current Civilsdaily Digest Apr 2015

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Science & Tech

National Biomass CookStove Programme1. Ascheme to make Indias rural kitchen smoke-free by

using less biofuel in its improved biomass cookstove.2. Improved biomass cookstoves will be disseminated

for domestic and community cooking applications oncost sharing basis.

3. The Ministry has strengthened three test centres forcarrying out performance testing.

Discuss: A bit of an old news but then what stops UPSCfrom asking it!

Science & Tech

First malaria vaccine likely by October1. The first malaria vaccine candidate to reach phase-3

of clinical testing was found to partially protectchildren against the disease up to four years aftervaccination.

2. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will assessthe quality, safety, and efficacy of the vaccine.

3. If licensed, RTS,S/AS01 (thats the medicine name)would be the first licensed human vaccine against aparasitic disease.

4. The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine was developed for use insub-Saharan Africa where malaria still kills around1300 children every day.

Discuss: There is currently no licensed vaccine againstmalaria anywhere in the world.



Science & Tech

Indian sensors slept through Nepals quake1. A network of 293 ground motion sensors located

across northern, eastern and northeastern India laycrippled during Nepals 7.9 magnitude earthquake.

2. They weredesigned to measure ground accelerationduring earthquakes but the funds for maintenancehad dried up by September 2014.

3. Project was funded by the Union science andtechnology ministry & was asked to be transferred totheNational Centre for Seismology.

4. The data from the sensors could have been usedtoplanengineering strategies to reduce the risk ofdamage toour modern day architecture.

Science & Tech

BSF inducts two Mi-17 helicopters1. BSF will get Russian built Mi-17 V5 medium lift

choppers.2. Theyll help moving troops and supplies during anti-

naxal operations, even during night.3. The BSF currently operates a mixed fleet of 6older

MI-17s, 6Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters and aCheetah helicopter.



Science & Tech

Achievements of CSIRs national aerospacelaboratory

1. DHVANI (Detection and Hit Visualisation usingAcoustic N-wave Identification).

2. This system helps training defence and sportsmen formarksmanship. Costs 40% less than other system.

3. DRISHTI: first indigenous transmxssometer formeasuring runway visibility.

Science & Tech

Why is sonar & not radar used in water fortracking objects at greater depths?

1. Factoid#1: Radar uses high frequency radio waves.2. Theyre electromagnetic waves, can travel long

distance in air because theyre not much absorbed byair molecules.

3. However, Radar sent in water, then it can hardlytravel beyond meter because water will absorb thoseelectromagnetic waves.

4. Therefore, we cant use radar to track objects inwater.

5. Factoid#2: Sonar uses high frequency sound waves.Theyre mechanical waves, they dont lose energyeven after traveling long distance in water.

6. So we use Sonar to track objects in water.



Science & Tech

FYI on Project 75: Indo French collaboration1. Project 75 aims to develop submarine with joint Indo-

French collaboration.2. Six screened submarine inaugurated at Mazagon

Dock. First submarine is named Kalvari, the Tigershark.

3. Features of Scorpene submarines: Theyre morestealthy and can dive deeper than others.

4. Theyre loaded with precision guided weapons, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes.

5. Multiple utility- anti-ship, anti-submarine, intelligencegathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc.

6. Theyll help in making Blue water navy- a forcecapable of operating in deep ocean in multipletheatres simultaneously.

Science & Tech

Breakthrough in Ebola vaccine development1. An Indian foundation has developed a vaccine that

can be administered as a nasal spray or throughintravenous injection.

2. The project was not commercially viable and hencewould be in cold storage if the government did notoffer help.

3. Ella Foundation, which has developed the vaccine,has urged the Centre to take it up and initiate clinicaltrials.



Science & Tech

ISRO successfully tests indigenous cryogenicengine

1. This engine will allow launch vehicles to carrysatellites of up to capacity of 4tonnes ingeostationary orbit.

2. It will also give boost to Indias interplanetary probesand manned space missions.

3. A cryogenic engine is more efficient as it providesmore thrust for every kilogram of propellant burnt.

4. Extremely clean as they give out only water whileburning.

5. The engine uses liquid oxygen at -2530C and liquidhydrogen at -1830C.

Enviro & Biodiversity

[op-ed snap] Killing a countrys ecology1. In2014, SC expressed concerns regd. the adverse

effects ofAlaknanda Hydroelectric projectonAlaknanda and Bhagirathi river basins.

2. The mistake made in the earlier environmentalassessments treating each project as stand-alonewithout going into the cumulative effect of all ofthem.

3. Expert Committee had said thatEIA reports shouldbe done by an independent agency and not by theproject proponent.

4. The report mentioned that EIA clearances wereunreliable, wrongly prepared & in some cases hadulterior motivations.

5. 5of the 6projects now being examined afresh are inthe para-glacial zone, rendering them extremelyhazardous.

6. They would impact the protected areas of the NandaDevi National Park &Biosphere Reserve, the Valley



Economics

Gender gap becoming a chasm in labourmarket

1. UN report says women are forced to work underharsh conditions.

2. The Progress of the Worlds Women 2015-2016report comes 20 years after the landmark FourthWorld Conference on Women in Beijing.

3. In developing regions, up to 95% of womensemployment is informal, in jobs that are unprotectedby labour laws and lack social protection.

4. In South Asia, the gender pay gap is 35% for womenwith children compared to 14% for those without.

5. This is a care penalty that unfairly punishes womenfor stepping in when the State does not provideresources

Discuss: The point about care penalty is an importantfodder point!

World

Modi, Ghani talk trade, terror1. India keen on inclusion in Afghanistan-Pakistan

Transit Trade Agreement.2. The energy of Central Asia will flow to South Asia,

where pipelines, fibre optics, railways, andconnectivity, air, ground and virtual will connect us.

3. Two things in a distant future -Clear a motorvehicles agreement soon, as well as expedite thedevelopment of the trade route from Afghanistan toIndia via Irans Chabahar port.



Polity

Seniority bogs down judicial appointments1. In a sharp criticism of the highest judiciary, the

Centre said there isno place for merit.2. Mukul Rohtagigave the examples of apex courts in

countries such as the USAwhere the Chief Justicewas the youngest among the sitting judges.

3. Wording of Section 5 (1) of the NJAC Act seemsvague.

4. The provision dealing with the appointment of theChief Justice of India says the senior-most judgewould be appointed CJI, provided he is fit.

5. What does fit mean here? Does this mean a person issuitable if he is fit or strong?

Economics

NREGA the only insurance for India1. Acc. toWorld Bank, the spike in unmet demand for

MGNREGA jobs is an indicator of increasing ruraldistress.

2. WB stressed the need for reducing the pipeline ofstuck projects, especially in the Public PrivatePartnership space for lifting the investments rate.

3. The analysis of MGNREGA shows that theprogrammes impact on rural poverty in Bihar hasbeen much short of expectations. Why?

4. The supply side is too slow to respond to the demandfor work from the poor.

5. Workers dontreceive the full scheme wage anddelays in wage payments.



World

Operation Maitri to continue1. Operation Maitri, Indias Army-led rescue and relief

mission in quake-hit Nepal.2. So far, over 5,000 Indians have been brought back

from Nepal by Air Force and civilian planes.3. Stepping up efforts to help rebuild Nepal, India had

sent a cumulative relief material of 24 tonnes to theinterior areas.

4. In order to provide a healing touch, we have sentseveral Gurkha soldiers employed in the Indian Armyto their respective areas in Nepal.

World

Sri Lankan Parliament amends constitution toreduce Presidents power

1. Sri Lankan Parliament has amended the constitutionto reduce the power of Executive President and toput into place a Constitutional Council for making keygovernment appoints.

2. In this regard, the Parliament has adopted 19th (19A)Amendment of the Constitution.

3. Benefit? The bill brings reforms to Ensure anindependent judiciary and police.

4. Curbs and checks Presidents power to dissolve theparliament.

5. Two-term limit of Presidents is restored.6. The term of the President is reduced from 6 to 5

years.



Trivia

Raja Rajeswari, first Indian-American womanjudge of New York

1. Ms. Raja Rajeswari became the first Indian-bornwoman to be appointed a judge in New York City.

2. She was sworn-in as a criminal court judge in NewYork by Mayor Bill de Blasio along with 27 otherjudges.

3. They were appointed as judges earlier to the FamilyCourt, Criminal Court, and Civil Court, which are partof the New York State Unified Court System.

