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EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Civil Services Aspirants,

Essay, General Studies and Optional

are the three areas of your studies for the

preparations of the Mains examination. You

do not have to make any separate preparation

for the Essay, because the four GS paper

covers the entire gambit of topics that’s

covered in the Essay paper. So you have to

concentrate on Optional and GS papers for

Mains preparation.

Since, you are already acquaintance

with your optional paper in your studies at

undergraduate level; you need to do a deep

brush up of the topics given in the UPSC

syllabus of the optional paper. It’s the General

Study papers that should be your major

concern. Here the importance of group

discussion has to be emphasized so that you

can cover the reading pat of the entire

syllabus quickly.

Each person can prepare one segment

and make a presentation to the group; the

group then discuss it over and each takes

notes of important points. After having a

general feel of the syllabus, one can

individually do further reading to strengthen

the preparation. After that the next step

should be to practice writing answers.

Remember, reading makes one

knowledgeable, writing makes him perfect.

Mains exam is all about testing your writing

skills. So hone this skill by writing; clear,

coherent, logical and precise answers.

Civil Service India wishes each of you

Best of luck!

ESSAY OF THE MONTH

What it takes to deliver Mid-Day meal

The tragic loss of 23 young lives because of

contaminated food in a Bihar school is

unacceptable. But it is also a fact that the Mid

Day Meal Scheme, under which cooked food

is compulsorily provided to children in

government schools, is too important and

critical to give up on. The only questions that

matter are: why does the scheme not work as

well as it should and what can be done to fix

it?

The answers are complicated. Providing

nutritious food to children in schools helps

address two key problems; hunger and

education. Progressive political leaders found

the answers in their states. In 1982, M G

Ramachandran, the then chief minister of

Tamil Nadu, set up the nutritious meal

programme. It is legendary that he took deep

interest in the working of the scheme. Former

district officials will tell you of his surprise

trips to schools and his fury if anything was

found out of order. This was top priority, so it

worked.

In the mid-1990s, the Central government

adopted these ideas coming from different

states and framed a national midday meal

scheme. But nothing much happened. In

2001, the Supreme Court directed all

governments to provide cooked food to all

children in primary schools. Since then the

scheme has evolved. The Central government

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agreed to provide free grain (rice and wheat)

and funding for transport, cooking cost and

recently even an honorarium for the cook.

The state government is required to top up

this funding; pay for vegetables and pulses;

provide infrastructure in schools and manage

affairs.

Be in no doubt that this is a big and complex

affair. It is estimated that some 117 million

children studying up to standard 8 are fed

cooked meals every day in some 1.26 million

schools and other such centres. The scheme,

according to government figures, provides

employment to some 2.6 million cooks and

helpers. The operations are complicated.

Money comes from the Centre in four

instalments to states; it then reaches districts

and individual schools based on enrolment,

off-take and spending. Grain is procured from

the storehouse of the Food Corporation of

India, transported to districts and then to

schools. There are detailed guidelines on how

this will work and who will oversee it and

even taste the food before serving. It would

be difficult to find a parallel in the world for

the scale and deployment under this scheme.

But the question remains. Children died in

Bihar. There is evidence from many other

places that food is not hygienic or nutritious.

More seriously, persistent malnutrition

continues to shame the country. So what is

wrong?

Let me point out the

directions in which

we should not look

for answers. One, we

should not look for

more schemes or

new schemes to replace the old. Two, we

should not stop cooking food and replace it

with what is considered to be more feasible to

supply biscuits and packaged food that comes

from large and small corporate. There is a big

push for this. It is not surprising since many

eyes the Rs 10,000 crore annual budget for

meals under the scheme.

The solution is to get down to fixing what is

broken. First, focus on what is now called old-

fashioned governance, which prioritised the

deliverables and then obsessed about how it

was being done. It is clear from the states

where the programme is working successfully

that it requires attention to detail; it needs

involvement of those placed the highest in the

land surprise visits, inspections and reports.

This will send the signal to the system

however much in disrepair that food for

children is priority.

This also means

that state

governments

ministers and

chief ministers

must have greater reputational advantage of

getting the delivery right. In the current

system nobody gets the kudos for doing it

well, but everybody is running away from the

blame.

Second, focus on the paraphernalia of

delivery. We put every conceivable scheme in

the hands of the hapless (and now

increasingly corrupt) local panchayats—each

sarpanch manages some 80 different accounts

and some 150 different schemes. But there is

absolutely no effort to invest in the

management support functions of these

bodies. If we believe—as we must—that the

best institutions for governance are

communities then it is time to fix their office.

Stop thinking, that it is low-cost and

voluntary. Management takes money and

people. Invest there.

Third, focus on money itself so that we can

achieve the change we desire. The Central

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government pays close to Rs 3 for each

primary school child and a little more than Rs

4 for older kids. This is in addition to transport

costs (at 2006 rates) and Rs 1,000 per month

for cooks and helpers. In Tamil Nadu, the

midday meal organiser gets Rs 7,000 per

month and the cook and helper are paid Rs

5,000 each. Clearly, this is what it takes.

Instead, we short-change our programmes.

This is also because we have inefficient

delivery and we then have to spread what is

available so thinly that it does not really make

a difference.

It is ironical that two decades after Rajiv

Gandhi’s famous and oft-quoted statement

that out of every Rs 1 spent on development

only 15 paisa reaches the poor, we know

nothing more about where it goes and why.

Instead, all we have done is to create new

schemes. Not just every new government but

every new minister now wants his or her own

programme. All derived from the top, while

the bottom is hollowed out.

By Sunita Narain

HISTORY NOTES

Syllabus: Early Structure of the British Raj:

The early administrative structure; From

diarchy to direct control; The Regulating Act

(1773); The Pitt’s India Act (1784); The

Charter Act (1833); The voice of free trade

and the changing character of British colonial

rule; The English utilitarian and India.

Early Structure of the British Raj

The early structure of British rule was based

on twin objectives; to have the East India

Company's monopoly of trade with India and

the control over financial resources of India,

through taxation policy. Both these objectives

were fulfilled without having to disturb the

existing institutions and administrative

apparatus in India. In fact, the nature of

British rule at this stage was no different from

that of traditional rulers of India. At this stage

the British rule was mainly based on the

appropriation of agricultural surplus. In the

field of administration some changes were

made at the top and were linked to the

objective of smooth revenue collection.

The early administrative structure; from

diarchy to direct control

The East India Company territories at the very

initial stage consisted of the presidency towns

of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay and were

governed by the autonomous town councils

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that mostly comprising of merchants. The

councils hardly had enough powers for the

effective management of their local affairs. It

was after Clive's victory at Plassey, that the

East India Company was granted the diwani,

or the right to collect revenue, in Bengal and

Bihar. Since then the issue of governance in

India gained importance. As Company’s

operations in India was run by its servants and

allies there was a grave abuse of power and

maladministration. The East India Company

showed huge losses in its ledger books, even

though its servants returned to Britain with

huge fortunes. The East India Company

requested the British government for loans to

stay afloat. This led to the British government

to step in and formulate rules for the better

management of the affairs of the East India

Company. The British Parliament in 1773

came up with Regulating Act and

subsequently with Pitt’s Act of 1784. Even

though the Charter Act of 1813 extended the

Company rule in India, the powers of the East

India Company was drastically curtailed. The

nature of British rule in India from 1813 to

1858 was diarchy, after that India came under

the direct control of the British crown.

Regulating Act of 1773

The East India

Company in 1770s was

in deep financial crisis.

The Company

approached the British

Parliament to bail it

out from the crisis. The

British Parliament at

this moment decided to overhaul the

management of the East India Company and

passed the Regulating Act of 1773. The Act set

up a system whereby British Parliament

supervised (regulated) the work of the East

India Company.

Provisions of the Regulating Act

The Act limited Company dividends to 6%

subject to payment of the loan and restricted

the Court of Directors to four-year terms. It

prohibited the servants of company from

engaging in any private trade or accepting

presents or bribes from the natives. The Act

elevated Governor of Bengal, Warren Hastings

to Governor-General of Bengal and subsumed

the presidencies of Madras and Bombay

under Bengal's control. The Act named four

additional men to serve with the Governor-

General on the Calcutta Council. A supreme

court was established at Fort William at

Calcutta where British judges were sent to

administer the British legal system.

Pitt’s Act of 1784

The Regulating Act of 1773

proved to be a failure and

so the British government

decided to take a more

active role in the affairs of

the Company. It passed the

Pitt's India Act in 1784 envisaging a joint

government of British India by both the

Company and the Crown with the government

holding the ultimate authority.

Provisions of the Pitt’s Act

A governing board was constituted with six

members, two of whom were members of the

British Cabinet and the remaining from the

Privy Council. The Board also had a president,

who controlled the affairs of the East India

Company. The Act stated that the Board

would henceforth "superintend, direct and

control" the Company’s possessions, in effect

controlling the acts and operations relating to

the civil, military and revenues of the

Company.

The governing council of the Company was

reduced to three members, and the governor-

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general, a crown appointee, was authorised to

veto the majority decisions. The governors of

Bombay and Madras were also deprived of

their independence. The governor-general

was given greater powers in matters of war,

revenue and diplomacy.

A supplementary Act was passed in 1786

whereby Lord Cornwallis was appointed as

the second governor-general of Bengal. He

became the effective ruler of British India

under the authority of the Board of Control

and the Court of Directors. The constitution

set up by Pitt's India Act did not undergo any

major changes until the end of the company's

rule in India in 1858.

Charter Act of 1813

The Charter Act of

1813 was an Act of

the British

Parliament that

renewed the charter

issued to the British

East India Company to rule in India. The

Company's charter had previously been

renewed by the Charter Act of 1793. The

Charter Act of 1813 asserted the Crown's

sovereignty over British India and the

Company's commercial monopoly was ended,

except for the tea trade and the trade with

China. The Act allotted Rs 100,000 to

promote education in India. Its first time

Christian missionaries were allowed to come

to British India and preach their religion. The

power of the provincial governments and

courts in India over European British subjects

was also strengthened by this Act. Financial

provision was also made to encourage a

revival in Indian literature and for the

promotion of science. The next Charter Act

was renewed by the Government of India Act

of 1833.

The voice of free trade and the changing

character of British colonial rule

The nature of colonial rule in India changed

after the renewal of the Charter Act of 1813.

The British interests in India were represented

now by the Industrial capitalist class in Great

Britain. These industrialists raised voice for

free trade. They demanded a market for their

manufactured industrial good. They also

demanded a source of raw material for their

industries and items for exports. All this

required a greater control of Indian economy

and trade. This could be done only through

reforming the administrative institutions of

India. A uniform administrative structure and

modern judicial system for India were

necessary for the fulfilment of British

objectives.

These developments led to the change in

character of British rule in India. It also led to

the beginning of the reform process in

administration and judiciary in India. Since

then the entire administrative and legal

structure was overhauled to promote modern

business, create a market economy, free

commercial relations and to smoothly

regulate various economic transactions in

India.

The English utilitarian and India

The administrative and

legal system introduced

by the British after 1813

did not take shape up

overnight. It had its

intellectual current that

was provided by

'utilitarianism.'

Utilitarianism prescribed a modern machine

of government. Its major exponents were

thinkers like James Mill, Jeremy Bentham

David Ricardo, and John Stuart Mill. All of

them showed a special interest in the India

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and were largely responsible for the

administrative and judicial reforms in India. It

was Macaulay, who pushed the idea of

utilitarianism with great zest. He took up the

codification of laws with vigour. It was the

idea of English utilitarianism that transformed

India into a modern society.

NATIONAL NEWS

Mid-Day meal tragedy at Bihar school

Tragedy struck

at a primary

school in the

village of

Dharmashati

Gandaman in

the Saran district of Bihar on 16 July 2013. At

least 23 students died and dozens more fell ill

after eating a Midday Meal contaminated

with pesticide. The meal cooked at the school

that day consisted of soya beans, rice and

potato curry.

Children aged between four and twelve years

complained that their lunch, served as a part

of the Midday Meal Scheme, tasted odd.

Thirty minutes after eating the meal the

children complained of stomach pain and

soon after were taken ill with vomiting and

diarrhoea.

According to the official count, 23 children

died as a result of the contaminated food.

Parents and local villagers said at least 27 had

died. Sixteen children died on site, and four

others were declared dead upon arrival at the

local hospital. Others died in hospital. Total of

48 students fell ill from the contaminated

food

Initial indications were that the food was

contaminated by an organophosphate, a class

of chemicals commonly found in insecticides.

Officials stated that he cooking oil was placed

in a container formerly used to store

insecticides. Police said the forensic report

confirmed the cooking oil contained "very

toxic" levels of monocrotophos, an

agricultural pesticide.

According to state officials, the school’s

headmistress Meena Kumari had bought the

cooking oil used in the food from a grocery

store owned by her husband. She is arrested

for criminal negligence. The Bihar

government promised a thorough

investigation and offered 2 lakh rupees

compensation for families of the dead

children. At the time of the incident, 89

children were registered with the school.

The United Nations Health agency, the World

Health Organisation (WHO) suggested India in

2009 to consider a ban on Monocrotophos,

the pesticide blamed for the poisoning of mid

day meal in Bihar on 16 July 2013.

The pesticide that killed 23 schoolchildren in

Bihar's Chhapra district was banned in many

countries as per the directions from the WHO,

because of its high acute toxicity. However in

India, Monocrotophos is widely used and

easily available pesticide.

According to WHO, swallowing just 120

milligrams of Monocrotophos can be fatal to

humans? Initial symptoms of taking chemical

are sweating, vomiting, blurred vision and

foaming at the mouth.

WHO had also warned that in India, against

strong International health warnings? Many

pesticide containers are not thrown away

after use but recycled and used for storing

water, food and other consumables items.

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Committee to look into Mid Day Meal

quality

The HRD Ministry

on 18 July 2013

announced setting

up a new

committee to look

into the quality

aspect of the Mid

Day Meal Scheme nationwide. The decision

was taken by the Ministry while responding to

the queries of the media on death of children

in Bihar after taking Mid Day Meal in schools.

The Mid Day Meal Scheme is important for

promoting primary education in the country.

Bihar was alerted about unsatisfactory quality

of food served in government schools in 12

districts and the worst affected Saran district

was one of them.

The Mid Day Meal is the world’s largest school

feeding programme reaching out to about 12

crore children in over 12.65 lakh schools/EGS

centres across the country. It aims to fight

widespread poverty, improve children's

school attendance and health, as a large

number of India's children suffer from

malnutrition. The National Programme of

Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-

NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored

Scheme on 15 August 1995, initially in 2408

blocks in the country.

Telangana, the 29th State of India

announced

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the

highest decision-making

body of Congress Party,

on 30 July 2013 decided to

recommend to the Central

Government to form the

29th State which will comprise of 10 districts.

The districts that will be a part of the new

State are Hyderabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar,

Khammam, Mahaboobnagar, Medak,

Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy and

Warangal.

Hyderabad, the central point of the

Telangana, will be the common capital of the

newly proposed State and the other regions,

Rayalaseema and Andhra for a period of 10

years. A new capital for Andhra will be

identified in Seemandhra region within this

period. Telangana State will have a

geographical area of 10 of the 23 districts of

undivided Andhra Pradesh. Out of 42 Lok

Sabha seats and 294 Assembly seats in Andhra

Pradesh, Telangana is likely to have 17 Lok

Sabha seats and 119 Assembly seats.

Bharat Mobile Scheme to be launched

The Union government of

India on 30 July 2013

planned to launch Bharat

Mobile Scheme under

which one member of

every rural household

who has completed 100 days of work under

MGNREGA can get free mobile device. The

new scheme is aimed at empowerment. The

mobile may be provided per household

preferably to a woman and the handset will

come with a three-year warranty.

The mobile device for The Mahatma Gandhi

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

workers will be non-transferable as it will also

be customized for transfer of benefits of

different government programmes like direct

cash transfers scheme.

According to initial proposal, selected telecom

operators will be asked to provide mobile

devices. Distribution would be done by the

service providers in coordination with district

administration. The mobile numbers in the

device is expected to work as first level

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authentication to identify and inform the

beneficiary of scheme, sources said. Around 5

crore households have been provided work in

year 2012-13.

The proposal for Bharat Mobile Scheme was

mooted by Planning Commission of India.

Political Parties out from the ambit of

RTI ACT

The Union Cabinet of India on 2 August 2013

cleared an amendment to the RTI Act to keep

the political parties out of its ambit. The

cabinet also approved a move to seek a

review of the decision of Supreme Court

barring convicted legislators from holding

their seats pending a hearing on their appeals.

The introduced amendment can be cleared in

the Parliament by simple majority and will

clarify that term, Public Authorities, will not

include the political parties.

Earlier on 3 June 2013, the Central

Information Commission ruled out that the

political parties namely Congress, BJP, BSP,

CPM, NCP and CPI are public authorities as

per RTI Act as these parties are funded

indirectly by the . The Commission also

directed the six political parties to share the

details of their funding with public as the

Public Authorities are answerable to citizens

under the RTI Act. It also asked the political

parties to appoint a appoint Public

Information Officers to respond to RTI queries

and adhere to all the legal provisions.

The RTI Act is the flagship Act introduced by

the Congress in 2005 to increase

transparency.

Indefinite suspension on Genetically

Modified Crops

A Technical Expert

Committee (TEC)

appointed by the

Supreme Court of

India

recommended an indefinite suspension on

open field trials of genetically-modified (GM)

crops till the deficiencies in the regulatory and

safety systems are effectively addressed.

In the final report submitted to the court on 3

July 2013, the panel did not mention 10-year

suspension on field trials as suggested in the

interim report in October 2012. Instead, it

imposed four conditions for meaningful

consideration for allowing trials.

The Panel suggestions were:

• Setting up of a think tank to look into Bio-

safety issues.

• Housing the new Bio-technology regulatory

in either Union Environment or Health

Ministry.

• Identification of specific sites for conducting

tests and mandatory stakeholder participation

as part of risk management strategy.

On successful following of the recommended

conditions, the Technical Expert Committee

(TEC) suggested that the trials should be only

allowed on land owned by GM crop

application and not on leased land.

• In TEC interim report submitted to the

Supreme Court on October 2012, the panel

recommended a ban on field trials of GM

crops until the regulatory system was

completely overhauled.

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• Panel also called for a 10-year suspension

on field trials of BT food crops (which are

modified with the Bacillus thuringiensis gene,

such as the proposed Bt Brinjal), and a

complete ban on field trials of transgenic in

crops which originate in India.

National Land Reform Policy Draft 2013

gives Land Rights to Women

The Union

Government of

India proposed land

reforms for

acknowledging the

women rights and

giving the

ownership to rural

poor women, according to the National Land

Reform Policy Draft 2013 formulated by Union

Ministry of Rural Development released on 18

July 2013.

