28th Aug 2014

Viral diseases

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), bird flu and swine flu, Ebola

Poorest countries in West Africa Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone

Lagos, NigeriaFive species of the Ebola virus Zaire , Bundibugyo , Sudan, Ta Forest and Reston.Ebola does not spread through air.

Radiation treatment of eye cancers using iodine-125I-125 emits low energy gamma raysit reduces side effects and related morbidity.I-125 seeds are also useful in treating prostate cancer.

29th Aug 2014

30th Aug 2014

Mudgal committee files report on IPL scandal led by Justice T.S. Thakur

Gross fixed capital formation - an indicator for investments

The fastest growing sector was electricity, gas and water supplies, which grew 10.2 per cent

Visitorial Committee to probe IGNOU functioning, led by Goverdhan Mehta

Harry Belafonte - Humanitarian Oscar (Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award)

31st Aug 2014

Dreamers Valley, Chamalapura (Mysore), near Malleshwara Betta

The Sivaramakrishnan Committee on the capital for Andhra Pradesh.

Vizhinjam Port project, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Floridas newest university opens bookless library

Shiva crater (Mumbai Offshore Basin) theory of dinosaur extinction

Ch. Vidyasagar Rao sworn in as Maharashtra Governor.

Mridula Sinha to be sworn in as Goa Governor

Irans President Hassan Rouhani

Mount Tavurvur in Rabaul, eastern Papua New Guinea

1st Sept 2014

Shoton festival (an annual Tibetan holiday)

Toji Temple in Kyoto

Red sanders a type of timber

Renkoji temple in Tokyo

Legendary actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao will be the first Indian actor to be honoured with a postage stamp by the U.S. Post Service (USPS).

Amerli (Iraq)

jangama (member of a wandering Saivite monastic order followed by the Lingayats)

National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) promote entrepreneurship among Dalits.

2nd Sept 2014

Critically discuss the healthstatus of tribes in India. Critically examine how effective government measures have been in addressing health issues of tribes.

The health status of Indias tribal communities is in need of special attention. The tribes are the poorest and most marginalized groups in India and they experience extreme levels of health deprivation. The tribal community lags behind the national average on various public health indicators. Women and children are the most vulnerable. The tribes face health problems poor nutritional status,High morbidity and mortality,Lower utilization of antenatal and postnatal services,Prevalence of endemic infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases,Malnutrition,Anaemia,Prevalence of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus,Stroke and heart diseases Starvation deaths continue to be reported from tribal areas, including from advanced States like Kerala.

Reasons for poor health

75% of Indias tribal population defecates in the open. Contaminated drinking water Insanitary conditions Ignorance, Lack of health education and Poor access to healthcare facilities Prevalence of some traditional practices and superstitions

Government Measures

Establishment of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and sub-centres. Financial support through various schemes

Ineffectiveness of Govt. measures

Quality healthcare not available to the majority of tribals. Posts of doctors and paramedical are often vacant. Non-availability of essential drugs and equipment Inadequate infrastructure Difficult terrain and constraints of distance and time Lack of transport and communication facilities

Measures to be taken

Traditional healers can be trained to deliver simple interventions like ORS for diarrhea and anti-malarial Tribal boys and girls can be trained as community health workers or nurses. A successful example is the ASHWINI Gudalur Adivasi hospital in the Nilgiris, where the management and most staff (except the doctors) are tribal. Nutritional counselling and education Establishment of kitchen gardens Provision of a more diverse range of food items R&D required on the traditional herbal medicines used by tribal people Use modern technology and innovative approaches Involve the community in developing solutions for their problems.

Write a note on a recentblueprint produced by the United Nations Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN General Assembly's Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals forwarded to the Assembly its proposal for a set of Goals.The goals consider economic, social and environmental dimensions to improve peoples lives and protect the planet for future generations.The proposal contains 17 goals with 169 targets.The goals cover a broad range of sustainable development issues, including ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting oceans and forests. The proposed sustainable development goals are: Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for allGoal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countriesGoal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainableGoal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable developmentGoal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Explain the importance ofindigenization of military hardware and examine what steps the government has taken in this regard.Importance Indigenization of Military Hardware is necessary for India to establish itself as a World Power to reckon with.

Overseas procurement and indigenization of defence equipments are two sides of the same coin and needs to be balanced carefully for making a strong, mighty and calculative India.Purchasing arms from developed countries have been an attractive deal.Be it Akula-II nuclear submarine or INS Vikramaditya or AWACS or Sukhoi or Brahmos cruise missile, each purchase/joint venture has acted as a feather in the military cap of India.The Indo-US nuclear deal has also led to an enhancement of Indian presence in the global nuclear arena.

