SMART FOUNDATION
INDIA & WORLD
10th INDIA EU TRADE SUMMIT New Delhi
Participants
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (right) and
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt (whose country heads the European Union)
Decisions Taken
· EU and India resolved to expedite work on greater information-sharing on issues relating to terrorism and introduce closer coordination between the Europol and Indian security agencies.
· The two sides also signed a pact to promote joint research in nuclear fusion. It would offer India a window to fully join the ITER,(Cadrache South France)
1. an experimental reactor that will reproduce the physical reaction — fusion — that occurs in the sun and stars.
2. The EU, Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, India and the U.S. would be the participants of one of the largest international scientific projects ever.
INDIA & BANGLADESH
.AGREEMENTS IN RECENT SHEIK HASSENA VISIT (JAN )
1. India has promised a $1 billion line of credit to Bangladesh and a pruning of the negative list of Bangladeshi products that are denied preferential access to Indian markets.
2. It has also agreed to push for better border connectivity so that bilateral trade can increase, and Teesta water sharing has been flagged for discussion.
3. (PT )On its part, Bangladesh has dropped its opposition to granting India transit rights. The Agartala-Akhaura rail link will now be developed, creating the potential for railway freight to be sent from Kolkata to Tripura and thence to the rest of the North-East via Bangladesh.
4. On the security front, Dhaka demonstrated its willingness to accommodate Indian concerns by facilitating the handover of ULFA leader Paresh Barua.
India & Oman
MAIN HIGHLIGHTS
DEFENCE
- Oman was the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country with which India developed defence ties and its Foreign Minister, Yusuf Bin Alawai bin Abdullah, was the first from an Arab country to visit India as a mark of solidarity after the Mumbai terror attacks.
- During the Prime minister Man Mohan Singh’s visit, both countries agreed to accelerate defence cooperation by upgrading their naval exercises, Tamar-al-Tahir (benign fruit), and renaming them Naseem-al-Bahar (sea breeze).
- On the evolving India-Oman ties as reflected in the first-ever joint air exercises in the Gulf country With the air dimension added to military-to-military ties which have a long standing component of training Oman defence personnel in India, , both countries are on track to achieve the long-term vision of strategic ties.
ECONOMIC
1. As for business ties, both sides actively finalising the GCC-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA),
2. New Delhi poised to sign a memorandum of understanding on tourism that will open the doors to hospitality majors, the Taj and the Oberoi, and Oman Oil about to announce its investment plans.
ENERGY SECURITY
1. Besides, a consortium of Indian firms has been allocated Block 18 to prospect for oil and gas
2. India and Oman are still pursuing the possibility of an under-the-sea pipeline that could cater for New Delhi’s energy requirements in a big way,. Analysts say the proposed 1,100-km pipeline has an extremely challenging technical dimension because at a certain point, its depth will be over 3,500 metres or four times deeper than any pipeline laid under the sea so far.
Fighting piracy
On the anti-piracy front, Oman has offered Indian naval ships berthing facilities.
OTHER OPPRTUNITIES
1. Indian businesses can use Oman as a hub to utilise our FTA with the U.S.
2. Industrial zones and the port of Salana in the south handles container traffic which can be used to send goods to the U.S. and other destinations
INDIA & EGYPT
ECONOMIC
· India and Egypt felt the need for energising the economic engagement in the spirit of the South-South cooperation . Bilateral trade stands at $30 billion, including investments in the oil and gas sectors, automobiles, and major presence in the IT sector
· : In recognition of India’s growing role as an industrial and economic power, Egypt offered to allow India to set up an exclusive “India Zone” along the Suez Canal development area. This was to create an India-specific industrial corridor for collaboration with Egyptian companies to capture the European and African markets.
· This is a very significant development as India is the first country to be offered such a big industrial initiative by the Egyptian government
BENEFIT
Interestingly, 35 per cent world’s trade passes through the Suez Canal and this offer could give tremendous opportunity to India to extend its reach to emerging markets in Africa and also Europe.
HISTORY
Sir Arthur Cotton
Sir Cotton is remembered by the people in the Godavari delta in Andhra Pradesh and in parts of Tamil Nadu and Bihar for his efforts towards construction of irrigation and navigation canals.
· As a British officer, Sir Cotton made relentless efforts to harness rivers for the benefit of people. He had the first-ever structure built across the Godavari in 1840s in the form of an anicut at Dowleswaram and a network of canals dug up from this point. As a result, the drought that perennially prevailed in the east and west Godavari districts vanished.
· Serving over 10 lakh acres, the canal system converted the State into a rice granary much before the Nagarjuna Sagar project came into existence.
Bankimchandra Chatterji
· Bankimchandra Chatterji is credited with the first novel in an Indian language. He wrote Durgesh Nandini in Bengali in 1865.
· His literary career was closely watched by no less a person than Rabindranath Tagore, who said that the day a Bankimchandra chapter appeared, the whole of Bengal lost its afternoon sleep. When his Poison Tree appeared in 1873, Tagore hailed it as a great Indian novel.
· His ‘social' novels were the better and more challenging ones, but in his final phase he switched back to period novels. Anand Math, Debi Chaudhurani, and Sitaram form a trilogy, propounding his interpretation of the Bhagvad Gita to men, women and the society.
· The translation by Julius Lipner, who had won the A.K. Ramanujan award for his translation of Anand Math, is such as to sustain the reader's interest.
UN Initiatives
Iccrom (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)
· Iccrom was established with Unesco’s assistance in 1959.
· The inter-governmental organisation with 126 member states Main concern conservation of Heritage sites.
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
UNIFEM executive director Ines Alberdi
PURPOSE The UNIFEM promotes women’s empowerment and gender equality by focussing on strengthening women’s economic security and rights, ending violence against women, including trafficking, reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls, and achieving gender equality in democratic governance.
Programs
· The global safe city programme, already being implemented in some cities of Latin America and Africa also in Delhi , entails some simple solutions like special transport facility for women, providing alarms in the public transport system and improving street lighting to give women a sense of security.
· UNIFEM, also signed an agreement with the Norwegian government for promoting and strengthening women’s participation in local governance and political leadership. The $ 9 million agreement will be implemented in India and some other countries of South Asia for building capacities of the elected women so that their voices are heard in the political spheres.
UNCTAD
UNCTAD’s just-released “World Investment Report 2009: Transnational Corporations, Agricultural Production and Development” reveals some fascinating shifts in the global agricultural sector.
Most striking: twelve of the world’s 25 leading agricultural production (plantation) firms are from developing countries.
· Sime Darby of Malaysia is largest,
· As striking, it is much larger than Nos. 2 and 3 — the Dole Food Company and Fresh Del Monte Produce of the United States,
· India’s Karuturi Global, a rose producer, ranks No. 23.
