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FOCUS
FOCUS
Dear Students,
FOCUS is a Raus IAS Study Circles monthly publication of current affairs analysis. The publication, as the
name suggests, focuses solely on such current affair items and newspaper editorials which are relevant to
the dynamic segments of the General Studies syllabus and are important themes for the Essay paper of the
Civil Services Examination.
FOCUS is not just a collection of current affairs and general knowledge items, it is in fact a collective effort
of experienced trainers and educators in varied themes of General Studies to analyse these news items,
research and provide background and related information, lend a generalist viewpoint to these news pieces
and thus prepare critical notes for the study of General Studies papers.
Features:
1. All news items are categorized and clubbed theme-wise (International, India & the World, National,
Polity & Governance, Science & Technology, Defence and so on)
2. Maps and figures, wherever relevant, have been provided with news
3. Background information has been added to make a news understandable in totality
4. Related and additional information
5. News Analysis
6. Must read editorials of the month
7. Essay
8. Assignment (Questions) 1
9. All in a very simple and lucid format
How to use?
1. This issue is broadly divided into twenty six parts:
a) Parts One to Twenty One are different themes under which all news items have been categorized.
b) Part Twenty Two contains all the important editorials from different sources which we consider are a
must read for all aspirants.
c) Part Twenty Three contains important articles which we consider are a must read for all aspirants.
d) Part Twenty Four on Essay.
e) Part Twenty Five contains a bunch of multiple choice questions on current affairs incorporated with
emphasis on Preliminary General Studies - Paper I and 15 descriptive type questions for various core
sections of the Main exam.
f) Part Twenty Six contains solutions and explanations to multiple choice questions incorporated in
FOCUS-November, 2014 issue.
g) Part Twenty Seven : Focus Special
2. Study maps and figures carefully. It will add depth to your knowledge.
3. Never miss the Background of any news. UPSC asks questions from the background of the news.
4. Use Related Information and Additional Information to create extra dimensions to your answer.
5. News Analysis and Editorial will help you develop views about an issue. UPSC asks questions based
upon your views regarding an issue.
FOCUS: Current Affairs Analysis for Civil Services Examination | Edition December 2014
FOCUS
6. Make a collection of all these issues/publications and keep revising them as these notes will not only
help you answer many questions in the General Studies papers but will also be very helpful for the
Essay paper.
Further Assistance:
1. For further understanding of any current affair items or editorials, please consult the respective
thematic faculty member/professor.
2. For clarity on practice multiple choice questions (MCQs) given in this issue, please consult the FOCUS
(October, 2014) issue.
3. For clarity on question on GS Main Exam, please consult respective thematic faculty.
The sources for all the news items and other related information are:
Sources:
1. The Hindu
2. The Times of India
3. The Indian Express
4. Asian Age
5. The Tribune
6. The Economic Times
7. Frontline
8. Economic and Political Weekly
9. World Focus
10. BBC
Good Luck!
2 RAUS IAS STUDY CIRCLE
ESSAY WRITING
The Study Circle invites and encourages students to write essay on any or both of the below mentioned topics and
submit to the office for inclusion in the January, 2015 issue. Essays can be submitted on any of the following issues:-
1. Tourism: Can this be the next big thing for India?
2. With great power comes greater responsibility.
- Word limit: Desired word limit is 1500-2000 words.
- Clarity of thought, lucidity in expression, coherence and analytical thinking is expected from the students.
- Timelines: All essays must be submitted either as hard copies at the Office on 3rd floor or emailed as soft copies to
focus@rauias.com latest by January, 2015. No extension in the date of submission will be considered.
- Students can submit essay on either of the topics. Do remember to mention your Name and Batch number along
with the essay.
Note:
The best essay on the basis of merit and relevance to the topic will be published in JANUARY-2015 issue.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL
1. Denmark claims contested Arctic territory 7
2. Pak builds trench along Afghan border 8
3. US, NATO formally end Afghan combat mission 8
4. U.S., Cuba restore ties after 50 years 9
5. Ukraine votes to drop non-aligned status 10
6. Thailand, China sign railway deal 10
7. Shinzo Abe re-elected as Japan's prime minister 11
8. Mauritius names new prime minister 11
PART TWO | INDIA AND THE WORLD

1. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project 12
2. Committee tables report on Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh 12
3. China, Maldives sign accord on bridge construction 13
4. China launches major water project in Sri Lanka 13
5. Bhutan, not India, first recognised Bangladesh 14
6. India and Russia sign deals 14
PART THREE | NATIONAL NEWS

1. IISc, IIT-B make it to top 40 in varsity rankings 16
2. India last among BRICS in Web index

3
16
3. India improves rating on global corruption index 17
4. India betters rank in net freedom 18
PART FOUR | ECONOMY

1. Easy exit norms for foreign investors in construction sector 19
2. Government relaunches Kisan Vikas Patras 19
3. Government approves ordinance to raise FDI in insurance to 49% 20
4. Nod to dilute stake in public sector banks 20
5. WTO rules against U.S. import duties on Indian steel products 20
PART FIVE| POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Special SC Bench to hear, monitor social issues 21
2. Ordinance to amend Land Act 21
PART SIX| SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Elderly unable to access social security schemes- UNFPA 23
2. India to reach replacement levels of fertility by 2020 23
PART SEVEN| SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. India to provide software, mirrors for largest-ever telescope 25
2. ISRO's GSAT-16 communications satellite launched successfully into orbit 25
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3. GSLV Mark III, India's largest rocket, launched successfully 25
4. New Horizons: NASA probe wakes up for Pluto encounter 26
PART EIGHT | ENERGY

1. Rosneft to supply oil to Essar refineries 28
2. Indian n-facilities under IAEA safety umbrella 28
3. Pakistan, Russia sign $1.7-billion energy deal 29
PART NINE | DEFENCE

1. Naval LCA makes first flight from ski-jump 30
2. DRDO conducts maiden test-flight of Panchi 30
PART TEN | ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY

1. India named among moderate-performers on climate change 32
2. Coral Bleaching Alert System (CBAS) 33
3. First green diesel-powered flight 33
4. Nationwide hydrology data soon 34
5. Mountains of plastic afloat in the oceans 34
PART ELEVEN | HEALTH

1. Ebolas ground zero tracked down 36
2. Huge population at fluorosis risk 36
PART TWELVE | CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS

4
4 1. 2014 Lima climate change talks 38
PART THIRTEEN | COMMITTEES AND REPORTS

1. Subramanian panel counsels caution on GM food crops 40
2. Tax cash withdrawal beyond a limit in a day: Shome panel 41
PART FOURTEEN | SPORTS

1. Indian men, women win World Cup Kabaddi titles 42
PART FIFTEEN |ORGANISATIONS IN NEWS

1. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 43
PART SIXTEEN | PERSONALITIES

1. Anil Sinha 44
2. K.Balachander 44
3. Nedunuri Krishna Murthy 44
4. Veenapani Chawla 44
5. V.R. Krishna Iyer 44
PART SEVENTEEN | AWARDS

1. Leviathan bags Golden Peacock 45
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2. Three Gond artists win Ojas Art Award 45
3. Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Madan Mohan Malaviya 46
4. Fidel Castro wins Chinas alternative peace prize 47
PART EIGHTEEN| HISTORY AND CULTURE

1. Artefacts from the lost Port of Muziris 48
PART NINETEEN| PLACES

1. Sunderbans 49
PART TWENTY| BOOKS AND AUTHORS

1. The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years 50
2. Nehru & Bose Parallel Lives 50
PART TWENTY ONE| MISCELLANEOUS

1. UN declares June 21 as Yoga Day 51
PART TWENTY TWO| EDITORIALS

1. Gaining space 52
2. After the drawdown 52
3. A good time to usher in reforms 53
4. Tsunami, a decade later 53
5. Rise in global inequality 54
6. Art of persuasion 54

