Downloaded from: http://www.upscportal.

com

National Events: April 2010

From today (1st April), education becomes a fundamental right
• India has join a group of few countries in the world, with a historic law making education
a fundamental right of every child coming into force.
• The Right to Education Act, 2009 — that became effective from (1st April) — makes
elementary education a fundamental right under Article 21 (A) of the Constitution. Every
child in the age group 6-14 will be provided elementary education in the age-appropriate
classroom in the vicinity of his/her neighbourhood.
• The act will directly benefit close to one crore children who do not go to school at
present.
• Nearly 92 lakh children, who had either dropped out of schools or never been to any
educational institution, will get elementary education as it will be binding on the part of
the local and State governments to ensure that all children in the 6-14 age group get
schooling.
• As per the Act, private educational institutions should reserve 25 per cent seats for
children from the weaker sections of society.
• The Centre and the States have agreed to share the financial burden in the ratio of 55:45,
while the Finance Commission has given Rs. 25,000 crore to the States for implementing
the Act. The Centre has approved an outlay of Rs.15,000 crore for 2010-2011 for the
purpose.
• The school management committee or the local authority will identify the drop-outs or
out-of-school children aged above six and admit them in classes appropriate to their age
after giving special training.
India launches Census 2011, the biggest-ever in history
• India on Thursday (April 1) launched “Census 2011,'' the biggest-ever census attempted
in the history of mankind enumerating the country's 1.2 billion population and classifying
usual residents according to their gender, religion, occupation and education.
• The massive exercise, to be spread over next 11 months, will mark a milestone as the
first-ever National Population Register (NPR) will also be prepared in which all persons
aged over 15 years will be photographed and fingerprinted to create a biometric national
database. With this India will probably become the first democratic nation in the world
which would have got its population fingerprinted in a year from now.
• As the first citizen of the country, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil was the first person
to be listed in the decennial exercise. The Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari was the next
one to be listed by the Census officials
• The 15th National Census exercise, since 1872, will see over 25 lakh officials capturing
the socio-economic-cultural profile of its citizens. It will cost around Rs. 2,209 crore
while the expenditure on NPR will be Rs. 3,539.24 crore. The exercise will also consume
more than 11 million tonnes of paper.
• The second phase, called the Population Enumeration phase, will be conducted
simultaneously all over the country from February 9 to 28, 2011, and the entire exercise
would be completed by March 5, 2011.
www.upscportal.com
Downloaded from: http://www.upscportal.com
• While the Census is a statutory exercise conducted under the provisions of the Census
Act 1948 the NPR is being created under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and
Citizenship Rules (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards), 2003.
Two forms will be given to each household, the first relating to houselisting and housing
census which will have 35 columns relating to drinking water, amenities like power, and
sewer, the second will relate to NPR which will seek usual and basic details on 15 counts
like the name, place and date of birth, address, occupation and nationality.
• All 640 districts, 5,767 Tehsils, 7,742 towns and more than six lakh villages will be
covered.
Child rights panel to monitor RTE implementation
• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has been mandated to
monitor the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education
Act, 2009. A special division within the NCPCR will undertake this task in the coming
months and a special toll-free helpline to register complaints will be set up.
Mayawati sets up special force for guarding monuments of Dalit icons
• Not waiting for Governor B.L. Joshi's approval for the Special Zone Protection Force
(SZPF) Bill and an ordinance by the same name meant for constituting a force for
guarding monuments of Dalit icons, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati decided to
constitute a special force of ex-servicemen with immediate effect.
• The SZPF proposal envisages the constitution of a battalion comprising about 1,200
security personnel, and would be headed by an ex-Army officer of colonel rank. The
recruitment process and the service rules would be the same as applicable elsewhere in
the country. About Rs.8 to 9 crore would be spent on constituting the force in the first
year and it is likely to be set up.
NMR trial run on April 14
• The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) will be operated soon. Service on the narrow
gauge track was stopped after landslides triggered by heavy rains hit the Mettupalayam-
Coonoor sector on November 8, 2009. It is a World Heritage site, declared by UNESCO
in 2005.
New Bill in next session to bring CAG under RTI
• A new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Bill, likely to be introduced in the next session of
Parliament, will bring the institution of CAG under the ambit of the Right to Information Act.

• the new Bill would seek to replace the CAG Act, 1971, and empower the institution to audit
accounts of the panchayati raj institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and public-
private partnership (PPP) entities.