Highlights of the Draft

• In all Government land transfers, women’s

claims should be directly recognized.

• According to the new policy, all new land

distribution among landless poor families will

be in the women’s name.

• In all land distribution schemes (land related

to surplus land, custodial land, or under the

land ceiling act), the land should be

distributed to rural landless women workers.

• The policy recommends 50 percent of land

holdings given to forest communities should

go to women.

• Under the policy, elderly women and

widows too would gain title to land.

• The policy advises the states to consider the

adoption of a group approach in land

cultivation. Thus, group titles to women’s

group should be granted.

• The policy also asked the state to assess all

uncultivated arable land with the

Government, and give women’s groups such

land in the long term for group cultivation.

Integrated Action Plan helped to reduce

Naxal violence: IAP Data

The Integrated Action Plan

data for 2012-13 revealed

that violence related to

Left-Wing extremism

decreased in 82 Naxal-

affected Districts due to

successful implementation of IAP projects.

The Integrated Action Plan (IAP) started in

2011 with 6090 crore Rupees allocation and

74 percent of the money was utilised with

roads, drinking water facilities, and social

infrastructure like schools and Anganwadi

centres.

Around 1.10 lakh projects were taken up and

77 percent of them were completed by the

end of June 2013. The IAP was monitored by

the Planning Commission through regular

video-conferencing with the district collectors

authorised to use funds as per the local needs

of villages.

About the Integrated Action Plan

• The Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for Selected

Tribal and Backward Districts under the

Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF)

programme covers 82 districts.

• The IAP has been implemented (2010-13)

with a block grant of 25 Crore Rupees and 30

Crore Rupees per District during 2010-11 and

2011-12 respectively.

• A Committee headed by District

Collector/District Magistrate and consisting of

the Superintendent of Police of the District

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and the District Forest Officer was responsible

for implementation of this Scheme.

• The Committee is responsible for drawing

Plan consisting of concrete proposals for

public infrastructure and services such as

School Buildings, Anganwadi Centres, Primary

Health Centres, Drinking Water Supply, Village

Roads, Electric Lights in public places such as

PHCs and Schools etc.

Cyber Crime offenders of younger age

group rising

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

Data between 2008 and 2011 depicted that

around 60 percent of the people arrested for

cyber crimes belonged to the age group of 18

to 30 years. The cyber crimes include activities

such as forgery, obscene publications as well

as hacking.

The NCRB data revealed that from 2008 to

2011, 1184 people were arrested in context

with the cyber crimes and that this number

was on the rise. Additional Deputy

Commissioner (Economic Offences Wing) SD

Mishra explained that most of the offenders

came from the younger generation age group

and that these people were aware of various

means and methods which can be used for

exploiting the cyber space.

Hacking- The records, in the meanwhile, also

revealed that the cases of hacking increased

considerably from 2008 to 2011. There is an

increase from 56 cases of hacking to 826

cases. Almost half of the people arrested in

hacking cases belonged to the age group of 18

to 30 years.

Obscene Publications - The cases under the

obscene publications reached to 496 in the

year 2011 and 63.6 percent offenders came

from 18-30 years of age group. It is important

to mention here that the cases of obscene

publications have increased tremendously,

but still there hasn’t been any case of child

pornography.

Forgery - The

cases of forgery

increased by

more than 400

percent between

2008 and 2011. There was an increase in

number of such reported cases over the time

because of rising awareness. The number of

reported cases in forgery increased, especially

in case of financial losses. Most of such cases

dealt with credit card frauds as well as

Internet banking.

Cyber Security Arms- In those cases, where

the involvement of unique data storage

system as well as certain encryption code is

required, the law enforcement agencies often

make use of private security firms like

Pyramid Cyber Security & Forensics.

International Multilateral Partnership against

Cyber Crime (IMPACT) is the Non-Profit

organisation which has 195 countries as its

members. IMPACT acts like the cyber security

arm of UN and also helps in dealing with the

cyber threats.

Cyber Security can be under threat because of

mobile devices, cloud adoption as well as

malware without the signatures.

Union Government approved a Free

Trade LPG Scheme

The Ministry of

Petroleum and Natural

Gas on 24 July 2013

approved a Free Trade

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LPG (FTL) Scheme for selling five Kg LPG

cylinders through Company Owned Retail

Outlets (COCO) of Oil Marketing Companies

(OMCs). Under the scheme, COCO Retail

Outlets will sell 5 kg LPG cylinders at Non-

domestic (commercial) prices. The LPG sold

under the scheme will be called as Free Trade

LPG (FTL). A five-kg cylinder will cost between

362 rupees and 375 rupees.

The scheme will be launched on a pilot basis

in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and

Bangalore where these cylinders will be sold

with or without domestic pressure regulator

(DPR).

The decision was taken in view of the fact that

over the years, a new category of consumers

have emerged especially in big cities that are

mobile and do not want a permanent LPG

connection but still require LPG for their

needs. Such customers need flexibility for

getting the LPG cylinders as per their

convenience and their needs can also be

fulfilled by smaller quantities of LPG.

The prospective customer at the time of first

sale would only be required to give a copy of

Voter I-Card, Driving license, Pan Card,

Aadhaar Card, Bank Pass book, Employees ID,

Passport, Student ID or any other such

document that can act as a proof of identity.

At the time of first sale cost of equipment

(DPR plus cylinder), cost of product at

prevailing Non- domestic 5kg cylinders price

and administrative charges will be payable.

At the time of subsequent refill only the cost

of product will be payable.

The government scheme would make LPG

available for those citizens who are always on

the move because of their professional needs.

Cyber Security Initiative put on fast track

In a bid to counter

cyber attacks in

economic and social

infrastructure

development, the

Government of India on 19 July 2013,

released the Guidelines for Protection of

National Critical Information Infrastructure.

The first version of the guidelines was

released on 19 July 2013 by National Security

Adviser, Shivshankar Menon.

The detailed document was prepared by the

National Critical Information Infrastructure

Protection Centre (NCIIPC) that functions as a

specialised unit under the National Technical

Research Organisation (NTRO). India’s new

guidelines are an extension of a legislative

recognition under the IT Act 2000.

Guidelines coverage

• In India, the guidelines would initially

include information and communications,

transportation, energy, finance, technology,

law enforcement, security and law

enforcement, Government, space and

sensitive organizations.

• The guidelines present 40 controls for

protection of critical information

infrastructure across sectors. These are

generic and guiding controls, with each

individual sector being left to evolve their own

sector-specific controls.

• Guidelines have been formulated through a

multi-stakeholder Joint Working Group (JWG)

consisting of representatives from the

Government, academia and private sector.

• Joint Working Group was created under the

National Technical Research Organisation

(NTRO)

12

• The JWG held wide consultations with

sector experts and regulators across the key

sectors before finalising the guidelines.

The cyber-security initiative is unique since

given the vast ownership of the private sector

of networks, infrastructure and consumers in

telecom, Internet, banking, civil aviation,

energy and transport sectors.

All owners of different networks and users

will need to actively collaborate with the

NCIIPC, as well as participate to ensure

effective implementation of the guidelines.

Government made Photo Identity

mandatory for purchase of Acid

The Union

government of India

on 16 July 2013

proposed to make

production of Photo

identity card

mandatory for purchase of acid. The

government filed an affidavit in the Supreme

Court in which it listed a number of measures

to curb the sale of acid in the open market.

The shopkeepers will also require licence to

sell the acid. The move comes after Supreme

Court asked the government to submit

guidelines to check open sale of acid, thereby

checking acid attacks on women.

It is estimated that one thousand acid attacks

take place in India every year. The apex court

order came on a PIL seeking framing of a new

law or amendment in the existing laws to deal

with acid attack effectively.

Person in Jail or Police Custody cannot

contest elections: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court in its

landmark Judgement on 11

July 2013 barred Persons in

Jail or Police Custody from the contesting

election for legislative bodies. The Supreme

Court’s decision would help in bringing an end

to the era of the under trial politicians, who

contest elections from behind the bars.

The Supreme Court ruled that only an elector

can contest the polls and the elector ceases

the right to cast vote due to confinement in

prison or being in custody of Police. The court,

however, made it clear that disqualification

will not be applicable to person subjected to

preventive detention, under any law.

The Supreme Court Bench that comprised

Justice AK Patnaik and Justice SJ

Mukhopadhayay, while referring to the

Representation of Peoples’ Act said that the

Act (Section 4 & 5) lays down the

qualifications for membership of the House of

the People and Legislative Assembly and one

of the qualifications laid down is that he must

be an elector.

The court passed the order on an appeal filed

by the Chief Election Commissioner and

others challenging the order of Patna High

Court that barred people in Police custody

from contesting polls. The Judgement of the

Supreme Court has confirmed 2004 ruling of

the Patna High Court that said if - a jailed

person can’t vote, than a jailed person can’t

contest election.

The Apex Court supported the decision of

Patna High Court by quoting “We do not find

any infirmity in the findings of the High Court

in the impugned common order that a person,

who has no right to vote by virtue of the

provisions of sub-section (5) of section 62 of

the 1951 Act is not an elector and is,

therefore, not qualified to contest the

election to the house of the people or the

legislative assembly of a state,”.

The SC Bench in its Judgement cited Section

62(5) of the Representation of People Act,

13

1951 (Acts of Parliament) that no person shall

vote in any election if he is confined in a

prison, whether under a sentence of

imprisonment or transportation or otherwise,

or is in the lawful custody of the police.

Reading sections 4, 5 and 62(5) together, the

apex court came to the conclusion that a

person in jail or police custody cannot contest

election.

This decision of the Supreme Court would bar

the criminal elements from entering the

Parliament and State Assemblies and keep the

house clean.

MGPSY Scheme for Indian workers in

Gulf launched

Union Government of India

on 4 July 2013 announced to

launch Mahatma Gandhi

Pravasi Surakhsa Yojna

(MGPSY), a pension scheme

for blue-collar Indian workers

in the Gulf. The Yojna would

be launched in August 2013. The Pension and

Life Insurance fund scheme, is applicable for

the Overseas Indian workers having

Emigration Check Required, ECR passports.

The announcement was made by the Rajiv

Mehrishi, Secretary of Ministry of Overseas

Indian Affairs in Riyadh. This pension and life

insurance fund scheme would benefit a large

number of oversees Indian Workers. The

MGPSY is aimed towards helping the overseas

Indian workers in saving money for their

retirement, re-settlement in India after their

return and a life insurance that will cover

them against natural death during the period

of coverage.

Benefits of Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Surakhsa

Yojna (MGPSY)

• Government contribution of 1000 rupees

per annum in line with Swavalamban platform

for all MGPSY subscriber who save between

1,000 rupees and 12000 rupees per year in

NPS-Lite.

• An additional government contribution of

1000 rupees per annum by MOIA for the

overseas Indian women workers who save

between 1000 rupees to 12000 rupees per

year in NPS-Lite.

• An Indian overseas workers who save 4000

rupees or more per annum will get an

additional government contribution from the

Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs of 900

rupees towards their Return and

Resettlement

The objective of MGPSY is to encourage and

enable the overseas Indian workers by giving

government contribution to:

• Save for their Return and Resettlement

(R&R)

• Save for their old age

• Obtain a Life Insurance cover against natural

death during the period of coverage

The government contribution available under

the MGPSY is for a period of five years or till

the return of subscribed worker back to India,

whichever is earlier.

President signs Ordinance on Food

Security

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the

ordinance on food security on 5 July 2013

which seeks to give legal rights to 67 per cent

14

of the population over subsidised grains every

month.

Now, with the presidential consent, the bill

will be presented before the Parliament when

it convenes for the Monsoon Session.

The Government had issued the ordinance to

give nation's two-third population the right to

get 5 kg of food grains every month at highly

subsidised rates of 1-3 Rupees per kg amid

political opposition.

The food security arrangements will be the

largest in the world after implementation,

with the government spending estimated at

one lakh 25 thousand crore rupees annually

on supply of about 62 million tonnes of rice,

wheat and coarse cereals to 67 per cent of the

population.

The Food Security Bill was tabled during the

budget session of Parliament, but was not

taken up for discussion because of opposition-

led disturbances of proceedings arising out of

scam-related allegations.

An Ordinance implements Food Bill Approved

by the Union Cabinet.

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Durga Shakti Nagpal

Durga Shakti Nagpal

is an IAS officer of

the 2010 batch

from Uttar Pradesh

cadre. She came

into public view

after taking action

against corruption

and launching a massive drive against illegal

sand mining within her jurisdiction of Gautam

Budh Nagar. She was later suspended by the

government of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly

demolishing an illegal mosque wall. Her

suspension resulted in a large backlash

against the government's order, which was

perceived to be based on flimsy grounds and

there is a growing demand by internet social

media, opposition political parties and IAS

Officers' associations for her suspension to be

revoked.

Durga Shakti Nagpal belongs to Chattisgarh

and has a B.Tech in computer engineering

from Indira Gandhi Delhi Technological

University for Women. She secured an All

India Rank (AIR) of 20 in the Union Public

Service Commission (UPSC) examinations in

2009. She served for over two years in Punjab

as an Assistant Commissioner (Under Training)

with the Mohali district administration.

Sujata Singh is India's new Foreign

Secretary

Prime Minister of India,

Dr. Manmohan Singh on

1 July 2013 approved

the appointment of

Sujata Singh as the Next

Foreign Secretary of India. Sujata Singh of 59

years at present is serving as the envoy to

Germany. She will succeed Ranjan Mathai as

Foreign Secretary, who is due to retire on 31

July 2013. Due to retire in July 2014, Singh has

got an extension of two year in her service

period.

About Sujata Singh

• Sujata Singh is the IFS officer of 1976 batch

• She is the third women to head the foreign

services after Chokila Iyer and Nirupama Rao

• She has served as an under-secretary to

Nepal from 1982-1985 and was later posted in

Europe that includes Italy and France

• She is the daughter of T V Rajeshwar, the

former Intelligence Bureau chief and wife of

15

Sanjay Singh, former secretary (east), who

retired in April 2013

Justice Palanisamy Sathasivam Sworn in

as the Chief Justice of India

The President of India,

Pranab Mukherjee on

19 July 2013

administered the oath

of the office of Chief

Justice of India (CJI) to

Justice Palanisamy

Sathasivam. Justice Sathasivam, 64, is first CJI

from Tamil Nadu and the 40th CJI of India.

The term of his office will be till 26 April 2014.

Justice Palanisamy Sathasivam succeeded CJI

Altamas Kabir who left the office on 18 July

2013.

The oath taking ceremony of CJI Palanisamy

Sathasivam was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in

New Delhi.

The Supreme Court is the highest court of

appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of

the Indian Constitution and Article 124 to 147

states about the composition of Supreme

Court of India. Supreme Court of India

consists of one Chief Justice and 31 judges.

It is important to note that P. Sathasivam on

29 June 2013 was appointed as the next Chief

Justice of India after he justified the

Collegiums System of appointment of Judges.

Veteran Biologist Obaid Siddiqi dead

National Research

Professor at the

National Centre for

Biological Sciences, Tata

Institute of

Fundamental Research (TIFR) Obaid Siddiqi,

died in a Bangalore hospital on 26 July 2013.

He was 81. Siddiqi, met with a road accident

which caused him severe brain injuries.

Siddiqi was honoured with several awards,

including Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan,

and BC Roy Award for Biomedical Research

and Firodia Award for Basic Sciences.

Life Sketch of Obaid Siddiqi

• He was born in 1932 in Uttar Pradesh and

was educated at Aligarh Muslim University

and the University of Glasgow.

• He carried out post-doctoral research at the

Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, University of

Pennsylvania, and the MRC Laboratory in

Cambridge.

• At the invitation of Homi Bhabha, he

established the Molecular Biology Unit at the

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in

Bombay in 1962.

• Thirty years later in 1992, he became the

founding director of the TIFR National Centre

for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, where he

continued to do research until his last days.

• He mapped the fine genetic structure of the

pay A gene and found polarised negative

interference in crossing-over. Later he showed

that recombinant bacteria inherit labeled DNA

of biparental origin.

Tamil Film lyricist Vaali died at the age of

82

82 Years old Veteran

Tamil film lyricist Vaali

died at a private

hospital in Chennai on

18 July 2013. Vaali was

not well and was undergoing treatment at a

private hospital for respiratory problems for a

month and was on ventilator support. A brief

insight into Vaali’s Career

16

• Vaali was born as T S Rangarajan in the

temple town of Srirangam.

• Vaali penned lyrics for stars across

generations, from the veteran M G

Ramachandran (MGR), Kamal Haasan to

present day heroes like Dhanush.

• He worked with star composers of Tamil

cinema like M S Viswanthan and AR Rahman.

• He started his career in the mid-60s and had

penned nearly 10000 songs in his 50 years

long career.

• He had also acted in a few movies which

includes veteran K Balachander-directed

Poikal Kuthirai and Kamal Haasan’s Hey Ram

• He has written two songs in Bharat Bala

directed film Mariyan, starring Dhanush,

which is scheduled for release on 19 July

2013.

• He was honoured with the Padma Shri,

India’s fourth highest civilian honour in year

2007.

• He has also written a number of books

including Naanum Indha Nootrandum, his

autobiography.

• He was also a theatre enthusiast, and had

directed many plays in Tiruchi and Srirangam

and worked for All India Radio as a part-time

employee, before making a foray into the film

world.

Himachal declared as the first Smoke-

free state of the country

Himachal Pradesh on 2 July 2013 was declared

as the first Smoke-free state of the country.

The declaration was made in compliance to

Section 4 of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco

Products Act (COTPA) 2003.

Himachal Pradesh achieved 85.42 percent

compliance with the relevant parameters to

be declared as the smoke-free state.

To eliminate use of tobacco products in the

state, taxes on bids and cigarettes in the state

was raised from 11 and 18 percent to 22 and

36 percent, respectively in the 2013 and 2014

State Budget.

Government grant for Kole Land

Development

A sum of 176.98 crore

Rupees has been

sanctioned for

development of kole

land, announced by P.

C. Chacko, MP and head

of the Thrissur-Ponnani

Kole Development Council.

Kole wetlands cover an area of 13632

hectares in Thrissur and Malappuram districts.

It is a Ramsar site, a wetland of international

importance, designed under the Ramsar

Convention. It accounts for about 40 per cent

of the State’s rice production. They extend

from the Chalakudy River in the south to the

Bharathappuzha in the north.

17

The financial package is directed toward

doubling rice production in kole land. It is

important here to note that at present

farmers are engage in oruppoo which is one

year harvest farming. This should be changed

to iruppoo (two harvests a year) cultivation. In

order to make Iruppoo farming possible new

bunds will be constructed along a 126 km

stretch.