5
7. Shocking & unbelievable! 55
8. No room for complacency 55
9. The seasons resonance 56
10. Tread carefully 56
11. Moving forward on insurance 57
12. A strong response is needed in Assam 57
13. Abe gets second chance 58
14. Reform by decree 58
15. Bharat Ratna 59
16. Cautionary signals 59
17. A barbaric massacre of children in Pak 60
18. Losing its lustre 61
19. Humanitarian decision 61
20. New satellite takes wing 62
21. Away from the farm 62
22. A misplaced concern 63
23. Many faces of terrorism 63
24. The cost of convenience 64
25. Satyarthi and Malala: Warriors of peace 64
26. By the Brahmaputra 65
27. Testing times for India-Russia ties 65
28. The Gita doesnt need govt boost 66
29. No closure for Bhopal 66
TABLE OF CONTENTS
30. Code red 67
31. Golden rule 68
32. Heat on climate change 68
33. Reason for hope 69
34. A deep cut 69
35. Chequing out 70
36. Opportune time for reform 70
37. An imaginative deal 71
38. For more internet freedom 71
39. Rethink the death penalty 72
40. A welcome U-turn 72
41. Strengthening accountability 73
42. An avoidable controversy 73
PART TWENTY THREE | ARTICLES
1. Swachh bharat abhiyan: a tool for progressive india 75
2. Pacific bridge 80
PART TWENTY FOUR| ESSAY 84
PART TWENTY FIVE| ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS 91
PART TWENTY SIX| SOLUTIONS 96
PART TWENTY SEVEN| FOCUS SPECIAL 97
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6
1. Denmark claims contested Arctic territory

Denmark presented a claim to the U.N. (United Nations), arguing that the area surrounding the North Pole is
connected to the continental shelf of Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory.
Denmarks claims made together with Greenland will not go unchallenged, however. Other Arctic countries
have also submitted claims that overlap Denmarks. They have agreed that a UN panel will settle the dispute.
LOMONOSOV RIDGE
The focus of the dispute is the Lomonosov Ridge, a 1,800km-long underwater mountain range that splits the
Arctic in two.
OTHER CLAIMS
Norway already lays claim to an area overlapping the one outlined in the Danish submission to the U.N., and
there is potential overlap with claims of Canada, the Russian Federation and the U.S in this regard.
Russian claim collides with the Danish one regarding the Lomonosov Ridge close to the point of the North Pole,
and the Canadian claim of the Lomonsov Ridge overlaps the Danish one at the southern end of the ridge.
Moscow has increased its military presence in the pristine but energy-rich Arctic region, while Canadian Prime
Minister Stephen Harpers government has made asserting sovereignty over an expansive Arctic archipelago
and surrounding waters a key policy.
PART | INTERNATIONAL
When Russia planted a flag on the Arctic sea bed directly under the North Pole in 2007, Canada raised its voice
to highlight that both countries claim sovereignty over the area.
OIL, GAS RESERVES
According to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey from 2008, the Arctic could hold 13 per cent of the oil and 30
per cent of the natural gas still to be discovered in the planet.
The melting of the ice cap also offers shorter shipping routes between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans, which
has attracted the interest of countries far from the Arctic region, including China.
RELATED INFORMATION: GREENLAND

Greenland geographically forms part of North America rather than Europe and is largely self-governed, but it
remains part of former colonial master Denmark, which controls foreign affairs and defence policy.
2. Pak builds trench along Afghan border

