current affairs prelims quick revision 2017 · current affairs quick revision for 2017- (sep to nov...

Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Sep to Nov 2016)

CURRENT AFFAIRS PRELIMS QUICK REVISION’ 2017

1. Social Issues

2. Polity Issues

3. Governance Issues

4. Economy Issues

5. International Relations

6. Summit

7. Science & Technology

8. Environment

9. Health

10. Culture

11. Miscellaneous

Quick Revision Prelims 2017

Part 1 - June, July & August 2016

Part 2 – September, October & November 2016

Part 3 – December 2016, January & February 2017 (would be available by 18th April 2017)

Part 4 – March, April & May 2017 (would be available by 25th May 2017)


SOCIAL ISSUES

1. 2016 BRICS Convention on Tourism begins in Madhya Pradesh

The 2016 BRICS Convention on Tourism has begun at UNESCO World heritage site Khajuraho in

Madhya Pradesh to promote intra-regional tourism.

Key Facts :

The event comprised of inter-governmental exchange of views and ideas and panel discussions

on different subjects including cooperation between the BRICS countries for promoting intra-

regional tourism.

Business to Business meetings between the India Travel Trade and their counterparts from the

BRICS countries was organized.

The convention has been organized as a precursor to the BRICS Summit to be held at Goa in

October 2016.

Khajuraho Temple: It is a group of Hindu and Jain Temples in Madhya Pradesh build by Chandela

Dynasty between 950 and 1050 AD. It is an UNESCO World heritage Site.

2. MARRAKESH TREATY COMES INTO FORCE

Marrakesh Treaty came into force, after 22 countries ratified the treaty adopted in 2013 by

members of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Marrakesh Treaty or Marrakesh VIP Treaty is formally known as Marrakesh treaty to facilitate

Access to Published works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print

Disabilities. It is also called “Books for Blind” treaty.

The treaty allows for copyright exceptions to help for the creation, export and import, sharing,

translation of the books in any format for accessible versions of copyrighted books and other

works for the people with impaired visibility.

World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a United Nations Organisation based in

Geneva, administers the Marrakesh Treaty and leads an alliance of private and public partners

known as the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC). The ABC has established a free

centralized electronic database of accessible books produced by libraries for the blind around

the world. It is a library-to-library service.

India was the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty back in July 2014 .India has 63

million visually impaired people, of whom about 8 million are blind, according to WHO.

In line with Marrakesh treaty, India launched Accessible India Campaign (Sugama Bharat

Abhiyan) and has set up Sugamya Pustakalaya, which has 2,00,000 volumes.

3. THE CIVIL ASPECTS OF INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUCTION BILL, 2016

Union ministry of women and child development (WCD) has drafted the Civil Aspects of

International Child Abduction Bill, 2016.

That once approved will facilitate prompt return of any child under 16 who has been “wrongfully

removed to or retained in other state which is not his/her habitual residence.”

The bill will provide an enabling legislation to implement the provision of the Hague convention.

Various Objectives and provisions-

The draft mandates setting up of a central authority, to be headed by a joint secretary level

officer. The authority would have the power to decide all the cases.

Voluntary return of any such child to the country in which such child had his or her habitual

residence.


To exchange information relating to any such child, with the appropriate authorities of a

Contracting State.

To provide, on request, information of a general character, as to the law of India in connection

with the implementation of the Convention in any Contracting State.

To institute judicial proceedings with a view to obtaining the return of any such in which that

child has his habitual residence. It also facilitate the provision of legal aid or advice.

It provide administrative arrangements related to return of a child.

Significance:

Replaces the outdated Guardians and Wards Act of 1890. A new law incorporating international

measures of Hague Convention( though India has not signed this convention).

In an absence of any domestic law this law will secure the future of child.

It will ensure better understanding with foreign countries as following SOP.

4. AARAMBH INITIATIVE

India launched its first internet hotline to encourage people to report online child pornography

and curb a surge in photographs and videos on the internet showing children being sexually

exploited.

Significance:

Aarambh Initiative, a network of organisations and individuals working on child protection in the

country, has collaborated with the U.K.-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).

The hotline in India will be hosted on aarambhindia.org and will enable users to report child

sexual abuse images and videos in a safe and anonymous environment.

With the help of the Britain’s Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) IWF’s 120 partners, such as tech

firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, the material is traced to where the server is hosted.

It is then blocked, eventually removed from the internet and the information shared with police for

prosecution.

5. NEW DELHI DECLARATION ON EDUCATION

The BRICS nations have adopted the ‘New Delhi Declaration on Education’ to ensure inclusive

and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all.

The declaration was adopted at fourth Meeting of BRICS Education Ministers Conference held in

New Delhi. It was attended by Ministers of Education and assigned representatives of BRICS

nations.

Key Features:

Reiterates commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) which aims to ensure

inclusive and equitable quality education and the Education 2030 Framework for Action.

Initiate actions to formulate country-specific targets within the broader scope of the SDG4.

Integrate the SDG4 related targets with sub-national and the national level education sector

development plans and programmes Build capacity at the subnational and national levels for

measuring and monitoring progress towards SDG4 and corresponding targets using the

indicators adopted by the UNGA

Share the best practices available in BRICS nations on collaboration in education, innovation

and research through the BRICS Network University (BNU).

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) will be used for improving access to

education, teacher development, enhancing quality of teaching-learning process etc.


6. Himachal Pradesh declared India’s second Open Defecation Free State

The State of Himachal Pradesh was declared Open Defecation Free (ODF), making it the second

State in the country (after Sikkim) to achieve the feat.

Every individual household in the state has functional toilet under the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’.

What is Open defecation?

Open defecation means people defecate in open spaces such as fields, bushes, forests, open

bodies of water rather than using the toilet.

Hazards of Open Defecation: It is important factor in causing various diseases like intestinal

worm infections, diarrhoea, polio, hepatitis etc.

“The hill state of Himachal has become the first large state to become completely ODF”

7. Union Cabinet approves establishment of National Academic Depository

The Union Cabinet has accorded its approval for establishment and operationalisation of a National

Academic Depository (NAD). The decision aims at bringing another dimension and enhancement of

the vision of Digital India.

Under it all academic degrees, certificates and awards in the country will be made digitally

available for verification on single spot.

The NAD would be established and operationalised within the next three months and would be

rolled out throughout the country in 2017-18.

The NAD would be operationalised by NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML) and CDSL

Ventures, Limited (CVL) - two of the wholly owned subsidiaries of the Depositories registered

under Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Act, 1992.

8. 28 October: National Ayurveda Day

The first National Ayurveda Day was observed on 28 October on the occasion of Dhanwantari

Jayanti.

Theme : “Ayurveda for Prevention and Control of Diabetes”

The ministry of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy (Ayush),

recently, announced its decision to observe Dhanvantari Jayanti, popularly known as Dhanteras,

as National Ayurveda Day every year.

The Ministry of AYUSH is also going to launch “Mission Madhumeha through Ayurveda” on

the occasion.

The Mission Madhumeha will be implemented throughout the country through a specially

designed National Treatment Protocol for effective management of Diabetes through Ayurveda.

9. India ranks 87th on the WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report 2016

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2016 was released recently.

India has improved its rank in the Global Gender Gap index — moving from 108th to 87th

position.

Key Highlights of the report:

The WEF measures the gender gap index of the countries by taking four factors into account-

economy, health, education and political representation.

Globally, the leading four nations continue to be Scandinavian: Iceland, Finland, Norway and

Sweden, in that order.


India is also among a group of countries that have made key investments in women’s education

but have generally not removed barriers to women’s participation in the workforce.

10. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates first National Tribal Carnival

Prime Minister inaugurated the first National Tribal Carnival in New Delhi to promote a sense of

inclusiveness among the tribals.

The main purpose of this four-day carnival is to promote a sense of inclusiveness among the tribals.

It will also showcase and promote various facets of tribal culture on a large scale.

Key Facts

The idea behind the carnival is to preserve and promote various facets of the tribal life relating to

culture, tradition, customs and their skills.

Besides it also seeks to expose it to the general public with a view to utilise the potential for

overall holistic development of the Scheduled Tribes.

The carnival will host activities like displaying documents on traditional socio-culture aspects,

exhibition of art/artifacts, cultural performances. It will also demonstration of skills like paintings,

traditional healing practices, sports, etc.

It will also host workshops on issues like implementation of Panchayats (Extension to the

Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.

11. 17 October: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed globally on 17 October for

eradication of poverty throughout the world.

2016 Theme : Moving from humiliation and exclusion to participation: Ending poverty in all

its forms.

The United Nations most Sustainable Development Goal is to “end poverty in all its forms and

dimensions from everywhere”

Background : The United Nations had declared 17 October as the International Day for the

Eradication of Poverty by adopting a resolution on 22 December 1992. For the first time, it was

observed in 1993.

12. India ranked 97th in 2016 Global Hunger Index

India ranked 97th out of 118 countries on the International Food Policy Research Institute’s

(IFPRI) Global Hunger Index (GHI) in 2016.

India has scored low 28.5 on a 0-100 point scale of the index.

It describes India’s hunger situation as “serious. The index was released by the International

Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Global Hunger Index is based on a country’s performance on indicators such as the proportion

of the undernourished in the population, prevalence of wasting in children under five years,

prevalence of stunting in children under five years and the under-five mortality rate.

At the end of 2016, around 15 per cent of the country’s population was undernourished, down

from 17 per cent at the end of 2009.

13. October 11: International Day of the Girl Child

The International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) is observed every year across the world on 11

October to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.


Significance of Day: The observance of the day seeks to increase awareness of gender inequality

faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender and supports more opportunity for girls. This year

it was fifth edition of this day after it was observed for first time in 2012.

2016 Theme: “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls”. It calls for action

for increased investment in collecting and analyzing girl-relevant, girl-focused and sex-

disaggregated data.

The International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) was instituted by the United Nations General

Assembly (UNGA) by adopting Canada backed Resolution in December 2011.

14. 3 October: World Habitat Day

World Habitat Day is observed every year on the first Monday of October throughout the world.

The 2016 World Habitat Day campaign aims to raise awareness about the need for affordable

housing for all in urban areas, towns and cities.

2016 Theme: “Housing at the Centre”.

Focus of the theme

The 2016 World Habitat Day campaign aims to raise awareness about the need for affordable

housing for all in urban areas, towns and cities.

The purpose of the day is to reflect on the state of our cities and towns and the basic human

right to adequate shelter.

15. Government launches e-Pashuhaat portal to connect farmers and breeders of bovine

animals

The Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister, launched e-pashuhaat portal

(www.epashuhaat.gov.in) on the occasion of National Milk Day here today.

The portal will act as a single online e-trading market platform, including availability of bovine

germplasm. It will enable the farmers to buy bovine animals, frozen semen and embryo.

Aims and Objectives:

E-Trading Market portal for livestock germplasm and additional related services.

Will connect farmers with breeders - Central, State, Co-operative, Milk Federations, and private

agencies.

Real time authentic certified information on availability of germplasm.

Key Facts

It would become a platform for sell of bovines, including information on semen, embryos and

live animals with all the agencies and stake holders in the country.

The portal would make the farmers aware of availability of quality disease free bovine

germplasm with different agencies in the country.

India has the largest bovine population in the world.

16. 25 November: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

The United Nations has designated November 25 International Day for the Elimination of

Violence Against Women. The day recognizes women across the world who are subject to rape,

domestic abuse and other forms of violence.

2016 Theme: “Orange the World – raise funds to end violence against women”.

About international day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women :


The day was observed to create the awareness about violence against women,end the

violence against the women and to show that the prevention is possible against violence

of women.

This day is commemorated in the memory of the Mirabal sisters who were three political

activists from the Dominican Republic. They were brutally assassinated during the Rafael

Trujillo dictatorship (1930-1961) in 1960.

17. International Forum on adopting ICT Perspective to Education and Learning

The International Forum on adopting ICT Perspective to Education and Learning is being held in

Delhi.

Organizers: International Bureau of Education (IBE), UNESCO in partnership with Google and the

Union Ministry of Human Resource Development & NCERT.

Key Facts

The forum targets countries which are implementing the UNESCO developed General Education

Quality Analysis Framework (GEQAF). Best practice cases from countries will be presented.

Participating countries include Egypt, Azerbaijan, Botswana, Gabon, India, Lithuania, Oman,

Seychelles, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mauritius, US and Swaziland.

About International Bureau of Education (IBE)

IBE is a UNESCO category 1 institute mandated as the Centre of Excellence in curriculum and

related matters.

It supports countries efforts both through direct technical assistance and also by proving

platform to share experiences and best practices from around the world.

It also helps to build country’s capacity to harness technology to strengthen education systems

for sustained improvement of education quality, equity and inclusion.

18. India ranks 133rd in 2016 Global Youth Development Index

India has ranked very poorly at 133 in a new Global Youth Development Index compiled by the

Commonwealth Secretariat on the countries’ prospects for young people in employment,

education, health, civic and political spheres.

Key Facts

Top 10 countries in 2016 YDI: Germany (1), Denmark (2), Australia (3), Switzerland (4), UK (5),

Netherlands (6), Austria (7), Luxembourg (8), Portugal (9) and Japan (10).

India’s neighbours: Sri Lanka (31), Bhutan (69) and Nepal (77).

The report highlights that India accounts for nearly 20 per cent of the global youth population,

with nearly 345 million young people between the ages of 15 and 30 living in the country.

The report highlights need for greater investment to reap so-called demographic dividend.


POLITY ISSUES

1- Army sets up design bureau to reduce dependence on imports

To indigenise procurements and reduce import dependence, the Indian Army announced the

establishment of the Army Design Bureau which will integrate various stake holders in its

long-term requirements.

The design bureau will be the repository of all technical know-how for defence equipment

manufacturing.

The Army Design Bureau (ADB) has been conceptualised as an interface of the Indian Army

with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), academia, defence PSUs,

OFBs and private industry, paving the way for high-quality research and development of defence

products.

The establishment of the ADB which is expected to be headed by a Maj Gen rank officer.

2- Higher Education Financing Agency gets the green signal

The Union Cabinet, has approved the creation of the Higher Education Financing Agency

(HEFA) to give a major push for creation of high quality infrastructure in premier educational

institutions.

The HEFA would be jointly promoted by the identified Promoter and the Ministry of Human

Resource Development (MHRD) with an authorised capital of Rs.2,000 crore.

The HEFA would be formed as a SPV(Special Purpose Vehicle) within a PSU Bank/

Government-owned-NBFC (Promoter).

HEFA would leverage the equity to raise up to Rs. 20,000 crore for funding projects for

infrastructure and development of world class Labs in IITs/IIMs/NITs and such other

institutions.

The HEFA would also mobilise CSR funds from PSUs/ Corporates, which would in turn be

released for promoting research and innovation in these institutions on grant basis.

The HEFA would finance the civil and lab infrastructure projects through a 10-year loan.

All the Centrally Funded Higher Educational Institutions would be eligible for joining as members

of the HEFA.

3. Trinamool Congress is now 7th 'national party' in India

The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been recognised as 7th national party by the

Election Commission of India.

Trinamool Congress has satisfied one of the three conditions mentioned in the Election

Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 to be recognised as a national party —

having been recognised as a State party in at least four States.

The poll panel had on August 22, 2016 amended a rule whereby it will now review the national

and State party status of political parties every 10 years instead of the five.

According to the criteria set by the poll panel for recognising as national party,

1. A “national party” needs to win at least two per cent of the total seats in the Lok Sabha

(11 seats) from at least three different states, OR

2. Get at least six per cent votes in four states in addition to four Lok Sabha seats,

OR

3. Be recognised as a “state party” in four or more states.

TMC is a recognised State party in West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.


Recognition as a national or a State party ensures that the election symbol of that party is

not used by any other political entity in polls across India.

National parties get land or buildings from the government to set up their party offices. They can

have up to 40 ‘star campaigners’ during electioneering. Others can have up to 20 ‘star

campaigners’.

Now, India has seven recognised national parties — the Congress, the BJP, the BSP, the CPI,

the CPI(M), the NCP and the All India Trinamool Congress.

4. Cabinet approves grant of Permanent Residency Status to Foreign Investors

The Union Cabinet has approved the scheme for grant of Permanent Residency Status (PRS)

to foreign investors subject to the relevant conditions as specified in the FDI Policy notified by

the Government from time to time.

In order to avail this scheme, the foreign investor will have to invest a minimum of Rs. 10

crores to be brought within 18 months or Rs.25 crores to be brought within 36 months.

Further, the foreign investment should result in generating employment to at least 20 resident

Indians every financial year.

Permanent Residency Status will be granted for a period of 10 years initially with multiple

entry facility, which can be renewed for another 10 years.

PRS will serve as a multiple entry visa without any stay stipulation and PRS holders will be

exempted from the registration requirements.

PRS holders will be allowed to purchase one residential property for dwelling purpose.

The spouse/ dependents of the PRS holder will be allowed to take up employment in private

sector (in relaxation to salary stipulations for Employment Visa) and undertake studies in India.

5. Government approves use of chilli-based PAVA shells for mob control

The Government has approved the use of chilli-based PAVA shells for crowd controlling as

an alternative to pellet guns which would still be used in rarest of rare cases.

PAVA shells are non-lethal munition which temporarily incapacitates the targets and renders

them immobile for several minutes.

An expert panel of the home ministry was set up and the use of PAVA was recommended by a

seven-member expert committee, headed by Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry T V S N

Prasad, in its report submitted.

PAVA shells were on trial for over a year at the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR)

a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratory in Lucknow.

PAVA stands for Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide, also called Nonivamide, and is an organic

compound found characteristically in natural chilli pepper.

On the Scoville scale (the degree to measure the power of chilli), PAVA is categorised as

"above peak", meaning it will severely irritate and paralyse humans, but temporarily.

It is also used as a food additive to add pungency, flavouring and spicy effect to food.

6. SC moves away from death penalty

The Supreme Court has moved away from death penalty (capital punishment) after it commuted

the death sentence of a youth for raping and killing a seven-year-old girl with the Special

Category of Punishment.

Special Category of Punishment is judicial innovation that will be veering away from capital

punishment. It will be limited to a “very few cases”.


In this case capital punishment will be shifted to life imprisonment without the benefit of release

on remission for prolonged periods ranging from 25 to 30 years, if not more.

Special category status was formalised by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in the

Rajiv Gandhi killers’ case in December 2015.

The judicial innovation of the special category of punishment bridges the gap between death

sentence (capital punishment) on the extreme and only 14 years of actual life imprisonment on

the other.

7. Web Responsive Pensioner’s Service portal to provide better services to the pensioners

Web Responsive

Pensioners' Service is a

Digital India initiative

taken-up by the

Controller General of

Accounts which works

under the administrative

control of the Union

Ministry of Finance.

The Web Responsive

Pensioners' service has

been developed to

provide single-point web

solution for pensioners to

obtain comprehensive

information relating to

status of the pensions and pension payments.

This service will also help in speedy redressal of pensioners’ grievances.

8. Inter State Council (ISC) and Standing Committee of ISC Reconstituted

The Government has reconstituted the Inter State Council (ISC) and the Standing Committee

of the Inter State Council under Clause 2 of the Inter State Council order,1990.

The Government has approved the following composition of the Inter State Council.

Chairman - Prime Minister

Members

(i) Chief Ministers of all States.

(ii) Chief Ministers of Union Territories having a Legislative Assembly and Administrators of Union

Territories not having Legislative Assembly.

Six Union Ministers

a) Minister of Home Affairs

b) Minister of External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs

c) Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting

d) Minister of Urban Development, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs

e) Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping

f) Minister of Defence.

Union Cabinet Ministers/Minister of State (Independent charge) as Permanent invitees.

The Prime Minister has also approved the following composition of the Standing Committee of

the Inter State Council.

Chairman - Minister of Home Affairs


Members

(i) Minister of External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs

(ii) Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting

(iii) Minister of Urban Development, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation & Parliamentary Affairs.

(iv) Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping

(v) Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh

(vi) Chief Minister, Punjab

(vii) Chief Minister, Chattisgarh

(viii) Chief Minister, Tripura

(ix) Chief Minister, Odisha

(x) Chief Minister, Rajasthan

(xi) Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh

The Standing Committee will:

(i) have continuous consultation and process matters for consideration of the Council

(ii) Process all matters pertaining to Centre State Relations before they are taken up for

consideration in the inter-State Council.

(iii) Monitor the implementation of decisions taken on the recommendations of the Council and

(iv) consider any other matter referred to it by the Chairman/Council.

(v) The Standing Committee may, if necessary, invite experts and persons eminent in

specific fields to have the benefit of their views while deliberation upon the related subjects.

The Inter-State Council is a constitutional body to facilitate coordination between states and

the centre. The Inter-state council is not a permanent constitutional body for coordination

between the states and Central government.

It is a recommendatory body to investigate and discuss subjects, in which some or all of the

states or the Central government have a common interest.

It is set up on the basis of provisions in Article 263 of the Constitution of India by a Presidential

Order, 1990 based on the recommendation of Sarkaria Commission.

9. Employees Online (EO) Mobile App of DoPT

EO App is a mobile application of the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Ministry of

Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

The mobile application aims to update on Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)

appointments and postings on real time basis and to bring transparency.

10. Justice Reddy committee on OROP submits report

The one-man judicial committee on One Rank One Pension (OROP) submitted its report to the

Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar.

The Central Government had appointed the committee under the Chairmanship of Justice L

Narasimha Reddy, retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court to look into the anomalies, if any,

arising out of implementation of OROP.

11- Smaller parties, Independents in Rajya Sabha unite for more talk time

Vice-President Hamid Ansari has formally recognised a group of 22 MPs belonging to parties

with less than four MPs and certain independents as a consolidated block — the United

Group.

This is only the third time in the history of Indian Parliament that this is happening, the first was in

1983, and the second in 1990.


With this grouping, United Group will be the third largest group of MPs in the Rajya Sabha, after

the Congress and the BJP and it will find a place in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC)

that decides time allotment.

