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I.E.S MASTER
Institute for Engineers
IES/GATE/PSUs
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES Master
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
2
National Updates
2.1 GENERAL ISSUES 13
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2.3 SOCIAL, HEALTH & EDUCATIONAL ISSUES
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2.1. General Issues
Master Tips
Once the three courts are established, the number of High Courts in the country will go up from
21 to 24. The total approved strength of judges in the 21 High Courts was 895, and 260 post
were vacant. This meant there was less than one judge for every one million people.
The Madras High Court in Chennai, Bombay High Court in Mumbai, Calcutta High Court in
Kolkatta are the first three High Courts in India, established in 1862 by High Courts Act,
1861.
Allahabad High Court was also established by High Courts Act, 1861 but in 1866.
Master Tips
The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is a territorial privilege established
according to the Memorandum of Settlement of February 10, 2003. BTC came into
existence immediately after surrender of BLTF (Bodoland Liberation Tiger Force)
cadres. The BTC has 12 electorate members each looking after a specific area of
control called somisthi. The area under the BTC jurisdiction is called the Bodo
Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD) which is to consist of four contiguous
districts — Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri and Chirang — carved out of seven
existing districts — Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, Darrang
and Sonitpur. The BTAD is created under the sixth schedule of the Constitution of
India.
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is equivalent to a flow of 28.317 litres per second) and 11,000 cusecs flow for a day amounts to 1 TMC
(thousand million cubic feet) water.
Master Tips
Kaveri River water dispute: The sharing of waters of the Kaveri has been the source of a
serious conflict between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The genesis of this conflict rests in two controversial agreements—one signed in 1892 and
another in 1924—between the erstwhile Madras Presidency and Princely State of
Mysore. ST
The 802 km long Kaveri river has 34,273 sq km basin area in Karnataka (42%), 44,016
sq km basin area in Tamil Nadu(54%) and 2,866 sq km in Kerala(3.5%) and 148 sq
km in Puducherry.
Constitutional Provision and The Interstate River Water Disputes Act – 1956 (IRWD
Act):
Under article 262, Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute
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with respect to the use, distribution or control of the water of Inter-State River or river
valley. Parliament by law may exclude such jurisdiction of Supreme Court or any other
court.
The Interstate River Water Disputes Act,1956 (IRWD Act,1956) was first enacted on
28 August 1956 by the Indian parliament under Article 262 on the eve of reorganization of
states on linguistic basis to resolve the water disputes that would arise in the use, control
and distribution of an interstate river or river valley.
IRWD Act, 1956 Provide for an ad hoc tribunal for adjudication of any dispute arising
between two or more States with regard to the water of any Inter-State river or river Valley.
The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal:
The Government of India constituted a three man tribunal, headed by Justice Chittatosh
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Mookerjee in 1990 to look into the matter. After hearing arguments of all the parties involved
for the next 16 years, the tribunal delivered its final verdict on 5 February 2007.
In its verdict, the tribunal allocated 419 billion ft³ (12 km³) of water annually to Tamil
Nadu and 270 billion ft³ (7.6 km³) to Karnataka; 30 billion ft³ (0.8 km³) of Kaveri river
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water to Kerala and 7 billion ft³ (0.2 km³) to Puducherry. The dispute however, appears not
to have concluded, as all four states deciding to file review petitions seeking clarifications
and possible renegotiation of the order.
India’s longest railway bridge over the Brahmaputra that would enhance connectivity
between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will be built by jointly by BHEL’s Welding Research
Institute (WRI) and Mumbai-based Hindustan Construction Co Ltd. (HCC).
The country’s longest rail-cum-road bridge estimated for completion by the end of year 2015
at a cost of Rs. 3,230 crore would be of strategic importance, reducing the time taken for
travelling between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The connectivity will also give a thrust to regional tourism, trade and commerce.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Study Material National Updates 15
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pardon, to suspend, remit or commute the death sentence of any person.
As mentioned in Article 72 of Indian Constitution, the President is empowered with the powers
to grant pardons in the following situations:
Punishment is for offence against Union Law
Punishment is by a Military Court
Sentence is a death sentence
Parliament approved amendments to the Copyright Act that entitles artistes to lifelong royalty.
The Copyright Act (Amendment) Bill, 2012 was passed by the Lok Sabha unanimously, with
members from all parties supporting the measure for creative artistes, whose benefits are cornered
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by producers under the existing law. The Bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha, declares authors
owners of the copyright, which cannot be assigned to producers, as was the practice
till now.
Salient Features of the new Bill:
Song writers, artistes and performer can now claim royalty for their works.
The Bill made it mandatory for broadcasters – both radio and television – to pay royalty to the
owners of the copyright each time a work of art was broadcast.
It bans persons from bringing out cover versions of any literary, dramatic or musical work for
five years from the first recording of the original creation.
The Bill provides for exemption from copyright for any work prepared for the
physically challenged in special formats such as Braille. It also permits compulsory license
to be granted for a certain number of copies in non-special formats to non-profit organizations
working to help disabled persons.
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‘Ayur’ Can’t Be Trademark: Intellectual Property Appellate Board
The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) has ruled that ‘Ayur’ cannot be used as
trade mark as being done and directed the removal of the word ‘Ayur’, registered in the name of
Three N-Products (P) Ltd. New Delhi, from the trade marks registry.
In its order the IPAB said: “Ayur is a generic word; to hoard it as ‘mine-own-forever’ is not in
public interest, and such a monopoly was never intended by the Trade Marks Act, 1999.”
Master Tips
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Ayur is a commonly used word derived from ‘Ayush’ (life) and a derivative of the word
Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old system of medicine. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) launched
its line of Ayurvedic health and beauty care products under the trade mark ‘Lever Ayush’ in
2002.
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The bricks that were used for constructing walls were 48 cm long and 26 cm wide and 8 cm
thick. The saddle querns were used to prepare saddle points for prayers and also for preparing
spice powder and herbal medicine.
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First-ever GTA Elections Held
Election of GTA:
As per the West Bengal government announcement, the election for the GTA was held on July
29, 2012. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) contested the GTA polls. In the elections
GJM candidates won from all the constituencies. The newly elected members of the GTA were
sworn in on 4 August 2012 at Darjeeling in the presence of home minister Sushil Kumar
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Shinde and West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee.
Bimal Gurung, president of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), was elected Chief Executive
Officer of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) by the elected and nominated
members of the new regional autonomous body. The members of the GTA, that replaces the
Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), was sworn in.
What is GTA?
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Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) having administrative, executive and financial
powers but no legislative powers, is a semi-autonomous administrative body for the
Darjeeling hills in West Bengal, India. The GTA will replace the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council
(DGHC), which was formed in 1988 and administered the Darjeeling hills for 23 years. GTA
presently has three hill subdivisions Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong and some
areas of Siliguri subdivision under its authority.
After three years of agitation for a state of Gorkhaland led by GJM, the GJM reached an
agreement with the state government to form a semi-autonomous body to administer the
Darjeeling hills. A bill for the creation of GTA was passed in the West Bengal Legislative
Assembly on 2 September 2011.
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Justice Shyamal Sen Report : The report of the high-power committee headed by retired Justice Mr.
Shyamal Sen on inclusion of additional areas from the Dooars and Terai in the GTA was submitted
to the state government which recommended that five mouzas in the plains be added to the proposed
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new body in the Darjeeling hills. The Gorkha janmukti Morcha (GJM) expressed its anger at the
report, saying that they had expected the figure to be more than 150.
Andhra Pradesh has so far spent Rs 1,600 crore on various packages of the project, which was
designed by a group of Telangana expert-engineers to utilise 160 tmcft of Pranahita water and
serve 16.4 lakh acres in the most drought-prone areas of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal,
Nizamabad, Medak, Naglonda and Ranga Reddy.
This huge investment would have been a waste if Maharashtra had opposed it. Maharashtra’s
consent is seen crucial because the mammoth barrage required for the project to divert Pranahita
waters will have to be built in its territory. The water from this barrage will be transferred into
the reservoir of the yellampalli project already constructed across the Godavari, before being
released to the intended areas, including Hyderabad (30 tmcft) for drinking purpose.
The agreement will provide for constitution of three committees, one of them with Chief Ministers
of the two States to oversee the implementation of the project.
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Demand For Frontier Nagaland And Relared Issues
The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) has been demanding creation of
‘Frontier Nagaland’ out of four border districts- Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire and Longleng
districts.
It submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister in 2010, saying only a separate State would
result in socio-economic development in the border region.
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The then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram reportedly assured Nagaland Chief Minister
Nephiu Rio of assistance for the speedy development of Eastern Nagaland, but ruled out creation
of a separate State – Frontier Nagaland.
The ENPO has rejected a Rs. 500-crore development package offered by the Nagaland government
in lieu of a separate State sticking to its demand for creation of a Frontier Nagaland and all the
six tribes passed a resolution on June 12 in Tuensang not to accept any development package or
any autonomous or regional council in lieu of a separate State.
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Master Tips
The ENPO, which is the apex organization of six Naga tribes including Konyak,
Khiamniungan, Chang, Yimchunger, Sangtam and Phom inhabiting the four districts,
namely Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire and Longleng.
The three-day Australian Film Festival (AFF) got off to a magnificent start with enthusiasts
queuing up to view the films.
Dehra Dun is the only non-metro city where the screening of the Australian movies will
take place apart from New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. This also happens to be the first
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Govt. Clears Signing Of Pact For Buying Gas From Turkmenistan-TAPI Pipe Line
The Union Cabinet approved the signing of the Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement (GSPA),
for buying gas from Turkmenistan.
The rate $0.50 per million metric British thermal unit for allowing passage of gas through their
respective territories has been finalized resolving one of the major contentious issues.
The delivered price of gas on the Indian border works out to $10-12 per mmBtu as compared to
$4.20 per mmBtu price of domestic gas and $16 per mmBtu rate of gas imported in ships in its
liquid form (LNG).
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The pipeline would carry 90 million metric standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd) of gas. Of
which, 14 mmscmd would be bought by Afghanistan and 38 mmscmd each would be for India
and Pakistan.
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The 1735 km long pipeline, which is likely to be operational by 2016, will run from
Turkmenistan’s Dauletabad gas field to Herat and Kandhar province of Afghanistan,
before entering Pakistan. In Pakistan, it will reach Multan via Quetta befroe ending at Fazilka
Punjab in India. (See Map for clarity.)
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Rate (MSF) time, so keep updated. Given data
is as on date 29st Jan 2013.
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the process of consultations with various stakeholders.
Terms of Reference: To fine-tune the controversial provisions and bring in more clarity
and transparency in the draft guidelines announced in Budget 2012 for the introduction of
GAAR for the current fiscal, mainly with the objective of checking tax evasion.
But, following stiff opposition by foreign and domestic investors and bitter criticism by global
tax advisory firms, its implementation was deferred till the next fiscal beginning April 1,
2013 which is now further extended to 2016.
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GAAR Panel Terms of Reference Expanded: To have greater clarity on tax liability
issues pertaining to portfolio investors and foreign institutional investors (FIIs).
GAAR Shome Panel’s recommendations in brief:
GAAR should be deferred by three years i.e GAAR should apply from assessment year 2016-17.
Abolish Capital Gains tax on listed securities.
Mauritius treaty to be upheld.
Tax mitigation be distinguished from tax avoidance before invoking GAAR.
GAAR not to be applicable on FIIs, capital market transactions, payment of dividends,
buybacks, setting up branch/subsidiary, funding through debt/equity,intra-group transactions
etc.
GAAR applicable only in cases of abusive, contrived, artificial deal and a monetary threshold
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of Rs 3 crore of tax benefit (including tax only, and not interest etc) to a taxpayer in a year
should be used for the applicability of GAAR provisions.
The Union Cabinet on November 8, 2012 approved the proposal of an Empowered Group of
Ministers (EGOM) to levy a one time spectrum charge of about Rs. 31,000 crore on all existing
telecom operators in the country.
The EGoM had proposed the GSM based telecom companies pay for all their 2G spectrum
holdings beyond 4.4 MHz, while CDMA players were to pay the Levy beyond 2.5 MHz holding
prospectively for the remaining period of their licenses.
GSM above 6.2 MHz will be levied one-time fee from July, 2008
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor D. Subbarao, mooted a proposal for a Producer
Price Index (PPI), which would measure the average change over time in the sale prices
of domestic goods and services.
In its present structure, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) does not capture the price
movement of services. Also, it is a hybrid of consumer and producer price quotes. For example,
the index captured the price of important commodities such as milk from the retail markets;
not at the producer level.
In contrast to Consumer Price Index (CPI), PPI measures price changes from the
perspective of the seller. Sellers and purchasers’ prices differ due to government subsidies,
sales and excise taxes, and distribution costs. For these reasons, move towards PPI is
desirable.
AERB Approved The Loading Of Real Fuel In Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
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The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has given its nod for the removal of
dummy fuel and loading of real fuel (enriched uranium) in the first unit (1000 MW
capacity) of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu. The loading of
real fuel would begin soon and thereafter, a trial run would go on for approximately 20 days
before attaining criticality (commissioning).
KNPP is constantly in the news because of ongoing protests by local people, rights groups
and environmentalists regarding their concerns of nuclear safety and implications of nuclear
radiation on health and environment.
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Location : Kudankulam, District : Tirunellveli-Kattabomman, Tamil Nadu State.
Sri Lanka has also voiced opposition over the Kudankulam nuclear plant citing their concerns
over threats to them in case of nuclear disaster such as Fukushima. But, this is largely seen as
the repercussion of India’s vote against Sri Lanka in UNHRC.
Table: Current Status of the Project
Schedule Expected
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Unit Reactor Date of Date of Physical
Number Type Commercial Commercial Progress
Operation Operation
Master Tips
About Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP): Two reactors of the VVER-
1000 model are being constructed by the Nuclear Power corporation of India
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calamity.
With this the affected farmers will be eligible for financial relief from the National Disaster
Response Fund (NDRF) or the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Master Tips
Crops damaged in natural calamities such as drought, floods, cyclone, earthquake, fire, flood,
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tsunami, hailstorm, landslip, avalanche, cloud burst and pest attack were eligible for relief under
the NDRF/SDRF. However, since the incidence of damage to crops in extreme cold or frost has
gone up in recent years, the government set up the EGoM. The EGoM, earlier headed by Pranab
Mukherjee, will now be chaired by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.
exempted services, will come into effect in which all services — except the 38 activities
put on the negative list – will come under the tax at the increased rate of 12 per cent,
taking a major shift from the levying service tax on 119 services based on a positive list.
The switch-over to a negative list-based approach is aimed at aligning the indirect taxation
system to the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, which is sought to be
introduced to unify the levies of the Centre and the States into a composite system.
Master Tips
The services sector now accounts for 60 per cent of the gross domestic product
(GDP).The Finance Ministry has set a target of Rs. 1.24 lakh crore for service tax collection
during 2012-13 as against the Rs. 97,000 crore mopped up during the previous fiscal.
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The total capital ratio, including Tier I and Tier II, must be at least 9 per cent, unchanged
from the current requirement, compared with the Basel III minimum requirement of 8
percent.
For the financial year ending March 31, 2013, banks will have to disclose the capital ratios
computed under the existing guidelines (Basel II) on capital adequacy as well as those
computed under the Basel III capital adequacy framework.
Master Tips
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) issued a comprehensive re-
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form package entitled ‘Basel III: A global regulatory framework for more resilient
banks and banking systems’ in December 2010, with the objective to improve the
banking sector’s ability to absorb shocks arising from financial and economic
stress. A revised version of this document (Basel III) was issued in June 2011.
This will amend certain provisions of existing Basel II framework, in addition
to introducing some new concepts and requirements.
*To know more on BASEL and other banking norms, refer your economy booklet.
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Micro Insurance Product Jeevan Deep Launched By LIC
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched a new micro insurance product
named Jeevan Deep. The plan provides for a sum assured (risk cover) ranging from minimum
of Rs. 5,000 to maximum of Rs. 30,000 with an optional accident benefit rider, together providing
for total death benefit equal to double the sum assured, on death due to accident.
of all States or their substitutes, representatives of the union territories and the members of the
Planning Commissions. Its status is advisory to planning commission but not binding but approves
the 5 year Plans.
Both Planning Commission and NDC are extra-constitutional and non-statutory bodies
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Existing companies seeking registration as NBFC-Factor but do not fulfill the NOF criterion
of Rs. 5 crore may approach the RBI for time to comply with the requirement.
An existing NBFC registered with RBI and conducting factoring business that constitute
less than 75 per cent of total assets/income shall have to submit to the RBI within six months
from the date of this notification, a letter of its intention either to become a Factor or to
unwind the business totally within two years from the date of this notification and a road
map to this effect.
CoR (Certificate of Registration) as NBFC-Factors will be granted only after they reached
the required asset or income percentage.
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Offshore Wind Energy Projects: Panel Set Up To Give Thrust
The Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has constituted an Offshore
Wind Energy Steering Committee (OWESC) under the chairmanship of Secretary, MNRE,
to steer the offshore wind power development in a focused manner, especially in Tamil Nadu,
Maharashtra and Gujarat. The committee will work out a road map for offshore wind power
development in the country tapping the vast potential.
Master Tips
Northern grid: It caters for about 28 per cent of the country’s population, covers the regions
of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal
Pradesh, J&K and Chandigarh. The western region was under-drawing power whereas
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All the grids are being run by the PGCIL, which operates more than 95,000 circuit km of
transmission lines. One circuit km refers to one km of electrical transmission line.
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can yield 250 tons of uranium oxide and, on further processing, can be used as fuel for nuclear
reactors. The uranium processing plant has a capacity to treat 3,000 tons of ore a day.
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concerned to finalize the approach to taxation of ‘Development Centres’ and suggest appropriate
measures.
Term of reference is to have a fair tax system in line with best international practices which
will promote India’s software industry and promote India as a destination for investment and
for establishment of Development Centres.
finance sector, that is, individuals, SHGs or JLGs, which qualify for loans from MFIs, would
be restricted to 10 percent of the total assets,”.
The RBI made some modifications in the directions issued on December 2, 2011 to NBFC-MFIs.
In order to provide encouragement to NBFCs operating in the north-eastern region, the
minimum NOF is to be maintained at Rs. 1 crore by March 31, 2012, and at Rs. 2 crore
by March 31, 2014.
However, all new companies desiring NBFC-MFI registration will need a minimum NOF of Rs.
5 crore except those in the north-eastern region Rs. 2 crore.
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The ambitious project aims to supply power not only to Gujarat but also to neighbours
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
(Estimated) (Estimated)
Cotton 33.9 million bales 35.2 million bales (of 170 kg each)
To attract foreign capital and stabilize the rupee, the Centre has permitted residents of the Gulf
nations and all EU nations to invest directly in stock markets and individual overseas investors
to bring up to $1 billion to the debt market.
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the production of 122.8 million tonnes in 2010-11.
NDP-1 is a six-year plan to be largely financed through International Development
Association (IDA) of the World Bank and implemented by National Dairy Development
Board (NDDB).
Deep Sea Gas Pipeline Project of SAGE: IOC Seeks nod To Join
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State-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has written to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry
seeking permission to join the crucial pipeline project with South Asia Gas Enterprise (SAGE)
as the authorisation already given to GAIL (India) for pursuing the deep sea natural gas
pipeline project from the Middle East to India,
IOC had signed a ‘principles of co-operation (POC)’ with SAGE, which is pursuing deep sea
natural gas pipeline project from Oman to India, in a consortium with other international
companies. IOC has been a prominent part of all government initiatives in gas pipeline projects.
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Master Tips
SAGE is a project development vehicle set up for the proposed deep sea natural gas pipe-
line project from the Middle East to India. It is a consortium formed by Siddho Mai
Group of India, Intec Engineering of the U.K., Heerema Marine Contractors
Nederland, B.V. of Holland and Corus Tubes of the U.K.
SAGE pipeline is expected to transport 30 million metric cubic metres of gas per
day, the same volume as what Iran has earmarked for India in the proposed Iran-Paki-
stan-India (IPI) pipeline. SAGE would charge a transport fee of around $1 per million
metric British thermal unit.
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set to incubate a $ 400 billion Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM)
sector and employ over 2.8 crore people over the next 8 years. ESDM is of strategic importance
as well.
The policy envisages a domestic ESDM industry that is globally competitive. Creating an
ecosystem to harbor this sector will require an investment of $ 100 billion.
The policy also strategizes setting up a “National Electronics Mission” which will see
participation of the industry.
Key objectives under the National Policy on Electronics 2012 include growth of the local
chip making sector on a very large scale and building a domestic supply chain of electronic parts
and components.
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New Telecom Policy 2012
The Union Cabinet approved the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012.
Salient Features of NTP 2012:
Consumers who use national roaming can now expect to pay local call charges i.e ‘free roaming’
will be initiated.
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The policy also allows national number portability, but with no visible timelines.
It allows resale of services as a way to increase competition without duplicating infrastructure
or fragmenting the spectrum by allowing mobile companies to set up resellers as such services
resale is universally recognized.
It mentions cloud computing, next generation networks, IPV6 and Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) as thrust areas – all of which are forward-looking and embrace future technologies.
It expects to take India’s presently 39% rural teledensity to 70% in the next 5 years with the
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The much-talked about Direct Cash Transfer Scheme is the first among the various Government
schemes highlighted in the ‘Government of India- Wall Calendar 2013’ released. The calender
based on the theme ‘Bharat Nirman- Sabka hit, Sabka Haq’, was released by the Department
of Audio Visual Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
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banks, and establish a cooperation mechanism for cross-border supervision.
“Supervisory colleges have evolved the world over as an important component of effective
supervisory oversight of an international banking group.
This mechanism was developed with the aim of reducing supervisory overlap, and filling in
supervisory gaps for better supervisory co-operation enunciated in Basel II framework,” said
the RBI.
For SBI, there are nine host country supervisors, while ICICI Bank has seven.
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BSE Launches Carbon-Based Thematic Index
The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), has launched BSE Carbonex, the first carbon-based
thematic index in the country, which takes a strategic view of organisational commitment to
climate change mitigation.
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This index has been launched with the aim of creating a benchmark and increasing awareness
about the risks posed by climate change.
The British High Commission in India through the British Foreign & Commonwealth
Office’s Prosperity Fund supported the development phase of the index.
ENDS Carbon, a specialist in environment, social and governance (ESG) ratings and
benchmark services provider, has provided its expertise in assessing the companies with data
sourced from the carbon disclosure project (CDP).
Master Tips
Ends Carbon : It is a not-for-profit organisation which holds the largest and most
continuous set of climate change data in the world.
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BSE ltd : It is the 10th largest stock exchanges in the world by market capitalization,
established as “The Native Share & Stock Brokers’ Association” in 1875.
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Adani Completes Coal Exploration Work In Australia
Adani Group, an integrated infrastructure player, announced the completion of the single
largest and most comprehensive coal mining exploration programme undertaken in Australia.
A record number of drill rigs were deployed to drastically reduce the exploration time frame at
the Carmichael mine in the Galillee basin of Queensland to nine months.
HDFC Bank, ICICI, Indian Overseas Bank and the State Bank of India and Visa Card.
Under the scheme, an Aadhar number holder can purchase a card for a nominal fee to operate
the account.
provisioning norms should be made similar to that of banks for all registered NBFCs irrespective
of the size.
At present, the period for classifying loans into NPAs in case of NBFCs is higher at 180/360
days compared to 90 days for banks.
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Master Tips
CICs are those companies that invest primarily in group companies in different sectors of the
economy.
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Under the new policy, the government will give 12-20 per cent post-tax return on fresh
capital infused by the manufacturers for setting up of new plants as well as for expansion and
revamp of the existing ones.
The country produces 22 million tonnes of urea, against the requirement of 32 million
tonnes.
Panel Slashes Base Price By 30 % For Unsold Spectrum
A ministerial panel on telecom decided to lower the base price of spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band
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by 30 per cent in four circles for a fresh auction this fiscal.
This is a suggestion that could fetch the exchequer Rs. 6,200 crore. These four circles Delhi,
Mumbai, Karnataka and Rajasthan were some of the most expensive circles in last 2G spectrum
auction and had attracted no bidders.
The first phase connecting the Mansarovar residential colony with Chandpole is likely to start
by July, 2013.
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Besides, it will provide a quota in public employment through constitution of local cadres and
reservation in education and vocational training institutions for those who belong to the region
by birth or domicile.
This great move has come 56 years after the Vidharbha and Marathwada regions got
special status in 1956, and later Telangana got special status in 1974.
Centre Asks States to Adopt AP Fund Model for Mid-day Meals Scheme
With some States defaulting on payment of their share of funds for providing meals to children
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in government schools, adversely affecting the implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme,
the Centre has now asked all States to consider adopting Andhra Pradesh’s model ‘Green
Channel Scheme.’ The A.P. model makes funds available throughout the year.
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Master Tips
Mid Day Meal: The Centre spent approximately Rs. 10,000 crore on the programme in 2011-12,
excluding the contribution of the States and subsidy on food grain. The Centre provides 75 per
cent funds, while the States contribute the remaining 25 per cent to implement the
scheme. This helps prevent classroom hunger and also promotes school participation and
retention at the elementary level. It also fosters social and gender equity.
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Also recommend how its estimates of poverty, should be linked to eligibility and entitlements
from the Central government’s for the Central government’s schemes and programmes.
To examine the issue of divergence between consumption estimates bases on the NSSO (National
Sample Survey Organisation) methodology and those emerging from the National Accounts
aggregates and suggest a methodology for updating consumption poverty lines using the new
consumer price indices launched by the CSO for rural and urban areas State-wise.
Poverty Estimation : According to the Tendulkar Committee formula, besides traditional method of
factored in.
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fixing poverty line on the basis of calorie intake, the expenditure on health and education is also
The data also showed that the number of poor in the entire country during 2009-10 was 35.46 crore
using the Tendulkar Committee formula for fixing the poverty line.
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The move follows all-round criticism of the Planning Commission’s estimates on poverty released
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in the March 2012 and the controversy it generated on capping the poverty line at a daily consumption
of Rs. 28.65 per capita in cities and at Rs 22.42 in rural areas.
Based on the Tendulkar panel norms of poverty estimation, the Commission had announced
earlier this year that poverty in the country has come down from 37.2 percent in 2004-05 to 29.8
per cent in 2009-10 and the number of poor stood effectively reduced from 40.7 crore to 35.5
crore during the period.
Bihar and Maharashtra had poor population of 5.43 crore and 2.7 crore respectively in the year
2009-10 based on poverty line fixed using the Tendulakar Committee formula, as per data
provided by the Planning Commission in a written reply to the Rajya Sabh.
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cent in 2010.
Master Tips
Measles is a highly contagious viral (virus- a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus)
disease, which affects mostly children.
It is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Initial symptoms,
which usually appear 10–12 days after infection, include high fever, runny nose, bloodshot eyes,
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and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. Several days later, a rash develops, starting
on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downwards.
There is no specific treatment for measles and most people recover within 2–3 weeks. However,
particularly in malnourished children and people with reduced immunity, measles can cause
serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection and
pneumonia. Measles can be prevented by immunization.
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Master Tips
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB (short for tubercle bacillus) is a common, and in many cases
lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium
tuberculosis. Tuberculosis typically attacks the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the
body. It is spread through the air when people who have an active TB infection cough, sneeze, or
otherwise transmit their saliva through the air.
A panel of prominent educationists and academicians headed by the former UGC chairman,
S.K. Thorat, set up by the Centre to review the NCERT’s Political Science textbooks for schools
has submitted its report.
It recommended the removal of 21 cartoons and words from the Social Science and
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Political Science textbooks for Classes IX-XII., which, as per report, are “ambiguous,” negative
or showed politicians and bureaucrats in an ‘incorrect’ way.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) decided to hold
further consultations on the S.K. Thorat Committee report, though the NCERT has left it to the
National Monitoring Committee (NMC) to take the final call on the fate of the review committee’s
report.
Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS): WHO- GOI Partnership
It is for the first time that the Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) has been developed
jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GOI and the WHO Country Office
for India.
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Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad launched the World
Health Organisation’s New country cooperation strategy with India (2012-17).
The CCS has identified strategic priorities including promoting access to and utilisation of
affordable, efficiently networked and sustainable quality services by the entire population,
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financial protection and helping to confront the new epidemiological reality of India to contribute
meaningfully to the national health policy and government’s health agenda.
India’s First Food Bank Inaugurated In Delhi
Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister, along with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit
announced the launch of the first Food Bank as part of the India Food Banking Network
(IFBN) with the goal of making India hunger-free by 2020 and by 2020 every district of India
has access to a Food Bank.
Master Tips
IFBN: IFBN is as an effort to bring the government, private sector, and NGOs together to fight
hunger and malnutrition in the country and better hunger relief management. The idea for IFBN
emerged from discussions with the Global Food Banking Network in Chicago. Food banks are
operational in more than 30 countries globally.
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(JEE)-main with a high score to qualify for the advanced examination i.e JEE-Advance, which
will be conducted by IITs for those aspiring to enter the IIT system but among students who
crack the advanced examination, only those who are placed in the top 20 percentile in their
respective Board exams will be admitted to the IITs.
Commercial and Tourism Activities in Andaman and Nicobar Banned by SC
The Supreme Court of India banned all kinds of commercial and tourism activities within a 5
km radius around the Jarawa Tribal Reserve in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to protect
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the Jarawa tribes upholding the notification to declare an area up to five-km radius around
the tribal reserve as a ‘Buffer Zone’ and prohibit entry of any person other than a member of
the aboriginal tribe into it.
As per pronouncement, “no tourist establishment such as resorts, hotels, restaurants, bars and
paying guest accommodations, except government-run guest houses will be permitted within
the buffer zone.
No commercial establishments/activities which may employ more than 20 persons or have an
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annual turnover of Rs. one crore or more will be allowed in the buffer zone.”
Cancerous ‘Pan Masala’ Banned
Bihar is the third State, after Madhya Pradesh and Kerala, to impose a ban on the
manufacture, sale, distribution of Gutka, Pan Masala and its variants, utilizing the provisions in
the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sale) Regulation 2011.
Following Kerala’s example, States such as Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, NCT of Delhi
too have now banned pan masala under the Food Safety Act.
Master Tips
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established under
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Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have
hitherto handled food related issues in various Ministries and Departments which came up with
the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011.
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Union Govt Clears the Proposal to Replace Word ‘Rape’ with Sexual Assault’
A proposal to replace the word “rape” with the phrase “sexual assault’ has been approved
by the Union Cabinet paving the way for making it a gender-neutral offence and identified
acid attacks as a separate offence punishable by a maximum of ten years. It has also been
decided by the Cabinet that minors will be defined uniformly as a person below 18 years
in both Cr. P.C. and IPC, which is now the legal age for minors.
Master Tips
After horrendous Delhi gang rape incident of 16th Dec 2012 involving one minor as accused, the
age for minority is being debated. So keep a watch over it. Also the minors are treated under
Juvenile Justice Act 2000 and Juvenile Justice Boards hear such cases involving Juve-
niles.
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The ombudsman, who would be a retired judge, not below the rank of a District Judge, or a
retired professor who has at least 10 years of experience, can also recommend the affiliating
university for withdrawal or affiliation or withdrawal of status as a university of a Technical
university, if established under a State Act.
The grievance could include those related with the standards of education, irregularity in the
admission process adopted by the institute, refusing admission in accordance with the declared
admission policy, withholding or refusing to return any document, and demanding money in
excess of that specified in the declared admission policy and complaints of alleged discrimination
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by students from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBC, women, and minority or disabled
categories.
Harassment and victimization of students, including sexual harassment, will also fall under the
purview of the ombudsman. However, no application for revaluation or remarking of answer
sheets shall be entertained by the ombudsman.
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As per the All-India Council for Technical Education (Establishment of Mechanism for
Grievance Redressal) Regulations, 2002, issued by AICTE, each technical university shall
appoint an ombudsman whose order would be mandatory, and failure of compliance could lead to
withdrawal of AICTE approval and withdrawal of grants or financial assistance from the Council.
The regulations have been issued even as two Bills related to curbing malpractices are pending in
Parliament viz. Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, Medical Educational
charging capitation fee, and overpricing of prospectus a criminal offence – and the
Educational Tribunals Bill for dispute redressal.
name of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Government-run 58 schemes are named after eminent
people as per the Planning Commission data, then minister of state for planning, Ashwani
Kumar, said in a written reply to the Lok Sbha in May 2012.
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A Blanket Ban On Plastic Bags To Be Imposed
The Delhi government on September 10, 2012 decided to impose a blanket ban on the manufacture,
sale, storage and use of plastic bags in the national capital.
the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched its e-Passbook service.
Active subscribers whose electronic challan-cum-return is already uploaded, can download their
e-Passbook every month under the service launched by the EPFO’s Central Provident Fund
Commissioner RC Mishra.
The facility shall be available on www.epfindia.gov.in.
Also, the online downloading of PF account statement is not available as of now for members of
PF trusts which are set up by employers to manage their employees’ retirement benefit. Members
can register themselves on the portal by using photo identification number.
Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh launched a programme “Maila Mukti
Yatra” under Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan.
He informed that the Centre has earmarked Rs 1,500 crore to convert dry toilets into flush
toilets under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan.
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Sikkim is the first state in the country where the practice of open-area defecation has been
eradicated and states like Kerala, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh also have done well.
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Ministry of Finance and it was decided to amend the Central Civil Services (Pension)
Rules, 1972.
The share of children from illegally wedded wife in the family pension shall be payable to them
along with the legally wedded wife.
Schools To Be Chosen For PISA ’15
After India’s dismal performance in PISA 2009, the government is planning to choose its
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participating schools carefully for PISA 2015.
While the test is carried out every three years, India did not participate in PISA 2012. India,
which made its debut in PISA 2009 with schools from Tamil Nadu and Himachal, was ranked
among the bottom countries.
China, which also debuted in 2009, emerged as a star performer, having selected students from
schools in Shanghai province which are considered among the best.
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Master Tips
PISA : The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), introduced by the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), tests the learning levels of 15-year-olds.
Pregnant women, lactating mothers, malnourished children, children between six months and
14 years and all students in hostels or ashrams will get mandatory subsidised food grains.
The State has 78 per cent rural and 22 per cent urban population.
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International Human Rights Day.
The campaign is a global movement launched to stop violence against women.
According to the data released by the United Nations showed that globally one out of every
three women was beaten up or raped or both.
Statistically, that meant more than a billion women were victims of violence, sexual or otherwise.
pension, scholarship, MNREGA wage payment and social benefit schemes reached
the beneficiaries directly, without any delay.
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International &
Bilateral Updates
3.0 International & Bilateral Updates
The General Assembly elected Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo to
serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms from 1 January
2012 to 31 Dec 2013.
UN Secretary-General
The current Secretary-General is Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, who is serving his 2nd term
The Presidency of the Security Council is held in turn by the members of the Security Council
in the English alphabetical order of their names. Each President holds office for one calendar
month.
India’s term of non-permanent membership terminates from Jan 2013.
The UN General Assembly on October 18, 2012 elected the Republic of Korea (ROK) and
Luxembourg to a two-year term in the UN Security Council (UNSC) and two joined Argentina,
Australia and Rwanda, which were elected earlier, to serve as new non-permanent members
of the powerful UN body, UNSC for the duration from 1 Jan 2013 to 31 Dec 2014.
Master Tips
The UN Security Council (UNSC) is composed of 5 permanent members (P-5) and 10 non-
permanent members elected for 2 years term by General Assembly and not eligible for
immediate re-election.
The number of non-permanent members was increased from six to ten by an amendment of
the Charter which came into force in 1965.
Currently, UN General Assembly has 193 member states. South Sudan became the 193rd
member state. Palestine was recognized as a “non-member state” on 29 November 2012.
Veto Power : Each Council member has one vote. Decisions on procedural matters are made by an affirmative
vote of at least nine of the 15 members. Decisions on substantive matters require nine votes, including
the concurring votes of P-5. This is the rule of “great Power unanimity”, often referred to as the “veto”
power.
Most recently, the U.S. automobile industry has been caught in the crossfire.
As per the U.S. Trade Representative, Washington would be “challenging China’s imposition
of anti dumping and countervailing duties on more than $3 billion in exports of American-
produced automobiles.”
