Professional Documents
Culture Documents
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
The Split
o A schism emerged after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632. He died
without appointing a successor to lead the Muslim community, and disputes
arose over who should shepherd the new and rapidly growing faith.
o Some believed that a new leader should be chosen by consensus; others thought
that only the Prophets descendants should become caliph. The title passed to a
trusted aide, Abu Bakr, though some thought it should have gone to Ali, the
Prophets cousin and son-in-law. Ali eventually did become caliph after Abu
Bakrs two successors were assassinated.
o After Ali also was assassinated, his martyrdom became a central tenet to those
who believed that Ali should have succeeded the Prophet. (It is mourned every
year during the month of Muharram). The followers became known as Shias, a
contraction of the phrase Shiat Ali, or followers of Ali.
o The Sunnis, however, regard the first three caliphs before Ali as rightly guided
and themselves as the true adherents to the Sunnah, or the Prophets tradition.
Sunni rulers embarked on sweeping conquests that extended the caliphate into
North Africa and Europe. The last caliphate ended with the fall of the Ottoman
Empire after World War-I.
II. Power struggle in the Middle East region and beyond: The countries have
been competing to promote their own version of Islam. Iran is allied with the
Hezbollah in Lebanon, Syrias Alawite Shia President Bashar al Assad and Shia
militants in Iraq. Saudi supports Wahabism worldwide.
Statistics on Migrants
Migrants are coming from unstable and conflict inflicted region of Syria,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and other Middle East countries and Eritrea and other
African countries too.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that in 2015 more
than 1,011,700 migrants arrived by sea and almost 34,900 by land to Europe.
Humanitarian Crisis
Children: Amid this crisis, children are the most vulnerable of all. Many are
travelling with their families, while many others are on their own. Every one of
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 3
them is in need of protection and entitled to the rights guaranteed under
the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Trafficking: Migrant children and women, especially those migrating without
documentation, are vulnerable to trafficking, abuse and exploitation.
Xenophobia: In countries of transit and destination, migrants and their families
often find themselves victims of discrimination, poverty and social
marginalization.
Schengen Crisis
The EU is experiencing the world's worst refugee crisis since World War II. The
terrorist threat is also very serious, particularly when it comes to radicalized EU
citizens travelling to, or from, conflict zones.
In response, member-states are re-instating national borders, and the EU is
reconsidering the Schengen agreement. If left unsolved, both the refugee and the
terrorist crisis could eventually become a Schengen crisis, which, in turn, will be
a blow to the European project itself.
The Schengen Area is the area including 26 European countries (22 of the 28 EU
member states and 4 European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) that have abolished passport
and any other type of border control at their mutual borders. It mostly functions
as a single country for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy.
The free movement of persons is a fundamental right guaranteed by the EU to its
citizens. It entitles every EU citizen to travel, work and live in any EU country
without special formalities. Schengen cooperation enhances this freedom by
enabling citizens to cross internal borders without being subjected to border
checks.
How Europe Should Manage Refugee Crisis
After some efforts to increase the focus on migrants and asylum seekers inside
the EU, the focus of many EU governments now appears to have shifted
decisively back to a default positionnamely efforts aimed at preventing or
discouraging people from attempting to reach EU territory, tackling smuggling
networks, and rapidly deporting individuals who do not have a right to remain in
the EU.
EU should create a well-regulated system which requires three steps:
o The first is to curb the push factors that encourage people to risk the
crossing, by beefing up aid to refugees, particularly to the victims of the civil
6. BREXIT
The people of Britain voted for a British exit, or Brexit, from the EU in a historic
referendum on Thursday June 23. Almost 52% of Britons voted in favour of leaving.
Britain And EU- History
1957 The Treaty of Rome was signed by 6 European states
1967 The European Community was established
1973 Britain joined the European Community. Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath took
Britain in.
1975 Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson had a referendum on Britains membership
the last national referendum this country has had. 66% voted yes to stay in
the European Community
Mains Ques:
In international trade relations, Economic Union is considered highest form of
association. With reference to turmoil in European Union, Greek Crisis, Migrant crisis
and Brexit, what type of associations should SAARC aim for?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. If left untreated, HIV can lead to
the disease AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Unlike some other
viruses, the human body cant get rid of HIV completely. So once you have HIV,
you have it for life. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection, and not everyone who
has HIV advances to this stage.
HIV attacks the bodys immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which
help the immune system fight off infections. If left untreated, HIV reduces the
number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, making the person more likely to get
infections or infection-related cancers. Tuberculosis is leading cause of AIDS
related deaths.
Programmes For Prevention of AIDS
International
1. UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is an
innovative joint venture of the United Nations family which brings together the
efforts and resources of 11 UN system organisations ( WHO,UNHCR, UNICEF,
UNESCO,UNDP etc) to unite the world against AIDS. The Joint Programme is
coordinated by the UNAIDS Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
2. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS known as 90-90-90: Launched
in 2014, 90-90-90 states that by 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know
their HIV status. By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will
receive sustained antiretroviral therapy. By 2020, 90% of all people receiving
antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. Thailand and Belarus have
eliminated mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and syphilis.
3. AIDS is also covered under SDG goals.
In India:
The Government of India estimates that about 2.40 million Indians are living with
HIV, Indias highly heterogeneous epidemic is largely concentrated in only a few
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 15
states in the industrialized south and west, and in the northeast. The four high
prevalence states of South India (Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra ,Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu) account for 55% of all HIV infections in the country.
8. Bangladesh Killings
A Muslim man was bashed to death with bricks by a mob over a rumour that he
had eaten beef.
The killing of Professor Kalburgi in Aug 2015 over his criticism of idol worship
and Brahmanical rituals etc
During the Financial Emergency, the Executive Authority of the Union gives
finance related directions to the States.
Host countries are decided by International Olympic Committee (IOC) voting for
bidding countries. Japan would host 2020 Olympics.
The 2008 Beijing games, the priciest ever, are reckoned to have cost about $40
billion. Tourism may help to offset the expense, but a spike in arrivals is not
guaranteed: Beijing saw a drop in hotel bookings during its Olympic summer.
Militants group Niger Delta Avengers, which announced its formation in February
2016, has launched attacks in the Niger Delta, targeting the oil pipelines, vowing
to bring Nigeria's struggling oil industry to a halt, and the president cancelled a
long-awaited visit to the region. A wave of such attacks has driven the country's
oil output to a 20-year low.
The Avengers aim is to create a sovereign state in the Niger Delta. They have
accused President Buhari, a Muslim from northern Nigeria, of ignoring the
problems of the predominantly Christian Delta.
This part of the country was once paralysed by an armed insurgency, which
began when locals protested that little of the wealth generated from the oil
extracted on their lands made its way into their communities. In the early 2000s
oil production in the Delta fell by half, as militants blew up pipelines and
kidnapped oil workers. The battle only ended in 2009 when the government
offered an amnesty and militants were paid to protect the pipes they used to blow
up. Mr President has now cancelled those contracts. A spate of attacks followed.
Issues In Nigeria
Recently a decade long Panama Canal expansion project has been completed
and inaugurated by passing of a Chinese charted freighter.
From 1819, Panama was part of the federation of Colombia. But when Colombia
rejected United States plans to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, the
U.S. supported a revolution that led to the independence of Panama in 1903.
The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty allowed the U.S. to build the Panama Canal, the
Panama Canal was successfully built from 1904 to 1914.
The division of the country of Panama into two parts by the U.S. territory of the
Canal Zone caused tension throughout the twentieth century. The self-contained
Canal Zone (the official name for the U.S. territory in Panama) contributed little to
the Panama economy.
The U.S. and Panama governments began to work together to solve the
territorial issue. In 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty which
agreed to return 60% of the Canal Zone to Panama in 1979. The canal and
The group's roots can be traced back to the Liberal guerrilla bands of La
Violencia - the civil war between the Liberal and Conservative parties that raged
from 1948 until 1958.