Developing country firms are also becoming significant M&A players in agricultural production.
The world’s 25 top agricultural suppliers and privately-owned agri-food businesses are all from developed economies. Further, the leading firms in these verticals are gigantic.
· Walmart, the world’s largest food retail TNC
· It is followed by Nestle, the world’s largest food & beverages TNC,.
Inward FDI Flow : China is now the world’s leading agricultural FDI destination, with annual flows of $700 million and $6 billion in inward FDI stock, far ahead of the United States whose inward agricultural FDI stock is just $2.5 billion.
· In Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia, agriculture draws 10-15 per cent of total national FDI inflows.
· Multinationals account for 100 per cent of Mozambique’s and Zambia’s cotton production, 75 per cent of Brazil’s poultry production, and 90 per cent of Vietnam’s fresh milk production.
Outward FDI Flow : China, with $1.2 billion in outward agricultural FDI stock in 2007, is now the world’s third largest international agricultural investor after the United States and Canada, and South Korea, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia also figure amongst the global top 20.
· India — one of the largest global agricultural producers with a strong latent international advantage — is absent from this list.
International
Goldstone report
The report authored by South African jurist Richard Goldstone The Goldstone report focuses mainly on alleged Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity. It was mandated by United Nations
Nation recently permitting complete freedom to press a journalist haven—ICELAND
U.K. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court was established by Part 3 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and started work on 1 October 2009.[1][2]
· It assumed the judicial functions of the House of Lords, which were exercised by the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (commonly called "Law Lords"),
· the 12 professional judges appointed as members of the House of Lords to carry its judicial business out.
· The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court (court of last resort, highest appellate court) in all matters under English law, Welsh law, Northern Irish law and Scottish civil law (the court has no authority over criminal cases in Scotland, where the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme criminal court).
· The Supreme Court also has jurisdiction to determine devolution disputes — cases in which the legal powers of the three devolved governments or laws made by the devolved legislatures are questioned.
· The Supreme Court sits in the Middlesex Guildhall in Westminster, London,
· The President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the head of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom..The office is currently held by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers,
· the President of the Supreme Court ranks after the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords.
Awards
The chairman of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, M.S. Swaminathan, was awarded a honoris causa by the University of Talca at a recent function in Chile.
· In his remarks, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Hernan Paillan hailed Dr. Swaminathan’s contribution to the breeding research programmes of three key products worldwide — wheat, rice and potato.
· The university also awarded the presidential medal to Dr. Swaminatha
Jean Mayer Award for journalist
· Eminent journalist Sanjoy Hazarika has been awarded the Dr. Jean Mayer Award for Global Citizenship by the U.S.-based Tufts University for his contribution to the north-east of India, initiatives in health and governance, besides advocacy of issues.
· The award is given annually to scholars and practitioners who make significant contributions to improving the lives of people in their areas of work and impacting both research and policy.
· The previous awardees include Nobel laureates Amartya Sen and Desmond Tutu.
UNEP awards for two institutions (Sasakawa Prize )
UNEP's Executive Director and Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Achim Steiner
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) awarded an appreciation to two institutions that managed to produce environmental-friendly products while at the same time having capability to improve livelihood for poor people.
· The companies, named Trees, Water and People (TWP) (Stuart Conway, co-founder and International Director of TWP) .TWP is an organisation that collaborates with local non- governmental organisations in distributing fuel-efficient cook stoves to communities in Honduras, Guatemala, El Savador, Nicaragua and Haiti.
· Nuru Design changed the lives of thousands of school children, housewives and villagers across Latin America, Africa and India. Nuru Design as the company has brought rechargeable lights to villages in Rwanda, Kenya and India
DRDO’s Technology Leadership Award for 2008
W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller (Life Sciences and Human Resource), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has been chosen for the DRDO’s Technology Leadership Award for 2008 instituted by the DRDO.
CONTRIBUTION
- The award citation says Dr. Selvamurthy’s recent path-breaking research — application of nitric oxide and oxygen for treating high altitude pulmonary oedema, has saved more than 500 soldiers’ lives.
- He developed a new prophylactic method of using carbozen gas for protection against noise-induced loss of hearing among the crew of battleships and battle tanks.
The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh and the citation.
Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur (National Order of the Legion of Honour), FRANCE
· The French order, established by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte on May 19, 1802,
· It is awarded for distinguished work in culture, science, army, industry and commerce.
· It is divided into five categories – chevalier (knight), officier (officer), commandeur (commander), grand officier (grand officer) and grand’croix (grand cross).
· Though the membership of the Légion is restricted to French nationals, foreign citizens who have served France or the ideals it upholds may receive a distinction of the Légion, which is nearly the same thing as membership of the Légion.
Previous Indian recipients of the decoration include legendary film-maker
1. Satyajit Ray (1987),
2. Tamil film star Sivaji Ganesan (1995),
3. sitar maestro Ravi Shankar (2000),
4. environmentalist R. K. Pachauri (2006) and
5. Bollywood super star Amitabh Bachchan (2007).
6. Prof. Asha Pande of Rajasthan University’s Department of Foreign Languages here who has been nominated for the highest civilian award of France this year attributes it to her tireless work spanning three decades devoted to promotion of French education and culture in Rajasthan
7. Lata Mangeshkar
The President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, has chosen Dr. Pande for the award of Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur (National Order of the Legion of Honour), the highest decoration in France, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to French culture and ethos.
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
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.
· (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
ECONOMY
Foreign Exchange Reserves of RBI
· The foreign exchange reserves with the RBI amounted to $285 billion and they were held in foreign currency assets, gold, and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the IMF.
· Like most other central banks, the RBI has kept the bulk of its reserves in U.S. government securities. Gold has so far accounted for just $10 billion or less than four per cent of the reserves — it will now constitute six per cent.
· The RBI is set to become one of the largest holders of gold reserves among central banks.
Duranto’
· Projected to be the fastest train in the country A non-stop air-conditioned ‘Duranto’ trains that would connect metropolitan cities within the shortest possible time
· The first Duranto Express between Sealdah and New Delhi
Banks to lend at base rate
· Commercial banks will be made to extend loans at base rates from next fiscal yearie from April onward , which is expected to benefit consumers and borrowers.
· Current practice Loans to customers are given at benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR) (not a transparent system) .Under the BPLR arrangement, banks used their negotiating power for extending loans and based on that the rates for lending were decided which meant that for different consumers banks charged different interest rates.
NBS SCHEME
- The Centre has announced nutrient based subsidy (NBS) scheme, which will come into effect from April 1.
- It has decided to raise the retail price of urea by 10 per cent and allow manufacturers to fix the rates of DAP and MOP fertilizers.
- At present, the maximum retail price (MRP) of urea is Rs. 483 a quintal, while DAP costs Rs. 935 a quintal and MOP Rs. 445.50 a quintal.
