January 202012

crackingIAS.
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IAS Express
January 2012
Compiled by: Cracking IAS Study Circle
JANUARY 2012
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Contents
INDEX
P.No.
National
International
India and World
Science and Technology
Economics
Sports & Awards and Honours
Social issues & Development
Political issues, Human Rights & Governance
Monthly Special Focus
1
4
6
8
18
21
22
23
27
Of Laws, Cows and People's Mutinies

Food in the bowl must get better
Milestones of Defence in India in 2011
Durban conference on climate change
RBI - Mid Quarter Monetary Policy Review
Rupees sharp decline and the imperative of arresting it
Will the CTBT Enter into Force?
MONTHLY QUESTIONS & PERSONALITIES
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IAS EXPRESS
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IAS Express
National News
* Pan-India satellite survey: The first pan-India
satellite survey jointly commissioned by Indian Sugar
Mills Association (ISMA) and the National
Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories Ltd
(NFCSF) pegged the cane area for 2011-12 crop year
starting October at 51.82 lakh hectares (lh). For the
first time the survey was carried out State-wise and
district-wise for the area under sugarcane, through
satellite mapping on such a large-scale.
Satellite images of the cane area procured from the
National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad,
were analysed using the Geographical Information
Systems software.
India joined the ranks of major sugar producers
such as Brazil and Thailand in leveraging remote
sensing technology to estimate the cane area.
Haryana is the first state in the country where all
instructions of the finance department have been
compiled or computerized.
Sabeer Bhatia - founder of Hotmail.com.
The 40th anniversary of vijay diwas was celebrated
on 16 December 2011 marking the finest hour of the
Indian armed forces when they defeated Pakistan,
leading to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. The
Pakistani Army had surrendered on this day and
Bangladesh was liberated after a 13 day-long battle.
The book NON-STOP INDIA was authored by
journalist-author MARK TULLY.
A 7 - member Reconciliation Committee of the
United Revolution Front (URF) of Kangleipak
Communist Party (KCP), an umbrella group
comprising of three factions of the KCP, has been
formed with Mangangthoi as the chairman and
Korouhanba as convener of the committee. It said
that the committee was formed to strengthen the
revolutionary movement of Manipur. The
committee will be responsible for initiating all the
code of conduct that would help the group to scale a
distinct height in the revolutionary movement.
That modern India has been inspired by the Mauryan
concepts of statecraft and governance is one of the
significant insights provided in The Dancing Girl:
A History of Early India, by Balaji Sadasivan
(1955-2010), a neurosurgeon and Singapore's former
Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
A book titled The Official Journey to Makkah
Opus was unveiled on 14 December 2011 by Prince
Turki Bin Faisal Al Saud of Saudi Arab at prelaunch function in New Delhi.
* Efforts on to revive a dying Kavi Kale art:
Kavi Kale, an intricate art form on murals promoted
by the Konkani community (Saraswats) in the coastal
belt stretching from Goa to Karnataka, is mostly a
forgotten art form now.
January 2012
Records reveal that the origin of Kavi art dates

back to the 16th century. This unique form of art
was sculpted on the walls of the temple shrines
mostly worshipped by the members of the
Saraswat community.
The original process of 'Kavi Kale' painting was
a lengthy process where the mixture of white lime,
sand from the river beds, powdered sea shells and
jaggery were used to form a layer on which 'Ura
manju' (Kavi red colour) was painted.
*Iran's Former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar
Wilayati released Nahjul Balagha at AMU: Iran's
former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Wilayati on 21
December 2011 released a 1000-year-old manuscript,
Nahjul Balagha believed to be a collection of letters,
speeches and aphorisms of the fourth Caliphate of
Islam Hazrat Ali at Aligarh Muslim University.
The manuscript was released for publication at
Aligarh Muslim University. The Urdu, Hindi and
English versions of this rare manuscript is to be
published by the AMU with financial support of
the Iran Government.
Bahr-e-Zakhkhar, another book believed to
contain a rare collection of Tazkira (a sort of
biography mostly in the form of poetry) in Persian
was also released. AMU's Maulana Azad Library
was also gifted 3000 Persian manuscripts and CDs
by the Iran Cultural House.
* UN heritage status for Odisha's Koraput
farming system: Traditional farming systems in India
have received a major boost at a time when Indian
agriculture is struggling to come to terms with
modern technologies. The Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has
accorded the status of Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) to the
traditional agricultural system being practiced in
Koraput region of Odisha.
The Traditional Agriculture Koraput System is the
first agricultural system in India that been
recognised for its outstanding contribution to
promote food security, biodiversity, indigenous
knowledge and cultural diversity for sustainable
and equitable development. The recognition has
come following a proposal submitted by Chennaibased MS Swaminathan Research Foundation
(MSSRF) to conserve the practice.
- National-
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*London's V&A Museum showcases Tagore,

Kalighat paintings: The Victoria & Albert Museum
in London is carrying the cultural pact signed between
India and Britain in July 2010 to the next level, with a
series of art initiatives involving Indian cultural
heritage.
The museum, which opened a showcase of 100
Kalighat paintings at the Victoria Museum in
Kolkata, had two more exhibitions on its roster to
promote Indian heritage.
An exhibition, "Rabindranath Tagore: Poet and
Painter", from Dec 19-March 4, 2012 displays 50
of his paintings, some of which have never been
shown outside India, at Victoria & Albert Museum
in London to celebrate his 150th birth anniversary.
An exhibition, "India Design Now" in 2013, will
present the innovations in contemporary Indian
designs in UK, he said.
Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems
(GIAHS)
In 2002, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the
United Nations launched an initiative called GIAHS. It
aims to recognize, conserve and manage best
agricultural biodiversity knowledge systems, food and
livelihood security and cultures throughout the world.
The project aims to identify around 100 to 150
agricultural heritage systems in the world that would be
protected and managed for their traditional knowledge.
The initiative promotes following: Allows farmers to nurture and adapt the systems
and biodiversity they have developed while ensuring
food security and human well-being.
It supports protective government policies and
incentives while working for in situ conservation of
biodiversity and traditional knowledge.
Recognizes the right to food and the cultural
diversity and achievements of local communities and
indigenous people.
Crystallizes the needs for approaches that integrate
the in situ conservation of genetic resources with
related traditional knowledge and local institutions
for natural resource management, as a way to ensure
continuous co-adaptation to a changing physical and
socio-economic environment, by strengthening the
social-environmental resilience and co-evolutionary
balance of agricultural systems.
Pilot systems and sites selected for GIAHS
implementation
Andean Agriculture (Peru)
Chiloe Agriculture (Chile)
Ifugao Rice Terraces (Philippines)
Oases of the Maghreb (Algeria, Tunisia)
Rice-Fish Agriculture (China)
Hani Rice Terrace System (China)
Wannian traditional rice culture system (China)
Maasai Pastoral System (Kenya, Tanzania)
Noto, Satoyama and Satoumi (Japan)
IAS Express
January 2012
Sado, Satoyama (Japan)

Koraput Region in Odisha (India added recently)
Other Indian contenders
Soppina Bettas Systems (Western Ghats, India)
Traditional Ladakh Agriculture (Northern India)
Raika Pastoralists of the Thar Desert (Rajasthan,
India)
Catamaran Fishing (Tamil Nadu, India)
Korangadu Silvo-Pastoral Management System
(Tamil Nadu, India)
Sikkim Himalayan-Agriculture: Improving and
Scaling up of the Traditionally Managed Agricultural
Systems of Global Significance (Sikkim, India)
* Forbes Magazines List of Under 30 Achievers Ten Indians: Among the Indian-origin people on the
list is 17 year old PARAM JAGGI, a student and
inventor at Austin College. Jaggi created algae-filled
device that fits over a car's tailpipe and turns carbon
dioxide into oxygen.
VIVEK NAIR, Chief Executive of Damascus
Fortune, who is developing a technology that
transforms industrial carbon emissions into
carbon nanotubes was also named in the list.
Manvir Nijhar, Co-Head of European Equity
Derivatives Sales at Citigroup was named as well.
Kunal Shah, the youngest Managing Director at
Goldman Sachs was also included in the list.
Making a mark in the field of science was RAJ
KRISHNAN, Chief Executive of Biological
Dynamics who is developing blood tests that use
electric fields to detect key signals that a patient
has cancer from the blood.
SIDHANT GUPTA, a graduate student at the
University of Washington who has been listed as
well, is developing new sensors and software for
the home that conserve electricity, heat and gas.
* Dam999 directed by Sohan Roy entered Oscar
Race as Hollywood Entry: Controversial film,
Dam999 directed by Sohan Roy made it to a shortlist
for the Oscars under the Best Picture category. The
film, based on a catastrophe caused by a 100-year-old
dam in India giving way, is among the 265 films in
contention for the Best Picture. Tamil Nadu
government imposed a ban citing that it may cause
animosity between Kerala and TN people as the film
was dealing with the subject of the 116-year-old
Mullaperiyar dam on the Kerala-TN border.
Three of the songs from Dam999, The film`s songs
- Dam 999 (Theme song), Dakkanga Dugu Dugu
and Mujhe Chodke were among the 39 songs
shortlisted under the Best Original Song category.
All three songs were written by Roy himself, and
- National-
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set to tune by Ousephachan. National award

winner Hariharan lent his voice to the Hindi
song Mujhe Chod Ke and vocals for the other two
shortlisted songs were by Suchith, Suvi and
Shaktisree.
* India - the most Uncharitable Nation in South
Asia: As per the Charities Aid Foundations World
Giving Index, India ranked as the most uncharitable
nation of South Asia in 2011. India is the worst
performer in South Asia with a global ranking of 91.
India was ranked at 134 in 2010.
Pakistan was ranked to 34th position in 2011 while
Sri Lanka ranked 8th. Bangladesh was placed at
78th position and Nepal at 84th.
Thailand was the most generous nation, with 85
per cent of its people. The United Kingdom was
the second most generous nation, with 79 per cent
regularly giving to charity.Charities Aid
Foundations World Giving Index ranked nations
on the strength of monetary donations and
charitable acts.
* Delhi Metro won Clean Development Mechanism
Project Award for Reducing Emission: Delhi Metro
Rail Corporation (DMRC) won a green award for
reducing emissions of polluting gases in the national
capital by 6.3 lakh tons every year. The best Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) project award was
presented at Urban Mobility Conference, 2011 which
concluded in New Delhi on 7 December 2011.
The best CDM award was given to Delhi Metro for
its Modal Shift Project under which it became the
first Metro rail and rail-based system in the world
to be certified by United Nations for getting carbon
credits for reducing green house gas(GHG)
emissions. Delhi Metro, which ferries around 18
lakh people daily, helped to reduce pollution levels
in the city by 6.3 lakh tonnes every year, thus
helping in reducing global warming.
DMRC director (Works) MANGU SINGH
received the award on the organizations behalf.
This is the second CDM project from DMRC to
be registered with the UN in the last three years.
DMRC's first CDM project on regenerative
braking had also achieved many international firsts
apart from earning valuable foreign exchange for
the country.
IAS Express
January 2012
moved Westwards and lay centred over South-West

and adjoining South-East Bay of Bengal, about 750
Km South of Gopalpur.
*Biggest Green Film Festival Held in Delhi,
Themed Biodiversity Conservation: Green Film
Festival was held in Delhi from 6 December to 10
December 2011. Leading environment and wildlife
films from across the world were screened as part of
the CMS Vatavaran film festival. Biodiversity
Conservation was the theme of the festival.
*Varanasi Ghat among threatened world heritage
sites: The 18th century Balaji Ghat, situated along the
river Ganges in Varanasi, is among the over 60
endangered cultural heritage sites in the world that are
in dire need of preservation, according to World
Monuments Fund (WMF), a private foundation.
WMF President, Mr Bonnie Burnham, announced the
2012 World Monuments Watch', a list of 67 cultural
heritage sites in 41 countries that need immediate
assistance.
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PRELIMS 2012
New Batch from
JANUARY 25, 2012.
*The Cyclonic Storm Thane formed over SouthWest Bay of Bengal: The cyclonic storm 'Thane'
formed in the last week of December 2011 over
South-East and adjoining South-West Bay of Bengal
- National-
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International
* CSTO agreed to Tighten Rules for Opening
Extra-regional Military Bases in its Territory: The
leaders of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty
Organisation) nations on 21 December 2011 agreed
that the deployment of foreign bases in their territory
would be done with the approval of all partners of the
defence alliance. The CSTO summit was held in
Moscow.
Besides Belarus and Kazakhstan, CSTO includes
Armenia, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and
Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan succeeded Belarus as
the President of CSTO.
However, the CSTO agreement does not apply to
existing facilities such as a German air transit
facility in Uzbekistan, French military aircraft in
Tajikistan and US transit centre in Kyrgyzstan.
* Morocco Bans EU Fishing Boats: Morocco has
told all EU fishing boats to immediately get out of its
waters after MEPs scotched a bilateral aid agreement
in a row over Western Sahara.
Under the old agreement, the Moroccan
government allowed European fishermen to
operate in the area in return for some 36 million
per year.
The European Commission extended the deal in
February, pending formal approval by the
European Parliament. But MEPs ruled it did not
take into account the interests of the local Sahrawi
people, whose status has been in limbo ever since
Morocco annexed the area in 1975.
The deal between Morocco and EU expired in
February 2011.
On 14 December 2011, European parliament voted
326 to 296 to block the renewal; on the basis that
there was not enough evidence to show the deal
would benefit the Sahrawi population, who live in
Western Sahara. Morocco annexed Western Sahara
in the year 1976. However, its claims of
sovereignty have not been internationally
recognised.
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the
English county of Wiltshire, about 2.0 miles (3.2 km) west
of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. One
of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is
composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set
within earthworks. It is at the centre of the most dense
complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in
England, including several hundred burial mounds.
* Syria agreed to allow the Arab League

Observers inside the Country: Syria on 19
November 2011 agreed to allow the Arab League
observers to monitor the situation inside the country.
The Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister FAISAL
MEKDAD signed the Arab League peace plan to this
effect in Cairo. The plan is aimed at ending the
crackdown on pro democracy protesters in Syria.
The League accepted the amendments suggested
by Syria in the protocol on the movement of
observers in the country. The independent
observers will assess the ground reality in Syria.
* Sudanese army kills leader of Darfur rebel
group: The Sudanese army says its forces have
January 2012
killed KHALIL IBRAHIM, the leader of the

main Darfur rebel group, in an attack west of the
capital Khartoum. Ibrahim led the Darfur-based
Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, which did
not join a peace deal with Khartoum.
* First freely elected Tunisian govt sworn in:
Tunisias first freely elected government has been
sworn in following a popular uprising earlier this
year. The new government led by moderate
ISLAMIST PARTY ENNAHDA received a vote of
confidence in parliament and was sworn. Tunisia
threw off decades of authoritarian rule in January and
held widely praised elections, but Prime Minister
Hamadi Jebali warned the country faces many
challenges high unemployment, pockets of unrest
and a stagnating economy.
The National Constituent Assembly (ANC) of Tunisia
elected the leader of the party, Council for the Republic
(CPR), Moncef Marzouki as the new President of
Tunisia on 12 December 2011.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is
Africa's second largest country and covers an area equal
to about 70 per cent of India's, is on the edge of another
civil war. ETIENNE TSHISEKEDI of the Union for
Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the defeated
candidate in the presidential election, refuses to accept
the result announced by the country's independent
electoral commission. It has awarded victory to the
incumbent JOSEPH KABILA, of the People's Party
for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), by 49 per
cent to 32 per cent.
* Former French President Jacques Chirac

convicted on Graft Charges: A French court
sentenced former French President Jacques Chirac to
a two-year suspended jail term following his
conviction on graft charges. He was held guilty for
misappropriation of public funds and embezzlement.
This is the first time a French Head of State has been
convicted since the trial in 1945 of Marshal Philippe
Petain who collaborated with the Nazis.
* Global Conference on Afghanistans Future
Concluded in Bonn - capital of Germany: The oneday global conference in Bonn on Afghanistans
future ended on 5 December 2011. During the
summit, Afghanistan pledged to intensify the drive
against corruption in exchange for international
support after NATO forces withdraw in 2014. About
1000 delegates from 100 countries and international
organisations participated in the organisation.
Pakistan didnt attend the Bonn summit. First Bonn
summit was held in 2001.
* Brazilian Senate Approves New Forest Code: On
Dec. 6, the Brazilian Senate approved the proposed
Forest Code revisions, which will change agricultural
legislation and allow Brazil to continue as a leader
in environmental preservation while maintaining
high levels of agricultural exports.
Key Features of the Bill
The forest alongside rivers and lakes can be
counted by farmers on their land as part of their
conserved area. It reduces the total amount of land
they need to safeguard or reforest.
The bill allowed agriculture closer to
environmentally fragile areas.
- International-
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IAS Express
The bill suspended fines for land cleared illegally

before 2008 if farmers sign up to replant trees over
the next 20 years.
Although Brazil needs land for food production,
environmentalists warn of increased Amazon
destruction. Latest data show tree clearance at its
lowest since 1988. As per the data released, there had
been an 11% drop in the amount of rainforest cleared
between August 2010 and July 2011 compared with
the year 2010.
What is the Permanent People's Tribunal or PPT?
The Permanent People's Tribunal (PPT) is an
international opinion tribunal founded in 1979, in Italy
based on a "Universal Declaration of the Rights of
Peoples".
It looks into complaints of human rights abuses
submitted by the communities facing the abuses.
It uses the rigorous conventional court format.
It issues indictment, names relevant laws and document
findings.
While its verdicts are not legally binding, these can set
precedent for future legal actions against, in this case,
agrochemical corporations.
* Greek lawmakers approve austerity budget:

Greece's parliament has approved the 2012 austerity
budget designed to tackle the country's huge debts
that threaten the entire eurozone.
The budget, which includes further tax rises and
spending cuts, was proposed by the interim
coalition government of former bank governor
Lucas Papademos.
Greek has been relying on loans from other
eurozone countries and the IMF (International
Monetary Fund) since May 2010. In return,
Greece cut salaries and pensions and hike taxes
to reduce budget deficits.
*USA and Saudi Arabia inked an Agreement
worth 29.4 billion US Dollars: In one of their biggest
arms deal, the US and Saudi Arabia on 28 December
2011 inked an agreement worth 29.4 billion US
dollars for the sale of 80 new F-15SA combat jets and
modernisation of another 70. These F-15SA aircraft,
manufactured by The Boeing Company, are among
the most sophisticated and capable aircraft in the
world.
*Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormouz:
Iran has threatened to close the Strait if Western
nations place an embargo on Iranian oil. Iranian navy
is currently holding exercises close to the Strait. The
Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, strategically important
strait between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and
the Persian Gulf.
The strait is the only sea passage to the open ocean
for large areas of the Persian Gulf.
Strait of Hormuz is located between the Gulf of
Oman and the Persian Gulf.
The Arab Observer mission to monitor the

implementation of League mediated peace plan
would visit the worst hit cities in phases. However,
the group will maintain an element of surprise by
only announcing the specific areas they would be
visiting on the same day of departure.
The 50-member group consists of politicians,
lawmakers and military officials. They will split
themselves into ten groups for different cities. The
team is likely to visit Homs amidst reports of
killings of 23 people by the security forces.
*China issued a White Paper on its Space
Activities: China on 29 December 2011 issued a
white paper entitled Chinas Space Activities in 2011.
The white paper is on the development of space
industry since 2006 and the major tasks for the next
five years. It was the third white paper on Chinas
space activities. The white paper was issued by the
State Council Information Office.
China has made the space industry an important
part of the nations overall development strategy
with the objective of exploring and utilizing outer
space for peaceful purposes.
The Major tasks, which were listed in the white
paper for the next five years include space
transportation system, Earth satellites, human
spaceflights and deep-space exploration.
The white paper stated that China would work
together with the international community to
promote world peace and development.
*Jamaica's opposition People's National party
wins election: Jamaica's opposition People's National
Party has secured a big election victory after a
campaign dominated by the economy. The result
means a return by veteran PNP politician PORTIA
SIMPSON MILLER to the post of prime minister.
All India Prelims Peculiar

Design Test Series
PPDPT Series attend to the following

requirements of your Prelims Exam:Evaluating your current state of preparedness and
required action plans.
Self Assessment regarding your competitive zeal.
Helps a proper understanding of nature of
questions.
Development of Answering skills with the
pressure of negative marking system in the
Examination hall.
Calibrating your mind towards actual pattern &
degree of toughness.
Training to tune your thought process and ensure
timing of answering the questions.
*A team of 50 Arab League Observers arrived in

Damascus, Syria: A team of 50 Arab League
Observers arrived in Damascus in Syria on 26
December 2011. The team consisting of experts from
Algeria and Tunisia is led by SUDANESE
GENERAL MUSTAFA DABY. It would take about
a week for Arab League to find out if the peace plan
is being implemented in totality.
January 2012
- International-
Tests available
Online /Postal
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India & World

* India and Australia inked revised DTAA
(Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement): India
and Australia on 16 December 2011 signed an
agreement to amend DTAA (Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement) with the objective of ensuring
more effective exchange of financial information
between the two countries. DTAA was signed
between India and Australia in 1991. The revised
tax agreement will facilitate the exchange of
information on banking related information and
taxation policies. The revised agreement also has a
provision that India and Australia can assist each
other in the collection of revenue claims.
The agreement states that nationals of one country
will not be discriminated against the nationals of
the other country, a feature absent in the earlier
agreement. Moreover, there was no threshold limit
for determining permanent establishment. In the
revised agreement, the threshold limit has been
rationalised to avail the exemption for service and
exploration to boost cross border movement of
capital and services.
*India strikes deal with Russia on GLONASS: An
Indian defence team of scientists and defence brass
returned to Delhi inked an agreement for receiving
precision signals from GLONASS, Russian
constellation of satellites.
These signals will allow missiles, including those
fired from nuclear submarine Chakra, to strike
within half a metre of distant targets.
GLONASS is an alternative to the U.S.controlled Global Positioning System (GPS).
The Indian security establishment had set its sights
on Glonass after it conducted a post-mortem of the
U.S. invasion of Iraq. It found that the U.S. had
blocked GPS signals to Iraq and then inserted
erroneous signals that left Saddam's generals
virtually blind as far as beyond visual range and
sighting and targeting was concerned.
The issue of ensuring autonomy and choice in
strategic communications found expression in the
former Army Chief and Director-General of
Military Intelligence, General S. Padmanabhan's
post-retirement book The writing on the wall
India Checkmates America 2017.
*India and Russia signed Five Agreements and
Issued a Joint Declaration: The Prime Minister of
India visited Russia on 15-17 December 2011 to
participate in the 12th Indo-Russian annual summit.
India and Russia signed five major agreements during
this summit, which includes licensed production of an
additional 42 Sukhoi combat planes and to manage fly
ash residue at thermal plants in Siberia.
January 2012
A MoU was signed on increasing cooperation and

exchanges between anti-monopolies agencies and
another MoU was signed to oversee the safety and
quality issues by the drug standards and safety
organisations to increase trade in the pharma sector.
India and Russia also signed an educational exchange
programme to share experiences in the field of
pedagogy and to form a joint working group to
monitor the agreement's implementation. During this
visit, India and Russia also issued a joint declaration.
The main features of this joint declaration are as
following:
India and Russia decided to commemorate the 65th
anniversary of establishment of diplomatic
relations between India and Russia in 2012 in both
the countries in a fitting manner.
The sides commended the successful launch, by
India, of the jointly built YouthSat for space
science studies; and expressed satisfaction on the
progress in implementation of the joint lunar
exploration project.
The nations welcomed the outcome of the eleventh
meeting of the India-Russia Inter Governmental
Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation in
addressing issues of mutual concern.
As an important element of their Strategic
Partnership, both sides reaffirmed their
commitment to work together to strengthen the
central coordinating role of the United Nations in
international affairs as well as the crucial role of its
Security Council in the maintenance of
international peace and security.
The sides expressed concern over negative trends
in the global economy.
The nations identified successful completion of the
IMF reform under the terms and conditions agreed
in the framework of the G-20 as a key element of
the general reform of the international financial
architecture.
In the context of the situation in the Middle East
and North Africa, the sides reaffirmed their
commitment to the principles of: searching the way
to overcome crises in the region in compliance
with law, exclusively through peaceful means,
avoiding violence and outside intervention,
through broad, inclusive national dialogue on
democratic reforms, taking into account the
legitimate rights and aspirations of the peoples of
the region.
The sides agreed that the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) had become an important
factor for regional security and cooperation.
The sides attached importance to strengthening
cooperation among BRICS countries.
India and the Russian Federation, as responsible
states, possessing advanced nuclear technologies,
share the objective of preventive proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction and their means of
India & World
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IAS Express
delivery, including preventing their possible

acquisition by terrorist groups.
The sides recalled the bilateral Moscow
Declaration between India and the Russian
Federation on International Terrorism signed on
November 6, 2001 in Moscow.
Both sides reaffirmed the need for all states to
combine efforts to vanquish terrorism.
The sides emphasized the importance of joint
bilateral and multilateral efforts in the fight against
illicit drug trafficking which poses a growing
threat to international peace and stability.
India and the Russian Federation expressed
concern over the situation emerging around Irans
nuclear programme. Both sides support a
comprehensive and long-term settlement of the
situation through exclusively political and
diplomatic means by promoting dialogue.
* Labour Party conference in Australia approved

