UP

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1
st
May
Indias new language of killing
Article discusses the need and repercussions of operating a covert war against enemy state
India in past has used covert operations against Pak and against terrorist groups
demanding Khalistan
Editor argues that such a step would only end in retribution with increased effort from
other side using covert operations
Further, he also argues that situations have changed in Paksitan also. Tahreek-e-taliban
has removed Punjab oriented extremist group from hegemony
Also Pak army has influence over Punjabi extremist groups, so their strength in using
such groups have also diminished
Else editor has also mentioned the historical evidences where such a tactic used and how
much they have succeeded

Lessons from a disaster
Resignation of South Korean Prime Minister and an public apology and announcement of
formation of federal agency to handle rescue have failed to pacify angry citizens
Ferry , Sewol that sank on April 16 has infuriated a wave of anger since most of the deaths
are due to lukewarm response from emergency operation

New vote bank, traditional politics
This editorial basically deals with the issues migrant labourers face and how their voting
pattern is determined
Agra, Ludhiana and Nashik are three cities which are surveyed by the editors
Main findings of the report are:
Voting pattern of migrants vary a lot from region to region, like in Nashik, main issue was
the threat from MNS workers; in Agra, since most labourers were from UP itself local
issues mattered in determining their voting pattern
Other problem that migrant labourers face is that most of them are not registered voters
of constituency they are working in, so politicians hardly care to woo them

Risk of nuclear accidents rising
Chatham House, an institute of international affairs published reports which showed, how
many times in recent years world has escaped a nuclear accident
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According to report Russia and US have nuclear warheads that can be launched within 10-
15 minutes and any misinterpretation of signals during emergencies might end up into a
disaster
Also the stockpiles in these nations amounts round to 17k whose maintenance is also
problematic

US trade representative retains India on IPR Watch list
Special 301 annual report on global IPR regime by US trade representative kept India in
Priority watch list(containing countries whose intellectual property regimes are deemed
of concern.)
Report urged India to address concerns such as online piracy and camcording incidents
affecting film industry
Report also criticised India for delays and bureaucratic hurdles that registered MNCs face.

Antibiotic resistance a threat to public health: WHO
What is antimicrobial resistance?
Technical term that means resistance to medicines used against microorganisms,
thereby making them ineffective
Why is it an issue?
Due to easy availability and higher consumption many antibiotics have become
ineffective. The list include K.pneumonia bacteria for intestinal infection, E.coli
causing urinary tract infection and others
Whats the solution?
Use of antibiotics as a last resort solution.
WHO report focuses over anti biotic resistance in nine main diseases which include
diarreoa, pneumonia, bloodstream infection etc
Future of the tiger hinges on gene flow
Article discusses the precarious situation which tigers around the globe are facing
There are 3600 total numbers of tigers and genetic diversity among them is also
huge(~125) around the world
With receding population the challenge to preserve genetic diversity is growing. Also 3
subspecies of tigers become extinct during last decade(Bali, Javan and Caspian)
Once lost a genetic diversity would take thousand years to regenerate
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Gene flow- is one such option to protect diversity of tiger population

OPCW team to probe Syria attack
Newspaper report claiming use of Chlorine bomb by Bashar Al-Assad army against
rebellion has led to the formation of fact finding team by OPCW
What is OPCW?
An intergovernmental organisation located in Hague, Netherland
The organisation promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons
Convention which prohibits the use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction.

PaMZ: a game changer for TB and MDR-TB treatment
What is it?
novel drug combination for TB and MDR-TB patients, right now in phase three of clinical
trial. Unique feature of this is drug is that it can be used by those who are HIV positive
It would reduce duration of treatment by 18-24 months and would also reduce the number
of pills by 97%, making treatment cheaper by 90%
What is clinical drug trials?
Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human
subjects that are designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral
interventions (novel vaccines, drugs, treatments, devices or new ways of using known
interventions), generating safety and efficacy data.
It has five phases and if a drug clears first three phases satisfactorily, drug would be
allowed for treatment

2
nd
May

Train blasts-Chennai
one killed, 14 injured
bombs were low intensity

T.N. rejects NIA investigation
The TN rejected offer of National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation into the twin
blasts
What is NIA?
federal agency established by the Indian Government to combat terror in India.
It acts as the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency.
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The agency is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special
permission from the states.
The Agency came into existence with the enactment of the National Investigation Agency
Act 2008 by the Parliament of India on 31 December 2008

India-EU trade
We have already talked about this issue, but here is something to add a few points






Managing the monsoon (M.S. Swaminathan) (Very good Article -Dont Miss!)
source : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/managing-the-
monsoon/article5967958.ece
Water harvesting in homes, farms and factories must become mandatory. Tamil Nadu has
already initiated steps in this direction
On fertilizer use efficiency, there are technologies such as those developed by the
International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) in the U.S. which can help improve
the efficiency of urea use by about 50 per cent.
Methods of managing the triple alliance of pests, pathogens and weeds must be
popularized.
Besides causing food and water shortage, deficient rainfall adds to the problem of energy
shortage. In every calamity lies an opportunity for progress. Harvesting of the sun in
homes, offices, fields and factories should also become mandatory; it can help increase
energy supply in rural and urban areas.
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For the food and water security of farm animals, we need to earmark potential areas for
establishing cattle camps where the animals can be looked after during a drought
emergency.

The government has recently introduced a national policy on agroforestry. Agroforestry
combines the benefits of carbon sequestration and local food security. The inclusion of
fertilizer trees in agroforestry systems can help build soil carbon banks.

A silent killer-Air Pollution (R.K Pachauri)
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There is, no doubt, a credible framework of legislation in place in India to support any
attention give to environmental issues, but the institutions and processes that translate
intent into action remain weak and ineffective
WHO REPORT
7 million deaths worldwide in 2012 caused by exposure to air pollution (recent WHO
reports)
Why India more affected?
More than 300 million people in India have no access to electricity, and those that do still
do not have a stable supply. As a result, kerosene lamps and candles are used widely in
many Indian homes, with high levels of air pollution affecting hundreds of millions.
Women and children are particularly vulnerable because they spend more time at home.
irrational subsidies on kerosene, the transition to cleaner fuels in many Indian homes
may, therefore, remain slow
Perhaps even more serious is the dependence of around 700 million people on the burning
of biomass in their homes, using inefficient stoves that emit large quantities of smoke,
leading to high doses of air pollution.
some solutions have been devised
As part of its Lighting a Billion Lights campaign, the Energy and Resources Institute has
reached almost 3,000 villages in India and Africa, introducing the decentralised use of
photovoltaic panels.
An important apsect of this campaign is that a local female entrepreneur is trained to set
up a central charging station in a village using solar panels on rooves
After charging the lanterns for the whole village in the daytime, she rents them out at
night
3
rd
May
Army called out after Assam massacre
Massacre in Baska and Kokrajhar with death toll reaching 23
Indiscriminate firing by Bodo militants over settlements of Muslim migrants in Baska
and Kokrajhar during night time
A/c to Assam Police militants belonged to the National Democratic Front of
Bodoland(Songbijit)
What is Bodoland?
Bodoland is proposed state consisting of areas located extreme north of north bank of
Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam in north east region of India, by the foothills of
Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh; inhabited predominantly by the Bodo people
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It includes some area of eight districts of Assam namely Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Bongaigaon,
Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, Darang and Sonitpur within the state of Assam
What is BTC and BTAD?
The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is a territorial privilege established according
to the Memorandum of Settlement of February 10, 2003
The BTC has 12 electorate members each looking after a specific area of control called
somisthi
The area under the BTC jurisdiction is called the Bodo Territorial Autonomous
District (BTAD)
BTAD is consist of four contiguous districts- Kokrajhar, Baska, Udalgiri and Chirang
2012 Assam Violence
In July 2012, violence in the Indian state of Assam broke out with riots
between indigenous Bodos and Bengali-speaking Muslims resulting in deaths
of 77 peoples and displacements in huge amount

