Current Affairs 01 March to 31 March - 2017 NATIONAL Topic Page No. 6 Crore Soil Health Cards Distributed 12 – 13 I&B Min launches Online Film Certification System of CBFC 13 - 14 Titu Mir returns to roil Bengal, 190 years after his fall in war 14 - 14 Law Commission of India Submitted Report on Hate Speech 14 - 15 ICHR to study if Ram Setu is man-made 15 - 16 Celebrities to Face Law for Misleading Ads 16 – 16 Mallikarjun Kharge set to be PAC chairman 17 - 17 Cabinet approves Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public- 17 – 17 Private Partnership) Bill Government unveils revised Building Code 18 - 18 Inter-state River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 introduced in Lok 18 - 19 Sabha Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) Bill, 2017 19 - 19 Lok Sabha passed Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime 19 - 20 Claims) Bill, 2016 Non-lapsable fund sought for arms buy 20 – 21 Ministers to brainstorm policy for an all-electric vehicle future 21 - 21 Enemy Property Bill passed in Rajya Sabha 21 – 22 Narendra Kumar takes over as Chairman Central Water Commission 22 - 22 ‘Tests useful to find cause of stillbirth’ 22 – 23 Another river-linking project on cards 23 – 24 Tipu’s armoury moves to its new home 24 – 25 India announces new hydrocarbon exploration licensing policy 25 – 26 IMA wants doctors to report any unusual symptoms they notice in patients 26 - 26 Centre plumps for rural FMCG e-sales 26 - 27 Kamaladevi Chattopadhya National Awards 27 - 27 Special Commemorative Postage Stamp on 100 years of Yogoda Satsang 27 - 28 Math released 1 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

Two insolvency professional entities get IBBI recognition 28 – 29 Trade Mark Rules 2017 come into effect 29 – 31 Centre to contest tribunal order on military pay 31 – 31 Lakkaram tank regains lost glory 31 – 32 7th National Awards for Technology Innovation in Petrochemicals and 32 – 33 Downstream Plastics Processing Industry (2016-17) Projects worth Rs 1050 Crore Awarded to arrest sewage pollution in Ganga 33 – 33 from Patna Government notifies Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Act, 2017 33 – 34 MEITY to promote digital transactions in place of NITI Aayog 34 – 34 Nand Kumar Sai assumes charge as Chairman of National Commission for 34 – 35 Scheduled Tribes India signs Financing Agreement with World Bank for Tejaswini 35 - 35

STATES Topic Page No.

Uttarakhand HC Recognizes Ganga and Yamuna Rivers as ‘Living Entities’ 36 – 36 Tamil Nadu in the cycle of drought and floods 36 – 37 Reviving Assam’s Ancient Ink 37 – 38 Move to get world heritage status for Sankaram 38 – 38 Cabinet clears special assistance for EAPs in Andhra Pradesh 38 – 39 Twenty projects approved for swift implementation of Namami Gange 39 – 40 Programme in Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Delhi Launch of Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) 40 – 40 Kerala completes work on first check dam across the Bhavani 40 – 41 West Bengal passes Bill to rein in private hospitals 41 – 41 Thiruvananthapuram tops city governance ranking 42 – 42

INTERNATIONAL Topic Page No. India and Nepal Renew Fuel Supply Pact 43 – 43

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India Signs Financing Agreement with World Bank 43 – 44 1st Grand Challenges India (GCI) Meeting 44 – 45 Shri Upendra Tripathy Appointed as Full Time Interim Director General of 45 – 45 ISA India and Pakistan to review Miyar project 45 – 45 World Happiness Report 2017: India slips to 122 45 – 46 International Diamond Conference “Mines to Market 2017” 46 – 46 India signs WHO’s ‘call for action’, pledging to end TB in South East Asian 46 – 47 region by 2030 Indian drugmakers face squeeze in U.S. healthcare market 47 – 47 India and Brazil conclude social security agreement 48 – 48 ICRISAT, ICAR join hands for crop improvement 48 – 49 Gilgit-Baltistan to be declared a Province 49 – 49 Cabinet apprised of MoUs for cooperation in Youth and Sports Matters with 49 – 50 Indonesia and the Kyrgyz Republic Cabinet approves of MoU between India and Bangladesh on Aids to 50 – 51 Navigation (AtoNs) India’s contribution to UN increases to Rs 244 crore 51 – 51 India, Pak’s entry into SCO may boost regional stability: Chinese media 51 – 52 Why US anti-missile system in South Korea worries China? 52 – 52 Scotland seeks to exit U.K. 53 – 53 China planning five-fold increase in marine force 53 – 53 India to lose presence on U.N. scientific panel 54 – 55 Pakistan’s Hindu marriage bill passed by both houses of Parliament 55 – 55 India and Belgium sign Protocol amending the India-Belgium Double 55 – 55 Taxation Avoidance Agreement and Protocol Commonwealth trade meet begins 56 – 56 Global fund to help solve India’s HIV drug crisis 56 – 57 Centre mulls more ‘border haats’ 57 – 57 Commonwealth card mooted 57 – 57 Commonwealth unveils initiative to stamp out domestic violence 57 – 58 13th Executive Committee Meeting of the International Smart Grid Action 58 – 59 Network (ISGAN) inaugurated

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Donald Trump signs ‘Muslim Ban 2.0’ order 59 – 60 Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and UN-Women 60 – 61 Union Cabinet approves accession to global customs convention 61 – 62 Union Cabinet approves oil storage pact with UAE’s ADNOC 62 – 62 Cabinet approval to MoU on energy efficiency between India, UAE 62 – 63 Cabinet approves MoU on Renewable Energy between India and Portugal 63 – 63 India to Host 10th ICEGOV 2017 63 – 64 Australia wants India to be a ‘consistent buyer’ of its cotton 64 – 64 U.S. nixed India’s plea on reforms in medicine 64 – 64 India to attend Lahore meet on Indus Waters Treaty 65 – 65 Pakistan returns to SAARC, gets Secretary General post 66 – 66 Syrian Army recaptures Palmyra 66 – 66 Half of India-Bangladesh border fenced 67 - 67

ECONOMY Topic Page No. India becomes Net Exporter of Electricity for the first Time 67 – 68 SBI launches ‘Unnati’ Credit Card 68 – 68 Food Processing Ministry Approves 101 New Cold Chain Projects 68 – 69 Automation’s impact will be grave, 4 out of 10 jobs to go: Experts 69 – 69 CBEC to be renamed, reorganised for GST regime 69 – 70 CCI Imposes
591 Crore Penalty on Coal India 70 – 70 India ranks 87th on energy architecture performance: World Economic 70 – 71 Forum India ranks 131 on Human Development Index, Norway No.1 71 – 72 SBI-Mahila Bank Merger Okayed 72 – 72 World Bank Approves $175 Million Loan for India’s National Hydrology 72 – 73 Project Start-up firms may soon find it easy to wind up 73 – 74 Cabinet approves Policy for Early Monetization of Coal Bed Methane Gas 74 – 75 Marketing and Pricing Freedom for CBM Gas Government launches Mission Fingerling to achieve Blue Revolution 75 – 76

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NTPC installs India’s largest floating solar PV plant 76 – 76 Centre issues draft rules on e-wallet payments 77 – 77 Funds to Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK) 77 – 78 Centre to Launch Pilot Project on Ornamental Fisheries 78 – 78 India gold demand to revive in 2017, says World Gold Council 79 – 79 Downloading apps may cost money with ‘Google tax’: Report 79 – 80 India’s longest cable-stayed bridge inaugurated 80 – 80 FM releases the Revised General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017 80 – 80 CCEA approves Revised Cost Estimate of Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project 81 – 81 Plan to revive 50 un-served and under-served airports approved 81 – 81 Punjab, J&K agree to start work on Shahpur Kandi Dam project 82 – 82 CGST Bill and IGST Bill approved 82 – 83 Tezu is now a vantage point 83 – 83 Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signs ten (10) more Advance Pricing 84 – 84 Agreements (APAs)

SOCIAL Topic Page No. Parliament Passes Mental Health Bill, 2016 84 – 85 Sahitya Akademi awardees cannot return award: HC 85 – 86 ‘Triple talaq not in SC purview’ 86 – 86 Allow sale of unsold BS-III vehicles post April 1 deadline, Centre tells 86 – 87 Supreme Court National Conference on Down Syndrome 87 – 87 First Indian Sign Language Dictionary to be Released Soon 87 – 88 Labour Code to Provide Social Security Cover to All Workers 88 – 89 New Chairman of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis 89 – 89 National Health Policy 2017 89 - 90 Ban lawmakers from practising other professions: plea in SC 90 – 90 ‘India’s ranking in women’s political empowerment moderate’: Women in 90 - 91 Politics Map 2017 WCD dept seeks CBI probe into duping in name of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ 91 - 91 plan

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Labour Ministry’s new rule to ensure employer hiring contract labour files 91 - 92 unified annual return On computing ability, rural India is lost in the woods 92 - 92 Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed in the Parliament 92 – 93 SC sets deadline for long-pending criminal cases in HC’s & Trial Courts 93 – 93 across country Minorities’ panel has no member 93 – 94 Nari Shakti Puraskars 94 – 94 India first in bribery rate, says global NGO Transparency International 94 – 95 Kurukh language given official status by Bengal government 95 – 96 A Government Panel recommends legal framework for protection of interests 96 – 97 of migrants in the country NFHS 4 shows improved sex ratio, decline in infant mortality rate 97 – 98

DEFENCE

Topic Page No. Navy gets IAAMS, a New Weather Monitoring System 98 – 98 Find alternatives to pellet guns: SC 98 – 99 Government Approves Shekatkar Committee Recommendations to Reform 99 – 100 Military Indian Navy gets three naval systems from DRDO 100 – 100 29 lakh debit cards subjected to malware attack: Government 101 – 101 Parliamentary panel fumes as NATGRID posts remain vacant 101 – 102 India successfully test-fires BrahMos supersonic cruise missile 102 - 103 Sashastra Seema Bal signed MoU with NSDC & NSDF 103 – 103 INS Tillanchang commissioned 103 – 104 World’s oldest aircraft carrier INS Viraat decommissioned 104 – 104 DRDO Hands Over its Developed Products to Indian Army 104 – 105 Indian Navy successfully test-Fires anti-ship missile from Kalvari Submarine 105 – 105 Successful Test Firing of AAD Endo-Atmospheric Interceptor Missile 105 - 106

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Topic Page No. Sands of Saturn’s moon Titan are Electrically Charged 106 – 106 Planetary Waves, First Found On Earth, Are Discovered On Sun 107 – 107 Massive Brown Dwarf 750 Light Years Away 107 – 108 Scientists Switch On the World’s Largest ‘Artificial Sun’ 108 – 109 ISRO sends 4 teams to 36th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica 109 – 109 ISRO commissions world’s third-largest wind tunnel in Thiruvananthapuram 109 – 110 Telescope Upgrade to Sniff Out Solar Storms 110 – 111 Scientists discover five new sub-atomic particles 111 – 112 New Wi-Fi system to offer super-fast connectivity 112 – 113 U.K. grants doctors first licence to create 3-parent babies 113 – 114 Chennai team taps AI to read Indus Script 114 – 115 Sweet spot in eye helps humans read 115 – 115 Study on fish reveals key to cure blindness 115 – 116 Indian researcher uses novel strategy to increase wheat yield 116 – 116 NASA to explore Jupiter’s icy moon 116 – 117 NASA scientists found lost Chandrayaan-1 orbiting Moon 117 – 117 ESA launches latest Sentinel Earth Observation Satellite 117 – 118 Battling Leptospira at the genome level 118 – 118 Dirty dozen superbug list compiled by World Health Organisation 118 – 119 Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology of High Nitrogen Steel 119 – 119

ENVIRONMENT

Topic Page No. ‘India’s temperature rose by 0.60 degree over last 110 years’ 119 – 120 Earth Hour 120 – 120 Environment Ministry Official to Chair Animal Welfare Board 121 – 121 Green nod for Neutrino Project Suspended 121 – 122 1.04 cr hit by arsenic contamination in Bengal 122 – 123

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First “Pristine air-quality monitoring station at Palampur” 123 – 123 World’s first fluorescent frog discovered in South America 124 – 124 Arctic ice loss driven by natural swings, not just mankind: Study 124 – 124 NGT to monitor coal dust pollution in Vizag port 125 – 125 Synchronous elephant count by four States in May 125 – 126 Great Barrier Reef witnessing second year of mass bleaching 126 – 126 Ministry of Railways and UNEP signed Letters of Intent (LOI) on 126 – 127 Environment Initiatives NIO finds a new canyon system close to Kovvada coast 127 – 128 India launches second stage of HCFCs phase out plan 128 – 129 Web Portal for obtaining CRZ Clearances 129 – 130 Workshop on Arsenic problem in ground water and its remediation in Ganga 130 – 131 Basin held National Conference on Jal Kranti Abhiyan organized 131 – 131 Polluted environment kills 1.7 million children a year: WHO report 131 – 132 Centre launches survey on Gangetic dolphins 132 – 132 For Olive Ridleys, it’s paradise lost 133 – 133 Centre dithers on Western Ghats issue 133 – 134 Operation Thunderbird & Operation Save Kurma of WCCB 134 – 134 March 3: World Wildlife Day 135 – 135 NGT fixes norms for camping along Ganga 135 – 136 Three Forest Research Institutes develop High-Yielding Varieties of Plant 136 – 137 Species Madras HC orders TN govt to enact law on removal of seemai karuvelam trees 137 – 137 Even hill stations will be hotter this year, warns IMD 137 – 138

MORE NEWS FDA Approves New Eczema Drug Dupixent 138 – 138 New secure pound coin goes into circulation in UK 138 – 138 Aviation Turbine Fuel Digital Issue and Payment (ATF DIP) system 138 – 139 INLCU L51 139 – 139 Hindu New Year celebrations begins 139 – 139

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Glenfiddich’s Emerging Artist of the Year award 2017 139 – 139 Cyclone Debbie 139 – 139 China nominates Tai Chi for UNESCO list 140 – 140 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games 140 – 140 World Conference on Environment 140 – 140 India to redefine blindness to meet WHO stipulation 140 – 140 9th World Environmental Education Congress 140 – 141 India’s first vertical garden 141 – 141 Mera iMobile app 141 – 141 5th Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav 141 – 141 21 st March: World Forestry Day 141 – 141 22 nd March: World Water Day 141 – 142 China to Take Part in Brahmaputra Festival 142 – 142 Soumya Swaminathan named to UN group on antimicrobial resistance 142 – 142 Global Millennium Summit 142 – 142 World Poetry Day 142 – 142 KCK International Award for excellence in Print Journalism 142 – 143 India’s Longest Road Tunnel 143 – 143 First fully India-made train Medha flagged off 143 – 143 Indian Origin Student Wins Junior Nobel 143 – 143 India hosts world’s oldest algae fossil 144 – 144 First police post in India to be linked with CCTNS 144 – 144 MoU between LBSNAA and NIPAM for capacity building of public officials 144 – 144 World Consumers Rights Day 144 – 144 Madhukar Gupta Committee Report 145 – 145 Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskar 145 – 145 (2016) KrishiUnnatiMela 2017 145 – 145 Vienna again ranked world’s nicest city, and Baghdad worst 145 – 146 National Crime Records Bureau celebrates its 32nd Inception Day 146 – 146 Pak. to begin first census in 19 years 146 – 146 Centre Establishes Banana Research Centre in Bihar 146 – 146

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Bangladesh declares March 25 as ‘Genocide Day’ 147 – 147 MySSB app 147 – 147 2017 IEEE Spectrum Technology Award 147 – 147 RV Sindhu Sankalp completes 100 expeditions 147 – 147 Saraswati Samman 2016 148 – 148 International Women’s day 2017 148 – 148 Aadhaar Pay: Biometric Based Payment System 148 – 148 13th Economic Co-operation Organisation summit 148 – 148 Asia’s largest petrochemicals plant 149 – 149 National Archives of India to celebrate its 127th Foundation Day 149 – 149 ‘India by the Nile’ 149 – 149 SBI launces Work from Home facility 149 – 149 National Safety Week 149 – 149 Moortidevi award 2016 149 – 150 Surya Kiran – XI 150 – 150 IISc ranked 8 among world’s best 10 universities 150 – 150 PAU develops country’s first Bt cotton varieties 151 – 151 National Awards for Innovation in Educational Administration 151 – 151 Hyderabad Airport ranks 1st in Airport Service Quality Survey 151 – 151 International Yoga fest 151 – 151 ‘Hubbi’: First smart tribal village 151 – 151 China overtakes Eurozone as world’s largest banking system 151 – 152 FOIN 2017 152 – 152 Exercise Al-Nagah-II 2017 152 – 152 India’s first Artificial Intelligence driven chatbot EVA 152 – 152 She Leads Tech programme 152 – 152 45% of country’s bird species found in Himachal Pradesh: Great Backyard 153 – 153 Bird Count World’s oldest fossils discovered in Quebec, Canada 153 – 153 Tirtha Darshan Scheme for senior citizens 153 – 153 UGC 12591 154 – 154 India’s tallest Tricolor hoisted 154 – 154

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India to train Myanmar Navy 154 – 154 #WeAreEqual 154 – 155 Swachh Shakti Saptah 155 – 155 Sweden to reintroduce conscription after 6 years 155 – 155 Regional conference on enhancing steel consumption in India 155 – 155 India’s Ambassador to World Trade Organisation 155 – 155 Zero Discrimination Day 155 – 155 National Science Day 156 – 156 Al Nagah-II 2017 156 – 156

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1-31 March 2017

National 6 Crore Soil Health Cards Distributed • The government recently informed the Lok Sabha that so far against the target of 14 crore cards distribution, 6 crore cards have been distributed and remaining cards are under printing. • Adequate funds have been released to all States; funds amounting to Rs 23.89 crore, Rs 96.44 crore and Rs 126.47 crore have been released during 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 respectively under the scheme. Soil Health Card Scheme • In February 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Soil Health Card Scheme.

• It is a scheme to provide every farmer a Soil Health Card in a Mission mode. • It is a scheme under which the Central Government provides assistance to State Governments for setting up Soil Testing Laboratories for issuing Soil Health Cards to farmers.

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• The scheme will be implemented in all states to promote soil testing services, issue of soil health cards and development of nutrient management practices. • Under the scheme, State Governments should adopt innovative practices like involvement of agricultural students, NGOs and private sector in soil testing, determining average soil health of villages, etc., to issue Soil Health Cards. • Under the scheme, the state governments are also required to prepare yearly action plan on the issue and the cost will be shared in the ratio of 75:25 between the Centre and states. What is soil health card? • The soil health card studies and reviews the health of soil or rather we can say a complete evaluation of the quality of soil right from its functional characteristics, to water and nutrients content and other biological properties. It will also contain corrective measures that a farmer should adopt to obtain a better yield. How does it help the farmers? • With the issue of the card, the farmers will get a well-monitored report of the soil which is chosen for cultivation of crops. • The monitoring will be done on a regular basis. • The farmers will be guided by experts to come up with solutions to improve the quality of the soil. • Regular monitoring will help the farmers to get a long-term soil health record and accordingly can study and evaluate the results of different soil management practices. • This card can become most helpful and effective when filled out regularly by the same person over a period of time. • The idea is not to compare the varied soil types but to find out methods to improve soil fertility, to access the different types of soil and their ability to support crop production in spite of their limitations and as per their abilities. • The soil card will help the farmers to get an idea on the crop-wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilizers required in each type of soil. This can help in increasing the crop yield. Source: PIB

I&B Min launches Online Film Certification System of CBFC • The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry has launched Online Film Certification System E-Cinepramaan of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with an aim to promote transparency and ensure Clean Cinema Clean India. • This initiative was launched on the lines of Union Government’s vision of ease-of-doing business and digital India, to make the entire process transparent and efficient. • Its objective is to eliminate the need for human interface to the extent possible and enable good governance by automating film certification process. • This online system integrated the payments made by the producers towards certification fees with Bharatkosh portal, a system for all non-tax revenue receipts. Key features of the E-Cinepramaan • This online certification system will enable in making the CBFC Office paper less. • It will enable effective monitoring & real time progress in tracking for both CBFC Officials and the applicant. • In the e-cinepramaan, the status of each application will be visible online in the dashboard of the producer or the concerned CBFC official. • In case of short films and trailers which are of less than 10 minutes, the producer need not visit the office or theatre. They can submit their creations online. • For films longer than 10 minutes, the applicant will only have to show the film at the Examining theatre and will not have to visit the CBFC Offices at all.

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• The producer or applicant will be informed by SMS or e-mail of the status of their application. • The transparency in the system and elimination of middle men will mitigate chances of any corruption and will also avoid allegations of jumping the queue or rigging up of Examination committees. • The implementation of QR code on the certificates will eliminate chances of fraudulent certificates. • It will envisage a robust MIS system for performance tracking and efficient reporting. • The system also includes inbuilt alerts depending on the pendency of the application to ensure that time limits prescribed by the rules are not violated. Source: The Hindu

Titu Mir returns to roil Bengal, 190 years after his fall in war • Row over Titu Mir has been sparked again by the introduction of a chapter in the textbook in West Bengal. What’s the issue? • The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education has approved the introduction of a chapter in its 10th history book that claims Titu Mir “killed” many Hindus and destroyed several temples. • Some historians have challenged this assertion, while the Opposition described it as a “distortion of history.” Titu Mir • Titu Mir (1782-1831) a peasant leader who resisted the oppression of the local zamindars and European indigo planters on the peasantry with ultimate object of liberating the country from British domination. • He was a leader of the tariqah-i-muhammadiya in Bengal. • His movement initially aimed at socio-religious reforms, elimination of the practice of shirk (pantheism) and bidat (innovation) in the Muslim society and at inspiring the Muslims to follow Islamic principles in their day to day life. • Syed Mir Nisar Ali, or Titu Mir led the Narkelberia Uprising in 1831 — often considered the first armed peasant uprising against the British. • Bamboo fort (Bansher-Kella) built by him is very famous. Why was he controversial political figure? • Celebrated in folklore as a peasant leader, Titu Mir remains a controversial political figure in Bengal for his religious identity as an Islamic preacher after he converted to Wahabism. Source: The Hindu

Law Commission of India Submitted Report on Hate Speech • The Law Commission of India submitted its 267th Report titled Hate Speech to the Union Government for its consideration. Background • In the Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan Vs Union of India case, the Supreme Court of India had asked the Law Commission of India to examine issues related to hate speech including its definition. • The court also directed the commission to submit its recommendations to the Parliament to strengthen the Election Commission to curb the menace of hate speeches. • Against this backdrop, the Law Commission of India has undertaken a study of laws restricting hate speeches in India. Highlights of the report • The Commission recommended that the anti-discrimination should take into account the harmful effect of speech on the rights of the vulnerable group.

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• The Law Commission also advised that the several factors need to be considered before restricting a speech, like, the context of the speech, the status of the victim, the status of the maker of the speech and the potential of the speech to create discriminatory and disruptive circumstances. • After a thorough examination of the issue and an analysis of the international legal framework, the Commission proposed amendments to the Indian Penal Code by the insertion of new sections after section 153B and 505A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. • The commission also advised the government for adoption of certain other strategies to encourage harmony among different groups of the society like sensitising and educating the public on the responsible exercise of speech. Legal provisions against hate speech • The commission also has drafted a new law The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by inserting new Sections to fortify democracy against hate speeches. • The law defined hate speech as any word written or spoken, signs, visible representations within the hearing or sight of a person with the intention to cause fear or alarm, or incitement to violence. • Its Section 153C penalises incitement to hatred and Section 505A for the first time makes ‘causing fear, alarm, or provocation of violence in certain cases’ a specific criminal offence. • Section 153C calls for punishing guilty person with two years’ imprisonment or Rs. 5,000 in fine or both. Section 505A provides a punishment of one year imprisonment or Rs. 5,000 in fine or both. Freedom of speech vs. Hate speech • Freedom of Speech and Expression is one of the most significant rights guaranteed in the Constitution. • However, this right has been subjected to reasonable restrictions enunciated under Article 19(2) of the Indian Constitution. The reasonableness of this restriction is subject to several tests. • Laws that seek to prevent speech that marginalise the vulnerable sections of the society strive to harmonise the freedom of expression with the right to equality. • In order to protect the vulnerable sections from discriminatory attitudes and practices, it is necessary that forms of expression that have the potential of inciting hatred and violence are regulated. Law Commission of India (LCI) • The LCI is a non-statutory and non-constitutional body constituted by the Union Government from time to time. • The first commission was constituted in 1955 and since then various commissions were re- constituted every three years. • It is usually headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or former Chief Justice of a high court. Source: PIB

ICHR to study if Ram Setu is man-made • The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is set to undertake an archaeological exploration to find out whether the Ram Setu is a natural or man-made phenomenon. • It will undertake the exploration in October and November, before deciding whether a detailed underwater archaeological excavation is required to probe deeper. What’s the issue? • The bridge between the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka has been at the centre of controversy since the Sethusamudram shipping canal project was planned, requiring dredging in the area. • It is a 30-km-long stretch of limestone shoals that runs from Pamban Island near Rameshwaram in South India to Mannar Island off the northern coast of Sri Lanka.

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• While some claim the Setu was a bridge was built by Lord Rama’s “Vanar Sena” (army of apes and monkeys) and hence cannot be touched, others insist it is a naturally formed chain of lime shoals. • The matter reached Supreme Court with petitions challenging the government’s decision to construct the Sethusamudram Canal by dredging a portion of the Ram Setu. • The project is being commissioned under the marine technology training programme of ICHR dealing with under-water archeology and research scholars will be given training for this purpose. Way ahead • Depending on the success of the project and the material gathered, a decision on further exploration will be taken by ICHR. • A group of 15-20 research scholars will be selected across the country and will be trained to conduct the research. ICHR • The Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which had been established by an Administrative Order of the then Ministry of Education. • The ICHR was formed as a literary and charitable society, a fully funded autonomous body of the Ministry of Education. • Famous historian R.S. Sharma the then Head Department of History, Delhi University, was nominated as the first chairman of ICHR. • ICHR disburses funds for carrying out research to Indian as well as foreign scholars on their applications for fellowships, grants, and symposia, made to the Indian Council of Historical Research or through the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Source: The Hindu

Celebrities to Face Law for Misleading Ads • The Centre will soon introduce a new consumer protection law to impose stringent punishment for misleading advertisements on manufacturers, celebrities endorsing products and publishers. • The bill in this regard has already been drafted and is under consideration. Proposals in the new law • For the first time offence, a fine of Rs 10 lakh and jail term of up to two years, while for second and subsequent offenses, a fine of Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of five years has been proposed for brand ambassadors. The ministry has proposed similar penalty and jail term for adulteration, besides license suspension and cancellation. • ‘Deficiency in services’ in product liability is also included. An enabling provision to make rules to regulate e-commerce and direct selling will also be provided. • Overlap of powers of Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) and the Consumer Fora have been removed. An investigating wing will be set up at CCPA, while limiting the role of a district collector to support CCPA in investigation. • A provision for penalty on consumers for frivolous complaints has also been removed. Background • The government had earlier introduced the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015, which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, which recommended several changes to the Bill. • As over 80 amendments were made, it was decided to bring in a new Bill. Source: The Hindu

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Mallikarjun Kharge set to be PAC chairman • The Congress’s floor leader in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, is all set to become the next chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). • He will succeed his party colleague K.V. Thomas, who will complete his third term as Chairman of PAC on April 30. • The chair of the PAC, given to an MP of the main Opposition party with a Cabinet rank. Public Accounts Commission (PAC) • PAC is one of the most important finance committees in the Parliament along with the Committee on Estimates and the Committee on Public Undertakings. • The key function of PAC is to examine annual audit reports of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) after they are tabled in Parliament by President. • It is constituted every year and consists of 22 members – 15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha. • The members from Lok Sabha are elected from amongst its members according to the principle of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote. • Members from Rajya Sabha elected by that House in like manner are associated with the Committee. Speaker usually appoints the Chairman of the PAC. • It should be noted that a minister cannot be elected to as member of Committee. It should be noted that since 1967, Chairman of PAC is senior member of the main Opposition party. Source: The Hindu

Cabinet approves Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public- Private Partnership) Bill • The Union Cabinet approved introduction of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Public Private Partnership (IIIT PPP) Bill, 2017. • The proposed Bill grants statutory status to the fifteen Indian Institutes of Information Technology in Public Private Partnership and declares them as Institutions of National Importance. • In addition, the Bill enables these institutions to grant degrees to their students in the academic courses conducted by them. Key features of the bill • There is no financial implication with regard to the proposed IIIT PPP Bill, 2017. • The Bill will declare the existing IIITs in Public Private Partnership as Institutions of National Importance with powers to award degrees. • The Bill will entitle the institutions to use the nomenclature of Bachelor of Technology (BTech) or Master of Technology (MTech) or PhD degree as issued by a University or Institution of National Importance. • The grant of a formal degree in Information Technology, Engineering or PhD will add a boost to the prospects of the graduating students in the job market. • The grant of a formal degree will also enable the institutes to draw enough students required to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of information technology. • Every institute shall be open to each and every student, irrespective of gender, caste, creed, disability, and domicile, ethnicity, social or economic background. Background • In 2010, the Union Cabinet had approved scheme of setting up of 20 new IIITs in Public Private Partnership (IIIT PPP). But it was not having provision empowering these institutes to grant degrees to its students. Source: Indian Express

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Government unveils revised Building Code • The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution unveiled the revised Building Code, making builders liable for the structure’s safety. Key features of the code • The code has been prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). • It is voluntary in nature, but the states can incorporate them in their building bylaws. • Under the code, planners, structure designers and supervisors were made responsible for the safety of the structure while geo-technical engineers and builders were not included. • Now, builders are also made responsible safety of the construction. Builders have to give a certificate saying that the building has been constructed as per the planned design submitted to the local bodies. • Apart from making builders liable, the revised code has made necessary changes keeping in view the requirement of modern buildings. • The code specifies fire and life safety norms for high rise buildings and a proper horizontal evacuation system in high-rise hospitals and public buildings. • It also provides for universal accessibility for senior citizens and differently abled citizens besides encouraging use new building material and alternative smart technologies. • The salient features of the revised code are norms for solar energy utilisation, inclusion of modern lighting technique including LED, updated provision on piped gas supply in houses and hospitals, solid waste management and rain water harvesting, besides high speed lifts for tall buildings. • For ease of doing business, the revised code has a detailed provision for streamlining the approval process in respect of different agencies in the form of an integrated approval process through single window approach thereby avoiding separate clearances from various authorities. What is Building Code? • The Building Code is used by local bodies for framing building bylaws. It is used by government departments in construction activity and also by private builders as well as professionals like planners, architect and engineers. It is also used for academic purpose. Source: Economic Times

Inter-state River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 introduced in Lok Sabha • The Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Uma Bharti introduced the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Lok Sabha. Highlights of the bill • The bill proposes the creation of a Single Standing Tribunal with multiple benches instead of the existing multiple tribunals. • The proposed single tribunal would comprise a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and a maximum of 6 other members. • While the term of office of the Chairperson will be five years or till the time he reaches the age of 70, the term of office of the Vice-Chairperson and other members of the tribunal will be linked to the adjudication of the water dispute. • Besides this, the bill proposes the appointment of Assessors to provide technical support to the tribunal. The assessors would be appointed from among the experts already serving in the Central Water Engineering Service, above the rank of Chief Engineer. • It also proposes the introduction of a mechanism – Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) to resolve disputes cordially through negotiations before it is referred to the tribunal. • The proposed committee is to be established by the Union Government, consisting of relevant experts.

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• The bill also proposes the setting up of a transparent data collection system at the national level for each river basin and the establishment of a centre authorised agency for the same, which will be expected to maintain the databank and information system. • The bill also fixed the total time period for adjudication of the dispute to a maximum of four and half years. • It also determined that the decision of the tribunal would be final and binding with no requirement of publication in the official Gazette. Background • Inter-state river water disputes are on the rise on account of increase in water demands by the States. The Inter State Water Dispute Act, 1956 which provides the legal framework to address such disputes, suffers from many drawbacks. • Under this Act, a separate Tribunal has to be established for each Inter State River Water Dispute. Only three out of eight Tribunals have given awards accepted by the States, while Tribunals like Cauvery and Ravi Beas have been in existence for over 26 and 30 years respectively without any award. • Delays are on account of no time limit for adjudication by a Tribunal, no upper age limit for the Chairman or the Members, work getting stalled due to occurrence of any vacancy and no time limit for publishing the report of the Tribunal. Source: PIB

Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) Bill, 2017 • Ministry of Commerce & Industry introduced the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha to declare the FDDI as an Institution of National Importance (INI). Objective of the bill • The objective of the proposed legislation is to facilitate and promote teaching, training and research in all disciplines relating to design and development of Footwear and leather products and to enable FDDI to emerge as Centre of Excellence meeting international standards. FDDI • The Footwear Design & Development Institute was established in 1986 with the objective of providing trained human resource and assistance to the sector. • FDDI has pan-India presence with campuses at Noida, Kolkata, Chennai, Fursatganj (UP), Rohtak (Haryana), Chhindwara (M.P) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) equipped with state of art academic facilities and infrastructure. • New campuses at Hyderabad, Patna, Ankleshwar (Gujarat), Banur (Punjab) and Guna (M.P) would also start functioning shortly. Source: PIB

Lok Sabha passed Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016 • The Lok Sabha on 10 March 2017 passed the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016. • The Bill seeks to establish a legal framework to consolidate the existing laws relating to admiralty jurisdiction of courts, admiralty proceedings on maritime claims, arrest of vessels and related issues.

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

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1. The Admiralty Court Act, 1840 2. The Admiralty Court Act, 1861 3. The Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890 4. The Colonial Courts of Admiralty (India) Act, 1891 5. The provisions of the Letters Patent, 1865 • The repealing of five admiralty statutes is in line with the government’s commitment to do away with archaic laws which are hindering efficient governance. What is Admiralty jurisdiction? • Admiralty jurisdiction relates to powers of the High Courts in respect of claims associated with transport by sea and navigable waterways. Highlights of the Bill: • The bill confers admiralty jurisdiction on High Courts located in coastal States of India and this jurisdiction extends up to territorial waters. • The jurisdiction is extendable, by a Central Government notification, up to exclusive economic zone or any other maritime zone of India or islands constituting part of the territory of India. • It applies to every vessel irrespective of place of residence or domicile of the owner. • Inland vessels and vessels under construction are excluded from its application, but the Central Government is empowered to make it applicable to these vessels also by a notification if necessary. • It does not apply to warships and naval auxiliary and vessels used for non-commercial purposes. • The jurisdiction is for adjudicating on a set of maritime claims listed in the bill. • In order to ensure security against a maritime claim, a vessel can be arrested in certain circumstances. • The liability in respect of selected maritime claims on a vessel passes on to its new owners by way of maritime liens subject to a stipulated time limit. • In respect of aspects on which provisions are not laid down in the bill, the Civil Procedure Code, 1908 is applicable. Background • India is a leading maritime nation and maritime transportation caters to about ninety-five percent of its merchandise trade volume. However, under the present statutory framework, the admiralty jurisdiction of Indian courts flow from laws enacted in the British era. Source: PIB

Non-lapsable fund sought for arms buy • Ministry of defence has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Finance proposing the setting up of a ‘Non-lapsable Capital Fund Account’. • A proposal for obtaining ‘in-principle’ approval of the Finance Ministry on creation of the account has been sent by the Defence Ministry after obtaining approval of the Defence Minister, and a “response from the Ministry of Finance is awaited.” Need for such a fund • Defence procurement and acquisition is a complicated process, involving long gestation periods and funds allocated for capital acquisition in a particular financial year are not necessarily consumed in that year and ultimately have to be surrendered by the Defence Ministry. • A major defence purchase often takes years to complete, but the budget allocation lapses at the end of the financial year. As a result, the Ministry of Defence is often forced to return money meant for capital acquisition. Why the Finance Ministry is not in favour of this fund? • The Finance Ministry is still not in favour of creating a ‘Non-lapsable Defence Capital Fund Account’ to which the committee expressed its “disappointment” and pointed to the Non- 20 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

lapsable Central Pool of Resources for the North Eastern region, which was constituted with the approval of Parliament in 1998-99. Way ahead • The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has stated that it “would like the Ministry of Finance to look at the matter afresh” and work out the modalities for creation of the account. Source: The Hindu

Ministers to brainstorm policy for an all-electric vehicle future • Enthused by India’s electric vehicle (EV) market potential, state-owned energy company NTPC Ltd is exploring a new business around it. • To start with, India’s largest power generation utility is looking at setting up charging stations to help create the demand for electricity generated by its plants and keep pace with the fast-changing power sector. • India envisages all passenger and commercial vehicles to powered by electricity by 2030. • The government wants to see 6 million electric and hybrid vehicles on the roads by 2020 under the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME). Significance of the move • Any shift to EVs will help reduce pollutants and fuel imports. This assumes significance given India’s energy import bill of around $150 billion, which is expected to reach $300 billion by 2030. • India imports around 80% of its oil and 18% of its natural gas requirements. India imported 202 million tonnes of oil in 2015-16. • Currently, electric vehicle sales are low in India. National Electric Mobility Mission Plan: • Government of India launched the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 in 2013. • It is aimed to achieve national fuel security by promoting hybrid and electric vehicles in the country. • Its target is to achieve 6-7 million sales of hybrid and electric vehicles year on year from 2020 onwards. • Government aims to provide fiscal and monetary incentives to kick start this nascent technology. • Government has launched the scheme namely Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME India) under NEMMP 2020 in the Union Budget for 2015-16 with an initial outlay of Rs. 75 Cr. The scheme will provide a major push for early adoption and market creation of both hybrid and electric technologies vehicles in the country. Source: LiveMint

Enemy Property Bill passed in Rajya Sabha • The Rajya Sabha has passed the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016. Key facts • The amendments proposed include that once an enemy property is vested in the Custodian, it shall continue to be vested in him as enemy property irrespective of whether the enemy, enemy subject or enemy firm has ceased to be an enemy due to reasons such as death. • The new Bill ensures that the law of succession does not apply to enemy property; that there cannot be transfer of any property vested in the Custodian by an enemy or enemy subject or enemy firm and that the Custodian shall preserve the enemy property till it is disposed of in accordance with the Act.

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• The amendments are aimed at plugging the loopholes in the Act to ensure that the enemy properties that have been vested in the Custodian remain so and do not revert to the enemy subject or firm. • The Bill also prohibits civil courts and other authorities from entertaining disputes related to enemy property. Background • In early 2016, the government had identified over 16,000 properties across India that could be taken over under this law. A rough estimate had indicated that 9,400 properties, where the process to take over the properties had been completed, were valued at 1 lakh crore rupees. What are Enemy properties? • In the wake of the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971, there was migration of people from India to Pakistan. • Under the Defence of India Rules framed under the Defence of India Act, the Government of India took over the properties and companies of such persons who had taken Pakistani nationality. • These enemy properties were vested by the Union Government in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India. Tashkent Declaration • After the 1965 war, India and Pakistan signed the Tashkent Declaration on 10 January 1966. • The Tashkent Declaration inter alia included a clause, which said that the two countries would discuss the return of the property and assets taken over by either side in connection with the conflict. • However, the Government of Pakistan disposed of all such properties in their country in the year 1971 itself. Source: The Hindu

Narendra Kumar takes over as Chairman Central Water Commission • Shri Narendra Kumar, an officer of Central Water Engineering Service (1979 batch) has assumed the charge of Chairman, Central Water Commission (CWC). Central Water Commission • Central Water Commission is a premier Technical Organization of India in the field of Water Resources. • It is presently functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India. • The Commission is entrusted with the general responsibilities of initiating, coordinating and furthering in consultation of the State Governments concerned, schemes for control, conservation and utilization of water resources throughout the country, for purpose of Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking Water Supply and Water Power Development. • It also undertakes the investigations, construction and execution of any such schemes as required. Source: PIB

‘Tests useful to find cause of stillbirth’ • A U.S. study has found that two tests are particularly effective in determining the cause of a stillbirth, a death of a foetus at or after 20 weeks of gestation. • An examination of the placenta helped find a cause in about two-thirds of stillbirths, and a foetal autopsy helped in roughly 40% of cases. • Genetic testing was the third most useful test, helping to pinpoint a cause 12% of the time.

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Background • Researchers had previously determined that complications during the birth process, including pre-term labour and premature rupture of the amniotic sac, accounted for 30% of stillbirths. • Before labour, placental problems were the most common cause of stillbirth, accounting for roughly one-quarter of cases. • Genetic conditions or birth defects were responsible for about 14% of stillbirths, infection for 13% and umbilical cord issues another 10%. What is stillbirths? • A stillbirth is a baby born dead after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy. • If the baby dies before 24 completed weeks, it’s known as a miscarriage or late foetal loss. Causes of stillbirths: • In 18 countries with reliable data, congenital abnormalities account only for a median of 7.4 per cent of stillbirths. • Many disorders associated with stillbirths are potentially modifiable and often coexist — maternal infections, non-communicable diseases, nutrition, lifestyle factors and maternal age older than 35 years. • Prolonged pregnancies, when the baby is not born after 42 weeks of gestation, contribute to 14 per cent of stillbirths. • Causal pathways for stillbirth frequently involve impaired placental function, either with growth restriction, or preterm labour or both. In India • India continues to be at the top of the table in the rank for number of stillbirths in 2015, recording 5,92,100, followed by Nigeria, Pakistan, China and Ethiopia. • Cultural taboos and superstitions often take the blame in the case of stillbirth. Global scenario • Worldwide, the number of stillbirths has declined by 19.4% between 2000 and 2015, representing an annual rate of reduction (ARR) of 2%. • This reduction noted for stillbirths is lower than that noted for maternal mortality ratio (AAR=3.0 %) and under 5 mortality rate (ARR= 3.9 %), for the same period. Way ahead • It should also be noted that less than 5% of neonatal deaths and even fewer still births are registered. • Hence, it is necessary to maintain meticulous records of all births and deaths (maternal and foetal) in order to increase the availability of data, rationalising that while data alone will not help save lives, it would certainly indicate a way to target interventions to reach more than 7,000 women every day worldwide who experience the reality of stillbirth. Source: The Hindu

Another river-linking project on cards • After successful linkage between the Godavari and Krishna rivers through the Pattiseema project, now the Andhra Pradesh government is embarking on linking the Godavari with the Penna. • In this regard, highly advanced LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Survey will be taken up by Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Limited (WAPCOS) to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for supplying Godavari water directly to Rayalaseema. • The project envisages transporting 20 tmcft from Godavari River to two reservoirs – the existing Somasila Reservoir in the Penna river basin and a new reservoir at Bollapalli. Godavari River: • With a length of 1465 Kilometers, Godavari is India’s second largest river that runs within the country and also the longest river in South India.

