Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Book Of Future
Current Affairs From January 2010 to August 2010
GOD HEPLS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES
I
THE BOOK OF
FUTURE
CURRENT AFFAIRS 2010
JANUARY TO AUGUST
2010
Self-Restraint is the Basis of Freedom
II
CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTS
I.I.I.I. IMPORTANT DATESIMPORTANT DATESIMPORTANT DATESIMPORTANT DATES 1111
II.II.II.II. BOOKS & AUTHORS BOOKS & AUTHORS BOOKS & AUTHORS BOOKS & AUTHORS 4444
III.III.III.III. EVENTS, APPOINTMENTS.. etc 6EVENTS, APPOINTMENTS.. etc 6EVENTS, APPOINTMENTS.. etc 6EVENTS, APPOINTMENTS.. etc 6
IV.IV.IV.IV. VARIOUS COMMITIES 15VARIOUS COMMITIES 15VARIOUS COMMITIES 15VARIOUS COMMITIES 15
V.V.V.V. INDIA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 22INDIA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 22INDIA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 22INDIA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 22
VI.VI.VI.VI. CONSTITUTIONCONSTITUTIONCONSTITUTIONCONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BILLS 52AL AMENDMENT BILLS 52AL AMENDMENT BILLS 52AL AMENDMENT BILLS 52
VII.VII.VII.VII. CURRENT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 59CURRENT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 59CURRENT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 59CURRENT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 59
VIII.VIII.VIII.VIII. INTERNATIONAL SUMMITS 100INTERNATIONAL SUMMITS 100INTERNATIONAL SUMMITS 100INTERNATIONAL SUMMITS 100
IX.IX.IX.IX. SPORTS & GAMES SPORTS & GAMES SPORTS & GAMES SPORTS & GAMES 109109109109
X.X.X.X. RBI MONETORY POLICY 124RBI MONETORY POLICY 124RBI MONETORY POLICY 124RBI MONETORY POLICY 124
XI.XI.XI.XI. WHO IS WHO…? 127 WHO IS WHO…? 127 WHO IS WHO…? 127 WHO IS WHO…? 127
XII.XII.XII.XII. UNION BUDGET 2010UNION BUDGET 2010UNION BUDGET 2010UNION BUDGET 2010----11 13411 13411 13411 134
XIII.XIII.XIII.XIII. RAILWAY BUDGET 201RAILWAY BUDGET 201RAILWAY BUDGET 201RAILWAY BUDGET 2010000----11 14811 14811 14811 148
XIV.XIV.XIV.XIV. WHAT IS ECONOMIC SURVEY 153WHAT IS ECONOMIC SURVEY 153WHAT IS ECONOMIC SURVEY 153WHAT IS ECONOMIC SURVEY 153
XV.XV.XV.XV. INFLATION RATES 153 INFLATION RATES 153 INFLATION RATES 153 INFLATION RATES 153
Sensitivity will give you right Perception
1
IMPORTANT DATES
January 12: National Youth Day. January 15: Army Day. January 26: India’s Republic Day and International Customs day. January 30: Martyrs’ Day February 24: Central Excise Day. February 28: National Science Day. March 8: International Women's Day. March 15: World Disabled Day. March 21: World Forestry Day. March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. March 23: World Meteorological Day. April 5: National Maritime Day. April 7: World Health Day. April 18: World Heritage Day. April 22: Earth Day. May 1: Workers Day (International Labor Day). May 3: Press Freedom Day. May (2nd Sunday): Mother's Day. May 8: World Red Cross Day. May 11: National Technology Day. May 15: International Day of the Family. May 17: World Telecommunication Day. May 24: Commonwealth Day. May 31: Anti-Tobacco Day.
2
June 4: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. June 5: World Environment Day. June (2nd Sunday) : Father’s Day. June 26: International day against Drug abuse & Illicit Trafficking. June 27: World Diabetes Day. July 6: World Zoonoses Day. July 11: World Population Day. August 3: International Friendship Day. August 6: Hiroshima Day, August 9 :Quit India Day and Nagasaki Day. August 15: Independence Day. August 29: National Sports Day. September 5: Teachers’ Day. September 8: World Literacy Day. September 16: World Ozone Day. September 21: Alzheimer’s Day. September 26: Day of the Deaf. September 27: World Tourism Day. October 1: International day of the Elderly. October 3: World Habitat Day. October 4: World Animal Welfare Day. October 8: Indian Air Force Day. October 9: World Post Office day. October 10: National Post Day. October 13: UN International Day for National disaster reduction. October 14: World Standards Day. October 15: World White Cane Day( guiding the Blind).
3
October 16: World Food Day. October 24: UN Day, World development information Day. October 30: World Thrift Day. November 14: Children's Day ( in India ) November 20 : Africa Industrialization Day. November 29: International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People. December 1: World Aids Day. December 4: Navy Day. December 7: Armed Forces Flag Day. December 10: Human Right Day. December 23: Kisan Divas Farmer's Day
4
BOOKS & AUTHORS
1. I witness - Partial Observation: Kapil Sibal
2. Imagining India- Ideas for the new century: Nandan Nilekani
3. No Future Without Forgiveness: Desmond Tutu
4. A Better India A Better World: N. R. Narayan Murthy
5. A Suitable Girl: Vikaram Seth
6. You Are Born to Blossom: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
7. Unaccustomed Earth: Jhumpa Lahiri
8. Unleashing India: Veerappa Moily
9. A History of ancient and early Medieval India from Stone age to the 12th century:
Upinder Singh (Daughter of PM Dr.Manmohan Singh)
10. Dreams from my Father: Barack Obama
11. Empire of the Stars Arthur: I. Miller
12. Environmentalism : A Global History Ramchandra Guha
13. For the Love of India : The Life and Times of Jamsetji Tata: Russi M. Lala
14. Good Bye Shahzadi (A biography of Benzir Bhutto): Shyam Bhatia
15. India Monetary Policy Financial Stability and other Essays: C Rangarajan
16. Jinnah -India, Partition, Independence: Jaswant Singh
17. Prime Minister of India : Bharat Bhagya Vidhata: Shivnath Jha & Neena Jha
18. Moon Walk (Autobiography ): Michael Jackson
19. My China Diary: K. Natwar Singh
20. My Country My Life: Lal Krishna Advani
21. My Kashmir, Conflict and Prospects of Enduring Peace: Wajahat habibullah
22. My Life ( Autobiography ): Fidel Castro
23. The Geometry of God: Uzma Aslam Khan
24. R.K. Laxman : the Uncommon Man: Dhermendra Bhandari
25. No Limits : The Will to Succeed: Michel Pheleps
26. Notes from a small Room: Ruskin Bond
27. Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics: Joe Biden
28. Reconciliation : Islam Democracy and the West: Benizir Bhutto
29. True Colours ( Autobiography ): Adam Gilchrist
30. Sahibs Who loved India: Khushwant Singh
31. Sapna Jo Pura Hua: Vergees Kurian
32. Why I Supported the Emergency: Khushwant Singh
33. Sea of Poppies: Amitav Ghosh
5
34. Shadows across the playing field : 60 Years of India-Pakistan Cricket: Shashi Tharoor and Shaharyar
Khan
35. Six Suspects: Vikas Swarup
36. Speaking for Myself: Cherie Blair
37. Travelling Through Conflict: Hamid Ansari
38. Sustaining India’s Growth Miracle: Jagdish N. Bhagwati & Charles W Calomiris
39. Termites in the Trading System: Jagdish Bhagwati
40. The Audacity of Hope : Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dreams: Barack Obama
41. The Calcutta Chromosome: Amitav Ghosh
42. The Elephant, the tiger and the Cell phone :Reflections on India in the 21st Century: Shashi Tharoor
43. The Enchantress of Florence: Salman Rushdie
44. Ways of the Rifle Co authored by Abhinav Bindra and his coaches Gabriele Buhlmann and Heinz
ReInkemeier
45. The Good Boatman: A Portrait of Gandhi: Rajmohan Gandhi
46. The Idea of Justice: Amartya Sen
47. The Judge Speaks: Justice A.R. Laksmanan, Chairman of the Law Commission of India
48. The Lost Symbol: Dan Brown
49. The Miracle of Democracy: T.S. Krishnamurthy
50. The Museum of Innocence: Orhan Pamuk
51. The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis is of 2008: Paul Krugman
52. The States of Indian Cricket: Ramchandra Guha
53. The Tales of Beedle the Bard: J.K. Rowling
54. The White Tiger: Arvinda Adiga
55. To the Last Bullet : Vinita Kamte (Wife of 26/11 martyr Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok
Kamte)
6
EVENTS, APPOINTMENTS.. etc
AUGUST 2010 DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Katsuya Okada: Foreign Minister of Japan Zalmay Rassoul: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan. Admiral Julio Soares De Mours Neto: Chief of Brazilian Navy. DIED K.M. Mathew: Chief Editor of Malayala Manorama. He was 93. EVENTS AUGUST 6—More than 200 people are killed in flash floods in Leh, J&K. 22—Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurates the country’s first domestically built unmanned bomber aircraft, calling it an “ambassador of death” to Iran’s enemies. The 4-metre-long drone aircraft can carry up to four cruise missiles and will have a range of 1,000 km. 31—US President Barak Obama announces an end to the US combat mission (Operation Iraqi Freedom) in Iraq. MILESTONES Leo Hunter: This six-year-old has bagged a multi-book publishing deal after he penned a mini-novel about his pet dog. He wrote “Me and My Firend” to tell the story of his alliance with pet Asatian “Kuger”. Mukesh Ambani: Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director, he has been elected as Member to the Board of World Economic Forum (WEF). Others elected to the Board are: Alcatel-Lucent’s CEO Ben J. Verwaayen and Zhu Min, Special Adviser, IMF. Klaus Schwab is the founder and Executive Chairman of WEF. Sachin Tendulkar: He has been conferred the rank of honorary Group Captain by the Indian Air Force, a post equivalent to a Colonel of Indian Army. Sudarsan Pattnaik: Orissa-based renowned sand artict, he has won the people’s choice award at the 8th International Sand Sculpture Festival in Berlin, for his creation on global warming. Jimena Navarrete: Miss Mexico, she has been crowned Miss Universe, 2010. The pageant ceremony was held in Las Vegas, USA. Miss Jamaica Yendi Philipps was first runner-up and Miss Australia Jenista Campbell was the second runner-up. Miss India Ushoshi Sengupta failed ot make it to top 15.
7
JULY 2010 APPOINTED; ELECTED; Etc. Dr S.Y. Quraishi: He has been appointed as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India. He is the first Muslim to head the panel . DISTINGUISHED VISITORS David Cameron: Prime Minister of Britain. General Than Shwe: Military ruler of Myanmar. Seyed Shamsodin Hosseini: Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance, Iran. DIED Ravi Baswani: Hindi film actor who won acclaim for his comic roles in films like “Jane Bhi Do Yaro” and “Chashme Buddoor”. He was 64. David Warren: A pioneering Australian scientist who invented the ‘black box’ after investigating the world’s first jet airliner crash in 1953. He was 85. The challenges of determining the causes of an air crash led him to the idea of a recording device that could withstand a crash where there were no survivors and no witnesses. EVENTS JULY 1—More than 45 people are killed as terrorists strike at Sufi shrine of Data Ganj Baksh in Lahore. 11—Spain creates history by winning its first Football World Cup title. 12—ISRO-built Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launches five satellites from Sriharikota. 13—The lower House of the Parliament of France approves a ban on burqa-like Islamic veils. 19—More than 63 people are killed in a train collision at Sainthia station of Birbhum district of West Bengal. Speeding Uttarbanga Express overshoots signal and ploughs into Vanachal Express. 28—A passenger jet crashes into the hills surrounding Islamabad in Pakistan, amid poor weather, killing all 152 people on board. JUNE 2010 APPOINTED; ELECTED; Etc. Naoto Kan: He has been elected as the Prime Minister of Japan. He has become the fifth Prime Minister of Japan in three years, taking the helm as the country struggles to rein in a huge public debt, engineer growth in an aging society, and manage ties with security ally USA and a rising China. Julia Gillard: She scripted history when she was elected as the first woman Prime Minister of Australia. She succeeded Kevin Rudd, who stepped down following revolt against him within the Labour party. The
8
rebellion had been spearheaded by Ms Gillard, opposing his policies on health, education and climate change. Roza Otunbayeva: She has been elected as the first woman President of Kyrgystan. She claimed victory in a referendum in Kyrgyzstan, making her the interim President till 2011, a vote held to decide the legitimacy of her rule after President Kurmanbek Bakiyev regime was ousted in April 2010. Benigno Aquino: He has been elected as the President of Philippines. Justice (Retd) K.G. Balakrishnan: Former Chief Justice of India, he has been appointed as Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission. Sharad Pawar: He has taken over as the President of International Cricket Council (ICC). RESIGNED Madhav Kumar Nepal: Prime Minister of Nepal. Shibu Soren: Chief Minister of Jharkhand. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Mahinda Rajapaksa: President of Sri Lanka. Jacob Zuma: President of South Africa. MILESTONES Nitin Noharia: An Indian-American he has taken over as the Dean of Harvard Business School. He is the first person of Indian origin to occupy the prestigious and high profile post. EVENTS JUNE 11—The first World Cup football tournament in Africa kicks-off with a feast of song and dance in Johannesburg, South Africa. 14—The 64-day-old blockade of the two crucial highways leading to Manipur is suspended by the Naga Student Federation following talks with the Union government. The organisation had launched the blockade protesting elections to Autonomous District Councils in Manipur hills and Manipur government’s decision to ban entry of NSCN leader T. Muivah to the State. 26—The Union government finally lifts government control and allows oil companies to fix prices of petrol on the basis of market forces. 29—Masoists kill 26 CRPF personnel in a remote area of Chattisgarh’s Narayanpur district. MAY 2010 APPOINTED; ELECTED; Etc. David Cameron: He has been elected as the Prime Minister of UK. Kamla Persad-Bissessar: A 58-year-old woman of Indian origin, she has been elected as the first woman Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago. Her party, People’s Partnership, won 29 of the 41 parliamentary seats to end the 43-yeaqr-old rule of the ruling party. Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia: He has been appointed as the 38th Chief Justice of India. He is an expert in taxation and commercial laws. Dr Ratan Kumar Sinha: He has been appointed as the new Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). He is closely associated with the design and development of India’s first Thorium-based advanced Heavy Water reactor.
9
RESIGNED Horst Koehler: President of Germany. He resigned following criticism over his comments about Germany’s military engagement in Afghanistan. He is the first President in Germany’s post-war history to resign before completing his term. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Jacob Zuma: President of South Africa. DIED Bhairon Singh Shekhawat: Former Vice President of India. He was 86. A senior BJP leader, he had also held the post of Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Mac Mohan: Veteran character actor of Hindi film industry, he immortalised in the role of Gabbar Singh’s sidekick “Sambha” in blockbuster “Sholay”. He was 71. MILESTONES Nitin Nohria: India-born American, he has been named the 10th Dean of Harvard Business School. He is the first person of Indian origin to achieve this honour. Mamta Sodha: 30-year-old Dalit girl from Kaithal, Haryana, she has achieved the distinction of climbing Mount Everest. She was part of the Mission Mount Everest 2010 expedition. Jordan: A 13-year-old American boy from California, he has become youngest person to climb Mount Everest. He achieved the feat on May 22, 2010. Arjun Bajpayee: 16-year-old resident of Uttar Pradesh's Noida city, he has become the youngest Indian to climb the Mount Everest. He broke the record of Krushnaa Patil,18, from Maharashtra who became the youngest Indian to reach the highest peak in 2009. Commander Dilip Donde: He has become the first Indian to sail solo around the world. Shah Faesal: An MBBS degree holder from Srinagar, he has topped the Civil Services Exam 2009. Gita Gopinath: She is the first Indian woman in the history of Harvard University to be appointed a full time professor at the University. She is a professor in Economics Department of Harvard University. EVENTS MAY 1—The police in New York foil a major terror attack by defusing a crude car bomb in the heart of city’s famous tourist hub of Times Square. 17—Maoists blow up a passenger bus in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, killing more than 36 people. 17—The Strategic Forces Command, with logistics support from DRDO, successfully launches the Agni-II surface-to-surface, intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM). 22—In one of the worst air tragedies in India, Air India flight from Dubai overshoots runway at Mangalore airport and bursts into flames, killing 158 passengers and crew on board. 28—More than 80 people are killed as a goods train rams into already derailed Gyaneshwari Express near Kharagpur, West Bengal. The Maoists are blamed for the derailment of the passenger train. APRIL 2010 APPOINTED; ELECTED; Etc. Justice S.H. Kapadia: He has become the 38th Chief Justice of India. D.M. Jayaratne: He has been appointed Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
10
Mukul M. Sangma: He has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Gen V.K. Singh: He has taken over as the Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army. Chirayu Amin: He has been appointed as the interim chairman of Indian Premier League (IPL) by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). RESIGNED D.D. Lapang: Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Shashi Tharor: Minister of State for External Affairs in the Union Cabinet. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Admiral Dary Roughead: Chief of the US Navy. DIED Lech Kaczynski: President of Poland. Prabha Rau: Governor of Rajasthan. C. K. Prahalad: Globally known influential management thinker. MILESTONES Manasvi Magmai: Delhi girl, she has been crowned Femina Miss India World. Nicole Faria from Bangalore has won the Miss India Earth title and Neha Hinge has won Miss India International title. Prasun Chatterjee: An Indian environmental engineering student whose research has contributed to a new way of detecting toxic lead and copper in water, has won one of the highest US research honours. Chatterjee, a research student at the University of Lehigh, Pennsylvania, received the 2010 C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Award from the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Environmental Chemistry Division. EVENTS APRIL 1—The exercise to conduct the 15th Census of India begins. 6—Seventy three security personnel are killed in the deadliest Naxal strike in the restive Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. 6—Prime Minister Gordan Brown of UK announces General Elections on May 6; the Parliament is dissolved. 7—Thailand’s embattled Prime Minister declares a state of emergency in Bangkok after protesters storm Parliament in a dramatic escalation of their bid to topple the government. 10—Polish President Lech Kacznski and his wife are among 97 people killed in air crash in western Russia. 14—More than 400 people die as a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hits China’s Qinghai province on the Tibetan plateau. 15—After 18 years of research and testing, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) first attempt to put a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) powered by an indigenous cryogenic engine ends in failure. 19—The Supreme Court upholds the conviction and life sentence to Manu Sharma for the 1999 murder of model Jessica Lall.
11
MARCH 2010 APPOINTED; ELECTED Etc. Sonia Gandhi: UPA chairperson and Congress President, she has been appointed as the head of National Advisory Council (NAC), four years after quitting the post over an office-of-profit controversy. She will hold the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister. S. Ramadorai: He has been appointed as the Chairman of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Vladmir Putin: Prime Minister of Russia. Stephen Smith: Foreign Minister of Australia. General Mohammad Abdul Mubeen: Army chief of Bangladesh. Nelson Jobin: Defence Minister of Brazil. DIED Girija Prasad Koirala: Five-time Prime Minister of Nepal and architect of the landmark peace deal with the Maoists that ended a decade-long insurgency in Nepal. G.P. Birla: Noted industrialist and second most eldest member of the Birla clan. He was 86. MILESTONES Capt Tejdeep Singh Rattan: A 31-year-old Dentist, he has become the first Sikh in over 25 years to be allowed to complete US Army officer basic training without giving up his turban or shaving his full beard. EVENTS MARCH 7—Explosions rock Iraq as the country votes to elect a new government, leading to 36 people getting killed. 29—Two female suicide bombers blow themselves up on two packed metro trains, near iconic Gorky Park in Moscow, killing more than 40 people.
FEBRUARY 2010
APPOINTED; ELECTED; Etc.
S.C. Sinha: Haryana cadre IPS officer, he has been appointed as the Director General of the National
Investigation Agency (NIA).
Salil Shetty: He has been appointed as the Secretary-General of Amnesty International. He is the first
Indian to be appointed to the job and will succeed Irene Khan in June 2010.
RESIGNED
Shyam Saran: Prime Minister’s special envoy on climate change. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
Abdullah Gul: President of Turkey.
12
Horst Koehler: President of Germany.
Salman Bashir: Foreign Secretary of Pakistan.
DIED
Fred Morrison: Inventor of the Frisbee, a flying-saucer shaped toy. He was 90.
Nanaji Deshmukh: One of the founder members of Bhartiya Jan Sangh, social worker and former member
of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sbha. He was 93.
Kakkadah Nandanath Raj: Leading economist of India who made a significant contribution in preparation
of India’s first five-year Plan (1951-56). He was 85.
Nirmal Pandey: Hindi films actor. He was 46. A graduate rom National School of Drama, he is best known
for his roles in “Bandit Queen”, “Iss raat kee subha nahin” and “Pyar Kiya to darna kya”.
Tahir Hussain: Well-known Hindi film-maker and father of film star Amir Khan. He is known for
producing hits like “Hum hain rahi pyar ke”, “Zakhmee”, “Anamika” and “Caravan”.
MILESTONES Sanjiv Mehta: He is the new owner of East India Company, the world’s first multinational whose forces once ruled much of the globe, including India. EVENTS FEBRUARY 2010 5—Twin blasts in Karachi claim 25 lives. Terrorists target a Shia religious procession and a hospital. 7—India successfully test-fires its indigenous, nuclear-capable Agni-III missile, with a range of over 3,000 km. 13—More than 11 people are killed in a high-intensity bomb explosion at the German bakery at Koregaon Park, Pune. This is the first major terror strike in India after 26/11 strikes in Mumbai. 15—Maoists kill 24 jawans during s daring attack at a police camp at Simplipal in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal. 18—Naxals gun down 11 persons in a village under Jamui district of Bihar. 21—Taliban behead a Sikh in Pakistan for refusing to pay ‘jazia’ (money to protect a non-Muslim community). 24—Railways Budget is presented in the Lok Sabha by Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee. 24—Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first cricketer in the world to hit a double century in One-Day format (in ODI against South Africa, played in Gwalior).
13
26—Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presents his fifth Union Budget in the Lok Sabha. 26—Nine Indians are among 18 people killed in a series of attacks by militants in central Kabul, Afghanistan. 27—Earthquake measuring 8.8 on Richter scale hits areas around Santiago, Chile, killing more than 500 people and destroying property worth billions of dollars. 27—Prime Minister Manmohan Singh becomes the first Prime Minister in 28 years to visit Saudi Arabia.
JANUARY 2010
APPOINTED; ELECTED; Etc.
Mahinda Rajapaksa: He has been re-elected as the President of Sri Lanka,
E.S.L. Narasimhan: He has been appointed as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
Shivraj Patil: He has been appointed as the Governor of Punjab and Chief Administrator of Union Territory
of Chandigarh.
M.K. Narayanan: He has been appointed as the Governor of West Bengal.
Prabha Rau: She has been appointed as the Governor of Rajasthan.
Sekhar Dutt: He has been appointed as the Governor of Chattisgarh.
M.O.H. Farooq: He has been appointed as the Governor of Jharkhand.
K. Sankaranarayanan: He has been appointed as the Governor of Maharashtra.
Urmila Singh: She has been appointed as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh.
Gen Vijay Kumar Singh: He has been appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army.
Shiv Shankar Menon: He has been appointed as the National Security Advisor.
S. Sundareshan: He has been appointed as the Petroleum Secretary in the Union government.
Vikram Srivastava: He has been appointed as the Director-General of Central Reserve Police Force
(CRPF).
Raman Srivastava: He has taken over as the Chief of Border Security Force (BSF).
Ranjeet Kumar Bhatia: He has taken over as the Chief of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Mrinal Pandey: She has been appointed as the Chairperson of Prasar Bharti.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
Lee Myung-bak: President of South Korea. He was the Chief Guest on occasion of the Republic Day 2010.
Sheikh Hasina: Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Uzi Arad: National Security Adviser of Israel.
Vice-Admiral Elizer Marom: Commander-in Chief of Israeli Navy.
14
Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak: Prime Minister of Malaysia.
DIED
Jyoti Basu: CPM patriarch and former Chief Minister of West Bengal. He was 95.
Billy Arjan Singh: Pioneering wildlife activist and author. He was 94.
Erich Segal: Author of the tear-jerking novel Love Story and screenwriter of the Oscar-winning film
version. He was 72.
MILESTONES Asma Parween: Her story features on the 2010 UN Population Fund calendar. A native of an obscure village, Sakri Saraiya in Bihar’s Muzzafarpur district, this 19 year-old girl defied her orthodox father to join an education-cum-vocational centre in her village. Today she is a history honours student as also a karate trainer. EVENTS JANUARY 2010 1—India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into effect with Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand implementing it with immediate effect. 1—A suicide bomber blows up a car packed with explosives killing 70 people during a volleyball game in a village in north-west Pakistan. 4—Blazing fireworks and dazzling lights mark the opening of the world's tallest tower, Burj Khalifa (formerly known as Burj Dubai). 14—The first holy bath of century’s and Uttarkhand’s first Maha Kumbh starts at Haridwar. 15—Century’s longest annular solar eclipse takes place. 18—Taliban attack heart of Kabul by targeting key government buildings. 13—More than three lakh people are killed as an earthquake with 7.0 magnitude hits Port-au-Prince, capital of Haiti. 25—Ninety persons die in Ethiopian airlines crash into Mediterranean sea, shortly after take-off from Beirut. 26—Sri Lanka goes to polls to elect new President. 27—Bangladesh hangs five ex-Army officers convicted for assassinating country’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, almost three decades after he was killed in a military coup.
15
VARIOUS COMMITIES
Here is the list of various Committees and their main Focus Areas
1. A C Shah Committee: NBFC
2. A Ghosh Committee: Final Accounts
3. A Ghosh Committee: Modalities Of Implementation Of New 20 Point Programme
4. A Ghosh Committee: Frauds & Malpractices In Banks
5. Abid Hussain Committee: Development Of Capital Markets
6. Adhyarjuna Committee: Changes In NI Act And Stamp Act
7. AK Bhuchar Committee: Coordination Between Term Lending Institutions And Commercial
Banks
8. B Eradi Committee: Insolvency And Wind Up Laws
9. B Sivaraman Committee: Institutional Credit For Agricultural & Rural Development
10. B Venkatappaiah Committee: All India Rural Credit Review
11. BD Shah Committee: Stock Lending Scheme
12. BD Thakar Committee: Job Criteria In Bank Loans (Approach)
13. Bhagwati Committee: Unemployment
14. Bhagwati Committee: Public Welfare
15. Bhave Committee: Share Transfer Reforms
16. Bhide Committee: Coordination Between Commercial Banks And SFC's
17. Bhootlingam Committee: Wage, Income & Prices
18. C Rao Committee: Agricultural Policy
19. CE Kamath Committee: Multi Agency Approach In Agricultural Finance
20. Chatalier Committee: Finance To Small Scale Industry
21. Chesi Committee: Direct Taxes
22. Cook Committee (On Behalf Of BIS - Under Basel Committee ): Capital Adequacy Of Banks
23. D R Mehta Committee: Review Progress And Recommend Improvement Measures Of IRDP
24. Damle Committee: MICR
25. Dandekar Committee: Regional Imbalances
26. Dantwala Committee: Estimation Of Employments
27. Dave Committee: Mutual Funds (Functioning)
28. Dharia Committee: Public Distribution System
29. DR Gadgil Committee: Agricultural Finance
30. Dutta Committee: Industrial Licensing
31. G Lakshmai Narayan Committee: Extension Of Credit Limits On Basis Of Consortium
32. G Sundaram Committee: Export Credit
16
33. Gadgil Committee (1969): Lead Banking System
34. Godwala Committee: Rural Finance
35. Goiporia Committee: Customer Service In Banks
36. GS Dahotre Committee: Credit Requirements Of Leasing Industry
37. GS Patel Committee: Carry Forward System On Stock Exchanges
38. Hathi Committee: Soiled Banknotes
39. Hazari Committee (1967):Industrial Policy
40. IT Vaz Committee: Working Capital Finance In Banks
41. J Reddy Committee:Reforms In Insurance Sector
42. James Raj Committee:Functioning Of Public Sector Banks
43. Jankiramanan Committee:Securities Transactions Of Banks & Financial Institutions
44. JV Shetty Committee:Consortium Advances
45. K Madhav Das Committee:Urban Cooperative Banks
46. Kalyansundaram Committee:Introduction Of Factoring Services In India
47. Kamath Committee:Education Loan Scheme
48. Karve Committee:Small Scale Industry
49. KB Chore Committee:To Review The Symbol Of Cash Credit Q
50. Khanna Committee:Non Performing Assets
51. Khusrau Committee:Agricultural Credit
52. KS Krishnaswamy Committee:Role Of Banks In Priority Sector And 20 Point Economic
Programme
53. L K Jha Committee:Indirect Taxes
54. LC Gupta Committee:Financial Derivatives
55. Mahadevan Committee:Single Window System
56. Mahalanobis Committee:Income Distribution
57. Marathe Committee:Licensing Of New Banks
58. ML Dantwala Committee:Regional Rural Banks
59. Mrs. KS Shere Committee:Electronic Fund Transfer
60. Nadkarni Committee:Improved Procedures For Transactions In PSU Bonds And Units
61. Nariman Committee:Branch Expansion Programme
62. Narsimham Committee:Financial System
63. Omkar Goswami Committee:Industrial Sickness And Corporate Restructuring
64. P R Nayak Committee:Institutional Credit To SSI Sector
65. P Selvam Committee:Non Performing Assets Of Banks
66. PC Luther Committee:Productivity, Operational Efficiency & Profitability Of Banks
67. PD Ojha Committee:Service Area Approach
17
68. Pendarkar Committee:Review The System Of Inspection Of Commercial, RRB And Urban
Cooperative Banks
69. Pillai Committee:Pay Scales Of Bank Officers
70. PL Tandon Committee:Export Strategy
71. PR Khanna Committee:Develop Appropriate Supervisory Framework For NBFC
72. Purshottam Das Committee:Agricultural Finance And Cooperative Societies
73. R Jilani Banks:Inspection System Of Banks
74. R S Saria Committee:Agricultural Finance And Cooperative Societies
75. Raghavan Committee:Competition Law
76. Raja Chelliah Committee:Tax Reforms
77. Rajamannar Committee:Centre - State Fiscal Relationships
78. Rajamannar Committee:Changes In Banking Laws , Bouncing Of Cheques Etc.
79. Rakesh Mohan Committee:Petro Chemical Sector
80. Ram Niwas Mirdha Committee (JPC):Securities Scam
81. Rangrajan Committee:Computerization Of Banking Industry
82. Rangrajan Committee:Public Sector Disinvestment
83. Rashid Jilani Committee:Cash Credit System
84. Ray Committee:Industrial Sickness
85. RG Saraiya Committee (1972):Banking Commission
86. RH Khan Committee:Harmonization Of Banks And Ssis
87. RK Hajare Committee:Differential Interest Rates Scheme
88. RK Talwar Committee:Customer Service
89. RK Talwar Committee:Enactment Having A Bearing On Agro Landings By Commercial Banks
90. RN Malhotra Committee:Reforms In Insurance Sector
91. RN Mirdha Committee:Cooperative Societies
92. RV Gupta Committee:Agricultural Credit Delivery
93. S Padmanabhan Committee:Onsite Supervision Function Of Banks
94. S Padmanabhan Committee:Inspection Of Banks (By RBI)
95. Samal Committee:Rural Credit
96. SC Choksi Committee:Direct Tax Law
97. Shankar Lal Gauri Committee:Agricultural Marketing
98. SK Kalia Committee:Role Of NGO And SHG In Credit
99. SL Kapoor Committee:Institutional Credit To SSI
100. Sodhani Committee:Foreign Exchange Markets In NRI Investment In India
101. SS Kohli Committee:Rehabilitation Of Sick Industrial Units
102. SS Kohli Committee:Rationalization Of Staff Strength In Banks
18
103. SS Kohli Committee:Willful Defaulters
104. SS Nadkarni Committee:Trading In Public Sector Banks
105. SS Tarapore Committee:Capital Account Convertibility
106. Sukhmoy Chakravarty Committee:To Review The Working Of Monetary System
107. Tambe Committee:Term Loans To SSI
108. Tandon Committee:Follow Up Of Bank Credit
109. Tandon Committee:Industrial Sickness
110. Thakkar Committee:Credit Schemes To Self Employed
111. Thingalaya Committee:Restructuring Of RRB
112. Tiwari Committee: Rehabilitation Of Sick Industrial Undertakings
113. UK Sharma Committee:Lead Bank Scheme (Review)
114. Usha Thorat Panel: Financial Inclusion
115. Vaghul Committee:Mutual Fund Scheme
116. Varshney Committee:Revised Methods For Loans (>2 Lakhs)
117. Venketaiya Committee:Review Of Rural Financing System
118. Vipin Malik Committee: Consolidated Accounting By Banks
119. VT Dehejia Committee:To Study Credit Needs Of Industry And Trade Likely To Be
Inflated
120. Vyas Committee:Rural Credit
121. Wanchoo Committee:Direct Taxes
122. WS Saraf Committee:Technology Issues In Banking Industry
123. Y H Malegam Committee:Disclosure Norms For Public Issues
124. YV Reddy Committee:Reforms In Small Savings
Some Recent Working Groups & Committees by RBI & Their Focus Area: (Name of Chairmen is
given)
1. Working Group on Benchmark Prime Lending Rate (BPLR): Deepak Mohanty
2. Working Group on Surveys: Deepak Mohanty
3. High Level Committee to Review Lead Bank Scheme: Usha Thorat
4. Working Group to Review the Business Correspondent Model: P Vijaya Bhaskar Rao
5. High Level Group on Systems and Procedures for Currency Distribution: Usha Thorat
6. G20 Working Group on Enhancing Sound Regulation and Strengthening Transparency: Dr. Rakesh
Mohan and Mr. Tiff Macklem
7. Committee on Financial Sector Assessment: Dr. Rakesh Mohan
8. High Level Committee on Estimation of Savings and Investment: Dr. C. Rangarajan
19
9. Committee on the Global Financial System (CGFS) on Capital Flows and Emerging Market
Economies: Dr. Rakesh Mohan
10. Task Force For Diamond Sector: A K Bera
11. Technical Advisory Group on Development of Housing Start-Up Index in India: Prof. Amitabh
Kundu
12. Working Group on Defraying Cost of ICT Solutions for RRBs: Shri G. Padmanabhan
13. Working Group on IT support for Urban Cooperative Banks: R Gandhi
14. Working Group on Technology Upgradation of Regional Rural Banks: Shri G. Srinivasan
15. Interest Rate Futures: Shri V.K. Sharma
16. Internal Working Group to Study the Recommendations of the NCEUS Report: KUB Rao
17. Working Group on Improvement of Banking Services in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep: S.
Ramaswamy
18. Working Group on Rehabilitation of Sick SMEs: Dr. K. C. Chakrabarty
19. Working Group on Improvement of Banking Services In Jharkhand: V.S.Das
20. Working Group on Improvement of Banking Services in Himachal Pradesh: Dr. J. Sadakkadulla
21. Internal Technical Group on Seasonal Movements in Inflation: Dr. Balvant Singh
22. Working Group to Examine the Procedures and Processes of Agricultural Loans: C P Swarankar
23. Task Force on Empowering RRB Boards for Operational EfficiencyDr. K.G. Karmakar
24. Technical Group Set up to Review Legislations on Money Lending: Shri.S. C. Gupta
25. Working Group To Suggest Measures To Assist Distressed Farmers: Shri. S. S. Johl
26. Technical Group on Statistics for International Trade in Banking Services: Shri K.S.R.Rao
27. Technical Advisory Group On Development Of Leading Economic Indicators For Indian
EconomyDr. R B Barman
28. Working Group on Savings for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12): Dr.Rakesh
Mohan
29. Working Group on Compilation of State Government Liabilities: Dr. N.D. Jadhav
30. Working Group on Improvement of Banking Services in Uttaranchal: V.S. Das
31. Working Group on Cost of NRI Remittances: P. K. Pain
32. Working group to formulate a scheme for Ensuring Reasonableness of Bank Charges: N. Sadasivam
33. Committee on Fuller Capital Account Convertibility: S.S.Tarapore
34. Committee on Financial Sector Plan for North Eastern Region: Smt. Usha Thorat
35. Survey on Impact of Trade Related Measures on Transaction Costs of Exports: Balwant Singh
36. Advisory Committee on Ways and Means Advances to State Governments: M.P.Bezbaruah
37. Need and Use Behavior for Small Denomination Coins: Sanal Kumar Velayudhan
38. Debt Sustainability at State Level in India: Indira Rajaraman, Shashank Bhide and R.K.Pattnaik
39. Internal Group to Examine Issues Relating to Rural Credit and Microfinance: Shri H.R.Khan
20
40. Working Group to Review Export Credit: Shri Anand Sinha
41. Internal Working Group on RRBs: Shri A V Sardesai
42. Working Group on Warehouse Receipts and Commodity Futures: Shri Prashant Saran
43. Internal Group to Review Guidelines on Credit Flow to SME Sector: Shri C.S.Murthy
44. Working Group on Regulatory Mechanism for Cards Shri R.Gandhi
45. Group on Model Fiscal Responsibility Legislation at State Level: Shri H R Khan
46. Task Force on Revival of Cooperative Credit Institutions: Prof.A.Vaidyanathan
47. Special Group for Formulation of Debt Restructuring Mechanism for Medium Enterprises: Shri
G.Srinivasan
48. Working Group on Screen Based Trading In Government Securities: Dr.R.H.Patil
49. Expert Group on Internet Deployment of Central Database Management System (CDBMS):
Prof.A.Vaidyanathan
50. Report on Monitoring of Financial Conglomerates: Smt.Shyamala Gopinath
51. Working Group on Development Financial Institutions: Shri N. Sadasivan
52. Advisory Committee to Advise on the Administered Interest Rates and Rationalisation of Saving
Instruments: Dr.Rakesh Mohan
53. Advisory Committee on Flow of Credit to Agriculture: Prof.V.S.Vyas
54. Working Group on Flow of Credit to SSI Sector: Dr.A.S.Ganguly
55. Group to Study the Pension Liabilities of the State Governments: B. K. Bhattacharya
56. Rupee Interest Rate Derivatives: Shri G. Padmanabhan
57. Working Group on Instruments of Sterilisation: Smt. Usha Thorat
58. Working Group on Information on State Government Guaranteed Advances and Bonds:
Shri.G.Padmanabhan
59. Working Group on Cheque Truncation and E-cheques: Dr.Barman, ED
60. Working Group on Introduction of Credit Derivatives in India: Shri B. Mahapatra
61. Group to Assess the Fiscal Risk of State Government Guarantees: Smt. Usha Thorat
62. Advisory Committee on Ways and Means Advances to State Governments: Shri C.Ramachandran
63. Working Group on Rupee Derivatives: Shri Jaspal Bindra
64. Committee on Computer Audit: Shri A.L. Narasimhan
65. Committee on Payment Systems: Dr R H Patil
66. Review Group on The Working of The Local Area Bank SchemeShri G.Ramachandran
67. Technical Group on Statistics of International Trade in Services: Shri Deepak Mohanty
68. Working Group for Suggesting Operational and Prudential Guidelines on STRIPS (Separately
Traded Registered Interest and Principal of Securities): Shri M.R.Ramesh
69. Working Group on Electronic Money: Mr.Zarir J. Cama
70. Working Group on Economic Indicators Dr. R.B. Barman
21
71. Working Group to Examine the Role of Credit Information Bureaus in Collection and Dissemination
of Information on Suit-filed Accounts and Defaulters: Shri S.R. Iyer
72. Information systems audit policy for the banking and financial sector: Dr. R.B.Burman
73. Working Group on Consolidated Accounting and Other Quantitative Methods to Facilitate
Consolidated Supervision: Shri Vipin Malik
74. Expert Committee to Review the System of Administered Interest Rates and Other Related Issues:
Dr.Y.V. Reddy
75. Inter-Departmental Group to study the Rationalisation of Current account Facility with Reserve Bank
of India: Shri K.W. Korgaonkar
76. The Expert Committee on Legal Aspects of Bank Frauds: Dr.N.L. Mitra
77. The Standing Committee on International Financial Standards and Codes
Standing Committee on International Financial Standards and Codes: Dr. Y.V.Reddy
78. Technical Group on Market Integrity: Shri C.R. Muralidharan
79. Technical Group on Phasing Out of Non-banks from Call/Notice Money Market (March 2001):
Dr.Y.V.Reddy
80. Core Group on Voluntary Disclosure Norms for State Governments: Dr.Y.V.Reddy
81. Task Force to Study the Cooperative Credit System and Suggest Measures for its Strengthening: Shri
Jagdish Kapoor
82. Internal Group to Review the Guidelines Relating to Commercial Paper: Dr.Y.V.Reddy
83. High Power Committee on Urban Cooperative Banks: Shri Madhav Rao
84. Working Group for setting up Credit Information Bureau in India: Shri N.H.Siddiqui
85. Committee for Redesigning of Financial Statements of Non-Banking Financial Companies: Shri
V.S.N. Murthy
86. Working Group on Restructuring Weak Public Sector Banks: Shri M.S.Verma
Working Group for Working Out Modalities on Dissemination of Information in Electronic Form:
Shri Y.S.P. Thorat and Shri C.R. Gopalasundaram
87. Committee on Technology Upgradation in the Banking Sector: Dr A.Vasudevan
88. Working Group of EURO: Shri V.Subrahmanyam
89. New Monetary Aggregates: Dr. Y.V. Reddy
90. Committee on Capital Account Convertibility: Shri S.S.Tarapore
22
INDIA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
KAUSHAL VIKAS YOJANA
On August 15, 2007, India's Prime Minister had announced to set up 1600 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) & Polytechnics and 50,000 Skill Development Centres with active help of the private sector. Consequntly, Ministry of Labour & Employment has undertaken a project titled “Kaushal Vikas Yojana” to set up 1500 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) & 5000 Skill Development Centres (SDCs) in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode in India at locations identified by the State Governments. These ITIs are proposed to be set up in unserviced blocks (blocks where no ITIs/ITCs exist) & SDCs in a cluster of about ten villages. State Governments have been requested to identify locations where free of cost land and basic infrastructure such as power, water, road, etc. are available. These ITIs are proposed to be set up in unserviced blocks (blocks where no ITIs /ITC s exist) & SDCs in a cluster of about ten villages. Objective: The objective of setting up these institutions is to provide access to vocational training facilities to youth in rural, hilly, border & difficult areas. It is expected to provide opportunities of Skill development at door step of youth.
