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Land and the People

* India is the 7th largest country in the world
* India’s mainland extends between latitudes 8°4' and 37°6' north, longitudes 68°7' and 97°25' east and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes.
* The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) is headquartered at Kolkatta
* India’s population as on 1 March 2001 stood at 1,028 million
* India accounts for a meagre 2.4 per cent of the world surface area of 135.79 million sq km. Yet, it supports and sustains a whopping 16.7 per cent of the world population.
* The population density of India in 2001 was 324 per sq km. Among major states, West Bengal is still the most thickly populated state with a population density of 903 in 2001. Bihar is now the second highest densely populated state pushing Kerala to the third place.
* The sex ratio in the country had always remained unfavourable to females. It was 972 at the beginning of the 20th century and thereafter showed continuous decline until 1941.
* For the purpose of census 2001, a person aged seven and above, who can both read and write with understanding in any language, is treated as literate. A person, who can only read but cannot write, is not literate.
* Kerala retained its position by being on top with a 90.86 per cent literacy rate, closely followed by Mizoram (88.80 per cent) and Lakshadweep (86.66 per cent).Bihar with a literacy rate of 47.00 per cent ranks last in the country preceded byJharkhand (53.56 per cent) and Jammu and Kashmir (55.52 per cent).

National Symbols

National flag

* THE National flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion.
* The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three.
* In the centre of the white band is a navy-blue wheel which represents the chakra.
* Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes.
* The design of the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947.

STATE EMBLEM

* The state emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka.
* In the original, there are four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a

frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and

a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a

single block of polished sandstone, the Capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law(Dharma Chakra).

* The state emblem was adopted by the Government of India on 26 January 1950

NATIONAL ANTHEM

* The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthemof India on 24 January 1950.
* It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Kolkata Session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas.
* Playing time of the full version of the national anthem is approximately 52 seconds. A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20 seconds)

NATIONAL SONG

* The song Vande Mataram, composed in sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana. The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.

NATIONAL CALENDAR

* The national calendar based on the Saka Era, with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days was adopted from 22 March 1957 along with the Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes.

NATIONAL ANIMAL

* The magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris, a striped animal is the national animal of India, it has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes.

NATIONAL FLOWER

* Lotus (Nelumbo Nucipera Gaertn) is the National Flower of India.

NATIONAL TREE

* The Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis) is the National Tree of India.

NATIONAL FRUIT

* Mango (Manigifera indica) is the National fruit of India.

AGRICULTURE

* Agriculture and allied sectors contribute nearly 17.8 and 17.1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP of India) during 2007-08 and 2008-09 respectively.
* Agriculture is a state subject.
* India has about 18% of world's population and 15% of livestock population to be supported from only 2% geographical area and 1.5% of forest and pasture lands.
* 1 Bale of Cotton- 170 kgs
* 1 Bale of Jute- 180 kgs
* Out of 328.7 million hectare of ge ographical area of India, about 141 million hectares as Net Cultivated Area. Of this, about 57 million hectare (40%) is irrigated and the remaining 85 million ha. (60%) is rainfed.
* The National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) was launched in 1990-91 in 28 States and two Union Territories based on twin concepts of integrated watershed management and sustainable farming systems.
* The Union Government have constituted a National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) on 03-11-2006 to give focused attention to the problem of the rainfed areas of the country.
* Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes (FMT&TIs) have been established at Budni (Madhya Pradesh), Hissar (Haryana), Garladinne (Andhra Pradesh) and at Biswanath Chariali (Assam).
* CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF HORTICULTURE- MEDZIPHEMA, NAGALAND
* Government of India constituted a Task Force under the Chairmanship of Prof. A. Vaidyanathan in 2004 to suggest an implementable plan of action to revive the rural cooperative credit institutions.
* Centrally Sponsored Scheme on National Food Security Mission has been launched in the country to enhance the production of rice, wheat and pulses by 10, 8 and 2 million tonnes respectively by the end of the 11th Plan. The Mission covers 312 districts in 17 States and has become operational from Rabi 2007-08.
* India is the third largest producer and consumer of fertilizers in the world after China and the USA.
* The Technology Mission on Oilseeds was launched by the Central Government in 1986 to increase the production of oilseeds to reduce import and achieve self sufficiency in edible oils.
* Pulses, oil palm and maize were also brought within the purview of the Mission in 1990-91, 1992 and 1995-96.
* Kisan Call Centres have been functioning since 21st January, 2004 and working in 25 different locations covering almost all the States of the country. All KCC locations are accessible by dialing single toll free number 1551 & 1800-180-1551 from 6.00 A.M. to 10.00 P.M. on all 7 days a week nation-wide.
* Urea is the only fertiliser which is under Statutory Price Control.
* The Central Fertiliser Quality Control and Training Institute – Faridabad
* National Bio-fertiliser Development Centre- Ghaziabad
* National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP), Nagpur
* Locust Warning Organisation- Jodhpur
* National Plant Protection Training Institute-Hyderabad
* National Institute of Agricultural Marketing,- Jaipur
* Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI), Faridabad.
* Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC), New Delhi
* India is endowed with the largest livestock population in the world. It accounts for 57 per cent of the world’s buffalo population and 14 per cent of the cattle population.
* India ranks first in respect of buffalo, 2nd in cattle and goats, 3rd in sheep, 4th in ducks, 5th in chickens and 6th in camel population in the world.
* The first Livestock Census was conducted during 1919-1920 and since then it is being conducted

quinquennially by all States/UTs in India. So far 18 such Censuses have been conducted and the latest one if 18th Livestock Census in the series with 15/10/2007 as the date of reference.

* The Central Frozen Semen Production and Training Institute (CFSP&TI) located at Hessarghatta (Bangaluru)
* National Veterinary Biological Products Quality Control Centre (National Institute of Animal Health) has been set up at Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.
* Disease Investigation Laboratory, Pune
* Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Kolkata,
* Institute of Animal Health & Biologicals, Bangalore.
* Animal Health Institute, Jalandhar
* Institute of Velerinary Biological- Khanapara,Guwahati
* The Central Institute of Fisheries, Nautical and Engineering Training- Kochi
* Central Institute of Coastal Engineering for Fisheries, Bangalore.
* Central Agricultural University at Imphal
* High Security Animal Disease Lab, Bhopal.
* The Centre for Animal Disease Research and Diagnosis (CADRAD) of Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar is functioning as Central Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.
* Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal
* Vivekananda Paravatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), Almora
* India continues to be the largest producer of milk in the world.
* National Fisheries Development Board- Hyderabad
* Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology, Ludhiana
* Central Institute of Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai
* National Institute for Research on Jute and Allied Fibres, Kolkata
* Indian Institute for Natural Resins and Gums, Ranchi


ART AND CULTURE

ORGANISATION

FIELD



*NSD was set up Sangeet Natak Akademi, later it became an autonomous organization in 1975.,totally financed by Department of Culture.

*
* Two main schools of classical music—Hindustani and Carnatic.
* The Jawaharlal Nehru Manipuri Dance Academy in Imphal, the premier institution in Manipuri dance and music established in 1954, is the first of these institutions.
* The Sangeet Natak Akademi’s ongoing projects of national importance are in Kutiyattam theatre of Kerala, which commenced in 1991 received recognition from UNESCO as a Master piece of oral and intangible heritage of Humanity in 2001.
* The project in Chhau dance of Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal began in 1994.
* The project support to Sattriya music, dance, theatre and allied arts of Assam was started in 2002.
* The National School of Drama has made a significant contribution in promoting children’s theatre. The Theatre-in-Education Company (renamed as Sanskar Rang Toli) was founded in 1989 and has been actively involved in production of plays for children, organising summer theatre workshops in the schools of Delhi and also promoting children’s theatre through Saturday Club.
* Since 1998, the National School of Drama has organised National Theatre Festival for Children christened ‘Jashne Bachpan’ every year.
* The first ever National Theatre Festival christened Bharat Rang Mahotsav was held from 18 March to 14 April 1999 to commemorate the 50th year of India’s Independence. Encouraged by the success of the first Bharat Rang Mahotsav, it has been made an annual feature.
* Sahitya Akademi has recognised 24 languages
* The highest honour conferred by the Sahitya Akademi on a writer is by electing him its Fellow. This honour is reserved for the ‘Immortals of Literature’ and limited to 21 at any given time.
* The Anthropological Survey of India is a premier research organisation under the Ministry of Culture.
* The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was established in 1861. It functions as an attached office of the Department of Culture
* The ASI has taken up the conservation project of Ta Prohm, Cambodia under the ITEC programme of Ministry of External Affairs.
* The National Archives of India (NAI), New Delhi known until Independence as Imperial Record Department was originally established in Kolkatta on 11 March 1891. It is the official custodian of all non-current record of permanent value to the Government of India and its predecessor bodies.
* The National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology – New Delhi. This is the only Museum University in India.
* The National Library, Kolkatta
* The Central Secretariat Library (CSL) originally known as Imperial Secretariat Library, Kolkata was established in 1891. Since 1969 the Library has been housed at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi.
* The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
The National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLC)- Lucknow


COMMUNICATIONS

*
* The postal system, established by Lord Clive in the year 1766, was further developed by Warren Hastings by establishing the Calcutta G.P.O. under a Postmaster General in the year 1774.
* The statute presently governing the postal services in the country is the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.
* On an average in India, a post office serves an area of 21.16 sq km, and a population of 6623
* India is a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) since 1876 and of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) since 1964.
* India has the largest postal network in the world.
Department of Posts has been entrusted with the responsibility of disbursing wages of National

Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) beneficiaries through Post Offices (including HOs/SOs/BOs).

*
* India has money order services with 27 countries.
India has two way money order service with Bhutan and Nepal, wherein money orders can be sent to and received from these countries.


Postal Life Insurance (PLI) was introduced in 1884

* The Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) operates the Small Savings Schemes of Govt. of India, Ministry of Finance, on an agency basis. In terms of its existing mandate, the POSB is fully geared to meet the banking requirements of small investors, particularly those who cannot readily access the commercial banks.
International Money Transfer Service: This service, operated in association with a multinational company, Western Union Financial Services International, provides to customers the facility of receiving remittances from 205 contries and territories on a real time basis. The Department received the award in the years 2004 and 2005 for “Highest Growth in Transactions”.

· The Telecommunication services were introduced in India soon after the invention of telegraphy and telephone. The first Telegraph line between Kolkatta and Diamond Harbour was opened for traffic in 1851. By March 1884, telegraph messages could be sent from Agra to Kolkatta.

*
* The Department of Posts has launched "Project Arrow" to revitalize its core operations and to provide new technology enabled services to the common man. The objective of the scheme is to give a new outlook to post offices by modernizing exterior and interior designs of the Post Office, upgrading infrastructure and enhancing core operation including IT enabled services and processes.
* Under the Project Arrow, a New Logo for India Post has been launched on 23 rd September 2008 at New Delhi. The new logo presents India Post as a forward looking and modern organisation, carrying emotion and expressions across physical distance.
* The first Telegraph line between Kolkata and Diamond Harbour was opened for traffic in 1851. By March 1884, telegraph messages could be sent from Agra to Kolkata. By 1900, telegraph and telephone had started serving Indian Railways. As in the case of telegraph, telephone service was also introduced in Kolkata in 1881-82, barely six years after the invention of telephone.
* The first automatic exchange was commissioned at Shimla in 1913-14 with a capacity of 700 lines.
* Indian telecommunications network with about 494 million connections as on 31st August, 2009 is the third largest in the world.
* Indian telecommunications network with about 494 million connections (overall tele-density 42.27%) is the second largest wireless network in the world.
* The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 to regulate the telecommunications services and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto
* The country is divided into 19 (Nineteen) Telecom Circles Service areas and 4 (Four) Metro Service areas for the Cellular Mobile Telephone Service (CMTS) as well as Unified Access Services (UAS).
* Grameen Sanchar Sevaks (GSSs) carry a mobile fixed wireless terminal (FWT) with display unit and visit door to door to provide telephone facility franchisee basis. It is implemented in whole country except in A&N, Haryana & Punjab which are already having sufficient/full coverage.
* Advance level Training Centre- Ghaziabad
* Bharat Ratna Bhim Rao Ambedkar Institute of Telecom Training – Jabalpur
* National Academy of Telecom Finance and Management –Hyderabad
* Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing, established in 1952, is the national radio regulatory authority responsible for coordination and regulation of radio spectrum usages in the country. It is a nodal agency for all matters concerning International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations for all telecommunication matters and Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT),an inter-governmental organization of the region.
* Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) came into existence in 2000. BSNL is a 100% Govt. of India owned PSU.
* MTNL came into existence in the year 1986. MTNL is one of the few PSU’s that is listed in NYSE. MTNL is entrusted with the management, control and operation of telecom services (excluding public telegraph service) in metropolitan limits of Mumbai & New Mumbai (including Kalyan, and Thane for mobile service) and Delhi (including four towns Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad & Ghaziabad for mobile service).
Telecommunications Consultants India Limited was established in 1978, is a multidisciplinary telecom organization which provides complete telecom solutions from concept to completion.

