Weekly 08 To 14 April 2013 For WEB2

WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS BULLETIN
08TH APRIL 2013 TO 14TH APRIL, 2013
Call: 09582948810, 09953007628 Visit:ias100.in

Strictly for Internal Circulation (Not for sale)
Current Affairs Notes for IAS PT 2013

UPSC: The central recruiting agency in India, nowadays emphasizing more on applicable part of knowledge. GS syllabus has undergone an overhaul from the past few years and requires multidimensional approach to handle this. The paper concentrates more on concepts related to general awareness i.e. what we see around us. Its recruiting pattern wants an IAS aspirant to have grip on socio-economic problem-solvingskills; applicable knowledge of science; ability to logically analyse the situations and interpret the outcomes accordingly.
This will provide a "trustworthy and time saving guide" for all IAS aspirants preparing for Prelims. Topics Covered :1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION SUMMITS Bills in Parliament Biotechnology-1
Constitutional news
Environmental news Health News
Important Reports 2012-13 INDIA - HDR 2011
International News
Science and Technology Prelims Special Part-1 Prelims Special Part-2 Prelims special Part- 3 Package Fee
Current Affairs Notes for PT 2013 for Weekly E-Magazine Subscriber (Printed) ........... 2000.00 Current Affairs Notes for PT 2013 (Printed) ............................................................................ 2500.00
[ 2 ]
ia s1 00 .i n
Thus CHRONICLE IAS ACADEMY is launching a comprehensive material which includes: Important Bills; Committees; Reports; Current affairs of the past one year.
Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013
TOPICAL TESTS
Infrastructure & Resources 1. Transportation infrastructure: Road and Highway Networks, Mass Transit Systems, Railways, Waterways, Ports.... 2. Energy infrastructure:- Thermal Power Generation, Natural Gas Pipelines & Petroleum Pipelines, Nuclear Energy, Renewable Energy...... 3. Water management infrastructure:- Drinking water supply, Sewage Collection and Disposal of Waste water, Flood Control, Water Harwesting..... 4. Communications infrastructure:- Television and Radio Transmission, Internet, Social Network, Search Engines, Communications Satellites...... 5. Solid Waste Management 6. Economic Infrastructure: Manufacturing Infrastructure, including Industrial Parks and Special Economic zones, Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Infrastructure.... 7. Resources: Water Resources, Forest Resources, Land Resources, Energy Resources, Minerals, Resource Management..... Demography : Population Composition, Density, Literacy, Sex Ratio... Environmental Problems & Global Environmental Governance : Deforestation, Pollution: Air, Water, Land, Noise, Desertification, Biodiversity Depletion, Global Warming, SD.......
productivity, Microirrigation, Government Initiatives......
Urbanization,
Human Development, Social Sector Initiatives and Programmes & Policies 1. Concept of Human Development, Development vs. Growth, Human Development Index, MPI, Innovation..... 2. Social Inclusion, Child Welfare, Women Welfare.... Agriculture, Urbanisation, Health : Agriculture and GDP, Agricultural Regionalization, Production and
ia s1 00 .i n
1. 2. 3. 4. 31st March ...... 7th April ......... 21st April ........ 28th April .......
Indian Economy Basics, Planning & Trade 1. Industry Services, Agriculture, Energy..... 2. Balance of Payments. Foreign Direct Investment....... 3. Growth, Development and Other Issues......... 4. Poverty Estimates, Impact of Poverty........ 5. Exchange rate. Role of RBI..... 6. Nature of Planning - Five Year Plan, Planning after 1991 (LPG), Inflation..... Governance and Contemporary Political Developments: Development Politics, Political and Administrative Institutions, Good Governance, Internal Security....
SECTIONAL TESTS (PAPER I & II)
Ecology and environment Comprehension Polity and Governance English Language Comprehension + Logical Reasoning 5. Geography 6. Decision Making and Problem Solving 7. General Science and Science and Technology 8. Mental Ability, Basic Numeracy, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency 9. History 10. Indian Economy
FULL MOCK SCHEDULE