Once it gains traction at the WTO, this dispute would represent the third instance of the U.S. formally
complaining about alleged misuse of trade remedies by China during the Obama administration’s time in
office.
Master Tips
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize
international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the
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Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT),
which commenced in 1948. Most of the issues that the WTO focuses on derive from previous trade
negotiations, especially from the Uruguay Round (1986–1994).
The organization is attempting to complete negotiations on the Doha Development Round, which
was launched in 2001 with an explicit focus on addressing the needs of developing countries.
Master Tips
Special drawing rights (SDRs) are supplementary foreign exchange reserve assets defined and
maintained by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Not a currency, SDRs instead represent a
claim to currency held by IMF member countries for which they may be exchanged.
It is worth noting that a member’s quota in the IMF determines in capital subscription, its
voting power, its access to IMF financing, and its allocation of SDRs.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization that was created on
July 22, 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference and came into existence on December 27, 1945. It is
an organization of 188 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial
stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth,
and reduce poverty around the world.
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China Allows Indian Basmati Import
China has allowed imports of basmati rice from India. It had banned the import because of
issues of pest control.
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Myanmar’s opposition leader and Nobel peace Laureate Aung Suu Kyi made her historic
parliamentary debut on July 9, 2012, marking a new phase in her nearly a quarter century
struggle to bring democracy to her army-dominated homeland.
Suu Kyi will join fellow members of her National League for Democracy (NLD).
The NLD has 37 members in the lower house of parliament.
outside world. The visit is significant in order to strengthen Look East Policy of India.
Pacts Signed Between India and Myanmar:
MoU on the India-Myanmar Border Area Development.
MoU on Establishment of Rice Bio Park at the Department of Agricultural Research in Nay Pyi Taw.
MoU towards setting up of Myanmar Institute of Information Technology.
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MoU on establishing of Border Haats across the border between Myanmar and India.
Sudan and South have reached a deal on oil transit fee which would be implemented only after
the issue of border security had been resolved, dampening hopes of a quick resumption of southern
oil exports through the north.
African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki said the parties had until Sept 22 to resolve all
their conflicts.
The two sides, deeply mistrustful of each other, have often not implemented previous agreements
and still need to mark their 1,800 km border and resolve charges both have made of supporting
rebels in the other’s territory.
Sudan & South Sudan Row Over Oil Rich ABYEI Region
The 2012 South Sudan-Sudan border war was an
armed conflict between the nations of Sudan and the South
Sudan in 2012 over oil-rich regions between the both.
The oil rich region Heglig is well under controlled of the
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Republic of Sudan. Certain areas involved, notably
Abyei, are claimed by both sides as part of their sovereign
territory.
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Iran has already suffered a massive cyber assault in 2010 by a worm called Stuxnet that
reportedly dealt a big blow to the country’s nuclear programme. Stuxnet, homed in on comput-
ers running uranium enrichment centrifuges at Iran’s nuclear facility in Natanz, destroy-
ing thousands of them and setting the atomic programme back months.
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portions of which are also claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines and other neighbors’.
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National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) as
“illegal”. Vietnam said the blocks were located
within Vietnam’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive
economic zone.
South China Sea: Disputed Islands
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Exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is a seazone prescribed by the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) over which a state has special rights over the exploration
and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind. It stretches from
the seaward edge of the state’s territorial sea out to 200 nautical miles from its coast.
Diaoyu
(As per China)
Disputed Islands
The disputed island is called as Senkaku Islands by Japanese and Diaoyu Islands by Chinese.
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The primary step towards trade enhancement,
was signing of MoU between Indian and Iran This “Int ernat io nal Nort h- South
over the development of CHAH BAHAR Transport Corridor” will have its starting
Port and transshipment facility at Bandar point from JNPT Port in Mumbai, and sea
route till Iran, then a railway link will be
Abbas. established between Iran, Turkmenistan,
If the proposed Railway line is transformed Kazakhstan and it will finally reach Russia.
into reality than trade with Afghanistan may
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also be possible, since there is well established
surface route from Chah Bahar port to Zarang Lake (Border of Afghanistan).
Zarang- Delaram Highway developed by India in Afghanistan will be utilized for
transportation in Afghanistan.
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Tax Info Rules Eased to Tackle Black Money Menace
The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
amended its rules on obtaining classified tax information by partner-countries which would
ease the disclosure norms to help nab tax evaders and stub the black money menace across the
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world.
Article 26 of the model tax convention, which stands for the international standard on exchange
of information related to financial data, including instances of black money and money laundering,
has been amended.
The OECD has sought to allow the member countries to obtain information about a group of tax
payers from another country, without verifying their identities separately.
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Master Tips
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UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage List in 1992. Today, it is one of the most
visited complexes in Cambodia’a Angkor region.
The sights at the Ta Prohm Buddhist monastic complex, built by Cambodian king
Jayavarman VII around 1181 CE in Siem Reap province can leave visitors benumbed.
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charged with IPC Section 302-Homicide.
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Protesters have demanded the end to nearly five decades of Ba’ath Party rule, as well as the
resignation of President Bashar al - Assad.
Arab League, United States, European Union, GCC states & other countries have
condemned use of violence against the protesters.
China & Russia have opposed attempts to agree to a UN resolution condemning Assad’s actions
and advised against sanctions, saying that such methods could escalate into foreign intervention.
The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership over the government’s response to the crisis,
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but sent an observer mission in December 2011, as part of its proposal for peaceful resolution of
the crisis. A further attempt to resolve the crisis has been made through the appointment of
former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a special envoy.
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U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had repeatedly stated that the Syrian conflict could emerge
into an “all-out civil war”.
On 15 July 2012 the International Committee of the Red Cross assessed the Syrian conflict as a
“non-international armed conflict” (the ICRC’s legal term for civil war), thus applying the
international humanitarian law under the Geneva Conventions in Syria.
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in February 2012.
He was replaced by Vice President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, who sided with the
opposition.
Nasheed was elected in 2008 with a sweeping majority, in the first multi-party elections in
the country’s history. His election marked the end of 30 years of autocratic rule by former
President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, during which Nasheed was arrested and detained
several times and also forced to live abroad for several years.
Master Tips
The Maldives, with a mostly Sunni Muslim population of 330,000, is one of the poorest coun-
tries in the region. It depends mainly on tourism and exporting dried fish. Tourism generates
two-thirds of the county’s GDP of about $1 billion. Many daily needs including food, clothes
and energy have to be imported.
Coup in Guinea-Bissau
On 12 April 2012, following the first round of a presidential election, elements of the armed
forces staged a coup in Guinea-Bissau, just over two weeks before the second round between
Carlos Gomes Junior and Mohamed Iala Embalo. On 15 April, an agreement was reached
to set up an interim National Transitional Council with a majority of opposition parties and the
military.
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Master Tips
Tahrir Square is a major public town square in Downtown Cairo, Egypt.
The square was originally called Ismailia Square but after the Egyptian Revolution of 1919
the square became widely known as Tahrir (liberation) Square.
national budgets to be in balance or in surplus within the treaty’s definition. These laws must
provide for a self-correcting mechanism to prevent their breach.
The treaty defines a balanced budget as one which has a general budget deficit less than 3%
of GDP and a structural deficit of less than either 0.5% or 1%, depending on a countries
debt-to-GDP ratio.
If the structural deficit for the annual account or budget is found to exceed those limits, the
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country will have to correct the issue within the timeline, nature and targeted size deemed as
necessary by the European Commission.
The treaty also places compliance with its budgetary and other requirements under the
jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. This contrasts with the EU treaties Fiscal Autonomy
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The papers are expected to be prepared in six months and after consideration, the IONS will
work towards evolving Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that would be fine-tuned
with table top exercises.
In the backdrop of the Kochi-incident that led to the killing of two Indian fishermen, the then
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma underscored need to have an SOP in order to
avoid recurrence of such tragic incident san clear guidelines for merchant veessels that transit
through the Exclusive Economic Zones(EEZ).
At the third edition of the IONS, initiative for which was taken by the Indian Navy in 2008,
there has been a growth in participation, with 23 delegations from including four nations –
Brazil, France, Germany and Italy – led by their Naval Chiefs taking part.
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West African leaders have decided to send troops to coup-hit Mali and Guinea-Bissau to support
their return to civilian rule and demanded coup leaders “return to barracks” in both countries.
At an extraordinary summit in Ivory Coast, the 15-member Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) also said the two countries must prepare for legislative and
presidential elections within a year.
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara, current head of ECOWAS, pledged a firm response
to the instability “to prevent sub-region from giving into terrorism and transnational criminality”.
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The coup in Mali on March 22 allowed Tuareg separatist rebels and armed Islamist groups to
take control of an area roughly the size of France in the remote desert north.
southern Syria, is internationally recognized as Syrian territory but has been occupied and
administered by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War establishing the Purple Line. The plateau
straddles the boundary between Syria and Israeli-held territory.
Elevations range from 2,814 metres (9,232 ft) in the north at Mount Hermon, to below sea
level along the Sea of Galilee and the Yarmuk River in the south.
The region attracts three million tourists a year and supplies Israel with one-third of its water.
Approximately 10% of Syrian Golan Druze has accepted Israeli citizenship.
political integration of the six Gulf monarchies as a hedge against the perceived threat from
Iran and to counter any challenge posed by the possible intrusion of the “Arab Spring” into this
energy rich zone.
Quake in Italy
The 5.8 magnitude quake added to the misery being felt in the Emilia Romagna region of
towns north of Bologna, one of Italy’s most agriculturally and industrial protective areas.
A powerful earthquake killed at least 15 people as it rocked a swath of northern Italy. Factories
and churches collapsed, dealing another blow to a region where thousands are still homeless
after a stronger quake just nine days ago.
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U.N. Monitors in Syria Confirm AL-Qubeir Atrocity
The United Nations monitors in Syria have
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recorded evidence of an atrocity in a
Syrian hamlet near the embattled city of Al-Qubeir, a small settlement of the Sunni Bedouin
Hama amid a heated international debate community, is surrounded by members of the
over ways to defuse the escalating crisis
Allawite sect, who have been mostly loyal to the
in Syria, which faces the threat of sliding
regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
into a full-scale civil war. ST
Syrian opposition claims that 78 people, a majority of them women and children, were killed in
cold blood by a pro-government militia after troops had shelled the village of Mazraat al-
Qubeir. The Syrian government has denied the charges and attributed the killings to “terrorists”.
Afghan Quake
The 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region, followed by a 5.7-quake. Both
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were felt as far away as the Afghan capital, Kabul, where buildings shook. Baghlan province’s
Burka district, the site of the landslide, is a remote collection of mountain villages.
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like Paraguay, dominated till 2008 by 61 years of uninterrupted rule by the Colorado party of
General Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989).
According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), sea piracy worldwide fell by 54
per cent in the first half of 2012, led by a dramatic drop in Somali piracy.
The international maritime watchdog attributed the sharp drop to “pre-emptive and disruptive
counter piracy tactics” by international navies patrolling in seas off Somalia as well as increased
vigilance by ships including hiring private armed personnel on board.
The bureau said 177 attacks were reported worldwide from January to June, down from 266 in
the same period last year. It said 20 vessels were hijacked worldwide, with 334 crew members
taken hostage and at least four crew members killed.
India, and most other developing countries, strongly supports such a legally binding treaty
currently being negotiated at World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) meeting
in Geneva.
The treaty would allow organisations working for the blind to import and export accessible
works without seeking the copyright holder’s permission, since very little money is spent in
developing countries on converting books into accessible formats, while they are much more
readily available elsewhere.
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Free Syrian Army a nd the Syrian Aleppo, located in northwestern Syria 310
military. The battle began on 19 July 2012 kilometers from Damascus, is the largest city in
as a part of the Syrian civil war. The scale Syria and holds great strategic and economic
importance. For centuries, Aleppo was Greater
and importance of the battle has led to the Syria's largest city and the Ottoman Empire's third,
battle being referred as “the mother of all after Istanbul and Cairo.
battles”.
decades of civil war. The Horn of Africa country’s outgoing government hailed the end of an
eight-year interim period.
The special assembly – chosen by traditional elders in a U.N. - backed process – took eight days
to debate and votes on the new Constitution, as the graft-riddled government approaches the
end of its mandate on August 20.
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Key steps in the fragile political process remain, including a new Parliament to be selected by
traditional elders, with that Parliament to subsequently elect a new President.
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Tipaimukh Dam: INDO-BANGLADESH Controversy
Tipaimukh Dam is a proposed embankment dam on the river Barak in Manipur state in
India for the purpose of flood control and hydroelectric power generation.
The project has led to controversy between India and Bangladesh over water rights as well
as controversy with Manipuri people to be relocated by the reservoir.
Bangladeshi experts have said the massive dam will disrupt the seasonal rhythm of the river
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and have an adverse effect on downstream agriculture and fisheries.
The government of Bangladesh has decided to send an expert team to the Dam area to examine
the features and likely impact of the dam on the flow of water into the Surma and the Kushiara.
Sea
signed in the Russian northern seaport of
Murmanks by the Russian and Norwegian Shlokman Naryan-Mar
maritime border
that lies off their Arctic coastlines and is believed
to be rich in oil and gas thus paving the way for Murmanks
Hurricane Ernesto
Ernesto, the second hurricane of the Atlantic
season, has made landfall along the southern Master Tips
coast of the Yucatan Peninsula near
Mahahual, Mexico. The Categ ory 1 Cyclones with wind velocity less than 39 mph is not
hurricane was located about 40 miles east named but become named tropical storms when
nor theast of Chetu mal, Mexico, w ith
their winds reach more than 39 mph. They become
hurricanes when winds exceed 74 mph.
maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per
hour (140 km per hour).
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China Runs on the World’s Fastest Train
The Chinese made CRH380 bullet train recorded a world record speed of 420 km per hour.
China’s high-speed rail network now stretches over
7,431 km. The government plans to expand the
network to over 16,000 km by 2020.
Investment in the high-speed rail network has
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gathered pace since the first line, connecting Beijing
with the port city Tianjin, opened in 2008.
China in 2010 unveiled the world’s fastest bullet train,
which will connect two of the country’s industrial hubs
travelling at an average speed of 350 km per hour.
The high-speed rail link between Shanghai and
Hangzhou, reduced the travelling time from 78
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minutes to 45 minutes to cover the 200-km distance.
China has also begun the 1,318-km high-speed rail line linking the country’s two most important
cities - Beijing and Shanghai reducing the travel time between the capital and the financial
centre half, to just 5 hours.
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to cover the 693 km distance from Beijing to Zhengzhou that links the country’s capital
and the southern economic hub.
This is the longest high-speed network after China launched the Beijing-Shanghai bullet train
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in 2011 which brought down travel time to around five hours covering over 1,300 km distance
between two of China’s largest cities.
Rwanda and Uganda, under pressure from the West to cut all links to the M23 insurgency,
want a regional force to tackle the rebels. But Congo has in the past resisted such calls, favoring
an expanded role for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo.
Rwanda has denied accusations by U.N. experts that its military officials have provided equipment
and recruits for the M23 rebellion. Uganda has also rejected similar accusations.
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hundreds of undocumented Roma immigrants from Eastern Europe were forced from their
homes.
Master Tips
Roma is a nomadic community of some 12 million living in Eastern Europe, particularly in Romania,
Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary. An estimated 15-20,000 Roma live in France.
While Roma make up a tiny percentage of France’s immigrant population, their nomadic lifestyle and
some resorting to pick-pocketing and aggressive begging have made them the subject of controversy.
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Sarkozy’s government repatriated thousands of Roma to Romania but many took advantage of
porous European Union borders to return to France, having pocketed aid for departure from the
French state of 300 euros ($370) each.
Master Tips
Cayman Islands, a beach-lined group of islands south of Cuba is a British Overseas
Territory located in the western Caribbean Sea. It has long relied on the “no direct
taxation” model as a cornerstone of its lucrative financial industry and known as a tax
haven for the mega rich around the world and home to most of the world’s hedge funds.
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It was in the news in India due to government of India’s efforts on curbing the
black money and tax evasion and also due to the visit of then President of India,
Ms. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil.
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Japan was the 3rd biggest user of atomic energy before the disaster.
In abandoning atomic power Japan aims to triple the share of renewable power to 30 per cent of
its energy mix but will remain a top importer of oil, coal and gas for the foreseeable future.
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The region has historically been the centre of
conflict between various states, based largely
on its strategic geopolitical location.
Israel invaded and occupied Sinai during the
Six Day War of 1967.
On 6 October 1973, Egypt launched the
Egyptian and Israeli forces.
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October War to liberate the peninsula,
which was the site of fierce fighting between
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Guinea-Bissau Presidential election 2012: An early presidential election was held in Guinea-
Bissau on 18 March 2012 following the death of President Malam Bacai Sanha on 9 January.
A run-off was set to be held on 29 April after being postponed by a week as announced by
electoral commission chief Desejado Lima Dacosta. However, after a military coup, the main
candidate was arrested and any plan for an early election was cancelled.
Malian parliamentary election 2012: A parliamentary election was planned to be held in
Mali on 1 July and 22 July 2012. However, after the military coup, the election was canceled.
re-elected as President.
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Taiwan (Republic of China) Presidential election 2012: Incumbent Ma Ying-jeou was
Yemeni Presidential Election 2012: A presidential election was held in Yemen on 21 February
2012. Acting President Abd Rabbuh Mansur al-Hadi was the only candidate in the election.
He was sworn in as president of Yemen on 25 February 2012 in the Presidential Palace.
Turkmenistan Presidential Election 2012: A presidential election was held in Turkmenistan
on 12 February, 2012. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow is the President of Turkmenistan.
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French Presidential Election 2012: A presidential election was held in France on 22 April
2012. Hollande won the runoff with a vote of 51.63% of the vote to Sarkozy’s 48.37%.
Russian Presidential Election 2012: Vladimir Putin received 63.64% of the vote and elected
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as President. Vladimir Putin on May 7, 2012 took his oath of office to become Russian President
for a historic third mandate at a glittering ceremony inside the Kremlin. Putin already served
as President for two terms between 2000 and 2008.
“Observer State’, largely means a symbolic up gradation in status that drew criticism and
Potential financial Penalties from the US and Israel.
The most significant ramification is that the Palestinians will be able to speak at UN meetings
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The other deal—Social Security Agreement— will benefit about 30,000 citizens of both
countries. About 22,000 Indians are working in Japan and about 8,000 Japanese are working in
India.
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 18, 2012.
They had also focused on territorial disputes among nations and Myanmar’s deadly unrest.
Head of the 10-members Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced their
declaration on human rights as a landmark agreement that would help to protect the 600 million
people of ASEAN.
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Pakistan Launches Education Plan for Children with Focus on Girls
UN special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown’s call to observe NOVEMBER 10 as
‘Global Action Day For Malala Yousufzai.
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To show Pakistan’s commitment to Ms. Younsufzai’s dream of educating the 32 million out-of-
school girls across the world, the Pakistani federal government launched the Waseela-e-Taleem
Programme to educate three Million children, especially girls, from the poorest of poor families.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has announced that 10th November, 2012,
will be celebrated as Malala Day all over the world.
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BoJ in Currency Swap Pact with RBI
Japan and India, has signed a Bilateral Swap Agreement (BSA) which enables both countries
to swap their local currencies, that is, either Japanese yen or Indian rupee against the U.S.
dollar for an amount up to $15 billion.
The Bank of Japan (BOJ), acting as the agent for the Ministry of Finance of Japan, and the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) concluded a Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) between Japan
and India.
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The BSA would be effective for a three-year period. The BSA was signed by Governor Masaaki
Shirakawa of the BOJ and Governor D. Subbarao of the RBI and become effective as of
December 4, 2012.
In the past, both countries had a similar arrangement for an amount up to $3 billion for three
years from June 2008 to June 2011.
Master Tips
A
Currency Swap : A currency swap is a foreign-exchange agreement between two institutes to
exchange aspects (namely the principal and/or interest payments) of a loan in one currency for
equivalent aspects of an equal in net present value loan in another currency.
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Portugal and Malaysia for the proposed international body.
•
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Nasir Airport in Male, rather Maldives was looking at developing a few domestic airports
through Joint Ventures and partnerships.
To drive home his point that no other Indian project had been affected, he said that Maldives
had been discussing projects with other Indian firms, such as the Tatas.
Master Tips
The $50 million project, titled ‘SERIIUS’
Unlike traditional solar panels, CSP projects
(Solar Energy Research Initiative of concentrate a large area of sunlight onto a small
India and the United States), would be area of contained liquid. The liquid heats up, emits
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conducted by the Bangalore-based Indian steam, and a generator converts the steam into
electricity.
Institute of Science and the Washington-
based Na tiona l Renewable Energy
Laboratory.
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The EU: The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member
states which are located primarily in Europe.
Important institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the Council
of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the
European Union, and the European Central Bank.
The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens.
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The EU’s de facto capital is Brussels.
With a combined population of over 500 million inhabitants or 7.3% of the world
population, the EU, in 2011, generated the largest nominal world GDP of 17.6
trillion US dollars, representing approximately 20% of the global GDP when
measured in terms of purchasing power parity.
Important Office Bearers of EU:
President of the European Council: Herman Van Rompuy
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President of the European Commission: Jose Manuel Barroso
President of Parliament: Martin Schulz
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runner-up followed by Venezuela’s Irene Esser.
Ms. Culpo, has brought the title back to the U.S. after a
decade. Brooke Lee was the last winner in 1997.
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Ms. Culpo was crowned by 2011 winner Leila Lopez of Angola. India’s Shilpa Singh made
only to the top 16 spot.
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start first-round talks on the RCEP in 2013, which are expected to form the world’s economic
bloc in 2015.
a strategic partnership.
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India became a sectoral dialogue partner of the grouping in 1992. The relationship was elevated
to full dialogue partnership in 1996.
Since 2002, the two sides have been holding annual summits. The framework of agreement on
comprehensive economic cooperation (CECA) was signed in 2003 and the agreement on trade
in goods in 2009.
After the Commemorative Summit on Dec 20-21, 2012 in Delhi; India has become a strategic
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partner of ASEAN.
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4
Environment &
Ecology Updates
Study Material Environment & Ecology Updates 66
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2. Ratapani MP Currently, there are 42 tiger reserves in
3. Sunabeda Odisha
India which are governed by Project Tiger and
administered by t he Na tiona l Tiger
4. MukundaraHills Rajasthan
Conservation Authority.
5. Satyamangalam TamilNadu
About the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): Opened for signature at the Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and entering into force in December 1993, the CBD is an
international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of
biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources.
With 193 Parties, the Convention has near universal participation among countries.
Himachal Pradesh Becomes 1st Smoke Free State in Country: Bags WHO
SEAROS Award 2012
The World Health Organization (WHO) has conferred WHO-South East-Asia Regional Office
(SEARO’s) Award -2012 to Himachal Pradesh Government for its outstanding achievement
in Anti Tobacco campaign.
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programme expired at the end of 2011.
Although, China’s relatively flat year in 2011 cooled the rapid pace of growth in the Asian
region, new opportunities are emerging in the flourishing markets of India, Indonesia, Australia
and Japan.
Clean Energy Investment in India:
Clean energy investments in India increased 54% in 2011 to $ 10.2 billion.
The wind sector in India led the way, attracting $ 4.6 billion and spurring deployment of 2.8
GW during the year.
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India’s pursuit of its ‘National Solar Mission’, which aims to deploy 20 GW of solar energy
by 2020, is evident in the increase in investment to $ 4.2 billion.
Project Wikiflora
The project Wikiflora aims to provide a platform to the research community such as scientists
and teachers to share knowledge and findings on biological diversity by the model of “citizen
science,” similar to Wikipedia.
In order to digitalize information on Amazonian biodiversity, the Brazilian government
signed a partnership agreement with the U.S. Company IBM.
The World Heritage Committee, meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, decided to inscribe 39 serial
sites of the Western Ghats on the World Heritage List.
The Western Ghats was inscribed under criteria 9 and 10 of the Operational Guidelines of the
World Heritage Convention.
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Criterion 9 of the guidelines deals with properties which are “outstanding examples representing
significant ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and
development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and
communities of plants and animals.”
Criterion 10 is relevant for “those properties which 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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of Goa by 2016.
WGEA: The Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA), a 24 member body, will have
ecologists, scientists, representatives of civil society, as well as tribal groups, officials from the
Union Environment Ministry, Planning Commission, National Biodiversity Authority, Central
Pollution Control Board, and representatives of the state government as its members.
It will be a three layered authority having WGEA at national level, the State Western Ghats
Ecology Authorities at state level and District Ecology Committees at district level.
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Function of WGEA: The WGEA would need to function in a networked fashion, with six
constituent State Western Ghats Ecology Authorities, appointed jointly by the State
Governments and the Centre.
The State Western Ghats Ecology Authorities should interact closely with the State Biodiversity
Boards and Pollution Control Boards, as well as State Planning Departments administering the
Western Ghats Development Programmes, funded through Five-Year Plans by the Planning
Commission. It would be appropriate that all the Western Ghats Development Plan schemes
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thousands of people disabled and diseased over the years. More than 4,000 people have already
been identified as victims eligible for relief, and four-stage verification is on in case if 1,400
more applicants. The process includes medical examination by experts and confirmation of places
of residence by the Revenue Department.
The commission has recommended that a panel of doctors may assess the extent of physical
disability to classify the categories of victims. It has also called for a survey of other populations
that may have been affected by the use of endosulfan, including in Palakkad, where there
were reports of similar problems faced by villagers.
Master Tips
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Endosulfan is an off-patent organo-chlorine insecticide and acaricide that has been banned
in some developed countries. Endosulfan became a highly controversial agro-chemical due to its
acute toxicity, potential for bio-accumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor.
The Supreme Court has banned the manufacture, sale and use of toxic pesticide endosulfan in
India.
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responsibility” (ERP).
Note: These will not apply to lead acid batteries as covered under the Batteries (Management
and Handling) Rules, 2011, micro and small enterprises as defined in the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 (27 of 2006) and radio-active wastes as covered
under the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (33 of 1962).
The switch follows after intensive lobbying by the European gas industry, which is attempting
to rebrand itself as a green alternative to nuclear and coal, and as lower cost than renewable
forms of power such as wind and sun.
But green groups warned that relying on gas would raise energy prices and fail to tackle climate
change, and could fatally stunt the growth of the renewables industry.
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out in 2009, 2010 and 2011 using the camera trap method.
The report, “Tigers of the Kaziranga National Master Tips
Park, Assam, India, 2009-2011,” says 118 Kaziranga in Assam, famous for its one-
tigers were recorded in the reserve over the horned rhinoceros, was declared a tiger
reserve in 2008, covers over 1,000 square
three year-period. The figure includes six kilometers. The major prey for tiger there,
tigers which died during the monitoring according to the report, is hog deer, sambar,
swamp deer, Asiatic wild buffalo and wild
period. pigs.
• The study was a joint initiative of the Assam Forest Department and biodiversity conservation
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group Aaranyak. In 2011, it was carried out in collaboration with the wildlife Institute of
India and WWF India.
Aim: It seeks to promote agro-biodiversity, enabling small and marginal communities to preserve
their traditional knowledge, make a living, and protect the environment.
It is led by Martina Padmanabhan, a German agricultural sociologist based at the Institute
for Environmental Planning of Leibniz University in Hannover. The team is one of 12
junior research groups funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research.
The main partner in Wayanad district is the
Master Tips
M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
(MSSRF) based in Chennai. Indigenous tribes of Wayanad district in
• Kerals’s Wayanad district has large areas of Kerala are: Paniyas, Kurumas, Adiyars,
paddy fields, with many rice landraces
Kurichyas, Ooralis, Kattunaikkans.
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• The appellants argued the MoEF order was based on false information provided by the district
collector, Khargone, who claimed there would be no submergence of lands and houses at 154
metres.
Master Tips
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established under the National Green Tribunal
Act, 2010, for speedy disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of
forests and other natural resources.
The 400 MW Maheshwar dam is India’s first privately financed hydro-electric project and is one of
the 39 big dams being built across the Narmada River.
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Power Generation From Water Hyacinth: A Breakthrough
Kondala Ruthala, a non-resident Indian from Andhra Pradesh proposes use of biogas produced
from water hyacinth to be used for generating electricity, heating and industrial purposes.
The aim is to provide efficient energy solution that is reliable, scalable and cost effective.
He has submitted the proposal to Krishna district Collector seeking permission to set up a
biogas plant at Nandigamalanka in the district.
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A citizen of USA and equipped with 17 years of experience in crude oil/gas exploration, high-
tech electronics, medical and silk industreis in the US and in India, he proposes to use indigenous
technology developed by VillageVision Biotechnologies, IIT/GBES and National
Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to set up the gas plant.
Besides the fact that farmers will benefit from the project, the Irrigation Department which
spends between Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 15 lakh every year on removal of water hyacinth, will have
a reason to smile.
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Master Tips
Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes), considered to be one of the world’s most destructive and
unbeatable weeds, clogs up rivers, hydroelectric plants, waterways and entire lakes. Due to its fero-
cious biomass growth rate (up to 17 tonnes per hectare per day, doubling its biomass each week),
water hyacinth colonises water bodies in a matter of days, laying dense carpets of flowers over the
water. One flower produces up to 1,000 new plants in 50 days.
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the
21st Century took the note of India’s initiative in the renewable energy sector and praised it.
India’s National Solar Mission helps the country stimulate an impressive 62 per cent increase
in investments to $12 billion during the year, the fastest investment expansion of any large
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Labelling of GM Foods Mandatory: Centre
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has made an amendment to make labeling of every package
containing genetically modified food (GM food) mandatory from January 1, 2013. The move
will impact the imported GM foods that are flooding the markets.
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The Madya Pradesh government launched the country’s first ever river-lake linking project
in the water-scarce Bundelkhand region.
The Harpura irrigation and river-lake link project, launched in the Tikamgarh district,
will be implemented under the Centre’s Rs. 7266 crore Bundelkhand package.
It will link the perennial Jamni river to the nearby lakes and water bodies built during the
Chandel era.
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Under the project, an additional 1,980 hectares of land are expected to come under irrigation.
It is proposed to construct a 44.28 km-long main canal and a 13 km-long branch-canal for
filling up the lakes, besides digging 100 wells on either side of the main canal.
Master Tips
Country’s first ever river linking project – the Ken-Betwa river link – was expected to be launched
in the Bundelkhand region. However, it was abandoned last year after the Union Ministry of
Environment and Forests refused environmental clearance, citing the probable submergence of
major portions of the Panna Tiger Reserve.
*Ken and Betwa are tributaries of River Yamuna.
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A leaf frog species and six plants were recorded as extinct, according to the latest assessment.
*Important Indian figures:
According to the latest figures, 15 species of Indian birds, including the great Indian
bustard, Siberian crane and sociable lapwing are there in the list of Critically
Endangered birds.
River Tern, a wetland-dependent species found in Kerala, has been moved to Near
Threatened category from Least concern, and Black-bellied Tern to Endangered from Near-
threatened in the latest list.
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Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel which was first sighted in the India in the sea off the Chavakad
beach last year, has also been classified as Near Threatened.
Four fish species from Kerala, including the Pookode Lake Barb and Nilgiri Mystus, are
included in the Critically Endangered fishes of India.
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Uranium/Arsenic in Ground Water: A New Problem in Punjab
The results of ground water sample across Punjab tested positive for presence of uranium.
While most of the water was from the cotton belt in the south-western districts of the
Malwa region of Punjab, Gurdaspur from the Majha belt reported the presence of
arsenic in ground water.
Cause: Though the exact cause could not be found immediately, the most popular theory doing
the rounds indicated that the heavy metals could have leached into the soil from the excessive
use of phosphate-based fertilizers.
Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh laid the foundation for a laboratory in
Mohali, for the testing of drinking water.
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The Rs. 4-crore facility would cater to the needs of the northern States.
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre would coordinate with the laboratory to assess the
presence of heavy metals and hazardous materials drinking water. It would analyse the causes,
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besides suggesting remedies and viable alternatives to deal with the situation.
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$23 a gram a huge sum in a country where most people live on less than $2 a day.
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sides of the Algerian-Libyan border.
Political insecurity and conflict in Mali could also hamper monitoring and control efforts if the
locusts reach that country.
Locust infestations were first reported in southwest Libya near Ghat in January 2012 and in
southeast Algeria. Niger last faced desert locust swarms during the 2003-05 plague that affected
farmers in two dozen countries.
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Countries Unhappy With Proposals, Yet Continue With Doha Talks (COP-18)
The climate talks continued at Doha with Conference of Parties (COP)-18 president Abdullah
Bin Hamid Al Hattiyah of Qatar pushing for a conclusion, while accepting that everyone
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was unhappy with the proposals, but at the same time wanting an outcome.
Conference Outcome:
The Conference produced a package of documents collectively titled The Doha Climate Gateway
over objections from Russia and other countries at the session. The documents collectively
contained:
An eight year extension of the Kyoto Protocol until 2020 limited in scope to only 15% of
the global carbon dioxide emissions due to the lack of participation of Canada, Japan, Russia,
Belarus, Ukraine, New Zealand and the United States and due to the fact that developing
countries like China (the world’s largest emitter), India and Brazil are not subject to any emissions
reductions under the Kyoto Protocol.
Language on loss and damage, formalized for the first time in the conference documents.
The conference made little progress towards the funding of the Green Climate Fund.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
75 Environment & Ecology Updates Study Material
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Three states - Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Sikkim have maintained their forest cover.
In terms of percentage of forest cover in relation to total geographical area, Mizoram tops with
90.68% followed by Lakshadweep with 84.56%.
Category of Forest %age State Forest Cover (Area) Rank (Area wise)
MadhyPradesh 77,700sqkms 1
ExtremelyDense
7
ArunachalPr adesh 67,410sqkms 2
Dense 36
Moderatelydense
OpenArea
Master Tips
39
18
STChhattisgarh
Maharashtra
Odisha
55,674sqkms
50,646sqkms
48,903sq
kms
3
4
5
5.1 Space Odyssey
Venus is always visible from Earth – it appears either before sunrise (the morning
star) or right after sunset (the evening star). But during transits, Venus, Earth and
the Sun line up in space, causing Venus to appear as a black dot against the disc of
the sun. Transits of Venus are truly rare. A pair of such events occurs every 105.5 or
121.5 years. The last event occurred in June 2004, and the next will occur 105 years
from now, in December 2117.
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Master Tips
The ISRO would launch GSLV-II, which has a cryogenic third stage developed by the
ISRO, by the end of year 2012 or early 2013. GSLV-I had a Russian cryogenic engine.
Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) where GSLV Mark-III is being
developed is P.S. Veeraraghavan.
The United States under MTCR raised objections which prevented the transfer of cryogenic
technology from Russia to India which led to indigenous development of cryogenic engine
by ISRO.
In a major step, ISRO on May 12, 2012 successfully tested the indigenous engine to be used to
propel the country’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
The test was conducted at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Mahendra Giri in
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India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark-II will place the
Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter, coupled to the lunar lander and rover, in orbit around the Earth.
Master Tips
Luna-Glob: It is a proposed Russian lunar mission which is likely to take place in
2014. The lander for this mission is similar to the one flying on the Chandrayaan-2
which is called as “Luna-Resource” by the Russians.
RISAT-1 weighing 1858 kg, the heaviest satellite launched yet by the PSLV, is a state-of-the-art
Active Microwave Remote Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
that will operate in the C-band.
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The RISAT-1 with magical roving eyes of SAR can beam back clearer imaging of the earth
surface features at day and night and under all imagined weather conditions thus making it
superior to the generation of optical remote sensing satellites.
Master Tips
PSLV-C19 is the 21st flight in the PSLV series of satellite launches, the 20th consecutive
successful launch and the third to involve the high-end version (PSLV-XL).
The two earlier flights of the PSLV-XL were used to launch Chandrayaan-1 in October
2008 and the GSAT-12 communication satellite in July 2011.
The rocket is called PSLV-XL (XL stands for extra-large) because it used six more
powerful strap-on motors than those used in the standard PSLV version. If the normal
PSLV version’s six strap-on motors each use 9 tonnes of solid propellants, each of them
in the PSLV-XL use 12 tonnes of propellants.
