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THE HINDU SIMPLIFIED _FEB 2014

8 FEB 2014

GDP ESTIMATES FOR 2013-2014 RELEASED BY CSO = 4.9 % 2012-13 was 4.5 % April – Sept 2013 was 4.6 % and whole year is 4.9 % so economy is expected to grow at 5.4 % for second

half Manmohan singh had predicted this in a press conference last year by saying that “India’s own growth

momentum will revive” Credit goes to agriculture and allied sectors which will grow at 4.6% as compared to 1.4% last year

IMPORTED DEFENCE SYSTEMS chief of DRDO has said that the imported defence products come laden with snooping viruses and

malwares, this has lead to various serious threats on front of cyber security solution is India needs to get involved from the design stage itself, that is only possible in domestic

production

NGT BANS BURNING TYRES IN PUBLIC especially in agitations by political and religious groups. failing to comply can attract a penalty of up to 10 crore which may be extended to 25 crore and

imprisonment of 3 years

9 FEB 2014 East Nepal turning into safe haven for Indian criminals

Law and order in peril made eastern Nepal favorite hideout for Indian criminals especially insurgents of North

Bengal and nearby Northeast states

Indian outfits members in West Bengal, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland been taking shelter

Conflict also between Indian and Nepali police because of frequent unwarranted intrusion in their areas by

Indian Police

Shashastra Seema Bal and KLO should be searched for better understanding

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New Indian Ocean Exercise shows reach of China’s Navy China’s military exercises in Lombok strait have implications

First the exercises are outside the nine dotted line indirectly implying expanding Chinese hegemony

Second implications are for Malacca dilemma given by Deng

Third is for India as situated very near to Andaman

Search for type of military exercises and Indian military exercises in collaboration with foreign nations India for code of conduct in South China sea Amid the tension in South China sea India have pitched for code of conduct over South China sea for resolving

issues like Navigation

Other issue of coastal securities dealt by Naval head at the meet were fishermen crossing EEA and human

trafficking cases

Illegal migration by Rohingyas to other South east Asian nation from Myanmar also an important issue for

coastal security

FAA downgrade: paying the price for drift in safety norms Indian airlines have been downgraded to category 2 on safety norms by Federal Aviation Agency

Air India and Jet Airways now cannot increase their operations to the US until the status is restored

Khobragade issue can be the pretence to this Leprosy eradication India has highest number of cases followed by Brazil however China has controlled it to larger extent

Attacks nervous system, Mycobacterium leprae being the agent and no hereditary relation

Spread via nasal droplet, early signs needed to taken seriously and treated immediately

MDT a miracle treatment but innovation in Systematic contact surveys, moleculer diagnostics and

chemoprophylaxis required for better treatment of difficult cases

MDT and NLEP should be devoured for better understanding

10 FEB 2014

India’s Missing Women

Phrase “missing women” coined by Amartya Sen to highlight the declining sex ratio in developing world

‘boy preference’ and mistreatment of young girls was believed to be main reasons

Subsequent work by Anderson and Ray had showed that in these countries female mortality is more

universal phenomenon spanning across all age groups

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Road Toll

In news because of recent attacks by MNS

What’s the scenario?

Roads are being built by private investments and investors are given the right to collect toll for an agreed

period of time

Problem?

FOR INVESTORS –

The projected traffic was much more than actual hence the rate of returns are much lower

FOR USERS –

No transparency in toll determination

Lack of alternative toll free roads ( other countries have these)

As cities expand toll roads which were outside become part of the city , causing excess cost for city

traffic

Toll collection sometimes starts even before toll roads are completed

11 FEB, 2014

Disabilities Bill

19 form of disabilities been defined including mental and psychic disabilities and many new which earlier were

not recognised

Changed definition will increase proportion of population under disability to 5% from 3

Proposal for proportion of CSR dedicated for welfare of disables

Important is the penal provision for non-implementation since “implementation is the Achilles Heel”

Inside the culture of covert killing

Issue of Doval vs Ishrat jahan case compared(one should have knowledge of Doval)

Failure of intelligence and CJS being main cause for such alternatives

Can be compared to war crimes of Nazi times or Soviet era

Killing is lot easier than building intelligence capabilities but such an alternative is insidious