Centre halts HPV vaccine project

• In the wake of reports of violation of ethical guidelines and exploitation during the
“clinical trials” of HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine, meant to prevent cervical
cancer among women, the Centre advised the State governments to suspend the vaccine
programme until the issue is settled.
• Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research V.M. had asked the Health
Ministry, the State governments and the people not to go ahead with the programme.

www.upscportal.com
Downloaded from: http://www.upscportal.com
Indus-like inscription on South Indian pottery from Thailand
• A fragmentary pottery inscription was found during excavations conducted by the Thai Fine Arts
at Phu Khao Thong in Thailand about three years ago. The discovery of a Tamil-Brahmi pottery
inscription of about the second century CE at the same site was reported earlier The two
characters incised on the pottery now reported are not in the Brahmi script. They appear to be
graffiti symbols of the type seen on the South Indian megalithic pottery of the Iron Age-Early
Historical Period (second century BCE to third century CE).

• What makes the discovery exciting is that the two symbols on the pottery resemble the Indus
script, and even the sequence of the pair can be found in the Indus texts, especially those from
Harappa.

• The symbol looking vaguely like an ‘N' appears to be the same as the Indus signs 47 or 48 The
symbol on the Thai pottery resembles a diamond. It occurs in the Indus script in diamond or oval
forms Signs 261 and 373

Rammohan to probe attack

• The former Director-General of the Border Security Force (BSF), E. N. Rammohan, was on
Thursday appointed to probe the circumstances leading to the massacre of 76 CRPF personnel in
Dandewada district of Chhattisgarh .

Pharma company clarifies on effects of Gardasil vaccine

• MSD Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, the company that markets Gardasil in India, has said that
the vaccine can help prevent cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers and genital warts caused by the
HPV (human papilloma virus) types 6, 11, 16 and 18, as also some protection against 10
additional cervical cancers.

Centre grants 282.25 crore for Maritime University

• The Centre on Thursday provided financial support of Rs. 282.25 crore to the Indian
Maritime University (IMU), Chennai, to meet capital expenditure and recurring deficit.
Centre appeals for lifting stay on Lafarge mining
• The Centre on Friday pleaded for lifting the stay on mining operations imposed by the Supreme
Court on the Lafarge Umiam Mining company in Meghalaya, as there was nothing adverse in the
Task Force's environment impact assessment report.

Face probe to prove innocence, court tells Lt. Gen. Prakash

• The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an appeal filed by Lieutenant General Avadhesh
Prakash, questioning the Army Tribunal's order declining to quash the court of inquiry
(CoI) against him in the Sukna land scam.
• Lt. Gen. Prakash was indicted for his alleged role in issuing a ‘No-objection Certificate'
to realtor Dilip Agarwal for building an educational institute on a 71-acre land adjacent to
the Sukna military station in West Bengal. He and Lt. Gen. P.K. Rath were facing the
CoI.
Obulapuram: ‘No major encroachment in first mine'
• The Survey of India (SoI) informed the Supreme Court on Friday that there was no major
encroachment or illegal mining in so far as the first mine spread over an area of 68.5 hectares was

www.upscportal.com
Downloaded from: http://www.upscportal.com
concerned in the Obulapuram mines owned by Karnataka Minister G. Janardhan Reddy and his
brothers in Bellary area.
• During the last hearing, the court had ordered fresh survey of all the three mining fields and till
then stayed mining activities and lifting of extracted raw material.

NRHM completes five years, best performing States to be honoured

• As the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) completes five years.a mid-term review of the
programme claims that it has unleashed a lot of positive synergies and the government should
make all efforts to further deepen such processes of community health in a manner that every
household is able to seek its entitlement to care.

• The 7,00,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) — the first port of call — across the
country have demonstrated their ability to link households to facilities.

Pranab brokers truce over ULIPs

• The Centre stepped in to end the turf war between insurance regulator IRDA and market regulator
SEBI over their jurisdiction on ULIPs (Unit Linked Insurance Plans) by asking the two chiefs to
approach the court and maintain status quo on the business and sale of such equity-linked
products until the dispute is legally sorted out.

First set of UID numbers to be issued in February next

• The first set of identity numbers as per the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will
be issued in February 2011.

Ministry moots National Mission on monsoon

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has proposed a National Mission on monsoon towards
developing reliable dynamic models for forecasting the monsoon over the next three to five-year
period through a multi-institutional effort.

• Though the focus will chiefly be on seasonal forecast, the mission will include aspects of short
(up to 3 days) and medium-range (up to a week) predictions as well.

• The currently operational model for long-range or seasonal forecast used by the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) is not a dynamic one but a statistical one. It uses a set of
historically determined atmospheric variables with significant statistical correlations to the total
rainfall received by the country as a whole during June-September.

