e magazine - civil service india
TRANSCRIPT
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Editor’s Note
Dear Civil Services Aspirants,
As a mark of tribute to our former president, A. P.
J. Abdul Kalam, the Civil Service India is putting up
10 inspirational quotes from him that may
motivate you to prepare for this challenging
examination.
1- You have to dream before your dreams can come true. Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended.
2- To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal.
3- Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.
4- Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.
5- We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us.
6- God, our Creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers.
7- You see, God helps only people who work hard. That principle is very clear.
8- One of the very important characteristics of a student is to question. Let the students ask questions.
9- Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career.
10- My message, especially to young people is
to have courage to think differently,
courage to invent, to travel the unexplored
path, courage to discover the impossible
and to conquer the problems and succeed.
These are great qualities that they must
work towards. This is my message to the
young people.
Civil Service India Wishes you All the Best!
Essay of the Month
National Skill Development Schemes to Galvanize India’s Work Force
India is soon going to be a hub of world’s human
resource capital. There are four initiatives taken
up by the Union government that are aimed to
enrich India’s human capital.
National Skill
Development Mission
(NSDM), National Policy for Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal
Vikas
Yojana (PMKVY) and Skill Loan scheme are the
four schemes aimed at achieving the vision of Skill
India.
The National Mission for Skill Development
(NMSD) is a government initiative to provide the
overall institutional framework to rapidly
implement and scale up skill development efforts
across India.
The Mission seeks to provide the institutional
capacity to train a minimum of 300 million skilled
people by the year 2022.
The objectives of the mission are to create an end-
to-end implementation framework for skill
development, which provides opportunities for
life-long learning.
It aims to align employer/industry demand and
workforce productivity with trainees’ aspirations
for sustainable livelihoods, by creating a
framework for outcome-focused training.
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NMSD try to establish and enforce cross-sectoral,
nationally and internationally acceptable
standards for skill training in the country.
It builds capacity for skill development in critical
un-organized sectors and provides pathways for
re-skilling and up-skilling workers in this sector, to
enable them to transition into formal sector
employment.
NMSD ensure sufficient, high quality options for
long-term skilling, benchmarked to internationally
acceptable qualification standards, which will
ultimately contribute to the creation of a highly
skilled workforce.
It intends to develop a network of quality
instructors/trainers in the skill development
ecosystem by establishing high quality teacher
training institutions.
It leverages existing public infrastructure and
industry facilities for scaling up skill training and
capacity building efforts.
NMSD support weaker and disadvantaged
sections of society through focused outreach
programmes and targeted skill development
activities.
It propagates aspirational value of skilling among
youth, by creating social awareness on value of
skill training.
NMSD maintain a national database, known as the
Labour Market Information System (LMIS), which
will act as a portal f
r matching the demand and supply of skilled
workforce in the country.
The Mission will have seven sub-missions under its
purview. These are: revitalizing institutional training,
infrastructure through undertaking sector
specific skill training initiatives, ensure
convergence of existing skill development
programmes, leverage existing public
infrastructure for skilling, focus on training of
trainers, and facilitate overseas employment and
Promote sustainable livelihoods.
National Policy for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship 2015, is the second such policy
on skill development that intends to replace the
National Policy on Skill Development 2009 by
adding entrepreneurship to the policy framework.
As far as objective related to National Policy for
Skill Development Entrepreneurship, it is to
promote entrepreneurship culture and make it
aspirational, enhance support for potential
entrepreneurs through mentorship and networks
and integrate entrepreneurship education in the
formal education system among others.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal
Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is a
demand-driven, reward-
based skill training
scheme. Under the scheme, besides assessing and
certifying 10 lakh youth for the skills they already
possess, around 24 lakh youth will be skilled over
the next year.
PMKY will cover 24 lakh persons and skill training
would be based on the National Skill Qualification
Framework (NSQF) and industry led standards.
Skill training would be on the basis of skill gap
studies conducted by the NSDC for the period
2013-17.
Its focus of the training would be on improved
curricula, better pedagogy and better trained
instructors. Training would include soft skills,
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personal grooming, behavioral change for cleanliness, good work ethics.
A monetary reward will be given to trainees on
assessment and certification by third party
assessment bodies. The average monetary reward
would be around 8000 rupees per trainee.
Under the Skill Loan scheme, loans ranging from
5000-1.5 lakhs rupees will be made available to 34
lakh youth to attend skill development
programmes. It will be operational between 2015
and 2020.
The government has approved introduction of
common norms for all the Skill Development
Schemes. Common Norms seek to rationalize the
whole spectrum of skill development processes
and systems including inputs, outputs,
funding/cost norms, third party certification and
assessment, monitoring/tracking mechanisms and
empanelment of training providers.
Common Norms define the
activities constituting Skill
Development in the country,
skill development courses
and their alignment with the National Skills
Qualification Framework, broad input standards
for training programmes and the outcomes
expected from these programmes.
The outcomes of skill training programmes have
been defined in terms of placement achieved in
wage and self- employment, both for fresh
trainees as well as existing workers who have
undergone Recognition of Prior Learning.
As the common norms are aimed at being
outcome focused, the cost norms and fund flow
mechanism for skill development programmes
have also been linked to specific outcomes achieved.
Cost norms include support for components like mobilization of candidates, trainers’ training,
placement expenses, post-placement tracking/monitoring and infrastructure costs.
The State Governments are also expected to align
their skill development schemes with these
common norms so as to bring in uniformity and
standardization.
The objective of skill development is to make
quality vocational training aspirational for both
youth and employers, focus on an outcome based
approach towards quality skilling, increase the
capacity and quality infrastructure, establish an IT
base duality infrastructure for aggregating
demand and supply of skilled workforce and
promote increased participation of women in the
workforce among others.
Currently, over 70-odd Skill Development
Programmes (SDPs) are being implemented by
the Union Government. Each programme has its
own norms for eligibility criteria, duration of
training, cost of training, outcomes, monitoring
and tracking mechanism etc. This multiplicity of
norms and parameters has created a diffusive
effect of SDPs, which needs to be streamlined in
order to achieve the final outcomes envisaged.
UPSC News
UPSC IAS Prelims on August 23
The preliminary examination for Union Public
Service Commission (UPSC) Indian Administrative
Services (IAS) is slated to be held on August 23.
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The results will be announced in the last week of October.
The admit cards for candidates who are appearing
this year are available on the official website. The
candidates who have registered themselves for
this exam can download the same from today
onwards till August 23.
The exam paper will be bifurcated into two
sections: Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II
(Aptitude Test). Both the papers would carry 200
marks each.
This year onward, the CSAT
would only be a qualifying
exam, the candidates need
to secure only 33 percent
marks. The marks of Paper
1 will be considered for ranking in the prelims,
based on which candidates will appear for the
Mains exam.
This exam is held in three stages: Preliminary
exam, Main exam and Personality test or
Interview. The candidate applying for the exam,
should be a citizen of India.
Candidates from Nepal, Bhutan, Tibetan refugees
and immigrants with Indian origin will have to
submit a certificate of eligibility that has been
issued by the Government of India, as an evidence
of their eligibility.
The candidates should possess a degree from any
of Indian universities or an equivalent
qualification from any recognized university.
Those who have appeared or intend to appear for
the qualifying examination and are awaiting
results are also eligible to appear for the exam.
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The candidates should be of minimum 21 years of
age and maximum 32 years of age. Relaxation
would be provided as per the government norms
to the reserved category.
General category can make 6 attempts OBC
category, 9 and SC/SC category can make
unlimited attempts.
History Notes
The election of 1937 and the formation of ministries
Under the Government of India Act 1935,
provincial election was held in February 1937. The
1937 election was the first in which large masses
of Indians were eligible to participate.
An estimated 30.1 million persons, including 4.25
million women, had acquired the right to vote
(14% of the total population), and 15.5 million of
these, including 917,000 women, actually did
exercise their franchise.
The Indian National Congress party swept the
polls in most of the provinces. The Congress Party
gained an absolute majority in seven out of eleven
provinces.
Congress was the largest single party in Bombay,
Madras, U.P., Bihar, and Orissa, Central Provinces
and in the NWFP. In these provinces Congress
ministries were formed in July 1937.
Later, Congress formed coalition government in
Sindh and Assam the other two provinces where it
was short of majority.
The non-Congress ministries were formed only in Bengal where a coalition of the Krishak Praja Party
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came to power and in Punjab where a coalition of Unionist Party took control.
After assuming office, the Congress ministries
tried to improve the condition of the people
within the narrow limits of the powers given to
them under the Act of 1935.
The Congress ministries set up new standards of
honesty, austerity and public service. They
drastically reduced their own salaries and mostly
travelled second or third class on the railways.
Congress government promoted civil liberties,
repealed restrictions on the press and radical
organization. It permitted trade unions and Kisan
organizations to function and grow. It curbed the
power of the police, and released political
prisoners including number of revolutionary
terrorists.
Congress
ministries aroused
the hopes of
industrial working
class leading to
industrial unrest
in Bombay, Gujarat, UP and Bengal.
The Congress ministries passed agrarian
legislations dealing with tenancy rights, security of
tenure, rent reduction and relief and protection to
peasant debtors. The Congress Governments
introduced prohibition in selected areas,
undertook Harijan upliftment and gave great
attention to primary, higher and technical
education and public health.
The Congress ministries gave support to Khadi and
other village and cottage industries. Modern
industries too were encouraged by the Congress
during its rule in the provinces. The other major
achievement of the Congress rule was the
handling of communal riots.
It was successful in controlling them and established peace in the provinces it ruled.
The biggest gain of 1937 election was
psychological. People felt like breathing the air
victory and self-government with Congress
ministries coming into power in their provinces.
When the Second World War broke out in
September 1939, the Government of India
immediately joined the war without consulting the
Indian National Congress or the elected members of
the Central Legislature. The Congress party
demanded that India must be declared free or at
least effective power be transferred to Indians for
Indians to actively participate in the war.
This British refused to accept the Congress
demand and even tried to put the religious
minorities and Princes against the Congress. This
led the Congress ministries to resign in October
1939.
In provincial election of 1937, the Muslim League
contested the elections but achieved moderate
success. Out of the 485 reserved Muslim seats,
the Muslim League could capture only 110 seats.
Even in the Muslim-majority provinces of the
Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province, Bengal
and Sindh, the Muslim League was trounced by
rival Muslim parties.
Later, when the Congress ministries resigned in
the provinces, the Muslim League observed a ‘Day
of Deliverance’, as a mark of relief of Congress
rule.
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National News
Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam passed away
Former Indian President Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen
(APJ) Abdul Kalam passed away on 27 July 2015
following his collapse during a lecture in the Indian
Institute of Management, Shillong. He was 83. He
was also known as the Missile Man of India.
Considered as the People's President, Dr Kalam
became the 11th President of the country and
occupied the post between 2002 and 2007 during
the NDA government headed Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
After relinquishing the charge of President of
India, he relentlessly taught science to the youth
of India.
Kalam was one of India’s most eminent scientists
and had the unique honour of receiving honorary
doctorates from 30 universities and institutions.
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on
15 October 1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu,
APJ Abdul Kalam went on to become Aeronautical
Engineer from Madras Institute of Technology,
Chennai.
After graduating in
1960, he joined
DRDO as a
scientist. He
started his career
by designing a
small helicopter
for the Indian Army.
In 1969, Kalam was transferred to ISRO, where he
was project director of India's first indigenous
Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III). He also served as
the Chief Scientific Adviser to then Prime Minister
and as the secretary of the DRDO from July 1992
to December 1999.
He has been awarded with the coveted civilian
awards including Padma Bhushan (1981) and
Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian
award Bharat Ratna (1997).
Kalam authored numerous inspirational books
including India 2020, Wings Of Fire and Ignited
Minds.
During his tenure as Chief Scientific Adviser to the
Prime Minister from July 1992 to December 1999,
he led the weaponization of strategic missile
systems and the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, which
made India a nuclear weapon state.
In 1980, India entered the space club by putting
the Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit with the
first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III),
developed under the stewardship of Kalam. In the
1960s, Kalam was at the Thumba Equatorial
Rocket Launching Station near
Thiruvananthapuram, where he built ISRO's
sounding rocket programme to probe the upper
atmosphere.
His taking over of Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3)
programme as its Project Director led to its
spectacular success in 1980. As director of DRDL,
he envisioned India's Integrated Guided Missile
Development Programme (IGMDP) and led teams
that built India's Agni, Akash, Prithvi and Nag
missile programmes.
He was instrumental in forging India's
collaboration with Russia to build the world's first
supersonic cruise missile called BrahMos.
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Literacy rate 71 percent in rural areas, 86 percent in urban areas
National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) released
the 71st Round of its survey on Social
Consumption: Education. The survey was
conducted for the period of January to June 2014
and portrays the salient features relating to prime
indicators on education as on 31 March 2014.
The survey covered entire country with samples
taken from 36479 households in rural areas and
29447 in urban areas from 4577 villages and 3720
urban blocks. It was conducted on the basis of
having any student aged between 5 and 29 years
receiving technical/professional or general
education.
National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) functions
under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation.
Prime Minister launched Digital India Week
Prime Minister of
India Narendra Modi
launched the Digital
India Week in New
Delhi. The newly
created week is
aimed at encouraging people’s involvement and
creating awareness among them about various
initiatives launched under the Digital India
Programme launched in August 2014.
The Department of Electronics & Information
Technology (DeitY) is the nodal agency for
implementing the Digital India Programme in
close cooperation with other departments and
ministries. Digital India has been envisioned as an
ambitious umbrella programme to transform India
into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
In order to achieve the above objectives, several
projects/ products were already launched by the
Union Government and Public Sector Enterprises.
They are; Digital Locker System, MyGov. Swachh
Bharat Mission (SBM), eSign framework, The
Online Registration System, National Scholarships
Portal, Digitize India Platform (DIP), Bharat Net,
Electronics Development Fund, National Centre
for Flexible Electronics, Centre of Excellence on
Internet on Things
Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 for Rural India released
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Union
Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj
and Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation
Chaudhary Birendra Singh released the provisional
data from the Socio Economic and Caste Census
(SECC) 2011 for Rural India.