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Summer Star ‘Vega’ 200 Million Years Older Than Thought
Vega, a star used by astronomers as a standard to measure other stars’ brightness for thousands
of years, may be more than 200 million years older than previously thought and the mass of the
star to be just over two times the Sun’s.
Researchers from the University of Michigan estimated Vega’s age by precisely measuring
its spin speed with a tool called the Michigan Infrared Combiner (MIRC).
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MIRC collects the light gathered by six telescopes to make it appear to be coming through one
that’s 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope.
Master Tips
Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra is a summer star in the Northern
Hemisphere and is just visible toward the west at sunset at 25 light years away.
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Scientists Discover Mini Nile River on Saturn’s Moon Titan
NASA scientists have spotted the longest extraterrestrial river system ever - on Saturn’s moon
Titan - and it appears to be a miniature version of Earth’s Nile River.
As per the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the river valley
on Titan stretches more than 400 kilometres from its
“headwaters” to a large sea.
Nil
Lake
e
Nasser
d
i le
a
N
resolution anywhere other than Earth. Khartoum
e
Sudan
S
eN
Master Tips
The Nile, is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa, generally regarded as
the longest river in the world of 6,650 kms. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan,
South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya,
Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major tributaries, the White Nile and
Blue Nile meeting at Khartoum, capital of Sudan. The Nile ends in a large delta that
empties into the Mediterranean Sea.(Refer Map for clarity.)
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the ISS’s Zvezda service module.
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China’s Shenzhou-9 spacecraft returned to Earth, ending a mission that put the country’s first
woman in space and completed a manned docking test critical to its goal of building a space
station by 2020.
The spacecraft’s gumdrop-shaped return capsule descended to Earth by parachute and touched
down in China’s northwestern inner Mongolia region with its three-member crew, including
female astronaut Liu Yang.
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China’s Own Version of GPS: ‘COMPASS’ Or ‘BEIDOU’
China has also joined an elite group of nations in launching its own global navigation system,
called Compass or Beidou, which will function similar to the American Global Positioning
System (GPS), and will be used by both the Chinese military and to develop the
telecommunications industry.
China’s mission to achieve a first-ever docking exercise in space, part of plans to build its own
space station, was “a complete success”, as the unmanned Shenzhou-8 aircraft returned to Earth
following a more than month-long docking exercise.
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Shenzhou-8 rendezvoused and docked with the Tiangong-1, or “Heavenly Palace”, space
laboratory module.
China is now only the third nation, after the United States and Russia, to achieve a
docking in space, though it trails both nations, which completed this feat more than 3 decades
ago.
Following Shenzhou-8’s success, China will launch 3 more spacecraft next year, with at least
one of them a manned mission.
The successful docking, would pave the way for China’s launching of its won manned space
station by 2020.
That is the same year the International Space Station (ISS) is brought down – a coincidence of
events seen by analysts as reflecting China’s resurgence and the West’s decline in space
programmes.
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NASA’s shuttle programme ended last year. Enterprise’s place at the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington has been taken by the shuttle Discovery.
Shuttle Endeavor is going to Los Angeles, and
Shuttle Atlanstis is staying at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
Shuttle Columbia crashed in 2003 resulting into death of all 7 crew members on board including
Indian Kalpana Chawala.
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MACE Telescope to be Set Up at Hanle, Ladakh
MACE (Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment) Telescope, the 21-meter instrument,
the world’s largest telescope at the highest altitude is being established at Hanle, Ladakh
which would enable the study of high energy cosmic gamma-ray bursts from pulsars and stars
to find out more about the secrets of universe.
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Hyderabad based Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) is executing the entire
project and manufacturing the telescope for Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
The indigenously-built telescope would be remotely operated and powered by solar energy.
Its mirrors have an accuracy of 50 nanometers. The telescope would be operational from next
year.
The telescope is coming up on the campus of Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) at
Hanle.
Close to the proposed MACE site, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore is
operating Himalayan Chandra Optical Telescope (HCOT).
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A seven element wave front sampling gamma-ray telescope HAGAR (High Altitude Gamma
Ray Telescope) was also jointly established by IIA and the Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research (TIFR).
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The close proximity of the telescopes would help in coordinated multi-wavelength studies of the
cosmos.
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the first attempt to send a privately built spacecraft to the research outpost, where it plans
to do a fly-under followed by a berthing.
Master Tips
SpaceX, Space Exploration Technologies is the first of several U.S. competitors to
try sending its own cargo-bearing spacecraft to the ISS with the goal of restoring U.S.
access to space for human travelers by 2015.
unprecedented detail.
Key features of the telescope:
The Gregor telescope will be able to show structures on the sun on scales as small as 70
kilometers with a mirror diameter of 1.5 metres.
The telescope also features a retractable roof that prevents air turbulence in its optical path,
which allows it to deliver “images of sharpness that up till now no terrestrial solar telescope has
ever obtained.
Gregor was built mainly to study physical processes on the surface of the sun and to see in
these layers how energy from its interior emerges and is launched into space, and sometimes,
reach the Earth.
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The 30 Meter Telescope’s segmented primary
mirror, which will be nearly 100 feet or 30
metres long, will give it 9 times the light-
collecting area of the largest optical telescopes
in use today and its images will also be 3 time
sharper.
The telescope, known as TMT, will be able to
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observe planets that orbit stars other than
the Sun and enable astronomers to watch new
planets and stars being formed.
Hawaii as Location: The summit of Mauna Kea volcano
Mauna Kea Volcano
It was selected due to relatively mild weather conditions, favorable wind patterns and skies,
which would allow for more than 300 nights of observation a year.
Air pollution is very low atop the volcano, which is located far from major populated areas,
allowing scientists to decrease the blurring effect of the Earth’s atmosphere.
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Low average temperatures and very low humidity allows an exciting new discovery space using
adaptive optics and infrared observations.
Institutions and Partners: Notable Presence of India and China
The University of California system, the California Institute of Technology and the
Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy founded the telescope,
which is expected to be finished by 2018.
China joined as an observer in 2009, followed by India. Both are now partners, with
representatives on the TMT board. They will also have a share of the observation time.
China and India will pay a share of the construction cost, expected to top $1 billion, for the
telescope at the summit of Mauna Kea volcano.
Japan, which has its own large telescope at Mauna Kea, the 8.3-meters Subaru, is also a
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partner.
Kepler-16b is a Saturn-mass planet consisting of half rock and half gas, and it orbits a
binary star, Kepler-16, with a period of 229 days.
It is formally known as Kepler-16 (AB)-b and unofficially referred to as Tatooine is an extrasolar
planet.
It is the first confirmed example of a circumbinary planet - a planet orbiting not one, but
two stars.
The planet was discovered using the space observatory aboard NASA’s Kepler spacecraft.
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‘SpaceX’ Flight Opens Door for U.S. Military Payloads
Dragon’s launch was the third successive flight of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which debuted in
June 2010. Flying three times successfully was among the criteria the company needed to meet
to become eligible to compete for military business under a new program designed to draw
competition into a field now monopolized by United Lunch Alliance, a partnership of Boeing
and Lockheed Martin.
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US Weather Satellite Launched: First-of-its-Kind
The U.S. space agency launched a first-of-its kind satellite that will send back data on weather
and climate to help forecasters predict major storms and other changes in the environment
which will circle the Earth at a height of 820 km in a polar orbit.
The $1.5-billion National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System
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Preparatory Project (NPP) took off aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force
Base in California.
It is one of 14 Earth observation missions currently being managed by NASA which will
study temperature and water in the atmosphere, how clouds and aerosols affect temperature,
and how plants on land and in the ocean respond to environmental changes.
The NPP will help fill in data gaps left by European weather observatories.
The 2 small spacecraft GRAIL A (Ebb) and GRAIL B (Flow) were launched on 10 September
2011 aboard a single launch vehicle, the most-powerful configuration of a Delta II, the 7920H-10.
GRAIL A separated from the rocket about 9 minutes after launch, GRAIL B followed about 8
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minutes later. They arrived at their orbits around the Moon 24 hours apart.
The first probe entered orbit on 31 December 2011 and the second followed on 1 January 2012.
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Between them, the probes have explored all the giant planets of the solar system; Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, as well as 48 of their moons.
10 meters across.
The large mirror on the ELT, made up from nearly 800 hexagonal segments, will gather 12
times more light than the largest optical telescopes operating today.
Participants and Partners:
The European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) council met at its headquarters in Garching,
Germany, where 10 countries gave the project full or conditional support.
Representatives from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden
and Switzerland voted to start the program while Belgium, Finaland, Italy, and the United
Kingdom backed the project pending confirmation from their governments. The remaining
four - Denmark, France, Portugal and Spain – said they continue to work towards approval.
Chile, which will play host to the telescope, is also involved.
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Brazil plans to join the ESO Council this year.
A solar energy plane piloted by Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard landed in Morocco, completing
the world’s first intercontinental flight powered by the sun to show the potential for pollution-
free air travel and its sustainability.
The ‘solar impulse’ took off from Madrid (Capital city of Spain) and landed at Rabat’s
(Capital City of Morocco) International airport after a 19-hour flight. Shortly before
Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard landed in Rabat’s airport, the project co-founder and pilot Andre
Borschberg said the aircraft has proved its sustainability.
The Solar Impulse project began in 2003 with a 10-year budget of 90 million euros ($112.18
million) and has involved engineers from Swiss lift maker Schindler and research aid
from Belgian chemicals group Solvay.
The plane, which requires 12,000 solar cells, embarked on its first flight in April 2010 and
completed a 26-hour flight, a record flying time for a solar powered aircraft, three months later.
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The Britain-based consortium behind the project, The United International Consortium
which is funding the $2 billion project includes Canada, China, Germany, Italy, the
Netherlands, the United Kingdom as well as Australia and South Africa.
5.2
solar wind.
malarial in adults. It provides relief from most malaria-related symptoms, including fever and
has a high cure rate of over 95 per cent.
The dual-molecule combination drug conforms to the recommendations of World Health
Organisation (WHO) and will be required to be taken only once a day for three days.
Unlike artemisinin-based drugs, it has a synthetic source, the production of which can be
scaled up whenever required and a consistent supply of the drug can be maintained at low cost.
Master Tips
Malaria claims, half a million lives every year globally and India contributes to 77 per
cent of the 2.5 million cases reported annually from South East Asia.
Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the
bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and
then infect red blood cells.
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each, and with an error rate of no more than 0.0001 percent.
Master Tips
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The work is also expected to help in efforts to improve the productivity of other crops.
France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherland, South Korea, Israel, Spain, Argentina,
and Belgium.
Master Tips
The completion of the genome sequence was important for India, the world’s largest
producer of bananas. However, most of the country’s production was consumed locally
and exports amounted to only 0.5 per cent of the world trade in the fruit. So, enhanced
productivity could boost the export.
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New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) is an enzyme that makes bacteria
resistant to a broad range of beta-lactum antibiotics. These include the antibiotics of the
carbapenem family, which are a mainstay for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant
bacterial infections.
Kinesio Tape
Athletic tape made in every color under the sun seems to be the latest must-have sports injury
treatment at London 2012.
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It is called KINESIO tape and developed by a Japanese doctor more than 30 years ago; the
adhesive strapping is designed to provide muscle and joint support without restricting movement.
The new Aspirin was dubbed NOSH, which stands for Nitric Oxide and Hydrogen Sulphide.
The new Aspirin reduces the harmful side effects . Aspirin is effective against Cancer. But it
can also cause bleeding in the gut and ulcers.
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The gas-filled Aspirin protects the gut from damage by producing nitric oxide and hydrogen
sulphide. NOSH-aspirin was 100000 times more effective than the original drug.
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the lab.
The interest in the jellyfish lies in its remarkable swimming ability, which comes from muscles that
open its bell-like body and then contract it, thus ejecting water and driving the creature along.
This pump-like design has been honed by more than 500 million years of evolution to be as
simple and energy-efficient as possible. As a result, it offers tempting insights for scientists
hoping to make small, reliable heart pumps for the future.
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NHRC Recommended to Make Silicosis Notifiable Disease
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended that silicosis be made a
notifiable disease taking a note of the increasing silicosis-related deaths in the country.
Once notified, all government and private health facilities will have to report confirmed as well
as suspected silicosis cases to the government.
Silicosis also known as Potter’s rot is an incurable lung disease caused by inhaling of dust
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containing free crystalline silica.It is a type of pneumoconiosis.
Silicosis (particularly the acute from) is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and
cyanosis (bluish skin).
It may often be misdiagnosed as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), pneumonia, or tuberculosis.
The potential victims of silicosis are poor migrant workers employed in quarries, mines, gem
cutting and other hazardous occupations such as construction sites, a majority of whom are
likely to die for lack of specialized treatment.
by European scientists to improve pollution monitoring moved from the lab to the sea.
The developers hope the new technology, which reduces the time it takes to detect a pollutant
from weeks to seconds, will sell to port authorities, water companies, aquariums and anyone
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Africa.
Pigeon pea is the first “non-industrial crop” and the second food legume (after soybean) with a
completed genome sequence.
Master Tips
Once referred to as an “orphan crop” mainly grown by poor farmers, pigeon pea is also
known as the “poor people’s meat” because of its high protein content, it provides
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as well-balanced diet when accompanied with cereals.
The crop, grown on about 5 million hectares in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and South-
Central America, is a very important food legume for millions of the poor in the semi-
arid regions of the world.
Scientists have used genome sequencing technology to control an outbreak of the superbug
MRSA in a study that could point to faster and more efficient treatment of a range of diseases.
MRSA, or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, is a drug-resistant bacterial
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infection, or superbug, and major public health problem. When outbreaks occur in hospitals it
can lead to the closure of whole wards and lengthy investigations.
The bug kills an estimated 19,000 people in the United States alone each year, and even when
the infections is successfully treated it can double the average length of a hospital stay and
thereby increases healthcare costs.
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Periscope For Fast Breeder Reactor Commissioned
A 10-meter long periscope manufactured by Coimbatore-based Visual Education Aids (VEA)
for Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor was dedicated to Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam,
was developed at a cost of Rs. 3.9 crore in two-and-a-half years.
The periscope has capabilities of resolution of 0.2 mm line at a spacing of 0.5 mm for a
target distance of 4 meters and could scan the area of interest, zoom the image, relay the image,
focus and rotate the image.
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The periscope has provisions for simultaneous viewing through one eye piece and video recording
through another eye piece.
credit for setting up 2 more 1,000-MW atomic power plants at the same site in Tamil Nadu.
The two nations signed a protocol in Moscow for financing units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam
project, under which the Russian Federation will extend export credit amounting up to $3.4
billion for 85 per cent of the value of works, supplies and services provided by the Russian
organisations for the two units.
The protocol also has provisions for state export credit amounting to $800 million, at 4 per cent
interest, for financing up to 85 per cent nuclear fuel and control assemblies.
The estimated cost of building units 3 and 4 at Kudarkulam will be Rs. 32,000 crore, out of
which Rs. 17,000 crore is expected to be met through the Russian state credit.
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Four maintenance workers were exposed to tritium radiation on July, 19, while repairing a
faulty pipe in PHWR (Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor) Unit 4.
The earlier incident, which took place on June 23, reportedly exposed more than 40 persons,
working on a coolant at Unit 6, to tritium.
Rawatbhata is getting ready for India’s second-biggest Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) with a
capacity of 500 tonnes a year.
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The government has also set an ambitious target of bringing down the cost of such device to as
low as $10 (around Rs. 500).
Master Tips
Aakash is first in a series of Android-based tablet computers produced by British company
DataWind. It is manufactured by the India-based company Quad, at a new production centre
in Hyderabad.
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New Cryptology Research Centre at ISI Kolkata
The Centre has approved establishment of an autonomous research centre on Cryptology and
Security at the Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata. This was announced by Dr. C. Rangarajan,
Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council. This Institute has emerged
as the “nerve centre” of research on cryptology in the country.
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Major Players Met IPV6 Deadline
Major internet service providers (ISPs) in the country met the December 2011 deadline set by
the government for making their networks capable of handling traffic under the new Internet
address protocol IPv6.
As per the IPv6 Task Force(which officially oversees the country’s transition from the old
IPv4 protocol to the new one), almost all major ISPs had started providing enterprise IPv6
services and were working towards rolling out retail broadband services.
The task force revealed its findings in its newsletter released on the eve of the World IPv6
Day on June 8, when several organizations and service-providers around the globe tested the
functioning of the new protocol.
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Ultra High Definition Television (UHDTV) Coming up in Big Way
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recommended the standards which
while ensuring great clarity and size could revolutionize television viewing with ‘ultra high-
definition pictures’.
The latest UHDTV standards that will push picture resolution manifold although the high-
definition TV (HDTV) has been gaining ground over the years, displacing to some extent, the
standard definition TV (SDTV).
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SDTV in use for long delivers pictures of a resolution of 704 or 720 of these pixels across 480
scanning lines.
TV Resolution Approx Picture
Size
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SDTV 704X480 or 720X480 pixels Less than 1 MP
HDTV 1280 × 720 & 1920 × 1080(Full HD) 1-2 mega pixels
pixels
High-definition TV (HDTV), comes in two formats – 1280 × 720 pixels and 1920 × 1080 pixels
(full HD) delivers pictures that are about 1-2 mega pixels in size.
The 1st level of the 2 new standards of UHDTV picture sizes will be of the order of 8 mega pixels
(3840 × 2160 pixels) and at the 2nd level, the pictures will be 32 mega pixels in size (7680 × 4320
pixels), These are called ‘4k’ and ‘8k’ UHDTV systems.
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Master Tips
The ‘founding father’ of UHDTV, the Japanese broadcaster NHK believes that the
most important UHDTV level is ‘8k,’ and hopes to start ‘8k’ broadcasting trials before
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the end of the decade in Japan. But other like Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, JVC,
Dolby are developing ‘4k’ level equipment.
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At persent, the Internet is governed by a voluntary, multi-stakeholder group called Internet
Corporation For Assigned Names And Numbers (ICANN), which keeps the Internet free
and decentralized. ICANN already has Government Advisory Council (GAC), which invites
participation from governments across the world, including India.
ICANN is headquartered in California, essentially because the Internet was born in the US.
During President Clinton’s tenure, the control over its governance was eventually handed over
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to non-profits by the U.S. government.
Last year, Viladimir Putin, who was Russian Prime Minister at the time, stated his goal, to
impose ‘international control over the Internet’ through the International Telecom Union, a
treaty based organization under the auspices of the U.N.
The next target will be cities with over 10 lakh population and by the end of 2014; the entire
country is expected to have phased out analogue cable TV.
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Cabinet Approved NECTAR Centre for Shillong
The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of an autonomous organisation named North
East Centre for Technology Application and Research (NECTAR) at Shillong, under the
Department Of Science And Technology. The total expenditure involved will be Rs 292
crore during the 12th Plan period (2012-17).
NECTAR would promote deployment of carefully selected technologies, emanating from the
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public funded research institutions under the union and state governments, in consultation
with the respective state governments after assessing their application potentials.
Geneva announced the detection of a particle that fitted the description of the elusive Higgs.
The boson is believed to give matter mass via an associated ‘Higgs field’ that permeates space.
Without the property of mass, the universe we live in could not exist.
Scientists used the world’s biggest atom smashing machine, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
on the Swiss-French border, to track down the missing particle.
Finding the Higgs topped the list of most important discoveries of 2012 released by Science, a
prestigious scientific journal.
Agni-V
6
Lakshya Akash
Brahmos
6.1 Indian Defence Updates
The Indian Navy is slated to take delivery of the remaining ships of the Teg Class –
Tarkash and Trikand by September 2012 and mid-2013.
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INS Vindhyagiri to be Destroyed
The Bombay High Court granted the permission to Navy for the destruction of INS
Vindhyagiri, after the Navy said the warship might explode due to the presence of
ammunition which could not be removed from the vessel.
The ship has been grounded for more than a year since it collided with a merchant vessel,
M.V. NORDLAKE in January 2011.
Soon after the ‘hostile missile,’ a modified surface-to-surface Prtihvi, was launched from the
Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Orissa, the interceptor, AAD-05, was fired from the
Wheeler Island.
Equipped for the first time with an omni-directional warhead and travelling at a speed
of Mach 5-6, the interceptor homed in on the target and smashed it five minutes later.
India plans to put in place a two-tiered BMD system in two phases for endo and exo-
atmospheric interception on incoming enemy missiles.
The first phase seeks to intercept and kill ballistic missiles having a range of less than 2,000
km, the second phase envisages destroying those with ranges of more than 2,000 km.
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One of the largest military exercises in recent times ‘Sudarshan Shakti’, conducted in the
deserts near Barmer in Rajasthan aimed at starting the transformation of the forces into a
modern, lean, and agile fighting combination capable of leveraging new-age technologies.
“Sudarshan Shakti” is the outcome of a study undertaken by the Army on how to initiate
transformation and maintain continuous offensive capabilities with a networked headquarters
supported by intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance acting as the nerve-centre of operations.
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India on September 19, 2012 successfully test-fired the indigenously-developed 4000 km
nuclear capable strategic ballistic missile Agni-IV, from Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast.
Nirbhay to be Launched
The maiden launch of India’s Nirbhay, a sub-sonic cruise missile, would take place by
2013 which was envisaged to be launched in September 2012.
DRDO’s Bangalore based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), has designed
Nirbhay which has several technologies derived from Lakshya, a pilotless target aircraft.
Nirbhay is India’s equivalent of Tomahawk, a long-range sub-sonic cruise missile in the
arsenal of the USA.
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Master Tips
Campbell Bay is located
on the island of Great
Nicobar, the largest of the
Nicobar Islands in the
eastern Indian Ocean some
190 km to the north of
Sumatra .(Refer Map for
clarity .)
Strait of Malacca Cambell Bay
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The low drag also allows the ship to operate in shallow waters close to the coast.
Its main armament is a 30-mm CRN-91 gun and also fitted with machine guns of various
types and the IGLA shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, the ship has a crew of 3
officers and 39 sailors.
INS Kabra was comparable with any FAC in the world and a cost-effective and fuel efficient
platform well suited for anti-smuggling and anti-poaching operations and also it complies
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with the latest regulations of the International Maritime Organisation on sea pollution
control.
Smaller ships like FACs were important in tackling peacetime challenges to maritime security
such as piracy and low-intensity conflicts, search and rescue operations, anti-smuggling and
anti-poaching operations. INS Kalpeni the water jet-propelled FAC commissioned in October
2010 has extensively participated in anti-piracy operations.
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INS Kamorta
INS Kamotra, 75-meter-long, 1,200-tonne vessel is the first in a series of 4 anti-submarine
corvettes being built by the Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
(GRSE), a defence shipyard, will be delivered to the Navy in June 2012.
The shipyard is also constructing 8 inshore patrol vessels for the Coast Guard.
It has concluded negotiations with the Navy for construction of 8 Landing Craft Utility
(LCU) for which contract will be signed shortly.
Garden Reach Ship Builders Engineers Ltd. has been launched recently.
Features of INS KADMATT:
The Vessel is 109 metres long, 12.8 metres wide and can achieve a speed of 25 knots
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A helicopter net was damaged when the Pakistani ship coming from behind moved close to
INS Godavari.
PNS Babur was escorting Egyptian merchant vessel m.v. Suez, which was released several
months after having been held hostage by Somali pirates.
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designed to mitigate any marine oil spill
name of the first dedicated pollution control
received a warm welcome from the Coast
Guard fraternity on its arrival at Chennai vessel built by ABG shipyard at Surat,
Port on August 21, 2012. launched by the Indian Coast Guard in 2007.
The ship has also infrared surveillance system which detects any oil spill even of minor
nature and thereafter dissolves or disintegrates oil.
playing the Last Post in the decommissioning ceremony held at the Naval Jetty.
With focus on the performance of a modified NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier) in harsh
desert conditions, a series of trials of anti-tank Nag missile, was conducted in the Mahajan
Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.
The induction of the 3rd generation missile that has a ‘top attack and fire-and-forget’
capability and 4-km range was delayed, with the Army seeking several clearances in the
specially-designed NAMICA, which can hold 12 missiles, with eight of them in ready-
to-fire mode.
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Lakshya(a drone) is remotely piloted by a
• Unlike the other UAV’s, which used to have ground control station – provides aerial sub-
a free fall with parachutes after executing targets for live-fire training.
their tasks, Rustom will carry out copybook Nishant is a surveillance aircraft primarily
style landing.The aircraft has many auto tasked with intelligence gathering over enemy
territory.
features such as GPS controlled Way Point
Navigation.
6.2
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Other Countries Defence Updates
Pakistan announced the successful training launch of HATF III (GHAZNAVI), a short-
range ballistic missile capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads
across 290 km.
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that is 304.5 metres long and 37 metres wide, with a displacement of 58,500 metric tonnes.
The commissioning of the Liaoning makes China the 10th nation to have an aircraft carrier.
Currently, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Spain, Italy, India, Brazil
and Thailand operate the 21 active-service aircraft carriers.
The development comes amid rising strains between China and Japan over the disputed
Diaoyu (China Calls) or Senkaku (Japan Calls) islands in East China Sea.
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IRAN Advanced its Short Range Missile Capacity
Iran on August 4, 2012 claimed it had successfully test-fired an upgraded version of short-
range ballistic missile with improved accuracy, increasing the Islamic Republic’s capability to
strike both land and naval targets.
The solids-fuelled FATEH-110 has a range of 300 km.
SHAHAB-3 Variant with a range of 2,000 km that can reach Israel and southern Europe.
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INS Vikramaditya
construction at the Kochi shipyard.
After induction of INS Vikrmadiya, the Navy will start thinking about the decommissioning
INS Viraat, its lone aircraft carrier since its internal hull is suffering wear and tear.
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years.
Under the contract signed in 2008, Russia is to upgrade the IAF’s fleet of 63 MiG-29s. The
first six planes are to be overhauled in Russia and the rest in India.
January 2009 for procuring the long-range surveillance aircraft, which are equipped with
anti-submarine weaponry.
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It is a glass cockpit variant, the first of its kind to get inducted into the IAF.
It has autopilot that is compatible with the latest generation (Gen-III) night vision goggles.
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for the supply of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) –
The deal is estimated to be worth $10.2 billion (Rs. 54,000 crore).
As per the plan of deal, it includes acquiring 126 aircraft, 18 of them in fly-away condition
and the rest to be made in India at the Hindustan Aeronautics facility under transfer
of technology.
It is the 3rd biggest defence contract for France.
In the current financial year, the Government of India cleared the $2.4 billion for upgrade
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of 51 Mirage-2000 aircraft and the $970 million for the supply of MICA fire-and-forget missile
for the same aircraft.
20 sailors died on the Nerpa in 2008 after the vessel’s fire-suppression systems were accidentally
triggered during sea trials, releasing toxic gases.
Key features of INS Chakra:
Its maximum speed is 30 knots, maximum operating depth, 600 m; its endurance is 100 days
with a crew of 73 and is armed with four 533 mm torpedo tubes and four 650 mm torpedo
tubes.
The Indian version is reportedly expected to be armed with the 300-km Club nuclear-
capable missiles. Although, the Akula-II class submarines are equipped with 28 nuclear-
capable cruise missiles with a striking range of 3,000 km.
The submarine is capable of remaining underwater for months and it would be for the first
time in more than 2 decades that the Indian navy would have a nuclear attack submarine.
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the navies are working against the common threat like the pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
It will be helpful for wider cooperation and mutual understanding between two navies.
Both countries have over the past five years conducted five of the INDRA series ground and
naval exercises.
The joint exercise at the Buryatia military training base in southeast Russia, near the border
with Mongolia was held in Aug 2012.
The first phase of Op Sampriti’ was held at Jorhat in Assam from November 1 to 4 last year.
alternates between India and Japan every year, was organised off the Bay of Bengal where
fleets headed by the newly-commissioned Indian Coast Guard vessel Vishwast and the
Japanese ship Settsu simulated a range of search-and-rescue, pollution control and anti-
piracy operations.
Ind ra -2 0 12 In d ia a n d R u ss ia N av a l E x erci se
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2 nd In d ia- O m a n J oin t In d ia-O m an Air E xer cis e
Ex ercises
Ex ercise M aitr ay ee
STIn d ia-T h aila nd Jo in t Ar m y E xe rcis e
Va ru n In d ia-F r an ce N av a l E x erci se
Y ud h A b h ya s 20 11 -1 2 In d ia-U S Jo in t Ar m y E xe rcis e
7.1 International CCR
during the period. The basic theme of the 30. Indonesia 12.0
37. Sri Lanka 14.4
report for the 2012 Global Hunger Index
52. North Korea 19.0
was – “The Cha lleng e of Hung er: 57. Pakistan 19.7
Ensuring Sustainable Food Security 60. Nepal 20.3
under La nd, Water, and Energy 65. India 22.9
Stresses”. 68. Bangladesh 24.0
Master Tips
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI,Washington DC), NGOs Welthungerhilfe
& Concern Worldwide released the report on Global Hunger Index for 7th year.
Study Material Committee, Commission & Reports (CCR) 115
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India has done better on infant health, and is well within reaching the MDG of reducing IMR
to 42 per 1000 live births. As per the latest estimates, India’s IMR stands at 47.
India’s progress on the MDG of combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB is also
satisfactory.
India needs to focus on Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan,
where the MMR is still high.
ST Master Tips
Maternal deaths are defined as the
number of women who die during
pregnancy or within 42 days of the
termination of pregnancy per one lakh live
births. India's MMR is 212 per one lakh
live births and IMR is 47 per 1000 live
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births.
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Master Tips
The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) is the first index to systematically rank and
compare 158 countries according to the impact of terrorism which is produced by the
Institute for Economics and Peace.
The GTI maps and analyses trends in terrorism over the last 10 years. The index is
based on data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) from the National
Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at
the University of Maryland, US. ST
State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 Report: Hunger Declining
World Wide
The United Nations says its 2009
announcement that 1 billion people in
Food and Agriculture
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Organization of the
T h e R o me b a s ed U N F oo d a n d
the world were hungry was off-target
Agriculture Organization (FAO), a
and that the number is actually 870
United Nations
GDP growth in many developing countries, and increases in domestic staple food prices were
very small in China, India and Indonesia.
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three Scandinavian countries— Norway, 7. Canad 67.2
Sweden and Finland. 8. Germany 67.1
9. Belgiuni 66.8
At the bottom of the list were Yemen, Pakistan,
10. France 65.3
Sudan and Chad.
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human health revealed in a new study by Yale and Columbia Universities in its Environment
Performance Index rankings which means India has the most toxic air in the world.
India scored a minuscule 3.73 out of a possible
100 points in the analysis, lagging far behind
the next worst performer, Bangladesh, which
Master Tips
The Yale Center for Environmental
Law and Policy and Columbia's Center
scored 13.66. for Internationa l Earth Science
In fact, the South Asian region fares badly, with Information Network have brought out the
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Nepal, Pakistan and China taking up the Environment Performance Index
remaining spots in the bottom 5 of the rankings. rankings every 2 years since 2006.
At the other end of the scale, the European nations of Switzerland, Latvia and Norway
captured the top slots in the index.
India reports 1.25 million infant deaths annually; 42 per cent of its children are
underweight; 58 per cent children are stunted by the age of two; and 8.1 million
children are out of school with a huge chunk of them being from the rural areas.
India has slipped by 12 ranks in the global grading on the child development index, which
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denotes health, education and nutrition, between 1995 and 2010.
Japan is the best place in the world to be a child, while Somalia is the worst, a latest report has
suggested.
Master Tips
The CDI, launched in 2008 as a tool to monitor the progress in child wellbeing, calibrates the
best and worst places for children and improvements in child wellbeing at the global level and
within countries. It enumerates 3 indicators, the number of children in school, infant mor-
tality rates and number of underweight children.
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NO2 aggravating factors.
Major allergens involved in allergic diseases, including pollens, were also mentioned.
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Deepak Parekh panel on financing of infrastructure submitted its interim report to the Prime
Minister, expresses the view that regulatory structure needs to be more responsive to
investment and the needs of the sector.
The panel has projected an investment of 51.46 lakh crore in the 12th Five Year Plan, pegging
the private sector share in this investment at 47% and suggested Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) as the means of achieving it.
It has also called for increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in telecoms to 100% from
the current 74% and privatization of state-owned monopolies.
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The panel has recommended PPP initiatives for railways to mobilize private investment.
The panel has suggested for reinventing the dedicated sector financier— India Infrastructure
Finance Corporation Ltd. (IIFCL).
The committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Prof Arun S Nigavekar, former
chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC).
In the aftermath of wide protests after gruesome Delhi Gang rape incident on 16th December
2012, the Union Home Ministry has constituted a 3 member Commission of Inquiry, headed by
former Chief Justice J.S. Verma that will suggest ways for improving safety and security of
women, besides looking into the gang-rape incident.
Justice Lalita Seth and former Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam will be its two
other members.
The Commission will suggest ways to make stricter rape laws. It will submit its report within 30
days.
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Making public the minutes of the meeting of the Standing Linkage Committee (Long Term)
pertaining to allocation decisions on coal.
Putting in public domain the minutes of the managing committee (MC) for oil and gas blocks.
Making the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) an independent entity.
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said the Mullaperiyar dam is “structurally and hydrologically safe and Tamil Nadu can
raise the water level from 136 to 142 feet after carrying out certain repairs.” Thus, the controversy
over the safety of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam has been set to rest.
On Kerala’s demand for construction of a new dam, the committee said that in view of the age
of the existing reservoir, building a new one could be considered as an alternative proposal.
If a new dam was constructed, the maximum water level (MWL) should be fixed at 155 ft and a
fresh agreement signed between the two States on water sharing and maintenance.
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Master Tips
The Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in the Kerala state
of India. It is located 881 m (2,890 ft) above mean sea level, on the Cardamom Hills of
the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala.
It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by the British Government to divert water eastwards to
the Madras Presidency area (present-day Tamil Nadu). It has a height of 53.6 m (176 ft) from the
foundation, and a length of 365.7 m (1,200 ft). The Periyar National Park in Thekkady is located
around the dam’s reservoir. The dam is located in Kerala on the river Periyar, but is con-
trolled and operated under a period lease by neighboring Tamil Nadu state.
Although the Periyar river has a total catchment area of 5398 km2 with 114 km2 in Tamil Nadu,
the catchment area of the Mullaperiyar dam itself lies entirely in Kerala. The control and safety
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of the dam and the validity and fairness of the lease agreement have been points of dispute
between Kerala and Tamil Nadu states.
The report of the Centres interlocutors on J&K – eminent journalist Dileep Padgaonkar,
academician Radha Kumar, and former information commissioner M. M. Ansari submitted the
final report.
The final report has ruled out a return to the pre-1953 position.
They recommended the setting up of a Constitutional Committee (CC), to review all Central
Acts and Articles of the Constitution of India, extended to the State after the signing of
the 1952 Agreement.
The interlocutors favoured creation of three Regional Councils, one each for Jammu,
Kashmir and Ladakh.
It suggested that Parliament should make no laws applicable to the State unless it relates to the
country’s internal and external security and its vital economic interests, especially in the areas
of energy and access to water resources.
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Education,’ is based on the data received from 1.36 million schools in 637 district. At the
bottom are Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The payment to farmers will be made in two steps : the first, the minimum FRP set by the
Centre; and the second, subsequent to the publication of half-yearly ex-mill prices.
The committee recommended that the system of levy sugar should be done away with. Under
it, the mills are required to sell 10 per cent of their production to the government at
below market price for the poor under TPDS. Instead, the panel said, the States that
wanted to provide sugar under the TPDS might procure from the open market through
competitive bidding, and also fix the issue price.
Committee also asked the government to rationalize the current issue price for TPDS sugar,
which has not been revised for many years. (Now, the Food Ministry has proposed to double the
issue price to around Rs 23 a kg.).
Disfavoring quantitative or movement restrictions on by-products, the committee said the prices
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of by-products should be market-determined with no earmarked end use allocations.
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8.0 Conferences & Summits
countries including Vietnam signed an agreement to link their stock markets by the end of 2011, to
spur electronic cross-border trading, but only Singapore and Malaysia are implementing it.
