hard facts vol 1

8/20/2019 Hard Facts Vol 1

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Contents

National Section 1

International Section 2

Special Report Section 3

Business & Economy Section 4

Science & Technology Section 5

Ecology Section 6

Sports Section 7

Persons in NEWS Section 8

Awards Section 9Special Mention Section 10


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National

Recommendat ions on expanding the term custod ia l death :

Due to a PIL filed highlighting the need for police reforms and plight of victims of custodial

violenceas many “encounter killings are custodial deaths”. To plug loopholes the amicus curiae recommends to the court to order mandatory initiation

of criminal proceedings for culpable homicide. Constitution of human rights courts in districts under human rights protection act 1993 and

fill all vacancies. State govt. to appoint independent and non-official personal to conduct regular and random

inspection of police stations.

Delhi Declarat ion pus hes for better educat ion:

At the second meeting of Education Ministers of the South Asian Association for RegionalCooperation (SAARC), issued a joint statement titled “The New Delhi Declaration on

Education.” Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani chaired the meeting. The priority areas of action: enhancing the learning and development readiness of pre-

school children, ensuring education for all, expanding skill development, facilitating mutualrecognition of qualifications and mobility of students and teachers and expandingalternative ways of learning such as open and distance education.

The Ministers discussed India’s use of ICT in education, development and sharing of e -resources, connectivity, e-learning and Massive Open Online Courses. Agencies reportedthat Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission, proposed aSAARC education and research network for sharing information.

One rank, one pension’ scheme pushes up center’s defence pension bill:

The implementation of one rank, one pension has pushed up the Centre’s defence pensionpayments by a record 40 per cent, posing fresh challenges to Union Finance Minister ArunJaitley’s resolve to keep the Centre’s fiscal deficit within the budgetary target of 4.1 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

Piyush Goyal vo ices caut ion on Nuclear pow er

Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal said that nuclear energy offeredpotential but the government would remain “cautious” about tapping it for power generation.

Mr. Goyal reiterated the government’s aim of providing 24x7 power supply to all citizensby 2019, adding that the sector was likely to attract investments of around $250 billion in

the next four to five years. Mr. Goyal’s comments seemed to be at odds with the current negotiations by th e

government, particularly in the field of nuclear technology, where India is negotiating withFrance and the U.S. for the latest “cutting edge technology.”

On nuclear energy, Mr. Goyal pointed out that the U.S. and many European nations hadstopped setting up nuclear plants.

PM Modi adop ts Jayapur v i l lage, seeks end to female foetic ide

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday strongly pitched for ending the wretched practiceof female foeticide as he adopted Jayapur village in his Lok Sabha constituency, urging

villagers to give up dependence on governments for solving their problems.


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The Prime Minister won many hearts when he got up from his seat to adjust the mike forthe village head Durga Devi.

Referring to a recent report which found that 40 per cent of children died young in aneighboring country as they did not wash their hands before eating, Modi said villagersshould pledge that they would not let their kids eat without washing hands.

Pitching for modernization of the textile sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday

asked the weavers to utilize the growing e-commerce market to reach out to globalconsumers even as he announced a package of Rs 2,375 crore to revive banks in easternUP.

Quest ion Hour sh i f ted in RS to stop d isrup t ions

To preserve the sanctity of the Question Hour, Rajya Sabha Chairman has decided tomove it from the customary 11 a.m. to noon in the Upper House starting this winter session.

The new rules will have to be presented and ratified by the Rajya Sabha when it conveneson November 24.

Quest ion Hour:

The first hour of every sitting of Parliament is generally reserved for the asking and answeringof questions.

Types of Parliamentary Quest ions

A Question is one of the devices available to a Member of Parliament to seek information onmatter of public importance concerning subjects detail with by the Ministries and Departmentsand to force on the omissions and commissions of the government.

There are three types of Questions:

Starred Quest ions:

Starred questions are required to be answered orally by the concerned Minister. TheseQuestions are distinguished by an asterisk mark. Members of Parliament have the option toraise the Supplementary Questions based on the replies to the starred Questions. TheseQuestions for which a notice period of minimum 10 days and maximum 21 days has beenprescribed are asked during the question Hour on the fixed days allotted to theMinistry/Department.

Un-starred Quest ions :

Unstarred Questions do not carry asterisk mark and are answered in a written form. The noticeperiod is the same as that for the started Questions and these are also asked on the allotteddays of the Department/Ministry during Question Hour. The replies to the Un-starred Questionsare laid on the Table of the House.

Short Notice Quest ions:

Short Notice Questions relate to a matter of urgent public importance and can be asked with anotice shorter than 10 days. These Questions are answered orally by the Minister concernedand Supplementary Questions can also be asked. However, a Short Notice Question can beasked only with the concurrence of the Minister.


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Zero Hour:

The time immediately following the Question Hour has come to be known as “Zero Hour”.Members can, with prior notice to the Speaker, raise issues of importance during this time.

Govt al locates Rs 5,000 crore u nder AYUSH Mission

The government has allocated five thousand crore rupees under AYUSH Mission forpromoting traditional methods of treatment in the country.

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that through the mission, the government will provideassistance to States in strengthening planning and infrastructure for promoting Ayurveda,Yoga Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, AYUSH.

Dr Vardhan also said that the 12 new AIIMS like institutes being set up in various parts ofthe country will have large department of AYUSH so there should be an integration withallopathic methods and holistic approach be developed.

India-Arab L eague off ic ia ls meet ing in New Delhi

Officials from India and the Arab League are meeting in New Delhi today to discussenhancing cooperation in trade and investment, energy and food security.

The two sides will hold deliberations on environment protection, agriculture and educationbesides regional and international issues of mutual interest. The Indian side is beingrepresented by Secretary East, Anil Wadhwa

Agencies reduce CBDT to just two memb ers

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), a key player to track down black moneystashed away abroad, is under tremendous pressure to meet deadlines despite seniorpositions being vacant.

The CBDT, a constituent of the Special Investigation Team on black money, comprises aChairman and six members: member (income-tax), member (legislation &computerisation), member (personnel & administration), member (investigation), member(revenue &vigilance) and member (audit & judicial).

At present the Board has five vacancies.

About CBDT:

The Central Board of Direct Taxes is a statutory authority functioning under the CentralBoard of Revenue Act, 1963. The officials of the Board in their ex-officio capacity alsofunction as a Division of the Ministry of Finance dealing with matters relating to levy and

collection of direct taxes. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is a part of the Department of Revenue in the

Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It provides essential inputs for policy andplanning of direct taxes in India and is also responsible for administration of the direct taxlaws through Income Tax Department. It is India’s official Financial Action Task Force unit.

The Central Board of Revenue as the Department apex body charged with theadministration of taxes came into existence as a result of the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1924. Initially the Board was in charge of both direct and indirect taxes. However,when the administration of taxes became too unwieldy for one Board to handle, the Boardwas split up into two, namely the Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Exciseand Customs in 1964.

The CBDT Chairman and Members of CBDT are selected from Indian Revenue Service(IRS), a premier civil service of India, whose members constitute the top management ofIncome Tax Department.


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Exclus ive drug co nt ro l ler to test Ayurved ic drugs : Heal th min is ter

India will soon have an exclusive drug control department to facilitate testing of Ayurvedicdrugs, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.

The department will look after research and development, monitor quality control andstandardise the manufacturing of medicinal products of Ayurveda and other traditionalIndian treatment systems, the health minister announced at the inauguration of the ArogyaExpo organised alongside the 6th World Ayurveda Congress in New Delhi.

He said that under the newly-created AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani,Siddha and Homeopathy) mission, the government would provide funding support to stateswanting to set up manufacturing facilities and would create manpower for the traditionalmedicine industry.

“The chief objective of the mission is to encourage integration of AYUSH with modernmedicine and create a holistic healthcare system that can be emulated globally and whichwill achieve the universal goal of health for all,” he said.

Harsh Vardhan said the government, which has allocated Rs. 5,000 crore to the AYUSH

Mission in 12th five-year plan, is keen to partner with states in creating state-of-the-artresearch and development facilities, drug testing laboratories and herbal gardens that willhelp meet growing industry and market demand for quality raw material and products.