Mock Mock Mock Mock 1 2 3 4 Paper Paper Paper Paper 1, 1, 1, 1, Mock Mock Mock Mock 1 2 3 4 Paper Paper Paper Paper 2 2 2 2
Qs of IAS 2012 prelims paper were close and directly from Chronicles 2012 test series. When it comes to matching the format of question in the exam it was 100% identical. Have you ever heard of such claim in IAS exam, indeed we do it habitually! After all it is a matter of experiences. Testimonial is available at chronicleias.com as well in the public domain, since it was conducted in 22 cities of India. We dont claim your success, but our performance. Lets begin...
40
Programme Assistance: Email id:talkback@campus100.in Technical Assistance : Sushil Singh Email id: sushil@campus100.in Call: 9582948810, 9953007628 Mail: talkback@campus100.in
Fee Structure : All India Complete Test Online ......................................6000/All India Complete Test Postal .......................................4000/All India Mock Test Online .............................................3000/-
[3]
NATIONAL
GoM curbs system of 'inviolate' mining areas A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has restricted the environment ministry from executing the system of 'inviolate' mining areas. The proposed inviolate mechanism would deal a blow to the country's power, steel and cement plants, which are still reeling under the impact of the earlier system of 'go', 'no-go' zones imposed by Natarajan's predecessor Jairam Ramesh, which had rendered about 660 million tonne of coal reserves unmineable. The necessity of propelling economic growth at 8 per cent has emerged as a pressing concern for the UPA government, thus it is fast tracking the passage of infrastructure projects. This is seen as a setback for environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan's efforts to secure her ministry's control on implementing stricter green norms. should be in laboratories that meet international standards of biosafety. To achieve this, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has set up a National Task Force for Containment of Wild Poliovirus. Chaired by the Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), it will identify laboratories that could store wild poliovirus or potentially infectious material. Wild poliovirus could be present in certain types of clinical samples stored at or below minus 20 degrees Celsius. These could have been collected for investigations not related to wild poliovirus detections. There are several medical colleges/ universities, colleges and research institutions that work on infectious material and, therefore, have clinical samples collected over several decades. Information from these institutions will be collected and compiled for preparing a national inventory. The process has to be completed by December and failure to do so will delay the certification process. A pre-tested form has been sent to all laboratories and institutions to elicit information on wild poliovirus. The WHO's Global Action Plan for containment of wild polioviruses advises that when polio cases are decreasing, national health authorities must alert laboratories, encourage destruction of all unneeded wild poliovirus material and compile an inventory of all laboratories retaining such materials. Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children. The virus is transmitted through contaminated food and water, and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system. Many infected people have no symptoms, but do excrete the virus in their faeces, hence transmitting infection to others. Initial symptoms of polio include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. In a small proportion of cases, the disease causes paralysis, which is often permanent. Polio can only be prevented by immunization.
Wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves, national parks - as well as a buffer zone of one km around such protected areas - compact patches of very dense forest, the last remnant of a forest type and forests very near perennial rivers will all be automatically placed within the inviolate zone. Further there will be six measurable parameters for identification of inviolate areas - forest type, biological richness, wildlife value, forest cover, landscape integrity and hydrological value. All parameters will be scored on a 0-100 scale. The inter-ministerial panel observed that the scientific basis of such parameters need to be analysed further before taking a decision. Thus until finalisation of new norms, the existing framework will continue. India taking new steps to get WHO's polio eradication certificate
Having successfully completed two polio-free years, India is preparing to receive the crucial polio eradication certificate from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The certificate is issued on completion of incident-free three years. This primarily involves the destruction or safe storage of all laboratory sources of wild poliovirus. The storage
[ 4 ]
ia s1 00 .i n
India's vaccine regulatory system meets international standards: WHO
India is a major vaccine producer that has 12 major vaccine manufacturing facilities. These vaccines are used for the national and international market (150 countries), which makes India a major vaccine supplier across the globe. More than 70% of all measles vaccines used globally are produced in India. Recently a WHO-led team of international experts from eight countries has granted clean chit to the National Regulatory Authority of India (NRA) and affiliated institutions as they meet WHO published indicators for a functional vaccine regulatory system.
The Government of India has undertaken committed efforts to ensure that the regulatory oversight of the NRA for vaccines continues to meet international standards. It has decided to further strengthen the Central as well as the State Drugs Regulatory Systems during the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17). India leads the world in dengue burden
One of the requirements to become eligible and retaining the prequalification status is to have a National Regulatory Authority (NRA) assessed as functional against the WHO published NRA indicators. The regulatory functions of the Indian NRA (Central Drugs Standards Control Organization) and its affiliated institutions were assessed for compliance against the revised WHO NRA indicators endorsed by the international consultation of experts in 2011. In addition to the general framework for the system, the following regulatory functions were evaluated: marketing authorization and licensing; post-marketing surveillance, including for adverse events following immunization; lot release by the national regulatory authority; laboratory access; regulatory inspections of manufacturing sites and distribution channels; and authorization and monitoring of clinical trials. With a regulatory system for vaccines assessed as functional by WHO, vaccine manufacturers in India continue to remain eligible to apply for prequalification of specific products. WHO prequalification, which is a guarantee that a specific vaccine meets international standards of quality, safety and efficacy, is a prerequisite for manufacturers to supply to countries through United Nations procuring agencies. WHO had scaled up its technical support to the Indian NRA over the past several months in the context of this assessment. This status will help in re-affirming the joint mutual strategic priority under the WHO's new Country Cooperation Strategy with India (2012-17), of supporting an improved role of India in global health, including strengthening the pharmaceutical sector and drug regulatory capacity.
ia s1 00 .i n
Dengue, the world's most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease, is taking a far bigger human toll than was believed. As many as 390 million people across the globe could be falling victim to the virus each year. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), incidence of dengue has shot up 30 fold in the past 50 years. Its estimate has been that globally there were 50-100 million dengue infections taking place annually. A map-based approach to model how many dengue cases were occurring in various parts of the world has been used to capture its global distribution. According to the report worldwide, 96 million people suffered each year from 'apparent infections' where the disease was severe enough to disrupt an individual's regular routine. In addition, there were 294 million asymptomatic infections. With "large swathes of densely populated regions coinciding with very high suitability for disease transmission," Asia bore 70 per cent of the apparent infections that took place. Africa contributed about 16 per cent of the global dengue infections and the Americas 14 per cent. India emerges in the analysis as the country with the world's highest dengue burden, with about 34 per cent of all such cases occurring here. World Bank to support seven low-income States
The new World Bank Group strategy for India shifts support significantly to low-income states, where most of the poor live, and is the institution's first country strategy to set specific goals on reducing poverty and increasing prosperity. The World Bank proposes a lending programme of $3 billion-5 billion every year over the next four years. The Bank's objective is to bring down poverty levels in the seven low-income States to just 5.5 per cent in 2030 from 29.8 per cent in 2010. The States identified for the focused support are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
[5]
According to a World Bank, 60 per cent of the financing will go to State government-backed projects and 30 per cent will go to low-income or special category States where public services face high delivery costs. Under the Bank's previous support strategy plan, 18 per cent of its lending went to these States. In the next five years the strategy will focus on three key areas: integration, transformation, and inclusion. A common theme across these areas will be improved governance, environmental sustainability, and gender equality. a) Integration - The focus will be on improving infrastructure needs both through public and private investments. Reforms are needed in the power sector to rationalize energy pricing and improve the capacity and reliability of the generation, transmission and distribution system. A vibrant manufacturing sector especially small and medium size enterprises require reforming labor laws, and improving access to land and finance. Better integration would result in more-balanced growth among Indian states, helping low-income states converge more quickly with their faster-growing neighbors.
to improve access to finance and to enhance social protection coverage for more than 90% of the labor force, which currently works in the informal sector. Centre formed new action plan to develop naxal-affected areas
b) Transformation - By 2031, it is projected that 600 million people will live in India's cities. The World Bank Group's engagement on the ruralurban transformation and particularly on urbanization is expected to intensify over the strategy period and beyond and represents a significant shift in the World Bank Group's strategy. It will focus on supporting the efforts of national, state, and city governments to improve the management and livability of medium-sized cities. c) Inclusion - Economic integration and ruralurban transformation can benefit a large share of India's population only if there is a stronger focus on human development and on policies that help make growth inclusive. India's weak health care system and poor nutritional outcomes undermine its competitiveness. The World Bank Group will support the national government and states in strengthening the nutrition policy as well as systems and capacities to improve nutrition. It will support government efforts to improve education mainly at the secondary and tertiary levels, with a more pronounced focus on quality. It will also work
[ 6 ]
ia s1 00 .i n