NATIONAL LIVELIHOOD MISSION (NLM)
India's Ministry of Rural Development is proposing to re-design the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) into National Livelihood Mission (NRLM). Here are the proposed main features of the NRLM:
1. To bring each BPL household under Self Help Group (SHG) net,
2. To set up dedicated implementation structure at various levels,
3. To enhance capital subsidy for the beneficiaries,
4. To ensure easy access for multiple doses of credit,
5. To form and strengthen people owned organization such as Self Help Groups (SHG) Federation at various level,
6. To upscale the skill development and placement programs, Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETIs) in each district of the country.
It is also proposed to induct dedicated professionals at various levels for implementation of the program. Special emphasis will be given to technology inputs. Under the scheme, it is provided that Schedule Caste (SC) and Schedule Tribes (STs) will account for at least 50% of Swarojgaries, women 40%, minorities 15% and disabled 3%.
Under the existing guidelines of SGSY, 15% of allocation is set apart for taking up special projects which are of pioneering nature for bringing a specified large number of rural below poverty line (BPL) beneficiaries above poverty line in a time bound manner.
23
The objective of the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) is to bring the assisted poor families (Swarozgaries) above the Poverty Line by ensuring appreciable sustained level of income over a period of time. This objective is to be achieved by inter alia organising the rural poor into Self Help Groups (SHGs) through the process of social mobilization, their training and capacity building and provision of income generating assets. The SHG approach helps the poor to build their self-confidence through community action.
NAVJAAT SHISHU SURAKSHA KARYAKRAM
Neonatal Deaths in India:
• According to WHO stats, out of 9.2 million under-5 deaths in world, India accounts for 2.2 million which is maximum in the world. Two-third of the neo-natal deaths occurred in the first week of life, two-third of those took place within the first 24 hours due to non-availability of delivery institutions in villages and smaller towns.
Causes
• Causes of neonatal deaths include infection, complications related to premature birth, pneumonia, diarrhoea and measles apart from hypothermia and infection, and basic newborn resuscitation.
Focus on New Born Care in National Rural Health Mission:
• To reduce the neonatal mortality which constitutes 45% of under-5 mortality, the following initiatives have been taken under the NRHM framework: (i) Navjat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram – a new programme in Basic new-born care and resuscitation (23% of neonatal death occurs due to asphyxia at birth). (ii) Creation of new-born care units at district level hospitals, stabilization units at CHC level and new born corners at PHC level to provide specialized care. (iii) Skill development of ASHAs and skilled birth attendants to ensure home-based new born and child care.
The above three prong strategy is expected to make a significant reduction in infant mortality. Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram
• Navjat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram is a new programme in Basic new-born care and resuscitation (23% of neonatal death occurs due to asphyxia at birth).
• A two-day training module for care providers at health facilities has been developed and training programme to train master trainers at State and district levels has been rolled out with the support of Indian Academy of Paediatrics and Neonatal Forum of India. Training for all care providers shall be completed by June 2010.
• The NSSK will train healthcare providers at the district hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres in the interventions at birth with the application of the latest available scientific methods aimed at significantly reducing the infant mortality ratio.
• The Health and Family Welfare Ministry will organise district level trainers’ training programme for 10 States and master trainers’ training programmes in other States and Union Territories.
24
• The States will be expected to roll out training for medical officers, nurses and auxiliary nurse midwives on their own.
This program was launched in September 2009 by Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad. The aim of the program is to reduce the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 55 to 30 by the year 2012. IMR in India was 60 in 2003 & 55 in 2007. The new programme will enable the paramedical staff to save new born child and mother at various health centres across the country.
HISTORY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT & EMPLOYEMENT GENERATI ON PROGRAM
1. 1952: Community Development Programme (CDP) overall development of rural areas and people’s participation.
2. 1960-61: Intensive Agriculture Development program (IADP) To provide loan for seeds and fertilizers to farmers
3. 1964-65: Intensive Agriculture Area programme (IAAP) To develop special harvest in agriculture area.
4. 1965 : Credit Authorization Scheme (CAS) Involved qualitative credit control of reserve bank of India
5. 1966-67: High yielding variety programme (HYVP) To increase the productivity of food grains by adopting latest varieties of inputs of crops.
6. 1966-67: Green Revolution: To Increase productivity. Confined to wheat production.
7. 1969: Rural Electrification Corporation To provide electricity in rural areas
8. 1972 : Scheme of Discriminatory Interest Rate To provide loan to the weaker sections of society at a concessional interest rate of 4%
9. 1972-73 : Accelerated Rural water Supply Programme (ARWSP) Providing drinking water in villages
10. 1973: Drought Prone Area Programme: Protection from drought by achieving environement balace and by developing ground water
11. 1973: Crash Scheme for Rural Employment CSRE For rural employment
12. 1973-74 : Marginal Farmer and Agriculture Labor Agency (MFALA) Technical & financial assistance to marginal farmers
13. 1974-75: Small Farmer Development Scheme SFDS Technical & financial assistance to small farmers
14. 1975: Command Area Development Programme: (CADP) Better utilization of irrigational capacities
25
15. 1975: Twenty Point Programme (TPP) Poverty eradication and an overall objective of raising the level living
16. 1977: National Institution of Rural Development Training, investigation and advisory for rural development
17. 1977-78 : Desert Development Programme: (DDP) To control the desert expansion by maintaining environment balance
18. 1977-78: Food For Work Programme: providing food grains to labor
19. 1977-78 : Antyodaya Yojna : Scheme of Rajasthan, providing economic assistance to poorest families
20. 1979 : Training Rural Youth for Self Employment TRYSEM (launched on 15th August) educational and vocational training
21. 1980 : Integrated Rural Development Programme :IRDP (launched on October 2, 1980) overall development of rural poor
22. 1980 : National Rural Development programme NREP employment for rural manforce
23. 1982 : Development of Women & Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) sustainable opportunities of self employment to the women belonging to the rural families who are living below the poverty line.
24. 1983 : Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) (Launched on August 15) employment to landless farmers and laborers
25. 1983-84: Farmers Agriculture Service Centers FASCs Tell the people use of improved instruments of agriculture
26. 1984 : National Fund for Rural Development : To grant 100% tax rebate to donors and also to provide financial assistance for rural development projects
27. 1985: Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme: Crop Insurance
28. 1986: Council of Advancement of People’s Action & Rural Technology (CAPART) Assistance to rural people
29. 1986: Self Employment Programme for the Poor SEPUP Self employment through credit and subsidy
30. 1986: National Drinking Water Mission: For rural drinking water renamed and upgraded to Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission in 1991.
26
31. 1988: Service Area Account Rural Credit
32. 1989: Jawahar Rozgar Yojna : JRY Employment to rural unemployed
33. 1989: Nehru Rozgar Yojna NRY Employment to Urban unemployed
34. 1990: Agriculture & Rural Debt Relief Scheme: ARDRS Exempt Bank loans up to Rs. 10000 for rural artisans and weavers
35. 1990: Scheme for Urban Micro Enterprises SUME Assist urban small entrepreneurs
36. 1990: Scheme of Urban wage Employment SUWE Scheme for urban poor’s
37. 1990: Scheme of Housing and Shelter Upgradation (SHASU) Providing employment by shelter Upgradation
38. 1991: National Housing Bank Voluntary Deposit Scheme Using black money by constructing low cost housing for the poor.
39. 1992: National Renewal Fund This scheme was for the employees of the public sector
40. 1993: Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) (Launched on October, 2) Employment of at least 100 days in a year in villages
41. 1993: Members of parliament Local Area Development Scheme MPLADS (December 23, 1993) Sanctioned 1 crore per year for development works
42. 1994: Scheme for Infrastructural Development in Mega Cities : SIDMC Water supply, sewage, drainage, urban transportation, land development and improvement slums projects in metro cities
43. 1993: District Rural Development Agency DRDA Financial assistance to rural people by district level authority
44. 1993 : Mahila Samridhi Yojna (October 2, 1993) Encourage rural women to deposit in Post office schems
45. 1994 : Child labor Eradication Scheme Shift child labour from hazardous industries to schools
46. 1995: prime Minister Integrated Urban Poverty Eradication programme PMIUPEP To eradicate urban poverty
47. 1995 : Mid day Meal Scheme: Nutrition to students in primary schools to improve enrolment, retention and attendence
27
48. 1996: Group Life Insurance Scheme for Rural Areas Insurance in rural area for low premium
49. 1995: national Social Assistance programme: Assist BPL people.
50. 1997-98; Ganga Kalyan Yojna Provide financial assistance to farmers for exploring ground water resources
51. 1997 Kastoorba Gandhi Education Scheme: (15 August 1997) Establish girls schools in low female literacy areas (district level)
52. 1997: Swaran Jayanto Shahari Rojgar Yojna: Urban employment
53. 1998: Bhagya Shree Bal Kalyan Policy Upliftment of female childs
54. March 1999 : Annapurna Yojna 10 kgs food grains to elderly people
55. April 1999: Swaran Jayanto Gram Swarojgar Yojna Self-employment in rural areas
56. April 1999: Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojna Village infrastructure
57. August 2000 : Jan Shree Bima Yojna Insurance for BPL people
58. 2000 : Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojna Basic needs of rural people
59. December 25, 2000 : Antyodaya Anna Yojna To provide food security to poor
60. December 25, 2000 : Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna: Connect all villages with nearest pukka road.
61. September 2001: Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojna Employment and food security to rural people
62. December 2001: Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojna VAMBAY Slum houses in urban areas
63. 2003: Universal health Insurance Scheme: Health insurance for Rural people
64. 2004: Vande mataram Scheme VMS Initiative of public Private partnership during pregnecy check up.
65. 2004: National Food for Work programme Supplementary wage as foodgrains for work
28
66. 2004: Kastoorba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Setting up residential schools at upper primary levels for girls belonging to predominantly OBC, SC & ST
67. 2005: Janani Suraksha Yojna Providing care to pregnant women
68. 2005, Dec. 16 : Bharat Nirman Development of India through irrigation, Water supply, Housing, Road, Telephone and electricity
69. 2005: National Rural Health Mission: Accessible, affordable, accountable, quality health survices to the porest of the poor on remotest areas of the country.
70. 2005: Rajeev Gandhi Grameen Vidyuti Karan Yojna: Extending electrification of all villages and habitations and ensuring electricity to every household.
71. 2005: Jawahar Lal Nehru national Urban Renewal Mission: (JNNURM) Click here to read more
72. 2006: February 2 : National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme NREGS 100 days wage employment for development works in rural areas.
73. 2007: Rastriya Swasthya Bima Yojna : Health insurance to all workers in unorganized area below poverty line.
74. 2007: Aam Aadmi Bima Yojna Insurance cover to the head of the family of rural landless households in the country.
75. 2009: Rajiv Awas Yojna To make India slum free in 5 years
Which scheme merged with which?
1. National Food for Work program was merged with NREGA
2. Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojna merged with NREGA
3. Intesified Jawhar Rozgar Yojna 1993 was merged with Employment Assurance Scheme 1996 which was later merged with Sampoorna grameen Rozgar Yojna 2001.
4. IRDP , TRYSEM, DWCRA, Million Wells Scheme, SITRA & Ganga kalian Yojna merged with Swaran jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna.
5. Rural Landless Employment Guarantee programme merged with Jawahar Rojgar Yojna which was replaced by Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojna (1999) and Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojna was merged with Sampoorna grameen Rojgar Yojna (2001)
29
SAAKSHAR BHARAT MISSION
Saakshar Bharat Mission was launched in September 2009 by Prime Minster Man Mohan Singh for Female Literacy on International Literacy Day (September 8, 2009) in New Delhi.
This is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, under the aegis of Department Of School Education & Literacy, Ministry Of Human Resource Development, Government of India.
Objectives:
1. To further promote and strengthen Adult Education, specially of women
2. To impart functional literacy to non-literates in the age group of 15-35 years in a time bound manner, the National Literacy Mission (NLM) was launched in 1988 and it continued through Ninth and Tenth Five Year Plans.
PRADHANMANTRI ADARSH GRAM YOJANA (PMAGY)
The Government of India has launched a new scheme called Pradhanmantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) for the integrated development of scheduled castes dominated villages in the country. The Finance Minister while presenting the Budget 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha said that there are about 44,000 villages in which the population of scheduled castes is above 50 per cent. Shri Mukherjee said that the new scheme PMAGY will be launched this year on a pilot basis in 1000 such villages. An amount of Rs.100 crore has been allocated for this Scheme.
Under this Scheme, each village would be able to avail gap funding of Rs.10 lakh over and above the allocations under Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation Schemes. On successful implementation of the pilot phase, the PMAGY would be extended in coming years inputs from PIB
PRADHAN MANTRI GRAMODAYA YOJANA (PMGY)
PMGY was launched in 2000-2001 in all States and Union Territories (UTs) in order to achieve the objective of sustainable human development at the village level. The PMGY envisages allocation of Additional Central Assistance (ACA) to the States and UTs for selected basic minimum services in order to focus on certain priority areas. PMGY initially had five components viz., primary health, primary education, rural shelter, rural drinking water and nutrition. Rural electrification was added as an additional component from 2001-02. For 2002-03 as well as 2003-04, the allocation of ACA for PMGY was Rs.2,800 crore. Both financial and physical monitoring of the programme is being carried out by the Planning Commission.
SWARNAJAYANTI GRAM SWAROZGER YOJANA (SGSY)
1. This Scheme was launched after a review and restructuring of the erstwhile Integrated Rural Development Program(IRDP) and allied schemes like Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM), Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), Million Wells Scheme (MWS), Supply of Improved Toolkits to Rural Artisans (SITRA) & Ganga Kalyan Yojna.
2. SGSY was launched on April 1, 1999 and is the only self employment Programme currently being implemented.
30
3. The objective of the SGSY is to bring the assisted Swarozgaris above the poverty line by providing them incomegenerating assets through bank credit and Government subsidy.
4. The Scheme is being implemented on a 75:25 cost sharing of between the Centre and the States.
5. Since its inception, and up to April 2004, a total allocation of Rs. 6,734 crore was made available by the Centre and States. Rs. 4,980 crore, have been utilized up to April 2004, benefiting 45.67 lakh Swarozgaris.
6. In the Union Budget 2009-10, Allocations of Rs. 2350 Crore was made for establishing micro-enterprises in rural areas through activity clusters and group approach under Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana. At least 50% of the Swarozgaries will be SCs/STs, 40% women and 3% disabled.
7. In The Union Budget 2010-11 Rs. 2984 Crore have been provided in outlays including Rs. 301 crore for NE region.
Objectives:
1. Focussed Approach to poverty Alleviation by setting up a large number of Micro enterprises in rural areas of our country.
2. Capitalising group lending
3. Overcoming the problem of running multiple programmes overlapping each other.
4. A holistic programme of micro enterprises covering all aspects of self employment which includes organising rural poor into Self help groups.
5. Integration of various agencies like District Rural Development Agencies, Banks, Line Departments., Panchayati Raj Instituions, NGOs etc.
6. Bring the assistated poor family above BPL by providing them a mix of income generating assets like bank credit + Government subsidy.
SAMPOORNA GRAMEEN ROZGAR YOJANA (SGRY)
The SGRY was launched in September 2001, by merging the ongoing Schemes of Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) and Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS).
The objective of the programme is to provide additional wage employment in the rural areas as also food security, along with the creation of durable community, social and economic infrastructure in rural areas.
The SGRY is open to all rural poor who are in need of wage employment and desire to do manual and unskilled work in and around the village/habitat. The Scheme is implemented through Panchyati Raj Institutions.
The scheme envisages generation of 100 crore man-days of employment in a year. The cost of each component of the programme is shared by the Centre and States in the ratio of 75:25. During the year 2003-04 an amount of Rs. 4,121 crore as cash component and 49.97 lakh tones of food grain were released to the States/UTs and 76.45 crore man-days (Provisional) have been generated as reported by the States/UTs.
31
Under the Special Component of the SGRY, 65.84 lakh tonnes of foodgrain have been released to 12 calamity affected States during 2003-04.
RURAL HOUSING SCHEME
• Rural housing schemes such as Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) aim at providing dwelling units, free of cost, to the poor families of the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), freed bonded laborers and also the non- SC/ST persons Below Poverty Line (BPL) in the rural areas.
• The Scheme is funded on a cost-sharing basis of 75:25 between the Center and States. Till the end of 2003-04, the ceiling on construction assistance under IAY was Rs. 20,000/- in plain areas and Rs. 22,000/- in hilly areas, which has been increased to Rs. 25,000/- per unit for plain areas and Rs. 27,500/- for hilly areas from April 1, 2004. Twenty per cent of the allocation is allowed for upgradation of unserviceable Kutcha houses for which ceiling of Rs. 12,500 per unit applies since April 2004.
• Credit-cum-Subsidy Scheme for rural housing targeting rural families having annual income up to Rs.32, 000 was launched on April 4, 1999. An amount of Rs. 10 crore as equity support was provided to Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) during 2003-04 by Ministry of Rural Development.
• In addition, the innovative scheme of Rural Housing and Habitat Development and Rural Building Centres (RBCs) was introduced to encourage innovative, cost effective and environment friendly solutions in building/housing sectors in rural areas.
• A National Mission for Rural Housing and Habitat has also been set up to address the critical issues of housing gap and induction of science and technology inputs into the housing/construction sector in rural areas.
• Since inception (up to June 1, 2004) 113.96 lakh houses have been constructed/upgraded by incurring an expenditure of Rs. 19,869 crore. During 2003-04, against the target of 14.84 lakh, 12.54 lakh (provisional) houses have been constructed/upgraded.
RAJIV AWAS YOJANA
� Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) is a new scheme announced by the President earlier in 2009, focuses on slum dwellers and the urban poor.
� This scheme aims at promoting a slum-free India in five years and would focus on according property rights to slum dwellers.
� The scheme will focus on according property rights to slum dwellers and the urban poor by the states and union territories.
� It would provide basic amenities such as water supply, sewerage, drainage, internal and approach roads, street lighting and social infrastructure facilities in slums and low income settlements adopting a 'whole city' approach. It would also provide subsidized credit.
32
� Allocation for housing and provision of basic amenities to urban poor enhanced to Rs.3,973 crore in the Union Budget 2009-10. This includes provision of Rs. 150 Crore for Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY).
� As per the UPA government's proposal for this scheme , the schemes for affordable housing through partnership and the scheme for interest subsidy for urban housing would be dovetailed into the Rajiv Awas Yojana which would extend support under JNNURM to States that are willing to assign property rights to people living in slum areas.
� Developing a robust database on slums is critical for implementation of the proposed Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY). The Ministry of HUPA has released funds for Slum/Household/Livelihoods surveys in 394 class I cities having more than one lakh population in the country.
� The surveys are in progress. Funds will also be released for other towns/cities in a phased manner. An e-enabled MIS is being developed for processing of data and building a national database.
20 POINT PROGRAM
The Twenty Point Programme was initially launched by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 and was subsequently restructured in 1982 and again on 1986. With the introduction of new policies and programmes it has been finally restructured in 2006 and it has been in operation at present. The Programmes and Schemes under TPP-2006 are in harmony with the priorities contained in the National Common Minimum Programme, the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations and SAARC Social Charter. The restructured Programme, called Twenty Point Programme – 2006 (TPP-2006), was approved by the Cabinet on 5th October, 2006 and operated w.e.f 1.4.2007.
The 20 Point Program Consisted following:
1. Attack on rural poverty
2. Strategy for Rained agriculture
3. Better use of irrigation water
4. Bigger harvest
5. Enforcement of Land Reforms
6. Special Programs for rural labour
7. Clean drinking water
8. Health for all
9. two child norm
10. expansion of education
11. Justice for SC / ST
12. Equality for women
13. New Opportunities for women
33
The TPP further restructured in 2006 has following Points:
1. Poverty eradication
2. power to people
3. Support to farmers
4. Labour welfare
5. Food security
6. Clean drinking water
7. Housing for all
8. Health for all
9. Education for all
10. Welfare of SC/ ST/ OBC and minorities
11. Women welfare
12. Child welfare
13. Youth Development
14. Improvement of slums
15. Environment protection and afforestation
16. Social security
17. Rural Roads
18. Energising of rural areas
19. Development of Backward areas
20. IT enabled and e-governance
JAWAHAR ROZGAR JOYANA
Jawahar Rozgar Yojna was launched on April 1, 1989 by merging National Rural Employment Program (NREP) and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP). At the end of Seventh Five Year Plan. So this was a consolidation of the previous employment programs and it was largest National Employment Program of India at that time with a general objective of providing 90-100 Days Employment per person particularly in backward districts. People below Poverty Line were main targets.
The Yojna was implemented on rural scale. Every village was to be covered through Panchayati Raj Institutions. The village got aide and support from District Rural Development Authority. Expenditures were born by central & state in 80:20 ratios.
34
Since 1993-94 the Yojna was made more targets oriented and expanded substantially through increased budgetary allocations. It was divided into 3 streams:
First Stream: Comprising general works under JRY and also two sub schemes Indira Awas Yojna and Million Wells Scheme. This stream got 75% of the total allocation. In Indira Awas Yojna the allocation was increased from 6% to 10 % and in Million Wells Scheme from 20% to 30 % during that period.
Second Stream: This was also called intensified JRY and was implemented in selected 120 backward districts. It got 20% allocation.
Third Stream: This was left with 5 % allocation for Innovative programs which included Prevention of labor migration, drought proofing watershed etc. programs.
Since April 1, 1999 this Yojna was replaced by Jawahar Gram samridhi Yojna. Later from September 25, 2001, Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojna was merged with Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojna
ACCELERATED POWER DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM PROGRAMS ( APDRP)
Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme or APDRP has been undertaken from the year 2000-01 with the twin objectives of financial turn-around in the performance of the power sector especially in electric distribution and improvement in quality of supply. The role of APDRP is to act as a catalyst for bringing about the desired changes through funding arrangements for implementing schemes. The schemes are targeted towards improving financial viability and customer satisfaction. The scheme comprises of 25% grant and 25% of soft loans from the Central Government to the State Government. The remaining 50% resources have to be generated by State Government. The states also have to commit themselves for agreed loss improvement and collection improvement. APDRP mainly focuses on six aspects i.e. Customer, Feeder, Distribution Circle, SEB, State and the Nation. Objectives: 1. Improving financial viability 2. Reduction of T&D losses to around 10 % 3. Improving customer satisfaction 4. Transparency through Computerization In the Union Budget 2009-10, Allocation under Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (APDRP) increased by 160 per cent to Rs.2,080 crore in B.E. 2009-10 over B.E. 2008-09.
ACCREDICTED SOCIAL HEALTH ACTIVIST (ASHA)
ASHA is a new band of community under National Rural Health Mission, which serves as first port of call for any health related demands of deprived sections of the population, especially women and children, who find it difficult to access health services. The main objective is to provide every village in the country with a trained female community health activist – ‘ASHA’ or Accredited Social Health Activist. Selected from the village itself and accountable to it, the ASHA will be trained to work as an interface between the community and the public health system.
35
ANTYODAYA ANNA YOJANA (AAY)
• AAY was launched in December 2000.
• Under the scheme 1 crore of the poorest among the BPL families covered under the targeted public distribution system are identified.
• Twenty five kilograms (kg) of food grains were made available to each eligible family at a highly subsidized rate of Rs. 2 per kg for wheat and Rs.3 per kg for rice. This quantity has been enhanced from 25 to 35 kgs with effect from April, 2002.
• The scheme has been further expanded in June 2003 by adding another 50 lakh BPL families. Under the scheme, during 2002-03, against an allocation of 41.27 lakh tonnes of foodgrain, 35.39 lakh tonnes have been lifted by State Governments, and during 2003-04, 38.24 lakh tonnes of food-grain have been lifted against an allocation of 45.56 lakh tonnes.
BACKWARD REGIONS GRANT FUND PROGRAMME
Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF) was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Barpeta in Assam on 19th February 2006. This programme signifies a new approach to addressing persistent regional imbalances in development. The programme has subsumed the Rashtriya Sama Vikas Yojana (RSVY), a scheme earlier being administered by the Planning Commission.
This Programme covers 250 districts in 27 States, of which 232 districts fall under the purview of Part IX and Part IX-A of the Constitution dealing with the Panchayats and the Municipalities respectively. The remaining 18 districts are covered by other local government structures, such as Autonomous District and Regional Councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and state specific arrangements as in the case of Nagaland and the hill areas of Manipur. Proposed Budget Allocation:
In 2009-10, the budget allocation for BRGF as Rs. 4670 crore has been proposed.
BHARAT NIRMAN
Bharat Nirman is a a time-bound plan for rural infrastructure by the Government of India in partnership with State Governments and Panchayat Raj Institutions.It was launched in 2005. It has 6 components:
1. Water : Every habitation to have a safe source of drinking water: 55,067 uncovered habitations to be covered by 2009. In addition all habitations which have slipped back from full coverage to partial coverage due to failure of source and habitations which have water quality problems to be addressed
2. Roads: Every habitation over 1000 population and above (500 in hilly and tribal areas) to be provided an all-weather road: remaining 66,802 habitations to be covered by 2009
3. Irrigation: 10 million hectares (100 lakhs) of additional irrigation capacity to be created by 2009 60 lakh houses to be constructed for the rural poor by 2009
36
4. Telephone Connectivity: Every village to be connected by telephone: remaining 66,822 villages to be covered by November 2007
5. Electricity : Every village to be provided electricity: remaining 1,25,000 villages to be covered by 2009 as well as connect 2.3 crore households
6. Housing : To construct 60 lakh additional houses for poor under Indira Awas Yojna
THE COUNCIL FOR ADVANCEMENT OF PEOPLE’S AND RURAL T ECHNOLOGY (CAPART)
The Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) was set up as a pioneer organisation in September, 1986, as a supporting and funding agency for the Voluntary Organisations (VOs) by merging two organisations, namely, People’s Action for Development (India) and Council for Advancement of Rural Technology (CART) with the mandate to promote voluntary action and propagate appropriate rural technologies for the benefit of the rural masses. Since then, CAPART has been contributing towards the rural development and poverty alleviation through the work of VOs at the grassroots level and by supplementing Government’s efforts.
CREDICT GURANTEE FUND FOR MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRIS ES
Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises is operational under Credit Support Programme for Micro Small & Medium Enterprises.
Through this scheme, the guarantee cover is provided for collateral free credit facility extended by member lending institutions (MLIs) to the new as well as existing small enterprises on loans up to Rs. 100 lakh. In another component of Portfolio Risk Fund’ (PRF) under this programme, Government of India provides funds for Micro Finance Programme to SIDBI which is used for security deposit requirement of the loan amount from the MFIs/NGOs. The Programme also covers Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD) Scheme for Women under which assistance is provided for economic empowerment of women through development of their entrepreneurial skills in non- farming activities.
DISTRICT RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
• Over the years the District Rural Development Agencies have emerged as the principal organs at the district level to oversing the implementation of different poverty alleviation programmes.
• Since inception, the administrative costs of the DRDAs were met by setting apart a certain percentage of the allocation for each Programme. Of late, while the number of programmes increased, not all Programmes provided for the administrative cost of the DRDAs.
• Keeping in view the need for an effective agency at the district level to co-ordinate the poverty alleviation efforts, a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening the DRDAs was introduced w.e.f. 1st April, 1999.
• The primary objective of the DRDA Administration Scheme is to professionalise the DRDAs so that they are able to effectively manage the poverty alleviation programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development and interact purposively with other agencies. The DRDAs are expected to (effectively) coordinate with the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
37
DRDA ADMINISTRATION The objective of the scheme of DRDA Administration is to strengthen the DRDAs and to make them more professional and effective. It is visualized as a specialized agency capable of managing anti-poverty programmes of the Ministry on the one hand and effectively relate these to the overall efforts of poverty eradication in the districts on the other. This scheme is funded on a 75:25 basis by the Centre and State Governments and on 90:10 basis in respect of Centre and North-Eastern States for meeting administrative costs. In the case of UTs the Centre provides 100% funds for the scheme. In Union Budget 2010-11 the outlay for DRDA Administration has been kept for Rs. 405 Crore
DROUGHT PRONE AREAS PROGRAMME
1. Desert Development Program (DDP) and Integrated Wastelands Development Program (IWDP) are being implemented for the development of wastelands / degraded lands.+
2. DPAP was launched in 1973-74 to tackle the special problems faced by those areas constantly
affected by drought conditions.
3. DDP was launched in 1977-78 to mitigate the adverse effects of desertification. IWDP has been under implementation since 1989-90. These programs were implemented on a sectoral basis till 1994-95.
4. Since April 1995, these programs are being implemented on watershed basis. For the project DPAP, total number of the projects sanctioned were 2,535, with funds released by the Centre at Rs 295 crore.
5. Under DDP, 1,562 projects have been sanctioned with funds of amount Rs.215 crore; and under IWDP, 190 projects with funding of Rs. 306 crore, were sanctioned. The cost norms for all the three schemes have been revised to Rs.6,000 per hectare.
6. Under DPAP and DDP, the cost is shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25, while in the case of IWDP, Rs.5,500 is borne by the Central Government and Rs.500 is shared by the States.
e-PRI e-PRI is a a unique scheme of Panchayati Raj Ministry that proposes to provide a whole range of IT related services to Panchayati Raj Institutions as part of the Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) under NeGP (National E Governance programme).
It has been launched by Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India on January 28, 2010. It would provide the services like Decentralised Database and Planning, PRI Budgeting and Accounting,
Objective of e-PRI MMP
• Enabling Panchayats to better deliver its mandated services to the Citizens through IT.
• Enabling PRIs to use IT as a tool for transparency, disclosure of services to Citizens and social audit
38
• Improving internal management processes and decision making in Panchayats
• Enabling PRIs to use IT for electronic tagging and tracking of funds transferred to Panchayats, including rapid bank transfer of funds, tracking fund transfers to, expenditures of the Panchayats
FOOD FOR WORK PROGRAMME (FFWP)
• The Food for Work Programme was started in January, 2000-01 as part of the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) in eight drought affected States viz. Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal.
• The Food for Work Programmes (FFWP) was later expanded to form a part of any wage employment scheme of the Central or State Governments being implemented in the notified districts during periods of natural calamities, such as drought, flood, cyclone or earthquake.
• Now the programme is in operation in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra, Orissa and Rajasthan.
• In this programme the cash component of the wage and material is met from the Scheme under which it is being implemented.
GLOBAL ADVISORY NETWORK GROUP ON ENVIRONMENT SCIENC E (GANGES)
Global Advisory Network Group on Environmental Sciences (GANGES) is one of the 5 specific initiatives of Ministry of Environment & Forests, which have been announced as a series of measures to strengthen the scientific base underlying the activities of the Ministry.
It is a new forum that comprises world’s leading environmental scientists of Indian origin, established to advise the Government of India on the country’s environmental sciences agenda. GANGES will focus on questions such as:
1. What areas of Environmental Sciences should we focus on?
2. How should the government engage on this agenda (identify priority areas, directly conduct research, support and fund outside research, etc.)?
3. Which institutional collaborations should be undertaken in specific areas and in what way?
4. How should academia and private sector be engaged?
5. How should innovation in this space be stimulated, and how do we fast-track development, demonstration and dissemination?
12 globally renowned scientists are part of this group. They are :
1. Subra Suresh, School of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
2. Jagadish Shukla, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, George Mason University, USA
39
3. Purnendu Dasgupta, Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, University of Texas, Arlington, USA
4. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, University of California, San Diego, USA
5. Asit Biswas, Third World Centre for Water Management, Queens University, Canada
6. Ashok Gadgil, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
7. Pratim Biswas, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
8. Kamal Bawa, University of Massachusetts, Boston
9. Tam Sridhar, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, Australia
10. Shankar Sastry, Dean of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, USA
11. Venkatachalam Ramaswamy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Colorado, Boulder Institute, USA
12. Venky Narayanamurti, Science, Technology and Public Policy Programme, Harvard Kennedy School, USA
INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PROGRAMME
• The Integrated Child Development Sevices Programme aims at providing services to pre-school children in an integrated manner so as to ensure proper growth and development of children in rural, tribal and slum areas. ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme.
• Launched on 2nd October 1975 in 33 Community Development Blocks, ICDS today represents one of the world’s largest programmes for early childhood development. ICDS is the foremost symbol of India’s commitment to her children – India’s response to the challenge of providing pre-school education on one hand and breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, reduced learning capacity and mortality, on the other.
• It is an inter-sectoral programme which seeks to directly reach out to children, below six years, especially from vulnerable and remote areas and give them a head-start by providing an integrated programme of early childhood education, health and nutrition.
Objectives:
1. To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group of 0 to 6 years.
2. To lay the foundations for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child.
3. To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school drop-out.
4. To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development.
5. To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.
40
INTEGRATED LOW COST SANITATION (ILCS) SCHEME What this Scheme is About?
• The "Integrated Low Cost Sanitation" Scheme aims at conversion of individual dry latrine into pour flush latrine thereby liberating manual scavengers from the age old, obnoxious practice of manually carrying night soil.
History:
• ILCS scheme was initially started in 1980-81 through the Ministry of Home Affairs and later through Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• The scheme was transferred in 1989-90 to Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation and from 2003-2004 onwards to Ministry of UEPA/HUPA.
Objectives & Progress:
• The scheme has helped in constructing/converting over 28 lakh latrines to liberate over 60000 scavengers so far. While implementing the ILCS scheme, it was observed that the scheme did not perform well due to various reasons.
• To make the scheme more attractive and implementable the Guidelines have been revised w.e.f. 17th January, 2008.
• The main objective of the Scheme is to convert low cost sanitation units through sanitary two pit pour flush latrines with superstructures and appropriate variations to suit local conditions .