One of the earliest initiatives towards indigenization is the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme [IGMDP].India has gradually achieved self-reliance in the area of ballistic missiles.Successful testing of the Inter-continental Ballistic missile [ICBM] Agni V, Main Battle Tank Arjun, HALs Light Combat Aircraft Tejas and INS Sunayna are the indian efforts.Recently, effort towards indigenization has been the F-INSAS project.Most of the equipments are being developed by DRDO.However, there are some basic issues surrounding this.There is a disconnect between the DRDO and Ordnance factory board. Quality control, adherence to specifications, bureaucratic hassles and corruption are additional bottlenecks.

Even if products are locally made, the dependency on foreign countries continues as the constituent parts are often made abroad.Moreover, the lack of clarity on guidelines for local procurement, differences between the political establishment and military personnel with respect to the percentage of private participation and relative dichotomy of their approach towards indigenization makes the situation complex.

However, an indiscriminate buying of foreign military hardware has its own set of issues.

When a country wishes to export its top class military products to India, it usually ends up engaging itself in a lobbying practice in India. Unhealthy competition in this area leads to corruption, which is the most dangerous predicament of such foreign defence deals.

Military scams like Bofors, Tatra, Scorpene deal, Chopper gate etc have grossly tarnished the image of the Indian political establishment which often pushes such deals in return of kick backs.

Most of the equipments need to be frequently sent abroad for non-adherence to performance expectations, retrofitting and upgrade.

This process traps us in the loop of everlasting foreign dependence.

In the short run, procuring arms from abroad might be the preferred route, but for long term sustainability, there needs to be an equal stress on indigenization of military hardware.

As the largest buyer of arms in the world, India should stress on joint ventures and partnerships with the foreign arms suppliers.

A successful example in this regard is the Indo-Russian joint production of the Brahmos cruise missile.

Such collaboration helps in achieving technical expertise and knowhow in a stepwise fashion leading to gradual self-reliance.

Arranging for simple clearance rules for FDI in selected sectors of defence production will also act as an incentive to the foreign players.

Popularizing defence expo to showcase the latest military equipments and clubbing associated deals with offers in other sectors will also act as a booster for Indias military image.There should be more synthesis between the interests of the armed forces and the political establishment towards improvising indigenization, maintaining transparency and continuous monitoring.

Indigenization cannot happen overnight and hence, a strategic plan should be formulated by the tri-services to map short term and long term interests, assumptions, constraints, issues and risks.

In fact, the procurement process should be simplified and made into a single window business.

The PSUs and private sector should be encouraged to deliver efficiently and effectively

Striking a balance between indigenization and foreign purchase is the key to ensuring Indias military stability and capability.

The approach of the political establishment towards army needs must be more focused and pragmatic.

The government must give a firm commitment in terms of funds and the MoD should streamline its procedures and processes for speedy procurement of high priority weapons and equipments.

On the other hand, the tri-services should appreciate the political compulsions and set forth their agenda and roadmap very clearly.

Japan to invest Rs. 2.1 lakh crore in Indian projects over 5 years

Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2014 Istanbul

Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, who was sworn in as Governor of Karnataka.

Why were banks nationalised in India in 1969? What were the consequences? Explain

Indira Gandhis bold move to nationalise 14 banks in 1969

Bank nationalisation saw a huge expansion in branches.Bank nationalisation caused the saving rate to go up.The rise in saving facilitated a commensurate rise in the investment rate.The increase in the investment rate set the stage for the growth rate of the economy.Bank nationalisation proved a winner with financial inclusion being a key driver of success.Inclusion not only increases deposits, but also brings in low-cost deposits through savings and current accounts.

3rd September

Modi said three Ds democracy, demography and demand make India attractive to Japan

J.P. Nadda - will head the HRD committee

Kalaroos forests in Kupwara, Kashmir

Panel set up to review five eco laws - T.S.R. Subramanian (Chairman)

PZP (Porcine zona pellucida) vaccine, which can prevent pregnancy in elephants for about a year

Gorhams Cave in Gibraltar

Vinod Mehta has been chosen for the G.K. Reddy Memorial Award 2014. T. Subbarami Reddy founded the award.Panel set up to conduct forensic audit of NSEL - headed by Justice (Retd) V. C. Daga

Playing It My Way My Autobiography is the title of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkars life story

4th Sept

The tea mosquito bug is an injurious pest on guava fruit.