ITI Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking under Department of Telecommunication has six manufacturing units at Bangalore, Rae Bareili, Naini, Mankapur, Srinagar and Palakkad

DEFENCE

*
INDIA shares land borders with seven countries.

Bangladesh (4096 kms),

China (3439 kms),

Pakistan (3325 kms)

and Myanmar (1643 kms) and maritime borders with five countries.

*
* The Indian Army is the world's second largest army in terms of military personnel.
The past 75 years have been an eventful journey for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from a

flight of 'Wapitis' in 1932, to the fourth largest, professionally acclaimed, strategic Air

Force responsible for guarding Nation's vital interests.

*
* Indigenously built INS Kesari was commissioned into the Indian Navy in April 2008. Two Water Jet - Fast Attack Crafts Chetlat and Car Nicobar were commissioned into the Indian Navy in February 2009.
* India sits astride the major sea routes of the world. It has a coastline of 7,516 km with a total of 1,197 island territories in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. India has an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 2.01 million sq. km. 90 per cent by volume and 77 per cent of total value of India’s trade comes from the seas. The resource rich EEZ provides 68 per cent of its oil production and fish production of 2.82 million tonnes.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) came into existence with the enactment of the Coast Guard Act, 1978 on 18 August 1978. The Coast Guard is responsible for surveillance of the Indian territorial waters and the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone to prevent poaching, smuggling and other illegal activities; to conduct search and rescue operations; to protect and preserve marine environment.


*
The National Cadet Corps (NCC) was established under the NCC Act, 1948. It has completed 60 years of existence.


EDUCATION

*
* Education is in the Concurrent list.
* National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 and the Programme of Action (POA) 1986 as updated in 1992.
* In order to facilitate donations including smaller amounts from India and abroad for implementing projects/programmes connected with the education sector, the Government has constituted ‘‘Bharat Shiksha Kosh’’ as a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It was launched officially on 9 January 2003 during the celebrations of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas.
* The Scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) a national flagship programme, is being implemented in all districts of the country. The aim of SSA is to provide useful and relevant elemantry education for all children in the 6-14 age groupe by 2010. The scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was launched in 2001.
* Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative Education (EGS and AIE) is an important component of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to bring out-ofschool children in the fold of Elementary Education. The scheme envisages that child-wise planning is undertaken for each out-of-school children.
* Mid Day Meals Scheme was launched in the year 1995.
* District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) was launched in1994 as a major initiative to revitalise the primary education system and to achieve the objective of universalisation of primary education.
* Mahila Samakhya Scheme was started in 1989, to translate the goals enshrined in the NPE into a concrete programme for the education and empowerment of women in rural areas particularly those from socially and economically marginalized groups. The MS scheme recognizes the centrality of edcuation in empowering women to achieve equality. The Mahila Sanghas or women's collectives at the village level provide the women a space to meet, reflect, ask questions and articulte their thoughts and needs and make informed choices. The Mahila Samakhya Scheme is currently being implemented in nine States viz., Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnatka, Kerala, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
* The National Bal Bhavan is an autonomous organisation fully funded by the Ministry of Human Resources Development. Department of School Education and Literacy. Since its inception in 1956.
* National Bal Bhavan has also launched a scheme to identify, honour and nurture the creative children of India irrespective of their socio-economic status. The rationale behind this scheme - 'The Bal Shree Scheme', is that creativity is a human potential that directly relates to self expression and self-development.
* National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) was established in August 1995
* The National Literacy Mission set up in May 1988 aims to attain a sustainable threshold level of 75 per cent literacy by 2007 by imparting functional literacy to nonliterates in the age group of 15-35 years, which is the productive and reproductive age group and constitutes a major segment of the work force.The Total Literacy Campaign is the principal strategy of NLM for eradication of illiteracy.
* As per Census, 2001, 47 districts in the country have a female literacy rate below 30 per cent.
* Satyen Maitra Memorial Award is given every year to selected TLC/PLP/CE districts for their best performing and significant achievements in literacy programmes.
* UNESCO's Confucius Prize for Literacy has been awarded to Directorate of Literacy & Continuing Education, Government of Rajasthan for its Useful Learning through Literacy and Continuing Education Programme in Rajasthan.
* The theme for award for this year was "Literacy for Sustainable Development". The Directorate of Literacy & Continuing Education of Rajasthan received this award for this literacy programmes specifically targeted at illiterate women.
* Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore
* National Population Education Project was launched in April 1980 with the overarching objective of institutionalizing population education in the school education and teacher education systems to contribute to the attainment of population and development goals of the country.
The Centrally sponsored scheme of Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) was launched in 1974 by the then Department of Social Welfare and was later transferred to the Department of Education in 1982-83.

*
* 40th International Literacy Day celebration was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 8th, 2006.
* The National Population Education Project was launched in April 1980 with the overarching objective of institutionalizing population education in the school education and teacher education systems to contribute to the attainment of population and development goals of the country
* National Book Trust, India an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, was established in 1957.
* India is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a specialised agency of the United Nations which deals with copyright and other intellectual property rights and plays an important role in all its deliberations.
GATS prescribes the following four modes of Trade in Services including Education Services:

Cross-Border Supply of a service includes any type of course that is provided through distance education or the internet, any type of testing service, and educational materials which can cross national boundaries;

Consumption Abroad mainly involves availing services abroad, i.e., students going abroad and is the most common form of trade in educational services;

Commercial Presence refers to the actual presence of foreign investors in a host country. This would include foreign universities setting up courses or entire institutions in another country; and

Presence of Natural Persons refers to the ability of people to move between countries to provide educational services.
ENVIRONMENT

*
* Botanical Survey of India was established in 1890 with headquarters at Kolkatta
* Zoological Survey of India was established in 1916 with headquarters at Kolkatta .ZSI has16 Regional Centers
* Forest Survey of India was established in 1981 at Dehradun
* According to State of Forests Report 2005, the total forest cover of the country as per 2005 assessment is 677.088 km2 and this constitutes 20.60 per cent of the total geographic area of the country. Of this, 54,569 km2 (1.66%) is very dense forest, 332.647 km2 (10.12%) is moderately dense forest, while 289.872 km2 (8.82%) is open forest cover. The scrub accounts for 38,475 km2(1.17%)
* The State/UT wise forest cover in the country shows that Madhya Prad esh with 76.013 km2 has the largest area under forest cover, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (67,777 km2), Chhattisgarh (55,863 km2).
* The Ministry launched Mangrove Conservation Programme in 1987 and, has so far, identified 38 mangrove areas for intensive conservation and management.
*
* Mangroves in India account for about 5 per cent of the world’s mangrove vegetation and are spread over an area of about 4500 km2 along the coastal States/UTs of the country. Sunderbans in West Bengal account for a little less than half of the total area under mangroves in India.
The four major coral reefs areas identified for intensive conservation and management

are:

l Gulf of Mannar

l Gulf of Kachchh

l Lakshadweep and

l Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

*
The Indian reef area is estimated to be 2,375 km2. Recognizing that the year 2008 was the International Year of Coral Reefs, the Ministry sponsored a workshop entitled ‘Status of Coral Reefs in India’ jointly organized by UT Administration of Lakshadweep and National Institute of Oceanography, Goa from 21-23 January, 2008 at Kadamat Islands, Lakshadweep.

*
* India is a producer-member of the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) which was established by the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA), 1983. At present there are 59 Member countries in ITTO, out of which 33 are Producer- Member countries and 26 are Consumer-Member countries.
* Fifteen Biosphere Reserves have been set up. These are: Nilgiri, Nanda Devi, Nokrek, Great Nicobar, Gulf of Mannar, Manas, Sunderbans, Similipal, Dibru Daikhowa, Dehong Deband, Panchmarhi, Kanchanjanga, Agasthyamalai, Achanakmar-Amarkantak and Kachchh Biosphere Reserve(Gujarat)
* Out of these fifteen Biosphere Reserves, four have been recognized on World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO, namely, Nilgiri, Sunderbans, Gulf of Mannar and Nanda Devi Biosphere of Uttarakhand.
* The Ramsar Convention defines Wetlands, as areas of marsh or fen, peat-land or water, whether artificial or natural, permanent or temporary, with the water that is static or flowing, fresh brackish or salt including areas of marine water, and the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters.
* The Indian reef area is estimated to be 2,375 km.
* Recognizing that the year 2008 is the International Year of Coral Reefs, the Ministry has sponsored a Workshop entitled ‘Status of Coral Reefs in India’ jointly organized by UT Administration of Lakshadweep and National Institute of Oceanography. Goa from 21-23 January, 2008 at Kadamat Islands, Lakshadweep.
* National Coral Reef Research Centre -Port Blair
The convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the first comprehensive global agreement which addresses all aspects relating to biodiversity. The CBD which has near universal membership with 189 countries as its partners.

India is a Party to the CBD.

*
The ‘ECO-MARK’ scheme was launched by the Ministry in 1991 for labelling of environment-friendly consumer products which meet certain environmenal criteria along with quality requirements of the Bureau of India Standards (BIS).

*
To combat wildlife related crimes, a Wildlife Crime Control Bureau under the Director, Wildlife Preservation has been constituted with five Regional Offices viz., Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Jabalpur and three Sub-regional offices at Amritsar, Guwahati and Cochin.

*
These include Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially Waterfowl habitat, Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone Layer, Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer, Conventions on Biological Diversity, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol, the Basel Convention on Trans-boundary Movement of Hazardous Substances, Convention to Combat Desertification and Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, etc.

*
Vienna Convention on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in 1985 and the Montreal Protocol in 1987. India acceded to the Montreal protocol, along with its London Amendment in 1992.

· India is party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

*
India acceded to the Kyoto Protocol in August 2002.

*
In pursuance of the announcement made by the Hon’ble Finance Minister while presenting the Union Budget 2007-08, the Government set up the Expert Committee on Impacts of Climate Change on 7th of May 2007 under the Chairmanship of Dr. R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India.

*
India has joined hands with United States of America and other partners against the illegal Wildlife crime/trafficking by joining Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CWAT).

· Established in 1982, Wildlife Institute of India (VII) is an autonomous institution under the administrative control of the Ministry and has been recognized as a country’s premier training and research institution in the field of wildlife conservation. The Institute was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Conservation Award in 1999 in the Institutional Category by the MoEF for its outstanding performance and activities.

· The 12th World Lake Conference (Taal 2007), a biennial event under the aegis of international Lake Environment Committee (ILEC) Foundation, was organized by the Ministry, at Jaipur, Rajasthan from 28th October to 2nd November, 2007.

*
The National Museum of National History (NMNH), a subordinate organization of the Ministry, was opened to public in 1978 to create public awareness in preservation and conservation of environment and nature.

Corporate Affairs

*
There were about 30 thousand registered companies at work in 1957, i.e. initial year of 2nd five year plan and this

number has increased to about 788 thousand registered companies at work at the end of March, 2008.