Uranium Exports to India: Australias ruling
Labour Party on 4 December 2011 in its annual policy
conference approved plans to open up uranium sales
to India. This cleared the way for talks on a bilateral
nuclear agreement between India and Australia. The
conference held in Sydney overturned its own ban,
which prohibits Australia to sell uranium to nations
such as India that have not signed Nuclear NonProliferation treaty.
The policy change does not need to be approved by
Parliament. Australia possesses approximately
40 percent of the worlds known uranium
reserves.
*India and Pakistan concluded their Sixth Round
of talks in Islamabad: India and Pakistan concluded
their Sixth Round of Expert Level Talks on Nuclear
Confidence Building Measures in Islamabad on 27
December 2011. In this meeting, both the nations
agreed to recommend to their foreign secretaries to
extend the validity of the agreement on reducing the
risk from accidents relating to nuclear weapons.
Pakistan suggested to India that heavy artillery should
be removed from the Line of Control in Jammu and
Kashmir.
India and Pakistan also reviewed the
implementation and strengthening of CBMs in the
framework of Lahore MoU. The nations also
agreed to explore possibilities for mutually
acceptable additional CBMs.
India and Pakistan discussed a proposal seeking a
cooperative mechanism to deal with a crisis like
Fukushima.
January 2012
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expected. CERN is the French acronym for

European Council for Nuclear Research.
Science, Technology, Environment

* New earthworm species discovered in Port Blair:
Jaya Manazhy and Aja Manazhy, senior research
scholars in the Department of Zoology, Mar Ivanios
College, under the guidance of K. Vijayakumaran
Nair, identified the species from samples collected
from Port Blair by CSIR Emeritus scientist Oommen
V. Oommen and Assistant Professor K.
Ramachandran.
The species has been named Moniligaster
ivaniosi, after the name of the college.
The taxonomic finding was authenticated by
earthworm researcher John Warren Reynolds. A
scientific paper on the new species has been
published in the Canadian journal, Megadrilogica ,
dedicated to the taxonomy and biology of
earthworms.
A taxonomic key to the tropical species of
Moniligaster is also included in the article. More
than 15 species of Moniligaster have so far been
reported from India.
The unique features of the new species include three
pairs of genital apertures and a black line running
along the middle region. The authors attribute the
unique morphological features of the worm,
especially the reproductive structures, to the
geographical isolation of the islands in the Indian
Ocean.
According to them, the new species shows distinct
differences from the nearest related species, M.
sapphirinaoides, M. ophidioides and M. grandis. The
specimen of the new species has been deposited at
the Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode.
The researchers conclude that the species is probably
endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
* Remains of giant dinosaur found in Antarctica:
Scientists discovered a fossil of a tail-bone belonging
to a titanosaur on Antarctica. The new specimen was
discovered on James Ross Island. Their remains were
found around the world but this is the first evidence to
support the fact that they roamed Antarctica.
Titanosaur is the family of giant plant-eating
dinosaurs. Titanosaurs were saurpods-fourlegged herbivorous dinosaurs. They had long
necks and tails. Titanosaurs included the mighty
Argentinosaurus whose length was 100 feet.
* Faster than light particles found: The startling
observation was made by researchers working with a
particle detector called OPERA (Oscillation Project
with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus), situated
1,400 metres underground in the Gran Sasso National
Laboratory in Italy.
In the first round of experiments, a massive
detector buried in a mountain in Gran Sasso,
Italy, recorded MUON NEUTRINOS generated
at the CERN particle accelerator on the FrenchSwiss border arriving 60 nanoseconds sooner than
January 2012
The muon neutrino is a subatomic lepton elementary

particle which has the symbol and no net electric
charge. Together with the muon it forms the second
generation of leptons, hence its name muon neutrino. It
was first hypothesized in the early 1940s by several
people, and was discovered in 1962 by Leon Lederman,
Melvin Schwartz and Jack Steinberger. The discovery
was rewarded with the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics.
A chorus of critiques from physicists soon

followed. Among other possible errors, some
suggested that the neutrinos generated at CERN
were smeared into bunches too wide to measure
precisely.
So in recent weeks, the OPERA team tightened the
packets of neutrinos that CERN sent sailing toward
Italy. Such tightening removed some uncertainty in
the neutrinos speed.
The detector still saw neutrinos moving faster than
light.
For more than a century, the speed of light has
been locked in as the universes ultimate speed
limit. No experiment had seen anything moving
faster than light, which zips along at 186,000 miles
per second. Much of modern physics including
Albert Einsteins famous theory of relativity is
built on that ultimate speed limit.
*Plasma Brush Hi-tech dental instrument uses
cool flame for sturdier and longer-lasting
fillings: In less than 30 seconds, the plasma brush
uses chemical reactions to disinfect and clean out
cavities for fillings. In addition to the bacteria-killing
properties, the cool flame from the plasma brush
forms a better bond for cavity fillings. The chemical
reactions involved with the plasma brush actually
change the surface of the tooth, which allows for a
strong and robust bonding with the filling material.
*Two gene variants in dengue identified:
Researchers have identified two genetic variants that
increase chances of being infected with severe dengue
and some peoples genetic make-up predisposes them
to the infection.
Researchers identified changes in the DNA code in
two genes MICB on chromosome 6 and
PLCE1 on chromosome 10 increasing the
childs susceptibility to dengue.
Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne
infection after malaria, with an estimated 100
million infections occurring worldwide annually.
Symptoms range from mild to incapacitating high
fever, with potentially deadly complications.
In children, severe dengue is characterised by
increased vascular permeability, a state in which
blood plasma is able to leak from blood vessels
to surrounding tissues.
This is a potentially deadly complication that can
lead to dengue shock syndrome a life-threatening
- Science & Technology -
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form of hypovolemic shock caused by a decrease

in the volume of blood plasma.
* Passive Optical Diode could bring optical
information processing with millions fitting on a
computer chip: Researchers have created a new type
of
optical
device
small
enough to fit
millions on a
computer chip
that could lead
to faster, more
powerful
information
processing and
supercomputers.
The "passive optical diode" is made from two tiny
silicon rings measuring 10 microns in diameter, or
about one-tenth the width of a human hair. Unlike
other optical diodes, it does not require external
assistance to transmit signals and can be readily
integrated into computer chips.
The diode is capable of "nonreciprocal
transmission," meaning it transmits signals in
only one direction, making it capable of
information processing.
Although fiberoptic cables are instrumental in
transmitting large quantities of data across oceans
and continents, information processing is slowed
and the data are susceptible to cyberattack when
optical signals must be translated into electronic
signals for use in computers, and vice versa.
Infrared light from a laser at telecommunication
wavelength goes through an optical fiber and is
guided by a microstructure called a waveguide. It
then passes sequentially through two silicon rings
and undergoes "nonlinear interaction" while inside
the tiny rings. Depending on which ring the light
enters first, it will either pass in the forward
direction or be dissipated in the backward
direction, making for one-way transmission. The
rings can be tuned by heating them using a
"microheater," which changes the wavelengths at
which they transmit, making it possible to handle a
broad frequency range.
The silicon optical diode is ultra compact and is
compatible with current complementary metaloxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processing.
*Worlds first drug to prevent blindness from
cataract: Australian scientists have claimed to create
the very first drug in the world which would prevent
blindness from cataract. Led by scientists from
Adelaide University, Australia, this is the first time
that a non-surgical cure for the debilitating condition
has been discovered.
Cataract
is
formed
when
CALPAIN-A
PROTEIN, clouds the eye lens and impairs vision.
This protein can be activated by various triggers,
January 2012
including ageing. The only treatment available is to

have the cloudy lens surgically removed and replaced
with a synthetic lens. Scientists stated that the new
drug compound developed in collaboration with
Calpain Therapeutics, which targets the calpain
protein in eye tissue, has been effective in
preliminary trials, but is yet to be tested on humans.
This treatment is going to be made in the form of
drops or cream, which would need to be placed in the
eye each night before bed. According to the
scientists, the drug will help slow cataract growth so
radically that surgery might never be required.
* Russia launches manned mission to ISS: Russia

launched a manned mission to the International Space
Sation (ISS) from its Baikonur space centre in
Kazakhstan.
The Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft carrying three
astronauts blasted off at 1316 GMT, the
Roscosmos space agency said.
The crew to the ISS includes Oleg Kononenko
from Russia, Andre Kuipers from the European
Space Agency (ESA) and Donald Pettit from
NASA.
The trio will join Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoli
Ivanishin from Russia and Daniel Burbank from
NASA at the ISS and spend some 147 days in
space.
According to Roscosmos, the enlarged ISS crew
would conduct some 70 experiments and a space
walk Feb 14.
*Great Indian Bustard facing extinction - recovery
programme: The Union Ministry of Environment
and Forests (MoEF) has prepared a species recovery
programme to control the dwindling population of the
Great Indian Bustard, the Lesser Florican and the
Bengal Florican, three of the four bustard species
found in India. All the three birds have been endemic
to the grasslands of India and are on the brink of
extinction. The fourth one Houbara, is a migratory
species.
Bustards, considered the flagship grassland
species, represent the health of the grassland
ecology. With rampant hunting for the birds and
declining grasslands in the country, their
population also kept dwindling. The Great Indian
Bustard can weigh up to 15 kg and grow up to one
metre in height. Its population decreased from
1,500-2,000 in the 1980s to 250-300 last year.
Similarly, only less than 350 Bengal Floricans are
left in the country and less than 2,500 Small
Floricans survive in the world with breeding
restricted to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and
western Madhya Pradesh.
The Great Indian Bustard, the state bird of
Rajasthan, was earlier found throughout the
western half of India, spanning eleven states. The
bird is now restricted to only fragmented pockets
in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, with
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very little breeding population. The Bengal

Florican, which was once widely distributed in the
Gangetic and Brahmaputra plains, is now found in
pockets in Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Arunachal
Pradesh. The Lesser Florican, the smallest in the
bustard family, was found throughout the
country.
Programme guidelines
The Bustard Recovery Programme recommends linking
local livelihoods with bustard conservation.
A profitable and equitable mechanism to share revenues
generated from eco-tourism with local communities
should be developed.
For effective conservation, the guidelines direct state
governments to identify the core breeding areas for
bustards and keep them inviolate from human
disturbances.
The guidelines suggest restriction on infrastructure
development and land use diversion for roads, high
tension electric poles, intensive agriculture, wind power
generators and construction.
Only low intensity, traditional pastoral activities should
be allowed, that too, not during the breeding season, say
the guidelines.
*Body's fat switch discovered: Scientists made a key

discovery about the mechanism controlling the fat in
human body. It sheds new light on how proteins
regulate appetite control and insulin secretion. This is
the first time such a mechanism was described and it's
unique, showing the importance of this protein to
cellular function.
Enzyme
known
as
Carnitine
palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1) is the protein
responsible for regulating fatty acid oxidation in
the liver and is critical for metabolism. Its activity
determines whether a person suffers from fatty
liver in one case or ketosis in the other.
The discovery will help in better understanding of
why some people has a speedy metabolism and
others struggle to control their appetite.This would
be a major breakthrough in tackling the obesity
crisis faced by humans.
Cave paintings of Chauvet in France are considered the
oldest and are believed to date back to 33,000 BC.
*Worlds biggest insect - WETA INSECT

discovered in New Zealand: he worlds biggest
insect has been discovered on an island in New
Zealand. The animal is so big that it has carrot on its
list of diets! It is simply called weta.
Former park ranger MARK MOFFETT found the
animal on a tree after roaming on the island of
Little Barrier for two days. The creature which
resembles cricket is confirmed as the biggest insect
ever found. It weighs a massive 71 grams.
*China launched a High-Speed Bullet Train in
Quingdao, Shandong: China on 23 December 2011
launched a high-speed bullet train in Quingdao,
Shandong province. Its speed can reach up to 500
kilometres per hour. The train was launched by
January 2012
Chinas largest rail vehicle maker, CSR Corp. Ltd.

The six-car train has a maximum tractive power of
22800 kilowatts, compared with 9600 kilowatts for
the CRH380 trains. The train is made from plastic
materials reinforced with carbon fibre. It is designed
to resemble an ancient Chinese sword.
CRH 380 trains are currently in service on the
Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway. It holds the
world speed record of 300 kilometres per hour.China
has the largest network of bullet-train track in the
world, with 8000 miles of track.
* Gene-Z - to identify plant diseases through smart
phones: A farmer stands in his fields and stares at his
withered crops, unsure of what has caused them to
wilt. He pulls out his smart phone and quickly scans
his crops. An application identifies what is ailing his
crops and tells the farmer what he can do. Its not
science fiction, its Gene-Z an application recently
developed by an MSU professor.
Gene-Z, the creation Syed Hashsham, a professor of
civil and environmental engineering, is capable of
genetic analysis using current smart phone
technology.
Traditionally, when crops were suspected of being
diseased, farmers had to go into the fields to collect
samples then send them to a lab and wait weeks for
the results of genetic testing. Gene-Z is capable of
diagnosing plant ailments within 10-30 minutes.
Using Gene-Z4, all a farmer would need to do would
be to swab their afflicted crop and transfer the swap
to the microfluidic chip, which is then inserted into a
device that reads the chip. Then, using an iPod or
Android, the Gene-Z will identify the disease, its
genotype and how much it is affecting the crops in
around 10 minutes.
* NASAs Kepler Mission discovered a Habitable
Earth-like Planet, Kepler-22b: A team of
researchers from NASAs Kepler Mission discovered
a habitable earth-like planet, called Kepler-22b. This
newly discovered planet orbits around a sun-like star
600 light years away from the planet earth. The star is
loacted near the constellations of Lyra and Cygnus.
The team of researchers used photometric data from
the NASA Kepler space telescope. The telescope
monitors the brightness of 155000 stars. When earth
size planet periodically passes in front of their stars,
it results in tiny dimming of their host stars
dimming, which is measured by a space telescope
like Kepler. The planet is very much similar to earth
in key aspects. It has a surface temperature of about
72 degrees Fahrenheit and it is likely to have water
and land. The research team was led by William
Borucki of the NASA Arms research centre.
The star was categorized as a G5 star. It has a mass
and radius smaller than that that of the Sun. It makes
the star 25 percent less luminous than the Sun.
NASA's Kepler mission confirmed its first planet in
the habitable zone, the region where liquid water
could exist on a planets surface. The newly
confirmed planet, Kepler-22b, is the smallest yet
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found to orbit in the middle of the habitable zone of a

star similar to our sun.
The planet has an orbital period of 290 days in
comparison of 365 days of planet earth. It is orbiting
in the middle of the stars habitable zone, where
liquid water can exist on the surface of the planet.
The new exoplanet has the smallest radius amongst
all the planets so far discovered.
*Researchers closer to solving the mystery of Type Ia

supernova: An exploding star, known as a supernova,
brightens and dims so predictably that astronomers use
them to calibrate distances in space. These violent events
are pillars of modern astronomy and physics used to
study many cosmological phenomena such as the
expansion history of the universe, yet the origin of these
natural fireworks remains a mystery. However, an
international team of researchers reported in a study
published Dec. 15 in the scientific journal Nature that
they are a step closer to solving one of the universes
greatest unsolved mysteries.
Supernovae are classified as either a Type I or Type
II supernova, depending upon whether or not
hydrogen is observed in their spectra. Hydrogen is
the most abundant element in a star, and heavier
elements are produced in the centers of stars. The
absence of hydrogen indicates that the outer shells
of a star have been expelled, a process thought to
happen late in a star's lifetime.
A Type Ia supernovae also lacks the next heaviest
element to hydrogen helium and silicon is
observed instead. This indicates that Type Ia
supernovae are associated with the cores of highlyevolved stars.
Prior to a Type Ia supernova, there are two stars,
known as a binary system. One star is a white dwarf;
the other is a companion star that is close enough to
transfer its own material onto the white dwarf. Once
enough mass falls onto the white dwarf, reaching a
total of about 1.4x the mass of our sun, it is no
longer a stable configuration. The white dwarf
collapses in on itself and the star explodes.
General consensus holds that Type Ia supernovae
result from thermonuclear explosions of a white
dwarf in a binary system; however, astrophysicists do
not know what the secondary star the star that
dumps mass onto the primary to make it explode is.
On August 24, 2011an exploding star, SN
2011fe/PTF11kly (SN 2011fe), was discovered in
the Pinwheel Galaxy. This galaxy was intensively
monitored over the past decade and was also
regularly observed by the Hubble Space Telescope
(HST) and Chandra on several occasions.
Astronomers immediately saw the potential of the
imaging data obtained of this nearby supernova by an
automated survey, the Palomar Transient Factory
(PTF). Together, these archival data offer a unique
opportunity to constrain the nature of the star system
of SN 2011fe.
SN 2011fe supernova was great because it
happened only about 20 million light years away,
which is about 40 times closer than typical Ia SNe.
January 2012
So the potential to observe was phenomenal; it

was visible through binoculars.
Prior to this event, astrophysicists did not know
what type of star that companion was likely to be.
However, thanks to the wealth of pre-explosion data,
the most precise measurements to date on the system
prior to explosion were possible. The data reveal that
the secondary star is not a giant star. It is either a
white dwarf or a regular (main sequence) star.
This knowledge is then very useful for modeling the
process that leads to type Ia SNe (formation of this
type of binary, its evolution), and this knowledge
enables calculations of rates, detailed explosion
calculations, etc.
* NASA discovered the First Earth-size Planets

Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f: NASA's Kepler mission
on 20 December 2011 discovered the first Earth-size
planets orbiting a sun-like star outside our solar
system. The planets, called Kepler-20e and Kepler20f, are too close to their star to be in the so-called
habitable zone where liquid water could exist on a
planet's surface, but they are the smallest exoplanets
ever confirmed around a star like our sun.
The discovery marks the next important milestone
in the ultimate search for planets like Earth. The
new planets are thought to be rocky. Kepler-20e is
slightly smaller than Venus, measuring 0.87 times
the radius of Earth. Kepler-20f is a bit larger
than Earth, measuring 1.03 times its radius.
Both planets reside in a five-planet system
called Kepler-20, approximately 1000 light-years
away in the constellation Lyra.
The Kepler space telescope detects planets and planet
candidates by measuring dips in the brightness of
more than 150000 stars to search for planets crossing
in front, or transiting, their stars. The Kepler science
team requires at least three transits to verify a signal
as a planet.
The Kepler science team uses ground-based
telescopes and the Spitzer Space Telescope to review
observations on planet candidates the spacecraft
finds. The star field Kepler observes in the
constellations Cygnus and Lyra can be seen only
from ground-based observatories in spring through
early fall. The data from these other observations
help determine which candidates can be validated as
planets.
To validate Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f,
astronomers used a computer program called
Blender, which runs simulations to help rule out
other astrophysical phenomena masquerading as a
planet.
Kepler-20e orbits its parent star every 6.1 days and
Kepler-20f every 19.6 days. These short orbital
periods mean very hot, inhospitable worlds.
Kepler-20f, at 800 degrees Fahrenheit, is similar to
an average day on the planet Mercury. The surface
temperature of Kepler-20e, at more than 1400
degrees Fahrenheit, would melt glass.
The Kepler-20 system includes three other planets
that are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune.
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Kepler-20b, the closest planet, Kepler-20c, the

third planet, and Kepler-20d, the fifth planet, orbit
their star every 3.7, 10.9 and 77.6 days. All five
planets have orbits lying roughly within Mercury's
orbit in our solar system. The host star belongs to
the same G-type class as our sun, although it is
slightly smaller and cooler.
The system has an unexpected arrangement. In our
solar system, small, rocky worlds orbit close to the
sun and large, gaseous worlds orbit farther out. In
comparison, the planets of Kepler-20 are organized
in alternating size: large, small, large, small and
large.
*The Trigger behind Brain Tumour Identified by
the Scientists: Scientists identified a new biochemical
mechanism, which allows brain tumours to survive
and grow. This finding will pave the way for new and
effective treatments for some of the most aggressive
tumours.
An international team, led by the University
Hospital of Heidelberg made the discovery.
Scientists identified the major role played by
kynurenine, in favouring the brain tumour growth
and at the same time suppressing anti-tumour
immune response.
Kynurenine is a by-product of metabolism of
essential amino acid tryptophan.
*Ayurvedic cure for malaria: A research has shown
the potential of two plantsTinospora cordifolia
(guduchi) and Cissampelos pareira (akanadi)
commonly used in ayurveda, as an antidote to
malaria.
The plants are found in tropical parts of India.
Guduchi is used to cure ulcers, dysentery, urinary
diseases and diabetes. Akanadi finds use as a
diuretic, anti-inflammatory and digestive medicine.
* German scientists create the worlds smallest
steam engine: A group of German scientists have
come out with the worlds tiniest steam engine which
is just a few micrometers long. The steam engine,
regarded as one of the most revolutionary inventions
in mankinds history, was first made by Robert
Stirling about two centuries ago.
The whole size of the engine is just 3 micrometers.
The scientists used a plastic bead which is placed
in a fluid. A double-laser setup controls the
movement of the plastic in the water.
*Scientists invented the Oncotype DX test:
Scientists recently developed a genetic test to detect
breast cancer. It will help those women who are in the
early stages of breast cancer. It will save them the
trouble of undergoing chemotherapy.
Scientists invented the Oncotype DX test, which can
help doctors determine the likelihood of BREAST
CANCER returning and if further intervention is
needed. The test uses a small sample of breast tumour
tissue and focuses on groups of genes, which can
January 2012
influence how a cancer is likely to grow and respond

to treatment.
At present, the test is available in the US and
American Society for Clinical Oncology and the
National Comprehensive Cancer Network include it
in their treatment guidelines for the early stage of
breast cancer.
* New species of snake discovered in Western

Ghats: A new species of snake that mainly inhabits
the Western Ghats has been identified. Named
Dendrelaphis girii, the reptile was first spotted in
Amboli village in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra
in 2001 by a group of nature enthusiasts. It was then
identified as snake belonging to the genus
Dendrelaphis bifrenalis, a species from Sri Lanka.
The snakes of the genus Dendrelaphis are widely
distributed in northwestern Pakistan, east and
southern parts of Australia and southern China.
They are commonly called bronzeback tree snakes.
These snakes are mostly arboreal and have
predominantly bronze colouration.
The snake has been named after Varad Giri of Bombay
Natural History Society who first took a specimen for
further studies.
* EMB-145I Aircraft for Indian Airborne