INTEGRATED WASTELAND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP), Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and Desert Development Programme (DDP) have been consolidated and renamed Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP).
The modified scheme of IWMP is scheduled to be implemented as per the Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects, 2008.The cost norm of this centrally sponsored scheme will be Rs. 12,000/- per hectare for the plains and Rs. 15,000/- per hectare for the hilly and difficult areas. The cost will be shared in the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and the States. New components for dedicated institutions at State, District and Village level relating to livelihood activities for landless people have been incorporated in IWMP. The watershed projects sanctioned upto Xth Plan will continue to be implemented as per the existing guidelines. In Union Budget 2010-11 a provision of Rs. 2,458 crore has been made for IWMP, including Rs. 245.80 crore for North Eastern Region and Sikkim.
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU NATIONAL URBAN RENEWAL MISSION (JN NURM)
Cities and towns of India constitute the world’s second largest urban system. They contribute over 50% of country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and are central to economic growth. For these cities to realize their full potential and become true engines of growth, it is necessary that focused attention be given to the improvement of infrastructure therein. For achieving this objective, a Mission mode approach is essential.
JNNURM was launched on 3rd December 2005.
41
Objectives:
1. Focused attention to integrated development of basic services to the urban poor Security of tenure at affordable price, improved housing, water supply, sanitation;
2. Convergence of services in fields of education, health and social security
3. As far as possible providing housing near the place of occupation of the urban poor
4. Effective linkage between asset creation and asset management to ensure efficiency
5. Scaling up delivery of civic amenities and provision of utilities with emphasis on universal access to urban poor.
6. Ensuring adequate investment of funds to fulfill deficiencies in the basic services to the urban poor.
MID-DAY MEAL SCHEME
The Mid-day Meal Scheme involves provision of lunch free of cost to school-children on all working days.
Key Objectives: The key objectives of the programme are:
1. Protecting children from classroom hunger
2. Increasing school enrolment and attendance
3. Improved socialisation among children belonging to all castes
4. Addressing malnutrition, and social empowerment through provision of employment to women.
The scheme has a long history especially in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, and has been expanded to all parts of India after a landmark direction by the Supreme Court of India on November 28, 2001.
• The success of this scheme is illustrated by the tremendous increase in the school participation and completion rates in the state of Tamilnadu.
• Allocation for this programme has been enhanced from Rs 3010 crore to Rs 4813 crore (Rs 48 billion, $1.2 billion) in 2006-2007.
• This program is being run by Akshaya Patra Foundation and is the world’s largest school meal programme being implemented across seven states in India and covering about ten lakh students in over 4,800 schools. The allocation was of Rs 8000 crore for the Mid-Day meal schemes in the interim budget 2009.
• This is world's largest school feeding programme. :
NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY MISSION
Background: To meet the growing food grain demand, National Development Council in its 53rd meeting adopted a resolution to enhance the production of rice, wheat and pulses by 10, 8 and 2 million tons respectively by
42
2011 with an outlay of Rs. 4,882 crore under National Policy for Farmers in the Eleventh Five Year Plan.The proposed Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘National Food Security Mission (NFSM) is to operationalise the resolution of NDC and enhance the production of rice, wheat and pulses.
Key Features:
1. The scheme to be implemented in a mission mode through a farmer centric approach
2. All the Stakeholders to be actively associated at the District levels for achieving the set goal.
3. The scheme aims to target the select districts by making available the improved technologies to the farmers through a series of planned interventions.
4. A close monitoring mechanism proposed to ensure that interventions reach to the targeted beneficiaries.
Objectives: 1. Increasing production of rice, wheat and pulses through area expansion and productivity enhancement in a sustainable manner;
2. Restoring soil fertility and productivity at individual farm level;
3. Enhancing farm level economy (i.e. farm profits) to restore confidence of farmers of targeted districts
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE GRID (NATGRID)
Government of India is setting up a national intelligence grid called NATGRID.It is a brainchild of Home Minister P Chidambaram. This NATGRID will be fully set up by May 2011 where each individual's data ranging from land records, Internet logs, phone records, gun records, driving license, property records, insurance, and income tax records would be available in real time and with no oversight.
NATGRID & UID:
The government believes that UID project may not be enough to eliminate the risks of terror on the domestic front. NATGRID is currently awaiting the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security. With a UID from the Unique Identification Authority of India being given to every Indian from February 2011, the government would be able track people in real time. A national population registry of all citizens will be established by the 2011 census, during which fingerprints and iris scans would be taken along with GPS records of each household.
Basic Idea:
The basic idea of the government is to network 21 available databases across government and private agencies to 'flag potential terrorist threats.
NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE NETWORK
On March 25, 2010 Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure approves the establishment of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) at an outlay of Rs 5,990 crore to enable scientists, researchers and students
43
from diverse spheres across the country to work together for advancing human development in critical and emerging areas.
The implementation part will be responsibility of NIC and it will take a period of 10 years. Objectives:
• NKN will catalyse knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer between stakeholders seamlessly that too across the nation and globally.
• The NKN is expected to encourage a larger section of research and educational institutions to create intellectual property.
• It would enable the use of specialised applications, which allow sharing of high performance computing facilities, e-libraries, virtual classrooms and very large databases.
• Health, Education, Grid Computing, Agriculture and e-Governance are the main applications identified for implementation and delivery on NKN.
• Applications such as countrywide classrooms will address the issue of faculty shortage and ensure quality education delivery across the country.
• The crux of the success of the Knowledge Network is related to the education-related applications, databases and delivery of services to the users on demand.
NATIONAL NOISE MONITERING NETWORK
India's Union Environment and Forests Ministry decides to set up a National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network on the pattern of existing Air and Water Networks. A road map has been prepared by the ministry which shall be ready by September 2010. Under this network noise monitoring centers will be set on pilot basis in 7 cities viz Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Lucknow. Each city will have 10 stations. By 2011 the network will be expanded to 18 more cities with 5 stations in each city. There will be 160 stations placed in 2 years time frame. Rs. 10 crores will be spent in these two year sunder the current 5 year plan.
Objective: This will a make available a systematic national level monitoring and reporting network in the country similar to case of air and water pollution. The job is at present done by Central and State Pollution Control Boards on random basis. The Objective of this Road Map is to facilitate setting up of a systematic national level noise monitoring network in a time bound manner. The baseline data which shall be created in these stations will be utilized to control noise at regional and national level.
44
NATIONAL RURAL EMPLOYMENT GURANTEE ACT (NREGA)
What is NREGA?
1. NREGA is designed as a safety net to reduce migration by rural poor households in the lean period through A hundred days of guaranteed unskilled manual labour provided when demanded at minimum wage on works focused on water conservation, land development & drought proofing.
2. Notification of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act came in September 2005. It was launched on February 2, 2006.
3. NREGA is the flagship programme of the UPA Government that directly touches lives of the poor and promotes inclusive growth.
4. The Act aims at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
5. The ongoing programmes of Sampoorn Grameen Rozgar Yojna & National Food for Work Programme were subsumed within this programme in the 200 of the most backward districts of the country, in which it was introduced in phase -1 .
6. In phase-2 it was introduced in 130 additional districts.
7. The scheme was extended to 274 rural districts from April 1, 2008 in phase-3.
8. NREGA is the first ever law internationally, that guarantees wage employment at an unprecedented scale.
9. Dr. Jean Drèze, a Belgian born economist, at the Delhi School of Economics, has been a major influence on this project.
What are Objectives of NREGA?
1. Augmenting wage employment.
2. Strengthening natural resource management through works that address causes of chronic poverty like drought, deforestation and soil erosion and so encourage sustainable development.
3. Strengthening grassroots processes of democracy
4. Infusing transparency and accountability in governance.
5. Strengthening decentralization and deepening processes of democracy by giving a pivotal role to the Panchayati Raj Institutions in planning, monitoring and implementation.
NREGA & Union Budget 2009-10:
1. During 2008-09, NREGA provided employment opportunities for more than 4.47 crore households as against 3.39 crore households covered in 2007-08.
2. Govt. is committed to providing a real wage of Rs.100 a day as an entitlement under the NREGA.
45
3. To increase the productivity of assets and resources under NREGA, convergence with other schemes relating to agriculture, forests, water resources, land resources and rural roads is being initiated. In the first stage, a total of 115 pilot districts have been selected for such convergence.
4. Govt of India has proposed an allocation of Rs.39,100 crore for the year 2009-10 for NREGA which marks an increase of 144% over 2008-09 Budget Estimates.
NATIONAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (NSDC)
On October 20, 2009, India's Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has launched National Skill Development Corporation.
Features:
• The NSDC is a unique Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Enterprise.
• As against 40 million people currently who have received any kind of formal or non-formal training, the new vision envisages creation of a pool of 500 million skilled people by 2022
• NSDC has been incorporated as a not-for-profit organization under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 by the Ministry of Finance.
• It has been formed as 51:49 shareholding of private and government.
• The company as a public-private initiative will help to hone the talent of India's workforce in 21 high-growth industries.
• Besides Ministry of Finance, all prominent industry bodies have contributed to the initial capital of this venture.
• It will primarily focus on tackling 30 percent of the total skill gap of India's workforce over the next decade.
• Two areas which can be taken up for immediate consideration are adoption of a few ITI's by the corporation on a management contract, so that models for better management of the existing infrastructure can be evolved.
NATIONAL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME
1. The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) which came into effect from 15th August, 1995, is a 100 % Centrally Sponsored Programme.
2. NSAP is a social assistance programme for poor households and represents a significant step towards the fulfillment of the Directive Principles in Articles 41 and 42 of the Constitution recognizing the concurrent responsibility of the Central and State governments in the matter.
3. It has three components namely, National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS), National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) and National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS).
46
4. The NMBS has since been transferred to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare w.e.f. 1-4-2001. The NSAP aims at providing social security in case of old age, death of primary breadwinner andmaternity.
5. The main objectives and features of the two schemes, NOAPS and NFBS are given below:
6. The Programme aims at ensuring a minimum national standard of social assistance in addition to the benefit that States are already providing.
7. The Central assistance is not to displace expenditure by States on social protection schemes. However, the States/UTs are free to expand their own coverage of social assistance whenever they wish to do so.
NATIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAMME
On 28 January 2010, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP). Objective: This programme aims to build the capacity of the States and Districts to facilitate effective implementation of the Tobacco Control Laws and to bring about greater awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco. Componets: The proposed NTCP has 3 componets as follows:
(A) National level:
1. Public awareness and media campaigns for awareness building and for behavioural change;
2. Establishment of tobacco product testing laboratories, to build regulatory capacity, as required under COTPA, 2003;
3. Mainstreaming the programme components as a part of the health delivery mechanism under the NRHM framework;
4. Mainstreaming Research & training on alternate crops and livelihoods with other nodal Ministries;
5. Monitoring and Evaluation including surveillance such as the Adult Tobacco Survey (ATS).
(B)State level:
1. Dedicated tobacco control cells for effective implementation and monitoring of Anti Tobacco Initiatives;
(C) District level:
1. Training of health and social workers, NGOs, school teachers and the like;
2. Local IEC activities;
3. Provision of tobacco cessation facilities;
4. School Programmes.
47
Total Outlay:
The total financial outlay for the National Tobacco Control programme in the Eleventh Plan is Rs 182 crore. NEW MARKET DEVELOPMENT SCHEME FOR KHADI & VILLAGE P RODUCTS
On January 28, 2010, The CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) approves introduction of a new Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme for Khadi and Village products and polyvastra.The scheme starts from April 1, 2010. This will be monitored by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Who are the beneficiaries: This scheme envisages financial assistance at the rate of 20 per cent of production value on Khadi and Village products and polyvastra. The assistance is to be shared among spinners and weavers, producing institutions and selling institutions at the rate of 25 per cent, 30 per cent and 45 per cent of total value of MDA at an estimated cost of Rs 345.05 crore.
Operational Period : This new scheme replaces the existing rebate scheme on Khadi and polyvastra. It will be operational during 2010-11 and 2011-12 as recommended in the Expenditure Finance Committee.
PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA
1. The PMGSY, was launched in December, 2000, to provide road connectivity to 1.6 lakh unconnected habitations with population of 500 persons or more (250 in case of hilly, desert and tribal areas) in the rural areas by the end of the Tenth Plan period.
2. It is being executed in all the States and six UTs. Although the initial estimates indicated a requirement of Rs. 60,000 crore for the program, the present indications are that about Rs.1,30,000 crore will be needed for achieving the intended connectivity.
3. As per the Budget announcements of 2003-04, the diesel cess which is the source for funding the programme, was increased from Re. 1 per litre to Rs. 1.50 per litre, in order to provide additional funds for the programme. Since the inception of the program, project proposals for Rs. 14,417 crore have been cleared and 88,685 Kms. of rural roads have been taken up under this program. 20,740 road works had been completed till March 2004, and an expenditure of over Rs. 6,547 crore has been incurred by the States/UTs.
4. The National Rural Roads Development Agency (NRRDA), registered under the Societies Registration Act, provides Operations and Management support for the program. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to support the development of rural roads in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, which have been identified as recipient States for the first tranche. The ADB Board has approved a loan of $400 million (in a project size of $571 million). The States of Assam, Orissa and West Bengal have been identified for the second tranche of ADB assistance, of the order of US $500million.
5. A first tranche of $400 million for funding projects in Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh is likely to be available from the World Bank by the end of 2004-05.
48
PRIME MINISTER’S EMPLOYEMENT GENERATION PROGRAMME
Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a scheme of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. It is a credit linked, Central Sector Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme which was approved in August 2008. The two erstwhile schemes of the ministry Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) and Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) were merged to launch this scheme which continued till March 31, 2008. Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme is a significant initiative with a higher level of subsidy than both PMRY and REGP.
Objectives:
• The main objective of this programme is to generate employment opportunities by assisting establishment of micro enterprises in rural as well as urban areas by the first generation entrepreneurs.
The scheme is expected to increase the participation by and coverage of rural beneficiaries by KVIC and State Governments in a more focused manner through rationalized implementation, focused EDP Training, monitoring and verification procedures to be piloted and coordinated by KVIC, Khadi Village Industries Boards and District Industries Centres (DICs) of State Governments.
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
The Technical/Engineering Education Quality Improvement Project is a project of World Bank for India which supports the production of high quality technical professionals through reforms in the technical/engineering education system in order to raise productivity and competitiveness of the Indian economy. There are two project components.
1. The first component, Institutional Development, comprises three sub-components: 1) promoting academic excellence; 2) networking institutions for quality enhancement and resource sharing; and 3) enhancing quality and reach of services to the community and the economy. Under this component, qualifying institutions, based on their capabilities, will be first selected either as lead institutions or as network institutions, and then be required to compete through specific sub-projects.
2. The second component, System Management Capacity Improvement, supports 1) developing a modern management style through training of policy planners, managers, and administrators from the central and participating state governments. 2) conducting studies at the State and national levels, the findings of which would be used for improving policy and decisionmaking processes, and implementing reforms; 3) enhancing performance and the quality and efficiency of State audits of institutions; and 4) establishing structures and facilities for program management at the central and State levels.
Planning Commission has assessed that the country will require 50 crore trained individuals by 2022. The process of establishing a mission for training youth between 14 and 25 years of age is underway. In this regard the WB Review Mission recognised Madhya Pradesh as the best state. Recently a two-day meeting of the Joint Review Mission of the World Bank (WB)-aided Professional Education Improvement Project was held and was attended by representatives of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep, Jammu and Kashmir.
49
As many as 28 industrial training institutes of the state have been selected for being developed as centres of excellence. For this, Rs 73 crore were sanctioned.The Project is on for the past two years.
PROPOSED NATIONAL SEED BANK
Government of India is planning to establish a National Seed Bank. This seed bank will help farmers in the event of any crisis of shortage of seeds to cultivate.
1. Proposed Seed Bank would cover all varieties of seeds like oil, cereals and pulses depending on the situation of each states in the country.
2. It would be established with the cooperation of National Seeds Corporation and State-level agencies.
3. Private operators also could be accommodated for the purpose which was expected to come into being with in a year or two.
4. Seed Reserve would be set up on the lines of National Food Buffer Stock. The idea is to ensure that no farmer leave his farmland barren for the want of seeds.
5. The move is to help the farmers in the event of any crisis of shortage of seed to grow and the cost would be borne by the Government.
RAJIV GANDHI UDYAMI MITRA YOJANA
Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana was launched on February 7, 2008. The scheme aims to provide handholding assistance to first generation entrepreneurs through lead agencies or Udyami Mitra, who shall provide guidance to the potential entrepreneurs and help them in completion of various tasks and formalities necessary for the establishment of the enterprise. Objectives: The objective of Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana (RGUMY) is to provide handholding support and assistance to the potential first generation entrepreneurs, who have already successfully completed EDP/SDP/ESDP/VT programmes, through the selected lead agencies i.e. 'Udyami Mitras', in the establishment and management of the new enterprise, in dealing with various procedural and legal hurdles and in completion of various formalities required for setting up and running of the enterprise. RASTRIYA KRISHI VIKAS YOJANA
As per resolution adopted by National Development Council, reaffirming its commitment to achieve 4% annual growth in Agriculture Sector during the XIth Plan, this scheme was launched as a State Plan scheme during 2007-08.
The scheme will incentivize States to provide additional resources in their State Plans over and above their baseline expenditure to bridge critical gaps.
Two new sub-components, budgeted at Rs. 700 crore, to be introduced as part of RKVY have been approved for 2010-11, viz.
1. Special initiative for pulses and oilseeds development in selected pulses/oilseed growing villages in rainfed areas as supplementary programmes, specifically targeted to rainfed areas and will be implemented on same parameter, as ongoing programmes for oilseeds and pulses
50
2. Scheme to bridge yield gap in agriculture in Eastern India. These new sub-components will be designed by the States in consultation with Govt. of India, including Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, National Rainfed Area
Authority and Planning Commission, and would form part of the approved process of RKVY.The provision of Rs. 6,722 crore is for ‘Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana’ (RKVY) in The Union Budget 2010-11
RURAL BUSINESS HUBS
Rural Business Hubs is an initiative by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India and the Confederation of Indian Industry started in 2007. (ref)
Rural Business Hubs is a first-of-its-kind Public, Private and Panchayat Partnership which aims to foster and permeate economic growth into and for rural India.
The concept of Rural Business Hubs is based upon synnergically link rural products, skills and produces with the marketing and professional skills of the industry to overcome the impending factors which hinder economic growth from reaching rural India. Such impediments are Poor market linkages , weak Infrastructure , Fragmented farms and farming , Many layers of intermediaries , Lack of standardisation and grading etc.
Current Situation:
Till February 2010, Government has identified 35 districts for Rural Business Hubs intervention programme in consultation with State Governments. So far 26 district RBH workshops have been organised and champion products identified. In addition, financial assistance to 49 projects throughout the country has been extended for establishment of RBH.
SCHEME OF FUND FOR TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIES
SFURTI is the first comprehensive initiative for focused regeneration of the khadi and village industries sector, based on the cluster development methodology.
SFURTI has been introduced in October 2005 with a view to developing around 100 traditional clusters from khadi, village industry and coir sectors for comprehensive development over 5 years. KVIC and Coir Board are the nodal agencies for the scheme .
The Scheme Steering Committee (SSC) has approved 118 clusters (32 khadi, 60 village industries and 26 coir) with additional clusters serving as a reserved cluster against any possible ‘dropout’. 17 National level institutions have been identified as Technical Agencies under this programme for providing technical support to these clusters.Diagnostic Study Reports (DSR) and Annual Action Plans (AAP) for 96 clusters have been approved by the SSC.
69 KVI clusters (29 Khadi and 40 VI) have been operationalized with the distribution of tools, equipments and inauguration of common facility centres. Complementary activities have been intiated in 25 coir clusters.
51
SWARAN JAYANTI SHAHARI ROZGAR YOJANA
• The Urban Self-Employment Program and the Urban Wage Employment Program are two special schemes of the SJSRY initiated in December 1997, which replaced various programs operated earlier for urban poverty alleviation.
• Between the Centre and the States, SJSRY is funded on a 75:25 basis. During 2002-03, the full allocation of Rs.105 crore provided for various components of this program was released. For 2003-04, an allocation of Rs.94.50 crore plus Rs. 10.5 crore for North East and Sikkim was provided for various components of this program. The expenditure during 2003-04 was Rs. 105 crore.
Update : November 12, 2009
Swarna jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojna has been comprehensively revamped by the Union Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation ministry as per a press release by PIB on November 12, 2009. The new scheme has commenced from 2009-2010. SJSRY will have five major components:
1. Urban Self Employment Programme (USEP)
2. Urban Women Self-help Programme (UWSP)
3. Skill Training for Employment Promotion amongst Urban Poor (STEP-UP)
4. Urban Wage Employment Programme (UWEP)
5. Urban Community Development Network (UCDN)
VALMIKI AMBEDKAR AWAS YOJANA
• The VAMBAY was launched in December 2001 to ameliorate the conditions of the urban slum dwellers living below the poverty line without adequate shelter.
• The scheme has the primary objective of facilitating the construction and up-gradation of dwelling units for slum dwellers and providing a healthy and enabling urban environment through community toilets under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, a component of the scheme.
• The Central Government provides a subsidy of 50 per cent, the balance 50 per cent being arranged by the State Government.
• There are prescribed ceilings on costs both for dwelling units and community toilets. During 2003-04, Central subsidy to the extent of Rs. 239 crore has been released. Since inception up to May 2004, Rs. 522 crore have been released as Government of India subsidy for the construction/upgradation of 2,46,035 dwelling units and 29,263 toilet seats under the scheme.
52
CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT BILLS
95TH AMENDMENT BILL 2003
The Constitution 95th amendment bill was passed and came into effect as Constitution (88th Amendment Act 2003 to place "Service Tax " formally under Union List.
In the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, under Article 246, the item relating to "taxes on services" was not specifically mentioned in any entry either in the Union List or in the State List. At the same time Entry 97 of the Union List empowers the Union Government to Make laws in respect of any other law which is not enumerated in list II (State List ) and List III (Concurrent list), including any tax which has not been mentioned in Union List or the State List. Since "Taxes on Services" is not there in either of the lists, the central government kept levying the service tax exercising the powers under Entry 97 of the union List. '' To place the Service Tax formally, The Constitution 95th Amendment Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on May 7, 2003. (link) . After coming into effect as Constitution (88th Amendment Act 2003, this amendment act has inserted article 268A and amended article 270. It inserted in the Union List Item 92 C 'taxes on services"
96TH AMENDMENT BILL 2003
Constitution (96th amendment )Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on May 6, 2003 & Rajya Sabha on August 5, 2003. This act updates delimitation against the very latest count of the population. Background: The 42nd amendment of the Constitution had imposed a freeze on the delimitation of the constituencies. 42nd amendment also provided that until the relevant figures for the first census taken after the year 2000 have been published, it shall not be necessary to readjust the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States and the division of each State into territorial constituencies under this article.". In other words, the rationalization of the constituencies, including re-fixing of the number of seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, was earlier to be done on the basis of the 1991 Census and after 84th amendment on the basis of 2001 Census. But within the overall number of seats allocated to each state for Parliament and within the state for its Assembly as frozen at the 1971 levels. The 96th Constitutional Amendment is a progressive step that updates delimitation against the very latest count of the population.
97TH AMENDMENT BILL
The Constitution (97th Amendment) is also known as an amendment to Anti-Defection Law. Background: Defection which literally means (withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility) leads to political instability. The Constitution (52nd Amendment) Act 1985 was passed to curb the menace of defection and clip the wings of “Aya Ram, Gaya Ram” (political word for describing the practice of floor-crossing by members).
This amendment added the Tenth Schedule to the constitution which contained the provisions regarding the disqualification of members of the parliament or state legislatures in the event of defection. In other words Tenth Schedule, also known as the Anti-Defection Act was included in the Constitution in 1985 by
53
the Rajiv Gandhi ministry and sets the provisions for disqualification of elected members on the grounds of defection to another political party.
Further Constitution (Ninety First Amendment) act of 2003 brought certain changes in the 1985 Anti-defection Law. This amendment deleted paragraph 3 of the Tenth Schedule. Deleting this paragraph allowed one-third of the legislature party to split without attracting provisions of the existing ant defection law. The Constitution (Ninety First Amendment) debarred the defectors from holding any public office as a minister or any other remunerative post till the end of the current term or till fresh elections are hold. At the same time, the Constitution (Ninety First Amendment) 2003 also sought to check defection by restricting the size of Council of Ministers 15% of the Lok Sabha & Assembly members. Due the these developments, it is not possible for handful members to split and create new parties. If any member splits, he disqualifies the membership and seek fresh election. Further, there was one more amendment to Anti Defection Law in the form of Constitution (97th Amendment) Act. The 97th amendment bill sought to reduce the size of the ministerial council to 10% of the members. In other words, after this amendment, the size of the Council of Ministers cannot be more than 10 per cent of respective strengths of Parliament and State legislatures. This amendment was carried out during NDA Government's regime and based upon recommendations made by Dinesh Goswami Committee, Law Commission of India and the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC).
98TH AMENDMENT BILL
The Constitution 98th amendment Bill sought to constitute a National Judicial Commission. The bill propsed to include a Chapter IV-A in Part V of the Constitution which shall be in charge of appointing judges to the higher judiciary and for transferring High Court Judges. The bill also sought to empower the National Judicial Commission to draw up a code of ethics for judges, inquire into the cases of misconduct or deviant actions of a judge other than those that are punishable with his or her removal, and advise the chief justice of India or chief justice of High Courts appropriately after such enquiry.
99TH AMENDMENT BILL
The constitution (99th amendment) Bill sought to protect the rights of the non-tribals in the newly elected Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) by keeping intact the existing representation of the scheduled tribes and nonscheduled tribes in the Assam legislative assembly from the Bodoland territorial Council Areas district. This amendment bill came in effect as constitution 90th Amendment act 2003.
100TH AMENDMENT BILL
The Constitution (100th) amendment Bill sought to insert Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali in the 8th schedule of the constitution. This act was passed and came into force as Constitution (92nd Amendment) Act 2003. This act took the number of official languages in India to 22.
54
103RD AMENDMENT BILL 2004
The Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Bill, 2004 along with National Commission for Minorities (Repeal) Bill, 2004 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 23.12.2004. Bills were referred to the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment. Chairperson of this committee was Smt Sumitra Mahajan and the committee submitted its report on February 21, 2006. Background:
1. In 6 states& UTs viz. Jammu & Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Punjab, the Hindus are a minority in contrast with the rest of the country.
2. The minority standard of Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsees who are designated as minority in India should not be applicable to these states. For example, in Punjab Sikhs are in majority, in J& K Muslims are in majority.
"On August 8, 2005, a Supreme Court judgment decreed that Jains should not be treated as a minority at the national level and no more communities should be declared as a minority at the national level. Only the state government may declare communities as minorities. ."
Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Bill, 2004 along with National Commission for Minorities (Repeal) Bill, 2004 was to bring an end to these anomalies. Bill proposed states as the basic unit to judge which community is a minority in which state.
Some features:
1. The National Commission for Minorities (Repeal) Bill, 2004 repeals the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. It proposed to dissolve the National Commission for Minorities.
2. The Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Bill, 2004 proposed to establish a new National Commission for Minorities, with a constitutional status, in order to inspire greater confidence towards the effectiveness of the Commission.
3. The states would be asked for their view on the basis of data available as to who is a minority. They will be consulted by the President of India, would then notify the minorities in that state. While the President is to consult the states, he would not be bound to act on their advice.
Current Status: The Bill got lapsed.
104TH AMENDMENT BILL 2005
Constitution (One Hundred and Fourth Amendment) Bill was pased 22nd December, 2005. President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam signed it on January 20, 2006 and the 104th Constitution Amendment Bill became the the Constitution 93rd amendment Act, 2005.
This bill has been quite famous as "Quota Bill". It adds a new clause to Article 15 of the Constitution. This act amends the article 15 and adds clause 15(5) after Clause 15(4).
55
Clause(5) says: "Nothing in this article or in sub-clause (g) of clause (1) of article 19 shall prevent the State from making any special provision,by law, for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in so far as such special provisions relate to their admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the State, other than the minority educational institutions referred to in clause (1) of article 30.".
105TH AMENDMENT BILL
The Constitution (One Hundred Fifth) Amendment Bill, 2006 sought to exclude Bihar from purview of article 164 (1) and to extend the provision of this article to Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. This bill was passed and got assent of the President on June 12, 2006. The bill came in effect as Constitution (94th Amendment) Act 2006. Note: Article 164 (1) provides for a minister in charge of the tribal welfare, who may in addition be in charge of the welfare of the scheduled castes and backward classes of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh & Orissa.
106TH AMENDMENT BILL
Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2006 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on May 22, 2006. It was referred to the Department Related Standing Committee on Agriculture which submitted its report on August 20, 2007. Chairperson of this committee was Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav. Background: The Constitution (106th Amendment) Bill proposed to to insert a new part IX B in the Constitution and adding Articles 243ZH through 243ZT providing for incorporation, regulation and winding up of co-operative societies.
1. The bill specified maximum number of Board members and the tenure of the members.
2. The bill also specified for elections to be held before the expiry of the term of the Board.
3. The bill specified that the Board of a co-operative society that has government shareholding or loans can be superseded for the maximum period of six months.
4. State governments can co-opt upto two nominees on the Board of a co-operative society.
5. The Bill specified certain offences related to co-operative societies. State legislatures can define the penalties related to co-operative societies.
108TH AMENDMENT BILL 2008 OR WOMEN’S RESERVATION BILL
Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill or Women’s Reservation Bill has been the most highlighted amendment bills of recent times. This bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha on May 6, 2008 and passed in Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010.
Background: Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill 2008 seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha
56
and the state legislative assemblies. The allocation of the reserve seats to be determined by an authority or as prescribed by the parliament. Seats may be allotted by rotation. The bill also seeks to reserve one-third of SC & ST seats for women of those classes. The bill further says that the reservation shall cease to exist in 15 years from the commencement of the act.
109TH AMENDMENT ACT 2009
Constitution (109th Amendment Act) 2009 was passed by Rajya Sabha on the 3rd August, 2009 & Lok Sabha on the 4th August, 2009 and ratified by the legislatures of not less than one-half of the states, and assented to on 18 Jan., 2010.
Background: Through this amendment article 334 of the Constitution, for the words "sixty years", the words "seventy years" shall be substituted.
This article has sought to extend the reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies by another 10 years. The time period of 60 years under article 334 of the constitution was to lapse on January 25, 2010 and this bill extends the reservation beyond January 25, 2010. Current status : Passed and this is the Latest Passed Amendment Act
110TH AMENDMENT BILL 2009
The Constitution (One Hundred and Tenth Amendment) Bill, 2009 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on November 26, 2009 by the Minister of Panchayati Raj, Shri C.P. Joshi.
Background: Article 243D of the Constitution provides that a minimum of one-third of the total number of seats filled by direct elections in the Panchayats shall be reserved for women. The seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Panchayat.
Offices of Chairpersons in Panchayats shall be reserved for SC/STs and women in a manner to be prescribed the state legislatures. The reservation shall be in proportion to the population of SC/STs in the state. Also, a minimum of one-third seats shall be reserved for women among the total number of offices of Chairpersons in the Panchayats.
The Bill seeks to amend the article 243D to enhance the quantum of reservation for women from one-third to one-half of the total seats in the Panchayats. Similar reservation shall be provided among the total number of offices of Chairpersons.
Current Status:
The bill is pending . The Bill was referred to the Department related Standing Committee on Rural Development (Chairperson: Smt Sumitra Mahajan), which has to submit its report.
57
111TH AMENDMENT BILL 2009
The Constitution (One Hundred and Eleventh Amendment) Bill, 2009 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on November 30, 2009 by Sh. Sharad Pawar , Minister of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution System. Background:
• The Bill adds a new Directive Principles of State Policy stating that the “State shall endeavour to promote voluntary formation, autonomous functioning, democratic control and professional management of co-operative societies.”
• It further inserts a new part IX B in the Constitution (adding Articles 243ZH through 243ZT), which outlines certain guidelines for running co-operative societies.
Current status: The bill is at Present Pending
112TH AMENDMENT BILL
The Constitution (112 th Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on November 24, 2009 and this bill seeks to seeks to amend many clauses of Article 243T of the Constitution, providing for reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and also for the women in Urban local Bodies. Current Status (Till: March 2010) :This Bill has been approved and now has been referred to the Departmentally-related Parliamentary Standing committee on Urban Development for examination and report in March 2010.
Parliamentary Standing committee on Urban Development now invites suggestions the same bill. The committee is headed by Mr. Sharad Yadav. The memoranda containing views of the individuals/organizations interested in the subject matter of the Bill, and also to hear oral evidence on the subject are invited.
Background: The Constitution (112th Amendment) Bill 2009 to provide for 50% reservation of women in Urban Local Bodies. Through this Bill the Government of India seeks to increase the representation of women in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) from the present level of one-third to 50 percent which would also include enhancement of reservation for women upto 50 percent in seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and 50 percent reservations for women in the posts of Chairpersons.
This would result in increased representation of women in ULBs and is likely to yield significant benefits in terms of higher priority to women’s issues in critical areas of urban Governance and service delivery such as water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, education and health, etc.
Article 243T:
1. Article 243T of the Constitution provides that a minimum of one-third of the total number of seats filled by direct elections in every Municipality shall be reserved for women.
2. The seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Municipality.
58
3. Also, a minimum of one-third seats shall be reserved for SC/ST women within the seats reserved for SC/STs in a Municipality.
4. Offices of Chairpersons in Municipality shall be reserved for SC/STs and women in a manner to be prescribed the state legislatures.
5. The reservation of SC/STs shall be in proportion to the population of SC/STs in the state.
107TH AMENDMENT BILL
The Constitution (One Hundred and Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2007 had been introduced in Lok Sabha on November 30, 2007. The Sixth Schedule to the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2007 was also introduced with the same bill.
Current Position: This bill got lapsed.
Background: These bills sought to amend the Constitution to include Gorkha Hill Council, Darjeeling in the Sixth Schedule
What is Sixth Schedule? Sixth Schedule Articles 244 and 275 provides for the creation of autonomous District Councils in certain tribal areas of the North-Eastern states viz. Assam,meghalaya,tripura,mizoram. The Bill sought to form a District Council for the hill areas of Darjeeling in West Bengal called the Gorkha Hill Council, Darjeeling (GHC). All District Councils have the power to make laws on a range of subjects such as the allotment of land, use of water course, and inheritance of property. The GHC has the power to make laws on 45 additional subjects such as agriculture, education and transport. The Bills were referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs which submitted its report on Feb 28, 2008. Chairperson of this committee was Sushma Swaraj. Standing Committee was unable to verify facts on the ground. Therefore, it accepted the views of the central and state governments and recommended that the Bills be passed with some amendments.
Which is Latest Amendment Bill / What is Constitution (One Hundred and Thirteenth Amendment) Bill, 2010?
The latest amendment bill is Constitution (One Hundred and Thirteenth Amendment) Bill, 2010 which was introduced on March 15, 2010. The Current Status of this bill is : pending
Background: The Government of Orissa had forwarded to the Central Government in December 2008, the Resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly of Orissa on 28th August, 2008 that, inter alia, the name of the language specified as "Oriya", in the Eighth Schedule of Constitution be changed as "Odia" and translation of the word "Odia" in Hindi language should be revised as " " accordingly and authorised the Government of Orissa to place the matter before Government of India for change of name of the State and change of language of the State and change of their Hindi translations. The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirteenth Amendment) Bill, 2010 seeks to change of name of the language mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, from 'Oriya' to 'Odia'.
Please note that the bill that seeks to change the name of Orissa to Odisha is Orissa (Alteration of Name) Act, 2010. This bill is pending in the Lok Sabha.
59
CURRENT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
AUGUST 2010
ABBREVIATIONS MNP: Mobile Number Portability
AWARDS Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for Sports
The Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University have been awarded the trophy for academic session 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively.
Gallantry Awards, 2010
Ashok Chakra: Major Laishram Jyotin Singh, an unarmed army doctor serving in Kabul, who took on a suicide bomber and killed him, has been awarded Ashok Chakra (posthumously), the highest peacetime gallantry award. Kirti Chakra: Captain Davinder Singh Juss of the Parachute Regiment and Vinod Kumar Choubey, SP, Chhattisgarh, have been awarded India’s second highest peace time gallantry award. Juss killed a foreign terrorist in February 2010 during an encounter in J&K and Choubey fought against more than 300 naxalites. OIL India emerges as shale gas hub
India could soon turn into a potential shale gas destination. Even though the work has just begun in India, initial studies by state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India (ONGC) on reserve estimation of shale gas in some of the country's sedimentary basins such as Damodar and Cambay basin have revealed a resource potential of about 35 and 90 trillion cubic feet of gas.
This, when compared with the existing gas resources in India, such as the one from the country's largest gas field of Reliance Industries in the KG basin—estimated to hold some 10 tcf of gas—is indeed a massive reserve of gas.
ONGC, which took the initiative some five years back to explore shale gas, said shale sequences in well explored basins are found to be promising in Damodar, Cambay, Krishna Godavari and Cauvery basins. In the US, shale gas contributes nearly 14 per cent of the total gas production.
Shale gas is natural gas trapped under rocks. Its extraction involves tapping natural gas trapped between layers of shale rock, similar to the extraction of gas from between coal seems in India. US has the largest shale gas resource and China comes second. India is estimated to be one of the biggest holders of shale gas. Large deposits are located in the Gangetic plain, Assam, Rajasthan and the country’s extensive coastline. Experts are of the view that shale gas promises to transform the energy landscape by making available clean gas to supplement other energy sources.
60
RESEARCH Wheat genome code cracked
British scientists have decoded the genome of wheat, in a breakthrough research that will prove valuable to crop breeders in countries like India, in increasing the yield of the staple food crop. Wheat production worldwide is under threat from climate change at a time when there is an increase in demand from a growing human population.
Scientists at the University of Liverpool, in collaboration with the University of Bristol and the John Innes Centre, have sequenced the entire wheat genome and will make the DNA data available to crop breeders to help them select key agricultural traits for breeding.