Time allotted to parties to speak on debates depends entirely on their strength in the House.

12- SC widens ambit of Domestic Violence Act

Supreme Court orders striking down of the two words ‘adult male’, paving the way for

prosecution of women and non-adults for violence against a woman.

The Supreme Court has widened the scope of the Domestic Violence Act by ordering deletion

of the words “adult male” from it, paving the way for prosecution of women and even non-

adults for subjecting a woman relative to violence and harassment.

The apex court has ordered striking down of the two words from Section 2(q) of the Protection

of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, which deals with respondents who can be sued

and prosecuted under the Act for harassing a married woman in her matrimonial home.

13- ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ scheme

On the occasion of 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ,Prime Minister Narendra

Modi pitched for “Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat” scheme.

"Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat" will bridge the cultural gap in the country and enhance interaction

between people living in different states.

About the "Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat" scheme -

1) The "Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat" scheme draws inspiration from the life of India's freedom fighter

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The prime minister recalled Sardar Patel's initiatives as mayor of

Ahmedabad during the 1920s, including a campaign for cleanliness and a proposal for 50 percent

reservation for women.

2) The 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' initiative will be launched soon under which every state will

choose another state each year and then promote its language and culture.

3) The government has formed a committee to work out the modalities of the scheme in

consultation with the states.

4) According to the scheme, two states will undertake a unique partnership for one year which

would be marked by cultural and student exchanges.

5) Students of a particular state would travel to another state to learn each other's culture.

14- Western Zonal Council Meeting held in Mumbai

The 22nd meeting of the Western Zonal Council consisting of the States of Maharashtra,

Gujarat, Goa and Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli was held at

Mumbai under the chairmanship of Shri Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister.

The Council reviewed issues related to internal security, coastal security, issuance of bio-metric

identity cards to fishermen and card readers, modernization of police force, formulation of plans

for countering terrorism etc.

It also reviewed other important issues such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban) Mission,

providing shelters to the urban homeless, and surplus lands of Union Government for ‘Housing

for All: 2022’.

Issues related to checking pollution in Daman Ganga River and Kolak River due to discharge

of untreated effluents from Vapi industrial area was also discussed.

What are Zonal Councils?


(1) Zonal Councils were set up under the States Reorganization Act, 1956 (so it is not

constitutional body) to foster Inter-State co-operation and co-ordination among the States.

(2) Currently, there are total five zonal councils viz. Northern, Western, Eastern, Central and

Southern.

(3) The Zonal Councils are mandated to discuss and make recommendations on any matter of

common interest in the field of economic and social planning, border disputes, linguistic minorities

or inter-State transport etc.

(4) They are regional fora of cooperative endeavour for States linked with each other economically,

politically and culturally.

15- Government extends AFSPA in three districts of Arunachal Pradesh

Considering Naga underground factions' increased indulgence in extortion and inter-factional

rivalry, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has extended Armed Forces Special Powers Act or

AFSPA in three districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

The districts (Tirap, Changlang, and Longding) have been specified as 'disturbed areas' under

Section 3, AFSPA.

The acts are not invoked in cases of civil unrest during elections. The AFSPA is invoked

when a case of militancy or insurgency takes place and the international borders of India

are at risk.

16- Punjab law terminating SYL(Satlej-Yamuna Link) pact unconstitutional: SC

The Supreme Court has scrapped Punjab Termination of Water Agreements Act, 2004

which unilaterally allows Punjab to stop sharing Ravi, Beas waters with other States

including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh.

The SC bench gave its opinion on a Presidential Reference made by then President APJ

Kalam in 2004 to the apex court under Article 143 (1) of the Constitution questioning the

constitutional validity of the Act.

This judgement implies that the 2004 Act was not in consonance with the apex court judgement

of 2003 which had mandated the construction of the SYL canal that has been stalled.

17- Entire Country gets National Food Security Act coverage

The Union Government has announced that the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013

which envisages supply of subsidised foodgrains has been implemented across the country after

last two remaining states Kerala and Tamil Nadu rolled out the NFSA from November 2016.

About National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 -

1- The NFSA aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two thirds of the population

(75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas).

2- It converts into legal entitlements for existing food security programmes of the Central

Government. It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services scheme

and the Public Distribution System.

3- Grains like wheat, rice and coarse grain will be distributed at the subsidized price of Rs. 3, Rs. 2

and Rs. 1 respectively.

4- Pregnant women and lactating mothers and children are entitled to get meals under the

prescribed nutrition by MDM and ICDS.

5- NFSA 2013 will provide high nutrition food to the children from age group of 6 months to 14

years. Pregnant women and lactating mothers will be entitled to get maternity benefit of not

less than Rs. 6,000.


Governance Issues

1. Union Government launches Gas4India campaign to promote use of natural gas in the

country

The Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has launched Gas4India campaign, aimed at

promoting the use of natural gas in the country.

"The country is moving towards a gas-based economy, and it is working to increase the share of

gas in the country's energy basket.

Key features

Gas4India is a unified cross-country, multimedia, multi-event campaign to communicate the

national, social, economic and ecological benefits of using natural gas as the fuel of choice to

every citizen.

The campaign includes social engagement via Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, and

its official website, as well as hyper local, offline events to directly connect with consumers

through discussions, workshops and cultural events, it said.

Besides the move to enhance gas production, the government is promoting a nation-wide gas

grid and setting up gas infrastructure.

2. Mandi, and Sindhudurg emerge cleanest Districts in India: Gramin Swachh Survekshan

Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj released

the ‘Swachh Survekshan’ for rural India, revealing Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) and Sindhudurg

(Maharashtra) as the cleanest districts in India.

Sindhudurg was judged as the cleanest in the ‘Plains’ category and Mandi in the cleanest district in

‘Hills’ category.

Key Facts :

The Ministry had commissioned Quality Council of India (QCI) to carry out the assessment.

Each district has been judged on four distinct parameters.

Maximum weightage was places on accessibility to safe toilets and water. The parameters

to judge sanitation status include:

1. Households having access to safe toilets and using them (toilet usage, water accessibility, safe

disposal of waste) (40%)

2. Households having no litter around (30%)

3. Public places with no litter in the surrounding (10%)

4. Households having no stagnant wastewater around (20%)

3. Union Government launches Urja Mitra Helpline for power outages

The Union Government has launched Urja Mitra Helpline through which customers can get

information on power outages from distribution companies by dialing 14401. The helpline was

launched by the Department of Telecom (DoT) of the Union Ministry of Communications and

Information Technology.

Key Facts

The helpline is for pan-India usage to send information through voice calls and SMSs to

apprise customers about power situation in their area.

The information will apprise customers about power situation in their area so that they can plan

accordingly.

It is a mandatory service, which will be provided by all the telecom operators.


Power Finance Corporation (PFC) developed app on behalf of the Power Ministry, will enhance

consumer connect with power distribution companies.

Consumers can get information on outages, timely release of connections, complaint redressal

and power reliability, among others.

4. Indian Railways launches Yatri Mitra Sewa to help elderly, differently-abled

Indian Railways has launched ‘Yatri Mitra Sewa’ in a move to make rail travel comfortable for

elderly, differently-abled and ailing travellers.

Railways has launched ‘Yatri Mitra Sewa’ to facilitate access to wheelchairs, battery

operated cars porter services across Major Railway stations in the country.

'Yatri Mitra' or 'Passenger Friend' can be a "Sahayak (assistant)" or any other person

nominated for the purpose.

The service can be availed at the time of online booking of tickets, calling or messaging ‘139’,

accessing an app developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

The IRCTC has been mandated to implement the service which may provide it 'free of cost' by

involving some NGO, charitable trust, PSUs, etc under the Corporate Social Responsibility

(CSR) category.

Yatri Mitra Seva is derived from the ‘Sarathi Seva’ introduced in the Konkan Railways.

5. Union Government to launch Mission Parivar Vikas for improved family planning

services

Health Ministry to launch “Mission Parivar Vikas” in 145 High Focus districts in seven states for

improved family planning service.

These 145 districts have been identified based on total fertility rate and service delivery

(PPIUCD and Sterilization performance) for immediate, special and accelerated efforts to reach the

replacement level fertility goals of 2.1 by 2025.

The main objective of ‘Mission Parivas Vikas’ will be to accelerate access to high quality

family planning choices based on information, reliable services and supplies within a rights-

based framework.

Improving access to contraceptives through delivering assured services.

Dovetailing with new promotional schemes, Ensuring commodity security, building capacity

(service providers) and Creating an enabling environment along with close monitoring and

implementation.

6. Union Cabinet gives approves Varistha Pension Bima Yojana, 2003 and Varistha Pension

Bima Yojana, 2014

The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana

(VPBY) 2003 and VPBY 2014, Approval has also been granted for the expenditure incurred on

subsidy amount released to Life Insurance Corporation during the period 2003-04 to 2014-15 for

VPBY 2003.

Key Facts :

VPBY was launched on July 14, 2003, the VPBY 2014 was launched on August 14.

The schemes are implemented through Life Insurance Corporation and the difference

between the actual yield earned by LIC on the funds invested under the scheme and the assured

return committed by the Government is paid as subsidy to LIC.


Both are pension schemes intended to give an assured minimum pension to Senior

Citizens based on an assured minimum return on the subscription amount.

The pension is envisaged until death from the date of subscription, with payback of the

subscription amount on death of the subscriber to the nominee.

7. Union Government launches Biotech-KISAN and Cattle Genomics to empower farmers

The Ministry of Science and Technology has launched two new schemes Biotech-KISAN and

Cattle Genomics in order to apply science to boost rural economy.

AIM: Improve farm productivity, empower farmers, especially women farmers.

Biotech-KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network)

Scheme Empowering Small- and Women- Farmers with Science Implementation.

It will train women farmers across 15 agro-climatic zones on new technologies and know-

how available in the country and outside.

The main aim of the scheme is to understand individual problems of the small holding

farmers and provide ready solutions.

The scheme includes the Mahila Biotech- KISAN fellowships, for training and education in

farm practices, for women farmers.

The Scheme also aims to support the women farmers/ entrepreneur in their small enterprises,

making her a grass root innovator.

Cattle Genomics: Taking Indigenous Livestock to Pole Position

Government aims to improve the genetic health of the cattle population through genomic

selection. When breeding is selective, it will ensure high-yielding, disease-resistant, resilient

livestock.

The programme also envisages development of high-density DNA chips.

This will reduce the cost and time interval for future breeding programmes and productivity

of indigenous cattle would be enhanced.

8. PM Narendra Modi launches Urja Ganga in Varanasi

Prime Minister has laid the foundation stone of Urja Ganga, the highly ambitious gas pipeline

project in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

Aim: To provide piped cooking (PNG) gas to residents of the eastern region of the country

and CNG gas for the vehicles.

Key facts:

The project is being implemented by state-run gas utility GAIL. It envisages laying a 2,050-km

pipeline connecting Jagdishpur (UP) to Haldia (West Bengal) by 2018.

The Urja Ganga project also augments existing GAIL’s network of trunk pipelines covering the

length of around 11,000 km by 2540 km.

Besides, under this project work on 2540-km long Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra

Natural Gas pipeline project will begin and will be completed between 2018 and 2020.

Seven East India cities Varanasi, Jamshedpur, Patna, Ranchi, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack –

will be the major beneficiary of this network development.

9. Union Government launches UDAN Scheme for Regional Air Connectivity


The Union Government has launched the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka

Aam naagrik) which seeks to get more people to fly in the smaller towns. It will be rolled out by

January, 2017 and will be in operation for a period of 10 years.

UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam naagrik) Scheme

UDAN is an innovative scheme to develop the regional aviation market.

This first-of-its-kind scheme will ensure affordability, connectivity, growth and development.

It aims to increase ticketing volume from 80 million to 300 million by 2022.

Airline operators will bid for up to 40 subsidised seats and minimum seats will be 9. There

will be 50% seats on market based pricing.

It will create affordable yet economically viable and profitable flights on regional routes so that

flying becomes affordable to the common man even in small towns.

10. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a safe motherhood intervention under the National Rural Health

Mission (NHM). It is being implemented with the objective of reducing maternal and neonatal

mortality by promoting institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.

Key finding :

As per the new study Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) has played important role in reducing

‘socioeconomic disparities’ existing in maternal care.

As per the latest report on maternal health, India accounted for 15% the total maternal deaths in

the world in 2015 second only to Nigeria with 45,000 women dying during pregnancy or

childbirth.

This is for first time study has shown JSY has reduced socioeconomic inequalities in maternal

care compared to earlier studies which showed impact of JSY in reducing maternal mortality..

It integrates cash assistance with delivery and post-delivery care.

It is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme (CSS).

ASHA (Accredited social health activist) is considered as a link between Government and poor

pregnant women for encourage institutional deliveries among poor women.

11. IAE to tie up with India for its global LED programme

International Energy Agency (IAE/ IEA) collaborated with India to implement the government of

India’s Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) initiative universally for energy

savings.

The scheme is implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of

PSUs under the Union Ministry of Power.

About Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme

UJALA was launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 1st May, 2015.

LED-based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP).

Support efficient lighting, reducing energy consumption and energy savings.

“Bachat Lamp Yojana” was replaced by UJALA scheme in March 2016.

Efficient Lighting Programme first launched in Puducherry on 7th February, 2014.

UJALA scheme promotes LED bulbs over tube lights, incandescent bulbs and CFL bulbs,

as they are long lasting, more efficient, and economical in their life cycle duration.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy stopped the subsidy on CFL-based solar lighting system

because they want to encourage the people to maximum use of the LED Bulbs.

About International Energy Agency (IEA)


IEA is a Paris-based autonomous non-governmental organisation.

IEA was established in 1974. It was established to meet the industrial countries ’energy

organisation needs.

Only Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member states can

become the members of the IEA.

12. HRIDAY [ Heritage City Development Scheme]Scheme

The National Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) is a recently launched

scheme to preserve and rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the country.

Key Facts:

It is a Rs. 500-crore project for reviving the heritage of 12 cities including Varanasi, Mathura,

Gaya, Dwarka and Puri.

HRIDAY seeks to promote an integrated, inclusive and sustainable development of heritage

sites, focusing not just on maintenance of monuments but on advancement of the entire

ecosystem including its citizens, tourists and local businesses. The tourism potential of the

country is still to be fully harnessed and the new scheme will help in this regard.

Central government will meet the entire expenditure under the scheme. But, the states and

local urban bodies are requested to supplement their resources for rapid development of

heritage cities.

The project will work through a partnership of Government, Academic Institutions and local

community combining affordable technologies.

The 12 cities selected for the scheme are Ajmer, Amritsar, Amravati, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya,

Warangal, Puri, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Varanasi and Velankanni.

13. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016 (PMGKY)

Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016 proposes to introduce a scheme named the

'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016'.

Features

Its aim is to use black-money collected post-demonetization in welfare schemes for the

poor.

The government wants to give people an opportunity to pay taxes with penalties and declare

undisclosed income through the proposed Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).

PMGKY will allow people to deposit previously untaxed money by paying 50% of the total

amount: 30% as tax and 10% as penalty on the undisclosed income, as well as 33% of the

taxed amount as cess.

The declarant will also have to deposit 25% of undisclosed income in a deposit scheme to

be notified by the RBI under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme, 2016.

If the declarant refuses the option of using the government deposit scheme, 85% of the

amount will be deducted as taxes and penalties.

For money that is found in raids, taxes and penalties of nearly 90% of the amount will be levied,

leaving just 10% with the owner.

14. PM Narendra Modi launches Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)

Prime Minister formally launched a rural housing scheme, whereby the Centre proposes to provide

an environmentally-safe and secure pucca house to every rural household by 2022.

The Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) or PMAY-G, the scheme intends to complete the

construction of 1 crore houses by March 2019.


About the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) or PMAY-G :

PMAY-G is a major step forward in bringing together Skill India, Digital India, Make In India,

IT/DBT Aadhaar platform and Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).

The implementation of housing developments in the rural areas of the nation will be done under

the name of Gramin – Awaas Yojana.

As per the Ministry of Housing, the project cost will be shared by both the central government

and the state govt.

Delhi and Chandigarh are the two cities which will not be covered under the scheme.

Features :

“The unit cost for these houses has been significantly increased and now through convergence a

minimum support of nearly ₹1.5 lakh to ₹1.6 lakh to a household is available.

There is also a provision of Bank loan upto ₹70,000, if the beneficiary so desires.

The selection of beneficiaries has been through a completely transparent process using the

Socio Economic Census 2011 data and validating it through the Gram Sabha .

The programme provides for skilling 5 lakh rural masons by 2019 and allows over 200 different

housing designs across the country based on a detailed study of housing typologies,

environmental hazards and the households’ requirements.

Large-scale use of local materials is envisaged along with a complete home with cooking space,

electricity provision, LPG, toilet and bathing area, drinking water, etc through convergence.

The programme targets poor households and uses information communication technology (ICT)

and space technology to further confirm correct selection of beneficiaries and progress of work.

15. Union Government launches Pehchan identity cards for artisans :

Union Textiles Minister of India distributed ‘Pehchan’ identity cards to artisans of five clusters of

Gujarat at the inaugural ceremony of the Thematic Exhibition on Handicrafts at Ahmedabad, India.

The upgraded ‘pehchan’ cards were distributed to artisans from five clusters of Gujarat namely

Jamnagar, Naroda, Surendranagar, Amreli and Kalol.

Pehchan cards scheme :

Pehchan cards scheme was launched as part of the Pehchan’ initiative to register and provide

Identity (ID) cards to handicraft artisans and link them to a national database.

It is a new upgraded ID card for artisans that will be linked with their Aadhar numbers and

bank accounts so that they can receive direct cash transfer benefit.

The cards being distributed to the artisan shall essentially provide the following benefits :

Easy loan, insurance and credit guarantee.

Easy to avail benefits of the scheme run by GoI.

Easy to participate in any domestic /international fair /event.

The artisan can get the benefit of life insurance and 1200 Rs for the artisan’s children studying

between class ix and class xii.

16. President launches National Student Startup Policy :

President Pranab Mukherjee launched the National Student Startup Policy (NSSP) to promote

technology-driven student start-ups.

Key Points:

The NSSP has been formulated by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).


It aims to create 1 lakh technology based student start-ups and a million employment

opportunities within the next 10 years.

It also aims to propel Indian youth to contribute to the nation’s socio-economic progress through

promotion of technology-driven student start-ups.

NSSP seeks to develop an ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem by lending crucial soft skills like

decision-making in the students.

It also seeks to promote strong inter-institutional partnerships among technical institutions.

17. Hunar Haat inaugurated at 2016 India International Trade Fair(USTTAD scheme)

Hunar Haat” (Skills Market), organised for the first time at India International Trade Fair at

Pragati Maidan.

It is aimed at promoting and supporting artisans from Minority communities and providing

them domestic as well as international market for display and sell their products.

National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) has organised the exhibition

Hunar Haat under scheme USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional

Arts/Crafts for Development) of Ministry of Minority Affairs.

USTTAD scheme

The scheme was launched on 14 May 2015 in Varanasi.

It seeks to build a capacity of traditional artisans and craftsmen.

It also seeks to provide employment opportunities to traditional artisans and craftsmen by

establishing the linkages their arts/crafts with the national and international market.

18. Union Government launches Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana for entrepreneurs

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched the Pradhan Mantri YUVA

Yojana, its flagship scheme for entrepreneurship training and education at the Ministry’s

second foundation day.

About Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana for entrepreneurs:

The scheme spans over five years (2016-17 to 2020-21).

It will provide entrepreneurship education and training to over 7 lakh students in 5 years through

3050 Institutes.

The scheme will also include easy access to information, mentor network, credit, incubator,

accelerator and advocacy to create a pathway for the youth.

The institutes under the PM’s YUVA Yojana include 2200 Institutes of Higher Learning (colleges,

universities, and premier institutes), 300 schools, 500 ITIs and 50 Entrepreneurship

Development Centres, through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

19. Union Government launches Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)

It has been launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).

It aims provide assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care, free of cost, universally to all

pregnant women on the 9th of every month.

Key Highlights Of PMSMA

Participation of the Private Practitoners:-The programme follows a systematic approach for

engagement with private sector which includes motivating private practitioners to volunteer for

the campaign developing strategies.


Identification and follow up of high risk pregnancies. A sticker indicating the condition and risk

factor of the pregnant women would be added onto MCP card for each visit:

Green Sticker- for women with no risk factor detected

Red Sticker – for women with high risk pregnancy

A National Portal for PMSMA and a Mobile application have been developed to facilitate the

engagement o Private/ voluntary sector.


Economy Issues

1- India ranked 112th in World Economic Freedom Index

India has slipped by 10 positions to 112th, out of 159 countries and territories, as it "fared

badly" across categories including legal system and regulation, according to the Economic

Freedom of the World: 2016 Annual Report.

China, Bangladesh and Pakistan lagged behind India at 113th, 121st and 133th ranks

respectively, Bhutan (78), Nepal (108) and Sri Lanka (111) were better placed on the World

Economic Freedom Index.

According to the report, Hong Kong has the highest level of economic freedom worldwide,

followed by Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland and so on.

India's leading public policy think tank, Centre for Civil Society, has published the report in

collaboration with Canada's Fraser Institute.

2- Project SAKSHAM

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra

Modi has approved ‘Project SAKSHAM’, a New Indirect Tax Network (Systems Integration) of

the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).

It will help in -

(a) implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST),

(b) extension of the Indian Customs Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) and

(c) other taxpayer-friendly initiatives under Digital India and Ease of Doing Business of Central

Board of Excise and Customs.

3- Railways launches travel insurance scheme with cover up to Rs 10 lakh

A travel insurance cover of up to Rs10 lakh can be availed while booking a train ticket online (e-

ticket) by paying less than one rupee from 31 August.

About the travel insurance scheme-

(1) The new facility will be available to all passengers excluding those travelling on suburban

trains while booking online irrespective of the class.

