Russia ousted from UN Human Rights Council in historic vote

Russia has lost its bid to retain a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. The General Assembly recently elected 14 countries to the 47-member council. With 112 votes, Russia lost to Hungry and Croatia.

• This is the first time Russia has not been part of the UNHRC since the council’s inception in 2006.
• 80 different human rights organizations had signed a petition asking Russia be removed from UNHRC after Russia’s involvement in Syria’s civil war caused many to believe Russia is guilty of war crimes.

UNHRC:

It is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.

• It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.
• The Council is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly.
• The term of each seat is three years, and no member may occupy a seat for more than two consecutive terms.
• The council works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and engages the United Nations’ special procedures.
• The General Assembly can suspend the rights and privileges of any Council member that it decides has persistently committed gross and systematic violations of human rights during its term of membership. The suspension process requires a two-thirds majority vote by the General Assembly.

Employees Online (EO) Mobile App of DoPT launched

The government has launched the Employees Online (EO) App. EO App is a mobile application of the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Key facts:

• The application would enable its users, which may include officers, media persons and all stakeholders to stay updated on real time basis with appointments and postings approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and vacancies at senior level in the Government of India.
• By eliminating the information asymmetry in this regard, the EO App will reduce speculations regarding transfers and postings in the Government of India and will make the system completely transparent as all the relevant orders and notifications will now be instantly available in the public domain.
• This is an effective management tool which also empowers the IAS officers on Pan India basis and officers serving under Central Staffing Scheme by providing their personal records like Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR), Immovable Property Return (IPR), Executive Record (ER) sheet through secured NIC login Id and Password.

Andaman gets training in seaweed farming

The emerging seaweed farming industry in the country will get a major boost with the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) recently transferring seaweed cultivation technology to the Andaman administration.

• The CMFRI has provided scientific inputs on methods of seaweed farming suitable for the islands as part of the institute’s initiative to intensify its consultancy services.

Why Andaman was selected?

A feasibility study conducted in the seawater-inundated areas in south Andamans by a team of CMFRI scientists revealed that these regions had good prospects for seaweed farming. Also, aimed at avoiding environmental disruptions, the CMFRI selected the coastal areas devoid of coral reefs.

Background:

Seaweed cultivation is perceived as one of the most environmentally benign types of mariculture. Seaweeds are of immense industrial, human and agricultural value. They gained prominence during 13th century, after the discovery of agar-agar in Japan and Alginic Acid in European continent.

What is seaweed cultivation?

Seaweed farming is the practice of cultivating and harvesting seaweed. In its simplest form, it consists of the management of naturally found batches. In its most advanced form, it consists of fully controlling the life cycle of the algae.

Seaweed cultivation in India:

In India, agar-agar gained importance as seaweed chemicals during the Second World War. After the advent of Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute (CSMCRI), commercial technologies for agar-agar, alginic acid, Carrageenan and LSF, the importance of seaweed wealth on Indian coast especially South Indian coast has been greatly realised. Consequently, a systematic study on seaweed resources assessment in South Indian coast has been carried out jointly by Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute and Central Marine Fisheries Institute and the Department of Fisheries, Government of Tamil Nadu.

The surveys conducted in this connection revealed the vast hidden wealth of seaweeds from this region which has a great bearing on the future of seaweed based industries in India. 

Three astronauts return from ISS

Three astronauts recently landed safely in Kazakhstan following a 115-day mission aboard the International Space Station.

Key facts:

• The team included U.S. astronaut Kate Rubins, the first person to sequence DNA in space. Ms. Rubins’ participation in the mission generated particular excitement after NASA announced plans for the career scientist to sequence DNA aboard the ISS in a world first.
• Rubin’s participation was aimed at identifying potentially dangerous microbes aboard the ISS and diagnose illnesses in space.
• This journey marks the first complete mission to and from the orbital lab for a new generation of Soyuz spacecraft with upgraded features.

About the International Space Station (ISS):

The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit. The ISS is now the largest artificial body in orbit.

• The ISS consists of pressurised modules, external trusses, solar arrays and other components. ISS components have been launched by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets as well as American Space Shuttles.
• The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and other fields.
• The station is suited for the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars.
• The ISS maintains an orbit with an altitude of between 330 and 435 km by means of reboost manoeuvres using the engines of the Zvezda module or visiting spacecraft. It completes 15.54 orbits per day.
• ISS is the ninth space station to be inhabited by crews, following the Soviet and later Russian Salyut, Almaz, and Mir stations as well as Skylab from the US.
• The ISS programme is a joint project among five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA.
• The ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements. The station is divided into two sections, the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) and the United States Orbital Segment (USOS), which is shared by many nations.

