WBCS Current Affairs 01/07/2017 to 07/07/2017 Part 2
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 2:46 pm31. The Union Government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a $220 million loan agreement for improving connectivity as well as transport efficiency and safety on State Highways of Rajasthan. The loan will be provided as the first tranche of the $500 million Rajasthan State Highways Investment Program, approved by ADB Board in May 2017. The Program will upgrade about 2,000 kilometers of state highways and major district roads to two-lane or intermediate-lane standards to meet road safety requirements. Key Facts Rajasthan State Highways Investment Program aims improve State Highways and major district roads in Rajasthan. It will enhance the capacity of the State public works department (PWD) in the areas of road asset management, road safety and project management. One of the focus areas of the program is to attract private sector financing through government capacity building on public private partnership (PPP) development. ADB will finance part of the construction costs for the annuity-based PPP concessions and engineering procurement construction (EPC) contracts. It will also enhance the stability of contract regime, and ensure good governance during project implementation. The first tranche loan will improve about 1,000 kilometres of State Highways and major district roads. It will have a 25-year term, including a grace period of 8 years. The loan will carry an annual interest rate determined in accordance with ADB’s London interbank offered rate-based (LIBOR) lending facility. The total cost of the project is $1.415 billion, of government contributing $465 million and $450 million from the private sector and other concessionaries. About Asian Development Bank (ADB) The ADB is a regional development bank which aims to promote social and economic development in Asia. It was established on 19 December 1966. It is headquartered in Manila, Philippines. ADB now has 67 members, of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside. The ADB has been modelled closely on the World Bank. It has similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions. As of 2014, Japan is the largest shareholder (capital subscription) of ADB having 15.7% shares followed US (15.6%), China (6.5%), India (6.4%), and Australia (5.8%).
32. As per analysis of the latest figures compiled by the Zurich based SNB (Swiss National Bank) as on 2016-end, India has slipped to the 88th place in terms of money parked by its citizens with Swiss banks. The analysis shows that the money officially held by Indians with banks in Switzerland now accounts for a meagre 0.04% of the total funds kept by all foreign clients in the Swiss banking system. The latest data from the SNB comes ahead of a new framework for automatic exchange of information singned between Switzerland and India to help check the black money menace. The funds mentioned are the official figures and do not indicate the quantum of black money. Key Facts The total money held in Swiss banks by foreign clients from across the world, incidentally rose by a small margin to 1.42 trillion Swiss francs (CHF) during 2016 from 1.41 trillion CHF in 2015. In terms of individual countries, United Kingdom accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 359 (over 25%) of the total foreign money with Swiss banks. The US came second with nearly CHF 177 billion (about 14%). Besides, UK and US, no other country accounted for a double-digit percentage share. The top-ten countries included West Indies, France, Bahamas, Germany, Guernsey, Jersey, Hong Kong and Luxembourg. India was ranked in top-50 continuously in terms of holdings in Swiss banks between 1996 and 2007, but it started declining after that and was placed at 55th in 2008, 59th in 2009 and 2010 each, 55th again in 2011, 71st in 2012, 58th in 2013, 61st in 2014 and 75th in 2015. It was ranked highest at 37th place in 2004. Among the five BRICS nations, India was also the lowest ranked. Russia was ranked 19th (CHF 15.6 billion), China 25th (9.6 billion), Brazil 52nd (2.7 billion) and South Africa 61st (2.2 billion). Among them only China has moved up. Among India’s neighbouring countries, Pakistan was ranked 71st place (with about CHF 1.4 billion), Bangladesh was 89th (667.5 million), Nepal was 150th (312 million), Sri Lanka was 151st (307 million) and Bhutan was 282nd (half a million Swiss francs). The total money belonging to the developed countries fell to CHF 824 billion, while those from developing nations actually rose marginally to CHF 208 million. The money from developing economies in Asia-Pacific region rose to CHF 50 billion. The funds parked in Swiss banks from offshore financial centres rose to CHF 389 billion. The offshore financial centres that ranked higher including Cayman Islands, Panama, Marshall Islands, Cyprus, Bermuda, Seychelles, Isle of Man and Gibraltar.
33. The present standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam (located at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan) has highlighted India’s very special relationship with Bhutan, including military responsibilities. Background In June 2017 Chinese Army (People’s Liberation Army) construction party had entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct a road. Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) patrol had attempted to dissuade them from this unilateral activity. Later Bhutan underlinined that the construction of the road inside Bhutanese territory was a direct violation of the 1988 and 1998 agreements between Bhutan and China and affected the process of demarcating the boundary between these two countries. Since these developments, India and Bhutan have been in continuous contact, giving a view of India’s role in Bhutan’s security and matters of mutual interest. India’s defence commitment to Bhutan Under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, both countries have agreed to cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests. It provides that, neither Government will allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other. Under the previous treaty, India was to guide Bhutan on foreign and defence policies. The 2007 treaty is meant to respect the sensitivities of Bhutan regarding its sovereignty. In reality, it gives India virtual responsibility to protect Bhutan from the kind of external threat including threat from Chinese military. Moreover, the Eastern Army Command and the Eastern Air Command of India have integrated protection of Bhutan into their role. The Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), headed by a Major General also plays a critical role in training Bhutanese security personnel.
34. Data obtained from latest study conducted using remote sensing and GIS for the first time has offered definite proof that the mangrove forest cover in Indian Sunderbans has been depleting alarmingly. From 1986 to 2012, 124.418 sq km or about 5.5% of the mangrove cover of Sunderbans was lost. Moreover, variable degrees of erosion were also observed in at least 18 islands. The continuation of this process is a serious ecological threat. Key Facts Total forest cover of the Indian Sunderbans as assessed by remote sensing studies for the year 1986 was about 2,246.839 sq km. It has gradually declined by 2,201.41 sq. km. in 1996, then down to 2168.914 sq km in 2001 and to 2122.421 sq km in 2012. The loss in the mangrove forest in the Indian Sunderbans is about 5.5 %. The continuation of this process in response to climate change and sea level rise poses a serious threat to the carbon sequestration potential and other ecosystem services of this mangrove forest in future. The study also highlights a time series of the erosion of at least 18 mangrove forested islands of the Indian Sunderbans from 1986 to 2012. These islands include Sagar, Gosaba, Dulibhasani, Dalhousie, Bhangaduni and Jambudwip. The mean sea level rise is considered a driving factor for coastal erosion, coastal flooding, increase in the number of tidal creeks and losing land. The loss land, including mangrove forest is mainly due to decrease in fresh water flow and sediment supply in the western (Indian) part of the delta, and the rate of sea level rise is higher than sediment supply. However, the eastern (Bangladesh) side of the Sunderbans delta is gaining land because of the huge amount of sediment and water flow from the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Critical minimal inflow of freshwater is necessary for the luxuriant growth of mangroves. Decrease in freshwater inflow results change in mangrove succession where freshwater loving species of mangroves are replaced by salt-water loving ones. This immediate impact of salinity will also have negative impact on the fishing community, as commercially sought fish species will be replaced by fish that does not have as much market value. About Sundarbans Sundarbans is a vast mangrove forest in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal. It covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres of area of which 60% is in Bangladesh with the remainder in India. It is located in the delta region of Padma, Meghna and Brahmaputra river basins. It is the largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. In 1997, Sundarban was recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sundarban forests are known for its self- Royal Bengal Tiger and other numerous species of animals, including Chital Deer, Crocodile and Snakes. In May 1992, it was recognized as a Ramsar Site.