• However, improving and perfecting statistical models will not form part of the mission, Dr. Ajit
Tyagi, Director-General of the IMD, clarified. The IMD has also been using open source dynamic
models such as the Global Forecasting System (GFS) and the Weather Research & Forecasting
(WRF) System of the U.S. for limited area 3-day forecast as well as 5-day forecast, with some
success.

• The mission is yet to be formalised for it to be approved by the Planning Commission and then
the Cabinet. “The details are being worked out,” said Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, MoES. “The
project proposal is being prepared. In January, we had a meeting of people involved in model
development and have a working knowledge of models. Mostly these are models developed
elsewhere, such as the Climate Forecasting System (CFS) of the U.S. or that of the U.K. Met
Office, but have been slightly modified to be applicable for monsoon prediction. All that activity
is slowly getting into frame. But these atmospheric or ocean-atmosphere coupled models need to
be improved greatly through a coordinated effort. We have to create a forum for that,” he added.

www.upscportal.com
Downloaded from: http://www.upscportal.com
• “I feel, it is a good initiative,” said M. Rajeevan of the National Atmospheric Research
Laboratory of ISRO at Gadanki and formerly of the National Climate Centre at the IMD, Pune.

National Integration Council reconstituted

• The government has reconstituted the National Integration Council (NIC) which will be chaired
by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

• The NIC has 147 members, including Union Ministers, Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Chief Ministers of all States and Union Territories with Legislatures.

• Set up in the early 60s by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the NIC held its first meeting in
1962. The council reviews matters relating to national integration and makes recommendations
over such issues.

• The NIC aims at finding ways and means to combat the menace of communalism, casteism and
regionalism. It has held 14 meetings so far, with the last one in October 2008 during the first
innings of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

IISc. to install ‘synchrotron' on Chitradurga campus

• If not for this gigantic circular machine, Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, by
his own admission, could not have solved his research problem on ribosomes. And last
year, China made its single biggest science investment ($176 million) in this facility.
• If the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) has its way, the ‘synchrotron' — a high-energy
electron-accelerator typically hundreds of metres in diameter and a tool used in several
streams of scientific research — could soon be constructed on its new Chitradurga
campus.
• In a synchrotron, electrons move at high speeds close to the speed of light through a
circular tunnel generating bright beams of electromagnetic radiation, including intense X-
rays that are used in both fundamental and applied sciences such as X-ray spectroscopic
studies and diffraction studies in material science, and in protein crystallography.
Port selling sharks: PETA
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an international NGO, has claimed that a
port in Kerala was selling sharks, whose sale is banned in India.

Rajasthan sets up panel to look into Gujjars issue

• The Rajasthan government on Sunday appointed a seven-member committee headed by
the former High Court judge, Justice I.S. Israni, to look into “all aspects” of the issue of
providing reservation to Gujjars under a special category, even as fresh talks between
Gujjar supremo Kirori Singh Bainsla and government emissaries remained inconclusive.
Commission on Centre-State ties submits report
• The Commission on Centre-State relations submitted its report to Union Home Minister P.
Chidambaram .The panel was constituted by UPA-I in April 2007 to take a fresh look at the
relative role and responsibilities of the various levels of government and Centre-State relations.

• It was asked to make recommendations to help address the emerging challenges.The commission
Chairman and former Chief Justice of India, M. M. Punchhi, presented the report to the Home
Minister which runs into seven volumes.

www.upscportal.com
Downloaded from: http://www.upscportal.com
Centre gets time to submit EIA report on Sethu alignment
• With the Centre seeking time for completion of the Environment Impact Analysis (EIA) on an
alternative alignment for the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project without cutting across Adam's
Bridge or Ramar Sethu, the Supreme Court deferred judgment till February 2011.

Power dispute with Karnataka settled

• An amicable settlement has been reached between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on power sharing
with the Karnataka government agreeing to supply 150 MW to Tamil Nadu till May 31 out of the
300 MW through the Southern Regional Load Dispatch Centre (SRLDC).

Maheshwar dam oustees start indefinite protest

• About 800 people affected by the Maheshwar hydel dam project have launched an
indefinite protest in the capital, demanding that the Union Ministry of Environment and
Forests put a halt on the project until the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) of
villagers catches up with the construction of the dam.
MCI president remanded to five-day police custody
• Ketan Desai, president of the Medical Council of India, and three others arrested by the CBI in a
Rs.2-crore bribery case.

• Dr. Desai was arrested by the CBI in New Delhi for allegedly granting permission to start
admission in the medical college in violation of MCI rules “in lieu of heavy monetary
considerations,” CBI officials said .