Union Cabinet approves establishment of National Academic Depository

The Union Cabinet approved establishment and operationalisation of a National Academic Depository (NAD). Under it all academic degrees, certificates and awards in the country will be made digitally available for verification on single spot. 

Key Facts 

The NAD will be established and operationalised within the next three months. It will be rolled out throughout the country in 2017-18. It will be operationalised by NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML) and CDSL Ventures, Limited (CVL). 

Background 

The Finance Minister’s Budget Speech (2016) had incorporated commitment to establish a Digital Depository for school learning certificates, degrees and other academic awards of Higher Education Institutions, on the pattern of a Securities Depository. 

How it will work? 

Academic institutions will be directed to upload and authenticate all documents in digital form into the NAD system The NAD will register educational institutions/eligibility assessment bodies/boards, students and other users/verifying entities like employer companies, banks, government agencies and academic institutions. It will provide digital or a printed copy of the academic award with security features to the students or other authorized users. Besides, NAD will also verify academic awards online on the same day of request initiated by any authorized user. Requests for access to academic awards will be on basis of consent of the owner. For ex, access from potential employers and academic institutions will be only on the basis of consent of the student. NAD will maintain the authenticity, integrity and confidentiality of its database. It will root out fake degrees.

28 October: National Ayurveda Day

The first National Ayurveda Day was observed on 28 October on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti. The theme for this year is ‘Ayurveda for Prevention and Control of Diabetes‘. Ayurveda is the traditional Hindu system of medicine based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and uses diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing. It has been incorporated in Atharva Veda, the last of the four Vedas. To celebrate this day, the Union Ministry of AYUSH had organized a day-long national seminar on Prevention and Control of Diabetes through Ayurveda in New Delhi. Besides, the Ministry also had launched Mission Madhumeha through Ayurveda on the occasion. The Mission Madhumeha will be implemented throughout the country through a specially designed National Treatment Protocol for effective management of Diabetes through Ayurveda. The national treatment Protocol was also released on occasion of National Seminar. 

Background 

Union Government has decided to celebrate National Ayurveda Day every year on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti. This day marks birth date of Lord Dhanvantari, which occurs before two days before Diwali on Dhanteras. Dhanvantari is the form of Lord Vishnu. He is considered as the ideal doctor and manifestation of compassion, representing the wisdom of ayurveda in practical application.

2 Yazidi women Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar win 2016 Sakharov Human Right Prize

Two Yazidi women Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar have been selected for European Union’s prestigious Sakharov Prize for Human Rights for year 2016. Both of them were among thousands of Yazidi girls and women who were abducted by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq and forced into sexual slavery in 2014. But both survived and had escaped sexual enslavement. Now they campaign for the Yazidi community. They also have become figureheads for effort to protect Yazidis, followers of an ancient religion with more than half a million believers concentrated in northern Iraq. 

About Sakharov Prize 

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is annual award given by the European Parliament. It is bestowed on individuals or organisations who have dedicated their lives to the defence of human rights and freedom of thought. It was established in December 1988 and is named after Soviet scientist (physicist) and dissident Andrei Sakharov. The first prize was jointly awarded to Nelson Mandela and Russian human rights campaigner Anatoly Marchenko. It is awarded annually on or around December 10 (also celebrated as Human Rights Day), day on which UN General Assembly ratified Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020

According to recently released study, global wildlife populations have fallen by 58% since 1970 and if the trend continues then two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020 The study was published as The Living Planet assessment by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 

What the study says?

It suggests that animals living in lakes, rivers and wetlands are suffering the biggest losses. Human activity, including habitat loss, wildlife trade, pollution and climate change contributed to the decline in global wildlife populations. It also concluded that vertebrate populations are declining by an average of 2% each year. 

How the study was conducted? 

The report in its analysis had looked at 3,700 different species of birds, mammals, fish, amphibians and reptiles, about 6% of total number of vertebrate species in the world. It had also collected data from government statistics, peer-reviewed studies and surveys collated by conservation groups and NGOs. They had included any species with population data going back to 1970, with two or more time points in the study. Then using this data researchers had analysed how the population sizes had changed over time. Some of this information was weighted to take into account the groups of animals that had a great deal of data or very little data.

Background 

The Living Planet Report is published every two years. It aims to provide an assessment of the state of the world’s wildlife. The last report was published in 2014. It had estimated that the world’s wildlife populations had halved over the last 40 years.

IPS officer Karnal Singh appointed as Director of Enforcement Directorate

The Union Government has appointed Senior IPS officer Karnal Singh as the Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED). Decision in this regard was taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will be in office till 31 August 2017. Karnal Singh is 1984-batch IPS officer of the Union territories cadre. Prior to this appointment, he was holding additional charge as Director of ED for over a year. 

