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7/24/2019 Insights Daily Current Events

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Insights Daily Current Events,

01 June 201 5About National Commission for She!ule! Castes" It is a constitutional body established with a view to provide safeguards against the

exploitation of Scheduled Castes. To promote and protect their social, educational,economic and cultural interests, special provisions were made in the Constitution.

Article 33 of the Constitution to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards

provided for Scheduled Castes ! Scheduled Tribes and report to the "resident about thewor#ing of these safeguards.

In pursuance of this provision a Special $%cer #nown as the Commissioner for Scheduled

Castes ! Scheduled Tribes was appointed for the &rst time on ' th (ovember, ' )*+ A proposal was mooted for amendment of Article 33 of the Constitution -th

Amendment/ by replacing the single member Special $%cer by multi0member system. The &rst Commission for SC ! ST came into being on August, ' )1.

The setup of the Commission of ' )1 underwent change in ' )1 and it was named as

(ational Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This Commission being a (ational 2evel Advisory body played the role of adviser on maor

policy and developmental issues relating to SCs4STs 2ater, through the )th Amendment of the Constitution it was decided to have a separate

(ational Commission for Scheduled Castes ! separate (ational Commission for Scheduled Tribes. This came into e5ect in 6++-.

7unctions of the commission

To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the

Scheduled Castes under this Constitution or under any other law for the time being inforce or under any order of the 8overnment and to evaluate the wor#ing of suchsafeguards

To in9uire into speci&c complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards

of the Scheduled Castes To participate and advise on the planning process of socio0economic development of the

Scheduled Castes and to evaluate the progress of their development under the :nion andany State

To present to the "resident, annually and at such other times as the Commission may

deem &t, reports upon the wor#ing of those safeguards; To ma#e in such reports recommendations as to the measures that should be ta#en by the

:nion or any State for the e5ective implementation of those safeguards and othermeasures for the protection, welfare and socio0economic development of the ScheduledCastes; and

To discharge such other functions in relation to the protection, welfare and development

and advancement of the Scheduled Castes as the "resident may, subect to the provisionsof any law made by "arliament, by rule specify.

The Commission consists of a chairperson, a vice0chairperson and three other members.

They are appointed by the "resident by warrant under his hand and seal

Their conditions of service and tenure of o%ce are also determined by the president. Thecommission presents an annual report to the president.

#ol$ata%Dha$a%Agartala bus trial run to!ay The service is aimed at easy movement of people of two Indian States separated by

<angladesh This is the &rst bus service to connect the two north0eastern States through <angladesh.

The =ha#a0>ol#ata service was introduced in ' ))) and the one between =ha#a and

Agartala in 6++3. It had been sought for long by the people of Tripura and other adoining States for

travelling through <angladesh without changing vehicles.



It ta#es nearly three days to travel from >ol#ata to Agartala, the capital of Tripura, a ' ,

*+0#m distance by land (ow, the ourney will ta#e less than 6- hours. The two countries recently completed a trial

run of the =ha#a0Shillong08uwahati service.Im&ortant &rovisions in the 'ight to (air Com&ensation an! )rans&areny in *an!A+uisition, 'ehabilitation an! 'esettlement Amen!ment- .r!inane, 201 5" 2and shall be ac9uired up to ' #m on both sides of designated railway lines or roads for

industrial corridor.

8overnment shall underta#e a survey of wasteland and arid land and maintain a record A provision is included for providing employment to proect a5ected families.

?earings to be held in districts where land ac9uisition ta#es place.

Courts won@t need government nod to ta#e cognisance of o5ence under Cr"C

7ive year@ clause for completion of proect on ac9uired land will be augmented and

amended by the length of the proect. (o ac9uisition will be transferred to private persons. :nder section 33 compulsory employment clause shall be inserted.

2and ac9uired for ?ospitals, Bducational Institutions and other Social "roects will not

come under de&nition of Industrial Corridor. 8overnment to ensure before noti&cation land ac9uired would be bare minimum re9uired

for a proect. Infrastructure proects including proects under public private partnership where the

ownership of the land continues to vest with the 8overnment, appropriate governmentsare empowered to ta#e steps for exemption from Social Impact AssessmentD and Special"rovisions for Safeguarding 7ood SecurityD. In addition ac9uisition for such proects areexempted from the ConsentD provisions of the Act as well.

/o beteen In!ia an! angla!esh The :nion Cabinet recently gave its approval for signing of a Eemorandum of

:nderstanding E$:/ with <angladesh on prevention of human tra%c#ing especiallytra%c#ing in women and childrenF rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration ofvictims of human tra%c#ing.

The salient features of the Eo:F

To strengthen cooperation to prevent all forms of the human tra%c#ing, especially that of

women and children and ensure the speedy investigation and prosecution of tra%c#ersand organiGed crime syndicates in either country;

enumeration of preventive measures that would be ta#en to eliminate human tra%c#ing in

women and children and in protecting the rights of victims of tra%c#ing; and repatriation of victims would be done as expeditiously as possible and the home country

will underta#e the safe and e5ective reintegration of the victims.

02 June 201 5Core in!ustries3 out&ut !i&s 04 6 in A&ril A recently released o%cial data shows that output of the eight core industries shrun# +.-H

in April against growth of *.1H during the same month last year. 8rowth in production has declined every month since (ovember 6+' -.

"erformance of various sectorsF

Coal and steel were only two sectors in which output grew

Coal production grew 1.)H, steel output grew but at +.H in April as against .)H in the

same month last year. The output of crude oil declined 6.1H in April.

(atural gas production was 3.H lower.

Blectricity generation shran# ' .' H and cement output fell 6.-H.

The production of re&nery products declined 6.)H and fertiliser output shrun# marginally

by +.+-H. The eight sectors contribute 3H to the overall industrial production.



The eight core sector industries are coal, crude oil, natural gas, re&nery products,

fertiliGer, steel, cement and electricity./auritius3 7rst oman 8resi!ent Ameenah 8urib07a#im as the new "resident, ma#ing her the &rst woman to hold the

ceremonial position 8urib07a#im is an internationally0renowned scientist and biologist

She will be the &rst female president of the island, which gained independence from

<ritain in ' ) and which replaced <ritain@s Jueen BliGabeth II as its head of state in '

))6. The "resident of the Kepublic of Eauritius is the ?ead of State of the Kepublic of Eauritius

and the Commander in Chief of the Armed 7orces of Eauritius The minimum age of the "resident shall be -+ years and should have resided in Eauritius

for at least * years immediately preceding the election. The "resident shall be elected by the (ational Assembly on a motion made by the "rime

Einister and supported by the votes of a maority of all the members Assembly. The term of o%ce is * years and the "resident shall be eligible for re0election

Eauritius is a parliamentary republic, and the "resident functions as a ceremonial

&gurehead , elected by the (ational Assembly as set out by the Constitution of Eauritius.angla!esh *iberation 9ar aar! for :a;&ayee <angladesh is set to honour former "rime Einister Atal <ihari Lapayee for his outstanding

support for the country@s independence from "a#istan in ' )1' when he was a 2o# Sabhamember.

<angladesh is all set to hand over Lapayee@s 7riends of <angladesh 2iberation Mar

AwardD to "rime Einister (arendra Eodi during his visit to the country from Nune . "rime Einister Shei#h ?asina also approved a proposal to honour the families of the

members of Indian armed forces for sacri&cing their lives for the cause of <angladesh@sindependence.

The award is bestowed upon individuals and organiGations who had extended support to

<angladesh during it@s independence struggle. The t The then Indian prime minister Indira 8andhi was the &rst foreign friendD to be conferred

with the <angladesh 2iberation Mar ?onourAward Eost of the subse9uent recipients were also from India which extended the most crucial

support for <angladesh@s independence with incumbent "resident "ranab Eu#heree beingone of them.

)he &u<<le of 8attanam3s tubular ;ars Bxcavation being conducted by the >erala Council of ?istorical Kesearch >C?K/ at

"attanam, 6* #m from >ochi, has continued. Kecent f =uring the ninth season of excavation this year, a row of eight tubular ars without bottom

portions was found. The potter had deliberately left them open at both ends. Altogether, ' 6 such tubular ars were found, eight in a vertical position, three that have

fallen down and one with the portion bro#en. The ars are -+0cm tall, and the diameter of their rim is about ' 3 cm. They were found in

the ' st trench, the latest to be excavated.

The nec# and rim of these ars resembled the torpedo ars found in the Eesopotamian andsouth Arabian regions with which "attanam, or the ancient Euciri "attinam, had tradelin#s. <ut unli#e the torpedo ars, the bottom of all these ars is open.

Kesearchers estimated that these ars, stratigraphically, belonged to the Barly ?istoric

period fourth century CB/ when the Indian $cean transformed into a trade la#e with lin#sto the Ked Sea and the Eediterranean littoral.

$n the context in which these ars were found, scientists say the initial guess was that

they were meant for rituals or storage. <ut it could not be proved. There was intenseburning activity around the place where they were found.

"attanamF



"attanam is a village located in the "eriyar delta in Brana#ulam district in the southern

Indian state of >erala It is located 6 #m north of (orth "aravur, ) #m south of >odungallur Cranganore/ and 6*

#m north of >ochi Cochin/. A branch of the "eriyar river, called the "eriyar Thodu "eriyarcanal/, runs close to "attanam.

