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Current affairs (27) RICE-IAS ACADEMY

07.05.2017-15.05.2017

INDIA

The New India Campaign

According to the New India campaign run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, corruption and the ways to fight it remains a major concern for the people

Foreground:

Senior sources involved with the poll, asked participants to choose from nine programmes that they will pledge to work with

Over 2.5 lakh respondents, the pledge to work for a corruption-free India got the highest response.

Key facts:

Nearly 70% of the respondents voted for a pledge to fight corruption. This was followed by Swachch Bharat at number three was the campaign for Accessible India, of making public spaces accessible for

the physically challenged Male respondents on Twitter for the same campaign under #IAmNewIndia and #NewIndia far

outstripped women respondents. Data shared showed that 84.7% of respondents on the hashtags were male, and 15.3% were

women. The two hashtags together made a massive tweet impression of 44.8 crore.

Muslim board to use social media to clarify Sharia laws

In a bid to clear confusion over Sharia laws, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has decided to tread the social media path and also explore the possibility of starting a TV news channel and newspaper.

Key facts:

The Board has decided to constitute a special social media committee, which will provide clear information about various issues pertaining to divorce, marriage, halala, warisana haq (inheritance rights) and women’s rights among other issues.

It will also convey the Board’s stand on these contentious issues.

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On the issue of absence of Ulama (clerics) on news channels during debates raised by Darul Uloom Deoband, Usmani said, generally news channels have their own agenda. It is better that Ulamas are not a part of these debates.

‘Child artistes can work only for 5 hours a day’

The Labour Ministry has proposed draft rules to fix the working conditions for child artistes and for employing children in family enterprises.

Key facts:

While a child artiste will not be allowed to work for more than five hours a day, a child “assisting” in a family business can only work for three hours a day, according to the proposed amendments to the Child Labour Rules, 1986.

Children will be allowed to assist their family in running family enterprises “without affecting” their school education.

The family would include parents, real siblings, and “real brother and sister of the parents,” the proposal said.

Such children will not be allowed to engage in any production, supply or retail chain which is “remunerative for the family and hazardous activities.”

Background:

The NDA government had brought a new law to govern child labour, known as the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, which put a blanket ban on employment of children below 14 years of age.

It had made two exceptions in favour of child labour: children could work as child artistes (in the entertainment sector), and could “help” in their family enterprises.

Under the proposed rules, at least 20% of the income earned by the child artiste will be required to be deposited in a fixed deposit account “in a nationalised bank”.

The money would be credited to the child after she turns 18. The permission of the district magistrate would be mandatory for engaging a child artiste. The production unit must nominate a person, who would be held responsible for the safety and

security of the child artiste, according to the draft rules. A child cannot take part in a “street performance for monetary gain” as per the proposal.

PanelmootsUIDnumbersforcows

The Centre has proposed issuing “Unique Identification Number Sequences” for cows and their progeny to protect them from cattle smuggling.

Key facts:

The plan is the brainchild of the Union Agriculture Ministry for “tamper-proof identification of cattle using polyurethene tags with a Unique Identification Number Sequence.”

The Ministry of Agriculture has devised a method of tamper-proof identification of cattle using polyurethene tags with Unique Identification Number Sequence.

This may be made mandatory for all cow and its progeny throughout India for all cattle that is owned

The Committee recommended that each animal be tagged with proper records of identification details, including age, breed, sex, lactation, height, body, colour, horn type, tail switch and special marks.

It said “mass-tagging” of cattle was already practised for insurance purpose. Stray, “retired” and abandoned cattle face high risk of falling into smugglers’ hands. So, cattle

smuggling should be stopped at the source, instead of on the India-Bangladesh border at the cost of the lives of BSF jawans,

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“Dry dairy scheme” could be declared a scheme of national priority

Solveaproblem,winRs.1crore

The Centre is set to launch a scheme for students from higher educational institutions to volunteer to offer innovative, original and practical solutions to problems facing the country and get rewarded for their efforts.

Key facts:

The Human Resource Development Ministry has identified a handful of areas pertaining to which the problem-solving skills of students will be tested.

These are affordable healthcare, computer science and ICT, energy (making solar/renewable esources cheaper, energy efficiency, etc.), affordable housing, healthcare, agriculture, education, water resources and river systems, affordable infrastructure, defence, cybersecurity and information security, and environment and climate change.

The scheme that will invite students to find solutions to problems in these fields and offer a prize of Rs. 1 crore to the best solution in each field — is to be called ‘IDEAS’ or Innovations for Development of Efficient and Affordable Systems.

About:

The IDEAS is an initiative to challenge young minds with problems of society in general, to come up with innovative, original, practical and economical solutions

Under each of the above areas or themes, 10 problem statements will be prepared and widely publicised.

All higher educational institutions will be eligible and encouraged to participate, but participation of IITs, NITs and CFTIs will be mandatory.

The Banganapalle mango gets a GI tag

The succulent Banganapalle mango has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, making Andhra Pradesh the proprietor of the variety known for its sweetness.

Key facts:

The Andhra Pradesh government is the registered proprietor of the GI tag for mangoes, often hailed as “the king of fruits.”

A GI tag indicates that the product comes from a specific region. Banganapalle mangoes have been grown for over 100 years in the State. It also known as

Beneshan, Baneshan, Benishan, Chappatai and Safeda. The fruits can retain their quality under cold storage even up to three months. The prominent characteristic of Banganapalle mangoes is that their skin has very light spots,

stone is oblong in shape and has very thin seed with sparse and soft fibre all over The government has also listed Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Medak and Adilabad

districts in Telangana as secondary centres of origin. Submitting documents for proof of origin, it also cited historical records like a “war fund seal

(Banganapally-State Madras War Fund Seal).” A logo too is in place — featuring a bright yellow fruit around which the tagline says

“Banganappalle Mangoes of Andhra Pradesh,” with images of a man and a woman appearing to be farmers.

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About:

GI is covered under the Intellectual Property Rights and the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

A GI tag certifies the origin of a product or produce from a particular region as the quality or other features of the product is attributable only to the place of its origin.

The tag helps farmers or manufacturers, as the case may be, to get a better price in the market.

WORLD

China to launch Wikipedia rival in 2018

China is to launch an online version of its national encyclopaedia next year, to compete with Wikipedia.

Key facts:

Unlike Wikipedia, it will be created by selected scholars from state-run universities rather than being openly editable by volunteers.

The Encyclopaedia of China "is not a book, but a Great Wall of culture"- Yang Muzhi, the editor-in-chief of the project, who chairs the Book and Periodicals Distribution Association of China

The Encyclopaedia of China was first published in 1993, in paper form, with the support of scholars, and released a second edition in 2012.

The Encyclopaedia of China was first published in 1993, in paper form, with the support of scholars, and released a second edition in 2012.

Sukhois join frontline squadron in Punjab

The Halwara-based 221 Squadron of the Indian Air Force, “Valiants”, has inducted the frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft. The squadron used to fly MiG-23s till they were phased out in 2009.

Key facts:

This is a major force accretion as the squadron is based in Punjab facing Pakistan. The Su-30MKI is the most modern multi-role fighter in the Indian Air Force. The “Valiants” were formed as an offensive fighter squadron on February 14, 1963 at

Barrackpore and was equipped with the Vampires, Spitfire, Hurricane and Su-7 aircraft. The “Valiants” were the first to carry out strikes during the Kargil war.

‘UP to be open defecation-free by 2018’

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has set an ambitious target of making the State, including its 59,000 gram panchayats, open defecation free (ODF) by October 2018.

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Key facts:

The aim is to declare all the 59,000 village panchayats open-defecation free by October next year The government’s aim to provide power to the houses of all poor by 2018. Villages which show no line loss will get 24 hour power by 2018 He also announced a decision to set up Chandra Shekhar Azad rural development secretariat in

all ‘nyay’ panchayats.

Ghana,KenyaandMalawitopilotGSKmalariavaccinefrom2018

Ghana, Kenya and Malawi will pilot the world's first malaria vaccine from 2018, offering it for babies and children in high-risk areas as part of real-life trials

Key facts:

The injectable vaccine, called RTS,S or Mosquirix, was developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline to protect children from the most deadly form of malaria in Africa.

In clinical trials it proved only partially effective, and it needs to be given in a four-dose schedule, It is the first regulator-approved vaccine against the mosquito-borne disease. The WHO, which is in the process of assessing whether to add the shot to core package of WHO-

recommended measures for malaria prevention, has said it first wants to see the results of on-the-ground testing in a pilot program.

The WHO pilot program will assess whether the Mosquirix's protective effect in children aged 5 to 17 months can be replicated in real-life.

It will also assess the feasibility of delivering the four doses needed, and explore the vaccine's potential role in reducing the number of children killed by the disease.

RTS,S was developed by GSK in partnership with the non-profit PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative and part-funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Haryana planning to train over a lakh young volunteers to help them curb the problem of sexual harassment.

When the Uttar Pradesh Police have set up anti-Romeo squads, cops in neighbouring Haryana are planning to train over a lakh young volunteers to help them curb the problem of sexual harassment.

Key facts:

The govt have put in place a comprehensive programme to check eve-teasing. The trouble spots have been identified. Work to sanitise them by the way of warnings and

cautioning signages, CCTV cameras, plain-cloth traps and time-aligned uniformed police patrolling is in progress

The State police have also encouraged young boys and girls to enrol as volunteers to help curb the problem of eve teasing.

The move is a part of the ‘Youth Against Sexual Harassment’ (YASH) initiative with which Haryana police is partnering.

Tribalswantgovttoscrap1979orderdenyingsterilisationaccess

The Baiga is among seven tribes in Chhattisgarh listed under PVTG. And, while social workers say other tribes often change their names to get the procedure done, the Baiga women have traditional tattoos on their hands and back, which identify them.

Key facts:

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Part of the petition, is a report in 2014 by a “High Level Committee on Socio-Economic, Health and Educational Status of Tribal Communities of India constituted by the Centre.

This policy originated in an order passed by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1979 to exclude vulnerable tribal communities from the wave of sterilisation drives taking place across north India. However, even decades later, this order continues to be followed

Such a policy denies members of PVTGs the autonomy to make free and informed reproductive choices, and particularly denies any agency and bodily autonomy to women of these communities, who have to bear the burden of the denial of access to sterilisation facilities

The Baiga adivasis, meanwhile, continue to resort to all forms of non-standardised medication.

