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Table of Contents
1. Polity and Governance ................................................................................................ 1
1. Failure of government schemes to curb declining sex ratio (Relevant for GS Mains Paper I and
II) .................................................................................................................................................. 1
2. SC makes national anthem mandatory in cinema halls (Direct Question can be asked in
Prelims and GS Mains Paper I) .................................................................................................... 1
3. EC must consider state funding of polls: Nirmala (Question can be asked on State funding of
Elections in Prelims and Mains Paper II)...................................................................................... 3
4. Evaluation of Janani Suraksha Yojna (Question can be asked on JSY in Prelims and Mains
Paper II) ....................................................................................................................................... 4
5. Higher Number of Districts in Telangana (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II, No question can be
asked in Prelims) .......................................................................................................................... 4
6. MPs submit plea to remove Hyderabad High Court judge (Question can be asked in Prelims on
procedure for removal of HC Judge) ............................................................................................ 5
7. Draft Motor Vehicle Rules include an option to record a pledge on driving licences (Topic to be
read only for understanding, No Direct Question can be asked) ................................................ 6
8. Wage payment through banks ordinance gets President nod(Question can be asked in Prelims
and GS Mains Paper II and III) ..................................................................................................... 7
9. Horse racing not animal cruelty: SC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct
question can be asked) ................................................................................................................ 8
10. Pending cases in Courts (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be
asked) .......................................................................................................................................... 9
11. Recommendations for judicial reforms by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and
Justice (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked) .................. 9
12. Triple talaq is cruel, says Allahabad HC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct
question can be asked) ................................................................................................................ 9
13. Ex-IAF chief Tyagi held in Agusta case (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 10
14. 5-judge Bench to decide on Nov.8 notification on demonetisation (Direct question can be
asked in Prelims) ........................................................................................................................ 11
15. The Rajasthan high court scrapped the Rajasthan Special Backward Classes (SBC) Reservation
Act 2015 that provisioned for 5% quota to five communities (Topic to be read only for
understanding, No Direct question can be asked)..................................................................... 12
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16. Justice A.P. Shah, released its report -- Towards a Framework for Compensation and
Rehabilitation for Victims of Wrongful Prosecution/Conviction (Relevant for GS Mains paper II,
Not Relevant for Prelims) .......................................................................................................... 12
17. Ex-CJI calls for more power to human rights panels (Question can be asked on powers of NHRC
in Mains paper II) ....................................................................................................................... 13
18. Aadhaar ID for more exams under study (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II and Prelims) ........ 14
19. IBSA meet may see pact to boost trade (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper II) ....... 15
20. Cabinet clears Bill to give autonomy to 12 major ports (Relevant for GS Mains paper II) ........ 17
21. RS passes Disabilities Bill with more benefits (Relevant for GS Mains paper II) ........................ 18
22. Allegations against Rijiju (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be
asked) ........................................................................................................................................ 19
23. Air Force officers can t grow beard on religious grounds, says SC (Relevant for GS mains
Paper II) ..................................................................................................................................... 20
24. Liquor vends on National, State highways banned (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II and
Prelims) ...................................................................................................................................... 21
25. Centre mulls merger of cyber, telecom dispute appeals tribunals (Relevant for GS Mains Paper
II and III) ..................................................................................................................................... 22
26. J&K has no sovereignty: SC (Relevant for GS Mains paper II).................................................... 22
27. Supreme Court ordered to regularise the woman pilot in permanent commission (Relevant for
GS mains Paper II) ..................................................................................................................... 23
28. Evaluation of proposed permanent tribunal for inter-state water disputes (Relevant for GS
mains paper II) ........................................................................................................................... 25
29. CBSE mandated board exams for Class 10 (Relevant for GS mains Paper II) ............................ 26
30. RSS-affiliated think tank readies Uniform Civil Code drafts (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS
Mains Paper II) .......................................................................................................................... 27
31. Armed forces to get parity in pay(Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question
can be asked) ............................................................................................................................. 28
32. Passport rules changed to help single mothers, orphaned children (Direct question can be
asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II) ................................................................................... 28
33. Land of religious body can be acquired: HC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 30
34. Need to link Aadhaar with details of voters : EC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No
direct question can be asked) .................................................................................................... 30
35. Union Cabinet approves creation of Indian Enterprise Development Services (Direct Question
can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II) ........................................................................ 32
36. Madras High Court bans unauthorised Sharia courts in Tamil Nadu (Topic to be read only for
understanding, No direct question can be asked) ..................................................................... 32
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37. Only State can remit life sentence: SC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 33
38. Pranab against ordinance route to amend Enemy Property Act (Question can be asked on
Enemy Property Act in Prelims and Mains Paper II) .................................................................. 33
39. Year in Review of Kashmir front (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question
can be asked) ............................................................................................................................. 35
40. Suresh Kalmadi, accused in CWG scam, appointed Life President of Indian Olympic Association
(Question can be asked on IOA in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II) ........................................... 36
41. Former Home Secretary Anil Baijal to be Delhi Lt Governor (Question can be asked on
appointment of Lt. Governor in Prelims) ................................................................................... 37
42. Financial data management body mooted (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) ........................... 37
2. International Relations and Organisations ................................................................ 39
1. Upcoming Heart of Asia meet in Amritsar (Direct question expected in GS Prelims, Relevant for
GS Mains Paper II) ..................................................................................................................... 39
2. U.S. for closer defence ties with India (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ................ 40
3. India to train Vietnam s Sukhoi fighter pilots (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) ....................... 41
4. State of Chakmas in India (Direct Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II) ... 41
5. Kolkata-Mizoram trade route to open via Myanmar (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains
Paper II) ..................................................................................................................................... 42
6. Recent Escalations in US- China Relations (Question can be asked in Prelims and Mains Paper
II on One China Policy ) ............................................................................................................. 43
7. India, Indonesia resolve to fight terror (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 44
8. Venezuela warns about cybercrime (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 44
9. Qatar abolishes kafala labour system (Direct question can be asked on Kafala
system in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II) .......................................................................... 45
10. Issue of Rohingyas (Direct question can be asked in Prelims and GS mains Paper II) ............... 46
11. Myanmar resented Indian claims of hot pursuit in its territory (Topic to be read only for
understanding, No direct question can be asked) ..................................................................... 46
12. Tajikistan, India step up security ties (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 47
13. India, Kyrgyzstan seek a global pact against terror (Question can be asked on CCIT and
Khanjar exercise in prelims) ....................................................................................................... 48
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14. Terror Attack in Berlin, claimed by IS (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 48
15. Nepal to hold military exercise with China (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ......... 49
16. Hong Kong revokes visa-free entry to Indians (Topic to be read only for understanding, No
direct question can be asked) .................................................................................................... 50
17. UNSC passes resolution admonishing Israel s illegal settlements (Topic to be read only for
understanding, No direct question can be asked) ..................................................................... 50
18. 5th India-Arab partnership conference held in Muscat, Oman(Direct question can be asked in
Prelims) ...................................................................................................................................... 51
19. Nepal rejects India s open sky offer (Question can be asked on Open Sky Offer in Prelims,
Relevant for GS Mains paper II as well) ..................................................................................... 52
20. Sharif inaugurates China-backed n-power plant (Question can be asked in Prelims) .............. 53
21. Cabinet s gives nod for International Solar Alliance pact (Direct question on International Solar
Alliance can be asked in Prelims and GS mains Paper II and III) ............................................... 53
22. Ceasefire deal in Syria (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be
asked) ........................................................................................................................................ 54
23. Russia announces plans to expel 35 American diplomats (Topic to be read only for
understanding, No direct question can be asked) ..................................................................... 55
3. Economy ................................................................................................................... 56
1. Criticism of demonetisation (Relevant for Prelims and GS Mains Paper III) ............................. 56
2. Demonetisation exercise impact deflationary shock (Relevant for Prelims and GS Mains Paper
III) ............................................................................................................................................... 57
3. Govt. to hold lucky draws to boost digital transactions (Topic to be read only for
understanding, No direct question can be asked) ..................................................................... 57
4. Discounts offered on digital transactions (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 57
5. Centre to fund digital discounts (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question
can be asked) ............................................................................................................................. 58
6. Suspicious post demonestisation transactions under ED scanner (Question can be asked on
Shell Companies in Prelims and GS Mains Paper III) ................................................................. 59
7. Cap on Jan Dhan withdrawal (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can
be asked) ................................................................................................................................... 60
8. 3 CMs opt out of digitisation panel (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 62
9. Tax on Gold (Direct question can be asked in Prelims) .............................................................. 62
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10. Double counting of deposits ruled out (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct
question can be asked) .............................................................................................................. 63
11. Illegal exchange of old currency with new currency (Topic to be read only for understanding,
No direct question can be asked) .............................................................................................. 64
12. Ordinance to end RBI s liability (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question
can be asked) ............................................................................................................................. 64
13. I-T Act change to help small firms move to e-payment (Topic to be read only for
understanding, No direct question can be asked) ..................................................................... 65
14. RBI sets one-time limit for big deposits of old notes (Topic to be read only for understanding,
No direct question can be asked) .............................................................................................. 66
15. Banks asked to lower charges on digital transactions above Rs. 1,000(Question can be asked
on IMPS and NEFT) .................................................................................................................... 66
16. Protests hit Venezuela following demonetisation (Topic to be read only for understanding, No
direct question can be asked) .................................................................................................... 67
17. Less demand for Bandwidth for growth (Relevant for GS mains Paper III) ............................... 67
18. State of implementation of NFSA (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II and
III) ............................................................................................................................................... 68
19. Sagarmala Project (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II and III) .............. 69
20. Reserve Bank holds rates, cuts growth forecast (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS
Mains Paper II) .......................................................................................................................... 70
21. Allegation of attempt to extend Test Data Exclusivity norms (Question can be asked in Prelims
and GS Mains Paper II on concept of data exclusivity) .............................................................. 71
22. Evaluation of waiving off the import duty from wheat (Question can be asked in GS Mains
Paper III) .................................................................................................................................... 73
23. India – ASEAN trade levels (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II and III) . 74
24. Rupee slips after Fed s decision (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper III) ... 74
25. RBI opposes proposal to set up separate payments regulator (Question can be asked in GS
Mains III) .................................................................................................................................... 75
26. Taxman can scrutinise political parties accounts, says Centre (Topic to be read only for
understanding, No direct question can be asked) ..................................................................... 75
27. Interview of Secretary IT, reviewing legal framework for securing digital payments
(Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked) ............... 76
28. Easy regulations for taxi and other transportation companies (Topic to be read only for
understanding, No direct question can be asked) ..................................................................... 77
29. EPF rate slashed to seven-year low (Direct question can be asked in Prelims) ......................... 78
30. Japan drags India to WTO against steps on iron, steel imports (Question can be asked in
Prelims and GS Mains Paper III) ................................................................................................ 78
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31. Thorough analysis of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (Relevant for GS Prelims and
Mains Paper II and III) ............................................................................................................... 79
32. What is Rose Valley Group Scam? (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II and III) .......... 82
33. Amendments in DTAA to control Round Tripping (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II
and III) ........................................................................................................................................ 83
34. PM Narendra Modi launches UPI based mobile payment app called BHIM (Question can be
asked in Prelims) ........................................................................................................................ 84
4. Environment ............................................................................................................. 86
1. Notify plan for health emergency in Delhi-NCR: SC (Direct question can be asked on pollution
levels .......................................................................................................................................... 86
2. State of Environment refugees (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III) ............................................. 87
3. 2016 set to be hottest year on record (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper III) ......... 87
4. Friends of fish oppose subsidies for IUU fishing (Relevant for GS Prelims) ............................... 88
5. Cancel illegal salt pans in Sambhar Lake: NGT (Question can be asked in Prelims on Salt pans,
Relevant for GS Mains Paper III as well) .................................................................................... 89
6. Stay out of laddu kitchen, TTD tells food inspectors (Question can be asked on Provisions of
FSS act in Prelims) ...................................................................................................................... 89
7. Change in Real estate environmental impact assessment norms (Chances of question being
asked are less) ........................................................................................................................... 91
8. National Wildlife action plan (Direct question expected in Prelims and mains paper III) ......... 91
5. Internal Security and Disaster Management .............................................................. 94
1. Base Movement (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked) 94
2. Nagrota terrorist attack (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be
asked) ........................................................................................................................................ 94
3. Choppy seas prevent rescue of tourists from Andamans (Question can be aksed in Prelims on
name of islands) ........................................................................................................................ 95
4. Murder rate declining in India (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question
can be asked) ............................................................................................................................. 96
5. Cyclone Vardah hits Chennai (Direct question expected in Prelims) ......................................... 96
6. NIA to seek death penalty for IM convicts in Hyderabad blasts (Question can be asked in
Prelims on NIA) .......................................................................................................................... 98
7. U.S. art dealer with links to Subhash Kapoor arrested (Topic to be read only for understanding,
No Direct question can be asked) .............................................................................................. 99
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8. India among world s top five defence spenders (Direct question can be asked in Prelims) .... 100
9. Blockade in Manipur (Relevant for GS Mains paper III) .......................................................... 100
6. Science and Technology .......................................................................................... 102
1. $750-million deal for 145 artillery guns .................................................................................. 102
2. Britain s £5 note opposed on account of use of Tallow (Question can be asked in GS Prelims on
Tallow ) ................................................................................................................................... 102
3. New model to forecast fog over airports (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct
question can be asked) ............................................................................................................ 103
4. Delhi High Court reverses ban on combination drugs (Question can be asked on FDCs on
Prelims and Mains Paper III) .................................................................................................... 104
5. HIV: The self-test option (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper III) ............................ 105
6. Navy says no to Tejas variant (Questions can be asked on tejas in Prelims) .......................... 106
7. DRS clears the test (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper III) ..................... 107
8. Hyperloop: New travel technology (Very important for Prelims and GS Mains Paper III) ...... 108
9. Resourcesat-2A joins the observation deck (Question can be asked in Prelims) ..................... 109
10. Kounotori Experiment (Very important for GS Prelims and Mains Paper III) .......................... 110
11. What is a Death Star? (Question can be asked in Prelims) ..................................................... 110
12. NITI Aayog rolls out health index (Question can be asked in Prelims) .................................... 111
13. India test launched Agni 5 (Very important for Prelims and Mains paper III) ......................... 113
14. India inching towards second strike capability (Very important for Prelims and Mains paper III)
................................................................................................................................................. 114
15. Gurgaon may become first in country to get Caterpillar Train (Very important for Prelims and
Mains paper III) ....................................................................................................................... 115
7. Relevant only for Prelims ........................................................................................ 117
8. China opens world s highest bridge to traffic .......................................................................... 117
9. India s first Digi Dhan mela held in Gurugram ........................................................................ 117
10. Meghalaya to host 2022 National Games and Goa will host in 2017 ..................................... 117
11. Sasikala, became the General Secretary of AIADMK ............................................................... 117
12. Cheetahs sprinting towards extinction, only 7,100 left: Study .............................................. 118
13. After Tarun Gogoi, Mahanta loses NSG security cover ........................................................... 119
14. India ranks 4th in 2016 Global Wind Power Installed Capacity Index ..................................... 120
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15. PM lays foundation stone of country s first Indian Institute of Skills in Kanpur ...................... 120
16. 6,117 Kuchipudi dancers put A.P. in Guinness book ................................................................ 121
17. Huge dead zone discovered in Bay of Bengal .......................................................................... 121
18. Delhi L-G Najeeb quits ............................................................................................................. 122
19. Blue ice .................................................................................................................................... 122
20. Sunny Leone to receive PETA person of the year award ......................................................... 123
21. Nomura s India growth indicator slumps to 20-yr low ............................................................ 123
22. Cyrus Mistry steps down as director of Tata group firms ....................................................... 124
23. Point of Sale terminals: How do they work? ........................................................................... 125
24. In surprise move, Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat appointed next Army Chief ........................................ 126
25. Rio gets UNESCO world heritage status .................................................................................. 127
26. Pakistan launches Babur missile.............................................................................................. 127
27. A towering tribute to Bhakti saint Ramanuja.......................................................................... 127
28. Trump: Time person of the year .............................................................................................. 128
29. Justice J S Khehar is the new CJI ............................................................................................. 128
30. B.S. Bhullar to head DGCA ....................................................................................................... 128
31. Motorised paraglider completes 4,500-mile migration to follow migratory birds ................. 128
32. JAYALALITHAA NO MORE ........................................................................................................ 129
33. Baluchari Sarees: An iconic Textile .......................................................................................... 129
34. Asthana is interim CBI chief ..................................................................................................... 129
35. Nikki Haley appointed as US Ambassador to UN .................................................................... 130
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Polity and Governance
1. Failure of government schemes to curb declining sex ratio (Relevant for GS Mains Paper I and II)
Data trends:
New data from the Civil Registration System (CRS) of the Registrar General of India point to
the hardening of the pattern, with a fall in sex ratio at birth from 898 girls to 1,000 boys in
2013, to 887 a year later.
This depressing trend is consistent with evidence from the Census figures of 2001 and
2011.
Need to Evaluate Government Schemes:
1. The BJP-led government responded to the silent crisis with the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
campaign, which focusses on the prevention of sex-selective abortions, creation of
opportunities for education and protection of girl children.
Now that the scheme is set to enter its third year in January, there should be a speedy
assessment of its working, particularly in districts with a poor sex ratio where it has been
intensively implemented.
2. A wider assessment needs to be made on why States such as Tamil Nadu with a strong
social development foundation have slipped on sex ratio at birth (834), going by the CRS
data for 2014.
2. SC makes national anthem mandatory in cinema halls (Direct Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper I)
SC mandated Cinema s to play National Anthem in the Beginning of the shows:
1. The Supreme Court ordered cinema halls to mandatorily play the national anthem before
every screening even as all those present have to stand up to show respect.
2. All doors in a cinema hall should remain closed to prevent any kind of disturbance when
the anthem is played.
3. Cinema should also display the national flag on screen when the anthem is played.
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4. It further banned the exploitation of the national anthem for financial benefit and
ordered that there should not be dramatisation of the anthem or its inclusion as part of any
variety show.
5. Also, the court said, the anthem or part of it should not be printed or displayed in places
disgraceful to its status.
The Bench said the order should come into effect in 10 days and directed the Centre to
distribute the order to Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories. It wanted the order
to be widely publicised in print and electronic media.
Basis of Judgement:
The practice, according to the court, will instil a feeling of committed patriotism and
nationalism. The playing of the anthem, the Bench said, is to be seen as an opportunity for
the public to express their love for the motherland.
Judicial Activism by SC:
The order came on a writ petition. The petition, referring to the Prevention of Insults to the
National Honour Act of 1971, claimed that the national anthem is sung in various
circumstances which are not permissible and can never be countenanced in law. However,
it had not asked for a direction that it be played in cinemas.
Criticism of judgement on locked doors:
The Supreme Court judgment in 2014 on the Uphaar Cinema tragedy, which saw 57 people
die in a stampede after they were locked inside the theatre hall and fire broke out, held that
while theatres were entitled to regulate entry and exit, under no circumstances should
doors — which also double up as emergency exits — be bolted or locked.
Rule 10 (8) of the Delhi Cinematographic Rules mandates that all exit doors and doors
through which the public have to pass on the way to the open air shall be available for exit
during the whole time the public is in the building and during such time shall not be locked
or bolted.
In light of the interim order by the Supreme Court to play the national anthem in
cinemas, which are the States that have already made it compulsory for theatres to
do so?
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Goa are among the States that have passed orders to this
effect.
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Under what law did these States make it mandatory?
The States have done this under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
What does this Act entail?
The Act, which addresses insults to the Constitution, the national flag and the national
anthem, has its genesis in Article 51 (a) of the Constitution, which enjoins a duty on every
citizen of India to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the
national flag and the national anthem.
Provisions of the act:
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 is an Act of the Parliament of India
which prohibits desecration of or insult to the country's national symbols, including the
National Flag, The Constitution, Indian map and the National Anthem.
National flag and constitution
Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates,
defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or
brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian
National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
National anthem
Whoever intentionally prevents the singing of the Jana Gana Mana or causes disturbances
to any assembly engaged in such singing shall be punished with imprisonment for a term,
which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
How was the national anthem played in theatres before?
Yes, it was a practice to play the national anthem after a film ended. But with people
walking out even as the anthem was playing, the practice was discontinued.
3. EC must consider state funding of polls: Nirmala (Question can be asked on State funding of Elections in Prelims and Mains Paper II)
Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Election Commission of India
(ECI) needs to look into the proposal for state funding of elections to combat the influence
of cash and black money in them.
What is State Funding of Elections?
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State funding of elections in aid means that the contesting candidates would be given
certain basic aid from State such as free telephone connection, free internet connection,
free publicity material, etc. to a limited extent. The private expenditure by candidates and
receipt of donations from public for elections will not be allowed.
Significance of State Funding of Elections:
The State funding of elections will significantly reduce use of money in elections. This will
reduce the influence of donators on political parties. Moreover, politicians will not require
huge amount of money to contest elections and thus would not be pressurised to indulge in
corruption.
4. Evaluation of Janani Suraksha Yojna (Question can be asked on JSY in Prelims and Mains Paper II)
Outcome of Janani Suraksha Yojna:
Over the last decade, a government programme aimed at increasing institutional deliveries
has changed the health-seeking behaviour of Indian women.
A new study has found that the maternal health programme Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
led to a 22 per cent increase in women delivering in government hospitals between 2004
and 2014.
What is JSY?
Launched in 2005, JSY, the world s biggest conditional cash-transfer scheme, aimed to
promote institutional delivery — instead of delivering babies at home — to improve India s
infant and maternal mortality rates.
Under JSY, pregnant women choosing to deliver at the hospital and the health worker who
motivated her to take the decision get cash incentives — Rs.1,400 for the woman and
Rs.600 for the Accredited Social Health Activist in rural areas and Rs.1,000 and Rs.200
respectively in urban areas.
5. Higher Number of Districts in Telangana (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II, No question can be asked in Prelims)
Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao originally intended to create just 14 new districts; this
was one of the election promises for the 2014 polls. Later, on the basis of the report of a
Cabinet subcommittee, a draft notification was issued for 17 new districts. But after fresh
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demands from sections of the people, the Chief Minister finally settled on 21 new districts
for a total of 31.
Advantages of more districts
The new units could facilitate better monitoring of government schemes, and provide a
more even distribution of resources.
Reasons for creating new districts:
But the government s reasons for creating new districts morphed from administrative to
political. The decision to increase the number of districts was taken following the spiralling
of an agitation in Jangaon, Sircilla and Gadwal.
Disadvantages of more districts:
1. Undivided Andhra Pradesh had fewer districts. Alongside the benefits in terms of ease of
governance of smaller districts, there are costs to be borne: creation of additional
administrative infrastructure, transfer of personnel, and replication of paperwork.
2. The Rs. 1 crore sanctioned for each district for initial arrangements will hardly suffice. At
present, the existing staff are being redeployed, and existing buildings are being utilised for
administrative purposes.
But in the longer term the State will have to incur huge expenditure to create
administrative infrastructure in each new district headquarters town.
6. MPs submit plea to remove Hyderabad High Court judge (Question can be asked in Prelims on procedure for removal of HC Judge)
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Sixty-one Members of Parliament have submitted a petition to initiate removal proceedings
against Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy of the Hyderabad High Court, to Rajya Sabha
chairperson, Hamid Ansari. Mr. Ansari is yet to give any ruling on it.
Reasons for submitting petition
The petition also cites pamphlets published by a local non-governmental organisation of
Kadapa — Gadhikot Dalita Nyayaporata Committee — that allege that Justice Reddy and his
brother have forcibly taken over land belonging to Dalit communities in the area.
7. Draft Motor Vehicle Rules include an option to record a pledge on driving licences (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct Question can be asked)
Proposed amendment in law on motor vehicles
Under the move, the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry will introduce driving
licence forms with an option to declare that the licence holder is willing to donate organs in
case of accidental death. A draft to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, has been
published, which must be implemented by the States.
Statistics on road accidents
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The death rate due to road accidents in India is among the highest globally – 11 per lakh
population, according to World Road Statistics 2015 published by International Road
Federation, Geneva.
In 2015, 1.46 lakh people were killed in road accidents in the country, which translates into
400 road deaths per day — an increase of five per cent over 2014, as per official estimates.