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• Measuring up to 312,812 km2 (120,777 sq mi), it forms one of the largest river basins in the Indian subcontinent, with only the Ganges and Indus rivers having a drainage basin larger than it in India. • It originates near Trimbak in Nashik District of Maharashtra state and flows east across the Deccan Plateau into the Bay of Bengal near Narasapuram in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. • The river is also known as Dakshin Ganga and Gautami. • It starts in Maharashtra and flows east for 1,465 kilometres (910 mi) emptying into Bay of Bengal draining the Indian states Maharashtra (48.6%), Telangana ( 18.8%), Andhra Pradesh (4.5%), Chhattisgarh (10.9%), Madhya Pradesh (10.0%), Odisha (5.7%), Karnataka (1.4%) and Puducherry through its extensive network of tributaries. • Important tributaries include Pravara, Purna, Manjira, Pranhita, Indravati and Sabari. • Havelock Bridge is on Godavari River. The brige has been a vital link enabling trains to run between Chennai and Howrah. • The Coringa mangrove forests in the Godavari delta are the second largest mangrove formation in the country. Part of this has been declared as the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, renowned for its reptiles. Penna River • The Penna rises on the hill of Nandi Hills in Chikballapur District of Karnataka state, and runs north and east through the state of Andhra Pradesh to empty into the Bay of Bengal. • The river basin lies in the rain shadow region of Eastern Ghats and receives 500 mm average rainfall annually. • The estuary of the Penna river extends 7 km upstream from the Bay of Bengal. • The upper basin of the Penna is largely made up of ancient Archean rocks, principally granite and schist. The lower basin is made up of young sediments, including laterite and recent alluvium. Source: The Hindu

Tipu’s armoury moves to its new home • A 228- year-old armoury of the Tiger of Mysuru, Tipu Sultan, was finally translocated to its new location. • The armoury is 20-km from Mysuru, towards Bengaluru, and comes two stops before Srirangapatna Railway Station. The armoury will be moved about 100 metres from the current location safely without causing any damage to the protected property. • This was a first of its kind move by the railways to translocate a heritage property. • The shifting process will be taken up by South Western Railway through M/S PSL -Wolfe (JV) under supervision by Department of Archeology. Background • When the proposal of transporting the heritage structure was first presented, in 2009, no Indian independent firm or contractors came forward. • Not only because they thought it would be controversial because the monument is revered by locals, but also because they thought it would be impossible. • As there was no technology in India to shift these structures and with no scope for building replica of Tipu’s armoury, Railways has assigned US based company headed by project manager, Jamion Buckingham for the project. Historical significance: • The recent shifting of the Tipu Sultan armoury has almost coincided with yet another historical milestone this month — 226 years of the III Mysore War also called Third Anglo- Mysore war — the last major battle fought in Bengaluru where the British forces captured Bangalore Fort.

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• Lord Cornwallis, who had then taken over the command of East India Company led the contingent for the III Anglo-Mysore war against Tipu Sultan and the first attack was launched on March 21, 1791. • The battle ended with the East India Company capturing the Bangalore Fort and Tipu had to retract to Srirangapatna. The armoury • The armoury is one of eight built by Tipu Sultan and is a protected monument under the Department of Heritage, Archaeology and Museums. • The armoury building is a single storey load-bearing brick masonry structure with arch roofing system and pyramid shape elevation that was built by Tipu between 1782 and 1799, to store ammunition. Tipu Sultan • Tipu Sultan, prominently known as Sher-e-Mysore (Tiger of Mysore) is also given the sobriquet of Sher-e-Hind and Sher-e-Mashriq (Tiger of the East). • He was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore. • Tipu introduced a number of administrative innovations during his rule, including his coinage, a new Mauludi lunisolar calendar, and a new land revenue system which initiated the growth of Mysore silk industry. • Tipu expanded the iron-cased Mysorean rockets and commissioned the military manual Fathul Mujahidin. • He is considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery. Tipu Sultan deployed the rockets against advances of British forces and their allies in their 1792 and 1799 Siege of Srirangapatna. • Napoleon, the French commander-in-chief who later became emperor, sought an alliance with Tipu. In alliance with the French in their struggle with the British, and in Mysore’s struggles with other surrounding powers, both Tipu and his father used their French trained army against the Marathas, Sira, and rulers of Malabar, Kodagu, Bednore, Carnatic, and Travancore. Source: The Hindu

India announces new hydrocarbon exploration licensing policy • The Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has announced new Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) for oil and gas exploration. • The new policy will allow bidders to carve out areas where they want to drill. • It will help energy hungry India and world’s third-largest oil consumer to attract greater foreign investment to boost output. What is OLAP? • Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) gives an option to a company looking for exploring hydrocarbons to select the exploration blocks on its own, without waiting for the formal bid round from the Government. • The objective of OLAP is to increase India’s indigenous oil and gas production by maximising the potential of already discovered hydrocarbon resources in the country. • OALP offers single license to explore conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources to propel investment in and provide operational flexibility to the investors. • It is departure from the current licensing policy of government identifying the oil and gas blocks and then putting them on auction. • Under it, Government will conduct auction of oil and gas blocks twice a year, with the first round being held in July 2017. • The selection of oil blocks will be based on seismic and well data provided by Directorate- General of Hydrocarbons in National Data Repository which offers total of 160TB data of India’s 26 sedimentary basins. 25 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• The OALP auction will be held under the overhauled exploration licensing policy, allowing pricing and marketing freedom to operators and shifts to a revenue sharing model. Background • OALP is part of the strategy to make India a business and investor friendly destination and cut import dependence by 10% and achieve the plan to double existing oil production from current 80 million metric tons to about 150-155 million metric tons by 2022. • In this new model, government will not micromanage, micro monitor with producers rather only share revenue. • Thus, it gives an option to a company looking for exploring hydrocarbons to select the exploration areas on its own. The July 2017 auction under this new policy will be India’s first major exploration licensing round since 2010. Source: Indian Express

IMA wants doctors to report any unusual symptoms they notice in patients • Doctors across the country will now have to report not just notifiable diseases to the local health authorities but also any unusual symptoms that cannot be explained they see in their patients. • The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has been aggressively supporting timely notification of notifiable diseases, now wants all doctors to start reporting any unusual symptoms that they notice in their patients. • The association has been sending out mails to over two lakh member-doctors across the country. Need for such move • This was essential especially in the wake of several new infections spreading rapidly. • With blurring of international boundaries and increasing travel, there is a threat of global spread of any infectious disease. • Doctors alone can no longer be responsible for public health and prevention and control of outbreaks also require commitment on the part of policymakers, administrators and all other stakeholders. Indian Medical Association • The Indian Medical Association (IMA), is a national voluntary organisation of Doctors of Modern Scientific System of Medicine in India. • It looks after the interest of doctors as well as the well being of the community at large. • It was established in 1928 as the All India Medical Association, renamed “Indian Medical Association” in 1930. • It is a society registered under The Societies Act of India. • The Indian Medical association is a founder member of the World Medical Association. Source: The Hindu

Centre plumps for rural FMCG e-sales • The Centre has initiated talks with FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) companies to sell their products online in rural areas through common service centres (CSCs) as it looks to increase the business for such centres. Significance of this move • The move will help Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) who run CSCs to earn commission on the products sold while also enabling access for customers in rural areas to these products. • According to estimates, a VLE is likely to earn a commission in the range of 12-20% on FMCG products, which is far higher than less than 10% on other services offered.

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Background • The government is focused on expansion of CSCs because of their inherent strength to transform rural India. With the sale of FMCG products, the door has been opened for popularising e–commerce through CSCs. • There are more than 2.5 lakh CSCs across the country which enable people, particularly in rural areas, to access government services online. These services include ration card, birth certificate, train tickets and online form submission, among other things. What are the Common Services Centers (CSCs)? • Common Services Centers (CSCs) are a strategic cornerstone of the Digital India programme. • They are the access points for delivery of various electronic services to villages in India, thereby contributing to a digitally and financially inclusive society. • CSCs enable the three vision areas of the Digital India programme: 1. Digital infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen. 2. Governance and services on demand. 3. Digital empowerment of citizens. Significance of the CSCs: • CSCs are more than service delivery points in rural India. They are positioned as change agents, promoting rural entrepreneurship and building rural capacities and livelihoods. • They are enablers of community participation and collective action for engendering social change through a bottom-up approach with key focus on the rural citizen. Source: The Hindu

Kamaladevi Chattopadhya National Awards • The Government has announced ‘Kamaladevi Chattopadhya National Awards’. The awards • It is a new category of awards especially for women handloom weavers and women handicraft artisans. • The awards are being instituted from this year, so that women weavers and artisans receive due recognition and economic benefits associated with the Awards. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay • Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was an Indian social reformer and freedom fighter. • She is most remembered for her contribution to the Indian independence movement; for being the driving force behind the renaissance of Indian handicrafts, handlooms, and theatre in independent India; and for upliftment of the socio-economic standard of Indian women by pioneering the co-operative movement. • Several cultural institutions in India today exist because of her vision, including the National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Central Cottage Industries Emporium, and the Crafts Council of India. • In 1974, she was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship the highest honour conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. Source: PIB, Wiki

Special Commemorative Postage Stamp on 100 years of Yogoda Satsang Math released • Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7 March 2017 released a special commemorative postage stamp on 100 years of Yogoda Satsang Math. Yogoda Satsang Math: • The Yogoda Satsang Math are the headquarters of Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS). • Its major aim is to reveal the complete harmony, basic oneness and common foundations of all true religions.

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• Yogoda Satsanga Society of India is a non-profit religious organization. • It was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917. • The society is known as the Self-Realization Fellowship in countries outside the Indian subcontinent. • Mrinalini Mata is the current President of the YSS. • The word ‘Yogoda’ was coined by Paramahansa Yogananda. The world is derived from Yoga, union, harmony, equilibrium, and da, “that which imparts”. • Paramahansa Yogananda is renowned for his book titled Autobiography of a Yogi. The book is an international bestseller. • The HarperCollins featured the book in the 100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century. • YSS’s headquarters, Yogoda Satsanga Math, is situated in Dakshineswar, Kolkata, West Bengal. The YSS oversees more than 180 Kendras, Mandalis, Retreats and Ashrams all over the globe. Source: PIB

Two insolvency professional entities get IBBI recognition • The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has given recognition to two insolvency professional entities- 1. IRR Insolvency Professionals Pvt Ltd and 2. AAA Insolvency Professionals LLP. Key facts • The Insolvency Professionals (IPs) are registered and regulated by the IBBI. • They have a critical role in transactions under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code). • The Code and regulations made there under provide for strengthening their capacity on a continuous basis. • A limited liability partnership, a registered partnership firm or a company may be recognised by the IBBI as an IPE if 1. A majority of the partners of the limited liability partnership or registered partnership firm are registered as insolvency professionals (IPs); or 2. A majority of the whole-time directors of the company are registered as insolvency professionals, as the case may be. • An IPE is jointly and severally liable for all acts or omissions of its partners or directors as IPs committed during such partnership or directorship. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016: • It is considered as the biggest economic reform next only to GST. It offers a market determined, time bound mechanism for orderly resolution of insolvency, wherever possible, and orderly exit, wherever required. • The Code envisages an ecosystem comprising National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT), Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Board), Information Utilities (IUs), Insolvency Professionals (IPs), Insolvency Professional Agencies (IPAs) and Insolvency Professional Entities (IPEs) for implementation of the Code. • The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India was established on October 1, 2016 in accordance with the provisions of The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. • It provides a market-determined and time bound mechanism for orderly resolution of insolvency, wherever possible, and orderly exit, wherever required. IBBI • The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) seeks to consolidate and amend laws relating to reorganisation as well as insolvency resolution of corporate persons, partnership firms and individuals in a time-bound manner. 28 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• It has been set up by the code to regulate professionals, information utilities (IUs) and agencies engaged in the resolution of insolvencies of companies. • It has chairman and 10 members. Present chairman is M S Sahoo. There four government- nominated members. Source: PIB

Trade Mark Rules 2017 come into effect • The Trade Mark Rules, 2017 have come into effect, streamlining and simplifying the processing of Trade Mark applications. • The new rules were released by Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry and will replace the erstwhile Trade Mark Rules, 2002. Salient features of revamped Rules: • Number of Trade Mark (TM) Forms have been reduced to 8 from 74. • For the first time, the rules have laid out, modalities for determination of well-known trademarks. • The TM applications fee for online filing has been kept at 10% lower than that for physical filing to promote e-filing. • The provisions related to expedited processing of an application for registration of a trade mark extended upto registration stage. Earlier, it was only upto examination stage). • Modalities for service of documents from applicants to the Registry and vice-versa through electronic means have been introduced to expedite the process. • e-mail has been made an essential part of address for service to be provided by the applicant or any party to the proceedings so that the office communication may be sent through email. • Hearing through video conferencing has been introduced. Number of adjournments in opposition proceedings has been restricted to a maximum of two by each party to dispose off matters in time. • Procedures relating to registration as Registered User of trademarks have also been simplified. Over all fees have been rationalized by reducing the number of entries in Schedule I from 88 to just 23. What is a trademark? • Trade mark means a mark capable of being represented graphically and which is capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one person from those of others and may include shape of goods, their packaging and combination of colours. What is covered under Trademarks? • A trademark is a mark used in relation to goods or services so as to indicate a connection in the course of trade between the goods or services and some person having the right as proprietor to use the mark. What is the function of a Trademark? • Under modern business condition a trade mark performs four functions: • It identifies the goods / or services and its origin. • It guarantees its unchanged quality • It advertises the goods/services • It creates an image for the goods/ services. Who benefits from Trademark registration? • The Registered Proprietor: The Registered Proprietor of a trade mark can stop other traders from unlawfully using his trade mark, sue for damages and secure destruction of infringing goods and or labels. • The Purchaser and ultimately Consumers of trademarks goods and services. • The Government: The Trademarks Registry is expected to earn a substantial annual revenue, which is perpetually on the rise.

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What are benefits of Trademark registration? • The registration of a trade mark confers upon the owner the exclusive right to the use of the registered trade mark and indicates so by using the symbol (R) in relation to the goods or services in respect of which the mark is registered and seek the relief of infringement in appropriate courts in the country. • The exclusive right is however subject to any conditions entered on the register such as limitation of area of use etc. • Also, where two or more persons have registered identical or nearly similar mark due to special circumstances such exclusive right does not operate against each other. What are the types of Trademarks that can be registered? • Under the Indian trademark law the following are the types of trademarks that can be registered: 1. Product trademarks: are those that are affixed to identify goods. 2. Service trademarks: are used to identify the services of an entity, such as the trademark for a broadcasting service, retails outlet, etc. They are used in advertising for services. 3. Certification trademarks: are those that are capable of distinguishing the goods or services in connection with which it is used in the course of trade and which are certified by the proprietor with regard to their origin, material, the method of manufacture, the quality or other specific features 4. Collective trademarks: are registered in the name of groups, associations or other organizations for the use of members of the group in their commercial activities to indicate their membership of the group. Administration of trade marks in India: • The Trade Marks Registry was established in India in 1940 and presently it administers the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the rules made thereunder. • It acts as a resource and information Centre and is a facilitator in matters relating to trademarks in the country. • The objective of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 is to register trademarks applied for in the country and to provide for better protection of trademark for goods and services and also to prevent fraudulent use of the mark. • The main function of the Registry is to register trademarks which qualify for registration as per provisions of the Trade Marks Act and Rules, and to maintain the Register of trademarks. • After accession to the Madrid Protocol, a treaty under the Madrid System for international registration of trademarks, the Trade Marks Registry also functions as an office of origin in respect of applications made by Indian entrepreneurs for international registration of their trademarks and as an office of the designated Contracting party in respect of international registrations in which India has been designated for protection of the relevant trademarks. • Apart from the above, the Registry has to discharge various other functions like offering preliminary advice as to registrability; causing a search to be made for issue a certificate under Section 45(1) of the Copyright Act, 1957 to the effect that no trademark identical with or deceptively similar to such artist work as sought to be registered as a copyright has been registered as a trademark; providing public information and guidance to the public on the subject; providing information to various government agencies including Police, Central Excise personnel, Public Grievance Redressal, maintenance of top class IP library, the production of annual statistical report, production of official Trade Marks Journal in electronic form and submit an Annual Report to Parliament. • The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks heads the TRADE MARKS Registry offices and functions as the Registrar of TRADE MARKS. He, from time to time, assigns functions of the Registrar to other officers appointed by the Central Government and such officers also function as Registrar in respect of matters assigned to them.

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• Presently all the functions of the Trade Marks Registry are performed through an automated Trade Marks System. The Central Server of TMR is at Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Building in Delhi and Disaster Recovery server is at IPO, Mumbai. All branches of the Trade Marks Registry are connected to the main server in Delhi with Virtual Private Network (VPN). All the actions done by the office staffs through the TMS are recorded in the central server on real time basis. Source: PIB

Centre to contest tribunal order on military pay • The Defence Ministry has decided as a matter of principle to challenge in the Supreme Court the ruling of the Armed Forces Tribunal to grant non-functional upgrade (NFU) for the armed forces. • While the government is not against the upgrade for the services, its challenge is on principle as a tribunal has no authority to take such a decision. What’s the issue? • Last December, the tribunal granted the upgrade to the armed forces personnel in pay and allowances in response to a petition filed by over 160 officers. • The upgrade has been one of the core anomalies raised by the services in the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, which are yet to be implemented for them. • The upgrade entitles all officers of a batch who are not promoted to draw the salary and grade pay that the senior-most officer of their batch would get after a certain period. • The Sixth Pay Commission had granted the upgrade to most Group ‘A’ officers but not the military. Since then, the armed forces had been demanding a one-time notional upgrade to ensure parity. • However, the Seventh Pay Commission (SPC) gave a mixed verdict on it and the issue has since been referred to the Anomalies Committee. Armed Forces Tribunal • The Armed Forces Tribunal Act 2007, was passed by the Parliament and led to the formation of AFT with the power provided for the adjudication or trial by Armed Forces Tribunal of disputes and complaints with respect to commission, appointments, enrolments and conditions of service in respect of persons subject to the Army Act, 1950, The Navy Act, 1957 and the Air Force Act, 1950. • It can further provide for appeals arising out of orders, findings or sentences of courts- martial held under the said Acts and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. • The Tribunal transacts their proceedings as per the Armed Forces Tribunal (Procedure) rules, 2008. All proceedings in the Tribunal will be in English. • The Tribunal will normally follow the procedure as is practiced in the High Courts of India. • Each Bench comprises of a Judicial Member and an Administrative Member. • The Judicial Members are retired High Court Judges and Administrative Members are retired Members of the Armed Forces who have held rant of Major General/ equivalent or above for a period of three years or more, Judge Advocate General (JAG), who have held the appointment for at least one year are also entitled to be appointed as the Administrative Member. Source: The Hindu, aftdelhi.nic.in

Lakkaram tank regains lost glory • The Lakkaram tank of Kakatiya period here has received a new lease of life following near total restoration of the water body at an estimated cost of Rs 13.5 crore under the Mission Kakatiya scheme.

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Mission Kakatiya: • Mission Kakatiya is the Telangana government’s flagship programme aimed at restoring minor irrigation sources like tanks and other water bodies to help small and marginal farmers. • The name ‘Mission Kakatiya’ is given in the remembrance and tribute to the Kakatiya rulers who developed large number of the irrigation tanks. Kakatiya dynasty: • The 12th and the 13th centuries saw the emergence of the Kakatiyas. • They were at first the feudatories of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyana, ruling over a small territory near Warangal. Prataparudra I established a sovereign dynasty in 1163 CE. The dynasty saw powerful leaders like Ganapathi Deva and Rudramadevi. • Prataparudra I, also known as Kakatiya Rudradeva, was the son of the Kakatiya leader Prola II. It was under his rule that the Kakatiyas declared sovereignty. He ruled the kingdom till 1195 A.D. • It was under the rule of Prataparudra I that usage of Telugu language in inscriptions began. • Before the establishment of Orugallu/Warangal as the capital, Hanamakonda was the first capital of the Kakatiyas. • The great Italian traveller Marco Polo visited the Kakatiya Kingdom sometime during Rudramadevi’s tenure as the ruler of the Kakatiya Dynasty and made note of her administrative style; admiring her extensively. • The iconic Kakatiya Thoranam was built by Rudramadevi’s father in the 12th Century. This ornate arch is said to have many similarities with the gateways at the Sanchi Stupa and is also the emblem of Telangana. • The scenic Pakhal lake in Warangal was built by Ganapathi Deva. • The 1000 pillar temple in Warangal was built during the Kakatiya Rule and is another example to the exquisite Kakatiya Architecture. • Under the Kakatiya rule, the caste system was not rigid and in fact, it was not given much significance socially. Anyone could take up any profession and people were not bound to an occupation by birth. • The Koh-i-Noor Diamond, which is now among the jewels set in the British Crown, was mined and first owned by the Kakatiya Dynasty. • Since the end of 13th Century and the early of 14th Century, Kakatiya Kingdom faced several attacks by the Delhi Sultanate. The attacks started under Alauddin Khilji’s rule and it is said that it is during this time that the Koh-i-Noor went into the hands of the Delhi Sultanate. • The Kakatiya rule finally came to an end in 1323 A.D. when Warangal was conquered by the Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, the then Sultan of Delhi. Source: The Hindu

7th National Awards for Technology Innovation in Petrochemicals and Downstream Plastics Processing Industry (2016-17) • Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananthkumar recently presented the 7th National Awards for Technology Innovation in Petrochemicals and Downstream Plastics Processing Industry (2016-17). • For the 7th National Awards, 415 nominations were received and finally, 16 nominations have been selected as Winners and 7 nominations as Runners-up for 2016-17. The awards: • Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) has been entrusted with the responsibility of implementing the scheme of the National Awards for Technology Innovation in Petrochemical sector and Downstream Plastics Processing Industry.

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CIPET • CIPET is an autonomous organization under Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (DCPC). • Its headquarters was established at Chennai in 1968 with UNDP assistance. • It receives funding support from the administration ministry, OPEC, UNIDO and the World Bank. • This is the only institute of this kind in India where all facilities like design, tooling, processing and testing of plastics are available under one roof. • CIPET caters to the needs of plastic industries through manpower training, processing, design and CAD/CAM/CAE, testing, consultancy, advisory and developmental services. Source: PIB

Projects worth Rs 1050 Crore Awarded to arrest sewage pollution in Ganga from Patna • In a major step taken to develop adequate sewage treatment infrastructure in Patna to keep Ganga clean, projects worth Rs 1,050 crore have been awarded under Namami Gange programme. • The amount will be spent for setting up two two Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), renovation of one existing STP, construction of two pumping stations and laying of new underground sewage network of about 400 kilometers. Namami Gange Programme: • ‘Namami Gange’ Programme, is a flagship programme of Government of India with a renewed impetus to decrease river pollution and conserve the revered river ‘Ganga’. • The Union government approved “Namami Gange” Program in May 2015. • In this connection, the Indian Government solicited support from various countries to rejuvenate the Ganga. • The program would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e., State Program Management Groups (SPMGs). • Among other things, the programme will focus on pollution abatement interventions namely Interception, diversion & treatment of wastewater flowing through the open drains through bio-remediation / appropriate in-situ treatment / use of innovative technologies. • Under this programme, the focus of the Government is to involve people living on the banks of the river to attain sustainable results. • The programme also focuses on involving the States and grassroots level institutions such as Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions in implementation. Ganga unlikely to be cleaned by 2018: • According to some experts, the government is unlikely to be able to clean the Ganga by 2018, a target set by the government. Key reasons include “unreasonable” directions by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) questioning the operating capacity of sewage treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh and a delay in clearances by State governments to execute projects. Source: The Hindu

Government notifies Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Act, 2017 • The Union Government has notified the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Act, 2017. • The Act is introduced in the public interest for the cessation of liabilities on the specified bank notes. Key features of the act: • It ends the liability of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government on the demonetised Rs.500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes. 33 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• It prohibits the holding, transferring or receiving of demonitised notes from 31 December, 2016 and confers power on the court of a first class magistrate to impose the penalty. • Possessing more than 10 pieces of old notes by individuals and more than 25 pieces for study, research or numismatics purposes will attract a fine of Rs. 10,000 or five times the value of cash held, whichever is higher. • Fine of a minimum of Rs, 50,000 will be imposed for a false declaration by persons for being abroad during the demonetisation period (9 November-30 December, 2016). Background: • The Union Government had demonetised old Rs.500 and Rs. 1,000 notes from November 2016 on the recommendations of the RBI’s central board to eliminate unaccounted money and fake currency notes from the financial system. • As a follow up, The Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Act, 2017 was passed by Parliament in February 2017 and received assent of President Pranab Mukherjee on 27 February 2017. • The law aims to eliminating the possibility of running a parallel economy using demonetised currency notes. • The demonetisation had abruptly sucked out 86% of the currency in circulation in the form of Rs.500 and Rs. 1,000 out of the system. Source: The Hindu

MEITY to promote digital transactions in place of NITI Aayog • The Union Government has shifted the responsibility of promoting digital transactions in the country to the Union Ministry of IT and Electronics (MEITY) from NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog. • In this regard, Government already has changed the business transaction rules to enable MEITY to promote digital transactions, including digital payments. Rationale behind the move: • This decision was taken in view of the core competence of MEITY to promote digital means for various transactions. • NITI Aayog which is a think-tank is more focused on monitoring and suggesting ways to improve various government schemes rather than getting involved with implementation. • MEITY is responsible for promotion of e-governance schemes for empowering citizens as well as promoting inclusive and also sustainable growth of electronics and IT sector and IT- enabled services industries. Significance of the move: • Transfer of the business to Ministry will help Government to effectively promote digital transactions to achieve its target of reducing cash to GDP ratio to around 8%, which is at present hovering over 13% in the country. Background: • Earlier, the Central Government had set up a committee under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to push adoption of e-transactions amid the cash crunch faced by citizens due demonetisation. • NITI Aayog also implemented two programmes Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana to promote e-payments. Source: Times of Indi

Nand Kumar Sai assumes charge as Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes • Nand Kumar Sai, senior tribal leader from Chhattisgarh and ex-parliamentarian, took charge as Chairperson of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in Delhi. • He will have tenure of three years and has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Minister.

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National Commission for Scheduled Castes: • It is a constitutional body established with a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes. • To promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests, special provisions were made in the Constitution. Composition of the commission: • The Commission consists of a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and three other members. • They are appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. • Their conditions of service and tenure of office are also determined by the president. The commission presents an annual report to the president. Functions of the commission: • To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes under this Constitution or under any other law for the time being in force or under any order of the Government and to evaluate the working of such safeguards; • To inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of the Scheduled Castes; • To participate and advise on the planning process of socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes and to evaluate the progress of their development under the Union and any State; • To present to the President, annually and at such other times as the Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of those safeguards; • To make in such reports recommendations as to the measures that should be taken by the Union or any State for the effective implementation of those safeguards and other measures for the protection, welfare and socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes; and • To discharge such other functions in relation to the protection, welfare and development and advancement of the Scheduled Castes as the President may, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament, by rule specify. Source: PIB, Wiki

India signs Financing Agreement with World Bank for Tejaswini • A Financing Agreement for IDA credit of US$ 63 million (equivalent) for the “Tejaswini” Socio-Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women Project” was recently signed between India and the World Bank. Tejaswini • The development objective of Tejaswini, for Socioeconomic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Project in India is to improve completion of market-driven skills training and secondary education for adolescent girls and young women in select districts of Jharkhand. • The project seeks to empower the adolescent girls with basic life skills and thereafter provide further opportunities to acquire market driven skill training or completion of secondary education, depending on the inclination of the beneficiary. • The project has three main components, 1. Expanding social, educational and economic opportunities 2. Intensive service delivery 3. State capacity-building and implementation support. • The project will be delivered in 17 Districts of Jharkhand. • About 680,000 adolescent girls and young women in the project Districts are expected to benefit from the program. Source: PIB

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STATES Uttarakhand HC Recognizes Ganga and Yamuna Rivers as ‘Living Entities’ • The Uttarakhand High Court has recognized the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers as so-called living entities. It is for the first time any court in India has recognized a non-human as a living entity. What does it mean? • In India, animals, for instance, are not considered living entities by law. Only humans are. But recognizing these rivers as a living entity, grants them new legal identity and all rights laid out in the Constitution of India. • Thus, they have the right to be legally protected and not be harmed and destroyed. • They also can be parties to disputes as their rights can be used to protect the interests of the rivers. • It also means that if someone pollutes these rivers, the law will see it equal to harming a human being. Need of the move • The two rivers are sacred for the Hindus, sustain millions of people in the country but have seen years of damage at the hands of humans. • They have been in a state of neglect and even though several government initiatives, including the Centre’s Namami Gange programme, are aimed at restoring their health, not much has been achieved yet. • Over 1500 million litres of raw sewage is discharged into the Ganga every day. This joins 500 million litres of industrial waste dumped by more than 700 highly polluting industries located along it. Court’s judgement • As per the verdict, Ganga and Yamuna, all their tributaries, streams are declared as legal persons [or] living persons in order to protect the recognition and the faith of society. • They will have the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person in order to preserve and conserve them. • Central government must constitute Ganga Management Board to look into the issue of cleaning and maintaining these rivers. • The Director, Namami Gange project and the Chief Secretary and the Advocate General of Uttarakhand have been charged to protect, conserve and preserve the rivers and their tributaries. Key facts • Earlier in March 2017, New Zealand Parliament passed a bill declaring 145km long Whanganui River as ‘legal person’, making it first river to get this status. • Ecuador was first country to recognize Rights of Nature in its Constitution adopted in September 2008. The new Ecuadorian Constitution includes a Chapter: Rights for Nature. Source: The Hindu, LiveMint

Tamil Nadu in the cycle of drought and floods • Tamil Nadu is emerging as a State of climate paradoxes with its volatile weather patterns. What’s happened? • It’s a bitter irony for the State that witnessed unprecedented floods in its north coastal districts in 2015 that pushed its north-east monsoon rainfall to an excess of 52% to now be in the grip of a severe drought. • The devastating blow to agriculture and water resources came with 2016 turning out to be one of the driest years.

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Reasons for this drought • The State was hit by the worst annual rainfall in 140 years as it received just 543 mm of rain against the yearly average of 920 mm. This is the lowest recorded after 1876 when Tamil Nadu registered 534 mm, leaving a shortfall of 42%. • A weak La Nina over the equatorial Pacific that followed a year of strong El Nino is cited as one of the reasons for the drought. • Mismanagement of surface water resources, over-exploitation of groundwater to compensate for the loss of resources in dry waterbodies and the lack of timely policies have pushed the State into a drought. • Meteorology experts note that the south-west monsoon rainfall often complements or compensates the State’s rainfall during the north-east monsoon, which accounts for a major share of the yearly rainfall, though it may not have the same impact as in the neighbouring States. Last year was particularly bad for farmers across all districts as both monsoons failed to bring sufficient rain. • Population density in many regions of Tamil Nadu, which is higher than other drier regions like Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh, also influences the impact of drought. Concerns • The lack of water resources for crops is feared to lead to a shortfall in paddy cultivation, influx from other States and a hike in the prices of essential commodities. • Experts have raised concerns over the failure to obtain target crop yields, including tree crops, owing to soaring temperatures. • Drought has dealt farmers a double blow as the paddy crop failure will increase the fodder crisis, hitting livestock production. • Several parts of the State are already experiencing acute drinking water shortage. Given the climate variability in which rainfall intensity is set to be higher and distribution will be limited to a few days. What’s next? • The State government must chalk out plans to augment the storage capacity of waterbodies and protect waterways and encourage farmers to adopt crop diversification, create farm ponds and use fewer water-intensive crops. • Unless the State government draws up a long-term strategy to manage its resources, prioritise agrarian needs and come up with better crop insurance policies, Tamil Nadu will not be able to break the vicious cycle of droughts and floods. Source: The Hindu

Reviving Assam’s Ancient Ink • By unravelling the science behind Assam’s ancient herbal ink ‘mahi’, researchers are planning to recreate the lost techniques of manuscript writing. They say their efforts could boost heritage tourism. All about ‘mahi’ ink • The technique involves extracting ‘mahi’ using cow urine from a cocktail of fruit pulp and tree bark such as haritaki, amla, bibhitakhi or bhomora, mango and jamun — often infused with the blood of eels or catfish. Rust from iron tools or nails was added for an intense black hue. • One of the reasons for the manuscripts’ stability is the anti-fungal activity of the ink. This is due to its raw materials, including astringent fruits and cow urine, which seems to have a protective effect on cellulosic sancipat against fungal attack in the hot and humid climate of Assam. • In contrast, some formulations of acidic iron gall ink — which was in use at the same time in Europe — can render documents illegible by causing loss of text, bleeding and fading due to ink corrosion.

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• The major phytochemical constituents in ‘mahi’ have been identified as phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins and their complexes with iron. • Though there are several recorded recipes for ‘mahi’ formulation, one commonality exists for all: the season during which it is concocted. • It is only prepared (in natural settings) in the winter season. The low temperature and dry conditions in winter ensure minimum exposure of the mixture to microbes and heat, which may decompose the dyes during the long time needed for extraction. • Another interesting feature is that the pH of mahi remains neutral because of cow urine and the absence of acidic ingredients like vinegar. No stabiliser is used in mahi. • ‘Mahi’ was used in early and medieval Assam for writing on ‘sancipat’ (folios made of the bark of the sanci tree) manuscripts. • Some folios were gifted by Kumar Bhaskar Barman, the then King of Pragjyotishpura (ancient Assam) to Harshavardhana, an emperor who ruled north India from 606 to 647 C.E., a testimony to the period of use. Source: The Hindu

Move to get world heritage status for Sankaram • The Buddhist Heritage sites at Salihundam (Srikakulam district) and Sankaram near Anakapalle in Visakhapatnam district, in addition to Lepakshi (Anantapur district) and the Nagarjunakonda International Museum (Guntur district) are likely to find a place in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. • In this regard, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has sought a proposal from its Hyderabad unit, for sending it to the Unesco World Heritage Centre for tentative listing. Key facts about Sankaram • Sankaram, also known as Bojjannakonda, was excavated under the aegis of Alexander Rim in 1906. • A gold coin belonging to the Samudragupta period, copper coins of the Chalukya king, Kubja Vishnu Vardhan, coins of Andhra Satavahanas and pottery were discovered at the site. • An interesting aspect of the Bojjannakonda finds is that they feature all the three phases of Buddhism: Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. • A stairway leads to a large double-storeyed cave on a hill. The rectangular cave has a doorway and is flanked by ‘dwarapalakas’ on either side. • There is a rock-cut stupa, standing on a square platform, at the centre of the cave. A series of rock-cut caves and monolithic structures standing on rock platforms are seen on the northern side of the hill. • The upper cave has a rectangular doorway, flanked by figures of the Buddha on either side. • The imposing figures of the Buddha in a seated meditative posture and the stupa are the main attractions for tourists at Bojjannakonda. • To the west of Bojjannakonda is another hillock, Lingalakonda or Lingalametta, where a number of monolithic and structural stupas can be seen. • The caves at Bojjannakonda and those in Takshasila are similar. The word ‘Sangrama’ was in use at Takshasila but was never used in Andhra Pradesh. These two features suggest that Bojjannakonda was influenced by Buddhist practices in northern India. Source: The Hindu

Cabinet clears special assistance for EAPs in Andhra Pradesh • The Union Cabinet on 15 March 2017 approved a special financial assistance for bifurcated Andhra Pradesh. • This financial assistance will be provided by special dispensation in funding of Externally Aided Projects (EAPs).

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• The financial assistance will be also provided for the irrigation component of Polavaram project. Key facts • Under this Externally Aided Projects, Andhra Pradesh will be provided with a special assistance measure by the Union Government. • The centre would make up for the additional central share the state might have received during 2015-16 to 2019-20. This will be done is the funding of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) would have been shared at the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and the State. • In addition to this, the special assistance will be provided by way of repayment of loan and interest for the Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) signed and disbursed during 2015-2016 to 2019-20 by the State. • This support in repayment of the EAP loans will help Andhra Pradesh to put its finances on a firmer footing and promote economic growth. Polavarm project • Polavaram Projectis a multi-purpose irrigation project which has been accorded national project status by the central government. • This dam across the Godavari River is under construction located in West Godavari District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh state and its reservoir spreads in parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha States also. Source: Indian Express

Twenty projects approved for swift implementation of Namami Gange Programme in Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Delhi • The Executive Committee (EC) of National Mission for Clean Ganga approved 20 projects worth nearly Rs 1900 crore. • Out of 20 projects, 13 are in Uttarakhand that includes creating new sewage treatment plants, upgrading existing STPs and laying of sewage networks in Haridwar at an estimated cost of around Rs 415 crore. • The approved plan for Haridwar is aimed at treating sewage water generated by not only city’s 1.5 lakh local dwellers, but also by people who visit the place for various purposes. • All the projects will be completely funded by the Union Government, including the expenditure on operation and maintenance of these projects. National Mission for Clean Ganga • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was registered as a society on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860. • It acted as implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986. NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect from the 7th October 2016, consequent to constitution of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council). • It now works under the control of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. • Its aim is to clean Ganga and its tributaries in a comprehensive manner. • NMCG has a two tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee. Both of them are headed by Director General, NMCG. Executive Committee has been authorized to accord approval for all projects up to Rs.1000 crore. • Similar to structure at national level, State Programme Management Groups (SPMGs) acts as implementing arm of State Ganga Committees. • The Director General (DG) of NMCG is a Additional Secretary in Government of India.

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• For effective implementation of the projects under the overall supervision of NMCG, the State Level Program Management Groups (SPMGs) are, also headed by senior officers of the concerned States. Source: PIB, nmcg.nic.in

Launch of Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) • The Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry has launched Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme for developing export linked infrastructure in states with a view to promoting outbound shipments. • The scheme replaces a centrally sponsored scheme — Assistance to States for creating Infrastructure for the Development and growth of Exports (ASIDE). Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) • The main objective of the scheme is to enhance export competitiveness by bridging the gap in export infrastructure, which has not been addressed by any other scheme. • Under this scheme, all central and state agencies including Commodities Boards, SEZ authorities, Export Promotion Councils and Apex Trade Bodies recognised under the EXIM policy of Government of India will be eligible for financial support. • The funding would be in form of grant-in-aid and in normal cases it would not be more than the equity being funded by the implementing agency or 50% of the total equity in the project. • However, in cases of projects located in the North Eastern states or Himalayan states including Jammu & Kashmir, the grant will go up to 80% of the total equity. • Five per cent of the grant approved would be used for appraisal, review and monitoring. • The scheme would be implemented from 1 April 2017 with a total budgetary allocation of Rs 600 crore for three years and an annual outlay of Rs 200 crore. • The cost of projects under TIES would be equally shared by the Centre and the states. • An empowered committee will be set up to periodically review the progress of the approved projects in the scheme. The committee will also take the required steps to ensure that the objectives of the scheme are achieved. Background • Some of the biggest cost incurred by the exporters is on account of the absence of proper dedicated infrastructure, whether it is testing or handling facilities or cold storages at ports. • TIES, which would focus on projects like checkpoints, first and last mile connectivity, border haats and integrated check posts, would help in ensuring smoother movement in export cargo and better quality standards and certification. Source: PIB

Kerala completes work on first check dam across the Bhavani • Notwithstanding stiff opposition from Tamil Nadu, the Kerala Irrigation Department has completed work on the first of the half-a-dozen check-dams proposed across the inter-State river Bhavani. Background • The project is aimed to address drinking and irrigation water shortage in Attappady. • The check-dam is the first major initiative on the part of the State to utilise 6 TMC water awarded from the Bhavani basin by the Cauvery Tribunal 10 years ago. • The Supreme Court has ratified the verdict and allowed the State to move ahead with its check-dam proposals. However, stiff resistance from Tamil Nadu had delayed the work. • The Tamil Nadu government is planning to move the Supreme Court on the issue of construction of check dams by neighbouring Kerala across the Bhavani River. Bhavani River • Bhavani River, is a tributary of the River Cauvery, originating from the South West Corner of the Nilgiri hills of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu states.