(2) The cover will not be applicable for children upto 5 years of age and foreign citizens.

(3) It will be for passengers holding tickets such as confirmed, RAC and wait-listed ones.

(4) The scheme offers travellers/nominees/legal heirs a compensation of Rs10 lakh in the event of

death or total disability, Rs7.5 lakh for partial disability, upto Rs2 lakh for hospitalisation

expenses and Rs10,000 for transportation of mortal remains from the place of a train accident

or where an untoward incident, including terrorist attack, dacoity, rioting, shootout or arson,

occurs.

(5) No refund of the premium will be given in case of cancellation of the ticket.

The scheme is being implemented by IRCTC in partnership with ICICI Lombard General

Insurance, Royal Sundaram General Insurance and Shriram General Insurance selected

through a bidding process.

4- India ranks 39th in 2016-17 Global Competitiveness Index

India has secured the 39th rank, climbing 16 places from last year, on the annual Global

Competitiveness Index prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

India has a score of 4.52 on the Index, while that of Switzerland, ranked 1st, is 5.81.


The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, based in Cologny,

Geneva.

Every year, WEF releases its Global Competitiveness Report based on their analysis of the

world’s 138 economies.

5- Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS)

Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) under Foreign Trade Policy of India (FTP

2015-20) is one of the two schemes introduced in Foreign Trade Policy of India 2015-20, as a

part of Exports from India Scheme. (The other scheme is SEIS, Service Exports from India

Scheme).

It seeks to promote export of notified goods manufactured/ produced in India.

MEIS is a major export promotion scheme of GOI implemented by the Ministry of Commerce

and Industry.

Salient features of MEIS are as under :

(1) MEIS is result of major consolidation and simplification of following schemes-

Focus Product Scheme (FPS)

Focus Market Scheme (FMS)

Market Linked Focus Product Scheme (MLFPS)

Agri. Infrastructure incentive scheme

Vishesh Krishi Gramin Upaj Yojna (VKGUY)

(2) Rewards under MEIS are payable as a percentage (2, 3 or 5%) of realized FOB value of

covered exports, by way of the MEIS duty credit scrip

(3) Duty credit scrips are freely transferable and usable for payment of custom duty, excise duty

and service tax.

(4) Incentives under MEIS are available to units located in SEZs also.

Objective of MEIS-

To offset infrastructural inefficiencies and the associated costs of exporting products produced in

India giving special emphasis on those which are of India’s export interest and have the capability

to generate employment and enhance India’s competitiveness in the world market.

6- India’s first commercial arbitration centre to be opened in Mumbai

The Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA), India’s first major centre for

commercial arbitration, launched in Mumbai.

The centre, being set up with the view of making India a hub of international commercial

arbitration and helping ensure ease of doing business, is a joint venture between the

Maharashtra government, industry members and the legal fraternity.

MCIA will serve as an alternative forum that Indian businesses can approach instead of the

Singapore International Arbitration Centre and the London Court of International Arbitration.

The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, provides a legal framework for domestic and

international arbitration and its mode of conduct and enforcement of awards.

7- India is non-committal on market economy status for China

India is not inclined to automatically grant the coveted ‘Market Economy Status’ (MES) to

China under World Trade Organisation (WTO) norms in December 2016.

What is Market Economy Status (MES)?

Under WTO norms, once a country gets MES status, exports from it are to be accepted at the

production costs and selling price as the benchmark.


As per the 2001 agreement (Protocol on accession of China to the WTO), WTO-member countries

had then decided to deem China as a ‘market economy’ from December 2016.

The main reason India is reluctant to grant MES to China is that it will severely curb India’s

ability to impose anti-dumping duties on “unfairly priced” Chinese imports.

8- India’s First Coastal Industrial Corridor

Multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank has approved $631 million for building

India’s first coastal industrial corridor between Visakhapatnam and Chennai.

East Coast Economic Corridor will spur development on India’s eastern coast and create

seamless trade links with other parts of South and Southeast Asia.

The Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor section of the East Coast Economic Corridor,

connecting four economic hubs and nine industrial clusters, will mark the first industrial corridor

developed along India’s coast.

The East Coast Economic Corridor will ultimately extend from Kolkata in West Bengal in the

northeast of India to Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu near the southern-most point of the country.

9- India ranks 130th in ease of doing business index- World Bank report

In the

World

Bank's

latest

'Doing

Business'

report,

India

placed

130th

from a

revised

rank of

131 last

year, with

the

nation’s

‘ease of

doing business’ ranking improving in just two out of 10 parameters.

The list of countries in the Doing Business 2017 is topped by New Zealand while Singapore is

ranked second.

10- 2016 Nobel prize for economics

Two US-based economists of European origin, UK born Oliver Hart and Finland born Bengt

Holmstrom , have been awarded this year's Nobel Prize for Economics 2016.

They have been awarded the Prize for their contributions to Contract Theory, helping the

understanding of issues like the performance-based pay for top executives.

Their work lays an intellectual foundation for designing policies and institutions in many areas,

from bankruptcy legislation to political constitutions.

Oliver Hart

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA


Bengt Holmström

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

The economics prize, officially called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in

Memory of Alfred Nobel, was established in 1968. It was not part of the original group of

awards set out in dynamite tycoon Nobel's 1895 will.

11- Four public sector banks face AT1 bonds coupon challenge

A sharp decline in profitability and mounting losses could wipe out the revenue reserves of

some public sector banks (PSBs) and affect their ability to make interest payments on their

Additional Tier-1 (AT-1) bonds.

Under the Basel III capital regulations, banks need to keep their top-quality tier-I capital ratio

at 7 per cent. Additional Tier-1 bonds, which blend the perpetuity of equity with the interest

payments of bonds, qualify under tier-I capital.

What are Additional Tier 1 (AT1) Bonds?

AT1 bonds are the hybrid bonds that combine debt and equity elements. They are also called as

contingent convertible capital instruments (CoCos).

AT1 or Cocos bonds have their roots in financial crisis when governments were forced to bail

out banks. They are the riskiest debt issued by banks and do not have any set maturity

date.

The defining characteristic of AT1 or Cocos bond is that it may be converted into shares when

certain conditions are met.

12- Sports Sector Gets the Infrastructure Status

The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Affairs proposed addition of sports in the coordinated

master list of infrastructure sub-sectors. Union Ministry of Finance gave approval.

The decision becomes important for earning long-term financial support as available to other

infrastructure projects.

Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Affairs provides Sports Stadia and Infrastructure for

Training/Research in sports and sports related activities.

Would inspire private investment and have sports contribute to the economy.

13- PROJECT INSIGHT

'Project Insight' is an initiative of the Finance Ministry in India. It will be used to nab tax

evaders

Insight is the ministry's flagship project, aimed at widening the tax base by catching tax

evaders using technology.

The project is also expected to rank tax evaders based on the amount of tax that could be

recovered, so that the authorities could go after the highest value targets first, the person said.

The project will track the Permanent Account Number (PAN) quoted on financial transactions

and then tally them with the individual's tax filings.

It will use data mining, big data and analytics to scoop out tax evaders from social media

platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

14- BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) became operational

The Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) of BRICS nations viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China

and South Africa was declared operational.


It was announced by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who had chaired the Governing

Council meeting of the BRICS’ CRA in New York, United States.

What is BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)?

CRA was established in 2015 during 7th BRICS summit in July 2015. The Treaty for the

establishment of BRICS CRA was signed at Fortaleza, Brazil in July 2014.

Both CRA and NDB (New Development Bank) were announced as part of BRICS Fortaleza

Declaration announced during 6th BRICS summit held in Fortaleza, Brazil in July 2014.

It is a framework that aims at providing support through additional liquidity and other means

to BRICS countries at a time of economic crisis.

The initial total committed resources of the CRA will be 100 billion dollars with individual

commitments as follows: China ($41 billion), India ($18 billion), Brazil ($18 billion), Russia

($18 billion) and South Africa ($5 billion).

15- ZED (Zero Defect, Zero Effect) Scheme

ZED or Zero Defect, Zero Effect is the scheme for MSME (Micro, Small and Medium

Enterprises) Sector to increase the quality of products matching global standards.

The main objective of ZED (Zero Effect, Zero Defect) scheme is to reduce the bad effect of

products on environment. The scheme will help contribute to environment as well.

Under the scheme, the MSME companies which follows the guidelines and meet the standards

set by the ZED will be awarded ZED certification along with several benefits.

16- National hub for SC/ST

National hub for SC/ST aimed at strengthening skilled training, market access, and providing

financial support to prospective and existing entrepreneurs.

17- 50 years of establishment of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

(UNCITRAL)

India hosted the golden jubilee (50th anniversary) celebrations of United Nations Commission

on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in New Delhi.

About United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)

UNCITRAL was established by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 1966 to promote the

progressive unification and harmonization of international trade law.

It is the core legal body of the UN system in the field of international trade law. It specializes in

reforms in commercial law worldwide for a period of over 40 years.

India is a founding member of UNCITRAL. India is only one of eight countries which have

been a member of UNCITRAL since its inception.

18- Union Govt. forms committee to push cashless transactions

The Centre announced a new committee, headed by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, to form a

strategy to expedite the process of transforming India into a cashless economy.

The panel is tasked with identifying various bottlenecks affecting access of digital payments.

The committee will identify and operationalise in the earliest possible time frame user-friendly

digital payment options in all sectors of the economy.


19. Maharashtra Tops In 2016 Agricultural Marketing And Farmer Friendly Reforms Index Of

Niti Aayog

NITI Aayog has launched an index to rank States and UTs that is based on

implementation of seven provisions proposed under model APMC Act, joining eNAM

initiative, special treatment to fruits and vegetables for marketing and level of taxes in

mandis.

These indicators reveal ease of doing agribusiness as well as opportunities for farmers to

benefit from modern trade and commerce, competitiveness, efficiency and transparency

in agri markets.

The second area of reforms included in the index is relaxation in restrictions related to lease in

and lease out agricultural land and change in law to recognise tenant and safeguard land

owners liberalisation.

The third area included in the index represent freedom given to farmers for felling and transit of

trees grown on private land. This represent opportunity to diversify farm business.

The Index is named as “Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index” and it

has a score which can have minimum value “0” implying no reforms and maximum value “100”

implying complete reforms in the selected areas. States and UTs have been ranked in terms of

the score of the index.

Maharashtra tops in implementing agricultural reforms and offers the best environment for

doing agri business. Maharashtra scored 81.7 on the index partly due to its decision to exclude

fruits and vegetables from the APMC Act.

Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are in the next three positions. The Centre is

trying to encourage States to carry out reforms in the three broad areas--agricultural

market, lease reforms and reforms related to forestry on private land-felling and transit of

trees.


INTERNATIONAL RELATION

1. World leaders adopt New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants at UNGA

World leaders approved a declaration aimed at providing a more coordinated and humane

response to the refugee crisis that has strained resources and sparked divisions from Africa to

Europe.

Highlights of the New York Declaration:

Protect the human rights of all refugees and migrants, regardless of status. This includes the

rights of women and girls and promoting their full, equal and meaningful participation in finding

solutions.

Ensure that all refugee and migrant children are receiving education within a few months of

arrival. Prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence.

Support those countries rescuing, receiving and hosting large numbers of refugees and

migrants.

Work towards ending the practice of detaining children for the purposes of determining their

migration status.

Find new homes for all refugees identified by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for

Refugees (UNHCR) as needing resettlement..

Strengthen the global governance of migration by bringing the International Organization for

Migration (IOM) into the UN system.

Other Developments

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also launched a new campaign called Together – Respect,

Safety and Dignity for All to respond to rising xenophobia and turn fear into hope.

United Nations and International Organization for Migration (IOM) signed the new agreement by

which IOM officially becomes a related organization of the United Nations system.

2. UNSC approves resolution for global implementation CTBT to ban nuclear weapons tests

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has approved a resolution urging quick global

implementation of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban treaty (CTBT) to ban tests of nuclear

weapons.

What is CTBT?

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty that bans all

nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments.

It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) under Resolution 50 on

September 10, 1996, but has not entered into force as eight designated nuclear-capable states

have not yet ratified the treaty.

The Treaty will enter into force 180 days after the date of deposit of the instruments of

ratification by all. .

The treaty already has a network of monitoring stations but does not have the power to go on

site to inspect for tests until it enters into force.

But for that, the holdouts among the 44 countries that are designated nuclear capable, the

United States, Egypt, China, India, Israel, Iran, North Korea and Pakistan must ratify it.

3. Cuba, Russia sign Agreement on Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation


Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom and Cuba's Ministry of Science, Technology and

Environment signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful atomic energy use on

the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna.

Key Highlights :

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of International 60th Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

General Conference held in Vienna, capital city of Austria.

The deal, laying the basis for further Russian-Cuban cooperation in different fields of peaceful

atomic energy use, from agriculture to training nuclear specialists, was signed.

4. Uprooted: The growing crisis for refugee and migrant children. UNICEF Report on

Refugees

This UNICEF report is the first to present comprehensive, global data about the 50 million

refugee and migrant children around the world. This report addresses where they are born,

where they move, the causes of their migration and displacement, and some of the

opportunities and dangers they face along the way both globally and regionally.

It also presents the six goals developed by UNICEF to protect child migrants and refugees and

provide them with hope for the future. These are:

1) Protect child refugees and migrants from exploitation and violence

2) End detention of child asylum seekers and migrants

3) Keep families together

4) Provide education, health, and other services

5) Urge action on the root causes of conflict and displacement

6) Fight xenophobia and discrimination in destination countries

5. BRICS to set up credit rating agency

The five-nation group BRICS agreed to set up an independent rating agency based on market-

oriented principles, saying it would further strengthen the global governance architecture.

Key Highlights:

There are concerns that the methodologies of the big three global agencies- S&P Global

Ratings, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service- is biased against developing countries,

reflected by their poor rating of these economies.

Despite having deep capital buffers, the ratings of multilateral banks like the BRICS-promoted

NDB are affected due to the parent countries' sovereign ratings.

Further, under the present pricing model of rating agencies, the company or institution issuing

bonds pays the rating agency to be rated, known as issuer-pays model. This is an ethical issue

of moral hazard in this model of rating.

The declaration stated. “to further bridge the gap in the global financial architecture, we agreed

to fast-track the setting up of a BRICS Rating Agency.”

6. 8th BRICS Summit concludes in Goa

The eighth BRICS summit was held in Goa from 15 to 16 October 2016. The summit concluded

with adaptation of Goa Declaration.

Theme: “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions.”

Key Highlights of Goa declaration


On world Security: Strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, committed to increase

effectiveness of the UN counter terrorism framework. Also, called for need for adaptation of

Comprehensive Convention on Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN General Assembly

On SDGs- Welcomed adoption of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its

Sustainable Development Goals.

On UN Reforms- Reiterated urgent need to reforms of the United Nations, including

International UN Security Council to increase representation of developing countries.

On New Development Bank- BRICS members were satisfied with the approval of the first

batch of loans by the New Development Bank (NDB), particularly in renewable energy projects

in BRICS countries.

BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement

CRA, established in 2015 by BRICS member nations is now operational and the central banks

of the grouping's members are "fully ready to carry out" the transactions.

The Ninth BRICS Summit will be hosted by China in 2017.

7. Russia withdraws from International Criminal Court

Russia has officially withdrawn from International Criminal Court (ICC) after President Vladimir

Putin signed an executive order in this regard.

The executive order mentioned that Russia is pulling out of the 2002 Rome Statute, which

establishes the ICC’s status and powers. However, Russia had never ratified the statue meaning

it was never member subject to its jurisdiction.

What is the issue?

Russia was against by ICC’s declaration that Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea

peninsula was an armed conflict. Russia is also under international pressure over its campaign of

air strikes in Syria over the issue of bombing civilians and civilian targets. Russia has denied those

allegations. Besides, ICC is also examining allegations of war crimes committed by Russian and

Georgian forces during a brief 2008 war.

About International Criminal Court (ICC)

ICC based in The Hague, Netherlands is an intergovernmental organization and international

tribunal.

It has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide,

crimes against humanity and war crimes.

It was established by the Rome Statute which was adopted in July 1998 end entered into

force in July 2002.

8. Pakistan conducts military exercise close to Indian border

Pakistan conducted RaadulBarq (Strike of Thunder) military exercise in a strategically located

area in Punjab province, bordering India.

It was the comprehensive joint exercise carried out jointly by Pakistan Army and Air Force to

reflect the preparedness of our armed forces to respond to any threat to its national security.

Key Facts

During the military exercise, JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, helicopter gunships and Al-Khalid

tanks hit designated targets on the ground.

It also demonstrated Pakistan’s indigenously developed surface-to-air missiles, multi-barrel

rocket launchers, sky radars for target detection and rocket propelled target system.

9. Latvia becomes first Baltic Sea country to link with China’s OBOR


Latvia has become the first country in the Baltic Sea area to sign a Memorandum of

Understanding to link up with China’s One Belt and One Road (OBOR) Initiative.

The MoU was signed after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s meeting with his Latvian counterpart Maris

Kucinskis in Riga (capital of Latvia). It was Chinese Premier’s first visit to the European Union

country.

Importance of Latvia Joining OBOR:

Latvia totally supports China’s OBOR and controversial 3 seas initiatives as well.

Latvia gives China opportunity to distribute goods to Europe directly from Latvia.

Enterprises from China will offer their production at a rate 5-6% cheaper on average bringing

competitiveness advantages for both China and Latvia.

China’s One Belt and One Road (OBOR) Initiative :

OBOR initiative is China’s key development strategy that targets to boost its connectivity and

trade in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

It includes two components:

Silk Road Economic Belt

21st Century Maritime Silk Road

It was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

Consider a part of China’s recovered 21st century Silk Road diplomacy that pushes it to take a

bigger role in global affairs.

10. RCEP members worry over market access to China .

RCEP is the proposed mega-regional Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between 16 Asia-Pacific

countries aims to open up trade in goods and services as well as liberalise investment policies.

It includes India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-member

ASEAN bloc and covers a market of over 3 billion people in these 16 countries — whose total

combined GDP is more than $17 trillion and collectively account for 40% of world trade.


SUMMIT

1. 2016 G-20 Summit held in Hangzhou, China

The 2016 Group of Twenty (G20) Summit was held in Hangzhou, China to discuss efforts to

reform Global Economic Governance.

It was the eleventh meeting of the G20. G20 accounts for 85% of the world trade and two-

third of world population. It consists of 19 head of the state and European Union.

The theme of 2016 G20 Summit : “Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and

Inclusive World Economy”.

Highlights of 2016 G20 Summit

The basic agenda in all these meeting is Growth. How to have better, transparent, and

effective global economic governance and how to promote growth..

Finance, Trade and Investment is the major problems in international community.

The 2017 G20 summit will be held in Hamburg, Germany from 7-8 July 2017.

2. 2016 ASEAN Summit held in Vientiane, Laos

The 28th and 29th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit was held in

Vientiane, Laos from 6th to 8th September 2016.

Prime Minister of the Lao PDR H.E. Thongloun Sisoulith was Chairperson of the summit.

The theme of the summit was : “Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic ASEAN

Community”.

14th ASEAN-India Summit and 11th East Asia Summit in Vientiane, Lao PDR

2017 will mark 25 years of India's dialogue partnership with ASEAN.

Future of ASEAN-India cooperation’s was discussed under each of the three pillars of

politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.

The East Asia Summit (EAS) is the premier leaders-led forum in the Asia-Pacific. Since its

inception in 2005, it has played a significant role in the strategic, geopolitical and

economic evolution of East Asia. Apart from the 10 ASEAN Member states, East Asia

Summit includes India, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United

States and Russia.

India, being a founding member of the East Asia Summit, is committed to strengthening the

East Asia Summit and making it more effective for dealing with contemporary challenges.

3. India to host 2016 Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction

India hosted the 2016 Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR)

from November 3 to 5, 2016 in New Delhi. This is second time India hosting AMCDRR.

The Conference aims: At transforming the commitments of governments and stakeholders

during the Sendai Conference into national and local action.

Key facts:

This is the first AMCDRR after the advent of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk

Reduction (SFDRRR), adopted at the third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan in March,

2015. It will set the direction of Sendai Framework implementation in the region.

The Conference adopted the ‘Asian Regional Plan for Implementation of the Sendai

Framework’ endorsed by the Asian countries.

It will also consolidate the political commitment of governments towards preventing and

reducing risk as well as strengthening resilience in the form of a political declaration.


Voluntary statements of action of stakeholder groups towards a ‘shared responsibility’ approach

in implementation of the SFDRR would also be adopted.

4. 2nd SAARC Anti-Terrorism Mechanism held in New Delhi

India hosted the second meeting of the High Level Group of Eminent Experts to strengthen the

SAARC anti-terrorism mechanism from September 22-23.

The meeting was recommended by the SAARC Ministerial Declaration on Cooperation in

Combating Terrorism, adopted by the 31st Meeting of SAARC Council of Ministers in

Colombo, in 2009.

SAARC members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan,

and Sri Lanka.

Key Points:

The member countries shared their national experiences on various related legislations to

counter terrorism.

They agreed towards operationalizing the SAARC Drugs Offences Monitoring Desk

(SDOMD) and SAARC Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk (STOMD) in order to strengthen

the combat efforts against terrorism.

STOMD: The desk was established in 1995 in Colombo (Sri Lanka) to collate, analyse and

disseminate information on terror offences, strategies, tactics and methods in SAARC region. It

is not functional due to some technical issues.

5. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated World Sustainable Development Summit

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first edition of World Sustainable Development

Summit (WSDS) in New Delhi.

The summit was organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Theme- Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress.

Key Facts:

WSDS has replaced TERI’s earlier called Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS).

The first DSDS was organised in 2005.

It underscored need for businesses and private sector to take lead in poverty reduction

and to ensure rapid and sustained adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It had brought together Nobel laureates, decision-makers political leaders from around the world

to deliberate on issues related to sustainable development.

The aim of the summit is to provide various stakeholders a single platform in order to

provide long-term solutions for the benefit of the global community.