WORLD TRADE
In 1999, the top five exporting countries were the traditional industrial powers — the United States, Germany, Japan, France and Britain. Combined, they accounted for 43 per cent of the exports reported by 40 large countries.
In 2009
- China went from the ninth largest exporter in 1999 to the largest in 2009.
- Germany, which passed the U.S. to become the largest exporter from 2003 to 2008, wound up in the second place
- the U.S. fell to third. Britain tumbled to No. 10, from No. 5.
- During the decade, American exports rose at a compound rate of a little more than 4 per cent. That was far behind China and other emerging Asian exporters like South Korea (10 per cent) and India (16 per cent). But it was faster than Britain, Canada or Japan.
FDI
- India’s share of world FDI jumped from 0.78 per cent in 2005 to 2.45 per cent in 2008.
- According to the World Investment Report 2009, he said the top-five most attractive locations for FDI for 2009-11 are: China, the U.S., India, Brazil and Russia.
REPORT (published by )
The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), (Since 2009, the ALRC and its sister organization, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)) , a human rights organization with a General Consultative status with the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council, published its country report on India to the UN Human Rights Council.
According to the report,
- Madhya Pradesh is the one of the biggest contributors to neo-natal and child mortality in the world.
- Laying special emphasis on tribal communities, the report states that the mortality rate among children under the age of five in the State’s tribal community is far higher than the State and national average.
TAKE OVERS
Shree Renuka Sugars picks up majority stake in Brazilian firm
- In the largest cross-border acquisition by an Indian company in the sugar industry,
- Shree Renuka Sugars has entered into definitive agreements with Grupo Equipav S.A. of Brazil to acquire a 50.8 per cent stake in it for $329 million (Rs.1,530 crore) or Reais 600 million.
- While Brazil is the largest sugar producer & exporter , India is the largest consumer
Cairn India (CEO and Managing Director Rahul Dhir )& ONGC
· The Cairn India &Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC ) are investing $2.6 billion in developing the Mangala field, the largest oil find in the country in more than two decades.
· And another $600-700 million on the Bhagyam and Aishwariya fields.
· Besides close to $1 billion was being spent on laying a pipeline to Gujarat coast to transport the oil to local refineries
NTPC-BHEL to set up unit in Andhra Pradesh
1. : NTPC-BHEL Power Projects Pvt. Ltd. (NBPPL), a 50:50 joint venture between NTPC and BHEL, t would set up its first power equipment manufacturing plant with an outlay of Rs. 6,000 crore at Mannavaram in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.
2. To be fully operational by 2014,
3. The new plant, billed as the country’s first integrated plant making turbines, generators and boilers at one place, will have an annual capacity to manufacture up to 5,000 MW of equipment.
NTPC-BHEL Power Projects Chairman and Managing Director C. P. Singh,
New series of WPI-based inflation soon
CURRENT PRACTICE
1. The rate of inflation based on the movement in WPI is measured on a weekly basis.
2. In the existing series based on 1993-94 prices,
3. The weight of primary articles in the WPI is 22.02 per cent
4. While the share of manufactured products is 63.75 per cent.
5. The balance of slightly over 14 per cent is accounted for by the fuel, power, light and lubricants category in the index.
IMPORTANT CHANGES
These changes are based on the recommendations of a working group headed by Planning Commission Member Abhijit Sen, after November 14.
1. The Central Government decided to shift the base year for Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation from 1993-94 to 2004-05
2. The release of comprehensive data on a monthly basis.
3. However, the price movement of primary articles, including food items, and fuel will continue to be released every week, as at present.
BENEFITS
1. The release of WPI inflation data on a monthly basis would project accurately the fluctuations in prices of manufactured goods and even in those items where the changes were minimal.
2. The monthly release of WPI was a widely followed international practice and the change was expected to improve the quality of the WPI assessment.
3. The monthly data on inflation would lead to informed decisions by investors in the capital market and curb needless volatility.
4. The response to change in prices each week is will get better particularly from the manufacturing sector.
5. With the changes in the base year and periodicity of release coming into force, the government will henceforth issue two sets of inflation numbers — one on a weekly basis for primary articles and fuel items , which are sensitive in nature and another comprehensive data on a monthly basis which will include manufactured goods.
Anti-dumping duty on fibre board imposed
What is Anti Dumping Duty?
Where any article is exported from any country or territory to India at less than its normal value then upon the importation of such article to India the central Govt. may be notification in the official gazette impose an anti dumping duty not exceeding the margin of dumping in relation to such article.
1. For purpose of identification, assessment and collection of Anti Dumping Duty on dumped articles and for determination of injury, the Govt. has appointed Additional Secretary to the Govt. of India Ministry of Commerce as designated Authority for purpose of above rules.
2. It is to be understood that imposition of Anti Dumping Duty is based on Commodity to Commodity, country to country and suppliers in Exporting countries.
FACT FILE OF ANTI DUMPING DUTY
1. Unlike safeguard duty, which is levied in a uniform way, anti-dumping duty varies from product to product and country to country.
2. Both duties are allowed under the multilateral trade rules after investigations to stand the World Trade Organisation (WTO) scrutiny.
3. India has slapped anti-dumping duty on several items such as yarn, fabrics, some of the stainless steel products and chemicals imported from China and other nations.
4. A recent WTO report had said that India was second only to Argentina among the G-20 nations in initiating anti-dumping investigations during January-July 2009. India had started 15 anti-dumping investigations in the first seven months of 2009, while Argentina accounted for 19.
RECENT DECISION
1. India has imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of a certain type of fibre board to protect the domestic industry from cheap shipments from countries like China, Malaysia and Thailand.
2. The duty ranged between $308.7 per cubic metre and $395.5 per cubic metre. Plain medium density fibre board is widely used for partitions, furniture and cabinets,.
SPORTS
CHESS
Soumya Swaminathan(seeded nine) become the girls’ champion in the World junior chess championship at Puerto Madryn, Argentina,
· Soumya the third Indian girl, and second in succession, to win the coveted crown. K. Humpy (2001) and D. Harika (2008) were the other winners.
· The Pune-based Soumya entered the competition by virtue of winning the National junior girls’ title in) 2008.
The open title went to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France ) who pipped Sergie Zhigalko (Belarus) on tie-break score after the players tied at 10.5 points.
BOXING
Suranjoy Singh
Asian champion Suranjoy Singh became the first Indian boxer to clinch a gold medal in the inter-continental President’s Cup after out-punching Frenchman Nordine Oubaali 8-1 in the flyweight (51kg) final here on Friday.
The 22-year-old Manipur boxer’s triumph also fetched him a $3,000 cash prize at the prestigious season-ending event, where confederations from Asia, America, Africa, Europe and Oceania were pitted against one another.