One of the guerrilla bands became disillusioned with the leadership of the Liberal
Party and turned to communism. It was led by Manuel Marulanda, who in 1966
baptised his group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Ceasefire Agreement
FARC will hand over its weapons to United Nations monitors within 6 months.
The peace accord gives the disarmament process a six-month time limit.
Demobilisation process: In addition to a framework for a ceasefire, both sides
agreed on a demobilisation plan that will see rebels concentrate in rural areas
under government protection and hand over weapons to UN monitors. The sides
are discussing designating zones where the FARC's estimated 7,000 remaining
fighters can gather for a UN-supervised demobilisation process.
Human rights groups say atrocities have been committed on all sides. Many
families are still searching for missing loved ones. Peace talks will resolve all
these issues.
The deal also includes security guarantees for the FARC during its transition to a
peaceful political party.
India ranks 141 out of 163 countries. India has moved up two positions from
143rd rank in 2015 GPI.
Institute for Economics and Peace
It is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to shifting the
worlds focus to peace as positive, achievable and tangible measures of human well
being and progress. It releases many indexes such as Terrorism index, Global peace
index, etc.
1. India-Qatar Relations
Why In News
PM had extensive talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-thani on
a range of bilateral issues including ways to further boost economic ties,
particularly in the hydrocarbon sector.
Importance of Qatar For India
1. Diaspora: Around 6,30,000 Indian nationals form largest expatriate community in
Qatar. They are important source of remittances.
2. Energy: Qatar is energy rich and is Indias largest supplier of LNG requirement,
accounting for 65% of total imports in 2015-16. It is also one of the key sources
of crude oil.
3. Strategic: Qatar is important for stability in gulf region, especially in the backdrop
of crisis in Syria, Yemen and the threat from ISIS. Also it is important for tackling
maritime security challenges.
4. Economic:
a. India is the third largest export destination for Qatar (behind Japan and South
Korea). Besides LNG, India also imports ethylene, propylene, ammonia, urea
and polyethylene from Qatar.
b. However, the balance of trade continues to be heavily in Qatars favour
c. Qatar is hosting FIFA World-Cup in 2022. A number of Indian companies are
involved in construction work in Qatar.
5. Cultural Relations: Qataris admire India's cultural diversity. There is a regular
flow of Indian artistes performing in Qatar at events organised by community
organizations affiliated to the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), apex body of
associations of the Indian community functioning under the aegis of Embassy of
India, Doha, and private sponsors.
2. India-Afghanistan Relations
Why In News
One part of the trilateral agreement would include the construction of Chabahar-
Zahedan railway line (a bilateral initiative between India and Iran's infrastructure
development companies). The project includes port, road and railway
infrastructure.
The trilateral agreement will turn the Iranian port city of Chabahar into a major
transit hub.
India will invest $500 million in the development of this strategic port of
Chabahar.
Importance Of Chabahar Port
New Delhi and Tehran had agreed in 2003 to develop the port, near the Iran-
Pakistan border. But the project did not take off, not mainly owing to international
sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, but also on account of inertia
in Delhi. The removal of sanctions after Irans nuclear deal has provided New
Delhi an opportunity to revitalize bilateral ties.
This pact has the potential to alter the geopolitics of South and Central Asia.
The road, rail and port development projects, once implemented, will change the
way India, Afghanistan and Iran do business. India and Afghanistan have failed
to realize the full economic potential of their friendship owing to connectivity
problems.
Chabahar is situated just 100 km from Pakistans Gwadar port, the centrepiece
of a $46 billion economic corridor that China is building. Chabahar lies outside
the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from Indias western coast, bypassing
Pakistan. The port is an economic gateway thanks to its location on the Gulf of
Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz.
The problem with Gwadar is that while the port has been built -the supporting
infrastructure of railroad link, industrial capacity, and civic structures at Gwadar is
almost non-existent and the proposed Gwadar route also goes through more
problematic areas of Afghanistan. The Chabahar route goes through relatively
stable parts of Afghanistan and Iran already has good relations with everybody
along the route leading north (including the local warlords) into Tajikistan.
Though the Indian investment in Chabahar, at $500 million, does not match the
scale of the Chinese project with Indias overland access to Central Asia blocked
by Pakistan, the Chabahar deep-sea port and the INSTC running northward
Question: Indias stronger ties with Iran are a must to not only counter Chinas
string of Pearl strategy but also to enhance its energy security. Critically Explain.
4. India-Switzerland Relations
India got the backing of Switzerland in its bid to become a member of the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG).
5. India-Mexico
Mexico extended support to India for NSG membership in the recent visit of PM
Narendra Modis visit to Mexico.
Further, the leaders of both countries recognized the opportunities to define the
path of the India-Mexico Privileged Partnership for the 21st Century. This
Question: Indias bid to NSG membership has shown that there are no permanent
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 28
friends or foes in diplomatic relations. How much do you agree with this statement?
Substantiate your answer citing recent examples.
6. India-US
Indo-US Cooperation In Clean Energy
Recognizing the critical importance of increasing energy access, reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, and improving resilience in the face of climate
change, President Obama and PM Modi committed in September 2014 to a new
and enhanced strategic partnership on energy security, clean energy, and
climate change.
Since that time, United States and India have made important strides together to
advance this strategic partnership, and to our related cooperation on
environmental stewardship.
India, US announce $60 million clean energy financial support: India and the
US have announced the setting up of two financial assistance programmes worth
$60 million, to be sourced equally from U.S. foundations and the Govt of India,
for supporting Indias much-needed clean energy initiatives including in solar
power and other renewables.
U.S.-India Clean Energy Finance (USICEF) Initiative: The USICEF initiative
will raise and deploy up to $20 million in project preparation support. This fund
will be used for projects deploying distributed solar for grid tied communities, off-
grid communities, and those served by mini-grids to benefit poor communities to
provide clean and renewable electricity to up to 1 million households by 2020.
U.S.-India Catalytic Solar Finance Program (USICSFP): The USICSFP will
raise and deploy up to $40 million in high-impact catalytic capital in support of
investments into India's solar market. It will provide much needed liquidity to
smaller-scale renewable energy investments, particularly in poorer, rural villages
that are not connected to the grid, and could mobilise up to $1 billion of projects.
This would help in expansion of handholding support to Indian utilities that are
scaling up rooftop solar and continuation of successful cooperation with USAID
on "Greening the Grid.
Indo-US Joint Statement: Enduring Global Partners in the 21st Century
1. Over NSG, MTCR and other n-regimes: US supports Indias early application
and eventual membership in all four regimes- NSG, MTCR, Wassenaar
Arrangement, and the Australia Group.
India and Namibia enjoy longstanding, excellent and time-tested ties that predate
Namibias independence. Over 1000 Namibians have trained in India. Several
Indian experts from government and the private sector have been involved with
policy formulation in the country since its independence.
India and Namibia had signed two MoUs on Cooperation in the field of geology
and mineral resources and Cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy in
2009. However, the Pelindaba Treaty of 1996 has prevented it from ratifying the
agreements.
The Pelindaba Treaty, also known as the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone
Treaty, aims at preventing nuclear proliferation and preventing strategic minerals
of Africa from being exported freely. Namibia, a member of ANWFZT, is barred
from supplying uranium to India as the latter is not a member of Non-Proliferation
Treaty or NPT.
Reiterating its commitment to honour the 2009 pact to supply uranium to India at
the earliest, Namibia has asked India to enter into similar agreements with other
countries to convince the member-states of the African Nuclear Weapon Free
Zone Treaty (ANWFZT).
10. India-Seychelles
India-Seychelles relations have been characterised by close friendship,
understanding and cooperation. Diplomatic ties were established with Seychelles
after its independence in 1976, but the links date back to even earlier.