"attanam is identi&ed as the legendary port EuGiris mentioned in the 8reeco0Koman

classical sources. Eany poems in the Tamil Sangam literature third century <CB to third century CB/

celebrate it as Euciri. The poet Tayan#annanar describes the port on the ban#s of theCulliyam "eriyar thusF In Cheran@s prosperous Euciri town, the huge and beautiful Culliriver Oows, muddied with white foam. The Pavanas come with their &ne ships, bearinggold, and leave with pepper.D

Archaeological investigations conducted recently have also unearthed a Chera coin,

Amphora and semi0&nished beads from the area. 7oundation of a bric# structure possiblyused by artisans as their wor#shop is also found there. $xford archaeologists havecon&rmed that "attanam was an Indian port fre9uented by Komans and have put to restdoubts about the anti9uity of the site.

9hat is Jan Ausha!hi Sheme= It is a scheme which see#s to ma#e available 9uality medicines at a5ordable prices for all,

especially the poor and the disadvantaged.

:nder this, less priced 9uality unbranded generic medicines will be made availablethrough Nan Aushadhi stores which inherently are less priced but are of same ande9uivalent 9uality, e%cacy and safety as compared to branded generic medicines.

:nder this Scheme, the State 8overnment has to provide space in 8overnment ?ospital

premises for the running of the outlets NAS/. 8overnment hospitals, (8$s, Charitable$rganisations and public societies li#e Ked Cross Society, Kogi >alyan Samiti typicallyconstituted for the purpose can be operating agencies for the NAS.

The operating agency for NAS is nominated on the basis of the recommendations of the

State government. $perational expenditure is met from trade margins admissible for themedicines.

The State 8overnment has to ensure prescription of unbranded generic medicines by the

8overnment doctors.

The Nan Aushadhi "rogramme is accordingly a self sustaining business model notdependent on government subsidies or assistance. It is run on the principle of (ot for"ro&ts but with Einimal "ro&tsD.

<ene&ts of the SchemeF

Improve access to healthcare in as much as cost of treatment would come down

substantially. This would enable the "ublic ?ealth System to increase the coverage. Secure a socio0economically viable mechanism4institutional arrangement for e%cacious

sales of "harma C"S: products, thereby improving their viability. "romote ! encourage private industry to sell their 9uality unbranded generic products

through these retail outlets. Bducate doctors that unbranded generic medicines provide a better option that branded

products since 9uality of generic medicines can be e9ually e%cacious and safe at muchlower prices. Create consumer awareness by involving private, charitable bodies and (8$s by ma#ing

them part of the campaign. Keduce promotional cost and pro&ts for the bene&t of patients.

CSI' suee!s in 9hole >enome Se+uening of ?oly basil )ulsi- CSIK0Central Institute of Eedicinal ! Aromatic "lants CSIK0CIEA"/, 2uc#now, has

published whole genome se9uence of $cimum sanctum, the wonder plant ?oly basil@ orTulsi@ .

This is the &rst report of complete genome se9uence of a traditional and most respected

medicinal plant of India, using a composite next generation se9uencing technologies.



Mhole genome se9uencing is a laboratory process that determines the complete =(A

se9uence of an organism@s genome at a single time. <ene&ts of Mhole genome se9uencingF

Considering the metabolic and therapeutic potential of this revered plant, the availability

of whole genome se9uence is the &rst step to understand and unravel the secrets of thismother of all herbs@ and to provide scienti&c validity to the traditional claims of its utilityin diverse medicinal usag

The availability of the genome se9uence now opens the possibility to identify genes

involved in producing therapeutic molecules and to produce them in vitro. This will also facilitate identi&cation of not yet identi&ed genes involved in the synthesis of

important secondary metabolites in this plant. Speci&c pathway related genes identi&ed or mined in this genome could be used for the

production of secondary metabolites following synthetic biology app The development of molecular tools and genomic resources will accelerate molecular

breeding and ultimately the utility of ?oly basil in medical community It is also revered as Lishnupriya@ and worshipped for over more than 3+++ years through

the sacred traditions of ?indu culture It is traditionally used for the cure of several ailments.

This herb is described as The Jueen of ?erbs,D The Incomparable $neD and The Eother

Eedicine of (atureD in the Ayurvedic text of Chara#a Samhita.

All parts of this legendary, divine and most cherished ancient herb dried leaf, dried seed,and dried whole plant/ are used in several systems of traditional medicine, includingAyurveda, 8ree#, Koman, Siddha, and :nani.

It is used in the preparations to cure various diseases li#e bronchitis, bronchial asthma,

malaria, diarrhea, dysentery, s#in diseases, arthritis, painful eye diseases, chronic fever,insect bite etc.

It has also been described to possess anti0fertility, anti0cancer, anti0diabetic, anti0fungal,

anti0microbial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, anti0emetic, anti0spasmodic, analgesic,adaptogenic and diaphoretic actions.

Eany of the basil oil constituents have found applications as medicinal ingredients, Oavors,

fragrance, etc.



0@ June 201 5Eonomy" Cash reserve Katio CKK/ is the amount of funds that the ban#s have to #eep with the K<I.

If the central ban# decides to increase the CKK, the available amount with the ban#scomes down. The K<I uses the CKK to drain out excessive money from the system.

Kepo Kate is the rate at which the K<I lends money to commercial ban#s. It is an

instrument of monetary policy. Mhenever ban#s have any shortage of funds they canborrow from the K<I. A reduction in the repo rate helps ban#s get money at a cheaper rate

and vice versa. The repo rate in India is similar to the discount rate in the :S. Keverse Kepo rate is the rate at which the K<I borrows money from commercial ban#s. An

increase in reverse repo rate can prompt ban#s to par# more funds with the K<I to earnhigher returns on idle cash. It is also a tool which can be used by the K<I to drain excessmoney out of the ban#ing system

Earginal standing facility ES7/ rate is the rate at which ban#s borrow funds overnight

from the Keserve <an# of India K<I/ against approved government securitiesSientists !oument virgin births3 of en!angere! sa7sh in (lori!a Scientists have documented in 7lorida a series of virgin births,D reproduction without

mating, in a critically endangered saw&sh species pushed to the brin# of extinction byover0&shing and habitat destruction.

Scientists say that for the &rst time the phenomenon called parthenogenesis has been

seen in a vertebrate in the wild. They also say that some females may be resorting toasexual reproduction because smalltooth saw&sh numbers are so low that matingopportunities may not exist

8arthenogenesis" It is a type of asexual reproduction in which the o5spring develops from unfertiliGed eggs.

In parthenogenesis, a female@s egg cell can develop into a baby without being fertiliGed by

a male@s sperm cell. In ma#ing an egg cell, a precursor cell divides into four cells. The one that eventually

becomes the egg cell retains #ey cellular structures and the gel0li#e cytoplasm. The otherthree hold extra genetic material.

In parthenogenesis, one of those cells essentially acts as a sperm cell and fuses with the

egg. This fertiliGed egg possesses about half the mother@s genetic diversity, a trait allowingparthenogenesis to be detected through genetic testing.

Smalltooth sa7sh" Also #nown as the wide saw&sh, it is a saw&sh of the family "ristidae.

It is found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters in coastal parts of the Atlantic,

including the Eediterranean. Smalltooth saw&sh are born and live for about three years insouthwest 7lorida estuaries before moving into ocean coastal habitats.

The species is listed as critically endangered by the International :nion for the

Conservation of (ature Ked 2ist. They have a Oattened shar#0shaped body and a long, Oat snout with pairs of teeth on the

side used to &nd, stun and #ill prey. They grow up to ' feet long. Their population collapse follows habitat loss and unintentional over0&shing, being caught

in nets targeting other species. They received :.S. federal endangered species protection in 6++3.

#hoya 8aya eb &ortal The government of India recently launched the >hoya "aya web portal

The >hoya "aya portal is a citiGen based website to exchange information on missing and

found children. It has been developed by the Einistry of Momen and Child =evelopment and the

=epartment of Blectronics and Information Technology =eitP/ The >hoya "aya website is an enabling platform, where citiGens can report missing

children, as well as sightings of their whereabouts without wasting much time.



The 7ound@ children can also be reported on this web portal. The reporting can be done

through text, photographs, videos and other means of transmitting and uploadinginformation to the >hoya"aya site

Information about missing and sighted children can be uploaded at >hoyapaya.gov.in.

Nhar#hand tops the list of states which see cases of missing children and those of child

tra%c#ing. These children mostly end up wor#ing as child labour in big cities or are thrown into sex

trade

In almost all these cases, the families of such children are extremely poor, illiterate andcan@t even a5ord three meals a day.



IA8 ?ealth8hone &rogramme The IA" ?ealth"hone programme is the world@s largest digital mass education programme

for addressing the malnutrition in women and children It is a public0partnership initiative that leverages the increasing penetration of mobile

phones in the country to educate over million girls and women between ' 3 and 3*years of age and their families on better health and nutrition practices by 6+'

This programme is launched by the Indian Academy of "ediatrics IA"/ in partnership with

the Einistry of Momen and Child =evelopment, :(ICB7 and supported by Lodafone India.

This programme aims to tac#le the challenge of malnutrition in mothers and childrenacross India. The programme will achieve its obectives by widely promoting and distributing four re0

edited videos from the "oshan nutritional videos/ series, ointly produced by Einistry ofMomen and Child =evelopment and :(ICB7 in ' Indian languages. The

The "oshan videos address issues of status of women, the care of pregnant women and

children under two, breastfeeding and the importance of balanced diet, health and simplechanges in nutritional care practices that can notably enhance nutritiona levels.

