December

1. Protests against the controversial section 66(A) of the Information Technology (IT) Act due to its use to arrest two girls from Maharashtra for posting in facebook about the bandh enforced after Bal Thackerays death. The section deals with punishment for sending offensive messages through communication services. 2. Legal status accorded to SC/ST sub-plans by the Andhra Pradesh Government. 3. Section 341of the Indian Penal code Wrongful restraint. 4. Tiger killed by forest officials in waynad sanctuary. 5. Atbir Singhs death sentence commuted to life sentence by the President due to his crime havng a socio-economic base. 6. Archaeological Survey of India a. In the past it has declared 3,677 historic structures as nationally important monuments, compared to the 20,000 scheduled monuments and 10,000 conservation sites of England. b. 1992 notified rules to regulate new constructions coming up with in a 300 metre zone of protected monuments. c. 2010 Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act was passed. The amended act enabled the government to set up a new competent authority in every State mostly chaired by the state head of archaeology to improve the implementation by devising monument specific plans and byelaws. 7. Nirmal bharath Abhiman A comprehensive programme to ensure sanitation facilities in rural areas with broader goal to eradicate the practice of open defecation. 8. NEET National Eligibility cum Entrance test a nation wide entrance test for Students seeking entry in to medical education. 9. SERIIUS Solar Energy Research initiative of India and the United States - $50 million project would be conducted by the Bangalore based Indian Institute of Science and the Washington based National Renewable Energy Labaratory. 10. Only 2 of 30 roads commissioned as part of left wing extremism (LWE) eradication programme have been finished. The chief problem is that of fleeing of contractors or contractors using the naxalite problem to their disadvantage. 11. December 13th 2012 11th anniversary of attack on parliament. 12. 117th amendment bill, 2012 for provdong the Sc/St government employees reservation in promotion. 13. Steel and ferro alloys industries in Andhra Pradesh want the government to reduce/roll back Fuel Surcharge Adjustment (FSA) charges for them to mailtain their viability. 14. United nations Population fund has recently released a report by the name Report on the Status of the Elderly in Select States of India focus on the seven states where the aged population is more than national average Tamil nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. 15. Home delivery of Contraceptives a. Incentive given to ASHAs to home deliver condoms, oral contraceptive pills and emergency contraceptive pills in a scheme launched on a pilot basis in 233 districts in 17 states in June Last year. b. Once the scheme takes off free supply of contraceptives at PHC level and sub-centre level will be withdrawn. 16. The Employment of Manual Scavengers and construction of Dry latrines Prohibition Act passed in 1993. a. Highest number of dry toilets in Uttar Pradesh followed by West Bengal. 17. Andhra Pradesh Tourism development Corporation will soon induct 1500 odd unemployed youngsters in the age group 18-28 for training followed by placement under the Hunar Se rozgar

tak. 18. Capacity building for Service providers Ministry of Tourisms Scheme. 19. Strinidhi microfinance bank for urban women self help groups will be announced in Andhra Pradesh. 20. In the National Capital Law and Order is directly controlled by the union home Ministry. 21. In light of Delhi Gang rape case Union home minister Sushil kumar Shinde has announced that the Criminal Law Amendment bill, 2012 has already been introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 4 with the objective of improving the conviction rate in rape cases. 22. Results of a report released by the International Energy agency a. Coal will overtake oil as the dominant energy source by 2017. b. India will surpass U.S as the biggest coal user becoming the largest importer of coal. c. Coal now accounts for 28% of total primary energy consumptionand its demand rose 4.3 % in 2011 compared to 2010. 23. The Next National Sample Survey will be 70th. 24. Agitation starts in Andhra Pradesh, Kovvada, Ranasthalam mandal, Srikakulam against the Nuclear power project proposed. 25. Delhi-Mumbai Industrial and rail corridor constructed with japaneese help. 26. Social consequences of a culpable act and its impact on other people can be a relevant consideration for heavier punishment, of course, within the limits of law, the Supreme court observed while reducing from five to three years the jail term awarded to soman, accused of selling spurious liquor that killed a person in keralas Kollam District. 27. Under the current procedure contemplated in Articles 124(2) and 217(1), if a judge submits his or her resignation to the President even while facing impeachment, the resignation will automatically come in to effect and the impeachment proceedings will abruptly come to an end. 28. Unlawful Activities Prevention Act twice amended, new amendments being proposed. a. Previous such acts TADA Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) act POTA Prevention of terrorism Act enacted in the aftermath of attack on Parliament in December 2001. Both the acts considered as unsatisfactory, giving free hand to investigative authorities, leading to human rights violations. b. Amendments proposed to section 2 of the UAPA Criminalizes the right to form associations by expanding the definition of person to include an association of persons or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not. Criminalises the raising of funds from legitimate or illegitimate source and unnecessarily replicates crimes already covered under the IPC such as the production and distribution of high quality counterfeit currency. 29. Article 16(4A) of the Constitution permits reservation in promotion posts for the SCs/Sts. The article was inserted and amended through 77th, 81st, 82nd and 85th amendment acts, to give the state power to provide quotas in promotions with consequential seniority. Article 335 says that claims to to reservation in promotion posts shall be consistent with the concerns of efficiency. 30. january 1st 2013 - Direct Cash transfer scheme going to be launched by UPA. 31. The largest percentage of blind and partially sighted people lives in India. 32. December 3 to December 24? Special forces of India and Sri Lanka involved in war games in Nahan in Himachal Pradesh. 33. Navy received the first of the eight surveillance air craft it is to get from Boeing. Expected to replace Navy's Russian Tupolev Tu-142M maritime surveillance turboprop. 34. Ammonium nitrate import regulations a. Used for fertilizers, in mining and also by extremists in making Improvisesd Explosive