*
* The corporate sector in India is dominated by small and medium sized companies as they constitute 92% of the sector. These companies have authorized capital of less than Rs. one crore. The remaining 8% companies have authorized capital of more than Rs. one crore. Only 1% companies have authorized capital of more than Rs. 25 crores.
* The three largest states constituting 54% of the corporate sector are Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal.
MAJOR PROGRAMMES OF THE MINISTRY
*
* Investor Education and Protection Fund
* National Foundation for Corporate Governance
* Serious Frauds Investigation Office (SFIO)s
* Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA)
MCA21 e-Governance Project- The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has implemented an e-Governance initiative known as 'MCA21 e-Governance Project'. It is built on the Government's vision to

introduce a service-oriented approach in the design and delivery of Government Services.

*
* The MCA 21 programme of the Ministry has been conferred the "National Award for e-Governance - 2007-08" by the Government of India. The award is in the Gold category for excellence in Government Process Re-engineering.
The First international Summit on Corporate social Responsibility (CSR) was held on January 29-30, 2008 at New Delhi. It was cosponsored by the Ministry of corporate Affairs under the aegis of National Foundation for corporate Governance (NFCG) aand organized by ASSOCHAM.

FOOD AND CIVIL SUPPLIES

*
* The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 was enacted to ensure the easy availability of essential commodities to consumers and to protect them from exploitation by unscrupulous traders. The number of essential commodities that stood at 70 in the year 1989 has been brought down to 7 at present.
* The Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980 is being implemented by the State Governments/UT Administrations for the prevention of unethical trade practices like hoarding and black-marketing, etc.
* National Co-operative Consumers Federation of India Ltd. - New Delhi.
* Forward Markets Commission (FMC) is a statutory body set up under Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952 and functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. There are 24 exchanges including three ‘national level’ Exchanges which have been recognized for conducting futures/forward trading in India and all the commodities have been permitted for trading.
* 'Jago grahak jago' — an Initiative towards consumer Education and Awareness
* The Department, in consultation with Department of Posts has disseminated consumer awareness messages through Meghdoot Postcards to reach far-flung rural areas including north-east states.
* The Department has re-printed a folder entitled "Consumer Awareness Mission" containing the salient features of Consumer Protection Act 1986
* The Department in consultation with Song & Drama division of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has organized more than 1000 programmes- Nukkad Nataks (Street Plays) in all the States/UTs to create awareness at grass root level.
* The Department has launched National Helpline and the Toll Free Number 1800-11- 4000 which is being operated by Delhi University for counselling the Consumers to redress their grievaness. The toll free number facility is available to consumers from 9.30 A.M. to 5.30 P.M. on all working days
* Every year 24th of December is celebrated as National Consumer Day commemorating the coming into effect of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The theme for National Consumer day in 2007 was 'Enlightened Consumer is the Empowered Consumer.'
* India is a signatory to World Trade Organisation (WTO). The WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures makes it obligatory to adopt the standards, guidelines and recommendations issued by Codex Alimentarius Commission, which advocates the adoption of HACCP.
* Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) came into existence, through an Act of Parliament on 1 April 1987
BIS launched Environmental Management Systems Certification Scheme in 1997 as per IS/ISO 14001.

o BIS launched Occupational Health and Safety Management System Certification (OH&SM) as per IS 18001:2000.

*
* BIS has recently launched Food Safety Management System Certification Scheme as per IS/ISO 22000:2005.
* Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery started in April 2000 on voluntary basis under BIS Act 1986.
* Bureau of Indian Standards has prepared an Indian Standard on Quality Management Systems – Requirement for Service quality by Public Service Organizations (IS 15700:2005) on top priority.
* Since its inception in 1947, the then ISI and now BIS has been an active member of International Organisations namely: International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and International Electro-technical Commission (IEC).
* With a view to encourage manufacturers and service organizations to strive for excellence, Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award was instituted by the Bureau in 1991.
* National Institute of Training for Standardisation –NOIDA
* The Ministry of Rural Development launched the Annapurna scheme in 2000-2001. Indigent senior citizens of 65 years of age or above who though eligible for old age pension under the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS) but are not getting the pension are covered under the Scheme. 10 kg of foodgrains per person per month are supplied free of cost under the scheme.
* A Pilot Project – ‘‘Nutritional Programme for Adolescent Girls" (NPAG) was launched by the Planning Commission initially for a period of two years, i.e. 2002- 03 and 2003-04 in 51 identified districts. This scheme was restarted in 2005-06.
* Emergency Feeding Programme is a food-based intervention targeted for old, infirm and destitute persons belonging to BPL households to provide them food security in their distress conditions. This was introduced in May 2001.
A Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Village Grains Banks in Tribal villages was launched during 1996-97 by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in 11 States. During 1996-97 to 2004-05 Ministry of Tribal Affairs released Rs. 10.26 crores for establishing 4858 Grain Banks. Now the scheme has been transferred to the Ministry of Food & Public Distribution.

*
The Targeted Public Distribution Scheme was launched in 1997 in order to ensure availability of minimum quantity of food grains to the families living below the poverty line.

o The "Antyodaya Anna Yojana" (AAY) was launched in December, 2000 in order to make TPDS more focused and targeted towards the poorest section of population, for one crore poor families. Initially AAY contemplated identification of one crore poorest of the poor families from amongst the BPL families covered under TPDS within the States and providing them food grains at a highly subsidized rate of Rs. 2/- per kg for wheat and Rs. 3/- per kg for rice.

*
India is a member of the following International Organisations:

1. International Grains Council

2. International Sugar Organisation

*
* Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute (IGMRI), Hapur.
* Vegetable Oil Industry was delicensed in July 1991.
* Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MFPI) was set up in July 1988.
* National Institute of Food technology Entrepreneurship & Management- Kundli,Haryana
* India is the 5th largest exporter of bovine meat in the world.
* India is the third largest market for alcoholic beverages in the world.
* India ranks first in the world in terms of milk production
* The Forty-second Amendment of the Constitution brought the subject of ‘Enforcement of Weights and Measure’ from the ‘State List’ to the ‘Concurrent List’.
* India is a member of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML). This Organization was set up in order to realize worldwide uniformity in laws relating to legal metrology (weights and measure) and to make international trade smooth and practical.
* Indian Institute of Legal Metrology, Ranchi,
The National Test House (NTH) Kolkata

LABOUR

*
* The Minimum Wages Act, 1948 provides for fixation, review, revision and enforcement of minimum wage, both by the Central Government and the State Government, in respect of scheduled employments in their respective jurisdictions. There are 46 scheduled employments in the Central sphere whereas the number of these employments in the State sphere is 1542.
* A National Policy on Child Labour was announced in August, 1987.
* The National Child Labour Project Scheme (NCLP) is a Central sector scheme.
* The International Programme on elimination of Child Labour is a global programme launched by the International Labour Organistion in December, 1991. India was the first country to join it in 1992.
* The Government of India and the US Department of Labour have also initiated a US$ 40 million joint project aimed at eliminating child labour in 10 hazardous sectors across 21 districts in five States namely, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi. This project, popularly known as INDUS Project, is being implemented in coordination with ILO.
* The Census of India (2001) has registered 25.60 per cent of female population as workers numbering 127.22 million in absolute terms out of a total female population of 496 million. The majority of women workers are employed in the rural areas. Amongst rural women workers, 87 per cent are employed in agriculture as labourers and cultivators. Amongst the women workers in the urban areas, 80 per cent are employed in unorganized sectors like household industries, petty trades and services building and construction, etc. The employment of women in the organized sector (both public and private sectors) as on 31.03.2002 was about 4.935 million. This constitutes of 17.8 per cent of the total organized sector employment in the country.
* The term ‘unorganized labour’ has been defined as those workers who have not been able to organize themselves to pursue their common interests due to certain constraints like casual nature of employment, ignorance and illiteracy, small and scattered size of establishments, etc.
* The Government had constituted a National Commission on Enterprises in the Unorganized/Informal Sector under the chairmanship of Dr. Arjun Sengupta to look into the problems of the enterprises in the unorganized sector.
* The Government enacted the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008. TheAct provides for constitution of National Social Security Board at the Central level and State Social Security Boards at the State level which shall recommend formulation of social security schemes for unorganised workers.
* The Labour Bureau, Chandigarh/Shimla
* It also constructs, maintains and publishes Consumer Price Index Numbers for: (i) Industrial Workers (Base 2001=100), (ii) Rural Labourers (Base 1986-87=100) and (iii) Agricultural Labourers (Base 1986-87=100)
* V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, NOIDA
* The Directorate General, Factory Advice Service and Labour Institute (DGFASLI), Mumbai.
Prime Minister’s Shram Awards are given to workmen working in the departmental undertakings and the public sector undertakings of the Central Government and State Governments in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the field of productivity and for showing exemplary zeal and enthusiasm in the discharge of

their duties.

*
* The Government instituted in 1965 the National Safety Awards. This is applicable to factories, docks and Nuclear Power Projects & Nuclear Power Stations.
* Shram Vir Awards, now known as Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar were instituted in 1965. These are meant for workers of factories, mines, plantations and docks, and are given to them in recognition of their meritorious performance, which leads to high productivity or economy or higher efficiency.
* The Government has launched the National Health Insurance Scheme namely, the 'Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana' for BPL families (a unit of five) in unorganised sector on 1st October, 2007. The estimated number of 6 crore BPL families are proposed to be covered in five years upto 2012-13.
The Government in collaboration with the Government of Republic of Germany has set up the Central staff Training and Research Institute, Kolkata in 1968.

*
* The National Safety Council was set up in 1966 to promote safety consciousness among workers to prevent accidents, minimize dangers and mitigate human suffering, arrange programmes, lectures and conferences on safety, conduct educational campaigns to arouse consciousness among employers and workers and collect educational and information data, etc.
* National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) for Women, NOIDA.
National Instructional Media Institute (NIMI), Chennai.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

*
* The ‘National Rural Employment Guarantee Act’ (NREGA) was enacted in September 2005 and brought into force w.e.f. 2 February 2006 in 200 most backward districts with the objective of providing 100 days of guaranteed unskilled wage employment to each rural household opting for it. After oct 2,2009, NREGA has been rechristened as Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MNREGA).
* The Rozgar Jagrookta Puruskar award has been introduced to recognize outstanding Contributions by Civil society Organizations at State, District, Block and Gram Panchayat levels to generate awareness about provisions and entitlements and ensuring compliance with implementing processes of MNREGA
* The Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) was launched in, 2001 by merging the on-going schemes of EAS and the JGSY with the objective of providing additional wage employment and food security, alongside creation of durable community assets in rural areas.
* The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched in 2000 as a fully funded Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The primary objective of the PMGSY is to provide connectivity to all the eligible unconnected habitations of more than 500 persons in the rural areas (250 persons in the hilly and desert areas) by good quality all-weather roads.
* The Ministry of Rural Development is implementing Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) with a view to providing financial assistance to the rural poor living below povertyline for construction of pucca house. It is being implemented as an independent scheme since 1 January 1996 and is the flagship programme for rural housing.
* The Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) was launched as an integrated programme for self-employment of the rural poor with effect from 1 April 1999. The objective of the scheme is to bring the assisted poor families above the poverty line by organising them into Self Help Groups (SHGs) through the process of social mobilisation, their training and capacity building and provision of income generatingassets through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy.
* the Government of India introduced in 1995 the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) to lay foundation to a National Policy for Social Assistance for the poor. At present NSAP comprises Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) and Annapurna.
* A Centrally-sponsored scheme, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Administration was launched on 1 April 1999 with the objective of strengthening the DRDAs and making them more professional in their functioning.
* The Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Rural Development. It was set up in September 1986, as a supporting and funding agency for the voluntary organisations. Its primary objective is to promote voluntary action through community participation and to propagate appropriate rural technologies for the benefit of rural masses.
* The Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development is administering three area-based watershed programmes for development of wastelands/degraded lands namely Drought Prone Areas Programmes (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP) and Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP) to check the diminishing productivity of wasteland and loss of natural resources.
* Drought Prone Areas Programme(DPAP) was launched in the year 1973-74
* The Department of Land Resources has brought out a new initiative called Hariyali with an objective of empowering PRIs both financially and administratively in implementation of Watershed Development Programmes. Under this initiative, all ongoing area development programmes namely, Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP), Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and Desert Development Programme (DDP) are to be implemented through the PRIs.
* Clean drinking water is a basic necessity of life. Supply of clean drinking water in the rural areas has always been one of the highest priorities of the government. A Technology Mission on drinking water named “National Drinking Water Mission” (NDWM) was launched in 1986, which subsequently was rechristened as “Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission” (RGNDWM) in 1991.
* Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP). The ARWSP was launched during 1972-73. It is currently being implemented through the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission.
* Swajaldhara launched on 25 December 2002. A notable feature of Swajaldhara is involvement of Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in planning, implementation, operation and maintenance.
* Rural Sanitation is a State subject.
* Government of India has separately launched an award scheme ‘Nirmal Gram Puraskar’(NGP) for fully sanitised and open defecation free Gram Panchayats, block and districts.
Sikkim has become first Nirmal State of the country.