Rationale behind proposed amendment
There is little awareness among people of organ donations. Around 1.5 lakh people die in
road accidents every year, many of them from severe head injury. People who end up brain
dead can donate their organs. An NGO, Gift Your Organ Foundation, estimates that about 67
per cent of those who die in road accidents suffer head injuries and a significant number
are left brain dead.
Low rate of organ donation in India
One estimate by Organ India, an NGO, says there is a need for about 200,000 kidneys,
50,000 hearts and 50,000 livers for transplantation each year. Currently, around 5,000
kidneys, 1,000 livers and a small number of hearts are transplanted annually.The Organ
Donation Rate of 0.26 per million in India is poor, compared with America s 26, Spain s
35.3, and Croatia s 36.5 per million.
8. Wage payment through banks ordinance gets President nod(Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II and III)
President gave assent to Payment of Wages (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016:
President Pranab Mukherjee has approved the Payment of Wages (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2016, to enable industries to pay wages through cheque or by direct credit into
bank accounts of workers earning up to Rs. 18,000 a month without their permission.
Details:
The ordinance doesn t make payment of wages mandatory through the banking system and
employers can still pay salaries through cash.
The Payment of Wages Act of 1936 required employers to take permission from employees
before paying salaries through cheque or bank credit.
Future Implications:
The ordinance empowers the Centre or State governments to specify industries or
establishments where wage payment can be made mandatory through the banking system.
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Background:
Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya introduced the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill,
2016 in the Lok Sabha on December 15, but it couldn t be cleared, owing to the impasse in
Parliament.
The Payment of Wages Act states that all payment of wages should be in cash, with a
provision asking employers to obtain written permission of the worker to pay either by
cheque, or by crediting the wages to his or her bank account.
The Centre decided to take the ordinance route as its decision to scrap the old Rs. 500 and
Rs. 1,000 currency in November led to a cash crunch and employers were encountering
problems in paying workers through cash.
Validity of Ordinance:
An ordinance is valid for six months and the Centre needs to get it passed in Parliament
within that period.
Criticism of Ordinance:
The haste in ensuring payment of salaries through banks through an ordinance is
unjustified, particularly when the entire banking service is in disorder. It sought to take
away the worker s right to take wages in their preferred mode i.e cash.
9. Horse racing not animal cruelty: SC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
SC Judgement
Horse racing per se is not cruelty, the Supreme Court said. A Bench of SC made this
observation while issuing notice to the Rajasthan government on a petition challenging a
High Court order banning tonga races in the State.
Rationale by SC
The Supreme Court judgment had clearly distinguished bulls as bovine animals unfit for
running, while horses as solid-hoofed quadruped, domesticated for riding . The petition
referred to how the Supreme Court in 2014 observed that the horse s anatomy enables it
to make use of speed and can be usefully used for racing, etc, unlike bulls .
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10. Pending cases in Courts (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
As on December 31, 2015
1. 61,700 cases were pending in the Supreme Court.
2. 38.70 lakh cases were pending in the High Courts
3. 3.70 crore cases were pending in District and Subordinate Courts
11. Recommendations for judicial reforms by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
1. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice, which has examined the
delay in filling vacancies in the Supreme Court and High Courts, has called for transparency
in the appointments process on the part of the judiciary and the government, while
ensuring the independence of the former.
2. The committee also recommended the raising of the retirement age of Supreme Court
judges to 67 from 65 and that of High Court judges to 65 from 62 and the consideration of a
fixed tenure for Chief Justices.
About the committee
The committee, headed by Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Anand Sharma, tabled its
report in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The report is now under the purview of the Law
Ministry but the recommendations are only advisory in nature.
12. Triple talaq is cruel, says Allahabad HC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
Allahabad High Court arguments on Triple talaq
1. The Allahabad High Court has observed that Muslim law in India was being applied
contrary to the spirit of Koranic laws and the Prophet s teachings.
2. The court said the arbitrary and unilateral use of triple talaq by Muslim husbands
was not in sync with Islamic laws, and it was a popular fallacy that a Muslim man enjoys,
under the Koranic Law, unbridled authority to liquidate the marriage .
3. Holding triple talaq as cruel and the most demeaning form of divorce practised by the
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Muslim community , the court said personal laws, of any community, could not claim
supremacy over the rights granted to individuals by the Constitution .
4. The court acknowledged that triple talaq has been deprecated and was not followed by
all sects of Muslims in the country.
High Court views on writ petition
The court made the observations while dismissing the writ petition of a 23-year-old
Muslim woman Hina and her husband, 30 years older than her, who had approached it
seeking protection from harassment by the woman s mother and police.
The husband submitted in court that he had divorced his first wife through the custom of
triple talaq only to marry Hina, his second wife. The couple from western U.P. s
Bulandshahr district were seeking the court s directions to stop their harassment by Hina s
family, and to ensure their safety and security.
Final order in hands of SC
The court, however, added that since the issue of triple talaq was in the Supreme Court, it
would not like to comment on it further.
13. Ex-IAF chief Tyagi held in Agusta case (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi (retd.) was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation,
along with his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan, for alleged involvement in
the Rs. 3,700-crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal case.
Charges on S.P. Tyagi
The CBI has determined that about Rs. 450 crore, or 12 per cent of the Rs. 3,767-crore deal
for procurement of 12 helicopters was paid as bribes. The government rescinded the
contract in January 2014 in view of the bribery allegations.
According to the official, Mr. Tyagi allegedly entered into a conspiracy with other accused
persons in 2005 and conceded to change the Air Force s consistent stand that the 6,000-
metre service ceiling of VVIP helicopters was an inescapable operational necessity. It was
instead reduced to 4,500 metres. This helped AgustaWestland to meet the eligibility
criteria for the contract. The kickbacks were received through middlemen and relatives.
Chargesheet: a boost to extradite British middlemen
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The first charge sheet is expected to boost the agency s request for extraditing alleged
British middleman Christian Michel, who undertook about 300 trips to India between 1997
and 2013, from the UAE. First time arrest of a military chief The arrest of Indian Air Force former chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) S.P. Tyagi by the Central Bureau of Investigation is the first instance of a serving or retired military chief being arrested on charges of corruption. Way forward In this case, the Indian hand in the deal has been corroborated by an Italian court. But a case is only as good as its conclusion. And defence deal investigations have a habit of getting complicated by the difficulties in securing the kind of evidence that is required to secure firm convictions. How this case, which has significant political ramifications, plays out, remains to be seen.
14. 5-judge Bench to decide on Nov.8 notification on demonetisation (Direct question can be asked in Prelims)
Demonetisation under review of Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ordered the setting up of a five-judge Constitution Bench to test the
validity of a November 8 demonetisation notification and the legality of the government s
implementation of the policy.
Nine questions
The questions include whether the RBI notification and the "limited withdrawal" of one s
own money were violations of Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (freedom of speech, trade,
occupation, etc), 21 (fundamental right to protection of life) and 300A (right to property) of
the Constitution. The apex court also wants the Constitution Bench to decide whether the
very implementation of the notification suffered from substantive and procedural
unreasonableness .
No interim relief
The court refrained from providing any drastic interim relief in terms of complaints raised
by the petitioners, including that banks were not honouring the notified Rs. 24,000 weekly
withdrawal limit of money and the expiry of exemptions granted to the public's use of
demonetised Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 500 notes for essential services and institutions like railway
ticketing and payments at government hospitals and pharmacies.
Decision of government given pre-eminence in economic matters
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The Supreme Court said it trusted the government to be the best judge of its own economic
and fiscal policies. The court placed its faith in the government's assurances that the policy
was triggered to weed out black money, counterfeit currency and choke terror funding. Section 26 of RBI Act, Legal tender character of notes.— (1) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), every bank note shall be legal tender at any place in India in payment, or on account for the amount expressed therein, and shall be guaranteed by the Central Government (2) On recommendation of the Central Board the Central Government may, by notification in the Gazette of India, declare that, with effect from such date as may be specified in the notification, any series of bank notes of any denomination shall cease to be legal tender save at such office or agency of the Bank and to such extent as may be specified in the notification. Question under review in context of section 26 (2) is whether government can withdraw complete set of Rs. 500 and 1000 notes or only particular series of notes.
15. The Rajasthan high court scrapped the Rajasthan Special Backward Classes (SBC) Reservation Act 2015 that provisioned for 5% quota to five communities (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
Basis of HC Judgement
The court struck down the notification of October 2015, saying there were "no
extraordinary circumstances" to allow the state's overall reservation in government jobs
and education institutes to go beyond the 50% cap. Following the notification, the overall
reservation in the state reached 54%, which was in violation of the 50% cap set by the
Supreme Court.
Background
The Act had provided 5% reservation in jobs and educational institutes to five
communities: Gujjars (Gurjars), Banjara (Baldia, Labana); Gadia-Lohar (Gadolia), Raika
(Rebari, Debasi) and Gadaria (Gaadri, Gayari).
16. Justice A.P. Shah, released its report -- Towards a Framework for Compensation and Rehabilitation for Victims of Wrongful Prosecution/Conviction (Relevant for GS Mains paper II, Not Relevant for Prelims)
View of Tribunal on Acquitted Innocents
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The report of the jury that heard the first People s Tribunal on Acquitted Innocents took
strong exception to news coverage which destroys a person s reputation by creating a
widespread perception of guilt, without any verdict in the court of law .
Details of the report
1. The jury, which was chaired by Justice A.P. Shah, released its report -- Towards a
Framework for Compensation and Rehabilitation for Victims of Wrongful
Prosecution/Conviction.
2. The People s Tribunal, which gathered testimonies of several acquitted innocents, and
the report of the jury, had been organised by The Innocence Network, an all-India collective
that works for the rights of the wrongfully prosecuted or convicted.
3. Drawing on the principles of public law, the report called upon the government to grant
compensation to the exonerees for the loss and harm caused to them and for violating their
right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
4. Releasing the report, Justice Shah said that when a person dies in the custody of the
State, the burden to prove their innocence should be on the custodians. Torture has
become a routine and endemic practice in investigative procedure in India, he said.
5. The Prevention of Torture Bill has been languishing in Parliament for more than four
years, and no government seems interested in passing it despite India being a signatory to
the UN Convention Against Torture.
6. The rampant discourse on war on terror legitimates the arrests of Muslim youth and
grants impunity to investigators.
17. Ex-CJI calls for more power to human rights panels (Question can be asked on powers of NHRC in Mains paper II)
Views of P. Sathasivam
Human rights commissions in the country could do with more rights of their own, a former
Chief Justice of India suggested.
Reliance on Executive to implement recommendations
Speaking at the National Human Rights Commission s Human Rights Day event here, Justice
(retd.) P. Sathasivam, who is now the Governor of Kerala, said the NHRC and State Human
Rights Commissions should be able to execute their own orders.
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Present status
At present, the commissions can take up cases of human rights violations and make
recommendations for monetary compensation to victims, but have to rely on the Union and
respective State government to execute the order.
According to him, while the NHRC and SHRCs act as civil courts when it comes to
summoning witnesses or documents, they lack the power to implement orders that the civil
courts have.
18. Aadhaar ID for more exams under study (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II and Prelims)
Proposal to make Aadhar mandatory for other exams
After making the Aadhaar card mandatory for all candidates appearing for the Joint
Entrance Examination (JEE) to check impersonation, the government is considering
extending the requirement to other competitive examinations.
Proposal for National Testing Institute to conduct exams
In another exam reform proposal, the Centre is also planning to start a specialised National
Testing Institute to conduct all important examinations which are now being conducted by
the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Union HRD Minister, Mr. Javadekar said the government was preparing a Cabinet note to
set up a National Testing Institute to hold competitive examinations for entry into
educational institutions in engineering, medical and other fields.
Reason for recommending use of Aadhar
Aadhaar is a photo identity and a unique identity. In some States we see impersonation,
which will be prevented.
Present status
Aspirants seeking entry to the prestigious IITs, NITs and designated institutes, except
candidates from Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir, have to write the JEE (Mains)
examination in 2017 using their Aadhaar.
Controversy over mandatory use of Aadhar
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There has been a controversy over whether the government can mandate Aadhaar for such
activity, with the Supreme Court reminding the government that it could not mandate the
Aadhaar number for scholarship schemes.
Justification by Government
Asked whether the government could demand possession of Aadhaar to appear for an
examination, as no service or benefit was being provided, government said this was for
security purposes.
19. IBSA meet may see pact to boost trade (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)
Proposal for CEPA with MERCOSUR and SACU:
The proposal for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India
and the two separate customs unions – MERCOSUR and SACU respectively – to boost trade
and investment ties, likely to accord it priority at the forthcoming IBSA Summit.
Agenda of sixth IBSA Summit:
The agenda at the sixth IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Summit – likely to be held in India
in mid-2017 – would be the three IBSA members enhancing contribution to the IBSA Fund
to support more developmental projects across the world.
The summit could also see the three major emerging market economies strengthening
trilateral cooperation on renewable energy projects.
Current Scenario:
On trade, India has a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with MERCOSUR and both the
sides are looking to expand its coverage.
Negotiations on way:
India is also negotiating a PTA with Southern African Customs Union (SACU). A PTA
between MERCOSUR and SACU had become operational from April this year.
Significance of CEPA:
The proposal for an India – MERCOSUR – SACU CEPA is to expand the scope of the PTAs
from just trade in goods and then convert them into a comprehensive agreement that will
also cover investments, trade in services and areas including intellectual property rights
and competition laws among others.
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Trade account of IBSA:
Intra-IBSA trade (export and import) in 2012 was about $50.5 billion, which was only 3.4
per cent of their total trade with the rest of the world.
About IBSA Fund:
On the IBSA Fund, the three IBSA member-nations had in March 2005 agreed that each of
them will pitch in with an annual contribution of $1 million to the Fund.
The Fund had received contributions of only about $18 million, adding that the aim was to
enhance it soon to $40 million to assist 25 projects every year, especially in least developed
countries.
Accomplished projects out of IBSA fund:
The projects completed by the IBSA Fund include those in Burundi (combating HIV/AIDS),
Palestine (sports promotion and rehabilitation of cultural/hospital centre), Sierra Leone
(human development and poverty reduction), Cape Verde (health care infrastructure,
drinking water), Guinea-Bissau (agriculture development), Haiti (solid waste collection),
Cambodia (empowering people with special needs) and Vietnam (rice production).The
IBSA Fund also supported Laos in the formulation of projects and Timor-Leste through a
technical exchange.
What is a Customs Union?
A customs union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a
common external tariff policies for non-members. The participant countries set up
common external trade policy, but in some cases they use different import quotas.
What is SACU?
SACU is the oldest existing customs union in the world. It was established in 1910 pursuant
to a Customs Union Agreement. With the advent of independence of territories, the
agreement was updated and it was re-launched as the SACU with the signing of an
agreement between the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. After
Namibia's independence from South Africa in 1990, it joined SACU as its fifth member.
What is MERCOSUR?
Mercosur is also a Customs Union. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay,
Uruguay and Venezuela (Venezuela was suspended in December 2016).
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20. Cabinet clears Bill to give autonomy to 12 major ports (Relevant for GS Mains paper II)
Cabinet clears Major Port Authorities Bill, 2016:
The Union Cabinet approved the draft Major Port Authorities Bill, 2016 to replace the
existing Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 in a bid to empower 12 major ports to perform with
greater efficiency on account of full autonomy in decision-making.
Details:
1. Under the proposed Bill, Port Authority has now been given powers to fix tariff which
will act as a reference tariff for purposes of bidding for PPP projects.
2. The Bill proposes to reduce the size of the board of the Port Authority from 17-19 to 11
members. The Board will include representatives of respective state governments,
Railways Ministry, Defence Ministry and Department of Revenue along with a member
representing employees of the Major Ports Authority.
The Ministry said a compact board with professional independent members will strengthen
decision-making and strategic planning.
3. The Board of the Port Authority has been allowed to fix the scale of rates for other port
services and assets including land.
4. The number of sections in the new Bill stand reduced to 65 from 134 in the Major Trusts
Act of 1963.
5. An independent review Board has been proposed to look into disputes between ports
and PPP concessionaires, to review stressed PPP projects and suggest measures to revive
such projects.
6. It has been proposed to give the Board full powers to enter into contract, over planning
and development, fixing of tariff except in national interest, security and emergency arising
out of inaction and default. The present law requires the Centre s approval in 22 such cases.
21. RS passes Disabilities Bill with more benefits (Relevant for GS Mains paper II)
Rajya Sabha passed Disability Bill:
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The Rajya Sabha passed the Disabilities Bill with the list of disabilities expanded from
seven to 21 and the quantum of reservation increased for people suffering from disabilities
from three per cent to four per cent in government jobs.
In higher education institutions, the quota has been increased from three per cent to five
percent.
Details:
The types of disabilities now include mental illness, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral
palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions.
It also strengthens the office of chief commissioner and state commissioners for Persons
with Disabilities, which will act as regulatory bodies.
Background:
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, moved in the Upper House earlier this
month by Social Justice Minister, also gives effect to the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities and related matters.
Penalties for violations:
It provides for imprisonment ranging from six months to two years, along with a fine
ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 5 lakh, for discriminating against differently abled persons.
National and State Commissions for persons with disabilities:
These commissions will be established by central and state governments respectively. They
will be composed of experts. They will identify any laws, policies or programmes
inconsistent with the Act. They can also inquire into matters relating to deprivation of
rights and safeguards available to disabled persons. They will also monitor utilisation of
funds disbursed by governments for the benefit of disabled persons.
Central and state advisory boards on Disability:
They will be constituted Central and State governments respectively. The will advise
governments on policies and programmes on disability. The will also review the activities
of organisations dealing with disabled persons. Current Status of the bill: The bill still have to go through the Lok Sabha before being presented to President for assent.
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22. Allegations against Rijiju (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Who is Kiren Rijiju?
Kiren Rijiju is Union Minister of State for Home Affairs of India.
Allegations:
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju is alleged for an involvement in a Rs 450 crore hydel
project scam in Arunachal Pradesh.
The nature and extent of the graft allegations against Rijiju as follows:
1. In a petition before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer
Satish Verma has alleged that his services as the Central Vigilance Officer (CVO) of a power
corporation were curtailed after he flagged a transportation scam worth Rs 450 crore
involving Rijiju's cousin and a fraudulent land deal in Gujarat.
2. Verma has sent a 129-page report to CVC, CBI and Ministry of Power, in which he has
alleged corruption in the construction of two dams for 600 MW Kameng Hydro Electric
Project -- one of the biggest hydro-electric projects in Arunachal Pradesh. The site of the
project -- West Kameng -- falls in Rijiju's parliamentary constituency Arunachal West.
3. Verma alleges that several fake and inflated bills were presented by contractors to
allegedly siphon off money in the name of transporting rocks needed for the dam
construction. The report says that the transportation cost was decided arbitrarily, and
many transport challans and records provided by the contractor, Patel Engineering Limited
(PEL), were found to be fake. Kiren Rijiju's cousin Goboi Rijiju was one of the sub-
contractors in the project.
4. The reimbursement of PEL's bills for the period between May and July 2015, after Verma
sent an advisory to the Head of Project flagging the alleged irregularities. However, on
November 9, MoS Kiren Rijiju wrote a letter to the Ministry of Power, saying the funds
should be released.
5. Apart from the report, evidence against Rijiju includes a taped conversation between Verma and Goboi Rijiju, in which the latter offered to help the CVO with a promotion, on the behest of 'bhaiya' (Kiren Rijiju), if the officer cleared the payments that had been stuck for months.
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23. Air Force officers can t grow beard on religious grounds, says SC (Relevant for GS mains Paper II)
SC s direction to bar IAF personnel from growing beard:
The Supreme Court held that personnel working in the Indian Air Force cannot grow a
beard based on religious grounds.
SC bench said that the Centre s decision to prohibit personnel of a particular community
from sporting beard does not infringe upon the fundamental rights.
Background:
The apex court verdict came on two petitions filed separately by two personnel challenging
the IAF authorities confidential order prohibiting Muslim personnel from growing a
beard.
Claim of the petitioner:
Petitioner, in his petition had contended that the order was in contravention of
fundamental fights of the citizen and also a government letter issued through the Ministry
of Home on July 18,1990. The said letter of the home minister permitted the uniformed
Muslim/Sikh personnel to sport beard on religious grounds, provided prior permission was
sought from the authorities.
Centre s viewpoint:
The Centre had said that the IAF order prohibiting personnel from growing a beard was in
the interest of cohesiveness in a combat force and it also has security implications.
It had said that these policies are secular in character and have not been framed to govern
the conduct of air force personnel of any particular religion.
24. Liquor vends on National, State highways banned (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II and Prelims)
SC bans issuance of liquor licences alongside the highways:
The Supreme Court banned States and Union Territories from granting licences for the sale
of liquor along National and State highways across the country, noting that drunken driving
was the main culprit behind a large number of road accidents in the country.
Details of the judgment:
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1. A Bench said the licences of liquor shops across the highways will not be renewed after
March 31, 2017.
2. The judgment ordered that the prohibition on sale of liquor alongside highways would
extend to stretches of such highways that fall within limits of municipal corporations, city
towns and local authorities.
3. The court prohibited signages and advertising of availability of liquor on highways and
ordered the existing ones to be removed forthwith from both national and State highways.
4. It ordered that no shop for sale of liquor should be visible from the National and State
highways. Neither should they be directly accessible from the highways nor should they be
situated within a distance of 500 metres from the outer edge of the highways or service
lanes.
5. The court ordered all the States and Union Territories to strictly enforce the directions.
It gave the Chief Secretaries and the State police chiefs a month s time to chalk out a plan
for enforcement of the judgment.
Reason for this judgment:
The judgment is a result of the deep concern the court had expressed recently on the 1.5
lakh fatalities annually in road accidents. It had blamed the Centre and the States for not
doing enough as lives were lost on the roads.
Earlier order of the Supreme Court:
Earlier Supreme Court prohibited display of liquor on national and State highways to
reduce impulse buying of liquor. As a result, liquor vends situated on these highways were
not allowed to display liquor and diverted entry of liquor vends to opposite side of that of
highways.
25. Centre mulls merger of cyber, telecom dispute appeals tribunals (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II and III)
Centre plans the merger of CyAT and TDSAT:
The Centre is looking to converge the Cyber Appellate Tribunal (CyAT) and Telecom
Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). A Cabinet note to this effect would be
moved shortly.
About CyAT:
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Cyber Appellate Tribunal has been established by the Central Government under
Information Technology Act, 2000. CyAT adjudicates matters related to information
technology and is seen carrying significance at a time when the government is pushing for
digital payments.
About TDSAT:
The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), was established to
adjudicate disputes and dispose of appeals with a view to protect the interests of service
providers and consumers of the telecom sector and to promote and ensure orderly growth
of the telecom sector.
26. J&K has no sovereignty: SC (Relevant for GS Mains paper II)
SC clarified the following with regard to autonomy granted to J&K:
Jammu and Kashmir has no vestige of sovereignty outside the Indian Constitution, and
citizens of the State are first and foremost citizens of India, the Supreme Court has held.
Thus, law made by parliament is applicable in J&K as well.
Reason for presenting clarification about the autonomy degree granted:
The court made this observation while describing as wholly incorrect the conclusion
arrived at by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court that the State has absolute sovereign
power to legislate laws touching the rights of its permanent residents regarding their
immovable properties.
What is the issue?
Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest
(SARFAESI) Act, 2002, made by Parliament provide that banks can acquire the mortgaged
property in case of non-payment of loans.
Transfer of Property Act of Jammu & Kashmir, 1920 provides that only permanent
residents of J&K can own property in the state.
The State Bank of India had appealed against the High Court verdict which held that the
SARFAESI Act would collide with the Transfer of Property Act of Jammu & Kashmir, 1920.
The J&K government was of the opinion that the SARFAESI Act encroached upon the
property rights of permanent residents of the State and would need concurrence of the
J&K government under Article 370 .
About SARFAESI Act, 2000:
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The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security
Interest Act, 2002 (also known as the Sarfaesi Act) is an Indian law.It allows banks and
other financial institution to auction residential or commercial properties to recover loans.
About Article 370 of the constitution:
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is a 'temporary provision' which grants special
autonomous status to Jammu & Kashmir. Under Part XXI of theConstitution of India, which
deals with "Temporary, Transitional and Special provisions", the state of Jammu & Kashmir
has been accorded special status under Article 370.