All you need to know about FATCA:

What is FATCA?

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is a United States federal law that requires United States persons, including U.S. citizens who live outside the United States, to report their financial accounts held outside of the U.S., and requires foreign financial institutions to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about their U.S. clients.

Why is FATCA compliance necessary in India?

India had signed an agreement with the U.S. on July 9, 2015 which enables automatic exchange of financial information between India and the U.S. The agreement provides that Indian Financial Institutions will provide the necessary information to the Indian tax authority i.e. Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which information will then be transmitted to the U.S. automatically in the case of FATCA. The agreement came into effect on August 31, 2015.

Which financial transactions need FATCA compliance?

The compliance is needed for bank accounts, mutual fund, national pension scheme and other such transactions. The compliance is needed to be done for all individual and entity accounts opened from July 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015.

What do you need to submit to be FATCA compliant and how can it be done?

Individuals and entities need to provide details of their country of birth, country of citizenship, country of residence for tax purposes, among others, to the respective financial institutions. The self certification can be done online for bank accounts and mutual funds. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority has said it would come out with revised guidelines on FATCA shortly.

What will happen if I am not FATCA compliant?

In a press statement issued on April 11, 2017, the Finance Ministry said the process should be completed by April 30, 2017; otherwise the transactions would be blocked in the accounts for the said period. However, experts point out that on ground, the accounts have not been blocked; even if they have been, one can still provide self certification and unblock the accounts.

Haryana to carry out survey to know socio-economic conditions of people

The Haryana government would carry out a special house-to-house survey to know the socio- economic conditions of the people in the state.

Key facts:

A real time-based survey would be conducted to gather socio-economic details of the people.

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Teams of Saksham and e- Numerator would visit houses to feed their GPS location in their tablets and create smart house IDs online and link each house with the biometric system

The survey will be carried out between June 15 and August 15. Address of each house, photo, location, details of owner of the house, electricity connection, water

connection, details of electronic devices, bank account numbers, IFSC code and Aadhaar and personal details such as mobile number, e-mail ID, educational qualification, religion and other details would be gathered

Relevance

The data would help in getting details of land, pension, scholarship, MGNREGA, loan and LPG. The state government would make sure that benefits of 150 services of 87 departments are

provided online through this data.

Infra contracts for DMIC project to be awarded soon

Infrastructure development contracts worth Rs. 1,400 crore are up for grabs at the upcoming Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor industrial township project in Maharashtra.

Key facts:

Aurangabad Industrial Township Ltd (AITL) has kick-started development work at the upcoming Bidkin industrial zone near Aurangabad.

The contracts to build infrastructure such as roads, bridges and telecommunications will be awarded in 15 days

Industrial zones

AITL, a special purpose vehicle set up by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation is developing two industrial zones at Shendra and Bidkin near Aurangabad to attract investments worth $11 billion.

The two locations are being developed as one industrial smart city called ‘AURIC’. Infrastructure development at Shendra

The total project cost of AURIC is estimated at rs 11,000 crore. Of this, rs3,000 crore will be spent on land acquisition. The remaining rs. 8,000 crore is being invested in developing infrastructure.

INDIA

India, Sri Lanka slip on oil, trade deals Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe is expected to finalise an MoU on developing energy and infrastructure projects in Trincomalee, as well as fast-tracking negotiations for the upgraded Free Trade Agreement —the ETCA (Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement)

‘BS-III ban won’t apply on farm, construction vehicles’

The Supreme Court has clarified that manufacturers of farming vehicles like tractors and combine harvesters and construction equipment vehicles (CEVs) can continue to sell BS-III tractors.

Key facts:

A bench headed by Justice M B Lokur, while stating that the March ban order on BS-III (Bharat Stage III emission norms) applies only to commercial goods carriers and passenger vehicles, also said farming vehicles don’t fall under the two banned categories as they have different emission norms.

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While the government informed the court that it is finalising the new emission norms for tractors and negotiations are on to introduce the new norms by 2020, the tractor and construction-equipment makers said Bharat Tractor Emission Norms (TREM-IIIA) and Construction Equipment Vehicles (CEV) norms apply to them and not BS-IV norms which are applicable to two and four-wheeler vehicles.

Senior counsel have pointed out that P Chidambaram pointed out that tractors follow Bharat Tractor Emission Norms (TREM-IIIA) whereas construction equipment vehicles have a different Bharat Stage III norms and these are different from the BS-IV norms followed by regular vehicles.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) had last month also sought review of the Supreme Court’s decision that banned the sale and registration of all BS-III vehicles after March 31.

Trincomalee oil storage

The agreement on the Trinco Oil storage, which was first negotiated in 2003, as well as the development of infrastructure — highways, power plants, a refinery and an SEZ — around the key port town of Trincomalee to be wrapped up during Mr. Wickremsinghe’s talks

SEBI to grant one licence to brokers, clearing members

Market regulator SEBI decided to grant a unified licence to brokers and clearing members to operate in commodity derivative as well as equity markets.

SEBI’s board approved a proposal for integration of stock brokers in equity and commodity derivative space.

Key facts:

Following this, a broker or clearing member dealing in the securities markets will be allowed to buy, sell or deal in commodity derivatives without setting up a separate entity and vice-versa.

To enable the integration, SEBI will amend norms pertaining to stock broker and securities contract regulations

Besides, it will increase economic efficiency in terms of meeting operational and compliance obligations at the member level, potentially resulting in ease of doing business.

The integration will help in widening market penetration and facilitate effective regulatory oversight by stock exchanges and SEBI.

Farm incomes not to be taxed, says Jaitley

Union Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley ‘categorically’ dismissed any prospect of the government bringing agricultural income into the income tax net to quell confusion about a review of the current tax treatment of agricultural income mooted by the Centre’s think tank NITI Aayog.

As per the Constitutional Allocation of Powers, the Central government has no jurisdiction to impose tax on agricultural income,”

The Finance Minister’s swift clarification is being seen as an attempt to nip in the bud any potential controversy on a sensitive issue pertaining to farmers and rural India.

High Court spells out steps to stop pollution in Dal Lake

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Coming down heavily on the caretaker body Lakes and Waterways Department Authority (LAWDA) and the civil administration for their “lax approach and insufficient staff”, the Jammu & Kashmir High Court pulled them up for “failing” to preserve the famous Dal Lake.

Key facts:

The court ordered a slew of measures to contain the ever-growing pollution, and encroachments in and around the water body, which is central to the Valley’s tourism

Environmental degradation, pollution caused due to letting out of discharge by residential buildings, growth of weeds and discharge of toxic effluents have caused serious damage to the world-famous water body.

Noting that existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) were not functioning effectively and needed to be upgraded, the court ordered for re-structuring and refurnishing of existing STPs

It asked the authorities to rope in non-governmental and other organisations “for technical experience” and to install CCTV cameras “to strengthen” the LAWDA’s Enforcement Wing.

The court directed the State government to ensure rehabilitation of residents at Rakh-I-Arth housing colony, a rehabilitation project for lake-dwellers who are being displaced as part of the conservation programme.

The court also stressed the need to seek guidance of the World Wildlife Fund, which has created a network called the India Water Stewardship Network and Alliance for Water Stewardship, “to ensure sustainable water management”.

Bengal government renames scheme

The West Bengal government has decided to drop the tag “Pradhan Mantri” from “Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna” and rename it as “Bangla Fasal Bima Yojna

The reason

The reason behind the decision to drop the Pradhan Mantri tag, as the Centre’s share in such schemes had come down to 50:50

Hinduja brothers top UK annual rich list

The Hinduja brothers have topped the 2017 list of the richest people in the UK with a wealth of 16.2 billion pounds, a massive 3.2 billion pound hike in their fortunes over the previous year.

Key facts:

“The Sunday Times Rich List' says that Brexit does not seem to have affected the country s billionaires, who grew in numbers with a 14 per cent rise in their fortunes since the referendum last June

Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, aged 81 and 77, lead the pack of 134 UK-based billionaires on the list and have made their fortune from investments in industries such as oil and gas, automotive, IT, energy, media, banking, property and healthcare sectors. Their latest project is converting the Old War Office in London into a five-star hotel and luxury apartments, the newspaper notes.

Another set of India-born billionaire brothers, David and Simon Reuben, who had topped the list last year have moved down to third place

Steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal at fourth. The second spot, occupied by the Hinduja brothers until 2016, has been taken over by Ukrainian

businessman Len Blavatnik.

About:

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This year's list was also described as more diverse in composition, with more women, more people from ethnic backgrounds, and more from surprising walks of life, with egg farmers and pet food makers among the super-rich line-up. It now takes assets of 110 million pounds to break into the ranks of the richest 1,000 people in the UK. The figure in 2016 was 103 million pounds. The top 20 in the list alone are worth a total of 191.77 billion pounds, increasing their wealth by 35.18 billion pounds over the past 12 months.

Push for private sector in defence production

The Government has accelerated efforts to finalise the ambitious Strategic Partnership (SP) model, which would give a major boost to private sector participation in defence manufacturing.

Guidelines on the anvil

As part of the stepped up efforts, the Defence Ministry has scheduled consultations with the industry to get their feedback in the next couple of days.

The policy, which is part of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016, will set out guidelines on how major Indian private sector companies can tie up with global Original Equipment Manufacturers in critical military systems and platforms.

China offers to rename OBOR to allay India’s fears

China is prepared to consider renaming the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) if it would end India’s reservations over its One Belt One Road (Or Belt and Road Initiative) passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Chinese Ambassador to India said here, insisting that the OBOR has no connection to “sovereignty disputes.”

The offer was made by Luo Zhaohui during a closed-door interaction at the United Services Institution, a military think-tank in Delhi.

Mr. Luo outlined a 4-point solution to “manage differences” between India and China, including a new treaty on cooperation, restarting talks on a free trade agreement (FTA), an early resolution to the border issue and aligning the B&R with India’s “Act East policy.”

‘India can play great role in peace efforts’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will arrive in India, and will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a visit aimed at “strengthening old ties

Key facts:

He also expressed the hope India will play an “important” role in the Israel-Palestine peace process.

The timing of President Abbas’s visit is significant for a number of reasons, as he will be travelling to Delhi from Moscow after meeting Russian President Vladmir Putin, and met with U.S. President Donald Trump last week in Washington, and would be able to share the two world leader’s visions with Mr. Modi.