Besides guava, it is a major pest of cashew, cocoa, avocado, apple, grapes, drumstick, silk cotton, pepper, cinchona, ber, camphor, tamarind and neem trees.

Misuse of antibiotics in the poultry industry, Measures to be taken

(i) Ban the use of antibiotics for growth promotion,(ii) Do not allow the use of antibiotics in feed and improve the regulations of the Bureau of Industrial security (BIS) accordingly,(iii) Do not allow the use of antibiotics critical for humans in animals,(iv) Train veterinarians on the judicious use of antibiotics,(v) Set pollution standards and install pollution control systems to limit transfer of resistant bacteria and antibiotics from poultry farms to the environments,(vi) Encourage development, production and use of alternative antibiotic-free growth promoters(vii) Develop an integrated surveillance system to monitor antibiotic-resistant trends in humans, animals and the food chain.

5th Sept 2014

Assam Tribes and their drinks (Rice-Beer)

TribesDrinkBodosJouMising ApongKarbis HarlangAhomSajpaniAdivasiHariaDimasaZu

Milky Way is a suburb of a supercluster called Laniakea (meaning immeasurable heaven)

International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank

14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Cape Town SA

6th Sept

7th Sept

8th Sept

9th Sept

10th Sept

Government launched the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in 1985.

Industrialisation, urbanisation and deforestation, and a complete lack of provision along the river for wastewater disposal, have reduced the Ganga to its current condition.

Ebola virus first struck in Guinea

Right to be Forgotten established by the European Union (EU)s top court.

Iraq Premier Haider al-Abadi

Indra Jatra festival in Nepal

Red seaweed is used to produce "agar-agar"

Bihar is the fastest growing State while Tamil Nadu is the worst performer.

Central Water Commission (CWC), responsible for forecasting floods.

Dr. Madhav Gadgil report on the Western Ghats.

12th Sept

Agni-I, a surface-to-surface, missile was test-fired from the Wheeler Island, off the Odisha Coast.

The Montreal Protocol was adopted in 1987 with the aim of reducing ozone-depleting substances.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons are used in refrigerators, spray cans, insulation foam and fire suppression.

Lord Harris the British official who helped popularize cricket in India

Lord Harris was governor of Bombay from 1890 to 1895.

Kumartuli famous for its Durga idols

13th Sept 2014

Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells which have the potential to develop into any cell in the body.

IndARC, the countrys first underwater moored observatory in the Kongsfjorden fjord, half way between Norway and the North Pole,

Kongsfjorden - natural laboratory for studying the Arctic climate variability

15th Sept

Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), which was proposed in 2011 to identify socio-economic characteristics of the poor and to be used to identify National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries.

Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi cities Vietnam

India, Vietnam to sign key oil search pact

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - have all got a system of rings.

Unlike Saturns rings, Jupiters rings are made up of dust and not ice by the dust thrown off by high-velocity impacts of cosmic bodies on Jupiters moons.Mosul, in northern Iraq

16th September

Alan Turings biopic The Imitation Game has won the Peoples Choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Sofosbuvir medicine to cure Hepatitis C infection

Cognizant to buy Trizetto

Microsoft to buy game Minecraft for $2.5 billion

17th Sept

China and Vietnam have a major dispute over Nansha islands, called Paracel islands by Hanoi.

Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh - valleys of Lambasingi VISAKHAPATNAM

P. J. Nayak Committee (to review governance of boards of banks in India).

Typhoon - Kalmaegi made landfall on the east coast of Hainan Island, China and Hong Kong

Typhoon Rammasun in July hit China

Spiti Valley, Pin Valley National Park and the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary Himachal Pradesh

Mayon Volcano in the Philippines' Albay province

18th Sept

Maharaja Bazaar in Srinagar

Srinagars business hub, Lal Chowk

Lalitha Kumaramangalam has been appointed chairperson of the National Commission for Women.Barmer basin in Rajasthan

Americas - Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN)

Calcium carbide -> ripening of fruitsCalcium carbide + Water = gas acetylene

Gas acetylene + gas ethylene = fruit- ripening hormone

Gas ethylene is produced through biotic reactions in the fruit.

Acetylene and ethylene are not toxic, calcium carbide may be.

Toxic calcium carbide causes skin rash, dermatitis and pulmonary edema (a medical emergency).