Provisions of Article 370:
According to this article, except for defence, foreign affairs, finance and communications,
Parliament needs the state government's concurrence for applying all other laws.
Thus the state's residents live under a separate set of laws, including those related to
citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights, as compared to other Indians.
Relevance of Article 370 in the present context:
As a result of this provision, Indian citizens from other states cannot purchase land or
property in Jammu & Kashmir.
27. Supreme Court ordered to regularise the woman pilot in permanent commission (Relevant for GS mains Paper II)
SC ordered the continuation of service of a lady pilot:
A Bench offered relief to Ms. Kaur in her fight against the rules of the Establishment,
under which her time as a pilot was over.
Background:
Ms. Kaur s application for a permanent commission was rejected in March 2016. The
establishment said she was not entitled to seek one.
The Union, represented by Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi, had appealed against a
December 2016 order of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), directing the government to
reconsider her application for permanent commission and let her continue to serve the
country.
The AFT asked the authorities to decide her application in two months. But the Union
decided to take the fight to the Supreme Court and seek a stay of the order.
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Relevance of the decision:
The outcome of Ms. Sandhu s case brings cheer to several women officers waging a battle in
the Supreme Court for equal opportunity.
Similar petitions observing gender bias:
The Army s appeal against a March 2010 Delhi High Court judgment holding that women
officers deserve better from the government is pending in the Supreme Court for five
years now.
The High Court had observed that if male officers can be granted permanent commission,
there is no reason why equally capable women officers can t. The High Court ruling was on
a batch of petitions filed by several women officers to stop discrimination against women
Army officers, who are given only Short Service Commission for periods extendable up to
10 years. The Army had cited the extreme difficulties a woman officer may have to face in
combat situations.
The Navy too appealed against another Delhi High Court order declaring that sexist bias
blocked women s progress. The Navy had contended that men and women are identified
by the same yardstick .
About AFT:
Armed Forces Tribunal or AFT is a military tribunal in India. It undertakes the cases of
military officials.
28. Evaluation of proposed permanent tribunal for inter-state water disputes (Relevant for GS mains paper II)
Union proposal for establishing permanent tribunal for inter-state water disputes:
The Union Cabinet s proposal to have a permanent tribunal that will subsume existing
tribunals is expected to provide for speedier adjudication. But whether this will resolve the
problem of protracted proceedings is doubtful.
Reasons for doubt over proposed Permanent Tribunal:
1. Given the number of ongoing inter-State disputes and those likely to arise in future, it
may be difficult for a single institution with a former Supreme Court judge as
itschairperson to give its ruling within three years.
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2. Its interlocutory orders as well as final award are likely to be challenged in the Supreme
Court.
SC judgement on Inter-State Water Dispute Act baring court interference:
This month, in a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court said it had unfettered power to hear
an appeal arising from a river water dispute tribunal under Article 136 of the Constitution.
It has interpreted the ouster clause in the Inter-State Water Disputes Act as one that merely
bars the court from entertaining an original complaint or suit on its own, but not its power
to hear appeals against a tribunal s decisions.
Thus, finality and enforcement of a tribunal s award may remain elusive.
Provision of Dispute Resolution Committee:
Dispute Resolution Committee will be an expert body that will seek to resolve inter-State
differences before a tribunal is approached and thus may prevent needless litigation.
Positive features in proposed changes:
1. A positive feature of the proposed changes is that there will be an expert agency to
collect data on rainfall, irrigation and surface water flows. This acquires importance
because party-States have a tendency to fiercely question data provided by the other side.
2. A permanent tribunal having reliable data in its hands sounds like an ideal mechanism to
apportion water.
Future of body inter-state water dispute resolution mechanism depends on State
governments political will:
Having an institutional mechanism is one thing, but infusing a sense of responsibility in
those helming State governments is quite another.
Adjudication, by whatever mechanism, should not be at the mercy of partisan leaders who
turn claims into dangerously emotive issues. Institutional mechanisms should be backed by
the political will to make them work.
29. CBSE mandated board exams for Class 10 (Relevant for GS mains Paper II)
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Board exams for 10th standard, now a compulsary norm:
Board exams for Class X are set to become compulsory for all Central Board of Secondary
Education students from 2018 as the CBSE s governing body unanimously approved a
proposal in this regard.
The decision will now have to be approved by the government before it is implemented.
Current status:
Currently, it is optional for CBSE students. They can choose between the Board exam or a
school-based examination.
30. RSS-affiliated think tank readies Uniform Civil Code drafts (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)
The India Policy Foundation (IPF) headed by RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha has also been
holding consultations since 2012, and has come up with drafts of a UCC.
Issues in drafting UCC:
Three issues which are non-uniform in personal laws — marriage, divorce and succession.
Earlier, adoption too was in this list, but after the Juvenile Justice Act, it is now not religion-
specific.
Controversy over RSS follower heading India Policy Foundation:
It is alleged that Rakesh Sinha has interest in promotion of Hindu religion and UCC may
give importance to hindu practices and specially suppress religious freedom of muslims.
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What is India Policy Foundation?
India Policy Foundation (IPF) is a non-profit research institute and a registered trust, based
in New Delhi. It is an autonomous institute guided by an academic council comprising
eminent scholars and intellectuals from a wide cross-section of the Indian society. The IPF
is currently headed by Honorary Director, Prof. Rakesh Sinha, a prominent political
scientist and professor of Delhi University.
What is UCC?
Uniform civil code is the proposal to replace the personal laws based on the scriptures and
customs of each major religious community in India with a common set governing every
citizen. These laws are distinguished from public law and cover marriage, divorce,
inheritance, adoption and maintenance.
Article 44 of the Directive Principles in India sets its implementation as duty of the State. In
contemporary politics, the Bharatiya Janta Party and the Left support it while the Congress
Party and All India Muslim Personal Law Board oppose it.
Goa has a common family law, thus being the only Indian state to have a uniform civil code.
The Special Marriage Act, 1954 permits any citizen to have a civil marriage outside the
realm of any specific religious personal law.
31. Armed forces to get parity in pay(Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Armed forces granted NFU:
The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) granted armed forces Non-Functional Upgrade (NFU) in
pay and allowances in parity with civilian counterparts.
The court has directed the government to implement NFU within three months from the
date of the judgment and that arrears for the last three years be paid to petitioners. In
pronouncing the verdict, the court has dismissed the submission by the Defence Ministry
that defence services are not entitled to and do not deserve NFU.
What is NFU (Non Functional Upgrade)?
Non Functional Upgrade is the name of a scheme implemented by UPA Government, in
2008, to reward civil servants of Central Group A Civil Services, including members of the
Indian Police Service (IPS), with automatic time bound pay promotions till the Higher
Administrative Grade (HAG).
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The promotion under NFU scheme is independent of organizational requirements, vacancy,
level of responsibility or span of control of a post. NFU scheme ensures that all IPS and civil
servants, at a minimum, retire at a grade equated by Government with Lt Generals, Vice
Admirals, and Air Marshals of Armed Forces. For instance, batch mates of a Secretary to the
Government of India who have not been promoted will be entitled to the same pay after a
certain time lapse.
There is no international precedent for NFU scheme which has had wide-ranging financial,
organizational, governance implications.
Background:
The Sixth Pay Commission had granted NFU to most Group A officers but not the military.
Since then, armed forces had been demanding a one-time notional NFU to ensure parity.
However, the Seventh Pay Commission gave a mixed verdict on it and the issue has since
been referred to the anomalies committee.
32. Passport rules changed to help single mothers, orphaned children (Direct question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)
Passport rules eased:
A three-member committee was formed by the Ministry of External Affairs and the
Ministry of Women and Child Development that gave the following recommendations:
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1. No compulsory need of birth certificate. Applicants can submit any of the following
documents: • PAN Card, birth certificate, voter identity card, Aadhaar or driving license • Students can submit transfer certificate/school leaving certificates
2. Online passport application form now requires the applicant to provide the name of any
one among the father, mother or legal guardian.
3. No marriage certificates needed for married applicants.
4. No need to name the spouse in cases of applicants who are divorcees.
5. Orphaned children can submit a declaration from their respective orphanages while
sants can name their spiritual gurus.
Significance of changes in existing rules:
1. Reduced role of agents: The new rules will eliminate the role of non-government
agents and touts.
2. Customization: The new rules of enabling single parents to apply for passport and non-
requirement of the application to provide the name of her/his spouse in case of separated
or divorced persons etc. provides a fair degree of customization in the form filling and
other compliance procedures.
3. Simplicity: The annexures have been brought down to nine from the 15 required under
the Passport Rules, 1980.
4. Faster Processing: Simplifying of rules ensures the faster processing and delivery of
passports.
33. Land of religious body can be acquired: HC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Allahabad High Court decision to acquire religious land for public purpose:
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a land belonging to a religious body can be
acquired for a public purpose while asking the Church of North India Association and
NHAI to work out modality for demolition or shifting of a church for construction of a
six-lane road.
Background:
Church of North India Association filed a plea, which had challenged an August 17, 2012,
notification by which four plots of land were acquired in Firozabad district for construction
of a by-pass connecting Agra with Etawah.
Petition filed for the violation of fundamental rights:
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1. The association had moved the court contending that the impugned notification hurts
the sentiments and religious conscience of the Christian community which violated the
right to freedom of religion and the freedom to manage religious affairs guaranteed
under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution.
2. The petitioner had also argued that the acquisition of the land violated the Place of
Worship (Special Provisions) Act which safeguards all religious properties .
Court s Plea:
The court said that the Place of Worship (Special Provisions) Act only bars any person
from converting any place of worship of any religious denomination or different religious
denomination and that the provision had been introduced to see that communal harmony
is not disturbed and persons of one religious community may not take on the other.
34. Need to link Aadhaar with details of voters : EC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Why is Aadhar linking to voter details needed?
The Election Commission of India stated that there is no fool proof mechanism to verify
their identity and block duplicity and has given a mixed response to the Supreme Court on
providing absentee voting rights, like electronic voting and proxy voting, to over 300
million domestic migrants in the country.
It said there was a need to ensure that a voter was enrolled only once in the electoral roll
by linking his Aadhaar number with the electoral detail.
Committee constituted to empower the voting rights of domestic migrants:
The top poll body had last year set up a committee to study the possibility of amending the
electoral law to empower voters who have migrated to other States within the country.
It said there was no reliable information or documentation on the number of domestic
migrants in the country. The last one on them is the 15-year-old 2001 Census data of 314.5
million.
Difficulties in assigning voting rights to domestic migrants:
1. Any provision of absentee voting rights to the loosely defined term domestic migrants
would become a logistical nightmare for the Commission.
For example, they are so spread out that an election in one Assembly constituency would
mean electoral arrangements in 4,120 Assembly constituencies.
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2. Besides, enforcement of Model Code of Conduct would suffer and the concept of level
playing field would get defeated with national parties having an advantage over State
parties.
3. It said multiple vernacular data and varying patterns of spelling and difficulty in
ascertaining the date of birth of voters had given rise to multiple entries of voters.
The Commission, however, did not totally negate the idea of providing domestic migrants
with absentee voting rights, saying it might be extended only to a small subset of migrants
who formed an identifiable and countable class of electors not delinked from their present
place of registration and only temporarily absent from their place of ordinary residence.
About Absentee Ballot:
An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the
official polling station to which the voter is normally allocated.
Increasing the ease of access to absentee ballots is seen by many as one way to improve
voter turnout, though some countries require that a valid reason, such as infirmity or
travel, be given before a voter can participate in an absentee ballot.
Numerous methods have been devised to facilitate this, For eg, Voting at a different polling station, Postal voting, Proxy voting, Internet voting etc.
35. Union Cabinet approves creation of Indian Enterprise Development Services (Direct Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)
The Union Cabinet gave its approval to the Cadre review and formation of a new service in
the name of Indian Enterprise Development Services (IEDS).
Key Facts:
1. The IEDS will be created in the Office of Development Commissioner (MSME), Ministry of
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
2. Its creation will help to strengthen the organization and to achieve the vision of Startup
India, Stand-up India and Make in India.
3. It will also enhance the capacity and efficiency of the organization and help in achieving growth in MSME sector through a focused and dedicated cadre of technical officers.
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36. Madras High Court bans unauthorised Sharia courts in Tamil Nadu (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Ban on unauthorised Sharia courts:
The Madras High Court has banned all unauthorised Sharia courts in mosques across Tamil
Nadu, saying centres of worship were only to be used for religious purposes.
Reason for the judgment pronounced:
The court s pronouncement came in response to a PIL filed by a non-resident Indian
mentioning that such sharia courts are operating as a court of law from mosques and dealt
largely with matrimonial disputes, even going to the extent of passing divorce orders.
Background:
Earlier in 2014, Supreme Court had refused to ban Sharia courts saying the interpretations
made by Islamic judges are not legally binding. It even held that these courts could pass
verdicts only when individuals submit to them voluntarily.
What are sharia courts?
India's Muslims follow their own laws governing family life and other personal issues such
as marriage and divorce, with Sharia courts used to rule on such matters and mediate in
disagreements.
37. Only State can remit life sentence: SC (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
SC refrained from remitting life sentence:
The Supreme Court refrained itself from allowing any reprieve to four convicts who have
served 25 years of their life sentence for the murder of an elderly couple in Kolkata in 1991
noting that the power to grant remission is exclusively that of the State government and
not the judiciary.
A Bench of Justices acknowledged, in its recent judgment, that the convicts have suffered
incarceration for more than 25 years and, therefore, there should be a chance for remission
of further prison sentence. But the court declined to intervene, simply observing that this
is a power which can be exercised by the State.
Similar instance:
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The judgment is in sync with the Tamil Nadu government s review petition on the question
of who has the actual authority — the Centre or the State — in granting remission for life
convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Tamil Nadu has sought a review of the Constitution Bench verdict in the high-profile case.
38. Pranab against ordinance route to amend Enemy Property Act (Question can be asked on Enemy Property Act in Prelims and Mains Paper II)
President objects to pass ordinance one after another:
The ordinance to amend the 50-year-old Enemy Property Act, was promulgated for the fifth
time, albeit with some reservations being expressed by President Pranab Mukherjee on
why the government has been unable to clear the Amendment Bill in Parliament.
Background:
The ordinance was proclaimed, for the first time, on January 7 this year. It was passed by
the Lok Sabha on March 9 but was subsequently referred to the Select Committee of the
Rajya Sabha.
It was re-promulgated for the second time on April 2 and a third time incorporating the
amendments suggested by the Rajya Sabha Select Committee on May 31.
Since it was to expire on August 28, the President promulgated the fourth ordinance a day
before that.
Why amendment is needed?
The Amendment Bill aims to make changes to the Enemy Property Act to guard against
claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and
China after wars.
What is enemy property?
Enemy property refers to any property belonging to, held or managed on behalf of an
enemy, an enemy subject or an enemy firm. The government has vested these properties in
the Custodian of Enemy Property for India, under the Act in 1968, an office instituted under
the Central government.
As per the proposed amendments, once an enemy property is vested in the Custodian, it
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shall continue as such, irrespective of whether the enemy, enemy subject or enemy firm has
ceased to be one due to reasons such as death.
About Enemy Property Act:
The Enemy Property Act was enacted in the year 1968 by the Government of India, which
provided for the continuous vesting of enemy property in the Custodian.
The Central Government through the Custodian of Enemy Property for India is in
possession of enemy properties spread across many states in the country.
In addition, there are also movable properties categorized as enemy properties.
The 2016 bill seeks to do the following: • The Bill amends the Enemy Property Act, 1968, to vest all rights, titles and interests
over enemy property in the Custodian for the Enemy Property for India.
• The Bill declares transfer of enemy property by the enemy, conducted under the Act, to
be void. This applies retrospectively to transfers that have occurred before or after 1968.
• The Bill prohibits civil courts and other authorities from entertaining disputes related to
enemy property.
39. Year in Review of Kashmir front (Topic to be read only forunderstanding, No Direct question can be asked)
The year 2016 has been one of the worst in recent times for the Army in terms of casualties
in Jammu and Kashmir with major attacks on military installations and heightened tensions
along the border with Pakistan.
1. Pathankot Air base attack: It began on a bitter note with an attack on the Pathankot
Air Force station in the early hours of January 2.
2. Uri and Nagotra Attack: There were major attacks on Army bases in Uri and Nagrota
in the latter part of the year, resulting in significant casualties on security forces. There was
also a dramatic spike in cross-border firing after the Uri attack.
3. Rise in infiltration bids: With increase in infiltration attempts, the number of
terrorists killed has also gone up. Over 140 terrorists were neutralised. There was also an
upward trend in the number of suicide attacks compared with the last two years.
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4. Unrest due to killing of Burhan Wani: Things took a dramatic turn particularly after
the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in July which plunged the Kashmir
Valley into a spiral of protests and violence.
5. Active border: The ceasefire declared by India and Pakistan along the border in 2003
and which brought relative peace came under severe stress this year especially after the
Uri terror attack which claimed the lives of 19 soldiers and the resultant surgical strikes
carried out by the Army along the Line of Control (LoC).
6. Increase in militant ranks: The number of terrorists in the Valley is estimated to be
somewhere around 200-300.
After Burhan Wani s killing there is a rise in radicalisation among the youth and more
locals have joined militant ranks.
Statistics of loss of army personals:
The Army lost 63 personnel in Jammu & Kashmir, almost double that of last year. In 2015,
it lost 33 personnel and in 2014, 32.
40. Suresh Kalmadi, accused in CWG scam, appointed Life President of Indian Olympic Association (Question can be asked on IOA in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)
IOA assigned Kalmadi and Chautala lifetime presidents:
Indian Olympic Association has named Commonwealth Games scam-tainted Suresh
Kalmadi and controversial former president of the Boxing Federation of India Abhay Singh
Chautala as honorary lifetime presidents.
Implication of being a lifetime president of IOA:
A life president has no voting powers and can only attend an AGM.
About IOA (Indian Olympic Association):
The Indian Olympic Association is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent
India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets and for
managing the Indian teams at the events.
Who is Suresh Kalmadi?
Mr Kalmadi, an MP from Pune, served as the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the
Commonwealth Games, held in India in October 2010.
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Why was Mr Kalmadi in jail?
Suresh Kalmadi was given bail by the Delhi High Court in a corruption case related to the
Commonwealth Games.
He was accused of handing out a Rs. 141-crore contract to Swiss Timing for its timing
equipment - the deal was inflated by Rs. 95 crores. The Central Bureau of Investigation,
which probed the case, filed a chargesheet against Kalmadi in May 2011.
Suspension of IOA
The Indian Olympic Association was suspended by the Sports Ministry after failing to
respond to the show cause notice issued to it questioning the decision to confer life
presidency on Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Chautala.
Stand of Government
The government has suspended the deemed recognition, granted by it to the Indian
Olympic Association (IOA), until the IOA reverses its decision to appoint Suresh Kalmadi
and Abhay Chautala as Life Presidents.
Both Kalmadi and Chautala have corruption cases pending against them.
Implication of suspension
Following the suspension, IOA will cease to enjoy the privileges and prerogatives bestowed
on it by the Government as the National Olympic Committee. All Government assistance,
financial or otherwise, to IOA will also be stopped.
41. Former Home Secretary Anil Baijal to be Delhi Lt Governor (Question can be asked on appointment of Lt. Governor in Prelims)
Anil Baijal to be appointed next Delhi s Governor:
Former IAS officer Anil Baijal is all set to be appointed as next Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
as President Pranab Mukherjee gave his approval.
Mr.Baijal, a 1969 batch IAS officer of U.T cadre, served as Home Secretary under the Atal
Bihari Vajpayee government.
Selection Process of the Governor:
The Governor is not elected by the process of direct or indirect voting (like the Chief
Minister, the Prime Minister or the President). The Governor of a particular state is
appointed directly by the President of India, for a period of five years.
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Powers of Lt. Governor:
The Indian Constitution has bestowed similar powers and functions on the Governors and
Lt. Governors as enjoyed by the President of India. In India, the rank of Lt. Governor is
present in the Union Territories (UTs) of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and
Puducherry.
42. Financial data management body mooted (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II)
Statutory body to standardize financial sector regulators data:
A committee set up under the Department of Economic Affairs has recommended the
creation of a statutory body that will standardise data from all financial sector regulators in
a single database and will provide analytical insights based on the data.
Bill in Parliament is pending —the Financial Data Management Centre Bill 2016—to create
the statutory body.
Functionality of statutory body:
It shall be the duty of the Data Centre to take measures to standardise data from regulators
in consultation with the regulators, enable financial service providers to submit data in a
standardised electronic format, analyse the data and maintain a financial system database.
Powers of the proposed body:
The powers of the Financial Data Management Centre (FDMC) will include the
establishment, operation and maintenance of the financial system database along with
collecting financial regulatory data and providing access to it.
The body will also provide analytical support to the Financial Stability and Development
Council (FSDC) on issues relating to financial stability.
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International Relations and Organisations
1. Upcoming Heart of Asia meet in Amritsar (Direct question expected in GS Prelims, Relevant for GS Mains Paper II)
What is Heart of Asia Conference?
The HoA process, supported by the wider international community, originated under the
aegis of the Istanbul Conference in November 2011, which underscored the need for
regional cooperation and confidence-building to resolve underlying problems facing
Afghanistan and anchoring the state s development in a regional environment that is stable,
economically integrated and conducive to shared prosperity.
Present HoA Details:
India hosted the Heart of Asia (HoA) conference in Amritsar. It is aimed at speeding up
reconstruction in war-torn Afghanistan and bringing peace and normalcy to the nation.
It saw participation from 14 states: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the
United Arab Emirates.
Outcome of Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar
View of PM Modi and Ghani
With tough statements on terror pointed at Pakistan, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani
and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urged Islamabad to end its selective approach to
fighting terror groups on its soil, and end terror sanctuaries for groups that target them
at the Heart of Asia summit.
Statement by Afghanistan President
As permanent co-chair of the summit, President Ghani s words were the most stinging,
directly rejecting Pakistan s proposal of $500 million fund for development in Afghanistan.
This fund could very well be used for containing extremism because without peace, any
amount of assistance will not meet the needs of our people.
President Ghani said the sharp words indicated his disappointment with Pakistan for its
refusal to shelter Taliban terrorists and take no action against them, which had led to 2015
and 2016 becoming the worst years for civilian casualties in Afghanistan.
View of Pakistan s Foreign Afairs Adviser
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Pakistan s Foreign Afairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz called the attempt by India and Afghanistan to blame only Pakistan for the Afghan situation simplistic . Mr. Aziz said: The security situation in Afghanistan is very complex. It is simplistic to blame only one country for the recent upsurge in violence. We need to have an objective and holistic view, Support from Russia to Pakistan Pakistan received unexpected support from the Russian delegation at the conference. I am sure President Ghani had strong reasons to do so, but I don t think the HoA is the right place for settling scores, Russia s special envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told presspersons after the session.
2. U.S. for closer defence ties with India (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II)
National Defence Authorisation Act of US
The National Defence Authorisation Act 2017 is scheduled to be passed by the U.S Congress
seeks executive action to recognise India s status as a major defence partner of the United
States and strong action by Pakistan on terrorism.
Draft bill details
1. India –US future defence relationship
The draft bill released said technology transfer to India and defence cooperation must be
consistent with United States conventional arms transfer policy.
A move supported by a pro-India group to designate India a major non-NATO ally in the
bill was abandoned earlier this year after it failed to garner enough support among
powerful members of the Congress.
The U.S has already recognised India as a major defence partner in June, during Prime
Minister Narendra Modi s visit, but the implications of it remains undefined.
2. Pak must act against Haqqani
The new law will tighten the screws on Pakistan to take more credible action against the
Haqqani terror network. The text proposes to tie $400 million of the total $900 million in
coalition support funds for Pakistan for 2017 to a certification by Secretary of Defence. In
2016, the amount was $300 million, which was not released after Secretary Ash Carter
refused to certify in favour of Pakistan.
The law will require the Defence Secretary to certify, among other things, that, Pakistan
has taken steps to demonstrate its commitment to prevent the Haqqani Network from
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using any Pakistani territory as a safe haven and has shown progress in arresting and
prosecuting Haqqani Network senior leaders and mid-level operatives.