The survey was completed in all the 640 districts.
It provides very useful data on households
regarding various aspects of their socio-economic
status– housing, land-holding, educational status,
status of women, the differently able, occupation,
possession of assets, SC/ST households, incomes,
etc.
The data addresses the multi dimensionality of
poverty and provides a unique opportunity for a
convergent, evidence based planning with a Gram
Panchayat as a unit. The data is an opportunity to
make evidence based selection, prioritization and
targeting of beneficiaries in different programmes.
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SECC 2011 is a unique paperless Census. The
enumeration of the data was done using over 6.4
lakh electronic handheld device. Household data
was taken from the National Population Register
along with the Temporary Identification Number
(TIN).
The districts and State Governments have carried
out the SECC with the Union Ministry of Rural
Development as the nodal Ministry. Union
Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
carried out the survey in urban areas and the
Registrar General, Census of India carried out the
caste census.
Panagariya Committtee to classify Caste Census data, 2011
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on 16 July 2015 gave its approval
to set up an expert group to classify the Caste
names returned in the Socio Economic and Caste
Census (SECC), 2011.
The expert group will be chaired Arvind
Panagariya, Vice-Chairperson of NITI Aayog and
will be serviced by the Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal Welfare.
As per the released SECC data on 3 July 2015,
there are about 46 lakh Caste/Sub Caste names/
synonyms/surnames/ clan/gothra names. The
caste census was the first since 1932.
The approval was given in lieu of the failure of the
states in consolidating different categories and is
in line with the one taken by the UPA government
on 19 May 2011.
The SECC was conducted by the respective State/UT Governments. The field survey on
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economic data has since been completed and the
socio economic data relating to rural areas has
been released by the Ministry of Rural
Development (MoRD). The work on urban data is
under progress
CBI constituted 40 members team to probe multi-crore Vyapam scam
Vyapam: Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal/Madhya
Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB)
Vyapam scam was in news in July 2015 as Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 12 July 2015
constituted a special team of 40 officers, under a
Joint Director level officer, to probe the multi-
crore Vyapam scam of Madhya Pradesh. The team
will be headed by CBI Joint Director RP Agarwal.
Vyapam scam is an admission and recruitment
scam involving politicians, senior officials and
businessmen in Madhya Pradesh. The scam
involved a collusion of undeserving candidates,
who bribed politicians and MPPEB officials
through middlemen, to get
high ranks in these entrance
tests.
The CBI constituted the team following the
direction of Supreme Court (SC) of India. SC bench
headed
by Chief Justice of India HL Dattu on 9 July 2015
transferred the probe of all cases related to
Vyapam scam to the CBI. It also asked the agency
to file its report before it on 24 July 2015. Earlier,
the case was being handled by a Special Task
Force and was monitored by the High Court.
India second among 40 countries in terms of Confidence in National Government: OECD
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India stood second among 40 countries in terms
of Confidence in National Government in 2014 as
per the Government at a Glance 2015 report that
placed Switzerland at the top with Norway coming
in third.
The report was released on by the Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD). It was based on a sampling survey of 1000
citizens in each country conducted by World Poll.
Out of 1000 Indian citizens surveyed, 730
answered in the affirmative to the question
related to confidence of citizens and businesses in
government to do what is right and perceived as
fair.
However, between 2007 (pre financial crisis
period) and 2014, trust levels in India dropped by
9 percentage points.
Also, India stood at the 24th position out of 35
countries in the comparison on protection of
fundamental rights that include the right to equal
treatment and the absence of discrimination, the
right to life and security of the person and
freedom of belief and religion among others.
Union Ministry of Urban Development launched nationwide HRIDAY scheme
Union Ministry of Urban Development on 14 July
2015 launched the National Heritage
Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)
for 12 cities in the country from Amritsar in
Punjab.
The scheme seeks to preserve and rejuvenate the
rich cultural heritage of the country in the
selected 12 cities in the country, including
Amritsar. The scheme was launched by Union
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Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting Arun Jaitley,
HRIDAY seeks to
promote an integrated,
inclusive and
sustainable development of heritage sites,
focusing on maintenance of monuments and on
advancement of the entire ecosystem.
In the initial phase of HRIDAY, 12 heritage cities
have been identified which will be rejuvenated
and developed. Union Government will provide
500 crore rupees to these 12 cities. Physical,
institutional, economic and social infrastructure
developed as part of the scheme in the identified
cities. It will be completely funded by the Union
Government to create infrastructure and provide
facilities around the heritage sites to attract more
tourists.
Initiative to recognize 100 women achievers of India
The Union Ministry of Women and Child
Development launched the #100Women Initiative
in collaboration with Facebook to select 100
women achievers of India. The initiative is aimed
at recognizing and acknowledging women who are
making a difference in their communities across
the country.
To select 100 women achievers, a contest will be
held through public nominations via social media.
Nominations are accepted between 15 July 2015
and 30 September 2015 on the Facebook page of
the Ministry. Voting will begin on 27 November
2015 on the top 200 entries as determined by an
esteemed jury. Winners will be announced in
December 2015 and invited to join a reception
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organized by the Ministry around the Republic Day.
Pam Rajput Committee’s recommendation on Status of Women
High Level Committee (HLC) on Status of Women
headed by Pam Rajput, constituted by former UPA
government, was in news in fourth week of July
2015. The committee came in news after a
workshop to discuss its recommendations to
generate a working road map to empower women
was held in New Delhi.
The meeting was called to work out actionable
points to empower women on the basis of the
report of High Level Committee that is a
voluminous report comprising of four parts. The
workshop discussed the recommendations under
four groups including; Women and Economy,
Women and Social Empowerment, Women,
Media and Information Technology, Women and
Law and lastly, Institutional Mechanism and
Governance.
The High Level Committee on Status of Women
presented its first copy of the Preliminary Report
to the Minister for Women and Child
Development, Krishna Tirath on 3 February 2015.
It identified Violence against Women, Declining
Sex Ratio and Economic Disempowerment of
Women as three key burning issues which require
immediate attention of the nation, and action by
the government.
Union Government launched Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and
Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan launched the
Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan, a countrywide
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campaign, to create mass awareness and capacity building for safe and hygienic food.
The initiative complements the widely popular
multi-media campaign Jago Grahak Jago which
empowers the consumers of its rights and
demands. This campaign, planned by CII and
Consumer Organization VOICE, and National
Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), is
an effort towards building a culture of food safety
in the country.
Under the campaign, nationwide sensitization
sessions on cleaning, hygiene & sanitation for safe
food, Walkathons and Media dissemination
programmes for Consumers, Street Food
Industries will be organized across the country.
The ministry also launched a website and a logo of
the campaign and also signed a pledge for
adopting safe food practices.
India ranked 12th in terms of power generation from nuclear source
With the total power
generation from
nuclear reactors at
5308 MWe, India is
ranked 12th in the
world in terms of power generation from nuclear sources.
This was revealed by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union
Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space in a
reply to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha
though the data with respect to this was
published by Power Reactor Information System
(PRIS) of International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) in May 2015.
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Further, in terms of number of nuclear reactors in
operation, India was ranked at 7th position with
21 reactors.
The released data further said that there are 31
countries including India in the world that
generate electricity from nuclear source.
The installed nuclear power capacity of India is
expected to increase from 5780 MWe to 10080
MWe on progressive completion of projects under
commissioning or construction by 2019.
Financial sanction and administrative approval for
Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana
(GHAVP) Units – 1&2 (2X700 MW) and
Kudankulam Units- 3&4 (2X1000 MW) with a total
capacity of 3400 MW has been accorded by the
Government.
In addition, one Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor of
500 MW capacity at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu is at
advanced stage of commissioning. Construction of
two more Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR 1&2) of 600
MWe capacity each at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu is
also planned.
Besides, India has signed nuclear agreements with
USA, France, Russia, Namibia, Mongolia, Republic
of Korea, Argentine Republic, United Kingdom,
Republic of Kazakhstan, Canada, Sri Lanka and
Australia.
Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana launched
The Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched
Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY)
along with various other development projects in
Patna.
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The scheme is for rural areas was launched to
provide electrification to all villages Feeder
separation to ensure sufficient power to farmers
and regular supply to other consumers.
Improvement of Sub-transmission and
distribution network to improve the quality and
reliability of the supply. Metering to reduce the
losses. The Scheme has an outlay of 76000 crore
rupees for implementation of the projects under
which Union Government shall provide Grant of
63000 crore rupees.
CCEA approved Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
(CCEA) on gave its approval for a new scheme
called Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
(PMKSY).
The Yojana was approved with an outlay of 50000
crore rupees over a period of five years, that is,
from 2015-16 to 2019-20 and the allocation for
the financial year 2015-16 has been kept at 5300
crore rupees.
The aim of PMKS is to bring concerned Ministries/Departments/Agencies/Research and
Financial Institutions engaged in
creation/use/recycling/potential recycling of
water under a common platform so that a
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comprehensive and holistic view of the entire
water cycle is taken into account and proper
water budgeting is done for all sectors namely,
household, agriculture and industries.
The objectives of PMKSY are to provide
convergence to existing schemes of water
management, thus bringing efficiency to the use
of water. Expand cultivable area under assured
irrigation (Har Khet ko pani). Improve on-farm
water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water
Enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and
other water saving technologies (More crop per
drop). Enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce
sustainable water conservation practices by
exploring the feasibility of reusing treated
municipal based water for peri-urban agriculture.
Attract greater private investment in precision
irrigation system.
Union Cabinet approved National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
The Union Cabinet approved the India’s first
integrated National Policy for Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship 2015. The Policy
acknowledges the need for an effective roadmap
for promotion of entrepreneurship as the key to a
successful skills strategy.
The Vision of the Policy is to create an ecosystem
of empowerment by Skilling on a large Scale at
Speed with high Standards. It aims to promote a
culture of innovation based entrepreneurship
which can generate wealth and employment so as
to ensure Sustainable livelihoods for all citizens in
the country.
It addresses key obstacles to skilling, including low aspirational value, lack of integration with formal
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education, lack of focus on outcomes, low quality of training infrastructure and trainers, etc.
The Policy seeks to align supply and demand for
skills by bridging existing skill gaps, promoting
industry engagement, operationalizing a quality
assurance framework, leverage technology and
promoting greater opportunities for apprenticeship training.
Equity is also a focus of the Policy, which targets
skilling opportunities for socially/geographically
marginalized and disadvantaged groups.
Skill development and entrepreneurship
programmes for women are a specific focus of the
Policy.
In the entrepreneurship domain, the Policy seeks
to educate and equip potential entrepreneurs,
both within and outside the formal education
system.
It also seeks to connect entrepreneurs to mentors,
incubators and credit markets, foster innovation
and entrepreneurial culture, improve ease of
doing business and promote a focus on social
entrepreneurship.
India’s 1st Earthquake Warning System successfully installed in Uttarakhand
An Earthquake
Warning System
(EWS) was successfully
installed in
Uttarakhand,
Dehradun in the first week of July 2015. With this,
Uttarakhand became first Indian state to install a
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system that can detect earthquakes and disseminate warnings.
The system was designed and manufactured by
Italian firm Space Dynamics which already
installed this system in Japan, Italy and US. The
system will issue warnings 1-40 seconds before
the occurrence of earthquakes of magnitude 5 or
more.
According to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS),
Uttarakhand falls under Seismic Zone –V, which is
a zone of high seismic activity with magnitude of
6.9 or greater on Richter scale. Apart from it,
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rann of
Kutch (Gujarat), Northern Bihar and Andaman &
Nicobar Islands also fall under this seismic zone.
Another system like this will soon be established
at Pithoragarh in the Kumaon region of
Uttarakhand.
The Earthquake Warning System technology was
brought by the state Disaster Management and
Mitigation Centre (DMMC) and is operational at
the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
The system is incorporated with sensors that can
detect P (Primary) and S (Secondary) waves
generated during an earthquake.
It is capable to detect the harmless P wave, which
travels faster than the S wave for advance
warning. It generates a variety of alarms like
programmable built-in audio alert, connected to
external alarms like sirens and public
announcement systems. It also triggers visual
alerts and sends them via cell phones and the
internet. The system can also eliminate false
triggers from environmental vibrations and filters
smaller non-damaging quakes.
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Indian Economy
MUDRA card under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana scheme launched
Corporation Bank launched country’s first MUDRA
(Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency)
card under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana
(PMMY) in Mangalore, Karnataka.
The card is based on
the RuPay platform
and facilitates the
withdrawal and use of the working capital finance by micro entrepreneurs.
Under the PMMY, the bank launched three loan
schemes-Shishu, Kishore and Tarun- to
entrepreneurs based on their capacity to repay.
The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) was
launched by PM Narendra Modi on 8 April 2015
under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY) to ensure credit facility to small
entrepreneurs through Micro-Finance Institutions
(MFIs). Corporation Bank is one of the oldest
banks in India that was founded in 1906.
Make in India initiative won Economic Development Innovation Award
Frost and Sullivan, a US-based Growth Partnership
Company, recognized Make in India initiative of
the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP), Government of India.
In this regard, it presented the DIPP with the 2015
Asia – Pacific Economic Development Innovation:
Policy and Program Implementation Excellence
Award in Manufacturing.
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The award was given in recognition of its
outstanding contribution to nurture India’s
economic and industrial transformation through
simplifying the regulatory framework, reinforcing
connectivity and incentivizing investments.
The Make in India initiative scored the highest
score among the 100 countries in the GIL-100
Index: Manufacturing Index for 2015 on
Manufacturing Excellence which was prepared by
independent global experts through a detailed 10-
step process.
RBI constituted Committee on Medium-term Path on Financial Inclusion
The Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) constituted a
committee to work out a
five-year (medium-term)
action plan for financial
inclusion. The 14-member panel will be headed by RBI executive director Deepak Mohanty.
The Committee will work to spread the reach of financial services to unbanked population.
The terms of reference of the Committee are as under:
(i) To review the existing policy of financial
inclusion including supportive payment system
and customer protection framework taking into
account the recommendations made by various
committees set up earlier. (ii) To study cross country experiences in financial
inclusion to identify key learning, particularly in
the area of technology-based delivery models,
that could inform our policies and practices.