The three0year campaign by IA" ?ealth"hone is expected to bene&t the health of +

million children in India born by 6+6* and will be transformative for India@s &ght againstmalnutrition

0 June 201 5In!ia signs &at on automati eBhange of taB information Eultilateral Competent Authority Agreement ECAA/ on Automatic Bxchange of 7inancial

Account Information. *- countries have already oined the ECAA

India is among six countries that oined this pact in "aris, ta#ing the number to +

The target is to reach )- countries by 6+' 1

The new system, also #nown as the Common Keporting Standards CKS/ on Automatic

Bxchange of Information AB$I/, is very wide in scope and obliges the treaty partners toexchange a wide range of &nancial information, including that about the ultimatecontrolling persons and bene&cial owners of entities

To be able to comply with the new system, amendments have been made to section6*<A of the Income Tax Act, ' )' . (ecessary rules and guidelines are being formulatedin consultation with &nancial institutions.

"reviously, information was exchanged between countries on the basis of speci&c re9uests

relating to cases of tax evasion and other &nancial crimes. AB$I, when fully implemented, sets up a system wherein bul# taxpayer information will

periodically be sent by the source country of income to the country of residence of thetaxpayer.

This would be the #ey to prevent international tax evasion and avoidance and would be

instrumental in getting information about assets of Indians held abroad including throughentities in which Indians are bene&cial owners.

This will help the 8overnment to curb tax evasion and deal with the problem of blac#

money.Delhi sla&s 15%!ay ban on sale of /aggi noo!les Kecently, some Eaggi noodles samples reportedly found to contain higher0than0

permissible levels of monosodium glutamate ES8/. Eaggi noodles has been at the centre of controversy since laboratory tests ordered by

:ttar "radesh food inspectors on a batch of the popular snac# allegedly found eight timesas much lead as permissible.

About Eonosodium glutamate ES8/

It is one of the most common, naturally occurring non0essential amino acid, which is found

in tomatoes, "armesan cheese, potatoes, mushrooms, and other vegetables and fruits.



In the food industry, it is used as a taste enhancer that increases the meaty, savoury

Oavor of food. Although the :.S 7ood and =rug Administration recognises ES8 as safe, it is considered

far more harmful in India. It has long0term e5ects, but show signs of discomfort amongsensitive people whenever consumed.

Typical ES8 complaints includeF <urning sensations of the mouth, head and nec#

?eadaches Mea#ness of the arms or legs :pset stomach ?ives or other allergic0typereactions with the s#in.

Scientists have also discovered that the compound can destroy Ketina and parts of the<rain. It can also lead to nervous disorders and radical hormone Ouctuations.

Eany studies have also shown that it is particularly harmful for pregnant women and

nursing mothers as infants and very young children are succeptible to brain damage andunderdevelopment.

Cultivation of &a!!y, sugarane threat to ?am&i monuments :(BSC$, in its State of ConservationD report on the Morld ?eritage Site, has said that

cultivation of paddy and sugarcane pose a threat to the conservation of the historical?ampi group of monuments.

:(BSC$ has Oagged irrigation for water0intensive agriculture, tra%c close to the site and

seasonal Oooding of the Tungabhadra as challenges. The threat of agriculture is water0logging that wea#ens the foundation of minor

monuments situated on farm land. There have been incidents of monuments sin#ing ordamage caused due to dampness and wetness.

?ampi is one of the :(BSC$ Morld ?eritage Sites in India located near ?ospet town in the

>arnata#a state. It is located within the ruins of the city of Liayanagara, the former capital of the

Liayanagara Bmpire The emperor Asho#a@s minor roc# edicts in (ittur ! :degolan both in <ellary district,

>arnata#a/ lead one to believe that this region was within the Asho#an #ingdom during the3rd century <CB.

A <rahmi inscription ! a terracotta seal dating to the 6nd century CB were also discovered

from the excavation site. The &rst historical settlements in ?ampi date bac# to ' CB

It is situated on the ban#s of the Tungabhadra Kiver.

?ampi has various notable ?indu temples with some vedanta mythology inside the

temples, some of which are still active places of worship

05 June 201 5Ne !eman! by States oul! hit >S) rollout The States have demanded that the Centre compensate them fully for any loss of revenue

during the &rst &ve years of transition to the new 8ST tax regime. This is a setbac# to thegovernment@s plan of rolling out the 8oods and Services Tax 8ST/ by April ' , 6+'

Mhile, the Centre has proposed to compensate the States, fully for the &rst three years,

followed by threefourths of the losses in the fourth year and half during the &fth.

$ther demands by the statesF They want the power to levy additional sales tax over and above the 8ST on tobacco and

tobacco products. Some States want the purchase tax be not subsumed in the 8ST. ?owever, if it were to be

merged, then they should be awarded compensation for ' * years The States have also raised concerns over the proposed provision of an additional ' H tax

over and above the 8ST, which the Centre o5ered as an assurance against apprehensionsof loss of revenue.

)he goo!s an! servies taB >S)-



is a comprehensive value0added tax LAT/ on goods and services. It is an indirect tax

levied on manufacture, sale and consumption of goods as well as services at a nationallevel

Through a tax credit mechanism, this tax is collected on value0added goods and services

at each stage of sale or purchase in the supply chain. Through a tax credit mechanism, this tax is collected on value0added goods and services

at each stage of sale or purchase in the supply chain. The system allows the set0o5 of 8ST paid on the procurement of goods and services

against the 8ST which is payable on the supply of goods or services. ?owever, the endconsumer bears this tax as he is the last person in the supply chain. Bxperts say that 8ST is li#ely to improve tax collections and boost India@s economic

development by brea#ing tax barriers between States and integrating India through auniform tax rate.

Mhat are the bene&ts of 8ST

nder 8ST, the taxation burden will be divided e9uitably between manufacturing and

services, through a lower tax rate by increasing the tax base and minimiGing exemptions. It is expected to help build a transparent and corruption0free tax administration. 8ST will

be is levied only at the destination point, and not at various points from manufacturing toretail outlets/.

Currently, a manufacturer needs to pay tax when a &nished product moves out from a

factory, and it is again taxed at the retail outlet when sold. It is estimated that India will gain Q' * billion a year by implementing the 8oods and

Services Tax as it would promote exports, raise employment and boost growth. It willdivide the tax burden e9uitably between manufacturing and services.

In the 8ST system, both Central and State taxes will be collected at the point of sale. <oth

components the Central and State 8ST/ will be charged on the manufacturing cost. Thiswill bene&t individuals as prices are li#ely to come down. 2ower prices will lead to moreconsumption, thereby helping companies

The bill on 8ST, which will be the biggest tax reform after ' )-1, was introduced in the 2o#

Sabha in =ecember last year. A single rate of 8ST will replace central excise, state LAT,entertainment tax, octroi, entry tax, luxury tax and purchase tax on goods and services toensure seamless transfer of goods and services.

*a unlear if elebrities en!orsing foo! &ro!uts an be &roseute! There is no speci&c word in the 7ood Safety and Standards Act 7SSA/ about the extent, or

lac#, of liability or duty of care of the brand ambassador, who signs on to promote thebrand as its face@ and ta#es on the role of a mar#eting representative. Sections 6- and *3of the 6++ Act deal speci&cally with advertisements

Section 6- ' / says in general terms that no advertisement shall be made of any food

which is misleading or deceiving or contravenes the provisions of this Act, the rules andregulations made thereunder.D ?ere, it does not explain whether the term madeD is onlycon&ned to commissioning the advertisement or its actual ma#ing. In the latter case, abrand ambassador does play a part

Subsection 6/ of the same section says no person shall engage himself in any unfair

trade practice for the purpose of promoting the sale D This clause does not specify who thepersonD mentioned in it is, thus, ma#ing the ambit of the provision pliable Clauses a/ b/ and c/ of subsection 6/ holds this personD legally responsible for falsely

representing the standard and 9uality of the food product, its need and usefulness andalso for giving the public any guarantee of the e%cacy that is not based on an ade9uateor scienti&c usti&cation.D

(oo! Safety an! Stan!ar!s At 200" It was enacted in 6++ and the Einistry of ?ealth ! 7amily Melfare has been designated as

the nodal Einistry for administration and implementation of the Act. Act established an independent statutory Authority R the 7ood Safety and Standards

Authority of India with head o%ce at =elhi.



7raming of Kegulations to lay down the Standards and guidelines@ for articles of food and

specifying appropriate system of enforcing@ various standards so laid 2aying down mechanisms and guidelines for accreditation of certi&cation bodies engaged

in certi&cation of food safety management system for food businesses 2aying down procedure and guidelines for accreditation of laboratories and noti&cation of

the accredited laboratories To provide scienti&c advice and technical support to Central 8overnment and State

8overnments in the matters of framing the policy and rules in areas which have a direct or

indirect bearing of food safety and nutrition. Collect and collate data regarding food consumption, incidence and prevalence of

biological ris#, contaminants in food, residues of various, and contaminants in foodsproducts, identi&cation of emerging ris#s and introduction of rapid alert system.

Creating an information networ# across the country so that the public, consumers,

"anchayats etc. receive rapid, reliable and obective information about food safety andissues of concern.

"rovide training program for persons who are involved or intend to get involved in food

businesses. Contribute to the development of international technical standards for food, sanitary and

phyto0sanitary standards. "romote general awareness about food safety and food standards

?alf of mammals fae habitat loss" SI oological Survey of India SI/ recently published a boo# containing a consolidated

documentation and listing of all the scheduled or protected sp The boo#, An Identi&cation Eanual for Scheduled Eammals of India , provides detailed

information on scheduled mammals, their status as per I:C( International :nion forConservation of (ature/ Ked list of Threatened Species.