Restoring legitimacy of PIL
Three cases that resulted into introduction of the unique apparatus of PIL by SC: Husaina
Khatoor and Sunil Batra, Fertiliser corporation Kamgar Union and SP Gupta and Peoples
union for Democratic rights
A/c to editors, main intention of Judiciary behind introducing this tool was empowering the
unprivileged sections of society with accessibility.
However study shows PIL has failed to match the expectations of its creators
Study shows that high number of PILs are registered in SC from prosperous neighbouring
states of Punjab and Delhi, also It is being used politicians for their political fight in Judicial
arenas
A/c to stats out of ~24k PILs filed only 266 reached Judges for acceptance or rejection with
no defined basis for rejection, prior to Judges

Egyptian betrayed
Second judgement giving death sentence to more than 500 people in Egypt has attracted both
attention and criticism from Human rights watch and such bodies
Accused in these two cases have been brought over the killing of policemen in riots that
erupted just after Muslim Brotherhood government was forcibly replaced in Egypt
Defendant lawyers are also blaming judiciary to be biased against the accused

Another reason for such a behaviour from Judiciary is that biggest aid provider to Egypt are
Saudi, UAE and Kuwait, all of which are anti to Muslim Brotherhood
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Ending discrimination in surrogacy
Assisted Reproductive technology(Regulation) Bill, 2013 is proposed to be revised after
many conflicting cases came up recently
Most important proposal is debarring foreign nationals and single persons from using
commercial surrogacy
Proposal came up amid the recent cases where nationality issue of surrogate child was not
decidable and also to prevent exploitation of Indian women who may be tempted to take the
risk of surrogacy in the face of financial hardship
However debarring single persons from commercial surrogacy is conflicting in the sense that
Child adoption act of India allows singles to adoption

Nabhratna
Flying platform light aircraft, made by DRDO for testing of Radars, developed by HAL
Earlier DRDO used to depend over Navy or Airforce for testing of its radars
Scheduled Castes candidature from General seats
Report suggests how less in number are candidates from SC background contesting from
general seats
Congress and BJP gave only three tickets to SC candidates to contest from general seats in
last two elections

However BSP is the best party in this order but number is still very low(54 of 381 seats BSP
run for)

Some IR news
UK has decided to provide non lethal aid to Syrian rebels
There are increasing number of UK young muslim men who are joining the war in Syria and
some of them died also
US mulling to end NSA surveillance for non citizens while the issue of targeting minorities
still not discussed.

Minority commission in Pakistan reiterated the security issue of minorities in
Pakistan. Minority in Pakistan include Hazaras, Ahmadis along with non Muslims
since Pak constitution does not recognise them as Muslims.

4
th
May

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Pranab sees films as moral anchors
President Pranab Mukherjee said filmmakers should deploy their creative efforts to
propagate core values such as
patriotism,
respect for women,
compassion and
tolerance
Faced with erosion of values in todays context, cinema should play a catalytic role in
resetting our moral compass.
Big firms, target of cyber criminals
India ranks third highest (after US and China) source of overall malicious activity
globally, according to a report by data security solutions provider Symantec
non-traditional services industries such as hospitality, business and personal services are
being targetted more
People-to-people contact can erase suspicion: Anisuzzaman
Who is Anisuzzaman?
received the Padma Bhushan this year for contribution in Literature and Education
Why in NEWS?
Speaking on Indo-Bangladesh Relations he said:
The fear of the unknown and suspicion of the unknown, he observed, were
causing a lot of problems between the countries. If the people of the two
countries can come closer and know each other, many of the suspicions may go
away,
Context ?
failure to sign the much-talked about Teesta water-sharing treaty and ratification of the land
boundary agreement, although Indo-Bangladesh relations saw wide-ranging engagement
during the last five years

NIA to probe Assam killings; toll 32, hundreds flee their homes
toll reached 32 in the violence unleashed by the National Democratic Front of Boroland
(NDFB)-Songbijit militants
State government decided to hand over the investigation to the National Investigation
Agency

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5
th
May
Remembering Tipu Sultan
On May 4, 1799, the ruler of Mysore fell fighting the British army
it was the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in which Tipu Sultan fought the British army and
died
Tipu Sulthan and his father Hyder Ali are credited for experimenting with rocket
technology that was used against the British effectively
Some of the missiles are on display at the Royal Artillery Museum in England
Many are not aware that Tipu Sultan had made efforts to popularise sericulture and
started 21 mulberry cultivation centres in Mysore
sugarcane cultivation received impetus during the regime of Tipu Sultan
Efforts were made to build a dam across Cauvery near Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir
Historians also credit Tipu Sultan with introducing prohibition, taking steps for the
development of livestock, and encouraging cattle breeding.
to read the whole article ( its not very imp but its interesting CLICK HERE)

Aid rushed to Afghan landslide survivors
Where has the landslide occurred?
Northern Afghanistan

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Severity?
killed hundreds of people and leaving 700 families homeless in the mountains
Afghanistan held a national day of mourning on Sunday after President Hamid Karzai
expressed his condolences to those who had lost loved ones
Is this regular problem?
Flooding and landslides often occur during the spring rainy season in northern
Afghanistan, with flimsy mud houses offering little protection against rising water levels


Kudumbasree Mission to join hands with KVASU
What is Kudumshree Mission?
Kudumbashree, a female-oriented, community-based, poverty reduction project
of Government of Kerala

What is KVASU?
Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU)
What have they joined hands?
to launch projects in the animal husbandry and allied sectors to empower women in the
State
The KVASU would offer technical advice, training, and service assistance to various
projects of the Kudumbasree
Choosing the Chief Justice

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Astra successfully test-fired from Sukhoi
Astra is Indias first Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile and has been designed and
developed indigenously by the DRDO.


6
th
May

Consumption data contradict high poverty estimates
What is National Income Accounts?
National income accounting records the level of activity in accounts such as total
revenues earned by domestic corporations, wages paid to foreign and domestic
workers, and the amount spent on sales and income taxes by corporations and
individuals residing in the country.
Why in news?
Last two NSSO surveys shows wide variation from NIA data(more than 50%).
However NSSO datas are used to measure the poverty levels. So poverty stats are
also overstated.
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Young blood renews old mice
Researchers have found that blood of young mice solve old age mental problems such as
Alzheimers disease
Stanford University researchers have come up with the results and trying to replicate on
humans which would be a wonder

For a clear nuclear doctrine
Doctrine of no first use adopted by India with regard to nuclear weapons and the
challenge, this doctrine has got during election campaigns by political parties is discussed
in this article
A/c editor, credible deterrence would be of sustainable resilience capability. He gave
examples of Chinas under sea capability to strike and Indias shift towards strategic
deterrence. Investment in command, control, communications and intelligence systems
and its second strike capacity are some remarkable steps taken in this direction
He also explains that nuclear weapons can be used for coercion but up to a point,
changing nuclear policy will be irresponsible. Since India can survive first strike but
Pakistan cannot

No first use policy
No first use (NFU) refers to a pledge or a policy by a nuclear power not to use nuclear
weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an adversary using nuclear
weapons.
Earlier, the concept had also been applied to chemical and biological warfare.
As of October 2008, China has publicly declared its commitment to no first use of nuclear
weapons.
As of 2010, India has signaled a shift from no first use to no first use against non-nuclear
weapon states

In search of a home away from home
Columnist discusses here the proclamation made by Modi during his campaign speeches
regarding illegal Bangladeshi Migrants
She criticizes such an act as provocative and against universal human rights provided to
refugees and illegal migrants
A/c to her, 12 million is the number of such illegal migrants around the world and there is
a growing support from world bodies and international NGOs for providing humane
treatment to such groups
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She also proclaims that such migrants are often exploited by local landlords and
employers and most often they increase criminal activities because of insecurities they
carry with them
Though she dont points out why such migration is a problem for India especially
changing demography but gave some relevant points in support of her

What development? For whom?
Too much philanthropy, but some relevant points made
First development differs according to the respondent, though there must be some similar
paradigm for development among all respondents
A/c to editor, development should not be measured with glimmering lights, skyscrapers
and 6 lane roads but should be measured in satisfaction citizens have with their lives
Though it is again too hard to explain because few women might like to live under a
burqa whole life while others not
So too much philanthropy should be avoided as it is injurious to health

