VAT and other local taxes. The average
MRP in the market for BMS was Rs 45 thousand and for DES Rs 1 lakh 21 thousand.

The prices were slashed in line of Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of affordable,
quality healthcare for all.

As per the notification issued on 14 February 2017, NPPA is authorised to recover the
overcharged amount along with 15 per cent interest. In

For addressing the grievances of the common people, two mobile apps, Pharma Jan
Samadhan and Pharma Sahi Daam, were launched on which aggrieved person register
complaints and the Ministry can act swiftly to resolve it.

Coronary stent
A coronary stent is a tube-shaped device placed in the arteries that supply blood to
the heart. It keeps the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart diseases. It is used
in a procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

At present market size of India made stents is roughly 30 per cent and cardiovascular
diseases are major cause of death in India.

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National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority


Formed on 29 August 1997, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is a
government regulatory agency. It controls the prices of pharmaceutical drugs in India. The
organisation has been given the powers to enforce and limit the Drugs Price Control Order
(DPCO), 1995/2013.

Powers assigned to NPPA includes


To fund studies regarding pricing of drugs

It monitors drug shortage and take actions to rectify them, if any

It collects and maintains data of import and export of drugs, market shares of
pharma companies and their profits.

It handles legal disputes that arise out of policies created by it.

It advices the Union Government in matters of drug policies and pricing.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Government decided to set up POSCO


Victims Compensation Fund
The Union Government on 22 February 2017 announced setting up of POSCO Victims
Compensation Fund to provide financial help to children who are victims of sexual crimes.

The announcement was made by the Union Women and Child Development Minister
Maneka Gandhi as as a response to a letter, which sought her attention to the plight of a
three-year-old from Ahmednagar who was raped in December 2016.

The establishment of the fund is in tune with the objectives of the Protection of
Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, 2012. The money for this fund will be drawn
from the Nirbhaya Fund.

About Nirbhaya Fund


The fund was operationalised by the Union Government in April 2015 with a
corpus of Rs 3000 crore.

The primary objective of the fund is to improve safety and security of women in
the country.

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As per the guidelines of the fund, the Ministry of Women and Children (WCD) can
be approached by various Ministries and Departments with the proposals and
schemes.

About Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, 2012


The Act seeks to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation by
establishing special courts.

The POSCO Act identifies any person below the age of 18 years as a child.

In certain cases, if the child is between 16 and 18 years, it shall be examined


whether consent for the act was taken against his will or was taken by drugs,
impersonation and fraud.

The Act penalises any person who commits offences such as sexual harassment,
sexual assault, penetrative sexual assault and aggravated penetrative sexual
assault.

A person commits sexual harassment if he uses words or shows body parts to a


child with sexual intent. The penalty for this offence is imprisonment for up to
three years and a fine.

A person commits penetrative sexual assault if he penetrates his penis into the
vagina, mouth, urethra or anus of a child.

-x-x-x-x-

Ministry of Railways dedicated Antyodaya Express to the nation


Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 22 February 2017 dedicated
Antyodaya Express to the nation at the Delhi Safdarjung Station. The Railway Board
Chairman AK Mital was present on this occasion.

Antyodaya Express is a long-distance, fully unreserved and super fast train service for
the common man. These trains, which will be operated only on dense routes, were
proposed for the first time by Suresh Prabhu in his 2016-17 Railway Budget speech.

These coaches are fully unreserved Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) second class
coaches with the following additional amenities:
Cushioned luggage racks which can serve as seats

Additional hand holds in doorway area

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J-hook near longitudinal luggage racks

Multiple unit cables at both ends of the coach

Vestibuled ends for internal movement of the passengers

Potable drinking water dispenser

Mobile charging points

Fire extinguisher with anti-theft lock

FRP (Fibre Reinforced Plastic) Modular Toilets

Pleasing interior colour scheme

Display boards to indicate toilet occupancy

Light Emitting Diodes

SS Slip-free flooring at doorway and gangway

Anti-graffiti coating for exterior painting

Ministry of Railways has identified following routes


for the Antyodaya Express.
(i) 15567/15568 Darbhanga-Jalandhar City Antyodaya Express (Weekly)

(ii) 22885/22886 Lokmanya Tilak(T)-Tatanagar Antyodaya Express (Bi-weekly)

(iii) 22841/22842 Santragachi-Chennai Central Antyodaya Express (Weekly)

(iv) 22895/22896 Bilaspur-Firozpur Antyodaya Express (Weekly)

(v) 22921/22922 Bandra(T)-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express (Weekly)

(vi) 22877/22878 Howrah-Ernakulam Antyodaya Express (Weekly)

(vii) 15563/15564 Jaynagar-Udhna Antyodaya Express (Weekly)

The following are some of the recent measures undertaken by the


government to modernize the Indian Railways.
The Coach Mitra facility, a single window interface to register all coach related
complaints and requirements, was proposed in the General Budget 2017-18.

On 13 February 2017, the Ministry of Railways announced that the first portion of
the Indian Railways Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) between Ateli and Phulera
will become operational by March 2018.

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On 8 February 2017, the first phase of the Station Redevelopment Program (SRP)
was launched. The SRP is aimed at creating world-class amenities in selected
railway stations.

-x-x-x-x-

India signed Financing Agreement with World Bank for Tejaswini


India on 23 February 2017 signed a Financing
Agreement with the World Bank for IDA credit of USD
63 million for the 'Tejaswini', a Socio-Economic
Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women
Project.The Financing Agreement was signed by Raj
Kumar, Joint Secretary in the Department of
Economic Affairs, Union Ministry of Finance and
Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Country Director of World Bank
(India).

Highlights of the Socio-Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and


Young Women Project 'Tejaswini'
The project seeks to empower the adolescent girls with basic life skills.

It aims to provide further opportunities to acquire market driven skill training or


completion of secondary education, depending on the inclination of the
beneficiary.

The project will support adolescent girls and young women between the ages of
14 and 24 to complete their secondary level education.

It will also help girls in acquiring relevant skills for the job market.

The project has three main components- (i) Expanding social, educational and
economic opportunities (ii) Intensive service delivery (iii) State capacity-building
and implementation support.

About 680000 adolescent girls and young women are expected to benefit from the
program.

The closing date of the project is 30 June 2021.

Other agreement
On the same occasion, a Project Agreement was also signed by Mukhmeet Singh
Bhatia, Principal Secretary in the Department of Women, Child Development, Jharkhand and
Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Country Director of World Bank.

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It aims to support strengthening of institutional capacity and outreach of the


Department of Women and Child Development and the Jharkhand Women Development
Society to enable effective and efficient delivery of services for Adolescent Girls and Young
Women in the state.

The project will be delivered in 17 Districts of Jharkhand. In the 17 project districts,


there are about 2.1 million adolescent girls and young women in the 14-24 age group, of
which 13 per cent belong to Scheduled Castes and 25 per cent belong to Scheduled Tribes.

-x-x-x-x-

National Consultation Workshop on Urban


Development held in New Delhi
The National Consultation
Workshop on Urban Development was
held on 28 February 2017 at Vigyan
Bhawan in New Delhi.

The workshop was organised by


the Union Ministry of Urban
Development.

Highlights of the workshop


The workshop discussed strategies to promote social and urban infrastructure in
urban areas of the country.

The workshop was held with the theme Transforming Cities Transforming Lives.

During the workshop, participating States and Union Territories (UTs) endorsed
the following five transformational urban reforms.

1. Moving to a trust and verify approach: Instead of the present practice of verifying
first and approving later, the States agreed to invert the model by reposing trust in citizens.
This Trust and Verify approach has been recommended in respect of permissions for
building construction, change of title in municipal records (mutation) and birth and death
registration.

2. Formulating land titling laws: This measure was approved as over 90 per cent of
the land records in the country are unclear. Land market distortions and unclear land titles
are costing the country 1.30 per cent of GDP per year.

3. Credit rating of urban local bodies

4. Value capture financing: Noting that the total revenues of the municipal sector
accounts for only 0.75 per cent of the countrys GDP as against 6 per cent in South Africa, 5

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per cent in Brazil and 4.50 per cent in Poland, the participating States agreed to leverage
value capture finance tools for meeting the capital expenditure needs of cities.

5. Improving professionalism of ULBs: The States agreed for the induction of


professionals in city governments by encouraging lateral induction and filling top positions
in cities through open competition.

Besides, the participating States also supported six new policies and
schemes proposed by the Union Government. The new policies and schemes are-

i. Transit Oriented Development Policy

ii. Green Urban Mobility Scheme

iii. Metro Policy

iv. Value Capture Financing Policy Framework

v. City Liveability Index

vi. Fecal Sludge and Septage Management Policy.

The reforms are aimed at promoting resource mobilization required for meeting the
urban infrastructure demand.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Government launched Swachh Shakti Saptah to highlight


womens role in Swachh Bharat Mission
Union Minister of Drinking Water and
Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar on 1 March
2017 launched Swachh Shakti Saptah, a week-
long programme of activities across the country
to highlight the role of women in Swachh
Bharat Mission and to recognize their
leadership.

The Ministry made the national launch of


Swachh Shakti Saptaah in Gurugram, Haryana, at a joint event with the Haryana
Government.

Key Highlights
The launch was done with release of balloons by ground level women leaders,
inauguration of a sanitation related exhibition and a series of folk cultural
presentation relating to women and Swachhta.

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Deputy Commissioners of 11 ODF (Open Defecation Free) districts of Haryana


were honoured on the occasion.

Over 1000 women swachhta champions from grassroots in Haryana attended the
event.

The launch marked the achievement of Swachh Bharat Milestone as over 100
districts in India were declared as ODF districts and over 1.7 lakh villages have
become ODF.

Moreover, throughout the week, there will be nationwide events honouring


women champions, women sarpanches, ASHA workers, school teachers, young
students and senior citizens.

The Swachh Shakti Saptaah will culminate with a mega-event in Gujarat named
Swachh Shakti 2017 where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address 6000
women sarpanches and honour them for their contribution to Swachh Bharat.

About Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)


Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2
October 2014 with an aim to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2019. Up to June
2016 in India, out of 686 districts, only 16 districts were declared ODF.

The mission was proposed to be achieved by creating awareness, construction of


Household toilets, public toilets, school, anganwadi toilets and solid waste management.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Government notified Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of


Liabilities) Act, 2017
The Union Government on 1 March 2017 notified the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation
of Liabilities) Act, 2017. The Act is introduced in the public interest for the cessation of
liabilities on the specified bank notes.

Key highlights of the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Act, 2017
Section 5 of the Act bars any person from knowingly or voluntarily, holding,
transferring or receiving any specified bank note after the expiry of grace period.

However, a person can hold not more than ten notes in total, irrespective of the
denomination. Up to twenty-five notes can be held, if it is for the purposes of
study, research or numismatics.

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Section 7 of the Act states that whoever contravenes the provisions of Section 5
shall be punishable with fine, which may extend to ten thousand rupees or five
times the amount of the face value of the specified bank notes involved in the
contravention, whichever is higher.

The Act states that, whoever knowingly and wilfully makes any declaration or
statement specified under Sub-Section (1) of Section 4, which is false in material
particulars, or omits to make a material statement, or makes a statement which he
does not believe to be true, shall be punishable with fine, which may extend to
fifty thousand rupees or five times the amount of the face value of the specified
bank notes tendered, whichever is higher.

Court of a Magistrate of the First Class or the court of a Metropolitan Magistrate


can impose a fine, for contravention of the provisions of this Act.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Government inaugurated training of Small & Medium


Traders on Digital Payment Initiatives
The Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on
4 March 2017 inaugurated training of self organized small & medium traders on digital
payment initiatives.

On the occasion, the Minister appealed to the business community to turn digital
transaction into a national movement.

Highlights of the Project of Training of Small & Medium Traders


The project is entrusted to the National Institute of Electronics and Information
Technology (NIELIT) by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

Its objective is to usher transparency in the system along with reducing corruption
with evolved participation of all sections of the society.

It aims to understand and adopt simplified digital payment mechanisms like UPI,
USSD, BBPS, AEPS etc. in a convenient manner.

It will contribute towards establishing digital economy and convey the benefits of
digital payments to traders through capacity building programs.

Around 13500 small and medium unorganized, self organized businesses and
traders are targeted through this training project.

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The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) will mobilize the traders and trade
union leaders for training on digital payment initiatives.

NIELIT will organize 5 Regional Workshops at Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai,


Chennai and 30 State Workshops and 100 DigiDhan Camps all over India.

Comment
Capacity building of SMEs and traders on digital payment by NIELIT will take forward
the Union Governments efforts for creation of a digitally vibrant society in line with the
Digital India mission.

NIELIT through its PAN India centres, accredited training partners and facilitation
centres has already been making efforts in promotion of digital payment initiatives.

At NIELIT, use of cash as a means for making payment to vendors and suppliers was
discontinued in 2014 itself.

-x-x-x-x-

International Womens Day: Women Empowerment Schemes of


Narendra Modi Government
The International Womens Day will be celebrated across the world, including India,
with pomp and fervour on 8 March 2017. On this occasion, we are providing you with some
of the schemes launched by the Narendra Modi Government to empower Indian women.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme


The scheme was launched in January 2015 to prevent gender biased sex selective
elimination, ensure survival and protection of the girl child.

This is being implemented through a national campaign and focussed multi


sectoral action in 100 selected districts low in CSR, covering all States and UTs.

The scheme was launched by the government in the backdrop of declining the
Child Sex Ratio (CSR). As per the 2011 census, the CSR reduced from 927 in 2001 to
918 in 2011, which is an alarming trend.

Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and UN-Women

One Stop Centre Scheme


One Stop Centres (OSC) support women affected by violence, in private and public
spaces, within the family, community and in the workplace.

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Women facing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse,


irrespective of age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race and culture
will be supported by these centres.

Women Helpline Scheme


The Women Helpline Scheme seeks to provide 24 hours immediate and
emergency response to women affected by violence.

This scheme was launched by the by the Union Ministry of Women and Child
Development on 1 April 2015.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana


The scheme seeks to provide free LPG connections to women from below poverty
line (BPL) households and builds on the objective of achieving universal coverage
of cooking gas in the country.

Under the scheme, a financial support of 1600 rupees will be provided for each
LPG connection to the BPL households.

Incidentally, this is for the first time the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has
involved in implementing a welfare scheme benefitting crores of women belonging
to the poorest households.

SWADHAR Greh Initiative


The scheme aims at creating a supportive institutional framework catering to their
primary needs in difficult situations.

The scheme will work upon providing basic amenities, such as shelter, food,
clothing and health along with economic and social security to women in distress.

Also, the scheme will make sure that the special needs of these women are taken
care of.
International Women's Day: Celebrating Indias women scientists
who made India proud

Mahila E-Haat
The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched Mahila E-Haat, a
bilingual portal on 7 March, 2016.

It is an initiative for meeting aspirations and needs of women.

This is a unique direct online marketing platform. It leverages technology for


supporting women entrepreneurs, SHGs and NGOs.

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This helps women in showcasing the products and services which are made,
manufactured and undertaken by them.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Cabinet approved MoU between India and UN-Women


The Union Cabinet, presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 6 March 2017
approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the
United Nations Entity of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women).

The MoU seeks to provide technical support to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in
strengthening capacities of governance institutions including Panchayati Raj
Institutions(PRIs) to better leverage opportunities created for gender equality through
legislation, policies and programmes.

It is interesting to note that the decision has come just a couple of days before
the International Women's Day 2017.

International Womens Day: Women Empowerment Schemes


of Narendra Modi Government

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and UN-Women have worked in collaboration
with each other to promote participation of women in PRIs. The collaborations seeks to
enhance building capacities of Elected Women Representatives.

Key highlights
The proposed MoU will facilitate the achievement of time-bound results in the
implementation of specific activities identified jointly by Ministry of Panchayati Raj
and UN Women within the broader framework for cooperation under the United
Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

As per the terms of the MoU, activities will be implemented at the district and sub-
district level in six States i.e. Telengana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

International Women's Day:


Celebrating Indias women scientists who made India proud

The MoPR and the UN-Women will work together towards participatory design of
governance processes and effective implementation of laws, policies and
programmes to promote gender responsive governance.

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The parties are in agreement that engendering the initiatives of MoPR will be of
mutual benefit. Also, it will promote their shared mission of good governance,
gender equality and womens empowerment.

In the long run, it will also enable an improvement in the status of rural women in
India.

Also, the initiative will contribute to meeting Indias commitment to the


Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the
Beijing Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals.

-x-x-x-x-

Babri Masjid Demolition Case: Won't accept dropping of charges


against Advani on technical grounds: SC
The Supreme Court of India on 6 March 2017
said that it will not accept discharge of senior BJP
leader LK Advani and others in the Babri Masjid
demolition case only on technical grounds.

While making oral observations on the


discharge of Advani and other BJP leaders like MM
Joshi and Uma Bharti, the apex court kept the
option open on reviving the conspiracy charge
against them.

Besides, the apex court also came up with an option of ordering a joint trial of cases
that arises out of the two FIRs, which were lodged in the wake of the demolition of the
disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri structure in Ayodhya in 1992.

Oldest litigant of Babri Masjid case Hashim Ansari decided to withdraw his plea

These observations were made during a brief hearing by the bench of Justice Pinaki
Chandra Ghose and Justice Rohinton F Nariman, who posted the matter for further hearing
on 22 March 2017.

Altogether, thirteen people were discharged of the conspiracy charge in the case, the
trial of which is being held at a special court in Raebareli. Few of them were LK Advani, Murli
Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritambhara, Vinay Katiyar, Giriraj Kishore and Vishnu
Hari Dalmia.

The two FIRs on Babri Masjid Demolition Case


The two cases of the Babri Masjid Demolition Case on which the joint trail will be
ordered in a Lucknow court by the Supreme Court are

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Oldest and last Babri litigant Hashim Ansari passes away

Crime No. 197/1992: It was registered in a police station of Ayodhya and deals
with the actual demolition of the masjid. The case was filed against lakhs of
unknown Kar Sevaks (volunteers). The karsevaks were accused of pulling down the
three domes of the Masjid.

Crime No. 198/1992: It was filed against 12 people for promoting enmity,
promoting imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration and
statements conducing to public mischief. Some of the 12 accused in the case were
Giriraj Kishore, Ashok Singhal, LK Advani, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Murli Manohar
Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti and Sadvi Ritambara. At the time of the incident,
i.e. demolition of the masjid, they were standing on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj.

Punishments of the two cases if found guilty


Crime No. 197/1992: It calls for the maximum punishment of 10 years
imprisonment.

Crime No. 198/1992: It calls for the maximum punishment of five-year


imprisonment.

Former IFS and MP Syed Shahabuddin passes away

These FIRs were filed shortly after the structure of the Babri Masjid was demolished
on 6 December 1992. The two cases are being tried in courts of Rae Bareilly and Lucknow.

-x-x-x-x-

SC asked Union Government to secure India-Bangladesh border


To check cross-border influx of illegal Bangladesh nationals into Assam, the Supreme
Court (SC) on 8 March 2017 directed the Union Government to release funds for fencing the
India-Bangladesh border.

The bench comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice RF Nariman perused the status
report on the progress made in the works relating to securing and fencing the border, which
was presented by the Union Government and said the task has to be completed soon. It also
said the Madhukar Gupta committee would "oversee and supervise" it.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) PS Patwalia, who appeared in the court on the
behalf of the Union Government, said some tenders have been finalised and work orders
issued to successful bidders to undertake the exercise of border fencing.

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The court issued the direction to the center while hearing the pleas of Assam Sanmilita
Mahasangha, Assam Public Works and All Assam Ahom Association. The pleas were filed in
the aftermath of large-scale riots in 2012 and 2014 resulting in the death of many people.

ASG PS Patwalia said that the Expenditure and Finance Committee will meet on 9
March 2017 to decide on the issue of releasing funds. Later the court posted the matter for
further hearing on 19 April 2017.

Besides, the court also made clear that the work of updation of the National Register
of Citizens (NRC) to identify original residents of Assam would continue under state
coordinator Prateek Hajela. It said that, the court wants to make it clear, to the state, that
whatever manpower, Hajela committee want has to be given.

-x-x-x-x-

Railways Ministry and UNEP signed Letters of Intent on


Environment Initiatives
The Ministry of Railways on 9 March 2017 signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to formalise the joint cooperation in the area of
environmental conservation.

The agreement will help in exploring the opportunity and developing a joint
cooperation mechanism in the field of Environment & Sustainability.

Focussed areas of Letter of Intent


Collaborate in formulating specific roadmap for achieving 20 per cent reduction in
water consumption at railway establishments.

Collaborate in the development of a draft action plan for establishing waste


management centres at major stations on Indian railways.

Collaborate in the development of a draft action plan for Indian railways on


sustainable public procurement for green technology.

This joint co-operation will help Indian Railways in achieving its green objectives.
Railway is already taking several green initiatives and is going to produce 1000MW solar
energy.

Background
Indian Railways, that carries 23 million passengers every day, is the largest consumer
of water as well as electricity in the country. It is also the major contributor to green
environment due to reduced GHG emissions.

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Indian Railways have been taking a number of steps towards Water Management,
Energy Conservation, Solid Waste Management and Green buildings.

On the other hand, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading
organization within the United Nations in the field of environment and majorly focuses on
the conservation, protection, enhancement and support of nature and natural resources
worldwide.

Hence, both the organisations collaborated to further these common goals and
objectives within their respective mandates and governing rules and regulations.

-x-x-x-x-

SC set deadline for long-pending criminal cases in HC's & Trial


Courts across country
The Supreme Court on 10 March 2017 fixed deadlines for deciding long-pending
criminal cases in high courts and trial courts across the country.

The two-judge bench of the apex court comprising of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and
Justice UU Lalit said denial of speedy justice is a threat to public confidence in the
administration of justice. It said the fundamental right to speedy trial cannot be denied even
on the plea of non-availability of financial resources.

Issuing a slew of directions to all high courts, the apex court asked them to issue
directions to subordinate courts to decide bail pleas normally within one week. Besides, it
asked the high courts to ask magistrates to conclude trial in petty offences, where
undertrials are in jails, within six months.

Highlights of Supreme Courts direction


It said that the sessions court will have to conclude trials in serious offences
within two years if the accused are in jail. It added that strict adherence to the
timeline is ensured by making it a part of Annual Confidential Reports of judicial
officers.

It said efforts be made to dispose of all cases which are five years old by the end of
the year.

The bench also asked the high courts to prepare and issue as well as monitor
appropriate action plans for subordinate courts.

The apex court said appropriate monitoring mechanism on the administrative side
as well as on the judicial side be set up by high courts for speedy disposal of cases
of undertrials pending in subordinate courts and appeals pending in high courts.

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Lok Sabha passed Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of


Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016
The Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, on 10 March 2017 passed the
Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016.

The bill is aimed at establishing a legal framework to consolidate the existing laws
relating to admiralty jurisdiction of courts, admiralty proceedings on maritime claims, arrest
of vessels and related issues.

The intended legislation also repeals the following five obsolete British statues on
admiralty jurisdiction in civil matters.

i. The Admiralty Court Act, 1840

ii. The Admiralty Court Act, 1861

iii. The Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890

iv. The Colonial Courts of Admiralty (India) Act, 1891

v. The provisions of the Letters Patent, 1865

The repealing of five admiralty statutes is in tune with the government's commitment
to do away with archaic laws, which are hindering efficient governance.

Highlights of Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement


of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016
The bill confers admiralty jurisdiction on high courts, which are located in coastal
States of India, up to territorial waters.

The jurisdiction is extendable, by a Central Government notification, up to the


exclusive economic zone or any other maritime zone of India.

The provisions of the bill are applicable to every vessel irrespective of place of
residence or domicile of the owner.

Inland vessels and vessels under construction are excluded from the purview of
the bill. However, the bill empowers the Central Government to make it applicable
to these vessels also by a notification if necessary.

It does not apply to warships and naval auxiliary and vessels used for non-
commercial purposes.

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The jurisdiction is for adjudicating on a set of maritime claims listed in the bill.

In order to ensure security against a maritime claim, a vessel can be arrested in


certain circumstances.

The liability in respect of selected maritime claims on a vessel passes on to its


new owners by way of maritime liens subject to a stipulated time limit.

In respect of aspects on which provisions are not laid down in the bill, the Civil
Procedure Code, 1908 is applicable.

-x-x-x-x-

Footwear Design and Development Institute Bill,


2017 introduced in Lok Sabha
The Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 14 March 2017
introduced the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) Bill, 2017 in the Lok
Sabha.
The Bill is aimed at declaring the FDDI as an Institution of National Importance (INI).

Provisions of the Footwear Design and Development


Institute Bill, 2017
centrally-funded for meeting its capital expenditure.

It aims to facilitate and promote teaching, training and research in all disciplines
relating to design and development of Footwear and leather products.

It will enable FDDI to emerge as Centre of Excellence meeting international


standards.

The institute shall consist of a Governing Council having a Chairperson who shall
be an eminent academician, scientist or industrialist from the leather sector.

The Chairperson shall be nominated by the Union Government.

The Union Government shall have the power to remove the Chairperson or other
members or can reconstitute the Governing Council as well.

The FDDI will develop and conduct courses leading to graduate and post-graduate
degrees, doctoral and post-doctoral courses and research in the areas of footwear
and leather products.

The institute will conduct skill development programmes and provide technical
assistance to artisans, craftsmen, manufacturers, designers and exporters.

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About Footwear Design & Development Institute


The Footwear Design & Development Institute was established in 1986 with the
objective of providing trained human resource and assistance to the sector.

It has a pan-India presence with campuses at Noida, Kolkata, Chennai, Fursatganj


(UP), Rohtak (Haryana), Chhindwara (M.P) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) equipped with
state of art academic facilities and infrastructure.

Its new campuses at Hyderabad, Patna, Ankleshwar (Gujarat), Banur(Punjab) and


Guna (M.P) would also start functioning shortly.

-x-x-x-x-

Krishi Unnati Mela 2017 inaugurated in New Delhi


The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Radha Mohan Singh on 15
March 2017 inaugurated the Krishi Unnati Mela 2017 in New Delhi. The mela is jointly
organised by the Indian Council of Agriculutral Research (ICAR) and the Union Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Highlights of Krishi Unnati Mela 2017


For the Krishi Unnati Mela 2017, thousand invitations are being sent to ICAR
Institutes, SAUs, KVKs, ATARIs, Public Sector Undertakings, NGOs, private
organisations and farmers.

During the mela, technical sessions on various themes are planned to educate
farmers on various agricultural technologies and government schemes for
agricultural development.

Besides, a women empowerment workshop will be organised to sensitise farm


women on latest agricultural technologies and their rights.

Some of the themes that will be taken up in the Krishi Unnati Mela 2017 are -
Digitization in agriculture

Organic farming

Agribusiness models

Precision farming

Skill building and entrepreneurship development

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Water use efficiency

Micro irrigation and sensor based irrigation system

Some of the other attractions of the mela are -


Live demonstrations on production technologies of crops, horticulture, integrated
farming system and protected cultivation

Farmers visits to experimental fields of IARI

Recycling of waste water for agriculture

Display and sale of various products including farm equipments, quality planting
materials, bio-fertilisers, agro-chemicals, innovative farmers' products

On-spot soil and water testing

Kisan Gosthi

Recognition of innovative farmers

About Krishi Unnati Mela


Since 1972, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has been organising
Krishi Vigyan Mela (Agriculture Science Fair) to display and popularise latest
advancements in agricultural research and technology development among
farmers and end users.

It continues to be a highly important annual event for receiving feedback from the
farming community, which helps in deciding the institutes future research
strategy.

Thousands of farmers and visitors from across the country are participating in the
mela every year.

-x-x-x-x-

Bill on inter-state river water dispute introduced in Lok Sabha


The Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,
Uma Bharti introduced the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Lok
Sabha on 14 March 2017.
The minister called the bill as a revolutionary step towards the resolution of Inter-
State River Water Disputes.

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Key Details
The bill proposes the creation of a Single Standing Tribunal with multiple benches
instead of the existing multiple tribunals.

The proposed single tribunal would comprise a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and


a maximum of 6 other members.

While the term of office of the Chairperson will be five years or till the time he
reaches the age of 70, the term of office of the Vice-Chairperson and other
members of the tribunal will be linked to the adjudication of the water dispute.

Besides this, the bill proposes the appointment of Assessors to provide technical
support to the tribunal. The assessors would be appointed from among the
experts already serving in the Central Water engineering Service, above the rank of
Chief Engineer.

It also proposes the introduction of a mechanism - Dispute Resolution Committee


(DRC) to resolve disputes cordially through negotiations before it is referred to the
tribunal.

The proposed committee is to be established by the Union Government, consisting


of relevant experts.

The bill also proposes the setting up of a transparent data collection system at the
national level for each river basin and the establishment of a centre authorised
agency for the same, which will be expected to maintain the databank and
information system.

The bill also fixed the total time period for adjudication of the dispute to a
maximum of four and half years.

It also determined that the decision of the tribunal would be final and binding with
no requirement of publication in the official Gazette.
The increase in water demands by states has led to a rise in inter-state river water
disputes and the Inter-State Water Dispute Act, 1956 that provides the legal framework to
address the disputes has many drawbacks.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Government approved National Health Policy 2017


Union Health Minister J P Nadda on 15 March 2017 launched the National Health
Policy 2017 with an aim to provide healthcare in an assured manner to all, particularly to
the undeserved and underprivileged.

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The policy proposes raising public health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the GDP in a
time bound manner.

Highlights of the National Health Policy 2017


It envisages providing larger package of assured comprehensive primary health
care through the Health and Wellness Centers.

It aims at ensuring availability of 2 beds per 1000 population in hospitals to enable


access within golden hour, the first hour after a traumatic injury, when emergency
treatment is most likely to be successful.

In order to provide access and financial protection, the policy proposes free drugs,
free diagnostics and free emergency and essential healthcare services in all public
hospitals.

It seeks to increase life expectancy at birth from 67.5 to 70 by 2025 and reduce
infant mortality rate to 28 by 2019.

It also seeks to achieve and maintain elimination status of Leprosy by 2018, Kala-
Azar by 2017 and Lymphatic Filariasis in endemic pockets by this year.

It also looks at reforms in the existing regulatory system both for easing
manufacturing of drugs and devices to promote Make in India and also for
reforming medical education.

It informs and prioritizes the role of the government in shaping health systems in
all its dimensions -investment in health, organisation and financing of healthcare
services and prevention of diseases.

It also advocates development of cadre of mid level service providers, nursing


practitioners and public health cadre to improve availability of appropriate health
human resource.

It gives special focus on tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and


associated deaths rising.

It suggests that the government must amend laws to align them with the current
healthcare scenario.

-x-x-x-x-

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Union Cabinet approved MoU between LBSNAA and NIPAM for


capacity building of public officials
The Union Cabinet on 15 March 2017 approved a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) between Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA),
Mussoorie and Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM),
Namibia.

The MoU will be signed in the field of capacity building of public officials of Namibia and
other training activities for the benefit of both the institutes.
The MOU will help the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy to disseminate some of
its experience in running a training institution for higher civil services in the country to
NIPAM.

It will also help the two sides to engage in collaborative activities in the sphere of public
administration and capacity building.

About Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of


Administration (LBSNAA)
LBSNAA was established in 1959 in Mussoorie as the National Academy of
Administration by merging the IAS Training School, Delhi and IAS Staff College,
Shimla.

Since its establishment, the Academy has gained global recognition and stature as
a world-class institution for training career civil servants.

The mission of the Academy is to promote good governance, by providing quality


training for building a professional and responsive civil service in a caring, ethical
and transparent framework.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Cabinet approved Policy for Early Monetization of Coal Bed


Methane Gas Marketing
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, presided by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, on 15 March 2017 gave green signal to marketing and pricing freedom to the Coal
Bed Methane (CBM) Contractors to sell the CBM at Arm's Length Price in the domestic
market.
As per the policy, the Contractor, while discovering the market price for Arms Length
Sales, has to ensure a fully transparent and competitive process for sale of CBM. While
doing so, the Contractor must also take care of the fact that the best possible price is
realized for the gas without any restrictive commercial practices.

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Key highlights
As per the policy, CBM contractors have been permitted to sell the CBM to its any
affiliate, in the event contractor cannot identify any buyer.

Royalty and other dues to the Government shall be payable on the basis of
Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC) notified prices or selling prices,
whichever is higher.

The policy is expected to incentivize the CBM operation in India to boost gas
production.

The policy also aims at generating economic activities, which in turn will be
beneficial for creating more employment opportunities in CBM operations and
related activities.

What is Coal Bed Methane?


Coal Bed Methane is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds.

It is an important source of energy in United States, Canada, Australia, and other


countries.

The term CBD refers to methane adsorbed into the solid matrix of the coal.

CBD is distinct from typical sandstone or other conventional gas reservoir, as the
methane is stored within the coal by a process called adsorption.

It contains very little heavier hydrocarbons such as propane or butane, and no


natural-gas condensate.

-x-x-x-x-

New scheme launched to address needs of exporters


Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Trade Infrastructure for Export
Scheme (TIES) on 15 March 2017.
Speaking on the occasion, Sitharaman said that the scheme aims to address the needs
of the exporters and added that the focus is not just on creating infrastructure but to make
sure it is professionally run and sustained.

Key Highlights
An empowered committee will be set up to periodically review the progress of the
approved projects in the scheme.

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The committee will also take the required steps to ensure that the objectives of
the scheme are achieved.

The committee chaired by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia would also look over
the proposals of the implementing agencies for funding.
Explaining the scheme further, Rita Teaotia stated that some of the biggest cost
incurred by the exporters is on account of the absence of proper dedicated infrastructure,
whether it is testing or handling facilities or cold storages at ports.
Hence she added that TIES, which would focus on projects like checkpoints, first and
last mile connectivity, border haats and integrated check posts, would help in ensuring
smoother movement in export cargo and better quality standards and certification.

Union Cabinet approves revised pact on


Border Haats with Bangladesh

About Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES)


The main objective of the scheme is to enhance export competitiveness by
bridging the gap in export infrastructure, which has not been addressed by any
other scheme.

Under this scheme, all central and state agencies including Commodities Boards,
SEZ authorities, Export Promotion Councils and Apex Trade Bodies recognised
under the EXIM policy of Government of India will be eligible for financial support.

The funding would be in form of grant-in-aid and in normal cases it would not be
more than the equity being funded by the implementing agency or 50% of the
total equity in the project.

However, in cases of projects located in the North Eastern states or Himalayan


states including Jammu & Kashmir, the grant will go up to 80% of the total equity.

Five per cent of the grant approved would be used for appraisal, review and
monitoring.

The scheme would be implemented from 1 April 2017 with a total budgetary
allocation of Rs 600 crore for three years and an annual outlay of Rs 200 crore.

The cost of projects under TIES would be equally shared by the Centre and the
states.

-x-x-x-x-

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FTII and Canon signed MoU to promote short


courses in Film & Television
The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune and Canon India Private Limited
on 15 March 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote film
education through short-term courses across several towns and cities in the country.

Highlights of the MoU


The courses are proposed to be held in non-metros such as Guwahati, Jaipur,
Vishakhapatnam, Raipur, Chandigarh, Raipur, Bhopal, Leh and Andaman & Nicobar
Islands.

Basically, Canon partnered FTII for its Skilling India in Film and Television (SKIFT),
an initiative designed to spread the art of cinematography and film making across
the country.

Under FTII's unique initiative SKIFT (Skilling India in Film and Television), several
short courses, mostly of skill-oriented nature have been proposed to be held in
collaboration with several State Governments, Universities and Educational
institutions.

Initially SKIFT will conduct courses such as Digital Cinematography, Documentary


Film Making, Screenplay Writing, Acting, Film Criticism & Journalism and Film
Appreciation.

As a technology partner for this initiative, Canon India will add value to the
program which is endeavoured to scale skill development in film and television to
greater heights.

Canon as a technology partner of SKIFT will be providing high-end cameras and


accessories free of cost for the courses.

This support by Canon will be a major contributing factor in keeping the course
fees affordable while offering an opportunity to course participants to use cutting-
edge equipment.

About FTII Pune


FTII Pune is one of Asia's leading and India's foremost institute in film and
television education.

It has been working to break new grounds by pushing to democratise cinematic


education by offering quality and affordable training to general public and
practitioners at locations where there is a demand for such courses.

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FTII is also in the process of aligning some of the short courses with Pradhan
Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) under National Skill Development Council.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Cabinet approved revised pact on Border


Haats with Bangladesh
The Union Cabinet on 15 March 2017 approved the revised Mode of Operation (MoO)
and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bangladesh to establish
the Border Haats on India-Bangladesh Border.
The Revised MoU and Mode of Operation will provide a legal framework for
establishment and operationalization of additional Border Haats.

Benefits of the Border Haats


These Border Haats are being created with an aim to promote the well-being of
the people dwelling in the remote areas across the borders of the two countries.

Besides promoting the well-being of people who are the residents of the remote
areas, these haats will help in promoting the traditional system of marketing the
local produce through local markets.

These measures help to improve the economic well-being of marginalised sections


of society.
The approval to this revised MoU and MoO was given at a Union Cabinet meet
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At present, four Border haats are operational between the two countries, two each in
Tripura and Meghalaya. These haats were established under the MoU and Mode of
operation of Border Haats earlier signed between Bangladesh and India on 23 October 2010.
Later on 15 May 2012, an addendum to the mode of operation of Border Haats was also
signed.

First Border Haat of Tripura opened at Srinagar-Feni border

About Border Haats


The border haats were created with an aim to boost the trade between the two
countries.

The trade in these haats is permitted in both Indian Rupees and Bangladeshi Taka
as well as on barter basis.

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Data of such trade is managed by the Haat Management Committee of the


respective border haat.
As per reports of December 2016, the data furnished by the concerned state
governments said that the cash trade was equivalent to Rs 1686.62 lakhs. This transaction
was carried out at the four border haats in the five-year period ending 2015-16.
There are no border haats in operation along the Bhutan and Myanmar borders.
In addition to these existing four functional border haats, the governments of the two
countries have approved six additional border haats. These six border haats will be
developed in two in Tripura at Palbasti and Kamalpur and four in Meghalaya at Bholaganj,
Nalikata, Shibbari and Ryngku.
Apart from this, the Union Cabinet also approved the signing of a MoU on Aids to
Navigation (AtoNs) between the Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships (DGLL)
functional under Union Ministry of Shipping and the Department of Shipping of Bangladesh.
Approval to this signing of the MoU will help the two countries in cooperating in
capacity building in the field of AtoN training in the South Asian region. It will also give a
boost to imparting training on the management of marine aids to navigation based on IALA
Model Course E-141/1 and accordingly facilitate the delivery of a professional training
course as per the IALA guidelines.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Cabinet approved Indian Institutes of Information


Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Bill, 2017
The Union Cabinet, presided by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 15 March 2017
approved introduction of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Public Private
Partnership (IIIT PPP) Bill, 2017.
The proposed Bill grants statutory status to the fifteen Indian Institutes of Information
Technology in Public Private Partnership and declares them as Institutions of National
Importance.
In addition, the Bill enables these institutions to grant degrees to their students in the
academic courses conducted by them.

About IIIT PPP Bill, 2017


There is no financial implication with regard to the proposed IIIT PPP Bill, 2017.

The Bill will declare the existing IIITs in Public Private Partnership as Institutions of
National Importance with powers to award degrees.

The Bill will entitle the institutions to use the nomenclature of Bachelor of
Technology (BTech) or Master of Technology (MTech) or PhD degree as issued by a
University or Institution of National Importance.

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The grant of a formal degree in Information Technology, Engineering or PhD will


add a boost to the prospects of the graduating students in the job market.

The grant of a formal degree will also enable the institutes to draw enough
students required to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of
information technology.

Every institute shall be open to each and every student, irrespective of gender,
caste, creed, disability, and domicile, ethnicity, social or economic background.

-x-x-x-x-

India and Brazil signed agreement to protect rights


of detached workers
India and Brazil signed a social security agreement on 16 March 2017 in Brazil's capital
Brasilia, exempting detached workers of the two countries from making social security
contribution in either country, as long as they were making such contributions in their own
respective nations.
The text was signed between the Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary of the
External Affairs Ministry, K Nagaraj Naidu and Brazilian delegation led by Benedito A Brunca,
Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of Brazil. The same was confirmed through a
statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Who are detached workers?


They are the workers sent by their respective employers to work in the office of their
company or an affiliated one located in a different country.

Key Highlights
The agreement establishes the rights and obligations of nationals belonging to
both the countries and provides for their equal treatment and unrestricted
payment of pensions even in the case of residence in the other contracting state.

The requirements to be entitled for pension can be met by aggregating the


periods of insurance completed in India and Brazil, whereby each country pays
only the pension for the insurance periods covered by its laws.

India has, so far, signed such Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with 18 countries
including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Sweden, Switzerland, and South Korea.

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The agreement will come into force in the first half of 2018. It will have a positive
impact on the profitability and competitive position of companies of both India
and Brazil that are operating in eithers territory.

The agreement will also help promote more investment flow between the two
countries.

Once the text comes into force, it will be the first such agreement between the
BRICS nations.

-x-x-x-x-

Audit how much timber and money are generated from felling of
trees in Delhi: High Court to CAG
The Delhi High Court on 16 March 2017 asked
the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to audit
the forest department and other agencies on the
aspects of how much timber and money are
generated from the felling of trees in the city.
The direction was issued by a two-judge
bench of Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice
Ashutosh Kumar. The direction was issued by the
court while hearing a PIL initiated by the court on the issue of air pollution and its causes.
In its reply on the plea, the Delhi Government informed the court that some timber is
auctioned off and some are provided free of cost to crematoriums. In response to which,
the court said that it wants to know what happens to the funds that are received by
auctioning the timbers and the quantity of timber that is provided to the crematoriums. It
also observed that the bereaved families are made to pay for the wood at crematoriums.

Highlights of the observation of the High Court


The court said that it wanted to know how the timber from felled trees and the
money charged for permission to cut them were being utilised.

The bench observed that the trail of timber and the trail of money has to be
checked.

In its observation, the court said that what concerns is that whether each and
every tree felled is accounted for in terms of money and timber and whether
compensatory afforestation is taking place.
Besides, the court also directed the Delhi government to increase the green cover in
the national capital to the desired objective of 25 per cent. It also said that not only the
existing forests should be preserved and maintained, but areas under encroachment should

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be reclaimed. It said that the trees in non-forest areas should be replenished if cut and
further plantation of trees under compensatory afforestation scheme be undertaken.

Who will fall under the bracket of the audit by CAG?


CAG will be auditing the case in aspects of the forest department of the Delhi
Government and other agencies including the three municipal corporations, the New Delhi
Municipal Council, the Public Works Department, Delhi Metro, the Cantonment Board and
Northern Railway.

-x-x-x-x-

Solar Energy Scheme for Small Power loom Units approved


The Union Minister of State for Textiles Ajay Tamta on 16 March 2017 informed the
Lok Sabha that the ministry approved the Solar Energy Scheme for Small Powerloom Units.
The minister also announced that the scheme will come into force on 1 April 2017.

Features of Solar Energy Scheme for Small Powerloom Units


The scheme seeks to provide financial assistance in the form of capital subsidy to
small powerloom units for installation of Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) plants.

These SPV plants will alleviate the problem of power cuts and shortages faced by
decentralized powerloom units in the country.

Under the scheme, the plants have two options -


(i) On-Grid Solar Power Plant in areas where power cuts and shortages are negligible
and power tariff is high
(ii) Off-Grid Solar Power Plant in areas where there is a power shortage and on-grid
power is not continuously available

Measures to boost powerloom sector


Following are some of the initiatives of the Union Ministry of Textiles that seek to
promote the powerloom sector across the country.

Comprehensive Powerloom Cluster Development Scheme (CPCDS)


It seeks to assist the entrepreneurs in establishing world-class units with modern
infrastructure, latest technology and appropriate market linkages.

In 2008-09, the scheme was launched in two clusters, namely, Bhiwandi


(Maharashtra) and Erode (Tamil Nadu).

In 2013-14, the Modified Comprehensive Powerloom Cluster Development


Scheme (CPCDS) was launched in order to extend the original scheme to other
parts of the country.

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Integrated Scheme for Power Sector Development


The detailed guidelines of the scheme were issued in October 2013 by the Union
Government.

Its primary objective is to empower powerloom industry and build their capacity to
meet the challenges of the market and global competition in a sustainable and
self-reliant manner.

It has five components, including market development programme, establishing


common facility centres and organizing awareness programmes, seminars and
workshops.

A special purpose vehicle (SPV) was set up by the government to oversee the
implementation of the scheme.

-x-x-x-x-

ICAR, ICRISAT signed collaborative agreement for


crop improvement
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR) and the International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) on 15
March 2017 signed a collaborative agreement for
crop improvement.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Trilochan
Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) and Director General
(ICAR) and Dr David Bergvinson, Director General,
ICRISAT in New Delhi.

Highlights of the Agreement


The agreement, which is called as the ICAR-ICRISAT collaborative work plan for the
years 2016-18, facilitates the transfer of agricultural technologies between the two
institutes.

Climate smart crops, smart food and digitalization of breeding database are some
of the core areas of research covered under the agreement.

The partnership includes funding to research grain legumes and dryland cereals
and support for the smart food initiative to deliver sustainable and nutritionally
rich products to consumers.

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India-Russia Military Industrial Conference held in New Delhi

On the crop improvement front, the agreement will also facilitate research
activities on transgenic pigeonpea and chickpea for insect resistance.

Other areas of focus over the next three years include the integration of systems
modelling tools to upscale climate resilient agriculture, development of genetic
and genomic resources of finger millet and enhancement of genetic gains for
priority traits.

About Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)


The ICAR is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural
Research and Education (DARE).

It was established as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research on 16 July 1929


as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 by the British
Government.

The Council is the apex body for co-ordinating, guiding and managing research and
education in agriculture, including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the
entire country.

With 101 Institutes and 71 agricultural universities spread across the country, ICAR
is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world.

Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.

India and Brazil sign agreement to protect rights of


detached workers

About International Crops Research Institute for


the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
It is an international organisation, which conducts agricultural research for rural
development.

It is headquartered at Patancheru in Hyderabad, Telangana.

It was established in 1972 by a consortium of organisations convened by the Ford


and the Rockefeller foundations and its charter was signed by the FAO and the
UNDP.

-x-x-x-x-

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Indias longest road tunnel completed trial run


Indias longest road tunnel, connecting Cheneni and Nashiri towns on the new Jammu-
Srinagar National Highway, has successfully completed its trial run. The 9.2 km long twin
tube is expected to be opened for public usage by the end of March 2017.
Speaking on its opening, J S Rathore, the Project Director of the Chenani Nashiri
Tunnelway stated that the tunnel would be formally thrown open to regular traffic after
inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is expected to happen soon. Rathore
added that the road tunnel would help in reducing the traffic jams on National Highway-1A
that occur due to snowfall and avalanches in winter.

Key Highlights
The twin-tube tunnel will be the first one in the country to get the world class
'integrated tunnel control system'.

The system would allow ventilation, fire control, signals, communication and
electrical systems to be automatically actuated.

It is located at an elevation of 1200 meters.

The trial run of the tunnel was conducted successfully during both peak hours and
non-peak hours between 9 to 15 March 2017.

The tunnel would also have a well-equipped, fully computerised operation room
for surveillance of vehicles inside the twin tubes.

Around 124 CCTV cameras have also been installed at an equal distance of 75
meters to feed information to the operating room.

In fact, for better visibility the tunnel has been equipped with three-tier lighting
system that would ensure that it is well lit at all times.

Vehicles would be allowed to run in the tunnel at a maximum speed of 50 km per


hour, with head lights on at low beam.

Containers carrying inflammable material would not be allowed to enter the


tunnel.

Vehicles will have to pay toll charges to gain access to the tunnel.

Background
The tunnel is a part of the new 286-km-long four-lane Jammu-Srinagar National
Highway project.

The construction work on it began six years ago on 23 May 2011.

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Overall, the government has spent around 3,720 crore on just this part of the
new highway project.

The tunnel is located in the lower Himalayan mountain range and its completion is
expected to reduce the travel time between the two capital cities, Jammu &
Srinagar by two and a half hours.

It would bring down the distance between Chenani and Nashri towns from 41 km
to just 10.9 km, almost 30 km less than before.

-x-x-x-x-

First ever Made-in-India train flagged off at Dadar station


The first fully made-in-India train,
Medha was flagged off at Dadar station
on 18 March 2017 for its maiden run to
Borivali at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus.
The train made stops at Bandra and
Andheri.

The 12 coach train, part of Indias


Make in India campaign, was flagged off
by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu
amidst the presence of Central and
Western Railway general manager DK Sharma and other senior officials. The effort aims to
boost rail connectivity in the region and enhance the convenience of the people.

Key Highlights
Two Medha trains were on a trial since the last two years. Both the trains have
been designed and built at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. They will be
running on the Western Railway network.

It is powered by a Hyderabad-based firm Medha Servo Drives.

The company has installed LED lighting inside the train, which will help save energy
by almost 30-35% in comparison to the existing trains.

The train also has a special indigenous 3 phase propulsion system unlike the earlier
electric multiple units of the Indian railways, which have systems from either
Bombardier or Siemens.

The in-built system will help minimise breakdowns during the travel.

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Solar Energy Scheme for Small Powerloom Units approved


Renowned Meteorologist, Dev Raj Sikka passes away

In costing, the Indian-made train is cheaper than the earlier ones, as it cost about
43.23 crore, which is around 1 crore less than the German-made Bombardier
train, which costs about 44.36 crore.

The train will be able to run at a speed of 110kmph, much above the limit of local
trains, which dont run above 90 or 100 kmph.

Similar to the existing trains, the train has cushioned seats in the first class and
stainless steel seats in the general compartment.

The train is also equipped with a GPS-based information system with an audio-
visual indication of stations and a facility that would help motormen to
communicate with a guard in case of emergencies.

Furthermore, with over 1168 seats, the train has the capacity to hold around 6050
passengers.
Besides this, the Railway minister flagged off the inaugural run of Antyodaya Express,
which will be operating between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Tatanagar and Miraj- Solapur
Express daily train through video conferencing.
The minister also laid the foundation stone for the construction of the fourth railway
line between Bhusaval-Jalgaon, a 24-km stretch which will be constructed at an approximate
cost of about 260 crores.

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Delhi High Court rules that parents can evict abusive


children from their house
The Delhi High Court on 19 March 2017 passed a ruling stating that children who
assault or abuse their parents while staying with them in their house can be evicted from
the property.

The ruling was delivered by Justice Manmohan who specified that the house need not be
self-acquired or owned by the parents. This is a major shift from the 2007 law that left it
upon the state governments to frame rules to protect the life and property of senior
citizens.
Union Cabinet approved four GST related Bills

Key Details
The court delivered its verdict in relation to an appeal filed by an alcoholic former
policeman, whose service was terminated by the Delhi Police and his brother,

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challenging the verdict given by a senior citizens Maintenance Tribunal in October


2015 that ordered the eviction of the two from the residence where their elderly
parents resided.

The brothers had challenged that the tribunal had exceeded its jurisdiction in
passing the eviction order and argued that even in cases of allegations of physical
assault, maltreatment and mental harassment of parents, no eviction order could
be passed under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act
2007.

While interpreting the provisions of the Act, the court stated that it was in the
jurisdiction of the senior citizen's maintenance tribunal to issue an eviction order
to ensure the safety and protection of senior citizens in their house without
forcibly having to accommodate a child who assaults and harasses them and
threatens to throw them out.

The court in its 52-page judgement noted that the direction to evict the adult
children from the property was necessary in some cases like the present one, to
ensure a normal life for senior citizens.

First ever Made-in-India train flagged off at Dadar station


ICAR, ICRISAT signed collaborative agreement for crop improvement

The court also noted that while the Delhi governments rules only allowed a senior
citizen to complain to district authorities to evict abusive children from a self-acquired
property, the Act, in fact, made no such discrimination and allowed parents to evict their
abusive children even from a rented accommodation.
Further, the court directed the Delhi government to amend its rules and create a new
action plan to protect the life and property of senior citizens.

-x-x-x-x-

Strict punishment for misleading advertisements


The union government on 21 March 2017 announced that it would be taking an action
against misleading advertisements endorsed by the celebrities.
The announcement was made by the Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
distribution minister Ram Vilas Paswan during the question hour of the Lok Sabha. He
revealed that a new Consumer Protection Act was in the making and it had, in fact, been
circulated to the cabinet. The new law would include strict provisions to deal with entities
that put out misleading advertisements.

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Key Highlights
The minister stated that a consumer can make a complaint against unfair trade
practice in Consumer Forums established under Consumer Protection Act.

He also informed the upper house about the formation of an inter-ministerial


monitoring committee in 2014 to monitor the redressal of complaints received on
the portal GAMA (Grievances Against Misleading Advertisements).

From March 2015 till date, a total of 3220 complaints have been registered on the
portal, of which 1683 have been resolved and 715 have been rejected.

The portal was launched to enable consumers to register their complaints against
false and misleading advertisements.

Resolve Ram Temple dispute outside the court: SC


Surya Kiran XI Joint Military Exercise concludes in Pithorgarh
Besides this, the minister added that the Advertising Standards Council of India, which
is a voluntary body of Advertisement Industry, also self-regulates advertising content to
monitor and decide on complaints against objectionable advertisements.
Further, the minister stated that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has set
up an inter-ministerial committee to look into specific complaints against violations of the
Programme and Advertising Codes with respect to private satellite TV channels.

-x-x-x-x-

Resolve Ram Temple dispute outside the court: SC


The Supreme Court (SC) on 21 March
2017 advised the concerned parties in Ram
Temple dispute case to resolve the matter
outside the court.
This came following the appeal of BJP
leader Subramanian Swamy who sought an
urgent hearing on the Ayodhya dispute on
the claims that it is a sensitive matter. The
case is pending since last six years.
In his petition filed under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, Swamy contended that
the pendency of the appeals in the Supreme Court has restricted his fundamental right to
worship and enjoy dignity of life under the Constitution.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) JS Khehar in response asked him to mention the matter on
or before 31 March 2017 while advising Swamy to sort out issue outside the court through
negotiations that would be agreed upon by all petitioners and respondents.

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However, the apex court also ruled that it would intervene if the negotiations fail and
will appoint a mediator for resolution.

Babri Masjid Demolition Case: Won't accept dropping of charges


against Advani on technical grounds: SC

Background
The Supreme Court is also hearing the appeals challenging a 2010 Allahabad High
Court's decision fixing the exact birth place of Lord Ram at the disputed Ayodhya site.
A three-judge Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court in September 2010 had
given a unanimous decision that Lord Ram was born under the central dome of the
makeshift temple and Hindus have the right to worship there.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the High Court's
decision soon after. The case has remained halfway ever since then.

Ram Mandir Dispute: A timeline


The issue of Ram Mandir Dispute dates back to 1992, when hundreds of commoners
demolished the 16th century mosque in Ayodhya amid claims that it was the birthplace of
Hindu deity Lord Rama and the mosque was constructed on the holy land of Hindus.
This triggered widespread Hindu-Muslim violence. Here is a timeline of the dispute:

1528: The Babri Masjid, a mosque in Ayodhya, was constructed by Mir Baki on the
orders of Mughal emperor Babar.

1949: Towards the end of December 1949, idols of Lord Ram appeared inside the
mosque, allegedly put there by Hindus. It led to widespread protests and both
communities filed cases.

The government declared the site as disputed and locked the gates to it.

1950: Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das, the chief of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas,
and Gopal Singh Visharad filed case seeking permission to pray before the installed
idols, which was allowed though the inner courtyard gates remain locked.

1961: Sunni Central Board of Waqfs in Uttar Pradesh filed a case claiming the
mosque.

1984: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad constituted a group with the leader L K Advani to
continue the campaign against the mosque.

1986: Faizabad district judge ordered the gates of the structure be opened for
Hindus to offer prayers.

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1990: LK Advani launched a rath yatra (pilgrimage procession) from Somnath to


Ayodhya to galvanise support for the issue countrywide. His rath was stopped and
he was arrested in Samastipur, Bihar.

1992: The disputed structure was brought down by followers and a makeshift
temple was placed in its place.

2003: The Allahabad High Court ordered the Archeological Survey of India to
excavate the disputed site in order to determine whether a temple existed where
the mosque stood. The ASI submitted its report saying that it had found features
of a 10th century temple beneath the site of the masjid.

2010: The Allahabad High Court pronounced its verdict on the long-standing
Ayodhya Ram janmabhumi-Babri Masjid issue and ruled for a three-way division of
the disputed area, between the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the
party for Ram Lalla.

2016: The Supreme Court permitted BJP leader Subramanian Swamy to intervene
in the pending matters relating to the Ayodhya dispute with his plea seeking
construction of Ram temple at the site of the demolished disputed structure.

-x-x-x-x-

Process of filling vacancies of HC judges on war footing:


Supreme Court
Chief Justice of India JS Khehar
on 20 March 2017 said that the
Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for
appointments to the higher judiciary
has been cleared. The MoP was
cleared by the Supreme Court
Collegium.
With this clearance, the process
of filling the vacancies in High Courts is
proceeding on a war footing. The chief
justice gave the information about
clearance of the MoP while heading a
three-judge Bench which was
disposing of a number of PILs seeking
to fill with vacancies for reducing the huge pendency of cases.

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Prepare Draft Memorandum of Procedure on Appointment of Judges to Higher


Judiciary: SC to Government

Highlights of the information provided by CJI JS Khehar


Number of posts of judges in high courts would be increased by 25 per cent,
however, there is no move to increase the number of posts of the High Courts till
all the existing judicial vacancies were filled. Sectioned strength of judges in all 24
high courts of India is 1079, which came down to its half.

It said that it had constituted a committee of senior apex court judges that will
suggest the ways of reducing the pendency of cases up to three years.
Earlier in March 2017, the MoP for the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary
was finalised by the Supreme Court collegium. This finalisation of MoP ended a year-long
face-off with the executive by agreeing to include the contentious clause of national security
in a selection of judges.
It had agreed to the national security clause, which the government had been insisting
be included as one of the necessary criteria for appointment of judges to the higher
judiciary.
SC declared National Judicial Appointments
Commission (NJAC) unconstitutional
The collegium after deliberations had also agreed on setting up secretariats in the
apex court and the high courts to collate data about judges and assist in the selection
procedure for their appointment to the higher judiciary.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Government sanctions more affordable houses for urban


poor in Puducherry, Telangana and HP
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation on 22 March 2017
sanctioned 3128 more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor in Puducherry, 924
for Telangana and 2655 for Himachal Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
(PMAY).
The Ministry, in all, approved 124521 affordable houses for urban poor with an overall
approved investment of Rs 95671 crore for constructing such houses under PMAY(Urban).
Central assistance of Rs 27766 crore was approved for construction of these houses.

Key Highlights
Puducherry was sanctioned 3128 houses in four towns under Beneficiary Led
Construction (BLC) component of PMAY (Urban) at a total project cost of Rs 131

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crore for which central assistance of Rs47 crore was approved. With this, total
number of houses sanctioned for Puducherry increased to 3848.

Till now, Puducherry city got 2093 houses followed by Karaikal-592, Yanam-358
and Mahe-85 houses.

In Telanagana, Siddipet got enhancement of 924 houses under BLC component at


a total cost of about Rs14 crore for which central assistance of Rs14 crore was
approved. With this, total number of houses sanctioned for the Telanagana under
PMAY(Urban) come to around 81405.

Himachal Pradesh (HP) was sanctioned 2655 houses for 12 towns at a total project
cost of Rs 102 crore for which central assistance of Rs 40 crore was approved. With
this, total number of houses sanctioned for the HP under PMAY(Urban) increased
to 4569 so far.

In Himachal Pradesh, Nalagarh was sanctioned 531 houses followed by Nahan-


289, Dharamshala-227, Una-217, Mandi-174, Shimla-61, Chaba-57, Bilaspur-37,
Solan-27, Baddi-25, Kullu-9 and Parwana-1.

In addition, Karnataka was sanctioned 31424 houses, Madhya Pradesh -27475,


Bihar-25221, Jharkhand-20099, Kerala-11480 and Odisha-2115 houses under
PMAY(Urban).

-x-x-x-x-

Aadhar Card to be made mandatory for ITR and


PAN Card Applications
The Union Government on 21 March 2017 proposed to make the Aadhaar card
mandatory to file Income Tax Return (ITR) and for applying Permanent Account Number
(PAN) with effect from 1 July 2017.
With this, Aadhaar enrolment number while filing ITR could also be accepted.
However, failing to declare Aadhaar may lead to PAN being deemed invalid.
PAN cards will also be linked with the 12-digit unique identification number or the
Aadhar number before the 1 July 2017 deadline.
The amendment also proposes to lower the limit on cash transaction from Rs 3 lakh to
Rs 2 lakh. The limit on cash transactions is in keeping with recommendations of the Special
Investigation Team (SIT) on black money.

Background
The proposal was made through an amendment to the Finance Bill, 2017. The Union
Government introduced as many as 40 amendments to the Finance Bill in an
'unprecedented move'.

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Until now, Aadhaar was mostly used for subsidy transfers. The Union Government also
claimed that the subsidy transfers linked to Aadhaar has led the exchequer to save Rs 49000
crore during the last two-and-half years.

-x-x-x-x-

RS passed HIV, AIDS Bill, 2014 by voice vote


The upper house of Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha passed the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
(Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014 by voice vote on 21 March 2017.
The bill, which includes provisions that ensure equal rights to people afflicted by HIV
and AIDS in getting treatment and admission in educational institutions and jobs, was
introduced in the house on the same day.

Resolve Ram Temple dispute outside the court: SC

Key Highlights
The bill was introduced in the house by the Union Health Minister, J P Nadda. It
was originally introduced by the UPA government in February 2014 after
consultations with people in 29 ministries and 21 departments.

Explaining the provisions of the bill, Nadda stated that it will give legislative
backing to the people living with HIV and prohibit the feeling of hatred.

It will ensure that every HIV infected person below the age of 18 years has the
right to reside in a shared household and enjoy its facilities.

It also prohibits discrimination against HIV positive persons on grounds like denial,
termination, discontinuation or unfair treatment with regard to employment,
educational establishments, health care services and residing or renting property.

Further, replying to concerns of some members of the house including Congress


leader Jairam Ramesh regarding clause 14 of the bill that says as far as possible
for providing treatment to those having HIV/AIDS by the Centre and the State, the
health minister stated that the bill will ensure that nobody is denied treatment.

The Enemy Property Bill 2016: All You Need To Know


While the bill received overwhelming support in the house, members emphasized on
the need to provide higher budgetary allocation for National AIDS Control Organization and
blood banks and the need to include sex education in school as a part of the syllabus in
order make students more aware and cautious.

-x-x-x-x-

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Union Cabinet approved proposal to establish a


Fund of Funds for Start-ups
The Union Cabinet on 22 March 2017 approved the proposal to establish the Fund of
Funds of Start-ups (FFS).
The Union Cabinet in 2016 approved the proposal to establish a Fund of Funds for
Start-ups (FFS) with a total corpus of Rs 10000 crore.

Key Highlights
Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs) supported by FFS shall invest at least twice the
amount of contribution received from FFS in Start-ups.

If the amount committed for a Start-up in whole has not been released before a
Start-up ceases to be so, the balance funding can continue thereafter.

It was also decided that operating expenses will be met out of the FFS to the
extent of 0.50 per cent of the commitments made to AIFs and outstanding.

The operating expenses including carrying out due diligence, legal and technical
appraisal, convening meeting of Venture Capital Investment Committee, etc.

The operating expenses will be debited to the fund at the beginning of each half
year that is on 1 April and 1 October.

About Fund of Funds for Start-ups


The Fund of Funds for Start-ups was approved by Union Government in the year
2016 itself.

It was decided that the FFS shall contribute to the corpus of Alternative
Investment Funds (AIFs) for investing in equity and equity linked instruments.

The FFS is being managed and operated by Small Industries Development Bank of
India (SIDBI).

FFS contributes to SEBI registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) that may go
up to a maximum of 35 per cent of the corpus of the AIF concerned.

-x-x-x-x-

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Suresh Prabhu announced scaling up of VIKALP


Scheme for Railway Passengers

The Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu on 22 March 2017 announced the
scaling up of VIKALP Scheme for waitlisted passengers at a progrmme held in New Delhi.
Besides, the minister released the Water Management Policy of Indian Railways to
mark the World Water Day and also presented GreenCo Certificates to three units of Indian
Railways.
While the Water Policy covers all aspects of water use, recycling, conservation and
recharge of groundwater, the certificates were presented to Diesel Locomotive Works
(Varanasi), Perambur Carriage Works (Chennai) and Lalaguda Carriage Workshop
(Hyderabad).
Railway Board Chairman A K Mital, members and senior officials were also present on
the occasion.

Expanded VIKALP Scheme


From 1 April 2017, the Vikalp scheme will be further expanded to shift waitlisted
passengers of one train across all categories of trains without realization of any
difference of fare or grant of refund.

Thus, a passenger who booked a ticket in a normal mail or express train can be
shifted to an alternate mail, express, rajdhani, humsafar, duronto, shatabdi,
special train or suvidha train in the same class of accommodation or vice versa
subject to opting for this scheme.

The rationale behind allowing this facility is that the reserved accommodation is a
perishable commodity and once a train leaves a platform with a vacant berth, the
potential revenue is lost to railways.

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The expanded VIKALP is expected to optimize berth utilization across all trains,
carry more passengers as well as increase earnings by reducing refunds of
waitlisted tickets.

Initially, the expanded Vikalp scheme will be available on e-tickets and will be
extended to PRS tickets at a later stage.

About VIKALP Scheme


Indian Railways on 1 November 2015 launched the Alternate Train
Accommodation Scheme (ATAS) or VIKALP to provide confirmed accommodation
to waitlisted passengers in alternate trains on a pilot basis.

It is a transparent scheme as confirmed reservation tickets will be provided in


alternate trains without giving extra fare.

However, when an ATAS opted passenger opts to cancel, after he/she has been
given an alternate accommodation, he/she will be treated as a Confirmed
Passenger and the cancellation rules will apply accordingly.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Cabinet approved proposal for amendments


to NABARD Act, 1981
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, on 22 March 2017
approved the proposal for Amendments to the
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) Act, 1981.

Key Highlights
Amendments to National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development Act,
1981 include provisions that enable Union Government to increase the authorized
capital of NABARD from Rs 5000 crore to Rs 30000 crore.

It also proposes to increase the authorised capital beyond Rs 30000 crore in


consultation with RBI, as deemed necessary from time to time.

It also proposes the transfer of 0.4 per cent shareholding of RBI in NABARD to the
Union Government. The shareholding of RBI amounts to Rs 20 crore.

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The proposed amendments also include changes in the long title and certain
Sections to bring Medium Enterprises and Handlooms in NABARDs mandate.

Comment
The proposed increase in the authorized capital of NABARD will allow the organisation
to respond to the commitments it has undertaken, particularly in respect of the Long Term
Irrigation Fund and the recent Cabinet decision regarding on-lending to cooperative banks.
It will also enable NABARD to augment its business and enhance its activities to
facilitate promotion of integrated rural development and securing prosperity of rural areas
including generation of more employment.
The transfer of entire shareholding in NABARD held by RBI to the Union Government
will remove the conflict in RBI's role as banking regulator and shareholder in NABARD.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Ministry of Railways released new Water


Management Policy
The Union Minister of Railways Suresh
Prabhu on 22 March 2017 released the
Water Policy of Indian Railways to mark the
World Water Day. The policy was released at
a ceremony in New Delhi.
On this occasion, the minister also
presented GreenCo Certificates to three
units of Indian Railways and announced the
expansion of VIKALP Scheme for the benefit
of waitlisted passengers. The expanded
scheme will become effective on 1 April 2017.

Features of Water Policy of Indian Railways


The policy covers all aspects of water use, recycling, conservation and recharge of
groundwater.

This is a progressive and creative policy under which field units will be motivated
to recycle and save water.

The objective of the policy is to improve water use efficiency by setting up water
recycling plants, rainwater harvesting plants, sewage treatment plants and
effluent treatment plants on railway land.

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The policy allows the participation of private players for recycling water for non-
potable usage on build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis.

In this water policy, water audits, restoration of water bodies and recycling of
water were given a priority.

Presentation of GreenCo Certificates


While the Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi was presented with the GreenCo
Silver Certificate, Perambur Carriage Workshop, Chennai was given the GreenCo
Bronze Certificate.

In addition, Lallaguda Carriage Workshop, Hyderabad was facilitated with the


GreenCo Silver Certificate.

About GreenCo Certificates


GreenCo Certificates, which are developed by the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII), are given for adopting good green practices.

In fact, the GreenCo Rating System is the first of its kind framework in the world.

The GreenCo Rating System is aimed at catalyzing green practices in the Indian
industry.

The objective of the scheme is to define and assess How Green is a company?
and facilitate the way forward for further improvement and promote world class
competitiveness through green strategies.

The framework adopts a life-cycle approach and evaluates the activities of a unit
or a facility on the green front.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Cabinet approved MoU with USA on partnership


for Cyber Security
The Union Cabinet, presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 22 March 2017 was
apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Indian
Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-ln) and the US Homeland Security Department
on cooperation in the field of Cyber Security.
The MoU was signed on 11 January 2017 in New Delhi.
The agreement aims to promote closer co-operation and exchange of information
pertaining to the Cyber Security in accordance with the relevant laws, rules and regulations
and on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit.

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About Indian Computer Emergency Response Team


The CERT-In is the Government organisation under Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology.

It is a nodal agency that deals with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing.

It strengthens security-related defence of the Indian Internet domain.

In December 2013, the organisation had reported a rise in the cyber attacks on
Government organisations like banking and finance, oil and gas and emergency
services.