Representing Asia One, Suranjoy didn’t allow his rival from the Europe Two team to land a single scoring punch in the first two rounds.
HOCKEY
HOCKEY WORLD CUP
The idea was floated in 1969 and became a reality on October 15, 1971 at Barcelona. Tanvir Dar of Pakistan emerged as the hero of the first World Cup scoring the first goal and taking credit for a hat-trick.
· The indefatigable Dutchman, Ties Kruize, remains the only player to have figured six editions from 1971 to 1986.
· The amalgam of aesthetics and athleticism brought displayed Pakistan four trophy triumphs — two in the Seventies (1971, 1978), one in the next decade (1982) and one more, at Sydney (1994).
· The Dutch had three cup victories — 1973, 1990 and 1998 —
- It is the second on Indian soil — after the Bombay edition in 1981-82
- Poignantly, India has just one success to recall. That finest hour surfaced in 1975 at Kuala Lumpur. The captain of the 1975 victorious Indian team, Ajit Pal Singh and coach BalbirSingh Sr.
GOLF
Asian Tour International in Bangkok
Gaganjeet Bhullar of India produced a brilliant course record eight-under-par 64 to win the season-opening Asian Tour International by one shot
This was Bhullar’s second Asian Tour title, following his breakthrough win in last year’s Indonesian President Invitational tournament.
Two par shots later, he reeled off a birdie hat-trick and nailed a birdie on the ninth hole as well to lie six-under at the turn.
UNDER-20 World Cup (soccer)
Ghana beat Brazil in a penalty shootout to become the first African team to win the under-20 World Cup ,end a decade of South American dominance.
- Ghana to become the first champion from outside South America since Spain in 1999.
- Ghana had lost its two previous finals, against Brazil in 1993 and Argentina in 2001.
Played at Cairo International Stadium,
GEOGRAPHY
Northeast monsoon rainfall
Director of the Indian Meteorological Department(PUNE) Medha Khole
AREA that receives rainfall are coastal Tamil Nadu, other parts of the peninsula such as Kerala, south Andhra Pradesh, south Karnataka and Lakshadweep.
Date of Onset The northeast monsoon arrived in India on October 29, while the usual date of arrival is October 20.
Intensity
· The enhanced rainfall would be the result of an easterly wave, which is a region of low atmospheric pressure.
· Research showed that the northeast monsoon to be normal or above normal during the El Nino years.
1. El Nino causes a shift in ocean temperatures and atmospheric conditions in the tropical Pacific that disrupts weather across the globe.
The average rainfall during the monsoon for the five peninsular subdivisions — coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalseema, south-interior Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu — was 330 mm.
The northeast monsoon is crucial for Tamil Nadu, as it receives 48 per cent of its annual rainfall during this period.
How does a depression bring heavy rains?
(def) A circular low pressure area roughly 300 Km wide with a surface wind of 25 Knots (45 Kmph) is defined as a “depression.”
CDO
- The circulation of air, anticlockwise in Northern hemisphere, provides sufficient updraft to generate all types of clouds and the depression could be seen like a full moon in a satellite photograph.
- The circular mass of clouds called “Central Dense Overcast” or CDO in meteorological parlance is a confirmation of the formation of a depression.
- With a base 5,000 feet or less, the CDO vertically extends up to 18,000 feet or so. The rains that occur release the latent heat of condensation.
How it ends
Unless the sea is cold (sea surface temperature less than 28 Deg C) or the depression crosses a coast, this intensification keeps on going in this fashion as if there is no end to it.
How it feels like
- Around 8,000 to 10,000 feet the circulation generates a white sheet of cloud, known as altostratus (As) with a thickness that could be 5 to 8 thousand feet. This can extend to hundreds of kilometres from the centre of the depression.
- This is what is seen by a common man when continuous rain of moderate intensity starts occurring over very large areas and he calls it as “depression rain” by his experience.
- (Storm)A small part of it, say 10 to 20 per cent is enough to increase the circulation in the form of increased wind speeds at lower levels of the atmosphere. The depression intensifies into a deep depression.
- The As will not easily dissolve for one to see the sky as the moist air incursion due to the depression will be sufficient to replenish the water vapour that is lost in the form of rains.
- The low clouds that surge towards the depression will partially rise up to merge with As as they approach the depression and the rest will reach the depression area.
Indian Experience
The area covered by the rains will depend on the season.
(south west monsoon) In July, when monsoon conditions are very favourable, a depression in head Bay, south of Bangladesh could bring rains of such intensity over Mumbai that it could paralyze the city. A cloud belt 200 Km wide extending from Mumbai to Kolkata too will give widespread light to moderate rains.
On the other hand, during the northeast monsoon period, a depression 100 Km off Karaikal will give heavy rains over the east coast from Kakinada to Kodikarai and some rains over areas south of Karaikal latitude.
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, the 39th in the country, at Anappadi (Parambikulam),was inaugurated
The Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary would be inaugurated on April 11 and the Indira Gandhi Bio-diversity Institute at Silent Valley in May or June.
SHOOTING STARS (Perseids meteor shower)
Meteors are also called “shooting stars,” startling streaks of light that suddenly appear in the sky when a dust particle from the outer space evaporates high in the earth’s atmosphere.
A celestial treat is in store for star-gazers who can look forward to fireworks in the skies in the form of Perseids meteor shower between August 8 and 14.
· Perseids, better known as earth gazers at its peak, is visible from mid-July each year, with the greatest activity (60 PER HOUR ) in the second week of August.
· The meteor is named Perseids because the point it appears to come from, lies in the constellation Perseus. The meteors can be seen all across the sky, but because of the path of Swift-Tuttle’s orbit, Perseids is primarily visible in the northern hemisphere.
· Perseids, a prolific meteor shower is associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle . The earth is expected to pass through a denser-than-usual filament of dust from Perseid’s parent comet Swift-Tuttle
· Astronomers have been observing Perseid meteor shower for about last 2,000 years, with the first known information coming from the Far East In early medieval Europe, the Perseids came to be known as the “tears of St. Lawrence.”
· In 1839, Eduard Heis was the first observer to take a meteor count and discovered the Perseids had a maximum rate of around 160 per hour.
PERSONALITIES
M. Madan Babu (29)
· The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) has announced this year’s selection of 17 of Europe’s most talented young researchers as EMBO Young Investigators. The selection has been made out of 123 applicants from nine countries.
· M. Madan Babu (29) of India, a former student of Anna University, who has done his PhD in Computational Genomics and is now heading a group in Systems Biology at the MRC Lab of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, U.K., is among those selected.
PERSONALITY
Yukiya Amano is the current Director General(5th) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), having been elected to the position in July 2009. Amano previously served as a Japanese diplomat and international civil servant for the United Nations and its subdivisions.