Some IR news
Boko Haram (go through earlier post for details), a radical Islamist group in Nigeria that
abducted 300 teenage girls few days back from northeast Nigeria, aired an hour long
video.
Message given in the video, that they will sell the girls if their demands not accepted
quickly
News from Ukraine reports that 12 persons have died in an offensive by Ukrainian forces
in Donetsk region to free public offices seized by the protesters
Pakistan still high on polio cases along with Cameron and Syria, especially the FATA
region

Jangal Mahal
Region bordering with Jharkhand on the western side of West Bengal
Highly influenced by Maoist insurgency, this region has seen many ups and downs
recently
A/c to reports, post encounter of Koteshwar Rao, there has been surge in maoist violence
and special targets have been leaders who were attached to left parties
There are allegations of support from TMC govt and non interference in maoist activities
by authorities

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7
th
May

Rising Sea, Sinking Land
All of us know that rising sea level is a major problem of cities in coastal areas. Now
scientists are saying that the land is sinking too in these areas
Cause of Land sinking?
Its because f ground water extraction
Major examples?
Tokyo and Venice experienced land sinking, but both have recovered now.
What needs to be done?
This ground water extraction has to be stopped. But it can be done only when there
is some alternate source available for drinking water.
Time for Privatization?
Do you think that professional education should be privately funded and government
should step back from running higher education institutions. The article by Sanjay
Hegde argues for it.
click to read full article
Its interesting and at time can serve to provide few points where we need to argue
for roll back of the state in case of education and other welfare services.
UPSC TIP : Keep such articles at the back of you mind for essay.
Are you searching for a job?
Which company is recruiting?
Pizza Hut, Ariz Media, RPS Group of companies, Vedanta Foundation, Universal
Enterprises and Tajmahal group of companies
What are jobs offered?
marketing executive and business development manager,driver, plumber.
What is the salary?
8K to 35K per month
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Qualification?
Inmate of Tihar Central Jail

This is an annual execercise at Tihar Central Jail and 406 inmates have been palced so
far
This year the palcement was 100% and 66 were placed
How do they work?
Open Jail system : They go to work and come back in evening to the jail.
Good News for Animal Lovers! India set to ban import of animal tested cosmetics
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed the ban
The countries most affected by this will be China, Thailand, Korea
Antibiotic Resistance
What is Antibiotic Resistance?
When the disease causing organism develops resistance to the antibiotic, the
antibiotic is no more useful. This is called antibiotic resistance. (Alexander Fleming
warned about this when he discovered penicillin )
Superbugs have been news in past few years. Superbugs are pathogens resistant
to almost all known anti-biotics.
Why it happens?
Over usage or frequent usage of these medicines lead to evolution of resistant
pathogens
Where does India Stand on this?
Its a problem that requires immediate attention in India
Bacteria that have acquired a New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) gene have
become resistant to almost all antibiotics.
Have government taken any steps?
An order was issued that prohibited the medical stores from selling key antibiotics
without doctors prescription
What more needs to be done?
Focus on hygiene and prevention of infections
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Motivating doctors to use antibiotics only when required
Prevent over the counter sale of antibiotics
Awareness ( this point fits in all UPSC questions)

Bodoland
We will cover Bodoland issue in detail in a separate article on gs-today within few days.
SC on Mother Tongue as Medium of instruction
Background?
Experts have pointed out that if the medium of instruction is same as mother tongue
in primary school then the children can learn better
SC intervention?
SC has said that the expert opinion might be right but this cannot be used by the
state as a criterion for recognition of schools.
What arguments have they given?
Imposition of mother tongue affects fundamental rights under article 19, 29 and 30
8
th
May
Two important judgments by Apex court
SC puts bans over Jallikattu in TN and bullock cart racing in Maharashtra
According to judges, animals also have right to be protected against unnecessary torture
In another judgment SC declared a law passed by Kerala in 2006 unconstitutional to
prevent the neighboring state from raising water level in Mullaperiyar from 136 feet to
142 feet
Empowered committee appointed by the court found that the dam is safe in terms of
structure, hydrology and seismic activity

UN report on MMR
45% decline in MMR from 1990 according to report published by UN
From 380 in 1990, MMR has declined to 210 in 2013
Another dimension added by the report that one fourth cases of maternal mortality due to
pre existing medical condition such as diabetes, HIV, malaria and obesity

No shield for corruption
Argument here is that why is there special provisions for CBI enquiry against officers of
higher level under section 6-e of DSPE act
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Govt argues that officers above a certain level are decision making authority and they
need extra protection from vexatious intrusion in their working
However this provision fails itself as it is against the law of natural justice. The accused
can be the one to answer whether proceedings should start or not
What is single directive?
It is a bill that says that if the CBI wants to investigate a government officer of Jt
secretary rank and above ( this includes ministers ), it must first get permission from the
government.
Cleverly missed out in the bill is a TIME LIMIT to give permission. !!
What is the significance of Vineet Narain vs Union of I ndia case?
Vineet Narayan was the lead actor in the exposure of the 1990s Jain Hawala scandal, led
him to use a public interest petition to apply pressure on the Central Bureau of
Investigation.
PIL was filed by him to bring out the connivance going on between scammers and
persons handling CBI k/a Vineet Narain vs Union of India case
Apex court gave a number of directions for the working of CBI and CVC in its judgment
of this case

Discussions the way forward
Article discusses that the IPR issue between India and US is not that much out of control
yet
US Trade representative has decided not to designate India Priority watch list in its special
301 report however keeping India in less serious priority watch list
Disagreement between two over IPR goes back to Uruguay round of WTO talks
Till then only two times India has used the flexibilities under IPR regime
One with Bayer and other with Novartis
Also three multinationals present at hearing at USTR supported Indias stand over IPR
protection

Deciding the Delhi Assembly question, justly
Article deals about the legal and constitutional issues relating to the petition filed by AAP
after President proclamation under Art239 AB of NCT act
Art 239 AB is a special provision for NCT similar to that of Art 356 that is president rule
in state under certain circumstances
Arguments in the petition
Petition argues that suspended animation is not power of President
Second argument put forward that president proclamation has been made with malafide
intent and judicial review should be made of it
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Why the petitioner is wrong?
Petitioner need to come up with fact to prove president worked with malafide intent as per
the SR Bommai judgment
Also political alignment is possible under the tenth schedule(search it) so dissolving
Assembly cannot be right option
Also Lieutenant governor powers are different from governor so its pretty constitutional
to act in such a manner


Success on debut for undersea launch of DRDOs K-4 missile
Proud successor of K-15 underwater missile
Range is 3000 kms and two stage missile can carry nuclear warhead
IR news
Four point peace plan for Ukraine came up as a result of deal between Europe and Russia
Also the referendum in Donetsk and Luhansk region has been postponed for now
Hundred killed in Boko Haram attack in Nigerian town with Cameroon border
Twenty years after the first post apartheid election, South Africans cast their vote

Citizen Science
Citizen science (also known as crowd science, crowd-sourced science, civic science,
or networked science) is scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur or
nonprofessional scientists
However there are critiques of such an approach considering credibility of information
from amateurs but some findings from such way have shown better results that experts
result

Reasons other global warming for climate change
A paper submitted in Nature argues that roughly half the warming has been caused not by
greenhouse gases but by natural variability of atmospheric temperature
Paper talks about two phenomenon of Rossby waves and North Atlantic oscillation
Rossby waves are meandering winds that travel thousand of kms and greatly influence
climate while NAO is the leading mode of the circulation variability in the North Atlantic
region

Indian role in producing super heavy element 117
Super heavy elements are elements with atomic number more than 104
Researchers from Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics are part of the international team of
researchers at GSI Helmholtz Centre
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Researchers are from 16 different institute and claimed that existence of super heavy
metal ununseptium(at number: 117) confirmed



9
th
May
Air Pollution in NEWS again!
WHO has already highlighted the danger from air pollution in its recent report ( you
should have read this already!if not, google it!)
Then we saw an article by R K Pachauri titled silent killers that brought out the danger
from indoor air pollution
Now, Delhi is in news because it has not been able to meet the specifications of even
CPCB ( Central Pollution Control Board) leave alone meeting WHO criterion ( which are
higher than CPCB)
What is the major cause?
gensets, diesel vehicles and poor quality fuel
P.S. Recently WHOs International Agency for Research on Cancer has upgraded the
status of fumes arising out of diesel exhaust from possible carcinogen to definite
carcinogens

14 new species of dancing frog found in Western Ghats
What is Dancing frog?
They are called dancing frogs because they perform some unusual kicks to attract mates.
(only males dance!)
They breed in the fast running streams after monsoons. But their Habitat is becoming
drier , hence they are facing problems in reproduction, hence the number is decreasing.

