Civilsdaily digest August 2015

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Civilsdaily Newsdigest August 2015

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Economics | August 1, 2015

Centre to pump Rs. 70,000 cr. into PSU banks1. In a bid to boost investments, Centre will over thenext four years infuse Rs.70,000 crore out ofbudgetary allocations into PSU banks – Rs. 25,000 inthis year and the next, Rs.10,000 crore in 2017‐18and 2018‐19.

2. NIIF will make equity investments of Rs. 20,000 croreevery year in commercially viable long gestationprojects.

3. Reason for the capital infusion is global and domesticslowdown in demand, menace of NPAs and loweredprofitability of PSU banks.

Discuss: NIIF is owned 49% by the govt. outside thepurview of the Parliament and CAG, and is run bycommercial managers.

Enviro & Biodiversity | August 1, 2015

Should we put a price on ground water, asksSC1. Showing a concern to the wastage of groundwater,SC asked the Centre and the Delhi Govt. if limiting itsuse by metering it and charging can help to check theshortage.

2. The petitioner had argued that water is an importantnatural resource and it is the responsibility of the govt.to ensure its judicious and sustainable use.

3. Besides checking the groundwater wastage, thesuggested move will also generate revenue for thegovt. which can be used to safeguard theunderground water table.

Polity | August 1, 2015

Centre ruled out Special Category Status (SCS)for Bihar1. Reason given is that the 14 Fin Commission had notmade any difference between general states and SCSfor the horizontal distribution among them.

2. However, special assistance on lines of what wasprovided to Andhra Pradesh post bifurcation hasalready been allotted to Bihar and West Bengal in thisyear’s budget.

Discuss: The concept of SCS was first introduced in 1969when the 5th Fin Commission sought to provide certaindisadvantaged states with preferential treatment in theform of central assistance and tax breaks.

Science & Tech | August 1, 2015

Vaccine developed to fight Ebola1. The vaccine has been developed by the Public HealthAgency of Canada and the trials were conducted inGuinea which showed 100% efficacy.

2. A dummy virus (vesicular stomatitis virus, or VSV) wasdesigned with diluted elements of Ebola.

3. This risk‐free virus when injected into the humanbody alarms the immune system, which kills the VSVas well as the deadly ebola virus.

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NSSO survey reveals 67.3% rural householdsuse firewood for cooking1. In contrast, only 14% of urban households usefirewood and the remaining rely of LPG.

2. In North Indian States, cow‐dung cake is used by athird of rural households in UP and Punjab, a quarterin Haryana and a fifth in Bihar.

3. The use of firewood drops steadily with rising incomesin rural and urban areas, and LPG use is highestamong the richest classes.

4. 87% of ST households and 70% of SC households inrural India use firewood, compared with 57% ofothers.

5. Over 25% of rural households still rely on kerosenefor lighting.


World Gold Council releases report on Indianhallmarking1. The World Gold Council’s (WGC) report exploresIndia’s export potential, if gold jewellery arehallmarked.

2. It says that India’s gold jewellery export can increasefrom $8 billion to $40 billion by 2020, if hallmarking isadopted fully.

3. Currently, less than a third of Indian jewellery ishallmarked.

4. There is a widespread differences in purity of gold,because of poor quality control methods and onlyabout 30 % of Indian jewellery is hallmarked.

5. Another problem is concentration of India’s 400hallmarking centres around specific cities.


[op‐ed snap] A basic right is in danger1. The Attorney General’s argument questioning right toprivacy is against the interests of the people, and alsoseems to be politically motivated.

2. India has ratified the International Covenant on Civiland Political Rights, which unequivocally supports theexistence of the right to privacy.

3. It is inconsistent for the govt. to argue that US hasviolated Indian citizen’s right to privacy and denyingthe same right domestically.

World | August 1, 2015

Russia, China set to counter US‐led ‘Asia Pivot’in the Pacific1. Russia’s new naval doctrine singles out China as itscore partner in the Pacific,

2. The new policy appear towards countering the Japanbacked “Asia Pivot” of the United States.

3. US’ “Asia Pivot” doctrine envisages that 60 per cent ofthe total US armed forces would be deployed underthe Pacific Command, with China as its focal point.

4. Tokyo’s policy shift allows it to deploy its armedforces overseas even without an imminent threat toJapanese territory or citizens.

5. Japan is using ‘China Threat’ as an excuse topass controversial security bills.


[cd explains] Minimum Alternate Tax[Correction] – MAT is a form of Direct Tax. Why? Readthe explanation after the infograph. Explained by Vijay –MAT came into the picture because companies were notpaying taxes by the exemptions and deductions under theIncome Tax Act. So they haven’t paid their INCOME TAXduring an assessment year. In order … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/cd‐explains‐minimum‐alternate‐tax/)


Centre to counter terror dogmas1. Govt. will rope in moderate Muslims and learnedpeople from the community to propagate ‘counternarrative’ on cyber‐space.

2. Idea is to deter youngsters from accepting extremistideologies espoused by the IS.

3. National Technical Research Organisation will preparea module for training the constabulary of the statepolice in tracking the social media.

4. NGOs and civil society will be involved to curb stigmaof alienation among the minority communities.

http://www.civilsdaily.com/cd-explains-minimum-alternate-tax/


FSSAI gets 3 months to finalise guidelinescontrolling sale of junk food around schools1. Acting on a public interest writ petition, the Delhi HChad earlier directed FSSAI to regulate sale of foodshigh in salt, fats and sugar in and around 50 metres ofschools.

2. Court also directed CBSE to consider including theadherence to these guidelines while giving affiliationto the schools.

3. The draft guidelines suggested creation of a canteenpolicy and education program to inform students andparents of link between ‘High in fats, salt & sugar’(HFSS) foods and non‐communicable diseases likeobesity, hypertension, diabetes etc.


Spike in elephant attacks linked to Kogadupower project1. An analysis has shown that increase in man‐elephantconflict has risen because of construction activities inthe forests of Kogadu.

2. A brief halt in the construction of power lines hasbeen suggested to take appropriate mitigating actions.

3. Proposal has also been made to create trenches andother barriers in gaps between forests and villagesfrom where elephants enter the human habitation.


Differences over offset clause delays Rafaledeal1. India insists that France should invest 50% of the$4Billion deal in the Indian defence industry in form ofoffset obligations.

2. But France is ready to invest only 30% to coverinfrastructure costs, maintenance, training and storagefacilities.

3. Also, the 2 year timeline of procuring the jets seemsdoubtful as Dassault (manufacturer of Rafale jets) hascapacity of manufacturing 11 jets a year and it alreadyhas an order of 24 jets each from Qatar and Egypt.

Discuss: Countries importing military equipment oftenrequire obligations from the exporter to invest in theimporter's defense industry. This is called the ‘offsetclause’.


No security at non‐major ports1. In a report on the coastal security, the IB told Centrethat as many as 75 of 203 non‐major ports literallylacked any kind of security.

2. Most of these ports are presently non‐operational.One such port was used by the terrorists to enter themainland during 26/11 attack.

Discuss: While major ports are administered by theCentre’s Shipping Ministry, non‐major ports areadministered by the govt. of respective coastal states.


India aiming to be among top 30 in ‘ease ofdoing business’1. Currently, India is ranked 142 out of 189 countriesranked by the WB.

2. Contributions are expected from initiatives like e‐bizportal, GST, mobile platform for setting up businessand closer cooperation with states.

3. Initiatives like Skill India, Make in India, Mudra Banketc. will further provide an impetus to achieve thetarget.


FICCI moots measures to boost textile sector1. Suggesting that India could capitalize on China’sdecision to decrease export driven model of economy,FICCI suggested Fin Min to invest in textile sector.

2. FICCI batted for an increase in funds underTechnology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) andinterest subvention for exporters.

3. They also suggested a reduction in taxes and dutiesfor exports in textile sector believing that revenue losson this account will be compensated by an increase inconsumption.

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Lenders yet to find comfort in special debtrevamp scheme1. Some banks have shown the concern that in suchconversions of loans into equity, mostly the banks arethe major stakeholders and are apprehensive of theirabilities to either scout for a new promoter or toturnaround the company.

2. But if executed well, this scheme can instill a sense offear among the defaulting corporates and reduceNPAs.

Discuss: Strategic Debt Restructuring Scheme envisageslenders to consider change in management controls of adefaulted company or to transfer its equity to lenders


India wins patent war on hair loss formula1. TKDL of CSIR successfully refuted the claim of a UKbased company to patent a medicinal compositioncontaining turmeric, pine bark and green tea fortreating hair loss.

2. TKDL proved that the above ingredients find mentionin the ancient Ayurveda and Unani texts for treatmentof hair loss and are in use since then.

3. TKDL had also earlier blocked Colgate‐Palmolive’sattempt to patent a mouthwash formula containingherbal extracts of ‘Jayaphal’ (Nutmeg) extract.

Discuss: The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library(TKDL) is a pioneering initiative to preventmisappropriation of country's traditional medicinalknowledge at international patent offices.


Pak becomes 1st non‐European associatemember of CERN1. The status marks recognition of Pakistan’s impressivecredentials in field of science and technology.

2. Pakistan made significant contribution to CERN’sflagship experimental project – Large Hadron Collider(LHC).

3. It will open a new era long term partnership betweenCERN & Pakistan’s scientific community.


[op‐ed snap] Monetary policy committee: voteor veto?1. Govt. and RBI have been on the same page in most ofthe monetary policy actions, except few.

2. The expression of ‘high growth with moderateinflation‘ suffice the balance in a developing country.

3. A veto is the antithesis of a vote. A vote and a vetoco‐exist uneasily and with unhappy consequencesonly in the UN Security Council.

4. It would be unwise to say that govt. cannot be trustedto nominate qualified or independent members forMPC, in fact RBI governor is also appointed by them.


China’s telescope could listen to sounds fromthe universe1. China’s radio telescope could become world’s largest“Big sensitive ear” to listen to subtle signals fromuniverse, decoding cosmic messages.

2. The telescope’s reflector has a diameter of 500meters and made up of 4450 panels.

3. It is named FAST, i.e. Five‐hundred‐metre‐ApertureSpherical radio Telescope

4. It could be used to survey hydrogen in distant galaxiesand defect in faint pulsars and looking for first starshining.

Discuss: Pulsars are the highly magnetised, rotatingneutron stars that emit a beam of electromagneticradiation.

Trivia | August 3, 2015

India foils U.K. firm’s bid to patent Ayurvedicmix1. India successfully protected its traditional knowledgeby preventing an attempt made by Europeanlaboratory.

2. Company tried to take patent on a medicinalcomposition containing turmeric, pine bark and greentea for treating hair loss.

3. Traditional Knowledge Digital Library served as anevidence.

4. The composition is in use since long time in Ayurvedaand Unani.


India to host meeting of 14 Pacific islandnations1. India will host the heads of 14 island nations at theForum for India‐Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)

2. Most of economies in the region are basedon agriculture, fisheries and small‐scale industrieswhere India has considerable strength.

3. India tries to check China which has significantlyexpanded its foothold in the region in terms ofbusiness, trade and diplomacy.

4. India’s strong relations with Fiji, which hasconsiderable influence in the region, could helpcounter the growing Chinese influence.


India to produce dozen billionaires by 2020 –Assocham1. India will be among the top Asian start‐ups along withChina and South‐east countries.

2. This value creation will happen at e‐commerce,entertainment, payment gateways and city transportaggregators.

3. The untapped areas for online business include e‐coaching, medical consultations and social networkingin the cities.

4. There could be a high rate of mortality as well, if noproper strategies are followed.

5. There is not much interest among the buddingentrepreneurs in the area of hardcore manufacturing.


Obama to unveil strongest climate plan in U.S.history1. Obama will unveil a set of environmental regulationsto sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions from thenation’s power plants and ultimately transformAmerica’s electricity industry.

2. These rules are tougher versions of regulationsannounced by Environmental Protection Agency in2012 and 2014.

3. It could lead to closing of many coal‐fired powerplants, freeze construction of new ones and create aboom in the renewable energy sources.

4. These regulations require the nation’s power plants tocut the emissions by 32 % by 2030 from 2005 levels.

Discuss: US is building motion for the Paris Climate talkslater this year.


India set to be most populous nation1. UN has released the 2015 revision to the U.N.’sWorld Population Projections.

2. In 7 years, India will surpass China to become theworld’s most populous country and will have 1.7billion residents by 2050.

3. Experts argue that U.N.’s projections does not factorin country’s sharper fall in fertility rate.

4. China’s population will start declining by the 2030s,while India’s is projected to decline only after 2069when its population is around 1.75 billion.

Discuss: The world population is growing at slower pace@ 1.18 % as compared 1.24% a dedade ago.


Sugar woes – PM pitches for more ethanolblending1. To implement ethanol blending with petrol from 2 to5% which could eventually be raised to 10% andexploring the possibility of exporting sugar to liquidatesugar stock.

2. Sugar industry owes about Rs 14,398 crore to canefarmers and is unable to make payment.

3. It is facing severe liquidity crunch on account ofsurplus production that has resulted in low prices ofsugar in the domestic market.


First river info system in August1. India is set to deploy its first world‐class riverinformation system (RIS) by the end of August in theSagar‐Farakka section of National Waterway (NW)1, the stretch with the highest traffic.

2. The RIS will function like air traffic control to ensuresmooth flow of vessels and cargo on the waterway.

3. How is this going to help the Indian Economy in alonger/ shorter run?


Govt plans to convert 101 rivers into nationalwaterwaysInterview with Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority ofIndia. How do you plan to develop 101 waterways wheneven the 5 declared so far are yet to be fully developed?what’s different now? Reasons – delays in pre‐feasibilityand techno‐economic feasibility status, difficulties in landacquisition and coordination with state government.What now – 101 water bodies with … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/govt‐plans‐to‐convert‐101‐rivers‐into‐national‐waterways/)


Govt plans to close down Mahila Bank1. The finance ministry is expected to approach theCabinet with a proposal to close Bharatiya MahilaBank, (BMB) established in 2013.

2. There were speculations of a merger between SBI &BMB but let’s wait and watch.

http://www.civilsdaily.com/govt-plans-to-convert-101-rivers-into-national-waterways/

History | August 3, 2015

What connects Christopher Nolan and RaoJodha?1. Link the images on the poster (at the civilsdailywebsite).

2. We are looking for a formidable piece ofarchitecture here – what are we talking about?

3. Christopher Nolan finds a connect! That’s a big hint!


Centre inks peace accord with Naga insurgentgroup1. Govt. has signed a peace accord with the NationalistSocialist Council of Nagaland (Isak‐Muviah) – one ofthe largest insurgent outfits in the North East.

2. They have been demanding a unified Naga identityand a separate state of Nagalism for past six decades.

3. However, there is no clarity on the Sovereignty clauseand the details of accord have not yet been madepublic.


Govt. ready to make a U‐turn on land bill1. The 6 amendments to the LARR Act, 2013 may betaken back by the Govt.