President Abbas visit to India also comes two months ahead of Mr. Modi’s visit to Israel in the first week of July.

Mr. Abbas, who last visited India in 2012, is expected to hold bilateral talks in Delhi on May 16, with six MoUs being discussed for announcement after his talks with Mr. Modi.

Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA)

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Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), is a urban planning agency established in 1977 for planned development of cities in Haryana. The Haryana Chief Minister is the Chairman of the authority. The authority is responsible for development and maintenance of the residential areas, commercial areas, industrial areas and institutional areas

WORLD

US Air Force tests unarmed ICBM

An unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile was launched during an operational test from an air base in the state of California, amid growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Key facts:

The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a single test re-entry vehicle was launched by a combined team of United States Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen.

According to US Air Force, the ICBM’s re-entry vehicle, which contained a telemetry package used for operational testing, travelled to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, approximately 4,200 miles away from the launch site.

The ICBM test launch program demonstrates the operational credibility of the Minuteman III and ensures the U.S.’s ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent as a key element of national security and the security of allies and partners.

The Minuteman III is one of three legs of the US nuclear triad, which also comprises strategic bombers such as the B-52 Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit, as well as submarine launched ballistic missions, provided by Navy submarines.

INDIA

HP, Belarus firm join hands to build skyway

Himachal Pradesh has signed an agreement with a Belarusian company for starting a skyway transport facility in the tourist destination of Dharamshala.

Key facts:

The MoU was signed by Himachal Pradesh government with Sky Way Technology Corporation, a transport and infrastructural development company of Belarus.

The facility would be started in the next three years

NHAI to list masala bonds on London Stock Exchange soon

The National Highways Authority of India will soon raise about Rs. 5,000 crore by issuing masala bonds to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Key facts:

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will open the market for LSE trading on May 11 to which will “coincide with the culmination of the NHAI’s debut Masala Bond issuance which is expected to list on the LSE shortly

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India,Netherlandstoboostanti-terroreffort

India and the Netherlands has voiced deep concern over the threat of terrorism and resolved to work bilaterally and globally to fight the menace in all its forms and manifestations.

Key facts:

During talks with her Dutch counterpart Bert Koenders, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also sought the Netherlands’ support for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the UN.

At the meeting, Koenders expressed his country’s strong support for India’s permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council.

On her part, Swaraj thanked him for support to India’s accession to various multilateral export control regimes as well as for its bid for NSG membership.

Tallestbridgebuiltcanwithstandblasts

The world’s tallest railway arch bridge over the Chenab river in Jammu, providing rail connectivity to Kashmir, will be capable of handling high intensity blasts and resisting the worst possible natural disaster.

Key facts:

This is for the first time globally that a bridge is designed to handle high level trinitrotoluene (TNT) blast load.

Konkan Railway Corporation Limited which is executing the Rs.1,200-crore Chenab rail bridge project.

The 1.3 km long bridge over the Chenab at a height of 359 metres will be 35m taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris and five times the height of the Qutab Minar in Delhi.

The bridge will be a crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra (Jammu) and Banihal (Kashmir) which is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla section of the railway project aimed at linking Kashmir through rail with the rest of the country.

About:

The project site located barely 60 km from the Pakistan border has faced several delays since its inception.

The construction work of the Chenab Bridge has been declared as a national project and was awarded in August 2004 with a completion target of April 2007.

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West Bengal RSS outfit to fete ‘nationalist journalists’

An RSS outfit will be awarding “nationalist journalists” of West Bengal as a “celebration of journalism in the state.

Key facts:

The ceremony will be held on Narada Jayanti as, according to the Sangh, the Hindu mythological figure was “the world’s first journalist.

Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi has been invited to attend the May 13 programme, which will also reward “a group admin in social media”.

The programme is being organised by the RSS-backed Vishwa Samvad Kendra.

About:

Mythological Narada, a ‘samvad vahak’ (messenger of news), was the world’s first journalist. The Vishwa Samvad Kendra, a Sangh affiliate set up in 1994, is a pan-India body dealing with

journalism. It has set up a committee to shortlist journalists for the award, which would be given away

annually

India slips on freedom index

A report released by global media watchdog “Reporters Without Borders”, India has slipped three notches in the World Press Freedom Index 2017

Key facts

In the list of 180 countries mapped by the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), India stands at 136, down from last year's 133, colour-coded again in red to show the situation as "difficult".

It has cited the "threat from Modi's nationalism"as the main reason While the report marks the sub-continent all red, except Nepal that is a shade better with a

"noticeable problem" China is all black to denote countries at the bottom of the heap where the media are in a "very

serious situation''. The report also takes note of the use of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) to

limit international influence.

Biometric,solarATMbeingdevelopedforruralIndia:HarshVardhan

Tying in with India’s thrust on digitisation and paperless economy post demonetisation, a bio-solar ATM has been developed by Indian scientists for rural areas, Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan

Key facts:

A team of scientists led by professor S.P. Gon Chaudhuri from Kolkata has designed a bio-solar ATM,

Renewable energy expert, Gon Chaudhuri unveiled a prototype of the machine, priced at around Rs 6 lakh – half of a conventional ATM at the conclave.

The ATM is biometric, touch-based device powered by solar rays. Instead of showing numbers and alphabets, the ATM screen displays pictures of currency

denominations.

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The person transacting can select by looking at the picture and selecting it. Moreover, information about the person’s bank balance and the amount of money remaining after deduction, is provided via a headphone

The ministry has dicussed the launch of two pilot prototypes in a rural bank. One machine will provide info in Hindi, while another in Bengali. This will be a testing phase after which a large-scale roll out could be possible in 2018

Background: In rural areas, many still are not literate and power supply is erratic. To counter these issues, the ATM has been designed with a biometric identification system where one can touch the screen with his or her thumb and transact

Jharkhand government partners with Oracle to boost IT infrastructure

In a bid to ramp up its IT infrastructure, the Jharkhand government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with US-based technology major Oracle to enhance delivery of services to citizens as well as make the State more attractive for startups.

Key facts:

The government of Jharkhand and Oracle will jointly explore and identify areas in which Oracle’s cloud-based technologies can be used to support entrepreneurship.

The CM also asked Oracle to explore the option of opening a state-of-the-art software development centre in the State.

The tech giant’s expertise in areas of ICT infrastructure, real estate, health, education, housing for Ranchi smart city project will be utilised.

Doctors wary as Centre pushes for generic drugs

Following the Centre’s advisory to physicians to prescribe drugs with generic names, doctors across the country are worried that any change in drug especially for patients with chronic illnesses and critical care may risk patients not getting the full benefit of a particular drug.

Key facts:

A section of doctors argue there is no concrete evidence to show that generic drugs are equal to branded drugs, with respect to bioavailability, potency, efficacy and impurity content.

There can be complications and some of the ailments and diseases can go out of control Besides, some of the branded drugs are available at a lower cost than generic drugs as they have

been price capped under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). The IMA is for promotion of drugs in the NLEM so that all drugs are price capped and cheaper.

While writing the generic name of the drug, we also need to mention the name of the company of whose generic the patient is going to buy.

SCseekslawtoregulateNGOfundsThe Supreme Court has suggested that the government ought to frame a statutory law to regulate the flow of public money to the NGOs even as Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) recommended the registration of 159 FIRs against various NGOs for swindling government funds.

Key facts:

A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar suggested introducing a law after perusing guidelines handed over by the government to the court, appointing NITI Aayog as the nodal agency for NGO registration.

Black list

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The court, however, gave the government the liberty to start civil and criminal proceedings against 703 NGOs, which according to CAPART, have defaulted. The agency, which works under the Rural Development Ministry, said 718 NGOs had been initially blacklisted, but 15 had responded satisfactorily to notices issued on them.

CBI records filed in 2016 in the Supreme Court had shown show that only 2,90,787 NGOs file annual financial statements of a total of 29,99,623 registered ones under the Societies Registration Act.

In some States, the CBI said the laws do not even provide for the NGOs to be transparent about their financial dealings. In the Union Territories, of a total of 82,250 NGOs registered and functioning, only 50 file their returns.

New Delhi has the highest number of registered NGOs among the Union Territories at 76,566. But none of these organisations submit returns, the CBI chart showed.

In Kerala, which has 3,69,137 NGOs, there is no legal provision to submit returns. The same is the case for Punjab with 84,752 and Rajasthan with 1.3 lakh NGOs.

Uttar Pradesh, which has the highest number of NGOs at 5.48 lakh among 26 States, has only about 1.19 lakh filing returns.

Tamil Nadu has about 1.55 lakh NGOs registered, however, only 20,277 file returns. Andhra Pradesh has 2.92 lakh NGOs, but only 186 file financial statements annually. West Bengal has 2.34 lakh registered NGOs, of which only 17,089 active NGOs file annual

returns.

Background: The Centre on April 4 handed over to the Supreme Court the new guidelines framed for accreditation of nearly 30 lakh NGOs and voluntary organisation in the country.

Lokpal Act workable in present form: SC

Pushing for the immediacy of a Lokpal for transparency in government and public life, the Supreme Court said the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013, in its original form, is an "eminently workable piece of legislation". There is no need to keep its implementation in abeyance till the parliamentary standing committee's proposed amendments are incorporated, the court observed

As per the 2013 law, which was put into force from January 2014, the LoP is part of the high-level selection committee for Lokpal. The other members of the selection panel are the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker and the Chief Justice of India. The law has been hanging in limbo since 2014 awaiting an amendment to switch the LoP for the leader of the single largest party in the opposition in the Lok Sabha. If the amendment is made, the single largest opposition party leader can take the place of the LoP at the Lokpal selection panel.

Kia to enter India, to pump in Rs. 7,000 cr

Kia Motors is lining up around $ 1.1 billion (over Rs 7,000 crore) to set up a manufacturing plant in India where it plans to roll out a compact SUV and a compact sedan by 2019-end.

Key facts:

The South Korean firm, part of the Hyundai group, will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to build a new plant in Anantapur district.

The facility will have a capacity to produce up to 3 lakh units each year and is expected to start production in the second half of 2019.

Local sales of cars produced at the new facility will start towards the end of 2019, the company said.

Kia plans to produce a ‘strategic’ compact sedan and compact SUV, especially for the Indian market, at the new plant, which will occupy around 23 million square feet and incorporate facilities for stamping, welding, painting and assembly.