World

Bharatiya Mahila Bank wins Asian BankerAchievement Award 2015

1. BMB is Indias first all-women public sector bank andwas formally launched on November 19, 2013.

2. Its objective is to focus on the banking needs of thewomen and promote economic empowerment.

3. It also seeks to address the gender related issues andwill be helpful in financial inclusion.

4. In Budget 2013-14, Union Government hadapproved Rs 1,000-crore seed capital for the bank.

5. Headquarter of Bharatiya Mahila Bank is located inNew Delhi.



Science & Tech

NTPC flags off Mobile Science labs torevolutionize rural education

1. MSL seeks to revolutionize rural education in Indiaand make hands-on learning accessible tounderprivileged children.

2. MSL is a vehicle fitted with LCD TV and is carryingworking science models that give emphasis tocuriosity-based learning for children in rural India.

3. These three labs will be deployed at NTPCs ongoingprojects at Darlipali, Pakri Barwadih and Kahalgaon.

4. Each of the MSL will cover a set of about 20 schoolsaround NTPC project and generate exposure toabout 16000 students per year.

Science & Tech

Indian-Origin Scientist Sangeeta Bhatia winsHeinz Award 2015

1. She had won this award for her work in tissueengineering and disease detection in the Technology,the Economy, and Employment category of theaward.

2. Heinz Award is an annual award established in 1993and given by the Heinz Family Foundation.

3. Every year it honours and recognize outstandingindividuals for their innovative contributions in fiveareas.

4. They are Environment, Public Policy, Arts andHumanities, Human Condition and the Economy,Technology and Employment.



Polity

Union government cancels licences of 9,000NGOs

1. Why? Forviolation of Foreign ContributionRegulation Act (FCRA).

2. In this regards, Union Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) had issued an order.

3. These notices were served to the NGOs in October2014 and had asked NGOs to file their annualreturns for mentioned years.

4. They were also asked to specify amount of foreignfunds received, sources of funds and the purpose.

World

Capgemini acquires IGATE for $4 bn in all-cashdeal

1. French IT services firm Capgemini has announced itsplan to acquire US based information technology (IT)outsourcer IGATE for US 4 billion dollars.

2. This acquisition will help Capgemini to strengthen itsfoothold in the North American market.

3. As per the merger agreement, Capgemini will acquireIGATE for a cash consideration of $ 48 per share andthe whole transaction will amount to $4 billion.



Science & Tech

Indian Army conducts AkramanII defenseexercise in Rajasthan

1. New generation of weaponry and platforms whichare employed in the desert region to provide realtime battle and situational awareness to itscommanders.

2. In this exercise more than 300 Combat Vehiclesincluding Main Battle Tanks, Long Range ArtilleryGuns participated along with 10,000 troops.

3. The Akraman-II exercise also tested the capabilitiesof Indian Air Force in launching deep insertion ofhelicopter-borne and airborne army units.

4. The exercise envisaged at orchestration of anintegrated battle field scenario in network-centricenvironment.

History

Armenian killings the first genocide of the lastcentury: Pope

1. 1908: Young turk movement seized power inOttoman Empire and sides with Germany.

2. However, Russians defeated them at Battle ofSarikamish.

3. Turks blamed Armenians for siding with Russian andbegan their genocide in the city of Van from 1915 to1917.

4. Many historians and even Pope in 2015 called it 20thCenturys 1st Genocide, although Turkey denies.

Discuss: WW1 revisited!



History

DMK leader Karunanidhi writing a script for aTV show on Ramanuja

1. Ramanuja- 11th century philosopher fromShrirangam, Tamilnadu.

2. DMK leader Karunanidhi writing a script for atelevision series on him.

3. Ramanuja was proponent of Visishtadvaita. Alsoknown as Ilaya Perumal.

4. He converted Jains to Hinduism, including HoysalaKing Bittideva.

Discuss: You should read on Britannica because of UPSCsfondness to ask complex questions about Shankara,Vedanta etc.

Polity

Give free treatment to acid attack victims1. SC order on acid attack victims: states to provide 3

lakh compensation minimum, under Section 357C.2. Free medical treatment PLUS free medicines, food

and reconstructive surgery.3. If hospital refuses to treat criminal action to be

taken.



Economics

Gujarat launches industrial tourism1. Gujarat tourism Corporation along with Akshar

Travels begins Industrial tour package.2. Wherein, person can see Nano plant in Sanand,

Pipavav port near Amreli, Alang ship breaking yard inBhavnagar and Amul Dairy in Anand.

3. Locations of places important for match the followingtype MCQs in Indian Economic Geography.

Economics

Need for a complete model to measure growth1. In 1930s: Economist Simon Kuznets introduced GDP.2. But nations income/wealth/production alone cannot

portray the whole picture.3. Hence, later UNDPs HDI and Bhutans Gross

Happiness index came out.4. 2013: US NGO Social progress imperative launched

Social Progress Index (SPI).5. It ranks country on 52 indicators including health,

water, sanitation, safety, freedom etc. But doesntinclude GDP.

6. Latest Ranking- 1:Norway, 16: USA, 101: India Total133 nations.

7. EU, Paraguay and many cities of Latin America areusing SPI to plan their national and urbandevelopment policies.



Economics

RBIs 80 years celebration Fodder fromguest speakers

1. RBI should promote indigenous paper-ink in printingcurrency.

2. Need for Financial inclusion because the poor still toofar away from banks or too uncomfortable steppinginto one.

3. India requires lot of finance/capital for infrastructure.4. But both banks/companies have stuck lot of money in

previous NPA assets.5. So we need to push infrastructure finance but not at

the cost of financial stability of capital market.

Economics

Dena Bank, LIC sign MoU to provide life coverunder PMJBY

1. Under Prime Ministers Pradhan Mantri Jeevan JyotiBima Yojana (PMJBY) scheme.

2. Beneficiaries: 18 to 50 age group people withAadhaar-linked savings account.

3. They get life insurance for upto 55 age.4. Insurance premium: 330 per year. 2 lakh paid in

death.



Polity

NJAC Act violates basic structure ofConstitution: Bar bodies to SC

1. Why?because the body (NJAC) sought to be created,does not have the salient features of the body(collegium) substituted.

2. Arguments Inthe NJAC, no weightage or primacyhas been given to the views of the CJI in selection ofjudges.

3. Who will decide if the panel gets divided vertically onthe question of appointment of a judge.

4. Preponderance of views of 3senior most judges ofthe apex court, as recommended by theVenkatachaliah panel, has not been not provided forby the NJAC Act.

Polity

CJI recuses from NJAC, govt calls itunconstitutional

1. CJIH.L. Dattu has declined to join the NJACuntil theSC decides on its constitutional validity.

2. The CJIs recusal brought the NJAC to a grinding haltas it was likely that two senior-most judges of the SC,who are members of the commission, would followsuit.

3. Arguments fromMukul Rohtagi The Constitutionprovides that eminent persons will be selected by atroika of PM, CJI and leader of opposition. Can themandate of the Constitution be stultified? How canthat be?



Trivia

[Announcement] Civilsdaily v3.0 update1. Guys, go ahead & manually update the app for the

3rd version!2. We have included some minor design changes & an

additional Search featureamong your bookmarkedcards.

3. Enjoy!

Discuss: Want to discuss something? Ask a question orshare an advice? Say hi at [email protected]

History

The Sattriya dance1. Introduced by the great Vaishnava saint and reformer

of Assam, Mahapurusha Sankaradeva.2. Sattriya Nritya is accompanied by musical

compositionscalled borgeets.3. The costumes are usually made of pat a silk

produced in Assam which is derived from themulberry plant.

4. There are 2types of costumes: the male costumecomprising the dhoti and chadar and the femalecostume comprising the ghuri and chadar.



History

Mohiniyattam with Love, from Kerela1. Derived from the words Mohini (beautiful women)

and attam(dance).2. Mohiniyattam is a solo female dance (in a single

costume) Usually, the theme of the dance issringara or love.

3. The legend of Vishnu as Mohini, (the enchantress)forms the core of Mohiniattam dance.

4. The credit for reviving the Mohiniattam dance goesto Swati Tirunal ruler of Travancore (SouthernKerala).

History

Odissi Deep Dive (3/3)1. Odissi dance is performed by 4parts

Mangalacharan, Pallavi, Avinaya &Moksha.2. Mangalacharana Adance of invocation.3. Pallavi To elaborate. It consists of pure dance

movements and steps.Dancers shows various bodypostures similar to temple sculptures.