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(iii) To articulate the underlying policy and
institutional framework, also covering consumer
protection and financial literacy, as well as
delivery mechanism of financial inclusion
encompassing both households and small
businesses, with particular emphasis on rural
inclusion including group-based credit delivery
mechanisms.
(iv) To suggest a monitorable medium-term
action plan for financial inclusion in terms of its
various components like payments, deposit,
credit, social security transfers, pension and
insurance.
(v) To examine any other related issues.
The committee was constituted in reference to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on the
occasion of the Reserve Bank’s 80th anniversary
wherein he asked the Bank to take the lead in
encouraging financial institutions and to set a
medium-to-long term target for sustainable
financial inclusion.
Overall direct lending to farmers should not fall below average of past 3 years: RBI
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directed banks to
ensure that their overall direct lending to farmers
should not fall below the average of last three
years.
The direction was given by RBI against the
backdrop of government expressing concern over
adverse impact of any reduction in direct credit,
given the adverse weather conditions.
Further, the RBI warned the banks that direct
lending below the target set for priority sector
lending will attract usual penalties.
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The apex bank also said that banks should also
continue to maintain efforts to reach the level of
13.5 percent direct lending to beneficiaries who
earlier constituted the direct agriculture sector.
In an effort to increase direct lending to
agriculture, the RBI in April 2015 revised the
target for direct lending to small and marginal
farmers under priority sector norms to 7 percent
for 2015-16 and to 8 percent for 2016-17.
Direct lending to the most disadvantaged farmers,
the small and marginal farmers, has been around
6 percent of Adjusted Net Bank Credit (or Credit
Equivalent Amount of Off-Balance Sheet
Exposure, whichever is higher).
Also, the distinction between direct and indirect
agriculture has been dispensed with and loans to
food and agro processing units will form part of
agriculture. Banks' overall target for agriculture
stands at 18 percent.
RBI permitted CBS-enabled Cooperative Banks to issue ATM cards in tie-up with a sponsor bank
Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) permitted
Cooperative Banks with
Core Banking Solution
(CBS) to issue ATM
cards/ATM-cum-debit cards in tie with a sponsor banks.
The decision was taken by the RBI in an attempt
to move towards a less-cash economy and with an
aim to inculcate the habit of using electronic
payment channels among bank customers.
Further, these cooperative banks by virtue of being a sub-member of National Financial Switch
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(NFS) are required to fulfill the risk management
requirements prescribed by the sponsor bank and
meet expenses devolving on them under the
agreement with the sponsor bank.
Also, banks should set up their own arrangement
for issuing cards, authorization of cards and
customer support/redressal mechanism and
ensure to provide uninterrupted services to their
customers.
The RBI took the decision after it received
representations from cooperative banks not
having their own ATMs and sought permission to
issue ATM-cum-debit cards to their customers in
tie-up with banks having their own ATM network.
After examining the representations in light of
requirement to become a direct member or a sub-
member of the NFS for carrying out such
transactions, the RBI arrived at this decision.
Union Government extended Interest Subvention Scheme to banks
Union Government extended Interest Subvention
Scheme (ISS) to Public Sector Banks (PSBs), private
sector commercial banks, rural regional banks
(RRBs), cooperative banks and NABARD.
It was extended to ensure availability of crop
loans of up to 3 lakh rupees to farmers at 7
percent per annum.
The decision to continue interest subvention on
short term crop loans was taken by the Union
Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
for the fiscal 2015-16.
The Cabinet also approved an additional interest
subvention of 3 percent per annum for those
farmers who repay on time.
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The government also decided to provide interest
subvention to small and marginal farmers with
Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) for loans against
negotiable warehouse receipts post-harvest at
annual interest of seven percent for six months.
The government will also give relief to farmers
affected by natural calamities, where the interest
subvention of two percent will continue to be
available to banks for the first year on the
restructured amount.
Besides, the Cabinet also approved a Central
Agricultural University at Samastipur in Bihar.
According to the approval, the existing agricultural
university at Pusa will be converted into an
international level institution through
strengthening of infrastructure, manpower and
other provisions.
The cabinet also gave its in-principle nod for the
revival of Banana Research Centre at Goraul in
Vaishali, Bihar.
Seven Indian companies in the list of Fortune 500 list
The 61st
edition of the
Fortune 500
list for the
year 2015
was released.
In 2015
Fortune 500
companies list, 7 Indian companies finds the
mention.
The list is topped by Indian Oil at 119th rank with
revenues of 74 billion US dollars and is followed
by Reliance Industries, Tata Motors, State Bank of
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India, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
India and World Bank signed Financing
xAgreement for Andhra Pradesh Disaster
Recovery Project
India and World Bank signed Financing Agreement
for assistance of 250 million US dollars for Andhra
Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project.
It is a loan for an implementation period of 5
years and Andhra Pradesh Government will be the
implementing agency of project.
The objective of the project is to restore, improve
and enhance resilience of public services,
environmental facilities, and livelihoods in
targeted Communities of Andhra Pradesh.
It aims to increase the capacity of the State to
respond promptly and effectively to an eligible
crisis or emergency.
Direct beneficiaries of the project will be
populations of the affected coastal areas
specifically the four heavily impacted districts of
Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and
East Godavari.
It will have seven components: Resilient electrical
network, Restoration of connectivity and shelter
infrastructure, restoration and protection of
beach front, restoration of environmental services
and facilities and livelihood support, capacity
building and technical support for disaster risk
management, Project implementation support
contingency emergency response.
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Indian Defence
INS Astravahini decommissioned after 31 years of service
INS Astravahini,
indigenously built
Torpedo launch
and recovery
vessel (TLRV), was
decommissioned after its 31 years’ service to the
nation. The vessel had immensely contributed in
the trials of indigenous torpedoes developed by
Naval Science and Technological Laboratory
(NSTL).
It was decommissioned at a ceremony presided
over by Commodore K A Bopanna, Naval Officer-
in-Charge ( Andhra Pradesh Division) at the Ship
Building Centre, Andhra Pradesh.
INS Astravahini was an auxiliary vessel of the
torpedo launching and recovery (TLRV) class. It
was ordered to be built by the NSTL in October
1981 for Defence Research and Development
Activities.
It was commissioned in Indian Navy in 1984 at
Visakhapatnam. It was only one of its class and
was extensively used by the NSTL as a test
platform to launch and recover experimental
torpedoes for their induction into the Indian Navy.
The ship was commanded by Lt Rohan Kulkarni.
Indigenously developed helicopter-launched Nag missile test fired
Indigenously developed helicopter-launched Nag
(HeliNa) missile was test fired at the Chandhan
firing range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. HeliNa is a
variant of Nag anti-tank guided missile (ATGM).
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Out of the three trials conducted by the Defence
Research and Development Organization (DRDO),
only two were successful in hitting the target.
Nag Missile is a third generation fire-and-forget
and can be fired during night and day. It is
equipped with top attack capability to nullify the
explosive reactive armour (ERA) of a battle tank. It
weighs 42kg having 1.90m length and can be fired
against both moving and fixed targets.
Besides HeliNa, it has land, air-launched and man
portable (weighing 14 kg) versions. To carry the
land version, DRDO developed the NAMICA (Nag
Missile Carrier) for the army.
While the land version can hit targets in the range
between 500m to 4km, the range of air-launched
version is between 7 and 10 km. It can carry a war
head weighing up to 8kg. It has been developed at
a cost of 300 crore rupees by the DRDO under the
Integrated Guided Missile Development
Programme (IGMDP).
Once inducted in the Armed Forces, the HeliNa
missile will be integrated with the weaponised
version of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)
Dhruv, the light combat helicopter produced by
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
Defence Acquisition Council approved defence proposals worth 30000 crore rupees
Defence Acquisition Council approved defence
proposals worth over 30000 crore rupees for
buying four more P81 long-range maritime patrol
aircraft for the Indian Navy and to replace Indian
Army’s vintage air defence guns of 60s.
The detailed proposals are as follows: Acceptance of necessity (AON) to replace L70 and Zu 23mm
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guns for Indian Army’s air defence under Buy-and-
Make category. Now, army will buy 428 guns at a
total cost of 16900 crore rupees. It will now pave
the way for issuance of a Request for Proposal
(RFP).
Acquisition of 4 more P81 aircraft at a cost of
4380 crore rupees. These aircrafts are based on
the Boeing next-generation 737 commercial
airplane. It is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon used
by the US Navy.
Up gradation of weapon and sensor suite of the
Delhi and Talwar class ships at a cost of 2900 crore
rupees.
Moreover, six ships will see new surface-to-air
missile system that would be bought from Russia,
besides new radars.
Army launched Operation Shiva to secure Amarnath Yatra
To provide
security to those
devotees taking
part in the 59-
day-long annual
Amarnath Yatra
in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Army in first week of July launched Operation Shiva.
The operation was launched on the basis of
intelligence report suggesting that a group of 15
terrorists are likely to attempt a strike.
The operation will include Rashtriya Rifles unit,
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance
of Yatra route and cave shrine, combing of forests
located along the Yatra track, Infantry Unit of
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Army, companies of Paramilitary Forces, CRPF and BSF.
Army dedicated Prerna Sthal at Hussainiwala to the nation
Indian Army dedicated the monument named
Prerna Sthal at Hussainiwala to the nation. The
commemorative monument was built to honour
the sacrifice of soldiers of India.
The newly constructed Prerna Sthal is located at
the gateway of the memorial to Shaheed Bhagat
Singh at Hussainiwala, a village in Firozpur district
of Punjab, India, where Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and
Raj guru were cremated on 23 March 1931.
The monument was dedicated to the nation
amidst the musical notes played by the buglers of
the Last Post from the roof of the historical
Hussainiwala railway station. General Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen
KJ Singh laid the inaugural wreath and observed a
two minute silence as a mark of respect to the
martyrs.
DRDO to invest in IITs to kick-start aerospace defence technology
The Defence Research and Development
Organization (DRDO), charged with Indian
military's research and development, is pumping
in over Rs 400 crore into IIT Bombay and IIT
Madras to kick-start advanced defence-related
aerospace research and development.
Products and technology now under development
include aircraft that can morph into a missile, gas
turbine engines used to run aircraft and missile
propulsion, hypersonics that enable flights to go at
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several times the speed of sound, and rockets for long-range missiles.
DRDO could identify private partners from the
industry who can work with research faculty at IIT
on technology development. While DRDO will be
the primary funding agency now, other industries
could join in later. IIT Madras and IIT Bombay will
be the main nodal centres, three other IITs —
Kharagpur, Guwahati and Bhubaneshwar, along
with NIT Surat will be associates in the research to
be undertaken.
Currently, India imports 60-70% of the military
aircraft and where it is indigenously developed
the design still comes from outside.
IAF pushes for 20 more Rafale fighters from France
India and France are now trying to swiftly finalize
the government-to-
government deal for
direct acquisition of 36
Rafale fighters, even as the earlier $20 billion
MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft)
project for 126 such jets stands scrapped.
The IAF is pushing for at least 20 additional
Rafales over the 36 decided during the Modi-
Hollande summit in Paris on April 10. But India is
unlikely to buy more than 36 Rafales at this stage,
less than one-third of the 126 jets envisaged
under the MMRCA project.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, defence minister
Manohar Parrikar said the Indian and French
teams were negotiating the terms and conditions
for the 36-jet deal and would recommend a draft
agreement.
20
Under the now-scrapped MMRCA project, which
had remained deadlocked after Rafale emerged
the winner in January 2012 following a hotly-
contested global competition among six vendors,
the first 18 jets were to come in “a flyaway
condition”. The rest 108 were to be made by
Hindustan Aeronautics in India after transfer of
technology.
Government takes steps to address Indian Army's ammunition shortage
Acknowledging that the Indian Army is short of
critical ammunition, Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar said the government has taken steps to
mitigate the deficiencies.
The Defence Minister highlighted additional steps
taken to address the ammunition shortage. These
are: Second Five Year Ammunition Roll on indent
for the period 2014-19 has been placed on
Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
A road map on ammunition has been approved
which envisages procurement ex-import and ex-
trade to build up adequate targeted stocks in
addition to training requirement.
An institutionalized mechanism in the form of
Working Group to review critical items has been
set up.
Ammunition with recurring large annual training
requirement with high cost has been intimated to
Defence Research and Development Organization
(DRDO) and OFB for indigenous development.
Second Five Year Ammunition Roll on indent for
the period 2014-19 has been placed on Ordnance
Factory Board (OFB).
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Environment News
Electronic Nose for environmental monitoring developed
An Electronic Nose (E-Nose) was jointly developed
by Nagpur-based National Environmental
Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) of CSIR and
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
(C-DAC).
E-Nose technology will help monitor the
surrounding environment to sniff out dangerous
gases.
The key features of E-Nose is it is a portable device and
measures odour
concentration as well as
odour intensity. It uses an
array of sensors that function
on the principle similar to that of human olfaction (sense of smell).
The sensor array generates a pattern based on the
type of aroma. It is possible to train the software
by feeding information based on observation of
experts. It is the first of its kind of technology to
be developed in India that makes use of intelligent
software to identify odorous molecules.
E-nose can help sniff out a variety of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) and odorants at a pulp
and paper mill industry with a prime objective to
protect the health of thousands of workers
working in this industry.
The pulp and paper industry emits a variety of
gases, namely, Hydrogen Sulphide, Methyl
Mercaptan, Dimethyl Sulphide, and Dimethyl
Disulphide all of which beyond a certain
21
concentrations may adversely affect the environment and human health.
It helps in continuous monitoring of these gases,
overcoming all limitations of the available
analytical instruments that are not only expensive
and time-consuming.
It also establishes a correlation between sensory
and analytical measurements for the sulphurous
odorants generated from pulp and paper
industries, tanneries and distilleries.
It can be easily operated at a pulp and paper mill
industry and is currently functioning successfully
at the Mysore Paper Mills Limited at Bhadravathi
in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Paper Mill.
The researchers are currently working on the
application of Electronic Nose to monitor gas
emissions from any source, be it an industry or
leakage of petroleum pipes going through fields or
farms.