It will enable Kia to sell cars in the world’s fifth- largest market while providing greater flexibility for the company’s global business

The fast-developing supply chain network in the region and skilled labour force were other key reasons for the new investment by Kia Motor

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Background: India is the fastest-growing major new car market and the fifth-largest in the world, with more than 3.3 million new cars sold in 2016.

Forecasts suggest that the country will become the third- largest car market by the end of 2020.

INDIA

SC to examine if triple talaq is fundamental to religion

The Supreme Court began the hearing on a batch of six petitions and a suo motu public interest litigation petition on whether triple 'talaq' violates the fundamental rights of Muslim women.

Key facts:

The court would examine whether triple 'talaq' is fundamental to religion. A five-judge Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar and comprising

Justices Kurian Joseph, Rohinton F. Nariman, Uday Umesh Lalit and S. Abdul Nazeer are hearing the case.

Among those supporting triple 'talaq' are the dominant All India Muslim Personal Law Board and the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.

About:

The Union government has asked the court to reopen the debate whether personal laws can be brought under the ambit of Article 13 (laws inconsistent with or in derogation of the fundamental rights) of the Constitution.

If the Supreme Court agrees that personal laws are included in the definition of laws under Article 13, the door will be opened wide for an aggrieved person to challenge a particular personal law of a religion as violative of the fundamental rights.

In case the challenge succeeds in court, the personal law, to the extent of its inconsistency, shall become void.

Justice Karnan will be forthwith taken into custody for 6 months

The Supreme Court held Calcutta High Court judge C.S. Karnan guilty of contempt of court, judiciary and judicial process and sentenced him to six months imprisonment for contempt of court

Justice Karnan will be forthwith taken into custody.

Background:

Calcutta High Court Judge C.S. Karnan issued an order sentencing eight Supreme Court judges to five years of “rigorous imprisonment” and imposed a fine of Rs. 1,00,000 each under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 and the amended Act of 2015.

The eight include members of the seven-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, which had in February issued a contempt order against him.

In February, the Supreme Court had issued a contempt notice against Justice Karnan for allegedly degrading the judiciary.

Justice Karnan, on his part, directed the Supreme Court judges “to appear before him on May 28” and later “reposted” the matter to May 1.

Bhutan backs out of motor vehicle pact

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India’s plan for a sub-regional motor vehicle agreement faced a setback, as the Bhutan government announced that it is not ready to go ahead with the process at present.

Key fact:

It asked the other members of the ‘BBIN’ grouping — India, Bangladesh and Nepal — to continue to operationalise it without Bhutan.

Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s decision to step out of the BBIN process comes on the back of severe domestic opposition to the motor vehicles agreement, primarily on fears of vehicular pollution and environmental degradation if trucks from neighbouring countries are given access to Bhutan, a country that prides itself on its “carbon neutrality” and preserving the environment.

As a result, despite the fact that the MVA agreement was signed on June 15, 2015, and ratified on its second attempt in the lower house in July 2016, the upper house in Bhutan voted it down in November 2016.

All-woman force to take on stone pelters

In a bid to counter women stone throwers, the Centre plans to raise an all-woman India Reserve Battalion (IRB) in Jammu and Kashmir

Key facts

The Centre has also given directions to the State government to not use Special Police Officers as “chowkidaars (guards)” at the houses of politicians and other government officials and to use them in active policing instead.

The cost of raising each battalion is around Rs. 61 crore, and 75% of the expenditure will be borne by the Centre.

IRB personnel are normally deployed in their respective States but they can be sent elsewhere if required.

The Centre told the Supreme Court that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was working on a new regulatory regime to ensure online data protection and the government fully supported the freedom of choice and privacy of individuals.

The government, represented by Additional Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, submitted before a five-judge Constitution Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra that a person’s freedom of choice to share online his personal details or keep them private should not be scuttled.

The Constitution Bench was hearing a challenge against the 2016 contract entered into between WhatsApp and Facebook to share information and personal details of millions of its users.

The petition contended that this was a violation of the users’ privacy and free speech.

Karnataka to seek Nariman’s view on Cauvery experts’ group

The Karnataka government has decided to seek the opinion of its legal team headed by Fali S. Nariman before taking a final decision on consenting to the Centre’s proposal to constitute an experts’ group on Cauvery basin management.

Key facts:

The decision was taken at an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Floor leaders of both the Houses of the State legislature discussed the impact of constituting an

experts’ group on the final hearing of the appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala

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against the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on sharing of Cauvery river water.

The final hearing will begin on July 11. Some of the leaders expressed reservations over the clause that says all experts would be

appointed by the MoWR. The constitution of an experts’ group might delay the hearing of special leave petition (SLP)

against the CWDT award by the Supreme Court.

SanjayMitranextDefenceSecretary

The Centre on Wednesday named Sanjay Mitra, Secretary Ministry of Transport and Highways as the next Defence Secretary.

Key facts:

He will take over once the incumbent G. Mohan Kumar retires on May 24. In a series of appointments approved on Wednesday, the Appointments Committee of the

Cabinet appointed Mr. Mitra as Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Defence. Mr. Mitra belongs to the 1982 batch of West Bengal cadre.

Other appointments

The other appointments approved by the ACC includes

Rakesh Srivastava, Member Secretary of National Commission for Backward Classes as Secretary,

Leena Nair has been appointed as secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

ManipursignsMoUtoburydeadbodies

An MoU was signed between the State government and tribal representatives in Churachandpur district of Manipur thereby ending the impasse over the eight bodies that have been awaiting burial since September 2015.

The bodies of the eight men, killed in police firing during a protest in 2015 against three anti-migrant Bills introduced by the State government, have been lying in the morgue for over 500 days. Their families had refused to claim them till their demands regarding the Bills were met.

Key facts:

The contentious bills are the Manipur Land Reforms and Land Revenue (7th Amendment) Bill, 2015, the Manipur Shops and Establishment (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Protection of Peoples Bill, 2015

As per the new MoU, the government shall pay Rs. 10 lakh each to the nine bereaved families Government jobs will be provided to a member of each family while the injured persons would

be given financial assistance. The eight bodies shall be claimed within May 25.

Labour meet to focus on social security

The Standing Labour Committee, chaired by Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, will meet on May 11 to decide the agenda of the ILC, also known as the ‘labour parliament’ of the country.

About:

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The ILC is the apex level tripartite forum in the Labour Ministry which includes representatives from trade unions, employers and state governments.

Key facts:

The main theme of the conference will likely be universal social security coverage as demanded by all central trade unions

The central trade unions have proposed discussing universal social security cover for workers, compulsory recognition of trade unions in case of industrial disputes

The abolition of contract labour system in perennial nature of jobs and enhancing the minimum wages in the ILC.

For ILC agenda, the government has proposed taking up the issue of future of work, women participation of workforce and its challenges along with strategies to eradicate child labour in the country.

Himalayan rocks may up flood risk, finds study

Earthquakes and landslides in the Himalayas — that lead to large volume of hard rocks being dumped into rivers — can increase flood risk up to hundreds of kilometres downstream, potentially affecting millions of people in India and neighbouring countries, a new study warns.

Earthquakes and landslides in the Himalayas — that lead to large volume of hard rocks being dumped into rivers — can increase flood risk up to hundreds of kilometres downstream, potentially affecting millions of people in India and neighbouring countries, a new study warns.

They found that large landslides in the southern, lower elevation ranges of the Himalayas are more likely to increase flood risk than those in the high mountains further north.

Rocks in the south are extremely hard and travel only a short distance less than 20 km to reach the Plain.

This means much of this rock such as quartzite reaches the Ganga Plain as gravel or pebbles, which can build up in rivers, altering the natural path of the water

Broken down into sand

Rocks from more northerly regions of the Himalayas tend to be softer, and the team found they often travel at least 100 km to reach the plain.

These types of rock, including limestone and gneiss, are gradually broken down into sand which, unlike gravel and pebbles, is dispersed widely as it travels downstream.

Gujarat announces its version of ‘Amma canteen’

Inspired by the success of the Amma canteens in Tamil Nadu and the Annapurna Rasoi of Rajasthan, the Gujarat government has launched a populist scheme to provide highly subsidised meals at Rs10 to around 50,000 construction workers in the state.

Key facts:

Announced in the 2017-18 budget, the scheme is targeted at the mostly seasonal migrant labourers from the tribal areas of the state, who come looking for work in four major cities, Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara.

Under the new scheme, construction workers will receive a packed lunch of dal, sabzi and roti at Rs10.

The state’s labour and employment department has floated tenders and will launch the scheme after finalisation of the bids. The Gujarat Construction Workers Welfare Board (GCWWB)

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under the labour and employment department will fund the scheme, which proposes to involve voluntary organisations for implementation in the urban areas.

The civic body in Ahmedabad has identified 40 locations where the meals will be provided.

The state government collects cess from builders for the welfare of construction workers. According to sources, more than Rs1,000 crore has been collected, and this amount is expected to be utilised in funding the new scheme.

Ahead of the assembly polls in the state, scheduled for November this year, the Gujarat government wants to cover all the four cities and also the state capital of Gandhinagar.

WORLD

China urges U.S. to isolate Dalai Lama

China urged the United States to isolate the Dalai Lama following a meeting in Dharamsala between a congressional delegation and the Tibetan spirtual leader.

On Tuesday, the delegation led by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi visited the Dalai Lama at his headquarters in India. The meeting took place amid signs that warming ties between Washington and Beijing, following a meeting last month between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, could cool Washington’s enthusiasm to engage with the Dalai Lama.

Who is Emmanuel Macron — the march of a French liberal

Why did he enter politics?

Mr. Macron’s rise from a civil servant-turned-Rothschild investment banker to a popular presidential candidate in one of the most crucial elections in France’s recent history was rather phenomenal. He never stood for any election. Barring a brief period when he was a member of the Socialist Party, Mr. Macron did not have any association with France’s political parties.

Till three years ago, when he was appointed Economy Minister by President Francois Hollande, he was hardly known beyond his close circles.

He founded a new movement, En Marche! (Move on), in April 2016.

What is his agenda?

He describes the party as “neither left nor right.”