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Retrograde avatar of repressive traditions

Support to idea of Khap is nothing but vote politics by party with difference AAP

Historically khaps have included peoples form all castes and communities but during British times there

relevance declined and later only people from jat community continued the practice of Khap

25% vote share of Jats in Haryana make them important for electoral gains

Cultural purpose of Khaps is questionable

Always have been against equal rights for women and dalits

India’s issues with US regarding Patents

US set to announce trade enforcement action against India

Case of Novartis being the precedent

Argues that Indian Patent policy is actually anti poor since Novartis providing 95% of its drugs at much

cheaper prices and such a patent policy will further make costly drugs out of reach of poors

Sanctions are even possible warned US since many other nations mimicking India creating issues of IP

protection

SEBI Amendment Bill

Anticipations are that this may not be passed winter session again

Gives power to SEBI to initiate recovery proceedings against unscrupulous promoters

Any investment scheme above 100 crore including Nidhi shceme, NBFCs, or chit funds

There are number of agencies for different financial frauds with no clear demarcations of tasks, often used for

chit funds type scams

12 FEB, 2014

POLIO FREE INDIA TO GET WHO CERTIFICATION

We have completed 3 years without any infection

“India has shown there is no such thing as impossible. This is likely the greatest lesson and greatest inspiration

for the rest of the world”

– Margaret Chan, Director General, WHO

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US : Journalists are using drones under pretext of “commercial purpose” to reach crime scenes or

accident scenes a relay the images of the victims.

This has raised the issues of ethics and sensitivity.

Memorial excesses

The Congress government in Maharashtra — sanctioned Rs.100 crore to build a grand memorial for

Shivaji – on an islet in the Arabian Sea, about 2.5 km off Nariman Point — approved this project in

2009

Originally planned a 94-m-tall Shivaji statue, is planning to increase the height significantly –(Patel

statue in Gujrat effect )

India, China discuss CBMs

India and China held a “very constructive” two-day meeting

Special Representatives of both countries — National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and

Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi

On the regional front, they discussed the East Asia Summit process and touched on the situation in

West Asia and the Middle East

13 FEB 2014

Disabilities Bill

Disabilities bill not as par basic tenets of the UN convention on right of persons with disabilities

Also not according to SC judgment regarding jobs for disabled as per the NGO

Disabilities bill details in previous posts

Syria long term solution

Another failure of UN led resolution to civil wars similar to that of Rwanda, Bosnia and Kosovo

Intellectual failure to understand sectarian rivalry fueled by SuadiA and Iran on the lines of Shia-Sunni

Lebanon offers solutions to how sectarian violence should be tackled

Reverse engineering should be done of what future desired in Middle east

Leaving to Syrian would be a cruel folly, SaudiA, USA and Russia Iran should draft a deal

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Decade of Indian Railway under UPA

Positives Negatives

1. Freigth have increased exponentially

2. Accidents decreased

3. No of trains increased by 712

4. 94%increase in passenger kms

1. Railway lags behind their vision 2020

2. 4 committees for improving work but reco not

taken

3. Cleaniness, punctuality, promptness, courtesy

and disaster management

4. Inadequate capacity for passenger

However increased profit claimed to be nothing but manipulation of accounting used by Railways

Sixth pay commission showed the mirror by the volatile situation in which railway dept is

Further addition of new services had almost ruined accounts of railway and projected major crisis will turn

around by 2016-17 with the effects of seventh pay commission reco

Railway Budget 2014:

Passenger friendly budget it is

Many new trains and services in running trains have been introduced with touch me not policy used for fares

There are charges that accounting have been manipulated and also no proper auditing done showing railways

in profit overall

Industrial production

General decline in Industrial output

Other than mining and electrical products there is decline in production

Industry asked RBI to cut key rates to revive manufacturing

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Boeing issue

Lithium batteries used being the main culprit

Thermal runaway called the phenomenon when heating goes uncontrolled damaging the system

However substitutes to electrolyte of battery responsible for thermal heataway have been found

Restrictive global governance system affects public health

Report by Lancet inspite of more than required production of food, 80 millions still hungry

Doha declaration of 2001 on TRIPS where countries agreed that nation can take initiative for public health

against international trade rules

Many positive initiatives have been taken particularly by India(Bayer Sorafenib cancer drugs) and for HIV

drugs in Brazil

However many countries are using this for benefits of private companies

Especially tobacco companies are indebting nations and then manipulating these leniency for their own ends

as per Lancet report

LAUNCH OF HIV SALVAGE THERAPY AND EXTENSION OF ART

What is salvage therapy?