6. High Level Meeting of Interior Ministers of IOR adopts Colombo declaration to Counter

Drug Trafficking

The high-level meeting in Colombo,Srilanka was attended by 18 littoral states of the Indian

Ocean Region.

The meeting was also attended by seven international organizations/partner agencies and UN

agencies engaged in counter-narcotics initiatives in the region.

The delegates resolved to work towards making the Indian Ocean a “Drug Free Zone”.

Colombo declaration:

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Colombo declaration.


The declaration states that narcotic drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean poses a threat to

peace and security in the region and its possible link to organized crime and funding of

terrorism.

It stresses upon the need for coastal states to cooperate more closely on enforcing maritime

law, sharing information, and providing mutual legal assistance, including the expansion and

development of communication through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

(UNODC’s) Indian Ocean Prosecutors Network.

The declaration also called on the littoral states of the Indian Ocean to meet on an annual

basis within the framework of the Southern Route Partnership (SRP) of Indian Ocean Forum on

Maritime Crime (IOFMC) to assess and report on the drug trafficking threat in the Indian Ocean

and develop a coordinated approach to counter such threats.

7. Peru to host 2016 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit

The 2016 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum’s Leaders Summit held in Lima,

Peru.

The theme of the summit is “Quality Growth and Human Development”

Official logo is the architecture of the ancient city of Caral.

Four priority areas are Human Capital Development, Regional Food Market, Upgrading SMEs

and Regional Economic Integration Agenda. .

About Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation :

A forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-

Pacific region.

It was established in 1989 in response to the growing interdependence of Asia-Pacific

economies and the advent of regional trade blocs in other parts of the world; to defuse fears that

highly industrialised Japan (a member of G8) would come to dominate economic activity in the

Asia-Pacific region; and to establish new markets for agricultural products and raw materials

beyond Europe.


Science & Technology

India’s first LIGO laboratory to come up in Hingoli, Maharashtra

India’s first LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) laboratory will be set

up in Aundh in Hingoli district of Maharashtra.

It will be third such laboratory in the world and first outside the United States. The existing two

laboratories are located in Hanford, Washington and in Livingston, Louisiana.

Known as the LIGO-India project, it is piloted by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and

Department of Science and Technology (DST). It is jointly coordinated and executed by three

Indian research institutions: the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics

(IUCAA), Pune and Department of Atomic Energy organisations: Institute for Plasma Research

(IPR), Gandhinagar and the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore.

These observatories are being upgraded to their advanced configurations (called Advanced

LIGO). LIGO-India project aims to move one Advanced LIGO detector from Hanford to

India.

1. Bengaluru hosts first edition of IoT India Congress

The first edition of ‘IoT (Internet of Things) India Congress, 2016’ began Bengaluru,

Karnataka.

The congress aims to bring together key stakeholders across the value chain and verticals to

collaborate, ideate and share a common roadmap for Internet of Things (IoT) implementation.

The event will also host the “IoT Start-Up Awards 2016” and “IoT Thought Leadership Awards

2016”.

Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and

digital machines, objects, or people that are provided with unique identifiers.

Thus it can be said that it is an internetworking of physical devices, vehicles, buildings

and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors and network

connectivity. The internetworking has ability to transfer data over a network without requiring

human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

2. Integration of Digi Locker with Driving Licenses & Vehicle Registration Certificates

launched.

The Union Government has launched a new service integration of DigiLocker with Driving

Licenses (DL) & Vehicle Registration Certificates (RC).


With this integration people will no longer need to carry around physical copies of their RCs and

Driving Licences. They can instead access digital copies of the same on their mobile

phones via the DigiLocker mobile app.

DigiLocker is a key initiative under Digital India programme aims at transforming India into a

digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. It is a platform for issuance and

verification of documents and certificates digitally.

3. ICICI Bank: First bank to introduce Software Robotics for power banking operations

India's largest private sector bank ICICI Bank has announced the deployment of 'Software

Robotics' in over 200 business processes across various functions of the bank.

The bank is the first in the country and among few globally to deploy 'Software Robotics' that

emulates human actions to automate and perform repetitive, high volume and time

consuming business tasks cutting across multiple applications.

This initiative deeply embodies the bank's philosophy of 'khayaal aapka', wherein we strive

to offer the best-in-class experience to our customers.

4. ISRO’s GSLV-F05 launches advanced weather satellite INSAT-3DR

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the rocket GSLV-F05 carrying an

advanced weather satellite ‘INSAT-3DR’ from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

INSAT 3DR, weighing 2,211 kg, put into a geosynchronous orbit. A geosynchronous orbit is a

high Earth orbit that allows satellites to match Earth's rotation. Located at 22,236 miles (35,786

kilometers) above Earth's equator, this position is a valuable spot for monitoring weather,

communications and surveillance.

Applications: It will provide service continuity to earlier meteorological missions and further

augment the capability to provide various meteorological, search and rescue services.

A significant aspect of it is set to be the first operational flight of the GSLV carrying

indigenous cryogenic engine.

Significance: ISRO is perfecting the crucial cryogenic engine technology in order to save

precious foreign exchange by launching heavier satellites on its own. Currently, ISRO relies on

the European Space Agency (ESA’s) Ariane rocket to launch its heavy communication

satellites.

5. Super Computer PARAM-ISHAN at IIT Guwahati

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister has inaugurated the super computer PARAM

ISHAN at IIT Guwahati campus.

PARAM ISHAN is the fastest and most powerful computer in North East, Eastern and

Southern region of India outside Bengaluru (Karnataka).

PARAM ISHAN PARAM ISHAN has been jointly developed by IIT Guwahati and C -DAC

(Centre for Development of Advanced Computing.

It can be used research initiatives such as computational chemistry, computational

electromagnetic, computational fluid dynamics, civil engineering structures, nana-block self-

assemble, optimization etc. It can be also used for Weather, climate modeling and seismic data

processing.

6. Submarine OFC connectivity between Chennai and Andaman & Nicobar Islands

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Icici+Bank


Cabinet approves provision of a direct communication link through a dedicated submarine

Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) between Mainland (Chennai) and Port Blair & five other islands viz.

Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Havelock, Kamorta and Great Nicobar.

The approval would equip Andaman & Nicobar Islands (ANI) with appropriate bandwidth and

telecom connectivity for implementation of e-Governance initiatives; establishment of

enterprises & e-commerce facilities and also enable the provision of adequate support to

educational institutes.

Currently the only medium of providing telecom connectivity between Mainland and Andaman &

Nicobar Islands is though satellites, but the bandwidth available is limited to 1 Gbps.

7. World’s largest radio telescope built in China

Beijing is ramping up its space program, with the construction of the world's largest radio

telescope used to pick up sounds, signals from stars and galaxies and, perhaps,

extraterrestrial life from outer space . The dish, located deep in the mountains of

southwest China's Guizhou Province, will be the first of its kind for China, and will allow

its military-run space program to gather its own data.

The dish will have a perimeter of about a mile and there are no towns within three miles,

which researchers said was ideal for minimizing sound interference.

The single-aperture spherical telescope, called "FAST," will overtake the American-run

Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, as the world’s largest and most powerful. Launch of the

Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST, would search for gravitational

waves, detect radio emissions from stars and galaxies and listen for signs of intelligent

extraterrestrial life.

8. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award, considered to be a coveted science honour in the

country.The Ministry of Science and Technology announced 11 awards in seven different

fields.

1. Biological science category: Balasubramanian Gopal (iisc) Bengaluru, Rajeev Kumar

Varshney (ICRISAT) Hyderabad.

2. Earth, atmosphere, ocean and planetary sciences : Jyotiranjan Srichandan Ray Physical

Science Laboratory, Ahmedabad

3. Engineering sciences: Yogesh Joshi, IIT Kanpur

4. Mathematical sciences: Ritabrata Munshi (TIFR), Mumbai

5. Applicable Mathematics: K. Sandeep from TIFR Centre Bengaluru.

6. Medical science category: Vidita Vaidya TIFR Mumbai

7. Physical sciences category: Bedangadas Mohanty from the National Institute of Science

Education and Research, Bhubaneshwar and Mandar Deshmukh from the TIFR Mumbai

8. Chemical sciences : D. Srinivasa Reddy from CSIR’s National Chemical Laboratory, Pune and

Pradyut Ghosh from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur.

9. India To Become An Associate Member of CERN

Atomic Energy Commission and Department of Atomic Energy signing an agreement for making

India an associate member of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), the

world’s largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory.

India had ‘observer’ status till September this year, when the CERN Council adopted a

resolution upgrading its position. Pakistan became an associate member of the body in 2014


There are three major activities going on in our laboratory—accelerators, detectors and

computing.

10. NIDHI (National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations)

The Union Government has recently launched an umbrella program “National Initiative for

Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI)” for nurturing ideas and innovation into

successful start ups.

The purpose of the program is to provide technological solutions not only to the pressing

needs of the society but also targets to create new avenues for wealth and job creation.

The programme will focus on helping startups to meet their funding, infrastructure and other

mentorship needs.

11. Gaia Space Probe

Space probe Gaia searches for galaxy's dark energy.

The spacecraft, called Gaia, built by the European Space Agency will carry the world's

biggest, most accurate camera which it will use to pinpoint more than a billion stars with

unprecedented precision and create a 3D map of the Milky Way.

It will reveal how the Milky Way formed and how it will evolve over the next few billion years.

Gaia will locate hundreds of thousands of distant planets in orbit around other stars;

survey asteroids that orbit close to our own Sun, giving warnings of any on a collision

course with Earth; and provide clues about dark energy, the mysterious force that is

thought to permeate space and which is pushing the universe apart.

12. NASA launches OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to collect samples from Bennu asteroid

Nasa launches the Osiris-Rex spacecraft into space on an unprecedented seven-year quest

to collect samples from the asteroid Bennu and return to Earth.

OSIRIS-Rex stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-

Regolith Explorer.

The probe will reach its destination in August 2018, spend two years mapping the asteroid and

send back interstellar material that could date back to the origins of the solar system.

Nasa’s Osiris-Rex probe set to attempt ‘smash-and-grab’ on speeding asteroid.

OSIRIS-Rex is NASA’s third planetary science mission selected in the New Frontiers Program,

after Juno and New Horizons. 101955 Bennu is a carbonaceous asteroid in the Apollo group.

It was discovered in September 1999 by the LINEAR Project.

13. World’s first daily driverless bus service launched in Lyon, France

The world’s first driverless bus service began in the French city of Lyon Two electric

minibuses with a capacity of 15 passengers each are now operating a 10-minute route with five

stops in the city centre at an average speed of 6 miles (10km) per hour.

The buses are not capable of manoeuvring around other traffic and the routes are near a

tramway where other vehicles are not allowed.

Each minibus is equipped with lasers, cameras, electronic systems LIDAR radar

technology and motion sensors that detect and analyse any movement around it.

LIDAR is acronym of Light Detection and Ranging. It is a surveying technology that measures

distance by illuminating a target with a laser light. Simply referred to as 3D scanning or laser

scanning with terrestrial, airborne and mobile applications.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/08/nasa-space-mission-launch-bennu-asteroid-osiris-rex

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/08/nasa-space-mission-launch-bennu-asteroid-osiris-rex

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/02/nasas-osiris-rex-probe-attempt-smash-grab-speeding-asteroid-bennu

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/france/


14. China successfully launches Tiangong-2 space lab

China successfully launched its first human space flight mission.

Tiangong-2 ( in English means Heavenly Palace 2) its predecessor, Tiangong-1 (launched in

September 2011), are prototypes for China’s ultimate goal to launch a permanent 20-ton

space station after 2020 just as International Space Station (ISS).

It will make China potentially the only country with a permanent space presence. In 2003,

China had conducted its first crewed space mission becoming only the third country after Russia

and the US to do so ..

It will be used for testing systems and processes for mid-term space stays and refuelling. It will

be placed at slightly higher orbit around 393 kilometres above the earth.

.

15. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft to make final observations of Saturn

After studying Saturn, its rings and moons for more than 12 years,

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has entered the final year of its epic voyage during which it will

make the closest-ever observations of the planet.

The conclusion is planned for September next year. Beginning on November 30, Cassini's orbit

will send the spacecraft just past the outer edge of the main rings. These orbits, a series of 20,

are called the F-ring orbits.

Cassini's final phase, called the Grand Finale, begins in earnest in April next year. A close

flyby of Saturn's giant moon Titan will reshape the spacecraft's orbit so that it passes through

the gap between Saturn and the rings, an unexplored space only about 2,400 kilometers wide.

During the Grand Finale, Cassini will make the closest-ever observations of Saturn, mapping

the planet's magnetic and gravity fields with exquisite precision and returning ultra-close views

of the atmosphere, new insights into Saturn’s interior structure, the precise length of a Saturn

day, and the total mass of the rings. Friction with the atmosphere will cause the spacecraft to

burn up like a meteor soon afterwards.

16. MIT scientists develop new technique to find signs of life on Mars

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists have developed a novel spectroscopic

technique that may help NASA’s new Mars rover, to be launched in 2020, find signs of

present or former extraterrestrial life on the red planet.

The rover will collect samples of rocks and soil, and store them on the Martian surface; the

samples would be returned to Earth sometime in the distant future so that scientists can

meticulously analyse the samples for signs of present or former extraterrestrial life.

The 2020 Mars rover includes SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman

and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals), an instrument that will acquire Raman

spectra from samples on or just below the martian surface.

The improved technique enables scientists to more accurately interpret the meaning of existing

Raman spectra, and quickly evaluate the ratio of hydrogen to carbon – thereby identifying the

most pristine, ancient samples of rocks for further study.

17. CSIR celebrates its platinum jubilee

India's largest civilian research and development agency Council of Scientific and Industrial

Research, CSIR is celebrating its platinum jubilee.

Prime Minister is President of CSIR.

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Cassini

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Saturn

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Cassini


On this day seven new plant varieties developed at CSIR laboratories were released.

CSIR is an autonomous body and the largest research and development (R&D) organisation

in India. It became operational on 26 September 1942.

It is mainly funded by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

CSIR’s R&D activities include aerospace engineering, ocean sciences, structural engineering,

metallurgy, life sciences, chemicals, mining, food, petroleum, leather, and environment.

18. 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in

Chemistry 2016 to

Jean-Pierre Sauvage (University of Strasbourg, France)

Sir J. Fraser Stoddart (Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA )

Bernard L. Feringa (University of Groningen, the Netherlands)

For their work on: The Design and Synthesis of Tiny Molecular Machines.

19. 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics

2016 to

David J. Thouless (University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA)

F. Duncan M. Haldane (Princeton University, NJ, USA)

J. Michael Kosterlitz (Brown University, Providence, RI, USA)

For their work on exotic states of matter: Theoretical Discoveries of Topological Phase

Transitions and Topological Phases of Matter

The work helps explain why some materials have unexpected electrical properties, such as

superconductivity, and in future the work could pave the way for quantum computers.

20. Indian Railways to introduce Tri-Netra to check collisions

TRI-NETRA - Terrain imaging for diesel dRivers Infra-red, Enhanced Optical & Radar

Assisted system

Ministry of Railways, has initiated a proposal to install TRI-NETRA systems on locomotives for

enhancing the vision of Locomotive Pilots in inclement weather.

TRI-NETRA system shall be made up of high-resolution optical video camera, high

sensitivity infra-red video camera and additionally a radar-based terrain mapping

system. These three components of the system shall act as three eyes (Tri-Netra) of the

Locomotive Pilot.

TRI-NETRA is designed to “see” the terrain ahead of the running locomotive during inclement

weather by combining the images captured by the three sub-systems and to create a composite

video image which shall be displayed in front of the Loco Pilot on a computer monitor.

21. China launches world’s longest super-secure quantum communication line

China has launched a quantum communication line 712 kilometers in length that is meant

to safely transmit sensitive information. It is expected to be extended to 2,000 kilometers

soon.

https://www.nobelprize.org/redirect/links_out/prizeawarder.php?from=/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2016/press.html&object=kva&to=http://www.kva.se/en/

http://www.nobelprize.org/redirect/links_out/prizeawarder.php?from=/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2016/press.html&object=kva&to=http://www.kva.se/en/


The line connecting Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, and Shanghai, a coastal trade

hub, has 11 trusted nodes along its length. It transmitted a secure video conference between

the two cities in one of its first test communications.

Aim is to connect Shanghai to China’s capital, Beijing, and run through another major city,

Jinan.

Quantum communication uses quantum entanglement of photons to ensure that nobody

taps into the line, as doing so would inevitably corrupt the signal.

The relay nodes are weak points, because the information is translated back into regular form

there before being re-entangled and sent further along the optic fiber link.

China has already launched world’s first quantum communication satellite. It was

nicknamed as Micius after a 5th century BC Chinese philosopher and scientist. The Micius

quantum satellite will be connected with the Beijing-Shanghai quantum communication line

through the line’s station in Beijing. It will enable the space-to-Earth highly secure hack-proof

quantum communication network.

22. NASA launches Next Generation Weather Satellite GOES-R

A “next generation” US weather satellite that was rocketed into space is on its way to provide

more timely and accurate information that is critical for life-saving weather forecasts and

warnings,

After the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary

Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R), reaches its final designated orbit in the

next two weeks, it will be renamed GOES-16.

The satellite’s primary instrument, the Advanced Baseline Imager, will provide images of

Earth’s weather, oceans and environment with 16 different spectral bands, including two visible

channels, four near-infrared channels, and 10 infrared channels.

Improved space weather sensors on GOES-R will monitor the sun and relay crucial information

to forecasters.

23. China’s Sunway Taihulight wins fastest supercomputer title

China’s ‘Sunway Taihulight’ has won the fastest supercomputer title in the 48th edition of

Top500 list of supercomputers. Chinese supercomputer has retained the top spot in the list of

the world’s fastest supercomputers for the eighth consecutive year.

Sunway TaihuLight is built entirely using processors designed and made in China. It was

developed by the China’s National Research Centre of Parallel Computer Engineering and

Technology (NRCPC). It can perform 93 quadrillions calculations per second (petaflop/s)

almost three times as fast as Tianhe-2.

TaihuLight is intended for use in research and engineering including climate, weather, life

sciences, advanced manufacturing and data analytics.

Other supercomputers in Top500 list:

1. An Intel-based Chinese Tianhe-2 supercomputer

2. Supercomputer Titan of the US Department of Energy (DOE).

3. IBM Sequoia Supercomputer system installed at US DOE’s

4. The Cori supercomputer.

Top500 list is considered one of the most authoritative rankings of the world’s supercomputers.

It is compiled on the basis of the supercomputers’ performance on the Linpack benchmark by

experts from the United States and Germany.


24. Biggest and brightest Supermoon observed

The Supermoon was observed after the moon was closest to the Earth. This is for the first

time moon came closest to Earth since 1948. Next time the supermoon will be observed on 25

November 2034.

Supermoon or perigee full moon is a phenomenon that occurs when a full moon

coincides with the moon being the closest to the Earth on its orbit. During this time, the

natural satellite appears roughly 30% larger in area and 30% brighter than the smallest full

moons. In terms of diameter, the width of the moon is about 14% wider than the smallest full

moons.

Why are supermoons not all the same size? The reason is that the shape of the ellipse that the

moon draws around the Earth is changing all the time as it is pushed and pulled by other

gravitational forces.

25. City Union Bank launches India’s first banking robot Lakshmi in Chennai

India's first banking robot Lakshmi made her debut in the Chennai city. Launched by

the Kumbakonam-based City Union Bank, the artificial intelligence powered robot will be the

first on-site bank helper.

Lakshmi is artificial intelligence powered robot. It can speak English, gesture and engage in

a life-like manner in conversations.

The robot can interact with customers on more than 125 subjects including account balance

and interest rates on loans.

It will not voice the sensitive financial information like account details rather display it discreetly

on its screen.

Artificial intelligence is the branch of computer science concerned with making

computers behave like humans. In contrast to normal hardware and software, artificial

intelligence enables a machine to perceive and respond to its changing environment. The

artificial intelligence machines learn automatically like humans during their processing by

assimilating large volumes of information.

26. China successfully launches pulsar navigation satellite XPNAV-1

China launched the world's first X-ray pulsar navigation satellite, XPNAV-1, which will

conduct in-orbit experiments using pulsar detectors to demonstrate new technologies.

XPNAV-1 — weighing more than 200 kgs, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

in China’s northwest.

The satellite operates in a Sun-synchronous orbit. While in orbit, the satellite will undergo

tests on its detector functions and space environment adaptability.

X-ray pulsar navigation is an innovative navigation technology in which periodic X-ray signals

emitted from pulsars are used to determine the location of a spacecraft in deep space.

Pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars that emit a beam of electromagnetic

radiation. They are spherical, compact objects that are about the size of a large city but contain

more mass than the sun. Scientists are using pulsars to study extreme states of matter, search

for planets beyond Earth’s solar system and measure cosmic distance.

In a sun-synchronous orbit, though, the satellite passes over the same part of the Earth at

roughly the same local time each day.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/robot-Lakshmi

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Kumbakonam-based-City-Union-Bank

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/artificial-intelligence-powered-robot

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/on-site-bank-helper


27. 10 November: World Science Day for Peace and Development

The World Science Day for Peace and Development is observed on 10 November 2016 across

the world to raise awareness of benefits of science in our daily life, organized by United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

2016 Theme: “Celebrating Science Centres and Science Museums”.

It highlights the importance of science centres and museums for capacity building and to send

strong messages about the importance of science for sustainable development.

Background: World Science Day was started in 2001 by UNESCO as a follow-up to the

first World Conference on Science in 1999. The conference was jointly organised by

UNESCO and International Council for Science in Budapest (Hungary).

28. Union Government launches Smart India Hackathon

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched Smart India

Hackathon 2017. It is the world’s largest digital national building initiative.

The Hackathon aims to find digital solutions by harnessing creativity and technical

expertise of over 30 lakh students from technology institutes in remotest parts of India.