Warning & Control System (AEW&C) undertook
Maiden Flight: The first fully modified aircraft,
EMB-145I for the indigenously developed Indian
Airborne Early Warning and Control System
(AEW&C) undertook its maiden flight from Sao Jose
dos Campos in Brazil on 6 December 2011. India
and Brazil had signed a deal in 2008, under which
Embraer was to supply the aircraft. The fully
integrated AEW&C system would be flight tested in
2012.
*New device to generate electricity from human
breathing: We've seen various technologies that
could be used instead of traditional batteries (which
require the patient to go under the knife so they can be
replaced) such as wireless transmission of power from
outside the body, biological fuel cells that generate
electricity from a person's blood sugar, and
piezoelectric devices that generate electricity from
body movements or the beating of the heart. Now
researchers have developed a device that could be
used to generate electricity from a patient's breathing.
The device created by researchers at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison relies on the piezoelectric
effect - whereby an electrical charge accumulates
in certain materials in response to mechanical
stress. But instead of relying on body movements
to create the mechanical stress, the UW-Madison
team's device uses low speed airflow like that
caused by normal human respiration to cause the
vibration of a plastic microbelt engineered from a
piezoelectric material called polyvinylidene
fluoride (PVDF).
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*Scientists identified the bug which caused the

Bubonic Plague in Europe: Scientists claimed to
have reconstructed the genome of the bug that caused
the bubonic plague (often referred as black death) in
Europe. The bug was discovered to be an ancient
strain of a bacterium called Yersinia pestis and not
so much different from todays.
The discovery was made by scientists at McMaster
University in Canada, the University of Tubingen in
Germany. The study was published in the journal
Nature on 12 October 2011.
The Scientists collected the ancient Y.pestis DNA
from 46 teeth and 53 bones excavated from the East
Smithfield burial grounds in London. Researchers
reconstructed the bacteriums genome and made
comparisons to the genomes of existing strains of
Y.pestis. They determined that the bug hadn't
changed much in the more than 600 years since the
plague swept Europe.
The study will help researchers track bugs evolution.
It could improve scientists' understanding of modern
diseases as well.
Bubonic plague still strikes somewhere between 1000
and 3000 people each year, according to the World
Health Organization. It wiped out 30 million people
in Europe (30 to 50 Percent of the population in
Europe) between 1347 and 1351.
Bubonic plague is a zoonotic disease, circulating
mainly among small rodents and their fleas, and is
one of three types of infections caused by Yersinia
pestis (formerly known as Pasteurella pestis), which
belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae.
* Yellow rust strikes wheat in northern India:
Yellow rust is a fungal disease which manifests as
powdery yellow stripes on leaves. These stripes
hinder photosynthesis, make the grains shrivel and
stunt growth of the plant. It is a serious disease, which
has been threatening wheat cultivation in the country
the past few years. All the wheat growing states like
Punjab,
Higher temperature combined with
Haryana,
rains during wheat growing season
Himachal
aid the growth and spread of the
Pradesh, the disease.
tarai region of The only way to contain the disease
Uttarkhand,
is to spray fungicide and start
Uttar Pradesh replacing wheat varieties that have
and the low become susceptible to disease.
lying areas of These disease prone wheat varieties
Jammu and include
PBW343,
HD2733,
Kashmir are HD2581 and WH711.
susceptible to
the disease. According to estimates, farms spread over
300,000 hectares were hit by yellow rust in 2011.
*2-Drug Combo May Block Radiation Sickness: A
two-drug combinationan antibiotic and a synthetic
proteinmay alleviate radiation sickness, even if
treatment begins a day after exposure to high levels of
radiation, a new study indicates.
Researchers (led by scientists from Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute and Childrens Hospital Boston, both
January 2012
in Boston and both affiliated with Harvard

University) have achieved remarkable success with
mice. A month after radiation exposures that almost
always prove fatal within that time period, 80 percent
of mice given the two-drug regimen were alive and
apparently healthy.
The researchers gave the mice a fluoroquinolone
antiobiotic similar to the human antibiotic
ciprofloxacin and rBPI21, a synthetic version of
the natural human infection-fighting protein BPI.
The ability to generate new blood cells, which can
shut down after radiation exposure, rebounded
much more quickly and vigorously in the mice
given both drugs.
Radiation can also cause leakage of bacteria and
toxins into the bloodstream from the digestive tract
or skin while preventing the formation of white
blood cells, which the body normally uses to fight
such infections. The white blood cells release BPI,
which binds to endotoxins on the surface of the
bacteria.
So the antibiotic kills the invading bacteria, and the
rBPI21 binds to and helps eliminate the
endotoxins. Both agents have a good safety record
with humans and can be stored for long periods of
time.
*Alzheimers red hope: A red dye derived from

lichens has been used long as the colouring agent in
food and fabrics. This dye contains a compound
called ORCEIN, and it has now been discovered that
it can help fight Alzheimers disease. The compound
is able to reduce the number of small toxic protein
aggregates thought to be the cause of neuronal
dysfunction and memory loss in Alzheimers disease.
The compound chemically binds with these
aggregates, converting them into large, mature
structures called plaques, which are non-toxic and
benign to neurons.
* Large Hadron Collider finds new variant of
particle: The Large Hadron Collider (LHC),
famously engaged in the quest for the Higgs boson,
has turned up a heavier variant of a sub-atomic
particle first discovered a quarter-century ago.
The newcomer is called Chi-b(3P), which was
uncovered in the debris from colliding protons,
according to research published in the open-access
online journal arxiv. Like the elusive Higgs and the
photon, it is a boson, meaning it is a particle that
carries force.
But while the Higgs is not believed to be made of
smaller particles, the Chi-b(3) comprises two
relatively heavy particles, the beauty quark and its
anti-quark.
They are bonded by the so-called strong force
which also causes the atomic nucleus to stick
together.
The Chi-b(3P) is a heavier version of a particle
that was first observed around 25 years ago. The
Chi-b(3P) is a particle that was predicted by many
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theorists, but was not observed at previous

experiments, said James Walder, a British physicist
quoted by the University of Birmingham in a press
release.
Described by some as the world's largest machine, the
LHC is located in a 27-km ring-shaped tunnel near
Geneva that straddles the Franco-Swiss border up to
580 feet below ground.
Streams of protons are fired in opposite, but parallel,
directions in the tunnel.
Powerful magnets
The beams are then bent by powerful magnets so that
some of the protons collide in four giant labs, which
are lined with detectors to record the sub-atomic
debris that results.
On December 13, physicists at the European
Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) said they
had narrowed the search for the Higgs the socalled God particle that may confer mass.
The theory behind the Higgs is that mass does not
derive from particles themselves. Instead, it comes
from a boson that interacts strongly with some
particles but less, if at all, with others.
Finding the Chi-b(3P) is a further test of the powers
of the LHC, which became the world's biggest
particle collider when it was completed in 2008.
*UNEP's
GEO-5
to
Address
Global
Environmental Challenges and Solutions: The
environmental changes that have swept the planet
over the last twenty years are spotlighted in a new
compilation of statistical data by the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP), released in a report entitled
"Keeping Track of our Changing Environment:
From Rio to Rio+20".
The report is produced as part of UNEP's "Global
Environmental Outlook-5" (GEO -5) series, the
UN's most authoritative assessment of the state,
trends and outlook of the global environment. The
full GEO-5 report will be launched next May, one
month ahead of the Rio+20 Conference taking
place in Brazil.
* GPON Technology to Telecom Equipment
Makers: The Centre for Development of Telematics
(C-DoT) on 5 December 2011 transferred
indigenously-developed Gigabit Passive Optical
Network (GPON) technology to seven telecom
equipment manufacturers, including private players.
The GPON technology was transferred to the telecom
equipment manufacturers to give the much-needed
push to broadband penetration in India.
The government transferred this technology to
seven manufacturers in public and private sectors
ITI, Bharat Electronics, VMC Systems, United
Telecoms, Sai InfoSystem (India), SM Creative
Electronics. Transfer of technology was also
signed with Tejas Networks for customised
development.
GPON TECHNOLOGY
January 2012
The GPON technology is a pivotal component

required for broadband connectivity over optical
fibre.
C-DOT indigenously designed and developed GPON
technology, which can be used to provide triple play
(voice, video and data) through fibre-based networks.
The present GPON standards specify 2.5 Gbps
(Gigabit per second) downstream and 1.25 Gbps
upstream data capability to customer premise.
A PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK (PON) is a
network architecture that brings fiber cabling and
signals to the home using a point-to-multipoint scheme
that enables a single optical fiber to serve multiple
premises. Encryption maintains data security in this
shared environment. The architecture uses passive
(unpowered) optical splitters, reducing the cost of
equipment compared to point-to-point architectures.
The GPON (gigabit passive optical network) standard
differs from other PON standards in that it achieves
higher bandwidth and higher efficiency using larger,
variable-length packets. GPON offers efficient
packaging of user traffic, with frame segmentation
allowing higher quality of service (QoS) for delaysensitive voice and video communications traffic.
Apart from urban areas, the large data carrying

capability is important for Indian villages too where
prevailing low literacy levels will require better
dissemination of information with greater graphic
and audio content. Besides, voice telephony, high
speed Internet access and IPTV, the C-DOT GPON
has provision to carry cable TV signal too.
The GPON technology was tested, validated, fieldevaluated and made operational in BSNL's
network in Ajmer (Rajasthan). The technology will
help fulfill requirements of major national
programmes like the National Optical Fibre Network
and the State Wide Area Network.
* New stem cells found in heart: An international

team of scientists led by Prof Richard Harvey of the
University of New South Wales and colleagues at
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute discovered a
new population of adult stem cells in the heart. The
findings were piblished following recent reports that
stem cells harvested from human hearts during
surgery show promise for reversing heart attack
damage.
This is the first time this new population of stem cells
was formally described, and its origins clearly
defined. A mouse was used as a model system.
The first part of the study included the discovery and
characterization of a new population of multi-potent,
adult stem cells that live in the heart. The stem cells
were found to be powerful in dividing, and
responding to their native environment to form
whatever tissue is needed for repair. The new groups
of cells are multi-potent, and highly specific to the
heart. These cells when translated into the human
setting are expected to work well at regenerating and
repairing a broken heart or a heart that has suffered
injury through heart attack or heart failure.
The scientists are of the opinion that population of
cells are very high up in the stem cell hierarchy, and
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can generate a number of progenitor cells that would

exist in a healthy heart, ready for action.
*A New Species of 'Gigantic' Mollusc has been

discovered in the Antarctic Waters: Spanish
researchers have discovered a rare mollusc in
Antarctic waters that looks the same as limpets but is
bigger in size than the species known to date.
A new species of mollusc that shares the same
morphology
as
the
LIMPET
(FISSURELLIDAE) and is 14 millimetres in
length has been found in Antarctic waters.
The specimen was found during the BENTART
expedition of the Spanish National Antarctic
Programme on board the Hesprides.
* NASA developed Space Harpoon to take
Samples from Comets: NASA (National Aeronautics
and Space Administration) built a prototype capable
of launching test harpoon tips across a distance of a
mile (1.6km). It would be safer to collect comet
material using the space harpoon before landing on
the celestial bodies.
The samples thus collected will help reveal the
origins of the planets and how life was created on
Earth. NASAs Stardust mission had recovered
particle samples in 2002. These samples included an
amino acid, glycine, which is used by living
organisms to create proteins. It endorsed the fact that
some of lifes ingredients had formed in space and
were delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet
impacts.
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when
close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and
sometimes a tail.
*2012 declared as National Mathematical Year as
a Tribute to Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 26 December
2011 declared the birthday of the great mathematician
Srinivasa Ramanujan, 22 December as National
Mathematics Day. Singh also declared 2012 as the
National Mathematical Year as a tribute to the great
mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
The Ramanujan Mathematical Society (RMS) will
hold a series of activities in 2012 (National
Mathematical Year) to mark the 125th birth
anniversary
of
mathematician
Srinivasa
Ramanujan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the
year-long celebrations at the Madras University
Auditorium to mark the 125th birth anniversary of
Ramanujan.
*Warming climate supercharging parasite
lifecycle: Schistocephalus solidus, a parasitic worm
that infects fish, has been found to grow much more
rapidly at higher temperatures, alarming scientists
who warn that warming oceans could see the worm
decimate fish populations.
January 2012
The new research into S. solidus' lifecycle has been

published in the journal Global Change Biology. The
work provides some of the first evidence that global
warming could profoundly alter interactions between
parasites and their hosts.
Moreover, the parasites drive changes in the fish by
actively manipulating levels of neurotransmitters in
its brain. Thus the fish infected with the worms
showed a preference for warmer water.
*MARIA imaging (used to detect land mines) safer, convenient, breast cancer screening: Breast
tumours may be distinguished from normal breast
tissue by their dielectric value. This has led to various
attempts to exploit this property for imaging.
In recent years, a novel breast imaging technique has
been developed based upon synthetically-focussed
but real-aperture multistatic radar and is known as
MARIA (Multistatic Array processing for
Radiowave Image Acquisition).
*Memory Gene Npas4 was found by the
Neuroscientists: A team of neuroscientists found a
gene that turns on when memories are stored in the
brain. This discovery could help trace the exact
locations of memories in the brain. It could help in
creating and altering memory. The gene is called
NPAS4, which is very active in the hippocampus.
The animal is known to have a brain structure critical
in forming long-term memories.
During mice studies Scientists found that by taking
out Npas4 from test subjects, neuroscientists were
able to prevent new memories from forming.
* BEDMAP's map of Antarctica: Scientists
produced the most detailed map of Antarctica, which
can help understand how Antarctica might respond to
a warming world. This is the second generation of the
digital BEDMAP.
It incorporates 27 million
measurement points.
Scientists report significant changes at the margins of
the continent, with increasing volumes of ice now
being lost to the ocean, which in turn raises global
sea levels. The type of information contained in
BEDMAP will help scientists forecast the pace of
future events.
* Antarctic Ozone Hole 5th Largest on Record: The
ozone hole above the Antarctic has reached its
maximum extent for the year, revealing a gouge in the
protective atmospheric layer that rivals the size of
North America, scientists have announced.
Spanning about 9.7 million square miles (25 million
square kilometers), the ozone hole over the South
Pole reached its maximum annual size on Sept. 14,
2011, coming in as the fifth largest on record. The
largest Antarctic ozone hole ever recorded occurred
in 2006, at a size of 10.6 million square miles (27.5
million square km), a size documented by NASA's
Earth-observing Aura satellite.
The Antarctic ozone hole was first discovered in the
late 1970s by the first satellite mission that could
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measure ozone, a spacecraft called POES and run by

the
National
Oceanic
and
Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). The hole has continued to
grow steadily during the 1980s and 90s, though since
early 2000 the growth reportedly leveled off. Even so
scientists have seen large variability in its size from
year to year.
On the Earth's surface, ozone is a pollutant, but in the
stratosphere it forms a protective layer that reflects
ultraviolet radiation back out into space, protecting us
from the damaging UV rays. The international
banning of ozone-destroying oxidizing chemicals like
CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) has helped to reduce the
loss of protective ozone. Even so, these ozonedestroying compounds are still in the stratosphere
where they slowly break down over time.
* 2011 Nobel Prizes in Science:

PHYSICS
The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics have been jointly
awarded to three astrophysicists for the discovery of
the accelerating expansion of the Universe through
observations of distant supernovae. Half of the Prize
money goes to Saul Perlmutter of Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory in California, USA for
leading a team that discovered that the Universe is
expanding at an ever-increasing rate. Brian Schmidt
of the Australian National University in Weston
Creek, Australia, and Adam Riess of the Space
Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland,
USA share the other half of the prize for independent
measurements of the cosmic acceleration, which
researchers have struggled to explain ever since.
All three scientists reached their conclusions on the
basis of measurements of distant TYPE IA
SUPERNOVAE, which are found in very specific
types of binary star system, in which a white dwarf
star tears matter away from its partner until it gains
enough mass to explode. They precisely measured
the brightness of these supernovae using newly
developed digital sensors in the late 1980s and
early 1990s, and then compared the brightness to
the REDSHIFT the change in colour of the light
that results from the motion of the supernovae
away from us.
Both teams found that the supernovae were
dimmer than expected at the measured redshift.
The only explanation could be that the Universe
was not only expanding which astronomers first
realized in the 1920s but expanding faster and
faster. Today, the acceleration is thought to be
driven by dark energy, but what that dark energy is
remains an enigma.
CHEMISTRY
The 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been
awarded to an Israeli scientist who discovered a
type of crystal so strange and unusual that it upset
the prevailing views on the atomic structure of
matter. The scientist is Daniel Shechtman of the
Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel, who
made the discovery in 1982 while studying a
January 2012
rapidly chilled molten mixture of aluminium and

manganese under an electron microscope.
Quasicrystals behave differently than other crystals
in that they have an orderly pattern that includes
pentagons, five-fold shapes, but unlike other
crystals, the pattern never repeats itself exactly.
The discovery was more than just conceptual.
Following Shechtmans discovery, scientists have
produced other kinds of quasicrystals in the lab
and discovered naturally occurring quasicrystals in
mineral samples from a Russian river.
Quasicrystals are used today in surgical
instruments, LED lights and non-stick frying
pans. They have poor heat conductivity, which
makes them good insulators.
PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE
The 2011 Nobel Prize for Physiology or
Medicine has been jointly awarded to three
scientists for their research that has revolutionized
our understanding of the immune system by
discovering key principles for its activation. The
discoveries of the three Nobel Laureates have
revealed how the innate and adaptive phases of the
immune response are activated and thereby
provided novel insights into disease mechanisms.
Their work has opened up new avenues for the
development of prevention and therapy against
infections, cancer, and inflammatory diseases.
One half of the Prize money has been awarded to
Ralph Steinman of the Rockefeller University in
New York, USA, who unfortunately passed away
before the prizes were announced on 3 October.
Steinman discovered the dendritic cells of the
immune system and their unique capacity to
activate and regulate adaptive immunity the
later stage of the immune response during
which microorganisms are cleared from the
body. Ironically, before his death Steinman was
being treated for his pancreatic cancer with a
therapy derived from his original discovery.
Although Nobel Prizes are not awarded
posthumously, this time the Nobel Committee
decided to give away the award to Steinman
because it was not aware of Steinmans death
when it reached its decision.
The other half of the prize money is to be shared
by Jules Hoffmann at the French National Centre
for Scientific Research (CNRS) Institute of Cell
and Molecular Biology in Strasbourg, France, and
Bruce Beutler of the Scripps Research Institute in
La Jolla, California, USA, for their discoveries
concerning the activation of innate immunity.
* Lung cancer gene pinned: A small number of
cells, known as cancer stem cells or tumor-initiating
cells (TIC), are responsible for the promotion of
tumor growth. The research team was successful in
finding a marker, known as CD166, to identify these
cells. With the finding of this marker, the team then
made more inroads into the genomic study of the
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TICs, and discovered several genes that were

important for the growth of cancer cells.
The metabolic enzyme known as glycine
decarboxylase (GLDC) is a normal occurring
enzyme in cells, present in small quantities. The
scientists discovered that in abnormal instances
when the level of GLDC rises significantly, it
causes changes in the behavior of the cell, making
it cancerous.
*'Stem cells may help damaged heart mend itself':
Scientists discovered a way to transform ordinary
tissue into beating heart muscle cells. It could pave
the way for new therapeutic approaches for making a
damaged heart to repair itself. Scientists used a
zebrafish system to develop a small and robust
molecule, which can transform stem cells into beating
heart muscle cells.
The scientists in their experiment found that
cardionogen treatment enlarged the zebrafish heart by
stimulating production of new cardiac muscle cells
from stem cells.
The scientists discovered three structurally related
molecules (Cardiongen-1, 2 and3) after screening
4000 compounds. It could promote or inhibit heart
formation depending on when they were
administered during development.
*TV that can be carried in pocket: Scinetists
developed a new form of light-emitting crystals,
known as QUANTUM DOTS. These dots can be
used to produce ultra-thin televisions.
The tiny crystals are 100000 times smaller than the
width of human hair. This can be printed onto
flexible plastic sheets (which can be rolled up) to
produce a paper-thin display.
Quantum dots are tiny particles, or nanoparticles, of a
semiconductor material, traditionally chalcogenides
(selenides or sulfides) of metals like cadmium or zinc
(CdSe or ZnS, for example), which range from 2 to 10
nanometers in diameter (about the width of 50 atoms).
The ability to precisely control the size of a quantum dot
enables the manufacturer to determine the wavelength
of the emission, which in turn determines the colour of
light the human eye perceives. Quantum dots can
therefore be tuned during production to emit any
colour of light desired. The ability to control, or tune
the emission from the quantum dot by changing its core
size is called the SIZE QUANTISATION EFFECT.
The smaller the dot, the closer it is to the blue end of the
spectrum, and the larger the dot, the closer to the red
end. Dots can even be tuned beyond visible light, into
the infra-red or into the ultra-violet.
* Frogs losing game with climate: Almost 30 per

cent of amphibian species are at risk of extinction.
The causes: a complex combination of climate
change, shift in land use pattern and spread of killer
fungal disease chytridiomycosis. Frogs are the worst
hit. Researchers say two-thirds of the areas with the
richest frog diversity will be affected by 2080.
Regions with the highest projected impact of land-use
January 2012
and climate change coincide, but there is little spatial

overlap with regions highly threatened by the fungal
disease, add the researchers.
* 'Suicide bomber' bacteria destroys superbug:
Experts in the innovative field of synthetic biology
engineered a strain of E.coli that could detect signs of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a leading cause of
infection that can be fatal to patients with weak
immune systems.
Their specially designed bacteria then produced a
toxin that is lethal to the bug, before blowing
themselves apart like bombs and splattering the
substance over the surrounding area.
When added to a culture of P. aeruginosa in lab tests,
the artificial E.coli destroyed 99 per cent of its targets
and prevented the formation of biofilms - slimy
communities of bacteria which are difficult to destroy
- by up to 90 per cent.
P. aeruginosa is a bacteria which infects the lungs and
digestive system, particularly in patients who are
critically ill or have weakened immune systems.
The strains found in hospitals are often resistant to
antibiotics, creating a pressing need for new
treatments.
The E.coli strain developed by researchers from the
Nanyang Technological University in Singapore uses
a protein called LasR to detect chemical signals
given off by P. aeruginosa cells when they
communicate with each other.
P. aeruginosa naturally produces a toxin known as
PYOCIN, but the scientists engineered the E.coli to
produce the same weapon when the pathogen is
detected nearby.
The E.coli bacteria then burst themselves open and
cover the P. aeruginosa bacteria with pyocin, which
eats away at the outer cell wall and causes the insides
to spill out.
* TRICHLOROETHYLENE: Occupational
exposure to a chemical used in dry-cleaning solutions
and to degrease car parts raises the risk of Parkinsons
disease
six-fold.
Scientists
linked
TRICHLOROETHYLENE to the brain disorder
after studying 99 sets of twins. One in each pair was a
sufferer of the illness, which can cause limb tremors.
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January 2012
ECONOMIC NEWS
* Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) became the
World's
Fifth-largest
Commodity
Futures
Exchange: India's leading commodity bourse the
Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) on 20 December
2011 became the world's fifth-largest commodity
futures exchange. Financial Tech, a promoter of MCX
rallied 2.88% after MCX became the world's fifthlargest commodity futures exchange.
It became the first Indian entity to join the top-five
league in terms of the number of contracts. MCX
replaced China-based Dalian Commodity Futures
Exchange at the fifth position.
MCX become the worlds fifth-largest in terms of
number of futures contracts traded during January
to June 2011, based on the Futures Industry
Association (FIA) volume survey and market data.
MCX has occupied the sixth slot among global
commodity futures exchanges for two years since
2009. It had replaced the UK-based London Metal
Exchange at the sixth position.
Mumbai-based MCX is a demutualised nationwide electronic futures exchange and the various
commodi-ties traded on its platform include
bullion, energy, metals and agricultural
commodities.
* The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
(CCEA) approved National Electricity Fund: The
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs( CCEA) on
13 December 2011 approved national electricity fund
to provide subsidy of 8466 crore rupees for projects of
electricity distribution sector for a period of 14 years.
The fund will be operational within a period of six
months to one year. The fund is being set up to
provide interest subsidy on loans to be disbursed to
the distribution companies both in the private and the
public sector.
The objective is to improve the distribution
network for areas not covered by Rajiv Gandhi
Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojna (RGGVY) and
Restructured Accelerated Power Development and
Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) project areas.
*World's Largest Coal Miner CILs Board
approved Acquisition of Stakes in Overseas
Unlisted Firms: The world's largest coal miner Coal
India Ltd (CIL's) board on 14 December 2011
approved a proposal to acquire stakes in unlisted
firms overseas, provided the offers were valid. The
proposal was approved in the wake of Finance
Ministrys approval for the public sector firm to
proceed with its plan to acquire unlisted firms
overseas.
CIL plans to take up three offers - in Australia,
Indonesia and the US. The PSU put together a warchest of Rs.6,000 crore for acquisition of mines. b
CIL sought clarifications from the Finance
Ministry before entering into discussions with
owners, having received proposals offering an IRR
between 9 percent and 12 percent.
CIL had request for a relaxation in the PSU