During first Prime Ministerial level visit from India to Seychelles in Mar 2015 ,
following four agreements were signed- MoU on Renewable Energy Cooperation;
MoU for Cooperation in the field of Hydrography; Protocol on Sale of
Navigational Charts / Electronic Navigational Charts; and Agreement on the
Development of Facilities on Assumption Island.
Economic Relations
The economic and commercial cooperation at the moment is small, there exists
significant scope for enhancing cooperation in this field.
The total imports from India in 2014 was US$ 43.80 million (approx.), while total
exports to India in 2014 was only US$ 0.023 million (approx.).
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 35
India and Seychelles have signed Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection
Agreement (BIPPA).
Security/Defence Related
India- Seychelles joint military exercise LAMITYE 2016 was conducted at
Seychelles Defence Academy (SDA). India and Seychelles have been
conducting this biennial joint military drill since 2001. Lamitye in Creole (local
dialect of Seychelles) means friendship.
An Indian naval ship, INS Tarasa, was gifted to Seychelles on 7 November 2014
to augment surveillance and patrolling of Seychelles waters
India and Seychelles have signed MoU on the stationing of an Indian Navys
Dornier aircraft in Seychelles, MoU for supply of a coastal surveillance radar
system in the outer islands signed, and several MoUs on police research/training.
Culture and Tourism
Cultural Exchange Programme, Agreement on Tourism, etc
Seychelles tourism minister Alain St. Ange visited India in 2016 to promote the
countrys tourism industry. The direct share of tourism in the economy 27%.
Seychelles receives about 280,000 tourists a year a year, roughly three times of
its population.
India is an important source of tourism for the island nation. Last year, about
8,000 Indians travelled to Seychelles to spend holidays.
Indian Community
India has an important link with Seychelles in the form of Indian nationals being
the earliest inhabitants of this island, mostly from Tamil Nadu and later from
Gujarat, who came as traders, labours, construction workers and more recently
as professionals.
The Indian community is visible in all walks of life in Seychelles, particularly in
trading. Virtually all the shops in this country are owned by the Tamil community.
A large portion of the real estate business and the construction industry is
controlled by the Gujarati community.
Ques: One of the biggest challenges for Indian policy makers is to balance the
China scare put forth by analysts within and outside the country. Forum like
Shangri-La Dialogue give India an additional platform to secure strategic and
military ties. Explain.
Desert Eagle II, the second in the series of bilateral air exercises between the
Indian Air Force (IAF) and the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAE AF),
concluded at the Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE. The ten-day air combat exercise
saw IAF Su 30 MKI participating along with Mirage 2000-9 and F-16 block 60 of
the UAE AF.
The gratuity ceiling stands enhanced from Rs. 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs. The ceiling
on gratuity will increase by 25% whenever dearness allowance rises by 50%.
The Cabinet also approved the recommendation of the commission to enhance
the ceiling of house building advance from Rs. 7.5 lakhs to Rs. 25 lakhs.
The Confederation of Central Government Employees (CCGE) registered its
protest against the recommendations. Therefore, the Union Government has
decided to examine the concerns raised by employees. The Union Cabinet
decided to set up four committees:
The first will look into the implementation issues anticipated;
The second one will go into the likely anomalies;
The third one will further examine the recommendations on allowances,
which have largely been kept on hold, and
The fourth will suggest measures for streamlining the National Pension
System.
The present Union government has cut down the budget provisions of the
Panchayati Raj Ministry massively and closed down two of its key programmes
viz., the Backward Regions Grants Funds and Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat
Sashaktikaran Abhiyan.
Last years budget cut, from Rs. 7,000 crores to Rs. 96 crores, left such an
impact on the Ministry that it lost confidence in empowering panchayats
nationwide. In view of the budget cuts, the Ministry recently realigned its
mandate from financing panchayats to capacity-building and training.
According to analysts, such massive cut downs in the budget will deprive the
ministry from performing its duties of empowering the last mile democracy.
This is an old idea, going back at least to the 1960s, when, interestingly, it drew
support both from right-wing libertarians like Milton Friedman and centre-left
Keynesians like John Kenneth Galbraith.
The 1960s brought about the war on poverty, waged through federally funded
social service and healthcare programmes. Milton Friedman sought a negative
income tax, eliminating the need for a minimum wage and potentially the welfare
trap, while bureaucracy could be curtailed. Richard Nixon supported and yet
failed to push through a Family Assistance Plan while George McGoverns
1972 campaign sought a $1,000 demogrant for all citizens.
Some are against the principle of giving money for doing nothing. This may
disincentivise people towards work and make them lazy.
Fiscal conservatives are worried about the budgetary implications. This will
require new taxes to be levied.
There is also a right-wing paranoia these days the fear of the migrant hordes.
Recent Experiments
Switzerland may have rejected the idea of giving citizens about $2,500 a month,
but Finland, Netherlands, and the Canadian province of Ontario are planning a
trial run.
Even India has seen its share of basic income experiments. As a pilot project,
eight villages in Madhya Pradesh provided over 6,000 individuals an
unconditional monthly payment (Rs. 150 for a child, Rs. 300 for an adult). The
results were intriguing. Most villagers used the money on household
improvements (latrines, walls, roofs). There was a seeming shift towards
markets, instead of ration shops, leading to improved nutrition, particularly
among SC and ST households, and better school attendance and performance.
There was an increase in small-scale investments (better seeds, sewing
machines, equipment repairs etc). Bonded labour decreased, along with casual
wage labour, while self-employed farming and business activity increased.
Financial inclusion was rapid within 4 months of the pilot, 95.6% of the
individuals had bank accounts. Within a year, 73% of the households reported a
reduction in their debt. There was no evidence of any increase in spending on
alcohol.
The Route Ahead
A regular unconditional basic income, scaled up through pilots, and rolled out slowly
and carefully, seems ideal for India. It can help improve living conditions including
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 50
sanitation in our villages, providing them with access to better drinking water, while
improving childrens nutrition. Regular basic income payments can help institute
rational responses to illness or hunger, enabling households to fund their health
expenses instead of encountering a vicious cycle of debt. It can help reduce child
labour, while facilitating an increase in school spending. It can transform villages,
enabling the growth of productive work, leading to a sustained increase in income. It
could cut inequality; grow the economy; all while offering the pursuit of happiness.
Why not have one universal basic subsidy that covers everything (perhaps except
health and education) and let people decide how they will spend it, rather than
having a multifariously fractured system of welfare, where multiple authorities give
out different subsidies (food, housing, education, health) based on imperfect
knowledge of what people need and deserve.
SEWA claims that the number of extant government welfare schemes exceeds
350, though most of those programmes are not much more than a name. Why not
replace all of them by a single Universal Basic Income of, say, Rs 250 a week, which
entitles every adult resident to a minimum weekly income as long as they verify their
identity using Aadhaar. At the very least, this will reduce poverty and free up the
bureaucracy to do other things.
The issue of censorship on Udta Punjab has brought two issues in the limelight-
the tyranny of CBFC, and the drug menace in Punjab. In light of the free
speech versus censorship issue, the Shyam Benegal Committee has advocated
doing away with the Central Board of Film Certifications censorship role. But
Punjabs drug problem is a very real one. Lets look into it.
Extent Of Problem In Punjab
Opium use has been part of Punjabs cultural landscape since before Partition
and ramped up after the Green Revolution. But the rot truly set in with the spread
of synthetic drugs via cross-border flows in the 1980s, and then the narco-
terrorism spike around the turn of the millennium. Heroin (chitta) is mostly
home-grown, while corruption and laxity in border security architecture provide
ingress points for narcotics from Pakistan.
A core problem with the governmental approach has been that it emphasizes on
criminality. Rather a holistic approach integrating demand reduction, harm
reduction and supply reduction is the need of hour. Harm reductionproviding
clean needles, sterilization equipment and the like to drug usershas proved to
be effective in Manipur as well as in other countries in minimizing secondary
damage such as the spread of AIDS and Hepatitis C.