Eammalian fauna of IndiaF

India is home to -6 species of mammals out of which more than +H about 6*'

species are under protected or scheduled categories of the Indian Mildlife "rotection/Act, ' )16

-6 species of mammals in India contribute to about H of the total mammal species

found in the Morld About *+H of mammalian fauna of India have shrun# in their distributional range due to

various anthropogenic pressures. 7our mammal species Cheetah, <anteng, Sumatran Khinoceros and Navan Khinoceros

are extinct in India. $ut of the 6*' Schedule mammals species listed under the India Mildlife "rotection/ Act,

' )16, about ' + fall under the lesser0#nownD category, and very little information isavailable about their habitat, behaviour, and pop

Around 1 species of mammals are included in Schedule I of Indian Mildlife "rotection/

Act, ' )16, implying that highest priority is placed on the conservation of these animals inthe country.

Mhile the Schedule I mammals constitute well #nown species li#e tiger, elephant and

Indian rhinoceros, lesser #nownD species such as clouded leopard, snow leopard, gaur,desert cat, (iligiri tahr, swamp deer, sloth bear and Tibetan, sand fox are also included inthe list

The mammals that fall in the Critically BndangeredD category of the I:C(, according to

the boo# areF pygmy hog, Ealabar civet, large roc# rat and #ondana rat As per the I:C( status 6) mammals such as, Chinese "angolin, &shing cat, 8angetic

dolphin, golden langur, hispid hare etc./ in the country come under the endangeredDcategory

About SI" Bstablished in ' )' , it is a premier organisation in Goological research and studies. It was

established to promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in the region



The activities of the SI are coordinated by the Conservation and Survey =ivision in the

Einistry of Bnvironment and 7orests, 8overnment of India Bxploration and Survey of 7aunal Kesources

Taxonomic Studies

Status Survey of Bndangered Species

"ublication of Kesults through =epartmental Nournal

"ublication of 7auna of Indi

Eaintenance and =evelopment of (ational oological Collections

Ked =ata <oo#F Similar to the Ked =ata <oo# produced by I:C(, SI also releases a Ked =ata <oo# on

Indian Animals. It was &rst published in ' )3. The SI also participates in the Indian Antarctic "rogram, since its incep

0 June 201 5Suit against #arnata$a for &olluting rivers The Tamil (adu government recently moved the Supreme Court, accusing the State of

>arnata#a for dumping untreated sewage and industrial euents in the Cauvery and"ennaiyar rivers, considered life0giving water sources for Tamil (adu.

The Tamil (adu government, in a suit for permanent and mandatory inunction, blamed

>arnata#a for gross dereliction of duty as a welfare State under the ConstitutionD bydenying the people of Tamil (adu the right to access clean water. It has also contendedthat >arnata#a government@s inaction has become a threat to lives and crops in Tamil(adu.

Tamil (adu has sought the right to claim damages from >arnata#a for discharging polluted

water into Tamil (adu. The >erala State government has made the :nion also a party in the suit, saying it failed

in its legal and constitutional duty to ensure that >arnata#a complied with its socialobligation and responsibility to comply with the prescribed standards before lettingeuents into rivers.

The suit also 9uotes >arnata#a@s Einor Irrigation Einister as saying that around ) million

litres of sewage water enters Tamil (adu through the "ina#ini and South "ennar river

courses and the remaining sewage water Oows to Cauvery through the Ar#avathi Kiver ona daily basis into Tamil (adu.

Cauvery 'iver" Cauvery is a sacred river of southern India, rising on <rahmagiri ?ill in the Mestern 8hats

in Coorg district of >arnata#a state. It Oows in a south0easterly direction for 1* #m through >arnata#a and Tamil (adu states

across the =eccan "lateau, and descending the Bastern 8hats in a series of great falls. <efore emptying into the <ay of <engal south of Cuddalore, Tamil (adu, it brea#s into a

large number of distributaries forming a wide delta. It is also #nown as =a#sina 8angaD <ut, Kiver 8odavari is widely considered as =a#shin

8anga/ The >averi basin is estimated to be ' ,' ** s9uare #ms with many tributaries including

the Shimsha, the ?emavati, the Ar#avati, ?onnuhole, 2a#shmana Tirtha, >abini, <havaniKiver, the 2o#apavani, the (oyyal and the Amaravati Kiver.

The river@s basin covers four states and :nion TerritoriesF Tamil (adu, >arnata#a, >erala

and "uducherry. After the river leaves the >odagu hills and Oows onto the =eccan plateau, it forms two

islands, Srirangapatna and Shivanasamudra in >arnata#a. At Shivanasamudra the riverdrops ) metres 36+ ft/, forming the famous Shivanasamudra 7alls #nown separately as8agana Chu##i and <hara Chu##i. Asia@s &rst hydroelectric plant built in ' )+6/ was onthe left falls and supplied power to the city of <angalore.

Tamil Sangam literature 3++<CB to *++CB/ mentions the #averi and Sri

Kanganathaswamy Temple.



#on$an 'ailay ta$es the green route >on#an Kailway Corporation 2td. >KC2/ has replaced power0guGGling high pressure sodium

vapour ?"SL/ lamps in its railway tunnels with light emitting diode 2B=/ lamps, whichwere dedicated on the occasion of Morld Bnvironment =ay on Nune *th

As many as ' .-' la#h 2B= bulbs have found a place in )' tunnels of >KC2 across coastal

>arnata#a, 8oa and Eaharashtra. >KC2 has said that with the installation of 2B= bulbs, the corporation has considerably

reduced carbon footprint thereby contributing to energy conservation and environment

preservation Bach 6- Matt 2B= bulb would consume ust one0third of the energy used by 1+ Matt ?"SL

bulbs >on#an KailwayF Juic# 7acts

It is a railway line which runs along the >on#an coast of India between Eumbai and

Eangaluru It was constructed and is operated by the >on#an Kailway Corporation

It runs from Koha in Eaharashtra till Tho#ur in >arnata#a for a total distance of 1-' #m,

along the west coast of India and Mestern 8hats. It connects Eaharashtra, 8oa and>arnata#a States

The >on#an is a coastal strip of land bounded by the Sahyadri hills on the east, and

Arabian Sea on the west

Ne&al sno leo&ar! gets a ra!io ollar (epalese conservationists recently announced that they had successfully radio0collared a

second snow leopard near >anchenunga, the world@s third highest mountain. =ata received from the satellite collar will enable conservationists to identify critical

habitats for the elusive species, including transboundary lin#s across India and China. The collaring expedition was led by the government of (epal in partnership with the MM7,

the (ational Trust for (ature Conservation, the >anchenunga Conservation Area "roectand citiGen scientists from the local Snow 2eopard Conservation Committee.

The radio collaring was especially vital in helping identify snow leopard hotspots and

managing local logistics. There is an estimated 3*+ to *)+ snow leopards in (epal as per 6++) population data on

the species. Snow 2eopards R Juic# 7actsF

They are listed as endangered on the I:C( Ked 2ist of Threatened Species.

They inhabit alpine and subalpine Gones at elevations from 3,+++ to -,*++ m ),++ to '

-,++ ft/. In the northern range countries, they also occur at lower elevations. The snow leopard is the (ational ?eritage Animal of "a#istan.

Their habitat extends through twelve countriesF Afghanistan, <hutan, China, India,

>aGa#hstan, >yrgyGstan, Eongolia, (epal, "a#istan, Kussia, Tai#istan, and :Gbe#istan.China contains as much as +H of all snow leopard habitat areas.

In India, their geographical range encompasses a large part of the western ?imalayas

including the states of Nammu and >ashmir, ?imachal "radesh, :ttara#hand and Si##imand Arunachal "radesh in the eastern ?imalayas.

The snow leopard, li#e all big cats, is listed on Appendix I of the Convention onInternational Trade of Bndangered Species CITBS/, which ma#es trading of animal bodyparts i.e., fur, bones and meat/ illegal in signatory countries. It is also protected byseveral national laws in its range countries.

9orl! Environment Day Morld Bnvironment =ay MB=/ is the :nited (ations@ principal vehicle for encouraging

worldwide awareness and action for the environment. It is run by the :nited (ationsBnvironment "rogramme :(B"/

It is celebrated every year on Nune *th. It was established by the :nited (ations 8eneral

Assembly in ' )16 on the day that :nited (ations Conference on the ?uman Bnvironmentbegan.



$ver the years it has grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is

widely celebrated by sta#eholders in over ' ++ countries. The theme for 6+' * is Seven <illion =reams. $ne "lanet. Consume with Care.D

Italy will serve as the host of the MB= 6+' *.

0 June 201 5>F summit o&ens ith tough line on $raine The second 81 summit, hosted by 8erman chancellor Angela Eer#el,

81F The 8roup of Seven 81/ is an informal bloc of industrialiGed democraciesRthe :nitedStates, Canada, 7rance, 8ermany, Italy, Napan, and the :nited >ingdomRthat meetsannually to discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security, andenergy policy.

#a!a&a air&ort to be name! after Annamayya Andhra "radesh Chief Einister (. Chandrababu (aidu recently said that he would get the

>adapa airport named after the saint0poet, Tallapa#a Annamachary About Tallapa#a AnnamacharyaF

?e was a ' *th0century ?indu saint and is the earliest #nown Indian musician to compose

songs called san#irtanas in praise of the god Len#ateswara, a form of Lishnu. The musical form of the #eertana songs that he composed, which are still popular among

Carnatic music concert artists, have strongly inOuenced the structure of Carnatic musiccompositions. ?e was born in Tallapa#a, a village in >adapa district of Andhra "radesh, India.

Annamacharya is remembered for his saintly life, and is honoured as a great devotee of

Lishnu by devotees and saintly singers ?e is believed to have been the avatar of (anda#a, the sword of Lishnu.

?e is widely regarded as the Andhra "ada #avita "itamaha8odfather of Telugu song0

writing/. Tirumala Tirupati =evasthanams, also #nown as TT=, has been endeavouring to preserve

the rich heritage of his compositions.)i&aimu$h &ro;et "rime Einister Eodi recently made it clear that the Indian government will not ta#e any

unilateral decision on the Tipaimu#h ?ydro0Blectric "ower "roect which may adverselya5ect <angladesh.