Besides, it seeks to spark several institute-level hackathons countrywide and help build a funnel

for ‘Startup India, Standup India’ campaign.

It is joint initiative of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), University Grants

Commission (UGC), MyGov, NASSCOM, i4c, Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhiniand Persistent

Systems.

It will find digital solutions to problems in the areas of education, health, water, power,

agriculture, finance, urban & rural development, energy, aviation & shipping, transport,

sanitation, law & justice, sports, skill development & entrepreneurship, textiles, tourism, defence

etc.

The initiative will help to institutionalize a model for harnessing the creativity and skills of youth

for nation-building. The Hackathon will have nearly 500 problem statements in all and will be

published on innovate.mygov.in. In the first set of 250 problem statements were unveiled.

29. President Pranab Mukherjee presents Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards

The President of India, presented the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards to the winning

children of IGNITE competition organized by the National Innovation Foundation.

The IGNITE competition is a national competition of original technological ideas and

innovations by children up to class 12 or those out of school up to the age of 17 years.

The award is an effort to focus primarily on the creativity of the children and promote

inclusive and compassionate thinking among them.

It was started in 2008 and is organized every year by National Innovation Foundation (NIF) to

promote creativity and originality among children.

The awards of competition are announced on 15 October every year on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s

birthday, which is celebrated by NIF as Children’s Creativity and Innovation Day

NIF is an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology, Union Ministry of

Science and Technology. It was set up in February 2000 to provide institutional support for

scouting, sustaining, spawning and scaling up the grassroots innovations across the country.

It is committed to making India innovative by documenting, adding value, protecting IPR of

contemporary unaided technological innovators as well as of outstanding traditional knowledge-

holders and disseminating their innovations on non-commercial and commercial basis.


Department of Science and Technology to partner with NIF in INSPIRE MANAK (Million Minds

Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) scheme would boost the IGNITE model

There is a need to create an innovation eco-system in our country.

The Atal Innovation Mission is a very important initiative of the government aimed at

promoting innovations and start-ups all over the country. The idea of unleashing the

creativity of children is a valuable step in that direction.

30. NASA’s MMS mission sets Guinness world record

NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, or MMS providing new insight into Earths

magnetosphere -- now holds the Guinness World Record for highest altitude fix of a GPS

signal.

Operating in a highly elliptical orbit around Earth, the MMS satellites set the record at 70,006.4

kilometres above the surface. The four MMS spacecraft incorporate GPS measurements into

their precise tracking systems, which require extremely sensitive position and orbit calculations

to guide tight flying formations.

The mission uses four individual satellites that fly in a pyramid formation to map magnetic

reconnection - a process that occurs as the sun and Earth's magnetic fields interact.

Understanding the causes of magnetic reconnection is important for understanding phenomena

around the universe from auroras on Earth, to flares on the surface of the sun, and even to

areas surrounding black holes.

31. Coradia iLint: World’s first zero-emissions hydrogen train unveiled in Germany

Germany is set to host the world's first zero-emission, hydrogen passenger train which

should kick into gear next year.

The Coradia iLint only emits excess steam into the atmosphere, and provides an alternative

to the country’s 4,000 diesel cars currently in circulation in Germany.

Testing of the new silent train developed by French rail transport company Alstom, which was

first presented at Berlin’s InnoTrans trade show in August, is set to be carried out by the end of

the year.

Train's fuel source is effectively carbon neutral since the hydrogen used by the train actually

came from waste byproducts from the chemical industry and other manufacturers.

The hydrogen, or hydrail, train is set to run on the Buxtehude-Bremervörde-Bremerhaven-

Cuxhaven line in Lower Saxony in December 2017.

32. NASA completes construction of James Webb Space Telescope

NASA has completed the construction of the world's largest space telescope: The James

Webb Space Telescope is considered to be the successor to NASA's 26-year-old Hubble

Space Telescope.

NASA said an Ariane 5 rocket will launch it from French Guiana in October 2018.

We will see things we have not seen before because this telescope is much more powerful than

even the great Hubble telescope.

Captures both reflective sunlight and by thermal radiation and heat emitted.

33. Russia invites India to join fast-neutron reactor project

Russia has invited India to join in developing next-generation nuclear reactors and to participate

in its fast-reactor research project.

http://www.alstom.com/products-services/product-catalogue/rail-systems/trains/products/coradia-ilint-regional-train-/


The multipurpose fast research reactor project, known by the Russian acronym MBIR, is

coming up as the International Research Center in Dimitrovgrad located in the Ulyanovsk

region.

The purpose of the programme is the creation of a new technological platform for nuclear

energy, which will be based on the closed fuel cycle with fast neutron reactors.

The closed fuel cycle, which involves recycling the nuclear waste as new fuel, in the case of

the MBIR project, essentially signifies research on a sodium-cooled Generation 4 fast reactor to

design an advanced fast neutron reactor for use in nuclear power plants.

A fast neutron reactor, also known simply as a fast reactor, is a type in which the nuclear

fission chain reaction is sustained by fast neutrons. Such a reactor needs no neutron

moderator like normal water, which serves such a purpose in thermal reactors.

Transition to the closed fuel cycle, which is based on the fast neutron reactors, will lead to the

solution of the five key problems — safety, competitiveness, shortage of fuel, reprocessing

and refabricating the used nuclear fuel and radioactive waste — as well as in enforcing non-

proliferation of fission materials and weapons technologies.

Russia has offered India a new range of reactor units – the VVER-Toi (typical optimised,

enhanced information) design – for the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam project in Tamil

Nadu being built by Rosatom.

34. IIL develops CYSVAX, world’s first vaccine to fight against tapeworms in pig

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB),

launched CYSVAX, touted as the world’s first vaccine to fight against Tapeworms in pigs.

The vaccine was developed in collaboration with Dr.Marshall Lightowlers, University of

Melbourne, Australia and GALVmed (Global Alliance for Veterinary medicine).

IIL has obtained the license the to manufacture and market the vaccine after conducting

extensive field trials in India and many other countries such as Spain, Peru etc. Trials are also

underway in Nepal, Zambia, Uganda and Tanzania.

Open defecation and unhygienic pig rearing are the primary breeding grounds for

Tapeworms. Cases of Cysticercosis have been found to occur across India, particularly in the

North UP and Northeast states.

Cysticercosis, is caused by ingesting the eggs of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium.

Humans are usually infected by the ingestion of eggs present in the under-cooked pork,

vegetables and greens that have been improperly washed. The vaccine also has the

potential to significantly reduce the incidence of epilepsy in humans.


Environment

1. 16 September: International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had designated 16 September as the

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on December 19, 1994.

The day is commemoration of the date in 1987 on which the Montreal Protocol was signed on

substances that deplete the ozone layer.

2016 theme: “Ozone and climate: Restored by a world united”. The theme recognizes the

collective efforts of the parties to the Montreal Protocol and Vienna Convention towards the

restoration of the ozone layer over the past three decades and the global commitment to

combat climate change.

The ozone layer is a region of Earth’s stratosphere at height of 20-30km that absorbs most of

the Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation that may cause skin cancer. It contains high concentrations

of ozone (O3) in relation to other parts of the atmosphere. Stratospheric Ozone is not

harmful, but its presence on land it is harmful.

Montreal Protocol,1989 is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by

phasing out production of numerous Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs) that are

responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 26 August 1987 in Montreal, Canada and

entered into force on 26 August 1989.

Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer is a Multilateral Environmental

Agreement that was agreed upon at the 1985 Vienna Conference and entered into force in

1988. It acts as a framework for the international efforts to protect the ozone layer.

2. Invasive Giant African Land Snail sighted at Goa University

The Goa University campus at Taleigao plateau near area showing indicators of impact of

gross human interference in the natural ecosystem as it has become a nursery of Giant

African Land Snail (GALS), listed in the world’s top 100 invasive species.

The two giant specimens of 11-cm long exotic invasive species of the snail spotted, that bears

the biological name Achatina fulica.

Potential threat: (i) To agro-horticultural crops and local flora in Goa (ii) Could also displace

local land snails species (Xetatle Konge). (iii) Pose a health threat as they are vectors of human

disease such as brain fever (eosinophilic meningitis).

Invasive Species any species, including its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material

capable of propagating that species, that is not native to that ecosystem; and whose

introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to

human health.

Invasive alien species are a major driver of biodiversity loss. In fact, an analysis of the IUCN

Red List shows that they are the second most common threat associated with species that have

gone completely extinct.

For example the water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes, a native to South America is

spreading across Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America.

3. National Board for Wildlife clears first phase of Ken-Betwa interlinking project

India’s first inter-State river interlinking project was given a go-ahead by the National Board

for Wildlife (NBWL) .This would be the first time that a river project will be located within a tiger

reserve.


Ken-Betwa project will irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region but, in the

process, also submerge about 10 per cent of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya

Pradesh, feted as a model tiger-conservation reserve.

The main feature of the project is a 230-km long canal and a series of barrages and dams

connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers that will irrigate 3.5 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and

14,000 hectares of Uttar Pradesh, in Bundelkhand.

The key projects are the Makodia and Dhaudhan dams, the latter expected to be 77 m high and

responsible for submerging 5,803 hectares of tiger habitat in the Panna tiger reserve.

4. Researchers produce carbon from sugarcane waste for use in batteries

Researchers from Pune’s National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) and Indian Institute of Science

Education and Research (IISER) have used a simple, cost-effective and quick process to

convert sugarcane bagasse into anode-grade porous, conducting, activated carbon

material for use in Li-ion batteries. Anode-grade carbon is generally produced through

decomposition at nearly 1000 degree Celsius.

Significance of Research:

It will bring down the time to get anode-grade carbon dramatically. Thus, it will help to reduce

electrical energy input substantially.

The quality of carbon and battery performance using this carbon is quite good and competitive

compared with carbon made through other complicated schemes and processes.

The carbon was produced using Simple kitchen microwave used to derive high-quality

material in minutes.

5. World’s largest solar power plant commissioned at Kamudhi, Tamil Nadu

The 'world's largest solar power plant' with an installed capacity of 648MW was

commissioned at Kamudhi in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. The plant is set by

Adani group.

6. National waterways project threatens Gangetic dolphins

Scientists and wildlife conservationists are worried over the threat posed to Gangetic river

dolphins by the National Waterways project. The animal is protected under Schedule I of the

Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is a declared endangered species.

The development of the Ganga for shipping is seen as the single-largest threat to the

survival of the species, whose numbers are declining in most parts of their natural habitat.

This is mainly due to construction of dams and barrages on the river, depletion of prey

base, accidental mortality in fishing nets and accidents with vessel propellers.

The species are practically blind, and rely on bio-sonar method to move around. The

ships’ noise-levels would disrupt the ability to navigate, and find prey.

The NW1 stretching from Allahabad to Haldia is seen to have a potential to emerge as the

logistics artery for northern India, while reducing the congestion on this high-traffic transport

corridor. However, this stretch is also home to the endangered dolphin. River dolphins are

found in the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

7. IGI becomes Asia-Pacific’s first carbon neutral airport

Airports Authority of India (AAI) run Delhi Airport The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) has

become the first carbon neutral airport in Asia-Pacific following a series of measures taken

by it to reduce carbon footprint, including setting up of a 7.84MW solar power plant.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Solar-Power

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Ramanathapuram


The announcement was made by the international body of aerodrome operators across the

world, Airports Council International (ACI) during the Airport Carbon Accreditation

certificate presentation ceremony in Montreal, Canada.

Carbon neutrality occurs when the net carbon emissions over an entire year are zero or

when the airport absorbs or offsets the same amount of emission that was generated.

This achievement is accredited by ACI under Airport Carbon Accreditation that monitors the

efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions.

At IGI, DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) has taken the proactive approach towards

environment management and sustainability development. Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport is a LEED

(Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) Gold certified green building.

8. Aviation Climate Deal

The 191 countries in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have agreed a

carbon offsetting scheme to constraining aviation emissions for international aviation.

The proposed landmark deal, backed by the United States and China, aims to limit rising

airline pollution to 2020 levels after it takes effect in 2021, but has been watered down as

it will be voluntary for the first five year.

Airlines that have opted into the measure will have to purchase offsets to balance their

emissions growth above 2020 levels. More than 65 countries representing over 85% of

global air traffic have said they will participate from the beginning. More countries can opt

to join in after 2024 or 2027, by which point the scheme will be mandatory for all but the

smallest countries. The scheme will be reviewed every three years.

9. GM Mustard

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the environment ministry is

about to approve commercialisation of a genetically modified (GM) variant of mustard food

crop developed by Delhi University (DU).

DU's GM mustard-- Dhara Mustard Hybrid 11 or DMH 11 is a herbicide-tolerant crops its

commercialisation gives 25-30 per cent more yield than the best varieties such as ‘Varuna’

currently grown in the country.

India is the third largest producer of the crop internationally.

The team has used a “Barnase” gene isolated from a soil bacterium called Bacillus

amyloliquefaciens. It codes for a protein that impairs pollen production and renders the

plant into which it has been introduced male-sterile. This male-sterile plant is crossed with a

fertile parental line, containing, in turn, another gene, “Barstar”, from the same bacterium that

blocks the action of the “Barnase” gene. The resultant progeny, having both the foreign genes,

is a hybrid mustard plant that is not only high-yielding, but also fertile and capable of producing

seed/grain

10. Heritage Heroes Award

The Heritage Heroes award aims to recognise the outstanding efforts of people, of who

make efforts to conserved natural World Heritage sites despite life-threatening situations.

Assam-based ecologist and conservation activist Bibhuti Lahkar has won prestigious

‘Heritage Heroes Award’ of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

For the past two decades Lahkar, has been working to save the grasslands, flora and fauna

of Manas National Park area.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Indira-Gandhi-International-Airport


With this, he became the first Asian to win this prestigious environmental award. He was

presented this award at the IUCN’s ongoing World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii.

11. Habitat Destruction Of Laggar Falcon In Madurai

Indiscriminate sand quarrying on the Vaigai river bed, and granite quarrying in many

parts of Madurai, have spelt disaster for many raptor species only two Laggar Falcons survive

on the rock cliffs of Arittapatti near Melur in the district.

Laggar Falcons are an indigenous raptor species, are the greatest indicators of climate

change, and of loss of habitat and biodiversity.

Due to sand quarrying, felling of palm trees, which is a nesting spot of many raptor species, are

one of the reasons for the disappearance of the birds. Madurai lost its Vaigai-based biodiversity,

including hundreds of Brahminy Kites, Black Kites and native fishes.

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these

falcon species and has listed them as "Near Threatened".

12. Giant Panda No Longer Endangered

World’s threatened wildlife, the giant panda has just been downgraded from ‘Endangered’ to

‘Vulnerable’ on the global list of species at risk of extinction, demonstrating how an

integrated approach can help save our planet’s vanishing biodiversity.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the change to the

giant panda’s status in the Red List of Threatened Species, pointing to the 17% rise in the

population in the decade up to 2014, when a nationwide census found 1,864 giant pandas in the

wild in China.

While the panda’s status has improved, other species are under increasing threat,

including the Eastern gorilla that is now listed as critically endangered, just one step

away from extinction, primarily due to poaching.

13. New species of Pika found in Sikkim

A new species of a small mammal in the rabbit family has been discovered in the higher

altitudes of the Himalayas in Sikkim. Identified as ‘Ochotona sikimaria’ - the new pika

species.

Unlike other mammalian species inhabiting such harsh environments, pikas do not hibernate.

They prepare for winter by collecting and storing hay piles for their winter food.

Pikas look like tailless rats. They live in the mountains or in temperate regions. They are a

keystone species and ecosystem engineers. The common name pika is basically used for

any member of the Ochotonidae family.

Keystone species determine the ability of a large number of other species to survive in the

ecosystem. When they become extinct, it has cascading effect on extinction of other

species. Example of keystone species is bees as pollination of fruits and flowers is

dependent on them.

14. Prakampana-2016

Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercises, the Armed

Forces in collaboration with Central Armed Police Forces and civil administration have started

conducting Joint HADR exercises in different places of the country.


First Joint Exercise ‘JALRAHAT’ on flooding in Urban Areas was conducted by the Army,

in Guwahati, Assam.

Second exercise ‘PRAKAMPANA’ by Indian Navy in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh is

primarily based on super cyclone in the coastal region.

Third such HADR exercise ‘SAHAYATA’ will be conducted by Indian Air Force at Bhuj, Gujrat.

This exercise is primarily aimed at preparing the Forces to undertake rescue and relief

operations during major earthquakes of Western region.

15. Antartica’s Ross Sea declared as world’s largest Marine Protected Area

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

agreed unanimously to designate the Ross Sea as world's largest marine protected area.

The Ross Sea in Antarctica has shelf and slope only comprise 2% of the Southern Ocean but

they are home to 38% of the world's Adelie penguins, 30% of the world's Antarctic petrels

and around 6% of the world's population of Antarctic minke whales.

The Ross Sea is a deep bay in the Southern Ocean that many scientists consider to be the

last intact marine ecosystem on Earth – a living laboratory ideally suited for investigating life

in the Antarctic and how climate change is affecting the planet.

The agreement also establishes a large 322,000 sq km “krill research zone” that will allow for

research catching of krill, but prohibit toothfish catching.

16. Smooth-coated otter sighted for first time in Krishna sanctuary

Smooth-coated otter was sighted for the first time in the mangrove forest near the

Krishna wildlife sanctuary (KWS) in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh..

The presence of the otter is a key indicator for rise of the mangrove cover in the KWS.

The smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is a carnivorous mammals. The fur of this

species is smoother and shorter than that of other otters. It is distributed throughout South Asia

and South East Asia. The otter lives in rivers, lakes, peat swamp forests, mangroves and

estuaries.

It has been categorised ‘vulnerable’ in the red data book of International Union for

Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

17. IUCN to declare Kashmir’s Red Stag as Critically Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has decided to put Kashmir's Red stag,

on the critically endangered species list. The organisation is also aiming to enhance the

conservation efforts to increase its declining population.

The cited reasons for the decline in its population are said to be habitat destruction, over-

grazing by domestic livestock, and poaching.

Other than this animals included in critically endangered species list are:

Kakapos are the heaviest parrots in the world, weighing as much as 8 pounds. These parrots

are very unusual and nocturnal. Kakapos do not fly and are found in New Zealand. These

parrots are also known as owl parrots.

The Bactrian Camel is a rare camel with two humps found in countries like Mongolia, China,

India, Pakistan, and Russia. These camels are in danger of extinction with only 800 left for the

world to see.

The Philippine Eagle is the national bird of Philippines and is also known as the monkey-

eating eagle. These birds are at the verge of extinction with only 500 left in the world. The

primary reason for them becoming endangered is deforestation.


18. Historic Global Greenhouse gas emission Agreement signed in Kigali

Nearly 200 nations have agreed a legally binding deal to cut back on greenhouse gases

used in refrigerators and air conditioners, a major move against climate change. The deal

was "a monumental step forward" in Kigali capital of Rwanda.

The deal, which includes the world's two biggest economies, the United States and China,

divides countries into three groups with different deadlines to reduce the use of factory-

made hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases, which can be 10,000 times more powerful than carbon

dioxide as greenhouse gases.

Under the pact, developed nations, including much of Europe and the United States, commit to

reducing their use of the gases incrementally, starting with a 10 percent cut by 2019 and

reaching 85 percent by 2036..

Two groups of developing countries will freeze their use of the gases by either 2024 or 2028,

and then gradually reduce their use. India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and the Gulf countries will meet

the later deadline.

They refused the earlier date because they have fast-expanding middle classes who want air

conditioning in their hot climates, and because India feared damaging its growing industries.

19. Union Government launches satellite-based illegal Mining Detection System

The Centre recently launched the Mining Surveillance System (MSS), a satellite-based

monitoring system which seeks to curb instances of illegal mining activity through

automatic remote sensing detection technology.

The system, which enables public participation, seeks to check exploitation of natural

resources, reduce the impact of mining on the environment, make the monitoring

process more transparent, and enable quicker response to unauthorized activity.

The system checks a region of 500 meters around the existing mining lease boundary for

unusual activity, possibly an instance of illegal mining, and generates automatic triggers. Using

a mobile app, which even citizens can use, officials can submit reports of their inspections.

Developed by Gandhinagar based Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and

Geo-informatics (BISAG) in co-ordination with Indian Bureau of Mines.

20. India, Russia ink agreement to set up 25 Agro Irradiation Centres

India and Russia signed a pact to set up 25 integrated infrastructure centers for irradiation

treatment of perishable food items to improve shelf life and cut post-harvest

losses. Perishable items ranging from flowers to fish will be treated there on a commercial

scale

The agreement was signed between Russia’s United Innovation Corporation (UIC) — a

subsidiary of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation — and Hindustan Agro Co-op Ltd on

the sidelines of the BRICS Business Forum here.

At least 7 centers will be set up in Maharashtra these are Sindhurg, Satara, Solapur, JNPT,

Jalana, Napur and Pune in the first phase. The locations in other states are yet to be finalized.

Food irradiation is a technology in which food products are subjected to a low dosage of

radiation to treat them for germs and insects, increasing their longevity and shelf life.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommends the irradiation doses for Food

irradiation.

Irradiation does not reduce the nutritional value of food products and does not change their

organoleptic properties and appearance. The irradiation treatment of food and foodgrains


preserves them for longer time, prevent the spread of invasive pests, delay/eliminate ripening or

sprouting and reduce the risk of food borne illness.

21. India to eliminate use of HFC-23 by 2030

India will eliminate the use of HFC-23, a greenhouse gas that harms the ozone layer, by 2030

on tackling climate change.

The announcement came at a meeting of parties to the Montreal Protocol at Kigali in Rwanda

where final negotiations taken place to reduce the use of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) by 2030.

The Montreal Protocol, which came into force in 1989, is aimed at reducing the production and

consumption of ozone depleting substances in order to protect the earth’s fragile ozone layer.