What is Enforcement Directorate (ED)? 

The Economic Enforcement is economic intelligence and law enforcement agency agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India. It functions under the aegis of the Department of Revenue, Union Ministry of Finance. It has a mandate to enforce two of most stringent laws in the country. They are Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to check black money and hawala trade cases.

One-man judicial Committee on OROP submits report to Defence Minister

The one-man judicial committee on One Rank One Pension (OROP) set up by the Union Government, has submitted its report to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The Union had appointed the committee under the Chairmanship of retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court L Narasimha Reddy in December 2015. It was tasked to look into the anomalies arising out of implementation of OROP. The committee had held hearings at around 20 cities and towns across the country and interacted with cross sections of ex-servicemen as well as their associations. It also had received 704 representations from individuals and various ex-servicemen associations and had held extensive interactions with all stakeholders. 

What is One Rank One Pension (OROP)?

 The OROP scheme aims to provide ex-servicemen of same rank and same length of service uniform pension regardless of date of retirement, provided that the ex-servicemen concerned had retired from the same rank and they had served for an equal number of years. Under this scheme, pension will be re-fixed every five years of ex-servicemen and future enhancements in rates of pension will be automatically passed to the past pensioners.

Union Government launches Biotech-KISAN and Cattle Genomics to empower farmers

The Union Ministry of Science and Technology has launched two new schemes Biotech-KISAN and Cattle Genomics in order to apply science to boost rural economy. The intent of these programmes is to form a network to farmers directly with the scientists and experts. Thus they seek to empower farmers, especially women farmers. 

Biotech-KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) Scheme

 Its purpose is to connect farmers, scientist and science institution across country. Under it, fellowship will be given to women farmers for training and education in farm practice. Under it scientists will spend time on farms and link communication tools to soil, water seed and market. The main aim of the scheme is to understand individual problems of the small holding farmers and provide ready solutions. It will be implemented in 15 agro-climatic zones of India in phased manner with objective of linking new technology to farm by understanding problem of local farmer. 

Cattle Genomics Scheme

 The scheme aims at boosting selective breeding of the native livestock more accurately to ensure high-yielding, disease-resistant, resilient livestock. Under it, government will undertake an ambitious project of genome sequencing of 40 registered indigenous cattle breeds of India. Besides, a high-density DNA chips will be developed under this scheme to reduce the cost and time interval of breeding of the native livestock. Genome selection will use information on variations in DNA sequences between animals to predict the breeding value more accurately. Thus, help to transform livestock breeding.

India, New Zealand ink three agreements including avoidance of double taxation

India and New Zealand signed three agreements in the areas of double taxation avoidance (DTA), sports and food security to carry forward the ties between both sides. The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart John Key after the delegation-level talks in New Delhi. Both countries have reached an understanding on further cooperation on cyber security, counter-terrorism, customs, education and food safety

 Signed agreements are 

Arrangement between the Ministry for Primary Industries of New Zealand regarding Food Safety Cooperation and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) MoU on cooperation in the field of youth affairs and sports. It was signed between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India and Sport New Zealand. Protocol to the convention for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. 

Besides, both countries also agreed to

 Establish Bilateral Ministerial Dialogue between two Foreign Ministries. Establish Annual Foreign Ministry Consultations at Senior Officials Level. Cooperation and Dialogue on Cyber Issues. 

Support for NSG 

During this visit of New Zealand PM, India failed to get outright support of New Zealand for its bid for Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) membership. India had clearly notified New Zealand that its entry to the NSG was tied to its need for clean energy and climate change commitments. Thus, it indicates that New Zealand is yet to change its position of admitting only signatories of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) countries in NSG, a group of 48 countries which works by consensus. 

Why New Zealand does not support India’s bid to NSG? 

New Zealand is part of a group called the New Agenda for Coalition which promotes the NPT and pushes for nuclear disarmament worldwide.

 Comment 

The official state visit New Zealand PM John Key comes in run-up to a crucial NSG Consultative Group (CG) meeting to be held in Vienna in November 2016. This meeting will specifically to consider whether countries that haven’t signed on to the NPT can be considered for membership. Earlier in June 2016, India’s membership bid to NSG had failed to make headway in Seoul (South Korea) after it was opposed by China and other countries. New Zealand was also among the countries led by China that have demanded to set criteria for non-signatories of the NPT for joining NSG. 

What is New Agenda for Coalition (NAC)?

NAC is a geographically dispersed group of middle power countries that promotes the NPT and pushes for nuclear disarmament worldwide. It consists of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa. The group was officially launched in Dublin (Ireland) in June 1998 in response to the North-South divide that stymied talks on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation within the framework of the NPT.