“People across the world are talking about integration and holistic development. Yoga willbe one of the greatest healers of the 21st century. That is the reason we have establishedthe AYUSH mission

Supreme Court sets aside order direct ing caste census

The Supreme Court has set aside two orders of the Madras High Court, directing theCentre to conduct a caste-based census, holding that it should not have interfered in thedomain of policy.

Endorsing the instruction manual provision that referred to public participation in the censusas a “true reflection of the national spirit of unity in diversity,” the Supreme Court said the

High Court, while passing such a direction, had “tried to inject the concept of social justice”on its own.

In its 23-page judgment, a Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra noted that the true objectiveof the Census was building a source of all welfare schemes, and not a “mere information-collection” exer cise.

“The High Court not only travelled beyond the list in the first round of litigation but also hadreally yielded to some kind of emotional perspective, possibly paving the adventurous pathto innovate. It is legally impermissible,” Justice Misra wrote.

The Supreme Court held that the government policy allowed enumeration of members ofthe Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes but no other castes. In Census 2011, noquestion on enumeration of other castes had been included

Peace must for “economy to grow”: Arun Jaitley

Peace in the neighbourhood is a necessity for the “economy to grow” and “to reassureinvestors,” said Union Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.

Mr. Jaitley told that there is a difference in the tensions between India and Pakistan andIndia and China. Accusing Pakistan of repeated ceasefire violations, he said: “The

environment for dialogue suffers if repeated ceasefire violations take place. Yes, there should be dialogue between the two countries. But one side cannot upset the

environment and then ask why dialogue is not taking place.”


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21 new m inisters, Modi balances caste, meri t

Considerations of merit, caste equations in States crucial to the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) and representation of various regions seem to have weighed on Prime MinisterNarendra Modi while expanding the Union Council of Ministers, five months after it wasformed.

No Minister was dropped or promoted from Minister of State to Cabinet rank. Former GoaChief Minister Manohar Parrikar is the new Defence Minister while Suresh Prabhu, who joined the BJP only, is the new Railway Minister. D.B. Sadananda Gowda has been shiftedto Law. J.P. Nadda is the new Health Minister.

Mr. Jaitley has been given additional charge of Information and Broadcasting, whilePrakash Javdekar has retained Environment.

President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office to 21 new Ministers, includingfour Cabinet Ministers, three Ministers of State with independent charge and 14 Ministersof State.

Making the council more representative geographically and socially, the exercise is

expected to stabilise the BJP’s internal politics. The exercise however, alienated formerally Shiv Sena further; the latter refused to accept the Minister of State position offered toit.

The new inductions make large-scale changes in portfolios imperative, but noannouncement was made. While Mr. Parrikar is set to be the new Defence Minister, otherMinisters said they had no information regarding their responsibilities.

Modi Governm ent to review inef fect ive MoUs with various co untr ies

The Narendra Modi Government has decided to do away with ineffective Memorandum ofUnderstandings (MoUs) signed by India with various countries.

“The MOUs which are more than five-years-old and have registered little progress willspecifically be reviewed to see whether there is any rationale to keep them alive,” a note

circulated by the Cabinet Secretariat to various Ministries and departments said.

Satish Agnihotri, Secretary (Coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat, has called for ameeting to review the status of such MOUs. Notice for the meeting has been sent to nineMinistries and departments.

These include Ministry of Defence, Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry, Department ofDefence Production, Defence Research and Development Department, JusticeDepartment, Electronics and Information Department, Department of Posts,Telecommunication Department, and Legal Affairs Department.

These Ministries and departments have been asked to give details on all MoUs signed sofar and those in the pipeline.

MoU is an instrument to show willingness for future co-operation between two countriesand is singed when senior dignitaries visit each other. It is an indication of intentions beforefinal agreement is signed. It does not grant any right to the signatories.

There is also no legal binding on any of the party signing such a document. According tothe External Affairs Ministry’s annual report for 2013-14 India signed a 56 bilateraldocuments in 2013, most were MOUs.


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Gujara t becomes f i rs t to make vot ing com pulsory in loca l body po l ls

Gujarat has become the first State to make voting compulsory in local bodies afterGovernor O.P. Kohli recently gave his sanction by signing the controversial Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009.

“The Governor sent his assent to the Parliamentary Affairs Department last week. Now it

is up to the government to publish [the rules] in the gazette. The implementation will begin after the official notification,” D.M. Patel, Secretary, Gujarat

Legislative Assembly, told. Amid opposition from the Congress, the Bill was first passed in the Assembly in 2009 by

the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Jeevan Pramaan – Digi ta l Life Cert i f icate for Pension ers

The Prime Minister, recently, launched “Jeevan Pramaan” – an “Aadhar -based Digital LifeCertificate” for pensioners, in a move that could eventually benefit over a crore pensioners.

The proposed digital certification will do away with the requirement of a pensioner having

to submit a physical Life Certificate in November each year, in order to ensure continuityof pension being credited into his account. The Department of Electronics and IT hasdeveloped a software application which will enable the recording of the pensioner`s Aadharnumber and biometric details from his mobile device or computer, by plugging in abiometric reading device. Key details of the pensioner, including date, time, and biometricinformation will be uploaded to a central database on real-time basis, ultimately enablingthe Pension Disbursing Agency to access a Digital Life Certificate. This will conclusivelyestablish that the pensioner was alive at the time of authentication.

The earlier requirement entailed that a pensioner either personally presents himself beforethe Pension Disbursing Agency, or submits a Life Certificate issued by authorities specifiedby the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO).

At present, 50 lakh individuals draw pension from the Central Government alone. A similar

number draw pension from State and Union Territory Governments. Several PSUs alsoprovide pension benefits. Over 25 lakh retired personnel draw pension from the ArmedForces. The Aadhar-Based Digital Life Certificate will go a long way in reducing hardshipwhich so many senior citizens have to go through to produce a Life Certificate every year.

The software application system will be made available to pensioners and otherstakeholders on a large scale at no extra cost. It can be operated on a personal computeror a smartphone, along with an inexpensive biometric reading device. This facility will alsobe made available at Common Service Centres being operated under the National e-Governance Plan, for the benefit of pensioners residing in remote and inaccessible areas.

3 member Commit tee to Invest igate Qual i ty of F.M.D. Vaccines

Taking cognizance of reports appearing in a section of Press about quality of vaccines foranimals to control Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Minister of State for Agriculture has orderedto issue notice to three companies involved in manufacturing and supply of FMD vaccines andordered constitution of a three member Committee to investigate the issue.

Abo ut Foot-and-mou th disease:

Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affectscloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus causes a high feverfor two or three days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may ruptureand cause lameness.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has severe implications for animal farming, since it ishighly infectious and can be spread by infected animals through aerosols, through contact


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with contaminated farming equipment, vehicles, clothing, or feed, and by domestic and wildpredators. Its containment demands considerable efforts in vaccination, strict monitoring,trade restrictions, and quarantines, and occasionally the killing of animals.

Susceptible animals include cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs, antelope, deer, andbison. Humans are very rarely infected.

The virus responsible for the disease is a picornavirus, the prototypic member of thegenus Aphthovirus. Infection occurs when the virus particle is taken into a cell of the host.The cell is then forced to manufacture thousands of copies of the virus, and eventuallybursts, releasing the new particles in the blood. The virus is genetically highly variable,which limits the effectiveness of vaccination.

New draf t pol icy on civ i l aviat ion

New draft policy on civil aviation proposes enhanced regional air connectivity,rationalization of jet fuel costs along with broader institutional reforms like corporatizationof the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and development of a road map for Air India’s future.

It aims to develop a transparent policy in which regulations for the Civil Aviation sectorwould be more meaningful.

The Draft notes that airports are to be designed as integrated multi-modal hubs, so thatthey provide the best possible service levels as well as potential for growth. An integratedmulti-modal hub should include rail, metro, bus and truck connectivity as well asaccommodation and other services.