HFC-23, a potent greenhouse gas with global warming potential of 14,800 times more

than that of CO2, is a by-product of HCFC-22, which is used in industrial refrigeration.

HCFC stands for hydrochloroflurocarbon.

22. Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme

Government, through Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), is implementing the Ethanol Blended

Petrol (EBP) Programme under which, OMCs sell ethanol blended petrol with percentage

of ethanol upto 10%.

Government has allowed procurement of ethanol produced from other non-food feedstocks, like

cellulosic and ligno cellulosic materials including petrochemical route.

23. October 13: International Day for Disaster Reduction

The International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is observed to encourage citizens and

governments to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations.

2016 Theme: “Live to Tell: Raising Awareness, Reducing Mortality”.

The 2016 edition of IDDR marks the launch of the new Sendai seven Framework for Disaster

Risk Reduction by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

The Sendai Framework is a 15-year voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that

the countries have the primary role to reduce disaster risk. It is the successor agreement

to the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005–2015), which was the most encompassing

international accord on disaster risk reduction to date.

The Sendai Framework also seeks to promote best practices at the international, regional and

national level across all sectors, to reduce disaster risk and disaster losses. The framework

has seven targets and first of it is reducing disaster mortality. The four priority themes of

the Sendai Framework are: (i) Understanding disaster risk, (ii) improving disaster risk

governance, (iii) investing in disaster risk reduction (through structural and non-structural

measures) and (iv) disaster preparedness, early warning and building back better in the

aftermath of a disaster.

24. First World Tsunami Awareness Day to be celebrated at AMCDRR 2016

The first World Tsunami Awareness Day will be celebrated on November 5, 2016 at the Asian

Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016.

The conference will organized in New Delhi by the Union Government in collaboration with

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).


The objective of the day is to spread awareness among people across the world in

matters related to the dangers of tsunami and stress on the importance of early warning

systems in order to mitigate damage from the devastating natural calamity.

India’s initiatives Following the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, Central

Government established an Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC). It is operational

since October 2007. ITEWC was established under the Indian National Centre for Ocean

Information Services (INCOIS) at Hyderabad.

25. Himansh, India’s remote, high-altitude station opens in Himalayas

Indian government has established a high altitude glaciological research station in

Himalaya called HIMANSH (literally meaning, a slice of ice), situated above 13,500 ft (>4000

m) at a remote region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.

The research lab, established by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research

(NCAOR), has automatic weather stations, ground penetrating radars, geodetic GPS systems

and other sophisticated facilities to study and quantify the Himalayan glacier responses towards

the climate change

Initiatives would contribute to the integrated study the glaciers in the upper Indus basin

(Chandra basin) in Himachal Pradesh and their contribution to discharge. Understanding

the behaviour of these glaciers and their contribution to the sustainable supply of water for

mankind and agriculture is one of the grand challenges of Indian scientific community.

26. CM Pawan Chamling honoured with Sustainable Development Leadership Award

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling honoured with prestigious "Sustainable

Development Leadership Award", During "World Sustainable Development Summit"

organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

The award was presented to him in recognition of his vision and leadership in

environment and sustainable development leading to the establishment of Sikkim as the

first and only organic state in the country. Sikkim is the only state in India to have attained

the official status of fully organic state in January 2016.

Chamling has taken various green initiatives under which ban on pan masala/gutka was

enforced in the entire state in the year 1995, and subsequently in 1997 passed an Act on

prohibition of throwing of non-degradable garbage in public drains and sewerage.There is a ban

also in the state on smoking at public places.

27. Elephant researcher Prajna Chowta conferred with knighthood by France

Film-maker and elephant researcher Prajna Chowta has been appointed Chevalier de l'Ordre

National du Mérite (Knight in the National Order of Merit), one of the highest civilian recognitions

of the French government. In recognition of her life devoted to caring for wild Asian elephants.

28. National Mission on Bioeconomy launched in Shillong, Meghalaya

In order to boost rural economy by utilising bio-resources, a National Mission on

Bioeconomy was launched in Shillong, Meghalaya by the Institute of Bio-resources and

Sustainable Development (IBSD) under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pawan-Kumar-Chamling

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Energy-and-Resources-Institute


The mission focuses on sustainable utilization of renewable biological resources for food, bio-

based products and bio-energy through knowledge-based approaches. The mission is unique to

south-east Asia and India has become one of the few countries to have tapped bio-resources,

which when optimally utilized can create a large number of jobs at village level.

The NE region is among the world's top 10 biodiversity hot spots and people should take

advantage of these resources to improve their economy.

29. Tamil Nadu tops list of endemic flowering plants: BSI

According to the recent publication released by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Tamil

Nadu accounts for the highest number flowering plants in the country.

The publication titled Endemic Vascular Plants of India also revealed that almost one of every

four species of flowering plants found in India are endemic to the country.

Of the total 18,259 flowering plants reported in the country, 4,303 (over 23%) are found only in

India or they are endemic to the country. Of these, Tamil Nadu accounts for the highest

number of species with 410, followed by Kerala (357 species) and Maharashtra (278 species).

In case of the geographical distribution of endemic plants, Western Ghats tops the list with

about 2,116 species, followed by the Eastern Himalayas with 466 species. These two regions

are among the biodiversity hot spots of the country.

Some of the plants species are restricted to only certain areas of the country like an

insectivorous plant Nepenthes khasiana which is only found in the Khasi hills of

Meghalaya.

30. Worst coral die-off recorded at Australia’s Great Barrief Reef

Warm seas around Australia's Great Barrier Reef have killed two-thirds of a 700-km (435

miles) stretch of coral in the past nine months, the worst die-off ever recorded on the World

Heritage site.

The die-off was "almost certainly" the largest ever recorded anywhere because of the size of the

Barrier Reef, which is the biggest coral reef in the world.

Bleaching occurs when the water is too warm, forcing coral to expel living algae and

causing it to calcify and turn white. Mildly bleached coral can recover if the temperature

drops and the survey found this occurred in southern parts of the reef, where coral mortality was

much lower.

While bleaching occurs naturally, scientists are concerned that rising sea temperatures caused

by global warming magnifies the damage, leaving sensitive underwater ecosystems unable to

recover.

Climate scientists argue that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat radiating

from earth, creating global warming. Australia is one of the largest carbon emitters per

capita because of its reliance on coal-fired power plants for electricity.

31. WWF’S Living Planet Report 2016

World Wildlife Fund published its 2016 Living Planet Report that warned the substantial

decline in animal populations would continue unless significant action is taken immediately.

Activities such as deforestation, poaching and human-induced climate change are in large part

to blame for the decline. If the trend continues, then by 2020 the world will have lost two-

thirds of its vertebrate biodiversity

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Asia

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=India


The main threat facing declining populations is habitat loss — caused by logging, agriculture

and the disruption of freshwater systems such as rivers. Freshwater populations, which declined

by 81%, are increasingly thought to be faring worse than those living in terrestrial regions.

32. Neerdhur

As is well known, indoor pollution is one of the major causes of ill health and high mortality rate

in the hinterland. The enhanced cook stove could go a long way in reducing its impact if

marketed in the right manner and made available across the country.

Developed by the National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) and

christened ‘Neerdhur’, this multi-fuel domestic cook stove is supposed to be super efficient,

saves 50 per cent of fuel, has high thermal efficiency and reduces cooking time.

Its USP is that besides wood it can consume several fuels including coal, cow dung,

charcoal, biomass and other agricultural residue. Designed as a hybrid with technology

innovations, it uses much less fuel with lower emissions.

The cook stove has also been approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and

is now certified to meet cook-stove emission standards by Bureau of Indian Standards.

33. Internal Carbon Price

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd became the first Indian company to announce its internal carbon

price of $10 per tonne of carbon emissions.

The move is in line with its business commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions by 25% over the next three years.

Carbon pricing is an internationally recognized business tool that enables companies to

create resources which are invested in low-carbon technologies which help reduce

future emissions and lower operating costs.

The company has also invested in developing India’ first and only electric car, the E2O.

It is also the first Indian company that joined the World Bank’s ‘Carbon Pricing Leadership

Consortium’ which was launched at the Paris climate summit last year.

Some of the global companies that have announced carbon pricing are Unilever, Microsoft,

Google and Novartis

34. Report On Palaeo Channel Of North West India

Report on Palaeo Channel of North West India: Review & Assessment by Expert Committee

headed by Prof. K.S. Valdiya, eminent Geologist.

The report is based on the study of the land texture of states of North-West India including-

Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. It has also taken account of the geological changes that had

occurred in the past

The report is an assertion of the assumption that River Saraswati originated from Adibadri

in Himalaya to culminate in the Arabian Sea through the Runn of Kutch.

35. Tamil Nadu Gets World’s First Salt-Tolerant Plant Garden

The world’s first Genetic Garden of Halophytes (naturally occurring salt-tolerant plants) was

inaugurated at the coastal town of Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu.

The garden has been set up by M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). It will

have over 1,600 species belonging to 550 genera and 117 families of Halophytes plants.


Initially it will comprise halophytes occurring along the coasts of India including the Andaman

and Nicobar Islands.

Halophytes are salt-tolerant or salt-resistant plants. They can thrive and complete their life

cycles in soils or waters containing high salt concentrations.

In recent times, alarming rise in the sea level has prompted agriculture scientists to call for the

cultivation of saline-tolerant crops in light danger of sea intrusion.

36. Cop22 Adopts Marrakech Action Proclamation

The 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), hosted by Morocco in Marrakech.

The Marrakech Action Proclamation welcomes the Paris Agreement, adopted under the

Convention, already ratified by over 111 Parties, and entered into force on 4 November 2016.

The Proclamation refers to the ambitious goals and inclusive nature of the Paris agreement,

reiterates its reflection of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, and reaffirms the

strong – and irreversible – commitment of all Parties to take action on climate and sustainable

development, moving forward to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and foster adaptation

efforts, thereby benefiting and supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Developed Country Parties reaffirmed their goal to mobilize USD $100 billion annually from

2020 in climate finance.

The importance of climate action in agriculture features strongly in the NDCs and was more

prominent at COP22 than in the past, with particular emphasis on the Adaptation of African

Agriculture (AAA) initiative launched through the signing a “Marrakech Declaration”.

Fiji was elected to serve as President of COP23 to be held in November 2017 at the seat of

the UNFCCC secretariat in Bonn. COP23 will primarily serve to take stock of progress on the

implementation of the work programme under the Paris Agreement.

37. Andhra Pradesh Tops World Bank’s Energy-Saving Rankings

Andhra Pradesh has been ranked number one in the World Bank’s ‘Energy Efficiency

Implementation Readiness’. The ranking of the states were released in the World Bank’s

study report titled: ‘India’s State Level Energy Efficiency Implementation Readiness’.

Andhra Pradesh topped with overall score of 42.01 followed by Rajasthan (41.89), Karnataka

(39.34) and Maharashtra (39.29).

Andhra Pradesh topped the list by achieving an energy saving of 1,500 million units (MU) i.e.

Around 650 MW in two years through use of LED lighting.

Another novel initiative called 'AP Energy Star Programme'. As part of this, the state

government has made it mandatory for all the departments to procure electrical appliances

such as ac’s, refrigerators, ceiling fans and water pump-sets of '5-star' rating.

38. IISER Researchers Develop Gelator To Scoop Out Marine Oil Spills

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Thiruvananthapuram developed

simple, efficient and cost-effective, compound (gelator) for marine oil spills.

Gelators, which are in a powder form, can be easily applied over oil-water mixture and do

not cause any environmental damage.

Made from glucose as a starting material and through several chemical reactions produced

compounds (gelators) that selectively congeal oil, including crude oil, from an oil-water

mixture.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Energy-Star-Programme


The gelator molecule is partly hydrophobic and partly hydrophilic. While the hydrophilic part

helps in self-assembling to form gelator fibres, the hydrophobic part is responsible for its

diffusion into the oil layer.

39. Union Environment Ministry Constitutes Four-Member Team For Conservation Of Loktak

Lake

A four-member team for conservation and management of Loktak Lake in Manipur, a

UNESCO recognised World Heritage Site has been constituted by the Ministry of

Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India and is famous for the phumdis

floating over it. Phumdis are the heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil and organic

matter at various stages of decomposition.

Keibul Lamjao National Park is also one of Phumdis in the lake. It is only floating national

park in world and is last natural refuge of endangered Sangai deer.

It serves as a source of water for irrigation, drinking water supply and hydropower generation

and have ecological status and its biodiversity values.

Loktak lake was initially designated as a wetland of international importance under the

Ramsar Convention in 1990. Later it was also listed under the Montreux Record in 1993.

Human activity has led to severe pressure on the lake ecosystem.

40. Delhi Declaration On Agrobiodiversity Management Adopted

The 1st International Agrobiodiversity Congress (IAC) was organized in New Delhi, India.

The Congress aimed to provide a platform to all the stakeholders engaged in genetic

resource conservation and management, with major emphasis on rational and effective use of

agrobiodiversity for food, nutrition and environmental security.

Based on detailed deliberations, the delegates unanimously adopted the Delhi Declaration.

Key Features of Declaration : 1.Agrobiodiversity Conservation, 2.Traditional knowledge,

3.Conservation strategies, 4.Modern technologies, 5.Global exchange, 6.Agrobiodiversity index

International Agrobiodiversity Fund” is created for assisting countries for scientific conservation

and use of available agrobiodiversity and the documentation of available rich traditional

knowledge.

41. Union Government Constitutes Ak Sinha Committee To Study Silt In River Ganga In Bihar

A four member expert committee headed by member of Ganga Flood Control commission

A .K. Sinha to study silt in river Ganga in Bihar had been constituted by the Union

Government

Bihar CM had requested PM to send an expert team to study silt in Ganga which caused

devastating prevailing flood in the state. Besides, he also had requested Central Government to

frame National Silt Policy to sort out various problems related to rivers throughout the state.

https://www.bioversityinternational.org/fileadmin/user_upload/campaigns/ABD_Congress_India/Delhi_Declaration_8-12-2016_4.pdf


Health

1. Bindheswar Pathak as brand ambassador of Swachh Rail Mission

Ministry of Railways has appointed Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak (73), the founder of Sulabh

International as a Brand Ambassador for Swachh Rail Mission of Indian Railway.

Indian Railways had tied up with Sulabh International to clean some important railway stations

across the country as part of the mission with an aim to promote cleanliness at rail

premises.

These railway stations are Gorakhpur, Old Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Gwalior.

Focus area: Swachh Stations (Clean Stations), Swachh Rail Gaadi (Clean Train), Swachh Neer

(Clean Water), Swachh Parisar (Clean Complex), Swachh Sahyog (Cleanliness Participation),

Swachh Samvad (Cleanliness Dialogue), Swachh Samarpan (Dedication for ensuring

Cleanliness), Swachh Aahar (Clean Food).

2. SUGAR TAX

UK Chancellor George Osborne is introducing a new sugar levy on the soft drinks industry

to combat child obesity.

The tax will be levied on the drinks companies in two years' time i.e. from 2018.

There will be two categories of taxation: one for total sugar content above 5g per 100ml, and a

second, higher band for drinks with more than 8g per 100ml.

Pure fruit juices and milk-based drinks will not be included.

3. India’s first Medipark will be set up in Tamil Nadu

India’s first Medipark (Medical Park) will be set up in Tamil Nadu at Chengalpet near Chennai,

Tamil Nadu. An initiative under Make In India programme.

330.10 acres of land is sub-lease to HLL Lifecare (PSU) to set up medical devices

manufacturing park ( Medipark) through a special purpose vehicle in the country.

First it will manufacture cluster in the medical technology sector in the country, envisaged to

boost the local manufacturing of hi-end products at a significantly lower cost .It will provide

affordable healthcare delivery, particular in diagnostic services to a large section of people.

4. Japan’s Yoshinori Ohsumi wins 2016 Nobel Prize in Medicine

Biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi, of Japan, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine prize or

physiology for his discoveries in autophagy -- the process whereby a cell recycles part of

its own contents.

Autophagy means “self-eating”. It refers to the process in which cellular junk is captured and

sealed in sack-like membranes, called autophagosomes. The sealed contents are transported

to another structure called the lysosome, also called suicidal bag.

Autophagy is the body’s internal recycling programme - scrap cell components are

captured and the useful parts are stripped out to generate energy or build new cells.

The process is crucial for preventing cancerous growths, warding off infection and, by

maintaining a healthy metabolism, it helps protect against conditions like diabetes.


5. International Conference on Brucellosis 2016 inaugurated in New Delhi

Brucellosis is a dreadful animal diseases caused by the genus of the bacteria known as

Brucella infecting various species of Brucella cows, buffalos, sheep, goats, deer, pigs, dogs

and other animals as well as humans.

Human become infected by coming in contact with animals or animal product like meat and milk

contaminated with these bacteria. Brucellosis is endemic in India.

International Conference on Brucellosis, organized by the Department of Biotechnology in

collaboration with Indian Council for Agriculture Research.

6. World’s first three-parent baby born in Mexico

Three-person IVF, prevents babies from inheriting lethal genetic diseases.

Babies born using the technique would receive majority of DNA from the mother and father and

a small amount of DNA comes from a female donor.

UK became the first country to legalise mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT), as the

technique is known.

Mitochondria are organelles inside cells that generate energy. The organelles are passed from

mother to child. Like, Leigh syndrome, a fatal neurological disorder.

Here’s a closer look at techniques that produce a baby that carries mitochondrial DNA from a

donor:

Cytoplasmic transfer

Cytoplasm contains mitochondria, other organelles, proteins and other molecules that do the work

of the cell. The cytoplasm from a donor egg and injected it along with a single sperm cell into a

recipient egg. But not studied much due to regulatory issues.

Pronuclear transfer

The first “mitochondrial replacement” technique developed to stop mitochondrial diseases is

called pronuclear transfer. Pronuclei are nuclei from the egg and sperm that are in the fertilized egg,

called a zygote, but have not yet fused into a single nucleus.

In this technique, the mother’s egg and a donor egg are fertilized at the same time. The pronuclei

are removed from the donor egg and discarded. Then the pronuclei are sucked out of the mother’s

egg and transferred into the empty donor egg.

Drawback: a bit of cytoplasm is usually transferred along with the pronuclei. That means

unacceptably high numbers of mitochondria — including disease-carrying ones — from the

mother’s egg may be carried into the donor egg.

Spindle transfer

The technique used to produce the baby boy born in April is called spindle transfer. When a dividing

cell divides up its chromosomes, they are attached to protein fibers called microtubules or spindles.

The transplant technique starts with two unfertilized egg cells, one from the donor and one from the

mother. In both cells, the membrane surrounding the nucleus has broken down, but the cell has not

yet completely divided.

The spindle and its attached chromosomes are removed from the mother’s egg and inserted into

the donor egg, which has been emptied of its spindle and chromosomes. Then a sperm cell is

injected to the resulting egg to fertilize it.

Drawback: Chromosomes may fall off the spindle. That could result in an embryo with too few

chromosomes — or too many if some are left in the egg from the donor or extras are carried over

from the mother’s egg. Both cases usually result in abnormal development.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/benefits-of-three-parent-babies-will-likely-outweigh-the-risks-experts-claim-9876463.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/three-parent-babies-britain-votes-strongly-in-favour-of-law-change-10021265.html

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/leigh-syndrome


The infant reportedly has 1 percent of mitochondrial DNA from his mother. At 3 months old, he was

healthy. Long-term consequences are unknown.

Pronuclear Transfer

Spindle transfer

7. Healthy India Initiative magazine and No More Tension mobile App

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released the “Healthy India Initiative/Swastha

Bharat-ek pehal” magazine and launched the “No More Tension” Mobile Application.

It is part of the Government’s Digital India programme,

https://www.sciencenews.org/sites/default/files/2016/10/101716_TI_3parentbaby_inline_rev.png

https://www.sciencenews.org/sites/default/files/2016/10/101716_TI_3parentbaby_inline_rev.png

https://www.sciencenews.org/sites/default/files/2016/10/101716_TI_3parentbaby_inline2_rev.png

https://www.sciencenews.org/sites/default/files/2016/10/101716_TI_3parentbaby_inline2_rev.png


The “Healthy India Initiative/Swastha Bharat-ek pehal”, a quarterly magazine, will raise

awareness about healthy living, women and child health, elderly health, seasonal ailments, daily

nutritional needs, safe medication practices, home remedies healthy living and many more.

Stress management mobile application “No More Tension” helps users to manage stress.

The main objective is to provide information to users regarding stress such as, what is stress,

effects, symptoms and its management. The application allows the user to measure their stress

level and learn various techniques like yoga and meditation to reduce stress from their lives.

8. WHO declares Sri Lanka malaria-free

Sri Lanka is the second country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate malaria

after Maldives.

The announcement came at the 69th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East

Asia Region's annual committee meeting in Colombo.

In regard to Malaria, India is in the “control phase”, but is working to reach pre-elimination by

2017 and to complete elimination thereafter, according to a 2015 WHO report.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease most commonly transmitted by an infected

female Anopheles mosquito. It caused by parasitic protozoans (a group of single-celled

microorganisms) belonging to the Plasmodium type.

9. Health Ministry launches campaign to eradicate LEPROSY

National Leprosy Eradication Programme has been reviewed and pursuant to that, Ministry of

Health and Family Welfare has launched the biggest Leprosy Case Detection Campaign

(LCDC) in the country on 5th September 2016 across 149 districts of 19 states/UTs.

The Leprosy Case Detection Campaign is a unique initiative here each and every member of

the targeted population will be examined by the search team constituted of one male and one

ASHA worker at household level.

The objective of the campaign is the early detection of leprosy in affected persons, providing

them timely treatment and saving from physical disability and deformity. Also halting the

transmission of disease at the community level.

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, a bacteria. The

disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract,

and the eyes

Multidrug therapy (MDT) treatment has been made available through WHO free of charge to all

patients worldwide since 1995. MDT provides a highly effective cure for all types of leprosy.