2. The controversial amendments include – consentclause, SIA requirements, replacing ‘public company’with ‘public entity’, restoring clause on action againstdefaulting officers, dropping special category projectsproposed to be free of SIA and consent clause.

3. The move might end the logjam in the Parliament.


Only 8.15% of Indians are graduates1. As of 2011, one out of every 10 Indians in a graduateor above.

2. The numbers were released by the CensusCommissioner and Registrar General of India.

3. The rate of increase in graduates was more in ruralIndia and the fastest of all among the rural women.

4. Over 60% of the graduates have non‐technicaldegrees.


Plan to divert rivulets that flow into KolleruLake1. AP Govt. is planning to divert most of the rivulets and~70 major and minor drains from Kolleru Lake toPolavaram Right Main Canal (PRMC) for irrigationpurposes.

2. Environmentalists see this as a move to reduce thesize of Kolleru Lake and will have a negative ecologicalimpact.

3. Kolleru Lake was given the status of Ramasar Site in2002 and as per convention, inflows to the protectedwetland cannot be diverted for other purposes.

4. Kolleru Lake is a roosting spot for grey pelican andhouses many water fowls, many of which aremigratory.

Discuss: Lake Kolleru is one of the largest freshwaterlakes of India.


Divided opinion on India’s active role in fightagainst IS1. The discussion comes in the backdrop of IS call for ajoint Afghan‐Pak jihadi coalition against India.

2. India is under a constant pressure of US to join thecoalition against IS.

3. Any active role in the fight against IS must factor inthe geopolitical, economic and domestic sensitivities.

4. Some experts believe that offense is the best form ofdefense while some believe that any active actionmight be detrimental to the safety of 39 Indianconstruction workers in the captivity of IS in Iraq.


A major step by US to tackle climate change1. The final rules propose to reduce carbon emissionsfrom power plants by 32% (against previous target of30%) of 2005 level by 2030.

2. The states will have to submit final plans by 2018(instead of 2017) and comply by 2022 (instead of2020).

3. Until now there were no federal limits on the amountof pollution coal fired plants could produce.

4. These plants provide 37% of power supply and 40%of emissions.

5. The move has got mixed response with Republicansvoicing opposition, saying they would be economicallydamaging.

Discuss: US is the second largest carbon emitter afterChina.


Isro to put US satellite in space for the firsttime1. ISRO will launch an American satellite using the PSLV.2. India has so far launched 45 satellites for 19 nationsand another 28 foreign satellites will be launched inthe next two years.

3. Presently, ISRO is preparing to launch communicationsatellite from GSLV‐Mark II and testingthe indigenously developed cryogenic engine forGSLV‐Mark‐III.


[op‐ed snap] Indo:Bangla – Freedom aftermany midnights1. The resolution of maritime dispute with Bangladesh in2014 and land accord recently, are one of theimportant diplomatic achievements of India’s foreignpolicy.

2. The settlement of inter‐country dispute involvingterritorial issues are always remarkable achievements.

3. The enclave issue, which had its roots in partition ledto denial of right to freedom and justice to many.

4. Now, the ball is in govt.’s court to step upinfrastructure and development initiatives to mitigatethe trauma of citizens.


[op‐ed snap] Suspension of MPs – Abdicationof responsibility1. The suspension of 25 Congress MPs will only escalatethe confrontation between govt. and opposition.

2. Though the speaker exercised her authority tosuspend members for causing gross disorder, shefailed to do justice to her role as a facilitator of freeand open debate in the LS.

3. Govt. has been utterly dismissive of the allegationsagainst its ministers, rather than ensuringaccountability of public office.


How close were the Mauryans with Cavearchitecture?1. Mauryan age witnessed the first phase in the historyof cave architecture.

2. The caves found in the Barabar hills (4 caves) &Nagarjunakonda hills (3 caves) are a testimony to that!

3. Why were these caves built?4. Well, from what it appears – they were gifted to themonks of the Ajivika Sect. They used it for residentialpurpose.

Discuss: Read the connected story at the web. Click onthe orange tree.


What happened to the cave architecture afterMauryans?1. Cave architecture witnessed some remarkableprogress in the post Mauryan era.

2. Caves were cut in both western and eastern part ofIndia.

3. Western – Ajanta [covered earlier], Kanheri, Junnaretc.

4. Eastern – Khandagiri‐Udayagiri (Odisha), Haathigumpha, Ganesh Gumpha & Rani Gumpha.


Who was King Kharavela? King Kharavela rose to power in Kalinga when India waspassing through a phase of political disintegration. Afterthe fall of the Maurya Empire, the theory of ChakravartiRajya was fast losing ground as disunity overtook theland. It was Kharavela who in his brief period of powereffectively revived that political tendency, and tried …Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/who‐was‐king‐kharavela/)


King Ashoka and his approach toadministration Humanitarian & Paternal Administration – No rulerthought of himself like Asoka as the father of his subjects,and no king is known to have proclaimed “All men are mychildren”. Thoughts on Spiritual Welfare – The primeobjective of Asoka – to achieve both material andspiritual welfare of men. He made it a principle …Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/king‐ashoka‐and‐his‐approach‐to‐administration/)

http://www.civilsdaily.com/who-was-king-kharavela/

http://www.civilsdaily.com/king-ashoka-and-his-approach-to-administration/


An Estimate of Kanishka – One of the GreatestMonarchs of Ancient IndiaAs a conqueror, an empire‐builder, a patron of Buddhism,and a promoter of culture, Kanishka played an importantrole to earn that distinction. How do we place him incontext? He was a ruler of the Kushana Dynasty. TheKushana Empire in fact was the largest empire in Indiaafter the fall of … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/an‐estimate‐of‐kanishka‐one‐of‐the‐greatest‐monarchs‐of‐ancient‐india/)


[op‐ed snap] Taliban after Mullah Omar1. The two decade long intimate relationship betweenTaliban and Pakistan, makes it an important externalplayer in Afghanistan.

2. The rise of new leader Mansour has given rise todissent within Taliban, and Pakistan is making allefforts to curb that.

3. A Haqqani leader has been appointed deputycommander by Taliban. Actually, Haqqani is a true armof Pakistan’s ISI.

4. Pakistan wants to continue its dominance overinternal affairs of Afghanistan, which are furtherfacilitated by its geographical position.

http://www.civilsdaily.com/an-estimate-of-kanishka-one-of-the-greatest-monarchs-of-ancient-india/


[cd explains] APJ Kalam on Neutrino Science


Nitin Gadkari’s 5 big‐ticket projects tomodernise inland waterways101 National Waterways India has numerous rivers,canals, creeks, lakes that can be developed as inlandwaterways, but only five waterways have been declaredas national waterways (NWs) Integrated NationalWaterways Transportation Grid All the 5 declared NWscannot be joined to create a national waterway grid, butat least three can form a grid in … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/nitin‐gadkaris‐5‐big‐ticket‐projects‐to‐modernise‐inland‐waterways/)

http://www.civilsdaily.com/nitin-gadkaris-5-big-ticket-projects-to-modernise-inland-waterways/


Citizenship for those who fled for religiouspersecution1. Union Home Ministry will amend Citizenship Act,1955 to give citizenship to religious persecutionvictims in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

2. Migrants include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Zoroastrians,Christians and Buddhists.

3. These migrants do not have any valid documents orhave expired visas leading them to be categorized asillegal migrants.

4. Changes in Foreigners Act, 1946, Passport (Entry intoIndia) Act, 1950 and Passport (Entry into India) Act,1920 will be made to give them long term visas whiletheir case for citizenship is being considered.


Autonomous councils for Nagas key to dealsuccess1. Autonomous councils for Nagas outside Nagaland isunder consideration although redrawing of stateboundaries is not on cards.

2. A similar peace accord failed in 2011 when Stateswith a sizeable Naga population of Assam, Manipurand Arunachal Pradesh opposed such councils.

3. Autonomous councils are locally appointed Govts.that operate in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram,West Bengal and J&K.


Metro installs 9 Solar Power generationfacilities1. Delhi Metro has installed nine new solar powergeneration facilities in Badarpur‐Faridabad section forpartial fulfilment of energy requirements.

2. These power facilities have capacity of 1,660 kWpwhile total solar capacity installed as of now is 2,800kWp.

3. DMRC has a plan of creating solar power capacity of20MWp out of which work has already been awardedfor 11MWp.

Discuss: Kilowatt peak (kWp) stands for peak power. Thisvalue specifies the output power achieved by a Solarmodule under full solar radiation.


Rare Chera, Chola coins found in Thanjavur1. 10 rare coins have been found at Thanjavur. Theseinclude – a Sangam age Chera coin datable to secondcentury BCE, eight Chola period coins and aVijayanagara period coin.

2. Of the 8 Chola coins, one belongs to the Raja RajaChola and another to his son, Rajendra Chola.

3. The miniscule Vijayanagara silver coin was issued byemperor Krishnadevaraya.

4. Excavation also yielded a heap of beads made out ofglass, terracotta and semi‐precious stones, terracottapipes and big pots.

Discuss: What makes these coins special? Read full storyon web. Click the tree below!


Rs. 120 Crore for urban renewal plan1. As a part of AMRUT, the money, for the first time, willbe directly transferred to Municipal Councilsnationwide.

2. The present funds will cover 482 cities with Rs. 25lakh for each.

3. Unlike JNNURM where state was the decidingauthority, AMRUT empowers city councils.

4. All city‐level plans will be aggregated into StateAnnual Action Plans and sent to the Ministry forapproval.


[op‐ed snap] Breakthrough in Nagaland1. The landmark deal leaves some smaller groups such asKhole‐Kitovi and the reformation factions, out ofdecisive phases of the peace process.

2. NSCN(K) is already hostile about engagement and isbuilding alliance with other small insurgent groups.

3. Govt. needs to take into account that several playersof insurgency are not yet taken on board.

4. The agreements should be built upon by involving allthe stakeholders viz. other groups, Naga civil societyand representatives of neighbouring states.

5. The challenge for the govt. is to provide Naga senseof identity without acceding the claims on territoriesof other states.


ISRO to launch 9 nano/micro American1. ISRO’s commercial vehicle Antrix will launch 9 microand nano US satellites as small co‐passengers usingPSLV.

2. A micro satellite weighs between 10 to 100 kgs whilea nano satellite weighs between 1 to 10 kgs.

3. ISRO‐NASA are also co‐developing a SyntheticAperture Radar – a radar imaging satellite and will belaunched from India in 2019‐20.


[op‐ed snap] Victory over Ebola1. The research communities eagerness to find a safeand efficacious vaccine against the deadly Ebola virushas borne fruit.

2. WHO sponsored vaccine has shown 100% efficacyafter 10 days of vaccination.

3. The clinical trial used “Ring methodology” to providevaccination to high risk population.

4. The ebola virus killed many, devastated economiesand caused the health‐care systems to collapse in the3 countries.

Discuss: Under "Ring" vaccination, people at high risk ofinfection owing to direct contact with an index patient orwho had been exposed to the primary contacts arechosen.


[op‐ed snap] Taliban Conundrum –Afghanistan on edge again1. Mullah Mansour, the new Taliban chief would find ittough to follow Mullah Omar as he is yet to convinceTaliban cadres and Afghan Shura.

2. The hardcore insurgents will lose motivation to fight, ifthey come to know about any external links of Talibanleader.

3. The new Taliban chief’s main obstacles are to maintainunity among its cadres, win support of Afghan Shuraand shed its image of being too close to Pakistan.

4. The Pakistan govt. should rethink its policy and investin the people of Afghanistan and institution‐building inthe country.


Tulsi – Genome sequencing completed1. CSIR along with Central Institute for Medicinal &Aromatic Plants carried complete genome sequencingof tulsi, also known as ‘Holy Basil’.

2. The complete genome sequence of a traditional plantcarried out for first time.

3. Tulsi is full of organic compounds and can cure largenumber of ailments.

Discuss: We are doing a news round up for S&T so that ithelps in the last minute revision for Pre 2015!


“Cancer not beyond us”‐ World Cancer DayTheme1. The theme highlights that solutions for cancer do existand they are not beyond our reach and very muchaccessible.

2. In 2011, UN adopted a world cancer declaration,which seeked to dispel the damaging myths andmisconceptions about the disease.

3. The campaign intends to implement known areas ofcancer prevention, early detection , treatment andcare to ease global cancer burden.


India celebrated 1st National Deworming Day1. The first national deworming day was celebrated on10 Feb, 2015.

2. Agency – Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.3. It aims to protect more than 24 crore children in theages of 1‐19 years from intestinal worms by providingAlbendazole tablets.

4. India is now targeting intestinal worms among thechildren to achieve the status of being “Worm‐free”


ROTOVAC – Desi Rotaviral vaccine1. Rotovac will boost efforts to combat infant mortalitydue to diarrhoea.

2. It is an oral vaccine, administered to infants at theages of 6,10 and 14 weeks.

3. Rotovirus affects populations in all socio‐economicgroups, which makes it equally prevalent inindustrialized and developing countries.

4. It is an infection of stomach and bowel and spreads bycontact/airborne route.

5. The first infection tends to be mostly severe as laterbody develops immunity to the virus.


ASTROSAT on cards of ISRO launch1. ISRO is planning to launch its first ever dedicatedastronomy mission called ASTROSAT.

2. It is meant for studying the distant celestial objects.3. It will be India’s first observatory set up in space byISRO, similar to NASA’s Hubble telescope.

4. The satellite will record observations in UV, optical,low and high energy X‐ray wavebands.


Rosetta mission : Exploring Comets1. Rosetta is a robotic space probe built by EuropeanSpace Agency to study comet Chury.

2. It is the first man‐made object to land on a comet totrace the origins of life on earth and explore theformation of solar system.

3. The probe is named after a Rosetta stone, a slab ofvolcanic basalt found in Egypt in 1799, whichrevolutionized the understanding of past.

4. International Astronomical Union divides the bodiesinto – plants, dwarf planets and small solar system.

5. Small solar system bodies include comets, asteroidsand meteoroids.

Discuss: Comets are clusters of primordial dust and icethat orbit our star in elliptical circuits.


LASER: Revolutionary technology1. Laser light has very different properties from normallight.

2. It releases monochromatic light, i.e. it contains onespecific wavelength of light. This makes laser lighthighly directional.

3. The uni‐directional nature of light makes the laserbeam travel long distances.

4. Today, laser is used in variety of tasks – bar codereader, DVD player, cancer diagnosis and treatment,ophthalmology, etc.

Discuss: The co‐inventor of Laser, Charles Townespassed in January, 2015.


Citizenship soon for those who fled religiouspersecution1. The Union Home Ministry is going to amend theCitizenship Act, 1955

2. We will extend citizenship to undocumented migrantswho fled religious persecution in Pakistan andBangladesh (Hindus,Buddhists, Christians,Zoroastrians, Sikhs and Jains).

3. This could affect our relations with those twoneighbours.


Autonomous councils key to Naga dealsuccess1. The creation of autonomous councils for Naga peopleoutside Nagaland is under consideration by the Uniongovt.

2. These are locally appointed governments that alreadyfunction in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram,Tripura, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.