The six metropolitan airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore andHyderabad would be developed as major international hubs and would in future be themain access points for international travel to and from India. In future a “hub-and-spoke”model would be followed, which would also facilitate the development of regional networksand air connectivity as a whole. The existing bilateral agreements with foreign bilateralagreements will be designed in such a way as to facilitate the hub-and-spoke model.

The Draft puts emphasis on rationalizing the cost of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF). Due tohigh rates of taxes, the cost of ATF in India is 40 to 45% higher than the international costs.

Steps will be taken in association with the Ministry of Finance and State Governments torationalize the rate of taxes so that costs are competitive. An Expert Committee will be constituted to develop a future roadmap for Air India. Airports

Authority of India will be corporatised, followed by listing in the Stock Exchanges, in orderto improve efficiency and transparency. Pawan Hans Ltd. will be listed in the StockExchanges with the same objective. A mission mode project will be set up to ensure thatorganizations under the Ministry are competitive in terms of efficiency and costs.

Government’s objective will be to provide optimum air connectivity to all regions, subjectto commercial viability. A special package will be developed for the North-Eastern Regionto improve air connectivity and provide linkages to remote locations.

The functioning of Ministry of Civil Aviation and the offices under the Ministry will bedigitized to improve efficiency and transparency. The service and clearances to be given

by different agencies will be made online. Electronic procurement systems will bestrengthened to ensure transparency and accountability.


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Myanmar, India sign MoU for closer l inks

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Myanmarese President Thein Sein met at capitalNay Pyi Taw, the big focus of discussions was improving connectivity between what theycalled “brother countries.”

The two leaders spoke about the need for more direct air links, as well as an India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and the Kaladan multi-modal transport project. Theysigned a MoU for a bus service between Imphal and Mandalay only this year.

“Both sides see the trilateral highway as an opportunity for industrial cooperation andsought to explore the possibility of setting up industrial parks along the highway.

The possibility of India investing in special economic zones in Myanmar was discussed,”said a press release.

National Educat ion Day Celebrated

The country celebrates the National Education Day every year on 11th of November whichis the birth anniversary of India’s great freedom movement leader Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who was also India’s first education minister. It was 125th birth anniversary ofmaulana azad.

Maulana Azad was a key architect of education in independent India. As Minister ofEducation, he had a challenging task of conceiving an education system to develop anational spirit, an element that was missing from the colonial system. He introduced asystem to inculcate a rational approach and spirit of enquiry in the education curriculum.

Maulana Azad is seen as an institution builder and University Grants Commission, IndianInstitutes of Technology and other bodies owe their origins to his tireless efforts. To create

socio-religious and cultural inter-linkages in India, he set up a number of institutions – LalitKala Academi, Sangeet Natak Academi and Sahitya Academi. Maulana Azad had said “Schools are the laboratories which produce the future citizens of

a State. The quality of the State therefore depends upon the quality of such laboratories”.

To mark the celebration of National Education Day, the following new initiatives were started bythe Ministry of HRD-

“Saksham” which is a college level scholarship for differently abled, needy and meritoriouschildren.

“Pragati” which is a scholarship for girl students who are pursuing technical education atcollege level.

Skill Credit Framework document which provides a Skill Assessment Matrix for Vocational Advancement of Youth (SAMAVAY). SAMAVAY allows multiple pathways between


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Vocational education – skills, education and job markets. This will facilitate India to harnessthe potential of young India.

“Know your College Portal” which is an application developed for helping a prospectivestudent make a valued judgment of the college he / she wishes to join by providing him /her the necessary information about the college.

“Unnat Bharat Abhiyan” to involve higher educational institutions to work with the people ofrural India in identifying development challenges and evolving appropriate solutions foraccelerating sustainable growth.

60 p.c. epi lept ic women face divorc e, f inds s tudy

Epilepsy in India is highly stereotyped in terms of gender with 60 per cent married epilepticwomen facing divorce and the rest having to suffer through adversely affectedrelationships.

This was found in a nation-wide study conducted by the All India Institute of MedicalSciences released. The study showed that women with epilepsy suffer from under or noemployment, higher anxiety, difficulty in finding partners, and increased risk of divorcecompared with men with epilepsy.

The study also found that women with epilepsy in India become object of prejudice and arediscriminated against, thereby leading to poorer quality of life.

About Epi lepsy:

Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by epileptic seizures. Epilepticseizures are episodes that can vary from brief and nearly undetectable to long periods ofvigorous shaking. In epilepsy, seizures tend to recur, and have no immediate underlying causewhile seizures that occur due to a specific cause are not deemed to represent epilepsy.

PM Modi calls for global partnership ‘against all terrorism’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for rejecting any linkages between religion andterrorism and said that comprehensive response against terrorism requires a genuinelyinternational partnership “against all terrorism”.

The rise of jihadist group Islamic State, which indulges in brutal killings and has declareda caliphate in areas overrun by it in Syria and Iraq, is a major cause of concern in the world.

Mr. Modi said that the challenges of terrorism and extremism have increased and nations“have to ensure that cyber and space remain a source of connectivity and prosperity, notnew theatres for conflict”.

Voice vote va l id on ly when no body quest ions i t

The Maharashtra Speaker’s decision to adopt the motion expressing confidence in thenewly formed government by a voice vote has created a precedent that can be morecontroversial in situations in which the numbers are not as clear as in this case, even asthe validity of the action itself remains a point of debate.

Different methods o f vot ing in th e Lok Sabha:

The procedure regarding Voting and Divisions in the House is governed by article 100(1) of theConstitution and various rules under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in LokSabha. The various methods adopted for voting in the Lok Sabha are:


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Voice Vote:

It is a simple method for deciding a question put by the Chairperson on a motion made by amember. Under this method, the question before the House is determined by the Àyes’ or the`Noes’, as the case may be.

Division:

There are three methods of holding a Division, i.e. (a) by operating the Automatic VoteRecording Equipment; (b) by distributing Àyes’ and `Noes’ slips in the House; and (c) bymembers going into the Lobbies. The Speaker directs the members for “Ayes” to go to the rightLobby and those for “Noes” to the left Lobby where their votes are recorded. However, themethod of recording of votes in the Lobbies has become obsolete ever since the installation ofthe Automatic Vote Recording Machine.

Secret Bal lot :

During an ‘open’ voting period, the individual results are shown by the three characters ‘A’, ‘N’

and ‘O’ on the Individual Result Display Panel. Secret voting, if any, is on similar lines exceptthat the Light Emitting Diode (LED) on the Individual Result Display Panel shows “P” sign inamber light to show that the vote has been recorded.

Recording of votes by distr ibut ion of sl ips:

The method of recording of votes by members on Àye’ and `No’ slips is generally resorted toin the eventuality of (i) sudden failure of the working of the Automatic Vote RecordingEquipment; and (ii) at the commencement of the new Lok Sabha, before the seats/divisionnumbers have been allotted to members.

Physical count o f Members in their places instead of a formal division:

If in the opinion of the Chair, a Division is unnecessarily claimed, he/she may ask the memberswho are for Àye’ and those for `No’, respectively, to rise in their places and on a count beingtaken, he/she may declare the determination of the House. In such a case, the particulars ofvoting of the members are not recorded.

Casting Vote:

If in a Division the number of ̀ Ayes’ and ̀ Noes’ is equal, the question is decided by the castingvote of the Chair. Under the Constitution, the Speaker or the person acting as such cannotvote in a Division; he/she has only a casting vote which he/she must exercise in the case of

equality of votes.

Govt. yet to push for safer male ster i lisat ion

While the faulty sterilisation surgeries costing the lives of 11 women in Chhattisgarh, hasgrabbed national headlines, it turns out that there is a clear gender bias towards theprocedure. Males hardly ever opt for it.

Data shows that, between 2008 and March 2012, the Centre under its Family PlanningInsurance Scheme had to pay compensation for several botched sterilisation cases, ofwhich 675 resulted in deaths, 438 complications and 18,887 failures.

Statistics show that despite female sterilisation being invasive, more time-consuming andrisky, the government has failed to encourage male sterilisation, which is less invasive and

safer and needs little post-operative care. Citing data, activists and health-care


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professionals are demanding that the Centre focus on male sterilisation and expand thebouquet of temporary contraception.