4. Avinaya The emotions &the expression.The versesof the Sanskrit play Geet Govinda of poet Jayadevaare used to express love & devotion.

5. Mokshya The concluding part.



History

Odissi Deep Dive (2/3)1. The most important elements in the Odissi dance are

the Bhangis (stylised poses) and Karanas (Yogabased body positions).

2. It has an intensely emotional and lyrical structurewhich is based on the popular devotion to LordKrishna.

3. But its not only this Odissi shows traces ofBuddhism, Tantrism, Saivism & of courseVaisnavism, in the figures depicted &in themessages conveyed.

4. AsOdissi moved from temple to theatre and lostsome of its spiritual quality.

5. We talked about the Mahari tradition, right? Whenthe dancers moved out of temples they identifiedmore with theGotipua tradition.

Discuss: Gotipua tradition - young boys dress up in femaleattires and enact female roles.

History

Odissi Deep Dive (1/3)1. One of the most distinguishing features of Odissi

dance is the Tribhangi.2. The notion of Tribhangi divides the body into 3parts:

head, bust and torso.3. The postures dealing with these 3elements are called

Tribhangi.4. This concept has created the very characteristic

poses which are more curvaceous than in other



History

Odissi & its basic tenets1. Odissi closely follows the tenets laid down by the

Natya Shastra.2. The techniques of movement are built around the

2basic postures Chowk & the Tribhanga.3. The chowk is a position imitating a square a very

masculine stance with the weight of the body equallybalanced.

4. The tribhanga is a very feminine stance where thebody is deflected at the neck, torso &the knees.

Discuss: The pic right above is of the Chowk stance. Nowthat you have a basic flavour, lets dig deep in Odissi!

History

A highly inspired, passionate & ecstatic dance Odissi

1. This classical dance from Odisha,has its origin in theDevadasi tradition was performed in the templesas a religious offering by the Maharis.

2. The Maharis, who were originally temple dancerscame to be employed in royal courts



Trivia

[Announcement] So, shall we dance?1. Couple of weeks ago, we took care of 4 classical

dances. If you are a new user, you might want toentertain the Load previous button a bit more,todiscover those cards!

2. Anyhow we will take up the rest 4 dances on theclassical side & try to keep the literatureasinteresting as we can!

Discuss: Happy reading!

Science & Tech

[op-ed snap] A Cyber Wing in the NationalCadet Corps

1. The 2014 Annual Security Report reveals that 2013was a particularly bad year with cumulative annualthreat alert levels increasing by 14% since 2012.

2. The writer explores the possibility of creation ofaCyber Wing in each the 4divisions of theNCC inIndia.

3. The motto of the NCC is Unity and Discipline.4. The cadets must be given encouragement by way of

financial rewards, recognition, scholarships forfurther studies in cyber security.

5. With programmes like Digital India, National OpticalFibre Network, e-Governance, e-commerce and e-Services, our vulnerability in cyberspace cannot becondoned.



World

[op-ed snap] The potential of opening up Iran1. Iran +US &its P5+1 partners havereached a

Framework Agreement on Irans nuclear programme.2. Iran has broadly agreed to 3 things reduce the

centrifuges that produce enriched uranium, reduceits existing stocks,change its heavy water Arakreactor to produce non-weapon grade plutonium.

3. Iran is already a sort of ally of US against ISISextremists in Iraq.

4. Iran, with about 80 million people, is the largestcountry in the region.It has massive oil and gasresources and a technologically well-educatedpeople.

5. A post-nuclear-deal Iran may look westward fortechnology and investment and to China forinfrastructure and consumer goods.

6. As for India our imports of Iranian oil, andincreasingly gas through an undersea pipeline, couldrapidly be stepped up.

7. Pharmaceuticals are another promising area, as are ITservices.So, the potential exists to build a solideconomic and financial relationship with Iran.

8. Let us hope the euphoria of the Teheran crowds doesnot prove a false dawn.

Trivia

[Announcement] Agriculture overdose!



Science & Tech

Avoid Indiscriminate Use of Urea (3/3)1. Applyurea (N) in balance with P & K. Also, cater to

the deficientsecondary and micronutrients.2. Soil test-based fertilizer prescriptions have to be

adopted.3. Neem oil coated urea should be preferred over

prilled urea, especially for basal dressing.4. Losses of N are usually less when urea is top-

dressed before irrigation.5. Modified N scheduling using leaf color chart (LCC)

gives better N use efficiency in crops.

Discuss: And of course, you can always use organicmanures. This point goes with every answer where wewant enviro friendly points!

Science & Tech

Avoid Indiscriminate Use of Urea (2/3)1. Because the Sarkarsubsidises Urea +

itsindiscriminate use, we have adverse issues on soil,crop quality & overall ecosystem.

2. Excessive use of urea leads tomining of soil nutrientsthat are not applied or applied inadequately, hencesoil quality goes down.

3. Nitrogen applied in excess of crop demand is lostthrough volatilization, denitrification and leaching.So what?

4. Denitrification leads to climate change | Leachingleads to groundwater pollution.

5. Insane use of nitrogen also reduces the N-useefficiency & hence we see lowering of net profits.



Science & Tech

Avoid Indiscriminate Use of Urea (1/3)1. One of the serious 2nd gen.problems of Green

Revolution Constant decline in soil fertility status.Why?

2. Nutrient removal by intensive cropping systems far-exceeds their replenishment through fertilizers andmanures. What next?

3. Farmers often use nitrogenous fertilizers &complexfertilizers (urea and DAP), ignoring the application ofpotash and other deficient nutrients.

4. What are the cons of this?5. Multi-nutrient deficiencies of 6 varieties Nitrogen

(N), Phosphorus (P), Potash (K), Sulphur (S), Zinc (Zn)&Boron (B).

Discuss: We have set the stage to introduce the main issue.Read in the next card.

Science & Tech

Soil Health Card Aims & Objectives1. To provide a basis to address nutrient deficiencies

in fertilization practices.2. To strengthen functioning of Soil Testing

Laboratories (STLs) through capacity building.3. To diagnose soil fertility related constraints with

standardized procedures.4. To develop and promote soil test based nutrient

management.5. Dissemination of soil testing results through SMSs

will be enabled.



Science & Tech

Technology Based Initiatives in AgricultureSector

1. Anew Centrally Sponsored Scheme =National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A).

2. It was initially launched for only 7 states Assam,Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka,Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh.

3. Now being extended to all other states & UTs.4. The programme aims at arapid development of

agriculture in India through ICT enabled multipledelivery channels.

Discuss: One such prog. is Agricultural Informatics &Communications (AGRISNET) - to provide improvedservices to the farming community through use of ICT.

Science & Tech

Long Term Strategy to increase productivity inAgriculture

1. Major Crop Development Programmesin India National Food Security Mission (NFSM), BringingGreen Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) &Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

2. A total of 371 high yielding varieties of food cropsdeveloped by the National Agricultural ResearchSystem (NARS).

3. National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal willhelp in revisiting milk standards in India.

4. National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture byICAR Aproject toenhanceclimate resilience ofIndian Agriculture.



Economics

Priority to Agriculture in Union Budget : 2015-16 (3/3)

1. Min. of Agriculture has 3 broad departments-2. Dept. of Agriculture and Cooperation |Dept. of

Agricultural Research and Education &Dept. ofAnimal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.

3. The last one has a sort of minority stake withtwoschemes Dairy Vikas Abhiyan &BlueRevolution (including inland and marine fisheries)

Economics


1. Whats sarkar doing in terms of Financial help?2. Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) set

up in NABARD gets Rs 25k cr3. Long Term Rural Credit Fund Rs 15Kcr | Short

Term Cooperative Rural Credit Refinance Fund -Rs45Kcr&Short Term RRB Refinance Fund Rs15Kcr.

4. Jaitley said that the Government is committed tosupporting employment through MGNREGA.

5. To increase the incomes of farmers, he emphasisedupon the need for a National agricultural market.



Economics


1. 2major factors critical to agricultural production: soil&water.

2. An ambitious Soil Health Card Scheme has beenlaunched to improve soil fertility on a sustainablebasis.

3. Agriculture Ministrys organic farming scheme Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana.

4. What are we doing for water?Micro-irrigation|Watershed development &PradhanMantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.

Discuss: Let's take this slowly. There are lot of minor/major definitions and schemes. Make sure you bookmarkthese cards.

Geography

Oil and gas drilling triggers man-madeearthquakes

1. How?A few instances stem from hydraulicfracturing, in which large volumes of water, sand andchemicals are pumped into rock formations in orderto free oil or gas.