Srikumar Banerjee took over as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), on Monday from Anil Kakodkar. An expert in materials science and technology(zirconium alloys ), he has made outstanding contributions in materials-related areas, both basic and application-oriented.
SHYAM LAL YADAV
A journalist of India Today has been selected for the first PCRF-NDTV National RTI Award for his new reports based on information he gathered under the Right to Information Act. Based on the information he gathered under the Act, Mr. Yadav wrote stories on the foreign jaunts by Ministers of the UPA government, bureaucrats junketing, corruption cases and the delay in hanging Afzal Guru.
MOTHER TERESA
Macedonia and Albania(Tirana) have been engaged in a dispute over the national identity of Mother Teresa,
- Who was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia, to an ethnic Albanian family.
- She went to Calcutta in 1929 and dedicated herself to the service of the poor and infirm.
- She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
- After her death in 1997,
- she was buried in Calcutta and Pope John Paul II beatified her in 2003.
Sanjaya Lall (economist)
· Oxford University this week established a visiting professorship in memory of Sanjaya Lall — regarded as a member of the ‘second generation’ of globally renowned Indian economists.
· The Patna-born alumnus of Oxford University, Lall is regarded as one of the university’s most prolific economists with 33 books, 75 articles and over 70 contributing chapters in other books.
· He helped 40 developing countries on a range of issues, including technology policy, export strategy and industrial competitiveness.
· The Chair will be maintained with a £35,000 benefaction from the Sanjaya Lall Memorial Fund.
Sonia Maria Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor (a Judge ) .
· Sworn in a Justice of the United States Supreme Court on August 8,
· she is the 111th Justice of that court, its first Hispanic Justice and only the third woman to hold the post.
N. Rangabashyam
· Chennai-based eminent surgical gastroenterologist N. Rangabashyam has been nominated to the Wall of Honour of the Royal Society of Medicine, U.K.
· The Society constructed a Hall with a glass dome to create the Wall of Honour to include those who have contributed academically to any branch of medicine; doctors who have rendered yeoman service at the war front and for the underprivileged in any country.
Preet Bharara confirmed as Manhattan attorney
Punjab-born Preet Bharara (a naturalised American citizen,) has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new Attorney for Manhattan in New York, considered the most prestigious federal prosecutor’s post outside Washington.
Now he will oversee more than 200 lawyers who handle some of the country’s most prominent cases,
MILITTARY OPERATIONS
Operations to check piracy on African coast
Operation Ocean Shield, Operation Atlanta , SHADE ,
Operation Ocean Shield,
Foreseeing an upsurge in pirate attacks in the coming months, the forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation patrolling the Gulf of Aden are bracing themselves for the challenge. Two Standing NATO Maritime Groups will be deployed in rotation in the pirates-infested area for the next two years.
· The NATO forces will operate in tandem with the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) and the U.S.-led counter piracy Task Forces 150 and 151.
· Besides India, which is one of the 17 contact nations for NATO in counter-piracy operations, China, Japan and Russia have deployed their naval ships in the region to ensure safe passage of merchant vessels from their countries.
· The Indian Navy’s missile frigate Godavari is now deployed on counter-piracy duties.
Operation Atlanta
The European Union, on its part, extended deployment of 12 naval ships under Operation Atlanta, launched in August last, till December 2010,
Meanwhile, EUNAVFOR has developed a tool, Mercury, using a Web application by which all navies in the region can have real-time communication with one another. The Indian Navy is also using it.
SHADE
To coordinate patrolling by individual navies and combined forces as also increase their situational awareness, an initiative, Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE), was kick-started under the aegis of the United States’ Combined Maritime Force (CMF),
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,.
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.
ISSUES RELATED TO BIO DIVERSITY
Hogs to be reintroduced in forest
· West Bengal’s Forest Department has decided to reintroduce the critically endangered pygmy hog in north Bengal’s Gorumara forest.
· After the successful release of the hunched, barely two-feet long, furry hogs into the wild at the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary and Nameri National Park in Assam in 2008, the Forest Department wants to replicate the experiment in the forests of north Bengal, since it falls in the region that is the original home of the wild suids (pigs),
· Earlier, they were easily located in Nepal, Bhutan and India, but they are not found anywhere other than Assam today — a situation that must be changed
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 or dead?
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,
DISASTERS
Search continues for Madeira flood victims
FUNCHAL, Madeira Islands (Portugal):.. Officials say a month's rain fell on the island in eight hours. The government was to hold a special Cabinet meeting on Monday and was expected to announce three days of national mourning.
POLICY
Mgnregs
· Central Employment Guarantee Council (CEGC), the governing body for the Mgnregs,
· Sub Group a six-member sub-group under department secretary B.K. Sinha. The other members are Jean Dreze, Aruna Roy, Mihir Shah, Madhusudan Mistry and Ashwini Kumar.
1. The sub-group will decide on issues such as the setting up of an executive committee for effective functioning of the council, wage policy, social auditing and accountability, monitoring and evaluating the scheme as a whole.
· Provision for constructing the Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendra at the panchayat and block levels
Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery (BRMS) degree,
· The proposal envisages that persons belonging to rural areas be put through a three-year course on basic anatomy and diagnosis and treatment of basic ailments. They would work in 1.45 lakh sub-centres, or at the most, primary health centres.
· The emphasis on training would be on conducting normal deliveries, pre-and anti-natal care, handling diarrhoea, pneumonia, vaccination, providing tuberculosis treatment and treatment of fevers and skin infections which generally do not require much expertise.
· China, implement it as barefoot doctors in the 1950s and 1960s resulting in remarkable achievements in health indicators. Similarly, Chhattisgarh has gone ahead and introduced a three-year course,.
POLICY
NATIONAL BIO FUEL POLICY
The new policy endeavours to facilitate and bring about optimal development and utilisation of indigenous biomass feed stocks for production of bio-fuels.
Salient features
- bio-diesel production will be taken up from non-edible oil seeds in waste/degraded /marginal lands;
- an indicative target of 20 per cent blending of bio-fuels, both for bio-diesel and bio-ethanol, by 2017 has been proposed;
- minimum support price (MSP) for non-edible oil seeds would be announced with periodic revision to provide fair price to the growers;
- minimum purchase price (MPP) for purchase of bio-ethanol and bio-diesel would be announced with periodic revision;
- major thrust will be given to research, development and demonstration with focus on plantations, processing and production of bio-fuels, including second generation bio-fuels and financial incentives, including subsidies and grants.
- If it becomes necessary, a National Bio-fuel Fund could be considered.
ORGANISATIONAL SET UP
- A National Bio-fuel Coordination Committee, headed by the Prime Minister, will be set up to provide policy guidance and coordination.
- A Bio-fuel Steering Committee, chaired by Cabinet Secretary, will be set up to oversee implementation of the policy.