In March 2014, the organisation had also reported a critical flaw in Android Jelly
bean's VPN implementation.

Background
On 19 July 2011, the United States and India had signed an MoU to promote a closer
cooperation and timely exchange of information between the organizations of their
respective Governments responsible for Cyber Security.
Since July 2011, regular interactions between CERT-In and US CERT are taking place to
share the information and discuss cyber security related issues.

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67 National | India | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

ECONOMY
CBEC launched a mobile application for Goods and Services Tax
The Central Board of Excise and Customs
(CBEC) on 23 February 2017 launched a mobile
application for Goods and Services Tax (GST). The
app will inform the taxpayers of the latest updates
on GST among others.

The mobile application for GST was launched in-line to the Union Governments Digital
India Initiative. The application will provide latest updates on GST to the taxpayers.

Goods and Services Tax rollout deferred to 1 July 2017


The application will help taxpayers to access certain information related to the
GST like

Migration to GST-Approach and guidelines for migration

Draft Law-Model GST Law, GST Compensation and Law IGST Law

Draft Rules-Rules related to Registration, Payment, Returns, Refund and Invoice

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on GST

Various resources on GST like videos and articles among others

Links related to website as well as email and helpdesk contacts

GST Bill gets nod by President Pranab Mukherjee


At present, the application is available for the android platforms. The iOS version of
the application will be launched soon.

Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC)


CBEC is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Union Ministry of Finance. The
nodal national agency is responsible for administering

The tasks of formulation of policy concerning levy

Collection of Customs & Central Excise duties and Service Tax

Prevention of smuggling and administration of matters relating to Customs,


Central Excise, Service Tax and Narcotics

www.jagranjosh.com | Economy 68
April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

It is the administrative authority for its subordinate organisations, including


Custom Houses, Central Excise and Service Tax Commissionerates and the Central
Revenues Control Laboratory.

Difference in Goods & Services Tax Bill, 2014


and Proposed 2016 Amendments

Goods and Services Tax (GST)


The Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) (GST) Act 2016 passed by both
houses of the Parliament and approved by President Pranab Mukherjee is a proposed
system of indirect taxation of India. It will be created by merging most of the existing taxes
(central and state taxes) into a single system of taxation.

The proposed bill is being looked out by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council who
will decide the tax rate, cess and surcharges. The council being headed by Union Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley will comprise of state Finance Ministers. GST Council approved bill to
reimburse revenue loss to States

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CBDT signed 10 unilateral APAs with taxpayers


The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 28 February 2017 signed ten Advance
Pricing Agreements (APAs) with taxpayers. The APAs were signed in various sectors of the
economy like Telecom, Pharmaceutical, Banking & Finance, Steel, Retail and Information
Technology, etc.

In the current financial year, a total of 76 APAs (7 Bilateral APAs and 61 Unilateral
APAs) have already been signed by CBDT.

With this, the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT reached 140 in number.
This includes 10 Bilateral APAs and 130 Unilateral APAs. The CBDT expects more APAs to be
signed before the end of the current fiscal.

Key Highlights
Two of these ten agreements are Bilateral APAs with the United Kingdom and
Japan. While, seven of these agreements have rollback provisions in them.

The APAs entered into over the last week pertain to various sectors of the
economy like Telecom, Pharmaceutical, Banking & Finance, Steel, Retail,
Information Technology, etc.

69 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

The international transactions covered in these agreements include Payment of


Royalty Fee, Trading in Goods, IT Enabled Services, Software Development Services
and Marketing Support Services.

The APAs also cover Clinical Research Services, Non-binding Investment Advisory
Services, Payment of Interest on ECB, etc.

About Advance Pricing Agreement (APA) Scheme


The APA Scheme was introduced in the Income-tax Act, 1961 in 2012 and the
Rollback Provisions were introduced in 2014.

The scheme aims to provide certainty to taxpayers in the domain of transfer


pricing by specifying the methods of pricing and setting the prices of international
transactions in advance.

Since its inception, the APA scheme has showcased a lot of interest from taxpayers
that has resulted in filing of over 700 applications in about five years.

The progress of the APA Scheme is seen as strengthening the Union Governments
resolve of fostering a non-adversarial tax regime.

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Trump calls for 'merit-based' immigration


system in address to Congress
Donald Trump, the President of United States called for a merit-based immigration
system during his first address to Congress on 1 March 2017.

Trump stated that countries across the world like Australia and Canada have a merit-
based immigration system and its introduction in the US would help save millions of dollars
and raise the workers wages and in turn help many struggling families including the
immigrant ones to enter the middle class.
Key Highlights from Trumps address
According to Trump, the current system offers very less wage to the poorest
workers and puts immense pressure on the taxpayers.

Trump believes that a real and positive immigration reform is possible as long as it
focuses on improving job and wage prospects for the Americans to strengthen the
countrys security and restore the respect for laws.

The introduction of the system is expected to bring back millions of jobs, raise
wages and help the unemployed.

www.jagranjosh.com | Economy 70
April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

Trump administration revokes law protecting transgender students

What this means for India


The suggested system could benefit high-tech professionals from India, as Indian IT
professionals account for the largest number of foreign nationals coming to the US
on H-1B visas.

H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows American employers to temporarily


employ foreign workers in occupations that require special expertise.

Besides this, Indians also account for a large number of foreign workers coming to
the US as doctors, scientists, engineers and other high-skilled professionals.

Several technology companies depend on these visas to hire thousands of


employees every year.

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OECD launched Economic Survey of India 2017


The Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) on 28 February 2017
launched the Economic Survey of India 2017 in New
Delhi.

The survey was jointly launched by the OECD


Secretary-General Angel Gurria and Shaktikanta Das,
Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry
of Finance.

Highlights of Economic Survey of India 2017


Economic growth of around 7.5 per cent makes India the fastest-growing G20
economy.

The acceleration of structural reforms, the move towards a rule-based policy


framework and low commodity prices have provided a strong growth impetus.

Investment is still held back by the relatively high corporate income tax rates and a
slow land acquisition process.

The implementation of a goods and services tax (GST), to replace a myriad of


consumption taxes, could be a game-changer over the medium-run.

The GST regime will help make India a common market and promote investment,
productivity and competitiveness.

71 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
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Raise more revenue, especially from property and personal income taxes.

Despite fiscal consolidation at the central government level and strong economic
growth, the government debt to GDP ratio has increased.

Increase public spending on physical and social infrastructure and gradually extend
the subsidy reform to other products, including fertilisers and food.

Job creation in the organised sector has been sluggish. Female participation is low
and many young people are out of work and not in education or training.

Produce timely data on employment to help design better policies.

Poverty in rural areas is high, particularly among marginal farmers and landless
labourers.

Enable reforms in land ownership laws, improve the land registry and step up the
digitisation of land records.

Improve infrastructure to provide non-farm activities greater push both in rural


and urban areas.

Continue efforts to improve access to core public services for all.

Urban population will increase fast. Urban citizens suffer from poor urban
infrastructure, transport congestion and air pollution.

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Suresh Prabhu launched freight sector initiatives


to transform Indian Railways
The Union Government on 2 March 2017 launched four new freight sector initiatives
to increase the profitability of the Indian Railways.

The initiatives were launched by the Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar
Prabhu at the National Rail Museum in New Delhi.

The newly launched freight sector initiatives are -


i. Roll-on-Roll-off (RORO)

ii. Long Term Tariff Contracts and Agreements

iii. Double Stack Dwarf Containers

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iv. Indian Railways Business Plan 2017-18

Salient features of Roll-on-Roll-off (RORO)


In the Railway Budget for 2016-17, Suresh Prabhu announced that an action plan
will be developed and implemented to expand the freight basket through either
containerization or new delivery models.

Roll-on-Roll-off is one such new delivery model which can provide multimodal
transport mix.

RORO services were started on Konkan Railway and then proliferated to ECR and
NFR successfully last year.

Salient features of Long Term Tariff Contracts and Agreements


Under this policy, long term tariff agreements and contracts will be signed by the
Indian Railways with key freight customers using pre-determined price escalation
principle.

The agreements will benefit key industries such as cement, fertilizers and steel.

These contracts and agreements will result in multiple benefits such as stability
and certainty of long term freight rates to the customers, assured supply of
wagons and rakes to the customers through preferential traffic order (PTO) and
incremental guaranteed volume of traffic to the Indian Railways.

Indian Railways launches New Catering Policy 2017

Salient features of Trial Run of Double Stack Dwarf Containers


This measure is a part of the governments intention to expand the freight basket
and recapture the traffic through either containerization or new delivery models.

Double Stack Dwarf Containers are designed with 6 feet 4 inches height to run
under wire for maximum throughput with increased loadability.

This new delivery model is expected to attract additional traffic of around 3 million
tonnes in the initial year.

Railways Ministry inaugurates Antyodaya Express and Humsafar Express

Salient features of Indian Railways Business Plan 2017-18


The plan is a continuation of governments sustained efforts to make the journeys
of passengers more pleasurable and to make Indian Railway's freight business
more responsive to the needs of customers.

73 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
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The plan seeks to revamp railways through partnerships with stakeholders, RORO,
dwarf containers, road-railers and new terminals.

Aadhaar -based ticketing application will be launched by May 2017.

Parcel business will be enhanced through new partnership with the Postal
Department.

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SC appointed SIT detected 70 thousand crore rupees Black Money


Justice (retd) Arijit Pashayat, the Vice-Chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed
Special Investigating Team (SIT) on black money, on 2 March 2017 said so far the amount of
unearthed black money from across the country stands to Rs 70 thousand crore.

This Rs 70000 crore of black money includes more than Rs 16000 crore, which was
detected after a probe was launched into the global leaks about Indians stashing funds
abroad. It was unearthed through different schemes of the government.

SC reconstituted SIT headed by Justice MB Shah to probe into Black Money Cases

Justice Arijit Pashayat gave the information after a high-level meeting of SIT on black
money. The meet was held in Cuttack. In addition to this, he also said that the SIT is hopeful
that the amount will rise substantially in coming days.

Justice Pasayat also informed that the committee will submit its sixth report to the
Apex court in the first week of April 2017.

Highlights of Justice Pasayats information


He said the SIT during the past two years has made several recommendations
through its interim reports to the Apex court for the Central government to check
the generation and tap the black money at the source.

He said, that on the SITs recommendation, the Government has already declared
that cash transaction beyond Rs 3 lakh is to be treated as illegal and punishable.

Justice Shah headed SIT on black money recommends ban on


cash transactions above 3 lakh rupees

The meeting assumes significance as it was held for the first time after demonetisation
undertaken by the Union government.

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About the SIT on Black Money


The SIT on black money was reconstituted by the Supreme Court on 1 May 2014. It
was reconstituted with an aim to provide guidance and direction in investigation of all cases
of black money in the country and abroad. The apex court appointed retired Judge MB Shah
as its Chairman and retired Judge Arijit Pasayat as the Vice Chairman.

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Union Government notified Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of


Liabilities) Act, 2017
The Union Government on 1 March 2017 notified the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation
of Liabilities) Act, 2017. The Act is introduced in the public interest for the cessation of
liabilities on the specified bank notes.

Key highlights of the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Act, 2017
Section 5 of the Act bars any person from knowingly or voluntarily, holding,
transferring or receiving any specified bank note after the expiry of grace period.

However, a person can hold not more than ten notes in total, irrespective of the
denomination. Up to twenty-five notes can be held, if it is for the purposes of
study, research or numismatics.

Section 7 of the Act states that whoever contravenes the provisions of Section 5
shall be punishable with fine, which may extend to ten thousand rupees or five
times the amount of the face value of the specified bank notes involved in the
contravention, whichever is higher.

The Act states that, whoever knowingly and wilfully makes any declaration or
statement specified under Sub-Section (1) of Section 4, which is false in material
particulars, or omits to make a material statement, or makes a statement which he
does not believe to be true, shall be punishable with fine, which may extend to
fifty thousand rupees or five times the amount of the face value of the specified
bank notes tendered, whichever is higher.

Court of a Magistrate of the First Class or the court of a Metropolitan Magistrate


can impose a fine, for contravention of the provisions of this Act.

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75 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

GST Council approved the CGST Bill and IGST Bill


The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on 4 March 2017 approved the draft Central
Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Bill and the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Bill.

With this, the Union Government can now take these two Bills to the Parliament for
their passage in the Budget Session.

Some Provisions of the Bills


A State-wise single registration will be required for a taxpayer for filing returns,
paying taxes and to fulfil other compliance requirements.

A taxpayer needs to file one single return state-wise to report all his supplies,
whether made within or outside the State or exported out of the country and
pay the applicable taxes on them.

A business entity with an annual turnover of up to Rs 20 lakhs will not be


required to take registration in the GST regime, unless he voluntarily chooses to
do so to be a part of the input tax credit (ITC) chain.

A business entity with turnover up to Rs 50 lakhs can avail the benefit of a


composition scheme under which a much lower rate of tax will be paid.

In order to prevent cascading of taxes, ITC would be admissible on all goods and
services used in the course or furtherance of business, except on a few items
listed in the Law.

In the Services sector, the existing mechanism of Input Service Distributor (ISD)
under the Service Tax law is retained to allow the flow of ITC in respect of input
services within a legal entity.

To prevent lock-in of capital of exporters, a provision has been made to refund


within seven days of filing the application for refund by an exporter.

An agriculturist, to the extent of supply of produce out of cultivation of land, will


not be liable to take registration in the GST regime.

In order to provide certainty in tax matters, a provision has been made for an
Advance Ruling Authority.

Exhaustive provisions for Appellate mechanism have been made.

An anti-profiteering provision has been incorporated to ensure that the


reduction of tax incidence is passed on to the consumers.

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India's accession to the Customs Convention on International


Transport of Goods approved
The Union Cabinet on 6 March 2017 gave its approval for India's accession to the
Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets (TIR
Convention).

The approval was given at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

How accession to the Convention will benefit India?


By joining the Convention, the need for inspection of goods at intermediate
borders as well as physical escorts en route shall be obviated due to reciprocal
recognition of Customs controls.

Indian traders will have access to fast, easy, reliable and hassle free international
system for movement of goods by road or multi-modal means across the
territories of other contracting parties.

Customs clearance can take place at internal Customs locations, thereby avoiding
clearances at border crossing points and ports that may often be congested.

India, Portugal MoU on renewable energy approved

Movement under the TIR can be allowed by checking only the seals and the
external conditions of the load compartment or the container.

This procedure will reduce border delays, transport and transaction costs, thereby
leading to increased competitiveness and growth of the trade and transport
sectors.

Compliance with the Convention shall ensure enhanced security in the supply
chain as only approved transporters and vehicles are allowed to operate in terms
of the Convention.

As the TIR Carnet represents a guarantee for Customs duties and taxes and traffic
in transit, there is no need for payment of such taxes and duties en route.

The TIR carnet also serves as a Customs declaration, and hence it precludes the
need to file multiple declarations satisfying national laws of the different transiting
countries.

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77 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

Cabinet approved development of 50 un-served


and under-served airstrips
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affair (CCEA) on 6 March 2017 approved the
proposal for revival of 50 un-served airports and airstrips of the state governments, Airports
Authority of India and Civil enclaves.

These 50 airports and airstrips will be revived in three financial years starting from
2017-18. The total cost of the project is estimated to be 4500 crore rupees.

The approval was granted at the CCEA meet held in New Delhi under the chairmanship
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union Government launched UDAN for Regional Air Connectivity

Details of revival in accordance to different financial years


Revival in the financial year 2017-18: 15 airports and airstrips each would be
revived

Revival in the financial year 2018-19: 15 airports and airstrips each would be
revived

Revival in the financial year 2019-20: 20 airports and airstrips each would be
revived

Outcome of the approval


This approval will help in connecting small cities and towns with flights. This could
be achieved by commencing operation of flights to these under-served and un-
served airports.

It will help in bring the economic development on these areas as well as


surrounding areas, as it will help in job creations and development of related
infrastructure.

The revival of airstrips and airports will be demand driven, depending upon the
firm commitment from airline operators as well as from the State Governments for
providing various concessions as Airports will be developed without insisting on
financial viability.

Background
The plan of the revival of the under-served and un-served airports from across the
nation was announced by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Union Budget 2016-17.

www.jagranjosh.com | Economy 78
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Union Budget 2017-18, Economic Survey 2016-17


and State Budgets 2017-18

Earlier in 2016, the Union Government unveiled its ambitious regional connectivity
scheme, UDAN ('Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik'). The scheme was announced to make flying
more affordable by capping the fares at Rs 2500 for one-hour flights.

Is this article important for exams ? Yes

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Trade Mark Rules 2017 came into effect on 6 March


The Trade Mark Rules, 2017 came into effect on 6 March 2017. This
newly notified trade mark rules will replace the erstwhile Trade Mark Rules,
2002 and streamline and simplify the processing of Trade Mark applications.

The best part of the revamped trade mark rules is that the number of Trade Mark
(TM) forms has been brought down to eight from existing 74. Commerce and Industry
Ministry said, the fee for online filing has been kept at 10 per cent lower than that for
physical filing, this will help the government to promote e-filing of trade mark applications.

Highlights of the Trade Mark Rules, 2017


The fees for individuals, start-ups and small enterprises were reduced to Rs 4500
for e-filing of trade mark applications. Under the proposed draft rules, the fee for
application was kept at Rs 8000.

The number of adjournments in opposition proceedings has been restricted to a


maximum of two by each party, which will help dispose-off the matters in time.

The procedures relating to registration as registered user of trademarks have also


been simplified.

It is the first time when the modalities for determination of well-known


trademarks were laid out.

The provisions in relation to the expedited processing of the application for


registration of a trade mark were extended to registration stage (hitherto, it was
only up to examination stage).

Overall fees were rationalised by reducing the number of entries in Schedule I to


23 from 88.

79 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
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The modalities for service of documents from applicants to the registry and vice-
versa through electronic means have been introduced; this will help in expediting
the process.

E-mail has been made an essential part of the address for service to be provided
by the applicant or any party to the proceedings so that the office communication
may be sent through email.

It introduces the process of hearing through video conferencing.

Earlier in January 2017, the examination time for the TM application was brought
down to 1 month from the previous time period of 13 months. TM filings went up by 35 per
cent in 2015-16 vis a vis the previous year.

It is expected that the new rules will give a boost to the Intellectual Property Regime
in India.

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Funds transferred from Provident Fund to National Pension System


not taxable PFRDA
The Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) on 7 March 2017
unveiled certain rules for transfer of funds from recognised provident and superannuation
funds to the National Pension System (NPS).

The regulator mentioned that as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961, the
amount transferred from recognised provident or superannuation fund to NPS was not
treated as income for the current year and hence it is not taxable.

Key Highlights
As per the rules, funds transferred from Provident Fund to the National Pension
System will not be taxable.

The transferred recognised provident fund or the superannuation fund will not be
treated as contribution of the current year by employee or employer and
accordingly the subscriber cannot make income tax claim of contribution for this
transferred amount.

Any subscriber interested in such a transfer should have an active NPS Tier I
account.

The NPS Tier I account can be opened either through the employer (where NPS is
implemented) or through the points-of-presence (POPs) or online through eNPS on
the NPS Trust website.

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The subscriber should approach the recognised provident or superannuation fund


trust through the current employer requesting transfer to the NPS account.

The recognised provident fund or the superannuation fund trust may then initiate
transfer of the fund as per the provisions of the trust deed read with the
provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

In case of a government or private sector employee, the employee should request


the recognised provident or superannuation fund to issue a letter to his present
employer mentioning that the amount was being transferred from the recognised
fund to the NPS Tier I account of the employee.

The return on NPS for central government employees for one year comes out to be
15.9 per cent while for five years it stands at 11 per cent.

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China overtook Euro-zone as worlds biggest bank system


A new analysis by the Financial Times shows that the banking system of China has
overtaken the eurozone to become the worlds biggest by assets. The analysis indicates
Chinas increasing global influence and its reliance on growth driven by debt.

Key highlights of the analysis


Chinas GDP surpassed that of the European Unions in 2011 at market exchange
rates. However, its banking system did not take over the top spot until the end of
2016.

That lag was stimulated by an extraordinary increase in bank lending since 2008
when the Chinese government unleashed aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus
to soften the impact of the global crisis.

Data show that Chinese bank assets hit USD 33 trillion at the end of 2016, versus
USD 31 trillion for the eurozone.

Also, the value of Chinas banking system is more than 3.1 times the size of the
countrys annual economic output, while it is 2.8 times for the eurozone and its
banks.

It was also noted that, unlike in developed markets, Chinese local governments
have relied heavily on bank loans to finance infrastructure.

81 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
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Banking in China
China's banking system has
undergone significant changes
in the last 20 years.

China's banking industry has


remained in the government's
hands even though banks have
gained more autonomy.

In 1995, the Government of China introduced the Commercial Bank Law to


commercialize the operations of the four state-owned banks. These "big four"
state-owned commercial banks are: the Bank of China, the China Construction
Bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and the Agricultural Bank of
China.

The central bank of China is the People's Bank of China, which formulates and
implements monetary policy.

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IDFC Bank launches Aadhaar Payment App


IDFC Bank on 8 March 2017 launched biometric-based Aadhaar Pay App, Indias first
Aadhaar-linked application that uses shopkeeper's Android smartphone to enable cashless
payments.

The app can be download only by the link sent to the merchants mobile number after e-KYC
verification of merchants account number. To get the app, the merchants are required to
visit the nearest branch of IDFC bank.

Aadhar Pay App was developed by the IDFC Bank along with UIDAI and National
Payments Corporation of India.

How Aadhar Payment App will Work?


Merchants will be required to download the Aadhar Pay payment app on their
android smartphone connected to a biometric reader which costs Rs 2000.

While, a customer, who wants to make payment, just needs to enter his Aadhar
Number in the app of the merchant and select the bank from which the payment is
to be made and use the biometric scan as the password for the transaction.

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Upon entering the Aadhar Number, the app will automatically fetch the bank
accounts linked with your Aadhar number.

Customers will not require any app or password to pay to merchants against any
purchase.

However, only the bank account holders whose Aadhar number is linked with their
bank account will be eligible to make payments through Aadhar Pay Payment app.

The merchants will be required to connect their bank accounts and register
themselves on the app.

Comment
The IDFC Aadhar Pay App will help eliminate the long waiting period and hassle of
getting a new PoS (Point of Sale) machine. Presently, there are only 15 lakh PoS machines
deployed by the banks across the country. SBI alone has deployed over 3 lakh PoS followed
by HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank.

Customers will not be required to carry debit or credit cards, download mobile
applications or even carry a mobile to make cashless transactions through this app. This
simply eliminates the hassles of remembering passwords, account numbers or setting up
virtual payment addresses to transfer money.

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EPFO extended Digital Life Certificate submission through Jeevan


Pramaan Patra by March 31
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, the retirement fund body of India, in
March 2017 extended the last date for submission of digital life certificate through Jeevan
Pramaan Patra (JPP) up to 31 March 2017 under Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS).

Earlier the last date was 28th February 2017. An official release said, members and
pensioners of the EPS are required to furnish Aadhaar number by the end of March 2017.

Union Government released 2000 crore rupees to


EPS-95 as contribution for 2015-16

The date of submission of the Aadhaarauthenticated Jeevan Pramaan as life


certificate was extended as several pensioners failed to submit their life certificates for the
continuation of drawal of their pension.

83 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
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An official release said, members and pensioners of the EPS are required to furnish
Aadhaar number by the end of this month.

Highlights of the notification


It said, in case a member has not been allotted Aadhaar number, a copy of
Aadhaar enrolment ID slip is sufficient for settlement of the claim under EPS.

EPFO introduces single page composite claim form


for withdrawing money

It said Aadhaar number is not required in case a member of pension scheme


having less than 10 years of service chooses to withdraw by making an application.

Jeevan Pramaan- an Aadhar based Digital Life Certificate for pensioners

The Aadhaar-based digital life certificate named Jeevan Pramaan was launched for
pensioners in November 2014. This certificate was launched with an aim to help crore of
pensioners in getting the benefits of pension by producing life certificates each year in a
digital instead of the physical life certificate.

EPFO launches Employees Enrolment Campaign 2017

Before the launch of this digital life certificate, the pensioners were supposed to
present themselves before the Pension Disbursing Agency or used to submit a Life
Certificate issued by authorities specified by the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO).

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CCEA approved setting up of 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas


The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, on 15 March 2017 approved the proposal for setting up around 50 new
Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) under Civil or Defence Sector in the country.
The total project cost for the proposed 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas is Rs 1160 crore
based on Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) norms.

Key Highlights
New KVs will be opened from classes I to V for which 650 regular posts shall be
created in all 50 Kendriya Vidyalayas.

When the school will grow up to class XII and becomes a full-fledged school with
two sections in each class, then about 4000 regular posts of various categories will
be created including 2900 teaching posts and about 1100 non-teaching posts.

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When fully functional, these new KVs will provide quality education to
approximately 50000 students in addition to the approximately 12 lakh students
that are already studying in present KVs.

The new KVs will address the educational needs of eligible students with high
quality standards and will play a role of pace-setting educational institutions in the
districts concerned.

Background
The Kendriya Vidyalayas are considered as model schools in the country in terms
of physical infrastructure, teaching resources, curriculum and academic
performance.

The main objective of KVs is to cater to the educational needs of children of


transferable Central Government employees including Defence and Para-military
personnel.

These schools have consistently shown their excellent academic performance as


evident from the Board Results of Class X and XII exams conducted by the Central
Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

At present, there are over 1100 functional Kendriya Vidyalayas including three
international branches at Moscow, Kathmandu and Tehran.

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Sale of 24% equity in Lubrizol India by Indian Oil to Lubrizol


Corporation, USA approved
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its approval to permit Indian
Oil Corporation Limited (IndianOil) to sell its 24 per cent equity in M/s Lubrizol India Private
Limited (LIPL) to Lubrizol Corporation, USA (LC).
The approval was given at a meeting of the CCEA chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on 15 March 2017 in New Delhi.
The sale will enable the IndianOil to have a long term association with the Lubrizol
Corporation.
Twenty projects approved for implementation of Namami Gange Programme in
Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Delhi

About Indian Oil Corporation Ltd


Indian Oil Corporation (IndianOil) is India's largest commercial enterprise, with a
sales turnover of Rs 3,99,601 crore (USD 61 billion) and profits of Rs 10,399 crore
(USD 1,589 million) for the year 2015-16.

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As India's flagship national oil company, with a 33,000-strong work-force currently,


IndianOil has been meeting Indias energy demands for over half a century.

Its business interests involve the entire hydrocarbon value-chain including refining,
pipeline transportation, marketing of petroleum products, exploration and
production of crude oil and gas and marketing of natural gas and petrochemicals.

The company accounts for nearly half of India's petroleum products market share
and 35 per cent of the national refining capacity.

Having set up subsidiaries in Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the UAE, the corporation is
simultaneously scouting for new business opportunities in the energy markets of
Asia and Africa.

It has also formed about 20 joint ventures, including Lubrizol India Private Limited
(LIPL), with reputed business partners from India and abroad to pursue diverse
business interests.

The LIPL was formed a joint venture between the IndianOil and the Lubrizol
Corporation.

Union Cabinet approves special assistance measure


for Andhra Pradesh

About Lubrizol Corporation


It is a market leader in the specialty chemicals industry.

It manufactures products like additives for engine oils and other transportation-
related fluids, additives for industrial lubricants and additives for gasoline and
diesel fuel.

Lubrizol also makes ingredients and additives for personal care products,
pharmaceuticals and medical devices and specialty materials.

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World Bank Board approved USD 175 million National Hydrology


Project of India
The World Bank Board on 16 March 2017 approved the USD 175 million National
Hydrology Project to strengthen capacity of institutions to assess water situation in their
regions.

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This loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) of World
Bank will have a 6-year grace period and a maturity of 23 years.
The project is aimed at assisting the institutions in reducing the vulnerability to
recurring flood and droughts.

Highlights of the National Hydrology Project


The National Hydrology Project will scale up the successes achieved under
Hydrology Project-I and Hydrology Project-II to cover the entire country including
the states of Ganga and Brahmaputra-Barak basins.

For the first time, under HP-I and HP-II, real-time flood forecast systems integrated
with weather forecast in Krishna and Satluj-Beas river systems will give reservoir
managers an accurate picture of the water situation in their region.

Apart from benefitting the states in further upgrading and completing their
monitoring networks, it will also help new states to better manage water flows
from the reservoirs.

National Flood Forecasting Systems with an advance warning system and reservoir
operation systems as well as water resources accounting in river basins will be
included under the project.

It will have the potential to help communities to build resilience against possible
uncertainties of climate change.

It will also help the states to monitor all the important aspects of the hydro-
meteorological cycle and adopt the procedures to measure how much rain or
snow has fallen right in the catchments of rivers, how much silt has built up, and
how much water will reach the reservoir.

Sensors in the field will instantly transmit this information to data centres through
satellite or mobile phone technology to form a clear picture of the water situation
unfolding in the region.

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Union Cabinet approved four GST related Bills


The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, on 20 March 2017 approved the following four
GST related bills -
i. The Central Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The CGST
Bill)

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ii. The Integrated Goods and Services


Tax Bill 2017 (The IGST Bill)
iii. The Union Territory Goods and
Services Tax Bill 2017 (The UTGST Bill)
iv. The Goods and Services Tax
(Compensation to the States) Bill 2017 (The
Compensation Bill)

Features of the bills


The CGST Bill makes provisions for
levy and collection of tax on intra-
state supply of goods and services by the Union Government.

On the other hand, IGST Bill makes provisions for levy and collection of tax on
inter-state supply of goods or services or both by the Union Government.

The UTGST Bill makes provisions for levy on collection of tax on intra-UT supply of
goods and services in the Union Territories without legislature.

Union Territory GST is akin to States Goods and Services Tax (SGST), which shall be
levied and collected by the States and Union Territories on intra-state supply of
goods or services or both.

Understanding GST & Its Implications

The Compensation Bill provides for compensation to the states for loss of revenue
arising on account of implementation of the goods and services tax for a period of
five years as per section 18 of the Constitution (One Hundred and First
Amendment) Act, 2016.

All the above four bills were approved by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council
after thorough and clause by clause discussion in the last six months.

What is GST Council?


The Parliament gave its approval to the Constitution (One Hundred and First
Amendment) Act, 2016 in September 2016.

The Act, amended various provisions of the constitution in order to pave the way
for the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) across the country.

As per Article 279A (1) of the amended Constitution, the GST Council has to be
constituted by the President within 60 days of the commencement of Article 279A.

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Consequently, a notification was issued on 10 September 2016 regarding the


formation of the GST Council.

The Council is the apex body that takes decisions on all important decisions related
to the GST, including items and rates.

The Union Finance Minister is the Chairperson of the council.

The Union Minister of State, in-charge of the Revenue in the Finance Ministry, and
the Minister in-charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by
each State Government are the members of the council.

As per the previous decision of the council, the GST will be rolled out on 1 July
2017.

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Bharatiya Mahila Bank to be merged with State Bank of India


Union Government has
decided to merge the Bharatiya
Mahila Bank (BMB) with the State
Bank of India (SBI). The three-year-
old BMB will be merged with SBI to
provide better banking services to a
larger number of women, at a faster
pace.
An official statements said,
The objectives of affordable credit
to women as well as propagation of
women-centric products need to be
quickly achieved through a wider
network and lower cost of funds.

Branches of SBBJ, SBH, SBM, SBP and SBT to operate as branches of


SBI from April 1, 2017
The decision to merge the BMB with SBI was taken with view of the advantage of the
large network of SBI among other things.

SBI and its women connect


SBI has a large outreach of more than 20000 branches and operates with a workforce
of around 2 lakh employees of which around 22% are women. SBI group already has 126
exclusive all-women branches across the country while BMB has only seven.

89 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
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SBI board approved merger of 5 associate banks, BMB with itself

Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB)


Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) was established as an Indian financial services banking
on 19 November 2013, on the occasion of the 96th birth anniversary of former Indian Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi. The company is based in Mumbai, India.
In the three years since established, BMB has extended loans of Rs 192 crores to
women borrowers, while the SBI group has provided loans of about Rs.46000 crore to
women borrowers.
India is the third country in the world to have a bank especially for women, after
Pakistan and Tanzania.

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Branches of SBBJ, SBH, SBM, SBP and SBT to operate


as branches of SBI from April 1, 2017
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its release on 20 March 2017 said, All branches of
State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of
Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) and State Bank of Travancore (SBT) will function
as branches of State Bank of India from 1 April 2017.
The release said that customers including depositors of all these associate banks will
be treated as customers of the State Bank of the India from 1 April 2017.

Union Cabinet approves merger of 5 associate banks with SBI


Earlier in February 2017, the proposed merger of the five subsidiaries of the State
Bank of India (SBI) with the bank was approved by the Union Cabinet. For this purpose, the
union government also issued acquisition orders of these banks. The acquisition orders for
these banks were

Acquisition of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur Order 2017

Acquisition of State Bank of Travancore Order 2017

Acquisition of State Bank of Patiala Order 2017

Acquisition of State Bank of Hyderabad Order 2017

Acquisition of State Bank of Mysore Order 2017


The orders dated 22 February 2017 issued by the Union Government were published
under Extraordinary Part II-Section 3-Sub-section (i) in the Gazette of India sanctioning the
Acquisition of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of
Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore by State Bank of India in terms
of sub-section (2) of Section 35 of the State Bank of India Act, 1955 (23 of 1955).

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SBI board approved merger of 5 associate banks, BMB with itself

Effects of the merger


With this merger, SBI will turn up to be a lender of global proportions.

Its asset base after the merger with its associate banks will be about Rs 37 lakh
crore (about Rs 37 trillion or USD 555 billion).

It will have 22500 branches and 58000 ATMs across India and the world.

This number of branches and ATMs will help the bank in handling its customer
base which will be more than 50 crores in numbers.

Post merger, the employees of all associate banks, with exceptions, will become
employees of SBI. Exceptions will be of the board of directors and executive
trustees of the associate banks.

Competition Commission of India approves merger of


Bharatiya Mahila Bank with SBI

At present, SBI has about 20000 branches of which 191 are foreign offices across 36
countries. Of the five subsidiary banks, only SBBJ, SBM and SBT are listed.
Besides, the union government on the day of RBIs notification announced that the
Bharatiya Mahila Bank will also be merged with SBI.

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91 Economy | www.jagranjosh.com
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REPORT | SURVEY
Digital payments industry to hit USD500
billion by 2020: Google-BCG study
The Digital Payments 2020 report said that digital
payment industry in India is expected to reach USD 500
billion by 2020. The USD 500 billion accounts for about 15
per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

The report was jointly published by Google and


Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The report says that by 2020, over 50 per cent of


Internet users in the country will be using the mode of
payment.
India ranks 143rd in 2017 Index of Economic
Freedom

Digital Payments 2020 estimates


The report projects that the non-cash contribution in the consumer payments
segment will double to 40 per cent.

The estimates say digital technology in India will influence up to 45 per cent of all
retail sales by 2025.

It says that the non-cash transactions will exceed cash transactions by 2023.

It says that the about 81 per cent of the existing users of the digital payments
prefer it over other methods of non-cash payments.

IT highlights that the 90 per cent Indian consumers will be using digital payment
mode for both online as well as offline points of sale in fields.

It says that over 60 per cent of digital payment value will be contributed by offline
points like unorganised eateries, transport and retail among others.

Three activities where digital payment is used in excessive at present include


payment of utility bills, online shopping and buying movie tickets.
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2016) released

Besides, the report counts on union governments plan to develop 100 smart cities
across India as well as Digital India. Digital India aims at increasing the optical fibre network
to thousands of villages where two-third of the population lives. In addition, the report also

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

appreciates the country for the use of mobile and digital technologies for creating educated
as well as digitally literate user base.

About Digital Payments 2020 report


The Google-BCG study report provides a comprehensive overview on the ongoing
transformation in digital payments in India. It also talks about its impact on the overall
payment landscape of the country. The report is based on Nielsens qualitative and
quantitative research with over 3500 respondents (digital consumers: 1,516, remittance
users: 917 and merchants: 917), combined with BCG and Googles industry intelligence.

Report Methodology
The report was prepared on the basis of a qualitative and quantitative research
executed by Nielsen. The insights of the research were combined with Google and BCGs
industry intelligence as well as BCGs proprietary sizing model.

To conduct the research, Nielsen conducted 14 group discussions as well as 26 in-


depth interviews for users and merchants. These inputs were used in making a
comprehensive merchant and consumer quantitative survey.

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Governments National Family Health Survey-4 shows improved sex


ratio and decline in IMR
Union Health Ministry on 28 February 2017 unveiled the National Family Health
Survey-4 (NFHS-4) in New Delhi. The survey conducted for the year 2015-16 says that India's
health index has made a notable improvement over the last decade.

The survey is based on information collected from 6 lakh households, 1.3 lakh men
and 7 lakh women. This is the first time that the data is providing district level estimates.

The report suggests that there has been a decline in the infant mortality and
improvement was visible in the sex ratio with more institutional deliveries and wider
vaccine coverage. The survey also says Children within the age of 12-23 months have been
fully immunised (BCG, measles and 3 doses each of polio).

India ranks 143rd in 2017 Index of Economic Freedom

This immunisation coverage has increased by 29 percentage points in Bihar, Punjab


and Meghalaya, while it saw an increase by 28 percentage points in Rajasthan, Uttar
Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The DPT has increased by 18 percentage points from
44 per cent in NFHS-3 to 62 per cent in NFHS-4.

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Highlights of the National Family Health Survey-4


Sex Ratio at birth: It improved from 912 to 919 females per 1000 males at the
national level over the last decade. Kerala that has the highest sex ratio of at 1047 is
followed by Meghalaya at 1009. Haryana also witnessed a significant increase from 762 to
836.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): It declined to 41 per 1000 from 51 per 1000 live births
between NFHS-3 which was conducted in 2005-06. The report says that the IMR declined by
more than 20 percentage points in West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan and
Arunachal Pradesh. IMR during the NFHS-1 (1992-93) was recorded as 79 per 1000 live
births.

Institutional Births: It increased by 40 percentage points from 38.7 per cent in


NFHS-3 to 78.9 per cent in NFHS-4. It seems that the institutional births have dramatically
increased due to the targeted approach through Janani Suraksha Yojana.

Digital payments industry to hit USD500 billion by


2020: Google-BCG study

Total Fertility Rate: Total Fertility Rate also declined to 2.2 children per woman from
2.7 in NFHS-3 with considerable decline in the TFR in each of the 30 states with the
maximum decline observed in Uttar Pradesh at 1.1 child followed by Nagaland at 1.0 child,
Bihar, however, failed to register substantial decline. Bihar, however, failed to register
substantial decline.

Underweight children: It saw a decline in percentage by 7 percentage points.

Anemia: It saw a substantial decline among children aged 6 to 59 months as it


declined to 58 per cent in NFHS-4 from 69 per cent of NFHS-3. Maximum decrease was seen
in Assam (34 percentage points), Chhattisgarh (30 percentage points), Mizoram (26
percentage points) and Odisha (20 percentage points).

Contraceptive prevalence rate: it increased by 7 percentage points to 54 per cent in


NFHS-4 among the newly married women. Its rate in previous NFHSs was 41 per cent in
NFHS-1, 48 per cent in NFHS-2, 46 per cent in NFHS-3 (contraceptive prevalence rate
decreased by 2 percentage points from NFHS-3).

Mt Everest to be remeasured by Survey of India

Besides, the supplementary nutrition and efforts at the health facilities have helped in
decreasing the cases of malnutrition. Mortality due to malnutrition has also seen the same
trend.

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Annual Survey of Indias City Systems 2016 released


The Janaagraha Centre for
Citizenship and Democracy, a non-
profit organization, on 28 February
2017 released the Annual Survey of
Indias City Systems (ASICS) 2016 in
New Delhi.

The survey was published by


the organization with the theme
Shaping Indias Urban Agenda.

The ASICS 2016 evaluated 21 cities in 18 States across India and objectively assessed
their ability to provide citizens a high quality of life.

Highlights of ASICS 2016


Indias cities scored between 2.1 and 4.4 out of a total of 10. Thiruvananthapuram
city retained its number one position in 2016.

Pune came in at second, up two ranks over 2015 and Kolkata, third, same as 2015.

The biggest gainer is Bhubaneswar. It was up by eight ranks and stood at the 10th
position.

This was on the back of a slew of reforms such as instituting municipal cadres,
tiered spatial planning even at the ward level and a single window clearance
process for development projects in conformity with plans.

Jaipur benefited from the passage of the Rajasthan Urban Land (Certification of
Titles) Bill that enabled better urban land utilization.

As per the ASICS 2016, Chennai lost points as it turned back to the system of
having indirect mayoral elections.

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45% of country's bird species in Himachal Pradesh:


Great Backyard Bird Count
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2017 report,
which is under preparation, claims that nearly 45 per cent
of the 1263 species available in India are found in Himachal
Pradesh.

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The state forest department of Himachal Pradesh was one of the participants of the
four-day long event. Himachal Forest Department has been participating in the eBird event
the since 2013.

Highlights of the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2017 report


As per available eBird data, in total 564 bird species were reported from Himachal
Pradesh.

These 564 species is nearly 45 per cent of the 1263 species found in whole
country.

Till date, 2833 bird check lists have been uploaded to e-Bird from all districts of
Himachal Pradesh with highest number of 453 bird species reported from the
Kangra district only.

The data was contributed by nearly 50 bird watchers including staff of the
Himachal Forest Department and volunteers.

Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2017 event


Great Backyard Bird Count is the first online citizen-science project that was launched
in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society to collect data on
wild birds and to display results in near real-time. The event is annually organised for four
days in the month of February. It is organised to create an annual snapshot of the
distribution and abundance of birds.

GBBC 2017 engaged bird watchers from the general public in the counting of birds.
The event/initiative that ran from 17 February to 20 February 2017 was headed by SK
Sharma, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Wildlife.

The event was coordinated by the bird count India partnership, a coming-together of a
number of Indian groups and organisation that are interested in birds, nature and
conservation. A detailed report is in preparation and will be published shortly.

eBird is a website for recording and maintaining the bird sighting data and is based at
the Cornell University s Laboratory of Ornithology.

The next GBBC will be conducted from 16 February to 19 February 2018.

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Environmental pollution kills 1.7 million children each year: WHO


The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 6 March 2017 announced that more than 1
in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to unhealthy environments.

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The revelations were made by


the agency in its two new reports,
titled Inheriting a Sustainable World:
Atlas on Childrens Health and the
Environment and Don't pollute my
future! The impact of the environment
on children's health.

The WHO went on to state that


indoor and outdoor air pollution,
unsafe water, lack of sanitation,
second-hand smoke and inadequate
hygiene take the lives of 1.7 million
children under 5 years.

Key highlights
Diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia are the most common causes of death among
children aged 1 month to 5 years. The reports state that these causes are
preventable access to safe water and clean cooking fuels.

Infants and pre-schoolers have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood, and a


lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, when they
are exposed to indoor and outdoor air pollution and second-hand smoke.

Every year, 570000 children under 5 years die from respiratory infections
attributable to indoor and outdoor air pollution and second-hand smoke.

Each year, 270000 children die during their first month of life from conditions,
including prematurity. These conditions can be easily prevented through
sanitation, hygiene in health facilities, access to clean water and reducing air
pollution.

Malaria is responsible for 200000 deaths of children under 5 years annually. These
deaths could be prevented through environmental actions, like reducing breeding
sites of mosquitoes or covering drinking-water storage.

Every year, 361000 children under 5 years die due to diarrhoea, as a result of poor
access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.

200000 children under 5 years die each year from unintentional injuries
attributable to the environment, such as poisoning, falls and drowning.

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Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

Mercer released 2017 Quality of Living Survey


Mercer on 14 March 2017 released the
results of the 19th annual Quality of Living
Survey. In the survey, while Vienna occupies
the first place for overall quality of living for
the 8th year running, Hyderabad was
adjudged as the best Indian city in terms of
living standards.

Highlights of 2017 Quality of Living


Survey
The European cities that figured in the top 10 list are Zurich (2), Munich (4),
Dusseldorf (6), Frankfurt (7), Geneva (8), Copenhagen (9) and Basel, a newcomer
to the list, in 10th place.

The only non-European cities in the top ten are Auckland (New Zealand) and
Vancouver (Canada). They were placed at the 3rd and 5th position respectively.

The survey also includes a city infrastructure ranking that assesses each citys
supply of electricity, drinking water, telephone and mail services.

Singapore tops the city infrastructure ranking, followed by Frankfurt and Munich.
Baghdad (230) and Port au Prince (231) rank last for city infrastructure.

In the infrastructure rankings, Mumbai was ranked the highest at 141, which was
followed by Kolkata (149) and Pune (151).

About Mercer
Mercer is a global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement and investments.

Mercer helps clients around the world advance the health, wealth and careers of
their most vital asset their people.

Mercers more than 20,000 employees are based in 43 countries and the firm
operates in over 140 countries.

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UN launches Women in Politics Map 2017;


India placed at 148th number
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women on 15 March 2017 launched the
Women in Politics Map 2017.

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The rankings showed that the number of women Heads of State or Heads of
Government fell from 19 to 17 since 2015, and progress in the number of women in
parliament continues to be slow.

The report was launched on the sidelines of the 61st Commission on the Status of
Women, known as the largest inter-governmental forum on women's rights and gender
equality. For 2017, the theme is on women's economic empowerment in the changing world
of work.

Top 10 countries with highest women in parliament


Rank Country Percentage Percentage
of women in Lower House of women in Upper
House
1 Rwanda 61.3 38.5
2 Bolivia 53.1 47.2
3 Cuba 48.9 -
4 Iceland 47.6 -
5 Nicaragua 45.7 -
6 Sweden 43.6 -
7 Senegal 42.7 -
8 Mexico 42.6 36.7
9 Finland 42.0 -
9 South Africa 42.0 35.2

India in the report


The world ranking of the number of women parliamentarians placed India at
number 148.

As per the report, women made up 11.8% of the Lok Sabha where 64 were elected
to the 542-member house and 11% of the Rajya Sabha with 27 of the 245
members.

India ranked 88 in the number of women Ministers with five or 18.5 per cent in the
cabinet. However, women hold important positions. For instance, Sumitra
Mahajan is the Speaker and Sushma Swaraj is the Union External Affairs Minister.

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Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

Norway ranked 1 in World Happiness Report, India slips to 122


Norway beat its close competitors, Denmark and
Iceland to clinch the 1st place in the World Happiness Report
2017. The country was ranked fourth in 2016s report.

The top five in the list included Norway at rank 1


followed by Denmark at rank 2, Iceland at 3 and Switzerland
and Finland at rank 4 and 5 respectively. All the top
countries ranked highly on the main factors that are found
to support happiness like caring, freedom, generosity,
honesty, health, good governance and income.

The averages of the top countries are so close that


small changes can cause the rankings to change every year.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2017 observed globally

Union Government designated 14 Olympians as National Observers

Key Highlights
Norway was ranked one in spite of
the weakening of oil prices.

The top ten was rounded up with


Netherlands at the 6th position,
Canada at 7, New Zealand at 8 and
Australia and Sweden at 9 and 10
positions respectively.

All the countries in the top ten were found to have high values in all six key
variables used to define happiness differences among countries including income,
freedom, life expectancy, generosity, social support and the absence of corruption
in business and government.

Though money is not the only measure to define happiness, all the countries
featured in the top 10 are affluent and developed.

The differences in happiness levels in the wealthier countries, in fact, had a lot to
do with differences in physical and mental health and personal relationships.

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The countries that ranked the lowest on the list include Rwanda at 151, Syria at
152, Tanzania at 153, Burundi at 154 and the Central African Republic at 155.

Following is the list of top 20 and bottom 20 nations in the


World Happiness Report:
Happiest countries Least Happy countries
1. Norway (7.537) 136. Malawi (3.970)
2. Denmark (7.522) 137. Chad (3.936)
3. Iceland (7.504) 138. Zimbabwe (3.875)
4. Switzerland (7.494) 139. Lesotho (3.808)
5. Finland (7.469) 140. Angola (3.795)
6. Netherlands (7.377) 141. Afghanistan (3.794)
7. Canada (7.316) 142. Botswana (3.766)
8. New Zealand (7.314) 143. Benin (3.657)
9. Australia (7.284) 144. Madagascar (3.644)
10. Sweden (7.284) 145. Haiti (3.603)
11. Israel (7.213) 146. Yemen (3.593)
12. Costa Rica (7.079) 147. South Sudan (3.591)
13. Austria (7.006) 148. Liberia (3.533)
14. United States (6.993) 149. Guinea (3.507)
15. Ireland (6.977) 150. Togo (3.495)
16. Germany (6.951) 151. Rwanda (3.471)
17. Belgium (6.891) 152. Syria (3.462)
18 Luxembourg (6.863) 153. Tanzania (3.349)
19. United Kingdom (6.714) 154. Burundi (2.905)
20. Chile (6.652) 155. Central African Republic (2.693)

Indias rank lower than its SAARC contemporaries


India was ranked 122 in the happiness report, much behind most of the SAARC
nations including Pakistan and Nepal. Indias rank was even lower than its previous
rank of 118 in 2016.

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While Pakistan was ranked 80, Nepal stood at 99, Bhutan at 97, Bangladesh at 110
and Sri Lanka at 120.

Maldives didnt figure at all in the list and only the war-torn Afghanistan was
ranked lower than India at 141.

Another Indias neighbour, China, which has shown tremendous growth in its
economy lately, featured very low on the list at 79. The report reveals that people
in China are not any happier than they were 25 years ago.

The United States also slipped to number 14 due to factors like less social support
and increasing corruption rate.

The World Happiness report was released by the United Nations at an event on 20
March 2017, celebrating the International Day of Happiness. It is the fifth such report since
the release of the first one in 2012.

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Forbes World's Billionaires List 2017 released:


Bill Gates tops the list
Forbes on 20 March 2017 released
The World's Billionaires List 2017. It was
the first time ever that Forbes pinned
down more than 2000 ten-figure-
fortunes of the billionaires. The total net
worth of these billionaires rose by 18
per cent to USD 7.67 trillion.

This year's list marks the record


for the richest people on earth as the number of billionaires jumped 13 per cent to 2043
from 1810 last year. This change in the number of billionaires is the biggest in the 31 years
that Forbes has been tracking billionaires globally.

The top three in the list are Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos.

Forbes releases Sixth Annual List of The World's Most


Innovative Companies 2016

Highlights of the World's Billionaires List 2017


Bill Gates topped the list with fortune of USD 86 billion. He is not only the Number
1 in the list for the fourth year in a row, but also is the richest person in the world
for 18 out of the past 23 years.

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Warren Buffett had the second-best year. His USD 14.8 billion jump in 12 months
was enough for him to get him 2nd spot in the list.

Amazons Jeff Bezos had the best year as it added USD 27.6 billion to his fortune
making the total fortune of USD 72.8 billion. He was ranked at third position in the
list.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg moved up to number five position for the first
time, after his fortune rose to USD 56 billion.

Meanwhile, Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, once the worlds richest man, fell to
number six. It was the first time that Carlos is out of the top five in a dozen years.

There were 195 newcomers. Notable newbies include Patagonia sportswear


founder Yvon Chouinard; Viking Cruises founder Torstein Hagen of Norway; US
hedge fund tycoon Cliff Asness and John and Patrick Collison, founders of Stripe.

Mainland China had the most new ten-figure fortunes with 76 billionaires. The US
was the second with 25 billionaires.

John Collison, age 26, is now the worlds youngest self-made billionaire, just two
months younger than Snapchats Evan Spiegel.

US President Donald Trumps ranked at No 544 on the list, with a net worth of USD
3.5 billion.

There are 15 new self-made women, all but one of whom are from Asia Pacific.
That includes 10 from China and the first ever from Vietnam Nguyen Thi Phuong
Thao, who took her airline VietJet Air public in February 2017.

The sole American self-made woman newcomer is Thai Lee, who was born in
Thailand but moved to the US as a child and now runs tech reseller SHI, reportedly
the nations largest woman-owned business by sales.

The US continues to have more billionaires than any other nation with a record
565 billionaires. China is catching up with 319. Germany has the third spot most
billionaires with 114 number. India fetched fourth spot with 101 billionaires, the
first time it has had more than 100 billionaires.

Seventy-eight people fell off the list including 33 from China, 7 Americans and 9
who are still super wealthy but share their wealth among extended family
members.

Additionally, 20 billionaires died in the past year, including Enterprise car rental
founder Jack Taylor.

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Forbes list of World Billionaires 2016 released

Indians in the World's Billionaires List 2017


As many as 101 Indians, including 13 newcomers made it to the list.

With a net worth of USD 23.2 billion, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance
Industries Ltd (RIL), is the highest-ranked Indian in the list at Number 33.

Mukesh is followed by Lakshmi Mittal at No 56 with USD 16.4 billion fortune; Azim
Premji at No 72 with USD 14.9 billion worth; Dilip Shanghvi at No 84 with USD 13.7
billion worth.

There are nearly 20 people of Indian-origin who have made fortunes in various
nations across the world led by UK-based Hinduja brothers who are ranked 64th
with USD 15.4 billion net worth.

The list includes only four women billionaires from India led by Savitri Jindal and
her family at the 303rd position with a net worth of USD 5.2 billion.

Smita Crishna-Godrej from the Godrej clan is ranked 814th followed by Biocon
founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at 973rd position and Leena Tewari at No 1030.

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India slips to rank 131 in Human Development Index,


Norway tops again
India has slipped to rank 131in the 2016 Human Development Report (HDR) that was
released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 21 March 2017.

Among the 188 countries ranked in terms of human development, India stood at 131,
a rank below its previous 130. Indias human development index (HDI) value of 0.624 puts it
in the medium human development category alongside Pakistan and other countries such
as Congo and Namibia.

Only two SAARC nations rank above India in the list, Sri Lanka (73) and Maldives (105),
both of which figure in the high human development category.

Key Highlights
The top three countries in the list include Norway at rank 1 with an HDI of 0.949,
followed by Australia (0.939) and Switzerland (0.939).

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Norway, which was recently adjudged to be the happiest nation in the world going
by the World happiness report, clinched the top spot in this report as well.

The HDI value is a measure for assessing the progress in the three basic
dimensions of human development, a long and healthy life, access to knowledge
and the access to a decent standard of living.

According to the HDR, 1.5 million people across the world still live in
multidimensional poverty and almost 54% among them are concentrated in South
Asia.

The report revealed that while there was a significant drop in poverty from 1990
to 2015, there has been a rise in inequalities in the region.

Norway ranked 1 in World Happiness Report, India slips to 122

Though women were noted to have lower HDI than men all across the world,
South Asia was reported to have the largest gender disparity with female HDI
value 20% lower than the male HDI value.

South Asia also has been reported to have the highest levels of malnutrition in the
world and the lowest public health expenditure as a percentage of the GDP (1.6%
of GDP in 2014).

Indias public health expenditure was reported to be even lower, at 1.4 % of the
GDP.

However, life expectancy in the country has improved by 10.4 years between 1990
and 2015 and child malnutrition has also declined by 10 percentage points.

The study also revealed that there has been a slight decline in infant and under-
five mortality rates.

Nation paid tributes to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev on


their 86th martyrdom day

Besides this, the report praised Indias reservation policy saying that it had substantial
positive effects despite the fact that it had not resolved the caste-based exclusions. It also
called the national rural employment guarantee programme of India a prime example of
combining social protection with appropriate employment strategies.

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CORPORATE
Bharti Airtel, Millicom International sign agreement to combine
operations in Ghana
Bharti Airtel and Millicom International Cellular SA on 3 March 2017 signed an
agreement to combine operations in Ghana. The agreement was signed between Tigo
Ghana Limited, subsidiary of Millicom and Airtel Ghana Limited, subsidiary of Airtel.

The transaction is subject to obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities in


Ghana and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Once completed, it will provide
the opportunity to develop nationwide digital infrastructure and services in Ghana.

Highlights of the Togo-Airtel tie-up


As per the agreement, Airtel and Millicom will have equal ownership and
governance rights in the combined entity.
The combined business will serve nearly 10 million customers, of which 5.6 million
are data customers.
It will cover more than 80 per cent of Ghana's population with high-speed data
and provide the widest 3G coverage across the country.
The combined business is also expected to provide Ghanaian customers with a
major boost in both rural and urban network coverage, in turn, translating into
better voice quality, high-speed data services and reinforced network stability and
resilience.
With the combined fibre footprint and increased number of data centres,
enterprise customers such as large corporations and SMEs will have access to a
diverse portfolio of world-class solutions.
Mobile Financial Services will also be greatly enhanced with combined agent
networks and platforms.
The combination of Tigo and Airtel will create an operator that will be able to offer
Ghanaian consumers and businesses a state of the art network with high-speed
mobile data coverage.
This tie-up is expected to fetch in revenues close to USD 300 million, making them
one of the largest communications service provider in Ghana.

Airtel Ghana contributes around 6-7 per cent to Bharti Airtels Africa revenue which
totaled close to USD 900 million for the July-September quarter in 2016.

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SBI announces Rs 6000-cr tractor loan settlement scheme


The State Bank of India (SBI) has
announced a one-time farm loan settlement
scheme worth Rs 6000 crore primarily for
tractors.

In a tweet, the State Bank of India said,


One Time Settlement (OTS) is announced for
Agriculture Loans and the Scheme is valid until
31 March 2017.

Apart from this, the largest lender of India also urged to farmers to contact their
branch for details and benefits.

Highlights of the One-Time Farm Loan Settlement scheme


Loans that will be considered under the scheme are the loans, which were
disbursed before 2011 and at present, falls under the doubtful or loss category
accounts as of September 2016.

The scheme will also cover other agricultural loans like Kisan credit cards and other
term loans for tractors and farm loans

Besides, Rajnish Kumar, the Managing director of the bank, told a news channel that
the scheme will help the bank in taking 40 per cent haircut on outstanding tractor loans as
of September 2016. He also informed that a circular in this regard was sent to branches on 2
February 2017.

At present, SBI's total farm loan portfolio is Rs 1.25 Lakh Crore and tractor loan book is
about Rs 6000 crore.

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Tata Motors, Volkswagen Group signed MoU for exploring joint


development projects
Tata Motors on 10 March 2017 announced the signing of a MoU for a long-term
partnership with Volkswagen Group and Skoda to explore strategic alliance opportunities
for joint development of products.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Guenter Butschek, CEO &
MD of Tata Motors, Matthias Mueller, CEO of Volkswagen AG and Bernhard Maier, CEO of
Skoda Auto.

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Features of the MoU


The MoU lays down
the scope and
objectives in order to
reach agreement on
the modalities and
terms of a long-term
cooperation in
identified areas of
partnership.

As part of the MoU, the Skoda Auto will take the lead on behalf of the Volkswagen
Group to drive forward work towards development of vehicle concepts in the
economy segment.

In the next few months, Tata Motors and SKODA Auto, representing the
Volkswagen Group, will detail out the guiding principles and terms of cooperation
under the agreement.

After the successful completion of definitive agreements, the two parties will start
joint development work and joint value-chain activities.

Based on this joint work, Tata Motors will launch products in the Indian market in
2019.

Tata Sons Chairman-designate N Chandrasekaran to


act as TCS Chairman too

About Tata Motors


Tata Motors Limited is Indias largest automobile company, with consolidated
revenues of Rs 2,75,561 crore in 2015-16.

Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa and
Indonesia through its subsidiaries and associate companies. Among them is Jaguar
Land Rover, the business comprising the two iconic British brands.

At present, Tata Motors is the countrys market leader in commercial vehicles and
among the top in passenger vehicles.

Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe,
Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, South America, Australia, CIS
and Russia.

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Bharti Airtel, Millicom International sign agreement to


combine operations in Ghana

About Volkswagen Group


The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the worlds
leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe.

The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries, namely,
Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, SKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini,
Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN.

The group operates 120 production plants in 20 European countries and a further
11 countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa.

Every weekday, over 6,10,000 employees worldwide produce nearly 42,000


vehicles, and work in vehicle-related services or other fields of business.

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Bandhan Bank signs pact with Avenues India to


enhance customer support
Bandhan Bank Ltd in March 2017 announced the signing of an
agreement with Avenues India Pvt Ltd, the leading payment
solution provider in India.

The agreement signed at the Bandhan Bank headquarters in


Kolkata.

The pact was signed to provide the merchants with seamless access to the Point of
Sale (POS) and the payment gateway products.

The partnership will help merchants to have speedier and more direct access to POS
machines, payment gateways and competitive financing options.

The pact also asks the two parties to cooperate and benefit from each others
networks, customers, systems, techniques and expertise for the purpose of enhancing
customers experience.

About Bandhan Bank


Bandhan Bank Ltd. is an Indian banking and financial services company.

It is headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal.

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Initially, Bandhan started as a micro-finance company in 2001.

It received banking licence by Reserve Bank of India in 2014.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley officially inaugurated the bank on 24 August
2015 in Kolkata.

Initially, it opened with 501 branches, 50 ATMs and 2022 Door step Service
Centres across the country.

It is the first bank to be set up in eastern part of India after Independence.

At present, it has 3383 touch points pan India consisting of 744 bank branches,
2371 Doorstep Service Centres and 268 ATMs.

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Idea approves merger with Vodafone India


Idea Cellular, owned by
Kumar Mangalam Birla, on 20
March 2017 announced that its
board has approved the merger of
Vodafone India and its wholly-
owned subsidiary Vodafone
Mobile Services Limited with itself.

This merger will lead to the creation of the country's largest telecom entity with about
400 million customers.

The merger will also help the company in holding 35 per cent market share as well as
41 per cent revenue market share.

Parliamentary panel suggests BSNL-MTNL merger


for long-term survival

Highlights of the merger


Vodafone will hold 45.1 per cent in the combined entity.

Idea promoters will hold 26.1 per cent of the entity.

Aditya Birla Group will have right to buy 9.5 per cent stake in the new entity.

Under the terms of the agreement, the merger should be completed within 24
months.

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Idea will have the sole right to appoint the chairman.

Vodafone has right to appoint CFO of the company.

On the other hand, the appointment of CEO and COO will require an approval of
both the companies.

The entity or the combined entity will be jointly controlled by Aditya Birla Group
and Vodafone.

Vodafone will deconsolidate Vodafone India immediately.

ReNew Power Ventures sells 10% stake to JERA

As per reports, Kumarmangalam Birla will be the Chairman of merged Vodafone-Idea


entity. In addition to this, both companies will have equal stakes in the merged entity over a
period of time.

Idea Cellular in a statement said, "Upon the amalgamation of becoming effective, the
entire business of VIL and VMSL (excluding VIL's investment in Indus Towers) will vest in the
company.

The board of the combined entity will have 12 directors including 3 directors
appointed by each of Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone. Promoters of the two firms will have
the right to nominate 3 directors each.

Nokia to acquire Comptel Corporation to advance


its software strategy

Reports suggest that Vodafone and Idea began talks for a possible merger in late
January 2017.

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COMMITTEES | COMMISSIONS
Reserve Bank constituted Inter-disciplinary
Standing Committee on Cyber Security
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 28 February 2017 constituted an inter-disciplinary
standing committee on cyber security. The committee will review the threats inherent in the
existing and emerging technology.

The 11-member committee chaired by Meena Hemchandra, Executive Director, RBI,


will study adoption of various security standards and protocols, interface with stakeholders
and suggest appropriate policy interventions to strengthen cyber security and resilience.

Other members of the committee are


Prof. H. Krishnamurthy, Principal Research Scientist, IISC, Bangalore

Dr. A.S. Ramasastri, Director, IDRBT, Hyderabad

Ashutosh Bahuguna, ScientistC, CERT-In

Nandkumar Sarvade, CEO, ReBIT, Mumbai

R. Vittal Raj, Founder and Partner, M/s. Kumar & Raj, Chartered Accountants

V. G. Sekar, GM, Department of Banking Supervision, Reserve Bank of India,


Central Office (Member Secretary)

S. Ganesh Kumar, CGM-in-Charge, Department of Information Technology,


Reserve Bank of India, Central Office

Krishna Sastry Pendalaya, Forensic Scientist

Nanda S Dave, CGM, Department of Payment and Settlement Systems, Reserve


Bank of India, Central Office

R. Ravikumar, CGM, Department of Banking Supervision, Reserve Bank of India,


Central Office

The notification of RBI says that the committee is free to co-opt more experts in this
area. It can also operate through a framework of sub-committees, if required, to examine
specific issues.

Earlier on 2 June 2016, RBI issued guidelines to banks mandating cyber security
preparedness for addressing cyber risks. The guidelines were issued on the basis of the
recommendations of the Expert Panel on Cyber Security and Information Technology
Examination chaired by Meena Hemchandra.

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Formation of the inter-disciplinary Standing Committee on Cyber Security was


recommended on 8 February 2017 in RBIs Statement on Developmental and Regulatory
Policies, which was issued along with the Sixth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement,
2016-17.

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Working Group on Migration recommended legal framework for


protection of migrants' interests
The Working Group on Migration
headed by Partha Mukhopadhay on 1
March 2017 submitted its report to the
union government. The panel appointed by
the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty
Alleviation (HUPA) in 2015 had suggested
necessary legal and policy framework
should be brought to protect the interests
of the migrants in the country.

The panel said the migrant


population makes a substantial contribution to economic growth and their constitutional
rights should be secured.

Economic Survey of India 2015-16: Highlights

Highlights/Recommendations of the Working Group on Migration report


It suggests that the protocols of the registrar general of India should be amended
to enable caste-based enumeration of migrants. This will help them to avail the
attendant benefits in the states to which the migration takes place.

Migrants should be enabled to avail benefits of public distribution system (PDS) in


the destined state by providing interstate operability of PDS.

To promote rental housing and working Women Hostels for the benefit of
migrants, the panel has suggested the use of the underutilised construction
workers welfare cess fund.

To end any discrimination in work and employment, the states should be


encouraged to eliminate the requirement of domicile status. For this, the panel
talks about the constitutional right of freedom of movement and residence in any
part of the territory of India.

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NSSO released 68th Round data on Status of Education and


Vocational Training in India

It suggests that the state government should be asked to include migrant children
in the Annual Work Plans under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) to uphold their
Right to Education.

It suggests that banks should be enabled to adhere to the RBI guidelines regarding
the Know Your Customer (KYC) norms while opening the bank accounts of the
migrants. It should not ask for documents that are not required.

The working group also suggested that the vast network of post offices should be
made effective as it will help in reducing the cost of transfer of money to avoid
informal remittances.

According to the latest economic survey, the annual migration in the country has
increased to 90 lakh in 2016 from 33 lakh in 2011. The group said that as per data of
National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) and Census 2011 migrants constitute about 30
per cent of the countrys population and the total working force.

Urban development Minister Venkaiah Naidu has asked Ministry officials to send the
report to all concerned ministries and convene a meeting on further course of action.

National Sample Survey Office released survey on drinking water,


sanitation and hygiene

About the Working Group


It was an 18-member working group/panel headed by Partha Mukhopadhay of the
Centre for Policy Research. Other members of the Working Group were representatives of
Ministries of Home, Urban Development, Rural Development, HUPA, Labour and
Employment, Social Justice & Empowerment, Statistics & Programme Implementation,
Women & Child Development, NITI Ayog, Registrar General of India, TATA Trust, Indian
Institute for Human Settlements, UNESCO and Indira Gandhi Institute of Development
Research.

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Formation of committee to resolve grievances of women sports


persons announced
The Union Government on 8 March 2017 decided to constitute a high level committee
to resolve the grievances and complaints of women sports persons. An announcement in
this regard was made by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs
and Sports Vijay Goel at a conference on Women and Sports in India in New Delhi.

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The conference was organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to
mark the International Womens Day to deliberate upon various issues for encouraging
more and more women to take up sports.

The day long conference focused on


i. Creation of safe spaces for girls athletes and women coaches
ii. Inclusion of gender sensitization modules in coach training modules
iii. Gender parity in terms of support to women athletes
iv. Zero tolerance towards sexual harassment in sports complex
v. Women representation in sports institutions, federations and other sports bodies

Facts related to the committee


The committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of Joint secretary
Sports.
The committee will comprise athletes, advocates and senior officers of the
ministry and sports journalists.
In order to ensure effectiveness of the committee, all of its members will be
women.
Women athletes, who have any complaint, can approach the committee for their
grievance redressal.

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Madhukar Gupta Committee report submitted


to Union Government
The Committee, constituted under the Chairmanship of former Home Secretary
Madhukar Gupta, submitted its report to the Union Government.
Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, announced the submission of
the report on 14 March 2017.
The Madhukar Gupta Committee was constituted to strengthen border protection and
address vulnerabilities in fencing along the Indo-Pakistan border.
The Committee has given its recommendations broadly on the issues of Threats and
Border Protection, assessment of force level, deployment on the border, infrastructure and
technology issues for protection of border and administrative issues.
The Government decided to initiate action in light of the recommendations of the
Committee in consultation with the stakeholders.

Background
The Committee was appointed on 5 April 2016.

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It was constituted three months after terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based terror


group Jaish-e-Mohammed had breached the Indo-Pak border in Punjab and
attacked the Pathankot airbase killing seven security personnel.

Recently in the first week of March 2017, the Supreme Court directed the
committee to oversee and monitor the progress of Indo-Bangladesh border
fencing carried out by the Union Government. The top court also asked the panel
to submit its report in four months.

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Parliamentary panel suggests BSNL-MTNL merger


for long-term survival
A Parliamentary panel in its report has
suggested a merger of state-run telecom firms
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) for
their long-term survival.
The Committee on Petitions, chaired by
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Bhagat Singh Koshyari, in
its report tabled in Lok Sabha on 16 March 2017,
said that for the long-term survival and success, the
merger of the MTNL and BSNL would be a good
proposition. The panel opined that their merger would give both the entities a chance to
compete against private sector players.