Integrated Action Plan was formulated as an additional central assistance scheme on 100% grant basis in November 2010. The funds were to be placed at the disposal of the Committee headed by the District Collector and consisting of the Superintendent of Police of the district and the District Forest Officer. The Committee drawn up a Plan consisting of concrete proposals for public infrastructure and services such as School Buildings, Anganwadi Centres, Primary Health Centres, Drinking Water Supply, Village Roads, Electric Lights in public places such as PHCs and Schools etc. The concerned Development Commissioner/ equivalent officer in charge of development in the State shall be responsible for scrutiny of expenditure and monitoring of IAP. Concerned over the extreme left groups' penetration into tribal territories and their ability to win over the hearts and minds of people deprived of basic necessities of life, the government has drawnup a nine point action plan to deal with a host of development challenges. The action plan is an outcome of series of meeting of a specially constituted Review Group of LWE (Left-Wing Extremism) under the aegis of the Cabinet Secretariat. According to the Planning Commission Secretary, there was no incentive in IAP to motivate the machinery to reduce the incidence of left-wing extremism and hence it was felt that there was a need to advance from the ad hoc criteria of selecting districts to a more outcome oriented criterion. Taking note of the gap and requirement of large residential schools, the Director of School Education and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs are looking to establish such institutions with a minimum of 1000-2000 students in the LWE areas. The government had also decided to expedite the "recognition of forest rights," as well as review the definition of backward districts under the Integrated Action Plan/Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) as part of the action plan. To improve the communication infrastructure Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will install 2199 low cost mobile towers in those areas. The Telecom Commission is also exploring energy efficient alternate fuels such as solar energy.
A special window, too, has been introduced under the Forest Conservation Act to expedite the laying of transmission lines under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojna (RGGVY). The Ministry of Environment and Forests has given a notification to cover all the 82 IAP districts granting general approval under the Forest Conservation Act for diversion of forest land up to 5 acres. The Ministry of Power will review pending works in 1776 villages to ascertain the ones which
can be "cleared with the issuance of the new notification." The Mobile Health Units will address the LWE districts "endemically affected" by malaria. Additionally, an increase in Mobile Health Units is likely to be introduced in the 12th Plan. To address the absence of post offices and banks in the LWE affected areas, there has been "a proposal to open post offices in 12898 gram panchayats in 82 identified LWE affected districts."
ia s1 00 .i n
[7]
INTERNATIONAL
Asian Development Outlook 2013: ADB The Manila-based lender's 2013 Asian Development Outlook revealed that Economic growth in developing Asia is picking up, underpinned by China's rebound and strength in countries such as Indonesia, but political disputes pose an increased threat to growth. Political disputes are "calling into question the ability of authorities to find compromise solutions to nagging fiscal problems in the US, deepening austerity fatigue in the euro area and simmering border disputes in Asia." Over the past year, several Asia nations have been roiled by territorial disputes, including a highprofile row between China and Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea. The report also stated that Southeast Asia will maintain its growth rate as robust private consumption and investment outweigh softer demand for exports. Indonesia will expand about 6.5 percent in each of the next two years while the Philippines will grow about 6 percent. India, the region's other giant, will expand 6 percent this year and 6.5 percent next year but warned that the country risks being held back by structural and policy issues that hamper investment. The slowing growth has been paired with persistently high inflation. High prices, especially for food, limit the central bank's scope to reduce interest rates, although the Reserve Bank of India last month made its second cut this year to a key lending rate. In contrast, the developed economies of the US, Japan and the 17 nations the use the euro will eke out a 1 percent expansion this year, rising to 1.9 percent in 2014. The ADB also warned that Asia needs to secure enough clean and cheap energy to support longterm growth. With developing Asia's share of global energy use forecast to grow from barely a third in 2010 to more than half by 2035, the region, which has plenty of coal but relatively little oil and natural gas, may be hard pressed to meet its demands. Land desertification and drought causes billions of losses: UN
Further the report stated that developing Asia, which includes giant emerging economies such as China, India and Indonesia, will expand 6.6 percent this year, unchanged from its previous forecast in December. Growth is forecast to inch higher to 6.7 percent in 2014. The region grew 6.1 percent in 2012. Developing Asia includes 45 developing or newly industrialized countries in Asia and the Pacific but excludes Japan.
The ADB also stated that inflation would tick higher but would be kept in check, with consumer prices rising by 4 percent this year and 4.2 percent in 2014, up from 3.7 percent in 2012. The report warned policymakers to keep an eye on rising prices because as growing factory output eliminates slack in production capacity, "loose monetary policy risks reigniting inflation."
China's economy, the world's second biggest, will expand 8.2 percent this year after growing 7.8 percent in 2012, driven by strong domestic consumption and investment. The forecasts are both 0.1 percentage point higher than the ADB's December prediction. China is rebounding from its deepest slump since the 2008 global crisis though analysts warn recovery will be shaky. China's growth rate will ease to 8 percent in 2014 as authorities bring in policies aimed at reducing pollution and reducing the gap between rich and poor.
[ 8 ]
ia s1 00 .i n
Some 600 scientists, government officials and representatives of civil society organizations are gathered in Bonn to carry out the first ever comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of desertification, land degradation and drought. The study titled, 'The Economics of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought: Methodologies and Analysis for Decision-Making, has revealed that loss of land through desertification and drought costs up to five percent of world agricultural gross domestic product (AGDP), or some $450 billion (340 billion euros), every year. The report - the first economic evaluation of its kind in over twenty years - shows that up to 12 per
cent of Africa's agricultural GDP is being lost due to environmental degradation while the levels in individual countries vary widely, from six per cent in Paraguay to 24 per cent in Guatemala. The social costs of land degradation are even more staggering with nearly 870 million people suffering from chronic hunger globally. The UN agency reports that in Uzbekistan, food yields have declined by 20 to 30 per cent while in East Africa nearly 3.7 million people still require food assistance following the drought of 2011. The report, which looks at the costs and benefits of addressing desertification, land degradation and drought, finds that the existing scientific research mostly focuses on the direct economic costs of these phenomena, but overlooks the unintended consequences, including indirect and off-site costs. Scientific understanding of all land degradation and drought is need to be strengthened especially in the context of the changing climate.
investment -- major parts of the Luxembourg financial sector -- which are also supposed to be covered from 2015. In addition, the exchange of information will be based strictly on the EU's 2003 directive on savings accounts. Further there would also be no change for residents in Luxembourg, who pay a 10-percent withholding tax and who will enjoy bank secrecy as it exists today. Accounts held by US citizens or residents will be covered by a separate agreement with Washington. The US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) passed in 2010 requires US depositors to declare their overseas accounts and foreign financial institutions to report on the balance and activities of its US account-holders to American tax authorities. Britain France, Germany, Italy and Spain also agreed to work on setting up a multilateral exchange facility modelled on FATCA which "will not only help in catching and deterring tax evaders but it will also provide a template as to the wider multilateral agreement we hope to see in due course." G8 inks historic agreement against rape in war zones
The last such economic valuation of desertification was made in 1992 by UNEP. At that time, the direct cost was estimated at USD42 billion every year.
Luxembourg to ease bank secrecy norms from 2015
Last month's 10bn euro (8.5bn) bailout of Cyprus, whose banking system was swollen by foreign deposits attracted by low taxes and easy regulation, has put the spotlight on tax havens.
Austria and Luxembourg are the only European Union states that do not share with other EU members the identities of EU residents with crossborder bank accounts. Thus faced with growing international pressure over tax evasion, Luxembourg confirmed to implement rules on the automatic exchange of bank account information with its EU partners from 2015.
Luxembourg is reviewing the current system which levies a withholding tax on the interest earned on bank saving accounts. While the withholding tax, levied at 35 percent, was "a most effective instrument to ensure tax compliance and guarantee data protection," the government had to adapt to the times. But now it would report "all interest payments made" to individuals resident in another EU member state so as to ensure they paid the proper tax due there. Significantly, the statement did not mention other accounts such as for life insurance or property
ia s1 00 .i n
Foreign Ministers of the world's eight most advanced countries (G8) adopted a declaration committing the international community to tackle sexual violence in conflict zones. G8 members have announced a new fund which amounts to nearly $35.5 million or 23 million. It includes over 10 million from the United Kingdom: 5million from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to support grassroots and human rights projects on sexual violence against women and girls and wider projects on violence against women and girls. The other 5million is from the Department for International Development, to look at what drives violence against women and girls in conflict settings. Finally, the Declaration emphasises that protection efforts against sexual violence should be included in the first phase of all responses to conflict and humanitarian emergencies. And it includes vital commitments on women and children's rights, the protection of women human rights defenders, and the need for a comprehensive approach to health, psychological, legal and economic support for survivors of sexual violence.
[9]
UN launched new plans to save children from pneumonia, diarrhoea
Thus the United Nations has launched a global plan to combat two of the leading killers of children under five, potentially saving two million youngsters each year who would otherwise die from pneumonia and diarrhoea in low- and middle-income countries. The GAPPD aims to provide a framework by which to protect children, prevent diseases and enable treatment using proven interventions. It calls on national governments to prioritise the fight against pneumonia and diarrhoea and is designed to inform country policies and practices.
The achievable goals set by the GAPPD for 2025 are: to reduce mortality from pneumonia in children less than 5 years of age to fewer than 3 per 1,000 live births; reduce mortality from diarrhoea in children less than 5 years of age to fewer than 1 per 1,000 live births; and reduce the incidence of severe pneumonia by 75 per cent in children less than 5 years of age compared to 2010 levels.
It also seeks to reduce the incidence of severe diarrhoea by 75 per cent in children less than 5 years of age, compared to 2010 levels, and bring down, by 40 per cent, the global number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted, compared to 2010 levels. To achieve these targets, full immunisation coverage will need to be reached by the end of 2025, with 90 per cent of full-dose coverage of each relevant vaccine, 90-per-cent access to appropriate pneumonia and diarrhoea case management and at least 50-per-cent coverage of exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life.
[10]
ia s1 00 .i n