Also called third line therapy or rescue therapy, it is prescribed for people after failures first two lines of drugs.

It will be provided free of cost and this was announced at the launch of NATIONAL AIDS CONTROL

PROGRAM Phase IV (2012-17) by union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad

Extension of ART ?

Anti-Retroviral Therapy – the minimum CD4-count limit has been reduced from 500 to 350. The count is a

measure of viral load in the blood

HIV/AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014 has been tabled in Rajya Sabha. It seeks to prevent the

spread of HIV and protect rights of people living with it.

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SOLAR IMPULSE : first solar powered aircraft that can fly day and night

It will land in India in april 2015

Scottish independence referendum, 2014

Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom since 1707, by virtue of the Acts of Union. Prior

to this, the Kingdom of Scotland had been a sovereign state for over 800 years.

Scottish devolution referendum in 1979, but resulted in no change

Scotland Act 1998 first elected on 6 May 1999.

the United Kingdom Government Scottish Independence Scottish Parliament referendum will be “Should

Scotland be an independent country?”

14 FEB 2014

PERSON IN NEWS

Award winning film director and cinematographer Balu Mahendra, whose masterpieces such as ‘Azhiyatha Kolangal’, ‘Moondram Pirai’, ‘Veedu’, ‘Sandhiyaa Raagam’ and ‘Vanna Vanna Pookal’ left an indelible mark on the Indian film industry, died in Chennai

English Labour party leader Ed Miliband has postponed his trip scheduled for next week to India owing to the flood emergency in England

CPI(M)

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has been ranked fourth among the top ten most active non-state armed groups in 2013, according to study released this week by a major defence and business risk think-tank.

Among other insurgent groups listed in the top ten rankings are the Taliban (second rank), al-Qaeda in Iraq (fifth), al-Shabaab (sixth), Colombia’s FARC (seventh) and Syrian Jabhat al-Nusra (ninth).

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15 FEB 2014

Spectrum of Success

Finally auction of 2G spectrum went little smoothly after two failed attempts

Two signs clearly visible

First operators were showing desperation because of delays

Second most of the operaotrs already under heavy debts therefore to bid for higher prices can be threatening

Totalising history, silencing dissent

Sec 295A of IPC talks about hearting religious feelings

Two ways cultural identity defined by editor

First set common believes and thoughts shared by all

And second recognised on the beliefs that there are similarities and differences, discontinuity and dispersal

forcing one’s views over other and not letting differences to emerge is like fascist or nazi strategy

Also editor pointed out that because author of An alternative Hindu History was a lady and also non Hindu

that she was an easy target

No land’s men and women

Related to issue of illegal immigration

Indonesia been known for emigration has become center of immigration of Afghan Hazara, Burmese

Rohingyas and Lankan Tamils

Further instances of illegal immigration of these non settlers to Australia through fishing boats led to many

other problems

Boat capsizing and issue of boat people have been a hot topic for Australian politics and election

China moots ‘maritime silk road’

Idea given by Xi jinping linking Indian and Pacific ocean

May be a response to string of pearls theory

BCIM is another initiative in such direction

Two main purpose it would serve for China: economic gains and security over SLOC

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16 FEB 2014

ISRAEL ISSUE

Hamas has said that it will oppose any international force ( peacekeepers ) in future palestine.

Hamas : rulers of Gaza, a part of future Palestine

Israel had demanded it retain presence in west bank for security reason, but Palestinian president

opposes this and but agreed for international peacekeepers

This statement by Hamas jeopardizes the talks for peace

TTP may announce ceasefire

TTP : Tehrik-e-Taliban – Pakistan chapter of Taliban

This insurgency has continued for over a decade and now TTP may announce ceasefire if their demands

are met.

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

These butterflies migrate to mexico to spend the winter. This phenomenon is little understood and the

numbers are decreasing.

Experts blame many things—extreme weather trends, reduction of habitat due to logging in mexico, GM

crops in US displacing milkweed on which the species feeds on .