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been designated as the co-ordinating Ministry for bio-fuel development and utilisation while specific roles have been assigned to other ministries concerned.
An Indo-U.S. MoU has been signed on bio-fuels with focus on joint R&D, particularly on second generation bio-fuels such as, cellulosic ethanol and algal biodiesel.
BIO DISEL
· Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl (methyl, propyl or ethyl) esters.
· Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, animal fat (tallow)) with an alcohol.
· Biodiesel is meant to be used in standard diesel engines and is thus distinct from the vegetable and waste oils used to fuel converted diesel engines. Biodiesel can be used alone, or blended with petrodiesel.
· The term "biodiesel" is standardized as mono-alkyl ester in the United States.[
Bio Ethanol
- Ethanol fuel is ethanol (ethyl alcohol), the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. It can be used as a transport fuel, mainly as a biofuel additive for gasoline
- Bioethanol, unlike petroleum, is a form of renewable energy that can be produced from agricultural feedstocks. It can be made from very common crops such as sugar cane, potato, manioc and maize
- Celluosic ethanol offers promise as cellulose fibers, a major and universal component in plant cells walls, can be used to produce ethanol.[9][10] According to the International Energy Agency, cellulosic ethanol could allow ethanol fuels to play a much bigger role in the future than previously thought.[11]
- Ethanol is widely used in Brazil(mandatory) and in the United States, and together both countries were responsible for 89 percent of the world's ethanol fuel production in 2008
SOLAR MISSION
On November 14, Centre would be launching a solar mission on the birth anniversary former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru,
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
The Authority is being headed by the co-founder of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani.
· It will be the regulatory authority, managing a Central ID Data Repository, which will issue UID numbers, update resident information and authenticate the identity of residents as required
· The UID , a single, universal identity number. It will be a random number and the single source of identity verification.
· The UIDAI will issue a number, not a card.
1. The UID number would only guarantee identity, not rights, benefits or entitlements. It was proof of identity and did not confer citizenship
2. The number will not contain intelligence, as loading intelligence into identity numbers makes it susceptible to fraud and theft.
3. The Authority will collect only basic information on the resident. Once residents enroll, they can use the number as identification proof to open a bank account, to obtain a passport, driving license, and so on.
· The government undertook an effort to provide a clear identity to residents first in 1993, with the issue of photo identity cards by the Election Commission.
National Livelihood Mission( Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna)
Aiming to make the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna more effective and boost the rural economy, the government has decided to restructure the scheme under a new nomenclature National Livelihood Mission.
· The Rural Development Department aims to provide self-employment under the scheme in the rural areas by bringing each household below the poverty line under the net of self-help group (SHG), through a process of social mobilization , train and build their capacities to generate income and assets.
1. The proposal is to set up dedicated implementation modules at various levels with enhanced capital subsidy for the beneficiaries and easy access to multiple doses of credit.
· The government will facilitate the formation and strengthening the SHGs at all levels, upscale the skill development and placement programmes by setting up the Rural Self Employment Training Institute in each district across the country.
· Laying special emphasis on technology inputs, professionals will be inducted for the implementation of the scheme under which 50 per cent of the beneficiaries had to be from the SC and ST communities and 40 per cent had necessarily to be women.
· The government aims at ensuring benefit to three per cent disabled people by providing them with self-employment opportunities.
POLITY
o The Inter-State Waters Dispute Act, 1956 bars any court, including the Supreme Court, from having or exercising jurisdiction “in respect of any water dispute which may be referred to a Tribunal under this Act.”
o A 2002 amendment to the Act provides further that “the decision of the Tribunal, after its publication in the Official Gazette by the Central Government...shall have the same force as an order or decree of the Supreme Court.”
ASSETS DISCLOSER ISSUE
The Supreme court (total 31 judges including CJI ) decide, ‘in principle,’ to disclose the assets of Supreme Court judges on the court’s official website
· At present, there is no law governing the declaration of assets by judges.
1. The judges disclose their assets to the Chief Justice of India as per the procedure in the 1997 ‘Restatement of values.’
2. Now it will be put on the website.”
· In the recently concluded Parliament session, the government introduced a Bill the judges(declaration of asset & liabilities ) bill to make declaration of assets by judges mandatory.
1. But since it contained a clause (6) that such a declaration would not come within the ambit of the Right to Information Act, the Bill was withdrawn
· Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan declared that High Court judges were free voluntarily to declare their assets and that a consensus on the issue was being evolved in the Supreme Court,
· Mandatory public disclosure of judges’ assets is not a radical idea.
1. (p/t)In the United States, the Ethics in Government Act 1978 makes it mandatory for certain classes of federal officials — including federal judges — to make public financial disclosures..
2. (p/t)Many other countries, including Sri Lanka, require judges to make periodic declarations of their assets.
109th Amendment Bill
· The Rajya Sabha passed the Constitution (109th Amendment) Bill 2009 that seeks extension of reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes(in SC reservation is given only to HINDU ,SIKH, BUDDHIST only no reservation for Muslim & Christian in this category ) and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for another 10 years.
the Bill also seeks to extend the nomination of Anglo-Indian communities to the Lok Sabha and State assemblies by another 10 years.
Gram Nyayalayas Act 2008 2 OCT
FEATURES
(1)The Act has been enacted to establish Gram Nyayalayas (GNs) at the grassroots level for providing access to justice to the citizens at their doorstep.
(2)The GNs will provide inexpensive justice to people in rural areas. It will be a court of the Judicial Magistrate of the first class, and its presiding officer (Nyayadhikari) will be appointed by the State government in consultation with the High Court.
(3)The GN will be established for every Panchayat at the intermediate level or a group of contiguous Panchayats at the intermediate level in a district or where there is no Panchayat at the intermediate level in any State, for a group of contiguous Panchayats.
(4)The Nyayadhikaris, who will preside over these GNs, are strictly judicial officers and will draw the same salary and derive the same powers as the First Class Magistrates working under High Courts.
(5)The GN will be a mobile court and exercise the powers of both the criminal and civil courts. The seat of the GN will be located at the headquarters of the intermediate panchayat, they will go to villages, work there and dispose of the cases. It will try criminal cases, civil suits, claims or disputes which are specified in the First Schedule and the Second Schedule to the Act.
(6)They will follow summary procedure in criminal trial and exercise the powers of a civil court with certain modifications and follow the special procedure as provided in the Act.
Conciliation The GN will try to settle the disputes, as far as possible, by bringing about conciliation between the parties and for this purpose, it will make use of appointed conciliators
More than 5,000 village courts, aimed at providing inexpensive justice, set up under the provisions of the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008, will start functioning from Gandhi Jayanthi. This was announced by the Central government
CITIZENSHIP
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ’s hope that Indian citizens living abroad will be able to vote in the next general election promises to redress a longstanding grievance and terminate a blatantly discriminatory provision in the electoral law.