Thrissur-Ponnani Kole Development Council is

working hard to eradicate the traditional

irrigation systems in kole land such as petti

and para which had been found to be

inefficient because of their high power

consumption. Around 1000 such systems

should be replaced by vertical flow pumps.

Bangalore Airport is now Kempegowda

International Airport

The Union Cabinet of India on 17 July 2013

gave approval to rename the Bangalore

International Airport as Kempegowda

International Airport. The demand to rename

the airport was pending since a long time. The

demand came from people of Karnataka along

with the State Government of Karnataka.

Hiriya Kempegowda, who was popularly called

Kempegowda was a ruler under the

Vijayanagar Empire. He ruled almost all the

parts of Karnataka during 16th century. He

moved his capital from Yelahanka to the new

Bangalore. He is said to be the founder of the

city of Bangalore. He built Bangalore Fort.

• Bangalore International Airport (BIA) is the

first and foremost Greenfield Airport in South

India.

• It was commissioned as well as became

operational on 24 May 2008.

• Bangalore International Airport is said to be

the fifth busiest airport of India.

• It has been built over the area of 4000 acres.

National Aviation University at Rae

Bareli, UP

The Union

Cabinet of India

on 11 July 2013

approved the

proposal for

setting up of a

National Aviation University (NAU) in the

name of Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation

University at the District of Rae Bareli in the

State of UP as a Central University for

providing aviation training.

The Cabinet also approved the proposal to

introduce the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation

University Bill, 2013 in the Parliament; to

create a post of Vice Chancellor (with pay

scales on the pattern of Central Universities)

by selection through a Search and Selection

Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary with

members representing Ministries of Civil

Aviation, Personnel & Training and Human

Resource Development and for creation of a

temporary post in the grade of Joint secretary

to Government of India for the position of

Project Director which would be filled up on

deputation basis.

Clean India Campaign launched at Taj

Mahal

The Union Minister

of State for Tourism

K. Chiranjeevi on 24

July 2013 launched

the Clean India campaign at world heritage

site Taj Mahal, Agra.

18

The Clean India Campaign is an initiative of

Union Ministry of Tourism under the 12th Five

Year Plan with the objective to increase

tourist arrivals to the country and to improve

the quality of services and provide a hygienic

environment in and around tourist

destinations across the country.

At this launching ceremony as a part of

Corporate Social Responsibility, ONGC has

taken up the maintenance of the Taj Mahal

complex.

Taj Mahal is the second site to adopt under

this project. The first one was Qutub Minar in

the Delhi which was adopted by the India

Tourism Development Corporation in June

2012.

ONGC will take care of providing drinking

water facilities, cleaning, providing uniform

signage in and around the premises, placing of

garbage bins, various repair and replacement

work, management and garbage clearance,

landscaping, tourist help-desks and

deployment of volunteers for better

management.

In addition to Taj Mahal, ONGC would adopt

five other monuments are the Ellora and

Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, Red Fort in

Delhi, Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad, and

Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, Travellers Choice Attractions

Awards ranked India's Taj Mahal among the

top three landmarks in the world. Taj Mahal

was ranked third in the list of Top 25

landmarks. The top two places were taken by

Machu Picchu in Peru and Angkor Wat in

Cambodia respectively. The winners of

Traveller’s Choice Attractions awards were

determined based on the quality and quantity

of traveller reviews of attractions.

Taj Mahal, listed among the new Seven

Wonders of the World, is renowned the world

over for its architecture and aesthetic beauty.

Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in

memory of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal, the

white marble mausoleum in the northern

Indian city of Agra is also a symbol of enduring

love.

In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage

Site. The Taj Mahal attracts 2-4 million visitors

annually, with more than 200,000 from

overseas. It shares the latest honour alongside

Petra World Heritage Site in Jordan and Bayon

Temple in Cambodia, which are ranked fourth

and fifth respectively in the list of 25 top

landmarks in the world.

INDIAN ECONOMY

Poverty Ratio of India declined to 21.9

per cent in 2011-12

Poverty Ratio in India declined to 21.9 percent

in 2011-12 from 37.2 percent measured in

2004-05 on the basis of the increase in per

capita consumption. The Planning

Commission of India on 23 July 2013 released

its report on the Poverty Estimates for 2011-

12. The report was based on the Large Sample

Surveys on Household Consumer Expenditure

conducted by the National Sample Survey

Office (NSSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and

Programme Implementation.

Poverty Ratio in India

The National Poverty Line estimated for rural

areas during 2011-12 was 816 rupees per

19

capita per month, whereas, for urban areas it

was recorded at 1000 rupees per capita per

month. Thus, for a family of five, the all India

poverty line in terms of consumption

expenditure would amount to about 4080

rupees per month in rural areas and 5000

rupees per month in urban areas. These

poverty lines would vary from State to State

because of inter-state price differentials.

The percentage of persons below the Poverty

Line in 2011-12 has been estimated as 25.7

percent in rural areas, 13.7 percent in urban

areas and 21.9 percent for the country as a

whole. The respective ratios for the rural and

urban areas were 41.8 percent and 25.7

percent and 37.2 percent for the country as a

whole in 2004-05. It was 50.1 percent in rural

areas, 31.8 percent in urban areas and 45.3

percent for the country as a whole in 1993-94.

In 2011-12, India had 270 million persons

below Poverty Line as compared to 407

million in 2004-05, that is a reduction of 137

million persons over the seven year period.

The ratio is based on the methodology that

was suggested by the Suresh Tendulkar

Committee that suggests the factors in money

spent on health and education besides calorie

intake to fix a poverty line. As per Tendulkar

Methodology, the poverty line has been

expressed in terms of MPCE based on Mixed

Reference Period.

Since several representations were made

suggesting that the Tendulkar Poverty Line

was too low, the Planning Commission, in

June 2012, constituted an Expert Group under

the Chairmanship of Dr. C. Rangarajan to once

again review the methodology for the

measurement of poverty. The report on the

recommendation on poverty line made by

Tendulkar Committee from the Rangarajan

committee is likely to be submitted by mid

2014.

Odisha, Bihar showed biggest decline in

percentage of poor

As per the latest data released by

Government on 23 July 2013, Odisha and

Bihar registered the sharpest decline in

poverty levels between 2004-05 and 2011-12.

The proportion of the poor in these states

remains well above the national average.

The government data reveals that in Odisha,

the proportion of people below the poverty

line (BPL) in total population came down from

57.2% in 2004-05 to 32.6% in 2011-12,

marking decline of 24.6 percentage points.

The state of Bihar witnessed a reduction of

BPL by 20.7 percent. In year 2004-05 Bihar

had a BPL share of 54.4% percent in its total

population which drastically came down to

33.7% in year 2011-2012. So, keeping the

statistics as parameter Bihar registered the

fastest growth rate during the 11th five-year

plan (2007-12).

At national level, the share of the BPL

population was estimated at 21.9%, which is

almost 270 million in a population of 1.241

billion which means that every fifth Indian

lives below the poverty line.

On the other hand, the government has set

the bar low and had defined that anyone who

earns 27.20 rupees or less in rural areas as

20

BPL, while one who earns up to 33.30 rupees

a day in urban areas are classified as poor,

though these standard vary from state to

state.

Some facts to be known

• Bimaru, (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,

and Uttar Pradesh) state still remain home to

the maximum number of poor people in the

country.

• Uttar Pradesh has just fewer than 30% of its

population in the BPL group, the number adds

up to almost 60 million.

• Bihar, ranks second in poverty level despite

the improvement, and has 35.8 million poor,

followed by Madhya Pradesh where 23.4

million or 31.6% of the population is BPL.

• Among the Bimaru states, only Rajasthan

has managed to do better than the national

average with the share of BPL in total

population estimated at 14.7% in 2011-12,

compared to 34.4% in 2004-05.

• Rajasthan is enhanced performer than

Gujarat, popular for its rapid growth and good

infrastructure. Gujarat had 16.6% people

below the poverty line.

• On National level, there were 217 million

poor in rural areas and 53 million in urban

areas in 2011-12, as against 326 million and

81 million, respectively, in 2004-05.

Central Data to identify beneficiaries of

Food Security Scheme

The Planning

Commission of India

decided to prepare a

comparative data for

the Department of

Food in order to roll

out the National

Food Security Ordinance in all the States. The

comparative data will be based on NSSO

Statistics, which covers the food consumption

patterns and differential pricing in rural and

urban areas in different States.

This step would help the Union Ministry of

Food and Public distribution to take an

immediate call on the basis of which, it will

allocate food grain to different States for

coverage of 75 percent of the rural population

and 50 percent of the urban population under

the National Food Security Ordinance.

The aim of the Central Government is to

protect the current allocation to States under

the Targeted Public Distribution System,

which will be based on the average lifting of

food grains by States in the last three years.

Identification of beneficiaries

• The work of identification of eligible

households is proposed to be left to the

States/Union Territories.

• The States will have to decide on how to

identify eligible households so that they may

frame their own criteria or use the Social

Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data 2011.

• Poverty levels were de-linked from food

benefits after the controversy over the plan

panel’s 28 Rupees per capita per day spending

definition of rural poverty.

• According to authoritative sources, although

the SECC was not meant for the purpose of

identification of beneficiaries under the food

security legislation, anything else will be

arbitrary as there is no comparable data for

identification of eligible beneficiaries.

21

Reserve Bank of India imposed

restrictions on imports of Gold

The Reserve Bank of India on 22 July 2013

imposed certain restrictions on the import of

various forms of gold by nominated banks,

agencies, premier or star trading houses, SEZ

units, EoUs which have been permitted to

import gold for use in the domestic sector. In

order to narrow down the Current Account

Deficit - CAD and to arrest the fall of rupee,

the Reserve Bank decided to rationalise the

import of gold including import of gold coins

into the country.

In the revised scheme for gold imports, RBI

asked nominated banks and agencies to

ensure that at least one fifth of every lot of

gold imported - in any form or purity - is

exclusively made available for the purpose of

export. They have been asked to sell gold for

domestic use only to entities engaged in

jewellery business or bullion dealers supplying

gold to jewellers.

Further, these banks and agencies will be

required to retain 20 per cent of the imported

quantity of gold in the customs bonded

warehouses. Fresh imports will only be

permitted only after the export of at least 75

per cent of the retained quantity that lies in

the customs bonded warehouse.

The Reserve Bank of India has brought down

the period of realisation and repatriation for

exporters of goods and software to nine

months from earlier 12 months. This move

could shore up foreign exchange inflows. Last

November, RBI had increased the time limit to

bring in export earnings to 12 months, from

six months at that time, in view of global

slowdown. Industry experts said this step has

been taken by the Apex bank as the country is

facing a worsening Current Account Deficit

and the weakening of the rupee against the

US dollar. The rupee has depreciated by over

12 per cent against the dollar since the

beginning of this fiscal.

The Reserve Bank of India has started scrutiny

of nearly 3 thousand companies which could

be carrying out non-banking finance

operations without requisite registration. The

step has been initiated by the Apex Bank in

the wake of concerns about their actual

business activities.

The Reserve bank's move comes against the

backdrop of the government efforts to

crackdown on entities that are illegally raising

large amounts of money from the public. The

Reserve bank has sought details from the

companies about their financials, including

balance sheets, for the last three years,

among others.

Government raised FDI in Telecom Sector

to 100 percent

The Union

Government of India

on 16 July 2013

raised the FDI limit in

Telecom Sector from

74 per cent to 100

per cent. Government also cleared that the

FDI in the Insurance and Telecom sectors will

be up to 49 per cent through automatic route.

The Union Government also mentioned that

FDI the single brand retail would be up to 49

per cent through automatic route and

remaining investments would be directed

through Foreign Investment Promotion Board

(FIPB) route. FDI in asset reconstruction

22

companies will be up to 49 per cent through

automatic route. FDI in Credit Information

Companies has been raised to 74 per cent

from 49 per cent.

The Government also confirmed that the FDI

in Defence Production will continue to be 26

per cent. However, it will be directed through

FIPB route for state of art technologies, and

investment beyond that will go to Cabinet

Committee on Security.

The decision was taken in a meet chaired by

Prime Minister and attended by the Cabinet

Ministers. The decisions were made to boost

the Foreign Direct Investment in the country.

RBI announced slew of measures to curb

Rupee volatility

The Reserve Bank

of India (RBI) on

15 July 2013

announced

measures to deal

with rupee

volatility which

includes lifting of two interest rates by 200

basis points each and a planned sale of 120

billion rupees (2 billion dollars) of government

bonds on July 2013.

RBI has also adjusted the Marginal Standing

Facility (MSF) and the Bank Rate to 10.25%

each which were 8.25% previously. The repo

rate was kept unchanged at 7.25%. It is worth

mentioning here that the rupee in second

week of July 2013 hit a record low of 61.21 to

the dollars.

The RBI also hiked the lending rates for banks

and had absorbed 12000 crore Rupees in

order to make the currency more high-priced.

What is Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)?

The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) which

was introduced during the 2011-12 period is

the rate at which banks can borrow from the

central bank at an increased rate against

government securities during times of tight

cash. The bank rate is a linked to the MSF.

RBI in second week of July 2013 BI had asked

over oil firms to source all of their 8-8.5 billion

of dollar needs every month for import of oil,

from a single public sector bank. It also

banned banks from trading in currency

futures and exchange-traded currency options

market on their own.

India achieved a record production of

Pulses

India achieved

a record

production of

18.45 million

tonnes of

pulses in the

2012-13 crop year ended June 2013. This

augurs well for the country which is

dependent on imports to meet the shortfall of

around 3 to 4 million tonnes. Higher support

price prompted farmers to grow pulses.

According to the 4th advance estimates

released today, overall food grain production

is projected at 255.36 million tonnes, which is

lower than the record 259.29 million tonnes

achieved in the previous crop year.

In food grains category, rice production has

been revised upward to 104.4 million tonnes

from 104.22 million tonnes and coarse cereals

to 40.06 million tonnes from 39.52 million

tonnes in the third estimates. However,

wheat output has been revised downward to

92.46 million tonnes from 93.62 million

tonnes.

23

INDIAN DEFENCE

INS Trikand commissioned into Indian

Navy

INS Trikand, a

frigate built in the

Russian Federation,

was commissioned

into the Indian Navy

Saturday at

Kaliningrad in Russia

by Vice Admiral R.K. Dhowan, vice chief of the

naval staff, an official release said.

The commissioning of INS Trikand marks the

culmination of a three ship contract for

"Follow On Talwar Class" ships built in Russia

and was a milestone in the Indo-Russian

military-technological cooperation, said the

release issued here.

"Her sister ships INS Teg and INS Tarkash were

commissioned last year and are now

undertaking operations as part of the Western

Fleet," the release said.

INS Trikand carries a state-of-the-art combat

suite which includes the supersonic BRAHMOS

missile system, advanced surface-to-air

missiles Shtil, upgraded A190 medium range

gun, electro-optical 30 mm close-in weapon

system, anti-submarine weapons such as

torpedoes and rockets and an advanced

electronic warfare system.

The ship is powered by four gas turbines and

is capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots, it

said.

INS Trikand has a complement of about 300

personnel including officers. The ship will

soon undertake her maiden passage to India

to join her sister ships of Western Fleet, the

release said.

Creation of Strike Corps along China

border gets approval

The Cabinet

Committee on

Security (CCS) on

17 July 2013 gave

an approval to the

proposal of Army to

raise a Mountain Strike Corps along the entire

Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The

committee also gave its go ahead to

deployment of 50000 additional troops along

the border with China at an expense of 65000

crore rupees.

The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the

proposal after a meet. The proposal got the

clearance from CCS after the return of

Defence Minister, A.K. Antony from Beijing.

This would be the fourth Strike Corp of India

and has been designed mainly for offensive

operations into enemy land, whereas, the

mountain corps is the first dedicated strike

corps for offensive mountain warfare. The

other three strike corps in existence is based

close to border of Pakistan and is armed to

fight land battle. The existing Strike Corps in

the force include the 1, 2 and 21 Corps.

As per the proposed plan, the Mountain Strike

Corps will have its headquarters at Panagarh

in West Bengal with two of its divisions in

Bihar and Assam and other units from Ladakh

in Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

For the first time, this strike corps would

provide India the capability to launch

offensive action into the Tibet Autonomous

Region (TAR). For rapid reaction, the corps will

have two high-altitude divisions also.

In 2009-10, two new infantry divisions at

Lekhapani and Missamari were raised in

Assam and are tasked for defending

24

Arunachal Pradesh. To enhance the missile

and fighter capabilities along the borders of

China, India is looking forward for

development of infrastructure to match-up

with the military capabilities of China.

Whereas, China by now has developed five

fully-operational airbases, 58000 km of roads

an extensive rail network along the Indian

border and.

Following the provisions of plan, Indian Air

Force (IAF) would deploy assets of force

multiplier mid-air refuelling tankers, C-130J

Super Hercules Special operations Aircraft at

the headquarters of Strike Corps at Panagarh.

The Army will also get a number of new

armoured and artillery divisions along with it

to be deployed along the Northeast region.

Apache attack choppers for Strike Corps

The mountain strike corps sanctioned for the

Army for deployment along the China border

will have an aviation brigade that may include

the Apache attack choppers.

The corps was sanctioned by the Cabinet

Committee on Security (CCS) yesterday at a

cost of Rs 65,000 crore and would involve

rising of around 50,000 troops for it.

The new corps may have the Apache attack

choppers as the Defence Ministry has given

permission to the Army for having a separate

case for procuring the American-

manufactured helicopters, sources told PTI

here.

The Army and the IAF were engaged in a

tussle for control over the attack helicopter

fleet in which the government decided in

favour of the former.

The two forces then contested for the 22

Apache attack choppers being procured from

the US by the IAF but the Defence Ministry

decided that they would remain with the IAF

and the future assets would be given to the

Army.

The government has given permission to the

Army for pursuing a separate Foreign Military

Sales-route procurement on the issue, they

said.

Under the plans, the new strike corps will

have two Mountain Infantry divisions

including around 18 infantry battalions along

with independent brigades of artillery, air

defence and elements of combat engineers

and mechanised forces.

The corps will take around six years to be

raised along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)

and new formations would be raised from

Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

Women officers to be inducted in BSF

The government

of India for the

first time in

Month of July

2013 has given

its nod for

recruitment and commissioning of women

officers in BSF, the border guarding force.

As per the BSF, Young women under and up

to the age of 25 years will be recruited as

direct entry officers in the rank of Assistant

Commandants (ACs), and these officers are

expected to be posted to lead their troops

along the two most crucial borders the BSF

guards at present-- Pakistan and Bangladesh.

25

To the present time women could only get

into the combat uniform in the officer cadre

in two other central security forces, the

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which

are tasked to carry out a variety of duties in

the internal security domain and not along

Indian frontiers as these forces are not

mandated for border guarding duties.