The Supply side reduction should involve a zero-tolerance policy towards drug
cartels, syndicates and peddlers. Checking illicit cultivation of opium and closing
porous borders should be non-negotiable clauses in Indias drug abuse
prevention policy.
Conclusion
If there is one thing Udta Punjabs critics have got right, its that the drug problem
isnt restricted to the state. Wedged between the Golden Triangle (Thailand,
Laos and Vietnam) in the east and the Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Iran and
Pakistan) in the west, many regions in India, such as the north-east, are
particularly vulnerable. What the Punjab epidemic has shown is that matters can
get much worse if they arent handled effectively. Going after Bollywood films
doesnt count.
3. Smart City Mission
The government is celebrating a year of the launch of its flagship urban
programme, the Smart Cities Mission. In Jan 2016, 20 from a pool of 100 cities
were selected by the Centre under the Smart Cities Mission.
rate of 30 lakh houses per year merely 1,623 houses have been constructed so
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 54
far. The number of houses sanctioned, even on paper, stands at just seven lakh
as on June 25, 2016.
Among the larger states, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have not even started off
PMAY on ground. Most of the north-eastern states and all Union territories have
a similarly poor show.
The programme has 4 sub-components namely In-situ slum redevelopment,
Affordable housing in partnership, Beneficiary-led construction scheme, and
credit-linked subsidy sub-component.
The worst performance has been in the sub-component of in-situ redevelopment
of slums under which not a single house has been built till date. The model relies
heavily on builders taking up redevelopment of slum clusters wherein in return of
rehabilitating the slum residents on part of the land, they are allowed to use the
remaining land, private or public, for constructing houses for sale in the market.
Issues With Scheme
(a) Housing activists blame the laggardly implementation of the PMAY on its heavy
reliance on the private sector for funding. The central funding of Rs 1 to 1.5
lakh per unit is grossly inadequate for constructing houses in even many smaller
towns, while States have their own priorities and may not allocate enough funds
for this scheme. Most of the sub-schemes depend on private builders who are
not interested in constructing houses for the poor while under the beneficiary-led
construction, only those urban poor who have a claim on the land can get
funding.
(b) Even considering the minimal funding of Rs 1 to 1.5 lakh per unit and a set target
of 30 lakh houses a year, the annual budgetary provision required for the
programme is Rs. 40,000 crore. As against this the allocation for PMAY for 2016-
17 is a mere Rs. 5,000 crore.
(c) Unlike RAY (Rajiv Awas Yojana), PMAY lacks a rental component and
stresses little on small upgradation and heavily on builder-led redevelopment.
It was initially proposed that PMAY would have a rental housing component with
an outlay of Rs. 6,000 crore mainly aimed at migrant populations and homeless
who cant ever afford to buy a house. However, due to the PMs emphasis on
providing ownership-based houses for all, the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Poverty Alleviation (MHUPA) decided to drop the rental component.
(d) 90% of the estimated shortage of 18.7 million dwelling units is in category of
EWS and LIG. The cost of constructing EWS-LIG houses is up to 8 lakh in
metros. Even after an interest subsidy under the credit link subsidy scheme, the
EMI works out to Rs. 3,000 per month. This is not affordable for the poor.
Mains Ques: Critically examine the effects of globalization on the aged population in
India. (GS 1- Mains, 2013)
Saiga is a type of antelope. There are two subspecies of Saiga that can be found
in Asia and south-eastern parts of Europe (Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).
Local people kill Saiga because of its meat and horns. Horns are used in
traditional Chinese medicine. Saiga is listed as critically endangered species
with less than 50 000 animals left in the wild.
Only males have horns. Unfortunately, hunters kill Saiga because of the horns
and there is great disproportion in the number of males and females in the wild.
Saigas are very famous for their long and exhausting migrations that take place
each year. Migrations start at November and they are directed toward the winter
grounds in the south.
Three Asiatic lions, from near Gir National Sanctuary, found to have turned man-
eaters, have been sentenced to life within a cage.
They come into conflict with human beings in regions, replete with social and
commercial activities, where there is little or no prey base for the carnivore.
Man-animal conflict is a major factor affecting the big cats (Lions, Tigers,
Leopards etc) and Elephants. As humans move deeper into the territory of tigers,
chances of conflict between both sides increase many fold. Men and livestock
often become the victim of attacks from big cats. This infuriates villagers who
resort to revenge killing.
It is high time that all the stake-holders viz. local people, Forest department,
Revenue department and the State government come together to the drawing
board, understand the problem and arrive at a permanent solution to this
perennial problem. Community based approach of forest and wildlife
management is the best way with forest department playing the role of facilitator.
Mapping: Using GPS tracking collars and GIS mapping software, researchers
can identify hot spots where human-wildlife conflict is likely to occur. These
hotspots often coincide with developed regions at the edge of national parks, but
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 69
the data from tracked animals can reveal individual movement patterns that may
be unexpected. Identifying conflict hot spots helps to pinpoint ranger manpower
and funding to proactively address the issue of human-wildlife conflict.
Recently the Centre approved the culling of wild animals such as nilgai and wild
boar in Bihar and rhesus monkey in Himachal Pradesh by declaring them
'vermin', under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, in December 2015, following
requests from the respective States as they cause harm to the resident
population.
The move has invited widespread criticism from various quarters. States such as
Maharashtra and Goa had also submitted complaints regarding peacocks, Indias
national bird, and West Bengal apparently requested that the elephant be
declared 'vermin'.
As per Section 62 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, States can send a list
of wild animals to the Centre requesting it to declare them vermin for selective
slaughter. The Central Government may declare any wild animal other than
those specified in Schedule I and part 11 of Schedule H of the law to be vermin
for any area for a given period of time. As long as the notification is in force such
If animals are not the real cause as stated above, then does culling seem to be a
viable option. Perhaps not.
The need of the hour is for a nation-wide policy framework to manage human-
wildlife conflict.
Crop insurance for wildlife damage, which the Environment Ministry recently
recommended to be included in the National Crop/Agricultural Insurance
Programme, also deserves trial. Conservationists today also use modern
technology such as mobile phones for SMS alerts, customised apps, automated
wildlife detection and warning systems, and participatory measures for wildlife
tracking and rapid response to monitor and reduce conflicts, save crops,
property, and human lives.
Thus this complex issue has to be looked from multifarious angles to arrive at a
practical yet sustainable and humane solution.
The pioneering experiment in Iceland mixed CO2 emissions with water and
pumped it hundreds of meters (feet) underground into volcanic basalt rock --
where it rapidly turned into a solid. This is a revolutionary way of storing the
greenhouse gas to tackle climate change.
Scientists had feared it could take long time for the mildly acidic liquid to solidify.
But 95 per cent of the injected mixture which they had tagged with tracer
chemicals in order to check it didnt leak out had became chalky white stone
within two years.
In the future it could be of use for power plants in places where theres a lot of
basalt.
Basalt makes up most of the worlds seafloors and approximately 10 per cent of
continental rocks, according to the study by the researchers.
A porous, blackish rock, basalt is rich in calcium, iron and magnesium; these
minerals are needed to solidify carbon for storage.
Eurasian otter, one of the rarest Indian mammals, has been discovered from
Satpura.
The Eurasian otter has a wide distribution covering Europe, Africa and Asia. The
species is listed as Near Threatened as per the IUCN Red List (2004, 2008).
The Eurasian Otter lives in a wide variety of aquatic habitats, including highland
and lowland lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, swamp forests and coastal areas.
Threats In South And Southeast Asia
The decrease in prey species from wetlands and water ways had reduced the
population to an unsustainable threshold leading to local extinctions.
Poaching is one of the main causes of its decline in south and Southeast Asia,
and possibly also in north Asia.