India ranks 130th in 2017 Ease of Doing Business index

India has been placed at 130th position among the 190 countries in the recently released World Bank’s ease of doing business index for the year 2017. The index was released as part of the World Bank’s annual report Doing Business 2017: Equal Opportunity for All. This report had revised India’s rank to 131 from earlier 130th for the year 2016. Thus, India has improved its place by one spot in the 2017 index and its place remained unchanged from the previous original ranking of 130 in the year 2016.

 What is ease of doing business index? 

The ease of doing business index is annually released by World Bank in its Ease of Doing Business Report. It was introduced in 2004. In this index, ranking of country is based on index averages the country’s percentile rankings on 10 indicators each having equal weightage. A higher ranking of country in this list means that its regulatory environment is more conducive and favourable for the starting and operation of firms. 10 indicators are starting business, getting electricity, dealing with construction permits, registering property, protecting investors, getting credit, employing workers, trading across borders, paying taxes, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. 

Key Highlights of 2017 Report

 Top 10 Countries: New Zealand (1st), Singapore (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Hong Kong (4th), South Korea (5th), Norway (6th), UK (7th), US (8th), Sweden (9th) and Macedonia (10th). 

BIRCS Nations: India ranks lowest in Doing Business among the BRICS nations. Russia (40), South Africa (74), China (78), Brazil (123) and India (130). India’s Neighbours: Bhutan (73), China (78), Nepal (107), Sri Lanka (110), Pakistan (144) and Bangladesh (176). 

India Related Facts: In the ranking, India has made a substantial improvement in some areas such as electricity connection. But it has sliped in other areas, including payment of taxes and enforcing contracts. India has embarked on a fast-paced reform path and has acknowledged a number of substantial improvements. Some the improvement mentioned are electricity connections to businesses, paying taxes, electronic system for paying employee state insurance contributions, the Companies (Amendment) Act, electronic filing of integrated customs declarations, passage of the commercial courts and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. 

Global Facts: Economies in all regions are implementing reforms easing the process of doing business. However, Europe and Central Asia continues to be the region with the highest share of economies implementing at least one reform. 96% of economies in the Europe and Central region have implemented at least one business regulatory reform. A record 137 economies around the world have adopted key reforms that make it easier to start and operate small and medium-sized businesses. Developing countries carried out more than 75% of the 283 reforms in the past year, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for over one-quarter of all reforms.

India ranks 87th on the WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report 2016

India has been ranked 87th out of 144 countries on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2016. India has climbed 21 spots from 108th position in 2015. The report measures gender gap as progress towards parity between men and women in four areas (i) Educational attainment, (ii) Health and survival, (iii) Economic opportunity and (iv) Political empowerment.

Key Highlights of the report

Top 5 Countries in 2016 Report: Iceland (1st), Finland (2nd), Norway (3rd), Sweden (4th) and Rwanda (5th). 

India related facts: In this edition India has overtaken China which is ranked 99th. The improvement in India’s ranking is driven largely by major improvements in education, where it has managed to close its gap entirely in primary and secondary education. In case of education attainment, India has made considerable strides moving up from 125th rank in 2015 to 113th in 2016. On economic participation and opportunity too, India has moved up to 136th rank in 2016, from 139th in the year 2015. On health and survival, India has made little progress moving up by one place to 142nd rank compared to 141st in 2015. On political empowerment, India continues to be ranked 9th in the world.

 Overall Global Facts: The global march towards parity in key economic pillar has slowed down dramatically. This gap stands at 59% which is now larger than at any point since 2008. As a consequence, global economic gender gap will now not close until year 2186. 

Comment 

The gender gap in India has narrowed down. But India still remains one of the worst countries in the world for women in terms of labour force participation, income levels as well as health and survival. India has closed its gender gap by 2% in a year (2016), but much work remains to be done to empower women in the economic sphere. India continues to rank third-lowest in the world on Health and Survival, remaining the world’s least-improved country over the past decade.

Paul Beatty wins 2016 Man Booker Prize

Paul Beatty (54) has won the 2016 Man Booker Prize. With this he becomes the first US author to win this prestigious literary award. He was bestowed with this award for his racial satirical novel ‘The Sellout’ at a ceremony held in London’s Guildhall. His novel tells the story of a young black man who tries to reinstate slavery and racial segregation in a suburb of Los Angeles. 

About Paul Beatty

 He was born in Los Angeles in 1962. He had received an MFA in creative writing from Brooklyn College and an MA in psychology from Boston University. His novels are The White Boy Shuffle (1996), Tuff (2000), Slumberland (2008) and The Sellout (2015). In 2016, he was bestowed with the National Book Critics Circle Award (Fiction) for his novel The Sellout. 