It is important to mention here that, at a time

when India has so many women troops in

these forces there were no women combat

commanders. Though, having male officers

was not a problem but deputing women as

leaders surely sends the message that they

are second to none and can do any task given

to them.

This first batch of women officers will be on

ground by late 2014 and their recruitment will

be completed by December 2013.

Two other border guarding forces, the Indo-

Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Sashastra

Seema BAL (SSB) also do not have women

officers in combat roles although they have a

good number of women personnel in their

constabulary.

• The Border Security Force had first inducted

women constables for regular security duties

in 2009 and at present it has about 700 such

personnel.

• The force is also the second largest

paramilitary of the country with two lakh

personnel in its ranks.

• The government will recruit a total of 110

fresh officers in BSF this year while sanction

has been given to induct 138 such ranks in the

CRPF and 56 in CISF.

• There is no cap on the number of women

taking up these posts as the selection is based

on merit under the recruitment exam

conducted by the UPSC.

• After being recruited and commissioned as

ACs, these women officers can rise and get

promotions to become Deputy Commandants

and Commandants of an operational company

(about 100 personnel) or a full battalion

(approximately 1000 personnel) in the BSF.

IAF's C17s Globe master-III takes maiden

flight to Andaman & Nicobar Islands

The IAF’s latest

acquisition C-17

Globe master-III

made its maiden

flight to the

Andaman &

Nicobar Islands on 30 Jun 2013. Climbing an

altitude of 28000 feet with an unrefueled

range of 2400 nautical miles, the aircraft

landed at Port Blair to induct the rotational

Infantry Battalion into the Andaman &

Nicobar Islands.

Manufactured by Messrs Boeing of the United

States, the C-17 Globe master-III is a heavy-lift

transport military aircraft, developed for the

United States Air Force (USAF). India has

become the largest customer, of this

sophisticated aircraft, after the United States.

C-17 Globe master-III is 174 feet in length,

with a wing span of 170 feet. The maximum

all up weight is 265350 kg, with an ultra

modernized palletized cargo handling

capability.

26

India's Prahaar missile to be tested by

DRDO

A prototype Prahaar tactical-range

surface-to-surface missile was sent for flight

testing at Site III at the Integrated Test Range

(ITR), Chandipur, Orissa, on 19 July, according

to local press reports.

Prahaar (Sanskrit: Strike) is a solid-fuelled

surface-to-surface guided short-range tactical

ballistic missile developed by DRDO of India. It

will be equipped with Omni-directional

warheads and could be used for striking both

tactical and strategic targets.

The 150 km range Prahaar looks similar to

India's Advanced Air Defence interceptor

missile and is probably a derivative of the

latter missile.

It is designed to be fired from a wheeled

launch vehicle that carries six ready-to-fire

missiles, and requires two to three minutes to

prepare to launch. Designed to deliver

conventional warheads, Prahaar could enter

service later this year or some time in 2014.

BrahMos bags orders worth Rs 25,000

crore

BrahMos, the world's

first supersonic cruise

missile developed by

the Indo-Russian joint

venture BrahMos

Aerospace, has

already bagged orders worth Rs 25,000 crore

from the Indian defence forces.

Having started deliveries to the Indian Army

and Navy, the joint venture is slated to

commence deliveries of a slightly modified

version to the Indian Air Force from 2015.

It has attracted world attention mostly

because of the flexibility of using multiple

platforms to launch the 290-km- range missile

and low cost.

“There is lot of export opportunity, with about

14 countries showing interest. However, there

are issues like the country’s security interests

and what model (of the missile) that can be

exported,” A. Sivathanu Pillai, CEO and

Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace,

told mediapersons on the sidelines of an

industry consortium meet here today.

Russia, which holds 49.5 per cent stake in the

joint venture, has already indicated its

willingness to allow for export of the missile

to some countries, while India is yet to take

any decision.

Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, speaking

at the consortium meet, also said that many

countries were showing interest in it. He felt

that India and Russia should explore

possibilities of using this opportunity to

export the system to select and friendly

countries.

He was optimistic that the production order

for BrahMos would rise from $7 billion to $10

billion by 2015.

The joint venture is currently working on a

slightly modified version of the missile to suit

the needs of the Indian Air Force. It is being

fitted to the Air Force’s deep-strike Sukoi

aircraft.

“Because of the size and weight of the missile,

we are fitting the aircraft with one missile

each. By this year-end, we will conduct flight

trials with weight simulated missile (not

27

having propellant) and by mid-next year we

will have the live flight trials. We will be ready

for induction with the Air Force by 2015,”

Pillai said.

The joint venture will later start work on new

versions of the missile such as a hypersonic

model.

Trials of indigenous Arjun Mark II tank in

final stage

The advanced

version of the

indigenous

Arjun Mark II

main battle

tank would go

for final trials

in the first week of August in the Mahajan

ranges of Rajasthan where its missile-firing

capabilities and other upgrades would be put

to test by the Army.

The Army had asked for 93 improvements to

the tank which include the capability of firing

the anti-tank LAHAT missile, laser protection

suite and improved armoured protection for

the vehicle, they said.

After the trials are completed successfully, the

tank would be ready for induction into the

force by the beginning of next year.

Army officials said of the 124 Arjuns ordered

by the force, 120 have been inducted and are

part of armoured regiments deployed in the

borders with Pakistan.

The Army had asked the DRDO to carry out

further upgrades on the next order of another

124 tanks which will be named as Arjun MikII.

The second order for 124 tanks was placed by

the Army after comparative trials between

the Arjun and the Russian-origin T-90 tanks in

the Pokhran testing range couple of years ago.

As per DRDO, Arjun Mark II can fire missiles,

has advanced Explosive Reactive Armour

panels, mine plough, Automatic Target

Tracking, Advanced Land Navigation System,

digital control harness and advanced

commander panoramic sight among other

features.

Arjun will have a better gun barrel with an

Equivalent Firing Charge (strength of the

barrel to sustain firing) of 500 rounds against

the T 72's 250 rounds.

The Chennai-based Combat Vehicle Research

and Development Establishment had designed

the Mark II version of MBT at its facility there.

DRDO to conduct Nag missile test trials

soon

The missile complex of Defence Research and

Development Organisation (DRDO) here has

been working on making Nag, a third-

generation 'Fire-and-Forget' anti-tank missile

for the past few years. It was almost a year

ago when the Anti Tank Guided Missile

(ATGM) failed in its user trials by the Indian

Army in Rajasthan.

DRDO blamed it upon the high temperatures

in the desert where the tests were conducted

to bring the target temperature to the same

level as that of the ambient temperature.

V G Sekaran, chief controller R&D (Missiles &

Strategic Systems) and programme director,

Agni, told TOI that trials for Nag with new

‘more sensitive’ and ‘higher resolution’

seekers being developed by the Research

Centre Imarat (RCI) of DRDO here will be

conducted by this month end. ‘Nag’ is the

28

baby of Defence Research and Development

Laboratory (DRDL) of DRDO.

According to G Satheesh Reddy, DRDL

director, the new seekers would perform well

even in extremely hot temperatures with

more efficiency and accuracy in hitting targets

with new improved detectors on the missile

tip for sensing heat or infra red signals.

Dwelling into the reasons for the past failures,

Avinash Chander scientific advisor to raksha

mantra and secretary Defence Research &

Development and director general DRDO

(Defence R&D Organisation), the high

temperatures during the peak day hours in

the desert resulted in heating up of the

targets to the extent that it was the same as

the surroundings.

“As such, the seekers, which worked well

otherwise till up to four kilometres or so,

could not differentiate between the target

object and the surroundings. Accuracy under

such conditions worked well only till a limited

range and now we are working on developing

more sensitive and higher resolution seekers”,

he said, adding that the Indian Army will also

participate in the development trials this

month-end.

The DRDO chief claimed that once developed

as per specifications, other foreign ATGMs

currently being used by India shall be no

match to ‘Nag’. DRDO reportedly is also

working on making the future versions of the

missile lighter even though it is fired from a

special Russian origin Infantry Combat Vehicle

BMP-2 (named as ‘Namica’ or the Nag Missile

Carrier) in its terrestrial version. Meanwhile, a

couple of months after these user trials failed,

the government which so far has spent Rs

1,700 crore on Nag, had to give its nod for

procuring second generation 10,000 Russian

Konkurs-M, Anti Tank Guided Missiles at a

cost of Rs 1,200 crore for infantry formations

of the Indian Army. Though DRDOP has

shelved its plans to build a wire-guided

system for Nag, it continues to work on

‘Helina’, the helicopter or air launch version of

Nag.

ENVIRONMENT NEWS

Rice for Olive Ridley conservation

scheme

The Government

of Odisha in July

2013 announced

Rice for Olive

Ridley

Conservation

(ROrC) scheme for the year 2013 in order to

help the fishermen families affected by seven-

month ban on marine fishing at Odisha

coastal areas.

The identification of beneficiaries under Rice

for Olive Ridley Conservation (ROrC) Scheme

was announced on 22 July 2013.

• The main aim of the ROrC scheme is to help

the fishermen families who are affected by

seven-month ban on marine fishing as an

Olive Ridley turtle protection measure.

• ROrC is a livelihood supported package for

poor fishermen communities to ensure them

food security.

• Under the scheme, each family will be

provided with 25 kg of rice at subsidised rate

of Re 1 per kg every month.

• The fishermen will be provided with special

eligibility cards to avail the subsidised rice.

The cards will entitle them to get the rice

from PDS retailers of Food Supplies and

Consumer Welfare Department each month.

• Out of the 10133 identified beneficiaries,

6255 families are from Kendrapara district.

29

The rest of the targeted families are from

Puri, Ganjam and Bhadrak districts.

Due to prohibition of fishing from 1 November

to 31 May each year, the fishing communities

are adversely affected with depletion of

income sources.

The bulk of the affected families are from

Kendrapara as the coastal district is home to

the restricted sea corridors of Gahirmatha

Marine Sanctuary. The coast of Orissa in India

is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive-

ridley turtle.

The Central Empowered Committee of the

Supreme Court had passed directions in April

2004 for protection of endangered Olive

Ridley turtles.

Polluter Pay Principle on the Yamuna

River

The National

Green Tribunal

(NGT) bench

headed by

Swatanter Kumar

on 22 July 2013

invoked the Polluter Pays Principle to deal

with the problem of pollution and dumping of

debris on the Yamuna bank. The NGT orders ;

• Any person found dumping debris on the

river bank at any site will have to pay 5 lakh

Rupees for causing pollution. The offender

will also have to remove the debris.

• The fine so imposed shall be recovered from

the person who is responsible for dumping of

debris- truck owner as well as person to

whom the debris belongs - by whose property

demolition the debris have been created.

• Even the contractor who is carrying on the

business of dumping of debris shall be equally

responsible.

• The Tribunal directed all concerned

authorities, including the Delhi Development

Authority, East Delhi Municipal Corporation

and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to

ensure that all debris is removed by 15 August

2013.

• The Tribunal gave the time till August 2013

to the Secretary of the Ministry of

Environment and Forests to constitute an

Expert Committee to finalise the Yamuna

preservation and beautification plan.

The Tribunal order came on the backdrop of a

petition filed by Manoj Misra of the Yamuna

Jiyo Abhiyan, which has opposed the dumping

of debris and construction waste on the banks

of The Yamuna River.

Kisaan portal for sending SMS to farmers

launched

President Pranab Mukherjee on 16 July 2013

launched a Kisaan Portal for sending SMS

through mobile phones to the farmers across

the country.

The SMS initiative is an instant and non-

intruding medium communication enabling

the farmers to take informed decision relating

to different aspects of farming and weather

forecasts

The Kisaan Portal directly aimed at spreading

information, advisories and services through

SMS to more than 12 crore farmers across the

country. Farmers will need to register for this

service by calling Kisaan Call Centre on the toll

30

free number 1800-180-1551 or through the

web portal.

Advantages of the SMS Advisories

• The SMS advisories and alerts is supposed to

help farmers in taking informed decisions

relating to different aspects of farming

including crop production and marketing,

animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries.

• The farmers can opt to receive SMS

messages customized to their specific

requirements.

• Weather forecast SMS and alerts will enable

farmers in planning, farming operations

effectively and taking the best suited action to

deal with adverse weather conditions.

• Advisories on disease/pest outbreak will

also help the farmers immensely to take

immediate actions to secure their crops and

animals. Advisories on best practices, such as

selection of better suited crop variety/ animal

breed, will lead to better farm productivity

and higher income to the farmers.

• Timely market information will be provided

through SMS ad will give the farmer better

bargaining power which in turn assist farmers

in taking better decisions about sale of his

produce.

• SMS advisories will also include soil test

results, selection of fertilizer and its dosage,

and also information on various programmes

so that farmers can make the best use of

assistance and know-how being made

available by the Government.

Global Warming will make Indian

monsoon worse and unpredictable

Scientists of the

Potsdam Institute

for Climate

Impact Research

in the month of

June 2013 have found that the pattern of the

Indian monsoon is supposed to change under

global warming in the future.

Research supported with Computer

simulations and a comprehensive set of 20

state-of-the-art climate models shows that

Indian monsoon daily variability might

increase. The ongoing ups-and-downs of

Indian monsoon rainfall are likely to increase

under warming.

It is found by the Scientist that a 4% to 12%

variability change of daily monsoon rainfall in

India is to be expected with 1 degree Celsius

of warming. There is also a chance of 13% to

50% change in variability will take place if

greenhouse gases continue to be emitted

unabated.

As per the analysis if global warming would be

limited to the internationally acknowledged

threshold of 2 degrees Celsius of global

warming, this would bear the risk of

additional day-to-day variability between as

8% to 24%.

It is important here to note that about 80% of

annual rainfall in India occurs during the

monsoon season from June through

September. Factors that could disturb rainfall

regularity include the higher holding capacity

of moisture of the warmer air, but also more

complex phenomena like cooling in the higher

atmosphere which changes current pressure

and thereby rainfall patterns.

The researchers focused on the 10 models

with the most realistic monsoon pattern - a

31

conservative approach, as these 10 models

yield generally lower rates of change. The

other 10 models showed higher rates of

change.

Sethusamudram canal will benefit future

generations

DMK president M.

Karunanidhi

Monday said his

demand for

implementation of

the

Sethusamudram

Shipping Canal Project (SSCP) is for the benefit

of the future generations and not for his own

publicity.

Leading the party's state-wide protest at

Nagapattinam, 320 km from here,

Karunanidhi said: "We are demanding the

project for the future generations."

Karunanidhi said he or his party cadres would

not benefit from the project.

The DMK held the protest demanding that the

Tamil Nadu government withdraw its

submission to the Supreme Court opposing

the project and early implementation of the

scheme.

Karunanidhi said former chief minister and

DMK founder C.N. Annadurai and the founder

of AIADMK M.G. Ramachandran were in

favour of the project while the current state

government is against it.

According to him, the project would bring

economic prosperity to the state.

Various DMK leaders led the agitation in

different parts of the state.

The Sethusamudram project envisages

dredging of a channel across the Palk Strait

between India and Sri Lanka to allow ships to

sail between the east and west coasts of India,

instead of circumventing the island nation.

The project hit a road block with petitions

filed in the apex court to stop demolition of

Ram Sethu/Adam's Bridge in the Palk Strait as

Hindus believe it was built by Lord Rama to

reach Sri Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from

the clutches of demon king Ravana.

The Tamil Nadu government under

Jayalalithaa demands the Ram Sethu/Adam's

Bridge be called a national monument and

contends that its demolition would impact

marine ecology in that region.

SC seeks status report on ' Tiger’

conservation plans

New Delhi, July 11

(IANS) Making it

clear that there

would be no let

up in efforts to

save tigers, the Supreme Court Thursday

asked the National Tiger Conservation

Authority (NTCA) to file a status report on the

states that have submitted conservation plans

for approval following a direction last year.

"We have assumed jurisdiction on behalf of

tigers as nobody is interested in them," a

bench of Justice A.K.Patnaik and Justice M.Y.

Eqbal said.

The court asked Additional Solicitor General

Indira Jaising to file a status report on which

state governments had complied with its Oct

16, 2012, directions for preparing a tiger

conservation plan (TCP) for the NTCA's

approval.

By the order, the court, while lifting ban on

tourism-related activities in core areas of tiger

reserves, had asked the concerned state

governments to prepare conservation plans

within six months.

32

As some applicants wanted to make

submission in respect of the guidelines issued

by the NTCA Oct 15, 2012, Justice Patnaik

then said that anyone who is aggrieved by the

said guidelines can move the court

challenging them.

Meanwhile, the court gave Madhya Pradesh

government another six months time to

prepare a TCP for its Panna Tiger Reserve.

Appearing for the Madhya Pradesh

government, senior counsel Vivek Tankha told

the court that tigers were reintroduced in

Panna and entire wild life department staffs

including its field director were involved in the

protection of grown-up cubs and the

reintroduced tigers.

The court was told that it was "very difficult"

for the field director to prepare a meaningful

TCP for the reserve - spread over 1578.551

square km that includes core as well as buffer

zones -within the stipulated time period.

Since it was a time consuming exercise, the

state government urged the court to grant it

another six months time. The court was

informed that Madhya Pradesh government

had already submitted TCPs for its other five

tiger reserves.

Agartala going green with piped cooking

gas, CNG vehicles

Agartala, July 8

(IANS) Tripura's

capital city is

planning to go

green in a big way.

Households would be provided piped cooking

gas connections and thousands of vehicles

would switch over to CNG from petrol or

diesel by next year, a minister said Monday.

"Our aim is to make Agartala a green city

(and) first of its kind in eastern India,"

Industries and Commerce Minister Jitendra

Chowdhury told reporters here.

"By next year, all the households in Agartala

would be covered by piped natural gas (PNG)

connections for cooking. Already 12,200

households are connected with PNG," he said.

He said a large number of industrial units,

hotels and crematoria were already running

on PNG.

"In issuing vehicle permits, priority is given to

those running on CNG (compressed natural

gas) which is cost-effective and extremely

environment-friendly," he said.

Agartala is home to about 400,000 people and

has around 100,000 vehicles.

Flanked by officials of Tripura Natural Gas

Company Ltd (TNGCL), the minister said about

4,000 auto-rickshaws and over 1,100 other

vehicles had already been fitted with CNG

kits.

The TNGCL, a joint venture of GAIL (India)

Limited and the Tripura and Assam

governments, has been supplying PNG and

CNG in the city.

The TNGCL has three CNG supply stations in

the city and four more would be

commissioned soon, officials said.

According to an official, TNGCL was set to

execute a Rs.57-crore business plan over the

next five years to develop infrastructure for

the green initiative.