Conservation
Forests and trees constitute nearly one fourth of the geographic area of the
country.
Protection of this vast and valuable resource, improving and increasing the forest
and tree cover requires adequate investment keeping in view the pressures on
these forests, and the ecosystem services that they provide to the nation.
Large tracts of forest area in the country have degraded due to immense biotic
pressure and lack of adequate investment.
How Different From Old Approach
Following are some of the key features missing in earlier policy which new policy
focuses on covering:
It had asked the environment ministry to not only define forests but also identify
inviolate areas, regions that would be out-of-bounds for non-forestry activities like
mining and industrial projects.
Issues of pristine forests and the so-called violate-inviolate forest areas have
been addressed for the first time.
The new policy also takes into account related developments in the past couple
of decades, including the ambitious Green India Mission and the Forest Rights
Act of 2006.
The issue of go and no-go forest areas has pitted industry against the
environment ministry amid serious objections from NGOs and tribal groups over
allowing pristine forests to be cleared which the new policy looks into.
The new policy also addresses the important issue of climate change completely
missing in earlier policies.
Highlights Of The Policy
Proposing levy of a green tax while calling for safeguarding forest land by
exercising strict restraint on diversion for non-forestry purposes like mining and
industrial projects.
According to proposed policy Environmental cess, green tax, carbon tax etc.
may be levied on certain products and services.
Answer: (b)
Westinghouse will build six AP-1000 pressurised water reactors with a design
capacity of 1,100 megawatts.
It is the first deal stemming from the US- India Nuclear accord signed in 2008.
The deal was signed by the then Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab
Mukherjee and his counterpart then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2008
which is now called now called the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation
Approval and Non-proliferation Enhancement Act.
One obstacle was bringing Indias liability rules into line with international norms,
which require the costs of an accident to be channelled to the operator rather
than the maker of a nuclear power station. But, following the announcement of a
breakthrough understanding on nuclear cooperation during Mr. Obamas visit to
India in January 2015, this issue has been resolved to the satisfaction of the U.S.
government and it is down to commercial partners to agree a deal.
Pakistan is all set to begin construction work on the third unit of the Karachi
Nuclear Power Plant. The unit will be developed using a reactor by the China
National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and this move is expected ease power
shortages in Pakistans port city.
Known as K1, this is one of the 30 nuclear plants that China plans to establish by
2030 along its planned Silk Road.
This will be the second nuclear power project in Pakistan to use Chinas Hualong
One technology.
CNNC is also promoting this technology in other countries such as Algeria and
Sudan.
3. Einstein Ring
In this case a galaxy bends the light emanating from a galaxy that is directly
behind it, focusing the otherwise divergent light into a visible ring.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 83
The interest is sufficiently strong that this object has been given its own name:
the The Canarias Einstein ring.
An Einstein ring is a distorted image of a very distant galaxy, which is termed the
source.
The distortion is produced by the bending of the light rays from the source due to
a massive galaxy, termed the lens, lying between it and the observer.
The strong gravitational field produced by the lens galaxy distorts the structure of
space-time in its neighbourhood, and this does not only attract objects which
have a mass, but also bends the paths of light.
When the two galaxies are exactly aligned, the image of the more distant galaxy
is converted into an almost perfect circle which surrounds the lens galaxy.
The irregularities in the circle are due to asymmetries in the source galaxy.
For the second time, scientists have directly detected gravitational waves
ripples through the fabric of space-time, created by extreme, cataclysmic events
in the distant universe.
Scientists at LIGO have determined that the incredibly faint ripple that eventually
reached Earth was produced by two black holes colliding at half the speed of
light, 1.4 billion light years away.
The scientists detected the gravitational waves using the twin Laser
Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) interferometers, located in
Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington.
While LIGOs first detection, reported on Feb. 11, produced a clear peak, or
chirp, in the data, this second signal was far subtler, generating a shallower
waveform that was almost buried in the data. (For details on Gravitational wave
and LIGO, refer Feb Magazine).
Using advanced data analysis techniques, the team determined that indeed, the
waveform signalled a gravitational wave. A special technique called matched
filtering invented in 1949 by Wiener had to be adapted for gravitational wave
data analysis.
LISA Pathfinder, a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) with
contributions from NASA, has successfully tested a key technology needed to
build a space-based observatory for detecting gravitational waves.
It began orbiting a point called Earth-sun L1, roughly 930,000 miles (1.5 million
kilometers) from Earth in the suns direction.
The scientists of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) are planning to use
the technology that protects rocket launch vehicles from high-temperature fire to
protect the thatched roofs and even prevent water seepage in concrete buildings.
It was originally developed to protect the rockets from high temperature and fire
to which they are exposed during the initial moments of launch. Caspol can
This could protect public transport systems and poor men residing in thatched
homes from fire accidents. Seats in automobiles, public transport system and
seat cushions of railway coaches can be made fireproof when Caspol is applied.
Besides its ability to protect against fire and high temperature, Caspol can also
make surfaces waterproof. When applied over the concrete surface of buildings,
fill up the micro cracks and holes on concrete to prevent water from seeping in.
Also, when applied over concrete surface of buildings, the high emissivity of the
product reduces the temperature inside the building by at least 5 to 6 degree
Celsius.
This is the 35th consecutively successful mission of PSLV and the 14th in its 'XL'
configuration. The total weight of all 20 satellites carried on-board PSLV-C34
was 1288 kg.
With the success of the technology demonstration flight of its Reusable Launch
Vehicle (RLV), ISRO is gearing up to test a scramjet engine based on air-
breathing propulsion.
The test platform named Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), will comprise a
scramjet engine hitched to a two-stage sounding rocket (RH- 560).
Scramjets are 'air breathing' aircraft because rather than carrying both fuel and
the oxygen needed to provide acceleration, they carry only hydrogen fuel and
'pull' the oxygen needed to burn it from the atmosphere.
Air is forced into the front of the engine and as hydrogen is injected into the
airstream, the gases are compressed causing the temperature to rise and ignition
to occur.
This generates huge amounts of thrust and enables the jet to travel at speeds far
in excess of the 1,350mph top speed of Concorde.
The use and adoption of Big Data within governmental processes is beneficial
and allows efficiencies in terms of cost, productivity, and innovation.
10. Pakistan Tops The Malware Index List, India 8th: Microsoft
Pakistan tops the list of countries figuring in the Malware Infection Index 2016
prepared by Microsoft.
The index identifies the key malware threats in the region and ranks markets in
Asia-Pacific according to how much they are affected.
The index has also identified the top three most encountered malware as
Gamarue (a malicious computer worm that is commonly distributed via exploit
kits and social engineering), Skeeyah and Peals which are trojans that try to look
innocent to convince you to install them, the index reveals.
Out of the top five locations across the globe most at risk of infection, a total of
four are from the Asia Pacific Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal,
topping the rankings at first, second, fourth and fifth places respectively.
The Navy sail boat INSV Mhadei steered by an all-woman, six-member crew
that will attempt to circumnavigate the world next year recently entered Port
Louis, Mauritius.
This historic open ocean voyage by the all-women crew, the first such in Indian
maritime history, is designed to help them get used to the conditions they will
face during their mission.
DRDO's Varunastra, the first indigenous heavy weight ship launched anti-
submarine electric torpedo, has been handed over to Indian Navy.
It is capable of targeting quiet and stealthy submarines, both in deep and littoral
waters in intense counter measure environment.
This torpedo has more than 95% indigenous content. Bharat Dynamics has been
associated with NSTL in the development of Varunastra as a production agency.
The torpedo has advanced autonomous guidance algorithms with low drift
navigational aids, insensitive warhead which can operate in various combat
scenarios. It has GPS based locating aid, a unique feature in contemporary
torpedoes in the world.