Along its disputed border with Afghanistan, Pakistan is carving out a massive trench to keep out separatists,
smugglers and militants in an attempt to bring order to a lawless, tribal region.
But the planned 485-km trench is giving physical form to a border
that locals have long seen as artificial, dividing families and crippling
trade and it is adding to simmering tensions between Afghanistan
and Pakistan, U.S. allies which have long accused each other of
turning a blind eye to insurgents.
BACKGROUND
The trench runs along part of the 2,640-km Durand Line, named for
British diplomat Mortimer Durand, who drew the now internationally
recognised border in an agreement with Afghan ruler Abdur Raham
8 Khan in 1893. But the modern Afghan government has never accepted
8 the border, and neither have the mainly tribal communities that
straddle it. They are accustomed to moving back and forth freely and
in some cases own land on both sides.
The trench is being built in Pakistans Baluchistan province, where Baluch rebels have been battling Islamabad
for decades, demanding greater autonomy and a larger share of the regions oil, gas, copper and gold.
Pakistan believes that the trench would not only help in effectively controlling the movement of drug and arms
and ammunition smugglers, but also will help in stopping the intrusion of terrorists and illegal immigrants.
But Kabul sees the trench as the latest move in a new incarnation of the colonial-era Great Game, in which
Pakistan hopes to destabilise its neighbour to extend its regional influence.
3. US, NATO formally end Afghan combat

mission
The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan formally ended its
combat, more than 13 years after an international alliance
ousted the Taliban government for sheltering the planners
of the September 11, 2001 attacks on American cities.
About 13,000 foreign troops, mostly Americans, will
remain in the country under a new, two-year mission
named "Resolute Support" that will continue the coalition's
training of Afghan security forces.
The Afghan army and police are struggling to fight against Taliban militants who this year killed record
numbers of Afghans. The Taliban have launched increasingly deadly attacks in the past year.
For Afghanistan's new president, Ashraf Ghani, keeping government control of territory and preventing security
from further deteriorating are top priorities. Although former president Hamid Karzai defied U.S. pressure by
declining to sign a security pact that would allow thousands of American troops to remain in the country past
2014 and to be immune to prosecution, Ghani agreed to sign deal in September.
4. U.S., Cuba restore ties after 50 years

The United States and Cuba agreed to restore diplomatic ties that Washington severed more than 50 years ago, and
President Barack Obama called for an end to the long economic embargo against its old Cold War enemy.
After months of secret talks,

Obama and Cuban President
Raul Castro agreed in a
phone call on a breakthrough
prisoner exchange, the
opening of embassies in each
other's countries, and an
easing of some restrictions on
commerce. The Vatican and
Canada facilitated the deal.
Obama said he was ending
what he called a rigid and
outdated policy of isolating
Cuba that had failed to
achieve change on the island.
His administration's policy
shift includes an opening to
more commerce in some
areas, allowing use of U.S. credit and debit cards, increasing the amount of money that can be sent to Cubans 9
and allowing export of telecommunications devices and services.
RESTRICTIONS REMAIN
Travel restrictions that make it hard for most Americans to visit will be eased, but the door will not yet be open
for broad U.S. tourism on the Caribbean island.
Obamas announcement also will not end the U.S. trade embargo that has been in force for more than 50 years.
That is codified in legislation and needs congressional approval. Obama said he would seek that approval but
will likely face a struggle.
BACKGROUND
Cuba and the United States have been ideological foes since soon after the 1959 revolution that brought Raul
Castro's older brother, Fidel Castro, to power.
Washington broke diplomatic relations with Havana in 1961 as Cuba steered a leftist course that turned it into a
close ally of the former Soviet Union.
The hostilities were punctuated by crises over spies, refugees and the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962 that
brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
After the demise of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, Washington was increasingly alone in its
efforts to squeeze Cuba.
PART | INTERNATIONAL
5. Ukraine votes to drop non-aligned status

Ukraine's parliament voted to drop the country's non-aligned status and work towards NATO membership.
Russia called the move counterproductive and said it would boost tensions.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