3. Their creation is likely to be met with stiff resistancefrom the neighbouring states, where the migrant Nagapopulation lives.

Discuss: Evaluate the usefulness of this policy maneuver[Creation of autonomous councils] in India's political andgovernance history.


Ban only on sites promoting child porn, saysCentre1. Following massive uproar over its move to ban 857pornography sites, the Union government on Tuesdaysaid the ban would be lifted.

2. However, sites that promoted child porn wouldcontinue to be prohibited.

3. How would the govt. do so!


It’s time to be more assertive: Ajit Doval1. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has said thatdeterrence was the credibility that a nation couldshow its strength when required.

2. But the lack of a will to exercise power is as good asnot having any power.

3. So, we should not be afraid of demonstrating ourpower where we should.


Mandatory exports likely1. In a bid to tackle the problem of low domestic sugarprices, Govt. may make it mandatory for the sugarmills to export the surplus.

2. The global market is flooded with sugar supplies andthe prices are at a 6 year low, but the move isexpected to bring respite to the sugar mills in terms ofhigher domestic prices.

3. The mandatory export will come into play only whenproduction is more than domestic demand.

Discuss: India is the largest consumer of sugar and thebiggest producer after Brazil.


India‐EU FTA talks deferred. Why?1. Reason is the EU ban on 700 generic medicines foralleged manipulation of clinical trials conducted byHyderabad‐based GVK Biosciences.

2. Other reason for slow progress on the FTA talks isIndia and EU have not been able to find a middleground on each other’s demands.

3. EU wants duty cuts in automobiles and tax reductionin wines, spirits, dairy products and a strong IPRregime.

4. India wants data secure nation status and liberal visaregime from the EU.


India set to shed the image of a globaldumpyard1. The MoEFCC banned import of all used plastic or PETbottles scrap by recycling plants in India and askedthese units to rely on similar waste generated withinthe country.

2. All kinds of household waste, non‐exportable electricalequipment and computers & accessories that don’thave a clearly preset residual life have also beenbanned.

3. The drive is to push for better waste management inIndia and prevent the country from turning into adumpyard for global waste.

4. State pollution control boards will be the directinterface for imports of all permitted items.

Discuss: Did you know? PET bottle means bottle madefrom 'polyethylene terephthalate'.


70th anniversary of Hiroshima atomicbombing1. An American B‐29 bomber named Enola Gay droppedan atomic bomb, dubbed “Little Boy”, on Hiroshima onAugust 6, 1945, in one of the final chapters of WorldWar II.

2. The ground level was hit by heat up to 4,000 degreesCelsius – hot enough to melt steel.

3. About 140,000 were killed and many more affectedby the radiations.

4. On August 9, the port city of Nagasaki was alsoattacked with an atomic bomb, killing more than70,000 people.

5. Japan had finally surrendered on August 15, 1945.


Cabinet approves direct release of wages toMNREGA workers1. Delayed payments has been a major problem inMNREGS implementation.

2. Direct benefit transfer ensures that scheme funds donot get indefinitely parked with the state financedepartments.

3. In 2014‐15, only 28 per cent of the payments couldbe made on time to the workers under the scheme.

Discuss: The average number of days of employment perhousehold under the scheme fell to 40.14 in 2014‐15from 45.97 in the previous year.


[Download] The Newsdigest – July 2015 isLIVE1. All pumped up for the D‐Day?2. We just released the July 2015 Digest. 3. Go to the Downloads page at civilsdaily.com and getyour FREE copy.

Discuss: Guys, spread the word of the app and rate us atthe playstore! Kind words & 5 stars drive us best :)


E‐Cigarettes: Risks that they hold1. In recent years the global electronic cigarette industryhas evolved into a $3‐billion business with 466brands.

2. There was only one manufacturer in 2005!3. E‐Cigarette is the most common prototypeof electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).

4. It is a battery‐powered device with a replaceablecartridge; the cartridge contains nicotine and varietyof flavors.

5. As it is tobacco and smoke free, therefore no toxic by‐products are released.

6. Though, it is considered less harmful but, it emitsareosols.

Discuss: It was first developed in China and projected asalternative to traditional cigarettes, thereby attractingeven non‐smokers.


LEDs: Greatest benefit to mankind. Why?1. The invention of blue light‐emitting diode will create anew energy efficient and environment‐friendly lightsource.

2. As, red and green LEDs were available, blue LED wasrequired to produce white light.

3. LED is highly efficient as it converts electric energyfully into light energy, unlike other light source wheresome proportion is wasted in heat.

4. It is environment friendly as no mercury is used tomake them.

Discuss: Last year's Nobel prize for Physics were given to3 scientists for inventing blue light emitting diode.


What’s a Bombay Blood Group?1. It is a special type of blood group called hh, which hasthe H antigen missing in it.

2. Actually, H antigen is present in all the blood group,except this Bombay blood group.

3. It can accept blood only from another Bombay bloodtype individual.

4. This rare blood group ( 1 in 10000) is formed largelydue to extensive in‐breeding within same lineage orclose community marriages.

Discuss: What are antigens?


Boosting digital footprint in rural areas1. IIT Bombay has set up India’s first pilot test‐bed whichuses unused TV spectrum to provide broadbandInternet connectivity.

2. The project tries to create an alternative to optic fibercables, which is a very difficult as well as an expensiveoption to connect villages.

3. This technology is capable of providing coveragewithin the radius of 1‐10 km from the access networkmuch like WiFi zones and access points.

4. The Department of Telecom has also granted anexperimental licence to IIT‐B to conduct tests in TV’sUHF band.

Discuss: What are these different band types? Do youknow any interesting trivia information on them?


Delhi offers free treatment for acid attackvictims1. Will provide free treatment to these victims in privatehospitals.

2. A task force will be set up to monitor their treatment.3. Govt. will arrange best prosecutors to take up theirtrial and will also find suitable jobs in govt.department.

4. Recently, S.C. had given directions to all hospitals toprovide free treatment to acid attack survivors.


India to counter Italy’s claim in marines case1. An Indian team will challenge the Italy’s contentions inthe Italian Marines case before the InternationalTribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

2. The Indian government will challenge Italy’s decisionto take the issue to the international tribunal. How?

3. Italy has not exhausted all remedies, which is arequirement before invoking the jurisdiction ofITLOS.

4. In Feb 2012, two Italian Marines killed two Indianfishermen from Kerala in Indian waters.

Discuss: Explore how the zones are divided in the seaand the law governing international waters.


A repository of avifauna (Grey Pelican) underthreat. Why?1. The Kolleru Lake is a habitat to the Grey Pelicans, alarge magnificent bird, which nest and breed there.

2. The Grey Pelican is listed in Schedule I of the WildlifeProtection Act and in the Red Data Book, under“Vulnerable” category.

3. It seems to be under threat with the StateGovt. proposing diversion of water from feederrivulets and drains for irrigation.

4. The Union Government is even examining a proposalto reduce the size of the wildlife sanctuary.


Assam, Manipur, Arunachal CMs still in thedark on Naga accord1. Union govt. did not keep the CMs of the neighbouringstates in loop and neither informed them aboutframework agreement.

2. Centre was ready to give autonomous councils to theNaga‐dominated population in Assam, ArunachalPradesh and Manipur.

3. The CMs opposed the idea of creating autonomouscouncils in their states and refused to accept any kindof law imposed from outside.


Lok Sabha Passes SC & ST Amendment Bill.What’s at stake?1. The bill aims to prohibit the commission of offencesagainst members of the SCs & STs and provides forestablishing special courts for the trial of suchoffences and the rehabilitation of victims.

2. Adds certain new categories of actions to be treatedas offences like forcing an SC or ST individual to voteor not vote for a particular candidate.

3. Assaulting or sexual exploiting an SC or ST woman isan offence under a specific category.

Discuss: Keep an eye on this bill when it passes throughthe RS. See if there are any changes or major objections.


[op‐ed snap] Cross‐border terrorism: Jihadist‐military project at work1. The recent back‐to‐back strikes indicate the presenceof stray elements in Pakistan, who are againstthe Indo‐Pak engagement.

2. Though, it can be argued that Pakistan is not involvedin these cases, but there is lack of systemic responsefrom their govt.’s side.

3. Often, Pakistan projects itself as a victim of terror inthe hands of TTP and other sectarian group.

4. But, it is also deeply involved in supporting AfghanTaliban, the Haqqani network, and anti‐jihadistelements.

5. There are instances of Pakistani military engaging withJihadist elements for strategic gains.


[op‐ed snap] Ban on Pornography: Betweenprurience and pragmatism1. The definition of what constitutes pornography isopen to misinterpretation, unless it is drawn fromvarious legal provisions.

2. There is a flip‐flop by the govt. on the issue ofbanning porn websites due to policy confusion andthe difficulty involved in it.

3. Even the enforcement becomes farce and is oftencounter‐productive due to the lack of technicalknow‐how to bypass the restriction.

4. There are legal provisions available in IPC, IT Act andPOCSO Act to prohibit such content.

5. Experts argue that any ban on pornography is anencroachment on right to privacy.

6. Therefore, govt. should be vigilant mostly against childpornography.


Porn websites ban effectively in place as ISPsseek clarity ISPAI has written to DoT saying its members willcontinue to block the 857 URLs mentioned in a govtnote, till they receive clearer directions. Internet ServiceProviders Association (ISPAI) is the main lobby group forthe country’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs). What dothey seek clarity on? This. The ISPs don’t … Continuereading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/porn‐websites‐ban‐effectively‐in‐place‐as‐isps‐seek‐clarity/)

http://www.civilsdaily.com/porn-websites-ban-effectively-in-place-as-isps-seek-clarity/


Do you prefer democracy?1. “Democracy in India: A Citizens’ Perspective” is part ofa global survey on attitudes to democracy.

2. With less than 50% respondents choosing democracyover other forms of Govt., India ranks belowBangladesh and Sri Lanka.

3. As in 2005, political parties were the least trustedpolitical institutions, and the police the least trustedunelected institution.

4. The civil service was perceived as the most corruptwhile the Army continued to be the most trustedinstitution.


Tripura assembly passes resolution againstdeath penalty1. Tripura Assembly has passed a resolution to requestthe Union Government to amend Section 302 of theIPC to abolish capital punishment and replace it withlife sentence unto death.

2. The resolution was adopted unanimously and wouldbe sent to union government and the LawCommission for consideration.


Mumbai gets a flamingo sanctuary1. Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary is set to become awildlife sanctuary under Section 18 of the Wildlife(Protection Act), 1972.

2. The Thane creek has been attracting flamingos inlarge numbers since 1994.

3. These birds descend here around November andmigrate to Bhuj, Gujarat in May for breeding.

4. Its eco‐sensitive zone will be the adjoining mangroveareas on either side of the creek, which are alreadynotified as reserve forests.

5. The ecosystem will be closely monitored and shieldedfrom serious threats such as discharge of effluents,dumping of sewage and other biotic interferences.

Discuss: The area is also a refuge for many resident andmigratory birds such as the greater spotted eagle – aglobally threatened species.


AADHAR enrollment for NRIs, PIOs and OCIs1. Govt. has decided that Aadhar enrollment for NRIs,PIOs and OCIs should be allowed to help themauthenticate their identity digitally.

2. Presently, all residents including Indian nationals andforeigners holding valid visas can be enrolled forAadhar number by UIDAI.

3. UIDAI is working on framing a policy to bring NRIs,PIOs and OCIs under the Aadhar ambit.


One‐third of coal blocks up for auction inwildlife habitats1. A GIS survey conducted by Greenpeace India hasrevealed that of 101 coal blocks that are up forauction, 35 are in the habitats of tigers, leopards andelephants.

2. Many village boundaries overlap with the areas oflisted blocks necessitating approvals from the gramsabhas under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

3. NGO has advised the Govt. to withdraw such blocksfrom auction, failing which the unwary bid winners arelikely to face legal challenges.

4. Pointing out a recent decline in mining ‘No Go’ areas,the NGO has reiterated the need to transparentlydefine ‘No Go’ mining areas.


India follows global trends in taking on cyberattacks1. The trend in increase in cyber attacks on Indiancomputer networks is similar to that worldwide.

2. Most of these attacks originate from countries such asthe U.S., Pakistan, China and Bangladesh.

3. In case of an attack, CERT‐In notifies the organisationconcerned regarding the cyber attacks and requestsfor logs of network devices, servers and other relatedcomponents for analysing the attacks and identifyingsources of attack.

Discuss: CERT‐In (the Indian Computer EmergencyResponse Team) is a govt. mandated IT securityorganization to promote effective IT security practicesthroughout the country.


Weave new designs: Modi1. Promoting handlooms, PM stressed on new designs,branding and e‐commerce to launch the rich, colourfulheritage on a global scale.

2. Handlooms constitute 15 % of the total clothconsumption in the country.

Discuss: Did you know? 7th August, celebrated as thefirst National Handloom Day this year, is also the day onwhich Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905!


North Korea turns its clocks back to‘Pyongyang Time’1. Come 15 August and North Korea will turn back itsclocks by 30 mins to the same time‐zone as that ofunified Korea of 1908.

2. The Korean peninsula was brought into the same timezone as Japan in 1912 during its colonial rule over thecountry.

3. Marking 70 years of its liberation from the Japaneserule, N. Korea has decided to drop the imperialisticrelic and move back to GMT +8:30 hrs time‐zone.

th


Traditional fervour marks Nongkrem Dance1. Nongkrem Dance Festival is performed to appeasethe all‐ powerful Goddess, ‘Ka Blei Synshar’ for a richbumper harvest & general prosperity.

2. The festival is celebrated during autumn at Smit, thecultural centre of the Khasi Hills.

3. The Khasis are a tribe of Meghalaya, who alsocelebrate the ripening of paddy for threshing, bydances and songs.

4. The folk dances capture the movements of everydaylife as well as animals and birds.


[op‐ed snap] The meaning of cheaper oil1. The current fall in the prices of oil is an outcome ofsimple demand and supply mechanics.

2. The rise in supply of oil owing to Iran nuclear deal,growing output from shale resources and Saudi’sincreased refinery capacity.

3. These factors contributed to maximum output byOPEC countries in month of July.

4. However, decrease in demand of oil is due torecessionary pressure on industrialized countries.especially slow growth in EU and China.

5. These low prices are going to have worst impact onRussia, as 70 per cent of its export income comesfrom oil and gas.

Discuss: The economics circumscribing oil prices will havea impact on diplomacy around the world.


How to Manage the Food‐Forest Nexus:Lessons from Dongria KondhScattered across 240 sq km on the remote Niyamgiri hillrange in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, an ancienttribal group known as the Dongria Kondh have earnedthemselves a reputation as trailblazers. Why? TheDongria Kondh set an example in 2013 to millions oftribal people around the world when they fought and …Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/how‐to‐manage‐the‐food‐forest‐nexus‐lessons‐from‐dongria‐kondh/)


[Discuss] Health as a Fundamental Right1. Should India make health a fundamental right?Impediments and Opportunities.