About Man Booker Prize 

The Man Booker Prize world’s most prestigious English-language literary award. It was launched in 1969 and presented by the Man Group. The award aims at promoting the finest literary work in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written in English and published in the United Kingdom. It carries cash prize of 50,000 pounds. The authors are shortlisted by judges from a wide range of disciplines and all with a passion for quality fiction. The 2015 Man Booker Prize was conferred on Jamaican author Marlon James for his book A Brief History of Seven Killings.

Uranus may have two more moons: Study

According to study conducted by researchers from University of Idaho, US Uranus may have two tiny, previously undiscovered moons orbiting near two of the planet’s rings. These two moons were detected by researchers after analysing decades-old images of Uranus’ icy rings taken by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft which had flown by the planet 30 years ago. 

What researchers have found?

 Scientists have found that the pattern in Uranus’ rings was similar to moon-related structures in Saturn’s rings called moonlet wakes. They have estimate the hypothesised moonlets in Uranus’ rings may be four to 14 kilometres in diameter. It means they are as small as some identified moons of Saturn. 

How researchers discovered these moons? 

They had analysed decades-old images of Uranus’ icy rings taken by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft which had flown by the planet 30 years ago. During their analysis they had noticed the amount of ring material on the edge of the alpha ring – one of the brightest of Uranus’ multiple rings – varied periodically. They also had found similar, even more promising pattern occurred in the same part of the neighbouring beta ring. They also had analysed radio occultations – made when Voyager 2 sent radio waves through the rings to be detected back on Earth. They also had analysed stellar occultations made when spacecraft measured light of background stars shining through the rings, which helped to show how much material they contain. 

What is significance of this research? 

Uranian moons are especially hard to spot because their surfaces are covered in dark material. These findings could help explain some characteristics of Uranus’ rings, which are strangely narrow compared to Saturn’s moons. It will also help to explain that if moonlets exist, they may be acting as “shepherd” moons, helping to keep the rings from spreading out. Two of Uranus’ 27 known moons, Cordelia and Ophelia act as shepherds to Uranus’ epsilon ring. 

About Uranus

 Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. Uranus is similar in composition to Neptune and are classified as “ice giants” to distinguish them from the gas giants. Its primary composition of hydrogen and helium, but it also contains more ices such as water, ammonia, and methane, along with traces of other hydrocarbons Every planet in our solar system except for Venus and Uranus rotates counter-clockwise as seen from above the North Pole; that is from west to east.

Uttarakhand High court bans sale of whitener

The Uttarakhand High Court ordered state government to completely ban on the sale of whitener in the state following the death of a teenager from sniffing an excess of it. The High Court issued the order by taking suo motu cognisance of the death of the 14-year-old boy due to sniffing excess whitener for a kick. Besides, the high court also ordered that items such as Feviquick, Iodex should not be sold to children below 18 years of age in view of prevalent abuse of these among teenagers.

 What are whiteners?

 Whiteners are mainly used for erasing ink on paper and as shoe whitener. It contains volatile aliphatic petroleum hydrocarbons such toluene and trychloroethane which are intoxicating chemicals. 

What is whitener-inhalation addiction? 

In whitener-inhalation addiction, people inhale the whitener i.e. intoxicating chemicals present in it. By doing this for some time, it makes the sniffer dizzy, high and disconnected. It has a hallucinatory effect on the sniffer. Thus, it is the first step to drug addiction or alcoholism. The whitener abuse is generally seen among the youths. The problem has been compounded by its easy procurement, negligible cost and its lack of odour. 

What are side-effects of whitener-inhalation addiction on health?

 Whiteners contain hydrocarbons which is deadly solvents that can infuse easily with the blood and can affect the central nervous system of a person. Some of the reported symptoms of solvent addiction are uncharacteristic behaviours such as mood swings and insomnia and it may results in kidney, liver and lung damage 

What measures need to be taken to stop it? 

Government should completely ban the sale of products that contain intoxicating chemicals, like the whitener.

Union Government forms panel to resolve telecom penalty row

The Union Telecom Ministry has formed a committee to look into the regulator TRAI’s recommendation of a Rs. 3,050 crore penalty on top three telcos — Airtel, Vodafone and Idea. The committee has been asked to give a report on the recommendations soon likely to be before 15 November 2016. 

What is the case? 

Earlier TRAI had recommended Department of Telecom to impose penalty on these three incumbents telecom companies for denying interconnection points to Reliance Jio. According to TRAI, these three companies have violated licence norms by denying adequate interconnection points to Reliance Jio Infocomm. Their actions also have stifled the competition and are seen as anti-consumer and against public interest. The Reliance Jio had alleged that due to inadequate interconnection points its subscribers were unable to make calls to other networks. TRAI had recommended fine for Airtel and Vodafone to Rs.1,050 crore for 21 service areas (all, expect Jammu and Kashmir) and for Idea the penalty was pegged at Rs 950 crore for 19 service areas (all, except for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Northeastern States).