Family planning programmes in India have never been assessed. There is a lack ofcounselling and poor management of side effects for women who undergo permanent andtemporary contraception.

In 2012, the government conducted sterilisation of 2,01,715 women against 1,50,540 in

2011, a jump of 33.99 per cent. The number of men who were sterilised during the periodgrew by just 3.03 per cent.

In Karnataka, more than 99 per cent of those who underwent sterilisation during 2013-2014were women, while men accounted for a miniscule 0.44 per cent. This is not only in keepingwith the national trend, but it has been prevailing over the years.

The fact that men get nearly double the incentive for undergoing the surgery has notworked as an incentive for them. Women get Rs.600 (BPL category) and Rs.250 (for APLcategory) for sterilisation, while men get Rs.1,100 in any category.

As per World Population Prospects – The 2012 Revision, the population of India will crossthe population of China by 2028. The projected population for India in 2028 will be 1.454billion, while that of China will be 1.452 billion. Hence there is an urgent need to control thepopulation growth.

Populat ion stabi l izat ion and Family planning in India:

Population stabilization is one of the key objectives of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)launched in April, 2005. It aims at giving a major thrust to population stabilization. The FamilyWelfare Programme in India is voluntary in nature, which enables a couple to adopt the familyplanning methods, best suited to them according to their choice, without any compulsion ortargets.

For achieving population stabilisation as envisaged by National Population Policy (NPP),comprehensive strategies aimed at convergence of service delivery at the village level for basichealth care, family planning and maternal and child health related services; and empowermentof women for accessing health and nutrition services and promotion of male participation inFamily Planning are being implemented as components of the State ProgrammeImplementation Plan under National Rural Health Mission.

Reforms must be people-centr ic: Modi

Asserting that reform must be people-centric and people-driven, Prime Minister NarendraModi told leaders of the G20 at a Retreat that globally reforms are handicapped withperception of being government programmes and a burden on the people and this needsto change.

Mr Modi felt that reforms should lead to simplification of processes and that governance

method must be reformed. Noting that reform is a continuous multi-stage process and that it must be institutionalised,

the Prime Minister said it must be technology driven and must have scale and address rootcauses.

Ind ia wil l take ideas from Barcelo na for ‘smart city’ model

As foreign countries line up to offer their expertise in ‘smart cities,’ India will next be looking

at Barcelona to borrow best practices for its own model. Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has been invited by the Mayor of

Barcelona to attend the Smart City World Conference to be held between November 18

and 20.


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“Contrary to the perception that we are behind time in shaping the contours of the smart

cities plan, we have a fair idea of what the smart cities are going to look like,” Mr. Naidutold.

He said a broad framework is ready, and a meeting of all the stakeholders will be organisedin the capital soon. Land and urban development being a State subject, the Centre willseek feedback from each State that has announced its intent to have smart cities.

“We will not thrust any ideas on the States, their opinion will be taken, they will be askedto furnish their requirements about how many smart cities they want and with whatfeatures,” he said.

The Minister has already held discussions with officials from Singapore and Seoul on thesmart cities project.

Singapore has shown interest in partnering with India for the development of a new smartsatellite city and a new capital for Andhra Pradesh. Netherlands and Canada too haveoffered their expertise and are willing to partner with India.

Germany ho pefu l of so lu t ion ov er language row soon

Even as a row continued to simmer over the Human Resource Development Ministry’s

decision to take off German from the third language slot of the Kendriya Vidyalayacurriculum, Germany hoped a solution would be found soon.

German Ambassador Michael Steiner said a solution would be found to allow the languageto be taught in these schools.

He expressed confidence that after raising the issue with the Union government, both sideswould be able to work out a way that would take care of children’s desire to learn foreign

languages. Human Resource Minister Smriti Irani said an investigation had been ordered since the

existing arrangement violated the three-language formula. After an MoU between the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and the German government in

2011, German was added to the third language list.

SC appro ves new wild l i fe board

The Supreme Court has approved the Centre’s reconstituted National Board for Wildlife.

National Board for Wildl i fe:

It is a statutory organization constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It wasconstituted under the provisions of amended Wildlife (Protection) Act replacing the Indian Boardfor Wildlife.

Purpose:

To review all wildlife related matters and approve the projects in and around the National Parksand Wildlife sanctuaries.

Its recommendations are Advisory in nature. It is chaired by the Prime Minister of India. Minister of Environment and Forests is its Vice chairman.

Members:

It has 47 members including the Chairman. Amongst these, 19 members are ex-officio

members. The members other than ex-officio members include


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3 Members of Parliament (2 from Lok Sabha and 1 from Rajya Sabha) 5 NGO’s and 10 eminent ecologists, conservationists and Environmentalists.

The term of office of members other than those who are members ex-officio expires after threeyears from the date of the constitution/re-constitution.

Funct ions:

The Board is responsible for promotion of conservation and development of wildlife andforests.

It helps the Central and State governments in framing policies and advices on conservationand promotion of wildlife.

It carries out impact assessment of projects in areas inhabited by Wildlife. It recommends the state governments on alteration of boundaries of a sanctuary or National

Park. No alteration of boundaries of a tiger reserve can be made except on recommendation of

the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the National Board for Wildlife.

World’s largest ring road will be developed in capital of AP

The world’s largest ring road of 180 km will be developed in “iconic capital” of Andhra

Pradesh at a cost of $ 5,000 million. This claim was made by the Andhra Pradesh government in the 51-page brochure brought

out in connection with the visit of the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to Japan. It was mentioned that the investment opportunities in the new capital would be $ 20,000-

30,000 million in the next decade. Massive potential for PPP investments and world class urban infrastructure were also

mentioned.

The project brief stated that the Greenfield Capital City area as over 12,000 hectares andthe metropolitan region of 7,000 sq.km with population of 2.1 million.

PM’s ‘Make in India’ road show heads to Sydney

After a high-profile G20 summit for India, at which member countries backed New Delhi’scampaign to retrieve black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will canvass support forhis “Make in India” initiative among Australia’s large Indian community in Sydney.

Mr. Modi is expected to roll out his invitation to expatriates to invest in India, as he did inthe U.S., at the Allphones Arena in Sydney’s Olympic Park.

He will attend a special reception for nearly 200 prominent businessmen and professionalsof Indian origin.

“The enthusiasm is particularly remarkable given that the population of the community is300,000, about one-tenth of the Indian-American population,” said BJP leader RamMadhav, who is in Sydney to oversee the arrangements. Mr. Madhav had also helpedorganise a similar event in New York recently.

Kis an Vikas Patra (KVP)

The re-launc hed K isan Vikas Patra (KVP):

Will be available to the investors in the denomination of Rs. 1000, 5000, 10,000 and 50,000,with no upper ceiling on investment.

The certificates can be issued in single or joint names and can be transferred from oneperson to any other person / persons, multiple times.


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The certificate can also be pledged as security to avail loans from the banks and in othercase where security is required to be deposited.

Initially the certificates will be sold through post offices, but the same will soon be madeavailable to the investing public through designated branches of nationalized banks.

KVP:

Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) – a certificate savings scheme was launched by the Government on1st April, 1988. The scheme provided facility of unlimited investment by way of purchase ofcertificates from post offices in various denominations. The maturity period of the scheme whenlaunched was 5 ½ years and the money invested doubled on maturity. The scheme was verypopular among the investors and the percentage share of gross collections secured in KVP wasin the range of 9 % to 29 % against the total collections received under all National SavingsSchemes in the country.

It is a very popular instrument among small savers. The KVP will encourage people having banked and unbanked savings to Invest. Kisan Vikas Patras have unique liquidity feature, where an investor can, if he so

desires, encash his certificates after the lock-in period of 2 years and 6 months andthereafter in any block of six months on pre-determined maturity value. The investmentmade in the certificate will double in 100 months.

Why is it important?