Pneumonia and diarrhoea account for 23 and 12 per cent of deaths respectively in children below the age of five in India. They remain major killers of young children globally too, accounting for 29 per cent of all child deaths - a loss of 2 million lives each year. Children are dying because services are being provided piecemeal and those at the highest risk are not being reached. Use of effective interventions is too low - for instance, only 39 per cent of infants are exclusively breast-fed, while only 60 per cent of children with suspected pneumonia are able to access appropriate care. Moreover, children are not receiving life-saving treatment - only 31 per cent of children with suspected pneumonia receive antibiotics and only 35 per cent of those with diarrhoea receive oral rehydration therapy.
By the end of 2030, there must be universal access to basic drinking-water in healthcare facilities and homes; universal access to adequate sanitation in healthcare facilities by 2030 and in homes by 2040. The MDGs, adopted at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, also seek to slash a host of social ills, including global poverty and hunger, disease, and lack of access to health and education, all by 2015. Serbia rejects E.U. brokered Kosovo deal
Serbia has rejected a European Union-brokered deal on normalising ties with its breakaway province of Kosovo. The government of Serbia stated that it cannot accept principles verbally presented to its negotiating team in Brussels, since they do not guarantee full security and protection of human rights to the Serb people in Kosovo. Kosovo had unilaterally declared independence in 2008. While many countries recognise it as an independent country, Serbia does not. The EU had given ultimatum to Serbia to relinquish its effective control over northern Kosovo in return for the start of EU membership talks. The Membership talks would mark a major milestone in Serbia's recovery from a decade of war and isolation under late strongman Slobodan Milosevic and provide a much-needed boost for its ailing economy, still the biggest in the former Yugoslavia. Australia, China push defence ties
Australia and China have agreed to considerably expand defence ties following the visit of Prime Minister Julia Gillard to Beijing, which also saw both countries elevate their relationship to a "strategic partnership" - a level of engagement Australia shares with few countries, including India and Indonesia. Australia proposed holding three-way defence exercises with the United States and China. Both countries has signed a landmark agreement to directly trade in their currencies - China has similar arrangements only with the U.S. and Japan - and agreed $3 billion worth of investment deals, which are set to further boost the sizeable $120 billion bilateral trade that has propelled resource-hungry China to become Australia's biggest trading partner. Gun control bill clears in Senate
Congress' gun-control effort has cleared its first hurdle as the Senate pushed past conservatives' attempted blockade.
Proposed Congressional Actions a) Requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales, including those by private sellers that currently are exempt. b) Reinstating and strengthening the ban on assault weapons that was in place from 1994 to 2004. c) Limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds. d) Banning the possession of armor-piercing bullets by anyone other than members of the military and law enforcement. e) Increasing criminal penalties for "straw purchasers," people who pass the required background check to buy a gun on behalf of someone else.
f)
Acting on a $4 billion administration proposal to help keep 15,000 police officers on the street.
g) Financing programs to train more police officers, first responders and school officials on how to respond to active armed attacks. h) Provide additional $20 million to help expand the a system that tracks violent deaths across the nation from 18 states to 50 states. i) j) Providing $30 million in grants to states to help schools develop emergency response plans. Providing financing to expand mental health programs for young people.
ia s1 00 .i n
[11]
ECONOMY
WTO cuts 2013 trade growth forecast The World Trade Organization has slashed its forecast for trade growth in 2013. It cut its forecast for global trade growth in 2013 to 3.3 percent from 4.5 percent and said trade grew only 2.0 percent in 2012. That was the smallest annual rise since records began in 1981 and the second weakest figure on record after 2009, when trade shrank. Trade in commercial services also grew by only 2 percent in 2012, to $4.3 trillion. Improved economic prospects for the United States in 2013 will only partly offset the continued weakness in the European Union whose economy is expected to remain flat or even contract slightly this year according to consensus estimates. China's growth would continue to outpace other leading economies, cushioning the slowdown, but exports will still be constrained by weak demand in Europe. As a result, this year looks set to be a "near repeat" of 2012, with both trade and output expanding slowly. GIC to manage fund to cover oil from Iran Development Board (OIDB) under the Petroleum Ministry. The move to form the insurance fund will come as a relief to Indian refiners, especially Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), whose current insurance cover is coming to an end in May. It has so far not found any insurer willing to cover risks. Following U.S. and EU pressure and uncertainty over the implications of the sanctions imposed by them, India reduced Iranian crude purchases to less than 13 million tonnes in the previous financial year from 18.1 million tonnes in the year before that. The U.S., last December, renewed a waiver for India and eight other nations from a law that cuts institutions off from its banking system if they process payments for Iranian oil. FinMin instructed government banks to reduce NPA
The government has decided to set up an Indian Energy Insurance Pool of Rs 2,000-cror, to back Indian firms that insure domestic refineries processing Iranian crude oil. Indian insurance firms depend on large European counterparts to reinsure their risks as they would otherwise end up in deep financial trouble in case of large payout. The fund, which would cover oil imports from Iran, would be managed by General Insurance Company (GIC) and would have contributions from both insurance and oil industry companies.
The problem has arisen since under the US and the European Union (EU) sanctions, global insurers have added a "sanctions clause" in their contract that limits the amount to be paid in case of a claim. That is why domestic insurance companies have refused cover to refineries processing Iranian oil as they could not get reinsurance from their European counterparts. Reinsurance makes up for 90% of the insurance cover. The contributions to the fund will be done by the insurance companies and Oil Industry
[12]
ia s1 00 .i n
The Finance Ministry has asked all public sector banks to reduce their bad loans, or non-performing assets, to one per cent of their total advances by the end of the current financial year (March 31, 2014). With the economy registering the lowest growth in a decade, public sector banks have seen their NPAs go up significantly. According to data collected for a meeting between Finance Ministry and public sector bank officials last month, bad loans with respect to the priority sector, which include agriculture and medium and small enterprises, had gone up during the quarter ended December 31 vis-vis the previous quarter. Interestingly, however, the NPA position in relation to retail and real estate loans improved during the period. The gross NPAs of public sector banks rose to 4.18 per cent of advances by the end of December 2012, compared to 3.22 per cent a year ago. Net NPAs, which are arrived at after making provisions from the gross amount, has increased to 2.12 per cent in December 2012. In absolute term, gross NPA of PSU banks jumped to Rs 1,84,193 crore in December 2012 compared to Rs 1,37,102 crore in March 2012, an increase of Rs 47,091 crore in the nine months period.
The gross NPA in corporate lending rose to Rs 98,884 crore in December, as against Rs 68,221 crore in March. In the case of farm loans, the gross NPA rose to Rs 30,800 crore in December as against Rs 24,827 crore in March. Another highlight is that the top 30 nonperforming accounts made up close to half (around 44 per cent) the bad loans of the 19 nationalised banks. While for the SBI group, this was around 19.3 per cent, for public sector banks as a whole they were around 34 per cent. Banks have been advised to adopt a multipronged strategy for loan recovery. The multipronged strategy includes constitution of a boardlevel committee for monitoring recovery, review of NPA accounts of Rs 1 crore and above by the board of directors, and the top 300 NPA accounts by the management committee of the boards, and guidelines for NPA management as part of an early-
warning system. Apart from restructuring, banks have been advised to initiate penal measures against wilful defaulters. These include not granting them additional facilities and debarring the entrepreneurs/promoters of defaulting companies from getting institutional finance for floating new ventures for a period of five years. Banks have also been asked to lodge a formal complaint against the auditors of the borrowers with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, if it is observed that there was negligence or deficiency in the conduct of audit. NPAs are a debt obligation where the borrower has not paid any previously agreed upon interest and principal repayments to the designated lender for an extended period of time. The nonperforming asset is therefore not yielding any income to the lender in the form of principal and interest payments.
ia s1 00 .i n
[13]
INDIA AND THE WORLD