Madhukar Gupta Committee report submitted


to Union Government
In addition to this, the panel also suggested that the synergies and advantages
inherent in an integrated national telecom infrastructure would pave the way for the lower
cost of investment and greater combined ability to face competition.
As per reports, the panel was informed that both the public sector firms are in
financial losses and are facing declining revenues from the loss of market share and
increasing expenditure. The information was provided by the Department of Telecom (DoT).
UN launches Women in Politics Map 2017; India
placed at 148th number

Highlights of the DoTs information to the panel


The two PSUs were not successful in investing adequately in the expansion and
modernisation of their network, which leads to coverage issues.

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Now, these firms are taking steps to modernise their wireline and wireless
networks.

The panel was informed about phase 7 and 8 network expansion plan for BSNL.

In the case of MTNL, the DoT informed that due to financial crunch, the firm was
not able to upgrade its GSM and landline network for the last three-four years. But
at present, it is exploring Managed Service Model with BSNL for its mobile
services.

Mercer released 2017 Quality of Living Survey


Besides, urging the government to consider its findings in relation to the merger of
BSNL and MTNL, the panel also requested it to constitute an expert committee.
The committee was formed to look into representation received by BJP MP Arvind
Sawant regarding improvement in services provided by BSNL and MTNL.

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India-Russia Military Industrial Conference held in New Delhi


The India-Russia Military
Industrial Conference was on 17
March 2017 jointly inaugurated by
the Union Minister of Defence,
Finance and Corporate Affairs Arun
Jaitley and Russias Minister of
Industry and Trade Denis
Manturovon in New Delhi.
On the sidelines of the
conference, two agreements were
signed between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and United Aircraft Corporation and
United Engine Corporation of Russia.
The agreements are related to general terms and conditions governing long term
supply of spares and rendering technical assistance over five years for the Su-30 MKI
aircraft.

Highlights of India-Russia Military Industrial Conference


The primary objective of the conference is to address issues related to life-cycle
support and maintenance of major Russian-origin equipments and platforms such
as SU-30 MKI aircraft, Mi-17 Helicopters, MiG-29K aircraft, INS Vikramaditya and T-
90 tanks.

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Apart from the deliberations on various policy issues, break-out sessions on


aerospace, naval systems and land systems were also held.
About 150 representatives from Russia participated in the conference, which
included over 100 representatives from its defence industry.
Representatives of major Russian companies including United Aircraft Corporation,
United Engine Corporation, RAC MiG, Russian Helicopters and Ural Vagonzavod
participated in the conference.
From the Indian side, over 100 private companies including several small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) participated in the conference.
The conference was organised by the Department of Defence Production of the
Union Ministry of Defence.

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SC constituted committee to explore technical solution to block


videos of sexual offences on social networking sites
The Supreme Court of India on 22 March 2017 constituted a committee to explore a
technical solution to block videos of sexual offences on social networking sites. The
committee comprises of representatives from the Union government and internet majors.
The members of the committee that includes the nominees of Google India, Microsoft
India, Yahoo India, Facebook and other internet intermediaries were given a time period of
15 days to meet and come up with a solution.
The representatives of all stakeholders were asked to participate in the meeting and
inform it about the outcome of the meet on 20 April 2017, which is the next day for hearing
the case.
The direction was passed by a bench of Justice MB Lokur and Justice UU Lalit while
hearing a letter sent to former Chief Justice HL Dattu by a Hyderabad-based NGO along with
two rape videos in a pen drive.
Earlier in the day, the officials from cyber security informed the apex court that
internet was a wild highway and blocking objectionable content at the source was a
technical challenge. It informed that clear guidelines should be issued to stop the circulation
of such material. They had told the court that 50 countries have set up hotlines to stop child
abuse in their jurisdiction but India was yet to start such a service.
The team of cyber security also informed the court that they are taking help of
INTERPOL to stop child pornography. On receiving a complaint, internet service providers
were asked to block the objectionable content.
Cyber security department is a wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

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DEFENCE | SECURITY
Indian Navy concluded Theatre Level Exercise Tropex 2017
The Indian Navys Annual
Theatre Level Readiness and
Operational Exercise (TROPEX
17) concluded on 23 February
2017. The Exercise, which
commenced on 24 January
2017, was conducted on the
Western Seaboard.

More than 45 ships from


the Western and Eastern Naval
Commands of the Indian Navy,
including the aircraft carrier INS
Vikramaditya, 5 submarines
including the nuclear powered
Chakra, 50 Naval aircraft, 11
ships from the Coast Guard,
troops from the Army and 20 aircraft from the Air Force including Su 30s, Jaguars and
AWACS, participated in the exercise.

The aim of the exercise was to test the various facets of war-fighting and joint combat
capabilities of the armed forces to respond to given threat situations.

The exercise was conducted in phases. The Joint Work Up Phase saw several weapon
firings by ships, submarines and aircraft from the Indian Navy and the Air Force.

The 2017 edition of TROPEX also included the conduct of large scale Out of Area
Contingency in island territory, which saw participation of all three services and their
special forces.
The TROPEX 2017 concluded with Tactical Phase conducted over 10 days, and witnessed
intense action by both the opposing forces.

The month-long exercise provided an apt-opportunity to test the combat capability of


the Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard. In addition, it also
strengthened their inter-operability and joint operations in complex conflict situation.

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India successfully test-fired Prithvi Supersonic Interceptor Missile


India on 1 March 2017 successfully test-fired the
Prithvi supersonic interceptor missile. The missile
was test-fired by the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) from the
Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.

After receiving commands from the


radars on the incoming missile, the
interceptor missile Prithvi detected and
tracked the enemy's ballistic missile.

The enemy missile was fired from the


Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.

Prithvi, which has been dubbed as an advanced air


defence interceptor, is part of Indias credible ballistic missile defence program.

With Prithvi in its armour, India has become the fourth country in the world to have a
ballistic missile defence program.

The other three countries which have developed a similar ballistic missile defence
system include the US, Russia and Israel.

Features of Prithvi Missile


Prithvi Missile is a surface-to-surface battle field missile.

It uses a single state, twin-engine liquid propulsion system and strap-down inertial
guidance with real-time software.

These features are incorporated in the on board computer to achieve the desired
accuracy during impact.

Compared to any equivalent class of missiles in the world, Prithvi has a higher
lethal effect.

Prithvi is a unique missile as it has a high manoeuverable trajectory and high level
capability with field interchangeable warheads.

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DMRL, JSHL signs Licensing Agreement for Transfer of


Technology of High Nitrogen Steel
Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad and Jindal Stainless
(Hisar) Limited (JSHL) on 1 March 2017 signed the Licensing Agreement for Transfer of
Technology of High Nitrogen Steel (HNS) for armour applications. DMRL is a premier
research laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

The High Nitrogen Steel (HNS) technology is a step forward towards Armys quest for
lighter and high-performance armouring material as compared to materials that are used at
present. Apart from its use in Armys armouring, HNS has the potential of being used in
numerous civilian applications.

Minister of State for Defence, Dr Subhash Bhamre who congratulated both DRDO and
DMRL for the achievement also called upon both public as well as private Industries and
Ordnance Factories to use this material extensively in their products.
About High Nitrogen Steel
HNS is tough material and has good strength.

It is non-magnetic as well as corrosion resistant

It cost is about 40 percent less compared to Rolled Homogenous Armour Steel


(RHA).

This material has the potential for a number of defence and civil applications like
armouring, mine trawls, oil industries among others.

At present, the HNS technology is available with very few countries of the world.

Jindal Stainless Limited (JSHL)


Founded in 1970 by OP Jindal, the Jindal Stainless is one of the largest stainless steel
conglomerates in India and ranks amongst the top 10 stainless steel conglomerates in the
world. The stainless steel manufacturer with the state-of-the-art facility at Hisar (Haryana),
JSHL is backed with strong production facilities including the triplex refining route, which is
used for the production of HNS.

Jindal Stainless Group has an annual crude steel capacity of 1.8 MTPA and the group
has an annual turnover of Rs 14500 crores.

Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory


Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), a research laboratory of the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was established at Hyderabad in
1963. It was established with an aim to meet the needs of complex metals and materials

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required for modern sophisticated warfare weapons systems. Over the years, the
Laboratory has acquired a special status as a premier centre for R&D in metals, alloys,
ceramic and composites.

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Indian Navy successfully test-fired Anti-Ship


Missile from Kalvari Class Submarine
The Indian Navy on 2 March 2017 successfully
conducted the maiden firing of an anti-ship missile
from an INS Kalvari class submarine.

The test firing was conducted in the Arabian


Sea and the missile successfully hit a surface target
at extended ranges during the trial firing.

Features of INS Kalvari


INS Kalvari is a class of diesel-electric attack
submarine. These submarines are based on the Scorpene-class submarine being
built for the Indian Navy.

While INS Kalvari is designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS,
they are being manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.

All six Kalvari class submarines being built in India will be equipped with anti-ship
missiles.

These missiles will provide the submarines the ability to neutralise surface threats
at extended ranges and boost Indias maritime security.

India successfully test-fired Prithvi Supersonic Interceptor Missile

The following are some of the recent measures undertaken by the Indian Navy and
the Government to boost coastal security.

On 21 February 2017, the Ministry of Defence gave its in-principle approval to set
up 38 radar stations to boost surveillance of the countrys 7,517 km long coastline.

On 3 February 2017, the Vice Admiral and Western Naval Command Chief Girish
Luthra inaugurated an Integrated Under Water Harbour Defence and Surveillance
System (IUHDSS) for the Indian Navy in Mumbai.

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Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH was commissioned on 18 February 2017 in
Kochi, Kerala.

The fast patrol vessel (FPV) is fitted with state-of- the-art navigational and
communication equipment including Integrated Bridge System (IBS) and
Machinery Control System (MCS).

The Indian Navys second ocean going sailboat Tarini was inducted on 18 February
2017.

INSV Tarini is a sloop built by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa.

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DRDO handed over 3 products to Indian Army


The Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) on 2 March 2017 handed
over three of its products for induction into
the Indian Army at a function in New Delhi.

The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar,


who presided the function, handed over the
products to the Chief of the Army Staff General
Bipin Rawat on behalf of DRDO.

The three new products are


i. Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), SWATHI

ii. NBC Recce vehicle

iii. NBC Drugs

Indian Navy successfully test-fired Anti-Ship Missile from Kalvari Class Submarine

Features of Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), SWATHI


It was developed by the DRDOs Electronics and Radar Development Establishment
(LRDE).

The radar provides fast, automatic and accurate location of all enemy weapons like
mortars, shells and rockets firing within in its effective zone of coverage.

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The SWATHI simultaneously handles multiple projectiles fired from different


weapons at different locations.

The system is capable of adjusting the fire of our own artillery weapon also.

The weapon includes 81mm or higher calibre mortars, 105mm or higher calibre
shells and 120mm or higher calibre free flying rockets.

Thus WLR has two roles to perform - Weapon Location Mode for enemy artillery
and Direction of Own artillery Fire (DOOAF) Mode for our own artillery.

Features of NBC Recce Vehicle Mk-I


The NBC Recce Vehicle Mk-I was developed by Vehicles Research and
Development Establishment (VRDE).

It carries out post-event recce of nuclear, biological and chemical contaminated


areas.

It is capable of collecting solid and liquid samples of biologically contaminated


areas, mark the nuclear and chemical contamination zone and transfer the recce
data speedily to support formations.

Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH commissioned in Kochi

About NBC Drugs


The drugs were developed by the DRDOs Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied
Sciences (INMAS).

INMAS has carried out extensive research and laboratory trials in the past two
decades to develop formulations for use as antidotes and de-corporating agents
for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies.

Out of the several formulas developed by INMAS, 15 drugs have been identified
for induction.

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Worlds oldest serving aircraft carrier INS Viraat retired


The worlds oldest aircraft carrier in active service, INS Viraat will be decommissioned
on 6 March 2017. The iconic carrier will receive a ceremonial send off in Mumbai.

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

Similar to the decommissioning of


INS Vikrant, Indias first aircraft carrier in
January 1997, INS Viraats send off
would also be an emotional moment for
the naval officers and other personnel
who were deployed on the ship.

Key Highlights
INS Viraat is the longest serving
aircraft carrier in the Indian
naval fleet. It was
commissioned into the Indian
Navy on 12 May 1987.

It will be retiring after serving the country for nearly three decades.

The decommissioning ceremony will be attended by Manohar Parrikar, the


defence minister along with several other dignitaries.

The event would witness the lowering and wrap-up of the naval flag installed on
the warship at sunset.

INS Vikrant has completed operational life and should be disposed

About INS Viraat


It was built in 1943, during the Second World War.

It was commissioned as the Royal British Navys HMS Hermes in 1959 and
decommissioned in 1984.

It was sold to India in 1987 and served the navy for 27 years.

The ship sailed for the last time under its own power in July 2016 from Mumbai to
Kochi where it was dry-docked and prepared for decommissioning.

India's first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant sold for 60 crore rupees

Though the historic ships ultimate fate is still undecided, there is a possibility that it
may be turned into a museum to preserve it as a relic of maritime history forever. The
Ministry of Defence is, however, yet to take a final decision, as converting the carrier into a
museum would require an investment of about 1000 Cr besides the daily running cost.

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UNSC discussed N Koreas ballistic missile launch


The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on 8 March 2017 to
discuss the latest missile launches by North Korea.

North Korea on 6 March 2017 fired four banned ballistic missiles into the sea off
Japans northwest coast, alarming both Japan and South Korea. The move came days after
the nuclear-armed country promised retaliation over the large-scale military exercise
launched jointly by the United States and South Korea to test their defence alertness, which
it viewed as a preparation for war against it.

The launch hence has angered and alerted the entire international community,
especially the United States and Japan, both of whom requested UNSC to hold the
emergency meeting.

Key Highlights
The emergency meeting is scheduled to begin from 10 am on 8 March.

The launches were the latest among the series of tests that violate UNs ban on
North Korea from developing missile technology.

While condemning the missile test, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
urged North Korea to refrain from further such provocations.

According to South Korea, four missiles were fired from Tongchang County in the
North Pyongan province of North Korea into the sea of Japan.

Though South Koreas military stated that the missiles were unlikely to have been
intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) that can reach the United States, they flew on an
average of 1000 km and are reported to have reached an altitude of 260 km.

According to Tomomi Inada, Japans Defence minister, some of the missiles landed as
close as 300 km from Japan's northwest coast.

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Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran XI held


The Indo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran XI commenced on 7 March 2017 at
Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. During the 14-day long exercise, the Nepal Army is being
represented by the officers and troops of the elite Durga Baksh Battalion. The Indian Army
is represented by the Ekta Shakti Battalion of the Punjab Regiment.

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Surya Kiran XI is the eleventh such battalion level exercise between the two nations. It
is aimed at training of troops in counter insurgency operations in mountainous terrain.

The exercise formally incorporates issues related to Humanitarian Assistance and


Disaster Management (HADR). It will also help enhance defence co-operation and military
relations between the two India and Nepal.

The Surya Kiran series of exercises are conducted annually, alternatively in Nepal and
India. Notably in the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various
countries, Surya Kiran series with Nepal is the largest in terms of troops participation.

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INS Tillanchang commissioned at Karwar


INS Tillanchang, a
Water Jet Fast Attack
Craft (WJFAC) was
commissioned into the
Indian Navy, at Karwar
on 9 March 2017. It
was commissioned by
Vice Admiral Girish
Luthra, the Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief
Western Naval
Command.

INS Tillanchang is the third ship of four follow-on WJFAC built by the Garden Reach
Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata. The ship has been indigenously designed and
built and is an upgrade from the Chetlat class of Fast Attack Craft that the Indian Navy
possesses.

The first two ships of the class, INS Tihayu and INS Tarmugli, were commissioned in
2016 and are based at Visakhapatnam. During the speed trail, INS Tillanchang was able to
achieve the fastest speeds among all WJFACs.

INS Tillanchang
INS Tillanchang is about 50m long.

It is powered by three water jet propulsion system, which gives it speeds of over
35 knots.

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The ship is armed with 30-mm main gun and a number of light, medium and heavy
machine guns to undertake operations at sea.

Worlds oldest serving aircraft carrier INS Viraat retires

Manned by 50 personnel, at present, the ship is commanded by Commander Adit


Patnaik.

Tillanchang is an ideal platform for a number of missions like Coastal and Off-shore
Surveillance, Law Enforcement, EEZ Control as well as non-military missions such
as Humanitarian, Search and Rescue Assistance and Disaster Relief.

INS Tillanchang will be based at Karwar under the operational control of the Flag
Officer Commanding, Karnataka Naval Area.

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Sashastra Seema Bal signed MoU with NSDC &


NSDF for skill development
The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the National Skill Development
Fund (NSDF) for execution of skill development programmes.

The MoU was signed on 10 March 2017 in the presence of Union Minister of State for
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Union Minister of State for
Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi.

During the event, Kiren Rijiju launched an an android based and in-house developed
mobile application MySSB.

Features of the MoU


Under the MoU, the SSB will be able to provide gainful employment to the retiring
and retired personnel of SSB.

It will help the personnel in resettlement through the generation of second career
option.

The MoU will establish a framework under which the dependents of SSB personnel
as well as locals, school dropouts, victims and potential victims of human
trafficking will also be benefited directly in the area or the region where SSB is
deployed.

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Under the MoU, skill development training programmes will be organised in


collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Sectors like apparel, food processing, beauty and wellness, automotive, security
and sports will be given emphasis for the said programme.

Features of MySSB app


The mobile application will cater to the general requirements and information of
force personnel.

It facilitates accessibility to details of salary and allowance, general provident fund


(GPF) subscription, service particulars including posting profiles and annual
performance assessment report (APAR).

About Sashastra Seema Bal


The Special Service Bureau (now Sashastra Seema Bal) was conceived in November
1962 and eventually created in March 1963.

It was established with the sole objective of achieving total security preparedness
in the remote border areas for performing a stay-behind role in the event of a
war.

Presently, SSB has been deployed with its mandate to guard 1751 kilometers of
Indo-Nepal and 699 kilometers of Indo-Bhutan borders.

The force is also active in Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh for anti-Naxal
operations (ANO) duties.

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India successfully test-fired BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile


India on 11 March 2017 successfully test-fired
the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile. The
purpose of the test was to validate the
capabilities of the missile.

Features of BrahMos Missile


It is the first supersonic cruise missile
system known to be in service.

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The missile is capable of carrying a conventional as well as nuclear warhead of 300


kilograms.

The BrahMos is a multi-stage missile having a solid propellant in the first stage and
the ramjet liquid propellant in the second stage.

It can be launched from land, sea, sub-seas and air.

It operates on Fire and Forget Principle by adopting varieties of flights on its way
to the target.

It approaches the enemy target with a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three
times faster than the US subsonic Tomahawk Cruise Missile System.

The missile has been developed by the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.

It is a joint venture between the Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroeyenia and


India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The missile derives its name from the names of two rivers, namely the
Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.

While the navy and army versions of the missile were inducted in 2005 and 2007
respectively, the air version is still in the testing stage.

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India suspended cross-LoC travel to Pakistan from Poonch district


India has suspended cross-LoC travel between India and Pakistan on the Poonch-
Rawalakote road following heavy unprovoked mortar shelling and automatic weapon firing
by the Pakistani troops at various places in the Poonch district.

The announcement was made by the Deputy Commissioner of Poonch district,


Mohammad Harun Malik. Though there have been no casualties on the Indian side, some
damage has been caused to a two storey administrative block at the Trade Felicitation
Centre in the districts Chakkan Da Bagh area.

Key Details
The 82 mm mortar shelling was initiated by the Pakistani troops on 12 March 2017
in Krishnagati sector along LoC in Poonch district.

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The travel on cross-border Poonch-Rawlakote bus service was suspended as a


precaution after the shelling.

The shelling was resumed after a brief cease-fire, targeting Indian posts and
civilian areas near the Line of Control.

According to an army spokesperson, Indian forces befittingly responded to the


shelling.

The damaged administrative block houses the offices of Custodian cross-LoC trade,
excise department and security officials among others.

Apart from causing damage to its walls, the shelling blew off its tin sheet roof and
left holes in the equipment and infrastructure installed inside it.

Speaking on the damage caused, the Custodian of cross LoC trade Tanveer Ahmed said
that they are still assessing the damage and will take some time to restore the block and its
infrastructure. He further added that the trade would be initiated depending upon the
situation as other TFC offices were intact.

In another precautionary measure, Jammu & Kashmirs education department has


postponed the 6th and 7th class exams in the areas affected by the unprovoked firing in
Poonch.

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Japan to send its largest warship to South China Sea in


its biggest show of military power
In its biggest show of naval force since World
War II, Japan is planning to send its largest
warship, JS Izumo on a 3-month tour through the
South China Sea, starting from May 2017.

The main aim is to test the capability of the


warship by sending it out on an extended mission.

Key Highlights
The warship, which was commissioned two years ago, is an Izumo helicopter
carrier.

It will be stopping over in Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka before
joining the Indian and US naval vessels for a joint naval exercise in the Indian
Ocean in July 2017.

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The carrier will return to Japan by August 2017.

According to sources, Japan is looking to invite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to


visit the carrier when it reaches the Subic Bay, about 100 km west of Manila, the capital of
Philippines.

The water of the South China Sea is disputed with China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam,
the Philippines and Brunei all claiming parts of it. While China claims almost all of the
disputed water, the other countries claim parts that have rich fishing grounds, oil and gas
deposits and through which around $5 trillion of global sea-borne trade passes each year.

Though Japan does not have any claim to the waters of the South China Sea, it does
have a separate maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea.

India successfully test-fired BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile

INS Tillanchang commissioned at Karwar


Besides this, Japans move comes at a time when Chinas growing military presence in
the sea has fuelled concern in both Japan and the West.

About JS Izumo
Based in Yokosuka, near to Tokyo, the warships primary mission is anti-submarine
warfare.

The 249m long carrier is as large as Japans World War II-era carriers and can
operate up to 9 helicopters.

While it resembles the assault carriers used by US Marines, it lacks their well deck
for launching and landing craft and other vessels.

The carrier has been designated as a destroyer.

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Indo-Oman joint army exercise


Al Nagah-II 2017 concluded

The Indo-Oman joint military exercise Al


Nagah-II 2017 concluded on 19 March 2017 at
Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh.
The bilateral exercise of the Indian Army and
the Royal Army of Oman was declared closed by
Major General Naveen Kumar Airy of the Indian
Army.

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Highlights of Al Nagah-II 2017


Al Nagah-II 2017 was the second edition of the joint exercise between the Indian
and Oman armies. The previous edition of the exercise was held in Muscat, Oman
in 2015.

The 14-day joint exercise began on 6 March 2017 with an opening ceremony.

The aim of the exercise was to acquaint both forces with each others operating
procedures, improve the interoperability in conducting joint operations in the
backdrop of counter-insurgency and counter- terrorism environment.

India successfully test-fired BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile

The training contingents comprised of platoon strength from both the armies.

The exercise also sought to enhance the existing military relationship between the
Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman.

During the exercise, the troops of the two armies shared expertise in counter-
insurgency and other operations in various terrains like snow-bound areas and
dense woods.

The exercise also demonstrated the determination of the two armies in working
closely with each other to eradicate the menace of terrorism in all its forms.

The joint military exercise is a milestone in defence co-operation and military


relations between the two countries.

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Surya Kiran XI Joint Military Exercise concludes in Pithorgarh


Indo-Nepal joint
military exercise Surya Kiran
XI concluded on 20 March
2017 at Pithorgarh in
Uttarakhand.
The exercise
culminated with a 48 hour
outdoor exercise in which
troops of both the countries
carried out a cordon and
search operation in a

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mock village.

Highlights of Surya Kiran XI


It was the 11th edition of the Surya Kiran exercise. The 14-day long exercise began
on 7 March 2017.

The EKTA SHAKTI Battalion of the Punjab Regiment of Indian Army and the DURGA
BAHSH Battalion of Nepalese Army participated in the joint military exercise.

The aim of the exercise was to train troops in counter insurgency operations and
enhance defence cooperation and military relations between the two countries.

The Surya Kiran XI provided an ideal platform for the personnel of the two armies
to share their experiences.

The training was conducted in the hills adjoining Pithoragarh to give a realistic
environ to the contingents to practice and rehearse drills.

The exercise formally incorporated issues related to Humanitarian Assistance and


Disaster Management (HADR).

Indo-Oman joint army exercise Al Nagah-II 2017 concluded

About Surya Kiran


Surya Kiran refers to a series of annual joint military exercises that are alternatively
conducted in India and Nepal.

It seeks to enhance defense cooperation and military relations between both the
countries.

In the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various


countries, Surya Kiran is considered as the largest in terms of troops participation.

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ENVIRONMENT | ECOLOGY
Seven new miniature frog species discovered in Western Ghats
A group of Indian scientists recently
discovered seven new miniature frog species
in the Western Ghats.

The frogs can comfortably sit even on a


child's thumbnail. They were discovered after
five years of extensive exploration. These
species are among the seven new Night
Frogs, discovered by Delhi University-based
researchers and the Kerala Forest Department.
They spent five years surveying the global
biodiversity hotspot.

The study is titled Seven new species of Night Frogs from the Western Ghats
Biodiversity Hotspot of India, with remarkably high diversity of diminutive forms.

The study was published on 21 February 2017 in PeerJ, a peer-reviewed open access
journal.

Night Frogs belong to the Nyctibatrachus genus endemic to the Western Ghats and
represent an ancient group of frogs that diversified on the Indian landmass approximately
70 to 80 million years ago.

Key highlights of the study


These miniature frogs are active during both night and day time unlike other
breeds.

Out of the seven new species that have been discovered, five are facing
considerable anthropogenic threats and require immediate conservation
prioritisation.

Four out of seven of the new species are just sized 12.2-15.4 mm.

These species of frogs is exclusive to Western Ghats. They are locally abundant and
fairly common; however, they have probably been overlooked because of their
extremely small size, secretive habitats and insect-like calls.

As per the study, they were found under damp forest leaf litter or marsh
vegetation.

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Pests eat away 35% of total crop yield: ICAR Scientists


The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in the last week of February 2017
announced that about 30-35 per cent of the annual crop yield in India gets wasted because
of pests.

The announcement was made by P.K. Chakrabarty, Assistant Director General (plant
protection and biosafety) of the ICAR.

Chakrabarty also announced that among such pests, nematodes had recently emerged
as a major threat to crops in the country and they caused loss of 60 million tonnes of crops
annually. Moreover, such large-scale crop-loss was having an adverse effect on the
agricultural biosafety which was paramount to food security.

Chakrabarty made the revelations at the XIII Annual Group Meeting of All India Co-
ordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Nematodes in Cropping System.

What are nematodes?


Nematodes are microscopic worms many of which are parasites.

They can be difficult to distinguish. However, more than 25000 of their species
have been described, of which more than half are parasitic. Total number of
nematode species has been estimated to be about 1 million.

Unlike flatworms, nematodes have tubular digestive systems with openings at


both ends.

Nematodes have successfully adapted to nearly every ecosystem from marine (salt
water) to fresh water, to soils, and from the Polar Regions to the tropics. They
have also adapted to the highest to the lowest of elevations.

About Indian Council of Agricultural Research


The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is an autonomous body responsible for
co-ordinating agricultural education and research in India.

The Council reports to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education,


Union Ministry of Agriculture.

The bodys President is the Union Minister of Agriculture.

ICAR is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the
world.

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BBC banned for five years from filming in Tiger reserves


The National Tiger
Conservation Authority (NTCA) in
last week of February 2017 banned
British Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC) from filming in all Indian tiger
reserves for five years. It also
imposed a ban on BBCs journalist
Justin Rowlatt for the same period.

As per a report published in a


national daily, the ban was imposed
on the network after BBC via a documentary, One World: Killing for Conservation,
questioned Indias aggressive policy and protection measures to protect endangered rhinos
at Kaziranga national park in Assam.

Issuing the ban on the network, NTCA directed all chief wildlife wardens of all tiger
range states of India as well as field directors of tiger reserves to disallow filming permission
to BBC for five years. NTCA that governs all tiger reserves of India.

One-Horned Great Indian Rhinoceros Population Increased in


Kaziranga Despite Poaching: Census

The documentary shot by Justin Rowlatt came into criticism from the union
environment ministry for being wrong. Through the documentary, Rowlatt claimed that
forest guards in Kaziranga were given powers to shoot and kill anyone they think was a
threat to rhinos. Through the documentary, the maker of the documentary said, this shoot-
at-sight policy led to the killing of some 23 people by forest guards.

The documentary was aired on 11 February 2017. Later on 14 February 2017, the
NTCA issued a notice to BBC against airing the programme without any approval. It also
threatened the network to cancel all future permits to BBC, if it fails to remove the
documentary from different online portals with immediate effect.

NTCA via a memorandum issued on 27 February 2017 said BBC had failed to submit
the documentary to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and
Ministry of External Affairs for mandatory previewing. It would have helped the ministries to
remove the deviations and achieve a balanced and accurate exposition of the theme.

Poachers killed a Rhino in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary of Assam

Kaziranga National Park


Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of
Assam. The sanctuary, a World Heritage Site, is a house of two-thirds of the world's great

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one-horned rhinoceroses. At present, the national park is a house of around 2400 one-
horned rhinos.

Besides, Kaziranga is also a home to the highest density of tigers among protecting
areas in the world. It was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2006. It also houses several species
like elephants, swamp deer and wild water buffalo among others. The park was established
in 1905 as a reserve forest.

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NGT banned camping activities within 100 m of


Ganga in Uttarakhand
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 2 March 2017 ordered a ban on camping
activities within 100 metres of the Ganga in Uttarakhand.

The decision was taken by a bench of justices headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter
Kumar. The ban will be imposed from Kaudiyala to Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.

Key Details
There are 33 beaches along the riverside of Ganga.

The NGT order follows a complaint by activist Vikrant Tongad who had moved the
tribunal against camping along the river.

Vikrant had contended that camping and river rafting, when done without any
regulations, would disturb the environment.

He also pointed out that camping along the riverside leads to pollution of the
water and the river bank, as campers often dispose of the waste in the river and
leave behind glass and plastic bottles on the banks.

CM Raghubar Das: Polythene bags will soon be banned in Jharkhand

Polluting of the Ganga water is a cause of concern for the Union government as well
and in fact, the cabinet minister of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga
Rejuvenation, Uma Bharti had set 2018 as the deadline to clean Ganga fully.

However, it is unlikely for the work to be completed by 2018. Main reasons for the
delay include the delay in clearances by the state government to execute the projects as
well as the intrusive questioning process of the NGT about the operating capacity of sewage
treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh.

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NMCG, Rotary India signs MoU for Namami Gange Programme


The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Rotary India signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the success of Namami Gange Programme. The
MoU was signed on 2 March 2017 in New Delhi.

The MoU was signed by Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga U P Singh
and Vice Chairman of Rotary India P T Prabhakar.

The collaboration would initially focus on synergizing the strength of Rotary


International for Ganga Rejuvenation without any additional financial commitment from
NMCG.

As part of the MoU, the Rotary India will undertake activities and campaigns to create
awareness in schools and communities about Ganga rejuvenation and thereby reducing the
pollution flowing into the river.

The MoU is part of the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bhartis efforts to involve voluntary organizations and NGOs into
the Namami Gange programme to make it a mass movement.

Union Cabinet Approved Namami Gange programme under


National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)

Features of the NMCG-Rotary India MoU


As part of the MoU, the Rotary India will support the NMCG through their WASH
in Schools programme in various schools.

Rotary India has planned to undertake WASH in Schools programme in 20,000


government schools.

The programme will be undertaken in government schools and communities


located along the river Ganga in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Nadia District
of West Bengal and other states where Rotary has a strong presence.

The programme includes the implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene


services in the targeted government schools.

The Rotary India will sensitize all the stakeholders, including school children,
teachers, school management and communities on practicing positive health
behaviors for improving awareness on sanitation.

This will be achieved through an integrated learning environment and enabling


children to serve as agents of change for their siblings and communities at large.

The MoU shall remain in force for two years.

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Centre launcheds survey in Ganga to determine


population of aquatic life
The Union government has launched the first ever across-the-river survey in Ganga to
get details about the population of aquatic life thriving in it, including that of the
endangered Gangetic dolphin.

According to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the survey will help create
a baseline scientific data for the Centre to take suitable measures to improve the quality of
the river water.

NGT bans camping activities within 100 m of


Ganga in Uttarakhand

Key Highlights
The first part of the census was launched on 1 March 2017 from Narora to Bijnor
stretch in Uttar Pradesh, which covers a distance of about 165 km.

The second part, which would cover a distance of about 250 km from Allahabad to
Varanasi, is expected to be launched later this week.

Along with this, another study to determine fish species composition in the 2,525
km long river has been launched from Harshil village in Uttarakhand. The survey is
being conducted through Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under the Namami Gange
programme.

Besides dolphins, the study would also help determine the number of ghariyals
and turtles in the river.

The counting is expected to continue till October 2017.

Apart from the population count, the study would also help in understanding the
distribution pattern of aquatic life in the river, the extent of threat they are facing
and their habitat conditions.

This is the first time that such a comprehensive and scientific study is being
conducted in the river. All the studies conducted prior to this were done in bits
and pieces.

After the completion of the study in the rivers mainstream, a similar census will
be carried out in its tributaries as well.

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NMCG, Rotary India signs MoU for Namami Gange Programme

According to an NMCG consultant (Biodiversity Centre), Sandeep Behera, the Gangetic


dolphins, which are considered as one among the four freshwater dolphin species in the
world, are disappearing from the Gangas Narora to Kanpur stretch due to pollution.

He further stated that the study would hence, help determine the stretches where
dolphin habitates, the conditions in that particular area and also the level of threat the
species are facing in a particular belt.

The NMCG chose the ongoing period for the study in order to avoid the possibility of
repeat count of animals, as due to the current low water level the population of animals
would be concentrated in certain pockets.

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National Conference on Jal Kranti Abhiyan organised in Delhi


The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
organised a national conference on Jal Kranti Abhiyan on 7 March 2017 in New Delhi.

The conference was inaugurated by Uma Bharti, the Union Minister for Water
Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Also in attendance were Sanjeev
Kumar Baliyan and Vijay Goel, the Union ministers of state for Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

The day-long conference saw around 700 participants, representing various


stakeholder groups such as officials, farmers, students, NGOs and panchayat members.

Environmental pollution kills 1.7 million children each year: WHO

About Jal Kranti Abhiyan


The nation-wide programme was launched by Union Minister Uma Bharti on 5
June 2016.

The programme mainly aims to create awareness among various stakeholders


about the importance of water conservation and security and also to help resolve
several water-related issues in the country.

It was launched with the objective of consolidating water conservation and


management in the country through a more integrated approach involving all
stakeholders and making it a mass movement.

It aims to bring together all relevant existing and planned schemes of the
Government of India on one platform to achieve the objectives.

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Centre launches survey in Ganga to determine population of aquatic life

Some of the broad goals of the programme include:

- To strengthen grass root involvement of all stakeholders including local bodies and
Panchayati Raj institutions in the water security and development schemes like Participatory
Irrigation Management (PIM).

- To encourage the adoption of traditional knowledge in water resources conservation


and its management.

- To utilize sector level expertise from different levels in the government, NGOs and
citizens.

- To enhance livelihood security through water security in rural areas.

-x-x-x-x-

Scientists unearth world's oldest fossils in Quebec, Canada


A group of scientists from the University
College London recently discovered one of the
earliest lifeforms ever found on the earth. The
remains of microorganisms are at least 3770
million years old.

The conclusion was reached after


examining rock found along the eastern shore
of Hudson Bay in northern Quebec, Canada.
Carbon dating techniques indicate that these
rocks are at least 3.77 billion years old and
might even be 4.28 billion years old.

The discovery was published in the first week of March 2017 in the journal
called Nature.

Key highlights of the discovery


The microscopic filaments and tubes formed by bacteria that lived on iron were
found encased in quartz layers in the Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt (NSB).

The researchers systematically looked at the ways the tubes and filaments, made
of haematite, could have been made through non-biological methods. The
methods could be temperature and pressure changes in the rock during burial of
the sediments.

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The haematite structures have the same characteristic branching of iron-oxidising


bacteria found near other hydrothermal vents today. These structures were also
found alongside graphite and minerals like apatite and carbonate, which are found
in biological matter including bones and teeth. The size and arrangement of the
structures indicates that these microbes were breathing oxygen at a time when
oxygen is thought to have been scarce.

During the examination of the rocks, it was found that the mineralised fossils are
associated with spheroidal structures that usually contain fossils in younger rocks.
It suggests that the haematite most likely formed when bacteria that oxidised iron
for energy were fossilised in the rock.

The scientists estimate that the filaments and tubes inside centimetre-sized
structures called concretions or nodules, as well as other tiny spheroidal
structures, called rosettes and granules, are the products of putrefaction.

Significance of the discovery


The recent discoveries made the scientists demonstrate that life developed on
Earth at a time when Mars and Earth had liquid water at their surfaces.

The Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt contains some of the oldest sedimentary rocks
known on Earth. It is most likely that these rocks formed part of an iron-rich deep-
sea hydrothermal vent system that provided a habitat for Earth's first life forms
between 3770 and 4300 million years ago.

The discovery supports the idea that life emerged from hot, seafloor vents shortly
after planet Earth formed.

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Union Environment Ministry launched web portal for


obtaining CRZ Clearances
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change Anil Madhav Dave on 8 March 2017 launched the web portal for obtaining Coastal
Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances by the project proponents.

The portal was launched as a part of Ease of Doing Business module of the Union
Government.

Highlights of the portal

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The system will enable the project proponents and the concerned State and Union
Territory bodies like the State Coastal Zone Management Authorities (SCZMAs)
and Municipal and Town Planning agencies in tracking the status of their
proposals.

The system is based on web architecture similar to the existing systems in place for
according environmental and forest clearances.

It is a very user-friendly initiative which will enable submission of applications for


CRZ clearance in a single-window interface and facilitates quick flow of
information related to CRZ clearances.

It allocates a unique identity for each proposal for all future references.

It is accessible from any computer having the internet facility.

It aims to boost efficiency, transparency and accountability in the process of CRZ


clearances.

It will also enhance responsiveness through workflows and availability of real-time


information on the status of CRZ clearance proposals.

It will ensure ease of business and convenience of citizens in accessing information


and services.

It has common and standardised procedures and processes across all the Central
and State levels.

Other Initiatives
Apart from this, the Environment Ministry is also planning to launch few other
initiatives like the notification of High Tide Line/Low Tide Line (HTL/LTL), ecologically
sensitive areas falling under CRZ-1, hazard line etc.

All these initiatives will be aimed at minimising the discretions and enhancing
accountability at all the levels.

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Researchers found evidence confirming existence of


Ostrich in ancient India
Indian researchers have found molecular evidence that confirms the presence of
ostrich in India more than 25000 years ago.

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The evidence was founding during a DNA analysis of a fossilised eggshell fragment of
ostrich. In the study, the researchers found 92% genetic similarity between the fossil
eggshell samples and Struthio camelus, species of ostrich found in Africa.

The results were published in a journal called PLOS ONE.

Key Highlights
This is the first time that molecular evidence indicating the presence of ostrich in
India was found in the eggshell fragments. The fragments have been studied
previously as well using morphological features but no sufficient proof could be
obtained then that confirmed the existence of the birds in the country.

The analysed samples have close similarities with the African ostrich species,
which indicates the movement of these birds between the two regions before the
Indian landmass drifted away from Africa.

In total 11 fossilised eggshell samples from 8 archaeological sites in Rajasthan,


Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat were studied.

The DNA was isolated from five samples and a tiny portion of a highly conserved
mitochondrial region was enlarged and then sequenced from one of the samples.

The other four samples had less than 30 base pairs and so, were not included in
the study.

Centre to Launch Pilot Project on Ornamental Fisheries

Commenting on the whole process, one of the authors of the paper -Kumarasamy
Thangara from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad stated
that they could only amplify a small portion of the DNA as the sample was highly degraded.
He further explained that it is very challenging to isolate DNA from ancient samples and it
was more so in this case as the samples were exposed to the hostile environment.

This is the first time that a long-term DNA preservation in fossil eggshell collected from
tropical environments has been studied in India.

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Union Government launched Stage II of Indias


HCFC Phase Out Management Plan
The Union Government launched the Stage II of Indias HCFC Phase Out Management
Plan (HPMP) for the 2017-23 period.

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The plan was launched by the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and
Climate Change (Independent Charge) Anil Madhav Dave in March 2017 in New Delhi.

Features of HPMP II
It seeks to phase out the use of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and harmful
ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

It also promotes the usage of non-ozone depleting and low global warming
potential technologies.

Under the HPMP-II, India secured USD 44.1 million from the Multilateral Fund for
Implementation of Montreal Protocol of the United Nations for phasing out 8,190
MT of HCFC consumption from 2017 to 2023.

The plan will cover more than 400 enterprises, including micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) in the foam manufacturing sector.

And, 6 large air-conditioning manufacturing enterprises will be supported for


conversion to non-HCFC technologies from HCFCs.

The plan will promote energy efficiency, adoption of green building norms and
cold chain development with non-HCFC alternatives.

The plan gives adequate attention to synergize the Refrigeration and Servicing
(RAC) servicing sector trainings under the Skill India Mission. As per the plan,
nearly 16,000 service technicians will be trained under HPMP-II.

The plan is expected to result in net direct CO2-equivalent emission reductions of


about 8.5 million metric tonnes annually from 2023.

Background
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an
international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the
production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion
including HCFCs.

Under the Montreal Protocol, various initiatives to phase out


Hydrochlorofluorcarbons (HCFCs) were taken up with an aim to complete phase
out by 2030 of these chemicals.

At present, HCFCs are used in various sectors like refrigeration and air conditioning
(RAC) and polyurethane foam manufacturing.

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As a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, The HPMP Stage-I has been already
implemented in the country, which has successfully met all the ODS phase-out
targets.

NTPC installed Indias largest Floating Solar PV Plant at RGCCPP


Kayamkulam, Kerala
The NTPC Ltd in the second week of March 2017 installed Indias largest floating solar
photo voltaic plant at the Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant (RGCCPP) Kayamkulam
in Kerala.

The plant was inaugurated by AK Jha, Director (Technical) of the NTPC Ltd.

Details related to the plant


The 100 kWp floating solar photo voltaic plant is the largest of its kind in India as
on date.

This floating platform has been indigenously developed by the NETRA (NTPC
Energy Technology Research Alliance) in collaboration with Central Institute of
Plastic Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Chennai.

The system was installed by Swelect Energy Systems Ltd, Chennai with the support
from NETRA and NTPC Kayamkulam station in a short span of 22 days.

Relevance of Floating Solar PV Plant for India


Floating solar photo voltaic plant systems are fast emerging as an alternative to
conventional ground mounted photo voltaic systems, which are land intensive.

It has various benefits like conserving water through the reduction of evaporation,
increased generation due to cooling effect on the panels and reduced installation
time.

Installation potential of such type of systems in India is huge due to the abundance
of water bodies.

Within the NTPC, the potential is approximately 800 MWp in various reservoirs in
existing stations.

Due to availability of abundant water bodies, this type of system has a great
potential in Kerala.

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NTPC has already started working on scaling up such type of system for MW scale
installation.

About NTPC Ltd


NTPC is Indias largest energy conglomerate with roots planted way back in 1975 to
accelerate power development in India.

Since then, it has established itself as the dominant power major with the presence in
the entire value chain of the power generation business.

From fossil fuels, it has forayed into generating electricity via hydro, nuclear and
renewable energy sources.

This foray will play a major role in lowering its carbon footprint by reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.

-x-x-x-x-

Union Government launched Mission Fingerling to


achieve Blue Revolution
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare on 11 March 2017 launched
Mission Fingerling, a programme aimed at achieving the Blue Revolution by enabling holistic
development and management of fisheries.

The main motive behind this programme is to enhance the fisheries production from
10.79 mmt (2014-15) to 15 mmt by 2020-21.

Key Highlights
In order to recognize the potential and possibilities in the fisheries sector, the
Union Government envisaged a program named Blue Revolution.

The Blue Revolution focuses on creating an enabling environment for an


integrated and holistic development and management of fisheries for the socio
economic development of fish farmers.

This program with a total expenditure of around Rs 52000 lakh will facilitate the
establishment of hatcheries and Fingerling rearing pond to ensure the fish
production of 426 crores fish fingerling, 25.50 crores Post Larvae of shrimp and
crab in the country.

This will converge in the production of 20 lakh tonnes of fish annually and will
benefit about 4 million families.

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It lays greater emphasis on infrastructure with an equally strong focus on


management and conservation of the resources through technology transfer.

Productivity enhancement will also be targeted through integration of various


production oriented activities such as production of quality fish seeds, cost
effective feed and adoption of technology etc.

Background
Fish Fingerling production is the single most important critical input visualised to
achieve fish production targets under the Blue Revolution.

Use of high yielding verities of brooders is another significant aspect to be


addressed on priority.

The Union Agricultural Ministry identified 20 States based on their potential and
other relevant factors to strengthen the Fish Seed infrastructure in the country.

The implementation of this programme will supplement the requirement of


stocking material up to a large extent to achieve the enhanced fish production.

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Natural swings partly responsible for Arctic sea ice loss: Study
A group of scientists in March 2017
stated in a study that rapid loss of Arctic
sea ice in recent decades is partly driven
by natural swings.

They went on to state that it ice loss


in Arctic is not just global warming
triggered by human activities.

The paper was published in the


journal Nature Climate Change. The study
focuses specifically on what this
atmospheric circulation means for Arctic sea ice in September, when the ocean reaches its
maximum area of open water.

Key highlights of the research


The study's lead author is Qinghua Ding, climate scientist at the University of
California at Santa Barbara in the US.

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The research indicates that a shift in wind patterns is responsible for about 60% of
sea ice loss in the Arctic Ocean since 1979.

Some of this shift is related to climate change. However, the research showed that
30-50% of the observed sea ice loss since 1979 is due to natural variations in this
large-scale atmospheric pattern.

Natural variability has helped to accelerate the melting of the ice, especially over
the past two decades.

Significance of the study


The study provides the mechanism and uses a new approach to illuminate the
processes that are responsible for these changes.

The study shows how much of the observed sea ice trend that has been seen in
recent decades in the Arctic is due to natural variability and how much is due to
greenhouse gases.

The scientists believe that teasing apart the natural and human-caused parts of
sea ice decline would help to foretell future sea ice conditions in Arctic summer.

The study could help narrow down huge uncertainties about when the Arctic ice
will vanish.

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Centre to Launch Pilot Project on Ornamental Fisheries


The Department of Animal Husbandry along with Dairying and Fisheries and the
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare would be launching a pilot scheme for the
development of ornamental fisheries with a total outlay of Rs 61.89 crore.

The scheme would mainly focus on creating an environment that would enable
sustainable development of Ornamental Fisheries for the socio-economic development of
the people attached to the activity as well as for exports.

Following are the major objectives of the project:


To promote ornamental fish culture in India through cluster-based approach.

To expand ornamental fisheries trade and export earnings

To create employment opportunities for the rural & peri-urban population

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To use modern technology and innovation to make ornamental fisheries a thriving


activity.

Odisha Government launches 181 helpline for distressed women

The pilot project would be implemented in eight states at first, which include Assam,
West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. It would be
implemented by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) through the Fisheries
departments of the states.

Overall, ornamental fisheries, which is counted as a sub-sector of the fisheries sector


dealing with breeding and rearing of coloured fish of both freshwater and marine water has
the potential for tremendous growth in India.

Though it does not directly contribute to Indias food and nutritional security, it helps
generate livelihood and income for the rural and peri-urban population, especially for
women and the unemployed youth who take it up as a part-time activity.

Besides this, the major attraction in the sector is the low production cost backed by
high returns within a short span of time and the ever-growing demand in both Indian and
International markets. Currently, there are about 400 species of marine ornamental fishes
and 375 freshwater ornamental varieties in India.

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Mass coral bleaching hits Great Barrier Reef for the


second year in a row: Study
Great Barrier Reef: World's largest coral reef
system located along the Eastern Coast of
Australia
The Great Barrier Reef was in news in the
second week of March 2017 as an expansive aerial
survey found that the reef has been ravaged by
coral bleaching for the second year in a row.
The survey was conducted as a part of a
study initiated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Authority and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

About Great Barrier Reef


The Great Barrier Reef is a distinct feature of the East Australian Cordillera
division, which includes the smaller Murray Islands.

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The Great Barrier Reef is considered as one of the seven wonders of the natural
world.

It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible
from space.

The reef, between 15 kilo metres and 150 kilo metres off shore and around 65 kilo
metres wide in some parts, is a gathering of brilliant and vivid coral species.

A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which
helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism.

Because of its natural beauty, both below and above the waters surface, the reef
has become one of the worlds most sought after tourist destinations.

In recognition of its significance, the UNESCO listed the Great Barrier Reef as a
World Heritage Site (WHS) in 1981.

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First fluorescent frog found in Argentina


A group of scientists discovered the worlds
first fluorescent frog (Hypsiboas punctatus) near
Santa Fe in Argentina. The frog sports a muted
palette of greens, yellows and reds under normal
light, but emits a bright blue and green glow in the
dark.
The scientists found that the South American
polka dot tree frog uses fluorescent molecules
totally unlike those found in other animals.
The findings were published on 13 March 2017 in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.

Key highlights
When the researchers trained an ultraviolet A flashlight on polka dot tree frogs,
they were surprised to find that the animals gave off an intense greenish-blue
glow instead of a faint red.

The researchers expected to find red fluorescence in these frogs from a pigment
called biliverdin.

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Three molecules namely, hyloin-L1, hyloin-L2 and hyloin-G1, found in lymph tissue,
skin and glandular secretions of animals, are responsible for the green
fluorescence.

The molecules contain a ring structure and a chain of hydrocarbons. The closest
similar molecules are found in plants.

Fluorescence in animals
The ability to absorb light at short wavelengths and re-emit it at longer
wavelengths is called fluorescence, a quality that is rare in terrestrial animals. Until
now, fluorescence was unheard of in amphibians.

It is still unclear why animals have the ability of fluorescence, although


explanations include communication, camouflage and mate attraction.

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New Zealand River received legal status of a person,


ending 140 years battle
The Whanganui River in New Zealand
has become the first landmark in the world
to be granted the same legal rights as that
of a human being, following a 140-year
struggle.

The rivers new legal identity comes


with the passing of the Whanganui River
Claims Settlement bill. The bill passed its
third reading in New Zealands Parliament
on 15 March 2017. It aims to establish a new legal framework for the river.

Key Highlights
The bill recognised the river as an indivisible, living whole from the mountains to
the sea.

The river is the first in the world to be granted all the rights, duties, liabilities and
legal status of a person.

The bills passing brought an end to the longest running litigation in the history of
New Zealand. The people of Whanganui iwi have been fighting for the recognition
of their relationship with the river since the 1870s.

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The settlement included a financial redress of $80 million as well as an additional


$1 million contribution for establishing the rivers legal framework.

Besides this, the crown would also be contributing a sum of $30 million for further
betterment and well being of the river.

The move followed the example used in the Tuhoe Settlement Bill that saw Te
Urewera National Park gain the status of a legal entity in 2014.

Indian-American teen Indrani Das wins 2017 Regeneron Science Talent Search
Mercer released 2017 Quality of Living Survey
Commenting on the century-long fight, Gerrard Albert , the lead negotiator in the
case, stated that the river is a sacred landmark for the Maori Iwi tribe, they treat it as an
ancestor and thus, they needed to find something that would help uphold its position.
Speaking on the case, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson
stated that the approach of granting legal identity to a river was unique, as the legislation
recognised the deep spiritual connection between the locals and the ancestral river and
created a strong platform for the future of the river.
The new status means that from here on, any abuse or harm caused to the river will
be viewed in the same light as harm caused to a human being. Besides this, two guardians
will be appointed one from the crown and one from the Whanganui iwi to act on the
behalf of the river.

Background
All the Maori tribes regard themselves as part of the universe, at par with the
mountains, rivers and seas.

The local tribe of Whanganui has been fighting for the recognition of the river as
their ancestor for almost 140 years.

The river is New Zealand's longest navigable river and so, it has got a rich history of
human interactions.

There were once more than 100 Maori villages along the rivers banks.

The introduction of a riverboat service in 1891 made the river an ideal channel
for the flourishing of tourism and trade.

The trade and communication undertaken through the river reached as far as
Wellington, Waikato, Taranaki, Taupo and the Bay of Plenty.

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Worlds oldest red algae fossils found in India


A group of scientists in India unearthed a pair of 1.6 billion-
year-old fossils that appear to contain red algae. It is estimated
that it may be the oldest plant-like life discovered on Earth.
The study was published in March 2017 in the journal PLOS
Biology. As per the paper, until now, the oldest known red algae
were 1.2 billion years old.

Key highlights of the study


The preserved fossils came from phosphorite deposits at
Jankikund, Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh.
The samples were analyzed by Professor Stefan Bengtson at the Swedish Museum
of Natural History and co-authors.
They discovered two kinds of fossils resembling red algae. One type is thread-like
(named Rafatazmia chitrakootensis) and another consists of fleshy colonies
(Ramathallus lobatus).
The researchers looked inside the algae with the help of synchrotron-based X-ray
tomographic microscopy.
The rocks mainly consist of calcium and magnesium carbonates. However, the
microbial mats and the fossils are preserved in calcium phosphate, which allowed
the researchers to view the cellular and subcellular structures in three dimensions
with the use of synchrotron-radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy.
In addition, they also found regularly recurring platelets in each cell, which are
believed to be parts of chloroplasts.
Also, distinct and regular structures at the center of each cell wall were also found.
It is rather typical of red algae.

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Uttarakhand HC accords human status to Ganga, Yamuna


The Uttarakhand High Court on 20 March 2017 accorded the status of "living human
entities" to the Ganga and Yamuna, the two most sacred rivers of India.
Exercising extraordinary jurisdiction vested in the court, a division bench of Justice
Rajeev Sharma and Justice Alok Singh of the Nainital High Court said, "Holy Rivers Ganga and
Yamuna have been declared to be treated as living human entities."
The court accorded the status of living human entities to these two rivers while
hearing a PIL filed by Haridwar resident Mohammad Salim.

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New Zealand River gains legal status of a person,


ending 140 years battle

Highlights of the ruling of the High Court


Giving the "legal status" of living
humans to the holy rivers, the
court ordered to the Director of
Namami Gange project to clean
and rejuvenate the river.
The Chief Secretary and the
Advocate General of Uttarakhand will act as the "legal parents" of the holy rivers.
The Chief Secretary and Advocate General will work as a human face to protect,
conserve and preserve them and their tributaries.
The two officers will be responsible for upholding the status of the Ganga and
Yamuna rivers and promote their well-being.
While hearing the plea, the court also cited the example of the river Whanganui of
New Zealand. The Whanganui River was given such status in recent past.

Worlds oldest red algae fossils found in India

About the PIL


Mohammad Salim in his plea raised the matter related to mining and stone crushing
along the banks of the Ganga. Hearing the PIL, the court also directed the District Magistrate
of Dehradun to remove encroachment from the Shakti canal of the Ganga at Dhakrani
within the next 72 hours. In its order, the court said that the DM will be suspended from his
office if he fails to comply with the directive.
The petitioner in his plea also contended that there is no effective distribution of
properties attached to the tributaries of the rivers between Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh,
the two states that is connected via the holy rivers. On hearing the plea, the court also
ordered the authorities to work out the division of various properties between the
neighbouring states. The work will be done under Uttar Pradesh Re-Organisation Act, 2000,
a matter pending since the inception of Uttarakhand in the year 2000.

Twenty projects approved for implementation of Namami Gange Programme in


Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Delhi
Besides all these, the court also directed the government to form a Ganga
Management Board. The board should come into existence within the next eight weeks in
accordance with its previous order of December 2016.

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Recycling waste water would ease global water shortages:


United Nations
The United Nations (UN) on the occasion of the World Water Day, 22 March 2017,
published a report that stated that wastewater is a key to solving global water crisis.
The report stated that recycling the world's waste water, almost all of which goes
untreated, would ease global water shortages while protecting the environment.

Key highlights of the report


The report highlighted the fact that people have been using fresh water faster
than nature can replace it. This contributed to hunger, disease, conflict and
migration in some regions.
Two-thirds of human population currently live in zones that experience water
scarcity at least one month a year. The report states that half of those people live
in China and India.
On current trends, the United Nations Environment Programme predicts that
water demand, for industry, energy and an extra billion people, will increase by 50
per cent by 2030.
Global warming has already deepened droughts in many areas. The earth will
continue to heat up over the course of the century, even under optimistic
scenarios.
Waste water, runoff from agriculture, industry and expanding cities contribute to
the problem. The problem is deeper in poor countries where very little, if any,
waste water is treated or recycled.
High-income nations treat about 70 per cent of the waste water they generate.
The figure drops to 38 per cent for upper middle-income countries. In low-income
nations, only 8 per cent of industrial and municipal waste water undergoes
treatment of any kind.
More than 800000 people die every year because of contaminated drinking water,
and not being able to properly wash their hands.
Water-related diseases claim nearly 3.5 million lives annually in Africa, Asia and
Latin America. The figure is more than the global death toll from AIDS and car
crashes combined.
Chemicals and nutrients from factories and farms lead to dead-zones in rivers,
lakes and coastal waters, and seep into aquifers.
The report concludes that policy initiatives must shift focus to removing
contaminants from waste water flows, reusing water, and recovering useful by-
products to reduce pollution at the source.

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Night parrot sighting confirmed in Western Australia


for first time in 100 years

A group of birdwatchers in March 2017


spotted an Australian night parrot, once thought to
be extinct, for the first time in 100 years.
The bird was spotted photographed in
Western Australia. It is the first verified sighting of
the bird in the region.
The discovery of the bird was made by a
group of four friends from Broome. The group
travelled to a habitat in the outback of Western Australia that they identified as a potential
spotting place for the parrot via detailed aerial maps. They spent a night camping out at the
spot, listening out for the distinctive calls of the parrot. One member from the group
managed to take a photograph of the parrot.
The last recorded sighting of the parrot in Western Australia was in the Pilbara in
1912.

About Night Parrot


The night parrot is a small parrot endemic to the continent of Australia.

It is well known as being one of the most elusive and mysterious birds in the world.

There were no known sightings of the bird between 1912 and 1979, which led to a
speculation that it was extinct.

Since 1979, the birds sightings have been extremely rare.

The bird's population size is still unknown. However, it is estimated to be


somewhere around 50 to 249 mature individuals.

The first photographic and video evidence of the bird was publicly confirmed in
July 2013.

In August 2015, the capture of a live individual was announced on Australian


media.

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SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY
Seven Earth-like planets found orbiting the same star
Astronomers have discovered seven Earth-like exo- planets orbiting the same star, 40
light years away from Earth.

The findings were revealed through a study that was published on 22 February in a
journal called Nature and through a news conference, held at the NASA headquarters in
Washington.

Key Highlights
The seven planets have been found to be in a tight circle around a star called
TRAPPIST-1, which is almost one tenth the size of the sun and about a quarter as
warm.

The seven of them are distanced at a space five times smaller than the distance
between Mercury and our sun.

While the planet closest to the star takes about just one and half days to orbit
around it, the farthest one is reported to take about 20 days.

Despite such proximity to the sun-like star, these planets are not unbearably
warm.

Estimates of their mass indicate that they are all rocky planets.

Three of the seven planets-TRAPPIST-1e, f and g fall in the habitable zone, leading
to the possibility of them having water on their surface.

While the first three planets according to the researchers would be too warm to
support liquid water, the farthest one would be too cool.

According to researchers, TRAPPIST-1f looks to be the best candidate for supporting


life. It is a bit cooler than Earth but it may have the right atmosphere and though TRAPPIST-
1 is a dwarf star, it would appear three times as big as the sun when looked upon from
TRAPPIST-1f.

About the discovery


The discovery was made by a team led by Michal Gillon of the Universit de
Lige.

Generally, ultracool dwarf stars like TRAPPIST-1 are very common in the galaxy and
so, are largely overlooked.

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Gillon however, decided to study the space around one of these dwarf stars.

The researchers used a telescope called TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and


PlanetesImals Small Telescope) to observe its space.

He noticed dimness at certain intervals in the stars light.

Further observation helped them see shadows, little eclipses that interrupted the
steady pattern of the starlight periodically. The shadows indicated planets, and
further observation confirmed it.

Earlier they saw just three planets and slowly later they discovered all seven and
were able to determine their orbital periods, distances from their star, masses and
their radius.

Future plan
The researchers are looking to define the atmosphere of each planet and search for
signs of liquid water and life.

The research would get a better edge with the launch of James Webb Space Telescope
in 2018, which would be positioned 1 million miles away from Earth, giving an unobstructed
view of the universe.

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NASA may send robotic spacecraft to Sun in 2018


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to send its first
robotic spacecraft to the Sun in 2018.

The Solar Probe Plus mission, which is going to be NASAs first to the Sun, is
expected to get within six million kilometres of the Sun to probe its atmosphere.The Sun
is about 149 million kilometres from the Earth.

ISRO plans Venus mission, wants to revisit Red planet


According to Eric Christian, a NASA research scientist at the Goddard Space Flight
Centre, though the spacecraft would not be able to get to the surface of the Sun it would
definitely get close enough to answer three very important questions.

Why is the Suns surface, which is called photosphere, not as hot as its
atmosphere?

What accelerates the speed of the solar wind?

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Why does the Sun occasionally emit high-energy particles that pose a danger to
unprotected astronauts and spacecraft?

Christian explained the queries by saying that according to the data collected by
NASA, the surface temperature of the Sun is only 5500 degrees Celsius but the
temperature of its atmosphere is about two million degrees Celsius and generally the
farther away you go from the heat source, the colder it gets but with the Sun, its the
opposite.

Further, he added that the Sun blows a stream of charged particles in all directions
at a million miles an hour however, it is not clear from where it gets that much speed.

Seven Earth-like planets found orbiting the same star


Special Features of the spacecraft
It will have a 11.4 centimetres carbon-composite shield that has been designed by
NASA to withstand temperatures outside the spacecraft of 1370 degrees Celsius.

The spacecraft will also have special heat tubes called thermal radiators, which will
radiate the heat that permeates the heat shield to open space so that it does not reach
the instruments that are sensitive to heat.

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Worlds first robot table tennis tutor sets new


Guinness World record
FORPHEUS, the worlds first robot table tennis tutor has created a new Guinness
World Record with its extraordinary technological intelligence and educational capabilities.

The Japanese technology has been given the Guinness title for being able to play table
tennis way better than most humans.

Scientists create high-quality graphene using soybean

About FORPHEUS
FORPHEUS is short for Future Omron Robotics Technology for Exploring Possibility
of Harmonised automation with Sinic Theoretics.

It has been developed by Omron Corporation, a leading electronics company


based in Kyoto, Japan.

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According to its lead developer, Taku Oya, the main aim behind the technology is
to harmonise humans and robots by teaching table tennis to human players.

The machine is enabled to act as a coach with assistance from cutting edge vision
and motion sensors that help it gage movement during a match.

It also features several cameras that are located above the ping pong table, which
monitor the position of the ball at a rate of 80 times per second.

The cameras help the robot to show its human student a projected image as to
where the ball will land when returned in order to help them improve their skills.

Sand Artist Sudarsans new sand castle creates Guinness World Record

Further, a speed sensing component in the robot helps it calculate the opponents
ball at 1000 times per second and as a result it is easily able to determine how
good its opponents are at playing the game.

The robot also encourages the human players to give their best shot by showing
supportive messages along the LED screen situated on the tables net.

Talking further about the advancement in technology, Taku stated that though at the
moment it is a human who teaches a robot how to behave or teach, but in the next 20 years
it may be possible that a robot is teaching a robot or a robot is developing a robot.

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NASA may send robotic spacecraft to Sun in 2018


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to send its first
robotic spacecraft to the Sun in 2018.

The Solar Probe Plus mission, which is going to be NASAs first to the Sun, is expected
to get within six million kilometres of the Sun to probe its atmosphere.The Sun is about 149
million kilometres from the Earth.

ISRO plans Venus mission, wants to revisit Red planet

According to Eric Christian, a NASA research scientist at the Goddard Space Flight
Centre, though the spacecraft would not be able to get to the surface of the Sun it would
definitely get close enough to answer three very important questions.

Why is the Suns surface, which is called photosphere, not as hot as its
atmosphere?

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What accelerates the speed of the solar wind?

Why does the Sun occasionally emit high-energy particles that pose a danger to
unprotected astronauts and spacecraft?

Christian explained the queries by saying that according to the data collected by NASA,
the surface temperature of the Sun is only 5500 degrees Celsius but the temperature of its
atmosphere is about two million degrees Celsius and generally the farther away you go from
the heat source, the colder it gets but with the Sun, its the opposite.

Further, he added that the Sun blows a stream of charged particles in all directions at
a million miles an hour however, it is not clear from where it gets that much speed.

Seven Earth-like planets found orbiting the same star

Special Features of the spacecraft


It will have a 11.4 centimetres carbon-composite shield that has been designed by
NASA to withstand temperatures outside the spacecraft of 1370 degrees Celsius.

The spacecraft will also have special heat tubes called thermal radiators, which will
radiate the heat that permeates the heat shield to open space so that it does not reach the
instruments that are sensitive to heat.

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DMRL, JSHL signs Licensing Agreement for Transfer


of Technology of High Nitrogen Steel
Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad and Jindal Stainless
(Hisar) Limited (JSHL) on 1 March 2017 signed the Licensing Agreement for Transfer of
Technology of High Nitrogen Steel (HNS) for armour applications. DMRL is a premier
research laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

The High Nitrogen Steel (HNS) technology is a step forward towards Armys quest for
lighter and high-performance armouring material as compared to materials that are used at
present. Apart from its use in Armys armouring, HNS has the potential of being used in
numerous civilian applications.

Minister of State for Defence, Dr Subhash Bhamre who congratulated both DRDO and
DMRL for the achievement also called upon both public as well as private Industries and
Ordnance Factories to use this material extensively in their products.

About High Nitrogen Steel


HNS is tough material and has good strength.

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It is non-magnetic as well as corrosion resistant

It cost is about 40 percent less compared to Rolled Homogenous Armour Steel


(RHA).

This material has the potential for a number of defence and civil applications like
armouring, mine trawls, oil industries among others.

At present, the HNS technology is available with very few countries of the world.

Jindal Stainless Limited (JSHL)


Founded in 1970 by OP Jindal, the Jindal Stainless is one of the largest stainless steel
conglomerates in India and ranks amongst the top 10 stainless steel conglomerates in the
world. The stainless steel manufacturer with the state-of-the-art facility at Hisar (Haryana),
JSHL is backed with strong production facilities including the triplex refining route, which is
used for the production of HNS.

Jindal Stainless Group has an annual crude steel capacity of 1.8 MTPA and the group
has an annual turnover of Rs 14500 crores.

Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory


Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), a research laboratory of the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was established at Hyderabad in
1963. It was established with an aim to meet the needs of complex metals and materials
required for modern sophisticated warfare weapons systems. Over the years, the
Laboratory has acquired a special status as a premier centre for R&D in metals, alloys,
ceramic and composites.

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Conservation Drones to be used to monitor Tigers


The National Tiger
Conservation Authority (NTCA)
and the Wildlife Institute of India
(WII) in Dehradun plan to use
drones to monitor tiger
population in the reserves.

The conservation drones


would map select tiger reserves in
the country. Apart from
monitoring the tiger population,
the drones would collect and
transmit visual data on animal

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movements, poaching activities and forest fires from the inaccessible areas of the forest.

The data provided could be used for management of habitats and species.

Key Highlights
The project, which would mark the beginning of significant technological
intervention in wildlife conservation, will be launched in 10 tiger reserves across
the country.

Each reserve would get five unmanned vehicles, each of which is expected to cost
around Rs 400000.

Though the project has been given clearance by the Union ministries of Defence
and Civil Aviation, strict conditions have been imposed for the usage of the drones.

Drone tests have been conducted previously in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, Assam
and in Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

According to the researchers in WII, advanced technological solutions are required


for the protection of wildlife populations, especially large animals such as tiger,
rhino and elephant, as they move beyond the protected boundaries and are often
popular targets of poachers.

45% of country's bird species in Himachal Pradesh: Great Backyard Bird Count

According to V.B. Mathur, Director of WII, the drones have programmable auto-pilot
and telemetry systems that are capable of recording information and doing its live
transmission. He further continued by saying that the use of drones could also make night
patrolling of forest terrains, radio-tracking of animals and habitat monitoring possible.

Mathur also added that while deployment and data collection would be carried out by
a team of trained professionals working with the Wildlife Institute of India and the State
Forest Departments, the research and development activities for further improvisation of
the technology for various purposes would be continued in collaboration with national and
international organisations.

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EU launched fifth satellite of Copernicus observation program


The European Union (EU) on 7 March 2017 launched the fifth satellite of the
Copernicus observation program from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. The Sentinel-2B
satellite is a part of Sentinel Earth observation satellites, a system of satellites that monitors
Earth.

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This fifth Sentinel satellite will cut the time of imaging the earth by half and will ensure
speedy provision of images of land, oceans and waterways. This will improve services for
farmers, fishermen and other users of land and sea maps.

Now, the globes image will take only five days. The acceleration of the building up of
the globes image will positively affect the activities of fishermen by allowing them to
monitor the emergence of toxic algal blooms in sea.

About Sentinel-2B satellite


It will join its twin Sentinel-2A, which has been in orbit since 2015, to take high-
resolution, color and infrared images for a wide array of environmental initiatives.