3. India to train Vietnam s Sukhoi fighter pilots (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II)
In a further boost to its growing defence ties with Vietnam, India has agreed to train the
southeast nation s Sukhoi-30 fighter pilots.
China factor
India and Vietnam have been steadily stepping up their cooperation, especially in the
defence sector, against the backdrop of the growing assertiveness of China in the region.
Factors facilitating defence cooperation
1. Both India and Vietnam operate Russian Su-30 jets and the two countries models differ
slightly in their configuration.
2. India already trains Vietnamese sailors in operating Kilo class submarines, which Hanoi
had begun inducting since January 2014. India operates over 200 Su-30MKI fighters and
nine Kilo-class diesel electric submarines.
4. State of Chakmas in India (Direct Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)
On August 16, 1947, Lord Louis Mountbatten announced the Boundary Commission Award.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts, a deeply forested, mountainous, area bordering Tripura,
Mizoram and Myanmar, with a majority Buddhist population (about 97 per cent), was
awarded to Pakistan, with the logic that the area was inaccessible to India and would
provide a rural hinterland to Chittagong.
In 1962, the Pakistani government imposed further misery on the Chakmas by building the
Kaptai dam. Approximately 40,000 Chakma tribals, who had lost their homes and farmland
due to flooding, emigrated to India as refugees. Despite opting for India during the
Partition, the Chakmas were routinely ignored, then and now and have faced atrocities
from locals.
Who are Chakma people?
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The Chakma, also known as the Daingnet people, is an ethnic group concentrated in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Today, the geographic distribution of Chakmas is
spread across Bangladesh and parts of northeastern India and western Burma.
Within the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Chakma are the largest ethnic group and make up
half of the region's population. The Chakma profess Theravada Buddhism. The community
is headed by the Chakma Raja.
5. Kolkata-Mizoram trade route to open via Myanmar (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)
A deep water port built in Myanmar s Sittwe on the Bay of Bengal by India is ready to be
commissioned.
About Sittwe Port
Sittwe is the capital of Rakhine State (which has been in the news for the plight of Rohingya
Muslims) in south-western Myanmar. It is located at the mouth of the Kaladan river, which
flows into Mizoram in north-eastern India.
Construction of the sea port is the first phase of an integrated $500-million project being
funded by a long-term interest-free loan provided by India. Dredging of the river and inland
water terminals are included in the plan.
The strategic advantage would be that it would significantly lower the cost and distance of
movement from Kolkata to Mizoram and beyond. Once shipments arrive at Sittwe, they will
be transferred to smaller freight carriers which would sail upstream into Mizoram.
Other Points of Contacts
Also on the anvil are 10 border haat points to facilitate local economic activity between
Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, Myanmar Airways International has just supplemented Air India s twice
weekly service between Yangon and Kolkata to double the direct flights between the two
cities.
Present access to North-East
India has for years sought transit access through Bangladesh to ship goods to the
landlocked north-eastern States. At present, the only route to this region from the rest of
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India is a rather circuitous one through a narrow strip of Indian territory nicknamed the
Chicken s Neck in West Bengal, sandwiched between Bhutan and Bangladesh.
6. Recent Escalations in US- China Relations (Question can be asked in Prelims and Mains Paper II on One China Policy )
Seizure of underwater American drone in South China Sea:
The seizure of an American underwater drone in the international waters of the South
China Sea by the Chinese Navy marks the latest flashpoint in bilateral relations that have
entered uncharted territory with the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President. Though it
is not clear if the capture of the drone, which China agreed to return later, was a junior-
level act by sailors or a strategic move directed by Beijing.
Issue of Taiwan:
Mr. Trump accepted a congratulatory call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a move
that invited an angry response from China, which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province.
It is alleged that Mr. Trump escalated matters by questioning the One- China policy.
One China Policy
The One-China policy refers to the policy or view that there is only one state called "China",
despite the existence of two governments that claim to be "China". As a policy, this means
that countries seeking diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC,
Mainland China) must break official relations with the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) and
vice versa.
The One China policy is also different from the "One China principle", which is the principle
that insists both Taiwan and mainland China are inalienable parts of a single "China".
China foreign Ministry response to Trump s statement
China s Foreign Ministry warned that any change in the U.S. s one-China policy will impair
ties between Beijing and Washington. Upholding the one China principle is the political
basis for developing China-U.S. ties.
Trump s statement
In an interview on Fox News by President-elect Donald Trump, where he questioned the
U.S. s persistence with the one-China policy, unless there were concessions from Beijing on
trade and other issues.
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He also blamed China for devaluing its currency, and not cooperating with Washington on
North Korea and the South China Sea.
The one-China policy underscores recognition of China s sovereignty over Taiwan — a
position that has been held by the U.S. since 1979.
7. India, Indonesia resolve to fight terror (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Indo- Indonesia common stand
1. India and Indonesia, the world s most populous Muslim nation, decided to expand their
defence and maritime security ties and resolved to deal with terrorism.
2. During the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Joko
Widodo, the two countries, among the very few fast-growing large economies, also decided
to boost trade and investment in the areas of oil and gas, renewable energy, information
technology and pharmaceuticals.
3. The issue of South China Sea figured prominently. In a veiled message to Beijing, both
sides said the dispute must be resolved through peaceful means.
The issues were discussed at meet in New Delhi between Indian PM and Indonesian
President.
Importance of Indonesia to India
Indonesia is a most populous muslim nation of the world. It shares value of secularism with
India. Thus, it stands in opposition to nations which have adopted Islam as state religion
such as Pakistan.
8. Venezuela warns about cybercrime (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Venezuela undergone demonetization too warned about cyber-attacks:
Venezuela, which like India has withdrawn its highest currency note from the market, has
cautioned about cyber-crimes that target digital economy.
Relevance of the warning:
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Venezuela has the highest per head web connectivity in Latin America and could have gone
for digital economy. But several cyber-attacks have shown that the digital economy is in
fact far more vulnerable to cyber-attacks than real currency transactions. Venezuela s
telecom and banking sectors suffered a series of cyber-attacks in 2016, which has
prompted the government to stick to currency-based economy.
Since India shares the same scenario of switching to digitalisation, it must consider the
potential risks assosiated with it and come up with the solutions to overcome its impact.
Reason behind the demonetization in Venezuela:
The recall of 100 Bolivar notes is aimed at neutralising the mafia networks based in
Colombia and supported by Brazil and the United States who want to destabilise Venezuela
financially and politically.
9. Qatar abolishes kafala labour system (Direct question can be asked on Kafala system in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)
Qatar defunct Kafala System:
Qatar s Labour Minister said the kafala rules would be abolished from December 13. He
said a contract-based system to govern the gas-rich Gulf emirate s 2.1 million foreign
workers would take its place.
What is Kafala system?
Under kafala , all foreign workers working in Qatar require a local sponsor, in the form of
an individual or company, and need their permission to switch jobs or leave the country.
The system was compared to modern-day slavery and left vulnerable workers with little
protection and open to abuse.
Implication of abolition of Kafala System:
1. Freedom of movement is guaranteed under the new rules including giving workers the
right to change jobs. Any worker mistreated will automatically be allowed to change jobs.
2. The exit visa formally needed to leave the country under kafala will be abolished,
although workers will still need their employers' permission to go home.
An appeals committee has been established for expats who are denied permission to leave.
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10. Issue of Rohingyas (Direct question can be asked in Prelims and GS mains Paper II)
Massacre in Myanmar over Rohingyas:
Since October 9, when soldiers poured into Rakhine, over 130 Rohingyas have been killed
and dozens of buildings in their villages torched. The United Nations estimates that 30,000
Rohingyas have been displaced by the ongoing violence in Rakhine.
According to analysis of satellite images from Human Rights Watch, more than 1,000
houses in Rohingya villages have been razed in northwestern Myanmar. Bangladesh has
provided food and shelter to around 30,000 documented Rohingyas.
Commission constituted to study the Rohingyas issue:
Assuming office as the State Counsellor of Myanmar after her party s landslide victory in
2015, Ms. Suu Kyi initiated the formation of an independent and representative advisory
commission led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to seek lasting solutions to
the Rohingya crisis.
This was the first time any concrete initiative was undertaken by the Myanmar authorities
after the 2012 Rakhine State riots between the Rakhine Buddhist majority and the
Rohingya Muslim minority.
Provisions of Burma Citizenship law denying citizenship to Rohingyas:
Since the enactment of the 1982 Burma Citizenship Law, which effectively denies to the
Rohingyas the possibility of acquiring a nationality, the 1.33 million Rohingyas have led
perilous and uncertain lives and have migrated in large numbers to safer places.
Who are Rohingyas?
Rohingyas are members of Muslim community inhabiting western Burma (Myanmar). The
UNHCR estimates 800,000 Rohingya live in Burma's mountainous Rakhine state. The
Rohingyas are immigrants from Bangladesh, some of whom have stayed in Myanmar over
generations.
11. Myanmar resented Indian claims of hot pursuit in its territory (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
View of Myanmar Government
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1. Myanmar deeply resented the Narendra Modi government boasting in June last year
that Indian troops had entered its territory in hot pursuit of secessionists in Manipur and
Nagaland, a government official said on condition of anonymity.
2. The Myanmar Army (known as Tatmadaw) was of the view a group photo of Indian
soldiers said to have been taken inside Myanmar had flora and fauna in the background
that did not match with those in areas bordering Manipur.
An editor of a newspaper said the Myanmar government conveyed the same opinion to his
publication. The then President Thein Sein s office cryptically commented we have learnt
that the military operation was performed on the Indian side of the border .
3. Cross-border operations were not unknown under previous government in Delhi, but not
advertised in order to avoid embarrassing Myanmar.
Background
In the episode concerned, the Indian Army suffered a heavy ambush by armed separatists
in Manipur. At least 18 soldiers were killed, following which the rebels fled to neighbouring
Myanmar. A few days later, Indian parachute commandos in helicopters reportedly carried
out a cross border raid, in course of which, the Defence Ministry maintained, around 40
rebels were taken out.
Neutral view
There is a consensus that Indian jawans did enter Myanmar. What local inhabitants doubt,
though, is the amount of damage inflicted by them. Nearby villagers told rights activists
that there was heavy bombardment and the rebel camps were destroyed, but there was no
evidence of significant casualties .
12. Tajikistan, India step up security ties (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Highlights:
1. Tajikistan and India signed an agreement against terror financing and money laundering.
2. Tajikistan extended support to India s candidature for Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation and India s bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security
Council.
3. Both sides also signed agreements on bilateral investment and avoidance of double
taxation.
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The two sides indicated that relationship was expected to deepen in 2017, which would mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
13. India, Kyrgyzstan seek a global pact against terror (Question can be asked on CCIT and Khanjar exercise in prelims)
Highlights of Kyrgyzstan President, Almazbek Atambayev visit to India:
Following a bilateral summit at Hyderabad House:
1. The delegations finalised plans to hold the annual joint military exercises named
Khanjar-IV in February-March. The Khanjar-II exercises were held in March 2015 in
Kyrgyzstan and Khanjar-III in March-April 2016 in Gwalior.
2. The visiting delegation also welcomed India s proposal for training Kyrgyz forces for U.N.
peacekeeping assignments.
3. Both sides reiterated the demand for global counter-terror norms to fight terrorism in
Asia, and called for the adoption by the United Nations of the draft Comprehensive
Convention on Combating International Terrorism.
What is CCIT?
The Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism is a proposed treaty which
intends to criminalize all forms of international terrorism and deny terrorists, their
financiers and supporters access to funds, arms, and safe havens.
The negotiations for this treaty are currently under way has been under negotiation at the
United Nations General Assembly's on Terrorism and the United Nations General Assembly
Sixth Committee (Legal). The negotiations are currently deadlocked.
14. Terror Attack in Berlin, claimed by IS (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
IS Terror attack in Berlin:
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a truck attack on a crowded Berlin
Christmas market that left 12 people dead and nearly 50 injured. IS said in a statement that
the attacker in Berlin is a soldier of the Islamic State and carried out the attack in response
to calls for targeting citizens of the Crusader coalition .
Reason stated for the attack:
Germany is not involved in anti-IS combat operations, but has Tornado jets and a refueling
plane stationed in Turkey in support of the coalition fighting militants in Syria, as well as a
frigate protecting a French aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean, among other assets.
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About the incident:
Witnesses saw only one man flee from the truck after it rammed into the crowd at the
Christmas market, smashing wooden stalls and travelling 60 to 80 metres before coming to
a halt.
Criticism of Chancellor of Germany:
Ms. Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, has been criticised for allowing in huge numbers of
migrants last year, addressed head-on the possibility that an asylum-seeker was
responsible for the carnage.
15. Nepal to hold military exercise with China (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II)
Nepal to hold first ever military exercise with China:
Nepal will hold its first ever joint military exercise with China on February 10. The focus of
the military exercise, named Pratikar-1, will be on training Nepali forces in dealing with
hostage scenarios involving international terror groups. Nepal has conducted exercises
with India earlier.
No repercussions on India:
Analysts say that though the military drill with China does not violate the 1950 India-Nepal
treaty of peace and friendship, it does appear unconventional.
India-Nepal treaty of peace and friendship:
The 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (official name Treaty of Peace and
Friendship Between The Government of India and The Government of Nepal) is a bilateral
treaty between Nepal and India establishing a close strategic relationship between the two
South Asian neighbours. The treaty was signed at Kathmandu on 31 July 1950.
The treaty allows free movement of people and goods between the two nations and a close
relationship and collaboration on matters of defense and foreign policy. Under this treaty,
Nepal is required to consult India to make defence purchases.
The present government in Nepal headed by Prachanda demands deletion of provisions
relating to defence and foreign policy from this treaty.
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16. Hong Kong revokes visa-free entry to Indians (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Hong Kong altered visa norm for Indians:
Hong Kong, which used to be part of a block of countries that gave Indians unconditional
visa-free entry, has introduced pre-registration for Indian nationals to prevent illegal
immigration.
Previous Provisions:
Under the previous visa agreement, Indian visitors could visit the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region for 14 days without visa requirements.
Reason behind alteration of the visa norms:
Overstaying Indian nationals violating visa norms prompted Hong Kong, a China-
administered territory, to alter its visa agreement with India.
17. UNSC passes resolution admonishing Israel s illegal settlements (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
UNSC passed a resolution against Israel:
The UN Security Council passed a resolution with a 14-0 majority urging Israel to halt its
illegal settlements programme in the occupied Palestinian territories.
US abstains from voting:
The vote is notable as Israel s pre-eminent backer, the United States, chose to abstain. It
will be difficult for the Trump administration to have this resolution overturned, passed as
it was without a veto.
Gravity of the resolution:
The resolution, by way of its adoption under Chapter 6 of the UN Charter, is not binding
and comes only with recommendations.
It therefore does not affect the status quo in the occupied territories. Even so, its
unambiguous language stating that the settlements constitute a violation of international
law offers hope for the Palestinians who have filed a suit (that includes the construction of
settlements) against Israel in the International Criminal Court.
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Israel s reaction:
It has refused to comply with the terms of the resolution. This outrageous behaviour has
been made possible by the unrelenting support provided by the U.S. in the past.
US-Israel Relations:
While Mr. Obama has had a testy relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, his administration continued to fund and arm Israel.
The U.S. had also recently worked out a deal that provides $38 billion in military aid over 10 years to Israel, cementing long-established strategic ties. Seen in this light, the administration s decision to abstain in the most substantive resolution on Israeli settlements since 1980 is even more remarkable.
18. 5th India-Arab partnership conference held in Muscat, Oman(Direct question can be asked in Prelims)
India-Arab Partnership Conference, Oman:
The fifth edition of the India-Arab Partnership Conference was held in Muscat, Oman from
December 14 to 15, 2016. It was organised by the Oman Foreign Ministry, Arab League
Secretariat in association with the Union Ministry of External Affairs of India.
Key Facts:
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The aim of the conferences was to enhance flow of investments from both sides, accelerate
the investment projects of prioritized sectors, provide conducive environment for export
promotion. Around 500 representatives including from the Arab League and Indian
government officials, businessmen, investors and academicians participated in the
conference.
19. Nepal rejects India s open sky offer (Question can be asked on Open Sky Offer in Prelims, Relevant for GS Mains paper II as well)
Open sky offer rejected by Nepal:
Nepal has rejected India s open sky offer to allow unlimited flights between the two
countries.
What is open sky offer?
Open Sky Policy: Open sky refers to an agreement between two countries to allow any
number of airlines to fly from either of them without any restriction on number of flights,
number of destinations, number of seats, price and so on.
Why India is interested in engaging with Nepal via Open Sky Policy:
India has been keen on countering Nepal s recent engagement with China on the road,
railways and port connectivity.
Current Status:
Airlines from India and Nepal are now allowed to operate 30,000 seats from each side.
Nepal has long been pushing for new airspaces to ease congestion on the existing routes
and to save time and cost for air passengers.
India and Nepal signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint technical
committee to examine Nepal s request for developing new air routes.
India s Open sky agreement with other nations:
The latest development comes days after India signed an agreement with Sri Lanka,
Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland and Spain to allow airlines to operate unlimited
flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
Among SAARC countries, India doesn t have any open sky agreement with Pakistan, Nepal
and Afghanistan. It allows unlimited flights from Bangladesh and Maldives at 18 domestic
airports, from Sri Lanka at 23 airports, and from Bhutan at all its airports.
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20. Sharif inaugurates China-backed n-power plant (Question can be asked in Prelims)
Power-starved Pakistan received a major boost as a China-backed 340 MW nuclear power
plant in its Punjab Province was inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Status of Nuclear Plants in Pakistan:
The fourth nuclear plant Chashma-III is located at Chashma where another plant, Chashma-
IV, is also being built. Mr. Sharif expressed confidence that Chashma-IV nuclear power plant
would also become operational before its deadline of mid next year.
Chashma-II and Chashma-III power plants are the most efficient plants in the country,
providing more than 600 MW of electricity to the national grid. Pakistan s first nuclear
plant was supplied by Canada in 1972.
Target of nuclear energy:
8,800 MW of nuclear energy by 2030.
21. Cabinet s gives nod for International Solar Alliance pact (Direct question on International Solar Alliance can be asked in Prelims and GS mains Paper II and III)
Cabinet approved Solar Alliance pact:
The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval to the proposal of the Ministry of New &
Renewable Energy for the ratification of the International Solar Alliance s framework
agreement by India.
About ISA (International Solar Alliance):
The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of more than 120 countries, which come
either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The
alliance's primary objective is work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce
dependence on fossil fuels.
The initiative was launched by Modi at the India Africa Summit, and a meeting of member
countries ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in
November 2015. The alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization.
The Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance opened for signatures in
Marrakech, Morocco in November 2016, and 121 countries have joined.
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22. Ceasefire deal in Syria (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
New ceasefire deal in Syria
The ceasefire reached between Syria s government and Opposition, with the mediation of
Turkey, Russia and Iran, could be a turning point in the country s civil war.
Unlike the two previous failed ceasefires this year — which were negotiated between
Russia and the U.S. — the latest one is sponsored by countries directly involved in the
conflict.
Chances for deal to be implemented
1. View of Syrian Government
For the Syrian government, this is an opportunity to announce it is ready for a peaceful
settlement. Though President Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly claimed that he would retake
the entire territory from the rebels, a military solution appears to be illusory. A prolonged
conflict will exhaust the regime forces further and multiply the humanitarian costs.
On the other side, after the victory in Aleppo, the regime could now negotiate with the
rebels from a position of strength.
2. View of rebels
For the rebels, the momentum is gone. Their support is limited to certain parts such as
Idlib, Daraa and the outskirts of Damascus. The question they face is whether they should
continue fighting a never-ending war of attrition or seek to gain leverage from whatever
military influence they are left with.
3. View of Russia
By promoting a negotiated deal, it could retain its core interests in Syria while at the same
time projecting itself as a power broker in West Asia.
4. View of Turkey
Turkey wants to limit the spillover effects of the war on its soil and stop Kurdish rebels
from capitalising on the chaos in Syria. This explains why Turkey and Russia have come
together now despite their bitter relations last year.
Challenges
But these objective conditions alone may not produce sustainable peace.
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1. It is still not clear which rebel groups have agreed to the ceasefire. Turkey supports
only some of the rebel groups, while several other groups get support from Gulf
monarchies.
2. There are jihadist elements as well in the Opposition, such as Fateh al-Sham, that could
play the spoiler by carrying out attacks on government positions.
3. Besides, the Kurdish question remains unaddressed. If Kurds are invited for talks,
Turkey might withdraw its support for the peace process. Way forward For now, however, if the ceasefire holds at least till next month s Astana summit of the related parties, it could be a new beginning for Syria.
23. Russia announces plans to expel 35 American diplomats (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Russia has announced plans to expel 35 American diplomats from the country in a tit-for-
tat response to a similar move by United States of America. Earlier US President Barack
Obama had ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats (suspected as spies) and
imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking
US political groups in the 2016 presidential election. The US sanctions has also closed two
Russian compounds in New York and Maryland cititng reason that they were used by
Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes
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Economy
1. Criticism of demonetisation (Relevant for Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)
1. More than 90 per cent of India s workforce still earn their wages in cash. These consist of
hundreds of millions of agriculture workers, construction workers and so on. While the
number of bank branches in rural areas have nearly doubled since 2001, there are still
more than 600 million Indians who live in a town or village with no bank.
2. The vast majority of Indians earn in cash, transact in cash and save in cash, all
legitimately. It is the fundamental duty of a democratically elected government in any
sovereign nation to protect the rights and livelihood of its citizens.
3. Black money in India is a genuine concern. This is wealth that has been accumulated over
years by those with unaccounted sources of income. Unlike the poor, holders of black
money have access to various forms of wealth such as land, gold, foreign exchange, etc.
Evidence from these past attempts has shown that a large majority of this unaccounted
wealth is not stored in the form of cash. All black money is not in cash, only a tiny fraction
is. 4. The government has actually made it easier to generate such unaccounted wealth in the future by the introduction of a Rs.2,000 note. 5. It is no surprise that the logistical challenge of replacing billions of old currency notes with new ones is a monumental one. It is a huge challenge in most nations, and in a country as vast and diverse as India it was bound to be doubly so. This is also one reason why most nations that have undertaken such currency swap operations have done so over a certain time period and not as a sudden overnight operation. 6. It is heartbreaking to see and hear of millions of poor Indians standing in long lines to withdraw some money for basic sustenance. 7. The macroeconomic impact of this decision of the government is likely to be hazardous. At a time when India s trade numbers are at multi-year lows, industrial production is shrinking and job creation is anaemic, this policy can act as a negative shock to the economy. This can have ripple effects on GDP growth and job creation.
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2. Demonetisation exercise impact deflationary shock (Relevant for Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)
Demonetisation resulted sharp decline in inflation rates:
The deflationary shock has manifested itself in a deceleration in retail inflation, as demand
for a range of goods and services has been damped.
That the headline Consumer Price Index-based gauge hit a two-year low of 3.63 per cent for
November is therefore no surprise, especially given the additional factor of a favourable
base effect — the reading was 5.41 per cent in November 2015.
What is Base Effect?
The base in Base effect refers to Initial value or Base value. Base effect is used to calculate
the inflation in the present year in relation to the prices in the corresponding period of
previous year.
3. Govt. to hold lucky draws to boost digital transactions (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Luck draws to promote cashless payments
In a bid to promote cashless economy, the NITI Aayog proposed organising weekly lucky
draws for all consumers and merchants using digital modes of payments with a focus on
poor, lower middle class and small businesses .
The budget for this scheme, according to official sources, is likely to be about Rs. 125 crore.
The NITI Aayog assured that all those who have used digital payment systems after
November 8 will be eligible to participate in the scheme.
4. Discounts offered on digital transactions (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Benefits offered for digital payments
1. Digital payments for petrol and diesel at government-run petrol pumps will get a
discount of 0.75 per cent.
2. Service tax, on digital transactions of up to Rs. 2,000, would also be waived.
3. Also, those who make digital payments to buy general insurance from public sector
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companies will get a 10 per cent discount, and those buying life insurance will get an 8 per
cent discount.
4. All suburban rail travellers will get a 0.5 per cent discount on the purchase of monthly or
seasonal passes using digital payments from January 1.