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• It enters kerala through Palakkad district between two high forested ridges about 20 kms up to Mukkali, after the abrupt turn in the northeast direction through a totally degraded and denuded catchment about 25 km where the whole population of the Attappady valley lies upto Koodappatti. Attappady Reserve Forest • Attappady Reserve Forest is a protected well known prominent forest area in Palakkad district of Kerala. • Attappady has many tribal groups include Irular, Mudugar and Kurumbar has own rich culture and tradition that go beyond the Vedic times. Source: The Hindu

West Bengal passes Bill to rein in private hospitals • The State Legislative Assembly has passed the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Bill, 2017, by a voice vote. • It repeals the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010. • It aims to overhaul private healthcare in state and take stringent measures against health institutions accused of medical negligence and corrupt practices. Highlights of the Bill: • The legislation seeks to bring transparency, end harassment of patients and check medical negligence in private hospitals and nursing homes. • It brings clinics, dispensaries and polyclinics under its ambit. • It makes mandatory for private hospitals to pay compensations in case of medical negligence. • Hospitals violating this law will be liable to pay fine of Rs. 10 lakh or more. Compensation in case medical negligence: Rs 3 lakh for minor damages, Rs 5 lakh for big damages and minimum Rs. 10 lakh in case of death. • This compensation will be given within six months. The compensation amount will not be more than Rs 50 lakh. • It establishes 13 member West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission to monitor activities of private hospitals. The high-powered commission will be headed by sitting or former judge. It will have status of a civil court. It will be empowered to summon both parties in case of a dispute and examine case before passing an order. • Penal measures range between compensation and scrapping the licence of the physician/hospital. • The commission can put offender behind bars up to 3 years. It can also order trying the offender under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions if it deems fit. • Hospitals with more than 100 beds must start fair price medicine shops. They are mandated to declare bed charges, ICU charges and package costs which can’t be altered. Source: The Hindu

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Thiruvananthapuram tops city governance ranking • Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala has topped in city governance ranking of the Annual Survey of India’s City Systems (ASICS) 2016. Highlights of the survey

• Thiruvananthapuram is at the first place. Pune is ranked second, up two ranks from 2015, while Kolkata retains its third slot. • Delhi slips two places to rank ninth. The biggest gainer in the 2016 survey is Bhubaneswar, which has jumped eight places from 2015 to land at the 10th spot. • Bengaluru has dropped four places to rank 16, while Ludhiana, Jaipur and Chandigarh retain their previous positions of 19th, 20th and 21st respectively. • The survey found that the 21 cities generate just 37% of the amount they spend on average, with Patna raising only 17% on its own. Only Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune generate over 50% of the amount they spend from their own revenue. What is ASICS? • The ASICS is designed to help city leaders pin point issues in urban governance in their cities and help them chalk out a reform roadmap to make them more livable. • The survey was conducted by Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. • It highlighted inadequacies in urban governance that could affect public service delivery and quality of life. • It ranks cities in the scale of 0 to 10 scale. The better scores of city in the survey, indicates it will be able to deliver better quality of life to citizens over the medium and long-term. • The major parameters of the survey included urban capacities and resources, urban planning and design, empowered and legitimate political representation, and transparency, accountability and participation. • This year it was the fourth edition the annual survey which had evaluated 21 major cities from the 18 states. Source: The Hindu

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INTERNATIONAL India and Nepal Renew Fuel Supply Pact • India and Nepal signed an agreement to renew the supply of petroleum to Nepal for five years. • The renewed MoU was signed between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) for another five years. Key facts • The renewed agreement is an umbrella document between the two countries detailing the continued supply of petroleum, oil and lubricant products. • It also puts in place an institutional mechanism for cooperation in the areas of additional services and technical assistance between the two countries. • Under it IOC will supply about 1.3 million tonnes of fuel annually to Nepal with a promise to double the volume by 2020. Background • The Indian Oil has been supplying petroleum and associated products to Nepal since 1974. • The renewing of the agreement is considered India’s continued support to Nepal in meeting its complete hydrocarbon requirement. • Fuel supplies from India witnessed temporary disruption in 2015 when protestors blocked the main transit point on the border. Indian Oil then used alternative entry points to supply fuel to Nepal. Nepal also signed a fuel purchase deal with China, but the route between the nations presents logistic challenges. • Thus, the new agreement also maintains the fuel supply exclusivity to India. Motihari-Amlekhgunj Pipeline • Both countries are at present working toward further deepening engagement in the oil and gas sector, including construction of petroleum product Motihari-Amlekhgunj Pipeline. • Once the pipeline completed, it will further ensure continuous and uninterrupted supply of products to Nepal. • India also agreed to extend the proposed Raxaul-Amlekhganj product pipeline to Chitwan and to start work on the pipeline in 2017-18. Source: LiveMint

India Signs Financing Agreement with World Bank • India and World Bank have singed Signs Financing Agreement for IDA credit of $100 million for the “Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project”. Key Facts • The project aims to improve access to quality health services, particularly in the hilly districts of the state and to expand health financial risk protection for residents of the State. • The project has two main components, 1. Innovations of engaging the private sector and 2. Stewardship and system improvement. • Out of the total project size of $125 million, $25 million will be contribution of the State Government. • The project will benefit the residents of hilly districts of state in particular The project’s planned design consists of multiple self-contained clusters of clinical services managed by operators on a PPP basis. • It also provides services for free or at nominal charges, backed up by a robust oversight and monitoring mechanism fully integrated with the expanded health insurance program in the State. • It is concurrent with strengthening the state’s capacity to implement the project. It will be functional till September 2023.

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International Development Association (IDA) • The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. • Overseen by 173 shareholder nations, IDA aims to reduce poverty by providing loans (called “credits”) and grants for programs that boost economic growth, reduce inequalities, and improve people’s living conditions. • IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 771 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa, and is the single largest source of donor funds for basic social services in these countries. IDA and IBRD: • IDA complements the World Bank’s original lending arm—the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). • IBRD was established to function as a self-sustaining business and provides loans and advice to middle-income and credit-worthy poor countries. • IBRD and IDA share the same staff and headquarters and evaluate projects with the same rigorous standards. Functions of the IDA: • IDA lends money on concessional terms. This means that IDA credits have a zero or very low interest charge and repayments are stretched over 25 to 40 years, including a 5- to 10-year grace period. IDA also provides grants to countries at risk of debt distress. • In addition to concessional loans and grants, IDA provides significant levels of debt relief through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). Source: The Hindu

1st Grand Challenges India (GCI) Meeting • 1st Grand Challenges India (GCI) meeting was recently held in New Delhi. • The meeting was hosted by the Program Management Unit at BIRAC (PMU-BIRAC) and is jointly supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Wellcome Trust. What is GCI? • The Grand Challenges India (GCI) is a mission-directed research initiative, collaboratively launched in 2012 under the umbrella of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the DBT and BMGF. Functions of the GCI • As India transitions from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals, the GCI partnership has ushered a new wave of innovative solutions to help address issues that are inextricably linked to social impact. • This aims to achieve the said goals by reconnecting Science to People and available scientific data & evidences to the societal problems for finding tangible solutions. • Programs such as Grand Challenges India are providing global innovators and researchers a fantastic platform to collaborate and progress through the innovation ecosystem by developing their ideas and concepts. • The GCI provides financial support in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to support the advancement of the GCI mission to enhance health, extend healthy lives, and reduce the burdens of poverty. • The GCI covers all kinds of health and developmental priorities, ranging from maternal and child health, infectious diseases, vaccines, point-of-care diagnostics, agriculture, food and nutrition to other related arenas of developing nations as per individual requirements. • Most importantly, this partnership signifies a convergence between Indian and global priorities and synergistic new initiatives of the Government such as Swachh Bharat, Start-up India and others. 44 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• GCI promotes scientific and technological advances which aim to find solutions to key health and development challenges through research and innovation, by funding Indian researchers. • Projects are selected based on national and societal need and transparent calls are made for proposals seeking the best ideas. • Under this initiative, the DBT and the Gates Foundation have pledged an investment of up to US$25 million each, over a period of 5 years. Source: PIB

Shri Upendra Tripathy Appointed as Full Time Interim Director General of ISA • Mr. Upendra Tripathy has been appointed as the Interim Director General (IDG) of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) on a full time basis. International Solar Alliance • ISA was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in November, 2015 by Modi and French President Francois Hollande. • The alliance, headquartered in India, aims to bring together countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn which receive abundant sunshine for around 300 days a year. • ISA aims to invite solar rich 121 countries located fully or partly between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn to join the alliance. • It will function from the Gurgaon, Haryana based National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE). • Alliance seeks to share common platform to reduce the cost of finance and technology that is needed to deploy solar power widely. • Alliance would pursue cooperation in training, building institutions, regulatory issues, common standards, and investment including joint ventures. Source: PIB

India and Pakistan to review Miyar project • India and Pakistan have agreed on redesigning the Miyar Hydroelectric project, at the end of two-day talks of Indus Water Commissioners in Islamabad. Miyar project • The project envisages an installation of 120 MW capacity and has been awarded to Hindustan Power through the international competitive bidding process. • The project component comprises of a construction of a 25 m high diversion structure, about 6.6 km long headrace tunnel, an open to sky restricted orifice surge tank, a surface powerhouse complex on the right bank of river Chenab near Udaipur town. Background • The 113th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission was the first since India suspended dialogue under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty following a militant attack on an Indian military base in Uri in September last year. • Pakistan has been flagging concerns over the designs of five Indian hydroelectric projects: 1000MW Pakal Dul, 850MW Ratle, 330MW Kishanganga, 120MW Miyar and 48MW Lower Kalnai. The projects are being built or planned in the Indus river basin. Source: The Hindu

World Happiness Report 2017: India slips to 122 • As per the recently released the World Happiness Report 2017, India ranked at 122 out of 155 countries. • The World Happiness Report 2017 was published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network on the eve of International Day of Happiness (20 March). 45 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• The rankings are based factors such as inequality, life expectancy, GDP per capita, public trust (i.e. a lack of corruption in government and business), and social support. Together they are used to generate a happiness score of country on a scale from 1 to 10. • This year it is fifth such report since the first was published in 2012. Highlights of the report • Top 10 Happiest Countries include Norway (1), Denmark (2), Iceland (3), Switzerland (4), Finland (5), Netherlands (6), Canada (7), New Zealand (8), Australia (9) and Sweden (10). • 5 Saddest Countries include Rwanda (151), Syria (152), Tanzania (153), Burundi (154) and Central African Republic (155). • The entire top ten were wealthier developed nations. But the report mentioned that money is not the only ingredient in the recipe for happiness. • Countries in sub-Saharan Africa and those hit by conflict were ranked lower. • India was ranked 122 in the happiness report, much behind most of the SAARC nations including Pakistan and Nepal. India’s rank was even lower than its previous rank of 118 in 2016. • While Pakistan was ranked 80, Nepal stood at 99, Bhutan at 97, Bangladesh at 110 and Sri Lanka at 120. • Maldives didn’t figure at all in the list and only the war-torn Afghanistan was ranked lower than India at 141. • Another India’s neighbour, China, which has shown tremendous growth in its economy lately, featured very low on the list at 79. The report reveals that people in China are not any happier than they were 25 years ago. Source: The Hindu

International Diamond Conference “Mines to Market 2017” • Recently, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India hosted the International Diamond Conference “Mines to Market 2017”. • The conference was held with an objective of bringing together the leading Miners, Diamantaires, Retailers, Bankers and Analysts from across the globe on a platform to discuss the supply and demand issues faced by the Global Diamond Industry. • The conference witnessed Ministers from mining countries, delegates from Mining Companies, heads of Retail and Luxury brands, Int. Diamond heads of various banks and other prominent personalities of the Diamond industry. Background • India is the largest cut and polished diamond manufacturer in the world. 93 % of its production is exported. GJEPC • The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) was set up by the Ministry of Commerce and industry, Government of India (GoI) in 1966. • It was one of several Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) launched by the Indian Government, to boost the country’s export thrust, when India’s post-Independence economy began making forays in the international markets. • Since 1998, the GJEPC has been granted autonomous status. • The GJEPC is the apex body of the gems & jewellery industry and today it represents over 6,000 exporters in the sector. Source: PIB

India signs WHO’s ‘call for action’, pledging to end TB in South East Asian region by 2030 • Health ministers from countries in WHO South-East Asia Region (WHO SEARO), which bear half the global TB burden, have signed World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Call to end

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Tuberculosis (TB) by 2030 in the region during two-day ministerial meeting held in New Delhi. • India along with other countries in the South East Asian Region have also signed it. Key facts • WHO SEARO countries have pledged to scale-up efforts and implement adequately funded, innovative, multi-sectoral and comprehensive measures to achieve the global target to end the disease by 2030. • They also agreed to set up of a ‘regional innovation to implementation fund’ for accelerated sharing of knowledge, intellectual resources and innovations to reach out and treat all cases. • Call To End TB by 2030 initiative also stresses on increasing government and partner budgetary allocations to enable national TB plans to be fully funded. • The WHO global targets seek to reduce TB mortality by 90% and incidence by 80% by 2030. Background • WHO South East Asian Region bears half of the global tuberculosis burden. • Six of the region’s countries Bangladesh, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand are among the 30 high TB burden nations globally. • In 2015, TB caused estimated 4.74 million new TB cases were reported in the region and nearly 8,00,000 deaths. • India represents the single highest number of TB cases in the world reporting 2.8 million new TB cases annually and nearly half a million deaths due to the disease. WHO SEARO • WHO’s South-East Asia Region (WHO SEARO) comprises Bhutan, Bangladesh, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. Source: Business Standard

Indian drugmakers face squeeze in U.S. healthcare market • India’s small and medium-sized generic drugmakers say the threat of tougher rules and higher barriers for outsiders in the U.S. healthcare market will force many to find a niche or focus their expansion efforts on other countries. Background • India supplies nearly a third of medicines sold in the United States, the world’s largest healthcare market. What are the key concerns for India’s generic drugmakers? • Cut-price generics sold by India’s small- and medium-sized drugmakers have been critical in bringing down prices in U.S. • A more protectionist stance by President Donald Trump, with the prospect of import tariffs and the U.S. boosting local drug manufacturing, mean the operating environment for smaller generic players will get worse. • The risks come as U.S. revenue growth for these firms is falling. • Consolidation among U.S. drugs distributors and a federal investigation into drug pricing have also reduced the pricing power of drugsmakers. • The U.S. drugs regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, has also banned dozens of Indian drug factories from supplying the U.S. market following inspections that found inadequate quality-control practices. Companies have invested significant sums to raise their quality standards. • Smaller companies with a few regular products and no long-term vision for the United States won’t last. Even with a vision, the U.S. market is just getting tougher for companies to operate in. Soruce: The Hindu

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India and Brazil conclude social security agreement • India and Brazil signed a social security agreement in Brazil’s capital Brasilia, exempting detached workers of the two countries from making social security contribution in either country, as long as they were making such contributions in their own respective nations. • It will be the first such agreement between the BRICS countries. • It will come in force by early 2018 after it is ratified. Who are detached workers? • They are the workers sent by their respective employers to work in the office of their company or an affiliated one located in a different country. Key facts • The agreement establishes the rights and obligations of nationals belonging to both the countries and provides for their equal treatment and unrestricted payment of pensions even in the case of residence in the other contracting state. • The requirements to be entitled for pension can be met by aggregating the periods of insurance completed in India and Brazil, whereby each country pays only the pension for the insurance periods covered by its laws. Significance of this agreement • Once SSA between Brazil and India is brought into force, it will favourably impact the profitability and competitive position of companies of both countries with foreign operations in either country by reducing their cost of doing business abroad. • It will also help promote more investment flows between the two countries. Background • This SSA takes forward the spirit of Goa Declaration adopted at 8th BRICS Summit, outcomes of the meetings of BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers held in June 2016 in Geneva and September 2016 in New Delhi. • So far, India has signed and operationalized Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with 18 countries. They are Australia, Belgium, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and South Korea. Source: Economic Times

ICRISAT, ICAR join hands for crop improvement • In a bid to benefit small farmers in India and globally, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) would work together on crop improvement and agronomy programmes for grain legumes and dryland cereals. Key Facts • The agreement has identified climate smart crops, smart food and digitalisation of breeding database as some of the core areas of research. • The other areas of focus include developing genetic and genomic resources of finger millet and enhancing genetic gains for priority traits, integrating systems modelling tools for upscaling climate resilient agriculture. • On crop improvement front, it will facilitate research on pigeonpea and chickpea for insect resistance. Dryland cereals and grain legumes are branded as smart foods. ICRISAT • The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics (ICRISAT) is a non- profit agricultural research organization headquartered in Patancheru in Hyderabad, Telangana. • It was founded in 1972 by a consortium of organizations convened by the Ford and the Rockefeller Foundations. • Its charter was signed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 48 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• It has several regional centres around globe- Niamey (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya) and research stations Bamako (Mali), Bulawayo (Zimbabwe). • Since its inception, India has granted special status to ICRISAT as a UN Organization operating in the Indian Territory making it eligible for special immunities and tax privileges. Source: The Hindu

Gilgit-Baltistan to be declared a Province • Pakistan is planning to declare the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region as its fifth Province, a move that may raise concerns in India as it borders the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Why is India concerned? • The Gilgit-Baltistan area is Pakistan’s northernmost administrative territory that borders the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Gilgit-Baltistan is treated as a separate geographical entity by Pakistan. It has a regional assembly and an elected Chief Minister. • The move may raise concerns in India as the disputed region borders Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). • The USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes through this region, and reports said Pakistan was mulling to elevate the constitutional status of the region in a bid to provide legal cover to the CPEC. • India considers it as part of the undivided Jammu and Kashmir, while Pakistan sees it as a separate from PoK. • Reports also said China’s concerns about the unsettled status of Gilgit-Baltistan prompted Pakistan to change its status. Location of Gilgit-Baltistan • Gilgit-Baltistan is the northernmost administrative territory of Pakistan. • It borders Azad Kashmir to the south, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang region of China, to the east and northeast, and the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir to the southeast. • Gilgit-Baltistan is home to five of the “eight-thousanders” and to more than fifty peaks above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). • The region is home to some of the world’s highest mountain ranges. The main ranges are the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. • The Pamir Mountains are to the north, and the Hindu Kush lies to the west. Amongst the highest mountains are K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) and Nanga Parbat, the latter being one of the most feared mountains in the world. • Three of the world’s longest glaciers outside the Polar Regions are found in Gilgit-Baltistan: the Biafo Glacier, the Baltoro Glacier, and the Batura Glacier. Source: The Hindu

Cabinet apprised of MoUs for cooperation in Youth and Sports Matters with Indonesia and the Kyrgyz Republic • The Union Cabinet was apprised of Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) that were signed with Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan. • The MoUs envisage organizing youth exchange programmes with Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan and cooperation in other youth and sports related matters. Significance of this MoUs • International youth exchange programmes promote exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst youth and help in developing international perspective among the youth. • Further, these programmes promote peace and understanding and strengthen friendly relations between countries. • The benefits arising from bilateral exchange programmes in the field of youth and sports would be equally available to all youth irrespective of their caste, religion and gender.

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• The programmes under the MoUs will also help the Indian youth in expanding their knowledge and expertise. Kyrgyzstan • Officially known as the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan is a Central Asian country. • Landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and southwest, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. • Its capital and largest city is Bishkek. • The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country (Kyrgyzstan is occasionally referred to as “the Switzerland of Central Asia”, as a result). • Issyk-Kul Lake, or Ysyk-Köl in Kyrgyz, in the north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. • The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. • Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with an economy dominated by minerals extraction, agriculture, and reliance on remittances from citizens working abroad. Source: PIB, Wiki

Cabinet approves of MoU between India and Bangladesh on Aids to Navigation (AtoNs) • The Union Cabinet has approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Aids to Navigation (AtoNs) between India and Bangladesh. What is AtoNs? • Aids to Navigation (AtoNs) typically refer to physical elements including lighthouses, buoys and beacons. • The term is most commonly used to refer to nautical or aviation travel. • It is any sort of marker which aids the traveller in navigation. The MoU envisages cooperation between Bangladesh and India • To extend advice on lighthouses and beacons. • To extend advice on Vessel Traffic Service and chain of Automatic Identification System (AIS). • To impart training as per International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) training module to AtoN Managers and Technicians for Bangladesh. The MoU will enable both the countries to collaborate in the following areas • To provide advice on AtoNs. • Provide academic interaction by imparting training to AtoN personnel. • Provide necessary cooperation in organizing workshops/conferences for enhancement of skills in AtoN field. Significance of this MoU • The MoU will help in greater cooperation in capacity building in the field of AtoN training in the South Asian region. • This will give a boost to imparting training on the management of marine aids to navigation based on IALA Model Course E-141/1 and accordingly facilitate the delivery of a professional training course as per the IALA guidelines. Background • IALA is the international body coordinating and harmonizing the use of all Aids to Navigation. India represented through DGLL, is a member of IALA Council. As a step towards regional cooperation, India and Bangladesh have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on AtoN. • As per the MoU, the DGLL on behalf of Ministry of Shipping, Government of India shall advise its counterpart Department of Shipping, Ministry of Shipping, Bangladesh on AtoNs including Vessel Traffic Service, Chain of Automatic Identification System.

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• In order to train AtoN personnel of Bangladesh, DGLL shall organize training as per IALA training module to AtoN Managers and Technicians, organize Workshops/Conferences. This will help in capacity building of Bangladesh AtoN Personnel. Indo- Bangladesh relations • India and Bangladesh are two important developing nations in the South Asian region. Both countries maintain a long tradition of friendly and cordial relations which has been manifested in the several bilateral visits of dignitaries from both sides during recent years. Source: PIB

India’s contribution to UN increases to Rs 244 crore • India’s contribution to the United Nations rose 55% to Rs 244 crore in 2015-16 compared with the previous fiscal. • In the last financial year, the government has also made voluntary contributions to the tune of Rs 22 crore to international organisations, including UN agencies. UN Peacekeeping budget • Each UN member is required to contribute to the organisation’s Regular and Peacekeeping budgets. These obligatory contributions are calculated based on a member’s relative ‘capacity to pay’. • For Peacekeeping budget, since all permanent members of the Security Council bear special responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security, they must contribute additional amounts. What is ‘capacity to pay’? • The term ‘capacity to pay’ is defined through a scale of assessment that takes into account the member country’s Gross National Income relative to the Global Gross National Income, adjusted further for the level of its national external debt and low per capita income. Source: Economic Times

India, Pak’s entry into SCO may boost regional stability: Chinese media • China has observed that the entry of India and Pakistan into China-led SCO may help boost anti-terrorism cooperation between the two countries and provide a platform to resolve their differences. • The entry of the two nations into the SCO may help boost cooperation between India and Pakistan in areas such as infrastructure and anti-terrorism efforts. • India and Pakistan are expected to be admitted into the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) during its next summit to be held at Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, in June this year. Background • Its 2015 summit in Ufa, Russia, the SCO formally adopted a resolution which started the procedures to admit India and Pakistan into the grouping. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) • Seen as a counter to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. • These countries, except for Uzbekistan, had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation. • Its headquarters is located in Beijing, China. • India, which has had an observer status for the past 10 years, was accepted along with Pakistan as full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in July 2015. • It has now eight members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

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• SCO has Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia and Belarus as observers. • The SCO has established relations with the United Nations, where it is an observer in the General Assembly, the European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. • Recently, Azerbaijanalso officially became a SCO dialogue partner. Source: The Hindu

Why US anti-missile system in South Korea worries China? • The United States military announced that it had officially begun the deployment of the THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense system in South Korea. • China adamantly opposes the deployment of THAAD, seeing the system as a threat to its military capabilities. Why is China worried? • The Thaad system is well-suited to defend South Korean targets against relatively limited range North Korean missiles. But it has no ability to intercept Chinese inter-continental ballistic missiles that target the US. Why then is China so annoyed? • China is concerned with the system’s powerful X-band radars that can “reach” far into Chinese territory. • The Chinese military worries that these could be used to spot Chinese missile launches and feed the data to cue up other US defensive systems, e.g. interceptor missiles based in the US, potentially affecting China’s deterrent capability. Why the deployment is controversial? • There is domestic opposition – many South Koreans believe the defence system will itself become a target, endangering people who live around the military sites. Opponents have staged multiple demonstrations. • Internationally, both China and Russia have raised concerns, saying the system could affect the regional security balance. • Last year, China’s foreign minister said the system went “far beyond” the defence needs of the Korean peninsula. Russia’s envoy to Seoul has called it a “direct threat” to national security. THAAD • Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is a United States Army anti-ballistic missile system. • It is designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill approach. • THAAD was developed to counter Iraq’s Scud missile attacks during the Gulf War in 1991. • The THAAD system uses sophisticated radar to detect incoming missiles. • The missile carries no warhead, but relies on the kinetic energy of impact to destroy the incoming missile. A kinetic energy hit minimizes the risk of exploding conventional warhead ballistic missiles, and nuclear tipped ballistic missiles will not detonate upon a kinetic energy hit. • US has previously deployed it in Guam and Hawaii as a measure against potential attacks from North Korea • THAAD has been deployed in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and South Korea. Source: Times of India

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Scotland seeks to exit U.K. • Scotland’s leader Nicola Sturgeon has said she will seek authority for a new independence referendum because Britain is dragging Scotland out of the European Union against its will. • Nicola Sturgeon wants Scotland a referendum post-Brexit so voters can make “an informed choice”. Scotland rejected independence in 2014 referendum. In the Brexit vote, Scots strongly backed staying in the EU. What does Brexit mean? • It’s a short form for Britain exiting the European Union (EU). It is a word that has become used as a shorthand way of saying the UK leaving the EU – merging the words Britain and exit to get Brexit, in a same way as a Greek exit from the EU was dubbed Grexit in the past. Location of Scotland • Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom (UK) and occupies the northern third of Great Britain. • Scotland’s mainland shares a border with England to the south. It is home to almost 800 small islands. • Scotland’s location is to the mid-west of Europe and is surrounded by several different seas. • Located to the east of Scotland is the North Sea, which divides the country from other areas of Europe, in particular Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. • Across the North Sea to the south-east is Denmark and further south still is Germany. • North and west of Scotland’s mainland is the Atlantic Ocean. To the south-west, across the Irish Sea, is Scotland’s closest neighbouring island of Northern Ireland and Eire. Source: The Hindu

China planning five-fold increase in marine force • According to a report, China is planning a five-fold increase in its marine force — from 20,000 to 100,000 personnel. Details • China is set to rapidly expand its marine corps and the Navy in anticipation of the development of its Maritime Silk Road (MSR), which covers the Pakistani port of Gwadar, and Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. • Some of the Chinese marines would be stationed at Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, and the Pakistani port of Gwadar, the starting point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Background • An expanded marine corps could help maintain security for China’s “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) initiative. • In tune with the OBOR and friction in the West pacific, China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang recently highlighted that Beijing would “move ahead to become a strong maritime power and is resolute in protecting its maritime rights”. One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative • The “Belt and Road” initiative was raised by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. • The “Belt and Road” initiative refers to the New Silk Road Economic Belt, linking China with Europe through Central and Western Asia, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, connecting China with Southeast Asian countries, Africa and Europe. Source: The Hindu

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India to lose presence on U.N. scientific panel • For the first time in two decades, India will not have a member in a prestigious U.N. scientific body that decides what portions of the seabed can be exclusively mined for natural resources such as oil, precious metals and minerals. What’s the issue? • India’s current member to the 21-person body, called Commission on Legal Continental Shelf (CLCS) and part of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). But, this year India has decided not to field a candidate for the upcoming election. • Instead, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which formally nominates Indian candidates, chose to nominate a person to another U.N. body, called the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). Implications of this move • The CLCS has five-year tenure and elections are due in June for the 2017-2022 term. Not having an Indian in this 21-member group would mean that China and Pakistan would likely “grab” two of the five seats allotted to the so-called Asia-Pacific group. Membership of CLCS is important for India • Apart from signalling prestige, a membership of the commission allows India to gauge the scientific strength of claims by countries to parts of the seabed that, like territorial waters, are often hard to demarcate. Such information is privy only to participants. • India also has huge interest in CLCS and applied for extending the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) up to 350 nautical miles from the existing 200 nautical miles. UNCLOS • The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), which took place between 1973 and 1982. • The Law of the Sea Convention defines the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources. • UNCLOS came into force in 1994, a year after Guyana became the 60th nation to ratify the treaty. • While the Secretary General of the United Nations receives instruments of ratification and accession and the UN provides support for meetings of states party to the Convention, the UN has no direct operational role in the implementation of the Convention. • There is, however, a role played by organizations such as the International Maritime Organization, the International Whaling Commission, and the International Seabed Authority (ISA). (The ISA was established by the UN Convention.) CLCS • The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) consists of 21 experts in geophysics, hydrography or geology. • It was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to review the submissions of coastal states and provide recommendations on the location of the outer limits of their continental shelves. • The Commission meets in New York for up to six months per year. • Members of the Commission are elected by states parties to the Convention for five years and can be re-elected. The composition of the Commission is based on geographic representation. • The purpose of the CLCS is to facilitate the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the Convention) in respect of the establishment of the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles (M) from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

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• Under the Convention, the coastal State shall establish the outer limits of its continental shelf where it extends beyond 200 M on the basis of the recommendation of the Commission. • The Commission shall make recommendations to coastal States on matters related to the establishment of those limits; its recommendations and actions shall not prejudice matters relating to the delimitation of boundaries between States with opposite or adjacent coasts. Source: The Hindu

Pakistan’s Hindu marriage bill passed by both houses of Parliament • Pakistan National Assembly has passed the Hindu Marriage Bill, 2016 to regulate marriages of Hindus in Pakistan. • The bill was passed again by the lower house after amendments were made by the Senate (Upper House) while passing the bill. Key features of the bill: • The law prohibits the marriage of minors and prescribes a minimum age of 18-years for contracting marriage. • In addition, it protects the customs and customary rites of the Hindu community. The bill aims at easing growing insecurity among Hindus. For the first time in Pakistan’s history, the bill provides a mechanism for registering Hindu marriages, conditions for contracting a marriage, and the procedure and grounds for dissolving a marriage. • The bill also provides a mechanism for registration of marriage, separation and remarriage. It will help Hindu women get documentary proof of their marriage. • It paves the way for a document called the ‘Shadi Parath’ – similar to the Nikahnama for Muslims – that will contain details of the bride and groom and be signed by a pundit before it is registered with the relevant government department. • It also provides the concept of judicial separation, where the marriage remains intact while the parties are no longer under an obligation to cohabit. The legitimacy of children born out of voidable Hindu marriages has also been protected. • The law will be applicable in the provinces of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Source: Indian Express

India and Belgium sign Protocol amending the India-Belgium Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and Protocol • India and Belgium have signed a Protocol amending the existing Agreement and Protocol between the two countries for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income. Significance of this protocol • The protocol broadens the scope of the existing framework for the exchange of tax-related information. • It will help the government to curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two nations. • It will also enable mutual assistance in collection of taxes. Background • The Union Government has set a key priority area for fighting the menace of Black Money stashed in offshore accounts. To further this goal, India has either signed or amended international agreements, declarations or conventions for the DTAA and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and for the Exchange of Information with Mauritius, Switzerland, Cyprus, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Kazakhstan, and Austria during the financial year 2016-17. Source: PIB

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Commonwealth trade meet begins • An inaugural Commonwealth summit focused on stimulating trade within the group has begun in London. • It is being attended by government trade representatives and business people. Details • The event involves a series of roundtable discussions between ministers from over 30 countries and chief executives, followed by a ministerial roundtable, which its organisers hope will kick start further action on strengthening cross-Commonwealth trade, ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in the U.K. next year. • The Commonwealth leadership is targeting an increase in intra-Commonwealth trade to $1 trillion by 2020, from $750 billion. • Organisers of the trade summit are hopeful that a Commonwealth accord that recognises the benefits of trade within the block, and provides the framework for potential trade initiatives between groupings within it is achievable in the next couple of years. Source: The Hindu

Global fund to help solve India’s HIV drug crisis • After running out of the child-friendly HIV syrup, Lopinavir, India is likely to procure the drug from a rapid supply facility routed through the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), a multilateral donor agency. Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM): • The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (or the Global Fund) is an international financing organization that aims to “attract and disburse additional resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.” • A public–private partnership, the organization has its secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. • The organization began operations in January 2002. • Microsoft founder Bill Gates was one of the first private foundations among many bilateral donors to provide seed money for the project. • The Global Fund is the world’s largest financier of anti-AIDS, TB and malaria programs. • According to the organization, it has financed the distribution of 659 million insecticide- treated nets to combat malaria, provided anti-tuberculosis treatment for 15,1 million people, and is supporting 9.2 million people on antiretroviral therapy for AIDS. • The Global Fund is a financing mechanism rather than an implementing agency. This means that monitoring of programs is supported by a Secretariat of approximately over 700 staff (as of end 2015) in Geneva. • Implementation is overseen by Country Coordinating Mechanisms, committees consisting of in-country stakeholders that need to include, according to Global Fund requirements, a broad spectrum of government, NGOs, UN, faith-based, private sector and people living with the disease. This has kept the Global Fund Secretariat smaller than other international bureaucracies. • Yet it has also raised concerns about conflict of interest, as some of the stakeholders represented on the CCMs may also receive money from the Global Fund, either as Principal Recipients, Subrecipients, private persons (e.g. for travel or participation at seminars) or contractors. Background: • India has a cohort of over 600 children who require 36,000 bottles of Lopinavir syrup annually. • Stocks of Lopinavir syrup — a child friendly HIV drug — ran out after Cipla, the sole manufacturer of the drug, stopped manufacturing it over the issue of non-payment from the Health Ministry.

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• Cipla is the dominant player in the Indian market across the HIV segment and has not stopped participating in government tenders after the Health Ministry failed to pay Cipla for consignments sent in 2014. Source: The Hindu, Wiki

Centre mulls more ‘border haats’ • The government is mulling opening more ‘border haats’ (border markets), encouraged by its success at the India-Myanmar border. • Current border haats are functioning well. What are Border Haats? • The border haats are markets that aim at promoting the wellbeing of the people dwelling in remote areas across the borders of two countries, by establishing traditional system of marketing the local produce through local markets. • India currently has functional border haats with Bangladesh. Source: The Hindu

Commonwealth card mooted • Commonwealth nations could consider a scheme similar to the Business Travel Card scheme, used across the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, as a means of promoting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment. • This was proposed by the chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, ahead of the inaugural Meeting of Commonwealth Trade Ministers in London on March 9-10, convened by the CWEIC, and the Commonwealth Secretariat. CWEIC: • The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) is a membership organisation with a small secretariat supported by an Advisory Board comprising Government and business leaders from across the Commonwealth. • The purpose of the Council is to promote trade and investment by facilitating engagement between Government and the private sector throughout the Commonwealth. • CWEIC is a value based organisation reflecting the commitments of the Commonwealth Charter. Central to CWEIC’s work is the understanding that businesses require a set of values under which trade and investment can take place; transparency; good governance; respect for the rule of law; enforceable physical and intellectual property rights; equal opportunities and a diverse workforce and an overarching understanding that financial probity from government and the private sector is key to a flourishing business environment. • CWEIC is the apex organisation representing private sector businesses within the Commonwealth and is the only institution with a remit to promote intra-Commonwealth trade and investment. • The CWEIC is also responsible for organising the Commonwealth Business Forum alongside the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. APEC Business Travel Card scheme: • Under the APEC scheme, which includes 19 fully participating countries, including Australia, Hong Kong, Russia and Singapore, business travellers are able to apply for five-year-long, short-term, multiple-entry permits to other member states, freeing them from the need to apply for visas every time they travel. Source: The Hindu

Commonwealth unveils initiative to stamp out domestic violence • The Commonwealth of Nations has launched “Peace in the home” programme to help member states tackle domestic violence which still remains a “stubborn stain” on communities, disproportionately impacting women.

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• The programme was launched on Women’s Day (March 8) and will continue through till 2018 when there is expected to be an accord on ending domestic violence in the Commonwealth. Key features of the programme: • It will build a coalition of governments, businesses, human rights institutions, civil society and individual citizens to choral our efforts to address domestic violence. • It will include toolkits to help governments across Commonwealth involve multiple agencies such as schools, hospitals and doctors as well as government and law enforcement agencies to work together effectively. • It will help countries highlight and share details of initiatives that had been particularly successful at dealing with domestic violence. • It will also be a mentoring programme for women and an initiative to address the issue of violence around elections and politics. Commonwealth of Nations: • It is an international intergovernmental organisation of countries that were mostly former territories of the British Empire and dependencies. • It was established by the London Declaration in 1949. Many countries from Africa, Asia, Americas, Europe and the Pacific have joined the Commonwealth. • Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Commonwealth. She is also the monarch of 16 members of the Commonwealth, known as Commonwealth realms. • Membership is based on free and equal voluntary co-operation. • Current membership includes 52 counties (including India). Source: The Hindu

13th Executive Committee Meeting of the International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN) inaugurated • The 13th Executive Committee (ExCo) Meeting of the International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN) was held at POWERGRID Corporate Centre, Gurugram. • This was the first ever meeting of ISGAN held in India. It was hosted by the Union Ministry of Power. • A total of 36 representatives from 18 countries participated in this event. ISGAN is an agreement under International Energy Agency (IEA). • It consists of representatives from 25 countries across the globe including India which is one of its founding member. ISGAN • ISGAN is an agreement under International Energy Agency (IEA) and consists of representatives from 25 countries across the globe. • India is one of the founding Member of ISGAN and Joint Secretary (Distribution), Ministry of Power, is the member representative of India. • ISGAN creates a mechanism for multilateral government-to-government collaboration to advance the development and deployment of smarter electric grid technologies, practices and systems. • ISGAN facilitates dynamic knowledge sharing, technical assistance, and project coordination, where appropriate. ISGAN participants report periodically on progress and projects to the Ministers of the Clean Energy Ministerial, in addition to satisfying all IEA Implementing Agreement reporting requirements. • Membership in ISGAN is voluntary, and currently includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

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• Consistent with the IEA Framework for International Energy Technology Co-Operation, ISGAN is open to governments of IEA Member as well as non-Member countries, upon invitation of the ISGAN Executive Committee. • Though the primary focus is on government-to-government cooperation, ISGAN is also open to entities designated by participating governments, and select private sector and industry associations and international organizations. Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM): • ISGAN was launched as the International Smart Grid Action Network at the first Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), a meeting of energy and environment ministers and stakeholders from 23 countries and the European Union held in Washington, D.C in 2010. • The CEM focuses on high-level attention and commitment to concrete steps—both policies and programs—that accelerate the global transition to clean energy. • The Ministerial was an outgrowth of the agreement at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF) in L’Aquila, Italy in July 2009, where countries agreed to collaborate on advancing clean energy technologies. Need for smart grids in India: • According to the Ministry of Power, India’s transmission and distribution losses are amongst the highest in the world, averaging 26 per cent of total electricity production, and as high as 62 per cent in some states. These losses do not include non-technical losses like theft etc.; if such losses are included, the average losses are as high as 50 per cent. • India losses money for every unit of electricity sold, since India has one of the weakest electric grids in the world. • Some of the technical flaws in the Indian power grid are – it is a poorly planned distribution network, there is overloading of the system components, there is lack of reactive power support and regulation services, there is low metering efficiency and bill collection, etc. • A lacuna of renewable resources is that their supply can be intermittent i.e. the supply can only be harnessed during a particular part of the day, like day time for solar energy and windy conditions for harnessing wind energy, also these conditions cannot be controlled. With such unpredictable energy sources feeding the grid, it is necessary to have a grid that is highly adaptive (in terms of supply and demand). • Hence, the opportunities for building smart grids in India are immense, as a good electric supply is one of the key infrastructure requirements to support overall development. Source: PIB

Donald Trump signs ‘Muslim Ban 2.0’ order • The Donald Trump administration has issued a new executive order, temporarily banning travel from six Muslim-majority countries to the U.S., after an earlier order ran foul of the country’s judiciary. Justification of the order: • In justification of the order, the administration said people who entered the U.S on visas or as refugees from these countries have “proved to be threats to national security.” • The order said each of the six countries was a “state sponsor of terrorism, has been significantly compromised by terrorist organisations or contains active conflict zones.” Key facts • The new executive order bans travel from six countries — Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, leaving out Iraq that was also in the list of barred countries in the January order. • In an attempt to pass the next round of inevitable judicial scrutiny, current visa and green card holders from these countries will not be affected by this order. • The new order will not come into effect until March 16, in contrast with the earlier order that was effective immediately, leading to confusion at airports and leaving many people in transit stranded.

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• The order notes there will be a 90-day ban on the issuance of new visas for citizens of these six countries, and nation’s refugee program will be suspended for 120 days. While the temporary ban is in place for 90 days, the U.S. administration will review the security measures in place to prevent potential threats from gaining a U.S. visa. Why the order excludes Iraq? • The order gives country-wise details justifying the inclusion of each and also explains the exclusion of Iraq. Iraq presents a special case. Portions of Iraq remain combat zones, but the country’s commitment to combat ISIS justifies different treatment for Iraq. Source: The Hindu

Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and UN-Women • Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the United Nations Entity of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women). • Under this MoU, Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and UN-Women will work in collaboration with each other to promote participation of women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Key Facts: • The MoU seeks to provide technical support to MoPR in strengthening capacities of governance institutions including PRIs to better leverage opportunities created for gender equality. • MoPR and UN-Women will now work together towards participatory design of governance processes and effective implementation of laws, policies and programmes to promote gender responsive governance. • It will focus on building capacities of Elected Women Representatives to empower them and enhance their effectiveness. • It will facilitate the achievement of time-bound results in the implementation of specific activities identified jointly by MoPR and UN Women within the broader framework for cooperation under the UNDAF. • Activities under this MoU will be implemented at the district and sub-district level in six States i.e. Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Significance • It will engendering the initiatives of MoPR, including capacity development efforts, which further their shared mission of good governance, gender equality and women’s empowerment. • In the long run, it will enable an improvement in the status of rural women in India, as well as contribute to meeting India’s commitment to the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). UN Women • The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women. • In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. UN Women became operational in January 2011. • In doing so, UN Member States took an historic step in accelerating the Organization’s goals on gender equality and the empowerment of women. • The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. • It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment: 1. Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW). 2. International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW). 60 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

3. Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI). 4. United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). The main roles of UN Women are: • To support inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global standards and norms. • To help Member States to implement these standards, standing ready to provide suitable technical and financial support to those countries that request it, and to forge effective partnerships with civil society. • To lead and coordinate the UN system’s work on gender equality as well as promote accountability, including through regular monitoring of system-wide progress. Source: PIB

Union Cabinet approves accession to global customs convention • The Union Cabinet has given its approval for India’s accession to the Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) and necessary procedures for ratification. How will it benefit to India? • By joining the convention, Indian traders will get access to fast, easy, reliable and hassle free international system for movement of goods by road or multi-modal means across the territories of other contracting parties. • The need for inspection of goods at intermediate borders as well as physical escorts en route shall be obviated due to reciprocal recognition of Customs controls. Customs clearance can take place at internal Customs locations thereby avoiding clearances at Border Crossing Points and ports that may often be congested. • Movement under the TIR can be allowed by checking only the seals and the external conditions of the load compartment or the container thereby reducing border delays, transport and transaction costs thereby leading to increased competitiveness and growth for the trade and transport sectors. • Compliance with the Convention shall ensure enhanced security in the supply chain as only approved transporters and vehicles are allowed to operate in terms of the Convention. As the TIR Carnet represents a guarantee for Customs duties and taxes and traffic in transit, there is no need for payment of such taxes and duties en route. • The TIR carnet also serves as a Customs declaration, and hence it precludes the need to file multiple declarations satisfying national laws of the different transiting countries. • The TIR Convention can be an instrument for movement of goods along the International “North-South” Transport (INSTC) Corridor and would be helpful in boosting trade with the Central Asian Republics and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), particularly using ports in Iran like the Chabahar port. • The proposal does not result in any direct financial implication for the Government of India as it pertains to India’s accession to an international convention. What is TIR convention? • The Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) is a multilateral treaty that was concluded at Geneva on 14 November 1975 to simplify and harmonise the administrative formalities of international road transport. • The 1975 convention replaced the TIR Convention of 1959, which itself replaced the 1949 TIR Agreement between a number of European countries. • The conventions were adopted under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). • The TIR system operates with certain parameters – secure vehicles or container, international guarantee chain, TIR carnet, reciprocal recognition of customs controls, controlled access and TIR IT risk management tools.