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Master Tips
Non-alignment Movement(NAM) Summit which represents around half the world, with
120 member countries (including Palestine) and 17 observers, was founded in the aftermath
of cold war era by the 3rd world and developing countries formally not aligned to or against any
power bloc. The organization was founded in Belgrade in 1961.
It was largely the brainchild of Yugoslavia’s president, Josip Broz Tito; Indonesia’s first
president, Sukarno; Egypt’s second president, Gamal Abdel Nasser; Ghana’s first
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president president Kwame Nkrumah; and India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal
Nehru.
Los Cabos Declaration– G-20 nations concluded a much-awaited meeting at Los Cabos with
a declaration which endorsed Indian stand that investment in infrastructure was critical for
sustained growth, global economic recovery, poverty reduction and job creation.
This was endorsed by the leaders that included US President Barak Obama, German President
Angela Merkel, Chinese Prime Minster Wen Jiabao and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a
document that is formally called the G-20 leaders’ declaration.
2011 G-20 Summit was held at Cannes, France and 2013 Summit will be held at Saint
Petersburg, Russia in September 2013.
Master Tips
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G-20 is the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from 20 major
economies which include 19 countries plus the European Union, which is represented by
the President of the European Council and by the European Central Bank.
The grouping G-20 economies account for more than 80 % of the gross world
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The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, popularly known as RIO+20
or Second Earth Summit was held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which concluded on June 22, 2012.
At the conference Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh articulated the aspirations of the
developing world, saying it cannot be forced or even expected to share equally the burden of
environmental degradation enjoyed by rich nations in the past. (Refer Focus Articles for details.)
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Leaders of G-8 countries, the group of developed countries of the world met at Camp David,
Maryland, USA on May 19 in the backdrop of the euro zone crisis.
2011 (37th ) Summit was held at Deauville, France and 2013 (39th ) & 2014 (40th ) Summits will
be held in UK and Russia respectively.
Master Tips
G-8 is the Group of eight governments of larger economies (developed) of the world. The
forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought together representatives of
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6 governments: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, thus the name, Group
of Six or G6.
The summit became known as the Group of Seven or G7 the following year with the addition
of Canada.
In 1997, Russia was added to the group which then became known as the G8.
Master Tips
Aman ki Asha is a campaign jointly started by the two leading media houses The Jang
Group in Pakistan and The Times of India (Bennet & Coleman, the holding company of
Times Group) in India. It started on 1 January 2010.
The campaign aims for mutual peace and development of the diplomatic and cultural relations
between the two nations in South Asia.
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AP has also hosted the prestigious Conference of Parties (COP-11), the global biodiversity
conference this year (2012).
The E-9 Initiative, a consortium of the nine most populous countries of the South was put in
place in 1993, following the World Conference on EFA in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990.
“E” stands for education and “9” for those nine countries which are home to over half of the
world’s population as well as to almost half of the world’s out of school children and two thirds of
the world’s illiterates. These are Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia,
Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan.
together to construct a balanced and representative conference programme. The Joint Programme
Committee met for the first time in May 2011 to begin the programme building process.
• India to Host Alternative International Aids Conference:
India will host a parallel event at Kolkata for those who cannot make it there at Washington to
participate in the International AIDS Conference (IAC).
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to shortly introduce new legislation to replace the Mental Health Act, 1987 to bring India into
conformity with international commitments to protect the rights of persons with mental illness.
B ru ss e ls
(2 01 2 )
G erm a ny a nd
ch a ire d b y
Afgh a n ist a n
G erm a ny
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Int ern a ti ona l
O rg a ni zation s a n d
th e U N
Th e U .S. a n d its
a llie s in NA TO
o f in ter na ti on al com m u nity in A fgh a n ist a n
a ft er the h a ndo ver , a n d lo n g -t erm poli ti ca l
sta b ili zat io n of th e cou n try .
To i nc rea si ng ly m ov e t he a fg ha n s in to a le a d
com b at rol e; To kee p som e in te r na ti on a l
tr o ops i n Afg ha n is ta n b e yon d 2 0 1 4, the y ea r
a ll U .S . for ces a r e su ppose d to b e h om e; a n d
to pa y b ill ion s o f do lla r s a ye ar to su ppor t th e
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A fgh an s ecu rity for ces.
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and policies aimed at enhancing the quality of life of differently disabled persons and their fami-
lies by ensuring their participation in various social and economic practices.
Juan Somavía was the ILO’s director-general since 1999 until October 2012, when Guy Ryder
was elected as his replacement.
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Statement which will chart the future direction of ASEAN-India relations.
The ASEAN-India Eminent Persons Group (AIEPG) submitted their recommendations to the
Leaders on future relations between ASEAN and India at the 10th ASEAN-India Summit in
Phnom Penh.
Two flagship events being organized as part of the commemorative year events are the ASEAN
Shipping Expedition of INS Sudarshini and the 2nd ASEAN-India Car Rally.
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The 10th edition of Bio Asia 2013, the annual Biotechnology and Life Sciences Conference,
will be held in Hyderabad on January 28-30, 2013.
With the theme of Biologics and Biosimilars, discussions will be focused on drug discovery,
monoclonal antibodies, regenerative medicine, intellectual property rights and financial
ecosystem.
A parallel event focusing on agricultural biotechnology and food technology with the support of
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Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics
(ICRISAT) will also be held.
Bio Asia 2013 will be hosted by the government of Andhra Pradesh with the support of the
Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) and Pharmaceutical Export
Promotion Council (Pharmexcil).
the festival.
Kashmiri film-maker Suresh Goswami’s film ‘Ziyarat’ on the displacement of Kashmiri Pandit
families from the Valley will be screened at the festival.
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Interestingly, the festival to commemorate 100 years of Indian cinema will be presenting
centenarian stage actor Zohra Sehgal, with the ‘Minar e Dilli award’.
While Polish film ‘80 Million’ will be the opening film, Pakistani production ‘Lamha’ will be
screened as the closing film.
In all, 178 films from 32 countries would be screened.
9.1 CRICKET
132
135
9.5 KABBADI
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9.6 CHESS
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9.7 GRAND PRIX
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9.9 SPORT RELATED OTHER NEWS
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9.1 Cricket
The West Indies thrashed Sri Lanka by 36 runs to win the ICC Twenty-20 Cricket World Cup
2012 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on October 7, 2012. West Indies Marlon Samuels
was chosen ‘Man-of-the-Match’ for his all round performance. Australia’s Shane Watson
was honoured with ‘Player-of-the-Tournament’ award.
9.2 Tennis
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French Open 2012:
Nadal clinches historic sixth tittle and Sharapova wins completing her career grand slam at
the french open for the first time.
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India’s Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek clinched the Shanghai Masters
men’s doubles title beating Indian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi in the final.
succession after she won Paralympic singles gold for the fourth Paralympics in a row
and Stephane Houdet of France won the men’s award in the wheelchair category.
ATP TENNIS TOURNAMENT WINNERS
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Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez win ATP World Tour Doubles Title. Marc Lopez and
Marcel Granollers claimed a victory over Mahesh Bhupati and Rohan Bopanna to win the doubles
title at the ATP World Tour Finals.
Bhupathi-Bopanna Clinch 1st ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Team Crown
Fifth seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna won their first ATP World Tour Masters
1000 title together in November 2012 as they defeated seventh seeds Aisam-Ul Haq Qureshi
and Jean-Julien Rojer in the final of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris.
9.3 Badminton
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Saina Wins her Third Indonesia Open Title.
Olympic-bound Indian Badminton Ace Saina Nehwal displayed nerves of steel to clinch her
third successive Indonesia Open Super Series title after beating China’s Xuerui Li in a seesaw
summit clash in Jakarta in June 2012.
Mixed doubles Aparna Balan and Arun Vishnu Ashwini Ponappa and
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Tarun Kona
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9.4 Hockey
India’s Chef-de-Mission for the London Olympics 2012 :AJIT PAL SINGH
Three-time Olympian and former Captain of the Indian hockey team Ajit Pal Singh became
the first sportsperson to be named India’s Chef-de-Mission for London Olympic Games 2012
by Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
Indian Hockey finished at bottom in London Olympics 2012 without winning a single
game.
9.5 Kabaddi
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held in Ludhiana (Punjab).
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team got Rs 1 crore for bagging the runners-up position.
The Canadian team which finished third got Rs 51 lakhs for their feat.
16 nations participation has propelled Kabaddi onto the international map as it won’t be long
that the game might be included in Olympics too.
9.6 Chess
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Anand Wins World Chess Champion Title for 5th Time
Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand retained the World Chess Championship title,
his fifth crown and fourth in a row, after beating Israel’s Boris Gelfand in a tense rapid game
tie-breaker in Moscow on May 30, 2012.
Sixteen-year-old G. Akash of Tamil Nadu clinched the Tata 50th National Premier Chess
Championship on October 14, 2012 in Kolkata by holding GM Deep Sengupta of Petroleum.
World Champion Vishwanathan Anand had also claimed the Senior National Chess
Championship at the age of 16.
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Sebastian Vettel Wins Singapore Grand Prix
Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel positioned himself as the main challenger to Fernando
Alonso’s Formula One title chances by earning his second straight Singapore Grand Prix win in
September 2012, jumping up to second place in the driver’s championship.
Ferrari’s Alonso secured second place in the race by finishing the race in 10 seconds more than Vettel.
Red Bull’s Mark Weber finished at third place with 1 : 31 : 23.961 seconds.
Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg came on the eighth place.
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9.8 Miscellaneous
Football
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Saurav Ghosal Wins EI Gouna International Squash Open
Top Indian squash player Saurav Ghosal registered a victory over England’s Robbie Temple to
clinch EI Gouna International Open in EI Gouna, Egypt in 2012.
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Hongkong team in the title clash. Indian women 71st seeded Joshna Chinnappa and 14th
seeded Dipika Pallikkal defeated world number sixteen Joey Chan and world number
seven Annie Au respectively.
Scott Elemming was appointed as the head coach of the men’s National Basketball Team by
the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).
Carrom
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The IOC had repeatedly told the IOA not follow the government’s sports code for the elections
on the ground that it would be a violation of the Olympic Charter and compromise autonomy
but the IOA went ahead saying they were bound by the Delhi High Court order.
Federation (IABF) at Lausanne, Switzerland. 2013 will see the Asian Boxing Championships,
the venue and dates for which are yet to be decided and the World Championships in October
2013 to be held in Kazakhstan.
Jeev honoured
Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh won the Asia Pacific Lifetime Achievement award along
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Arjuna Award
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Nobel Prize
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
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10.1 Art, Culture & Literary Awards
Master Tips
The Jnanpith Award, a literary award instituted in 1961, along with the Sahitya Akademi
Fellowship, is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country. Any Indian
citizen who writes in any of the official languages of India is eligible for the honour. It is
presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the Sahu Jain family, the
publishers of the ‘The Times of India’ newspaper.The award carries a cash prize of Rs.
7 lakh, a citation and a public felicitation.
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been nominated for the prestigious American ‘Pushcart Prize 2013’ by the Sahitya
Akademi. Already having authored eight books, including four poetry collections, Abhay K
has been nominated for his three poems — ‘What’s a Beach’, ‘Masseur’ and ‘Everything has
Secrets’.
•
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A A Manavalan with the Saraswati Samman 2011 for his book on Ramayana.
Retired professor and head of the department of Tamil in Madras University, Manavalan is
be bestowed w ith the 21st Sar aswati Samman for his work Irama Katha iy um
Iramayakalum (Ramakatha and Ramayanas) published in 2005.
• The award-winning book, Irama Kathaiyum Iramayakalum is a comparative study of 48
Ramayanas in the languages of Pali, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tibetan, Tamil, Old Javenese,
Japanese, Telugu, Assamese, Malayalam, Bengali, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, Odissi, Persian,
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Malay, Burmese, Phillipines Language, Thai, Laotian and Kashmiri (all in chronological
order).
Master Tips
The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works
in any Indian language listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. It is considered
to be among the highest literary awards in India. The award consists of Rs 7.5 lakh, a citation
and a plaque. The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 by the K. K. Birla Foundation.
Candidates are selected from literary works published in the previous ten years by a panel
that included scholars and former award winners.
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Master Tips
The Vyas Samman is a literary award in India, first awarded in 1991. It is awarded
annually by the K.K. Birla Foundation and includes a cash payout of Rs 2.5 lakh. To be
eligible for the award, the literary work must be in the Hindi language and have been
published in the past 10 years.
• The prize will be presented at the British Council Auditorium in New Delhi on December 20.
• Jamil Ahmad was winner of 2011 for 'The Wandering Falcon'.
• The other shortlisted books are: Tamasha in Bandargaon by Navneet Jagannathan,
The Purple Line by Priyamvada Purushottam, The King in Exile by Sudha Shah,
The Inexplicable Unhappiness of Ramu Hajjam by Taj Hassan and Calcutta Exile
by Bunny Suraiya.
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Awards for 2011 at Vigyan Bhavan for his outstanding contribution to the growth of Indian
cinema.
Renowned scholar and critic M.K. Sanoo was presented with the prestigious Kendra Sahitya
Akademi award for 2011
violence in the city’s school” and Breaking News Reporting category– The Tuscaloosa News
staff “for its enterprising coverage of a deadly tornado” got the awards.
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• Twelve of the 24 awards have gone to works of poets, who include K. Sachitandandan
(Malayalam – Marannu Vacha Vazhikal ), the late Bal Krishna Bhaura (Dogri – Tim-Tim
Karde Tare ) and Makhan Lal Kanwal (Kashmiri – Yath Aangnaz Manz ).
• Thayil, has been selected for his poetry collection, These Errors are Correct, in the
English category.
Madeline Miller won the Orange Prize 2012 for her debut novel “The Song Of Achilles”.
The winner of 2011 Orange prize for fiction was Téa Obreht, a first time novelist for her
debut novel, “The Tiger's Wife”. The prize money is £30,000.
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Master Tips
The Women's Prize for Fiction (previously called Orange Prize for Fiction (2008-2012) and
Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction (1996-2008)) is one of the United Kingdom's most
prestigious literary prizes, annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for
the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United
Kingdom in the preceding year. The prize was originally sponsored by Orange, a
telecommunications company. In May 2012, it was announced Orange would be ending
its sponsorship of the prize. As of October 2012, the award is formally known as the Women's
Prize for Fiction, and is sponsored by "private benefactors" led by Cherie Blair and writers
Joanna Trollope and Elizabeth Buchan.
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Arjuna Awards 2012
25 sports personalities were conferred with 2012 Arjuna awards including Deepa Mallick
(Athletics -Paralympics) and Ramkaran Singh (Athletics-Paralympics).
Dronacharya Awards 2012
The following were the recipients of the Dronacharya Awards for 2012:
1. Shri Virender Poonia Athletics
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2. Ms. Sunil Dabas
Wrestling
Hockey
8. Shri B.I. Fernandez, Cuban Boxing Coach Boxing- for Life Time Achievement
Virat Kohli was honoured with the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year Award.
ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Award Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
Usain Bolt & Allyson Felix Named IAAF World Athletes of the Year 2012
Usain Bolt won the IAAF world List of the Awardees
Athlete of the Year Award 2012
for the fourth time and United IAAF male athlete of the year Usain Bolt (Jamaica)
States sprinter Allyson Felix
won women’s World Athlete of IAAF female athlete of the year Allyson Felix (USA)
th e Y ear Aw ar d 2012 on
November 24, 2012 during the IAAF male performance of the year David Rudisha (Kenya)
IAAF’ s 100 th An n iv er s ar y
Celebr ation . Th e Jamaic an IAAF female performance of the year 4× 100 m relay team (USA)
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spr in ter Bolt h ad w on for
defending his gold medals in the IAAF male rising star Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago)
100 and 200 meter races of the
summers’ Olympic Games 2012. IAAF female rising star Antonque Strachan (Bahamas)
Technology and B. Sundaram of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific
Research.
Noted agricultural scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan has been selected for the Nandiyode
Rajan Memorial Award instituted by the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cooperative Milk
Producers Union (TRCMPU).
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Chemistry
receptors
Lefkowitz, Robert J. U.S. Studies of G-protein-coupled
receptors
Economics Roth, Alvin E. U.S. Work on market design and
matching theory
Shapley, Lloyd S. U.S. Work on market design and
matching theory
Mo Yan China Novelist, short-story writer
Literature
Peace
Physics
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European Union
Haroche, Serge
(founded
1993)
France
Stellar role in restoring peace in
WW-2 ravaged Europe
Development of methods that enable
measuring and manipulation of
individual quantum systems
for pioneering a “radically innovative way of bringing water to crops in arid and dry-land
regions.” It was especially fitting that the WFP honoured an individual who understood the
critical role water played in agriculture and the importance of “using every last drop
efficiently”.
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Year Recent Recipients: Indira Gandhi Prize For
President. In 2006, President A.P.J. Peace, Disarmament And Development
Abdu l K alam con fer red h im with
Jaw ah ar lal Ne h r u Aw ar d for
2009 Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh
International Understanding.
• The Government of India has also 2010 Lula de Silva of Brazil
named President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf of Liberia as the recipient
Ela Bhatt of India (Founder of SEWA)
Development.
D isa r mamen t
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of the 2012 Indira Gandhi Prize for
Peac e, an d
2011
Master Tips
The Indira Gandhi Prize or the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize or the Indira Gandhi
Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is the prestigious award accorded
annually by India to individuals or organizations in recognition of creative efforts toward
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promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order; ensuring
that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope
of freedom. The prize carries a cash award of 25 lakh Indian rupees and a citation.
Indira Gandhi Award for Naional Integration Year Recent Recipients: Indira Gandhi
Renowned lyricist, poet and author Gulzar has been Award for National Integration
2009 Balraj Puri
awarded the 27th Indira Gandhi Award for National 2010 A.R. Rahman & Ramakrishna
Integration. He has received this honour in recognition Mission Ashram (jointly)
of his great contribution in promoting and preserving 2011 Mohan Dharia
spirit of national integration. 2012 Gulzar
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Master Tips
The Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration is a prestigious award accorded
by the Indian National Congress, after its former President and Prime Minister of India,
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Indira Gandhi. This Award is given annually starting from 1985 to distinguished persons/
institutions for promoting national integration and understanding and fellowship amongst
religious groups, communities, ethnic groups, cultures, languages and traditions of India
and the strengthening, through thought and action of the nation's sense of solidarity.
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to people "for their outstanding contribution to the 2007 Olafur Ragnar Grimsson of Iceland
promotion of international understanding, goodwill
2009 Angela Merkel of Germany
and friendship among people of the world". The
money constituent of this award is 1 crore rupees.
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Jurists Awards and National Law Day Awards.
The National Law Day Award-2012 was presented to J. Venkatesan. The other winners of
awards are Ashok Aggarwal, Advocate-General of Punjab (Civil Law), Gourab Banerji, Addl
Solicitor-General of India (Jurisprudence), Vijay Aggarwal (Criminal law), Anand Bhushan
Kanade, Senior Advocate (Constitutional law), Janak Raj Jai (Legal writing), Irshad Wali,
IPS (Law & order), C.D. Singh (Advocacy) and M. Antony Selvaraj (Legal aid).
MA
Aung San SUU KYI Chosen for Bhagwan Mahavir World Peace Award
Aung San Suu Kyi, who claimed victory in Myanmar’s historic by-election for parliamentary
seats, has been chosen for the first international Bhagwan Mahavir World Peace
Award. Suu Kyi has been chosen for her devotion to promote non-violence and peace for
the welfare of the people.
ER
The Templeton Prize is an annual award presented by the Templeton Foundation.
Established in 1972, it is awarded to a living person who, in the estimation of the judges,
"has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life's spiritual dimension, whether
through insight, discovery, or practical works". The prize is named after Sir John
Templeton (1912–2008), an American-born British entrepreneur and businessman, who
was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987 for his philanthropic efforts.
The inaugural winner of the prize, in 1973, was Mother Teresa, six years before she
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received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. Binayak Sen & Bulu Imam Bestowed with Gandhi Peace Award 2011
The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2011 was presented on 12the June,
2012 to Dr. Binayak Sen and Bulu Imam for their humanitarian work and their practice of
non-violence.
MA
Bharti Foundation and NGO Pratham Get WISE Awards
It was ‘India shining’ at the fourth World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE)
organised by the Qatar Foundation in Doha, Qatar. Two prestigious prizes went to India.
• Madhav Chavan, co-founder and CEO of Pratham, was awarded the 2012 WISE Prize
for Education which is known as the ‘Nobel prize for Education’ on November 13, 2012
at the WISE Summit in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
• The award comprises U.S. $ 5,00,000 and a specially minted gold medal.
• Pratham is a non-governmental organisation providing basic literacy and numeracy for
underprivileged children in India which works in 17 States.
• Pratham’s projects address pre-school education, learning support to both in-
school and out-of-school children, computer literacy, vocational training and
special programmes for vulnerable and working children.
S
Master Tips
Pratham: Pratham is the largest non-governmental organization in India. It works
IE
ER
The director general of India’s The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), R.K
Pachauri, has been conferred the Mexican order of the Aztec Eagle by Mexico’s
President Felipe Calderon on the margins of the G-20 Summit in June 2012 in Los Cabos
(Mexico)
• The award is the highest decoration awarded by Mexico to foreigners for their contributions
to humankind.
An official communique said Pachauri, who is also President of the United Nations
•
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), helped Mexico ensure the link
between economic growth and sustainable development.
Apna Khata (our account), a land record computerization project launched in Rajasthan
has bagged an international award in recognition of its significant contribution to rural
development. The project was developed by the State office of the National Informatics
Centre.
NIC-Rajasthan team members received the “public choice award” at the E-world Forum-
2012 organised in New Delhi.
Nat ional Communal Harmony Award 201 1 by the Shri Khamliana from Mizoram a nd Shri M d. Abd ul
M inistry of Home Affairs Bar i of Odisha
SHR AM RAT NA AWARD, 20 08 (the country's highes t Na garaja, Senior Technic al Assistant of the Bhar at
award given by the M inistry of La bour and Employment.) Electronics Lim ited (BEL)
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Best M ed ia P er sona lity, ins tituted by the Qa tar-based
Thr issur Jilla Souhrida Vedi)
Ind ira Gandhi P aryavaran P ura skar (instituted by the 2008-Sad guru Jaggi Vasudev (of IS HA
M inistry of Environm ent and F ores ts in 19 87 for F OUNDATION) :P roject Greenhands” 200 9- Neyveli
individuals and orga nisation) L ignite C orpor ation L imited, Neyveli, Tam il N adu
and Ca re Earth, Chennai, T amil Na du along with
two individuals-V ijay Ja rdhari and Prof. C.R. Babu
Excellence in Science
H .K. Dua (201 1)
Shra van Garg (201 2)
Pr id e Of India Award , 20 09 Sir M ot a Singh (UK’s first S ikh and Asian Jud ge)
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Rab indranath Tagore P eace P rize b y the Indian Institute Anna Haz are(2011 ), Irom Sharmila(2012)
of Planning and M anagement (IIP M)
Lal Ba ha dur Shast ri Award for Excellence in P ublic P rof Ya sh Pal(20 11), Smt. Tess y Thomas(2 012)
Adm inistration, Academics and Management (given by
GOI)
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Persons &
Places in News
PERSONS IN NEWS
155
PLACES IN NEWS
162
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim Chinese Space Woman Liu Yang
aaaaaaa
11.1 A. General
ER
Sunita begins her second space odyssey
Indian-American record-setting astronaut Sunita Williams, along with her two colleagues, took
off for her second space odyssey on a Russian Soyuz rocket, which blasted off successfully from
a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Shanti Gandhi
Great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi was elected to a State Assembly in the United States
during the general elections held on November 6, 2012. Shanti Gandhi (72), contesting as
MA
11.1 B. Obituary
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NKP Salve
Farmer Union Minister and former BCCI President NKP Salve died on April 1, 2012 in Delhi.
IE
He was 90. Born in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, Salve was associated with cricket
administration for several years and had brought the cricket World Cup to the Indian sub-
continent in 1987. The first time it was organised outside England. The Challenger Trophy was
named after him.
A.K. Hangal
Padma Bhushan awardee and popular character actor A.K. Hangal who played on screen fathers
and uncles to leading Bollywood actors for more than decades, passed away at a Mumbai hospital
on August 25, 2012. He was 95. The Rahim Chacha of Sholay worked in all genres of films,
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worked with debutants as well as superstars, and yet managed to make an impact on each of
them.
Sunil Gangopadhyay
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Noted litterateur and Sahitya Akademi President Sunil Gangopadhyay passed away in Kolkata
on October 23,2012.
Author of over 200 books, Mr. Gangopadhyay declared that poetry was his first love’. He was
the founder editor of Kritibus, a seminal poetry magazine that started publishing in 1953 and
became a platform for a new generation of poets experimenting with new forms.
failure at the age of 84. Hassan was born into a family of traditional musicians at Luna
Village in India’s Rajasthan state in 1927. His family migrated to Pakistan at the time
of partition in 1947.
I.K. Gujral
Former Prime Minister of India Indra Kumar Gujral passed away in Dec. 2012. He was the
architect of Indian Foreign Policy vis-a-vis our neighboring countries (“called as Gujral
Doctrine”).
Dara Singh
Champion wrestler-turned-actor-politician Dara Singh passed away on July 12, 2012. He was
83.
Rajesh Khanna
Veteran actor Rajesh Khanna passed away on July 18 after prolonged illness. His very name
spelt magic in the 1970s. Kaka, as he was popularly known, was one of the highest paid actors
of his time. His record of consecutive solo super hits are still unbroken.
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At 32 years old, she was also the youngest American space traveler at the time.
Neil Armstrong
Legendery American astronaut, who took “One giant step for mankind” as the first human to
set foot on the moon in 1969 during the cold war space died on August 25, 2012. He was 82.
A quiet, private man at heart and an engineer and crack test pilot, Armstrong made history on
July 20, 1969, as the commander of the Apollo II spacecraft.
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It had taken Apollo II craft, carrying Armstrong and fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael
Collins, four days to complete the nearly 4,000,00 km journey.
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak, the celebrated author of “Where the Wild Things Are”, widely considered
the most important children’s book artist of the 20th Century died on May 8, 2012 in Connecticut,
USA.
MA
11.1 C. Appointment
Atomic Energy (DAE), from Srikumar Banerjee, who retired after 45 years of distinguished service.
The senior most election commissioner of India V.S Sampath has been appointed the new
Chief Election Commissioner of India.
Antonis Samaras
Pro-bail out conservative New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras was sworn in on
June 20, 2012 as Prime Minster of debt-crippled Greece. He pledged to work hard to give
people tangible hope.
ER
National Congress (ANC) Party.
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Shreyans Kumar Jain, former chairman and managing director, Nuclear Power Corporation of
India Limited (NPCIL) and Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), has been
unanimously elected to the post of Chairman of the Governing Board of the World Association
of Nuclear Operators - Tokyo Centre (WANO-TC), Japan.
Master Tips
MA
WANO, World Association of Nuclear Operators, is an international nuclear organization of
utilities/operators committed to work for enhancement of safety and reliability to next higher
level. All the utilities which operate nuclear power plants are members of WANO.
Nancy Powell
Nancy Powell has been appointed new US ambassador to India.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
160 Persons/Places in News Study Material
ER
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as its International Goodwill Ambassador. Her job will be to raise
global awareness on protecting children from HIV infection and to increase access to
antiretroviral treatment.
Master Tips
Shivakumar is Satellite Centre Chief ISAC is an ISRO's centre for
Scientist and associate director of ISRO Satellite conceptualization, design, fabrication,
Centre (ISAC) S. K. Shivakumar took over testin g, integrat ion and in-orb it
IE
Marissa Mayer
Yahoo Inc has picked Google Inc’s Marissa Mayer to become its new CEO, turning to an engineer
with established Silicon Valley credentials to turn around the struggling former internet power
house. Mayer, Google’s 20th employee and first female engineer, had led a number of its business,
and was credited for envisioning the clean, simple Google search interface still in use today, a
major selling point for Web surfers.
Hamid Ansari
Hamid Ansari was elected for a second term as the Vice-President of India.
ER
Brazil’s Graziano Elected FAO Chief
Jose Graziano da Silva of Brazil has been elected Director-General of the Rome-based
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the U.N. agency tasked with reducing world
hunger at a time of record high food prices.
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Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has claimed victory for its presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi
who had been pitted against Ahmad Shafiq in a bitterly contested run off that took place in the
midst of an assertion of political power by a military group, marked by the dissolution of an
elected lower House of Parliament and an attack on civil liberties.
Algeria’s Brahimi
Veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi has agreed to replace Kofi Annan as the
international mediator on Syria, as the conflict slips deeper into full-scale civil war.
IE
Raghuram G.Rajan
Raghuram G.Rajan, former IMF chief economist has been appointed as the Chief Economic
Adviser (CEA) in the finance ministry of India.
ER
11.2 PLACES IN NEWS
Tongariro Volcano
The Tongariro Volcano in Mount Tongariro at Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
MA
Rampura Bhatiyan
Rampura Bhatiyan village near Jodhpur came into news when Commerce and Industry
Minster Anand Sharma and Rajasthan Chief Minster Ashok Gehlot in April 2012 dedicated the
first spice park in this village, built at a cost Rs. 27 crore, to the nation. The spice park,
which is the second such park in the country, has been constructed in Rampura Bhatiyan
village in Mathania near Jodhpur.
assistance was opened on November 18, 2010. The inauguration function was graced by Sri
Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Phase One of the new Hambantota port was constructed
by the China.
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12
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Books Authors
• A Soldier’s General : An autobiography – Gen. (Retd.) J.J. Singh former
Army Chief of India.
• Between Clay and Dust – Musharraf Ali Farooqi
• Beyond the Lines : An Autobiography – Kuldip Nayar
(Kuldip Nayar’s ‘Beyond the Lines’ is an activist newsman’s autobiography showcased as an ‘inside view’ of India since 1947.)
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• River of Smoke – Amitav Ghosh
• Narcopolis – Jeet Tha yil (DSC So uth
Asian Literature Prize 2013)
(Indian writer Jeet Thayil’s first novel Narcopolis, described as a compelling tale of Mumbai’s hazy world of
opium addiction has made it to the six-author shortlist for the Man Booker Prize 2012.)
•
• Eclipse : Living in the Shadow of China’s Economic Dominance
– Arvind Subramanian
• Federalism and Fiscal Transfers in India – C. Rangarajan and D.K.
Srivastava
• From Green to Evergreen Revolution – M.S. Swaminathan
• From Unipolar to Tripolar World – Arvind Virmani
• Great Soul : Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India
– Joseph Lelyveld
• Growth and Finance – Dr. C. Rangarajan
ER
•
• No Higher Honor – Condoleezza Rice
• Non-Stop India – Mark Tully
• Of a Certain Age : Twenty Life Sketches – Gopalkrishna Gandhi
• Old Delhi Living Traditions – S.Y. Quraishi
• On Top of the World : My Everest Adventure – Arjun Vajpayee
•
•
•
Open (An Autobiography)
Pakistan a Personal History
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Reintegrating India with the world economy
–
–
–
Andre Agassi
Imran Khan
T.N. Srinivasan, Suresh D.
Tendulkar
• Restoring Values – E. Sreedharan
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• Standing My Ground – Mathew Hayden
• Sachin - Genius Unplugged – Suresh Menon
• Science and Sustainable Food Security – M.S. Swaminathan
• Sticky wicket – Malcolm Speed
• The Emperor of all Maladles – Sinddhartha Mukherjee
(Book on Cancer, 2011
Pulitzer Prize)
• The Grand Design – Stephen Hawking
• The Mad tibetan – Deepti Naval
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(BHEL, NTPC, NHPC, DRDO, SAIL, HAL, BSNL, BPCL, NPCL, etc.)
CURRENT AFFAIRS - 2
(FROM JAN 2013 TO MARCH 2013)
I.E.S MASTER
Institute for Engineers
IES/GATE/PSUs
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES Master
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
1
Master Highlights
1.1 Union Budget-2013 3
Master Highlights-1
UNION BUDGET-2013: At a Glance
Subsidies
2013/14 major subsidies bill estimated at Rs
2.48 trln from Rs 1.82 trillion
Petroleum subsidy seen at Rs 65000 crore in
2013/14
Revised petroleum subsidy for 2012/13 at Rs
96,880 crore
Estimated 900 bln rupees spending on food
subsidies in 2013/14
Revised food subsidies at 850 bln rupees in
2012/13
Revised 2012/13 fertiliser subsidy at 659.7 bln
rupees
Tax
Propose surcharge of 10 pct on rich taxpayers
with annual income of more than 10 mln
rupees a year
To increase surcharge to 10 pct on domestic
companies with annual income of more than
100 mln rupees
For foreign companies, who pay the higher rate
of corporate tax, the surcharge will increase
from 2 pct to 5 pct
To continue 15 pct tax concession on dividend
received by India companies from foreign units
for one more year
Amid high expectations of reversing the sharp To impose withholding tax of 20 pct on profit
slowdown in the country's economic growth, distribution to shareholders
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Amnesty on service tax non-compliance from
presented India's 82nd budget in the Lok 2007
Sabha on 28th feb 2013. 10 bln rupees for first instalment of balance of
GST (Goods and Services Tax) payment
The Key Highlights are as follows: Propose to reduce securities transaction tax on
equity futures to 0.01 pct from 0.017 pct
Fiscal Deficit To introduce commodities transaction tax
Fiscal deficit seen at 5.2% of GDP in 2012/13 (CTT)
Fiscal deficit seen at 4.8 pct of GDP in CTT on non-agriculture futures contracts at
2013/14 0.01 pct
Borrowing
Gross market borrowing seen at Rs 6.29 Growth
trillion in 2013/14
India faces challenge of getting back to its
Net market borrowing seen at Rs 4.84 trillion
potential growth rate of 8 pct
in 2013/14
India must unhesitatingly embrace growth as
Short-term borrowing seen at Rs 198.44 trillion
highest goal
in 2013/14
To buy back Rs 50000 crore worth of bonds in Revenue
2013/14
Spending Expect 133 bln rupees through direct tax
Total budget expenditure seen at Rs 16.65 proposals in 2013/14
trillion in 2013/14 Expect 47 bln rupees through indirect tax
Non-plan expenditure estimated at about Rs proposals in 2013/14
11.1 trillion in 2013/14 Target 558.14 bln rupees from stake sales in
India's 2013/14 plan expenditure seen at Rs state-run firms in 2013/14
5.55 trillion Expect revenue of 408.5 bln rupees from
Revised estimate for total expenditure is Rs airwave surcharges, auction of telecom
14.3 trillion in 2012/13, which is 96 pct of spectrum, licence fees in 2013/14
budget estimate
3
Rs 4,727 crore for medical education, training
Current Account Deficit and research.
India's greater worry is current account deficit Rs 150 crore provided for National Programme
Will need more than $75 bln this year and next for the Health Care of Elderly.
year to fund current account deficit Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
Inflation are being mainstreamed. Allocation of Rs 1,069
Food inflation worrying, will take all steps to crore to Department of AYUSH.
augment supply side Rs 1,650 crore allocated for six AIIMS-like
Corporate Sector and Markets institutions.
To issue inflation-indexed bonds Allocation of Rs 65,867 crore to the Ministry of
Propose capital allowance of 15 pct to Human Resource Development, an
companies on investments of more than 1 bln increase of 17 perent over the RE of the
rupees current year.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) can use Rs 27,258 crore provided for Sarva Shiksha
investments in corporate, government bonds as Abhiyaan (SSA).
collateral to meet margin requirements An increase of 25.6 per cent over RE of the
Insurance, provident funds can trade directly current year for investments in Rashtriya
in debt segments of stock exchanges Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).