2. Many studies have linked the rise in small quakes tothe injection of wastewater into disposal wells.

3. This study was conducted across 8 American states.



Trivia

[Announcement] Stay tuned for more

Discuss: We sincerely hope that you are enjoying readingwith us. If you wish to contribute to the app - do write to usat [email protected]

Polity

[op-ed snap] Land Billed1. The writer is an activist who brings forth the plight of

displacement in the name of land acquisitions fordevelopment projects.

2. Given that 90% of our coal, 50% of most minerals &prospective dam sites are mainly in Adivasi regions,there is likely to be a continuing tension on landacquisition.

3. At the heart of the 2013 law was the provision ofseeking the consent of those whose lands were to beacquired and of caring for those whose livelihoodswould be destroyed in the process.

4. The current ordinance undoes those provisions &comesa cross as avirtual resurrection of undiluted



Science & Tech

Google unveiled its long-awaited phoneservice, called Project Fi

1. Through partnerships with TMobile and Sprint,Google via Project Fi becomes an MVNO (MobileVirtual Network Operator).

2. Leverage the strongest possible network based on aconsumers location &intelligently switch from onenetwork to another as need be.

3. Project Fi will automatically connect to more thanone million free Wi-Fi hot spots if those signals areavailable

4. It is part of a growing effort by the company toexpand access to the Internet and make it moreaffordable.

Economics

Reserve Bank revises norms for priority sectorlending

1. Medium enterprises, Social infrastructure andRenewable energy would form part of prioritysector in addition to the existing categories.

2. The distinction between direct and indirectagriculture is dispensed with.

3. There is no change in the target of 10% for weakersections.

4. Foreign banks, with 20 branches and above, alreadyhave priority sector targets and sub-targets foragriculture and weaker sections.

5. Targets Small &Marginal farmers withinagriculture (8%) +Micro enterprises (7.5%)

Discuss: Categories under priority sector - Agriculture,Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Export Credit,



Economics

SEBI warns unlisted firms of tough action1. Some 112 firms hadissuedsecurities without

complying with the prescribed Companies Act andSEBI norms.

2. So far in 2015 itself, SEBI has passed orders againstmore than 50 companies in such cases.

3. This much wanted activism is coming at the wake ofSEBIs realisation thatone single framework toconsolidate listing obligations and disclosurerequirements for listed entities across all thesesecuritiesis important.

Economics

Ban on rubber import sought1. Kerala Finance Minister K. M. Mani has demanded

that the Centre allocate Rs.500 crore for thestabilisation fund to procure excess rubber locally.

2. Sought a revision in the import duty on rubber to 25%from the present 20%

3. Rubber prices have fallen from Rs.240 a kg. last yearto Rs.110 a kg., which is not at all remunerative.

4. Main reason for the fall in rubber prices is import ofrubber.

Discuss: Try to find about the economics of rubber. Howwell do we compete with the South Asian countries on thisproduct. We covered this concept in great details inanother card sometime back.



Trivia

Gorkha Rifles complete 200 years of valiantservice

1. Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army known for theirKhukris and their Aayo Gorkhali battle crycomplete 200 years of their raising.

2. Currently there are about 30,000NepaleseGurkhasserving in the 7Gorkharegiments of the Indian Army with their motto being:Kafar hunu bhanda marnu ramro!(Its better to diethan be a coward!).

3. Most of them come from 4ethnic groups: Gurungs,Magars, Rais and Limbus.

4. Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, one of Indiasgreatest military commander, was an avowedadmirer: If a soldier says he is not afraid of death, heis either lying or he is a Gurkha.

World

Asian giants promise jobs, trade to Africa1. 60years after the Bandung Conference, China,

Japan and India are opening their wallets to woo Asiaand Africa.

2. In 1955, the first large-scale AsianAfricanmeeting=Bandung Conference was a meeting ofAsian and African states, most of which were newlyindependent.

3. The conference was an important step toward theNon-Aligned Movement.

4. Cut to today, the NAM doctrine seems to have lostthe sheen.

5. Xi Jinping, announced duty free access to 97%itemsproduced in the Least Developing Countries. Caveat?they should have diplomatic ties with China.

6. Shinzo Abesaid thatAsian and African nations are no



Science & Tech

Happy (25th) birthday to the HubbleTelescope!

1. NASAs Hubble Space Telescope was launched April24, 1990, on the space shuttle Discovery fromKennedy Space Center in Florida.

2. Hubble has made more than 1.2 millionobservations since its inception!

3. It takes pictures of them as it whirls around Earth atabout 17,000 mph

4. Has got no thrusters. To change pointing angles, ituses Newtons third law by spinning its wheels in theopposite direction.

Discuss: Conventional wisdom says that such eventsbecome important for UPSC pre questions.


NGT adds armour for protection of rhinos inKaziranga National Park



World

(+)ives & (-)ives of China-Pakistan EconomicCorridor for India

1. (+ives) - Economic dev. will unite the factions withinPak & that would increase regional stability.

2. Commitments to China will put pressure on surgingof Radical groups, India needs constraint onFundamentalism in Pakistan.

3. China and Pak have started a joint initiative to tackleterrorist activities around the Xinhua province. Thiswill further reduce terrorism in PoK.

4. (-ives) - POK, an Indian territory will used in CPEC, itis a challenge to sovereignty of India.

5. Chinese naval vessels mayfrequently confront IndianNaval vessels due to the Gwadar Port.

6. Influence of China and Pakistan will increase inAfghanistan which is bad for Indias investmentsthere.

Geography

Objectives and Achievements of IndiasMonsoon Mission

1. Monsoon Mission The Ministry of Earth Sciences(MoES) + IIT Madras

2. To build a working partnership between theAcademic R&D Organizations and the OperationalAgency to improve the monsoon forecast skill.

3. To set up the infrastructure and manpower requiredto improve the prediction skill at all the time scales.

4. The project uses high resolution coupled oceanatmospheric model, which gives information on bothatmosphere and ocean.

Discuss: Indias monsoon system is one of the most



Polity

[op-ed snap] Juveniles need reform, not prison1. By clearing amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act

and allowing juveniles between the ages of 16 and 18to be tried and punished as adults for heinousoffences (offences that are punishable withimprisonment of 7years or more), the Cabinet onApril 22 sounded the death knell for juvenile justice.

2. The government claims that since this assessmentwill be done with the help of psychologists and socialexperts, the rights of the juvenile would be protected.

3. The new Bill is violative of Indias constitutionalmandate and its international obligations under theUnited Nations Convention on the Rights of theChild.

4. As per the writer, there are 3flawed assumptions:children are as culpable or blameworthy as adults; itis scientifically possible to determine maturity&mindset beyond reasonable doubt; and the transfersystem will effectively deter juvenile crime andenhance public safety, particularly of women.

5. Instead of dealing with the root causes of juvenilecrime, such as poverty, broken families, unregulatedaccess to pornography, or the failure of the childprotection system, the government seems to beblindly targeting adolescents.

6. With the Ministry and the Cabinet having turnedtheir back, all hopes are pinned on Parliament to dowhat is right for Indias adolescent children.

Trivia

Carry out cadre review in BSF: High Court1. It observed that there was an extreme level of

frustration among the members of the force.2. Governments laxity has resulted in acute stagnation



Trivia

[Announcement] Evolving Daily1. It has been a little over 2 months & we thinkwe are

doing good.2. If you feel so too pleasetake out aminute to rate us

awesome at the Playstore!3. Along with aggregating most relevant News, we are

slowly but steadily making progress in certain staticaspects of the IASpreparation.

4. S&T on Thursday | E&B on Fridays | PIB features onSunday | Indian Culture on Monday.

Discuss: Daily news shall resume in the evening. Enjoy theE&B cards pushed today. There are some ~15 of them.


WWFs The Earth Hour City Challenge Indias finalists (3/3)

1. The city of Rajkot has also demonstrated aggressivelow carbon targets towards 2016.

2. BRT projects 1st phase is now complete.3. Established a state funded Energy Park that exhibits

different non-conventional energy sources.4. There is also a thrust on energy efficient street

lighting.