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17 FEB 2014

More about Syria

Two factors failing talks again and again: first interpretation of conflict by both parties and second the rebels

themselves are deeply fractured

Syria contact group formed but later failed because of pressure from US and Russia

Earlier ardent supporters of Syrian rebel army have also pulled their legs away from this. Entry of Al Qaeda and

rising discontent and deaths making life easy fro Assad

Even in Geneva talks representative of FSA were hardcore islamists ISIS and Jabhat al-Nushra with little

appetite for consensus

Turn of events have even made neighbouring supporting nation of FSA against them

Reformaton of Syria contact group with Saudia, Egypt and Qatar along with Iraq, Iran could be an option for

future and further role of India and China could be important if they really pursue the idea of multipolar world

Auto Expo and challenges for automobile industry

With Industry on decline the Auto expo was quite a success

Bigger challenges for Automobile industry in near future is to bring fuel efficient vehicles as per the policy to be

implemented by 2017

Policies also required for managing traffic and number of vehicles in cities especially in metros

Singapore repatriation companies

Foreign workers unrest over working condition and unacceptable practices against them

Repatriation companies are hired by firms to forcefully repatriate workers whose terms are over

Human trafficking and labour issues in Singapore have been reported by US also

A village killed by isolation

Govt strategy to isolate villagers from resurgent groups backfired

Similar to one used by US in Vietnam aka strategic hamleting

Case study of village in CG named Jagargunda which changed from a

prosperous and able village to one fully depended over govt aids

Further source of income as well as employment and services all have halted according to the editor

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18 FEB 2014

Georgia

Former PM Vano Merabishvili was sentenced to 5 years jail for using state funds in elections

He became PM in july 2012 but in four month lost majority

He has served as interior minister for eight years

Venezuela

Three American diplomats who were allegedly found to be related to the violent actions that have gripped the

country since February 12 have been asked to leave Venezuela, authorities said.

He also said Venezuela is suffering from “the common scheme which has been developed in other countries in

the recent years, where violence is introduced and then the governments have to legally take actions against it,

but afterwards the governments are attacked and criminated, especially by the U.S.”

Syrian Hope

Geneva II conference ended in a standoff between President Assad and opposition leaders. This was expected

but it is still significant that the talks took place at all.

Technology

Guwahati schoolboy Afreed Islam on Monday launched his prototype of a computer system that uses a

microchip instead of a hard disk and is embedded with an operative system that allows dependencies on both

Windows and Linux-based software simultaneously

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NE dams

They will hit ecology and biodiversity as far away as Assam

proposed 44 dams, meant to establish a capacity of 18,293 MW

A report commissioned by the Central Water Commission has recommended scrapping of 15 of the 44

dams planned across the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh. It has also suggested stricter regulations for

the ones that are to be built in future.

19 FEB, 2014

Telangana bill passed in lower house

Kiran Reddy to form new political party leaving congress

There are provision to placate Andhra eg distribution of revenue villages, regarding 14th finance commission,

special package to backward areas and case of conflicting issues

Italy Marine case

Italy recalls their envoy due to delay in case

NIA charged Mr Latorre and Mr Girone under suppression of Unlawful Acts(SUA) anti terrorism maritime law

Apex court has asked centre whether marines should be tried under anti piracy laws or not

Italian govt and marines were challenging anti terrorism law against safety of maritime navigation and fixed

platform while apex court ordered proceeding to be done under IPC, CrPC and UNCLOS

Above politics

11 yrs delay since mercy petition first reached president of Rajiv Gandhi murderer’s

Ethno national angle given led to delay

However court defined life imprisonment defined as imprisonment till end of life

Might be a step towards abolition of capital punishment

Case of ethical dilemma under capital punishment topic

Gas Pricing conundrum

Questioned by AAP that while production cost being around one dollar per unit sold at 8 dollar per unit

There is no global rates defined for gas pricing depend on local demand and supply

Gas is used mainly in fertiliser, power industry and transport industry both are subsidy based so indirectly

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public money chunked to private sector by purchase of high priced gas

Reliance have failed to produce 80 mmscmd as promised by them all through 4 years and with further

increased cost of production in

KGD-6 is decreasing production and due to high demand increasing market price

Rangarajan formula should be devored through and gas pricing globally also should be searched(especially

three major methods)