FIIs can hedge forex exposure through Rs 5,284 crore allocated to
exchange-traded derivatives Ministries/Departments in 2013-14 for
Investor with less than 10 pct stake in a scholarships to students belonging to SC, ST,
company will be regarded as FII, more than 10 OBC, Minorities and girl children.
pct stake as FDI (foreign direct investor) Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDM) to be
Stock exchange regulator will simplify know- provided Rs 13,215 crore.
your-customer norms for foreign portfolio Government committed to the creation of
investors Nalanda University as a centre of educational
To implement quickly recommendations of excellence.
financial sector legislative reforms commission Road Construction
To cut factory gate duty on trucks to 13 pct A regulatory authority for road sector.
from 14 pct 3000 kms of road projects in Gujarat, Madhya
Power and Energy Sector Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar
Zero customs duty for electrical plants and Pradesh will be awarded in the first six months
machinery of 2013-14.
Move to revenue-sharing from profit- Industrial Corridors
sharing policy in oil and gas sector Plans for seven new cities have been finalised
To equalise duties on steam and bituminous and work on two new smart industrial cities at
coal to 2 pct customs duty and 2 pct cvd Dholera, Gujarat and Shendra Bidkin,
(countervailing duty) Maharashtra will start during 2013-14
Foreign Trade Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) to
To cut duty on exports of precious and semi- be provided additional funds during 2013-14
precious stones to 2 pct from 10 pct within the share of the Government of India in
Banking the overall outlay, if required.
To provide Rs 14,000 crore capital infusion in Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor to
state-run banks in 2013/14 be developed.
Defence Preparatory work has started for Bengaluru
To allocate Rs 2.03 trillion to defence in Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
2013/14 Oil and Gas
Agriculture & Rural Development A policy to encourage exploration and
Rs 80,194 crore to rural development in production of shale gas will be announced.
2013/14 The 5 MMTPA LNG terminal in Dabhol,
Rs 27,049 crore for agriculture in 2013/14 Maharashtra will be fully operational in 2013-
Health and Education 14.
Health for all and education to all remains Coal
priority. In the medium to long term need to reduce our
Rs 37,330 crore allocated to the Ministry of dependence on imported coal. One way forward
Health & Family Welfare. is to devise a PPP policy framework with Coal
New National Health Mission will get an India Limited as one of the partners.
allocation of Rs 21,239 crore. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
4
Benefits or preferences enjoyed by MSME to sanitation workers, rag pickers and mine
continue up to three years after they grow out workers.
of this category. A comprehensive social security package to be
Refinancing capacity of SIDBI raised to Rs evolved for unorganised sector by facilitating
10,000 crore. convergence among different schemes.
Another sum of Rs 100 crore provided to India Capital Market
Microfinance Equity Fund. Proposal to amend the SEBI Act, to strengthen
A corpus of Rs 500 crore to SIDBI to set up a the regulator, under consideration.
Credit Guarantee Fund for factoring. Number of proposal finalised in consultation
A sum of Rs 2,200 crore during the 12th Plan with SEBI.
period to set up 15 additional Tool Designatged depository participants,
Rooms and Technology Development authorised by SEBI, may register different
Centres with World Bank assistance. classes of portfolio investors, subject to
Ministry of Corporate Affairs to notify that compliance with KYC guidelines.
funds provided to technology incubators located SEBI will simplify the procedures and
within academic Institutions and approved by prescribe uniform registration and other norms
the Ministry of Science and Technology or for entry for foreign portfolio investors.
Ministry of MSME will qualify as CSR Rule that, where an investor has a stake of 10
expenditure. per cent or less in a company, it will be treated
Textiles as FII and, where an investor has a stake of
Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme more than 10 per cent, it will be treated as FDI
(TUFS) to continue in 12th Plan with an will be laid.
investment target of Rs 1,51,000 crore. FIIs will be permitted to participate in the
Allocation of Rs 50 crore to Ministry of Textile exchange traded currency derivative segment
to incentivise setting up Apparel Parks to the extent of their Indian rupee exposure in
within the SITPs to house apparel India.
manufacturing units. FIIs will also be permitted to use their
A new scheme called the Integrated investment in corporate bonds and
Processing Development Scheme will be Government securities as collateral to meet
implemented in the 12th Plan to address the their margin requirements.
environmental concerns of the textile industry. SEBI to prescribed requirement for angel
Working capital and term loans at a investor pools by which they can be recognised
concessional interest of 6 per cent to handloom as Category I AIF venture capital funds.
sector. Small and medium enterprises, to be permitted
Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of to list on the SME exchange without being
Traditional Industries (SFURTI) extended required to make an initial public offer (IPO).
to 800 clusters during the 12th Plan. Stock exchanges to be allowed to introduce a
Foreign Trade dedicated debt segment on the exchange.
Support to measures to be taken to boost Other proposals
exports of goods and services. Backward Regions Grant Fund
Insurance New criteria for determining backwardness to
A multi-pronged approach to increase the be evolved and reflect them in future planning
penetration of insurance, both life and general, and devolution of funds.
in the country. Skill Development
Number of proposals finalised, in consultation Target of skilling 50 million people in the
with IRDA such as empowering insurance 12th Plan period, including 9 million in 2013-
companies to open branches in Tier-II cities 14.
and below without prior approval of IRDA, Defence
KYC of banks to be sufficient to acquire Allocation for Defence increased to `
insurance policies, banks to be permitted to act 2,03,672 crore including Rs 86,741 crore for
as insurance brokers, banking correspondent capital expenditure.
allowed to sell micro-insurance products and Constraints not to come in the way of providing
achieving the goal of having an office of LIC any addition requirement for the security of
and an office of at least one public sector nation.
general insurance company in towns with Science and Technology
population of 10,000 or more. Despite constraints substantial enhancements
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to be given to Science and Technology, Space and
extended to other categories such as Atomic Energy.
rickshaw, auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers,
5
Rs 200 crore to be set apart to fund • Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme to be rolled out
organisations that will scale up S&T throughout the country during the term of UPA Government.
innovations and make these products available
This scheme will help the poor. Under the scheme, a bank
to the people.
Institutions of Excellence account will be opened for each beneficiary; and the bank
A grant of Rs 100 crore each made to 4 account will be seeded with Aadhaar in due course.
institution of excellence. • 10000 crore Rupees earmarked for National Food Security
Sports towards the incremental cost.
National Institute of Sports Coaching to be • Drinking water and sanitation will receive 15260 crore
set up at Patiala at a cost of Rs 250 crore over
Rupees. 1400 crore Rupees is being provided for setting up
a period of three years.
water purification plants to cover arsenic and fluoride affected
Broadcasting
All cities having a population of more than rural areas.
1,00,000 will be covered by private FM radio • Proposal to launch Inflation Indexed Bonds or Inflation
services. Indexed National Security Certificates to protect savings from
Panchayati Raj inflation.
Augmentation in the Budget allocation of • Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme
Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran
launched for recovering service tax dues.
Abhiyan (RGPSA) to Rs 455 crore in 2013-14.
An additional Rs 200 crore proposed to be • 9000 crore Rupees earmarked as the first installment of
provided. balance of CST compensations to different States/UTs.
Post Offices • The Interest Subvention Scheme: This scheme for short-
An ambitious IT driven project to modernise term crop loans is proposed to be continued for loans by public
the postal network at a cost of Rs 4,909 crore. sector banks, RRBs and Cooperative banks, and expanded to
Post offices to become part of the core banking private scheduled commercial banks. Under the scheme, a
solution and offer real time banking services.
farmer who repays the loan on time is able to get credit at 4
Ghadar Memorial
Government to fund the conversion of the cent per year.
Ghadar Memorial in San Francisco into a • National Livestock Mission: 307 crore Rupees have been
museum and library. provided for setting up of the National Livestock Mission. This
Central Schemes will attract investment and enhance livestock productivity. A
Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and sub-mission of this Mission seeks to increase the availability of
Additional Central Assistance (ACA) Schemes feed and fodder.
to be restructured into 70 schemes.
• Assistance of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank
Central fund for the schemes to be given to the
will be sought to build roads in the North Eastern States
States as part of central plan assistance.
and connect them to Myanmar.
New Plans and Schemes rolled out in the Union • The body of Rural Infrastructure Development Funds
Budget 2013-14: (RIDF) is proposed to be raised to 20000 crore Rupees.
• Plans for seven new cities were finalized for industrial
• Nirbhaya Fund: The Finance Minister announced the corridors and work on two new smart industrial cities at
setting up of a fund called the Nirbhaya Fund - with the Dholera (Gujarat) and Shendra Bidkin (Maharashtra)
Government contributing 1000 crore Rupees for safety and will start during 2013-14.
security of the women in India. The Finance Minister • Two new ports will be established in Sagar (West Bengal)
announced that various initiatives were underway as well and in Andhra Pradesh.
as a lot more were undertaken by Government and NGOs • A power transmission system will be constructed from
for empowering women and providing them safety and Srinagar to Leh and for this 226 crore Rupees were provided
security. in 2013-14.
• 1000 crore Rupees scheme for training youth: A • Apparel Parks are proposed to be set up within the
1000 crore Rupees scheme for training youth for boosting Integrated Textile Parks, to house apparel manufacturing
up their employability and productivity was rolled out in units.
the budget. The National Skill Development Corporation • Standing Council of Experts: Standing Council of Experts
would be required to set up curriculum and standards for is proposed to be constituted in the Ministry of Finance to
training different skills. The trained youth who will pass analyse the international competitiveness of the Indian
the test by the end of the training would get monetary financial sector.
reward of 10000 Rupees on an average. This initiative • A number of proposals relating to capital market have
would motivate 10 lakh youth. been finalized in consultation with SEBI. These include
• Proposal to set up India’s first Women’s Bank as a simplification of procedure and uniforms norms for foreign
public 6sector bank with 1000 crore Rupees as initial portfolio investors, clarity relating to FDI investment, allowing
capital. FIIs to participate in new areas, etc.
Master Highlights-2
RAIL BUDGET-2013: At a Glance
Complementary passes of freedom fighters to
be renewed every three years instead of
annually
New forged wheel factory at Rae Bareli in
collaboration with Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd
Greenfield Mainline Electrical Multiple
Units (MEMU) manufacturing facility at
Bhilwara along with Rajasthan
government and BHEL
Coach making unit at Sonepat in
Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar collaboration with Haryana government
Bansal presented the Union Railway Budget Midlife rehabilitation workshop at Kurnool
for 2013-14 in Lok Sabha on 26 February along with Andhra Pradesh government.
2013. The thrust areas of the Rail Budget Railway energy management company to be
are: 1. Safety; 2. Consolidation; 3. set up to harness solar and wind energy
Passenger Amenities; 4. Fiscal Discipline 1,000 crossings to be energised by solar power
1.51 lakh vacancies to be filled up
Key Highlights are as follows:
No hike in passenger fares Locomotive cabs to be air-conditioned
Superfast and Tatkal charges to rise Azadi Express for travel to places
Annual plan for 2013-14 set at Rs 63,363 crore associated with freedom struggle
Losses up from Rs 22,500 crore in 2011-12 to India in 1 billion tonne freight club
Rs 24,600 crore in 2012-13 By end of 2013-14, 1,500 km of contracts to be
Accidents per million km down from .41 to .13 awarded for two dedicated rail corridors
Raised four companies of women RPF Rs 1 lakh crore target set for public-private-
personnel; another eight to be raised for partnership route
women's safety Free Wi-Fi to be provided on some trains
67 new Express and 26 new passenger trains to Rs 100 crore for improving stations in New
run; 8 DEMU services and 5 MEMU services to Delhi
be introduced; run of 57 trains to be extended; 179 escalators and 400 lifts at A 1 and other
frequency of 24 trains to increase select stations
22 new rail lines to be taken up in 2013-14 E-ticketing through mobile phones
New debt service fund to be set up SMS alerts for passengers on reservation
Will close fiscal 2012-13 with fund balance status
against previous deficit; need to build fund Next generation e-ticketing system by end
balance to Rs.30,000 crore by end of 12th Plan of 2013
Operating ratio of 88.8 percent achieved Seventeen bridges identified for repair
Dividend reduced from 5 to 4 percent Smoke and fire detection system envisaged
Electrification of 1,200 km to be completed this Fire extinguishers to be kept in guard vans
year Making corporate Safety Plan for a 10
72 additional suburban services in Mumbai year period (2014-24)
and 18 in Kolkata Introduction of Train Protection Warning
Rs 6,600 crore increase in earnings from fare System on Automatic Signalling Systems
adjustment in January Rigorous trials of indigenously developed
Rs 63,000 crore investment in 2013-14 Train Collision Avoidance System
1,047 million tonnes freight loading estimated Introduction of 160/200 kmph Self Propelled
during 2013-14 Accident Relief Trains
Passenger earnings of Rs 42,000 crore Elimination of 10,797 level crossings during
estimated in 2013-14 the 12th Plan and no addition of such crossings
Indian Railways Institute of Financial Six more Rail Neer bottling plants to be set up
Management to be set up at Secunderabad
Chair at Delhi to promote research in reducing
carbon footprint
Winners of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and
Dhyan Chand awards to get free first class
passes
Complementary first class passes for parents of
unmarried posthumous awardees of Maha Vir
Chakra, Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra and
Shaurya Chakra
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Some of the major Initiative proposed in Railway Budget 2013-14 are as under:
Anubhuti
• Indian Railways will introduce one coach in select trains which will provide an excellent ambience and latest modern facilities
and services responding to the Increased Popularity of Shatabdi and Rajdhani Trains. Such coaches will be named Anubhuti
with commensurate fare structures.
Amenities for Differently-abled Passengers
• To facilitate the boarding of trains and exit from the stations for the differently-abled and the elderly, there is a proposed
provision of 179 escalators and 400 lifts at A- 1 and other major stations, affixing Braille stickers indicating the layout of coaches
including toilets, provision of wheel chairs and battery operated vehicles at more stations and making coaches wheel-chair
friendly.
• In order to provide an employment avenue to the disabled people, there is proposal to reserve a specified number of Jan
Sadharan Ticket Booking Sewak (JTBS) for them, keeping in view the fact that the PCOs at stations have become largely
redundant after the mobile revolution in India.
IT Initiatives for passenger benefits
• There will be now Use of Aadhar scheme by Indian Railways. The database generated, can be extensively and efficiently used
by railways not only to render more user friendly services such as booking of tickets, validation of genuine passengers with GPS
enabled handheld gadgets in trains, but also to provide a better interface with its employees in regard to their salaries, pension,
allowances etc.
Some of the other measures proposed under IT Initiative of Railways are:
• Extending availability of the facility of internet ticketing from 0030 hours to 2330 hours
• Making e-ticketing possible through mobile phones as a follow up to overwhelming response to IR website and Integrated Train
Enquiry Service under 139, a project of SMS Alerts to passengers providing updates on reservation status is being rolled out
shortly.
• Covering larger number of trains under Real Time Information System (RTIS), whereby rail-users will be able to access
information through nominated websites and mobile phones.
Some measures taken to curb malpractices in reserved tickets including Tatkal are:
• Mandatory carrying of ID cards by passengers with reserved tickets
• Rigorous drive leading to prosecution of more than 1800 touts in the current year
• In case of tatkal, reduction of advance reservation period to one day, issue of tickets only on production of ID proof at PRS
counters, issue of only one tatkal ticket per train per day to web service agents;
• Denial of access to agents to internet booking between 0800 to 1000 hrs.
Other Major Initiatives
• A Centralised Catering Services Monitoring Cell with a Toll free number – 1800 111 321 has started functioning w.e.f. 18th
January, 2013 to facilitate redressal of complaints/suggestions on real-time basis.
• For effective quality control, arrangements are being tied up with food testing laboratories in addition to third party audit.
State-of the- art base kitchens are proposed to be set up in railway premises for better monitoring of quality of meals.
• ISO certification will now be insisted upon for all base-kitchens.
Green Energy Initiatives
Some of the new steps that have been taken or are proposed to be taken include:-
• Setting up of Railway Energy Management Company (REMC) to harness potential of solar and wind energy
• Setting up of 75 MW windmill plants and energizing 1000 level crossings with solar power
• Deployment of new generation energy efficient electric locomotives and electrical multiple units (EMUs) saving about 60 crore
units in 2011-12. Railways have also won the National Energy Conservation Award
• Encourage more usage of agro-based and recycled paper and ban use of plastic in catering.
Some of the New Plans and Schemes proposed in Railway Budget 2013-14 are as under:
• Proposal for setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority formulated and at inter-ministerial consultation stage.
• Fuel Adjustment Component (FAC) linked revision for freight tariff to be implemented from 1 st April 2013 and for
passenger tariff later.
• To provide a memorable experience to the visitors especially the children, a revamp plan will be rolled out for National
Railway Museum in 2013-14.
• To create a corpus for meeting IR’s committed liabilities for debt servicing of JICA and World Bank loans taken for the
DFC Project, it is proposed to set up a new Debt Service Fund.
• In order to meet the growing demand, 72 additional services in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata are being introduced. Besides, rake
length is being increased from 9 cars to 12 cars for 80 services in Kolkata and 30 services in Chennai.
• A target to complete 500 km of new lines has been set for 2013-14.
• There is target to convert 450 km of MG/NG lines to broad gauge during 2013-14.
• Announcement of resumption of work on new line projects of Chickmagalur - Sakleshpur and Bengaluru -
Satyamangalam, which were pending for want of resources and other mandatory clearances, after State Government of
Karnataka agreed to give land free of cost and bear 50% of the cost.
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Master Highlights-3
ECONOMIC SURVEY-2012-13: At a Glance
9
pppp
2
National Updates
2.1 General Issues 13
Current Affairs - 2 National Updates 13
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High Court 1st Chief Justice Seat of HC
Master Tips
Appointment of Judges in a high court:
Chief Justice of a high court is appointed by the President of India after consultation with the
Chief Justice of India and the governor of the concerned state.
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Other judges of a high court are appointed by the President of India after consultation with the
Chief Justice of India and the governor of the concerned state along with the Chief Justice of
the concerned high court.
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The salaries and allowances of a high court are charged on the consolidated fund of state.
*But, the pension of a high court judge is charged on the consolidated fund of India, not
the state.
Asia’s largest Tulip garden on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar was thrown open to
visitors, marking the beginning of the new tourism season in the Valley. The 15-hectare garden
in the foothills of Zabarwan Range was officially opened to visitors. The state Floriculture
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department said a total of over 1.5 million tulips, of over 80 varieties are presently in
bloom at the garden. Formerly known as Siraj Bagh, now called as the Indira Gandhi
Memorial Tulip garden was opened in 2008.
Master Tips
Floriculture or flower farming is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation
of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry.
Government of India has identified floriculture as a sunrise industry and accorded it 100% export
oriented status.
The country has exported 3,09,26,023 MT of floriculture products to the world for the worth of
Rs.365.32 crores in 2011-12
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), is
responsible for export promotion and development of floriculture in India.
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to Lewis inlet Bay in Middle Andaman the Mayabunder tehsil of North
has been declared as a buffer zone by the Andaman district, almost all of whom
Andaman and Nicobar Administration. are Christians. Despite their tribal
• The Supreme Court has banned tourists from origins, the Karen of Andamans has
taking the Andaman Nicobar Trunk OBC status in the Andamans .
Road that passes through the area where
the Jarawas live. The road is used to reach
the Limestone Cave.
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Assembly Elections Results 2012-13
Different Indian states have undergone elections during 2012-13 and new governments have
been formed as per the summary table given below:
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INC: Indian National Congress, BJP: Bharatiya Janata Party, CPI (M)/LF: Communist Party
of India (Marxist)/Left Front, NPF: Naga Peoples Front.
Summary of Results: Assembly Elections in States held in 2012-13
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State Total MLA Seat Election held in Chief Minister Ruling Party
Himachal Pradesh 68 Nov-Dec 2012 Virbhadra Singh INC
Gujrat 182 Dec 2012 Narendra Modi BJP
Tripura 60 Feb 2013 Manik Sarkar CPI(M)/LF
Meghalaya 60 Feb 2013 Mukul Sangma INC
Nagaland 60 Feb 2013 Neiphiu Rio NPF
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made by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen High antiquity of its early texts/recorded
C ha ndy . U ni o n Mi ni ster fo r C ulture history over a period of 1500-2000 years; A
body of ancient literature/texts, which is
Chandresh Kumari also announced that the
considered a valuable heritage by generations
Ministry had decided to grant the classical of speakers; The literary tradition be original
language status to Malayalam. Spoken by over and not borrowed from another speech
30 million people, Malayalam was the only major community; The classical language and
language in south India that had not been literature being distinct from modern, there
classified as the classical language. Belonging may also be a discontinuity between the
to the family of Dravidian languages, Malayalam classical language and its later forms or its
has a rich heritage of more than 2,300 years. offshoots.
The benchmark set for granting classical Indian Classical Languages declared
language status to Indian languages is so far:
Tamil (in 2004), Sanskrit (in 2005),
1,500-2,000 years.
Kannada and Telugu (in 2008).
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the Jhelum River basin. are allocated for exclusive use by India before
they enter Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan has
• In November 2009, Pakistan had proposed exclusive use of the Western Rivers Jhelum,
the establishment of a Court of Arbitration Chenab and Indus but with some
and the appointment of a neutral expert to stipulations for development of projects on
resolve the Kishanganga dam dispute. these rivers in India.
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Cabinet Nod to Land Swap with Bangladesh
The Cabinet has approved a Constitutional Amendment Bill that will facilitate the
implementation of the India-Bangladesh boundary agreement signed in 2011. The meeting,
chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, gave its nod to the draft of the Constitutional Bill
to amend the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement, 1974.
Gonds Converge for Nagoba Jatara
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The day-long rituals associated with ‘bheting’ or admission of new women members into the
clan marked the start of the famous Nagoba jatara, a five-day annual pilgrimage of the
Mesram clan of Gonds at Keslapur village in Indervelli mandal, Adilabad District, Andhra
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Pradesh.
Afzal Guru Hanged in Secrecy, Buried in Tihar Jail
The 2001 Parliament attack case convict Mohammed Afzal Guru was hanged on 9th Feb 2013
and buried inside the Tihar jail complex. The President (Pranab Mukherjee) rejected the mercy
petition on February 3. (Refer Current Affairs – 1 for pardoning power of the president).
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by the Union Cabinet. The former Union Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta, and the former
Central Reserve Police Force Director General, K. Vijay Kumar, have been appointed advisers
to Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed. The President has proclaimed the imposition of
President’s Rule in Jharkhand under Article 356(1) of the Constitution. Jharkhand has
been placed under President’s rule as the Arjun Munda government fell after being reduced
to a minority following the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s withdrawal of support.
President Promulgates Ordinance on Crime Against Women
President Pranab Mukherjee promulgated an ordinance on sexual violence against women
under which rape that leads to death of the victim can now attract death penalty.
• The President has given his assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2013.
• The ordinance based on the recommendations of the Justice J S Verma Committee(formed
after the horrendous gang rape incident of 16th Dec 2012 in Delhi) and going beyond,
also proposes to replace the word ‘rape’ with ‘sexual assault’ to expand the definition of
all types sexual crimes against women.
• It also proposes enhanced punishment for other crimes against women like stalking,
voyeurism, acid attacks, indecent gestures like words and inappropriate touch.
Master Tips
Ordinance Making Powers of President:
Our constitution under Article 123 gives special legislative powers to President of India by
promulgating ordinance under certain circumstances. Thus if both the houses of parliament is not
in session and it becomes necessary to make laws then president can make laws within the powers
provided by the constitution of India.
Following are the important provisions regarding ordinance making powers of the
President:
• The President gets the powers only when the Parliament is not in session. Even if one house
of Parliament is not in session, the President can pass on ordinance.
• The President has powers to pass ordinance on the matters on which the Parliament has powers.
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• The Councils of Ministers should suggest the passing of an ordinance on such matters.
• The President himself should be satisfied about the need for the ordinance and he cannot be
compelled.
• Once an ordinance is passed, it should be placed before both the Houses of Parliament and
approved by them within six weeks of their respective dates of reassembly.
The ordinance lapses if it is not approved within the aforesaid six weeks or if it is rejected earlier
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or if the President himself withdraws the ordinance.
First ever civil aviation service between Kargil and Jammu has been launched as the landing of
Mantra Airlines’ 17- seater at Kargil created history as never before has a civil passenger aircraft
been spotted there. Kargil is one the world’s coldest towns, frozen under a minus 20 degree Celsius
temperature. The Indian Air Force has been operating an AN-32 aircraft three times a week in
the Jammu-Kargil sector and once a week between Srinagar and Kargil.
New Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy 2013
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India has unveiled a new science policy that lays greater thrust on innovation, establishing research
institutes and encourages women scientists with an aim to position itself among the top five
scientific powers in the world by 2020.
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• The Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy, 2013 also speaks of modifying the intellectual
property regime (IPR) to provide for marching rights for social good when supported by public
funds and co-sharing of patents generated in the public private partnership mode.
• India first unveiled its Scientific Policy Resolution in 1958 which resolved to “foster, promote
and sustain” the cultivation of science and scientific research in all its aspects.
• The Technology Policy Statement of 1983 focused on the need to attain technological
competence and self reliance.
Chandigarh Shatabdi to Have 1st ‘Anubhuti’ Coach
Chandigarh Shatabdi will be the first train to have “Anubhuti” coaches, the special AC luxury
class proposed in this year’s rail budget, providing higher travel comfort to passengers. Anubhuti,
the first of its kind modern LHB coach with ergonomically designed cushioned seats, LCD screens,
modular toilets and world class interiors is estimated to cost about Rs.2.80 crore. The first-ever
locomotive fitted with AC in driver’s cabin is estimated to cost Rs.12 crore and aims to
provide relief to loco pilots on duty.
Master Tips
ER
The Bhopal gas tragedy:
The Bhopal gas tragedy was a gas leak incident in India, considered the world’s worst industrial
disaster. It occurred on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited
(UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• The leaked gas was methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas (IUPAC name), other names of the gas
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are isocyanatomethane or methyl carbylamine.
• Methyl isocyanate (MIC) is an organic compound with the molecular formula CH3NCO.
MIC is an intermediate chemical in the production of carbamate pesticides (such as carbaryl,
carbofuran, methomyl and aldicarb). It has also been used in the production of rubbers and
adhesives. As a highly toxic and irritating material, it is extremely hazardous to human
health.
• UCIL was the Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC).
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• Warren Anderson was the UCC CEO at the time of the disaster.
Dow Chemical Company purchased UCC in 2001.
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conventional close-ended plan with guaranteed returns. The plan provides a risk cover of 10
times the single premium paid for a fixed term of ten years. The latest policy is available
for those between 8 and 45 years. The minimum sum to be invested is Rs60000, while there
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cubic feet (mmscf) per day.
• ONGC has a 30 per cent stake in the project. The block, at present, produces about 30
mmscf of gas per day from the Raageshwari Deep Gas field and the Mangala and
Bhagyam fields (as associated gas along with crude oil).
No Capital Gains Tax for NIMZs
The Central Government, on March 22 2013, came out with sops for setting up of National
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Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) doling out various benefits, including
exemption from capital gains tax on sale of plant and machinery and eligibility for
viability gap funding (which cannot exceed 20 per cent of the project cost.) as per the
document notified by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
• Developers of NIMZs will be allowed to raise funds through external commercial
borrowings (ECBs) for developing the internal infrastructure.
A
• Soft loans from multilateral institutions will be explored for funding infrastructure development
in NIMZ.
• The government has proposed to set up 11 NIMZs to enhance the share of manufacturing
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in gross domestic product (GDP) from 15 to 25 per cent within a decade and creating
100 million jobs.
India Ratings, WB Estimates Economy to Grow Over 6 % & Govt at 6.1 to 6.7%
India Ratings & Research Private Ltd. and World Bank estimate the economy to grow
over 6 per cent in 2013-14 if the government continued with its recent policy initiatives aimed
at attracting more investment and infrastructure development. Government in its budget
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another eight branch offices overseas, including China and the UK, in the next fiscal.
With addition to these eight branches, SBI’s offshore network will increase to 59.
• Plans are afoot to open two branches each in Bangladesh and the UK and one each in China,
the Netherlands, South Korea and Sri Lanka.
• In the case of South Korea, the existing representative office of SBI would be upgraded into
a full-fledged branch.
• SBI, India’s largest bank, has 14,677 branches across the country. Under the bank’s domestic
expansion plans, about 100 branches would be opened in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Former Bihar Bureaucrat Navin Kumar to Head GST Network Outfit
Ex Bihar Chief Secretary Navin Kumar, a 1975 batch IAS will head the Goods and
Services Tax Network SPV (GSTN SPV) which was set up to create an enabling environment
for smooth introduction of the new indirect tax regime. GSTN was necessary to implement
GST and it can also be used by the states for improving Value Added Tax (VAT) system.
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Rate (MSF) from time to time, so keep updated.
to an all-time high of 5.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2012-13 on account of widening
of trade deficit and slower growth in invisibles, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in
its monthly bulletin for March 2013.
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• CAD represents the difference between inflows and outflows of foreign currency.
• High import of gold is adding to the CAD despite efforts by the government to check import
of the precious metal. Gold accounts for second largest import in value terms after
crude oil.
United Bank Ties up With SIDBI
United Bank of India (UBI), which has recently eased loans for the MSME (micro, small
and medium Enterprises ) sector, has now signed a memorandum of understanding with
the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to ensure smooth credit flow to
the MSME sector under the programme Collaboration for facilitating Enterprise Loans
(COFEL). SIDBI, as a facilitator of the small and medium enterprises, will work with
the MSMEs by sponsoring investment-grade proposals to United Bank and the latter will look
at the credit linkage part under its various products.
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(WSMPPL) won the project in May 2012, by quoting the second lowest tariff of Rs. 8.05 per
unit.
Wipro: World’s Most Ethical (WME) Company 2013
Wipro Ltd has been recognised by the Ethisphere Institute, a leading business ethics think-
tank, as one of the 2013 World’s Most Ethical (WME) Companies, for the second year
in a row. This recognition is for Wipro’s strong commitment to ethical leadership, compliance
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practices, and corporate citizenship. The Ethisphere Institute is a leading international
organisation dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business
ethics, governance, anti-corruption and sustainability.
HPCL to Partner Shapoorji Pallonji Group for LNG Terminal
State-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and Mumbai-based infrastructure major
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Shapoorji Pallonji plan to set up a terminal for import of liquid gas (LNG) on Gujarat coast
at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore. HPCL and SP Ports Pvt Ltd, a unit of Shapoorji Pallonji Group,
plan to set up the liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal at Chhara in Gujarat’s
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Junagadh district through a 50:50 joint venture. Gujarat already has two functional ports
at Dahej and Hazira. A third one is under planning by Gujarat State Petroleum Corp (GSPC)
and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at Mundra. The Chhara terminal would be the fourth in the
state.
Rs. 1,000-crore Tax-Free Bonds From Ennore Port
Ennore Port Ltd. has launched a public issue of tax-free bonds to raise up to Rs.1000 crore
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from the market to meet its capital investment plans. The tax-free instruments are in the form
of secured redeemable nonconvertible bonds of the face value of Rs.1000 each having tax
benefits under Section 10(15) (iv) (h) of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
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Master Tips
Ennore Port, located on the Coromandel Coast about 24 km north of Chennai Port, Chennai,
it is the 12th major port of India, and the first port in India which is a public company.
The Ennore Port is the only corporatised major port and is registered as a company. The Centre
holds a stake of about 68 per cent in the Ennore Port and the remaining 32 per cent is held
by the Chennai Port Trust.
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• The world’s largest coal producer Coal India jumped to third position in 2011-12 from
seventh rank in the previous survey, pushing Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) down to the
seventh position. In 2010-11, IOC was at the third position.
• Largest iron-ore producer NMDC was fourth, while Maharatna company BHEL ranked fifth.
Govt to Set up Two Ports in Andhra Pradesh & West Bengal
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The government has said it will set up a port each at Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal
in 2013-14, to effectively handle increased cargo traffic. Ministry of Shipping, in the Maritime
Agenda 2010-20, had proposed setting up of two major ports which handle heavy cargo traffic
in the country.
• It had envisaged developing two new major ports, one each on east and west coasts.
• At present there are 12 major ports in India Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust
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(JNPT), Kolkata (with Haldia), Chennai, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore,
Marmagao, Ennore, Tuticorin, Kandla and Visakhapatanam.
Air Asia and Tata Group Join Hands for Budget Airline
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The Tata Group is making yet another bid to enter the aviation space. Malaysia’s no-frills
carrier AirAsia has sought the approval of the Indian Government to join hands with the Tata
Group to enter the aviation sector.
• This would be the first investment in the sector by a foreign airline after the Government
hiked the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit from 26 per cent to 49 per cent in 2012.
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• Tata Sons will hold 30 per cent in the joint venture but will not have any operating
role in the airline.
• AirAsia will hold 49 per cent stake in the JV, while Hindustan Aviation of the Bhatias
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company) structure was formally launched with Finance Minister P. Chidambaram handing
over the first IDF-NBFC licence to India Infra Debt Limited (Infradebt) in the presence
of its four promoters ICICI Bank (31%), Bank of Baroda (30%), Citibank (29%) and Life
Insurance Corporation of India (10%).
Dabhol-Bangalore Gas Pipeline of GAIL Goes on Stream
GAIL (India), the newest Maharatna PSU, commenced delivery of gas through its 1,000
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km-long Dabhol-Bangalore pipeline. The first recipient of the gas was Toyota Kirloskar
Auto Parts, which will utilise the fuel for its captive 6.5 MW power plant.
• The company has installed a 73 km pipeline in Bangalore. GAIL also signed a gas transmission
agreement with Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) for the supply of 2.1 million
metric standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) of natural gas for its 700 MW power plant
at Bidadi in 30 months.
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• The pipeline, built at a cost of Rs.4,500 crore, has a total capacity of 16 mmscmd. GAIL
Chairman and Managing Director B. C. Tripathi pointed out that the pipeline traversed
through about 700 km across Karnataka.
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Master Tips
Criteria for Maharatna Status :
• A company qualifying for the Maharatna status should have an average annual turnover of
more than Rs 25,000 crore in the last three years
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•the PSU must have a net worth of over Rs 15,000 crore and net profit of more than Rs 5,000
crore during the last three years
• already among Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)- listed on stocks
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Master Tips
Monsanto Company is a publicly traded American multinational agricultural biotechnology
corporation headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. It is a leading producer of genetically
engineered (GE) seed and of the herbicide glyphosate, which it markets under the Roundup
brand.
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Monsanto has had a controversial history in India, starting with the accusation that Monsanto
used terminator genes in its seeds, causing demonstrations against the company. Later, its
GM cotton seed was the subject of NGO agitation because of its higher cost, sometimes lower
than claimed yield and environmental concerns, sometimes leading to stress and suicide
cases of farmers.
It was in news in India due to controversy regarding field trial of Bt Brinjal & Bt Maize and
About Bt:
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its monopoly over genetically modified (GM) Bt Cotton.
• In 2012, a farmer of Darveshpura village in Nalanda had set a world record in potato
production through organic farming.
• Bihar is the third-largest potato producing state, after Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
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• Last year, five farmers here created a world record, producing 224 quintals of paddy per
hectare.
Country’s first monorail to roll out in Mumbai in August
The 8.8-km-long first phase of the project, which will be open to the public from August, is a
part of the 19.54-km stretch. This will be the world’s second-longest monorail corridor
when completed — the longest being Japan’s Osaka monorail corridor, which is 23.8
km.
• The project work began in 2008 and was expected to continue till the end of 2011. The total
cost of the project has been estimated at Rs.3,000 crore.
• Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is building the
monorail, undertook the trial run of the monorail on the first phase stretch from Central
Mumbai’s Vadala to Chembur, a suburb in eastern Mumbai.
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start work on a 2-MW solar power plant at Kuzhalmannam in Palakkad in 2013.
• ANERT was launching a State-wide project to equip 10,000 houses with rooftop solar
power plants of 1 kW capacity.
• To be executed with financial assistance from the Union government, the programme would
generate a total of 10 MW and produce about 1 crore units of power every year to bridge the
demand-supply gap in the State’s power sector.
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Govt to sell stake in BALCO & Hindustan Zinc through OFS
The government is considering a proposal to use the offer for sale (OFS) route for selling
its residual stake in Hindustan Zinc (HZL) and BALCO. The move would enable not only
Vedanta Resources, which is the majority stakeholder of the two companies, but also
ordinary investors to bid for shares. The government currently holds 29.5 per cent stake in
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HZL and 49 per cent stake in BALCO, but is planning to exit from both companies. The
government had sold controlling stake in them between 2001 and 2003.