"Agartala is the only city among 415 cities and

small towns in the eight north eastern states

where CNG and PNG are being used in a big

way," the official added.

According to TNGCL managing director M.C.

Deogam, after Maharashtra, Tripura ranks

33

second in the rate of CNG-conversion of

vehicles.

States fail to implement E-Waste

handling rules, says study

Most of India's

states have failed

to implement e-

waste rules in the

country which

came into being in

2011, according to a study released.

The study 'E-waste Management in India -

Role of State Agencies' by Toxics Link exposes

the lack of effort and action by most state

pollution control boards and committees.

"The implementing agencies have failed to

put any systems in place, even two years after

the rules coming into force," the study said.

The union environment ministry has come out

with rules to address issues of health and

environmental damage caused by improper

recycling and disposal of rapidly mushrooming

e-waste.

"This deficiency is reflective of lack of

application and commitment to improve

environmental management in the country

and the need for some stringent measures to

change this situation," said Ravi Agarwal,

director, Toxics Link.

According to the rules, state pollution control

boards were required to undertake inventor

inaction of waste in their respective states but

only a couple of states have completed this.

The state pollution control boards and

committees are the agencies responsible for

monitoring the implementation of E-waste

Management and Handling Rules, 2011.

However, with no initiatives to create

compliance mechanisms and no action taken

against violators, large electronic brands have

been continuing to brazenly defy the letter

and spirit of the rules.

Management of e-waste is critical in India,

owing to its exponential growth and the

rudimentary recycling practices prevalent in

the unorganized sector.

Studies so far indicate that 8 lakh tonnes of e-

waste is generated in India annually, a figure

expected to go up 500 times by 2030.

The study also exposes the absence of any

public information on most pollution controls

boards with as many as 15 of the 35 boards

do not even have any information related to

e-waste on their websites, their key public

interface point.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

INSAT-3D, Advanced Weather Satellite

launched

INSAT-3D, the

advanced

meteorological

satellite of India

was launched

successfully by

the European rocket, Arianespace's Ariane 5

rocket, from the spaceport of Kourou in

French Guiana on 26 July 2013. The satellite

will give a push to the weather forecasting as

well as help in facilitating disaster warning

services.

Features of INSAT-3D

• The new satellite, INSAT-3D will be

operational for next seven years, i.e., up to

2020.

• The aim of the satellite is to make a crucial

difference to the disaster warning systems as

well as weather forecasting of India.

34

• INSAT-3D will also provide monitoring of the

ocean as well as land areas, apart from

providing meteorological observation.

• INSAT-3D will facilitate new dimension to

the weather monitoring because of its

atmospheric sounding system. The

atmospheric sounding system provides the

vertical profiles of integrated ozone, humidity

as well as temperature, from top of the

atmosphere.

• It is important to note that the imaging

system and mechanism of INSAT-3D has a lot

of improvement in comparison to INSAT-3A as

well as KALPANA.

• The satellite has the lift-off mass of 2060 kg.

• It will facilitate continuity to the previous

missions as well as also help in increasing the

capability of providing meteorological and

search and rescue services.

• INSAT-3D carries the newly developed 19

channel sounder, which is the first payload of

this kind to be flown to the ISRO satellite

mission.

• INSAT-3D has the facility of Search and

Rescue payload which catches as well as

relays the alert signals that originate from

distress signal of maritime, aviation and land

based users to the Indian Mission Control

Centre located at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking

and Command Network in Bangalore.

The primary users of the Satellite Aided

Search and Rescue service in India include

Directorate General of Shipping, Defence

Services, fishermen, Indian Coast Guard as

well as Airports Authority of India.

The alert services include a wide area of

Indian Ocean region, as well as covers Sri

Lanka, Tanzania, India, Bangladesh, Nepal,

Seychelles, Bhutan and Maldives.

The information of oceanographic,

hydrological as well as meteorological data

from the uninhabited locations over the

coverage area from Data Collection Platforms

(DCPs) such as Agro Met Stations, Automatic

Rain Gauge and Automatic Weather Station,

as well as remote locations will be collected

by the Data Relay Transponder (DRT).

First Navigational Satellite IRNSS-1A

Launched

India on 1 July

2013

successfully

launched its

first dedicated

navigation

satellite,

IRNSS-1A from Sriharikota. With this launch,

India has stepped into the new era of its space

applications. The data collected by the

satellite would help the country in a series of

fields like disaster management, fleet

management, vehicle tracking and marine

navigation.

About the Satellite

• IRNSS-1A is the first of the seven satellites

constituting the space segment of the Indian

Regional Navigation Satellite System. The

entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is

planned to be completed by 2015-16.

• IRNSS-1A is designed to provide accurate

position information service to users in the

country as well as the region extending up to

1500 km from its boundary, which is its

primary service area.

• IRNSS-IA is among the first seven satellites

that constitutes the Indian Regional

Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) Space

Segment. The mission has a life of 10 years.

35

• The satellite was launched into the satellite

was placed satellite in its Geosynchronous

Circular Orbit at 55 deg East longitude.

• The navigational payload of the IRNSS-1A

will transmit the service signals of navigation

to users with its operations in L5 of 1176.45

MHz and S Band of 2492.028 MHz The

Rubidium atomic clock and the ranging

payload of the C Band transponder would

facilitate accurate determination of the range

of IRNSS

IRNSS Applications

• Mapping and geodetic data capture with

precise timing

• Visual and voice navigation for drivers,

• Integration with mobile phones and

terrestrial

• Aerial and marine navigation,

• Terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and

travellers.

First Hydrogen-Powered Fuel Cell Bus

developed

Tata Motors Limited

(TML) and Indian

Space Research

Organisation, in

collaboration,

developed the first

Hydrogen-powered automobile bus of India,

after various years of research. The first

hydrogen fuel-fitted bus of India was put on

demonstration at the ISRO facility- Liquid

Propulsion Systems Centre in Mahendragiri in

Tamil Nadu on 28 July 2013.

Primary features of the Hydrogen-powered

automobile bus

• The Hydrogen-powered automobile bus is

the CNG kind of a bus.

• A top the bus, the Hydrogen in bottles at

high pressure is stored, which would lead to

zero pollution.

• These hydrogen bottles or cells were a by-

product of the cryogenic technology and ISRO

had been working on the development of this

since past few years.

• The technology used in Hydrogen-powered

automobile bus is not exactly like the

cryogenic technology. It is actually the liquid

hydrogen handling, where ISRO has expertise.

• The bus would lead to zero pollution

because the product of cold combustion

would be just water.

The entire project is a team work of Tata

Motors and ISRO specialists along with the

contribution from PESO (Petroleum and

Explosive Safety Organisation) and DSIR

(Department of Scientific and Industrial

Research)

ISRO to improve Transponder allocation

norms

The Indian Space

Research Organisation

(ISRO) has planned to

revisit the SatCom Policy

2000 to improve the

guidelines related to allocation and pricing of

satellite transponders for public and non-

government users. A revisit to the allocation

norms has been increasingly felt in recent

years as ISRO’s user groups have far

outgrown, both in public and private sector.

By improving the guidelines of SatCom Policy

2000, ISRO will be able to allocate to different

users by percentages and charge, for capacity

on its INSAT/GSAT satellites in a much more

rational way than present procedure.

36

From the 2007 onwards, the space agency

was surprised by the increased demand of

commercial DTH, high-definition (HD) TV

broadcasters and VSAT operators.

ISRO is the sole provider of transponders for

broadcasters and other public and private

users of space applications in the country.

Software to control outbreak of

Mosquito-borne diseases

A software tool that

can control and reduce

the outbreak of

Mosquito-borne

diseases by data mining

(Knowledge Discovering) has been developed

by scientists of the CSIR-Indian Institute of

Chemical Technology (IICT) Hyderabad.

This IT tool has been validated by the Central

Government and taken up for implementation

by health authorities in five States of States

Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam

and Mizoram in the initial phase which will be

extended to all other States in a phased

manner.

This technology has been developed by Dr.

U.S.N. Murthy, Chief Scientist, Biology

Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical

Technology (IICT) and his team by improvising

and customising Self Organising Map (SOM), a

cluster technique in data mining.

SOM technology would enable health officials

to prioritise control parameters in endemic

zones at village level and initiate measures to

minimise morbidity and mortality, caused by

the onset of vector-borne diseases.

SOM technology can help to alert health

authorities to take up larval and adult

spraying before the transmission of parasite

by the mosquito.

The technology works on two ways -one

relating to the names of the villages and the

second focusing on mosquito density,

infection, infectivity and parasitic load.

Based on these parameters, a complete

mapping of the villages could be done in

terms of prioritising control parameters.

CSIR set to launch its Fastest

Supercomputer

Council of

Scientific and

Industrial

Research (CSIR) in

month of July

2013 declared

that, it is all set to

launch its fastest

supercomputer at India’s first ever big data

science institute in Bangalore.

The launch of Super Computer by CSIR will

mark its entry into the new field of data

intensive scientific discovery. The

supercomputer is supposed to have a speed

of 360 tera flops, which will make it the fourth

fastest country in the country and will be

housed in by the CSIR Fourth Paradigm

Institute (CSIR-4PI).

With the launch of Supercomputer, CSIR is

deciding to re-position its Bangalore-based

Centre for Mathematical Modelling and

Computer Simulation to deal with data

intensive scientific discovery, which has come

out as the fourth paradigm of science.

The supercomputer situated in the Bangalore-

based 4PI will form the backbone of the new

venture which will connect CSIR laboratories

located in Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Srinagar,

Chennai, Chandigarh, and Nagpur.

The laboratories based at these centres will

have computing facilities between 10 and 50

37

tera flop capacity and is going to be linked to

the supercomputer using the National

Knowledge Network thus connecting 200

scientists and over 1000 students in the

identified domain areas.

Indian IPv6 Lab got approval from

International Body

Internet Protocol

Version 6 (IPv6) Lab

setup by

Telecommunication

Engineering Centre

(TEC), technical arm of Department of

Telecommunications, Ministry of

Communications & IT on 25 June 2013 was

approved by the IPv6 Ready Logo Committee

under IPv6 Forum, an International body.

This achievement is significant for TEC and the

country as only five other labs in the world

have achieved this milestone. India has thus

joined Europe and a select group of countries

which include USA, Japan, China and Taiwan

having IPv6 Ready Logo test lab facilities.

TEC has setup the IPv6 Ready Logo test lab as

per standards prescribed by IPv6 Ready Logo

Committee and addresses Conformance as

well as Interoperability testing has various

equipment in IPv6 implementation. The

approval process additionally involved the

evaluation of the competence of TEC team to

not only test the equipment but also the

ability to correctly examine the test results

from other international labs.

The internet and the internet facing devices

are moving to new addressing scheme IPv6

since IPv4 addresses are no longer available.

The Government has taken several policy

initiatives so that the service providers,

content providers and the customer premises

equipment vendors are encouraged to move

to IPv6 address implementation. Setting up

testing infrastructure is one of the objectives

of NTP-2012. Establishment and designation

of TEC lab as IPv6 Ready Logo lab is one such

step which shall enable indigenous

vendors/developers to avail the facility of

internationally recognized test lab in India.

Availability of approved TEST BED shall

promote end-user confidence in using IPv6

Ready Logo approved products.

TEC will play an instrumental role in the

Interoperability and testing of IPv6 products

as a major piece of the India IPv6 Strategy

roadmap announced by the India Government

in building the New Internet infrastructure as

interoperability creates genuine end-user

confidence in new technologies.

The establishment of IPv6 Ready Logo Lab in

India, expecting a huge growth in the

deployment of IPv6 in the world, is very

welcome, and we expect their contribution to

the world-wide IPv6 deployment. We really

appreciate the great efforts of Indian team for

their success, including the future success.

INDIA AND NEIGHBOURS

India to supply subsidised Cooking Gas to

Bhutan

India on 29 July 2013 decided to restore the

supply of the subsidised cooking gas and

kerosene to Bhutan from 1 August 2013.

Before the parliamentary elections in Bhutan,

the Indian Oil Corporation discontinued the

supply of the subsidized fuel, on technical

grounds with officials here maintaining that

Bhutan's 10th Plan of under which India was

providing such assistance expired on 30 June

2013.

38

India's subsidy cut to Bhutan gave rise to

reports that the decision was taken in view of

government's unhappiness with former Prime

Minister and chief of ruling political party

Druk Phuensum Tshogpa Jigme Thinley's

proximity with China.

The Ambassador also conveyed government's

invitation for the Prime Minister's visit to

India which was accepted, and assured that

he would make a visit to India at the earliest.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) won a

landslide victory in Bhutan's second national

elections held on July 13. The PDP defeated

Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) party by

winning 32 seats out of the 47 in the National

Assembly.

During the campaigning, the rival parties tried

to impress upon voters that concerns like

India's withdrawal of subsidy on kerosene and

cooking gas would be resolved once they form

the government.

India and Afghanistan signed MoUs

under SDP Scheme

India and

Afghanistan on

30 July 2013

signed

memoranda of

understanding

(MoUs) in Kabul

for implementing 60 projects in ten Afghan

provinces under the Small Development

Projects (SDP) scheme.

The MoUs signed by Afghan Minister of

Economy Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal and Indian

Ambassador Amar Sinha in Kabul are related

to the third phase of the SDP scheme and will

be completed in the next four years.

100 million dollar SDP scheme was announced

during Prime Minister’s visit to Afghanistan in

May 2011. The first two phases of the scheme

with a total outlay of 20 million dollars are

nearing completion.

The scheme has been designed by Indian

government to address the developmental

needs of mainly rural communities in far-flung

areas of Afghanistan.

India & China focus on additional

Confidence Building Measures

India and China

focussed on

additional

confidence

building

measures in the two-day talks between the

representatives of the two countries that

ended in New Delhi on 24 July 2013. The two

nations reviewed the recent developments in

the border areas to enhance peace and

tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control.

India and China discussed additional

confidence building measures between them.

They consulted on measures to improve the

functioning of the working mechanism and to

make it more efficient. Finally the two

delegations further discussed the possibility of

introducing an additional route for the Kailash

Mansarovar yatra.

The meeting on working mechanism for

consultation and coordination on India-China

border affairs was led by Joint Secretary in the

Ministry of External Affairs Gautam

Bambawale and senior officials of the Defence

and Home Ministries from the Indian side. The

Chinese side was represented by a composite

delegation of its officials. The next meeting

will be held in China at a mutually convenient

date and time.

39

Parliament to Ratify Indira-Mujib Pact of

1974

The Government of India informed the

Bangladesh regarding the ratification of 1974

Indira-Mujib pact, during the home secretary-

level talks on 19 July 2013.

Indian Government informed that it wanted

to ratify the 1974 Indira-Mujib pact for

demarcation of boundaries and for exchange

of 161 adversely held enclaves with a

population of about 50000 people.

For implementation of Indira-Mujib pact,

Indian Government will have to introduce a

Constitutional Amendment Bill in parliament

according to Indian Constitution.

The Government of India is planning to bring a

constitutional amendment Bill during the

forthcoming monsoon session, beginning

August 5 2013, for implementation of the

Indo-Bangla land boundary agreement.

Bangladesh Parliament has already approved

the land boundary deal, India needs to

introduce a constitutional amendment bill

because its implementation involves territory

swap.

Indira-Mujib Pact 1974

• In 1974, India and Bangladesh entered into

an agreement on borders. Popularly known as

Indira-Mujib Pact, the two signatories of the

pact were the Indian Prime Minister Indira

Gandhi and the Bangladesh Prime Minister

Mujib-ur-Rehman.

• This agreement sought to cover the

demarcation of the land boundary between

the two countries and other related issues.

• Article 5 of the Agreement stipulated that:

This agreement shall be subject to ratification

by the Governments of India and Bangladesh

and Instruments of Ratification shall be

exchanged as early as possible.

• The Agreement shall take effect from the

date of the exchange of the Instruments of

Ratification.

• On 28 November 1974 Bangladesh

Parliament had passed the Constitution (Third

Amendment) Act, 1974 ratifying the Indira –

Mujib Accord.

Myanmar Navy seeks arms from India

In a sign of growing proximity in military

sphere, Myanmar on Monday sought naval

arms assistance from India. The request came

from Myanmar Navy's Commander-in-Chief

Vice Admiral Thura Thet Swe, who began a

four-day visit to New Delhi by meeting with

Navy Chief Admiral D K Joshi and Defence

Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur.

Vice Admiral Swe also met Army Chief Gen

Bikram Singh and Indian Air Force vice Chief

Air Marshal Arup Raha. Among others,

Myanmar sought help in building offshore

patrol vessels and supply of naval sensors and

other military equipment to build a

formidable navy.

Vice Admiral Swe discussed with Admiral Joshi

various proposals for strengthening the navy-

to-navy cooperation in operations, training

40

and material support. He also proposed to

take the existing relationship to another plane

and promote capacity building and capability

enhancement, an Indian Navy release said.

In a media interaction during a Guard of

Honour for the visiting dignitary in the South

Block forecourt, Admiral Joshi described

Myanmar as “one of the closest neighbours”.

“We share a land border as well as a maritime

border with them. On the navy-to-navy front,

we have had extremely cordial relations,” he

said. He also noted that the Indian Navy was

looking forward to taking the existing

“excellent” interaction to the next level. Vice

Admiral Swe stressed the special ties between

the navies of the two countries.

In the second leg of his trip, he will visit the

Kochi-based Southern Naval Command on

Tuesday and inspect various training schools

and facilities there. On Wednesday, he will

visit the Visakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval

Command also.

Indian Navy has been assisting Myanmar to

better its capacity in the maritime warfare

domain for several years now. India has given

Myanmar four Islander maritime patrol

aircraft in the last decade, despite threats

from the UK of sanctions as Yangon, which

was then ruled by the military junta, was a no-

go area for the western powers.

Myanmar has in the recent years sought help

in building offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), but

the Indian Government is yet to approve

supply of these naval warships. India is also

yet to receive the exact requirements of the

Myanmar Navy for the OPVs, be it design or

capability specifications.

Indian Navy already trains around 50

Myanmar Navy personnel of all ranks at its

training institutions.

During the meetings, Vice Admiral Swe gave a

list of naval equipment his country might

require in the near future, including items

indigenously developed by India such as

maritime sensors.

Earlier this year, the navies of both countries

for the first time launched coordinated patrols

along their maritime borders in the Bay of

Bengal against poachers, smugglers and other

sea criminals.

Both navies regularly hold joint exercises in

the maritime domain, including the one held

off Visakhapatnam in March, when a frigate

and a corvette from Myanmar visited the

Indian port. Naypyidaw also sent at least one

of its warships to Port Blair for the biennial

Milan joint exercise of navies.

India's proposed dams worries Pakistan

India's plan to build

60 hydroelectric

power projects on

the Chenab river

basin is giving nightmares to Pakistan.