35. National Multi Commodity Exchange (NMCE), India’s first demutualised online national multi-commodities exchange will merge with Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX). The merged entity will create India’s third biggest commodity exchange. The largest commodity exchange by volume is the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) followed by National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX). Key Facts This is the first merger deal in the commodity exchange space in India. It has been approved by the boards of both exchanges and is expected to be completed by December 2017, subject to regulatory approvals. In the merged entity, the ICEX will hold a 62.8% stake, while NMCE shareholders will own the rest. The new exchange will offer a wide range of contracts, including bullion, oil, rubber, and other agri-commodities. It will also offer the world’s first diamond futures contract, which has already received in-principle approval from the marker regulator SEBI. The merger will help ICEX to further strengthen its position in the country’s fast-growing commodity derivatives market. It will result in greater financial strength, the consolidation of clients and members, an enhanced product basket, and higher operational synergies. Commodity trading in India Commodity trading is an exchange where various commodities and derivatives products are traded. Most commodity markets trade in agricultural products and other raw materials and contracts based on them. These contracts can include spot prices, futures, forwards and options on futures. Other sophisticated products may include interest rates, environmental instruments, swaps, or ocean freight contracts. Commodity trading in India has a long history. In fact, commodity trading had started in India much before it started in many other countries. However, years of foreign rule and Government policies had caused the commodity trading in India to diminish. It was restarted recently. At present, India has six national commodity exchanges namely, Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), National Multi-Commodity Exchange (NMCE) and Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX), ACE Derivatives exchange (ACE) and Universal commodity exchange (UCX) apart from numerous regional exchanges. Government had established regulatory body is Forward Markets Commission (FMC) in 1953. It was merged with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in September 2015.
36. India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed quick reaction surface-to-air short range missile (QR-SAM). The sophisticated missile was test fired from a truck-mounted canister launcher from launch complex-3 at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur. It was the second successful developmental trial of the state-of-the-art missile with an aerial target. The first test launch of the missile was conducted in June 2017 from the same base. Key Features of the missile The QR-SAM has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and other establishments. It has been designed to be a quick reaction missile. It is an all-weather weapon system capable of tracking and firing. The missile has a strike range of 25 to 30 km and can engage multiple targets. QR-SAM will complement the existing Akash short range SAM (surface-to-air missile) with a range of 25 kilometres which has already been inducted into the services.
37. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of the most recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The announcement comes 42 days (two 21-day incubation cycles of the virus) after the last confirmed Ebola patient in the affected Bas-Uélé province of DRC tested negative for the disease for the second time. It was DRC’s eighth outbreak of EVD since the discovery of the virus in the country in 1976. It killed four of the eight people infected in the central African country. The recent outbreak in DRC is not connected to the 2014 deadly Ebola outbreak that had worst hit Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and killed more than 11,300 dead, highest ever since its discovery of virus. This outbreak was declared finished in 2016. About Ebola virus disease (EVD) Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebola viruses. It was first identified in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a village near the Ebola River, from which it takes its name. Transmission: The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. Fruit bats are natural host of this virus. It spreads through contact with body fluids of inflected persons such as blood, urine and saliva. It also spreads through sexual transmission. Symptoms: High fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage. The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. However, in past outbreaks case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90%. Treatment: There is as yet no proven treatment available for EVD. However, a range of potential treatments including immune therapies, blood products and drug therapies are currently being evaluated. An experimental Ebola vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV is proved to highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea conducted in 2015.
38. Scientists from Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany have developed the world’s sharpest laser with record-breaking precision. This precision can be useful for various applications such as optical atomic clocks, radioastronomy, precision spectroscopy, testing the theory of relativity and carry out new precision measurements on ultracold atoms. What is Laser? A laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. Major difference between laser and other sources of light is that, laser emits light coherently. Laser light is used in numerous applications in industry, medicine and information technologies. It also brought about a real revolution in fields of research and in metrology etc. Features of sharpest laser Theoretically, laser light has only one colour, wavelength or frequency. In reality, however, there is always a certain linewidth. This newly developed laser has linewidth of only 10 miliHertz (0.01 Hz), — closer to the ideal laser than ever before. In addition to the new laser’s extremely small linewidth, researchers also have found out that the emitted laser light’s frequency was more precise than what had ever been achieved before.
39. The Assam government is going to raise a new Special Rhino Protection Force (SRPF) for better protection of the one-horned rhinos in Assam. State government has already started the process of recruitment for the proposed force. The cadre for the force will selected from local youths hailing from the fringe areas of the Kaziranga national park. After initial selection, recruits will be given necessary training. They will be also provided with arms and ammunition for better protection of the one horned rhinos. About one-horned rhinos The greater one-horned rhinoceros is the largest of the Asian Rhinos. Its preferred habitat is alluvial flood plains and areas containing tall grasslands along the foothills of the Himalayas. Formerly, they were extensively distributed in the Gangetic plains, but today they are restricted to small habitats in Indo-Nepal terai and North Bengal, and Assam. They are found in Kaziranga, Orang, Pobitara, Jaldapara (in Assam), Dudhwa (UP) National Park. Kaziranga National Park hosts two-thirds of the world’s Great One-horned rhinoceros (68% of worldwide population). It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 It is a partnership the Assam Forest Department, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Bodoland Territorial Council, International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Its goal is to attain a wild rhino population of at least 3,000 in the Indian state of Assam by the year 2020.
40. Four-time FIFA World Cup winner Germany won maiden FIFA Confederation Cup Football title by defeating Copa America Champion Chile by 1-0 goals in the final match held at St Petersburg, Russia. Lars Stindl of Germany score the goal in the first half against the run of play. Chile was not able to score goal. Earlier, in the third-place play-off match, Portugal defeated Mexico by 2-1. About FIFA Confederations Cup The FIFA Confederations Cup is an international association football tournament for national teams. It is currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the holders of each of the six regional championships (UEFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, CAF, AFC, OFC), along with the current FIFA World Cup holder and the host nation, bringing the number of teams up to eight. It was established in 1992. Since 2005, the tournament has been held in the nation hosts the next World Cup, acting as a test event for the larger tournament. Brazil has won the title for record 4 times (1997, 2005, 2009, 2013), followed by France (2001, 2003)
41. Carrie Lam was sworn in as the first female Chief Executive (CE) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), an autonomous territory of China on the Pearl River Delta. The CE of Hong Kong is the head and representative of the Hong Kong and also head of the Government of Hong Kong. Carrie Lam took her oath to office before Chines President Xi Jinping on the occasion marking 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China from Britain. She is fifth CE of Hong Kong since it became part of China in 1997. Prior to getting electing as CE, she was the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong SAR Government (from 2012 to 2017), the senior most rank of principal officials of Hong Kong. About Hong Kong Hong Kong was part of China back in early 18th Century. Later it was ceded to Britain after China’s Qing dynasty government was defeated in the First Opium War in 1842. Later in 1898, Kowloon island other 235 Outlying Islands surrounding Hong Kong Island were leased to Britain for 99 years period. After end of 99 year lease Britain handed Hong Kong to People’s Republic of China on 1st July 1997 under the principle condition of ‘One Country, Two Systems’. This arrangement allows Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system and enjoys high degree of autonomy, including retaining its capitalist system, independent judiciary and rule of law, free trade and freedom of speech. At present, Hong Kong is a service-based economy and serves as important gateway to the world’s largest market.