Partial Risk Guarantee Fund for Energy Efficiency
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in the third
week of July signed an Implementing Agency
Agreement with REC Power Distribution Company
Ltd. (RECPDCL) for the operationalisation of Partial
Risk Guarantee Fund for Energy Efficiency
(PRGFEE).
RECPDCL signed the agreement with BEE on behalf
of the consortium between RECPDCL, REC Limited
and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
The Agreement was signed by Secretary of BEE
Sanjay Seth and Chief Financial Officer of RECPDCL
Somya Kant in the presence of Dr. Ajay Mathur,
Director General, BEE.
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NGT suggested variable office hours to cut pollution
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) gave an idea of
variable working hours for the government and
private sector in the national capital, Delhi. The
plan was mooted with an aim to reduce vehicular
pollution in the capital during peak hours.
The idea was mooted by an NGT bench headed by
Justice Swatanter Kumar, who said that it needed
to take everyone along and come up with an
innovative approach to curb pollution. The bench
asked the Union Government to discuss the
proposal with all stakeholders.
A gap of one or two hours in the office hours of
government and business establishments in Delhi
may help in reducing vehicular emissions, which is
caused due to traffic problem
It will also reduce the pressure on buses, autos and metro during peak hours
Besides, the bench also included universities in
the proposal. It said that if a child can go to school
at 7am, why can’t a graduate can do so?
ZSI monitoring climate change impact on Sundarban animals
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) set up
monitoring bases inside the mangrove forests of
Sundarbans to measure the effect of climate
change on flora and fauna of Sundarbans.
For this purpose, monitoring bases were
established at 25 plots in the five islands of Bali,
Gosaba, Basanti, Sagar and Satjelia.
These bases measure the diversity and population index of mangroves, crabs and snails. Apart from
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eight major mangrove species of the region, the
bases also monitor pollination by insects like bees,
beetles, butterflies and moths.
For collection of data about their population and
species, a team of experts has been sent to the
spot.
Under the process for monitoring photographs of
the flora and fauna will be taken and a GPS map of
their habitat will be prepared, which will help in
knowing the change in the region.
In the process, the impacts on animals are being
monitored by ZSI, while Botanical Survey of India
is monitoring the impact on flora.
The three-year monitoring project is funded by
the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and
Climate Change.
New species of butterfly discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
A new species of tiny
butterfly species called
Banded Tit (Hypolycaena
Narada) discovered in the
green forests of the
Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Banded tit is a resident of low-lying evergreen
forests of Changlang and carries an interesting life
cycle. Adult butterflies of the species live only for
approximately two weeks in March every year.
It spends a large part of the year in a dormant
state in larval or pupal stages, which is still
unknown. The species primarily feeds on bird-
droppings along cool streams in the forests.
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Bright-eyed Argus (Callerebia Dibangensis) was
the last species of butterfly that was discovered in
Arunachal Pradesh.
Two new plant species discovered in Western Ghats
A team of
researchers led
by CN Sunil
reported
discovery of two
new plant
species christened as Vellithumpa (silver flower)
and Eriocaulon Manoharanii. These plants were
discovered from the Pooyamkutty-Adamalayar
and Neriamangalam forest regions of Western
Ghats in Kerala.
These plants were discovered during
investigations conducted as part of a UGC-
sponsored project on the flowering plants of
Ernakulam district of Kerala.
The findings of the discovery were published in
the June 2015 issue of the international journal
Webbia: Journal of Plant Taxonomy and
Phytogeography.
New fish species discovered in Kerala
A new species of cyprinid fish christened as
Puntius Dolichopterus was discovered from a
small water stream in Alappuzha district’s
Kayamkulam city of Kerala.
Puntius Dolichopterus that is found in small and
shallow water channels has been included in the
fish family Cyprinidae. These fishes are edible and
can be utilized as ornamental fish.
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The fish was discovered, named and described by
Mathews Plamoottil, head of the department of
zoology, Baby John Memorial Government
College, near Kollam city.
After being examined, this new species also
received Zoo bank register number from
International Commission of Zoological
Nomenclature, the official body approving the
new names of animals.
Six specimens of this fish have been deposited in
the Government Museum (Zoological Survey of
India) at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Maharashtra cabinet approved scheme for development of villages around Tiger reserves
Maharashtra Cabinet approved Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jan Van Vikas Scheme.
The scheme proposed by Forest Minister Sudhir
Mungantiwar in the state’s annual budget 2015-
16 aims at creation of comprehensive
development of villages in the buffer zones of
tiger reserves and around them.
Its objectives are to reduce the man-animal
conflict and achieve sustainable development of
these villages. The scheme also aims at reducing
the dependence of villagers on the forest.
The scheme will seek to boost the supplementary
businesses to farming activities and create
alternative employment possibilities in these
areas.
The scheme will be launched on project basis from 2015-16 to 2019-2020.
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Science and Technology
Four World-Class Broadband Products developed by C-DOT launched
Union Minister for Communication and IT Ravi
Shankar Prasad launched four world-class
broadband products developed by the C-DOT in
New Delhi. They are- Long Distance Wi-Fi, Solar
powered Wi-Fi, Suteerva and Next Generation
Network (NGN).
C-DOT stands for Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and is an Indian Government
owned telecommunications technology development centre.
The products were launched under the Digital
India Programme that was launched in August
2014 in order to transform India into a digitally
empowered society and knowledge economy.
Wi-Fi products: Long Distance Wi-Fi and Solar
powered Wi-Fi address the connectivity problem
of rural areas, hilly terrain, highways, dense
vegetation, tunnels etc. They are also suited for
green field projects like smart cities, areas where
there is little/no grid supply, emergency
situations, Disaster Management Networks etc.
C-DOT also developed a light weight Green Power
Source to make these products self-sustainable.
Using this solution, reach of BharatNet can be
increased beyond Panchayats to the remotest part
of country.
ISRO successfully launched five British satellites into space
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched five British satellites into
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space from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta.
These satellites are
three identical
DMC3 optical earth
observation
satellites and two
auxiliary satellites,
viz., CBNT-1 and De-OrbitSail.
These all satellites, built by Surrey Satellite
Technology Limited (SSTL) and weighing 1440-kg,
were launched aboard the 13th flight (PSLV-C28)
of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
The three DMC3 satellites, each weighing 447 kg
was placed into a 647 km Sun-Synchronous Orbit
(SSO) using the high-end version of PSLV (PSLV-
XL). PSLV-C28 is the ninth flight of PSLV in ‘XL’
configuration.
These international customer satellites are being
launched as part of the arrangement entered into
between DMC International Imaging (DMCii), a
wholly owned subsidiary of SSTL, UK; and Antrix
Corporation Limited (ANTRIX), the commercial
arm of ISRO.
This was the heaviest commercial luggage carried
by a PSLV rocket to date. It was also the biggest
commercial launch of ANTRIX/ISRO. France’s SPOT
7 satellite that weighted 714 kg was the heaviest
single foreign satellite carried by a PSLV rocket
until now. It was launched on 30 June 2014.
Since 1999, India has launched 40 satellites (38
smaller and two bigger satellites) of foreign
countries and the successful launch of the five
British satellites took the tally to 45.
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White-Fi technology of Microsoft to boost Digital India Initiative
White-Fi technology or TV White Space
Technology was in news in the as Microsoft
announced plans to introduce this technology in
India to provide last mile connectivity and give a
boost to the Digital India initiative of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
According to Microsoft, its technology can provide
free Wi-Fi connectivity to the roughly one-billion
Indians who don't have any net access and it plans
to start with International Institute of Information
Technology (IIIT) Bangalore campus.
White-Fi technology uses the unused spectrum in
frequencies utilized for broadcasting of television
signals and use it for the internet. In technology
parlance, these unused spectrum spaces are
called White Space and thus it is also called TV
White Space technology.
The 200-300 MHz spectrum in the white space can
reach up to 10 km as compared to current Wi-Fi
technology that allows you a range of about 100
meters. The 200-300 MHz spectrum currently
belongs to Doordarshan TV channel and isn't used
at all.
It can be run on solar power and thus overcome a
key hindrance that currently impedes internet
service providers, namely the high cost of
installation equipment.
Indigenously designed and developed High Thrust cryogenic rocket engine tested
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
successfully tested India’s first indigenously
designed and developed High Thrust cryogenic
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rocket engine generating a nominal thrust of 19 tonnes at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri.
The rocket was hot tested for duration of 800
seconds, which is approximately 25% more
than the engine burn duration in flight.
The engine will be used for powering the
Cryogenic stage (C25), the upper stage of the next
generation GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle of ISRO,
capable of launching four tonne class satellites.
This high performance cryogenic engine was
conceived, configured and realized by Liquid
Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), the lead centre
of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
responsible for developing liquid propulsion
systems for Indian Space Programme.
The Engine design was totally in-house effort with
experts from different fields like fluid dynamics,
combustion, thermal, structural, metallurgy,
fabrication, rotor dynamics, control components,
etc., working together. The fabrication of major
subsystems of the engine was carried out through
Indian Industries.
Assembly and Integration of the engine and
Testing were carried out in ISRO Propulsion
Complex (IPRC), a unit of ISRO.
The recent successful endurance hot test of the
first high thrust cryogenic engine is the tenth test
in a series of tests planned and executed as part
of the development of the engine employing
complex cryogenic technology. The performance
of the engine closely matches with the pre-test
prediction made using the in-house developed
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cryogenic engine mathematical modeling and simulation software.
Indigenous Visibility Measuring System, DRISHTI, installed at IGI Airport
An indigenously
designed and
developed Visibility
Measuring System
DRISHTI was installed
at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport,
New Delhi on 20 July 2015. The CAT III B IGI
Airport, New Delhi, is now the first Airport in the
country to have 10 indigenous systems operating
in all its three runways.
The system developed by CSIR-National Aerospace
Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), Bengaluru will be used
for reporting the runway visual range, which is a
critical parameter for safe landing and take-off of
aircraft in poor visibility conditions (<25 to >2000
meters).
Drishti system is very cost-effective and is a
mandatory system required at all airports as per
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
and World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The complete system is engineered in such a way
to enable easy installation and maintenance. It
can perform health monitoring of the system
through web enabling from Bengaluru itself.
Earlier, CSIR-NAL and India Meteorological
Department (IMD) signed a partnership
agreement to jointly execute a mega project for
installation of nearly 70 Drishti systems, at various
Airports of the country.
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The Drishti field site system is completely
designed and fabricated at CSIR-NAL. IMD has
established the dual mode Landline and Wi-Fi
communication along with multiple displays at Air
Traffic Control Room and Approach Radar Room.
The data from Drishti systems at IGI Airport can be
viewed on a single screen at ATC, which would aid
the MET officer to easily report visibility data to
pilots.
NDRI scientists developed technique to decrease cholesterol level in Ghee
A team of scientists at National Dairy Research
Institute (NDRI), Karnal of Haryana developed a
technique to decrease cholesterol level in Ghee
(clear butter). Best part of this technique is that
ghee produced using this technique has been
found up to the prescribed standards.
Use of this technique will help in reducing the
level of cholesterol in Ghee up to 85 to 90
percent. It also does not affect the taste and
quality of the ghee.
NDRI has transferred the technology to Vaishal
Patliputra Dugdh Utpadak Sahkari Sangh Ltd,
Patna (popularly known as Patna Dairy Project) as
per the memorandum of understanding signed
between the two bodies. The officials of the Patna
dairy has planned to launch the product within
two months.
Joint Venture to provide technology services solutions to banks
The Computer Science Corporation (CSC) and
Hindustan Computer Limited (HCL) signed an
agreement to form a Joint Venture company to
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provide technology services and solutions to the banking industry.
The joint venture will invest in platform
modernization and product functionality
enhancement and will capitalize on the proven
capabilities of both companies in addressing the
multi-billion-dollar, global core banking software
market.
The benefits and capabilities of the Joint Venture are;
strengthening ongoing
support for existing banking
clients looking to extend the
useful life and investment in
their current platforms.
Reaffirming the commitment to enhance and
expand CSC’s core banking and cards platforms
Hogan and CAMS into modernized end-to-end
solutions under the Celeriti suite. Advancing
digital banking transformation solutions in
conjunction with other partners
According to the agreement, CSC will provide its
core banking expertise for software and product
development.
While, HCL will provide funds, its banking sales, client engagement expertise and its experience in
product engineering and application
implementation services in order to modernize
the banking industries.
Moreover, both the companies agreed to work in
accordance to meet the increasing demands for
data analytics services, regulatory compliance and
multi-channel deployments from the banking
industries.
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India and Neighbors
India-Pakistan joint statement released at Ufa, Russia
India and Pakistan issued a Joint Statement (JS) in
the Russian city of Ufa after a bilateral meeting
between the Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and
Nawaz Sharif. The meeting between the two
Prime Ministers took place on the side lines of the
BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) summits.
The JS was issued by the Foreign Secretaries of
India and Pakistan, S Jaishankar and Aizaz Ahmad
Chaudhry.
The text of the Joint Statement issued by the two
foreign Secretaries are as follows; The two leaders
exchanged views on issues of bilateral and
regional interest and condemned terrorism in all
its form and agreed to cooperate with each other
to eliminate its menace from South Asia.
The two nations agreed to have a collective
responsibility to ensure peace and promote
development. Both leaders also agreed on
following topics
a) To discuss all issues connected to terrorism, the
National Security Advisors (NSAs) of the two
countries will meet in New Delhi.
b) Early meetings of DG BSF and DG Pakistan Rangers followed by that of DGMOs
c) They agreed to release the fishermen of each
other countries, who went into custody along with
their boat, within a period of 15 days. d) Agreed to
form a mechanism for facilitating religious
terrorism
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e) The two leaders agreed to discuss the ways and
means to expedite the trial pertaining to 2008
Mumbai attack including additional information
like providing voice samples
Besides, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif invited
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Paksitan for
the SAARC Summit in 2016, which was accepted
by him.