These two satellites will orbit 488 miles (786 km) above Earth on opposite sides of
the planet.

Together, they will cover all of Earth's land surfaces, large islands, inland and
coastal waterways every five days.

They will provide more up-to-date images and at higher resolution than the
available ones.

It will help track pollution of lakes and coastal waters, monitor land changes or
produce disaster maps by providing information on floods, volcanic eruptions and
landslide.

About Copernicus earth observation program


The Copernicus project is described by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the most
ambitious Earth observation program till date. The European Union and the ESA have
committed funding of more than USD 9 billion to it until 2020.

The program is aimed at improving the life of EU communities by providing near-real-


time global environment data.

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Researchers find evidence confirming existence of


Ostrich in ancient India
Indian researchers have found molecular evidence that confirms the presence of
ostrich in India more than 25000 years ago.

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The evidence was founding during a DNA analysis of a fossilised eggshell fragment of
ostrich. In the study, the researchers found 92% genetic similarity between the fossil
eggshell samples and Struthio camelus, species of ostrich found in Africa.

The results were published in a journal called PLOS ONE.

Key Highlights
This is the first time that molecular evidence indicating the presence of ostrich in
India was found in the eggshell fragments. The fragments have been studied
previously as well using morphological features but no sufficient proof could be
obtained then that confirmed the existence of the birds in the country.

The analysed samples have close similarities with the African ostrich species,
which indicates the movement of these birds between the two regions before the
Indian landmass drifted away from Africa.

In total 11 fossilised eggshell samples from 8 archaeological sites in Rajasthan,


Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat were studied.

The DNA was isolated from five samples and a tiny portion of a highly conserved
mitochondrial region was enlarged and then sequenced from one of the samples.

The other four samples had less than 30 base pairs and so, were not included in
the study.

Centre to Launch Pilot Project on Ornamental Fisheries

Commenting on the whole process, one of the authors of the paper -Kumarasamy
Thangara from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad stated
that they could only amplify a small portion of the DNA as the sample was highly degraded.
He further explained that it is very challenging to isolate DNA from ancient samples and it
was more so in this case as the samples were exposed to the hostile environment.

This is the first time that a long-term DNA preservation in fossil eggshell collected from
tropical environments has been studied in India.

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UKs Newcastle University got first license to use 3-parent


technique
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) of the United Kingdom on
16 March 2017 granted a license to the Newcastle University to create babies using the 3-
parent technique.

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With this, the Newcastle University has become


the first organisation to receive a license since the
unveiling of the 3-parent baby policy by the HEFA in
December 2016.

About the 3-parent baby technique


The 3-parent baby technique involves in vitro
fertilization of both the mother's egg and a
donor's egg with the father's sperm.

Before these two fertilised eggs begin dividing


into an embryo, the unhealthy mothers egg
nucleus is replaced with the egg's nucleus of a
healthy donor.

This gives the doctors with a fertilised egg with a healthy donor mitochondria and
the mother's DNA in the nucleus.

This fertilised egg with the donors healthy mitochondria will be implanted in the
mothers uterus.

Researchers find evidence confirming existence of Ostrich in ancient India

Significance of 3-parent technique


Mitochondria are structures in cells that generate vital energy and contain their
own set of genes called mDNA.

Mitochondrial diseases are passed through the mother to baby. These diseases
cause symptoms ranging from poor vision to diabetes and muscle wasting.

After years of research, the 3-parent baby technique proved to be the only viable
option to treat patients with rare genetic mutations to have healthy babies.
EU launched fifth satellite of Copernicus observation program

Controversies
The technique has attracted criticism due to the ethical dimensions involved in the
process.

The pro-life believers claim that the technique involves the destruction of life.
They maintain that the technique is not foolproof as it is sure that majority of the
fertilised eggs are unhealthy.

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Majority of the scientific community argue that the technique may open the doors
for the creation of designer babies.

A designer baby is a genetically engineered baby with specially selected traits such
as gender, appearance, intelligence, etc.

Though the designer baby technology is aimed at developing a healthy human


being, it is vulnerable to misuse with far-reaching social, economic and political
consequences.

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Japan launched satellite to monitor North Korea


Japan on 17 March 2017 launched a
new satellite to track land and maritime
movements in North Korea. The satellite will
also be able to conduct surveys on the
weapons programme of the secretive nuclear-
armed state.
The launch project was conducted
jointly by the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries, the aerospace manufacturer. The move comes shortly after North Korea
launched four banned ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan's north-west coast, alarming
both Japan and the United States.

Key Highlights
The Radar 5 unit was launched into space on Japans H-2A rocket from
Tanegashima base, a site located towards the south-east of Japan.

The launch was initially scheduled for 15 March but it got delayed due to poor
weather conditions at the base.

The satellite will be replacing an existing satellite, which is coming to the end of its
mission.

Japan initiated the process of launching spy satellites into the orbit in 2003,
following North Koreas testing of a mid-range ballistic missile over the Japanese
mainland and into the western Pacific in 1998.

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The threat of unprecedented missile firing by North Korea has only accelerated
after that, especially recently after three of the four ballistic missiles launched by N
Korea landed extremely close to Japan.

Japan to send its largest warship to South China Sea in its


biggest show of military power

India and Brazil sign agreement to protect rights


of detached workers

Currently, Tokyo has three optical satellites for daytime surveillance and three
radar satellites for night time. Two among those are kept as backups.

The newly launched satellite is meant to succeed one of the three night-time
surveillance radar satellites, which was launched in 2011.
Though the real objective of the satellites is to gather information regarding N Koreas
military movements, they are also used to survey and monitor the damage caused by
natural disasters.

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Scientists in Netherlands developed a new, super-fast


Wi-Fi network
Scientists have developed a new wireless technology based on infrared rays, which is
reportedly 100 times faster than the existing wireless internet networks.
The Wi-Fi network has been developed by researchers at the Eindhoven University of
Technology in the Netherlands. It not only has a capacity of more than Gigabits per second
but it also eliminates the need to share Wi-Fi as every device will get its own ray of light.

Key Highlights
The wireless network will be accessible through few central light antennas, which
when mounted on the ceiling, will precisely direct the rays of light supplied by an
optical fibre.

The composition of the antenna includes a pair of gratings that help radiate light
rays of different wavelengths at different angles.

Changing the wavelength of the light also results in a change in the direction of the
ray of light. For the same a safe infrared wavelength is used, which does not reach
the retina of the human eye.

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The same light antenna assigns different devices different wavelengths so that
they do not have to share capacity.

In the case of a user, who is walking with a smartphone or a tablet, as soon the
device will move out of the zone of one light antennas direction, the other will
take over.
Besides this, the new network is capable of tracking the exact location of every
wireless device using its radio signal transmitted in the return direction.
According to the research team, even with the best Wi-Fi systems that are available
currently, users would not be able to get more speed than 300 Megabit/s in total, which is
almost a hundred times lesser than the speed per ray of light that can be achieved by the
new system.

The system has so far used the light rays only to download, uploads are still done using radio
signals, as in most applications much less capacity is needed for uploading.

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NASA to send its next-gen clock to Space to guide space


crafts and astronauts
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has made a key advance in
future human space exploration by developing the worlds first next-generation atomic
clock for deep space missions.
The clock has been developed by engineers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena,
California. Called Deep Space Atomic Clock, it is expected to aid future manned deep space
exploration missions by helping in the navigation of space crafts.

Scientists in Netherlands develop a new, super-fast Wi-Fi network

Key Highlights
This clock will be smaller, lighter and its magnitudes are expected to be more
precise than any atomic clock flown in space before.

The JPL engineers in February 2017 monitored the integration of the clock on to
the Surrey Orbital Test Bed spacecraft, which will take it into the orbit later in
2017.

Currently, most space crafts are tracked using the two-way method where a
ground-based antenna pings the spacecraft and then waits for the signal to
return.

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The distance to the spacecraft is calculated on the basis of how long the signal
takes to travel. The navigation team then uses the same data to determine the
spacecrafts flight path and see if any changes are required in the course.

With the development of the clock, however, the spacecraft will not need to send
the signal back to earth. Scientists would be able to track the spaceships in real-
time.

The clock would also help improve the precision and quantity of radio data used by
scientists for determining a planets gravity field and probing its atmosphere.

Norway ranked 1 in World Happiness Report, India slips to 122


This development will help guide astronauts in the future as it will provide their
position and velocity whenever they require it. It will also lighten the load on the antennas
in NASAs Deep Space Network, allowing more space crafts to be tracked with a single
antenna.

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ISRO created history by commissioning worlds third largest


hypersonic wind tunnel
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 20 March 2017 commissioned the
worlds third largest hypersonic wind tunnel at Thiruvananthapurams Vikram Sarabhai
Space Centre (VSSC) in Kerala.
ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar commissioned two facilities at the centre, one-metre
Hypersonic Wind Tunnel and one-metre Shock Tunnel. The event also saw in attendance
renowned aero-dynamicist Professor Roddam Narasimha and VSSC Associate Director, S
Pandian.

NASA to send its next-gen clock to Space to guide space crafts and astronauts

Key Highlights
Named after former ISRO Chairman Satish Dhawan, the two facilities have been
indigenously designed, developed and made fully in India with the support of
Indian Industries.

They are the third largest in terms of size and simulation capability in the world.

They have been indigenously designed, developed and made in India with the
support of Indian Industries.

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Commissioning of such facilities will help provide sufficient data for the design and
development of current as well as future Space transportation systems in the
country.

The facilities comprise 500 valves, 2 km long pipelines, 41 electric motors, 35


pumps, 320 instruments and 10 km of cables.

The tunnels also have a wide spectrum of simulation capabilities in terms of Mach
number, Reynolds number and re-entry velocities.

Scientists in Netherlands develop a new, super-fast Wi-Fi network

Usage of the facilities


The wind tunnels will be used to study the effects of air flowing past solid objects
like space vehicles.

Aerospace vehicles fly at high speed, often greater than the speed of sound.

The facilities will help aerodynamic characterisation of advanced space


transportation systems in a hypersonic environment.

They can also be used to simulate the aero-thermal environment where


characterisation of vehicles is carried out.

Though similar facilities exist in the country, they are much smaller in size and
have limited simulation capabilities.

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ISRO sends four teams to 36th Expedition to Antarctica


The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in March 2017 announced that it has
sent four teams to install stakes on ice for Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) to
validate the glacier surface velocity.
The teams will mount the stakes around Indian station known as Bharati and Maitri.

Key highlights
One team is from Space Application Center and the second team is from National
Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC). The third and fourth team belongs to IRS
Dehradun and Space Physics Laboratory.

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The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences organizes the Indian Scientific Mission to
Antarctica (ISEA) every year.

Climate change is the thrust area of the 36th ISEA.

The mission aims to install stakes on the ice for DGPS measurements. These teams
will study and collect the data from the satellite.

Based on the data collected, the teams will validate the glacier surface velocity in
order to measure the thickness of snow over the land and sea using GPRs.

Further, the teams will also verify the situations of snow over the sea and land ice.

In addition, these four teams will study snow melt and freeze dynamics on
Antarctica. They will use space-based and ground-based facts and data to research
on this.

About Indian Antarctic Program


The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program.

It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica.

It gained global acceptance with India's signing of the Antarctic Treaty and
subsequent construction of the Dakshin Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983.
The base was superseded by the Maitri base from 1990.

The newest Indian base at the continent, Bharati, was commissioned in 2015. It is
constructed out of 134 shipping containers.

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INTERNATIONAL
India, Uganda agreed to cooperate in space
programme and atomic energy
India and Uganda on 22 February 2017 agreed
to cooperate in various fields like the space
programme, vocational training and peaceful use of
atomic energy. The agreements were announced in
a joint press conference by the Vice President
Hamid Ansari and Ugandan President Yoweri Kauta
Museveni in State House at Entebbe, the official
residence of President.

VP Ansari was in Uganda during the second leg of 2-nation of his visit to East Africa,
namely Rwanda and Uganda. He was in Rwanda from 19 February to 21 February 2017 and
in Uganda from 21 February to 23 February 2017.

India, Rwanda signed MoUs in innovation aviation and visa requirements

Besides these agreements, the Vice President held talks with President Yoweri
Museveni at the State House. During this meet, the two leaders reviewed the entire gamut
of bilateral cooperation. They also committed to work together in trade, investment,
agriculture, defence cooperation and IT among others.

In addition, President Museveni called Indian companies to manufacture automobiles


locally, which would help the country in discouraging import of cars. It seems that this call
for assembling and manufacturing vehicles locally in Uganda would provide a new market to
Indian manufacturers.

Earlier in the day, Vice President Hamid Ansari met his counterpart Edward Ssekandi
at the Vice Presidents Secretariat.

IndiaUganda bilateral relations


India and Uganda shares cordial relations with each other. The bilateral relations
between the two nations are characterised by the historical and cultural linkages that the
two nations share with each other. They have established sound bilateral relations on
extensive economic and trade interests (of nearly US$ 1.3 billion) as well as on international
issues.

At present, more than 27000 Indian/PIO populations are residing in Uganda.

As per reports, the two nations including East Africa have been sharing trade and
economic relations since the 17th century, when several Indians reached the shores of East

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Africa in dhows laden with their wares. Eventually, a number of Indians settled in East
Africa, and many made Uganda their home. India's freedom struggle inspired the early
Ugandan activists to fight colonisation and Uganda eventually achieved Independence in
1962. India established its diplomatic presence in Uganda in 1965.

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Indo-Australia MoU for cooperation in civil


aviation sector approved
The Union Cabinet gave its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) between India and Australia for promotion and development of cooperation in civil
aviation security.

The approval was given at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on 22 February 2017 in New Delhi.

The MoU will also provide compliance of international obligation as well as enhance
promotion in the area of security cooperation between the two countries.

Overview of India-Australia Relations


India and Australia have several commonalities, which serve as a foundation for
closer cooperation and multi-faceted interaction between the two countries.

The relationship has grown in strength and importance since Indias economic
reforms in 1990s.

The present bilateral cooperation extends to all the vital areas such as trade,
energy, mining, science and technology, information technology, education and
defence.

India and Australia cooperate in various multilateral fora. Australia supports Indias
candidature in an expanded UN Security Council.

Both India and Australia are members of the G-20, Commonwealth, Indian-Ocean
Rim Association (IORA), ASEAN Regional Forum and Asia Pacific Partnership on
Climate and Clean Development.

Defence Cooperation between India and Australia has expanded significantly in


recent years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a successful visit to Australia in November


2014.

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India is Australias largest export market for gold and chickpeas, the second largest
market for coal and copper ores and the third largest market for lead and wool.

Four products coal, non-monetary gold, copper ores and petroleum account
for over 80 per cent of Indias imports from Australia.

Indias major exports to Australia are pearls and gems, jewellery, medicaments
and passenger motor vehicles.

There is an Indian community of nearly 2,95,000 in Australia. The community is


contributing to the Australian economy in their role as teachers, doctors,
accountants, engineers and researchers.

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Trump administration revoked law protecting transgender students


US President Donald Trumps
administration on 22 February 2017
rolled back Obamas protection law for
transgender students that allowed
them to use the bathroom and locker
room of their choice in public schools.

In May 2016, Barack Obama


had instructed all the public schools in
the United States to allow transgender students to openly choose their gender identity
and use the bathrooms and locker rooms that matched with it. This measure was taken
in accordance with Title IX, the federal law that bars gender discrimination in education.

It was seen by the transgender community as a huge progress in their fight for
equal rights. However, Trumps administration revoked the protection arguing that the
state and public schools should have the authority to make their own decisions without
interference from federal authority.

Key Details
The decision to revoke the order was announced by the Department of Justice and
Department of Education.

The withdrawal was not well received by the opposition Democratic Party leaders.

The Trump administration backed the move by saying that there were too many
lawsuits and legal loopholes in Obamas regulation.

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Obamas instructions not in line with Title IX


According to Betsy DeVos, US Education Secretary, the guidance issued by
Obamas administration had raised several legal questions and as a result a federal
court in August 2016 had issued a nationwide ban, barring the department from
implementing a portion of its application.

DeVos further stated that since then, the department had not enforced that part of
the instruction and so, the withdrawal has had no immediate effect on the students.

US President Donald Trump signs executive order


to pull US out of TPP

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions also commented on the issue by saying that
the previous instruction did not comprise enough legal analysis or explain how its
interpretation was in line with Title IX. He further added that the state legislatures and
local governments are in a position to adopt appropriate policies to address the issue.

Sessions also affirmed that the Department of Justice is committed to ensure the
proper interpretation and enforcement of Title IX and the protection of all its students
including the ones belonging to the LGBT community from discrimination, bullying and
harassment.

Backlash
This move has however, received a lot of criticism from the American public and
the leaders of opposition parties who view it as a regressive step and as a huge blow to
the already vulnerable LGBT community.

According to Nancy Pelosi, the Minority leader of the House of Representatives,


the move is an indication that President Trump cannot be trusted to defend the rights of
LGBT Americans. She further claimed that the issue was not a state issue; it was an
issue of equality for all.

US Senator Ben Cardin also condemned the decision by saying that it is a tragic
step backward for the transgender children.

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South Africa's decision to leave ICC ruled invalid


The South African governments decision to withdraw from the International
Criminal Court was declared invalid and unconstitutional by the high court in Pretoria on
22 February 2017.

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The court determined that the decision to withdraw from the International court was
taken by South African President Jacob Zuma and Minister of Justice Michael Masutha
without appropriate approval from the parliament, which amounts to a breach of the
separation of powers.

Key Highlights
South Africa notified the United Nations of its intent to leave the ICC in October
2016, stating the courts intention of pursuing a regime change as one of its main
reasons to leave.

The decision was not approved by the leading opposition party in South Africa, the
Democratic Alliance (DA), which approached the Pretoria court arguing that the
ruling government had to first seek Parliamentary approval.

In the latest judgment, the court ruled in the favour of DA, calling the ruling
governments action as unconstitutional.

The court has also ordered the government to revoke its notice of withdrawal.

Russia withdraws from International Criminal Court

Responding on the matter, the Justice Minister, Michael Masutha said that the
government still intended to quit the ICC. He further stated that the government would
be considering all its options including a possible appeal after studying the full
judgement.

Background
South Africas decision to pull out from the ICC followed a dispute over the 2015
visit of the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to South Africa.

Bashir, who has an ICC arrest warrant over him for alleged war crimes, had come
to SA to attend an African Union summit in Johannesburg.

Despite ICCs request to arrest him, South African authorities refused to do so.

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Canada to resettle 1200 Yazidi refugees by the end of 2017


The Justin Trudeau government announced on 21 February that Canada will give
asylum to 1200 Yazidis, the most vulnerable refugees in the world by the end of the
year.

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The efforts follow the Canadian Parliaments resolution last year to take in the
Yazidis facing genocide in Iraq at the hands of the Islamic extremists.

According to Ahmed Hussen, Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and


Citizenship, though initially, the aim was to bring over the women and girls who stand the
risk of facing persecution, the government decided to help all, especially since the
extremist group was also targeting boys.

Key Highlights
Canada began its operation of rescuing these vulnerable refugees on 25 October 2016.

Around 400 Yazidis have already been airlifted to the country in the last few
months.

The migrants have been brought over on commercial flights at a controlled pace to
avoid overwhelming Canada's refugee system.

The whole operation is expected to cost around 28 million Canadian Dollars.

While the majority of the refugees will come from Iraq, some will also be from
Lebanon and Turkey.

Ever since Justin Trudeau took over as the Prime Minister of Canada in 2015, his
government has helped resettle almost 40000 Syrian refugees.

About the Yazidi community


Yazidis are ethnically a Kurdish-speaking minority religious community.

Their pre-Islamic religion is thought to have its origin in the Zoroastrianism of


ancient Persia.

They are neither Arabic nor Muslim and so, the Islamic State considers them
polytheistic heretics.

The rescue operation for the Yazidis differs slightly from the regular one, as these
are being conducted in a more closed manner in order to protect the identity of these
vulnerable groups. In addition to the resettlement of the 1200 refugees, the Canadian
government also intends to facilitate them with private sponsorships.

While appreciating the efforts of the Trudeau government, Conservative MP


Michelle Rempel stressed that like Canada other countries also need to wake up to the
fact that if these people are not provided with a safe haven now, they might get wiped off
completely.

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India to provide financial assistance to Bangladesh


for development of Sylhet city
India and Bangladesh on 24 February 2017 signed Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to provide financial assistance to Bangladesh for sustainable development of Sylhet,
a north-eastern Bangladeshi city.

Under the MoU three development projects will be taken up in Sylhet. These projects
will be developed at an expense of around Taka 240 million.

Projects for which financial aid will be provided under the tripartite agreement are

India will provide financial aid for construction of a five-storey Kinder Garten and
High School Building

Financial aid will be provided for construction of a six-storey cleaner colony


building

Financial aid will be provided for some development work in Dhupa Dighirpar area

The tripartite agreement was signed in Sylhet by Indian High Commissioner Harsh
Vardhan Shringla and Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division Additional Secretary Shah
Md. Aminul Haque and Sylhet City Corporation CEO Enamul Habib.

The signing was the follow-up of an earlier MoU which was signed between India and
Bangladesh in April 2013 for the implementation of sustainable development projects in
socio-economic sectors of Bangladesh.

Sylhet
Sylhet also known as Jalalabad is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh.

It is the administrative seat of Sylhet Division and one of the most important
spiritual and cultural centers of Bangladesh.

The city is located on the right bank of the Surma River in northeastern Bengal.

It has a subtropical climate and lush highland terrain.

The city has a population of more than 479837 residents.

After Dhaka and Chittagong, Sylhet is one of the most important cities of
Bangladesh.

The city's dargahs or burial sites of Muslim saints have helped the city to win a
status of tourist destination within and outside the country.

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Earlier, Sylhet was a part of the former Assam province of India and was a focal point
for 1971 Liberation War. Besides, being an ancient city and a historically vibrant city, the city
has been a hub of commercial activities.

Besides, the Union Government will also carry out similar development projects for
Rajshahi. The project will be carried at an expense of Taka 210 million. A MoU was recently
signed in Rajshahi in this regard.

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Sixty Four Indian exporters took part in Gulfood 2017


The worlds largest annual food event, Gulfood 2017 was officially inaugurated by
the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al
Maktoum at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on 26 February 2017.

The five-day exhibition, which will continue till 2 March 2017, is expected to
witness participation from over 90,000 food professionals from 150 countries across the
world.

Key Highlights
Among the exhibitors are 64 Indian exporters dealing in a range of Agriculture and
Processed Food products.

The exporters are participating under the banner of the Agricultural and Processed
Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

The organisation falls under the Indian Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

The APEDA pavilion was inaugurated by Commerce Secretary, Rita Teaotia.

APEDA is responsible for the promotion and development of the export of various
Agricultural products.

Hence, Gulfood 2017 is a significant event for the body, as UAE poses as a
potential market for several Indian food products including fresh fruits & vegetables,
basmati rice, buffalo meat, processed fruits, wheat, cereals and dairy products.

India is one of the largest food producers in the world. It exports agricultural
products to more than 80 countries across the globe. During the years 2015 and 2016,
the countrys exports stood at USD 16.19 billion.

About Gulfood
The event is the worlds largest annual food and beverage exhibition.

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This year, it is celebrating its 22nd edition.

Launched as a biennial event in 1987, the exhibition has grown to encourage food
and beverage trade between more than 120 countries annually.

It enables over 5000 providers of raw ingredients and materials to showcase the
innovations, tastes and trends, which are shaping the future of food and beverage
consumption globally.

The business to business trade exhibition is managed and hosted by the Dubai
World Trade Centre.

-x-x-x-x-

Trump called for 'merit-based' immigration system in


address to Congress
Donald Trump, the President of United States called for a merit-based immigration
system during his first address to Congress on 1 March 2017.

Trump stated that countries across the world like Australia and Canada have a merit-
based immigration system and its introduction in the US would help save millions of dollars
and raise the workers wages and in turn help many struggling families including the
immigrant ones to enter the middle class.

Key Highlights from Trumps address


According to Trump, the current system offers very less wage to the poorest
workers and puts immense pressure on the taxpayers.

Trump believes that a real and positive immigration reform is possible as long as it
focuses on improving job and wage prospects for the Americans to strengthen the
countrys security and restore the respect for laws.

The introduction of the system is expected to bring back millions of jobs, raise
wages and help the unemployed.

Trump administration revokes law protecting transgender students

What this means for India


The suggested system could benefit high-tech professionals from India, as Indian IT
professionals account for the largest number of foreign nationals coming to the US
on H-1B visas.

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H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows American employers to temporarily


employ foreign workers in occupations that require special expertise.

Besides this, Indians also account for a large number of foreign workers coming to
the US as doctors, scientists, engineers and other high-skilled professionals.

Several technology companies depend on these visas to hire thousands of


employees every year.

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UK-India Year of Culture 2017 launched


The UK-India Year of Culture 2017 was launched on 27 February 2017 at Buckingham
Palace to mark a year-long celebration of the strong relationship shared between the UK
and India. Queen Elizabeth II hosted a gala event to mark the launch.

Top Indian celebrities arrived at the event such as Anoushka Shankar, Gurinder
Chadha and Shiamak Davar. Additionally, The Big Bang Theorys Kunal Nayyar, Ayesha
Dharker and Nina Wadia were also in attendance. Anil Kapoor also attended the event as a
special guest.

On arrival, guests watched an Indian dance performance entitled 'Ekam' in the


reception.

The UK India Year of Culture marked its launch as the BFI National Archives announce
a restoration of silent film Shiraz. Shiraz looks at the 17th century love story behind the
construction of the Taj Mahal.

A Year-Long Celebration
Throughout 2017, UK India Year of Culture will hold special events, exhibitions and
activities in both the UK and India. It will celebrate Indias heritage and culture
throughout the United Kingdom.

Year 2017 will see an incredible programme of cultural events and activities in
India organised by the British Council, and a similar programme in the UK
organised by the Government of India.

Major UK and Indian institutions will also participate in the events such as the BFI
National Archive and India@UK2017.

Much anticipated blockbuster 'Baahubali: The Conclusion' will get its UK premiere
on 27 April 2017 as part of the cultural celebrations held to mark the 70th
anniversary of Indias independence.

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British/German/Indian film will be premiered on 14 October 2017 at the 61st


London Film Festival. India will also get a screening of the film too by the Taj
Mahal.

The BFI also plan to screen the India on Film Programme from April to December
2017. It will showcase a wide range of exciting Indian films including Bollywood
2.0.

Shows will be held in various cities, including London and Edinburgh. They will also
support other Indian productions, such as Ravi Shankars Sukanya and the London
Indian film festival.

India and the World: A History in Nine Stories, an exhibition, will be held at the
British Museum to coincide with the 70th Anniversary of Indias independence. It
will open in November 2017, in time with the Partitions anniversary.

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Pakistan Government approved merger of FATA


with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The Pakistan Government on 2 March 2017 approved the merger of Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The step was
taken to bring the impoverished and politically deprived tribal region at par with the rest of
the country.

Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, presided a meeting of the federal cabinet,
which approved in principle the recommendations of the FATA Reforms Committee. The
Committee includes the merger of the tribal areas with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and repeal of
the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).

The recommendation to merge Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with the FATA was made by the
six-member committee headed by Sartaj Aziz, PM's Adviser on Foreign Affairs.

The Government, in addition, also approved a 10-year reform package to bring the
tribal region on a par with other developing areas of the country.

Key highlights
The development package, worth more than Pakistani Rupees 110 billion, has
been approved for the seven agencies of the tribal region.

Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Peshawar High Court will be extended to
FATA.

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Introduction of Local Government system, education and jobs opportunities for


youth and up-gradation of Levis Force are part of the 24-point FATA reforms.
However, LG polls will be held after 2018 general elections.

What is Federally Administered Tribal Areas?


The Federally Administered Tribal Areas is a semi-autonomous tribal region in
northwestern Pakistan.

The region borders Pakistan's provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan


to the east and south, and Afghanistan's provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia,
Khost and Paktika to the west and north.

The FATA consists of seven tribal agencies and six frontier regions. They are
directly governed by Pakistan's federal government through a special set of laws
called the FCR.

The territory is almost exclusively inhabited by the Pashtuns.

About Khyber Pakhtunkhwa


Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one of the four provinces of Pakistan.

It is located in the northwestern region of the nation.

The province was formerly known as North-West Frontier Province.

Its provincial capital and largest city is Peshawar.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shares borders with the FATA to the west; GilgitBaltistan to
the northeast; Azad Kashmir, Islamabad and Punjab to the east and southeast.

The province also shares an international border with Afghanistan, connected


through the Khyber Pass.

It is the third largest province of Pakistan by the size of both population and
economy. However, the province is geographically the smallest of four provinces.

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Syrian troops with Russian support


recaptured historic city of Palmyra from IS
Syrian troops backed by Russian jets on 2 March
2017 recaptured the historic city of Palmyra from the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

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According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor,
the army and Iranian-backed militia advanced inside Palmyra on 2nd March. They
recaptured the historic city after ISIS withdrew from the city.

The observatory in its report said ISIS militants retreated to areas in the East and the
government forces conducted combining operations to clear mines on the day.

ISIS: The eminent threat to the world peace and stability

Highlights of IS militants presence in Palmyra


IS militants mined several areas before withdrawing completely.

During Syria's six-year civil war, the oasis city has traded hands several times and
become a symbol of the meaningless destruction of cultural heritage in areas
under ISIS control.

Palmyra was first seized by the militant group in May 2015. After capturing the
city, UNESCO world heritage site was destroyed systematically. The city was listed
on UNESCOs world heritage site for hosting numerous ancient monuments and
temples.

Palmyra's temple of Baalshamin destroyed by ISIS militants

Later in March 2016, the militant group was driven out from the city but was able
to recapture it in December 2016 when the Syrian government focused on
recapturing rebel-held East Aleppo.

Reports say the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has informed President
Vladimir Putin of Palmyra's recapture.

Loss of Palmyra is being considered as the latest blow to the militant group, ISIS
because in recent past the group had suffered losses in its two main strongholds, namely
Raqa (Syria) and Mosul (Iraq). It lost these two areas after facing assaults by forces backed
by the US-led coalition. Early in 2014, the militant/jihadist group took over swathes of
territory in Syria and Iraq.

Palmyra's Temple of Bel destroyed by ISIS militants: UN

Site of Palmyra
The city of Palmyra, known as an oasis in the Syrian Desert, was a house of
monumental ruins of the Neolithic period, like the Temple of Ba'al, the Agora, Diocletian's
Camp, Theatre and other temples, before it was captured by ISIS. Their entrance to the city
led to the destruction of several structures and loot of the heritage site just for sale in the
black market.

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Before the entrance of ISIS, the city was one of the most important cultural centres of the
ancient world.

The city was first mentioned in the archives of Mari in the 2nd millennium BC. It was
established as a caravan oasis under the Roman control in the mid-first century AD as part
of the Roman province of Syria. With time, the city became an important trade route of Asia
as it linked China, India and Persia with the Roman Empire.

Operation Inherent Resolve to tackle ISIS

Discovery of the ruined city by travellers in the 17th and 18th centuries resulted in its
subsequent influence on architectural styles.

UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution to cut-off


supply of funds to ISIS group

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Malaysia cancelled visa-free entry for North Koreans


Malaysia has decided to cancel the visa-free travel permit to the North Koreans,
following the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of the North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un, at the Kuala Lumpur airport.

The announcement was made by the countrys deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid.
The visa-free entry for North Koreans will be cancelled from 6 March 2017.

Key highlights
Zahid announced that after 6 March, North Koreans would be required to obtain a
visa before entering Malaysia due to national security reasons.

Kim Jong Nam was murdered at the Kuala Lumpur airport with a toxic nerve
agent. Two women, one from Vietnam and other from Indonesia were charged
with his murder.

The incident led to the souring of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Not only did North Korea deny the allegations set on it by the US and South Korea
for the murder of Kim, but it also attempted to convince Malaysia to not perform
an autopsy on Kims body and to release the North Korean suspect detained in
connection with the murder.

A high-level delegation arrived in Kuala Lumpur from North Korea to discuss the
same with the Malaysian cabinet on 28 February 2017.

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Malaysia has however insisted on following its own laws and refused to release the
body to the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, opting to wait for a family member to
come forward. The country is also investigating the involvement of seven others in the case
including a senior official from the North Korean embassy.

Prior to this, both the countries shared a friendly relation. Their cordial ties go way
back to 1970s when former Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, embraced the
isolated state to snub the United States of America.

In fact, Malaysia is one of the few countries that offered North Koreans visa-free travel
and in reciprocation North Korea too allowed Malaysians to enter their super secretive
region without a visa, making them the only foreigners to be able to do so in the world.

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Sudanese President Bashir names long-time ally


as new Prime Minister
Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Sudanese President appointed Vice President Hassan Saleh as
the new Prime Minister of Sudan on 1 March 2017.

Salehs nomination was approved by President Bashir himself at a party leadership


meeting chaired by him. This appointment makes Saleh Sudans first Prime Minister ever
since Bashir took over in 1989 following an Islamist and military-backed coup.

Key highlights
Saleh was sworn in on 2 March 2017. He is now faced with the task of forming his
new cabinet.

He will continue to hold his position of the countrys Vice President.

The position of Prime Minister was created, following an amendment in Sudans


constitution in December 2016 on the demand of the opposition parties.

The opposition parties of Sudan during a national dialogue with the government
demanded for the creation of the new post with the aim of distributing some of
the Presidents powers.

Though Bashir agreed to the proposal and introduced the new post, he reserved
most executive authority for himself.

About Hassan Saleh


Saleh is a retired army general. He took part in the June 1989 military coup that
brought Bashir to power. In fact, he is the last member from the group of officers
in the coup to remain on Bashirs side.

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He has previously held several prominent positions in the Sudanese security


agencies including that of the Director of the National Security Service, Minister of
the Interior, Minister of Presidential Affairs and the Minister of Defense.

He was appointed as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Islamic Movement in


2012 and as the First Vice President of Sudan in December 2013.

He is now being seen as a possible successor to Omar al-Bashir, especially if the


president sticks to his promise of not contesting in the 2020 elections.

Sudans crises
The countrys government has been embroiled in a long war against various rebel
groups.

Sudan is also undergoing a severe economic crisis, especially since south Sudan
broke away from it in 2011 taking with it three-quarters of its oil output, which
was the main source of the countrys income.

The countrys budget this year foresees a growing deficit and slower growth.

Omar al-Bashir is the first sitting president to be wanted for war crimes by the
International Criminal Court in the Hague.

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India's accession to the Customs Convention on International


Transport of Goods approved
The Union Cabinet on 6 March 2017 gave
its approval for India's accession to the
Customs Convention on International
Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets
(TIR Convention).

The approval was given at a meeting of


the Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

How accession to the Convention will benefit India?


By joining the Convention, the need for inspection of goods at intermediate
borders as well as physical escorts en route shall be obviated due to reciprocal
recognition of Customs controls.

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Indian traders will have access to fast, easy, reliable and hassle free international
system for movement of goods by road or multi-modal means across the
territories of other contracting parties.

Customs clearance can take place at internal Customs locations, thereby avoiding
clearances at border crossing points and ports that may often be congested.

India, Portugal MoU on renewable energy approved


Movement under the TIR can be allowed by checking only the seals and the
external conditions of the load compartment or the container.

This procedure will reduce border delays, transport and transaction costs, thereby
leading to increased competitiveness and growth of the trade and transport
sectors.

Compliance with the Convention shall ensure enhanced security in the supply
chain as only approved transporters and vehicles are allowed to operate in terms
of the Convention.

As the TIR Carnet represents a guarantee for Customs duties and taxes and traffic
in transit, there is no need for payment of such taxes and duties en route.

The TIR carnet also serves as a Customs declaration, and hence it precludes the
need to file multiple declarations satisfying national laws of the different transiting
countries.

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India, Portugal MoU on renewable energy approved


The Union Cabinet on 6
March 2017 gave its ex-post
facto approval for signing of a
Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on
Renewable Energy between
India and Portugal.

The approval was given at


a meeting of the Cabinet
chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

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Highlights of India-Portual MoU on Renewable Energy


The MoU establishes the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to
encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable
issues.

The future partnership will be strengthened on the basis of mutual benefit,


equality and reciprocity.

The MoU envisages constitution of a Joint Working Group (JWG), which can
include members from scientific institutions, research centers, universities, or any
other entity, as and when considered essential.

The MoU will also help in strengthening overall bilateral cooperation between the
two countries.

Overview of India-Portugal relations


Relations with Portugal today remain close, friendly and devoid of irritants.

Diplomatic relations between India and Portugal were established in 1949.

However, following problems in negotiations over Goa, all diplomatic and consular
links were severed in 1 September 1955. Goa was liberated in 1961.

Having overcome the irritants of 1961, the two countries share an excellent
political relationship today. Portugal has consistently supported India at
multilateral fora, including for a permanent seat at the UNSC. It also supported
India in its bid for a non-permanent seat in 2011-12.

India, UAE MoU on Energy Efficiency Services approved

Cooperation between India and Portugal is also witnessed in the fact that Portugal
agreed to extradite Abu Salem in 2004.

With this, Portugal has become the first European Union nation to agree to
extradition to India.

Both the countries signed seven bilateral agreements in January 2017 during the
visit of the Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa to India.

During the visit, both the countries released a Joint Declaration on Cooperation in
Third Countries. The declaration is in tune with Indias ambition to extend soft
power across the globe.

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North Korea temporarily bans


Malaysians from leaving the country
The foreign ministry of North Korea notified the
Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang on 7 March 2017 that
it had temporarily banned Malaysians from leaving the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) until the
safety of North Korean diplomats and citizens in
Malaysia was fully guaranteed through the fair
settlement of the case involving the murder of North
Korean leaders half brother Kim Jong Nam.

The North Korean ministry also stated that it hoped that the Malaysian embassy in
North Korea and the foreign ministry of Malaysia would fairly and swiftly resolve the case in
order to develop bilateral ties between both the nations.
Key Highlights
The notification assured complete safety of the diplomats and citizens of Malaysia
in DPRK, stating that they could work and live normally under the same conditions
and circumstances as before.

The action was condemned by the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak who said
that it was in total disregard of all international law and diplomatic norms.

He further warned that Malaysia would not hesitate to take all necessary
measures to protect its citizens.

Razaks statement was followed up by a call for an emergency meeting of the


National Security Council and a ban on all North Koreans from leaving Malaysia.

The Malaysian police have also sealed off the North Korean embassy in Kuala
Lumpur to find out the exact number of officials inside.

Malaysia to cancel visa-free entry for North Koreans

According to Reezal Marican, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Malaysia, there are 11
Malaysians in North Korea including three at the Malaysian Embassy, two United Nations
employees and six family members.

Background
The crisis was sparked following the lethal poisoning of North Korean leader Kim
Jong-uns estranged half-brother Kim Jong-Nam at the Kuala Lumpur airport in
February 2017.

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Kim Jong Nam was reportedly killed by a toxic VX nerve agent that left him dead
within the time span of just two minutes.

Though two women, one from Vietnam and other from Indonesia were arrested
on the charge of murder, two North Koreans are also wanted for questioning by
the Malaysian police and they are suspected to be hiding in the North Korean
embassy.

South Korea and the United States believe that the murder was orchestrated by
North Korea.

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India, UAE MoU on Energy Efficiency Services approved


The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the field of
energy efficiency services.

The approval was given at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on 6 March 2017 in New Delhi.

Highlights of the India-UAE MoU


The MoU paves the way for collaboration between the National Productivity
Council (NPC) and Al Etihad Energy Services UAE in the field of energy
management and conservation.

Under the MoU, the NPC will provide the following services.

Energy assessment services

Training and certification of energy auditors

Demand side management

Meanwhile, Al Etihad ES will provide the following services to all the relevant
projects on a case by case basis.

i) Customer support to UAE government and privately owned organizations in the


United Arab Emirates

ii) All local support for field auditing professionals in the UAE

iii)All local support for training and certification of energy auditors in UAE

iv) All support related to demand side management of industries based in UAE

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The MoU will enable NPC avail high value opportunities such as energy building
and develop institutional mechanism in the field of energy efficiency in Dubai and
other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries.

India's accession to the Customs Convention on International


Transport of Goods approved

It will provide recognition and exposure to further build NPC's capacities and
competencies in rapidly changing international business scenario.

The MoU will be a precedent for engagements with other international


collaboration partners and will enhance NPC's visibility in the field of energy
efficiency.

About National Productivity Council (NPC)


NPC is a national level organization to promote productivity culture in India.

Established by the Ministry of Industry in 1958, it is an autonomous, multipartite,


non-profit organization with equal representation from employers and workers
organizations and the government.

NPC is a constituent of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an


intergovernmental body, of which India is a founder member.

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Trump revises travel ban, Iraq excluded from the list


US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on 6 March 2017,
reinstating a ban on immigration from six of the previously banned Muslim majority
countries for three months and all refugees for four months.

The countries featuring on the banned list include Libya, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Yemen and
Somalia. Iraq, which was included in the previous ban, was spared from the current one
after agreeing for additional visa vetting measures.

The decision to exclude Iraq from the list was welcomed by the Iraqi foreign ministry
and it said that this order will enhance US-Iraqi cooperation in the fight against Islamic State
terrorists.

Trump calls for 'merit-based' immigration system in address to Congress

Key Highlights
The new ban will come into effect on 16 March 2017.

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The new order exempts permanent residents and current visa holders who had
initially been covered by the previous order.

It also dropped language offering preferential status to persecuted religious


minorities for refugee settlement, a provision that had been viewed as targeting
Muslims.

This revised order was unveiled by the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson,
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Homeland Security John Kelly.

The order also gives permission to refugees who had already received approval
from the State department to enter the United States.

It also lifts the indefinite ban imposed on all Syrian refugees.

Trumps previous executive order, his first immigration directive, was faced with
wide-scale protests, especially at the nations airports. It was ultimately blocked by
a federal appeals court.

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Australian service marked the third anniversary of MH370 tragedy


Family members of the Australians on
board the fatal Malaysian Airlines flight
MH370 gathered at St Johns Cathedral in
Brisbane to mark the third anniversary of the
tragedy on 8 March 2017.

The private ceremony was attended by


around 100 people including Darren Chester,
Australian Minister for infrastructure and
transport and Angus Houston, former
Australian defence chief who coordinated the initial search efforts for the missing flight and
diplomats from Malaysia, China and New Zealand.

Speaking at the ceremony, Darren Chester stated that while the searchers have been
unsuccessful in solving the mystery surrounding the missing plane, they tried their best and
still hope remains for a possible breakthrough in the future that would result in the plane
being found.

Key Details
Several relatives of the 239 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 777 live in or
near Brisbane.

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Chester announced the governments decision of erecting a permanent memorial


in remembrance of the lost passengers and crew in the west coast city of Perth,
which had been a base for the Indian Ocean air and sea search parties.

Chester noted right before the service that he could understand the frustration
many family members of the victims felt about the fact that there was no longer
any search mission for the plane.

The active search for the crash site of the plane was officially called off by
Australia, Malaysia and China in January 2017, after the search crew failed to find
any further lead or trace.

The advanced search mission was suspended after sweeping almost 120000
square kilometers of the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia.

The airliner is suspected to have flown very far off course for some unknown
reason during its journey from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Beijing in China on 8
March 2017.

There are suggestions by some relatives of raising funds to continue the search of
the ocean floor privately.

The mystery surrounding MH370


The plane was carrying 239 people including 12 crew members

It had completed 53460 flight hours and 7525 take-offs and landings.

The pilot had a record of more than 18000 flying hours and had been employed
with the airlines since 1981.

The air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane almost an hour after its take
off.

The flight was last detected on the military radar near the island of Pulau Perak at
the northern end of the Strait of Malacca.

Though no distress signal or message was sent from the plane, reports suggest
that it attempted to turn back from its scheduled path.

The weather conditions were also reported to be good.

The planes disappearance launched one of the largest-ever international search


efforts in the area over the South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand and the Indian
Ocean.

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Around 120000 sq km area of the seabed has been searched using advanced
underwater drones and sonar equipment.

A flaperon from the plane was discovered on Reunion Island more than 3700 km
away from the main search site in July 2015.

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EU launched fifth satellite of Copernicus observation program


The European Union (EU) on 7
March 2017 launched the fifth
satellite of the Copernicus
observation program from Europe's
spaceport in French Guiana.

The Sentinel-2B satellite is a


part of Sentinel Earth observation
satellites, a system of satellites that
monitors Earth.

This fifth Sentinel satellite will cut the time of imaging the earth by half and will ensure
speedy provision of images of land, oceans and waterways. This will improve services for
farmers, fishermen and other users of land and sea maps.

Now, the globes image will take only five days. The acceleration of the building up of
the globes image will positively affect the activities of fishermen by allowing them to
monitor the emergence of toxic algal blooms in sea.

About Sentinel-2B satellite


It will join its twin Sentinel-2A, which has been in orbit since 2015, to take high-
resolution, color and infrared images for a wide array of environmental initiatives.

These two satellites will orbit 488 miles (786 km) above Earth on opposite sides of
the planet.

Together, they will cover all of Earth's land surfaces, large islands, inland and
coastal waterways every five days.

They will provide more up-to-date images and at higher resolution than the
available ones.

It will help track pollution of lakes and coastal waters, monitor land changes or
produce disaster maps by providing information on floods, volcanic eruptions and
landslide.

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About Copernicus earth observation program


The Copernicus project is described by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the most
ambitious Earth observation program till date. The European Union and the ESA have
committed funding of more than USD 9 billion to it until 2020.

The program is aimed at improving the life of EU communities by providing near-real-


time global environment data.

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Cultural festival 'India by the Nile' held in Egypt


The fifth edition of the mega cultural festival India by the Nile began in Cairo, Egypt
on 8 March 2017. The festival aims to showcase the diversity in Indias culture, art and
cuisine and also to strengthen Indias partnership with Egypt.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the festival, Indias Ambassador to Egypt,


Sanjay Bhattacharyya said that the event is a special moment as this year commemorates 70
years of Indias independence as well as 70 years of its diplomatic relations with Egypt.

Key Highlights
The festival will continue till 27 April 2017 and will be held in Cairo as well as
several other cities.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by the Egyptian Minister of Antiquities,


Khaled Al-Anani and other prominent dignitaries.

It took off with a Crafts Mela, which will run from 8 to 14 March. The mela
showcases a joint handicraft exhibition of India and Egypt.

It is being organised by the Embassy of India in collaboration with the Ministry of


Textiles, Government of India, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (India),
the Ministry of Social Solidarity (Egypt) and the Federation of Egyptian Industries
(FEI).

The craftsmen displayed their crafts at the Pyramids Light and Sound Theatre in
Giza on 8 March at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University, Zamalek and on 9
March at the Misr Public Library in Zawya

On 11 March, the exhibition would be displayed at the Childrens Civilisation &


Creativity Centre in Heliopolis and on 12 March at the Maulana Azad Centre for
Indian Culture in Zamalek and on the 13th at the Manipuri Restaurant in Sofitel
Cairo.

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Overall, the festival is the largest foreign festival in Egypt, showcasing at least 70
events across the country.

According to Bhattacharyya, the event will provide an opportunity to several


craftsmen to demonstrate their expertise, share their experience and relive the ties shared
by the two ancient civilisations.

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India, Belgium signed Protocol amending Double Taxation


Avoidance Agreement and Protocol
India and Belgium on 9 March 2017 signed a protocol that amends the existing
agreement and protocol between the two countries for Avoidance of Double Taxation and
the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income. The protocol was signed in
New Delhi.

The signed protocol will help the Union Government in its fight against the black
money that is stashed in the offshore accounts. Fight against the black money has been a
key priority area of the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India, Kazakhstan signed protocol to amend Double


Taxation Avoidance Convention

Key Highlights of the Protocol


It broadens the scope of the existing framework for the exchange of tax-related
information.

It will help the government to curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two
nations.

It will also enable mutual assistance in collection of taxes.

Signatories on behalf of the India and Belgium


India: Sushil Chandra, Chairman Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)

Belgium: Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium to India

Steps taken in the financial year 2016-17 by Government to support its fight against
Black Money stashed in offshore accounts include

During the financial year 2016-17, India has either signed or amended
international agreements, declarations or conventions for the Avoidance of Double
Taxation & Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and for

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the Exchange of Information with several nations like Switzerland, Japan,


Mauritius, Cyprus, Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, Singapore and Austria.

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South Korean President Park Geun-hye removed from office


South Koreas Constitutional Court
on 10 March 2017 voted unanimously to
remove the countrys President, Park
Geun-hye, from office.

With the impeachment, Park


becomes the first South Korean President
to be removed from office. As per the law
of the country, Parks successor must be
elected within 60 days.

At present, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is serving as the acting President of the
country.

Reasons behind the impeachment


Park was accused of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-il, who allegedly pressured
companies to donate money in return for government favours.

After the allegations, she was suspended from official duties in December 2016.
However, both Park and her friend denied the accusations.

By far the biggest corporate head on the block in the scandal is Samsung chief and
heir to its USD 316 billion empire, Jay Y Lee.

Up to USD 50 million from Samsung was allegedly paid into entities overseen by
Choi in return for help cementing Lees control of Samsung.

Lee has been in a jail since February 2017.

About Park Geun-hye


Born on 2 February 1952, Park Geun-hye served as the 11th President of South
Korea. She was the first woman to be elected as President of the country. She is
also the first president to be impeached.

She was the first female president of a Northeast Asian nation and the first female
elected as head of state in East Asia.

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Prior to her presidency, she served as the chairwoman of the conservative Grand
National Party (now Saenuri Party) from 2004 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2012.

In 2013 and 2014, she was ranked 11th on the Forbes list of the world's 100 most
powerful women and the most powerful woman in East Asia.

In 2014, she was ranked 46th on the Forbes list of the world's most powerful
people.

On 9 December 2016, she was impeached by the National Assembly on charges


related to influence peddling by a top aide. The impeachment was upheld by the
Constitutional Court on 10 March 2017, ending her presidency and forcing her out
of office.

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UK parliament gives final approval for Brexit bill


UKs House of Lords gave its final approval on the Brexit bill on 13 March 2017,
thereby paving way for the Theresa May government to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon
treaty, the legal method to initiate UKs exit from the European Union.

The bill had faced opposition in the UKs House of Commons over its inability to
protect rights of EU citizens living in the UK after Brexit.

Key Highlights
The upper house in its final reading that voted in favour of a meaningful
parliamentary vote on the final terms of Brexit.

The objections of the Peers were completely overturned by the MPs in the House
of Lords, who voted 274 to 118 in favour of the bill being passed unaltered.

The bill is expected to receive Royal Assent and become a law on 14 March 2017.

The bills passing enables Theresa May to formally initiate the Brexit process this
week itself.

The process would involve almost two years of talks, which will end with Britain
becoming the first country to leave the European Union bloc.

This decision comes in the wake of protests from Scotland, whose First Minister has
demanded for a new independence reference between the second half of 2018 and the first
half of 2019.

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Scotland's first minister seeks new independence referendum


Scotlands First Minister and leader of Scottish National Party (SNP), Nicola Sturgeon
confirmed on 13 March 2017 that she will be seeking the Parliaments permission to hold a
new referendum on Scotland's independence from the UK.

Explaining her decision, the First minister stated that she would take all the steps
necessary to make sure Scotland gets a choice at the end of the process, whether it is to
follow the UK in leaving the European Union or to become an independent country with a
partnership of equals with the rest of the UK as well as with Europe.

Key Highlights
Nicola Sturgeon stressed that the vote should be held between the second half of
2018 and first half of 2019 after the Brexit terms are known and before it was too
late.

The surprise announcement came hours before the House of Commons gave its
final approval to the passing of the Brexit pill, thereby allowing Theresa May to
trigger Article 50 in coming few weeks.

Sturgeon feels that Scotland is being dragged out of EU against its will, as in last
Junes Brexit referendum England and Wales had voted to leave the EU but
Scotland and Northern Ireland had voted to stay, with an overall 55 percent in
favour of leaving.

The final decision for the independence referendum lies in the hands of the UK
parliament in Westminster, where Theresa May commands a majority.

If the ministers plea gets parliamentary approval, then it would make the vote
Scotlands second independence referendum after 2014, when the Scottish citizens had
voted to remain a part of the United Kingdom.

Though in 2014, the Scottish people had rejected the independence vote by 55 to 45,
recent opinion polls show support for independence going up to almost 50 per cent.

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Sri Lanka seeks two-year extension from


UNHRC to deliver war probe
Sri Lanka has sought an extension of two more years from the United Nations Human
Rights Council (UNHRC) to probe into the alleged war crimes that were committed during
the three-decade long civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

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In October 2015, the UNHRC had given Sri Lanka 18 months to launch a proper probe
into the crimes committed during the war with LTTE. The foreign ministry of Sri Lanka
however, is seeking an extension in the timeline for the fulfilment of its commitment at the
International bodys 34th session.

Key Highlights
According to the data collected by the United Nations, around 40000 civilians were
killed by Sri Lankan security forces during former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's
regime, which brought an end to the long conflict after defeating LTTE in 2009.

Sri Lankas proposition for an extension follows UNHRCs criticism of the countrys
slow progress in addressing its wartime past.

In fact, earlier this month, the international body repeated its call for a hybrid
court of international and local judges to investigate the allegations of human
rights violations during the civil conflict.

The demand was rejected by Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe
who called it impractical.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye removed from office

India, Belgium signed Protocol amending Double Taxation


Avoidance Agreement and Protocol

While Sri Lankas main party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has demanded for
more time from the UN to meet all obligations, the partys rival groups oppose the demand
saying that the TNA has excluded the opinion of the majority of Tamils and even after one
and half years, the government has not made any progress in its investigation.

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EU court allowed employers to ban workers from


wearing religious symbols
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg, the highest court in the European
Union recently passed a ruling, allowing companies to ban staff from wearing visible
religious symbols including Islamic headscarves at work.

The court, however, added that if a company does not have a policy barring their staff
from sporting the religious symbols then customers cannot demand workers to remove
their headscarves. This ruling was issued as a joint judgment in the cases of two women
from France and Belgium, who were dismissed from their workplace for refusing to remove
their headscarves.

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Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Act introduced in


US House of Representatives

Key Highlights
The court ruled that an internal rule of an undertaking that prohibits the visible
wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign does not constitute to direct
discrimination.

It further stated that a company's wish to project a neutral image was legitimate.

The first case, which is of Samira Achbita, was referred to the ECJ by the Belgian
courts. Achbita was fired in June 2006 for refusing to take off her scarf and her
company had stated that she had broken their unwritten rule that prohibited
religious symbols.

The second case was of a design engineer- Asma Bougnaoui who was fired from
an IT consultancy firm after a customer complained that his staff had been
embarrassed by her headscarf while she was on their premises to give counselling.

The ruling has come as a blow to many religious groups. It also contradicts the
ruling from the European court of human rights (ECHR), which allowed crosses to
be worn at workplaces.

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Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Act introduced in


US House of Representatives
Pakistan State Sponsor of
Terrorism Act of 2017 (HR 1449)
was introduced in the US House
of Representatives by
Congressman Ted Poe. The bill
pushes the US government to
declare Pakistan as a state
sponsor of terrorism.

It also asks the


government to provide a
reasonable justification for not
doing so in a limited time.

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Poe who introduced the bill in the house on 9 March 2017 is the Chairman of the
House Subcommittee on Terrorism.

Highlights of the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Act 2017


It requires Donald Trump, the US President, to issue a report detailing whether
Pakistan has provided support for international terrorism. The report should be
issued within 90 days.

After issuance of the report, the Secretary of State will be required to submit a
follow-up report that contains either a determination that Pakistan is a state
sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification why it does not meet the legal
criteria for such a designation. This follow-up report should be presented in next
30 days.

Poe who presented the Bill in the House says that Islamabad is an untrustworthy ally
and has aided and abetted enemies of America for years. To defend his claim, he provided
certain examples like Osama bin Laden and its relationship with Haqqani network. Providing
certain examples, he claims that these examples are more than enough to determine whose
side Pakistan is on in the War on Terror.

The lawmaker of US says its time when we should stop paying Pakistan for its
betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism.

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Pakistan launched population census after 19 years


Pakistan on 15 March 2017 launched its first countrywide census in almost two
decades amidst tight security. It was inaugurated by Chief Statistician Asif Bajwa in Attock
district, the largest province of Pakistans Punjab.

The process involves the participation of around 119,000 officials including 84,000
enumerators. Apart from this almost two lakh soldiers have been deployed to provide
security and to monitor the proceedings to ensure authenticity.
Key Highlights
The census would be conducted in phases. The first phase, which has already
begun, will continue till 15 April and then would be followed by a 10-day break.

Phase one will cover 63 districts of the country including 16 in Punjab, 13 in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, 15 in Balochistan, 8 in Sindh, 5 each in Pakistan occupied Kashmir
(PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan and one in a tribal region.

The second phase is scheduled to begin from 25 April and will end on 25 May
2017. It would cover 21 districts each in both Punjab and Sindh, 18 in Khyber

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Pakhtunkhwa, 17 in Balochistan and Islamabad and five each in PoK and Gilgit-
Baltistan.

Pakistan last conducted a census in 1998, in which it recorded a national


population of nearly 180 million.

Currently, the population of Pakistan is estimated to be around 200 million, which


makes it the sixth most populous country in the world.

Federal Judge in Hawaii blocks Trumps new executive


order on travel ban

2017-18 Tamil Nadu budget presented

According to the constitution, the population census should be held every 10 years to
determine the exact population and allocate the resources accordingly. However, it had
been delayed due to security concerns and political instability.

Concerns
The collection of the census has become a political issue lately and led to a rise in
security concerns in the country as Pakistans largest province Punjab fears that its share in
the national resources may decrease, as the population in other provinces may have
increased in these past two decades.

Besides this, the countrys smallest province Balochistan also fears that the local
Baloch people may become a minority due to the increasing presence of Afghan refugees in
the province who are believed to have acquired the citizenship of the country through
fraud.

UN launches Women in Politics Map 2017; India placed at 148th number

The final outcome of the census will, however, be known only by July 2017. It may
lead to a further demarcation of constituencies ahead of 2018 general elections.

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Federal Judge in Hawaii blocked Trumps new executive


order on travel ban
The US Judge, Derrick Watson of Federal District Court in Honolulu, Hawaii issued a
nationwide order on 14 March 2017 blocking US President Donald Trumps new travel ban
order on six Muslim-majority nations.

The block came hours before the ban was supposed to come into effect.

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Trumps directive, had it been effective, would have stopped travel to the US from six
Muslim-majority nations including Yemen, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Libya for 90 days
and imposed a 120-day ban on refugees. The new order that excludes Iraq from the banned
list unlike before has been criticised to be a thinly veiled version of the earlier order.

Pakistan launches population census after 19 years

Key highlights
The US district judge in a 43-page ruling stated that a reasonable and objective
observer would view the new order as one issued with the purpose of disfavouring
a particular religion in spite of the stated religiously neutral purpose.

The judge ruled that the state of Hawaii and petitioner Ismail Elshikh had
reasonable grounds to challenge the order as religious discrimination and
concluded that allowing the travel restrictions to go into effect as scheduled could
have caused them irreparable harm.

Speaking only in respect to Elshikh, who is the imam of the Muslim Association of
Hawaii and an American citizen who has been struggling to get a visa for his Syrian
mother-in-law to enter the United States, the judge stated that the travel
regulations would harm him on the basis of his religion.

Besides this, several other cases challenging the constitutionality of Trumps order
were filed in the courts of Washington State and Maryland.

UN launches Women in Politics Map 2017; India placed at 148th number

This is the second major setback for Trump, as his first attempt in implementing the
travel ban that he proposed critical for national security was halted by a federal court in
Seattle.

Trump decried the ruling as an unprecedented judicial overreach and pledged to take the
issue to the Supreme Court if necessary. He also stated that he might reissue the initial
version of the order.

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H-1B premium processing suspended to handle huge rush: US


The United States (US) has temporarily suspended the premium processing of H-1B
visas. H-1B visas, which are popular among Indian IT firms and professionals.

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The US that gave the information about this


suspension in the second week of March 2017 said
the temporary ban was implemented to handle the
huge rush of applications for the work visas in the
first week of April.

EU court allows employers to ban workers


from wearing religious symbols

At the time of suspension of the H-1B premium processing, the petitioners will not be
able to file Form I-907, request for premium processing service, for a Form I-129, petition
for a nonimmigrant worker which requests the H-1B nonimmigrant classification. In the case
of such H-1B petition during the period will be rejected.

As per reports, Lori Scialabba, the acting Director of US Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS), told members of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on
Oversight and Management efficiency that US will start accepting applications for H-1B work
visas from 3 April 2017 for fiscal 2018.

A notification on the official website of the department of homeland security says, All
cap-subject H-1B petitions filed before April 3, 2017, for the FY 2018 cap will be rejected.

Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Act introduced in


US House of Representatives

Scialabba informed that USCIS receives about two lakh or more H-1B applications for
processing in the first week of April. She also said, once the suspension is lifted, people will
be able to file for premium processing and their application will be processed within 15
days.

H-1B Program
The programme allows US companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in
occupations that require the application of a body of highly specialised knowledge and a
bachelors degree or higher in the specific speciality, or its equivalent. H-1B speciality
occupations may include fields such as science, engineering and information technology.

Under the H-1B programme, US issue an H-1B visa, which is a non-immigrant visa for
foreigners. These visas are provided to foreigners for being employed in US companies.

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India, Mauritius signed MoU to execute USD 20


million social housing project
India and Mauritius on 20 March 2017
signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to execute a USD 20 million social
housing project in Mauritius.

The MoU was signed in the presence of


the Union Minister of Urban Development M
Venkaiah Naidu and the visiting Mauritiuss
Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Housing
and Lands Showkutally Soodhun.

As per the MoU, the NBCC (India) Limited of the Union Government will undertake
construction of 700 duplex type houses with 50 square meters net floor area.

Each house consists of two bedrooms, living and dining rooms, kitchen, bathrooms
and toilets.

About NBCC (India) Limited


NBCC (India) Limited, formerly known as National Buildings Construction
Corporation Ltd., is a blue-chip Government of India Navratna Enterprise under
the Ministry of Urban Development.

The company has registered a substantial 32 per cent growth in top line during FY
2015-16 as compared to the previous year.

It has posted a profit of Rs 311 crore, white its total income has surged to Rs 5838
crore during FY 2015-16.

Certified with ISO 9001:2008 from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in respect
of Project Management and Consultancy, the companyspresent areas of
operations are categorized into three main segments.

The three segments are - Project Management Consultancy (PMC), Real Estate
Development and EPC Contracting.

The Company is planning to launch a new business venture of e-Commerce to


cater to the sale of built-up properties of NBCCs real estate.

NBCC ventured into overseas operations in the year 1977.

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It has executed projects of diverse nature in countries like Libya, Iraq, Yemen,
Nepal, Maldives, Mauritius, Turkey and Botswana.

Pakistani President promulgates Hindu Marriage bill into law

Under various schemes of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the company is


participating in execution of bio-digester toilets in village schools at various
locations of the country.

At present, the company has operations in Maldives, Turkey, Mauritius and


Botswana.

In early March 2017, the NBCC was entrusted with the responsibility to execute
the construction project of new supreme court building in Port Louis, Mauritius.

The USD 33 million project is expected to be completed by March 2019.

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Pakistani President promulgated Hindu Marriage bill into law


Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain on 19
March 2017 promulgated the Hindu Marriage bill
into a law. The Act seeks to protect Hindu
marriages and family rights.

The Hindu Marriage Act of Pakistan will


regulate marriages of Hindus, who are the minority
in Pakistan. In short, this marriage act is the first
personal law in Pakistan for Hindu residents of the
country.

As per reports, the Bill was signed into an Act by the President on the advice of the
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan Senate approved Hindu Marriage Bill

Highlights of the Hindu Marriage Act of Pakistan


The Act prohibits marriage of minors.

It prescribes a minimum age of 18-years for contracting marriage in addition to


protecting the customs and customary rites of the Hindu community.

It also introduces the concept of judicial separation.

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The legitimacy of children born out of the void and voidable Hindu marriages has
also been protected under the bill.

It also allows Hindu women to have a documentary proof of their marriage.

Pakistan launches population census after 19 years

Background
Earlier in February 2017, the National Assembly of Pakistan passed the Hindu Marriage
Bill 2016. The bill was passed after amendments which were made by the Senate. The law
will be applicable in the provinces of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The bill was tabled before the house by Minister of Human Rights Kamran Michael.
While presenting the bill in the house, Michael said, the decision was taken by the ministry
of human rights to protect the rights of minorities of Pakistan.

Earlier, Sindh province had introduced its own version of the Hindu marriage law.

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Chinas coastal sea level hit record high


Chinas State Oceanic Administration on 22 March 2017 released its annual report that
revealed a record high rise in Chinas coastal sea level in 2016.

According to the report, the average coastal sea levels in the country in 2016 were up
by 38 mm in comparison to the previous year and hit a record high in the months of April,
September, November and December.

Key Highlights
This rise in the level has been credited to climate change as well as El Nino and La
Nina events.

The administration has warned that high sea levels would lead to major problems
including coastal erosion and more frequent and severe typhoons.

It also added that regions falling in the vulnerable coastal lines need to push their
flood prevention efforts further by improving their drainage system and building
more dams.

The vulnerable areas would also need to avoid using underground water to reduce
the risk of caving in of land.

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China's coastal waters have risen 3.2mm per year since 1980, which is much higher
than the global average increase over the period.

Recycling waste water would ease global water


shortages: United Nations

Union Ministry of Railways releases new Water Management Policy

Besides this, the study also revealed a rise in the countrys coastal air and sea
temperature and a fall in its coastal air pressure.

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Peshawar High Court ordered separate counting of Sikhs in census


The Peshawar High Court on 22 March 2017 ordered authorities to ensure separate
counting of Sikhs in the nation-wide census.

The order came after the community members filed a plea for not being counted
among the religions. The court ordered that the section of Sikhism be included in the
religion column in the census form.

The first phase of the 6th census had clubbed Sikhs with the Scheduled Castes of the
country while separately counting the Muslims, Hindus, Christians and some other groups.
The Sikhs community filed a petition in the high court, which ordered that the section of
Sikhism be included in the religion column in the census form.

The high court directed that the implementation of the ruling should be carried out in
the second phase of the population census, which would start from 25 April 2017.

First census in 19 years


Pakistan is holding its first census in nineteen years. The country conducted its last
national population census in the year 1998.

In the ongoing census in the country, only nine of its estimated 70 languages will
be listed, which disappoints many communities. No regional languages from
sparsely populated Gilgit-Baltistan are included in the census form.

However, it is for the first time that around three million registered and
unregistered Afghan refugees in the country will also be counted in the census.

It is also for the first time that transgendered citizens will be counted.

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The ongoing census will be concluded in two phases. The first phase, which already
started on 15 March 2017, will conclude on 15 April 2017. The second phase starts
from 25 April 2017 and will conclude on 25 May 2017.

Sikhs in Pakistan
Sikhs form a very small community in present-day Pakistan.

Most of the community members live in the province of Punjab and Peshawar in
the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, is located in Pakistans Punjab
province.

Before the partition, significant populations of Sikhs inhabited the largest cities in
the Punjab such as Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad. However, post-partition,
the minority Hindu and Sikh migrated to India.

In the decades following Pakistan's independence in 1947, the Sikh community


began to re-organise, forming the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
(PGPC) to represent the community in Pakistan.

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SUMMIT | CONFERENCE
Nepal Investment Summit 2017 concluded in Kathmandu
The Nepal Investment Summit
concluded in Kathmandu on 3 March 2017.
The two-day long summit was inaugurated
by the Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa
Kamal Dahal with an objective to project
Nepal as an attractive investment
destination.

The Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley and the President of the Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB) Jin Liqun attended the summit.

In his speech, Arun Jaitley shared Indias experience in reforming its economy and
attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).

He also stated that India and Nepal share deep-rooted historical, cultural and religious
ties which have enabled extensive cooperation in trade and economic fields between the
two countries.

Features of Nepal Investment Summit 2017


This was the first investment summit in Kathmandu since the promulgation of the
Constitution in 2015.

The aim of the summit was to project Nepal as an attractive investment


destination and to explore possibilities of foreign investment in the country.

Around 250 delegates from more than 20 countries, including India, participated in
the summit.

The summit provided national and international investors as well as development


partners an opportunity to learn about Nepals investment scenario, regulatory
environment and sectors open for investment.

The summit was organised by the Ministry of Industry in association with the
Investment Board of Nepal.

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Leaders' Summit in Commemoration of


20th Anniversary of IORA concluded in Jakarta
The Leaders' Summit in
Commemoration of the 20th
anniversary of the Indian Ocean
Rim Association (IORA) concluded
on 7 March 2017 in Jakarta,
Indonesia.

In the summit, India was


represented by the Vice President
Hamid Ansari.

About the Leaders Summit


It was held with the theme - Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful,
Stable, and Prosperous Indian Ocean.

In a historic first, the summit brought together the leaders of the 21 IORA Member
States, including India, and its 7 Dialogue Partners as well as other special invitees
including Myanmar.

Member States issued the Jakarta Concord, which sets out a vision for a revitalized
and sustainable regional architecture.

The summit is considered as a game-changer for regional cooperation and a


demonstration of Member States and Dialogue Partners commitment to the Indian
Ocean region.

The convening of the summit is a strategic and progressive step by IORA leaders to
realise an IORA that is able to move faster and able to deal with future challenges.

The current summit is also a milestone in the renewal of commitment by IORA


countries to intensify IORA cooperation.

The Leaders' Summit was preceded by the Council of Ministers' meeting on 6


March 2017.

The meeting released the first IORA Action Plan, which sets out IORA's short-,
medium- and long-term flagship initiatives for 2017-2021.