pledged to seek NATO membership over
Russian support for rebels in the east.
Russia, which annexed the Crimean
peninsula in March, denies supplying the
rebels with weapons. However, it is subject
to EU (European Union) and US sanctions
over the crisis.
The non-aligned status, which Ukraine
adopted in 2010 under Russian pressure,
prevents states from joining military
alliances.
SIGNIFICANCE
Russia has long complained about NATO "expanding" east, up to Russia's borders. The Kremlin would view
Ukraine's membership of the alliance as a direct threat to its national security.
So, Moscow was quick to denounce the Ukrainian parliament for renouncing the country's non-aligned status.
The vote in the Rada, Ukraine's parliament, certainly drives another wedge between Kiev and Moscow. And it
may complicate efforts to resolve the current crisis.
But, the critics of the Kremlin argue that it is Russia's direct involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine which
is pushing Kiev closer to NATO.
BACKGROUND
10 Thousands have been killed and about one million have been displaced by fighting in Ukraine.
10 The roots of the current conflict go back to Ukraine's pro-EU street protests at the end of last year that led to the
fall of Russian-leaning President Viktor Yanukovych in February.
After Crimea was annexed by Russia, pro-Russian separatists seized parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions
of eastern Ukraine and later declared independence.
A ceasefire was signed by both sides in Minsk in September
but observers say some fighting is continuing.
6. Thailand, China sign railway deal

Thailand signed two memorandums of understanding with China on
the development of a key rail link project and the purchase of
agricultural products.
The north-south rail link is expected to facilitate the transport

of goods from Chinas southern region to Gulf of Thailand
ports via Laos.
China also promised to purchase about 2 million metric tons
of rice and some 200,000 tons of rubber. The large purchase is
expected provide the Thai government a much-needed
channel to offload its rice and rubber stockpiles it inherited
from the previous administrations subsidy programs.
SIGNIFICANCE
Analysts point out that the growing ties between China and Thailand are not accidental. Beijing is apparently
cashing on the sourness that has developed between Thailand and West following a military coup on May 22.
The U.S. government has cut military aid to Thailand, while the European Commission suspended trade
negotiations.
EXTENSION OF SILK ROAD
With this deal, China also set the stage for linking Southeast Asia with its New Silk Road initiative.
China has already been in discussions with Laos, a landlocked country, to build new railroads.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been relentless in pushing for a Silk Road Economic Belt a giant project that
would connect Asia with Europe along the Eurasian corridor through rail, road, fiber optic highways and
energy pipelines.
7. Shinzo Abe re-elected as Japan's prime minister

Japanese MPs re-elected Shinzo Abe to serve another term as prime minister after his party's landslide victory in
snap elections.
Mr Abe had called a snap election for the lower Diet to seek a new mandate.
The ruling coalition won a two-thirds majority amid a low voter turnout.
Observers attributed the win largely to the lack of a real political alternative
with the opposition in disarray.
ABENOMICS
Central to the election campaign were Mr Abe's controversial economic
policies, known as "Abenomics", which are aimed at ending deflation in the
country. The snap election was seen as a referendum on Mr Abe's difficult
and potentially unpopular economic reforms.
Japan saw an initial burst of growth shortly after he was elected in 2012, but the imposition of a sales tax hike in
April saw growth slump. 11
8. Mauritius names new prime minister

Mauritius' president named veteran politician Sir Anerood
Jugnauth as prime minister, after the alliance led by him
won a landslide victory.
Debate over constitutional reform -- notably over a divisive
proposal to strengthen presidential powers -- made the poll
one of the most crucial since the island gained
independence from Britain in 1968.
Mauritius has had only four prime ministers in its history.

Jugnauth and Ramgoolam have alternated posts since 1982, except for a brief interlude between 2003 and 2005
when Berenger served as prime minister. Jugnauth was also president between 2003-2012.
Ramgoolam's father, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, led the country to independence and also served as chief and
prime minister.
PART TWO| INDIA AND THE WORLD
1. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project