Pakistan is on the brink of being water

insecure. "This scarcity is choking to death the

country's agricultural output, and so it has

every reason to be worried about India's

intentions.

According to the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan

was given control of the Indus, Chenab and

Jhelum rivers but India was allowed to use

them for irrigation and power generation, as

long as it did not deprive Pakistan of its

rightful share.

According to the news daily though a single

power project does not have the capacity to

store enough water to deny Pakistan its

rightful supply, "India will soon reach the

stage where it has enough dams to seriously

affect our water supply should it choose to do

41

so". "Were the two countries ever to engage

in hostilities, that is exactly what India would

do," the daily said.

The two countries have also to deal with

climate change. The shrinking glaciers will

reduce the flow of rivers by as much as 10

percent in the next 30 years; India and

Pakistan are likely to fight even harder for

access to it.

The daily alleged that India has an advantage

as "most of its power generation projects are

constructed without first carrying out any kind

of environmental impact assessment".

Willingness to negotiate and compromise is

the only way forward.

Nepal sees remarkable rise in tiger

numbers

The tiger population

has zoomed by more

than 50 percent in

Nepal but the big cat

still faces plenty of

dangers. The government came out with its

latest tiger census, putting their number

across the country at 198. This is a rise of 63

per cent compared to 2009 when the last

count was taken.

Although Nepal had vowed to double the tiger

population by 2022, illegal trade with China

and India, uncontrolled poaching, habitat

disturbance and conservation are the major

concerns.

‘Nepal’s results are an important milestone to

reaching the goal of doubling the number of

wild tigers by 2022,’ a official said.

‘Tigers are a part of Nepal’s natural wealth,

and we are committed to ensuring these

magnificent wild cats have their prey,

protection and space to thrive.’

Tigers are found in the Terai arc stretching

some 960 km across 15 protected area

networks in Nepal and India.

Nepal and India embarked on the first ever

joint tiger survey using a common

methodology in January this year that has

been successful.

ARTS AND CULTURE

Amjad Ali Khan to get 21st Rajiv Gandhi

National Sadhbhavna Award

Sarod maestro

Amjad Ali Khan was

chosen for the 21st

Rajiv Gandhi

National

Sadhbhavna Award

for his contribution towards promotion of

communal harmony and peace. It will be

conferred on Amjad Ali Khan on 20 August

2013, the birth anniversary of former Prime

Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award

(Rajiv Gandhi National Communal Harmony

Award) is an award given for outstanding

contribution towards promotion of communal

harmony, national integration and peace. The

award was instituted by All India Congress

Committee of the Indian National Congress

Party (INC), in 1992 to commemorate the

lasting contribution made by the former

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The award

carries a citation and a cash award of five lakh

rupees.

The award is given on 20 August every year,

the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, which is

celebrated as Sadbhavna Diwas (Harmony

Day).The former recipients of the award

comprise Mother Teresa, Bismillah Khan,

Teesta Setalvad, Swami Agnivesh, Harsh

Mander, Sunil Dutt, Dilip Kumar, Mohammed

42

Yunus, Maulana Wahiuddin Khan and K R

Narayanan.

North-East of India has highest per capita

language: Survey

The People's Linguistic

Survey of India (PLSI)

on 17 July 2013

reported that the

North-East of India has

the highest per capita

language in the whole World. As per the

survey, Arunachal Pradesh is a State that

speaks 90 different languages.

Survey highlights

• There are over 780 languages and 66

different scripts in India.

• Arunachal Pradesh is the richest among the

States with 90 languages and West Bengal has

the highest number of scripts at nine.

• In terms of languages spoken, researchers

found that with 90 languages Arunachal

Pradesh is by far the richest among States,

Assam with 55 languages; Maharashtra with

39, Gujarat with 48 and West Bengal with 38

are among the most linguistically-diverse

States of India.

• As per the 2011 census, there were about

122 languages spoken by more than 10000

people. Of them 22 were the scheduled

languages.

• The survey has come up with languages that

are spoken by less than 10000 people many of

whom are from tribal areas, nomadic

communities and from the interiors of North

Eastern part of the Country.

This is the biggest linguistic Survey in this

Century. Irish linguistic scholar George

Abraham Grierson had conducted the

Linguistic Survey of India from 1898 to 1928.

The survey revealed that the North-Eastern

parts of India have one of the highest per

capita language densities in the World.

According to the report, the difficult

topography of the region and the history of

the tribal communities could have led to such

a situation.

Jagdish Raj, the most type-cast actor of

Bollywood Dies at 85

Jagdish Raj, the

Bollywood actor who

held the Guinness

World Record for being

the most type-cast

actor, died on 28 July

2013 at Mumbai. He

was 85 years of age. He

died because of

respiratory arrest. He is survived by his

daughters Roopa Malhotra and Anita Raj as

well as a son.

Life-Sketch of Jagdish Raj

• Jagdish Raj was born in the year 1928 in the

town of Sargodha, British India (now in

Pakistan).

• He is accredited with the Guinness World

Record for being the most type-cast actor.

Typecasting in acting is a term used wherein

an actor is identified strongly for playing a

specific role or character or trait. Jagdish Raj

held the world record of playing the role of a

policeman 144 times on the silver screen.

• He started off his filmy career in the year

1960.

• He retired from his acting career in the year

1992.

• He has a range of films credited to his career

and some of these include Aaina, Besharam,

43

Gopichand Jasoos, Deewar, Don, Shakti,

Mazdoor, Imaan Dharam and Silsila.

• Despite playing the role of a villain as well as

a judge in certain films, he was best known as

the Bollywood Cop.

Veteran actor Pran died due to prolonged

illness

The winner of

Dadasaheb Phalke

Award and a veteran

actor Pran died on 12

July 2013 in a

Hospital at Mumbai.

He died at the age of 93 due to multi-organ

failure after prolonged illness and is now

survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

Pran Kishan Sikand was admitted to Lilavati

Hospital, Bandra, after being diagnosed with

pneumonia.

Pran served the Bollywood for a career span

of more than six decades in more than 350

films and is known for his brilliant

performances in films like Ram aur Shyam,

Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool, Half-Ticket,

Madhumati, Purab aur Paschim, Karz, Zanjeer

and Amar Akbar Anthony and many more.

Zubin Mehta named for Tagore Award

for Cultural Harmony 2013

Zubin Mehta, an Indian-Parsi maestro of

western classical music on 10 July 2013 was

named for the second edition of Tagore

Award for Cultural Harmony for the year

2013. He was named for the award because of

his outstanding contribution to cultural

harmony.

His name was selected by a high level four-

member Jury that was led by Prime Minister

of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh and it

comprised the Chief Justice of India Altamas

Kabir, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha,

Sushma Swaraj and Public Intellectual

Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

The first Tagore Award was conferred on Pt.

Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro in 2012

IIFA 2013: Vidya Balan bags Best Actress

Award

Vidya Balan on 6 July

2013 got the Best

Actress award at 14th

IIFA (International

Indian Film Academy)

awards 2013 held in Macau for her portrayal

of a pregnant woman in search of her

husband in Kahaani while Ranbir Kapoor was

named Best Actor for Barfi.

Barfi also bagged the award for best film. In

fact, it won 9 awards in technical category-

Best Cinematography (Ravi Varman I.S.C.),

Best Background Score (Pritam), Best

Screenplay (Anurag Basu and Tani Basu), Best

Production Design (Rajat Poddar), Best Song

Recording (Eric Pillai), Best Sound Design

(Shajith Koyeri), Best Sound Mixing (Debajit

Changmai), Best Costume Designing (Aki

Narula and Shefalina) and Best Make-Up

(Uday Serali). Barfi is a romantic comedy

about a mute and deaf man and his

relationship with two women.

Ranbir, who played a deaf-mute boy in Barfi

was not present at the ceremony and the

award was accepted on his behalf by the

film's director Anurag Basu.

Other highlights of IIFA 2013

• Gangs of Wasseypur won two awards, one

for Best Action (Shyam Kaushal) and the other

44

for Best Dialogue (Zeishan Quadri, Akhilesh,

Sachin Ladia and Anurag Kashyap) was shared

with Juhi Chaturvedi for Vicky Donor.

• The award for Best Editing was won by

Kahaani (Namrata Rao) and Best

Choreography went to Ganesh Acharya for

Agneepath.

• Ek Tha Tiger won the award for Best Special

Effects (Pankaj Khanopur, Sherry Bharda and

Vishal Anand).

ASI entrusted with the restoration of

Kedarnath Temple

Culture Ministry of India on 2 July 2013

entrusted ASI (Archaeological Survey of India)

with the restoration of the Kedarnath Temple

in Uttarakhand which was damaged due to

the recent floods. Kedarnath Mandir

(Kedarnath Temple) is one of the holiest

Hindu temples dedicated to the God Shiva

and is located on the Garhwal Himalayan

range near the Mandakini River in Kedarnath,

Uttarakhand in India. Due to extreme weather

conditions, the temple is open only between

the end of April (Akshay trutya) to Kartik

Purnima (usually November,the autumn full

moon) every year.

Kedarnath was the worst affected area during

the 2013 flash floods in North India.

Book: ‘An Uncertain Glory: India and its

Contradictions’ released

An Uncertain Glory: India

and its Contradictions

authored by Jean Dreze and

Amartya Sen were released

in the third week of July 2013. The book has

been published by Penguin Books India.

Jean Drèze, the development economist and

Amratya Sen, an economist, a philosopher

and a Nobel Prize winner together have

presented a far reaching analysis of the

conditions of contemporary India with a

compilation of the wealth of illuminating data.

The book includes achievements of India since

independence and the successful

maintenance of the world’s largest

democracy. The authors have also argued

about the prevalent flaws in the development

strategy of the nation. In particular, it

overlooks the central role of human

capabilities - both as an end in them and as a

means of further progress.

WORLD NEWS

India, Pakistan will play significant roles

in Afghanistan: US

As a new US defence department report

suggested that the "zero option" in

Afghanistan - a complete pullout of US troops

- is unrealistic, a Pentagon official said India

and Pakistan would play significant roles there

in future.

Peter Lavoy, the Pentagon's top policy official

on Afghanistan thinks both Pakistan and India

45

ought to play very important, significant roles

going forward in Afghanistan.

"Those countries and other immediate and

nearby neighbours of Afghanistan are affected

by the security conditions in Afghanistan."

Lavoy said there will need to be some level of

US involvement in the country even after the

2014 withdrawal and the Pentagon has

developed a number of plans for that based

on the current situation on the ground.

He did not give a recommendation for a

specific number troops or funding amount

that will be needed, but did call the "zero

option," where the United States would pull

out completely, unrealistic.

"There's a fear in India that there will be what

is called as a surplus terrorism. After there is

some stability in Afghanistan, where will these

terrorists go? Will they target India?" Lavoy

acknowledged.

But suggesting that "They have the exact

same fears in Pakistan," he said: "They're

concerned that if there is further instability in

Afghanistan, this could heighten the

insurgency, be motivational or provide some

safe haven for insurgents to come over into

Pakistan."

Lavoy suggested a harmonising of the policies

of the "countries in the region to try to

achieve a common end purpose, a common

situation of peace and stability in Afghanistan

and, more broadly, throughout the region."

No brokering on Kashmir, says John Kerry

As Secretary of State John Kerry flew into

Pakistan, American officials said the US was

very supportive of recent moves by India and

Pakistan to normalise relations, but there was

no change in its hands off Kashmir policy.

"There's no change in policy in terms of where

we are on that," a senior administration

official accompanying Kerry said.

We do not see ourselves or seek to be in the

middle of any conversation between India and

Pakistan on Kashmir," he said.

But certainly we are very supportive of the

moves that both India and Pakistan have

made to normalise relations," the official

added.

The new Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he

noted had "already begun the outreach to

India and with good cooperation on the Indian

side as well in trying to jumpstart the

normalisation process."

The official said "the great strides in

normalisation on the economic side have

been very important the last few years and

have really paved the way for better and

more constructive conversations on the

political side."

"So we'll see where that continues to lead,"

he said recalling that during his India visit last

month, Kerry had "called on the Indians to

continue that process of facilitation, as well as

the Pakistanis to do things like provide MFN

(Most favoured nation) status to the Indians."

"And I'm sure that that will be part of the

conversations that we continue to have," the

official said. "But we are external actors in

this. We are in no way seeking to broker any

sort of conversation on Kashmir."

46

India-EU FTA could soon be inked

India could seal a free trade agreement with

the 28-nation European Union soon, Prime

Minister Manmohan Singh said despite the

differences harboured by both sides on crucial

issues.

Launched in 2007, negotiations for the

proposed India-EU Broad based Trade and

Investment Agreement (BTIA) have been

hobbled by serious differences on issues like

higher FDI cap, taxes and market access.

The EU wants India to open up its banking and

insurance sectors and raise the FDI cap to 49

per cent in insurance. India has said it is

unable to do so without an approval from

Parliament. It is also demanding significant

duty cuts in automobiles, tax reduction in

wines and spirits, and dairy products and a

strong intellectual property regime (IPR).

India, on the other hand, is asking the EU to

accord the data secure nation status to it.

Such a allowance is necessary for Indian IT

companies seeking greater business

opportunities.

India is among nations not considered data

secure by the EU. The EU law mandates that

European countries doing outsourcing

business with countries that are not certified

as data secure have to follow stringent

contractual obligations which increases

operating costs and affects competitiveness.

India is also wants liberalised visa norms for

its professionals and market access in services

and pharmaceuticals sector.

Once concluded, the proposed trade deal

would cover more than 95 percent of tariff

lines and encompass a market of over 1.7

billion people.

A new spring for Indo-Arab ties

The next India-Arab

conference would be

held in 2014 in New

Delhi that promises

larger participation of investment agencies

and the private sector. Of India’s total

international trade, Arab countries account

for over 20 per cent.

Within the Arab world, India’s trade with the

Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, nations

rose to $118.90 billion and within the GCC,

the trade with the UAE increased to $67

billion making it India’s largest trading partner

after China and the US.

Investments by the GCC countries in India

have increased sharply in the last couple of

years and are now an estimated $125 billion.

Moreover, India is expected to be the world’s

third-largest consumer of oil in 2030 and its

reliance on the Gulf is bound to increase

sharply.

The capital-rich Gulf region can also be a

substantial source of investment in

developing infrastructure in India for which

this country has estimated a requirement of

$1 trillion over the next decade. With India

opening its doors to public-private

partnerships, there is a big window of

opportunity for investors from the Gulf.

Most of the six-million expatriate Indians in

the Arab countries are in the Gulf countries.

Together they remit annually close to $20-$30

billions almost half of the $60 billion in total

yearly remittances by Indian workers abroad.

This is an important fillip for Indo-GCC

economic links.

47

For the Arab world, there is much to be

gained from India’s proven capabilities in

information technology, biotechnology,

pharmaceuticals, health and environmental

protection and conservation. India’s role in

developing scientific and technological

capabilities, especially in the knowledge-

based industries, can also be duly harnessed.

Investors from India have already identified

several of these sectors for investment.

Vietnam pitches for India's greater role in

ASEAN

Vietnam pitched

for India’s greater

presence in South

East Asia politically

and economically.

Welcoming India’s

commitment and engagement with ASEAN,

Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh

said “we all want to see more of India’s

presence in South-east Asia, not only

politically, but also economically.”

“India”, he said, “has a formidable presence in

the Indo-Pacific by virtue of its size, its

economy and its willingness to assume a

greater role on the world stage.”

Addressing a gathering at a leading think-tank

Indian Council of World Affairs, Mr. Binh Minh

referred to territorial disputes between China

and a number of countries straddling South

China Sea and East China Sea and stressed on

freedom of navigation in the area which

Beijing views as its own backyard.

Mr. Binh Minh welcomed India’s stand

opposing use of force to settle territorial

disputes in the region and said East China sea,

with its natural resources like oil and fisheries,

is of “utmost importance” to “global

commons” as is the sovereignty of countries

in the region.

With a more active India in cooperation with

ASEAN, “we can dream of a vast Indo-Pacific

with strong linkages, efficient connectivity and

after all, with shared prosperity and peace,”

he said.

He said India’s ‘Look East’ policy has played a

constructive role in ASEAN though security

initiatives and economic cooperation and

expressed the desire to work closely with it in

tapping potentials between ASEAN and India.

China building world’s highest altitude-

airport near Tibet

China is building the world's highest altitude

civilian airport close to Tibet as part of a plan

to develop infrastructure in the strategic

Himalayan region.

The 4,411-metre-high Daocheng Yading

Airport is under construction in Garzi Tibetan

Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province,

state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

It will surpass the Bangda Airport in Qamdo

Prefecture in southwest China's Tibet

Autonomous Region which has an elevation of

4,334 metres above sea level.

So far, China has built five airports at Gonggar,

Lhasa, Bangda, Xigaze and Ngari in Tibet

Autonomous Region.

The rapid

development of

air infrastructure

in Tibet coupled

with rail and road

development

raised concerns

in India as it provides massive advantage to

China to move its troops and equipment

overcoming the geographical problems in the

remote region of the world.

48

Meanwhile, the Bangda Airport, which was

closed for repairs, is expected to resume

operations tomorrow.

The airfield closed on June 22 so that its 19-

year-old runway could be repaired, the Tibet

branch of the Civil Aviation Administration

said.

The airport has two routes in service, one

linking Qamdo and Lhasa, capital of Tibet, and

another linking Qamdo and Chengdu, capital

of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Its record high altitude airport will eventually

be topped by the Daocheng Yading Airport,

which is under construction, the report said.

SPORTS NEWS

India retained its top position in ICC ODI

ranking

India's back-to-

back title wins

helped the world

champion team

retain its top

position in the ICC

ODI rankings. The

latest update was announced on 12 July 2013.

India is now atop the table with 122 rating

points, ahead of Australia 114 and England

112. After a successful ICC Champions Trophy

campaign in England, India also emerged

victorious in the just-concluded tri-series in

the West Indies.

India has been in the number one position

since February 2013, when they beat England

3-2 in the Champions Trophy to regain the top

place.

India won West Indies Tri-Nation Series

final defeating Sri Lanka

India on 11 July 2013 won the West Indies Tri-

Nation Series 2013 – Final after defeating Sri

Lanka with 1 wicket at Queen's Park Oval, Port

of Spain in Trinidad. Mahendra Singh Dhoni

captained the Indian Side in the tri-nation

series, whereas, AD Mathews was the captain

of the Sri Lanka.

Kohli captained the Indian side in the second,

third and fourth match after Dhoni suffered

from a hamstring injury in the first match

against and was out from the series in second,

third and fourth match.