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Three-day International conference on Occupational,


Safety and Health to begin in Delhi
The three-day international conference on Vision Zero and its
relevance to Occupational Safety and Health is scheduled to begin at
Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on 15 March 2017.
The conference is being jointly organised by Directorate General
Factory Advice and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Ministry of Labour
and Employment, Government of India and the Germany-based
German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) in association with
International Social Security Association (ISSA).

Google marks 140 years Test cricket with


a playful doodle

Key Highlights
The conference will be inaugurated by Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State
(Independent) for Labour and Employment in the presence of M. Sathiyavathy,
Secretary, Labour and Employment, Government of India.

Its main objective is to focus on the occupational safety and health issues and
challenges in the manufacturing, construction and mining sector.

It will provide a platform for promoting safety and health at work through the
exchange of knowledge, practice and experience.

It is also expected to introduce the internationally accepted concept of Vision


Zero in India and in the process it will help give a push to the Indian governments
efforts in raising the occupational safety and health standards in the country.

The event would also host three plenary sessions spread across the three days,
which will be dedicated exclusively to the manufacturing, construction and mining
sector.

Besides this, the event would also host an exhibition on occupational safety and
health that will provide an efficient platform to support technological
communication and business trade.

World Consumer Rights Day being observed


The event would be attended by experts and professionals from different sectors
including safety engineers, managers, employers, occupational physicians and health
professionals, supervisors, workers and members of the safety committees.

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Dalai Lama Inaugurated the International


Buddhist Conference in Bihar
The three-day International Buddhist
conference began at Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Rajgir
in Nalanda district of Bihar on 17 March 2017.
The event was jointly inaugurated by the much
respected religious leader Dalai Lama and the Union
Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mahesh Sharma.

Kansas recognises March 16 as Indian-American Appreciation Day


World Bank Group approved USD 210 million for strengthening gram
panchayats in West Bengal

Key Highlights
The inaugural session saw the release of Pali Tripitaka book by Dalai Lama and
other dignitaries, who were present at the event.
Over 1000 delegates from 35 countries including Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and
Singapore will be participating in the three-day event.
The main topic of the conference is Buddhism in the 21st century.
The event would witness scholars giving their deliberations on perspective and
responses to global challenges and crisis.
The concluding ceremony, which will be held on 19 March 2017, is expected to
see in attendance Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India.
The conference is an annual event. Last year, it was held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

-x-x-x-x-

G20 meet of finance ministers and central bank governors


to begin in Germany
The finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of 20 economies (G20)
are due to meet in Baden-Baden in Germany from 17-18 March 2017.
The meeting is expected to focus on strengthening economic resilience in finance and
digitalisation and to promote investment in Africa.

Key Highlights
The meeting will provide a preliminary discussion platform for the finance
ministers and central bank governors to discuss their points ahead of the G20

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Summit of heads of state and government that will be held in Hamburg, Germany
from 7-8 July.
All the focus will be on whether they are able to agree to work together to
promote free trade between themselves despite the protectionist tendency of the
United States.
This meet will be the first such gathering of leaders to discuss global economic
challenges since Donald Trump took over as the President of United States in
January 2017.
While most of the G20 nations have been in agreement that encouraging free
trade is the way to foster the world economy, Trump administration has been seen
taking a protectionist stance on the same, saying it is a part of their effort to save
jobs in the US.
The results of the meeting will be shared by German Finance Minister Wolfgang
Schaeuble and Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann in a news conference, which
is to be held on 18 March 2017.
The G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs will be convening again at the
International Monetary Fund's spring and annual meetings in April and October
2017 in Washington DC.

India and Brazil sign agreement to protect rights


of detached workers

World Bank Board approves USD 175 million National


Hydrology Project of India

About G20
It is an international forum comprising governments and central bank governors
from 20 major economies.

It was founded in 1999 with the aim of achieving international coordination on


policy issues to promote international financial stability.

The group seeks to address issues that are beyond the responsibility of a particular
organisation.

Some of the member economies include the United States, the United Kingdom,
Brazil, India, China, Australia, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

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ART & CULTURE


PM Modi unveiled 112 ft bust of 'Adiyogi'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
24 February 2017 unveiled the 112-foot
bust of Adiyogi or Lord Shiva at the Isha
Yoga Center in Coimbatore. The statue is
located in the foothills of Velliangiri
Mountains in the Western Ghats.

Interesting fact: The bust was


unveiled on the occasion of the Maha
Shivaratri, a Hindu festival celebrated
annually in honour of the god Shiva.

The bust of the Adiyogi was built in eight months by an NGO Isha Foundation. The
foundation said the iconic 112-ft face of the first yogi was consecrated in celebration of the
112 methods that Lord Shiva offered towards self-transformation.

Before inaugurating the metallic statue face of Lord Shiva, Modi visited the Isha yoga
centre and attended the Pancha Bhuta Aradhana function.

While addressing the gathering, PM Modi lauded the practice of yoga and said that
the practice has transcended from generations and is popularly known that the journey of
man from soul to Shiva is Yoga. He said, it is old, yet new. Though static, it is always
evolving. He called for to protect nature and mould our activities in sync with the ecological
surroundings.

Besides, before unveiling the Adiyogi bust, Modi released the book 'Adiyoga: The
source of Yoga', which deals with yogic sciences.

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First meeting of Committee on Cultural Harmony


Conclave held in New Delhi
The first meeting of the Committee on Cultural Harmony Conclave under the
HamariDharohar Scheme was held on 25 February 2017 in New Delhi.

The meeting was chaired by the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs
(Independent Charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

The meeting was attended by several renowned artists, musicians, writers. They
discussed strategies to promote Indias rich cultural diversity of minorities.

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About HamariDharohar Scheme


Ministry of Minority Affairs launched the HamariDharohar Scheme to preserve the rich
culture and heritage of the minority communities of India.

The scheme has five objectives. They are


i. To curate rich heritage of minorities under overall concept of Indian Culture

ii. Curating iconic exhibitions

iii. Preservation of literature and documents.

iv. Support and promotion of calligraphy.

v. Research and Development.

Activities to be covered under the scheme are


Curating exhibitions including iconic exhibitions

Support and promotion of calligraphy

Preservation of literature, documents and manuscripts

Documentation of oral traditions and art forms

Support to ethnic museums

Support for organizing heritage related seminars and workshops

Fellowship for research in preservation of heritage and development

The Knowledge Partners of the scheme are


Archeological Survey of India

National Museum, Delhi

National Archives of India, New Delhi

National Gallery of Modern Arts (NGMA)

Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts (IGNCA)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural heritage (INTACH)

World Monument Fund

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Assam to host river festival Namami Brahmaputra


Assam will host its first river festival-Namami Brahmaputra at the riverfront of
Brahmaputra in Guwahati from 31 March to 4 April 2017.

The decision was announced by Assams Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal himself.
The states government has invited Indias President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, Ambassadors of all the countries and all Chief Ministers and Chief
Secretaries to participate in the mega event.

The five-day festival aims to promote the states economy, culture, art, tourism, skill
industry, investment option, trade, commerce and heritage.

Key Highlights
Namami Brahmaputra, which means Obeisance to the Brahmaputra, will
showcase the grandeur of the river and the land it flows through.

It will be spread across 21 districts of Assam.

The international event would feature traditional Assamese sports, cultural


performances, business meets, exhibitions, seminars and symposiums, river
ecosystem and interpretation zones.

It would also feature a film festival, comprising the screening of some of the best
Assamese films.

Other events include tea festival, river cruises, rafting, visits to tea gardens and
programmes related to history, tradition and legends of Assam.

UK-India Year of Culture 2017 launched

A group of government officials will be visiting all the state capitals and major
cities as a part of the festival to create a positive image of the state beforehand:

- The officials would be coordinating with local tour operators, industry bodies and the
tourism departments of the respective states.

- They will also be organising road shows with students to generate awareness about
Assams culture and its immense potential.

- They will also hold media briefings in other state capitals.

Assam government to appoint teacher in all high schools


to monitor cleanliness

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Through the festival, the state government basically aims to expose the tourists from
both India and abroad to Assams rich legacy and splendour and represent it as a viable
tourist destination on the world map.

Besides this, the government also hopes to create an environment that would
reconnect the people with their roots and rejuvenate the Brahmaputra civilisation.

-x-x-x-x-

Chandigarh to host Destination North East 2017


Chandigarh hosted Destination North East 2017, a three-day event from 6 March
2017 to showcase North East as a potential destination for investment.

The event organised by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region


(DoNER), Government of India and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry will see round
table discussions and exhibition stalls, displaying various features of the North East in order
to attract investment in different sectors including handloom and handicraft, tourism,
horticulture and floriculture, skill development, food processing, organic farming and
bamboo development, rural livelihoods and entrepreneurship and microfinance.

Key Highlights
Destination North East 2017 would be inaugurated by Jitendra Singh, the Union
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region.
The main objective of the event is to showcase the North East region (NER) as a
great investment potential by highlighting its rich cultural heritage, customs and
traditions.
The main theme of this years festival is to highlight the use of appropriate
technologies in all sectors of development for NER.
According to S N Pradhan, Joint Secretary of DoNER, the main focus would be on
the 3 H mission, which includes Horticulture, Handicraft and Handloom.
Besides providing an opportunity to different sectors to deliberate upon their
achievements, issues and challenges, the event would provide a platform to
discuss and develop linkage strategies at B2B and people to people level.
The festival would also include cultural programmes and performances from
popular orchestra groups like Shillong Chamber Choir and Angaraag Mahanta
(Papon).
Some of the event participants include the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to
Government of India and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR).
Destination North East is an annual event and this is the first that it is being organised
outside Delhi.
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West Bengal granted official language status to Kurukh


The West Bengal Government granted official language status to endangered tribal
language Kurukh. The official language status was given to the endangered language by the
state government in February 2017. However, the announcement was recently made by
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Key highlights
In west Bengal, the language is spoken by Oraon tribal community, who live in
Dooars. The Dooars are the alluvial floodplains in north-eastern India that lie south
of outer foothills of Himalayas and north of Brahmaputra River basin.

Most of the tribal languages in the West Bengal have their origins in the Austro-
Asiatic and Tibeto-Barman families; however, Kurukh is an exception. The origin of
the endangered language lies in the Malto, which hails from Dravidian family.
Malto is not spoken in West Bengal, but in the Rajmahal hills area in Jharkhand.

Jharkhand has already recognised Kurukh as a language, and students can write
their school final examination in its script.

According to the 2001 census report, the language is spoken by about 17 lakh
persons.

About Kurukh language


Kurukh is a Dravidian language.

The language belongs to the Northern Dravidian group of the Dravidian family of
languages, and is closely related to Sauria Paharia and Kumarbhag Paharia, which
are often together referred to as Malto.

It is spoken by nearly two million Oraon and Kisan tribal peoples of Odisha,
Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It is also spoken in
Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

In the UNESCO's list of endangered languages, Kurukh is marked as being in a


"vulnerable" state.

The language is written in Devanagari.

Narayan Oraon had invented the Tolong Siki script specifically for Kurukh.

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PM Narendra Modi released commemorative postage stamp on


100 years of Yogoda Satsang Math
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7 March
2017 released a special commemorative postage
stamp on 100 years of Yogoda Satsang Math. The
Yogoda Satsang Math are the headquarters of
Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS). Its major
aim is to reveal the complete harmony, basic
oneness and common foundations of all true
religions.

About Yogoda Satsang Math


Yogoda Satsanga Society of India is a non-profit religious organization.

It was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917.

The society is known as the Self-Realization Fellowship in countries outside the


Indian subcontinent.

Mrinalini Mata is the current President of the YSS.

The word Yogoda was coined by Paramahansa Yogananda. The world is derived
from Yoga, union, harmony, equilibrium, and da, "that which imparts".

Paramahansa Yogananda is renowned for his book titled Autobiography of a Yogi.


The book is an international bestseller.

The HarperCollins featured the book in the 100 Most Important Spiritual Books of
the 20th Century.

YSS's headquarters, Yogoda Satsanga Math, is situated in Dakshineswar, Kolkata,


West Bengal. The YSS oversees more than 180 Kendras, Mandalis, Retreats and
Ashrams all over the globe.

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International Yoga fest held in New Delhi


The two-day International Yoga festival held in New Delhi on 8 March 2017. The
festival witnessed participation from more than 3500 participants including well-known

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yoga gurus, masters, scholars, policy makers and representatives from over 15-18 countries
from across the world.

Key Highlights
The event inaugurated by Venkaiah Naidu, the Information and Broadcasting
Minister at the Talkatora stadium.

It is being organised by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in association


with the Indian Yoga associations.

The mega event will include parallel yoga workshops, lectures, satsang, yoga
demos and various other cultural programmes.

It would also include an exhibition comprising more than 50 stalls with yoga
appliances, other yoga related products, dvds and books on display.

Apart from this, the event would comprise a half-day seminar on the life sketch
and contributions of two eminent yoga gurus- Swami Ved Bharati and T KV
Desikachar for the promotion and further development of yoga.

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5th Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav being organized in


North East Region
The Fifth Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) 2017 organized in North Eastern
Region of India from 23 March to 31 March 2017 by the Union Ministry of Culture.
The festival inaugurated at Parade Ground, Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on 23 March
2017 and extended to other North Eastern states including Dimapur (Nagaland), Majuli
(Assam), Imphal (Manipur), Aizawl (Mizoram), Gangtok (Sikkim), Shillong (Meghalaya and
Khowai (Tripura).
The nine days cultural extravaganza inaugurated by Governor of Nagaland and
Arunachal Pradesh PadmanabhaBalakrishna.

Highlights of the Fifth Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav


About 5000 artists from North East India and 2000 artists from across the country
showcased Indias cultural heritage through performances, arts and cuisines.

The festival implemented through the seven Zonal Cultural Centres.

The North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC), Dimapur will be the nodal agency to
carry forward the execution of the National Cultural Festival.

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Each Zonal Cultural Centre will present their arts during the festival which would
showcase an amalgamation of Ek Bharat, Srestha Bharat, HamaariSanskriti,
HamaariPanchaan and Swachh India.

The inaugural ceremony will exhibit varied art forms like Buddhist Chant and Gung,
Vedic Chanting, PuruliaChhou, Yoga, DholCholom and PungCholom, Ladakhi dance
and Godambaza.

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Five Indian cities included in World Heritage List


The Union Government on 22 March 2017 informed that five Indian cities were
included in the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The information was given by the Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism
(Independent Charge) Dr Mahesh Sharmain in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The five Indian cities included in the list are


i. Ahmedabad
ii. Delhi
iii. Jaipur
iv. Bhubaneswar
v. Mumbai

The following is the criteria for inclusion in the List


of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or
within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology,
monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design

Dalai Lama Inaugurated the International Buddhist


Conference in Bihar
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a
civilization which is living or which has disappeared
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological
ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-
use, which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with
the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of
irreversible change

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To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or


with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty
and aesthetic importance
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including
the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of
landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and
biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water,
coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ
conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species
of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation

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Pawan Hans to start Dilli Darshan chopper rides


The National Helicopter operator Pawan Hans is going to launch a new service, Delhi
Darshan rides from 1 April 2017.
The announcement of the same was made by the operators Chairman and Managing
Director B P Sharma during the inauguration of the nations first heliport in Rohini, in the
north of Delhi.

Key Highlights
The service would include two rides, a 10 minute one and a 20 minute one.
While the 10 minute one would cost around Rs 2499 per person, the 20 minute
one would be a slightly more expensive service with the cost being around Rs 4999
per person.
The rides would commence from the companys state of the art integrated
heliport at Rohini.
The service would undergo a trial run between 25 and 26 March.
It would be officially opened for regular service on 1 April.
In its latest statement, the company said that the visitors can take a helicopter ride to
experience the breathtaking beauty of the city through an aerial view of Majnu Ka Tila,
Pritam Pura Tower, Red Fort, Akshardham Temple, Rajghat and other surrounding areas.
Besides this, the Rohini facility will also be useful in cases of medical emergency and
public safety in the future.

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AWARDS | HONOURS
Sahitya Akademi awards 2016 presented to 24 authors

Sahitya Akademi Awards 2016 were conferred on twenty-four writers on 22 February


2017. The eminent authors were conferred with the award/honour for writing in as different
Indian languages.

The awards were conferred on them at the annual Festival of Letters. The festival, which
began 21 February 2017, will continue till 26 February 2017. The distinguished physicist and
Marathi writer Jayant Vishnu Narlikar was the chief guest of the award ceremony.

Indian tabla player Sandeep Das wins 2017 Grammy Award for Best Global Music

The awards were conferred in different genres and they included poetry, essay, short
story, novel, criticism and play.

Awardees in different genres were Genre Poetry


Jnan Pujari: Was awarded for book Meghmalar Bhraman written in Assamese.
Anju (Anjali Narzary): Was awarded for book Ang Maboroi Dong Dasong written
in Bodo.
Kamal Vora: Was awarded for book Anekek written in Gujarati.
Prabha Varma: Was awarded for book Shyamamadhavan written in Malayalam.
Sitanath Acharya: Was awarded for book Kavyanirjhari written in Sanskrit.
Gobinda Chandra Majhi: Was awarded for book Nalha written in Santali.
Nand Javeri: Was awarded for book Akhar Katha written in Sindhi.
Papineni Sivasankar: Was awarded for book Rajanigandha written in Telugu.
Hindi Scholar and writer Surendra Verma selected for Vyas Samman 2016

Genre Short Story


Chhatrapal: Was awarded for book Cheta written in Dogri.

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Shyam Darihare: Was awarded for book Barki Kaki at Hotmail Dot Com written in
Maithili.
Moirangthem Rajen: Was awarded for book Cheptharaba Eshingpun written in
Manipuri.
Asaram Lomate: Was awarded for book Aalok written in Marathi.
Paramita Satpathy: Was awarded for book Prapti written in Odia.
Bulaki Sharma: Was awarded for book Murdjat Ar Dujee Kahaniyan written in
Rajasthani.
Vannadhasan: Was awarded for book Oru Siru Isai written in Tamil.
Rajkummar Rao's 'Newton' wins Art Cinema honour at Berlinale
Genre Novel
Gita Upadhyay: Was awarded for book Janmabhumi Mero Swadesh written in
Nepali.
Jerry Pinto: Was awarded for book Em and the big Hoom written in English.
Nasira Sharma: Was awarded for book Paarijat written in Hindi.
Boluwaru Mohammad Kunhi: Was awarded for book Swatantryada Ota written in
Kannada.
Edwin J.F. Dsouza: Was awarded for book Kale Bhangar written in Konkani.
Genre Criticism
Aziz Hajini: Was awarded for book Aane Khane written in Kashmiri.
Nizam Siddiqui: Was awarded for book Mabad-e-Jadidiat Se Naye Ahed Ki
Takhliqiyat Tak written in Urdu.
Genre Essay
Nrisinghaprasad Badhuri: Was awarded for book Mahabharater Astadahi written
in Bengali.
Genre Play
Swarajbir: Was awarded for the play titled Masia Di Raat written in Punjabi.

Kayakalp Awards 2016-17 presented

About Sahitya Akademi


Sahitya Akademi award is a literary honour that is conferred annually on Indian
authors/writers for their outstanding works of literary merit. The award established in 1954 is
given on books of literary merit written in any of the major languages of India. The 2016
recipients of the honour were awarded a plaque and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each. Indian film-
maker Satyajit Ray is the designer of the plaque awarded by the Sahitya Akademi.

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Oscar Awards 2017 conferred; La La Land won maximum awards


The 89th Academy Awards, popularly called Oscar Awards, were conferred on 26
February 2017 (27 February 2017 as per Indian time). The award ceremony was held at the
Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosted the awards ceremony.

The Oscar Awards for the year 2017 were presented by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 24 categories.

The nominees for the 89th Oscar Awards were announced on 24 January 2017, via
global live stream from the Academy. Movie La La Land received the most nominations with
a record-tying fourteen.

Major wins at the 89th Academy Awards


Award Winner
Best Picture Moonlight
Best Actor Casey Affleck for Manchester by the Sea
Best Actress Emma Stone for La La Land
Best Director Damien Chazelle for La La Land
Best Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali for Moonlight
Best Supporting Actress Viola Davis for Fences
Best Animated Feature Film Zootopia
Best Foreign Language Film The Salesman (Iran) in Persian
Best Documentary Feature O.J.: Made in America
Best Animated Short Film Piper
Best Documentary Short Subject The White Helmets
Best Live Action Short Film Sing
Best Sound Editing Sylvain Bellemare for Arrival
Best Sound Mixing Kevin O'Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and
Peter Grace for Hacksaw Ridge
Best Production Design La La Land
Best Costume Design Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Best Visual Effects The Jungle Book

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Best Cinematography La La Land


Best Original Score La La Land
Best Original Song "City of Stars" from La La Land

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Worlds first robot table tennis tutor set new


Guinness World record
FORPHEUS, the worlds first robot table tennis tutor has created a new Guinness
World Record with its extraordinary technological intelligence and educational capabilities.

The Japanese technology has been given the Guinness title for being able to play table
tennis way better than most humans.

Scientists create high-quality graphene using soybean

About FORPHEUS
FORPHEUS is short for Future Omron Robotics Technology for Exploring Possibility
of Harmonised automation with Sinic Theoretics.

It has been developed by Omron Corporation, a leading electronics company


based in Kyoto, Japan.

According to its lead developer, Taku Oya, the main aim behind the technology is
to harmonise humans and robots by teaching table tennis to human players.

The machine is enabled to act as a coach with assistance from cutting edge vision
and motion sensors that help it gage movement during a match.

It also features several cameras that are located above the ping pong table, which
monitor the position of the ball at a rate of 80 times per second.

The cameras help the robot to show its human student a projected image as to
where the ball will land when returned in order to help them improve their skills.

Sand Artist Sudarsans new sand castle creates Guinness World Record

Further, a speed sensing component in the robot helps it calculate the opponents
ball at 1000 times per second and as a result it is easily able to determine how
good its opponents are at playing the game.

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The robot also encourages the human players to give their best shot by showing
supportive messages along the LED screen situated on the tables net.

Talking further about the advancement in technology, Taku stated that though at the
moment it is a human who teaches a robot how to behave or teach, but in the next 20 years
it may be possible that a robot is teaching a robot or a robot is developing a robot.

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Union Government presented Petroleum Technology


Innovation Awards for 2016-17
Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers
Ananth Kumar on 1 March 2017 presented the 7th
National Awards for Technology Innovation in
Petrochemicals and Downstream Plastics Processing
Industry (2016-17) in New Delhi.

For the 7th National Awards, 415 nominations


were received and finally, 16 nominations have
been selected as winners and 7 nominations as
runners-up for 2016-17.

List of Winners
Winner Category
Dr K Balasubramanian Innovation in Polymeric Materials
Reliance Industries Limited Innovation in Polymeric Materials
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati Innovation in Polymeric Materials
Dr Debdatta Ratna and Team Innovation in Polymeric Products
Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Innovation in Polymeric Products
Hyderabad & Others
Dr S Sridhar and Team Innovation of Polymer Processing Machinery
& Equipment
Windsor Machines Limited, Kalol Innovation of Polymer Processing Machinery
& Equipment
E-Parisaraa Private Limited, Bengaluru Innovation in Polymer Waste Management &
Recycling Technology and Green Polymeric
Materials & Products
Visvesvaraya National Institute of Innovation in Polymer Waste Management &
Technology, Nagpur Recycling Technology and Green Polymeric

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Materials & Products


John Deere India Pvt. Ltd., Pune Polymers in Agriculture and Water
Conservation
Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh Polymers in Agriculture and Water
Conservation
Dr. Lizymol P.P. Polymers in Public Health Care
HLL Lifecare Limited, Thiruvananthapuram & Polymers in Public Health Care
Others
DRDO, Delhi & IIT Delhi Polymers in Public Health Care
Dr. S. Reshmi and Team, VSSC, ISRO Research in the field of Polymer Science and
Technology
Raja Shunmugam, IISER Kolkata Research in the field of Polymer Science and
Technology
CSIR - National Aerospace Laboratories, Research in the field of Polymer Science &
Bengaluru Technology

Oscar Awards 2017 conferred; La La Land won maximum awards

List of Runner-ups
Runner-up Category
Dr. S.Sridhar and Team, CSIR, Hyderabad Innovation in Polymeric Materials
Tezpur University, Assam Innovation in Polymeric Materials
Dr. Balasubramanian. K, DU, Pune Innovation of Polymer Processing Machinery
& Equipment
Rajoo Engineers Ltd., Rajkot Innovation of Polymer Processing Machinery
& Equipment
Digvijay Dhabriya, Dhabriya Polywood Ltd Innovation in Polymer Waste Management
& Recycling Technology and Green Polymeric
Materials & Products
Dr. Tarun K. Maji and Ms. Chinmayee Saikia Research in the field of Polymer Science &
Technology
Trimoorty Auto Deco Components Private Innovation in Petrochemicals and Newer
Limited, Pune Polymer Applications

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About the Awards


The National awards are given for outstanding contribution to research and
development leading to less energy consumption, better plastic waste
management, increase in product life cycle, development of innovative new
products, quality standards, recycling and other emerging areas.

These awards are also intended to enhance innovative capacities to the level of
international recognition.

The ultimate objective is to develop and maintain the petrochemical industry as a


globally competitive industry using eco-friendly processes and technologies.

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Singer Rihanna conferred with 2017 Humanitarian of the Year


Award by Harvard University
Popular singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty was
on 28 February 2017 conferred with the 2017
Peter J Gomes Humanitarian of the Year Award
of the Harvard University. She was awarded for
her charity work of building a state-of- the-art
centre for oncology and nuclear medicine to
diagnose and treat breast cancer at the Queen
Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Moreover, in 2012, she founded Clara


Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program,
named after her grandparents, for students
attending college in the US from Caribbean countries.

The program also supports the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen
Project to offer children with access to education in over 60 developing countries, giving
priority to girls, and those affected by lack of access to education in the world today.

Born in Barbados, singer, actress and songwriter Robyn Rihanna Fenty has sold more
than 200 million records, won eight Grammy Awards and scored 14 number-one hits till
date.

About Peter J Gomes Humanitarian of the Year Award


The Harvard Foundation recognizes prominent public-spirited leaders every year in
honor of the late Professor Peter J. Gomes.

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Hans Rosling, James Earl Jones, Ban Ki-moon, Kofi Annan, Boutros Boutros-Ghali,
Malala Yousafzai, Kailash Satyarthi, Arthur Ashe, Louis W. Sullivan and Dolores Huerta are
some previous years awardees.

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Jawaharlal Nehru University won Visitors Award for


the Best University 2017
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on 2 March 2017 won the
annual Visitors Award for the Best University 2017.

Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, will present the Visitors


Awards for the year 2017 at a function on 6 March 2017 at Rashtrapati
Bhavan. The function will be held at a part of the Festival of
Innovations.

On the other hand, Deepak Pant from Central University of Himachal Pradesh won
the Visitors Award for Innovation. He won the award for development of a reactor for
direct conversion of waste plastic to LPG in small scale.

The Visitors Award for Research is jointly won by Dr Shyam Sunder from Banaras
Hindu University and Professor Niranjan Karak from Tezpur University. Dr Sunder won the
award for his work in the area of diagnosis and treatment of Indian Kala-azar while
Professor won it for development of renewable resource based bio-degradable hyper-
branched polymer nano-composites as self-cleaning, self-healing and bio-compatible smart
sustainable futuristic material.
About Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University is a public central university in New Delhi.

It was established in the year 1969 by an Act of parliament. G. Parthsarthi was the
first vice-chancellor of the university.

In 2012, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council gave the university a
grade of 3.9 out of 4, the highest grade awarded to any educational institution in
India.

The university is known for leading faculties and research emphasis on liberal arts
and applied sciences.

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President Pranab Mukherjee presented Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016


President Pranab Mukherjee on 8 March 2017 presented the Nari Shakti Puraskar
2016 at a ceremony in New Delhi on the occasion of International Womens Day 2017. This
year, the Selection Committee, chaired by the Minister of Women & Child Development
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, unanimously agreed to increase the number of Awards to 31 as
more nominees were found to be deserving and the age criteria was also relaxed.

Some of the awardees of this year are scientists Anatta Sonney, B Codanayaguy and
Subhu Varier, entrepreneurs Reema Sathe and Zuboni Humtsoe, trailblazer Mumtaz Kazi
and many more.

The Nari Shakti Puraskar carries a cash award of Rs 1 Lakh and a certificate for
individuals and institutions.

About Nari Shakti Puraskar


Union Government confers Nari Shakti Puraskar every year on eminent women
and institutions in recognition of their service towards the cause of women
empowerment.
The Nari Shakti Awards were initiated in the year 1999 and the guidelines were
reframed in the year 2015.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development announces these national level
awards.
The award is open to all Indian Institutions, organisations and individuals.
The WCD Ministry invites nominations from the State Governments, concerned
Central Ministries, NGOs, universities, private and public sector undertakings
(PSUs) working for empowerment of women.
In exceptional cases, the Selection Committee may also, suo moto, recommend a
person or institution for the award with justification.
The final selection of the awardees is made by the National Selection Committee
which takes into account the recommendations of the Screening Committee.

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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan won Best Actress


Award for Sarbjit at IFFAA
Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the first week of
March 2017 won Best Actress Award at the International Film Festival
and Awards of Australia (IFFAA).

Aishwarya grabbed the award for her role in 2016 film 'Sarbjit'.

The movie Sarbjit is a 2016 Indian biographical drama film. It was

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directed by Omung Kumar. The film revolved around Sarabjit Singh, an Indian man, who was
sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1991. He consequently spent 22
years in prison for alleged terrorism and spying.

About Aishwarya Rai Bachchan


Born on 1 November 1973, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan won the Miss World pageant
in 1994.

In 1997, she made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar.

Her first Hindi film release was Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, which released in 1997.

In 1998, she delivered her first commercial success movie named Jeans.

In 1999, she won Best Actress awards at Filmfare for her performance in Hum Dil
De Chuke Sanam. In 2002, she again won the award for Devdas.

In 2003, she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes
Film Festival.

In 2009, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

She is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on
AIDS (UNAIDS).

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Harvard honoured Viola Davis with 'Artist of the Year' award


Viola Davis, the actress who took
home some of this years biggest awards,
was honoured with the Harvard foundation
'Artist of the Year' 2017 award at Harvard's
32nd Cultural Rhythms Festival in
Cambridge on 4 March 2017.

Speaking on the occasion, S Allen


Counter, director of the Harvard
Foundation said that the foundations students and faculty were delighted to present the
award to Davis, the much-acclaimed television and film artist, who has made outstanding
contributions to American and International film and theatre.

The actress not only won an Oscar recently but also won the Golden Globe, BAFTA and
the Screen Actors Guild Award for best supporting actress female for her performance as
Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of August Wilsons play Fences. Davis also acted in the
play's 2010 Broadway revival with Denzel Washington, for which she won her second Tony
award.

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About Harvard foundation award


The award aims to honour the Americas most acclaimed artists and scientists each
year. Previous winners of the prestigious award include Shakira, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek,
Quincy Jones, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Matt Damon, Jackie Chan, Eva Longoria, Sharon Stone
and Denzel Washington.

Trump revises travel ban, Iraq excluded from the list

About Viola Davis


She was born on 11 August 1965 in St. Matthews, South Carolina,
A graduate of Julliard School, Davis began her acting career through theatre and
won an Off-Broadway Theater Award in 1999 for her performance as Ruby
McCollum in a play 'Everybody's Ruby'.
Davis is the only African- American actress to win the Triple Crown of Acting, the
Academy Award, Emmy Award and the Tony Award.
She was also listed by the Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people
in the world in 2012.
Her actual breakthrough in films came through her supporting role in the drama
film 'Doubt', which earned her several nominations including the Golden globe,
SAG and Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress.
She became the first African American to win the Primetime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2015 for her role as Annalise Keating
in the ABCs drama series 'How to Get Away with Murder.
She along with her husband Julius Tennon are founders of a production company
called JuVee productions.

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PM Modi presented Swachh Shakti Awards 2017 to


women sarpanch
PM Narendra Modi on 8 March 2017 presented Swachh Shakti Awards 2017 to
women sarpanch in Gandhinagar, Gujarat who have contributed immensely to the
movement towards a clean India. The awards were presented on the occasion of
International Women's Day 2017.

Awardees
PM Modi honoured ten women with the Swachh Shakti Samman for their exemplary
work in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

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Among the women awardees were Manju Maurya from UP, Uttara Thakur from
Chhattisgarh, Kumari Neelam from Haryana, Shivani Dakoy from West Bengal, Asha Putri
from Rajasthan, Sumitra Kumari from Assam, Ramila Ben Rai Singh Gavit from Gujarat,
Akamma Harval from Karnataka, M. Malika from Tamil Nadu, and Sushila Kurkute from
Maharashtra.

All of them were given the name of Swachhta Champion.

Background
Around 6000 women sarpanches from across the country participated in the Swachh
Shakti Sammelan. Among them were mostly those women sarpanches who played a key
role in making their villages open defecation free.

On the same occasion, a digital exposition was also displayed where one could see
how a clean village is transforming itself into being digital. These include those 25 villages
out of 33 in Gujarat which have become Open Defecation Free.

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Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail honoured with


Saraswati Samman 2016
Prominent Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail was on 9
March 2017 selected for the Saraswati Samman 2016 for his novel
Hawthan.

The 74-year-old writer's novel, published in 2009, was


shortlisted from 22 books written in as many languages.

The selection for the award was made by a jury presided by


the 29th Chief Justice of India (CJI) AS Anand.

Who is Mahabaleshwar Sail?


Mahabaleshwar Sail is Goa-based renowned bi-lingual writer. So far, he wrote 4
Marathi dramas and 7 Konkani novels.

Sail also written 5 short stories and a novel in Marathi.

The novel 'Hawthan' is a well-researched work of fiction. The book presents the
cultural map of the traditional potter community of Goa.

Mohan Bhagwat awarded honorary Doctor of Science degree

About Saraswati Samman

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It is named after Goddess Saraswati, Indian goddess of learning. The award was
instituted in 1991 by the KK Birla Foundation.

The award consists of 15 lakh rupees, a citation and a plaque.

The inaugural award was given to Harivanshrai Bachchan for his four volume
autobiography - Kya Bhooloon Kya Yaad Karoon, Needa Ka Nirman Phir, Basere Se
Door and Dashdwar Se Sopan Tak.

The Saraswati Samman for 2015 was given to Padma Sachdev for her
autobiography titled Chitt-Chete, which was written in Dogri language.

IIT-Madras won 2017 IEEE Spectrum Technology in


the Service of Society Award
The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras in
the first week of March 2017 was selected for the
2017 IEEE Spectrum Technology in the Service of
Society Award.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics


Engineers (IEEE) has chosen the IIT-M for the
award for its solar-direct current (DC) inverter
system.

The IEEE Spectrum Technology in the Service of Society Award is presented to a


company or an institution voted by the IEEE Spectrum editors as having developed the
technology that has the potential to benefit mankind.

Details related to the system


The system was developed by Centre for Decentralised Power Systems at IIT-M
using micro grid technology.

Its ability to tap rooftop solar power makes it the most energy efficient solution for
homes and offices.

The system consists of a DC solar generation unit, DC power-line, DC appliances


and a battery.

At present, the system is functional in more than 11,000 homes in Rajasthan and
Assam.

It also has been installed in villages of 5 States, namely, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

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As per the developers, the system can power a small home at lesser cost than a
conventional solar power system.

The system will power a few fans, lights, a television, mobile charging, mixer
grinder and computer that run on DC current.

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2016 Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan


Protsahan Puraskar presented
Ramakrishna Ashram,
which is located in the South 24
Parganas of West Bengal, was
conferred with the national-level
Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay
Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan
Puraskar for 2016.
The award was presented
by the Union Minister of
Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
Radha Mohan Singh on 15 March 2017 during the inaugural function of the Krishi Unnati
Mela 2017 in New Delhi.
On this occasion, the minister also distributed 11 regional level Pandit Deen Dayal
Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskars.
The 3-day long Krishi Unnati Mela 2017 is jointly organised by the Indian Council of
Agriculutral Research (ICAR) and the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

About Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan


Puraskar
The award was instituted by the Union Government in 2016 to mark the birth
centenary year of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, a pioneer of Antyodaya.

The total sum of this award is 50 lakh rupees in which there is a provision of one
award of 25 lakh rupees at the national level and 11 awards of Rs 2,25,000 lakh
each at the regional level.

The winners of this annual award are selected by the selection committee on the
basis of nominations received from all the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across the
country.

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Indian-American teen Indrani Das wins 2017 Regeneron


Science Talent Search
Indrani Das, an Indian-American high school
student, in second week of March 2017 won the
2017 Regeneron Science Talent Search bagging the
top award of USD 250000.
Das won the prestigious high school science
and mathematics competition for her new
approach to neurological damage.
The Indian-American teen is a student at the
Academy for Medical Science Technology in
Hackensack.
Aaron Yeiser, a senior at Perkiomen Valley High School, Pennsylvania, won the second
place award of USD 175000. He grabbed the prize for his development of a new
mathematical method to solve partial differential equations on complicated geometries.
The third place was clinched by another Indian-American student, Arjun Srinivasan
Ramani. He was awarded USD 150000 for blending the mathematical field of graph theory
with computer programming to answer questions about networks.

About Regeneron Science Talent Search


The Regeneron Science Talent Search is a research-based science competition in
the United States for high school seniors.

For its first 57 years, the competition was known as the Westinghouse Science
Talent Search. From 1988 to 2015, it was known as the Intel Science Talent Search.

The competition has been referred to as "the nation's oldest and most prestigious"
science competition.

Former US President George H. W. Bush, in his speech at the dinner honouring the
1991 winners, called the competition as the "Super Bowl of science."

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Canadian teacher wins global teacher prize


Maggie MacDonnell, a Canadian teacher was named the winner of the annual Global
Teacher Prize at a ceremony conducted on 19 March 2017 at the Global Education and Skills
Forum in Dubai.
Maggie who teaches at the Ikusik School in Salluit, an Inuit village deep in the
Canadian Arctic, was awarded for her achievements within the local community that
survives amidst harsh conditions and her effort in helping to reduce teenage suicide rates.

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She was awarded a cash prize of US


$1m. She received the honour from Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the
Vice President and Prime Minister of the
United Arab Emirates and the Emir of
Dubai.

Key Highlights
Maggie was among the 10
finalists, chosen from over 20,000 nominations and applications from 179
countries across the globe.

The winners name was announced through a video link by an astronaut on the
International Space Station.

The inuit village, where Maggie teaches, is known to have a high suicide rate.

Maggie herself has witnessed over 10 suicides and she described at the event how
it felt to be a teacher after the suicide of a student.

The region is also infamous for teenage pregnancies and high levels of sexual
abuse. To help curb the same, Maggie created life-skills programme specifically for
the young girls in the region.

Maggie has also been a temporary foster parent in the indigenous community.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Maggie on her win through a
video message and thanked her along with other teachers teaching in the village, which is
located in one of the worlds most remote regions, surrounded by snow and ice that has no
roads and is only accessible by air.

Norway ranked 1 in World Happiness Report, India slips to 122


Forbes World's Billionaires List 2017 released: Bill Gates tops the list

About the Global Teacher Prize


The prize is US $1 million award, which is presented annually to an exceptional
teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession.

It aims to acknowledge the impacts of the very best teachers not only on their
students but on the communities around them.

The prize is paid in instalments and requires the winner to remain a teacher for at
least five years.

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The Nobel-like award was set up three years ago by the Dubai-based Varkey
Foundation under the leadership of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum.

Last years award went to a Palestinian teacher, Hanan al-Hroub, for her work in
countering violent behaviour among her students through the means of play in the
West Bank.

The judging panel includes head teachers, journalists, entrepreneurs, public


officials, scientists, company directors and entertainment industry figures from
across the world.

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President Pranab Mukherjee presented KCK International Award


for excellence in print Journalism
President Pranab Mukherjee on 20 March 2017 presented the KCK International
Award for excellence in Print Journalism. The awards were organized by Rajasthan Patrika in
New Delhi.
The award for the year 2014 was conferred upon Wanjohi Kabukuru's team for the
story How East Africa Lost Its Innocence that was published in New African magazine,
London.
The award for the year 2015 was awarded to Rakesh Sharma and his team for an
investigative news series Sexual Harassment in Nari Niketan, published in Amar Ujala.
The award carries the cash prize of USD 11000.
Background
Journalism has had a long history in India. It has been closely associated with India's
struggle for independence and social reforms.
The history of Indian journalism has been that of progressive reform, social
renaissance and anti-colonialism.
The contribution of print journalism to an evolving Indian society and nationhood was
immense beginning with the Samvad Kaumudi brought out by Raja Rammohun Roy in 1819
to Samachar Chandrika and Mirat-Ul-Akhbar, Harijan and Young India edited by the
Mahatma.

The print journalism has its own impact because journalists through their columns or stories
find a permanent place in the minds of readers.

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President of India presents Gallantry Awards


The President
of India, Pranab
Mukherjee presented
the Gallantry Awards
and Distinguished
Service Decorations
at a Defence
Investiture Ceremony
held at Rashtrapati
Bhavan on 20 March
2017.
The prestigious
ceremony saw in attendance prominent dignitaries including Indian Vice President
Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Minister for
Defence.

The President conferred 1 Kirti Chakra and 12 Shaurya Chakras to Armed Forces
Personnel for displaying exemplary leadership, an extreme presence of mind, conspicuous
gallantry and courage beyond the call of duty. From the total, Six Shaurya Chakras were
given posthumously.
He also conferred 15 Param Vishisht Seva medals, 3 Uttam Yuddh Seva medals, 1 Bar
to Ati Vishisht Seva medal and 22 Ati Vishisht Seva medals to senior officers of the Armed
forces to acknowledge their exceptional service.
Following are the names of some winners:

Kirti Chakra
Major Rohit Suri, the Parachute Regiment

Shaurya Chakra
Naik Bir Singh, 21st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)

Captain Gaurav Sharad Jadhav, Regiment of Artillery/ 36th Battalion, the Rashtriya
Rifles

Major Rahul Dev Singh, the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles/ 3rd Battalion, the Rashtriya
Rifles

Sepoy Hari Chettri, the Mechanized Infantry/ 9th Battalion, the Rashtriya Rifles

Corporal Gursevek Singh, Indian Air Force (Security) (Posthumous)

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Nair Shinde Shankar Chandrabhan, the Maratha Light Infantry/ 41st Battalion, the
Rashtriya Rifles (Posthumous)

Captain Tushar Mahajan, 9th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)
(Posthumous)

Captain Pawan Kumar, 10th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)
(Posthumous)

Lance Naik Om Parkash, 9th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)
(Posthumous)

Ashu Singh, CHME (Posthumous)

Lieutenant Colonel Atul Gupta, the Mahar Regiment/ 30th Battalion, the Rashtriya
Rifles

Captain Ashik M B, First Battalion of the Fifth Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Forces)

Naib Subedar Vijay Kumar, the Parachute Regiment

Full list of winners

Aside from being the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee is also the Supreme
Commander of the Indian Armed Forces.

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SPORTS
61 CAVALRY defeats Army Service Corps to
win Army Polo Championship
61 CAVALRY on 24
February 2017 bagged the
Army Polo Championship. In
the finals played in New Delhi,
61 CAVALRY defeated Army
Service Corps.

The famous Army Polo


Championship that commenced
on 31 January 2017 saw
participation from Corps of
Artillery, Remount and Veterinary Corps and Armored Corps.

India defeats South Africa to win ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier 2017

Army has dominated Equestrian Sports for a long time producing a large number of
Asian Games medalists, World Cup players, Padam Shree and Arjuna awardees and is
pursuing it as part of its Mission Olympics programme. At the same time, the 61 CAVALRY
regiment has a polo playing tradition and has produced some of India's best polo players.

Lt Gen RV Kanitkar, Quarter Master General, presented the Army Polo Championship
Trophy to 61 CAVLARY in the presence of a big audience including many senior officers.

About Army Polo Championship


The Army Polo Championship was re-instituted in year 2015 after a gap of ten years.
Since its re-inception, the championship has witnessed the participation of some of the
renowned players in the Indian Polo Circuit like Col Navjit Singh Sandhu and Lt Col Ravi
Rathore playing at +2 and +5 handicaps respectively. Lt Col Ravi Rathore who is the highest
handicapped polo player in Indian Army has also played four World Cups for the Indian Polo
Team.

Milind Soman completes 517.5-km-long Ultraman race barefoot

61 Cavalry Regiment
The 61 Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army is the largest non-ceremonial horse-
mounted cavalry unit remaining in the world. As per reports, the regiment recruits Rajputs,
Marathas and Kaimkhanis in equal numbers. This ratio was established on the instructions
of the former Prime Minister Jawarharalal Nehru.

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

In recent times, the 62st Cavalry is among the limited unmechanised mounted cavalry
regiments in the world. Few other unmechanised mounted cavalry regiments across the
world include the 11th Cavalry Regiment of the Moscow Military District and the Household
Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

Primarily employed for ceremonial occasions, the 61 CAVALRY regiment can be


deployed for internal security or police roles if required. Last time, the regiment saw active
military service when it undertook mounted patrol work during the Indo-Pakistani War of
1971.

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John-John Dohmen, Naomi Van named best hockey players of 2016


FIH Hockey Stars Awards
2016 were conferred on 23
February 2017 in Chandigarh.
This was the first time in the
history of Hockey that the
ceremony was held to honour
the best players, rising stars,
goalkeepers, umpires and
coaches.

Belgium captain John-John


Dohmen and Netherlands' Naomi Van were named as male and female International Hockey
Federation's (FIH) Player of the Year (2016) awards respectively.

The Olympic silver medallists Dohmen and Naomi were handed these awards at a
ceremony hosted in Chandigarh.

Other awards and awardees are


Hockey Stars 2016 female Goalkeeper of the Year: Won by Great Britain's
Olympic gold medallist Maddie Hinch.

Hockey Stars 2016 male Goalkeeper of the Year: won by Ireland's David Harte. He
won the award for the second year in a row.

Male Rising Star of the Year (2016): Belgium's Arthur Van Doren

Female Rising Star of the Year (2016): Argentinas Maria Granatto

Coach of Year awards male: Great Britains Danny Kerry

Coach of Year awards female: Great Britains Karen Brown

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Umpire of the Year award male: Germanys Christian Blasch

Umpire of the Year award female: Belgiums Laurine Delforge

Indians in the fray for the award who returned empty-handed were
Harmanpreet Singh (Rising Star of the Year)
and captain and
goalkeeper PR Sreejesh
(for Goalkeeper of the
Year).

Hockey legend
Balbir Singh Senior, 92,
gave away the award to
David Harte, while the
Player of the Year, both in
mens and womens
category was given by the
FIH President Narinder
Batra.

Details of the winners


Naomi Van: Dutch attacking ace Van, who was the joint winner of the FIH Player of
the Year Award in 2009, was superb throughout 2016. During the year, she produced top
class performances as the Netherlands took silver medals at both the Rio 2016 Olympic
Games and the Hockey Champions Trophy in London.

John-John Dohmen: Dohmen, the captain of Belgium, as the midfielder produced a


string of flawless displays his team won the silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Maddie Hinch: Her shoot-out against the Netherlands in the final at the Rio Olympics
helped the Great Britain to clinch the gold medal.

David Harte: He helped the hockey team of Ireland to make return to Olympic after
100 years. Earlier, he was judged as the 2015 Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of the Year.

Maria Granatto: She was named as the Best Junior player at that event for scoring
three times during Argentinas title success at the Hockey Champions Trophy in London.

Arthur Van Doren: Doren, the Olympic silver medallist from Belgium, has shown
throughout 2016 that he is a world-class defender with composure beyond his years.

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Lucas Pouille to win 2017 Open 13


Second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on
26 February 2017 defeated Frenchman
Lucas Pouille 6-4, 6-4 to win the 2017 Open
13.

The final, played in Marseille, France,


was Tsonga's ninth victory in a row. He
executed seven aces against Pouille and
managed to maintain his serve without a
break.

About Jo-Wilfried Tsonga


Born on 17 April 1985, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is a French professional tennis player.

As of 27 February 2017, he is ranked World No. 7.

His career-high singles ranking is world No. 5, which he achieved in February 2012.

He won his first ATP Masters Series championship at the 2008 Paris Masters.

He also reached the final of the 2011 ATP World Tour Finals, where he lost to
Roger Federer.

He achieved his second Masters Series win at the 2014 Canadian Open.

He has reached the quarterfinal stage of all four Grand Slams.

He is also the first and one of only three players (the others being Tomas Berdych
and Stan Wawrinka) to have Grand Slam wins against each of the Big Four (namely
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray).

About Open 13
The Open 13 is an annual men's tennis tournament.

It is played in Marseille, France.

The tournament is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of
Tennis Professionals tour.

It is played on indoor hard courts at the Palais des sports de Marseille.

In 2016, the tournament was won by Nick Kyrgios.

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Worlds first robot table tennis tutor sets new


Guinness World record
FORPHEUS, the worlds first robot table tennis tutor has created a new Guinness
World Record with its extraordinary technological intelligence and educational
capabilities.

The Japanese technology has been given the Guinness title for being able to play
table tennis way better than most humans.

Scientists create high-quality graphene using soybean


About FORPHEUS
FORPHEUS is short for Future Omron Robotics Technology for Exploring Possibility
of Harmonised automation with Sinic Theoretics.
It has been developed by Omron Corporation, a leading electronics company
based in Kyoto, Japan.
According to its lead developer, Taku Oya, the main aim behind the technology is
to harmonise humans and robots by teaching table tennis to human players.
The machine is enabled to act as a coach with assistance from cutting edge vision
and motion sensors that help it gage movement during a match.
It also features several cameras that are located above the ping pong table, which
monitor the position of the ball at a rate of 80 times per second.
The cameras help the robot to show its human student a projected image as to
where the ball will land when returned in order to help them improve their skills.

Sand Artist Sudarsans new sand castle creates


Guinness World Record
Further, a speed sensing component in the robot helps it calculate the opponents
ball at 1000 times per second and as a result it is easily able to determine how
good its opponents are at playing the game.
The robot also encourages the human players to give their best shot by showing
supportive messages along the LED screen situated on the tables net.
Talking further about the advancement in technology, Taku stated that though at
the moment it is a human who teaches a robot how to behave or teach, but in the next
20 years it may be possible that a robot is teaching a robot or a robot is developing a
robot.

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Amina J Mohammed sworn in as UN Deputy Secretary-General


Amina J Mohammed on 28 February 2017 was appointed as
the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN).

Mohammed, a former Environment Minister of Nigeria, was


appointed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the second
highest job at the UN.

About Amina J Mohammed


Amina Mohammed was born in 1961 Gombe State,
North Eastern part of Nigeria.
She previously served as the Minister of Environment of Nigeria.
She resigned from Nigerian Federal Executive Council on the 24 February 2017.
She also served as the Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on
Post-2015 development planning.
Prior to this position, she served as Founder and CEO of the Center for
Development Policy Solutions.
She also served as an Adjunct Professor for the Masters in Development Practice
program at Columbia University.
She has also acted as the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the
Millennium Development Goals after serving three presidents over a period of six
years.
In 2005, she was charged with the coordination of Nigerias debt relief funds
toward the achievement of the MDGs.
She has been honoured the National Honours Award of the Order of the Federal
Republic in 2006.
She was inducted in the Nigerian Womens Hall of Fame in 2007.

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Ruchi Ghanashyam appointed as Secretary (West) in MEA


Senior diplomat Ruchi Ghanashyam was on 28 February 2017 appointed as the
Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). She succeeds Sujata Mehta, who
recently took over as a Member in Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Her appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC).

As the Secretary (West), Ghanashyam will be responsible for looking after the
country's diplomatic affairs with the United Kingdom and other European nations.

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About Ruchi Ghanashyam


Presently, she is serving as the High Commissioner of India to South Africa.

Prior to this, she worked as the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External
Affairs where she was heading the Europe West Division.

She served as the High Commissioner of India in Ghana with concurrent


accreditation to Burkina Faso, Togo and Sierra Leone from March 2008 to October
2011.

She served as the Minister in the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations
in New York from May 2004 to March 2008.

She served as the Director for Pakistan at headquarters in Delhi from August 2000
to March 2004.

She joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1982 after obtaining a Masters in
Psychology from the Bhopal University.

Luis Norton de Matos appointed Head Coach of India


U-17 football team
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on 1 March 2017 appointed Portugals Luis
Norton de Matos as the Head Coach of the India U-17 team for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The World Cup is scheduled to be held in October 2017.

De Matos replaces Nicolai Adam, who was resigned under controversial circumstances
after a revolt from the players.

About Luis Norton de Matos


Born on 14 December 1953, Luis Norton de Matos is a former Portuguese
footballer.

He played as a forward.

He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 210 games and 36 goals over the course of nine
seasons.

In 1989, he became a manager and worked with several clubs.

About 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup


The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup will be the 17th edition of the FIFA U-17 World
Cup.

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The FIFA U-17 World Cup is the biennial international men's youth football
championship contested by the U17 national teams of the member associations of
FIFA.

The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup will be hosted by India between 6 and 28 October
2017. It will be the first FIFA tournament hosted by India.

A clouded leopard named Kheleo is the mascot for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

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BCCI Annual Awards 2015-2016 announced


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on 1 March 2017
announced the BCCI Annual Awards 2015-2016.

The BCCI Annual Awards committee, comprising of Ramachandra


Guha, Diana Edulji and N Ram, picked the winners for the prestigious
awards.

Ace cricketer Virat Kohli is set to receive the Polly Umrigar Award for the second year
in a row. While R Ashwin will receive the Dilip Sardesai Award for the second time.

Complete list of winners


Award Winner
Col. CK. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Rajinder Goel, Padmakar Shivalkar
Award
BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award For Shantha Rangaswamy
Women
BCCI Special Award VV Kumar, Late Ramakant Desai
Polly Umrigar Award Virat Kohli
Dilip Sardesai Award (For Indias Best Ravichandran Ashwin
Cricketer in the West Indies Series 2016)
Lala Amarnath Award for the Best All- Jalaj Saxena of Madhya Pradesh
Rounder in the Ranji Trophy 2015-16
Lala Amarnath Award for the Best All- Axar Patel of Gujarat
Rounder in Domestic Limited-Overs
Competitions, 2015-16
Madavrao Scindin Award (Highest Scorer in Shreyas Iyer of Mumbai
the Ranji Trophy 2015-16)

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Madavrao Scindin Award (Highest Wicket- Shahbaz Nadeem of Jharkhand


Taker in the Ranji Trophy 2015-16)
M.A. Chidambaram Trophy (Highest scorer Jay. G. Bosta of Mumbai
in (U-23) Col. CK. Nayudu Trophy 2015-16
M.A. Chidambaram Trophy (Highest Wicket- Satyajeet Bachhav of Maharashtra
Taker in (U-23) Col. CK. Nayudu Trophy
2015-16
NKP Salve Award (Highest Scorer in (U-19) Arman Jaffer of Mumbai
Cooch Behar Trophy in 2015-16
NKP Salve Award (Highest Wicket-Taker in Ninad Rathva of Baroda
(U-19) Cooch Behar Trophy in 2015-16
Raj Singh Dungarpur Award ( Highest Scorer Abhishek Sharma of Punjab
in (U-16) Vijay Merchant Trophy in 2015-16)
Raj Singh Dungarpur Award ( Highest Abhishek Sharma of Punjab
Wicket-Taker in (U-16) Vijay Merchant
Trophy in 2015-16)
Jagmohan Dalmiyra Award (Best Woman Mithali Raj of Railways
Cricketer (Sr.) of 2015-16)
Jagmohan Dalmiyra Award (Best Woman Deepti Sharma of Uttar Pradesh
Cricketer (Jr.) of 2015-16)
Best Umpire in Domestic Cricket in 2015-16 Nitin Menon
Best performance in BCCI Domestic Mumbai Cricket Association
Tournaments of 2015-16

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Jitu Rai wins gold in 50m pistol at ISSF World Cup


Pistol shooter Jitu Rai on 1 March 2017 clinched the
top position in the 50m mens air pistol event. With this,
India won their first gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in
New Delhi.

It was Rais second medal in two days after he won


the bronze medal in the 10m pistol event on 28 February
2017. The silver medal in the 50m mens air pistol event
went to India as Amanpreet Singh took the second position after shooting a total of 226.9. It
was Singhs first World Cup final appearance.

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The bronze medal went to Vahid Golkhandan of Iran who shot a total score of 208
points. It was his first World Cup medal in international competition.

About Jitu Rai


Born on 26 August 1987, Jitu Rai is an Indian shooter of Indian Gorkha ethnic
group.
He competes in the 10 metre air pistol and 50 metre pistol events.
At the ISSF World Cup in Munich in 2014, he won the silver medal in the 10 metre
air pistol event.
He is the first person to have won two medals at a single world cup for India.
In July 2014, he was ranked number 1 in the world in 10 metre air pistol, and
number 4 in 50 metre pistol.
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he created the Games record in the
qualification round of the 50 metre pistol event, having scored 562 points. He
went on to win the gold medal in the event, scoring 194.1 points in the final, thus
creating another Games record.
In 2016, he was honoured with the Khel Ratna Award.
About ISSF World Cup
The ISSF World Cup was introduced by the International Shooting Sport Federation
in 1986.
It was introduced to provide a homogeneous system for qualification to the
Olympic shooting competitions.
It still is carried out in the Olympic shooting events, with four competitions per
year in each event.

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Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau win Dubai


Tennis Championships Mens Doubles title
Jean-Julien Rojer from the
Netherlands and Horia Tecau from
Romania on 4 March 2017 won the Dubai
Tennis Championships Mens Doubles title.
It is the 13th doubles title of the duo.

Rojer and Tecau defeated Indias


Rohan Bopanna and Polands Marcin
Matkowski 46, 63, [103] in the finals to
grab the title.

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The Dubai Tennis Championships was the second final for Bopanna in the year 2017.
He had started the season by winning the Chennai Open with compatriot Jeevan
Nedunchezhiyan.

About Dubai Tennis Championships


The Dubai Tennis Championships is a professional tennis tournament.

It is owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and held annually in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates.

It is held on outdoor hardcourts.

The championship usually takes place at the end of February.

It takes place under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.

In 2001, the Association of Tennis Professionals upgraded the tournament from a


250 level to a more prestigious 500 level tournament.

In 2016, the Dubai Tennis Championships Mens Doubles title was won by Simone
Bolelli and Andreas Seppi.

The 2017 Dubai Tennis Championships Mens Singles is won by Andy Murray.

The 2017 Dubai Tennis Championships Womens Singles is won by Elina Svitolina.

The 2017 Dubai Tennis Championships Womens Doubles title is won by Ekaterina
Makarova and Russia Elena Vesnina.

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Sam Querrey beats Rafael Nadal to win ATP Mexico Open title
USAs Sam Querrey on 4 March 2017
defeated second-seeded Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-6
to win the ATP Mexico Open Mens Singles
title. The match was held in Acapulco, Mexico.

It is Querreys first win over Nadal,


improving his FedEx Head2Head record
against Nadal to 1-4. Querrey is also the first
American champion in 24-year history of the
ATP Mexico Open.

About Sam Querrey


Born on 7 October 1987, Sam Querrey is an American professional tennis player.

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In January 2011, he achieved his career-high singles ranking of world no. 17.

He has won nine Singles titles.

His best performance in a Grand Slam event was at the 2016 Wimbledon
Championships, where he reached the quarterfinal. In the third round of the
tournament, Querrey defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in four sets.

About ATP Mexico Open


The Mexican Open is a joint professional tennis tournament.

It is played on outdoor hard courts. However, it was played on outdoor red clay
courts until 2013. The change to hard courts was introduced in the year 2014.

It is usually held annually in late February at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess in


Acapulco, Mexico.

The tournament is a part of the ATP World Tour 500 series on the Association of
Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour, and of the WTA International tournaments
on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour.

In 2016, the Mens Singles title was won by Austrias Dominic Thiem.

The 2017 Women's Singles title is won by Ukraines Lesia Tsurenko.

The 2017 Men's Doubles title is won by Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

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Andy Murray won mens singles title at Dubai Duty


Free Tennis Championships
Andy Murray of the
United Kingdom on 4
March 2017 won the
mens singles titles at the
Dubai Duty Free Tennis
Championships 2017.

To win the title, he


defeated Fernando
Verdaso of Spanish 6-3 6-2
at the summit clash held
in Dubai, the United Aran
Emirates (UAE).

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With this title, Murray has become the first British champion in the 25 year history of
the tournament.

For Murray, it was his best win over the Spaniard since the Miami Championships
almost exactly eight years ago and comes after he finished as runner-up to Roger Federer in
Dubai in 2012.

Incredibly, it was his seventh final in his last eight tournaments and 14th in his last 16.

Rohan Bopanna loses in the final of doubles clash


Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau claimed the doubles title with a 4-6 6-3 10-3 win
over the Indo-Polish pair of Rohan Bopanna and Marcin Matkowski.

It is their 13th title together, which includes both Wimbledon and the ATP World
Tour Finals in 2015.

It is Rojer's 22nd doubles title and Tecau's 30th. Bopanna was seeking his fourth
Dubai title after winning in 2012, 2014 and 2015, all with different partners.

Worlds first robot table tennis tutor sets new Guinness World record

About Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships


Since its inaugural edition in 1993, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships has
consistently showcased the world's best players in the competition.

In 2005, two ATP World Tour champions, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer, scaled
the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah for a friendly practice session atop the helipad at the
iconic hotel.

The tournament has frequently been named the ATP World Tour 500 Tournament
of the Year at the ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moet & Chandon.

The championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the
patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and
Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

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Pablo Cuevas wins 2017 Brasil Open


Uruguays Pablo Cuevas on 6 March 2017 defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain 6-7
(3), 6-4, 6-4 to win Brasil Open Mens Singles title.

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It is the third straight Brasil Open title


for Cuevas.

In the rain-delayed clay-court


tournament, Cuevas finally wrapped up the
title on 6 March 2017 with a victory against
Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain. Ramos-
Vinolas had won the first set on 5 March
2017; however, the second set was stopped
by rain at 3-3 and deuce with Ramos Vinolas
serving. Once the game resumed, Cuevas,
the world No 33, quickly took control,
winning the second set 6-4 and then taking
the third by the same score against the
Spaniard.

About Pablo Cuevas


Born on 1 January 1986, Pablo
Cuevas is an Argentine-born Uruguayan professional tennis player.

He won the 2008 French Open men's doubles title with Luis Horna.

He has won 5 singles titles.

In April 2009, he had achieved his career-high doubles ranking of World no. 14.

About Brasil Open


The Brasil Open is a tennis tournament held annually in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

It is a part of the ATP World Tour 250 series.

The tournament is one of the main events in the Brazilian tennis calendar.

Since 2004, the competition has been a part of the South American clay court
circuit. Before that, it was held on hard courts.

Spains Nicolas Almagro and Uruguays Pablo Cuevas hold the record for most
titles at the tournament.

The 2016 Brasil Open Mens Singles title was won by Pablo Cuevas.

The 2017 Brasil Open Mens Doubles title is won Rogerio Dutra Silva and Andra Sa.

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Ashwin and Jadeja jointly rank Number One in ICC Test rankings
Indias Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on 8 March
2017 became the first pair of spinners to be jointly top-ranked in the
MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers.

The rankings released a day after the second Test against


Australia in Bengaluru. Jadejas seven wickets in the match helped
him move up one rank to reach the top position for the first time in
his career.

Before Ashwin and Jadeja, Dale Steyn and Muttiah


Muralidaran shared the top spot in April 2008.

In the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, Steve Smith, captain of
Australian cricket team, maintained his reign at the top for 77 Tests, going past Ricky
Pontings 76 matches.

Top 10 in ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers


Ranking Player Rating
1 Ravichandran Ashwin 892
2 Ravindra Jadeja 892
3 Josh Hazlewood 863
4 Rangana Herath 827
5 Kagiso Rabada 821
6 Dale Steyn 819
7 James Anderson 810
8 Stuart Broad 803
9 Vernon Philander 798
10 Mitchell Starc 757

About Ravichandran Ashwin


Born on 17 September 1986, Ravichandran Ashwin is a right-handed batsman and
right-arm off break bowler.

In domestic cricket, he plays for Tamil Nadu. He plays for Rising Pune Supergiants
in the IPL.

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He is the fastest Indian bowler to reach the 50-, 100-, 150-, 200-, and 250-wicket
mark in Test cricket.

In 2016, Ashwin became the only Indian after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar
to win the ICC Cricketer of the Year award.

In his 45th test match, against Bangladesh in February 2017, he became the fastest
player to pick up 250 test wickets.

About Ravindra Jadeja


Born 6 December 1988, Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja plays as a left-handed
middle-order batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler.

He plays for Saurashtra in first-class cricket and the Gujarat Lions in the IPL.

He was a part of the Indian U-19 cricket team that won the World Cup in Malaysia
in 2008.

On 22 January 2017, he became the first Indian left arm spinner to take 150 ODI
wickets.

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Indian women hockey team beat


Belarus to clinch five-match test series
Indian women hockey team on 8 March 2017
dished out a disciplined performance to notch up a 3-
1 win over Belarus to register their fifth consecutive
victory. With the win, Indian eves clinched the five-
match Test series 5-0 against Belarus.

In the final match, Indias Vandana Katariya, Gurjit Kaur and Rani scored for the team
on 6th minute, 15th minute and 55th minute, respectively. On the other hand, Yuliya
Mikheichyk scored the solitary goal for Belarus on the 52nd minute.

The Indian team was captained by striker Rani, the Indian eves were quick to get off
the blocks as Vandana scored a field goal in the 6th minute of the match.

The first quarter of the match went on to be an eventful one for the Indian women, as
Gurjit Kaur successfully converted a Penalty Corner in the 15th minute to take her side 2-0
up against Belarus.

The opponent country found a breakthrough in the 52nd minute of the match when
Yuliya converted a Penalty Corner. However, the Indian team defended strongly thereafter,

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and even converted a Penalty Corner through skipper Rani in the 55th minute to eventually
lock the match in Indias favour.

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SSP Chawrasia won 2017 Indian Open golf title


Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia became the only second
Indian golfer to successfully defend the Hero Indian Open golf
title. He achieved this feat on 12 March 2017 by clinching a seven-
stroke win at the redesigned DLF golf and country club in
Gurugram, Haryana.

With this win, Chawrasia pocketed a winner's cheque of


USD 2,91,660. For Chawrasia, this was his sixth win on the Asian
Tour and overall sixth international victory.

Chawrasia is also the third player to win back-to-back Indian


Open titles. The other two golfers who did so earlier are Jyoti Randhawa of India and Japan's
Kenji Hosoishi.

While Randhawa won the titles in 2006 and 2007, Hosoishi won the titles in 1967 and
1968.

Career highlights of SSP Chawrasia


Claimed his first victory outside of India when he clinched the Resorts World
Manila Masters in 2016

Defeated Rahil Gangjee and Mithun Perera with a birdie on the first play-off hole
to win the 2014 Panasonic Open India

Won the Avantha Masters on home soil, an event co-sanctioned with Europe in
2011

Came close to winning his second Asian Tour title at the SAIL Open in Delhi when
he finished fourth in 2010

Produced a memorable triumph with his breakthrough at the Indian Masters at


Delhi Golf Club in 2008

Was denied victory at the Hero Indian Open when he lost on the first play-off hole
to Anirban Lahiri in 2015 but thanks to three other top-10 results, he finished
fourth on the Order of Merit and qualified for the 2016 EurAsia Cup presented by
DRB-HICOM

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Challenged compatriot Jyoti Randhawa for the Hero Honda Indian Open title
before losing in a play-off that included Vijay Kumar in 2006

Emerged runner-up to Arjun Atwal at the 1999 Indian Open

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Lee Chong Wei wins All England Open Men's Singles title
Top-ranked Lee Chong Wei of
Malaysia on 12 March 2017 won
his fourth All England Open crown.

Lee defeated first-time


finalist Shi Yuqi of China 21-12, 21-
10, to grab the Mens Singles title
at the tournament.
About Lee Chong Wei
Born on 21 October 1982,
Lee Chong Wei is a Malaysian professional badminton player.

From 21 August 2008 to 14 June 2012, he was ranked first worldwide for 199
consecutive weeks as a singles player.

He is the fourth Malaysian player after Rashid Sidek, Roslin Hashim and Wong
Choong Hann to achieve such a ranking.

He is the only Malaysian badminton player to hold the number one ranking for
more than a year.

He is triple silver medallist at the Olympic Games. He is also the sixth Malaysian to
win an Olympic medal.

About All England Open


The All England Open Badminton Championships is the world's oldest badminton
tournament.

It is held annually in England.

The tournament was given Superseries status in 2007. It upgraded to Superseries


Premier status in 2011.

The world's first open tournament was held in the English town of Guildford in
1898.

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The tournament halted for two instances: from 1915 to 1919 (due to World War I)
and from 1940 to 1946 (due to World War II).

The 2017 All England Open Badminton Championships had a total purse of USD
600000.

In 2016, the Mens Singles title was won by Chinas Lin Dan.

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Hockey India brings on board four Scientific Advisors


Hockey India on 14 March 2017 announced the appointment of four new Scientific
Advisors for men and women, both senior and junior teams.

Scott Conway of Australia took charge as the new Scientific Advisor for the Senior
mens team at the national camp starting in SAI Bengaluru.

South Africas Robin Anthony Webster Arkell will soon assume duties as the Scientific
Advisor for the junior mens team. Before joining Hockey India, he worked as the lead
strength and conditioning coach for the Pumas Rugby, Senior Currie Cup Squad. He has also
worked with the Western Province U21 Currie Cup as Assistant Strength and Conditioning
Coach. In his capacity as Strength and Conditioning Coach, he also worked with the Western
Province Cricket Club, UCT Rugby U20 as well as the South African U16 rugby training camp.