<angladesh has been demanding to stop the construction of the Tipaimu#h ?ydro0Blectric

"ower "roect on the <ara# Kiver on the eastern edge of <angladesh. About Tipaimu#h proectF

The proect aims to construct a dam on the river <ara# in Eanipur, India.

The purpose of the dam is Oood control and hydroelectric power generation

It has been subect to repeated delays as the proect developed, as there has been

controversy between India and <angladesh over water rights, in addition to 9uestions ofenvironmental e5ects of the huge proect, as well as the need to relocate Eanipuri peopleto ma#e way for a vast reservoir

<angladeshis say that the massive dam will disrupt the seasonal rhythm of the river and

have an adverse e5ect on downstream agriculture and &sheries The Tipaimu#h area lies in an ecologically sensitive and topographically fragile region. It is

within one of the most seismically volatile regions on the planet. 8reen activists say that Tipaimu#h area is a habitat of many endangered species including

bar#ing deer, gibbons, leopards, grey sibia, serow and the rufous0nec#ed hornbillRthe statebird of Eanipur

Bxperts say that the construction of the proposed ' *++ EM Tipaimu#h Eultipurpose

?ydroelectric "roect ?B"/ downstream of the conOuence of river <ara# and the Tuivai inEanipur would lead to massive destruction of ecology.

Chennai tem&le yiel!s more history



An inscription of the Chola emperor Kaendra I was recently discovered at the famous Sri

"arthasarathy Swamy temple at Triplicane, Tamil (adu. The inscription o5ers a prasasthiD, or eulogy, of Kaendra I, spea#ing of the fame of the

emperor, who ruled between A= ' +' 6 and ' +--, and his con9uests of many landsincluding in Lanavasi <anavasi/ and the present0day >alaburgi region, both in >arnata#a,and so on.

A mural depicting the >uru#shetra war, a row of horse0drawn chariots and &ercely

moustachioed charioteers, all battle0ready, was also discovered. The mural runs to many

metres, but had been inexplicably covered with plaster. These &ndings came to light while conservation wor# was ta#en up ahead of the Eaha

Sampro#shanam at the temple.About 8arthasarathy Samy tem&le" It is an th0century ?indu Laishnavite temple dedicated to the god >rishna, located at

Triplicane, Chennai, India. It was originally built by the "allavas in the th century by #ing(arasimhavarman I

The temple has &ve of the incarnations or avatars of LishnuF (arasimhar, Kamar,

Laradaraa, Kanganathar and >rishna The temple is glori&ed in the =ivya "rabandha, the early medieval Tamil literature canon of

the Alvar saints from the thR)th centuries CB and is classi&ed as among the ' + =ivya=esams dedicated to Lishnu.

The name "arthasarathy@, in Sans#rit, means the charioteer of Aruna@, referring to>rishna@s role as a charioteer to Aruna in the epic Eahabaratha.

The temple is replete with inscriptions of the "allavas, the Cholas, the "andyas and the

Liayanagara #ings.In!ia an! Netherlan!s Signe! a /emoran!um of n!erstan!ing /o- The Eo: signed under Ea#e in India@ initiative of 8overnment of India will enable the

<harat Immunologicals and <iologicals Corporation 2td <I<C$2/, a Central "S: under=epartment of <iotechnology, to develop Eeasles R Kubella vaccine at its plant at Chola,<ulandshahr, :.". Translational Laccinology I(TKALACC/ a government0based institute ofthe (etherlands will extend technical support for the development of vaccine.

:nder the Eo: cooperation in development of other vaccines and biologicals with =<T

Kesearch Institutes shall be explored.

<harat Immunologicals and <iological Corporation 2imited <I<C$2/, <ulandshahar, :" is aCentral "ublic Sector :nit, under the =epartment of <iotechnology, Einistry of Science !

Technology, 8overnment of India. <I<C$2 was established as a "S: in ' )), with the aimto achieve self0su%ciency for the nation with respect to production and supply of high9uality polio vaccine and other biologicals.

/easles" Eeasles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus. The disease remains

one of the leading causes of death among young children globally, despite the availabilityof a safe and e5ective vaccine.

Eeasles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through

direct contact and through the air. It is an airborne disease. It may also be spread throughcontact with saliva or nasal secretions

The virus infects the mucous membranes, and then spreads throughout the body. Eeasles

is a human disease and is not #nown to occur in animals. Approximately ' -* 1++ people died from measles in 6+' 3 R mostly children under the

age of *. Initial signs and symptoms typically include fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Two or

three days after the start of symptoms, small white spots may form inside the mouth,#nown as >opli#@s spots. A red, Oat rash which usually starts on the face and then spreadsto the rest of the body typically begins three to &ve days after the start of symptoms.

Accelerated immuniGation activities have had a maor impact on reducing measles deaths.

=uring 6+++0 6+' 3, measles vaccination prevented an estimated ' *. million deaths.



8lobal measles deaths have decreased by 1*H from an estimated *-- 6++ in 6+++ to ' -*1++ in 6+' 3

:nvaccinated young children are at highest ris# of measles and its complications,

including death. :nvaccinated pregnant women are also at ris#. Any non0immune personwho has not been vaccinated or was vaccinated but did not develop immunity/ canbecome infected.

Delhi, Dha$a set boun!ary &at in motion In a historic step towards improving ties, India and <angladesh exchanged the instruments

of rati&cation of the 2and <oundary Agreement recently, promising an end to thestateless existenceD of more than *+,+++ people on both sides of the border.

About the land swap dealF

The swap will involve handing over ' 1,+++ acres of land to <angladesh in return for 1,+++

acres in ''' enclaves in Mest <engal, Assam, Tripura and Eeghalaya, and was &rstdecided under the ' )1- 2and <oundary Agreement 2<A/ between India and <angladesh,but never rati&ed by "arliament.

It will re9uire an amendment to the Constitution the '' )th amendment/ rati&ed by both

?ouses of "arliament with a two0thirds maority. The deal relates to demarcation of boundary under the 2and <oundary Agreement

between the two countries The number of people to be involved in the whole swap is approximately *6,+++, of which

about ' *,+++ are on the Indian side of the border. :nder this agreement, the enclave residents could continue to reside at their present

location or move to the country of their choice.

0G June 201 5No more horse%!riven arriages in /umbai" ?C Terming illegal the use of horse carriages for oyrides, the <ombay ?igh Court recently

banned them in Eumbai and directed the authorities to phase them out in one year. Mhat else has the Court saidU

The Court also said that no wheeled vehicle hired for oyrides could be used for public

conveyance. Therefore, no licences can be granted for the victorias or carriages drawn or

propelled by the horses in Eumbai. The court further said that the carriages did not fall in the category of public conveyanceD

under the <ombay "ublic Conveyance Act ' )6+, and were only meant for oyrides. Mhat about those families whose livelihoods were dependent on these carriagesU

The court has directed the State to identify the number of families whose livelihoods were

connected with the running of horse carriages and come up with schemes for theirrehabilitation by =ecember 6+' *.

The government would also have to formulate schemes for rehabilitation of the animals.

There are approximately 1++ families operating the business. After the expiry of the one0year period, the Eumbai Corporation would have to close down

all the stables meant for horses and ponies and ta#e action under the provisions of the"revention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The decision came based on the petition which said the horses were forced to overwor#.EBhibition ta$es a ;ourney to the roots of Jamini 'oy3s art Namini Koy, the eminent <engali artist, counted among the early modernists of twentieth

century Indian art, is being featured in a new exhibition in Eumbai at the (ational 8alleryof Eodern Art

Titled Namini Koy ' 1 R ' )16/F Nourney to the Koots@, the exhibition is curated by art

historian and comprises 6++ artwor#s that chart the development of the artist@s uni9ueaesthetic and visual language.

About Namini KoyF

?e was born in ' 1 in <eliatore village in <an#ura, Mest <engal



?e was among the signi&cant Indian artists to forge a visual style that was both modern in

its sensibilities and resolutely Indian. ?e was trained in Buropean naturalism.

Koy adopted the simpli&cation of the forms, the bold, Oat colours and the medium,

material and themes of local fol# paintings Koy adopted the simpli&cation of the forms, the bold, Oat colours and the medium,

material and themes of local fol# paintings ?e rendered images from Kamayana and >rishna 2ila. ?e painted ordinary men and

women from the village, reinventing popular images from the patua@s repertoire. Namini Koy restricted his palette to seven colours0 Indian red, yellow ochre, cadmium

green, vermillion, grey, blue and white. These were mostly earthy or mineral colours. The Santhals, tribal people who live in the rural districts of <engal, were an important

subect for Koy. A series of wor#s done a decade before Morld Mar II is a prime example of how he

captured the 9ualities that are a part of native fol# painting and combined them with thoseof his own

?e fused the minimal brush stro#es of the >alighat style with elements of tribal art from

<engal li#e that of the terracotta wor# found in the <ishnupur temple, where terracottawas often composed into elaborate, decorative units over portals and across exterior wallsof the temples/.