ISRO starts landing tests for Chandrayaan-2 mission

The Indian Space Research Organsiation (ISRO) has started a series of ground and aerial tests linked to the critical Moon landing of Chandrayaan-2. These tests were started as ISRO’s new site at Challakere in Chitradurga district, 400 km from Bengaluru. This site has simulated craters. ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) is the lead centre for the second Moon mission. It has artificially created close to ten craters to simulate the lunar terrain and test the Lander’s sensors. ISAC will conduct many tests including on avionics and electronics, testing the Lander’s legs, followed by a combined full test. 

About Chandrayaan-2 mission 

Chandrayaan-2 mission is tentatively set for late 2017 or early 2018. The mission includes an Orbiter, a Lander and a Rover. The Orbiter spacecraft will be launched from Sriharikota will travel to the Moon and release the Lander, which will in turn deploy a tiny Rover to roam the lunar surface. The mission includes soft-landing on Moon and moving a rover on its surface. All three project components will be sending data and pictures to Earth. 

Some facts about Chandrayaan-1 mission

 Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first lunar probe. It was launched by the ISRO in October 2008 and operated until August 2009. The spacecraft was launched by PSLV-C11 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It had completed 312 days in orbit. It made more than 3,400 orbits around the moon. The vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on 8 November 2008. The probe had impacted near Shackleton Crater ejecting underground soil that could be analysed for the presence of water or ice. It had sent more than 70,000 images of the lunar surface which provided breathtaking views of lunar mountains and craters, especially craters in the permanently shadowed areas of the Moon’s polar region.

CO2 level reaches record high in 2016: WMO

According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the atmosphere has reached a record high. The globally averaged concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere reached to 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in 2015. It is expected to surge again to new records in 2016 on the back of the very powerful El Niño event. 

Key Facts 

This is for the first time CO2 levels have reached the 400 ppm barrier on a global average basis for the entire year. Besides, longest-established GHGs monitoring station at Mauna Loa, Hawaii predicts that CO2 concentrations will stay above 400 ppm for whole of 2016 and not dip below that level for many generations. There was a 37% increase in radiative forcing (the warming effect on our climate) because of long-lived GHGs such as CO2, methane and nitrous oxide (N2O) released from industrial, agricultural and domestic activities between 1990 and 2015. 

What is relation between CO2 emissions and El Niño event?

According to WMO, the growth spurt in CO2 was fuelled by the El Niño event, which started in 2015 and had a strong impact well into 2016. The El Niño event had triggered droughts in tropical regions and reduced the capacity of “sinks” like forests, vegetation and the oceans to absorb CO2. These sinks currently absorb about half of CO2 emissions but now there is a risk that they may become saturated. Once these sinks become saturated it will increase the fraction of emitted CO2 which stays in the atmosphere. 

About World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 

WMO is an intergovernmental organization and specialised agency of the UN for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.

Established: It had originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded in 1873. 

Membership: 191 Member States and Territories. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

ECI amends election rules to allow e-transfer of postal ballot

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 to facilitate the e-transfer of postal ballot. The new rules empower a returning officer in any constituency to send postal ballots to an eligible voter by electronic means as specified by the ECI. In India, postal ballots have played a critical role in extending the electoral process to voters who are unable to exercise their franchise due to either the nature of their job or geographical location of their posting.

 How the e-transfer of postal ballot will work? 

Under it, the returning officer can send ballot through a web portal with a ‘One Time Password (OTP)’ to voters. The voter needs to download the ballot for voting. The voter after voting will physically return the ballot through post. It should be noted that two-way e-voting has not been recommended by the Election Commission, citing security and secrecy concerns. 

What is significance of the new rule?

 The e-transfer of postal ballot will replace existing system in which postal ballots were sent through the Department of Posts. It will ease the logistical issues involved in ensuring that the ballot paper of the constituency, where a voter is eligible to vote, is sent in time. Thus, it will cut time in transmission of the ballot paper and help the EC overcome logistical problems.

PM Narendra Modi launches Urja Ganga in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of Urja Ganga, the highly ambitious gas pipeline project in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The gas pipeline project aims to provide piped cooking (PNG) gas to residents of the eastern region of the country and CNG gas for the vehicles. 