1. The city of Thane ended up winning theEarth HourCity Challenge withinIndia.

2. The city has made the use of solar water heatingsystem mandatory for municipal buildings.

3. Wind-solar hybrid systems, solar PV for lighting &air-conditioning are being implemented.

4. Solar roof top net metering based power generationis also planned.

5. Implementation of traffic management and energyefficient street lighting.



1. All the 3finalist Indian cities this year Pune, Rajkot&Thanemade progressive efforts in building asustainable city.

2. Pune First Indian city to adopt Eco-Housingprogramme &launched a rating programme for greenbuildings.

3. A Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) is anothermajor initiative by Pune.

4. Dedicated Energy Saving Cell has also beenestablished to guide energy projects.

5. A number of programmes on energy efficient lightingand effective waste management.

Discuss: Note these points for a probable essay/ smart cityquestion in mains. The keywords need to be rememberedfor quick brownie points!




WWF announces finalists of global initiative1. South Koreas Seoul declared Global Earth Hour

Capital 2015.2. While Thane declared as National Earth Hour Capital

for India.3. Why? Because of its focus on Clean Energy and

Waste Management practices.4. Three finalist Indian cities this year Pune, Rajkot

and Thane5. Coimbatore was named as the National Earth Hour

Capital in 2014.


New spider takes Telanganas name1. Osmania University researchers find new species of

spiders at Nagnur in Karimnagar district.2. Name: Telangana crab spider (Thomisus

talangensis).3. Crab spiders? Because they walk like crabs.4. Also called Flower spiders because they dont

construct webs. They wait in flowers to catch insectsby venom sting.

5. They benefit ecosystem by working as biocontrolagents against insects.




20 sandalwood smugglers gunned down inAndhra Pradesh

1. Andhra officials kill 20 Tamilian Red sandersmugglers in Seshachalam forest in Tirumala hills.

2. Red sander: latin name Pterocarpus Santalinus.3. Red sanders is a highly-endangered species of tree

also called red sandalwood and has a huge demandabroad, specially in China &Japan.

4. Found in Dry deciduous forest. Used for dye,medicine. Fetches 20-40 lakhs.

5. Protests in Tamilnadu for human rights violation andfake encounter.


Use of sex pheromones in IPM1. Female insects produce sex pheromones to attract

males for mating.2. In Integrated Pest Management, similar artificial

chemicals are used as fake sex-pheromones are totrap/kill male insects.

3. This technique is called Attracticide.4. But this will yield result only if all males are trapped,

else some of them mate with females then populationwill still sustain.

Discuss: We can see a prelim level question in making!




New species highlights plant diversity ofPalakkad

1. Oldenlandia dineshi shrub with dark blue flowers,discovered inNelliyampathyhills, Western Ghats,Kerala.

2. IUCN classification Endangered species.3. Scientists demand for strict curbs on quarrying in

biodiversity pockets.


Big old trees grow faster, hold more carbon1. Important carbon sinks: (1) Forest (2) Ocean (3) Soil.2. But due to excessive use of concrete in cities, no soil

left. Why Is it bad?3. Urban heat islands are created + Rainwater cant

percolate down.4. So groundwater aquifers cant recharge fully.5. Large, older trees have been found to grow faster and

absorb carbon dioxide more rapidly than younger,smaller trees.




Bengaluru shutterbug captures rare Partridge1. The Chestnut-breasted Partridge (Arborophila

mandellii), endemic to the Eastern Himalayas, hadeluded shutterbugs for long.

2. This bird is endemic to the Eastern Himalayas.3. IUCN status: Vulnerable.4. In news because after a long time, photograph of real

bird taken in Arunachal Pradesh.

Polity

[op-ed snap] Concession in recession1. The former finance minister/ Home minister writes

about the cuts in the various CSS schemes all in thename of federalist ethos.

2. The schemes like CCTNS, SIS that were framedkeeping the modernisation of police forces andproviding them with the requisite infrastructure totake on the maoists have been de linked from theannual budget 2014-2015 citing that police is a statelist subject.

3. This is when CCTNS is nearly on the verge ofcompletion. The system needs to keep itself abreastwith the latest in technology and so can not be left tothe 29 state monitoring systems. It being ofcentralised nature need to be speedup under acentral authority.

4. However the MHA has expressed its resentmentover the pruning. The writer expects similar responsefrom the other ministries whose budgetaryexpenditure has been cut down.

Discuss: CCTNS = Crime and Criminal Tracking Networkand System & SIS = Special Infrastructure Scheme.



World

[op-ed snap] No more carrots, only sticks1. Lakhvis release speaks volumes about the sincerity

of Pakistan to fight terrorism. Infact, his arrestcoming as a pleasure stay during which he evenfathered his child is a bigger sham.

2. USA has committed to renewed military andhumanitarian aid despite of Pakistan having a recordof diverting them against India.

3. USA did not respond to the release of Lakhviunmindful of the fact that 6 out of the 167 killed in26/11 were US nationals.

4. In order to make Pakistan check sponsoring theterrorism, sanctions and coercive diplomacy shouldbe resorted to by both India and USA.

5. USA should impose sanctions the way it made IRANbudge from its stance on nuclear power. It shouldimpose sanctions on the activities of ISI officials andtheir deep assets in USA.

6. ISI officials can also be denied visa. Covert operationis also one of the options that can be explored.

Science & Tech

Revisiting Silicosis1. Silicosis is a fibrotic lung disorder caused by

inhalation of crystalline silica / quartz by from mining,stone crushing, quarrying, gem cutting etc.

2. Over 30 lakh workers affected in Rajasthan,Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi andKarnataka.

3. NHRC report 2011 asked for reforms like masks,medical facilities, insurance etc. for the workers andnecessary amendments in relevant factory-Labouracts.

4. But ground realities not changed much.



Science & Tech

Health data of patients to be centralised1. NeHA portal: National eHealth Authority, By union

health Ministry.2. It will provide centralised online database of

medical history, lab reports of all patients acrossIndia.

3. That way even if patient changes doctor, he neednot undergo all medical tests again.

4. It will sell considerable amount of money and timewasted otherwise.

Discuss: So many Abbreviations, so little time! Try to makean excel compendium of the policy abbreviations which youcome across these days. Share with us [email protected]

Science & Tech

Can radiation protection standards be basedon best science?

1. X-ray radiation causes damage to skin and evenleads to cancer.

2. So scientists came up with Linear No Threshold(LNT) hypothesis.

3. It says response to radiation is proportional to dosewithout a threshold.

4. In other words, even very small amount of radiationcan cause damage.

5. However, new research doubts this hypothesis, andeven says sometimes small dose is beneficial for celladaptation.



Science & Tech

TRAI recommends 112 as single emergencynumber for India

1. In USA, number 911is meant for handling all typesof emergencies.

2. But in India, weve 100 for police, 101 for fire,102/108 for ambulance and so on.

3. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)recommends to shift to system of only oneemergency number 112.

4. Itll deal with all emergency services in the country.TRAI will setup Public Safety Answering Points(PSAPs) to route calls from 112 to police, ambulanceetc.

Science & Tech

ICICI Bank launches Tap-n-Pay, an NFCenabled payment service

1. NFC technology will allow users to tap NFC enabledtag or mobile phone at the merchants point-of-saledevice to make payments.

2. Near field communication (NFC) is a set of ideas andtechnology that enables smartphones to establishradio communication with each other by touchingthem together or bringing them into proximity

3. It is a prepaid account which will be available tocustomers of any bank by simply registering for it andtransferring money online from any bank account.



Science & Tech

Indian Railways launches E-Samiksha tomonitor rail projects online

1. E-Samiksha is designed by National InformaticsCentre (NIC).

2. It has been developed to make it a highly interactiveweb-based, user-friendly and customised system.

3. E-Samiksha will be used to monitor budget-relatedprojects and also for monitoring the infrastructuretarget and board meeting follow-up.

4. Currently, it is being used by Cabinet Secretariat,Prime Ministers Office and other Ministries formonitoring progress implementation of variousprogrammes and follow-up of meetings.

Science & Tech

Japans Maglev train makes new world speedrecord

1. Maglev train hovers 10 centimetres above the tracksand is propelled by electrically charged magnetswhich lift and moves train carriages above the railtracks.

2. This train travels along a guideway using magnets tocreate both lift and propulsion.

3. This lift and propulsion reduces friction and allow it toattain higher speeds compared to conventionalwheeled trains.

4. Magnetic levitation technology (Maglev) train hasclocked a new world speed record smashing throughthe 603 kilometre per hour.




3 new havens for tigers in India1. The January census showed an overall rise in

numbers of the big cat ergo the Centre is set to form3new tiger reserves.