RBI signed Special Currency Swap Agreement with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka
The Reserve Bank of India signed a
Special Currency
Swap Agreement
with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Under the arrangement, the Central Bank of Sri
Lanka can draw up to 1.1 billion US dollar for a
maximum period of six months. This special
arrangement is in addition to the existing
Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for
the SAARC Member Countries.
Earlier on 25 March 2015, the Reserve Bank of
India had signed a Currency Swap Agreement with
the Central Bank of Sri Lanka for 400 million US
dollar under the existing SAARC Currency Swap
Framework within the overall limit of 2 billion US
dollar.
The swap arrangements are intended to provide a
backstop line of funding for the SAARC member
countries to meet any balance of payments and
liquidity crises till longer term arrangements are
made or if there is need for short-term liquidity
due to stressed market conditions.
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The proposal to extend the additional currency
swap facility of 1.1 billion US dollar for a limited
period was decided by the Union Government in
April 2015 based on the recommendation of the
Reserve Bank of India for mitigating the possible
currency volatility in the spirit of strengthening
India’s bilateral relations and economic ties with
Sri Lanka.
Government sanctioned 1000 crore rupees for Indo-Bangla Rail Link
Union Government sanctioned 1000 crore rupees
for the laying of 15.06 km long tracks to connect
Indian Railways with Bangladesh through the
North East.
The Indo-Bangla Rail link would be completed by
2017 and the entire route will be constructed by
IRCON. Out of 15.06 km length connecting
Agartala with Akhaura railway junction in
Bangladesh, 3.7 km would comprise of elevated
corridor.
The completion of the project would reduce the
distance from Agartala to Kolkata from 1650 km to
515 km and difficult hilly terrain could be avoided.
It will also improve trade and commerce between
the North-East region of India and Bangladesh and
enhance people to people contact
The project is the result of discussion between
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh
counterpart Sheikh Hasina during the Modi’s visit
to Dhaka from 6 June to 7 June 2015.
India and Singapore signed agreement to enhance maritime cooperation
India and Singapore signed Technical Agreement (TA) on sharing white-shipping information to
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enhance maritime cooperation between the two
navies. The agreement was signed during the visit
of Navy chief Admiral R K Dhowan to Singapore.
The White-shipping refers to commercial shipping information about movement of cargo ships.
The Singapore Navy and the Indian Navy conduct
the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise
(SIMBEX) together annually. In 2015, the SIMBEX
was held in May, this was the 22nd in the series.
Both navies also interact regularly through high-
level visits, dialogues, joint military training,
courses and other professional exchanges.
India, Myanmar issued joint statement on bilateral cooperation
India and Myanmar issued a joint statement on
bilateral cooperation after the conclusion of the
first meeting of the India-Myanmar Joint
Consultative Commission (JCC) in New Delhi.
The JCC meeting was co-chaired by the External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the Foreign
Minister of Myanmar U Wunna Maung Lwin.
The second JCC meeting is scheduled to be held in
Myanmar in 2016. Highlights of India, Myanmar
joint statement are as follows;
Both the leaders agreed that negotiations should
be conducted to enable early conclusion of the
bilateral MoU on Movement of People across the
Land Border.
First meeting of the India -Myanmar Joint
Boundary Working Group, with a mandate to
address all outstanding boundary issues, would be
held in New Delhi at the earliest.
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A joint survey by officers of the two Foreign
Ministries is expected to be undertaken to inspect
the earth blockage site on Ti-Ho (Tizu) river on
India-Myanmar border to inspect the efforts made
by local authorities of Mizoram to remove the
debris and restore the normal course of river.
Investments by Indian companies in areas like
ports, power, agro-industries, forest products,
mining, construction industry,
Consumer goods, highways, oil & gas, plantation,
manufacturing, hospitality and ICT would be
specifically encouraged. Trial runs of Imphal-
Mandalay Bus Service will be held at the earliest.
Maldives assures India not to allow Chinese military bases
Maldives
President
Abdullah
Yameen has
assured India his
government’s
move to allow
foreign ownership of its islands will not affect India’s strategic interests.
After ratifying the constitutional amendment on
freeholds that could benefit countries like China,
that are eager to build land holdings in the Indian
Ocean, he said. "We don’t want to give any of our
neighbours, including India any cause for concern.
We don’t want to be in a position when we
become a threat to our neighbours.”
"The Maldivian government has given assurances
to the Indian government and our neighboring
countries as well to keep the Indian Ocean a
demilitarized zone,” Mr. Yameen said.
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Bhutan orders flags to fly half-mast to mourn APJ Abdul Kalam death
The Bhutan government has joined India to mourn
the death former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam,
media reported. On the command of The King
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck , the National
Flag will be flown at half mast, Kuensel reported.
A thousand-butter lamps offered at the Kunrey
(congregation hall) of the Trashichhodzong.
Bhutanese Premier Tshering Tobgay said,
"Saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Abdul
Kalam, India's iconic president -- one who was
loved by all people, especially the youth of India."
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam, 83, also
known as India's 'missile man', collapsed during a
lecture at the Indian Institute of Management in
Shillong on Monday and later died in a hospital.
Kalam served as the President of India from 2002
to 2007. Read More: Some miscellaneous facts
about Dr Kalam: An immortal personality of India
He was credited with helping develop his
country's first space satellites. In the 1980s, he
was helped design the nuclear-capable Prithvi and
Agni ballistic missiles.
Secularism to go from Nepal constitution
Nepal's political parties have agreed to remove
the word "secularism" from the new constitution.
Nepal was declared a secular country in 2007.
The decision ended Nepal's century-old identity as
the world's only Hindu kingdom. Over 80 percent
of Nepal's population is Hindu. The political
parties were forced to take a U-turn after millions
of people, in their suggestions and feedback on
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the new constitution, called for the removal of the word "secularism".
A majority of people wanted "secularism" to be
replaced by "Hindu" or "religious freedom",
according to Nepal's Constituent Assembly that is
now busy studying people's views vis-a-vis the
new constitution. Nepal is in the verge of
promulgating the new constitution.
Arts and Culture
Sayed Haider Raza honoured with highest French civilian honour Legion of Honour
Modern Indian artist Sayed Haider Raza was
conferred with the highest French civilian honour,
the Commandeur de la Legion d’ Honneur (the
Legion of Honour). The award was presented by
French Ambassador Francois Richier on the
occasion of the French National Day celebrations.
Raza was conferred
with the award for his
superior achievements
transcending all
boundaries, for the
lasting ties he has forged between France and
India and for his continuing artistic quest
straddling nations, cultures, religions and
philosophies.
Syed Haider Raza alias SH Raza is an Indian artist
who has lived and worked in France since 1950,
but maintains strong ties with India. He became
India’s priciest modern artist in June 2010 when
his seminal work titled Saurashtra was sold for
16.42 crore rupees at a Christie’s auction. Raza’s
work represents the origins of life and draws on
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symbols that tribal painters and highly
sophisticated Indian philosophers have traced,
pondered and mulled over for millennia.
Raza is conferred with numerous awards Padma
Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Lalit Kala
Ratna Puraskar, Kalidas Samman etc.
The la Legion d’ Honneur award was created in
1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is the highest
civilian award given by the French Republic for
outstanding service to France, regardless of the
nationality of the recipients. The President of the
French Republic is the Grand Master of the Order
of the Legion of Honour.
Remnants of India's one of the oldest port discovered in Goa
A team of scientists
from Goa based
National Institute of
Oceanography (NIO)
discovered the
remnants of a historically important port on Goa’s
Zuari river which is expected to be amongst the
oldest signs of human trade on the central west
coast.
The Port is supposed to be existed around 1000 to 3500 AD, which makes it India’s oldest ports.
The researchers are also of the opinion that they
may discover a dockyard similar in structure to
Lothal dockyard in Gujarat which was discovered
by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1954.
The exploration work on the site has been
completed and scientists have found the steps
going in the water. It is imminent that existence of
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such a big wall parallel to river indicates that it is remnant of a port.
According to the scientists, there is an existence of cross walls which stands inundated in the water.
These observations concluded that this port might
be connected to Old Goa, ancient capital of Goa,
through Rajvidhi (Road built and used for the
King).
The NIO's scientists have been working on 1.2KM
long wall along the Zuari River which is just few
kms away from the capital city of Goa. This area
was earlier known as Gopakapattinam.
The scientists will now conduct Radiocarbon and
Thermo-luminance dating to find out the correct
age of this ancient port. Also to unearth other
buried structures, the scientists will do ground
penetrating radar (GPR) survey in sandy beach
area and seismic surveys in offshore area.
Kutchi New Year observed in Kutch Region of Gujarat
Kutchi New Year of Kutchi community in the Kutch
region in Gujarat was observed. Kutchi community
observes this New Year on the second day of
shukla paksha or waxing phase of moon in Ashada
month – Ashadhi Beej or Dwitiya.
This day is associated with beginning of rains in Kutch, which is largely a desert area.
The Kutchi New Year celebrated in a traditional
way by organizing satsangs, musical competitions
and other cultural programmes in Kutch region.
Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi and other regional
deities are worshipped on the day.
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Kerala tourism's Muziris heritage project bagged PATA award
Kerala
Tourism's
Muziris
Heritage
Project
(MHP)
bagged the 2015 Pacific Asia Travel Association
(PATA) award in the ‘Heritage & Culture’ category.
The award was conferred on the Muziris heritage
project for its conservational aspect, uniqueness,
and impact on local community. It recognizes the
projects objective that is, restoring the historical
and cultural significance of the ancient town that
stretches across North Paravur in Ernakulam to
Kodungalloor in Thrissur.
Muziris heritage project, the flagship project of
the State is one of the biggest heritage
conservation projects of modern India. The award
will be presented on 8 September 2015 at the
PATA travel mart in Bangalore.
The Muziris Heritage Site (MHS) is designed to
involve and integrate the local community in all
intended developmental initiatives. It stretches
across from the municipality of North Paravur in
Ernakulam district to that of Kodungalloor in
Thrissur district. It includes four panchayats in
Ernakulam district viz. Chennamangalam,
Chittatukara, Vadakekkara, Pallippuram, and three
panchayats in Thrissur district viz. Eriyad,
Mathilakam and Sreenarayanapuram. The Muziris
Heritage Project intends to conserve and to
showcase the culture of 3000 years or more for
posterity.
Benoy Behl won the Best Documentary Producer award at Madrid International Film Festival
Film-maker Benoy Behl in fourth week of July won
the Best Documentary Producer award at Madrid
International Film Festival. He was awarded for
producing and directing a documentary film titled
Indian Roots of Tibetan Buddhism.
Bhel shot the documentary for XPD Division of the
Ministry of External Affairs, which was released by
Ministry of External Affairs in February 2014.
The film is shot extensively in Tibet, Kalmykia in
European Russia, Ladakh, Spiti, Arunachal
Pradesh, Nalanda, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and
Karnataka.
The film traces the foundation of Tibetan
Buddhism to its roots in ancient India’s Nalanda
University and the hundreds of year-old spiritual
relationship that India share with Tibet.
The documentary features quotes and analogies
from various Tibetan Buddhist teachers and
scholars including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and
Prof Samdhong Rinpoche.
'Buddha in a Traffic Jam' bagged best screenplay award at Madrid film festival
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri's ‘Buddha in a Traffic
Jam’ won the Best Original Screenplay award in
the Foreign Language Category at the Madrid
International Film Festival, Spain.
It also had nominations in the categories Best
Foreign Language Film and Best Lead Actress in a
foreign language film for actress Mahie Gill at the
fest.
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Earlier, the film was premiered at the 2014 edition
of Mumbai International Film Festival in the India
Gold category.
Buddha in a Traffic Jam is an unreleased
Bollywood film
conceptualized and
produced by Friday
Night Productions (a
venture of ISB alumni)
and co-produced by
Phoenix
Multidimensions and
Vivek Agnihotri Creates. The film has been
directed by Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam
Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Arunoday Singh, Vivek
Vaswani, Aanchal Dwivedi and Mahi Gill.
French film The Big Day to showcase Anand Kumar's Super 30
Super 30 initiative of mathematician Anand Kumar
was in news as it will now feature in a 90-minute
film The Big Day made by famous French director
Pascal Plisson. The initiative helps students of
deprived section to crack the prestigious IIT
entrance examination.
The Big Day is ready to hit the screens in August
2015 and its clips are being shown on TV and
YouTube.
The film comprises of four special stories from
across the globe. One of the four stories is a story
of a girl named Nidhi Jha, a student of Super 30,
who at present is studying at ISM, Dhanbad. Nidhi
cracked JEE (advance) in 2014.
Earlier also films have been made on the success of Super 30 initiative, first it was Al Jazeera, then
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Discovery, Japanese TV, and British filmmaker Chritopher Mitchell followed.
Super 30 was started by Kumar along with former
Bihar Police director general Abhyanand over a
decade ago. It was selected by Time magazine for
the list of 'The Best of Asia 2010'.
BOOK: Modi’s World: Expanding India’s Sphere of Influence released
The book titled Modi’s World: Expanding India’s
Sphere of Influence authored by C Raja Mohan
was published by Harper Collins. The focus of the
book is on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
foreign policy.
In the book, the author presented a sharp analysis
of India’s challenges in navigating a rapidly
transforming regional and international landscape
under Narendra Modi.
C Raja Mohan is one of India’s highly respected
foreign policy analysts and commentators. His
other books include crossing the Rubicon: The
Shaping of India's Foreign Policy (2004),
Impossible Allies: Nuclear India, United States and
the Global Order (2006) and Samudra Manthan:
Sino-Indian Rivalry in the Indo-Pacific (2012).
Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years authored released
The book titled Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years was
published by HarperCollins. It was co-authored by
AS Dulat and Aditya Sinha.
The book focuses on initiatives launched by the
Vajpayee government between 1998 and 2004 to
restore normalcy in India's most beautiful but
troubled state.
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The book includes firsthand account of AS Dulat,
who was chief of the Research and Analysis Wing
(RAW) during Vajpayee government, about the
difficulties, successes and near triumphs in the
effort to bring back Kashmir from the brink.
In the book, he showed the players, the politics,
the strategies and the true intent and sheer
ruthlessness of the meddlers from across the
border.