Leprosy today

Leprosy control has improved significantly due to leprosy case detection and awareness

campaigns in several endemic countries..

In 2016 WHO has launched the "Global Leprosy Strategy 2016–2020: Accelerating

towards a leprosy-free world" – which aims to reinvigorate efforts for leprosy control and to

avoid disabilities, especially among children affected by the disease in endemic countries.

10. India declares itself free from Avian Influenza

The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture and

Farmers welfare has declared India free from Avian Influenza (H5N1) popularly known

as bird flu from 5th September, 2016, notified the same to the World Organization for Animal

Health (OIE).

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/bird-flu


India had notified outbreak of avian influenza on 9 May 2016 at Humnabad, Bidar district,

Karnataka, the government took measures, including culling, disinfection and clean-up, to

contain the spread of avian influenza.

Post the surveillance, the state has shown no evidence of presence of the disease... There has

been no further outbreak reported in the country thereafter.

Bird flu affects mainly the domestic poultry. The disease spreads from infected birds to other

winged creatures through contact with nasal and respiratory secretions and also due to

contamination of feed and water.

Human Infections: Most avian influenza viruses do not infect humans however A(H7N9) and

A(H5N1) virus strains have caused serious infections in people.

11. Global pledge to stamp out drug-resistant infections

The 193 countries of the United Nations have agreed a landmark declaration to rid the

world of drug-resistant infections or Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) or "superbugs".

It is the fourth time a UN declaration has been reached on a health issue - following HIV in

2001, non-communicable diseases in 2011 and Ebola in 2013.

What is Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) or superbugs: Antimicrobial resistance happens

when microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites change when they are

exposed to antimicrobial drugs. These microorganisms are also termed as “superbugs”. As a

result, the medicines or drugs become ineffective and infections persist in the body further

increasing the risk of spread to others.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Threats AMR has become one of the biggest threats to global

health and endangers other major priorities, such as human development, it is conceivable

that simple infections could soon become entirely untreatable with existing drugs. At the

same time, not enough new antimicrobial drugs especially antibiotics are being developed to

replace older and increasingly ineffective ones

12. IGKV developed Protein-Enriched Rice Variety

Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) in Chhattisgarh developed a protien-enriched rice

variety along with high zinc content; it has over 10% protien content i.e. 3 % more than any

popular variety. It also has 30 PPM (parts per million) zinc content.

This protein rice variety will play a crucial role in addressing issues of protein deficiencies and it

will serve as a boon for malnourished population, especially children, in tribal-dominated

Chhattisgarh

Advantages: Zinc and other mineral content are not lost upon polishing. Zinc is important

cofactor in various enzymatic reaction in the body. Zinc is essential in supporting our

immune system, in synthesising and degrading DNA, in wound healing and several other

activities. Our body requires very small amount of Zinc.

Background: As per a survey conducted in 2015 very high rate of malnutrition was found

among preschool children in tribal areas across Chhattisgarh which is considered rice bowl

of the country. The survey had showed that over five lakh children in the state are underweight

and stunted growth especially in the tribal districts. The Women and Child Development

Department in September 2016, informed that malnutrition rate in Chhattisgarh has declined to

29.8 per cent from 47.1 per cent.

13. Japanese Encephalitis claims 54 lives in Odisha’s Malkangiri district


The vector-borne deadly disease, which originates from pigs and wild birds spreads to

humans, mostly children, through mosquitoes bite primarily the Culex

tritaeniorhynchus group.

Japanese encephalitis virus JEV is the most important cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. It is

a mosquito-borne flavivirus, and belongs to the same genus as dengue, yellow fever and West

Nile viruses.

There is no cure for the disease. Treatment is focused on relieving severe clinical signs and

supporting the patient to overcome the infection. Safe and effective vaccines are available to

prevent JE.

WHO recommends that JE vaccination be integrated into national immunization schedules in all

areas where JE disease is recognized as a public health issue.

.

14. Munialappa Committee to monitor bird flu situation

Agricultural Ministry has constituted a High-Level Committee headed by Munialappa to monitor

the bird flu or avian influenza (H5N8) situation and help state governments take steps to contain

the disease.

The state government will be assisted by the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases

(NIHSAD), Indian Veterinary Research Institute and four regional laboratories

Background: The committee was constituted after mortality among the birds in National

Zoological Park, Delhi NCR and other parts of the country due to Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1)

was found.

What is Avian influenza? Avian influenza, commonly called bird flu is an infectious viral

disease of birds. Thus, it is zoonotic disease. It is an infectious viral disease of birds and can

sometimes spread to domestic poultry and cause large-scale outbreaks of serious disease.

15. Anti-Malaria Battle

Scientists have discovered a series of a novel compound (bicyclic azetidine series) that

shows great promise in the battle against malaria, act on all three life stages of the malaria

parasite.

The compound was found to cure the disease with just a single, low-dose treatment, provide

prophylaxis and prevent disease transmission both in the lab and in animals. .

The need for new malarial drugs is becoming increasingly urgent as new resilient strains of the

malaria parasite have emerged, threatening to leave existing drugs powerless against the

infection.

Researchers from Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, New Delhi’s International Centre for

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and other institutions published the results

of their study on September 7 in the journal Nature.

16. India, South-East Asian Countries To Set Up Fund For Health Emergencies In Region

India along with 10 other member countries of WHO's South-East Asian Regional Committee

has decided to set up a dedicated fund aimed at building preparedness for health

emergencies in the region. Decision was taken in the 69th session of WHO Regional

Committee Meeting at Colombo.

The region comprises 11 countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of

Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.


In the recent years, earthquakes, cyclones and floods have caused health emergencies in

south-east Asian region and it has also been threatened by a range of emerging diseases,

including SARS, MERS CoV, pandemic influenza and Zika virus. .

To help countries better preparing for such events a joint funding stream under the South-

East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF) is established.

The new funding stream will allow countries to invest in infrastructure and human resources that

will enhance preparedness.

17. Indians test positive for Zika Virus in Singapore

External Affairs Ministry has officially confirmed that 13 Indians have been tested positive for

the Zika virus in Singapore.

It should be noted that Asia’s first Zika virus was reported in Singapore.

Zika virus is vector borne disease transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The

virus is capable of causing serious birth defects i.e. neurological disorders and foetal

deformation known as Microcephaly in which infants are born with abnormally smaller

heads. Besides a possible link between the virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS: a

condition in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the nervous system) is also

suspected.

18. Scientists develop Zika replicon system to develop vaccines

The Zika replicon system is considered as an advance novel tool that may pave the way for

development vaccine to fight Zika virus.

Replicons are segments of viral genome that can replicate on their own, independent of

the cellular chromosome.

The new Zika replicon system has deleted some of the genes that give the virus its structure.

Because of this, the altered Zika virus is no longer infectious, lowering the safety risk involved in

working with it.

The system was engineered by attaching genes that allow researchers to tag certain parts of

the Zika virus for making it a powerful tool for vaccine development.


CULTURE 1- Adi tribe begins Agro-based ‘Solung’ Festival in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh celebrated the Solung festival . This festival is celebrated by the Adi tribe

of Arunachal Pradesh.

It is celebrated in the first week of of September every year for 5 days and is an agro based

festival of India. The festival also symbolizes the socio-religious aspects of Adi community.

The festival also reflects care and protection of animals which are vital components of their

family and social life of Adi tribe.

The Adi or ‘Bangni-Boker lhoba’people are the major collective tribes living in the himalayan

hills of ‘Nyingchi’ prefecture.

The ‘Solung’ is celebrated throughout the Siang district and also by the Adis inhabiting the Lohit

district.

The origin of the ‘Solung’ festival is related with a ‘legend’ i.e., the growth of paddy. The

legendry narrates that the plant of the paddy originated from the life juice of ‘Yidum-Bote’ (Son

of the God of knowledge) and the paddy plant was reared by ‘Kine-nane’ (the Goddess of the

underworld).

To mark the celebrations, people perform various rituals and make offerings to gods and

goddesses during the celebration and pray for a bumper harvest. During the celebration,

Mithun (Great Indian Bison) which is considered as holy animal and occupies an important

religious significance among the Adis is sacrificed.

2- Book on Indian tribe wins U.K. fiction award

A book that tells the story of the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh(Tibeto-Burman-

speaking tribes of northeast India) during British India has bagged the M.M. Bennetts Award

for Historical Fiction 2016 in the U.K.

Stuart Blackburn was presented the award at the HNS Conference in Oxford for his novel Into

the Hidden Valley.

3- Mother Teresa canonised as Saint

Mother Teresa, revered for her work with the poor in India, has been proclaimed a saint by Pope

Francis in a ceremony at the Vatican.

Mother Teresa founded a sisterhood that runs 19 homes, and won the Nobel Peace Prize.

4- Incredible India Tourism Investment Summit-2016(IITIS)

“Incredible India Tourism Investment Summit 2016” has been organized by the Ministry of

Tourism in New Delhi.

It is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in association with Tourism

Finance Corporation of India (TFCI) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

IITIS is a platform for domestic and international investors to meet project owners from across

Indian states and the private sector.

5- World Tourism Day- 27 September

World Tourism Day (WTD) is commemorated each year on 27 September.

Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of

tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.


The event seeks to highlight tourisms potential to contribute to reaching the Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs), addressing some of the most pressing challenges society is

faced with today.

Theme for 2016: "Tourism for All - promoting universal accessibility"

The official World Tourism Day 2016 celebrations held in Bangkok, Thailand.

It was at its third session (Torremolinos, Spain, September 1979), that the UNWTO General

Assembly decided to institute World Tourism Day, commencing in the year 1980.

6- National Gallery of Australia returns stolen Indian antiquities

Australia’s prestigious art gallery has returned to India three sculptures, at a handback

ceremony in Canberra.

The three sculptures are-

1- over a 900-year-old stone statue of Goddess Pratyangira

2- A third-century rock carving of Worshippers of the Buddha

3- A 900-year-old sculpture called the ‘Seated Buddha’.

7- ‘Second Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2016’

The “Second Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM)-2016” held from 15th to 23rd October, 2016

in the premises of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Janpath, New Delhi.

Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was conceived by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015 with an

intent to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions,

viz Handicrafts, Cuisine, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Documentation and Performing Arts-

Folk, Tribal, Classical and Contemporary- all in one place.

It showcased an amalgamation of ‘Ek Bharat, Srestha Bharat’, ‘Hamaari Sanskriti, Hamaari

Pahchaan’ and ‘Swachh India’.

8- Bob Dylan wins Nobel prize in literature

The 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to American singer-songwriter Bob

Dylan, for "having created new poetic expressions within the great American song

tradition."

Dylan is the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature since author Toni Morrison

in 1993.

Dylan has previously won 11 Grammy Awards, as well as an Oscar for his song Things Have

Changed, used in the 2000 film Wonder Boys.

9- Harikatha: An ancient art of story-telling

Why in news?

Harikatha, a traditional art story-telling was in news for its revival due to patronage from

various cultural organisation.

Harikatha is an art form composed of storytelling, music, drama, dance, poetry, and

philosophy in South India especially in villages of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil

Nadu.


It had originated from Ajjada village of Srikakulam in Coastal Andhra. Its aim is to imbibe truth

and righteousness in the minds of people and sow the seeds of devotion in them.

In South India, the art of story telling is referred to as Kathakalakshepa, which is a Sanskrit

term meaning, “Katha” - story, “kala” - time, and “kshepa” - throwing away.

Such performances are held in temples, weddings and other religious or social functions.

The storyteller is looked upon as a teacher who is a scholar in ancient texts in Sanskrit and

other vernaculars. He interprets the religious and mythological texts of the past to the present

and future generations.

In the various States of India there are three traditions of storytelling.

1. The first is the Purana-Pravachana,which literally means, “expounding the Purana”. The

Purana-Pravachana was narrated by the Pauranika, who was an expert in the exposition. Such

expositions are solemn and serious.

2. The second tradition, Kathakalakshepa is unique because the story is carried through various

songs and compositions in different Indian languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Marathi, Telugu,

Kannada and Hindi, which is a peculiarity in the Tamilnadu-style of story telling.

3. The third is a folk art, prevalent in Andhra Pradesh (a State in South India),

called Burrakatha. Burra is a drum that is shaped like a human skull (Burra means skull). In

this tradition, gypsies narrate stories beating this drum. As referred to earlier, in Tamilnadu the

folk story tradition is called Villu-pattu, viz., the bow-song.

In Krta, Treta and Dvapara yugas (different eras in Hindu mythology), one had to

do yajnas(sacrificial rites), tapa (penance) and other severe austerities to obtain the grace of

God. But in the Kali yuga there is a very easy method to attain God or receive His blessings and

that is Harikeertan.

Harikatha, Harikeertan and Kathakalakshepa are synonymous and mean, narrating stories

from epics and puranas, interspersed with musical compositions. Keertan is a very typical

usage of Maharashtra.

10- Kaawad bachana - An ancient art of story-telling

The little-known art form from Rajasthan ‘Kaawad

bachana’ is an amazing blend of picture painting, singing

and narration of mystical tales.

Picture showing Kaawad

What is the Kaawad?

The quaint Kaawad resembles a temple structure

carved out of wood with many apertures that open like the

doors of a temple and get neatly folded up within the

layers of one another.

The vintage shrine is painted in bright colours with

mythological characters that tell a story within the pictures

as each door is unfastened.

Atop this temple like structure is placed a painted face of either the Sun god (Surya) or the

patron (a landlord or rajah) which is really big when compared to the other pictures painted on

the Kaawad.

The doors are supposed to lead to chambers of the sanctum and there can be any number of

them from ten to 20.

The Kaawad can be anywhere around one foot to three feet and is carried around by mobile

narrators called Kaawadiya(the storyteller).


Kaawadiyas narrate the story of Pandavas, Ramayana, the story of mother goddess,

story of Thakurji (Krishna), our local deity Bhomiyaji Maharaj and so on.

11- Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn conferred with First World Sanskrit Award

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has recognized Princess Maha Chakri

Sirindhorn of Thailand with the first ‘World Sanskrit Award’ for the year 2015.

American linguist and Indologist Prof. George Cardona conferred with World Sanskrit Award for

the year 2016 for their exemplary contribution for the promotion of the Sanskrit language.

About World Sanskrit Award

The award was instituted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

The award was announced by the Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her

inaugural speech in the 16th World Sanskrit Conference in Bangkok in June 2015.

It is presented to eminent Sanskrit scholars to recognize their outstanding contribution to

the study, research and teaching in Sanskrit language and literature.

12- October 2: International Day of Non-violence

Every year October 2 is being observed as International Day of Non-violence throughout the

world on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

This day is observed by all member countries of the United Nations to promote the principles

of non-violence through education and public awareness. In India, this day is referred as

Gandhi Jayanti.

A resolution to establish the International Day of Non-violence was tabled in the United Nations

General Assembly (UNGA) in 2007 in a global effort to spread the message of non-violence.

13- Iranian film 'Daughter' bags Golden Peacock at IFFI 2016

Iranian film Daughter, directed by Reza Mirkarimi, won the coveted Golden Peacock award at

the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

The film also won the best actor [male] award for Farhad Aslani, who won the Silver Peacock

prize.

Daughter is a family drama set in southern Iran. It brings out intergenerational conflict between

a strict father and a young daughter.

14- Portugal PM António Costa to be chief guest at 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Dr. António Costa, Prime Minister of the Republic of Portugal has accepted an invitation from

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to be the Chief Guest at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Convention to be held from 7 to 9 January, 2017 at Bengaluru in Karnataka.

Mr. Michael Ashwin Satyandre Adhin, Vice President of the Republic of Suriname will be

the Special Guest at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) to be held on 7 January, 2017

in Bengaluru.

15- 272 products registered as geographical indication so far

According to the data of the Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade

Marks, under the Commerce and Industry Ministry as many as 272 products such as Sangli

raisins, Banaras metal repousse craft and Beed custard apple have been registered as

geographical indications since September 2003, according to a government data.


The famous goods which carry this tag include Basmati rice, Darjeeling Tea, Chanderi

Fabric, Mysore Silk, Kullu Shawl, Kangra Tea, Thanjavur Paintings, Allahabad Surkha,

Farrukhabad Prints, Lucknow Zardozi and Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving.

Under Geographical Indication (GI) law {Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration &

Protection) Act 1999}, a product is identified as a good or an item manufactured or produced in

a particular region. It enjoys the specific reputation which is attributable to that geographical

region.

It is a legal right under which the GI holder can prohibit others from using the same name.

The ministry stated that such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which

is essentially attributed to the fact of its origin in that defined geographical locality, region or

country.

Under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, geographical

indications are covered as an element of intellectual property rights (IPRs).

They are also covered under the WTOs Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

(TRIPS) agreement.

16- Xuan Zang stayed in Vijayawada to study Buddhist scriptures

Chinese Buddhist pilgrim and scholar Xuan Zang stayed a couple of years in Bezawada (the old

name of Vijayawada) to copy and study the Abhidhammapitakam, the last of the three pitakas

(Pali for baskets) constituting the Pali canon, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism.

The writings of Xuan Zang (also spelled Hsuan Tsang or Hiuen Tsang) about his travels in India

are detailed accounts of the life of the people in the 7th century.

The Chinese government has used his work to establish that the relationship between India and

China is 1,400 years old.

Xuan Zang travelled to Andhradesa to visit the Viharas at Amaravathi and Nagarjunakonda

around 640 C.E.


Miscellaneous

1. India, Kazakhstan Joint Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK-16 begins

To strengthen Indo-Kazakhstan relations, troops of Indian & Kazakhstan Army are presently

engaging in a joint exercise ‘PRABAL DOSTYK – 16.

The exercise was conducted in Karaganda region of Kazakhstan.

The primary aim of the fourteen day exercise will be to enhance interoperability while

undertaking Counter Terrorism & Counter Insurgency Operations in rural & semi-urban

environment under the umbrella of United Nations.

‘Prabal Dostyk’ meaning ‘Robust Friendship’ will be a significant step towards fostering

military as well as diplomatic ties between both countries.

2. HAL successfully tests Light Utility Helicopter

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, (HAL) conducted a technical flight of the new indigenous Light

Utility Helicopter (LUH) in Bengaluru.

The helicopter is designed to carry out various utility roles such as reconnaissance, transport,

cargo load and rescue operations. The helicopter can operate from sea level to high altitudes of

Himalayas.

Make-in-India import substitution: HAL LUH is recognized by the international industry as a

replacement to other light utility helicopters such as Agusta Westland AW109, Aerospatiale SA

360 Dauphin, Eurocopter EC135, Eurocopter AS355, Sikorsky S-70, Sikorsky UH-60 Black

Hawk and other models.

3. India and Russia joint military exercise INDRA 2016 begins

The eighth edition of India-Russia Joint Military Exercise ‘INDRA-2016’ has begun in the

Ussiriysk District in Vladivostok, Russia.

Main focus of this edition of the joint exercise is on Counter-Terrorism Operations in

semi mountainous and jungle terrain under United Nations Mandate.

250 soldiers of the KUMAON Regiment are representing the Indian Contingent and the

Russian army is being represented by 250 soldiers from the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade.

4. China, Russia conduct joint naval exercises Joint Sea-2016 in South China Sea

China and Russia will hold naval drills in the South China Sea off southern China's Guangdong

province.

The "Joint Sea-2016" exercise will feature surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-

borne helicopters and marines. The two countries will carry out defence, rescue and anti-

submarine operations, as well as "island seizing" .

Last year, they held joint military drills in the Sea of Japan and the Mediterranean.

5. China tests stealth-defeating quantum radar

China has tested its first quantum radar, which could detect objects — including stealth aircraft

— within the range of 100 km.

The device employs single photon detection technology. Quantum radar is a device that

uses quantum entanglement photons to provide better detection capabilities than

conventional radar systems.


Earlier, China launched the world's first quantum communications satellite, which uses quantum

entanglement for cryptography.

6. Mariyappan Thangavelu wins India’s first Gold medal at 2016 Rio Paralympic Games

Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Singh Bhati got India's first medals at Rio Paralympics

2016.

Mariyappan Thangavelu became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the T 42 high jump

of 1.89 metre-jump event of the Paralympic games in Rio de Janiero.

Bronze medal won in the same event by Varun Singh Bhati .

The T42 is a disability classifications for sports events in which athletes have single above the

knee amputations or comparable disability.

7. 08 September: International Literacy Day

2016 is 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day

UNESCO is celebrating it under the banner “Reading the Past, Writing the Future”.

At the same time the Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) will be launched, a new and

ambitious initiative to make all major stakeholders pull together to promote literacy as a

foundation for lifelong learning.

On this day also International Literacy Prizes are awarded to people with outstanding solutions

that can drive literacy towards achieving the 2030 Education Agenda. This year the focus is

on innovation. Literacy is a part of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to “ensure

inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.

8. Indian film Thithi wins best film award at BRICS Film Festival

National Award for the best Kannada film,bagged the best film award at the first BRICS Film

Festival,

Organised as part of the special events planned in run-up to the BRICS summit to be held in

India, festival screened movies from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Written by Ere Gowda and co-written by Raam, the movie is a dramatic comedy about how

three generations of sons react to the death of the oldest in their clan, a man named Century

Gowda: a locally renowned, highly cantankerous 101-year-old man.

The next edition of the BRICS Film Festival will take place in Chengdu, China

9. Yudh Abhyas 2016 begins in Uttarakhand

Indo-US defence cooperation, a 12th edition of joint military training exercise, 'Yudh

Abhyas 2016' conducted in Chaubattia, Uttarakhand.

The exercise is aimed at simulating a scenario where both nations were working together to

counter insurgency and terrorism in mountainous terrain under UN charter.

10. Devendra Jhajharia wins gold medal in javelin throw at 2016 Rio Paralympics

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia became the first Indian to clinch two gold medals at the

Paralympics, previous gold in the 2004 Athens Games with throw of 62.15mts, bettered his

own world record to finish on top in the men’s F46 event in Rio de Janeiro 2016, with a throw

of 63.97 metres.