Key Facts 

The project is being implemented by state-run gas utility GAIL. It envisages laying a 2,050-km pipeline connecting Jagdishpur (UP) to Haldia (West Bengal) by 2018. From Varanasi’s perspective, 50,000 households and 20,000 vehicles will get cleaner and cheaper fuel PNGand CNG gas respectively. The project is considered as a major step towards collective growth and development of the Eastern region of India. Under it, overall 20 lakh households will get PNG connections. The Urja Ganga project also augments existing GAIL’s network of trunk pipelines covering the length of around 11,000 km by 2540 km. Besides, under this project work on 2540-km long Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas pipeline project will begin and will be completed between 2018 and 2020. Seven East India cities Varanasi, Jamshedpur, Patna, Ranchi, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack – will be the major beneficiary of this network development. Besides, LNG terminal at Dhamra will provide clean fuel to the Industrial Development of the Eastern states of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha. 25 industrial clusters in these 5 states will be developed using gas from this pipeline. Besides, 40 districts and 2600 villages will benefit from this project. It will also help in revival of defunct fertilizer plants in Barauni in Bihar, Gorakhpur in UP, Sindri in Jharkhand and Durgapur in West Bengal by supplying gas.

Western Zonal Council Meeting held in Mumbai

The 22nd meeting of the Western Zonal Council was recently held at Mumbai, Maharashtra under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The Western Zonal Council consist of the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli

 Key facts 

The meeting was attended by Chief Ministers and ministers of these States and Union Territories administrators as well as senior officers of Union and State Governments. The Council reviewed issues related to internal security, coastal security, issuance of bio-metric identity cards to fishermen and card readers, modernization of police force, formulation of plans for countering terrorism etc. It also reviewed other important issues such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban) Mission, providing shelters to the urban homeless, and surplus lands of Union Government for ‘Housing for All: 2022’. Issues related to checking pollution in Daman Ganga River and Kolak River due to discharge of untreated effluents from Vapi industrial area was also discused. 

What are Zonal Councils?

 Zonal Councils were set up under the States Reorganization Act, 1956 (so it is not constitutional body) to foster Inter-State co-operation and co-ordination among the States. Currently, there are total five zonal councils viz. Northern, Western, Eastern, Central and Southern. The Zonal Councils are mandated to discuss and make recommendations on any matter of common interest in field of social and economic planning, linguistic minorities, border disputes or inter-State transport etc. Thus, Zonal Councils are regional fora of cooperative endeavor for States linked with each other economically, culturally and politically. They are specially meant for looking after the interests of respective Zones and focus attention on specific issues taking into account regional factors, while keeping national perspective in view. 

Note 

The north eastern states are not included in these five zonal Councils. Their special problems are looked after by North Eastern Council, set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972. It is also headed by Union Home Minister. The North Eastern Council includes Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland. Sikkim was included in the North Eastern Council in 2002 and excluded from the eastern council.

TRAI recommends Rs 3,050 crore penalty on Airtel, Vodafone & Idea

Telecom Regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended Department of Telecom (DoT) to impose combined penalty of 3,050 crore rupees on Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea cellular. It had mentioned that the penalty should be imposed on these telecom companies for allegedly denying interconnectivity to newcomer Reliance Jio. 

What is the issue? 

The Reliance Jio had alleged that due to inadequate interconnection points its subscribers were unable to make calls to other networks. TRAI has found that these three companies have violated licence norms by denying adequate interconnection points to Reliance Jio Infocomm. Their combined actions have stifled the competition and are seen as anti-consumer and against public interest. Now the DoT will decide on next course of action. If DoT finds violations of norms in all circles as mentioned by TRAI, these three telcos will be imposed combined penalty of Rs 3,050 crore.

 About Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) 

The TRAI is an independent regulator of the telecommunications business in India. It came into existence by the Act of the Parliament in 1997. It was established in wake of entry of private sector in telecom industries after Government had constituted the National Telecom Policy (NTP) to attract domestic and FDI investment in the telecommunication sector. Its main purpose is to deliver a fair and transparent environment for fair competition in telecom market. TRAI also fixes or revises the tariffs for telecom services in India.

ITBP celebrates its 55th raising day

The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) celebrated its 55th raising day on 24 October. The force was raised on 24th October in 1962. ITBP is deployed on border guarding duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh covering 3488 kilometer of India-China Border. It is manning Border Outposts on altitudes raging from 9000 feet to 18700 feet in the Western, Middle and Eastern Sector of the India-China Border.

 About Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) 

ITBP is one of the eight statutory Central Armed Police Forces of India. It was established on 24 October 1962, under the CRPF Act, in the wake of India- China War of 1962. Later Parliament enacted the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act, 1992 to provide full autonomy to ITBP. It operates under the aegis of Union Ministry of Home Affairs At present ITBP has strong force of about 50,000 personnel to secure the 3,488 km border with China along Tibet Autonomous Region. ITBP force is also engage in a variety of internal security tasks including civil Medical Camp, disaster management, nuclear, biological and chemical disasters and UN peacekeeping missions around the world.