TRANSPORT

*
* From a very modest beginning in 1853, when the first train steamed off from Mumbai to Thane, a distance of 34 kilometres Indian Railways have grown into a vast network of 7,133 stations spread over a route length of 63,465 kilometres with a fleet of 8,025 locomotives, 44,090 passenger service vehicles, 5,990 other coaching vehicles and 2,07,176 wagons as on 31st March, 2006.
* The Railway network is divided into 16 Zones.
* There are ten public undertakings under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways, viz. (i) Rail India Technical & Economic Services Limited (RITES); (ii) Indian Railway Construction (IRCON) International Limited; (iii) Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited (IRFC); (iv) Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR); (v) Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL). (vi) Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC); (vii) Railtel Corporation of India Ltd.(Rail Tel); (viii) Mumbai Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (MRVNL); (ix) Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL); and(x) Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL).
* Diesel Locomotives Works (DLW), Varanasi
* Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), Chittaranjan.
* Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala
* Integral Coach Factory, (ICF), Perumbur
* Rail Wheel Factory (RWF), Bangalore
* Research, Design and Standards Organization (RDSO), the R&D Organisation of Railways is located in Lucknow.
* Since 1924-25, railway finances remain separated from general revenues.
* India has one of the largest road networks in the world, aggregating to about 33 lakh kilometres at present.
* The Central Government is responsible for development and maintenance of the National Highways system. The total length of the network, as of today, is 70,548 km.
* The Central Government has created a dedicated fund, called Central Road Fund from collection of cess from petrol & diesel. Presently, Rs. 2/- per litre is collected as cess on petrol and High Speed Diesel (HSD) Oil. The fund is distributed for development and maintenance of National Highways, State Roads, Rural Roads and for provision of road overbridges/under bridges and other safety features at unmanned Railway Crossings as provided in Central Road Fund Act, 2000.
* The State Highways and major district and rural roads are the responsibility of respective State governments.
* The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction executive force, integral to and in support of the Army. It started operations in May 1960 with just two projects, Project Tusker (renamed Project Vartak) in the east and Project Beacon in the west.
* India has the largest merchant shipping fleet among the developing countries and ranks 17th amongst the countries with the largest cargo carrying fleet with 7.07 million GT and the average of the fleet being 17 years.
* From 17 Lighthouses prior to Independence, the present strength of aids to Navigation consists of 167 Lighthouses, one Lightship, six Loran-C Chain Stations, 40 Racons, 21 Deep Sea Lighted Buoys and 22 installations under Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). To cater to the needs of light stations in the islands and for maintaining the buoys, the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships is maintaining three launches, one mechanised boat and two large ocean going vessels, M.V. Sagardeep-II and M.V. Pradeep.
* The importance of organised training was recognised in the year 1927 when the Training Ship “Dufferin” was established.
* Marine Engineering and Research Institute (MERI), Kolkatta
* Marine Engineering & Research Institute (MERI), Mumbai
* LBS College of Advance Maritime Studies & Research, Mumbai.
* The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI) was formed on 2 October 1961. The SCI was conferred ‘Mini Ratna’ status by the Government of India on 24 February 2000. At present, the Government is holding 80.12 per cent of its share capital and the balance is held by financial institutions, public and others (NRIs, corporate bodies, etc.
* India LNG Transport Company No. 1 & 2 Ltd. : These two Joint Venture companies formed at Malta are promoted by the SCI and three Japanese companies viz M/s. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Limited (MOL), M/s. Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha Limited (NYK Lines) and M/s. Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Limited (K Lines) and M/s. Qatar Shipping Company (Q Ships), Qatar.
* India LNG Transport Company No. 3 Ltd. : The JVC also formed at Malta is promoted by the SCI and the above mentioned three Japanese companies
* Irano Hind Shipping Company (IHSC) : SCI has another Joint Venture in Iran, viz Irano Hind Shipping Company, which continues to operate successfully for over 3 decades.
* Maritime Training Institute (MTI) at Powai, Mumbai
* World Maritime University, Malmo (Sweden)
* Cochin Shipyard Limited was incorporated as a Company fully owned by Government of India in March 1972. The country's first indigenous aircraft carrier, the largest warship ever to be built in India is being constructed at this shipyard.
* The Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited was incorporated as a joint stock company in 1934, under the name M/s Garden Reach Workshop Limited (GRW). The Government of India acquired the company in 1960. It was renamed as ‘‘Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE)’’ on 01 January 1977.
GRSE’S significant achievements during FY 2006-07 have been:

(i) One Landing Ship Tank (Large), INS Shardul and two Fast Attack Crafts, INS Batti Malv & INS Baratang, have been delivered to the Indian Navy.

(ii) GRSE bagged orders for 10 Waterjet FACs from Indian Navy and 2 each of 65 Pax & 100 Pax boats from Andaman & Nicobar Islands Administration.

(iii) The company has acquired Rajabagan Dockyard with effect from 01 July 2006 from Central Inland Water Transport Corporation Ltd. (A Company under Ministry of Surface Transport).

(iv) Raksha Mantri’s ‘‘Award for Excellence’’ was presented to GRSE for design efforts for FY 2005-06 in respect of Waterjet FACs.

(v) Engineering Division obtained the patent rights on 09 February 2007 for designing and developing the 'Double Lane Modular Steel Bridge' effective from 16 January 2003.

*
* Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam was set up in 1941 in the private sector and was taken over by the Government in 1952. In 1962, the shipyard became a central public sector enterprise. HSL is the first shipbuilding yard in the country which was awarded ISO:9001 certification by Lloyds Register of Quality Assurance, London for international standard of quality assurance.
* Hooghly Dock and Port Engineers Limited (HDPEL), Kolkatta became a Central Public Sector Undertaking in 1984.
* The coastline of India is dotted with 12 major ports and about 200 non-major ports.
* The 12 major ports (including the Port of Ennore which is a corporate port setup under the Indian Companies Act, 1956) are evenly spread out on the Eastern and Western Coasts. The ports of Kolkata, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin are on the Eastern Coast of India while the ports of Cochin, New Managalore, Mormugao, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru at Jhavasheva and Kandla are on the Western Coast.
* India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways which comprise rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks.
* The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) came into existence on 27 October 1986 for development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation. The head office of the Authority is located at Noida.
* The Ganga between Allahabad – Haldia (1620 km) the Sadiya- Dhubri stretch of river Brahmaputra (891 km) and the Kollam-Kottapuram stretch of West Coast Canal along with Champakara and Udyogmandal Canals (205 km) in Kerala have so far been declared as National Waterways and are being developed for navigation by IWAI.
* National Inland Navigation Institute (NINI), Patna,
* The Central Inland Water Transport Corporation (CIWTC) with its headquarters at Kolkata was set up as a public undertaking in May 1967. The CIWTC is mainly engaged in transportation of goods by inland waterways in the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly, Sunderbans and Brahmaputra rivers.
* India has been a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and is also on the Council of ICAO since its inception.
* Apart from Air India, Indian Airlines, Alliance Air and Air India Charters Ltd., there are at present eight private scheduled operators.
As on 30th June 2007, India has bilateral Air Services Agreements with 104 countries.

*
* The Cape Town Convention has been acceded by the Government of India and it has come into force w.e.f. 1.7.2008. The principal objective of the Convention/Protocol is the efficient financing of mobile equipment. It is designed to establish an international legal regime for categories of high value and uniquely indentifiable mobile equipments.
* India has acceded to the Montreal Convention on 1st May, 2009. Accession to this Convention shall facilitate higher compensation and fifth State jurisdiction to international air passengers to/from India.
* The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the principal regulatory body in the field of civil aviation in India.
* The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and is the regulator for civil aviation security in the country. The BCAS has its headquarters in New Delhi.
* The Airports Authority of India (AAI) was formed on 1 April 1995.
* National Institute of Aviation Management and Research (NIAMAR) at Delhi.
* Fire Service Training School at Narayanpur near Kolkatta
* Fire Training Centre at New Delhi
* GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation ‘‘Gagan’’ is an augmentation system to enhance the accuracy and integrity of GPS signals to meet precision approach requirements in Civil Aviation and is being implemented jointly by AAI and ISRO in three phases.
* Air India International launched its first service to London via Cairo and Geneva on 8th June 1984 with Constellation aircraft.
* On 1st May 1992, Air India Limited was incorporated as a public limited company under the Companies Act, 1956 with the main object of succeeding the undertaking of Air India.
* Air India has four subsidiary companies, viz. Hotel Corporation of India Ltd. (HCI), Air India Charters Ltd. (AICL), Air India Air Transport Services Ltd. (AIATSL), and Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL).
* The Hotel Corporation of India Limited (HCI) is a Public Limited Company wholly owned by Air India Limited and was incorporated on July 8, 1971 under the Companies Act, 1956.
Indian Airlines was set up under the Air Corporations Act, 1953 with an initial capital of Rs. 3.25 crore with its Corporate Headquarters at Delhi. The undertaking of Indian Airlines was transferred to and vested in Indian Airlines Limited with effect from 1 March 1994 in pursuance of the Air Corporations (Transfer of

Undertakings and Repeal) Act, 1994.

*
The Cabinet in its meeting held on 1st March 2007 approved the proposal to merge Indian Airlines and Air India. Air India and Indian Airlines with their respective international and domestic network have a significant potential for achieving synergy. Accordingly, a new company, viz. National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL) has been incorporated on 30th March 2007 with its Headquarters at Mumbai. The brand name of the new airlines will be Air India and its logo will be Maharaja.

*
* Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd. (PHHL) an ISO 9001:2000 certified company, is one of India’s leading helicopter companies and is known for its reliable helicopter operations. The company was incorporated in 1985.
* The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi located at Fursatganj (UP).
* Pilot training institute at Gondia, Maharashtra.
* The Commission of Railway Safety deals with matters pertaining to safety in rail travel and operations is under the administrative control of Ministry of civil Aviation.
* India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) came into existence in October 1966 with the objective of developing and expanding tourism infrastructure in the country and thereby promoting India as a tourist destination.
* Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) located in Gwalior
National Institute of Water Sports, Goa , under the administrative control of Ministry of Tourism.

YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

*
* The new National Youth Policy, 2003 formulated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, is designed to galvanize the youth to rise up to the new challenges, keeping in view the global scenario, and aims at motivating them to be active partners in national development.
* Every year, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has been celebrating the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, the great philosopher and thinker. Earlier, the National Youth Festival was celebrated from 12th - 16th January. It has been decided to celebrate the Festival from 8th to 12th January every year onwards. The opening ceremony of the National Youth Festival will be on the 8th January and closing on 12th January, the birth of Swami Vivekananda.
* The age group of the Youth, as per the National Youth Policy, 2003, is 13 to 35 years. The New Policy recognises four thrust areas viz., (i) Youth Empowerment; (ii) Gender Justice; (iii) Inter-Sectoral Approach; and (iv)Information and Research Network.
* # Under the Scheme of Promotion of Adventure, the National Adventure Awards, now renamed as Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards, are given as the highest national recognition of outstanding achievements in the field of adventure activities on land, sea and air.
* The National Service Scheme, popularly known as NSS, was launched in 1969, with its primary focus on the development of the personality of students through community service. Today, NSS has over 26 lakh student volunteers on its rolls spread over 198 universities, and 43 Senior Secondary Councils.
* The National Service Volunteer (NSV) Scheme was launched in 1969. This is one of the oldest and most successful scheme of the Ministry in providing a platform for the youth take up a leadership role in the spheres of the social and community service at grass roots level.
* The Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) is an autonomous organisation of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. NYKS has its offices in 500 districts of the country. It has become one of the largest grassroot level organisations in the world, catering to the needs of more than eight million non-student rural youth enrolled through 2.53 lakh village-based Youth Clubs.
* The erstwhile National Reconstruction Crops (NRC) Scheme was now replaced by the Rashtriya Sadbhavana Yojana and the Government of India has launched the Rashtriya Sadbhavana Yojana from 1 June 2005. Under the Scheme 10 to 20 Volunteers who will be known as Nehru Yuva Sathi would be deployed to participate in programmes for youth and community development.
* The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) set up at Sriperumbudur (Tamil Nadu)
* The National Sports Policy was initially formulated in 1984. In order to broad-base sports and to promote excellence, Government has formulated a New National Sports Policy, 2001.
* The Sports Authority of India (SAI) was established by the Government of India in January 1984 as a registered society primarily to ensure effective maintenance and optimum utilisation of the various sports infrastructure that were built in Delhi during Asiad, 1982.
* The Government has in March 2008 approved the introduction of a new Scheme entitled Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan(PYKKA) which aim at providing basis sports infrastructure at the panchayat level over a period of 10 years through concerted efforts of all stakeholders, particularly the State Governments, panchayats, educational institutes, sports promotion bodies and youth clubs.
* Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala
* High Altitude Training Centre (HATC) at Shillaroo (H.P.)
* The Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education was established initially as a College on 17 August 1957, the centenary year of the first war of India’s Independence. The Institute is located at Gwalior.
* Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was instituted in 1991-92
* The National Welfare Fund for sports persons was set up in March 1982 primarily to assist outstanding sportspersons of yesteryears, living in indigent circumstances.
* Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievements in sports and games instituted in the year 2002 is given to honour those sportspersons who have contributed to sports by their performance and continue to contribute to promotion of sports even after their retirement from active sporting career.
* The Arjuna Award was instituted in 1961.
* The Dronacharya Award, instituted in 1985.
With a view to recognizing the contribution made to sports develoment by entities other than sportspersons and coaches, Government has instituted a new award entitled Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar from the year 2009, which has four categories, namely, community sports development, promotion of sports academies of excellence, support to elite sportspersons and employment to sportspersons.

SCIENCE & TECH

Findings of Chandrayan 1

Chandrayaan-1’s X-ray Spectrometer (C1XS)

How it works

· The miniature C1XS instrument investigated the lunar surface using an effect whereby X-ray illumination from the sun causes rocks to fluoresce, emitting light at a different wavelength.

· This re-emitted light contains spectral peaks that are characteristic of elements contained in the rock, revealing its composition.

· It added that the spectral resolution of 50 km was much better than previous missions.

What it Detected

· In its 10-month orbit around the moon, Chandrayaan-1’s X-ray Spectrometer (C1XS) has detected titanium, confirmed the presence of calcium, and gathered the most accurate measurements yet of magnesium, aluminium and iron on the lunar surface.

· While C1XS detected magnesium, aluminium and silicon during normal conditions, the instrument could detect calcium, iron, titanium, sodium and potassium in key areas in the southern hemisphere and on the far side of the Moon during the solar flares

· Previous lunar probes detected some of these minerals on the lunar surface, but none as accurately as the C1XS X-ray spectrometer,

J.N. Goswami, director of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, and principal scientist for Chandrayaan-1,.

CHANDRAYAN-1

1. Project Director of Chandrayaan-1 M. Annadurai

2. Principal Scientist of Chandrayaan-1, J.N. Goswami,

Discoveries made by M3

Moon Minerology Mapper of Chandrayaan-1 is a NASA instrument

· Discovered the presence of water and hydroxyl molecules on the lunar surface material last year,

· It has identified a new lunar rock type on the far side of the moon.

CHANDRAYAN-1 & WATER

Dr. Carle Pieters of Brown University in the U.S, principal investigator for the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) on the Chandrayaan-1.

A new chapter has been added to the decades-long scientific quest for water on the moon. An instrument on the Chandrayaan-1, known as the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, has detected unmistakeable signs of water molecules at many places on the surface of our celestial neighbour.

BACKGROUND

· When samples of lunar rock and soil brought back by the Apollo astronauts were analysed,. The moon appeared to be, “an exceedingly dry place.”

· The search for water on the moon, however, revived in the 1990s when two U.S. spacecraft, the Clementine and the Lunar Prospector, found evidence for what was said to be water in the form of ice in permanently shadowed craters at the poles.

· But this evidence has been hotly contested. So much so that last year Japanese researchers declared that careful analysis of images taken by the Kaguya/SELENE spacecraft did not throw up any sign of ice inside a key crater at the south pole.

· But it was also last year that U.S. scientists published a study that used new techniques to examine beads of volcanic glass collected by two Apollo missions. They found minute traces of water.

1. That suggested that water had been a part of the moon since its formation and could be found deep inside it.

Against this background, the discovery of traces of water by the Chandrayaan-1, supported by findings from two U.S. deep space missions that gazed at the moon as they passed by, is of huge scientific interest.

HOW IT WAS DETECTED

The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), a U.S.-supplied instrument that flew on the Chandrayaan-1, examined the intensity of different colours of sunlight bouncing off the lunar surface.

· American and Indian scientists report that the instrument found a distinctive signature of water and hydroxyl emanating from the moon. (A water molecule is made up of one oxygen atom linked to two hydrogen atoms, while hydroxyl has the oxygen atom attached to just one hydrogen atom.)

· The M3 discovered the signature of water and hydroxyl on the surface soil and rocks at many diverse places in sunlit regions of the moon.

· The signature was stronger at the higher latitudes.

· Two U.S. space missions, Cassini and the Deep Impact spacecraft, had provided supporting evidence.

WHAT DOES WATER ON MOON MEANS ?

But when we say ‘water on the moon,’ we are not talking about lakes, oceans or even puddles.

· Water on the moon means molecules of water and hydroxyl that interact with molecules of rock and dust specifically in the top millimetres of the moon’s surface,

· What was detected was water molecules present in extremely minute quantities on the surface soil and rocks,

· It was estimated that less than a teaspoon of water could be squeezed out from several kg of lunar soil.

Where did the water on moon come from?

The water could come from different sources.

· Countless comets and meteors that have crashed into the moon over billions of years might have brought water.

· Water contained in tiny beads of lunar volcanic glasses that were collected by two Apollo missions. The discovery suggested that water might exist deep inside the moon.

· Now the Chandrayaan-1 data provides support for the idea that solar wind, made up mostly of hydrogen ions, interacts with oxygen in the lunar soil and rocks to produce water.

1. When hydrogen and oxygen atoms bond, hydroxyl is generated; addition of one more hydrogen atom results in water.

2. Much of that water may be lost to space but some of it could be transported along the surface till it becomes trapped at the bottom of icy cold polar craters that are never exposed to sunlight.

· Water, it would seem, is being constantly generated all over the lunar surface.

1. Much of it may well boil off into space;

2. Some of it may percolate deeper down into the soil.

3. Some of the water could end up at the bottom of deep polar craters,

· Which have recently been described as some of the coldest places in the entire solar system.

· Such water, it is said, will benefit any future efforts to establish a manned outpost on the moon, supplying drinking water and rocket fuel.

OTHER INSTRUMENT (intotal 11 instruments ) ON CHANDRAYAN 1 & THEIR APPLICATION

Mini Synthetic Aperture Radar (Mini-SAR)

· Moon Mineralogy Mapper have only found that something [the traces of water] is there on the top surface of the lunar soil.

· ISRO officials indicated that there were possibilities that the Mini-SAR might have found water ice in the permanently shadowed polar regions of the moon.

· The Mini-SAR was developed jointly by the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University and the Naval Air Warfare Centre, both in the U.S., and it came through NASA.

LRO ( Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite)

The NASA’s LRO is now orbiting the moon.

· The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite on it will be crashed on to a deep crater in the moon’s South Pole, and the dust particles kicked up by the impact will be imaged by 50 telescopes around the world.

· The particles will be analysed for the presence of water ice or hydrogen on the moon.

UNDERSTANDING LUNAR CRUST

The generally accepted characterisation of the lunar crust is based principally on

· Retrieved (collected) lunar material by the Apollo-Lunar(US) missions and meteorite samples.

· The crust is described as a rocky accumulation, basically

1. rich in calcium-aluminium silicates (anorthosites) infused with a mix of compounds containing magnesium and iron (‘mafic’ minerals).

2. The rock-type is dominated by a mineral termed as ‘magnesium spinel.

· ’Spinel is a generic name given to a class of minerals having the chemical formula AB{-2}O{-4} and the usual spinel formations found in lunar rocks is an iron-magnesium admixture of the form (Mg, Fe)(Al, Cr){-2}O{-4}.

· These rocks are usually found along with magnesium-iron silicate (olivine) and calcium-rich aluminium silicate (pyroxene).

What unique M3 discovered at the western ring of the Moscoviense Basin

· A new rock type that is exclusively composed of magnesium-rich spinel with no detectable pyroxene or olivine present.

· (Relevance) This does not easily fit with current lunar crustal evolution models.

REASON FOR ITS PRESCENCE

There does not seem to be any easy explanation for the occurrence of these spinel formations , probable reasons are

· Since magnesium-spinels have been seen in some asteroids, one possible explanation is that the source is exogenous asteroid or comet impacts.

1. However, there is no evidence of any impact or dispersion of rubble pile and the like from the impact’s aftermath.

· An interesting feature of the Moscoviense Basin is that the crust in the region is much thinner, compared to other basins.

1. This is indicative of a magma upturning over much recent time scales as compared to other regions.

2. It is so because these are very dense and would have been deposited right at the bottom during the cooling and crystallization of the crust.

The recent upturning may have brought it up from the lunar deep crust during the basin formation

PSLV puts Oceansat-2 and six nano satellites in orbit

· ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair

· K. Radhaakrishnan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.

· Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu

· Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad , Director R.R. Navalgund

· National Remote Sensing Agency’s (NRSA) earth station at Shadnagar,Hyderabad

The first PSLV flight took place on September 20, 1993.(IRS-1A)

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle- C14 (four stage) roared its way to success from the Sriharikota spaceport (Satish Dhawan Space Centre)

· put in orbit India’s Oceansat-2 and six foreign nano satellites.

· This was the 15th successful flight of the launch vehicle in a row.

DETAILS

The 960-kg Oceansat-2 (at an altitude of about 728 km) had three important payloads.

· They were the ocean colour monitor, The ocean colour(designed by the SAC )monitor would gather data about plant life in the oceans

· a scatterometer (designed by the SAC) and the scatterometer would measure the sea surface winds.

1. Winds are important for weather forecasting and how the cyclones are generated

· Radio Occultation Sounder for Atmospheric Studies (ROSA) built by the Italian Space Agency.

1. The ROSA would study the temperature and humidity in the atmosphere.

(Conclusion)These three payloads will help in monitoring many of the phenomena [related to the oceans and the atmosphere] and help in predicting the weather

The six nano satellites put in orbit were educational satellites from abroad, meant to test new spacecraft technologies.