guidelines stipulating a minimum 12 percent
internal rate of return (IRR) on investments. In
response to the request, the Finance Ministry
mentioned that CIL could proceed with such
proposals, if they are of strategic nature, and
subject to government clearance.
CIL also sought to sidestep the rule that only the
mines of listed companies should be acquired,
which was permitted by the Finance Ministry.
*DGH approved Cairn Indias Proposal to
Commence Production from Bhagyam: The
directorate general of hydrocarbons (DGH), the
technical arm of the oil ministry approved Cairn
Indias proposal to commence production from
Bhagyam, the second-largest oil field in the Rajasthan
block. Currently, Mangala, the biggest of the 18
discoveries in the Rajasthan block, is producing
125000 bpd. Bhagyam is targeted to produce a peak
output of 40000 bpd by the end of 2011, which would
help Cairn achieve the approved peak output of up to
175000 bpd.
*Niryat Bandhu scheme for start-ups unveiled: the
scheme is aimed at mentoring the budding
entrepreneurs to provide hand holding support. The
officer (Niryat Bandhu) would function in the
'mentoring' arena and would be a 'hand holding'
experiment for the young turks in international
business enterprises. Under the scheme, officers of
Directorate General of Foreign Trade will help mentor
the interested individuals who want to conduct the
business.
*SEBIs Committee on MF (headed by Janki
Ballabh) recommended Break Down of the
Expense Ratio Bifurcation: A committee on mutual
funds, constituted by SEBI in December 2011
recommended to the regulators board to break down
the bifurcation within the fee structure known as
expense ratio. According to the committee the
measure will allow mutual funds to manage their
expenses better and possibly improve their profits. In
the absence of bifurcations within the expense ratio,
fund houses will try to reduce recurring expenses
which, in turn, will increase their profitability.
Currently mutual funds are allowed to charge up to
2.25% as expense ratio. Of the 2.25% charged as
expense ratio, fund houses are allowed to accept
only 1.25% as asset management charges. The
remaining 1% has to be mandatorily used to meet
recurring expenses, which include payment of
annual trail fees, auditor & registrar charges and
dealing charges to empanelled brokers.
Funds with large corpuses currently charge 1.75%
as expenses charges. There exists scope for these
funds to charge lower expense ratios.
The SEBI panel also suggested that mutual funds,
with higher assets under management, will have to
bring down their expense ratio proportionately.
SEBI was suggested to keep overall scheme
- Economics-
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expenses unchanged at 2.25% for schemes with

assets under management not exceeding Rs 400
crore. Panel members aslo proposed an alternative
slab system, which will bring down expense ratio
with a proportionate increase in the asset base of
the fund. There will be no change in expense ratios
of debt funds.
The panel suggested SEBI to come out with wider
slab limits which bring down expenses on large
funds even further.
Expense ratio is more than important in debt
schemes where the rate of return is not high. In the
case of equity funds, the expense ratio becomes
critical in times of lacklustre markets.
* Taxation can promote equality, says
International Tax Dialogue: Participants in the
International Tax Dialogue 4th ITD Global
Conference on Tax and Inequality, held in New Delhi,
India on 7-9 December 2011, discussed the role of
taxation in reducing inequalities in income and
wealth. The conference tried to identify which
policies have failed and which could play a greater
role in reducing inequalities in the future.
The ITD is a joint initiative of various
organisations working on tax issues the IMF, the
OECD, the World Bank, the European
Commission, the IADB, and CIAT. This
conference provides an opportunity to address how
taxation can be seen as a part of the solution to
growing inequalities in income and wealth around
the world. The use of plenary and parallel sessions,
with active country participation, allows a peer
dialogue between Ministers of Finance and Heads
of Revenue Administration internationally.
More global cooperation is required to tackle black
money in India: annual illicit capital outflows from
emerging and developing economies has been
estimated at $725-810 billion.
Direct Taxes Code (DTC) has been proposed in
India: DTC seeks to replace the archaic Income
Tax Act, 1961 and thereby modernize the taxation
regime. Its supposed to be implemented from 1
April 2012
Uruguay signed 7 new agreements providing for
the exchange of tax information.
Issues in focus
Design of growth-enhancing and equitable tax
systems
Administrative challenges, issues and solutions for
fair tax systems
Income taxes, progressivity and inequality across
regions
Fair tax systems: vital for state-building and an
exit from aid dependency
Informality, inequality and the role of the tax
systems
Gender friendly tax systems and inequality
Taxation of elites and inequality
* Changes in the Foreign Direct Investment
Regime for the Pharmaceuticals Sector Notified:
The changes in the foreign direct investment regime
for the pharmaceuticals sector approved by the union
December 2011
cabinet was notified in early December 2011. The

department of industrial policy and promotion
notified the changes through Press Note 3 of 2011.
Under the new regime, all FDI into Indian
pharmaceuticals companies will have to be
approved by the government. The Greenfield
foreign investment in the sector however will
continue to be on the approval route.
The overall FDI limit in this sector is to remain at
100%. The government had made these changes
following fears that largescale takeover of Indian
drug companies by multinationals will make
medicine expensive.
* Credit derivatives make their debut in India:
Indias largest private lender by assets, ICICI Bank
and IDBI Bank, the seventh largest public sector bank
in India together launched Indias first credit default
swap (CDS) on 7 December 2011. CDS was launched
seven days after the product was cleared by the
Reserve Bank of India on 30 November 2011. Public
sector undertaking Rural Electrification Corporation
(REC) bought the CDS cover for its Rs 5 crore loan
from ICICI Bank.
The launch of the CDS was a landmark transaction
for the domestic corporate debt market and marked
the formal introduction of local currency CDS
market in India.
IDBI Bank became the countrys first PSU bank to
underwrite a CDS transaction in the domestic
market for managing credit risks associated with
Indian corporate bonds. This is the first transaction
of its kind entered by any public sector bank with
another bank in India on selling protection in the
domestic market on corporate bonds.
The central bank, RBI had issued prudential
guidelines on CDS transactions on corporate bonds
on 30 November 2011. The guidelines refered to
CDS transactions underwritten by Indian
operations of foreign banks, Indian banks and
overseas branches/subsidiaries/joint ventures of
Indian banks.
What is CDS?
A CDS is similar to a traditional insurance policy
where it obliges seller of the CDS to compensate the
buyer in the event of a loan default. The agreement is
that in the event of a default, buyer of the CDS
receives the money which is equivalent to the face
value of the loan and seller of the CDS receives the
defaulted loan and with it the right to recover it at
some later time.
Benefits
The launch of the CDS market in India will
encourage foreign institutional investors to invest
in domestic corporate bonds. The investment in
domestic corporate bonds will provide muchneeded
funding
for
projects,
including
infrastructure sector projects.
Credit default swaps also will investors to transfer
and manage credit risk in an effective manner
through redistribution of risk. Such products are
expected to increase investors interest in corporate
bonds and is likely to prove beneficial to the
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development of the corporate bond market in

India.
*RBI directed Banks to issue Cheques conforming
to Cheque Truncation System 2010 Standard: The
Reserve Bank on 27 December 2011 directed all
banks to issue cheques conforming to Cheque
Truncation System (CTS) 2010 standard with uniform
features from 1 April 2012 onwards.
All banks providing cheque facility to their
customers were advised to issue only CTS-2010
standard cheques not later than 1 April 2012 on
priority basis in northern and southern region. The
two- northern and southern region will be part of
the northern and southern CTS grids respectively.
CTS-2010 standard cheques are to be issued by
banks across the country by 30 September 2012
through a time bound action plan.
The Indian Banks Association ( IBA) and National
Payment Corporation of India ( NPCI) were vested
with the responsibility of coordinating and
implementing the uniform cheque standard across
the country by all participating banks.
*The Information Technology (IT) Sector created
most Jobs in the Five Years (2006-2011) Period:
The information technology (IT) sector led by the top
three listed companies, TCS, Infosys and Wipro,
created the most jobs in the five years ending 2011
compared with other sectors. Increased employment
in the sector was boosted by an over two-fold jump in
aggregate revenue.
* Unit to exchange info on black money in IBSA
nations set up: The Indian government in December
2011 set up an electronic centre unit in the Finance
Ministry to deal with the unaccounted money issue in
IBSA countries- India, Brazil and South Africa.
The new unit is to deal with governments in
exchanging information on tax-evaders and black
money in IBSA nations. The government received
information from 10 countries on the issue.
India has Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements
(DTAAs) is currently in place with Brazil and
South Africa. Representatives of all the countries
are to have an exchange of information and hold
regular meetings in the three countries by rotation
to work out a joint strategy on how to tackle this
growing menace of stashing funds abroad and
prevent ways of tax evasion.
*Telecom Commission recommended a Uniform
Licence Fee of 8 per cent of AGR: Telecom
Commission, the decision-making body of the
Department of Telecommunications recommended a
uniform licence fee of 8 per cent of adjusted gross
revenues (AGR). Uniform license fee of 8 % was
recommended as against the prevalent rate of 6-8 per
cent depending upon the type of service and circle a
firm is operating. The Commissions move will put
more financial pressure on telecom operators.
The Telecom Commission is also likely to impose
one-time charges on extra 2G spectrum that
operators have been holding beyond the
contractual limit of 6.2 MHz.
December 2011
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

(TRAI) also recommended a charge of 8 per cent
of AGR for deciding the license fee.
TRAI recommended that each MHz of additional
spectrum (beyond 6.2 MHz of contractual radio
waves) held by operators should have one-time
cost of Rs.4571.87 crore (pan-India). The Telecom
Commission futher specified that in future
additional spectrum would be allotted through the
auction route.
The Telecom Commission had accepted the TRAI
recommendation on merger and acquisition
(M&A), which according to the Commission
would help consolidation of the mobile sector that
currently has around a dozen players, the highest in
the world.
The
Commission
accepted
the
TRAI's
recommendations on spectrum sharing as well. The
spectrum sharing would be permitted between any
two licensees holding spectrum, subject to the
condition that the total bandwidth would not cross
the permissible limit under mergers. The
permission would be for five years, subject to
renewal for one more term of five years.
As per the new regulation, pre-2008 operators will
need to pay one-time additional spectrum charge.
The operators are currently paying about 6-10%,
depending on the circles they operate in. The new
figure of 8% is much more than what the TRAI
had earlier suggested at 6%.
The Director General of Foreign Trade
(DGFT) had become India's first digital
signature enabled department.
In a report titled Doing Business 2012: Doing
Business in a More Transparent World, the
World Bank and the International Finance
Corporation said that between June 2010 and
May 2011 there were 245 business regulatory
reforms worldwide, which was 13 per cent more
reforms than in the previous year. India still
ranks low overall in the Doing Business
assessment, with its rank improving marginally
from 139 to 132 between the 2011 and 2012
reports.
Fee Back
Guarantee*
Assured 320+ in GS,
SOCIOLOGY & POLITICAL
SCIENCE
IAS 2012
Prelims & Mains
Study Materials
- Economics-
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January 2012
Sports
* Indian Women's Hockey won Bronze in the
Four-nation Tournament held in Argentina: The
Indian women's hockey team defeated Ireland 4-1 win
to clinch the bronze medal in the four-nation
tournament held in Parana, Argentina in December
2011. Jaspreet Kaur, Anuradha Thokchom,
Vandana Katariya and Preety Sunila Kiro 69th
scored for India India thus won bronze medals at both
the four-nation tournaments held at Buenos Aires and
Parana on the current tour.
Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won the London
Chess Classics Open Section.
Table Tennis Federation of India appointed Poland's
Leszek Kucharski for the job on a one-year contract.
Krishna Poonia qualified for the London Olympic
Games in discus with a gold-winning performance of
61.12 metres at the Fling throws meet at the Mac
Wilkins Throw Centre, Portland, Oregon, USA. The B'
standard for Olympics qualification is 59.50 metres
while the A' standard is 62m. Two athletes can
participate in the Olympics in an event from a country if
both have the A' standard.
*Wang Yihan defeated Saina Nehwal in the BWF

World Super Series Badminton Championship in
China: Indian ace badminton player and World No. 4
Saina Nehwal of India was defeated by World No. 1
Wang Yihan. Saina Nehwal had created history by
becoming the first ever Indian to enter the singles
final of the World Super Series. Gutta Jwala and V.
Diju were the only other Indians who made it to the
final in mixed doubles in the 2009 edition.
* Rafael Nadal defeated Argentinas Potro to Give
Spain its Fifth Davis Cup: Argentina remained the
only nation to play in four Davis Cup finals and never
win one.
*India Won Its 6th SAFF Championship Title
Against Afghanistan: India won its 6th SAFF
Championship title against the newcomer,
Afghanistan on 11 December 2011. India's star striker
Sunil Chhetri won all the individual awards in the
tournament.
India was a five time SAFF champion before it
won the 2011 SAFF. The other participating
nations in the 2011 South Asian Football
Federation
Championship
(SAFF)
were
Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh,
Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan.
visionary. He is one of 11 people who will be honored

with special awards.
* Justice P.N. Bhagwati Award presented to
NAVEEN JINDAL by Former President A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam: Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
presented the Justice P.N. Bhagwati Award to O.P.
Jindal Global University chancellor and managing
director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Naveen Jindal
on 6 December 2011. The award was conferred upon
Jindal for his outstanding contribution to legal
education and corporate philanthropy. Justice P.N.
Bhagwati Award has been instituted by the Capital
Foundation.
* Sahitya Akademi Awards for 2011:
Sahitya Akademi awards for Poetry
Poets chosen for the award includes: Late Kabin Phukan
(Assamese), Manindra Gupta (Bengali), Premananda
Mosahari (Bodo), Naseem Shafaie (Kashmiri), Melvyn
Rodrigues (Konkani), Harekrishna Satapathy (Sanskrit),
Aditya Kumar Mandi (Santali) and Khaleel Mamoon
(Urdu).
Sahitya Akademi awards for Novels
Novelists who won the award include: Kashinath Singh
(Hindi), Kshetri Bira (Manipuri), Kalpanakumari Devi
(Odia), Baldev Singh (Punjabi) and Atul Kanakk
(Rajasthani).
Tamil novelist Su Venkatesan's , debut novel Kaval
Kottam earned him the coveted Sahitya Akademi
Award in Tamil section. The book is about the 600-year
old history of the city of Madurai and a security system
that prevailed there.
Awardees in Essays Category
Lalit Magotra (Dogri), Grace (Marathi) and Samala
Sadasiva (Telugu) received the award for their books on
essays.
Awardees in Other Sections
Historian Ramachandra Guha was chosen for the award
for his book of narrative history - India After Gandhi.
Mohan Parmar (Gujarati) was chosen for his short
stories, M.K. Sanu (Malayalam) for his biography and
Mohan Gehani (Sindhi) for his book on plays.
*Jamil Ahmad presented the Shakti Bhatt First
Book Prize for His Book THE WANDERING
FALCON: The Wandering Falcon, is a narrative
about the lives of tribal people along the borders of
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. The book contained
personal sights, sounds, actual faces and
conversations.
Awards & Honors

*Steve Jobs to be posthumously honored with a
Grammy Award: The Academy of Recording Arts
and Sciences on 21 December 2011 chose Apple cofounder Steve Jobs to be posthumously honored with
a Grammy award for his contribution to music
technology. Jobs is to be honored as a creative
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Social Development
* The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)
was launched by the Name MORE: More- The
National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) launched
to provide commuters hassle free travel experience.
The Union Ministry for Urban Development on 6
December 2011 launched the National Common
Mobility Card (NCMC), by the name More, on the
concluding day of the four-day Urban Mobility
India 2011 Conference-Cum-Exhibition. The brand
name has been chosen More signifying the national
bird Peacock as also literally in English meaning
more to convey that you get more and more by
using this card.
The idea of NCMC is to promote the user to
perceive it as a single transport system and provide
the commuter with a seamless, efficient and hassle
free travel experience across the length and breadth
of the country.
Delhi state government on 28 November 2011
launched Kishori Scheme under which sanitary
napkins would be distributed to adolescent girls.
World Aids Day is observed anually on 1
December 2011. The theme of World AIDS Day
2011 was Getting to Zero. Backed by the United
Nations the Getting to Zero campaign will run
until 2015. The GETTING TO ZERO
CAMPAIGN draws heavily from successful
2010 World AIDS Days Light for Rights
initiative encompassing a range of vital issues
identified by key affected populations.
In 2011 the global community committed to
focusing on achieving 3 targets: Zero new HIV
infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDSrelated deaths.
The red ribbon is an international symbol of
AIDS awareness
World AIDS Day was first conceived in August
1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter,
two public information officers for the Global
Programme on AIDS at the World Health
Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. World
AIDS Day was first observed on 1 December
1988.
*Sibsagr in Assam to have Indias first
Cooperative University: India's first cooperative
university will be set up at Sibsagar in Assam. To
be known as the Rajiv Gandhi University of
Cooperative Management, it will offer courses on
cooperative management and train existing manpower
in both the government and the private sectors, to
manage the cooperative sector.
January 2012
dropping from 50 deaths per 1,000 live births to 47, as

per government data released on 28 December 2011.
India thus moved closer to achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) target of 30. While the
IMR national average is 47, it stands at 51 in the rural
areas and 31 in the urban regions.
According to estimates available with health and
family welfare ministry, 17 lakh children under
five die annually, out of which 13 lakh are infants.
Another 7 lakh deaths occur within the first week.
The main cause of death in 50 per cent of cases is
malnutrition. Other top reasons attributed to child
mortality are- diarrhea, pneumonia and measles.
MADHYA PRADESH AND HIMACHAL
PRADESH were the two best performers as they
brought down the number of child deaths by five
points. Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh
stood out with a five-point drop each in one year.
States where the infant mortality rate continues to
remain higher than the national average include
Assam (58), Bihar (48), UP (61), Chhattisgarh (51)
and Meghalaya (55).
Kerala, Goa, Manipur and Nagaland are the only
four states that achieved an IMR below the MDG
target so far. The same also holds true for Union
territories Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and
Puducherry. It remained static in Lakshdweep and
Puducherry.
* World Disability Day 2011 stressed on the
Inclusion of the Disabled for a Better World:
World Disability Day (WDD) is observed annually on
3 December. In 2011, the theme for the International
Day of Persons With Disability was- Together for a
better world for all: Including persons with disabilities
in development. [International Day of People with
Disability is an international observance promoted
by the United Nations since 1992.]
It is estimated that nearly 610 million people are
existing with disabilities across the world. In India
alone, nearly 60 million people suffer disabilities.
*Come and Play' scheme: Under the scheme
unveiled by the Sports Minister on April 15 2011,
SAI stadiums in the city will be opened for use by
school children, students, sports persons as also the
common people. The designated area in the stadiums
will be thrown open for imparting professional
training to the establishment sportspersons and also
beginners with the twin objective of encouraging
participation in sports as also optimum utilization of
the stadia.
*Indias IMR showed 3 Point Decline, dropping

from 50 to 47 Deaths per 1000 Live Births: Indias
infant mortality rate (IMR) showed a 3 point decline,
Social issues & Development
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January 2012
Polity & Governance

*Cabinet clears Food Bill: The Union Cabinet
cleared the draft of the Food Security Bill.
The Bill, which seeks to provide subsidised food
grains to 75 per cent of the rural population and
about 50 per cent of urban households.
*Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011 Introduced:
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill was introduced in
Lok Sabha on 22 December 2011. The bill was
aimed at setting up the body of Lokpal at the Centre
and Lokayuktas at the level of the States.
Government also introduced a Bill for amending
the Constitution for conferment of Constitutional
status on both bodies. Government also withdrew
earlier Lokpal Bill, 2011 and decided to introduce a
new comprehensive Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill,
2011 Bill after consideration of the suggestions
made by the Parliamentary Committee, which
recommended significant changes in the scope and
content of the earlier Bill. The salient features of
the proposed new Bills are as under:
Establishment of new institution in the
Constitution called Lokpal for the Union and
Lokayukta for the States. These autonomous
and independent bodies shall have powers of
superintendence and direction for holding a
preliminary inquiry, causing an investigation to
be made and prosecution of offences in respect
of complaints under any law for the prevention
of corruption.
The Bill provides a uniform vigilance and anti
corruption road map for the nation, both at
Centre and States.
The Bill institutionalizes separation of
investigation from prosecution and thereby
removing conflict of interest as well as
increasing the scope for professionalism and
specialisation.
Structure of the Lokpal:
Lokpal will consist of a Chairperson and a
maximum of eight Members of which fifty
percent shall be judicial Members.
Fifty per cent of members of Lokpal shall be
from amongst SC, ST, OBCs, Minorities and
Women.
There shall be an Inquiry Wing of the Lokpal for
conducting the preliminary inquiry and an
independent Prosecution Wing.
Officers of the Lokpal to include the Secretary,
Director of Prosecution, Director of Inquiry and
other officers.
Process of selection:
The selection of Chairperson and Members of

Lokpal shall be through a Selection Committee
consisting of
Prime Minister;
Speaker of Lok Sabha;
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha;
Chief Justice of India or a sitting Supreme Court
Judge nominated by CJI;
Eminent jurist to be nominated by the President of
India.
A Search Committee to assist Selection Committee
in the process of selection. Fifty per cent of
members of Search Committee shall be from
amongst SC, ST, OBCs, Minorities and Women.
Jurisdiction of Lokpal:
Prime Minister to be brought under the purview
of the Lokpal with subject matter exclusions and
specific process for handling complaints against
the Prime Minister. Lokpal cannot hold any
inquiry against the Prime Minister if allegations
relate to:
International relations;
External and internal security of the country;
Public Order;
Atomic energy
Space.
Any decision of Lokpal to initiate preliminary
inquiry or investigation against the Prime Minister
shall be taken only by the Full Bench with a
majority of 3/4th. Such proceedings shall be held
in camera.
Lokpals jurisdiction to include all categories of
public servants including Group A, B, C &
D officers and employees of Government. On
complaints referred to CVC by Lokpal, CVC
will send its report of PE in respect of Group A
and B officers back to Lokpal for further
decision. With respect to Group C and D
employees, CVC will proceed further in exercise
of its own powers under the CVC Act subject to
reporting and review by Lokpal.
All entities receiving donations from foreign
source in the context of the Foreign Contribution
Regulation Act (FCRA) in excess of Rs. 10
lakhs per year are brought under the jurisdiction
of Lokpal.
Lokpal will not be able to initiate inquiry suo
moto.
Other Important Features of the Lokpal Bill
No prior sanction shall be required for launching
prosecution in cases enquired by Lokpal or
initiated on the direction and with the approval
of Lokpal.
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A high powered Committee chaired by the Prime

Minister with leader of the opposition in the Lok
Sabha and Chief Justice of India as members,
will recommend selection of the Director, CBI.
Provisions for confiscation of property acquired
by corrupt means, even while prosecution is
pending.
Lokpal to be final appellate authority on all
decisions by public authorities relating to
provision of public services and redressal of
grievances containing findings of corruption.
Lokpal to have power of superintendence and
direction over any investigation agency
including CBI for cases referred to them.
The Lokpal Bill lays down clear time lines for:
Preliminary enquiry- three months extendable by
three months.
Investigation six months extendable by six
months.
Trial one year extendable by one year.
The Bill proposes to enhance punishment under
Prevention of Corruption Act :
Maximum punishment from 7 years to 10 years
Minimum punishment from 6 months to 2 years
The Bill proposes to give legal backing to Asset
Declaration by public servants.
The Bill also seeks to make necessary
consequential amendments in the Commissions
of Inquiry Act, 1952, the Prevention of
Corruption Act, 1988, the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973, the Central Vigilance
Commission Act, 2003, and the Delhi Special
Police Establishment Act, 1946.
*Lokpal bill under Article 253 does not breach
federalism: The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill 2011
was brought under Article 253 of the Constitution to
fulfill India's international obligation arising from
ratification of United Nations Convention Against
Corruption (UNCAC). By introducing the bill in
Parliament, the government has not breached the
federal concept of governance nor has it intruded into
the legislative domain of the states. Article 253,
which figures in Chapter XI of the Constitution
dealing with the sensitive issue of Centre-State
relations, provides that nothing in the chapter would
prevent Parliament "to make law for the whole
country or any part of the territory of India for
implementing any treaty, agreement or convention
with any other country or countries or any decision
made at any international conference, association or
other body". India signed the UNCAC in 2005 and
ratified it six years later on May 12 this year. The
convention is already signed by 140 countries.
Under Section 64 of the bill the states have been
given the option of bringing into force the
Lokayukta from a date which they consider
January 2012
appropriate. "The states which already have