5. Regional rural banks and cooperative banks would issue Rupay debit cards to all 4.32
crore farmers with kisan credit cards to enable them to make digital transactions.
6. Travellers paying for railway catering, accommodation and retiring room facilities
electronically would get a 5 per cent discount.
7. The Central government departments and central public sector undertakings will ensure
that transaction fee or MDR (merchant discount rate) charges associated with payments
through digital means shall not be passed on to the consumers and all such expenses shall
be borne by them.
5. Centre to fund digital discounts (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Centre to bear the cost of incentives given on digital payments:
The Centre has decided to bear the burden imposed on public sector firms on account of
the many discounts and incentives offered to promote digital payments.
The plan is to create a new expenditure head in the exchequer s accounts that will absorb
the costs of such measures. Public sector insurers, oil-marketing firms and others will thus
not take a hit on their books for the Centre s cashless push.
The government has offered many discounts on transaction charges and merchant discount
rates that accompany payments using cards or online last week.
More measures for encouraging the digital payments:
Apart from it, other measures were being put in place to enable a cashless transactions
ecosystem.
1. All government organisations, public sector undertakings and authorities have been
advised to review rules and regulations to support digital payments, adopt payment-
related solutions and absorb transaction fees and activate payments facility through the
Pay Gov India if they have such a facility.
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2. All geographical areas across the country have been mapped with banks/bank mitras
and dark/grey spots (where there are no banks or even banking correspondents)
identified.
3. The possibility of providing connectivity through VSAT is also being considered and
other means on a priority basis.
4. A non-tax receipt portal, bharakosh.gov.in, has been developed to enable users to make
non-tax payments to the government for 237 categories including spectrum charges, RTI
application fees, and purchase forms online, without going to either a bank or a
government office.
5. Mobile banking through interoperable automatic teller machines (ATM) has been
launched, 81,000 ATMs or 12 banks are already live and another 15,000 machines are
expected to go live shortly.
6. All 5.5 lakh fair price shops run by the government are being equipped with micro
ATMs/PoS terminals, which will enable them to undertake digital payment transactions or
even be banking correspondents.
7. A standardised, interoperable multi-purpose, multimodal National Common Mobility
card is being developed for smart cities and is ready for testing on a pilot basis.
While many of these measures had been announced by Finance Minister last week, more
formalisation of, or structures around, a cashless ecosystem seems to be taking place
within the government machinery.
6. Suspicious post demonestisation transactions under ED scanner (Question can be asked on Shell Companies in Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)
Suspicious post-demonetisation transactions running to hundreds of crores of rupees,
including online fund transfers, have come under the scanner of the Enforcement
Directorate.
In this connection, the agency has also zeroed in on a large number of shell companies in
whose accounts the funds were transferred after the deposits.
About Shell Companies
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A shell corporation is a company which serves as a vehicle for business transactions
without itself having any significant assets or operations.
Some shell companies may have had operations, but those may have shrunk due to
unfavorable market conditions or company mismanagement. A shell corporation may also
arise when a company's operations have been wound up, for example following a takeover,
but the shell of the original company continues to exist.
Shell corporations are not in themselves illegal, and they do have legitimate business
purposes. However, they are a main component of the underground economy, especially
those based in tax havens. Shell companies can also be used for tax avoidance.
About Enforcement Directorate
The Directorate General of Economic Enforcement is a law enforcement agency and
economic intelligence agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting
economic crime in India. It is part of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
The prime objective of the Enforcement Directorate is the enforcement of two key Acts of
the Government of India namely, the Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999 (FEMA) and
the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA)
7. Cap on Jan Dhan withdrawal (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
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RBI limits cash withdrawals from Jan Dhan Accounts:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to limit cash withdrawals from Jan Dhan
accounts at Rs. 10,000 per month to avoid misuse. While full KYC-compliant account
holders can withdraw Rs. 10,000 in a month, partial KYC-compliant account holders can
withdraw only Rs. 5,000.
Following the withdrawal of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 denomination currency notes, regular
account holders are allowed to withdraw Rs. 24,000 per week.
Motive behind restricting the withdrawals:
There has been a surge of deposits in Jan Dhan accounts following the withdrawal which
came into effect from the midnight of November 9.
What are Jhan Dhan Accounts?
Jan Dhan Accounts were opened by various banks under PM Jan Dhan Yojana. The accounte
were opened with the objective of enhancing financial services. The services offered were:
1. Opening of account with zero balance
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2. Minimum identification documents for opening account such as Aadhar card. 3. The scheme provide life cover of Rs. 30,000/- payable on death of the beneficiary,
subject to fulfillment of the eligibility condition. 4. After satisfactory operation of the account for 6 months, an overdraft facility will be
permitted
5. A debit card with each account.
8. 3 CMs opt out of digitisation panel(Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Only Chandrababu Naidu and Shivraj Singh Chauhan will remain members.Bihar s Nitish
Kumar, Tripura s Manik Sarkar and Puducherry s V. Narayanasamy have refused the
Narendra Modi government s invitation to join a sub-committee of Chief Ministers. Reasons for opting out: These Chief Ministers belonging to opposing party do not support government s move of demonetisation. About Digitisation Panel The panel is tasked with suggesting possible ways to ease problems in the wake of the Centre s decision to promote digitization and cashless transactions.
9. Tax on Gold (Direct question can be asked in Prelims)
Taxation of Gold would be covered under Taxation laws (Second Amendment) Bill,
2016:
The government decided that all gold jewellery will now be taxed under the Taxation Laws
(Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, passed by the Lok Sabha.
Govt. declared following categories of gold tax free:
The gold exempted from tax ranges from: 1. Gold jewellery amounting to 500 gm per married woman 2. Gold jewellery amounting to 250 gm per unmarried woman 3. Gold jewellery amounting to 100 gm per male member of a family 4. Gold jewellery received through inheritance. 5. Gold jewellery bought through disclosed income.
However, the instruction highlighted by the Finance Ministry emphasises the discretion of
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the assessing officer in such cases. The officer may decide to exclude a larger quantity of
jewellery from seizure after considering the family s status, and its custom and practices.
10. Double counting of deposits ruled out (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Bankers of apex bank denied the possibility of double counting:
Bankers and former central bank officials assert there is virtually no scope for the figures
on deposits of withdrawn high-value banknotes released by the Reserve Bank of India to be
inaccurate on account of double counting .
RBI only looks at the currency chest data and the notes that were deposited at the RBI
counters.
Background:
Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das had flagged the possibility that the Rs.12.44
lakh crore figure reported by the central bank could be higher than the actual amount of
withdrawn currency deposited with the banking system since the November 8
demonetisation announcement due to double counting.
Data verification:
Specified Bank Notes (SBNs) of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 returned to RBI and currency chests
amounted to Rs.12.44 lakh crore as of December 10, 2016, R. Gandhi, Deputy Governor of
the RBI, had said on December 13.
What are Currency chests?
To facilitate the distribution of banknotes and rupee coins, the Reserve Bank has
authorised select branches of scheduled banks to establish Currency Chests. These are
actually storehouses where banknotes and rupee coins are stocked on behalf of the Reserve
Bank.
Possibility of double counting:
The possibility that double counting may have taken place is suggested by some
economists who have said that some banks, which do not have their own currency chest,
may have deposited the withdrawn notes in a chest of another bank. This in turn could
have led to both, the bank making the deposit and the bank tallying the deposits made at
the chest, reporting the same figures separately to the central bank, they claim. There are
many banks, particularly private sector and cooperative banks that do not have their own
currency chests.
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Background:
As on November 8, the value of banknotes that ceased to be legal tender from the next day
was Rs.15.44 lakh crore, according to the government. Banks had started to accept deposits
of these notes from the public from November 10. The Centre had expected Rs.10 lakh
crore to come back into the banking system, as per the Attorney General s submission to
the Supreme Court last month.
11. Illegal exchange of old currency with new currency (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Hoarding of new currency and gold:
Investigations into the hoarding of new currency notes in the denomination of Rs.2,000
have implicated not only mining barons and contractors, but also government officials and
politicians.
Recent searches in the residence and office premises of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P. Rama
Mohana Rao (who has since been replaced) leading to the seizure of loads of cash and gold
prove to this point.
Who is behind exchange of currency?
It is now clear that in the first few days after the demonetisation announcement, when
government-imposed limits on withdrawals were in force, and people were queuing up
before banks, several unscrupulous officials of both public sector and private banks
conspired to convert demonetised notes to benefit black marketers and corrupt public
servants.
12. Ordinance to end RBI s liability (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Ordinance promulgated to remove the liabilities of RBI:
The Union Cabinet approved the promulgation of an ordinance to help extinguish the
Reserve Bank of India s liability towards currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000, which
were withdrawn on November 8.
Details:
The government had set December 31, 2016 as the deadline for depositing into banks these
currency notes.
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After that date, those still holding such notes would be able to deposit them at the RBI up to
March 31, along with an explanation as to why they failed to deposit the notes earlier.
Need of ordinance:
Under Section 26 of the RBI Act, there is an obligation of payment of legal tender by the
central bank. Now, old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 have ceased to be legal tender but the legal
obligation on RBI also needs to be relieved.
13. I-T Act change to help small firms move to e-payment (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Centre amends IT tax provisions:
The Centre will amend the Income Tax Act in Budget 2017 to reduce the rate of deemed
profit from 8 to 6 per cent for small firms with a turnover of less than Rs.2 crore who
receive their payments electronically.
Current Provisions:
Under the existing provisions of section 44AD of the Income-tax Act, 1961, in case of
certain assessees (i.e. an individual, HUF or a partnership firm other than LLP) carrying on
any business (other than transportation, agency, brokerage and commission) and having a
turnover of Rs.2 crore or less, the profit is deemed to be eight per cent of the total turnover.
There is a provision under the Income Tax Act for small business and service providers If a
business has a turnover of less than Rs.2 crore, it is not required to maintain books of
account.
In such cases, the Income Tax Department takes into account a deemed profit of eight per
cent for tax purposes. The tax is computed on this eight per cent. This change does not
apply to service providers.
Reduction is applicable on electronic transactions only:
The statement clarified that this reduction in the rate of deemed profit would apply only to
the revenue generated from electronic transactions with the rate remaining unchanged for
revenue from cash receipts. But what about people who have both cash income and
electronic income? The Department will have to apply two different percentages on these
companies.
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14. RBI sets one-time limit for big deposits of old notes (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
RBI puts limitations on depositing old currency notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has placed restrictions on deposits exceeding Rs. 5,000,
using these notes.
Explanation on record will be kept for depositing old currency notes:
In a circular issued, the central bank said that individuals can deposit the old Rs. 500 and
Rs. 1,000 denomination currency notes, totalling more than Rs. 5,000 only once till
December 30 and that too, if they provided satisfactory reasons as to why these deposits
had not been made earlier.
Even if the value of a single deposit totalled less than Rs. 5,000, and the tenderer had
cumulatively exceeded Rs. 5,000 in multiple deposits, they would be subjected to the same
procedure, the RBI said.
The RBI said the explanation provided by the depositor should be kept on record to
facilitate an audit trail at a later stage. Banks have been asked to flag the deposits in their
systems so that no more deposits were allowed for that account.
Deposit limit for non KYC compliant:
The banking regulator has also clarified that for accounts that are not fully KYC-compliant,
the value of deposits using such notes would be restricted to Rs. 50,000. Any amount of old
currency can be deposited into KYC- compliant account with explanations. Statistics of total deposits received till date: According to the latest RBI data, Rs. 12.44 lakh crore of old notes had been deposited back into the banking system, as of December 10. The total value of the old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes in circulation, as on November 8, was Rs. 15.44 lakh crore.
15. Banks asked to lower charges on digital transactions above Rs. 1,000(Question can be asked on IMPS and NEFT)
Govt. directed the banking sector to reduce the transaction fee for digital payments:
In order to further promote digital and card payments, government has issued a direction
in public interest to all public sector banks, in accordance with which these banks shall not
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charge fees for transactions settled on Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) in excess of rates charged for National Electronic Funds Transfer
(NEFT) for transactions above Rs 1,000, with service tax being charged at actuals up to
March 31, 2017.
What is IMPS?
Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) is an instant interbank electronic fund transfer service
through mobile phones. It is also being extended through other channels such as ATM,
Internet Banking, etc.
What is NEFT?
National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) is one of the most prominent electronic funds
transfer system of India. Started in November 2005, NEFT is a facility provided to bank
customers to enable them to transfer funds easily and securely on a one-to-one basis. It is
done via electronic messages.
16. Protests hit Venezuela following demonetisation (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Cash crunch sparked social unrest in Venezuela post demonetisation:
Venezuela became a country mostly without cash, sparking scattered protests and looting
around the country as people fumed at having their already limited purchasing power cut
off almost entirely.
Background:
President Nicolas Maduro had made a surprise announcement that the 100-bolivar note
would go out of circulation by the week s end amid the world s highest inflation.
17. Less demand for Bandwidth for growth (Relevant for GS mains Paper III)
Disappointing recent auction of telecom spectrum:
The recent auction of 2350 megahertz of telecom spectrum was disappointing. Only seven
out of 11 telecom players in India participated, and there were takers for just around 40
per cent of the prized radio frequency band on offer. In fact, four operators will fork out 90
per cent of the Centre s receipts from this auction, around Rs.66,000 crore, half of which
will accrue to the exchequer this fiscal. That translates into a 43 per cent shortfall from the
Budget estimates from spectrum sales for this year.
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Argument by Government:
The official argument is that the poor response is a function of the high indebtedness
(nearly Rs.400,000 crore at last count) of India s telcos.
View of Telcos:
Telcos cite the high base price set by the government, pegging the potential value of the
spectrum at Rs.560,000 crore. Any operator looking to build a national network using the
most efficient spectrum on offer in the 700 MHz band would need over Rs.57,000 crore.
Burden on bandwith:
In many areas, networks that should operate at 65 per cent capacity are working at 95 per
cent due to high congestion, leading to poor voice services, as the telecom regulator, R.S.
Sharma, noted recently.
The focus of the existing telcos strategy for this auction has been to acquire enough
spectrum to bolster 4G data services in urban markets, where they expect tough
competition from the new player, Reliance Jio.
Lessons for future:
This could have a bearing on the quality of connectivity and the reach of several of the
government s ambitious programmes, from Digital India to direct benefit transfer.
18. State of implementation of NFSA (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II and III)
State of implementation:
The euphoria around the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, seems to have
dwindled. As per the statements by Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan, the Act was to be fully implemented across India by July
2016.
As of now, only five States have fully executed it as per the provisions of the Central Act and
the progress in other States has been tardy. The front runners are Punjab, Haryana,
Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
The Act has been partially implemented in Bihar, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.
Results expected from act:
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The Act, if fully implemented, is likely to benefit 720 million people through availability of 5
kg per capita per month of subsidised foodgrains (rice, wheat and coarse cereals) at a much
lower rate than that in the open market. This would ensure food security and enhance
nutritional status.
Provisions of National Food Security Act, 2013 i) The act covers 67% of total population and recognizes the legal right of the population
for food. Out of 67% of total population, 75% will be identified from rural areas and
50% form urban areas.
ii) The actual beneficiaries will be identified by respective state governments.
iii) The beneficiaries will be entitled to rice, wheat and coarse cereals at rate of Rs. 3, 2 and
1 respectively per kg subject to 5 kg per person and 25 kg for one household. State
government can provide additional items and more subsidies in accordance with their
own will.
iv) The Act requires Public Distribution System reforms such as use of Aadhar cards for
identification of beneficiaries, computerization of PDS system, etc.
v) To improve the status of women, the act requires replacement of existing ration cards
with new ration cards in the name of adult woman of the household.
Reason for non-implementation of the act
The act has not been implemented because state governments have not been able to
identify the beneficiaries (75% population in rural areas and 50% population in urban
areas.)
19. Sagarmala Project (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II and III)
Sagarmala project is an initiative of the Government of India to transform the existing
Ports into modern world class Ports and integrate the development of the Ports, the
Industrial clusters and hinterland and efficient evacuation systems through road, rail,
inland and coastal waterways resulting in Ports becoming the drivers of economic activity
in coastal areas.
Background
InMarch 2015 Cabinet gave approval for this project to develop 12 ports of India.
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The programme aims to promote port-led development in the country by harnessing
India's 7,500-km long coastline, 14,500-km of potentially navigable waterways and
strategic location on key international maritime trade routes.
The Sagarmala Development Company was given the nod for incorporation by Indian
Cabinet in July 2016 with an initial authorized share capital of Rs 1000 Crore to give a push
to port-led development.
Six megaports are planned in Sagarmala project.
State Place
Kerala Vizhinjam
Tamil Nadu Colachel
Maharashtra Vadhavan(near Dahanu)
Karnataka Tadadi
Andhra Pradesh Machilipatnam
West Bengal Sagar Island
20. Reserve Bank holds rates, cuts growth forecast (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)
Repo rate unchanged
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept the policy repo rate unchanged at 6.25 per cent.
View of MPC
The MPC was of the view, that given a reduction of 25 basis points in October, which
cumulated to a reduction of 175 basis points since January 2015 — a further reduction in
the policy rate is not required. All six members of the committee voted to hold rates.
Reason for not reducing interest rates
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International factors such as increase in crude prices, rise of interest rates in US and along
with continued firmness in the prices of some food items posed risks to the central bank s
inflation outlook.
Withdrawl of CRR increase
There was some relief for banks. The RBI announced that with effect from the fortnight
starting December 10 it was withdrawing the incremental 100 per cent cash reserve ratio
requirement it had imposed last month on deposits received post-demonetisation.
Economic growth status
The central bank s monetary policy committee also pared its projection for Gross Value
Added (GVA) growth in the fiscal year ending March 2017 to 7.1 per cent, from 7.6 per cent,
in the wake of an unexpected loss of momentum in the second quarter and on account of
the effects of the withdrawal of high-denomination banknotes, which was still playing
out.
What is GVA?
Gross value added is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area,
industry or sector of an economy, in economics. Gross domestic Product – Indirect Taxes +
Subsidies = Gross Value Added
How do rise in interest rates in US can cause inflation?
Expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will resume its normalisation of policy by raising
interest rates on December 14 have combined with a homeward-bound flight of capital
from emerging markets in the wake of Donald Trump s win in the presidential election to
buoy the dollar at the expense of other currencies. The rupee has not been spared, forcing
the RBI to intermittently intervene to reduce volatility. Given that the exchange rate has the
potential to exert upward inflationary pressure as a bulk of the country s commodity
imports, including crude oil, are largely paid for in dollars, the RBI had little choice but to
ensure that at least interest rates don t end up being another alibi for capital outflows.
21. Allegation of attempt to extend Test Data Exclusivity norms (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II on concept of data exclusivity)
Backdoor extension of Data exclusivity
In a scathing letter to the Government of India, the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA)
took issue with what it considered to be a backdoor extension for data exclusivity norms in
the country.
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It pointed to the recent government proposal to change the four-year time limit for State-
level drug regulatory approvals to 10 years, arguing that this effectively results in a long
and damaging data exclusivity.
What is Test Data exclusivity?
Test Data exclusivity is a kind of intellectual property protection wherein clinical trial and
other data submitted by an originator drug company cannot be used or relied upon by a
drug regulatory authority to approve a generic version of that drug for a certain period of
time.
The notion is that without such protection, the originator company lacks the necessary
commercial incentive to conduct expensive trials and take a potential drug to the market.
Blocking generic entry for some years will, the theory goes, help drug companies invest in
clinical trials.
Need to reduce Data exclusivity norms
India has long resisted U.S. and EU pressure to institute data exclusivity norms, seeing it as
a barrier to generic entry and more affordable drug prices.
Present provisions
Under the Act as it stands now, a new drug continues to remain new even after it has
been approved once by the Central regulator (Drugs Controller General of India, or DGCI)
upon submission of local clinical trial data establishing safety and efficacy in India.
However, it loses newness after four years, which means a drug manufacturer can short-
circuit the process and go directly to a State regulatory authority and procure drug
approval. It is this four-year period that is now sought to be enhanced to 10 years, an
extension that the IPA argues constitutes an enhancement of data exclusivity norms in
favour of large pharma companies, particularly MNCs.
Whether it really constitutes Data exclusivity
This depends in large part on the kind of data that generic companies have to submit in
order to gain approval for their follow-on drugs. If they are forced to submit the same kind
of clinical trial data that originators have submitted to the regulatory authority, then this
does amount to data exclusivity.
For almost all generics will simply wait for the term (four years) to expire rather than
undertake the expensive process of generating clinical trial data afresh. It is for this reason
that world over, generic drugs are approved upon a simple showing of bio-equivalence:
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that the claimed molecule is the same as the one already approved. And therefore, there is
no sense in having the generic applicant repeat all clinical trials afresh.
Unfortunately, our Act is not very clear on the kind of studies/data that a generic applicant
is meant to submit.
22. Evaluation of waiving off the import duty from wheat (Question can be asked in GS Mains Paper III)
Centre's decision to waive off import duty from wheat attracts criticism:
The Centre s decision to waive import duty on wheat has predictably attracted a strong
criticism. Opposition parties have questioned the move, which comes days after the
government s assertion that demonetisation of high-value currency notes did not impact
the sowing of the rabi crop, with a greater area being cultivated compared to the same time
a year ago.
Potential impact of waiving the import duty:
Dumping of wheat stock in India at a time when the minimum support price (Rs.1,625 a
quintal) is higher than international prices.
Farmer s Viewpoint:
Farmers argue, this could lead to distress sales when the current crop is harvested over
March-April.
Govt. s Viewpoint:
The government, on its part, has noted concerns about the warmer winter forecast, which
could affect wheat output and trigger inflation. This February, when prices of food articles
that make up 46 per cent of the consumer price index were cooling off, the government
expected the trend to continue if the monsoon was normal after two years of drought.
Now at year-end, following a normal monsoon, inflation remains under control but wheat
prices have been moving up swiftly.
Frequent changes in import duty rates:
There is no doubt that fiddling too often with wheat import duties — from 10 per cent to
25 per cent, then back to 10 per cent and finally to zero, all within 500 days — sends mixed
signals to farmers and traders, though the latter group will be pleased with the duty-free
regime. But equally, it is necessary to change one s mind when the situation so demands,
which it currently does.
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23. India – ASEAN trade levels (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper II and III)
Future trade targets between India-ASEAN:
India, ASEAN set target of $100 billion trade to be achieved by 2020.
Current trade:
Currently the trade between ASEAN and India is 57 billion dollars. ASEAN and India will
celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2017.
What is ASEAN?
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional grouping that promotes
economic, political, and security cooperation among its ten members: Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
24. Rupee slips after Fed s decision (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)
Fed rate hike resulted into rupee depreciation:
The rupee weakened against the U.S. dollar after the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark
interest rate, in a widely anticipated move, by 25 basis points. The Indian currency slid 40
paise to close at 67.83 per dollar.
How the FED rate hike influence the value of domestic currency:
The increased Fed rate would enable the investors to fetch high returns from the
investment made in US, causing the flight of investment from India to US. Further,
withdrawl of foreign investment from India would generate the demand of dollar and
supply of rupee and would lead to appreciation of dollar and depreciation of rupee.
What is federal Reserve?
Federal Reserve or simply the Fed) is the central bank of the United States like Reserve
Bank in India.
25. RBI opposes proposal to set up separate payments regulator (Question can be asked in GS Mains III)
RBI opposition to Payment Regulator
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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has opposed a move to establish a separate entity to
regulate payments and settlements, a function that is currently under the central bank s
purview.
Background
In September, the Centre had set up a 11-member committee on Digital Payments headed
by Finance Secretary Ratan Watal. The panel was to have laid out a roadmap for digital
payments, which at present stand at 20 per cent of all transactions. A key goal is to halve
India s cash-to-GDP ratio to six per cent.
Recommendations of the committee
The committee had suggested that a separate board for retail payments PRB (Payments
Regulatory Board) to be set up as an independent body. The report comes at a time when
the Centre is pushing to boost digital payments in the wake of the withdrawal of high-value
currency notes. Opposition by RBI on following grounds The global experience has been that the retail payment systems are under the central bank for a variety of reasons including the role of the central bank as the lender of last resort.
26. Taxman can scrutinise political parties accounts, says Centre (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Political parties are also in the ambit of scrutiny, clarified Centre:
The Ministry of Finance sought to clarify that deposits of demonetised high-value currency
notes into political parties bank accounts could also be subjected to scrutiny under the
Income Tax law.