1. Of the six, four were Cubesats (called Cubesat 1, 2, 3 and 4 ) weighing one kg each. They were from

· Ecole Polytechnique federale de Lausanne in Switzerland, (Cubesat 1)

1. This is SwissCube, the first-ever satellite built entirely in Switzerland.

· Technical University of Berlin and University of Wurzburg, both(Cubesat 2& 3) in Germany,

· Istanbul Technical University.(Cubesat 4)

1. The two nano Rubinsats ( called Rubinsat 9.1 and 9.2), weighing eight kg each, were from Luxembourg and Germany.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

GSLV first successful launch was in 2001

A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D3) with an indigenous cryogenic stage

• It would put a communication satellite called GSAT-4 in orbit
• Its indigenous cryogenic stage would undergo tests at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu. Then it would be moved to Sriharikota and integrated with the other stages.

· The PSLV-C15, it would put Cartosat-2B in orbit.

· ISRO had completed the preliminary design of Chandrayaan-2, which would boast of a lander-cum-rover. The rover would go about on the moon and pick up samples, which would be analyse done site. Its launch would take place in 2012-13.

SITVEC

· In the core-alone version of PSLV C14 there are no strap-on boosters instead there are the tubular structures which are called Secondary Injection Thrust Vector Control (SITVEC).

· Two of them are related to the system which changes the orientation of the rocket when it is in flight, and

1. The other two provide symmetry to the rocket – they balance the launch vehicle.

NIO

Very important discoveries have been made recently in neutrino physics and neutrino astronomy .Scientists from the United States and Japan received the Nobel Prize in 2002 for these discoveries.

What are Neutrinos ?

Neutrinos are elementary particles that are filling the Universe in abundance but are very elusive.

· Trillions of neutrinos are passing through our bodies every second without affecting us.

· One of the most important discoveries of the last decade is that neutrinos have mass.

1. Until this discovery, it was thought that neutrinos are massless particles like photons, the quanta of light.

· This has led to active planning of many more neutrino laboratories round the world, especially considering that a considerable part of neutrino physics is yet to be discovered

INDIA’s Initiatives ?

India was a pioneer in neutrino physics. The very first detection of cosmic-ray produced neutrinos was made in the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) experiment in 1965. But the KGF laboratory was closed in the 1990s because the KGF mines were closed.

The India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) project

· It is a unique basic science collaboration in the country.

· It has been approved for funding by the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and Technology and

· It is included by the Planning Commission as a mega science project under the Eleventh Five-Year Plan.

· It will be set up in Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu, India.( After Niligiri hills was rejected by the government)

Application of Neutrino technology ?

Some of the exciting applications of neutrino technology will be these:

(a) Since neutrinos are the most penetrating radiation known to mankind

1. Typical neutrino can travel a million Earth diameters of matter without getting stopped, neutrino beams will be the ultimate tools for the tomography of Earth.

(b) A new window on geophysics opened a few years ago

1. When a neutrino detector in Japan detected geoneutrinos emitted by radioactive uranium and thorium ore buried in the bowels of the Earth.

2. This leads to the possibility of mapping the whole Earth as far as its radioactive content is concerned.

ISRO plans to use semi-cryogenic engines

ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan.

Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission

V.K. Saraswat, Director-General, Defence Research and Development Organisation,

· The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has embarked on a programme to induct semi-cryogenic engines, which will use kerosene as fuel, and this engine will form the booster for its future launch vehicles,

· The Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mark III), which was under development, would put a four-tonne satellite in a geo-synchronous transfer orbit. Will be used to send Chandrayaan -2 (by 2013)

· The ISRO had embarked on a human space programme (year 2015), and it planned to put two Indians in space in an orbit around the earth in seven years,

BARC

· A second research centre of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre would be set up in Visakhapatnam because BARC, Trombay, was expanding in a big way.

· The Visakhapatnam centre would concentrate on energy science and environment.

The Department of Atomic Energy’s mandate was also to conduct basic research in physics, chemistry, mathematics and material sciences, Dr. Banerjee said.

The DRDO was working on hypersonic cruise missiles . It had developed an engine for missiles that worked on kerosene.

Terrestrial Radiations & its Measurement

SOURCES

Background radiation level at any place depends mainly on terrestrial radiation from

· natural radionuclides such as uranium, thorium and their decay products and

· potassium-40 present in soil and

· on cosmic rays (radiation from outer space).

Prescence in soil

· The top one metre soil in a land of area 0.1 acre anywhere in the country may contain 1.28 kg of potassium-40, 3.6 kg of thorium and one kg of uranium.

· In different soils these values may be higher or lower. The dose due to natural radiation varies from place to place.

Measurement Unit

· Gray is a unit of radiation dose.

1. When the dose is one gray, the energy from ionizing radiation absorbed is one joule per kg;

2. since gray is a big unit, submutiples such as milli-one thousandth or micro -one millionth-of a gray are usually used.

· Sievert — Sv — is another unit. For all practical purposes, background radiation expressed in sievert or gray may be considered numerically equal

Nanotechnology turns fifty

Nanotechnology implies the power to manipulate matter at the atomic level. It is the power of the creator, as all are constructed with atoms

· On December 29, 2009, we celebrated the golden jubilee of Nanotechnology. It was on this day, fifty years ago Professor Richard P. Feynman (Nobel Laureate, 1965) delivered the celebrated talk, ‘There’s plenty of room at the bottom,’ which predicted the era of nanotechnology — the technology of nanometre scale objects.

1. He proposed a new kind of technology by assembling things atom by atom, in today’s terms, ‘molecular nanotechnology’. Since 1991, we arrange atoms one at a time to create well-defined structures.

2. A new methodology to see and place atoms called scanning tunneling microscopy came in 1981 and numerous modifications of this tool revolutionized all branches of science.

· The terminology, “nanotechnology” itself came into being in 1974, due to Professor Norio Taniguchi(. Tokyo State University)

ECONOMIC ASPECT

Global nanotechnology research budget is substantial.

· In the U.S. alone, the projected budget for FY 2010 is $1.6 billion. A sum of $10.1 billion was spent in this area in the U.S. during 2001-2009.

· Indian efforts have been small, the government started a Nano Mission two years ago with an investment of Rs.1,000 crores in five years.

· Nanotechnology is expected to produce goods and services worth $2.6 trillion in the year 2014 globally.

Sun glints signal oceans and lakes

In two new videos from NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft, bright flashes of light known as sun glints act as beacons signalling large bodies of water on Earth.

· These sun glints are like sunshine glancing off the hood of a car. We can see them reflecting off a smooth surface when we are positioned in just the right way with respect to the sun and the smooth surface.

EPOCh

The Extrasolar Planet Observations and Characterization (EPOCh) is a part of Deep Impact’s extended mission, called EPOXI.

· One of EPOCh’s goals is to observe the Earth from far away (about eleven million miles away) so that we know what an Earth-like planet would look like when viewed from our spacecraft

How Earth Like Planet would be detected ?

That will be through Sun Glints .

· These observations give scientists a way to pick out planets beyond our solar system (extrasolar planets) that are likely to have expanses of liquid, and so stand a better chance of having life.

On a planetary scale, only liquids and ice can form a surface smooth enough to produce the effect — land masses are too rough — and the surface must be very large.

Why Earth Appears BLUE ?

Seen from very far away, Earth looks like a blue dot. But the blue comes from Rayleigh scattering in our atmosphere rather than from the oceans,

· Rayleigh scattering (named after the British physicist Lord Rayleigh) is the elastic scattering of light or other electromagnetic radiation by particles much smaller than the wavelength of the light, which may be individual atoms or molecules.

· It can occur when light travels in transparent solids and liquids, but is most prominently seen in gases.

· Rayleigh scattering is a function of the electric polarizability of the particles.

· Rayleigh scattering of sunlight in clear atmosphere is the main reason why the sky is blue:

How it works?

Light from the sun that does not happen to be traveling toward our eyes scatters off molecules and other small particles in the atmosphere.

· Rayleigh scattering is inversely proportional to the fourth power of wavelength,

1. so that the shorter wavelength of blue light will scatter more than the longer wavelengths of green and especially red light, giving the sky a blue appearance.

2. Conversely, glancing toward the sun, the colors that were not scattered away -- the longer wavelengths such as red and yellow light -- are visible,

· Giving the sun itself a slightly yellowish hue.

· Viewed from outer space, the sky is black and the sun is white.

OBSERVATION DURING SOLAR ECLIPSE

Another piece of puzzle of solar corona has been found by observing the sun’s outer atmosphere during eclipses.

HOW ?

By ground-based observations reveal the first images of the solar corona in the near-infrared emission line of highly ionized iron, or Fe XI 789.2 nm.

The images revealed some surprises

· Most notably, that the emission extends out at least three solar radii—that’s one-and-a-half times the sun’s width at its equator, or middle—above the surface of the sun, and

· That there are localized regions of enhanced density for these iron ions.

· The observations yield the two-dimensional distribution of electron temperature and charge-state measurements for the first time,

1. This establish the first direct link between the distribution of charge states in the corona and in interplanetary space.

· These are the first such maps of the 2-D distribution of coronal electron temperature and ion charge state,

RELEVANCE

Mapping the distribution of electron temperature and iron charge states in the corona with total solar eclipse observations represents an important step in understanding

· The solar corona and

· How space weather impacts Earth.

LAVA TUBE

In a major discovery, geophysicists identified a vertical hole in the volcanic Marius Hills region on the moon’s near side.

· The dark pit is 213-feet wide and is estimated to be more than 260-feet deep,

· A thin sheet of lava protects the hole from the moon’s harsh temperatures and meteorite strikes and

1. makes the tube suitable for further exploration or possible inhabitation. (relevance)

2. (HOW)Any intact lava tube could serve as a shelter from the severe environment of the lunar surface, with its meteorite impacts, high-energy UV radiation and energetic particles, and extreme diurnal temperature variations.

· The research was carried out using high-resolution images from a Japanese moon orbiter called SELENE (p/t)

· The Japanese space agency JAXA.

India, Japan to develop solar city

India & Japan decided to jointly develop a solar city in India.

· (Relevance)The solar city project aims to reduce a minimum of 10 per cent of its projected demand of conventional energy at the end of five years through energy efficiency measures and generation from renewable energy installations.

1. The Indian Government has, so far, given in-principle approval to 34 cities to be developed as solar cities.

· Japan is keen on promoting “Midori no Bunken” which aims at changing centralised society to community-based society to enhance self-sufficiency within a region through maximising natural resources, including forest, sea, food and energy, with emphasis on not relying on electricity generated by others. It focusses on renewable energy such as solar, wind, micro hydro and biomass energy.

· As part of the exchange programme, a 10-member delegation from India will participate in the Japan-India New and Renewable Energy Seminar in Tokyo.

Brahmos to be assembled in Pilani

The Chief Controller of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Chief Executive Officer of BrahMos Board, Sivthanu Pillai,

· At present the Brahmos missiles, a joint venture of India and Russia, are assembled in Hyderabad.

· There is also a Brahmos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited near the Kerala capital.

· The country’s next assembling centre for the prestigious Brahmos missiles will be Rajasthan’s Pilani.

Brahmos is the fastest missile(supersonic) in the world, The missile moves three times faster than the speed of sound

WHOLE BLOOD FINGER PRICK

This new technology would enable testing of HIV status of a person within 20 minutes. ADVANTAGE

· The major advantage of the ‘whole blood finger-prick’ technology is that for it there would be no need to separate serum and red blood cells of a blood sample to test for HIV.

· The new technology being tried now accepts whole blood and can tell HIV status by a simple finger prick.

· For a common man the testing would be similar to the blood test for malaria.

· This technology has been quite successful in African countries where most people are being tested for HIV by this new and fast technology

Procedure in conventional Technique

· The conventional HIV testing kits being used now accept only serum collected from blood samples to test for HIV antibody.

· A centrifuge which separates the serum from the blood is a major need of conventional HIV testing technologies.

· The presence of HIV antibody in one’s blood hints at HIV infection

What is a CD4 Count and Why is it Important?

Answer:

Our immune system contains different types of cells that help protect the body from infection. One of these types of specialized cells are called the CD4 or T-cells.

· HIV attacks these types of cells and uses them to make more copies (ie HIV replication ) of HIV.