Lokayukta Act may consider adopting better
provisions of the central legislation".
Sibal's clarification about the constitutional
provision under which the bill was introduced in
Parliament counters leader of opposition in Lok
Sabha Sushma Swaraj's understanding that the bill
-- with provisions on Lokayukta - should have
been drafted under Article 252 as it deals with
public services that are the exclusive domain of
state legislatures. Article 252 says Parliament
can legislate on a subject exclusively within the
domain of states only after request for such a
legislation was passed by two state legislatures.
This law would be applicable to other states only if
their legislature desired to adopt it.
* Bill to add more Scheduled Tribes to List: Rajya
Sabha of Indian Parliament on 22 December 2011
passed the bill the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes)
Order (Amendment) Bill, 2011 to amend the list of
Scheduled Tribes and add more tribes from NorthEastern India.
The bill includes six more tribes namely Thangal,
Zeme, Mate, Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei from
Manipur and substitutes Galo in place of Galong
in the list of Scheduled tribes in Arunachal
Pradesh.
At present, 26 communities exist in the list of
Scheduled Tribes in Arunachal Pradesh, which
includes Galong as well. The Lok Sabha had
passed the Bill on 19 December 2011.
With the passage of Manipur Lokayukta Bill,
2011, Manipur will be the third state in NorthEastern India after Assam and Tripura, to have
a legislation of Lok Ayukta.
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M
Hamid Ansari released two books Expression
of Thoughts (English) and Izhar-e-Khayal
(Urdu) authored by K.Rahman Khan, Deputy
Chairman of Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on 19
December 2011. The books in English and
Urdu are compilation of his selected speeches
on various subjects like Parliament, democracy
and governance, economy and business,
besides issues of equity, justice and secularism,
women empowerment and development.
Veteran Bollywood actress Hema Malini was
named the person of the year by People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
PETA named her the Person of the Year for
raising her voice to oppose cruelty to animals
and her staunch commitment to a vegetarian
diet. The Dream Girl on behalf of PETA had
recently appealed to the minister of
Environment and Forests to take immediate
steps to end the cruel tradition of jallikattu.
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Jallikattu is a sport event in Tamil Nadu in

which terrified bulls are kicked, punched,
jumped on, dragged to the ground and
otherwise tormented. In response to her plea,
the Ministry issued a notification in The
Gazette of India stating that bulls could no
longer be used as performing animals.
* 4.5 Percent Quota for Minorities: The Union
cabinet of India on 22 December 2011 approved 4.5
percent share for minorities within the 27% OBC
quota in jobs and university seats. The approval
will come in force from 1 January, 2012. It suggests
that minorities can get 4.5 jobs out of every 100
government jobs and university seats.
As per the data released by the National
Commission for Religious and Linguistic
Minorities, the OBC population was 52 percent of
Indias population, of which minorities constitute
8.4 percent.
Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee Reportreleased in November 2006- had found the
minority community under-represented in all
spheres of professional and public life.
* National Food Security Bill - approved: The
Union Cabinet of India on 18 December 2011
approved a draft National Food Security Bill that
seeks to give legal entitlement of cheaper foodgrains to 62.5 per cent of the country's population.
The total financial liability to implement the law
would be 3.5 lakh crore rupees, as funds will be
required to raise agriculture production, create
storage space and publicity among others.
The bill aims to provide Indian citizens access to
nutritional food at affordable prices. This bill
proposes to give a legal entitlement to food to 75
percent of our rural population and 50 percent of
our urban population.
The bill also provides for 7 kg of rice, wheat and
coarse grains per person per month to priority
households at 3 Rupees, 2 rupees and 1 rupee
per kg respectively.
*Supreme Court: Animals also entitled to
Accident Compensation: A bench of the Supreme
Court including Justices BS Chauhan and TS
Thakur on 16 December 2011 ruled that even
animals are entitled to accident compensation. The
court upheld an award of 13.48 lakh rupees for the
death of a temple elephant. The animal was hit by a
KSRTC (Kerala State Transport Corporation) bus.
The court refused to accept the contention that the
Motor Vehicles Act would be applicable to human
beings and not to animals. It clarified that the
definition of property in the Motor Vehicles Act is
January 2012
very inclusive and wide. Therefore, animal should

be included under this act.
The court added that the elephant was owned by
the temple and it was Gods property.
*The Government decided to set up a Village
Water and Sanitation Committee in each Gram
Panchayat: The Government decided to set up a
village water and sanitation committee in each
Gram Panchayat, village and ward to ensure safe
drinking water supply.
The committee will be set up as a standing
committee in each Gram Panchayat for planning,
monitoring, implementation and maintenance of
water supply schemes in the area with active
participation of the villagers. The membership of
the committee will consist of 6 to 12 persons
comprising elected Panchayat members and at
least 50 percent women with due representation
to Scheduled castes and Tribes.
The committee will be an integral part of the
village panchayat. This initiative has been taken
under the National Rural Drinking Water
Programme to decentralize power and
responsibilities and to give greater focus on water
and sanitation issues.
*Amend Constitution for judicial body:
The
ABHISHEK
SINGHVI
PANEL:
Parliamentary panel on law and justice, headed by
Abhishek Singhvi stated that the Constitution
should be amended to set up a National Judicial
Commission with powers to initiate criminal
prosecution and sacking of corrupt judges. The
concluded that judiciary cannot be left unpoliced in
matters of corruption. The report prepared by the
Parliamentary panel recommended setting up of a
National Judicial Commission (NJC) to create a
broad-based and comprehensive model of judges
appointments. If necessary it should include
amendments in the Constitution in the process of
comprehensive model of judges appointment. The
recommendations of the Parliamentary Panel
The NJC has to be entrusted with powers of both
transfer and criminal prosecution of judges for
corruption.
It may also be given the power for dismissal or
removal of judges by relevant amendments in
the constitution.
The panel also recommended that the former
judges working as chairpersons and members of
tribunals should also be brought under the NJC.
The panel stated that Judicial Accountability Bill
is meant to strengthen the existing in-house
procedure of the judiciary to deal with wrong
behaviour of judges.
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The Bar Council of India which is the apex

regulator of the legal profession in India welcomed
the panels recommendation. The report also
explained the reasons for not bringing the judiciary
under the Lokpal's purview as - if the judiciary was
included, it would have resulted in possible and
direct prosecution of even a Supreme Court judge
before a magistrate. The same would have been
applied to high court judges.
* CAG of India, Vinod Rai elected Chairman of
the United Nations Panel of External Auditors:
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of
India, Vinod Rai was on 8 December 2011 elected
chairman of the United Nations panel of external
auditors. Rai succeeded Norbert Hauser, vicepresident of Germany's Federal Court of Auditors
as chairman of the United Nations panel of external
auditors.
As head of the panel, Rai will shoulder the
responsibility of overseeing the external audit
works and periodical reports on accounts and
management of the UN and its specialised
agencies. As chairman Rai will oversee the audit
of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), besides setting audit agenda for all UN
specialized agencies such as the World Health
Organization (WHO), World Food Programme
and
the
World
Intellectual
Property
Organization.
Jagbans Singh, director general in the office of
the CAG, was elected chairman of the Technical
Group of the UN panel. Much of the external
auditors' work is determined by the technical
group that is mandated to set specific topics of
interest to be taken up for audit.
The accounts and management operations of the
UN, the specialized agencies (WHO, WFP,
WIPO etc.) and the IAEA are required to be
audited and reported periodically by independent
external auditors, who are supreme audit
institutions of various countries selected by the
UN.
Rai will give direction to the external auditors
and will have a final say in preparation of the
reports before they are placed to the UN General
Assembly.
The findings and recommendations of United
Nations panel of external auditors are taken
seriously, and the reports are closely monitored
for effective implementation.
United Nations panel of external auditors
United Nations panel of external auditors was
formed through a resolution by the General
Assembly in 1959. The panel comprises
January 2012
individual external auditors who are the heads of

supreme audit institutions of various countries.
The panel members share experiences and
methodologies on an ongoing basis to ensure
uniformity of external audit practices throughout
the United Nations system to the extent possible.
Much of the panel's work is undertaken by the
Technical Group, which is mandated to research
and review specific topics of interest to the
panel.
The Technical Group has to report to the panel
on the topics reviewed and its recommendations
at regular meetings of the independent audit
body.
* Independent Evaluation Office to Evaluate
Flagship Programmes: The Indian government
approved the setting up of an Independent
Evaluation Office (IEO) to be fully funded by the
government of India. The IEO will evaluate the
impact of flagship programmes. Also it will be
allowed to engage the services of leading
institutions working in the field of social science
research and other fields for the purpose.
The Deputy Chairman of the Planning
Commission will be the chair of the governing
body of the IEO. The core staff of the IEO
would comprise a Director General, four
Directors (Domain Experts) at the level of an
Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary, one Joint
Secretary
(Administration/Finance),
six
Research Coordinators at the Director-level of
the Government of India, ten young
professionals (subject experts) and seven office
staff.
IEO will be an independent body with full
functional autonomy to discharge its functions.
*Cooperatives a Fundamental Right: The
Parliament approved an amendment to the
Constitution which will grant citizens a
fundamental right to form cooperative societies. It
will also insulate about six lakh such existing
bodies in the country from political and government
interference and ensure their functioning in a
democratic, professional and economically sound
manner.
The Constitution (111th Amendment) Bill was
passed by the Rajya Sabha without any
difficulty. UPA-II does not enjoy a majority in
the Upper House but it sailed smoothly, with
BJP members voting in favour of the legislation.
RJD, BSP and Left members voted against the
Bill during the division. The Lok Sabha has
approved the Bill.
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Articles
DELHI MINISTERIAL DIALOGUE
The two-day Delhi Ministerial Dialogue on the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development
in Brazil's capital Rio De Janeiroalso known
The two-day dialogue was an exploratory exercise to
as Rio+20ended on October 4, with parties
identify a common agenda before the November 1,
converging on a seven broad points.
2011 deadline, by when all countries need to submit
Sha Zukang, secretary general to
their official positions on what green economy in the
Rio+20 and under-secretary general for
context of sustainable development and poverty
economic and social, affairs at the UN, along
eradication would be for them.
with Indias minister of state for environment
The seven broad points agreed on include
and forest Jayanti Natarajan termed the dialogue
acknowledgement of common but differentiated
a success at a joint press meet.
responsibility; integrating the three pillarssocial,
Observers and officials privy to the
economic and environmentaland ensuring their
dialogue, however, say that a number of
coherence; and that the outcome should be peoplecontentious issues, including technology transfer
centred, accounting for the needs of most vulnerable.
and finance, remain unresolved because the
What also emerged out of discussions was a concept
developed and the developing world having
of a sustainable development council (SDC) on the
differing view points.
lines of the Human Rights Council that could monitor
The two-day dialogue was an
the progress though voluntary country reporting and
exploratory exercise to identify a common
review system.
agenda before the November 1, 2011 deadline,
The European Union commissioner for environment,
by when all countries need to submit their
Janez Potocnick, did not rule out the EU proposing a
official positions on what green economy in the
target-oriented approach to achieve a green economy.
context of sustainable development and poverty
eradication would be for them. Officials and ministers from 57 countries attended the dialogue.
Zukang said the seven broad points included acknowledgement of common but differentiated
responsibility (CBDR) on emission cuts of developed and developing nations; integrating the three pillars
social, economic and environmentaland ensuring their coherence; and that
the outcome should be people-centred, accounting for the needs of most Sha Zukang is a Chinese
vulnerable (see 'What Delhi dialogue agreed on'). In the closing session of diplomat who is head of the
the dialogue, he stressed that the current financial crisis is a temporal United Nations Department of
phenomenon and should not be a deterrent for seeking ambitious solutions to Economic and Social Affairs.
poverty and the ecological crisis.
What Delhi dialogue agreed on
Although an institutional framework
Rio is a sustainable development conference and all
was not part of the agenda for this dialogue,
parts of government and civil societies should have a stake
creation of a sustainable development
All countries, developed and developing, must stand to
council (SDC) was discussed in the meeting.
benefit from the agreement signed at Rio+20
One of the biggest criticisms for
At Rio+20, governments must reaffirm the Rio
laggard implementation of the first Earth
principles, including the principle of common but differentiated
Summit (UN conference on environment
responsibilities (CBDR, and devise a plan of action to
and development) in Rio was a lack of an
accelerate implementation of long standing commitments
institutional mechanism to oversee and
The Rio+20 outcome must strengthen integration of the
monitor the progress of the commitments
three pillars of sustainable developments
made in 1992. What emerged out of
The outcome must be people-centred and inclusive,
discussions was a concept for an SDC on
taking into account above all the needs of the most vulnerable
the lines of the Human Rights Council that
The ambition of the actions agreed at Rio must match
could monitor the progress though voluntary
the scale of the challenges we face. Half measures will not do
country reporting and review system.
Financing, science and technology and capacity
But sticky issues on the legal form
building will be critical to a successful Rio+20 outcome
of the commitments remain. In the months
leading up to the dialogue there have been
numerous references to a proposal from Latin America, more particularly Columbia and Guatemala, pushed by
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developed countries which proposes a mechanism of setting fixed targets and deliverables that countries must
commit to achieve a green economy.
The targets would be periodically reviewed, the proposal says. SDC would be used to monitor these
targets says a observer from India privy to the dialogue. The Colombian proposal can be compared to the
concept of MRV (Measurement Reporting and Verification) adopted under the Cancun Agreement where not
just developed countries but even developing countries would require to take emission reduction targets.
The European Union commissioner for
India's stand
Reaffirm the Rio Principles, including environment, Janez Potocnick, also did not rule out
the EU proposing such a target-oriented approach to
common but differentiated responsibility
Strike a balance between the three pillars of achieve a green economy. At a press meeting during
the dialogue, he said that national actions would be
sustainable development
Allow policy space for the countries to required, but it was too early comment.
Although India is yet to finalise its
define the sustainable development strategies as per
their national priorities and respective stages of submissions for Rio+20, Natarajan indicated Indias
submissions would include CBDR as the guiding
development
Build institutional capacities at all levels principle; building institutional capacity at all levels,
including local, regional and global; and avoidance of
global, regional and local
Prioritise programmes for the inclusion and green protectionism (See 'India's stand').
Reacting to the proposal of fixed targets
upliftment of socio-economically weaker sections of
Natarajan in her closing remarks told the gathering
society, women and youth
Promote access to green technologies at that one size does not fit all and there should be
affordable cost, including through greater financial recognition that national priorities and conditions will
define the nature of the policies and strategies adopted
assistance for R&D in public domain
Strenghten
global
partnerships
for by each country to green their economy.
The seventeenth conference of parties on
sustainable development, including access of
climate change in Durban (COP17) will also play a
developing countries to additional financing
Avoid green protectionism in the name of crucial role in the negotiations leading up to Rio+20.
As an official from developing country said: we are
green economy.
still awaiting the creation of the green climate fund
and a technology transfer mechanism, which will play an important part on gauging the commitments that will
be made by developed countries in Rio next year.
Of Laws, Cows and People's Mutinies