)ayal a&&ointe! NS> hief About (S8F

It is a security force of India constituted for combating terrorist activities with a view to

protect States against internal disturbances. It was set up in ' )- as a 7ederal Contingency =eployment 7orce to tac#le all facets of

terrorism in the country. It is under the authority Einistry of ?ome A5airs

The force is a uni9ue combination of personnel on deputation from Indian Army and

Central Armed "olice 7orces. The two components of (S8 are the Special Action 8roup SA8/, which consists entirely of

Indian Army personnel; and the Special Kanger 8roups SK8/, which comprises personneldrawn from Central Armed "olice 7orces and State "olice 7orces

The chief of the force designated as a =irector 8eneral is an o%cer from the Indian "olice

Service.Centre eases &roess to !elare il!life vermin Increasing man0animals conOict that causes damage to crops and other human property

has led the :nion ministry of environment, forest and climate change EoB7CC/ to as#states to send proposals to declare wild animals vermin for speci&ed period in a given area

ImplicationsF

$nce declared vermin, that particular species can be hunted or culled without restriction

If implemented, it will apply to wild animals listed in various Schedules of the Mildlife

"rotection Act M"A/ ' )16, other than Schedule I ! "art II of Schedule II that lists mostendangered and iconic species li#e tigers, leopards, and elephants.

EoB7CC has as#ed states to send proposals to declare wild animals or herds of them asvermin if they have become dangerous to human life or property, or if they have becomeso disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery. Mhile declaring animals as vermin,o%cials will not have to give any usti&cation to hunt them as is the case with Schedule Ianimals li#e tigers and leopards.

"roblems associatedF

$%cials and environmentalists fear that protected species could be hunted in the name of

eliminating vermin. They point out it is not easy for &eld sta5 to di5erentiate meat of chitafrom nilgai@s or wild boar.

Bxisting legal provisions for obective management of man0animal conOictF



Section '' ' /a of the Mildlife "rotection Act M"A/ authoriGes chief wildlife warden to

permit hunting of any problem wild animal only if it cannot be captured, tran9uilliGed ortranslocated

7or wild animals in Schedule II, III or IL, chief wildlife warden or authoriGed o%cers can

permit their hunting in a speci&ed area if they have become dangerous to humans orproperty including standing crops on any land/

Section 6 of Act empowers Centre to declare wild animals other than Schedule I ! II to be

vermin for speci&ed area and period.

To mitigate man0animal conOict outside the protected areas "As/, the Centre has alsosought proposals to grant aid to deal with conOict as part of the annual plan of operationsunder the centrally sponsored scheme CSS/ for Integrated =evelopment of Mildlife?abitats I=M?/

The issue has come up amid pressure from politicians who have been raising man0animal

conOict in "arliament, specially the problem of crop depredation by wild boars and nilgaisCho!ary is ne C:CH :i;ai Singh ne CIC 8overnment has appointed former chairman of the Central <oard of =irect Taxes >.L.

Chowdary as the Central Ligilance Commissioner CLC/ Information Commissioner IC/ Liai Singh as the Chief Information Commissioner CIC/

The CLC@s appointment is subect to the approval of the Supreme Court, which is hearing a

public interest litigation petition for transparency in appointments to the post and that of

vigilance commissioners. CLC is appointed by the "resident of India on the recommendations of a committee

consisting of "rime Einister, :nion ?ome Einister and 2eader of the $pposition in 2o#Sabha if there is no 2o" then the leader of the single largest $pposition party in the 2o#Sabha/.

CIC is appointed by the "resident on the recommendation of a committee consisting of

The "rime Einister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee; The 2eader of$pposition in the 2o# Sabha; and A :nion Cabinet Einister to be nominated by the "rimeEinister.

Cylone Ashobaa" 9eather !e&artment issues arning to 7shermen in >u;arat The deep depression over east0 central Arabian Sea has further intensi&ed into a cyclonic

storm Ashobaa. The weather department has issued a warning to &shermen along the

8uarat coast, which is expected to receive heavy rainfall in the next - hours. The depression is at about *)+ #m west0southwest of Eumbai

The cyclone is gradually moving away towards $man. Thus, it won@t have much impact on

India. ?owever, strong winds and heavy rainfall would ma#e the sea conditions very roughNaming of Cylones" The (orth Indian $cean region tropical cyclones are being named since $ctober 6++-. The

region, comprising <angladesh, India, Ealdives, Eyanmar, $man, "a#istan, Sri 2an#a and Thailand, each of them suggest seven names. The names given by the countries are usedalphabetically one after the another.

The name Ashobaa was given by Sri 2an#a

The name of the cyclone that comes after Ashobaa, whenever that happens, will be

>omen, and this name has been given by Thailand The last cyclone (ilofar was suggested by "a#istan

1 0 June 201 5Ne&al &arties reah long%aaite! !eal (epal@s rival political parties have struc# a historic agreement to end years of deadloc# on

a new constitution that will divide the country into eight provinces. This paves the way fora new federal structure.

(epal@s lawma#ers began wor# on a new national constitution in 6++ following a decade0

long Eaoist insurgency that left an estimated ' ,+++ people dead and brought down themonarchy



<ut the political parties were unable to reach agreement and the resulting uncertainty left

(epal in a state of political limbo. ?owever, the agreement has left the crucial issue of the provincial borders unresolved

an omission which critics said would create future problems. =etails of the agreementF

:nder the deal, (epal will continue with its current system of national governance which

includes an executive "rime Einister and ceremonial "resident. A new federal commission will be tas#ed with drawing up internal borders and submit a

proposal for approval in "arliament. The agreement includes a commitment to hold the country@s &rst local elections since '

))1.Sri *an$an Cabinet lears ne eletoral system The Sri 2an#an Cabinet has &nalised the broad contours of the proposed 6+th

Constitutional Amendment on electoral reforms. This has left many smaller parties surprised and disappointed.

According to this decision, there will be no change in the siGe of "arliament. It will remain

at 66*. This was the maor change from what was proposed earlier. :nli#e in the present system of proportional representation "K/, the proposed scheme

mar#s a combination of the 7irst "ast The "ost 7"T"/ and "K. $f the total number of 66*seats, it had been decided to earmar# ' 6* seats for 7"T" and ' ++ seats for "K. Again, 1*

seats out of ' ++ would be &lled through members representing electoral districts whilethe remaining 6* seats would be set apart for the national list.

Sri *an$an &olitial system" asis The government of Sri 2an#a is a semi0presidential system determined by the Sri 2an#an

Constitution. The "resident, directly elected for a six0year term, is head of state, head of government,

and commander in chief of the armed forces. The election occurs under the Sri 2an#an form of the contingent vote.

Kesponsible to "arliament for the exercise of duties under the constitution and laws, the

president may be removed from o%ce by a two0thirds vote of "arliament with theconcurrence of the Supreme Court

The "resident appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers responsible to "arliament.

The "resident@s deputy is the prime minister, who leads the ruling party in "arliament

A parliamentary no0con&dence vote re9uires dissolution of the cabinet and the

appointment of a new one by the "resident.S4 #orea re&orts Fth /E'S !eath South >orea has reported its seventh death from Eiddle Bast Kespiratory Syndrome

EBKS/ Bight new infections brought the total number of cases to )* in the largest outbrea#

outside Saudi Arabia, following the diagnosis of the &rst patient bac# on Eay 6+. The virus has caused widespread public anxiety and led to a plunge in cinema tic#et sales

and dwindling attendance at baseball games and other public events. About Eiddle Bast Kespiratory Syndrome EBKS/F

It is a viral respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus EBKS0CoL/ that was &rstidenti&ed in Saudi Arabia in 6+' 6. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cancause diseases ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Kespiratory SyndromeSAKS/.

Typical EBKS symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. "neumonia is

common, but not always present. 8astrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, havealso been reported.

Although the maority of human cases of EBKS have been attributed to human0to0human

infections, camels are li#ely to be a maor reservoir host for EBKS0CoL and an animalsource of EBKS infection in humans. ?owever, the exact role of camels in transmission ofthe virus and the exact route of transmission are un#nown.



Camels have been shown to have antibodies to EBKS0CoL, but the exact source of

infection in camels has not been identi&ed. The virus does not seem to pass easily from person to person unless there is close contact,

such as occurs when providing unprotected care to a patient. As of now, there is no vaccine available to prevent it

Dan!eli Ele&hant 'eserve noti7e! The >arnata#a State government has o%cially noti&ed the =andeli Blephant Keserve,

spread over 6,36' .'' ) s9 #m including -1*.+' s9 #m as core and the remaining as

bu5er areas. The noti&cation follows the 8overnment of India approval for establishing the =andeli

Blephant Keserve under "roect Blephant. "roect Blephant was launched in ' ))6 as a Central0sponsored scheme to protect

elephant habitats, including its corridors, and resolve human0elephant conOicts rampant inmany States.

The "roect is being implemented in ' 3 States 4 :Ts, namely, Andhra "radesh, Arunachal

"radesh, Assam, Nhar#hand, >arnata#a, >erala, Eeghalaya, (agaland, $disha, Tamil (adu,:ttara#hand, :ttar "radesh and Mest <engal.

:nder "roect Blephant, States that have a free0ranging population of wild elephants are

being given &nancial as well as technical and scienti&c assistance to ensure long0termsurvival of identi&ed viable populations of elephants in their natural habitats.

Songbir! may be eaten to eBtintion According to a study, Songbird in Burope and Asia is being hunted to near extinction

because of Chinese eating habits. The study said that the population of the yellow0breasted bunting has plunged by )+H

since ' )+, all but disappearing from eastern Burope, Napan and parts of Kussia. China in ' ))1 banned the hunting of the species, #nown there as the rice bird

The study says that the consumption of these birds has increased as a result of economic

growth and prosperity in Bast Asia, with an estimate in 6++' claiming one million buntingswere consumed in China@s 8uangdong province alone.

A songbird is a bird belonging to the clade "asseri of the perching birds "asseriformes/.