India has begun process of group tourist visa for Pakistanis After launching 'visa on arrival' facility for Pakistani senior citizens, India has initiated the process to provide the 'group tourist visa' on reciprocal basis. The 'group tourist' visa was to be launched from March 15, but it was put on hold after tension along the border following the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers. Besides, Pakistan has also failed to send a list of authorized tour operators to India. Germany is the only country with which India has such a high-level format of discussion as the Intergovernmental Consultations. The first round of Consultations was held when Merkel visited India in May 2011. Germany is India's largest trading partner in Europe and fifth largest trading partner in the world. Bilateral trade between the two nations stood at 18.3 billion Euros in 2011. However, due to global economic slowdown, bilateral trade saw a dip of 5.5 percent last year. During the meet India and Germany has inked six key MoUs including that for putting together Euro seven million for next four years towards joint research in the field of higher education and a pact for a soft loan of Euro one billion for strengthening the green energy corridor. The lists of documents signed are as follows: a) Joint Declaration of Intent regarding promotion of German as a foreign language in India: The declaration will include introduction of B.Ed programmes for German language. Also scholarships would be awarded for Masters degree programs and for short stays in Germany with the goal of improving mutual trust and intercultural relations.
India has already identified 18 such tour and travel operators on its side and shared it with Pakistann.
According to the new liberalized visa pact between the two countries, group tourist visa would be offered for a period of 30 days to tourists travelling in groups with not less than 10 members and not more than 50 members, organized by approved tour operators or travel agents.
Though the visa pact was signed in September last year, it could not be operationalised until December 14 when Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik had formally launched the process. Some clauses of the relaxed visa regime like multiple-entry and police reporting-free visas for businessmen and allowing them to travel to five cities instead of the earlier three had come into force in December last year.
Later, on April 1, both the countries had started visa- on-arrival facility for each other's senior citizens (more than 65 years of age). This is a single-entry visa, granted for a maximum of 45 days. The facility was started at the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP) on reciprocal basis. 2nd India-Germany Consultations held Intergovernmental
India and Germany held 2nd round of InterGovernmental Consultations during which crucial bilateral, international and regional issues like the long pending India-EU Free Trade Agreement and the situation in Afghanistan had been discussed.
[14]
ia s1 00 .i n
c)
b) Intergovernmental MoU between India & Germany on Cooperation in the field of Higher Education: The MoU intends to facilitate people-to-people exchanges. This includes students, academics, and project collaborators. Joint Declaration of Intent in the area of Civil Security Research: The Indo-German research cooperation in this new area intends to fund 5 pilot projects in 2013 with the identified priorities being natural disaster management, biological risk situations, urban security, protection & rescue of people and social aspects of civil security research. d) Joint Declaration for cooperation in Agriculture sector: Aims at strengthening cooperation in: plant variety protection; conservation of plant genetic resources;
cooperation between Indian and German agricultural research institutions and seed companies. e) Joint Declaration of Intent for Cooperation in Standardisation, Conformity Assessment and Product Safety: The declaration aims at strengthening bilateral cooperation in standardization, conformity assessment and product safety through bilateral economic and technical cooperation, intensifying dialogue and promoting coordinated activities in international organizations. Also provides for establishing and Indo-German Working Group Quality Infrastructure. f) Joint Declaration of Intent for Establishment of Green Energy Corridors
skills and experiences between the two institutions for mutual benefit. Election Commissioner, Mr. Brahma offered the available expertise and facilities in India for strengthening the electoral system in Mauritius. Election Commission of India has so far signed seventeen MOUs with Election Management Bodies and international organizations across the world. Some of the MoU signed recently are with Egypt, Venezuela, Republic of Korea and UNDP. Scientific Declaration on Polio Eradication
It aims at fostering increased use of renewable energy in India through technical and fanatical cooperation by way of integrating additional renewable energy generation capacity with the national grid. The Technical cooperation would be implemented through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and KfW intends to provide concessional loans of up to Euro one billion over the next six years. Under pacts signed, both Germany and India have committed to Euro 3.5 million each towards working on joint research and innovation programmes. India and Mauritius Sign MoU on Electoral Cooperation
India and Mauritius have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi, for cooperation in the field of election management and administration. The MoU was signed by the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri V.S. Sampath and the Electoral Commissioner of Mauritius, Mr. Mohammad Irfan Abdool Rahman. The major aims of MoU are: promotion of exchanges of knowledge and experience in electoral processes; exchange of information, materials, expertise and training of personnel; production and distribution of materials pertaining to electoral systems, voting technology, voters' education and awareness, and participation of women and minorities in electoral process. The MoU will help in strengthening and deepening mutual collaboration between ECI and the Electoral Commissioner's Office of Mauritius. Further it would facilitate sharing of best practices,
ia s1 00 .i n
Hundreds of scientists, doctors and other experts from around the world has launched the Scientific Declaration on Polio Eradication, emphasising that an end to the paralyzing disease was achievable, and endorsed a comprehensive new strategy to secure a lasting polio-free world by 2018. The more than 400 signatories urged governments, international organisations and civil society to seize the historic and unique opportunity to end polio and protect the world's most vulnerable children and future generations from this debilitating but preventable disease. The declaration calls for full funding and implementation of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018, developed by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). The declaration notes that vaccines have already protected hundreds of millions of children, and eliminated one of the three types of wild poliovirus, proving that eradication is scientifically feasible. It calls on the international community to meet the goals in the GPEI plan for delivering vaccines to more children at risk, particularly in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan, where polio remains endemic and emergency action plans launched over the past year have resulted in significant improvements in vaccine coverage. The GPEI estimates that it can be completely ended by 2018 at a cost of $5.5 billion. The declaration notes that only 223 new cases due to wild poliovirus were recorded in 2012, a historic low and more than 99 per cent decrease from the estimated 350,000 cases in 1988. This year, just 16 new cases were reported as of April 9. India, long regarded as the most difficult place to eliminate polio, has not recorded a case in more than two years. The signatories from 80 countries include Nobel laureates, vaccine and infectious disease experts, public health school deans and paediatricians. More than 40 leading universities and schools of public health and medicine are promoting the declaration
[15]
on their websites, including Aga Khan University, the Harvard School of Public Health, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Al Azhar University (Egypt), the University of Cape Town, Redeemers University (Nigeria) and Christian Medical College, Vellore (India). India and Russia economic ties
Bilateral trade between India and Russia in 2012 has increased to around US$ 6.7 billion mark, registering growth of around 14% as compared to previous year. Exports touched USD 2.15 billion in 2012 compared to USD 1.89 Billion in 2011 and exports stood at USD 4.5 billion as compared to 4.05 billion previous year. India, Bangladesh to produce mega film on 1971 War of Liberation
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma during his recent two-day visit to Moscow met his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov and Russian Minister of Economic Development Andrey Belousov and briefed them about emerging opportunities for investment in India. During the meet the Indian minister outlined immense investment opportunities available in India in sectors like energy & energy resources, pharmaceuticals, IT & ITES, minerals & metals, infrastructure development, aviation, power generation, shipbuilding, bio and nano- technologies, fertilizers, chemicals, agricultural and foods items, automobile industry and diamond. He also sought investment partnership in the fields of mining, steel and energy. On IT sector, Minister Sharma asked Russian Authorities to expedite details on their IT innovation policy containing Management, Development of Software, Commercial Terms, and Tax benefits in Russia, etc. It would facilitate Indian Industries to take decision for their participation in the Russian Technology platform on IT innovation. Salient possibilities for cooperation with Russia in the IT sector are BPO/KPO, business software, setting-up of Techno-Park, e-governance, tele-medicines, and IT training and education. However, so far, no concerted effort has been made by Indian companies to tap or even assess this potential in the Russian IT market. Russia has also decided to participate in the government's initiative of setting up world-class mega industrial zones under the New Manufacturing Policy (NMP) in various states. The New National Manufacturing Policy (NMP) provides for the National Manufacturing Investment Zones (NMIZs) with world-class supporting infrastructure across the states. The government is offering a host of incentives like exemption from capital gains tax and a liberalised labour and environment norms to promote these zones.
[16]
ia s1 00 .i n
During the meeting between Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari and his Bangladeshi counterpart Hasanul Haq Inu, India and Bangladesh has agreed to consider a joint collaboration for production of a mega film depicting the "War of Liberation". On the context mega film, it was agreed to work towards a roadmap to finalize the proposal shortly. Bangladesh Minister also requested that the Government of India could consider providing the names of the soldiers who had laid down their lives during the War of Liberation. During the discussions, both the Ministers also agreed to explore the possibility of setting up of a Joint Working Group on the critical sectors of the Information and Broadcasting domain. The Working Group would provide a roadmap for future collaborations between the two countries. The Bangladesh Minister also requested India to facilitate the downlinking of Bangladesh TV Channels through the private distribution network. Both Ministers also agreed to intensify the collaboration between Prasar Bharti and Bangladesh State Television in view of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two entities in 2011. The MoU had focused on mutual cooperation in the broadcast of television programmes between the two broadcasters. It was also mentioned that both countries could consider exchange of programmes and also explore the possibility of executive TV coproduction. Both Ministers also agreed to facilitate the exchange of archival material between the two countries and discussed on the possibility of strengthening collaboration as far as training and capacity building was concerned between institutions of mutual interests.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Coral reef colonies declining in Palk Bay: Study A recent study taken up by a team of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Chennai, brought to light the serious threat of extinction the coral reef colonies and mangrove forests in the Palk Bay are facing. At present, only two per cent of the coral reefs survive in the area. A decade ago, the Palk Bay area used to be rich in biodiversity consisting of coral colonies, sea weed and grass, besides mangrove forests. The drone is solar powered and equipped with both still and video cameras. It is capable of transmitting pictures, while doing the sorties, to a control base where it can be downloaded and analysed or stored for analysis. Poachers have killed and dehorned 12 rhinos at the Kaziranga National Park since January 1. In the recent Census, the park authorities counted 2329 rhinos - a net increase of 39 even after losing about 125 to poaching, high flood and natural death since January 2012. The 2012 census had put the count at 2290. The national park also has 106 tigers, 1163 elephants, 1937 buffalos and 1165 swamp deer. Assam government recently sought a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the spurt in rhino poaching. New device to detect GI cancers coming soon
Global warming, siltation, release of untreated raw sewage into the water bodies and overgrowth of algae were stated to be the three important reasons for the possible disappearance of coral colonies and its associated organisms from the Palk Bay area. Silt coming from developmental projects, as well as due to east-flowing rivers do not allow the new colonies to be formed and, similarly, not allow the corals to re-colonise in the Palk Bay region.
The study showed that release of untreated raw sewage from the nearby areas into the water bodies, which ultimately drained into the sea, led to diseases in coral colonies. There is an increased growth of algae. This also led to the disappearance of corals. Apart from these problems, the conflicts of interest between the traditional fishermen and the trawler operators also took a toll on the biodiversity of the Palk region.
In an attempt to restore the dying coral colonies, the ZSI researchers are attempting to transplant live coral colonies from other parts of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve and plant them at Palk Bay. This work is done with support and assistance from various funding agencies. More than transplanting the corals from other areas into the Palk Bay, conservation efforts have to be taken up by various agencies to preserve the species. Drone to keep tabs on Kaziranga animals
Taking a step towards deployment of an unmanned aerial vehicle, commonly known as drone, to keep tabs on the animals in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and protect them from poachers, a test flight of a remote-controlled hobby flying model of the drone was conducted.
ia s1 00 .i n