Union Government planning to fast-track irrigation projects in Indus basin

The Union Government is planning to fast-track four projects in Indus river basin to increase irrigation area in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by nearly 2.05 lakh acres. This decision was taken after India had decided to exploit to the maximum the water of Pakistan-controlled rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab as per Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

 Key Facts 

Three projects Prakachik Khows Canal in Kargil, Tral Irrigation Project in Pulwama and restoration and modernisation of main Ravi Canal in Jammu’s Sambha and Kathua are expected to be completed by this fiscal. The fourth project of Rajpora Lift Irrigation is planned will be completed by December 2019. While the first three projects will help irrigate around 1.45 lakh acres of land, the Rajpora Lift Irrigation is expected to help irrigat around 59,305 acres of land. The funds for these projects will be raised by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). 

Background 

These projects are part of the Union Government’s efforts to irrigate larger swaths across the country by completing small and medium 99 irrigation projects under ambitious Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKYS). Besides, earlier in September 2016, Union Government had decided to review the 56-year-old IWT in the aftermath of the Uri attack, asserting that “blood and water cannot flow together.” 

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKYS): It was launched by the Union Government with an aim to enhance physical access to water on farm. It also seeks to expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices, etc through major and minor irrigation projects.

 Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP): It was launched in 1996-97 to provide central assistance to major and minor irrigation projects in the country. It main objective is to accelerate implementation of such major and minor irrigation projects. Since its inception, 143 projects have been completed under AIBP.

October 24: United Nations Day

The United Nations Day is being observed globally on October 24. The day marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter (the founding document of UNO) in 1945. It entered into force on 24 October 1945 after it was ratified by the original five permanent members of the Security Council—China, France, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (now Russia), United Kingdom, and United States and majority of the other signatories.

 What is significance of UN Charter? 

With the ratification of UN Charter, the United Nations officially came into existence. It is a constituent treaty and all signatory members are bound by its articles. Furthermore, Article 103 of the UN Charter states that obligations to the United Nations prevail over all other treaty obligations. Most countries in the world have now ratified the Charter. 

2016 Celebrations 

This year’s UN Day will be used to highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Besides, UN Day Concert is also organised in the United Nations General Assembly Hall with the theme “Freedom First”. 

Background 

The United Nations General Assembly had declared 24 October as the United Nations Day by adopting Resolution 2782 in 1971. The day is devoted making people aware of the aims and achievements of the United Nations Organization. This day is part of United Nations Week, which runs from 20 to 26 October.

Protein-enriched rice variety developed by IGKV Chattisgarh

Researchers from Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV),Chattisgarh have developed a protein-enriched rice variety. The new developed rice variety has over 10% protein content, which is 3% more than what is found in any popular variety and has 30 PPM (parts per million) zinc content. 

Key facts 

The protein-enriched rice variety was developed by researchers from IGKV’s Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. They had worked for seven years to develop the variety of rice that is rich in protein along with high zinc content. This protein rice variety will play a crucial role in addressing issues of protein deficiencies and it will serve as a boon for malnourished population, especially children, in tribal-dominated Chhattisgarh.

Zinc-enriched variety of rice 

Earlier in May 2015, scientists from Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU), Raipur (Chhattisgarh) had developed a high zinc-enriched called “Chhattisgarh Zinc Rice-1”. It was the first zinc biofortified rice variety developed in India. 

Why is zinc so important to the body? 

Zinc is important to the body because over 300 enzymes in our body use it as an essential component in their action. Zinc is essential in supporting our immune system, in synthesising and degrading DNA, in wound healing and several other activities. Our body requires very small amount of Zinc, but if the level falls down to below normal it may result into growth retardation, diarrhoea, eye and skin lesions and loss of appetite. 

Background

As per a survey conducted in 2015 very high rate of malnutrition was found among preschool children in tribal areas across Chhattisgarh which is considered rice bowl of the country. The survey had showed that over five lakh children in the state are underweight and stunted growth especially in the tribal districts.

SBI declares Silchar as its 5th zone in North East

The State Bank of India (SBI) has declared Silchar as its 5th zone in North East to facilitate banking issues for the customers of the region. The 5th zone will further help to cater the banking needs of the people of Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur along with the Barak Valley of North east India. SBI also opened its administrative office at Silchar, Assam. Other four zones of SBI in North East are Guwahati, Shillong, Dibrugarh and Jorhat. Earlier, Silchar was under Guwahati zone. However, due to difficult terrain of the region it was tough on the part of the bank to address the complaints and issues of the customers in the region. Presently, SBI has 736 branches across North East together with 3,000 ATMs and 3,000 customer service points for customer facilitation.