2. In-principle approval has been accorded by theNational Tiger Conservation Authority for thecreation of -

3. Ratapani in Madhya Pradesh, Sunabeda in Odishaand Guru Ghasidas in Chhattisgarh.

4. The NTCA also accorded final approval to a proposalto declare Kudremukh National Park in Karnatakaand Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand as tigerreserves.

Polity

[op-ed snap] Maharashtra Ban and Bovineeconomics

1. What will poor farmers do now that they cant selltheir economically unviable cattle to the butcher?

2. Bulls and bullocks are extremely expensive animals tomaintain anyway, but particularly so beyond theirproductive years.

3. The consequence of shutting the butchers door oncow-bull-bullock slaughter might therefore beclandestine killing.

4. As regards cows, if religious sentiment is to overrideeconomic reality, the farmer will have no choice butto double the price of milk.

5. Caught between hard economics, temperamentalrain and the government, the farmer has always died.

Discuss: How do you implement all these ideas in a placelike Mumbai which you wish to make into a so called



Trivia

Why Mutual Funds neglect north-east India?1. The NEremains neglected by the countrys Rs 12

lakh-crore mutual fund sector.2. Only 34 of 1,606 MF branches are in these eight

states.3. More, nearly two-thirds of these branches are in a

single state, Assam.4. These 8 states cover ~8% of Indias total area + ~3%

of total population (2011 census).5. Reasons?Inaccessibility of the northeast states

+The continuous fear about insurgency + Aweakunderlying economy.

Discuss: May be that Modi's special attention for thenortheast can give lift the sentiments. He sees the region as"Natural Economic Zone"!


Panel to take a fresh look at all proposed riverlinks

1. Why a fresh look?To evaluate their feasibility,particularly in maintaining a balance betweenenvironment and development.

2. Intra-basin transfer of waters isalsovery important.The rainfall distribution in the country, even within aState, was uneven.

3. Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan are some of thetail end states.

4. The National Water Development Agency proposalwas to link major river systems where surpluses fromthe Godavari &Mahanadi were intended to betransferred to deficit areas in the south.




Uttarakhand gets a new tiger reserve1. Uttarakhand, the State with the 2ndhighest tiger

population after Karnataka, now has a second tigerreserve, besides the Corbett Tiger Reserve.

2. The Rajaji National Park has now been notified as theRajaji Tiger Reserve by the Centre.

3. The tiger reserve (1075.17 sq-km) includes the255.63 sq-km area of Rajaji National Parks bufferzone.

4. The new tiger reserve is expected to bring in moretourists and boost the economy of the State.

Discuss: Know the difference between National Parks/Wildlife Sanctuary & Biosphere reserves.


Green tribunals thumbs up for waste-to-energy projects

1. Gave a nod to use incinerator technology forproducing Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), commonlyknown as waste-to-energy.

2. Only those wastes that are found unrecyclable aftersegregation should be put into the incinerators.

3. NGT, however added that,first effort should be madefor composting of wet waste.



Economics

[op-ed snap] Two risks that haunt agriculture Weather & Prices

1. Still, less than 20% of the Indian farmers are coveredby crop insurance.

2. Somehow, the Indian psyche cannot seem to acceptpaying the insurance premium that would beforegone should no adverse event take place.

3. It is also true that most poor people cannot affordeven the lowest premium for insurance.

4. And imagine it this way a staggering 70% of thejunta which depends on Agriculture wakes upeveryday facing risk & uncertainty.

5. As Indian agriculture will have to adopt new andexpensive technologies to counter climate change,insurance cover becomes even more critical.

6. Narendra Modi government needs to be applaudedfor trying to introduce a market-based farm incomeinsurance scheme combined with weather-basedcrop insurance products that will replace the ad hocgrants.

Discuss: Read more about this new insurance scheme. Wehave covered that in our earlier cards.

World

India gives aid to Madagascar, Malawi1. India has provided cash assistance of $450,000 to

Madagascar and Malawi for the victimshurricaneChezda

2. Fans of the Great & Almighty King Julien of theMadagascar fame, rejoice!

3. The $250,000 aid was provided to Malawi which



Polity

[op-ed snap] How to have an informed debateon Net Neutrality?

1. We all know the cons of doing away with NetNeutrality. Broadly, we do. Add to this when anuninformed citizenry gets to decide on bigger matterslike this flipkart ends up getting 1 rating in plenty

2. But lets for a moment take a step back and see apossible rationale to this.

3. In the telephone networks, 1-800 toll-free numbersallow businesses to subsidize users access fees, butthat same mechanism is missing for Internet dataservices.

4. This is possiblywhat Airtel Zero wanted to achieve?Maybe!

5. Should we have fast lanes for different services Video on Demand vs. Content only?

6. Yes, because certain type of traffic need fasterdelivery, such as video streaming, while others suchas emails and file transfer dont!

7. But will the network providers chide away from thelower tier/ slower lane services?

Discuss: We are trying this new thing - [Op-Ed Snap] - Theidea is to help condense heavier op-eds into smallernuggets & then let you munch on it!

Polity

The real threat to Net neutrality (2/2)1. The Telecom providers need to assess the Impact of

Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) on theirtraditional voice telephony.

2. But having said that, if operators start to treat the



Polity

The real threat to Net neutrality (1/2)1. TRAIrecently released a consultation paper on over-

the-top (OTT) applications.2. One aspect of the Net neutrality debate is whether

the throttling of certain types of traffic by networkoperators should be acceptable under certainconditions.

3. Why throttle?Becausesome applications and theirusers are heavier on the Internet in that theygenerate more traffic and consume more bandwidth.

4. Network operators need this flexibility with theirpricing to manage network congestion and monetizetheir resources.

Science & Tech

India 5th biggest generator of e-waste in 2014:UN report

1. As per recently released Global E-Waste Monitor2014 report by United Nations, India is the fifthbiggest producer of e-waste in the world.

2. Top 5 e-waste producing nations: US, China, Japan,Germany and India.

3. India has discarded around 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) ofe-waste in 2014.

4. Top 3Asian e-waste producing nations are- China(6.0Mt), Japan (2.2Mt) and India (1.7Mt).

Discuss: By & large this is a useless piece of trivia unlessyou have a essay/ mains bol bachhan question where youcan use this!



Trivia

[Announcement] Work with us!

Discuss: Fun fact - This guy right here is Lord Kitchener -shamelessly lifted from a 1914 Brit Army recruitmentposter!


Tea industry launches pilot scheme with Israelicompany

1. Drip irrigation technology is being harnessed on apilot basis in a few gardens.

2. Growing concern over crop loss due to paucity ofrainfall.

3. The gardens in Assam &West Bengal, suffered2consecutive years of crop loss due to drought likeconditions.

4. The impact was severe in 2013, when nearly half thecrop was lost!

5. Drip irrigation was being tried out on an experimentalbasis at certain tea estates with different agro-climatic conditions.



Science & Tech

Indian Navys stealth destroyer launched1. Visakhapatnam = Indias first destroyer of Project

15B class.2. Has indigenous component of over 70%. It has been

made of Indian Steel manufactured by the SteelAuthority of India Limited (SAIL).

3. The warships propulsion system will be from Russia.4. For indigenisation, there are 3segments 5. Float segment where we have achieved more than

90% indigenisation.6. Move segment which consists of the propulsion

system where we have attained over60%indigenisation.

7. Fight segment, which consists of weapons andsensors.

World

Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading toIslamabad

1. The Chinese President is expected to signinfrastructure and energy deals with Pak.

2. This might be used to build thePakistani node ofBeijings ambitious Maritime Silk Road (MSR).

3. This would provide China another point of access intothe Indian Ocean, from Pakistans Arabian Sea portof Gwadar.

4. The Karachi-Gwadar-Kashgar rail and road link is atthe heart of this project.

Discuss: Remind yourself again that India invested in theChabahar port of Iran. That is close to Pakistan's Gwadar.



Geography

Normal monsoon predicted1. The southwest monsoon this year will be normal,

with many parts of north India expected to receivegood rainfall.

2. The El-Nino is also unlikely to affect the monsoon asit its impact will reduce after summer.

3. Read about El-Nino & La-Ninaphenomenon.

Polity

77% citizens want govt. to protect net users1. Amid a raging debate over the issue of net neutrality

in the country, a new survey has said a whopping 77%citizens want the government to ensure thatconsumer interest is protected.

2. But telecom companies have come out in open for aninformed debate/ discussion on whats going on.

3. Airtel tried to come out clean by saying that imaginethe Airtel Zero to be analogous to the Toll Freenumber system. The customer does not pay for thephone call & the client bears the financial stress.