Gastrointestinal cancer (GI) occurs when certain cells within the gastrointestinal tract grow in an uncontrolled, abnormal, manner. (GI) cancers occur anywhere along the long twisting tube that includes the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine (which includes the colon), rectum and anus. A prototype of an advanced multi-bending cholangioscope (which allows visual diagnosis) has been developed jointly by Indian and Japanese healthcare researchers to detect cancer at an early age. All these years, most patients used to consult a physician when the disease was in an advanced stage. But with this new equipment peroral direct cholangioscope (PDCS), which has a video camera and can bend easily, cancers of bile duct, liver and pancreas could be detected early. The multi-bending PDCS cannot be inserted freehand into the bile duct. However, a high success rate of direct insertion can be achieved when the endoscope is passed over a guide-wire and an anchoring balloon. Barren Island volcano in Andaman Sea could be at least 1.8 million years old
A group of scientists at Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) and the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay have determined that Barren Island volcano in Andaman Sea would be at least 1.8 million years old.
[17]
It became active in 1991 after a dormancy of 159 years. It has since remained active with almost continuous tephra eruptions or ejection of solid material into the air. The experts stated that, being a stratovolcano, it had in the past and would be likely to have in the future massive eruptions that could seriously affect life in the Andaman Sea, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the neighbouring south-east Asian countries. Tsunamis generated by sub-marine landslides on the flanks of the volcano can compound the scale of devastation. Thus the determination of the age is important to elucidate the history of volcanism in the country and the evolution of the island arc in the Andaman subduction zone.
Barren Island. The core was studied with the help of the Argon dating facility established at IITBombay a few years ago. The new finding follows an earlier study by a team led by Neeraj Awasthi of IIT- Bombay, which showed that the volcano, which raises about twokm above the seafloor with an average height of about 300-m above sea level, has had seven major lava eruptions over the past 70,000 years. The Barren Island stands in the midst of a volcanic belt on the edge of the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates. It is the northern-most active system of the Indonesian volcanic arc. Though forming part of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar, it is totally uninhabited. It is accessible only to the Coast Guard and naval ships which monitor the island on a regular basis for any eruption. The eruption in 1991 lasted for about six months.
The scientists has determined its age by studying a 400-cm-long core of marine sediments collected from the Andaman Sea about 30-km away from the
[18]
ia s1 00 .i n
2 - MARKERS
Agni-II successfully tested The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Army successfully test-fired Agni-II ballistic missile from Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast. The medium-range missile with a range of over 2,000 km has already been inducted into the Army, and is part of the Strategic Forces arsenal for nuclear deterrence. The Agni-II is part of India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. Other missiles in series include 700-km range Agni-I, 3000km range Agni-III, 3500-km range Agni-IV and 5000km range Agni-V. museum with exhibits on maritime heritage and marine technology and facilities such as food courts, audio-visual studio, souvenir shops and aquarium on Build, Own, Operate and Transfer model. eCoins
The two-stage surface-to-surface missile, equipped with an advanced high-accuracy navigation system and guided by a novel state-ofthe-art command and control system, is powered by a solid rocket propellant system. The missile weighs 17 tonnes and its range can be increased to 3,000 km by reducing the payload. It can be fired from both rail and road mobile launchers. It takes only 15 minutes for the missile to be readied for firing. The Defence Research and Development Organisation first tested Agni-II in 1999. Amazon Olympics
The Amazon Olympics is an annual sporting event for indigenous tribes along the Columbian, Brazilian and Peruvian borders.
The aim of these dangerous games is to test the skills and disciplines of which are essential for survival in the jungle. Rather than well-known sports such as badminton, football and boxing taking precedence, disciplines such as tree-felling, canoe-racing, archery and blow-pipe shooting are prominent amongst the games. Teams from two-dozen villages and towns fight for a cash prize of 1,000. INS Vagli to be turned into museum by 2015
INS Vagli, the decommissioned submarine, will be converted into Tamil Nadu Maritime Heritage Museum in Mamallapuram by March 2015. Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) will be the nodal agency for setting up the
ia s1 00 .i n