Truth behind fancy numbers

Manipulation of stats to prove growth and success on economic front

Fanciful assumption over corporate and excise tax, also estimates regarding disinvestment, subsidies and

expenditure are too big, when compared to past experiences

Successor government will have to bear the burden of tax, subsidies and borrowings

Carbon disinvestment is a shining example

Recent extreme events pointing towards global warming phenomena

97% nation in IPCC believes human causing global warming

Estimates suggest that more than $1tn need to be invested in green tech to limit temperature rise by 2

Another point of view is that subsidy over non renewable fuels create a notion that they are cheap

20 FEB 2014

TAMIL NADU GOVT DECISION TO RELEASE CONVICTS IN RAJIV ASSASINATION

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said it had decided to release all the seven convicts in the Rajiv

Gandhi assassination case, including the three prisoners whose death penalty was reduced to life term by the

Supreme Court on Tuesday.Apart from the trio who were on death row until 24 hours earlier — Murugan,

Santhan and Perarivalan — the benefit will go to Murugan’s wife, Nalini, as well as Ravichandran, Robert Payas

and V. Jayakumar, the others serving life terms since their arrest in 1991.

Ms. Jayalalithaa noted that while commuting the death sentence of the three prisoners, the Supreme Court had

suggested that the State government could exercise its power under Sections 432 (power to remit sentences)

and 433A (which deals with releasing of prisoners sentenced to death or life) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The State government has decided to invoke Section 432, considering the fact that they had already spent 23

years in jail. Ms Jayalalithaa also said that as the case was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation,

it was mandatory for the State government to consult the Centre under Section 435 of the CrPC.

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POINT TO BE NOTED :

ART 72 – POWER OF PRESIDENT TO PARDON , RESPITE, REPRIEVE, REMIT

ART 161 – Power of Governor to PARDON , RESPITE, REPRIEVE, REMIT

but there are also section 432 to 435 of CRPC tht give the APPROPRIATE govt right to PARDON ,

RESPITE, REPRIEVE, REMIT. Although some restrictions are there.

Many people have said that this step by TN govt is illegal as state govt is not Appropriate govt.

MANMOHAN SING : said the attack on Rajiv Gandhi was attack on India’s soul, so TN govt should not

go ahead with this

Ghulam Nabi Azad launches indigenous ELISA for Ferritin estimation kit

An indigenously manufactured food and water-borne pathogen detection kit

It will detect five pathogens — Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio

parahaemolyticus

Prepared by the National Institute of Nutrition, the technology has been transferred to Bio-Serve

Biotechnologies, which is experienced in dealing with molecular reagents.

Cabinet approves continuation of nano-science mission

The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its clearance for the continuation of the National Mission on

nano-science and technology in its second phase in the 12th plan period at a cost of Rs. 650 crores.

Launched in May 2007, the mission has been working to help scientists, institutions and the industry in

terms of promoting basic research

India has moved from the fourth position to the third in the world in terms of scientific publications in

nano-science and technology.

21 FEB, 2014

Telangana bill passed in Rajya Sabha Backroom negotiations between Congress and BJP facilitated smooth passage of bill Along with other provision to pacify Seemandhara there are appropriate provision for special power to governor for security and safety of the residents of Hyderabad Special package for backward regions of the successor state of Andhra Pradesh on lines of KBK Go through previous post for details on issue

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Issues over remission State govt should have consulted Court as well as while giving remission, also 3 days deadline for central govt to send their reply is unreasonable Will hurt federal polity and also the case of abolition of capital punishment since arbitrary release of convicted prisoners Challenges with bad loans Problem of increasing NPAs specially with PSBs Issue with them is they cannot recapitalize through dilution of ownership above a limit even following the international capital adequacy norms and investors are also not showing interest, so they have to depend on government for recapitalisation Also there is less flexibility in dealing with recovery of bad loans LiFi Why alternative: radio spectrum overcrowded, so much interference, light is a big pipe for wireless connectivity Security benefits are also there, since light blocked by walls it cannot be intercepted outside Amendment to narcotic drugs bill NDPS(amendment) bill,2011 passed in LS will ease the transportation, generation and production of morphine used during treatment of Cancer patients

22 FEB, 2014

WHISTLER FELLOWSHIP ALLIANCE A new organization to help whistleblowers setup in London. Will provide emotional and legal assistance. Founded by Gavin Mcfayden.