Scientists have analysed the wheat genome, which is five times larger than the human genome and is the largest genome to be sequenced till date.
SPACE RESEARCH
Scientists discover richest planetary system yet
Astronomers have discovered a planetary system containing at least five planets and which orbit a Sun-like star, HD 10180. They said there was evidence of two more planets in the same system, which would make it similar to our solar system in terms of the number of planets and their arrangement. The planets and their sun-like star are about 127 light years from Earth, astronomers with the European Southern Observatory said. The system is one of only 15 known to have more than three worlds. The five planets circle their parent star in a regular pattern like the planets of our solar system, only in a more compact arrangement, the researchers said. The confirmation of the extra planets would make it the highest tally of alien worlds ever spotted around a single star.
Of the two potential additional planets that may be present, one may have a mass that is the closest to Earth's, if it is confirmed, they added.
The planet would be rocky, like Earth, but probably far too hot to sustain life. With at least five Neptune-sized planets circling inside an orbit equivalent to that of Mars, the HD 10180 system has a more populated inner region than our solar system.
The five strongest signals correspond to planets with Neptune-like masses—between 13 and 25 Earth masses—which orbit the star with periods ranging from about 6 to 600 days. These planets are located between 0.06 and 1.4 times the Earth-Sun distance from their central star.
Among the other two planets that could exist, one would be a Saturn-like planet (with a minimum mass of 65 Earth masses) orbiting in 2200 days. The other would be the least massive exo-planet ever discovered, with a mass of about 1.4 times that of Earth.
So far, astronomers know of 15 systems with at least three planets. The last record-holder was 55 Cancri, which contains five planets, two of them being giant planets.
It took astronomers six years to study it using a planet-finding instrument called the HARPS spectrograph, attached to ESO's 3.6 metre telescope at La Silla, Chile.
61
MISCELLANEOUS Census of the seas
First global count of marine life logs 230,000 species—but scientists warns of mass extinctions. It has been the biggest and most comprehensive attempt ever to answer that age-old question—how many fish are there in the sea? A 10-year study of the diversity, distribution and abundance of life in the world’s oceans attempts just that.
The Census of Marine Life estimates there are over 230,000 species in our oceans. A team of over 360 scientists around the world surveyed 25 regions, from the Antarctic through the temperate and tropical seas to the Arctic.
Over fishing, degraded habitats, pollution and the arrival of invasive species are major threats to the marine life. But more problems are around the corner: rising water temperatures and acidification thanks to climate change and the growth in areas of the ocean that are low in oxygen and, therefore, unable to support life. Among the major findings are:
—A fifth of the world’s marine species are crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters, krill and barnacles. Add in molluscs (squid and octopus) and fish and that accounts for nearly half the species in world’s seas.
—Species often used in conservation campaigning—whales, sea lions, turtles and sea birds—account for less than 2% of the species in the oceans.
—Enclosed seas such as the Mediterranean, Gulf of Mexico, China’s shelves, Baltic, and the Caribbean are having the most threatened biodiversity.
—The most diverse regions are around Australia and south-east Asia.
—Australian and Japanese waters contain more than 30,000 species each and are among the most biologically diverse in the world.
—The manylight viperfish (Chauliodus sloani) is the most “cosmopolitan” marine creature with a presence in around a quarter of the world’s seas.
—The number of marine fish species known to science stood at 16,764, and was growing at around 100 a year. There are believed to be 22,000 fish species in the world.
62
JULY 2010
ABBREVIATIONS ITIR: Information Technology Investment Region. AVIATION Solar plane takes off On July 7, 2010, giant glider-like aircraft completed the first night flight propelled only by solar energy. Solar Impulse, whose wingspan is the same as an Airbus A340, flew 26 hours and 9 minutes, powered only by solar energy stored during the day. It was also the longest and highest flight in the history of solar aviation. The plane, which has 12,000 solar cells built into its 64.3-metre wings, is a prototype for an aircraft that its creators hope will carry out its first circum-navigation of the globe from 2012. Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss president of the project, best known for completing the first round-the-world flight in a hot air balloon in 1999, said the success of the flight showed the potential of renewable energies and clean technology. The carbon-fibre aircraft reached a maximum speed of 68 knots (ground speed), an average speed of 23 knots and a maximum altitude of 8,564 metres above sea level. AWARDS Arjuna Awards, 2009 Indian women’s cricket team captain, Jhulan Goswami, who won the ICC Women's Player of The Year Award in 2007, is among those named for the Arjuna Award for the year 2009 by the committee headed by former track queen P.T. Usha. Other winners are: Joseph Abraham (Athletics), Krishna Poonia (Athletics), Dinesh Kumar(Boxing), Parimrajan Negi (Chess), Deepak Kumar Mandal (Football), Sandeep Singh (Hockey (Men)), Jasjeet Kaur Handa (Hockey (Women)), Dinesh Kumar (Kabaddi), Sanjeev Rajput (Shooting), Rehan Jehangir Poncha (Swimming), Kapil Dev K.J. (Volleyball), Rajeev Tomar (Wrestling), Rajesh Chaudhary (Yachting), Jagseer Singh (Paralympic (Athletics)). Awardees will receive statuettes, citations and cash prize of Rs.5 lakh each. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, 2009 India's ace shuttler Saina Nehwal has been selected for the prestigious award, for her outstanding achievements on the badminton court. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports. The award carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs. 500,000. The award was instituted in the year 1991-92 to supply the lack of a supreme national accolade in the field of sports. Dronacharya Awards, 2009 This award is given by the government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs.500,000 each. The award was instituted in 1985. As the best sports-person award is named Arjuna Award, it is appropriate that the coaching award is named after Dronacharya, as he was the Guru ofArjuna.
63
Among the winners of 2009 award were: Subhash B. Aggarwal (Billiards & Snooker), L. Ibomcha Singh (Boxing) and Ajay Kumar Bansal (Hockey). Captain Roop Chand (Wrestling) and A.K. Kutty (Athletics) were awarded for lifetime achievement. Dhyan Chand Award, 2009 Anita Chanu (Weightlifting), Satish Pal (Athletics) and Kuldeep Singh (Wrestling) have been chosen for the award which is India's highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and games. The award is named after the legendary Indian hockey player Dhyan Chand. CONFERENCE India’s first sports law conference The Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) organised the first ever ‘Sports Law Conference’ in New Delhi, on July 24-25, 2010, to deliberate on various issues related to sports and law in India. Among other things, the conference discussed the ‘Right to Information’ (RTI) and accountability of sports federations, and legalities involved in staging major sports events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games. It also discussed gender discrimination in sports, intellectual property rights, importance of transparency in corporate structure of professional sports leagues, future of IPL, besides public relation opportunities and challenges which are concomitant with it, issues relating to infrastructure in developing and maintaining stadiums, training facilities etc. EXPEDITION India’s first scientific expedition to South Pole To commemorate the centenary of Norwegian explorer Ronald Amundsen’s December 14, 1911 feat, India will launch its first scientific expedition to the South Pole in November 2010. An eight-member team of scientists would undertake the 3,000-km long treacherous terrain from India’s research station Maitri in the Antarctic region to the South Pole. The route to be taken is a fairly new one and had been charted with the aim to understand climate change over the past years. These studies are expected to add to the knowledge of how the ancient landmass, once fused with other continents in a super-continent before being separated 200 million years ago, has evolved. The challenging effort will be simplified to some extend with the help of navigational equipment and four modern ice-traversing vehicles that the Union government is planning to acquire for the trip. PERSONS Quraishi, Dr S.Y. He has been appointed as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India. He is the first Muslim to hold the post. Dr. Quraishi earlier held the position of Election Commissioner. In the management of elections, Dr. Quraishi has brought a special focus on people’s participation, voters’ education and youth involvement in the electoral process through scientific research and interventions. He has been an ardent proponent for lending strength to the grassroots level election functionaries. Born on 11 June 1947, Dr Quraishi completed his Masters degrees from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi before joining the Indian Administrative Service in 1971. He received a Ph.D for his thesis on “Role of Communication and Social Marketing in Development of Women and Children”.
64
Dr Quraishi is known for his special contributions in social sector reforms covering health, education, population, drug abuse, and civil society action. He also has a number of books, articles and talks to his credit on issues related to democracy, elections, HIV AIDS and Family Planning, social marketing, women and child development and Youth. His book ‘Social Marketing for Social Change’ has broken new ground in the field of Development Communication. PROJECTS Three Indian projects among World’s top 100 Global consultancy firm KPMG, in its Infrastructure 100 Project Report, has included three Indian projects in the list of 100 most interesting infrastructure projects. The report showcases examples of great infrastructure projects at different stages of development across the world. The three Indian projects are: KG-D6, 4,000-MW Mundra Plant and the newly opened Indira Gandhi International Airport project in New Delhi. India’s KG-D6 project not only sets new standards in integrated gas infrastructure projects but it also launches an innovated approach to the sale and transportation of energy, helping to accelerate India’s economic growth. The 4,000 MW Mundra Plant, one of the nine Ultra Mega Power Projects, uses unfashionable coal, making it the most energy-efficient plant. The IGI Airport at New Delhi was upgraded and modernised while still functioning, delivering a world-class facility, which has also been turned around in record time. RESEARCH First robot with emotions A robot that is capable of developing and showing emotions has finally been unveiled. When Nao—developed by a European research team—is sad, he hunches his shoulders forward and looks down. When he's happy, he raises his arms, angling for a hug. When frightened, Nao cowers, and he stays like that until he is soothed with some gentle strokes on his head. Nothing out of the ordinary, perhaps, except that Nao is a robot—the world's first that can develop and display emotions. He can form bonds with the people he meets, depending on how he is treated. The more he interacts with someone, the more Nao learns a person's moods and the stronger the bonds become. He can use video cameras to work out how close a person comes and sensors to detect how tactile they are. Nao can also work out where his human companions are looking, follow their gaze and memorise different people's faces. Using a neural network brain, he can remember interactions with different people. This understanding, plus some basic rules of what is good and bad for him, learned from exploring his environment, allows Nao to indicate whether he is happy, sad or frightened with what is going on around him. The display actions for each emotion are pre-programmed but Nao decides by himself when to display each emotion or combination of emotions. Nao's programming was developed as part of a project called Feelix Growing, funded by the European commission. It was a collaboration of eight universities and robotics companies across the UK, France, Switzerland, Greece and Denmark.
65
Brain chip may give mobility to paralysed patients Scientists have developed a brain chip that will help paralysed patients operate their bionic limbs. The technology employs tiny microchips to sense nerve messages, decode the signals, and turn thought into movement. The scientists hope that, within five years, they will be able to offer robotic devices to patients with damaged spinal cords that will enable them to move their arms or legs at will. A more ambitious idea is not to use robotic devices but to replace the broken connection to the limb with an artificial link. The brain chip would then send signals to an implanted stimulator in the spinal cord. This would generate electrical impulses to make muscles contract and move paralysed limbs. SPACE RESEARCH PSLV launches five satellites On July 12, 2010, five satellites—CARTOSAT, STUDSAT and three foreign satellites—were launched by the ISRO-built Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The three foreign satellites—Algerian, Canadian and Swiss—were launched as part of a commercial operation. Studsat weighs one kg and has been built by 35 students of seven engineering colleges of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It has a camera that produces high-resolution data. Built at Rs 175 crore and weighing 694 kg, CARTOSAT-2B is an earth observation satellite in a sun-synchronous orbit. Its application will be towards cartography in India. It will generate pictures and data relevant for agriculture and rural development. MISCELLANEOUS Rupee goes designer
On July 14, 2010, the Union Cabinet approved a new symbol for the Indian Rupee—an amalgam of the Devnagiri ‘Ra’ and the Roman capital ‘R’, minus its stem. With the gaining of the symbol, the Indian rupee joins the elite club of US dollar, British pound, European euro and Japanese yen that currently have their own symbols. 31-year-old IIT-B postgraduate in industrial design, D. Udaya Kumar has designed the new
symbol. All individuals and entities within and outside India would use the symbol after its incorporation in Unicode Standard, ISO/IEC 10646 and IS 13194. Encoding of the symbol in the Indian Standards is estimated to take about six months while encoding in the Unicode and ISO/IEC 10646 will take about 18-24 months. It will be incorporated in software packages and keyboards in use in India. The symbol will standardise the expression for Indian Rupee in different languages, both within and outside the country. It would better distinguish the Indian currency from countries whose currencies are also designated as Rupee or Rupiah, such as Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
66
Car to break 1000 mph barrier One of the 2010 Farnborough International Air Show’s wildest propositions was the Bloodhound SuperSonic car, unveiled for the first time during the show. The 42ft, full-size, fibre-glass prototype revealed the super-slick shape that the design team believes will enable the car to hit 1,000 miles per hour, boosted by Eurofighter Typoon jet engines. The construction of the rear portion of the car by aerospace group Hampson Industries is to go ahead in 2011. And a separate contract to build the nose is imminent. If speed tests on a British runway in 2011 go according to plan, the Bloodhound will go to the Hakskeen Pan dried-up lake bed in South Africa to try to break the world land-speed record, which stands at 763 mph. The design of the back of the vehicle is crucial to avoid dangerous “lift” at high speeds and to manage the sonic boom shock-wave. The Bloodhound SuperSonic is also being used to help to inspire children to study science, maths and engineering.
JUNE 2010
ABBREVIATIONS
AFSPA: Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.
NBS: National Business Register.
AWARDS IIFA Awards, 2010
Best Film: 3 Idiots.
Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan, for his role as a progeria-afflicted child in “Paa”.
Best Actress: Shared jointly by Vidya Balan for “Paa” and Kareena Kapoor for “3 Idiots”.
Best Director: Rajkumar Hirani for “3 Idiots
Best Screenplay: 3 Idiots.
Best Cinematography: 3 Idoits
Best Supporting Actor (Male): Sharman Joshi for his role in “3 Idiots”.
Best Supporting Actor (Female): Divya Dutta for her performance in “Delhi 6”.
Best Actor in Negative Role: Boman Irani for his role in “3 Idiots”.
Best performance in Comic Role: Sanjay Dutt for performance in “All the Best”.
Best Music Director: Pritam for “Love Aaj Kal”.
Best Singer (Male): Shaan, for “Behti hawa sa tha woh” (3 Idiots).
Best Singer (Female): Kavita Seth for “Iktara’ in “Wake Up, Sid!”.
Best Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire for “3 Idiots”.
Best Debut (Female): Jacqueline Fernandez and Mahie Gill share the award for their role in “Aladin” and
67
Dev D”, respectively.
Best Debut (Male): Omi Vaidya for his role of Chatur in “3 Idiots” and ackky Bhagnani for “Kal Kissne
Dekha”.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Veteran filmmaker J. Om Prakash and yesteryear actress Zeenat Aman.
Outstanding achievement by an Indian in International Cinema: Anil Kapoor.
The awards ceremony was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
DAYS; YEARS
World Environment Day
The World Environment Day is the biggest global celebration for positive environmental action, coordinated by United Nations Environment Programme every year on June 5. It is a day that reminds everyone on the planet to get involved in environment-friendly activities. From school children to community groups, companies and governments, all come together to pledge towards building a greener planet. The day urges every citizen to mitigate environmental problems, which are a result of human activities. This year’s theme—Many Species. One Planet. One Future—focuses on the importance of wealth of species and ecosystems to humanity.
DEFENCE First flight of Tejas supersonic fighter plane
The dream of having a supersonic fighter jet of indigenous built came one step closer to realisation on June 2, 2010, when the Limited Series Production Tejas aircraft (LSP-4) took off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airport, Bangaluru, for its first flight.
Test pilot, Group Captain Suneet Krishna, flew the aircraft to an altitude of 11 kms and went supersonic, touching 1.1 Mach speed. A fighter plane flies in supersonic speed when it has already accomplished its mission and is being chased by enemy aircraft. For testing, there was a plane chasing the Tejas LSP-4 during its first test flight.
The Tejas flew in the configuration that would be finally delivered to the Indian Air Force. Navy gets two Warships
Giving a boost to the Navy’s defence capabilities, two state-of-the-art high-speed warships, INS Cankarso and INS Kondul, were commissioned into the naval fleet on June 29, 2010.
The indigenously-built ships use water jet propulsion technology and can achieve speeds in excess of 35 knots. Water jet technology has rapidly gained acceptance as the leading means of propulsion for all types of high-speed marine craft, including ferries, work boats, patrol crafts and pleasure boats. The ships will be based in Goa and tasked with the role of detecting, locating and destroying small, fast-moving enemy surface craft engaged in covert operations.
INS Cankarso and INS Kondul are fitted with 30-mm CRN-91 gun built by Ordnance Factory, Medak, and Igla missiles and set of machine guns ranging from light to heavy.
68
These two ships are the first lot of the ten similar ships that the Navy proposes to induct in its fleet. They belong to the Car Nicobar class V and VI in the FAC series.
INS Cankarso is named after an island near Goa while INS Kondul derives its name from an island near Nicobar. Kolkata-based Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers built these ships in two years. EDUCATION India’s first PG course in Golf Management
Golf, as a sport, is one of the fastest emerging sectors in India, with an estimated growth of 30 per cent in the next five years. However, there is a huge gap for good quality management professionals to join the golfing industry in India. To bridge this gap, International School of Corporate Management (ISCOM) has partnered with the prestigious Elmwood College, St. Andrews, Scotland, to introduce the first ever Postgraduate Programme in Golf Management.
The course is India’s first ever PG course in Golf Management and includes six months’ intensive apprenticeship at a golf facility in Scotland, UK. Minimum degree required to be eligible for the course is graduation. Admission is through entrance test. Candidates who qualify in GMAT, CAT, MAT or equivalent with at least 60% marks will be exempt from the entrance test. You have to be a golf player with minimum 24 handicap.
ENVIRONMENT Solar-powered LED lanterns to earn carbon credits
The United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)—aimed at slowing the warming of the planet—has notified governments and companies on how to calculate carbon-emission saved by installing solar-powered Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) instead of ubiquitous, ancient lanterns. This could give India an incentive to replace the lamps that are used in 30 per cent of households, meaning a saving of 50 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
A tonne of emission saved fetches up to Rs 19,000 in the international carbon market. A poor Indian household can save up to Rs 1,000 per annum on kerosene costs, half the cost of a solar-powered LED lighting system. Once charged, LED bulb works for up to 42 hours, compared with eight to 10 hours that conventional solar lanterns do.
LED lamps are about 90 per cent more energy efficient than traditional incandescent lamps and about 20 per cent more than Compact Fluorescent Lamps.
The UN estimates its new initiative can change the lives of a quarter of humanity, which still gets light by directly burning fuels, emitting nearly 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of 60 million cars. PROJECTS India’s first integrated Waste Management Plant
Infra firm a2z Infrastructure will set up India’s first integrated municipal solid waste management plant in Kanpur. The project, touted to be Asia’s largest, would comprise management of the city’s solid waste in an environment friendly manner and subsequent power generation for captive and merchant use.
69
Majority of the fuel used in the plant will be RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) derived from solid waste, which is considered a better replacement for coal with lesser emissions. The power plant will have the capacity to produce 15 MW power.
IIT-Kanpur to set up experimental power plant
The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) has planned to set up a 550 kilowatt (KW) Solar Energy Research Experimental Station (SERES) in its campus. The station would serve the purpose of solar energy development research, apart from being a pilot project for improving the commercial viability of solar energy generation.
It would provide uninterrupted free power supply to six neighbouring villages, Nankari, Bara Sirohi, Singhpur, Bakunthpur, Naramau and Kachchar. The villages are electrified, but the present power supply is highly erratic.
The Rs 18-crore project has been taken up as a part of the ongoing golden jubilee celebrations at the institute. Currently, the solar power produced in India costs around Rs15 per KW hour, whereas conventional energy costs as little as Rs 3.5 per KW hour. The institute will bring in team from the biotechnology and electrical departments to work on reducing the production cost of solar power to make it more economical and commercially viable.
The project will be modelled on the German mode of solar power generation after conducting the requisite studies on production and transmission.
RESEARCH “Printer” to create human organs
It may sound a bit too much, but doctors could one day be able to “print” new organs for transplant, say scientists who claim to have designed a “bio-printer” to create made-to-measure human organs. A prototype machine developed by the California-based regenerative medicine company Organovo is already capable of growing new arteries.
It is based on 3-D laser printing technology used to create new machine parts for industry. But, instead of combining layers of plastic and metal, the “bio-printer” puts living tissue together. Two laser-based printing heads are used to place living cells onto thin sheets of gel with microscopic precision. Multiple layers are then laid on top of each other in a specially designed mould, or ‘scaffold’ and the cells begin to fuse together.
SPACE RESEARCH
Thirty Meter Telescope Project
On June 25, 2010, India joined as an observer in the ambitious astronomical observatory, Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT), in Hawaii, which will help in unravelling mysteries of black hole, origin of galaxies and formation of planets among others.
The status of an observer is first step by India in becoming a full partner in TMT, which will be fully operational in 2018 and will be world’s most advanced astronomical observatory.
70
The telescope will have a 30-metre segmented mirror which uses diffraction of light and focuses in much sharper way than smaller telescopes. Such a large size of aperture will help it collecting more light, thus generating much clearer and sharper images of fainter objects, which may not be possible by present day scopes. The images generated by the telescope will be 12 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope. A look at these images will help the scientists to understand several key aspects of universe, including the black hole formation, formation of galaxies, starting of the Universe and formation of first heavy elements in it. MISCELLANEOUS National Business Register
The sixth economic census, set to take off in 2011, will provide India with a National Business Register (NBR) for the first time, containing the details of every business establishment in the country. The creation and maintenance of a business register and directory are expected to be an economic data framework for various needed statistical surveys, including the Annual Survey of Industries and others of the National Sample Survey Organisation.
Currently, a fairly reasonable database exists for the agricultural sector, while much is lacking for the non-agricultural ones, particularly services. The move to create a directory will particularly benefit the latter. The services sector, contributing 62.5 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product, does not have a comprehensive data bank. The national accounts significantly under-states the sector, even as it is the major contributor. The business register is to keep an account of all business establishments with a workforce of 10 or more people—addresses, sectors, turnovers, number employed etc.
Now, fly tricolour at night
India’s National flag will now fly even during night, which was not earlier allowed under the flag code rules. This has been possible due to efforts of industrialist-turned-politician and chairman of the Flag Foundation of India and MP Naveen Jindal.
The Union Home Ministry has allowed keeping the National Flag fly even during night with a rider that the flag does not remain in dark.
MAY 2010
AWARDS National Technology Award, 2010
A pioneer in processing rice bran oil, A.R. Sharma, who comes from dusty town of Dhuri in Sangrur district, has been honoured with the national award by the Technology Development Board of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presented the award—Rs 10 lakh and a trophy—to him.
71
“Lost” Booker Prize
Late author J.G. Farrell has been honoured for his novel Troubles, 40 years after it was first published, in an unusual take on Britain's most prestigious literary award, the Booker Prize.
DEFENCE Light Combat Helicopter takes to skies
The maiden flight of the indigenously manufactured Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) on May 22, 2010, heralded India's entry into the select group of countries capable of developing their own combat helicopters. The LCH, manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is a dedicated attack helicopter featuring a narrow fuselage and a tandem seating for the pilot and co-pilot. The machine is designed for low detection (reduced visual, aural, radar and infra-red signatures) and has crash-worthy landing gear for better survivability. The hinge-less rotors and the powerful Shakti engines enable the easy manoeuvring of LCH even with weapons.
The other interesting feature of the LCH is the chin-mounted canon along with the helmet mounted sighting system, which gives the pilot the capability to look and fire at targets around the aircraft. An advanced sensor suite consisting of CCD camera, forward looking infra-red imaging technology and laser range finder facilitates target acquisition in all weather conditions.
The helicopter would be fitted with a data link for network-centric operations facilitating the transfer of mission data to the other airborne platforms and ground stations operating in the network, thus facilitating the force multiplication.
With these features, the LCH is expected to play a major role in air defence against slow moving aerial targets, destruction of enemy air defence operations, escort to special heli-borne operations, support of combat search and rescue operations, anti-tank role and scout duties.
EXPEDITION First Indian to sail solo around the world
On May 22, 2010, Commander Dilip Donde of the Indian Navy became the first Indian ever to circumnavigate the globe solo on a sail-boat when he steered into the Mumbai harbour after his arduous effort spanning a little over nine months.
Commander Dilip Donde, who started the voyage on August 19 2009 on INSV Mhadei, touched base back in India at the Sunk Rock Light House in Mumbai. His boat was ceremonially escorted by a fast attack craft of the Indian Navy, along with speedboats and two tugs operating their water cannons. Vice-President Hamid Ansari, along with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma and Donde’s family members, who were on board INS Delhi, anchored at the finish line, witnessed the historic moment and gave him a rousing reception.
The 56-foot-long Mhadei, with 23-tonne displacement, is the first fibreglass yacht constructed entirely in India and boasts of state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment. The 276-day voyage was part of the Navy's daunting Sagar Parikrama project, which aims to revive the old tradition of sea faring. The 42-year-old officer covered 21,600 nautical miles sailing in the seas to achieve the milestone. He sailed
72
through the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Arabian Sea. He also sailed along the Equator. He made only four halts during the voyage, at Fremantle-Australia, Christchurch-New Zealand, Port Stanley-Falkland Islands and Cape Town-South Africa. Donde had trained for the expedition with legendary Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo and non-stop round the world in 1968-69. The world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation was set in January 2008 by Frenchman Francis Joyon, at 67 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds.
PERSONS Kapadia, Justice Sarosh Homi
He has been appointed as the 38th Chief Justice of India. Hailing from a poor family, Justice Kapadia replaced Justice Balakrishnan. Born on September 29, 1947, he is the first CJI born in post independence era. An erudite man with a keen interest in Economics, Public Finance, Theoretical Physics and Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, he would remain at the helm of the judiciary till September 29, 2012. He started his career as a class IV employee and possesses integrity as “the only asset”.
Justice Kapadia was part of the Constitution bench that in January 2007 declared that laws placed under the protective umbrella of the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution were open to judicial review.
RESEARCH First life-form made by man
Scientists have created the world’s first synthetic life form in a landmark experiment that paves the way for designer organisms that are built rather than evolved.
The controversial feat, which has occupied 20 scientists for more than 10 years at an estimated cost of $40 million, was described by one researcher as “a defining moment in biology”.
Craig Venter, the pioneering US geneticist behind the experiment, described the converted cell as “the first self-replicating species we’ve had on the planet whose parent is a computer.” He said the achievement heralds the dawn of a new era in which new life is made to benefit humanity, starting with bacteria that churn out bio-fuels, soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and even manufacture vaccines. The new organism is based on an existing bacterium that causes mastitis in goats, but at its core is an entirely synthetic genome that was constructed from chemicals in the laboratory. The single-celled organism has four “watermarks” written into its DNA to identify it as synthetic and help trace its descendants back to their creator, should they go astray.
The team now plans to use the synthetic organism to work out the minimum number of genes needed for life to exist. From this, new micro-organisms could be made by bolting on additional genes to produce useful chemicals, break down pollutants, or produce proteins for use in vaccines.
Most scientists agree Venter has achieved a technical feat in synthesizing the largest piece of DNA so far—a million units in length—and in making it accurate enough to substitute for the cell’s own DNA. The US President Barack Obama has asked the White House bio-ethics commission to complete a study of
73
the issues raised by synthetic biology within six months and report back to him on its findings. He said the new development raised “genuine concerns,” though he did not specify them further.
Indian discovers new, more environmental friendly technique to extract rare earth minerals Fears that China may end up ruling a green world have been partly rested by a technological breakthrough by an NRI scientist in the field of rare earth metals—key components of technologies that are set to shape our future.
Bhagalpur-born Animesh Jha, a material sciences professor at Leeds University and an alumnus of Roorkee University and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, has isolated significant quantities of rare earth metals while refining low-grade titanium dioxide—a common mineral.
In the process, he may have soothed the jangly nerves of governments and manufacturers of leading-edge technologies around the world—in a state of uncertainty after China, which produces 95 per cent of the world’s rare earth declared in 2009 that it was sharply reducing its exports of the metals. Rare earths—versatile metals that are really not so rare—have come to dominate growing areas of people’s day-to-day lives around the world. From laptop hard disks, iPod headphones and mobile phone speakers to aerospace, defence, medicine, laser, super-conductivity and atomic energy, rare earth metals sparkle with endless promise.
Accelerated global attempts to forge a green future too are tied to supplies of rare earth metals—they make the strongest magnets on the planet, which are then used in motors that drive wind turbines as well as hybrid cars. There are only 17 rare earth metals, and it is China where they are mostly found.
It’s not as if there are no substantial rare earth deposits elsewhere around the world: far from it. But existing US mines shut down in the mid-1980s, unable to compete with cheap Chinese exports, with the supply chain eventually moving to China. And opening new mines is a long and cumbersome process. There are also massive environmental concerns over the way these metals have been extracted (by acid leaching) in many of the mines. Inner Mongolia, home to 75 per cent of China’s reserves, is said to resemble a desolate moonscape.
This is where Jha’s breakthrough becomes important: not only is it a potential alternative to Chinese supplies, but by removing the need to scar the earth for high grade titanium dioxide, it also offers a clean solution that chimes in with attempts to combat climate change.
Working with half a million pounds in the laboratories of the Institute for Materials Research in Leeds, Jha and his small team of researchers found that they could extract rare earth metals at the very start of the titanium dioxide refining process.
Leeds University says the new process could “eventually shift the balance of power in global supply, breaking China’s near monopoly.”
If Jha succeeds in scaling up his process, it could become a small but important step toward creating a sustainable world.
SPACE RESEARCH
Space shuttle Atlantis lands for final time
74
On May 26, 2010, Atlantis and its six-man crew landed at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center marking the end of Atlantis’ 25 years of service. Only two shuttle missions remain, by NASA’s two other spaceships. The space agency would like Atlantis to return to the International Space Station in June 2011. But that’s not in the cards unless the White House grants a reprieve.
The space station construction mission boosted Atlantis’ mileage to just over 193 million km, accumulated over 32 flights. The shuttle and its astronauts left the outpost bigger and more powerful, adding a new compartment and fresh batteries.
MISCELLANEOUS BRO turns 50
Exactly 50 years ago, on May 5, 1960, with war clouds gathering on the Sino-Indian border, Jawaharlal Nehru created the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), an inter-ministerial task force that has become an Indian exemplar of grit and fortitude. Thanks to over 48,000 kilometres of BRO roads, soldiers now drive to far-flung border pickets that earlier involved days of marching.
Since the time the BRO’s first chief, the dashing Major General Kartar Nath Dubey, pushed through the first roads to Tawang and Chushul in the early 1960s, the BRO has become a reassuring presence on India’s borders. Every spring, it cuts through walls of snow in high-altitude passes to clear 95 roads, like the Srinagar-Kargil highway. The BRO is over-seeing the 8.8-km long Rohtang tunnel, which will allow traffic to Lahaul-Spiti to flow around the year. It has constructed 19 border airfields and 400 major bridges. It is currently working on 699 roads, having a total length of 28,000 km.
APRIL 2010
ABBREVIATIONS CSP: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) ICAAN: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers. IDN: Internationalised Domain Names. LCH: Light Combat Helicopter. NPR: National Population Register. UID: Unique Identification (number) AWARDS Dan David Prize
Noted Indian author Amitav Ghosh has won the prestigious Dan David Prize for his remarkable reworking of the great tradition of the western novel in transnational terms.
Ghosh, 53, is the third Indian to win the award, joining an elite league comprising of chemist C.N.R. Rao and musician Zubin Mehta. The Indian author will be sharing the prize in the present dimension with Dr Gordon E. Moore, whose Moore's Law has become the guiding principle for the semi-conductor industry. PM’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration Gulshan Bamra has been given the award for his initiative to involve community in the Naxal-affected areas of Madhya Pradesh.
75
Commonwealth Prize, 2010
British-Indian author Rana Dasgupta (38) has won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for ‘Best Book’ on for his second book Solo. Rana won a prize of £10,000 (Rs 8.5 lakh).
Solo is a story told by a 100-year-old Bulgarian, and includes a cast of riveting characters, among them talking parrots.
Though Dasgupta was born in Britain and holds a British passport, he has been based in Delhi for over eight years now. His first novel “Tokyo Cancelled” had also drawn enormous praise.
Australian author Glenda Guest’s “Siddon Rock” won in the Best First Book category.
CYBER SPACE
Browse at the speed of light
Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a new infra-red laser made from germanium that operates at room temperature, which has made light-speed computing come one step closer to reality.
The research removes the cryogenic cooling systems previously needed for infra-red lasers and could lead to powerful computer chips that operate at the speed of light.
Until now, infra-red germanium lasers required expensive cryogenic cooling systems to operate. The new germanium laser operates at room temperature.
To create the germanium laser, the scientists take a six-inch, silvery-gray disk of silicon and spray it with a thin film of germanium. These same disks are actually used to produce chips in today's computers. Domain names in Indian languages
If everything goes well as planned, India will be ready to have Internationalised Domain Names (IDN) on the internet in seven Indian languages—Hindi, Bangla, Punjabi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu and Gujarati—by 2011. The Department of Information Technology (DIT), Government of India has submitted its proposal the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organisation responsible for managing the internet’s domain name system, including IP address space assignments, based in California, USA.
Domain names are entered in the address bar of the browser to access a web-site. The domain name provides a unique identity and on clicking on a given domain name, the web page of the particular site opens up. Initially, the domain name will be available to seven Indian languages and later on to the all the country’s 22 official languages.
Once it comes into effect, the user will be able to not only type out the address of a website in the scripts of any of the country’s 22 official languages, but also access sites under the domain name “bharat”. It is worth noting that in the past, IDNs were available only in Latin Characters (the script in which English and most other European languages are written).
76
DEFENCE INS Chennai Missile Destroyer launched
Indian Navy launched INS Chennai, a missile destroyer in the Project-15 alpha class, at the Mazgaon Dock in Mumbai on April 1, 2010. Elizabeth Antony, wife of Defence Minister AK Antony, launched the warship. Project 15 Alpha is code name for Kolkata-class destroyers that are being made in the Mazgaon dock in Mumbai. These are the largest warships ever constructed at Mazgaon, the oldest and the most prolific of all Indian naval dockyards.
Aimed at adding a new dimension to the country's naval warfare, India has launched the indigenous warship with enhanced stealth features and land-attack capabilities.
The 6800 tonnes Kolkata class (Project 15-A) destroyers incorporate Indian systems including the HUMSA-NG (Hull Mounted Sonar Array New Generation), 16 Brahmos missiles, torpedos and the Nagin active towed array sonar, jointly developed by the DRDO's Naval Science and Technology Laboratory in Visakhapatnam and Bharat Electronics Limited in Bangalore.
Russia is assisting Project 15-A with shafts and propellers. The propulsion package consists of four reversible gas turbines in combined gas-and-gas configuration.
INS Shivalik—India’s first indigenous stealth warship
On April 29, 2010, India affected a generational shift in its warship-building capability by commissioning INS Shivalik—the first indigenously built stealth frigate that is the biggest in its class in the world. The ship, which is 143 metres long, can tactically fire weapons even before the enemy detects it.
The hard-to-detect warship will form a crucial component of the Indian Navy. It is equipped with a mix of Indian, Russian, Israeli and western weapons and sensors.
Two other such ships—INS Satpura and the INS Sahayadari—would follow soon. Each ship would carry on board long-range surface-to-surface Klub missiles, area defence missiles Shtil and Barak, anti-submarine torpedoes, 100 mm mounted gun and six-barrelled 30 mm gun. Ships like these would form the core of the India’s battle fleet in the first half of this century.
A 250-member crew, including 35 officers, will man INS Shivalik. The new design features give the ship enhanced operational capabilities in terms of survivability, stealth, sea keeping, ship handling and weapons. The sea king Choppers on board will carry torpedoes to target submarines which are out of the ship’s ranges. It will have an array of sensors and an anti-missile defence for its own protection and also coordinate the firing of on-board weapons.
In future the Navy is looking to have a data exchange system with the IAF’s Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). A system is being integrated with the AWACS to provide data that may be out of the range of the ship. This will provide an edge in firing of weapons.
The naval satellite to be launched in the near future will also help this ship to coordinate with other ships in the fleet for firing of weapons and will form the network centric operations. The combat management system developed by the Bharat Electronic Systems will give the ship’s captain a view of all weapons and data in one screen.
77
INS Shivalik can hoodwink enemy radars, sensors by concealing its size. It has three-dimensional warfare capability—surface, air, underwater. Its weapons suites have anti-ship, anti-submarine and air defence missiles. The ship is powered by a unique combination of gas, diesel engines and can stay in sea for more than 3 weeks or cover 10,800 km without refuelling. Its filters can protect crew during a nuclear, biological or chemical attack.
Light Combat Helicopter makes successful first flight
On March 29, 2010, India entered the big boys’ league with the successful first flight of the prototype of its very own attack helicopter—Light Combat Helicopter (LCH).
The maiden test flight of the 5.5-tonne attack chopper, a derivative version of Banagalore-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) flagship product Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)—Dhruv—was termed by pilots who flew it as “very good”.
The Shakti engine being used in the LCH has been jointly developed by the HAL and Turbomeca of France with primary focus on high-altitude operations. The rotor system has also been developed indigenously. The helicopter is expected to meet operational requirements like air support, anti-infantry and anti-armour roles. The twin-engine LCH is a pure attack helicopter made by the design experience gained from the Dhruv. Currently around 100 Dhruv helicopters are being used by the Indian armed forces and paramilitary forces like the Coast Guard and the BSF, civil operators like Pawan Hans and the ONGC. Dhruv is also being used by foreign countries like Ecuador, Nepal, Mauritius and Male.
Though LCH is derived from Dhruv, there are differences in design. While in Dhruv pilots sit side-by-side, in the LCH they sit one behind the other. All flight controls, hydraulics and fuel system have been redesigned for the sleeker, heavily armoured LCH.