South African Wayne Patrick Lombard will take charge as Scientific Advisor at the
senior womens camp in Bhopal. Earlier, he worked as Head of Athletic Performance,
Liaoning Province, China Hockey. He was the Senior Biokineticist, Discovery High
performance Centre (HPC), Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA) and was also the
Medical Manager and Head Strength and Conditioning Specialist, University of Cape Town
Cricket Club.

On the other hand, Daniel Barry from Australia was roped in as Scientific Advisor for
the junior womens team. Previously, he worked as Assistant Strength and Conditioning
Coach with Western Australian Cricket Association at Perth, Head Strength and Conditioning
Coach Shanghai Women Basketball Shanghai Sports Institute, China and Strength and
Conditioning Consultant at Indonesian Olympic Committee.

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Union Government designated 14 Olympians as National Observers


The Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Vijay Goel on 20 March 2017 designated
the following 14 Olympians as National Observers for 12 sports disciplines.

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

Sports Discipline Name of National Observer(s)


Athletics PT Usha
Anju Bobby George
Archery Dr Sanjeev Kumar Singh
Badminton Aparna Popat

Boxing Mary Kom


Akhil Kumar
Hockey Jagbir Singh

Shooting Abhinav Bindra

Tennis Somdev Devvarman

Weightlifting Karnam Malleshwari

Wrestling Sushil Kumar

Football I M Vijayan

Swimming Khajan Singh

Table Tennis Kamlesh Mehta

What are the responsibilities of National Observers?


The National Observers will assist the Government, Sports Authority of India (SAI)
and National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the Indian Olympic Association in their
functioning.

Their functions include all aspects of the sports including selection policy, quality
specifications for national camps, long term athlete development plan, coaching
development, development of technical officials and monitoring and evaluation of
athlete performance.

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Apart from providing inputs for their respective disciplines, the National Observers
would also to be consulted as a group on cross cutting issues impacting sports
development in the country.

The National Observers would be playing a key role in the implementation of


action plans for Mission Olympics 2020, 2024 and 2028.

Sports Ministry to launch a search portal to spot young


sports talent in rural India

Following are some of the recent initiatives of the Union Government to promote
sports in the country.

On 30 January 2017, the government constituted a Task Force to prepare an action


plan for 2020, 2024 and 2028 Olympic games.

On 5 February 2017, the foundation stone of the boundary wall of the first-ever
Centre of Excellence for differently-abled sportsmen was laid at Sector-25 in
Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

On 10 February 2017, the Mission XI Million initiative was launched to promote


football among school children.

On 14 March 2017, Hockey India announced the appointment of four new


Scientific Advisors for men and women, both senior and junior teams.

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Sports Ministry to launch a search portal to spot young sports


talent in rural India
The Indian Sports Ministry will soon be launching a talent search portal that will help
spot, groom, support and encourage young Indians from across the country, especially from
the rural region. The announcement was made by the Union Minister of Sports and Youth
Affairs, Vijay Goel while interacting with the Indians in Dubai. Explaining the intention
behind the move, the sports minister stated that the main idea is to ensure that the
grassroot population in India also gets an opportunity to contribute their share in sports.

Cheteshwar Pujara plays India's longest innings

Key Highlights
The portal will have an interactive window that will allow any person to upload a
video or a biodata of any young talented girl or a boy who has exceptional sporting
ability but lacks proper exposure.

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The ministry will work on identifying and grooming deserving young talents and
then provide them with a platform to showcase their sporting abilities irrespective
of their social or economic status.

The Ministry will also be providing the selected youths with proper training
facilities.

The ministry is also planning to enhance the existing sports infrastructure.

Mumbai lose its permanent status in BCCI

Besides this, Vijay Goel announced that the Ministry of Sports would be setting up a
task force to conduct a feasible study on whether India will be able to host the Olympics in
2024 and 2028.

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Cheteshwar Pujara plays India's longest innings


Indian batsman
Cheteshwar Pujara was in
news on 19 March 2017 for
his marathon knock that
lasted for over 11 hours. His
202 off 525 balls in the first
innings during the third test-
match against Australia at
the JSCA Stadium at Ranchi
helped the team to take the
first innings lead.

With this, Pujara


became first Indian batsman
to face 500 balls in an innings. This was his 3rd double century in his Test career.

Sachin Tendulkar appointed as UNICEF Ambassador For


ICC Womens World Cup 2017

The fete also helped Pujara to join the elite list of players like Rahul Dravid, Navjot
Sidhu, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and VVS Laxman. In short, he is the sixth Indian batsman
to face 450 balls in an innings.

The previous record of facing maximum balls in Test inning was held by Rahul Dravid
(270 off 495 balls). Dravids record was created in 2004 during a match against Pakistan in
Rawalpindi. 270 during the inning at Rawalpindi was Dravids career-best score.

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Jwala Gutta included in Governing Body of Sports Authority of India

Most balls faced by Indian Cricketer


Player Runs and Ball faced Opposite to and year
Cheteshwar Pujara 202 off 525 balls Against Australia in 2017
Rahul Dravid 270 off 495 balls Against Pakistan in 2004
Navjot Sidhu 201 off 491 balls Against West Indies in 1997
Ravi Shastri 206 off 477 balls Against Australia in 1992
Sunil Gavaskar 172 off 472 Against England in 1981

Top five individual innings (by balls)


Player Runs and Ball faced Opposite to and year
L Hutton (England) 364 off 847 balls Against Australia in 1938
GM Turner (New Zealand) 259 off 759 balls Against West Indies in 1972
RB Simpson (Australia) 311 off 743 balls Against England in 1964
SG Barnes (Australia) 234 off 667 balls Against England in 1946
G Kirsten (South Africa) 275 off 642 balls Against England in 1999

Apart from this, Pujara is also the fourth batsman (overall) to face 500+ balls against
Australia. Ken Barrington (England) was the last batsman to play 500 balls against Australia.
He in 1964 faced 624 deliveries in his innings of 256 at Old Trafford.

Shashank Manohar steps down as ICC Chairman

Wally Hammond (England) did it three times. Hammond is also the player who holds
the record of scoring four double-tons against Australia. He is followed by Brian Lara (three
double-tons). Sachin Tendulkar, Graeme Pollock and VVS Laxman are the players who have
scored two double-tons against Australia.

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Mumbai lose its permanent status in BCCI


Mumbai on 19 March 2017 lost its permanent voting status in the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It lost the voting rights in
accordance with the new constitution of the Indian Cricket Board,
which was finalised by the Committee of Administrators (COA)
appointed by the Supreme Court of India.

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The new rules of Memorandum of Associations (MOA) and Rules & Regulations of
BCCI clearly states, there could be only one full member from a state.

SC accepts Lodha panel recommendations on structural reforms in BCCI

In addition to it, the new constitution of the Indian cricket board also grants full
membership with voting rights to all the North Eastern states, namely Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Sikkim. The full membership with voting
rights was given to the North Eastern states as recommended in Lodha Panel reforms.

Other states to receive the full membership include Telangana and Uttarakhand. On
the other hand, Bihar gets back its voting right but it will start functioning only after the
pending cases are over.

Lodha Committee recommendation on BCCI reforms are unconstitutional


and illegal: Justice Katju

Ranji champions along with Baroda and Saurashtra are associate members and will
take turns to rotate annually to vote. The new Memorandum of Association has also taken
away the proxy system.

The Committee of Administrators has strictly adhered to the reforms that have been
passed by the Supreme Court.

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Tamil Nadu lifts Vijay Hazare Trophy


Tamil Nadu on 20 March 2017 won
the Vijay Hazare Trophy of Cricket, for the
fifth time. In the Final played at the Feroz
Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi, they defeated
Bengal by 37 runs.

It was Tamil Nadu's third victory over


Bengal in the final of this competition.

Opting to bat, Tamil Nadu posted 217,


riding on a century by Dinesh Karthik. He
made 112. In reply, they bundled out Bengal for 180 in 45.5 overs. Aswin Crist, Rahil Shah
and M. Mohammad bagged 2 wickets each, while for Bengal, Sudip Chatterjee top scored
with 58.

Man of the match: Dinesh Karthik

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Roger Federer wins ATP Indian Wells Masters title

Vijay Hazare Trophy


The Vijay Hazare Trophy is a domestic 50-over competition of Cricket played in India. It
is also known as the Ranji One Day Trophy. The tournament started in 2002-03 involves
state teams from the Ranji Trophy plates. It is named after the famous Indian cricketer Vijay
Hazare.

Jharkhand won the trophy in 2011, beating Gujarat in the finals at Holkar Cricket
Stadium, Indore. Bengal won it on 2011-12.

List of winners of Vijay Hazare Trophy between 2014 and 17


Year Winner
2017 Tamil Nadu
2016 Gujarat
2015 Karnataka
2014 Karnataka

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Roger Federer wins ATP Indian Wells Masters title


Roger Federer on 19 March 2017 won the ATP
Indian Wells Masters title. This was his record fifth BNP
Paribas Open crown. In the finals at the Indian Wells
Tennis Garden, Federer defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 7-
5.

With this triumph in the all-Swiss final, Federer


joined Novak Djokovic as the only man to win five
Indian Wells titles.

He had earlier won this title consecutively three


times between 2004 and 2006 and in 2012. This victory
at Indian Wells marks Federers 90th tour-level crown. This was also his 25th ATP World
Tour Masters 1000 title.

At 35, Federer is the oldest ATP player to win one of the elite Master's titles,
supplanting Andre Agassi who was 34 when he won in Cincinnati in 2004.

Earlier in January 2016, Federer won the Australian Open title. This was his first title
after returning back from the knee surgery that kept him out of the game for some six
months. The Australian Open was his 18th Grand Slam title.

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Indian wells (BNP Paribas Open)


The BNP Paribas Open, the first of nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments,
showcases the best men's and women's players at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The
event routinely sets the bar for tennis tournaments across the globe and has been voted the
best tournament in its category many times throughout the years.

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Indian athletes grab 18 medals in Special Olympics


World Winter Games
Special athletes of India won 18
medals so far in the ongoing 2017
Olympics World Winter Games in Austria.

The medal tally includes six gold,


four silver and eight bronze.

Over 2600 athletes from 105


nations are taking part in the
competition. The team of 89 differently-abled sports persons of the Special Olympics Bharat
(SOB) is participating in the event.

Six special athletes for Alpine skiing and snowboarding fetched the gold for India on
the third day of the competition.

On the other hand, Shamsher Singh won a silver for the country on the first day of the
competition. He bagged a silver medal at snow shoeing- form of hiking in the snow with
special foot wear-100m race. Jyoti Bala clinched bronze medal for the same sport.

About Special Olympics World Games


The Special Olympics World Games are an international sporting competition for
athletes with intellectual disabilities.

The competition is organized by Special Olympics.

Special Olympics World Games take place every two years and alternate between
Summer and Winter Games, a schedule similar to the Olympics and Paralympics.

The first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held in Chicago, US,
in 1968.

The first International Special Olympics Winter Games were held in February 1977
in Steamboat Springs, US.

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Indian para-athletes win 8 medals in IPC Athletics Grand Prix


Indian para-athletes in the third week of March 2017 bagged eight medals, including
three gold, in the 9th Fazza International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics Grand Prix in
Dubai.

With 3 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals till the second day of competition, India
ranks at the seventh spot out of 48 participating countries.

Sundar Singh Gurjar clinched a gold each in the mens Javelin Throw F-46 and Discus
Throw F-46 competitions.

Gurjar, who lost his left hand in an accident two years ago, threw 60.33m in Javelin
Throw F-46. He threw 44.56m in Discus Throw F-46, over five meters clear of the rest of the
field.

The third gold for India was grabbed by Narender Ranbir in mens Javelin Throw F-
44 with an effort of 47.75m.

Other Indian winners till the second day of competition


Anandan Gunasekaran won silver in 400m Men T-42/44/46

Ramkaran Singh won bronze in 800m Men T-13/20

Surjit Singh won bronze in Shotput Men F-40/41/42

Rohit won bronze in 400m Men T-11/12/13

Pramod K Yadav won bronze in 400m Men T-42/44/46

About International Paralympic Committee


The International Paralympic Committee is the global governing body for the
Paralympic Movement.

It organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation


for nine sports.

It was founded on 22 September 1989 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The bodys mission is "To enable Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting


excellence and inspire and excite the world".

It headquarters is located in Bonn, Germany.

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PERSON APPOINTED
Former Nagaland CM Zeliang appointed as
Finance Advisor to state government
TR Zeliang, the former Chief Minister of Nagaland, was
appointed as the finance advisor to the state government on
25 February 2017. He was appointed as the finance advisor
in the rank of a Cabinet Minister.

An official releases said, Zeliang, appointed by the


Governor PB Acharya, will receive the pay and allowances
and all other facilities admissible to a cabinet minister.

Nagaland: Chief Minister TR Zeliang resigned

Zeliang has resigned from the chief ministership on 19 February 2017. He resigned
from the post on the protest and demand of the Joint Coordination Committee and
Nagaland Tribal Action Committee. His resignation was demanded his decision to hold
elections to urban bodies with 33 per cent reservation for women.

TR Zeliang
From 2014 to February 2017, he had served Nagaland as its Chief Minister.

Born on 21 February 1952, Zeliang is a political leader of Nagaland People's Front.

He resigned from the office of chief minister of the state in the backdrop of
protests in the state.

Shurhozelie Liezitsu sworn in as new CM of Nagaland

Earlier, he had served India as a Member of Parliament. In Parliament, he


represented his state in the Rajya Sabha.

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Nand Kumar Sai assumes charge as Chairman of


National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
Nand Kumar Sai, senior tribal leader from Chhattisgarh, on 28
February 2017 assumed charge as the Chairman of National
Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in New Delhi.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes was established


by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the

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Constitution through the 89th Amendment Act, 2003. The amendment replaced erstwhile
National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by two separate
Commissions namely, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and the National
Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

The Chairperson of NCST has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Minister and the
Vice-Chairperson that of a Minister of State.

The term of office of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and each member is three years
from the date of assumption of charge.

About Nand Kumar Sai


Born on 1 January 1946, Sai studied at NES College Jashpur. He obtained his
Masters degree in Political Science from Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla University,
Raipur.

He was elected to Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1977, 1985 and 1998.

He was elected to Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly in 2000. He was the first


leader of opposition in the assembly.

He was elected to Lok Sabha in 1989, 1996 and 2004. He was elected to Rajya
Sabha in 2009 and 2010.

Sai has served as member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal and Steel.
He also served as a member of the Parliamentary consultative committee of
Ministry of Urban Development and Ministry of Social Justice and empowerment.

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P K Purwar appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of MTNL


P K Purwar was on 1 March 2017 appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) of state-run telecom major Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL).

His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)
for the duration of five years.

Purwar is currently working as Director (Finance) in MTNL. Purwar held the additional
charge of the post of MTNL CMD between June 2014 and June 2015. In June 2016, he was
again given this additional charge.

Background
MTNL had been without a full-time Chairman and Managing Director since the
superannuation of A K Garg in May 2014.

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Narendra Kumar Yadav, Member (Services) in the Department of Telecom (DoT), was
given the additional charge of CMD of MTNL on 8 June 2015, however, as per the rules, he
relinquished the post after serving for a year.

For the purpose of appointing the CMD of MTNL, a search-cum-selection committee


was constituted under the Chairman of Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB). Purwars
name was recommended for this MTNLs top post by PESB in November 2013, but the
government did not go ahead with the recommendation at that time.

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Swadheen Kshatriya sworn in as


Maharashtra's Chief Commissioner of RTS
Former Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Swadheen Kshatriya was on 1 March 2017
sworn-in as the Chief Commissioner of Right to Services (RTS) of Maharashtra. Kshatriyas
tenure will be of five years.

Prior to this appointment, Kshatriya retired as Chief Secretary of Maharashtra. Senior


IAS officer Sumit Mullick took over as the new Chief Secretary of Maharashtra in his place.

His oath of office was administered by Lokayukta Justice (retd) M L Tahiliani at


Sahyadri state guest house in Mumbai. State Chief Information Commissioner Ratnakar
Gaikwad, former CIC Suresh Joshi and some of the states top bureaucrats were present on
the occasion.

RTS, formed through a Maharashtra state legislation, is entrusted with the task of
overseeing delivery of various government services to the people.

About Swadheen Kshatriya


During his tenure as Chief Secretary of Maharashtra of two years and seven
months, Maharashtra witnessed the Assembly elections which led to a change in
the government after 15 years.

He had served as the Principal Secretary in Chief Minister's office during late
Vilasrao Deshmukh's tenure.

He had also served as the Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation


(BMC) and Principal Secretary of Maharashtra Revenue department.

Kshatriya is a 1980 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

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J S Deepak named India's Ambassador to World Trade Organisation


Telecom Secretary J S Deepak on 1 March 2017 was
named India's next Ambassador to the World Trade
Organisation (WTO). The appointment will be effective from
1 June 2017.

The World Trade Organization is a global international


organisation dealing with the rules of trade between nations.

As per the order of the Appointments Committee of


Cabinet, Deepak is appointed as the Officer on Special Duty
(OSD) in the Department of Commerce. He will be functioning
as OSD till 31 May 2017.

The order also named Deepak as India's Ambassador/Permanent Representative of


India to the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation from 1 June 2017 till the date of his
superannuation, which is 31 July 2018.

Who is J S Deepak?
J S Deepak is a 1982 batch IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh.

During his stint in the Union Commerce Ministry, he served as India's chief
negotiator at the WTO and for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP) agreement.

He is credited with successfully conducting the first ever e-auction of spectrum in


2010.

He holds an MBA degree from Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.

Previously, he also worked as consultant with The Policy Project, Washington DC, a
consortium of US-based Research Triangle Institute and Johns Hopkins University.

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Ajay Tyagi took charge as Chairman of SEBI


Ajay Tyagi on 1 March 2017 took charge as the
Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI). Tyagi succeeds UK Sinha, who served for six
years, the second-longest term by any SEBI Chairman.
Sinha is a 1976 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre.

In this new role, he will be responsible for


developing the country's commodity and corporate

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bond markets and shoring up corporate governance. He will be required to balance multiple
constituencies such as traders, fund managers and the Reserve Bank of India.

About Ajay Tyagi


Tyagi was already involved with SEBI as he has been serving as Additional
Secretary at the Finance Ministry's Economic Affairs Department since 2014, the
unit that oversees SEBI. This was his only experience in capital markets.

He was instrumental in merging the then standalone regulator Forward Market


Commission (FMC) with the Securities Exchange Board of India that came into
effect in late 2015, making it a composite regulator for the entire capital market
space.

Under his stewardship, SEBI has been fighting a prolonged battle with the Sahara
Group over illegal money pooling activities.

Tyagi is a 1984 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre.

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Senior IAS officer Sumit Mullick appointed as


new Maharashtra Chief Secretary
Sumit Mullick, a senior IAS officer was
appointed as the new Chief Secretary of
Maharashtra on 28 February 2017. His appointment
is effective immediately.

He will be succeeding Swadheem Kshatriya,


who was due for retirement on 31 January 2017 but
was later given an extension of one month.

Sumit Mullicks appointment was finalised by


the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra
Fadnavis himself, who signed his file early morning on 28th.

About Sumit Mullick


He is an IAS officer from the 1982 batch.

He is one of the states most senior bureaucrats and is due to retire in April 2018.

He was till recently serving as the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) and as the Chief
Protocol Officer in the general administration department.

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Previously, he has worked as the Divisional Commissioner of Amravati and as the


Secretary of School Education.

He has also held the position of Secretary to the Governor.

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K Srinath Reddy appointed as adviser to the Odisha Government


K Srinath Reddy, a Padma Bhushan awardee was appointed as the adviser to the
Odisha government on 6 March 2017. The announcement was made by Odishas Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik himself.

Reddy has been roped in to advise the state government on proper implementation
and smooth delivery of the states ongoing health service programmes.

A communiqu from the chief ministers office stated that Reddy would be accorded
with the rank of a Cabinet minister along with other facilities.

National Conference on Jal Kranti Abhiyan organised in Delhi

About K Srinath Reddy


He is an eminent cardiologist, epidemiologist and the President of the Public
Health Foundation of India and World Heart Federation.

He also serves as the President of the National Board of Examinations that deals
with post-graduate medical education in India.

He is the first Bernard Lown Visiting Professor of Cardiovascular Health at the


Harvard School of Public Health.

Previously, Reddy served as the head of the cardiology department at the All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

He has played a pivotal role in strengthening training, research and policy


development in the area of Public Health and was awarded Padma Bhushan, the
third-highest civilian award by the President of India for the same.

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Donald Tusk re-elected as President of European Council


Donald Tusk on 9 March 2017 was appointed to a
second term as President of the European Council, one of
the European Unions governing bodies.

Tusk won the elections despite objections from the


government of his own country, Poland.

Poland had argued that the decision should be delayed


because of its displeasure with Tusk.

However, Poland was overruled by leaders of the 27


other European Union member countries as they gathered
for their spring summit meeting. It is the first time that such
a decision was made without unanimity since the position was created in 2009.

Who is Donald Tusk?


Born on 22 April 1957, Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician and historian.

He has been serving as the President of the European Council since 1 December
2014.

Before that, he served as the Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014. He was
the first Prime Minister to be re-elected since the fall of Communism in Poland.

He is also a co-founder and chairman of the Civic Platform (Platforma


Obywatelska) party.

About European Council


The European Council is the institution of the European Union (EU).

It is charged with defining the EU's overall political direction and priorities.

The Council comprises the heads of state or government of the member states,
along with the President of the European Council and the President of the
European Commission.

It was established as an informal summit in 1975. However, it was formalised as an


institution in 2009 upon the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.

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President Pranab Mukherjee appointed Chief Justices


in four High Courts
President Pranab Mukherjee on 10 March 2017 appointed Chief Justices for High
Courts in Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Hemant Gupta was appointed as the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Before this appointment, he was serving as the Acting Chief Justice of Patna High Court .
Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court P K Mohanty was appointed as the Chief Justice
of Jharkhand itself.

Justice Navniti Prasad, a judge in Patna High Court, was appointed as the Chief Justice
of Kerala High Court. Justice T B Radhakrishnan, Acting Chief Justice of Kerala High Court,
was named as the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court.

Background
The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar recommended nine
names to the government for taking over as regular High Court Chief Justices. This was a
much-anticipated move to appoint regular chief justices for High Courts instead of having
acting chief justices for months.

Around 201 proposals by the Supreme Court collegium for appointment of judges in
the high courts are at various stages of processing.

As on 1 March 2017, the 24 high courts were working with 642 judges, while the
approved strength is 1079, a shortfall of 437.

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Narendra Kumar appointed as Chairman of


Central Water Commission
Narendra Kumar was on 9 March 2017 appointed as the
new chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC). He
succeeded GS Jha, who retired on superannuation on the same
day.

Who is Narendra Kumar?


He is a Central Water Engineering Service (CWES)
officer of 1979 batch.

He has a bachelors degree in civil engineering from


IIT-Roorkee.

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He also completed his M.Tech with structural engineering as a specialization from


the IIT-Delhi.

He worked in the Central Water Commission in various capacities such as an


assistant director, deputy director and director.

He also had served as the senior joint commissioner in the Union Ministry of
Water Resources between 2002 and 2005.

He worked as the commissioner, Brahmaputra and Barak wing of the ministry


between 2011 and 2014.

About Central Water Commission


It is a premier technical organization of India in the field of water resources.

At present, it is functioning as an attached office of the Union Ministry of Water


Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

The commission is headed by a chairman, with the status of Ex-Officio Secretary to


the Government of India.

The work of the commission is divided among 3 wings, namely, Designs and
Research (D&R) Wing, River Management (RM) Wing and Water Planning and
Projects (WP&P) Wing.

Each wing is placed under the charge of a full-time member with the status of Ex-
Officio Additional Secretary to the Government of India and comprising of a
number of organizations responsible for the disposal of tasks and duties falling
within their assigned scope of functions.

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Seema Verma to be chief of Centres for Medicare


and Medicaid Services
The US Senate on 13 March 2017 confirmed
healthcare consultant Seema Verma as administrator of
the 1 trillion dollars Centres for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS). The Senate voted 55-43 to approve
Seema Verma to run the US health program.

Seema Verma was a nominee of President Donald


Trump. The Indian-American woman will be running the

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US governments health program for the elderly, poor and disabled.

Donald Tusk re-elected as President of European Council

The CMS is an agency that oversees health insurance programmes that cover more
than 130 million Americans.

Seema Verma
Verma is the owner of SVC Inc, a healthcare consulting firm

She has helped redesign Medicaid programs in several States, including Indiana
when Vice President Mike Pence was Governor.

Verma will report to US Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

Verma is a first-generation American, whose parents emigrated from India to the


US.

In 1993, she received her bachelors degree in life sciences from the University of
Maryland, College Park.

In 1996, she earned a masters degree in public health with a concentration in


health policy and management from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Cultural festival 'India by the Nile' starts in Egypt

She was nominated to serve as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services on 29 November 2016, by Donald Trump, who was the President-elect at
that time.

Earlier, the House Republicans released the text of a bill to repeal and replace the
Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The health care bill backed by Trump will
roll back the key elements of Obamas health care law and will limit the overall federal
financing for Medicaid in the future.

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Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar appointed as Acting


Chief Justice of J&K High Court
Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar was on 14 March 2017 appointed as the Acting Chief
Justice of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) High Court.
Sudhakar was appointed by President Pranab Mukherjee in his exercise of the powers
conferred by section 100 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Sudhakar is the senior-
most Judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

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Sudhakar succeeds Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar who attained superannuation


on 14 March 2017. Paul Vasanthakumar joined the office of the Chief Justice of the High
Court of Jammu and Kashmir in February 2015.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the name of Justice Badr
Durrez Ahmed for the post of Chief Justice of J &K High Court. The State Government also
gave its consent for his appointment as CJ of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

About Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar


Justice Sudhakar was enrolled as an Advocate in 1983 and started his practice as
an associate of the Legal Luminary and Senior Advocate Habibullah Badsha, former
Advocate General of Tamil Nadu.

Justice R. Sudhakar, practised in all branches of law and specialized in the field of
Customs, Central Excise and Sales Tax Law.

He was elevated to the Bench as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Madras
in 2005 and as a Permanent Judge in 2007.

He became the Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in April 2016.

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Bibhu Prasad Kanungo appointed as Deputy Governor of RBI


Odisha's Bibhu Prasad
Kanungo was on 14 March
2017 appointed as Deputy
Governor of the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) with effect from
April 2017. His appointment
was approved by the
Appointments Committee of
Cabinet (ACC) for a period of
three years. He will succeed R
Gandhi.
Kanungo is the second person from Odisha to be appointed as Deputy Governor of RBI
after Harun Rashid Khan whose term ended in July 2016.

About Bibhu Prasad Kanungo


In March 2016, Kanungo was appointed as Executive Director of RBI.

He was in charge of Foreign Exchange Department before taking over as Executive


Director of RBI.

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Earlier, he had served as RBIs Regional Director in Jaipur and Kolkata.

He also served as the Banking Intermediary for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

He began his banking career in 1979 by joining Oriental Bank of Commerce as a


Probationary Officer and later in 1980, he joined RBI as an Officer.

Kanungo is Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers and also holds a


degree in Law (LLB) from Utkal University.

He hails from Kendrapara district of Odisha.

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Sachin Tendulkar appointed as UNICEF Ambassador For ICC


Womens World Cup 2017
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on 16
March 2017 cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar as the
UNICEF Cricket For Good ambassador for the ICC
Womens World Cup 2017.
The ICC Womens World Cup 2017 will be hosted
in the United Kingdom from 23 June 2017 to 23 July
2017.
The ICC Womens World Cup and other sports
platforms will become catalysts in providing spaces for
girls to engage meaningfully with sports.

Highlights of the ICC Womens World Cup 2017


The ICC Womens World Cup 2017 will begin on 23 June 2017 at England and
Wales with eight top cricketing countries locking horns to grab the coveted
trophy.

The 21-day tournament having 28 matches will be played at five different venues
with the final at Lord's.

The first match of the eight-nation tournament between the hosts England and
India will take place at County Ground in Derby.

India will join the World Cup against the host nation on the opening day itself at
Derby.

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UNICEF and ICC partnership


UNICEF and the ICC together will engage the broader cricketing community to
empower adolescent girls during the ICC events over the next five years.

For the same purpose, both the institutions will also develop and implement
various community outreach programs and initiatives in collaboration with
coaches, cricketers and cricketing personalities.

During the events, there will be coaching clinics with participating teams.

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Jwala Gutta included in Governing Body of Sports Authority of India


Commonwealth
badminton doubles gold
medallist Jwala Gutta in the
second week of March 2017
was included as a member of
the governing body of the
Sports Authority of India
(SAI).
In addition, BV Papa
Rao, IAS (retired), was also
added to the newly
constituted governing body.
He has the experience of
being an officer on special
duty of SAI from 1985 to 1990. At present, he is a sports administrator and advisor to
Telangana Government.

About Jwala Gutta


Jwala Gutta is a left-handed Indian badminton player.

She is Indias most successful doubles specialist.

She has won the National Badminton Championships fourteen times.

She has won numerous medals for Indian badminton including the bronze medal
BWF World Championships in 2011 and a gold and silver at 2010 and 2014
Commonwealth Games respectively in women's doubles.

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In 2011, she was awarded the Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting
award, for her achievements.

About Sports Authority of India


The Sports Authority of India is an apex National Sports body.

It was set up in 1984 by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,
Government of India.

It was instituted for broad basing and bringing excellence in sports across India.

SAI has 9 Regional Centres, which are located at Bengaluru, Gandhinagar,


Chandigarh,Kolkata, Imphal, Guwahati, Bhopal, Mumbai,Lucknow and Sonepat.

It has two Academic institutions, which are Netaji Subhash National Institute of
Sports (NS NIS), Patiala and Laxmibai National College of Physical Education
(LNCPE), Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).

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Trivendra Singh Rawat sworn-in as Uttarakhand Chief Minister


Trivendra Singh Rawat was on 18 March
2017 sworn-in as the Chief Minister of
Uttarakhand by the State Governor Krishna
Kant Paul at the Parade Ground in Dehrandun.
TS Rawat succeeded Harish Rawat of the
Indian National Congress (INC) in the aftermath
of the recent general elections to the State
Legislative Assembly.
In the February 2017 elections, while the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 57 out of the
69 seats by garnering 46.5 per cent of the total
votes polled, the ruling INC got only 11 seats
and 33.5 per cent of the total votes polled.

Who is Trivendra Singh Rawat?


56-year-old Rawat completed a post-graduate degree in history and a diploma in
journalism from the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University.

Rawat joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1979 before becoming its
pracharak for the Dehradun region in 1985.

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He was the organizing secretary of the RSS in the Uttarakhand region and later of
the State after its formation in 2000.

For the first time, he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA)
of the Uttarakhand from Doiwala constituency in 2002.

The recent victory in the 2017 elections is his third win from the Doiwala
constituency.

He was appointed as a National Secretary of the BJP in 2013.

In 2014, he was appointed as the in-charge of the BJP in Jharkhand.

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Justice Navanithi Prasad Singh sworn in as Kerala HC Chief Justice


Justice Navanithi Prasad Singh was on 20 March 2017
sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Kerala High Court.
The Governor of Kerala Justice (retd) P Sathasivam
administered the oath of office to Justice Singh at a function
held at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.

Who is Justice Navanithi Prasad Singh?


After doing schooling from Scindhia School in Gwalior,
he did graduation and LL.B. from the Delhi University.

He practiced in commercial, taxation and


constitutional matters in Patna and Jharkhand High Courts.

His private corporate clients include State Bank of India, Lalit Narain Mithila
University and other statutory authorities.

He was designated as a Senior Advocate on 11 December 2004 by the Patna high


court. He was elevated as a Judge of the Patna High Court on 6 March 2006.

Justice Navaniti Prasad Singh was born on 6 November 1955.

President Pranab Mukherjee appoints Chief Justices


in four High Courts

Related Constitutional Provisions


Article 214 (High Courts for States): There shall be a High Court for each State.

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Article 216 (Constitution of High Courts): Every High Court shall consist of a Chief
Justice and such other Judges as the President may from time to time deem it
necessary to appoint.

Article 217 (Appointment and conditions of the office of a Judge of a High Court):
The Chief Justice of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant
under his hand and seal after consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the
Governor of the State.

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Yogi Adityanath sworn-in as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh


Yogi Adityanath was on 19 March 2017 sworn-
in as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh by the
Governor of the State Ram Naik.
Besides Yogi Adityanath, Keshav Prasad
Maurya and Dinesh Sharma took the oath as the
Deputy Chief Ministers of the State.
At present, Yogi Adityanath is an MP of the
Lok Sabha. So far, he was elected as an MP from the
Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency in the 1998,
1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections.

Who is Yogi Aditynath?


He was born on 15 June 1972 in Panchur, Uttarakhand.

He completed his Bachelors Degree in Science from H.N.B. Garhwal University,


Srinagar (Garhwal), Uttarakhand.

So far he was elected to the Lok Sabha for 5 times. He got elected for the first time
in 1998 and his recent electoral victory was in the 2014 general elections.

As a Member of the Parliament, he was part of various committees that include


Committee on Food, Civil Supplies and Public Distribution, Committee on External
Affairs and Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.

Adityanath became the Mahant of the Gorakhnath Mutt following the death of
Mahant Avaidyanath in September 2014.

Besides his political activities, he is known in Uttar Pradesh for his active
involvement in social and cultural activities that include providing hostel for

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socially and economically weaker and backward children and working for mass-
awakening against religious and social conventions.

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Madhabi Puri Buch appointed as Whole Time Member of SEBI


Madhabi Puri Buch was on 21 March 2017 appointed as
the Whole Time Member of Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI).
She will the office for a period of three years. This
appointment marks the first time that a woman and a person
from the private sector was chosen for a key post in SEBI.
So far, Members and Chairman at SEBI were mainly
appointed from public sector institution such as the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Administrative Services (IAS).

About Madhabi Puri Buch


Buch is currently serving at the New Development
Bank in Shanghai.
She is a management graduate from Indian Institute of Management (IIM),
Ahmedabad.
In a career spanning over 20 years, she has served at various roles in private
banks.
She started her career with ICICI Bank and went on to become the Managing
Director and Chief Executive Officer at ICICI Securities Ltd from February 2009 to
May 2011.
In 2011, she left for Singapore were she joined Greater Pacific Capital LLP.
Buch is also the Founder-Director of Agora Advisory Pvt Ltd.

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Upendra Tripathy appointed as Interim Director General of ISA


Upendra Tripathy, the former secretary at Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy, was appointed as the full-time interim
Director General (IDG) of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
A notification read, Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for
Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Government
of India and Ms. Sgolne Royal, Minister for Environment, Energy
and Marine Affairs Government of France jointly decided to appoint

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Mr. Upendra Tripathy, as the Interim Director General (IDG) of the International Solar
Alliance (ISA) on a full-time basis.

About Upendra Tripathy


Tripathy is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Karnataka Cadre.

He served the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as its secretary from 1 April
2014 to 31 October 2016.

He has worked with local, provincial and union governments in India for the last 36
years.

International Solar Alliance headquartered in India with


United Nations as Strategic Partner

Departments served by Tripathy include power, commerce, environment,


transport and education.

In April 2009, he was awarded the Prime Ministers Award for Excellence in Public
Administration.

Background on International Solar Alliance (ISA)


The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a coalition of the solar research-rich countries.
It was jointly launched on 30 November 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
President of France Franois Hollande on the first day of the Paris Climate Conference
(CoP21). It was launched in the presence of Ban Ki Moon, the then Secretary-General of the
United Nations.

20 nations sign Framework Agreement of


International Solar Alliance

Mission and vision of International Solar Alliance


To provide a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar resource-rich countries
where the global community can make a positive contribution to assist and help achieve the
common goals of increasing use of the solar energy in meeting energy needs of prospective
ISA member countries in a safe, convenient, affordable, equitable and sustainable manner.
The stakeholders of the global community include bilateral and multilateral organisations,
industry, corporates among others.
Earlier on 25 January 2016, PM Modi and President Hollande jointly laid the
foundation stone of the ISA headquarters in Gwalpahari, Gurugram (then Gurgaon). They
also inaugurated the Interim Secretariat of the ISA at the National Institute of Solar Energy
(NISE) in Gurugram.

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International Solar Alliance Cell and World Bank sign Declaration


for promoting Solar Energy
As per the agreed plan, the Union Government will contribute US$ 27 million to the
ISA for creating the corpus, building infrastructure and recurring expenditure over 5-year
duration.

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Ankur Khanna appointed as Chief Financial Officer of ICC


Ankur Khanna was on 20 March 2017 appointed as the
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the International Cricket Council
(ICC).
Khanna will join the ICC by the end of March 2017. He will
relocate to the ICC headquarters in Dubai. Presently, he is
serving Air Asia India as the CFO, the post he has held for the
last twelve months.
Shashank Manohar steps down as ICC Chairman
Prior to Air Asia India, Khanna worked in senior roles at Air France, KLM Royal Dutch
Airlines and ITC, an associate company of British American Tobacco.

About International Cricket Council


ICC is the global governing body for cricket.

Representing 105 members, the ICC governs and administrates the game and is
responsible for the staging of major international tournaments including the ICC
World Cup and Womens World Cup.

The ICC also appoints the umpires and referees that officiate at all sanctioned Test
matches, One Day International and Twenty20 Internationals.

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Ghanshyam Singh appointed as Member-Traction


Railway Board
Ghanshyam Singh on 21 March 2017 was appointed as new
Member (Traction) Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the
Government of India.
Singh is an officer of Indian Railway Service of Electrical
Engineering (IRSEE) of 1979 batch. He is also a Gold Medalist in B.E. in

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Electrical Engineering from Allahabad University.

About Ghanshyam Singh


Prior to being appointed as Member (Traction) Railway Board, Ghanshyam Singh
served as the General Manager of Eastern Railway in Kolkata.

He also worked as Chief Electrical Engineer at Northern Railway.

In addition, he worked in various other important posts at Railway Board level and
all over Indian Railways.

He implemented several innovative projects including planning for Rail


Infrastructure Development of Power Plant and Refineries, Rail Electrification,
Multi Modal Transport Logistic Park, Development of Micro Processor based
tokenless system for PRS, Installation of First Travelator of India on IR System at
Habibganj Railway station, and so on.

He also designed and commissioned batterycum-25 KV OHE operated shunting-


cum-training car at Sealdah.

He is credited to have designed the high voltage distribution system for rural
electrification in Uttarakhand.

While working as Chief Electrical Engineer in ER, he developed the methodology


for power procurement from the private producers for the first time in IR.

He was awarded twice by the Union Railway Minister for his outstanding service.

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PERSON DIED
Noted Gujarati Writer Tarak Mehta died
Popular Gujarati writer and noted play writer Tarak Mehta
passed away on 1 March 2017 at his Ahmedabad residence. Mehta
passed away at 87. Tarak Mehta suffered from age related illness
for a long time.

About Tarak Mehta


Tarak Mehta was an Indian columnist, humorist, writer
and playwright.

He was best known for his column Duniya Ne Undha Chasma in Mumbai-based
Gujarati news weekly Chitralekha. His weekly column first featured in
Chitralekha news weekly in March 1971.

He wrote around 80 books on various pressing issues.

Three books are based on the columns he wrote in Gujarati newspaper Divya
Bhaskar. The remaining books were compiled from the stories in Taarak Mehta Ka
Ooltah Chashmah.

The popular comic television serial Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah' is a


television adaptation of Taarak Mehta's column 'Duniya Ne Undha Chasma'.

He had translated and adapted several comedies into Gujarati. Tarak Mehta had
also served in Films Division-Mumbai as a script writer.

Gujarat Sahitya Akademi awarded him Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar in 2011 and
Ramanlal Nilkanth Hasya Paritoshik in 2017.

For his contribution to the literature, he was honoured with the prestigious Padma
Shri award in 2015. Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian honour of the Union
Government.

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Congress Rajya Sabha MP Haji Abdul Salam dies


Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Haji Abdul Salam
passed away on 28 February 2017 following a brief illness. He was
69. Haji Abdul Salam was the first Manipuri Muslim to be a member
of the Rajya Sabha from the state of Manipur.

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About Haji Abdul Salam


Born on 1 March 1948 at Heibong Makhong in Thoubal district of Manipur, Haji
Abdul Salam was a Member of Parliament.

He belonged to the Indian National Congress political party.

He represented Manipur State in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of India's
Parliament) for the second term of 2014 until his demise.

He had been representing the state in the upper house since 2014.

He was elected to the 3rd, 6th and 8th Manipur Legislative Assembly from
Wabagai assembly constituency.

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Thomas E Starzl, pioneering liver surgeon, passes away


Dr Thomas E Starzl, a surgeon who performed the first
successful liver transplant on a human patient, passed away on 4
March 2017 in Pittsburgh. He was 90.

Dr Starzls death was announced by the University of


Pittsburgh. He had been affiliated with the university since 1981.

About Thomas E Starzl


Born on 11 March 1926, Thomas Earl Starzl was an American physician and
researcher. He was an expert on organ transplants.

He is often referred to as "the father of modern transplantation."

He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Westminster College in


Fulton, Missouri.

In 1950, he earned a Master of Science degree in anatomy from the Northwestern


University Medical School in Chicago.

In 1952, he obtained a PhD in neurophysiology and an MD with distinction.

After obtaining his medical degree, he trained in surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital
in Baltimore and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

He performed the first human liver transplant in 1963. He performed the first
successful human liver transplant in 1967. He performed both the transplants at
the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

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He performed the first simultaneous heart and liver transplant on six-year-old


Stormie Jones in 1984.

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Former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray passes away


Rabi Ray, former Speaker of Lok Sabha, passed away on 6
March 2017 after a prolonged illness in Cuttack. He was 91. Ray
was also an eminent socialist politician, a Gandhian, and had also
served as a former Union minister.

About Rabi Ray


Born on 26 November 1926, Rabi Ray passed obtained
his bachelors degree in History from the Ravenshaw
College in Cuttack.

Later, he studied Law in the Madhusudan Law College in Cuttack.

In 1948, he joined the Socialist Party as its member.

During 1953-54, he held the post of the Joint Secretary of the All India Samajwadi
Yuvak Sabha.

Under the leadership of Rammanohar Lohia, Ray founded the Socialist Party in
Orissa in 1956.

In 1967, he was elected to the 4th Lok Sabha from Puri constituency in Orissa.

He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Orissa in 1974. He completed his term in
Rajya Sabha in 1980.

From January 1979 to January 1980, he served as the Union minister of Health and
Family Welfare in Morarji Desai Ministry.

In 1989, he was re-elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from the Kendrapara constituency
in Orissa as a Janata Dal candidate.

On 19 December 1989, he was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 9th Lok
Sabha.

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Bengali singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee passes away


Famed Bengali singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee passed away in a
car accident on 7 March 2017 in Hooghly district's Gurap town. He was
56. He is survived by his wife and a daughter. He was on his way to a
show in Birbhum, when his car was hit by a truck. Following the smash,
his car fell into a ditch on Durgapur expressway at Gurap, Hooghly. Four
other singers of Kalika Prasad's band Dohar were also in the car.
However, driver and other three people were injured.

About Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee


He was best known for popularising folk songs of rural Bengal among the present
generation in the albums of his band 'Dohar'.

In 1999, he co-founded the band Dohar and was the lead singer of this Bangla band.

He had also lent his voice in films like Jaatishwar (2014), Moner Manush (2010)
and Bhuban Majhi (2017).

He studied Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University.

He was born and raised in Silchar, Assam.

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Veteran journalist Arvind Padmanabhan dies


Veteran journalist Arvind Padmanabhan passed away on 8 March 2017 of cardiac
arrest. He was 49. Arvind worked as an Executive Editor at IANS.

About Arvind Padmanabhan


Arvind Padmanabhan was born in 1967 at Tirunelveli, Tamul Nadu.

His father was G. Padmanabhan, who worked for many years with the Press
Institute of India and the Indian & Eastern Newspapers Society (IENS, now INS).

Arvind was widely admired in the journalistic community for the thoroughness he
displayed in reporting, writing and editing.

Before joining the IANS, he worked with the PTI, The Times of India and TV18.

He joined the India Abroad Newspaper as in-charge of its Business Section in 1999.

With the news agency, he first assumed charge of the Business Bureau of the wire
service and subsequently became the Business Editor of IANS and then the Bureau
Chief.

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Soon, he was elevated as the Executive Editor. He headed the business and
economy team.

About IANS
Indo-Asian News Service is a private Indian news agency.
It was founded by Indian-American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News
Service.

Later, the agency was renamed as the Indo-Asian News Service.

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Malayalam filmmaker Diphan passes away


Malayalam film director Diphan also known as Deepan passed
away on 13 March 2017 following liver cirrhosis and kidney failure in a
private hospital at Kochi. He was 47. He is survived by his wife and two
children. Diphan is known for his films namely Puthiya Mukham, Hero
and SIM.

About Diphan
A native of Thiruvananthapuram, Diphan was the son of dubbing artist
Anandavally.

Diphan worked as an assistant director for several years in the Malayalam film
industry before venturing out on his own.

Diphan, in his brief career, directed six films after turning an independent director
in 2003 when he directed the political thriller The King Maker: Leader.

After a gap of six years in 2009, he returned with Puthiya Mukham movie starring
Prithviraj.

In a career spanning about 14 years as a director, he helmed seven films including


Hero, SIM and D Company.

His last directorial venture was Dolphin Bar in 2014 which featured actor and BJP
Rajya Sabha member Suresh Gopi.

His upcoming movie Sathya, which has Jayaram in the lead, was in the post
production stage.

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Renowned Meteorologist, Dev Raj Sikka passed away


Former Director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Dev Raj Sikka passed
away on 18 March 2017, after suffering from a cardiac arrest. He was 85.

Remembering Raj Sikka, Madhavan Rajeevan, Secretary in the Ministry of Earth


Sciences said that he was the first person to propose a connection between El Nino
phenomenon and the Indian monsoon but that was the time when meteorologists would
give more importance to the words of the western scientists.

The El Nino Southern Oscillation phenomenon, the irregularly periodical variation in


winds and sea in the equatorial Pacific, is now seen by the meteorologists as one of the
most significant factors to forecast the performance of the Indian monsoon. Out of 10 El
Nino years, almost six have been linked to below-normal rainfall in India.

About Dev Raj Sikka


Born in Jhang, Maghiana (a part of Panjab, Pakistan) before Indias partition,
Sikka began his career with the Indian Meteorological Department.

He is known to be among the pioneers who developed different weather models


and computer modelling techniques to forecast the monsoon.

He was the Chairman of the Monsoon Mission of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, a
programme that aimed at setting up the infrastructure and manpower to improve
monsoon-related forecasts.

He was also the chairman of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
committee on Climate Change and the chairperson of the Research and Advisory
Council of National Center for Medium Range Weather Forecast.

Cheteshwar Pujara plays India's longest innings

Five-month-long economic blockade of Manipur comes to an end

He was also an active member of International Advisory Panel of the Ministry of


Earth Sciences.

He played a significant role in various studies including the correlation between


the Indian Monsoon and El-Nino, Walker Circulation and extreme weather events
and Monsoon studies conducted over the Indian Ocean.

On December 16, 2016, he received the prestigious honour of lifetime time


achievement award from the Indian Meteorological Society.

He also received the Sir Gilbert Walker Gold Medal in 2010 for his contribution in
the field of Monsoon meteorology.

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Besides this, he has developed more than 200 research papers that have helped
immensely in the shaping of the modern day Indian meteorology.

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Noted Tamil writer Ashokamitran passed away


Noted Tamil litterateur Thiagarajan, popularly known as
Ashokamitran, passed away on 23 March 2017 following a brief
illness in Chennai. He was 85.

A well known novelist and essayist, Ashokamitran was noted


for his subtlety and refreshing creativity in expression.

About Ashokamitran
Born in Secunderabad in 1931, Ashokamitran moved to
Chennai in 1952.

He worked in the Tamil film production house Gemini Studios for close to a decade
before taking up full time writing in 1966.

Ashokamitran began his career with the award-winning play Anbin Parisu.

He quickly became one of the most influential figures in Tamil literature and
published over 200 short stories and around two dozen novels.

Manasarovar, Thanneer and 18-vadhu Atcha Kodu are some of his famed works.

He also edited the literary magazine Kanaiyazhi for a period of time.

Many of his works have been translated into a number of languages such as
English, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and some European languages.

Besides many Tamil Nadu state awards, Ashokamitran also won the Sahitya
Akademi Prize in 1996 for his collection of short stories Appavin Snegidar.

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STATES
Bet Dwarka Darshan Circuit to be developed under HRIDAY
Union Ministry of Urban
Development on 23 February 2017
approved the development of 6-
kilometer-long Bet Dwarka Darshan
Circuit in Gujarat. The circuit will be
developed at an expense of Rs 16.27 crore
under the Central Scheme Heritage City
Development and Augmentation Yojana
(HRIDAY).

The Bet Dwarka Darshan Circuit that


connects the famous Dwarkadish Haveli
and Hanuman Dandi was approved by the HRIDAY National Empowered Committee chaired
by Rajiv Gauba, Secretary (UD). Hanuman Dandi is the only temple housing Hanumanji and
his son Makardhwaj, in Dwarka district of Gujarat.

Union Government launched National Heritage Development


and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)

Ranchod Talav and Shankhudhar Lake are the two important water bodies along the
circuit.

Darshan Circuit works to be taken up include


Development of streets and pedestrian pathways

Laying of cycle tracks along beach side and plantation, LED lighting and plazas for
vending spaces

Other facilities includes the provision of benches, changing rooms, resting spaces,
drinking water and toilet facilities

Craft and food bazaar will be developed

Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)


Launched on 21 January 2015, the National Heritage Development and Augmentation
Yojana (HRIDAY) seek to preserve and rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the country. It
was launched by the Union Minister of Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu.

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Under HRIDAY heritage related infrastructure development is being taken up in 12


identified cities including Dwarka-Bet Dwarka at a total cost of Rs500 crore. So far, projects
with an investment of Rs420 crore have been approved for all 12 mission cities.

The twelve cities that will be developed under


HRIDAY and allocations are
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) Rs 89.31 crore

Amritsar (Punjab) - Rs 69.31 crore

Warangal (Telangana) Rs 40.54 crore

Ajmer (Rajasthan) Rs 40.04 crore

Gaya (Bihar) Rs 40.04 crore

Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) Rs 40.04 crore

Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) Rs 23.04 crore

Vellankini (Tamil Nadu) Rs 22.26 crore

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) Rs 22.26 crore

Badami (Karnataka) Rs 22.26 crore

Dwaraka (Gujarat) Rs 22.26 crore

Puri (Odisha) Rs 22.54 crore

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RAHAT medical project launched in Rajasthan


The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje inaugurated a medical project called
Rajasthan Heart Attack Treatment programme (RAHAT), launched by Eternal Heart Care
Center Hospital in Jaipur, on 25 February 2017.

The programme involves creation and management of a telemedicines platform to


treat ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), a very serious type of heart attack.

The telemedicines platform will help capture and transmit patient's EKG along with
clinical history from remote geographical locations to the heart command center (HCC) hub,
where a team of expert cardiologists will provide an immediate interpretation of the EKG
and real time STEMI guidance and management through tele-consultation after instantly
recognising the EKG abnormalities.

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About RAHAT
The programme aims to provide timely treatment to those who undergo heart
attack in rural and remote areas.

Under it, the patients suffering a stroke would be provided with immediate
ambulance service and telemedicine service.

While basic treatment would be provided to the patient in the ambulance on the
way to the nearest hospital, the details of the same would be shared with the
experts at the HCC through tele-consultation.

Rajasthan has previously launched several significant medical programmes including


Arogya Rajasthan, new medical colleges and Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojana. The Chief
Minister in her inaugural address stated that such projects will only help enhance the
medical services in the state and push it to touch new heights in the medical and healthcare
sector.

Besides this project, Raje also inaugurated an ambulance fitted with equipment and
trained paramedical staff required for treatment of heart disease.

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Haryana Government set up sex ratio monitoring


dashboard for Panipat
As part of the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' programme, the Haryana government on 26
February 2017 established an online system for monitoring the sex-ratio. The online system
that will be known as the sex-ratio monitoring dashboard was established for Panipat.

With this, Panipat also became the first district in the country to have an online sex
ratio monitoring dashboard. The system was disclosed duringin a brainstorming session
between the Chief Minister Manohar Lal and his Good Governance Associates and
Administrative Secretaries.

WCD Ministry launched initiative to spread awareness about


Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

The system will have the data on child sex-ratio, which will be collected from all
villages by the Health and Women and Child Welfare Departments every month.

The dashboard developed in association with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) as
a pilot project will help the state government to generate data on critical villages with
towards twisted child-sex-ratio. This information/data will help the government to take
needed steps towards managing the ratio in those villages.

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The system will act as an effective tool by enhancing ground-level coordination


between the Health and Women and Child Welfare Departments.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Give it Up campaign

Other decisions taken at the brainstorming session includes

Simplification of the grievances redressal mechanism: The Chief Minister


Manohar Lal Khattar also decided to simplify the grievances redressal mechanism.

Creation of the permanent cattle market: The chief minister called establishment
of permanent cattle markets on public-private partnership (PPP) mode. As per
reports, a Bill that will amend the provisions of the Haryana Cattle Fair Act, 1970
would be introduced in the upcoming session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.

Plan to promote Aadhaar-enabled payment system: The Chief Minister has asked
officials to prepare a plan for promoting Aadhaar-enabled payment system in the
state. He also directed the Information, Public Relations and Languages
Department to implement state-wide mass awareness campaign for promoting
cashless transactions.

PM Narendra Modi launched Sukanya Samridhi


Yojana under BBBP campaign

Establishment of dedicated HarSamay Swagat desks in all police stations: The


chief minister has directed the state police to come up with dedicated HarSamay
Swagat desks in all police stations.

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Odisha, Invest India signed agreement to promote start-ups


Odisha Government and Invest
India on 1 March 2017 signed an
agreement to promote start-ups and
MSME sector of the state. The agreement
was signed with an aim to help the start-
ups and MSME sector to gain access to
best practices of the world.

As per reports, Odisha became the


first state to sign MoU with Invest India
for working on startups. Invest India is a National Investment Promotion and Facilitation
Agency of the Union ministry of commerce and industries.

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On behalf of the Odisha government, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME)
secretary LN Gupta and managing director of Invest India Deepak Bagla signed the deal to
take forward the Odisha Startup and MSME initiatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha, said Startup
Odisha Initiative and Startup India Hub run by the Invest India will help in achieving the
Mission-1000 startups by the year 2020. The mission will help the youth in realising their
dreams.

On this occasion of the signing of the agreement, a toll-free start-up helpline, 1800-
345-7100, was also launched.

Notably, Prime Ministers initiative Start-up India has the objective of making India a
country of job creators. The vision is to make India the No. 1 start-up nation in the world.

Invest India
Invest India, which is the official investment promotion and facilitation agency of
India, is mandated to facilitate investments into India. In short, the agency is the first point
of reference for potential investors. They provide sector and state-specific inputs and other
supports to investors through entire investment cycle. Support offered by Invest India team
to the investor includes

Location identification

Expediting regulatory approvals

Facilitating meetings with relevant government and corporate officials

IT also facilitates the investors in other services like the initiation of remedial
actions to the problems that are faced by the investors.

All efforts like hand-holding and facilitation support are made by Invest India under
the Make in India programme.

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Assam to host river festival Namami Brahmaputra


Assam will host its first river festival-Namami Brahmaputra at the riverfront of
Brahmaputra in Guwahati from 31 March to 4 April 2017.

The decision was announced by Assams Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal himself.
The states government has invited Indias President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, Ambassadors of all the countries and all Chief Ministers and Chief
Secretaries to participate in the mega event.

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The five-day festival aims to promote the states economy, culture, art, tourism, skill
industry, investment option, trade, commerce and heritage.

Key Highlights
Namami Brahmaputra, which means Obeisance to the Brahmaputra, will
showcase the grandeur of the river and the land it flows through.

It will be spread across 21 districts of Assam.

The international event would feature traditional Assamese sports, cultural


performances, business meets, exhibitions, seminars and symposiums, river
ecosystem and interpretation zones.

It would also feature a film festival, comprising the screening of some of the best
Assamese films.

Other events include tea festival, river cruises, rafting, visits to tea gardens and
programmes related to history, tradition and legends of Assam.

UK-India Year of Culture 2017 launched

A group of government officials will be visiting all the state capitals and major
cities as a part of the festival to create a positive image of the state beforehand:

- The officials would be coordinating with local tour operators, industry bodies and the
tourism departments of the respective states.

- They will also be organising road shows with students to generate awareness about
Assams culture and its immense potential.

- They will also hold media briefings in other state capitals.

Assam government to appoint teacher in all high


schools to monitor cleanliness

Through the festival, the state government basically aims to expose the tourists from
both India and abroad to Assams rich legacy and splendour and represent it as a viable
tourist destination on the world map.

Besides this, the government also hopes to create an environment that would
reconnect the people with their roots and rejuvenate the Brahmaputra civilisation.

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Assam government to appoint teacher in all high


schools to monitor cleanliness
The government of Assam has decided to appoint a specific teacher to monitor
cleanliness in all of the states high schools.

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting, held in Guwahati on 28 February
2017. The meeting was chaired by the states Chief Minister, Sarbanand Sonowal.

According to the states Transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, the teachers
will be appointed in the high schools in accordance with the union governments Swachh
Bharat Mission. He further stated that they would be responsible for maintaining cleanliness
within the school premises.

This is not, however, the first effort in the state towards achieving Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan. The residents of Shikdamakha, a small village in Assam have taken it upon
themselves to make their village the cleanest village in Asia, beating Mawlynnong, a village
in Meghalaya that won the title previously.

BBC banned for five years from filming in Tiger reserves

The residents are making it possible by completely boycotting the use of plastic and
instead using baskets made from bamboo to store garbage in front of each of the 89
households and every corner of the village. The garbage collected is then disposed of at
regular intervals.

Besides this, all the households in the village are equipped with proper toilets and
every week residents come out in groups to sweep the streets to ensure that there is no
stagnant water in the drains. The village also has a committee to ensure everyone, from
young to old is made aware of cleanliness and hygiene.

CM Raghubar Das: Polythene bags will soon be banned in Jharkhand

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Chennai HC: Pass law to remove Seemai Karuvelam trees


The Madurai bench of the Chennai High court directed the state government on 27
February 2017 to pass a special law to uproot the harmful seemai karuvelam trees (prosopis
juliflora). The judgement followed a PIL filed by MDMK leader Vaiko.

The directive was given by a bench consisting of Justices, A Selvam and P Kaliarasan,
who observed that only 15 per cent of the trees had been removed up until now. Along with
asking the state government to pass a law with prohibitory and penal clauses, the bench
also directed it to release perennial funds to the states district collectors for the complete
removal of the trees.

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About the Seemai Karuvelam Tree


It is a specie native to West Africa and was brought to Tamil Nadu in 1960s as
fuelwood.

It disrupts the ecosystem by soaking in all the ground water near it.

It has infiltrated the water bodies and dry lands of Tamil Nadu.

Earlier this month, the high court bench had ordered for the removal of the trees from
thirteen districts that fall under its jurisdiction following the filing of batches of complaints.
Some of the districts included Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Thanjavur and Sivagangai Theni.

The complaints were filed after the adverse effect of the tree on agricultural activities.

The bench has now extended the order to the entire state and said that it would be
conducting surprise inspections and any lapse in the progress of the action would be viewed
seriously.

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Andhra Pradesh Cabinet accepts naming of Tirupati Airport


as Sri Venkateswara Airport
Andhra Pradesh on 2 March 2017 decided to rename Gannavaram Airport as NTR
Amaravati Airport and Tirupati Airport as Sri Venkateswara Airport.

The decision was taken by the State Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, in Amaravati.

A proposal for renaming the airports would now be sent to the Union Government for
approval.

In addition, the State Cabinet also accepted the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board Draft
Bill. The board works in the place of Andhra Pradesh Port department.

The Cabinet also decided to float new liquor policy by introducing amendments in the
Assembly, which would be meeting from 6 March 2017 at the newly inaugurated Assembly
building.

The State Cabinet also gave green signal to 600 acre land allocation for Bhogapuram
Airport and 75 acres for Savita University in Amaravati.

About Tirupati Airport


Tirupati Airport is a public airport located at Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh.

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The airport is located 14 km away from Tirupati and 39 km from Venkateswara


Temple, Tirumala.

It was established in 1976.

P. V. Narasimha Rao had laid the foundation stone for a new terminal building, run
way expansion and a radio tower in 1993.

The upgraded airport was inaugurated for passenger traffic in 1999 by Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister of India.

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World Hearing Day 2017 observed globally


3 March: World Hearing Day
The World Hearing Day 2017 was observed globally on 3 March 2017 with the theme
'Action for hearing loss: make a sound investment'.

This year's theme draws attention to the economic impact of hearing loss. Hearing loss
poses a high cost for the economy globally and has a significant impact on the lives of those
affected. World Hearing Day 2017 highlights actions which can be undertaken by decision-
makers to address hearing loss.

Hearing loss and its consequences can be mitigated through prevention, screening for
early identification, rehabilitation through hearing devices, captioning and sign language
education.

Half of all hearing loss can be avoided through prevention. Primary health care
interventions including immunizing children against diseases such as measles, meningitis,
rubella and immunizing adolescent girls of reproductive age against rubella will greatly
reduce risk of congenital hearing loss among babies.

Identifying hearing loss through screening of newborns, school children and adults
above 50 years at an early stage and then carrying out their treatment at the beginning
stage itself comes out to be little cost effective.

About World Hearing Day


World Hearing Day was designated at the First International Conference on Prevention
and Rehabilitation of Hearing Impairment in Beijing, China in 2007.

The day aims to raise awareness and promote ear and hearing care across the world.

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www.jagranjosh.com | States 310


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Delhi LG approves hike in minimum wages by 37 per cent


Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal on 3 March 2017 approved the Delhi
governments proposal to hike the minimum wages of labourers by 37 per cent.

However, the notification for its implementation will be issued on 6 March 2017. Once
implemented, this hike will be the historic and the highest in the independent India.

As per this Delhi Cabinets decision, for an unskilled worker the minimum wages will
be Rs 13350 per month against the existing Rs 9724 per month.

On the other hand, for the semi-skilled and skilled workers, the wages will increase
from Rs 10764 to Rs 14698 and from Rs 11830 to Rs 16182 per month, respectively.

Key Highlights
The hike in minimum wages will benefit around 50 lakh people in Delhi.

State and district level monitoring committees will also be formed to ensure that
employers pay the new minimum wages to the workers.

Employers will also be required to provide online information regarding the


payment of minimum wages by them. Earlier, there were inspectors who used to
verify whether an employer is paying minimum wages to employees or not.

The Minimum Wages Bill, which is awaiting the Centres approval, proposes a
penalty of Rs 50000 and jail term up to three years for violation of the provisions
of minimum wages. At present, the penalty is Rs 500, while the jail term is six
months.

Background
In August 2016, Delhi government proposed a hike of 50 per cent minimum wages.
However, the decision was struck down by the then Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal defended the difference between the last years hike and the
present 37 per cent by quoting the seasonal variations in the prices of food and other items.

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Andhra Pradesh proposed Smart Mosquito


Density System to fight vector-borne
diseases
The Government of Andhra Pradesh in the first week of
March 2017 sent a proposal for the deployment of a Smart

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Mosquito Density System to the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

Once approved, the system will be the first-of-its-kind project in the country.

Features of Smart Mosquito Density System


Under the system, modern technologies will be deployed to detect mosquito
breeding before malaria and other vector-borne diseases such as dengue,
chikungunya and zika become an epidemic.

Initially, the system will be deployed in three urban local bodies of the State
Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam and Tirupati.

Optical sensors will be fixed to electricity poles to capture density, species and
gender of mosquitoes before moving in to exterminate them.

As per the initial proposal, around 10 sensors will be deployed per a square
kilometer area. On this basis, a total of 1,850 sensors will be deployed across 185
square kilometers of three cities.

The devices will analyse and transfer mosquito density data along with location to
a central database.

Special applications will be developed to prepare mosquito density heat maps


based on the information received from sensors.

The Phase I of the project is expected to cost Rs 4 crore. The project will be
executed by utilizing the final assistance from the Union Government.

How the System will help the authorities?


The system will operate autonomously and use state-of-the-art internet of things
(IoT) technology to alert health and other agencies of emergencies.

These thematic maps will help government agencies in prioritising sprays.

The system will help the authorities in identifying breeding at exact location and
that too with the right sprays for a particular species.

Smart phones and web applications will be used to report sprays by location. And,
there will be analytics to monitor the effectiveness of sprays.

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West Bengal grants official language status to Kurukh


The West Bengal Government granted official language status to endangered tribal
language Kurukh.

The official language status was given to the endangered language by the state
government in February 2017. However, the announcement was recently made by Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Key highlights
In west Bengal, the language is spoken by Oraon tribal community, who live in
Dooars. The Dooars are the alluvial floodplains in north-eastern India that lie south
of outer foothills of Himalayas and north of Brahmaputra River basin.

Most of the tribal languages in the West Bengal have their origins in the Austro-
Asiatic and Tibeto-Barman families; however, Kurukh is an exception. The origin of
the endangered language lies in the Malto, which hails from Dravidian family.
Malto is not spoken in West Bengal, but in the Rajmahal hills area in Jharkhand.

Jharkhand has already recognised Kurukh as a language, and students can write
their school final examination in its script.

According to the 2001 census report, the language is spoken by about 17 lakh
persons.

About Kurukh language


Kurukh is a Dravidian language.

The language belongs to the Northern Dravidian group of the Dravidian family of
languages, and is closely related to Sauria Paharia and Kumarbhag Paharia, which
are often together referred to as Malto.

It is spoken by nearly two million Oraon and Kisan tribal peoples of Odisha,
Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It is also spoken in
Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

In the UNESCO's list of endangered languages, Kurukh is marked as being in a


"vulnerable" state.

The language is written in Devanagari.

Narayan Oraon had invented the Tolong Siki script specifically for Kurukh.

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313 States | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

Punjab Minister inaugurates the largest tricolour


on tallest flag post at Attari Border
Anil Joshi, the Cabinet Minister of Punjab, on 5 March 2017
inaugurated tricolour on the tallest flag post at Indo-Pakistan
Attari border. The flag was hoisted on the Indian side, which is
located just at a stone throw away distance from Pakistan.

The flag post was built at an approximate cost of Rs 3.50


crore was a project of the Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority
of Punjab Government. Measurement of the flag post

Length - 110 meters

Width - 24 metres

Height - 360-foot

Weight - 55 tonnes

Indias largest flag with tallest flagpole hoisted at Ranchi

Due to the election Code of Conduct is in place in the state, the minister has availed
special permission from the Election Commission for the inauguration.

The flag post became attraction for thousands of tourists who were present at Wagha
border to watch the Beating Retreat Ceremony during the sunset. Even visitors from
Pakistans gallery were also watching the Indian flag with keen interest touching the sky.

Due to its size, it is visible from all sides even from Pakistans Lahore city too. The
flagpole was set up near the tourism building just at 150 meters distance from border.

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Haryana Government announces Tirtha Darshan


scheme for senior citizens
The Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar on 6 March
2017 announced the Tirtha Darshan Scheme. Under the scheme,
senior citizens above 60 years of age in the State will be able to go on
a pilgrimage within India at the expense of the government.

The announcement was made by Khattar while replying to the


discussion on the Governors address during the budget session of the
State Assembly.

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Features of Tirtha Darshan Scheme


Under the scheme, the State government will bear the entire cost of the tour of
senior citizens belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

Couples belonging to the BPL category are also covered under the scheme.

In case of senior citizens of non-BPL families, the State government would bear
only 70 per cent of the total cost.

The beneficiaries of the scheme will be selected on the basis of a lottery system.

Under the scheme, over 400 destinations can be visited. However, the maximum
number of pilgrims is capped at 250 per year.

Selection of pilgrims will be made by a district committee headed by an officer of


the deputy commissioner rank.

The tour packages include journey in sleeper class by chartered train and night
accommodation on multi-sharing basis.

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Odisha Government launches 181 helpline for distressed women


Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on 8 March 2017 launched a helpline number
181 for women in distress on the occasion of International Women's Day 2017.

This toll free helpline number will be available for 24 hours in all the 30 districts of the
state.The helpline will extend prompt response to women affected by violence.

It will provide information about women-related government schemes and


programmes and a range of other services.

Women of Odisha
Around 50 lakh women have been able to raise their socio-economic condition by
becoming part of the women self help groups in Odisha.

More than 25 lakh women have also been benefited by about Rs 1100 crore by
availing incentive through Mamata Yojana, a pregnancy related welfare scheme of
the state government.

Odisha government has instituted 50 per cent reservation for women in


Panchayati Raj Institutions and government jobs to encourage their better
participation.

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Odisha's Biju Kanya Ratna and Mission Shakti have also been instrumental for
welfare of women and girls in the state.

Background
The Union Government launched the 181 helpline number in 2013 after the brutal
gang-rape of Nirbhaya in December 2012 and asked all states to start the helpline.

Besides, 1091 helpline number by the police and 10920 helpline number by the State
Commission for Women were also launched.

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Manohar Parrikar sworn in as Chief Minister of Goa


Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar, a BJP candidate, was on 14 March 2017 sworn
in as the 13th Chief Minister of Goa. However, within 15 days of taking the oath as CM,
Parrikar has to prove his majority by convening a session of the Assembly.