Boosting Indias efforts to fill gaps in its air defence capabilities new generation
Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM), developed by India and Israel,
was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range off Odisha Coast.
The missile is similar to the Barak-8 missile used by the Navy's new destroyers.
The project director for MR-SAM told that there is no comparable system in the
world. Earlier, a naval version of the same missile was tested in Israel.
The system also includes a multi-functional surveillance and threat alert radar for
tracking, detection and guidance of the missile.
IIT Madras researchers have found that silver can slowly dissolve in water if
heated to about 70 degree C in the presence of glucose.
As much as 0.5 weight per cent of a silver plate can get dissolved in glucose
water within a week. Like gold, silver is a noble metal and is therefore supposed
to be inert (resistant to chemical corrosion, especially to chemical reagents used
in daily life).
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 89
Significance of Study
This is helpful in studying the effect of metals in food and how toxic metals get
into our food chain from soil, water and fertilizers. Silver foils are used to
decorate sweets and often such foils are eaten along with the sweets. Silver
vessels are also used for cooking.
An offshoot of the study is that the method can be used for developing novel and
green extraction processes for noble metals. In general, toxic chemicals such as
cyanide are used for extracting silver. The newly developed method can extract
silver effectively by a simple and green method. It does not require any harmful
chemicals or high temperature or expensive set-up.
Key Facts
The studies found that silver atoms gets released from a plate in a simple, two-
step mechanism silver ions are first formed at the metal surface, which later
form specific metal complexes with sugar.
The researchers observed that as much as 0.5 weight per cent of a silver plate
can get dissolved in glucose water within a week.
Atoms are highly reactive on the surface of the metal as they less connected and
less bound and this allows the atoms to be released.
Metal dissolution leads to corrosion of the plate and nanoscale pits get formed on
the plate. Further dissolution occurs at the pits and as a result the pits get bigger,
making a polished silvery metal appear black. Under favourable conditions, up to
10% of the metal can get dissolved in 90 days.
Dissolution of silver by glucose directly from the metallic state gets enhanced in
the presence of ions such as carbonate and phosphates.
A team of scientists from Bengalurus Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has come
up with a new bone reconstruction method similar to sutures.
For this, they are using is an unlikely ingredient: maltitol, derived from maltose, a
sweetening agent found in most sugar-free foods such as ice-creams.
So far, there were only two options for injuries to bones: a cast for minor
fractures, and implants like metal rods for more serious injuries.
Also, since the maltitol reacts to water and as the body is primarily made of
water, the bonds start breaking slowly, over a course of time.
The molecules are soluble in water, and they eventually come out. Once the
bone grows back, the structure simply disintegrates.
This material would be a huge advantage over existing ones, such as metal rods,
which do not allow growth of the bone.
The advantage of using maltitol to make the scaffold is that drugs can then be
injected into it to hasten healing. The other benefit of using maltitol is fewer side-
effects.
A team of scientists from Harvard University has created a unique bionic leaf
that uses solar energy to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, and
hydrogen-eating bacteria to produce liquid fuels from CO2.
Dubbed bionic leaf 2.0, the new system can convert solar energy to biomass
with 10% efficiency a number far higher than the 1% seen in the fastest
growing plants.
While the study shows the system can be used to generate usable fuels, its
potential doesnt end there.
In many ways, the new system fulfills the promise of his artificial leaf which
used solar power to split water and make hydrogen fuel.
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of a 15-year contract by the
Ministry of Earth Sciences with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for
undertaking exploration and other developmental activities related to
polymetallic sulphides in the allotted area of 10,000 sqkm.
It will also enhance Indias presence in the Indian Ocean where other players like
China, Korea and Germany are active.
The program will be implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences with the
participation of various national institutes and research laboratories and
organisations.
Deep seabed polymetallic sulphides (PMS) containing iron, copper, zinc, silver,
gold, platinum in variable constitutions are precipitates of hot fluids from
upwelling hot magma from deep interior of the oceanic crust discharged
through mineralized chimneys.
PMS in the Ocean Ridges have attracted worldwide attention for their long term
commercial as well as strategic value.
By signing the MoU on the membership for a period of five years with ICDP, India
would enable engaging internationally renowned experts with profound expertise
in different aspects of scientific drilling in order to accomplish deep drilling and
associated investigations in Koyna Scientific Deep Drilling Project undertaken
by Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Also, ICDP will provide technical / operational support, facilitate capacity building
in terms of manpower training in key scientific areas, sample and data
management and support workshops for the Koyna project.
The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences serves as the headquarters
for the ICDP.
The food and drug administration of USA for the first time approved a clinical trial
for an experimental vaccine for Zika virus, an early but significant step in the
effort to combat a disease that has quickly emerged as a global health threat.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 93
The Inovio Zika product which goes by the working name GLS-5700, is a so-
called DNA vaccine. In that kind of vaccine, DNA coded to produce the protein
that surrounds the Zika virus is injected into the skin.
The site of the injection is zapped with a device that delivers a short electrical
pulse that helps the DNA find its way into cells a process called
electroporation.
The cells then start the process of training the immune system to see the Zika
virus as a foreign invader that needs to be attacked, generating antibodies to
fight it.
Zika Virus
Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia
and the Pacific.
In October 2015 Brazil reported an association between Zika virus infection and
microcephaly -- a birth defect where a baby's head is smaller. The new study
claims Zika may not be the real cause of microcephaly after all so further
research is still needed to verify this.
Researchers have developed a new, non-invasive method that can kill cancer
cells in two hours, an advance that may significantly help people with inoperable
or hard-to-reach tumours as well as young children stricken with the deadly
disease.
A beam of light is then aimed at the tissue, causing the cells to become very
acidic inside and, essentially, commit suicide
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 94
This was tested against triple negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive
types of cancer and one of the hardest to treat.
The human eye perceives the large amount of blue light emitted by some LEDs
as white. This excessive blue wavelength contributes to glare effects as a result
of larger scattering in the human eye.
Blue light directly affects sleep by suppressing the production of the hormone
melatonin, which mediates the sleep-wake cycle in humans.
The unshielded LED lighting causes papillary constriction, leading to worse night-
time vision between lighting fixtures. Intense blue spectrum can even damage
the retina.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 101
as the tenth-highest recipient of FDI in 2015, receiving $44 billion of investment
that year compared to $35 billion in 2014.
It also jumped a place in terms of attractiveness as a business destination in
2015, to sixth place, with 14 per cent of the respondents naming it as their
destination of choice.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 104
9. RBI Search Panel For Deputy Governor To Be Headed By Cabinet Secretary
The government set up the Financial Sector Search and Recruitment Committee
headed by the Cabinet Secretary to choose the members and heads of the
RBI, the SEBI, and the IRDA.
The committee will also have a permanent member from the Prime Ministers
Office (PMO), representatives from the Finance Ministry, an economist, and the
head of the regulatory body, whose members are to be selected, will be special
invitees. The search committee can only recommend names, while the
government makes the appointment.
Background
A central bank Deputy Governor can be appointed for a term with a maximum of
five years or till the age of 62, whichever is earlier. Out of the four Deputy
Governors, two are appointed from outside of which one is an economist and
the other a commercial banker. The remaining two Deputy Governors are
appointed from within the RBI ranks.
As per the established practice, the interview panel for the appointment of deputy
governors had always been headed by the RBI Governor. The RBI has opposed
the governments move to have Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha as the head of the
search-cum-selection panel for the appointment of its Deputy Governor.
Under the compromise, the RBI Governor will have a greater say in the short-
listing of the names. However, technically, the Cabinet Secretary remains the
head of the panel.
11. Asian Development Bank Approves Loan For Irrigation System In Tamil Nadu
Asian Development Bank, the multilateral lending agency has approved a USD 100
million loan to strengthen a key irrigation system and improve water management in
the Vennar sub-basin of Cauvery Delta in Tamil Nadu. The work is expected to be
completed in December 2020.