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• These elements guarantee that goods travel across borders with minimum interference en route and at the same time provide maximum safeguards to customs administration. • As of July 2016, there are 70 parties to the TIR Convention which includes 69 states and the European Union. • Excepting India and Oman, all members of INSTC are already signatories to the 1975 TIR Convention. Source: PIB

Union Cabinet approves oil storage pact with UAE’s ADNOC • The Union Cabinet has approved signing of the Definitive Agreement on Oil Storage and Management between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL) and UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). • The move aims at boosting India’s energy security by ensuring a strategic storage flow in for crude oil, from a government firm in Abu Dhabi for meeting unexpected future exigencies. Key facts • According to the Agreement, ADNOC will fill up 0.81 MMT or 5,860,000 million barrels of crude oil at ISPRL storage facility at Mangalore, Karnataka. • Out of the crude stored, some part will be used for commercial purpose of ADNOC, while a major part will be purely for strategic purposes. • The investment by ADNOC is a major investment from UAE under the High Level Task Force on Investment (HLTFI). It is also first investment by UAE in India in the energy sector. Background • India being fastest growing economies and world’s third-biggest oil consumer, is building emergency storage in underground caverns to hold 36.87 million barrels of crude. It is equivalent to about 10 days of its average daily oil demand. This move aims to hedge against energy security risks as it imports most of its oil needs. Source: PIB

Cabinet approval to MoU on energy efficiency between India, UAE • The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) to provide various services in the field of energy management and conservation. • The MoU was signed between the National Productivity Council (NPC), an autonomous body under the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Al Etihad Energy Services UAE. Key Facts • Under the MoU, the NPC will provide the following services: (i) Energy Assessment Services (ii) Training & Certification of Energy Auditors (iii) Demand Side Management. • Meanwhile, Al Etihad ES will provide (i) Customer Support with UAE Government and Private owned organizations in the UAE (ii) Local support for Field Auditing Professionals (iii) local support for Training & Certification of Energy Auditors (iv) Support related to Demand Side Management of industries. • The MoU will enable NPC avail high value opportunities such as energy building and develop institutional mechanism in area of energy efficiency in Dubai and other GCC member countries. • It will provide recognition and exposure to further build NPC’s capacities and competencies in rapidly changing international business scenario. • The MoU will be precedent for NPC’s engagements with other International collaboration partners and will enhance its visibility in arena. National Productivity Council (NPC): • NPC is a national level organization to promote productivity culture in India. 62 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• Established by the Ministry of Industry in 1958, it is an autonomous, multipartite, non-profit organization with equal representation from employers’ and workers’ organizations and the government. • It is an autonomous body under Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. • NPC is a constituent of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental body, of which India is a founder member. Source: Business Standard

Cabinet approves MoU on Renewable Energy between India and Portugal • The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Renewable Energy between India and Portugal. • The MoU will help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries. • The MoU envisages constitution of a Joint Working Group which can co-opt other members from Scientific Institutions, Research Centers, Universities, or any other entity, as and when considered essential. Background: • Both sides aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable issues on the basis of mutual benefit equality and reciprocity. Source: PIB

India to Host 10th ICEGOV 2017 • The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, in collaboration with United Nations University and UNESCO, is organizing a three-day International Conference 10th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance: ICEGOV 2017 in Delhi in March. • 2017 Theme: Building Knowledge Societies: From Digital Government to Digital Empowerment. Key facts: • The key objective of ICEGOV2017 is to explore how Digital Government can lead to Digital Empowerment by local knowledge. • ICEGOV 2017 is the 10th edition of ICEGOV, which will focus on the use of technology to transform relationships between government and citizens, businesses, civil society. • It will try to inculcate an outlook to create new forms, paradigms, foundations for technology-enabled governance, collaboration, development. • The 10th ICEGOV will bring together academia, governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector to share the insights and experiences in theory and practice of Digital Government. • 560 papers from around 60 countries will be presented, which is highest number of paper submission in the history of ICEGOV. ICEGOV • ICEGOV is an international conference series, established by the United Nations University in 2007, with the aim of bringing together practitioners, developers and researchers from government, academia, industry, non-governmental organizations and UN organizations to share the latest in theory and practice of Electronic Governance. • The ICEGOV series focuses on the use of technology to transform relationships between government and citizens, businesses, civil society and other arms of government (Electronic Governance).

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• The Series looks beyond the traditional focus on technology-enabled transformation in government (Electronic Government), towards establishing foundations for good governance and for sustainable national development. Source: PIB

Australia wants India to be a ‘consistent buyer’ of its cotton • Australia, the fifth-largest exporter of cotton, is looking at India to emerge as a consistent and major buyer of the commodity. • In this regard, an eight-member delegation representing the Australian Cotton Shippers’ Association recently held meetings in Ludhiana, Mumbai, and Coimbatore. Background: • Australia has close to 1,200 cotton growers and can supply even small quantities to India. China purchased more than 30% of Australia’s cotton production last year. However, this was lower than its usual purchase. India is a big market for cotton. • India used to purchase 5-7% of cotton produced in Australia every year. In 2016, it shot up to close to 23 % due to a drop in production in India. Indian textile mills use Australian cotton as a blend to produce high-value garments. • India is the largest producer and consumer of cotton globally. Source: The Hindu

U.S. nixed India’s plea on reforms in medicine • A month after the 140th World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Executive Board meeting, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) response has revealed that the United States government had opposed including agenda items proposed by India, which aimed at reforming medical innovation that currently pump up drug prices to unaffordable levels. What’s the issue? • The Indian government — along with 11 South East Asian countries — had proposed a discussion on an ‘Access to Medicines’ report by the United Nations High Level Panel that had recommended reforms in the funding of biomedical research and development. • However, the set of documents released by Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), a not for profit organisation that gives technical advice to governments, reveals that both the United States and the WHO opposed including the proposal by India. • They observed that they were mainly concerned about the narrow mandate of the recommendations. Background: • The U.N. Access to Medicines report had recommended solutions for remedying the policy incoherence between justifiable rights of inventors, trade rules and global public health targets. • The report recommended that “governments and the private sector must refrain from explicit or implicit threats, tactics or strategies that undermine the right of WTO Members to use TRIPS flexibilities.” • The U.N. report says there is a need for an RD treaty and it recommended reforms in the area of biomedical R&D. • The 11 member-states — Bangladesh, Bhutan, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste — as well as Brazil, Iran, and South Africa supported the inclusion of the agenda item. • The delays by WHO to place the UN HLP recommendations on the agenda of the WHO’s EB and subsequently at the World Health Assembly have drawn widespread criticism from Asian civil society organisations. Source: The Hindu

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India to attend Lahore meet on Indus Waters Treaty • Signalling a major shift in its position on talks with Pakistan on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), India has accepted an invitation to attend the next meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) to be held in Lahore in March. • The move came after two months of diplomatic negotiations, with World Bank officials playing mediator in encouraging Pakistan to extend the invitation and for India to accept. • A look at the two major hydro electric projects- Kishenganga and Ratle- in Jammu and Kashmir may be taken up in the meeting. Indus Water treaty: • The Indus Waters Treaty is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank. • The treaty was signed in Karachi in 1960 by Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan. • According to this agreement, control over the three “eastern” rivers — the Beas, the Ravi and the Sutlej — was given to India, while control over the three “western” rivers — the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum — to Pakistan. • As per the provisions in the treaty, India can use only 20% of the total water carried by the Indus river. • A Permanent Indus Commission was set up as a bilateral commission to implement and manage the Treaty. The Commission solves disputes arising over water sharing. • It is important to note that China has been kept out of the Treaty although Indus originates from Tibet. If China decides to stop or change the flow of the river, it will affect both India and Pakistan. What is Permanent Indus Commission? • Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) is a bilateral commission of officials from India- Pakistan, created to implement and manage goals of Indus Waters Treaty. • Under the treaty, it is required that India and Pakistan meet every financial year. The Indus Commission is the first step for conflict resolution. • If an agreement cannot be reached at the Commission level, the dispute is to be referred to the two governments. • If the governments too fail to reach an agreement, the Treaty provides an arbitration mechanism. • The last meeting of the commission was held in July 2016. Kishanganga Hydroelectric Plant: • The Kishanganga Hydroelectric Plant is an $864 million dam which is part of a run-of-the- river hydroelectric scheme that is designed to divert water from the Kishanganga River to a power plant in the Jhelum River basin. • It is located 5 km north of Bandipore in Jammu and Kashmir, India and will have an installed capacity of 330 MW. • Construction on the project began in 2007 and is expected to be complete in 2016. • Construction on the dam was temporarily halted by the Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration in October 2011 due to Pakistan’s protest of its effect on the flow of the Kishanganga River (called the Neelum River in Pakistan). • In February 2013, the Hague ruled that India could divert a minimum amount of water for power generation. Ratle Hydroelectric Plant: • The Ratle Hydroelectric Plant is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power station currently under construction on the Chenab River, downstream of the village of Ratle in Doda district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. • The project includes a 133 m (436 ft) tall gravity dam and two power stations adjacent to one another. Source: The Hindu

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Pakistan returns to SAARC, gets Secretary General post • After months of difficulty posed mainly by India, Pakistan has succeeded in getting its official elected to the post of the Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). • This was backed by all members, including India, which made the selection consensus- based. Background • As the incoming chair, Pakistan was supposed to provide the next Secretary General. The new chief of SAARC was expected to take charge a year ago. Earlier, India had opposed holding of the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad in November 2016 following the terror strike in Uri. Secretary General SAARC: • The Secretary–General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, is the head of the SAARC Secretariat, which is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal. • The Secretary-General is appointed for a three-year term by election by a council of Ministers from member states. • The Secretary-General is assisted by eight deputies, one from each nation, who also reside in Kathmandu. Source: The Hindu

Syrian Army recaptures Palmyra • The Syrian Army has recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State (IS) for the second time in a year, with help from allied forces and Russian war-planes. Background: • Palmyra was first seized by the militant group in May 2015. After capturing the city, UNESCO world heritage site was destroyed systematically. The city was listed on UNESCO’s world heritage site for hosting numerous ancient monuments and temples. • Later in March 2016, the militant group was driven out from the city but was able to recapture it in December 2016 when the Syrian government focused on recapturing rebel- held East Aleppo. • Loss of Palmyra is being considered as the latest blow to the militant group, ISIS because in recent past the group had suffered losses in its two main strongholds, namely Raqa (Syria) and Mosul (Iraq). It lost these two areas after facing assaults by forces backed by the US-led coalition. Early in 2014, the militant/jihadist group took over swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. Palmyra: • The city of Palmyra, known as an oasis in the Syrian Desert, was a house of monumental ruins of the Neolithic period, like the Temple of Ba’al, the Agora, Diocletian’s Camp, Theatre and other temples, before it was captured by ISIS. • Their entrance to the city led to the destruction of several structures and loot of the heritage site just for sale in the black market. • Before the entrance of ISIS, the city was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. • The city was first mentioned in the archives of Mari in the 2nd millennium BC. • It was established as a caravan oasis under the Roman control in the mid-first century AD as part of the Roman province of Syria. • With time, the city became an important trade route of Asia as it linked China, India and Persia with the Roman Empire. • Discovery of the ruined city by travellers in the 17th and 18th centuries resulted in its subsequent influence on architectural styles. Source: The Hindu

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Half of India-Bangladesh border fenced • The Union Government has announced that half of the 4,096-km long border India shares with Bangladesh has been fenced. • The remaining half will be fenced by 2019 deadline. Its aim of fencing the India-Bangladesh border is to curb infiltration and smuggling of cattle and fake Indian currency notes (FICN). • However, land acquisition is a major challenge to completing the work by the deadline. • Besides, government is going to use technological solutions such as cameras and lasers across cross Border Rivers, where fencing is not possible. Background • India and Bangladesh share a 4,096 km land boundary, largest among the international boundaries that India shares with its neighbours. • The border runs along five states, West Bengal (2,216.7 km), Assam (263 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Tripura (856 km) and Mizoram (318 km). Source: The Hindu

ECONOMY India becomes Net Exporter of Electricity for the first Time • According to Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India for the first time has become a net exporter of electricity during the April-February period in fiscal 2016-17 • Central Electricity Authority (CEA), under Union Power Ministry, is the designated authority of government of India for cross border trade of electricity. • During this period, India has exported around 5,798 million units to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar which is 213 million units more than the import of around 5,585 million units from Bhutan. Key Facts • In the last three years, India’s export to Nepal and Bangladesh has increased 2.5 and 2.8 times respectively. • New transmission lines with Bangladesh and Myanmar has helped India sell more power. India’s power export to Bangladesh: • At present, India has exported around 600 MW power to Bangladesh. • The export got further boost after commissioning of the first cross border interconnection between Baharampur (India) and Bheramara (Bangladesh) at 400kV in September 2013. • It was further augmented by commissioning of second cross border Interconnection between Surjyamaninagar (Tripura) in India and South Comilla (Bangladesh). India’s power import from Bhutan: • On an average, Bhutan has been supplying around 5,000-5,500 million units to India. • A few more cross border links are in the pipeline with neighbouring countries which would further increase India’s power export. India’s power export to Nepal: • India is exporting around 190 MW power to Nepal over 12 cross border interconnections at 11kV, 33kV and 132 kV level. • It has further increased by around 145 MW after commissioning of Muzaffarpur (India)– Dhalkhebar (Nepal) 400kV line (being operated at 132 kV) in 2016. • It is further expected to increase by around 145 MW shortly over 132 kV Katiya (Bihar)– Kusaha (Nepal) and 132 kV Raxaul (Bihar)– Parwanipur (Nepal). Background • Ever since the cross border trade of electricity started in mid-1980s, India has been importing power from Bhutan and marginally exporting to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

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• India is also investing heavily on generation infrastructure over the past few years. In the past two years, a massive surge in the local supply of raw materials like coal has also helped power companies to boost output. Source: LiveMint, PIB

SBI launches ‘Unnati’ Credit Card • SBI Card launched the Unnati Credit Card to spread credit inclusion among masses. Key features of the Unnati Credit Card • The card is targeted at all SBI customers, including the Jan Dhan account-holders across the country. It is primarily tailored for new users of credit cards, those who do not have a credit history. • The Unnati would have no annual fees (Rs 499/year) for the initial four years and the credit card will be offered through 20,000-plus State Bank of India (SBI) branches. • Any SBI customer with a balance of at least Rs 25,000 in the savings account is eligible for the Unnati credit card. • The card is accepted in over 24 million outlets across the globe, including 3,25,000 outlets in India. • With SBI Card Unnati, add-on cards will be provided to the customer’s parents, spouse, children or siblings above the age of 18. • The Easy Bill Pay facility of the card can be used to pay electricity, telephone, mobile and other utility bills. Source: The Hindu

Food Processing Ministry Approves 101 New Cold Chain Projects • The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) sanctioned 101 new Integrated Cold Chain Projects. • They were sanctioned under the Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure Scheme. • These are in addition to the 30 Cold Chain Projects that were sanctioned in May 2015. • Cumulatively, these new projects will attract Rs. 3100 crore investment for the creation of modern infrastructure in the food processing sector. • These projects are meant for fruits and vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, marine, poultry, ready to eat and ready to cook sectors. Significance • These new projects will reduce wastage of perishables, add value to the agricultural produce and create huge employment opportunities especially in rural areas. • They will create additional capacity of 2.76 lakh MT of cold storage/controlled atmosphere storage. It will also benefit 2.6 lakh farmers and provide employment to 60,000 people. • These projects will not only provide a big boost to the growth of food processing infrastructure in the concerned States, but also help in providing better prices to farmers. • The projects are aimed at doubling farmers’ income, reducing wastage in the agri-supply chain and creating huge employment opportunities. Why India needs Integrated Cold Chain Projects? • India is one of the largest food producers in the world. Though it is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, it only processes 2.2 per cent of total fruits and vegetables produced. • To ameliorate this situation, India requires affordable cold storages and cold chains at every food producing hub in the country. • Against this backdrop, the MoFPI is building the National Cold Chain Grid, in which building Integrated Cold Chain Projects is one of the key components. • The goal of the National Cold Chain Grid, as well as Integrated Cold Chain Projects, is to connect all food producing hubs to cold storage and processing industries.

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• These initiatives will create short, consistent and compressed supply chains from producers to processors, retailers and exporters. • They also give major boost to fruits and vegetables processing, milk processing and non- horticulture food processing in the country. Source: LiveMint, PIB

Automation’s impact will be grave, 4 out of 10 jobs to go: Experts • Automation is the new normal in sectors like engineering, manufacturing, automobiles, IT and banking. As automation adoption increases, all high transaction and labour intensive jobs will take a hit. • Experts say, this will affect the bottom of the pyramid so much so that four out of every 10 jobs globally would be lost due to this by 2021. What are the concerns? • There will be a visible change in the next 3-4 years, first major effects will be seen in the sectors like manufacturing, IT and ITeS and security services and agriculture. • By 2021, four out of every 10 jobs globally would be lost because of automation. And of these, one in every four will be from India. That sums up to 23% of job loss in India. • India produces 5.5 million jobs (across levels) every year, but this number falls short of jobs needed to employ available talent and automation is further increasing the gap. • Low skill and high transaction jobs will be affected as automation takes away their jobs. Hiring for short term projects, flexi hiring would be the way forward in these areas for roles that cannot be automated. Suggestions • Automation will not take away all the jobs because you still need someone to build and monitor the robots. So, while jobs mostly at the bottom of pyramid will be affected, new jobs will get added. • However, to cater to this fallout, government needs to focus on two key areas: 1. Strengthening the mid-market segment. 2. Reskilling the workforce to take up new jobs which will emerge post automation. Source: Economic Times

CBEC to be renamed, reorganised for GST regime • The Union Finance Minister has approved re-organisation of field formations of the Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) for the implementation of Goods & Services Tax (GST). • Under it, CBEC will be renamed as the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) after getting required legislative approval. Key Facts • The existing formations of Central Excise & Service Tax under the CBEC will be re-organised to implement and enforce the provisions of the proposed GST Laws. • The proposed CBIC will supervise the work of all its field formations and Directorates and assist the Government in policy making in relation to GST, continuing Central Excise levy & Customs functions. • The CBIC will have 21 Zones, 101 GST Tax payer Services Commissionerates comprising 15 sub-Commissionerates, 768 Divisions, 3969 Ranges, 49 Audit and 50 Appeals Commissionerates. • It will ensure rendering of taxpayer services to all the taxpayers through an indirect tax administration structure by having pan-India presence. • For a robust IT Network, the Directorate General of Systems under CBEC will be expanded for greater out- reach for facilitating smooth transition for the taxpayers to the GST environment.

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• The existing training establishment will be renamed as National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACITN) and shall have an all India presence. • It will enable capacity building to the employees of the indirect tax administration of the Centre as well as of the State Governments and also of Trade and Industry. • The renamed Directorate General of Goods & Service Tax Intelligence will be also strengthened and expanded to become an important wing of the Government in its fight against Tax Evasion and Black Money. Source: PIB

CCI Imposes
591 Crore Penalty on Coal India • Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a penalty of
591.01 crore upon Coal India Limited (CIL) on finding that CIL and its subsidiaries violated the Competition Act by imposing unfair and discriminatory conditions in Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) with power producers for supply of non-coking coal. • Apart from ordering CIL and its subsidiaries to “cease and desist” from anti-competitive practices, the CCI also directed modification of the FSAs. • CIL had also been directed to ensure uniformity between old and new power producers as well as between private and PSU power producers. The Competition Commission of India • Competition Commission of India is a body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 throughout India and to prevent activities that have an adverse effect on competition in India. • CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government. • It is the duty of the Commission to: 1. Eliminate practices having adverse effect on competition, 2. Promote and sustain competition, 3. Protect the interests of consumers and 4. Ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India. • The Commission is also required to give opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law and to undertake competition advocacy, create public awareness and impart training on competition issues. The Competition Act, 2002 • The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, follows the philosophy of modern competition laws. • The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India. Source: Times of India

India ranks 87th on energy architecture performance: World Economic Forum • India ranked 87th among the surveyed 127 countries on a Global Energy Architecture Performance Index (EAPI) released as part of report of Geneva- based World Economic Forum (WEF). The report • EAPI is a composite index developed by WEF in collaboration with Accenture Strategy. • It focuses on tracking specific indicators to measure the energy system performance of the countries. • It has 18 indicators defined across the three sides of the ‘energy triangle’- economic growth and development, energy access and security and environmental sustainability. Highlights of 2017 EAPI

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Global scenario: • Switzerland topped the annual list and was followed by Norway, Sweden, Denmark and France in the top five. • World’s biggest energy consumers struggle to take leading positions on index as they grapple with inherent challenges of their large, complex energy systems and are outperformed by nimble economies. • Overall, some of the largest consumers of energy such as China (95th), India, Japan (45th), Russia (48th) and United States (52nd) have either slipped in the rankings or experienced only marginal gains. India related Facts: • India is gradually improving its performance on the index, but faces an uphill battle to increase energy access and security (95th) indicators. • A large percentage of the population of India still lacks access to electricity (101st) and uses solid fuels for cooking (108th) indicators. • India’s commitment to increase solar power capacity to 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2022, will make it a leader in renewable capacity. • India, just like China, boasts strong score on indicator for diversification of import counterparts (5th), but its energy system continues to face some significant challenges, particularly on environmental sustainability (109th) indicator. • India has some of the lowest scores in CO2 emissions from electricity (117th) production and PM2.5 levels (123rd) indicators. • Sources of pollution are diverse and intermittent (such as refuse combustion, agricultural crop burning, fireworks), but the energy sector is a large, consistent contributor to this issue. • Many solutions have been attempted with varying degrees of impact, but the countries sorely need a comprehensive plan of action to implement an effective and sustainable answer. Source: The Hindu

India ranks 131 on Human Development Index, Norway No.1 • The 2016 Human Development Report has been released by the UNDP. HDI is also released as part of the report. Highlights of the report Global scenario: • The world’s top three countries in HDI are Norway (0.949), Australia (0.939) and Switzerland (0.939). • The report says 1.5 million people worldwide still live in multidimensional poverty, 54% of them concentrated in South Asia. While poverty fell significantly from 1990 to 2015, inequalities sharpened in the region. • South Asia also had the highest levels of malnutrition in the world, at 38%, and the lowest public health expenditure as a percentage of the GDP (1.6%, 2014). • Noting that women, on an average, have lower HDI than men across the world, the report pointed out that the largest gender disparity in development was in South Asia, where the female HDI value is 20% lower than the male value. • In South Asia, gender gaps in entrepreneurship and labour force participation caused an estimated income loss of 19%. “Between their first and fifth birthdays, girls in India and Pakistan have a 30% to 50% greater chance of dying than boys,” the report noted. Performance of India: • India slipped down one place from 130 to 131 among the 188 countries. • India’s human development index (HDI) value of 0.624 puts it in the “medium human development” category, alongside countries such as Congo, Namibia and Pakistan. • It is ranked third among the SAARC countries, behind Sri Lanka (73) and the Maldives (105), both of which figure in the “high human development” category.

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• India’s public health expenditure is lower, at 1.4% of the GDP. However, it did make some gains between 1990 and 2015, improving life expectancy by 10.4 years in this period. Child malnutrition also declined by 10 percentage points from 2015, and there was a modest gain in infant and under-five mortality rates. • The report praised India’s reservation policy, observing that even though it “has not remedied caste-based exclusions”, it has “had substantial positive effects”. • The HDR also hailed the national rural employment guarantee programme as a “prime example” of “combining social protection with appropriate employment strategies”. • While India’s HDI value increased from 0.428 in 1990 to 0.624 in 2015, it still had the lowest rank among BRIC nations. However, its average annual growth in HDI (1990-2015) was higher than that of other medium HD countries. The HDI • The HDI is a measure for assessing countries progress in three basic dimensions of human development: 1. A long and healthy life (life expectancy), 2. Access to knowledge and 3. Access to a decent standard of living. • Countries are ranked based on scale ranging between 0 (low) to 1 (high). Source: The Hindu

SBI-Mahila Bank Merger Okayed • The Union Finance Ministry has decided to merge the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with the State Bank of India (SBI). • This merger seeks to ensure greater banking services outreach to a larger number of women, at a faster pace. • The decision to merge BMB with SBI was taken in view of the advantage of the large network of SBI among other things. Background • Since its establishment in 2014, BMB has extended loans of Rs. 192 crores to women borrowers, while the SBI group has provided loans of about Rs. 46 thousand crore rupees. Besides, out of the total workforce of around 2 lakh employees in SBI, 22% are women. SBI group already has 126 exclusive all-women branches across the country while BMB has only seven. Bharatiya Mahila Bank • Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) is an Indian financial services banking company based in Mumbai, India. • It was launched in 2013 on the occasion of the 96th birth anniversary of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. • India is the third country in the world to have a bank especially for women, after Pakistan and Tanzania. Source: The Hindu

World Bank Approves $175 Million Loan for India’s National Hydrology Project • The World Bank Board approved the USD 175 million for India’s National Hydrology Project to strengthen capacity of institutions to assess water situation in their regions. • The project is aimed at assisting the institutions in reducing the vulnerability to recurring flood and droughts. • The loan has been issued from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) with maturity of 23 years. It also has a six-year grace period in which no interest payments will be due.

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National Hydrology Project • NHP was approved by the Union cabinet in April 2016 as a central sector scheme with a total outlay of Rs 3679 crore. • Later it was approved by the World Bank Board. Of the total fund, Rs 3,640 crore will be spent for the national project, remaining Rs 39 crore will be used to establish National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC) as a repository of nation-wide water resources data. • The National Hydrology Project will scale up the successes achieved under Hydrology Project-I and Hydrology Project-II to cover the entire country including the states of Ganga and Brahmaputra-Barak basins. • Earlier Project-I and Project-II were limited only to large river systems viz. Krishna and Satluj-Beas. They had established real-time flood forecast systems to give reservoir managers an accurate picture of the water situation in their region. • The early forecast had increased the time available for early flood warnings and improved flood management preparation from hours to days, saving hundreds of lives and avoided flood damages of $65 million a year. • National Flood Forecasting Systems with an advance warning system and reservoir operation systems as well as water resources accounting in river basins will be included under the project. • Sensors in the field will instantly transmit this information to data centres through satellite or mobile phone technology to form a clear picture of the water situation unfolding in the region. Benefits from this project • Apart from benefitting the states in further upgrading and completing their monitoring networks, it will also help new states to better manage water flows from the reservoirs. • It will have the potential to help communities to build resilience against possible uncertainties of climate change. • It will also help the states to monitor all the important aspects of the hydro-meteorological cycle and adopt the procedures to measure how much rain or snow has fallen right in the catchments of rivers, how much silt has built up, and how much water will reach the reservoir. Source: LiveMint

Start-up firms may soon find it easy to wind up • To enable faster exit for start-ups and to bring the winding up process in line with global best practices, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has written to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to notify start-ups as ‘Fast Track firms.’ How will it be possible? • Fast Track firms will be start-ups with simple debt structures or those meeting certain criteria that will be specified. • Once this is notified, start-ups shall be able to wind up their business within a period of 90 days from making an application for the same. ‘Bharat Navodaya: Start-Up India Reform Report’ • This reform was part of recommendations made by the ‘Bharat Navodaya: Start-Up India Reform Report’. • The Report was prepared by the Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy-chaired Alternative Investment Policy Advisory Committee (AIPAC) following a request from capital markets regulator SEBI. Key facts • The DIPP is the nodal Central government body for the Start-up India initiative, while the MCA is the concerned authority for notifications on winding up of companies.

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Winding up procedures: Global scenario • Winding up in the U.K. can be initiated by downloading a simple form and calling for a shareholders meeting. • In Singapore, a simple online application is needed to be made by a director or Company Secretary following which, the process is quite straightforward. • Most economic zones in UAE allow for winding down of the business in two to three days. Winding up procedures in India • The procedure for winding is complex in India. • Several parties including start-ups and venture capital investors have expressed concerns that the process of winding up a company is extremely long and cumbersome, adding to the risk of starting up and operating an enterprise as well as wastage of invaluable human capital. • Also, the long process, paper work and costs involved in the closure are the main reasons why several companies remain dormant. • In some instances, entrepreneurs may continue to run companies on paper, filing tax returns and preparing annual reports every year, even if it is no longer operational. Source: The Hindu

Cabinet approves Policy for Early Monetization of Coal Bed Methane Gas Marketing and Pricing Freedom for CBM Gas • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Policy for Early Monetization of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Gas Marketing and Pricing Freedom for CBM Gas. Key features of the policy • The policy provides marketing and pricing freedom to the CBM Contractors to sell the CBM at Arm’s Length Price in the domestic market. • The policy is expected to incentivize the CBM operation in the country to boost gas production and will generate economic activities. • It will in turn be beneficial for creating more employment opportunities in CBM operations and related activities. • Under it, contractor while discovering the market price has to ensure a fully transparent and competitive process for sale of CBM at the best possible price without any restrictive commercial practices. • It allows contractors to sell the CBM to its any affiliate, in the case it cannot identify any buyer. However, royalty and other dues to the Government will be payable on the basis of Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC) notified prices or selling prices, whichever is higher. What is Coal Bed Methane? • Coal Bed Methane is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. • The term CBD refers to methane adsorbed into the solid matrix of the coal. • It is an important source of energy in United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries. • CBD is distinct from typical sandstone or other conventional gas reservoir, as the methane is stored within the coal by a process called adsorption. • It contains very little heavier hydrocarbons such as propane or butane, and no natural-gas condensate. • During the initial years of mining, CBM was vented out and wasted into the atmosphere as it was considered as serious safety hazard while conducting coal mining operations. However, later with advancement of technology it was possible to extract CBM, a precious energy resource and an unconventional form of natural gas.

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Advantages of CBM as a fuel • It is environmentally safe and clean fuel which on combustion emits only carbon dioxide and water. • It is not only considered as an efficient fuel but also reduces emission of greenhouse gas from coal mining. • Its extraction prior to coal mining activities makes mining activities safer by degassing the coal seams. Global CBM reserve: Potential of CBM in India • Coalbed Methane (CBM), an unconventional source of natural gas is now considered as an alternative source for augmenting India’s energy resource. • India has the fifth largest proven coal reserves in the world and thus holds significant prospects for exploration and exploitation of CBM. • The prognosticated CBM resources in the country are about 92 TCF (2600 BCM) in 12 states of India. • The Gondwana sediments of eastern India host the bulk of India’s coal reserves and all the current CBM producing blocks. • The vast majority of the best prospective areas for CBM development are in eastern India, situated in Damodar Koel valley and Son valley. • CBM projects exist in Raniganj South, Raniganj East and Raniganj North areas in the Raniganj coalfield, the Parbatpur block in Jharia coalfield and the East and west Bokaro coalfields. Govt measures • In order to harness CBM potential in the country, the Government of India formulated CBM policy in 1997 wherein CBM being Natural Gas is explored and exploited under the provisions of OIL Fields (Regulation & Development) Act 1948 (ORD Act 1948) and Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules 1959 (P&NG Rules 1959) administered by Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MOP&NG). Source: PIB

Government launches Mission Fingerling to achieve Blue Revolution • The Union Ministry of Agriculture has launched Mission Fingerling, a programme to enable holistic development and management of fisheries sector in India with a total expenditure of about Rs. 52000 lakh. The mission • The mission aims to achieve the target to enhance fisheries production from 10.79 mmt (2014-15) to 15 mmt by 2020-21 under the Blue Revolution. • Government has identified 20 States based on their potential and other relevant factors to strengthen the Fish Fingerling production and Fish Seed infrastructure in the country. • This program will facilitate the establishment of Fingerling rearing pond and hatcheries to ensure the fish production of 426 crores fish fingerling, 25.50 crores Post Larvae of shrimp and crab in the country. • This will converge in the production of 20 lakh tonnes of fish annually, which will in turn benefit about 4 million families. • The implementation of this program will supplement the requirement of stocking materials in the country up to a large extent, which is a much needed input to achieve the enhanced fish production. What is Blue Revolution? • Blue Revolution aims to recognize the potential and possibilities in the fisheries sector of the country by unlocking country’s latent potential through an integrated approach.

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• In its scope and reach, it focuses on creating an enabling environment for integrated and holistic development and management of fisheries for socio economic development of fishers and fish farmers. • It gives greater emphasis to infrastructure with an equally strong focus on management and conservation of the resources through technology transfer to increase in the income of the fishers and fish farmers. • It also seeks to achieve productivity enhancement by employing best global innovations and integration of various production oriented activities viz. production of quality fish seeds, cost effective feed and adoption of technology etc. Source: PIB

NTPC installs India’s largest floating solar PV plant • The NTPC Ltd in the second week of March 2017 installed India’s largest floating solar photo voltaic plant at the Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant (RGCCPP) Kayamkulam in Kerala. Key facts • The 100 kWp floating solar photo voltaic plant is the largest of its kind in India as on date. • This floating platform has been indigenously developed by the NETRA (NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance) in collaboration with Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Chennai. • The system was installed by Swelect Energy Systems Ltd, Chennai with the support from NETRA and NTPC Kayamkulam station in a short span of 22 days. Relevance of Floating Solar PV Plant for India • Floating solar photo voltaic plant systems are fast emerging as an alternative to conventional ground mounted photo voltaic systems, which are land intensive. • It has various benefits like conserving water through the reduction of evaporation, increased generation due to cooling effect on the panels and reduced installation time. • Installation potential of such type of systems in India is huge due to the abundance of water bodies. • Within the NTPC, the potential is approximately 800 MWp in various reservoirs in existing stations. • Due to availability of abundant water bodies, this type of system has a great potential in Kerala. • NTPC has already started working on scaling up such type of system for MW scale installation. NTPC Ltd • National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited is India’s largest energy conglomerate with roots planted way back in 1975 to accelerate power development in India. • Since then, it has established itself as the dominant power major with the presence in the entire value chain of the power generation business. • From fossil fuels, it has forayed into generating electricity via hydro, nuclear and renewable energy sources. • This foray will play a major role in lowering its carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Source: Economic Times

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Centre issues draft rules on e-wallet payments • The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has issued draft Information Technology (Security of Prepaid Payment Instruments) Rules 2017 for Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) company or e wallet firms. • The draft rules seek to ensure integrity, security and confidentiality of electronic payments made through PPIs. • It covers an entire spectrum for protecting consumer information, especially financial data. Key Features of the Rules: • Person operating a payment system issuing prepaid payment instruments to individuals or organisations under the aegis of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). • Mandatory for e-PPI issuers to develop an information security policy that ensures that the systems operated by them are secure. • Mandatory for e-PPIs to publish on their websites and mobile applications both their ‘privacy policy’ and terms for use of their payment systems. • Mandatory for e-PPI to carry out risk assessment to spot security risks and also ensure adequate due diligence is done before issuing PPIs. • e-PPIs should appoint a chief grievance officer with his contact details prominently displayed on website. The officer must act upon any complaint within 36 hours and close it in a month’s time. • e-PPIs shall ensure that end-to-end encryption is applied to safeguard the data exchanged. It shall retain data relating to electronic payments only till necessary. • CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) shall notify the categories of incidents and breaches that are required to be reported to it mandatorily. What are Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs)? • PPIs are methods that facilitate purchase of goods and services against the value stored on such instruments. • The value stored on such instruments represents the value paid for by the holder, by debit, by cash to a bank account or by credit card. • These prepaid instruments can be issued as online wallets, mobile accounts, mobile wallets, smart cards, magnetic stripe cards, internet accounts, paper vouchers and any such instruments used to access the prepaid amount. Source: The Hindu

Funds to Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK) • Rural Electric Corporation (REC) Limited has contributed Rs. 25 crores towards SBK as part of REC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). • REC has also contributed Rs. 25 Crore towards this noble cause earlier in August 2016, thus making a total contribution of Rs. 50 Crore to the Kosh. What is Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK)? • The SBK was set up to attract CSR funds from corporate sector and contribution from individual philanthropists to achieve the objective of Clean India (Swachh Bharat) through “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” by the year 2019, the 150th year of birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. • The SBK is to be used to achieve the objective of improving cleanliness levels in rural and urban areas, including in schools. • The allocation from the SBK is being used to supplement departmental resources for such activities. • All donations towards Swachh Bharat Kosh are eligible for deduction of 100% from the total Income Tax. • The contributions to SBK can also be included by companies towards CSR under the Companies Act, 2013.

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REC • Rural Electric Corporation (REC) Limited is an enterprise of the Government of India under the Ministry of Power. • It is mandated to provide financing for the power sector development across the value chain in the field of generation, transmission, distribution and above all, renewable energy development. • REC is the coordinating agency for implementing flagship programs of the government in power sector that include Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana scheme, the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) programme and several other initiatives of the government to ensure “Power for All”. Source: PIB

Centre to Launch Pilot Project on Ornamental Fisheries • The Department of Animal Husbandry along with Dairying and Fisheries and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare would be launching a pilot scheme for the development of ornamental fisheries with a total outlay of Rs 61.89 crore. The project • The scheme would mainly focus on creating an environment that would enable sustainable development of Ornamental Fisheries for the socio-economic development of the people attached to the activity as well as for exports. Major objectives of the project: • To promote ornamental fish culture in India through cluster-based approach. • To expand ornamental fisheries trade and export earnings • To create employment opportunities for the rural & peri-urban population • To use modern technology and innovation to make ornamental fisheries a thriving activity. Implementation of the project: • The pilot project would be implemented in eight states at first, which include Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. • It would be implemented by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) through the Fisheries departments of the states. Classification of activities: • All the activities under the pilot project are classified in to four major groups, viz., 1. Activities related to production of ornamental fish, e.g. setting up of backyard rearing units, medium scale units, integrated breeding-cum-rearing units, etc., 2. Activities related to aquarium fabrication, trade and marketing; 3. Activities for promotion of ornamental fisheries sector, and 4. Activities related to skill development and capacity building. Background • Overall, ornamental fisheries, which is counted as a sub-sector of the fisheries sector dealing with breeding and rearing of coloured fish of both freshwater and marine water has the potential for tremendous growth in India. • Though it does not directly contribute to India’s food and nutritional security, it helps generate livelihood and income for the rural and peri-urban population, especially for women and the unemployed youth who take it up as a part-time activity. • Besides this, the major attraction in the sector is the low production cost backed by high returns within a short span of time and the ever-growing demand in both Indian and International markets. • Currently, there are about 400 species of marine ornamental fishes and 375 freshwater ornamental varieties in India. Source: PIB

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India gold demand to revive in 2017, says World Gold Council • The World Gold Council (WGC) expects a revival in demand for the yellow metal in India in the current calendar year after 2016 ended on a dismal note on account of a surge in gold price coupled with factors like an increase in excise duty and demonetisation. • The global body expects Indian gold demand to be about 650-750 tonnes in 2017. Demand was just a little more than 600 tonnes in the last calendar year. Background • The year 2016 saw gold demand in India falling to its lowest level since 2009 as government policies along with weak rural sentiment kept consumers away. Impact of demonetisation: • While demonetisation did dent economic growth, it was helping large jewellery retailers and consumers in terms of transparency and quality. • Demonetisation is also boosting large jewellery retailers, and they will continue to grab a larger share of the market. • Over time, consumers will move away from cash towards digital payments, and organised players should benefit from this trend. This change in market dynamics will result in more transparency and a better deal for consumers, protecting them from shady practices such as under–carating. Impact of cap on cash transactions: • While the government had put a cap of
3 lakh on cash transactions starting April 1, the Council was of the view that while it could hamper gold purchases, consumers might buy the precious metal in smaller quantities or might also look at the black market to bypass the regulations. World Gold Council: • The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry. • It works across all parts of the industry, from gold mining to investment, and their aim is to stimulate and sustain demand for gold. • The World Gold Council is an association whose members comprise the world’s leading gold mining companies. • It helps to support its members to mine in a responsible way and developed the Conflict Free Gold Standard. • Headquartered in the UK, they have offices in India, China, Singapore, Japan and the United States. Source: The Hindu

Downloading apps may cost money with ‘Google tax’: Report • After the application of equalisation levy on online advertisements, the government is mulling over the option of widening its scope. • The government might impose a six per cent tax levy on all online multinational companies that earn revenue from India, this could include even the downloading of apps on smartphones. What is Google Tax? • It is an equalization levy, which the Indian government is imposing on online advertising revenue by non-resident e-commerce companies earned in India • The levy which is at 6% presently became effective on June 1. If passed on to startups, the applicable tax is expected to be in excess of 22%, including the 15% service tax and could further increase if GST comes into effect. Why this tax is detrimental to startup ecosystem? • The fact that the levy has been notified in addition to taxes payable by a businessman on imported online services unduly increases the cost of doing business for startups which in turn stifles innovation.