Agriculture exports could cross $42 billion in 2013
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According to a paper written by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
chief Ashok Gulati along with Surbhi Jain and Anwarul Hoda, in 2011-12 agricultural
exports by India were more than $37 billion against an import of commodities worth around
$17 billion.
• India has emerged as the world’s largest exporter of rice, replacing Thailand and
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Vietnam and the country has also become the biggest exporter of buffalo meat beating
traditionally strong countries such as Brazil, Australia and the US.
• CACP discussion paper titled ‘Farm trade: Tapping the hidden potential’ has stated that
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agricultural exports have increased more than 10 fold from $3.5 billion in 1990-91 to
$37.1 billion in 2011-12 and could cross $42 bn in 2013.
Import duty on gold and platinum raised to 6%
The Union Government has raised the import duty on gold and platinum from four per cent
to six per cent with immediate effect in an urgent bid to curb imports of the precious
metals and contain the widening current account deficit (CAD). In 2011-12, gold imports
accounted for a massive $56.5 billion in foreign exchange the second-highest item after
crude oil in the import bill.
LPG portability launched: New IT/web-enabled initiative ‘Lakshya’
The Union government has launched portability of LPG connections. Petroleum and Natural
Gas Minister Veerapa Moily has launched new IT/web-enabled initiative, ‘Lakshya’ to enable
consumers book and track refills online as well on mobile phone. It would enhance transparency
in distribution of cylinders. Under the new initiative, customers can rate their distributors on
service and anybody found wanting could possibly face termination of dealership.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
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Current Affairs - 2 National Updates 25
ER
Mission (JNNURM) to sanction new projects till March 2014. The new projects and
capacity building activities will be under Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) and
Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT)
components of JNNURM.
• New Urban infrastructure projects and capacity building activities in Urban Local Bodies
(ULBs) in states and Union Territories (UTs) would be approved till March 31, 2014.
•
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The proposal would enable making provisions for creation of urban infrastructure, particularly
in small and medium towns in all states and UTs.
GAAR will come into force from April 2016
The Union government has announced the postponement of the implementation of the
controversial GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) by two years to April 1, 2016. The
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postponement and other modifications in GAAR provisions marks the acceptance of the
recommendations of the Parthasarathi Shome Committee, which was set up by Prime
Minister following concerns expressed by investors on the Budget provision in this regard and
the subsequent withdrawal of portfolio investment by foreign investors.
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IOC storage depot since 2009. On October 29, 2009, a fire broke out at its Jaipur terminal
and raged for 11 days. Some 11 lives were lost and property worth Rs 280 crore was destroyed.
Punjab National Bank acquires 30% stake in Metlife
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Punjab National Bank (PNB) said it has received all regulatory approvals for acquiring 30 per
cent stake in Metlife India Insurance. Following this, the private sector life insurer would be
re-branded as PNB Metlife India Ltd. Both PNB and MetLife India had approached the fair
trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) for approval on December 7,
2012. Currently, MetLife India stakeholders, include Jammu and Kashmir Bank,
Shapoorji Pallonji and other investors, besides MetLife.
Mahindra Reva’s next generation electric car: ‘e2o’
Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles has dubbed its next generation electric car as the
‘Mahindra e2o’. Pronounced as ‘Ee-too-oh’, the electric vehicle has undergone extensive
testing, validation and has been certified as road worthy in India. The car would use next
generation lithium ion batteries and have a range of 100 km per charge, which is adequate
for most daily journeys within the city. It will enable users to charge their vehicle through any
15 ampere plug point at home, or at the workplace.
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• The data also estimated an increase of 13.8 per cent in the government final consumption
expenditure (GFCE) to Rs 11.87 lakh crore at current prices for 2012-13 against Rs 10.43
lakh crore in 2011-12.
2892 crore for seven States including drought-hit Maharashtra to deal with the
impact of calamities.
• It also revised the guidelines for relief under “crop loss” and raised the assistance by 50 per
cent in all categories including rain-fed and irrigated areas and for perennial crops.
• The expenditure for cattle at camps, including the cost of medicines and water supply, was
also raised.
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• The decisions were taken by the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Drought
headed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.
• The relief package, to be released from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF), will
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in cooperatives. As per the decision, 50 per cent of the seats in all cooperatives, primary
agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) will be reserved for women. From the quota, two
seats each will be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes
and Economically Backward Classes.
Master Tips
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Bihar was the 1st state to give 50% reservations to women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions
(PRIs) which was then followed by various states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttarakhand.
Taking the note, later on, Central Government introduced the Constitution (110th Amendment)
Bill, 2009 to amend Article 243D to enhance the reservation for women from existing 33% to
50% for members as well as chairpersons of PRIs.
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Manipur bans smokeless tobacco products
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Having banned smoking at public places, Manipur has prohibited the manufacture, display,
stocking, sale and consumption of smokeless tobacco products, becoming the second State
in the north-east to do so, after Mizoram. A notification, issued by the Commissioner of
Food Safety, says those who violate the ban, imposed under the Food Safety and Standards
(Prohibition and Regulation on sales) Regulation, 2011, are liable to punishment, including
a fine of up to Rs. 2 lakh. (Refer Current Affairs-1 for FSSAI.)
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the occasion of International Women’s Day to reiterate the need to take concrete steps to curb
crimes against women and promised a law in this regard soon.
• Spread over 88 acres, the Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women
is the first women college of the country since Delhi’s Lady Hardinge Medical College
was established in 1914.
• The hospital at the college now has 450 beds and 211 doctors.
About 30% people were BPL in 2009-10
About 30 per cent of people in India were below the poverty line in 2009-10 that was based on
the monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) of Rs 673 for rural areas
and Rs 860 for urban areas, Parliament was informed. As per the latest available information,
the percentage of people living below poverty line in the country in 2009-10 has been estimated
at 29.8 per cent.
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MGNREGA workers will be paid Rs 135 per day. Workers in Bihar and Jharkhand will
get a daily wage of Rs 138.
• The notification regarding revising wage rates is linked to the Consumer Price Index for
Agricultural Labour (CPI-AL) from April 1 every year.
Tamil Nadu ranks 2nd in employing women under MGNREGS
Data put out by the central government in the Economic Survey shows that the Tamil Nadu
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ranks second in employing maximum number of women under the rural job scheme
MGNREGS. In 2011-12, more than 73.3% of women in rural Tamil Nadu were employed
under the MGNREGS, second only to Kerala where 92.7% women were employed.
Delhi becomes first State to ban manual scavenging
Delhi has become the first State in the country to ban manual scavenging and has barred the
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deployment of ‘safai karamcharis’ (cleaning staff) for manual sewer cleaning. Delhi
government is providing all amenities to the safai karamcharis as per service rules and is
taking steps to modernise their working and provide them proper training.
• The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation
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sabhas with community forest rights (CFR) in Gadchiroli and Gondia districts in
Vidarbha the right to collect, use, sell, store and process tendu leaves from this season.
• The leaves are mainly used to make ‘beedis’.
• In April 2011, Maharashtra was the first to give the Mendha Lekha gram sabha in
Gadchiroli the rights to collect, transport and sell bamboo.
• The village earned nearly Rs. 1 crore in sales in a year and allotted 50 per cent of the amount
for its development fund. Mendha has community forest rights on 1,800 hectares and
had fought long and hard for the rights to be given to the people of the village.
Pallam Raju lays foundation stone of first NIT in Arunachal
Union HRD Minister M.M. Pallam Raju has laid the foundation stone of the first National
Institute of Technology (NIT) in Arunachal Pradesh at its permanent site in picturesque
Jote village, near Itanagar. The institute, which is being run in a temporary campus at
Yupia since its establishment in July 2010, is offering undergraduate courses in Computer
Science, Electronics & Electrical and Electronics & Computers Engineering.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
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IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Current Affairs - 2 National Updates 29
ER
• Since it’s harder to bury explosive devices under blacktop roads, Maoists prevent their
construction. “But they are not against katcha sadak [unmetalled road],” points out Rural
Development Minister Jairam Ramesh.
• The scheme will now be split into two phases for the 82 districts affected by left wing
extremism (LWE). The first stage will include levelling, construction of the gravel base and
slope stabilisation.
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Sonia launches universal child health screening service ‘RBSK’
Sonia Gandhi has launched her Government’s new child healthcare initiative, “Rashtriya Bal
Swasthya Karyakram” in the predominantly tribal taluka of Palghar in Thane district
of Maharashtra.
• A child health screening and early intervention service, the new programme is part of the
National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). It aims at providing comprehensive healthcare
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for all children up to 18 years of age.
• The new programme which is a package of health services for children - will be extended to
cover all districts of the country in a phased manner.
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• When fully implemented, the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram is expected to benefit
approximately 27 crore children across the country.
• A set of 30 common ailments and health conditions have been identified for screening
and early intervention.
• The identified common ailments include: Birth defects like “down syndrome”, congenital
cataract, deafness and heart defect, while deficiency conditions that have been listed
are: Anaemia, malnutrition and goitre, developmental delays and disabilities like
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every block.
Hepatitis C scare in Valley village: 300 test positive
Of the 4,000 inhabitants of Takiya Magam village in south Kashmir, 300 have been found to
be suffering from Hepatitis C. The Hepatitis C victims include people from all age groups —
from a boy of 12 to a 62-year old man. The outbreak of Hepatitis C, a contagious life-
threatening liver disease that primarily spreads by blood-to-blood contact — largely through
intravenous drug use, infected medical equipment or contaminated transfusions —
was discovered by accident.
Re 1/kg rice scheme launched in Malkangiri
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ambitious scheme giving rice at Re 1
a kg for BPL families, in Maoist affected Malkangiri district, giving the first spatula of rice
to a woman from the primitive Bonda tribe. The rice would be available to all BPL families
and even to APL families in KBK (Kalahandi Balangir Koraput Region) at Re 1 per kg.
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ASER 2012 finds dwindling state of Education quality
According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012, facilitated by NGO
Pratham, almost half of the Class 5 students in rural schools cannot solve a two-digit
subtraction problem. Less than half of them can read text meant for a Class 2 child.
• Rural school enrolment continues to be high and educational infrastructure may have
improved in the two years since the Right to Education Act came into effect, but the village
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children’s ability to read and do basic arithmetic has been on a sharp decline since then.
• In 2010, 70.9 per cent of Class 5 children were able to solve subtraction problems. Last year,
that fell to 61 per cent. This year, there has been a further drop to 53.5 per cent. In fact,
almost 20 per cent cannot even recognise two-digit numbers.
• Apart from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, which have held steady or improved, every
major State has seen a substantial drop in basic arithmetic levels, according to the survey.
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Tamil Nadu tops in implementation outcomes of NRHM
An evaluation has ranked Tamil Nadu at the top for implementation outcomes of the National
Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and described it as a benchmark for other States.
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• Analysis of data also reveals that in physical infrastructure per 1 lakh population with
respect to Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, and First Reference
Units, Jammu and Kashmir is far ahead of Tamil Nadu and the other States.
• The seven States surveyed are: Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Orissa and Jammu and Kashmir.
• For the utilisation of public health facilities for ante-natal care and post-natal care services,
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Tamil Nadu is the best performing State and Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and
Assam are the worst.
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International &
Bilateral Updates
pppp
Current Affairs - 2 International & Bilateral Updates 33
Master Tips
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is a multilateral treaty that regulates the international trade
in conventional weapons which has been estimated to reach US$70 billion a year. The treaty
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was negotiated at a global conference under the auspices of the United Nations from 2–27
July 2012 in New York, where it was not possible to reach an agreement on a final text at
that time. On 2 April 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted the ATT.
The adopted treaty text covers weapons such as tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large-
calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and
missile launchers, and small and light arms. However it does not explicitly cover predator
drones and grenades. Ammunition exports are subject to the same criteria as the other
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included items, although its imports are not covered.
adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP), and has the world’s lowest external debt.
It is a member of the European Free Trade Association and part of the European Economic
Area and the Schengen Area, but not of the European Union.
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It has been identified as a tax haven that is why India entered into TIEA.
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Iran replaces ONGC with state company in oil field
Iran has awarded the development of an offshore oil field that state-owned Oil and Natural Gas
Corp (ONGC) had abandoned as commercially unviable, to a domestic company.
• ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) and its partners Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Oil India Ltd
(OIL) had in 2009 dropped plans to develop the Binaloud oil field in the Farsi offshore
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block as it found one billion barrels of reserves commercially unviable.
• Binaloud holds about 3.5 billion barrels of oil in place, more than three times ONGC’s
estimate of 1 billion barrels of heavy crude with 14-degree API gravity.
• OVL-IOC-OIL joint venture had in 2006 made an oil discovery in the Farsi offshore block,
which was later named Binaloud. The discovery was found to be commercially unviable
primarily due to high sulphur content in the oil.
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Zambian delegation visits Hindustan Zinc Ltd. in Rajasthan
Zambian Vice-President Guy Scott, accompanied by a high-power delegation, arrived in Udaipur
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town of Rajasthan to visit the facilities of Hindustan Zinc Limited, the world’s largest
integrated zinc producer and also the largest lead and silver producer in India.
• Vedanta Resources, which operates HZL in Udaipur, runs copper operations in Zambia
through Konkola Copper Mine (KCM), which is one of the world’s largest copper
producers.
• KCM operates two mines at Nchanga, comprising an underground mine and four open
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pits, the Nchanga smelter, Konkola mine, Nkana refinery and the Nampundwe
pyrite mine.
• KCM is also Zambia’s largest private sector employer with nearly 22,000 permanent
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and contract employees. The Konkola Copper Mines head office is located at Chingola
in Copperbelt province of Zambia. KCM has operations in Chililabombwe, Chingola,
Nampundwe and Kitwe.
China becomes 5 th in Arms exporter and India biggest Importer
China has become the world’s fifth largest weapons exporter on the back of a rapid
increase in sales to Pakistan, which now accounts for more than half of China’s arms
exports and overall 3rd biggest importer in the world after India and china.
• China, accounting for five per cent of global arms sales, replaced Britain in the
exclusive club of five biggest weapons sellers, according to report from the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
• The United States is the biggest exporter, accounting for 30 per cent of global exports.
• Russia with 26 per cent, Germany with seven per cent and France with six per cent
exceed China’s sales.
• India remains the biggest importer(70% of its armament needs met by import
having failed to develop a domestic defence industrial base), accounting for 12 per cent
of the world’s imports and continuing to rely on countries such as Russia for its defence
needs.
• China is the second biggest importer accounting for six per cent, even with its surging
domestic industries supplies to the People’s Liberation Army.
Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project launched ignoring US unease
The long-pending Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project inched closer to reality with the launch
of its final phase under which a 781-km-long pipeline would be laid on the Pakistan side of
the border. To run from Iran’s border to Nawabshah in Sindh, the pipeline’s construction
was inaugurated in the Iranian port city of Chabahar by the Presidents of the two countries.
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Master Tips
Initially, India was also part of the negotiation of the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI)
Pipeline or Peace Pipeline but in 2009, India withdrew from the project over pricing and
security issues, and after signing a civilian nuclear deal with the United States in 2008.
But, even in future, India, looking into its energy needs, can consider the project.
Iran has the world’s 2nd largest natural gas reserves after Russia. Iran is also planning
to build a gas pipeline up to Iraq and Syria from its Assaluyeh (near the south pars gas
field in southern Iran) to the Iran-Iraq border and from Baghdad to the Syrian border.
Refer route Map for clarity.
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The 11th Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu, was chosen as a member of the CPPCC in
2010, and has been seen by many Tibetans as a controversial figure. The 23-year-old was
chosen as the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama the second most important figure
for the Gelugpa or Yellow Hat sect of Buddhism after the Dalai Lama in place of
Gendun Choekyi Nyima. Gendun Choekyi Nyima was first chosen as the reincarnation with
the Dalai Lama’s backing, but subsequently disappeared.
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Tata Steel acquires 51 % in Canadian mines company LIM
Tata Steel, through its subsidiary Tata Steel Minerals Canada (TMSC), has acquired majority
stake in Canadian company Labrador Iron Mines (LIM) for Canadian $30 million (Rs.163
crore). This will enable Tata Steel to seamlessly transport raw material from its existing mines
in Canada through rail and a port facility to the U.K. where it has major operations. This is
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possibly the first acquisition by the Tata Group after Cyrus Mistry took over as Chairman.
Falkland Islands vote in referendum with eye on world
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Falkland Islanders hold a referendum to send a message to the world that they want to stay
British, although Argentina has already dismissed the vote as illegal.
Master Tips
Fakland Islands Dispute:Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands or Islas Malvinas in Spanish
is disputed between Argentina and the United Kingdom. The British claim to sovereignty
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dates from 1690, and the United Kingdom has exercised de facto sovereignty over the archipelago
almost continuously since 1833. Argentina has long disputed this claim, having been in
control of the islands for a brief period prior to 1833. The dispute escalated in 1982, when
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• The resolution, drafted by the United States and China, was passed 15-0 in a speedy vote
hours after North Korea threatened for the first time to launch a pre-emptive nuclear
strike against the United States and South Korea.
India contemplating widening of visa-on-arrival list to boost Tourism
Ministry for Tourism mooted a proposal to
grant visa-on-arrival (VoA) to touristsST Master Tips
fr om Germany, Russi a, Fra nce and Foreign tourist arrivals to India constitute
South Africa under its active consideration. only 0.64 per cent of the world tourist
The Ministry had also asked the Home arrivals and foreign exchange earnings
Ministry to consider grant of VoA for 16 account for 1.61 per cent of the world
more countries in an attempt to give a big tourism receipts. The VoA facility is now
push to arrivals. Tourism Ministry has available for tourists from countries such as
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S in gapo re , New Zealan d, Japan ,
included Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei,
Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar and
Ukra i ne, Uz beki sta n, Ka z a khsta n, Philippines.
Spain, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Brazil, India is also mulling to extend VoA to
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Trinidad and Tobago in the proposed Pakistani elders aged 65 yrs. & above.
VoA list.
foreign oil policy in countries such as Sudan, Angola and Iraq, where state-owned Chinese
companies have invested billions of dollars.
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burgeoning trade links with the regional bloc.
• This 141-km long railway link between Yuxi and Mengzi, with a designed maximum
speed of 120 km per hour, is part of the eastern line of the planned Pan-Asia Railway
network. It passes through 35 tunnels and crosses 61 bridges, which together account
for 54.95 per cent of the eastern line’s total length.
• A railway that links China’s southwestern Yunnan Province with the ASEAN countries
•
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became operational after seven years of construction.
China, which has a free trade area arrangement with the bloc, continued to have robust
trade that rose by 23.9 per cent year-on-year to USD 362.85 billion last year.
• This despite its deepening disputes with key ASEAN countries like Philippines, Vietnam,
Malaysia and Brunei over Beijing’s claims to almost all of South China Sea,
which they bitterly oppose. (Refer Current Affairs - 1 for disputed South China
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Sea Islands)
India finances power project in Mozambique
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India has made USD 250 million available to finance a power project in Maputo region in
southern Mozambique. The project will kick off by June 2013 and end in 2016.
China takes control of Gwadar Port
China has taken control of Pakistan’s Gwadar Port located at the mouth of the Persian
Gulf just outside the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The official transfer of
Concession Agreement from the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) to the China Overseas
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Port Holding Company was carried out recently. Gwadar Deep Sea Port is billed as Pakistan’s
biggest infrastructure project, which has failed as a business venture till date because the
security situation in Balochistan discouraged PSA from investing in the development of the
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String of Pearls Policy of China: It is a strategic endeavor of China to encircle India and
to have dominant position & multiple accesses in Indian Ocean, primarily for twin
reasons of its energy supply security and advantageous position against India by
having good relation with India’s neighbours and countries around. In furtherance of this
policy, China built & controls ports in Marao, Maldives; Gwadar, Pakistan; Chittagong,
Bangladesh; Sittwe, Burma; Lamu, Kenya; and Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
Abu Dhabi firm makes oil discovery in new Darwin oil field
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) has discovered oil in the new Darwin oil
field in the Northern North Sea area near the Shetland Islands in Scotland. In February
2012, TAQA acquired a 50 percent interest in the prospective exploration acreage known as
Darwin, located south of the former NW Hutton Field. TAQA had started first oil
production from the Cormorant East field development in the UK North Sea, which is
expected to contain 10-30 million barrels of oil in place.
Nasheed takes refuge in Indian High Commission
The former Maldivian President, Mohamed Nasheed, walked into the Indian High Commission
in Male after an arrest warrant was issued against him for failure to appear in a local court.
After hectic diplomatic negotiation by Indian Mission, Nasheed left the Indian High Commission.
Earlier, Maldives cancelled a contract to an Indian-Malaysian consortium for modernising and
operating the airport at Male.
US complains against India in WTO on Solar Panels
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The United States has launched its complaint against India in the World Trade Organisation
over the Indian government’s ‘domestic content requirement’, for solar modules used in the
projects awarded under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.
• Indian manufacturers want protection against the much cheaper products from abroad,
especially from the Chinese crystalline silicon manufacturers and the American
‘thin film’ manufacturers, both of whom often bring in cheap funding for their buyers.
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• In India, the solar power industry is a 3-year-old baby. On the solar power generation
side, the total installed solar power capacity in India in 2010 was 18 MW.
GAIL-EDF Trading sign MoU
GAIL India Ltd said it has signed a preliminary agreement with French energy trader EDF
Trading for jointly acquiring oil and gas assets in North America and trading of US gas/LNG.
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• The MoU may lead to the two firms jointly acquiring shale gas assets in North America
as well as the French firm investing in downstream trading and marketing venture in India.
• GAIL already has a 20 per cent stake in Carrizo Oil’s Eagle Shale gas assets in
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Texas, US and has also signed to import 3.5 million tons of liquid gas, called LNG, from
Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass shale gas project in Louisiana.
Russia sets arms sale record above $15 bn
The world’s number two arms exporter Russia said it had sold a record $15.2 billion in
weaponry in 2012 while expanding its list of clients to more African nations. Russia trails
closely behind the United States in world arms exports and has expanded its sales by 46
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per cent in the past two years. Its contracts reached $13.2 billion in 2011 and $10.4 billion in
2010 figures reliant heavily on military ties with India and China. Russia’s new list of 2012
clients included Ghana and Oman as well as Tanzania.
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EEZ: An exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is a seazone prescribed by the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) over which a state has special rights over
the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and
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wind. Generally, a state’s EEZ extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles (370 km) out
from its coastal baseline. The exception to this rule occurs when EEZs would overlap; that
is, state coastal baselines are less than 400 nautical miles (740 km) apart. When an overlap
occurs, it is up to the states to delineate the actual maritime boundary. Generally, any point
within an overlapping area defaults to the nearest state.
Territorial Waters: As per UNCLOS, the territorial waters stretch till 12 NM (22 km) from
the coastal baseline. States also have rights to the seabed of what is called the continental
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shelf up to 350 nautical miles (648 km) from the coastal baseline, beyond the EEZ, but
such areas are not part of their EEZ.
*Refer the schematic.(Important for Geography because of Killing of Indian Fishermen
off the Kerala Coast by two Italian Marines (ENRICA LEXIE-Italian Oil Tanker 2012).)
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zones of National Jurisdiction
1982 Law of the sea Convention
B 12 nm 24 nm 200 nm
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Tenitorial Contiguous
water Exclusive Economic zone
zone
Continental shelf
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Master Tips
Mali, a French colony until 1960, has been in turmoil since a military coup in March
2012 with Islamists seizing a vast area of northern Mali and trying to impose strict Sharia
law. The rebels have burnt ancient manuscripts and destroyed mausoleums and Sufi shrines
in Timbuktu, calling them blasphemous.
Timbuktu’s three major mosques - Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahi - along with 16
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mausoleums, were first inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage List in 1988. The Askia
Tomb in the city of Gao followed in 2004.
fields in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea and 2.36 percent interest in the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.
• ACG, which is located in the south Caspian Sea, about 95 km off the coast of Azerbaijan,
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is the largest oil and gas field complex in Azerbaijan and one of the largest producing
oil fields in the world.
• UK’s BP plc is the operator of the ACG fields with 34.1 percent stake.
India-aided housing project in Sri Lanka makes good progress
It’s been hardly four months since the second phase of the India-assisted housing project got
under way here, but already about a dozen houses of the 43,000 planned have been completed.
“Already about 10 houses are ready under our area itself,” said United Nations Human Settlement
Programme’s National project Manager I.A. Hameed.
• UN-HABITAT is one of the three implementing agencies selected by the Indian authorities.
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka said work on building more than 5000 houses
had already commenced.
• The project, aiming at construction of 50,000 houses for Sri Lanka’s internally displaced,
is the largest Indian development project abroad.
• The project, worth nearly Rs. 1400-crore, is expected to be completed by October 2015.
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major hydropower dam on the main stream of the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra
or Yarlung Zangbo as it is known in China – a 510 MW project in Zangmu in the
Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), which began to be built in 2010.
• A 640 MW dam will be built in Dagu, which lies 18 km upstream of Zangmu.
• Another 320 MW dam will be built at Jiacha, also on the middle reaches of the
Brahmaputura downstream of Zangmu.
•
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A third dam will be built at Jiexu, 11 km upstream of Zangmu.
Key China-Myanmar oil & gas pipelines to be completed in May 2013
China is set to operationalise its 1,100-kilometre-long oil and natural gas pipelines with
Myanmar that will give China first ever access to the strategic Bay of Bengal.
• Crude oil will be shipped from the Middle East via the Indian Ocean- instead of the risk-
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prone Strait of Malacca - before reaching Myanmar and entering China via the oil
pipeline.
• The pipelines run from the port of Kyaukpyu on Myanmar’s west coast and enter
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India may be forced to end 18-month old arrangement of paying for Iranian crude oil imports
through a Turkish bank as a new set of US sanctions against the Islamic nation comes into
force from February 6.
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• India has been, since July 2011, using euros to clear most of its purchases of Iranian
oil through Ankara-based Turkiye Halk Bankasi.
• As much as 55 per cent of the USD 10 billion oil imports from Iran are settled through
Halk Bank, while the rest of the payments are made in rupees in Kolkata- based
UCO Bank.
• The new US Treasury sanctions, which go into effect from February 6, bar banks from
transferring Iran’s oil revenues from importing nations to Tehran.
China calls for talks with Japan to resolve disputes
After months of high profile military posturing over the disputed islands with Japan, China
said it attaches importance to the ties with Tokyo and called on the Japanese government to
resolve the dispute through dialogue to keep the relations on track. The two countries were
locked in a showdown since September 2012 over the islands in East China Sea, called
Diaoyu by China and Senkakus by Japan.(Refer Current Affairs-1 for details.)
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Gabbard farm off the coast of Suffolk, UK -currently the world’s largest farm.
OVL’s project wins award in Russia
ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), said
the De-Kastri oil terminal of its Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project in Russia has bagged the
best oil terminal award of Russia.
•
•
•
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OVL holds 20 per cent stake in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas fields in far East Russia.
The terminal is used to storage and export the crude oil produced from the Sakhalin-1 fields.
Oil is transported to the terminal from the Sakhalin-1 onshore production facilities at
northeast of Sakhalin island via a 226-kilometer pipeline.
OVL discovers oil in first well at Columbian field
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ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp, has discovered
oil in the very first well it drilled on an onland block in Colombia.
• OVL’s first well on the Block CPO-5 struck oil at two places and produced 120-300
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take weeks as problems with the high-tech plane threaten the American maker’s bold strategy.
Authorities in Chile, Ethiopia, Europe, India, Japan and Qatar followed the lead of the
US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by halting all 787 flights after a Japanese
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aid work among people affected by communal violence.
• The communal unrest in the state has clouded optimism over sweeping political changes
since Myanmar’s widely praised emergence from decades of army rule in early 2011.
• The ICRC said it was also ready to provide aid to people in states such as Kachin and
Kayin, also affected by conflict.
Master Tips
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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian institution
based in Geneva, Switzerland and a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate.
States parties (signatories) to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional
Protocols of 1977 (Protocol I, Protocol II) and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate
to protect victims of international and internal armed conflicts. Such victims include
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war wounded, prisoners, refugees, civilians, and other non-combatants.
Thailand surrendered its crown as the world’s top rice exporter to INDIA
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Thailand starts the new year having surrendered its crown as the world’s top rice exporter,
and saddled with an ever-growing stockpile of the grain as the costs of its subsidy scheme
mount.
• Thailand is estimated to have exported about 6.8 million tonnes of rice in 2012, down
about 35 percent from the prior year, as the costs of the intervention scheme made Thai
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prices uncompetitive.
• India is the new number one rice exporter, taking the title for the first time since
1983, with exports likely to be about 8.5 million tonnes to the end of March 2013.
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• In second spot is Vietnam with 2012 exports of about 7.7 million tonnes. It is no
surprise that Thailand’s rice exports slumped, since its prices are about 37 percent above
those of Vietnam and India.
China constructing new N-plant with 4 th generation reactor
China has launched construction of a new USD 476 million nuclear power plant with a 200 MW
4th generation reactor, claimed to be the first in the world for commercial usage.
• China has broken ground on a 3 billion-yuan (USD 476 million) nuclear power project
that will be the first in the world to put a reactor with fourth-generation features into
commercial use.
• Construction of the project at Shidao Bay in the coastal city of Rongcheng in east
China’s Shandong Province with the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor will start
generating power by the end of 2017.
Master Tips
TB: Tuberculosis (TB) (short for tubercle bacillus) is a common, and in many cases
lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually called as
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Tuberculosis typically attacks the lungs, but can
also affect other parts of the body. It is spread through the air when people who have an
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active TB infection cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air.
MDR-TB: Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is defined as tuberculosis that is
resistant to at least ionized (INH) and rifampicin (RMP), the two most powerful first-line
treatment anti-TB drugs. Isolates that are multiply resistant to any other combination of
anti-TB drugs but not to INH and RMP are not classed as MDR-TB.
MDR-TB develops during treatment of fully sensitive TB when the course of antibiotics is
interrupted and the levels of drug in the body are insufficient to kill 100% of bacteria.
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Malaria: Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused
by protists (a type of microorganism) of the genus Plasmodium. It begins with a bite
from an infected female Anopheles mosquito, which introduces the protists through saliva
into the circulatory system. The disease is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions
in a broad band around the equator, including much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the
Americas.
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China to give Belarus $16 mn Chernobyl aid
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China is to donate some $16 million to Belarus to support children in areas hit by the 1986
Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
• The money is to be spent on construction of recreational facilities equipped with swimming
pools for children living in the districts contaminated by the world’s worst nuclear accident
at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, located just over the border in neighbouring
Ukraine.
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• The radioactive fallout from the accident contaminated some 23 percent of Belarusian
territory, an area of 45,000 km populated by 2.6 million.
• The radiation also affected an area of around 50,000 sq. km in Ukraine and 60,000 sq.
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About ECOSOC : The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) constitutes
one of the principal organs of the United Nations. It is responsible for coordinating the
economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, their functional
commissions and five regional commissions. ECOSOC has 54 members. India is a member
of ECOSOC.
4
Environment &
Ecology Updates
2.1 Un passes Historric Arms
Trade Treaty (ATT) 31
pppp
Current Affairs - 2 Environment & Ecology Updates 49
Master Tips
Earth Hour is a worldwide event organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
and held towards the end of March annually, encouraging households and businesses to turn
off their non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about the need to take action on
climate change.
ER
The event, conceived by WWF and Leo Burnett, first took place in 2007, when 2.2 million
residents of Sydney participated by turning off all non-essential lights.
Master Tips
ER
The innovation degrades and converts the human waste into usable water and gases in an
eco-friendly manner. The generated gas can be utilized for energy/cooking and water for
irrigation purposes. The process involves the bacteria, which feed upon the fecal matter inside
the tank, through anaerobic process which finally degrades the matter and releases methane
gas that can be used for cooking, along with the treated water.
The Bio-digester technology has been developed by Gwalior based Defence Research and
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Development Establishment (DRDE) and Tezpur based Defence Research Laboratory (DRL).
• The world’s first legally binding treaty on mercury will aim to reduce global emission
levels of the toxic heavy metal, also known as quicksilver, which poses risks to human
health and the environment.
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• Mercury is found in products ranging from electrical switches, thermometers and light-
bulbs, to amalgam dental fillings and even facial creams. Large amounts of the heavy
metal are released from small scale gold mining, coal-burning power plants, metal smelters
and cement production.
MoEF sets deadline to declare ESZs around National Parks, Sanctuaries
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has given one last opportunity
to all the States to submit site-specific proposals by February 15, a decade after the National
Board for Wildlife envisaged declaring areas within 10 km of the boundary of national
parks and sanctuaries as eco-sensitive zones (ESZs).
As per the guidelines, commercial mining, setting up of industries causing pollution, commercial
use of firewood, establishment of all hydroelectric projects, use or production of any hazardous
substances, tourism activities like flying over the national park area by any aircraft or hot-air
balloons and discharge of effluents and solid waste in natural water bodies or terrestrial area
are prohibited.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Current Affairs - 2 Environment & Ecology Updates 51
Master Tips
American white pelicans have large wings with huge bill. These pelicans weigh about 12 to
14 kg., which are double the grey pelicans.
Several species of birds migrate to Kolleru from far off places every year during winter but,
white pelicans have not visited Atapaka Bird Sanctuary in the last few years.
Kolleru Lake is a 2nd largest freshwater lake located in Andhra Pradesh. Kolleru is located
between Krishna and Godavari delta. Kolleru spans into two districts - Krishna and
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West Godavari. The lake serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for these two rivers.
Master Tips
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CFC-12 was first produced commercially in the 1930s and its concentration in the atmosphere
increased rapidly until the 1990s when it was phased out by the Montreal Protocol on
substances that deplete the ozone layer.
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IRENA launched Global Atlas on renewable energy
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The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has launched the world’s first
atlas on clean energy which will offer open-access information on countries’ renewable energy
potential.
• The Global Atlas is the largest ever initiative to help countries assess their renewable
energy potential, and companies bringing together data and maps from leading technical
institutes and private companies worldwide.
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• The Global Atlas provides a powerful new tool in international efforts to double the
worlds share of renewable energy by 2030.
• Thirty-seven countries, including Israel which has no diplomatic relations with the United
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Arab Emirates, have so far contributed information on their renewable energy potentials
to the atlas.
Master Tips
Established in 2011, Abu Dhabi-based IRENA is mandated by 159 countries and the European
Union to promote the sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy.
• Snow leopards inhabit the nonforested zone above the tree line - around 3,200 metres in
the western Himalayas and around 4,200 metres in the eastern Himalayas, going over the
Greater Himalayan crest into the Trans Himalayan region.
• The snow leopard distribution and population in India is at 400-600 along the Himalayan
region and about 4080 - 6590 across the world, found in 12 countries.
• Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, besides Arunachal Pradesh and
Sikkim, are amongst the five States in the country that are believed to have snow leopards.
Master Tips
The Project Snow Leopard launched in 2009 by MoEF, is an initiative for strengthening
wildlife conservation in the Himalayan high altitudes, covering 5 states Jammu and
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
It aims at promoting a knowledge-based and adaptive conservation framework that fully
involves the local communities, who share the snow leopard’s range, in conservation efforts.
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Project Snow Leopard is at par with other flagship species programmes of the country
such as Project Tiger and Project Elephant.
completely disappeared.
• The centre called it a “morphological organisation” reminiscent of cetaceans, the
carnivorous marine mammals such as whales and dolphins.
New Gas that triggers ozone destruction found
Scientists have found that a gas released from the oceans on Earth may play a significant role
in the destruction of ozone layer.
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• Researchers at the Universities of York and Leeds found that the principal source of iodine
oxide can be explained by emissions of hypoiodous acid (HOI) - a gas not yet considered as
being released from the ocean - along with a contribution from molecular iodine (I2).
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• Since the 1970s when methyl iodide (CH3I) was discovered as ubiquitous in the ocean,
the presence of iodine in the atmosphere has been understood to arise mainly from
emissions of organic compounds from phytoplankton - microscopic marine plants.