He favours liberal economic reforms, including cutting public expenditure and amending the country’s labour code, which liberal economists say is an impediment to growth. On foreign policy, he’s as much an establishmentarian as the outgoing president. He supports a strong European Union, unlike his rival who wants a Britain-like referendum in France to determine the country’s future ties with the EU. He also wants closer ties with the U.S. and is sceptical of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. On social issues, Mr. Macron is a steadfast liberal.

Will ‘outsider’ tag help?

His decision to enter politics through a new movement came at a pivotal moment in recent French political history. The Socialist President is highly unpopular. After three major terror attacks over the past two years, a sense of insecurity was gripping France. The far-right elements, such as the National Front, were actively trying to cash in on this insecurity, through an anti-establishment and anti-

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immigration narrative. The Brexit vote as well as the U.S. presidential election has bolstered the far-right momentum in France, leaving the liberals looking for a convincing candidate in the elections.

Mr. Hollande ruled himself out of the race. His Socialist Party candidate Benoit Hamon was highly unpopular. The Republicans’ candidate, Francois Fillon, was hit by a scandal. Mr. Macron could present himself as the moderate, reform-oriented, articulate candidate with an “outsider” tag. And he won the elections

SC not to examine validity of polygamy The Supreme Court on Thursday asked where Muslim men will go for divorce if triple talaq is declared unconstitutional, even as the Centre submitted that it is against all forms of triple talaq. Key facts:

The court was addressing the point that a vacuum may arise if triple talaq is declared invalid, leaving Muslim men no forum to go to for a divorce.

The court, at the outset of the day-long hearing, said it intended to restrict itself to considering the constitutionality of triple talaq and not extend to polygamy.

The Bench said it would examine whether triple talaq is a fundamental or essential part of the religion. And if so, it would not interfere any further

The government sought the court to answer “whether in a secular democracy, religion can be a reason to deny equal status and dignity available to women under the Constitution.”

National Waterways Projects

As per The National Waterways Act, 2016, 111 waterways have been declared as National Waterways (NWs) including the five existing NWs. Out of the 111 NWs, NW-1, 2, & 3 are already operational. Cargo as well as passenger / cruise vessels are plying on these waterways. DPR for development of NW-4 & 5 were completed in 2010. The DPR of NW 5 was updated in 2014. For the newly declared 106 NWs, techno-economic feasibility studies have been initiated. A statement indicating the approximate length of each of the 111 NWs is given below: . Sl. No

National Waterways Approximate Length (Km.)

State

1. National Waterway-1 1620 UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal

2. National Waterway-2 891 Assam 3. National Waterway-3 365 Kerala 4. National Waterway-4 2890 Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,

Telanagana 5. National Waterway-5 588 Odisha, West Bengal 6. National Waterway-6 71 Assam 7. National Waterway-7 96 West Bengal 8. National Waterway-8 28 Kerala 9. National Waterway-9 38 Kerala 10. National Waterway-10 45 Maharashtra 11. National Waterway-11 98 Maharashtra 12. National Waterway-12 5.5 UP 13. National Waterway-13 11 Tamil Nadu

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14. National Waterway-14 49 Odisha 15. National Waterway-15 137 West Bengal 16. National Waterway-16 121 Assam 17. National Waterway-17 191 HP & Punjab 18. National Waterway-18 73 Assam 19. National Waterway-19 68 UP 20. National Waterway-20 94 Tamil Nadu 21. National Waterway-21 139 Telangana Karnataka 22. National Waterway-22 156 Odisha 23. National Waterway-23 56 Odisha 24. National Waterway-24 60 UP 25 National Waterway-25 33 Goa 26 National Waterway-26 53 J&K & Punjab 27 National Waterway-27 17 Goa 28 National Waterway-28 45 Maharashtra 29 National Waterway-29 135 West Bengal 30 National Waterway-30 114 Assam 31 National Waterway-31 110 Assam 32 National Waterway-32 63 Assam 33 National Waterway-33 61 Assam 34 National Waterway-34 130 West Bengal 35 National Waterway-35 113 West Bengal 36 National Waterway-36 121 West Bengal 37 National Waterway-37 300 Bihar & UP 38 National Waterway-38 62 Assam & West Bengal 39 National Waterway-39 49 Meghalaya 40 National Waterway-40 340 Bihar & UP 41 National Waterway-41 112 Karnataka 42 National Waterway-42 518 UP 43 National Waterway-43 10 Karnataka 44 National Waterway-44 64 West Bengal 45 National Waterway-45 650 Haryana, Punjab & Rajasthan 46 National Waterway-46 35 J&K 47 National Waterway-47 131 West Bengal 48 National Waterway-48 590 Rajasthan & Gujarat 49 National Waterway-49 110 J&K 50 National Waterway-50 43 Meghalaya & Assam 51 National Waterway-51 23 Karnataka 52 National Waterway-52 54 Karnataka 53 National Waterway-53 145 Maharashtra 54 National Waterway-54 86 UP & Bihar 55 National Waterway-55 364 Tamil Nadu 56 National Waterway-56 23 Jharkhand 57 National Waterway-57 46 Assam 58 National Waterway-58 236 Bihar 59 National Waterway-59 28 Kerala 60 National Waterway-60 77 West Bengal 61 National Waterway-61 28 Meghalaya 62 National Waterway-62 100 Assam 63 National Waterway-63 327 Rajasthan 64 National Waterway-64 425 Odisha 65 National Waterway-65 81 West Bengal 66 National Waterway-66 248 Gujarat 67 National Waterway-67 94 Karnataka 68 National Waterway-68 41 Goa

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69 National Waterway-69 5 Tamil Nadu 70 National Waterway-70 242 Maharashtra, &Telangana 71 National Waterway-71 27 Goa 72 National Waterway-72 60 Maharashtra 73 National Waterway-73 227 Gujarat 74 National Waterway-74 78 Karnataka 75 National Waterway-75 141 Tamil Nadu 76 National Waterway-76 23 Karnataka 77 National Waterway-77 20 Tamil Nadu 78 National Waterway-78 265 Maharashtra & Telangana 79 National Waterway-79 29 Andhra Pradesh 80 National Waterway-80 125 Tamil Nadu 81 National Waterway-81 35 Bihar 82 National Waterway-82 72 Assam 83 National Waterway-83 31 Maharashtra 84 National Waterway-84 42 HP & J&K 85 National Waterway-85 31 Maharashtra 86 National Waterway-86 72 West Bengal 87 National Waterway-87 212 Gujarat 88 National Waterway-88 14 Goa 89 National Waterway-89 46 Maharashtra 90 National Waterway-90 29 Karnataka 91 National Waterway-91 52 Maharashtra 92 National Waterway-92 26 West Bengal 93 National Waterway-93 62 Meghalaya 94 National Waterway-94 160 Bihar 95 National Waterway-95 111 Assam 96 National Waterway-96 314 Jharkhand, West Bengal &

Odisha 97 National Waterway-97

(Sunderbans) 654 West Bengal

98 National Waterway-98 377 Punjab & HP 99 National Waterway-99 64 Tamil Nadu 100 National Waterway-100 436 Maharashtra & Gujarat 101 National Waterway-101 42 Nagaland 102 National Waterway-102 86 Mizoram 103 National Waterway-103 73 UP 104 National Waterway-104 230 Telangana, Karnataka & AP 105 National Waterway-105 16 Karnataka 106 National Waterway-106 20 Meghalaya 107 National Waterway-107 45 Tamil Nadu 108 National Waterway-108 53 UP 109 National Waterway-109 164 Maharashtra & Telangana 110 National Waterway-110 1089 Haryana, UP & Delhi 111 National Waterway-111 50 Goa

Prior to undertaking any developmental activities on NWs, a Techno-Economic Feasibility Study is conducted which inter-alia, includes, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). Based on these study reports, necessary mitigation measures are taken up as per extant rules and regulation. The extent, scope and expenditure on development of these NWs will be known after completion of these studies.

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As per RITES Report of 2014 on “Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid (INWTG)” the cost comparison between Inland Water Transport (IWT) mode and other mode of surface transport like rail and road is as below:

The significant cost

saving shows that the promotion of inland water transport (IWT) would have positive impact on the overall logistics cost.

AIDS control programme running blind without enough testing kits

In a policy shift, the Health Ministry started a ‘test and treat’ policy for HIV patients. This would entitle every person who tests positive for HIV to free treatment.

While launching the test & treat policy, Health Minister J.P. Nadda, announced that India will soon develop a National Strategic Plan for HIV for next seven years and these seven years will be crucial for ending AIDS

There are two HIV tests: the ELISA detects infection, and viral load test, the HIV’s RNA in an infected person. Viral suppression (reducing viral load to an undetectable level) is the treatment goal.

Without the viral load test, by the Ministry’s own admission, “immunological failure is detected very late, leading to continuation on failing regimen, accumulation of mutations, and compromised future treatment options

The government is unable to do viral load testing at the required scale due to a shortage of kits. The cause of this shortage: apparently, there are no takers for the government’s tender for manufacture and distribution of kits.

India is party to a UNAIDS programme under which it must implement the ‘90-90-90’ strategy: diagnose 90% of HIV-infected people in India; put 90% of cases on ART; and achieve viral suppression among 90% of the ART recipients. For early detection of treatment failure, and to achieve the 90-90-90 target by 2020, NACO wants a million viral load tests a year.

In the Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS (2017-2024), NACO says “India has over a million people on ART, and only 2% are on second line treatment. Viral load failure over 10 months is 10%. Clients whose viral load is not being suppressed need to be moved to an improved regimen. Lack of equipment affects the last 90”.

Railways to acquire EoTT system to run trains without guards

The Indian Railways will float global tenders worth over Rs. 100 crore for acquiring sophisticated equipment to run 1,000 trains without guards.

Key facts:

The End of Train Telemetry (EoTT) equipment is used to establish communication between the locomotive driver and the last wagon of the train to ensure that the train is running with all coaches/wagons as a complete unit.

The equipment is designed to do the guard’s job by giving indication to the loco driver in case of parting of coaches or wagons from the rear side of the train.

Each set of EoTT device is estimated to cost approximately Rs.10 lakh.

Mode Freight ( Rs/TKm ) Taxes Total Rs / TKm

Railways 1.36 3.71% 1.41 Highways 2.50 3.09% 2.58 IWT 1.06 Nil 1.06

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EoTT system comprises two units — one unit called cab display unit (CDU) fitted on the locomotive and the other is sense and brake unit (SBU) fitted on the last coach or wagon of the train.Both the units are fitted with radio transmitter which communicate with each other.