It provides safe and secure investment avenues to small investors. It will help in augmenting the savings rate in the country. It will safeguard small investors from fraudulent schemes. With a maturity period of 8 years 4 months, the collections under the scheme will be

available with the Govt. for a fairly long period to be utilized in financing developmentalplans of the Centre and State Governments and will also help in enhancing domestic

household financial savings in the country.

Qaumi Ekta Week

The “Qaumi Ekta Week” (National Integration week) will be observed all over the country, fromthe 19th to 25th November, 2014.

Why:

To foster and reinforce the spirit of Communal Harmony, National Integration and pridein vibrant, composite culture and nationhood.

It provides an opportunity to reaffirm age old traditions and faith in the values oftolerance, co-existence and brotherhood in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society.

It helps to highlight the inherent strength and resilience of our nation to withstand actualand potential threats to the eclectic and secular fabric of our country, and nurture aspirit of communal harmony in its widest sense.

The week long programmes to be observed during Qaumi Ekta Week will be as under:

November 19, 2004 will be observed as National Integration Day November 20, 2014 will be observed as Welfare of Minorities Day November 21, 2014 will be observed as Linguistic Harmony Day November 22, 2014 will be observed as Weaker Sections Day

November 23, 2014 will be observed as Cultural Unity Day November 24, 2014 will be observed as Women’s Day November 25, 2014 will be observed as Conservation Day


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Ind ia br imming w i th youth

New data released by the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of the World’sPopulation Report shows that India has the world’s largest population of 10-24 year-olds, butthis demographic dividend is nearing its end.

Other important obs ervations m ade by the report :

With 356 million 10-24 year-olds, India has the world’s largest youth population despitehaving a smaller population than China.

China follows India with 269 million young people, followed by Indonesia (67 million), theUnited States (65 million) and Pakistan (59 million).

While Africa is younger, northern Europe is substantially older — the United Kingdom’syouth population is 10 percentage point lower than that of India’s.

India is aging faster than the global average and by 2050, the world will have a largerproportion of youth population than India.

The emergence of a large youth population of unprecedented size can have a profound effecton any country. Whether that effect is positive or negative depends largely on how wellgovernments respond to young people’s needs and enable them to engage fully andmeaningfully in civic and economic affairs.

MOU between MSMEs and ILO

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the International Labour

Organization signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support the Government’s Make inIndia programme.

Abo ut the MOU

The MOU is initially for a 5-year period and will support the Government’s “Make in India”programme.

The MoU will form the basis for a technical partnership with the primary objective ofcreating more and better quality employment in India.

Its activities will be focused around three priority areas; entrepreneurship development,good workplace practices for improving productivity and enhancing integration into globalsupply chains, and research and knowledge-building related to sustainable enterprises andformalization strategies.


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CSO Women and Men in India 2014 Report

A government report released by the Central Statistical Organisation shows that womenare still way behind men when it comes to decision making and participation in economicactivities.

CSO’s publication entitled “Women and Men in India 2014” indicated that women occupied

just 7 of out 45 ministerial berths in the current CoM (Council of Ministers). Though this animprovement of 5% from 10% in 2004 to 15% in current times, much more needs to beaccomplished in terms of political representation for women.

In the general elections this year, only 62 women were elected and this makes the shareof female leaders in the 16th Lok Sabha a mere 11%.

Poli t ical Part ic ipat ion

While female participation in the elections rose from 56% in the 15th LS to 66% in thecurrent LS, male participation rose to 67% during the same period of time.

Of the 62 lady parliamentarians, 20 were in the age group 41 to 50. As regards educational qualifications and professional credentials, 34% of the lady MPs

are social and political workers while 44% were postgraduates. As against this, 31% (themaximum) of male members were agriculturalists while 42% were graduates and 29%were postgraduates.

In the state governments Women have an 8% share in legislative assemblies and 4% sharein legislative councils as on August 2014.

As far as Panchayati Raj Institutions are concerned, about 46.7% of the women are presentwith maximum number (58.6%) in Jharkhand and minimum of 32.3% in Goa in March 2013.

Representat ion in th e Judiciary

In the higher judiciary, there were only 2 lady judges in a group of 30 in the apex court. In the different high courts, there were only 58 female judges out of a total of 609 and

maximum number (25%) was in the Delhi HC. There were no women judge in 6 HCs as on April 2014. In the Allahabad HC, 5 judged out of 88 were women as against 2 out of 32 in Andhra

Pradesh and 1 out of 29 in Kerala HC.

Adm inistrat ive Services

14% women officers were in the Indian Administrative Services as against 19% in theIndian Foreign Services and 12% in the Indian Trade Service in 2012.

Data for IPS was not available and representation of women in the Indian EconomicService (30%) and the Indian Forest Service (28%) was slightly higher.

Econom ic Part ic ipat ion

According to Census 2011, workforce participation rate for women was 25.51% as against53.26% for men.

Better female workforce participation was observed in rural areas at 30.02% as against15.44% in urban areas.

The report also quoted NSSO survey data which stated that worker population ratio forwomen in rural areas was 24.8% and it was 54.3% for the men in 2011-2012.

In urban areas, the ratio was 14.7% for women and 54.6% for the men. Unemployment rate for women in rural areas was 2.9% as against 2.1% for men.


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The urban Indian female is more susceptible to unemployment according to the report,which indicated that 6.6% of ladies in urban areas were unemployed in 2011-2012 asagainst 3.2% of the men.

Female participation was also reported to be lower than make in labour force as ladiesmostly engaged in unpaid work and women employed in paid work were mainly in theinformal sector.

Women also received lower wages than their male counterparts.

Health Indicators

Crude birth rate has reduced to 21.6% in 2012 while General Fertility rate was found to be80.3% in the same year.

Total fertility rate has also gone down to 2.2 in 2012. Female infant mortality rate at 42 was higher than male IMR which was 39 and the overall

IMR which was 40 in 2013. IMR has reduced considerably to 40 in 2013 indicating better health facilities for infants. The maternal mortality ratio fell to 178 in 2010-2012. It was highest in Assam and lowest in

Tamil Nadu.

Conclus ion

The report clearly indicates that women empowerment has a long way to go in India. Thegovernment has to make good on its promises and ensure that women’s right to economicparticipation and livelihood is respected. More representation of women in political, judicial andadministrative circles is needed. Rural women as well as their urban counterparts needrepresentation and participation in the formal workforce.

Organisers of fer to modi fy K ambala but act iv is ts want to ta l ban

The Tulunadu pastime of Kambala (slush track buffalo racing) may soon be confined to thepages of history as activists are demanding total ban on it.

In case of violation, legal action would be taken against officers and organisers as per theprovisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.

Kambala:

Kambala is an annual Buffalo Race held traditionally under the auspices local land lords andhouseholds or Patel of village, in coastal Karnataka, India. The Kambala season generallystarts in November and lasts until March.

Since the last two decades nearly 18 kambalas are held

Salient features:

The contest generally takes place between two pairs of buffaloes, each pair raced inwet rice fields, controlled by a whip-lashing farmer.

The ‘track’ used for Kambala is a paddy field filled with slush and mud. In traditional form of Kambala, racing is non-competitive, and buffalo pairs run one by

one in paddy fields. A ritualistic approach is also there, as some agriculturists race their buffaloes for thanks

giving (to god) for protecting their animals from diseases. The buffaloes developed for the race are carefully fed and some owners of the

buffaloes have even built separate swimming pool for competing buffaloes.


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Why is i t being opp osed?

Kambala has been criticised by animal lovers as they perpetuate cruelty due to the use of whipson the racing buffaloes. Kambala organisers, on their part, contend that if whips are not usedon the buffaloes, they may not run with speed in the race.

India’s Alternate Governor on t he Board o f Governors o f the Asian DevelopmentBank

Rajiv Mehrishi, Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA),Ministry of Finance, Government of India has been appointed as India’s Alternate Governor onthe Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank.

ADB:

It is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 and is headquartered inPhilippines.

Aim:

To facilitate economic development of countries in Asia. It also aims for an Asia and Pacific freefrom poverty.

Membership:

The bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commissionfor Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly known as the United Nations EconomicCommission for Asia and the Far East) and non-regional developed countries.