After his retirement as the RAW chief in 2000, AS
Dulat served as an advisor on Kashmir in the
Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) from January 2001
to May 2004.
Aditya Sinha has been a journalist since February
1987. He has been Editor-in-Chief of the New
Indian Express and DNA. His published work
includes the biographies Farooq Abdullah:
Kashmir's Prodigal Son (1996) and Death of
Dreams: A Terrorist's Tale (2000).
Green Signals: Ecology, Growth, and Democracy in India released
The book Green Signals:
Ecology, Growth, and
Democracy in India were in
news in the second week of July
2015. It was written by former
Union Environment and Forest
Minister (Independent Charge)
Jairam Ramesh.
It unveils the story of environmental policy making
in India from the perspective of a pivotal decision
maker.
It chronicles India's environmental decision-making
since the 1991 movement, telling the story
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of how, for the first time, the doors of the
environment ministry were opened to voices,
hitherto unheard, into the policy-making process.
It also takes us through India's coming of age in
the global environmental and climate change
community to take on a leadership role that is
progressive, proactive, and steeped in national
interest.
Further, the book also addresses the challenges
involved in trying to ensure economic growth with
ecological security.
At present, Jairam Ramesh is Chair of the Future
Earth Engagement Committee, a research
platform on global sustainability. He is also a
member of the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh.
He also authored Mobilizing Technology for World
Development (Co-editor, 1979) and Making Sense
of Chindia: Reflections on China and India (2005).
World News
PM Narendra Modi concluded his 6-nation tour to Russia and five Central Asian nations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to India
after his six-nation tour of Russia and five Central
Asian countries namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
During his eight-day visit, which took place from 6
July to 13 July 2015, he met the leaders of the five
nations namely President of Tajikistan Emomali
Rahmon, President of the Kyrgyz Republic
Almazbek Atambaev, President of Turkmenistan
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of
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Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, and President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.
During this visit, Modi also visited Russia and
attended the 7th BRICS summit and 2015
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in
Ufa. These two events became the highlight of the
visit after PM Modi met and held talks with his
Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and some
other leaders.
He flew back to India
from Dushanbe the
capital city of
Tajikistan, which was
the last stop of his
visit.
Major highlights of this Russia and five-Central
Asian countries are: Prime Minister Modi, during
his stay in Ufa in Russia, attended the Summit of
the five-nation BRICS, which focused on economic
and security cooperation.
He also attended the Summit of the six-member
grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,
SCO, which decided to grant full membership to
India along with Pakistan.
On the sidelines of the Summit, Modi held a
meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister during
which a host of significant decisions were taken to
improve ties. One major decision was to speed up
the trial in Mumbai attack case, including
providing of voice samples of the accused. India-
Pakistan joint statement was released at Ufa,
Russia
Head of BRICS nations on 9 July 2015 released the Ufa Declaration. The 7th BRICS was held under the
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theme ‘BRICS Partnership – a Powerful Factor of Global Development’.
Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) signed
framework agreements for equity investments in
infrastructure projects in BRICS countries
To boost cooperation within the members of the
BRICS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a
10 point initiative named as ‘Dus Kadam: 10 Steps
for the Future’.
India will be hosting the Eighth BRICS Summit in 2016
India will host the next BRICS Summit in 2016,
even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a
10-point initiative for closer collaboration among
the group of emerging countries and hit out at the
west for imposing “unilateral sanctions”.
At the plenary session held in Ufa, Modi said the
world was faced with challenges and, therefore, it
was important “to have consensus, collaboration
and cooperation between all major nations”.
He noted that it would be his honour to host the
eighth BRICS Summit in New Delhi in 2016 - four
years after India organized the fourth summit in
2012. India would become chairperson from
February 2016.
Terming his proposal as ‘Das Kadam’ or Ten Steps,
Modi said India was ready to host the first BRICS
trade fair. There will also be a Railway Research
Centre, cooperation among audit institutions, a
digital initiative and Agricultural Research Centre.
Not surprisingly as a votary of state-level
cooperation, Modi also suggested a forum for
provinces and local governments in BRICS. He
further suggested cooperation among cities in
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urbanization. On the field of climate change, Modi
suggested that the first major project to be
financed by the New Development Bank should be
in the field of clean energy.
Besides, Modi proposed setting up a BRICS Sports
Council and an Annual Sports Meet, as well as a
film festival. In what was sweet music to the
Russian host, Modi asserted at the BRICS Business
Council that “unilateral sanctions” were hurting
the global economy.
“Unilateral sanctions are hurting the global
economy. So, it is very essential that BRICS
economies deepen their cooperation. BRICS
should also work with other developed regions,”
he said while addressing the BRICS Business. He
did not name any country, but the veiled
comments were certainly aimed at the west as
they were made in Russia - which had been the
target for sanctions by EU and West over the
Ukraine crisis.
10 Steps for the Future proposed by PM Narendra Modi for BRICS countries
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
proposed a 10 point
initiative named as
‘Dus Kadam: 10
Steps for the Future’
to boost cooperation within the members of the
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa). He proposed the initiative while
addressing the 7th BRICS summit in Ufa, Russia.
The 10 steps of the proposed are: BRICS Trade Fair
(to be held during India's chairmanship in 2016)
BRICS Railway Research Centre. Cooperation
among Supreme Audit Institutions.
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BRICS Digital Initiative. BRICS Agricultural
Research Centre. BRICS state/Local Government’s
Forum. Cooperation among cities in field of
Urbanization. BRICS Sports Council and Annual
BRICS Sports Meet. First Major Project of NDB to
be in field of Clean Energy. BRICS Film Festival
India, US signed Inter Governmental Agreement to implement FATCA
India and United States (US) signed Inter
Governmental Agreement (IGA) to implement the
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The
agreement will promote transparency on tax
matters between the two countries.
The agreement underscores growing international
co-operation to end tax evasion everywhere. As
per the IGA, FFIs in India will be required to report
tax information about US account holders directly
to the Indian Government which will, in turn, relay
that information to the IRS. The IRS will provide
similar information about Indian account holders
in the United States. This automatic exchange of
information is scheduled to begin on 30
September 2015.
India, USA signed MoU on cooperation to establish PACESetter Fund
India and the USA signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on cooperation to establish
the PACESetter Fund in New Delhi.
The PACESetter Fund is meant to support the
Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy
(PEACE) track of the USA-India Partnership to
Advance Clean Energy (PACE).
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It was established with a corpus of about 50 crore
rupees with both the countries contributing
equally.
To oversee the fund, a steering Committee
comprising the Secretary of the MNRE and the
United States Ambassador to India, and three
representatives from each side has been
constituted.
USA-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy
(PACE) is a flagship initiative on clean energy that
combines the resources of several U.S. agencies
and GOI Ministries.
It is aimed accelerating the commercialization of
off-grid clean energy through early-stage grant
funding grants to develop and test innovative
products, systems and business models.
Union Government approved signing of India-Canada Civil Aviation Pact
The Union Cabinet approved the signing of
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between
India and Canada in the field of Civil Aviation.
The MoU will help in enhancing the experience
and technical knowledge in the field of Civil
Aviation between India and Canada.
It will also deepen the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Under the MoU, an appropriate platform shall be
formalized for exchange of views on the
possibilities of fostering economic cooperation
between the two countries in the areas of civil
aviation.
There will be a cooperation programme in the areas of safety of aircraft operations and related
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issues that will provide more up-to-date
knowledge to the Directorate General of Civil
Aviation.
Apart from the above, India firms will also be
benefited from the exchange of technical
knowhow with Canadian companies as the
aviation industry is far more developed in Canada.
Canadian companies will gain from enhanced
access to the fast developing civil aviation industry
in India.
India and Georgia signed MoU for cooperation in field of Election Management
India and Georgia signed a Memorandum
of Understanding
(MoU) for cooperation
in the field of election
management and administration. The MoU was
signed by Chief Election Commissioner of India
Nasim Zaidi and Tamar Zhvania, Chairperson,
Central Election Commission, Georgia.
Till now, Election Commission of India has signed
twenty MoUs with Election Management Bodies
and international organizations across the world.
Major purpose of the MoU between India and
Georgia are promotion of exchanges of knowledge
and experience in electoral processes, exchange
of information, materials, expertise and training of
personnel, production and distribution of
materials pertaining to electoral systems, voting
technology, voters’ education and awareness.
Participation of women and minorities in electoral
process.
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Sports News
ICC World Twenty20; Kolkata's Eden Gardens to host final
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
announced venues for the Men and Women ICC
World Twenty20. The World Twenty20 will be
hosted by India from the 11 March to 3 April 2016.
BCCI in its press release said that finals of the
2016 World Twenty20 cricket tournament will be
held at iconic Eden Gardens ground in Kolkata.
Bengaluru, Chennai, Dharamsala, Mohali,
Mumbai, Nagpur and New Delhi will be the other
venues along with Kolkata.
These venues will host the matches subject to
fulfilling the prescribed requirements of the
International Cricket Council (ICC) and the BCCI
while adhering to the statutory obligations that
are mandatory for hosting an international match.
India won 2015 South Asian Basketball Championship
India won the South Asian Basketball (SABA)
Championship title. In the final played at the
Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, Karanataka,
India defeated Sri Lanka 93-44. It was 4th edition
of the championships. India was the winner of
third SABA Championship.
With this win, India qualified for the FIBA Asia
Championship in China. FIBA Asia Championship
will be played in September 2015.
The winning team was given a cash prize of 35000
rupees as a personal gesture of Basketball
Federation of India President K Govindraj.
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Top three teams of the championships were India (gold), Sri Lanka (silver) and Nepal (bronze).
Shot-Putter Inderjeet Singh win a Gold Medal at World University Games
Indian shot-putter Inderjit
Singh came up with a best
throw of 20.27 meter in the
final attempt to win the
Gold medal of men's shot
put event at the World
University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.
With this, he created history to become the first
Indian to win a gold medal at the World University
Games. In the last edition of the games in 2013 in
Russia he had won silver medal in the shot put
event.
In the year 2015, the 27-year old shot putter from
Haryana has won gold medals in all the
international events he has participated thus far.
Earlier on 23 June 2015, he won gold at the first
leg of the Asian Athletics Grand Prix in Bangkok,
Thailand, while on 3 June 2015 he won gold at
Asian Championships in Wuhan, China.
Inderjeet Singh is currently coached by Pritam
Singh, younger brother of another Indian shot
putter Shakti Singh and is being supported by
Anglian Medal Hunt Company.
Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won women's doubles title in Wimbledon
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the top-seeded
Indo-Swiss pair of Tennis won women’s doubles
title at Wimbledon. In the title clash played at
Centre Court in London, the Indo-Swiss pair
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defeated Russian duo of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 5-7, 7-6, 7-5.
This is Sania's first-ever women's doubles Grand
Slam title, although she has won three mixed
doubles titles at the majors. With this title, Sania
also became the first Indian women to win a
Wimbledon title.
Sania is winner of three mixed doubles Grand
Slam trophies. She won Australian Open (2009)
and French Open (2012) with compatriot Mahesh
Bhupathi and the US Open with Bruno Soares last
year. Hingis won the Wimbledon doubles with
Helena Sukova in 1996 and Jana Novotna in 1998.
Earlier, the Indo-Swiss pair had won doubles title
of BNP Paribas Open on 21 March 2015 and WTA
Family Circle Cup doubles title on 12 April 2015.
Sumit Nagal-Nam Hoang Ly won 2015 Wimbledon Boys’ Doubles title
The Indo-
Vietnamese pair
Sumit Nagal-Nam
Hoang Ly won the
2015 Wimbledon
Boys’ Doubles title by defeating Opelka and Akira
Santillan in the final match held in London. The
eighth seeded pair defeated the fourth seeded
USA-Japanese pair 7-6 (4) 6-4.
With this win, the 17-year- old Sumit Nagal
became the sixth Indian to win a Grand Slam
junior title.
Ramanathan Krishnan (1954 Wimbledon), Ramesh
Krishnan (1979 French Open and Wimbledon),
Leander Paes (1990 Wimbledon and 1999 U.S.
Open), Sania Miraza (2003 Wimbledon Girls
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Doubles) and Yuki Bhambri (2009 Australian
Open) are the other junior Grand Slam singles
champions from India.
Paes-Hingis won mixed doubles final at Wimbledon
Seventh seed Indo-Swiss pair of Leander Paes and
Martina Hingis won mixed doubles title at
Wimbledon. In the final clash, the duo defeated
the fifth seed Austrian-Hungarian team of
Alexander Peya and Timea Babos 6-1, 6-1.
It was Paes’ 16th Grand Slam trophy and eighth
mixed doubles title. Overall it was 18th Major title
for the Swiss and third in mixed doubles.
This was second mixed double win for Paes and
Hingis together. They had won the Australian
Open in February 2015.
Shubham Jaglan won IJGA World Stars of Junior Golf event 2015
10-year old Shubham Jaglan won the IJGA World
Stars of Junior Golf event in Las Vegas. Jaglan is
the son of a milkman from rural Haryana, India.
He shot a three round score of 106 winning by a
five-stroke margin, ahead of two Americans Justin
Dang and Sihan Sandhu and Thailand's Pongsapak
Laopakdee for the Boys 9-10 years category title.
He also scripted a scintillating one-stroke win at
the Junior World Golf Championships that was
held at Welk Resort Fountain Course in California.
First All Women Trans Continental road expedition from Delhi to London flagged off
First All Women Trans Continental Road Expedition from Delhi to London was flagged off.
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The expedition, which started from Major Dhyanchand Stadium of New Delhi.
The three woman participants, namely Nidhi
Tiwari, Rashmi Koppar and Soumaya Goel, will
reach United Kingdom in 55 days. During the
journey they will cover a distance of 15000 kms
via Myanmar, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech
Republic, Germany, Belgium and France.
This all women team will be travelling in one
vehicle without any backup vehicle and the
journey will be sponsored by Mahindra First
Choice Wheels Limited.
Main Supplements
An Inquiry into the Impact of India’s App Economy
Internet and Mobile
Association of India
(IAMAI) and Indian
Council for Research on
International Economic
relations (ICRIER) released a report titled An Inquiry into the Impact of India’s App Economy.