SAM Akash SUCCESSFUL TEST FIRE

from Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha It’s a surface to Air missile developed by DRDO Range = 25 Km

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GREEN INDIA MISSION

Approved by govt 13000 crore project centrally sponsored Aim – increase forest cover in the country Gram sabha and committees manated by gram sabha will oversee the implementation at village level

SEAWEED AND SUNDERBAN

The slimy green seaweed can help combat malnutrition and also provide extra income to the farmers of sunderban region.

These findings have been disclosed in an Asia pacific network study conducted by Jadavpur university. At present, poor farmers take life threatening risks to venture into the prohibited zones to collect

firewood and honey for survival.

23 FEB, 2014

TELANGANA ISSUE

Govt’s assurance that the Seemandhra region will be granted special category State status for five years has put the government in a piquant situation as the region does not qualify for it under National Development Council (NDC) criteria.

Only the Council can amend or relax the criteria, the criterias are(just for reminding) : “

hilly and difficult terrain, low population density and/or sizable share of tribal population, strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, economic and infrastructural backwardness, and non-viable nature of State finances

ICMR redefines stem cell use to curb malpractice

From now on, any use of stem cell in patients will be considered research, and not therapy, according to fresh national guidelines.

Stem cell use in patients must be done only within the purview of an approved and monitored clinical trial with intent to advance science and medicine

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New device reads books aloud

A device named Finger Reader is developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Media Lab

It reads text aloud as users run their fingers over each word. The device may be useful for visually impaired people

No tall promises, EC tells parties

In its July 5, 2013 verdict, the Supreme Court said that though promises made in manifestos could not be construed as corrupt practices as per law, the distribution of freebies of any kind “influences” all people.

Election Commission has issued fresh, comprehensive guidelines for political parties on their conduct and manifestos, cautioning them against making tall promises because in reality distribution of freebies of any kind “influences all people” and “shakes the root of free and fair elections to a large degree.

UN resolution on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria

The United Nations Security Council has passed a unanimous resolution on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria

the decision flowing from a consensus that the government and the armed opposition would be held responsible for providing relief to the people entangled in the bloody conflict, which has already claimed over 100,000 lives.

To enable the flow of humanitarian supplies, the 15-member Council called for an immediate end to all forms of violence in the country

Regulating genetic modification

First issue is that of ethical concerns being the application of recombinant DNA technology for reproductive cloning while not the same with therapeutic cloning ( for details use Google)

Bill pending in Parliament for regulation lapsed after end of session will give stakeholders more time to discuss

Swaminathan also argues for GMO since moratorium period of 10 years have passed and its necessary for inflating population pressure

He also argues for involving private sector for developing hybrid variety of seeds

Biofortification should also be searched Promoting research for translational purpose, in organic farming and biodiversity should also be taken

care of

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26 FEB 2014

‘Cyber thieves blamed for Bitcoin heist’

• A gang of cyber criminals, using an army of infected computers, made off with at least $220,000 worth of

Bitcoins and other virtual currencies

• The news comes amid growing use of virtual currencies such as Bitcoins, which have been developed by

cryptographic experts as a way to move money at lower costs than tradiDonal finance systems. While many

uses of Bitcoins are legiDmate, the virtual currencies have also been Ded to money laundering and drug

trafficking.

With sanctions on Iran eased, India to hold dry run in transport corridor

With the partial lifting of sanctions on Iran, India will conduct dry runs next month in a multination corridor

that would sharply cut transportation between India, and Central Asia and Russia, Iran being the pivot.

BACKGROUND INFO The International North–South Transport Corridor is the ship, rail, and road

route for moving freight from South Asia to Europe through Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Russia. The route

primarily involves moving freight from India to Iran by ship; from Iran to Armenia and Georgia by rail and

road; and from Georgia to Russia and Europe

Leadership programme to transform schools

Amid increased concern over quality outcome in schools, the government is launching an iniDaDve aimed at

capacity building of principals and teachers.

The ‘school leadership programme,’ to be launched by Human Resources Development Minister M.M.