Reason behind the rumour of political party being exempted from the scrutiny:
The inference seems to have been drawn because of the fact that the income of the political
parties is exempt from Income Tax under Section 13A.
Details:
1. The ministry has said that accounts of each party have to be audited by a chartered
accountant and parties have to submit a report to the Election Commission about the
donations received within a prescribed time frame.
2. The exemption from Income Tax is given to only registered political parties subject to
conditions which includes keeping and maintaining books of accounts and other
documents as would enable the Assessing Officer to deduce its income.
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3. In respect of each voluntary contribution in excess of Rs.20,000, the political party will
have to maintain a record of such contributions along with the name and address of such
person who has made such contribution.
What does Article 13A of Income Tax Act state?
Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 grants exemption from tax to political parties in
respect of their income. This income could be from house property, other sources, capital
gains and income by way of voluntary contributions received from any person.
These categories of income qualify for exemption without any monetary or other limit and
the income so exempted would not even be included in the total income of the political
party for the purpose of assessment.
27. Interview of Secretary IT, reviewing legal framework for securing digital payments (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
What are the areas you have identified as crucial to push the transition towards
more digital payments?
The focus is on four things. First is to review the legal framework for digital payments and
cybersecurity, and see whether there is anything that we need to do. There are some areas
where we need to work, so we are comprehensively reviewing that.
The second area is new technologies that are coming up. We need to encourage these
because unless technology is very easy to use and very convenient, it is difficult for people
to go cashless. We are looking at near field communications (NFC), embedded iris- and
biometrics-enabled smartphones, USSD-enabled mobile banking. A lot of start-ups are also
coming up with applications using these technologies. We are trying to see which of those
can be suitable.
The third area is using our own CSC (common service centre) network for getting one crore
citizens enrolled into digital payments.
And the last is to create awareness — through the TV channel that we have launched
(DigiShala) and a knowledge repository website, where all information on digital payments
can be found.
Is there any proposal to allow interoperability of mobile wallets?
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The committee of Chief Ministers, chaired by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu
Naidu, has discussed this with the Reserve Bank of India and the decision was that, for the
time being, we will allow interoperability of bank-backed mobile wallets. Currently, there
are three types of mobile wallets — given by banks, given by telecom players such as Airtel
Money and Jio Money, and players like Paytm. In the first stage, it has been decided to make
the banks wallets interoperable.
28. Easy regulations for taxi and other transportation companies (Topic to be read only for understanding, No direct question can be asked)
Decision of Union Government to boost sharing of vehicles:
To encourage cheaper travel solutions, reduce the number of cars on the road, Union
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have been given the green light sharing of seats
b to taxi and bike companies.
The States had been asked to place an appropriate cap on the duty hours of drivers for road
safety and labour law protection.
Background:
The seven-member committee under the Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways, set up in May 2016 to review the existing regulatory framework for taxis and
other passenger vehicles, has recommended the following provisions.
Therecommendations have been accepted by Union Government.
1. Steps to encourage new forms of urban mobility like bike-sharing and e-rickshaws to
create reliable alternatives to car ownership and to offer last mile connectivity.
2. The panel viewed the taxi permit regime as being highly onerous, and one that limits
the growth of the taxi and shared mobility industry.
3. The states have now been asked to facilitate grant of permits for City Taxi and All India
Tourist Taxi Permits (AITP) without any restriction on numbers.
4. To reduce delays and to embrace digital technology, online permits have been
recommended. The committee has recommended online conversion of personal vehicles to
commercial taxis where they comply with the rules, on payment of requisite charges. This
is to facilitate use of idle assets.
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29. EPF rate slashed to seven-year low (Direct question can be asked in Prelims)
EPF interest rates reduced:
The Central Board of Trustees of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
reduced the interest rate payable on their PF savings for this financial year to 8.65 per cent,
as against 8.8 per cent in 2015-16. This is the lowest return on EPF savings in the last seven
years.
Rationale behind lowering the interest rate:
1. The decision to recommend this interest rate was made keeping in mind the overall
economic scenario where interest rates are coming down.
2. Even at 8.65 percent, EPF will deliver better returns than other savings instruments such
as Public Provident Fund, GPF and post office term deposit schemes.
30. Japan drags India to WTO against steps on iron, steel imports (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)
Japan took steel imports issue to WTO:
Japan has dragged India to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against certain measures
taken by New Delhi on imports of iron and steel products.
Background:
India and Japan implemented a comprehensive free trade agreement in 2011. It gave easy
access to Japan in the Indian steel market. Indian industry has time and again demanded to
take out the steel sector from the pact. But it can happen only after both the sides agree to
do the same.
The bilateral trade between the countries stood at $14.51 billion in 2015-16. Trade is
highly in favour of Japan. India has imposed minimum import price (MIP) on imports of
certain iron and steel products. The government extended MIP on 19 products till February
4, 2017.
India s Viewpoint:
According to the commerce ministry sources, WTO-compliant measures like anti-dumping
duty should be used to overcome the issue of cheap imports of commodities.
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India has imposed MIP as growing imports from steel surplus countries like China, Japan
and Korea with predatory prices have been a major concern for the domestic industry since
September 2014.
WTO s Dispute Settlement Process:
1. As per the WTO s dispute settlement process, the request for consultations is the first
step in a dispute.
2. After 60 days, if consultations fail to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request
adjudication by a panel.
What is Minimum import price?
MIP (Minimum Import Price) is the minimum price per tonne that Indian firms have to pay
while importing products into India.
For instance, The Govt. of India on February 5, 2016 had imposed the MIP on steel ranging
from $341 to $752 per tonne on 173 steel products. This can be seen as government's
policy of promoting domestic growth of steel manufacturing industry and restricting and
reducing dependence on externally manufactured steel products. (Without MIP, Indian
importers would be able to import more steel since internationally the cost of steel is low
owing to slow economic growth worldwide.) However WTO (World Trade Organisation) is
not happy with such measures which restrict international trade.
31. Thorough analysis of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II and III)
Several NGO s licence called off under FCRA:
In early November, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs rejected the licence renewal
applications, under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA), of 25 non-
governmental organisations (NGO).
That means these NGOs can no longer receive funds from foreign donors. Many of the
affected organisations were rights-based advocacy groups, with some involved in human
rights work.
Govt. s defence to this move:
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The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has defended its action by claiming
that these organisations had violated FCRA norms by engaging in activities detrimental to
public interest.
Criticism:
Civil society members have issued statements condemning the move, charging the
government with abuse of legal procedures .
Earlier instance of rejection of licences:
In 2015, the Home Ministry had cancelled the FCRA licences of 10,000 organisations.
Prominent international funding agency Ford Foundation, the environmentalist group
Greenpeace, and human rights advocacy group Lawyers Collective have all been targets of
FCRA-linked curbs on their activity, suggesting a larger pattern in the way the state has
used this law.
The origins of the FCRA:
The original Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act was enacted in 1976 by the Indira
Gandhi-led government during the Emergency. It prohibits electoral candidates, political
parties, judges, MPs and even cartoonists from accepting foreign contributions. As the
inclusion of cartoonists under its ambit suggests, the intent was to clamp down on
political dissent.
Rationale behind the act
The ostensible justification given for the law was to curb foreign interference in domestic
politics. The FCRA was aimed at preventing political parties from accepting contributions
from foreign sources.
Foreign funding permitted in economy after 1991
India embraced foreign funding by opening up the economy in 1991. With the state wooing
foreign investment, Indian businesses, too, helped themselves to foreign funds. And so did
our political parties, despite the FCRA, 1976, expressly prohibiting them from accepting
money from foreign sources .
Political Parties amending FCRA to suit their convenience:
Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress were pulled up by the Delhi High
Court in 2014 for violating the FCRA by accepting contributions from the Indian
subsidiaries of the London-based multinational, Vedanta.
It ordered the government and the Election Commission to take action against both the
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parties. The BJP-led NDA government did not take action against the BJP. Nor did it do so
against the Congress, which, as the leading Opposition party, did not think it appropriate to
protest this flagrant flouting of a judicial directive.
Instead, earlier this year, the government quietly introduced a clause in the Finance Bill
that amended the relevant section of the FCRA, 2010, so that what was hitherto a foreign
company now became an Indian company. This amendment was introduced with
retrospective effect — a brazen attempt to legitimise the FCRA violations of the two parties.
This amendment has also opened the doors for all political parties to accept funding from
foreign companies, so long as it is channelled through an Indian subsidiary.
FCRA, 2010
It may be pertinent to point out here that it was the Congress, under the stewardship of
Manmohan Singh that replaced the original FCRA, 1976, with a more draconian version in
2010. But why the new law? To answer that question, we need to consider the differences
between the two legislations.
The new FCRA/ Major changes between the old and the new version of FCRA:
Human rights activist draws attention to three changes that render the new Act more
stringent than the old one.
1. Firstly, FCRA registration under the earlier law was permanent, but under the new one,
it expired after five years, and had to be renewed afresh. This instantly hands the state a
whip with which to bring errant organisations to heel.
One may recall that earlier this year, 11,319 NGOs lost their FCRA licences without the
government having to either examine their records or suspend their registrations
individually — their licences simply expired as the deadline for renewal passed.
2. Second, the new law put a restriction (50 per cent) on the proportion of foreign funds
that could be used for administrative expenses, thereby allowing the government to control
how a civil society organisation (CSO) spends its money.
3. The third and most important distinction is that while the 1976 law was primarily
aimed at political parties, the new law set the stage for shifting the focus to organisations
of a non-political nature .
The FCRA Rules, 2011, framed by the United Progressive Alliance government, has served
the NDA well as a manual on how to target inconvenient NGOs, especially those working on
governance accountability.
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Double standards of FCRA favouring Political Parties and Businesses
Put simply, a political class that has no qualms taking money from foreign sources, that
amended the FCRA to let itself off the hook for past violations, that opened the doors for all
political parties to accept foreign funding, that paved the way for Indian businesses to
access foreign capital, is now anxious to prevent CSOs from accessing foreign funds because
some of them question its policies in a democratic battle to protect constitutional rights
and entitlements.
International Criticism:
Last April, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and
of Association undertook a legal analysis of the FCRA, 2010. He submitted a note to the
Indian government which stated unambiguously that the FCRA provisions and rules are
not in conformity with international law, principles and standards .
32. What is Rose Valley Group Scam? (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II and III)
According to reports, Rose Valley chit fund scam amounts to almost Rs 60,000 crore. The
scam is believed to be the biggest ponzi fraud in India and the scam itself is at least three
times bigger than Saradha scam.
Making of a scam
- Rose Valley, as per the ED estimates reportedly collected money from depositors across
India, especially West Bengal, Assam and Bihar
- In March 2015, the ED arrested group s chairman Gautam Kundu.
- Huge amounts were allegedly siphoned off and transferred to other accounts
- ED is certain a major portion of the money was used to bribe politicians for smooth
running of the ponzi chain.
- Rose Valley hotels & entertainment reportedly owns nearly 23 properties across India
- In addition, all the 2,600 bank accounts of the company, which together hold cash
balances of Rs 800-1,000 crore, have been frozen by the government
- There are as many as 30 companies under the Rose Valley banner on paper, which
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includes companies such as Rose Valley Airlines, Rose Valley Microfinance, Rose Valley
Fashion, Rose Valley Consultancy, Rose Valley Beverages, Rose Valley Infotech and Rose
Valley Housing Finance, says a news report
What is Ponzi Scheme?
A Ponzi scheme also a Ponzi game is a fraudulent investment operation where the operator,
an individual or organization, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to the
operators by new investors, rather than from profit earned through legitimate sources.
Operators of Ponzi schemes usually entice new investors by offering higher returns than
other investments, in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or
unusually consistent.
Trinamool MP held in chit fund scam
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and actor-turned-politician Tapas Paul was arrested by the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Rose Valley Group chit fund
scam case.
33. Amendments in DTAA to control Round Tripping (Relevant for GS Prelims and Mains Paper II and III)
India secured amendments to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with
Singapore, effectively closing one route of laundering domestic black money by round-
tripping it from countries like Mauritius, Cyprus and Singapore.
The Centre got the DTAA amended with Mauritius in May and since the Singapore tax
treaty was based on the same terms as Mauritius, efforts were afoot to re-negotiate the
pact with Singapore. A similar treaty with Cyprus was amended in November.
How the amendments will control Round Tripping?
There was a reasonable apprehension that these agreements were being misused for
round-tripping domestic black money, organising its flight outside the country and
bringing it back into the country through these three routes.
The tax exemptions for investors under the existing agreement will be discontinued from
April 1, 2017. Investments made before March 31, 2017, will be grandfathered, and after
that, for two years, the capital gains will be shared half and half between the country of
residence of investor and India. Post-2019, the entire capital gains becomes exclusive to
India.
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A significant apprehension about these pacts was the complete exemption of taxes on
capital gains that investors could utilise in the name of double tax avoidance as these three
countries had no capital gains taxes. So the beneficiary would not pay any capital gains tax
in India on the ground that the Singapore taxation rules would be applicable to them and
there was no capital gains in those jurisdictions.
What is Round Tripping?
The term round-tripping is self-explanatory. It denotes a trip where a person or thing
returns to the place from where the journey began. In the context of black money, it leaves
the country through various channels such as inflated invoices, payments to shell
companies overseas, the hawala route and so on. After cooling its heels overseas for a
while, this money returns in a freshly laundered form; thus completing a round-trip.
This route is far from simple or straightforward. Those indulging in this game are past
masters who make the money flow through multiple layers consisting of many entities and
companies.
34. PM Narendra Modi launches UPI based mobile payment app called BHIM (Question can be asked in Prelims)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched UPI based mobile payment application called
BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money).i, The app is rebranded version of UPI (Unified Payment
Interface) for simpler digital payments without cash.
Key Facts
1. BHIM is Aadhaar-based payments app developed by the National Payment Corporation
of India (NPCI).
2. The app allows easily transferring money or making a payment from your bank account
using only phone number.
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Environment
1. Notify plan for health emergency in Delhi-NCR: SC (Direct question can be asked on pollution levels
Order of SC:
The Supreme Court ordered the government to urgently notify a graded response action
plan to combat a new and heightened level of air pollution called health emergency in
Delhi and the National Capital Region.
Details of the order:
A health emergency will be declared if the air quality worsens five times the standard.
This would invite blanket ban on constructions, entry of trucks and imposition of odd-even
scheme in Delhi-NCR.
Background:
The new plan was framed after the Supreme Court raised questions about the authorities
preparedness to combat levels of air pollution when the entire city will be shut down and
human lives are threatened . A Bench pointed to how Beijing and Singapore were shut
down due to air pollution reaching life-threatening proportions.
The Supreme Court-approved plan drafted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
in consultation with noted environmentalist Sunita Narain.
Need of the plan
The plan urges to kick-start necessary preparations so that the response plan is in place at
least four weeks in advance of the anticipated critical pollution days ahead. This almost-
lethal level of pollution is reached when the air quality worsens beyond the severe
category. As of now, air pollution is graded from moderate to poor , very poor , and lastly,
severe .
While the worst category according to air quality index is severe at 250 microgram per
cubic metre at PM 2.5 and 401 microgram per cubic metre at PM10, the threshold for this
category health emergency will be 300 microgram per cubic metre for PM 2.5 and 500
microgram per cubic metre for PM10, which are five times the standard.
A health emergency will be declared if the air quality worsens five times the standard. What is the normal level of pollution?
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Normal level is 60 microgram per cubic metre for PM 2.5. Normal Level is 100 microgram per cubic metre for PM 10.
2. State of Environment refugees (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III)
Who are environmental refugees?
An increasing number of people globally are facing displacement due to droughts, famines,
rising sea levels and other natural disasters caused by climate change. This class of
migrants has been labelled as environmental refugees in popular literature.
Number of Enviromental Refugees
According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, an international body reviewing
trends of internal displacement, an estimated 24 million people are being displaced
annually by natural disasters since 2008.
No protection to Environmental Refugees
The UN Refugee Convention (1951) grants certain rights to people fleeing persecution
because of race, religion, nationality, affiliation to a particular social group, or political
opinion. The rights they are entitled to follow principles of non-discrimination, non-
penalisation, and non-refoulement. However, people migrating due to environmental
disasters have no such recognition of their refugee status in international law, leaving
them without any basic rights of rehabilitation and compensation.
Failure on part of Paris Agreement to recognise environmental Refugees
The Paris Agreement presented a unique opportunity to set the record straight by
addressing the challenge of increasing environmental refugees. Before the negotiations
commenced, numerous demands were made to incorporate ways to tackle climate
migration in the final agreement. However, the Paris Agreement falls considerably short of
these expectations.
3. 2016 set to be hottest year on record (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)
State of Global warming
The world is likely to cross 1.2°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels in 2016,
coming dangerously close to breaching the 1.5°C warming level, which is an ambitious
target to stay safe from the worst impacts of climate change.
Report of WMO
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In a preliminary assessment provided by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in
its Status of the Global Climate in 2016 report, the global UN weather agency warned that
2016 will be the hottest year on record, with global temperatures even higher than what
2015 experienced.
Global temperatures for January to September 2016 have been about 0.88°C above the
average (14°C) for the 1961-1990 reference period, which WMO uses as a baseline.
4. Friends of fish oppose subsidies for IUU fishing (Relevant for GS Prelims)
Friends of Fish is seeking a ban on subsidies for IUU fishing
India has notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the subsidies it pays fisherfolk
amid demands from a U.S.-led group of nations for a ban on subsidies given for illegal,
unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.
Stand of India
The move comes even as India has expressed concern over committing to norms at the
WTO l level that will impact the livelihood of its subsistence fisherfolk.
The filing to the WTO Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM), shows
fishery subsidy schemes at the Central-, state- and union territory-levels provided for
subsidies worth Rs.284 crore in 2014-15, and they mainly aim to protect and secure the
livelihood of traditional and poor fishing communities.
India, among others, has expressed apprehensions that the demand for a ban on subsidies
for IUU fishing could lead to prohibition even on fishing that could be termed non-IUU. This
could, in turn, harm the interests of lakhs of subsistence fisherfolk in poor and developing
nations.
Ban sought on Unsustainable fishing
The U.S.-led group, Friends of Fish , is seeking a ban on subsidies given for IUU fishing,
citing the rising global demand for fish and the consequent increase in unsustainable
fishing.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's State of World Fisheries and
Aquaculture , almost a third of commercial fish stocks are now fished at biologically
unsustainable levels, triple the level of 1974.
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The demands of the Friends of Fish grouping include ensuring a ban on subsidies,
including that on fuel, which cut operating costs.
No concrete definition of IUU
This is because currently there is no unanimity among WTO members on what constitutes
IUU fishing.
5. Cancel illegal salt pans in Sambhar Lake: NGT (Question can be asked in Prelims on Salt pans, Relevant for GS Mains Paper III as well)
Direction of NGT
The central zonal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Rajasthan
government to cancel allotments of salt pans in the Sambhar Salt Lake that fall within the
wetland and run contrary to the mandate of Wetland Rules, 2010.
Illegal brine extraction
The illegal business of brine (water strongly impregnated with salt) extraction in the
Sambhar Lake was first highlighted in the fact-finding report in 2010. The report had
mentioned that 15-20 borewells were operating in every bigha of land during that period
and over exploitation of water resources had lowered the groundwater level by almost 60
metres in the area.
While Sambhar Salts Ltd (SSL), a government venture, which has over 90 square miles at
Sambhar and Nawa, produces two lakh tonnes of salt per annum, private companies
together make around 20 lakh tonnes a year.
What are salt pans?
Salt evaporation ponds, also called salterns or salt pans, are shallow artificial ponds
designed to extract salts from sea water or other brines. The seawater or brine is fed into
large ponds and water is drawn out through natural evaporation which allows the salt to be
subsequently harvested.
6. Stay out of laddu kitchen, TTD tells food inspectors (Question can be asked on Provisions of FSS act in Prelims)
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which makes the famed Tirupati Laddu , is
faced with a demand to get it certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI).
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Stand of TTD
The TTD is not open to the idea of inspectors walking into its kitchens, and the laddu
being treated as food under law. It has denied permission for an inspection, on the ground
that the potu where the laddus are made is an auspicious place to which outsiders are
not admitted.
Stand of FSSAI
The FSSAI has asked the Devasthanam to obtain a food safety licence like any other Food
Business Operator.
Whether Laddu are within the pruview of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
Director, Food Safety Management System (FSMS) said that the laddu is food as defined
under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The applicability of the Act is not affected whether the food is purchased or distributed free
of cost. TTD therefore has to obtain a licence and fulfil all responsibilities of the FSS Act.It is
alleged that the laddus were made in an unhygienic manner.
The deficiencies are noticed at every stage, including manufacture, storage, distribution
and sale. Materials such as bolts, nuts, key chains and gutka covers have been found in the
laddus.
About FSS Act provisions
1. The FSS Act states that only those with clean clothes and without infections shall be
involved in the manufacture and packing of food items.
2. Regular reports on the health condition of the cooks should be submitted and a fitness
certificate obtained.
3. The packaging should carry details of ingredients and date of manufacture and expiry.
View of TTD
TTD officer had claimed the laddus could not be defined as food as they are holy and
pilgrims were not consumers.
7. Change in Real estate environmental impact assessment norms (Chances of question being asked are less)
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States given more autonomy
Buildings and real estate projects, between 20,000 and 300,000 sq. metres, will no longer
need to be assessed for their environmental impact by the Centre. Projects beyond 300,000
sq. metres will be assessed by centre.
From now on, States can integrate the clearance process of such projects into their building
by-laws to streamline environmental clearance to a significant chunk of building projects.
Projects kept for self declaration
While areas less than 20,000 sq metres only need a self-declaration, those between 5,000
to 20,000 sq. metres need to follow environmental norms during construction and
maintenance phase.
Qualified Building Environment Auditors
A new category of consultants, called Qualified Building Environment Auditors,
empanelled by the Union environment ministry, would assess and certify building projects.
Environmental Cell
Local authorities would now have to compulsorily constitute an Environmental Cell to
support appraisal, compliance and monitoring of building projects.
Criteria for evaluation
Projects would be evaluated on their energy use, especially renewable energy sources,
waste water management, waste segregation and tree plantation and maintenance.
8. National Wildlife action plan (Direct question expected in Prelims and mains paper III)
National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031:
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEFCC) had come up with a
draft third National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031. The draft contains detailed
recommendations to be followed in the protected areas. Once approved, this plan will
replace the second National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016). The first and second
National Wildlife Action Plans were adopted in 1983 and 2002 respectively.
Salient Features
The key areas of focus of this plan is 17, which includes integration of climate change into
wildlife planning, conservation of coastal and marine ecosystem, mitigation of human-
wildlife conflict, focus on wildlife health among others.
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1. Wildlife conservation:
The draft plan places special emphasis on rehabilitation of threatened species along with
conserving their habitats like inland aquatic, coastal and marine ecosystems. Protection of
protected areas includes ban on certain activities, regulation on tourism and law
enforcement.
2. Ban on certain activities:
Mining and big irrigation projects would not be permitted in protected areas and wildlife
corridors. The plan asks the environment ministry to work with Ministry of Steel to bar
mining activities in Protected Areas and wildlife corridors.
Further, it wants proper rehabilitation of degraded and abandoned mining areas. It has
classified sand mining as a highly destructive activity in which many stakeholders are
involved including politicians. It wants Ministry of water resources to opt for minor
irrigation projects instead of big irrigation projects in the protected areas. It has favoured
the use of water harvesting units like ponds, check-dams, wells etc.
3. Tourism:
While the plan encourages tourism in wild life areas, it wants restrictions to be placed on
the number of tourists and vehicles entering inside a protected area. It provides for the
strict monitoring and regulation of the tourism activities. In case of any conflict between
tourism and conservation interests of Protected Areas, the plan categorically favours the
conservation interests of Protected Areas. It wants to add emphasis on tourism facilities
which are sustainable, eco-friendly, clean and wholesome and moderately priced rather
than lavish five star facilities.
4. Law enforcement:
The draft calls for setting up of new regional forensic laboratories, a special Tiger
protection force, special courts to deal with wildlife crimes such as poaching and
smuggling. It has observed that the investigation of wildlife crime still lags behind despite
the establishment of the National Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and has called for the
capacity building of frontline guards and officers responsible for investigating wildlife
crimes.