35.

36. 37. 38.

39. 40. 41. 42.

43.

44. 45.

Devices. b. If bagging is made mandatory for imports, spillage will not be smuggled. Also bagging and distribution should be closely observed and monitored. c. Directorate-General of Explosives oversees license procedure for importing Ammonium Nitrate in bulk. Incentives given to extremists for surrendering a. On surrender, rebels get a monthly stipend of Rs.2000 for a period of three years, along with a fixed deposit of Rs.1.5 Lakh. b. People who surrender are eligible for rs.25000 Rs.2 lakh, depending on the weapons they surrender to the police. UNC United naga Council. NSCNIM National Socialist Council of Nagaland. In WHOs Global Atlas of the Health Workforce for 2010, India is 52 among 57 countries facing a critical HR crisis in health. A well-functioning health system should have at least 23 health workers per 10,000 while the statistic for India is 19. Chattisgarh tops the list in vacancies with 71 percent vacancies in health resources. August 1995 bomb blast in front of Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh in which CM Beant Singh and 17 others were killed. Jagtar Singh Hawara convicted in the case. Section 197 of Criminal procedure Code provides immunity from legal action to public servants, for actions taken while discharging duty. Delhi became a state in 1993 but its police reports to the lieutenant Governer, appointed by the centre. Constant bone of contention for the Delhi State Government. Union Commission on December 26th set up a commission headed by former Delhi high court judge Justice Usha Mehra, to identify lapses and fix responsibility for the gang-rape incident.(or Justice Verma ?) A census of Female Headed Households a. The Union territory of Lakshadweep which has to its credit the youngest MP in the Lok Sabha has the largest number of households headed by women in the country.(43.7% of Households) National Water Resources Policy 2012 adopted by the National Water Resources Council despite objections raised by many states against a national legal framework for water. Section 66A of the IT act pertains to the punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service. The definition of offensive messages seems too vague.

JANUARY 2013
1. Empowered Committee headed by Justice A.S.Anad(former Chief Justice of Inida) to look in to Mullaperiyar Dam issue said , the dam is hydrologically safe and Tamil Nadu can raise the water level from 136ft to 142ft after carrying out certain repairs.. 2. Madizadap, a village in Maharashtra isolated, with very little State support was supposed to be relocated as it falls under the Melghat tiger Reserve, but wasnt relocated because the villagers were reluctant to part with their land and farming, for which no alternative was provided. The Rs.1800 the government gave to each family for MGNREGS work, was based on the premise that Rs.28 a day per person was enough to sustain life. 3. Judge Kamini Lau tells a maulvi to not exploit women under cover of religion, rejects plea for anticipatory bial in case of forcible marriage of minor to a man who had raped her multiple times. Says it becomes obligatory for courts to ensure that law prevails in case of regressive religious practices.