This will be the third time that Parrikar will serve Goa as the Chief Minister. Earlier, on
13 March 2017, Parrikar resigned as the Union Defence Minister to take up this new post.
Meanwhile, Arun Jaitley assumed the charge of Defence Minister.

In February 2017 elections, after winning 13 seats, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)
cobbled together a coalition of 21 legislators in the 40-member House. Parrikar succeeds
incumbent Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

Background
After the declaration of the results of Goa Elections 2017, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha
appointed Manohar Parrikar, the BJP Legislature, as the Chief Minister and asked him to
prove majority on floor of House within 15 days of taking oath.

However, Congress party leader Chandrakant Kavlekar filed a petition in Supreme


Court arguing that Governor Mridula Sinha invited the BJP first to form the government in
the state despite the fact that Congress emerged as the single largest party with 17 MLAs in
the just concluded Assembly election.

The petition also asks for staying the oath-taking ceremony of Manohar Parrikar

To the contrary, the Supreme Court on 14 March 2017 refused to stay the oath-taking
of Manohar Parrikar and asked Governor Mridula Sinha to hold a floor test in the Goa
Legislative Assembly on 16 March 2017 for parties to prove a majority.

About Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar


Manohar Parrikar is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India.

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He served as the Chief Minister of Goa twice in his political career- first from 2000
to 2005 and later from March 2012 to November 2014.

He represented the Panaji constituency in the Legislative Assembly of Goa.

In November 2014, he took up the post of the Defence Minister in the Union
Cabinet following the victory of BJP in 2014 General Elections.

Born on 13 December 1955, Parrikar did his graduation in metallurgical


engineering from IIT Bombay in 1978.

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Nongthombam Biren Singh sworn in as Chief Minister of Manipur


Nongthombam Biren Singh was on
15 March 2017 sworn in as the Chief
Minister (CM) of Manipur at the Raj
Bhawan in Imphal. He will succeed
outgoing CM Okram Ibobi Singh.
After the declaration of the results
of Manipur Elections 2017, Manipur
Governor Najma Haptullah invited the
BJP-led coalition to form the next
government in the state after being
assured of requisite support from
regional parties and Independents.
Following this, Biren Singh was
elected as the BJPs legislature party leader, paving the way for his Chief Ministerial post.

Background
Since the day of the results of Manipur Elections 2017, both the Congress and the BJP
have claimed support in order to form the next government in the state.
Although, the Congress emerged as the single largest party with 28 MLAs, but the BJP
with 21 MLAs, claims to have the support of other parties on the state including NPP (4),
NPF (4), LJP (1), and three others. In all, BJP claims to have the support of 32 MLAs in the 60-
member assembly of Manipur.
Manohar Parrikar sworn in as Chief Minister of Goa

Comment
Once Biren Singh takes charge as the CM, he will have to deliver on the BJPs promise
of ending the ongoing blockade of highways by United Naga Council within 24 hours of
coming to power.

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Moreover, he will have to work to improve the road connectivity in the state along
with advancing the health and education sectors as well.

About Nongthombam Biren Singh


Biren Singh holds several identities: a national footballer, founder editor of a
vernacular daily, and a politician.

He had earlier been associated with Congress Party since 2007.

However, he had left the Congress in 2016 to join the rival BJP camp.

He represents Heingang constituency in Imphal East district.

In the early 1990s, Biren Singh was a footballer, playing for the Border Security
Forces Jalandhar team.

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Captain Amarinder Singh sworn in as Chief Minister of Punjab


Congress leader Captain Amarinder
Singh was on 16 March 2017 sworn in as the
26th Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab.
Alongside, Navjot Singh Sidhu was sworn in
as a Cabinet Minister of Punjab.

Amarinder Singh was administered


oath of office and secrecy by Punjab
Governor VP Singh Badnore at an impressive
ceremony at the Punjab Raj Bhawan.

Manohar Parrikar sworn in as Chief Minister of Goa


Nine ministers including two women were also inducted in the state cabinet. The
ministers inducted included Brahm Mohindra, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Badal,
Charanjit Singh Channi, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Tript Rajinder Singh
Bajwa. The two women inducted are Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana.

Background
This comes following the landslide victory of Congress in the Punjab Elections 2017.
Congress won 77 seats in the 117-seat Assembly. However, other parties AAP and the SAD-
BJP alliance could only manage 20 and 18 seats respectively.

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Nongthombam Biren Singh sworn in as Chief Minister of Manipur

About Amarinder Singh


Amarinder is a former Army captain.

He joined the Indian Army in June 1963 after graduating from the National
Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy.

He was inducted into the Congress by Rajiv Gandhi and was first elected to the Lok
Sabha in 1980.

He was also the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the 16th Lok Sabha till 2016.

This is the second time that Amarinder has become Chief Minister of the state. He
was earlier in office from 2002 to 2007.

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Union Cabinet approves


special assistance measure
for Andhra Pradesh

The Union Cabinet on 15 March


2017 approved a special financial
assistance for bifurcated Andhra
Pradesh. This financial assistance will
be provided by special dispensation in
funding of Externally Aided Projects
(EAPs.
The financial assistance will be
also provided for the irrigation component of Polavaram project.
The special assistance will be provided to the state towards repayment of loan and
interest for EAPs signed and disbursed from 2015-16 to 2019-20. The decision to this effect
was taken at a Union Cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modalities for implementation of the decision:


Externally Aided Projects: Andhra Pradesh will be provided with a special assistance
measure by the Union Government. Under this measure, the centre would make up for the
additional central share the state might have received during 2015-16 to 2019-20. This will
be done is the funding of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) would have been shared at
the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and the State.

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In addition to this, the special assistance will be provided by way of repayment of loan
and interest for the Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) signed and disbursed during 2015-2016
to 2019-20 by the State.
This support in repayment of the EAP loans will help Andhra Pradesh to put its
finances on a firmer footing and promote economic growth.
Polavaram project: The Union Government will also fund 100 per cent of the irrigation
component of the Polavaram project starting from 1 April 2014. Completion of the
Polavaram project will help in increasing irrigation prospects in the state.
As per an official release, the work on the project will be executed by the Andhra
Pradesh government on behalf of the Union Government. However, other works like overall
coordination, design issues, monitoring, quality controls, clearances and other related issues
will be dealt by the Polavaram Project Authority of Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
The Polavaram Project Authority will also assess out the cost of the irrigation
component as on 01 April 2014 in consultation with the Department of Expenditure,
Ministry of Finance.

Background
The above mentioned special financial assistance is being provided to Andhra Pradesh
in accordance with the union governments commitment to the state under the Andhra
Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014. During the financial year 2016-17, the centre has provided
the special assistance of Rs 1976.50 crore to the state. This allocation includes

Rs 1176.50 for Resource Gap

Rs 350 crore for the development of 7 backward districts covering Rayalaseema &
North Coastal region

Rs 450 crore as assistance to the capital city


In addition to this, the Union Ministry of Water Resources has provided Rs 2081.54
crore for the Polavaram Irrigation Project during the existing financial year.
Since enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014, the Union
Government has provided central assistance of Rs 10461.04 crore to the state of Andhra
Pradesh. The funds include

Rs 4403 crore released during 2014-15

Rs 2000 crore released during 2015-16

Rs 4058.04 in released in 2016-17

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Five-month-long economic blockade of Manipur comes to an end


The nearly five-month-long economic
blockade imposed in Manipur by the United
Naga Council (UNC) came to an end on 19
March 2017. Till date, the council was
blocking the two National Highways of
Manipur namely the Imphal-Dimapur and
Imphal-Silchar highways.
The economic blockade ended after
successful tripartite talks between the
representatives of the union government, the state government and the Naga groups at
Senapati District Headquarters.
Nongthombam Biren Singh sworn in as Chief Minister of Manipur
The success of the tripartite talks is based on the agreement on certain demands of
the United Naga Council. Highlights of demands
The State Government has agreed to release the arrested leaders of the UNC
without any condition.
The state also agreed to close all the cases related to the economic blockade
against Naga leaders including its student leaders.
All the three sides also agreed upon holding the next tripartite talks within one month.

Yogi Adityanath sworn-in as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh

Representatives of the tripartite talks


The Centre: It was represented by the Joint Secretary (North-East) of the Ministry
of Home Affairs-Satyender Garg
Manipur Government: It was represented by its Additional Chief Secretary (Home)
Dr J Sureshbabu and Commissioner (Works) K. Radhakumar
The United Naga Council (UNC): It was represented by its Core Committee
members including former President of the Council- Paul Leo, Samson Remei, All
Naga Students Association and others.

Background
The United Naga Council imposed a blockade on NH-2 and NH-37 on 1 November
2016 to protest against the creation of seven new districts by the erstwhile Okram Ibobi
Singh-led Congress government in the state.
Trivendra Singh Rawat sworn-in as Uttarakhand Chief Minister
The blockade led to a steep rise in prices of essential commodities and severely affected
the normal life and it became a major issue in the recent Assembly polls in the state.

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321 States | www.jagranjosh.com


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DAY | WEEK | YEAR


Central Excise Day celebrated on 24 February 2017
The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) on 24 February
2017 celebrated the Central Excise Day across the country.

To mark the occasion, the Central Excise officers all over the
country organized seminars, workshops, trade interactions and cultural
events.

The Central Excise Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the Central Excise
and Salt Act, which was enacted on 24 February 1944.

About Central Board of Excise and Customs


Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) is a part of the Department of
Revenue under the Union Ministry of Finance.

The CBEC deals with policy formulation concerning levy and collection of Customs
and central excise duties and service tax.

The Board also deals with matters related to smuggling and administration of
matters relating to Customs, central excise, service tax and narcotics to the extent
under the CBEC's purview.

The Board is the administrative authority for its subordinate organizations,


including Custom Houses, Central Excise and Service Tax Commissionerates and
the Central Revenues Control Laboratory.

The board primarily deals with the Customs Act, 1962, Customs Tarriff Act, 1975,
Central Excise Act, 1944 and Service Tax Act.

However, after the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 1 July 2017,
the activities of the board will be guided by the GST-related Acts.

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Zero Discrimination Day 2017 observed on 1st March


Zero Discrimination Day was observed across the world on 1 March 2017. The day was
observed with the theme Make Some Noise for Zero Discrimination.

Zero Discrimination Day calls for fair and just societies and urges people to value,
embrace diversity and recognize the diverse set of talents and skills that each person brings.

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The day urges people to join together against


discrimination and celebrate everyones right to live a full
and productive life with dignity.

For the year 2017, UNAIDS calls for zero discrimination


in health-care settings. The right to health is a fundamental
human right that includes access to timely, affordable and
quality health-care services for all.

About Zero Discrimination Day


The UN first celebrated Zero Discrimination Day on 1 March 2014.

It was observed after UNAIDS launched its Zero Discrimination Campaign on World
AIDS Day in December 2013. The UNAIDS is a UN program on human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

Organizations like the United Nations actively promote the day with various
activities to celebrate everyones right to live a full life with dignity regardless of
age, gender, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, skin colour, height, weight,
profession, education, and beliefs.

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World Wildlife Day 2017 observed globally on 3rd March


The World Wildlife Day was observed across
the world on 3 March 2017 with the theme 'Listen
to the young voices'. The day is seen as an
opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and
varied forms of wild fauna and flora.

The call of the 2017 UN World Wildlife Day is


to engage and empower the youth. It tends to give
a new opportunity to provide incentives to the
youth to tackle conservation issues. It is also an
opportunity for them to engage with one another and together forge an inspired path to a
better world.

The day is celebrated and implemented by the secretariat of the Convention on


International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in collaboration
with other relevant United Nations organizations.

With 183 Member States, CITES remains one of the world's most powerful tools for
biodiversity conservation through the regulation of trade in wild fauna and flora.

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The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 20 December 2013 proclaimed 3


March as the World Wildlife Day.

Background
Wildlife has an intrinsic value and contributes to the ecological, genetic, social,
educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic aspects of sustainable
development.

Habitat loss, climate change and poaching are among the most alarming
challenges faced by wildlife today.

In such scenario, the World Wildlife Day reminds the general public about the
urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging
economic, environmental and social impacts.

It also raises awareness of the multitude of benefits that fauna and flora
conservation provides to people.

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International Women's Day 2017 observed across the world


8 March: International Women's
Day
The 2017 International Women's
Day ((IWD)) was observed across the
world on 8 March 2017. The year's
theme for the Day is Women in the
Changing World of Work: Planet 50-
50 by 2030.

The idea of the theme is to


consider how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective
implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals, especially goal number 5:
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; and number 4: Ensure inclusive
and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

The theme focuses on new commitments under UN Womens Step It Up initiative.

International Women's Day: Celebrating Indias women scientists


who made India proud

A few of the key targets of the 2030 Agenda:

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By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality
primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning
outcomes.

By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood
development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary
education.

End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.

Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private
spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.

Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female
genital mutilation.

International Women's Day Celebrations in India


The 2017 International Women's Day was observed in India by conferring the Nari
Shakti Awards to 31 individuals and organisations that are working towards empowering
women. The President of India Pranab Mukherjee presented the awards at the Rashtrapati
Bhawan.

International Womens Day: Women Empowerment Schemes


of Narendra Modi Government

Google Doodle Honours 13 remarkable women


Googles latest doodle also presented its tribute to all the women on the occasion of
International Womens Day 2017.

In its doodle, Google presents creative photo slideshow of sorts, invoking those
women who have broken new ground in their field of expertise.

The 13 women who have been showcased in the doodle through art are Lotfia ElNadi,
Ida B Wells, Ada Lovelace, Sally Ride, Lina Bo Bardi, Cecilia Grierson, Frida Kahlo, Miriam
Makeba, Olga Skorokhodova, Halet Cambel, Lee Tai-young, Rukmini Devi Arundale and
Suzanne Lenglen. Arundale is the only Indian in the list of these 13 women. She was a
Bharatanatyam dancer and a choreographer and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956.

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World Kidney Day 2017 observed with theme Kidney


Disease and Obesity

9 March 2017: World Kidney Day (WKD)


The World Kidney Day 2017 was observed on 9 March 2017 with the theme Kidney
Disease and Obesity: Healthy Lifestyle for Healthy Kidneys.

The WKD 2017 sought to promote education about the harmful consequences of
obesity and its association with kidney diseases.

About World Kidney Day


The WKD is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and
the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).

The day is a global health awareness campaign with a focus on the importance of
the kidneys.

The day was launched to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and
its associated health problems worldwide.

The themes of the World Kidney Day since its beginning in 2006 are

2017: Kidney Disease and Obesity: Healthy Lifestyle for Healthy Kidneys.

2016: Kidney Disease & Children. Act Early to Prevent It!

2015: Kidney Health for All

2014: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and aging

2013: Kidneys for Life Stop Kidney Attack!

2012: Donate Kidneys for Life Receive

2011: Protect your kidneys: Save your heart

2010: Protect your kidneys: Control diabetes

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2009: Protect your kidneys: Keep your pressure down

2008: Your amazing kidneys!

2007: CKD: Common, harmful and treatable

2006: Are your kidneys OK?

The International Society of Nephrology (ISN)

The ISN is a not-for-profit society dedicated to advancing the diagnosis, treatment,


and prevention of kidney diseases.

The society, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010, is active in over 126
countries across the world.

The International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF)


The IFKF, a not-for-profit federation, was established in 1999.

At present, it has a membership of 63 kidney foundations and patient groups in


more than 41 countries.

The foundation seeks to improve the health, well-being and quality of life of
individuals with kidney disease.

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Commonwealth Day 2017 observed by Commonwealth countries


The Commonwealth Day 2017 was observed by the 52
countries of the Commonwealth on 13 March 2017, the second
Monday of March 2017. The theme of Commonwealth Day 2017
was 'A peace-building Commonwealth'.

This year's theme A peace-building Commonwealth is a


natural follow-on from 2016 theme 'An Inclusive Commonwealth'.
It reaffirms the Commonwealth Charter principle that international peace and security,
sustainable economic growth and development are essential to the progress and prosperity
of all.

This year observation of the day marks 40 years of the Commonwealth Day that
became a global celebration in 1977.

About Commonwealth Countries


The Commonwealth is one of the worlds oldest political associations of states.

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It began back when some countries were ruled by Britain under the British Empire
and was founded in December 1931.

The countries that became self-governing, while keeping Britains monarch as


Head of State, formed the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The Commonwealth came into existence in 1949 and since then independent
countries from Africa, America, Asia, Europe and the Pacific have joined the group.

Some of the Commonwealth countries are Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya,


Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Bangladesh,
India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Canada, Jamaica, Cyprus, United
Kingdom, Australia, Fiji and many more.

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World Consumer Rights Day being observed


The day is observed with an
aim to raise awareness about the
basic rights of consumers. The
participants of the occasion
demand that basic rights of the
consumers should be respected
and protected. They also protest
against the market abuses and
social injustices which undermine
the rights of the consumer.

How will the day be celebrated in India?


On this occasion of the Consumer Rights Day, several functions are being organised
across India. Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan will also preside over a function in
New Delhi. In India, besides the World Consumer Rights Day, we observe the National
Consumer Day on 24 December.

World Consumer Rights Day History


On this day in 1962, President John F Kennedy formally addressed the issue of
consumer rights in US congress. He was the first world leader to do so, and the consumer
movement now marks that date every year as a means of raising global awareness about
consumer rights.

The first World Consumer Rights Day was observed on 1983 and since then it became
an important occasion for mobilising citizen action.

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World Sparrow Day 2017 observed globally


20 March: World Sparrow Day
The World Sparrow Day was observed
across the world on 20 March 2017. The
day was created with an aim to raise
awareness about the house sparrow and
then other common birds to urban
environments.

The World Sparrow Day also speaks


of threats to their populations. The day also
provides an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the common biodiversity which is taken
so much for granted.

World Sparrow Day is an international initiative of the Nature Forever Society of India
in collaboration with several national international organisations including the Eco-Sys
Action Foundation (France). The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010 across the
world.

The House Sparrow was declared as State Bird of Delhi

About Nature Forever Society of India


The society was created by an Indian conservationist Mohammed Dilawar, who was
named as one of the Heroes of the Environment" for 2008 by Time for his efforts. He started
his work by helping the house sparrow in Nashik.

House Sparrow
Scientifically known as Passer domesticus, the house sparrow is a bird of the
sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world.

It is a small bird with a typical length of 16 cm and a mass of 2439.5 g. Females


and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black,
white, and brown markings.

One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the house sparrow is native to most
of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia. Its distribution in many
regions makes it as the most widely distributed wild bird.

The birds are directly associated with human habitations and thus can live in both
rural and urban settings.

Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive
woodlands, grasslands, and deserts away from human development.

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It feeds mostly on the seeds of grains and weeds, but at times it also eats insects.

In 2012, the house sparrow, whose existence is challenged by the mindless


urbanisation, was declared as the State Bird of Delhi.

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World Poetry Day 2017 celebrated globally


21 March: World Poetry Day
The World
Poetry Day was
celebrated on 21
March 2017 across the
globe. The objective
behind the day is to
support linguistic
diversity through
poetic expression as
well as to offer
endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their societies.

The day also provides an occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry
recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry.

International Day of Happiness celebrated on 20 March 2017

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) first
adopted 21 March as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999.

How World Poetry Day is celebrated?


Each country is invited to celebrate the day in its own manner with the active
participation of National Commissions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
and public and private institutions concerned.

For its part, UNESCO will endeavour to encourage and support national initiatives
designed, inter alia, to -

i. Further the introduction of poetry as an important feature of arts education in


school curricula

ii. Raise awareness in schools so that World Poetry Day will be celebrated in the most
interdisciplinary way possible by and in schools

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iii. Encourage the award of poetry prizes

iv. Mobilize municipal authorities so that they will contribute actively to the
preparation and celebration of World Poetry Day

v. Promote the creation of a network of prizes in each Member State

vi. Elaborate an electronic repertoire of poetic institutions

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International Day of Forests 2017 observed globally


21 March: International Day of Forests
The International Day of Forests 2017 was observed
globally with the theme ' Forests and energy'. The Day
aims to raise awareness of the importance of all types of
woodlands and trees and celebrate the ways in which
forests sustain and protect us.

This year theme highlights the importance of wood


energy in improving the lives of people, powering
sustainable development and mitigating climate change.

The Day was proclaimed through the resolution of


the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December
2012.

About Wood Energy


Wood is a major renewable energy source, it provides the world with more energy
than solar, hydroelectric or wind power.

It accounts for roughly 45 per cent of current global renewable energy supply
including 27 per cent of energy supply in Africa, 13 per cent in Latin America and
Caribbean and 5 per cent in Asia and Oceania.

Wood energy powers economic development as almost 900 million people, mostly
in developing countries, are engaged in the wood-energy sector on a part or full-
time basis.

Wood energy mitigates climate change and fosters sustainable development as


forests hold an energy content approximately 10 times that of the worlds annual
primary energy consumption.

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International Day of Happiness celebrated on 20 March 2017


20 March: International Day of Happiness
The International Day of Happiness was celebrated on 20
March 2017 across the world. To mark the occasion, the United
Nations released the World Happiness Report 2017, which
ranked 155 countries by their happiness levels.

In the report, while Norway was adjudged as the happiest


country in the world, India was ranked 122, much behind most of
the SAARC nations including Pakistan and Nepal.

About International Day of Happiness


The General Assembly of the United Nations created the International Day of
Happiness through a resolution on 12 July 2012. Consequently, the annual day was
celebrated for the first time in 2013.

20 March was declared as the day of International Happiness following a


Bhutanese concept that was coined by the fourth king of Bhutan Jigme Singye
Wangchuck in 1970s.

Norway ranked 1 in World Happiness Report,


India slips to 122

It was when the country for the first time replaced the Gross National Product
(GNP) with the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) to measure the living
standards of its population.

On this day, the United Nations invites Member States, international and regional
organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations
and individuals, to observe the day in an appropriate manner.

The day also provides an occasion for the policy makers to organize public
awareness-raising activities about the importance of happiness in our lives.

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International Day for the Elimination of Racial


Discrimination 2017 observed globally
21 March:
International Day for the
Elimination of Racial
Discrimination

The International
Day for the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination was
observed globally on 21
March 2017 with the
theme 'Racial profiling
and incitement to hatred,
including in the context
of migration'.

Racial and ethnic profiling is defined as a reliance by security and border control
personnel on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin as a basis for subjecting
persons to detailed searches, identity checks and investigations.

Refugees and migrants are in particular the targets of racial profiling and incitement to
hatred. In September 2016, the United Nations launched an initiative titled 'Together' to
promote respect, safety and dignity for refugees and migrants.

For the same purpose, UN launched other initiatives as well including Let's Fight
Racism! and the International Decade for People of African Descent.

Moreover, the UN Human Rights Office also launched a campaign 'Stand up for
Someone's Rights Today' to encourage and support actions in our daily lives to defend the
human rights of others.

Background
The Day was proclaimed based on the events of 21 March 1960 when police opened
fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid pass laws in
Sharpeville, South Africa.

Following this, the United Nations General Assembly called on the international
community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination and
proclaimed the day in 1966.

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World Water Day observed with theme Why Wastewater?


22 March: World Water Day
The World Water
Day (WWD) was
observed globally on 22
March 2017 with theme
Why Wastewater? The
years theme for the
world water day focuses
on wastewater and ways
to reduce and reuse as
over 80 per cent of all
the wastewater.

The theme highlights that wastewater flows from homes, cities, industry and
agriculture to nature. This free or untreated flow helps in polluting the environment leading
to loss of valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.

Motto behind the theme Why Wastewater?: The theme seeks to improve the
collection and treatment of wastewater and safe usability of the same. At the same time, it
wants to make us (people) learn the art of reducing the quantity and pollution load of
wastewater that we produce. The effort will help us in protecting the environment and
water resources that are available to us.

International Day of Forests 2017 observed globally

Save water is also a goal enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goal. The
Sustainable Development Goal 6 ensuring availability and sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all by 2030 - includes a target to halve the proportion of untreated
wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse.

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Water and why it should be preserved?


Water is the essential building block
of life. Apart from being an essential source
to quench thirst or protect health, water
also acts as a source that supports
economic, social and human development
goals by creating jobs.

Water should be protected from


being wasted because, today, there are
over 663 million people living without a
safe water supply close to home, spending

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countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts
of using contaminated water.

World Poetry Day 2017 celebrated globally

Facts about water:


Globally, over 80 per cent of the wastewater is generated by society. This
wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused. (Sato
et al, 2013)

1.8 billion people use a source of drinking water that is contaminated with faeces.
This contamination put them at risk of contracting cholera, typhoid, dysentery and
polio. Unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene cause around 842000 deaths
each year. (WHO/UNICEF 2014/WHO 2014)

Opportunities
The opportunities for exploiting wastewater as a resource are enormous. Safely
managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients
and other recoverable materials.

Background
The World Water Day came into existence to focus on the importance of freshwater.
The day which is annually celebrated on 22 March also advocates for the sustainable
management of freshwater resources.

International Day of Happiness celebrated on 20 March 2017

The first World Water Day was observed on 232 March 1993. Earlier, an international
day to celebrate a day of freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. The
recommendation was responded by designation 22 March as a World Water Day by
adopting a resolution A/RES/47/193 of 22 December 1992 by United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA).

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World Down Syndrome Day observed on 21 March


21 March: World Down Syndrome Day
The World Down Syndrome Day was observed on 21 March 2017. On this day of
observation of the World Down Syndrome Day people with down syndrome and their
nearby organise and participate in activities to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.

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The day also


seeks to create a single
global voice for
advocating for the
rights, inclusion and
well being of people
with Down syndrome.

The 2017 WDSD


will focus on

#MyVoiceMyCommunity - Enabling people with Down syndrome to speak up, be heard and
influence government policy and action, to be fully included in the community.

Down syndrome
Down syndrome is a naturally occurring chromosomal arrangement that has always
been a part of the human condition, exists in all regions across the globe and commonly
results in variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics or health.

People suffering from the syndrome require adequate access to health care, inclusive
education and early intervention programmes for their growth and development.

The World Down Syndrome Day came into existence in December 2011, when the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 21 March as a day via its resolution
(A/RES/66/149). The General Assembly decided, with effect from 2012, to observe World
Down Syndrome Day annually on 21 March.

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World Meteorological Day 2017 observed globally


23 March: World
Meteorological Day
The World Meteorological Day
2017 was observed globally on 23
March 2017 with the theme
'Understanding Clouds'. The Day is
organised every year by World
Meteorological Organization (WMO)
and is celebrated globally.

The theme highlights the


enormous importance of clouds for
weather climate and water. Clouds
are central to weather observations and forecasts.

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International Cloud Atlas


On the occasion of World Meteorological Day 2017, WMO released its new
digitized International Cloud Atlas- a global reference for observing and identifying
clouds.

The new Atlas combines 19th century traditions with 21st century technology.

It includes new classifications including volutus, a roll cloud; clouds from human
activities such as the contrail, a vapour trail sometimes produced by airplanes and
asperitas, a dramatic undulated cloud which captured the public imagination.

It also proposes five new special clouds: cataractagenitus, flammagenitus,


homogenitus, silvagenitus and homomutatus.

It contains hundreds of images submitted by meteorologists, photographers and


cloud lovers from around the globe.

It also features other meteorological phenomena such as rainbows, halos, snow


devils and hailstones.

The International Cloud Atlas was first published in the late 19th century.

About World Meteorological Day


World Meteorological Day celebrates the anniversary of the convention
establishing World Meteorological Organization in 1950.

It showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and


Hydrological Services to the safety and wellbeing of society.

It celebrates the inherent beauty and aesthetic appeal of clouds, which has
inspired artists, poets, musicians, photographers and countless other enthusiasts
throughout history.

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World Tuberculosis Day 2017 observed globally


24 March: World Tuberculosis Day
The World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2017 was observed globally on 24 March 2017 with
the theme Unite to End TB: Leave no one behind.

This year, WHO places a special focus on uniting efforts to Leave no one behind,
including actions to address stigma, discrimination, marginalization and overcome barriers
to access care.

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This year marks the second year of the End TB Strategy of the World Health
Organisation (WHO). The strategy aims to help ensure that countries implementing it
adhere to sound ethical standards to protect the rights of all those affected.

In 2016, WHO reported that 10.4 million people fell ill with TB and there were 1.8
million TB deaths in 2015, making it the top infectious killer worldwide.

Background
The day commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the
scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of
tuberculosis, the TB bacillus.

It is aimed at building the public awareness about the tuberculosis that remains an
epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly one-and-a-half million
people each year.

It is also an opportunity to mobilize political and social commitment for further


progress in efforts to end TB.

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STATE BUDGETS 2017-18


Madhya Pradesh annual Budget 2017-18 presented
Jayant Malaiyya, the finance minister of Madhya Pradesh, on 1 March 2017 presented
the annual state budget of the financial year 2017-18 in the legislative assembly. The size of
the budget 2017-18 is Rs 185564.27 crore, with a revenue surplus of Rs 4596.40 crore.
While presenting the budget, Malaiyya announced that the recommendations of Seventh
Pay Commission will be implemented from 1 January 2016. The hiked salaries will be paid
from July 2017; however, arrears of 18 months will be paid in instalments.

As per a report, the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission will benefit about
eight lakh government employees including four lakh regular employees.

Union Cabinet approves recommendations of 7th Pay Commission


Fiscal Indicators
Fiscal Deficit: Estimated at 3.49 per cent of GSDP.

Revenue Surplus: Estimated at 0.63 per cent of GSDP.

Interest payments: Estimated at 8.30 per cent of Revenue Receipts.

Highlights of allocations in the 2017-18 Madhya Pradesh Budget


Agriculture: Allocations in the agriculture section were made under different heads
and they are

Rs 33564 crore was allocated for the year 2017-18 for 'Krishi' Budget.

Rs 2000 crore was allocated for "Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme"

Rs 400 crore was allocated for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Rs 305 crore was allocated for National Food Security Mission.

Rs 40 crore was allocated for agricultural mechanisation

Rs 46 crore was allocated subsidy for Tractor and agricultural equipment.

Rs 14 crore was allocated grant for the establishment of Custom Hiring Centre.

Horticulture
Rs 140 crore was allocated for micro-irrigation.

Rs 92 crore was allocated for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna.

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Rs 62 crore was allocated for National Horticulture Mission.

Rs 50 crore was allocated for Crop Insurance Scheme.

Rs 50 crore was allocated to enhance the storage capacity for onion.

Veterinary and Fisheries


Rs 91 crore was allocated for fisheries.

Rs 1001 crore was allocated for various departmental schemes.

Forestry
Rs 2704 crore was allocated for various schemes of Forest Department.

Rs 102 crore was allocated for plantation of fruit and non-fruit trees on Narmada
river bank.

Rural Development
Rs 3500 crore was allocated for Housing for All scheme in rural areas
under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana.

Rs 2642 crore was allocated under the recommendation of the 14th Finance
Commission.

Rs 2000 crore was allocated under Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme.

Rs 1750 crore was allocated for the disposal/management of liquid and solid waste
in 3000 Gram Panchayats under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan.

Rs 1127 crore was allocated for providing basic amenities to Panchayats.

Rs 633 crore was allocated for National Rural Livelihood Mission.

Jammu and Kashmir State Budget 2017-18

Urban Development
Rs 1000 crore was allocated for 'Housing for All' scheme in urban areas.

Rs 700 crore was allocated for 'AMRUT Yojana'

Rs 700 crore was allocated under SMART City Scheme. It proposes to include
Sagar and Satna City in the second phase.

Rs 600 crore was allocated for Swacch Bharat Abhiyan'.

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Rs 190 crore was allocated for 'Mukhyamantri Shahari Peyajal Yojna'.

Rs 170 crore was allocated for UIDSSMT

Rs 105 crore was allocated under National Urban Livelihood Mission.

Rs 10 crore was allocated for developing infrastructure under 'Deendayal Rasoi


Yojana'.

Women and Child Development


Rs 972 crore was allocated under 'Ladli Laxmi Yojana'.

Rs 90 crore was allocated for construction of Anganwadi buildings.

Establishment of 6 new rehabilitation centres.

The increase in the number of beds in 24 rehabilitation centres.

Gujarat State Budget for FY 2017-18 presented

Roads and Bridges


Rs 5966 crore was allocated for Roads and Bridges.

Rs 2850 crore was allocated for PMGSY in the year 2017-18.

Rs 1418 crore was allocated for maintenance of roads.

Rs 400 crore was allocated for 'Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak evam Adhosanrachana
Yojana'.

Rs 186 crore was allocated for State Rural Road connectivity scheme.

Irrigation facilities
Rs 9850 crore was allocated under the capital head for irrigation schemes.

Development of irrigation capacity of 33 lac hectares of agricultural land during


the 12th Five Year period in irrigation schemes.

Drinking Water
Program to facilitate water supply through pipelines in habitations with population
of more than 1000.

Rs 552 crore was allocated for 'Samooh Nal Jal Yojna'.

Rs 900 crore was allocated for State rural drinking water program.

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90 per cent increase in the budget of PHE department for the year 2017-18 as
compared to 2016-17(RE).

School Education
Recruitment of 36000 teachers.

Provision for scholarship/Stipend - Rs 703 crore for ST students Rs 740 crore for SC
students and Rs 850 crore for OBC students was made.

Rs 214 crore and Rs 189 crore were allocated in School Education and Tribal
Department respectively for construction of buildings.

Rs 101 crore was allocated for hostel, Ashrams and Buildings for SC Students.

Rs 92 crore was allocated for the purchase of NCERT books.

Rs 90 crore was allocated for construction of 30 new hostels.

Rs 52 crore was allocated for the hostel in district level Excellence Schools.

Rs 50 crore was allocated for the strengthening of ashram and hostels of


Scheduled Tribes.

Rs 48 crore was allocated for establishment, management and security of girls'


hostels

Rs 45 crores was allocated for maintenance of school buildings

Rs 35 crores was allocated for electricity connections in schools

Rs 30 crore was allocated for furniture in schools

Rs 27 crore was allocated for laboratory equipment

Upgradation of 520 High Schools and 240 Higher Secondary Schools

Establishment of 2 New residential 'Gurukulam' in Tribal Areas.

To encourage girls education, bicycles will be provided to girl students who take
admission in class 11.

Construction of Girls Hostels.

Higher Education
Rs 215 crore was allocated for Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan.

Rs 200 crore was allocated for construction of college buildings and hostels under
World Bank Project.

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Technical Education
Rs 100 crore was allocated for development of 10 Excellence ITIs.
Rs 100 crore was allocated for 2.5 lakh youngsters and 2 lakh women to train them
under 'Mukhyamantri Kaushal Samwardhan and Kaushlya Scheme.
Provision of Rs 1000 crore was made for creation of fund for meritorious students
under 'Mukhyamantri Medhavi Vidyarthi Yojana'.
Reimbursement of tuition fees as a grant to students who score more than 85per
cent in 12th and join prestigious National level institutions.

Backward Classes Welfare


Rs 823 crore was allocated for the scholarship to backward blasses students.
Rs 50 crore was allocated for Vimukt, Ghumakkad evam ardh-ghumakkad.
Rs 30 crore was allocated for modernisation of Madarsas.
Provision of Rs 19 crore was made for the construction of hostels for Backward
Classes students.
Rs 20 crore was allocated for self-employment training to backward classes
category.

Minorities Welfare
Rs 4.5 crore was allocated under other grants.
Rs 4 crore was allocated for training.
Rs 48 crore was allocated under various schemes.

Medical Education and Public Health


Rs 590 crore was allocated for construction of 7 new Medical College buildings.
Infrastructure development in Medical Colleges already existing.
Increasing the capacity of district hospital Indore, Morena and Sheopur.
MRI and CT scan facility in all District Hospitals.
Upgradation of Primary Health Center Devsar, Satwar and Hastinapur into
Community Health Center
Providing "Vyavsayik Dakshatavarodh' compensation allowance @ 20 per cent to
doctors posted in PHC of rural areas and @25 per cent to doctors in notified rural
areas.
Compensation allowance @ 25 per cent to Specialist Doctors posted in notified
areas and 20 per cent to doctors posted in Community Health Centres.

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Proposal to make available the Infrastructure facilities for surgery in Government


Hospital to Private Doctors.

Energy
Assistance of Rs 7361 crore was made to Power Distribution Companies under
UDAY Scheme in 2016-17
Rs 4622 crore was made under UDAY Scheme for the year 2017-18
Scheme of Rs 4000 crore was allocated for converting temporary connections into
permanent connections.

Industries and Employment


The State received 2630 investment proposals of Rs 5.62 lakh crore in MP during
Investor Summit-2016.
Provision of Rs 161 crore was made for the development of industrial
infrastructure in 9 new industrial areas.
Rs 58 crore was allocated for IT Park and Electronic Manufacturing Cluster.
Rs 797 crore was made for self-employment schemes.

Tourism
Decision to establish/operationalize professional courses to encourage tourism
activities.

Teerth Darshan Yojana


New pilgrimage centres like Gangasagar, Girnarji, Patna Sahib among others to be
included in the scheme.
Grant amount to be raised from Rs 30000 to Rs 50000 for Kailash Mansarovar
Yatra.

Culture
Establishment of Vedanta Peeth in Omkareshwer

Rs 9 crore was allocated to create a fund for Veer Bharat Nyas.

Social Justice
Increase in Samajik Suraksha Pension from 150 to 300 per month.
Rs 35 crore was allocated for Janshree Bima Yojana
Rs 18 crore was allocated for Aam Admi Bima Yojana.

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Pension to all widows excluding those in service and receiving pension.

Law and Order


Rs 5850 crore was allocated for Police Force.
Rs 402 crore was allocated for Construction works for Police personnel.
Rs 54 crore was allocated for purchase of vehicles for Police Force.
Rs 44 crore was allocated for purchase of arms for Police Force.
Rs 65 crore was allocated for construction of new jails.

Law Administration
Rs 21 crore was allocated for computerisation of High Court, Subordinate Courts
and Advocate General Office.
Rs 150 crore was allocated for development of judicial infrastructure.

-x-x-x-x-

Haryana State Budget 2017-18 presented


Haryana Finance Minister Captain
Abhimanyu on 6 March 2017 presented the State
annual budget for 2017-18 in the legislative
assembly.

In tune with the changes proposed in the


Union Budget 2017-18, the Government of
Haryana has dispensed with the plan and non
plan classification of expenditure and presented
the budget in terms of revenue and capital
classification.

Highlights of Haryana State Budget 2017-18


The total size of the budget was pegged at over Rs 1,02,329 crore for the fiscal
year 2017-18, which is an increase of 13.8 per cent over revised estimates for the
FY 2016-17.

The proposal comprises 21.88 per cent as capital expenditure of Rs 22,393.51


crore and 78.12 per cent as revenue expenditure of Rs 79,935.84 crore.

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This is for the first time that the State budget has crossed the figure of one lakh
crore rupees excluding food grain procurement operations.

The demonetization initiative of the Union Government had slowed economy.


However, the economy is expected to rebound before the end of the 2016-17
financial year.

Captain Abhimanyu said Gross State Domestic Product is expected to rebound to 9


per cent plus growth in 2017-18 and in 2016-17 it is growing at 8.7 per cent.

Kerala State Budget 2017-18 presented

Rs 5000 crore rupees allocated for the development of 1500 villages under the
Deen Bandhu Haryana Gram Uday Yojana.

Mangal Nagar Vikas Yojana was proposed in the name of former Deputy Chief
Minister Late Dr Mangal Sain to create modern infrastructure and for maintenance
of existing infrastructure in urban areas.

In order to promote all government payments of more than Rs 5000 through


digital mode, 5 per cent rebate will be given on bill payments and other
government payments through Bhim app subject to a maximum rebate of Rs 50.

No fresh taxes have been proposed in the budget.

Biodiesel B100, solar devices and parts used in solar power projects have been
made tax free by exempting them from VAT.

-x-x-x-x-

Kerala State Budget 2017-18 presented


Kerala State Finance Minister Dr TM Thomas Issac on 3 March
2017 presented the State annual budget for 2017-18 in the
legislative assembly.

The size of the budget is pegged at Rs 1,33,207.95 crore,


which is an increase of around 15 per cent over the revised
estimates for the FY 2016-17.

Highlights of Kerala State Budget 2017-18


Rs 127 crore allocated for the Suchithwa Mission. The main element of this
sanitation campaign is to develop compost pits and manure pits in rural areas.

Rs 100 crore was sanctioned to those local self government institutions that have
submitted project proposals for establishing modern electrical crematoriums.

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An amount of Rs 10 crore was earmarked for mechanizing the cleaning of


manholes and septic tanks.

An amount of Rs 150 crore will be invested by Kerala Infrastructure Investment


Fund Board (KIIFB) for establishing 14 septage units, one in each district.

Rs 102 crore allocated for soil-water conservation activities and Rs 208 crore for
minor irrigation. These will be integrated on a regional basis for implementation.

Haryana State Budget 2017-18 presented

A plan allocation of Rs 974 crore has been set apart for rural development and Rs
75 crore for urban development.

Rs 10 allocated to provide compensation to the endosulfan victims as laid down in


the court's judgement.

An amount of Rs 40 crore was set apart for the development of agricultural


markets. This can be used for the development of infrastructure and intervention
capacity of Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK).

Rs 188 crore and Rs 366 crore allocated for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
respectively. This allocation is higher than that of any other State in India.

An amount of Rs 130 crore, including central share, was earmarked for the welfare
of backward castes. Out of this allocation, Rs 14 crore is for Backward Caste
Development Corporation and Rs 7 crore is for Converted Christians Development
Corporation.

-x-x-x-x-

Delhi Budget 2017-18


Delhi State Finance Minister, Manish Sisodia
presented the state annual budget for the period
2017-18 on 8 March 2017 in the states legislative
assembly.

The budget has been proposed at 48000


crore, which is 16.5 per cent higher than the
Revised Estimates of 41200 crore in 2016-17. The
presentation of the budget this year moved away
from the traditional framework of budgeting into planned and unplanned heads and instead
was classified under two sections, Revenue and Capital.

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The Arvind Kejriwal government also brought out another unique initiative this year in
the form of a comprehensive Outcome Budget that would monitor the outcome of the
projects initiated under the new budget. The Outcome Budget will be put up on the Delhi
governments website by 31 March 2017.

Economic Scenario
Despite the negative impact of demonetisation on the economic activities of the
state, the Gross State Domestic Product of Delhi at current prices is likely to
increase to 6,22,385 crore in 2016-17 from 5,51,963 crore in 2015-16, indicating
a growth of 12.76 percent.
The per capita income of Delhi at current prices is likely to increase to 3,03,073
in 2016- 17 which is 10.77% higher than the per capita income of 2,73,618 in
2015-16.
The per capita income of Delhi is about three times higher than the per capita
income of 1,03,818 in 2016 at the national level.

Good Governance
The minimum wages for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers have been
increased by around 37 per cent. The increased rates of the wages are as follows:

- Unskilled persons From 9,724 to 13,350 per month.


- Semi-skilled: From 10,764 to 14,698 per month.
- Skilled workers: From 11,830 to 16,182 per month.

The government has also launched skill development courses in 10 night shelters
for the homeless that include sewing, cooking, beautician services and plumbing.
In each night shelter, 25 homeless per batch will be trained and given certificates
on the completion of 120 hours of training.
The government has also provided health care facility in the night shelters through
Mohalla Clinics.
The government has also reduced the tax on sanitary napkins costing above Rs 20
from 12.5% to 5%.
Apart from this, the government has decided to integrate existing database of
Aadhar, Permanent Account Number, Election Photo Identity Cards to reduce cost
and duplication for better delivery of public services.

Education
Total budget: 11300 crore
The allocation is 24 per cent of the total budget estimate, which is the highest
education budget among all the states.

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24 new schools will start in this year. The construction work of 8000 new
classrooms is almost complete and 10000 more new classrooms will be built in the
next financial year.
Pre-primary classes will be introduced in 156 government schools in 2017-18, with
upgraded infrastructure facilities.
Early childhood education centres will be set up all over Delhi for children between
the age group of 2-6 years.
A special library would be set up within the classroom for students of nursery to
5th class and 400 new libraries will be opened in the government schools for Class
6-10.
Besides this, five English-medium schools of Excellence will be set up in the state
during the fiscal year and commerce stream will be introduced in all government
schools.
Extra Curriculum Activity Departments will also be started under the Education
Department to promote Indian art, dance and music.
The government has also planned the expansion of NSIT, DTU and IIIT in order to
accommodate more students in these institutes.
The Delhi Pharmaceutical Science and Research University (DPSRU) will be
initiating a sports medicine course at both undergraduate and postgraduate level
from academic session 2017-18.
Two multi- storey hostels with modern facilities will also be constructed to
accommodate 2350 players
To impart specialised coaching to the players, 110 additional posts of Physical
Education Teachers and Sports Coaches will be created.
The government has also proposed to expand the coverage of Mid Day Meal
scheme to all students of class IX to XII of girl schools.

Health
Total budget: 5736 crore.
110 Mohalla Clinics are already functional in Delhi and the number is expected to
be increased to 150 by the end of the current financial year. The government aims
to set up 1000 more Mohalla Clinics in the next financial year.
Medicines and diagnostics will be made free in Poly Clinics, where a specialist will
be available for all diseases. While 23 of such clinics are already working in the
capital, their number will be increased to 150 by the end of next financial year.
The total number of hospital beds in all government hospitals will be increased
from 10,000 to 20,000 in the next 18 months.

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The government is also working on schemes of issuing Health Card and to provide
Health Insurance to all citizens of Delhi.
The government has also initiated a Public Private Partnership model in
collaboration with private clinics, test centres and hospitals to deliver quality
treatment in 30 critical and life-saving surgeries.
The government has also decided to honour those who help rush road accident
victims to hospitals by giving a cash award of 2000 along with an appreciation
letter from the government.

Public Transport
The total budget for Public Transport & Road Infrastructure: 5506 crore.
The government has proposed to add 736 more buses under cluster scheme
during 2017-18.
To provide last mile connectivity to commuters, Government has approved the
Letter of Intent scheme and 10,000 new auto permits will be issued.
The Government has also approved Metro phase-IV comprising six 104 km long
corridors. The construction for the same is expected to commence soon.

Road Infrastructure
All elevated corridors and flyovers at outer ring road from Vikaspuri to Wazirabad
stretch have been opened for the public to decongest the outer ring road.
Construction of underpass at Ashram Chowk along with Mathura road will be
initiated in 2017-18.
The construction work of new flyover /underpass between Mahipalpur to airport
road will be started in the year 2017-18.
The construction of elevated road over Barapullah Nallah Phase-III from Sarai Kale
Khan to Mayur Vihar is in the final stage of completion.

Social Security & Welfare


Total budget: 3467 crore.
The pension for senior citizens persons with disability and widows has been
increased by 1,000 per month in order to enable them to live life with dignity.
The government will also be setting up a Commission for Senior Citizen in 2017-
18 which will look into issues related to the welfare and protection of senior
citizens in the state.

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The Government will also be implementing various schemes for students


belonging to minority communities such as financial assistance for the purchase of
stationery, scholarship and the reimbursement of tuition fees in private schools.

Water Supply & Sanitation


Total budget: 2108 crore
The Government has set the target to lay water pipeline in the whole of Delhi
including unauthorised colonies and JJ clusters during this year.
The water supply network is being evaluated in the entire city through a new
programme "Walk the Line' that will provide comprehensive database about the
deficiencies of the network.
The Delhi Jal Board has also started rainwater harvesting system in Burari to
increase the water supply.
Water supply network has been laid in 309 colonies which is a record in the history
of Delhi Jal Board.
Besides this, all sewage pumping stations shall be automated to ensure
optimisation of pumping and channel flow in the trunk sewers to reduce the work
of desilting of drains.
The project for laying of Interceptor Sewers along three major drains (Najafgarh,
Supplementary & Shahdara) will be completed soon, thereby creating a milestone
for cleaning and beautification of Yamuna. The model will then be followed for
cleaning of major drains in the city.

Housing & Urban Development


Total budget: 3113 crore
During the last two years, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has
relocated 5000 slum dwellers from various JJ Bastis by providing them with flats at
Baprolla and Dwarka.
Apart from this, a number of steps have been taken to make Delhi open
Defecation free.
Also, 8000 clean and modern toilets have been constructed up until now in Delhi
with 6000 more in the final stages of completion. 5000 more toilets will be
constructed in 2017-18.
There is also a proposal for construction of new shelters for homeless in several
areas in the city including Nangloi Phase-II, Dwarka Sector-3, Rohini Sector-5 and
Geeta Colony under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM).

Energy

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Total budget: 2194 crore


The government is targeting 1000 MW Solar Photovoltaic installation in next 5
years and 2000 MW till 2025.
To promote solar installation a Generation Based Incentive (GBI) of 2/- per unit /
KW will be given to domestic consumers for installation of Solar Photovoltaic
Power Plant.
To overcome the problem of disposal of Municipal Solid Waste, the government
has approved Waste to Energy Plants to generate electricity at 3 locations.

Environment & Forest


Total Budget: 106 crore
Several steps have been taken to improve the environment condition in the state
including afforestation, universal use of CNG by commercial vehicles, subsidy on
newly purchased Battery Operated Four Wheelers and Two wheelers and ban on
plastic use.
Besides this, the government has also proposed to increase the number of
Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations from 6 to 26 in the year 2017-18.
The government has also proposed to develop a maiden Wildlife (Bird) Rescue
Centre at Rajokri on an area of around 6 acres with world class facility.

Rural Development & Flood Irrigation


Total budget: 925 crore

The government has decided to enhance the scope of Delhi Rural Development
Board by including both rural and urban villages of Delhi.

The government has also decided to develop a Modern Flower Market cum
Exhibition Centre at Gazipur to encourage the place as State of the Art Centre of
international standards.

The government is committed to implement the E-mandi project in all mandies to


ensure transparency in transactions, better pricing to the farmers and shortening the
payment cycle for the farmers.

To respect the culture and religious customs of all communities, the government has
decided to construct Chhat Ghat all over Delhi.

Tourism
Total budget: 119 crore

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The government is preparing tourism policy and master plan for the promotion of
tourism and tourism infrastructure.

To promote Delhi as a film shooting destination, it is proposed to introduce Single


Window Clearance Mechanism for filmmaking facility.

The government has also planned to develop the Riverfront of River Yamuna to
create a place that allows people to connect with nature as well as the river.

It is proposed to make World Class Ecological River Front of 5 km at upstream of


Wazirabad.

-x-x-x-x-

CM Vasundhara Raje presented Rajasthan annual


budget for FY 2017-18
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara
Raje on 8 March 2017 presented the state
budget for the financial year 2017-18. The
budget for the financial year 2017-18 mainly
focuses on investment and economic growth,
economic infrastructure development and
education.

Recommendations of seventh pay


commission will be implemented in the state.

In terms of fiscal indicators, the Chief Minister Raje pegged the fiscal deficit of Rs
24753.53 crore, which is 2.99 per cent of the GSDP.
Delhi Budget 2017-18

Fiscal Indicators
Estimated Revenue Deficit for 2017-18

a) Without effect of UDAY - deficit of Rs. 1528 crore.

b) With effect of UDAY - deficit of Rs. 13528 crore

Estimated Fiscal Deficit for 2017-18 Rs 24753.53 crore which is 2.99% of GSDP.

Estimated total revenue receipts for 2017-18 Rs 130162 crore.

Estimated own tax revenue for the year 2017-18 Rs. 59455 crore against Rs 69062
crore in the 2016-17, which is higher by 16.16%.

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Estimated own tax revenue for 2017-18 as percentage of GSDP is 8.34%

Estimated interest payment in 2017-18 is Rs. 19626.91 crore which is 15.08% of


total revenue receipts

Bihar government presented Rs 1.60 lakh crore budget


Highlights of Rajasthan Budget 2017-18
Economic Infrastructure Development: On the name of economic infrastructure
development, the budget for the fiscal year 2017-18 focuses on development of drinking
water, transport, roads, air transport, energy, tourism art and culture among others. New
schemes announced for the infrastructural development includes

Some schemes were announced for the management of drinking water in the
state and they are

a) Scheme from Jakham dam: For the development of the dam Rs 912.55 crore was
allocated. The dam will cover 554 villages in blocks of Pratapgarh, Pipalkhoont and Arnod.

b) Bundi cluster distribution scheme: Rs 80.80 crore was allocated under the scheme
which will benefit 97000 people of the cluster.

c) Chakhan dam scheme: Rs 73.93 crore was allocated under the scheme that will
benefit Indragarh and Sumerganj mandi towns plus 45 villages and 6 dhanies to be
benefited.

d) Didwana city reorganisation scheme: the scheme will be implemented in two


phases at an expense of Rs 32 crore (approx).

Madhya Pradesh annual Budget 2017-18 presented

Plans for energy sector: To revamp the organisational structure of state discoms,
the government has proposed to establish four grid sub-stations (GSS) in the
financial year 2017-18, and they will be

a) 2 GSS of 400 KV

b) 6 GSS of 220 KV

c) 15 GSS of 132 KV

d) 200 GSS of 33 KV

Plans Art and Culture sector: For protection and development of the Art and
Culture sector of the state, the 2017-18 budget includes (few of them)

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a) Conservation and development works of 8 museums at an expense of Rs 13 crore.

b) Conservation works of archaeological sites- at Ajmer (2), Bharatpur (2), Kota (1) and
Nagaur (1) at an expense of Rs 6.46 crore

c) Completion of restoration and conservation works of Fateh Vilas Mahal Khetri and
development of infrastructure facilities.

d) Digitisation of rare manuscripts and ancient records of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad
Arbi Farsi Research Institute, Tonk.

e) For conservation and systematic development for Chittorgarh Fort with the
partnership of ASI, Chittorgarh Fort Development Authority will be constituted.

Kerala State Budget 2017-18 presented


Investment and Economic growth: For investment and economic growth the budget
2017-18 proposes development works in industries and mines.

For the Industries segment, the budget proposes for the establishment of High
Learning Centre at CIPET Jaipur at an expense of Rs 51.32 crore. Some other important
decisions for industrial sector includes

a) Development of 2 new centres in textile and agro-food processing sectors. The


centres will be developed with the help of Union Government.

b) Besides, for interest subsidy under the scheme of young entrepreneur promotion
by RFC, the loan limit was increased to Rs 1.50 crore from existing Rs 90 lakh

c) Entrepreneurship Training centre will be created at JNV University, Jodhpur and


Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University, Kota.

d) In the mines sector, Rs 500 crore was allocated for public utility works for citizens of
mines affected areas. Besides, the state has decided to go for e-auction system for
allotments of mines, ERCC and RCC.

Human Resource and Social Development: Things that were included for Human
Resource and Social Development in the name of Social Justice and Empowerment in the
budget 2017-18 includes (few of them)

a) Sahyog and Uphar Yojana: Under the yojna, the Subsidy and incentive amount
would be doubled for the marriage of the daughter.

b) Mukhyamantri specially abled Samman Pension Scheme: The pension under the
scheme would be given to all eligible specially abled at Rs750 per month without the criteria
of age.

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c) Mukhyamantri Ekal Nari Samman Pension Yojana: Widow Pensioners elder than 60
years will get Rs 1000 per month and widow pensioners of more than 75 years will get Rs
1500 per month.

d) Sukhad Dampatya Jeevan Yojana: under the scheme, the financial support to the
specially abled bride and groom has been increased to Rs 50000 per couple.

e) Samyukta Sahayta Assistance: under this assistance scheme, the assistance for
specially abled for artificial limb/equipment would be increased to Rs 10000

f) Devnarain Yojana: Four hostels will be developed at an expense of Rs 30 crore.

g) Social justice and empowerment department: to carry out its duties, the
department was allocated with Rs 5596.80 crore

Haryana State Budget 2017-18 presented


Besides, the budget also has something for Economic Backward Classes (EBC) of
Rajasthan. Slew of incentives was announced for communities that fall under the bracket of
EBC and they are

a) Top 100 students who get admission in IIT, IIM, AIIMS, NLU, IISc will get lump sum
Rs 25000.

b) Top 100 candidates of RAS exam conducted by RPSC will get Rs 30000.

c) Top 50 candidates who get into All India Services will get Rs 50000.

d) RBSE students who get top 100 positions in class-10 and in class-12 (all streams) will
get lump sum Rs 15000.

e) Top 100 girls of RBSE who score 90 per cent plus marks in class-10 Board Exam and
top 100 girls of RBSE each who score 90% plus marks in Science, Arts and Commerce
streams in class-12 Board Exam (i.e. 300 in all) will get a Scooty along with Certificate of
appreciations.

At the same time, allocations and plans were made for other sectors that fall under
the bracket of the Human Resource and Social Development. The sectors that fall into this
bracket are women & child development, minorities, youth & sports, medical & health and
education among others.

In addition to all these, CM Vasundhara Raje proposed to slash the stamp duty from 5
to 3 per cent in the state budget for 2017-18. The registration fee on the partition deeds of
properties other than the ancestral ones was slashed from 1 to 0.25 per cent.

-x-x-x-x-

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2017-18 Tamil Nadu budget presented


D Jayakumar, the Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu, on 16 March 2017 presented the
2017-18 state budget of Tamil Nadu in the assembly. This was his maiden budget
presentation.
This was also the first budget to be presented by the state government headed by
Chief Minister E Palaniswami.
In light of the awaited GST implementation, the state has not introduced any new
taxes in the budget. The finance minister said that introduction of GST will benefit the state.
The main high light of the 2017-18 TN budget: The State Planning Commission will be
replaced by State Development Policy Council. This council will be responsible for advising
the state government on policy coherence and formulation of programmes to guide the
development of State.

Other highlights of the budget


10000 blind people will be provided with smart canes.

Disability pension was increased to Rs 2000 from existing Rs 1000.

Javvadu hills will have a modern residential school with hostel facilities for
teachers. The school will be developed at an expense of Rs 24 crore. The school
would benefit the tribal communities of the region.

Number of seats in PG medical college was raised to 1362 from 1188.

Plan and Allocations


Laptop Scheme: Rs 758 crore allocated.

Anna Daanam scheme: The scheme started by Jayalalithaa will be continued in 265
temples in Tamil Nadu.

Free schemes extended to school going children: Rs 758 crore allotted.

Scooters at subsidised rates: Rs 200 crore allotted to help 1 lakh, women, to


purchase scooters

School infrastructure: Rs 352 crore was allocated for improving the infrastructure
of the state.

Public health and family welfare: Rs 10158 crore allotted.

Primary Health Centres: 30 new such centres will be developed at an expense of Rs


43.76 crore.

Green housing project: Rs 420 crore allocated for building 20000 houses.

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Urban Swachh Bharat Mission: Rs 600 crore allocated.

Chennai Mega City development mission: Rs 400 crore allocated for finishing infra
projects, which was undertaken by the Greater Chennai Corporation.

Urban poverty alleviation schemes: Rs 272 crore allocated.

100 days employment scheme in rural areas: Rs 1,000 crore allocated.

Medical Park will be developed in Kanchipuram at an expense of Rs 130 crore.

Rural area temples: Rs 1 lakh per temple will be spent to renovate 1000 rural area
temples.

Tamirabarani-Nambiyaaru River linking project: Rs 300 crore allotted

Kudi Maramathu project: Rs 300 crore allotted

Conservation of Pallikaranai marshland: The work of conservation will be


undertaken under the Green Climate Fund.

Crop loan: the state will disburse Rs 7000 crore as crop loan through cooperative
banks.

Fishing harbour: Mookaiyur in Ramanathapuram district will get new fishing


harbour. On the other hand, the fishing ban compensation was raised to Rs 5000.

Animal husbandry department: It saw an allocation of Rs 1161 crore.

Aavin milk production unit: A new milk production unit will be developed in
Madurai at an expense of Rs 40 crore. This unit will be involved in the production
of the flavoured milk under brand Aavin.

Drip irrigation scheme: It will be used to encourage sugarcane cultivation.

Refugee welfare fund (Sri Lankan refugees): Rs 116 crore was allocated.

Eradication of poverty in rural and urban areas: Rs 469 crore and Rs 272 crore was
allotted respectively.

Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project: It will be undertaken in 127 rural


districts with a fund of Rs 1000 crore from World Bank.

Rs 116 crore allocated to Information Technology department.

Rs 2192 crore was allocated to transport department.

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Rs 160 crore allotted to widen state Highways and Rs 3156 crore was allocated for
maintenance of the road infrastructure. On the other hand, Rs 100 crore was
allocated under the Highways safety fund.

Rs 165 crore allocated to youth welfare and sports ministry.

Rs 1010 crore allocated to Labour welfare department.

3.5 lakh plots of land will be given to economically weaker sections.


In addition to these, Rs 3042 crore loan from World Bank will be used for conservation
of various water bodies. Besides, Rs 3009 crore was allocated to Adi Dravida welfare
ministry, while Rs 983 crore was given for BC/MBC welfare.

-x-x-x-x-

Karnataka State Budget 2017-18 presented

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on 15 March


2017 presented the State annual budget for the period
between April 2017 and March 2018.
The overall size of the budget was pegged at Rs 1,78,385
crore. Compared to the budget 2016-17, which is estimated at
Rs 1,57,222 crore, it is higher than Rs 20,000 crore.

Highlights of Karnataka Budget 2017-18


The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in the year
2016-17 grew at the rate of 6.9 percent as against
the rate of 7.3 percent during 2015-16.

Krishi Bhagya scheme will be extended to costal and malnad areas (excluding
command areas) covering all the taluks in the year 2017-18. For this purpose, a
grant of Rs 600 crore will be provided.

Telangana State Budget 2017-18 presented

For the year 2017-18, an amount of Rs 845 crore has been provided for the
Karnataka Raitha Suraksha Pradhana Manthri Fasal Bima Yojana to make the State
drought-proof.

In order to emphasize the judicious and efficient use of water, drip and sprinkler
irrigation units will be distributed at 90 per cent subsidy for up to 2 hectares.

It is proposed to start Cashew Development Board for developing 10,000 hectares


of good quality of cashew orchards over next 5 years.

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During 2017-18, Rs 6,000 crore will be spent on various irrigation projects across
the State.

It is proposed to develop Salumarada Thimmakka Vruksha Udyanavana in every


assembly constituency.

Andhra Pradesh State Budget 2017-18 presented

In respect of teachers, need based restructured medium to long term training of


50 thousand teachers and lecturers will be taken up for specific core subjects and
languages including English.

For improving school management and sector governance, the use of technology
initiated under Shikshana Kirana will be strengthened including biometric
attendance of teachers.

It is proposed to pay honorarium of Rs 1,000 to ASHA workers in addition to the


existing payment of incentive to reduce the rate of infant and maternal mortality.

A new Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology will be established in Indiranagar,


Bengaluru, using own resources, at an estimated cost of Rs 35 crore.

-x-x-x-x-

Andhra Pradesh State Budget 2017-18 presented


The Andhra Pradesh
Finance Minister Yanamala Rama
Krishnudu on 15 March 2017
presented the annual budget for
the State for the period between
April 2017 and March 2018.
The total size of the
budget is pegged at Rs
1,56,999.40 crore, out of which
revenue expenditure will be Rs
1,25,911.62 crore.

Highlights of the budget


The Receipts on revenue account during the year 2017-18 are estimated at Rs
1,25,495.82 crore as against Rs 1,07,708.88 crore during the FY 2016-17.

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Rs 9,091 crore, which constitutes 5.79 per cent of the total budgetary spending,
was allocated for the development of agriculture and allied sectors.

To revitalize the rural economy, Rs 19,565 crore was allocated to develop social
and economic infrastructure in rural areas.

The finance minister has proposed Rs. 3,600 crore for the payment towards the
next instalment of debt redemption for farmers.

Micro Irrigation was given top priority with a proposed outlay of Rs 200 crore for
the year 2017-18.

Under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, it was proposed to encourage farmer groups
in vegetable growing areas in value addition activities such as grading and packing,
establishment of market linkages and pack houses.

Oil palm area expansion will be encouraged with the proposed allocation of 55
crore rupees.

The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Corridor Development Authority (APICDA) will be


established shortly to manage industrial infrastructure development under a single
umbrella entity.

An allocation of Rs. 125 crore is proposed in the financial year 2017-18 for
rejuvenation of MSMEs.

A provision of Rs. 364 crore was proposed for IT, E&C department in the financial
year 2017-18.

In the financial year 2017-18, an allocation of Rs 285 crore was proposed for
tourism development and Rs 72 crore to the cultural affairs department.

It was proposed to help 1,09,326 SC families under economic support schemes


during 2017-18 with an investment of Rs 847 crore.

-x-x-x-x-

361 State Budgets 2017-18 | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

PERSON RESIGNED
Shashank Manohar steps down as ICC Chairman
Shashank Manohar resigned as the Chairman
of the International Cricket Council on 15 March
2017 stating personal reasons. His resignation would
be effective immediately.

Manohar had been elected to the position


unopposed in May 2016. He had signed a two-year
term with the international body that began with
immediate effect after he stepped down as the
president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI). With the move, he had become ICCs first
independent chairman (one not affiliated to any of
its member boards).

He broke the news of his resignation through an email addressed to the CEO of ICC,
David Richardson in which he wrote that he had tried to do his best in being fair and
impartial in deciding matters in the functioning of the Board as well as in matters related to
Member Boards with the able support of all Directors.

He further stated that due to personal reasons it would not be possible for him to hold
the august office of ICC Chairman and hence he was putting forth his resignation from the
position with immediate effect.

In response, the ICC released an official statement confirming his resignation and
stated that the board will assess the situation and its next step before making any further
announcement.

Double Olympic champion Joanna Rowsell


Shand retires

About Shashank Manohar


He is a prominent Indian lawyer who has served as the President of BCCI twice,
first from 2008 to 2011 and then from November 2015 to May 2016.

During his Presidency India became the No 1 Test side and won the 2011 ICC
Cricket World Cup defeating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the final.

In June 2010, he took the much-praised decision of suspending Lalit Modi, the
then chairman of Indian Premier League and Vice-President of BCCI, after giving
him a fair hearing on his misdemeanours.

www.jagranjosh.com | Person Resigned 362


April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

He was nominated to be the Chairman of the International Cricket Council in


November 2015.

Since his appointment, Manohar had become a driving force behind decentralising the
power held by The Big Three - Cricket Australia (CA), England and Wales Cricket Board
(ECB) and BCCI in the decision making processes of the ICC.

In fact, in February 2017, the ICC had passed in principle a new constitution that undid
most of the imbalance in power and finances that the BCCI, CA and ECB had wished to
create in 2014. However, a final decision on the same was supposed to be taken at the ICC
Boards next round of meetings, which are scheduled to be held in April. Now since
Manohar would not be heading the meetings, the future of the proposals remains
uncertain.