Marion Bartoli of France lifted Women's

singles Wimbledon title

In the Women's

Singles category of

Wimbledon,

Marion Bartoli of

France on 6 July

2013 won her

maiden Grand

Slam title. 23rd seed Sabine Lisicki of Germany

failed to match Bartoli and lost in title clash in

straight sets, 1-6, and 4-6. Lisicki was the first

German woman since 1999 to reach a Grand

Slam final. The tournament was played in

London.

Marion Bartoli is a top-10 French professional

tennis player and presently French no. 1. She

has won one singles major; seven other

Women's Tennis Association singles titles and

three doubles titles.

49

Marion Bartoli is 28 years old. She had played

her previous Wimbledon final in 2007 which

she had lost to Venus Williams. She is the fifth

oldest woman to become a first time major

winner in the Open Era.

India defeated Nepal to lift under-16

SAFF Football title

Indian boys defeated Nepal 1-0 in final to lift

the South Asian Football Federation Under-16

Championship title in Kathmandu on 30 July

2013.The match was played at the Dashrath

stadium. It was the second edition of the

championship.

The early and spectacular goal by defender

Jerry Lalrinzuala through a long ranger turned

out to be the match winner. India was

represented by All India Football Federation's

Regional Academy. India scored its first goal in

the 18th minute.

The early goal, which stunned the home

crowd to silence, turned out to be the match-

winner. India remained unbeaten in the

biennial tournament.

The Indian lads, who led 1-0 at halftime,

maintained the pressure on the opposition

team. Bangladesh won the third place,

defeating Afghanistan 1-0 in the other match

played for the third position.

World Games: Aditya Mehta bag Gold

Medal in Snooker

India's number

one snooker

player, Aditya

Mehta on 31

July 2013

clinched the

gold medal in the World Games, beating

China's Liang Wenbo, 3-0, in the final of the

quadrennial event at Cali, Columbia. Aditya

Mehta hails from Mumbai.

Mehta had earlier defeated Thailand`s

Dechawat Poomjaeng 3-1 in the semifinal.

Poomjaeng defeated another Indian and

eight-time world champion Pankaj Advani 3-1

in the quarterfinals.

Poomjaeng won the bronze medal after

securing a 3-2 win over Brazil`s Igor

Figueiredo in his third-place play-off match.

K Jennitha Anto won IPCA World Chess

Championship

India's K Jennitha

Anto on 24 July

2013 won the 13th

IPCA World

Women's Individual

Chess

Championship title.

In the event organised by the Interntional

Physically Disabled Chess Association, at Velke

Losiny in the Czech Republic, she competed in

a combined group with men and became the

highest scorer among the women players with

four and a half points.

For Jennitha, who hails from Tamil Nadu, the

win came along with the Woman

International Master title. The WIM title

would allow her direct entry too many of the

National events for women except the

premier.

50

The IPCA event attracted 49 physically

challenged players of fifteen countries.

Jennitha being a wheel chair player

participated in Fide A category and almost all

the players are international rated players.

Abhijeet Gupta won Commonwealth

Chess Championship

Grandmaster and

former world junior

champion Abhijeet

Gupta on 14 July

2013 won the

Commonwealth Chess Championship.

Abhijeet Gupta settled for a draw with Indian

national title holder G Akash in the 11th and

final round that concluded at Boardwalk in

Port Elizabeth.

Abhijeet scored nine points out of a possible

eleven and had the best tiebreak score to win

the gold medal in the championship that also

incorporated the South African International

open.

Gupta was tied for the top spot along with top

seed Sergey Fedorchuk of Ukraine and Sergei

Tiviakov of Holland and had the best Bucholz

among the three toppers to not only win the

Commonwealth but also the overall title.

Among the women, WGM Soumya

Swaminathan won the silver medal while

national women's champion Mary Ann Gomes

won the bronze. The gold in this category

went to International Master Jovanka Housak

of England.

The junior section was also swept clean by

Indians as G Akash won the gold Sahaj Grover

getting the silver and Rakesh Kulkarni ending

with the bronze medal. Kulkarni also won the

South African open blitz championship held

during the course of the championship.

World Cup: Lajja Goswami won Silver in

shooting

Lajja Goswami on 9

July 2013 won silver

medal in women's

50-metre Rifle 3

Position event at

the ISSF World Cup

in Granada, Spain.

She shots 584 in the qualification round and

454 in the finals to bag the silver to lead

Norway's Malin Westerheim, who shot 443.9

in the finals.Petra Zublasing of Italy won the

gold after scoring 459.1 in the medal round.

Goswami totalled 152.4 over three series in

kneeling. She has scored 154.8 in prone and

146.8 while standing to win the country's first

medal in the tournament.

MAIN SUPPLEMENTS

India Nepal bilateral relations and issues

of mutual interests

India is committed

to the success of

Nepal’s peace

process and

institutionalization

of democracy in

Nepal. As its

corollary, India is encouraging the successful

conduct of free and fair election for the

Constituent Assembly-cum-Parliament in

Nepal to be held on 19th November 2013.

India wants that a constitutional and multi-

party framework takes firm root in Nepal.

India’s External Affairs Minister, Salman

Khurshid, visited Nepal on 9th July 2013. He

held official level talks covering all feature of

bilateral relations and issues of mutual

interests.

51

Highlight of India Nepal bilateral relations and

issues of mutual interests

Logistics for Constituent Assembly-cum-

Parliamentary Election

• India has agreed to provide all the logistical

support for the security agencies and Election

Commission of Nepal as requested by the

Government of Nepal.

• This comprises 764 different types of

vehicles costing approximately NRs 800

million. The vehicles will be delivered to the

Government of Nepal by October 2013. The

two sides exchanged Letters to this effect.

Water resources

• The Ministers reviewed the joint efforts

against flood-related disasters, including the

repair and

maintenance works at

major border rivers,

especially Kosi and

Gandak.

• India has committed grant assistance of

181.37 million NRS under the bilateral Small

Development Projects for flood protection

works along Trijuga, Lkahndehi, Sunsari,

Kankai, and Kaligandaki rivers and NRs 95.2

million along Gagan River.

• Besides activating all the existing bilateral

consultative mechanisms and maintaining the

embankments of Kosi and Gandak under the

respective bilateral agreements, India has

provided grant assistance of Nepali 2.543

billion Rupees during the past three years for

protection works on the Kamala, Lalbakya,

Khando and Bagmati rivers.

• For the current year, Indian announced an

amount of 256.94 NRS million for this

purpose, and a further amount of 374.47

million NRs will be made available later in the

year.

Augmenting electricity supply

• It is important

to recall that to

augment

electricity supply

from India to

Nepal,

particularly during the lean season, India has

already implemented short-term grid

connectivity projects (grant assistance of NRs

124.6 million), and resulting in Nepal

importing an additional 80 MWs of electricity

through 14 different upgraded exchange

points in the last lean season.

• A further medium-term grid up gradation

project (amounting to grant assistance of NRs

464 million) has been tendered which will

enable a further drawing of between 120 –

175 MWs of electricity from India, whenever

required. To supplement financing of the

long-term cross-border grid connectivity from

Muzaffarpur to Dhalkebar, India’s Eximbank is

contributing U.S. 13.2 million Dollars.

Eximbank Line of Credit

Specific approvals

have been obtained in

June 2013 for Phase II

of the Rahughat

Hydroelectric Project,

220 KV Kosi Corridor

Transmission Line

Project, 132 KV Solu Corridor Transmission

Live Project, and the 132 KV Modi Leknath

Transmission Line Project, for utilising 175

million Dollars or NRs 15.8 billion out of the

existing 250 million Dolars Exim bank’s Line of

Credit for Nepal. Approvals for utilisation of

the balance amount, for the construction of

roads within Nepal, are in the pipeline.

52

Trade and economic cooperation

It is worth mentioning here that India

accounts for nearly two-thirds of Nepal’s

foreign trade, 70% of Nepal’s exports, and

almost half of its foreign direct investments.

• The Government felt the need to continue

consultations on measures to promote trade

bilaterally and with third countries to optimize

opportunities for Nepal’s economic growth,

including on finalising legal and administrative

arrangements for additional transit routes,

revision of the Rail Services Agreement to

enable the implementation of the long-

standing Nepalese request for the movement

of open box wagons and transit of bulk cargo

movement on flat wagons, finalisation of the

Motor Vehicles Agreement, energy banking

and power trading, currency conversion

facilitation, new routes for increased air-

connectivity, and strengthening Nepal’s

capacity for certification for food and

agriculture products exports by establishing

testing and lab facilities along the India-Nepal

border.

Development partnership

• The Ministers reviewed progress of the

bilateral development partnership

programme, which includes large, cross-

border connectivity and infrastructure

projects, as well as community and grass-

roots oriented Small Development Projects

(SDPs) in the key areas of education, health

and rural infrastructure.

• India partners Nepal in capacity building and

human resource development. This year, the

number of scholarships offered to Nepalese

students has nearly doubled to 3,000. The

number of training programmes under India

Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) &

Colombo Plan has also gone up to 230 from

100 last year.

• The infrastructure projects include

construction of four Integrated Check Posts

(ICPs) for trade promotion and facilitation,

1450 km of Terai Roads, and cross-border rail

links at five locations. In the first phase, works

have been taken up in two of the four ICPs

(grant assistance of NRs 4.32 billion for the

segment falling in Nepal), six segments of

Terai Roads Project (totalling 605 km entailing

grant assistance of NRs 11 billion) and two of

the five rail connections (grant assistance of

NRs 10.4 billion). Under SDPs, of the 425

projects undertaken, 218 have been

completed. The current year’s outlay for these

development projects is NRs 6.08 billion.

Defence cooperation

• India-Nepal

defence ties

include military

educational

exchanges, joint

exercises, and supplies of military stores and

equipment, as required by Nepal.

• Following the successful completion of

integration of former Maoists combatants

into the Nepal Army (NA) and the decision of

the Government of Nepal to resume imports

of stores and equipment for NA, these

materials, identified in the Bilateral

Consultative Group on Security Issues, will be

supplied to Nepal over the coming months

(the immediate supplies sought are valued at

NRs 1.76 billion).

53

Telangana - The 29thstate of India

The Telangana region was a part of erstwhile

Hyderabad State which was merged into

Indian Union on 17 September 1948. The

Hyderabad State was merged with Andhra

State with the passing of the States

Reorganisation Act 1956 and so the united

Andhra Pradesh state came into being on 1

November 1956.

Andhra State was the

first state formed on

linguistic basis, was

created in 1953 from

out of the erstwhile

Madras Presidency with

Kurnool as the capital. The Hyderabad State

was then merged with Andhra State with the

passing of the States Reorganisation Act 1956,

so the united Andhra Pradesh state came into

being on 1 November 1956. Hyderabad was

also selected as the capital of the united

states of Telugu-speaking people.

There was some

special Constitutional

provision made for

Andhra Pradesh State.

Article 371 (D) and (E)

were inserted by the

Constitution (Thirty-Second Amendment) Act,

1973. This Act provided the necessary

Constitutional authority for giving effect to

the provision of equal opportunities to

different areas of the State of Andhra Pradesh

and for the Constitution of an Administrative

Tribunal with jurisdiction to deal with

grievances relating to public services. It also

empowered Parliament to legislate for the

establishment of a Central university in the

State.

In 1956 Gentlemen’s

Agreement was signed

by Bezawada Gopal

Reddy, CM of Andhra

State and Burgula

Ramakrishna Rao, CM

of Hyderabad State for safeguarding

Telangana people.

The Telangana agitation began in 1969 as

people protested the failure of

implementation of Gentlemen’s Agreement

and other safeguards In 1969 Marri Chenna

Reddy launched the Telangana Praja Samithi

by demanding separate Telangana State.

The separate State movement came in to

limelight again when a new political party

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was formed

by K Chandra Shekhar Rao on 27 April 2001.

The UPA

Government on 9

December 2009

took the decision

of formation of

Telangana State, in

the backdrop of indefinite fast by TRS leader K

Chandrashekhar Rao.

This decision had ignited street protests in

the non-Telangana regions and opposition

from Ministers, MLAs and leaders from within

the party that forced the Central Government

and the Congress leadership to put the issue

on hold. The Centre held rounds of meetings

with all the parties from the State and set up a

Commission under the chairmanship of

54

former Supreme Court Judge Justice

Srikrishna.

The Government of India constituted a five

member Committee headed by Justice Sri

Krishna for consultations on the Situation in

Andhra Pradesh (CCSAP) on 3 February 2010

to resolve the Telangana issue. The Sri Krishna

Committee submitted its report to the Union

Home Ministry on 30 December 2010 and

suggested six options.

The six options are;

1. Maintain status quo

2. Bifurcation of the State into Seemandhra

and Telangana with Hyderabad as a Union

Territory- the two states in due course

develops their own capitals.

3. Bifurcation of State into Rayala-Telangana

and coastal Andhra regions with Hyderabad

being an integral part of RayalaTelangana.

4. Bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into

Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged

Hyderabad Metropolis as a separate Union

Territory.

5. Bifurcation of the State into Telangana and

Seemandhra as per existing boundaries with

Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana and

Seemandhra to have a new capital.

6. Keeping the State united by simultaneously

providing certain definite

Constitutional/Statutory measures for socio-

economic development and political

empowerment of Telangana region –creation

of a statutorily empowered Telangana

Regional Council.

Brooding over all the options, the ruling

Congress party on 30 July 2013 finally decided

to recommend to the Central Government for

the creation of the 29th State of India called

Telangana.

The Constitutional

procedure for creation

of New States gets

direction from Article

3 of the Indian

Constitution that vests the power to form new

States in Parliament. Article 3 states:

Parliament by Law, a) Form a new State by

separation of territory from any State or by

uniting two or more States or parts of States

or by uniting any territory to a part of any

State; b) Increase the area of any State; c)

Diminish the area of any State; d) Alter the

boundaries of any State; e) Alter name of any

states.

The bill for this purpose can be introduced in

either House of Parliament on the

recommendation of the President. The

President shall, before giving his

recommendation, refer the Bill to the

Legislature of the

State which is

going to be

affected by the

changes proposed

in the Bill, for

expressing its views on the changes within the

period specified by the President. The

President is not bound by the views of the

State Legislature, so ascertained. By a simple

majority and by the ordinary legislative

55

process Parliament may form new States or

alter the boundaries of existing States and

there by changes in the political map of India.

Facts about Telangana

• The population of

Telangana is 35.19

million (2011 Census). It

includes seven million

population of Hyderabad, which emerged as a

major IT hub during the past two decades.

• The region has geographical area of 1.14

lakh sq km.

• The districts which are a part of Telangana

region are Hyderabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar,

Khammam, Mahaboobnagar, Medak,

Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy and

Warangal.

• Hyderabad and

Warangal are the two

largest cities in the

Telangana region.

• Warangal city was

declared as a World

Heritage City by UNESCO in March 2013.

• The two major Rivers Krishna and Godavari

flew through the region.

The decision on Telangana is also to the

fulfilment of the announcement made by the

then Home Minister P Chidambaram on 9

December 2009 for creation of Telangana.

This is the first

decision of the UPA to

form a new State in

the last nine years.

The Congress party

however made it clear

that no demand for

creation of any other

State would be considered as it emphasised

that this case cannot be compared with any

other. This assertion comes against the

backdrop of demands for creation of separate

States of Vidarbha and Gorkhaland.

National Cyber Security Policy 2013

The Union

Government

of India on 1

July 2013

launched the

National

Cyber Security Policy 2013 at New Delhi with

an aim to protect information and build

capabilities to prevent cyber attacks. The

National Cyber Security Policy 2013 to

safeguard both physical and business assets of

the country.

The Policy has outlined the roadmap for

creation of a framework for comprehensive,

collaborative and collective responsibility to

deal with cyber security of the country. The

policy has ambitious plans for rapid social

transformation and inclusive growth and

India's prominent role in the IT global market.

It will cater to the cyber security requirements

of government and non-government entities

at the national and international levels.

The policy will help in safeguarding the critical

infrastructure like Air Defence system, nuclear

plants, banking system, power infrastructure,

telecommunication system and many more to

secure country's economic stability.

The National

Cyber Policy in

order to create a

secure cyber

ecosystem has

planned to set-up a National Nodal Agency to

coordinate all matters related to cyber

security in the country. The nodal agency has

clearly defined roles and responsibilities. The

56

policy will also establish a mechanism for

sharing information as well as identifying and

responding to cyber security incidents and for

cooperation in restoration efforts.

The National Cyber Security Policy has been

prepared in consultation with all relevant

stakeholders, user entities and public.

• This policy aims at facilitating creation of

secure computing environment and enabling

adequate trust and confidence in electronic

transactions and also guiding stakeholders’

actions for protection of cyber space.

• The National Cyber Security Policy

document outlines a road-map to create a

framework for comprehensive, collaborative

and collective response to deal with the issue

of cyber security at all levels within the

country.

• The policy recognises the need for

objectives and strategies that need to be

adopted both at

the national level

as well as

international

level.

The objectives

and strategies outlined in the National Cyber

Security Policy together serve.

I. Articulate concerns, understanding and

priorities for action as well as directed efforts.

ii. To provide confidence and reasonable

assurance to all stakeholders of the country

(Government, business, industry and general

public) and global community, about the

safety, resiliency and security of cyber space.

iii. Adopt a suitable posturing that can signal

to resolve and make determined efforts to

effectively monitor, deter & deal with cyber

crime and cyber attacks.

Salient features of the policy

The National Cyber Security Policy covers the

following aspects

• A vision and mission

statement aimed at

building a secure and

resilience cyber space

for citizens, businesses and Government.

• Enabling goals aimed at reducing national

vulnerability to cyber attacks, preventing

cyber attacks & cyber crimes, minimising

response & recover time and effective cyber

crime investigation and prosecution.

• Focused actions at the level of Govt., public-

private partnership arrangements, cyber

security related technology actions,

protection of critical information

infrastructure and national alerts and advice

mechanism, awareness & capacity building

and promoting information sharing and

cooperation.

• Enhancing cooperation and coordination

between all the stakeholder entities within

the country.

• Objectives and strategies in support of the

National cyber security vision and mission.

• Framework and initiatives that can be

pursued at the Govt. level, spectral levels as

well as in public private partnership mode.

• Facilitating monitoring key trends at the

national level such as trends in cyber security

compliance, cyber attacks, cyber crime and

cyber infrastructure growth.

Earlier, the Government of India on 8 May

2013 approved the National Cyber Security

Policy with an aim to create a secured

computing environment across the country.

57

Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products

Act (COTPA)

There are approximately 120 million smokers

in India. According to the World Health

Organization (WHO), India is home to 12% of

the world’s smokers. Approximately 900,000

people die every year in India due to smoking

as of 2009.

The Union Government has brought

Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act

(COTPA, 2003) to control tobacco industry,

which is responsible for the deaths of

thousands annually in India. The Act is

applicable to all products containing tobacco

in any form and it extends to whole of India.