4. Under the law, the identity of rape victim cannot be disclosed and printing or publishing the name or any matter which may make known the identity of any person against whom rape is committed is an offence under Section 228-A of the Indian Penal Code. 5. National Policy on bio fuels announced in 2008. In India, ethanol is produced from Sugarcane and not from corn. 6. Electronic Voting machines made a quite entry in 1982 in the by-election to the PArur Assembly constituency in Kerala. Later, they were tried in a few Staes until 2004, when Chief Election Commissioner T.S.Krishnamurthy conducted the entire general election using almost a million machines. 7. Vulnerability mapping- first started in 2007 to include areas from where people whether due to deliberate exclusion or through accident , did not turn out to vote. 8. State bearing the election expense a. 1972 JPC on Amendments to Election Laws suggested the State assume the burden of legitimate election expenses of candidates and political parties. b. 1978 Tarkunde Committee echoed the need for some electoral expenses being taken up by the Government. c. 1990 Dinesh Goswami Committee suggested State funding in kind. d. 1999 Law commission Report pointed to partial state funding. e. 2004 the President in his address to the Joint session of Parliament announced the new governments intent for State funding, itself an item on the National Common Minimum Programme of the UPA. 9. Sexual harassment legislation in India a. Sexual harassment of women at work place(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal ) Bill pending with Rajya Sabha since September. b. Supreme court has defined Sexual harassment at work place as unwelcome sexually determined behavior (whether directly or by implication) [such] as physical contact and advances; a demand or request for sexual favours; sexually coloured remarks; showing pornography; an yother unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. It has been accepted as a human rights violation and as a form of violence against women. 10. Supreme Court directions for police reforms a. State Security commission with a view to insulating police from extraneous pressures b. A police Establishment board to give autonomy to the police hierarchy in matters of transfers and postings of junior officers. c. Police Complaints Authority to look in to complaints of serious misconduct against police men. Thomas Committee, set up to monitor the implementation of the courts directions. 11. The visa on arrival facility extended to Maldivians to this day, where they could take a tourist visa after arriving, has been discontinued. May show adverse affect on Medical tourism in Kerala and other States. 12. Agartala to turn in to a Green city a. The Tripura Government is preparing a report to make use of solar energy mandatory by owners of buildings. b. The Union Ministry of new and Renewable Energy would bear 90% of the cost and the remaining 10% would be borne by the state government in the next three years. c. The Transport department has already introduced 70 Compressed natural Gas run buses and

CNG kits would be fitted to those vehicles run either by petrol or by diesel. 13. Jayalaitha announces 13 point plan for ending sexual violence and securing justice for rape victims, includes fast track Mahila courts. 14. Come Ugadi, four more items Tamarind, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, also to be sold at Fsir Price Shops. 15. Public hearing for the Rs4,500 crore LNG terminal at GAngavaram Port was held on 3rd January aid strong protests by fishermen and political activists. 16. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)will introduce Human Rights and Gender Studies for class XI and class XII students from coming academic year. The Subject will bbe elective. Similarly, a handbook for teachers, Women Safety and Empowerment through Curriculum will be introduced in the training courses by the National Council of Teachers Education. 17. The Supreme court ordered that until further orders all clinical trails on drugs will have to be conducted under the direct supervision of the Union Health Secretary to prevent illegal trails by pharmaceutical companies. a. The bench said that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation under the Directorate Genral of health Services (DGHS) failed to monitor the clinical trails and ensure that they were conducted ethically. b. The bench was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by Swasthya Adhikar Manch, an Indore based NGO, contending that 560 of the 12,000 patients subjected to clinical trails died as a result of the side effects. 18. Section 375 of IPC deals with rape while Section 379 deals with punishment for theft. 19. Supreme Court up holds appointment of R.A.Mehta as Lokayukta by Governor of Gujarath. 20. The supreme Court on 3rd January issued notice to the Centre on awrit petition for a direction to disqualify Members of parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies who are charged with rapes and crimes against women and children. 21. Special representatives on Border issue between India and China Indias representative Shivshankar menon, Chinas Mr.Dai. 22. Decisions of IIT council a. Fees to be increased for students from 50,000 to 90,000. b. Each institute to be reviewed by a review committee of five eminent academics from academia and industry. c. To enroll more Ph.d candidates, without the necessity of GATE score(CGPA of more than 7.0 required), but score necessary for scholarship. But, Students from Centrally funded Technical institutions with CGPA of less than 7.0 would be eligible for Ph.D programmes and fellowships without GATE scores. 23. The Government is planning a single, toll-free helpline number across India to help women in distress, and the States have been asked to look in to the possibility of creating a separate fleet of all-women PCR (Police Control Room) vehicles, particularly in cities where crime is on the rise. 24. Collegium system for judicial systems came in to existence in 1993 through the settlement of the case The Supreme Court Advocates-on-record Association and others vs. the Union of Inida and others. 25. Ministry of Home Affairs sent to the states in 2009 a detailed advisory on crimes against women which havent been implemented by none of the States. Most important among these was setting up of Rape Crisis Centres(RCCs) and specialized Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATUs). 26. Mantra air lines offer air services between Kargil and Jammu at a price of Rs.10,000 per person. Other infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir a. Construction of Z-Morch and Zojila tunnels. b. Four laning of the 420 km Srinagar-Leh National Highway. 27. Uttar Pradesh Legislature celebrates quasquicentennial anniversary on 8th January. 28. Jharkhand Governor Syed ahmed.