· And in doing so, HIV weakens the immune system, making it unable to protect the body from illness and infection.

The Step-by-Step Process of HIV Replication (Making HIV Copies)

Early in the course of the disease, the body can make more CD4 cells to replace the ones that have been damaged by HIV. Eventually, the body can't keep up and the number of functioning T-cells decreases. As more and more CD4 cells become damaged, the immune system becomes more and more weakened. Eventually, the weakened immune system leaves the body at risk for illness and infection infections.

CD4 Count (P/T)

· The higher the number of CD4 cells the stronger your immune system.

· People without HIV infection have about 700 to 1000 CD4 cells in a drop of blood the size of a pea.

· HIV infected people are considered to have "normal" CD4 counts if the number is above 500 CD4 cells in that same size drop of blood.

· If the number of CD4 cells in that drop of blood ever drops below 200 CD4 cells, person is classified as having AIDS.

ISRO plans to use semi-cryogenic engines

ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan.

Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission

V.K. Saraswat, Director-General, Defence Research and Development Organisation,

· The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has embarked on a programme to induct semi-cryogenic engines, which will use kerosene as fuel, and this engine will form the booster for its future launch vehicles,

· The Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mark III), which was under development, would put a four-tonne satellite in a geo-synchronous transfer orbit. Will be used to send Chandrayaan -2 (by 2013)

· The ISRO had embarked on a human space programme (year 2015), and it planned to put two Indians in space in an orbit around the earth in seven years,

BARC

· A second research centre of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre would be set up in Visakhapatnam because BARC, Trombay, was expanding in a big way.

· The Visakhapatnam centre would concentrate on energy science and environment.

The Department of Atomic Energy’s mandate was also to conduct basic research in physics, chemistry, mathematics and material sciences, Dr. Banerjee said.

The DRDO was working on hypersonic cruise missiles . It had developed an engine for missiles that worked on kerosene.

Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR)

India building an 80 MWe Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR ) at Kalpakkam near Chennai which marks the beginning of its indigenous PWR capability,

· (p/t)Pressurized water reactors (PWRs, called VVER in Russia) constitute a majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of two types of light water reactor (LWR), the other type being boiling water reactors (BWRs)

· PWR's were originally designed to serve as nuclear submarine power plants and

1. were used in the original design of the first commercial power plant at Shippingport Atomic Power Station(USA)

2. An identical PWR of the same capacity would propel the indigenous nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant that was launched on July 26.

· The launch of propelled India into an exclusive club of countries that possess their own nuclear-powered submarines, which already has five members – Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and China.

3. The two PWRs were built by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

· Enriched uranium would fuel them, and light water was both coolant and moderator.

· The Rare Materials Project at Ratnahalli, near Mysore, produced the enriched uranium.

· India also has two Light Water Reactors that use enriched uranium as fuel, and light water as coolant and moderator .

OTHER DEVELOPMENT

· The Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), which use natural uranium as fuel,and heavy water (D2O) as coolant and moderator.

1. India has 15 Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors — PHWRs

· The FBRs would use plutonium-uranium oxide as fuel.

1. India was building the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, its breeders would use plutonium-uranium oxide as fuel.

· The AHWR, to be built, would have thorium as fuel.

· BARC was also developing the Compact High Temperature Reactor (CHTR) to split hydrogen from water. Hydrogen would be the fuel of the future

· Arihant was a joint project of the DAE, the Navy and the DRDO.

URANIUM MINES

· The capacity of the mill at Jaduguda in Jharkhand, which converted natural uranium into yellow cake, had been augmented.

· Another mill at Turamdih, also in Jharkhand, was commissioned and its production of yellow cake was going up.

· The uranium mine and the mill, which were under construction at Tummlapalle in Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh, would go on stream in 2013.

· Exploration mining was taking place at Gogi in Karnataka.

New projects

· The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was looking forward to the start of the construction of four PHWRs of 700 MWe each, for which the Union government had given approval.

· Three new reactors — two units at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS-5 and 6) and the fourth unit at Kaiga in Karnataka — would be commissioned in a phased manner between this year and next year,

CONCEPT

WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE NUCLEAR REACTOR

Nuclear reactors generate energy through Nuclear fission, the process by which an atomic nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei.

· During fission, a small amount of mass is converted into energy, which can be used to power a generator to create electricity.

· In order to harness this energy, a controlled chain reaction is required for fission to take place.

1. (Chain Reaction)When a uranium nucleus in a reactor splits, it produces two or more neutrons that can then be absorbed by other nuclei, causing them to undergo fission as well.

2. More neutrons are released in turn and continuous fission is achieved.

WHY MODERATOR IS REQUIRED

· Neutrons produced by fission have high energies and move extremely quickly.

1. These so-called fast neutrons do not cause fission as efficiently as slower-moving ones so they are slowed down in most reactors by the process of moderation.

· A liquid or gas moderator, commonly water or helium, cools the neutrons to optimum energies for causing fission.

· These slower neutrons are also called thermal neutrons because they are brought to the same temperature as the surrounding coolant.

CASE OF BREEDER REACTOR

In contrast to most normal nuclear reactors, however, a fast reactor uses a coolant that is not an efficient moderator, such as liquid sodium, so its neutrons remain high-energy.

RELEVANCE ?

Although these fast neutrons are not as good at causing fission, they are readily captured by an isotope of uranium (U₂₃₈), which then becomes plutonium (Pu₂₃₉).

· This plutonium isotope can be reprocessed and used as more reactor fuel or in the production of nuclear weapons.

· Reactors can be designed to maximize plutonium production, and

· These reactors are called breeder reactors because in some cases they actually produce more fuel than they consume.

WHAT MAKES BREEDER REACTOR POSSIBLE ?

Breeder reactors are possible because of the proportion of uranium isotopes that exist in nature.

· Natural uranium consists primarily of U₂₃₈, which does not fission readily, and U₂₃₅, which does. Natural uranium is unsuitable for use in a nuclear reactor, however, because it is only 0.72 percent U₂₃₅, which is not enough to sustain a chain reaction.

· Commercial nuclear reactors normally use uranium fuel that has had its U₂₃₅ content enriched to somewhere between 3 and 8 percent by weight. Although the U₂₃₅ does most of the fissioning, more than 90 percent of the atoms in the fuel are U₂₃₈--potential neutron capture targets and future plutonium atoms.

· Pu₂₃₉, which is created when U₂₃₈ captures a neutron, forms U₂₃₉ and then undergoes two beta decays, happens to be even better at fissioning than U₂₃₅.

COCEPT OF FAST BREEDER REACTOR

Pu₂₃₉ is formed in every reactor and also fissions as the reactor operates. In fact, a nuclear reactor can derive a significant amount of energy from such plutonium fission. But because this plutonium fissions, it reduces the amount that is left in the fuel

· To maximize plutonium production, therefore, a reactor must create as much plutonium as possible while minimizing the amount that splits. This is why many breeder reactors are also fast reactors.

1. Fast neutrons are ideal for plutonium production because they are easily absorbed by U₂₃₈ to create Pu₂₃₉, and

2. They cause less fission than thermal neutrons.

3. Some fast breeder reactors can generate up to 30 percent more fuel than they use.

CONERNS INVOLVED

Creating extra fuel in nuclear reactors, however, is not without its concerns:

1. One is that the plutonium produced can be removed and used in nuclear weapons.

2. Another is that, to extract the plutonium, the fuel must be reprocessed, creating radioactive waste and potentially high radiation exposures.

3. In the world, only India, Russia, Japan and China currently have operational fast breeder reactor programs; the U.K., France and Germany have effectively shut down theirs.

Terrestrial Radiations & its Measurement

SOURCES

Background radiation level at any place depends mainly on terrestrial radiation from

· natural radionuclides such as uranium, thorium and their decay products and

· potassium-40 present in soil and

· on cosmic rays (radiation from outer space).

Prescence in soil

· The top one metre soil in a land of area 0.1 acre anywhere in the country may contain 1.28 kg of potassium-40, 3.6 kg of thorium and one kg of uranium.

· In different soils these values may be higher or lower. The dose due to natural radiation varies from place to place.

Measurement Unit

· Gray is a unit of radiation dose.

1. When the dose is one gray, the energy from ionizing radiation absorbed is one joule per kg;

2. since gray is a big unit, submutiples such as milli-one thousandth or micro -one millionth-of a gray are usually used.

· Sievert — Sv — is another unit. For all practical purposes, background radiation expressed in sievert or gray may be considered numerically equal

Milestone in stem cell research ( in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells )

BREAKTHROUGH

· Research on reprogramming adult cells to make them behave like embryonic stem cells crossed a milestone recently when two Chinese teams succeeded in producing mouse pups using such cells.

· ie pluripotency of iPS cells has been proved to a certain extent

SCIENTIST

· Qi Zhous of the Chinese Academy of Science &

· Shaorong Gao from the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing,

CONCEPTUAL UNERSTANDING

Stem cells are cells found in most, if not all, multi cellular organisms. They are characterized by the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and differentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types.

· Research in the stem cell field grew out of findings by Canadian scientists Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till in the 1960s.^[1][2]

· The two broad types of mammalian stem cells are:

1. embryonic stem cells that are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts(p/t)(stage of development of embryo ), and

2. adult stem cells that are found in adult tissues.

· HOW THEY WORK

1. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues.

2. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.

^· Stem cells can now be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture.

^1. Highly plastic adult stem cells from a variety of sources, including umbilical cord blood and bone marrow, are routinely used in medical therapies.

^2. Embryonic cell lines and autologous embryonic stem cells generated through therapeutic cloning have also been proposed as promising candidates for future therapies.^[3]

TERMINIOLOGY

PLURIPOTENCY

· In cell biology, the definition of pluripotency has come to refer to a stem cell that has the potential to differentiate into any of the three germ layers:

1. (p/t)) endoderm (interior stomach lining, gastrointestinal tract, the lungs),

2. (p/t) mesoderm (muscle, bone, blood, urogenital), or

3. (p/t) ectoderm (epidermal tissues and nervous system).

· Pluripotent stem cells can give rise to any fetal or adult cell type.

1. However, alone they cannot develop into a fetal or adult animal because they lack the potential to contribute to extraembryonic tissue, such as the placenta (recent research has changed this notion )

SOMATIC CELL (soma derieved from greek word soma ie body )

· Somatic cells (diploid) are any cells forming the body of an organism, as opposed to germline cells.

· In mammals, germline cells (also known as "gametes") are the spermatozoa and ova which fuse during fertilization to produce a cell called a zygote, from which the entire mammalian embryo develops.

· Every other cell type in the mammalian body—apart from the sperm and ova, the cells from which they are made (gametocytes) and undifferentiated stem cells—is a somatic cell:

· Internal organs, skin, bones, blood, and connective tissue are all made up of somatic cells.

UNDERSTANDING LATEST DEVELOPMENT

Ever since induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were produced in 2006 by reprogramming adult cells,

· The unassailable evidence of their pluripotency ie, ability of the cells to behave like embryonic stem cells and form all of the 200-odd specialised cells — was lacking.

· The latest success in producing mouse pups using reprogrammed adult cells has taken research one step closer to proving the pluripotency of iPS cells.

HOW THEY ACHIEVE IT ?

· One team, headed by Qi Zhous (27 pups, including TINY) of the Chinese Academy of Science, and the other, led by Shaorong Gao (Four pups )from the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, were able to produce mouse pups using iPS cells injected into early-stage embryos that can only become the placenta and not develop into animals.

· The pups created by Qi Zhous passed the fundamental test of health

RELEVANCE

· Many scientists are turning to iPS cell technique to sidestep the ethical controversy of embryo destruction when somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technique is used.

· Also, unlike in the case of SCNT, human eggs are not required when iPS cells are used for making embryos.

· The technique is nearing maturity and may pave the way for creating cell lines to study genetic diseases.

PROBLEMS

· The Qi Zhous team used retroviral vectors to introduce four genes to reprogramme adult cells.