Key Points
The Vennar irrigation project will support both physical improvements and
stronger water management, giving a significant boost to the lives of coastal
communities who often go without sufficient irrigation water.
It will strengthen the embankments of six major irrigation water channels in
Vennar system to make them more resilient to floods and upgrade water
regulators.
The Cauvery delta, on the east coast of Tamil Nadu, is known as the rice bowl
of the state, with over 70 per cent of the delta population engaged in farming and
fishing, but access to water is unreliable and flooding common during the
monsoon season.
This is expected to worsen as climate change intensifies with projections that
storm rainfall could increase by 19 per cent, the sea level could rise by up to 0.87
meters by 2100, and maximum temperatures could increase by as much as 1.5
degrees Celsius by 2050.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 106
Asian Development Bank
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific
through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and
regional integration.
Established in 1966, ADB in December 2016 will mark 50 years of development
partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members48 from the region. In
2015, ADB assistance totalled $27.2 billion, including co-financing of $10.7
billion.
12. Govt To Come Out With Updated IIP, WPI Indices By Year-End
Government is all set to come out with revised IIP and WPI indices by the end of
this year with a new base year of 2011-12. A base year is the year used for
comparison for the level of a particular economic index. The arbitrary level of 100
is selected so that percentage changes (either rising or falling) can be easily
depicted.
Changing the base year will make the indices more representative of the
changing economic scenario.
Background
Government had last revised the base year of both these indices in 2011 to
2004-05.
The National Statistical Commission has recommended revising the base year of
all economic indices every five years.
As part of the revision, the basket of items and weightage assigned to different
entries on the basis of which indices is computed will be updated.
At present there is no such index for the services sector. The Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) which releases the data of
national income (GDP) as well as WPI and Consumer Price Index (CPI) is
working on bringing out an index for the services sector.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 107
Key Findings of Report
India's retail sector has expanded at a compound annual growth rate of 8.8%
between 2013 and 2015. Online retail will account for 25% of the total
organised retail sales in India by 2020 and non-metros will drive 60% of the
overall growth of e-commerce. There will be an increase of 175 million in the total
number of online shoppers by 2020.
The report also revealed that 90% of the online buyers will continue to pay for
premium value added services, 46% of them will pay extra charges for faster
delivery, 37% for hassle free return, and 35% for extended warranty.
Online women shoppers will grow five times by 2020 driven by their spending
behaviour in lifestyle categories such as apparel and accessories.
Lifestyle will overtake consumer electronics and become the largest online
category by 2020 at 35% of the total online spends.
Consumer electronics will be at 20%. While niche categories like home (furniture
and furnishing) and personal care will witness high adoption rate in Tier II cities
owing to assortment and convenience of purchase.
One out of four women expressed concern over e-tailors having offline presence.
Background
The Global Retail Development Index is an annual study that ranks the top 30
developing countries for retail expansion worldwide.
The retail demand in India is being fuelled by urbanisation, an expanding middle
class, and more women entering the workforce.
India's high ranking is driven by GDP (gross domestic product) growth, improved
ease of doing business, and better clarity regarding FDI (foreign direct
investment) regulations.
Ques- How do you think the retail sector has transformed in India in past decade.
Analyse keeping in view the emergence of ecommerce.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 108
Senior tax officials were asked to aim for widening the tax net from the present
5.4 crore households to 10 crore households all non-agricultural income
households mainly, by changing their attitudes towards taxpayers.
Conference has given a five-point charter to tax administrators embodied in the
word RAPID. These are: Revenue, Accountability, Probity, Information,
Digitization.
Key takeaways
Publicizing the two schemesthe Income Declaration Scheme and the Direct
Tax Dispute Resolution Schemethrough outreach by tax department officials in
all towns to ensure a good response.
Launching a pilot in Delhi of the comprehensive grievance redressal schemeE-
Nivaranwherein all the various grievance redressal systems will be integrated.
Steps to augment revenues and meet enhanced revenue targets for this fiscal
and plug revenue leakages in some sectors.
Improving the facilitation levels through the single window launched on 1 April by
adding more details about other departments requirements like Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 110
A GST Compliance Rating has also been proposed for every taxable person.
The score will be based on his/her record of compliance with the provisions of
the Act.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 111
17. Non Resident Indians Can Now Join And Subscribe To NPS Online Through
eNPS
NRIs can now open NPS Accounts online if they have Aadhaar Card or PAN
card. It can provide a long term solution to their old age income security.
It has been available to NRIs through Bank offices but now, to further ease the
process of joining, eNPS is being extended to Non-Resident Indian subscribers.
Further, NRIs will be able to open NPS accounts both on Repatriable and on Non
Repatriable basis. On a Repatriable basis, an NRI will have to remit the amount
through his/her NRE/FCNR/NRO account.
For Non-Repatriable scheme, NRIs will be able to join NPS through their
NRE/FCNR/NRO accounts at the time of maturity or during partial withdrawal,
the NPS funds would be deposited only in their NRO accounts.
Both Repatriable and Non-Repatriable schemes will greatly appeal to NRIs who
intend to return to India after their employment abroad, in view of their attractive
returns, low cost, and flexibility.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 113
20. Solar Power Industry: The Challenge Of High Operating Costs
Dust, high temperatures and the dearth of water are contributing to a significant
increase in the cost of operating solar power plants in the country, according to
industry leaders.
Problems Faced
High Temperature: The solar panels that are used are not designed for very
high temperatures. In remote areas with high temperatures, we find that we are
not getting the required units of power. The panels do not yield their optimal
usage.
Dust Problem: Dust is a problem, especially in Rajasthan, where the dust
conditions are really bad and require frequent cleaning around two times a
month, which then increases the operational costs. In Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana, cleaning is needed once a month, but in Rajasthan the modules
should be cleaned twice a month.
Hard Water: Hard water is not suitable for cleaning, and so we have to invest in
reverse osmosis and other technology to make it suitable. Since many large-
scale power plants are located in the interior regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and parts of South India, getting
soft water on sites becomes difficult at times.
Lack of skilled labour: Another issue is that the skilled workforce required for
cleaning and maintenance is not available in these areas and so we have to
bring them in from other areas and train them
How Do They Affect
The resulthigher operational costscoupled with historically low tariffs for solar
power could pose a future risk for the industry. Solar tariffs in India have fallen
tremendously, 16.1 cents per unit in November 2010 to 6.7 cents per unit in
January 2016, among the lowest rates in the world.
Possible Solution
The methods adopted in the western countries can be solution. Operations and
maintenance (O&M) is highly automated in the West as compared to primarily
manual O&M services in India, where it can be estimated to be between Rs.9-12
lakh per year per megawatt.
Current Affairs for 2017 Part 2 (June 2016 events) Page 114
21. Govt Releases Draft National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy
The government has released the draft National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy
which aims at providing a framework to promote large grid connected wind-solar
photovoltaic (SPV) system for optimal and efficient utilization of transmission
infrastructure among others, reducing the variability in renewable power
generation, thus, achieving better grid stability.
The goal of the policy is to reach wind-solar hybrid capacity of 10 GW by 2022.
Broadly, the draft policy proposes hybridization of existing SPV and wind power
plants as well as providing a guideline towards setting up of new hybrid wind-
solar PV power plants.
The draft policy proposes to provide fiscal and financial incentives for
hybridization of existing plants as well as setting up of new hybrid wind-solar PV
plants.
Low cost financing for hybrid projects may be made available through IREDA and
other financial institutions like multilateral banks.
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Online one common Registration through a simplified procedure.
Clean and safe drinking water.
Lavatory, creche, first aid and canteen by group of establishments, in case, it is
not possible due to constraint in space or otherwise by individual establishment.
Five paid festival holidays in addition to national holidays etc.