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• Usually, small scale technology driven companies generally do not have enough capital to engage employees inhouse for all necessary business activities. Google tax adds to this problem. • Also, emerging startups burn a lot of cash in the first few years before becoming profitable and when the levy is expanded to include a vast number of other digital services the burden is set to multiply exponentially, hampering even more serious cost to innovation. What needs to be done? • A cap should be placed on the rate of taxation at the very least, and the number of notified services subject to the levy should not be expanded until there is an impact study undertaken by the government. Source: The Hindu

India’s longest cable-stayed bridge inaugurated • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated India’s longest extradosed bridge across river Narmada at Bharuch, Gujarat. • Previously, the record for being India’s longest extradosed bridge was held by the Nivedita Setu over the Hooghly in West Bengal. Key facts • An extradosed bridge employs a structure which combines the main elements of both a prestressed box girder bridge and a cable-stayed bridge. • The bridge is 20.8 metre wide, with 14.5 metre carriageway and 3 metre footpath. • The bridge will be lit by more than 400 light emitting diode (LED) lights. • The bridge is a part of National Highways Authority of India’s project for six laning of Ahmedabad-Mumbai section of NH-8. • This section of NH-8 will have state-of-the-art Highway Traffic Management System (HTMS), variable message sign boards, median plantation, traffic aid post, medical aid post and radio-frequency identification (RFID). • Smart card swapping enabled infrastructure was put in place at the toll plaza of the bridge. Source: The Hindu

FM releases the Revised General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017 • The Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley recently released the Revised General Financial Rules (GFRs) – 2017. Aim of the Revised GFR: • The Revised GFR -2017 aims to provide a framework within which an organization manages its business in a financially prudent manner without compromising its flexibility to deal with varied situations. Significance of this new GFRs: • The new GFRs 2017 will enable an improved, efficient and effective framework of fiscal management while providing the necessary flexibility to facilitate timely delivery of services. What are GFRs? • The GFRs are rules and orders dealing with matters involving public finances. • General Financial Rules were issued for the first time in 1947 bringing together in one place all existing orders and instructions pertaining to financial matters. • These have subsequently been modified and issued as GFRs 1963 and GFRs 2005. Source: PIB

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CCEA approves Revised Cost Estimate of Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Revised Cost Estimate-I of 400 MW Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project (HEP) in Uttarakhand at an estimated completion cost of Rs.2,717.35 crore. the project • Koteshwar Hydro-Electric Project (400 MW), located 22 km downstream of Tehri, is an integral part of Tehri Power Complex comprising of Tehri Dam & HPP (1000 MW), Tehri PSP (1000MW) and Koteshwar HEP (400MW) to develop Hydro-electric potential of river Bhagirathi. • The project is being implemented by Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) India Limited. • In addition to additional generating capacity of 400 MW of peaking power it will regulate releases from Tehri Reservoir for irrigation and drinking water supply. • It will facilitate the functioning of Tehri Power Complex as a major peaking station in Northern grid as reservoir created by Koteshwar Dam having a live storage capacity of 35.0 MCM will function as lower (balancing) reservoir for Tehri PSP. • This project is also regulating water releases from Tehri reservoir for irrigation purpose. Background • The Project has already been commissioned fully in March, 2012. Only balance works are to be done which are not linked with operation of the Plant but essential for safety and completion of the project. Source: PIB

Plan to revive 50 un-served and under-served airports approved • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved proposal for revival of 50 under-served/un-served airports or airstrips of the State Governments, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Civil enclaves. • The announcement for making adequate provisions for revival of under-served/un-served airports was made by the Union Finance Minister in Union Budget 2016-17. Key Facts: • The total cost of the revival project is estimated to be Rs. 4500 crore and will be undertaken in three financial years starting from 2017-18. • 15 airports/airstrips each would be revived during 2017-18 and 2018-19 each. During 2019- 20, 20 airports/airstrips will be revived. The airports will be developed without insisting on financial viability. • The Revival of airports will be ‘demand driven’, depending upon firm commitment from airline operators as well as from the State Governments for providing various concessions as Airports. Significance of the move: • It will help in connecting small cities/towns on commencement of operation of flights to under-served and un-served airports. • It will further boost the economic development in these areas as well as surrounding areas in terms of job creation and related infrastructure development. Source: Business Standard

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Punjab, J&K agree to start work on Shahpur Kandi Dam project • Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir have reached out an agreement to resolve issues relating to the Shahpur Kandi Dam project, proposed to be built downstream Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam) on the Ravi in Gurdaspur district. • The project comes under the Indus Water Treaty, thus helping India utilise its rights on eastern rivers of the basin. • The agreement was facilitated by the Union ministry of water resources, also a cosignatory in the pact. Key facts: • Punjab will bear the balance cost on account of compensation for land acquisition in respect of Thein Dam, located nearly 10km upstream the Shahpur Kandi Dam. • Punjab will also share with Jammu and Kashmir 20% of the total power generated at Thein Dam at the mutually agreed rate of Rs 3.50 per unit immediately. This is subject to confirmation of the rates by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. • A tripartite monitoring team, headed by a member of the Central Water Commission, would be constituted to oversee the work. The project: • The 55.5 high Shahpur Kandi dam, located in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, will help in providing irrigation facility to 5000 hectares of land in Punjab and 32173 hectares in J&K besides generation of 206 MW power. • Tagged as a national project by the Centre, it was to be built with an estimated cost of Rs 2,285.81 crore (as per April 2008 price level) and is expected to generate 206 megawatt electricity. • The project will continue to be implemented by Punjab and its design shall be as agreed by both states. • Model studies will be carried out concurrently to ensure J&K gets its mandated share of 1,150 cusecs of water. • Under the scheme, MoWR, RD&GR provides central assistance @ 90% of the balance cost of works component of irrigation and water supply. • The construction of Shahpur Kandi project was taken up in May 1999 but later halted in 2014 due to dispute between Punjab and J&K. Source: PIB

CGST Bill and IGST Bill approved • The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on 4 March 2017 approved the draft Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Bill and the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Bill. • With this, the Union Government can now take these two Bills to the Parliament for their passage in the Budget Session. Key provisions of the bill: • A State-wise single registration will be required for a taxpayer for filing returns, paying taxes and to fulfil other compliance requirements. • A taxpayer needs to file one single return state-wise to report all his supplies, whether made within or outside the State or exported out of the country and pay the applicable taxes on them. • A business entity with an annual turnover of up to Rs 20 lakhs will not be required to take registration in the GST regime, unless he voluntarily chooses to do so to be a part of the input tax credit (ITC) chain. • A business entity with turnover up to Rs 50 lakhs can avail the benefit of a composition scheme under which a much lower rate of tax will be paid. • In order to prevent cascading of taxes, ITC would be admissible on all goods and services used in the course or furtherance of business, except on a few items listed in the Law.

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• In the Services sector, the existing mechanism of Input Service Distributor (ISD) under the Service Tax law is retained to allow the flow of ITC in respect of input services within a legal entity. • To prevent lock-in of capital of exporters, a provision has been made to refund within seven days of filing the application for refund by an exporter. • An agriculturist, to the extent of supply of produce out of cultivation of land, will not be liable to take registration in the GST regime. • In order to provide certainty in tax matters, a provision has been made for an Advance Ruling Authority. • Exhaustive provisions for Appellate mechanism have been made. • An anti-profiteering provision has been incorporated to ensure that the reduction of tax incidence is passed on to the consumers. Goods and Services Tax: • GST is proposed uniform indirect taxation regime throughout the country. • It will merge most of the existing indirect taxes into single system of taxation. • It is consumption based tax levied on the supply of Goods and Services which will be levied and collected at each stage of sale or purchase of goods or services based on the input tax credit method. • GST will be a comprehensive indirect tax on manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services throughout India. • It was approved by The Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016. • It seeks to enhance fiscal federalism by removing indirect tax barriers across states and integrate the country into a common market, boosting government revenue and reducing business costs. Source: PIB

Tezu is now a vantage point • The newly constructed Tezu airport will be the first civilian airport of Arunachal Pradesh. Where is Tezu? • Tezu is the nearest town to Walong, where a legendary battle between Indian and Chinese soldiers took place in October 1962. Significance • Tezu will smoothen transport to several high-altitude districts near the India-China border. • The route to Tezu is critical from a strategic point of view as the Himalayan range, which became famous as ‘the hump’ during World War II, can be accessed only through the mountain roads that begin at Tezu. About Tezu • Tezu is an administrative headquarters of Lohit District in Arunachal Pradesh. • The ancient inhabitant of this land of valley and rivers are the Mishmi tribes. The Mishmi tribes have traditions and customs dating back to the times of Mahabharata. According to Hindu traditions, Lord Krishna’s first queen Rukmini was a Mishmi Damsel. • The major Mishmi God is Ringyajabmalu and the major Mishmi festival is known as Tamladu puja. It is celebrated each year on 15 February. People from all communities and all walks of life are invited to join in the celebrations. • Parsuram Kund, the main attraction is situated on the bank of Lohit river, one of the main tributaries of Brahmaputra River. Located within the Kamlang Reserve Forest area, each year, hundreds and thousands of devotees visits in Makar Sankranti on January 14. • The other major attraction in Tezu is Dong a small pristine valley where the Sun rises first on India. • Glow Lake another tourist attraction in Tezu, is located in Wakro Circle. Source: The Hindu

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Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signs ten (10) more Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) • The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into 10 more Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) pertaining to various sectors of economy like Telecom, Banking & Finance, Pharmaceutical, Steel, Retail and IT etc. • It includes 7 Unilateral APAs, 2 Bilateral APAs with the United Kingdom and Japan. • Seven of these Agreements have Rollback provisions in them. • With this, the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT has reached 140 (130 Unilateral APAs and 10 Bilateral APAs). • In current FY 2016-17, 76 APAs (61 Unilateral and 7 Bilateral APAs) were signed. • The CBDT expects more APAs to be concluded and signed before the end of the current fiscal. About the APA scheme: • The APA scheme was introduced in the Income-tax Act in 2012 and the “Rollback” provisions were introduced in 2014. • The scheme endeavours to provide certainty to taxpayers in the domain of transfer pricing by specifying the methods of pricing and setting the prices of international transactions in advance. • Since its inception, the APA scheme has attracted tremendous interest and that has resulted in more than 700 applications (both unilateral and bilateral) having been filed in just four years. Significance of the APA scheme: • The progress of the APA Scheme strengthens the Government’s mission of fostering a non- adversarial tax regime. What is the meaning of the APA? • An Advance Pricing Agreement (APA) is a contract, usually for multiple years, between a taxpayer and at least one tax authority (CBDT) specifying the pricing method that the taxpayer will apply to its related-company transactions. • These programmes are designed to help taxpayers voluntarily resolve actual or potential transfer pricing disputes in a proactive, cooperative manner, as an alternative to the traditional examination process. Source: PIB

SOCIAL Parliament Passes Mental Health Bill, 2016 • The Parliament passed the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016. • It will replace the Mental Health Act, 1987. • The Bill recognises the rights of mentally ill people to affordable treatment and also seeks to decriminalise suicide. • The bill aims to provide for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness and ensure these persons have the right to live a life with dignity by not being discriminated against or harassed. Key features of the bill Definition of mental illness: • The Bill describes mental illness as “a substantial disorder of thinking, mood, perception, orientation or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behaviour, capacity to recognise reality or ability to meet the ordinary demands of life, mental conditions associated with the abuse of alcohol and drugs.”

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Rights of persons with mental illness: • It gives every person right to access mental healthcare from services operated or funded by the government. • It also includes good quality, easy and affordable access to services. • It also provides right to equality of treatment, protect such persons from inhuman treatment, access to free legal services, medical records and right to complain in case of deficiencies in provisions. Advance Directive: • It empowers a mentally-ill person to have the right to make an advance directive that explains how they want to be treated for the requisite illness and nominate their representative. Mental Health Establishments: • Every mental health establishment must register with the respective Central or State Mental Health Authority. • For registration, the concerned establishment must fulfill different criteria as mentioned in the Bill. Procedure and process: • It also outlines the procedure and process for admission, treatment and subsequent discharge of mentally ill persons. Community based treatment: • It focuses on community based treatment and special provisions for women and health. Mental Health Review Commission and Board: • It will be quasi-judicial body responsible for reviewing procedure for making advance directives. • It will advise the government on the protection of rights of mentally ill persons’. • It will constitute Mental Health Review Boards in states’ districts will help of state governments. Decriminalising suicide: • It effectively decriminalises suicide attempt under the section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) by mentally ill persons by making it non-punishable Prohibits electro-convulsive therapy: • It will be not used for minors. It will be allowed only with the use of anaesthesia. Background • The Bill is the first mental health law framed as per the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to which India is signatory. It requires the countries to align their laws with the Convention. • The Bill provides “rights-based” approach to mental illness by consolidating and safeguarding the rights of fundamental human rights of the patients. • In India, around 6 to 7% of the population suffers from some kind of mental illnesses, while 1 to 2% suffers from acute mental disease. Source: The Hindu

Sahitya Akademi awardees cannot return award: HC • The Delhi High Court ruled that Sahitya Akademi awardees are not eligible to return their awards as they are granted after considerable deliberations. What’s the issue? • In 2015, several writers, poets and artists had returned their awards protesting against the Akademi’s “silence” on the murder of M M Kalburgi as well as against the atmosphere of “intolerance and communalism” in the backdrop of the Dadri lynching incident over rumours of beef consumption. • Opposing the return of awards, a PIL was moved in the high court for framing of guidelines to return the prize money received along with the awards. 85 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• The PIL had also sought framing of norms to protect the sanctity of the Sahitya Akademi Puraskar as is done for the National symbols. • It had also urged for strong punitive action against those who return such awards. Court’s ruling • The court dismissed the petition, saying since the Sahitya Akademi’s Constitution does not provide for taking back any award once given, “the issue sought to be raised by the petitioners deserves no further consideration”. • The court noted that the executive board of the Akademi in 2015 had resolved that awards once granted cannot be taken back and therefore, there was no need to formulate guidelines against the return of the awards. Source: Indian Express

‘Triple talaq not in SC purview’ • The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) recently told the Supreme Court that the court had no jurisdiction to hear petition challenging the practices of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy. • The Muslim body has called for judicial restraint as the issues in the petitions before the court fell within the legislative domain. Arguments put forth by AIMPLB • The Board said the validity of Mohammedan Law, founded essentially on the Koran and sources based on it, could not be tested on the particular provisions of the Constitution. • It said, the petitions, filed by a plethora of Muslim women against the practices, were misconceived. • The AIMPLB argued in an affidavit filed before the court that the preamble of the Constitution clearly enshrines values of liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. Background • The government had earlier opposed the AIMPLB stand in court that triple talaq was intended to save the family from delayed justice in conventional courts and to avoid mud- slinging in public. • The Board had contended that concern and sympathy for women lay at the core of polygamy. That it was a better option for a “barren” wife to allow her husband to marry a second time than let him indulge in a “mistress”. • The Centre had countered that in a secular democracy, any practice which left women socially, financially or emotionally vulnerable or subject to the whims and caprice of men folk was incompatible with the letter and spirit of Articles 14 and 15.” Source: The Hindu

Allow sale of unsold BS-III vehicles post April 1 deadline, Centre tells Supreme Court • The Supreme Court has asked automobile companies not to frustrate the government’s initiative to check increasing levels of pollution by selling BS-III vehicles which they are holding in stock. What’s the issue? • Companies have been seeking permission to sell their existing stock of BS-III vehicles even after Bharat Stage-IV emission norms come into force from April 1. • The motor companies are holding a stock of 8,24,275 BS-III vehicles, which includes 96,724 commercial vehicles, 6,71,308 two-wheelers, 40,048 three-wheelers and 16,198 cars.

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Court’s ruling • The Supreme Court, which is hearing pleas of automobile manufacturers, indicated that either it will ban registration of such vehicles or impose costs to compensate for the health hazards created by pollution. Government’s arguments • The Centre has come out in support of auto manufacturers and urged the Supreme Court to allow the companies to sell their existing stock of BS-III vehicles even after Bharat Stage-IV emission norms come into force from April 1. • The government has argued for the case on the following grounds: • The existing rules that govern migration of emission standards provide only for halting of manufacturing of vehicles that comply to the previous norms. • These rules have not been challenged or objected to at any stage. • The same set of rules was followed when the country moved on to BS III emission norms. • Sale and registration of BS III vehicles can continue as these vehicles do not become redundant. They can very well be run on BS IV fuel. • The stock of BS III vehicles that remain unsold account for a tiny fraction of the 19 crore vehicles already plying on the roads. Source: The Hindu

National Conference on Down Syndrome • National Conference on Down Syndrome was recently inaugurated in New Delhi. • The Conference was organized by The National Trust for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities under M/o SJ&E in collaboration with Muskaan, a registered organisation of the National Trust. • The conference called upon the people to provide all types of support and help to Persons with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome • Down Syndrome is a chromosomal condition associated with intellectual and learning disabilities. Causes: • Persons with Down Syndrome have 47 chromosomes as compared to 46 in majority of people. Impacts: • This one Extra chromosome causes its own impact and slows down learning process. • It impacts neurological functioning causing impairment of intellectual functions e.g. analytical thinking, complex abstractions and judgement etc. Treatment: • Good schooling, loving family, learning and work opportunities make them grow up to be responsible, loving and cheerful persons. • Their emotions and needs are like any other person of the same age. • Accepting and respecting family/community is a big support to their growth and development. Source: PIB

First Indian Sign Language Dictionary to be Released Soon • The Union Government is all set to release country’s first-of-its-kind Indian Sign Language (ISL) dictionary which aims to bring uniformity in sign languages used by hearing and speech impaired people. Key facts • It is being developed in both print and video format by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC).

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• It will give a uniform language to 50 lakh hearing and 20 lakh speech impaired people in the country. • ISL dictionary will contain graphic representations of popular signs used by the hearing impaired and also their regional variations. • So far, it has compiled 6,032 Hindi and English words and their corresponding graphic representation of the signs which are used in daily life. Significance of the dictionary • It will also have legal, technical and medical terms It will help bridge the communication gap by promoting the use of sign language for hearing impaired students at schools and colleges. • It will also enable government officials, teachers, community leaders, professionals and the public at large to learn and use sign language. • It will enable the public utility organisations like hospitals, banks, courts, airports, and others to utilise the services of interpreters. ISLRTC • Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) is an autonomous organization under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. • It was established under Society Registration Act, 1860. • Its main objectives are to develop manpower for teaching and conducting research in Indian Sign Language (ISL), promote use of ISL as an educational mode in collaboration with universities, national and international bodies. Source: Times of India

Labour Code to Provide Social Security Cover to All Workers • The Union Labour Ministry has proposed a labour code [‘draft code on Social Security and Welfare’] which will provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the country, including self-employed and agricultural workers. Key features of the draft code Aim: • Its aim is to provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the country of about 45 crore workers. Coverage: • It will cover every working person whether he/she belongs to the organised sector or the unorganised sector in the country under it. • Thus, for the first time, agricultural workers along with self-employed people will be covered under the social security cover. • Even factories employing single worker will have to contribute towards social security benefits. • It will cover any factory, mine, shop, plantation, charitable organisations and all establishments or households employing casual, fixed-term, part-time, informal, apprentice, domestic and home-based workers. • If such establishments or factories fail to contribute towards the social security schemes of the workers, they will be liable to pay compensation. • It even covers households employing domestic help and they will also have contribute towards schemes, including gratuity for the worker and provident fund. National Social Security Council: • It proposes, National Social Security Council (NSSC), chaired by the Prime Minister to streamline and make policy on social security schemes related to all the Ministries. • NSSC’s other members will include Union Finance Minister, Labour Minister, Health and Family Welfare Minister along with employer and employees’ representatives.

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• It will co-ordinate between central and State governments, monitor the implementation of social security schemes, regulate funds collected under various social security schemes, among others. Source: The Hindu

New Chairman of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis • Former BJP legislator from Gujarat Manhar Valjibhai Zala has assumed charge as Chairperson of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK). NCSK • National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) was established in 1994 to deal with the grievances of persons engaged in manual scavenging. • It has a sanctioned strength of four members and a chairperson. • It is statutory body established under National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993. • It aims to promote and safeguard the interests and rights of Safai Karamcharis. • Its mandate is to study, evaluate and monitor the implementation of various schemes for Safai Karamcharis as an autonomous organisation. Source: The Hindu

National Health Policy 2017 • The Union Union Cabinet approved the National Health Policy 2017. It will replace the previous policy which was framed 15 years ago in 2002. • It aims at providing healthcare in an “assured manner” to all by addressing current and emerging challenges arising from the ever changing socio-economic, epidemiological and technological scenarios. Highlights of National Health Policy, 2017 • It aims to raise public healthcare expenditure to 2.5% of GDP from current 1.4%, with more than two-thirds of those resources going towards primary healthcare. • It envisages providing a larger package of assured comprehensive primary healthcare through the ‘Health and Wellness Centers’. • It is a comprehensive package that will include care for major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), geriatric healthcare, mental health, palliative care and rehabilitative care services. • It proposes free diagnostics, free drugs and free emergency and essential healthcare services in all public hospitals in order to provide healthcare access and financial protection. • It seeks to establish regular tracking of disability adjusted life years (DALY) Index as a measure of burden of disease and its major categories trends by 2022. • It aims to improve and strengthen the regulatory environment by putting in place systems for setting standards and ensuring quality of healthcare. • It also looks at reforms in the existing regulatory systems both for easing drugs and devices manufacturing to promote Make in India and also reforming medical education. • It advocates development of mid-level service providers, public health cadre, nurse practitioners to improve availability of appropriate health human resource. • It highlights AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) as a tool for effective prevention and therapy that is safe and cost-effective. It proposes introducing Yoga in more schools and offices to promote good health. Targets • It aims to ensure availability of 2 beds per 1000 population to enable access within golden hour. • It proposes to increase life expectancy from 67.5 to 70 years by 2025. • It aims to reduce total fertility rate (TFR) to 2.1 at sub-national and national level by 2025. • It also aims to reduce mortality rate (MR) of children under 5 years of age to 23 per 1000 by 2025 and maternal mortality rate (MMR) to 100 by 2020.

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• It also aims to reduce infant mortality rate to 28 by 2019 and reduce neo-natal mortality to 16 and still birth rate to ‘single digit’ by 2025. Source: The Hindu

Ban lawmakers from practising other professions: plea in SC • A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to ban legislators from practising other professions, including as advocates. Why should it be banned? • As per the petition, many legislators who double up as advocates are even retainers of big corporate bodies entities, thus giving rise to a situation of conflict of interest between their constitutional duties as a legislator and a lawyer meant to vouchsafe the private interests of their client. • Currently, Public servants and members of the Judiciary are not permitted to practice other professions including to practice as an Advocate before the Court of Law but the People Representatives are allowed, which is against the spirit of Article 14 and 15 of the Constitution. • A Legislator enjoys better salary, allowance and post-retirement benefits than the public servants and members of Judiciary. Legislators are expected to put service to public and their constituents ahead of their personal interests. • Corruption cannot be curbed without having a uniform policy relating to conflict of interest and restricting legislators to practice other professions. Source: The Hindu

‘India’s ranking in women’s political empowerment moderate’: Women in Politics Map 2017 • In recently released 2017 Women in Politics Map report, India was ranked low at 148th position in representation of women in executive government. • The report was released by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women. • It was launched on sidelines of 61st Commission on Status of Women, the largest inter- governmental forum on women’s rights and gender equality. For 2017, the theme is on women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work. Highlights of the report Global: • Top 10 countries with highest women in parliament include Rwanda, Bolivia, Cuba, Iceland, Nicaragua, Sweden, Senegal, Mexico, Finland and South Africa. • The number of women in executive government and in the parliaments worldwide has stagnated, with only marginal improvements since 2015. • In Europe, the total percentage stood at 22.5%. In Nordic countries the number of female ministers fell by more than six per cent to 43.5%. • Women’s representation in the Americas made the most significant gains. Women’s participation in parliaments rose to 25% from 22.4% in 2015. But the region saw a drop in Heads of State. • In Africa, female ministers saw a decline in numbers, after years of steady growth. About 19.7% of the region’s ministerial posts are held by women. • In Asia, women hold 11% of ministerial posts. Indonesia tops in the region with 25.7% women representatives in the government. • Among the Arab States, 9.7% of senior executive posts are held by women. Tunisia and United Arab Emirates top in region with 23.1% and 26.7%, respectively. India: • The world ranking of the number of women parliamentarians placed India at number 148.

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• As per the report, women made up 11.8% of the Lok Sabha where 64 were elected to the 542- member house and 11% of the Rajya Sabha with 27 of the 245 members. • In terms of women ministers, India ranks 88 with only five ministers (18.5 per cent) in the cabinet. Source: Indian Express

WCD dept seeks CBI probe into duping in name of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ plan • The women and child development ministry has sought a CBI probe into complaints that over two lakh people in five states were allegedly duped in the name of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, one of the PM’s pet programme to address the dipping child sex ratio and empowering the girl child. • The ministry has also taken up the matter with the state authorities in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Bihar. What’s the issue? • According to the ministry, certain unauthorized elements are distributing illegal forms in the name of cash incentive under the scheme. The scheme has no provision for any cash incentives for individuals. BBBP scheme focuses on challenging mindsets and deep rooted patriarchy in the societal system in order to value girl child, strict enforcement of PC & PNDT Act, advancing education of the girl child: focus is on issues of women empowerment on a life cycle continuum. BBBP scheme • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme was launched on 22ndJanuary, 2015 at Panipat in Haryana. • It is a tri-ministerial effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development. • The scheme aims at improving the trend of declining child sex ratio (CSR) in the country— which, according to Census 2011 data, has plummeted from 945 in 1991 to 927 in 2001 and 918 in 2011—and promoting gender equality. • The scheme focuses on challenging mindsets and deep rooted patriarchy in the societal system, strict enforcement of PC&PNDT Act, advancing education of the girl child: focus is on issues of women empowerment on a life cycle continuum. • In the first phase, 100 districts with low CSR were selected for BBBP Scheme implementation for creating awareness and advocacy about the issue. • During the last one year, the BBBP Scheme is being implemented under the overall guidance and supervision of concerned District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioners. Source: PIB

Labour Ministry’s new rule to ensure employer hiring contract labour files unified annual return • In yet another initiative towards improving the ease of doing business in the country, the labour ministry has notified draft rule that would allow principal employer or contractor hiring contract labour to file a unified annual return under the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970. Under the rules • Under the rules, to be called as the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Central (Amendment) Rules, 2017, • Every contractor or principal employer shall upload a unified annual return in the Form XXIV specified in these rules on or before the February 1 following the close of the year to which it relates.

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• Besides, the employer or the principal contractor also have the option of filing the return manually or online. • The principal employer or contractor shall also file a Unified Annual Return to the concerned authorities manually. • In case, if, an employer maintains registers or records or reports in electronic form, such registers or records or reports shall also be taken into consideration. Background • Both the government and the corporate sector employ a large number of contract workers. Contract labour accounts for 55% of public sector jobs and 45% of those in the private sector. Only about 300,000 contract labourers out of an estimated 80 million are employed in the organised sector. Source: Economic Times

On computing ability, rural India is lost in the woods • An analysis of National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data reveals that the ability to use computers remains low in the country, in spite of campaigns for digitalisation. What is computing ability? • Computing ability is defined as an user’s ability to operate a desktop, laptop, palmtop, notebook, smartphone and tablets. • The study, supported by the Australian Research Council, claimed that ‘computing ability’ is not linked to digital infrastructure or internet penetration. Highlights of the NSSO survey • An estimated 8.8% of the rural population has computing ability. In urban areas, the figure is nearly four times higher, at 30.2%. • Among the major States, Kerala has the highest computing ability at 32.3% in rural areas, while Chhattisgarh has the lowest, 2.9%. • In the urban areas, Kerala is in second position, after Delhi. Tamil Nadu and Punjab are in the middle of the table. • Computing ability, measured from NSS data on Social Consumption and Education, was found to be the lowest in the tribal population. Source: The Hindu

Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed in the Parliament • Parliament has passed the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016. • The Bill seeks to amends the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. • The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha during the parliament session. The Bill had already been passed by the Rajya Sabha in August 2016 during the Winter Session. With this, the Bill stands passed in the Parliament. Provisions of the Bill • It seeks to increase maternity leave available to working women from the current 12 weeks to 26 weeks for the first two children. • Maternity leave for children beyond the first two will continue to be 12 weeks. • Maternity leave of 12 weeks to be available to mothers who adopt a child below the age of three months. • It also provides maternity leave of 12 weeks to the commissioning mothers. The commissioning mother is defined as biological mother who uses her egg to create an embryo planted in any other woman. • Every establishment with more than 50 employees to provide for crèche facilities for working mothers and such mothers will be permitted to make four visits during working hours to look after and feed the child in the crèche. • The employer may permit a woman to work from home if it is possible to do so.

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• Every establishment will be required to make these benefits available to the women from the time of her appointment. Background • The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 2016 by the Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya. • The amendment bill is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons. The amendments will help around 18 lakh women workforce in organised sector. Source: PIB

SC sets deadline for long-pending criminal cases in HC’s & Trial Courts across country • The Supreme Court on 10 March 2017 fixed deadlines for deciding long-pending criminal cases in high courts and trial courts across the country. Highlights of Supreme Court’s direction • The apex court said denial of speedy justice is a threat to public confidence in the administration of justice. • It said the fundamental right to speedy trial cannot be denied even on the plea of non- availability of financial resources. • Issuing a slew of directions to all high courts, the apex court asked them to issue directions to subordinate courts to decide bail pleas normally within one week. • Besides, it asked the high courts’ to ask magistrates to conclude trial in petty offences, where undertrials are in jails, within six months. • It said that the session’s court will have to conclude trials in serious offences within two years if the accused are in jail. It added that strict adherence to the timeline is ensured by making it a part of Annual Confidential Reports of judicial officers. • It said efforts be made to dispose of all cases which are five years old by the end of the year. • The bench also asked the high courts to prepare and issue as well as monitor appropriate action plans for subordinate courts. • The apex court said appropriate monitoring mechanism on the administrative side as well as on the judicial side be set up by high courts for speedy disposal of cases of undertrials pending in subordinate courts and appeals pending in high courts. Source: Times of India

Minorities’ panel has no member • The National Commission for Minorities (NCM), formed to protect the interests of minority communities, is left with no member. • The last member of the panel, Dadi E Mistri, a representative of the Parsi community, demitted office recently after completing his stipulated three-year term with the commission. • The government says the process of filling vacancies is on. NCM • The NCM was set up under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 to look into complaints from members of five religious communities — Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis). • Jain community was notified as a minority community in 2014. • Besides NCM, 15 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Assam, which are home to sizeable minority populace, have set up commissions at their respective levels. • Aggrieved persons belonging to the communities may approach the state minorities commissions concerned for redressal of their grievances or send their representations to the NCM after exhausting all avenues of remedies available.

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• The functions of the state commissions, inter-alia, are to safeguard and protect the interests of minorities provided in the Constitution and laws enacted by Parliament and state legislatures. Source: The Hindu

Nari Shakti Puraskars • President Pranab Mukherjee presented the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016 at a ceremony in New Delhi on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2017. Nari Shakti Puraskars • To acknowledge Women’s achievements, the Government of India confers Nari Shakti Puraskars on eminent women and institutions in recognition of their service towards the cause of women empowerment. • The Nari Shakti Awards were initiated in the year 1999. • The awards recognize the efforts made by women & institutions in rendering distinguished services for the cause of women, especially vulnerable and marginalized women. • The Ministry of Women and Child Development announces these national level awards for eminent women, organisations and institutions. • The Nari Shakti Puraskar carries a cash award of Rs.1 Lakh and a certificate for individuals and institutions. Eligibility for the Puraskars: • The Puraskars are open to all Indian Institutions, organisations and individuals. • The WCD Ministry invites nominations from the State Governments, Union Territory Administrations, concerned Central Ministries/Departments, Non-Governmental Organisations, Universities/ Institutions, private and public sector undertakings (PSUs) working for empowerment of women. • However, in exceptional cases, the Selection Committee may also, suo moto, recommend a person or institution for the award, with justification. Selection process for the Puraskars: • A Screening Committee to scrutinize and short list the nominations received for the Awards and a Selection Committee constituted for the purpose considers the achievements of organizations and individuals nominated or recommended for the Puraskars by the prescribed authority. • The outstanding contributions in the field are of primary consideration in identifying the recipients of Puraskars. • The final selections of the Awardees are made by the National Selection Committee which takes into account the recommendations of the Screening Committee. • The National Selection Committee may at its discretion also consider individuals other than those recommended by the State Governments/Central Ministries. Source: PIB

India first in bribery rate, says global NGO Transparency International • According to recent survey released by Transparency International (TI), India had highest bribery rate among the 16 Asia-Pacific countries surveyed between July 2015 and January 2017. • The survey was conducted among more than 21,000 people in the region. • It revealed that more than one in four people, when accessing basic services like medicine, education or water. • For the purpose of this survey, TI concentrated on bribes paid for procuring six key public services viz public schools, public hospitals, official documents (such as identification card, voters card), public utility services, the police and courts.

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Highlights of the Survey: • 69% of the study group in India said that they have paid a bribe, done a favour or given a gift to receive services. • Vietnam follows this suit with 65%, Thailand 41% and Pakistan 40%. China reported a much lower 26%. • Japan had the lowest incidence of bribery at 0.2% followed by South Korea and Australia recorded 3% each, Hong Kong 2% and Taiwan 6%. • In India, nearly seven in 10 people who had accessed public services in the country have payed bribe. • 46% to 60% of Indians said they have paid bribes for various public services, including in public schools and hospitals, getting IDs, voter cards and permits and accessing utilities and police and court services as well. • Police, a key law and order institution suffer most from corruption. Nearly two in five people in the region mentioned the police were mostly or entirely corrupt (39%). • They also perceived political decision-makers at both the national and local level to be highly corrupt. Legislative representatives, officials and local councillors were also highly corrupt (from 35 to 37%). • Religious leaders were seen as far cleaner, with fewer than one in five were highly corrupt (18%). Transparency International (TI): • TI is an international non-governmental organization based in Berlin, Germany. • Its purpose is to take action to combat corruption and prevent criminal activities arising from corruption. • It publishes annually Corruption Perceptions Index and Global Corruption Barometer What should India do? • As per the survey report, at the state level, anti-corruption policies must be focussed on catering to the poor. Uniform best practices for state levl lokayuktas must be agreed upon and any overlaps with other law enforcement agencies must be resolved at the earliest. • At the national level, India needs to urgently align its foreign bribery laws with its UNCAC (United Nations Convention against Corruption) obligations. Signing OECD anti-bribery commission is key in this process. The legal infrastructure for public procurement in India falls under the remit of the General Financial Rules. • TI recommends that a national procurement law that incorporates international best practices including debarment, appeal processes and a review processes be enacted. This will substantially reduce fraud in public contracting which will in turn affect the quality of public service delivery. For grand corruption, a key step would be to set up effective enabling regulations and institutions for the LokPal. • 63% of the respondents in India felt that they as individuals had the power to fight corruption. Across the region, people thought that reporting corruption (22%) followed by refusing to pay bribes (21%) were most effective. Over a half of the respondents from India were positive about the government’s efforts to combat bribery. Source: The Hindu

Kurukh language given official status by Bengal government • West Bengal Government has given official language status to endangered tribal language Kurukh, mother tongue belonging to the Dravidian family. • It was given this status by the state government last month and but was announced recently by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Key Facts • In West Bengal, it is spoken by Oraon tribal community who live in Dooars (alluvial floodplains in northeastern India that lie south of outer foothills of Himalayas and north of Brahmaputra River basin). 95 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• Most of the tribal languages in West Bengal have their origins in the Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Barman families. But Kurukh is an exception which has its origin from the Dravidian family is Malto, which is not spoken in West Bengal, but in the Jharkhand’s Rajmahal hills area. • Santhali, Munda and Hoe languages spoken in state that belong to Austro-Asiastic family, while the languages spoken by the Tamang, Lepcha and Bhutia tribes of the Darjeeling hills are of the Tibeto-Burman group. Kurukh language: • Kurukh language belongs to subfamily of Dravidian languages, spoken by some 17 lakh people (2001 census report) of the Oraon tribes of Chota Nagpur plateau of east-central India. • It is closely related to Kumarbhag Paharia and Sauria Paharia languages, which are together referred to as Malto. Its script is called Tolong Siki. • The language has been listed “vulnerable” state in UNESCO’s list of endangered languages. • Jharkhand has recognised Kurukh as a language and its script in 2003. It allows students can write their school final examination in its script. Source: the Hindu

A Government Panel recommends legal framework for protection of interests of migrants in the country • The ‘Working Group on Migration’ headed by Partha Mukhopadhay has recently submitted its report to the union government. • The panel appointed by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) in 2015 had suggested necessary legal and policy framework should be brought to protect the interests of the migrants in the country. Major recommendations made by the panel: • The panel said the migrant population makes a substantial contribution to economic growth and their constitutional rights should be secured. • It suggests that the protocols of the registrar general of India should be amended to enable caste-based enumeration of migrants. This will help them to avail the attendant benefits in the states to which the migration takes place. • Migrants should be enabled to avail benefits of public distribution system (PDS) in the destined state by providing interstate operability of PDS. • To promote rental housing and working Women Hostels for the benefit of migrants, the panel has suggested the use of the underutilised construction workers welfare cess fund. • To end any discrimination in work and employment, the states should be encouraged to eliminate the requirement of domicile status. For this, the panel talks about the constitutional right of freedom of movement and residence in any part of the territory of India. • It suggests that the state government should be asked to include migrant children in the Annual Work Plans under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) to uphold their Right to Education. • It suggests that banks should be enabled to adhere to the RBI guidelines regarding the Know Your Customer (KYC) norms while opening the bank accounts of the migrants. It should not ask for documents that are not required. • The working group also suggested that the vast network of post offices should be made effective as it will help in reducing the cost of transfer of money to avoid informal remittances. Background • According to census 2011 and National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), migrants constitute about 30% of the country’s population and also of the total working force.

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• 2016-17 Economic Survey also noted that annual migration in the country increased to 9.00 million in 2016 from 3.30 million in 2011. Source: PIB

NFHS 4 shows improved sex ratio, decline in infant mortality rate • Union Health Ministry unveiled the National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4) in New Delhi. • The survey conducted for the year 2015-16 says that India’s health index has made a notable improvement over the last decade. • The report suggests that there has been a decline in the infant mortality and improvement was visible in the sex ratio with more institutional deliveries and wider vaccine coverage. The survey • The survey is based on information collected from 6 lakh households, 1.3 lakh men and 7 lakh women. This is the first time that the data is providing district level estimates. Highlights of the survey: Sex Ratio at birth: • It improved from 912 to 919 females per 1000 males at the national level over the last decade. • Kerala that has the highest sex ratio of at 1047 is followed by Meghalaya at 1009. • Haryana also witnessed a significant increase from 762 to 836. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): • It declined to 41 per 1000 from 51 per 1000 live births between NFHS-3 which was conducted in 2005-06. • The report says that the IMR declined by more than 20 percentage points in West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh. • IMR during the NFHS-1 (1992-93) was recorded as 79 per 1000 live births. Total Fertility Rate: • Total Fertility Rate also declined to 2.2 children per woman from 2.7 in NFHS-3 with considerable decline in the TFR in each of the 30 states with the maximum decline observed in Uttar Pradesh at 1.1 child followed by Nagaland at 1.0 child, Bihar, however, failed to register substantial decline. Immunisation Coverage: • The survey also says Children within the age of 12-23 months have been fully immunised (BCG, measles and 3 doses each of polio). • This immunisation coverage has increased by 29 percentage points in Bihar, Punjab and Meghalaya, while it saw an increase by 28 percentage points in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. • The DPT has increased by 18 percentage points from 44 per cent in NFHS-3 to 62 per cent in NFHS-4. Institutional Births: • It increased by 40 percentage points from 38.7 per cent in NFHS-3 to 78.9 per cent in NFHS- 4. • It seems that the institutional births have dramatically increased due to the targeted approach through Janani Suraksha Yojana. Underweight children: • It saw a decline in percentage by 7 percentage points. Anemia: • It saw a substantial decline among children aged 6 to 59 months as it declined to 58 per cent in NFHS-4 from 69 per cent of NFHS-3. • Maximum decrease was seen in Assam (34 percentage points), Chhattisgarh (30 percentage points), Mizoram (26 percentage points) and Odisha (20 percentage points).

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Contraceptive prevalence rate: • It increased by 7 percentage points to 54 per cent in NFHS-4 among the newly married women. • Its rate in previous NFHS’s was 41 per cent in NFHS-1, 48 per cent in NFHS-2, 46 per cent in NFHS-3 (contraceptive prevalence rate decreased by 2 percentage points from NFHS-3). Others: • Besides, the supplementary nutrition and efforts at the health facilities have helped in decreasing the cases of malnutrition. Mortality due to malnutrition has also seen the same trend. Source: Economic Times

DEFENCE Navy gets IAAMS, a New Weather Monitoring System • Indian Navy unveiled an Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological System (IAAMS) which is expected to bring accuracy in weather monitoring mechanism in the Indian Navy. • The IAAMS was launched at Rajali Air Station in Tamil Nadu. Key facts • The aim of IAAMS is to modernise the meteorological infrastructure of the nine Naval Air Stations (NAS). • The IAAMS project will give a major fillip to aviation safety, through automation of weather monitoring process. • Equipped with the state-of-the-art meteorological sensors, IAAMS undertakes automatic and continuous recording of relevant weather parameters that are vital for accurate weather forecasting. • It has a special alarm feature that alerts the duty staff during abnormal change of weather parameters that may affect safe flying operations. • The system can also provide automatic dissemination of routine weather reports as per standards followed by the World Meteorological Organisation to other air stations and Air Traffic Controller towers without human intervention. • Installation of the system at remaining eight stations is expected to be completed by March 2019. Source: PIB

Find alternatives to pellet guns: SC • The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to come up with alternatives to pellet guns used by security forces against agitators and stone-pelting mobs on the streets of Jammu and Kashmir. • The court reminds the government that it is a ‘welfare state’ meant to protect all without causing harm to none. • The court expressed its concern about how minors, students and innocent by-passers of the Valley become collateral damage, sometimes scarred permanently for life, in the battle for the streets between forces and the mobs. • For their sake and that of their parents and loved ones, the court asked the government to consider other alternatives to quell the mobs. • The centre informed the court that security personnel battle for their own lives and use these guns, at the minimum, as a means of self-defence, and at the most, to bring law and order back on the streets. Background • In December 2016, the Supreme Court sought a similar assurance from the Jammu and Kashmir government to avoid the “indiscriminate” use of pellet guns on protesters in the restive State. 98 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• The court’s recent reservations about the use of pellet guns without “proper application of mind” came while hearing a petition filed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association. What are pellet guns? • They are a form of non-lethal crowd control methods used by police and military worldwide. • The other popular methods are tear gas, water cannon, pepper spray, taser guns etc. • Pellet guns are also popular in hunting and pest control. What are they intended for? • Pellets guns are intended to injure individuals and cause pain. They are effective over short ranges up to 500 yards but when fired from close quarters can be lethal, particularly when sensitive parts like eyes are hit. Pellets can penetrate soft tissues. • Security forces were asked to open minimal fire at protesters and if necessary “below their waist.” How does a pellet look like? • A cartridge of a pellet gun contains few hundred pellets made of Lead. Pellets can be of various shapes either like ball bearings or irregular. • When fired, the cartridge disperses few hundred pellets over few hundred metres depending on the type. Who manufactures them? • Pellet guns are manufactured at the Ordinance Factory, Ishapore. When were they introduced? • They are used by Jammu & Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). They were first introduced in August 2010. The CRPF has 600 such guns. Where are they put to use? • These guns are used in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas but they are mostly used in the Kashmir Valley. Source: The Hindu

Government Approves Shekatkar Committee Recommendations to Reform Military • The Union Defence Ministry has approved most of the proposals of a committee of experts, headed by Lt General (retired) DB Shekatkar to bring host of reforms in the military and improve financial management. • Around 90 recommendations have been of the committee were approved. • Most of these recommendations are measures to increase coordination among the three Services and cut down flab in Army to make it lean and agile. Major recommendations of Committee Huge savings • If recommendations of committee are implemented over the next five years, government can save up to Rs. 25,000 crore from the current defence expenditure. • Most of the recommendations are measures to cut down flab in the Army to make it lean and agile and increase coordination among the three Services. Capital expenditure: • Roll-on defence budget must have enough capital expenditure available for modernisation. It must be against the present practice of surrendering unspent capital budget at the end of each financial year. Performance audit: • It must be conducted of non-combat organisations under the Defence Ministry. It must include those dealing with defence estates and accounts, Director- General of Quality Assurance, Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and National Cadet Corps (NCC).

