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CurrentAffairsFebruary2016|MonthlyCurrentAffairs|CurrentAffairsToday

CurrentAffairsFebruary2016

Indiaremainsworldslargestarmsimporter
February23,2016

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India continues to remain the worlds largest arms importer, accounting for 14% of the
globalarmsimportsinthe20112015timeframe.
Itwasrevealedbyreportoninternationalarmstransfersreleasedbyaglobalthinktank,
StockholmInternationalPeaceResearchInstitute(SIPRI).
Keyhighlights
Top arms importers are: India (14%), China (4.7%),
Australia(3.6%),Pakistan(3.3%),Vietnam(2.9%)andSouthKorea(2.6%).
Indias arms imports: It remains three times greater than those of its rivals
PakistanandChina.ItsbiggestsuppliersareRussia,UnitedStates(US),Israel
andFrance.
This indicates Indias failure to build a strong domestic defenceindustrial base
(DIB) and Indian arms industry has failed to produce competitive indigenously
designedweapons.
India has spent over 120 billion dollars on arms acquisitions over the last 15
yearsmostofthemfromforeignsuppliers.
Chinasscenario:EarlierChinausedtobetopontheimportschartbutinpast
fewdecadesithasgraduallybuiltastrongerDIB.
ChinahasemergedastheworldsthirdlargestarmsexporterafterUnitedStates
andRussia.
Pakistan is the main recipient of Chinese arms exports accounting for 35% of
thetotalimportsfollowedbyBangladesh(20%)andMyanmar(16%).
Russia is Chinas largest arms supplier accounting for 59% followed by France
(15%)andUkraine(14%).
Tags:ChinaDefenceIndia

HaryanasettobecomefirststatetocompleteAquifermapping
February23,2016

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Haryanaissetbecomethefirststateinthecountrytocompleteaquifermappingforits
groundwaterresourcesbyMay2016.
Aquifer is an underground layer of waterbearing rock from which groundwater can be
extracted.
Keyfacts
Aquifer mapping: It is scientific mapping of aquifers to

assesthegroundwatersituation.
Objective:Topreparemanagementplansinconsultationwithstakeholdersand
stategovernmentstotakemeasurestoreplenishthedeclininggroundwater.
NodalAgency:ThisaquifermappingisundertakenbytheCentralGroundWater
Board(CGWB)onthescaleof1:50,000in3D.
Technology:Forthispurpose,CGWBisusingadvancedtechnologieslikeheli
borne geophysical surveys and sophisticated software for preparing
managementplans.
Target: CGWB has set target to complete the aquifer mapping of the entire
countryby2022.
In the first phase (to be completed by 2017), 8 states have been selected for
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thiskindofscientificmappingwheregroundwatersituationhasalreadyreached
acriticallevel.
These states are Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab,
Rajasthan,TamilNaduandTelangana.
Implications
The aquifer mapping will eventually help in predicting the groundwater scenario
inthecountryasmostofgroundwaterreservoirsareoverexploited.
It will assist the states in estimating the quantity and quality of groundwater in
anaquiferandhelpinassessmentofsustainablelevelofwaterextraction.
Itwillfurtherhelpthesestatesforsubsequentplanningforwateruseinorderto
makethecountryclimatechangeresilient.
Tags:AquiferMappingHaryanaNaturalResources

CGPDTMissuesrevisedpatentguidelinesforComputerRelatedInventions
February23,2016

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The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDT) has issued an
order excluding software patents in its revised guidelines for Computer Related
Inventions(CRIs).
The new order clearly mentions that, mere computer programmes those not in
conjunctionwithanovelhardwarewillnotbegrantedpatentinIndia.
Thenewguidelines

Follow CGPDTs stay on the revised guidelines issued in August 2015 which
have allowed the patenting of software which demonstrated technical
advancementanddidnotclarifyit.
Have been aligned to the Patents Act, 1970 and brings out clarity in terms of
exclusionsexpectedundersubsection3(k)oftheAct.
Earlier, CGPDTM had agreed with a Parliamentary Panel which had observed that computer programmes as
such are not intended to be granted patent as per Patents Act, 1970. The subsection 3(k) of Act mentions
thatmathematicalmethodsorbusinessmethodsorcomputerprogrammeoralgorithmsarenotpatentable.
Implication of these guidelines: Software developers and startups will continue to have the freedom to
innovatewithoutworryinginfringementnoticesinComputerRelatedInventionsarea.
Note: The Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM) under the aegis of
UnionMinistryofCommerceandIndustryisnodalagencythatsupervisestheworkingofIntellectualProperty
Rights(IPR)lawsinIndia.

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