3-D printed guns
A man has been arrested in Japan for possessing some 3D Printed guns. He had a
3D printer in his house.
What is 3d Printing?
3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making a three-dimensional solid
object of virtually any shape from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using an additive
process, where successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes.(*wiki)
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What are the issues involved?
Weapons can be manufactured at home using 3D Printers
these weapons cannot be detected by the regular security checks
Hence threat of these being used in crimes like Hijacking are serious
But we cannot ban 3D printing as it has the capacity to revolutionize manufacturing
hence the governments around the world are facing a new problem How to control this
technology?
Note : 5 mark question already came in UPSC 2013 on 3D printing
Right to Education and Minority Institutions



10
th
May
Climate Change Refugees
What is environmental Refugee?
Term first proposed by Lester Brown in 1976
According to the International Organization for Migration it means :
Environmental migrants are not only those displaced by the environmental event but also
those who migration is triggered by deteriorating environmental conditions
Environmentally induced movement can take place within as well as across international
borders;
It can be both long and short term; and
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Population movements triggered by environmental forces can be forced as well as a
matter of choice
So what are Climate Refugees?
subset of environmental migrants forced to move due to due to sudden or gradual alterations
in the natural environment related to at least one of three impacts of climate change:
1. sea-level rise,
2. extreme weather events,
3. and drought and water scarcity
(Global Governance Project 2012)
Why in NEWS?
The Hindu has published an article on Sinking Sunder-ban Islands
The rising sea levels because of climate change has led to sinking of these islands
People are taking refuge in other islands or near mainland areas
Other Problems of sunder-ban Islands?
No electricity on most of them
government functionaries not willing to work there
lack of health and education infrastructure
frequent sea storms
What can be done?
Indian Sundarbans Delta: A Vision, a report prepared by the School of Oceanographic
Studies of Jadavpur University with World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) suggests
following measures
Planned retreat from these areas
Planting of mangrove in these areas
and of course checking climate change
Should Higher Education be privatized?
on 7 May the Hindu had an article favoring privatization (click here)
Now its has an article speaking against it(click here).
Read both of them and form your opnion.
might come in handy for essay and interview!
Climate change and Nutrition
Higher level of CO2 decreases the iron, zinc and protein levels in the food crops
(according to a scientific research)
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The research was published in the journal Nature
why it happens (biological mechanism) is not understood yet!

Analyzing Gujarat Model
This will be covered separately in-depth!
Plastic That Grows Back!
Researchers in US have developed a material that heals and regenerates
will prove to be a boon for commercial goods and also for items that are difficult to repair
like aerospace applications

Baroreceptors
sensors located in the blood vessels of all vertebrate animals
sensory neuron that is excited by stretch of the blood vessel
Baroreceptors detect the amount of stretch of the blood vessel walls, and send the signal
to the nervous system
Baroreceptors act immediately as part of a negative feedback system called
the baroreflex, as soon as there is a change from the usual mean arterial blood pressure,
returning the pressure toward a normal level. These reflexes help regulate short-term
blood pressure.
Why in NEWS?
A blood Pressure control device has been developed that uses these Baroreceptors
implantable device has an intelligent circuit that records the activity of the patient,and
adjust the blood pressure accordingly

11
th
May
Apostasy, a valid ground for dissolution of marriages: HC
According to a judgment by Delhi HC, apostasy(ie formal disaffiliation from or
renunciation with religion) can be a valid ground for dissolution of marriage
As per the Muslim personal law, religious faith continues to affect marital relations in
Indian society
In the specific case, girl(Rishu Arora) first converted to muslim religion and married
Munnavar and later she reconverted to Hindu religion after differences with her husband
and appealed for divorce citing apostasy which was challenged by her husband in Delhi
High court
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Rice theory
Study conducted by University of Virginia came up with some interesting results
A/c to study, legacy of farming activity continues to affect people in the modern world
People with cultural background of rice cultivation are more community oriented and
those with wheat cultivation are more individualistic
Reasons put forward is that rice cultivation is more time taking, labor intensive and
requires more cooperation compared to wheat cultivation
Choice of Chief J ustice
Some of the qualities that the CJI must have a/c to Krishna Iyer, former judge of SC

Some I R
Turmoil in Thailand over legitimacy of the ruling regime
Anti government protestors want upper house to remove the weakend cabinet including
Prime Minister
Ms Yingluck has won all elections since 2001 and Thai court has removed all three PMs
linked to Ms Yinglucks family
Political violence has led to death of more than 25 persons in last few months and
violence is expected to grow only, if quick actions not taken
Ceasefire has been signed between government and rebels in South Sudan
There are dangers of famine in South Sudan, citing which UN has given warning to both
sides to stop violence
Post-2011 SEBI decisions in focus
Former chief of SEBI, KM Abraham is under scrutiny for taking some major decisions
that might be taken with malafide intentions
Major events during Abrahams regime were permission of MCX-SX to start full fledged
stock exchange and the NSEL scam of 5,600 crore
Also the unravelling of two Sahara firms fraud can be attributed to Mr Abraham efforts
What is MCX-SX?
MCX Stock Exchange Limited (MCX-SXAT) is an Indian stock exchange.
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It commenced operations in the Currency Derivatives (CD) segment on October 7, 2008
under the regulatory framework of Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI)
and Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
The Exchange is recognised by SEBI under Section 4 of Securities Contracts (Regulation)
Act, 1956
NSEL and NSEL scam
NSEL:
National level institutionalised, electronic, transparent spot market(public financial
market in which financial instruments or commodities are traded for immediate
delivery)
NSEL scam:
It came out to light after the National Spot Exchange failed to pay its investors in
commodity pair contracts after 31 July 2013
It was subsequently discovered that most of the underlying commodities never did exist
and the buying and the selling of commodities like steel, paddy, sugar, ferrochrome etc.
was being only conducted only on paper

12
th
May
Nigeria Crisis
What has happened?
An extreme Islamist group Boko Haram has
abducted 276 girls on April 14
slaughtered over 300 people on may 5
Why is Boko Haram doing this?
they want to convert Nigeria to a hardline Islamist state

Bodoland!
We are compiling the info on Bodoland and would include this article as well!
East Ukraine Votes
Why?
to seek approval for sovereignty of peoples republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk
regions, where rebels have seized government buildings
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ASEAN Summit
Some background
China and Vietnam both claim a part of the south china sea
Other parties to dispute are Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan
These countries want multilateral solution to this problem (i.e. they want to go together
and negotiate with China)
On the other hand, China wants to solve the issue bilateral ( it will be easier for China to
convince/bully these countries one by one)
few days ago China has moved an oil drilling rig into the region
What us happening at the Summit?
The maritime issues are dominating the agenda
Vietnam has requested other members to support its stand against China.
Patent Issue rises again
We have already analysed the judgement of SC on Patents , here is the mindmap
from our archives
Lets take a look at types of patents first

The issue mainly deals with the Indian Pharma sector so lets talk about it a little


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Having gained a basic background info, lets take a look at the issue, events and implications
in detail

World Heritage Tag
The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) of Himachal Pradesh has been nominated for
UNESCO-World Heritage Site status.
Location of GHNP?
located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh
Who has nominated?
IUCN has nominated 2 natural and mixed sites from across the world
Something special about GHNP?
exquisite floral and faunas biodiversity