The Gau-Vansh Vadh Pratishedh (Sanshodhan) Vidheyak (Prohibition of slaughter of cow-progeny
Bill) just passed in Madhya Pradesh empowers the government to prosecute any person found slaughtering a
cow or even transporting the calf for the purpose of slaughter. Anyone found guilty of this act would face seven
years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 5000.
The Act provides for harsh punishment and grants the police extremely arbitrary powers. It essentially
criminalises the eating habits of millions of citizens, especially Muslims, Christians, dalits, and a large number
of Hindus too.
The new legislation, say critics, is basically the old bugbear of "cow politics" masquerading as a matter
of "public interest and communal harmony". It could have serious societal ramifications, too, considering it will
permit an authority to randomly inspect homes and eateries on the pretext of seeking "evidence".
This is tricky territory - apart from stoking religious sentiments, such "inspections" may well encourage
abuse or harassment amounting to an infringement of human rights. More so as the onus, under this act, is on
the accused to prove his or her innocence.
A special symbol
The cow has dominated the Indian political matrix for decades. As far back as 1966, Delhi witnessed an
outbreak of a massive agitation on the issue of a ban of cow slaughter.
Almost all Indian communal political parties organized a massive demonstration - attended by
thousands of people - in support of a national ban on cow slaughter. It climaxed in violent rioting in front of
parliament, resulting in the death of eight persons and injury to hundreds.
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In April 1979, Acharya Vinoba Bhave, considered a spiritual heir to Mahatma Gandhi, went on a
hunger strike to pressurize the central government to prohibit cow slaughter throughout the country. Bhave
terminated his fast after five days when the then-prime minister Morarji Desai assured him that his government
would try to implement the anti-slaughter legislation expeditiously.
Interestingly, according to some Brahmanical texts, the killing of animals and eating of beef was
common during Vedic times. Even now, many Hindus or even cattle owners do not want cow-slaughter banned.
Historian D N Jha writes in his book, Paradox of the Indian Cow: Attitudes to Beef Eating in Early India, that
"traditional Hindu religious heritage carries the load of the misconception that his ancestors, especially the
Vedic Aryans, attached great importance to the cow on account of its inherent sacredness".
The "sacred" cow has come to be considered a symbol of community identity of Hindus whose cultural
tradition is often imagined as threatened by Muslims who are thought of as "beefeaters", writes Jha. And adds,
"The sanctity of the cow has, therefore, been wrongly traced back to the Vedas, which are supposedly ... the
fountainhead of all knowledge and wisdom."
In other words, Jha concludes, sections of Indian society have traced back the concept of the sacred cow
to the very period when it was sacrificed and its flesh was eaten.
Cow slaughter is currently banned in many states - Gujarat passed the Animal Preservation Act in
October 2011 that prohibits killing of cows along with buying, selling and transport of beef. Odisha and Andhra
Pradesh states allow butchering of cattle other than cows if the animal carries a "fit-for-slaughter" certificate. In
West Bengal and Kerala, consumption of beef is not deemed an offence.
However, what complicates the cow dynamic further is the fact that the Directive Principles of the
Indian Constitution specify that the state must take steps for "... prohibiting the slaughter of cows and
calves ..."(Article 48)
At the same time, legal eagles point out that banning cow slaughter violates two fundamental rights at
the heart of India's constitution - the freedom to live and act (and eat) as one wishes (provided that doesn't
infringe other people's rights), and the right to "carry on any occupation, trade or business".
The ban, feel the opponents, thus strikes at the very root of India's pluralistic and multi-religious society
under the bogus pretext of respecting the "religious sentiments" of a community.
The most contentious provision in the law is that a competent authority has been empowered to
enter and inspect any premises where he has reason to believe that an offence under this Act has been, is
being, or is likely to be committed, and take necessary action. More importantly, the onus is on the accused to
prove his or her innocence. Given the way the police and the legal system function, such a provision is more
than likely to be abused as it allows scope for wide interpretation. Add to this the fact that the present MP
government has a history of targeting the states religious minorities, one can see that far from helping
communal harmony, the law is likely to inflame passions.
But it is not just from the point of view of minority rights that this Act seems discriminatory. Those
protesting against Karnatakas Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2010 (which also has
stringent provisions) have pointed out how it is anti-farmer and anti-poor. Farmers, including those who do not
eat beef themselves, usually sell old cows to the butcher in order to buy new cattle stock. This not only provides
meat to many families who find beef an affordable source of protein but also services the indigenous leather
industry that supports a large workforce. In fact, dalit organisations in Karnataka (where there is also a BJP
government) have been in the forefront of the protest against this bill becoming law. They have consistently
pointed out that in the face of rising food prices, banning cow slaughter and thus beef would be akin to violating
the fundamental rights of the dalits. The Karnataka Bill also goes further than the earlier law by prohibiting the
slaughter of she-buffaloes, their calves, bulls and male and female buffaloes. On the other hand, the existing
Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 stipulates conditions for killing
calves (including those of female buffaloes) and cows. Only buffaloes, bulls and bullocks that are 12 years old
or more, or not fit for breeding or milking, are permitted to be slaughtered under the 1964 law.
In the long and ever simmering debate on cow slaughter and beef eating, the lines have always been
drawn between the religious minorities, dalits and lower caste Hindus on one side and the (mostly, though not
always) upper caste Hindus on the other. History has been repeatedly roped in to prove either sides contention.
Historians like R S Sharma and D N Jha have thrown the weight of their research in support of those who say
that beef eating was routine in the Vedic period. It was the later and growing nod to caste consciousness that
termed meat eating, particularly beef eating, as unclean.
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States like Gujarat, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh already have laws against cow
slaughter, while Orissa and Andhra Pradesh permit the killing of cattle other than cows if the animals are not fit
for any other purpose. There are minimal restrictions in other states and none in West Bengal and Kerala. While
the right wing and Hindutva parties make no bones about their assertion that a total ban on cow slaughter is
their aim, the Congress too has time and again played the cow protection card especially in the north. Yet in
Karnataka, the non-BJP opposition has come out strongly against the new bill on cow slaughter even though
this is an issue that most political parties prefer to shy away from. Above all, what the changes in the law in
BJP-ruled states like MP and Karnataka bring out is the BJP governments lack of concern for anyone who does
not endorse the partys set of beliefs. By criminalising peoples choice in something as personal as what they
choose to eat, these governments are demonstrating their total lack of respect for diversity and their cavalier
disregard of rights guaranteed to everyone, including the minorities, in a democratic system such as the one that
prevails in India.
The problem is how the political class deploys and seeks to use such religious/culturally-'sensitive'
issues, across communities, converging or differing on proscribing something depending on assessments of
resultant political capital. This is one of the facets of that underlying malaise of how politics is envisaged in
India: as competitive identity management that actually engenders, if not entrenches, the sense of divided,
polarised identities within the polity.
In that climate of polarisation, rational debate, where sensitivities can coexist with rights and liberties,
is negated. It becomes almost pointless to point out, for example, that people across India have had varied
dietary habits, or that many historians have posited that beef was consumed ritualistically in the Vedic era, or
that the notion of ethnic-religious sensitivities and the targeting of those seen as violating them can be, and has
been, extended to other areas - art and culture, for instance.
Not to mention the total bypassing of the idea that the state has no business imposing one set of
sensitivities on another. In totality, this works against the idea of a liberal, democratic and free India.
Food in the bowl must get better
With an average GDP growth rate of 8.5% in the past five years, rising per capita income, urbanisation
and globalisation, India is bursting with optimism. But poverty and malnutrition continue to pose serious
challenges. The pace of poverty reduction has been slow in this era of fast economic growth: poverty has
declined from 45.3% in 1993-94 to 37.2% in 2004-05 and to 32% in 2009-10, based on consumption surveys of
the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). The progress on the nutrition front has been appalling:
almost 1 in 2 Indian children are underweight and more than a third are stunted (low height-for-age). Rampant
micronutrient deficiencies continue to exert physical, cognitive and economic toll. The World Bank estimates
that undernutrition and its negative effects on health and productivity cost India as much as 3% of GDP a year.
Food still constitutes, on an average, over half the expenditure of the Indian households. But
increasing per capita incomes, urbanisation and globalisation are changing the dietary patterns in both urban
and rural households. The overall pattern in the past two decades (NSSO data 1983-2005) is one of stable rice
and wheat consumption for the poor, unambiguous rise in fat consumption, sharp declines in coarse cereal
consumption, which is diverted to animal feed, continued decline in pulse consumption, and rising consumption
of all other high value food items such as micronutrient rich fruits, vegetables, livestock and fisheries.
Given these contrasting trends, whether the average Indian diet has improved or deteriorated over the
past 25 years still remains a question that requires further empirical investigation. While more than a third of the
Indian men and women are too thin, the prevalence of overweight and obesity, currently at 15%, according to
National Family Health Survey-3 2005-06 data, is on an upward swing and consequently chronic diseases pose
an imminent public health problem. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that the number of diabetic
patients in India more than doubled from 19 million in 1995 to 40.9 million in 2007, the highest in the world.
The agriculture sector, which employs more than half of Indias workforce, is responding to the
changing demand patterns. India is the worlds largest producer of milk, and the second largest producer of
fruits and vegetables. In aggregate, the high value segment accounts for about 47 per cent of the total value of
agricultural output. But unfortunately, the supply has not kept pace with the demand: high production
uncertainty and price volatility, weak infrastructure, huge post harvest losses , lack of risk management
instruments and inefficient supply chains continue to plague the sector. Production of pulses in the past two
decades remained stubbornly low, although this trend is beginning to reverse. Indias agriculture remains one of
the least productive in the emerging world about 64% of the world average.
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This demand -supply mismatch of the high value foods is one of the key driving forces behind the
high food inflation (22.9% in June 2010, and hovering around 9% since March this year) driven by a 23%
increase in the price of fruit and a 13.6% rise in price of eggs, meat and fish. Food price inflation threatens the
hard earned gains in poverty reductiona 10%
What is Nutrition Transition?
increase in food prices could push 30 million
Indians into poverty, according to an Asian Increased consumption of unhealthy foods compounded
Development Bank study. India now needs to with increased prevalence of overweight in middle-tomanage its economic transformation to ensure that low-income countries is typically referred to as the
its agri-food sector realises its potential to reduce Nutrition Transition. It occurs in conjunction to the
Transition
and
has
serious
poverty and increase access to optimal quality and Epidemiological
implications
in
terms
of
public
health
outcomes,
risk
quantity of foods to nourish its population on the
one hand; and simultaneously address over nutrition factors, economic growth and international nutrition
policy. Nutrition transition is malnutrition ensuing
and associated lifelong morbidities on the other.
The 12th Five Year Plan, currently under not merely from a need for food, but the need for
formulation, must emphasise reducing poverty and high-quality nourishment. Foods rich in vitamins,
malnutrition as its major development agenda. India minerals, and micronutrients such as fruits, vegetables,
must adopt a multi-pronged strategy. First, it must and whole grains have been substituted by foods heavy
harness the potential of high-value nutrient rich in added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. This trend,
foods to raise farm incomes of smallholders and which began in developed, industrialized countries, has
women farmers to ensure nutritional security. This spread to developing countries. These developing
requires increasing their production and linking countries still stressed and struggling with hunger are
small producers with remunerative markets, now dealing with health problems associated with
facilitating optimal investment by the private sector obesity. Malnutrition once identified by emaciated
in developing supply chains, and investing in post- bodies, is now also associated with obesity.
harvest management. This calls for major reforms in agricultural marketing. Several innovations in marketing
strategies suitable for small and marginal farmers exist. These include self-help group models, small producer
cooperatives and contract farming. Apni Mandi in Punjab, Rytu Bazars in Andhra Pradesh, and dairy
cooperatives are some such successful innovations in marketing. Building on these innovations and scaling
them up will require strong institutional frameworks, governance and legislative reforms so that the
smallholders and women farmers indeed benefit from these endeavours.
Second, India must intensify its efforts to realise the potential of biofortified crops. Biofortification
is a process of breeding higher levels of micronutrients, especially zinc, iron, vitamin A, directly into key staple
foods using conventional breeding methods or biotechnology. Spearheaded by the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Researchs Harvest Plus initiative, several efforts in conventional breeding of betacarotene rich sweet potato and iron and zinc biofortified pearl millet are underway. India must prioritise public
investment in ramping up the development of technology and effective supply chains to increase the
consumption of these nutrient rich foods.
Third, economic transformation and globalisation will inevitably lead to oversupply of cheap foods
of the wrong kind, increasing health risks associated with rising obesity, worries Prof HPS Sachdev, a
paediatrician and clinical epidemiologist studying dual burden of over and undernutrition in India. Tackling the
dual burden will require increasing access to and consumption of high quality diets; and taxation, after
consideration of trade-offs, and regulatory measures to curtail the consumption of unhealthy vegetable fats and
oils, and processed foods with high content of oils, fats, sugars and salt. In a detailed multi-country analysis
published in the Lancet, a leading medical journal, Sassi Ceccheni and colleagues estimate that cost per head of
agri-food interventions to combat chronic diseases is amongst the least in India. Finally, single-policy actions,
will not achieve welfare gains that are essential to sustainable future economic growth. Although agri-food
systems are intimately associated with health and nutrition, agriculture and health sectors are largely
disconnected in their priorities, policies and actions.
National Manufacturing Policy - 2011
The Indian Government has adopted its first-ever national manufacturing policy. The Government
announced the new policy in a document released on November 4, 2011 by the Indian Ministry of Commerce &
Industry. The ten year plan aims to increase the manufacturing share of Indian gross domestic product from 16
percent to 25 percent and to add 100 million jobs.
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Other objectives of the new policy include building skills among the migrant rural and urban poor
applicable to manufacturing, and increasing the value-added, technological content, and competitiveness of
Indian manufacturing. Numerous incentives are aimed at the acquisition of advanced technologies. An overarching goal of the manufacturing policy is achieving growth through environmental sustainability (e.g., green
technologies, energy efficiency, and the optimal utilization of natural resources). The policy statement sets out a
detailed list of incentives for green manufacturing.
The policy instruments include increased foreign investment and reduction in regulation of
manufacturers. The new manufacturing policy also sets forth mechanisms for the exit of failing enterprises.
The policy identifies general types of manufacturing and specific industries that are to receive special
attention. These include labor-intensive industries (e.g., textiles, apparel, footwear, gems and jewelry, and
food processing); capital equipment (e.g., machine tools, heavy electrical and transportation goods, high
technology equipment, and earth moving and mining equipment); strategic industries (e.g., aerospace,
defense, shipping, IT hardware and electronics, telecommunications, and wind and solar energy); and
[i]ndustries where India enjoys a competitive advantage (e.g., automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and medical
equipment). Small- and medium-sized enterprises will also be favored through the policy, which contains a
list of financial incentives for them. Certain public sector enterprises will also be favored by the new policy.
The new manufacturing policy also aims to establish greenfield National Investment and Manufacturing
Zones with world class infrastructure to support competitiveness and growth in manufacturing.
The policy statement addresses trade with the following statement, While India will continue to
integrate itself with the globalised world through bilateral and regional free trade agreements/ comprehensive
economic partnership agreements, it will be ensured that such agreements do not have a detrimental effect on
domestic manufacturing in India.
Nature Has Rights
The days of human beings having a monopoly on individual rights may soon be coming to an end.
Bolivia is in the process of enacting the worlds first law giving nature legal rights equal to those of human
beings. The Law of Mother Earth decrees that nature has 11 rights including the right to biodiversity
without genetic modification; the right to water in sufficient quantity and quality to sustain life, protected
from pollution; the right to clean air; and the right to restoration of ecosystems damaged by human
activity. To administer the new law, a Ministry of Mother Earth will be established, with an ombudsman
appointed to hear disputes. The Law of Mother Earth is supported by Bolivias President, Evo Morales, whose
party holds a majority in both houses of its parliament. Morales is Bolivias first indigenous president, of native
Aymara descent. The Aymara people subscribe to the Andean worldview that all living things have equal
rights.
Although this marks the first time that a country and modern politician has fully placed nature on equal
footing with humanity, Bolivia is not the first country to assert the rights of nature. Indeed, it is becoming
a worldwide phenomenon picking up greater and greater momentum. In 2008, Ecuador became the first
nation in the world to rewrite their Constitution to include rights for nature, although these rights still
remains mostly abstract. In 2010, in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, affirmed the rights of communities and
nature over those of corporations when it enacted a city ordinance banning fracking techniques which include
pumping gels, foams and even radioactive sands into a regional water supply for shale gas extraction. Almost
two dozen other municipalities in the United States have passed similar ordinances.
International laws may follow suit. The UN General Assembly recently discussed the implementation
of new international standards based on the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, which was
adopted by the World Peoples Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, held in Bolivia
last year. These standards would provide rights and legal standing to nature and ecosystems, not just to
individuals and businesses negatively impacted by exploitation and destruction of natural resources. The
Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth is a crucial link in this process and will one day stand as
the companion to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights as one of the guiding covenants of our time.
Environmental laws in most countries are based on a regulatory system where limits are placed on the
extent to which you can pollute. Compensation for injury and damages is calculated on the basis of damages to
humans and not to ecosystems. The concept articulated by Bolivia and Ecuador suggests that unless natural
systems are given equal importance to human needs, there cannot be a balance and Earth will continue to hurtle
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more rapidly towards an environmental catastrophe. Even if the concept is difficult to implement, it represents a
bold and different approach and subverts the conventional wisdom on sustainable development.
Koraput Traditional Agricultural System, India to be designated as Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage (GIAHS) site
Traditional farming systems in India have received a major boost at a time when Indian agriculture is
struggling to come to terms with modern technologies. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the
United Nations has accorded the status of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) to the
traditional agricultural system being practiced in Koraput region of Odisha.
The Traditional Agriculture Koraput System is the first agricultural system in India that been
recognised for its outstanding contribution to promote food security, biodiversity, indigenous knowledge and
cultural diversity for sustainable and equitable development. The recognition has come following a proposal
submitted by Chennai-based MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) to conserve the practice. At the
heart of the tribal belt in Southern Odisha lies the Koraput district, also known as Jeypore Tract, a highland
plateau with a number of hills and hillocks of incredible scenic beauty forming part of the Eastern Ghats.
Tribal communities represent an extremely important category of the Koraput social structure. They
are considered as the original inhabitants of India, who have been carrying forward a legacy of rich and distinct
cultural traits for many decades. The Koraput district is home to approximately 62 tribal communities, each one
of them characterized by a distinct identity in terms of social organization, culture and economy. This
bewildering variety is fully reflected in their culture, which like a mosaic, evokes the admiration of social
scientists fascinated by the dynamics of their society. All tribes observe a variety of religious and socio-cultural
functions aiming at ensuring family well-being and happiness as well as community welfare and harmony.
Their cyclic rituals and festivals, mainly centered on agricultural operations, human livestock and crop welfare,
descend from ancient times and have been preserved unimpaired to the present day.
The Koraput Region is famous for its rich agricultural biodiversity of global importance. The genetic
diversity of Asian cultivated rice and has been considered as the centre of origin of aus ecotype of rice. The
landraces or traditional varieties growing here are thought to be harboring dominant genes for biotic and abiotic
stresses, aroma and palatability, and hold promise for their utilization in future plant breeding and
biotechnology programs.
The tribal and rural families of this area have been developing and conserving these genetic resources
from immemorial time with their traditional knowledge. Todays landraces, evolved naturally with the changing
environment and agricultural practices, are the products of careful and continuous selection by tribal women
and men, whose merits have not yet received the recognition they deserved. During the last decade, the
MSSRF has put great effort into creating a partnership initiative for biodiversity conservation and poverty
reduction of Odishas tribal communities, resulting in two important awards: the Equator Initiative Partnership
Award received at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002, and the Plant Genome
Savior Community Award by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority (PPVFRA) in
2006.
The recognition of the Koraput Traditional Agricultural System as a GIAHS site will guarantee local
and international efforts for the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its genetic resources, and the
recognition of tribal peoples' contribution to biodiversity and knowledge systems, whilst increasing attention to
their natural and cultural heritage.
Milestones of Defence in India in 2011

Initial Operational Clearance Ceremony to LCA (Tejas) at Bangalore on January 10, 2011. Defence
Minister Shri AK Antony formally handed over the release to service certificate of Tejas Aircraft to the
chief of Air Staff, Air chief Marshal PV Naik.
Successful launch of Dhanush and Prithvi Missiles by the Strategic Forces Command from Interim Test
Range, Chandipur, Orissa and a warship off Orissa Coast on March 11, 2011.
Kaveri engine being developed by the DRDO for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft successfully
completed the first phase Flying Test Bed trials mounted on a modified IL-76 aircraft in Russia during
April.
Indian Naval crew began training in Russia in April aboard the new Aircraft Carrier Admiral Gorshkov,
being rechristened INS Vikramaditya, to be inducted into the Indian Naval fleet.
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The Nuclear-capable, Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile was successfully test-fired for its full range
of 350 km on 9th June, 2011 by the personnel of Strategic Force Command as part of a regular user
training exercise.
Defence Minister Shri AK Antony inaugurated the DRDOs state-of-the-art composite propellant
processing facility ACEM (Advanced Centre for Energetic Materials) at Nasik in Maharashtra on
Wednesday, Jun 29, 2011.
Successful launch of new Surface to Surface Tactical Missile PRAHAAR by DRDO on Thursday,
July 21, 2011.
Successful flight test of the 700- km range SHOURYA Missile from Launch Complex III of Integrated
Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off Orissa Coast on Saturday, Sep 24, 2011.
India's nuclear capable Prithvi-II ballistic missile was successfully test-fired, with a range of 350 kms,
as part of user trial by the Armed Forces from Chandipur off Orissa coast, about 15 km from here. In
collaboration with DRDO, DPR also organised a press briefing on the strategic significance of the event on
the same day.
LCA Tejas (Navy) made successful Ground Run at Bangalore on Tuesday, Sep 27, 2011.
Successful flight testing of Surface to Surface Strategic Missile AGNI (A-II) on Friday, September 30,
2011, from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Orissa Coast.
The DRDO conducted the 5th successful flight of UAV Rustom I near Hosur, Karnataka on Friday, Nov
11, 2011.
The successful test launch of the 3,500 km range Agni-IV, the most advanced long range missile system,
on Tuesday, Nov 15, 2011 was the highlight of the year. The missile was launched from a Road Mobile
System at 9.00 AM from Wheelers Island off the coast of Odisha.
Sixth successful test launch of Agni-AI Ballistic Missile from Wheeler Island on Thursday, Dec 1, 2011
by Armed Forces.
Key decisions taken in Durban conference on climate change

More than 190 countries met for two weeks for the latest round of United Nations climate change
negotiations. The aim of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is to stop global
warming by limiting global carbon emissions. The talks dragged on two days longer than expected, making this
the longest UNFCCC meeting ever experienced.
At the end of the gruelling talks the world decided on the "Durban Platform for Enhanced Action".
The two-page document commits all countries to cutting carbon for the first time. A "road map" will guide
countries towards a legal deal to cut carbon in 2015,
GIGATONNE GAP
but it will only come into effect after 2020.
There
remains
a gap between how much the world
Continuation of Kyoto Protocol: Since
has
pledged
to
cut carbon and how much carbon
drafting a new U.N. Treaty is extremely timeemissions
need
to come down to stop global
consuming the delegates at conference agreed to
warming
according
to the science. The UN
extend Kyoto, whose 1st phase of emissions cuts run
estimate there is still a six tonne "gigatonne gap"
from 2008 to 2012. The 2nd commitment period will
unless ambitions can be scaled up through
run from January 1, 2013 until the end of 2017.
voluntary agreements over the next decade.
The EU and the Alliance of Small Island
The report found that if the world wants to limit

States (AOSIS) agreed to continue the Kyoto Protocol
temperature rise to 2C, the point at which it is
beyond 2012, but only if other governments,
generally agreed climate change will cause more
including major carbon emitters from developed and
floods, droughts and other problems, then global
developing countries, agreed to negotiate a new
emissions should peak at 44 gigatonnes of
legally binding treaty with deeper emission cuts by
carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2020.
2015.
Even
in the best case scenario, where a global
The process for developing a new protocol,
agreement is in place and renewable energy is
another legal instrument or agreement, with legal
adopted on a massive scale, the world is heading
force that will be applicable to all parties to the U.N.
for 50Gt, still 6 gigatonnes short of the target.
climate convention under a new group called the Ad
Hoc working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action.
Green Climate Fund: The talks made way to channel up to $100 billion a year by 2020, known as
Green Climate Fund. The developing & poor countries can access the fund, boosting their efforts to establish
their own clean energy futures and adapt to existing climate change.
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A standing Committee is to keep an overview of climate finance in the context of the UNFCCC and to
assist the Conference of the Parties. It will comprise 20 members, represented equally between the developed
and developing world.
A focussed work programme on long-term finance was agreed, which will contribute to the scaling up
of climate change finance going forward and will analyse options for the mobilisation of resources from a
variety of sources.
Adaptation: The Adaptation Committee, composed of 16 members, will report to the COP on its
efforts to improve the coordination of adaptation actions at a global scale.
The adaptive capacities above all of the poorest and most vulnerable countries are to be strengthened.
National Adaptation Plans will allow developing countries to assess and reduce their vulnerability to climate
change. The most vulnerable are to receive better protection against loss and damage caused by extreme
weather events related to climate change.
Technology: The Technology Mechanism will become fully operational in 2012. The full terms of
reference for the operational arm of the Mechanism the Climate Technology Centre and Network are
agreed, along with a clear procedure to select the host. The UNFCCC secretariat will issue a call for proposals
for hosts on 16 January 2012.
Support of developing country action: Governments agreed a registry to record developing country
mitigation actions that seek financial support and to match these with support. The registry will be a flexible,
dynamic, web-based platform. Other key decisions
A forum and work programme on unintended consequences of climate change actions and policies were
established.
Under the Kyoto Protocols Clean Development Mechanism, governments adopted procedures to allow
carbon-capture and storage projects. These guidelines will be reviewed every five years to ensure environmental
integrity.
Governments agreed to develop a new market-based mechanism to assist developed countries in
meeting part of their targets or commitments under the Convention. Details of this will be taken forward in
2012.
Role of IPRs in climate change technologies - Durban did not discuss
It is a deeply divisive issue that has been resonating across the world in the past 15 years in the context
of medicines where access on account of their high prices is a paramount concern. Patents, say critics of IPRs,
deprive poor countries of badly needed drugs. A similar discord is building up on the role of IPRs in climate
change technologies. This would explain why negotiators at the various conference of parties (CoP) to the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) have preferred to skirt the issue. In Durban, too, there
was silence on this subject.
The development and diffusion of clean technology is a critical component of the strategy to meet
climate change challenges, a principle that is articulated in Article 4.5 of UNFCC. This requires developed
countries to take all practicable steps to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, the transfer of, or
access to environmentally sound technologies and knowhow to other Parties, particularly developing country
parties to enable them to implement the provisions of the Convention.
The Copenhagen Accord 2009 and the Cancn Agreements 2010 established a Technology Mechanism,
consisting of a Technology Executive Committee and a network of Climate Innovation Centres. The creation of
a web of Climate Innovation Centres is designed to facilitate collaboration between the private sector and the
public sector on the development, transfer, and deployment of clean technologies.
However, the Copenhagen Accord 2009 and the Cancn Agreements 2010 failed to reach a consensus
on dealing with intellectual property and climate change. The discussions in Durban in 2011 have featured a
similar level of acrimony and procrastination on the issue of intellectual property and climate change.
India also has put forward a document that includes proposals on: accelerated access to critical
mitigation and adaptation technologies and related intellectual property rights; equitable access to sustainable
development; and unilateral trade measures. IP rights have been pushed aside in the recent UNFCCC meetings.
The debate in Durban
Ironically, given the discord between the nation states, the slogan for the Durban talks is Working
Together: Saving Tomorrow Today.
The United States Government has argued there should be strong intellectual property rights protection
of clean technologies. The United States Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern has argued: The way
you drive technological development is through intellectual property rights. So it would be really a huge
mistake to weaken those. The United States has been particularly tense about competition with China
over clean technologies. Westinghouse Solar Inc. recently filed for patent infringement against Chinese solarCracking IAS Study Circle, Chennai.
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panel maker Canadian Solar Inc. The United States Department of Energy sought to block the sale of solar
patents from the bankrupt Evergreen Solar to Chinese purchasers.
The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development has released a policy paper,
encouraging the nation states to overcome their impasse. The paper suggests: Policymakers should start with
non-controversial technical solutions, later moving on to options that involve the use of intellectual property
rights and licensing as well as pooled procurement strategies. The Centre, for instance, suggests the fast-track
examination of patent applications for green technologies is non-controversial.
India has called for accelerated access to critical mitigation and adaptation technologies and
related intellectual property rights.
Given the serious energy poverty and developmental challenges many developing countries face and
are compelled to prioritize, India says, access to critical mitigation and adaptation technologies is central to
their ability to address climate change. India wants a regime that balances rewards for the innovators with the
common good of humankind and thereby enables developing countries to take early and effective mitigation
and adaptation actions at the national level.
India has been supported in its position by other members of the BASIC group, which also
includes Brazil, China, and South Africa. In their view, discussions on these important issues [of equity, trade
and intellectual property rights] would contribute to a comprehensive and balanced outcome at Durban.
The African Group has argued that developing countries should make full use of the flexibilities of the
international regime of intellectual property to address adaptation or mitigation of climate change, in order to
enable them to create a sound and viable technological base.
One of the Progressive Latin American states, Venezuela, asked that the Parties shall ensure that
intellectual property rights and agreements shall not be interpreted or implemented in a manner that limits or
prevents any Party from taking any measures to promote mitigation of climate change.
Somewhat more radically, Bolivia has argued that developing countries and least developed countries
should treat clean technologies as global public goods, which are not subject to intellectual property rights
protection.
Least developed countries, small island states, and countries vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change are also sympathetic to flexible options to address intellectual property and climate change.
The Indo-Myanmar-Thai Highway: Impact on Insurgency in Indias Northeast
Introduction
At Yangon, in April 2002, India, Myanmar and Thailand joined together to announce a landmark
international highway project- a 1,400 km-long highway, aimed at completion in 18 to 24 months. This
highway would establish a land corridor connecting Indias north-eastern region with Thailand via
Myanmar.The road will connect Moreh on the Indian side in Manipur with Mae Sot town in northern
Thailand, passing through Bagan town in central Myanmar.
Major stretches of road already exist though in a dilapidated condition which would have to be
improved and interconnected. It would not only provide land access to Thailand, but also could be extended to
bring to fruition the great old idea of connecting Istanbul and Bangkok through a highway. For India the project
has been described as another step forward in its look east policy- a policy that can best be described as
listless. In the year 2001, former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, during his visit to Myanmar
inaugurated the Moreh-Tamu road link between the two countries. The latest project however, is important from
the point of view of the idea of the trans-Asian highway, linking India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand,
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and possibly also China.
Importance of the Highway
Of the 5,000-kilometer combined perimeter formed by India's seven north-eastern states, only 250
kilometers are linked to the rest of the country, while the remainder borders China, Myanmar, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, and Nepal. Thus, it is imperative that the economies of these States are developed through a
process of linkage with the Southeast Asian countries, rather than making them wholly dependant on the grants
from mainland India.
India's emphasis on connecting the north-eastern region to the outside world could not have come at a
more propitious time, for it is part of a larger project to build Eurasian land and rail corridors that could connect
Singapore to Istanbul and Europe via both the Subcontinent and China. The essence of the triangular road
diplomacy among India, Myanmar and Thailand is about linking the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. In
economic and strategic terms, that will be no small change for India.
The government of India and the Myanmar signed the Indo-Myanmar border trade agreement in
January 1994 to exchange goods produced locally by people living along both sides of the border as well as to
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create a mechanism to deal with foreign trade transactions. Accordingly, the first trade route between the two
countries was opened in April 1995 at Moreh in Manipur and Tamu in Myanmar.
It goes without saying that bilateral trade would receive a boost as a result of the proposed highway.
The highway would provide the transport infrastructure necessary for building and strengthening trade and
economic interaction with all the member countries of the Association of the South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN), including Myanmar and Thailand. More importantly, the Indias north-east, one of the countrys
economically backward areas, would become Indias gateway to the fast developing ASEAN region. Properly
utilized, the highway would also lead to good relations between countries in the region who would see reason in
strengthening the economic linkages among themselves.
However, more importantly, this road and the successive opening of the economy would legalize the
already thriving economy, which for the most part falls under the illegal category. Recent media reports indicate
that the Union Commerce Ministry has decided to close down three gates at the Moreh point in the wake of
complaints filed by several trade bodies in the region. The move is expected to arrest the thriving illegal trade
between India and Myanmar. A look at the volume of the trade through the Moreh point underlines the need to
legalize the trade pattern. This would not only control the uncertainties in the export figure, but also would
bring it at par with the import volumes.
Export
Import
Year
1999-2000
3,25,65,827
3,67,97,316
2000-2001
5,29,107
19,38,523
2001-2002
1,25,08,345
8,29,71,255
Year-wise volume of trade through Moreh Point (Amount in Rupees)
Perils of the Highway: A view from Indias Northeast
Economic exchange apart, the road might end up facilitating the movement of the illegal elements as
well. Such doubts have already been expressed in countries like Thailand. A seminar held in the country
towards the end of the year 2001 warned that convenient transport network could facilitate the immigration of
alien workers and make Thailand once again prone to long-banished diseases such as malaria, elephantiasis,
cerebrospinal meningitis and tuberculosis. A speaker at the seminar suggested that Thailand be prepared for
illegal immigrants, smuggled goods, drugs and trans-national prostitution. Others said that the transport routes
would facilitate drug traffickers and the operation of 40-50 drug factories near Thailand.
Perils of equally important nature can be predicted for India as well. Indian northeast, for years
together, remains a hotspot where thousand mini wars are still being fought. Demands of the forces fighting the
Indian State range from secession, autonomy to greater realization of their historical rights. Fights over
imaginary homelands have led to thousands of deaths in the region and many more are in the offing. It would
not be misleading to comment that all most all the States in the region are affected either directly by such
insurgencies or suffer from a fall out effect. As the security force personnel comprising of the State Police,
Paramilitary forces and the Army battle it out with the sons of the soil, the neighboring countries of India,
intentionally or without motive, provide safe houses, camps, routes for procurement of arms and ammunition.
The building of the new highway must be analyzed from the perspective of easy connectivity, not only for the
economic revival of the region but also from the point of view of easy access to such dark corners by the
insurgents.
A prime reason behind the protracted and almost un-winnable war against insurgency has been the
foreign bases and hideouts of the outfits. Most of the outfits in the northeast have their bases in neighboring
countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar. These camps give them the advantage of unhindered practice
and the ability to carry out hit and run operations. The highway project must be viewed with the backdrop of
such activities.
A Boon to Militancy?
Since the late 1950s, the State of Manipur has been witness to a number of insurgencies. In fact, a New
Delhi-based research institute, the Institute for Conflict Management, in its database lists as many as 36 outfits
that were active in some point of time or the other in the State. Between 1992 and 2000, as many as 3006
insurgency related deaths have been reported from the State that included an astounding 1411 civilians. While
both the hills and the Imphal valley have been affected by the incidents of insurgency, the Moreh town on the
Indo-Myanmar border has had a history of insurgency as well as ethnic conflicts. Being the last border town in
Manipur, Moreh shares its borders with Namphalong market shed of Burma. In June 1995, number of deaths
was reported in clashes between the Kukis and the Tamil population in Moreh. Only recently, on November 7,
2002 unidentified militants shot dead two brothers in Moreh town. The victims owned a shop selling readymade
garments procured from Namphalong and Tamu towns of Myanmar.
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There has been a considerable rise in crimes along the Indo-Burma border in the Manipur sector. The
border with Myanmar remains porous. It is possible that operationalizing the Highway would import further
trouble into the disturbed region.
On the other side of the border, Mae Sot town in Thailand, which the Highway proposes to link up with
Moreh, is in the proximity of Manerplaw, which served as the headquarters of the Kachin Independence
Organization (KIO), and host of insurgencies in the mid 1980s. However, things stand transformed now. The
famous Kachin rebel leader Brang Seng is known to be courting the Indian strategic services.
Most of the outfits operating in the northeast have their administrative and military camps in Myanmar.
Differences between these two countries, for long, prevented a comprehensive crackdown on such camps. It
also needs to be appreciated that most of these camps are located in the un-administered areas of the country
with the help of the local insurgent outfits especially the Kachins, who continue to challenge the might of the
military junta in Myanmar.
The threat from Myanmar needs also to be analyzed from the angle of growing Chinese influence in
that country. Even though there has been marked cooperation between the Myanmarese junta and the Indian
authorities in terms of counter-insurgency operations, the Chinese interest in the northeast is bound to be
viewed with suspicion. The Chinese have emerged as the most important suppliers of military hardware to
Myanmar's military regime. The Chinese have also been accused of supplying arms to the insurgents in the
northeast. Thus, as a result of the opening the highway, such arms supply might not be traversing the long and
arduous route from Thailand to Cox Bazar in Bangladesh and then to the northeast. It might start traveling
directly from the source to the clients.
Similarly, linking up Thailand with the northeast would not only bring the legal segments of the Thai
economy close to the Indian northeast, but also would open up the illegal arms bazaars much more palpably.
Insurgent groups in the northeast including the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in Manipur depend for much
of their weapons supply on the black-markets of Thailand. Even a decade and half after the cessation of hostility
in Cambodia, the country remains an bottomless arms dump, which caters to the needs of the malcontents of the
whole of South and Southeast Asia. The highway just might end up facilitating the transshipment of these tools
of terror.
In addition the whole system of financing these little wars remains woefully under-researched. While
extortion and funding from foreign sources partly finances the activities of the outfits, most of them are
involved in underground economic operation that perpetuates their existence. These operatives, with seemingly
legal fronts, are responsible for converting most of these outfits into profit-making business ventures. A report
of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on the militants of the northeast, in 2000 suggested that In Bangkok,
the National Socialist Council of Nagland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) General Secretary Th. Muivah's nephew
Paul and his Thai wife, Walaila K Luengdong own a toy manufacturing company. The PLA chief RK Meghan
has huge investments in blue chip companies in Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore. It is only natural to
conclude that the returns from such activities go into funding the insurgent activities. The linking up of the
economy might intensify such commercial inroads.
Argument in Favour
Senior journalist B G Verghese notes, Growth triangles and quadrangles or sub-regional economic
zones have many advantages. At one level they emphasize local neighborhoods along national boundaries, with
shared cultures and natural resources or useful complimentaries that can provide a bond. They can be most
useful, both politically and economically, as a constructive element in developing a frontier policy and building
better cross-border relationships. The proposed highway has the potential to cater to the economic needs of the
concerned countries.
Verghese further maintains borders between countries must be used as doorways, and not as barriers.
Open economies foster growth and tend to have a positive cross-border spill over effect. In an increasingly
integrated world economy, there is a good chance that the locale disadvantage of the North-East can be
converted into an advantage. In an age of independence policy of isolationism has minimal chance of
benefiting the regions with a history of underdevelopment.
The votaries of the highway would argue against the assumption that the building up of the highway
would facilitate the movement of the insurgents and lead to the aggravation of trouble in the region. The
malcontents are less likely to use the monitored highway for their safari. They would on the contrary, continue
to traverse the rough terrains avoiding the watchful eyes of the security force personnel. In addition, attempts by
the insurgents to use the Highway to their advantage could be foiled through intensive and effective monitoring.
Further check can be provided through bilateral agreements between India, Myanmar and Bangkok, in which
each of the countries take a pledge not to allow any activity against the interests of the other countries from
their own soils. However, an effective monitoring set up must be put in place to prevent the misuse of the
highway.
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RBI - Mid Quarter Monetary Policy Review