It provides a detailed analysis of the entire value
chain of the App Economy in India, including
importantly its impact on growth and
employment.
The highlights of the report are as follows: The
mobile application industry in India is forecast to
grow to 1964 crore rupees by 2016 from 974 crore
rupees in 2014.
The mobile application currently account for
75000 jobs in India as per the estimates for
increase in employment between 2014 and 2016.
It projected that employment in this industry will range between 1.51 lakh and 1.59 lakh by 2016.
The aggregate number of jobs that apps could
create in India during the period 2014-16 lies
between 91476 and 604867.
It follows from above point that, the multiplier
effects could result in an increase in employment
within the industry by up to 8 times during the
period 2014 to 2016.
If direct employment increases at a faster rate,
the multiplier effects will result in massive
benefits to overall employment in the economy.
Moreover, there is also a demonstrated need for
seed funding for entrepreneurs who are trying to
break into the local market.
Even though smartphone penetration in India was
estimated at just 10 per cent of total mobile users,
the country experienced 100 million downloads
per month, placing it amongst the top five regions
for Google Play, the official Android mobile app
store.
It highlights the need for skilled app developers to
go beyond trouble-shooting and focus on
developing improvements in user interfaces/user
experiences (UI/UX) through enhanced design
that also serves local needs.
DoT released A K Bhargava committee report on Net Neutrality
The report of the A K Bhargava committee on Net Neutrality was released by the Department of
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Telecommunications. The six member committee was appointed in January 2015.
Though the Committee unhesitatingly
recommended for adherence of the core
principles of Net Neutrality, it also suggested few
exceptions in the interests of national security and
businesses.
The highlights of report is as follows: Legitimate
traffic management practices may be allowed but
should be tested against the core principles of Net
Neutrality. Further, Improper (Paid or otherwise)
Prioritization may not be permitted.
India specific Net Neutrality approach should be
formulated by taking into account international
best practices that serve specific needs of the
country.
The primary goals of public policy in the context of
Net Neutrality should be directed towards
achievement of developmental aims of the
country by facilitating Affordable Broadband,
Quality Broadband and Universal Broadband for
its citizens.
User rights on the Internet need to be ensured so
that Telecom or Internet Service Providers do not
restrict the ability of the user to send, receive,
display, use, post any legal content, application or
service on the Internet, or restrict any kind of
lawful Internet activity or use.
Over-the-top (OTT) application services should be
actively encouraged and any impediments in their
expansion and growth should be removed.
There should be a separation of application layer
from network layer as application services are
delivered over a licensed network.
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Specific OTT communication services dealing with
messaging should not be interfered with through
regulatory instruments.
In case of OTT VoIP international calling services, a
liberal approach may be adopted. However, in
case of domestic calls (local and national),
communication services by TSPs and OTT
communication services may be treated similarly
from a regulatory angle for the present.
Content and application providers cannot be
permitted to act as gatekeepers and use network
operations to extract value in violation of core
principles of Net Neutrality, even if it is for an
ostensible public purpose. In this regard, the
committee expressed its objections to Facebook’s
Internet.org. In order to deal with the
complexities of the new digital world, a think-tank
with best talent may also be set up.
Union Government constituted All India Council of Sports
The Union
Government
constituted All
India Council of
Sports as an
advisory body for the Union Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports. The advice rendered by the
council will be duly considered by the
government, but it will not be binding and
obligatory on the government.
The objectives of the All India Council of Sports is to
popularize sports amongst the youth as a way of life.
Increasing outreach of sports to rural and tribal
areas, areas affected by left wing extremism, north
east and Jammu & Kashmir. Implementation
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of policies for promotion of sports and games in the country
Matters relating to promotion of inclusiveness in
sports with special focus on women, differently-
Abled, Tribals etc. Preventing drug abuse in
Sports, fraud of age and sexual harassment of
women in sports. Bringing professionalism,
transparency and good governance in functioning
of national sports federations. Ways and means to
raise resources for the promotion of sports and
games in the country.
Promotion of sports sciences and sports medicine.
Augmenting sports infrastructure and ensuring its
proper utilization. Matters relating to
participation and performance of sportspersons
and teams in international sporting events
Issues arising out of match fixing and other
malpractices in competitive sports. Ways and
means to promote indigenous games in the
country
Early identification of sports talent and nurturing
of the identified talent. Integration of sports in
educational curriculum in schools, colleges and
universities
Welfare measures for sportspersons. Issues and
matters specifically referred to the council by the
ministry of youth affairs & sports.
How White-Fi technology would aid Digital India initiative?
Under the Digital India initiative, the government
plans to use the national optic fibre network
project to deliver e-services to all corner of the
country. However,
Reaching the end consumer may still require
wireless technology, particularly in far flung areas
as network will be deployed only at the gram
panchayat level.
Generally 200-600
MHz frequency is
used for TV channels
to carry data,
however, in India, 93
percent of this
spectrum is not utilized. White-Fi will use this vacant spectrum to provide connectivity.
It has potential to provide free connectivity to
large sections of the Indian population through
wider coverage and economical deployment and
licence-free access.
It is best suited to provide digital connectivity to
low-income group segments which mostly remain
unattractive to commercial telecom providers.
Other countries where Microsoft has helped
implement the technology are Kenya, Singapore,
the U.S. and London.
Major findings of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) Survey on literacy
Adult literacy (age 15 years and above) rate in
India was around 70.5 percent in 2014. Among the
age group 7 years and above, the male literacy
rate was registered at 83.2 percent vis-a-vis the
female literacy rate of 67.1 percent.
Literacy rate (age 5 and above) in the rural areas
was pegged at 71.4 percent in 2014, compared to
86.1 percent in the urban areas.
The rural population in India for the age-group 5-29 years was estimated to be a little over 36
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crores (47 percent) and the same for urban was approximately 14.5 crores (44 percent).
For the country as a whole, 84 percent male and
83 percent female children in the age-group 6-10,
the official age-group for Classes I-V, were
reported to be attending primary classes. This
symbolized no major rural-urban or male-female
disparity in the country.
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Kerala, Goa,
Delhi, Chandigarh and Lakshadweep had more
than 90 percent of literates in 7+ age groups.
Rural female literacy rates (for 7+ age) in Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were still low
in comparison to all-India average.
In terms of physical access to primary schooling
within less than 1 km, more than 12 percent of
rural households in India did not have any
secondary schools within 5 kilometers whereas in
urban areas such cases are insignificant (less than
1 percent).
No major differences were observed between
male and female persons in urban areas up to the
level of higher secondary but such differences are
noticeable in rural areas. The rural-urban and
male-female disparities accentuate at higher
education levels of graduation and above.
In the rural areas nearly 4.5 percent of males and
2.2 percent of females completed education level
of graduation and above, while in urban areas 17
percent of males and 13 percent of females
completed this level of education.
The adult literate females of the country was about 61 percent compared to 80 percent males
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and about 25 percent of adult females among the
female literates had completed at least higher
secondary (excluding diploma). For males it was
about 27 percent.
There was no noticeable rural-urban disparity
observed among the persons currently attending
educational institutions, but gender disparity can
be observed in rural areas with 58.7 percent of
males and 53 percent of females in the 5-29 age-
group reported to be attending education.
AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission and Housing for All to rejuvenate urban infrastructure
Urban rejuvenation or renewal calls for re-
organizing the urban clusters where the
infrastructure has far outlived its extent and is
almost bursting at seams. The concept of urban
rejuvenation has been used in many of the leading
cities of world like Hong Kong, Singapore etc.
Urban rejuvenation or re-development or renewal,
requires formation of authorities to carry out the
'large-scale redevelopment of urban areas, rather
than piecemeal rebuilding of individual buildings or
the provision of specific facilities'.
In other words the buildings which were older
than certain age were pulled down and new
infrastructure was created which catered to the
needs of the changed time.
Politically sensitive and requiring extreme
transparency along with faith of the community in
the system implementing it, it was repackaged in
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our context in India 10 years back with the launch
of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal
Mission (JNNURM) in December 2005 by the then
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
However, JNNURM has not lived up to the outcome
of ‘urban renewal’ in any locality in India. The only
visible outcome of JNNURM has been its low-floor
AC or Non-AC buses plying in the city.
The High Powered Expert Committee for
Investment in Urban Infrastructure found in a
2011 report that the JNNURM had not delivered
either the required investment or service
improvements.
In 2012, the Comptroller Auditor General declared
it a ‘failure’, detailing under-used, unspent
funding (particularly for the poorest wards),
unmet reforms (even on paper) and projects
rarely completed (8.9 per cent overall).
It is to stem the loopholes in JNNURM, the BJP-led
NDA government announced in 2014 to replace
JNNURM with a new mission with a focus on GIS-
based planning and waste management. As a
result, these three schemes were envisaged and
launched.
Conceptually these schemes sound effective but
these three different urban renewal schemes
need to be closely integrated in order to work
well.
Any city aspiring for the fundamental aspects of
urban infrastructure and living has to leverage all
these schemes in some way or the other. Besides,
budgetary outlays are not adequate and state
governments need to contribute generously.
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Prime Minister’s vision of Digital India – Some Key Elements
Digital Locker System aims to minimize the usage
of physical documents and enable sharing of e-
documents across agencies. The sharing of the e-
documents will be done through registered
repositories thereby ensuring the authenticity of
the documents online, says the government.
MyGov.in has
been
implemented as a
platform for
citizen
engagement in governance, through a "Discuss",
"Do" and "Disseminate" approach. The mobile app
for MyGov would bring these features to users on
a mobile phone.
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Mobile app would
be used by people and Government organizations
for achieving the goals of Swachh Bharat Mission.
eSign framework would allow citizens to digitally
sign a document online using Aadhaar
authentication.
The Online Registration System (ORS) under the
eHospital application has been introduced. This
application provides important services such as
online registration, payment of fees and
appointment, online diagnostic reports, enquiring
availability of blood online etc, the government
claims.
National Scholarships Portal is said to be a one
stop solution for end to end scholarship process
right from submission of student application,
verification, sanction and disbursal to end
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45
beneficiary for all the scholarships provided by the Government of India.
Digitize India Platform (DIP) for large scale
digitization of records in the country that would
facilitate efficient delivery of services to the
citizens.
Bharat Net, a high speed digital highway to
connect all 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats of country.
This would be the world's largest rural broadband
connectivity project using optical fibre.
Policy initiatives
have also been
undertaken by
in the e-
Governance
domain like e-
Kranti Framework, Policy on Adoption of Open
Source Software for Government of India,
Framework for Adoption of Open Source Software
in e-Governance Systems, Policy on Open
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for
Government of India, E-mail Policy of Government
of India, Policy on Use of IT Resources of
Government of India, Policy on Collaborative
Application Development by Opening the Source
Code of Government Applications, Application
Development & Re-Engineering Guidelines for
Cloud Ready Applications
BSNL has introduced Next Generation Network
(NGN), to replace 30 year old exchanges, which is
an IP based technology to manage all types of
services like voice, data, multimedia/ video and
other types of packet switched communication
services.
BSNL has undertaken large scale deployment of Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country. The user
can latch on the BSNL Wi-Fi network through their mobile devices.
BPO Policy has been approved to create BPO
centres in different North Eastern states and also
in smaller / mofussil towns of other states.
Electronics Development Fund (EDF) Policy aims
to promote Innovation, R&D, and Product
Development and to create a resource pool of IP
within the country to create a self-sustaining eco-
system of Venture Funds.
National Centre for Flexible Electronics (NCFlexE)
is an initiative of Government of India to promote
research and innovation in the emerging area of
Flexible Electronics.
Centre of Excellence on Internet on Things (IoT) is
a joint initiative of Department of Electronics &
Information Technology (DeitY), ERNET and
NASSCOM
Highlights of Census data on disabled population
There are 207.8 lakh households having disabled
persons in the country constituting 8.3 percent of
the total households.
Out of the total households having disabled
persons, about 99 percent households are normal
households, 0.4 percent are institutional and 0.2
percent are houseless households.
Total households having disabled persons show an
increase of 20.5 lakhs, from 187.3 lakhs in 2001 to
207.8 lakhs in 2011 (6.2 lakhs in rural and 14.3
lakhs in urban).
Normal households increased by 2024495
institutional households by 8370 and houseless
households by 13560 during the decade 2001-11.
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Disabled persons in normal households increased
by 4819382 institutional households by 65895 and
houseless households by 22948 during the said
decade.
The State/Union Territory with maximum disabled
population is Uttar Pradesh and is followed by
Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
The State/Union Territory with minimum disabled
population is Lakshadweep and is preceded by
Daman and Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yoiana PMKSY
PMKSY envisages a decentralized State level
planning and execution structure. As part of it
States will be allowed to draw up a District
Irrigation Plan (DIP) and a State Irrigation Plan
(SIP).
DIP will have holistic developmental perspective
of the district outlining medium to long term
developmental plans integrating three
components namely, water sources, distribution
network and water use application of the district
to be prepared at two levels - the block and the
district.
All structures created under the schemes will be geo-tagged.
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The programme will be supervised and monitored
by an Inter-Ministerial National Steering
Committee (NSC) under the Chairmanship of the
Prime Minister with Union Ministers of all
concerned Ministries.
The implementation of the yojana will be through
a National Executive Committee (NEC) to be
constituted under the Chairmanship of the Vice
Chairman, NITI Aayog.
Besides, NEC will also oversee allocation of
resources, inter-ministerial coordination,
monitoring and performance assessment,
addressing administrative issues etc.
A State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) to be
chaired by the Chief Secretary of respective state
will be administering the programme at state
level.
The committee will have all authority to sanction
the project and also monitor the progress of the
scheme.
At the district level there will be a district level
implementation committee for ensuring last mile
coordination at the field level.
The Yojana is in addition to existing farmer
friendly initiatives taken by the NDA government
in the last one year.
These include issuing of Soil Health Card to
farmers, setting up soil and fertilizer laboratories
for Soil Health Management, launch of
Pramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana to promote
organic farming, and starting of dedicated Kisan
Channel by Doordarshan.