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Downsizing or rationalisation of manpower: • It will lead to significant savings. Joint services War College: It must be established for training middle-level officers. Reduce deployment of active-duty soldiers in avoidable postings: • They will be replaced by retired officers and jawans in the running of NCC. Comprehensive reforms in the running of NCC: • Transfer of NCC out of the Defence Ministry to the HRD Ministry: NCC can be run by re- employed or on-contract ex-service personnel. Source: The Hindu

Indian Navy gets three naval systems from DRDO • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has handed over three naval systems to the Indian Navy. • These latest systems will significantly enhance the navy’s navigation and communication network. Three naval systems are 1. USHUS-II Submarine Sonar: • The USHUS-II is a highly evolved compendium of multiple sensors. • The constituent sonars in the suite include passive sonar, active sonar, intercept sonar, obstacle avoidance sonar and underwater telephony. 2. Directing Gear for Hull Mounted Sonar Array: • It is an electro-mechanical system that supports the transducer array of hull-mounted ship sonar systems. • It rotates the sonar systems at a controlled speed for in-situ acoustic calibration at harbour and sea. 3. RLG based Inertial Navigation System for Ship Applications (INS-SA): • The Inertial Navigation System (INS) is based on indigenous Ring Laser Gyroscopes (RLG). • It features high speed processor, multi-constellation Sat Nav receiver, ship specific interfaces and innovative algorithms. • It provides vital information on the ship’s position coordinates and directs a ship towards its destination accurately. Two Other products • Defence Minister also released two other products developed by DRDO, namely IP-based secure phone: • It incorporates an indigenous encryption algorithm on a “trustworthy hardware platform”. • It will provide high level of secrecy to voice and data, for communication of strategic and tactical plans of the Armed Forces. Gallium Nitride Technology: • It will substantially help in the development of next generation radars, seekers and communication systems, for application in Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Source: Economic Times

29 lakh debit cards subjected to malware attack: Government • In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the Union Government has announced that total of 29 lakh debit cards were subjected to malware attack in through ATMs that were connected with the switch of Hitachi. • As reported by commercial banks, 29 lakh cards used at ATMs that were connected to switch of Hitachi were subjected to malware attack. • However, the successful attempt of misuse of compromised cards reported to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by banks was only 3,291.

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Steps taken after security breach • The Hitachi Payment Services (HPS) had appointed SISA Infosec for The Payment Card Industry (PCI) forensic investigation. • The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) had not carried out independent investigation. • The forensic report suggested that the only ATM infrastructure of HPS was breached and not the POS (point of sale) infrastructure. • RBI had advised banks to improve and maintain customer awareness and education with regard to cyber security risks. • RBI also has set up a Cyber Security and IT Examination (CSITE) Cell within its Department of Banking Supervision in 2015. • The central bank also had issued a comprehensive circular in June 2016 covering best practices pertaining to various aspects of cyber security. • It had instructions on banks cyber-security framework, asking them to put in place a board- approved cyber security policy, make arrangement for continuous surveillance and prepare a cyber-crisis management plan. Source: Indian Express

Parliamentary panel fumes as NATGRID posts remain vacant • A parliamentary panel has asked the Home Ministry to re-publicise the vacant NATGRID posts and offer remuneration commensurate with that of the private sector to attract the most qualified professionals. What’s the issue? • The Union Home Ministry recently informed a parliamentary panel that it couldn’t get qualified IT professionals to fill 35 posts in the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), an ambitious intelligence project conceptualised by the United Progressive Alliance government after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. Observations made by the committee • The committee observed that: a. In a country like India, known worldwide for its highly skilled IT professionals, it is simply not acceptable that the non-availability of professionals was the reason for not filling the 35 posts of consultants. b. Either the Ministry had failed to publicise the posts widely or the remuneration being offered was not attractive enough.” What is National Intelligence Grid or NATGRID? • Conceived in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) is a centralised agency which stores sensitive personal information on citizens from almost two dozen agencies to be made available for counter-terror investigations. • It is a counter terrorism measure that collects and collates a host of information from government databases including tax and bank account details, credit card transactions, visa and immigration records and itineraries of rail and air travel. • The grid will provide an intelligence database that would have networked 21 sets of data sources to provide quick and secure access of information to about 10 intelligence and law- enforcement agencies including the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and R&AW. In what ways, it is different from NIA and NCTC • The National Investigating Agency and the National Counter Terrorism Centre are two organisations established in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks of 2008. • Unlike the NCTC and the NIA which are central organisations, the NATGRID is essentially a tool that enables security agencies to locate and obtain relevant information on terror suspects from pooled data of various organisations and services in the country. • It will help identify, capture and prosecute terrorists and help pre-empt terrorist plots.

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Criticisms of NATGRID • NATGRID faced opposition on charges of possible violations of privacy and leakage of confidential personal information. • Its efficacy in preventing terror has also been questioned given that no state agency or police force has access to its database thus reducing chances of immediate, effective action. • NATGRID claims to be protected by several structural and procedural safeguards and oversight mechanisms including that of external audits and technology safeguards. Source: The Hindu

India successfully test-fires BrahMos supersonic cruise missile • India successfully test-fired the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile, which is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kg, from a test range along the Odisha coast. • The purpose of the test was to validate the capabilities of the missile. Key features of BrahMos Missile • BrahMos Missile is the first supersonic cruise missile system known to be in service, developed as part of a joint venture between India and Russia. • The missile derives its name from the names of two rivers, namely the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia. • The missile is capable of carrying a conventional as well as nuclear warhead of 300 kilograms. • The BrahMos is a multi-stage missile having a solid propellant in the first stage and the ramjet liquid propellant in the second stage. • It can be launched from land, sea, sub-seas and air. • It operates on ‘Fire and Forget Principle’ by adopting varieties of flights on its way to the target. • It approaches the enemy target with a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the US subsonic Tomahawk Cruise Missile System. • The missile has been developed by the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. • It is a joint venture between the Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroeyenia and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). • While the navy and army versions of the missile were inducted in 2005 and 2007 respectively, the air version is still in the testing stage. MTCR

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• The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a multilateral export control regime. • It is an informal and voluntary partnership among 35 countries (India became the 35th country to join the regime) to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology. • Established in April 1987 by the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, and the United States), the voluntary MTCR aims to limit the spread of ballistic missiles and other unmanned delivery systems that could be used for chemical, biological, and nuclear attacks. • MTCR aims at restricting the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogramme payload for at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). • The items included under MTCR guidelines are divided into Category I (complete rocket and unmanned aerial vehicle systems) and Category II (dual use missile related components and systems). Source: LiveMint

Sashastra Seema Bal signed MoU with NSDC & NSDF • The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) for execution of skill development programmes. Key facts • Under the MoU, the SSB will be able to provide gainful employment to the retiring and retired personnel of SSB. • It will help the personnel in resettlement through the generation of second career option. • The MoU will establish a framework under which the dependents of SSB personnel as well as locals, school dropouts, victims and potential victims of human trafficking will also be benefited directly in the area or the region where SSB is deployed. • Under the MoU, skill development training programmes will be organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. • Sectors like apparel, food processing, beauty and wellness, automotive, security and sports will be given emphasis for the said programme. Sashastra Seema Bal • The Special Service Bureau (now Sashastra Seema Bal) was conceived in November 1962 and eventually created in March 1963. • It was established with the sole objective of achieving ‘total security preparedness’ in the remote border areas for performing a ‘stay-behind’ role in the event of a war. • Presently, SSB has been deployed with its mandate to guard 1751 kilometers of Indo-Nepal and 699 kilometers of Indo-Bhutan borders. • The force is also active in Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh for anti-Naxal operations (ANO) duties. Source: PIB

INS Tillanchang commissioned • India Navy has commissioned INS Tillanchang at Karwar, Karnataka. • It is a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC). Background • INS Tillanchang is the third ship of four follow-on WJFAC built by the Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). • The first two ships INS Tarmugli and INS Tihayu which were commissioned in 2016.

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• These ships will play a vital role in light of India’s security environment. They are designed to take on both conventional and asymmetric threats. INS Tillanchang: • INS Tillanchang has been indigenously designed and built and is an upgrade from the Chetlat class of Fast Attack Craft (FCA). • INS Tillanchang will be based at Karwar under the operational control of the Flag Officer Commanding, Karnataka Naval Area. It is manned by 50 personnel. • It is about 50 m long and powered by three waterjet propulsion system, which give it speeds of over 35 knots. • It is armed with a 30 mm main gun and a number of light, medium and heavy machine guns to undertake operations at sea. • It will be used for missions like Coastal and Off-shore Surveillance, Law Enforcement, EEZ Control as well as non-military missions such as Search and Rescue, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). Source: The Hindu

World’s oldest aircraft carrier INS Viraat decommissioned • The world’s longest serving warship INS Viraat was decommissioned by the Indian Navy at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra after nearly six decades of service. Key facts about INS Viraat: • INS Viraat holds Guinness Books of record of being the longest serving warship in the world. • It was also the last British-built ship serving with the Indian Navy. • It was built in 1943, during the Second World War. • It was commissioned as the Royal British Navy’s HMS Hermes in 1959 and decommissioned in 1984. • It was sold to India in 1987 and served the navy for 27 years. • It had played a major role in Operation Jupiter in 1989 in the Sri Lankan peace keeping operation. • It also had participated in the standoff Operation Parakram in 2001-20012 when India and Pakistan were engaged in a standoff post the Parliament terror attack. • The ship sailed for the last time under its own power in July 2016 from Mumbai to Kochi where it was dry-docked and prepared for decommissioning. Source: LiveMint

DRDO Hands Over its Developed Products to Indian Army • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over three of its products for induction into the Indian Army at a function in New Delhi. The three new products are: 1. Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), SWATHI • It was developed by the DRDO’s Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE). • The radar provides fast, automatic and accurate location of all enemy weapons like mortars, shells and rockets firing within in its effective zone of coverage. • The SWATHI simultaneously handles multiple projectiles fired from different weapons at different locations. • The system is capable of adjusting the fire of our own artillery weapon also. • The weapon includes 81mm or higher calibre mortars, 105mm or higher calibre shells and 120mm or higher calibre free flying rockets. • Thus WLR has two roles to perform – Weapon Location Mode for enemy artillery and Direction of Own artillery Fire (DOOAF) Mode for our own artillery.

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2. NBC Recce Vehicle Mk-I • The NBC Recce Vehicle Mk-I was developed by Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (VRDE). • It carries out post-event recce of nuclear, biological and chemical contaminated areas. • It is capable of collecting solid and liquid samples of biologically contaminated areas, mark the nuclear and chemical contamination zone and transfer the recce data speedily to support formations. 3. NBC Drugs • The drugs were developed by the DRDO’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS). • INMAS has carried out extensive research and laboratory trials in the past two decades to develop formulations for use as antidotes and de-corporating agents for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies. • Out of the several formulas developed by INMAS, 15 drugs have been identified for induction. Source: PIB

Indian Navy successfully test-Fires anti-ship missile from Kalvari Submarine • The Indian Navy successfully conducted the maiden firing of an anti-ship missile from an INS Kalvari class submarine. • The test firing was conducted in the Arabian Sea and the missile successfully hit a surface target at extended ranges during the trial firing. Features of INS Kalvari: • INS Kalvari is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine. These submarines are based on the Scorpene-class submarine being built for the Indian Navy. • While INS Kalvari is designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, they are being manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. • All six Kalvari class submarines being built in India will be equipped with anti-ship missiles. • These missiles will provide the submarines the ability to neutralise surface threats at extended ranges and boost India’s maritime security. Source: Times of India

Successful Test Firing of AAD Endo-Atmospheric Interceptor Missile • Indigenously developed supersonic Advance Area Defence (AAD) interceptor missile was successfully test-fired from launch complex III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island in Balasore, Odisha. • The supersonic interceptor missile is capable of destroying any incoming enemy ballistic missile at low altitude. • The successful test validates the reliability of its two layered Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system. Key Features of missile: • The AAD interceptor missile has been indigenously developed by DRDO. It is a 7.5-metre- long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile. • It is equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer, inertial navigation system and an electro-mechanical activator. • It can destroy the incoming hostile ballistic missile in the endo-atmospheric region (less than 30 km altitude) at a low altitude of less than 30 kms. • It has its own mobile launcher, secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars. 105 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

Background • The Research Centre Imarat (RCI) of the DRDO has played pivotal role in the development of all strategic missiles, spearheaded under the India’s double-layered ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme. • The BMD consists of two interceptor missiles, Advanced Area Defence (AAD) missile for endo-atmosphere or lower altitudes and Prithvi Defence Vehicle for exo-atmospheric ranges. • The DRDO expects deployment of BMD shield by 2022. • India will be fourth country in the world after the US, Russia and Israel to successfully built effective anti-ballistic missile system. • Earlier in February 2017, DRDO had successfully carried out test of the exo-atmospheric Pirthivi interceptor missile destroying the target outside the earth’s atmosphere at an altitude of over 85 km. Source: The Hindu

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Sands of Saturn’s moon Titan are Electrically Charged • Scientists have, for the first time, discovered that the sands or particles that are spread all over the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan are ‘electrically charged’. The discovery • Experiments suggest the particles that cover the surface of Saturn’s moon, Titan, are ‘electrically charged.’ • When the wind blows hard enough, Titan’s non-silicate granules get kicked up and start to hop in a motion. • As they collide, they become frictionally charged, like a balloon rubbing against your hair, and clump together in a way not observed for sand dune grains on Earth — they become resistant to further motion. • They maintain that charge for days or months at a time and attach to other hydrocarbon substances, much like packing peanuts used in shipping boxes here on Earth. Significance of this discovery • This discovery may help explain an odd phenomenon — prevailing winds on Titan blow from east to west across the moon’s surface, but sandy dunes nearly 300 feet tall seem to form in the opposite direction. About Titan • Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. • It is the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object in space other than Earth where clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found. • Titan is the sixth ellipsoidal moon from Saturn. • Frequently described as a planet-like moon, Titan is 50% larger than Earth’s Moon, and it is 80% more massive. • It is the second-largest moon in the Solar System, after Jupiter’s moon Ganymede, and is larger than the smallest planet, Mercury, but only 40% as massive. • Titan’s atmosphere is composed of 98% nitrogen. • Minor components lead to the formation of methane and ethane clouds and nitrogen-rich organic smog. • With its liquids (both surface and subsurface) and robust nitrogen atmosphere, Titan’s methane cycle is analogous to Earth’s water cycle, at the much lower temperature of about 94 K (−179.2 °C). Source: The Hindu, Wiki

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Planetary Waves, First Found On Earth, Are Discovered On Sun • Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research have found evidence that the same giant, magnetised waves that ripple through Earth’s atmosphere might also exist on our Sun. • These waves are known as Rossby or planetary waves, and they usually occur way above Earth’s surface, influencing weather patterns and the jet stream winds. • But this is the first time the waves have been spotted on the Sun. Rossby waves • On Earth, Rossby waves occur both in the atmosphere and in the oceans, and they form in rotating fluids. • In the atmosphere, Rossby waves are associated with the path of the jet stream and the formation of low- and high-pressure systems, which in turn influence local weather events. • In the ocean, a huge Rossby wave have been spotted travelling westward around the planet, and is responsible for a strange humming sound coming from the Caribbean sea. Background • Scientists have previously hypothesized that the sun could host Rossby waves, but observing wave patterns on the sun is difficult. The discovery • Scientists lacked the tools to distinguish this wave pattern until recently. It is because, unlike Earth, which is scrutinized at numerous angles by satellites in space, scientists historically have been able to study the Sun from only one viewpoint: as seen from the direction of Earth. • But for a brief period, from 2011 to 2014, scientists had the unprecedented opportunity to see the Sun’s entire atmosphere at once. • During that time, observations from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which sits between the Sun and the Earth, were supplemented by measurements from NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) mission, which included two spacecraft orbiting the Sun. • Collectively, the three observatories provided a 360-degree view of the Sun until contact was lost with one of the STEREO spacecraft in 2014. The data collected during the window of full solar coverage was studied to see if the large-scale wave patterns might emerge. Significance of the discovery • The discovery could explain why solar activity such as solar storms and flares are so hard for us to predict. • It also offers the tantalising possibility that we can predict space weather much further in advance. Source: Economic Times

Massive Brown Dwarf 750 Light Years Away • Scientists have identified a record-breaking brown dwarf, which possesses the ‘purest’ composition that is about 90 times as massive as the planet Jupiter, located 750 light years away in the outermost reaches of our galaxy. The discovery • The new object, known as SDSS J0104+1535, is located 750 light years away in the constellation of Pisces. • It is made of gas that is around 250 times purer than the Sun, hence consists of more than 99% hydrogen and helium. • Estimated to have formed about 10 billion years ago, measurements also suggest that it has a mass equivalent to 90 times that of Jupiter, making it the most massive brown dwarf found to date.

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• It was previously not known if brown dwarfs could form from such primordial gas, and the discovery points the way to a larger undiscovered population of extremely pure brown dwarfs from our Galaxy’s ancient past • The researchers have classified SDSS J0104+1535 as an L-type ultra-subdwarf using its optical and near-infrared spectrum, which has been measured using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). What are brown dwarfs? • Brown dwarfs are objects which have a size between that of a giant planet like Jupiter and that of a small star. • In fact, most astronomers would classify any object with between 15 times the mass of Jupiter and 75 times the mass of Jupiter to be a brown dwarf. • Given that range of masses, the object would not have been able to sustain the fusion of hydrogen like a regular star; thus, many scientists have dubbed brown dwarfs as “failed stars”. Very Large Telescope • The Very Large Telescope (VLT) is a telescope facility operated by the European Southern Observatory on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. • The VLT consists of four individual telescopes, each with a primary mirror 8.2 m across, which are generally used separately but can be used together to achieve very high angular resolution. • The four separate optical telescopes are known as Antu, Kueyen, Melipal and Yepun, which are all words for astronomical objects in the Mapuche language. • The VLT operates at visible and infrared wavelengths. • Each individual telescope can detect objects roughly four billion times fainter than can be detected with the naked eye, and when all the telescopes are combined, the facility can achieve an angular resolution of about 0.001 arc-second. This is equivalent to roughly 2 meters resolution at the distance of the Moon. • The VLT is the most productive ground-based facility for astronomy, with only the Hubble Space Telescope generating more scientific papers among facilities operating at visible wavelengths. Source: The Hindu

Scientists Switch On the World’s Largest ‘Artificial Sun’ • Scientists from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) have switched on world’s largest artificial sun – a device developed to help shed light on new ways of making climate-friendly fuels. What is it? • The artificial sun is giant honeycomb-like set-up of 149 spotlights, officially known as Synlight. It is located in Juelich. • It uses xenon short-arc lamps normally found in cinemas to simulate natural sunlight. Key Facts • The aim of Synlight experiment is to develop an optimal setup for concentrating natural sunlight to power a reaction to produce hydrogen fuel. • Its goal is to eventually use actual sunlight rather than the artificial light produced using electricity which is costly and requires as much electricity in four hours as a four-person household would use in a year. • Using the array, scientists are seeking to produce the equivalent of 10,000 times the amount of solar radiation by focusing the entire array on a single 8×8 in spot (20*20cm). • When light from all the lamps is aligned to concentrate on a single spot, it can generate temperatures of around 3,500 degree Celsius i.e. temperature two to three times of a blast furnace. Significance of this experiment 108 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, but on earth it is relatively rare. One way to manufacture hydrogen is to split water (H2O) into its two elemental components – Hydrogen and oxygen, using electricity in electrolysis process. Synlight experiment will bypass usage of electricity by tapping into the enormous amount of solar energy that reaches Earth from sun. Hydrogen obtained from it will be used to be used in fuel cells, a clean source of energy that does not produce carbon emissions. Source: The Hindu

ISRO sends 4 teams to 36th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has joined the 36th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (36-ISEA) organised by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR). Key facts • The main objective of this expedition is to install stakes on ice for Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) measurements around two Indian bases Bharati and Maitri in Antartica. • It will validate glacier surface velocity derived from satellite data to estimate thickness of snow over land and sea ice using Ground Penetrating Radars (GPR’s). • It will also verify conditions of snow over sea and land ice. ISRO teams will also study of snow melt and freeze dynamics in Antarctica using space-based and ground-based observations. • It will also study measurements of Atmospheric Black Carbon (BC), greenhouse gases and solar radiation fluxes at Antarctica on a long-term basis. Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA): • ISEA is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program conducted every year by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences. It was started in 1981. • It has gained global acceptance after India signed Antarctic Treaty. • Subsequently, India had constructed Dakshin Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983. It was superseded by the Maitri base from 1990. • India’s newest base in Antarctica, Bharati, was commissioned in 2015. It is constructed out of 134 shipping containers. Source: Times of India

ISRO commissions world’s third-largest wind tunnel in Thiruvananthapuram • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) commissioned the world’s third largest hypersonic wind tunnel at Thiruvananthapuram’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Kerala. • In this regard, ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar commissioned two facilities – a 1-m Hypersonic Wind Tunnel and a 1-m Shock Tunnel. Key facts • They are the third largest in terms of size and simulation capability in the world. • They have been indigenously designed, developed and made in India with the support of Indian Industries. • The facilities comprise 500 valves, 2 km long pipelines, 41 electric motors, 35 pumps, 320 instruments and 10 km of cables. • The tunnels also have a wide spectrum of simulation capabilities in terms of Mach number, Reynolds number and re-entry velocities.

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Applications • The wind tunnels will be used to study the effects of air flowing past solid objects like space vehicles. • They can also be used to simulate the aero-thermal environment where characterisation of vehicles is carried out. Significance of these facilities • The facilities will help aerodynamic characterisation of advanced space transportation systems in a hypersonic environment. • Commissioning of these facilities also symbolises the country’s capability in establishing such world-class facilities wherein technology from outside is restricted or not available. Source: Indian Express

Telescope Upgrade to Sniff Out Solar Storms • The GRAPES-3 experiment at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research’s (TIFR) Cosmic Ray Laboratory in Ootacamund in Tamil Nadu is getting upgraded. • The telescope made news last year when it detected the effect of a solar storm that hit the earth in June 2015. • GRAPES-3 has an important role in understanding the propagation of storms from the L1 point to its impact on the Earth. GRAPES 3 • The GRAPES-3 experiment (or Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS phase-3) located at Ooty in India started as a collaboration of the Indian Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Japanese Osaka City University, and now also includes the Japanese Nagoya Women’s University. • GRAPES-3 is designed to study cosmic rays with an array of air shower detectors and a large area muon detector. • It aims to probe acceleration of cosmic rays in the following four astrophysical settings. These include acceleration of particles to, 1. ~100 MeV in atmospheric electric fields through muons, 2. ~10 GeV in the Solar System through muons, 3. ~1 PeV in our galaxy, 4. ~100 EeV in the nearby universe through measurement of diffuse gamma ray flux. • The sun is at a distance of 150 million kilometres from the earth, and satellites have been placed at a distance of nearly 1.5 million kilometres, at the so-called L1 point, where they orbit the Sun along with the Earth. • Since charged particles from a solar storm will first impact the satellites before hitting the earth, they act as an early warning system. Depending on the speed of the storm, it will take about 20-40 minutes to reach the earth from the L1 point. • The observations began with 217 plastic scintillators and a 560 m2 area muon detector in 2000. The scintillators detect charged particles contained in extensive air showers produced by interaction of high energy cosmic rays in the atmosphere. Significance of the latest upgrade • The upgrade will play a major role in getting precise information about the propagation of storms in ‘the last million miles’ (from the L-1 point) of their journey from the Sun to the earth. • The upgraded detector will have an increased coverage of the sky and improved capacity to determine the direction of incident cosmic rays. • The latter property, of being able to discern the direction of detected particles, makes it unique among cosmic ray detectors in the world; it can also to measure the intensity of the particles. • Since the enhanced facility can cover a wider field of view (from present 37% to 57%), the chances of spotting solar storms will be higher. 110 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

Need to understand solar storms • It is important to know the time when plasma will reach the earth, accurately, so that preventive and protective measures can be put into place in case a solar storm were to strike the earth. • If the earth’s magnetic field were to be weakened by extreme solar storms, charged particles would shower on to the planet. Apart from rendering electronic devices defunct, charged particles in an extreme solar storm can also short current carrying over-head high voltage lines, leading to large-scale transformers burn out and thereby, power blackouts. • A 2008 study conducted by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences estimated that an extreme event could lead to a loss of 40% of transformers in the U.S., which, in turn, could take years to restore. • The up side is that the way to prevent such a disaster is well understood: simply switch off the power lines on being informed of an approaching solar storm! And for this to be possible, an accurate determination of the time taken for the solar storm to travel to the earth is needed, which is where the GRAPES-3 set up comes in. Source: The Hindu

Scientists discover five new sub-atomic particles • Scientists using the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator Large Hadron Collider accelerator (LHC) at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) have discovered a new system of five particles all in a single analysis. • The uniqueness of this discovery is that observing five new states all at once is very rare. Key facts • According to the standard convention, these particle states were named Oc(3000)0, Oc(3050)0, Oc(3066)0, Oc(3090)0 b Oc(3119)0. • The new particles were found to be in excited states (a particle state that has a higher energy than the ground state or absolute minimum configuration) of a particle called Omega-c-zero. • Omega-c-zero is a baryon. It is a particle with three quarks, containing two strange and one charm quark. • LHCb collaboration by analysing trajectories and energy left in the detector by all the particles in this final configuration were able to trace back the initial event he decay of the Omega-c-zeroand its excited states. • Now quantum numbers of these new particles, characteristic numbers used to identify the properties of a specific particle and their theoretical significance will be determined. Significance of the discovery • It will contribute to understanding how the three constituent quarks are bound inside a baryon. • It will also help to probe the correlation between quarks, which plays a key role in describing multi-quark states, such as tetraquarks and pentaquarks. What is baryon? • Baryon is a composite subatomic particle made up of three quarks (a triquark, as distinct from mesons, which are composed of one quark and one antiquark). • Baryons and mesons belong to the hadron family of particles, which are the quark-based particles. • The most familiar baryons are the protons and neutrons that make up most of the mass of the visible matter in the universe. Large Hadron Collider • The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and most powerful particle collider, most complex experimental facility ever built, and the largest single machine in the world. • It was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and engineers from over 100 countries, as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories. 111 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• The LHC is based at the European particle physics laboratory CERN, near Geneva in Switzerland. • The aim of the LHC is to allow physicists to test the predictions of different theories of particle physics, including measuring the properties of the Higgs boson and searching for the large family of new particles predicted by supersymmetric theories, as well as other unsolved questions of physics. • The collider has four crossing points, around which are positioned seven detectors, each designed for certain kinds of research. • The LHC’s computing grid is a world record holder. Source: The Hindu

New Wi-Fi system to offer super-fast connectivity • Scientists from Eindhoven University of Technology in Netherlands have developed a new wireless Internet network based on infrared rays that is reportedly 100 times faster than existing Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) networks. • It has a huge capacity, more than 40 Gigabits per second (Gbit/s). It also does away with the need of sharing Wi-Fi, as every device gets its own ray of light. • A light-based system, also known as ‘Li-Fi,’ could make wireless networks much more secure. Key facts • The wireless data in this network comes from a few central ‘light antennas’, that are able to precisely direct the rays of light supplied by an optical fibre. • These antennas contain a pair of gratings that radiate light rays of different wavelengths at different angles (passive diffraction gratings). • If a user is walking and his smartphone or tablet is moving out of the light antenna’s direction, then another light antenna takes over. • In this system, changing the light wavelengths also changes the direction of the ray of light. It uses safe infrared wavelength that does not reach the retina in the eye. First Blood Test for Autism Developed • Scientists from US have discovered a way to accurately predict whether a child has autism or not by just analysing his or her blood sample. • The test is the first physiological test for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). • The discovery opens the door to earlier diagnosis and potential future development of therapeutics. How this discovery was made possible? • To develop this test, scientists had investigated patterns of several metabolites and found significant differences between metabolites of children with ASD and those that are neurotypical. • These differences allowed them to categorise whether an individual is on the autism spectrum. • This algorithm by measuring 24 metabolites from a blood sample can tell whether or not an individual has Autism spectrum and even to some degree where on the spectrum they land. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterised as a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. • Although ASD affects about 1.5 percent of all children, its exact cause remains unknown, but genetic and environmental factors are both believed to play a role. • People with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. • Early intervention can improve development, but currently diagnosis depends on clinical observation of behaviour, that is considered as an obstacle to early diagnosis and treatment.

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What is autism? • Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder spanning entire life. • It impairs the ability to communicate and interact. Effects of Autism • Autism spectrum disorder impacts the nervous system and affects the overall cognitive, emotional, social and physical health of the affected individual. Symptoms • The range and severity of symptoms can vary widely. Common symptoms include difficulty with communication, difficulty with social interactions, obsessive interests and repetitive behaviours. Treatment • There is no definitive cure. • However, early recognition, as well as behavioural, educational and family therapies may reduce symptoms and support development and learning. Steps taken by Indian government • Though the Government had notified Autism as a disability in 2001, it had not been issuing certificates. • The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, under MSJE has notified guidelines in April 2016 to pave the way for constitution of boards and issuing of disability certificates for Autism. Source: LiveMint, ToI

U.K. grants doctors first licence to create 3-parent babies • Britain’s fertility regulator has granted doctors the first U.K. licence to create babies using a three-parent IVF technique designed to prevent inherited genetic diseases. • The licence means the first child created in Britain using the mitochondrial pronuclear transfer technique could be born before the end of this year. Background • Britain’s Parliament voted last year to change the law to allow the treatments if and when they were ready for licensing. • But the regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), still had to approve each clinic and each patient on an individual basis before the treatment can be carried out. • The world’s first and so-far only known mitochondrial transfer baby was born in 2016 after U.S. doctors working at a clinic in Mexico helped a Jordanian couple conceive using the treatment. The 3-parent baby technique • The treatment is known as “three-parent” IVF because the babies, born from genetically modified embryos, would have DNA from a mother, a father and from a woman donor. • The 3-parent baby technique involves in vitro fertilization of both the mother’s egg and a donor’s egg with the father’s sperm. • Before these two fertilised eggs begin dividing into an embryo, the unhealthy mother’s egg nucleus is replaced with the egg’s nucleus of a healthy donor. • This gives the doctors with a fertilised egg with a healthy donor mitochondria and the mother’s DNA in the nucleus. • This fertilised egg with the donor’s healthy mitochondria will be implanted in the mother’s uterus. Significance of 3-parent technique • Mitochondria are structures in cells that generate vital energy and contain their own set of genes called mDNA. • Mitochondrial diseases are passed through the mother to baby. These diseases cause symptoms ranging from poor vision to diabetes and muscle wasting. 113 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

• After years of research, the 3-parent baby technique proved to be the only viable option to treat patients with rare genetic mutations to have healthy babies. Controversies over the 3-parent technique • The technique has attracted criticism due to the ethical dimensions involved in the process. • The pro-life believers claim that the technique involves the destruction of life. They maintain that the technique is not foolproof as it is sure that majority of the fertilised eggs are unhealthy. • Majority of the scientific community argue that the technique may open the doors for the creation of designer babies. • A designer baby is a genetically engineered baby with specially selected traits such as gender, appearance, intelligence, etc. • Though the designer baby technology is aimed at developing a healthy human being, it is vulnerable to misuse with far-reaching social, economic and political consequences. Source: The Hindu

Chennai team taps AI to read Indus Script • The Indus script has long challenged epigraphists because of the difficulty in reading and classifying text and symbols on the artefacts. Now, a Chennai-based team of scientists has built a programme which eases the process. • Researchers have developed a “deep-learning” algorithm that can read the Indus script from images of artefacts such as a seal or pottery that contain Indus writing. How it is done? • Scanning the image, the algorithm smartly “recognises” the region of the image that contains the script, breaks it up into individual graphemes (the term in linguistics for the smallest unit of the script) and finally identifies these using data from a standard corpus. • In linguistics the term corpus is used to describe a large collection of texts which, among other things, are used to carry out statistical analyses of languages. • The process consists of three phases: In the first phase, the input images are broken into sub- images that contain graphemes only, by trimming out the areas that do not have graphemes. The grapheme-containing areas are further trimmed into single-grapheme pieces. Lastly, each of these single graphemes is classified to match one of the 417 symbols discovered so far in the Indus script. The technology • The algorithms come under a class of artificial intelligence called “deep neural networks.” These have been a major part of the game-changing technology behind self-driving cars and Go-playing bots that surpass human performance. • The deep neural network mimics the working of the mammalian visual cortex, known as convolutional neural network (CNN), which breaks the field into overlapping regions. • The features found in each region are hierarchically combined by the network to build a composite understanding of the whole picture. Indus script • The Indus valley script is much older than the Prakrit and Tamil-Brahmi scripts. • Unlike the latter two, it has not yet been deciphered because a bilingual text has not yet been found. • A bilingual text has in many other cases aided archaeologists in understanding ancient scripts, for example, the Rosetta stone. • This stone which was found in the eighteenth century carries inscriptions of a decree, issued in 196 BCE, in three parts, the first two in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic and the Demotic scripts, while the bottom is in Ancient Greek. Since the decree was the same, the Rosetta stone provided the key to deciphering Hieroglyphs. • For the lack of such a “Rosetta stone,” the Indus script remains undeciphered today.

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• It is a major effort to even build a standard corpus of the language and decode the writing on existing artifacts and map them to this standard corpus. • The most widely accepted corpora of Indus scripts was brought together by the efforts of Iravatham Mahadevan, noted Indian epigraphist, from the 3,700 texts and 417 unique signs collected so far. What is Artificial Intelligence? • The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. Source: The Hindu

Sweet spot in eye helps humans read • A team led by Kolkata-born scientists has found that a special sweet spot in the eye called ‘fovea’ plays a crucial role in humans being able to focus on computer screens and also read, an ability which is unique to Homo sapiens. What is fovea? • The fovea is a specialised region that dominates our visual perception. • It provides more than half of the input from the eyes to the visual cortex of the brain. • The fovea is responsible for our visual experiences that are rich in colourful spatial detail. How it works? • Located near the optic nerve, the fovea is at its best for fine tasks like reading. Compared to the peripheral retina, however, the fovea is less able to process rapidly changing visual signals. • This low sensitivity is what makes us see motion in flipbooks and movies. It’s also what prevents us from seeing flicker when a computer or TV screen refreshes, unless we glance at the screen (especially the old-fashioned CRT monitors) from the corner of our eye. • When you look at a scene an arm’s length away, the fovea subtends a field only about the size of your thumbnail. Our eyes undergo rapid movements to direct the fovea to various parts of the scene. Key facts • Vision scientists have uncovered some of the reasons behind the unusual perceptual properties of the eye’s fovea. • Among mammals, only humans and other primates have this dimple-like structure in their retinas. Owls, some other predatory birds, and some reptiles have a similar structure. • Diseases such as macular degeneration are much more debilitating than deficits in peripheral eyesight because of the importance of the fovea to everyday vision. • The findings decipher the mechanism that lets humans read the text, recognise faces, enjoy colours. Source: The Hindu

Study on fish reveals key to cure blindness • Scientists have discovered a chemical in the zebra fish brain that helps reveal how it regrows its retina, a finding that can potentially cure blindness in humans. The findings • The prevailing belief has been that the regeneration process in fish retinas is triggered by secreted growth factors, but this new research results indicate that the neurotransmitter GABA might initiate the process instead. • All the regeneration models assume that a retina must be seriously damaged before regeneration takes place, but studies indicate that GABA can induce this process even in undamaged retinas. • It turns out that the structure of the retinas of fish and mammals are basically the same.

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Significance of the findings • The discovery raises the possibility that human retinas can be induced to regenerate, naturally repairing damage caused by degenerative retinal diseases and injury, including age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Key facts • Although the retina is very thin – less than 0.5 millimetres thick – it contains three layers of nerve cells: 1. Photoreceptors that detect the light, 2. Horizontal cells that integrate the signals from the photoreceptors and 3. Ganglion cells that receive the visual information and route it to the brain. • In addition, the retina contains a special type of adult stem cell, called Muller glia that span all three layers and provide mechanical support and electrical insulation. In fish retinas, they also play a key role in regeneration. • When regeneration is triggered, the Muller glia dedifferentiates, begin proliferating, and then differentiate into replacements for the damaged nerve cells. Muller glia are also present in mammalian retinas, but do not regenerate. Source: The Hindu

Indian researcher uses novel strategy to increase wheat yield • A team of researchers, using a novel route, has been able to increase wheat grain yield by 20% and also improve the resilience of wheat to environmental stress such as drought. What was the technique used? • By using a precursor that enhances the amount of a key sugar-signalling molecule (trehalose- 6-phosphate (T6P)) produced in wheat plant, the researcher has been able to increase the amount of starch produced and, therefore, the yield. • The T6P molecule stimulates starch synthesis, which in turn, increases the yield. Since the pathway of T6P molecule is the same in other plants, the yield can potentially be increased by using suitable precursors. • Scientists used four precursor compounds to increase the amount of T6P produced in the plant. While genetic methods can increase the T6P level two-three fold, the four precursor compounds were able to achieve 100-fold increase in the sugar-signalling molecule level compared with plants that did not receive the molecule. • In field trials using wheat, a tiny amount of precursor given to the plant increased the yield significantly — the grains produced were bigger as the amount of starch content in the grains increased by 13-20% compared to controls that got only water. Drought Resilience • To study the resilience of wheat to drought-like conditions when treated with the precursor molecules, the researchers carried out two different studies. These two studies showed that wheat plants were able to survive environmental stress if treated with the precursors. The molecule 2 (dimethoxy(ortho-nitro)benzyl) was better in battling stress. Source: The Hindu

NASA to explore Jupiter’s icy moon • NASA’s ‘Europa Clipper’ set to launch in the 2020s will probe the habitability of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. Key facts • The mission plan includes 40 to 45 flybys, during which the spacecraft would image the moon’s icy surface at high resolution and investigate its composition and the structure of its interior and icy shell. • Europa has long been a high priority for exploration because it holds a salty liquid water ocean beneath its icy crust.

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• The ultimate aim of Europa Clipper is to determine if Europa is habitable, possessing all three of the ingredients necessary for life: liquid water, chemical ingredients, and energy sources sufficient to enable biology. Source: The Hindu

NASA scientists found lost Chandrayaan-1 orbiting Moon • Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have found India’s first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1 which was considered lost, is still orbiting the moon. • They also have found NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). • The unmanned spacecraft is still circling some 200 km in the polar orbit around the moon. How these probes were discovered? • Both space probes were discovered using JPL’s new ground-based radar technique by sending out a powerful beam of microwaves towards the moon. The beams were produced using 70-metre antenna at NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California. The radar echoes bounced back from lunar orbit were received by the 100-metre Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. Chandrayaan-1 • Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost communication with Chandrayaan-1 on August 29, 2009, barely a year after it was launched on October 22, 2008. • The Chandrayaan-1 mission performed high-resolution remote sensing of the moon in visible, near infrared (NIR), low energy X-rays and high-energy X-ray regions. • One of the objectives was to prepare a three-dimensional atlas (with high spatial and altitude resolution) of both near and far side of the moon. • It aimed at conducting chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface for distribution of mineral and chemical elements such as Magnesium, Aluminium, Silicon, Calcium, Iron and Titanium as well as high atomic number elements such as Radon, Uranium and Thorium with high spatial resolution. • It had sent more than 70,000 images of the lunar surface which provided breathtaking views of lunar mountains and craters, especially craters in the permanently shadowed areas of the Moon’s polar region. LRO • NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a robotic mission that set out to map the moon’s surface. • Data collected by LRO has been described as essential for planning NASA’s future human and robotic missions to the Moon. • Its detailed mapping program is identifying safe landing sites, locating potential resources on the Moon, characterizing the radiation environment, and demonstrating new technologies. Source: The Hindu

ESA launches latest Sentinel Earth Observation Satellite • The European Union (EU) launched the fifth satellite of the Copernicus observation program from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. • The Sentinel-2B satellite is a part of Sentinel Earth observation satellites, a system of satellites that monitors Earth. Significance: • This fifth Sentinel satellite will cut the time of imaging the earth by half and will ensure speedy provision of images of land, oceans and waterways. • This will improve services for farmers, fishermen and other users of land and sea maps. • Now, the globe’s image will take only five days. The acceleration of the building up of the globe’s image will positively affect the activities of fishermen by allowing them to monitor the emergence of toxic algal blooms in sea.