Monetary Measures
On the basis of the current macroeconomic assessment, it has been decided to:
keep the cash reserve ratio (CRR) unchanged at 6 per cent; and
keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 8.5 per cent.
Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF will remain unchanged at 7.5 per cent and the marginal
standing facility (MSF) rate at 9.5 per cent.
Introduction
Since the Reserve Banks Second Quarter Review (SQR) of October 25, 2011, the global economic
outlook has worsened significantly. The recent European Union (EU) summit agreement did not assuage
negative market sentiments, thereby increasing the likelihood of persistent financial turbulence as well as a
recession in Europe. Both factors pose threats to emerging market economies (EMEs), including India.
Significantly, despite these developments, crude oil prices remain elevated.
On the domestic front, growth is clearly decelerating. This reflects the combined impact of several
factors: the uncertain global environment, the cumulative impact of past monetary policy tightening and
domestic policy uncertainties.
Both inflation and inflation expectations are currently above the comfort level of the Reserve Bank.
However, reassuringly, inflationary pressures are expected to abate in the coming months despite high crude oil
prices and rupee depreciation. The growth deceleration is contributing to a decline in inflation momentum,
which is also being helped by softening food inflation.
Global Economy
The global economic situation continues to be fragile with no credible solution as yet to the immediate
euro area sovereign debt problem. At the EU summit on December 8-9, the European leaders agreed on a new
fiscal compact, involving stronger coordination of economic policies to strengthen fiscal discipline. While the
agreement is necessary for medium and long-term sustainability of the euro area, its ability to resolve short-term
funding pressures was questioned by markets. Q3 euro area growth, at 0.8 per cent, was anaemic and 2012
growth is now expected to be weaker than earlier projected. Reflecting these projections, the European Central
Bank (ECB) cut its policy rate twice in the last two months, and also implemented some non-standard
measures. By contrast, growth in the US in Q3 of 2011 was better than in Q2, although still substantially below
trend.
Growth in EMEs is also moderating on account of sluggish growth in advanced economies and the
impact of monetary tightening to contain inflation. In view of the slowing down of their economies, Brazil,
Indonesia, Israel and Thailand cut their policy rates, while China cut its reserve requirements. EME currencies
have also come under varying degrees of downward pressure as a result of global risk aversion and financial
stress emanating from the euro area.
Domestic economy
Growth
GDP growth moderated to 6.9 per cent in Q2 of 2011-12 from 7.7 per cent in Q1 and 8.8 per cent in the
corresponding quarter a year ago. The deceleration in economic activity in Q2 was mainly on account of a sharp
moderation in industrial growth. On the expenditure side, investment showed a significant slowdown. Overall,
during the first half (April-September) of 2011-12, GDP growth slowed down to 7.3 per cent from 8.6 per cent
last year.
Industrial performance has further deteriorated as reflected in the decline of the index of industrial
production (IIP) by 5.1 per cent, y-o-y, in October 2011. This was mainly due to contraction in manufacturing
and mining activities. The contraction was particularly sharp in capital goods with a y-o-y decline of 25.5 per
cent, reinforcing the investment decline story emerging from the GDP numbers.
Other indicators also suggest a similar tendency, though by no means as dramatic as the IIP. The HSBC
purchasing managers' index (PMI) for manufacturing suggested further moderation in growth in November
2011. However, PMI-services index recovered in November from contractionary levels in the preceding two
months. Corporate margins in Q2 of 2011-12 moderated significantly as compared with their levels in Q1. The
decline in margins was largely on account of higher input and interest costs. Pricing power is evidently
declining.
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On the food front, the progress of sowing under major Rabi crops so far has been satisfactory, with area
sown under food grains and pulses so far being broadly comparable with that of last year.
Inflation
On a y-o-y basis, headline WPI inflation moderated to 9.1 per cent in November from 9.7 per cent in
October, driven largely by decline in primary food articles inflation. Fuel group inflation went up marginally.
Notably, non-food manufactured products inflation remains elevated, actually increasing to 7.9 per cent in
November from 7.6 per cent in October, reflecting rising input costs. The new combined (rural and urban)
consumer price index (base: 2010=100) rose further to 114.2 in October from 113.1 in September. Inflation in
terms of other consumer price indices was in the range of 9.4 to 9.7 per cent in October 2011. Reassuringly,
headline momentum indicators, such as the seasonally adjusted month-on-month and 3-month moving average
rolling quarterly inflation rate, show continuing signs of moderation.
External sector
Merchandise exports growth decelerated sharply to an average of 13.6 per cent y-o-y in OctoberNovember from an average of 40.6 per cent in the first half of 2011-12. However, as imports moderated less
than exports, the trade deficit widened, putting pressure on the current account. This, combined with
rebalancing of global portfolios by foreign institutional investors and the tendency of exporters to defer
repatriating their export earnings, has led to significant pressure on the rupee.
As on December 15, 2011, the rupee had depreciated by about 17 per cent against the US dollar over its
level on August 5, 2011, the day on which the US debt downgrade happened. In the face of this, several
measures were taken to attract inflows. Limits on investment in government and corporate debt instruments by
foreign investors were increased. The ceilings on interest rates payable on nonresident deposits were raised.
The allincost ceiling for external commercial borrowings was increased. Further, a series of administrative
measures that discourage speculative behaviour were also initiated. The Reserve Bank is closely monitoring the
developments in the external sector and it will respond to the evolving situation as appropriate.
Fiscal Situation
The central governments key deficit indicators worsened during 2011-12 (April-October), primarily on
account of a decline in revenue receipts and increase in expenditure, particularly subsidies. The fiscal deficit at
74.4 per cent of the budgeted estimate in the first seven months of 2011-12 was significantly higher than 42.6
per cent in the corresponding period last year (about 61.2 per cent if adjusted for more than budgeted spectrum
proceeds received last year). The likely slippage in this years fiscal deficit has inflationary implications.
Money, Credit and Liquidity Conditions
The y-o-y money supply (M3) growth moderated from 17.2 per cent at the beginning of the financial
year to 16.3 per cent on December 2, 2011, although still higher than the projected trajectory of 15.5 per cent
for the year. Y-o-y non-food credit growth at 17.5 per cent on December 02, 2011, however, was below the
indicative projection of 18 per cent.
Consistent with the stance of monetary policy, liquidity conditions have remained in deficit during this
fiscal year. However, the deficit increased significantly beginning the second week of November 2011. The
average borrowings under the daily LAF increased to around ` 89,000 crore during November-December (up to
December 15, 2011) from around `49,000 crore during April-October 2011. The Reserve Bank conducted open
market operations (OMOs) on three occasions in November-December 2011 for an amount aggregating about `
24,000 crore to ease liquidity conditions.
There are currently no significant signs of stress in the money market. The overnight call money rate is
stable around the policy repo rate and liquidity facilities such as marginal standing facility (MSF) remain
unutilised. However, in view of the fact that borrowings from the LAF are persistently above the Reserve
Bank's comfort zone, further OMOs will be conducted as and when seen to be appropriate.
Outlook
Global growth for 2011 and 2012 is now expected to be lower than earlier anticipated. Increased strains
in financial markets on the back of growing concerns over euro area sovereign debt, limited monetary and fiscal
policy manoeuvrability, high unemployment rates, weak housing markets and elevated oil prices are all
contributory factors. These factors have also contributed to moderating growth in the EMEs. As a consequence
of all-round slower growth, inflation has also started declining, both in advanced countries and EMEs.
On the domestic front, agricultural prospects look promising on the back of expected record kharif
output and satisfactory progress on rabi sowing. However, industrial activity is moderating, driven by
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deceleration in investment, which is a matter of serious concern. Overall, the growth momentum in the
economy is clearly moderating. Further, considering the global and domestic macroeconomic situation, the
downside risks to the Reserve Banks growth projection, as set out in the SQR, have increased significantly.
Between the First Quarter Review (FQR) and the SQR, while non-oil commodity prices had declined
significantly, the rupee too had depreciated sharply. Consequently, the headline inflation projection at 7 per cent
for March 2012, as set out in the FQR, was retained in the SQR. With moderation in food inflation in
November 2011 and expected moderation in aggregate demand and hence in non-food manufactured products
inflation, the inflation projection for March 2012 is retained at 7 per cent.
The Reserve Bank will make a formal numerical assessment of its growth and inflation projections for
2011-12 in the third quarter review of January 2012.
Guidance
While inflation remains on its projected trajectory, downside risks to growth have clearly increased.
The guidance given in the SQR was that, based on the projected inflation trajectory, further rate hikes might not
be warranted. In view of the moderating growth momentum and higher downside risks to growth, this guidance
is being reiterated. From this point on, monetary policy actions are likely to reverse the cycle, responding to the
risks to growth.
However, it must be emphasised that inflation risks remain high and inflation could quickly recur as a
result of both supply and demand forces. Also, the rupee remains under stress. The timing and magnitude of
further actions will depend on a continuing assessment of how these factors shape up in the months ahead.
Rupees sharp decline and the imperative of arresting it
Though belated, the government and the Reserve Bank of India have come out strongly in support of
rupee that is rapidly declining in relation to the dollar. The new measures, both administrative and policy, fall
into three broad categories.
1. The rules governing overseas investment have been relaxed in certain cases so as to increase the supply
of dollars in the domestic market and thereby correct its demand-supply imbalance. The ceiling on debt
instruments by foreign institutional investors and the interest cap on external commercial borrowings have
been raised. The lock-in period for overseas investors in infrastructure bonds has been reduced.
2. The RBI clamped down on forward trading in foreign exchange. The avowed objective is to curb the
rampant speculation which, in its view, weakens the rupee further.
3. The new incentives provided to non-resident Indians to invest more with banks in India. These are
significant in themselves and they need to be evaluated in a larger context and over a longer time-frame
than in the immediate term.
It is fairly clear, however, that the rationale for almost all these measures is traceable to the rupee's
sharp decline and the imperative of arresting it. Absent this justification, the case for introducing many of them
at this juncture becomes weak. For instance, given the RBI's concerns over accumulation of short-term external
debt, there is no reason for facilitating larger external borrowings by companies. Now, with the foreign
institutional investors getting a greater access to the debt markets, including the gilts and corporate bond
market, the external economy will be vulnerable to foreign capital flows. The RBI might have succeeded, at
least temporarily, in halting the rupee's decline by sending out strong messages to currency speculators as,
for instance, by disallowing the rebooking of cancelled forward contracts in foreign exchange.
But clearly these measures are in the realm of micro-management and should go once the perceived
threat to the rupee recedes. The deregulation of interest rates on non-resident bank accounts cannot be justified
except in the narrow context of encouraging overseas Indian investment at all costs. Past experience suggests
that these deposits can exit just as easily as they enter. Besides, with the prevailing low dollar interest rates,
there is tremendous scope for arbitrage with minimal exchange rate risk to the Indian expatriate. Neither
individual banks nor the macro economy stands to gain by mobilising such funds.
Food Security Bill - what it offers?
Cost sharing: Centre to Right to Food Security:
Food for children: Midday
meal:
provide states with free food 1) All people to get food For entire year for 0-3 Children
to
get
grains including costs of security from pregnancy to old age group and for at freshly
cooked
least 300 days in a nutritious
storage and transport; and age.
meals
administrative expenses of a 2) Pregnant women to get year for 0-6 yrs; everyday in schools
minimum of 6%. All other nutritious meals free of charge Supplementary
except
holidays;
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costs to be shared with centre till 6 months after pregnancy

bearing 70% of the cost.
from anganwadis and Rs.
1000 maternity benefits for six
months and support for
breastfeeding.
nutrition,
health
check-ups,
referral
services,
growth
monitoring
and
promotion and preschool education.
Special Groups: All destitute

people, homeless to get one
free meal each day; migrants
also to get in whichever
locations they are; in times of
emergency
and
disaster
subsidy grains to be provided
for one year; 200 days of wage
employment or income if
employment is not available or
family members not fit to
work.
Right of persons living in

starvation: Provision for
immediate
relief
from
starvation; meals twice a day
free of charge; investigation of
starvation death regardless of
postmortem report and relief
to family even if he/she was
not the bread winner
Entitlement (General
&
Priority
households):46% of
all rural households to
be priority and 75% of
all rural households
entitled to get subsidy
grains; similarly 28%
of
all
urban
households as priority
and 50% of all urban
households entitled to
subsidy grains.
PDS: State Governments to

shall ensure that stocks of food
grains under PDS not replaced
by stocks of inferior quality till
delivery to the ration card
holder.
Fair Price Shops: Within 3

km of habitation; while
establishing preference to Self
Help Groups, Gram Sabhas
and Panchayats for licenses; to
ensure women play an active
role; Fair Prcie Shop to
display list of general and
priority households, stocks,
entitlements and prices etc;
regular inspection in six
months; social audit.
National
Food
Commission: Based at
Delhi with regional
headquarters;
to
comprise
of
7
members
(Chairperson, Member
secretary
and
5
members); similarly
State
Food
Commissions too; to
serve as quasi judicial
bodies and enquire
into complaints and
decide cases.
January 2012
schools to provide
clean drinking water.
Any child below age
14 to get food from
anganwadi or school,
no denial to any child
whatsoever on any
ground; provision for
support
to
malnutrition children.
Rates:
Priority
Households,
a
minimum of 7 kg of
food
grains
per
person per month,
Rice Rs 3/kg;
Wheat Rs 2/kg and
Millets- Rs 1/kg at
2011-11 rates, which
will not be revised
upward
for
a
minimum period of
10 years (Single
member households
to get 14kg).General
Households- 4 kg at
50% of MSP for the
said crops. (Single
member households
to get 8 kg).
Compensation: Any
aggrieved person to
get three times the
cash equivalent in
case of grievance
from concerned local/
govt body.
Food Security Bill is somewhat defective - Professor M S Swaminathan, MSSRF Foundation (Q & A).
Q: Is food security just a concept or is achievable?
Of course it is attainable. There are three main issues. First is availability of food in the market. For
which farmers have to produce more. Second is access to food, whether one has the money to buy it. That's what
the (food security) Bill aims to achieve. Third is absorption of food in the body, which is a function of clean
drinking water. Drinking water is the most important component. That is why Rajiv Gandhi Water Mission,
Total Sanitation Mission and National Rural Health Mission should be brought together under the food security
Act. Otherwise, the child may eat a lot but, what we call leaky pot, yet not absorb the food.
Q: What should be the approach to ensure food for all?
One is the conception to cremation lifecycle approach. That is why there are different programmes such
as the school meal programme, programmes for pregnant women and so on to feed right from conception stage
to death. We have to enlarge the food basket through the public distribution system. Not only wheat and rice but
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nutria-millets such as jowar, ragi, bajra, madua should be included in the PDS. In China, out of over 500
million tones food grains, 140 million tones are nutria-cereals and millets. It is 50 to 60 million ton
in our country. Secondly, women must be declared head of households for entitlement under the PDS and food
security Act. They should be considered in-charge of food security in the family. That is important because
women can ensure nutrition from newborns to the eldest in the family.
Q: How can cereals and millet production increase?
Procurement is the greatest stimulation for production. The more the government will procure, the
famers will produce more. Farmers will increase production if the consumption capacity in the country
increases. We should look at grains other than rice and wheat which are nutritious to have a big range. The crop
holiday in Andhra Pradesh should be a wakeup call when farmers stopped production because there was no
demand.
Q: Are you happy with Food Security Bill?
The Bill is somewhat defective in some respects. It calls for selective PDS. I personally believe there
should be universal PDS as is in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The country should follow the principle of exclusion as
against inclusion. Categorization of below poverty line (BPL), above poverty line (APL) and targeted PDS are
controversial issues and there is large amount of corruption in such classification. One has to pay money to be a
BPL. Why to get into those? There should be transparent criteria to exclude people. For example income tax
payers, those who own a car and so on can be excluded from food security provisions. The proposed food
security Act is the largest social protection against hunger anywhere in the world. Its success will depend upon
how far we are able to reach all those who need food. In the current approach, lots of street children and the
destitute will be left out.
Q: So what should be done?
I am pressing for the principal of exclusion. Besides putting a number of transparent criteria for
excluding those from food security, self-exclusion should be the guiding principle. Tell people that those who do
not need food should not ask for it. Even if you include a man who should be excluded doesn't matter. But never
should a deserving man be excluded. Freedom from hunger is freedom from corruption. The Bill must be based
on a culture of honesty. Don't develop a bill on a negative basis that people are always dishonest. The Bill has
been referred to the select committee.
Will the CTBT Enter into Force?