This group contains some -,+++ species found all over the world, in which the vocal organ

typically is developed in such a way as to produce a diverse and elaborate bird song. Songbirds form one of the two maor lineages of extant perching birds, the other being the

Tyranni which are most diverse in the (eotropics and absent from many parts of the world. Songbirds are ali#e in having the vocal organ highly developed, though not all use it to

melodious e5ect.AC restaurants alone an levy servie taB" >ovt The Einistry of 7inance has clari&ed that only restaurants and eating places that have

airconditioning can charge service tax. And the tax will be levied on only -+H of theamount charged

Kestaurants, eating oints or messes which do not have air0conditioning or central air0

heating in any part of the establishment are exempt from service tax. Service Tax in India is an indirect tax paid on services provided in the country. According to

7inance Act ' ))-, all service providers of the country except in N!> have to pay servicetax. Current service tax is ' -H. This tax would be applicable on services except thenegative list of services. It is levied by the central government.

11 June 201 5.r!inane to hel& litigants in he+ue boune ases This is the ' -th ordinance of the Eodi government in a little over a year

In view of the urgency to create a suitable legal framewor# for determination of the place

of urisdiction for trying cases of dishonour of che9ues under section ' 3 of the(egotiable Instruments Act , the 8overnment has decided to amend the law through the(egotiable instruments Amendment/ $rdinance, 6+' *



The (egotiable Instruments Amendment/ $rdinance, 6+' *F

The ordinance will amend the (egotiable Instruments Act, ' ' .

It will enable &ling of che9ue bounce cases in the place where the che9ue was presented

for clearance or payment and not the place of issue. It provides for &ling of cases only by acourt within whose local urisdiction the ban# branch of the payee, where the payeedelivers the che9ue for payment is situated.

It has been provided that if more than one prosecution is &led against the same drawer of

che9ues before di5erent courts, upon the said fact having been brought to the notice of

the court, the court shall transfer the case to the court having urisdiction as per the newscheme of urisdiction. The main obective of the ordinance is to ensure that a fair trial is conducted #eeping in

view the interests of the complainant by clarifying the territorial urisdiction for trying thecases for dishonour of che9ues

The Supreme Court, in 6+' -, had passed a udgment that if a che9ue was received from

someone and it bounces, then the urisdiction for initiating action lies in the State where itwas issued. ?owever, this udgment was not payee0friendly and hence the governmenthad to come out with this solution

<ene&tsF

The clari&cation of urisdictional issues may be desirable from the e9uity point of view as

this would be in the interests of the complainant and would also ensure a fair trial.

The clarity on urisdictional issue for trying the cases of che9ue bouncing would increasethe credibility of the che9ue as a &nancial instrument.

This would help the trade and commerce in general and allow the lending institution,

including ban#s, to continue to extend &nancing to the economy, without theapprehension of the loan default on account of bouncing of a che9ue.

Section ' 3 of the (I ActF

The Section ' 3 of the (I Act deals with the o5ence pertaining to dishonour of che9ue for

insu%ciency, etc., of funds in the drawers account on which the che9ue is drawn for thedischarge of any legally enforceable debt or other liability.

It provides for penalties in case of dishonour of che9ues due to insu%ciency of funds in the

account of the drawer of the che9ue.INS :i$rant un!o$e! at Cohin shi&yar! The maiden indigenous aircraft carrier I(S Li#rant was undoc#ed recently at the State0

owned Cochin shipyard. The undoc#ing is part of the second phase of wor# on the carrier,which is expected to be over by 6+' 1.

The basic design of the indigenous aircraft carrier was done by the Indian (avy@s

=irectorate of (aval =esign, which was developed into detailed design by the design teamof CS2

It will be India@s largest aircraft carrier after induction.

The successful completion of the aircraft carrier puts India in the elite group of four nations

R the :S, Kussia, the :> and 7rance R in the world capable of designing and constructingaircraft carriers.

In!ia riher by @G ne s&eies

According to the list of new discoveries by the <otanical Survey of India <SI/ and theoological Survey of India SI/, 3-) new species of Oora and fauna were discovered in thepast one year ' 13 species and genera of plants and ' 1 species of animals.

$f the new plants, some of the signi&cant &ndings include nine new taxa of wild Eusa

bananas/, four species of blac# plum amun/, three species of wild gingibers and ' +species of orchids.

Mestern 8hats accounted for 66H of the new discoveries, while the Bastern ?imalayas and

the northeastern States each accounted for ' *H of the species found. In Arunachal "radesh alone, 6* species of seed plants were discovered.

' 1 new species were added to the list of animals of India. These include )3 species of

insects, seven species of collembolans, ' 6 species each of arachnidan and crustacean



and one species of mollusca. Two species of reptiles have also been located for the &rsttime in the country one in Tamil (adu and another in Eadhya "radesh.

As in the previous year, insects outnumbered other animal groups this year also

A large number of amphibians and &sh have made it to the list with 6- and 63 new species

respectively. Mhile most of the new species of amphibians were discovered from theMestern 8hats, maority of &sh species were from north0east India.

Apart from the new species, the <SI has also added ' +* new records and SI ' new

records.@ Animals and plants that are found elsewhere in the world but have been spotted

in India for the &rst time are called new records.@ Scientists of both <SI and SI agree that the Mestern 8hats and the northeast are

biodiversity hotspots where most new species were found. In India, ),)' species of animals and -1,1)' species of plants have been recorded so

far.

1 2 June 201 5About In!ian Statistial Institute" Indian Statistical Institute ISI/is an academic institute of national importance as

recognised by a ' )*) act of the Indian parliament. It grew out of the Statistical 2aboratory set up by "rasanta Chandra Eahalanobis in

"residency College, >ol#ata. Bstablished in ' )3' , this public university of India is one of the oldest and most

prestigious institutions focused on statistics. The institute is now considered as one of the foremost centres in the world for training and

research in Statistics and related sciences. ISI has its head9uarters in <aranagar, a suburb of >ol#ata, Mest <engal. It has four

subsidiary centres focused in academics at =elhi, <angalore, Chennai and TeGpur, and abranch at 8iridih.

"rimary activities of ISI are research and training of Statistics, development of theoretical

Statistics and its applications in various natural and social sciences. $riginally a%liated with the :niversity of Calcutta, the institute was declared an institute

of national importance in ' )*), through an act of Indian parliament, Indian Statistical

Institute act, ' )*) ISI functions under the Einistry of Statistics and "rogramme Implementation E$S"I/ of

the 8overnment of India. >ey areas of expertise of ISI are Statistics, Eathematics, Computer science, 9uantitative

Bconomics, $perations Kesearch and Information Science and it is one of the few researchoriented Indian schools o5ering courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

" C Eahalanobis, the founder of ISI, was deeply inOuenced by wisdom and guidance of

Kabindranath Tagore and <raendranath Seal. :nder his leadership, the institute initiatedand promoted the interaction of Statistics with natural and social sciences to advance therole of Statistics as a #ey technology by explicating the twin aspects R its generalapplicability and its dependence on other disciplines for its own development.

8/ revies &rogress of Sahh harat /ission

"rime Einister Eodi recently reviewed the progress of the Swachh <harat Eission at ahigh0level meeting attended by o%cials of the :rban =evelopment Einistry, the =rin#ingMater Supply and Sanitation Einistry, the (ITI Aayog and the "E$.

The "rime Einister said that spiritual leaders should be associated with this initiative,

especially during maor congregational events such as the Nagannath Patra in $disha andthe >umbh Eela in :ttar "radesh.

?e also called for leveraging the huge interest that the Swachh <harat Abhiyan has

generated among the Indian diaspora. The "rime Einister also said that motivational incentives such as awards should be

instituted to give a boost to Oagship government schemes re9uiring people@s participation.



To promote awareness about these schemes in rural areas, he suggested that 9uiG

competitions be held among students.About Sahh harat /ission It was o%cially launched on 6 $ctober 6+' - and is India@s biggest ever cleanliness drive.

The mission see#s to achieve clean India and aims to provide access to toilets to all

households in the country Bliminate open defecation, Conversion of insanitary toilets to pour Oush toilets,

Bradication of manual scavenging,

' ++H collection and scienti&c processing4disposal reuse4recycle of Eunicipal Solid Maste,

To bring about a behavioral change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices

8enerate awareness among the citiGens about sanitation and its lin#ages with public

health. Strengthening of urban local bodies to design, execute and operate systems

To create enabling environment for private sector participation in Capital Bxpenditure and

$peration ! Eaintenance $!E/ costs. The components of the programme areF

Construction of individual sanitary latrines for households below the poverty line with

subsidy +H/ where demand exists. Conversion of dry latrines into low0cost sanitary latrines.

Construction of exclusive village sanitary complexes for women providing facilities for

hand pumping, bathing, sanitation and washing on a selective basis where there is notade9uate land or space within houses and where village panchayats are willing tomaintain the facilities.

Setting up of sanitary marts

Total sanitation of villages through the construction of drains, soa#age pits, solid and li9uid

waste disposal. Intensive campaign for awareness generation and health education to create a felt need

for personal, household and environmental sanitation facilities8reliminary or$ on shifting )i&u3s Armoury begins "reliminary wor# on shifting the ' th century armoury belonging to Tipu Sultan@s period at

Srirangapatna has begun. The proect will cost about Ks. ' 3. crore.

The )++0tonne historical armoury, made of lime mortar and bric#s, has been hamperingthe wor# on trac#doubling between <engaluru and Eysuru, as it bisects the alignment ofthe second trac#.

The monument will be shifted to a new site with technical support from the (ational

=esign and Kesearch 7orum, and the consent4supervision of the Archaeological Survey ofIndia and the (ational Eonuments Authority. The =epartment of State Archaeology,?eritage and Euseums had identi&ed a new place about ' ++ metres away from theexisting location for the monument.