CURRENT PROVISIONS
1. Under Article 19 of the Representation of the People Act 1950, only those “ordinarily resident” in a constituency are eligible to be registered in the electoral rolls.
2. Since most NRIs either study or work abroad, often for extended periods, they lose their status as ordinary residents under Section 20 of the Act and are liable to be struck off the electoral rolls.
CATEGORY OF PEOPLE WHO CAN CAST ABSENTEE OR POSTAL BALLOTS
. Under the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, the ordinary NRI is excluded while various classes of people are given the facility to cast absentee or postal ballots.
1. They include ‘special voters’ such as the President, Vice-President, Governors, and Union and State Ministers,
2. also ‘service voters,’ a category that includes armed forces personnel and staff in diplomatic missions.
COUNTRIES HAVING PROVISIONS FOR NRI VOTERS
A number of countries, from the United States and Canada to Argentina and the Philippines, make it possible for their overseas citizens to vote.
EFFORTS IN INDIA TILL NOW
The Bill, which sought to amend the RP Act 1950, by inserting a sub-section that classifies citizens who take up “employment, education or otherwise outside India” as ordinary residents, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2006.
From ministry of overseas
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)
1. It is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India.
2. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa, led India’s freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.
3. PBD conventions are being held every year since 2003..
4. During the event, individuals of exceptional merit are honoured with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award to appreciate their role in India’s growth.
5. The event also provides a forum for discussing key issues concerning the Indian Diaspora.
PBSA
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians. PBSA is conferred by the President of India as a part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conventions organized annually since 2003 on a Non-Resident Indian, Person of Indian origin or an organization or institution established and run by the Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin, who have excelled in one’s field for outstanding work which has enhanced India’s prestige in the country of residence and who has made
1. significant contribution towards better understanding abroad of India and support to India’s causes and concerns in a tangible way;
2. significant contribution for the welfare of diaspora
3. notable contribution in philanthropic and charitable work and for social and humanitarian causes in India and abroad;
4. significant contribution in building closer links between India and its diaspora in the economic, cultural and scientific fields; and
5. for eminence in his skills which has enhanced India’s prestige in that country (for non-professional workers).
THE OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP OF INDIA
The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Scheme was introduced by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955 in August 2005.
- The Scheme was launched during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention 2006 at Hyderabad.
- The Scheme provides for registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) of all Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were citizens of India on 26th January, 1950 or there after or were eligible to become citizens of India on 26th January, 1950 except who is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify.
- OCI is not to be misconstrued as ‘dual citizenship’. OCI does not confer political rights. The registered Overseas Citizens of India shall not be entitled to the rights conferred on a citizen of India under article 16 of the Constitution with regard to equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.
- The OCI documents consist of OCI Registration Booklet and a Universal visa sticker. It is mandatory for registered OCIs to carry their passports which carry the Universal visa sticker for entry into / exit from India.
BENEFITS
- A registered Overseas Citizen of India is granted multiple entry, multi purpose, life-long visa for visiting India,
- he/she is exempted from registration with Foreign Regional Registration Officer or Foreign Registration Officer for any length of stay in India, and
- is entitled to general ‘parity with Non-Resident Indians in respect of all facilities available to them in economic, financial and educational fields except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties’.
They can practice the following professions in India, in pursuance of the provisions contained in the relevant Acts, namely:
§ Doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists; (can appear for .. the All India Pre-Medical Test )
§ Advocates;
§ Architects; and
§ Chartered Accountants; and
India has the second largest Diaspora in the world
INDIAN DIASPORA in descending order USA ( 22 LAKH ) , MALAYSIA ( 2O LAKH ) , SAUDI ARABIA (17 LAKH ) , SRI LANKA (16 LAKH ) , UK (15
COMMITTEES
Professor Suresh Tendulkar Committee
Early practice of poverty line estimations :
o They are based on a consumption basket (Rs.20 per person per day, NCEUS report) that derives from a 1973-74 consumer survey,
o and are intended to ensure 2100 calories per person per day in urban areas and 2400 calories per person per day in rural areas.
o Not include expenditure on health, education and other basic needs.
The Report of the Expert Group to Review the Methodology for Estimation of Poverty (chaired by Professor Suresh Tendulkar) was submitted to the Planning Commission.
Findings of the Report are
o The poverty line that it has proposed is higher than the current poverty line for rural areas, and has resulted in a dramatic increase in the proportion of the rural poor in India.
1. At the all-India level, the Report estimates that 41.8 per cent of rural households were below the poverty line in 2004-05 (the current estimate is 28.3 per cent).
o (Basis) The poverty line that it proposes actually depends on reduced calorie consumption, and fails to provide for reasonable household expenditures on schooling and health.
o The Committee has actually lowered the calorie intake requirement from 2100 kcal per day for urban areas and 2400 kcal per day for rural areas to a single norm of 1800 kcal per day. (ie, on the basis of MDER)
1. MDER is defined as the amount of energy needed for light or sedentary activity.
o The new poverty line for rural and urban areas is simply the old poverty line for urban areas in 2004-05.
o The Report states that in 2004-05, 90 per cent of children aged 5 to 14 years belonging to households at the poverty line level in the urban areas were in school.
1. Secondly, it assumes that the median cost of sending a child to school, as reported in the National Sample Survey employment survey, sets a normative or desirable level of expenditure on a child in school.
2. Thirdly, according to the Report, the average expenditure on education per child among households in the poverty line expenditure class was higher than the median cost of schooling per child.
3. From these observations, it is concluded that actual expenditure is adequate to ensure that children are in school.
OTHER ESTIMATIONS REGARDING POVERTY LINE
At least THREE alternative figures are available:
o 28 per cent from the Planning Commission,
o 50 per cent from the N.C. Saxena Committee report, (based on BPL Census 2002 )and
o 80 per cent or so from the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS).
BPL CENSUS : The 2002 BPL Census was based on a rather convoluted scoring method, involving 13 different indicators (related for instance to land ownership, occupation and education) with a score of 0 to 4 for each indicator, so that the aggregate score ranged from 0 to 52.
o The Saxena Committee recently proposed an alternative BPL Census methodology, involving a simplified scoring system. Instead of 13 indicators, there are just five, with an aggregate score ranging from 0 to 10. This is a major improvement.
National Food Security Act.
o The EGoM suggested not only that the government's legal obligation to provide foodgrain under PDS should be restricted to 25 kg per month for BPL families,
o also that the Planning Commission's poverty figures should be used as a “ceiling” for the BPL list.
D Swarup Committee
The recent report of the Committee on Investor Awareness and Protection, headed by D. Swarup, Chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, has rattled life insurance agents throughout the country.