In case of a train parting, the system is designed to indicate to the driver the parting of the train and to apply brakes to the rear unit, thus averting collision of the rear portion with the front portion of the train.

Railways will acquire 1,000 EoTT equipment to begin with for its container operations and later more such unit will be procured for all trains.

All goods trains on the proposed dedicated freight corridors will run with EoTT system. The EoTT equipment is used to establish communication between locomotive driver and the last

vehicle of the train to see that the train is running with all coaches/wagons as a complete train. There is a transmitter fitted on a locomotive and a receiver that is fitted on the end of the last

vehicle. The transmitter and the last vehicle receive exchange signals at regular intervals to ensure that

the train is running intact. If there is a break in the communication between the two units, the driver gets a signal that the

train has parted The transmitter unit, fitted at the end of the train’s last wagon is connected to the brakes and it

exhausts the brake pipe air and applies brakes to the broken away portion of wagons so that they do not collide.

Govt. regulator gives nod for GM mustard

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), India's apex regulator for genetically modified seeds, cleared GM mustard for environmental release and use in farmer fields.

Key fact

GM mustard would be the first transgenic food crop to be allowed for commercial cultivation in Indian fields and would be a gateway for several genetically-modified food crops in India.

Bt Brinjal was cleared by the Committee in 2010 but was blocked by then Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, who cited, among other things, a paucity of safety tests.

Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH -11), the transgenic mustard in question, has been developed by a team of scientists at Delhi University led by former vice-chancellor Deepak Pental under a government-funded project.

On Pokhran nuke test anniversary, Modi hails Vajpayee

On the National Technology Day commemorated to mark the anniversary of Pokhran nuclear tests of 1998, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed the “courage” shown by the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Key facts:

Since 1999, May 11 is commemorated as the National Technology Day to mark India’s scientific prowess and technological advancements.

It was the same date in 1998 when India successfully conducted first among the five nuclear tests in Pokhran under the leadership of Mr. Vajpayee.

Mr Modi lauded the role the people of Pokhran played by keeping silent during the nuclear tests

NGT seeks report on removal of encroachments near water bodies

The Kolkata bench of the National Green Tribunal has sought a report on removal of encroachments from the banks of 42 tanks in Berhampur city of Odisha.

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Lawyer Biranchi Narayan Mahapatra had filed a petition in the NGT about pollution of these water bodies due to encroachments on their banks. The State Pollution Control Board had also submitted an inquiry report in which it stated that 6,861 families that had encroached on the banks were responsible for the pollution.

Portal to bust tower signal myths

The Telecom Department opened a web portal named as ‘tarang sanchar’

Aims:

To allay misconceptions and fear of health issues due to Electro-Magnetic Fields (EMF) emissions from mobile phone towers.

To check any tower and its EMF signal compliance status

Fitch keeps India ratings at lowest tier

U.S.-based agency ‘Fitch’ kept India’s sovereign rating unchanged at ‘BBB–’, the lowest investment grade with stable outlook assigned to the country more than a decade ago.

The reason has been cited as weak fiscal position

The leading rating agency, however, expects India’s growth rate to accelerate to 7.7% in fiscals 2017 and 2018, from 7.1% in fiscal 2016.

Hope floats for residents of remote Odisha villages

A new floating medical unit with life saving equipment and beds for patients started operations in Balimela reservoir in the Maoist-infested Malkangiri district

Key facts:

It will serve the inhabitants of 151 remote cut-off villages. The second floating medical unit is in the reservoir, is more advanced and has facilities for tests

and treatment during transportation of patients from remote cut-off villages to the nearest community health centre at Chitrakonda, about 30 km away on the other side of the reservoir.

Apart from being a floating ambulance, it will be used to provide medical services to inhabitants of cut-off areas through regular health camps.

The ambulance, made of fibre-reinforced plastic polymer to increase safety, has two beds for patients, a doctor’s chamber, staff nurse chamber, a laboratory for tests

The units can operate at night as they are equipped with powerful headlights. The new ambulance will have an AYUSH doctor, an attendant, a pharmacist, an MBBS doctor, a

medical lab technician and one auxiliary nurse and midwife. For 20 days every month these boats will hold medical camps at 70 places in the cut-off areas of

Balimela reservoir.

Background:

It takes about three to four hours by boat to reach the farthest points like Jodamba and Panasput panchayats in the cut-off areas. The cut-off villages do not have direct road link with Chitrakonda, the place where the nearest CHC is located.

Institute to tap gut microbes for drugs

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The CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh (IMTech), is working on a programme to tap its vast collection of microbial samples and develop therapeutic products or drugs.

Background:

The human body is estimated to have about 35 trillion cells, and about two to three times as many microbial organisms.

Most of them live in the gastrointestinal tract, which is home to around 3,000-4,000 species of bacteria, not including viruses and other life forms. Some are harmful and many, not.

The global probiotics (or beneficial bacteria) industry has already started using certain species of bacteria as healing or curative agents.

Mother Dairy, Amul, Danone Yakult, and Nestle India are among the leading producers of probiotic functional foods and beverages in India.

Their foods use lactobacilli and bifidobacteria to make yoghurt, curd, and several dietary supplements.

The Korean Demilitarized Zone

The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula.

Key facts:

It is established by the provisions of the Armistice Agreement for the Restoration of the South Korean State (which ensures the complete cessation of open hostilities and all acts of armed force in Korea until a peaceful settlement is achieved) to serve as a buffer zone between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

The Demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the Korean Peninsula roughly in half.

It was created by agreement between North Korea, China and the United Nations in 1953. The DMZ is 250 kilometres (160 miles) long, and about 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) wide. Within the DMZ is a meeting-point between the two nations in the small Joint Security Area near

the western end of the zone, where negotiations take place.

Location:

The Korean Demilitarized Zone intersects but does not follow the 38th parallel north, which was the border before the Korean War.

It crosses the parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and the east end lying north of it.

Though the zone separating both sides is demilitarized, beyond that strip the border is one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world.

The Northern Limit Line, or NLL, is the disputed maritime demarcation line between North and South Korea in the Yellow Sea, not agreed in the armistice.

The coastline and islands on both sides of the NLL are also heavily militarized

History

The 38th parallel north—which divides the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, it was the original boundary between the United States and Soviet Union's brief administration areas of Korea at the end of World War II. Upon the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, informally North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (ROK, informally South Korea) in 1948, it became a de facto international border and one of the most tense fronts in the Cold War.

Both the North and the South remained dependent on their sponsor states from 1948 to the outbreak of the Korean War. That conflict, which claimed over three million lives and divided the Korean Peninsula along ideological lines, commenced on 25 June 1950, with a full-front DPRK invasion across the 38th

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parallel, and ended in 1953 after international intervention pushed the front of the war back to near the 38th parallel.

Detail of the DMZ

In the Armistice Agreement of 27 July 1953, the DMZ was created as each side agreed to move their troops back 2,000 m (2,200 yards) from the front line, creating a buffer zone 4 km (2.5 mi) wide.

The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) goes through the center of the DMZ and indicates where the front was when the agreement was signed.

Owing to this theoretical stalemate, and genuine hostility between the North and the South, large numbers of troops are still stationed along both sides of the line, each side guarding against potential aggression from the other side.

The armistice agreement explains exactly how many military personnel and what kind of weapons are allowed in the DMZ.

Soldiers from both sides may patrol inside the DMZ, but they may not cross the MDL

Joint Security Area

Inside the DMZ, near the western coast of the peninsula, Panmunjom is the home of the Joint Security Area (JSA). Originally, it was the only connection between North and South Korea but that changed in 2007 when a Korail train went through the DMZ to the North on the new Donghae Bukbu Line built on the east coast of Korea.

Flagpoles

South Korean Daeseong-dong and its flagpole

The world's fourth-tallest flagpole (160m) flying a North Korean flag over Kijŏng-dong near Panmunjom

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament

Key facts:

The treaty defines nuclear-weapon states as those that have built and tested a nuclear explosive device before 1 January 1967; these are the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China. Four other states are known or believed to possess nuclear weapons: India, Pakistan, and North Korea have openly tested and declared that they possess nuclear weapons, while Israel is deliberately ambiguous regarding its nuclear weapons status.

Opened for signature in 1968, the treaty entered into force in 1970. As required by the text, after twenty-five years, NPT Parties met in May 1995 and agreed to extend the treaty indefinitely.

Four UN member states have never accepted the NPT, three of which are thought to possess nuclear weapons: India, Israel, and Pakistan. In addition, South Sudan, founded in 2011, has not joined.

The treaty is reviewed every five years in meetings called Review Conferences of the Parties to the Treaty of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Even though the treaty was originally conceived with a limited duration of 25 years, the signing parties decided, by consensus, to unconditionally extend the treaty indefinitely during the Review Conference in New York City on 11 May 1995, culminating successful U.S. government efforts led by Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr.

Structure of NPT

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The NPT consists of a preamble and eleven articles.

Although the concept of "pillars" is not expressed anywhere in the NPT, the treaty is nevertheless sometimes interpreted as a three-pillar system, with an implicit balance among them:

non-proliferation, disarmament, the right to peacefully use nuclear technology

Lucideus unveils new cybersecurity platform

Delhi-based Lucideus Tech on Wednesday unveiled a new cybersecurity platform for enterprises called SAFE (Security Assessment Framework for Enterprise).

Key facts:

SAFE can safeguard against multiple kinds of advanced cyber attacks SAFE used with any of the reputed anti-malware solutions, reduces the probability of a

Ransomware hack by over 50%,

China’s relationships with North korea

The Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge across the Yalu (Amnokgang) at Sinuiju and Dandong

The two countries are generally perceived to be on friendly terms, however in recent years there has been growing concern in the PRC over issues such as North Korea's nuclear weapons program, their sinking of the ROKS Cheonan and their bombardment of Yeonpyeong. After North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006, the Chinese government stated that they were "resolutely opposed to it" and voted for United Nations sanctions against North Korea.

The Council on Foreign Relations suggests that the PRC's main priority in its bilateral relations with the DPRK is to prevent the collapse of Kim Jong-un's government, concerned that such an event would provoke a surge of North Korean refugees into China. All the while Chinese counterparts are interested in buffering a zone to US-allied South Korea, it also suggests, however, that Chinese-DPRK relations may be soured due to China's concerns about Japan's remilitarization in response to North Korea's military behaviour.