Pallam Raju on Wednesday, seeks to transform schools into centres of excellence

It envisages a one-year engagement with follow-up provisions for review and feedback as an integral part of the

programme.

Colombo rejects UN call for probe

Sri Lanka has rejected U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s call for an internaDonal

inquiry into the allegaDons of rights abuse and war crimes in the country, saying it has a “preconceived,

poliDcised and prejudicial agenda.”

800 turtles dead in Nellore

More than 800 Olive Ridley turtles, which came to lay eggs on the beaches of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, have

died.

The deaths were caused mainly by the use of trawl nets by fishermen. Since local fishermen used only gill nets,

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which did not pose a threat to the turtles.

Fishermen had been advised to use the turtle-excluding device to reduce the death of Olive Ridleys.

Delhi records highest infant mortality rate

The National Capital had the worst Infant Mortality Rate among the four metropolitan ciDes between 2010 and

2012.

Award for Indian scientist at Cambridge lab

• Chennai-born M. Madan Babu

• won the Protein Society’s Protein Science

Young Investigator Award for 2014

• The award recognizes an important contribuDon to the study of proteins by a scienDst sDll in the early stages

of an independent career.

More days of work under MGNREGA

Barely a week ahead of the announcement of general elecDon, the UPA government plans to provide an

addiDonal 50 days’ employment under the Mahatma Gandhi NaDonal Rural Employment Guarantee Act

(MGNREGA) for tribals who have been granted land rights, provided they have no other private land and they

have already completed 100 days of work under the Act in that financial year.

Cover Naxal areas in phase-I, govt. urges EC

In the wake of intelligence inputs indicaDng a spurt in Naxal violence in the run-up to the general elecDon, the

Union Home Ministry has recommended to the Elec9on Commission that polls in 33 districts be conducted in

the first phase itself to facilitate maximum possible deployment of security forces in the rebel strongholds. The

Naxal-hit districts, listed in a leier to the EC, are in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhaksgarh, Andhra Pradesh

and Maharashtra.

Heritage status for camels in Rajasthan

The Rajasthan government plans to accord heritage status to the camel, even as it has expressed concerns over

the animal’s depleDng populaDon. Taking a serious note of slaughter and smuggling of the “ship of desert”, the

State is contempla9ng legislaDon to protect the animal.

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27 FEB 2014

Thousands of ‘land modifications’ spotted along Vembanad Lake

Over 10,000 instances of “land modifications,” the majority of which are deemed to be violations of Coastal

Regulation Zone (CRZ) guidelines, have been identified along the banks of the Vembanad Lake.

CESS prepared an indicative list of land modificaiton along protected coastal region

Region under CRZ(Coastal regulation zone) and any modification in wetlands is violation of guidelines

Ramsar convention and CESS regulation of wetlands should be gone through for further details

The inevitability of South Asia

Similar ancestry of India and its neighbor

Jingoistic and xenophobic aspect more popular in newborn nation states keeping neighbours away

SAARC one such step in removing cooked up facts

Why extended nationalism required: arc of poverty, subnationalism across boundaries(Punjab, Bengal,

Singh-Rajasthan-Gujarat)

Vision of Manmohan Singh removing these artificial boundaries and also rulers of past who connected India

with neighbours

CAR issue

After French successful intervention to solve problem of Mali there is reluctance to intervene in CAR

Problem here is also ethno religious war with Christian majority and Muslim minority

Christian fundamentalists targeting muslim minorities

Problem is that geographical feature of CAR is tough to wage a war especially by western troops and also

CAR is land locked unfavorable for trade and commercial gain so west is giving less importance

Rising tensions in the Pacific

Chinese assertion over South China sea

Trying to assert as the big brother which will be beneficial for neighboring nation

Senkaku-Diayou and nine dash line

US stand would be to go with their conventional cooperation with Japan

GS-TODAY Gs_Today


Delay in Italy Marine cases

Confusion is because of no clarity over the jurisdiction

NIA earlier filed for a case under SUA which will declare Italy as an enemy state which SC later ruled out

that neither NIA nor Kerala Police can investigate in this case, central govt have only jurisdiction

Due to delays marines have even filed a case against NIA and diplomatic pressure requires it to be shorted

out quickly

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