Critical Comment/ Shortcomings:
1. Neglect of Wildlife living outside of the forests:
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In this draft, wildlife living outside the forest areas has been neglected. Wolves, great
Indian bustards, hyenas, leopards, tigers, elephants among others are known to live outside
of the forests. The draft is silent about the management of these populations.
2. Regulation of technology:
The forest department makes use of drones and camera traps to monitor the protected
areas. The draft has ignored the ethical and social consequences of the use of such
technologies and has not come up with any framework for self-regulation regarding the
usage of such technological instruments. The fact that the use of drones and camera traps
may violate the privacy of the local people living in protected areas is completely ignored.
3. Issue of feral dogs and cats:
The draft plan is the first national policy which acknowledges the damages caused by the
feral dogs and cats in the wildlife habitats. It simply states that the issue must be managed.
Apart from that the draft is silent about the suggestive measures which need to be taken to
address the issue.
4. Invasion of exotic species:
The draft plan wants a national policy to check invasion of exotic species by 2018. But
before drafting, it wants a complete inventory and mapping of species and area. Critics
argue that preventing invasion of exotic species needs more attention and such efforts
should begin immediately. The draft plan instead wants to do mapping first, which seems
to be an excuse to delay implementation.
5. Duration of plan:
It is viewed that implementing the same plan for conservation for 14 long years will make
it ineffective. The plan period must be kept shorter to absorb the contemporary realities
and scientific advances.
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Internal Security and Disaster Management
1. Base Movement (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
What is Base Movement?
Base movement is a mysterious organisation under investigation for three blasts at court
complexes in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.
When was the Base Movement formed?
It was on January 26, 2014 that N. Abbas Ali (27), a painter in the temple city of Madurai
took an oath with his four friends to establish the Base Movement in India, a recently
discovered terrorist outfit responsible for explosions at five judicial courts since April this
year.
Why was it formed?
Their aim was to Islamise the country and since they were against the barbaric practices
of Islamic State, falling back on al-Qaeda was the natural choice.
A senior Home Ministry official said till last year, the group limited its activities to sending
letters to various jails and other district authorities citing grievances against the jail
administration. But, this year onwards, it started planting explosives at courts.
Who is the chief of the group?
N. Abbas Ali, a painter who also owns a small library in the name of Dar-ul-Ilm, which
primarily stocked religious books, in Nelpettai in the heart of Madurai city. It was here that
the five friends took the bayan (oath) pledging their allegiance to the Base Movement,
inspired by the al-Qaeda.
What is the significance of the name of the group?
Al of al-Qaeda means Base in Arabic, and the five friends, who were inspired by the
global terrorist outfit, decided to name their group after that.
2. Nagrota terrorist attack (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
The attack comes just two months after militants stormed an Army camp in Uri, resulting in
the death of 19 soldiers.
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Details about Nagotra Incident:
The three terrorists entered the camp in Nagrota, near Jammu city and not very far from
the headquarters of 16 Corps, one of the largest and most important corps of the Indian
Army.
Wearing police uniforms, the terrorists reportedly scaled a wall and stormed the base,
where many military families were staying. Seven soldiers, including two Majors, were
killed as they fought to prevent a hostage situation.
Points to ponder/enquire:
It is important to investigate how heavily armed terrorists reached the 166 Medium
Regiment premises in a securitised area, despite several road blocks on the road to
Nagrota.
Worst year marked for cross border militancy:
With the latest incident, at least 89 security personnel have been killed in Jammu and
Kashmir so far in 2016.
Implications:
In fact, the attrition rate among the security forces has been going up steadily vis-à-vis the
terrorists. Decades of experience in fighting insurgencies and the diverse tactics adopted to
reduce security force casualties have in recent months been challenged by the terrorists
focus on security installations, aimed at causing maximum casualties among the forces.
Reasons for rising attacks: The violence level within Jammu and Kashmir is a result of several factors: 1. the unrest in the Valley, 2. the state of India s relations with Pakistan 3. the situation along the border, both the International Boundary and the Line of Control.
3. Choppy seas prevent rescue of tourists from Andamans (Question can be aksed in Prelims on name of islands)
Nearly 1,500 tourists remained stranded at Neil and Havelock, two famous tourist destinations of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, after Navy ships failed to dock because of heavy swells formed due to the depression (low pressure) over southeast Bay of Bengal. Neill Island and Havelock Island islands belong to the South Andaman.
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4. Murder rate declining in India (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
Declining murder rate in India
Official data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) show that the murder rate in
India has been steadily declining over the past two decades.
The murder rate (murders per lakh population) for 64 years (from 1952 to 2015) from the
NCRB were compiled by the Clio Infra Project — a project which has collected worldwide
data on social, economic, and institutional indicators — and The Hindu.
Data show that the rate has declined from 4.6 in 1992, the peak year of violence (in terms
of murder rate) to 2.6 in 2015. After a steady rise from 2.7 in 1952 to the highest rate
witnessed in the early nineties — with the rate staying between three to four murders per
lakh population in the eighties — we are back to low figures.
Unsafe Patna
Among mega cities, Patna turns out to be the least safe, having a murder rate of 11.3 — four
times that of the national average in 2015. Meerut, Ludhiana, Faridabad and Agra come
next. Kolkata, Kochi and Mumbai happen to be the safest, all having a rate of less than one
murder per lakh population.
Data based on FIRs only
However, the NCRB numbers are based on FIRs alone. Crimes for which FIRs are not
registered are not accounted for in the official data. But unlike other crimes, data for
murders are understood to be closer to reality as there is little incentive and possibility in
under-reporting murder cases. Further, as compared with other crimes, murders are is less
likely to pass unnoticed.
5. Cyclone Vardah hits Chennai (Direct question expected in Prelims)
Naming the cyclone
Vardah, an Urdu word meaning red rose, contributed by Pakistan.
Tropical Cyclones
A tropical cyclone is an intense low pressure area or a whirl in the atmosphere over
tropical or sub-tropical waters.
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From the centre of a cyclonic storm, pressure increases outwards. The rate at which the
pressure increases, determines the strength of the cyclone.
As per the criteria adopted by World Metrological Organization, Indian Metrological
Department, the low
pressure system is classified into following categories:
1. Low pressure areas with maximum sustained surface winds of speed between 31 Km/h
and 61 Km/h are classified as tropical depressions.
2. Wind speed between 62 Km/h and 88 Km/h is called tropical cyclones. Once, winds
attain such a speed, tropical cyclone assigned a name.
3. When wind speed is between 89-18 Km/h, it is called as severe cyclonic storm.
4. When wind speed is between 119-221 Km/h, it is called as very severe cyclonic storm.
5. When wind speed exceeds 221 Km/h, the cyclone is called as super cyclonic storm.
Naming of Tropical Cyclones
Tropical cyclones are named to enable ease of communication among general public and
weather experts. Moreover, at a time two or more cyclones can affect the same region,
names can reduce the confusion about which cyclone is being described.
Names for tropical cyclones were adopted in WWII in some regions. By mid 1960 s all the
regions except North Indian Ocean region began using names for tropical cyclones.
In 2003, north Indian Ocean region also began practice of naming tropical cyclones. Various
regional organizations comprising of member nations prepare a pre- determined list of
names. These names are used in sequential order.
State of Chennai after encountering Vardah:
Chennai s durability has been challenged by the severe cyclonic storm, Vardah. The storm
hobbled the city s infrastructure by nightfall, downing power and communication cables,
blocking roads, disrupting rail and air transport, and spreading a carpet of darkness.
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It is to the Tamil Nadu government s credit that basic mobility was restored overnight, and
fallen trees were removed to allow some traffic to ply.
Role of technology in overcoming the impact of catastrophe:
Vardah also demonstrated that in the time of social media and the Internet, speedy official
and community messages can influence the outcome of a catastrophe.
While economic damage was inevitable, cautionary advice put out on social platforms
urging people to stay safe helped reduce the number of casualties. Remarkably, the
community also responded with readiness, creating online groups and sharing messages
offering help and advice. It is of course possible to learn even more by going back to
citizens and harnessing data on their experience using online tools.
Stats of destruction over east coast of India:
Tropical storms are an annual affair, with the more vulnerable eastern coast taking a
pummelling from 92 severe cyclones out of a total of 262 between 1891 and 1990, and
several more in the years since.
Way Forward:
It is vital, therefore, that the learnings from each event are shared nationally, and the
capacity of officials and communities to manage disasters built continuously. Among the
securities available to individuals in many countries is insurance against property losses.
Suggested Measures includes:
1. Viable policies should be made available in India too, as this would bring scrutiny on administrative measures and potentially improve outcomes. 2. A citywide blackout also underscores the importance of rooftop solar and battery storage systems as supplementary power sources for households and corporates. 3. Planting trees with strong root systems and pruning the canopy ahead of cyclone season could reduce uprooting.
6. NIA to seek death penalty for IM convicts in Hyderabad blasts (Question can be asked in Prelims on NIA)
NIA to call for capital punishment for Hyderabad blats convicts:
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be pressing for death sentence for five
members of the banned terror outfit, the Indian Mujahideen (IM), convicted by a
Hyderabad court last week for planning and executing the Dilsukhnagar blasts in 2013.
A Hyderabad court is expected to announce the quantum of sentence.
Background:
On February 21, 2013, two simultaneous bomb explosions took place at Dilsukhnagar
market in Hyderabad, which had killed 18 and injured 131 people. A pregnant woman was
among those killed.
The case was cracked after the arrest of two senior operatives of IM, from the Indo-Nepal
border in August 2013 by the NIA.
About NIA:
National Investigation Agency (NIA) is a central agency established by the Indian
Government to combat terror in India. It acts as the Central Counter Terrorism Law
Enforcement Agency. The agency is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across
states without special permission from the states.
The Agency came into existence with the enactment of the National Investigation Agency
Act 2008 by the Parliament of India on 31 December 2008.
NIA was created after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as need for a central agency to
combat terrorism was realised.
About Indian Mujahideen:
Indian Mujahideen is a Terrorist Group formed on 2010 and founded by Abdul Subhan
Qureshi. The Indian Mujahideen in June 2010 was declared a terrorist organisation and
banned by the Government of India.
The IM is receiving financial and material assistance from the Inter Services Intelligence
(ISI), backed by the Government of Pakistan, which is also providing shelter to several
absconding members of the IM in Karachi and at other places in Pakistan.
7. U.S. art dealer with links to Subhash Kapoor arrested (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
A prominent art dealer in New York closely linked to alleged idol smuggler Subhash Kapoor
has been arrested for acquiring and selling stolen artefacts from several Asian countries,
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including India. Nancy Wiener, who runs the Nancy Wiener Gallery, and has a history of
contact with Kapoor — now facing trial in Tamil Nadu for idol smuggling — was arrested.
Who is Subhash Kapoor?
Subhash Kapoor is a New York-based art dealer on trial in Chennai for allegedly running a
$100 million international smuggling racket. He was previously the owner of the Art of the
Past gallery in Manhattan. His sister business, Nimbus Import/Exports, specialised in
selling antiquities from across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia to major
museums around the world.
8. India among world s top five defence spenders (Direct question can be asked in Prelims)
India acquired fourth rank in Defence spenders:
India is among the world s top five defence spenders with its military budget at USD 50.7
billion, overtaking Saudi Arabia and Russia.
The US, China and the UK remain the top three defence spenders while India has the fourth
largest military budget, followed by Saudi Arabia and Russia, India spent USD 50.7 billion
this year on defence, up from USD 46.6 billion last year. India is set to overtake Britain with
the third-largest defence budget by 2018 as a result of its modernisation drive.
The US remained way ahead of the world with a budget of USD 622 billion, followed by
China at USD 191.7 billion while the UK spent USD 53.8 billion on defence this year, Saudi
Arabia USD 48.68 billion and Russia USD 48.44 billion.
9. Blockade in Manipur (Relevant for GS Mains paper III)
Paramilitary forces deployed in Manipur:
The Centre has rushed around 4,000 paramilitary personnel to Manipur in the wake of
violence following the economic blockade of the National Highways connecting the State.
Reason behind the escalation of tension in the territory of Manipur:
The decision was taken in the wake of violence following the economic blockade imposed
by the United Naga Council since November 1 on two National Highways — NH-2 (Imphal-
Dimapur) and NH 37 (Imphal-Jiribam) that serve as lifelines for the landlocked Manipur.
Nagaland CM s appeal:
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Nagaland Chief Minister has sought the intervention of the Centre and the Manipur
government in securing the lives and property of Nagas in the Imphal Valley of Manipur.
He claimed that they were being prevented from proceeding to their villages in the hills.
Some valley-based organisations were threatening them, he alleged.
NSF action plan:
The Naga Students Federation, meanwhile, has decided to impose a total blockade on all
Manipur-bound vehicles, including passenger and goods carriers, in the Naga-inhabited
areas till the Manipur government gave an assurance to the Nagas about their safety in the
State.
What are paramilitary forces?
A paramilitary is a semi-militarized force whose organizational structure, tactics, training,
subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but which is
not included as part of a state's formal armed forces. Central Armed Police Forces were
formerly referred as Paramilitary Forces.
A paramilitary may also commonly fall under the command of a military, even despite not
being part of the military or play an assisting role for the military in times of war.
The term "paramilitary forces are conventionally used to refer to two forces i.e. Assam
Rifles, Coast Guard and Special Frontier Force. A uniform nomenclature of Central Armed
Police Forces for five forces namely CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF, SSB has been adopted.
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Science and Technology
1. $750-million deal for 145 artillery guns
Inter-Governmental deal signed between India and US:
After years of negotiations, India signed a government-to-government deal with the U.S. for
145 M-777 Ultra-Light Howitzers worth $750 million under the Foreign Military Sales
programme.
This is the first major artillery deal signed by India after the Bofors scandal in the late
1980s.
Details:
The manufacturer, BAE Systems, will conclude an offset agreement estimated at about
$200 million. Twenty-five guns will be imported and the remaining 120 assembled in India.
BAE Systems has already selected the Mahindra group as the local offset partner.
All about Bofors Scandal:
The Bofors scandal was a major political scandal that occurred during the 1980s initiated
by Indian National Congress politicians and implicating the Indian prime minister, Rajiv
Gandhi and several other members of the Swedish and Indian governments who were
accused of receiving kickbacks from Bofors AB for winning a bid to supply India's 155 mm
field howitzer.
The scandal relates to illegal kickbacks paid in a US$1.4 billion deal between the Swedish
arms manufacturer Bofors with the government of India for the sale of 410 field howitzer
guns.
2. Britain s £5 note opposed on account of use of Tallow (Question can be asked in GS Prelims on Tallow )
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£5 note faced opposition in Britain:
Vegans, religious groups protest use of tallow to produce longer lasting currency. A new
£5 note issued by the Bank of England has generated concern and anger among religious
groups, vegans and vegetarians after it emerged that it uses Tallow.
What is Tallow?
Tallow is derived from animal fats (suet) and is a substance that is also widely used in the
manufacture of candles and soap.
Benefits of using Tallow
The new note is the first of a series based on polymer being issued by the central bank, as
part of a drive to make notes that last longer, stay cleaner and are harder to counterfeit
than paper notes. New £10 and £20 polymer notes are due to come out in 2017 and 2020
respectively. The bank estimates these notes last 2.5 times longer than paper.
3. New model to forecast fog over airports (Topic to be read only for understanding, No Direct question can be asked)
New model to be developed to forecast fog:
A series of organisations has partnered with the airport authorities here to develop a
system that can warn of fog atleast 6-24 hours in advance, calculate its severity, and
estimate when it is likely to lift enough for flights to take off and land safely.
Details of the mechanism:
About 30 instruments have been installed abutting one of the runways in Delhi s Indira
Gandhi International Airport.
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It is clarified that the forecasts would continue to be issued by the Indian Meteorological
Department (IMD).
Functionality of new model:
These instruments will measure the surface meteorological conditions, radiation balance,
turbulence, thermo-dynamical structure of the surface layer, droplet and aerosols
microphysics, aerosol, fog water chemistry, vertical profile of winds, temperature, and
humidity, to describe the conditions that cause fog.
Relevance of new model to predict fog status:
1. If information like that were to be available, then airlines could arrange to cancel flights
that saves money and avoids inconvenience to people.
2. It would be able to warn of extreme pollution events such as the severe smog that
enveloped Delhi this year after Diwali.
Current status:
Currently, the IMD issues fog advisories to airports. But they are, at best, delivered a few
hours in advance and don t give information on when the fog is expected to lift.
What is IMD?
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), also referred to as the Met Department, is an
agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting
and seismology. IMD is headquartered in New Delhi.
4. Delhi High Court reverses ban on combination drugs (Question can be asked on FDCs on Prelims and Mains Paper III)
Delhi HC quashed the ban on fix dose combination:
Quashing the ban on 344 fixed dose combination (FDC) drugs, Delhi High Court said that
the Centre had acted in a haphazard manner and did not take the advice of the statutory
bodies under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act before issuing the March 10 notification.
What is a fixed-dose combination?
Fixed dose combinations are drugs with two or more active ingredients in a single dosage,
acceptable only when the drugs so combined have a therapeutic advantage.
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Grounds of removing ban:
1. The Centre had imposed the ban under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The
court said the section gave no carte blanche to impose a ban.
The Health Ministry had banned the sale and distribution of 344 of them — considered
unsafe and with no therapeutic justification — based on the recommendations of the
Kokate expert committee.
2. Noting that the power cannot be exercised in public interest for any reason other than
the drug being risky or not having any therapeutic value, the Bench said the same had to be
decided based on scientific technical reasons on the advice of the Drugs Technical Advisory
Body (DTAB) and the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) constituted under the Drugs
Act.
The court wondered why the Centre took advice of Kokate Committee and not the DTAB
and DCC.
5. HIV: The self-test option (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)
Need for self-test option:
1. Though much progress has been achieved in India in making HIV testing accessible and
free of cost, many infected persons remain unaware of their status.
Across the world, nearly 40 per cent of people with HIV are unaware of their infection and
run the risk of unknowingly transmitting it.
2. Besides going a long way in preventing new infections, early diagnosis will help in a
prompt start to treatment and enable the infected to live longer and healthier.
3. Though there has been a 66 per cent drop in incidence in 2015 in India compared with
2000, the total number of people with HIV in India was estimated to be 2.1 million.
Of this, 1.5 million were detected and tested at integrated counselling and testing centres
(ICTC) and about a million people are on treatment. This leaves about half a million who
are unaware of their HIV status.
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4. Despite greater awareness, people with HIV still face stigma and discrimination. As a
result, getting everyone at risk of HIV infection tested has been a challenge.
About OraQuick self-testing option:
The WHO-approved OraQuick HIV self-testing is based on HIV antibodies present in oral
and blood samples. The test can detect antibodies developed within three months of
getting infected. It is a screening test, and a positive result should be reconfirmed though a
blood-based test.
The OraQuick self-testing makes diagnosis easier and faster, besides ensuring privacy and
confidentiality, thus encouraging more people to get tested.
Shortcomings:
1. But there are challenges in terms of counselling and sensitivity, with the accuracy of the
tests pegged at around 93 per cent. Counselling has to be done through innovative ways,
such as over the telephone, as in the case of the U.S.
2. Unlike the conventional method of getting tested at ICTCs, people self-testing should be
more aware about the possibility of false negatives. But the risk of not getting tested far
outweighs the limitations posed by self-testing.
Way forward:
Twenty-three countries have in place policies that support HIV self-testing. It is time India
adopted it quickly to enable more people to test themselves and help break the
transmission cycle.
6. Navy says no to Tejas variant (Questions can be asked on tejas in Prelims)
The indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas does not meetrequirements,
Navy Chief Admiral said.
Reason given for the abovesaid:
Observing that the current weight of the Naval LCA with the underpowered engine does
not allow it to fly from a carrier, Admiral Lanba said. Moreover, Navy needs a carrier-based
aircraft in the timeline of the induction of the aircraft carrier.
Present combat aircraft used on Aircraft Carrier:
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The Navy currently operates Russian MiG-29K fighters from the aircraft carrier INS
Vikramaditya and which will also fly from the first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)
Vikrant once it enters service. A second IAC weighing 65,000 tonnes is currently in the
design phase and the Navy Chief said that they would soon approach the government for
approval. The Navy is looking for an alternative to the Mig-29.
7. DRS clears the test (Question can be asked in Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)
India has a fascinating history with the Decision Review System. It was involved in its
conception, was one of the first two countries to put it to trial, and then became the only
nation to refuse to use it in bilateral engagements.
Emergence of idea of DRS
The DRS was a result of the Sydney Test of 2008, in which consistently poor umpiring
created a fractious atmosphere, leading to some of the ugliest scenes cricket has seen.
First time implementation of DRS
India and Sri Lanka were the first to audition it in a three-Test series in 2008. But it was
this very experience that shaped much of India s opposition: the argument was that the
technology wasn t faultless and it allowed room for unskilled human intervention.
Opposition by India
While the rest of world cricket embraced the DRS, with a vast majority of players and
virtually every umpire taking the view that it improved the game beyond measure, India
held out for perfection. This it was able to do because of the influence it wielded in the
sport s administration.
The agreement to trial the DRS during the series against England was viewed by many as a
welcome end to intransigence.
Two significant developments altered matters.
1. The technology grew more sophisticated: the frame rates of the cameras improved
manifold, from 75 frames a second in 2011 to 340 now, providing more data for the path of
the ball to be predicted
2. a sound-based edge detection system, allied to slow-motion cameras, helped establish
the first point of impact on the pad, greatly reducing human intervention.
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Way forward
It remains to be seen if India continues to use the system after the England series. But the
signals are that it has accepted it. There is no doubt that the DRS needs even more
refinement and greater standardisation. But with India now on board, the chances are
better of the evolution of an even more robust system that protects cricket from umpiring
errors.
8. Hyperloop: New travel technology (Very important for Prelims and GS Mains Paper III)
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, also known as HTT, is an American research company formed using a crowd collaboration approach (a mix of team collaboration and crowdsourcing) to develop a transportation system based on the Hyperloop concept, which was envisioned by Elon Musk in 2013.
9. Resourcesat-2A joins the observation deck (Question can be asked in Prelims)
Remote sensing satellite Resourcesat-2A was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre in coastal Andhra Pradesh, Sriharikota . It was the only satellite aboard the PSLV-
C36 rocket.
Success streak
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In 2016, nine missions have taken off successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre,
including the more powerful GSLV. For the light-lifting PSLV, it was the 37th straight
successful flight.
What is remote sensing satellite?
Remote sensing satellite involves acquisition of information about an object or
phenomenon without making physical contact with the object and thus in contrast to on-
site observation. Remote sensing uses cameras to capture images, thermo sensors to
record tempretarues, etc. PSLV vs GSLV 1. The PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) and GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) are two rocket launch systems developed by the Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO, to launch satellites into orbit. The PSLV is the older of the two and the GSLV even inherits some of the technologies of the former in its design. 2. The main reason behind the advent of the GSLV is the capability to lift greater loads into space. While the PSLV can only lift slightly over a ton of payload to GTO (Geostationary Transfer Orbit), the GSLV is capable of lifting more than double that with a rated capacity of 2 to 2.5 tons. 3. One of the main reasons why the GSLV has such an increased load is its utilization of a cryogenic rocket engine for its last stage. The cryogenic rocket engine provides more thrust than conventional liquid rocket engines but the fuel and oxidizer needs to be super cooled in order to keep them in a liquid state. 4. There is also a difference between the PSLV and GSLV in terms of the rocket itself. The PSLV has 4 stages that alternate between solid and liquid fuels while the GSLV has three stages with the only the first stage having solid fuel. 5. To assist the first stage in lifting the heavy rocket, the PSLV has 6 strap-on solid rockets. Four of these rockets are lit prior to the launch and the rest are fired in the air. The GSLV also has strap-on rockets but there are only 4 of them and they have liquid fuel. Although the strap-on rockets of the GSLV provide slightly less thrust than those on the PSLV, they burn three times longer and provide greater assistance to the first stage. 6. When you look at their track records, it is easy to see that the PSLV is more reliable. With 18 launches, 16 of those were successes while only the first one was a total failure; the remaining one is called a partial failure as the satellite did not reach the intended altitude. The 7 launches of the GSLV have had worse results with 4 ending in failure and only two successes; it also has one partial failure launch.