Kerala tops in devolving powers

• Kerala has been adjudged the best State in the country in devolving powers to local self-
government institutions.
• Kerala received an aggregate of 74.74 points. Karnataka with 69.45 points and Tamil
Nadu with 67.06 points came second and third respectively.
Panchayats should play a big role in helping us tackle Maoists: Manmohan
• April 24 is observed as Panchayati Raj Day because on this day in 1993, the 73rd Constitutional
Amendment was implemented, setting up the three-tier panchayats system — village panchayats,
panchayat unions and district panchayats — for grass roots-level governance.

• Dr. Singh said he was happy that the local bodies' poll was held regularly and about 28 lakh
people were getting elected through 600 district panchayats, 6,000 intermediate panchayats
(panchayat unions) and 2.3 lakh village panchayats.

• On the proposed 50 per cent reservation in local bodies for women, the Prime Minister said that
when implemented, the women representatives' strength would go up to 14 lakh from the present
10 lakh (with one-third reservation), adding that he was happy that the present strength of women
(10 lakh) in local bodies was more than the seats reserved for them.

Gujarat plans to get Asiatic cheetahs from Iran

• Efforts are on to bring a few Asiatic cheetahs and re-introduce them in the forests of
Gujarat,
• Iran was the only country where the Asiatic cheetahs were still found,

www.upscportal.com
Downloaded from: http://www.upscportal.com
• Pradeep Khanna, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said the State managed to get
two pairs of African cheetahs and kept them in the Sakkarbagh zoo in Junagadh for
breeding in captivity. But “it is a very shy species, so far showing no signs of breeding.”
• Mr. Khanna said the State government was against the idea of giving a few Asiatic lions
to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh from the Gir forest.

Committee to probe MCI irregularities

• Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday constituted a three-member team to
probe irregularities committed by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and stayed the
permission it granted to the Gyan Sagar Medical College in Punjab to take a fresh batch
of students for 2010-11.
• K. Desiraju, Additional Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, will
head the fact-finding committee, which has All-India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) dean Rani Kumar and a senior officer of the Directorate-General of Health
Services (DGHS) as its other members. The committee has been directed to submit its
report within a week.
African cheetahs can be relocated to India in three years, says Jairam
• African cheetahs could be brought to India within the next three years, says Union Minister of
State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh.

• The cheetah is the only large mammal to become extinct in India in the last millennium,
according to Mr. Ramesh, who is on a mission to reintroduce the big cat to central India — even
against the wishes of a tiger lobby which is reportedly sceptical.

UID number gets brand name, logo

• The 16-digit unique identification number to be assigned to each individual by the Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will now come under the new name ‘AADHAR' and
will also bear a logo.

• The brand name and logo for the unique number were made public at a meeting chaired by
UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani, who said the symbols were necessary to make the scheme and
the number recognisable and communicate the spirit and essence of the mandate to the people and
win their confidence.

• The number will be the ‘AADHAR' or foundation through which the citizen can claim his/her
rights and entitlements when assured of equal opportunities, as symbolised by the logo, which has
the halo of the Sun on the imprint of a thumb.

• Atul Sudhakarrao Pande, whose design was picked from among 2,000 entries. The UIDAI
rewarded him with a cheque for Rs.1 lakh.

Government relieved as cut motions fail

• Thanks mainly to the support provided by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, the
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government survived a trial of strength in the Lok Sabha as
the cut motions moved by the Opposition parties were defeated.

• With this, the hope of a grand alliance of all Opposition parties against the government's
economic policies, especially those resulting in price rise, suffered a setback when the political

www.upscportal.com
Downloaded from: http://www.upscportal.com

Right and the Left together registered a total of 201 votes for their cut motions against 289 by the
government.

Constitutional right overrides practices: Speaker

• While allowing the Opposition members to move cut motions on the demands for grants of
various ministries, which were taken up for adoption without any discussion, Lok Sabha Speaker
Meira Kumar ruled that “Constitutional right is a superior right and it overrides practices.”

• In her observation, Ms. Kumar noted that the right to move cut motions “is an important right of
the members of the House provided in the Constitution which cannot be curtailed.”

• “The right to move a cut motion flows from the power vested in the House under Article 113 of
the Constitution to assent to any demand subject to a reduction of the amount specified in that
demand. This Article or any of the Rules do not make any distinction between the demands which
are discussed in the House and those which are guillotined. Article 113 used the words ‘any
demand'. It is thus clear that cut motions can be moved on all demands submitted to the House
under Article 113 (2),” Ms. Kumar said in her ruling.

www.upscportal.com