• The new research, published in Nature Geoscience, builds on an earlier study which showed that
reactive iodine, along with bromine, in the atmosphere is responsible for the destruction of
vast amounts of ozone around 50 per cent more than predicted by the world’s most advanced
climate models in the lower atmosphere over the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Tata Power earned Carbon Credits from Gujarat Solar Plant
Tata Power has said its 25 MW solar project in Gujarat has been registered under the
United Nations Clean Development Mechanism, a move that would allow the company to
trade carbon credits from the plant. This allows the company to trade Certified Emission
Reductions (CERs) units it would earn from the renewable energy project.
• It is the company’s second project, after the 50.4MW Khandke wind farm in
Maharashtra, to get registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
• The Mithapur plant would help in reducing an annual average of 37,696 tons of carbon
dioxide, by producing 39,597 MWh per year (average) equivalent amount of clean energy.
• The country’s largest private power producer, Tata Power, has an installed generation
capacity of about 7,700 MW.
Master Tips
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is one of the flexibility mechanisms defined
in the Kyoto Protocol that provides for emissions reduction projects which generate Certified
Emission Reduction (CER) units which may be traded in emissions trading schemes.
Carbon Credit: A carbon credit is a generic term for any tradable certificate or permit
representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or the mass of another greenhouse
gas with a carbon dioxide equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide.
1 Certified Emission Reduction (CER) Unit: For trading purposes, one allowance or CER
is considered equivalent to one metric ton of CO 2 emissions.
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Emissions from coal plants causing high mortality and diseases
Emissions from coal-fired power plants are taking a heavy toll on human life across large parts
of India. In 2011-2012, a first-of-its-kind study in the country estimates it resulted in a whopping
80,000 to 1,15,000 premature deaths and more than 20 million asthma cases from exposure to
a total PM10 (particulate matter) pollution.
•
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Titled ‘Coal Kills — An Assessment of
Death and Disease caused by India’s
dirtiest energy source,’ was done by
Master Tips
With approximately 210 gigawatts (GW),
Urban Emissions.info and Greenpeace India is the fifth largest generator of
India, with support from Conservation electricity in the world.
Acti on Trust (CAT) by Sarath K. At present, about 60% of this power
generation capacity is from coal.
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Guttikunda and Puja Jawahar.
The 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017) includes
• The study says emissions from coal-fired an addition of 76 GW and the 13th Five Year
power are responsible for a large mortality Plan (2017-2022) includes 93 GW, most of
and morbidity burden on human health.
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Renewable Energy Sources (RES) include SHP, BG, BP, U&I and Wind Energy
SHP= Small Hydro Project, BG= Biomass Gasifier, BP= Biomass Power,
U & I=Urban & Industrial Waste Power, RES=Renewable Energy Sources
MNRE = Ministry of New & Renewable Energy.
5
Science &
Technology Updates
5.1 Space Odyssey 57
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Current Affairs - 2 Science and Technology 57
Reasons for melting of Glaciers: With thousands of vehicles passing through Rohtang,
especially during peak tourist season, on a daily basis, the white snow cover turns black due
to carbon emission from vehicles. Increased quantity of black carbon aerosols in the
atmosphere is absorbing more heat, due to which incoming solar radiation is being
absorbed more and not reflected accordingly, resulting into faster melting of glaciers.
Rohtang Pass: Rohtang Pass is a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range
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of the Himalayas around 51 km from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley (in south
having Hindu Culture) with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys (in north having Buddhist
Culture) of Himachal Pradesh. Manali-Leh Highway, the highest motarable road in India,
a part of NH 21, transverses Rohtang Pass.
On the southern side of this pass, the Beas River emerges from underground and flows
southward and on its northern side, the Chandra River, a source stream of the river Chenab,
flows westward. ST
ISRO’s 1 st navigational satellite IRNSS-1 set to fly & GAGAN by 2014
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch the country’s 1 st regional
navigational satellite, IRNSS-1 in June. After all the required satellites were launched,
India would be in a position to provide navigation service through indigenous GPS ‘Gagan’
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probably by 2014.
• The remaining six spacecraft that form the regional navigational constellation may follow
over the next 18 months after tests on the first one. IRNSS-1 is to be flown on the
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Arianespace.
Master Tips
Established in 1969 and Headquartered in Bangalore, ISRO is the primary space agency
of the Indian government. ISRO is amongst the six largest government space agencies
in the world, along with America’s NASA, Russia’s RKA, Europe’s ESA, China’s CNSA
and Japan’s JAXA.The current ISRO Chairman is K. Radhakrishnan.
S Ramakrishnan has assumed charge as Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in
Tiruvananthapuram.
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the orbiting lab module Tiangong-1.
• The Tiangong-1 was sent into space in September 2011. It later docked with the
Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft in November 2011 and with the Shenzhou-9
manned spacecraft in June, 2012.
• In 2012, China sent its first woman astronaut Liu Yang aboard Shenzhou-9.
ISRO’s 101 st Solar Mission ‘PSLV-C20’ launches 7 satellites
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India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C20 rocket carrying seven satellites,
including the Indo-French ‘Satellite with ARgos and ALtika’ (SARAL), blasted off
from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The successful
launch of the satellites will take ISRO’s tally of launching foreign satellites to 35. ISRO
started putting into space third-party satellites for a fee in 1999 on its PSLV-C2 rocket.
• The ISRO-built SARAL is a 410-kg satellite with payloads Argos and Altika from
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French space agency CNES for enhancing the understanding of the ocean.
• The six smaller payloads in the mission launched include two from Canada, two from
Austria and one each from Denmark and UK.
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• NLS 8.3 (AAUSAT3) (3Kg) is the third student cubesat from Aalborg University in
Denmark, which has device for feasibility study of receiving AIS signals from ships in
arctic regions and a Phoenix GPS receiver from DLR, Germany.
• The vehicle also carried STRaND-1, the first satellite in the series of Surrey Training,
Research and Nanosatellite Development programme, built by SSTL (Surrey
Training Technology Ltd), UK, to fly state-of-the art technologies and new developments
in low Earth orbit.
Jupiter’s moon ‘Europa’ likely to harbour life
Jupiter’s moon Europa is the most likely candidate in the universe beyond the Earth
that could harbour life.
• Researchers say Europa, the sixth closest moon to Jupiter, is far more likely to be
habitable than the desert covered Mars, which has been the focus of recent exploration.
• Under a new $2-billion exploration project called Clipper, NASA would team up with
physicists of Johns Hopkins University, if the project got permission.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Current Affairs - 2 Science and Technology 59
• The mission follows the success of Cassini, a probe that closely explored Titan, a moon
of Saturn. Clipper could be launched by 2021 and would take a further three-six years
to reach Europa.
• Europa was first examined by the Voyager mission in 1979 and by Galileo in the 1990s.
• Scientists believe that Enceladus, the sixth largest moon of Saturn, could also be
habitable.
NASA’s Kepler Mission discovers yet another Earth-like Planet Kepler-37b
NASA has discovered the smallest known planet outside our solar system which is slightly
larger than the Moon and orbits its Sun like host star every 13 days.
• NASA’s Kepler space telescope detected the smallest planet yet found around a star
similar to the Sun in a new planetary system.
• The planets are located in a system called Kepler-37, about 210 light-years from Earth
in the constellation Lyra.
• The smallest planet, Kepler-37b, is slightly larger than our Moon, measuring about one-
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third the size of Earth.
• The Moon-size planet and its two companion planets were found by scientists with NASA’s
Kepler mission to find Earth-sized planets in or near the “habitable zone,” the
region in a planetary system where liquid water might exist on the surface of
an orbiting planet.
• Kepler-37c, the closer neighbouring planet, is slightly smaller than Venus, measuring
of Earth.
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almost three-quarters the size of Earth. Kepler-37d, the farther planet, is twice the size
Meteor hit Chelyabinsk: The largest celestial body to hit Earth in 100 yrs
The meteor, which closely missed the Russian city of Chelyabinsk and Russia’s Urals
region, is likely to go down in history as the largest celestial body to have hit the Earth
over the past hundred years.
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• As per NASA scientists, the object was a tiny asteroid that released 300 to 500 kilotons
of energy when it exploded, which is roughly equivalent to 20 atomic bombs of the type
dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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• This would make the Chelyabinsk meteor the largest since 1908 when a meteor hit
Tunguska in Siberia, a 60-metre cosmic body, levelling an estimated 80 million trees.
• The energy of the Tunguska blast is estimated to have been up to 50 megatons.
• Scientists believe the Chelyabinsk meteor was about 17 metres across and weighed
10,000 tons. Shock waves from its explosion over Chelyabinsk wounded 1,200.
• It was the biggest celestial body ever observed on its flight through the atmosphere and
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there was a good chance of finding its fragments before exposure to the elements
contaminates them.
• Divers searched the bottom of frozen Lake Chebarkul about 80 km from Chelyabinsk
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where a chunk of the meteor is believed to have plunged, but found nothing.
Asteroid named 2012 DA14 makes closest pass to Earth
As per NASA, an asteroid half the size of a football pitch made the closest pass ever
observed from Earth, some 28,000 kilometres above Indonesia.
• The near-Earth object, named 2012 DA14 after it was discovered in 2012 by astronomers
from an observatory in La Sagra in southern Spain, is 45 metres in diameter.
• DA14 is roughly comparable in size to the meteor believed to have caused the 1908
Tunguska event, when a massive blast laid waste to 2,000 square kilometres of uninhabited
Siberian forest.
• DA14 is likely a similar silicate rock as the Tunguska meteor and would probably explode
in the atmosphere if it were bound for Earth.
• DA14 passed within 27,650 kms of Earth and was visible with the aid of binoculars or a
small telescope from much of the eastern hemisphere.
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• The remnant, called W49B, appears to be the product of a rare explosion in which matter
is ejected at high speeds along the poles of a rotating star.
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ER
• The Eliminate Dengue Research Programme is a not-for-profit international collaboration
active in Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Singapore, Colombia and Brazil. ·
• Dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by
the dengue virus.
• Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin
rash that is similar to measles. The disease can develop into the life-threatening dengue
hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma
•
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leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs.
Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes, principally
A. aegypti.
Pfizer suffered a second rejection from Britain’s health cost watchdog NICE as its new
kidney cancer drug ‘Inlyta’ was turned down for use on the state health service. As per
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the new treatment
was not a cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. The decision follows a
similar rebuff for Pfizer’s lung cancer drug ‘Xalkori’.
Master Tips
ER
• Uses: Widely used as cheap painkiller for livestock in Indian Subcontinent.
• There is is ban on the veterinary use of diclofenac by the Central Government
in 2008 under Section 18(a) (iv) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.·
• Ecological Impact: Use of diclofenac in animals has been reported to have led to a
sharp decline in the vulture population in the Indian Subcontinent. ·
• The mechanism is presumed to be renal failure, a known side effect of diclofenac.
Vultures eat the carcasses of livestock that have been administered veterinary diclofenac,
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and are poisoned by the accumulated chemical, as vultures do not have a particular
enzyme to break down diclofenac.
• At a meeting of the National Wildlife Board in March 2005, the Government of India
announced it intended to phase out the veterinary use of diclofenac.·
• Meloxicam is a safer candidate to replace use of diclofenac. It is more expensive than
diclofenac, but the price is coming down as more drug companies begin to manufacture it.
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other grains – offering a safer alternative in a country with a huge poisoning burden from
rice grown in contaminated water.
• The Sylheti rice also contained higher levels of the essential nutrients selenium and
zinc, according to a study published in the journal Biomedical Spectroscopy and Imaging.
• Rice is the main staple in Bangladesh,
Master Tips
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million may have been exposed to toxic and skin, as well as heart disease.
levels of arsenic in contaminated ground
Rice is highly efficient at absorbing arsenic
water.
from soil and water, and is reported to be the
• The UN’s World Health Organisation has
called the country’s arsenic crisis “the highest arsenic-containing cereal.
largest mass poisoning of a population
in history”.
• Under a 1970’s campaign to provide villagers with clean, germ-free water, millions of wells
were dug unfortunately many of them into soil heavily laced with naturally occurring arsenic.
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Malaria-causing parasite found in Andamans
Researchers have located a new malaria-causing parasite ‘Plasmodium Knowlesi’ for the
first time in humans in India.
• A team of researchers, consisting of Manoj Kumar Das of the National Institute of Malaria
Research (NIMR), Shiv S. Singh of G.B. Pant Hospital, Port Blair, Rupesh K. Tyagi and
•
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Yagya D. Sharma of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) located the
plasmodium in tribal people in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Mr. Das said monkeys, especially crab-eating ones found in the islands, served as hosts
for this parasite.
• From the infected monkeys, this parasite gets transmitted to humans through the
Leucosphyrus group of Anopheles mosquitoes that serve as vectors.
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• The parasite may have migrated to the islands from the south-east Asian countries.
Poachers from Thailand and Indonesia are said to secretly visit the islands.
• Mr. Das, who has 16 years of research at the malaria research centre in Car Nicobar,
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received the ICMR award for senior bio-medical scientists for the year 2012-13 for
his research.
USFDA approves 1 st new TB drug ‘Sirturo’ in 40 years
The US Food and Drug administration has approved a Johnson & Johnson tuberculosis
drug that is the first new medicine to fight the deadly infection in more than four decades.
• The agency approved J&J’s pill, Sirturo, for use with older drugs to fight a hard-to-treat strain
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of tuberculosis that has not responded to other medications. However, the agency cautioned that
the drug carries risks of potentially deadly
Master Tips
heart problems and should be prescribed
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launch of the drug later in 2013 in India.
designed at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The massive magnet will
play a major role in the Rs 1,500-crore India based Neutrino Observatory coming up
4,300 feet below a cave in a mountain not far from Madurai in Tamil Nadu. It will be
iron-based, weighing 50,000 tonnes while the weight of the one at CERN ranges between
4,000 and 5,000 tonnes.
United Airlines becomes 1 st US carrier to launch Wi-Fi service
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United Airlines are being outfitted with Panasonic Avionics’ ‘Ku-band’ satellite
technology, offering customer s faster in-flight internet service than air-to-ground
technology (ATG).
Airbus to drop lithium-ion batteries in A350
European planemaker Airbus is dropping lithium-ion batteries from its new A350
airplane because of uncertainty surrounding the technology that has led to the grounding
of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. It has decided to revert to nickel-cadmium batteries for
the A350. The plane is a wide-body jet rival to the Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and is
expected to make its first flight around the middle of the year.
Ancient Continent ‘Mauritia’ found
Researchers have found evidence for a landmass that would have existed between 2,000
and 85 million years ago. The strip of land, which scientists have called Mauritia,
eventually fragmented and vanished beneath the waves as the modern world started to
take shape. The study is published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
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becoming the first Union minister to visit the planet’s southernmost continent after Pranab
Mukherjee, who had travelled to the region as defence minister in 2005. Khurshid’s visit
was facilitated by Chile during what is the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to
Latin America in 13 years. He also visited Argentina. He travelled to Antarctica from
Puenta Arenas in Chile.
Master Tips ST
The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under
the control of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth
Sciences, Government of India. It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition
to Antarctica.
The program gained global acceptance with India’s signing of the Antarctic Treaty.India
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has three research stations in Antarctica:
1. India’s first research station in Antarctica was Dakshin Gangotri (1983), which had to
be decommissioned after it got buried under ice, and has now been marked as an historic site.
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2. The second permanent settlement, Maitri, was put up in 1988–89 on the Schirmacher
Oasis and has been conducting experiments in geology, geography and medicine. India built
a freshwater lake around Maitri known as Lake Priyadharshini.
Maitri has been hosting summer team of about 70 members and winter team of 25 members
every year since 1988-89, is the gateway for Indian scientists to venture into interior Antarctic
mountains.
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3. Bharti: India has demarcated an area beside Larsmann Hill at 69°S, 76°E for its third
settlement and second active research station.
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6
Defence Updates
6.1 Indian Defence Updates 69
Current Affairs - 2 Defence Updates 69
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• The 10-metre-high Submarine- Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM), lifted off from a pontoon
as it was ejected by a gas generator, rose to an altitude of 20 km and reached its full
range of 700 km before splashing down in the waters of the Bay of Bengal with single-
digit accuracy.
• With the completion of developmental trials, the missile is now ready for integration with
INS Arihant, the indigenously-built nuclear-powered submarine.
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• In the coming years, India will have four nuclear-powered submarines. Besides Arihant,
a nuclear-powered submarine is being built at the Visakhapatnam Naval Dock Yard and
the hulls of two other submarines are under fabrication in Vadodara, Gujarat.
• India is the 5th country to have underwater missile capability. The other nations
are the United States, France, Russia and China.
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Pinaka rockets successfully test-fired
Indigenously developed ‘Pinaka’ rockets were successfully test-fired from a multi-barrel rocket
launcher (MBRL) by an armament establishment from a base at Chandipur-on-sea. Pinaka,
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which has undergone several tough tests since 1995, has already been inducted into the armed
forces.
Master Tips
Pinaka is an area weapon system with a range of 40 km. The quick reaction time and high
rate of fire of the system gives an edge to the army during a low-intensity conflict situation.
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The unguided rocket system is meant to neutralise large areas with rapid salvos. Pinaka’
system can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds and the battery of six launchers can
neutralise at a time a target area of 3.9 sq km.
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• Indigenous aircraft like Light Combat Aircraft Tejas and Light Combat Helicopter
Rudra also proved their calibre at the show.
• The other aircraft displayed were the C130J, the AN-32, the Embraer and the IL-76.
• The chopper fleet included Mi-8, Mi-17 1V, and the newly inducted Mi-17 V5 and Mi-35.
Another new entrant, the Swiss Pilatus PC-7 Mk II basic trainer, also graced the sky.
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New interceptor boat C-154 commissioned in Indian Coast Guard
An interceptor boat (IB), C-154 built by M/s Bharati Shipyard Ltd. at a cost of Rs.
18 crore, with new generation Arneson Surface Drive (ASD), was commissioned in
Mumbai. By mid-2014, the Coast Guard will add 14 more such ships to its fleet.
• ASD, a surface-piercing propeller drive, can turn the boat while in high speed. The 28-
metre-long boat, with 75 tonnes displacement, can achieve a maximum speed of 35 knots.
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• Besides latest navigation and communication equipment, it has medium-range armament.
• It can perform high-speed interception, close coast patrol, low-intensity maritime operations,
search-and-rescue and surveillance.
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• It has two main engines of 1,630 kW each and has a complement of one officer and 12
men.
Indian Army placed orders for 20 HAL ‘Cheetal’ Helicopters
The Army has ordered 20 Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL)-made Cheetal helicopters
worth Rs. 418 crore.
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• The Cheetal is the re-engined, fuel-efficient variant of the older, proven Cheetah helicopter
which HAL has been making for over 40 years.
• It is powered by the Turbomeca TM 333-2M2 turboshaft engine.
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• An important feature is the FADEC (full authority digital engine control) system
for engine control; an electronic backup control box system automatically takes over
engine control if the FADEC fails.
INS Dega airport fully operated by Defence ministry
Defence ministry has agreed to fully operate the Naval airport, INS Dega, from March
1. Defence ministry has given its in-principle nod to run the airport. At present, the
airport which is under Navy, is operational only for 12 hours a day and there is an
increasing demand for extending flying hours in both civil and military spheres.
Govt nods for AWACS project
The Government has given approval to the DRDO to develop an indigenous Airborne
Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) that can help the IAF keep an eye deep
inside enemy territory. After the approval, the DRDO will now work towards finalising
the further details of the programmes and the number of such aircraft that the IAF would
require for giving a complete coverage of India’s boundaries.
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• While Agni-V weighs 50 tonnes and is 17.5 metres long, Agni-VI belongs to the 65-70-
tonne class and will be 20 metres long.
DRDO set to develop Anti-radiation Missile in 3-5 years
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is set to develop a new
state-of-the art, anti-radiation missile that can target enemy radars and communication
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facilities. The government recently gave the go-ahead for the project, and the design work
has already begun at one of the key DRDO laboratories.
• At present there is no such missile in India’s arsenal, while some advanced countries,
including the US, Israel and Russia, have such a weapon.
• The new air-to-surface 100-km range tactical missile picks up radiation or signals
emitted by radars and communication systems, homes on to the target and destroy the
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network.
• The missile’s front-end comprises a sensor to pick up various radio frequencies.
• It will be a single-stage, liquid-propelled system.
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• After a series of developmental trials, it will be integrated with fighter aircraft, including
Sukhoi and Light Combat Aircraft.
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FPV ‘Aadesh’ for Coast Guard launched
Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has launched the vessel, named Aadesh, the first in a
series of 20 fast patrol vessels (FPV) being built by it for the Coast Guard.
• It is designed to have a maximum speed of 33 knots, the primary role of these ships would
be fisheries protection and monitoring; patrol within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ);
and coastal patrol, anti-smuggling, search, and rescue operations and anti-piracy operations.
•
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The vessels are being built under the dual classification requirements of the American
Bureau of Shipping and the Indian Register of Shipping.
India test-fires manoeuvrable version of BrahMos
India has successfully test-fired a highly manoeuvrable version of the 290-km range
supersonic cruise missile BrahMos from a naval warship off the coast of Vishakhapatnam
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in Bay of Bengal.
• This is the 34th launch of BrahMos after the successful launch in 2012 from INS Teg in
the Arabian Sea.
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• The BrahMos missile system was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005 when it began
arming the Rajput-class guided missile destroyers and inducted subsequently in many
warships.
• BrahMos is capable of acquiring data not only from the American GPS but also from
Russian GLONASS satellite systems, which ensures double redundancy.
Master Tips
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BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships,
aircraft or land.
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It is the world’s fastest cruise missile in operation. The missile travels at speeds of Mach 2.8 to 3.0.
I t is a j o in t vent ure b et ween Ind ia ’s D RDO a nd Rus s ia n F e d e r at io n’ s N PO
Mashinostroeyenia who have together formed BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.
The name BrahMos is a formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India
and the Moskva of Russia.
Currently, chief executive officer of BrahMos Aerospace is A. Sivathanu Pillai.
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China successfully conducted Interceptor Missile test
China has successfully carried out its second interceptor missile test as part of its efforts
to build a missile shield to intercept incoming warheads. A similar anti-missile interception
test was successfully conducted on January 11, 2010.
Largest Russian naval exercise in post-Soviet era
Billed as the largest naval manoeuvres since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian
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Navy has begun its biggest war games in the high seas in decades that will include
manoeuvres off the shores of Syria with the purpose to improve coordination among
different naval groups during missions in ‘far-away sea zones’.
• More than two dozen ships drawn from all four fleets as well as long range warplanes,
will conduct nine-day exercises in the Mediterranean and Black seas.
• Experts suggested the exercises would serve to project Russia’s naval power to a highly
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explosive region and render moral support for the embattled regime of Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad.
• Russia leases a naval base at the Syrian port of Tartous. The naval manoeuvres will
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Airbus A-330 MRTT bags deal to supply re-fuelling aircraft to IAF
European Airbus A 330 MRTT aircraft has emerged as the lowest bidder for the 8,000-
crore contracts for six mid-air refueling tanker aircraft for the IAF edging out its
Russian rival IL-78.
• The Defence Ministry will now start commercial negotiations with the Airbus
manufacturers, this aircraft was the lowest bidder on the basis of life-time cost of operating
over its Russian competitor.
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• The new aircraft will join the fleet of six IL-78 mid-air re-fuellers now in IAF service
and enhance the reach of fighter jets.
Russia buys Radar Computers from HAL
Russia has placed orders worth Rs 65 crore for procuring 34 radar computers for Su-
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30s of its air force. Irkut Corporation of Russia has confirmed purchase of 34 sets each
of Radar Computer-I & Radar Computer-II for Russian Air force requirements from HAL
with delivery schedule commencing from January 2014 onwards.
• Radar computers are integrated into Airborne Radar System in Su-30s and are very
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crore deal to train its rookie pilots landed at Jamnagar in Gujarat. The fleet of 75
aircraft will help in replacing the fleet of HPT-32 basic trainers which were grounded after
a fatal crash in 2009.
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• The Government of India had signed a contract with the Swiss firm in May 2012 after
the approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
• According to the contract, Pilatus will also do a transfer of technology to the Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for maintenance of the fleet for the next 30 years.
INS Sindhurakshak: Russia hands over refitted submarine to India
An Indian Navy diesel-electric submarine has been handed back to India following a major
refit at Russia’s Zvezdochka shipyard.
• The contract for the refit and modernization of the INS Sindhurakshak (S63), a Project
877 EKM (NATO Kilo-class) submarine was signed in June 2010.
• Part of the refit involved installation of equipment for Klub-S (3M54E1 anti-ship and
3M14E land attack) cruise missiles and over 10 Indian and foreign-made systems, including
the Ushus hydro-acoustic (SONAR) system and CSS-MK-2 radio communications system.
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March 1 to April 30. Separately, the US and South Korean troops will stage a computer-
simulated drill named Key Resolve from March 11-21.
• Foal Eagle will include about 10,000 US forces along with a far bigger number of South
Korean troops.
• Key Resolve involves about 3,500 US and 10,000 South Korean soldiers.
• The United States has based troops in the South since the 1950-53 Korean War and the force
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currently numbers 28,500. Pyongyang is already under international sanctions for conducting
two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, which both came after long-range rocket launches.
‘Cobra Gold 13’
The 11-day military exercise Cobra Gold 2013, an annual, multi-national military training
programme that incorporates jungle survival techniques, taking place in Thailand’s Chon
Buri province, covers amphibious assault, humanitarian relief, and evacuation of friendly
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forces, as well as jungle survival techniques. The U.S. Marines were taking part in Cobra
Gold 13 alongside Thai military personnel and soldiers from five other countries Japan,
South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
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troops.
• The escort mission marked the first instance of the destroyer and frigate being deployed
on an anti-piracy mission.
• China has organised 14 missions to the Gulf of Aden. The PLAN has, since 2012, also
begun to coordinate schedules of escort mission with India and other countries.
India-China planned for Joint Military Exercises
India and China have agreed to hold their first joint military exercise in five years and
to expand exchanges between their armies, navies and air forces. The decisions were made
at the fifth annual defence dialogue. Defence Secretary Sashi Kant Sharma and Chinese
Deputy Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Qi Jianguo reached an agreement. The
two sides also agreed to expand exchanges covering their armies, navies and air forces,
and reviewed the measures in place to maintain peace along the disputed border.
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India and 14 other countries: Australia,
Milan Navy
Bangladesh etc.
Passex India, Japan Navy
Pralay India only, in North East Airforce+Army
Red Flag India, US in Nevada Airforce
Shakti
Shatrujeet
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India, France in Uttarakhand
India, US in California
Army
Army (Infantry)
Shoor Veer Only India, Rajasthan border Army
Simbex India, Singapore Navy
TROPEX=Theatre Level Operational Readiness
Tropex Navy
Exercise.India only
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Vajra Prahar India, US in Uttarakhand Army (Special Forces)
Varuna India, France Navy
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Committee, commission
& Reports (CCR)
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Current Affairs - 2 Committee, Commission & Reports (CCR) 79
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• Importantly, the gross national income (GNI) per capita went up 273 per cent.
• Despite India’s progress, its HDI of 0.554 is below the average of 0.64 for countries in the
medium human development group, and of 0.558 for countries in South Asia.
• From South Asia, countries which are close to India’s HDI rank and population size are
Bangladesh and Pakistan with HDIs ranked 146 each.
Master Tips
ST
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education,
and income indices to rank countries into four tiers of human development.
It was created by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq and Indian economist Amartya
Sen in 1990 and published by the United Nations Development Programme. In Human
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Development Report, the HDI combines three dimensions:
• A long and healthy life: Life expectancy at birth
• Education index: Mean years of schooling and Expected years of schooling
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countries for which data is available even lower than Pakistan (123), according to the
United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report 2013.
• In India, only 10.9 per cent of the parliamentary seats are held by women, and 26.6 per
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cent of adult women have reached a secondary or higher level of education, compared
with 50.4 per cent of their male counterparts.
• For every 100,000 live births, 200 women die of causes related to pregnancy, and female
participation in the labour market is 29 per cent, compared with 80.7 per cent for men.
• The report said all countries in South Asia, with the exception of Afghanistan, were a
better place for women than India, with Sri Lanka (75) topping them all. Nepal ranked
102nd and Bangladesh 111th .
• In United States which ranks 42 nd on the list, 57.5% women and 70.1% men are a part
of the labor force. China fared even better, landing 35 th .
Master Tips
The Gender Inequality Index (GII) is a new index for measurement of gender disparity
that was introduced in the 2010 Human Development Report 20th anniversary edition
by the UNDP. The GII is a composite measure which captures the loss of country’s progress
and human development because of gender inequality, and uses three dimensions:·
(i)Reproductive Health, (ii) Women Empowerment (ii) Labor Market Participation.
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replaced the previous Human Poverty Index.The index uses the same three dimensions as the
Human Development Index: health, education, and standard of living. These are measured
using ten indicators. Each dimension and each indicator within a dimension is equally
weighted. (i) Education: Years of schooling and child enrollment, (ii) Health: Child
mortality and nutrition and (iii) Standard of living: Electricity, flooring, drinking
water, sanitation, cooking fuel and assets.
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India ranks 28 th in ‘Women on Board 2013’
Women account for nearly 40 percent of the total workforce of India Inc, but their presence is less
than 7% when it comes to board-level positions. India is ranked at 28th in terms of the presence
of women directors, a slight improvement from 30th position of 2013, according to Women On
Board 2013.
• The ranking is better than that of a few major countries like Japan.
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• The survey was conducted on more than 1,400 companies in India and it found that the
women constituted just 6.81 percent of the total number of board members in 2013.
• The female presence on company boards is highest in Norway (37.23 %), followed by Sweden
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(27 %), Finland (24 %), South Africa (17.31 %) and the US (16.67 %).
• The countries having lower women representation on company boards include Italy
(4.23 %) & Japan (1.26 %).
Switzerland best place to be born in 2013: EIU Survey
Switzerland is the best place to be born in 2013 with the best quality of life, as per a study by The
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist. India occupies a
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66th spot in the last 15, while Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh are at numbers 63, 75 and
77. The violence hit oil-rich African nation of Nigeria was rated as the worst place to be born-in
in the survey of 80 states that saw Nordic countries(Scandinavian countries) like Norway
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(3), Sweden (4) and Denmark (5) notch the top slots, along with Australia(2). The survey used
11 statistically significant indicators, including geography, demography, social and cultural
characteristics, public policy, the state of the world economy and future income per
head to arrive at its rankings.
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have submitted their reports.
and pension regulators, while leaving the banking business regulation under the Reserve
Bank of India.
The Unified Financial Agency (UFA), as suggested by the FSLRC, would subsume the
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functions of key agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), the Pension Fund Regulatory
and Development Authority (PFRDA) and the Forward Markets Commission (FMC).
Vijay Kelkar Committee report on cutting fiscal deficit
The Kelkar Committee, appointed by Finance Ministry to suggest a roadmap for fiscal
consolidation, has suggested immediate hike in fuel prices and complete deregulation of
diesel prices by start of 2014-15 fiscal and to raise kerosene and LPG rates. State-owned oil
companies currently sell diesel at a loss of Rs 10.16 per litre, kerosene at Rs 32.17 a litre
and LPG at Rs 490.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder.
ICMR report found Indians deficient in Vitamin D
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reported that surveys carried out
in India indicate that despite ample sunlight, people are deficient in Vitamin D, leading to problems
like low bone mineral density, leading to weaker bones and fracture risk among the population.
The synthesis of Vitamin D in the body is dependent on multiple factors like duration and time
of exposure to sunlight, latitude, atmospheric pollution and skin pigmentation.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
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8
Conferences & Summits
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Current Affairs - 2 Conferences & Summits 85
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r eser v e po ol (c r eation of a $1 00 billion
contingency relief arrangement (CRA))besides
launching of the BRICS Business Council, the key institution expected to drive private
sector investments among the five members.
• 4th BRICS Summit was held at New Delhi.
Master Tips
ST
BRICS is an acronym for the powerful grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies,
namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The first BRIC Summit took place
in Yekateringburg, Russia in 2009, where the elected leaders of the four countries formally
declared the membership of the BRIC economic bloc. South Africa joined the bloc in 2010,
resulting in BRICS.The acronym BRIC was coined by Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs in
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a 2001 paper entitled “Building Better Global Economic BRICs”. BRICS collectively
represent 40% of world population, 30 % of world’s land mass & 25% of world GDP.
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• The General President of the 100 th Congress: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
• The five-day, 99th edition of the ISCA, from 3 to 7 January 2012 was hosted by KIIT
University and National Institute of Science Education and Research(NISER) in
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Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Master Tips
Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a premier scientific organization of India,
started in the year 1914 in Kolkata, with Headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It
meets annually in the first week of January every year. Today, it has membership strength
of more than 30,000 scientists. ISCA owes its origin to the foresight and initiative of two
British Chemists, namely, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P.S. MacMahon.
The first meeting of the congress was held from 15–17 January 1914 at the premises of the
Asiatic Society, Calcutta. Honorable justice Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, the then Vice Chancellor
of the University of Calcutta presided over the Congress. One hundred and five scientists from
different parts of India and abroad attended it.
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Bissessar
Master Tips
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the
contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India.
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January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915
that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa, led
India’s freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.
Established in 2003, it is sponsored by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs of the
government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Ministry of Development of the
North Eastern Region of India.
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During the event, individuals of exceptional merit are honoured with the prestigious Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman Award to appreciate their role in India’s growth.
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Autism Conference
South Asian countries including India, adopted an official charter of the South Asian Autism
Network (SAAN) at a conference organised on 11th Feb, 2013, at New Delhi.
SAAN was conceptualised in Dhaka in 2011 to combat autism, which is now emerging as a
public health crisis. It will identify common challenges each country is facing and form a
partnership to develop a solution in a collaborative and coordinated fashion.
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national meet on “India’s Call to Action: Child Survival and Development Summit” in Tamil
Nadu. Entitled “Strategic Approach to Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and
Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A),” the meet is aimed at accelerating reductions in preventable
child deaths. It will engage with all partners to arrive at actionable goals and commitments for
high-burden States aimed to reduce the deaths of children from preventable causes.
Nuclear Security Summit 2012
The 2012 Nuclear Security Summit was held at the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in
Seoul, South Korea, on March 26 and 27, 2012. It was the second edition of the conference
after the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit.
Agenda priorities at the 2012 summit:
• To deepen cooperation and to strengthen the institutions and partnerships which help
prevent nuclear materials from ever falling into the hands of terrorists.
• To strengthen the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• To take specific and concrete actions to secure the nuclear materials and to prevent illicit
trafficking and smuggling.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
9
Games & Sports Updates
9.1 Cricket 89
9.2 Tennis 90
9.3 Badminaton 91
9.4 Football 92
9.5 Athletics 93
9.7 Miscellaneous 93
Current Affairs - 2 Games & Sports Updates 89
9.1 CRICKET
South Africa receives ICC MACE
South Africa captain Graeme Smith received the ICC Test championship mace and prize money
of $450,000 for leading the team to the top spot in ICC Test rankings on the annual cut-off date
of April 1.
Third spot for India in ICC Test Ranking
With the cut-off date as April 1, England finished with the No. 2 ranking while India with
third position. South Africa had already sealed its position as the No.1 ranked Test side,
meaning it not only retained the Test mace but is also assured of $450,000.
India maintain ODI top spot
Team India maintained their top position in the latest ICC ODI ranking list followed by England
and Australia. Since India top the table as per cut-off date, they will receive the shield and will
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collect a cheque of USD 175,000, while England will receive USD 75,000 for finishing second.
Michael Clarke gets Allan Border Medal
Australian captain Michael Clarke won his fourth Allan Border Medal as the nation’s
Cricketer of the Year at a gala ceremony at Melbourne. Clarke and his predecessor as captain,
Ricky Ponting, are the only players to win the medal, considered Australian cricket’s most
prestigious individual prize, four times.
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India clinches 1 st 4-0 Test series win against Aussies
India had sealed a 4-0 series whitewash against Australia in an unprecedented feat for India.