-x-x-x-x-

363 Person Resigned | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

EXAM BOOSTERS

The term USHUS-II that was in the news recently refers to a - Submarine
Sonar System

This missile system was successfully test-fired by the Indian Navy recently -
Barak

The Rajya Sabha passed the Employees Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2016
to replace - The Employees Compensation Act, 1923

The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2017 was released by
- World Economic Forum

The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved winding up of


CHBL and ICBL recently. Both of these organizations were engaged in -
Renewable Energy Sector

2017 Abel Prize was awarded to - Yves Meyer

Theme of 2017 World Tuberculosis Day - Unite to End TB

Central sector scheme Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) will be launched from -
Andhra Pradesh

The Union Cabinet gave its approval to amend these acts to facilitate the
implementation of the GST regime - The Customs Act, 1962, The Customs
Tariff Act, 1975 and TheCentral Excise Act, 1944

The CCEA gave its approval to the execution of the Phase I of the North East
Road Network Connectivity Project at an estimated cost of Rs 6,721 crore

This State Government launched the Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient
Development (SaCReD) for protection of the environment in Majuli Assam

The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the creation of National Commission for
Socially and Educationally backward classes by inserting this new Article in the
Constitution 338B

The National Helicopter operator Pawan Hans is going to launch this new service
from 1 April 2017 - Delhi Darshan rides

The National Commission for Schedule Tribes (NCST) has approved the proposal
for five additional seats for tribals in Sikkim Assembly

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

The Bakshi stadium in this state is all set to be developed into a world-class
facility as per the FIFA norms Jammu & Kashmir

The United Nations Human Rights Council has granted this country a two-year
extension to probe into the alleged war crimes committed during civil war Sri
Lanka

The veteran photographer who was recently conferred with the Lifetime
Achievement Award at the 6th National Photography Awards is - Raghu Rai

The naturalist on whose name a tiny shrimp-like fossil, which is thought to be


around 430 million-years-old, is named - David Attenborough

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched a Coffee Table
Book titled 50 Years The Great Indian Milk Revolution. The ministry is
handled by - Radha Mohan Singh

The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is
observed each year in March. The day commemorates the anniversary of the
abduction of - Alec Collett

The country that is hosting the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games is -
Austria

The Union Cabinet recently approved an MoU signed in the field of Cyber
Security. The MoU was signed with - The United States of America

The amount authorised by NASA Transition Authorization Bill for NASA's mission
for the financial year 2018 is - USD 19.5 billion

As per an announcement by the Union Government, Indias nuclear power


generation capacity will be tripled by - 2024
The five Indian cities that were included in the Tentative list of UNESCO
World Heritage Sites are Ahmedabad, Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and
Bhubaneswar
The expanded VIKALP Scheme will be available to railway passengers
from 1 April 2017
Theme of World Meteorological Day 2017 - Understanding Clouds
Person appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of International Cricket
Council (ICC) - Ankur Khanna
5th Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM)-2017 was organised in - North
East India

365 Exam Boosters | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) created history by


commissioning the worlds third largest hypersonic wind tunnel at -
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
The recent terror attack happened outside the parliament of this country
United Kingdom
This countrys coastal sea level hit record high in 2016 - China
In the 2016 Human Development Report (HDR), released by the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India slipped to 131 rank
This regiment of Indian Army celebrated 200-years of their regiment in
March 2017 - Ninth Gorkhas
India on 23 March 2017 remembered the freedom fighters martyr Bhagat
Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on the occasion of - their 86th martyrdom
day
The Supreme Court of India on 22 March 2017 constituted a committee to
explore a technical solution to block videos of sexual offences on - Social
Networking Sites
Scientists have developed an ultra-thin coating material that may
potentially improve the efficiency and enhance the life of - Lithium-
Sulphur batteries
This state has introduced the system of e-vetting of replies to be filed in
the court, as well as to generate and deliver custody certificates online -
Haryana
The Assembly of this state has passed bills for the establishment of four
private and two government-run universities in the state - Gujarat
The World Water Day (WWD) was observed on 22 March 2017 with
theme - Why Wastewater?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to
send this next-generation object into space in late 2017 - Atomic Clock
The upper house of Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha recently passed this
crucial bill (HIV/ AIDS Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee recently presented these
awards to the Armed Forces Personnel for displaying exemplary
leadership, conspicuous gallantry and courage beyond the call of duty -
Gallantry Awards and Distinguished Service Decorations
The person recently appointed as the new Member-Traction Railway
Board is - Ghanshyam Singh

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

The player who was recently ranked No. 1 in the ICC Test Bowling
Rankings is - Ravindra Jadeja
Majuli is soon to become Indias first carbon neutral district and
biodiversity heritage site. The place is located in Assam
The BJPs MLA from Goa elected as the Speaker of Goa Assembly is -
Pramod Sawant
Theme of 2017 International Day of Forests - Forests and Energy
Worlds youngest self-made billionaire as per Forbes 2017 World
Billionaire Report - John Collison
First woman from private sector to be appointed as the Full-Time Member
of Securities and Exchange Board of India - Madhabi Puri Buch
Person ranked as wealthiest Indian by Forbes World Billionaire Report
2017 - Mukesh Ambani
The supreme court of this country limited the President's power to
temporarily fill vacant government posts while nominations are tied up in
partisan political fights - The United States
He was appointed as Full Time Interim Director General of International
Solar Alliance (ISA) - Upendra Tripathy
The 2017 World Down Syndrome Day that was observed on 21 March
focuses on - #MyVoiceMyCommunity
The Supreme Court warned the Sahara Group that its Aamby Valley
property worth Rs 39000 crore in Pune will be auctioned if the company
fails to deposit Rs 5092 crore rupees with - the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (Sebi) by 17 April 2017
Indias rank in the recently released World Happiness Report 2017
was 122
This country topped the World Happiness report 2017 - Norway
He was appointed as the Managing Director & CEO of Indian Bank -
Kishore Piraji Kharat
The World Poetry Day 2017 celebrated on - 21 March 2017
He was appointed as the Managing Director & CEO of IDBI Bank -
Mahesh Kumar Jain
The International Day of Happiness was celebrated on - 20 March 2017
Person who topped the Forbes World's Billionaires List 2017 - Bill Gates

367 Exam Boosters | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

App launched by Amitabh Bachchan on breast health - ABC of Breast


Health
Person appointed as the brand ambassador for 2018 ODI Blind Cricket
World Cup - Shahid Afridi
Indian personality selected to newly formed United Nations (UN) group on
antimicrobial resistance - Soumya Swaminathan
This Canadian teacher was named the winner of the annual Global
Teacher Prize for her effort in helping to reduce teenage suicide rates -
Maggie MacDonnell
Scientists belonging to this country have developed a new wireless
technology based on infrared rays, which is reportedly 100 times faster
than the existing wireless internet networks Netherlands
This SAARC nation did not figure at all in the World Happiness Report
2017 Maldives
The 18th edition of this convention, which is Asias largest on the business
of media and entertainment, began on 21 March in Mumbai - FICCI
Frames
He won the 2017 ATP Indian Wells Masters title - Roger Federer
The state that won the 2017 Vijay Hazare Trophy of Cricket is - Tamil
Nadu
The Uttarakhand High Court on 20 March 2017 accorded the status of
"living human entities" to - the Ganga and Yamuna, the two most
sacred rivers of India
All branches of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of
Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Patiala
(SBP) and State Bank of Travancore (SBT) will function as branches of
State Bank of India from - 1 April 2017
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is proposing to shut down the UN
peacekeeping mission in Haiti by - October 2017
This is the first-ever fully made-in-India train, which took off on its maiden
run from Dadar station to Borivali at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on 18
March 2017 Medha Train
This former Director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, also
known as the father of Indian Meteorology, passed away on 18 March
after suffering from a cardiac arrest - Dev Raj Sikka
20 March 2017 is celebrated throughout the world as the International
Day of Happiness

www.jagranjosh.com | Exam Boosters 368


April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

India and Pakistan will hold a two-day meet to discuss Indus Water
Treaty
It is with this country, the India Army concluded the joint army exercise Al
Nagah-II recently Oman
It is with this country, India signed two agreements related to Su-30 MKI
aircraft Russia
Chuck Berry, the guitarist and songwriter recognised as one of the fathers
of rock 'n' roll, has died recently. He belonged to The USA
He was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh - Yogi Adityanath
National record holder who clocked an impressive timing to win a bronze
in the 20 kilometer men's event in the Asian Race Walk Championships in
Japan is - KT Irfan
World Sparrow Day 2017 was observed globally on 20 March
This telecom giant announced that its board has approved the merger of
Vodafone India and its wholly-owned subsidiary Vodafone Mobile
Services Limited with itself is - Idea Cellular
The Indian cricketer who in March 2017 came in news for facing most
number of balls in a test-match is - Cheteshwar Pujara
That state whose about five-month-long economic blockade came to an
end in third week of March 2017 is Manipur
This state/city lost its permanent voting status in the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) Mumbai
The former bureaucrat turned politician, once considered the most
influential force behind Chief Minister Naveen Patnaiks BJD government,
who died in March 2017 is - Pyari Mohan Mohapatra
World Bank has announced 57 billion US dollar financing for this region
over the next three fiscal years - sub-Saharan Africa
The noted Gujarati poet and ghazal writer who passed away in
Ahmedabadin March 2017 is - Chinu Modi
2017 Abel Prize was awarded to - Yves Meyer
Theme of 2017 World Tuberculosis Day - Unite to End TB
Central sector scheme Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) will be launched
from - Andhra Pradesh

369 Exam Boosters | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

The Union Cabinet gave its approval to amend these acts to facilitate the
implementation of the GST regime - The Customs Act, 1962, The
Customs Tariff Act, 1975 and TheCentral Excise Act, 1944
The CCEA gave its approval to the execution of the Phase I of the North
East Road Network Connectivity Project at an estimated cost of Rs
6,721 crore
This State Government launched the Sustainable Action for Climate
Resilient Development (SaCReD) for protection of the environment in
Majuli Assam
The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the creation of National
Commission for Socially and Educationally backward classes by inserting
this new Article in the Constitution 338B
The National Helicopter operator Pawan Hans is going to launch this new
service from 1 April 2017 - Delhi Darshan rides
The National Commission for Schedule Tribes (NCST) has approved the
proposal for five additional seats for tribals in Sikkim Assembly
The Bakshi stadium in this state is all set to be developed into a world-
class facility as per the FIFA norms Jammu & Kashmir
The United Nations Human Rights Council has granted this country a two-
year extension to probe into the alleged war crimes committed during civil
war Sri Lanka
The veteran photographer who was recently conferred with the Lifetime
Achievement Award at the 6th National Photography Awards is - Raghu
Rai
The naturalist on whose name a tiny shrimp-like fossil, which is thought to
be around 430 million-years-old, is named - David Attenborough
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched a Coffee
Table Book titled 50 Years The Great Indian Milk Revolution. The
ministry is handled by - Radha Mohan Singh
The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff
Members is observed each year in March. The day commemorates the
anniversary of the abduction of - Alec Collett
This city has retained its number one position in the annual city
governance ranking ASCIS 2016 - Thiruvananthapuram
The term SWATHI that was in news referred to a - Weapon Locating
Radar

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

The former President of the USA, who authored the book Portraits of
Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors is
George W Bush
2017 International Yoga festival started in - Uttarakhand
Person conferred with the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year award -
Robyn Rihanna Fenty
The week long Swachh Shakti Saptah was inaugurated in - Haryana
Movie that won the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival 2017 -
Lipstick Under My Burkha
The university that won the annual Visitor's Award for the Best University
2017 is - Jawaharlal Nehru University
The Union Government recently notified the Specified Bank Notes
(Cessation of Liabilities) Act, 2017, which is introduced in the public
interest for - the cessation of liabilities on the specified bank notes
The Pakistani diplomat appointed as the Secretary-General of the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is - Amjad Hussain B Sial
The country that recently won the Most Popular Tourism Destination
Award at the Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF) in China is - Sri
Lanka
The High Court of this state has directed the state government not to
allow any NGO to operate bird care centres in residential areas of the city
- Gujarat
This states government has sent a proposal to the Centre to set up the All
India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in the State - Tripura
The United Nations envoy on human rights of this country called for the
creation of a Commission of Inquiry (COI), the UN's highest-level probe, to
investigate abuses in the country - Myanmar
In another blow to the ISIS, Syrian troops backed by Russian jets
completed the recapture of the historic city of - Palmyra
The Apex Court said its verdict allowing construction of this project in
Haryana and Punjab has to be implemented - the Sutlej-Yamuna Link
(SYL) canal
Union Government approved over these many Post Graduate seats in
medical colleges and hospitals across the country for the academic
session 2017-18 - 4000

371 Exam Boosters | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

The historic Cotton College will cease to exist with the Assam government
today proposing to convert it into a university to sort out several conflicting
issues with the existing - Cotton College State University
Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has clarified that
Aadhaar is mandatory for the time being only for final settlement of -
Pension and not in withdrawal cases
The Indian shooter who won the gold medal in the 50m mens air
pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi is - Jitu Rai
The person named as India's next Ambassador to the World Trade
Organisation is - J S Deepak
The cricketer who won the BCCI Polly Umrigar Award 2015-2016 is -
Virat Kohli
The person recently appointed as the Head Coach of the India U-17 team
for the FIFA U-17 World Cup is - Luis Norton de Matos
Person appointed as Chief Commissioner of Right to Services (RTS) of
Maharashtra - Swadheen Kshatriya
Theme of 2017 International Rare Disease Day - Research
Loan amount sanctioned by the World Bank (WB) for the Tejaswini project
- USD 63 million
Country that was granted the approval for visa-free travel to the European
Union by the member states recently - Georgia
It is from a submarine of this class, the Indian Navy successfully test-fired
an anti-ship missile - INS Kalvari
This company won the 7th National Award for Technology Innovation in
Petrochemicals and Downstream Plastics Processing Industry in the
category of Innovation in Polymeric Materials - Reliance Industries
This State Government presented the Budget 2017-18 recently with an
outlay of Rs 1,06,911 crore Odisha
This country is planning to cancel visa-free entry for North Koreans
Malaysia
He has been elected as Sudans first Prime Minister ever since Bashir
took over as the President of the country in 1989 through a military coup-
Hassan Saleh
UKs House of Lords voted to amend the Brexit Bill to protect the rights of
EU citizens living in UK

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April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

The National Green Tribunal has ordered a ban on camping activities


within 100 m of - Ganga
Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad, a
premier research laboratory of Defence Research and Development
Organization (DRDO) has signed the Licensing Agreement for Transfer of
Technology of High Nitrogen Steel (HNS) for armour applications with -
Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Limited (JSHL)
Report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and Indian Market
Research Bureau states that - Internet users in India will cross 450
million by June 2017
This state government has signed an agreement with Invest India to
promote start-ups and MSME sector of the state - Odisha
The Working Group on Migration that on 1 March 2017 submitted its
report to the union government was headed by - Partha Mukhopadhay
The senior IPS officer appointed as the Director of the Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy is - D R Doley Barman
The senior tribal leader from Chhattisgarh who assumed charge of the
Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes is - Nand Kumar
Sai
The theme for the Zero Discrimination Day 2017 that was observed
recently is - Make Some Noise for Zero Discrimination
This senior IAS officer was appointed as the new Chief Secretary of
Maharashtra - Sumit Mullick
This state is going to host the river festival called Namami Brahmaputra
Assam
This states government has decided to appoint a teacher to monitor
cleanliness in all of its high schools Assam
Donald Trump in his first address to the Congress called for the
introduction of this system to do away with lower-skilled immigration-
Merit-based immigration system
Noted play writer Tarak Mehta passed away recently. He belonged to -
Gujarat
It is from the coast of this State, India successfully test-fired Prithivi
supersonic interceptor missile Odisha
The Hamari Dharohar Scheme, which was in news recently, is
implemented by the - Union Ministry of Minority Affairs

373 Exam Boosters | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

This multilateral agency launched the Economic Survey of India 2017


recently - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD)
The National Consultation Workshop on Urban Development was held in
New Delhi
Indias first Antyodaya Express was launched by the Railways Ministry
recently. The express will run between - Ernakulam and Howrah
Fully unreserved train that as flagged off by the Railway Minister Suresh
Prabhu for common people - Antyodaya Express
Person accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Togo
with residence in Accra - Birender Singh Yadav
She will chair the reserve banks inter-disciplinary standing committee on
cyber security - Meena Hemchandra, Executive Director, RBI
National Tiger Conservation Authority banned this news network from
shooting in Indian tiger reserves for next five years - British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
This Indian Foreign services officer has been appointed as the new
spokesperson of Indias Ministry of External Affairs - Gopal Baglay
This cricketer was named Captain of the Year at the 10th annual
ESPNcricinfo awards Virat Kohli
This young bowler was given the Debutant of the Year title at the
ESPNcricinfo awards - Mehedi Hasan Miraz
This British-born 7 foot 7 inch tall Game of Thrones actor passed away at
the age of 36 - Neil Fingleton
Chennai high court has directed the state government to uproot -
Neelakaruvelam trees
Beach in Andamans that features in TripAdvisor's 'World's Travellers'
Choice Award-Winning Beaches' is - Radhanagar beach on the
Havelock Island
He was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of
Jammu and Kashmir - Khursheed A Ganai
Size of the annual state budget of Bihar for Financial Year 2017-18 is - Rs
160085 lakh crore
2017 Mobile World Congress will be hosted by - Barcelona
Indian city that was named as the Richest Indian city as per the New
World Wealth report 2017 - Mumbai

www.jagranjosh.com | Exam Boosters 374


April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

State that launched Indias first post office passport service centre -
Madhya Pradesh
Person appointed as the Brand Ambassador of Sightsavers recently -
Kabir Bedi
The football club that won the 201617 EFL Cup is - Manchester United
Former Union Minister P. Shiv Shankar recently passed away. He was
first elected to the Lok Sabha from Secunderabad
A Mayan Jade pendant with unique inscription was recently found in -
Belize
The author of the book titled The Ocean at the End of the Lane who was
recently appointed as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador is - Neil Gaiman
National Science Day was observed across India on 28 February with the
years theme - "Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons
National Science Day is annually observed across India on 28 February to
mark the discovery of - the Raman Effect by Indian physicist Sir
Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman
The UK-India Year of Culture 2017 recently kicked off in London. The
purpose of the celebration is to celebrate the deep cultural ties
between the two nations and the 70th year of Indian Independence
The Indian Navys month-long annual theatre level exercise that recently
concluded on the Western Seaboard is TROPEX 2017
The movie that won the 89th Academy Awards for the Best Picture is
Moonlight
The winner of the 89th Academy Awards for the Best Actor is - Casey
Affleck
Indias first hill station bicycle path was inaugurated in - Darjeeling
Purpose of Saathiya Resource Kit that was launched by Union
Government recently - To provide information on adolescent related
issues
Bollywood actress appointed as the new Brand Ambassador for Swachh
Bharat Mission - Shilpa Shetty
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje inaugurated this new
medical project at a private hospital in Jaipur - Rajasthan Heart Attack
Treatment programme (RAHAT)
This Indian state has announced that it would soon be banning the use of
polythene bags Jharkhand

375 Exam Boosters | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

The 22nd edition of this event, which is known as the worlds largest
annual food and beverage exhibition, was inaugurated on 26 March 2017
Gulfood 2017
This robot table tennis tutor, worlds first, sets a new Guinness record -
FORPHEUS
Kalinga Lancers lifted the fifth edition Hockey India League title by
defeating - Dabang Mumbai, 4-1
She won the womens title in the second edition of the IDBI Federal Life
Insurance New Delhi Marathon - Monika Athare
He won the mens title in the second edition of the IDBI Federal Life
Insurance New Delhi Marathon - Thanackal Gopi
Haryana has established an online system for monitoring the sex-ratio for
the district Panipat
The freedom fighter whose 86th martyrdom day was observed on 27
February 2017 is - Chandra Shekhar Azad
The amount that will spend by the Union Government for providing high-
quality facilities to sports persons and 200 trainers that will be recruited
soon in the Sports Authority of India is Rs 350 crore
The state whose number of workdays under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural
Employment Guarantee scheme was increased by the UnioN Government
in February 2017 from the existing 100 days to 150 days is - Tamil Nadu
France will send a contingent of counter-terror forces within three days to
help the army in this country after militants ambushed a military patrol
killing 16 - Niger
Indias First Post Office Passport Seva Kendra has started functioning in
Vidisha district headquarters of Madhya Pradesh

-x-x-x-x-

www.jagranjosh.com | Exam Boosters 376


April, 2017 [Curren Affairs eBook]

QUIZZES
d) Khursheed A Ganai
1. Who has been appointed as the new
spokesperson of Indias Ministry of External 7. Name the city that hosted the 2017 Mobile
Affairs? World Congress (MWC)?
a) Gopal Baglay a) Barcelona
b) Vikas Swarup b) London
c) Deepak Mittal c) Tokyo
d) Gautam Bambawale d) Berlin

2. Who was named captain of the year at the 8. Which Indian city was named as the Richest
10th annual ESPN cricinfo awards? Indian city as per the New World Wealth report
a) Faf du Plessis 2017?
b) Misbah-ul-Haq a) Delhi
c) Steve Smith b) Mumbai
d) Virat Kohli c) Bengaluru
d) Chennai
3. Who was named the Test batting winner at
the ESPN cricinfo awards? 9. Which state launched Indias first post office
a) Virat Kohli passport service centre?
b) Ben Stokes a) Rajasthan
c) Kusal Mendis b) Sikkim
d) Karun Nair c) Madhya Pradesh
d) Tamil Nadu
4. Neil Fingleton, the 7 foot 7 inch tall Game of
Thrones actor passed away at the age of 36. 10. Who was appointed as the Brand
Which character did he essay in the popular TV Ambassador of Sightsavers recently?
series? a) Priyanka Chopra
a) Wun Wun b) Kabir Bedi
b) Mag the Mighty c) Rishi Kapoor
c) The Mountain d) Shilpa Shetty
d) Dongo
11. Name the author of the book titled The
5. Name the Indian beach that was ranked Ocean at the End of the Lane who was recently
among top 10 best beaches of the world in appointed as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.
TripAdvisor's 'World's Travellers' Choice a) Salman Rushdie
Award-Winning Beaches' 2017. b) Douglas Adams
a) Palolem Beach c) Julian Barnes
b) Radhanagar beach d) Neil Gaiman
c) Arambol Beach
d) Mandrem Beach 12. A Mayan Jade pendant with unique
inscription was recently found in which of the
6. Who of the following was appointed as the following countries?
Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of a) Costa Rica
Jammu and Kashmir in recent past? b) Guatemala
a) Nazir Ahmed c) Belize
b) Dr SK Sharma d) Honduras
c) GR Sufi

377 Quizzes | www.jagranjosh.com


Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

13. Former Union Minister P. Shiv Shankar and Downstream Plastics Processing Industry in
recently passed away. He was first elected to the category of Innovation in Polymeric
the Lok Sabha from which of the following Materials.
constituencies? a) Bharat Petroleum
a) Sirpur b) Reliance Industries
b) Secunderabad c) Hindustan Petroleum
c) Malakpet d) Oil India Limited
d) Karimnagar
19. This State Government presented the
14. Which of the following football clubs won Budget 2017-18 recently with an outlay of Rs
the 201617 EFL Cup? 1,06,911 crore.
a) Manchester United a) Telangana
b) Southampton b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Manchester City c) Odisha
d) Arsenal d) Tamil Nadu

15. Bihars annual state budget 2017-18 was 20. Who was appointed as Chief Commissioner
presented in the legislative assembly on 27 of Right to Services (RTS) of Maharashtra?
February 2017. Consider the following a) Sumit Mullick
statements in context to the same. b) Kashish Nandan
I. The budget was presented by Deputy Chief c) Nirmal Gupta
Minister Tejashwi Yadav. d) Swadheen Kshatriya
II. The size of the budget for the fiscal year
2017-18 is Rs 160085 lakh crore. 21. What was the theme of 2017 International
III. The state government has introduced three Rare Disease Day (IRDD)?
types of new taxes including tax on sand a) Research
mining. b) Solidarity
c) Mystery Diagnosis
Which is/are correct? d) Rehabilitation
a) Only I
b) Only II 22. How much loan amount was sanctioned by
c) Only II and III the World Bank (WB) for the Tejaswini
d) I, II and III project?
a) USD 50 million
16. Who was recently appointed as the Head b) USD 63 million
Coach of the Indias U-17 team for the FIFA U- c) USD 76 million
17 World Cup? d) USD 84 million
a) Nicolai Adam
b) Bhaichung Bhutia 23. Which country was granted the approval
c) Stephen Constantine for visa-free travel to the European Union by
d) Luis Norton de Matos the member states recently?
a) Russia
17. It is from a submarine of this class, the b) Azerbaijan
Indian Navy successfully test-fired an anti-ship c) Turkey
missile recently. d) Georgia
a) INS Kalvari
b) INS Arihant 24. Who won the BCCI Polly Umrigar Award
c) INS Chakra 2015-2016?
d) INS Vela a) R Ashwin
b) M S Dhoni
18. This company won the 7th National Award c) Virat Kohli
for Technology Innovation in Petrochemicals

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d) None of the above b) Only I and III


c) Only II and III
25. Who of the following is named as India's d) I, II and III
next Ambassador to the World Trade
Organisation? 30. Jayant Malaiyya, the finance minister of
a) Amanpreet Singh Madhya Pradesh, on 1 March 2017 presented
b) J S Deepak the annual state budget of the financial year
c) Vivek Kumar 2017-18 in the legislative assembly. Consider
d) None of the above the following statement in context to the
budget.
26. Who won the gold medal in the 50m mens I. Size of the budget 2017-18 was Rs 185564.27
air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in New crore.
Delhi? II. It proposes to implement the 7th pay
a) Jitu Rai commission from 1 April 2017.
b) Vahid Golkhandan III. Rs 21 crore was allocated for
c) Amanpreet Singh computerisation of High Court, Subordinate
d) None of the above Courts and Advocate General Office.

27. Name the state that signed an agreement Which is/are correct?
with Invest India to promote start-ups and
MSME sector of the state. a) Only I and II
a) Madhya Pradesh b) Only I and III
b) Bihar c) Only II and III
c) Uttar Pradesh d) I, II and III
d) Odisha
31. The newly appointed adviser to Odisha
28. Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory government on public health programmes, K
(DMRL) has signed a Licensing Agreement for Srinath Reddy is the receiver of which
Transfer of Technology of High Nitrogen Steel prestigious civilian award?
(HNS) for armour applications with an a) Bharat Ratna
organisation. Name it. b) Padma Vibushan
a) Jindal Stainless Limited c) Padma Bhushan
b) Tata Steels d) Padma Shri
c) Nippon Steel
d) POSCO 32. Citizens of which Asian country have been
temporarily banned from leaving North Korea?
29. The Working Group on Migration on 1 a) South Korea
March 2017 submitted its report to the union b) Malaysia
government. Consider the following statement c) China
in context to the budget. d) Japan
I. The 18-member working group/panel was
headed by Partha Mukhopadhay of the Centre 33. Which country has violated UNs ban on
for Policy Research. developing missile technology, prompting UN
II. It proposes amendments to the protocols of Security Council to call for an emergency
the registrar general of India. meeting?
III. It talks about interstate operability of public a) Iran
distribution system (PDS). b) Russia
c) China
Which is/are correct? d) North Korea

a) Only I and II

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34. US President Donald Trumps new 1999


executive order spared which Muslim majority d) Clinical Research & Education Bill, 2007
country from the immigration ban?
a) Iran 40. Syed Shahabuddin, who died recently,
b) Iraq belonged to which field?
c) Sudan a) Science
d) Yemen b) Politics
c) Journalism
35. Rene Preval, who passed away, recently, d) Education
had served as the President of which of the
following countries? 41. Which country fired several banned ballistic
a) Cuba missiles into waters off its east coast recently?
b) Jamaica a) South Korea
c) Dominican Republic b) North Korea
d) Haiti c) China
d) Japan
36. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently
released a special commemorative postage 42. The Union Cabinet approved the signing of
stamp on 100 years of Yogoda Satsang Math. a MoU on Energy Efficiency Services with this
The Math is located at country.
a) Kozhikode, Kerala a) Germany
b) Dwarahat, Uttarakhand b) Japan
c) Dakshineswar, Kolkata, West Bengal c) South Korea
d) Ranchi, Jharkhand d) The UAE

37. The Union Cabinet recently approved the 43. The Union Cabinet approved the signing of
signing of Memorandum of Understanding a MoU on renewable energy with this country.
between India and the United Nations Entity of a) Portugal
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of b) China
Women (UN-Women). The headquarters of the c) Mexico
UN-Women are located in which of the d) Canada
following cities?
a) Geneva 44. The Dahej Petrochemicals Complex that
b) New York City was dedicated to the nation located in
c) Zurich a) Odisha
d) Washington DC b) Gujarat
c) Maharashtra
38. Name the socialist politician and former Lok d) Karnataka
Sabha speaker who passed away recently.
a) Rabi Ray 45. The Union Cabinet gave its approval for
b) Balram Jakhar Indias accession to the TIR Convention, which
c) Shivraj Patil is related to
d) GMC Balayogi a) International transportation of goods
b) Emission of greenhouses gases
39. The West Bengal Clinical Establishments c) Eradication of Polio
Bill, 2017 passed by state assembly will replace d) Nuclear arms proliferation
which bill?
a) West Bengal Clinical Establishments Bill, 2010 46. The first-ever fully made-in-India train
b) Clinical Establishments (Registration and was launched in which state?
Regulation) Bill, 2001 a) Gujarat
c) West Bengal Clinical Care Commission Bill, b) Maharashtra
c) Uttar Pradesh

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d) Andhra Pradesh 11. (d) Neil Gaiman


12. (c) Belize
47. This states five-month-long economic 13. (b) Secunderabad
blockade came to an end in third week of 14. (a) Manchester United
March 2017. 15. (b) Only II
a) Assam
b) Kerala 16. (d) Luis Norton de Matos
c) Manipur 17. (a) INS Kalvari
d) Jammu and Kashmir 18. (b) Reliance Industries
19. (c) Odisha
48. Which of the following state/city lost its 20. (d) Swadheen Kshatriya
permanent voting status in the Board of 21. (a) Research
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)? 22. (b) USD 63 million
a) Mumbai 23. (d) Georgia
b) Bangalore 24. (c) Virat Kohli
c) Delhi 25. (b) J S Deepak
d) Bihar 26. (a) Jitu Rai
27. (d) Odisha
49. Who was sworn-in as the Chief Minister 28. (a) Jindal Stainless Limited
of Uttar Pradesh recently? 29. (b) I, II and III
a) Siddharth Nath Singh 30. (b) Only I and III
b) Shrikant Sharma
31. (c) Padma Bhushan
c) Yogi Adityanath
32. (b) Malaysia
d) Rita Bahuguna Joshi
33. (d) North Korea
34. (b) Iraq
50. Chuck Berry, the guitarist and songwriter
35. (d) Haiti
recognised as one of the fathers of rock 'n' roll,
36. (c) Dakshineswar, Kolkata, West Bengal
has died recently. He belonged to
37. (b) New York City
a) The USA
38. (a) Rabi Ray
b) The UK
39. (a) West Bengal Clinical Establishments Bill,
c) Canad
2010
d) France
40. (b) Politics
41. (b) North Korea
42. (d) The UAE
ANSWER 43. (a) Portugal
1. (a) Gopal Baglay 44. (b) Gujarat
2. (d) Virat Kohli 45. (a) International transportation of goods
3. (b) Ben Stokes
4. (b) Mag the Mighty 46. (b) Maharashtra
5. (b) Radhanagar beach 47. (c) Manipur
6. (d) Khursheed A Ganai 48. (a) Mumbai
7. (a) Barcelona 49. (c) Yogi Adityanath
8. (b) Mumbai 50. (a) The USA
9. (c) Madhya Pradesh
10. (b) Kabir Bedi

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NEW INDIA ASSURANCE PRELIMS 2017: PRACTICE SET-1

PART- I: Quantitative Aptitude


Directions (1 10) what should come in place of question mark (?) in the following questions?
1. ) 36 =?
a) 2204
b) 2460
c) 2560
d) 2140
e) 2197
169 169 144
Answer (e) Explanation: = 2197
52 36

2. + 7 + 8 =?


a)


b)


c)


d)


e)

25 23 49 265
Answer (d) Explanation: + + =
4 3 6 12
18 5
3. (87) (87) =?
12
a) 87
16
b) 87
14
c) 87
13
d) 87
e) None of these
87 18 13
Answer (d) Explanation: = 87
87 5
4. 4893 + 360 .75 49 =?
a) 5243
b) 5114
c) 5174
d) 5014
e) None of these
Answer (b) Explanation: 4893 = 270 49 = 5114
5. 41652 ? = 89 78
a) 6
b) 12
c) 14
d) 15
e) None of these

41652
Answer (a) Explanation:? = =6
8978
Directions (11 15) In the following given number series, what will come in place of question mark?
6. 402, 1115, 2541, 4680,?
a) 6666
b) 7532
c) 7436
d) 7246
e) None of these

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Answer (b) Explanation: 402 + 713 =1115


1115 + (2 713) = 2541
2541 + (3 713) = 4680
4680 + (4 713) = 7532
7. 18900, 4200, 1200, 480,?
a) 180
b) 220
c) 320
d) 310
e) None of these
Answer (c) Explanation: Each previous term is divided in the series (4.5, 3.5, 2.5.1.5) to get next term.
8. 65536, 256, ?, 4, 2
a) 24
b) 32
c) 64
d) 16
e) None of these
Answer (d) Explanation: From the right hand side, each next term is square of the first term.
9. 24, 100, 404, 1620?
a) 6484
b) 6845
c) 6248
d) 5890
e) None of these
Answer (a) Explanation: 5 4 +4 = 24
24 4 + 4 = 100
100 4 + 4 = 404
404 4 + 4 = 1620
1620 4 + 4 = 6484
10. 1, 27,125, 343,? , 1331
a) 512
b) 729
c) 1000
d) 1045
e) None of these
Answer (b) Explanation: Each next term, is the cube of consecutive odd numbers starting from 1. The
term in place of question mark is 729.
Directions-(Q. 11-15): In the following questions two equations numbered I and II are given. You have to solve
both the equations and
Give answer If
1) x > y
2) x y
3) X < Y
4) x y
5) x = y or the relationship cannot be established
11. I. 25 2 125 = 0
II. 361 y + 95
Solution: : I. 25 2 - 125 = 0
25 2 125
2 125 125
x = 25
= 625
x = 625 = 25
II. 361 y + 95 = 0
19y = -95

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y = -5
Hence, x > y
Ans: (1)
5 5
12. I. - =
7 21 42
250
II. + =
4 16
5 5
Solution: I. - =
7 21 42
155
21 = 42
10
= 21 42 = 20
= 20 20 = 400
250
II. + =
4 16
4 + 250
16 =
5 = 250 16
y = 250 5 16 = 800
Hence, y > x
Ans: (3)
1/4
13. I. (625) x + 1225 = 155
II. 196 y + 13 = 279
1
Solution: I. (625)4 x + 1225 = 155
1
(54 )4 x + 35 = 155
5x = 155 - 35
5x = 120
x = 120
5
= 24
II. 196 + 13 = 279
14y = 279 13 = 266
y = 266144
= 19
Hence, x > y
Ans: (1)
2
14. I. 5x 18x + 9= 0
2
II. 3y + 5y 2= 0
2
Solution: I. 5x -18x + 9 = 0
5x -15x 3x + 9 = 0
2

5x (x-3) -3 (x-3) = 0
(5x 3) (x - 3)
x = 35 or 3
2
II. 3y + 5y -2 = 0
3y2 + 6y y 2 = 0
3y (y+2) (y+2) = 0
(3y-1) (y+2) = 0
y =13 or -2
Ans: (1)
13 9
15. II. + =

4 (132)1/2
II. y =0

13 9
Solution: II. + =

13 + 9 = = x
x = 22

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9
4 (132)2
II. y - =0

9 9
= (26)
2 2

y = 26
Hence, x < y
Ans: (3)
16. The ratio between the speed of a bus and train is 15 : 27 respectively. Also, a car covered a distance of 720
km in 9 hours. The speed of the bus is three- fourth the speed of the car. How much distance will the train
cover in 7 hours?
1) 760 km
2) 756 km
3) 740 km
4) Cannot be determined
5) None of these
720
Solution: Speed of the car = = = 80hm/hr
9
3
Speed of the bus = 80 = 60km/hr
4
27
Speed of the train = 60 = 108km/hr
15
Distance covered by train in 7 hours = (7 x 108 =) 756 km
Ans: (2)
17. Raman's present age is three times his daughter's present age and nine-thirteenth of his mother's present
age. The sum of the present ages of all of them is 125 years. What is the difference between the Raman's
daughter's present age and Raman's mother's present age?
1) 45 years
2) 40 years
3) 50 years
4) Cannot be determined
5) None of these
Solution: Let Raman's present age be x years,

his daughter's present age = years
3
13
His mother's present age = years
9
Now, according to the question"
13
x+ + = 125
3 9
9+3+13
9
= 125
25x = 125 9
x = 125259 = 45
13 133 10
required difference = - = =
9 3 9 9
10
= 45 = 50 years.
9
Ans: (3)
18. What is the value of twenty four per cent of four-ninths of five times square of twenty-seven?
1) 388.8
2) 376.8
2) 378.6
4) 346.6
5) None of these
2 4 24
Solution: Required value = (27) x 5 x = 388.8
9 100
Ans: (1)
19. The sum of the circumference of a circle and the perimeter a square is equal to 272 cm. The diameter of
the circle is 56 cm. What is the sum of the area of the circle and the area of the square?
1) 2464 sq cm

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2) 2644 sq cm
3) 3040 sq cm
4) Cannot be determined
5) None of these
Solution: Circumference of the circle = x diameter
22
= 56 = 176 cm
7
Perimeter of the square = (272 - 176 =) 96 cm
96
Side of the square = ( =) 24 cm
4
Area of the square = (24 x 24 =) 576 sq cm
2 22
Area of the circle = r = x 28 x 28 = 2464 sq cm
7
required sum = (576 + 264) sq cm = 3040 sq cm
Ans: (3)
20. The largest and the second largest angles of a triangle are in the ratio of 4: 3 respectively. The smallest
angle is half the largest angle. What is the difference between the smallest and the largest angles of the
triangle?
1) 30
2) 60
3) 40
4) 20
5) None of these
Solution: The smallest angle of the triangle is half of the largest angle.
ratio of the three angle = 4: 3: 2
4x + 3x + 2x = 180'
9x = 180
x = 20
required difference = 4x - 2x = 2x = 2 x 20 = 40
Ans: (3)
21. Kamya purchased an item of Rs. 46,000 and sold it at loss of 12 per cent. With that amount she purchased
another item and sold it at a gain of 12 per cent. What was her overall gain/loss?
1) Loss of Rs 662.40
2) Profit of Rs 662.40
3) Loss of Rs 642.80
4) Profit Rs 642.80
5) None of these
46000 88
Solution: First S.P. = = Rs 40480
100
46000 112
Second S.P = = Rs 45337.6
100
Loss = Rs (46000-45337.6) = RS 662.4
Ans: (1)
22. The sum of six consecutive even numbers of Set-A is 402. What is the sum of another Set-B of four
consecutive numbers whose lowest number is 15 less than double the lowest number of set- A?
1) 444
2) 442
3) 440
4) 446
5) None of these
402
Solution: Third even number = = 67 - 1 = 66
6
smallest even number = 62
smallest number of set B = 2 x 62 - 15 = 109
required sum = 109 + 110 + 111+ 112 = 442
Ans: (2)

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23. The call rate of a SIM of Company A is one paisa for every three seconds. Another sim company-B charges
45 paisa per minute. A man talked 591 seconds from Sim Company-A and 780 seconds from sim company-B.
What would be the total amount he spent?
1) Rs 780
2) Rs 740
3) Rs 746
4) Rs 782
5) Rs 846
591 45
Solution: Total amount spent = ( + 780) paise
3 60
= (197 + 585) paise
= 782 paise = Rs 7.82
Ans: (4)
24. A 280 metre long train moving with an average speed of 108 km/hr crosses a platform in 12
seconds. A man crosses the same platform in 10 seconds. What is the speed of the man?
1) 5 m/s
2) 8 m/s
3) 12 m/s
4) Cannot be determined
5) None of these
5
Solution: Speed of the train = 108 km/hr = 108 m/sec
18
If the length of the platform be x metres, then
+280
= 30
12
x + 280 = 360
x = (360-280 =) = 80 metres
80
mans speed = = = 8 m/sec
10
Ans: (2)
25. The ratio of the three angles of a quadrilateral is 13: 9: 5 respectively. The value of the fourth angle of the
quadrilateral is 36. What is the difference between the largest and the second smallest angles of the
quadrilateral?
1) 104
2) 108
3) 72
4) 96
5) None of these
o o o
Solution: Let the three angles of the quadrilateral be13x , 19x and 5x respectively.
Now, according to the question;
13x + 9x + 5x = 360 - 36 = 324
27x = 324
324
x= = 12
27
required difference = 13x - 5x = 8x = 8 x 12 = 96
Ans: (4)
Directions-(Q. 26-30) Study the table carefully to answer the questions that follow:
Number of Athletes (in hundreds) who participated in a Sports Event from Five Different Countries over the
years
Countries A B C D E

Year Male Fem Male Fem Male Fem Male Fem Male Fem

2005 4.4 3.3 6.3 4.2 4.5 3.1 5.6 4.1 4.7 2.1

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2006
66 42 84 62 69 33 84 63 78 52

2007
46 18 74 48 48 28 93 73 87 65

2008
9.6 49 11.4 84 66 42 126 94 89 58

2009
11.8 64 106 52 79 63 14.4 102 118 92

2010
82 52 64 72 108 69 156 121 136 98

26. In which of the following years was the total number of participants (athletes) second
highest from Country C?
1) 2005
2) 2006
3) 2007
4) 2008
5) None of these
Solution: Number of participants (athletes) from Country C
In the year 2006 (6.9 + 3.3) 100 = 1020
In the year 2008 (6.6 + 4.2) 100 = 1080
In the year 2009 (7.9 + 6.3) 100 = 1420
In the year 2010 (10.8 + 6.9) 100 = 1770
Ans: (5)
27. What was the average number of female athletes who participated from Country B over
all the years together?
1) 1200
2) 400
3) 600
4) 1800
5) 3600
Solution: Required average number of female atheists
4.2+6.2+4.8+8.4+5.2+7.2
= 100
6
36 100
= = 600
6
Ans: (3)
28. What was the approximate percentage decrease in the number of male athletes who
participated from Country C in the year 2007 as compared to the previous year?
1) 21
2) 30
3) 35
4) 39
5) 25
6.94.8
Solution: Required decrease = 100 30
6.9
Ans: (2)
29. The Number of female athletes who participated from Country E in the year 2009
was approximately what percentage of the 42 total number of athletes who participated from
Country-B in the year 2008?
1) 40
2) 46

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3) 50
4) 56
5) 60
9.2 9.2100
Solution: Required percentage = 100 = 46%
11.4+8.4 9.8
Ans: (2)
30. In which of the following country is the difference between the number of male and female participants
second highest in the year 2006?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E
Solution: Difference between the number of male and female participants:
Country A: (6.6 4.2) 100 = 240
Country B: (8.4-6.2) 100 = 220
Country C: (6.9-3.3) 100 = 360
Country D: (8.4-6.3) 100 = 210
Country E: (7.8-5.2) 100 = 260
Ans: (5)
Directions-(Q. 46-50): Study the information carefully to answer the questions that follows:
In a ship there are 1200 passengers. 18 per cent of the total number of passengers is from Britain. Two- fifth of
the total number of passengers is from South Africa 6 per cent of the total number of passengers is from
Madagascar. Remaining number of passengers is from India. 25
per cent of the number of passengers from Britain is females. Half the numbers of passengers from South
Africa are male. There is no female passenger from Madagascar. Two- third of the number of passengers from
India are females.
31. What is the ratio of the number of passengers from Madagascar, number
of female passengers from South Africa and the total number of passengers from India?
1) 2: 5 : 18
2) 3: 10 : 18
3) 3: 11 : 18
4) 2: 18 : 5
5) None of these
1200 18
Solution: Directions: British passengers: = 216
100
216
Females: = 54
4
Males: 216 54 = 162
1200 6
Passengers from Madagascar: = 72 = Males
100
2
Passengers from South Africa: 1200 = 480
5
Males = 240 and Females = 240
India passengers: 1200 216 72 480 = 432
2
Females = 432 = 288
3
Males = 432 - 288 = 144
Required ratio= 72: 240: 432 = 3 : 10 : 18
Ans: (2)
32. The number of male passengers from South Africa is approximately what percentage of the total number
of passengers from Britain?
1) 111
2) 115
3) 120
4) 125
5) 131

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1200 18
Solution: Directions: British passengers: = 216
100
216
Females: = 54
4
Males: 216 54 = 162
1200 6
Passengers from Madagascar: = 72 = Males
100
2
Passengers from South Africa: 1200 = 480
5
Males = 240 and Females = 240
India passengers: 1200 216 72 480 = 432
2
Females = 432 = 288
3
Males = 432 - 288 = 144
240
Required percentage = 100 111
216
Ans: (1)
33. What is the average number of male passengers from all the four countries?
1) 154.5
2) 164.5
3) 145
4) 164
5) None of these
1200 18
Solution: Directions: British passengers: = 216
100
216
Females: = 54
4
Males: 216 54 = 162
1200 6
Passengers from Madagascar: = 72 = Males
100
2
Passengers from South Africa: 1200 = 480
5
Males = 240 and Females = 240
India passengers: 1200 216 72 480 = 432
2
Females = 432 = 288
3
Males = 432 - 288 = 144
Average number of male passengers
162 +72+240 +144 618
= = = 154.4
4 4
Ans: (1)
34. What is the difference between the number of male passengers from Madagascar and the number of male
passengers from India?
1) 64
2) 82
3) 74
4) 72
5) None of these
1200 18
Solution: Directions: British passengers: = 216
100
216
Females: = 54
4
Males: 216 54 = 162
1200 6
Passengers from Madagascar: = 72 = Males
100
2
Passengers from South Africa: 1200 = 480
5
Males = 240 and Females = 240
India passengers: 1200 216 72 480 = 432
2
Females = 432 = 288
3
Males = 432 - 288 = 144
Required difference= 144 - 72 = 72
Ans: (4)

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35. What is the total number of male from Britain passengers female passengers from India together?

1) 340
2) 420
3) 350
4) 460
5) None of these
1200 18
Solution: Directions: British passengers: = 216
100
216
Females: = 54
4
Males: 216 54 = 162
1200 6
Passengers from Madagascar: = 72 = Males
100
2
Passengers from South Africa: 1200 = 480
5
Males = 240 and Females = 240
India passengers: 1200 216 72 480 = 432
2
Females = 432 = 288
3
Males = 432 - 288 = 144
Total number of male passengers from Britain and female passengers from India together = 162 + 288 = 450
Ans: (5)
Reasoning Ability
Direction (1 - 5): Study the following information to answer the given questions:
In a certain code good method to process' is written as 'ad mi ja no', ' the method to purchase' is written
as 'ku ja ig ad'. 'star of the night' is written as 'be ku zo mi' and 'to liquid of summer' is written as 'be Ii ya ja'.
1. What is the code for 'liquid'?
a) be
b) Ii
c) ya
d) ja
e) Cannot be determined
Answer (e)

2. Which of the following may represent purchase is method'?


a) ig ad no
b) ig py ya
c) re ad be
d) ig li re
e) ad re ig

Answer (e)

3. mi is the code for


a) to
b) process
c) method
d) of
e) Cannot be determined

Answer (b)

4. What is the code for' good'?

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a) ad
b) mi
c) no
d) ja
e) Cannot be determined
Answer (c)

5. Which of the following represents 'of the process'?


a) ku be ad
b) ni be no
c) ku be ya
d) mi ku be
e) be mi ad
Answer (a) Explanation:

word Good method to process the purchase of night liquid summer


code no ad ja mi ku ig be zo li/ya ya/li

Directions (6 - 10): Study the following information and answer the questions given below:
Eight friends-A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H-are sitting around a circular table not necessarily in the same
order. Three of them are facing outward while five are facing towards the centre. There are equal
number of males and females in the group. C is facing the centre. E is sitting third to the right of C.
F is sitting third to the left of E. Three persons are sitting between F and B. The immediate neighbours
of B are females. G is sitting third to the right of F. D is sitting third to the right of A. A is not an
immediate neighbour of E. The immediate neighbours of E are males and are facing the centre. The
immediate neighbours of D are females and face outside. The one sitting third to the left of B is a
male. No female is an immediate neighbour of G.
6. Who is sitting second to the right of E?
a) C
b) B
c) G
d) H
e) None of these
Answer (c)
7. How many persons are sitting between H and C when counted from the left side of H?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four
e) More than four

Answer (b)
8. Which of the following statements is true regarding H?
a) The one who is second to the right of H is a female.
b) H is facing the centre.
c) H is a male.
d) The immediate neighbours of H are facing outside.
e) None is true
Answer (a)
9. What is Ds position with respect to G?
a) Third to the left
b) Third to the right

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c) Second to the left


d) Second to the right
e) None of these
Answer (b)

10. Four of the following five are alike in a certain way based on their seating positions in the above
arrangement and hence form a group. Which of the following does not belong to the group?
a) BE
b) C G
c) G A
d) DH
e) AF
Answer (c) Explanation:

Direction (11 - 13): In each question below there are three statements followed by four conclusions
numbered, I, II, III and IV. You have to take the given statements to be true even if they seem to be at variance
with commonly known facts. Read all the conclusions and then decide which of the given conclusions logically
follows from the given statements, disregarding commonly known facts.
11. Statements: Some Bags are Books. All Books are Boxes. No Box is Board.
Conclusions:
I. Some Bags are not Boards.
II. Some Bags are not Boxes.
III. All Bags are Boxes.
IV. No Bag is Board.
a) Only I follows
b) I & either II or III follow
c) Only IV follows
d) Only II follows
e) None of these
Answer (b) Explanation:

12. Statements: All birds are animals. Some animals are humans. All humans are mammals.
Conclusions:
I. Some humans are not birds.
II. Some birds are humans.

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III. Some animals are not mammals.


IV. All animals are mammals.
a) Only I and II follow
b) Either III or IV follows
c) Either I or II follows
d) Either I or II and either III or IV follow
e) None of these
Answer (d) Explanation:

13. Statements: All shirts are trousers. Some socks are shoes. All shoes are shirts.
Conclusions:
I. Some socks are shirts.
II. Some socks are trousers.
III. All shoes are trousers.
IV. All shoes are socks.
a) Only I and II follow
b) Only I or II or III follows
c) Only II and IV follow
d) Only III and IV follow
e) None of these
Answer (e) Explanation:

14. Statements: Some books are papers. All plates are records. Some records are books.
Conclusions:
I. Some plates are books.
II. Some records are papers.
III. Some papers are plates.
IV. Some books are records.
a) Only I follow
b) Only II and III follow
c) Only I and III follow
d) Only IV follow

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e) None of these
Answer (d) Explanation:

15. Direction: Each question has two statements and some conclusions. Choose the conclusion that logically
follows:
Statements: Some pigeons are eagles. All eagles are sparrows. Some sparrows are not pigeons.
Conclusions:
I. Some sparrows are pigeons.
II. All pigeons are sparrows.
III. All eagles are pigeons.
Sparrows
a) Only I follows
b) Only II follows Eagles
c) Only III follows
d) Both I and III follows
e) None of these
Pigeons
Answer (a)
Explanation:

Only I is definitely true.


16. Rajni starts from her college, walks 5 km towards South takes a left turn and walks 3 km. She then takes a
right turn and walks 2 km before taking a right turn again and walking 3 km. She then takes a left turn and
walks 4 km before taking a left turn and walking 3 km before stopping, How far and in which direction is
she now from her college.
a) 9 km towards South
b) 130 km towards South-East
c) 130 km towards South-West
d) 11 km towards North-West
e) None of these
Answer (b) Explanation:

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Distance from college 5 2 4 32


2

121 9
130 km towards South-East

17. A thief was running away from the police. He ran 70 m towards north before turning to his right. He
again ran for 35 m before taking a right turn. Further, he ran for 40 m and got nabbed. In which
direction is the starting point with reference to the point where he got nabbed?
a) North-East
b) North-West
c) South East
d) South West
e) None of these
Answer (a) Explanation:

Directions (18 - 22): Study the following information carefully and answer the questions given below:
Eight persons P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7 and P8 are living in an 8-floor building. Only one student stays on one
floor. All students study specialisations for different cities. The specialisations are Finance, Marketing,
Operations, Logistics, HR, IT, Retail and Tourism. The eight different cities are Raipur, Ajmer, Bombay, Munnar,
Dalhousie, Jaipur, Gurugram and Chennai.
P6 has specialisation Logistics and lives on the sixth floor. The person who studies Operations is from Munnar
and lives on the third floor. The person who specialisation is in IT lives on the first floor.
The person who is from Chennai lives on the top floor. The person who specialisation is Retail lives between
P3 and P5. P7 specialisation is in HR and P8 specialisation is in Finance.
The person who specialisation is in Tourism is from Dalhousie and does not stay on the fifth floor. The person
who is from Gurugram lives on the seventh floor.
P7 does not live on the 8th or first floor. The person whose specialisation is in Marketing lives on the fifth
floor.
The person who studies Marketing does not from Jaipur.

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The student from Bombay lives on an even-number floor.


P5 studies Marketing and P2 studies Tourism.
P4 and the student from Ajmer stay on even-numbered floors.
18. Which of the following students is from Jaipur and specialisation IT?
a) P7
b) P4
c) P3
d) P4
e) P1
Answer (e)

19. The student whose specialisation is in Retail lives on which floor and belongs to which city?
a) Floor no. 5 Raipur
b) Floor no. 4 Munnar
c) Floor no. 4 Bombay
d) Floor no. 6 Ajmer
e) None of the above
Answer (c)

20. Which of the following combinations is/are incorrect? Bombay 4 P5 Retail


a) Munnar 3 P3 Operations
b) Bombay 4 P4 Retail
c) Chennai 3 P8 HR
d) Only (a) and (d)
Answer (e)

21. Which combination of student and the name of the specialisation by him are correctly matched?
a) P5 HR
b) P7 HR
c) P7 - IT
d) P6 Marketing
e) None of the above
Answer (b)
22. Which of the following combinations is true for the one who studies for Jaipur?
a) P1 6th floor
b) P4 1st floor
c) P1 1st floor
d) P5 5th floor
e) None of the above
Answer (c)
Explanation (18 - 22):
Place Floor Student Name Specialisation
Chennai 8 P8 Finance
Gurugram 7 P7 HR
Ajmer 6 P6 Logistics
Raipur 5 P5 Marketing
Bombay 4 P4 Retail
Munnar 3 P3 Operations
Dalhousie 2 P2 Tourism
Jaipur 1 P1 IT

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Directions (23 27): In the given questions, assuming the given statements to be true, find which of the given
two conclusions numbered I and II is/are definitely true and give your answer accordingly.
a) if only I is true.
b) if only II is true.
c) if either I or II is true.
d) if neither I nor II is true
e) if both I and II are true

23. Statements:
A B,
C D,
E D F G A H

Conclusions:
I. E G
II. B<D
Answer (d) Explanation:
Combining

Hence, we cannot compare E and G similarly D and B.


Both are not true.
24. Statements:
P = Q, R = S Q > M
Conclusions:
I. P S
II. R > M
Answer (e) Explanation:
Combining

Both are true.

25. Statements:
C < U < M, P > C H, T = C > F Z

Conclusions:
I. U < H
II. P > Z
Answer (b) Explanation:
Combining

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H> U is not true but


From (ii) and (iii), Z < P is true.
26. Statements:
I > Q, F I > N S = Y < A, L < Y
Conclusions:
I. F < Q
II. N < A
Answer (b) Explanation:
Combining

Hence, F < Q is not true

N < A is true

27. Statements:
P > U > C, H C < T, W = C > L Z
Conclusions:
I. H = U
II. P > L
Answer (b) Explanation:
Combining

P > L is true

Hence, H = U is not true.


Direction (28 30): Each of these questions is based on the following information:
Aman is the father of Chaman, but Chaman is not his son.
Bittu is the brother of Chaman. Elam is the daughter of Chaman.
Fawad is the spouse of Aman. Dalam is the son of Bittu.
Ghumman is the spouse of Bittu. Hamman is the father of Ghumman.

28. Who is the son-in-law of Hamman?


a) Aman
b) Dalam
c) Bittu
d) Chaman

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e) None of these

Answer (c) Explanation: Bittu is husband of Ghumman who is daughter of Hamman.

29. Who is the granddaughter of Aman?


a) Hamman
b) Dalam
c) Bittu
d) Elam
e) None of these

Answer (d) Explanation: Elam is daughter of Chaman who is daughter of Aman.

30. Who is the common grandchild of both Fawad and Hamman?


a) Dalam
b) Elam
c) Chaman
d) Bittu
e) None of these

Answer (a) Explanation: Dalam is son of Bittu who is son of Fawad and son-in-law of Hamman.
Explanation (28 - 30): By the information given we can have the following arrangement.

Directions (31 - 35): Study the following information carefully and answer the questions below.
There are five race horses Abrussi, Abnaki, Absinthe, Aachen and AJ Cook that finished a race not necessarily in
this sequence.
i. Abruzzi finished two positions before Abnaki.
ii. AJ Cook finished after Aachen but not immediately before Absinthe.
iii. Absinthe followed Abrussi and finished fourth.

31. Which horse came second in the race?


a) Abruzzi
b) AJ Cook
c) Aachen
d) Abnaki
e) None of these
Answer (b) Explanation:
The positions are:
Aachen
AJ Cook
Abrussi
Absinthe
Abnaki

32. If the positions of the first and last positions in the race are interchanged, who finishes last?
a) AJ Cook
b) Abrussi

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c) Absinthe
d) Aachen
e) None of these
Answer (d) Explanation:
Abnaki
AJ Cook
Abrussi
Absinthe
Aachen

33. If there is another horse Aron, that finishes second in the race, what will be the position of Aachen?
a) Third
b) Fourth
c) Sixth
d) First
e) None of these
Answer (d) Explanation:
Aachen
Aron
AJ Cook
Abrussi
Absinthe
Abnaki

34. If the positions are reversed after another horse Ambal finishing fifth in the race, which of the following
horse finishes fourth?
a) Absinthe
b) Abrussi
c) AJ Cook
d) Achen
e) None of these
Answer (b) Explanation:
Abnaki
Ambal
Absinthe
Abrussi
AJ Cook
Aachen

35. If the position of the middle horse remains unchanged and the top and bottom pair of horses interchange
their position, which of the horses finish fourth in the race?
a) Abnaki
b) Absinthe
c) Aachen
d) AJ Cook
e) None of these
Answer (a) Explanation:
AJ Cook
Aachen
Abrussi
Abnaki
Absinthe
English Language

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Directions (1 - 10): Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

It makes less sense to complain that over the years, there is a lot of pressure for higher
earnings for industry workers and increased productivity. There are many ways that can
increase employees earnings. It can be increased by inflating the selling prices of the firms
products or services, lowering profits or raw material costs or augmenting labour
productivity. But this can jeopardize the firms competitive strength in the market if
employees earnings are raised by methods other than increased labor productivity. Each
method has its own drawback. Higher prices may cause fewer customers, reduced profit
may effect in lesser capital investment and low cost materials may compromise product
quality. But by improving labour productivity by motivation to enhance skills may create an
almost unlimited resource. Both human and non-human economic sources are developed
by human effort and human motivation can drastically improve the quality of human effort.

As employees become economically secure and their dependency on a particular


organization has decreased, it is difficult to enthuse employees through traditional authority
and financial incentives. The motivation of an employee increases when he feels his
performance is instrumental to obtain the expected result, say expectancy theorists.
Nevertheless, by just being employed, employees are entitled to organizational rewards
today. Management is prevented to relate financial rewards to performance by unions,
governmental regulations and the nature of the job itself sometimes. The motivation behind
joining an organization is not the same as the motivation to exert efforts in an organization.
Thus the challenge to the management is to find and execute alternative forms of incentives
to motivate employees to put on efforts and perform well. Such measures will require a
proper understanding of motivational theories and organizations.

1. According to the author of the passage, what factor does not makes sense in an
organization?
a) To not claim that there is a demand for high earning employees and lessened
productivity.
b) To claim that the demand for raised earnings and productivity is not mandatory.
c) To claim that there is a need for both raised employee remuneration and
productivity.
d) To claim that low earning employees are more productive.
e) None of the above
Answer: c)
Explanation: The first line of the passage clearly states that there is a lot of pressure for
higher earnings for industry workers and increased productivity.

2. Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?


a) Labour productivity by motivation cannot be effective always as there are more ways
to increase the employees earnings.
b) Employees will be motivated the same way as to join an organization and perform in
it.
c) Union and government regulations play a role in rewarding an employee financially.

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d) Employees motivation increases when his performance is least required.


e) None of the above
Answer: c)
Explanation: It has been clearly stated in the second paragraph of the passage that there
is relation between financial rewards to performance by unions, governmental
regulations and the nature of the job itself.

3. What is the main purpose of the author for writing this passage?
a) Explain expectancy theory.
b) Explain the importance of motivation in an organization to increase productivity and
employee well being.
c) Explain how anti-labor policies cost productivity.
d) Explain the importance of time management in an organization.
e) None of the above
Answer: b)
Explanation: The author of the passage clearly talks about the importance of motivation
in an organization to increase productivity and employee well being.

4. What can be implied from the expectancy theory mentioned in the passage?
a) It is important to give financial incentives to every employee.
b) It is necessary to motivate employees through non financial rewards.
c) It is necessary to make employees realize their value in the organization.
d) Productivity and employee motivation are not strongly connected.
e) None of the above
Answer: c)
Explanation: The last sentence of the third paragraph clearly mentions that the
motivation of an employee increases when he feels his performance is instrumental to
obtain the expected result.

5. According to the author of the passage, why is it difficult to motivate employees through
financial incentives?
a) Because the motivation gets degraded than when an employee joins an organization.
b) Economically secure employee is not more dependent on the financial incentives.
c) Increased productivity is not dependent on individual performance of employees.
d) Employees are fed up with union activities and government regulations.
e) None of the above.
Answer: b)
Explanation: The second paragraph clearly states that as employees become
economically secure and their dependency on a particular organization has decreased, it
is difficult to enthuse employees through traditional authority and financial incentives.
Directions (6 - 8): The following questions have a word highlighted from the passage with
four words following it. Choose the best word that matches the meaning of the highlighted
word as your answer.

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6. Inflate
a) Debase
b) Distend
c) Abridge
d) Abate
e) None of the above
Answer: b)

7. Augment
a) Reinforce
b) Demolish
c) Raze
d) Prod
e) None of the above
Answer: a)

8. Jeopardize
a) Design
b) Devolve
c) Intrinsic
d) Stake
e) Evade
Answer: d)
Directions (9 - 10): The following questions have a word highlighted from the passage with
four words following it. Choose the best word that is opposite in meaning to the highlighted
word as your answer.

9. Exert
a) Push
b) Gush
c) Conceal
d) Work
e) None of the above
Answer: c)

10. Drastic
a) Collected
b) Harsh
c) Mend
d) Mere
e) None of the above
Answer: a)
Directions (11 - 20): In the following passage, there are blanks each of which has been
numbered. For each number some words are suggested below the passage, one of which
fits the blank appropriately. Find the appropriate words.

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According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the banking sector in India is sound,
adequately __11__ and well-regulated. Indian financial and __12__ conditions are much
better than in many other countries of the world. Credit, market and __13__ risk studies
show that Indian banks are generally __14__ and have withstood the global downturn well.
With a sense of optimism slowly__15__in, the banking industry expects that 2015 will bring
better growth prospects. This optimism stems from factors such as the Government working
hard to __16__ the industrial growth in the country and the RBI initiating a number of
measures that would go a long way in helping the banks to __17__. The recent
announcements of RBI, it is felt, are a clear pointer to the future of the restructured
domestic banking industry. The Indian banking sector is __18_ , with 46 commercial banks
jostling for business with dozens of foreign banks as well as rural and co-operative lenders.
State banks control 80 percent of the market, leaving relatively small shares for private
rivals. At the end of February, 13.7 crore accounts had been opened under Pradhanmantri
Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) and 12.2 crore RuPay debit cards were __19__ . These new
accounts have __20__ deposits of Rs 12,694 crore (US$ 2.01 billion).

11.
a) Realised
b) Subsidised
c) Defunded
d) Capitalised
e) None of the above
Answer: d)
Explanation: The appropriate word should be Capitalised which means to provide
money for the ventures.

12.
a) Climatic
b) Political
c) Economic
d) Environmental
e) None of the above
Answer: c)
Explanation: The appropriate word should be Economic which means something
business or financial related.

13.
a) Personal
b) Liquidity
c) Systematic
d) Security
e) None of the above
Answer: b)

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Explanation: The appropriate word should be Liquidity which means the ability to
convert an asset into cash quickly.

14.
a) Resilient
b) Delicate
c) Weak
d) Rigid
e) None of the above
Answer: a)
Explanation: The appropriate word should be Resilient which means being able to
withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

15.
a) Retreating
b) Missing
c) Decreasing
d) Leaving
e) Creeping
Answer: e)
Explanation: The appropriate word should be Creeping which means something
occurring or developing gradually and almost imperceptibly.

16.
a) Absorb
b) Cripple
c) Anticipate
d) Revitalise
e) Impede
Answer: d)
Explanation: The appropriate word should be Revitalise which means to instill
something with new life and vitality.

17.
a) Subsist
b) Prevail
c) Restructure
d) Survive
e) None of the above
Answer: c)
Explanation: The appropriate word should be Restructure which means to organize
differently.

18.
a) Collaborated

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b) Fragmented
c) Aligned
d) Combined
e) None of the above
Answer: b)
Explanation: The appropriate word should be Fragmented which means to divide
something in segments.

19.
a) Issued
b) Released
c) Furnished
d) Equipped
e) None of the above
Answer: a)
Explanation: The appropriate word should be Issued which means to supply or
distribute something for use or sale.

20.
a) Divided
b) Dissuaded
c) Mobilised
d) Dispersed
e) Separated
Answer: c)
Explanation: The appropriate word should be Mobilised which means to organize and
make something ready for action.
Directions (21 - 30): In each of the following questions there are four parts a, b, c and d,
among which one part is erroneous. Find out which part of the sentence has an error and
mark e if no error is found. Ignore punctuation errors.

21. The road (a)/ to famous pilgrimage (b)/ passes through (c)/ a mountain (d).
Answer: b)
Explanation: Add the before the word famous pilgrimage because the has to be used
for particular objects.

22. His colony comprises (a)/ of seven blocks and (b)/ thirty flats in an (c)/ area of about
hundred yards (d).
Answer: d)
Explanation: Add a before hundred yards.

23. The Indian Armed Force (a)/ consists of (b)/ the Indian Army, Indian Navy,(c)/ Indian Air
Force and Indian Coast Guard (d).
Answer: a)
Explanation: Instead of Indian Armed Force, it should be Indian Armed Forces.

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24. She is amongst (a)/ those people (b)/ who never (c)/ accepts their mistake (d).
Answer: d)
Explanation: Instead of accepts, the word should be accept.

25. What is needed is (a)/ proper guidelines (b)/ to build a (c)/ framework for development
(d).
Answer: a)
Explanation: Instead of What is needed is, it should be what is needed are.

26. The symptoms of nerve-poisoning (a)/ are due to the (b)/ carbolic acid which (c)/
circulate around the blood (d).
Answer: d)
Explanation: Instead of around the blood, it should be in the blood.

27. One can play (a)/ as much games (b)/ as one wants (c)/ to play (d).
Answer: b)
Explanation: Instead of as much games, it should be as many games.

28. As soon as the (a)/ principal entered (b)/ everyone stood (c)/ in respect (d).
Answer: e)
Explanation: There is no mistake or error in the sentence.

29. The manager (a)/ tested his workers (b)/ to see if they can (c)/ understand the latest
technology (d).
Answer: c)
Explanation: To see can be removed as it is redundant after tested.

30. The passengers (a)/ are requested (b)/ to be in (c)/ its seats (d).
Answer: d)
Explanation: Its has to be replaced with their.

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Last date: 06 April 2017 Posts
Know More: https://goo.gl/5DHXaO Eligibility: Middle School Pass
Last date: 11 April 2017
India Post
Know More: https://goo.gl/iHM9Qg
Vacancy Details: 1771 Gram Dak Sevak
Eligibility: Secondary Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission
Last date: 19 April 2017 Vacancy Details: 529 Lecturer & Others
Know More: https://goo.gl/jMh2w9 Eligibility: Post Graduate
Last date: 18 April 2017
Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board
Know More: https://goo.gl/kqbd94
Vacancy Details: 1548 Work Asst &
Others West Bengal State Electricity Distribution
Eligibility: Graduate, Post Graduate Company Limited
Last date: 28 March 2017 Vacancy Details: 365 Sub Assistant
Know More: https://goo.gl/c4eoPB Engineer Posts
Eligibility: Diploma
Cara and Disaster Management, Jharkhand Last date: 7 April 2017
Vacancy Details: 1500 Police Assistant Know More: https://goo.gl/1I3Yac
Posts
Eligibility: Secondary Delhi State Cancer Institute
Last date: 5 April 2017 Vacancy Details: 279 Resident & Others
Know More: https://goo.gl/Apc0tr Eligibility: Graduate, Post Graduate
Last date: 22 April 2017
Bihar Public Service Commission Know More: https://goo.gl/h72Fs1
Vacancy Details: 1065 Asst. Engineer
Posts State Bank of India
Eligibility: Engineering Degree Vacancy Details: 255 Officers
Last date: 12 April 2017 Eligibility: Post Graduate
Know More: https://goo.gl/pU9gkc Last date: 10 April 2017
Know More: https://goo.gl/pSb3We
Karnataka Public Service Commission
Vacancy Details: 571 Account Assistant & High Court of Punjab and Haryana
Others Vacancy Details: 229 Stenographer
Eligibility: Graduate, Secondary Eligibility: Graduate
Last date: 15 April 2017 Last date: 18 April 2017
Know More: https://goo.gl/noh0ii Know More: https://goo.gl/vO8Ktt

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, J&K Central Reserve Police Force


Vacancy Details: 550 Subject Teacher Vacancy Details: 219 Asst. SI (STENO)
Posts Posts
Eligibility: Post Graduate Eligibility: Senior Secondary

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Curren Affairs eBook] April, 2017

Last date: 25 April 2017 Bureau of Police Research & Development


Know More: https://goo.gl/B3UyA3 Vacancy Details: 125 Deputy
Superintendent and Other Posts
Odisha Public Service Commission Eligibility: Graduate
Vacancy Details: 192 Assistant Public Last date: 10 April 2017
Prosecutor Post Know More: https://goo.gl/d5tEtd
Eligibility: Graduate
Last date: 5 May 2017 IRCON
Know More: https://goo.gl/E1tR10 Vacancy Details: 112 Managerial Posts
Eligibility: Engineering Degree
Know More: https://goo.gl/KHsIeQ
Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board Canara Bank
Vacancy Details: 101 Manager & Others
Vacancy Details: 180 Scientist Posts Eligibility: Engineering Degree , Post
Eligibility: Post Graduate Graduate
Last date: 15 April 17 Last date: 5 April 2017
Know More: https://goo.gl/ASRGP5 Know More: https://goo.gl/WoXlgO

AIIMS, Bhubaneswar NTPC Limited


Vacancy Details: 178 GROUP-A Posts Vacancy Details: 75 Diploma Trainee
Eligibility: Post Graduate Eligibility: Engineering Degree
Last date: 25 April 2017 Last date: 26 April 2017
Know More: https://goo.gl/9otnnE Know More: https://goo.gl/VM2ynB

Intelligence Bureau UPSC


Vacancy Details: 165 Intelligence Officer Vacancy Details: 65 Labour Enforcement
and Other Officer & Others
Eligibility: Engineering Degree Eligibility: Graduate, Post Graduate
Last date: 3 May 2017 Last date: 13 April 2017
Know More: https://goo.gl/kHXgi7 Know More: https://goo.gl/IvZ22P

Indian Air Force National Seeds Corporation


Vacancy Details: 154 Group C Civilian Vacancy Details: 58 Trainee Posts
Posts Eligibility: Post Graduate, Secondary
Eligibility: Secondary Last date: 15 April 2017
Last date: 17 April 2017 Know More: https://goo.gl/oJ0gAw
Know More: https://goo.gl/0KiOy8

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