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Sentinel-2B satellite: • It will join its twin Sentinel-2A, which has been in orbit since 2015, to take high-resolution, color and infrared images for a wide array of environmental initiatives. • These two satellites will orbit 488 miles (786 km) above Earth on opposite sides of the planet. • Together, they will cover all of Earth’s land surfaces, large islands, inland and coastal waterways every five days. • They will provide more up-to-date images and at higher resolution than the available ones. • It will help track pollution of lakes and coastal waters, monitor land changes or produce disaster maps by providing information on floods, volcanic eruptions and landslide. Copernicus earth observation program: • The Copernicus project is described by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the most ambitious Earth observation program till date. • The European Union and the ESA have committed funding of more than USD 9 billion to it until 2020. • The program is aimed at improving the life of EU communities by providing near-real-time global environment data. Source: The Hindu

Battling Leptospira at the genome level • To improve the odds of controlling Leptospirosis by understanding the genetic determinants of Leptospira pathogenesis that researchers at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and the J. Craig Venter Institute have collaborated in a major genome-sequencing effort for 20 Leptospira species. Leptospirosis: • Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. • In humans, it can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which may be mistaken for other diseases. Some infected persons, however, may have no symptoms at all. • The bacteria that causes leptospirosis is spread in the urine of infected animals, including rodents, wildlife, dogs, and livestock. • It does not spread from person to person. • Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics. • The disease can lead to life-threatening complications like renal failure, hypotension and hemorrage. Severe or untreated leptospirosis can lead to damage of the organs and in rare cases. Leptospira in India: • In the summer and rainy seasons of 2015, leptospirosis, a dangerous, neglected tropical disease, struck in multiple cities of India. • In Mumbai, the toll was high — at least 18 people reportedly succumbed to the zoonotic disease, also known colloquially as “rat fever” for its association with the urine of rodents among several host species. Source: The Hindu

Dirty dozen superbug list compiled by World Health Organisation • The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published its first ever list of antibiotic-resistant `priority pathogens’ -a catalogue of 12 families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. • This is bad news for India as most of these 12 superbugs are present in the country. • The list was drawn up to promote research and development of new antibiotics.

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• The move was part of efforts to address the problem of growing global resistance to antimicrobial medicines. Key facts • The list is divided into three urgency categories – critical, high, and medium – representing how badly we need new antibiotics to treat their respective superbugs. • The most critical group includes multidrug-resistant bacteria that pose a particular threat in hospitals, nursing homes and among patients whose care requires devices such as ventilators and blood catheters. • These species are all examples of what’s called gram-negative bacteria – bugs that usually live in the gut that have developed two cellular membranes, making it harder for drug molecules to penetrate them. • The nine other pathogens making up the high and medium urgency categories are bacteria that cause more common diseases – such as gonorrhoea and food poisoning – but which can also be deadly, and are increasingly resistant to drugs. Source: Economic Times

Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology of High Nitrogen Steel • Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad, a premier research laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Limited (JSHL) have signed the Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology of High Nitrogen Steel (HNS) for armour applications. What is High Nitrogen Steel? • High nitrogen steels (HNS) are a new class of high alloy martensitic, austenitic or duplex grades with up to 0.9 mass% of N in solid solution. • They are applied e.g. to stainless tools and bearings, in chemical engineering and for high strength non-magnetic components. • HNS is not only tough but also has good strength. In addition to being non magnetic as well as corrosion resistant, the HNS cost is about 40% less compared to Rolled Homogenous Armour Steel (RHA). • This material has potential for a number of defence and civil applications like armouring, mine trawls, oil industries etc. Source: PIB

ENVIRONMENT ‘India’s temperature rose by 0.60 degree over last 110 years’ • According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), in line with rising temperatures across the globe, all India mean temperatures have risen nearly 0.60 degree Celsius over the last 110 years. • Further IMD studies have highlighted that extreme events like heat waves have risen in the last 30 years. Background • As per the fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published in 2014, globally averaged combined land and ocean surface temperature has risen by 0.85 degree Celsius over the period 1880 to 2012. • Many extreme weather and climate events like heat waves, heavy precipitation and tropical cyclones have been observed since about 1950. Efforts by Indian government to combat climate change • The government has launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in June, 2008 to deal with climate change and related issues.

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• NAPCC comprises of eight missions in specific areas of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, habitat, water, sustaining Himalayan ecosystems, forestry, agriculture and strategic knowledge for climate change. • These missions address the issues relating to mitigation of greenhouse gases and adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate change on environment, forests, habitat, water resources and agriculture. • All states and UTs have also been requested to prepare State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with the objectives of the NAPCC highlighting state-specific issues relating to climate change. • So far, 32 states and UTs have prepared their SAPCC. Source: Times of India

Earth Hour • The eleventh edition of the Earth Hour was observed across the world on 25 March 2017 to take a global call on climate change. • To mark this day, cities worldwide turned their lights off from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time. About Earth Hour • Earth Houris a worldwide movement for the planet organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). • The event is held worldwide annually encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. towards the end of March, as a symbol for their commitment to the planet. • It was famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide. • Today, Earth Hour engages a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues. Why do we need earth hour? • Global warming and climate change have dominated the scientific discourse in the past more than one decade. With ever rising population of the world, the climate change has put the humankind at a great risk along with other species. • Global warming, rising levels of pollution due to ever increasing industrialisation, declining forest cover and rising sea levels are some of the dangers that drastically affect the workings of life on the earth. • Though the largest polluters are big industries, the WWF tries to make the masses more and more aware about the impending dangers of adverse climate so that they could put pressure on the respective governments to frame environment-friendly policies and laws. • With Earth Hour, the WWF aims to engage people across the globe to adopt more sustainable lifestyle. Turning off lights for an hour is just an annual reminder that if the world does not mend its ways, it will be heading to a dark age, literally. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) • It is considered as one of the world’s largest and independent conservation organizations. • It was established on 29 April 1961 with the slogan – For a Living Planet. • Its primary objective is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. • It seeks to achieve this objective by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful. • The WWF has over 5 million supporters in over 100 countries. Source: The Hindu

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Environment Ministry Official to Chair Animal Welfare Board • Government has notified that Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), a statutory advisory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF) will now be permanently chaired by a senior MoEF official. • Recently, new Board of 18 members, chaired by Sharad Singh Negi, Special Secretary and Director-General (Forests), MoEF came into effect for three years term. Background • Previously in AWBI’s 55-year history, it was always chaired by somebody outside government, such as veterinarians, animal welfare activists or retired judges. • But in recent times due to differences between AWBI and MoEFCC, especially on the conduct of the Jallikattu, Central Government exerted its primacy in the management of the organisation. Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) • The AWBI is a statutory advisory body established in 1962 under Section 4 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. • It frames a range of rules on how animals ought to be humanely treated everywhere. • It has also frequently litigated to have stricter laws to ensure animals were not unduly harassed or tortured. • Initially it was within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Later in 1990, the subject of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was transferred to the MoEFCC. • Well-known humanitarian and former parliamentarian (late) Rukmini Devi Arundale was instrumental in setting up the board and was its first chair. • The Board consists of 28 Members, who serve for a period of 3 years. • Its headquaters is located at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. • Several government organisations, along with animal rights activists and parliamentarians, are represented on the Board. Functions of AWBI Recognition of Animal Welfare Organisations: • It oversees Animal Welfare Organisations (AWOs) by granting them recognition if they meet its guidelines. • It also appoints key people to the positions of (Hon) Animal Welfare Officers, who serve as the key point of contact between the people, the government and law enforcement agencies. Financial assistance: • It provides financial assistance to recognised AWOs, who submit applications to the Board. • Categories of grants include Regular Grant, Cattle Rescue Grant, Provision of Shelter House for Animals, Animal Birth Control (ABC) Programme, Ambulance for animals in distress and Natural Calamity grant. Animal welfare Laws and Rules: • It suggests changes to laws and rules about animal welfare issues. • It also offers guidance to organisations and officials such as police to help them interpret and apply the laws. Raising awareness: • It issues publications to raise awareness of various animal welfare issues. • Its education team gives talks on animal welfare subjects, and trains members of the community to be Certified Animal Welfare Educators. Source: The Hindu, Wiki

Green nod for Neutrino Project Suspended • The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has suspended the Environmental Clearance (EC) granted to the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) that was to come up in Theni and asked the project proponent to make a fresh application.

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Why was it suspended? • NGT suspended the EC after petitioner submitted that the INO project was just 4.5 km away from Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district (Kerala) and one kilometre from Kerala-Tamil Nadu border and falls under category ‘A’ project in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). What is the issue? • The Union Environment Ministry had categorised INO project as a Category ‘B’ project, for which an EIA is not necessary. • But, as per EIA Notification, 2006, any project specified in category ‘B’ will be treated as category A, if it is located in whole or in part within 10 km from the boundary of protected areas notified under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and inter-State boundaries. What NGT says? • INO is a category ‘A’ project, which meant EIA study has to be done by an accredited agency. • Since the project was near a national park, INO needs to get a clearance from the National Board for Wildlife. • It also needs to get necessary clearance from the Kerala government as well. India-Based Neutrino Observatory (INO) • It country’s most ambitious basic science project proposed to come up in Bodi west hills of Theni district of Tamil Nadu. • It aims at building a world-class underground laboratory with a rock cover of approximately 1200 meter. • Its mandate is to conduct basic research on the elementary particle called neutrino. • It is jointly supported by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Department of Science & Technology (DST), with DAE acting as the nodal agency. • The observatory will be located underground in order to provide adequate shielding to the neutrino detector from cosmic background radiation. • It will comprise a complex of caverns which will house detector which is 130 metres long, 26 metres wide and 30 metre high. Source: The Hindu

1.04 cr hit by arsenic contamination in Bengal • According to recent report tabled in the Lok Sabha, West Bengal has the highest number of arsenic-affected people in the country. Key Facts • The total number of arsenic-affected people in the country is about 1.48 crore (as of March 2017). • West Bengal has topped the list with more than 1.04 crore arsenic-affected persons. • Bihar is second with 16.88 lakh persons, with Assam is third with 14.48 lakh victims. • West Bengal’s 83 blocks in eight districts have ground water affected by arsenic contamination. • Despite the West Bengal State government’s efforts to curb the Arsenic menace, there is still a lot to be done. So far, state government was able to provide safe drinking water to 52% of the arsenic-affected areas in Bengal. Background • According to the WHO’s guidelines for drinking water quality (2011), the permissible limit of Arsenic in groundwater is .01 m/ litre. However, in India the permissible limit in drinking water was only recently been revised from .05 mg/litre to .01 mg/litre. • West Bengal government recently had initiated a project to provide safe drinking water to more than six lakh people in the arsenic-affected blocks. However, there is slow progress in setting up water treatment plants since the technology for removal of arsenic is new and expensive.

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Arsenic in groundwater • Arsenic in ground water is a geogenic contaminant i.e. caused by natural geologic processes. • Arsenic-containing groundwater in Ganga River basin is hosted by the sediments deposited by the rivers during the late Quaternary or Holocene age (<12 thousand years). • Incidence of high arsenic in groundwater reported from various parts of the country, particularly in the Ganga- plains is a serious threat to the health of human being. • Arsenic occurrences in ground water in these areas are highly sporadic in nature and all the sources in these areas are not necessarily contaminated. • Over the last three decades numerous measures have been initiated which includes alternate arrangement for supply of arsenic free water to the affected populace and providing arsenic removal plants. Technological options to combat arsenic menace • In groundwater, to ensure supply of arsenic free water, in the affected areas, following technological options are available to combat arsenic menace: • In-situ remediation of arsenic from aquifer system, • Ex-situ remediation of arsenic from tapped groundwater by arsenic removal technologies, • Use of surface water source as an alternative to the contaminated groundwater source, • Tapping alternate safe aquifers for supply of arsenic free groundwater or combination of above techniques. Source: The Hindu

First “Pristine air-quality monitoring station at Palampur” • National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has established an atmospheric monitoring station in the campus of Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) at Palampur (Himachal Pradesh). • The station is placed at an altitude of 1391 m for generating the base data for atmospheric trace species & properties to serve as reference for comparison of polluted atmosphere in India. • The station houses calibrated state-of-the-art-equipment for the continuous measurements of ambient and greenhouse gases (CO, NO, NO2, NH3, SO2, O3, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, hydrocarbons, black-carbon, CO2 & CH4), and weather parameters. Significance of this station • Because of Palampur’s pristine air, and the capability of the new monitoring station for detection of small amounts of pollutants, the impact of faraway pollution sources can be measured precisely. • In addition, this new station has the experimental facilities to investigate the aerosol/cloud interactions, and such investigations would be helpful in generating a better understanding of the Earth’s climate system. • The data generated by pristine station at Palampur will act as background data for the measured pollution at various cities in the country. The generated background data will be shared with different pollution control boards and agencies in the country so that the more precise pollution mapping traceable to standard values can be done, which in turn, would assist policy decisions for the abatement of air pollutants. • In India, air quality parameters are mostly measured in industrial and residential areas, however, data for air quality of pristine atmosphere is not available in India. NPL’s station will contribute to fill this important gap. • The NPL’s station will also serve as a base station for inter-comparison of air quality monitoring equipment being used in India to improve quality of monitored data in India. Source: PIB

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World’s first fluorescent frog discovered in South America • A group of scientists discovered polka dot tree frog (Hypsiboas punctatus), the world’s first fluorescent frog near Santa Fe in Argentina. • The frog sports a muted palette of greens, yellows and reds under normal light, but emits a bright blue and green glow in the dark. The discovery • The scientists found that the South American polka dot tree frog uses fluorescent molecules totally unlike those found in other animals. • When the researchers trained an ultraviolet A flashlight on polka dot tree frogs, they were surprised to find that the animals gave off an intense greenish-blue glow instead of a faint red. • The researchers expected to find red fluorescence in these frogs from a pigment called biliverdin. • Three molecules namely, hyloin-L1, hyloin-L2 and hyloin-G1, found in lymph tissue, skin and glandular secretions of animals, are responsible for the green fluorescence. • The molecules contain a ring structure and a chain of hydrocarbons. The closest similar molecules are found in plants. Fluorescence in animals • The ability to absorb light at short wavelengths and re-emit it at longer wavelengths is called fluorescence, a quality that is rare in terrestrial animals. • Many ocean creatures exhibit fluorescence, including corals, fish, sharks and one species of sea turtle. But until now, fluorescence was unheard of in amphibians. On land, fluorescence was previously known in only parrots and some species of scorpions. • It is still unclear why animals have the ability of fluorescence, although explanations include communication, camouflage and mate attraction. Soruce: Business Standard

Arctic ice loss driven by natural swings, not just mankind: Study • A group of scientists stated in a study that rapid loss of Arctic sea ice in recent decades is partly driven by natural swings. • They went on to state that ice loss in Arctic is not just global warming triggered by human activities. Highlights of the research • The study’s lead author is Qinghua Ding, climate scientist at the University of California at Santa Barbara in the US. • The research indicates that a shift in wind patterns is responsible for about 60% of sea ice loss in the Arctic Ocean since 1979. • Some of this shift is related to climate change. However, the research showed that 30-50% of the observed sea ice loss since 1979 is due to natural variations in this large-scale atmospheric pattern. • Natural variability has helped to accelerate the melting of the ice, especially over the past two decades. Significance of the study • The study provides the mechanism and uses a new approach to illuminate the processes that are responsible for these changes. • The study shows how much of the observed sea ice trend that has been seen in recent decades in the Arctic is due to natural variability and how much is due to greenhouse gases. • The scientists believe that teasing apart the natural and human-caused parts of sea ice decline would help to foretell future sea ice conditions in Arctic summer. • The study could help narrow down huge uncertainties about when the Arctic ice will vanish. Source: Times of India

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NGT to monitor coal dust pollution in Vizag port • The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) and the AP Pollution Control Board (PCB) to immediately check air pollution and bring it under control by the end of 2018. • The NGT has asked VPT to submit quarterly reports so that they can check if pollution levels are under the permissible parameters. • The NGT warned the port that if it continued to neglect the pollution control measures, did not reduce dust emission and improve air quality, it would invoke the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle and even restrain the Port Trust from handling coal cargo. What is the ‘polluter pays’ principle? • The ‘polluters pays’ principle is the commonly accepted practice that those who produce pollution should bear the costs of managing it to prevent damage to human health or the environment. • For instance, a factory that produces a potentially poisonous substance as a by-product of its activities is usually held responsible for its safe disposal. • The principle is a part of a set of broader principles to guide sustainable development worldwide (formally known as the 1992 Rio Declaration). • It is regarded as a regional custom because of the strong support it has received in most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Community (EC) countries. • It is a fundamental principle in US environmental law. Does the polluter pays principle apply to greenhouse gas emissions? • The polluter pays principle has also been applied more specifically to emissions of greenhouse gases which cause climate change. • Greenhouse gas emissions are considered a form of pollution because they cause potential harm and damage through impacts on the climate. • However, in this case, because society has been slow to recognise the link between greenhouse gases and climate change, and because the atmosphere is considered by some to be a ‘global commons’ (that everyone shares and has a right to use), emitters are generally not held responsible for controlling this form of pollution. Visakhapatnam Port • Visakhapatnam Port is one of 13 major ports in India and the only major port of Andhra Pradesh. • It is India’s second largest port by volume of cargo handled. • It is located on the east coast of India and is located midway between the Chennai and Kolkata Ports. Source: The Hindu

Synchronous elephant count by four States in May • For the first time in India, four states Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have decided to conduct a synchronised elephant census in May 2017. • These four together have the maximum number of human-elephant conflict-prone regions in India. • The census has consciously been scheduled for May 10, a full moon day on which the chances of elephant sightings are higher. • The synchronised census will indicate the size, distribution, structure and density of the elephant population in the region. Counting methods: • These states will conduct the census based on an identical set of rules using the direct and indirect counting methods.

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• The direct counting method is based on sighting of elephants while the indirect method uses the elephant ‘dung decay’ formula, in which the analysis of dung is used to estimate the population. • The indirect method has already been used by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. • Direct method can be used alone because it is not possible to cover entire area during the census Background • According to the 2015 census, Odisha has 1,954 elephants, while Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal have approximately 700, 275 and 130 elephants respectively. Source: The Hindu

Great Barrier Reef witnessing second year of mass bleaching • Great Barrier Reef in Australia’s eastern coast is experiencing an unprecedented second straight year of mass coral bleaching. Key Facts • This is for the first time Great Barrier Reef has bleached two years in sequence. • Earlier in March and April 2016, 2,300-km reef suffered had its most severe bleaching on record due to warming sea temperatures. • The 2016 bleaching was more severe in the northern areas of the bio-diverse site. But now more bleaching was being observed in the central part of the reef, which earlier had escaped widespread severe bleaching. • The back-to-back occurrence of widespread bleaching is resulting in decrease in stress tolerance of these corals, which means that they may not fully recover. What is coral bleaching and how it occurs? • Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, which in turn drain them of their colour. • The coral uses the organic products of photosynthesis to help it grow. Therefore, algae are vital for them. • The loss of algae makes the host vulnerable to disease, which will eventually make them die. • However, coral can recover if the water temperature drops and the algae are able to recolonise them. Great Barrier Reef: • The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. • It is composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands. • The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. • The reef is so vast that it can be seen from outer space. • It is also the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. • In 1981, it was selected as a World Heritage Site. • A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use. Source: The Hindu

Ministry of Railways and UNEP signed Letters of Intent (LOI) on Environment Initiatives • The Ministry of Railways signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to formalise the joint cooperation in the area of environmental conservation. • The agreement will help in exploring the opportunity and developing a joint cooperation mechanism in the field of Environment & Sustainability. 126 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

Focussed areas of Letter of Intent • Collaborate in formulating specific roadmap for achieving 20 per cent reduction in water consumption at railway establishments. • Collaborate in the development of a draft action plan for establishing waste management centres at major stations on Indian railways. • Collaborate in the development of a draft action plan for Indian railways on sustainable public procurement for green technology. Significance of the move • This joint co-operation will help Indian Railways in achieving its green objectives. Railway is already taking several green initiatives and is going to produce 1000MW solar energy. Background • Indian Railways, that carries 23 million passengers every day, is the largest consumer of water as well as electricity in the country. It is also the major contributor to green environment due to reduced GHG emissions. • Indian Railways have been taking a number of steps towards Water Management, Energy Conservation, Solid Waste Management and Green buildings. • On the other hand, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading organization within the United Nations in the field of environment and majorly focuses on the conservation, protection, enhancement and support of nature and natural resources worldwide. • Hence, both the organisations collaborated to further these common goals and objectives within their respective mandates and governing rules and regulations. UNEP • The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an agency of United Nations and coordinates its environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. • It was founded by Maurice Strong, its first director, as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) in June 1972. • Its headquarters is in the Gigiri neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya. • UNEP has overall responsibility for environmental problems among United Nations agencies but talks on addressing global warming are overseen by the Bonn-based Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. • Its activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, environmental governance and green economy. • UNEP has also been active in funding and implementing environment related development projects. • The World Meteorological Organization and UNEP established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. • UNEP is also one of several Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, and it is also a member of the United Nations Development Group. • The International Cyanide Management Code, a program of best practice for the chemical’s use at gold mining operations, was developed under UNEP’s aegis. Source: PIB

NIO finds a new canyon system close to Kovvada coast • Scientists for the first time have discovered three new canyons close to Kovvada in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. • This discovery was made by team of scientists from CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Visakhapatnam. • These three canyons together form a major canyon system in the depths of the Bay of Bengal.

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What is canyon? • A canyon is a deep, narrow valley with steep sides. The movement of rivers, the processes of weathering and erosion, and tectonic activity create canyons. • Canyon systems are generally formed by the flow of river water into the sea and they could be as old as the river system, which is close to 23 million years. • The largest and most famous canyons have been cut through arid or semiarid lands by swift streams fed by rain or melting snow of moister regions. The walls remain steep and angular because they are not worn and softened by frequent rainfall and surface drainage. • Notable canyons in the United States are those of the Colorado, Snake, Arkansas, Rio Grande, and Yellowstone rivers. • Cutting across the continental shelves and down the continental slopes beneath the sea in many parts of the world are prominent underwater canyons. Some are on the same enormous scale as the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River. The discovery • This discovery was made by clearly mapping the ocean floor between Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam by sending over 32 high density beams to the depths of the sea. • The new canyon system was probably formed by river Kandivalasa. It is very huge and its depth varies from about 90 metres at the starting point to about 2,500 metres at the deepest point. It extends to about 50 to 70 km deep into the sea. • The last canyon systems off the Visakhapatnam coast were discovered in 1963 by American geologist E.C. LaFond of the US Navy Electronics Laboratory. The data was collected on board research ship Anton Bruun. Significance of this discovery • Most of the canyons in the ocean system across the world act as channels for depositing sediments in the shelf region. The more the deposit, the more are the chances of finding hydro-carbons. • The discovery of the canyon is not only a major breakthrough in underwater geological formations, but also gives us immense scope to study and explore new benthic ecosystem. • The study of ecology and fauna and micro organisms will not only tell us about our past but also throw light on new science. The study of how organisms live and flourish at low oxygen level and high current system can lead us to understand human heart diseases better and help us develop new treatment system. Source: The Hindu

India launches second stage of HCFCs phase out plan • The Union Government launched the Stage II of India’s HCFC Phase Out Management Plan (HPMP) for the 2017-23 period. Features of HPMP II: • It seeks to phase out the use of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and harmful ozone- depleting substances (ODS). • It also promotes the usage of non-ozone depleting and low global warming potential technologies. • Under the HPMP-II, India secured USD 44.1 million from the Multilateral Fund for Implementation of Montreal Protocol of the United Nations for phasing out 8,190 MT of HCFC consumption from 2017 to 2023. • The plan will cover more than 400 enterprises, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the foam manufacturing sector. • And, 6 large air-conditioning manufacturing enterprises will be supported for conversion to non-HCFC technologies from HCFCs. • The plan will promote energy efficiency, adoption of green building norms and cold chain development with non-HCFC alternatives.

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• The plan gives adequate attention to synergize the Refrigeration and Servicing (RAC) servicing sector trainings under the Skill India Mission. As per the plan, nearly 16,000 service technicians will be trained under HPMP-II. • The plan is expected to result in net direct CO2-equivalent emission reductions of about 8.5 million metric tonnes annually from 2023. Background: • The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion including HCFCs. • Under the Montreal Protocol, various initiatives to phase out Hydrochlorofluorcarbons (HCFCs) were taken up with an aim to complete phase out by 2030 of these chemicals. • At present, HCFCs are used in various sectors like refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) and polyurethane foam manufacturing. • As a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, The HPMP Stage-I has been already implemented in the country, which has successfully met all the ODS phase-out targets. Source: LiveMint

Web Portal for obtaining CRZ Clearances • The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched the web portal for obtaining Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances. • The portal is a web-based system for obtaining clearances required from the Ministry under the (CRZ) by the Project proponents for ease of doing business. Key Facts • The user-friendly portal enables submission of applications for CRZ clearance in a single- window interface and facilitates quick flow of information related to CRZ clearances. • It will enable the project proponents and the concerned State/UT bodies like the State Coastal Zone Management Authorities (SCZMAs) and Town/ Municipal Planning agencies to track status of their proposals. • The system is based on web architecture, similar to the existing systems of the ministry for environmental and forest clearances. The objectives of the web portal are: • Enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability in the process of CRZ clearances • Enhance responsiveness through workflows and availability of real-time information on the status of CRZ clearance proposals • Ease of business and convenience of citizens in accessing information and services; • Standardised procedures and processes across Central and State levels. Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ): • CRZ is the zone along the coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers and backwaters along the coastline specially demarcated for regulated development activity. • The demarcated zone consists of coastal stretches influenced by tidal action (in the landward side) upto 500 metres from the High Tide Line (HTL) and the land between the Low Tide Line (LTL) and the HTL. • The regulations in this zone are governed by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 2011 issued under the under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. • In this zone, Government imposes restrictions on setting up and expansion of industries or other projects. It is mandatory for getting clearances from ministry and local authorities to start any development project in CRZ. • According to Coastal Regulation Zone notifications, it is divided into 4 zones: 1. CRZ I – It refers to the ecologically sensitive areas, essential in maintaining ecosystem of the coast. These lie between the HTL and LTL. Only exploration of natural gas and extraction of salt is permitted.

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2. CRZ II – These areas form up to the shoreline of the coast. Authorized structures are not allowed to be constructed in this zone. 3. CRZ III – This includes rural and urban localities. Only certain activities relating to agriculture and public utilities allowed here. 4. CRZ IV – This includes the aquatic area up to the territorial limit (12 nautical miles). Fishing and allied activities permitted in this zone. Solid waste can be let off in this zone. Source: PIB

Workshop on Arsenic problem in ground water and its remediation in Ganga Basin held • Workshop on Arsenic problem in ground water and its remediation in Ganga Basin was recently held. • It was chaired by Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Uma Bharti. • It was organized by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). Background: • There is an urgent need to start a nationwide movement to make people aware about the arsenic problem. • The government has underlined the need to make people aware about the negative impact of Arsenic in Ganga basin area. • It has also proposed to prepare an exhaustive work plan to meet the challenges posed by presence of arsenic in ground water on the basis of the outcome of this workshop. Arsenic in groundwater: • Arsenic in ground water is a geogenic contaminant i.e. caused by natural geologic processes. • Arsenic-containing groundwater in Ganga River basin is hosted by the sediments deposited by the rivers during the late Quaternary or Holocene age (<12 thousand years). • Incidence of high arsenic in groundwater reported from various parts of the country, particularly in the Ganga- plains is a serious threat to the health of human being. • Arsenic occurrences in ground water in these areas are highly sporadic in nature and all the sources in these areas are not necessarily contaminated. • Over the last three decades numerous measures have been initiated which includes alternate arrangement for supply of arsenic free water to the affected populace and providing arsenic removal plants. Technological options to combat arsenic menace: • In groundwater, to ensure supply of arsenic free water, in the affected areas, following technological options are available to combat arsenic menace: • In-situ remediation of arsenic from aquifer system, • Ex-situ remediation of arsenic from tapped groundwater by arsenic removal technologies, • Use of surface water source as an alternative to the contaminated groundwater source, • Tapping alternate safe aquifers for supply of arsenic free groundwater or combination of above techniques. What has the government done in this regard? • The government is tapping alternate safe aquifers, for supply of arsenic free groundwater in many areas on a local scale; however, this approach would require extensive studies and analysis for mapping of groundwater availability, freshwater reserves and to examine mobilization of arsenic in the aquifer, both on spatial and temporal scale, due to forcing perturbation. • Under the National Aquifer mapping programme (NAQUIM) of CGWB special attention has been given to this aspect and water wells have been constructed tapping arsenic free aquifers using state of the art technology in parts of Ballia and Ghazipur districts of Uttar Pradesh”.

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• However, the growing arsenic occurrences demands a systematic translation of success stories of one place/region to another and formulating a comprehensive plan to mitigate the arsenic problem through a wider consultation process. Source: PIB

National Conference on Jal Kranti Abhiyan organised • The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation organised a national conference on Jal Kranti Abhiyan in New Delhi. • The day-long conference saw around 700 participants, representing various stakeholder groups such as officials, farmers, students, NGOs and panchayat members. Jal Kranti Abhiyan: • The nation-wide programme was launched by Union Minister Uma Bharti on 5 June 2016. • The programme mainly aims to create awareness among various stakeholders about the importance of water conservation and security and also to help resolve several water-related issues in the country. • It was launched with the objective of consolidating water conservation and management in the country through a more integrated approach involving all stakeholders and making it a mass movement. • It aims to bring together all relevant existing and planned schemes of the Government of India on one platform to achieve the objectives. Some of the broad goals of the programme include • To strengthen grass root involvement of all stakeholders including local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions in the water security and development schemes like Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM). • To encourage the adoption of traditional knowledge in water resources conservation and its management. • To utilize sector level expertise from different levels in the government, NGOs and citizens. • To enhance livelihood security through water security in rural areas. Source: PIB

Polluted environment kills 1.7 million children a year: WHO report • According to recently released World Health Organisation (WHO) report titled “Inheriting a sustainable world: Atlas on children’s health and the environment”, polluted environment kills around 1.7 million children a year. Highlights of the Report: • More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to unhealthy environments. • Diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia are the most common causes of death among children aged 1 month to 5 years. • Large portion of the most common causes of death among children are diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia due to pollution. Harmful exposures also increase the risk of premature birth. • Every year, environmental risks such as outdoor and indoor air pollution, unsafe water, second-hand smoke, lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene results in quarter of all global deaths of children under five. • When infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to air pollution they have an increased lifelong risk of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma. • Exposure to air pollution may also increase their lifelong risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer. Children’s developing organs and immune systems, and smaller bodies and airways, make them vulnerable pollution.

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• Each year, 270000 children die during their first month of life from conditions, including prematurity. These conditions can be easily prevented through sanitation, hygiene in health facilities, access to clean water and reducing air pollution. Source: The Hindu

Centre launches survey on Gangetic dolphins • The Centre has launched the first ever across-the-river survey in the Ganga to determine the population of aquatic life, including that of the endangered Gangetic dolphin. Key facts: • The survey will create a baseline scientific data for the government to take suitable measures to improve quality of the river water. • The first leg of the census was launched on March 1 from Narora in Uttar Pradesh to Bijnor (covering distance of nearly 165 km) to establish the number of the national aquatic animal. • A study to figure out fish species composition in the 2525 km-long river has been also been kick started from Harshil in Uttarakhand. • The survey is being conducted through Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous institution of Environment and Forest Ministry, under Namami Gange programme. • The study will find out stretches where dolphin is habitating, what are the conditions there and the level of threat the long-snouted species is facing in a particular belt. • Apart from number of dolphins, number of ghariyals and turtles in the river will also be ascertained. • Besides populace count, the study will help know distribution pattern of aquatic life in the river, extent of threat level they are facing and their habitat conditions. Significance of the move: • This will be for the first time a comprehensive and scientific study will be conducted to determine the population of aquatic life in River Ganga. Earlier all the surveys carried out were conducted in bits and pieces or were rapid. Gangetic Dolphins: • River dolphins are found in Ganga and Brahmaputra and its tributaries. • Also known as susu, it inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. • It is the National Aquatic Animal of India. • It has been declared endangered species and is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. • This dolphin is among the four “obligate” freshwater dolphins – the other three are the baiji now likely extinct from the Yangtze river in China, the bhulan of the Indus in Pakistan and the boto of the Amazon River in Latin America. • Although there are several species of marine dolphins whose ranges include some freshwater habitats, these four species live only in rivers and lakes. • Being a mammal, the Ganges River dolphin cannot breathe in the water and must surface every 30-120 seconds. • Because of the sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred to as the ‘Susu’. • This fresh water dolphin species is practically blind. They rely on bio-sonar method to move around and catch their prey. Source: The Hindu

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For Olive Ridleys, it’s paradise lost • Tens of thousands of eggs laid by Olive Ridley sea turtles this year in Gahirmatha Sanctuary in Odisha, one of the world’s largest nesting grounds, are getting destroyed due to shrinking coastal space. Background: • 6,04,046 turtles have come to lay eggs at Nasi II island of Gahirmatha from February 22. • The turtles had largely given the island a miss in 2016, with only 50,000 coming to nest. • Since the small island cannot host all those that turned up this year, only 50% of eggs may survive. Olive Ridley sea turtle: • Olive Ridley sea turtle has found place in Schedule – I of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 1991). • All the species of sea turtles in the coastal water of Odisha are listed as “endangered” as per IUCN Red Data Book. • The sea turtle are protected under the ‘Migratory Species Convention’ and CITES (Convention of International Trade on Wildlife Flora and Fauna). • India is a signatory nation to all these conventions. The ‘Homing’ characteristics of the Ridley sea turtles make them more prone to mass casualty. Gharimatha Marine Sanctuary: • Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is a marine wildlife sanctuary located in Odisha. • It extends from Dhamra River mouth in the north to Mahanadi river mouth in the south. • It is very famous for its nesting beach for olive ridley sea turtles. It is the one of world’s most important nesting beach for turtles. Source: The Hindu

Centre dithers on Western Ghats issue • After several years of discussions, the government has finally notified nearly 57,000 square km area in the Western Ghats region as ecologically sensitive area (ESA) where all kinds of mining activities, large constructions, thermal power plants and highly polluting industries would no longer be allowed. • The 56,825 square km of land is spread over six states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. • The notification covers an area that is slightly less than the 59,940 square km of area identified by a committee headed by ex-ISRO chief K Kasturirangan in 2013. Background • Western Ghats is a 1,500-km biodiversity-rich geological formation along the western Indian coast, which is also rich in minerals. • Demarcation of an ESA is an effort to protect the fragile eco-system from indiscriminate industrialisation, mining and unregulated development. • Two committees were appointed in the last eight years to identify the areas that needed to be kept out from such activities. • The first of these, called the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, headed by noted environmentalist Madhav Gadgil had recommended that the entire region should be made out of bounds for new industrial activities. • The other one, headed by Kasturirangan, had suggested that only about 37 per cent of the entire region needed be demarcated into an ESA. • State governments and local populations at many of the identified places had resisted the formation of ESA fearing loss of livelihood and a ban on developmental activities.

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What’s next? • Concerned state governments and other stakeholders have 60 days’ time to raise objections or make suggestions on the decision to notify the area as ESA. If no changes have to be made, the notification will become final. Source: The Hindu

Operation Thunderbird & Operation Save Kurma of WCCB • Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has successfully coordinated Operation Thunder Bird from January 30 to February 19, 2017 in its fight to end poaching of India’s wildlife animals. • It also had convened Operation Save Kurma, a species specific operation on turtles between 15 December 2016 and 30 January 2017. Operation Thunderbird: • Operation Thunderbird is the code-name for INTERPOL’s multi-national and multi-species enforcement operation. • Wildlife Crime Control Bureau coordinated this operation between 30 January and 19 February 2017. • During the operation, a total of 2, 524 live species of scheduled animals, 19.2 kilograms of elephant ivory, 1 tiger skin, 9 carcasses of wild animals, 1 organ pipe coral, 1 jar snake venom, 8 leopard skins and 1 Indian Mujtac skin were seized. • The operation brought about a unanimous approach by the State enforcement agencies in the fight against wildlife crime in the country. • 71 persons were arrested during the operation, which saw an overwhelming response from the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttrakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Operation Save Kurma: • It was species specific operation on turtles. Under it total of 15,739 live turtles were recovered from 45 suspects, having inter-state linkages. • It helped the enforcement agencies to focus on the existing trade routes and major trade hubs in the country, which will be continued in future. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB): • WCCB is statutory multi-disciplinary body under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to combat organized wildlife crime in the country. • It was established in June 2007 by amending the Wildlife (Protection) Act (WLPA), 1972, a special Act to protect the wildlife and fauna in the country. • It is headquartered in New Delhi and has five regional offices at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Jabalpur; three sub-regional offices at Amritsar, Guwahati, and Cochin; and five border. • Under Section 38 (Z) of WLPA, 1972, it is mandated to collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime and disseminate it to state and other enforcement agencies for immediate action. • It assists foreign authorities and international organization concerned to facilitate co- ordination and universal action for wildlife crime control. • It is tasked with capacity building of the wildlife crime enforcement agencies for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes and assist states to ensure success in wildlife crimes prosecutions. • It advises Union Government on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications, relevant policy and laws. • It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item. Source: The Hindu 134 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

March 3: World Wildlife Day • The World Wildlife Day is observed on 3rd March every year to celebrate and raise awareness about the world’s wild fauna and flora. • 2017 theme: “Listen to the Young Voices”. • It is celebrated to mark the signing of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on this day in 1973. • It aims to create awareness and encourages people across the globe to protect endangered species. • It also calls for taking up urgent steps to fight wildlife crime which has wide-ranging environmental, economic and social impacts. • It aims to empower and engage the youth in conservation issues. Engaging and empowering youth is the call of this year. Background: • The World Wildlife Day was designated by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its 68th session on 20 December 2013. On this day in 1973, CITES was adopted. • Wildlife has an intrinsic value and contributes to the ecological, social, economic, genetic, scientific, educational, cultural, aesthetic and recreational aspects of sustainable development and human well-being. • Habitat loss, poaching and climate change are among the most alarming challenges faced by wildlife today. Poaching and trafficking of wildlife is now the most immediate threat to many species. There is pressing need for enhanced action to ensure survival of wildlife in its natural habitats. CITES: • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is international agreement to regulate worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant species. • Its aim is to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild. • It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It entered into force in July 1975. • CITES is legally binding on state parties to the convention, which are obliged to adopt their own domestic legislation to implement its goals. • It classifies plants and animals according to three categories, or appendices, based on how threatened. They are: Appendix I species: • It lists species that are in danger of extinction. It prohibits commercial trade of these plants and animals except in extraordinary situations for scientific or educational reasons. Appendix II species: • They are those that are not threatened with extinction but that might suffer a serious decline in number if trade is not restricted. Their trade is regulated by permit. Appendix III species: • They are protected in at least one country that is a CITES member states and that has petitioned others for help in controlling international trade in that species. • In addition, CITES also restricts trade in items made from such plants and animals, such as food, clothing, medicine, and souvenirs. Source: The Hindu, Wiki

NGT fixes norms for camping along Ganga • The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 2 March 2017 ordered a ban on camping activities within 100 metres of the Ganga in Uttarakhand. • The decision was taken by a bench of justices headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar.

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• The ban will be imposed from Kaudiyala to Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. Key facts • NGT bench gave this ruling by relying on various studies conducted by the Uttarakhand government and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). • It held that river rafting is one of the significant components of eco-tourism, but it needs to be encouraged but with a clear mandate so that it does not cause any environmental and biodiversity degradation. • It clarified that the portion of the identified beaches which fall outside the restriction of 100 meters should only be used for effective camping activity. • The remaining part of the beach should not be permitted for any activity including tenting, toilets and other incidental requirements. • NGT held that the illegal and improper activities at the camping sites led to the pollution of River Ganga. It ordered implementation of management plan prepared by State government. Background • Polluting of the Ganga water is a cause of concern for the Union government as well and in fact, the cabinet minister of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Uma Bharti had set 2018 as the deadline to clean Ganga fully. • However, it is unlikely for the work to be completed by 2018. Main reasons for the delay include the delay in clearances by the state government to execute the projects as well as the intrusive questioning process of the NGT about the operating capacity of sewage treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh. Source: The Hindu

Three Forest Research Institutes develop High-Yielding Varieties of Plant Species • Three institutes of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun have developed 20 high-yielding varieties of plant species. • ICFRE’s Variety Releasing Committee (VRC) has granted approval for the release of these varieties of plant species. • These developed varieties had gone through stringent long field trials and testing before release. These three institutes are: 1. Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun • It has developed 10 improved varieties of Melia dubia (popularly known as Dreake or Malabar Neem) and 3 clones of Eucalyptus tereticornis, the timber of which is in high demand in the industry. • The HYV cultivars of Melia have high productivity per unit area, which is a desirable characteristic for plywood industry. • The HYV varieties of Eucalyptus are also resistant to wall gasp and pink disease. 2. Tropical Forest Research Institute (TFRI), Jabalpur • It has developed two varieties of medicinal plant Rauvolfia serpentina. 3. Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore • It has developed five inter-specific hybrids of Casuarina equisetifolia X Casuarina junghuhniana for timber use. ICFRE: • Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) was established as an autonomous organisation under Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). • ICFRE is based in Dehradun. • It carries out the holistic research on forestry species, transfer technologies developed to the states and other user agencies and imparts forestry education.