OIL Fourth discovery by RIL in Cambay Basin
Reliance Industries has announced its fourth oil discovery in exploratory block CB-ONN-2003/1, located on-land in the Cambay basin and named ‘Dhirubhai-47’. The block was awarded under NELP V round of exploration bidding.
This block is located at a distance of 130 kms from Ahmedabad and covers an area of 635 sq kms. RIL is the operator and has 100 per cent participating interest in the block. The block has 14 exploratory wells and the company is continuing further exploratory drilling efforts in the block. The company says that, based on the acquired 3D seismic data, there are several more prospects with upside potential have been identified in the contract area.
Cairn starts second plant
Cairn India has started the second crude oil processing plant at its giant Mangala oilfield in Thar deserts of Rajasthan, which will help the company ramp up output for the nation's most prolific oilfield.
78
Mangala currently produces about 30,000 barrels of oil per day (1.5 million tonnes a year) which is processed at Train-1 near Barmer before being sold to refiners. The Train-2 (second oil processing plant) has a capacity of 50,000 bpd (2.5 million tonnes a year).
Cairn output will help offset the decline in crude oil production at the ONGC that could not meet its targeted output in 2009-10 fiscal. The company can produce up to 2,40,000 barrels per day from Rajasthan fields, equivalent to output from the nation’s largest oilfield of Bombay High.
PERSONS Kapadia, Justice S.H.
Justice S.H. Kapadia has been appointed the Chief Justice of India. He is the 38th CJI and will have a tenure of two years and five months. Justice Kapadia has vast experience in tax, finance and business matters, besides other civil cases and issues relating to crime.
Prahalad, C.K.
Dr C.K. Prahalad, a globally known influential management thinker, died on April 19, 2010. He shook the corporate world in the US and elsewhere during the past two decades with his offbeat but radical strategies for managing corporations. The most notable among them was his “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid” through which he urged MNCs to evolve a business model that would cater to the huge market of world’s four billion poor. He firmly believed that such an approach would help eradicate the scourge of poverty. He stole the limelight with his best seller book “The Future of Competition”. He stressed that it would not be worthwhile for the companies to foray into unrelated diversifications. The book is widely acknowledged as one of the world's most significant forces in corporate thinking.
He was a member of the Blue Ribbon Commission of the United Nations on private sector and development. He was also the first recipient of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Award for contributions to management and public administration, presented by the President of India in 2000.
Singh, Gen V.K.
Gen V.K. Singh is the Chief of Indian army. A third generation officer from the Rajput regiment, Gen Singh is a graduate of the Wellington-based Defence Services Staff College as well as the Rangers Course at Fort Benning, USA and the US Army War College, Carlisle.
He was commissioned into 2 Rajput Regiment in June 1970 and commanded the same unit when it was positioned along the Line of Control with Pakistan.
Experienced in counter insurgency operations, Line of Control and high altitude operations, Gen Singh was awarded the Yudh Sena Medal for his distinguished service during 'Operation Pawan' against the LTTE in Sri Lanka. PROJECTS RIL commissions India’s first one-megawatt solar plant
On April 7, 2010, solar energy initiative of Reliance Industries, RIL Solar Group, commissioned India's first one-megawatt solar plant to power a stadium to be used in the Commonwealth Games 2010.
79
Thyagaraj Stadium, where the plant has been commissioned, is planned to be a model green stadium. RIL Solar Group has also implemented power plants in the R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex.
The solar initiative is one of the major ones to compensate for carbon-dioxide emissions to be released through the game. The solar power generated at the Thyagaraj Stadium is expected to result in emission reduction of more than 1,200 tons of CO2 per year.
The power plant is expected to generate around 1.4 million units of electricity per year. It would cater to the power requirements of the stadium and the surplus would be fed to the grid.
Desertec Industrial Initiative
The Desertec Industrial Initiative has plans under-way to transform swathes of the Sahara desert into a glimmering sea of mirrors, with the goal of transmitting clean and efficient solar energy to Europe. Desertec will create fields of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants—arrays of mirrors which focus the sun’s energy to turn water into steam, and so drive the electrical turbines. From there the power will flow through a network of low loss transmission cables to pipe electricity into the existing European grid, via Spain. The $316 billion venture is designed to meet as much as 15% of Europe’s electricity demand by 2050. 20 years ago, the maximum efficiency you could get from the sun was 15-20%, compared to over 50% for fossil fuels. Today, CSP is closer to 40%. Large CSP plants can produce power at quarter of the cost of that generated by standard solar photovoltaic cells.
India can consider CSPs in the Thar Desert. Its conditions would allow 37.5 MW of power to be generated for each one square km of desert—and the Thar Desert has 228,000 square km area.
A single patch of Sahara Desert, just 114,090sq km in area, receives enough sunlight to meet the entire world’s electricity demand through CSP.
SPACE RESARCH
IKAROS—First solar powered spacecraft
Japanese scientists have developed a kite-shaped ‘space yacht’ that uses only solar power for propulsion. The spacecraft—IKAROS—would be launched into the space for a six-month mission to Venus. It is the first spacecraft to use such technology.
Its name is an acronym for Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun. It also alludes to the Greek mythic hero Icarus who flew too close to the Sun and fell into the sea.
In space, the spacecraft’s short cylindrical pod will be separated from the rocket spinning up to 20 times a minute. This will help it unfold its flexible 46-feet sail, which is thinner than a human hair.
The square-shaped sail, equipped with thin-film solar cells, uses resistance created by the Sun’s energy in the same way as wind propels a yacht through water, thus providing the spacecraft with enough thrust to hover and rotate.
80
“Solar sails are the technology that realises space travel without fuel as long as we have sunlight. It is a hybrid technology of electricity and pressure. The availability of electricity would enable us to navigate farther and more effectively in the solar system,” Japanese Space Agency expert Yuichi Tsuda said. NASA’s Solar Mission releases stunning pictures of Sun
US space agency NASA has released stunning solar images some of which highlight never-before-seen material streaming out of the Sun while others show extreme close-ups of activity on the Sun’s surface. “These initial images show a dynamic Sun that I had never seen in more than 40 years of solar research,” said Richard Fisher, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The images were taken by Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO that was recently launched by NASA. It is the first mission of the organisation’s Living with a Star Program or LWS—one of the NASA’s many missions to study the Sun and space environment.
The goal of LWS is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to address those aspects of the connected Sun-Earth system that directly affect our lives and society.
MISCELLANEOUS Census 2010
The 15th national census exercise, the biggest census ever to be attempted in human history to cover India's 1.2 billion population, began on April 1, 2010 with President Pratibha Patil being the first to be enumerated in the decennial exercise.
The census is the most credible source of information on demography (population characteristics), economic activity, literacy and education, housing and household amenities, urbanisation, fertility and mortality, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, language, religion, migration, disability and many other socio-cultural and demographic data since 1872.
Census is the only source of primary data at village, town and ward level. It provides valuable information for planning and formulation of polices for Central and State governments and is widely used by national and international agencies, scholars, business people, industrialists, and many more.
The delimitation / reservation of constituencies—Parliamentary / Assembly / Panchayats and other local bodies is also done on the basis of the demographic data thrown up by the census. The census is the basis for reviewing the country's progress in the past decade, monitoring the on-going schemes of the government and most importantly, plan for the future.
The slogan of Census 2011 is 'Our Census, Our Future'.
National Population Register
The NPR would be a register of usual residents of the country. The NPR will be a comprehensive identity database that would help in better targeting of the benefits and services under the government schemes/programmes, improve planning and help strengthen security of the country. This is being done for the first time in the country.
While the census is a statutory exercise conducted under the provisions of the Census Act 1945, the NPR is being created under the provisions of the Citizenship Act and Rules.
81
All information collected under the census is confidential and will not be shared with any agency—government or private. Certain information collected under the NPR will be published in the local areas for public scrutiny and invitation of objections. This is in the nature of the electoral roll or the telephone directory. After the NPR has been finalised, the database will be used only within the government. Unique Identification (UID) number christened Aadhaar
Aadhaar, or the 12-digit unique identification (UID) number that will identify the 1.2 billion residents of India on the basis of their biometrics, will have an additional four digits that will be hidden from the common man.
As far as people are concerned, there would only be a 12-digit number that would be relevant for their identification and use. However, a provision of extra four digits would be a post-fix for this 12-digit number for pin-based identification. So, UID will become a 16-digit number for use and the database that will maintain be maintained by UIDAI.
These four digits, which the authority terms a ‘virtual number’, will change as and when the resident changes his pin number or residence. The user, however, will only use the 12-digit number allotted to him. The first set of Aadhaars will be issued between August 2010 and February 2011. The authority plans to issue 600 million UIDs over the next five years.
UIDAI, which is being headed by Nandan Nilekani, has been allocated Rs 1,900 crore for the financial year 2010-11. Of this, Rs 1,300 crore will be used to enable the registrars to enrol people in the system and the remaining Rs 600 crore will be spent for setting up the information technology infrastructure. UIDAI estimates total annual revenue of Rs 288 crore from authentication services in the initial stages. World’s smallest 3-D map
Scientists claim to have created the world’s smallest three dimensional map—a map of the Earth so small that 1,000 of them could fit on one grain of salt.
A team at computer giant IBM accomplished this through a new, breakthrough technique which uses a tiny, silicon tip with a sharp apex—1,00,000 times smaller than a sharpened pencil—to create patterns and structures as small as 15 nanometre at greatly reduced cost and complexity.
According to the scientists, this patterning technique opens new prospects for developing nano-sized objects in fields such as electronics, future chip technology, medicine, life sciences, and opto-electronics. The complete 3D map of the world measuring only 22 by 11 micrometre was “written” on a polymer. It is composed of 5,00,000 pixels, each measuring 20 NM2, and was created in only 2 minutes and 23 seconds. Why volcanic ash is bad for planes
Aircraft avoid any airspace that has volcanic ash in it for a simple reason: The ash can wreck the function of propeller or jet aircraft.
82
The gas particles are actually silica so fine they will invade the spaces between rotating machinery and jam it—the silica melts at about 1,100 degree Celsius and fuses on to the turbine blades and nozzle guide vanes that feed fuel, which in modern aircraft operate at 1,400 degree Celsius.
This was discovered by the crew of two aircraft, a Singapore Airlines airplane and a British Airways Boeing 747, in 1982 which flew through an ash cloud from the Galunggung volcano in Indonesia. On both planes, all four engines stopped; they dived over 20,000 feet before they could restart them and make emergency landings. Ash particles are razor sharp and can pit the windscreens of the pilot’s cabin, damage the fuselage and light cover, and even coat the plane so much that it becomes tail-heavy. At runways, ash creates an extra problem because takeoffs and landings will throw it into the air again—where the engines can suck it in and it will create horrific damage to moving parts that suddenly find themselves in contact.
Once ash has got into an engine, it is impossible to remove as it is so fine. It pollutes filtration systems, electrical and avionic units—and the accompanying sulphuric acid aerosol can eat into rubber parts.
MARCH 2010
ABBREVIATIONS CSAT: Civil Services Aptitude Test.
AWARDS
SAARC Environment Award, 2010
Environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal has been selected for the award for setting new milestones in the field of environment, especially his initiative on cleaning the Kali Bein rivulet passing through Kapurthala, Punjab.
Saraswati Samman, 2009
“Lafzan Di Dargah”, a poetry collection in Punjabi by Surjit Patar, has been awarded the 19th Saraswati Samman for 2009.
The award, instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991, carries an award of Rs 5 lakh, a citation and a plaque. It is recognised as the most prestigious and the highest literary honour in India and is given every year to an outstanding literary work written in an Indian language and published during the last 10 years. The first recipient of the award was Harivansh Rai Bachchan in 1991 for his autobiography. Other awardees include Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar, Oriya writer Manoj Das, Malayalam poetess Balamaniamma, Tamil writer Indira Parthasarathy, Bengali novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay and Urdu literary critic Shamsur Rahman Faruqi.
Oscar Awards, 2010
Best Movie: The Hurt Locker. Best Director: Kathyrn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker). She has become the first woman director to win the honour. Best Actor: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart). Best Actress: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side).
83
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique. Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz. Best Animated Movie: Up Best Foreign Film: The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina). Chameli Devi Jain Award, 2009 The award for an outstanding woman media-person has been shared by Shoma Chaudhary, executive editor of Tehelka, Delhi and Monalisa Changkija, Editor of Nagaland Page, Dimapur.
Mother Teresa Award, 2010
UGC chairman Sukhadeo Thorat has been given the prestigious Mother Teresa Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010. Thorat, who has authored 21 publications, has been instrumental in introducing several academic and administrative reforms in higher education during ongoing XIth plan.
CYBER SPACE
Browse at the speed of light
Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a new infra-red laser made from germanium that operates at room temperature, which has made light-speed computing come one step closer to reality.
The research removes the cryogenic cooling systems previously needed for infrared lasers and could lead to powerful computer chips that operate at the speed of light.
"Using a germanium laser as a light source, you could communicate at very high data rates at very low power," said Jurgen Michel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who developed the new germanium laser. "Eventually, you could have the computing power of today's supercomputers inside a laptop," he said.
The creation of a new laser, even one based on germanium, is not newsworthy; more than 15,000 different lasers, some of which use germanium, have been created since the 1950s.
What makes this particular germanium laser unique is that it creates an infra-red beam at room temperature. Until now, infra-red germanium lasers required expensive cryogenic cooling systems to operate. The new germanium laser operates at room temperature.
To create the germanium laser, the scientists take a six-inch, silvery-gray disk of silicon and spray it with a thin film of germanium. These same disks are actually used to produce chips in today's computers. An electrically powered, room-temperature, infrared laser for laptop computers is still years away, however, cautioned Michel. If and when those laptops do arrive, they will be powerful—more powerful in fact than even today's super-computers.
DEFENCE Super Cruiser BrahMos test-fired successfully
On March 21, 2010, India joined the league of select nations to have a ‘manoeuvrable’ supersonic cruise missile when it successfully test-fired the vertical-launch version of 290-km range BrahMos from a warship in the Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast.
84
After the latest test, India has become the first and only country in the world to have a “manoeuvrable supersonic cruise missile in its inventory”.
The test-firing was part of the pre-induction tests by the Navy as moves are afoot to deploy the vertical-launch version of the missile in ships. The weapon system has been designed and developed by the Indo-Russian joint venture company.
All the three Indian Navy’s Talwar class ships, under construction in Russia, have been fitted with vertical launchers and many other ships will also be equipped with them. The Navy had earlier carried out several tests of the BrahMos but most of them had been done from inclined launchers abroad INS Rajput. The missile is already in service with the Navy and its Shivalik class frigates have been equipped with it. BrahMos has also been inducted into the Army.
PERSONS Koirala, Girija Prasad
Veteran democratic leader of Nepal politics and former Prime Minister of Nepal, he died on March 20, 2010. He was 87. He had the distinction of becoming the Prime Minister of Nepal five times. He had led the peaceful April Uprising in 2006 and abolished the 239-year-old authoritarian royal regime of Nepal. RESEARCH World's smallest superconductor developed
Scientists have developed the world's smallest superconductor—less than one nanometre wide—which could be used for making miniature electronic devices. The superconductor, a sheet of four pairs of molecules, provides the first evidence that nano-scale molecular superconducting wires can be fabricated. Superconducting materials have an electrical resistance of zero, and so can carry large electrical currents without power dissipation or heat generation.
Superconductivity was first discovered in 1911, and until recently, was considered a macroscopic phenomenon. The current finding suggests, however, that it exists at the molecular scale, which opens up a novel route for studying this phenomenon.
CERN scientists recreate how universe began
On March 30, 2010, scientists came a little closer to understanding the Big Bang—the event that created the universe—when they slammed together two streams of sub-atomic particles, moving at very high speed, at an energy level never before achieved in the laboratory.
The collision was orchestrated at around in the world’s largest particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva.
The collision sought to recreate—on a vastly reduced scale—the conditions that scientists believe came into being right after the Big Bang. Once analysed, the results could change the way physicists understand the origin and structure of the universe.
When sub-atomic particles slam together at very high speeds, they shatter, leaving behind new elements. Scientists are hoping one of the new elements created by the collision and shattering will be the fabled Higgs boson—popularly called ‘God Particle’—the particle that some theories claim is responsible for the mass of everything in the universe.
85
The LHC is a 26.6 km circular tube buried nearly 100 meter below the earth’s surface.
Indian scientists have contributed to the Compact Muon Solenoid, one of the ultra-sensitive detectors that scientists at CERN used to monitor and photograph the collision. The TIFR, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, Punjab University and Delhi University have all been involved in the project. Breakthrough in Malaria study
Scientists from India and the US have found what they call an internal “switch” that controls mosquitoes’ immunity to malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites. If scientists can find a way to flip this switch, they could block the spread of malaria from mosquitoes to humans, according to Sanjeev Kumar, lead author of the study and a researcher in the biological sciences group at the Birla Institute of Technology (BITS) in Pilani. A natural reaction inside the mosquito’s body after it sucks human blood might be responsible for protecting Plasmodium parasites from the natural germ-fighting agents in its stomach, found the scientists. Because of this reaction, the parasites can multiply and spread to humans.
As soon as a mosquito ingests a meal, the blood heads for the gut. Normally, a mosquito has strong anti-germ agents that hunt down and kill any invasive bacteria and parasites. But, the scientists found that, this germ-fighting ability was blocked by a reaction in the mosquito’s body. Once blood reaches the gut, it triggers two proteins, an Immuno-Modulatory Peroxidase (IMPer) and dual oxidase (Duox). These proteins form a protective net-like bag around the blood meal.
The blood—and any parasites it contains—passes through the digestive system unscathed. The parasites multiply and move into the mosquito’s salivary glands, from where they pass into their next human victim. When the scientists switched off the functioning of the two proteins, the bag didn’t form and all the Plasmodium parasites were killed.
The findings have implications for the study of human immunity. It has been long suspected that a similar reaction is what allows the good bacteria to survive in the stomach.
SPACE RESEARCH
Chandrayaan-I finds deepest crater on moon
Scientists have discovered moon's biggest and deepest crater, some 2,400 km-long and 9 km deep, using data from a NASA instrument that flew aboard India's maiden unmanned lunar mission Chandrayaan-I. The US space agency's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) detected the enormous crater, the South Pole-Aitken basin, that was created when an asteroid smacked into moon's southern hemisphere shortly after the formation of earth's only natural satellite.
Chandrayaan-I finds ice on moon
The success story of Chandrayaan-I, the maiden Indian moon mission, turned a new chapter with the discovery of ice deposits on the moon by an American payload aboard the spacecraft. Analysis of data obtained by the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar (Mini-SAR) aboard Chandrayaan-I
86
spacecraft has provided evidence for the presence of ice deposits near the moon’s North Pole. The Mini-SAR instrument found more than 40 small craters (two to 15 km in diameter) with sub-surface water ice located at their base.
The interior of these craters are permanently shadowed and thus, oblivious to the extreme solar heat found on the moon.
Earlier, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, another NASA instrument aboard the Indian mission, discovered water molecules in the moon’s polar region. The two pioneering discoveries made by payloads aboard the Chandrayaan-I have arguably made the Indian mission the most successful lunar expedition after the Apollo-11 manned mission to the moon in 1969.
MISCELLANEOUS Census 2010
The 15th national census exercise, the biggest census ever to be attempted in human history to cover India's 1.2 billion population, began on April 1, 2010 with President Pratibha Patil being the first to be enumerated in the decennial exercise.
The census is the most credible source of information on demography (population characteristics), economic activity, literacy and education, housing and household amenities, urbanisation, fertility and mortality, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, language, religion, migration, disability and many other socio-cultural and demographic data since 1872.
Census is the only source of primary data at village, town and ward level. It provides valuable information for planning and formulation of polices for Central and State governments and is widely used by national and international agencies, scholars, business people, industrialists, and many more.
The delimitation/reservation of constituencies -- parliamentary/assembly/panchayats and other local bodies is also done on the basis of the demographic data thrown up by the census. The census is the basis for reviewing the country's progress in the past decade, monitoring the on-going schemes of the government and most importantly, plan for the future.
The slogan of Census 2011 is 'Our Census, Our Future'.
National Population Register
The Union government has given a go-ahead to the creation of National Population Register (NPR), a unique mechanism to record biometric particulars of the entire populace of India. The work on the project will start in April 2010 and is expected to complete by September 2010.
The project would cover an estimated population of 1.2 billion and the total cost of the scheme is Rs 3,539.24 crore. The creation of a digital database with identity details of all individuals, along with their photographs and finger biometrics, will result in the creation of a biometrics based identity system in the country. Once finalised, the NPR database will be sent to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for biometric de-duplication and assigning of a unique identification number. This UID number will be added to the NPR database.
Such a database will enhance the efficacy of providing services to the residents under government schemes and programmes, improve the security scenario and check identity frauds in the country.
87
Cloud Computing
Most of us who use web-based email services, watch a video online, share snaps using photo-hosting services, read news online or watch TV shows on the internet may not realise that we use ‘cloud computing’ services. A metaphor for the internet, cloud computing stores data and applications on the internet. Users do not have to invest in hardware (reducing costs considerably) and maintenance experts. They can simply pull up applications when needed and use them like we use utilities, for example electricity. Most players provide these services for free for individual users. For enterprise users, it’s generally a paid subscription-based model. Major Indian players like Wipro, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Patni offer cloud computing solutions as “software as a service” or SaaS or on-demand computing. Cloud computing, however, still faces questions within IT about security and the guarantee of uptime for companies which rely on the cloud.
Civil Services (Prelims) Exam to change
The first big reform in the way India selects its civil servants is around the corner. The Union government has decided to replace the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination with the Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT), which will test candidates on their aptitude and analytical abilities rather than their ability to memorise. The CSAT is expected to come into effect from 2011.
The UPSC is further expected to push for changes in the Civil Service (Mains) Examination also.
FEBRUARY 2010
AWARDS Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, 2009 Entrepreneur of the year: Anand G. Mahindra, Vice Chairman and MD of Mahindra Group. Lifetime Achievement award: N. Vaghul, Ex-Chairman of ICICI Bank Ltd. Entrepreneur of the year (Start-up): Amit Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director of A2Z Maintenance & Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd. Entrepreneur of the year (Business transformation): Dr Vikram Akula, Chairperson & founder SKS Microfinance Ltd. Entrepreneur of the year (Manager): O.P. Bhatt, Chairman, State Bank of India. Entrepreneur of the year (Manufacturing): Harsh C. Mariwala, Chairman and Managing Director, Marico Ltd. Entrepreneur of the year (Healthcare and Life Sciences): Pankaj R. Patal, Chairman and Managing Director, Zydus Cadila Healthcare Ltd. Entrepreneur of the year (Services): Shashi Kiran Shetty, Chairman and Managing Director, Allcargo Global Logistics Ltd.
88
Sasawaka Prize of UNEP, 2010
A portable light that can be recharged by pedalling for 20 minutes and was developed for use in areas not wired for electricity, has won a Canadian of Indian origin, Sameer Hajee, the prestigious Sasakawa Prize of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The device has been developed by Nuru Design (Nuru means light in Swahili). A pilot project is already in place in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. The device, called the Nuru light, is essentially a lighting system that can be recharged by a pedal generator—the Nuru POWERCycle.
Nuru Light’s objective is to replace the use of expensive, polluting, unhealthy, and dangerous kerosene as a source of lighting for the two billion people without access to electricity. Of those, nearly 580 million are in India. Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards
Punjab has for the first time bagged the highest number of awards in the performing arts category for 2009, since the inception of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1952.
The winners of the coveted honour include Ustad Lachhman Singh Seen (classical music tabla), Ustad Vilayat Khan, Goslan Khanna (ragi/dhadi) and Neeta Mahindra (theatre). Besides Kamal Arora (theatre make-up) from Chandigarh is another recipient.
The award carries a citation, a shawl, a memento and a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000.
Grammy Awards, 2010
Life Time award: Michael Jackson, posthumously. Album of the Year: Taylor Swift, Fearless. Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Jai Ho, written by Gulzar, A. R. Rahman and Tanvi Shah, from “Slumdog Millionaire”. Record of the Year: Use Somebody, Kings of Leon. New Artist: Zac Brown Band. Song of the Year: Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), written by Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash and Christopher Stewart (Beyoncé). Female Pop Vocal Performance: Halo, Beyoncé. Male Pop Vocal Performance: Make it mine, Jason Mraz. Pop Performance, Duo Or Group: I Gotta Feeling, the Black Eyed Peas. Pop Collaboration: Lucky, Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. Pop Instrumental Performance: Throw Down Your Heart, Béla Fleck. Pop Instrumental Album: Potato Hole, Booker T. Jones. Pop Vocal Album: The E.N.D., the Black Eyed Peas. Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Working on a Dream, Bruce Springsteen. Hard Rock Performance: War Machine, AC/DC. Metal Performance: Dissident Aggressor, Judas Priest. Rock Song: Use Somebody, written by Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill and Nathan Followill. Rock Album: 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day. Alternative Music Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Phoenix. Female R&B Vocal Performance: Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Beyoncé.
89
Male R&B Vocal Performance: Pretty Wings, Maxwell. Female Country Vocal Performance: White Horse, Taylor Swift. Male Country Vocal Performance: Sweet Thing, Keith Urban. Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Up. CYBER SPACE
Google plunges into social networking with Buzz
On February 9, 2010, Google introduced a new service called Google Buzz, a way for users of its Gmail service to share updates, photos and videos. Buzz is Google’s boldest attempt to build a social network that can compete with Facebook and Twitter. The service is built into Gmail. And Buzz comes with a built-in circle of friends, a group that is automatically selected by Google based on the people that a user communicates with most frequently in Gmail and on Google’s chat service.
Like other social services, Buzz allows users to post status updates that include text; photos from services like Google’s Picasa and Yahoo!’s Flicker; videos from YouTube; and messages from Twitter. Analysts say many of its features mimic those of Facebook.
Google executives say that Buzz would help tackle the problem of information overload, as Google would apply its algorithms to help people find the information most relevant to them.
EDUCATION SEBI takes investor education to schools
Class 8 and 9 students at 26 schools all over the country are taking lessons in investor education these days, courtesy the capital market regulator SEBI. The optional three-month course teaches these students the importance of money, how to manage it and concepts of budgeting and saving.
The initiative follows the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) decision to facilitate financial literacy to children before they complete their secondary education. The regulator feels catching them young is the only way of increasing the number of households investing in the equity market. The number is paltry, even after decades of a free capital market. Consumer Pyramid, a survey of 120,000 households done by the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), showed only 6.5 per cent of Indian households invest in shares and only 1.12 per cent of the total savings flow into listed shares and mutual funds.
SEBI is implementing the financial literacy programme through the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), set up by the regulator to improve the quality of the market through educational initiatives. A pilot project, called the School Financial Literacy Programme, is being supervised by the National Progressive Schools Conference. Of the 26 schools, 13 are from north India, 11 from the south and two from the east. N-ENERGY India’s 18th nuclear plant
India’s 18th nuclear power plant at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan (RAPS-5) began production on February 6, 2010. The plant has been set-up by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India. The indigenously built 220 MW unit uses fuel imported from Russia which has been acquired after India got waiver from Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines in September 2008. The operationalisation of RAPS-5 has increased the capacity of Rawatbhata plant to 96 MW. The project, set-up in September 2002, took six years to complete. It had remained idle for some months because of lack of fuel.
90
With the commissioning of RAPS-5 the total installed nuclear power capacity of India has risen to 4,340 MW. RESEARCH Path-breaking energy source unveiled
Indian American Silicon Valley entrepreneur and former NASA scientist, K.R. Sridhar, has unveiled his "Bloom Box," which can generate energy by combining air and a range of fuels without going through the dirty process of combustion—all in its owner's back yard. He describes it as "the plug-and-play future of electricity." The Bloom Energy Server, a patented solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology, provides a cleaner and more reliable alternative to both today’s electric grid as well as traditional renewable energy sources. Sridhar says each Bloom Box can power up to six homes in India.
Bloom's fuel cell works in this way: Oxygen is pumped in on one side and natural gas on the other. The two combine inside the cell to create a chemical reaction that produces electricity, without any combustion or power lines. A Bloom Energy Server consists of thousands of Bloom's fuel cells—flat, solid ceramic squares made from a common sand-like “powder”. Each server provides 100 kilowatts of power in roughly the area of a parking space. Unlike traditional renewable energy technologies, like solar and wind, which are intermittent, Bloom’s technology can provide renewable power 24/7.
World’s most precise clock
Scientists claim to have created the world's most precise clock based on the oscillation of a trapped aluminium-27 atom. According to the New Scientist, the new record-holder for the most precise timekeeper, built at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Colorado, USA, could tick off the 13.7-billion-year age of universe to within 4 seconds. The optical clock monitors the oscillation of a trapped atom of aluminium-27 and is more than twice as precise as the earlier version, reported in 2008. MISCELANEOUS Panel to study merits of another time zone for India
India may be looking at another time zone in the near future, a move that could fulfill a long-standing demand. A committee, chaired by the director-general of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), is trying to examine the implications of another time zone in India.
The committee will report on the energy savings that would result because of a number of interventions, of which another time zone for the country is a possibility.
While another time zone is desirable, a lot of problems can crop up that have to be carefully examined. The magnitude of the task of setting up another time zone is enormous.
A separate time zone for the north-eastern and eastern parts has been a longstanding demand. The east-west spread of India extends for about 28 longitudinal degrees, accounting for about 2 hours as a result of which the sun rises two hours earlier in the eastern part of the country.
.
91
JANUARY 2010
ABBREVIATIONS NKN: National Knowledge Network
AWARDS Jeevan Raksha Padaks, 2010
Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak: Braveheart Rukhsana Kauser and Delhi’s Narender Kaushik (posthumously) have been selected for Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak for their conspicuous courage in saving life under circumstances of very great danger to the life of the rescuer.
Rukhsana, 22, had killed a top Pakistani militant and injured another at Kalsian village in Rajouri district on the night of September 27 2009.
Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak: The winners include Syed Areef Sujauddin from Andhra Pradesh, Umman Antony from Kerala, Rajan Kamble from Maharashtra (all posthumously), besides Karanbir Singh Kang from Maharashtra and Prachi Santosh Sen from Madhya Pradesh.
Kang, who lost his wife and two children in the 26\11 Mumbai attacks, had rescued many from Taj hotel and never dithered from doing his duty.
Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are meant for meritorious act of humane nature in saving the life of a person in three categories: Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha PAdak and Jeevan Raksha Padak.
Golden Globe Awards, 2010
Best Director: James Cameron for Avatar Best Motion Picture (Drama): Avatar Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): The Hangover Best Actor (Motion Picture Drama): Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart Best Actor (Motion Picture Musical or Comedy): Robert Downey Jr. for Sherlock Holmes Best Actress (Motion Picture Drama): Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side Best Actress (Motion Picture Musical or Comedy): Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia Best Supporting Actor (Motion Picture): Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture): Mo’nique for Precious. Best Screenplay: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air Best Original Score: Michael Giacchino for Up Best Original Song: “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart Best Foreign Language Film: The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte) from Germany Best Animated Film: Up Dada Saheb Phalke Award, 2008 V.K. Murthy, the ace cinematographer of Guru Dutt’s films who is best known for his camera work in Chaudvin ka Chand and Pakeezah, has been honoured with the award. He is the first cinematographer to get the award.
92
National Film Awards, 56th Best Film: Antaheen (Bengali) Best Direction: Bala for Naan Kadavul (Tamil) Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! Best Children’s Film: Gubbachigalu (Kannada) Best Film on Family Welfare: Little Zizou (English, Gujarati) Best Actor: Upendra Limaye for Jogwa (Marathi) Best Actress: Priyanka Chopra for Fashion (Hindi) Best Supporting Actor: Arjun Rampal for Rock On!! (Hindi) Best Supporting Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Fashion (Hindi) Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Direct or: A Wednesday (Hindi) Nargis Dutt Award (for Best Feature Film on National Integration): Aai Kot Nai (Assamese) Best Child Artist: Shams Patel Best Cinematography: Avik Mukhopadhyay for Antaheen (Bengali) Best Screenplay: Sachin Kundalkar for Gandha (Marathi) Best Art Direction: Gautam Sen for Firaaq Best Make-up Artist: V. Moorthy for Naan Kadauul (Tamil) Best Costume Design: Neeta Lulla for Jodhaa Akbar Best Music Direction: Ajay Atul for Jogwa (Marathi) Best Lyrics: Antaheen (Bengali) Best Male Playback Singer: Hariharan for Jogwa (Marathi) Best Female Playback Singer: Shreya Ghoshal for Antaheen (Bengali) Best Choreography: Chinni Prakash and Rekha Prakash for Jodha Akbar Best Audiography: Pramod J. Thomas for Gandha (Marathi) Best Editing: A. Sreekar Prasad for Firaaq (Hindi) Best Special Effects: Govardhan (Tata Elxsi) Mumbai Meri Jaan (Hindi) Special Jury Award/Special Mention (Feature Film): Bioscope
Republic Day Awards, 2010
Padma Vibhushan: Nobel laureate of Indian origin Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Apollo Hospitals chief Pratap Reddy, former RBI Governor Y.V. Reddy, Zohra Segal, Ebrahim Alkazi and noted Mridangam Carnatic artist Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman.
Padma Bhushan: Music maestro A.R. Rahman, Music maestro Illaiyaraaja, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan and controversial Indian origin businessman Sant Singh Chatwal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s cardiac surgeon R.M. Panda, eminent neurosurgeon Satya Paul Agarwal, prominent industrialist from Punjab S.P. Oswal, Manvinder Singh Banga, eminent journalist Fareed Zakaria and real estate czar K.P. Singh were among the 43 winners.
Padma Shri: Cricketer Virendra Sehwag, hockey player Ignace Tirkey, Formula One driver Narain Kartikeyan, badminton star Saina Nehwal, boxer Vijender Singh, Sachin Tendulkar's 'guru' Ramakant Achrekar, Yesteryear Bollywood diva Rekha, Oscar winner sound recordist Resul Pokutty and actor Saif Ali Khan were among 83 winners.
93
Bravery Awards, 2010
Kirti Chakra: Rukhsana Kausar and her brother Aijaz Ahmad have been awarded the second highest gallantry award in peacetime, for their act of bravery in killing a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander in their Morha Kalsi village in Jammu and Kashmir in 2009.
Tagore Literature Award, 2009
Noted Kashmiri poet Naseem Shafai has been conferred the prestigious “Tagore Literature Award” by the Sahitya Akademi for her outstanding contribution in Kashmiri literature, especially poetry. The award has been instituted by the Akademi at the initiation of the Korean government and the Embassy of Korea in Delhi.
Nasem was selected for this honour for her poetic collection, “Na Thsay Na Aks” (Neither shadow nor reflection). She has become the first women poet from Kashmir to be honoured by the Akademi. This was the second collection of Naseem’s poetry after “Derche Machrith” (open windows) in 1999. CYBER SPACE
Gmail adopts new protocol to encrypt data
Google has introduced a mandatory secure encryption for all users of its free email service Gmail, which will make it more difficult for hackers to break into the email accounts.
Gmail will now be accessible through what is known as the hypertext transfer protocol secure or HTTPS on internet, instead of the HTTP protocol which it was using earlier.
Under the new protocol, email data travelling between a user’s browser and Google computer server will be encrypted, making it tougher for the hackers sitting on unprotected Wi-Fi to break into the user’s accounts. For users, the new encryption would result in higher level of security, similar to an online banking transaction. Hackers would also find it more challenging to steal credit card and bank statements stored by Gmail users in their mailboxes.
Thousands of users in the government departments and corporate sector across the world use Gmail for transferring official emails or storing bank confidential information. With this enable-ment, loss of such information or hacking of Orkut or Gmail accounts is likely to become less frequent. Many government of India documents also get exchanged through Gmail. The ministry of external affairs has, however, banned use of such private email providers for official use.
DEFENCE India planning to buy C-17 Globemaster-III strategic aircraft from USA
India is set to buy 10 C-17 Globemaster-III giant strategic aircraft, each of which comes for about $220 million. The four-engine C-17 is capable of carrying payload of up to 78 tonnes, transport tanks and air-drop more than 100 combat-ready paratroopers directly into a battle-zone.
It can cover 2,400 nautical miles at a stretch and with mid-air refuelling it can go even longer distances. The plane has the capability to take off and land on 3,000 feet or less runway, as also on a semi-prepared runway.
94
EXPEDITIONS Climate expedition to Antarctica
On January 11, 2010, an Indian team set sail on the first Southern Ocean expedition after the Copenhagen meet — the fourth to be taken up by the National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa — to study, among other things, climate change and its impact on life.
It will also be the first time Indian scientists will be crossing the 55 degrees South latitude to go almost up to the polar region on an Indian vessel.
Sagar Nidhi, the only Indian vessel that can cut through ice, left Goa with 25 scientists for Mauritius and head farther southwards on a voyage that will last till April 2010.
The scientists will take up about 20 studies in the ocean between 35 and 66 degrees South latitudes. Prominent among them would be paleo-climatic studies that involve collecting samples from the ocean bed at a depth of up to six kilometres.
Changes in sediment formation, water mass and other parameters would be compared with previous data to ascertain the impact of climate change.
PERSONS Basu, Jyoti
The CPM patriarch and former Chief Minister of West Bengal, he died on January 17, 2010 at the age of 95. The “colossus of Indian politics” left behind a void that will be hard to fill, not only in the Left but also national politics.
He was born on July 8, 1914 in Kolkata. In 1935 he graduated from the Presidency College of Kolkata with honours in English. Then he went to London to study law and it was here that he was influenced by Communism. In 1940 he joined the then undivided Communist Party of India.
He was one of the founder-members of CPM in 1964. In 1977 he became the Chief Minister of West Bengal and continued to hold the office for 23 straight years, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister in India. He quit as Chief Minister in November 2000. His major achievements as Chief Minister of West Bengal were rural land reforms and entrenching of the Panchayati Raj institutions. Jyoti Basu played a major role in formation of coalition governments at the Centre in 1989, 1996, 1997 and 2004. In 1996, he narrowly missed out on becoming Prime Minister of India after his party’s veto. Murthy, V.K.