13
th
May
Female Financial paradox
73% of total savings in India formed by household savings
And a big proportions of household saving comes from wealth earned by female family
member
The paradox is that very few of women in India are financially included in mainstream
banking and other such sectors such that these household savings can be used for fruitful
purposes
The lower risk assets like cash are the major form of household savings and it restricts the
money from growing faster

First Electric aircraft takes flight
Airbus has developed worlds first airplane fully powered by electricity
This technology can bring airplane flight cost by one third
120 lithium ion batteries are used for powering the plane and an hour long flight test cost
around 20$ compared to 55$, if fueled .
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SC efforts to prevent cruelty against animals
Jallikattu
Bull taming exercise, organised during Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu
Forms the cultural part of TN, so hard to stop it immediately
Whats the issue?
The bull to be involved in the bull taming is often kept hungry and made angry before
start of the game and game is also torturous for the bull
Tamil Nadu govt brought a legislation in 2009 however animal right activists considered
that as a lame step to control it with will to act lacking and demanded for complete
restriction over Jallikattu

Polavaram Project Authority
Polavaram Project

Polavaram Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project which has been accorded
national project status by the central government
This dam across the Godavari River is under construction located in West Godavari
District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh state and its reservoir spreads in
parts of Chhattisgarh and Orissa States also
Project undertaken to reduce the amount of unused water of Godavari that flows into Bay
of Bengal
I ssues being contested
Not of water sharing between riparian states rather of submergence of areas
Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh entered into agreement which were made part
of Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) award.
The agreement allows Andhra Pradesh to construct the Polavaram reservoir with full
reservoir level (FRL) at 150 feet above the mean sea level (MSL).
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Orissa approached Supreme Court against the design discharge capacity of the Polavaram
dam
Without protective embankments, four villages and 648.05 hectares of land will be
submerged in Odisha and eight villages in Chg


PPA
Central govtcleared the proposal for constituting the Polavaram Project Authority
(PPA) in accordance with the section 90 of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Assets and liabilities of Project will be transferred to PPA

Watching birds through Drones
Using drones to spy on the nests of endangered breeds and monitor the progress of
reintroduced species
Plans are to reach inaccessible species over wetlands and other such places

SOME IR
Referendum in Donetsk and Luhansk held on Sunday where voters overwhelmingly
voted in support of sovereignity and will to join Russia
Kiev however claimed this propaganda as farce however Russia has welcomed the results
EU has increased sanctions over more Russians and Crimean companies
Meanwhile, situation in Nigeria is still tense as talk between govt and Boko Haram failed
to deliver any results
14
th
May
President Assents the Whistle-blowers Protection bill 2011
Passed by LS : 2011
passed by Rajya Sabha : February 2014
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What are the important points of this Bill?

Transgenders in News again!
National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)has recommended that Transgenders
be included in the central list of OBCs
Some background!
SC has recently asked the govt to count transgenders as socially and economically
backward and give them reservation in educational institutions and public appointment
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Case for Jhuming
The Jhum Cycle

Some points in favor of Jhooming
regenerative system of organic farming
the alternate to jhooming being promoted are settled cultivation and plantations like
pineapple and oil palm but they lead to permanent deforestation of the region
the settled cultivation or plantations produce one single type of crop and some surplus can
be sold in market but Jhum produces firewood, charcoal, wild vegetables and fruits, wood
and bamboo for house construction


15
th
May
Bhutan to become worlds first organic country!
What it means?
Bhutan will grow all food organically (not using fertilizers and pesticides)
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When are they planning to claim this status?
Within a decade(according to their data already 70% of farming there is organic in
nature)
MERS virus
what is MERS Virus?
Agent : Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV)
Disease : Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease
where has it been reported?
Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
(Middle East); France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom (UK) (Europe);
Tunisia and Egypt (Africa); Malaysia and the Philippines (Asia); and the United States of
America (Americas)
There is a website that tracks the cases of MERS and projects it on a map here is the
link http://coronamap.com/
Symptoms
fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
Pneumonia is a common
Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, also may be there
How it is Transmitted?
its not understood yet!
Origin/Source of MERS?
not fully clear
Strains of MERSCoV have been isolated from camels in Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi
Arabia. So Camels are suspected
Why in NEWS?
Recently there has been surge in MERS cases
But WHO has concluded that conditions for declaring an Public Health Emergency of
International Concern had not been met.
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More on TB!

Detecting TB-New Technique for Children
What is currently used?
sputum sample
What is the Problem with this?
Children under five years of age have difficulty in producing a sputum sample for
examination and even if sputum is collected, there are very few TB bacilli in the
sputum
What is this new Technique?
It will rely on blood samples instead of Sputum
Big Challenge!
how to transform this technique (currently in research stage) to a commercial
product
Something on Agricultural Finance
Figures from a recent survey by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
reveal
Only 30 per cent had heard about agricultural insurance.
only 7 % have bought it
Why is it so causes of failure/inadequate response to agri insurance?
Premiums charged are high often small and marginal farmers cannot afford them
for some crops the Premiums are higher than the expected return on crops
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At the time of assessment (in case of crop damage) the are used for analysis is much
bigger than individual farmland. So its not much use if the crop of whole are survives and
your crop gets damaged you wont get anything from insurance people.
Yield based approach i.e. it covers only production related risks and not covers risk due
to Pre-sowing factors ( like delay in sowing due to drought) or post harvest factors( loss of
produce due to various factors). It also does not shield the farmers from price volatility
What needs to be done?
Farmer friendly insurance schemes keeping in mind above points need to be
developed
16
th
May
MERS
What is MERS?
Agent : Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV)
Disease : Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease
There is a website that tracks the cases of MERS and projects it on a map, here is
the link http://coronamap.com/ -
Threat to India
Serious apprehensions surfacing from Kerala regarding infection with MERS-CoV
There is not any well made mechanism to test and stop infection of such a germ,
especially for Kerala many Keralites are employed in Middle east and are frequent
visitors
A/c to WHO, 75% of infections are secondary infections

Non-disclosure for candidates can be disastorous
Verdict of SC in the Association for Democratic Reforms(2002) established it is right of
every Indian voter to be awared of all information related to their candidates relevant for
the election
However the dilemma arose that who will be the person to verify how correct are the
information provided
The chunk of information required is also huge and there are many areas where candidate
can make mistakes not necessarily intentionally
Verdict states that returning officer is not eligible for any summary trial on the correctness
of details provided rather this will be decided by the court if any election petition filed
Delays in verdict might be disastrous for candidate if he missed something even not
having any bonafide intent
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Appreciating the diversity
A good read for every one
Editor talks about the diversity that India is
He took example of AK Ramanujams letter to justify, what should form the priority of
the govt at centre
There are 300 versions of Ramayana and six schools of philosophy in India
An administration should be able to appreciate Faizs lamentation and Tulsidass verses at
the same time
He argues that this diversity can survives only with the freedom of expression protected
Appreciating the diversity our nation has should be above in priority than Sensex

Mullaperiyar
Whats the issue?
In its judgment, SC declared a law passed by Kerala in 2006 unconstitutional to stop the
neighboring state from raising water level in Mullaperiyar dam from 136 feet to 142 feet
Empowered committee appointed by the court found that the dam is safe in terms of
structure, hydrology and seismic activity
Some Analysis
There are four loopholes in the verdict
This issue comes under Art 131(general issues) rather than art 262(water sharing disputes)
since it is not about sharing of river water so SC earlier decision in 2006 cannot be
questioned
Second Kerala act(made earlier) cannot be reviewed under article 131
Thirdly this is not a water dispute case
Editor argues here that experts should be a better placed for taking decisions rather than
court and both state govts should have gone for such a mechanism rather than
approaching Judiciary

17
th
May
Abki Baar Modi Sarkar(The Hindu was covering Result day)
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18
th
May
China has evacuated 3,000 nationals from Vietnam
Why?
Because of deadly riots that happened in Vietnam because of rage over Chinese oil drilling in
a disputed area of the South China Sea.
Some background
China and Vietnam both claim a part of the south china sea
Other parties to dispute are Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan
These countries want multilateral solution to this problem (i.e. they want to go together
and negotiate with China) On the other hand, China wants to solve the issue bilateral ( it
will be easier for China to convince/bully these countries one by one)
few days ago China has moved an oil drilling rig into the region
Severity?
This is said to be the lowest level to which the relations between these two communist
countries has dropped since a brief border war in 1979
Two Chinese nationals were killed in the violence and more than 100 others injured