42. Indian and Chinese troops are facing off once again in Sikkim at Doko-La (or Donglong, as the Chinese call it), which lies at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan. There have been growing tensions between India and China. The current confrontation, however, shows signs of escalating. Both countries have upped the ante and deployed around 3,000 troops each in the tri-junction. The Doklam area has huge strategic significance for both India and China. It close to proximity of sensitive Chicken’s Neck, or the Siliguri Corridor, which is an extremely narrow stretch of land that connects the north-eastern region to the rest of India. Here is background of India-China Border dispute India-China Border Dispute India shares total boundary of around 3,488 km with China (second largest after Bangladesh). The Sino-Indian border is generally divided into three sectors namely: Western sector, Middle sector, and Eastern sector. 5 states viz. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh share border with China. Western Sector In the western sector, India shares about 2152 km long border with China. It is between Jammu and Kashmir and Xinjiang Province of China. In this sector, there is territorial dispute over Aksai Chin. Both countries went to war in 1962 over disputed territory of Aksai Chin. India claims it as part of Kashmir, while China claims it is part of Xinjiang. The dispute over Aksai Chin can be traced back to the failure of the British Empire to clearly demarcate a legal border between China and its Indian colony. During the time of British rule in India, two borders between India and China were proposed Johnson’s Line and McDonald Line. The Johnson’s line (proposed in 1865) shows Aksai Chin in Jammu and Kashmir i.e. under India’s control whereas McDonald Line (proposed in 1893) places it under China’s control. India considers Johnson Line as correct, rightful national border with China, while on the other hand, China considers the McDonald Line as the correct border with India. At present, Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the line separating Indian areas of Jammu and Kashmir from Aksai Chin. It is concurrent with the Chinese Aksai Chin claim line. Middle sector In this sector, India shares about 625 km long boundary with China which runs along the watershed from Ladakh to Nepal. The states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand touch this border with Tibet (China) in this sector. Both sides do not have much disagreement over border in this area. Eastern Sector In this sector, India shares 1,140 km long boundary with China. It runs from the eastern limit of Bhutan to a point near the Talu Pass at the trijunction of Tibet, India and Myanmar. This boundary line is called McMahon Line. The boundary was established along the Himalayan crest of the northern watershed of the Brahmaputra, except where the Kemang, Subansiri, Dihang and Lohit rivers break through that watershed. China considers the McMahon Line illegal and unacceptable claiming that Tibetans representatives who had sign the 1914 Convention held in Shimla which delineated the Mc Mahon line on the map were not having rights to do so.
India and China in 2003 had appointed Special Representatives to discuss the boundary question. In 2005, both sides had agreed on political parameters and guiding principles for a boundary settlement, will form the basis of the final settlement. So far 19 rounds of Special Representative Talks on the border have taken place (the latest was in April 2016).
43. Two Indian-Americans, Adobe Chief Shantanu Narayen (54) and former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (39) have been chosen for prestigious Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award 2017. They are among 38 distinguished US immigrants representing more than 30 countries of origin around the world honoured with this year’s award for their role in advancing US’s economy, society, and culture. Some the honourees include Canadian-origin social entrepreneur Jeff Skoll, PayPal cofounder of Ukrainian origin Max Levchin, Iranian-origin philanthropist and entrepreneur Hushang Ansary. Vivek Murthy Murthy was born in the UK. He is alumnus of Harvard and Yale. He was appointed as Surgeon General by former President Barack Obama in 2014, making the first-ever Indian-American and also the youngest to occupy the post. He was dismissed this in April 2017 by the Trump administration. Shantanu Narayen Narayen is a native of Hyderabad. He holds an undergraduate degree in electronics engineering, a master’s degree in computer science, and an MBA from UC Berkeley. He is a board member of Pfizer and US-India Business Council. At present, he is CEO of Adobe Systems. About Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award The award is given annually on the occasion of Independence Day of United States i.e. 4th July to naturalised citizens of US for their contribution in advancing US’s economy, society, and culture. The award has been instituted by New York-based Carnegie Corporation in 2006. The honourees are recognised with a full-page public service announcement in The New York Times and an online public awareness initiative. The Carnegie Corporation was established in 1911 by Scottish immigrant Andrew Carnegie to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Carnegie Corporation’s founder Andrew Carnegie was one of pioneer American capitalist who had shaped the modern American industry and philanthropy. He was the son of impoverished immigrants who had settled in US.
44. The Union Ministry of Science & Technology has launched National Biopharma Mission, a first ever Industry-Academia mission to accelerate biopharmaceutical development in India. Under this mission, the ministry also launched Innovate in India (i3) program to create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the sector. Need India has been an active player in the global pharmaceutical industry and has contributed towards making life saving drugs and low cost pharmaceutical products accessible at affordable rates. Despite, these advances, Indian biopharmaceutical industry is still 10-15 years behind their counterparts in the developed countries and faces stiff competition from Korea, China and others. The lacuna primarily exists due to disconnected centers of excellence, less focus on translational research and uncertain funding. So there was an immediate need to consolidated efforts to promote product discovery, translational research and early stage manufacturing in the country to ensure inclusive innovation. About Innovate in India (i3) program i3 is a flagship program of the Government of India in collaboration with World Bank. It is committed to make India a hub for design and development of novel, affordable and effective biopharmaceutical products and solutions. It promises to boost the growth of domestic biopharma industry by accelerating the translation of research concepts into viable products and supporting clinical validation. Moreover it will enable sustainable networks for collaboration between industry and academia, and support entrepreneurial ecosystem. The program will witness an investment of $250 million with $125 million as a loan from world Bank. It will strive to increase India’s global biopharmaceutical market share from current 2.8% to 5% and generate additional business opportunity of $16 billion. The program will help to innovate, co-create and co-facilitate scientific discoveries and offer young entrepreneurs an avenue to engage with the best in the industry. About National Biopharma Mission The mission aims to enable and nurture an ecosystem for preparing India’s technological and product development capabilities in biopharmaceuticals to be globally competitive level over the next decade. It will also strive to transform the health standards of India’s population through affordable product development The mission will be implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a PSU of Department of Biotechnology. It will bring together expertise from national and international corridors to provide strategic direction and guidance to move promising solutions through the product development value chain. It will provide a holistic and integrated approach to strengthen and support the entire product development value chain for accelerating the research leads to product development. This will help not only in immediate product development for addressing public health needs, but also help to create an ecosystem which will facilitate development of a continuous pipeline of products. The mission will concentrate on development of specific products such as vaccines, medical devices, biotherapeutics and diagnostics etc. Besides, it will also work on establishment of shared infrastructure and facilities. It will help in building and strengthening domain specific knowledge and management skills at the same time creating and enhancing technology transfer capabilities in public and private sector.
45. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed senior advocate and constitutional expert K K Venugopal (86) as the new Attorney General of India. He will be 15th Attorney General of India. He succeeds Mukul Rohatgi as the country’s top law officer. Earlier, in the Morarji Desai’ government (1977-79), Venugopal had served as Additional Solicitor General of India About K K Venugopal In his 50-year legal career, he had handled many high profile cases such as Mandal case, Ayodhya dispute, Presidential reference regarding appointment of Judges and also case involving judicial appointments. He assisted the Supreme Court in a number of cases and was amicus curiae in the infamous 2G spectrum case. He also had represented senior BJP leader L K Advani in the Babri Masjid demolition case. He is the recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. About Attorney General of India Attorney General for India is the Indian government’s chief legal advisor, and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of India.He is appointed by the President of India under Article 76(1) of the Constitution and holds office during the pleasure of the President. He is part of Union Executive. Qualification He must be a person qualified to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court or an eminent jurist, in the opinion of the President and must be a citizen of India. Functions Attorney General is the first law officer of the government of India and acts as top advocate for Union Government. He is responsible for giving advice to President/ Union Government upon such legal matters and to perform such other duties of legal character which are assigned to him by the President. He has right of audience in all courts within the territory of India. He has also the right to speak and take part in proceedings of both the houses of parliament including joint sittings. But cannot vote in parliament.Further, he can also be made a member of any parliamentary committee but in the committee also, he has no power to vote. He has all the powers and privileges that of a member of parliament. Private Practice Attorney General of India is not a full time Government servant. He is an advocate of the government and is allowed to take up private practice, provided the other party is not the state. Further, without permission of the government he cannot defend the accused persons in criminal matters.
46. Senior IPS officer R K Pachnanda took charge as the new Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). He will be the 29th Chief of the ITBP. With this appointment, Pachnanda became the only IPS officer who has served in all the major central paramilitary forces and agencies – CRPF, CISF, BSF, NDRF, SPG, CBI and now the ITBP. About R K Pachnanda Pachnanda is a 1983 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the West Bengal cadre. Prior to the appointment as DG ITBP, he has served in various capacities as Commissioner of Police, Kolkata and DG NDRF. He has been decorated with Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service (1999) and President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (2007). He has also authored the book ‘Terrorism and Response to Terrorist Threat’ in 2001. About Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) The ITBP (भारत-तिब्बत सीमा पुलिस बल) is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of India. It was raised on 24 October 1962, under the CRPF Act, in the wake of the 1962 Sino-Indian War. It was provided full autonomy after Parliament enacted the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act, 1992. It works under the command of the Union Home Ministry. Its motto is Shaurya – Dridhata – Karm Nishtha (English: Valour – Steadfastness and Commitment). At present, ITBP is strong Central Armed Police Force of 90000 personnel. It primarily guards the 3,488 KM Indo-China border along Tibet Autonomous Region. ITBP force is also engaged in a variety of internal security tasks including disaster management, civil Medical Camp, nuclear, biological and chemical disasters and UN peacekeeping missions around the world.
47. The growth of eight core sectors slowed to 3.6% in May 2017 due to fall in output of coal and fertilisers. It was 5.2% in May 2016. In April 2017, these eight sectors had recorded a growth rate of 2.8%. Core industry can be defined as the main industry. In most countries, there is a particular industry that seems to be the backbone of all other industries and it qualifies to be the core industry. In India, there are eight core sectors comprising of coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity. The electricity has the maximum weight of 10.32% followed by Steel (6.68%), Petroleum Refinery (5.94%), Crude Oil production (5.22 %), Coal production (4.38 %), Cement (2.41%), Natural Gas production (1.71 %) and Fertilizer production (1.25%). These eight Core Industries comprise nearly 38% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which measures factory output. Key Facts In May 2017, Coal and fertiliser productions recorded negative growth of 3.3% and 6.5%, respectively. Steel sector growth dipped to 3.7% as against 13.4% in May 2016. Slow growth in these key sectors may also have implications on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) number as these segments account for about 41% to the total factory output. However, growth in refinery products and electricity output grew by 5.4% and 6.4% in May 2017 as against 3.3% and 6.2%, respectively in the same period last year. Natural gas production too grew by 4.5% in May 2017 as against a negative growth rate of 6.5% a year earlier.
48. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Textiles India 2017, India’s first ever mega textiles trade fair at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The three-day fair will showcase the nation as a global sourcing hub and investment destination for manufacturers world-wide. Key Facts The fair has been organised by Union Ministry of Textiles. It aims to explore opportunities and strengths of textiles and apparel manufacturing in India for global investors, and forge collaboration with global players in the textiles segment. The event will have G2G, B2B and B2G meetings with 2,500 international buyers, 1000+ international and domestic exhibitors and 15,000 domestic visitors. Besides, country sessions, state sessions, round tables and sectorial seminars will be also held, many of which will be chaired by Union Ministers. Fashion shows and thematic shows will also be held. India’s textiles sector India’s textiles sector is one of the oldest industries in Indian economy dating back several centuries. Even today, it is one of the largest contributors to India’s exports with approximately 11% of total exports (exports during FY 2015-16 stood at US$ 40 billion). It contributes approximately 5% to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 14% to overall Index of Industrial Production (IIP). It is also labour intensive and is the second largest employer after agriculture. Government has allowed 100% FDI in the Indian textiles sector under the automatic route.
49. The Union Home Ministry is yet to give security clearance to the Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN), the IT backbone of the Goods and Service Tax (GST). Though the GSTN has been operational, it had not got the security clearance which is a mandatory requirement as it has private participation. Security issue The Union Finance Ministry is looking into the GSTN from the economic security’s perspective whereas the Union Home Ministry is examining any threat to national security by any of the stake holders in the company. Home Ministry has not decided time frame to grant clearance to GSTN. The procedure of grant of security clearance to the GSTN involves background checking of office bearers and others concerned. About Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) GSTN is a not for profit, non-Government, private limited company incorporated in 2013. The Union Government holds 24.5% equity in GSTN. It has been set up primarily to provide IT infrastructure and services to the Central and State Governments, tax payers and other stakeholders for implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST). All States including two UTs (Delhi and Puducherry) and the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers (EC) together hold another 24.5%. Balance 51% equity is with non-Government financial institutions-HDFC Bank Ltd (10%), HDFC Ltd (10%), ICICI Bank Ltd (10%), NSE Strategic Investment Corporation Ltd (10%) and LIC Housing Finance Limited (11%). The Revenue Model of GSTN after GST rollout will consist of User Charge to be paid by stakeholders who will use the system and thus it will be a self-sustaining organization.