History

North Korea is ruled by the faction which had its roots in an anti-Japanese Korean nationalist movement based in Manchuria and China. Kim Il-sung participated in this movement and ensured the triumph of his faction over others within the ruling Korean Workers' Party, which have since been purged. In 1950, the PRC entered the Korean War in support of North Korea. Later after the war, in an attempt to consolidate power, Kim Il-sung crushed the Russian Communist, Chinese Communist and domestic factions to promote the dominance of his guerilla group faction.

In 1961, the two countries signed the Sino-North Korean Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty, whereby Communist China pledged to immediately render military and other assistance by all means to its ally against any outside attackThis treaty was prolonged twice, in 1981 and 2001, with a validity until 2021.

Since 2003, the PRC has been a participant in six-party talks aimed at resolving the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

In 2006, when the DPRK test-fired a series of ballistic missiles, after PRC officials had advised North Korean authorities not to do so, Chinese authorities publicly rebuked what the west perceives as Mainland China's closest ally, and supported the UN Security Council Resolution 1718, which imposed

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sanctions on North Korea. At other times however, China has blocked United Nations resolutions threatening sanctions against North Korea

In January, 2009, China's paramount leader Hu Jintao and North Korean's supreme leader Kim Jong-il exchanged greetings and declared 2009 as the "year of China-DPRK friendship", marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries

On 28 November 2010, as part of the United States diplomatic cables leak, WikiLeaks and media partners such as The Guardian published details of communications in which PRC officials referred to North Korea as a "spoiled child" and its nuclear program as "a threat to the whole world's security". Two anonymous PRC officials also allegedly told of growing support in Beijing for Korean reunification under the South's government. A 2013 article by Deng Yuwen, deputy editor of Study Times, the journal of the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China also promoted reunification of North and South Korea

Border

China and North Korea share a 1,416-kilometre long border (890 miles) that corresponds, broadly speaking, to the course of the Yalu and Tumen rivers. The countries have six border crossings between them. In November 2003, China reportedly transferred responsibility for securing its border with North Korea from the police to its army

Much of China's trade with the DPRK goes through the port of Dandong on the Yalu River

In February 1997, the access to foreigners and PRC-nationals travelling as tourists of the Tumen River bridge at Wonjong-Quanhe on the DPRK-PRC border was allowed. This led to a phenomenal increase in cross-border traffic and business within one year; from less than 1,000 passengers in 1996 to over 100,000 in 1997.

In May 2012, The PRC and North Korea signed an agreement on the construction and management of the cross-border bridge between Manpo in the Jagang Province of North Korea and Jian in China.

Economic relations

The PRC permitted the Yanbian Korean Ethnic Group Autonomous Prefecture to conduct border trade with the DPRK in August 1954. A barter contract between China and the DPRK was officially signed the same year. The contract stipulates the following:

1. The two sides shall barter in the form of mutual exchange of materials. 2. The two sides shall settle the accounts with Chinese renminbi. 3. The sites of barter shall be in the PRC's city of Tumen and in the Korean cities of Namyang,

Hoeryeong, Khyongwon, and Musan.

In the 1950s, border trade between China and DPRK reached as high as 7.56 million Chinese renminbi. The DPRK received grain, textiles, clothing, paper, soap and other goods in exchange for seafood and apples. In the 1960s, the two sides continued to trade but accounts were settled in Soviet rubles rather than Chinese renminbi. Trade volume from 1960 to 1961 was 2.61 million rubles and from 1962 to 1969, 8.23 million rubles. Then trade was suspended due to the cultural revolution until a new contract was signed in 1982 between China and the DPRK, which set the Swiss franc as the exchange currency. Since then, PRC-DPRK border trade has increased rapidly with the trade between Jilin Province and the DPRK alone reaching 1.03 million Swiss francs (510K USD) Trade volume amounted to 11.99 million Swiss francs (CHF) in 1983 (5.71M USD), CHF 100 million in 1985 (40.70M USD), CHF 160 million in 1988 (109.34M USD), and CHF 150 million (88.2M USD in 1990. The PRC expanded the former three border trade areas to 13 and the DPRK from 3 to 6 areas. The PRC's economic assistance to North Korea accounts for about half of all foreign aid given by the PRC. Beijing provides the aid directly to Pyongyang, thereby enabling it to bypass the United Nations.

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Bilateral agreements with USA

Launched in 2003, the Six Party Talks are aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program through negotiations involving China, the United States, North and South Korea, Japan, and Russia.

The disjointed process has been hindered over the years by North Korea's repeated missile tests and other provocations.

Progress reached a stalemate when Pyongyang walked out of negotiations in 2009 and, a year later, revealed a vast new uranium enrichment facility to visiting U.S. scientists.

In early 2012, under new leader Kim Jong-un, the isolated nation announced it would suspend nuclear tests and allow international inspectors to monitor the moratorium in exchange for food aid from the United States.

But a long-range missile launch in late 2012 and another test in early 2013 that defied UN resolutions prompted Russia to prod Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.

The Framework

The Six Party Talks, which marked a reversal of Washington's nonengagement policy with Pyongyang, began in August 2003 with several rounds of negotiations that culminated in a September 2005 agreement in which Pyongyang agreed to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Former president George W. Bush had previously included North Korea in the "Axis of Evil" during his 2002 State of the Union address, while the CIA concluded later that year that Pyongyang was pursuing a uranium enrichment program that violated a 1994 normalization agreement. North Korea admitted its activity and subsequently withdrew from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), restarting its plutonium enrichment program and forcing the departure of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.

Tensions heightened further in March 2003, when North Korean fighter aircraft intercepted a U.S. spy plane over the Sea of Japan, leading the United States, North Korea, and China to hold trilateral talks in Beijing a month later in a prelude to the first round of Six Party Talk

Boundary Lines Between Different Countries:

Majinot Line :France-Germany Alpine Line : Italy-France Markat Reef: Sweden-Finland Durand Line: Durand Line divides Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortimer Durand drawn it in 1896. Hindenburg: Line Is the divider line between Germany and Poland. The Germans with drawn this line in 1917 at the time of World War I Marginal Line: Marginal Line: This boundary line was the 320 km line of defensive wall on the Russia-Finland border. Macmahon Line: Macmahon Line existed between India and China. This boundary line was drawn up by Sir Henry MacMahon. China did not identified this line.In 1962 China crossed MacMahon line. Medicine Line: Medicine Line is a boundary line divides Canada and the United States of America. Order-Neisse Line: Border between Poland and Germany (Neisse is a river) adopted at the Poland Conference after World War II. Pal Strait :India – SriLanka Radcliffe Line: Boundary line between India and Pakistan. Sir Radcliffe was drawn up this line. 16th Parallel Line :Namibia-Angola 17th Parallel: It is a border line between North Vietnam and South Vietnam before two counties were combined. 24th Parallel: 24th Parallel is the line which Pakistan claims for boundary between India and Pakistan. India didn’t recognize this line. 36th Parallel: makes the southernmost border of the Missouri State with the Arkansas State. 38th Parallel: this boundary line divides North Korea and South Korea. 40th Parallel: It is the northern boundary of the British Colony of Maryland. 42nd Parallel: This Border line is present between New York and Pennsylvania. 49th Parallel: is the boundary/border between United States and Canada.

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The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an arms control treaty that outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors.

Key facts:

The full name of the treaty is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction

It is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an intergovernmental organization based in The Hague, Netherlands.

The treaty entered into force in 1997. The Chemical Weapons Convention comprehensively prohibits the use, development,

production, stockpiling and transfer of chemical weapons. Any chemical used for warfare is considered a chemical weapon by the Convention.

The parties' main obligation under the convention is to effect this prohibition, as well as the destruction of all current chemical weapons. The destruction activities are verified by the OPCW.

Key points of the Convention

Prohibition of production and use of chemical weapons Destruction (or monitored conversion to other functions) of chemical weapons production

facilities Destruction of all chemical weapons (including chemical weapons abandoned outside the state

parties territory) Assistance between State Parties and the OPCW in the case of use of chemical weapons An OPCW inspection regime for the production of chemicals which might be converted to

chemical weapons International cooperation in the peaceful use of chemistry in relevant areas

Controlled substances

The convention distinguishes three classes of controlled substance,[ chemicals that can either be used as weapons themselves or used in the manufacture of weapons. The classification is based on the quantities of the substance produced commercially for legitimate purposes. Each class is split into Part A, which are chemicals that can be used directly as weapons, and Part B, which are chemicals useful in the manufacture of chemical weapons. Separate from the precursors, the convention defines toxic chemicals as "any chemical which through its chemical action on life processes can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm to humans or animals. This includes all such chemicals, regardless of their origin or of their method of production, and regardless of whether they are produced in facilities, in munitions or elsewhere."

Schedule 1 chemicals have few, or no uses outside chemical weapons. These may be produced or used for research, medical, pharmaceutical or chemical weapon defence testing purposes but production above 100 grams per year must be declared to the OPCW. A country is limited to possessing a maximum of 1 tonne of these materials. Examples are sulfur mustard and nerve agents, and substances which are solely used as precursor chemicals in their manufacture. A few of these chemicals have very small scale non-military applications, for example milligram quantities of nitrogen mustard are used to treat certain cancers.

Schedule 2 chemicals have legitimate small-scale applications. Manufacture must be declared and there are restrictions on export to countries that are not CWC signatories. An example is thiodiglycol which can be used in the manufacture of mustard agents, but is also used as a solvent in inks.

Schedule 3 chemicals have large-scale uses apart from chemical weapons. Plants which manufacture more than 30 tonnes per year must be declared and can be inspected, and there are restrictions on export to countries which are not CWC signatories. Examples of these substances are phosgene (the most lethal chemical weapon employed in WWI)which has been used as a chemical weapon but which is also a precursor in the manufacture of many legitimate organic compounds (eg.

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pharmaceutical agents and many common pesticides), and triethanolamine, used in the manufacture of nitrogen mustard but also commonly used in toiletries and detergents.

The treaty also deals with carbon compounds called in the treaty "discrete organic chemicals", the majority of which exhibit moderate-high direct toxicity or can be readily converted into compounds with toxicity sufficient for practical use as a chemical weapon.[18] These are any carbon compounds apart from long chain polymers, oxides, sulfides and metal carbonates, such as organophosphates. The OPCW must be informed of, and can inspect, any plant producing (or expecting to produce) more than 200 tonnes per year, or 30 tonnes if the chemical contains phosphorus, sulfur or fluorine, unless the plant solely produces explosives or hydrocarbons.