Aung San Suu Kyi in NEWS again
What is the Issue?
Suu Kyi was elected to Parliament in 2012
She wants to run for president in 2015 General election
Problem is that one of the articles in the constitution says anyone whose spouse or
children owes allegiance to a foreign power cannot become President or Vice President
(Suu Kyis Sons are British Nationals)
What She wants?
Amend the constitution
This Amendment can be done only if the military agrees. 2008 Constitution gave the
military the VETO power in amendment of the constitution (it also gave military 25 per
cent of all parliamentary seats, allows it to appoint three cabinet ministers)

19
th
May
Indo-Israel Ties
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given a statement that he has talked to Mr.
Modi and he is keen to strengthen the ties between India and Israel
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Stats of new LS
1/3 of New MPs have criminal charges against them
82 % of the new MPs have assets >Rs. 1 crore each, making it the richest Lok Sabha
Encrypted Email
due to various incidents of snooping by Governments (esp NSA of USA) people are
moving towards encrypted email
New email providers have been launched and Gmail and Yahoo have stepped up the
security
What is Encryption?
encryption is the process of encoding messages or information in such a way that only
authorized parties can read it
Message or information (called Plane text ) >passed through an encryption algorithm
> output is unreadable data (called cyphertext) >transmitted > passed through
decryption algorithm > Readable data

Jaipur Foot
What is Jaipur foot ?
rubber-based prosthetic leg
for people with below-knee amputations
Although inferior in many ways to the composite carbon fibre variants, its variable
applicability and cost efficiency make it an acceptable choice for prosthesis.
Ram Chander Sharma designed and developed it in 1968
Why in NEWS?
An organisation Jaipur Foot (organisation that manufactures Jaipur foot and supplies it
free of cost ) has signed an agreement with the Afghanistan government to supply 1,000
prosthetic legs to Afghanistan
Why Afghanistan needs it? Terror attack victims and polio sufferers
India has also planned to train the staff at Disabled Technical Institute in Afghanistan to
produce the foot themselves

20
th
May
Maritime Silk Road in NEWS again!
Lets take a look about what we have already covered on maritime silk road on gs-today till
now!
Idea evolved at the 10th anniversary of ASEAN China summit
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What it is?
Sea route connecting China with South asia, South east Asia, west Asia and even Africa
Chinese silk was in much demand through out world
Route was synchronized with Monsoon and trade winds
Why revival?
Formal reason:
increasing connectedness between these countries
Cooperation between nations in maritime exercises
Explore unique values and achieve common prosperity of region
Under the table reasons:
Countering Pivot to Asia of US
Countering string of pearls theory
Releasing tension in South China sea
Obviously establishing Chinese hegemony
Strategic interest and raising maritime power
Why in NEWS today?
China has set up a 10 billion Yuan ($1.6 billion) fund for Maritime Silk route
Funds will be used to build ports and infra development in strategically important littoral
countries in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean region
An important thing to note is that a report released last month said that report last month
said the focus of infrastructure construction will be in countries such as Pakistan, Sri
Lanka and Bangladesh, where China is already involved in port projects in Gwadar,
Hambantota and Chittagong respectively. But a map was released by Chinese Xinhua
news agency and Gwadar was missing from it(:-))

Russia shifting towards east?
Facts:
Russias relations with West has almost gone down to cold war levels
China has not condemned Russia over Ukraine
Putin is traveling to Shanghai on tomorrow for a two day summit on regional security
They are expected to sing fantastic package of 40 agreements including a agreement to
export gas to China (this will reduce dependence of Russia on European Markets)
Implications:
Russia and China are on their way to build a strategic alliance and it may lead to a
military alliance in future
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Internal Security and Mr. Modi!
There is a speculation that Mr. Modi wants to create a separate ministry for Internal
Security
A Senior official has said that next government may adopt a muscular and hawkish
approach to internal security at all levels
This news we should watch out for as Internal Security is V. Imp for UPSC and in case
some organizational changes do happen we should be aware of them!
Good read : Higher standards are double standards

BS Says

Why are Non performing Assets Higher in Public Sector Banks?
Example of tractor financing to explain this

Private Sector Banks Public Sector Banks
interest rate ranges between 12 and 20
% ranges between 10 and 15 per cent
Mutually agreed insallments( either on
monthly or crop-pattern basis)
collected by agents from the homes &
receipts delivered through hand-held
devices
generally payable on a monthly
basis
Agents are present in the showrooms
of tractor dealers
Farmers have to visit the bank
offices (that too seveal times) to
get loan
Simple Know Your Customer (KYC) Strictly follow KYC norms
Private sector lenders have a risk control
unit and there is also a third-party
The verification proceess is not
robust. Once the loan is given
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review that randomly checks the
credentials of the borrower
there is no follow up. The recovery
process is no better.
loan sanctioned within 3 days slo process, takes few weeks
They are not reluctant to repossess the
tractor
reluctant to repossess the tractor,
often for political reasons

Conclusions


21
th
May
NEWS from RBI!
RBI is planning to ease norms for Infrastructure funding
The RBI is thinking of reducing the obligations of CRR and SLR that banks have
w.r.t Infrastructure funding
What is CRR?
The portion (expressed as a percent) of depositors balances banks must have on hand as
cash


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What is SLR?
Amount that the commercial banks require to maintain in the form of gold or govt. approved
securities before providing credit to the customers

Impact of Reduced CRR and SLR?
IT would increase the amount of money available with banks that it can lend to the
people/firms who want to invest in infrastructure
This is important because Modi government has promised to focus on infrastructure ( they
promised 100 new cities, bullet trains etc. ). This will be useful.
RBI may also move towards stricter customer protection norms

Odourless dustbins
Chennai corporation is set to install odourless bins to collect waste in the city
only 40% of bin will be visible above ground
Vertical design will lead to waste compaction as older garbage will be pushed down by
the new garbage
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More info on Antarctic Ice Loss
source of new data
European Space Agencys CryoSat-2 satellite (this satellite covers the whole continent and
measures the change in hight of the ice) launched in 2010
Where in Antarctica the major ice loss happening?
Western Antarctica ice sheet major (87%) of ice loss of Antarctica is happening here
Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is the segment of the continental ice sheet that
covers West (or Lesser) Antarctica, the portion of Antarctica on the side of the Transantarctic
Mountains which lies in the Western Hemisphere

Fact to note : Loss of entire WAIS will lead to 4 m of sea level rise.
Martial Law in Thailand
Thailand Army has declared Martial Law in the country and said this is to restore
peace and order
What is Martial Law?
Martial law is the imposition of military power over designated regions on an
emergency basis, usually done on a temporary basis when the civilian government
or civilian authorities fail to function effectively
Background info: (not very important!)
months of violent demonstrations,to remove PM Yingluck Shinawatra from office
cause : Anti-government protests have been ongoing in Thailand since November 2013,
aimed at removing the influence of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from Thai
politics (He is Brother of current PM Yingluck Shinawatra and is said to have
considerable influence on the current government , though he is currently in exile and
resides in Dubai)
Constitutional Court on May 7 finally removed her
National elections are tentatively scheduled for July 20
Remember Thailand is a monarchy - King Bhumibol Adulyadej, has intervened in crises
past, but he is 86 and ailing

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22
nd
May
Madhya Pradesh : New E-mail Policy
It gives legal status to e-mail correspondence amongst government functionaries and also
between them and the general public
first of its kind in whole country
Will speed up the processes in government offices

Maternal mortality rate ( +ves and -ves)
569 per one lakh live births in 1990 to 190 in 2013 Improvement of almost 65%
In 2013, India had 17 per cent (50,000) of the global maternal deaths.
MMR of 190 last year is much higher than the governments target of below 100 by 2012
Millennium Development Goal 5.A. Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015,
the maternal mortality ratio (we are likely to miss this goal too!)
Background :
Maternal mortality is counted when deaths occur during pregnancy or in the first 42 days
after the birth of the child, caused either directly or indirectly by pregnancy
Why it happens?