50. The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension has launched a new training programme Comprehensive Online Modified Modules on Induction Training (COMMIT) for State Government officials. The objective of COMMIT programme is to improve the public service delivery mechanism and provide citizen centric administration through capacity building of officials who interact with the citizens on day-to-day basis. Key Facts The COMMIT programme has been developed by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It will supplement the existing 12-Day Induction Training Programme (ITP) launched in 2014-15 for newly recruited state Government officials to develop in them Generic and Domain specific competencies. COMMIT is cost effective and has the potential to cover about 3.3 lakh officials annually, compared to 10,000 officials under existing 12-Day ITP. Initially on pilot basis the programme will be launched in 6 States of Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal during the current financial year 2017-18. Next year it is expected to cover all India level. It will cover approximately 74,000 State Government officials in 2017-18. The COMMIT programme has been designed in such a way that it allows to translate the content in local/regional languages. It will be implemented through State Administrative Training Institutes (ATIs). It will be of 28 hours duration which will include e-Modules for 20 hours and face-to-face training for 8 hours. The 20 hours e-training will be imparted through specifically developed 12 Generic and 3 Domain specific e-Modules.
32. As per analysis of the latest figures compiled by the Zurich based SNB (Swiss National Bank) as on 2016-end, India has slipped to the 88th place in terms of money parked by its citizens with Swiss banks. The analysis shows that the money officially held by Indians with banks in Switzerland now accounts for a meagre 0.04% of the total funds kept by all foreign clients in the Swiss banking system. The latest data from the SNB comes ahead of a new framework for automatic exchange of information singned between Switzerland and India to help check the black money menace. The funds mentioned are the official figures and do not indicate the quantum of black money. Key Facts The total money held in Swiss banks by foreign clients from across the world, incidentally rose by a small margin to 1.42 trillion Swiss francs (CHF) during 2016 from 1.41 trillion CHF in 2015. In terms of individual countries, United Kingdom accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 359 (over 25%) of the total foreign money with Swiss banks. The US came second with nearly CHF 177 billion (about 14%). Besides, UK and US, no other country accounted for a double-digit percentage share. The top-ten countries included West Indies, France, Bahamas, Germany, Guernsey, Jersey, Hong Kong and Luxembourg. India was ranked in top-50 continuously in terms of holdings in Swiss banks between 1996 and 2007, but it started declining after that and was placed at 55th in 2008, 59th in 2009 and 2010 each, 55th again in 2011, 71st in 2012, 58th in 2013, 61st in 2014 and 75th in 2015. It was ranked highest at 37th place in 2004. Among the five BRICS nations, India was also the lowest ranked. Russia was ranked 19th (CHF 15.6 billion), China 25th (9.6 billion), Brazil 52nd (2.7 billion) and South Africa 61st (2.2 billion). Among them only China has moved up. Among India’s neighbouring countries, Pakistan was ranked 71st place (with about CHF 1.4 billion), Bangladesh was 89th (667.5 million), Nepal was 150th (312 million), Sri Lanka was 151st (307 million) and Bhutan was 282nd (half a million Swiss francs). The total money belonging to the developed countries fell to CHF 824 billion, while those from developing nations actually rose marginally to CHF 208 million. The money from developing economies in Asia-Pacific region rose to CHF 50 billion. The funds parked in Swiss banks from offshore financial centres rose to CHF 389 billion. The offshore financial centres that ranked higher including Cayman Islands, Panama, Marshall Islands, Cyprus, Bermuda, Seychelles, Isle of Man and Gibraltar.
33. The present standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam (located at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan) has highlighted India’s very special relationship with Bhutan, including military responsibilities. Background In June 2017 Chinese Army (People’s Liberation Army) construction party had entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct a road. Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) patrol had attempted to dissuade them from this unilateral activity. Later Bhutan underlinined that the construction of the road inside Bhutanese territory was a direct violation of the 1988 and 1998 agreements between Bhutan and China and affected the process of demarcating the boundary between these two countries. Since these developments, India and Bhutan have been in continuous contact, giving a view of India’s role in Bhutan’s security and matters of mutual interest. India’s defence commitment to Bhutan Under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, both countries have agreed to cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests. It provides that, neither Government will allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other. Under the previous treaty, India was to guide Bhutan on foreign and defence policies. The 2007 treaty is meant to respect the sensitivities of Bhutan regarding its sovereignty. In reality, it gives India virtual responsibility to protect Bhutan from the kind of external threat including threat from Chinese military. Moreover, the Eastern Army Command and the Eastern Air Command of India have integrated protection of Bhutan into their role. The Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), headed by a Major General also plays a critical role in training Bhutanese security personnel.
34. Data obtained from latest study conducted using remote sensing and GIS for the first time has offered definite proof that the mangrove forest cover in Indian Sunderbans has been depleting alarmingly. From 1986 to 2012, 124.418 sq km or about 5.5% of the mangrove cover of Sunderbans was lost. Moreover, variable degrees of erosion were also observed in at least 18 islands. The continuation of this process is a serious ecological threat. Key Facts Total forest cover of the Indian Sunderbans as assessed by remote sensing studies for the year 1986 was about 2,246.839 sq km. It has gradually declined by 2,201.41 sq. km. in 1996, then down to 2168.914 sq km in 2001 and to 2122.421 sq km in 2012. The loss in the mangrove forest in the Indian Sunderbans is about 5.5 %. The continuation of this process in response to climate change and sea level rise poses a serious threat to the carbon sequestration potential and other ecosystem services of this mangrove forest in future. The study also highlights a time series of the erosion of at least 18 mangrove forested islands of the Indian Sunderbans from 1986 to 2012. These islands include Sagar, Gosaba, Dulibhasani, Dalhousie, Bhangaduni and Jambudwip. The mean sea level rise is considered a driving factor for coastal erosion, coastal flooding, increase in the number of tidal creeks and losing land. The loss land, including mangrove forest is mainly due to decrease in fresh water flow and sediment supply in the western (Indian) part of the delta, and the rate of sea level rise is higher than sediment supply. However, the eastern (Bangladesh) side of the Sunderbans delta is gaining land because of the huge amount of sediment and water flow from the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Critical minimal inflow of freshwater is necessary for the luxuriant growth of mangroves. Decrease in freshwater inflow results change in mangrove succession where freshwater loving species of mangroves are replaced by salt-water loving ones. This immediate impact of salinity will also have negative impact on the fishing community, as commercially sought fish species will be replaced by fish that does not have as much market value. About Sundarbans Sundarbans is a vast mangrove forest in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal. It covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres of area of which 60% is in Bangladesh with the remainder in India. It is located in the delta region of Padma, Meghna and Brahmaputra river basins. It is the largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. In 1997, Sundarban was recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sundarban forests are known for its self- Royal Bengal Tiger and other numerous species of animals, including Chital Deer, Crocodile and Snakes. In May 1992, it was recognized as a Ramsar Site.