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Quickly Quickly
About the Prerna Sthal
Prerna Sthal
encompasses
seven pillars
made of sand
stone with
copper finish
metallic inscription plaques.
The central pillar that is large in size carries a
portrait of Bhagat Singh. The first of the six
smaller ancillary pillars has been scripted with
motivational verses and remaining five pillars
narrate briefs of various battles fought in this
specific place as well as the names of martyrs and
details of gallantry awards.
About the PATA Award
The annual award sponsored by the Macau
Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is given by
Pacific Asia Travel Association. It is given in
recognition of the achievements of 25 separate
organizations and individuals. PATA is a
membership association working to promote the
responsible development of travel and tourism in
the Asia Pacific region.
About Sundarbans
The Sundarbans mangrove forest lies on the delta
of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers
on the coast of Bay of Bengal. The UNESCO World
Heritage Site is a home for several endangered
species like the Royal Bengal Tiger, Ganges and
Irawadi dolphins. The area is known for its wide
range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the
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Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.
About Puntius Dolichopterus
Name of the species dolichopterus has been
coined from two Greek words ‘dolikhos’ that
means elongated and ‘pteron’ that means wing or
fin. They are between 7.3 and 8.7 cm in length.
It is characterized by the longer pectoral fin,
shorter dorsal fin, unusually elongated dorsal
spine, longer head, lesser number of lateral line
scales and pre-dorsal scales. It can be further
differentiated from its relative species in having 3-
4 longitudinal lines present below lateral line
It carries a silvery body with dorsal fin of light
orange red, pectoral and anal fin greenish yellow,
ventral fin yellow, caudal fin dusky and an
inconspicuous dusky spot present on 21 and 22
scales. Its spine of dorsal fin is rigid, strong and
long and has a pair of small barbels.
Its relative species namely Puntius nigronotus,
Puntius viridis, Puntius nelsoni and Puntius parrah
are found in Kerala, Puntius dorsalis are found in
Chennai and Puntius chola and Puntius sophore
resides in the water bodies of the Ganga River.
What is PRGFEE?
PRGFEE is an innovative financing mechanism
under Framework for Energy Efficient Economic
Development (FEEED). It is one of the initiatives
under National Mission for Enhanced Energy
Efficiency. The fund has been constituted by
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Union
Ministry of Power. Further, it is a risk sharing
mechanism to provide financial institutions
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(Banks/NBFCs) with a partial coverage of risk
involved in extending loans for energy efficiency
projects.
About Vellithumpa plant
It was found growing on steep wet rocks on
Shoolamudy, the highest peak in Ernakulam
district, deep inside the Edmalayalar forest range.
It is a shrub plant belonging to the mint family.
The species was named after the place of
collection and was given vernacular name
Vellithumpa because of the white silvery hairs
under the leaf. The plant bears small white
flowers with red anthers in cylindrical closely
packed clusters.
About Eriocaulon manoharanii plant
It was found growing in the wet rocky mountain
grasslands of Mamalakandam-Munippara area in
the Neriamangalam forest range. It is an
herbaceous plant belonging to the pipeworts
family and carries small white flowers growing in
clusters. It was named after former Principal Chief
Conservator of Forests TM Manoharan as
recognition of his contributions to biodiversity
conservation and wildlife protection.
About Economic Development Innovation Award
Economic Development Innovation (EDI) Award is
given under Frost and Sullivan’s EDI programme
that identifies exemplary initiatives by
governments that have the potential to transform
their countries into important destinations for
investments and achieve rapid economic growth.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company works in collaboration with clients to leverage
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visionary innovation that addresses the global
challenges and related growth opportunities that
will make or break today's market participants.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act is a United
States federal law that was enacted in 2010 to
obtain information on accounts held by US
taxpayers in other countries. The law was enacted
It requires U.S. financial institutions to withhold a
portion of payments made to foreign financial
institutions (FFIs) who do not agree to identify and
report information on US account holders.
About Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
TRAI was established in 1997 by an Act of
Parliament to regulate telecom services in India,
which was introduced in wake of entry of private
sector in telecom industries. It is an independent
regulator that regulates telecommunication
services; it also fixes or revises the tariffs for
telecom services in India. Its main purpose is to
deliver a fair and transparent environment for fair
competition in telecom market. It was constituted
with the motive to create and nurture conditions
for growth of telecommunication sector in India.
About National Youth Parliament Competition
National Youth
Parliament
Competition is
organized by
Ministry of
Parliamentary
Affairs for school children across the country. It is
organized under the Youth Parliament Scheme
with an aim to inculcate the spirit of self-
discipline, tolerance of diverse opinion, righteous
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expression of views and other virtues of a
democratic way of life. The Youth Parliament
Scheme was first introduced in the Schools in
Delhi in 1966-67 and in 1997-98 it was extended
to cover Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and
University/Colleges.
About SUTEERVA
It’s a 100 Gbps Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) link
system that addresses the telco’s requirement of
optimizing communication transport backbone in
smart cities, IT parks, Industrial Complexes, Inter
City Traffic, Data Centres etc.
It offers ease of deployment, lesser shell space
and lower power consumption, and saves on the
high cost of laying fiber for each individual user.
Further, SUTEEVRA is capable of serving multiple
applications and protocols ranging from the Data,
Storage, TDM and Video networks.
About Next Generation Network (NGN)
It is an
advanced
Internet
Protocol (IP)
based
network
which is designed to replace existing TDM network
in BSNL and MTNL.
It provides a centralized remote control to the
operators to manage the exchanges thereby
providing better services to the end subscribers.
Besides, there are considerable savings in the
power consumptions with the introduction of the
much smaller and low power consuming
equipment.
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About Computer Science Corporation
Founded in 1959, CSC is an American MNC having
presence in 70 countries that provides
information technology (IT) services and
professional services.CSC is a global leader in
specialized banking application software that
addresses core banking, cards, payments and
default management solutions.
About Hindustan Computer Limited
Incorporated in 1991 by Shiv Nadar and Arjun
Malhotra, HCL is an Indian global IT services
company that provides holistic, multi-service
delivery in key industry verticals including
Financial Services, Manufacturing, Consumer
Services, Public Services and Healthcare & Life
sciences across 31 countries. HCL is a leading
provider of application, business process and
infrastructure services to the Global Banking and
Financial services (BFSI) sector.
MODEL QUESTION PAPER
1) The moon is a
A. Comet
B. Satellite
C. Star
D. Planet
2) Who receives Dronacharya Award?
A. Scientists
B. Movie actors
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C. Sports Coaches D. Sportsmen
3) Who was the first Indian to be-elected to the British Parliament? A. Dadabhai Naoroji
B. Mothilal Nehru
C. Mahathma Gandhi
D. Gopalakrishna Gokhale
4) In which year India Joined the United Nations? A. 1954
B. 1955
C. 1956
D. 1957
5) A hole is made in a brass plate and it is heated. The size of the hole will A. increase
B. decrease
C. first increase and then decrease D. remain unchanged
6) Which language was patronized by the rules of Delhi Sultanate? A. Hindi
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B. Arabic
C. Persian
D. Turkish
7) Who discovered magnetic field of electric current?
A. Ampere
B. Faraday
C. Fleming
D. Edison
8) Which country leads in the production of rubber?
A. Australia
B. India
C. Malaysia
D. Myanmar
9) The Panchayat Raj is a
A. One–tier System
B. Two–tier System
C. Three–tier System
D. Four–tier System
10) Which is the most irrigated State in India?
A. Bihar
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B. Punjab C. Andhra Pradesh
D. Uttar Pradesh
11) When a gas is turned into a liquid, the process is called A. condensation
B. evaporation
C. deposition
D. sublimation
12) Which of the following parts of the sun is easily visible only during a total solar eclipse? A. core
B. photosphere
C. sunspots
D. corona
13) Earth's seasons are caused by which of the following?
A. The tilt of the earth's rotation relative to the ecliptic as earth revolves around the sun B. The varying amount of sunspot activity
C. The earth's orbit around the sun as an eclipse rather than a circle D. The rotation of during a 24-hour day
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14) Which of the following is most likely to cause a
rise in the average temperature of earth's
atmosphere in future?
A. Atomic warfare
B. CO2 from fossil fuels
C. Dust clouds from valcanoes
D. Depletion of earth's ozone layer
15) The accumulation of stress along the
boundaries of lithospheric plates results in which
of the following?
A. Earthquakes
B. Magnetic reversals
C. Hurricanses
D. Increased deposition of deep-sea sediments
16) Which of the following elements is a metal
A. S
B. Se
C. I
D. Ga
17) Which of the following items will be attracted
to the north pole of a permanent magnet by a
magnet force?
A. The north pole of another permanent magnet
B. A piece of iron that is not a permanent magnet
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C. A positively charged glass rod D. A negatively charged rubber rod
18) Pollination by birds is called A. autogamy
B. ornithophily
C. entomophily
D. anemophily
19) The fastest-running terrestrial animal is A. cheetah
B. lion
C. man
D. jaguar
20) As you go down into a well, your weight A. increases slightly
B. decreases slightly
C. remains exactly the same
D. None of the above
21) Arya Samaj was started by A. Swami Vivekananda
B. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
C. Swami Dayanand Saraswati
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D. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
22) Who is known as the ‘Grand Old Man of India’?
A. C. Rajagopalachari
B. Dadabhai Naoroji
C. Lala Lajpat Rai
D. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
23) Which of the following was a recommendation of Hunter’s Commission?
A. Women’s education
B. New regulation for the organized senates system
C. Gradual withdrawal of state support from higher education
D. Introduction of civic education at college and university level
24) Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?
1. Warren Hastings – Regulating Act
2. Cornwallis – Permanent Land Settlement
3. Wellesley – Subsidiary Alliance
4. Dalhousie – Abolition of Sati
A. 1 and 3
B. 1, 2 & 4
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C. 1, 2 & 3 D. 2 and 3
25) The theory of economic drain of India during British imperialism was propounded by A. M. K. Gandhi
B. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Dadabhai Naoroji
D. R. C. Dutt
26) Arrange the following in chronological order, who administered as Governor Generals of India.
1. Wellesley 2. Cornwallis 3. Warren Hastings 4. Dalhousie A. 3,2, l, 4
B. 1,2,4, 3
C. 4, 2, 3, 1
D. 4, 1, 2,3
27) Who amongst the following was involved in the Alipore Bomb case?
A. S. N. Banerjea B. Bipin Chandra Pal
C. Jatin Das
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D. Aurobindo Ghosh
28) Gandhiji wanted that the students should spend their vacations in
A. studies
B. Games
C. Social service
D. None of these
29) Which one of the following upheavals took
place in Bengal immediately after the Revolt of
1857?
A. Sanyasi Rebellion
B. Santal Rebellion
C. Indigo Disturbances
D. Pabna Disturbances
30) Which of the following was not founded by Dr.B. R. Ambedkar?
A. Deccan Education Society
B. Samaj Samata Sangh
C. Peoples Education Society
D. Depressed Classes Institute
31) In India, which one of the following States has the largest inland saline wetland?
A. Gujarat
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B. Haryana C. Madhya Pradesh
D. Rajasthan
32) In which one of the following States has India's
largest private sector sea port been commissioned
recently? A. Andhra Pradesh
B. Karnataka
C. Kerala
D. Tamil Nadu
33) Consider the following countries:
1. Australia 2. Namibia 3. Brazil 4. Chile
Through which of the above does the Tropic of Capricorn pass?
A. 1 only B. 2, 3 and 4
C. 1, 2 and 3
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
34) Consider the following statements:
1. There are no east flowing rivers in Kerala.
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2. There are no west flowing rivers in Madhya Pradesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
35) In India, the ports are categorized as major
and non-major ports. Which one of the following
is a non-major port?
A. Kochi (Cochin)
B. Dahej
C. Paradip
D. New Mangalore
36) In which one of the following places is the Shompen tribe found?
A. Nilgiri Hills
B. Nicobar Islands
C. Spiti Valley
D. Lakshadweep islands
37) In which state is the Buddhist site Tabo Monastery located?
A. Arunachal Pradesh
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B. Himachal Pradesh C. Sikkim
D. Uttarakhand
38) Where is the famous Virupaksha temple located? A. Bhadrachalam
B. Chidambaram
C. Hampi
D. Srikalahasti
39) When you travel in certain parts of India, you
will notice red soil. What is the main reason for
this colour? A. Abundance of magnesium
B. Accumulated humus
C. Presence of ferric oxides
D. Abundance of phosphates
40) Which among the following has the world's largest reserves of Uranium? A. Australia
B. Canada
C. Russian Federation
D. USA
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41) There is some relationship between diagrams A & B. The same relationship persists between C & D. Find the right diagrams for D from the alternatives.
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
42)
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
43)
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
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D. 4 C. 3
D. 4
44)
A. 1
47)
B. 2 A. 1
C. 3 B. 2
D. 4 C. 3
D. 4
45)
A. 1 48)
B. 2 A. 1
C. 3 B. 2
D. 4 C. 3
D. 4
46) 49)
A. 1
A. 1
B. 2 B. 2
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C. 3
D. 4
50)
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Answer Key
1. Answer – B 2. Answer – C 3. Answer - A 4. Answer - B 5. Answer - C 6. Answer - C 7. Answer - B 8. Answer - C 9. Answer - C 10. Answer - A 11. Answer - A 12. Answer - D 13. Answer - A 14. Answer - B 15. Answer - A 16. Answer - D 17. Answer - B
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18. Answer - B 19. Answer - A 20. Answer - B 21. Answer - C 22. Answer - B 23. Answer - A 24. Answer - D 25. Answer - C 26. Answer - A 27. Answer - C 28. Answer - C 29. Answer - C 30. Answer - D 31. Answer – D 32. Answer - A 33. Answer - D 34. Answer - D 35. Answer - B 36. Answer - B 37. Answer - B 38. Answer - B 39. Answer - C 40. Answer – A 41. Answer - D 42. Answer - A 43. Answer – C 44. Answer – B 45. Answer – C 46. Answer - A 47. Answer - D 48. Answer – A 49. Answer - C
50. Answer - C
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