2. The draft National Health Policy 2015 (NPH) releasedby the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)government on 31 December 2014 seems to have itsheart in the right place.

3. Let’s discuss pros and cons over at the website.

http://www.civilsdaily.com/how-to-manage-the-food-forest-nexus-lessons-from-dongria-kondh/


The Apatani tribe from Arunachal Pradesh1. A small tribe in Arunachal Pradesh has been able todefeat modern technological advancements in termsof environment conservation.

2. The Apatanis from Ziro have a unique lifestyle thatfocuses on living in harmony with nature.

3. Ziro is home to the tribal group called the Apataniswhich is one amongst the very few tribes in the worldthat worship nature (Sun & Moon).

4. In April 2014, Apatani Cultural Landscape has alsobeen added to the tentative list of UNESCO WorldHeritage Sites for “extremely high productivity” and“unique” ways of preserving ecology.


[op‐ed snap] Trading in body parts1. To prevent organ trade, many countries provideincentives to organ donors so that they are helpedeconomically while donating organs (like sparekidneys).

2. This helps in legalising the process and eliminatesexploitative middlemen.

3. Maybe we should also consider such legislation.

Discuss: What could be the argument against?


P‐Notes require more stringent monitoring1. Participatory notes are highly regulated products andtheir beneficiaries are known on a monthly basis toSEBI and daily basis to FPI.

2. Still there is a need to have a daily monitoring of theend‐user by the regulator.

3. Because the Know‐Your‐Client (KYC) norms areapplicable for all foreign funds coming in to India, FIIshad switched to using P‐Notes.

4. This move allows the beneficiary (end‐user) to remainanonymous.

5. The issue is trending because black money generatedis being pumped back into the country via thismethod.

Discuss: What are P Notes?


ISRO hopes soar for another indigenous GSLVlaunch success1. ISRO is planning to launch indigenous GSLV launcherboosted by its Indian cryogenic third stage.

2. GSLV‐D6 is the ninth in the series of the indigenousmedium‐lift satellite launch vehicle and will carry2,140‐kg communication satellite GSAT‐6.

3. GSLV will enable India to launch satellites upto 2tonnes, for which we currently rely on costly Westernlaunchers.

Discuss: Some of the planned GSLV launches fordomestic use: INSAT‐3DR, a spare to replace themeteorology satellite INSAT‐3D, GISAT, GSAT‐6 whichwill in future be replaced by GSAT‐6A.


Will the United Nations see a woman chief in2016?1. Irina Bokova has been nominated as the Bulgarianofficial candidate for UN Secretary General post to befilled in 2016.

2. She is currently the Director General of UNESCO.3. The UN has just adopted a strong commitment togender equality and making a woman its chief willfurther give an impetus to this campaign.

4. Generally, UNSC forwards a unanimously chosenname to the UNGA and no elections take place insuch scenario. However, in 2016, China & Russia areexpected to veto any choice of UK, US and Francewhich can lead to elections in UNGA.


24% of India’s population under medical cover1. IRDA has stated that 28.87 crore Indians have beencovered under any health insurance policy in 2014‐15.

2. In public sector, National Insurance tops the listfollowed by United Insurance.

3. Reliance is the leader in private sector insurancecompanies, followed by Iffco Tokia and ICICILombard.

4. PMJDY has an in‐built health insurance of Rs. 30,000and has manifold increased the rural insurancepenetration.


Govt capital infusion plan not game changing:Moody’s1. Govt. plan to recapitalize PSU banks to the tune of Rs.70,000 crores is only a fraction of overall capitalrequirements.

2. Discarding the previous rule of certain profitabilitythresholds for banks to receive government capital,the govt. is aiming to improve the Tier‐1 capital ratiosfor all PSU banks to at least 7.5% by March.

3. The government’s plan is to provide Rs.25,000 croreeach in the first two years, and Rs.10,000 crore eachin the next two.

4. PSU banks need a total of Rs.1.8 lakh crore inadditional capital for the next four years up to FY2019and the equity market can help them raise theremaining Rs.1.1 lakh crore.


Which is a bigger per hectare carbon sink –dense forests or mangroves?1. Counting carbon stored in soils, mangrove forestsstore the most carbon per hectare. They are tough,versatile and productive.

2. Owing to our unsustainable practices, the current rateof loss would see most of the world’s mangroves goneby the end of this century.

3. Major reasons are conversion to agriculture,aquaculture, tourism and urban development.

4. Most of the failed restoration attempts simply jabseedlings of a mangrove genus (Rhizophora) intoinappropriate habitats where mangroves do not grow.

Discuss: Local communities should be involved inrestoring hydrological connectivity and allowing thenatural tidal processes to assist mangrove propagules toestablish and spread.


Peace pact only a formula to a final accord,says Nagaland CM1. The agreement evoked serious responses from CM’sof Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh about theirterritorial integrity.

2. Nagaland CM promised to meet the neighbouringCMs to remove their apprehensions.

3. A 16‐member Naga delegation would visit Myanmarto meet S.S. Khaplang, the chief of the NSCN(K) todiscuss the agreement.

4. Naga customary system and landholding system needsto be respected based on the unique history of Nagasacross Naga‐inhabited areas of the Northeast.


India on top in exporting beef1. The recent data released by the U.S. Department ofAgriculture shows India leading over the next highestexporter, Brazil.

2. However, the U.S. government classifies even buffalomeat as beef.

3. India accounts for 23.5 % of global beef exports, upfrom a 20.8 % share last year.

4. According to ‘Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy’,most of India’s buffalo meat exports go to Asiancountries.


Jaitley for efficient expenditure management1. The public finance on revenue side requires attentionto achieve revenue deficit target under the newFRBM regime.

2. This necessitates structural changes in the Planspending and ensuring Non‐Plan spending withinsustainable limits.

3. This strategy will ensure efficient targeting ofsubsidies to the poor and needy.

4. It also requires saving scarce financial resources forinvestment in infrastructure and pursuit of newdevelopment programmes.

Discuss: Govt. needs accounting officers to upgrade theirskills to achieve the highest level of cost efficiency in itsprojects, schemes and operations.


Godrej for smooth passage of GST Bill1. Business community asks political parties to act with asense of purpose in Parliament.

2. He said that, though the current draft of the GST Billwas not perfect, it was very important to pass it.

3. The trading community hopes to get a simplifiedcohesive business environment.

4. The GST will support ease of doing business in thecountry and hopes to abolish colonial working of taxadministration system.


Economy shifting gears, results of CII surveyshow1. There is an increase in the no. of sectors clock‘excellent’ growth( more than 20%) during firstquarter.

2. Some of the important constraints are stiffcompetition, shortage of power & of labour, lack ofdomestic and export demand and high tax burden.

3. It suggested revival of stalled projects, de‐bottlenecking of supply side linkages and the easing ofinterest rates as the most significant steps to bolstergrowth.

4. The capital goods industry was the worst off — withmoderate or negative growth rates.


India plans to barter surplus sugar for pulsesfrom abroad1. Ministries of External Affairs and Commerce workingon proposal.

2. The quantum of sugar annually getting accumulatedin the last four years has been quite substantial.

3. India is the largest producer as well as largest importerof the pulses.

4. Pulses being rich in proteins act as a main source ofprotein for the large vegetarian population of thecountry.

Discuss: Pulses being legumes have environmentalsignificance owing to capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogeninto the soil.


[op‐ed snap] Capital infusion in public sectorbanks a band‐aid solution1. In the past 15 years, the govt has infused more thanRs.81,000 crore capital in PSU banks but this capital iseroding due to rising bad assets.

2. The decision to infuse such large amounts in state‐owned banks is a signal that the government cares forthem.

3. But how bad are these bad loans? For quite a fewpublic sector banks, bad loans account for close toone‐fifth of their loan assets!

4. The government must address some of thefundamental issues and infuse right skills andexpertise in these banks.

5. In their absence, capital infusion alone is a band‐aidsolution to the problems.


[op‐ed snap] Reading Raghuram RajanPay close attention to what the RBI governor says aboutrural wage growth. He considers that a proxy forunderlying pressures. Rajan was worried two monthsago about an uptick in inflation. Oil prices had hardened.The first official forecast on the monsoon was grim. Sincethen, oil prices have retreated. A poor monsoon …Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/op‐ed‐snap‐reading‐raghuram‐rajan/)

http://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-reading-raghuram-rajan/


Udaipur Is Now Home to India’s Largest SolarTelescope1. India will now be able to capture high resolution threedimensional images of the sun.

2. The Udaipur Solar Observatory witnessed theinauguration of India’s biggest multi‐application solartelescope (MAST).

3. Udaipur is the second place in the world, after China,to have the unique telescope.

4. MAST will also capture high resolution 3D images ofsolar activities like solar blast and flares which willnow be easier to understand.


SAI Sanctuary – The only private wildlifesanctuary in India1. SAI = Save Animals Initiative Sanctuary Trust2. Pamela and Anil Malhotra bought 55 acres of land 23years ago, and today they have converted it into abeautiful forest of over 300 acres.

3. The sanctuary also won the “Wildlife and TourismInitiative Of The Year” award by Sanctuary Asia inconjunction with Tour Operators for Tigers in 2014.


3 Cheers For The Launch Of India’s First CNGPowered Train1. In an environment friendly move, railway ministerSuresh Prabhu has just flagged off the very first CNGtrain in India.

2. Experts say that the CNG engine emits fewer toxic,carcinogenic pollutants and zero particulate matter.

3. In addition to this, the use of CNG can bring down theoperating cost of the locomotive by a whopping 50%!

4. The route selected for this landmark move is theRewari‐Rohtak section of the Northern zone.

Discuss: Manufactured by Chennai‐based Integral CoachFactory (ICF) through fumigation technology.


Chewang Norphel: The Ice Man of IndiaThe Man Who Creates Artificial Glaciers To Meet TheWater Needs Of Ladakh. He has created 10 artificialglaciers in Ladakh to help people deal with water scarcityin this cold, mountainous region. “Almost all the villages inLadakh have roads, culverts, bridges, buildings orirrigation systems made by me,” says Norphel. But his …Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/chewang‐norphel‐the‐ice‐man‐of‐india/)

http://www.civilsdaily.com/chewang-norphel-the-ice-man-of-india/


How Technology developed for Outer Spacewas saving lives in Nepal1. A unique suitcase‐sized device that can detect humanheartbeats and breathing patterns of survivors buriedeven 30 feet below crushed rock, is set torevolutionize search and rescue operations around theworld.

2. The prototype device, soon to be commercialized, isnamed FINDER (Finding Individuals for Disaster andEmergency Response).

3. Just like a RADAR that tracks airplanes, FINDER emitsa signal and waits for that signal to bounce back. So,what’s the difference?

Discuss: Look up at civilsdaily.com story page for theinfograph!


Not for moral policing, says Centre1. Clarifying its stand on porn ban, Attorney General toldthe SC that the Centre does not intend to intrude intothe private lives of citizens or act in an authoritativeway.

2. However, he defended the banning of child porn sitesindicating that India is no exception from thedeveloped world in banning child pornography.

3. He also mentioned that banning other forms of pornis a matter of debate, probably in the Parliament. Itwould be interesting to see what logic our lawmakersput forward should such a debate happen in theParliament.


Centre to take up Yamuna project1. Currently, JICA assisted Yamuna Action Plan (YAP)phase‐III project has been approved at an estimatedcost of Rs 1,656 crore, shared between Centre andDelhi Govt. in 85:15 ratio.

2. In the first two phases of Yamuna Action Plan (YAP), atreatment capacity of 942 MLD was created andSewage Treatment Plants (STPs) of 328.20 MLD wererenovated.

3. Centre is also planning to take up projects in additionto those under the scope of Japan InternationalCooperation Agency (JICA) project.


Newly‐formed Panchayats get HC Axe1. Kerala High Court quashed the notifications creatingnew panchayats by carving out parts of existingvillages without notification by the Governor.

2. According to Article 243 (g) of the Constitution, avillage can come into existence only after anotification by the Governor.

3. No panchayat can be formed without first conferringthe status of a village to an area where the panchayatis to be formed.


PM to visit UAE; first PM visit in 34 years1. The last visit was made by Indira Gandhi in 1981, 8years after formation of OPEC.

2. Agenda of the visit is to boost cultural, economic andsocial ties between the two countries.

3. UAE is home to a significant Indian population and isIndia’s third largest trading partner after China and theUS.

4. India was UAE’s largest non‐oil trading partner in2014 and both countries signed a Bilateral InvestmentPromotion and Protection Agreement (BIPA) in 2013.


Individuals will join terror ban list soon1. Presently, only organisations can be banned underUnlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

2. There are 38 groups banned under this Act, the latestone being IS.

3. The government is all set to amend this Act to add aclause that will pave way to “designate individuals”along with terror organisations under “banned list ofentities”.

4. The move will enable India to tag a criminal as aterrorist who is not linked with any terror organizationbut has committed an offence outside India.

5. Anti‐UAPA votaries opine that the law can be misusedby the police.


Bio‐diesel sold in retail outlets1. Marking the ‘World Bio Fuel Day’, biofuel‐blendeddiesel was sold in retail outlets for the first time onAug 10.

2. Recently, the sale of bio‐diesel to bulk consumerssuch as railways, shipping and road corporations etc.was permitted.

3. Bio‐diesel can be made from biomass material which isconsidered waste by the farmers.

4. Besides reducing carbon emissions, it can also providean additional source of income to the farmers.


[op‐ed snap] Stifling democratic debate1. The show‐cause notice issued by govt. to 3channels for alleged defamation against the integrityof the President and the judiciary, have little legalbasis.

2. Criticism of the President’s actions and of courtjudgments are an integral part of the freedom ofexpression guaranteed under Art. 19 of theConstitution.

3. Govt. has invoked the broad provisions of CableTelevision Networks Rules, 1994 which governsbroadcasters.

4. Broadcast channels do not enjoy the wide degree offreedom enjoyed by print media, as govt feels audio‐visual medium have an immediate impact.

5. Restrictions on media curbs the purpose of informingand promoting public discussions of issues in ademocracy.


[op‐ed snap] Turkey’s complicated war1. Turkey’s decision to join the war against IS is based onthe realization of IS threat on the backdrop of ISbombing of Turkish city, last month.

2. IS had almost reached Turkish border, a regionoccupied by Kurdish militias. But, Kurds posed astrong resistance to IS driving them away from theregion.

3. Kurds were provided cover fire by US’ Air Force,which was a major cause of worry for Turkey.

4. However, Ankara’s strategy seems a little misdirectedas it started bombing the areas occupied by bothKurdish militants and IS.

5. This will lead to weakening of of Kurds, the majorforce on ground to tackle IS, thereby strengthening IS.

6. Turkey should work on sustainable peace plan bytaking forward its ceasefire with Kurds and focusingon military operation against IS.


AADHAR not mandatory, says SC1. In an interim order, SC ruled that Aadhar was neithermandatory nor a condition for accessing benefits onewas already entitled to and asked the Govt to informthis to the citizens.

2. Court also directed that the information obtained byUIDAI should not be used for any purpose except onan order of a court for criminal investigation.