V. K. Murthy is the first cinematographer, and second Kannadiga after Kannada movie icon Dr Raj Kumar, to get the Dada Saheb Phalke award for his contribution to the film industry. He is known for his work in most Guru Dutt films like Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, Kaagaz Ke Phool and Pyaasa.
Besides Guru Dutt, Murthy also worked with Pramod Chakravarthy (Naya Zamana, Jugnu), Kamal Amrohi (Pakeezah) and Shyam Benegal (Bharat Ke Khoj, a television series).
He also shot India’s first cinema-scope movies, Kagaz ke Phool and is also one of the pioneers of colour cinematography.
95
Singh, Gen Vijay Kumar
He has been appointed as the chief of Indian Army. He was born on May 10, 1951, in Bapada village of Haryana. His grandfather—Mukh Ram—was also a soldier, who rose to the rank of Risaldar Major. His father Jagat Singh also joined the Army and retired as a Colonel.
Gen V.K. Singh, an infantry man, was commissioned into the Rajput Regiment in 1970. During his long career he has participated in the 1971 operations against Pakistan and the IPKF operations in Sri Lanka in 1988. His last posting before taking over as army chief was as the Eastern Army Commander, Kolkata. Prior to that, he commanded vital Ambala-based 2 Strike Corps of the Army.
He is also an honours graduate of the US Army Infantry School, Georgia. He studied at the Defence Services Staff College, the Army War College and the US Army War College, Carlisle. PLACES Bengaluru The Electronic Warfare India Conference (EWIC) was held in Bengaluru. This was the first international conference on electronic warfare to take place in India.
Burj Khalifa
On January 4, 2010, blazing fireworks and dazzling lights marked the opening of the world's tallest tower, Burj Khalifa, formerly known as Burj Dubai. The $1.5 billion, 818 metres (2,684 feet) high structure is an “unprecedented” engineering marvel.
Burj Khalifa has been designed to be the centrepiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels, 7.4 acres of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 30-acre man-made Burj Khalifa Lake.
With more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa holds the following records:
• Tallest building in the world
• Tallest free-standing structure in the world
• Highest number of stories in the world
• Highest occupied floor in the world
• Highest outdoor observation deck in the world
• Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
• Tallest service elevator in the world
Not only is Burj Khalifa the world’s tallest building, it has also broken two other impressive records: tallest structure, previously held by the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, and tallest free-standing structure, previously held by Toronto’s CN Tower. The Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has established three criteria to determine what makes a tall building tall. Burj Khalifa wins by far in all three categories.
96
The building has returned the location of Earth's tallest free-standing structure to the Middle East — where the Great Pyramid of Giza claimed this achievement for almost four millennia before being surpassed in 1311 by Lincoln Cathedral in England.
Davos Over 2500 global leaders in business and politics gathered in Davos, Switzeraland, for the World Economic Forum. Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range. At 1,560 meters, it is the highest city in Europe.
Haiti The capital of this tiny island nation, Port-au-Prince, was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale on January 13, 2010. More than three lakh people perished in the tragedy.
The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other settlements in the region. Many notable landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Among those killed were Archbishop of Port-au-Prince Joseph Serge Miot, and opposition leader Micha Gaillard. The headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, collapsed, killing many, including the Mission’s Chief, Hédi Annabi.
Jaipur Who’s who of the literature world descended on Jaipur in January 2010 to attend the Jaipur Literature festival. RESEARCH
Super lozenge as cure for cold to H1N1
In a breakthrough, Australian scientists have developed a drug that prepares the immune system to effectively fight all cold and flu infections, including swine flu virus. The Veldona lozenge, which tastes like a sweet and dissolves in the mouth, prepares the immune system to attack every cold and flu virus. The drug, that could be taken once a day before breakfast, would prevent everyday sniffles in otherwise healthy people and life-threatening infections in the elderly.
The lozenge contains tiny amounts of interferon alpha—a protective protein that the body naturally makes when attacked by a virus. When the lozenge dissolves in the mouth, the protein is released, tricking the immune system into thinking there is a virus in the body and gets ready for a fight. Once the trial results are positive, the drug can be made available over-the-counter in the next two years. It would cost just around Rs 9 a pill.
SPACE RESEARCH
NASA’s WISE probe
Nasa has published the first images from its Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, which has been scanning the skies since January 2010.
The images include a comet, a "star factory" 20,000 light years away in our Milky Way galaxy and our nearest large neighbour, the Andromeda spiral galaxy.
97
Wise will search on until October when its supplies of frozen coolant for chilling instruments will run out.
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (Wise) had blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in December 2009. The probe is expected to uncover objects that have never seen before, including some of the coolest stars and the most luminous galaxies.
The $320m mission will do this by scanning the entire sky in infrared light with sensitivity hundreds of times greater than ever before.
Indian scientists discover a large cave on the Moon
Human habitation or a permanent base on the Moon could soon be a reality. After the discovery of water, scientists analysing the data of Chandrayaan-I have now found a large cave on the lunar surface, which could possibly act as a natural shelter for humans.
This is an empty volcanic tube, measuring about two kilometre in length and 360 meters in width. Such wide tunnels could sustain underground lunar outposts, while the ceilings could help protect astronauts from space radiation, meteoroid impacts and wild temperature fluctuations (up 300 degree centigrade) that is commonplace on the lunar surface.
There are similar lava tubes on Earth. They are formed when molten rock, flowing from a volcanic eruption, cools and hardens on top while the lava underneath continues to flow. If the lava drains completely, a cavern is left. Scientists had long suspected that such rock formations existed on the moon, but lacked evidence until now.
The findings happened while the data from the TMC (Terrain Mapping Camera) was being analysed. The TMC was one of the five Indian payload that was on-board Chandrayaan-I.
MISCELLANEOUS
Algorithm trading
The rising number of brokerages with algorithm, or computer programme-driven trading, may turn out to be a second turning point in Indian markets after the introduction of electronic trading a decade-and-a-half ago, which closed about 20 stock exchanges and many local brokerages, but expanded the trading community and volumes by leaps and bounds.
The National Stock Exchange, which controls more than three-fourths of the trading volumes, has approved applications of 200 of its members, roughly a fourth, to trade using algorithms.
Algorithmic trading refers to automated trades executed through software programs which do not require humans to place orders. There could be thousands of programs written to buy or sell a security, currency or commodity at a particular level when one or more factors emerge. Those programs are so fast that people who look at various developments and decide trade would be left way behind because a machine has done it in milliseconds.
Indian invention Infibeam Pi to give competition to Amazon’s Kindle
On January 28, 2010, Vishal Mehta announced the Infibeam Pi, an e-book reader that looks like the Amazon Kindle, has the same e-Ink screen that the Kindle sports, and has a rights architecture that is more open than the Kindle. The Infibeam Pi, which can be ordered online and is priced at Rs 10,000. The Amazon Kindle,
98
when shipped to India, costs about Rs 18,000. The Pi reader has no wireless connectivity, however. The Pi supports 13 Indian languages and has a micro USB port to connect to a PC. Users will need to create an account with Infibeam.com, register the device and then download the ebooks. The ebooks can be read on the PC as well as on the Pi.
The Pi can also be used to read any document (word or pdf, for instance). It can store about 600 ebooks in its internal memory. It also has space for a 4GB card—that means about 3,000 ebooks can be carried around. Pi can play music as well.
Copenhagen Wheel
Reinventing the wheel was not exactly what Myshkin Ingawale had in mind when he set out from NIT-Bhopal towards MIT-Massachusetts, with a stop-over at IIM Calcutta. The 27-year-old’s Copenhagen Wheel, named after the Danish capital after it was unveiled during the climate summit in December 2008, could be about to do just that.
A smart disc that can be retrofitted on any bicycle, the device can boost the cycle’s power and can also keep track of friends, fitness, smog and traffic. And if someone tries to steal the bike while its owner happens to be away, the device will send out an alert via a text message.
The Danish capital is set to embrace it whole-heartedly in its attempt to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025.
Ingawale began working on the device in 2003, when he started fitting bicycles with electric motors. An early version of the device was made during his time at the National Institute of Technology campus in Bhopal, where he studied for a B.Tech in electrical engineering.
The big leap for the device and Ingawale came about when he got in touch with a team from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, which was working on ways to make bikes efficient and green.
“From the days of the horse-drawn carriage, all we have done is replaced the horse with a beast of a different kind. Can we be creative, can we make something that radically improves things for the better? This was the motivation and thought process of the team,” he says.
Tricolour to tower over nation
Naveen Jindal, MP from Kurukshetra who fought a long legal battle to ensure that individuals can hoist the national flag too, will put up monumental flag poles with flags about 3,500 square feet in size and hoisted on 206-feet-high steel poles—all across the country.
After putting up five monumental flag poles in his own constituency, Jindal now has plans to set up many more to create awareness and generate respect for the national flag in every Indian.
Jindal's Flag Foundation of India, set up after he won the legal battle in 2005 against the government diktat that only institutions can hoist the national flag, will work with local bodies to set up these poles. He has even had the government amend the Flag Code to allow these massive flags to fly even at night, with proper illumination.
99
The first monumental flag pole outside Kurukshetra will come up in Angul, a tribal district in Orissa, followed by Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kanyakumari. Each project will cost Rs 40 lakh, with the pole, made of high tension steel, weighing 12.5 tonnes, and the flag, made of knitted polyester, weighing 28 kg and costing Rs 60,000.
National Martyr Register
Sixty years after it became a Republic, India is about to share with its people the first authenticated list of martyrs, who helped it realise the dream of freedom. The list would, for the first time, cover the martyrs of 1857, recognised now as the watershed in the struggle for India’s Independence.
Also, the list’s focus would be the nation to avoid accusations that the existing works on martyrs are heavily tilted in favour of the North.
Till date the country had no National Register of Martyrs which could be taken as the basis of future historical research on the subject. Names that do exist in scattered works, including “Who’s Who of Indian Martyrs’ published by the Education Ministry in 1969, are the ones that figured in the national movements of the late 19th and 20th centuries.
However, the existing names of martyrs lacked historical referencing and could be dismissed as claims unless proved otherwise by evidence in primary sources like judicial records and jail files.
But now, thanks to experts under the Indian Council of Historical Research which is in charge of the project, India will soon have its first historically-tested list of martyrs.
India’s first aero sports centre
Narnaul, a non-descript village located in the backwaters of Haryana has got India’s first aero sports centre, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, at the local airstrip on January 31, 2010. The centre, named after the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, has been set up by the Department of Civil Aviation, Haryana, in collaboration with the Aero Club of India.
100
INTERNATIONAL SUMMITS
G-20 SUMMIT
What is the G-20
The Group of Twenty (G-20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors was established in 1999 to bring together systemically important industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy. The inaugural meeting of the G-20 took place in Berlin, on December 15-16, 1999, hosted by German and Canadian finance ministers.
Origins The G-20 was created as a response both to the financial crises of the late 1990s and to a growing recognition that key emerging-market countries were not adequately included in the core of global economic discussion and governance. Membership The G-20 is made up of the finance ministers and central bank governors of 19 countries: Argentina,Australia,Brazil,Canada,China,France,Germany,India,Indonesia,Italy,Japan,Mexico,Russia,Saudi Arabia,South Africa,Republic of Korea,Turkey,United Kingdom,United States of America
Meetings and activities
The 2010 G-20 Toronto summit is the fourth meeting of the G-20 heads of government, in discussion of the global financial system and the world economy, which took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, during June 26–27, 2010. The next G-20 summit will be held at November 11-12 at Seol, in the Republic of Korea.
APEC SUMMIT
A summit meet of Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was held in Singapore on November 14-15, 2009. The forum of the APEC on November 15, pledged to promote balanced, inclusive, and sustainable growth to ensure a durable recovery form the world economic recession. Leaders of 21 APEC economies Who concluded a two-day summit in Singapore noted that the global economy has now began to recover, with Asia–Pacific region taking the lead. Origin and Aims : APEC was originally established in 1989 to take advantage of the interdependence among Asia- Pacific economies, by facilitating economic growth for all participants and enhancing a sense of community in the region. APEC is working to achieve what are referred to as the ‘Bogor Goals’ of free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies Next APEC summit will be held at Yokohama, Japan in November 13-14 2010. Members : Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea. Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and Veitnam.
101
WORLD FOOD SUMMIT
The UN Hunger Summit held in Rome in the third week of November (16-18) 2009 vowed urgent action to combat food shortages, but drew fire for failing to pledge new funds or set a time table to beat the scourge affecting more than one billion people across the globe. As Pope Benedict XVI condemned the greed of grain speculators, participants at the summit declared that hun-ger was an unacceptable blot on the lives, livelihoods and dignity of onesixth of the world’s population. Their joint final declaration— which was rolled out on the first day of the threeday summit—also outlined five principles including direct action to help the most vulnerable. Unfortunately no new financial commitments were contained in the document, which calls on wealthy nations to honour pledges of $ 20 billion in aid over the next three years made at the Group of Eight summit in July, 2009. Also unluckily, the final declaration also omitted any mention of a U. N. 2025 deadline for the eradication of world hunger, prompting an angry response from campaigners. Opening the summit, U. N. Secretary-General Ban Ki- Moon, calling for a single global vision to address the plight of the world’s hungry, said, “the food crisis of today is a wake-up call for tomorrow”. By the time the world population reaches some nine billion in 2050, “we know we will need to grow 70 per cent more food,” he said.
COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING (CHOGM)
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, abbreviated to CHOGM, is a biennial summit meeting of the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations. Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state, and is chaired by that nation's respective Prime Minister or President, who becomes the Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office. The first CHOGM was held in 1971, and there have been twenty-one held in total: the most recent in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. They are held once every two years, although this pattern has twice been interrupted. They are held around the Commonwealth, rotating by invitation amongst its members. 21st Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Port of Spain [Climate Change Tops Agenda of the Summit] The 21st Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago in 27th & 29th November 2009. The 53-nation grouping of former British Colonies, which include developed, developing and under-developed countries deliberated on burning issues of the world, particularly climate change Four Components Four components are climate change response—mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology. The other highlights of the CHOGM were : an ambitious declaration on young people, committing the nations to new ventures in supporting youth enterprise, a statement on non-communicable diseases, a particular focus in the Caribbean, a statement on the CHOGM partnership theme.
102
G-8 SUMMIT The G-8, or Group of Eight, is made up of eight of the world’s most industrialized countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union is also represented at the summit. The concept of a forum for the world's major industrialized democracies emerged following the 1973 oil crisis.
Each year, a different G-8 country takes over the presidency of the Group of Eight and speaks on behalf of the G-8 for the year.
Summit Outcomes
At the Muskoka 2010, Ontario, Canada on June 25th & 26th G-8 Summit, the G-8 provided leadership on development and international peace and security challenges. These priorities relate to the core values and interests of the G-8 and are areas where G-8 member countries—through sustained cooperation and leadership—can make a real difference in responding to global issues that affect all countries and regions of the world. The Summit also focused on strengthening G-8 accountability and effectiveness.
Development
As with recent G-8 summits, international development featured prominently at Muskoka, with a particular focus on maternal, newborn and child health, and accountability for past promises. Canada’s pragmatic and results-driven agenda followed up on past G-8 commitments and set focused goals for G-8 leadership going forward.
Food Security
As with other summits, food security was a priority at the Muskoka 2010 G-8 Summit through the implementation of and accountability for the commitments that were made at L’Aquila. Accounting for these commitments is crucial for demonstrating progress and results on food security.
Africa Partnership Forum (APF)
In 2003, the Africa Partnership Forum (APF) was established at Canada’s initiative and was formally endorsed by leaders at the Evian G-8 Summit. The APF broadens international support for the political and economic reform process in Africa to include other African countries and institutions and Africa’s major bilateral and multilateral development partners.
Peace and Security
When leaders gathered at the Summit, they responded to the most pressing global security issues. Non-proliferation and disarmament efforts are at the top of the global agenda this year, with the recent conclusion of the Nuclear Security Summit and the Review Conference of the parties of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The threat of nuclear weapons is real. The nuclear activities of both Iran and North Korea are of serious concern. Progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan and on the Middle East peace process is essential for global peace and security. Ongoing and pervasive vulnerabilities – including terrorism, organized crime, and trafficking in drugs continue to threaten global stability, security and prosperity.
103
G-15 SUMMIT
The Group of 15 (G-15) was established at the Ninth Non-Aligned Movement Summit Meeting in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in September 1989.
This informal forum was set up to foster cooperation and provides input for other international groups, such as the World Trade Organization and the Group of Eight. It is composed of countries from North America, South America, Africa, and Asia with a common goal of enhanced growth and prosperity. The G15 focuses on cooperation among developing countries in the areas of investment, trade, and technology. The membership of the G15 has expanded to 18 countries, but the name has remained unchanged.
Structure and activities
The G-15 is intended to be an informal forum for discussions involving an intentional community or an epistemic community. The G-15 membership is marked by a range of attributes and factors, including
(a) a shared set of normative and principled beliefs (b) shared causal beliefs; (c) shared notions of validity (d) a common policy enterprise By design, the G-15 has avoided establishing an administrative structure like those for international organizations, such as the United Nations or the World Bank; but the G-15 does have a Technical Support Facility (TSF) located in Geneva. The TSF functions under the direction of the Chairman for the current year. The TSF provides necessary support for the activities of the G-15 and for its objectives. Other organs and functions of the G-15 include:
• Summit of Heads of State and Government • Annual meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs • Steering Committee (Troika) • Personal Representatives of Heads of State and Government
The Fourteenth G-15 summit was held in Tehran, Iran in May 17-20, 2010. The bi-annual summit agenda of the Group of 15 (G-15) encompassed a range of issues.
The gathering brought together leaders, representatives and policymakers from non-aligned nations. African G-15 nations are Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. Those from Asia are India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Latin American G-15 nations include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.
The summit is expected to focus on improving south-south cooperation, addressing global inequities and assessing the impact of global economic recovery on developing nations.
The Tehran summit is likely to repeat previous calls for restructuring of international financial institutions and a more equitable representation of developing countries in those institutions.
104
ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated ASEAN is a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include the acceleration of economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, the protection of the peace and stability of the region, and to provide opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.
ASEAN Summit
The organisation holds meetings, known as the ASEAN Summit, where heads of government of each member meet to discuss and resolve regional issues, as well as to conduct other meetings with other countries outside of the bloc with the intention of promoting external relations.The ASEAN Leaders' Formal Summit was first held in Bali, Indonesia in 1976.
By December 2008, the ASEAN Charter came into force and with it, the ASEAN Summit will be held twice in a year.
The formal summit meets for three days. The usual itinerary is as follows:
• Leaders of member states would hold an internal organisation meeting.
• Leaders of member states would hold a conference together with foreign ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum.
• A meeting, known as ASEAN Plus Three, is set for leaders of three Dialogue Partners (People's Republic of China, Japan, South Korea)
• A separate meeting, known as ASEAN-CER, is set for another set of leaders of two Dialogue Partners (Australia, New Zealand).[citation needed]
HANOI 8 - 9 Apr 2010 Vietnam hosts 16th ASEAN summit
Vietnam, Association of Southeast Asian Nations president for 2010, hosts the 16th and 17th summits of the organization. The 2010 theme is: Towards the ASEAN Community: from vision to action. Vietnam, which is not a party to the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect on 1 Jan 2010, might find the need to be mediator as well as host.
The ASEAN-China FTA establishes the world's largest free trade area by population and has been under negotiation since 2002. Under the pact, China and the six founding ASEAN states -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- agreed to eliminate barriers to investment and tariffs on 90 percent of products by January 1, 2010. Members that joined ASEAN later, including Vietnam and Cambodia, have until 2015 to follow.
"ASEAN thus has the potential to physically anchor itself as the transportation, Information and Communication Technology, and tourism hub of this region," according to the leaders' statement. They urged the completion of road, rail, air, and sea linkages within the community, and new infrastructure projects of the same type. These include the ASEAN Highway Network and the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link. (Written Feb 2010)
105
BRIC SUMMIT In economics, BRIC (typically rendered as "the BRICs" or "the BRIC countries" or known as the "Big Four") is a grouping acronym that refers to the countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China that are deemed to all be at a similar stage of newly advanced economic development. The BRIC term
The BRIC leaders in 2009 The BRIC leaders in 2010 The 1st BRIC summit took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia on June 16, 2009. The four heads of government from the BRIC countries attended. The 2010 BRIC summit took place in Brasilia, Brazil on April 16, 2010. The meeting took place between the four heads of government from the BRIC states following bilateral meetings in the prior days. Issues The leaders discussed the current global financial crisis, global development, and further strengthening of the BRIC group. World economy The BRIC leaders called for increased economic reform, demanding a "greater voice and representation in international financial institutions, and their heads and senior leadership should be appointed through an open, transparent and merit-based selection process." They urged the international community to push for comprehensive results of the Doha Round. Political issues Amongst the important issues discussed were United Nations reform. "We reiterate the importance we attach to the status of India and Brazil in international affairs, and understand and support their aspirations to play a greater role in the United Nations." Food crisis Regarding the 2007–2008 world food price crisis, the leaders issued a joint statement on global food security, calling for "action by all governments and the relevant international agencies"; and reaffirmed "their commitment to contribute to the efforts to overcome the global food crisis".
106
SHANGAI COOPERATION ORGANIZZATION (SCO) The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an intergovernmental mutual-security organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation. Membership Member States
• China • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Russia • Tajikistan • Uzbekistan
Observer States • India • Iran • Mongolia • Pakistan
Dialogue Partners • Belarus • Sri Lanka
Guest Attendances • Afghanistan • ASEAN • CIS • Turkmenistan
Activities
• Cooperation on security • Military activities • Economic cooperation • Cultural cooperation
The ninth summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held in Tashkent, capital city of Uzbekistan on June 10-11. The summit discussed the issues of strengthening stability and security in Central Asia, expanding SCO contacts with multilateral organizations, as well as other regional and global issues.
SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations, founded in 1985 and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasizing collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan joined the organization in 2007. Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually. Headquarters are in Kathmandu, Nepal. The SAARC Secretariat and Member States observe 8 December as the SAARC Charter Day1. Secretaries General
Abul Ahsan January 16, 1987 to 15 October 1989
Kant Kishore Bhargava October 17, 1989 to December 31, 1991
Ibrahim Hussain Zaki January 1, 1992 to December 31, 1993
Yadav Kant Silwal
January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1995
Naeem U. Hasan January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1998
107
Nihal Rodrigo January 1, 1999 to January 10, 2002
Q.A.M.A. Rahim January 11, 2002 to February 28, 2005
Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji March 1, 2005 to February 29, 2008
Sheel Kant Sharma March 1, 2008 to present
SIXTEENTH SAARC SUMMIT 28-29 April 2010 Thimphu Silver Jubilee Declaration “Towards a Green and Happy South Asia” SAARC/SUMMIT.16/15 SIXTEENTH SAARC SUMMIT 28-29 April 2010 Thimphu Silver Jubilee Declaration “Towards a Green and Happy South Asia” In this Silver Jubilee Year of SAARC, the Leaders emphasized the need to develop a ‘Vision Statement’. They agreed to form a ‘South Asia Forum’ for the generation of debate, discussion and the exchange of ideas on South Asia and its future development. The Leaders welcomed the offer of the Government of Maldives to host the Seventeenth Summit of the Heads of State or Government of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 2011.
GLOBAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT 2010 Welcome to the ‘Global Economic Summit on Trade & Investment 2010’, in Mumbai. When and Where: From January 20 to 22, 2010, India will play host to nearly 25 countries as we gather under one roof at the historic Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in South Mumbai. Who: This Summit will witness the august gathering of international speakers and dignitaries. To be inaugurated by H.E. Mr. S.C. Jamir, Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra, the other speakers include HRH Prince Michael of Kent, United Kingdom, Ashok Chavan Hon'ble CM, Maharashtra; Chhagan Bhujbal, Hon'ble Deputy CM, Maharashtra; Suvi Linden, Minister of Telecommunications, Finland; Gurudas Kamat, Minister of State for Information, Technology and Communications; among a host of other luminaries. The speakers include experts in the fields of infrastructure such as Telecom, Ports, Roads and Power, SMEs, Financial Services and Biotechnology. Why: The Global Economic Summit 2010 will provide the participants from nearly 25 countries with an international forum for networking, discussions and presentations of the opportunities related to trade and investment. Benefits: The raison d’etre of this Summit is for all the participating countries, from Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Canada and Australia to avail of an ideal forum to present their respective trade and investment opportunities. In a congenial atmosphere of knowledge and reciprocity, each country will enjoy the benefit of strategic information exchange. One of the most enterprising aspects of this Summit will be the pre-scheduled one-to-one business meetings.
108
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO also called the "(North) Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The NATO headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, and the organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. For its first few years, NATO was not much more than a political association. However, the Korean War galvanized the member states, and an integrated military structure was built up under the direction of two U.S. supreme commanders. The first NATO Secretary General, Lord Ismay, famously stated the organization's goal was "to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down". Doubts over the strength of the relationship between the European states and the United States ebbed and flowed, along with doubts over the credibility of the NATO defence against a prospective Soviet invasion—doubts that led to the development of the independent French nuclear deterrent and the withdrawal of the French from NATO's military structure from 1966. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the organization became drawn into the Balkans while building better links with former potential enemies to the east, which culminated with several former Warsaw Pact states joining the alliance in 1999 and 2004. On 1 April 2009, membership was enlarged to 28 with the entrance of Albania and Croatia.[5] Since the 11 September attacks, NATO has attempted to refocus itself to new challenges and has deployed troops to Afghanistan as well as trainers to Iraq. The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the world's defence spending.[7] The United States alone accounts for 43% of the total military spending of the world[8] and the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy account for a further 15%.[7]
109
SPORTS
Sports News in Brief: August 2010 ATHLETICS National Athletic Meet, 50th Kerala, Punjab and Haryana stood overall first, second and third, respectively, in the National Athletic Senior Championship held at NIS Patiala. CRICKET Sri Lanka-New Zealand-India One-Day Tri-series Sri Lanka rode on Tillakaratne Dilshan’s century to clinch the tri-series title with an emphatic 74-run win over India, ending M.S. Dhoni’s sequence of four consecutive series triumphs on Sri Lanka soil. England-Pakistan Test series England crushed Pakistan by an innings and 225 runs to win the fourth and final Test at Lord’s, London. England ended up winning the series 3-1. Pakistan overcame a late batting collapse to beat England by four wickets in the third Test. England batsmen Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad set a world record eighth wicket partnership when they extended their stand to 332 on the third day of fourth Test. The record was earlier held by Pakistan’s Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq. Earlier, in the first Test, James Anderson took ten wickets in a Test for the first time to help England crush Pakistan by 354 runs. In their second innings, Pakistan were bundled out for just 80 runs, their lowest total against England, replacing the 87 they made at Lord’s in 1954. Sri Lanka-India Test Series Veteran V.V.S. Laxman cracked a fighting unbeaten 103 as India pulled off a five-wicket win in the third Test to level the three-Test series 1-1. Laxman was adjudged the man of the match while Virender Sehwag was adjudged man of the series. Tendulkar becomes most-capped player Iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has become the most-capped Test cricketer (169 Test matches). This feat was achieved in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka, played in August 2010. Steve Waugh (168 Test matches) of Australia had held the record earlier. FOOTBALL Santosh Trophy, 2010 Kerala lad Denson Devdas struck twice as Bengal made a spectacular comeback to beat Punjab 2-1, ending their 11 years title drought in the National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy.
110
GAMES Youth Olympic Games Singapore hosted the first Youth Olympics from August 14 to 26, 2010. A total of 3,531 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 201 events in 26 sports. The opening ceremony of the Games was held on 14 August at The Float@Marina Bay, a floating stage near downtown Singapore. Approximately 27,000 spectators attended the event, which took place against a backdrop of the city's skyline. Lyo and Merly were the official mascots. The duo ere made up of a red male lion and a blue female Merlion. A contest held to name the two mascots was won by two Singaporeans. It took designers from Cubix International about six months to complete designing the mascots. China topped the medals tally with 30 gold medals, followed by Russia (18) and South Korea (11). India was ranked 58 with 6 silver medals and 2 bronze medals in its kitty. It was during the 119th session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Guatemala City on the July 5, 2007 when the IOC decided to create Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The vision of the innovative concept for the new sport event is to inspire young people all around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values (excellence, friendship, respect). Innsbruck and Seefeld will host the first Winter Youth Olympic Games from January 13-22, 2012. GOLF Atwal first Indian to win US PGA title Arjun Atwal has become the first Indian ever to win a US PGA title when he won the Wyndham Golf Championship. HOCKEY Champions Trophy, 2010 Australia won their third successive Champions Trophy, and 11th in all, with a comprehensive 4-0 win over England. Netherlands secured the third place. The championship was held at Monchengladbach, Germany. SHOOTING Tejaswini becomes first Indian woman to win gold at World Championships Tejaswani Sawant scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to clinch a gold medal at the World Championships, with a world-record equalling score in 50m Rifle Prone event in Munich, Germany.
Sports News in Brief: July 2010 BOXING Senior National Championship World Youth champion Vikas Krishan stole the show with his maiden gold medal and the ‘Best Boxer’ trophy, but the Railways Sports Promotion Board clinched the overall title for the fourth consecutive year in
111
the 57th Senior Men’s National Boxing Championships, held in New Delhi. The RSPB swept the overall tally with four gold, two silver and three bronze medals. Haryana finished a distant second with two gold and three bronze medals. The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) was third in the overall list with two gold, two silver and an equal number of bronze medals. SSCB’s Manpreet Singh (91kg), the defending champion who signed off with a bronze, was adjudged the ‘Best Loser’ of the event. CRICKET Sri Lanka-India Test Series Sri Lanka defeated India by ten wickets in the first Test to take lead in the three-Test series. This Test will be known in cricket history as one in which Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became the first bowler in the world to take 800 wickets. This Test was also the last Test match of Murali’s career. The second Test meandered to a tame, high-scoring draw with a staggering 1,478 runs getting scored over five days. India scored 707 all out in the first innings, its second highest total ever. Suresh Raina became the 12th Indian to score a Test century on debut. Pakistan-Australia Test Series Australia completed a record 13th consecutive victory win over Pakistan when they beat them by 150 runs in the first Test at Lords. Pakistan beat Australia in a Test for the first time since 1995 after winning by three wickets in the second Test, played at Leeds, to level the two-match series 1-1. The series was played in England as Pakistan is still not considered safe place for visiting teams. England-Bangladesh One-Day series England defeated Bangladesh by 144 runs in the third match, played at Birmingham, to clinch the series 2-1. Muralitharan becomes first bowler to take 800 wickets On July 22, 2010, Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became the first bowler to take 800 Test wickets, reaching the milestone in the last Test of his illustrious cricket career. The 38-year-old spin wizard got Indian tail-ender Pragyan Ojha caught at slip by Mahela Jayawardene to reach the magical figure, which puts him several pedestals above his contemporaries. FOOTBALL World Cup, 2010 Spain, the European champions, defeated third-time finalists the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time, with Andrés Iniesta's goal in the 116th minute giving Spain their first world title, the first time that a European nation has won the tournament outside its home continent. Host nation South Africa, 2006 world champions Italy and 2006 runners-up France were eliminated in the first round of the tournament. In the semi-finals, Spain defeated Germany by 1-0 while Netherlands had defeated Uruguay. Germany defeated Uruguay 3–2 to secure third place. Germany holds the record for most third place finishes in the World Cup (4), while Uruguay holds the record for most fourth place finishes (3).
112
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup. It took place in South Africa from June 11 to July 11, 2010. In 2004, the international football federation, FIFA, had selected South Africa to become the first African nation to host the tournament. The matches were played in ten stadiums in nine host cities around the country, with the final played at the Soccer City stadium in South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg. Thirty-two teams were selected for participation via a worldwide qualification tournament that began in August 2007. Golden Ball: Diego Forlán (Uruguay) Golden Boot: Thomas Müller (Germany) Golden Glove: Iker Casillas (Spain) Best Young Player: Thomas Müller (Germany) FIFA Fair Play Trophy: Spain The official mascot for the 2010 World Cup was Zakumi, an anthropomorphised leopard with green hair, presented on 22 September 2008. His name came from “ZA” (the international abbreviation for South Africa) and the term kumi, which means “ten” in various African languages. The mascot's colours reflected those of the host nation's playing strip–yellow and green. The official song of the 2010 World Cup, "Waka Waka", was performed by the Colombian singer Shakira and the band Freshlyground from South Africa. The song was sung in both English and Spanish. The song is based on a traditional African soldiers’ song, Zangalewa. Shakira and Freshlyground performed the song at the opening ceremony and at the closing ceremony. HOCKEY Asian Champions Trophy (Women) Korea beat Japan 2-1 to win the inaugural Asian Women's Hockey Championship, held at Busan South Korea. The first Asian Women Champions Trophy drew the four highest-ranking teams in the region—South Korea, China, Japan and India—which will also compete for the gold medal in the Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou, China, in November 2010. India beat higher-ranked China 2-1 to win the bronze medal. Rangaswamy Cup, 63rd Mumbai overcame Haryana 3-2 to regain the senior national men’s hockey championship. The tournament was held in Bhopal. TENNIS Wimbledon Championship, 2010 The 124th Championships, a Royal tournament thanks to the first visit to the All England Club by Her Majesty the Queen for 33 years, was also a record-breaking occasion in many ways, most notably in that unforgettable first round men's singles between John Isner of the United States and France's Nicolas Mahut, which smashed every existing record in the sport. The Isner-Mahut first round marathon, which stretched over three days, lasted 11 hours five minutes and
113
totalled 183 games before Isner staggered away the winner 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68. The final set alone lasted just over eight hours. Both men shattered the record for aces in one match, previously held by Ivo Karlovic at 78. Isner delivered 112 and Mahut also cracked the century with 103. An exhausted Isner crashed out to Thiemo De Bakker of Holland in the next round, collecting just five games. In the men’s singles final Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 to win the title. This was the second Wimbledon title for the Spaniard. Berdych became the first Czech since Ivan Lendl in 1987 to reach the Wimbledon final. The women’s singles title was won by defending champion Serena Williams who beat Russia’s Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2. The victory took her to 13 Grand Slam singles titles, past Billie Jean King, and sixth in the all-time list. In the doubles, the men's title went to an unseeded pair, Austria's Jurgen Melzer and Germany's Philipp Petzschner, playing only their seventh tournament as a team. The women's doubles was won by an American-Kazakh combination, Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova. Also unseeded, they overcame the Russians, Elena Vesnina and Zvonareva, 7-6, 6-2. The mixed double's championship fell to a seeded combination, Leander Paes and Cara Black, the second seeds, who beat Wesley Moodie of South Africa and Lisa Raymond (United States) 6-4. 7-6.
Sports News in Brief: June 2010 BADMINTON Yonex-Sunrise India Open Grand Prix Saina Nehwal of India beat Malaysia’s Mew Choo Wong to win the title. This was her second international title win at home. She had won the Lucknow Grand Prix in 2009. Indonesia Open Saina Nehwal notched up an incredible hat-trick of titles by successfully defending her Indonesian Open Super Series title with s hard-fought win over Japan’s Sayaka Sato. She had earlier won the Indian Open Grand Prix and the Singapore Open Super Series. Singapore Open Indian ace Saina Nehwal clinched the second Super Series title of her career by winning the Singapore Open with a straight-game triumph over Chinese Taipie’s Tzu Ying Tai. CRICKET Asia Cup India defeated Sri Lanka by 81 runs to win the Asia Cup. India had set the Lankans a stiff target of 299 runs. Dinesh Karthik was declared man of the match. West Indies-South Africa One Day Series South Africa completed a 5-0 white-wash of the series with a thrilling one wicket win in the final match. Earlier, the South Africans had also won the Twenty20 two-match series.
114
England-Australia One Day series England won the five-match series 3-0. This followed 2009’s Ashes triumph and 2010’s Twenty20 World Cup final win over their oldest rivals. SHOOTING ISSF Shotgun World Cup Double-trap marksman Ronjan Sodhi clinched the gold in the tournament held at Lonato, Italy. TENNIS French Open, 2010 Men’s Singles title: Rafael Nadal won the title by defeating Robin Soderling. This was his fifth French Open win. Women’s Singles title: Francesca Schiavone became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title when she defeated Australian Samantha Stosur to win the women’s singles title. Men’s Doubles title: Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Serbia’s Nenad Zimonjic won by beating defending champions Leander Paes of India and Lukas Dlouhy of Czech Republic. Women’s Doubles title: Serena and Venus Williams of USA. Serena Williams won her second French Open Women's Doubles title, and the twelfth title in that discipline, which this was the fourth win in a row in the women's doubles in the Slams. Venus Williams won her second French Open Women's Doubles title, and the twelfth title in that discipline, which this was the fourth win in a row in the women's doubles in the Slams. Mixed Doubles: Katarina Srebotnik and Nenad Zimonji? were the winners. Srebotnik won her third French Open Mixed Doubles title, and the fourth Slam title in that discipline. Zimonji? won his second French Open Mixed Doubles title, and the fourth Slam title in that discipline.