Commercial calcium carbide contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus compounds as impurities.

Oxytocin in dairy farms helps in the delivery of babies.Oxytocin does not last long in the body when injected, but gets hydrolysed into amino acids.

Oxytocin increases muscle contraction in the udders and makes milk ejection faster.

Salmonella, H1N1 and HIV are three zoonotic invaders.

The aquatic weed- water hyacinth, a native of Brazil

Dried leaf powder of karpooravalli makes water hyacinth dead.

Cu Chi tunnels Vietnam In all human cells, there are four genes Cryptochrome, Period, CLOCK, and BMAL1.

Psychiatric illness schizophrenia

The wild Chinese sturgeon is at risk of extinction

19th Sept

Kappatagudda - Western Ghats of north Karnataka

Kappatagudda hills Karnataka

India Newborn Action Plan (INAP) is the first step towards arresting infant deaths.

K. Natwar Singh - author of One Life is Not Enough

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)

Korandakkadu hills , Munnar Kerala

Chichpalli forest range & Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve Maharashtra

Sirpur forests Chhattisgarh

Kawal Tiger Reserve - Telangana

Rani Rudramadevi - ruler of Kakatiya Dynasty

20th Sept

Kudremukh National Park area Karnataka

Kandaleru reservoir in Andhra Pradesh

P.N. Tandon Committee report to assess the quality of education in Universities.

Lipulekh pass in Pithoragarh district

Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh

21st Sept

Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary, W. Bengal

The Nanda Raj Jat procession takes off from the village of Nauti in Chamoli district (280 km treck)

Butet Manurung, winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2014

Indonesias forest people, or the Orang Rimba

22nd Sept

Mangar Bani Forest area on - Gurgaon-Faridabad highway

BRT Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagarahole and Bandipur national parks Karnataka

Sahariya tribes Rajasthan

A community radio (Mandakini ki Awaz) was launched in the Mandakini Valley in Rudraprayag based at Sena Gadsari will cater to over 200 villages

First shale-gas exploratory well at ONGC Ankleshwar Asset in Gujarat

Syrias third-largest Kurdish town

Mars is home to the tallest mountain of the Solar System, Olympus Mons

the gravity on Mars is only one third of Earth's

September 21- 27 is celebrated as Banned Books Week

The Ebola started in Guinea

23rd Sept

Karnali river - Nepal

24th Sept

Hindi road drama - Liars Dice nominated for Oscar awards

Hampi is on the banks of the Tungabhadra

Committee set up for Railway Board revamp - headed by economist Bibek Debroy

Willow trees used to make the bats

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the first international agreement to reduce emissions

Sonora River basin Mexico

Niyamgiri hill Odisha

25th September

2014 Fields Medal (Nobel Prize of Mathematics) to Professor Manjul Bhargava

sea ice removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Snowden, Rusbridger get alternative Nobel

26th September

World Tourism Day on September 27-28

Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban in Bamiyan, central Afghanistan

Bamiyan, the Afghan town, to be the SAARC cultural capital for 2015

The year 2016-17 will also be declared the SAARC Year of Cultural Heritage.

Kapil Dev has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award

Justice Verma Committee on Teacher Education

edakka, a percussion instrument prevalent in Kerala

Shimla was declared the Summer Capital of the British Empire in India in 1864 under the Viceroyalty of John Lawrence

Himachal Pradesh is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Shimla becoming the summer capital of India.

Medari community Telangana

27th September

String puppet darbar at Bagore ki Haveli in Udaipur

Nor Geghi site in Armenia, Eurasia

Levallois, biface stone weapons shaping technologies

Ukraine is the world's biggest exporter of sunflower oil

28th September

Mount Ontake Japans 2nd highest volcano

Mount Unzen - Japan

29th September

This year the focus of the World Heart Day is on a heart-healthy environment.

Syed Muazzem Ali, has been appointed the new Bangladesh High Commissioner to India.

Kudremukh National Park in Chikkamagalur district, Karnataka.

Kudremukh is Karnatakas third-highest peak after Mullayangiri and Bababudangiri.

Gondi Language Chhattisgarh

The hormone melatonin is essential to maintain our daily rhythm.

It also governs the nightly migration of a plankton species from the surface to deeper waters.

International Coffee Day 29th September

30th September

Baba Gurdit Singh leader of Komagata Maru incident

The Ojas Art Award, a new annual addition to the ZEE Jaipur LiteratureFestival worth Rs. 51,000 and Rs. 31,000.