eCoins is an integrated, user-friendly, fullyelectronic and over-the-counter platform for trading in gold bars, solely aimed at jewellers. eCoins will provide its retailers/customers with live transparent benchmark prices along with instant trade and rate confirmations. The bars will be available on the terminal in widest range of denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 grams in .999 purity. Dada Sahab Phalke Award
Pran has been awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2012), the nation's top cine honour. In 2010, he was listed by CNN as one of the top 25 Asian actors of all time. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema given annually by the Government of India. The Award is given to a prominent personality from the Indian film industry, noted and respected for significant contributions to Indian cinema. NTR National Film Award
Film star Amitabh Bachchan was presented the NTR National Film Award for 2011. The award carried Rs.5 lakh cash prize, a citation and a memento. Dr Hilary Koprowski
Hilary Koprowski was a Polish virologist and immunologist, and inventor of the world's first effective live polio vaccine. Koprowski created the world's first polio vaccine, based on oral administration of attenuated polio virus. In researching a potential polio vaccine, he had focused on live viruses that were attenuated (rendered nonvirulent) rather than on killed viruses (the latter became the basis for the injected vaccine that was subsequently created by Jonas Salk). Koprowski viewed the live vaccine as more powerful, since it entered the intestinal tract directly
[19]
and could provide lifelong immunity, whereas the Salk vaccine required booster shots. Also, administering a vaccine by mouth is easy, whereas an injection requires medical facilities and is more expensive. Koprowski's vaccine was taken by the first child on February 27, 1950, and within 10 years was being used on four continents. Albert Sabin's attenuated-live-virus polio vaccine was developed from attenuated polio virus that Sabin had received from Koprowski. Margaret Thatcher
flexible labour markets, the privatisation of stateowned companies, and reducing the power and influence of trade unions. Thatcher was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour awarded by the US. Robert Geoffrey Edwards
[20]
ia s1 00 .i n
Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first woman Prime Minister who led the Conservative party for more than a decade through one of the most tumultuous periods in modern British history and became a deeply divisive political figure, died. Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation (particularly of the financial sector),
He was a British physiologist and pioneer in reproductive medicine and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in particular. Edwards successfully pioneered conception through IVF, which led to the birth of the first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, on 25 July 1978. He was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the development of in vitro fertilization". In 2011, Edwards was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II "for services to human reproductive biology."
EDITORIALS
We need a unified financial regulator Our experience with regulators has been rather mixed, on account of poor legal design. A set of regulatory provisions for all areas of finance would make a difference. The report of the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC) has generated lots of comments and reactions. This article looks at the recommendations on the subject of regulatory governance, in general, and, regulator-government interface, in particular. If acted upon, these can significantly impact overall governance in India and not merely in finance. The recommendations of the FSLRC are mainly contained in chapters 3, 4, 14 &16 of the report. The idea of an independent regulator is relatively new. Modern regulators of this kind at a country level go back to the Inter-state Commerce Commission (ICC) of the US created in 1887. In India, though a law created the RBI in 1934, it was not designed to be an independent regulator. The original RBI Act of 1934 was amended many times to convert a private commercial entity into a regulator. Post-independence, in 1953, the Forward Markets Commission (FMC) was created by a parliamentary law but in the mould of a traditional government department. Therefore, it perhaps cannot be characterised as an independent regulator, though it was and is statutory. The first really modern regulator in India is the SEBI, created by an executive order in 1988 and sanctified by a parliamentary law in 1992. Subsequently, India has created many regulators in the financial and other sectors, which have come up in many states. The FSLRC has presented this unified set of provisions and made detailed recommendations on the structure of the regulatory agency, composition of its board, selection of board members, functioning of the board, resource allocation of the regulator, including powers to levy fees, principles of levying fees, and performance assessment and reporting. Another chapter describes in detail what ought to be the functions and powers of the regulator. There is a good case for extending these principles to sectors beyond finance to all statutory regulators. The practical importance of these recommendations will be apparent if one looks at the actual practice in one just area of government-regulator interface appointment of regulators. Systemic problem
Poor legal design As a general proposition, it would be fair to say that the Indian experience with regulators is rather mixed. A few have been reasonably successful, but most have been less than optimal in their outcomes. One is of the opinion that much of this is on account of poor legislative design. The major recommendation of FSLRC in this area is that there should be a unified set of provisions on regulatory governance for all areas of finance.
ia s1 00 .i n
As a rule, most present legal provisions in this regard are vague and do not follow any standard principle. The many variations in the terms and processes of the appointments clearly point to a systemic problem. For example, in the last decade or so, there have been governors of the RBI who were varyingly given a three-year term extended by three years, a single five-year term, and a three-year term extended by two years. There have been Deputy Governors who were given terms of over five years, exactly five years, three years, three+two years and two years and 3 months, extended by nine months! A major part of the problem is the RBI Act, which prescribes no age limit for Deputy Governor or Governor, no process for appointment and no limits on terms. Similar is the story with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). One chairman was appointed for five years, and extended for another two years, when the law then provided for a threeyear term. The term of another was not extended beyond three years when the law provided for a five-year term. While recently whole time members (WTM) have been given five-year terms, the chairman was given only a three-year term. One WTM was appointed for three years, completed this, demitted office and was then given a fresh term, while the terms of two identically placed WTMs were not renewed.
[21]
If all this points to confusion and mindlessness, it also translates into the effective lack of operational autonomy for the regulators, given the uncertainty of tenure and the ability of the government to pick and choose individuals in the regulatory agency who are "fit" for extension and who are "not". Lack of autonomy Contrast this with fixed terms prescribed in the Constitution for election commissioners and the CAG of India and the obvious consequences in terms of institutional effectiveness. Likewise, there are board members of some regulatory agencies who have been on these boards for over a decade and some who have been given three years. Boards of some regulatory agencies have no regulatory powers at all with regulatory functions, including the drafting of regulations being done entirely by the staff of the agency without any clearance of the board. In the case of some other agencies, board-level clearance is mandatory for issuing regulations. Auditing a regulator
Orders passed by some regulatory agencies have no appeal/recourse of any kind. In the financial sector, all regulators are free from resource constraints, but some have been accused of charging excess fees as the law confers powers to levy fees without any guidance or principle. The CAG of India mandatorily audits some financial sector regulatory agencies in accordance with their statute whereas firms of chartered accountants audit some regulators. Given the enormous powers of the regulators, it will be a brave chartered accountant who actually does a tough audit of a regulator. It is these and many similar aspects of regulatory governance and accountability that need to be legislatively reformed in India. The FSLRC recommendations directly address these and will go a long way in remedying this governance deficit in regulatory structure and design. Source: Business Line Why Indian cities lag behind global metropolises
ia s1 00 .i n
cities are planned, their capacity to raise resources, empowerment of political representatives and people's participation. A missing component that can be incorporated in future surveys is how efficient cities are in energy use, given that they need to lower energy consumption in transport, water supply and waste management. Rightly, the survey offers prescriptions to reform governance. It says cities should set up metropolitan planning committees (MPC) to prepare a draft plan for the area. The Constitution does mandate MPCs and lists out their functions. There is no excuse for noncompliance. Kolkata's MPC and its sectoral and executive panels are examples for other cities. Greater financial autonomy for municipal entities, too, makes eminent sense. They should be able to raise debt and access new forms of financing through public-private partnership. It is also imperative to revive and develop a flourishing municipal bond market to finance and create new cities. A robust institutional framework to levy and collect user charges by municipal bodies would help, provided more services are brought under pricing. The survey found mayors and city councils weak. They must be empowered to bring about change in civic affairs. The larger point is that the pace of urbanisation will surge as the economy grows. So, urban renewal and development should be top-ofthe-mind issues for policymakers now, before it becomes too late. Source: Economic Times
Why India is right on Sri Lanka
The results of an ET-Janaagraha survey assessing India's top 11 cities against two global metropolises are disheartening. These cities scored in the range of 0.7 to 4.5 across four categories on a scale of 0 to 10 against New York and London, which scored between 8.1 and 9.9. The comparisons included how
[22]
Unless Colombo treats its Tamil citizens with dignity and respect, New Delhi will continue to have limited options Contemporary developments in India's foreign policy are often based on perceptions and not facts, views divorced from reality and political advocacy based on make-believe. India's approach to the Sri Lankan issue and the vote in the Human Rights Council (HRC) is a case in point. Variously described as a "new low" in our foreign policy and a departure from our principled stand of not supporting countryspecific resolutions, this line of reasoning suggests that New Delhi should ignore and overrule regional sentiment, and refrain from meddling in the affairs of a small neighbour. But first the perceptions. One, in 1956, Solomon West Ridgeway Dias (SWRD) Bandaranaike enacted the Sinhala-Only Act. Sections of the political class in New Delhi welcomed it as a consolidation of antiimperialist sentiment. Years later, Tamils were
Resolution was minimalist
What the international community is questioning is not Colombo's military operation against the LTTE or human rights violations but specific allegations of war crimes during the last 100 days of military operations. Visual documentation, including by triumphant victors on mobile phones has contributed to Sri Lanka's discomfort. The U.S. resolution at the 19th session of the HRC in March 2012 was a minimalist attempt. It invited Sri Lanka to act on the recommendations of its own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. Even the assistance to be made available to Colombo would have been provided only with its consent. Instead, Colombo chose to prevaricate. With additional visual documentation being made available, the demand for accountability gained momentum. Having voted in favour of the resolution in March 2012, it was next to impossible for India to change its vote in March 2013, especially in the absence of any credible steps by Sri Lanka towards reconciliation and devolution. It is both in India's and Sri Lanka's interest to get a full and final closure on these allegations. Not to do so will allow the wounds to fester. Sovereignty has never succeeded in providing a cover against genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. To suggest that India does not support country-specific resolutions is absurd. Even more, that we have a principled position on this. In any perceived clash between principle and national interest, it is invariably the latter that is invoked and reigns supreme. Following the anti-Tamil riots in Colombo in 1983, New Delhi mustered sufficient courage to spearhead a resolution
ia s1 00 .i n
13th Amendment
reduced to second-class citizens and discrimination against them became systemic and entrenched. The anti-Tamil riots in Colombo following the killing of the Mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duriappa, by a young Prabhakaran led to the rise of Tamil militancy. Perception two, Most Sinhalese believe, with good reason, that Tamil militancy, rightly viewed by them as terrorism, would not have succeeded in tearing apart Sri Lanka's social fabric but for support from across the Palk Straits. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi sought course correction. He committed India to Sri Lanka's unity and territorial integrity. This fundamental turnaround meant India would not support the break-up of Sri Lanka and would also cooperate in ending support for terrorism. There was, however, one caveat. The Tamil minority should be treated with dignity and as equal citizens of a multicultural, multiple-ethnic and multilingual Sri Lanka.
against Sri Lanka in the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities. We vote in favour of similar resolutions against Israel only because they deal with gross and systematic violations of human rights of Palestinian people in the occupied territories. We have never hesitated to take a position on country-specific resolutions whether on DPRK or Iran, whenever our national interest so demanded. To dismiss popular sentiment in Tamil Nadu as the machinations of politicians is both a misreading of the situation and a recipe for disaster. Why should Sri Lanka not be held to account for not respecting understandings given bilaterally to India, such as those of April-May 2009?