Mutant Virus
What are mutant virus?
Several groups of scientists around the world are creating and altering viruses to
understand how natural strains might evolve into more lethal forms that spread
easily among humans.
Why are such research conducted?
So that future spread of these viruses can be predicted and scientists can be better
armed with anti-dotes to check the spread
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Why in NEWS?
A report was published yesterday and researchers at Harvard and Yale universities have
argued that the benefits of such experiments are lesser as compared to the risk posed by
these viruses if they escape from these laboratories into the general population
Invisible baby deaths
Globally, about 5.5 million babies nearly three million neonates and about 2.6 million
stillbirths die every year
What are neonates?
In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth
What are Stillbirths?
Stillbirths happen at about 28 weeks of gestation and also during labour. Babies who die
during labour just five minutes before birth account for nearly half of all stillbirths
Why in NEWS?
The following results were published recently in The Lancet


Why the term invisible?
In most countries stillbirths do not get birth or death certificates, which contributes
to their invisibility; hence, most of the worlds newborn deaths and almost all
stillbirths enter and leave the world without a piece of paper to record their
existence, Joy Lawn, professor of maternal, reproductive and child health
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This indirectly shows that these deaths are seen as inevitable and no action is taken
to prevent them
23
rd
May
Thailand Army Coup
What has happened?
Thai Army has staged a coup, ordered the rival protestors to stop demonstrations
and deposed the government
This has happened because there has been lot of bloodshed between the two rival
political forces in Thailand.
Reactions from world leaders?
Leaders from U.S., France and U.K., along with U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-moon
condemned the militarys assumption of power
sought restoration of civilian order
What we have already covered on ThailandLets Revise from UPSC-DNA 21 May!
Thailand Army has declared Martial Law in the country and said this is to restore
peace and order
What is Martial Law?
Martial law is the imposition of military power over designated regions on an
emergency basis, usually done on a temporary basis when the civilian government
or civilian authorities fail to function effectively
Background info: (not very important!)
months of violent demonstrations,to remove PM Yingluck Shinawatra from office
cause : Anti-government protests have been ongoing in Thailand since November 2013,
aimed at removing the influence of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from Thai
politics (He is Brother of current PM Yingluck Shinawatra and is said to have
considerable influence on the current government , though he is currently in exile and
resides in Dubai)
Constitutional Court on May 7 finally removed her
National elections are tentatively scheduled for July 20
Remember Thailand is a monarchy - King Bhumibol Adulyadej, has intervened in crises
past, but he is 86 and ailing
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Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)
What are EDCs?
A substance which interferes with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding,
action or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for
development, behaviour, fertility and maintenance of homeostasis (normal cell
metabolism)
Examples?
DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls, bisphenol A, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, phthalates
Why in NEWS?
Sweden has said that it will sue the European Commission because the commission has
delayed the process of identifying harmful chemicals in everyday products. Sweden thinks
that the commission has done so because it yielded to the pressure of chemical industry
lobbying.
Job Portal launched by AICTE
Aim
To ensure that students in non-metros are not left out of the race to lucrative jobs
Will cover over seven million candidates across the country
How it works
Designed for educational institutions in Tier-II and Tier-III cities allows students/companies
to access and upload the profiles of each other

24
th
May
Olive Ridley conservation
What is Oliver Ridley?
also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle
medium-sized species found in warm and tropical waters
primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans
These turtles, along with their cousin the Kemps ridley turtle, are best known for their unique
mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to
lay eggs.
What is the status?
Though found in abundance, their numbers have been declining over the past few years, and
the species is recognized as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red list.
Why threatened?
serious threats across their migratory route, habitat and nesting beaches, due to human
activities such as
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turtle unfriendly fishing practices,
development and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, and tourist centres.
Though international trade in these turtles and their products is banned , they are still
extensively poached for their meat, shell and leather, and their eggs, though illegal to harvest,
have a significantly large market around the coastal regions.
Why in NEWS?
After nearly 25 years, the wildlife wing of the Forest Department has resumed the
Olive Ridley conservation programme by setting up a hatchery at Besant Nagar,
Chennai.
Hydro Power Projects and SC BAN
Background
August 13 last year the Supreme Court issued an order after which work on all HEPs in
the State has been stalled
SC had constituted an Expert Body and The expert body in its report, elucidated the
catastrophic role played by HEPs during the deluge (Uttarakhand Disaster)
Why in NEWS now?
The State government has decided to fight a legal battle in Supreme Court seeking lifting
of ban on construction of hydroelectric power projects (HEPs) in the State.
The Gold Import Story


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Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS)
What it is?

What will it be used for?
It allows the simulation of interception of a missile coming in at a supersonic speed.
It can also be used for simulating the velocities encountered during the re-entry of crew
capsules to be used in Indias manned missions to space

Great Indian Bustards
Background
We have already covered it on Gs-Today CLICK HERE
Why in NEWS?
WWF has said that Only 200 Great Indian Bustards are left
Reasons :
destruction of forests
break-up of corridors
illegal trade
poaching
change in land use as reasons

Nepal glaciers shrink by quarter in 30 years: study
A new study by the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD) shows that the area covered by glaciers has decreased by 24 per
cent between 1977 and 2010

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25
th
May
Backchannel talks - Indo-Pak
what is meant by Backchannel?
An alternative to the regular channels of communication that is used when agreements must
be made secretly (especially in diplomacy or government)
Tracks of Diplomacy

NEWS
During Nawaz Sharifs Visit there is a possibility that talks may be held to setup a
secret diplomatic channel to manage any future crisis between the two nuclear
armed nations
Laxmi Kumari Chundawat passes away
Renowned Rajasthani scholar
senior politician








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VVIP chopper deal Story


ONGC to drill near Chennai
Where will it drill?
The Palar Basin ( about 45 KM from Chennai)
It is located between two hydrocarbon-producing basins the Krishna-Godavari basin
in the north and the Cauvery basin to the south.
Exploration in Palar Basin has started 40 years ago but not much work has been done

Novorossiya (New Russia)
Novorossiyaor New Russia, as the eastern part of Ukraine is a 19th century concept
Rebellious Russian-speaking regions of Ukraine want to form a new independent state
and name it Novorossiya
Initially will be made up of the Peoples Republics of Donetsk and
Luhansk(Both declared their independence earlier this month)
It is planned that six more regions Nikoyayev, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkiv,
Zaporozhie and Kherson, will join ( after holding referendums on independence)

Attack on Somalias Parliament
Somalias al-Shabab rebels launched a attack on the national Parliament
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What is Al-Shabab?
Al-Shabab militants are linked to the Al-Qaeda and want to overthrow Somalias
government
26
th
May
Law Commission on Death Penalty
The Law Commission has called for a reassessment of the need for the death penalty.
The Commission has allowed 30 days for the public to submit their responses
Facts to note about Death Penalty


Nayak panel
Why was Panel Setup and who was the head?
To review governance of boards of public sector banks
Former Axis Bank Chairman and Managing Director P. J. Nayak
Stand of RBI?
making a strong case to accept the recommendations , Mr. Rajan has said that it can solve
the major ills of PSBs
Whats the major issue with boards of public sector banks?
Government interference
Dual regulation : RBI - banks traditional regulator. They also face oversight from the
CBI and CVC.
(because of above two points) fear psychosis holding back commercial decision making
government control has capped the remuneration packages of PSB chiefs who earn far
less than their often smaller private sector counterparts
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Tobacco cultivation


The Editorial on India-US relations
Its does not have specific points but has lot of insight.
Hence we suggest read it full CLICK HERE and please give the important points that
you collect in comments section below.