35. National Multi Commodity Exchange (NMCE), India’s first demutualised online national multi-commodities exchange will merge with Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX). The merged entity will create India’s third biggest commodity exchange. The largest commodity exchange by volume is the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) followed by National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX). Key Facts This is the first merger deal in the commodity exchange space in India. It has been approved by the boards of both exchanges and is expected to be completed by December 2017, subject to regulatory approvals. In the merged entity, the ICEX will hold a 62.8% stake, while NMCE shareholders will own the rest. The new exchange will offer a wide range of contracts, including bullion, oil, rubber, and other agri-commodities. It will also offer the world’s first diamond futures contract, which has already received in-principle approval from the marker regulator SEBI. The merger will help ICEX to further strengthen its position in the country’s fast-growing commodity derivatives market. It will result in greater financial strength, the consolidation of clients and members, an enhanced product basket, and higher operational synergies. Commodity trading in India Commodity trading is an exchange where various commodities and derivatives products are traded. Most commodity markets trade in agricultural products and other raw materials and contracts based on them. These contracts can include spot prices, futures, forwards and options on futures. Other sophisticated products may include interest rates, environmental instruments, swaps, or ocean freight contracts. Commodity trading in India has a long history. In fact, commodity trading had started in India much before it started in many other countries. However, years of foreign rule and Government policies had caused the commodity trading in India to diminish. It was restarted recently. At present, India has six national commodity exchanges namely, Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), National Multi-Commodity Exchange (NMCE) and Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX), ACE Derivatives exchange (ACE) and Universal commodity exchange (UCX) apart from numerous regional exchanges. Government had established regulatory body is Forward Markets Commission (FMC) in 1953. It was merged with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in September 2015.
36. India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed quick reaction surface-to-air short range missile (QR-SAM). The sophisticated missile was test fired from a truck-mounted canister launcher from launch complex-3 at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur. It was the second successful developmental trial of the state-of-the-art missile with an aerial target. The first test launch of the missile was conducted in June 2017 from the same base. Key Features of the missile The QR-SAM has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and other establishments. It has been designed to be a quick reaction missile. It is an all-weather weapon system capable of tracking and firing. The missile has a strike range of 25 to 30 km and can engage multiple targets. QR-SAM will complement the existing Akash short range SAM (surface-to-air missile) with a range of 25 kilometres which has already been inducted into the services.
37. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of the most recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The announcement comes 42 days (two 21-day incubation cycles of the virus) after the last confirmed Ebola patient in the affected Bas-Uélé province of DRC tested negative for the disease for the second time. It was DRC’s eighth outbreak of EVD since the discovery of the virus in the country in 1976. It killed four of the eight people infected in the central African country. The recent outbreak in DRC is not connected to the 2014 deadly Ebola outbreak that had worst hit Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and killed more than 11,300 dead, highest ever since its discovery of virus. This outbreak was declared finished in 2016. About Ebola virus disease (EVD) Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebola viruses. It was first identified in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a village near the Ebola River, from which it takes its name. Transmission: The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. Fruit bats are natural host of this virus. It spreads through contact with body fluids of inflected persons such as blood, urine and saliva. It also spreads through sexual transmission. Symptoms: High fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage. The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. However, in past outbreaks case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90%. Treatment: There is as yet no proven treatment available for EVD. However, a range of potential treatments including immune therapies, blood products and drug therapies are currently being evaluated. An experimental Ebola vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV is proved to highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea conducted in 2015.
38. Scientists from Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany have developed the world’s sharpest laser with record-breaking precision. This precision can be useful for various applications such as optical atomic clocks, radioastronomy, precision spectroscopy, testing the theory of relativity and carry out new precision measurements on ultracold atoms. What is Laser? A laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. Major difference between laser and other sources of light is that, laser emits light coherently. Laser light is used in numerous applications in industry, medicine and information technologies. It also brought about a real revolution in fields of research and in metrology etc. Features of sharpest laser Theoretically, laser light has only one colour, wavelength or frequency. In reality, however, there is always a certain linewidth. This newly developed laser has linewidth of only 10 miliHertz (0.01 Hz), — closer to the ideal laser than ever before. In addition to the new laser’s extremely small linewidth, researchers also have found out that the emitted laser light’s frequency was more precise than what had ever been achieved before.
39. The Assam government is going to raise a new Special Rhino Protection Force (SRPF) for better protection of the one-horned rhinos in Assam. State government has already started the process of recruitment for the proposed force. The cadre for the force will selected from local youths hailing from the fringe areas of the Kaziranga national park. After initial selection, recruits will be given necessary training. They will be also provided with arms and ammunition for better protection of the one horned rhinos. About one-horned rhinos The greater one-horned rhinoceros is the largest of the Asian Rhinos. Its preferred habitat is alluvial flood plains and areas containing tall grasslands along the foothills of the Himalayas. Formerly, they were extensively distributed in the Gangetic plains, but today they are restricted to small habitats in Indo-Nepal terai and North Bengal, and Assam. They are found in Kaziranga, Orang, Pobitara, Jaldapara (in Assam), Dudhwa (UP) National Park. Kaziranga National Park hosts two-thirds of the world’s Great One-horned rhinoceros (68% of worldwide population). It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 It is a partnership the Assam Forest Department, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Bodoland Territorial Council, International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Its goal is to attain a wild rhino population of at least 3,000 in the Indian state of Assam by the year 2020.
40. Four-time FIFA World Cup winner Germany won maiden FIFA Confederation Cup Football title by defeating Copa America Champion Chile by 1-0 goals in the final match held at St Petersburg, Russia. Lars Stindl of Germany score the goal in the first half against the run of play. Chile was not able to score goal. Earlier, in the third-place play-off match, Portugal defeated Mexico by 2-1. About FIFA Confederations Cup The FIFA Confederations Cup is an international association football tournament for national teams. It is currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the holders of each of the six regional championships (UEFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, CAF, AFC, OFC), along with the current FIFA World Cup holder and the host nation, bringing the number of teams up to eight. It was established in 1992. Since 2005, the tournament has been held in the nation hosts the next World Cup, acting as a test event for the larger tournament. Brazil has won the title for record 4 times (1997, 2005, 2009, 2013), followed by France (2001, 2003)
41. Carrie Lam was sworn in as the first female Chief Executive (CE) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), an autonomous territory of China on the Pearl River Delta. The CE of Hong Kong is the head and representative of the Hong Kong and also head of the Government of Hong Kong. Carrie Lam took her oath to office before Chines President Xi Jinping on the occasion marking 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China from Britain. She is fifth CE of Hong Kong since it became part of China in 1997. Prior to getting electing as CE, she was the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong SAR Government (from 2012 to 2017), the senior most rank of principal officials of Hong Kong. About Hong Kong Hong Kong was part of China back in early 18th Century. Later it was ceded to Britain after China’s Qing dynasty government was defeated in the First Opium War in 1842. Later in 1898, Kowloon island other 235 Outlying Islands surrounding Hong Kong Island were leased to Britain for 99 years period. After end of 99 year lease Britain handed Hong Kong to People’s Republic of China on 1st July 1997 under the principle condition of ‘One Country, Two Systems’. This arrangement allows Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system and enjoys high degree of autonomy, including retaining its capitalist system, independent judiciary and rule of law, free trade and freedom of speech. At present, Hong Kong is a service-based economy and serves as important gateway to the world’s largest market.