Sports News in Brief: May 2010 BOXING Asian Women’s Championship The Asian Women's Championships were held in Astana, Kazakhistan, in May 2010. Kazakhastan topped the medals tally with eight gold medals. China won the most medals in total—10, followed Korea and India amassing eight medals each. CHESS World Title, 2010 Viswanathan Anand held his nerve and focus better than his opponent, Veselin Topalov, to win the 12th and final game to retain his World Championships title. The 40-year-old Indian beat the local man from Bulgaria in the closing game with black pieces, to emerge a 6.5-5.5 winner and seal his place as a dominant player of his era. Anand first won the world title in 2000 and held it till 2002 when the chess world was still split. He became
115
the undisputed World champion in 2007 and then retained the title in 2008 when he beat Vladimir Kramnik. Commonwealth Championship Grandmaster R.R. Laxman clinched his career best win and bagged the gold after beating GM Pablo Lafuente of Argentina at the Parsvnath Commonwealth Chess Championship. In the open category, Grandmaster Maletin Pavel of Russia signed peace with International Master Lalith Babu on the top board to win the title. Both Pavel and Laxman had nine points after 11 rounds, but the former had the better tie-break record on Bucholz count. The Russian was not in contention in the Commonwealth category. In the women’s category, D. Harika outwitted IM Tania Sachdev on account of superior tie-break. CRICKET T20 World Cup, 2010 Chasing a challenging target of 148 runs, England defeated Australia by seven wickets to win the T20 World Cup. The tournament was held in West Indies. Australia’s women held their nerves in a low-scoring final as they beat New Zealand by three runs to lift the Women’s T20 World cup title. West Indies-South Africa One-Day series South Africa defeated West Indies by 67 runs in the third match to win the series. They went on to win the fourth match also. South Africa beat West Indies by seven wickets. England-Bangladesh Test series England beat Bangladesh by five wickets in the first Test of the series, played at Lords, to be one-up in the two-Test series. FOOTBALL Premier League Chelsea has won the title by a single point. They have swept back the trophy after four years. Champions League, 2010 A goal in each half by Argentina striker Diego Militi helped Inter Milan overcome Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final. HOCKEY Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, 19th India and South Korea were named joint champions after the final match was abandoned following heavy rains in Malaysia. For defending champions India it was their fifth win, matching Australia, while for Asian champions South Korea this was their second title win; they had last won the cup in 1996. TABLE TENNIS World Team Championship Chinese fans were left in shock after their women paddlers failed to win the gold medal at the World Team Table Tennis Championships for the first time since 1991.
116
The Chinese trio of Ding Ning, Liu Shiwen and Guo Yan fell to their Singaporean counterparts 3-1 in the final in Moscow as Singapore claimed their first title in the event. WRESTLING Sushil, Narshing win gold in Asian Wrestling Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar lived up to his reputation as he bagged a gold in men's 66kg freestyle in the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships held at New Delhi. Narshing Yadav won a gold in the 74kg freestyle category.
Sports News in Brief: April 2010 BADMINTON Asian Championship, 2010 Men’s Singles: Lin Dan (China). Women’s Singles: Q-Li Xuerui (China) Men’s Doubles: Gun Woo Cho and Yeon Seong Yoo (Korea). Women’s Doubles: Pan Pan and Quing Tian (China) Mixed Doubles: Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh (Malaysia) The Championship was held in New Delhi. CRICKET Deodhar Trophy North Zone beat West Zone by 49 runs to win the Deodhar Trophy cricket tournament. The final was played at Vadodara. Indian Premier League-3 Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indian by 22 runs to win the third edition of the tournament. Electing to bat first, Chennai posted 168 for 5 and then restricted Mumbai to 146 for 9 to win their maiden title. Suresh Raina was declared the man of the match. Royal Challengers Bangalore routed Deccan Chargers by nine wickets in the third and fourth place play-off match. With this win Royal Challangers qualified for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament. Sachin Tendulkar won the DLF Golden Player award and the Orange cap for hitting the maximum runs in the tournament. Pragyan Ojha won the Purple cap for taking maximum wickets in the tournament. The Kingfisher Fair-play award was won by Chennai Super Kings. KABADDI World Cup Kabbadi Punjab Championship, 2010 India outclassed Pakistan 58-24 to win the title. The championship was held in Ludhiana, Punjab. SHOOTING Narang shoots World Cup bronze Ace Indian shooter Gagan Narang won a bronze in 10 meter air rifle event at the World Cup in Beijing. Russian Denis Sokolav won the gold.
117
Sports News in Brief: March 2010 ARCHERY Asian Grand Prix Recurve Men: India’s Rahul Banerjee won the gold. The team gold medal was also won by India. Recurve Women: India’s Deepika Kumari won the gold. The teasm event was also won by India. Compound Men: India’s Hansdah won the gold. The host nation Thailand won the gold medal in the team competition. India took the bronze. Compound Women: Ngeain Aung of Myanmar won the gold. India took the team gold medal. Mixed Teams: India won the gold medal in the recurve category. In compound, Myanmar won the gold over India, and the bronze went to Vietnam. BOXING Commonwealth Championship, 2010 India won six gold medals, which till date is the biggest haul in the Championships, as also the tournament, held at New Delhi. India bettered their record of four gold, two silver and three bronze medals they had achieved in Scotland in 2005. Vijender Singh, the Olympic Games bronze-medallist, came out trumps, clinching his maiden gold in the Commonwealth Boxing Championships. Asian bronze-medallist Paramjeet Samota (+91), Asian champion Suranjoy Singh (52kg), World Cup bronze-medallist Dinesh Kumar (81kg), Jai Bhagwan (60kg) and Amandeep Singh (49kg) were the other gold-medallists. CRICKET Deodhar Trophy North Zone beat West Zone by 49 runs to win the Deodhar Trophy cricket tournament. The final was played at Vadodara. Bangladesh-England Test series England crushed Bangladesh by nine wickets in the second and final Test to sweep the series. India finish second in ICC ODI rankings Indian cricket team finished the season as number two ranked, behind Australia, in One-Day cricket rankings of ICC. Kapil inducted in ICC Hall of Fame Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, who led India to their only ODI World Cup triumph in 1983, has been inducted into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame. A commemorative cap was presented to Kapil by ICC President David Morgan, in front of fellow Hall of Famer Clive Lloyd, as well as an audience of ICC officials and other invited guests at the governing body’s headquarters in Dubai. The Hall of Fame, run in association with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA), recognises some of the legends of the game.
118
HOCKEY World Cup, 2010 Australia defeated Germany 2-1 to deny Germany a historic hat-trick of titles. Germany had won the title in 2002 and 2006. The Netherlands came back strongly from a 1-3 first half deficit to prevail over England 4-3 and win the bronze medal. India could manage eight spot only. Guus Vogls of The Netherlands was declared the player of the tournament. NETBALL National Championship, 29th Punjab lifted the men’s title of the 29th National Netball championship by defeating Delhi. Chattisgarh defeated Andhra Pradesh to with the bronze medal. In the women’s section Delhi edged Kerala for the top honours. Chattisgarh eves won the bronze medal. SHOOTING ISSF World Cup World champion marksman Manavjit Singh Sandhu lived up to his top billing and clinched the trap gold in the ISSF World Cup at Acapulco, Mexico. Another Indian, Anirudh Singh also impressed by entering his first ever World Cup final with a score of 122. In the women’s trap event, none of the three Indian shooters could make it to the final round. Shagun Chowdhary finished 13th, Shreyasi Singh ended 16th and Seema Tomar 17th. Chinese shooter Yang Huan claimed the gold.
Sports News in Brief: February 2010 BOXING Vijender wins silver in Champion of Champions tournament Olympic hero Vijender Singh broke the bronze jinx and fetched one of India’s two silver medals at the two-day Champion of Champions invitational boxing tournament in Guangzhou, China. The 24-year-old Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist lost 0-6 to China's Zhang Jin Ting in the in the middle weight (75kg) category final. The other silver medal for India came through Olympian Dinesh Kumar, who settled for silver in 81kg after losing 2-10 to Chinese Meng Fan Long. CRICKET Cricket can now bid for 2020 Olympics Cricket’s push to be a part of the Olympic Games received a major boost with International Olympic Council (IOC) granting recognition to International Cricket Council (ICC) on February 12, 2010. This could be seen as a first step towards cricket becoming Olympic sports. Its Twenty20 version can now bid to join the 2020 Olympic Games though ICC has not made it clear which format it will push for. Cricket was granted the status of a recognised Olympic sport in 2007, for sports not in the Olympic programme but which conform to certain criteria, pending a decision for a permanent slot in the Games. Cricket was part of the 1900 Olympics in Paris and has not appeared since then. The game was part of the
119
1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and its Twenty20 version is set to feature at Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. Sachin becomes first batsman to hit a double hundred in an ODI Sachin Tendulkar rewrote the record books on February 24, 2010, hammering the first double century in the history of one-day cricket to add another feather to his well-adorned cap. The capacity crowd at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior witnessed history as Tendulkar, statistically the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, pushed South African bowler Charl Langeveldt’s delivery through the off-side and ran a single to achieve a feat which no other cricketer has achieved. One Day International cricket, since its 1971 inception, had to wait nearly four decades to see a batsman score 200. The previous best mark was shared by Zimbabwean Charles Coventry (194 not out) and Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar (194). Top 10 highest individual knocks in the history of one day cricket are: 200*: Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) vs South Africa in Gwalior on February 24, 2010. 194*: Charles Coventry (Zim) vs Bangladesh in Bulawayo on August 16, 2009. 194: Saeed Anwar (Pak) vs India in Chennai on May 21, 1997. 189*: Viv Richards (WI) vs England in Manchester on May 31, 1984. 189: Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) vs India in Sharjah on October 29, 2000. 188*: Gary Kirsten (SA) vs United Arab Emirates at Rawalpindi on February 16, 1996. 186*: Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) vs New Zealand in Hyderabad on November 8, 1999. 183*: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind) vs Sri Lanka in Jaipur on October 31, 2005. 183: Sourav Ganguly (Ind) vs Sri Lanka at Taunton on May 26, 1999. 181*: Matthew Hayden (Aus) vs New Zealand in Hamilton on February 20, 2007. 181: Viv Richards (WI) vs Sri Lanka in Karachi on October 13, 1987. India-South Africa Test Series India crashed to a humiliating innings and six runs defeat in the first Test played in Nagpur. This was the first Test defeat under Mahinder Singh Dhoni’s captaincy. India levelled the two-Test series after winning the second Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata by an innings and 58 runs. With this win India managed to retain the number one Test team title it received when it first topped the ratings in December 2009, as also pocketed a cheque for Rs 78.75 lakh. India-South Africa One-day series India eked out one-run victory in the first match played at Jaipur. India, batting first, had set a target of 299 runs. South Africa was bowled out by India for 297. The second match at Gwalior by 153 runs. The highlight of the match was Sachin Tendulkar becoming the first batsman in the world to hit a double century in One-day format. India lost the third and last match at Ahmedabad by 90 runs thus depriving itself a chance to register their first ever clean sweep against South Africa. India won the series 2-1. Sachin Tendulkar was declared the man-of-the-series.
120
Australia-West Indies One-day series Australia defeated West Indies by 113 runs in the first match played at Melbourne. GAMES South Asian Games, 2010 The 11th edition of South Asian Games (SAG) opened at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, on January 29, 2010. The aquatic show was the main attraction of the opening ceremony, in which a concert hosted by Pt. Ravi Shankar and Beatles star George Harrison for Bangladesh’s Independence day and the March 7 address of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman were displayed on a water screen. This was the third time that the Bangladeshi capital hosted the Games, thus becoming the first city to hold the games three times. Athletes from eight countries— Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka—competed in 23 different sports. India continued its dominance with 175 medals, including 90 gold medals. Pakistan narrowly beat the host to occupy the second spot with 19 golds, while the host Bangladesh capture 18 golds, including the most popular and prestigious football and cricket titles. Sri Lanka’s Shehan Abeypitiya became the fastest man while Pakistan’s Naseem Hamid was crowned the fastest woman of the region. The logo of the Games was 'Kutumb', a flying doel, known in English as the Oriental Magpie Robin. It is the National Bird of Bangladesh. The mascot also featured a Magpie Robin. Delhi will host the next South Asian Games. India was picked to host the regional sporting event after Bhutan, whose turn it was to host the next SAG, expressed its inability to stage the meet. India has hosted the South Asian Games twice thus far—in 1987 (Kolkata) and in 1995 (Chennai). Winter Olympics, 2010 The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held on February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Approximately 2,600 athletes from 82 nations participated in 86 events in fifteen disciplines. Cayman Islands, Colombia, Ghana, Montenegro, Pakistan, Peru and Serbia made their winter Olympic debuts. Also Jamaica, Mexico and Morocco returned to the Games after missing the Turin Games. The 2010 Winter Olympics were the third Olympics hosted by Canada, and the first by the province of British Columbia. Previously, Canada hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Canada topped the medals tally with 14 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze medals. Germany was second, followed by USA. The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held from February 7 to February 23, 2014 in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
121
GOLF Asian Tour International crown Gaganjeet Bhullar scripted a sensational come-from-behind victory at Asian tour International crown, played at Bangkok. This was his second Asian tour title. SHOOTING Commonwealth Championships, 2010 With 23 gold medals, 17 silver and 9 bronze medals, India topped the medals tally of the championships held in Delhi in February 2010. England was second in the medals tally, followed by Australia.
Sports News in Brief: January 2010 BADMINTON Senior National Badminton Championship, 74th Chetan Anand claimed his fourth national title while Trupti Murgunde clinched her maiden one by winning the men’s and women’s singles finals. There was more joy for Chetan as his wife Jwala Gutta claimed a double by winning both the women’s and mixed doubles finals. BASKETBALL National Senior Championship, 60th Indian Railways squeezed past hosts Punjab in men’s section to retain the men’s title. The women’s title was also won by Indian Railways who defeated Delhi in final to retain the title. CHESS World Team championship Russia won the gold with 24 points. India trounced Brazil in the ninth and last round to earn a bronze. The championship was held at Bursa, Turkey. CRICKET Under-19 World Cup Australia have become the first team to win the under-19 world cup thrice. They defeated Pakistan by 25 runs to win the 2010 edition. The tournament was hosted by New Zealand. Defending champions India finished sixth after being humbled by South Africa in the fifth place play-off match. Ranji Trophy, 2010 Defending champions Mumbai pulled off a thrilling six-run win over Karnataka to clinch the coveted trophy for the 39th time. Polly Umrigar Trophy Delhi’s Vidya Jain Public School has claimed the trophy, symbol of supremacy in school cricket, defeating Presidency School, Bangalore by 54 runs.
122
Bangladesh-Sri Lanka-India triangular series Sri Lanka defeated India by four wickets to win the triangular one-day series final. India had made 245 batting first and Sri Lanka surpassed the target with nine balls to spare. Bangladesh-India Test series India clinched the first Test with an emphatic 113-run victory to take 1-0 lead in the two-Test series. South Africa-England Test series England’s last pair of Graeme Swann and Graham Onions survived 17 balls to salvage a thrilling draw in the third Test against South Africa and keep their side 1-0 ahead in the series. South Africa won the fourth and final Test at Johannesburg by an innings and 74 runs to level the series 1-1. Australia-Pakistan Test series Australia completed a remarkable Test victory over Pakistan, coming from 206 runs behind in the first innings to win the second Test at SCG by 36 runs. Needing 176 for its first victory in Australia in 14 years, Pakistan was bundled out for 139 runs. Australia defeated Pakistan by 231 runs in the third Test, to win the three-Test series 3-0. This was a record-equalling 12th successive win against Pakistan. The sequence, which began in November 1999, equals the longest victory string against a team in Test history. Shane Watson was declared the Mon of the series. Australia-Pakistan One Day series Australia completed a series whitewash after defeating Pakistan by two wickets in the fifth and final match, amid allegations of ball tampering by Shahid Afridi. Afridi was subsequently banned for two T20 matches after pleading guilty to the charges. Catching record of Dravid Rahul Dravid is the first player ever to take 100 catches overseas for India. His overall tally of 193 catches in 139 Tests is a world record. FOOTBALL Federation Cup West Bengal clinched the title by over-coming giant-killer Lajong FC of Shillong. The final was held at Guwahati, Assam. GOLF Royal Trophy Europe survived a dramatic fight-back to beat holders Asia and win the Royal trophy for the third time. TENNIS Australian Open, 2010 Serena Williams defeated Belgium’s Justine Henin to win the women’s singles title for the fifth time and her 12th Grand Slam title. With this win she drew level with Billie Jean King’s record of 12 Grand Slam wins.
123
Roger Federer beat Andy Murray to win his fourth Australian open men’s title, taking his own Grand Slam titles record to 16. Leander Paes, with partner Cara Black, won the mixed doubles title. This was his 11th Grand Slam title, equalling Mahesh Bhupathi’s record of most wins by an Indian. Mike and Bob Bryan won the men’s doubles title. The women’s doubles title was won by Serena and Venus Williams. Chennai Open, 2010 Defending champion Marin Cilic of Croatia retained the title with a victory over Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka.
124
RBI: ANNUAL MONETORY POLICY 2010-11
Reserve Bank of India is the apex Institution of India's monetary system and financial system and plays a leading role in organizing, running, supervising, regulating and developing the monetary and financial system. Preparing and conducting the monetary policy and credit policy are special responsibilities of Reserve bank of India.
RBI expresses its view on economy through changes in monetary policy which is known as Annual Policy Statement. The policy is released every year in April and is reviewed every quarter. Reserve Bank of India Governor D. Subbarao has released its annual monetary Policy statement on April 20, 2010 for the year 2010-11. This will be followed by the first quarter review of monetary policy for 2010-11 which will be announced on July 27, 2010.
Following are the main points of this policy statement:
Cash reserve ratio (CRR): (6%) CRR is the percentage of cash deposits that banks have to maintain with RBI. The RBI had hiked the CRR by 75 points in January 2010. This absorbed Rs. 36000 Crores from the systemThe latest move is to hike the CRR by an increase of 25 basis points from 5.75 to 6.0 percent has taken effect from April 24. This will suck out Rs. 12500 Crores from the banks.
This move means that banks have to park more money with the central bank. This money does not earn any interest to them (or negligible returns) and sucks out the liquidity in the banking system. As a result, banks have lesser money with them to lend. This could lead to higher interest rate as there isn't enough liquidity in the system.
This affects the bank in the form of increased cost of funds because they have to keep more money for negligible returns on it. The banks pass on this cost to their customers and thus loans become dearer.
Repo Rate: (6%) Repo Rate is the rate of interest at which the RBI lends money to banks. This also means that Repo Rate is the RBI's lending rate to other banks. When RBI reduces the Repo Rate, the banks can borrow more at a lower cost. This contributes to lowering of the rates.
In the Annual Monetary Policy 2010-11 the RBI has hiked the Repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 percent. This means that RBI has increased its lending rate to other banks by .25%. For banks the borrowing from RBI becomes costlier.
Reverse Repo Rate: (5%) Reverse repo rate is the rate at which RBI borrows funds from banks. This is opposite of repo rate. Reverse repo rate is also known as RBI's borrowing rate.
In the Annual Monetary Policy 2010-11, the RBI has increased the Reverse Repo Rate by 25 basis points to 3.75 percent. This means that now RBI will provide 0.25% etc. interest on the money which it borrows from the banks. An increase in reverse repo rate means that banks earn higher returns by lending to RBI. This indicates a hike in the deposit rates.
125
Thus we can see that change in Policy rates has a direct impact the lending and borrowing rates of the banks. The consumers get affected accordingly.
Please note that Prime lending rate is going to be replaced with Base Rate System from July 2010 and the impact will be seen on Base Rates after the Base rate system comes into effect. Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) : (25%) Statutory Liquidity Ratio is the fraction of liquid assets which a bank has to keep an assured amount of funds. The funds may be in the form of cash, gold, government bonds, etc. In October 2009 Credit Policy the RBI had RBI had hiked the SLR by 100 basis points - from 24 to 25 per cent. This measure controls bank's credit expansion and can lead to higher interest rates. In the October 2009 Credit Policy, RBI had hiked the SLR by 100 basis points - from 24 to 25 per cent. It has not been touched by RBI in the Annual Monetary Policy 2010-11.
Growth Projection for the Year 2010-11:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has projected India's growth for this fiscal at upward of 8 percent, against 7.2 percent as per the earlier projection, while the annual rate of inflation at the end of March 2011 is projected at 5.5 percent.
Inflation Projection for 2010-11:
WPI (Wholesale Price Index) inflation has been projected 5.5 percent by RBI. The Policy says that Inflationary pressures have accentuated in the recent period & Inflation risk looms large due to domestic demand and price rise in global commodities.
Money Supply: During 2009-10, money supply (M3) growth decelerated from over 20.0 per cent at the beginning of the financial year to 16.4 per cent in February 2010 before increasing to 16.8 per cent by March 2010, slightly above the Reserve Bank’s indicative projection of 16.5 per cent. For policy purposes, M3 growth for 2010-11 is placed at 17.0 per cent. Consistent with this, aggregate deposits of SCBs are projected to grow by 18.0 per cent. The growth in non-food credit of SCBs is placed at 20.0 per cent. As always, these numbers are provided as indicative projections and not as targets. Aggregate Deposit projection: The aggregate deposits of the scheduled commercial banks are projected to grow by 18% in the 2010-11. Bank rate: Bank rate has been retained at 6 percent. (6%) Motive & Policy Stance of RBI: It is worth note that in the wake of Global Economic crisis, RBI had adopted a suitable monetary policy from September 2008, to boos market confidence and mitigate the adverse impact of global financial slowdown on Indian Economy. RBI was quite successful in achieving its goals but in the late 2009, the food inflation started soaring and RBI shifted to its first phase of exit from the expansionary monetary policy. The moves of RBI included raising the Key Policy rates and restoring the statutory Liquidity Ratio in October 2009. RBI continued to move on the same track and announced 75 basis points increase in CRR in January
126
2010. Besides RBI stunned the market by mid-cycle increase of 25 basis points each in the policy repo rate and the reverse repo rate under the LAF on March 19, 2010. The latest policy has the following stance:
1. Anchor inflation expectations, while being prepared to respond appropriately, swiftly and effectively to further build-up of inflationary pressures.
2. Actively manage liquidity to ensure that the growth in demand for credit by both the private and public sectors is satisfied in a non-disruptive way.
3. Maintain an interest rate regime consistent with price, output and financial stability.
Financial Stability Report: The first Financial Stability Report (FSR) was released by RBI on March 25, 2010. in the Policy statement RBI announces that Financial Stability Reports will be published half yearly. he FSR will assess the strength of the financial sector, with particular focus on banks. Introduction of Base Rate System: Base Rate ( 7.50% - 8.00%) After indicating the base rate system in Annual Policy Statement of April 2009, RBI had constituted a Working Group on Benchmark Prime Lending Rate. Chairman of this working group was Shri Deepak Mohanty. The objective was to review the present benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR) system and suggest changes to make credit pricing more transparent. Deepak Mohanty group submitted its report in October 2009 and the same was placed on the Reserve Bank’s website for public comments. Based on the recommendations of the Group and the suggestions from various stakeholders, the draft guidelines on Base Rate were placed on the Reserve Bank’s website in February 2010. RBI has now decided to mandate banks to switch over to the system of Base Rate from July 1, 2010. Guidelines on the Base Rate system were issued on April 9, 2010. Savings Bank Rate (3.5%), Deposit Rate (6.00% - 7.50%) Interest Rate Futures RBI had introduced the Interest Rate Futures contract on 10-year notional coupon bearing Government of India security was on August 31, 2009. In the policy statement of 2010-11 RBI announces to introduce Interest Rate Futures on 5-year and 2-year notional coupon bearing securities and 91-day Treasury Bills. (Product design and operational modalities yet to be finalized) 2010-11 : State Annual Plans by Planning Commission
• Arunachal Pradesh : Rs. 2500 Crore • Assam : Rs. 7645 Crore • Bihar : Rs. 20000 Crore • Chhattisgarh : Rs. 13230 Crore • Goa : Rs. 2710 Crore • Gujarat : Rs. 30000 Crore • Haryana : Rs. 18260 Crore • Himachal Pradesh : Rs. 3000 Crore • Jharkhand : Rs. 8015 Crore • Karnataka : Rs. 31050 Crore • Kerala : Rs. 10025 Crore • Maharastra : Rs. 37916 Crore • Meghalaya : Rs. 2230 Crore • Orissa : Rs. 11000 Crore • Rajasthan : Rs. 24000 Crore • Sikkim: Rs. 1175 Crore
127
WHO IS WHO…?
UNION GOVERNMENT Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil : President (From July 25, 2007) Mohammad Hamid Ansari : Vice-President UNION COUNCIL OF MINISTERS CABINET MINISTERS Dr. Manmohan Singh : Prime Minister and also in-charge of Ministers/Departmenters not specifically allocated to the charge of any Minister Viz. : (i) Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; (ii) Ministry of Planning; (iii) Department of Atomic Energy; (iv) Department of Space and ; (v) Ministry of Culture Mr. Pranab Mukherjee : Finance Mr. Shared Pawar : Agriculture; Food and Civil Supplies; Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Mr. A.K. Antony : Defence Mr. P. Chaidambaram : Home Affairs Ms. Mamata Banerjee : Railways Mr. S.M. Krishna : External Affairs Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad : Health and Family Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde : Power Mr. M. Veerappa Moily : Law and Justice Mr. S. Jaipal Reddy : Urban Development Mr. Kamal Nath : Road Transport and Highways Mr. Vayalar Ravi : Overseas Indian Affairs Mr. Murli Deora : Petroleum and Natural Gas Mr. Kapil Sibal : Human Resource Development Ms. Ambika Soni : Information and Broadcasting Mr. B.K. Handique : Mines; Development of North Eastern Region Mr. Anand Sharma : Commerce and Industry Mr. Virbhadra Singh : Steel Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh : Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Mr. C.P. Joshi : Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Kumari Selja : Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation; Tourism Mr. Subodh kant Sahay : Food Processing Industries Dr. M.S. Gill : Youth Affairs and Sports Mr. G.K. Vasan : Shipping Mr. Dayanidhi Maran : Textiles Dr. Farooq Abdullah : New and Renewable Energy Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge : Labour and Employment Mr. Pawan K. Bansal : Parliamentary Affairs; Water Resources Development Mr. Mukul Wasnik : Social Justice and Empowerment Mr. Kantilal Bhuria : Tribal Affairs Mr. M.K. Azhagiri : Chemicals and Fertilizers Mr. A. Raja : Communication and Information Technology
128
MINISTER OF STATES (Independent Charge) Mr. Praful Patel : Civil Aviation Mr. Prithviraj Chavan : Science and Technology, Earth Sciences; Prime Minister’s Office Mr. Sriprakash Jaiswal : Coal; Statistics and Programme Implementation Mr. Salman Khursheed : Corporate Affairs and Minority Affairs Mr. Dinsha J Patel : Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ms. Krishna Tirath : Women and Child Development Mr. Jairam Ramesh : Environment and Forests MINISTERS OF STATE Mr. Srikant Jena : Chemicals and Fertilizers Mr. E. Ahmed : Railways Mr. Mullappally Ramachandran : Home Affairs Mr. V. Narayansaamy : Planning and Parliamentary Affairs Mr. Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia : Commerce and Industry Ms. D. Purandeswari : Human Resource Development Mr. K.H. Muniyappa : Railways Mr. Ajay Maken : Home Affairs Ms. Panabaka Lakshmi : Textiles Mr. Namo Narain Meena : Finance Mr. M.M. Pallam Raju : Defense Mr. Saugata Ray : Urban Development Mr. Jitin Prasada : Petroleum and Natural Gas Mr. S.S. Palanimanickam : Finance Mr. A. Sai Prathap : Steel Ms. Preneet Kaur : External Affairs Mr. Gurdas Kamat : Communications and Information Technology Mr. Harish Rawat : Labour and Employment Prof. K.V. Thomas : Agriculture; Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Mr. Bharatisinh Solanki : Power Mr. Mahadev S. Khandela : Road Transport and Highways Mr. Dinesh Trivedi : Health and Family Welfare Mr. Sisir Adhikari : Rural Development Mr. Sultan Ahmed : Tourism Mr. Mukul Roy : Shipping Mr. Mohan Jatua : Information and Broadcasting Mr. D. Napoleon : Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. S. Jagathrakshakan : Information and Broadcasting Mr. S. Gandhiselvan : Health and Family Welfare Mr. Tusharbhai Chaudhary : Tribal Affairs Mr. Sachin Pilot : Communication and Information Technology Mr. Arun Yadav : Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Mr. Pratik Prakashbapu Patil : Youth Affairs and Sports Mr. R.P.N. Singh : Road Transport and Highways Mr. Sashi Tharoor : External Affairs Mr. Vincent Pala : Water Resources
129
Mr. Pradeep Jain : Rural Development Mr. Agatha Sangma : Rural Development HEAD OF IMPORTANT OFFICES INDIA: CHIEF OF ARMED FORCES Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces : President Pratibha Devisingh Patil Chief of the Army Staff : General V.K.Sinh (From April 1, 2010) Chief of the Air Staff : Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik (May 31, 2009) Chief of the Naval Staff : Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma (August 31, 2009) Commander-in-Chief Strategic Forces : Vice-Admiral Vijay Shankar Chief of Integrated Defence Staff : Vice Admiral Raman Puri CONSTITUTIONAL & OTHERS Rajya Sabha, Chairman : Md. Hamid Ansari Rajya Sabha, Deputy chairman : Mr. K. Rahman Khan Speaker of Lok Sabha : Ms. Meira Kumar Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) : Mr. Lal Krishna Advani Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party : Ms. Sonia Gandhi Leader of Opposition (Rajya Sabha) : Mr. Arun Jaitely Chief Election Commissioner : Mr. Navin Chawla Comptroller and Auditor-General of India : Mr. Vinod Rai Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha : Mr. Charanjit Singh Atwal Election Commissioner : Mr. S Y Quaraishi Election Commissioner : Mr. VS Sampath Secretary General, Rajya Sabha : Mr. Vivek Kumar Agnihotri Lok Sabha, Secretary General : Mr. P D T Achary OFFICERS OF UNION GOVERNMENT Cabinet Secretary : Mr. K.M. Chandrasekhar Principal Secretary to Prime Minister : Mr. T K A Nair National Security Adviser and Special adviser to PM (Internal Security) : Mr. M K Naryanan Deputy National Security Adviser : Mr. Vijay Nambiar Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Secretary, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) : Mr. V K Saraswat (September 1, 2009) Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government : Dr. R Chidambaram Foreign Secretary : Ms. Nirupama Rao Home Secretary : Mr. Gopal Krishna Pillai (June 30, 2009) Defence Secretary : Mr. Vijay Singh Finance Secretary : Mr. Ashok Chawla Information and Broadcasting Secretary : Mr. Surendra Arora Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister : Mr. C Rangarajan Registrar-General of India and Census Commissioner : Mr. D K Sikri Chief Vigilance Commissioner : Mr. Pratyush Sinha Principal Information Officer, Government of India : Mr. Saheb Singh
130
JUDICIARY Chief Justice of India (From January 14, 2007) : Mr. Justice KG Balakrishnan Attorney General of India : Mr. Goolam Essaji Vahanvati (June 8, 2009) Chairman Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) : Mr. Justice Ashok Agarwal Solicitor-General of India : Mr. Gopal Subramaniam (June 15, 2009) Additional Solicitor General of India : Indira Jaisingh (June 30, 2009) First Woman to hold post HEAD OF COMMISSIONS Chairman, Planning Commission : Dr. Manmohan Singh Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission : Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy : Mr. Anil Kakodhar Chairman, Space Commission and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) : Mr. G Madhavan Nair Chairman, 18th Law Commission : Mr. Justice A. R. Lakshamanan Chairman, National Consumer Protection Commission : Mr. Jutice M B Shah Chairman, National Commission on Labour : Mr. Ravindra Verma Chairman, National Commission for Backward Classes : Justice S RAtnavel Pandian Chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes : Mr. Kunwar Singh Chairman, MRTPC : Justice C N Nayar Chairman, National Commission for Farmers : Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Chairperson, National Commissioner for Women : Ms. Girija Vyas President, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission : Mr. Justice D P Wadhwa Chairman, National Commission on Educational Institutions for Minorities : Mr. M S A Siddiqui Chairman, National Human Rights Commission : Mr. Justice S Rajendra Badu Chairman, Telecom Commission : Mr. Anil Kumar Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India : JS Sharma (May 14, 2009) Chairman, National Forest Commission : Mr. B.N. Kirpal Chairman, Central Water Commission : Mr. R Jeyasheelan Chairman, Sixth Pay Commission : Mr. B N Srikrishna Chairman, National Knowledge Commission : Mr. Sam Pitroda HEADS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANISATIONS Director, General, National Investigation Agency (NIA) : Mr. Radha Vinod Raju (January 15, 2009) Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB) : Mr. Rajiv Mathur (January 1, 2009) Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) : Mr. Ashwini Kumar (July 31, 2008) Director, Research And Analysis Wing (RAW) : Mr. KC Verma (January 31, 2009) Director-General, Border Security Force (BSF) : Mr. Raman Srivastava (July 31, 2009) Director-General, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) : Mrs. Niraj Ranjan Das (November 17, 2008) Director-General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) : Mr. Vikram Srivastava
131
Director-General, Coast Guard : Vice Admiral anil Chopra Director-General, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) : Lt. General Avtar Singh Director-General, Railway Protection Force (RPF) : Mr. Ranjit Sinha Director-General, Border Roads Organisation : Lt. General A.K. Nanda Director-General, National Security Guards (NSG) : Mr. NPS Aulakh Director-General, Defence Intelligence Service : Lt Gen, Avtar Singh Director-General, Rashriya Rifles : Lt. Gen. Satish Nambiar Director, Police Research and Development Bureau : Mr. N C Joshi Director, Institute of Defence Studies and Analysed (IDSA) : Mr. N S Sisodia Director-General, National Cadet Core (NCC) : Lt. Gen. MC Bhandari Director, Enforcement Directorate : Mr. R N Das Director General, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) : Mr. Gopal Sharma HEADS OF SCIENTIFIC ORGANISATIONS Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) : Mr. S Banerjee Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) : Mr. S K Sharma Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) : Dr. Vishwa Mohan Katoch Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) : Dr. Mangal Rai Director General, Council of Scietific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and chairman, Indian National Science Academy : Dr. Samir Kumar Brahmachari HEADS OF PUBLIC SECTOR UNITS Chairman, Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) : Mr. Sushil Kumar Roongta Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) : Mr. Sarthak Behuria Chairman and Managing Director, ONGC : Mr. R S Sharma Chairman, Central Electricity Authority : Mr. D V Khera Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) : Mr. Kuldeep Goel Chairman, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) : Mr. R S P Sinha Chairman, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) : Mr. Subodh Bhargava Director General, Maruti Udyog Limited : Mr. S Nakanashi Chairman and Managing Director, GAIL (India) : Mr. BC Tripathi (August 1, 2009) Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Food Corporation of India (FCI) : Mr. Deepak Kumar Panwar (November 6, 2008) Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) : Mr. M S Manchanda Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) : Mr. E Sridharan Chairman, Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) : Mr. Ajay Shankar Chairman, National Highway Authority of India : Mr. Pradeep Kumar Chairman, HUDCO : Mr. K L Dhingra Chairman and Managing Director, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) : Mr. RS Sharma (May 1, 2008) Chairman and Managing Director, National Aviation Company of India Ltd. (NACIL) : Mr. Arvind jadhav (May 1, 2009) Chairman and Managing Director, BHEL : Mr. B Prasada Rao
132
Chairman and Managing Director, Oil India : Mr. N M Borah HEADS OF BANKS AND COMMERCIAL ORGANISATIONS Governor, Reserve bank of India (RBI) : Mr. Duvvuri Subbaroa Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) : Mr. SSN Moorthy (January 31, 2009) Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) : Mr. CB Bhave (February 14, 2008) Chairman, Central Board of Excise and customs : Mr. V Sridhar (July 31, 2009) Director General, Indian, Institute of Foreign Trade : Mr. Prabir Sengupta Chairman, NABARD : Mr. Y S P Thorat Chairman, State Bank of Indian (SBI) : Mr. O.P. Bhatt President, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) : Mr. Harsh Pati Singhania Chairman, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) : Mr. T S Vijayan President, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) : Mr. Venu srinivasan (March 31, 2009) President, NASSCOM : Mr. Som Mittal Chairman, NASSCOM : Mr. Pramod Bhasin (April 2, 2009) President, ASSOCHAM : Mr. Sajjan Jindal President, IFFCO : Mr. Surendra Kumar Jakhar President, State Trading Corporation (STC) : Mr. Arvind Pandalai President, National Manufacturing competitiveness Council : Mr. V Krishnamurthy President, Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) of India : Mr. P K Das Chairman, South Asian Federation of Accountants : Mr. Ashok Chandok Chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority : Mr. J Harinarajan Chairman, IDBI : Mr. V P Shetty HEADS OF BOARDS & COUNCILS Chairperson, Central Social Welfare Board : Ms. Rajni Patil Chairman, Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) : Mr. D N Tripathi Chairman, ICSSR : Mr. Andre Beteille Chairperson, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) : Mr. Ishar Judge Ahluwalia President, ICCR : Dr. Karan Singh (Resigned) Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU : Mr. V N Rajasekharan Pillai Prof. Krishan Kumar : Director, NCERT Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) : Mr. V Rajagopalan Chairman, Central Social Welfare Board : Ms. Prema Cariappa (June 16, 2008) Chairman, Railway Board : Mr. S S Khurana Chairman, National Shipping Board : Mr. V.K. Khanna Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) : Dr. Amrita Patel Chairman, Company Law Board : Mr. Justice Ajay Kumar Banerji Chairman, 13th Finance Commission : Mr. Vijay L Kelkar HEADS OF ORGANISATION : ARTS & FILMS Chairman, Sahitya Akademi : Mr. Sunil Gangopadhyay
133
Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi : Mr. Ram Niwas Mirdha Chairman, National Film Development Corporation : Mr. Om Puri (April 2008) Chairperson, Central Board of Film Certification : Ms. Shramili Tagore Chairperson, Children’s Film Society of India : Ms. Nandita Das (July 31, 2009) President, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) : Mrs. Kapila Vatsyayan Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi : Mr. Ashok Bajpai Director, Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) : Mr. Tripurari Sharan Director General, Doordarshan : Mr. Naveen Kumar Director General, AIR : Mr. T R Malakar HEADS OF SPORTS ORGANISATIONS President, Indian Olympic Association : Mr. Suresh Kalmadi (Since 1996) President, All India Sports Council : Mr. Vijay Kumar Malhotra President, BCCI : Mr. Shashank Manohar President, Sports Authority of India : Mr. V K Mittal Director General, SAI : Mr. Shyam Chatterjee President, All India Football Federation : Mr. Praful Patel (October 20, 2009) President, Indian Wrestling Federation : Mr. M S Malik President, Fencing Federation of India : Mr. Arvind Khanna President, Badminton Association of India : Mr. VK Verma (since 1998) President, Tennis Association of India : Mr. yashwant Sinha (since 2000) President, Table Tennis Association of India : Mr. Ajay Chautala (since 2001) President, Archery Association of India : Mr. VK Malhotra (Since 1972) HEADS OF PRESS INSTITUTIONS Chairman, Press Council of India : Mr. Justice G N Ray Director Press Institute of India : Mr. Ajit Bhattacharjea Chairman, United News of India : Mr. Ravindra Kumar President, Indian Newspapers Society : Mr. T Venkattraman Reddy (September 24, 2009) Chairman, Press Trust of India : Mr. Vijay Kumar Chopra (August 27, 2009) Chairperson, Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) : Mr. Subroto Chattopadhyaya (September 2009) Register General of Newspapers in India : Mr. P B Roy Chairman, Copyright Board : Mr. S Ramaiya HEADS OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations : Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri (April 2009) India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to WTO : Mr. K M Chandrasekhar Chairman, University Grant Commission (UGC) : Mr. Sukhdeo Thorat Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) : Mr. Vinit Joshi Chairman, All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) : Mr. Damodar Acharya Chairman, UPSC : Mr. DP Agarwal Chairman, SSC : Mr. NK Raghupathy Director General of Archaeological Survey of India : Mr. Anshu Vaish
134
UNION BUDGET 2010-11
India's finance minister Pranab Mukherjee unveiled the Union Budget 2010-11 on Friday, February 26, 2010. Budget is not just a statement of Government accounts, but it reflects the Government’s vision and indicates the policy of the government, which decides the path of the economy for the future. In this post the budget has been discussed at a length.