3. The larger issue the Constitution Bench is hearing is –whether the Aadhar scheme and its bio‐metric modeof registration is an intrusion into citizens’ privacy.

4. And whether right to privacy was a guaranteed rightunder the Constitution.


SEBI notifies ‘fast track’ route for share sales1. Firms in which public shareholders own stocks worthRs 1,000 crore will now be able to access this routethrough a follow‐on public offer (FPO).

2. Currently, the minimum requirement is Rs 3,000crore.

3. The minimum public holding requirement for a rightsoffer is Rs 250 crore but the listed companies can tapthe ‘fast‐track’ route even without complying to thisminimum, provided they meet other conditions.

4. This new route would also give a boost to thegovernment’s disinvestment drive.


China devalues Yuan by 1.9%1. China, which runs a ‘managed float’‐ i.e, an exchangerate that is managed against other currencies, pegsthe yuan against the dollar each day.

2. China announced that its daily fix will now be basedon the closing rate of the interbank forex market fromthe previous day.

3. The move is likely to be viewed as the govtintervention to boost the economy as a reaction tothe slump in exports, and a recent stock marketdecline.

4. Besides worsening the already declining Indianexports, the Chinese move is also expected to widenthe trade deficit with India.


Three cheers for Suhasini Haider1. Suhasini Haider, a well known journalist, wasfelicitated with the Prem Bhatia Award.

2. She is the Diplomatic and Strategic Affairs Editor withthe Hindu newspaper.

Discuss: Wondering why is this an important news?UPSC board tries to destabilize you in the interview byasking three important contributors of the newspaper youread!


BIMARU states – The abbreviation is stillrelevant1. The term BIMARU — an abbreviation for Bihar,Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — wascoined by demographer Ashish Bose in 1980s.

2. Based on a range of demographic indicators theseStates lagged significantly behind the southern States,and were contributing the most to India’s populationexplosion.

3. As per 2011 census, although these states have madesignificant individual improvement but they still lagbehind in indicators like Total Fertility Rate and PerCapita Income.


A bird, a dam and a belief1. The Nyamjang Chhu dam is being planned inZemithang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, the winterhome of the black‐necked crane that is sacred toBuddhists.

2. The bird is supposed to be the companion of monksand found only in cold high altitude regions of China,India and Bhutan.

3. There is an ongoing case in the NGT against theproject with the defenders of hydroelectric projectsaying that number of the endangered bird is toosmall to stall it.

4. Major issue to be pondered upon – Should thenumber of endangered species or spiritual/religiousbeliefs be taken into account during environmentalclearances.

Discuss: In a similar situation, an Australian court haddenied permission to Adani group to mine coal inQueensland to protect a skink and a snake species foundin the area.


India bid for permanent seat suffers blow1. US, Russia, China oppose UNSC reform talks whichcould have set a dialogue in motion.

2. US remains opposed to “any alteration or expansion ofthe veto”.

3. India received support from France and the UK, thetwo remaining permanent members of SecurityCouncil.


Not enough manpower to probe scam biggerthan Vyapam: CBI to SC1. Why would CBI say so?2. Investigations were normally conducted by officersranging from the rank of inspector to additional SP,“whose total sanctioned strength is 1,264 only”.

3. Of the sanctioned strength, the CBI said 348 posts —23 additional SP, 42 deputy SP and 283 inspectors —were currently vacant.

4. Apart from the Vyapam cases, the CBI is alreadyinvestigating more than 1,000 cases related to the chitfund scam in several states.


SC tells CBI: Don’t arrest people for politicalvendettaThe CBI had sought cancellation of bail, complaining thatMaran was not co‐operating. “It is a case of telephonemisuse. Why do you want to arrest him? Why do youwant him in jail? We are not saying anybody should getaway after a misuse, but why do you want his custody? Isthere … Continue reading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/sc‐tells‐cbi‐dont‐arrest‐people‐for‐political‐vendetta/)

http://www.civilsdaily.com/sc-tells-cbi-dont-arrest-people-for-political-vendetta/


Govt. study says currency notes carry disease‐causing micro‐organisms1. Scientists found DNA footprints of 78 disease‐causingmicro‐organisms on notes.

2. Most of them were fungi, but there were also bacteriathat can cause dysentery, tuberculosis and ulcers.

3. A technology called Ribosomal RNA typing has beenused to identify the taxonomy of organisms on objectslike clothes, furniture, soaps, even computers.

4. This study used a different technology – high‐throughput DNA sequencing.

Discuss: What's the difference between DNA & RNA?


[op‐ed snap] Why India doesn’t need to worryabout the falling rupee1. The Indian rupee has breached the level of 65 to adollar. But we need not worry too much right now.Why?

2. First, inflation is trending down. It now seems quitecertain that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is oncourse to meet its January 2016 inflation target.

3. The forex hoard has grown. The RBI has been buyingdollars in the spot and forward markets to build abuffer.

4. Corporate hedging has improved.

Discuss: What is Corporate Hedging?


[op‐ed snap] Aadhar Crisis: Choice, identityand privacy1. SC has made it clear that Aadhar cannot be insisted byany authority as a pre‐ condition for citizens to availany benefit. Why?

2. Making Aadhaar a mandatory would cause hardship tovarious sections as people stand to lose benefits or bedenied routine services.

3. Govt. can continue linking Aadhar cards for PDS andPAHAL scheme by linking Aadhar cards.

4. However, there is a need for an effectiveidentification mechanism to authenticate beneficiariesfor delivery of services.

5. But, any mechanism with no legal backing and withoutclear norms endangers misuse of the personalinformation and biometric data.

Discuss: There are recent incidents of Aadhar beingasked for FIRs, admission in educational institutions and itis growing as more and more entities link their serviceswith Aadhar.


India steels itself to face impact of yuandevaluation1. Chinese decision to devalue Yuan will hurt Indianexports as it makes Chinese exports cheaper.

2. In wake of this, India increased the import duty oncertain steel products by 2.5 per cent.

3. Reason being that prices of imported steel are up to20 per cent lower than those of domestic products.

4. Experts believe that the Chinese move could be tosatisfy the conditions the IMF had spelt out forgranting it reserve currency status and inclusion in thespecial drawing right (SDR) basket.


Natural gas supply growing faster than thedemand1. The shortfall of natural gas in the country is set towiden over the next couple of years and then stabiliseby 2017‐18.

2. However, if supply and demand both maintain theircurrent annual growth rates, it will take till 2062 forIndia to become self‐sufficient in natural gas.

3. Measures taken to increase the supply are enhancingproduction in existing fields by using the latesttechnology and bringing into production newdiscoveries as soon as possible.

4. There are also extensive shale gas reserves in India –pegged between 8,500‐60,000 BCM.


French fighter talks deadlocked1. Reason for the deadlock is enhanced costs anddifferences on offset requirements.

2. The negotiations were stuck for three years as thecost shot up to over $20 billion from $10 billion.

3. The Defence Ministry has made it clear that offsetsapply to the deal which is 50% for the Medium Multi‐Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA)

4. The Air Force has also sought some changes in theconfiguration which will further add to the cost andtime overruns.

Discuss: As per the Defence Procurement Procedure,offset applies to all deals worth over Rs.300 crore underwhich companies have to invest 30 per cent of the valueof the contract back in the country.


Indian sailors get international identity1. Union government has ratified the InternationalSeafarers’ Identity Documents Convention, 2003.

2. The biometric data of Indian seafarers will becollected and the identity document will be issued inthe form of a globally recognised smart card withinthe next six months.

3. This ratification by India will increase the employabilityof Indian sailors by allowing them to cross into foreignwaters unhindered.

4. India has over 1.8 lakh seafarers, just around 7 percent of the global share of sailors.

Discuss: The Convention, under the International LabourOrganisation, has been ratified by 30 other countries.


Union govt. staff can expect good news1. The implementation of the 7th Pay Commission awardwould result in a 15.79 per cent increase in the salaryoutgo for 2016‐17.

2. The commission was set up last year with themandate to recommend revision of salaries of over 50lakh Central govt. employees and remuneration of 30lakh pensioners.

3. The impact of the commission award on theexchequer posed a risk in containing fiscal deficit.

4. The fiscal consolidation strategy of the govt. onreclaiming high growth in gross tax revenues andgradually reducing expenditure on subsidy throughreforms.


[op‐ed snap] Italian Marines Case: Needlessescalation1. India’s delayed progress in consideration of stringentmeasures had led to Italy moving ITLOS –International Tribunal on Law of sea.

2. It has questioned the jurisdiction of NIA to prosecutetheir marines.

3. Italy has moved to international forum citing excessivedelay from Indian side, to restrict India taking anyjudicial or administrative action.

4. Italy appears to have returned to its original positionof questioning India’s jurisdiction altogether.

5. India had contended that incident took place 20.5nautical miles off Indian territory, in the ContiguousZone.


MGNREGS reduced poverty, empoweredwomen1. A survey found that MNREGS reduced poverty overallby up to 32% and prevented 14 million people fromfalling into poverty.

2. MGNREGS has helped many women earn cashincome, thereby, enabling them to make independentdecisions.

3. Children from MGNREGS households were likely toobtain higher levels of educational attainment thantheir non‐MGNREGS peers.

4. It increased financial inclusion and declined relianceon moneylenders, saving huge interest payments thatis to be paid to moneylenders.


What is SITA?1. The SITA (Supporting India’s Trade and InvestmentPreferences for Africa) is a project to explore theuntapped potential of Indo‐African trade.

2. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is theimplementation partner for the project in India.

3. The CII has received proposals for five projects in EastAfrican countries under the SITA.


India rejects Italy’s 4.4‐crore offer to freemarines1. India has rejected Italy’s offer to secure protectionfrom any legal action against the two Italian marines.

2. India said it would help expedite the trial at a SpecialCourt within 4 months.

3. There is no bilateral agreement between India andItaly for granting diplomatic immunity to armed forcespersonnel of Italy.

4. India also rebutted Italy’s claim before the tribunalthat New Delhi has shut the door for a diplomaticsolution.


Iran Minister eyes trade beyond oil1. The negotiations will focus on turning the India‐Iranbuyer‐seller relationship into a real partnership.

2. Investment in infrastructure, oil imports andthe planned Chabahar port development project willbe core issues.

3. India and Iran will look to discuss investment in eachother’s countries after all U.N. and Western sanctionsare lifted.

4. Iran is keen on Indian expertise and investment inrebuilding railways, as part of a total of $8 billion ininfrastructure projects.

5. India was also keen for Iran to invest in India’sproposed $1 trillion infrastructure development.


Maggi ban: High Court lifts ban, orders freshtests within 6 weeks1. Maggi could soon be back on sale after the BombayHigh Court lifted the nation‐wide ban on Magginoodles, subject to fresh tests.

2. Court observed FSSAI acted in an arbitrary mannerand not followed the principles of natural justice whilebanning the product.

3. The food labs engaged by the FSSAI, which foundexcessive lead in Maggi noodles, were not authorisedunder the FSS Act and Regulations.


As U.S. changes tack, India redraws UNSC bid1. India is planning to continue with its candidature forpermanent seat in UNSC, despite the unexpectedopposition from US.

2. If it comes to a vote, India will need the support of atleast 129 of the 193 states of General Assembly.

3. The U.S. has joined Russia and China in their blockingof any large‐scale reforms of the council and rejectionof veto power to new members.

4. President Obama reaffirmed his support for areformed UNSC with India as a permanent member,during his visit in Jan,2015.


Community Radio can Change Lives. How?1. Community Radio empowers rural people to discussrights, freedoms, policies, laws, accountability,governance, and a host of other things.

2. Ideosync Media Combine is a communication forsocial change (C4SC) organization based in theNational Capital Region.

3. In 2012, community radio in India completed a decadeof existence. Currently, there are 183 operationalstations in the country.

Discuss: Read more to know more.


[op‐ed snap] Circumventing the Rajya Sabha1. The govt is in policy paralysis right now because ofthe Opposition’s obstructionist approach in the RajyaSabha.

2. Govt does not have a majority in RS.3. So, the Finance Minister has indicated that most ofthe crucial bills which go to the Rajya Sabha bebranded as money bills.

4. Why? Rajya Sabha has little authority to preventmoney bills from being rejected.

5. But the Rajya Sabha should not be deprived of itslegitimate rights through legislative stratagems.

Discuss: What do you think?


Clamour for bringing back Amaravati relicsfrom U.K.1. What are the “Amravati relics”?2. They are a collection of over 120 masterpieces andartefacts of Buddhist sculptures on display in theBritish Museum in London.

3. They were excavated by the British and shipped tothe UK from Madras in the 1850s.

4. Why the clamour?5. Andhra Pradesh government wants to attract worldtourists to Amaravati, its new capital area, byshowcasing its Buddhist heritage.


India steels itself to face impact of yuandevaluation1. China’s central bank has followed up on Tuesday’sdevaluation of the yuan by 1.9% with another 1% cuton Wednesday.

2. This is so that Chinese manufactured productsbecome cheaper in the world, and that demand forthem increases compared to products from othercountries.

3. India has responded to this by increasing the importduty on certain steel products (that are imported fromChina) by 2.5%

Discuss: Raising this duty means these Chinese‐manufactured steel products will no longer become verycheap compared to steel products from Indianmanufacturers.


[op‐ed snap] Parliament Disruptions – Stasis inthe House1. The monsoon session of Parliament ended withvirtually no work done.

2. Govt. failed to respond in a credible manner to seriousallegations of conflict of interest, impropriety andcorruption involving its ministers.

3. The session awaited a statesmen‐like interventionfrom PM, after govt.’s parliamentary managers failedto break the deadlock.

4. There was a need for a leader who could use both hispersonality and charm to reach out and win thecooperation and admiration of the Opposition to agreat extent.


[op‐ed snap] Calculated devaluation by China1. The People’s Bank of China’ consecutive double cutswith 1.9% and 1.6% has sent shock waves around theworld.

2. This double dose had a sharp negative impact onmany Asian currencies.

3. Rupee too slipped down to its 2‐ year low level, butrelatively less affected as compared to its Asian peers.

4. IMF is optimistic that the Chinese move will helpachieve market determined exchange rates.

5. However, the context of cut is based on the premiseof their decelerating economy, due to its excessivedependence on exports.

6. This step can also be read in light of making Yuan aglobal reserve currency at IMF.


SEBI notifies start‐up listing norms1. SEBI notified a new set of listing norms for start‐ups,including e‐commerce ventures, on a separateplatform of domestic stock exchanges – theinstitutional trading platform (ITP).

2. The new norms provide significant relaxations in thedisclosure requirements.

3. SEBI has also relaxed its delisting, takeover andAlternative Investment Fund regulations for entitiesengaged in IT, data analytics, intellectual property etc.

4. However, the new platform would be open to onlyinstitutional investors and HNIs in order to protectsmall retail investors from the risks involved with thestar‐ups.


After Mission Indradhanush, it is economicIndradhanush1. Govt. has announced a seven‐point action plan,Indradhanush to infuse professionalism and freshcapital into public sector banks.