Currently, it has 67 members – of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19

outside.

ADB was modeled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system wherevotes are distributed in proportion with member’s capital subscriptions.

Funding:

ADB raises funds through bond issues on the world’s capital markets. ADB also rely on its members’ contributions, retained earnings from its lending

operations, and the repayment of loans. Japan holds the largest proportions of shares at 15.67%. The United States holds

15.56%, China holds 6.47%, India holds 6.36%, and Australia holds 5.81%.

Board of Governors:

It is the highest policy-making body of the bank. It is composed of one representative from each member state. The Board of Governors also elect the bank’s President who is the chairperson of the

Board of Directors and manages ADB.

The Alternate Board of Governors are nominated by Board of Governors of ADB’s 67 torepresent them at the Annual Meeting that meets formally once year to be held in a membercountry.


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Loans:

It offers both Hard Loans and Soft loans. The ADB offers “hard” loans from ordinary capital resources (OCR) on commercial

terms, and the Asian Development Fund (ADF) affiliated with the ADB extends “soft”loans from special fund resources with concessional conditions.

ADB focuses on five core areas of operations: infrastructure; the environment, includingclimate change; regional cooperation and integration; finance sector development; andeducation.

ADB against Corrupt ion:

Its Anticorruption Policy requires all staff and parties carrying out activities financed by ADB (e.g., bidders, consulting firms, consultants, contractors, and suppliers) to adhereto the highest financial and ethical standards.

The Office of Anticorruption and Integrity (OAI) conducts investigations and auditsrelated to project procurement, and raises awareness on anticorruption issues.

The Asian Development Fund (ADF) bridges the development gap in Asia and the Pacific,home to both the world’s fast -rising and most vulnerable economies. ADF is a major instrumentof concessional financing that has supported equitable and sustainable development in theregion since 1973. Funded by ADB’s member countries, it offers loans at very low interest ratesas well as gr ants to help reduce poverty in ADB’s poorest member countries.

TSR Subramanian Comm it tee Subm its Report

The TSR Subramanian Committee headed by Shri TSR Subramanian has submitted its reportto the Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

Why w as i t const i tu ted?

It was constituted to review the processes, laws and Acts of the Ministry.

Ann ual Tribal Art and Crafts Mela

The annual National Tribal Crafts Mela popularly known as ‘Aadishilp’ will begin here tomorrow.

Organized by:

Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED).

Object ive:

To give tribal artisans an opportunity to showcase and sell their traditional Art and Craft worksdirectly to the customers and get their feedback which would help them in having valuableinputs.

What it does:

Aadishilp provides them a platform for direct interface with art and craft lovers, share their talentwith the urban elite and know the customers taste and preferences for adapting their product

designs and creations accordingly.


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TRIFED:

It is the only apex body of Govt. of India which is engaged in the development andmarketing of traditional tribal products including Metal craft, Paintings, Textiles,Jewellery, Natural/ Organic/ Herbal products etc.

It works under Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Its objective is to improve the livelihood of the tribal communities by creating asustainable market and create business opportunities for them based on their culturalknowledge and traditional skills whilst ensuring fair and equitable remuneration for theirproducts by organizing Tribal Crafts Mela.

TRIFED also focuses on trainings for skill up gradation and capacity building of tribalartisans and Minor Forest Produce gatherers.

Delhi Declarat ion

The Delhi Declaration was passed at the end of the two-day international Inter-ministerialConference on Population and Development which saw participation of Health Ministers andsenior officers from 26 member countries of PPD.

Organized b y:

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with the Partners in Population and Development(PPD).

The Delhi Declarat ion ackno wledges the fol low ing:

1. The strategic value of Partners in Population and Development, which currentlyincludes 26 member countries currently representing nearly 60% of the world’spopulation, to the attainment of national, regional and global goals on health,population and sustainable development through South-South Cooperation.

2. It emphasizes the importance of demographic dividend as a critical window ofopportunity for improving equitable population, health and socioeconomic outcomes,with a focus on investments and appropriate alignment of national legislation, policiesand resource allocation for adolescents and youth, as well as older people.

3. With the Delhi Declaration, the member countries have agreed to create an enablingenvironment, through laws, policies and entitlements, for children, adolescents, youth,women and men across the life course to realize their rights. They have also agreedto accord highest priority to institutionalize investments in the demographic dividend byintegrating population issues into national development plans across sectors, includinghealth; nutrition; education and skills development; employment for inclusive economicparticipation and resilience.

4. The 26 member countries have committed to develop comprehensive, multi-sectoral

plans to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls and ending genderinequality and discrimination in laws (formal and customary) and in policies. Recognizethe importance of sexual and reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent healthservices, as well as the importance of engaging men and boys, as entry points toaddress violence against women and girls.


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Apprent ices (Amendment) Bi l l

The parliament has passed a Bill seeking to amend the Apprentices Act.

Aim s of the Bi l l :

To make apprenticeship responsive to youth and industry, increase skilled labour,ease rules for employers to recruit apprentices and allow them to undertakedemand-driven courses.

And to facilitate imparting of skills to youth.

Proposed amendment in Apprent iceship Act 1961:

The Bill amends the definition of appropriate government to include anestablishment operating in four or more states to be regulated by the centralgovernment.

The Act sets the minimum age for being engaged as an apprentice at 14 years.The Bill adds that the minimum age for apprenticeship in designated trades related

to hazardous industries shall be 18 years. Drop clause which imprisons employers not implementing the Act; will now invite

penalty in terms of fine Companies can add new trades under the Act without Centre’s nod Contractual workers, daily workers, agency workers, casual workers, etc to come

under the Act Holidays, leaves, shift working to be same for apprentices as regular workers Providing apprenticeship training to non-engineering graduate and diploma holders Allow employers to formulate their own policy for recruiting apprentices The Bill states that the central government shall prescribe the number of

apprentices to be engaged by an employer for designated trade and optional trade.

This step is seen as a positive one since it will help the country meet the growing requirementof skilled people whose number could rise to 2.4 million from the current level of 4,29,000.

The opposition have termed the legislation inadequate and demanded it be referred to aParliamentary standing committee. The amendment Bill has also drawn opposition from thecentral trade unions.

Govt to amend Lokpa l se lect ion pro cess

The union government is all set to amend the Lokpal Act and Delhi Special PoliceEstablishment Act.

Why:

To do away with the requirement of quorum in the high-profile committees to select the anti-corruption ombudsman and the CBI Director, respectively.

How it helps:

The inclusion of a clause in the statutory provisions dealing with the selection panels wouldprovide a legal safeguard against any challenges on the validity of an appointment.


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What else:

Necessary amendments would also be made in the statutes to include the leader of the singlelargest group in the Opposition as a member of the selection committee in the absence of arecognised Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. This would bring these statutes in linewith the Central Vigilance Act, 2003 and Right to Information Act, 2005.

Current si tuat ion:

Currently, CBI director is selected by a selection committee and the committee is empoweredby the DPSE act. The committee consists of:

Prime Minister – chairperson Leader of Opposition – member Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court Judge recommended by the Chief Justice –

member

When making recommendations, the committee considers the views of the outgoing director.

The selection committee, under the Lokpal Act, includes the Prime Minister, the leader of theopposition in Lok Sabha, speaker, Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge nominatedby him and an eminent jurist to be nominated by the President or any other member.

Sleeper cel l bu sted

The Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra police, in a joint operation, recently busteda sleeper cell and picked up three terror suspects.

What is Sleeper Cell?

A group of people (sleepers) who inconspicuously remain dormant in a community untilactivated, by a prearranged signal, to perform acts of espionage, sabotage, and/orterrorism.

This consists of secret agents who receive specialized training in their home countriesand are then assigned to assimilate into another country’s culture and society. Theseagents may spend years performing their regular duties while living deep undercover,then suddenly receive orders from their overseas handlers to either commit an act ofterrorism or provide aid to those who will.

More in terest ing Detai ls:

Individual members of a sleeper cell may not even be aware of each other, sinceplausible deniability during police interrogations can be vital.