1. Retroviruses are known to induce cancer in mammals.

2. Though some studies have succeeded in inducing pluripotency without using these viruses, more research remains to be done.

· Similarly, oncogenes were used for reprogramming adult cells. This again raises the possibility of cancer formation when the pluripotent cells are introduced into an animal.

· Skin cells are routinely used for making iPS cells. Though available in plenty, turning back their clocks to make them pluripotent is a big challenge.

· Both the Scientists had hence used more pliable cells taken from late-stage embryos. This approach will not be useful if the iPS technique is used for patient-matched therapeutic applications. However,

Bhuvan

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launch its own version of Google Earth ‘Called ‘Bhuvan,’ the new web-based 3D mapping tool

· It uses images taken over a year ago by ISRO’s seven remote sensing satellites, including Cartosat-1 and Cartosat-2. The satellites can capture images of objects as small as a car on a road

· This would provide a sharper picture of Indian terrain barring sensitive locations such as military and nuclear installations & offers tools to measure horizontal, vertical and aerial distances.

· The degree of resolution showcased is based on the level of popularity of a place or an area. Most of the terrain is covered up to a resolution of at least six metres. The least spatial resolution is 55 metres.

· The user can also navigate through 3D viewing environment. One can “fly” to destinations of choice and even draw 3D objects such as placing of expressive 3D models, 3D polygons and boxes.

· Later speaking to journalists, ISRO Chairman said the space agency had started the preparations for a mission to Mars within the next six years. It was looking at launch opportunities between 2013 and 2015.

HUBBLE’S CONSTANT

Defination

Hubble's constant is the speed at which a distant galactic object is moving away from us divided by the distance of the object from the telescope or the earth.

Relevance

It can be shown by simple arithmetic that the reciprocal of Hubble's constant is the age of the universe based on the Big Bang theory. Hence it is necessary to refine it to a point of perfection to arrive at an accurate figure for the age of the universe.

How it is calculated

· The Hubble constant using a relationship between the absolute brightness of a type of variable star (whose brightness varied) called Cepheid and its period of variability.

· The method measured the observed brightness and periods of these stars in distant galaxies.

1. Comparing the observed brightness with the absolute brightness inferred from the period allows one to measure the distance to the object and hence estimate the Hubble constant.

Nasa's Spitzer infrared space telescope (launch in 2003) will refined Hubble's constant (p/t)

· Spitzer's instruments detect everything between 3.6 to 160 microns. To detect 160 micron light (longest wavelength of infrared light ), without being swamped by the internal thermal glow of the instrument itself, the telescope must be chilled to just a few degrees above absolute zero.

· At shorter wavelengths it can operate at progressively warmer temperatures. Warm Spitzer will address many of the same science questions as before including refining estimates of Hubble's constant, or the rate at which our universe is stretching apart.

1. The advantage of doing this in infrared is that the observed brightness will not be affected by the interstellardust between us and the star, and hence the distance measurements will be much more robust.

· Since its launch in 2003, Spitzer has made many discoveries including planet forming discs around stars, the composition of materials that make up comets, hidden black holes, galaxies billions of light-years away and more.

Redd

What is Redd?

Redd — Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation — would allow countries that can reduce emissions from deforestation to be paid for doing so.

Where did the idea come from?

Papua New Guinea and nine other countries proposed it in 2005 at a U.N. climate meeting. It is now likely to be one of the cornerstones of any agreement at the Copenhagen climate conference in December. It would start in 2013, and could eventually channel tens of billions of dollars a year from rich to poor countries.

How would it work?

Countries would have to show — from historical data, satellite imagery and direct measurement of trees — the extent, condition and carbon content of their forests. Verification, reporting and monitoring would be done by communities that depend on the forests or by independent organisations. Protected trees would have to be shown to have been threatened.

Who pays?

There are several proposals. Countries could either be paid by “voluntary funding” — rather like existing official aid given by one country to another — or cash could be linked to trade in carbon credits.

Does everyone agree?

No. There are 32 Redd proposals, from countries, groups of country and NGOs. The two gaining most ground are from Brazil. Once a model is agreed upon, many problems will remain. There is as yet no agreed way to accurately measure the carbon content of different kinds of forests. The rights of the tens of millions of people who live in forests could be at risk if carbon companies move in, valuing the forests more highly than them. And land ownership is often a difficult issue to resolve — and ownership of trees, even more so.

TARA OCEAN (20 FEB)

The first-ever, round-the-globe expedition ‘Tara Ocean’ Having set sail from Lorient, France, last September and navigated through the Red Sea, Tara will dock in Mumbai on March 24.

The three-year expedition will study marine life in the context of climate change. It comprises a team of oceanographers, ecologists, biologists, geneticists, and physicists from universities and institutes around the world.

The expedition aims to answer some fundamental questions about the ocean, Chris Bowler, scientific coordinator of Tara Ocean,

Contribution of Dr Borlaug

Gene pyramiding, gene deployment and shuttle breeding strategies to increase yield and develop leaf rust-resistant varieties were among Dr. Borlaug’s revolutionary contributions.

The man who devoted a lifetime fighting hunger was as concerned at the threat to agriculture from the virulent stem rust Ug99 as the challenge of enlarging the food basket by introducing new nutritious crops.

First World Pneumonia Day on November 2

November 2 will be observed as the first World Pneumonia Day

· Nevertheless, two million children under five years of age die from pneumonia each year – more than from AIDS, measles and malaria combined.

· Every minute, one child dies of pneumonia in India, according to new World Health Organization data

· Two bacteria – Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenza type 2 (Hib) -- as the leading causes of pneumonia.

· India leads the world with 27 per cent of the global pneumonia cases, followed by Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

· To check this he Union Health Ministry introduce a pentavalent (five-in-one) vaccine which includes Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), one of the two bacteria causing pneumonia and meningitis.

Energy related issues

NPCIL to start building two PHWRs

NPCIL Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)

Chairman S.K. Jain.

· The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of two indigenous nuclear reactors of 700 MWe capacity will take place by next month end at Kakrapar in Gujarat

· This is the first time the NPCIL will be building the two Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MWe. So far, it has built only PHWRs of 220 MWe or 540 MWe capacity.

· The indigenous PHWRs use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as both the coolant and moderator.

Big push to R&D in renewable energy

To promote generation of energy from renewable sources, the Central Government has decided to invest Rs. 500 crore on its research, development and technology demonstration during the XI Plan.

· These projects( in total 77 ) include development of high efficiency solar cells, hydrogen and fuel cells; solar photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation; high-rate bio-methanation; and medium and large capacity biogas plants for energy and power generation

· Rs.303 crore had been released to States and Union Territories under the Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for various solar energy projects.

· India’s first megawatt size grid-connected solar power plant had been inaugurated at Jamuria in Asansol district of West Bengal.

· Two more plants of 2 MW capacity each have been set up in Karnataka’s Kolar and Belgaum districts, while another 1 MW plant will come up in Raichur district in Karnataka.

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission

· Under the mission, three major steps are proposed —

1. create volumes which will allow domestic manufacture;

2. support R&D to reduce material consumption and improve efficiency;

3. and announce long-term policy to purchase power.

· The first phase target of the Mission is 1,100 MW grid solar power capacity by March, 2013.

SITES FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

• U.S.-led consortia at Chhayamithi Virdi in Gujarat and Kovvada in(AP), seek to source technology and material for large nuclear power plants.
• Russia has been given a site at Haripur in West Bengal, besides Koodankulam. more broad-based than those with the U.S. and France, as it also includes an agreement to secure long-term uranium supplies
• French company Areva will start work at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. seek to source technology and material for large nuclear power plants.

M.P. to get its first nuclear power project

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) has decided to set up an atomic station(first) to generate 1400 MW power in at Chutka Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh,

DEFENCE

Project -75

· The project-75 envisaged six French -Scorpene to be constructed in the first phase (2000-2012) and the balance in the second phase (2013-2030)

· At present six French -Scorpene submarines are being built at the Mazagoan Dock and the project is running behind schedule.

· The first submarines are likely to be inducted only by 2012 with the entire first phase due to be completed by 2017.

Agni-II

The Agni-II is an intermediate range ballistic missile built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

· It has two stages, both powered by solid propellants.

· It can reach targets 2,500 km away and carry nuclear warheads.

· The missile is 20 metre long and weighs 17 tonnes. It can carry payloads weighing one tonne.

AGNI - III

o It is surface-to-surface ballistic missile which can carry nuclear warheads It is two stage ,powered by solid propellants.

o It is 17-metre long, has a diameter of two metres and launch weight of 50 tonnes & can carry payload of 1.5 tonnes The missile re-enters the atmosphere with a high velocity at a temperature of more than 2,500 degrees Celsius.

o The nuclear warhead is protected by a heat-shield made of carbon-carbon composites.

o Agni-III, , can carry nuclear warheads weighing 1.5 tonnes. It can fly over 3,500 km (the longest range in India’s arsenal ) and even target parts of China.

o The missile was equipped with a sophisticated computer system, navigated with an advanced system and guided by an innovative scheme.

o The ASL (Advance System Laboratry Hyderabad ) designs and develops the Agni variants.

o While the first Agni-III launch on July 9, 2006 failed, the second and third launches on April 12, 2007, and May 7, 2008, witnessed copy-book flights.

o Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have raised the bar: they will now busy themselves with realising Agni-V, which will have a range of 5,000 km.

K-15 missile

· K-15 missile from a submerged pontoon off the coast of Visakhapatnam. The pontoon will simulate the conditions of a submarine. K-15 had been launched earlier from submerged pontoons, but this is a different version.

· The first version, called Mark-1, is being fitted into the indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine named Arihant.

· They can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. They are 10.4 metres tall and weigh 6.3 tonnes each.. Their warheads weigh about a 1,000 kg.

· (Range) After the K-15 missile clears the water medium, it climbs 20 km into the air and can destroy targets 700 km away.

· The missile forms part of the DRDO’s Sagarika project.

Shourya, which is the land-version of the underwater-launched K-15 missile, will have its second flight around June from the Integrated Test Range at Balasore, Orissa.

Dhanush and Prithvi-II

Dhanush(350 km),

· a naval variant of Prithvi(290 km),

· the 11-metre long Dhanush is a ship-to-surface and ship-to-ship system.

· single-stage, liquid propelled missiles and capable of carrying a 500-kg payload.

Prithvi-II(295 km)

· While the 8.5-metre-tall Prithvi-II is a surface-to-surface missile,

· Single-stage, liquid propelled missiles and capable of carrying a 500-kg payload.

“Cope-09”

· Air warriors from India and the United States will be engaged in a major joint exercise “Cope-09”

· In this excersise for the first time C-17 Globemaster, a heavy lift military transport aircraft is deployed .

· The Indian Air Force plans to procure the transport aircraft to replace the fleet of Russian IL-76 ‘Gajraj,’ inducted in the mid-1980s.

· The exercise will be held in Agra from October 19

Yudh Abhyas 09

Yudh Abhyas 09, the Indo-U.S. joint military exercise, was conducted.

It was held under the aegis of the HQ Southern Command and the White Tigers Division, and under the framework of Chapter 7 of the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations.

· The exercise saw the display of the powerful Javelin anti-tank guided missiles, along with the Stryker vehicles, which was deployed in India for the first time.

· It conformed to the joint operations under a U.N. mandate and was primarily focused on counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism strategies in a semi-urban scenario.

· This is the first exercise of the Indo-U.S. joint mechanised forces, with an Indian mechanised battalion joining hands with a Stryker squadron(US mechanized forces ).

Brahmos to be assembled in Pilani

The Chief Controller of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Chief Executive Officer of BrahMos Board, Sivthanu Pillai,

· At present the Brahmos missiles, a joint venture of India and Russia, are assembled in Hyderabad.

· There is also a Brahmos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited near the Kerala capital.

· The country’s next assembling centre for the prestigious Brahmos missiles will be Rajasthan’s Pilani.

· Brahmos is the fastest missile in the world, The missile moves three times faster than the speed of sound .