Polity

3 point recommendation from TRAI1. TRAI said WPC should be converted into an

independent body by de-linking it from DoT.2. Wireless Planning Commission (WPC) = Custodian

of spectrum at Department of Telecom.It issuggested that it could be converted into a statutorybody reporting to Parliament.

3. Also, the Multi-layered structure for decisionmaking, for National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN),was not suitable & should be changed.

4. TRAI has also called for an audit of spectrum held byall the bodies.

Discuss: NOFN project aims to spread broadband across2.5 lakh village panchayats by 2016 but has missed itstarget

Economics

Fun Fact : India is below Bhutan in broadbandreach

1. India ranks 125th in the world for fixed broadbandpenetration.Bhutan and Sri Lanka are ahead of us.

2. In the wireless or mobile broadband segment, India isranked at 113th with a penetration of 3.2 per 100inhabitants.

3. TRAI suggests that the licence fee on the revenuesearned from fixed line should be exempted for 5years.

Discuss: TRAI suggests a few more things on the samenote. Let's read them in the next card.




Death by Breath: Swachh Bharat shouldinclude Swachh air

1. Euro V &VI norms could reduce particulate matterfrom diesel vehicles by 80%

2. Euro VI standards will reduce HC and NOx by 40%over Bharat IV and by 70% over the mostprevalentBharat III.

3. Bharat IV was first implemented only in 13 cities&opponents of climate control claim that the next stageof Bharat norms should be for pan-India or not at all!

4. Another issue Persistent diesel subsidies in thepast have led to an explosion of diesel cars responsible for carcinogenic and other pollutants.

Trivia

Civilians biggest casualty of Naxal violence1. At least one civilian life lost every day over a35-year

period beginning 1980.2. The year 2010 was the bloodiest of this insurgency,

leading to the death of 1,177 persons over 60% ofthem civilians.

3. LWE-affected States have their differing policies onproviding financial compensation to families ofcivilians and state police personnel killed in suchviolence.

4. However, under the Security Related Expenditure(SRE) scheme, the center reimburses expenditureincurred by the state for payment of ex-gratia to thevictims



Polity

EC releases draft outcome paper on politicalfinancing

1. Largely focuses on the financial funding &suggestslimits on election contribution and expenditure.

2. The paper calls for Ceiling on expenditure made bypolitical parties during polls + Audit at Micro &National levels.

3. The paper also batted for a total ban on directcorporate funding and has instead suggested that itcan be directed through the National Election Trust.

4. Also taken note of strong suggestions on de-registration of political parties due to inactivity.

Discuss: What is National Election Trust? Currentfunctions etc.

History

The Haryanvi dance for the month of Phalgun1. The folk dance of Haryana is known as the Dhamyal

or the Duph.2. The origins of the dance may be traced back to the

Mahabharata.3. The orchestra starts playing the folk tunes in the

beginning and they are steadily joined by the dancersin a circular pattern.

4. The Duph, after which the dance form is named, is acircular drum, played nimbly by the male dancers, asthey dance.



History

Moving on to Maharashtra The Koli dance1. The Koli dance derives its name from the Koli tribe of

Maharashtra.2. The dances of Kolis incorporate all elements of their

surroundings.3. The Koli dance is performed by both men and

women divided into two groups.4. In this dance the Kolin or fisherwoman makes

advances to the Kolis or fishermen. Note the wordadvances!

History

The snake charmers of Rajasthan bring to you Kalbelia

1. Kalbelia communitys occupation being catchingsnakes and trading snake venom in Rajasthan.

2. Dancers dress traditional black swirling skirtsduring Kalbelia Dance.

3. The dance of the kalbelia women is vigorous andgraceful.



History

The famous Tera Tali dance of Rajasthan1. Tera Tali is another famous folk dance of Rajasthan.

Performed by the Kamar tribe.2. The women folk sit on the ground while performing

the Tera Tali. Men? Well they just sing.3. An interesting part of the Tera Tali dance is tying of

metal cymbals (Manjiras) to different parts of thebody, mostly on the legs.

4. On many occasions the women clasp a sword inbetween their teeth and balance a decorative pot ontheir head.

History

One more Valley dance Hurka Baul fromUttaranchal

1. Seasonal dances are performed to express joy &celebrate the arrival of new season.

2. During the cultivation of paddy and maize in the farm,the Hurka Baul dance is performed.

3. How does the dance gets its name?Hurka = whichis the drum used for musical accompaniment& Baul=song.

4. The singer narrates the story of battles and heroicdeeds while performers enter from opposite sides.



History

Hikat Dance For the love of life!1. Hikat is performed by women and comes across as a

modification of a game played by children.2. Forming pairs, the participants extend their arms to

the front, gripping each others wrists.3. With their body inclined back, they go round and

round at the same spot.4. This is the folk dance of Himachal, although you

would find people of Jammu joining it as well.

Discuss: The "Bumro Bumro" song in Mission Kashmir wasas close to Hikat as Bollywood could get.

History

Mission Kashmir reporting LIVE DumhalDance

1. The dance of the Kashmiris is called as Dumhal.2. It is performed by dancers wearing long colorful

robes and tall conical caps.3. It is mainly the men folk of Wattal who perform this

dance, that too on specific occasions. More like,Dance on Demand!

4. While dancing, the performers sing too, with drumsto assist their lyrics.

Discuss: We are trying to build Mnemonics for you toremember these dance forms - So Mission Kashmir -Hrithik - Dumhal. We know its childlike, but sometimethese tricks work!



Trivia

[Announcement] Kickstarting the SanskariMonday

1. Ola! Hope you enjoyed the updates from the PIBtoday. We will be covering more updates fromPIBevery Sunday.

2. Last week,we tried to liven things up a bit by coveringArt & Culture in a not so traditional way.

3. This Monday, we will go regional with some danceforms & tell you interesting stories about a few ofthem!

Discuss: UPSC is going regionalon most of the Culture &Sanskars related questions. We should too!

Economics

A lasting solution for sugar mills1. Indian sugar prices are at their lowest in the last

seven years.2. Ethanol, which is a plentiful product in the sugar

manufacturing process and is blended with petrol,can be a vital revenue earner for the mills.

3. Ethanolblending is only at around 3%. It could easilybe raised to 10% & this may help in reducing thesugar surplus arrears.

4. Another suggestion The govt.should buy 3 milliontonnes of sugar at cost of production and store it as abuffer.

5. Exports are not viable anymore as internationalprices have declined due to a glut.

Discuss: Brazil determines global sugar price, and it



Polity

5 key demands of Nobel Peace Prize winner,Mr. Kailash Satyarthi

1. All forms of child labour should be prohibited up tothe age of 14.

2. Up to the age of 18, no child should be employed inthe worst forms of child labour.

3. The law should be made more deterrent by increasingthe fine amount.

4. Child labour must be made a cognisable and non-bailable offence.

5. Rehabilitation should be made an integral part of lawon child labour.

Economics

Automatic info exchange only way to tackleblack money

1. Common Reporting Standards on AutomaticExchange of Information should beimplemented on afully reciprocal global basis.

2. This can help tackle the problem oftheproblem ofblack money& illicit flow to offshore jurisdictionsand tax havens.

3. Base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) refers to taxplanning strategies that exploit gaps and mismatchesin tax rules to make profits disappear for taxpurposes!

4. India welcomes the progress made in BEPS projectincorporating the participation of 8 non-Oecd G20countries



World

Accord to transfer tax to Palestine1. Israel has agreed to transfer in full hundreds of

millions of dollars in taxes collected for thePalestinian Authority (PA) but frozen in a row overthe International Criminal Court, the PalestinianPremier said.

2. Israeli media said the transfer of 1.8 billion shekelswould take place on Monday.

3. The monthly funds account for two-thirds of thePalestinians annual budget, excluding foreign aid.

Discuss: You think this would ease out a few tensions, eh!

Polity

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao & a few more points(2/2)

1. The BBBP Campaign is also to ensure effectiveimplementation of PC & PNDT Act to curb sex-selective abortion.

2. Improve the nutritional status of girls by reducingthe number of underweight and anaemic girls underthe age of 5.

3. Strict implementation of Protection of Childrenfrom Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Discuss: This pib release is a gold mine of everything thatthis govt is planning to do on this topic. Re-read/ Bookmark& use as fodder points!