When the commanders of the terrorist organization want to activate a cell, eachagent may only receive the name of one contact person or receive only his or herspecific orders.

It can be extremely difficult for government agencies to track and dismantle sleepercells because of their nebulous construction. If the individual members are well-trained and dedicated to their cause, they can easily blend into society withoutraising any suspicions.

A cell doesn’t necessarily need to hold regular meetings or undergo additionaltraining to carry out their missions. Members simply go about their daily routinesuntil a handler contacts them for an assignment. Some agents may not even be

fully aware of their obligations, believing that a benevolent government agencysimply paid for their education and immigration expenses.


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SC notice to Centre, States on advocates’ clerks pl ea

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and all the States on a petition by theSupreme Court Bar Clerks Association seeking enactment of a law to provide social securitybenefits to them.

What are the prob lems faced by the Clerks?

The advocates’ clerks have been suffering untold miseries because of lack of socialsecurity measures.

Even after working for four to five decades, they do not get any benefits except somecharity.

Few of the Association members had crossed the age of 65 years, but were working tomeet their livelihood as they were not entitled to any pension.

Premature death of some clerks had exposed their families to poverty and no provision ofmedical aid for sick clerks.

Lack of pension is a serious concern in old age exposing them to the mercy of grown-upchildren.

Hence, there is an urgent need for implementation of social security measures by enacting alegislation to meet the demands of advocates’ clerks.

Art ic le 21 and the issue:

The SC said the Centre and the States were jointly and severally liable to implement the rightto social security guaranteed to the advocates’ clerks under Article 21 of the Constitution byenacting legislation.

IMAC wil l h elp Navy step up c oastal survei l lance

The Defence Minister, recently, inaugurated the Indian Navy and Coast Guard’s jointoperations facility, called the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), atGurgaon.

Inform ation Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC):

IMAC is the nodal centre of the National Command Control Communications and IntelligenceNetwork (NC3I Network), and is a joint initiative of Indian Navy, Coast Guard and BharatElectronics Ltd to improve coastal surveillance.

Why is it set up?

It is set up to provide coastal security and to avert tragic incidents like the 26/11 terror attackon Mumbai.

How is it Helpful?

The National Command Control Communication and Intelligence System (NC3I) networklinks 51 Naval and Coast Guard stations, located along the coast and on island territories.The network provides these stations coastal surveillance information obtained from varioussensors such as the coastal radar chain of the Indian Coast Guard and automatic trackingsystems as well as electro-optical cameras. The network rides on dedicated terrestrial datacircuits, as well as, satellite communication, which helps the stations in remote locations

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The IMAC is the centre where data from various sensors and databases is aggregated,correlated and then disseminated to various stations for enhanced awareness. Thesoftware on which the coastal surveillance will be carried out incorporates hi-tech featureslike data fusion, correlation and decision support features thus facilitating better decisionmaking.

The National Command Control Communication and Intelligence System (NC3I) willeventually become the backbone of National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA).

The NC3I will link 20 naval and 31 Coast Guard monitoring stations to generate a seamlessreal-time picture of the nearly 7,500-km long coastline. The system currently comprises 46radars and 30 additional radars are planned to fill all the gaps in coastline security.

The hubs are linked by high speed optical fibre networks and satellite links serve as a back-up in case of emergency. Apart from coastal radars and optical sensors, it also drawsinformation from automatic identification systems fitted on merchant ships and has acomprehensive shipping database of world registers of shipping for analysis of traffic.

It will be manned by the Navy and function under the National Security Adviser (NSA).

Swachh ta Udyam i Yojana

National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC), an ApexCorporation of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has launched “SwachhtaUdyami Yojana”.

Object ives:

To provide concessional loan for viable community toilet projects and sanitation relatedvehicles to collect the garbage,

to consolidate the ongoing efforts for realising the objectives of the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ launched by Prime Minister on 2nd October, 2014.

Details:

Under the Scheme, entrepreneurs among safai karmacharis and identified manualscavengers can avail loan upto defined ceiling at concessional rate of interest @ 4%per annum.

In case of women beneficiaries, there is a rebate of 1% in the rate of interest charged. No State/ Union Territory wise budget allocations are made under the Scheme as funds

are to be provided to the channelizing agencies on the basis of the proposals receivedfrom them.

National Counci l fo r Senior Cit izens

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has constituted the “National Council of SeniorCitizens (NCSrC)” by renaming of the “National Council for Older Persons (NPOP)” .

Mandate:

To advise the Central and State Governments on the entire gamut of issues related to thewelfare of senior citizens and enhancement of their quality of life, with special reference to thefollowing:-

Policies, programmes and legislative measures; Promotion of physical and financial security, health and independent and productive

living; and Awareness generation and community mobilization.


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The Council is mandated to meet at least twice a year.

Steps Taken b y Govt. to Acc elerate Pace of Reduct io n for MMR to Ac hieve MDG

Goals

Millennium Development Goal 5: Under the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5, the target

is to reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by three quarters between 1990 & 2015.

Present status:

As per the latest report of the Registrar General of India, Sample Registration System (RGI-SRS), Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India has shown a decline from 212 per 100,000 livebirths in the period 2007-09 to 178 per 100,000 live births in the period 2010-12.

In future:

If the MMR declines at the same pace, India will achieve an MMR of 141 per 100,000 live birthswhich is almost equal to the estimated target of 140 per 100,000 live births under MDG -5 forthe MDG.

The key steps taken to accelerate the pace of reduction for Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)under the National Health Mission (NHM) for achieving MDG goals are:

Promotion of institutional deliveries through Janani Suraksha Yojana. Capacity building of health care providers in basic and comprehensive obstetric care. Operationalization of sub-centres, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and

District Hospitals for providing 24×7 basic and comprehensive obstetric care services. Name Based Web enabled Tracking of Pregnant Women to ensure antenatal, intranatal

and postnatal care.

Mother and Child Protection Card in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment to monitor service delivery for mothers and children. Antenatal, Intranatal and Postnatal care including Iron and Folic Acid supplementation to

pregnant & lactating women for prevention and treatment of anemia. Engagement of more than 8.9 lakhs Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to

generate demand and facilitate accessing of health care services by the community. Health and nutrition education to promote dietary diversification, inclusion of iron and folate

rich food as well as food items that promote iron absorption. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) has been launched on 1st June, 2011, which

entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and noexpense delivery including Caesarean section. The initiative stipulates free drugs,diagnostics, blood and diet, besides free transport from home to institution, betweenfacilities in case of a referral and drop back home. Similar entitlements have been put inplace for all sick infants accessing public health institutions for treatment.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the world’s time-bound and quantified targets foraddressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack ofadequate shelter, and exclusion-while promoting gender equality, education, and environmentalsustainability. They are also basic human rights-the rights of each person on the planet to health,education, shelter, and security.

It is a global partnership, adopted at the millennium summit in 2000 by the UN members, to reduce poverty and achieve other time bound targets, with a deadline of 2015.


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AADHAAR

Present si tuat ion:

Total number of AADHAAR cards generated so far: 70.43 crore

AADHAAR saturat ion level:

more than 90% in nine States / UTs; between 75 and 90% in seven States /UTs and between 50 and 75% in another eight States / UTs. In remaining twelve States /UTs, the Aadhaar saturation level is under 50%. .

About AADHAAR:

Aadhaar is a 12 digit identification number which will serve as a proof of identity and address,anywhere in India.

How the scheme is helpful :

Aadhaar-platform is aimed at providing social security benefits / subsidies based oneligibility through direct benefit transfer. It provides access and options to rural and poorpeople. It helps bring transparency and eliminate corruption, leakage and inefficiency.

It was conceived as an initiative that would provide identification for each resident acrossthe country and would be used primarily as the basis for efficient delivery of welfareservices.

It would also act as a tool for effective monitoring of various programs and schemes of theGovernment.

UIDIA:

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is an agency of the Government ofIndia responsible for implementing the Aadhaar Identities. The agency was established inJanuary-2009, and owns and operates the Unique Identities database. The UniqueIdentification Authority of India had been established under the Planning Commission. TheUnique Identification Authority of India has been established under the PlanningCommission by an executive order.