Exemption of highly skilled workers (for example workers employed in IT,
Biotechnology and R&D division) from daily working hours of 9 hours and weekly
working hours of 48 hours subject to maximum 125 over-time hours in a quarter.
The annual global fraud survey, carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit,
polled 768 senior executives worldwide from a broad range of industries and
functions from January through March of 2015.
The overall observation is that fraud has continued to increase, with three
quarters (75%) of companies reporting they have fallen victim to a fraud incident
within the past year, an increase of 14% points from just three years ago. The
threat from within is also on the rise.
Overview of India in Fraud Cases
India has one of the largest fraud problems in the world. Its 80% overall
prevalence is third in this group compared to Colombias 83% and Sub-Saharan
Africas 84%.
An overwhelming 80%of companies polled in India had been victims of fraud in
2015-16, up from 69% in 2013-14.
It also has the highest national incidence of corruption (25% of companies),
regulatory breach (20%) and IP theft (15%). For eg. Satyam Scam, Adidas fraud
and ponzi schemes - Saradha scam etc. India also ties for the highest national
level of money laundering (8%).
While companies in India are willing to spend to improve their level of anti-fraud
protection, it appears that such funds are not being invested appropriately. For
respondents that had identified the perpetrator, 59% indicated that junior
employees were leading players in at least one such crime.
Despite these vulnerabilities and the high proportion of fraud perpetrated by
insiders, only 28% of companies in India invest in staff background screening
and only 55% invest in vendor due diligence.
Reasons for high number of fraud cases in India
Lack of preventive measures by the companies in India
Ineffective judicial system
Lack of due diligence in companies
Loopholes in insider trading norms
Multiplicity of investigative agencies results in ineffective investigation
Lack of expertise and professionalism in fraud investigations in India
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A Ponzi scheme is an illegal business practice in which new investors
money is used to make payments to earlier investors.
In accounting terms, money paid to Ponzi investors, described as income, is
actually a distribution of capital.
Instead of returning profits, the Ponzi schemer is spending cash reserves, all
for the purposes of raising more funds.
Where a basic investment scam raises money and disappears the Ponzi
scheme stays in business by circulating investor funds. There are usually
little or no legitimate investments taking place.
Most of the funds are used by promoters for expensive lifestyles and
transferred into property or offshore accounts. Schemes typically run for at
least a year, although some Ponzis have flourished for a decade or more.
There is regulatory vacuum over Ponzi schemes.
Ques- In the light of the Satyam Scandal (2009), discuss the changes brought
in corporate governance to ensure transparency and accountability.
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8. SUMMITS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
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APEC is the missing link in Indias Act East policy because we are already
heavily engaged with APEC countries.
APEC economies offer vast market , nearly 60 per cent of global GDP; secondly,
more than 50 per cent of global trade; and thirdly, on average 50 per cent of
global FDI flows, both in bound and out bound
Inclusion in the APEC might open the door for Indias membership of the Trans-
Pacific Partnership (TPP).
India, by not joining APEC soon, may progressively found itself increasingly
removed from the norms of trade policy engagement across this wider region.
Challenges to Indias membership to APEC
In 1997 a moratorium on membership was put in place for a ten-year period. At
the end of 2007 the moratorium was extended to 2010. Since 2012 moratorium
was lifted.
Indias extra-regional status is a hindrance as APEC is essentially a group of
'Pacific' countries.
The main impediment has been the opposition of some participants who have
held Indias record on economic reforms and WTO engagement to be
unsatisfactory and unworthy of meriting inclusion as a member in the grouping.
There is no financial cost to the United States for supporting India's APEC
membership request. But there will be diplomatic costs: the membership
moratorium closed the door after Russia, Vietnam, and Peru joined in 1998, so
consideration of any new member spurs talk about the need for "balance" from
all APEC regions, such as Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Reasons why India should become a member
A majority of members now believe that India must be brought into the fold for it
has shown progress in reforming and liberalising its economy.
Indias maritime strength and strong strategic relations with the regions major
powers, member states point out, could be used to bring strategic balance within
the grouping.
All but four APEC member economies already have, or are pursuing, trade
agreements with India bilaterally or multilaterally, including China
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OPEC is a permanent intergovernmental organization of oil-exporting
developing nations. It was created at the Baghdad Conference in Sept 1960 by
Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
Today OPEC has 13 members including Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962), Libya
(1962), the United Arab Emirates (1967), Algeria (1969), Nigeria (1971), Ecuador
(1973), Gabon (1975) and Angola (2007).
Headquarter: Vienna, Austria (Austria is not a Member of OPEC)
Its Statute stipulates that any country with a substantial net export of crude
petroleum, which has fundamentally similar interests to those of Member
Countries, may become a Full Member of the Organization, if accepted by a
majority of three-fourths of Full Members, including the concurring votes of all
Founder Members.
Mission of OPEC
o Coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries. Ensure
the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and
regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and
a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.
Challenges ahead for OPEC in Post Shale Gas revolution in the world
Post Arab-Israeli conflict in 1973, OPEC imposed a ban on oil export to
Western countries, including the US, which imported over 85% of its oil needs
from West Asian nations. Within a year, crude prices increased four times. The
heat was felt everywhere, including developing countries like India.
But in todays era, does the OPEC commands such control over the oil prices so
as to bring industrialised nations on its knees? It does not seem so. With recent
downfall in oil prices due to high production of oils by US and shale gas
revolution, OPEC seems to be losing its clout.
The real fear for OPECs members generally is what would happen to OPEC
once US shale fracking technologies are exported worldwide. Chinas domestic
shale gas and oil reserves may potentially far outstrip even those of the United
States.
OPECs World Oil Outlook anticipates a decline in global demand for its oil to
2016 with production falling to 29.7 mpbd. But, OPECs dozen members pump a
third of the world's crude oil. So, it still has price influence on oil prices. Also,
OPEC as a group still controls a much larger share of the market than the US.
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The OPEC cartel is losing some influence to the US shale oil market and to a
lesser degree Russia, but it still remains a dominant force - just not as powerful
as before
India And OPEC
Lower crude prices may prove to be a blessing in disguise for India. Being the
worlds fourth largest crude oil importer, low prices augur well for its development
agenda. The fuel price may remain subdued for another year, but this cannot
continue for long. Historically, low oil prices increases consumption and prices
bounce back later, as is evident from oil price fluctuations in 1986, 1993 to 1996
and 2008.
Ques- Does OPEC still enjoy control over oil price regime in changing global oil market,
especially after shale gas revolution in America?
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International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as
modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto and by the Protocol of 1997
(MARPOL).
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch
keeping for Seafarers (STCW ) as amended, including the 1995 and 2010 Manila
Amendments.
Polar Code IMO has adopted the International Code for Ships Operating in
Polar Waters (Polar Code) and related amendments to make it mandatory under
both the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
The Polar Code is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2017. The Polar
Code covers the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational,
training, search and rescue and environmental protection matters relevant to
ships operating in the inhospitable waters surrounding the two poles.
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5. European Union and Euro
The European Union is a unique economic and political union between 28 European
countries that together cover much of the continent. It is highest level of economic
integration presently seen in world.
Historical background:
1957Treaty of Rome: The first step was to foster economic cooperation: The
idea being that countries that trade with one another become economically
interdependent and so more likely to avoid conflict. The result was the European
Economic Community (EEC), created in 1958 by Treaty of Rome, and initially
increasing economic cooperation between six countries: Belgium, Germany,
France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Since then, a huge single
market has been created and continues to develop towards its full potential.
European Council: It brings together EU leaders to set the EU's political agenda. It
represents the highest level of political cooperation between EU countries. It
decides on the EU's overall direction and political priorities but does not pass laws.
It sets the EU's common foreign & security policy, taking into account EU strategic
interests and defence implications. It also nominates and appoints candidates to
certain high profile EU level roles, such as the ECB and the Commission.
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