1 @ June 201 5In!ia3s only !ouble oonut tree arti7ially &ollinate! Kecently, scientists at the Indian <otanical 8arden in Mest <engal@s ?owrah district have

carried out arti&cial pollination of the only double coconut tree in India. It bears the largest seed #nown to science.

This arti&cial pollination is a result of decades of wor# by scientists of the <otanical Survey

of India <SI/. "ollination is the process by which pollen is transferred from the anther male part/ to the

stigma female part/ of the plant, thereby enabling fertiliGation and reproduction. Thista#es place in the angiosperms, the Oower bearing plants.

About double coconut tree 2odoicea maldivica /F

It is one of the rare and globally threatened species of palm. The tree was planted at the

botanical garden in ' )



The tree too# almost a hundred years to mature.

The =ouble Coconut tree not only bears the largest seed #nown to science weighing

around 6* #g but this uni9ue species is also the longest surviving palm which can livefor as long as ' ,+++ years .

The tree also bears the largest leaf among palms and one leaf can thatch a small hut

This species of palm is diecious where male and female Oowers are borne on di5erent

plants/. The palm tree is located in the large palm house of the <otanical 8arden which has the

largest collection of palms in South Bast Asia with around '' + palm species. This rare tree can be found in only two of the '' * Seychelles islands and is also called

Coco de Eer coconut of the sea/./ansarovar yatra begins ?owever, with an alternative route to >ailash Eansarovar via (athu 2a in Si##im agreed

upon by Chinese "resident Vi Ninping and "rime Einister (arendra Eodi, last year, it isfeared that the number of pilgrims underta#ing the yatra from the :ttara#hand route willcome down.

>ailash Eansarovar Patra >EP/ is #nown for its religious importance, cultural signi&cance

and arduous nature. The tre# through high altitudes in freeGing temperature entails hardlabour and courting danger. The annual pilgrimage holds religious importance for ?indus,

Nains and <uddhists.

Patra involves tre##ing at high altitudes of up to ' ),*++ feet, under inhospitableconditions, including extreme cold and rugged terrain. It may prove haGardous for thosewho are not physically and medically &t.

Eansarovar 2a#e is located at an altitude of ' -,)*+ ft -,** m/ is said to be the highest

freshwater la#e in the world. It is located in the Tibet Autonomous Kegion, China, )-+#ilometres *+ mi/ from 2hasa. To the west of it is 2a#e Ka#shastal and to the north isEount >ailash.

Eansarovar 2a#e is located at an altitude of ' -,)*+ ft -,** m/ is said to be the highest

freshwater la#e in the world. It is located in the Tibet Autonomous Kegion, China, )-+#ilometres *+ mi/ from 2hasa. To the west of it is 2a#e Ka#shastal and to the north isEount >ailash.

The yatra is organiGed by the Einistry of Bxternal A5airs EBA/ annually. The Patra is

organiGed in close cooperation with the 8overnment of the "eople@s Kepublic of China.State 8overnments of :ttara#hand, Si##im and =elhi, and Indo0Tibetan <order "oliceIT<"/ and >umaon Eandal Li#as (igam 2imited >EL(/ are other maor Indian partners of the Einistry in organiGing the Patra.

Debroy &anel ants 'ailays to embrae liberalisation An o%cial committee, headed by (ITI Aayog member <ibe# =ebroy, has recommended a

whole set of reforms, including entry of private players into the Kailways, and separationof oine activities from the core business.

The committee has said that there is a need to explore varied methods of &nancing and

also increase utilisation of available resources. Important recommendations made by the committeeF

It has proposed separation of activities li#e running of hospitals, schools, catering, realestate development, manufacturing of locomotives, coaches and wagons from the corebusiness of running trains.

The committee has said that state governments should be as#ed to entirely fund the

8overnment Kailway "olice 8K"/ and the general managers should have the freedom tochoose between private security guards and K"7 for security on trains.

It has recommended establishment of an independent regulator Kailway Kegulatory

Authority of India. It lays down a &ve0year roadmap to evolve a statutory rail regulator,scrap the Kail <udget and ma#e room for more players in an open accessD regime whichturns the Kailways into ust another train0service provider in the country.



The panel says that the Kegulator will wor# under the policy framed by the Einistry, while

the present Kailway <oard will become a board of Indian Kailways the government0runoperator alone. The Kegulator can recommend fare revisions but these will not bebinding on the Kailway Einistry leaving scope, presumably, for the political dispensation of the day to ta#e a call.

The report envisages the creation of a Kailway Einistry eventually with at least three

Secretary0level o%cers to lay down policy for the rail sectorINS)C members !isuss !ry runs along Cas&ian Sea Mith an eye on enhanced trade opportunities, ' 3 members of the International (orth0

South Transport Corridor I(STC/ recently reviewed the status of the dry run studybetween India, Iran and Kussia via the Caspian Sea.

The international transport corridor is expected to substantially reduce cargo

transportation time between India and Central Asia and Kussia. The dry run between (hava Sheva Eumbai/ R <andar Abbas Iran/ R <a#u AGerbaian/

and (hava Sheva R <andar Abbas Iran/ R Amirabad Iran/ R Astra#han Kussia/ via theCaspian Sea was conducted in August last year.

$nce the (orth0South Corridor becomes operational, India will have better connectivity

with Kussia, bringing down the freight rates. India, which recently signed a Eemorandum of :nderstanding with Iran for the

development of the Chabahar port which is its anticipated gateway to Afghanistan, is #een

to tap the trading potential with countries in the region and has been pushing for providingconnectivity.

The International (orthRSouth Transport Corridor is the ship, rail, and road route for

moving freight between India, Kussia, Iran, Burope and Central Asia. The route primarilyinvolves moving freight from India, Iran, AGerbaian and Kussia via ship, rail and road. Theobective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between maor cities such asEumbai, Eoscow, Tehran, <a#u, <andar Abbas, Astra#han, <andar AnGali and etc.

The Caspian Sea, surrounded by the &ve littoral countries, is the largest landloc#ed body

of water on earth. The isolation of the Caspian basin, its climate and its sea characteristics li#e salinity

gradients, have created a uni9ue ecological system. The coastlines of the Caspian areshared by AGerbaian, Iran, >aGa#hstan, Kussia, and Tur#menistan. The Caspian Sea, li#e

the Aral Sea, <lac# Sea, and 2a#e :rmia, is a remnant of the ancient "aratethys Sea.)elangana sta to &ay if they !elay &ro;ets with a uni9ue feature Kight to Clearance,

The Kight to Clearance is intended to convey a message that the government is

determined to create an ecosystem in which ease of doing business matches and evenexceeds the best global standardsD.

It enables an applicant to #now the reasons for the delay in clearance. 7or every day of

delay in clearance, the State will &ne the o%cial concerned Ks. ' ,+++. This feature, along with the government@s policy of minimum inspection, maximum

facilitationD, with singlewindow clearance and automatic renewals, besides encouragingself0certi&cation, has caught the attention of the captains of industry.

Sangeet Nata$ A$a!emi" The Sangeet (ata# A#ademi R India@s national academy for music, dance and drama R is

the &rst (ational Academy of the arts set0up by the Kepublic of India. It was created by aresolution of 8overnment of India. It was set up in ' )*6

The academy functions as the apex body of the performing arts in the country to preserve

and promote the vast cultural heritage of India expressed in music, dance and drama. It also wor#s with governments and art academies in states and territories of the country.

The academy Kenders advice and assistance to the government of India in the tas# of

formulating and implementing policies and programmes in the &eld. It carries a part of theresponsibilities of the state for fostering cultural contacts between regions in the country,as well as between India and the world.



The A#ademi Awards are the highest national recognition conferred on eminent artistes.

Bach year the Academy awards Sangeet (ata# A#ademi 7ellowships, Katna Sadsya, to

distinguished individuals for their contribution to the &eld of arts, music, dance andtheatre.

:stad <ismillah >han award is given to young artists for their talent in the &elds of music,

dance and dramaSmart City /ission" The scheme is expected to be announced along with the Atal Eission for Keuvenation and

:rban Transformation on Nune 6*. So far, ' - countries had shown interest in sharing their expertise in building components

that are prere9uisites for a smart city. =enmar# is the latest to oin the list of countriesthat have o5ered #now0how in building smart cities

The :nion Cabinet had in April, 6+' * cleared the Smart Cities Eission under which ' ++

smart cities would be built. Aim of the EissionF The aim of the mission is to more e%ciently utilise available assets,

resources and infrastructure to enhance 9uality of urban life and provide a clean andsustainable environment

Selection of the CitiesF

Cities to be developed will be selected through a competition@ intended to ascertain their

ability to achieve mission obectives. Bach state will shortlist a number of smart city

aspirants, which will prepare proposals for the Centre. Bach selected city would get central assistance of Ks ' ++ crore per year for &ve years.

To begin about 6+ cities would be selected after the state governments come forward with

names of cities they want nominated There will be special emphasis on participation of citiGens in prioritising and planning

urban interventions. ImplementationF

The Eission will be implemented through area based@ approach, which includes

retro&tting, redevelopment, pan0city initiatives and development of new cities. :nder retro&tting, de&ciencies in an identi&ed area will be addressed through necessary

interventions Kedevelopment enables reconstruction of an area that is already built but not amenable

for any interventions. "an0city components could be interventions li#e intelligent transport solutions that

bene&ts residents by reducing commuting time. The focus will be on core infrastructure services li#e ade9uate and clean water supply,

sanitation and solid waste management, e%cient urban mobility and public transportation,a5ordable housing for the poor, power supply, robust IT connectivity, governance,especially e0governance, and citiGen participation.

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