The agency provides a unique identification number to all persons resident in India onvoluntary basis. The agency maintains a database of residents containing biometric andother data, and is headed by a chairman, who holds a cabinet rank.

UIDAI is the Registrar of Identities i.e. it registers, assigns and verifies the unique identities.

It is supposed to register two types of unique identities:

1. Residents of India (called Aadhaar)2. Corporate entities (Corporate-UID) for company, bank, NGO, trust, political party etc.:

Corporate-UID has been provisioned within 12-digit UID number system. Corporate-UID is supposed to produce the similar effect as Aadhaar for corporate entities i.e.identification and traceability of transactions. It is supposed to bring transparency onfinancial transactions, donations; and to prevent corruption, money laundering

Vanbandh u Kalyan Yojana

The Scheme “Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY)” has been included as a Central Sector

Scheme in the Annual Plan of Ministry of Tribal Affairs with an initial allocation of Rs. 100.00Crore for 2014-15.


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Aim:

The VKY is broadly a process, aiming at overall development of tribal people with an outcome-base approach, which would ensure that all the intended benefits goods and services to thetribal people through various programmes/schemes of Central and State Governmentscovered under the respective Tribal Sub-Plans actually reach them by way of appropriate

convergence.

Through VKY, it is envisaged to develop the backward blocks in the Schedule V States asmodel Blocks with visible infrastructural facilities to further the mission development whileensuring the following:

Qualitative and sustainable employment. Emphasis on quality education & higher education. Accelerated economic development of tribal areas. Health for all. Housing for all. Safe drinking water for all at doorsteps.

Irrigation facilities suited to the terrain. All weather roads with connectivity to the nearby town/cities. Universal availability of electricity. Urban development. Robust institutional mechanism to roll the vehicle of development with sustainability. Promotion and conservation of Tribal Cultural Heritage. Promotion of Sports in Tribal Areas.

Expendi ture Management Comm iss ion

The Government has constituted an Expenditure Management Commission (EMC) throughResolution in September, 2014. The EMC has started its functioning.

Why was it con st i tuted?

It was constituted to look into various aspects of expenditure reforms to be undertaken by theGovernment such as review of the institutional arrangements including budgeting process andFiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) rules, suggest ways to improveallocative efficiencies in the existing expenditure classification system, and other issuesconcerning Public Expenditure Management.

Varishta Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY)

The Government has revived the Varishta Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY) scheme for the benefitof senior citizens aged 60 years and above. The scheme is being administered through LifeInsurance Corporation of India (LIC).

What are the benefits?

Under the scheme, all those who will subscribe to the VPBY, will receive a pension linked toan assured guaranteed return of 9% on the lump sum contribution under the Yojana.

The Salient features of the sch eme are as under:

The scheme provides pension in the form of immediate annuity during the lifetime of the

pensioner with return of purchase price to the family/nominee on his/her death. The mode of payment of pension can be monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly.


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The pension payment shall be through ECS or NEFT. The minimum pension that can be subscribed to will be Rs. 500/- per month, Rs. 1500/-

per quarter, Rs. 3000/- per half-year or Rs. 6000/- per year. The maximum pension that can be subscribed to will be Rs. 5,000/- per month, Rs. 15,000/-

per quarter, Rs. 30,000/- per half-year or Rs. 60,000/- per year. A lump sum purchase price for the desired pension shall be paid by the subscriber under

the scheme.

Tourist Visa on Arr ival Enabled with Electron ic Travel Auth orizat ion Sch eme

Union Home Minister launched the Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) enabled with ElectronicTravel Authorization (ETA) Scheme recently.

Aim:

To ease visa processing and help increase tourist inflow.

What it does?

Scheme will facilitate nationals of 43 countries to travel to India for tourism for a short stay of30 days.

Which countr ies?

The countries are

1. Australia,2. Brazil,3. Cambodia,

4. Cook Islands,5. Djibouti,6. Federated States of Micronesia,7. Fiji,8. Finland,9. Germany,10. Indonesia,11. Israel,12. Japan,13. Jordan,14. Kenya,15. Kingdom of Tongo,16. Laos,17. Luxembourg,18. Mauritius,19. Mexico,20. Myanmar,21. New Zealand,22. Niue,23. Norway,24. Oman,25. Palestine,26. Papua & New Guinea,27. Philippines,28. Republic of Kiribati,

29. Republic of Korea (i.e. South Korea),30. Republic of Marshall Islands,


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31. Republic of Nauru,32. Republic of Palau,33. Russia,34. Samoa,35. Singapore,36. Solomon Islands,37. Thailand,38. Tuvalu,39. UAE,40. Ukraine,41. USA,42. Vietnam and43. Vanuatu.

How the schem e is helpful :

The TVoA enabled with ETA would enable the prospective visitor to apply for an IndianVisa from his/her home country online without visiting the Indian Mission and also pay thevisa fee online.

Once approved, the applicant will receive an email authorising him/her to travel to Indiaand he/she can travel with a print out of this authorization. On arrival, the visitor has topresent the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entryinto the country.

This will allow entry into India within 30 days from the date of approval of ETA and will bevalid for 30 days stay in India from the date of arrival in India.

Who c an avai l the faci l i ty?

This facility is available to Foreigners whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation,sightseeing, short duration medical treatment, casual business visit, casual visit to meet friends

or relatives etc. and not valid for any other purpose/activities.

.No di lut ion of MNREGA scheme: Govt.

The government allayed apprehensions over continuance or dilution of MNREGA schemelaunched during the previous UPA rule and said all necessary funds have been released.

MGNREGA:

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005, also known as the “Mahatma GandhiNational Rural Employment Guarantee Act” is an Indian labour law and social securitymeasure.

Aims:

To guarantee the ‘right to work’ and ensure livelihood security in rural areas. To create durable assets that would augment the basic resources available to the poor. To follow the Directive Principles of State Policy enunciated in Part IV of the Constitution

of India and conforms to the Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights thatdefines the right to work as a basic human right.

How?

By providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to everyhousehold whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.


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More Details:

The provisions of the law also adhere to the principles enunciated in the Constitution ofIndia under Article 21 of the Constitution of India that guarantees the right to life with dignityto every citizen of India.

This law guarantees the right to work to the people of India and hence is termed as a

“People’s Act”. It is believed that targeting poverty through employment generation is the effective way to

alleviate poverty. Employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is a guaranteed legal right. The major responsibility of the implementation rests with Panchayati Raj institutions. Previous employment guarantee schemes (EGS) like ‘Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar

Yojana’ (SGRY) Programme and National Food For Work Programme (NFFWP) weremerged with MGNREGA to make it more effective.

The Act sets a minimum limit to the wages, to be paid with gender equality. The states arerequired to evolve a set of norms for the measurement of works and schedule of rates. Theunemployment allowance must be paid if the work is not provided within the statutory limitof 15 days.

Avian f lu in K erala to impact Tamil Nadu

The outbreak of Avian flu in three districts of Kerala and the decision of the State governmentto cull lakhs of poultry birds is likely to have an adverse impact on Tamil Nadu.

Safety measu re:

Primary Health Centres and Government Hospitals along the border would be put on high alertin order to deal with any contingency.

Avian f lu

Avian influenza (AI), commonly called bird flu, is an infectious viral disease of birds oftencausing no apparent signs of illness.

Spread:

AI viruses can sometimes spread to domestic poultry and cause large-scale outbreaks ofserious disease. Some of these AI viruses have also been reported to cross the species barrierand cause disease or subclinical infections in humans and other mammals.

Effects on Humans:

Most avian influenza viruses do not infect humans; however some, such as A(H5N1) and A(H7N9), have caused serious infections in people.

The majority of human cases of A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) infection have been associatedwith direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry. There is no evidence thatthe disease can be spread to people through properly cooked food.

Controlling the disease in animals is the first step in decreasing risks to humans. Initial symptoms include high fever, usually with a temperature higher than 38°C, and other

influenza-like symptoms (cough or sore throat). Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, chestpain, and bleeding from the nose and gums have also been reporte

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