2. It announced the setting up of Bank Board Bureau(BBB) that will give way to holding company to whichthe Centre will transfer its ownership of all thesebanks.

3. The BBB will be headed by a Chairman and willcomprise six other members — three governmentofficials and three experts, two of which will be fromthe private sector.

Discuss: Govt is also working on addressing the problemsof stress causing sectors like power, steel, highways,discoms and sugar.


Experts divided on impact of Yuan’sdevaluation on Indian exports1. Some believe that the export competitiveness factorsare beyond currency movements.

2. While others are of the opinion that India canmaintain its competitiveness if rupee also declines.

3. The risk for India comes from two ways: one cheaperimports from China affecting domestic companies andsecond it would affect India’s exports to othercountries.

4. There have been increased imports from Chinadespite a significant appreciation of the Yuan versusthe rupee in the past and experts believe that Indiashould focus on policy related efforts in boostingcompetitiveness.


1 year of Modi’s first Red Fort speech – themisses1. Swachh Vidyalaya campaign showed that thecorporates did not participate actively.

2. Only 16 corporates, big and small, showed someinterest in the campaign.

3. “Make in India” campaign, which was later launchedwith considerable fanfare has been a slow starter.

4. Major reason for this slow start is uncertainty onpassage of Land Acquisition and GST Bills.

5. Recent washout of the Monsoon session of theParliament has only made it worse for the Union Govt.


1 year of Modi’s first Red Fort speech – thehits1. Exceeding the target of covering 7.5 crore householdsunder PMJDY, the banks have opened 16.73 croreaccounts after surveying 21.02 crore households.

2. By July this year, the zero balance accounts in PMJDYfell by 30 per cent from 76 per cent in September2014.

3. With a new deadline of 2017‐end, the NationalOptical Fibre Network project was renamedBharatNet and an estimated 30,000 villagepanchayats have been covered.

4. HRD ministry announced that now every school inthe country has a toilet.


Happy Independence DayCivilsdaily wishes all its readers a very happyIndependence Day. Let us all remember the heroes whosacrificed their lives to bring this glorious day to India.Jai Hind.


Santhara: The Law and the Religion1. What is ‘Santhara’ ? The centuries‐old Jain Practice ofstarving to death.

2. Underlying Philosophy: Considered to be the truestform of ‘ahimsa’ or nonviolence, the fundamentaltenet of Jainism.

3. The issue: Rajasthan High Court ruled it to behenceforth treated as “suicide” punishable under law.

Discuss: Should IPC be refurbished to be in consonancewith Indian ethos?


[cd explains] Palaces, Forts & StupasHere is a cheat sheet of sorts. Handy for quick revision.More to come. In case we missed some *strategic* info –feel free to add in the comments.


A few lesser known World Heritage sites inIndia1. UNESCO identifies World Heritage Sites as placesthat belong to all the peoples of the world.

2. With the latest entry of The Great HimalayanNational Park and Rani ki Vav, India now has 32 ofthese!

3. Read over at the website to find a few lesser known.


[cd explains] All about caves1. You already know about Ajanta & Ellora – Let’s list afew others from the party!

2. Badami, Barabar, Edakkal & Jogimara.3. Sounds amazing? We don’t think so 4. Not unless you go to the story and see the cheatsheet for yourself.


[Announcement] Are you nervous? Shittingbricks, saaar!1. Dear readers, hope all’s awesome at your end.2. The 2015 cohort would be gearing up for the 23rd ofthis month and pray that UPSC has no more surprisesto offer!

3. For the next few days, we will take things slow.4. You will read less from the current affairs and morefrom static portions.

Discuss: Enjoy the ride!


National e‐market for agriculturalcommodities1. The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation(DAC) has mandated Small Farmers’ Agri BusinessConsortium (SFAC) to act as the lead promoter ofNational Agriculture Market (NAM).

2. NAM is envisaged as a pan‐India electronic tradingportal.

3. It will primarily network 585 Agriculture ProduceMarket Committee (APMC) market yards to create anational e‐market for agricultural commodities.

4. Big private markets will also be allowed access to thesoftware to enable better price discovery.

5. It will provide the software free of cost to the statesfor setting up of NAM.


India, Bangladesh to fight fake currency1. The security agencies of both the countries willclosely coordinate to curb the smuggling ofcounterfeit currency notes.

2. Both countries agreed to share intelligence on a real‐time basis

3. A secure channel will be established for informationexchange for better implementation.

4. A MoU was signed by Joint Task Force on FakeCurrency Notes to effectively target fake currency.


Saikanth Varma (AIR 18) on Prelims Strategy1. If you are appearing for the 2015 marathon, feel freeto skip!

2. But if you are looking forward to nailing the CSE@2016 – Read what Saikanth has to say about howhis prelims preparation.

3. Go to civilsdaily.com OR click the link below to bedirected to the Toppers Speak tab.

Geography | August 18, 2015

Organic Farming: Countering theUnsustainable1. The Committee on Estimates recommendsformulation of national policy on organic farming andestablishment of Organic Finance and DevelopmentCorporation.

2. Chemical based farming has lead to soil degradation,toxic farm products, groundwater contamination,adverse health effects and has precipitated agrariandistress.

3. Organic farming can countermand the fallout ofchemical farming and can generate employment andreduce farm subsidy.


NALSAR goes the Oxford way!1. The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research(NALSAR) has become the first in the country todrop the gender honorifics from its grade sheetsfollowing the tradition of Oxford University.

2. The move is an acknowledgement of struggles forgender fluidity.

3. Gender cannot be a measure to assess one’s abilitiesasserted the NALSAR convener terming the decisionto be a progressive step towards inclusion.


Lobsters are marching North. Why?1. Climate change is driving many US lobstermen out ofbusiness as the lobster population has crashed torecord levels.

2. Responding to the warming oceans, the species ismoving towards the poles.

3. It is a clear indication of how climate change may bealtering the natural range of many animals and plants.


Pankhida – The folk song from Rajasthan1. Sung by the peasants of Rajasthan while doing work inthe fields.

2. The peasants sing and speak while playing algoza andmanjira.

3. The literal meaning of the word ‘Pankhida’ is lover.

Discuss: Follow the story link and help us makemnemonics for the ease of learning!


Lotia – For the month of chaitra1. ‘Lotia’ is sung in the chaitra month during the festival– ‘Lotia’.

2. Women bring lotas (a vessel to fill water) and kalash (avessel considered to be auspicious to fill water duringworship) filled with water from ponds and wells.

3. They decorate them with flowers and come home.4. That’s it!


A ballad on the Pandavas – Pandavani1. In Pandavani, tales from Mahabharata are sung as aballad and one or two episodes are chosen for thenight’s performance.

2. The main singer continuously sits throughout theperformance.

3. With powerful singing and symbolic gestures, heassumes all the characters of the episode one afteranother.

4. That’s a one man show!

Discuss: Akahvani for AIR & Pandavani for Pandavas


Barhamasa from Kumaon – For the 12months!1. This regional music from Kumaon is describing thetwelve months of an year, each with its specificqualities.

2. In one of the songs the Ghughuti bird symbolizes theonset of chaitra month.

3. A girl in her in laws place asks this bird not to speakbecause she is disturbed with the memories of hermother (Ija) and she is feeling sad.

Discuss: The song has a very catchy tune ‐ if you wouldjust look it up on youtube. You sure as hell won't forget aquestion this.


Alha – A typical ballad from Bundelkhand1. The folk song narrates the heroic deeds of Alha andUdal, the two warrior brothers who served RajaParmal of Majoba.

2. This is the most popular regional music ofBundelkhand which is popular elsewhere in thecountry as well.

3. The Alha is full of tales of feudal chivalry, which haveappeal to common men.

4. It highlights the high principles of morality, chivalryand nobility prevalent in those times.


Laman from Himachal Pradesh – Exchange ofwits1. In Laman a group of girls sing a stanza and a group ofboys give reply in the song.

2. This continues for hours.3. Interesting is that the girls singing on one of the peaksof the hill seldom see the faces of the boys singing onanother peak.

4. In between is the hill which echoes their love song.5. Most of these songs are sung especially in KulluValley.


Tappa from Punjab & Powada fromMaharashtraTappa (for camel riders) – Tappa is a form of semiclassical vocal music inspired by the folk songs of camelriders in the Punjab area. Tappa, in Punjabi and Pashtolanguage, is set in ragas generally used for the semiclassical forms. It is characterized by jumpy and flashytonal movements with rhythmic and … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/tappa‐from‐punjab‐powada‐from‐rajasthan/)


The songs of the North East Bihu songs, Assam – Bihu songs (bihu geet) are themost distinctive type of folk songs of Assam, both fortheir literary content and for their musical mode. It is Bihutime when an opportunity is there for marriageable youngmen and women to exchange their feelings and even tochoose their partners. Sana … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/the‐songs‐of‐the‐north‐east/)

http://www.civilsdaily.com/tappa-from-punjab-powada-from-rajasthan/

http://www.civilsdaily.com/the-songs-of-the-north-east/


3 forms of theatre that you must see in Kerala1. Kutiyattam, is a form of Sanskrit theatre traditionallyperformed in the state of Kerala, India.

2. Krishnattam – The episodes are based on the themeof Lord Krishna – his birth, childhood pranks andvarious deeds depicting victory of good over evil.

3. Mudiyettu – It is usually performed only in the Kalitemples of Kerala, as an oblation to the Goddess.

4. It depicts the triumph of goddess Bhadrakali over theasura Darika.


Licence to payment banks1. RBI gave in‐principle nod to eleven entities includingReliance Industries Ltd, Tech Mahindra Ltd and TheDepartment of Posts to launch a payments bank.

2. Payments banks will not lend money but will providebasic savings, deposit, payment, and remittanceservices.

3. They will play a key role in reaching the unbanked halfof India’s population.


India’s Growing E‐waste: A Fact Sheet1. As Indians grow richer and spend more on electronicitems, more outmoded gadgets are being thrown awayleading to a 20% increase in e‐waste every year.

2. India is home to 900 million mobile phone users and isthe fastest growing smart phone market in the world.The sale of other electronic items is rising 15% everyyear.

3. In 2011 India created rules for its safe recycling still90% of it is being dealt by unorganised industryoperating from slums and shanty towns in major cities.


Thailand’s turbulence: What happened?1. There was a bomb blast near a Hindu temple inBangkok.

2. Thailand has seen 2 coups in past 10 years. There areseveral political actors in the monarchy.

3. There is the military junta, the king and the red shirts(political supporters of deposed PM Shinawatra andnow supporting Yingluck Shinawatra).

4. In deep south, they are fighting Muslim separatistssince 2004.

5. Thailand says the bombs are targeted at derailingeconomy and tourism, but isn’t clear on who has doneit yet.


The sprouting of the ‘Look West’ policy1. PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE this week hasthe potential to be remembered like Prime MinisterP.V. Narasimha Rao’s visit to Singapore in September1994.

2. Through his famous Singapore Lecture, NarasimhaRao unveiled India’s “Look East” Policy.

3. Through the joint statement that he signed with UAE’sleadership, Mr. Modi has unveiled India’s “Look West”Policy.

Discuss: Mr Baru is also the author of the infamous book– The accidental Prime Minister based on the rise ofguess who?


Introducing the CD Hub1. We have re‐christened the ToppersSpeak tab to CDHub. Why?

2. CD Hub seeks to be a meeting point of aspirants,rankers, mentors & CD Core.

3. Over the time – News engagements evolved tohealthy discussions around the stories and we foundthe seeds of a healthy community building up at ourend.

4. We would want to up‐level this engagement foryou guys.

5. Buck up for the Prelims ahead – take some time offpost that and come back for the next round

Discuss: For 2016 and beyond ‐ do read up the articleson the Hub ‐ We have got toppers to give you personaladvice :)


India’s Patent Performance1. Of the total patent applications filed annually in Indiaonly 28% are by Indians and only 3% of the patentsgranted are actually commercialised.

2. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi top thechart.

3. Year‐on‐Year increase in filing patents is a paltry 15%.4. Complex process and commercialisation aspects holdback even the foreign firms from filing the patents inIndia.


The making of modern theatreSanskrit drama after the 10th century lost its tenor. Itstrove no more through symbol and gesture to realize thetruth behind human experience. Medieval Indianliterature was glorious, but it was an era of devotionalpoetry, which was a little indifferent to secularrepresentation of life on stage. The Islamic taboo againstsuch forms … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/the‐making‐of‐modern‐theatre/)

http://www.civilsdaily.com/the-making-of-modern-theatre/


What importance do Vedas give to Yajnas?1. Devatas of the vedic poetry symbolise themanifestations of the divine force of the OneSupreme.

2. Vedas give prime importance to yajna (sacrifice).3. Purusa sukta of the Rigveda (10.90) describes thewhole creation as a yajna extended by the divineforces of nature.

4. Etymologically yajna means the worship of the divine,coordination and giving (sacrifice).


What do the four Vedas deal with?1. The Rig Veda is a collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymnscounted among the four Hindu religious texts knownas the Vedas.

2. The Yajur Veda is related to yajna, which is not justsacrifice, but also means creative reality.

3. The mantras (verse with archetypal meanings) of theRig Veda are adapted to certain melodies and thiscollection is named Sama Veda.

4. The Atharva Veda deals with the peace andprosperity of human society and is concerned with thedaily life of man.


Puranas: That which renews the oldThe Puranas were written to illustrate and expound thetruth of the Vedas. The fundamental abstrusephilosophical and religious truths are expounded throughpopular legends or mythological stories. The mainPuranas are 18 encyclopaedic collections of legend andmyth. They are called Mahapuranas. The Mahapuranashave 5 subjects – Sarga, the original creation of theuniverse, … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/puranas‐that‐which‐renews‐the‐old/)


What is Jayadeva remembered for?This. Jayadeva (12 century A.D.) is the last great name inSanskrit poetry, who wrote the lyric poetry Gita Govinda(the song of Govinda) to describe every phase of lovebetween Krishna and Radha – longing, jealousy, hope,disappointment, anger, reconciliation and fruition – inpicturesque lyrical language. The songs describe thebeauty of nature, … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/what‐is‐jayadeva‐remembered‐for/)

http://www.civilsdaily.com/puranas-that-which-renews-the-old/

http://www.civilsdaily.com/what-is-jayadeva-remembered-for/


What are Vishnu Sharma & Narayan Pandit arefamous for?1. The didactic fable Panchatantra (five chapters),dealing with politics and practical wisdom was writtenby Vishnu Sharma.

2. The Hitopadesha – the bird, animal‐human and non‐human stories of advice for the benefit of the listenerswas written by Narayan Pandit.


NASA’s Dawn spacecraft arrives at Ceres1. The Dawn probe is in a low‐altitude orbit around thedwarf planet Ceres, the largest object in the asteroidbelt.

2. Asteroid belt? 3. The asteroid belt is the region of the Solar Systemlocated roughly between the orbits of the planetsMars and Jupiter.