Polity

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao & a few more points(1/2)

1. It is a joint initiative of the Ministries of Women &Child Development & Human Resource & Dev.

2. Twin objectives To protect a girl childsright to life+ To empower her with education and life skills.

3. The BBBP, has initially chosen 100 Gender Criticaldistricts.

4. Monitorable targets Improve the Sex Ratio atBirth (SRB) by 10 points a year |Reduce genderdifferentials in under 5Child Mortality Rate.

5. Further Increase girls enrolment in secondaryeducation |Provide toilets for girls.

Discuss: There is more to the vision. Look put for the nextcard.

Trivia

Interesting facts on Tobacco usage in India1. The North-Eastern region exhibits highest rates of

tobacco use Mizoram has 80% men using someform of Tobacco.

2. These chewable tobacco products contain purifiedtobacco, paraffin, areca nut, lime, catechu &230permitted additives +flavours including knowncarcinogens.

3. National Tobacco Control Program (07/08) Govt.piloted this programme after the COTPA Act, 2003.Program is implemented at 3 levels District, State &National.



Science & Tech

Know more about Glaucoma @ WorldGlaucoma Week

1. Glaucoma is the name given to a group of eyediseases optic nerve at the back of the eye is slowlydestroyed.

2. Reason? mostlydue to an increased pressure insidethe eye.

3. Are there any Govt. led initiatives?4. National Programme for Control of Blindness

(NPCB) was launched in the year 1976 as a 100%Centrally Sponsored scheme with the goal to reducethe prevalence of blindness.

5. Regular eye check up, especially after 40 years andimmediate treatment can save remaining vision.

Discuss: March 6th is Glaucoma Day. Not important forUPSC per se.

Science & Tech

ROTAVAC-Desi Rotaviral Vaccine with GlobalReach (2/2)

1. The new vaccine ROTAVAC developed by acollaboration ofMinistry of Science andTechnology+US Government+ NGOs in India +Billand Melinda Gates Foundation.

2. Bharat Biotech India Limitedinvolved indevelopment & distribution.

3. Improving the overall performance of theimmunization system is critical to the success of anyvaccine introduction.

4. The PMlauded this initiative as aneffective Public-Private-Partnership model for finding affordable



Science & Tech

ROTAVAC-Desi Rotaviral Vaccine with GlobalReach (1/2)

1. Rotavirus common cause of severe diarrheal(gastro enteritis) disease in infants and youngchildren globally.

2. Rotavirus affects populations in all socio-economicgroups and is equally prevalent in industrialized anddeveloping countries.

3. The first rotavirus infection tends to be the mostsevere &young children



Trivia

Some of the varieties of Kharif crops under theMSP regieme

1. Paddy (rice) has 2varieties Common & Grace A.2. Jowarhas Hybrid & Maldandi.3. Cotton has 2 variants governed under the MSP

regime Medium staple & Long staple.4. Soybean also has 2 Black & Yellow.

Discuss: Not sure if the utility of this information. Check ifthe India Year Book has any more information.

Economics

Minimum Support Prices for AgriculturalProduce

1. Government fixes MSPs of various kharif &rabicrops every year. Commission for Agricultural Costs& Prices (CACP) takes care of this.

2. Procurement under MSP is undertaken by thedesignated Central and State Government agenciesand Cooperatives.

3. Producers have the option to sell their produce toGovernment agencies or in the open market as isadvantageous to them.

4. States/UTs have been advised to amend theirrespective State APMC Acts on the lines of ModelAct, 2003.

5. The Model Act provides for direct marketing,contract farming, farmers/consumer markets, settingup of markets in private and cooperative sectors, e-trading etc.



Trivia

[Announcement] Gear up for a Sarkari Sunday1. The Press Information Bureau disseminates

information on government plans, policies, programsinitiatives and achievements.

2. It has a nationwide network of 8regional offices and34 branch offices.

3. These offices release a monthly list of long-formarticles PIBFeatures.

4. Needless to say, theycan be very important,atleastfrom the prelims perspective.

Discuss: Those who still haven't received the MarchNewsDigest pdf, write to us at [email protected] - Rest,chill maadi :)

Science & Tech

Internet.org doesnt violate Net neutrality:Mark Zuckerberg

1. Zuckerberg says promoting an open Internet foreveryone is important, but so is connecting people atlow cost.

2. In many countries, there are big social and economicobstacles to connectivity.

3. The Internet isnt affordable to everyone, and inmany places awareness of its value remains low.

4. In India, Internet.orgalready rolled out free basicservices on the Reliance network to millions of peoplein TN, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Keralaand Telangana.

Discuss: These two principles Net neutrality and



World

G33 seeks protection for farmers from importsurges, fall in prices

1. The G33 is a group of 46developing countries ledby India, China and Indonesia

2. Demanded simple &effective measures to safeguardtheir small farmers from sudden surges in importsand fall in prices.

3. Whats the logic?When prices of imported farmproducts drop below a specified level, developingcountries should raise import levies.

4. Industrialized countries managed to secure a SpecialSafeguard (SSG) but they are still opposingthe idea ofspecial safeguard mechanism (SSM)

Discuss: What's the difference between SSG & SSM?

Science & Tech

Maharashtra FDA raids Snapdeal office inMumbai

1. The state body has asked the company to removedeals on drugs from the website.

2. As per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, only alicensed retailer can sell prescription drugs and thattoo after verifying the prescription given by a medicalpractitioner.

3. Snapdeal acts as an intermediary between the sellerand buyer of the products listed on the platform.

Discuss: Just in case, you do not know - there are 2 models



Economics

NITI Aayog plans subsidy regime revamp1. NITI Aayog proposes to marry data fromAadhaar,

the Jan Dhan accounts & thesocioeconomic&caste census to better target subsidies.

2. The plan has been inspired by the so-called JAM (JanDhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) trinity proposed by thefinance ministry.

3. The estimated direct fiscal cost of both central andstate government subsidies is about Rs.3.78 trillion,or about 4.2% of GDP.

Discuss: The merger of the streams of data will be useful inexpanding DBT to food and fertilizer subsidies as well as toareas such as issuing soil health cards and kisan creditcards.

World

Explained: Significance of Indias uranium dealwith Canada (2/2)

1. Is uranium concentrate used directly inreactors?No. Uranium is a naturally-occurringelement in the earths crust.

2. To make nuclear fuel, uranium extracted from minesis first stored as uranium oxide concentrate abright yellow substance sometimes referred to asyellow cake.

3. The yellow cakeis then enriched into uranium-235isotope.

4. How much uranium does India produce? It isestimated to be around 350-400 MT.

5. Total Indian reserves are estimated at 181,600 MT,mainly in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and



World

Explained: Significance of Indias uranium dealwith Canada (1/2)

1. Why is this deal significant?It comes at the end of2years of protracted negotiations that followed the2013 civil nuclear deal between the countries.

2. Canada played a key role in Indias nuclear evolution,having supplied the first Indian reactor CIRUS in1954.

3. Does India have uranium deals with othercountries too?Yes. With Kazakhstan and Australia.

4. Why does India need uranium?India has 21operational nuclear reactors and 6underconstruction, which use uranium as fuel.

Polity

Justice Dave recuses himself from NJAC Bench1. Senior advocate Fali Nariman pointed out there is a

clear conflict of interest as Justice Dave is also amember of the NJAC.

2. Justice Dave, who heads the five-judge bench, is thethird senior-most Supreme Court judge.

3. He is also a member of the NJAC as per the statutewhich prescribes that the six-member Commissionwill have the CJI and the next 2senior most judges asits members.

Discuss: That's ethical, right?




Death by Breath: How, why diesel is dirty1. When an engine burns diesel, it releases amixture of

particulates and gaseous materials.2. These include benzene, arsenic, nitrogen dioxide and

some particulate matter.3. Inhalation of diesel fumes from vehicles and diesel

generator sets causes cancer by breaking the DNAof various cells in the body.

4. PM




Budget cuts make govt turn to PSUs forfunding conservation initiatives

1. Central Idea Developing partnerships and fundingconservation initiatives under Corporate SocialResponsibility.

2. Schemes up for adoption In total 14 endangeredspecies put up for the CSR bid.

3. Snow leopards for Rs 35 crore, gharials for Rs 80crore, whale sharks for Rs 10 crore and black-neckedcranes for Rs 5 crore.

4. Great Indian bustards going for Rs 104.5 crore andOlive Ridley turtles for a meager Rs 4.60 crore.

Discuss: In sync with its attachment to rivers, the NationalHydroelectric Power Corporation is considering theprospect of investing in the Gangetic dolphin.

Enviro & Biodiv

Documents

current Civilsdaily Digest Apr 2015