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) which prohibits all forms of nuclear weapons testing has
for long been considered important to curb the spread of nuclear weapons technology. Together with the NPT
and the Fissile Materials Cut-Off Treaty, the CTBT was considered as completing the essential components of
the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. The CTBT was debated intensely during the Clinton years (199396) at the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva. The treaty was opened for signature in New York on
September 24, 1996 but is yet to enter into force. Till date, 182 States have signed the treaty. Out of the 44
countries under Annex 2, whose ratification is a must for the treatys entry into force, eight are yet to ratify.
They are Egypt, North Korea, Israel, Iran, China, US, Pakistan and India.
In this scenario, Indonesias ratification of the treaty on December 6, 2011 has been viewed by
some States and non-proliferation lobbyists as a positive step towards bringing the treaty into force.
Indonesia is one of the 44 countries under Annex 2 of the treaty. As on date, Egypt and Iran are the only
two non-NWS under the NPT not to ratify the treaty; India, Pakistan, North Korea are the three nonsignatories; and the US, China and Israel have signed but not ratified the CTBT. However, as the required
number of ratifications becomes lesser, the process is bound to be tougher.
The global scenario has changed since the 1990s when the treaty was discussed and opened for
signature. Over these years, the verification regime of the CTBT has grown in strength to offer confidence in
the system. Much progress has been achieved in the establishment of the International Monitoring System given
that 270 of the total 337 monitoring stations (in 89 countries) meant to detect nuclear explosions globally are
certified as on date. The remaining stations also have to become operational before the treaty enters into force.
The functioning of the International Data Center (IDC), which is a central element of the CTBT verification
mechanism, is also believed to be satisfactory. The CTBT verification system also played a role in
disseminating data relating to earthquakes/tsunamis in March 2011 and December 2004.
Since the 9/11 attacks, the global terrorism scenario has changed completely. There are growing
concerns about terrorists and other militant groups procuring and detonating weapons of mass destruction. The
purported use of radiological and other nuclear materials by these groups in the making of a dirty bomb has also
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ignited concerted global efforts to secure all the nuclear and radiological materials. The issue of nuclear
safety/security has thus become prominent.
The CTBT provides an opportunity for the member States under Article XIV to convene a conference
every two years to discuss ways and methods to make other countries sign and ratify the treaty. Starting in
1999, seven such conferences have taken place so far, the last being on September 23, 2011. The US skipped
many of these conferences after the inaugural one in 1999, even though it has resumed its representation at the
conference since 2009.
The CTBT was put in cold storage during the George W. Bush years and prospects of a possible US
ratification improved with Obama Administration taking oath in 2009. President Obama committed his
administration to immediately and aggressively pursue US ratification as well as work with other Annex 2
States to bring the treaty into effect at an early date. However, even after three years in office, no progress is
visible on this front. Attending the recent Article XIV conference, the US under Secretary of State for Arms
Control and International Security, Ellen Tauscher, said that the US is committed to the entry into force of the
CTBT but added that it cannot do it alone. The next US Presidential elections are a few months away and in the
prevailing situation, it is difficult to see the Obama Administration focusing its energies on generating
bipartisan support in the Senate to ratify the CTBT.
The Chinese White Papers on Defence propagate that China supports the early entry into force of the
CTBT and that China has strictly abided by its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing. Further, they
also indicate that China has actively participated in the work of the Preparatory Commission of the CTBT
Organization, and is steadily preparing for the national implementation of the Treaty. However, it is logical that
China is watching the domestic developments in the US on the Senate ratification. It may not speed up efforts to
ratify the treaty unless the US ratifies it.
Israel has signed the CTBT but has not ratified it citing various factors ranging from national interests
to regional issues. While there is a possibility that the country may ratify the CTBT if the US were to do so, at
the same time it cannot be ruled out that Israel might demand that its national security concerns stemming from
regional nuclear developments be addressed first.
North Koreas signing and ratification is going to
be another clinching issue. Since 2000, North Korea has India has ruled out signing CTBT under any
twice tested nuclear weapons in October 2006 and May circumstances rejecting constant appeals and has
2009, and US efforts to resolve North Korean nuclear issue not succumbed to any pressure. The CTBT can
through the six-party talks has not yielded the desired come into force only if 44 specific countries
results. The talks have been stalled since 2009 and it is not ratify the treaty.
irrational to expect that North Korea will not yield till the nuclear issue is resolved. The demise of its leader
Kim Jong Il and the ongoing power transition further complicates the issue.
India voted against the draft CTBT at the Conference on Disarmament when its demand for time bound
nuclear disarmament was rejected. India also objected to its inclusion in the Annex 2 list of countries. As on
date, India says that it will not stand in the way of the treaty becoming operational. However, the treaty cannot
become operational without India signing and ratifying it.
Pakistan has always linked its signing and ratification of any international treaty to that of Indias. It
always blames India as the first to introduce nuclear weapons in the region and that it carried out its own
nuclear tests in 1998 only in response to Indias tests. At the same time, Pakistan is also appearing as an
observer in the Article XIV conferences to facilitate the entry into force of the CTBT. However, given its
objections to the mismatch of nuclear materials stocks with India, it is not sure whether Pakistan will sign the
CTBT even if India signs at a later date. It may be noted that Pakistan had changed its tone on the issue of NPT
vis--vis India last year.
Thus, though the conditions appear to have improved than when the CTBT was opened for signature, it
is difficult to expect the treaty to enter into force in the near future. The US failure to ratify the treaty and its
inability to influence other countries is a major factor in the delay. But the remaining eight countries, whose
ratification is required for the treaty to enter into force, have their own reasons for non-ratification as well.
Monthly Questions
1. Write short notes on Hot Jupiters.
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Hot Jupiters are a class of extrasolar planets whose mass is close to or exceeds that of Jupiter (1.9x1027
kg).They are also called roaster planets, epistellar jovians, pegasids or pegasean planets. While Jupiter orbits its
parent star (the Sun) at 5.2 Astronomical Units (780x107 km), the planets referred to as hot Jupiters orbit
between approximately 0.015 and 0.5 Astronomical Units (2.2x106 and 75x106 km) of their parent stars.
Hot Jupiters are the earliest extrasolar planets to be detected via the radial velocity method because the
oscillations they induce in the motion of their parent stars are relatively large and rapid compared to other
known types of planets. One of the most well-known hot Jupiter is 51 Pegasi b, nicknamed Bellerophon.
Discovered in 1995,it was the first extrasolar planet orbiting a Sun-like star.
Some other examples of hot Jupiters are HD 209458b and HAT-P-7b. The latter was discovered on 6
March 2008, in the constellation Cygnus, under the HAT Net Project. It was again observed later by the Kepler
mission; that is why it is also named as Kepler-2b.
The Exoplanet HAT-P-7b (or Kepler-2b) orbits very close to its parent star GSC 03547- 01402 and
are both larger and more massive than Jupiter.
2. What are Puffy planets or hot Saturns?.
Gas giant planets with a large radius and very low density are sometimes called puffy planets. They
are also called hot Saturns due to their density being similar to that of Saturn. Puffy planets may orbit close
to their stars since the intense heat from the star and internal heating within the planet will help inflate the
planets atmosphere. Six large-radius and lowdensity planets have been detected by the transit method. In order
of discovery they are: HAT-P-1b,Corot-1b,TrES- 4,WASP-12b,WASP-17b and Kepler- 7b.
3. What is Agent B483 which was in news in recent times?.
Scientists of the Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC) of the Indian Council of Medical Research in
Puduchery have recently isolated a bacterium from mangrove forests, which they say can thwart the spread of
vector-borne diseases like malaria, filariasis, dengue and chikungunya. They have also discovered the
mechanism through which the bacteria kill the larvae and pupae of mosquitoes.
They collected soil samples from the creeks of Kalighat in North Andaman, separated bacterial cells
from the soil samples and named them VCRC B483. They exposed the larvae and pupae of filariasis-spreading
Culex quinquefasciatus, malaria-spreading Anopheles stephensi, and Aedes aegypti, which spreads dengue,
chikungunya and yellow fever, to the bacteria. The bacteria secreted a lipopeptide, a biochemical, which killed
the pupae and larvae of all the three mosquitoes.
To identify the bacteria, the researchers carried out biochemical analysis and gene sequencing. It was
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
Personalities
Adam Gondvi
Amichand
Rajbansi
Arvind Mafatlal
Bhupen
Hazarika
Poet Ram Nath Singh, popularly known as Adam Gondvi, breathed his last in Lucknow
on 18 December 2011. Gondvi lived like a villager throughout his life and wrote
revolutionary poetry focusing on the pathetic state of dalits and the poor. He himself died
in poor financial condition and cultural and social activists had to appeal for donations for
his treatment.
Charismatic and controversial South African Indian politician Amichand Rajbansi died on
29 December 2011 in Durban, South Africa. He was nicknamed The Bengal Tiger because
of his fiery nature. Rajbansi courted political controversy throughout his career but
remained popular with a section of the Indian community which repeatedly voted him back
into positions through his Minority Front party.
Industrialist died. The legendary industrialist played a prominent role in the postIndependence growth story of the country. The Group, set up by his grandfather in 1905 in
Ahmedabad as a textile mill, was primarily into textile business till Arvind took over in
1954.
Singer, composer, lyricist, music director, and filmmaker from Assam.
Conferred as the first Indian Music Director for best music internationally for the film
Rudaali at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival at Japan in 1993.
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World renowned architect and Goa's son-of-the-soil Charles Correa was bestowed with
Goa's highest civilian honour, the Gomant Vibhushan, on the eve of the Golden Jubiliee of
Goa's Liberation on 18 December 2011.
Cyrus
P. Mistry was on 23 November 2011 chosen to succeed Tata group chairman
Cyrus P. Mistry
Ratan Tata as the groups new chairman in 2012. He has currently been appointed as the
Deputy Chairman and will take over when Ratan N Tata formally retires in December
2012 on reaching the age of 75. Ratan Tata has been the chairman of the group with
interests in diverse sectors such as telecom, automobile, engineering and hotels, since
1991.Tata Group is worth $70 billion dollars.
Hamilton Bobby Former Indian footballer Hamilton Bobby passed away following a cardiac arreston 17
December 2011.
Har
Gobind
Pioneering Indian American biochemist Har Gobind Khorana, who won the 1968
Khorana
Nobel Prize for medicine, died in Massachusetts on 9 November 2011. Khorana is
known to have revolutionised biochemistry with his pioneering work in DNA
chemistry. He had won the Nobel Prize in 1968, sharing it with two others, for
unraveling the nucleotide sequence of RNA and deciphering the genetic code.
Indians who won the Nobel Prize
Citizens of India and Indian Origin: Rabindranath Tagore (1913), C. V. Raman
(1930), Amartya Sen (1998).
Foreign born Indian Citizens: Mother Teresa (1979).
Indian born Foreign Citizens: Mohammad Abdus Salam (1979), Subrahmanyan
Chandrasekhar (1983), Hargobind Khorana (1968).
Foreign Citizens of Indian Origin: V.S. Naipaul (2001).
Honey Baisoya became the Youngest Winner of Goodricke East India Amateur Golf
Honey Baisoya
Championship
Indian
Striker India striker Sunil Chhetri was on 20 December 2011 voted Player of the Year by the All
India Football Federation. He was chosen by I-League coaches from a five-player shortlist.
Sunil Chhetri
I.M.Vijayan was the first recipient of the award in 1992. In 2010 the award was bestowed
on Gouramangi Singh.
Indira Goswami Eminent Assamese litterateur and Jnanpith award winner, Indira Goswami, popularly
known as Mamoni Raisom Goswami passed away in Guwahati on 29 November 2011. Dr.
Goswami authored several bestseller Assamese novels and short story collections in her
life time. She was also instrumental in initiating peace talks between the government and
insurgent United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). She was India's first Principal Prince
Claus Laureate in 2008.
Jacob
E. Jacob E. Goldman, a founder of the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) that
Goldman
developed breakthrough computing innovations died on 20 December 2011. The Palo
Alto Research Center developed computing innovations such as the graphical user
interface and ethernet networks.
Physicist Jacob E. Goldman, as Xerox's chief scientist founded the company's vaunted
Palo Alto Research Center, which invented the modern personal computer. In 1970s, the
laboratory created a string of innovations from laser printing to object-oriented
programming to the world's first WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get)
editor.
In 1975, PARC unveiled the graphical user interface with pop-up menus and windows
and point-and-click controls. The GUI represented crucial ground work later built upon
by companies such as Microsoft and Apple and eventually launched personal computing
in the 1980s.
Goldman played an important role both at the Ford Motor Co., during the 1950s, and
later at Xerox in the 1960s and 1970s, in financing basic scientific research in an effort
to spark corporate innovation.
Renowned ghazal singer Jagjit Singh died
Jagjit Singh
Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju was appointed as the new chairman of
Justice
media regulator Press Council of India (PCI) on 5 October 2011. The appointment of
Markandey
Justice Katju, who retired from the apex court on 19 September 2011 was cleared by a
Katju
committee headed by Vice President Hamid Ansari and included Lok Sabha Speaker
Meira Kumar. In exercise of the powers conferred by the sub-section (2) of section 5 of the
Charles Correa
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Press Council Act, 1978 (37 of 1978), the Central Government notified notified his
appointment as the Chairman of the Press Council of India. He succeeded Justice G N Ray.
Note: The Press Council of India (PCI) is the apex media regulator of the country. The
Press Council of India is a statutory, quasi judicial body which acts as a watchdog of the
media. Its chairman by convention is a retired judge of the Supreme Court.
British film director Ken Russell died. The director was known for a florid adaptations of
Ken Russell
classic literature and over-the-top biopics that ranged from perverse to merely provocative.
Russell is best known for controversial films including Women In Love and The Devils.
Music played a central role in much of his work including The Music Lovers, and Tommy
and Lisztomania. He is best known for his Oscar-winning film Women in Love (1969),
The Devils (1971), The Who's Tommy (1975), and the science fiction film Altered
States (1980).
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has died of a heart attack. North Koreas Dear Leader
Kim Jong-Il
Dictator.
KV Varadaraj, one of the few Indian footballers who played in two Olympics in 1948 and
KV Varadaraj
1952, passed away in Bangalore on 20 December 2011. Varadaraj was nicknamed 6footer by the English.
Lord
Navnit Dholakia is a British Liberal Democrat politician and the Deputy Leader of the Liberal
Dholakia
Democrats in the House of Lords. Lord Dholakia is one of the most senior Asian
politicians in Britain. He won GG2 (Garavi Gujarat) Hammer Award at the GG2
Leadership Awards 2011 for his outstanding achievements on 23 November 2011.
Britain's Attorney General Dominic Grieve presented the award to Lord Dholakia.
Personalities who were awarded during the GG2 (Garavi Gujarat) are as follows:
Sargeant Dip Pun (GG2 Pride of Britain Award), Nina Wadia (GG2 Woman of the
Year), Darra Singh, Chairman of the Riots Community and Victims Panel (GG2 Man of
the Year), Nazia Parveen, Senior Reporter, Lancashire Evening Telegraph (GG2 Young
Journalist of the Year), Atul Pathak (GG2 Social entrepreneur of the Year).
Indian football team defender Mahesh Gawli announced his retirement from international
Mahesh Gawli
football on 26 December 2011. He however announced his decision to continue to play at
the club level for some more years. Gawli who made his international debut in the preOlympic qualifier against Thailand in 1999 represented India in 82 matches.
Veteran Telugu film producer and noted lyricist MS Reddy passed away on 11 December
Mallemala
2011. He was popularly known as Mallemala.
The world renowned cartoonist, Mario Miranda died in Goa on 11 December 2011. He
Mario Miranda
was 85. He famously captured vignettes of Goan life on canvas in his trademark style for
over two decades. Miranda was the recipient of the Padma Bhushan (2002) and Padma
Shri (1988) awards.
Mario Monti
Italy's Silvio Berlusconi resigned as Prime Minister on 12 November 2011 after he was
stripped of a parliament majority due to his unsuccessful handling of the fierce
financial crisis.
Economist Mario Monti, who came to prominence as the powerful Competition
Commissioner succeeded Berlusconi to head an emergency Italian government.
Environmentalist, lawyer and former Union Minister, Mohan Dharia, has been selected as
Mohan Dharia
the winner of the 26th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration. The 86-year-old
Padma Vibhushan awardee, which currently runs the Vanrai NGO in Pune, was selected
for the 2010 award, which carries a citation and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh.
Nadeem Sayed
RTI activist Nadeem Sayed stabbed to death
He was a witness in the Naroda Patiya case, where 95 persons were killed on
February, 28, 2002 during the communal violence that erupted after the Godhra train
burning incident.
Oscar
Maron Film maker and journalist from Brazil, Oscar Maron Filho died of a fatal heart atrtack on
27 November in Goa while addressing an open forum arranged as part of the ongoing
Filho
International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Renowned cricket writer and commentator Peter Roebuck committed suicide at a
Peter Roebuck
hotel in South Africa on 12 November 2011 after being questioned on allegations of sexual
assault by the police. England-born Roebuck was in South Africa to cover the ongoing
Test series between South Africa and Australia. He would be best remembered in India for
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crackingIAS.coms
IAS Express
January 2012
his indictment of Ricky Ponting and the Australian team, whom he called a pack of wild
dogs, for their behaviour in the controversial Sydney Test in 2008.
India's top nuclear scientist and nuclear physicist PK Iyengar who designed Indias first
PK Iyengar
atomic bomb and was a staunch opponent of the Indo-US nuclear deal, passed away at the
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) hospital in Trombay on 21 December 2011. In
1975, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan. He was also honoured with Bhatnagar Award
(1971), Raman Centenary Medal of the Indian Academy of Science (1988) among others.
Rajaratnam
A US judge has ordered disgraced billionaire Raj Rajaratnam to pay over USD 92
million as penalty in the insider trading case filed against him by the US financial
regulator, saying the "huge and brazen nature" of his fraud "cries out" for such an
unprecedented fine.
Raju Parulekar
a journalist.
Anna Hazares blogger
The fall-out between Mr. Hazare and Mr. Parulekar came as the former claimed that he
never spoke to the journalist or met him on the issue of restructuring of Core
Committee and forming a new Pan-Indian organisation with immediate effect.
Ravi Ruia
Ravi Ruia decided on 21 December 2011 to step down as chairman of the London-listed
Essar Energy after a trial court admitted a criminal chargesheet filed by the investigating
agency. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheeted three Essar Group
honchos, including Ravi Ruia, alleging violation of telecom industry guidelines.
Prashant Ruia, presently the vice chairman, will take over as interim chairman while
Ravi Ruia will continue as a director of Essar Energy.
In charges filed on 12 December 2012, the CBI alleged the group violated Clause 8 of
the guidelines governing the mobile telecom UAS licences by withholding facts about
the size of its stake in Loop Telecom thereby creating a complex corporate veil.
Satyadev Dubey Theatre personality. Died recently. Mr. Dubey was awarded Padma Bhushan by the
government this year.
Brazil's former football captain, Socrates who led Brazil in two World Cups died of septic
Socrates
shock on 4 December 2011 in Sao Paulo.
Trichy Sankaran Trichy Sankaran is the mridangam maestro and flag-bearer of the Pudukottai' percussive
tradition. Trichy is 2011s designate for the Academy's Sangita Kalanidhi. Trichy
Sankaran, who is based in Toronto became the first recipient of the Sangita Kalanidhi title
in the Pudukkottai parampara of his guru Palani Subramania Pillai.
Tushar Tembe
India-born Captain Tushar Tembe, Commanding officer of the American nuclear
powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman, has suddenly died.
Ustad
Sultan Renowned sarangi maestro and singer Ustad Sultan Khan died of kidney failure on 27
November 2011. He belonged to the Indore Gharana of singing. He was awarded the
Khan
Padma Bhushan, the third highest Indian civilian honour in 2010. He won numerous
musical awards including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award which he won twice.
Former Czech president Vaclav Havel died. He played a seminal role in the Velvet
Vaclav Havel
Revolution that won his people their freedom. The peaceful resistance pursued by him
exposed the emptiness of a repressive ideology. He was his country's first democratically
elected president after the VELVET REVOLUTION. The non-violent Velvet Revolution
ended four decades of repression by a regime which Havel ridiculed as Absurdistan.
Vaclav Havel, the dissident playwright wove theatre into politics to peacefully bring down
communism in Czechoslovakia and thus became a hero of the epic struggle that ended the
Cold War.
Former Indian Test (medium-pace) cricketer Vasant Ranjane passed away in Pune.
Vasant Ranjane
Ranjane worked for Indian Railways as a fitter and retired in 1994.
Vikram Akula, founder and chairman of Indias largest and only listed microlender, SKS
Vikram Akula
Microfinance, resigned from his posts in the company on 23 November 2011. Akula who
started SKS in 1998 stayed at its helm for 14 years.
Noted economist Vishnudutt Nagar passed away. He played a prominent role in the
Vishnudutt
establishment of an economics department at the Vikram University at Ujjain. Nagar's
Nagar
analytic columns on the general budget in national dailies were well received.
A heroine of Ukraine's Orange Revolution, Yulia Tymoshenko is serving seven years in
Yulia
jail after a controversial verdict on her actions as prime minister.
Volodymyrivna
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crackingIAS.coms
IAS Express
January 2012
Tymoshenko
Amjad Ali Khan is an acclaimed sarod player.
Boldrin, M. and Levine, D. K. authored Against intellectual monopoly.
Girija Devi, known as the queen of Thumri, is an eminent Indian classical vocalist representing the Banaras
Gharana.
My Revolutions authored by Hari Kunzru.
Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and
Indian authors.
World's smallest Frog - This is a frog of the family 'Paedophryne' and was discovered by a team of
researchers from Louisiana State University. The largest vertebrate is the blue whale with an average of 25
meters. A frog of the family Paedophryne , from New Guinea and measures just 7.7 millimeters , has come to
be regarded as the world's smallest vertebrate. Researchers at Louisiana State University (USA) made the
discovery during a three-month expedition to the island of New Guinea, one of the major centers of
biodiversity forest in the world.
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crackingIAS.

Compiled by: Cracking IAS Study Circle

Of Laws, Cows and People's Mutinies

MONTHLY QUESTIONS & PERSONALITIES

Call: us: 09884554654. Mail: us: membership@crackingIAS.com.

their way into this book inadvertently. Your

constructive criticisms are most welcome.

CSAT (Paper 1 & 2)

Cracking IAS Study Circle, Chennai.

Based on our books, test papers

Records reveal that the origin of Kavi art dates

*London's V&A Museum showcases Tagore,

Sado, Satoyama (Japan)

set to tune by Ousephachan. National award

moved Westwards and lay centred over South-West

* Syria agreed to allow the Arab League

killed KHALIL IBRAHIM, the leader of the

* Former French President Jacques Chirac

The bill suspended fines for land cleared illegally

* Greek lawmakers approve austerity budget:

The Arab Observer mission to monitor the

All India Prelims Peculiar

PPDPT Series attend to the following

*A team of 50 Arab League Observers arrived in

India & World

A MoU was signed on increasing cooperation and

India & World

delivery, including preventing their possible

* Labour Party conference in Australia approved

Cracking IAS Study Circle, Chennai.

India & World

expected. CERN is the French acronym for

Science, Technology, Environment

The muon neutrino is a subatomic lepton elementary

A chorus of critiques from physicists soon

- Science & Technology -

form of hypovolemic shock caused by a decrease

including ageing. The only treatment available is to

* Russia launches manned mission to ISS: Russia

- Science & Technology -

very little breeding population. The Bengal

*Body's fat switch discovered: Scientists made a key

*Worlds biggest insect - WETA INSECT

Chinas largest rail vehicle maker, CSR Corp. Ltd.

- Science & Technology -

found to orbit in the middle of the habitable zone of a

*Researchers closer to solving the mystery of Type Ia

Cracking IAS Study Circle, Chennai.

So the potential to observe was phenomenal; it

* NASA discovered the First Earth-size Planets

- Science & Technology -

Kepler-20b, the closest planet, Kepler-20c, the

influence how a cancer is likely to grow and respond

* New species of snake discovered in Western

* EMB-145I Aircraft for Indian Airborne

- Science & Technology -

*Scientists identified the bug which caused the

in Boston and both affiliated with Harvard

*Alzheimers red hope: A red dye derived from

- Science & Technology -

theorists, but was not observed at previous

Cracking IAS Study Circle, Chennai.

The GPON technology is a pivotal component

Apart from urban areas, the large data carrying