4. About half the mass of the belt is contained in thefour largest asteroids, the three intact protoplanetsCeres, Vesta, and Pallas, and Hygiea.


New Horizons spacecraft flies by Pluto1. Nasa spacecraft makes history as the first spacecraftto reach distant dwarf planet, the last unexploredworld in solar system.

2. Images beamed back from New Horizons have shownPluto in shades of red and orange, with hints ofvalleys, mountains and craters.

3. Pluto lies in a region of space at the edge of the solarsystem called the Kuiper belt.

Discuss: What is Kuiper Belt?


MESSENGER mission at Mercury endsMESSENGER (short for MErcury Surface, SpaceENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging) has helpedscientists snap pictures and craft the best map ever madeof the planet.


The 2 schools of Sangam literatureEarly classical Tamil literature is known as Sangamliterature meaning ‘fraternity’, indicating mainly 2 schoolsof poets, aham (subjective love poems), and puram(objective, public poetry and heroic). Aham deals purelywith the subjective emotions of the lover. Puram dealswith all kinds of emotions, mainly the valour and glory ofkings, and about good and … Continue reading(http://www.civilsdaily.com/the‐2‐schools‐of‐sangam‐literature/)


Done with Prelims? Take a kitkat break!1. We are in the process of uploading the answer keys atthe website.

2. Visit http://www.civilsdaily.com/blog/ for moreupdates.

3. We are getting in mentors and rankers to help youprepare for the next mile.

4. For the 2016+ folks – we will have a blog at the Hubfor you in a few days from now.

5. We are sure that you would attest to the fact that“following CD made current affairs easy”.

6. A good chunk of questions were sitters!

Discuss: More on the overlap of CD with Prelims later.Chill maadi!

http://www.civilsdaily.com/the-2-schools-of-sangam-literature/


What is Brent Crude?1. Brent Crude is a major trading classification of sweetlight crude oil that serves as a major benchmark pricefor purchases of oil worldwide.

2. This grade is described as light because of its relativelylow density, and sweet because of its low sulfurcontent.

3. Roughly two‐thirds of all crude contracts around theworld reference Brent Blend, making it the mostwidely used marker of all.


[op‐ed snap] Payments banks can change thefuture. How?1. With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s in‐principleapproval to 11 payments banks, India has taken onebig step forward on the road laid out seven years ago.

2. Rajan and Nachiket Mor have delivered on theirpromises of a well diversified, differentiated bankingstructure for India.

3. A recent Consultative Group to Assist the Poor reporttitled Doing Digital Finance Right concluded that low‐income consumers are hesitant. Why?


ISIS reported to have blown up ancient templein Palmyra1. The antiquities chief confirm 2,000‐year‐old temple ofBaal Shamin in world heritage city blown up.

2. Baal Shamin was built in 17 AD and was expandedunder the reign of Roman emperor Hadrian in 130AD.

3. It is one of the most important sites in Palmyra, knownas the “Pearl of the Desert”.

4. Palmyra used to be a stopping point for caravanstravelling on the Silk Road and between the Gulf andthe Mediterranean.


Rajan will not hesitate to use forex reserves tocurb rupee volatility1. India has $380 billion in forex reserves to be used asand when the need arises, says RBI GovernorRaghuram Rajan.

2. The RBI, however, is looking to calm investors withRajan saying that India is in a far better position toweather the volatility given the strength inmacroeconomic fundamentals.

3. Rajan also said that instead of focusing on the rupee’sfall against the dollar, the currency’s real effectiveexchange rate has to be looked.

Discuss: What is REER? Elaborate with an example.


Anoop Singh to be conferred withDronacharya Award1. The Dronacharya Award, instituted in 1985, are givento honour eminent coaches across the nation.

2. Three‐time national champion and internationalwrestler, Anoop has guided top grapplers.

3. Dronacharya Awardees and Dhyan Chand Awardeeswill receive statuettes, certificates and award moneyof Rs 5 lakh each.

Discuss: What is Dhyan Chand Award?


Typhoon lashes Japan1. Japanese authorities advised 280,000 people toevacuate their homes as a typhoon lashed southernKyushu island and western Japan.

2. More than 20 people were injured as a result of thetyphoon, and some flights and train services weresuspended.

Discuss: Have they named the typhoon yet?


Can’t bring political parties under RTI, Centretells SC1. Union govt. has argued that political parties cannotdisclose their internal functioning and financialinformation under the Right to Information Act.

2. The disclosure will hamper their smooth functioningand create a weak spot for rivals with maliciousintentions to take advantage of.

3. SC had earlier issued notice to 6 national parties,asking their inability to come clean and explain theirhesitation to disclose complete details.

4. The details will include their income, expenditure,donations, funding, including donor details, to thepublic under the RTI Act.


[op‐ed snap] The crash of the markets1. Sensex’ free fall was driven by over 9% fall in theChinese stocks, which had impact in capital andcurrency markets worldwide.

2. SEBI would take measures to ensure that there are nomajor settlement defaults, which can be a furtherdangerous for our economy.

3. RBI has assured that it has sufficient foreign currencyreserves to silent any major volatility of rupee.

4. However, all these efforts can only flatten thetrajectory of any fall, but it will be difficult to reversethe trend.


U.N. court for status quo in Italian marinescase1. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea(ITLOS) has put a “status quo” in the Italian marinescase.

2. The tribunal has asked both countries to “suspend” allcourt proceedings and refrain from initiating new onesthat might “aggravate or extend” the dispute.

3. Both countries will submit the initial report on theentire incident by September 24.

4. Govt. official claim it was a partial victory for India asthe court did not allow one of the accused marines togo home from Indian custody despite Italy’s plea.


Five‐pronged strategy to check Naxalism1. The new strategy will involve both armed forces aswell as taking up development programmes in thenaxal‐affected areas.

2. The will also create awareness among thecommunities against the path of violence beingadopted by the LWE groups.

3. The Centre would utilise modern technologies such asdrones and UAVs as part of its strategy to contain theLWE.

4. Centre is procuring 6 modern helicopters for the useof armed forces, in order to combat Naxal groupseffectively.


[Announcement] Check your promotions tab@gmail1. Hello, we have been trying to reach you atyour registered Email.

2. But chances are that Google has pushed them allunder the Promotion Tab.

3. Would be great if you could manually drag them ontoyour Primary Inbox.

4. Do keep a tab on civilsdaily.com for upcoming mainsstrategy.


Rs.1‐lakh cr. highway projects to be awardedthis year1. The Union govt. has set a target of awarding highwayprojects estimated at Rs. 1 lakh crore this year and Rs.5 lakh crore in the next 4 years.

2. Minister emphasized on the magnitude scaling inhighway construction from 2 km/day to 14 km/day.

3. Out of estimated Rs. 3.8 lakh crore stalled roadprojects, Govt. has resolved around 60% of them.

4. There was a good response from the private sectorand funding issues have been resolved, which isvisible in increase in no. of PPP projects.

Discuss: Govt. is targeting 30km/day by Mar,2016.


Muslim population growth slows1. There is a sharp drop in the growth of Muslimpopulation compared to previous decades.

2. Its growth rate has slowed more sharply than that ofthe Hindu population.

3. The Muslim population still grows at a faster rate thanthe Hindu population, but the gap between the twogrowth rates is narrowing fast.

4. Minorities form 20.4% of the population inwhich Muslims make up 14.23%, Christians 2.3% andSikhs 2.16 %.

5. The Registrar‐General and Census Commissionerreleased the data on Population by ReligiousCommunities of Census 2011.

Discuss: The data on religion comes after a significantdelay, 2001 Census data on religion was released in2004.


Land ordinance to go; States to frame law1. Govt. has indicated that Land Ordinance will beallowed to lapse on August 31.

2. Although, govt. will wait for the report of the jointcommittee in Parliament on the ordinance beforewinter session.

3. But, PM has almost decided to allow States to put inplace their own laws on land acquisition.

4. At NITI Aayog’s meeting, which was violated byCongress minister’s, some states were interested toadd these features to their land acquisition laws.


No word on special status for A.P.1. Niti Aayog has been entrusted the task of taking afinal view on the issue of granting Special Categorystatus to Andhra Pradesh.

2. Niti Aayog vice‐chairman will discuss with StateGovernment officials to reconcile it with the FinanceCommission’s recommendations.

3. Centre was making all attempts to find a solution asthere are similar demands from other States too.

4. Home Ministry is the nodal ministry for implementingthe AP Reorganisation Act.


Rani Gaidinliu – The legendary freedom fighterfrom North‐East1. Occasion? The inaugural function of the birthcentenary of Rani Gaidinliu.

2. PM Narendra Modi has instructed all his ministers tovisit North‐East at least twice every year and take upissues related to their ministries.

3. PM also issued commemorative coin of hundredrupees and circulation coin of five rupees on RaniGaidinliu.

4. Rani Gaidinliu was a Naga spiritual leader of theHeraka faith who led a revolt against British colonialrule in India.

Discuss: Keep a stock on such crucial figures of ourIndian Freedom movement.


India to implement Sendai framework fordisaster reduction1. The framework was adopted during the third UNWorld Conference on disaster risk reduction held inSendai, Japan on March 14‐18, 2015.

2. How would we go about it?3. This involves adopting integrated and inclusiveinstitutional measures so as to work towardspreventing vulnerability to disaster.

4. More focus on increasing preparedness for responseand recovery and strengthen resilience.


[op‐ed snap] Time to act on FTII1. Ministry of I&B has appointed 3 member committeeto resolve the FTII impasse.

2. NDA govt. should use the opportunity to ensure thatit does not intend to subjugate cultural institutions.

3. The govt. should chart a road map to make FTII, acenter of excellence, where merit and capability willbe given due priority.

4. A panel of eminent film makers could be set up toframe a transparent structure for future appointmentsof FTII chairman.

5. FTII has a good legacy of producing fine film talentand govt.’s focus should be on making it a world‐classcentre.

Discuss: There is a need to protect institutions fromideological or political inferences, otherwise they maylose their relevance.


5G: The Internet of Everything1. 5G would have ultra high data speeds(>20GBPs),ultra low latency and new devices.

2. The 5G network will be intelligent enough tounderstand how to allocate its resources, a capacitywhich is absent at the moment.

3. It cannot afford to be neutral when it comes to data,as that could again lead to wastage.

4. The 5G will not be just about internet speed, but itwill also have to be content‐aware, user‐aware andlocation‐aware.

5. Base station might shift from towers to drones orballoons to ensure that Internet of Everything is alsothe Internet of Everywhere.

Discuss: For middle‐income countries like India, who arestruggling with 4G, the world of 5G is atleast a few yearsaway, as it will require concerted efforts from all techcompanies, ISPs and govts.


Special Status vs. Special Category Status –What’s the difference?1. Special Status is guaranteed by the Constitution ofIndia through an Act passed by the two‐third majorityin both houses of the Parliament (example – J&K).

2. Special Category Status is granted by the NationalDevelopment Council, an administrative body of thegovernment.

3. While Special Status empowers legislative and politicalrights, Special Category Status deals only witheconomic, administrative and financial aspects.


Nothing special about Special Category Statesany longer Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been demandingSpecial Category Status (SCS) for his state for at leastthree years now. But with the recommendations of theFourteenth Finance Commission having been accepted,the SCS has been reduced, at best, to a political rallyingpoint — not just for Bihar, but also for Odisha … Continuereading (http://www.civilsdaily.com/nothing‐special‐about‐special‐category‐states‐any‐longer/)


[Discuss] Hollow promise of ‘special status’1. Demand for Special Category Status is being used topursue political goals instead of furthering thedevelopment goals. Discuss.

2. The discussion will be summarised and updated thenext day.

http://www.civilsdaily.com/nothing-special-about-special-category-states-any-longer/


Decks cleared for India’s role in Iranian port1. Iran has cleared roadblocks for India to lease anddevelop the strategically important Iranian port ofChabahar.

2. The port will be used to ship crude oil and urea,greatly reducing transportation costs for importingthese two commodities.

3. The port will provide an alternative route for India totrade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassingPakistan.

4. The port is to be developed via a SPV, which will beowned by the two sides with an investment of around$85 million.

5. The port will link with Intl. North‐South TransportCorridor that will connect India to most Central Asiantrading partners.

Discuss: India’s presence in Chabahar will offset theChinese presence in the Pakistani port of Gwadar.


Media facing curbs on freedom1. Freedom of speech and expression were applied tothe media as a whole, but in practice, did not seem toreach the broadcast media.

2. The recent case of show‐cause notices being sent to3 pvt. TV channels for alleged violations wasa challenge to editorial expression.

3. The SC has held that the powers of legislature couldoverride freedom of speech but cannot overridepersonal liberties guaranteed in Article 21 of theConstitution.

4. Courts have consistently protected journalists who aresought to be punished by legislatures.


Telangana knocks on SC door for rightful shareof Krishna water1. Telangana govt. has sought fresh allocation of thedisputed waters of the Krishna river, claimingthat right to access water is a human rights issue

2. State has requested to keep aside the previous orderof Krishna Water Tribunal, in the light of thebifurcation of State.

3. The state has requested for setting up of a freshtribunal under the Inter‐State River Water DisputesAct of 1956.

4. The water of Krishna river is shared among the4 neighbouring States of Maharashtra, Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Discuss: The Inter‐State River Water Disputes Act of1956, the Union has to refer the case to a tribunalformed under the statute, if it gets a complaint or areference in relation to the sharing of water between twoStates,


GSAT‐6 will be a game changer1. The GSLV‐D6 satellite launcher is powered by theindigenously developed upper cryogenic stage to sendthe GSAT‐6 communication satellite.

2. GSAT‐6 is a predominantly S‐band communicationsatellite that enables multimedia applications.

3. It will be used purely for ‘strategic’ purposes by theArmed Forces and for societal uses during a disasteror an emergency.

4. It would function the same way as otherINSAT/GSATs, but in hardware terms, it would be agame changer.


India‐Seychelles pact to curb black money1. India inked a taxation agreement with the Seychelleson Wednesday for allowing exchange of informationto curb tax evasion and avoidance.

2. India is looking at strengthening maritime security tiesand cooperation on blue economy with the islandnation.

3. Seychelles is considered one of the preferredoffshore havens for routing of funds.

4. An air services agreement will enable more and easierconnections between the two countries.

5. India is a partner in providing aircraft, naval vesselsand coastal radar systems for strengtheningsurveillance capacities in the Indian Ocean region.


Govt. may refer OROP to seventh paycommission1. The govt. is planning to refer the issue of One RankOne Pension (OROP) to the 7th Pay Commission.

2. Though the deliberations continued between govt.and representatives of ex‐servicemen, but failed tosort out differences.

3. Recently, the Pay Commission was given a 4‐monthextension, its recommendations could include thelong‐pending OROP scheme.


[op‐ed snap] The fractious demand for ILP inManipur1. Manipur is demanding the implementation of InnerLine Permit(ILP) in the state.

2. If ILP bill is passed and enacted into law, it will requireoutsiders to obtain a special pass or permit to enterthe state.