42. Indian and Chinese troops are facing off once again in Sikkim at Doko-La (or Donglong, as the Chinese call it), which lies at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan. There have been growing tensions between India and China. The current confrontation, however, shows signs of escalating. Both countries have upped the ante and deployed around 3,000 troops each in the tri-junction. The Doklam area has huge strategic significance for both India and China. It close to proximity of sensitive Chicken’s Neck, or the Siliguri Corridor, which is an extremely narrow stretch of land that connects the north-eastern region to the rest of India. Here is background of India-China Border dispute India-China Border Dispute India shares total boundary of around 3,488 km with China (second largest after Bangladesh). The Sino-Indian border is generally divided into three sectors namely: Western sector, Middle sector, and Eastern sector. 5 states viz. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh share border with China. Western Sector In the western sector, India shares about 2152 km long border with China. It is between Jammu and Kashmir and Xinjiang Province of China. In this sector, there is territorial dispute over Aksai Chin. Both countries went to war in 1962 over disputed territory of Aksai Chin. India claims it as part of Kashmir, while China claims it is part of Xinjiang. The dispute over Aksai Chin can be traced back to the failure of the British Empire to clearly demarcate a legal border between China and its Indian colony. During the time of British rule in India, two borders between India and China were proposed Johnson’s Line and McDonald Line. The Johnson’s line (proposed in 1865) shows Aksai Chin in Jammu and Kashmir i.e. under India’s control whereas McDonald Line (proposed in 1893) places it under China’s control. India considers Johnson Line as correct, rightful national border with China, while on the other hand, China considers the McDonald Line as the correct border with India. At present, Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the line separating Indian areas of Jammu and Kashmir from Aksai Chin. It is concurrent with the Chinese Aksai Chin claim line. Middle sector In this sector, India shares about 625 km long boundary with China which runs along the watershed from Ladakh to Nepal. The states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand touch this border with Tibet (China) in this sector. Both sides do not have much disagreement over border in this area. Eastern Sector In this sector, India shares 1,140 km long boundary with China. It runs from the eastern limit of Bhutan to a point near the Talu Pass at the trijunction of Tibet, India and Myanmar. This boundary line is called McMahon Line. The boundary was established along the Himalayan crest of the northern watershed of the Brahmaputra, except where the Kemang, Subansiri, Dihang and Lohit rivers break through that watershed. China considers the McMahon Line illegal and unacceptable claiming that Tibetans representatives who had sign the 1914 Convention held in Shimla which delineated the Mc Mahon line on the map were not having rights to do so.
India and China in 2003 had appointed Special Representatives to discuss the boundary question. In 2005, both sides had agreed on political parameters and guiding principles for a boundary settlement, will form the basis of the final settlement. So far 19 rounds of Special Representative Talks on the border have taken place (the latest was in April 2016).
43. Two Indian-Americans, Adobe Chief Shantanu Narayen (54) and former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (39) have been chosen for prestigious Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award 2017. They are among 38 distinguished US immigrants representing more than 30 countries of origin around the world honoured with this year’s award for their role in advancing US’s economy, society, and culture. Some the honourees include Canadian-origin social entrepreneur Jeff Skoll, PayPal cofounder of Ukrainian origin Max Levchin, Iranian-origin philanthropist and entrepreneur Hushang Ansary. Vivek Murthy Murthy was born in the UK. He is alumnus of Harvard and Yale. He was appointed as Surgeon General by former President Barack Obama in 2014, making the first-ever Indian-American and also the youngest to occupy the post. He was dismissed this in April 2017 by the Trump administration. Shantanu Narayen Narayen is a native of Hyderabad. He holds an undergraduate degree in electronics engineering, a master’s degree in computer science, and an MBA from UC Berkeley. He is a board member of Pfizer and US-India Business Council. At present, he is CEO of Adobe Systems. About Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award The award is given annually on the occasion of Independence Day of United States i.e. 4th July to naturalised citizens of US for their contribution in advancing US’s economy, society, and culture. The award has been instituted by New York-based Carnegie Corporation in 2006. The honourees are recognised with a full-page public service announcement in The New York Times and an online public awareness initiative. The Carnegie Corporation was established in 1911 by Scottish immigrant Andrew Carnegie to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Carnegie Corporation’s founder Andrew Carnegie was one of pioneer American capitalist who had shaped the modern American industry and philanthropy. He was the son of impoverished immigrants who had settled in US.
44. The Union Ministry of Science & Technology has launched National Biopharma Mission, a first ever Industry-Academia mission to accelerate biopharmaceutical development in India. Under this mission, the ministry also launched Innovate in India (i3) program to create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the sector. Need India has been an active player in the global pharmaceutical industry and has contributed towards making life saving drugs and low cost pharmaceutical products accessible at affordable rates. Despite, these advances, Indian biopharmaceutical industry is still 10-15 years behind their counterparts in the developed countries and faces stiff competition from Korea, China and others. The lacuna primarily exists due to disconnected centers of excellence, less focus on translational research and uncertain funding. So there was an immediate need to consolidated efforts to promote product discovery, translational research and early stage manufacturing in the country to ensure inclusive innovation. About Innovate in India (i3) program i3 is a flagship program of the Government of India in collaboration with World Bank. It is committed to make India a hub for design and development of novel, affordable and effective biopharmaceutical products and solutions. It promises to boost the growth of domestic biopharma industry by accelerating the translation of research concepts into viable products and supporting clinical validation. Moreover it will enable sustainable networks for collaboration between industry and academia, and support entrepreneurial ecosystem. The program will witness an investment of $250 million with $125 million as a loan from world Bank. It will strive to increase India’s global biopharmaceutical market share from current 2.8% to 5% and generate additional business opportunity of $16 billion. The program will help to innovate, co-create and co-facilitate scientific discoveries and offer young entrepreneurs an avenue to engage with the best in the industry. About National Biopharma Mission The mission aims to enable and nurture an ecosystem for preparing India’s technological and product development capabilities in biopharmaceuticals to be globally competitive level over the next decade. It will also strive to transform the health standards of India’s population through affordable product development The mission will be implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a PSU of Department of Biotechnology. It will bring together expertise from national and international corridors to provide strategic direction and guidance to move promising solutions through the product development value chain. It will provide a holistic and integrated approach to strengthen and support the entire product development value chain for accelerating the research leads to product development. This will help not only in immediate product development for addressing public health needs, but also help to create an ecosystem which will facilitate development of a continuous pipeline of products. The mission will concentrate on development of specific products such as vaccines, medical devices, biotherapeutics and diagnostics etc. Besides, it will also work on establishment of shared infrastructure and facilities. It will help in building and strengthening domain specific knowledge and management skills at the same time creating and enhancing technology transfer capabilities in public and private sector.
45. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed senior advocate and constitutional expert K K Venugopal (86) as the new Attorney General of India. He will be 15th Attorney General of India. He succeeds Mukul Rohatgi as the country’s top law officer. Earlier, in the Morarji Desai’ government (1977-79), Venugopal had served as Additional Solicitor General of India About K K Venugopal In his 50-year legal career, he had handled many high profile cases such as Mandal case, Ayodhya dispute, Presidential reference regarding appointment of Judges and also case involving judicial appointments. He assisted the Supreme Court in a number of cases and was amicus curiae in the infamous 2G spectrum case. He also had represented senior BJP leader L K Advani in the Babri Masjid demolition case. He is the recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. About Attorney General of India Attorney General for India is the Indian government’s chief legal advisor, and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of India.He is appointed by the President of India under Article 76(1) of the Constitution and holds office during the pleasure of the President. He is part of Union Executive. Qualification He must be a person qualified to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court or an eminent jurist, in the opinion of the President and must be a citizen of India. Functions Attorney General is the first law officer of the government of India and acts as top advocate for Union Government. He is responsible for giving advice to President/ Union Government upon such legal matters and to perform such other duties of legal character which are assigned to him by the President. He has right of audience in all courts within the territory of India. He has also the right to speak and take part in proceedings of both the houses of parliament including joint sittings. But cannot vote in parliament.Further, he can also be made a member of any parliamentary committee but in the committee also, he has no power to vote. He has all the powers and privileges that of a member of parliament. Private Practice Attorney General of India is not a full time Government servant. He is an advocate of the government and is allowed to take up private practice, provided the other party is not the state. Further, without permission of the government he cannot defend the accused persons in criminal matters.
46. Senior IPS officer R K Pachnanda took charge as the new Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). He will be the 29th Chief of the ITBP. With this appointment, Pachnanda became the only IPS officer who has served in all the major central paramilitary forces and agencies – CRPF, CISF, BSF, NDRF, SPG, CBI and now the ITBP. About R K Pachnanda Pachnanda is a 1983 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the West Bengal cadre. Prior to the appointment as DG ITBP, he has served in various capacities as Commissioner of Police, Kolkata and DG NDRF. He has been decorated with Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service (1999) and President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (2007). He has also authored the book ‘Terrorism and Response to Terrorist Threat’ in 2001. About Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) The ITBP (भारत-तिब्बत सीमा पुलिस बल) is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of India. It was raised on 24 October 1962, under the CRPF Act, in the wake of the 1962 Sino-Indian War. It was provided full autonomy after Parliament enacted the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act, 1992. It works under the command of the Union Home Ministry. Its motto is Shaurya – Dridhata – Karm Nishtha (English: Valour – Steadfastness and Commitment). At present, ITBP is strong Central Armed Police Force of 90000 personnel. It primarily guards the 3,488 KM Indo-China border along Tibet Autonomous Region. ITBP force is also engaged in a variety of internal security tasks including disaster management, civil Medical Camp, nuclear, biological and chemical disasters and UN peacekeeping missions around the world.
47. The growth of eight core sectors slowed to 3.6% in May 2017 due to fall in output of coal and fertilisers. It was 5.2% in May 2016. In April 2017, these eight sectors had recorded a growth rate of 2.8%. Core industry can be defined as the main industry. In most countries, there is a particular industry that seems to be the backbone of all other industries and it qualifies to be the core industry. In India, there are eight core sectors comprising of coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity. The electricity has the maximum weight of 10.32% followed by Steel (6.68%), Petroleum Refinery (5.94%), Crude Oil production (5.22 %), Coal production (4.38 %), Cement (2.41%), Natural Gas production (1.71 %) and Fertilizer production (1.25%). These eight Core Industries comprise nearly 38% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which measures factory output. Key Facts In May 2017, Coal and fertiliser productions recorded negative growth of 3.3% and 6.5%, respectively. Steel sector growth dipped to 3.7% as against 13.4% in May 2016. Slow growth in these key sectors may also have implications on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) number as these segments account for about 41% to the total factory output. However, growth in refinery products and electricity output grew by 5.4% and 6.4% in May 2017 as against 3.3% and 6.2%, respectively in the same period last year. Natural gas production too grew by 4.5% in May 2017 as against a negative growth rate of 6.5% a year earlier.
48. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Textiles India 2017, India’s first ever mega textiles trade fair at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The three-day fair will showcase the nation as a global sourcing hub and investment destination for manufacturers world-wide. Key Facts The fair has been organised by Union Ministry of Textiles. It aims to explore opportunities and strengths of textiles and apparel manufacturing in India for global investors, and forge collaboration with global players in the textiles segment. The event will have G2G, B2B and B2G meetings with 2,500 international buyers, 1000+ international and domestic exhibitors and 15,000 domestic visitors. Besides, country sessions, state sessions, round tables and sectorial seminars will be also held, many of which will be chaired by Union Ministers. Fashion shows and thematic shows will also be held. India’s textiles sector India’s textiles sector is one of the oldest industries in Indian economy dating back several centuries. Even today, it is one of the largest contributors to India’s exports with approximately 11% of total exports (exports during FY 2015-16 stood at US$ 40 billion). It contributes approximately 5% to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 14% to overall Index of Industrial Production (IIP). It is also labour intensive and is the second largest employer after agriculture. Government has allowed 100% FDI in the Indian textiles sector under the automatic route.
49. The Union Home Ministry is yet to give security clearance to the Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN), the IT backbone of the Goods and Service Tax (GST). Though the GSTN has been operational, it had not got the security clearance which is a mandatory requirement as it has private participation. Security issue The Union Finance Ministry is looking into the GSTN from the economic security’s perspective whereas the Union Home Ministry is examining any threat to national security by any of the stake holders in the company. Home Ministry has not decided time frame to grant clearance to GSTN. The procedure of grant of security clearance to the GSTN involves background checking of office bearers and others concerned. About Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) GSTN is a not for profit, non-Government, private limited company incorporated in 2013. The Union Government holds 24.5% equity in GSTN. It has been set up primarily to provide IT infrastructure and services to the Central and State Governments, tax payers and other stakeholders for implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST). All States including two UTs (Delhi and Puducherry) and the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers (EC) together hold another 24.5%. Balance 51% equity is with non-Government financial institutions-HDFC Bank Ltd (10%), HDFC Ltd (10%), ICICI Bank Ltd (10%), NSE Strategic Investment Corporation Ltd (10%) and LIC Housing Finance Limited (11%). The Revenue Model of GSTN after GST rollout will consist of User Charge to be paid by stakeholders who will use the system and thus it will be a self-sustaining organization.
50. The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension has launched a new training programme Comprehensive Online Modified Modules on Induction Training (COMMIT) for State Government officials. The objective of COMMIT programme is to improve the public service delivery mechanism and provide citizen centric administration through capacity building of officials who interact with the citizens on day-to-day basis. Key Facts The COMMIT programme has been developed by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It will supplement the existing 12-Day Induction Training Programme (ITP) launched in 2014-15 for newly recruited state Government officials to develop in them Generic and Domain specific competencies. COMMIT is cost effective and has the potential to cover about 3.3 lakh officials annually, compared to 10,000 officials under existing 12-Day ITP. Initially on pilot basis the programme will be launched in 6 States of Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal during the current financial year 2017-18. Next year it is expected to cover all India level. It will cover approximately 74,000 State Government officials in 2017-18. The COMMIT programme has been designed in such a way that it allows to translate the content in local/regional languages. It will be implemented through State Administrative Training Institutes (ATIs). It will be of 28 hours duration which will include e-Modules for 20 hours and face-to-face training for 8 hours. The 20 hours e-training will be imparted through specifically developed 12 Generic and 3 Domain specific e-Modules.