29. Science Advisory Councils 2010 Report to Prime Minister titled India as a global leader in Science. 30. Legislative Council a. Six states have it U.P, Bihar, Maharashtra, A.P, Karnataka and J&K. b. In A.P, it was restored in 2007 by the Congress government after being abolished by the TDP government in 1985 (NTR). 31. Section 327(2) of Criminal procedure code conducting in-camera proceedings in cases of rape and related offences) 32. Andhra Pradesh Government will now pay unemployment allowance to the rural poor if no work is offered to them in 15 days of their demand. The allowance is one-fourth of a days wages i.e., Rs 137. Another initiative is the formation of the federation of Shrama shakti sanghas (SSS) of MGNREGS wage seekers to empower rural households. 33. Visa on arrival for senior citizens a. To be rolled out from Jan 15th. b. Not applicable for travel by air or sea. c. Would not be allowed to stay in kerala, J&K and other restricted and prohibited areas. d. Two visits will be allowed in a calendar year for 45 days each with a gap of two months. e. January 15 In light of cease fire violation issue, the scheme put on hold. 34. UNMOGIP United nations Military Observer group for India and Pakistan. 35. Indian Soldiers who died in the recent cease fire (which began in 2003)violation Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh(Sindhi in Madhya Pradesh), Lance Naik Hemraj(Mathura in uttar Pradesh) 36. Health Ministers Discretionary Grant a. Raised from Rs.75,000 to Rs.1,00,000 as also an increase in the financial limit for treatment. b. A maximum assistance of Rs.50,000 was given to the poor and needy as part of the expenditure incurred on hospitalization for major surgical interventions and treatment of major surgical interventions and treatment of major diseases including heart ailments, kidney transplant, hip and knee replacement, cancer, ADIS, hepatitis and tumor. c. As per existing guidelines, assistance is granted up to Rs.20,000 if the cost of treatment if rs.50,000; up to Rs.40,000 if the cost is above Rs.50,000 and up to Rs.50,000 if it is above Rs.1,00,000. d. As per the new guidelines, approved by Health and family Welfare Minister Ghulam nabi Azad, the entitlement will now be Rs.50,000 if the estimated cost of treatment is Rs.1,00,000; Rs.75,000 (above Rs.1,00,000 and up to 1,50,000) and Rs.1,00,000 (above Rs 1,50,000). e. The new areas covered under the scheme are urology, nephrology, gastroenterology, liver transplant and surgery for portal hypertension cases of complicated diabetes which require one time treatment such as amputation or renal transplant. f. BPL families are covered under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) where financial assistance is provided for treating life threatening diseases and medical aid is received in government hospitals. The financial assistance is released in the form of a one time grant. 37. Andhra Pradesh Government starts Mana Biyyam scheme to distribute local rice, locally. Mr.Reddy will formally launch Mana Biyyam in karimanagar, Warangal and nalgonda districts. 38. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is planning to bring a consultation paper to kick-start the process of having a single emergency helpline. 39. A scheme to attract Indian scientists settled in other countries offering them a lucrative package and letting them decide the length of their stay. Proposed to be called National Jawaharlal Nehru Science Fellowship/ Professorships. Worked well for China. 40. Chattisgarh government has issued a request for proposals for private partnership in radiology and laboratory services in 379 public facilities. The proposal does not define the entitlements or rights of patients;nor does it specify whether the services will be provided free.

February 2013
1. Posco Prathirodh Sangram Samiti active in Batatikira, Orissa, led by Abhay Sahu. 2. An Ordinance on sexual assault cleared by Union Cabinet signed in to law by the President. Does not follow any suggestions made by the Justice verma committee.