Recommendation The committee has recommended that instead of paying commission, insurance companies should ask their agents to charge their clients a fee for the advice given.
The Kirit Parikh Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS
· The expert panel headed by Kirit Parikh on the pricing of petroleum products should recommend total decontrol of the retail prices of petrol and diesel while suggesting a more gradual approach in the case of kerosene and LPG.
1. In July-August 2008, the B.K. Chaturvedi committee had recommended a similar deregulation,
· The Parikh Committee has recommended a rise in the prices of petrol cars, together with a gradual increase in the rates of subsidised kerosene and LPG.
· The Kirit Parikh Committee proposal for imposing a flat tax of Rs. 81,000 on diesel cars (gas guzzlers & biggest polluter six times higher than petrol-run vehicles) including sedans and gas guzzlers SUVs and MUVs,
· The committee’s justification for lower taxes on diesel is that it is used in essential economic activities such as agriculture and freight transport.
· For the cooking fuels — kerosene and LPG — it calls an immediate price rise of about Rs.100 for an LPG cylinder and Rs.6 for a litre of kerosene sold through the public distribution system (PDS).
· Making out a case for the continuance of subsidy on kerosene in rural areas, the panel has recommended that the price should be revised every year in relation to the per capita agricultural GDP.
· Among its suggestions to narrow the gap due to “under recoveries” is the sharing of production revenue from nomination blocks of the upstream government-owned oil companies, the ONGC and Oil India. Cash subsidy in certain cases should be charged to the budget.
· Even with these and other measures, subsidies would still be required but they will remain stable at a manageable Rs.20,000 crore.
ENVIORMENT
India may drop “ per capita norm “
Interesting facts
· India’s has the fifth largest annual emissions in the world in gross terms, when divided by the huge population and considered in per capita terms, it falls to the 120th ranking.
· The “flow of emissions” ie, in terms of present and future emissions, it is yet to be determined how the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility” must be applied
1. Those who have contributed most to the stock [that is, developed nations] are not those who will contribute most to the flow...that is, India, China, Brazil, South Africa.
India has commissioned a study by economist Arvind Subramanian on the various options available, to be completed by the end of April. It will also take into account the work of other economists such as Jeffrey Sachs, Michael Spence and Jeffrey Frankel,. India will have its formula ready before the next UN climate change negotiations in May at Bonn
ENVIORMENT
SOOT & GLOBAL WARMING
Fine particles of soot result from the incomplete burning of fossil fuels and biomass. Soot is produced by diesel engines, the burning of coal, forest fires, burning of crop residues and when firewood and dung is used as household fuel.
EFFECTS
- Soot particles absorb 80 per cent of the solar radiation they receive and directly warm the atmosphere,
- The rising hot air produced by enhanced heating drew in warm and moist air over the Indian subcontinent. Consequently, there could be an “advance of the rainy periods and subsequently an intensification of the Indian summer monsoon
- More recently, there has been concern over soot hastening the melting of the Himalayan glaciers.
- While carbon dioxide could remain in the atmosphere for centuries, soot stayed aloft only for days to weeks while ozone persisted for just weeks to months.
- Cutting soot levels in the atmosphere might produce the opposite effect – an increase in warming rather than a reduction
S.K. Satheesh(WINNER OF THIS YEAR BHATNAGAR AWARD) of the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.
NEW INITIATIVES
- The “National Institute for Research on Climate and Environment” BANGALORE would help build India’s own capacity for measuring, monitoring and modelling climate at a time when most information on global warming was derived from the West.
- The institute would be a joint initiative of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests (MoEF).
- Two satellites would be launched between 2010 and 2011 to measure and monitor greenhouse gases. While a micro-satellite would be launched in 2010 to study aerosols, another dedicated satellite in 2011 would monitor greenhouse gases such as methane and trace gases.
- Green Bonus A new mechanism was being proposed to provide incentives to States to retain and expand green cover Towards this end, a “green bonus” would be given to States along with funds from the Planning Commission or Finance Commission.
ORGANISATION
South Asian Foundation (SAF)
SAF is a secular, non-profit and non political organisation, comprising eight autonomous chapters in the eight countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Mr. Madanjeet Singh founded the South Asian Foundation (SAF) in 2000 as a regional youth movement and it has now grown to have chapters in eight countries. An artist, writer, former diplomat, philanthropist, founder of South Asian Foundation (SAF) and UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador since 2000,
ACTIVITES
- South Asia Foundation has worked to enlarge the scope of its activities in search of common cultural, educational and economic denominators to strengthen cooperative initiatives throughout the South Asian region.
- The ‘South Asia Foundation Peace Festival 2009,’ which began Amritsar. The 14-day festival which sees plays, film festivals, musical performances has brought together artists from both sides of the border as more than 90 artists from Pakistan have crossed the border for the festival.
- Scholarship scheme for students
Nuclear commission The International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, a joint initiative by Australia and Japan PURPOSE The body aims to (1) reduce the number of nuclear weapons world-wide and achieve conditions that might permit the ultimate goal — total elimination of nuclear weapons. (2) It also aims to reinvigorate international efforts on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, in the context of both the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, and beyond.
INITIATED BY Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd proposed the commission in June last year. It is co-chaired by the former Foreign Ministers, Gareth Evans (Australia) and Yoriko Kawaguchi (Japan).
STRUCTURE (1) The commission also has 13 commissioners, including the former National Security Adviser, Brajesh Mishra, (2) AND a 27-member advisory board. The board includes the former United Nations Special Representative and former foreign Minister of Algeria, Lakhdar Brahimi, the former United States Secretaries of State, Henry Kissinger and George Shultz (3) and adviser and research consultant to the commission R. Gen. (Retd.) V.Raghavan. The commission’s previous three regional meetings were held in Moscow, Beijing and Chile. Fourth regional conference AT NEW DELHI .
SUMMITS
The East Asia Summit (EAS),
- The fourth annual meeting of the EAS leaders, which Thailand,.
- 16-state EAS forum.
- the EAS is a leaders-driven forum that can discuss any issue of cooperation or conflict among the 16 participant-countries.
- The ASEAN+3 countries share the EAS seats with India, Australia, and New Zealand as full participant-countries.
- So far, the EAS forum, too, has by and large limited itself to economic and social issues and not the pan-regional or global political challenges
(1) Asia Pacific Community Political initiative of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who assumed office after the EAS met in Singapore in 2007, has proposed an Asia Pacific Community. More recently,
(2) East Asia Community .Political initiative of the new Japanese Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, has envisioned an East Asia Community.
(3) The ASEAN+3 entity has in its fold all the 10 Southeast Asian countries plus China, Japan, and South Korea. These three are Northeast Asian powers that have long-standing ties with the ASEAN countries.
(4) Summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Singapore later this year