3. System is already in force in the state of Nagaland,Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

4. Since Manipur is not officially a tribal State there areconstitutional challenges to implement the ILPSystem.

5. Among 3 major communities of Manipur – Meities,Kukis, Nagas, the ILP System is demanded by Meties.

6. The govt. could implement the 6th Schedule in the hillareas which would ensure autonomy for the Kukis andNagas in their respective regions within Manipur.

Discuss: British colonial government had introduced thissystem to protect its commercial interest particularly in oiland tea.


Export Performance: India likely to miss target1. India is likely to miss the exports target for the4th year in succession, unless corrective measures aretaken by Centre.

2. Federation of Indian Export Organization(FIEO) hasset the target of export at $310 billion as comparedto last year’s $340 billion.

3. Poor global demand and devaluation of Chinese yuanled to low shipments in the first 4 months.

4. FIEO want the govt. to conclude FTA and CEPA withEurope, Australia, New Zealand and Canadaimmediately.


ISRO‐NASA mission to use GSLV‐D6 rocket1. NASA ISRO SAR Mission (NISAR) is expected to belaunched on board GSLV‐D6 in 2020‐21.

2. NISAR would be optimised for studying hazards andglobal environment change.

3. By using India’s GSLV for launching satellites weighingup to 2 tonne, it would help save on foreignexchange.

4. GSLV will cost just one third of the cost we have tospend on foreign agencies.

5. ISRO has lined up 10 Indian satellites to be launchedon board GSLV‐D6.


RBI asks Govt to speed up reforms in bankingsystem1. RBI warned govt. that any delay in reform of thebanking system would lead to greater risk in theeconomy.

2. He emphasized the need to increase efficiencythrough greater entry and competition.

3. He stressed on the need for more govt. participationin the country’s financial markets to increase theirsize, depth, and liquidity.

4. Govt. can create supporting frameworks that improvetransparency, contract enforcement, and protectionsfor market participants against abusive practices.

5. For a country as big and populous as India, reformscannot be shots in the dark, subjecting the economyto great uncertainty and risk.


Government asks varsities, IITs to adoptvillages1. The HRD Ministry wants all higher educationalinstitutions(HEI) to adopt backward villages in theirvicinity.

2. It is a part of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan launched lastyear, to improve the infrastructure by using theirknowledge and expertise.

3. However, there are no takers primarily because noadditional resources have been earmarked byministry.

4. Ministry envisages HEIs to take up basic amenitiessuch as sanitation, drinking water supply, energy,irrigation, affordable housing, educational and healthfacilities, etc.


Region and religion both matter for betterpopulation indicators1. The 2011 and 2001 decadal Censuses suggest thatboth region and religion matter for better populationindicators.

2. It suggest that all communities do better in the moredeveloped southern States than in the morebackward northern States.

3. Sikhs as a community had the worst sexratio, followed by non‐SC/ ST Hindus, whileChristians had the best sex ratio followed by STs.

4. The states with higher than average Hindu growthrates have higher than average Muslim growth ratestoo.

5. In Assam and Uttarakhand, Muslim growth rate issignificantly higher than the national average.

Discuss: When the demographic transition is occurring,the better off communities first reduce their fertility,which is then followed by poorer communities.


Centre unveils list of 98 smart cities1. The largest share of developing 13 smart cities is withUP, followed by Tamil Nadu, which qualified todevelop 12.

2. The Smart City Mission promotes integrated cityplanning with an aim to achieve inclusive growth.

3. The Ministry will impose fines on States that violatethe timeline of 60 days of finalising the projects.

4. The smart city mission will attract both national andinternational investors who are looking foropportunities.

5. The mission will see govt. schemes re‐enforcing eachother, such as Swachh Bharat Mission and AtalMission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.


WTO Ruling against India1. WTO ruled against India’s imposition of local contentrequirements in its solar power programme.

2. India will appeal against this ruling in the disputewhich was raised by the US.

3. WTO members are not supposed to insist on nationalcontent requirements and provide “national”treatment under which imports must be treated atpar with domestic products.

4. India maintains the ruling shall not affect its solarpower programme or ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Discuss: Compare CAPEX and RESCO business models.


[Discuss] The big NJAC debateThe NJAC Conundrum – A tacit attempt to subvert theindependenceof Judiciary or a panacea for Judicial Accountability?Discuss.

Discuss: Go over to the web story and discuss.


HAM model attracts Malaysian developers1. The newly conceived Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) isdesigned to make investments in road projects moreattractive for private player.

2. In the new model, govt. takes all the risk including thetraffic.

3. As the model assures developers getting back theirinvestment, it is bound to attract bids from privateplayer.

4. The govt. would provide 40% of the project cost tothe developer to start work.

5. NHAI will collect toll and refund the amount ininstallments over a period of 15‐20 years.


Centre Offers to introduce new law to ensureminimum wages1. Centre is trying to woo trade unions who havethreatened to go on strike, in order to take forward itsagenda for labour reforms.

2. Govt. proposed to introduce sector‐specific minimumwages for industrial workers.

3. Govt. assured that wage eligibility limit and calculationceiling, which are used to calculate the bonus will bedoubled.

4. The Centre assured the unions that all labour lawreforms would be done with due discussions andtripartite consultations.


India should assume a more assertive role1. The Paris climate talks will take steps to limit theglobal rise in temperature to 2 degree Celsius, forwhich countries have agreed to submit their‘intended nationally determined contributions‘ orINDCs.

2. India is 4th largest emitter and despite our $2 trillionGDP, over 30% of our population does not haveelectricity.

3. India need a lot of “headroom emissions” togrow before, we can think of slowing down.

4. There are several initiatives from Indian side, viz.energy conservation measures in railways, 175 GWrenewable energy.

5. Urban metro transport is being contemplated as partof smart city project and adopting Bharat‐IV emissonstandards.

Discuss: INDCs are bottom‐up commitments fromnations defining the extent of their emissions reductioncontribution towards this global goal.


India, U.S. set to ink pact on terror database1. India and US are likely to sign a pact on exchange ofinformation on terrorists on a real time basis.

2. The agreement is likely to be signed during the US‐India Counter‐terrorism and Homeland SecurityCooperation dialogue.

3. Indian agency will sign agreement with TerroristScreening Centre, an agency whichconsolidates single terrorist data base on terrorsuspects.

4. India is insisting that privacy issues be taken care of,and the agreement should not serve the interests ofthe U.S. alone.

5. In return, India wants access to Internet‐related datafrom U.S.‐based service providers like Google, Yahoo,Bing, etc.


External debt up 6.6% in 2014‐151. The 2014‐15 status report shows that the country’sexternal debt has grown faster than its GDP.

2. There is a rise in external debt‐GDP ratio to 23.8 percent at end‐March 2015 from 23.6 per cent at end‐March 2014.

3. Lower short‐term external debt is mainly due todecline in FII investment in Government treasury bills.

4. The increase in long‐term external debt during theyear was primarily on account of rise in commercialborrowings and NRI deposits.

5. According to a World Bank report‐ the ratio of India’sexternal debt stock to gross national income was the6th lowest.

Discuss: The report is release by Department ofEconomic Affairs. Explore the impact of changes inexternal debt‐GDP ratio in the economy.


India rebuffs Afghanistan on strategic meet1. India has rejected an invitation from Kabul to revivethe Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA).

2. India and Afghanistan have held only one meeting ofthe SPC (in 2012) since both countires signed thehistoric agreement in 2011.

3. India was the first country Afghanistan chose to signa strategic partnership agreement.

4. The relationship saw trust‐deficit, since AshrafGhani’s inclination towards Pakistan Army and ISI.

5. A series of attacks from the Taliban supported byPakistan have forced India to reconsider its strategicand military assistance there.

Discuss: There is a little clarity on what constitutes theStrategic Partnership Agreement at International level.


Indian scientist awarded first Sunhak PeacePrize1. Modadugu Vijay Gupta is a noted agricultural scientist,who has done pioneering work in aquaculture in Indiaand several other countries.

2. He shared the USD 1 million prize with President ofKiribati Islands Anote Tong.

3. Tong was chosen for his fight to end the carbonemissions which are spelling doom for small islandnations.

4. The awards were instituted to recognise and highlightthe work of individuals making big efforts for thebetterment of the people.

5. He was also the recipient of the World Food Prize in2005 for development of low‐cost techniques forfreshwater fish farming.


More children in school, but very few entercollege1. The new numbers from Census shows that over athird of the population in 2011, had never attendedany school or educational institution.

2. Although, the enrolment in school is now over80% for school‐age children, higher educationenrolment remains low.

3. The proportion is lower for SC and ST students aswell as for girls in rural areas

4. There is also wide inter‐State variation, with Odishaand Gujarat lagging far behind the states of Kerala andH.P.

5. The enrolment in vocational education also remainsextremely low.


Law Commission: End death penalty, keep itfor terror only1. India is one of 59 countries where the death penaltyis still awarded by courts.

2. More recently, the issue was debated in the run‐up tothe July 30 hanging of Mumbai blasts convict YakubMemon.

3. In 1962, the Law Commission, in its 35th report, hadrecommended retention of death penalty.


[op‐ed snap] Secure haven for a terrorist1. Pakistan would have cooperated in the extradition ofDawood Ibrahim, if the rule of law had mattered andgeopolitics did not dominate the conduct ofinternational relations.

2. Pakistan has continued its long‐pursued policy ofplausible deniability, refusing to acknowledge thepresence of the underworld.

3. Pakistan is now suffering the wounds which wereinflicted by its own strategy of terror.

4. However, there is some degree of realization amongits civilian establishment about it.

5. But, there has been little reorientation in Pakistan’soverall foreign policy towards India.


Let’s discuss the case for Death Penalties1. What Judicial Responsibility Must Mean in the Ageof the Death Penalty?

2. Judicial responsibility means not just the responsibilityto uphold the law; it means the overarchingresponsibility to do justice.


Patidar Quota Agitation: Hardik’s show now inDelhi1. Hardik Patel has warned the BJP that “lotus would notbloom” in the next Assembly elections if their demandis not met.

2. His Delhi visit is ostensibly to meet Jat and Gujjarleaders spearheading agitations for quota for theircommunities.

3. Long live the reservations!


PM to release AIR copy of ‘Ramcharitmanas’1. But why only Ramcharitmanas? Prasar Bharati hadearlier red‐flagged such selective release.

2. Officials said they were flummoxed by the decision torelease only Ramcharitmanas, which many see as apolitical decision.

3. For the uninitiated – Tulsidas had written this epictext.


Pallava‐Chola Nageswaran temple beingrenovated1. What’s so amazing about this temple?2. The temple represents the transition from Pallava toChola period.

3. Known as Kudanthai Keezh Kottam — the temple onthe eastern side of Kumbakonam.

4. It is one of the temples being renovated ahead ofMahamaham festival.

5. The entire Ramayana had been depicted on theathirstanam (the base) of the temple.


‘Zero Accident Mission’ on the anvil: RailwayMinister1. ‘Zero Accident Mission’ would require the railways toadopt an integrated approach involving use of cost‐effective advanced technology and trained manpower.

2. New advances in command, control andcommunication systems can play a very vital role.

3. We should try to develop indigenous, cost‐effectivesystems having global standards suitable for IndianRailways.


India is the brain bank of the world1. FM emphasized on India now serving as a brain bankfor the world.

2. India has a surplus of human resources, while thedeveloped world is suffering from shortage of skilledmanpower.

3. But, there is a need for huge manpower in legalacademics, which are needed to draft legislation intune with modern trends.

4. There is a shift from traditional areas of litigation likefamily and land disputes to international trade,taxation, and intellectual property.


UNGA president‐elect sounds ‘positive’ intalks with Sushma1. The next fortnight will see vote for U.N. SecurityCouncil expansion process.

2. UNGA will take decision whether to roll over the textthat contains positions of all countries on the U.N.reform.

3. The text for the U.N. reform will lapse on September15, and diplomats working hard to push the decisionbefore that.

4. India also discussed its greater role in planning U.N.Peacekeeping operations, given its large contributionto the forces


Land ordinance gets a burial1. The land acquisition ordinance would be allowed tolapse, without any re‐promulgation.

2. But, the govt. will include 13 points to reform the landacquisition law to benefit farmers.

3. These 13 points will be brought under the rules, sothat farmers do not face financial loss.

4. Earlier, govt. failed to create consensus in Parliamentto get its amendments to the contentious landacquisition Act cleared.


NIA for softer cases against youth saved fromterror path1. NIA has asked the Home Ministry to invoke lightersections of the law against the youth stopped fromjoining IS.

2. The Bureau of Immigration will study immigrationpatterns of Indians in a systematic manner andgenerate red flags.

3. As Gulf is a job haven for Indians, so it is toughfor Bureau of Immigration to randomly raise anysuspicion.

4. NIA has emphasized on community policing,strengthening beat constabulary and gatheringinformation for suspects through research.


Key Points: Simhastha Kumbh Mela – Nashik1. Shahi snan– Royal bath of the saints and the sadhus.2. Kumbh mela at Nashik is different from Prayag,Ujjain,and Haridwar as Vaishnavites and Shaivites take theirholy dip separately.

3. Vaishnavites will take dip in Nashik and Shaivites willtake dip in Trimbakeshwar.

4. The Kumbh mela happens at Ramkund in Nashik intothe holy waters of the river Godavari.

5. Note: Godavari is also known as Dakshin Ganga6. Kumbh mela is held every third year at one of the fourplaces by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad(Prayag),Nashik, Ujjain.


Key Points: Dengue‐ The breakbone fever1. It is a mosquito borne tropical disease caused bydengue virus.

2. Aedes mosquito (Aedes aegypti) is responsible for theDengue fever.

3. These mosquitoes live between 35°N and 35°Slatitudes below an elevation of 1000 metres.

4. Aedes mosquito bites during daytime,especially inmorning and evening.

5. Dengue fever virus(DENV) is an RNA virus of thefamily Flaviviridae;genus Flavivirus.

6. International anti‐dengue day is observed on June15th since 2010.


Sania receives Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award1. Sania Mirza became the second tennis player toreceive the country’s highest sporting honour afterLeander Paes.

2. It is India’s highest honour given for achievement insports, given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs andSports, government of India.


[Discuss] Growing Middle Class: Aspirationalfor development & intolerant to inequality andinjustice?1. We had taken up this topic sometime back but itseems like a good time to revive it now.

2. Given the tumultuous situation in the countryregarding reservations/ representations/ inequalities,this question becomes relevant still.


Roadblocks to Make in India drive1. Free trade pacts have made import cheaper forvarious segment of industry, thereby becomingimpediment in make in India initiative.

2. The reduction of import duties under various regionalFTAs such as ASEAN, makes the domestic paperindustry challenging.

3. As FTAs are beneficial as a whole, therefore therequirement is to make policy changes.

4. Allowing commercial forestry on dry and wastelandsand giving incentives to industry to develop forestrymechanisms are the need of the hour.

5. There is no danger to paper industry from digitisationbecause it won’ be able to reach all.

Date post:	22-Jan-2017
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Civilsdaily digest August 2015

Education