The act is comprehensive however there are a

few loopholes that have been discussed

below.

Prohibition on smoking in public places -

Section 4 of Tobacco Control Act, 2003

Smoking in all Public Places is Prohibited - The

term public place is vaguely defined and

refers to any place, where public have access,

whether as of right or not, and includes

auditorium, hospital buildings, railway waiting

room, amusement centres, restaurants, public

offices, court buildings, educational

institutions, libraries, public conveyances and

like which are visited by general public but

does not include any open space.

Creation of Smoking

Areas - In restaurants,

hotels and airports

smoking areas are to be

physically segregated in such a manner that

the air from these areas does not circulate to

the non- smoking areas.

Display of Prominent Non Smoking Signs e.g.

"Smoking here is strictly prohibited" is

mandatory at all public places.

Prohibition of Advertisement, Promotion and

Sponsorship of all Tobacco Products- Section 5

of Tobacco Control Act, 2003

Both direct & indirect advertisement of

tobacco products prohibited in all forms of

Audio, Visual and Print Media.

Total ban on sponsoring of any sport and

cultural events by cigarette and other tobacco

product companies

No trade mark or

brand name of

cigarettes or any

tobacco product to

be promoted in

exchange for sponsorship, gift, prize or

scholarship.

No person, under contract or otherwise, to

promote or agree to promote any tobacco

product.

Prohibition on Sale to Minors - Section 6 (a) of

Tobacco Control Act, 2003

Sale of tobacco products to persons under

the age of 18 is prohibited.

58

The seller (shopkeeper) should ensure that

the person who is buying the tobacco product

is not a minor.

A display board

to be put up at

the point of sale

declaring that

"sale of tobacco

products to minors is prohibited"

Prohibition on Sale to Minors - Section 6 (b) of

Tobacco Control Act, 2003

In order to restrict access of youth for

tobacco products, the sale of the tobacco

products is prohibited within a radius of 100

yards of any educational institution.

A display board has to be put up outside the

educational institutions declaring the same.

Health warnings on tobacco products packs -

Section 7 of Tobacco Control Act, 2003

All tobacco product packages need to carry

prominent and legible health warnings.

These warning shall

also be pictorial in

nature.

The warnings will

be given in the

same language as given on the pack.

All imported tobacco products should also

carry the specified warnings.

Regulation of contents of Tobacco Products -

Section 11 of Tobacco Control Act, 2003

The Nicotine and Tar contents of all tobacco

products must be clearly displayed on the

packs.

Producers of tobacco products must ensure

that these harmful contents are within

maximum permissible limits as prescribed by

the rules

The testing of tobacco products to measure

nicotine and tar contents to be done only at

Govt. recognized laboratories.

QUICKLY- QUICKLY!

Some facts about Nuclear Reactors

The Koodankulam nuclear power plant in

Tamil Nadu on 13 July 2013 went critical. The

plant will start full-fledged power generation

in a month. With the dilution of boric acid in

primary coolant water, the neutron

multiplication process is being done in reactor

core.

What is a Nuclear Reactor?

A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and

control a sustained nuclear chain reaction.

59

Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power

plants for generating electricity. A reactor

consists of an assembly of nuclear fuel (a

reactor core), surrounded by a neutron

moderator such as regular water, heavy

water, graphite, or zirconium hydride and

control rods that control the rate of the

reaction. Most nuclear reactors use a chain

reaction to induce a controlled rate of nuclear

fission in fissile material, releasing both

energy and free neutrons.

When it is said to be critical?

In a nuclear reactor, the neutron number at

any instant is a function of the rate of neutron

production (due to fission processes) and the

rate of neutron losses (via non-fission

absorption mechanisms and leakage from the

system). When a reactor’s neutron population

remains steady from one generation to the

next (creating as many new neutrons as are

lost), the fission chain reaction is self-

sustaining and the reactor's condition is

referred to as critical. When the reactor’s

neutron production exceeds losses,

characterized by increasing power level, it is

considered supercritical, and when losses

occur, it is considered subcritical and shows

decreasing power.

Some facts about Bimaru states

• Bimaru, (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,

and Uttar Pradesh) state still remain home to

the maximum number of poor people in the

country.

• Uttar Pradesh has just fewer than 30% of its

population in the BPL group, the number adds

up to almost 60 million.

• Bihar, ranks second in poverty level despite

the improvement, and has 35.8 million poor,

followed by Madhya Pradesh where 23.4

million or 31.6% of the population is BPL.

• Among the Bimaru states, only Rajasthan

has managed to do better than the national

average with the share of BPL in total

population estimated at 14.7% in 2011-12,

compared to 34.4% in 2004-05.

• Rajasthan is enhanced performer than

Gujarat, popular for its rapid growth and good

infrastructure. Gujarat had 16.6% people

below the poverty line.

• On National level, there were 217 million

poor in rural areas and 53 million in urban

areas in 2011-12, as against 326 million and

81 million, respectively, in 2004-05.

What is Marginal Standing Facility (MSF?)

The Marginal

Standing

Facility (MSF)

which was

introduced

during the

2011-12 period is the rate at which banks can

borrow from the central bank at an increased

rate against government securities during

times of tight cash. The bank rate is a linked to

the MSF.

60

What is the RTI ACT?

Right to

Information Act

2005 mandates

timely response to

citizen requests for

government

information. It is an

initiative taken by Department of Personnel

and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public

Grievances and Pensions to provide a – RTI

Portal Gateway to the citizens for quick search

of information on the details of first Appellate

Authorities, PIOs etc. It promotes

transparency and accountability in the

working of every public authority. It extends

to the whole of India except the state of

Jammu and Kashmir. In order to ensure

greater and more effective access to

information, it was decided to repeal the

Freedom of Information Act, 2002 and enact

another law for providing an effective

framework. To achieve this object, the Right

to Information Bill was introduced in the

Parliament and was passed by the Lok Sabha

on 11 May, 2005 and by the Rajya Sabha on

12 May, 2005 and it received the assent on 15

June, 2005.

Facts and Figures on Cyber Security

The Government figures revealed that India

was the 10th most intensely cyber-attacked

country in 2010-11. However in 2013 India

stood second only to the U.S.

In India internet users and mobile phones are

rising dramatically -from 202 million users in

March 2010 to 412 million in March 2011 and

485 million in March 2012.

According to 2013 figures, India is second only

to China in the number of devices connected

to the Net.

Facts about Mid-Day Meal scheme

The Mid Day Meal is the world’s largest school

feeding programme that reaches out to about

12 crore children in over 12.65 lakh

schools/EGS centres across the country. Mid-

Day Meal in schools has had a long history in

India. In 1925, a Mid-Day Meal Programme

was introduced for disadvantaged children in

Madras Municipal Corporation. By the mid,

1980s three States viz. Gujarat, Kerala and

Tamil Nadu and the UT of Pondicherry had

universalized a cooked Mid-Day Meal

Programme with their own resources for

children studying at the primary stage By

1990-91 the number of States implementing

the mid-day meal programme with their own

resources on a universal or a large scale had

increased to twelve states. The aim of the

scheme is to enhance enrolment, retention

and attendance and simultaneously improve

the nutritional levels among children, under

the National Programme of Nutritional

Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) that

was launched as a Centrally Sponsored

Scheme on 15th August 1995, initially in 2408

blocks in the country.

61

Facts about Paradip Port

Paradip Port was

conferred with

the Major Port of

the Year award

for its excellent

performance in the year 2012-13.

Paradip Port Trust (PPT) handled

56.55 million tonnes of traffic in the year

2012-13. There is an increase from 54.25

million tonnes of traffic in 2011-12. During

2012-13, the port also added 22 million

tonnes of capacity, thus bringing the total to

102 million tonnes.

Paradip Port is one of the major

Indian ports that serve the Eastern and

Central parts of the country. Its vicinity

extends to the states of Odisha, Jharkhand,

Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh

and Bihar. The port primarily deals with the

bulk cargos as well as clean cargos. From the

past 10 years, there has been an exceptional

growth in the traffic handled by the Paradip

Port. The port carries out the operations

24x7x365. Paradip Port is equipped with latest

equipments as well as technology.

What is Transponder?

Transponders are wireless communications

device usually attached to a satellite. A

transponder receives and transmits radio

signals at a prescribed frequency range. After

receiving the signal a transponder will at the

same time broadcast the signal at a different

frequency. The term is a combination of the

words transmitter and responder.

Transponders are used in satellite

communications and in location, identification

and navigation systems.

History of Space Journey of India

The Space Journey of India was started with

the launch of Aryabhatta in 1975 using a

Russian rocket. Till date, India has successfully

completed its 100 space missions. India aims

to place the seven-satellites of the IRNSS

space segment in orbit by end of 2014 with a

position accuracy of 20 meters in the primary

service area at an investment of 1420 crore

rupees. The PSLV C 25 that will carry the mars

orbited would be launched any day after 21

October 2013. The Chairman of ISRO Dr.

Radhakrishnan on the day of launch of IRNSS-

1A announced that India will step into its first

Mars mission by November 2013.

62

MODEL QUESTION PAPER

1 - Who has been chosen for the 21st Rajiv

Gandhi National Sadhbhavna Award?

A - Wilayt Ali Khan

B- Amjad Ali Khan

C- Zakir Hussain

D - Hari Prsad Chaurasia

2 - Which is the State of India that speaks 90

different languages?

A- Andhra Pradesh

B- Himachal Pardesh

C- Madhya Pradesh

D- Arunachal Pradesh

3 - How many different scripts are there in

India?

A - 66

B - 77

C - 88

D- 99

4 - Jagdish Raj, the most type-cast actor of

Bollywood who died recently was mostly

seen in what role

A - Police Officer

B- Villain

C- Comedian

D - Elderly Character

5 - Veteran actor Pran died due to prolonged

Illness became famous in roles as

A - Comedian

B - Police Officer

C - Villain

D - Elderly Character

6 - Who is named for Tagore Award for

Cultural Harmony 2013?

A - Amjad Ali Khan

B- Zubin Mehta

C -Zakir Hussain

D - Hari prsad Chaurasia

7 - Who bagged the Best Actress Award at

IIFA 2013?

A - Priyanka Chopra

B - Katrina Kaif

C - Sushmita Sen

D - Vidya Balan

8 - Which organization is entrusted with the

restoration of Kedarnath Temple?

A - Archaeological Survey of India

B - Uttrakhand Tourism department

C - National Disaster Management

D- Home Ministry

63

9 - Who is the co-author besides of Jean

Dreze of the book 'An Uncertain Glory: India

and its Contradictions'

A - Rajmohan Gandhi

B - Bhawanisengupta

C - Amratya Sen

D - Natwar Singh

10 - India has created a strike corps to

manage its border with which country

A - Pakistan

B – China

C- Nepal

D- Myanmar

11- What is the size of the strike corps to

manage its border with neighbouring

country?

A - 50,000

B - 75,000

C - 100,000

D - 15,000

12 - Which paramilitary force of the country

has decided women into its services?

A - ITBP

B - CISF

C - CRPF

D - BSF

13 - The newly acquired IC17 Globe master-III

by the Indian Air Force made its maiden

flight to which place

A - Lakshadweep Islands

B - Maldives Islands

C - Andaman & Nicobar Islands

D - St. Mary's Islands

14 - Prahaar and Nag are indigenously

developed weapons that come under what

category

A - Submarine

B - Missile

C - Satellite

D - None of the above

15 - Indigenous Arjun Mark II tank in whose

trials are in final stage is designed at

A - Coimbatore

B - Hyderabad

C - Bangalore

D - Chennai

16 - BrahMos world's first supersonic cruise

missile is a joint venture between India and

which country

A - Germany

B - France

C - Russia

D - Israel

17 - INS Trikand commissioned into Indian

Navy is a joint venture between India and

which country

A - Russia

B- France

C- Germany

D- Israel

64

18 - Olive Ridley Conservation scheme is

launched in which state

A - Tamil Nadu

B - Orissa

C - Andhra Pradesh

D - Kerala

19 - What order the National Green Tribunal

passed to tackle pollution and dumping of

debris on the Yamuna?

A - Jail for polluter

B - Planting of saplings

C - Polluter Pay Principle

D - None of the above

20 - President Pranab Mukherjee launched a

Kisaan Portal for sending information to the

farmers through what medium

A - Mobile phone

B - Internet

C - TV

D - Radio

21 - Scientist have predicted that the pattern

of Indian monsoon would become worse and

unpredictable due to

A - Change in weather

B - Global Warming

C- Low Pressure

D- None Above

22- Name the bridge that has to be removed

for the completion of Sethusamudram

Shipping Canal Project (SSCP)

A - Adam’s Bridge

B- Pamban Bridge

C- Howarh Bridge

D- None above

23 - SC has sought status report from states

on conservation plans of which animal

A - Lion

B - Elephant

C - Cheetah

D - Tiger

24 - 'E-waste Management in India suffers

from lack of

A - Implementation of rules

B - Formulation of rules

C -Lack of knowledge of the subject

D - None above

25 - India to supply Subsidised Cooking Gas

to which country

A - Maldives

B - Myanmar

C - Bhutan

D - Nepal

65

26 - India signed MoUs under Small

Development Scheme with which country

A - Bhutan

B - Myanmar

C - Bangladesh

D - Afghanistan

27 Parliament is to ratify Indira-Mujib Pact

that was signed in which year

A - 1974

B- 1973

C- 1972

D – 1971

28 - Which neighbouring country's Navy has

sought arms from India?

A - Bangladesh

B - Myanmar

C - Sri Lanka

D - Maldives

29 - India's proposed dams worry which

country

A - Pakistan

B- Bangladesh

C - Nepal

D - Bhutan

30- What is the status of Poverty Ratio of

India in 2011-12?

A - Declined

B - Increased

C - Static

D - None Above

31 - Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and

Uttar Pradesh are called by the name

A - Lag

B - Drag

C - Bimaru

D - None above

32 - Which states in India has showed biggest

decline in percentage of poor

A - Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh

B - Bihar and Odisha

C - Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

D - None above

33 - Reserve Bank of India imposed

restrictions on imports of which metal

A - Gold

B - Silver

C - Copper

D - None above

66

34 - Government has raised FDI in Telecom

Sector to what per cent

A - 100

B- 59

C- 69

D- 99

35 - India achieved a Record Production of

which crop

A - Rice

B - Wheat

C - Pulses

D – Maize

36 - India has successfully launched INSAT-3D

which is

A - Advanced communication satellite

B - Advanced Weather Satellite

C - Search and Rescue Satellite

D - None Above

37 - India successfully launched IRNSS-1A

which is

A - Navigational Satellite

B - Weather Satellite

C - Communication satellite

D - Remote Sensing satellite

38 - India’s first hydrogen-powered fuel cell

bus is developed by

A - Tata Motors

B - Mahindra

C - Bajaj

D - Leyland

39 - ISRO revisited the SatCom Policy 2000 to

improve what norms

A - Satellite allocation norms

B- Satellite launches norms

C - Transponder allocation norms

D - None above

40 - Which organization is set to launch its

Fastest Supercomputer?

A - Council of Scientific and Industrial

Research (CSIR)

B - Council of Historical Research

C - Council of Industrial Research

D- None above

41 - Which city in India is going green with

piped cooking gas, CNG Vehicles?

A - Agartala

B- Gawuhati

C- Imphal

D - None above

42 - Which country holds top position in ICC

ODI ranking

A - England

B - Australia

C - India

D - South Africa

43 - India won West Indies Tri-Nation series

final defeating which country?

A - Sri Lanka

B - Australia

67

C - England

D - South Africa

44- Marion Bartoli lifted Women's Singles

Wimbledon 2013 title belongs to which

country

A - France

B - England

C - Spain

D - Portugal

45 - China building world’s highest altitude-

airport near which city

A - Shanghai

B - Beijing

C - Lhasa

D - Tianjin

46 - Which country has pitched for India's

greater role in ASEAN?

A - Vietnam

B - Laos

C - Thailand

D- Singapore

47 - Which country has ruled out brokering

on Kashmir?

A - USA

B - England

C - China

D - None above

48 - Who is Durga Shakti Nagpal

A - IAS officer of UP Cadre

B - Member of Women’s Hockey team

C - Associate of Anna Hazare

D - None above

49 - Sujata Singh is India's new Secretary at

which ministry

A - Secretary Ministry of Environment

B - Secretary Home Ministry

C - Secretary Ministry of External Affairs

D - None above

50 - Justice Palanisamy Sathasivamis sworn

in as the

A - Chief Justice of India

B - Chief Justice of Madras High Court

C - Chief Justice of Allhabad High Court

D - None Above

5 1 - Obaid Siddiqi who died recently in

Bangalore was a scientist in which discipline

A - Physicist

B - Anthropologist

C - Biology

D - None of the above

52 - Vaali who died at the age of 82 was

lyricist associated with which language films

A - Tamil Films

B - Bengali Films

C - Punjabi Films

D - None of the above

68

53 - Which state in India is declared as the

first Smoke-free state of the country?

A - Andhra Pradesh

B - Arunachal Pradesh

C - Madhya Pradesh

D - Himachal Pradesh

54 - Kempegowda International Airport is in

which Indian city

A - Bengaluru

B - Madurai

C - Coimbatore

D - Vishakapatnam

55 - Clean India Campaign at world heritage

site Taj Mahal is taken up by which company

A - ONGC

B - NTPC

C - Reliance

D - TATA

56 - National Aviation University is going to

be set up in which place

A - Lucknow, UP

B - Amethi, UP

C - Rae Bareli, UP

D - Allhabad, UP

57 - Which state is going to become the 29th

State of India?

A - Telengana

B - Vidharb

C - Gorkhaland

D - Bodoland

58 - Open field trials of Genetically Modified

Crops is suspended for what period

A - Temporarily

B - Indefinitely

C - For five years

D - None above

59 - What has been made mandatory for

purchase of Acid?

A - Ration card

B - Adhar card

C- Photo Identity

D - Any of the above

60 - MGPSY Scheme that’s launched for

Indian workers working in which place

A - Australia

B - USA

C - Canada

D - Gulf

69

ANSWER KEY

1. B

2. D

3. A

4. A

5. C

6. B

7. D

8. A

9. C

10. B

11. A

12. D

13. C

14. B

15. D

16. C

17. A

18. B

19. C

20. A

21. B

22. A

23. D

24. A

25. C

26. D

27. A

28. B

29. A

30. A

31. C

32. B

33. A

34. A

35. C

36. B

37. A

38. A

39. C

40. A

41. A

42. C

43. A

44. A

45. C

46. A

47. A

48. A

49. C

50. A

51. C

52. A

53. D

54. A

55. A

56. C

57. A

58. B

59. C

60. D