Govt and marketing



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27
th
May
Elephant vs Elephant vs Man
Villages in Chitoor A.P. have recently suffered crop damages because of wild elephants
from the nearby forest coming and raiding the fields
Forest department officials have decided to bring in kunkies (trained elephants) to solve
the problem
The wild elephants will get attracted to the kunkies (trained elephants) and these kunkies
(trained elephants) will take their wild counterparts deep into the forest and leave them
there.
Why is this news important?
Its a classic case of man-wild life conflict










Another related news from South Bengal

In last 10 years 241 persons were killed by elephants, over 50 elephants died in the forests
of south Bengal.
cause of death of elephants : Natural death + Increased Man-wild conflict (due
to significant rise in the number of migratory elephants visiting Paschim Medinipur,
Bankura and Purulia districts over the past few years)
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Wind energy
Lets take a look at a concept of economics first : Accelerated Depreciation
Investopedia defines it as Any method of depreciation used for accounting or income tax
purposes that allows greater deductions in the earlier years of the life of an asset.
Accelerated depreciation is basically increasing the depreciation on an asset which allows
the asset owner to write off more of the value of the asset for some years of ownership
thereby reducing taxable income.

NEWS
Indian Wind Power Association(body representing wind power investors and
generators) has requested the union govt to bring back the scheme of Accelerated
depreciation in wind power sector
The scheme was in place from 1992 to 2012 for wind sector ( it was there for other
renewable sectors too and is currently running for rest of the sectors)
The investment in wind energy sector has fallen because of this reason ( as per Indian
Wind Power Association)


some facts :
Windmill manufacturing capacity : 5,000 MW wind turbines / year
Actual added capacity (2011-12) : 3200 MW
Actual added capacity(2012-13) : 1700 MW
Actual added capacity(2013-14) : 2100 MW
What more can be done?
Renewable purchase obligation (RPO) should be monitored and implemented ( if you dont
know what is RPO see March hindu notes on gs-today or google it )

Elections to the European Parliament
Eurosceptic parties (both of the far-right and the left ) have registered the biggest gains in
terms of number of seats in European parliament
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What are Euroscepticism?


WE, The People! (how important is corruption)
A Survey conducted to study the influence of corruption on voters has reported that
The voters are not influenced much by the big scams that make to the headlines Adarsh ,
2G , CWG etc. ( Arnab Goswami it seems you shouting all the time did not lead to
much results! :-p )
What influenced the voters was Petty Corruption or the Local level corruption how
easy was it to get things done without paying bribe in your area !


28
th
May
Rhino DNA Indexing System : RhODIS

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European Union : Some Analysis


SIT on BLACK MONEY

Mee Seva


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Indias E-Commerce Sector



29
th
May
Power Plants in News
Polavaram project (covered previously by GS-today) has been in news because of
agitation by TRS members.
Speculation is that Centre is planning to merge seven mandals in Khammam distt in
Andhra Pradesh for construction of dam, where Khammam distt is in Telangana
Another news came from SriLanka
Sampur power plant in Tirucomalee where, NTPC has been involved for the first time in
international project
SL president asked for assistance from India to speed up the project

American world order and Obamas legacy
Annexation of Crimea by Russia and rejection of Ukraines referendum in UNGA
proposed by US are seen as the start of the end of US hegemony
Editor talks about a multiplex world in coming decades rather than a multipolar world
Multiplex world implies a world of multiple great and regional powers in complex form
of interdependence
US will remain one of the anchor determining world order along with many others
Difference between 19th century interdependence and this century interdependence is that
now interdependence between nations is much deeper and broader with no race for
colonies
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Afghan Policy
Approx 9,800 troops of US would be staying in Afghanistan along with NATO allies
A/c to Obamas speech their main task would be of consultation and assisting the Afghan
forces

Avoiding doctor-centric health solutions
Major issues with health in India are malnourishment in children and unhygienic way of
living, since these are major causes for most of the diseases
Providing licences to private hospital and medical colleges also a stumbling block to
better health services
Row over inappropriateness of Indian medics in UK is one case of such poor scrutiny of
private colleges
Indias health policy have to be more inspired by Japan and China rather than US which is
overpriced
Water and sanitation can reduce half the number of health cases

Mapping Proteins produced in human body
What is DNA sequencing?
DNA sequencing is the process of determining the precise order of nucleotides within
a DNA molecule
In 2001,for the first time human genome was sequenced
Whats the news?
Two independent groups have published papers dealing with the sequencing of proteins
According to their research, cells in various organs in the body turn many thousands of
genes into proteins which follow unique pattern like genes themselves

Intergovernmental Panel on antimicrobial resistance
An idea mooted now after exponential rise in the cases of resistance to antimicrobial
drugs
Treatment for many diseases now reliant only on one or two drugs
An independent body that should work with nations government and work for control
over the counter sale of such drugs
Search GS-today for more on row over issue of over the counter sale of antibiotics

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30
th
May
Maabari centres
Mother and child care centres on a pattern similar to Anganwadi
It is a Rajasthan govts initiative to stop the drop out from schools in the tribal belt of he
state
Children of age group 6 to 12 would be provided basic education at these centres

SIT on Black money
July 2011, SC in its judgment ordered to form such a body and made a bid to stall a court
monitored investigation on the issue that it will erode executives authority
SIT formed comprises of Justice MB Shah(head, former Apex court judge), Arijit
Pasayat(former Apex court judge), also involves heads of bodies like dept of revenue, IB,
RAW, ED, CBDT, RBI and few other agencies
However, Justice Shah himself doubt the white paper declaration of amount of black
money and claims it exaggerated
The conflicting issues which the body is going to face are with double taxation avoidance
and taxation information exchange agreements between different nations
However, by 2017, set of global standards made by OECD will be in effect related to
exchange of information, would make its work easy

Rohingyas
Minority muslim stateless community in Rakhine province of Myanmar
Burmese govt have, for decades denied them proper citizenship and claimed them as
illegal Bangladeshi immigrant
According to documents of 17th and 18th century, there were presence of Rohingyas in
Myanmar
There is a story of repression of Rohingyas in todays Hindu editorial section

Economic burden of Tobacco in India
1 lakh crore is the burden of diseases in 39-69age group
Cost estimated using three parameters: direct cost of such treatment, indirect cost due to
illnesses and indirect cost due to premature deaths from tobacco related diseases
91% men contribution(Oh yeah!!)
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2 States
Division of power supply to be made on equal terms between Telangana and Andhra
Pradesh as per the AP reorganisation act
Though majority of power sources going to exist in Andhra Pradesh, division would be on
54 to 46 percent basis in Telangana favor
Meanwhile, President has promulgated the ordinance to transfer seven villages and
Mandals to Khammam distt of AP(fro detail go through yesterday UPSC-DNA)

Wealth details sharing to curb NPAs
FM has asked IT dept to share wealth details of loan defaulters to PSBs in order to curb
rising NPAs
A/c datas, top-30 non performing assets of state-owned banks amount for 40.2% of their
gross bad loans
RBI has also assured that such details will only be used for NPA purpose and would not
be shared with anybody else

31
st
May
Space X
(Todays News + Some News from few Months back compiled into single mindmap)


Why in NEWS?
Dragon V2 has been unveiled now by SpaceX.
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It can carry upto 7 astronauts to ISS and bring them back to earth

Telangana and Healthcare


Water From Manure
technology for extracting drinkable water from manure is on its way to commercial
application
called : McLanahan Nutrient Separation System
It is installed as an add-on to an anaerobic digester,
What is anaerobic digester and what is anaerobic digestion?
It extracts energy and chemicals from manure.
Anaerobic digestion is a collection of processes by which microorganisms break down
biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is used for industrial or
domestic purposes to manage waste and/or to produce fuels.
What does this system add to anaerobic digester?
The system adds ultrafiltration, air stripping and a reverse osmosis system to produce
water thats clean enough for cattle to drink.
Eagles and Diclofenac
What is Diclofenac?
veterinary painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug
It was in news only because it was causing heavy damage to vulture population
Why in News?
It as come to light that Diclofenac is causing damage to eagles also(research paper
published in Bird Conservation International , a Cambridge University journal)
The research paper also says other raptor species such as hawks, kites and harriers that
feed on carcasses of animals, will possibly fall prey to the drug too
RAPTOR SPECIES = Birds of Prey = birds that have very good eyesight for finding
food, strong feet for holding food, and a strong curved beak for tearing flesh.