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• There are 9 research institutes and 4 advanced centres under ICFRE to cater to the research needs of different bio-geographical regions. • They actively engaged in improvement of plantation tree species to improve, quality, yield and productivity to meet the demand for domestic consumption by industries. Source: PIB

Madras HC orders TN govt to enact law on removal of seemai karuvelam trees • The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has ordered Tamil Nadu government to enact a law with prohibitory and penal clauses to eradicate Seemai Karuvelam (prosopis juliflora) trees within two months. What is the issue? • The HC’s order came after it heard a batch of petitions including Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking directions to remove the seemai karuvelam trees claiming that they are harmful to the environment and agriculture. • Seemai Karuvelam is invasive species of tree harmful to the environment as it sucks lot of water ultimately affect the environment and agricultural activities. • Earlier in December 2016, the bench of high court had directed state government to completely uproot this tree species from public as well as private lands in 13 districts under its territorial jurisdiction by mid February 2017. Court’s ruling • State Government should enact a law with prohibitory and penal clauses to eradicate hazardous species Seemai Karuvelam (prosopis juliflora) trees within two months from all 32 districts of the State. • The State Government must also release perennial funds to the district collectors in the state for removing of these tree species completely from public as well as private lands. Seemai Karuvelam tree • Seemai Karuvelam tree species are native to West Africa. It was brought to Tamil Nadu in 1960s as fuelwood. • It disrupts the local ecosystem of its habitation by soaking in all the ground water near it. • It is an invasive species that has infiltrated the water bodies and dry lands of Tamil Nadu. • According to a report, Karuvelam tree absorbs more than four litres of water to obtain one kilogram of biomass. • It cannot even shelter birds as it produces less oxygen and more carbon dioxide. If it does not have sufficient water it begins absorbing groundwater. And if there is no groundwater, it starts absorbing humidity from the surroundings. • It can also turn the groundwater poisonous. Source: The Hindu

Even hill stations will be hotter this year, warns IMD • India Meteorological Department has forecast “above normal” temperatures across most of the country. Highlights of the forecast • The IMD weather model, used to prepare the forecast, shows a 47% probability of summer temperatures being above normal. • Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir are expected to be particularly hot with predicted temperatures, on average, likely to be well above 1 degree C above their normal summer temperatures. • Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana are other States in the “core heat zone” that are likely to see significantly warmer temperatures.

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• The summer forecast is in line with a generally warm trend over previous months. 2016 was the warmest year in a century, according to the IMD, with the country 0.91 C warmer than the 1961-1990 average. • The weather agency blames global warming for this. Studies indicate increasing trends in the frequency and duration of heat waves over the country. This can be attributed to increasing trends in the greenhouse gases and the warming of the sea surface temperatures over the equatorial Indian and Pacific oceans. IMD • The India Meteorological Department (IMD), also referred to as the Met Department, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. • It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology. • IMD is headquartered in New Delhi and operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica. • IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization. • It has the responsibility for forecasting, naming and distribution of warnings for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean region, including the Malacca Straits, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Source: The Hindu

MORE NEWS FDA Approves New Eczema Drug Dupixent • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Dupixent injection to treat adults with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis). • Dupixent is intended for patients whose eczema is not controlled adequately by topical therapies, or those for whom topical therapies are not advisable. • Dupixent is administered as an injection under the skin. • Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. It is the most common of the many types of eczema. Its cause is a combination of genetic, immune and environmental factors. In atopic dermatitis, the skin develops red, scaly and crusted bumps, which are extremely itchy.

New secure pound coin goes into circulation in UK • A new 12-sided one-pound coin described by the UK’s Royal Mint as the “most secure coin in the world” has been put into circulation across the UK. • There is material inside the coin itself which can be detected when electronically scanned by coin-counting or payment machines, making it impossible to counterfeit. • Other security features of the coin include an image that works like a hologram and micro- sized lettering inside both rims.

Aviation Turbine Fuel Digital Issue and Payment (ATF DIP) system • Indian Air force has formally launched web based e-billing system Aviation Turbine Fuel Digital Issue and Payment (ATF DIP). • It will be implemented from April 1, 2017. • The web based e-billing system was launched in line with the Union Government’s flagship Digital India programme. • It has been developed for the speedy accounting and clearance of Aviation Fuel bills of Oil Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). • The aviation fuel management in the IAF involves over 2 lakh transactions per year. The new platform will streamline the ATF bill payment system.

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• It was jointly developed by the Controller General of Defence Accounts (DGCA) and the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

INLCU L51 • Recently, the INLCU L51 was commissioned into the Indian Navy. • It is first of the eight ships of the LCU MK IV Class. • The vessel is built by M/s Garden Reach Ship Builders & Engineers Ltd, Kolkata. • The ship was conceived and designed indigenously. • It has been built to assist in amphibious operations by carrying out beaching operations and has an endurance of 1500 nm. • It will play a pivotal role in carrying out maritime surveillance of Andaman & Nicobar Islands for preventing anti-poaching, illegal fishing, drug trafficking, human trafficking, poaching and other illegal activities. • The ship will also enhance the capabilities of the Andaman and Nicobar Command in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.

Hindu New Year celebrations begins • Hindu New Year is being welcomed in different parts of the country with traditional festivities and celebrations. • The Chaitra Sukladi, Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Navareh, Navroz and Chetti Chand are the same festivals in different names, marking the occasion. States New year names • Andhra Pradesh and Telangana • Ugadi • Karnataka • Yugadi /Ugadi • Maharashtra • Gudi Padwa • Sindhis • Cheti Chand • Marwari of Rajasthan • Thapna • Manipuris • Sajibu Nongma Panba • Hindus of Kashmir • Navreh • Hindus of Bali and Indonesia • Nyepi

Glenfiddich’s Emerging Artist of the Year award 2017 • Odisha-based installation artist Sitaram Swain has been chosen as the Glenfiddich’s Emerging Artist of the Year 2017. • From among 810 participants from across India, Sitaram Swain was awarded the sixth recipient of Glenfiddich’s Emerging Artist of the Year 2017. • He will represent India at the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence (AiR) programme at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Scotland with seven artists from around the world. • Every year since 2002, some of the world’s most creative minds from around the world have been invited to live and work for a period of three months on site at the Glenfiddich Distillery. • The artists have complete freedom to develop projects that are inspired by their surroundings and whisky making crafts.

Cyclone Debbie • It is a powerful cyclone, which has pummelled the north-east Australian coast, causing major damage, torrential rain and power cuts to tens of thousands of homes. • Cyclone Debbie made landfall between Bowen and Airlie Beach in Queensland as a category four storm.

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China nominates Tai Chi for UNESCO list • China has nominated Tai Chi, a form of ancient martial art, for inclusion in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. • China attempted to get the UNESCO status for the martial art form in 2008, but the application — one of 35 from China — was withdrawn after an evaluation deemed it “too vague”. • The latest attempt to include Tai Chi comes amid speculation that South Korea and Japan could make similar nominations.

2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games • India’s special athletes won 73 medals in the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games. • The games were held between 18 March and 25 March 2017 in Austria. • World Winter Games 2017, also known as Special Olympics, are the brainchild of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who is the sister of former US president John F Kennedy. • The Special Olympics are the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 4 million athletes in 170 countries. • Special Olympics World Games are held alternatively between summer and winter games. Special Olympics World Games are held every two years. • Only those who are over eight years of age are allowed to participate. • A competitor needs to be identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed instruction.

World Conference on Environment • The 3rd edition of ‘World Conference on Environment’ was held in New Delhi. • It was organized by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and inaugurated by the President Pranab Mukherjee. • The 2-day conference discussed various issues like air pollution, water pollution, economics and clean technology, and the role of courts and tribunals for environmental protection. • The conference conducted sessions on various environmental issues. • The conference aims to provide a new dimension to the environmental jurisprudence from a world perspective. • This is for the first time that UNEP is holding a conference in India in which around 55 delegates from 30 countries especially South Asian countries will participate.

India to redefine blindness to meet WHO stipulation • The Union Government has decided to change a four-decade-old definition of blindness to bring it in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria and ensure the Indian data on blindness meets the global estimates. • As per National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) definition, in India person is blind if he is unable to count fingers from a distance of six metres. • WHO definition stipulates this distance as three metres.

9th World Environmental Education Congress • Canada is going to host 9th edition of World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) in Vancouver from September 9-15, 2017. • The theme of the congress will be “Culture/Environment: Weaving New Connections”.

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• The WEEC is an international event that seeks to addresses issues related education for environment and sustainability.

India’s first vertical garden • India’s first vertical garden was set up at the Hosur Road Electronics City Flyover in Bengaluru, Karnataka. • The garden is an initiative of SayTrees, NGO determined to protect nature. • The vertical garden will help to control the pollution level of the city and also act as a sound proofing barrier. • It covers pillar of the flyover by flaunting lovely organic and refreshing saplings. • It also has an automatic drip irrigation system allowing the plants to get water on a daily basis.

Mera iMobile app • India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has launched the Mera iMobile app, India’s first one stop banking app for a range of digital services for rural customers. • The multi-lingual app allows electronic transfer of funds through multiple payment mechanisms. • It also provides weather updates, up to date prices of vegetables in mandis. • It helps customers to manage bank accounts, track cards and loans, manage fund transfers, make payments for utility services, and find out information relevant to farmers.

5th Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav • The 5th edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) – 2017’ was held in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. • It was organized by the Union Ministry of Culture to preserve, promote and popularize the heritage and cultural diversity of Indian culture and reconnect the new generation with Indian culture. • About 5,000 artists from North East India and 2,000 artists from across the country showcased India’s cultural heritage through their performances, arts and cuisines. • Later it was extend to other North Eastern states including, Dimapur (Nagaland), Majuli (Assam), Aizawl (Mizoram), Imphal (Manipur), Gangtok (Sikkim), Shillong (Meghalaya).

21st March: World Forestry Day • World Forestry Day or International Day of Forests is celebrated worldwide every year on 21st of March at the international level in order to increase the public awareness among communities about the values, significance and contributions of the forests to balance the life cycle on the earth. • Theme for World Forestry Day 2017 is “Forests & Energy”. • The World Forestry Day was established in the year 1971 at the 23rd General Assembly of European Confederation of Agriculture. And it was decided to be celebrated as an annual event celebration on 21st of March by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

22nd March: World Water Day • World Water Day is being observed globally today (22nd March). • It is to mark the importance of water to human civilisation and nature. • The United Nations organisation sets a theme each year. Theme this year: wastewater. • World Water Day is part of a global mission to get safer water for all. It’s a day for people to learn, get involved and take action.

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• The United Nations General Assembly designated March 22 as World Water Day in 1993 following a resolution taken in Rio, Brazil in 1992. This is the 24th year, and it’s organised by UN Water in collaboration with governments and partners.

China to Take Part in Brahmaputra Festival • The five-day Brahmaputra river festival titled Namami Brahmaputra organised by the BJP- led government in Assam, will witness significant participation from China. • The event is described as the “biggest river festival of India”. • Various other countries such as Vietnam and Singapore are also attending. • The Brahmaputra, 2,900 km long, is an international river with 918 km of it flowing in India, 1625 km in China and 337 km in Bangladesh.

Soumya Swaminathan named to UN group on antimicrobial resistance • UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed Soumya Swaminathan, Director of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in the high level group to provide expertise on and coordinate the global fight against antimicrobial resistance. • The group comprises high level representatives of relevant UN agencies, other international organizations and individual experts across different sectors. • Ms Swaminathan is also Secretary in the Department of Health Research in Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. • She is also a multi-award-winning paediatrician, clinical scientist and is known for her research on tuberculosis.

Global Millennium Summit • The two-day Global Millennium Summit organised by the Shri Ram College of Commerce was recently held in Dubai. • The theme of the summit is ‘Future of this Millennium’. • The Global Millennium Summit is the first-of-its-kind initiative taken by students of Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi in association with the Office of International Programmes, SRCC. • The Summit aims to provide the youth across the world with a platform to discuss, act and interact. • The Summit witnessed students from the world’s leading universities and notable leaders from the fields of governance, business, technology and academia.

World Poetry Day • The World Poetry Day was celebrated on 21 March 2017 across the globe. • The objective behind the day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression as well as to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their societies. • The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) first adopted 21 March as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999. • The day also provides an occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry.

KCK International Award for excellence in Print Journalism • President Pranab Mukherjee presented the KCK International Award for excellence in Print Journalism. • The awards were organized by Rajasthan Patrika in New Delhi.

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• The award for the year 2014 was conferred upon Wanjohi Kabukuru’s team for the story How East Africa Lost Its Innocence that was published in New African magazine, London. • The award for the year 2015 was awarded to Rakesh Sharma and his team for an investigative news series Sexual Harassment in Nari Niketan, published in Amar Ujala. • The award carries the cash prize of USD 11000.

India’s Longest Road Tunnel • India’s longest surface tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district is complete. • It will be open to traffic soon, following successful completion of trial runs for peak and off- peak hours. • It has taken nearly six years for the project’s completion, since the work started in May 2011 in the lower Himalayan mountain range. • The 9-km-long twin-tube tunnel at Chenani passes through the lower Himalayan mountain range on Jammu- Srinagar National Highway. • It is India’s first tunnel equipped with world class integrated tunnel control system through which ventilation, signals, fire control, communication and electrical systems are automatically actuated. • It reduces travel distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 30 kilometres and save time by three to four hours. The road distance from Chenani and Nashri will now be 10.9 km, instead of present 41 km. • The tunnel will provide all-weather road connectivity to the Valley and avoid landslide-prone stretch. It will help to boost the trade and commerce and tourism in the valley. • This engineering marvel is being called the ‘Tunnel of Hope’ in Kashmir.

First fully India-made train Medha flagged off • First fully India-made train (rake) Medha was flagged off at Dadar station in Mumbai. • The effort aims to boost rail connectivity in the region and enhance the convenience of the people. • Two Medha trains were on a trial since the last two years. Both the trains have been designed and built at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. They will be running on the Western Railway network. • It is powered by a Hyderabad-based firm Medha Servo Drives. • The company has installed LED lighting inside the train, which will help save energy by almost 30-35% in comparison to the existing trains. • The train also has a special indigenous 3 phase propulsion system unlike the earlier electric multiple units of the Indian railways, which have systems from either Bombardier or Siemens. • The in-built system will help minimise breakdowns during the travel.

Indian Origin Student Wins Junior Nobel • Indrani Das, an Indian-American high school student, won the 2017 Regeneron Science Talent Search bagging the top award of USD 250000. • Das won the prestigious high school science and mathematics competition for her new approach to neurological damage. • Regeneron Science Talent Search competition is the oldest science competition in US for students. • It is nicknamed as the “Junior Nobel Prize”. Twelve of the contest alumni have won Nobel Prizes. • It is organised by the Society for Science and the Public in association with medical firm Regeneron.

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India hosts world’s oldest algae fossil • A group of scientists in India unearthed a pair of 1.6 billion-year-old fossils that appear to contain red algae. It is estimated that it may be the oldest plant-like life discovered on Earth. • Until now, the oldest known red algae was 1.2 billion years old. • The preserved fossils came from phosphorite deposits at Jankikund, Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh. • The researchers looked inside the algae with the help of synchrotron-based X-ray tomographic microscopy.

First police post in India to be linked with CCTNS • Sanjauli police station in Himachal Pradesh has become the first police post in the country to be linked with Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a nationwide online tracking system. • The system will facilitate people in lodging online/offline complaints, police verification of job applicants, tenants, character verification and migrant labourer registration. • Once the police posts are linked under the CCTNS system, its daily Roznamcha/diary can be viewed online by supervisory officer of the police department, thus making it easy to supervise the staff, said a senior police officer of the department.

MoU between LBSNAA and NIPAM for capacity building of public officials • The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie and Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM), Namibia in the field of capacity building of public officials of Namibia and other training activities for the benefit of both the institutes. • The MOU will help the Academy to disseminate some of its experience in running a training institution for higher civil services in the country to NIPAM. • It will also help the two sides to engage in collaborative activities in the sphere of public administration and capacity building.

World Consumers Rights Day • The World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) is celebrated every year on March 15 to pay solidarity with the international consumer movement and give more attention to promote basic rights of consumers. • It provides an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers, for demanding that those rights are respected and protected, and for protesting the market abuses and social injustices which undermine them. • 2017 Theme: ‘Building a Digital World Consumers can Trust’. In 2016, WCRD was observed with the theme “Antibiotics off the menu”. • The first WCRD was observed on 15 March 1983 and has since become an important occasion for mobilizing citizen action. • Consumers International (CI), which was founded in 1960 organises WCRD. It is the only independent and authoritative global voice for consumers and has over 220 member organisations in 115 countries around the world. • Every year a theme is chosen for this day, and this year it is ‘Building a digital world consumers can trust’. • In India, 24th December is observed as National Consumer Day. On this day in 1986, Consumer Protection Act, 1986 had received the assent of the President.

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Madhukar Gupta Committee Report • The Committee constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri Madhukar Gupta, has submitted its report to the Government to strengthen border protection and address vulnerabilities in fencing along the Indo-Pakistan border. • The Committee has given its recommendations broadly on the issues of Threats and Border Protection, assessment of force level, deployment on the border, infrastructure and technology issues for protection of border and administrative issues.

Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskar (2016) • Ramakrishna Ashram, which is located in the South 24 Parganas of West Bengal, was conferred with the national-level Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskar for 2016. • The award was instituted by the Union Government in 2016 to mark the birth centenary year of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, a pioneer of Antyodaya. • The winners of this annual award are selected by the selection committee on the basis of nominations received from all the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across the country. • The total sum of this award is 50 lakh rupees in which there is a provision of one award of 25 lakh rupees at the national level and 11 awards of Rs 2,25,000 lakh each at the regional level.

KrishiUnnatiMela 2017 • Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) every year has been organising Krishi Vigyan Mela (Agriculture Science Fair) to display and popularise the latest advancement in agricultural research and technology development among farmers and end users since 1972. • This year KrishiUnnatiMela 2017 is being organised jointly by ICAR and Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. • During the mela, technical sessions on various themes are planned to educate farmers on various agricultural technologies and government schemes for agricultural development. • The mela continues to be a highly important annual event for receiving feedback from the farming community, which helps in deciding the Institute’s future research strategy. • Thousands of farmers and visitors from across the country are participating in the mela every year.

Vienna again ranked world’s nicest city, and Baghdad worst • Vienna, Austria’s grand capital on the Danube River has topped consulting firm Mercer’s list of cities offering the highest quality of life for the eighth year in a row. • While Baghdad is again considered the worst place to live. • Singapore was the highest ranked Asian city, at 25. • Switzerland’s Zurich, New Zealand’s Auckland, Germany’s Munich and Canada’s Vancouver followed Vienna in the top five of most pleasant cities to live in. • Global centres London, Paris, Tokyo and New York City did not even make the top 30, lagging behind most big German, Scandinavian, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian cities. • The survey of 231 cities helps companies and organisations determine compensation and hardship allowances for international staff. • It uses dozens of criteria such as political stability, health care, education, crime, recreation and transport. • For the third consecutive time, Hyderabad (Telangana) has emerged as the best Indian city in terms of quality of living.

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• Amongst Indian cities, Mumbai is ranked the highest at 141, followed by Kolkata (149) and Pune (151) in city infrastructure rankings. Bangalore was rated the lowest (177) by the report.

National Crime Records Bureau celebrates its 32nd Inception Day • Recently, the 32nd Inception Day of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) was celebrated. • National Crime Records Bureau is an attached office of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. • It was established in 1986 with a mandate to empower Indian Police with information technology solutions and criminal intelligence to enable them to enforce the law effectively. • It is responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC). • It facilitates Investigating Officers with updated IT tools and information in Investigation of Crimes. • The MHA has entrusted NCRB with a renewed mandate for the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) Project. • NCRB has won Digital India Award 2016 for digitizing and uploading ‘Crime in India’ on Opensource Govt. Portal since 1967. • NCRB has been training Indian and Foreign Police Officers from more than 20 countries since 1990 and till date more than 40,000 Police Officers have been trained. • Various applications developed by NCRB include Crime & Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), Finger Prints Science, ‘Vahan Samanvay’, ‘TALASH’, Mobile Apps Citizen Complaint, View FIR, Locater, Automated License Plate Reader and NCRB Publications of ‘Crime in India’, ‘Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India’ and ‘Prison Statistics India’.

Pak. to begin first census in 19 years • Pakistan is all set to conduct its first census in almost two decades. • Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, with an estimated 200 million people, but has not held a census since 1998, despite a constitutional requirement for one every decade.

Centre Establishes Banana Research Centre in Bihar • To cater to the needs of the local farmers, the Central Government has established the Banana Research Centre in Gorole, Vaishali, Bihar. • This area has been selected for the establishment of Banana Research Centre, keeping in view the ecological conditions of this place. • Bihar and particularly Vaishali district is very suitable for the cultivation of bananas and large scale production of banana can change the fate of farmers. • With the cooperation of the researchers and with the participation of farmers, this centre would help to bring a new era of banana cultivation in Bihar and surrounding states like it happened in Maharashtra. • The total production of banana in the country is around 14.2 million tons. India holds number one position in the world in the area of banana production and stands at number three in acreages which is 13 per cent of the entire acreage and 33 per cent of the total production. • Among the states, Maharashtra is the largest producer followed by Tamil Nadu. • Productivity of Maharashtra is 65.7 ton/ha, which is more than the average national production of 34.1 ton/ha. • Average productivity of banana in Bihar is 20.0 ton/ha, which is very less than the national average.

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Bangladesh declares March 25 as ‘Genocide Day’ • Bangladesh’s unanimously adopted a resolution declaring March 25 as Genocide Day, in remembrance of the atrocities carried out by the Pakistani Army in the night of March 25, 1971. • The Pakistan Army swooped on unarmed civilians on the night of March 25, 1971, to crush the Bengali rebellion following refusal by the military leadership to accept the election results of 1970 in which the Awami League got thumping majority. • ‘Operation Searchlight’ began in the first hours of March 25 in Dhaka.

MySSB app • Union government has launched an android based and in-house developed mobile application “MySSB”. • The mobile application will cater to the general requirements and information of force personnel. • It facilitates accessibility to details of salary and allowance, general provident fund (GPF) subscription, service particulars including posting profiles and annual performance assessment report (APAR).

2017 IEEE Spectrum Technology Award • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras has won the 2017 IEEE Spectrum Technology in the Service of Society Award for its solar-direct current (DC) inverter system. • The system was developed by Centre for Decentralised Power Systems at IIT-M using micro grid technology. • The system converts in-home power distribution from 230V Analog Current (AC) to 48V DC to directly power appliances and devices. • It is equipped to tap rooftop solar power, making it most energy efficient solution for homes and offices. • It has been currently deployed in 4,000 off-grid homes in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and also deployed in around 7,200 homes in Assam. • It also has been installed in villages in Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. • IEEE Spectrum Technology in the Service of Society Award is presented to the company/institution voted by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Spectrum editors as having developed the technology that has the potential to benefit mankind.

RV Sindhu Sankalp completes 100 expeditions • Research Vessel (RV) Sindhu Sankalp, the flagship research vessel of CSIR- National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), has completed 100 expeditions. • The vessel, which was originally built as fishing training vessel (FV Chisio Maru) by the Japanese Government in 1989, was procured by NIO from Japan in 2008. • The vessel sailed across Bay of Bengal, Andaman Seas and Arabian Sea and has provided invaluable data and samples to understand the ocean processes and mapping of sea floor and water column variables. • Equipped with CTD system, multi-beam bathymetric system, echo-sounder and sub-bottom profiler, RV Sindhu Sankalp played a key role in conducting seabed geophysical and environmental surveys in KG Basin.

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Saraswati Samman 2016 • Prominent Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail was selected for the Saraswati Samman 2016 for his novel Hawthan. • Mahabaleshwar Sail is Goa-based renowned bi-lingual writer. So far, he wrote 4 Marathi dramas and 7 Konkani novels. • The novel ‘Hawthan’ is a well-researched work of fiction. The book presents the cultural map of the traditional potter community of Goa. • Saraswati Samman is named after Goddess Saraswati, Indian goddess of learning. The award was instituted in 1991 by the KK Birla Foundation. • The award consists of 15 lakh rupees, a citation and a plaque. • The inaugural award was given to Harivanshrai Bachchan for his four volume autobiography – Kya Bhooloon Kya Yaad Karoon, Needa Ka Nirman Phir, Basere Se Door and Dashdwar Se Sopan Tak. • The Saraswati Samman for 2015 was given to Padma Sachdev for her autobiography titled Chitt-Chete, which was written in Dogri language.

International Women’s day 2017 • International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 8 across the world. • The 2017 theme of IWD is “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”. Its campaign theme is “#BeBoldForChange”. • It is an annual marker that aims to bring attention to women’s accomplishments and obstacles. • The first International Women’s Day took place in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. • The UN celebrates the day on the basis of different themes. In 2016, the theme was Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality. • The day has now come to be also known as the United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.

Aadhaar Pay: Biometric Based Payment System • IDFC Bank became the first bank in the country to launch the biometric-based payment system Aadhaar Pay through its network. • Aadhaar Pay will enable merchants to receive payments from customers without any physical payment instrument. • Customer can use this service by first linking his bank account to the Aadhaar number. • To make a payment, customer just has to select the bank’s name and enter the Aadhaar number. The fingerprint will serve as the password to authenticate the transaction.

13th Economic Co-operation Organisation summit • The 13th edition of Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO) summit was held in Islamabad, Pakistan. • The purpose of the summit is to increase cooperation in areas such as trade, tourism, energy, economic growth and productivity. • The ECO is a Eurasian political and economic intergovernmental organization formed in 1985 by Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. • It now also includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. • Halil Ibrahim Akca from Turkey is its current Secretary General.

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Asia’s largest petrochemicals plant • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Petro auditions Limited (OPal) in the industrial town of Dahej in Gujarat. • The plant, which is claimed to be the largest petrochemicals plant in Asia with occupation over 1700 metres of land. • It is the single largest petrochemical plant in India and at full capacity will annually produce 14 lakh metric tonnes of polymers. • OPaL is a joint venture company promoted by ONGC, GAIL and GSPC.

National Archives of India to celebrate its 127th Foundation Day • The National Archives of India (NAI) will celebrate its 127th Foundation Day on March 11, 2017. • NAI was established on 11th March 1891 at Calcutta as the Imperial Record Department. • It is a repository of the non-current records of the Union Government and holds them in trust for the use of administrators and scholars. • It functions as an Attached Office of the Department of Culture under the Ministry of Culture. • It is headquarters are at Janpath, New Delhi and has a Regional Office at Bhopal and three Record Centres at Bhubaneswar, Jaipur and Pondicherry.

‘India by the Nile’ • It is a mega cultural festival, held at foot of the Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt. • It was organised by the Embassy of India in partnership with the Ministry of Textiles, Export Promotion Council dor Handicrafts (India) and Ministry of Social Solidarity (Egypt) and Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI). • This year event marked the special moment as India celebrates 70 years of independence and also 70 years of its diplomatic relations with Egypt. • The festival is a celebration of Indian music, dance, theatre, visual arts, food and wellbeing.

SBI launces Work from Home facility • The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a new “Work from Home” facility to enable its employees to work while at home using mobile devices. • This facility aims to address any urgent requirement employees may have, that prevents their travelling to work. • For this purpose, SBI will use mobile computing technologies and shall have continuous control over all the enabled devices. • It will centrally manage and secure the data and applications on the mobile devices.

National Safety Week • The National Safety Week (NSW) was observed from March 4 to 10 to raise safety awareness among people. • The 2017 theme was “Keep Each Other Safe”. • It was observed by the National Safety Council (NSC) of India. • It seeks to prevent and lessen the loss of human life and tackle financial losses to the family by availing them of safety, health and environment-related support services.

Moortidevi award 2016 • Noted Malayalam author and journalist M P Veerendra Kumar was awarded 30th edition of Moortidevi award 2016 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith organization.

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• He was awarded for his Malayalam travelogue “Hymavathabhoovil”, which dwells upon ancient trails of Indian culture, myth, literature and people strewn in the plains, valleys and mountains of India. • Moortidevi award is given annually for books written in all Indian languages besides English pertaining to Indian philosophy. It consists of a Saraswati statue, a citation plaque and cash award of Rs. 4 lakh.

Surya Kiran – XI • The eleventh edition of joint military exercise ‘Surya Kiran 2017’ between India and Nepal began in Pithoragarh area of Uttarakhand. • In this exercise, Indian Army is represented by the officers and troops of Ekta Shakti Battalion of the Punjab Regiment. While, Nepali Army is being represented by Durga Baksh Battalion. • The Surya Kiran XI aims at training of both the troops in the area of various counter insurgency operations over a prolonged period. • It will focus on other important aspects such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations and environmental conservation. • The Surya Kiran series of military exercises are being conducted bi-annually, alternatively in India and Nepal. • It is largest exercise in terms of troop’s participation in series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries. • It aims at promoting military relations while increasing interoperability in conducting joint counter insurgency operations in mountainous terrain. • The 10 edition of the exercise was held at Army Battle School, Saljhandi in Nepal in November 2016.

IISc ranked 8 among world’s best 10 universities • The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was ranked 8th in the top 10 of Times Higher Education’s (THE) Best Small Universities-2017 global rankings. • IISc was only the Indian university to feature in the list of 20. • It is also the second-highest ranked Asian University. The global rankings ranked only those universities with fewer than 5,000 students. • The list was topped by California Institute of Technology (Caltech). • IISc has a full-fledged postgraduate and Ph.D. programme and around 3,400 students study in it. • In the world university ranking, however, it ranks in the range of 201-250 when compared with larger universities also. • IISc, a public university for scientific research and higher education, was established in 1909 with active support from Jamsetji Tata and Sir Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. • In 2015-16, it became the first Indian institute to be ranked among the top 100 in THE World University Rankings for engineering and technology at 99th position. • The Times Higher Education World University Rankings was founded in 2004 by the U.K.- based Times Higher Education (THE) magazine. It provides the definitive list of the world’s best universities, evaluated across teaching, research, international outlook, reputation and more.

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PAU develops country’s first Bt cotton varieties • Punjab Agricultural University has successfully developed the country’s first Bt cotton varieties. • The ICAR has identified three varieties, namely PAU Bt 1, F1861 and RS 2013, for cultivation in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan. • It is a cheaper alternative to Bt cotton hybrid seed.

National Awards for Innovation in Educational Administration • The National Awards for Innovation in Educational Administration were recently presented to the participants in New Delhi. • The Awards have been instituted by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), New Delhi. • The main objective of the programme is to recognize innovative ideas and practices adopted by district and block level education officers for effective management of the educational administrative system at district and block levels, and ensuring institutional development and performance at school level.

Hyderabad Airport ranks 1st in Airport Service Quality Survey • GMR’s Hyderabad International Airport ranked 1st in the world in the prestigious Airports Council International (ACI)-Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey in the 5-15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) category in 2016. • Hyderabad Airport is designed to cater to 12MPPA is running in to its 9th year of operation. • It has witnessed a growth of more than 20% in 2016 with a passenger throughput of close to 15MPPA.

International Yoga fest • The two-day International Yoga fest was held at Talkatora stadium in New Delhi. • It was inaugurated by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu. • It was organised by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in association with the Indian Yoga associations. • More than 3,500 participants including eminent yoga gurus, yoga masters, scholars, policy makers and representatives from 15- 18 countries had participate in this mega event.

‘Hubbi’: First smart tribal village • The first smart tribal model village ‘Hubbi’ was inaugurated at Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. • The village was developed by Rural Development Department of the State Government. • The smart tribal village has been introduced with smart classes in the schools, better roads, electricity and water facilities.

China overtakes Eurozone as world’s largest banking system • According to Financial Times, China’s banking system has overtaken the eurozone to become the world’s largest by assets. • It indicates both, China’s increased influence in world finance and its reliance on debt to drive growth since the 2009 global financial crisis. • Chinese bank assets had hit $33 trillion at the end of 2016, versus $31 trillion of the eurozone, $16 trillion of the US and $7 trillion of Japan. • The value of China’s banking system is more than 3.1 times the size of its annual economic output, compared with 2.8 times for the eurozone and its banks.

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• China’s GDP had surpassed EU’s economic bloc in 2011 at market exchange rates, but its banking system did not take over the top spot until the end of 2016.

FOIN 2017 • 3rd Festival of Innovation (FOIN) was recently held in President’s house. • The Festival of Innovation (FOIN) is a unique initiative of the Office of the President of India to recognise, respect and reward grassroots innovations and foster a supportive ecosystem. • Hosted in the month of March at The President’s House, the FOIN has become a national celebration of creativity and innovation at and for grassroots. • In sync with the policies of the government of India, FOIN will provide a window to the creative and innovative solutions for social development through grassroots innovations, student ideas and other technologies for agriculture, rural development, sanitation, health, women and child development, biotechnology and medical innovation for grassroots.

Exercise Al-Nagah-II 2017 • The joint military exercise Al-Nagah-II 2017 between India and Oman began in the Dhauladhar Ranges in Bakloh belt of Himachal Pradesh to strengthen the military ties between the two countries. • This is the second edition of the exercise in continuation of a series of joint exercises between the armies of the two countries. • The first edition of the exercise was held at Muscat, Oman in 2015. • The 14-day joint exercise aims to acquaint both forces with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of counter insurgency, counter terrorism environment. • The exercise will also enhance the interoperability between the two armed forces in conducting joint military operations.

India’s first Artificial Intelligence driven chatbot EVA • HDFC Bank launched electronic virtual assistant (EVA), India’s first artificial intelligence- driven banking chatbot, for customer services. • It can answer millions of customer queries across multiple channels instantly. • It can assimilate knowledge from thousands of sources and provide answers in simple language in less than 0.4 seconds. • Since its launch, Eva has answered over 1 lakh queries from thousands of customers from 17 countries across the world. • The system becomes smarter as it learns through its customer interactions.

She Leads Tech programme • Social networking giant Facebook launched SheLeadsTech programme to nurture and mentor start-ups founded or co-founded by women. • This programme will give start-ups founded/cofounded by women access to a year-long program that provides tools, mentorship and resources. • Facebook is also running another programme She Means Business, which was launched on Women’s Day in 2016. • It is running in six states since its launch and now Facebook plans to take it to eight more states, including Jammu and Kashmir for 2017. • India is among the largest user base for Facebook and its affiliate WhatsApp. It contributes 168 million users to Facebook’s 1.86 billion global users, and 200 million to WhatsApp’s 1.2 billion monthly active users.

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45% of country’s bird species found in Himachal Pradesh: Great Backyard Bird Count • According to the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2017, 45% of country’s bird species are found in Himachal Pradesh. • As per data total 564 bird species are found in Himachal Pradesh of the 1,263 species found in whole country. • Great Backyard Bird Count is the first online citizen-science project that was launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. • The event is annually organised for four days in the month of February. It is organised to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds. • GBBC 2017 had engaged bird watchers from the general public in counting birds. • It was coordinated by the Bird Count India Partnership, a coming-together of number of Indian groups and organization that are interested in birds, nature and conservation.

World’s oldest fossils discovered in Quebec, Canada • Scientists have claimed that they have discovered oldest fossils on Earth in rocks from Quebec, Canada. • Carbon dating techniques suggest that these rocks are at least 3.8 billion years old and might even be 4.3 billion years old. • The fossils are thought to be the remains of bacteria that lived on iron and dwelt around hydrothermal vent systems i.e. mineral rich hot springs on the seafloor. • They’re made of haematite, a type of iron oxide (known as rust). • This discovery supports the idea that life emerged from hot, seafloor vents shortly after planet Earth formed. • Thus, provides strong evidence that the first life on Earth and formed around nutrient-rich hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean. • It is one of leading theories to show signs of how life spawned on Earth, as opposed to other theories such as panspermia, which suggests that life was deposited by asteroid or other rocky body that crashed into Earth.

Tirtha Darshan Scheme for senior citizens • Haryana Government has announced Tirtha Darshan Scheme under which senior citizens above 60 years of age in the state will be able to go on a pilgrimage within the country at government expense • Under the scheme, state government will bear the entire cost of the tour of senior citizens belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. • In case of a couple, the expenses of the spouse belonging to BPL family will also be borne by the state government. They will also be able to take along an assistant. • In case of senior citizens of non-BPL families, state government would bear only 70% of the cost. Senior citizens will be selected for the pilgrimage on the basis of lottery system. • Under the scheme, over 400 destinations can be visited. The maximum number of pilgrims will be only 250 every year. • Selection of pilgrims will be made by a district committee headed by the deputy commissioner. • The tour packages will include journey in sleeper class by chartered train and night accommodation on multi-sharing basis. Besides, travel insurance provision will be mandatory for the pilgrims.

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UGC 12591 • It is an incredibly massive galaxy about 400 million light years away from the Earth. • Recently, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has captured an image of it. • It is situated in the westernmost region of the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster, one of the largest known structures in the cosmos. It sits somewhere between lenticular and spiral shapes. • The galaxy and its halo together are four times the mass of the Milky Way and several hundred billion times the mass of the Sun. • The HST is into low orbit space telescope launched in 1990 by NASA and European Space Agency (ESA). It is named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble and is still in operation.

India’s tallest Tricolor hoisted • India’s tallest national flag measuring 360 feet was hoisted at Attari-Wagah joint checkpost in Punjab. • It broke earlier record of national flag hoisted in Ranchi which is 293 feet high. • The foundation of the flag can withstand high velocity winds up to 180 km an hour. • It is all-weather flag based on motorized mechanism and will be lowered only in case of wear and tear. • The flag will be an attraction for the tourists who visit the Attari border to watch the Beating the Retreat ceremony.

India to train Myanmar Navy • Indian Navy will set up meteorological facilities and impart training for the Myanmar Navy. • This was agreed upon during a recent visit of a Myanmar delegation to Kochi. • Myanmar will soon send a proposal with its requirements. • This fits into India’s overall effort to boost strategic cooperation under the ‘Act East’ policy and will help offset increasing Chinese presence in its neighbourhood.

#WeAreEqual • Leading up to International Women’s Day on March 8, 2017, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has initiated a social media campaign – #WeAreEqual – targeted at raising awareness about gender discrimination. • The campaign will culminate into the celebration of International Women’s Day marked by the prestigious Nari Shakti Award ceremony, in which the Hon’ble President will honour individuals and institutions for their exemplary contribution to women’s empowerment. • The campaign takes a positive approach, engaging both men and women across the cross- section of the society and reflects their personal effort at creating a more equal society. • Many prominent personalities have also joined the campaign.

Swachh Shakti Saptah • Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar launched Swachh Shakti Saptah, a week-long programme of activities across the country to highlight the role of women in Swachh Bharat Mission and to recognize their leadership. • The Ministry made the national launch of Swachh Shakti Saptaah in Gurugram, Haryana, at a joint event with the Haryana Government. • The launch marked the achievement of Swachh Bharat Milestone as over 100 districts in India were declared as ODF districts and over 1.7 lakh villages have become ODF. • Moreover, throughout the week, there will be nationwide events honouring women champions, women sarpanches, ASHA workers, school teachers, young students and senior citizens.

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

Sweden to reintroduce conscription after 6 years • Sweden has announced that it will reintroduce compulsory military service starting this summer to respond to global security challenges, including from Russia. • Sweden’s government is set to introduce to the Parliament a bill to restore conscription this summer for all Swedes born after 1999. It will last for 11 months. • Some 13,000 young Swedes are expected to be mobilised from July 1, but only 4,000 of them will be selected for military service based on motivation and skills. They will be called up each year after January 1 2018. • The Scandinavian nation, which has not seen armed conflict on its territory in two centuries, ended conscription in 2010 after it was deemed an unsatisfactory way of meeting the needs of a modern army. • The government wants a more stable staff supply system and to boost its military capability because the security situation has changed.

Regional conference on enhancing steel consumption in India • Maiden regional conference of Eastern States on enhancing steel consumption in India will be held in Gangtok, Sikkim. • The theme is ‘Enhancing steel consumption in India’. • This will be first of the four regional conferences being planned across India. • The delegates in the conference would deliberate on measures to increase steel demand, advantages of steel intensive construction & steel in high-rises, rural sector, bridges and other fields. • The delegates in the conference would include decision makers in projects in central and state Governments, architects, structural designers and consultants, project financers, contractors, fabricators, erectors, Faculties from Metallurgy, Mechanical and Civil Engineering departments, representatives from large infrastructure industry, steel/engineers/architect associations.

India’s Ambassador to World Trade Organisation • Telecom Secretary J S Deepak on 1 March 2017 was named India’s next Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). • The appointment order has been issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister. • As per the order of the Appointments Committee of Cabinet, Deepak is appointed as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Commerce.

Zero Discrimination Day • Zero Discrimination Day was observed across the world on 1 March 2017. • The day was observed with the theme Make Some Noise for Zero Discrimination. • Zero Discrimination Day calls for fair and just societies and urges people to value, embrace diversity and recognize the diverse set of talents and skills that each person brings. • For the year 2017, UNAIDS calls for zero discrimination in health-care settings. • The UN first celebrated Zero Discrimination Day on 1 March 2014. • It was observed after UNAIDS launched its Zero Discrimination Campaign on World AIDS Day in December 2013. • The UNAIDS is a UN program on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). 155 Call: 8899999931/34, 7065202020, Email: [email protected], Visit: www.eliteias.in A-1, Chandra House, Top Floor, Opp. ICICI Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009

National Science Day • The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on February 28 in India. • The 2017 theme is “Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons”. • This day marks the epoch-making discovery of Raman Effect by Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman) on February 28, 1928. This discovery was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. • This day is celebrated as science festival in the entire nation by organising science exhibitions, seminars, workshops, symposiums and many other activities. • The National Science Day was instituted by the Union Government in 1986 based on the demand of National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) forwarded. • The first National Science Day was celebrated on 28 February 1987. What is Raman Effect?

• Some part of light beam after passing through a transparent medium gets scattered. This phenomenon of scattering of light is termed as Raman Scattering and the cause of scattering is called the Raman Effect. The wavelength of these scattered rays is different from that of the incident rays of light.

Al Nagah-II 2017 • It is a second bilateral exercise of armies of India and Oman, scheduled to be conducted in March 2017 with a focus on counter-terrorism. • The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral Army-to-Army relations and enhance interoperability while exchanging skills and experiences between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman. • The navies of the two countries have been holding the bilateral maritime exercises called ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ since 1993.

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