With this India captured the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Dhoni is the most successful Indian Test Captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become the most successful Indian Test captain, surpassing Ganguly’s
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record of 21 test wins. The 31-year-old Dhoni has also recorded two World Cup wins (2007-
T20, 2011-ODI).
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thus, clinched their 40th national title in 44 appearances in the final contest and their first
after two blank seasons.
Kohli is CEAT cricketer of the year
Virat Kohli beat off the challenge of some top cricketers of the world to win the ‘CEAT
international cricketer of the year’ 2011-12 award.
The inaugural ‘CEAT Indian youngster of the year’ went to Unmukt Chand, who led the
Indian team to victory in the under- 19 World Cup. Pakistan bagged the ‘team of the year’
award. Zaheer Abbas was given the ‘lifetime achievement award’.
McGrath inducted into Hall of Fame
Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath was inducted into the International Cricket Council’s
Hall of Fame, making him its 68th male member. McGrath joins fellow 2012-13 inductees
West Indian Brian Lara and England’s Enid Bakewell in being recognised by the ICC and
the living members of the Hall of Fame.
9.2 TENNIS
Australian Open 2013
The 2013 Australian Open tennis tournament was held in Melbourne Park in Melbourne,
Australia, from 14 to 27 January 2013. It was the 101st edition of the Australian Open, and
the first Grand Slam event of the year. Winners were Novak Djokovic (Serbia) in men’s
singles, Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) in women’s singles, Bob and Mike Bryan (USA) in
men’s doubles, and Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci (Italy) in women’s doubles. Australian
Jarmila Gajdošová and Matthew Ebden won their first mixed doubles title.
Rafael Nadal won Indian Wells ATP
Rafael Nadal defeated Juan Martin del Potro to win his third Indian Wells ATP Masters title.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion from Spain claimed his first hard court title since 2010 and
a record 22nd title in an elite Masters event. He had previously shared the record of 21
with Roger Federer.
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Sharapova defeated Wozniacki to win Indian Wells title
Maria Sharapova beat Caroline Wozniacki to win her second Indian Wells WTA title in emphatic style.
Nadal beats Ferrer to win Mexican Open
Rafael Nadal beats David Ferrer to win the Mexican Open as he claimed his second title in
three events since returning from a lengthy injury lay-off to win his 38th clay court title. Nadal
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has won 12 of his 13 matches, finishing as runner-up in Vina del Mar, Chile, before triumphing
in Sao Paulo in January 2013. In the women’s final, Italian top seed Sara Errani breezed past
second seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.
Djokovic wins Dubai Open and Bhupathi wins the double
World No.1 Novak Djokovic claimed the Dubai Open title for the fourth time, beating the
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Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych. It was the top seed Djokovic’s 18th win in a row and followed
the successful defence of his Australian Open title.
Mahesh Bhupathi with Frenchman Michael Llodra won the first title of the 2013 season
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Brisbane International in January 2013 to make a superb start to the 2013 season.
Rafael Nadal returns to win Brazil Open
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Rafael Nadal showed he is back in business by clinching his first title since ending a seven-
month knee injury layoff, winning the Brazil Open. The Spanish former world number one
and currently the world number five, Nadal beat Argentina’s David Nalbandian.
Azarenka beats Serena to retain Qatar title
Victoria Azarenka avenged the loss of her world number one ranking to Serena Williams by
beating the American for only the second time in 13 attempts to successfully defend her Qatar
Open title. She also completed back-to-back title defences after defending the Australian
Open title in Melbourne.
Rafael Nadal wins doubles debut at Brazil Open
Spain’s Rafael Nadal teamed up with Argentina’s David Nalbandian to post a three-set
doubles victory in the Brazil Open. Sao Paulo is the second stop on Nadal’s comeback to the
ATP World Tour. The Spaniard won the Brazil Open in 2005 when it was held in Costa do
Sauipe.
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in more than seven years. Nadal drops to fifth, with Spain’s David Ferrer moves
up a place to fourth.
Davis Cup award for eight Indians
The cream of Indian tennis, spanning about 60 years, will be presented Davis Cup Commitment
awards instituted by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as part of the centenary
celebrations. Ramanathan Krishnan, Jaidip Mukerjea, Premjit Lall, Vijay Amritraj,
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Anand Amritraj, Ramesh Krishnan, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi figure in the
ITF honours list among Indians in an overall compilation of 299 players from 80 countries.
WTA Tour prize money hike
The WTA has said total prize money for the 54 events in 2013, not including Grand Slams, will
rise from $53.3 million to $58.7 million.
Sania and Bethanie Mattek-Sands ranked No. 1
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Sania and Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US started off with a doubles victory in the
Brisbane International, is now ranked World No. 1 in the doubles team rankings.
Tipsarevic beats Agut to win ATP Chennai Open
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World number nine Serb Janko Tipsarevic won the ATP Chennai Open with a masterful
fightback to defeat young Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the final.
9.3 BADMINTON
Saina nominated for ‘Female Player of the Year’ Award
Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal was nominated for the 2012 ‘Female Player of the Year’
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• Among other Indians in the fray, the promising P.V. Sindhu also remained static at a
career-best 16th spot.
• In the rankings for men, Olympic quarterfinalist P. Kashyap also retained his career-
best World No. 9 position.
Master Tips
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the international governing body for the sport of
badminton. Founded in 1934 as the International Badminton Federation with nine member
nations, the BWF has since expanded to 169 member nations around the world. On September
24, 2006, it was decided to adopt the new name Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Its head office was located in Cheltenham, UK since its founding, but on October 1, 2005,
was relocated to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Its current president is Kang Young-Joong.
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Badminton Association of India (BAI) has launched the inaugural season of Indian
Badminton League (IBL) from the year 2013.
• The inaugural edition of the IBL will take place in India from 24th June to 11th July
2013. This will have Indian as well as foreign players.
• The USD one million league, the highest prize money Badminton Tournament in the
world, will see the participation of as many as 50 foreign and Indian players including
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Chinese superstar Lin Dan and world No.1 Lee Chong Wei.
Master Tips
Badminton Association of India (BAI) is the governing body for Badminton in India.
Based in Lucknow, BAI is an association registered under the Societies Registration Act-
1860. It was formed in 1934 and has been holding national-level tournaments in India since
1936.Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta is the current President of BAI.
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9.4 FOOTBALL
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The 2013 Santosh Trophy is the 67th edition of the Santosh Trophy, the main state
competition in Indian football.
The tournament first began in 1941, and was the premier football competition in the country
before the National Football League started in the year 1996. The trophy as named after
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the late Maharaja Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhary of Santosh, which is now in
Bangladesh, who had been the President of the Indian Football Association, the football
organisation of Bengal and the donators of the trophy.
The first winners were Bengal, who also leads the all-time winners list with 31 titles till date.
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suspension but slapped a Rs. 2 crore fine on the club.
Lionel Messi wins Player of the Year award for fourth time
Argentina’s Lionel Messi was named the world’s best player for an unprecedented
fourth year. The award, officially known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or, came after the Barcelona
player scored a remarkable 91 goals in 2012.
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•
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Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo was second, the third time the
2008 winner has finished runner-up.
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta was third.
• Spain’s Vicente del Bosque was voted as coach of the year for the first time after his
team won Euro 2012.
9.5 ATHLETICS
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Gurmeet wins bronze in Asian 20km race walking championship
National champion Gurmeet Singh claimed the third spot in the Asian 20km race walking
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championship in Nomi City, Japan. Even as severe cold and rain affected the performances
of the athletes, Gurmeet, a silver winner in 2012, overcame the challenges.
Kipruto wins Lake Biwa marathon
Kenya’s Vincent Kipruto emerged victorious in a shoulder-to-shoulder battle against Tariku
Jufar of Ethiopia in the last 200 metres to win the Lake Biwa marathon in Otsu (Japan).
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(JAA) awards ceremony. Bolt achieved his legendary status by defending his three gold medals
100m, 200m, 4x100m at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
9.7 MISCELLANEOUS
Archery
India wins a gold and bronze in Asian archery Grand Prix
The Indian men’s compound team clinched gold while the recurve trio bagged a bronze
medal in the Asian archery Grand Prix in Bangkok.
• The compound team, comprising Sandeep Kumar, Abhishek Verma and Jignas
Chittibomma emerged a winner over the Vietnam team to clinch the gold.
• The recurve men’s team of Atanu Das, Rahul Banerjee and Binod Swansi defeated
Russia in the bronze medal contest in four sets.
• The Indian women’s recurve team of Dola Banerjee, Rimil Buriuly and L. Bombayla
Devi missed the bronze as it lost to Indonesia.
Squash
Indian girls’ team wins Asian Gold and boys’ team Silver
The Indian squash team returned with a gold and silver medal from the 16th Asian junior
team squash championships in Seoul, Korea. India clinched gold in the girls’ section, where
it beat Hong Kong 2-1 in the final, while settling for silver in the boys’ section after Pakistan
won 2-0.
Golf
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Woods is No.1
Tiger Woods regained golf’s world No. 1 spot as he captured the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer
Invitational with a two-shot victory.
Johnson wins PGA Tour opener
Dustin Johnson ended a windy week with a wild ride that carried him to the first win of the
PGA Tour season. Johnson, who finished at 16-under 203, won for the sixth straight season.
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Only Phil Mickelson with nine straight years has a longer active streak of most consecutive
seasons with a PGA Tour victory.
Handball
Indian women retain title South Asian women’s handball championship
Defending champion India retained the title defeating Pakistan in the final of the fourth
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South Asian women’s handball championship in Lucknow. India remained undefeated
through the tournament that was held at the KD Singh Babu Stadium. Manisha top-scored
with 11 goals and Varuni Negi scored seven goals for India. For Pakistan, Madiha Latif was
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Deaf 2013. The competition will be held at the Sri Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore, from April
25-29. The event will also be used to select the Indian team for the 22nd Summer Deaflympics
to be held in Sofia, Bulgaria, in July-August 2013.
Asian Grand Prix shifted to Colombo
With the Tamil Nadu Government refusing to host Sri Lankan athletes on political grounds,
the third leg of the Asian Grand Prix scheduled to be held in Chennai on May 16 has now been
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shifted to Colombo. After the Tamil Nadu Government cancelled the prestigious Asian athletics
championship scheduled to be held in Chennai from July 3 to 7, the Asian Athletics Association
has decided to hold the third leg of the Asian GP in Colombo on May 12.
IOC allows Indian Boxers to participate International Events
The Indian boxers have been allowed to participate in international competitions after being
kept out following the suspension of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) by the
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International Olympic Committee (IOC). The president of the International Boxing
Federation (AIBA), Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, communicated the good news to the IOC member
in India, Randhir Singh(a six-time Olympian and Asian Games gold medallist).
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Woods, following an epic sex scandal that destroyed his marriage and damaged his marketing
image and sponsorship deals.
Jaipur craftsman Amit Pabuwal designs world’s biggest trophy
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The Guinness World Record holder Amit Pabuwal has designed world’s biggest and heaviest
sports trophy which would be given to the winner in the inaugural edition of iGATE CEO Cup
Golf tournament featuring the CEOs of 2000 companies based in North America. It is 21 inch
tall trophy that weighs 8.6 kg and is embellished with diamonds and rubies. It will be the
world’s largest gold sports trophy. It will be larger than the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy.
Vijay Kumar & NRAI get FICCI awards
Olympic silver medallist, rapid-fire pistol shooter Vijay Kumar was presented the ‘best
breakthrough’ award by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) in New Delhi. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was adjudged the
‘best National Sports Federation’ for running the sport in a professional and transparent
manner and on the basis of the excellent performance of the shooters. The president of NRAI,
Raninder Singh, received the trophy at the FICCI auditorium.
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Current Affairs - 2 Awards & Recognition 99
Jeet Thayil wins DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2013
Mr. Thayil is the first Indian to win the prize for ‘Narcopolis’ which is based on the theme of drug
addiction destroying the poor, deranged and marginalised people in Mumbai during 1970s and 80s.
‘Narcopolis’ was also nominated & shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2012.
Master Tips
The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature given at Jaipur Literary Festival, is sponsored
by construction company DSC Limited, which is the principal sponsor of the lit fest. The
prize, carrying a cash award of $ 50,000, is given every year to an international author or shared
with the translator for a work of fiction thematically linked to the South Asian region.
Sri Lankan debut novelist Shehan Karunatilaka for his book ‘Chinaman’ had won the prize
in 2012 and Karachi-based author H.M. Naqvi for his book ‘Home Boy’ got it in 2011.
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Jeet Thayil in Man Asian Literary Prize shortlist
Indian author Jeet Thayil’s debut novel “Narcopolis” is among five other works shortlisted
for the USD 30,000 Man Asian Literary Prize.
Sahitya Akademi award 2012 presented to Jeet Thayil
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Sahitya Akademi president Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari has presented the Sahitya Akademi
Award-2012 to Jeet Thayil in New Delhi. His poetry collection, ‘These errors are correct’,
was given the Sahitya Akademi award for English in 2012.
Saraswati Samman 2012 & 2013
Malayalam poetess Sugathakumari has been selected for the Saraswati Samman 2013 for her
poetry collection Manalezhuthu (Writing on the Sand). For 2012, it was conferred on Rohit
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Gautam for Bang Bhoomi.
Vyas Samman 2012 to Narendra Kohli
Eminent Hindi litterateur Narendra Kohli has been selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman
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for 2012 for his historical novel ‘Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati’, published in 2004, based on
Swami Vivekananda and the era he belonged to. Instituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation in
1991, the award is given annually for an outstanding literary work in Hindi published during
the past ten years. The award carries a cash purse of Rs 2.5 lakh.
60 th National Award: ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ adjudged best film
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Paan Singh Tomar, for its ‘powerful presentation’ of a true life story which highlights the
urgent need for a ‘social support system for sportspersons especially in rural India, has bagged
the 60th National Award for the best feature film.
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Journalist-author Jerry Pinto has bagged ‘The Hindu Literary Prize 2013’ for his novel ‘Em
and the Big Hoom’. The book is Mr. Pinto’s first work of fiction and is set in Mahim, Mumbai.
‘Argo’ wins top BAFTA Prize 2013
Iran hostage drama ‘Argo’ continued its journey from awards season outsider to favourite,
winning three prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards.
• Ben Affleck was named best director for the based-on-reality story of a long shot plan to
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rescue a group of American diplomats from Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and
the film also took the editing trophy.
• Daniel Day-Lewis won his universally expected best actor trophy for Lincoln the only
prize out of 10 nominations for Steven Spielberg’s historical biopic.
• Emmanuelle Riva was named best actress for Michael Haneke’s poignant old-age portrait ‘Amour’.
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• French revolutionary musical ‘Les Miserables’ won four prizes, including best supporting
actress for Anne Hathaway.
• James Bond adventure ‘Skyfall’ spied some elusive awards recognition, winning trophies
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the world shortlisted for £60,000 Man Booker International Prize 2013. It is awarded
every two years to a living author in recognition of his or her achievement in fiction.
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• Instituted by Mr. Nageswara Rao in 2005, the first awardee was Dev Anand in 2005 and
followed annually from then on by Shabana Azmi, Anjali Devi, Vyjayantimala Bali, Lata
Mangeshkar, K. Balachander and Hema Malini in 2011.
• The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh and a citation.
The Abel Prize is considered equivalent to the Nobel Prize, which is not awarded in the
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Prize of architecture. Ito’s buildings, which include libraries, theaters and homes, have been
praised for their fluid beauty and balance between the physical and virtual world.
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Master Tips
Founded in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker and his wife Cindy, the award is funded by the Pritzker
family and sponsored by the Hyatt Foundation and is considered one of the world’s premier
architecture prizes and is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture. The recipients
receive US$100,000, a citation certificate, and since 1987, a bronze medallion.
Master Tips
The G. D. Birla Award for Scientific Research set up in 1991 by the K. K. Birla
Foundation for scientists below the age of 50, carries a cash prize of Rs.1.5 lakh. G.D.Birla
Award for Scientific Research is given every year and is available in any branch of science
including medical science, basic as well as applied. The emphasis is particularly on the work
done by the scientist during the last five years.
K. K. Birla Foundation:
The noted industrialist, educationist, philanthropist and parliamentarian Dr. Krishna Kumar
Birla had created the K.K. Birla Foundation during his lifetime in 1991. Passionate about
Indian art, education, culture and literature, K.K. Birla felt the need to recognize contributions
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made by authors and scholars in advancing the literary and cultural traditions of India.
Over the years, the K.K. Birla Foundation has instituted six Awards, four of which are given
in recognition of literary excellence in all the major Indian languages while one for scientific
research and one for philosophical writing as mentioned below:
• the Saraswati Samman- 7.5 lakh for prose/poetry work in any Indian language
• the Vyas Samman- 2.5 lakh for prose/poetry work in Hindi
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• the Bihari Puraskar- 1 lakh for prose/poetry work in Hindi/Rajasthani, only authors
from Rajasthan are eligible
• the Shankar Puraskar- 1.5 lakh for a work in Hindi concerning Indian philosophy,
culture and/or art
• the Vachaspati Puraskar- 1 lakh for any work in Sanskrit
• the G.D. Birla Award for scientific research- 1.5 lakh
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Institute of Chemical Technology Hyderabad, Dr. S. Venkat Mohan, has been selected
for the National Bioscience Award for 2012.
Lifetime achievement award for scientist Dr. V. Jayathirtha Rao
The Chief Scientist and Head of Crop Protection Division, Dr. V. Jayathirtha Rao at the
Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, has been awarded the lifetime
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Dr. Prakash Kumar, Principal Scientist, seismology group, CSIR- National Geophysical
Research Institute Hyderabad, was selected for the National Geo-science Award-2011 in
the Applied Geophysics category for his contribution in seismology and geodynamics. He
earlier received the CSIR Young Scientist award.
Dr.V. Vijaya Rao, Chief Scientist of controlled seismic studies group of NGRI received the
‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his significant research contributions in geophysics.
Kakodkar awarded ‘Maharashtra Bhooshan’
Renowned nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar was awarded ‘Maharashtra Bhooshan’ by
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan at the Gateway of India. The award was given
in recognition of Dr. Kakodkar’s contribution to the field of nuclear power.
International award for Psychiatrist Roy Abraham Kallivayalil
Roy Abraham Kallivayalil, national president of Indian Psychiatric Society has been awarded
International Distinguished Fellowship by American Psychiatric Society, the highest honour
instituted by them.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Current Affairs - 2 Awards & Recognition 103
Infosys Prize-2012
Infosys Prize 2012 to seven recipients in six categories, were given away on January 3 by
former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director General of the World Health Organization,
Gro Harlem Brundtland. The award comprises a gold medallion, a citation expounding the
laureate’s work and Rs 50 lakh as prize money.
• Engineering & Computer Science-Dr. Asish Lele , of National Chemical Laboratories, Pune
• Humanities (History)- Prof. Sanjay Subrahmanyam, of University of California
• Humanities (Literary Studies)- Prof. Amit Chaudhuri of University of East Anglia,
Norwich, UK
• Life Sciences- Prof. Satyajit Mayor, of National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore
• Mathematical Sciences-Prof. Manjul Bhargava, of Princeton University
• Phy si ca l Sci ences- D r. Ay yappanpillai Ajay ag osh , of National In stitu te for
Interdisciplinary Science and Technology
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• Social Sciences-Prof. Arunava Sen, of Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi
Aryabhatta Award for Muthunayagam and Saraswat
The former secretary of the Department of Ocean Development, A.E. Muthunayagam, will
receive the prestigious Aryabhatta award, instituted by the Astronautical Society of India
(ASI), for 2010 and V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, will receive the
award for 2011. They have been selected for their achievements in rocketry.
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10.3 GENERAL AWARDS & HONORS
Marimuthu Bharathan gets Dutch Human Rights Tulip 2012
Marimuthu Bharathan, a Dalit activist who was selected for the Dutch Human Rights
Tulip 2012 award from among 66 contenders across the globe, could not attend the function
held on January 9 after being denied a passport. Bharathan’s message was read out before the
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award, which carries a cash prize of 1 lakh Euros, was handed over in absentia.
Dravid amongst Padma Awardees
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Dravid, who served India with distinction both as batsman and captain, retired in 2012, has
been honoured by Padma Bhushan 2013 alongwith yesteryear film actors late Rajesh Khanna
and Sharmila Tagore.
Bangladesh honour for ex-IAS officer Himangshu Mohan Chowdhury
Mr. Himangshu Mohan Chowdhury is now being felicitated by the Government of Bangladesh
in helping with relief operations that were carried for migrants from Dhaka who had sought
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refuge in Sonamura during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation struggle. Mr. Chowdhury, who has
been invited by Dhaka, will be felicitated at a ceremony being held to “honour friends of
Bangladesh”.
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Master Tips
Bharat Ratna:
Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian Award of the country, which was instituted in the year
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1954. It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in
any field of human endeavour.
The actual award is designed in the shape of a peepul leaf and carries with the words
“Bharat Ratna”, inscribed in Devanagari script along with an image of the Sun. The
reverse side of the medal carries the state emblem and motto.
1st Bharat Ratna awardees were Chakravarti Rajgopalachari, Sir C. V. Raman,
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Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1954. Last Bharat Ratna awardee was Hindustani
classical singer Bhimsen Joshi in 2008.
Of the 41 awards so far, there has been two non-Indians, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
(1987) and Nelson Mandela (1990).
Padma Awards:
Padma Awards were instituted in the year 1954. Except for brief interruption(s) during the
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years 1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997, these awards have been announced every year on
Republic Day.
The award is given in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and
Padma Shri.
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Padma Shri (4th highest civilian award) is awarded for ‘distinguished service’;
Padma Bhushan (3rd highest civilian award) for ‘distinguished service of a high order’; and
Padma Vibhushan (2nd highest civilian award) for ‘exceptional and distinguished service.
National Sports Awards:
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna- India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports.
• Arjuna Award- Recognizes outstanding achievement in National sports.
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games. The award is named after the legendary Indian hockey player Dhyan Chand.
Vir Chakra Valour awards:
• Param Vir Chakra- Highest military award for valour.
• Maha Vir Chakra- the 2 nd highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts
of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air.
• Vir Chakra- It is third in precedence in the war time gallantry.
Peacetime gallantry awards:
• Ashok Chakra Award- an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous
action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is the peace time equivalent of the
Param Vir Chakra.
• Kirti Chakra- It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards.
• Shaurya Chakra- It happens to be third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry
awards and comes after the Ashoka Chakra and the Kirti Chakra.
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for her service in the areas of rehabilitation of destitute women and victims of violence,
environment protection, empowerment of women and women employment.
• The Devi Ahilyabai Holkar award for 2012 was given to Olga D’mello of
Maharashtra for her work in the areas of health, hygiene awareness and creating
consciousness on women’s issues in the community.
Master Tips ST
The annual National Stree Shakti Puruskars are given by the Ministry of Women and
Child Development to recognise and honour women for outstanding contributions to society
and thereby helped in improving the lives of numerous Indian women.The awards are in the
name of the eminent women personalities namely Devi Ahalya Bai Holkar, Kannagi, Mata
Jajabai, Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang, Rani Lakshmi Bai and Rani Rudramma Devi (which
is open to both men and women). The awards, other than the Rani Rudramma Devi award
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(which was instituted in 2007), were instituted in 1999.The award carries a citation and a
cheque of Rs.3 lakh.
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Indrajit Gupta was honored with the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 1992.
British Safety Council is one of the largest independent occupational health, safety and
environmental organisations in the world.
The International Safety Awards are open to all companies across industries globally and
the applicants are adjudged across 12 parameters related to health and safety management.
The award benchmarks health and safety performance of an organisation on an international
level to recognise the leaders in this field.
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NRI education pioneer Dr Sugata Mitra wins TED prize
Dr Sugata Mitra, a Professor of Educational Technology at the School of Education,
Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University, UK, known for his innovative
“hole-in-the-wall” experiment to give computer education to slum children, has been awarded
with the prestigious USD 1 million TED prize.
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Mitra developed the concept of the Cloud from his 1999 “hole in the wall” experiment, in
which he carved a hole from his research center into an adjoining Delhi slum.
• After receiving the award, Mitra said he will use prize to launch global initiative for self-
directed learning releases toolkit for schools and families to create self-organised learning
environments.
• TED’s annual prize of USD one million gives an exceptional individual the chance
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to conceive and launch a high-impact project.
Indian-American Scientist Rangaswami Srinivasan Honoured by Obama
US President Barack Obama presented the prestigious National Medal of Technology and
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• The prize is named after China’s Tang Dynasty (618-907) which inspired generation
after generation with admiration for its vibrant characteristics of self confidence and
cosmopolitan inclusiveness the qualities that the Tang Prize seeks to promote.
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• Beginning in 2014, prizes will be awarded every two years in four categories: sustainable
development; biopharmaceutical science; sinology; and the ‘rule of law’ to
individuals, regardless of nationality.
• The winner in each category will receive Tw$50 million ($1.7 million), compared to the
eight million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million) that comes with a Nobel Prize.
Mauritius Honours Bihar Folk Singer Nitu Kumari ‘Nutan’
A Bhojpuri folk singer from Bihar was honoured by the Mauritius government on the occasion of
‘Bihar Diwas’ celebrations in the Indian Ocean island nation.
• Nitu Kumari ‘Nutan’ was conferred the prestigious ‘Mauritius Samman’ by President
Rajkeswur Purryag.
• Bihar Diwas was celebrated in the state and in Mauritius by residents of Bihar origin. It
marks the day when the British carved out the state from Bengal Presidency March
22, 1912.
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Nagaland
Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Rice Bihar
Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Wheat Haryana
Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Pulses Jharkhand
Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Coarse Cereals Uttar Pradesh
determination to speak out in support of equal access to education for every child.
• She was one of the five nominees, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and outgoing
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
• Malala is the second Pakistani to get the award. In 2007, it was given to Benazir
Bhutto.
• Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, has been appointed education attaché at the
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Pakistani consulate in Birmingham, paving the way for her to continue to stay on in
Britain after her medical treatment.
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Persons in News
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Current Affairs - 2 Persons in News 111
11.1 GENERAL
Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim: World’s richest by Forbes
As per the annual ranking published by Forbes on March 4, Mexican business tycoon Carlos
Slim was the wealthiest in the world with a networth of USD 73 billion, followed by Bill
Gates (USD 67 billion), Amancio Ortega (USD 57 billion), Warren Buffett (USD 53.5 billion).
Mukesh Ambani was ranked 22nd, while the second-richest Indian Lakshmi Mittal is
at 41st position with a networth of USD 16.5 billion.
Paris makes Mandela honorary citizen
The city of Paris made anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela an honorary citizen but refused
to grant an honour to Venezuela’s late leftist firebrand leader Hugo Chavez.
Ratan Tata elected to National Academy of Engineering
Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata along with eight Indian Americans has been
elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering, which is the highest
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professional distinction accorded to an engineer in the US.
Lebanese poet Wadi-al-Bustani transalated Ramayana in Arabic
An Arabic version of the ‘Ramayana’ translated by noted Lebanese poet Wadi-al-Bustani was
unveiled at the Jaipur Literature Festival. As per Syed Shahid Mahdi, vice president of the
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the book, titled ‘Ramayana’, will promote cross-
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cultural understanding and appreciation of each other’s spiritual heritage.
Bhutan King Wangchuck: The chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was the chief guest at India’s Republic
Day parade 2013. The King and Queen of Bhutan have paid a state visit to India from January
23 to 30.
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Erection of Basaveshwara’s statue in the UK
The UK government has granted permission to install the statue of 12 century social reformer
from Karnataka, Basaveshwara, at the Albert embankment in London.
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Late visionary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has topped a list of the world’s best chief
executives. The global list, compiled by French business school Insead for Harvard Business
Review, ranked the former Apple head first. Jobs was followed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos in
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11.2 OBITUARIES
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“Portrait of a Decade: The Second American Revolution,” ‘’Gideon’s Trumpet,” and
“Make No Law: The Sullivan Case and the First Amendment.”
Padma Shri recipient S. Sukumari passed away
Veteran South Indian actor and Padma Shri recipient S. Sukumari passed away in Chennai
after battling burns suffered following an accident at her residence. She was 74. Born in 1940
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in then Travancore, Sukumari began her career at the age of 10 with a cameo in Tamil movie
‘Oru Iravu’ in 1951. She acted in over 2,500 films, including in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi,
Telugu, Oriya and Bengali. Wife of famous film director-producer late Bhim Singh, Sukumari
received numerous accolades, including the Tamil Nadu State’s Kalaimani Award in 1991-92,
the Kerala State Award on four occasions, Padma Shri in 2003 and the National Award for the
best supporting actress in 2011.
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Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman passed away
Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman, a veteran ruling party politician and a close aid of the
nation’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, died in a Singapore hospital. He was
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84. Mr. Rahman, who had made his name as an activist who pushed for Bangladesh to break
free from Pakistani rule, was named to the largely ceremonial post in 2009.
Khmer Rouge’s Ieng Sary dead
Ieng Sary, who co-founded Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge movement in 1970s, was its
public face abroad and decades later became one of its few leaders to be put on trial by a joint
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Cambodian-international tribunal along with two other former Khmer Rouge leaders for the
deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people, died.
Ping-pong diplomacy initiator dies
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China’s table tennis legend Zhuang Zedong, who played a key role in initiating the famous
ping-pong diplomacy with the U.S. leading to the then President, Richard Nixon’s ice-
breaking visit to Beijing in 1972, died.
Carnatic vocalist Pinakapani dies
Legendary Carnatic musician and medical practitioner Sripada Pinakapani, 100, passed
away at his residence at Kurnool. He was considered the “healer of malady’’ (as doctor) and
“producer of melody” (as musician). He produced a voluminous treatise on Carnatic music.
Ramankutty Nair: The doyen of Kathakali passes away
Padma Bhushan-winning Kathakali exponent Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, 88, passed
away at his house at Vellinezhi, near Palakkad.
Madanjeet Singh passes away
Former diplomat, artist, writer and freedom fighter, Madanjeet Singh, a UNESCO Goodwill
Ambassador since 2000, passed away in Beaulieu sur Mer in France. Born in Lahore on
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Current Affairs - 2 Persons in News 113
April 16, 1924, he was passionate in his commitment to South Asian regional cooperation
and solidarity on a secular, democratic, and progressive basis. This commitment was
backed by an extraordinary financial contribution to the South Asia Foundation (SAF).
Master Tips
South Asia Foundation (SAF) is a regional youth movement that now has chapters in eight
countries. SAF offers scholarships to South Asian students under various disciplines in its 12
UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institutions of Excellence.
These institutions are located in all eight countries of South Asia. Madanjeet Singh sponsored
the bi-annual UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Award for the promotion of tolerance and non-
violence.
11.3 APPOINTMENTS
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Xi Jinping appointed Chinese President
Xi Jinping (59) was named as China’s new President and head of the military succeeding
Hu Jintao, completing a generational transition of power in the world’s most populous
country.
• China’s Parliament formally elected Xi, as President, four months after he took charge
•
of the Communist Party. ST
Xi has been appointed as the Chairman of the Powerful Military Commission, when
he was elected as the new leader of the party in
November 2012.
• The Military Commission supervises 2.3 million-
strong and the world’s largest standing Army
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called People’s Liberation Army (PLA),
incorporating Army, Navy and Air Force.
• His elec tion w as a for mality as th e NPC,
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ER
Jorge Mario Bergoglio (76) of Argentina, the first from
Latin America, was elected to be the new leader of the troubled
Roman Catholic Church. He would take the name Francis I.
IITian Pichai named Android chief Pope Francis I
Google appointed Chennai-born Sundar Pichai, an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus, as head of its
Android Division in place of Andy Rubin who has stepped down from the top post to take on
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a new role. Sundar Pichai will lead Android, in addition to his existing work with Chrome and
Apps.
Master Tips
Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while Ph.D. students at Stanford
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University in January 1996 as a research project. Together they own about 16 percent of its
stake. They incorporated Google as a privately held company on September 4, 1998. An
initial public offering followed on August 19, 2004. Eric Schmidt is the Executive Chairman
and Larry Page is the CEO of the company.
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Devanand Konwar to Tripura. Similarly, former Delhi Police Commissioner Nikhil Kumar,
who was serving as Nagaland Governor, has been shifted to Kerala.
Kenyatta wins Kenya presidency
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Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s first Prime Minister and President Jomo Kenyatta, has
won the presidential election.
Tashi Rabstan: First judge from Ladakh
Tashi Rabstan has became the first Buddhist and the first person from Ladakh to become a
judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
Ghose & Joseph: Two Supreme Court judges sworn in
Former Chief Justices of the Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh High Courts Pinaki
Chandra Ghose and Kurian Joseph were sworn in as Supreme Court judges by Chief
Justice of India Altamas Kabir. With their appointment, the strength of Supreme Court judges
has gone up to 28, against the sanctioned strength of 31.
Maduro to be sworn in as acting president of Venezuela
Vice President Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in as acting president of Venezuela after a
state funeral is held for Hugo Chavez, who died after prolong battle with cancer.
Office: F-126, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110 016
Institute for Engineers
Website: www.iesmaster.org, E-mail: ies_master@yahoo.co.in
IES/GATE/PSUs Phone: 011-41013406, 7838813406, 9711853908
Current Affairs - 2 Persons in News 115
Master Tips
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organization that
seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military
purpose, including nuclear weapons.
The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957. Though
established independently of the United Nations through its own international treaty, the
IAEA Statute, the IAEA reports to both the UN General Assembly and Security Council. The
IAEA has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
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Takehiko Nakao: Japan nominates vice finance minister to lead ADB
Japan has nominated Takehiko Nakao, its deputy finance minister for international affairs,
to become president of the Asian Development Bank. The Finance Ministry proposed that
Nakao succeed current ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda, who has been nominated to become
Japan’s next central bank governor and resigned as ADB president effective March 18.
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USAID chief Raj Shah to travel to India & Myanmar
Dr Rajiv Shah, the Administrator of US Agency for International Development (USAID)
would travel to India and Myanmar, adding in Mumbai he would announce a major programme
to reduce preventable child deaths. 39-year-old Shah is the highest ranking Indian-
American in the Obama Administration.
T.S. Vijayan new Chief of IRDA
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Former LIC chief T.S. Vijayan, has took over as the Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority (IRDA). Mr. Vijayan succeeds J. Hari Narayan who completed
his five-year term on Feb. 21. IRDA chairperson’s tenure is for five years or till the age
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of 65 years.
Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan secures second term
Incumbent Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has won Armenia’s presidential election with
over 58 percent of the vote.
Mohan Parasaran appointed as Solicitor-General
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Mohan Parasaran, the most senior Additional Solicitor- General, has been appointed Solicitor-
General to succeed Rohinton Nariman.
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Joe Biden : US Vice President for second term
US Vice President Joe Biden was sworn for his second term, hours before President Barack
Obama takes his second oath of office at the White House. Obama and Biden are being sworn,
January 20, the Constitutionally-mandated date for the president to be sworn in to office.
Shirani Bandaranayake impeached & Ex-Attorney General made CJ
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Sri Lanka’s former Attorney-General Mohan Peiris, who has never been on the Bench, has
been appointed the Chief Justice of Sri Lankan Supreme Court. Parliament had voted to
impeach the country’s first woman Chief Justice Ms. Bandaranayake by a two-thirds
majority, despite Court of Appeal quashing the basis of the impeachment motion.
R. K. Dubey takes over as Canara Bank CMD
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R.K. Dubey has assumed charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Canara Bank. Mr.
Dubey joined Punjab National Bank in 1977 as a management trainee and moved up to the
ranks of a General Manager in 2008 and was appointed as Executive Director of Central Bank
of India in 2010.
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US President Barack Obama for the US Court of Appeals. Srinivasan is the only Indian
American re-nominated by Obama for the District of Columbia Circuit. Srinivasan was
born in Chandigarh, and grew up in Lawrence, Kansas.
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12
Books & Authors
pppp
Ceneral Science Books and Authors 119
Books Authors
Walking with Lions: Tales from a - Natwar Singh
Diplomatic Past
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The Garden of Evening Mists - Tan Twan Eng (Malaysia)
Difficult Pleasures
Bitter Wormwood
ST - Anjum Hasan
- Easterine Kire