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10. Kounotori Experiment (Very important for GS Prelims and Mains Paper III)
Japan s space agency lauched Kounotori ( White Stork ), a space capsule that will attempt
to clean space debris orbiting around earth, using an unusual approach.
ORBITAL DEBRIS:
Orbital debris, which consists of man-made objects, is usually the residue of inactive space
vehicles.
WHY IS THERE A NEED TO CLEAN SPACE DEBRIS:
Because these objects move at high speeds and can collide with incoming space vehicles,
there s a case for cleaning them out.
TECHNOLOGY USED:
The Kounotori uses a kind of electrodynamic tether forged from thin wires of stainless
steel and aluminium. One end of the strip will be attached to debris and the electricity
generated by the tether as it swings through the earth s magnetic field. It is expected to
slow the speed of space junk and pull it into a lower and lower orbits.
Eventually the detritus will enter the earth s atmosphere, burning up harmlessly long
before it has a chance to crash to the planet s surface.
WHAT IS ELECTRODYNAMIC TETHER?
An electrodynamic tether (EDT) is a simple idea, but one with an amazing number of uses.
An EDT system is made up of two masses in orbit connected by a long, flexible, electrically
conductive cable; the tether is essentially a wire that moves through the magnetic field of
the Earth (or another planet or large body).
11. What is a Death Star? (Question can be asked in Prelims)
The Death Star is a star — a lot like our sun — that likely consumed the planets that once
orbited it.
HIP68468, is a kind of solar twin, about 300 light years away, containing four times more
lithium than what a typical 6-billion-year old star like it would normally have. It also
contains a huge store of heat-resistant metals which are found in abundance in rocky
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planets. The amount of lithium and the engulfed rocky planet material in the atmosphere of
HIP68468 adds up to the equivalent of the mass of six earths.
Computer simulations show that billions of years from now, the accumulated gravitational
tugs and pulls between planets will eventually cause mercury to fall into the sun but it isn t
yet known if a similar fate awaits planet earth.
12. NITI Aayog rolls out health index (Question can be asked in Prelims)
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States to be ranked annually as per Performance on Health Outcomes index:
The government think tank NITI Aayog rolled out a Performance on Health Outcomes index
that will rank various States on the basis of their performance on measurable health
indicators.
What is Performance on Health Outcomes index?
It is the index which is meant to capture the annual incremental improvements by States,
rather than focus on historical achievements.
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It includes indicators in the domains of health outcomes and a few key inputs and
processes.
Relevance of the index:
1. It will be used to propel action in the States to improve health outcomes and improve
data collection systems.
2. The health index will assist in State-level monitoring of performance, serve as an input
for providing performance-based incentives and improvement in health outcomes.
13. India test launched Agni 5 (Very important for Prelims and Mains paper III)
India tested Agni 5:
India tested its indigenously developed intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear capable
ballistic missile Agni-5 from the Wheeler Island (APJ Abdul Kalam Island) off Odisha coast.
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This was the fourth test of Agni-5 missile. While the first test was conducted in April 2012,
the second test was carried out in September 2013, and the third in January 2015.
Significance of Launch:
This is the second time that Agni-5 has been launched from a canister. Ability to launch
from a canister adds to the flexibility to launch missile from any base without sophisticated
capacity.
Specifications/About Agni 5: 1. The indigenously-developed Agni 5 is a surface-to-surface missile 2. Agni-5, is capable of striking a target more than 5,000 km. 3. It is about 17-metre long, 2-metre wide and has launch weight of around 50 tonnes. 4. The missile can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne.
Present status of Agni Missiles:
The present armoury of Agni series includes:
1. Agni-1 with 700 km range
2. Agni-2 with 2,000 km range
3. Agni-3 with 2,500 km range
4. Agni-4 with 3500 km range
After some few more trials, Agni-5 will be inducted into the services.
14. India inching towards second strike capability (Very important for Prelims and Mains paper III)
With the test of AGNI 5 and the recent commissioning of the indigenously built nuclear
submarine INS Arihant, India is inching towards creating a robust and world-class second-
strike capability. For a nation sworn to no-first-use of nuclear weapons, a reliable second-
strike capability is an absolute necessity.
About Agni 5 launch:
Agni-V rose up from a canister mounted on a truck stationed at Dr. Abdul Kalam Island,
Odisha, and went up a few hundred kilometres before following a ballistic trajectory and
splashing down near Australian waters, some 20 minutes after the launch.
This was the fourth test of the Agni-V missile, but the second from a canister mounted on a
road mobile launcher. With the four tests, Agni-V is now ready for induction into the
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Strategic Forces Command, which already operates other Agni missiles with a target range
from 700 km to 4,000 km.
15. Gurgaon may become first in country to get Caterpillar Train (Very important for Prelims and Mains paper III)
Haryana Government has taken the lead to set up a pilot corridor for the Caterpillar Train
(C-Train) , a new concept for urban mass-transit solution in Gurgaon. It has been designed
by an Indian Railway officer Ashwani Upadhyaya which had won a global award at the MIT
in the United States. The C Train concept was co-invented by Ashwani Upadhyaya along
with Emil Jacob, both PhD scholars at MIT. C-Train, envisages a citywide network of
lightweight, elevated train coaches running at about 100 kmph.
What is Caterpillar Train?
The Caterpillar Train is a miniature form of a tram that requires only a five metre-wide
road for installation, making it a suitable mode of public transport near residential areas.
Its coaches have wheels below and on top, giving it a caterpillar-like appearance.
The train is envisaged to have lightweight cars that run on top of or suspended below
elevated rails supported by steel poles. The weight, cost and size of the coaches, apart from
usage of land, is very less in comparison to a metro train. Unlike the metro, which relies on
heavy pillars and corridors, a caterpillar train runs on poles joined together to form an
arch.
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Relevant only for Prelims
1. China opens world s highest bridge to traffic
China has opened Beipanjiang towering bridge hanging 565 metres (1,854 feet) above a
gorge in southwestern China to traffic. It is claimed to be the world s highest bridge.
2. India s first Digi Dhan mela held in Gurugram
The first Digi Dhan mela in the country was held in Gurugram, Haryana to promote digital
and cashless transactions.
Events at mela
1. The Lucky Grahak Yojana (LGY) for consumers and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana (DVY) for
merchants were launched to enable people to purchase items only by making digital
payment.
2. The fair also educated the people on how to use mobile phones or AADHAR for making
payments online.
Objective of the scheme
The Union Government has launched LGY to encourage the consumers and DVY to
encourage merchants for transition to digital payments. The main focus of these award
based schemes is to bring the poor, lower middle class and small businesses into the digital
payment fold. The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) is the implementing
agency for these schemes. The award based schemes were started on December 25, 2016
and will end on April 14, 2017 on Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti.
3. Meghalaya to host 2022 National Games and Goa will host in 2017
Meghalaya will host the 2022 National Games. In this regard, Indian Olympic Association
(IOA) accepted Meghalaya s bid to host the National Games. Meghalaya will be the third
northeastern state after Manipur and Assam to host the National Games. The 2022 National
Games will coincide Meghalaya s 50 years of statehood. Goa is hosting National Games in
November 2017.
4. Sasikala, became the General Secretary of AIADMK
Sasikala became General Secretary of AIADMK:
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V.K. Sasikala was nominated general secretary of the AIADMK by its general council.
Factors that favored Sasikala becoming the Secretary of the Party:
1. She was the closest friend of Jayalalithaa, something that means a lot in the personality
cult-based structure of the AIADMK.
2. Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, the only other possible contender, himself backed Ms.
Sasikala.
Other issues with regard to the AIADMK (party politics):
1. A possible risk is that the authority of Mr. Panneerselvam as Chief Minister could be
undermined by the ascent of Ms. Sasikala.
Already several ministers have, both privately and publicly, urged her to take over as Chief
Minister. The post is hers for the asking, given that she has the backing of most MLAs; Mr.
Panneerselvam himself is unlikely to offer any resistance.
2. However, as an accused in the disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa, Ms.
Sasikala is awaiting a judgment in the Supreme Court in an appeal against her acquittal by
the Karnataka High Court after a conviction by the trial court.
3. Following searches in the residential and office premises of Chief Secretary P. Rama
Mohana Rao by Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate authorities, questions have been
raised about the involvement of higher-ups in the AIADMK in corruption. This has been
reinforced by the fact that some top leaders have been close to mining baron Sekhar Reddy,
who has been arrested for possession of huge amounts of cash in new currency notes.
5. Cheetahs sprinting towards extinction, only 7,100 left: Study
Study states Cheetahs are on the verge of being Extinct:
Cheetahs are sprinting to extinction due to habitat loss and other forms of human impact,
according to a new study out this week which called for urgent action to save the world s
fastest land animals.
Count of Cheetahs:
Cheetah numbers in Zimbabwe have plunged by more than 85% in 16 years and fewer than
50 individuals survive in Iran, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS) warned.
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The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, estimated that
just 7,100 cheetahs remain in the wild, occupying just 9% of the territory they once lived
in. There were an estimated 100,000 cheetahs at the beginning of the 20th century,
according to previous estimates.
6. After Tarun Gogoi, Mahanta loses NSG security cover
Former Chief Minister of Assam Prafulla Kumar Mahanta who was an ally of the National
Democratic Alliance-I has been stripped of National Security Guard (NSG) cover.
Rationale behind scrapping the national security guard cover:
The move is in line with the government s efforts to stop the specialised counter-terror
force from performing VIP security duty.
The Home Ministry removed the NSG cover of Mr. Gogoi, Former Assam CM in a previous
exercise.
About NSG (National Security Guard) Cover:
Persons protected by the NSG are entitled to Z plus security and at any given time around
40 commandos are deployed to provide proximity cover.
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There are 13 other VIPs enjoying such security, including Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Criticism:
It is alleged that the decision had not been taken on merit but due to political reasons as
Mr. Gogoi belonged to opposition party, which is discriminatory.
7. India ranks 4th in 2016 Global Wind Power Installed Capacity Index
India ranked 4th in Global Wind Power Installed Capacity Index:
India ranked 4th in the Global Wind Power Installed Capacity index with cumulative
installed wind power generation capacity of 25,088 MW in 2015. The index was released as
part Global Wind Report Annual Market, flagship publication of the Global Wind Energy
Council (GWEC).
Key facts:
The index was topped by China, followed by US and Germany with cumulative installed
wind power generation capacity of 145362 MW, 74471 MW and 44947 MW respectively.
India has achieved the largest-ever wind power capacity addition of 3,423 MW in 2015-16,
exceeding the target by 44%.
8. PM lays foundation stone of country s first Indian Institute of Skills in Kanpur
PM inaugurated IIS, Kanpur:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of the country s first Indian Institute
of Skills (IIS) in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He also inaugurated the Kaushal Pradarshini (Skill
Exhibition) for the youth of Uttar Pradesh to portray major skill development initiatives of
the Union Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry.
About Indian Institute of Skills (IIS):
The IIS is being opened by the Union Skill Development Ministry in partnership with the
Institute of Technical Education, Singapore.
The idea of IIS was conceptualised by PM Modi during his visit to Singapore s Institute of
Technical Education. Its primary objective is to empower India s youth to be more
employable and self-sustainable. The Union Skill Development Ministry is also set up six
such institutes across country in coming years.
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Kaushal Pradarshini is a skill exhibition for the youth of Uttar Pradesh to showcases state-
of-the-art vocational training practices across different sectors.
9. 6,117 Kuchipudi dancers put A.P. in Guinness book
Kuchipudi in world record:
With a spectacular Mahabrinda Natyam show, 6,117 performers created a new Guinness
World Record here, for the largest Kuchipudi dance.
Dancers from across the country were joined by those from U.S., Dubai, U.K., Russia, Hong
Kong and Mauritius.
About Kuchipudi:
Kuchipudi is one of the ten major Indian classical dances. It originated in a village of
Krishna district in modern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama
performance art, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shastra.
About Guinness World Record:
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and officially verified
in a specific skill or sport.
The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from
first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond.
10. Huge dead zone discovered in Bay of Bengal
Dead zone discovered in Bay of Bengal:
Scientists including those from India have found a huge dead zone of an estimated 60,000
square kilometres in Bay of Bengal. This area is said to support microbial processes that
remove vast amount of nitrogen from the ocean.
What is Dead zone?
Dead Zone is an area in water body that contains little or no oxygen (or they are hypoxic) in
bottom and near-bottom water. Mostly they occur naturally but it can be caused by
excessive nutrient pollution from human activities coupled with other factors.
They are well-known off western coasts of North and South America, off coast of Namibia
and off west coast of India in Arabian Sea.
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What has led to the expansion of dead zones?
In recent times, warming of the atmosphere through climate change is predicted to lead
expansion of dead zones in the ocean.
Key Findings
Researchers, demonstrated that some oxygen does exist in the Bay of Bengal waters. But
the concentration of oxygen is much less than standard techniques could detect and some
10,000 times less than that found in the air-saturated surface waters.
The researchers also discovered that the Bay of Bengal hosts microbial communities that
can remove nitrogen but at really slow rates. Removing more nitrogen from the oceans
could affect the marine nitrogen balance and rates of marine productivity.
11. Delhi L-G Najeeb quits
LT. Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung quits:
The decision of Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung to quit surprised the Union as well
as Delhi administration.
A senior Home Ministry official said that Mr. Jung would be required to continue in his
office till a successor was appointed even as sources close to him confirmed that the former
academician had been contemplating a stint at teaching for some time now . The reason of
sudden quit is not yet clear.
12. Blue ice
Airlines denied the practice of Blue ice:
Domestic airlines have denied dumping human excreta mid-air. They said the lavatory
waste is stored in a tank inside the aircraft. It is cleaned by the ground crew only after the
plane lands.
Dumping of waste during the flight may happen rarely due to leakage. Some aviation
experts said it was not possible for a pilot to dump a tank while in flight, as there were no
controls inside the aircraft for doing this.
What is blue Ice?
Blue ice, a term used for frozen sewage material leaked mid-air, as a rare occurrence
which signifies a leaking toilet system, leading to the formation of ice in high altitude.
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Background:
National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered a fine of Rs. 50,000 on airlines emptying toilet
tanks in the air.
In its order, the NGT had asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to issue a
circular to all airlines using the Delhi airport to ensure that they do not release any waste
while landing or taking off at the airport or near it.
Petition filed:
The petitioner had told the court that excreta fall on houses near the airport due to
evacuation of the aircraft toilet canisters while flying.
13. Sunny Leone to receive PETA person of the year award
Sunny Leone- PETA person of the year:
Actress Sunny Leone will receive PETA's person of the year award for her dedication to
promoting the rescue of homeless dogs and cats, as well as her compassion for animals
abused and killed for their skin.
What is PETA?
PETA is an non- governmental organization which stands for People for Ethical treatment
of animals. PETA has branches across the world.
14. Nomura s India growth indicator slumps to 20-yr low
Nomura indicated lowest CLI in 20 yrs:
Japanese financial major Nomura said its Composite Leading Index (CLI) for India for early
2017 — tracking the non-agricultural GDP growth with a two-quarter lead — had slumped
to the lowest level since the series started in 1996, due to demonetisation and the
consequent cash crunch.
What is the 'Composite Index of Leading Indicators'?
The Composite Index of Leading Indicators, otherwise known as the Leading Economic
Index (LEI), is an index published monthly by the Conference Board used to predict the
direction of global economic movements in the months to come.
It is made up of 10 economic components, whose changes tend to precede changes in the
overall economy. The Conference Board, founded in 1916, is an independent research
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association that provides its member organizations with economic and financial
information.
BREAKING DOWN 'Composite Index of Leading Indicators'
The 10 components of the Composite Index of Leading Indicators are:
1. The average weekly hours worked by manufacturing workers;
2. The average number of initial applications for unemployment insurance;
3. The amount of manufacturers' new orders for consumer goods and materials;
4. The speed of delivery of new merchandise to vendors from suppliers;
5. The amount of new orders for capital goods unrelated to defense;
6. The amount of new building permits for residential buildings;
7. The S&P 500 stock index;
8. The inflation-adjusted monetary supply (M2);
9. The spread between long and short interest rates; and
10.Consumer sentiment.
The Composite Index of Leading Indicators is a number used by many economic
participants to judge what is going to happen in the near future. By looking at it in relation
to business cycles and general economic conditions, investors and businesses can form
expectations about what is ahead, and make better-informed decisions.
15. Cyrus Mistry steps down as director of Tata group firms
Cyrus Mistry resigned from Tata Group of companies:
In a surprise move, Cyrus Mistry resigned from the boards of all publicly listed companies
of the Tata group after Ratan Tata s illegal coup to unceremoniously remove him as the
chairman of Tata Sons.
16. Point of Sale terminals: How do they work?
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The government wants banks to install three lakh Point of Sale terminals in the next three
months. Following the withdrawal of high-value currency notes, activity at PoS terminals
saw exponential growth, even as the number of new such machines installed has also gone
up. Here is how it works:
What is a PoS terminal?
A point-of-sale (POS) terminal is a computerised replacement for a cash register which can
process credit and debit cards. A customer needs to enter a card PIN to complete the
transaction using the PoS terminal.
What are the charges?
The end-customer does not have to pay any charges for swiping his or debit/credit cards at
the PoS terminals.
However, the merchant has to pay the issuer bank what is known as merchant discount
rate (MDR). The issuer bank is the one which installs the machines at the merchant
establishment. In theory, though customers don t have to pay, in practice, merchants
increase the cost of the product and services sold, in a move to pass on the charge incurred
by them to the customer.
Separate charges for debit and credit cards
MDR is capped for debit cards but not for credit cards. Effective July 1, 2012, RBI capped
the MDR for debit cards at 0.75 per cent of the transaction amount for value up to Rs.2,000
and 1 per cent for a transaction amount for value above Rs.2,000.
For credit cards, the MDR varies between 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent. Following the
withdrawal of legal tender status to the old Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 currency notes, RBI had
asked banks to waive off the MDR till the end of December.
Last week, RBI also lowered the MDR cap for debit cards effective between January 1 to
March 31, 2017. In this period, MDR is capped at 0.25 per cent for debit card transactions
up to Rs.1,000 and 0.5 per cent for transactions above Rs.1,000 up to Rs.2,000.
Settlement
The accounts are settled at the end of the day when the merchant opts for it. The bank
credits the amount to the merchant s account, after deducting charges, the next day.
Sharing of charges
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The MDR that the merchant pays is divided among three entities, the issuer bank (which
issues the debit card), the acquirer bank (which installs the PoS), and the payment
gateway. The issuer bank get the maximum share of the MDR.
17. In surprise move, Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat appointed next Army Chief
Lt. Gen Bipin Rawat appointed as new Army Chief:
The government announced Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the next Chief of Army Staff.
Controversy held in appointment:
The appointment goes against the long held tradition of appointing the senior most eligible
officer to the post.
By seniority, Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern
Command should have been appointed.
Similar instance in history:
The last time the senior most eligible officer was not appointed was in 1983 when Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi choose to appoint Lt Gen A.S. Vaidya as the Chief contrary to
expectations that Lt Gen S.K. Sinha would be the Chief. Lt Gen S.K. Sinha, then Vice Chief,
choose to resign in June 1983 after the appointment though he was to retire in early 1984.
Implication of the Appointment:
With this appointment two senior most officers have been superseded, unprecedented in
the military so far. Lt Gen P.M. Hariz, Southern Army Commander is second in seniority
after Lt Gen Bakshi.
Who is Chief of Army Staff?
The Chief of the Army Staff is the commander and usually the highest-ranking officer of the
Indian Army. The position is abbreviated as COAS in Indian Army, and usually held by a
four-star officer in the rank of General.
The current COAS is General Dalbir Singh, who took office on 1 August 2014 following
retirement of General Bikram Singh. Lt Gen Bipin Rawat, will succeed General Dalbir Singh
when he retires on 31 December 2016
18. Rio gets UNESCO world heritage status
Rio entered the list of UNESCO Heritage Sites:
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Rio de Janeiro, nicknamed the Marvelous City, officially entered the UN's list of world
heritage sites in recognition of its soaring granite cliffs, urban rainforest and beaches.
Prominence of City:
Rio got a big tourism boost during the 2014 football World Cup and this August's Olympic
Games. However, persistent high crime, last year's Zika epidemic, and political instability
have hurt the city's image.
19. Pakistan launches Babur missile
Pakistan Army has successfully test fired an enhanced version of an indigenously-designed
Babur cruise missile. The missile incorporates advanced aerodynamics and avionics that
can strike targets both at land and sea with high accuracy.
Range: It can hit targets located at 700 km with all kinds of warheads. Thus, it brings many
Indian cities within its range.
20. A towering tribute to Bhakti saint Ramanuja
About the statue:
A towering 216-feet-high panchaloha statue of 10th century Bhakti saint Ramanuja will be
the second biggest in the world (the tallest being the Great Buddha in Thailand at 302 ft),
forming the centrepiece of a Rs.1,000 crore complex of 108 temples on the outskirts of
Hyderabad.
What is statue of equality:
The Statue of Equality crafted in China is conceptualised as a tribute to Ramanujacharya s
philosophy and teachings, and its installation will mark the launch of the 1,000th birth
anniversary celebrations.
About Ramanuja
Ramanuja (traditionally, 1017–1137 CE) was a Hindu theologian, philosopher, and one of
the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism. He was
born in a Tamil Brahmin family in the village of Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. He is
philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti movement.
21. Trump: Time person of the year
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Person of the Year (called Man of the Year until 1999) is an annual issue of the United
States news magazine Time that features and profiles a person, a group, an idea, or an
object that "for better or for worse has done the most to influence the events of the year".
22. Justice J S Khehar is the new CJI
Justice J S Khehar is the 44th Chief Justice of India (CJI).
23. B.S. Bhullar to head DGCA
B.S. Bhullar, a 1986-batch IAS officer has been appointed chief of the Directorate General of
Civil Aviation (DGCA).
What is DGCA?
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the Indian governmental regulatory
body for civil aviation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. This directorate investigates
aviation accidents. It is headquartered in New Delhi.
24. Motorised paraglider completes 4,500-mile migration to follow migratory birds
The conservationist and human swan Sacha Dench has become the first woman to cross
the English Channel in a motorised paraglider during her epic 4,500-mile journey following
migrating birds from the Russian tundra to Britain to better understand the reasons for
their declining numbers.
25. JAYALALITHAA NO MORE
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa who is also the general secretary of the All India
Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is no more. She suffered a cardiac arrest a
day earlier. She was 68.
There are two main political parties in Tamil Naidu, the ruling party AIADMK and the
opposition party DMK.
About Jayalalithaa
Jayalalithaa Jayaraman (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian actor and
politician who served five terms as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, for over fourteen
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years between 1991 and 2016. She was a leading actress before her entry into politics and
appeared in 140 films from 1961 to 1980 in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi industries.
26. Baluchari Sarees: An iconic Textile
About Baluchari Sarees:
Baluchuri Sari is a type of sari, a garment worn by women across India and Bangladesh.
This particular type of sari originated in Bengal and is known for depictions of mythological
scenes on the pallu of the sari. It was mainly produced in Murshidabad (presently
Bishnupur) and its surrounding places of West Bengal is the only place where authentic
Baluchuri sarees are produced.
The Baluchari Sari has been granted the status of Geographical indication in India.
27. Asthana is interim CBI chief
After almost a decade, the country s premier investigative agency, the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI), will not have a full-time director, with the government handing over
additional charge of the post of director to a Gujarat cadre IPS officer, Rakesh Asthana,
currently its additional director, following the superannuation of Anil Kumar Sinha.
How is CBI Director appointed?
The CBI director is picked by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the
Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India for a two-year term. However, the
Modi administration did not call a meeting of the committee to select Mr. Sinha s successor
in the agency.
28. Nikki Haley appointed as US Ambassador to UN
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Nikki Haley (born Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa) is an American politician who has served as
the 116th Governor of South Carolina since 2011. President-elect Donald Trump has
nominated Haley for Ambassador to the United Nations.
Haley is the first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina; at the age of 44, she is the
youngest current governor in the United States. She is the second Indian-American, after
Bobby Jindal, to serve as governor in the United States.
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