India can be against the LTTE but cannot afford to be against the Tamils. The problem both amongst the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka and large sections of the Tamil population in India, is that the LTTE successfully manipulated Tamil opinion by projecting itself as the only physical shield against Sinhala repression. We cannot wish away this sentiment. The only safeguard for the Tamils in Sri Lanka is delivery of the promised devolution based on the 13th Amendment. Both the AIADMK and the DMK, along with the smaller parties in Tamil Nadu are on the same page on the Sri Lanka issue. The problem will continue to fester till Colombo has a genuine change of heart. Recent signals are anything but encouraging. Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on March 27, 2013: "Could we afford to have a provincial administration here, which pointed a gun at the national leadership at the drop of a hat? We don't want to be at the mercy of scheming provincial administrations." Let alone the 13th Amendment, the Defence Secretary seems to be suggesting the winding up of provincial councils altogether! Notwithstanding assurances to India, the "Brothers" running Sri Lanka appear to have no intention to move on political reconciliation and devolution. This "majoritarianism" in total disregard of respecting and protecting the rights of minorities is a narrow and calibrated political strategy designed to safeguard Sinhalese parliamentary strength. The recent attacks on the Muslim trading community in the heart of Colombo by fanatic Sinhalese, allegedly led by Buddhist monks are manifestations of similar callous and cynical disregard for the rights of linguistic, religious and cultural minorities. India did the right thing by supporting the resolution on war crimes.
[23]
Changing course in Africa
The continent is experiencing rising rates of growth. But will growth be translated into development? Africans know a thing or two about herd instinct. Like wildebeest and zebra migration across the Serengeti, investment managers and consultants too have a habit of running together and, every now and then, changing direction. Right now, herd instinct is taking every investment, fund and private equity manager on an African safari. If, a decade ago, The Economist ran a cover story dubbing Africa "The hopeless continent", it caught up with a changing reality by the end of 2011 with a cover on "Africa rising." More recently, it acknowledged the emergence of an "Aspiring Africa". What has fuelled this journey of the so-called dark continent into the bright new world of economic growth and political stability? What are the new business opportunities and political risks? How diverse is the experience of different regions of this vast continent? To what extent is this new growth process driven by enduring change, rather than fleeting opportunity? Do countries blessed by oil and gas have the capacity to use their new-found wealth to fuel long-term growth and development, or will they fall victim to the infamous "resource curse"? Does Africa have the political leadership it requires to resolve intra-country and inter-country conflict and deal with new security challenges like drug and arms trafficking, terrorism and Islamic radicalism?
[24]
ia s1 00 .i n
Exaggerated projections of Chinese inroads and influence are a bogey which many of our smaller neighbours periodically try on us. Apart from being practical, the Chinese are also hard headed. They will pursue economic and commercial opportunity irrespective of the way India votes. Support for Sri Lanka up to 2012 did not prevent them from looking for commercial projects there. Many Chinese successes have something to do with our own inability to deliver commercial projects on time. Sri Lanka is not only India's closest neighbour but in many respects, culturally and emotionally, closest to us as well. We need to reach out to Colombo and drive home the point that it takes two to tango. Relations between countries are assiduously built, step by step. Unless Colombo treats its Tamil citizens with dignity and respect, New Delhi will continue to have limited options. If New Delhi continues to base its choices on misplaced "perceptions" and does not effectively articulate the reasons for the choices so made, only brickbats will be in the offing. Source: The Hindu
Such were the questions that an international conference on the geo-economics of resources and conflict in Africa sought to address earlier this week at the Bahrain Centre of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The verdict was clear. The "rising" and "aspiring" Africa story is well founded. However, not all of the 54 countries of the continent are rising at the same pace and, worryingly, there are still many pockets of "hopelessness" and sources of potential conflict that require urgent attention. Fred Swaniker, founder and CEO of the Africa Leadership Academy, identified five long-term trends that are driving the African growth story, and the four risks it faces. The five drivers are: improving political governance, young and bettereducated population, urbanisation, skilled workforce and a more hospitable global geopolitical environment. With access to education and urbanisation, several pre-requisites for sustained growth are now in place, like physical, social and financial infrastructure. The rise of China, followed by India and other emerging economies, has had beneficial geo-economic consequences for the continent. Africans are pleased to find themselves being courted by erstwhile colonisers even as they exude confidence in being able to deal with rising powers. So what are the risks? As in India, the so-called demographic dividend can only be a driver of growth if the young are educated and better skilled. If not, a restive youth would become a liability. Africa is experiencing rising rates of growth, but will growth get translated into development? Urbanisation is a positive force, but the lack of rural opportunities? Does Africa not require a green revolution that enriches the peasantry, creates a bigger home market and ensures food security? Unplanned urbanisation can create urban chaos and trigger urban violence. With rapid growth comes social and regional inequality. This, too, needs managing. Finally, Africa's new political leadership has to manage the fluid geopolitics of an increasingly multi-polar world, benefiting from the global race for resources, rather than getting unduly exploited. Emmanuel Kwesi Aning of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre drew attention to another downside risk - the debilitating impact of the dangerous cocktail of drugs and arms trafficking, al-Qaeda, terrorism and Islamic radicalism both on Africa's west coast and along the northeastern coast, the Horn of Africa. Economic growth alone cannot address the demands of an aspiring Africa. Many countries need modern institutions that are accountable, transparent, just and efficient. Africa's security challenge was brought
out starkly by the fact that if the single biggest employer in China is Sinopec, a petrochemical company, and in India it is the railways, across Africa it is G4S, a private security firm. The continent's major powers, like South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, will be required to provide leadership in their respective regions to ensure regional peace and security. If not, outside powers will step in, as France has done in Mali. With new oil and gas discoveries, Africa's energy exporters will have to invest in defence capability and work with other Indian Ocean powers to ensure security of sea lanes. As in the case of any continental entity, Africa is also characterised by wide diversity. While negatives dominate western Africa and the Sahel region, many positives define eastern and east coastal Africa, led by Kenya, and southern Africa, led by South Africa. New oil and gas discoveries in Kenya and Mozambique are attracting global oil majors, including from China and India. How these resources are utilised is key. Will they be afflicted by the resource curse - falling victim to a combination of cronyism, authoritarianism, inequality and lack of incentives for growth of manufacturing - or will they be able to use these resources wisely to build the foundations for sustainable development? The key to Africa's rise lies in the answer to these questions. Today's youth see new hope in the new opportunities that a new world offers. What was striking, however, was the contrast between the confident optimism of younger Africans and the more cautious, even worried, outlook of the older generation. As in India so in Africa, the older generation has lived through an earlier phase of optimism fuelled by the promise of decolonisation. That hope never materialised. This time, Africa is determined to succeed. Source: Indian Express Colonising riverbeds
Green activists root for a monitoring commission to ensure that our rivers are effectively protected Green activists are elated that the National Green Tribunal has issued notices to Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana, and Union Ministry of Water Resources with regard to the land mafia's reckless encroachment on the floodplains of Yamuna and Hindon. This was in response to an application filed by environmentalists. The plea states: "The river beds, considered highly eco-fragile, have been usurped by land mafia in connivance with administration
officials. Colonies have come up on the riverbeds". The petition cites a media report about an estimated 1,618 hectares of the Yamuna flood plain having been grabbed by the land mafia, along 30 km of the river as it flows through Noida. Encroachments include farmhouses, homes, schools, crusher and hot-mix plants, concrete ready-mix and quartz-washing plants, etc. Thousands of hectares have similarly been encroached upon in cities along the Yamuna: Delhi, Faridabad, Mathura and Agra. The petition singles out the Delhi Government for foisting encroachments via Commonwealth Games Village and DTC Bus Depot "on the eco-sensitive Yamuna banks". Illegal plots in the flood plains areas are being sold with the connivance of Government functionaries, with registration and mutation being undertaken. Though concerned agencies at the Centre and in States have not granted environmental clearance, which clearly has not even been sought, such land grab continues to occur with impunity. Encroachments by colonisers in Faridabad, Agra and Mathura have increased the toxic pollution load. As a result, aquatic species have almost been decimated. The petitioners want a monitoring commission to be set up, to ensure that provisions under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for protecting rivers be implemented in a transparent way as per the deadline. Applications or appeals are to be disposed of within six months of filing. This is one side of the issue of development. The other side has bankers and tycoons meeting Union Minister for Finance P Chidambaram with their litany of complaints concerning environmental hurdles, land acquisition, coal linkage and banks' reluctance to restructure loans, thereby stalling projects. The high-powered meet was attended by the Minister and Financial Services secretary Ravi Takru, the business sector was represented by Mr Anil Ambani, Mr Ajit Gulabchand, Mr Prashant Ruia, Mr Kumar Managalam Birla, Mr Madhu Kannan and heads of public-sector banks. There are almost 350 such projects facing impediments. Environmental clearance is seen to be the main obstruction. Mr Chidambaram will now coordinate with different Ministries to get road blocks removed. So, on the one hand, the Green Tribunal, set up on October 18, 2010, under National Green Tribunal Act, as well as law courts are intervening in support of conservation causes; on the other, corporates, realtors, land mafia and a chain of beneficiaries cite the need for high growth as the rationale for pummelling the Government into submission. So long as population continues to explode, with India's numbers in 2011 totalling 1,241,491,960, as
[25]
ia s1 00 .i n
per World Bank estimates, high growth gains will be out-paced by the astronomical increase in people. The Congress-led UPA Government has completely failed to address this problem during its two successive tenures, since 2004. It is a colossal failure, but quite understandable in view of obsession with high economic growth trajectories and policies, and freebies for select vote banks. These formulae for disaster, vesting in the unlikely reconciliation of the capitalist module of development with the socialist welfare state, do not seem to have factored in family planning programmes, to be implemented on an emergency basis. India is reported to harbour over 17.5 per cent of the entire population of the world. The 2001 census findings indicate that 72.2 per cent of the people are found in an estimated 6,38,000 villages, which figure very low on policymakers' list of priorities in planning since metropolises seem to have first right over funds and resources.
ia s1 00 .i n
Mark the disproportionate amount of finance allotted to Delhi for upgradation of infrastructure and creation of amenities, geared to hosting of the CWG in October 2010. As per census data, 27.8 per cent comprises urban dwellers. Since policymakers and enforcers are not serious about curbing population growth, India is expected to beat its giant neighbour China, which has enforced the 'one child rule', as the world's most populous country by 2025. Electoral compulsions ensure that the small family unit, projected as the ideal by the slogans "Hum do, hamaare do" and "Hum do hamaara ek", has been shelved. The more the better appears to be the current norm since that translates into larger votebanks and recipients of Government largesse. China's policy dates back to 1979. It generally applies to urban Han Chinese, and is credited with reducing population by about 300 million in the first two decades. However, after the Congress's aborted sterilisation programme in the 1970s, the subject is taboo for politicos. Source: The Pioneer
[26]

Weekly 08 To 14 April 2013 For WEB2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Weekly 08 To 14 April 2013 For WEB2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS BULLETIN

08TH APRIL 2013 TO 14TH APRIL, 2013

Call: 09582948810, 09953007628 Visit:ias100.in

Current Affairs Notes for IAS PT 2013

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION SUMMITS Bills in Parliament Biotechnology-1

Environmental news Health News

Important Reports 2012-13 INDIA - HDR 2011

Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013

productivity, Microirrigation, Government Initiatives......

SECTIONAL TESTS (PAPER I & II)

FULL MOCK SCHEDULE

Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013

India's vaccine regulatory system meets international standards: WHO

Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013

Luxembourg to ease bank secrecy norms from 2015

UN launched new plans to save children from pneumonia, diarrhoea

Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013

Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013

INDIA AND THE WORLD

Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013

Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013

Why India is right on Sri Lanka

Resolution was minimalist

Changing course in Africa

Weekly Current Affairs 08th April to 14th April, 2013

You might also like