Jhajharia was the flag-bearer for the Indian Paralympic contingent in Rio de Janeiro 2016.


11. Deepa Malik first Indian woman to win Paralympics medal

Deepa Malik, first woman from the country to win a medal at the Paralympics.

Bagged a silver medal in the shotput F-53 event with a throw of 4.61m was the best in her six

attempts. With the win, she confirmed India’s third medal from the Rio Paralympics.

12. Indian Coast Guard commissions offshore patrolling vessel Sarathi

The offshore patrolling (OPV) vessel, Sarathi, made at Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), deployed for

surveillance and to safeguard the maritime interests of the country.

The 105-metre Sarathi is designed to carry one twin-engine light helicopter and five high

speed boats. It is equipped with integrated bridge system, integrated machinery control

system, power management system, high power external fire fighting system, and

advanced electronic warfare systems.

Achieved a speed of over 25 knots as against the contractual speed of 23 knots.

13. Long range surface-to-air Barak-8 missile successfully test fired

The Indian Navy successfully conducted the maiden firing of its newly developed Long Range

nearly 70 KM range Barak 8 Surface-to-Air Missile (LR SAM), enhancing its anti-air warfare

capability.

The LR-SAM Jointly developed by India and Israel and has been manufactured by M/s

Bharat Dynamics Limited.

Apart from the missile, the system includes a Multi Functional Surveillance and Threat Alert

Radar (MF STAR) for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile. Israel made MF-STAR

radar system is capable of simultaneously tracking hundreds of airborne targets to a range of

more than 250 KM.

DRDL, Hyderabad, a DRDO Lab, has jointly developed this missile in collaboration with Israel

Aerospace Industries.

14. Syrian aid group White Helmets wins Right Livelihood Award

The White Helmets, a Syrian civil organisation of emergency responders in rebel-held areas,

won the Right Livelihood Award, which is also known as ‘alternative Nobel’ prize,.

Also known as the Syria Civil Defence, the group was honoured “for their outstanding

bravery, compassion and humanitarian engagement in rescuing civilians from the destruction of

the Syrian civil war.

Russian activist Svetlana Gannushkina, who has championed the rights of refugees for

decades, Egypt’s feminist leader Mozn Hassan, and Cumhuriyet , a leading independent

newspaper in Turkey, also shared the prize with the White Helmets.

The prize was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull. An

international jury decides the awards in such fields as environmental protection, human rights,

sustainable development, health, education, and peace.

15. 21 September: International Day of Peace

International Day of Peace was observed across the world on 21 September 2016.

The 2016 theme for the day is The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for

Peace.


The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General

Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, designated the Day as a period of non-violence and

cease-fire.

To inaugurate the day, the United Nations Peace Bell was rung at UN Headquarters in New

York City. The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents except Africa, and

was a gift from the United Nations Association of Japan, as "a reminder of the human cost of

war"; the inscription on its side reads, "Long live absolute world peace".

16. 15 September: International Democracy Day

Observed every year to raise public awareness about the democratic system.

It focuses on essential elements of democracy i.e. values of freedom, respect for human rights

and principle of holding periodic and genuine elections by universal suffrage.

2016 Theme: “Democracy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development“.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in November 2007 had decided to observe

‘International Democracy Day’ every year on September 15.

It was observed for first time in 2008. In this regard a resolution was passed by UNGA in 2007

to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy.

17. First Russia-Pakistan military exercise Druzhba-2016(‘Friendship—2016’) begins

The first Druzhba-2016 ("Friendship-2016") Russian-Pakistani joint military exercise kicked off

in Pakistan.

The drills took place at the Army High Altitude School in northern Pakistan's Rattu and

at a special forces training center in Cherat.

18. Indian Air Force successfully test fires long range air-to-air MICA missile

Tiger', the first squadron of Indian Air Force (IAF), fired the recently acquired long range

'Beyond Visual Range' (BVR) air-to-air MICA missile on a manoeuvring target from Mirage-

2000 Upgrade aircraft.With the success of this mission, the IAF has become one of the few Air

Forces in the world with the capability of such long range BVR air-to-air missile.

MICA (Missile d'Interception, de Combat et d'Autodéfense).

19. India, France ink deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets

The deal includes aircraft in fly-away condition, weapons, simulators, spares, maintenance, and

Performance Based Logistics support for five years, for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets,

the first fighter aircraft deal since the purchase of Sukhois from Russia in the late 90’s.

The Rafale is a twin-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft. According to Dassault, it is capable of

carrying out all combat missions: air defence, interception, ground support, in-depth strikes,

reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence.

The weapons package includes Meteor radar guided Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile with

range of over 150 km and Scalp long range air to ground missiles.


20. India, Russia agree to double the range of BrahMos Missile

India and Russia have agreed to double the range of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

from 290 km to over 600 km.

India’s recent accession to MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime), allowed Russia to

provide the critical systems and technology to extend the range of the missile beyond 300km.

What are features of BrahMos Missile?

BrahMos is one of its kind supersonic cruise missile.Named from the names of two rivers,

India’s Brahmaputra River and Russia’s Moskva River. It operates on fire and forget principle

and is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against sea and land

targets.

It is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kilogram and has top supersonic speed of Mach 3

(that is, three times the speed of sound).

What is Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)?

MTCR was established by G-7 countries in 1987. It is only an informal political understanding

and not an official treaty with legally binding obligations. The aim of the MTCR is to restrict the

proliferation of missiles, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), complete rocket systems and

related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogram payload for at least

300 kms, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction

(WMDs).

21. Paul Beatty wins 2016 Man Booker Prize

Paul Beatty has become the first American writer to win the Man Booker prize, for a caustic

satire on US racial politics, “The Sellout”.

22. India-Sri Lanka joint military exercise Mitra Shakti 2016 begins

The Indo-Sri Lankan military exercise ‘MITRA SHAKTI 2016' being conducted at Sinha

Regimental Centre in Ambepussa, Sri Lanka.

The main focus of this edition of the joint exercise is to enhance inter-operability while carrying

out Counter Insurgency

(CI)/Counter Terrorism (C

T) operations under the

United Nations Mandate.

The previous exercise was

successfully conducted in

2015 at Pune

in India. "Mitra Shakti" is

one of the major bilateral

defence cooperation

initiatives

between India and Sri

Lanka since 2013.

23. October 31: Rashtriya

Ekta Diwas

National Unity Day

(Rashtriya Ekta Diwas)

was observed across India

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Sri+Lanka


on 31 October 2015 to commemorate the 140th birthday of Independent India’s first Deputy

Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel.

In 2014, 31 October declared as National Unity Day

He is known as the Iron Man of India or Bismarck of India. He is also remembered as the

Patron Saint of India’s civil servants for establishing modern All-India services.

24. 29 September: World Maritime Day

The theme for World Maritime Day 2016 is "Shipping: indispensable to the world".

Aim was to highlight the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine

environment.

The theme was chosen to focus on the critical link between shipping and global society and to

raise awareness of the relevance of the role of IMO as the global regulatory body for

international shipping.

The World Maritime Day marks the date on which convention of the IMO (a specialized agency

of the United Nations) was adopted in 1958. It was first observed in 1978, The IMO’s original

name was the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) but it was

changed to IMO in 1982, Headquarter at London.

25. Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar win 2016 Sakharov Human Right Prize

Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar have been selected for European Union’s

prestigious Sakharov Prize for Human Rights for year 2016.

Both of them were among thousands of Yazidi girls and women who were abducted by Islamic

State (IS) militants in Iraq and forced into sexual slavery in 2014.Now they campaign for the

Yazidi community.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is annual award given by the European

Parliament. It is bestowed on individuals or organisations who have dedicated their lives to the

defence of human rights and freedom of thought.

It is awarded annually on or around December 10 (also celebrated as Human Rights Day), day

on which UN General Assembly ratified Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948

26. October 24: United Nations Day

The United Nations Day is being observed on October 24. This day is part of United Nations

Week, which runs from 20 to 26 October.

The day marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter (the founding document

of UNO) in 1945. It entered into force on 24 October 1945 after it was ratified by the original five

permanent members of the Security Council—China, France, Union of Soviet Socialist

Republics (now Russia), United Kingdom, and United States and majority of the other

signatories.

2016 year’s UN Day was used to highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the

Sustainable Development Goals.

27. India signs pact with Russia to lease second nuclear submarine

Russia has agreed to lease a second multipurpose Project 971 nuclear submarine to India in

a deal. The deal was struck during the sidelines of the BRICS meet in Goa, 2016 on the

sidelines of 8th BRICS Summit.

The Akula 2 class submarine is expected to arrive in Indian waters in 2020-21.


The Indian Navy already operates an Akula 2 class nuclear submarine, INS Chakra (formerly

known as K-152 Nerpa) , which was leased by Russia for 10 years and commissioned on April

4, 2012 .

Akula-class submarines are considered one of the most silent, capable of sailing at speeds up

to 35 knots, nuclear powered but are armed with conventional land attack missiles.

INS Arihant in August 2016, India had quietly inducted its first indigenously built nuclear

ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Arihant into service completing its nuclear triad.

The second indigenous nuclear submarine of the same class, INS Aridhaman, will be

commissioned in 2018.

28. India, China conduct second Joint tactical Exercise in Ladakh

India and China have conducted second joint military exercise “Sino India Cooperation 2016”

in Ladakh region along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The exercise

compliments Hand in Hand series of India-China joint military exercises conducted border

troops in Sikkim that aims to enhance cooperation and maintain peace and tranquility along

border areas of both countries. The first exercise was conducted in the Chushul-Moldo area.

The theme of the joint exercise was based on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR).

The first Joint Exercise under BDCA, 2013 was held in February 2016 in the area of Border

Personnel.

29. Sir David Cox honoured with first International Prize in Statistics

British statistician Sir David Cox (92) was awarded inaugural recipient of the International

Prize in Statistics, in recognition of Survival Analysis Model (or Cox Model) Applied in

Medicine, Science, and Engineering.

He is known for developing the proportional hazards model i.e. Cox Model in 1992. His model is

widely used in analysis of survival data.

The prestigious award given by the International Prize in Statistics Foundation. The Prize aims

at promoting understanding of the growing importance and diverse ways statistics, probability

and data analysis.

30. Saina Nehwal appointed member of IOC’s Athletes’ Commission

Star shuttler Saina Nehwal has been appointed as a member of the International Olympic

Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission.

The IOC Athletes’ Commission is a body of sportspersons maintained by the IOC for the

purpose of representing athletes.

It was established in 1981 and its creation was codified by the IOC in Rule 21 of the Olympic

Charter.

The athletes commission works as a consultative body and act as link between active

athletes and the IOC. It makes recommendations to the IOC’s executive bodies. It meets once

or twice a year and also organises an Athletes’ Forum once every two years.

31. Antonio Guterres elected as new Secretary-General of UN

Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres has been officially appointed as the

next UN secretary-general becoming the ninth U.N. chief in the body's 71-year history.

32. India-Indonesia bilateral maritime exercise commences at Belawan, Indonesia


The 28th India and Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) and Second Bilateral Maritime

Exercise have commenced at Belawan, Indonesia in the Andaman Sea.

Under the broad ambit of this strategic partnership, the two navies have been carrying out

Coordinated Patrolling (CORPAT) along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL)

twice a year since 2002, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe

and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.

The Bilateral Maritime Exercise and the CORPAT would see participation by one warship and

one Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both sides.

33. 2016 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize

for efforts to end decades of war with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

guerrillas to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end.

34. Union Government launches Indian Bridge Management System

Indian Bridge Management System : It is a major step towards ensuring Safety of Bridges

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping launched the Indian Bridge Management

System (IBMS) in. IBMS is being developed to create an inventory of all bridges in the

country and rate their structural condition so that timely repair and rehabilitation work

can be carried out based on the criticality of the structure.

IBMS aims to fill this gap by preparing a data base of all bridges in the country and

detailing their structural condition so that timely action can be taken to repair the structures

or build new ones in their place.

IBMS is the largest platform in the world owned by a single owner, with database that could

exceed 1,50,000 bridge structures. Each bridge is assigned a National Identity

Number, Bridge Location Number, Bridge Classification Number, Structural Rating

Number. Socio-Economic Bridge Rating Number which will decide the importance of the

structure in relation to its contribution to daily socio-economic activity of the area in its vicinity.

The use of waste material and locally available raw material for construction so that costs can

be brought down.

35. Asia’s first cycle highway inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh

Asia’s first and longest cycle highway was inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh.

The 207-km-long cycle highway runs between Etawah and Agra.

The track begins from the lion safari in Etawah.

It criss-crosses the natural beauty of the Chambal and Yamuna rivers On its way it has tourist

destinations like Naugava ka Quila, Raja Bhoj ki Haveli, and Bateshwarnath Temple.

36. Malini Subramaniam honoured with International Press Freedom Award

Indian journalist Malini Subramaniam has been conferred with the International Press Freedom

Award for her reporting from the Naxal-infested Bastar area, one of the four journalists

felicitated by the annual award for their commitment to a free press. Others are Oscar Martinez

(El Salvador), Can Dundar (Turkey) and Abou Zeid (Egypt).

International Press Freedom Award (IPFA) honors journalists or their publications around the

world for showing courage in defending press freedom despite facing attacks, threats or

imprisonment.

https://sputniknews.com/latam/20160927/1045728118/colombian-president-farc-sign-peace-deal.html


The award was established in 1991 and is administered by the Committee to Protect Journalists

(CPJ), an independent NGO based in New York, US.

37. Radhika Menon becomes first woman to receive IMO’s Exceptional Bravery award at Sea

Captain Radhika Menon was awarded with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) award

for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, for saving lives of seven fishermen from sinking fishing boat in

Bay of Bengal.

She became the first woman in the world to receive the Award.

B M Das operator and diver of a rescue helicopter at Indian Coast Guard air station Daman

was also presented with this award, for rescuing all 14 crew members of the merchant ship

Coastal Pride, which capsized and eventually sank.

In 2011, Radhika Menon had made history by becaming the first woman to become captain of

Indian Merchant Navy.

International Maritime Organisation (IMO): It UN’s specialised agency responsible for the safety

and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships

38. IAF’s Upgraded Jaguar DARIN III aircraft receives IOC

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has upgraded 3 DARIN I Standard Jaguars to DARIN III

Standard which has received Initial Operation Clearance (IOC).

The aircraft is now equipped with world class avionics system. The upgraded aircraft

incorporates new state-of-the-art

avionics architecture including the

Open System Architecture Mission

Computer (OSAMC), Fire Control

Radar. It also has Solid State Digital

Video Recording System (SSDVRS),

Autopilot with Alt Select & HNAV and

Identification of Friend or Foe (IFF)

and more.

DARIN I Standard Jaguar is an

Anglo-French jet attack aircraft. It

was originally used by the French Air

Force and British Royal Air Force in

the close air support and nuclear

strike role. It is still in service with the

Indian Air Force and its fleet is

based at the Ambala air force station.

39. Nuclear capable Agni-I ballistic missile successfully test-fired

The indigenously

built nuclear

capable Agni-I

ballistic missile was

successfully test-

fired from a mobile

launcher from the

launch pad-4 of the


Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island).

Agni-I missile is intermediate range nuclear capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile.

It weighs 12 tonnes and is 15-metre-long. It is designed to carry a payload of more than one

tonne. It can hit a target 700 km away. It can be fired from road and rail mobile launchers

40. Twin trial of Prithvi-II missile successfully conducted

India test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile twice in quick

succession as part of a user trial by the army from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha.

In salvo mode, the two surface-to-surface missiles which have a strike range of 350 km and are

capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000kg of warheads were successfully test-fired in quick

succession from mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at

around 9.35 am, defence sources said.

Inducted into Indian armed forces in 2003, the nine-metre-tall, single-stage liquid-fuelled Prithvi-

II is the first missile to be developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile

Development Programme (IGMDP), defence sources said.

41. Indian Navy inducts 4 types of indigenously developed sonars

The systems have been designed and developed by NPOL Naval Physical & Oceanographic

Laboratory (NPOL), a Kochi based laboratory of DRDO.

These 4 types of sonars are:

Abhay: It is an advanced hull mounted active-cum-passive integrated sonar system. It has been

designed for the smaller platforms such as shallow water crafts and coastal surveillance/patrol

vessels. It is capable of detecting, classifying, localizing and tracking sub-surface and surface

targets in both its active and passive modes of operation.

Humsa UG: It has been designed for upgrading the existing Humsa sonar system for

intensifying the command over the high seas.

AIDSS: It stands for Advanced Indigenous Distress sonar system for submarines. It is distress

sonar is an Emergency Sound Signaling Device. It is used to indicate that a submarine is in

distress and enable quick rescue and salvage. It is also provided with a transponder capability.

NACS: It stands for Near-field Acoustic Characterisation System. It determines the in-situ

performance of SONAR systems used to find the frequency-dependent 3-D transmission and

reception characteristics of SONAR. It is also used to measure magnitude and phase

characteristics of SONAR transmission and reception electronics and the transducers.

42. India’s combat-capable Rustom-II drone successfully completes maiden test flight

India’s indigenously developed long-endurance combat-capable drone, Rustom-II (TAPAS

201) successfully completed its maiden-flight.

The test flight took place from Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka,

which is a newly developed flight test range for the testing of UAVs and manned aircraft.

RUSTOM–II is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV. The UAV weighs two

tonnes. It has an endurance of 24 hours. It is multi-mission UAV which can conduct Intelligence,

surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the armed forces.

It can also be used as an unmanned armed combat. It is capable to carry different combinations

of payloads like Medium Range Electro Optic (MREO), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and

Long Range Electro Optic (LREO). It can also carry Electronic Intelligence (ELINT),


Communication Intelligence (COMINT) and Situational Awareness Payloads (SAP) to perform

missions during day and night.

It has been designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), the

Bangalore-based lab of DRDO, HAL and BEL are the production partners.

43. Padmini Rout wins 2016 National Women Premier Chess Championship

Master Padmini Rout played out a hard fought draw with her PSPB teammate Eesha

Karavade that helped her to secure a hat-trick of title wins in the National Women Premier

Chess Championship.

44. India-Nepal Joint Training Exercise Surya Kiran culminates

Indo-Nepal Joint Military Training was conducted at Army Battle School (NABS), Saljhandi,

Nepal.

Surya Kiran-X, which was the tenth such Indo-Nepal joint training exercise between the two

nations, provided an ideal platform for troops of the two countries to share their experiences on

Counter Terrorists Operations and Disaster Management.

Other activities conducted during training included basic familiarization with each other’s

weapons & equipment and concepts while operating in Counter Terrorism environment.

45. India-Bangladesh joint military exercise SAMPRITI-2016 begins

The Sixth edition of India-Bangladesh Joint Military Exercise “SAMPRITI-2016” commenced at

Bangabandhu Senanibas, Tangail, Dhaka (Bangladesh’s Capital).

Main focus is on Counter-Terrorism Operations in mountainous and jungle terrain under the

United Nations Mandate.

The previous joint exercise with the Bangladesh Army was conducted successfully in the year

2015 at Binnaguri, West Bengal in India.

46. India completes nuclear triad by commissioning INS Arihant

India becomes sixth country to have a nuclear triad i.e. capable of delivering nuclear

weapons by aircraft, ballistic missiles and submarine launched missiles. Other countries

having nuclear triad are Russia, United States, United Kingdom, France and China.

It belongs to class referred to as Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN).

Its design is based on the Russian Akula-1 class submarine. It was built with Russia’s help

under Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project started in the 1980s. It weighs 6000 tonnes

and is 112 metre long. It is powered by 83 MW pressurised light water nuclear reactor with

enriched uranium fuel. It will be armed with the K-15 Sagarika missiles with a range of 750

km.

SSBNs provide a nation with an assured second strike capability i.e. capability to strike back

after being hit by nuclear weapons first.

In case of India, second strike capability is particularly important as it had committed to a

‘No-First-Use’ policy as part of its nuclear doctrine.

47. 16 October: World Food Day

The World Food Day is observed globally on 16 October to mark foundation of Food and

Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945.

Significance of Day: It aims to raise public awareness about hunger challenges and

encourage people around the world to take action in the fight against hunger.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Padmini-Rout

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Eesha-Karavade

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Eesha-Karavade

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/National-Women-Premier-Chess-Championship

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/National-Women-Premier-Chess-Championship


2016 Theme: “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too”.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is an agency of the United Nations that leads

international efforts to defeat hunger. Its parent organization is UN Economic and Social

Council (UNESC). It is neutral forum serving both developed and developing countries where all

nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy.

Established16 October 1945. Headquarters: Rome, Italy.

48. Russia, India ink defence deal on S-400 Air Defence Systems

Russia and India sign an agreement to deliver advanced S-400 Triumf’ air defence systems.

Surface-to-air missile systems to New Delhi.

The agreement signed at an India-Russia summit taken place in BRICS summit in Goa.

An S-400 ‘Triumf’ long-range air defence missile system is one of the most advanced long-

range defence systems in the world. It is referred to as SA-21 Growler by NATO. It is capable

of firing three types of missiles. Thus, it creates a layered defence, and simultaneously

engaging 36 targets. It has capability to destroy incoming all airborne targets at ranges of

up to 400 km. With it, India can destroy Pakistani aircrafts even when they are in their

airspace.

49. 15 October: International Day of Rural Women

The International Day of Rural Women is observed to recognize the critical role and

contribution of rural women, including indigenous women in enhancing rural and agricultural

development, eradicating rural poverty and improving food security.

2016 Theme: “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too”.

It tries to bring focus on farmers, pastoralists and fishers who are standing on the frontlines of

food insecurity due to climate changed due to temperatures rise. The United Nations also

calls for empowering rural women as a pre-requisite for fulfilling the vision of the

Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) which aims at ending poverty and hunger, achieve

food security and empower all women and girls.

The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15 October 2008.

current affairs prelims quick revision 2017 · current affairs quick revision for 2017- (sep to nov...

Documents