List of all the agreements signed on banning of usage of chemical armaments

Agreement Year Parties Nature of prohibition

Strasbourg Agreement 1675

France; Holy Roman Empire

Prohibited the use of poison bullets in wars between the two states

Brussels Declaration 1874 Never ratified

Proposed a ban on "employment of poison or poisoned weapons". It was never adopted, but helped lead to the Hague Conventions.

Declaration of the Hague Convention of 1899

1899 31 states Banned "projectiles the sole objective of which is the diffusion of asphyxiating or deleterious gases."

Hague Convention of 1907

1907 35 states Banned the use of "poisons or poisonous weapons"

Treaty of Versailles 1919

Germany; Allies of World War I

Forbade the production or importation of poison gases by Germany

Washington Arms Conference 1922 Never

ratified] Proposed a ban on all forms of chemical warfare

Geneva Protocol 1925 137 states Banned the use of "asphyxiating, poisonous or other Gases, and bacteriological methods of warfare."

World Disarmament Conference

1933 Never ratified Proposed an expansion of the Geneva Protocol to provide a precise definition of chemical warfare and prohibit chemical warfare against non-signatory states.

Biological Weapons Convention

1972 163 states

Banned all forms of biological warfare. While not a chemical arms control treaty, it was the result of discussions on both chemical and biological weapons and an important stepping stone towards chemical weapons agreements.

Australia Group 1985 41 states

A group of countries formed to control the export of materials that could be used in chemical and biological warfare. Prohibited shipments of chemical weapons and regulated trade in precursors.

Geneva Summit 1985 U.S. and Soviet Union

A joint statement issued by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev called for "an accelerated timetable to conclude an effective and verifiable [chemical weapons (CW)] ban" and also pledged "to begin discussions on preventing the proliferation of [CW]."

Declaration of the Conference on 1989 149 states A gathering of states that reaffirmed the Geneva Protocol.

All states agreed to "solemnly affirm their commitments

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Agreement Year Parties Nature of prohibition Chemical Weapons Use

not to use chemical weapons and condemn such use."

1990 Chemical Weapons Accord 1990 U.S. and

Soviet Union

A bilateral agreement requiring each nation to reduce their stockpiles of chemical weapons (CW) to no more than 5,000 agent tons by December 31, 2002. The agreement stipulated that destruction of the excess tonnage would begin before 1993 and it required each side cease production of CW upon the accord's entry into force.

Chemical Weapons Convention

1993 188 states

Prohibited the "development, production, acquisition, retention, stockpiling, transfer and use of all chemical weapons." Required states to declare and destroy their chemical arsenals, and provided for the control of chemical weapons precursors

The Dalai Lama and his controversies with china

Founded by Je Tsongkhapa in 1409, the Gelug school practices a particular form of Tibetan Buddhism in and around the area between India and China known as Tibet. One of the group's most famous students was Gendun Drup, the first Dalai Lama. On the one hand, followers consider the Dalai Lama to be the metaphorical manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, an enlightened being of compassion. On the other, the figure is also a political leader of sorts.

So How Many Dalai Lamas Have There Been?

To date, 14 Dalai Lamas have been recognized by the Gelug Buddhists' high lamas, while one appointed by an outside influence was unrecognized and dethroned. As these figures are trained in and brought up among Buddhism's tenets, they often maintain a strict religious lifestyle focused on contemplation. With no time for procreation (usually), how is the position maintained?

Through reincarnation, of course. Each Dalai Lama since the first has been considered the reincarnation of the first's manifestation of the highest compassionate being in Dharma.

ReincarnationBySelectionThe high Lamas of the Gelugs, the Tibetan government and other connected interests generally select the new Dalai Lama after the current one's passing. This process, which involves an intense nationwide search, can take several years. Visions, meditations and other influences contribute to the process. Then again, so have non-spiritual desires like political power and conflict. For example, the current Chinese government maintains its authority to select the 15th Dalai Lama after the 14th and current one passes.

ContemporaryRelationsBetweenTheDalaiLamaAndChinaConsidering the prior note about the Dalai Lama's selection process, it's important to know why such animosity exists between the figure and China. The 13th Dalai Lama declared Tibetan independence from China in 1912. Nearly 40 years later, the People's Republic of China invaded Tibet during the selection process for the 14th Dalai Lama. Recognized in 1950, he fought against China's incursion and lost, agreeing to the invader's plan for the country's inclusion in the republic.

Many Tibetans accuse the Chinese of suppressing Tibetan culture, freedom of expression and worship. They are particularly resentful of efforts to supplant their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama with a communist-approved alternative.

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Another bone of contention is the increasing numbers of Han Chinese migrants arriving in the region, which causes resentment among the local population.

The communist authorities disagree. They point to major infrastructure projects such as the railway linking Lhasa to Qinghai province, and the growth of industry in the region.

China's leaders point out that Tibetan areas are much more wealthy under Beijing's rule than they would otherwise have been.

Beijing also says Tibetan communities enjoy a great deal of autonomy under a system of devolved government.

How long has it been going on?

China says Tibet has officially been part of the Chinese nation since the mid-13th Century, so should continue to be ruled by Beijing.

Many Tibetans disagree, pointing out that the Himalayan region was an independent kingdom for many centuries, and that Chinese rule over Tibet has not been constant.

For example, after a brief military conflict between China and Tibet in the early part of the 20th Century, Tibet declared itself an independent republic in 1912.

Although its status did not receive widespread recognition, Tibet functioned as an independent government until China sent troops to Tibet in 1950, and summoned a Tibetan delegation the following year to sign a treaty ceding sovereignty to China.

Since then there have been periods of unrest and sporadic uprisings as resentment to Beijing's rule has persisted.

After A Failed Rebellion, A Self-Imposed Exile

A few years later, the Tibetan people revolted against Chinese rule in an attempt to regain their sovereignty. The rebellion failed, causing the Dalai Lama to fear for his life in light of Chinese officials' desire for retribution and control. He fled the country and set himself up in India, from where he maintained his position of authority over the Gelug Buddhists and the Tibetan government.

The India connection Tibet has always been a thorn in the side of Sino-Indian relations. India’s harbouring of the Dalai Lama and more than 150,000 Tibetan refugees has always evoked an angry response from China.

Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru agreed to provide all assistance to the Tibetan refugees to settle in India until their eventual return. The Tibetan diaspora maintains a government in exile in Himachal Pradesh, which coordinates political activities for Tibetans in India. The Tibetan government-in-exile functions from McLeod Ganj, a suburb of Dharamsala.

In 1960, the Government of Mysore (Karnataka) allotted nearly 3,000 acres of land for the first ever Tibetan exile settlement, Lugsung Samdupling. A few years later, many more settlements came into being in Karnataka, making it the state with the largest Tibetan refugee population. Other Indian states have also provided land for Tibetan refugees.

The Government of India has built special schools for Tibetans that provide free education, health care, and scholarships. There are a few medical and civil engineering seats reserved for Tibetans. Tibetans live in India with a stay permit which is processed through a document called Registration Certificate (RC). It is renewed every year or half-year in some areas.

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XiJinpingechoes‘Panchsheel’asIndiaskipsBeltandRoadmeetChinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday proposed five principles of peaceful co-existence or ‘Panchsheel’ — the brainchild of China, India and Myanmar in the 1950s as the mantra for advancing the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI), and as a vehicle for achieving sustainable globalisation.

Foreground

Despite India’s decision to skip the two-day Belt and Road Forum (BRF), the once special relationship between New Delhi and Beijing echoed during the opening session of the conclave

Mr. Xi emerged as the new defender of globalisation, countering the resistance to open economic borders in the U.S. and parts of Europe

India’s decision to stay away has raised eyebrows here, as other countries such as Japan and Vietnam, which have serious maritime disputes with China, have sent high-level official delegations, to the BRF.

The United States has also made a U-turn, by dispatching a delegation, led by White House adviser Matt Pottinger.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara are the other South Asian leaders that are attending the BRF.

Key facts:

Overriding India’s strong opposition to projects in areas of contested sovereignty in Kashmir, China and Pakistan reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entailing a mega-investment of up to 50 billion dollars in power projects along the Indus River Cascade (IRC), which runs through the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan area.

The IRC, which has a potential to generate 40,000 MW of power, begins at Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan and runs through Khyber Pakhtunwa.

ISRO’smostpowerfulrockettobelaunchedinJune

India plans to launch next month its most powerful rocket that is capable of transporting a heavier 4-tonne communications satellite and described as a “game-changer” in the first of its kind space mission.

Aims:

It aims for a greater share of the multi-billion dollar global space market and to reduce dependency on international launching vehicles

A successful launch of this rocket will be yet another major step towards being self-reliant in the country’s space programme.

Key facts:

GSLV Mark-III is ISRO’s next launch. The whole process of assembling the various stages and then integrating the satellite into the heat GSLV Mark-III will be India’s most powerful launch vehicle built to lift the heaviest Indian

communications satellites to space. It can put satellites weighing 4 tonnes in space, double the weight that the current GSLV-Mark-

II can lift. It will also enable ISRO to launch from India heavier communications spacecraft to

geostationary orbits of 36,000 km. Because of the absence of a powerful launcher, ISRO currently launches satellites above 2 tonnes

on European rockets for a big fee. The GSLV Mark-III is intended to launch satellites into geostationary orbit and as a launcher for

an Indian crew vehicle.

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It features an Indian cryogenic third stage and a higher payload capacity than the current GSLV.

The satellite would carry Ka and Ku-band payload along with a Geostationary Radiation Spectrometer (GRASP) payload to monitor and study the nature of the charged particles and influence of space radiation on spacecraft and electronic components.

It would also employ advanced spacecraft technologies including bus subsystem experiments in electrical propulsion system, indigenous Li-ion battery and indigenous bus bars for power distribution, among others.

The technology on lithium ion batteries developed by ISRO is good for space programme in terms of cost-effectiveness, but it requires the efforts of industry to develop it to reduce costs

Communications satellites built beyond the capacity of 2.2 tonnes had to be launched from foreign soil, with this efforts are on to launch satellites upto four tonnes and even beyond in India itself.