Key Features of Budget 2010-2011
CHALLENGES
• To quickly revert to the high GDP growth path of 9 per cent and then find the means to cross the ‘double digit growth barrier’.
• To harness economic growth to consolidate the recent gains in making development more inclusive. • To address the weaknesses in government systems, structures and institutions at different levels of
governance.
OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMY
• India among the first few countries in the world to implement a broad-based counter-cyclic policy package to respond to the negative fallout of the global slowdown.
• The Advance Estimates for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2009-10 pegged at 7.2 per cent. The final figure expected to be higher when the third and fourth quarter GDP estimates for 2009-10 become available.
• The growth rate in manufacturing sector in December 2009 was 18.5 per cent – the highest in the past two decades.
• A major concern during the second half of 2009-10 has been the emergence of double digit food inflation. Government has set in motion steps, in consultation with the State Chief Ministers, which should bring down the inflation in the next few months and ensure that there is better management of food security in the country.
CONSOLIDATING GROWTH
Fiscal Consolidation
• With recovery taking root, there is a need to review public spending, mobilise resources and gear them towards building the productivity of the economy.
• Fiscal policy shaped with reference to the recommendations of the Thirteenth Finance Commission, which has recommended a calibrated exit strategy from the expansionary fiscal stance of last two years.
• It would be for the first time that the Government would target an explicit reduction in its domestic public debt-GDP ratio.
135
Tax reforms
• On the Direct Tax Code (DTC) the wide-ranging discussions with stakeholders have been concluded – Government will be in a position to implement the DTC from April 1, 2011.
• Centre actively engaged with the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers to finalise the structure of Goods and Services Tax (GST) as well as the modalities of its expeditious implementation. Endeavour to introduce GST by April, 2011
People’s ownership of PSUs
• Ownership has been broad based in Oil India Limited, NHPC, NTPC and Rural Electrification Corporation while the process is on for National Mineral Development Corporation and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam. This will raise about Rs 25,000 crore during the current year.
• Higher amount proposed to be raised during the year 2010-11.
Fertiliser subsidy
• A Nutrient Based Subsidy policy for the fertiliser sector has been approved by the Government and will become effective from April 1, 2010.
• This will lead to an increase in agricultural productivity and better returns for the farmers, and overtime reduce the volatility in demand for fertiliser subsidy and contain the subsidy bill.
Petroleum and Diesel pricing policy
• Expert Group to advise the Government on a viable and sustainable system of pricing of petroleum products has submitted its recommendations.
• Decision on these recommendations will be taken in due course.
Improving Investment Environment
Foreign Direct Investment
• Number of steps taken to simplify the FDI regime.
• Methodology for calculation of indirect foreign investment in Indian companies has been clearly defined.
• Complete liberalisation of pricing and payment of technology transfer fee and trademark, brand name and royalty payments.
Financial Stability and Development Council
• An apex level Financial Stability and Development Council to be set up with a view to strengthen and institutionalise the mechanism for maintaining financial stability.
• This Council would monitor macro-prudential supervision of the economy, including the functioning of large financial conglomerates, and address interregulatory coordination issues.
136
Banking Licences
• RBI is considering giving some additional banking licenses to private sector players. Non Banking Financial Companies could also be considered, if they meet the RBI’s eligibility criteria.
Public Sector Bank Capitalisation
• Rs.16,500 crore provided to ensure that the Public Sector Banks are able to attain a minimum 8 per cent Tier-I capital by March 31, 2011.
Recapitalisation of Regional Rural Banks (RRB)
• Government to provide further capital to strengthen the RRBs so that they have adequate capital base to support increased lending to the rural economy.
Corporate Governance
• Government has introduced the Companies Bill, 2009 in the Parliament to replace the existing Companies Act, 1956, which will address issues related to regulation in corporate sector in the context of the changing business environment.
Exports
• Extension of existing interest subvention of 2 per cent for one more year for exports covering handicrafts, carpets, handlooms and small and medium enterprises.
Agriculture Growth
• Government will follow a four-pronged strategy, covering
(a) Agricultural production
• Rs. 400 crore provided to extend the green revolution to the eastern region of the country comprising Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Eastern UP, West Bengal and Orissa.
• Rs. 300 crore provided to organise 60,000 “pulses and oil seed villages” in rain-fed areas during 2010-11 and provide an integrated intervention for water harvesting, watershed management and soil health, to enhance the productivity of the dry land farming areas.
• Rs. 200 crore provided for sustaining the gains already made in the green revolution areas through conservation farming, which involves concurrent attention to soil health, water conservation and preservation of biodiversity.
(b) Reduction in wastage of produce
• Government to address the issue of opening up of retail trade. It will help in bringing down the considerable difference between farm gate, wholesale and retail prices.
• Deficit in the storage capacity met through an ongoing scheme for private sector participation – FCI to hire godowns from private parties for a guaranteed period of 7 years.
137
(c) Credit support to farmers
• Banks have been consistently meeting the targets set for agriculture credit flow in the past few years. For the year 2010-11, the target has been set at Rs.3,75,000 crore.
• In view of the recent drought in some States and the severe floods in some other parts of the country, the period for repayment of the loan amount by farmers extended by six months from December 31, 2009 to June 30, 2010 under the Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme for Farmers.
• Incentive of additional one per cent interest subvention to farmers who repay short-term crop loans as per schedule, increased to 2% for 2010-11.
(d) Impetus to the food processing sector
• In addition to the ten mega food park projects already being set up, the Government has decided to set up five more such parks.
• External Commercial Borrowings to be available for cold storage or cold room facility, including for farm level pre-cooling, for preservation or storage of agricultural and allied produce, marine products and meat.
Infrastructure
• Rs 1,73,552 crore provided for infrastructure development which accounts for over 46 per cent of the total plan allocation.
• Allocation for road transport increased by over 13 per cent from Rs. 17,520 crore to Rs 19,894 crore.
• Rs 16,752 crore provided for Railways, which is about Rs.950 crore more than last year.
India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL)
• IIFCL’s disbursements are expected to touch Rs 9,000 crore by end March 2010 and reach around Rs 20,000 crore by March 2011.
• IIFCL has refinanced bank lending to infrastructure projects of Rs. 3,000 crore during the current year and is expected to more than double that amount in 2010-11.
• The take-out financing scheme announced in the last Budget is expected to initially provide finance for about Rs. 25,000 crore in the next three years.
Energy
• Plan allocation for power sector excluding RGGVY doubled from Rs.2230 crore in 2009-10 to Rs.5,130 crore in 2010-11.
• Government proposes to introduce a competitive bidding process for allocating coal blocks for captive mining to ensure greater transparency and increased participation in production from these blocks.
• A “Coal Regulatory Authority” to create a level playing field in the coal sector proposed to be set up.
138
• Plan outlay for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy increased by 61 per cent from Rs.620 crore in 2009-10 to Rs.1,000 crore in 2010-11.
• Solar, small hydro and micro power projects at a cost of about Rs.500 crore to be\ set up in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Environment and Climate change
• National Clean Energy Fund for funding research and innovative projects in clean energy technologies to be established.
• One-time grant of Rs.200 crore to the Government of Tamil Nadu towards the cost of installation of a zero liquid discharge system at Tirupur to sustain knitwear industry.
• Rs.200 crore provided as a Special Golden Jubilee package for Goa to preserve the natural resources of the State, including sea beaches and forest cover.
• Allocation for National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) doubled in 2010-11 to Rs.500 crore.
• Schemes on bank protection works along river Bhagirathi and river Ganga-Padma in parts of Murshidabad and Nadia district of West Bengal included in the Centrally Sponsored Flood Management Programme.
• A project at Sagar Island to be developed to provide an alternate port facility in West Bengal.
INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT
• The spending on social sector has been gradually increased to Rs.1,37,674 crore in 2010-11, which is 37% of the total plan outlay in 2010-11.
• Another 25 per cent of the plan allocations are devoted to the development of rural infrastructure.
Education
• Plan allocation for school education increased by 16 per cent from Rs.26,800 crore in 2009-10 to Rs.31,036 crore in 2010-11.
• In addition, States will have access to Rs.3,675 crore for elementary education under the Thirteenth Finance Commission grants for 2010-11.
Health
• An Annual Health Survey to prepare the District Health Profile of all Districts shall be conducted in 2010-11.
• Plan allocation to Ministry of Health & Family Welfare increased from Rs 19,534 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 22,300 crore for 2010-11.
Financial Inclusion
• Appropriate Banking facilities to be provided to habitations having population in excess of 2000 by March, 2012.
139
• Insurance and other services to be provided using the Business Correspondent model. By this arrangement, it is proposed to cover 60,000 habitations.
• Augmentation of Rs.100 crore each for the Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) and the Financial Inclusion Technology Fund, which shall be contributed by Government of India, RBI and NABARD.
Rural Development
• Rs. 66,100 crore provided for Rural Development.
• Allocation for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme stepped up to Rs.40,100 crore in 2010-11.
• An amount of Rs.48,000 crore allocated for rural infrastructure programmes under Bharat Nirman.
• Unit cost under Indira Awas Yojana increased to Rs.45,000 in the plain areas and to Rs.48,500 in the hilly areas. Allocation for this scheme increased to Rs.10,000 crore.
• Allocation to Backward Region Grant Fund enhanced by 26 per cent from Rs.5,800 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 7,300 crore in 2010-11.
• Additional central assistance of Rs 1,200 crore provided for drought mitigation in the Bundelkhand region.
Urban Development and Housing
• Allocation for urban development increased by more than 75 per cent from Rs.3,060 crore to Rs.5,400 crore in 2010-11.
• Allocation for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation raised from Rs.850 crore to Rs.1,000 crore in 2010-11.
• Scheme of one per cent interest subvention on housing loan upto Rs.10 lakh, where the cost of the house does not exceed Rs.20 lakh — announced in the last Budget — extended up to March 31, 2011. Rs.700 crore provided for this scheme for the year 2010-11.
• Rs.1,270 crore allocated for Rajiv Awas Yojana as compared to Rs.150 crore last year.
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
• High Level Council on Micro and Small Enterprises to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of High-Level Task Force constituted by Prime Minister.
• Allocation for this sector to be increased from Rs.1,794 crore to Rs.2,400 crore for the year 2010-11.
• The corpus for Micro-Finance Development and Equity Fund doubled to Rs.400 crore in 2010-11.
Unorganised Sector
• National Social Security Fund for unorganised sector workers to be set up with an initial allocation of Rs.1000 crore. This fund will support schemes for weavers, toddy tappers, rickshaw pullers, bidi workers etc.
140
• Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana benefits extended to all such Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding financial year.
• A new initiative, “Swavalamban” will be available for persons who join New Pension Scheme (NPS), with a minimum contribution of Rs.1,000 and a maximum contribution of Rs.12,000 per annum during the financial year 2010-11, wherein Government will contribute Rs.1,000 per year to each NPS account opened in the year 2010-11. Allocation of Rs.100 crore made for this initiative.
Skill development
• National Skill Development Corporation has approved three projects worth about Rs 45 crore to create 10 lakh skilled manpower at the rate of one lakh per annum.
• An extensive skill development programme in the textile and garment sector to be launched by leveraging the strength of existing institutions and instruments of the Textile Ministry to train 30 lakh persons over 5 years.
Social Welfare
• Plan outlay for Women and Child Development stepped up by almost 50 per cent.
• The ICDS platform being expanded for effective implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Adolescent Girls.
• “Saakshar Bharat” to further improve female literacy rate launched with a target of 7 crore non-literate adults which includes 6 crore women.
• Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana to meet the specific needs of women farmers to be launched with a provision of Rs 100 crore as a sub-component of the
National Rural Livelihood Mission.
• Plan outlay of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment enhanced by 80 per cent to Rs.4500 crore. With this enhancement, the Ministry will be able to revise rates of scholarship under its post-matric scholarship schemes for SCs and OBC students.
• Plan allocation for the Ministry of Minority Affairs increased by 50 per cent from Rs.1,740 crore to Rs.2,600 crore for the year 2010-11.
STRENGTHENING TRANSPARENCY & PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILTY
• Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission to be set up to rewrite and clean up the financial sector laws to bring them in line with the requirements of the sector.
• Rs 1,900 crore allocated to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for 2010-11. UIDAI will be able to meet its commitments of issuing the first set of UID numbers in the coming year
• A Technology Advisory Group for Unique Projects (TAGUP) to be set up to look into various technological and systemic issues for effective tax administration and financial governance.
141
• Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) chaired by the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission to be set up to evaluate the impact of flagship programmes.
Security and Justice
• Allocation for Defence increased to Rs. 1,47,344 crore including Rs 60,000 crore for capital expenditure.
• About 2,000 youth to be recruited as constables in five Central Para Military Forces from Jammu and Kashmir in the year 2010.
• Planning Commission to prepare an integrated action plan for the thirty-three left wing extremism affected districts. Adequate funds will be made available to support the action plan.
• Government has approved the setting up of the National Mission for Delivery of Justice and Legal Reforms to help reduce legal backlog in courts from an average of 15 years at present to 3 years by 2012.
BUDGET ESTIMATES 2010-11
• The Gross Tax Receipts are estimated at Rs. 7,46,651 crore
• The Non Tax Revenue Receipts are estimated at Rs. 1,48,118 crore.
• The net tax revenue to the Centre as well as the expenditure provisions in 2010-11 have been estimated with reference to the recommendations of the Thirteenth Finance Commission.
• The total expenditure proposed in the Budget Estimates is Rs. 11,08,749 crore, which is an increase of 8.6 per cent over last year.
• The Plan and Non Plan expenditures in BE 2010-11 are estimated at Rs. 3,73,092 crore and Rs. 7,35,657 crore respectively. While there is 15 per cent increase in Plan expenditure, the increase in Non Plan expenditure is only 6 per cent over the BE of previous year.
• Fiscal deficit for BE 2010-11 at 5.5 per cent of GDP, which works out to Rs.3,81,408 crore.
• Taking into account the various other financing items for fiscal deficit, the actual net market borrowing of the Government in 2010-11 would be of the order of Rs.3,45,010 crore. This would leave enough space to meet the credit needs of the private sector.
• The rolling targets for fiscal deficit are pegged at 4.8 per cent and 4.1 per cent for 2011-12 and 2012-13, respectively.
• Against a fiscal deficit of 7.8 per cent in 2008-09, inclusive of oil and fertilizer bonds, the comparable fiscal deficit is 6.9 per cent as per the Revised Estimates for 2009-10.
• Conscious effort made to avoid issuing bonds to oil and fertilizer companies. Government would like to continue with this practice of extending Government subsidy in cash, thereby bringing all subsidy related liabilities into Government’s fiscal accounting.
142
PART B TAX PROPOSALS
• The Centralized Processing Centre at Bengaluru is now fully functional and is processing around 20,000 returns daily. This initiative will be taken forward by setting up two more Centres during the year.
• The Income Tax department has introduced “Sevottam”, a pilot project at Pune, Kochi and Chandigarh through Aayakar Seva Kendras, which provide a single window system for registration of all applications including those for redressal of grievances as well as paper returns. The scheme will be extended to four more cities in the year.
• Automation of Central Excise & Service Tax, has already been rolled out throughout the country this year. Similarly, a Mission Mode Project for computerization of Commercial Taxes in States has been approved recently. With an outlay of Rs. 1133 crore of which the Centre’s share is Rs. 800 crore, the project will lay the foundation for the launch of GST.
• The income tax department to notify SARAL-II form for individual salaried taxpayers for the coming assessment year.
• Scope of cases which may be admitted by the Settlement Commission expanded to include proceedings related to search and seizure cases pending for assessment. Scope of Settlement Commission also expanded in respect of Central Excise and Customs to include certain categories of cases that hitherto fell outside its jurisdiction.
• Bi-lateral discussions commenced to enhance the exchange of bank related and other information to effectively track tax evasion and identify undisclosed assets of resident Indians lying abroad.
Direct Taxes
Income tax slabs for individual taxpayers to be as follows
Income upto Rs 1.6 lakh Nil
Income above Rs 1.6 lakh and upto Rs. 5 lakh 10 per cent
Income above Rs.5 lakh and upto Rs. 8 lakh 20 per cent
Income above Rs. 8 lakh 30 per cent
• Deduction of an additional amount of Rs. 20,000 allowed, over and above the existing limit of Rs.1 lakh on tax savings, for investment in long-term infrastructure bonds as notified by the Central Government
• Besides contributions to health insurance schemes which is currently allowed as a deduction under the Income-tax Act, contributions to the Central Government Health Scheme also allowed as a deduction under the same provision.
• Current surcharge of 10 per cent on domestic companies reduced to 7.5 per cent.
• Rate of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) increased from the current rate of 15 per cent to 18 per cent of book profits.
143
• To further encourage R&D across all sectors of the economy, weighted deduction on expenditure incurred on in-house R&D enhanced from 150 per cent to 200 per cent. Weighted deduction on payments made to National Laboratories, research associations, colleges, universities and other institutions, for scientific research enhanced from 125 per cent to 175 per cent.
• Payment made to an approved association engaged in research in social sciences or statistical research to be allowed as a weighted deduction of 125 per cent. The income of such approved research association shall be exempt from tax.
• Benefit of investment linked deduction under the Act extended to new hotels of two-star category and above anywhere in India to boost investment in the tourism sector.
• Allow pending projects to be completed within a period of five years instead of four years for claiming a deduction of their profits, as a one time interim relief to the housing and real estate sector. Norms for built-up area of shops and other commercial establishments in housing projects to be relaxed to enable basic facilities for their residents.
• Limits for turnover over which accounts need to be audited enhanced to Rs. 60 lakh for businesses and to Rs. 15 lakh for professions.
• Limit of turnover for the purpose of presumptive taxation of small businesses enhanced to Rs. 60 lakh.
• If tax has been deducted on payment by way of any expense and is paid before the due date of filing the return, such expenditure to be allowed for deduction. Interest charged on tax deducted but not deposited by the specified date to be increased from 12 per cent to 18 per cent per annum.
• To facilitate the conversion of small companies into Limited Liability Partnerships, transfer of assets as a result of such conversion not to be subject to capital gains tax.
• “The advancement of any other object of general public utility” to be considered as “charitable purpose” even if it involves carrying on of any activity in the nature of trade, commerce or business provided that the receipts from such activities do not exceed Rs.10 lakh in the year .
• Proposals on direct taxes estimated to result in a revenue loss of Rs. 26,000 crore for the year.
Indirect Taxes
• Rate reduction in Central Excise duties to be partially rolled back and the standard rate on all non-petroleum products enhanced from 8 per cent to 10 per cent ad valorem.
• The specific rates of duty applicable to portland cement and cement clinker also adjusted upwards proportionately. Similarly, the ad valorem component of excise duty on large cars, multi-utility vehicles and sports-utility vehicles increased by 2 percentage points to 22 per cent.
• Restore the basic duty of 5 per cent on crude petroleum; 7.5 per cent on diesel and petrol and 10 per cent on other refined products. Central Excise duty on petrol and diesel enhanced by Re.1 per litre each.
• Some structural changes in the excise duty on cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos to be made coupled with some increase in rates. Excise duty on all non-smoking tobacco such as scented tobacco, snuff,
144
chewing tobacco etc to be enhanced. Compounded levy scheme for chewing tobacco and branded unmanufactured tobacco based on the capacity of pouch packing machines to be introduced.
Agriculture & Related Sectors
• Provide project import status with a concessional import duty of 5 per cent for the setting up of mechanised handling systems and pallet racking systems in ‘mandis’ or warehouses for food grains and sugar as well as full exemption from service tax for the installation and commissioning of such equipment.
• Provide project import status at a concessional customs duty of 5 per cent with full exemption from service tax to the initial setting up and expansion of
• Cold storage, cold room including farm pre-coolers for preservation or storage of agriculture and related sectors produce ; and Processing units for such produce.
• Provide full exemption from customs duty to refrigeration units required for the manufacture of refrigerated vans or trucks.
• Provide concessional customs duty of 5 per cent to specified agricultural machinery not manufactured in India;
• Provide central excise exemption to specified equipment for preservation, storage and processing of agriculture and related sectors and exemption from service tax to the storage and warehousing of their produce; and
• Provide full exemption from excise duty to trailers and semi-trailers used in agriculture.
• Concessional import duty to specified machinery for use in the plantation sector to be, extended up to March 31, 2011 along with a CVD exemption.
• To exempt the testing and certification of agricultural seeds from service tax.
• The transportation by road of cereals, and pulses to be exempted from service tax. Transportation by rail to remain exempt.
• To ease the cash flow position for small-scale manufacturers, they would be permitted to take full credit of Central Excise duty paid on capital goods in a single installment in the year of their receipt. Secondly, they would be permitted to pay Central Excise duty on a quarterly, rather than monthly, basis.
Environment
• To build the corpus of the National Clean Energy Fund, clean energy cess on coal produced in India at a nominal rate of Rs.50 per tonne to be levied. This cess will also apply on imported coal.
• Provide a concessional customs duty of 5 per cent to machinery, instruments, equipment and appliances etc. required for the initial setting up of photovoltaic and solar thermal power generating units and also exempt them from Central Excise duty. Ground source heat pumps used to tap geo-thermal energy to be exempted from basic customs duty and special additional duty.
145
• Exempt a few more specified inputs required for the manufacture of rotor blades for wind energy generators from Central Excise duty.
• Central Excise duty on LED lights reduced from 8 per cent to 4 per cent at par with Compact Fluorescent Lamps.
• To remedy the difficulty faced by manufacturers of electric cars and vehicles in neutralising the duty paid on their inputs and components, a nominal duty of 4 per cent on such vehicles imposed. Some critical parts or sub-assemblies of such vehicles exempted from basic customs duty and special additional duty subject to actual user condition. These parts would also enjoy a concessional CVD of 4 per cent.
• A concessional excise duty of 4 per cent provided to “soleckshaw”, a product developed by CSIR to replace manually-operated rickshaws. Its key parts and components to be exempted from customs duty.
• Import of compostable polymer exempted from basic customs duty.
Infrastructure
• Project import status to ‘Monorail projects for urban transport’ at a concessional basic duty of 5 per cent granted.
• To allow resale of specified machinery for road construction projects on payment of import duty at depreciated value.
• To encourage the domestic manufacture of mobile phones accessories, exemptions from basic, CVD and special additional duties are now being extended to parts of battery chargers and hands-free headphones. The validity of the exemption from special additional duty is being extended till March 31, 2011.
Medical Sector
• Uniform, concessional basic duty of 5 per cent, CVD of 4 per cent with full exemption from special additional duty prescribed on all medical equipments. A concessional basic duty of 5 per cent is being prescribed on parts and accessories for the manufacture of such equipment while they would be exempt from CVD and special additional duty.
• Full exemption currently available to medical equipment and devices such as assistive devices, rehabilitation aids etc. retained. The concession available to Government hospitals or hospitals set up under a statute also retained.
• Specified inputs for the manufacture of orthopaedic implants exempted from import duty.
Infotainment
• To address the difficulties experienced by film industry in importing digital masters of films for duplication or distribution loaded on electronic medium vis-a-vis those imported on cinematographic film, owing to a differential customs duty structure, customs duty to be charged only on the value of the carrier medium. The same dispensation would apply to music and gaming software imported for
146
duplication. In all such cases the value representing the transfer of intellectual property rights would be subjected to service tax.
• Provide project import status at a concessional customs duty of 5 per cent with full exemption from special additional duty to the initial setting up “Digital Head End” equipment by multi-service operators.
Precious Metals
• Rates on precious metals indexed as follows:
♦ On gold and platinum from Rs.200 per 10 grams to Rs.300 per 10 grams
♦ On silver from Rs.1,000 per kg to Rs.1,500 per kg.
• Basic customs on Rhodium – a precious metal used for polishing jewellery reduced to 2 per cent.
• Basic customs duty on gold ore and concentrates reduced from 2 per cent ad valorem to a specific duty of Rs.140 per 10 grams of gold content with full exemption from special additional duty. Further, the excise duty on refined gold made from such ore or concentrate reduced from 8 per cent to a specific duty of Rs.280 per 10 grams.
Other Proposals
• Full exemption from import duty available to specified inputs or raw materials required for the manufacture of sports goods expanded to cover a few more items.
• Basic customs duty on one of key components in production of micro-wave ovens, namely magnetrons, reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent.
• Value limit of Rs. 1 lakh per annum on duty-free import of commercial samples as personal baggage enhanced to Rs. 3 lakh per annum.
• Outright exemption from special additional duty provided to goods imported in a pre-packaged form for retail sale. This would also cover mobile phones, watches and ready-made garments even when they are not imported in pre-packaged form.
• The refund-based exemption is also being retained for cases not covered by the new dispensation.
• Toy balloons fully exempted from Central Excise duty.
• Reduction in basic customs duty on long pepper from 70 per cent to 30 per cent;
• Reduction in basic customs duty on asafoetida from 30 per cent to 20 per cent;
• Reduction in central excise duty on replaceable kits for household type water filters other than those based on RO technology to 4 per cent;
• Reduction in central excise duty on corrugated boxes and cartons from 8 per cent to 4 per cent;
• Reduction in central excise duty on latex rubber thread from 8 per cent to 4 per cent; and
147
• Reduction in excise duty on goods covered under the Medicinal and Toilet Preparations Act from 16 per cent to 10 per cent.
• ! Proposals relating to customs and central excise are estimated to result in a net revenue gain of Rs. 43,500 crore for the year.
Service Tax
• Rate of tax on services retained at 10 per cent to pave the way forward for GST.
• Certain services, hitherto untaxed, to be brought within the purview of the service tax levy. These to be notified separately.
• Process of refund of accumulated credit to exporters of services, especially in the area of Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing, made easy by making necessary changes in the definition of export of services and procedures.
• Accredited news agencies which provide news feed online that meet certain criteria, exempted from service tax.
• Proposals relating to service tax are estimated to result in a net revenue gain of Rs 3,000 crore for the year.
• Proposals on direct taxes estimated to result in a revenue loss of Rs. 26,000 crore for the year. Proposals relating to Indirect Taxes estimated to result in a net revenue gain of Rs.46,500 crore for the year. Taking into account the concessions being given in the tax proposals and measures taken to mobilise additional resources, the net revenue gain is estimated to be Rs. 20,500 crore for the year.
148
RAILWAY BUDGET 2010-11
Railway Budget 2010-11 presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Lok Sabha.
1
HIGHLIGHTS OF RAILWAY BUDGET 2010-11
Introduction
• Economic viability and Social responsibility – main consideration for taking up of the projects.
• ‘Inclusive growth and expansion of rail network’ for development of the country.
• Special Task Force to clear proposals for investments within 100 days.
• A separate structure will be created within the Railways for implementation of the business models.
Commitments Fulfilled
• Of the 120 new trains, extensions and increase in frequencies announced, 117 would be flagged off by the end of March 2010.
• Recruitment policy of the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) has been reviewed.
• RRB examination fee for woman candidates and those belonging to minority and economically backward classes waived.
• All question papers to be set in Hindi, Urdu, English and in local State languages and examination for a particular post will be held on the same date simultaneously by all RRBs.
• Izzat Scheme, implemented within three months of announcement.
• Work initiated in all the 67 Multi-functional Complexes (MFCs). Development of Adarsh Stations started in phases.
Passenger Amenities/Facilities
• 94 stations to be upgraded as Adarsh Stations
• 10 more stations identified to be converted as World Class Stations
• Construction of additional 93 Multi Functional Complexes
• Multi-level parking through PPP route.
• Six clean drinking water bottling plants to be set up through PPP for providing cheap bottled drinking water.
• SMS updates of reservation status and punctuality of trains to passengers,
• SMS updates on the movement of wagons to freight customers.
149
• RFID technology for tracking of wagons to provide modern trolleys at all important stations to be handled by uniformed attendants for senior citizens and ladies.
• Allotment of iron ore rakes to be rationalised scientifically and would be accessible through the web.
• Introduction of e-ticket based mobile vans for issuing tickets.
Safety and Security
• Automatic fire and smoke detection system to be introduced in 20 long distance trains.
• All the unmanned LCs to be manned within five years.
• 12 companies of women RPF personnel named ‘Mahila Vahini’ to be raised.
Sports
• Railways first recipient of Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar
• Five Sports Academies at Delhi, Secunderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai to be setup.
• Astro-turfs to be provided at more places for hockey.
• Railways will be lead partners of Common Wealth Games.
• Railways to run a Commonwealth exhibition train.
Culture and Heritage
• To set up a Railway Cultural & Heritage Promotion Board for coordinating and supervising all related activities on the railways.
• To set up Rabindra Museum at Howrah and Gitanjali Museum at Bolpur to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
• To set up Shambhu Mitra Cultural Complex with performing arts and a music academy at Howrah.
Staff Welfare and Health
• A new scheme “House for All” to be launched, to provide residences to all railway employees in the next ten years with the help of Ministry of Urban Development.
• MOU entered with Ministry of Health and Ministry of Human Resource Development for setting up of hospitals and educational institutions on surplus railway land.
• To set up about 522 hospitals and diagnostic centres, 50 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 10 residential schools on the pattern of Navodaya Vidyalaya, model degree colleges and technical and management institutions of national importance to benefit railway employees and their children.
• To set up 50 crèches for children of women employees and 20 hostels. Railways will also provide more numbers of community centres and stadia.
• Contribution to Staff Benefit Fund to be enhanced to Rs 500 per employee.
150
• Scope of safety-related retirement scheme to be expanded to cover all safety category staff with a grade pay of Rs 1800.
• To extend Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to all licensed porters, vendors and hawkers, from unorganised sector and socially challenged.
• To set up a state-of-the-art advanced loco pilot training centre at Kharagpur, an advanced railway track training centre at Beleghata and four multi-disciplinary training centres.
Railway Research
• A Centre for Railway Research to be set up at IIT, Kharagpur. To establish strong research partnerships with premier institutes like IITs, NITs, CSIR and DRDO.
Infrastructure
• To modernize and augment the capacity of CLW to 275 locomotives.
• A Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) factory to be set up at Sankrail.
• Second unit to be installed at ICF.
• Wagon repair shop to be set up at Badnera.
• Centres of Excellence in Wagon Prototyping to be set up at Kharagpur Workshop.
• A new Rail Axle Factory to be set up in New Jalpaiguri under PPP/JV mode.
• A Design Development and Testing Centre for Wheels to be set up at RWF, Bangalore.
• A new MLR workshop of 250 coach capacity to be set up at Anara (Adra).
• Five state-of-the-art wagon factories to set up at Secunderabad, Barddhaman, Bhubaneshwar/Kalahandi, Guwahati and Haldia under PPP/JV mode.
• Two workshops for POH of high axle load wagons to be set up in Maharashtra and Dankuni.
• Kisan Vision Project initiated at six locations, namely Dankuni, Mechheda, Nasik, New Jalpaiguri, New Azadpur and Singur as pilot projects.
• To set up a refrigerated container factory on PPP mode at Budge Budge.
Freight Business
• A modified wagon investment scheme for high capacity general purpose and special purpose wagons to be introduced.
• Private operators to be permitted to invest in infrastructure and run special freight train.
• To set up automobile and ancillary hubs at 10 locations.
Carbon Footprint
• Railways to distribute 2.6 million CFLs to railway employees.
151
• To introduce ten rakes with green toilets and install on diesel locomotives a GPS-based optimised driver guidance system.
• To set up 10 Rail Eco-parks to conserve, protect and promote Railways’ wetlands and forest areas.
Other Projects
• Preliminary Engineering-cum-Traffic Survey (PETS) to be taken up for north-south, east-west, east-south and south-south DFCs.
• Six high speed passenger corridors identified, to be executed through PPP mode. To set up a National High Speed Rail Authority for planning, standard setting, implementing and monitoring these projects.
• To provide rail link between Akhaura on Bangladesh side and Agartala on Indian side.
• To new Railway projects viz., Jogbani (India) – Biratnagar (Nepal) new line and Jaynagar (India) – Bijalpur (Nepal) gauge conversion with extension upto Bardibas(Nepal) have been taken up to improve transport infrastructure between the two countries.
Financial Performance in 2009-10.
• Loading target of 882 MT likely to surpassed by 8 MT in 2009-10.
• Gross Traffic Receipts kept at Rs. 88,356 crore, i.e an increase of 10.7%.
• The full impact of VI CPC fully absorbed within the Railway resources.
• The current dividend liability to be fully discharged.
• Annual Plan kept at Rs 40,284 cr.
Budget Estimates 2010-11.
• Freight loading targeted at 944 MT – an increment of 54 MT; number of passengers likely to grow by 5.3 %.
• Gross Traffic Receipts estimated at Rs. 94,765 crore, i.e Rs 6490 cr more than 2009-10.
• The dividend payable to general revenues kept at Rs 6608 cr.
• Budgeted operating ratio 92.3%.
Annual Plan 2010-11
• Highest ever Plan Outlay at Rs 41,426 cr., an increase of Rs 1142 cr over 2009-10.
• New Lines – Rs 4411cr.
• Passenger Amenities–Rs 1302 cr.
• Metro Projects – Rs 1001cr.
• Aquisition of 18000 wagons.
152
• Additional budgetary support of Rs 3701 cr sought for 11 National Projects.
• Surveys for 114 socially desirable projects connecting backward areas to be taken up.
• 54 Surveys for new lines, 2 for gauge conversion, 7 for doubling and 5 others to be taken up.
• Master Plan for the development of rail infrastructure in the Northeast region to be drawn up in consultation with the Northeast Development Council and the state authorities concerned.
• 1021 km of New Lines to be completed. 9 new new line projects announced.
• 800 km of gauge conversion and 700km of doubling targeted.
• Several projects being taken up on cost sharing basis with State Governments and on PPP mode.
Concessions
• Technicians of regional film industry when travelling for film production related work to be eligible for 75% concession in Second Sleeper and 50% concession in higher classes in all trains.
• Cancer patients going for treatment to get 100% concession in 3 AC and Sleeper Class
• 50% concession to spouse of the correspondents extended to the companion of those correspondents who do not have a spouse, and dependent children up to 18 years.
• Service charge on e-tickets to be reduced to Rs.10 for Sleeper Class and Rs.20 for AC Class.
• Reduction of Rs 100 per wagon in freight charges for food-grains for domestic use and kerosene.
New Suburban services
• 101 new suburban services to be introduced in Mumbai area. More services to start in Chennai and Kolkata areas.
Special Trains
• Sanskriti Express to run across the country to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore. It is also proposed to take this train to Bangladesh.
• Ladies special trains to be renamed as ‘Matrabhoomi specials’.
• 3 unreserved trains named as ‘Karambhoomi trains’ to be introduced.
• A new weekly express train service ‘Janmabhoomi express’ to start between Ahmedabad and Udhampur .
• Special tourist trains called “Bharat Tirth” to start on 16 routes.
• 6 long route Duronto trains and 4 short distance Duronto day trains to be introduced.
Other New Train Services
• 54 new train services to be introduced.28 new passenger train services, 9 MEMU and 8 DEMU services to start. Extension of 21 trains and increase in frequency of 12 trains announced.
153
INFLATION
INFLATION : The condition where money is in excess by the goods are less for consumption is called Inflation.
Food Inflation: 12.63 %
Food Inflation is calculated on the base of Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
Fuel Inflation: 18.0 %
Head Line Inflation: 10.16 %
Core Inflation: 6 %
RBI projected an inflation of 8.5 % in the year 2009-10 and projects an inflation of 5.5 % in the coming year 2010-11.
ECONOMIC SURVEY
What is Economic Survey?
Economic survey is an annual commentary on the state of the economy of India which is put together by Finance Ministry of India. It is a document which presents economic development during the course of the year. The draft of the survey is prepared by Department of Economic Affairs and cleared by Chief economic Advisor and the secretary Economic Affairs. The final version is vetted by Finance secretary and Finance Minister.
When an Economic Survey is presented?
Economic survey is presented every year shortly before presenting the Union Budget of govt. of India, or just after the railway budget. Out of the 10 to 11 chapters presented, the first chapter which is titled “State of the Economy and prospects” deals in detail with overall macroeconomic performance of the country.
What is the objective of an Economic Survey?
An economic Survey provides an opportunity for the government of India to spell out its economic agenda. The govt. also represents its issues and priorities.
154
REFERENCES
THE BOOK OF FUTURE
www.gktoday.in
www.competitionmaster.com
Pratiyogitha Darpan
The Hindu
TheTheTheThe BookBookBookBook Of FutureOf FutureOf FutureOf Future