China and Pakistan started their multi-billion dollar Economic Corridor project, that passes through Pakistan-
occupied Kashmir (PoK), by laying the foundation of a fenced four-lane motorway, setting in motion a mammoth
project connecting the two countries.
INDIA- PAKISTAN AND CHINA
The Hazara Motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
will take two years to complete. India expressed its
reservations to China over the project as it is laid through
the PoK. But, China defended the project saying it will help
regional development.
Sceptics in both the countries, however, point to the rising
tide of extremism in Pakistan which makes its construction
extremely difficult. The tenuous political and security
situation in Pakistan prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping
to cancel his trip to Islamabad in September during which he
visited the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India.
SIGNIFICANCE
Planned to connect Kashgar in Chinas Xinjiang with
Pakistans Gwadar Port in Balochistan province, the corridor
is expected to serve as a terminal for China to pump oil
12 procurement from Persian Gulf.
12
2. Committee tables report on Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed that his government will go ahead with the land boundary
agreement with Bangladesh, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs tabled its report,
recommending a Constitution amendment Bill to enable the swapping of enclaves and end the dispute between
the two countries.
The swap will involve handing
over 17,000 acres of land to
Bangladesh in return for 7,000
acres in 111 enclaves in West
Bengal, Assam, Tripura and
Meghalaya, and was first decided
under the 1974 Land Boundary
Agreement (LBA) between India
and Bangladesh, but never ratified
by Parliament. It will require an
amendment to the Constitution
(the 119th amendment) ratified by
both Houses of Parliament with a
two-thirds majority.
BACKGROUND
The LBA was part of the promises made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Dhaka in
2011. However, the UPA government was unable to bring the Bill to Parliament, partly because of opposition
from the BJP over Assam enclaves and the Trinamool over West Bengal enclaves.
However, as part of the new NDA governments neighbourhood outreach, External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj promised the Bangladesh government that the BJP would reverse its stand and push for both the LBA as
well as the Teesta river water settlement.
3. China, Maldives sign accord on bridge construction

China and Maldives a major element of the Beijing-sponsored Maritime Silk Road project signed an accord
to conduct study on constructing a bridge that would connect capital Male with the citys international airport.
SIGNIFICANCE
Analysts point out that the project underscores a
deepening engagement between China and
Maldives, which is a major cog in the
establishment of the 21st century Maritime Silk
Route visualised by China.
Though details are still sketchy, the Chinese
hope to revive a maritime route that would start
from its Fujian province, cross the Malacca
Straits and transit through the Indian Ocean via
India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Nairobi in
Kenya. It would finally cross the Mediterranean
via the Suez Canal to terminate at Venice. Venice
would also be end of the New Silk Route a land corridor that would start in Xian in China and travel through
Central Asia, before entering Europe.
13
INDIAS CONCERNS
Chinas Maritime Silk Route has raised concerns in India as it considers this as a further expansion of String of
Pearls policy of China, which centres around containment and encircling of India in Indian Ocean.
4. China launches major water project in Sri Lanka

China started a major water supply project in Sri Lanka,
using soft power to deepen its relationship with
Colombo.
Once completed, the project will yield clean drinking
water to people in 42 villages not far from Colombo.
China is also engaged in the expansion of Hambantota
Port in southern Sri Lanka. China has earlier been involved
in the construction of the $1.2-billion Lakvijaya coal fired
power plant in Sri Lanka.
SIGNIFICANCE
Analysts say that the new venture is one of several steps that Beijing and Colombo have taken to consolidate
their relationship. China sees Sri Lanka as one of the important elements of the Maritime Silk Road (MSR),
which will connect its Fujian province with Europe.
The MSR would transit through the Indian Ocean via India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Nairobi in Kenya. It would
terminate in Venice after crossing into the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal.
PART TWO| INDIA AND THE WORLD
Analysts say New Delhi is carefully observing Chinas growing relationship with Sri Lanka and Maldives two
countries with which India has had a special relationship.
5. Bhutan, not India, first recognised Bangladesh

Bhutan and not India was the first to recognise Bangladesh as an independent nation, Bangladeshs Foreign
Office said, putting an end to decades old speculation on the issue.
It said that both Bhutan and India had recognised Bangladesh as an independent country on December 6, 1971
but Thimphus announcement came hours ahead of Indias official recognition.
The clarification came as many debated over the years on whether Bhutan followed Indias footstep in
recognising Bangladesh as an independent country.
Indias recognition came three days after India-Pakistan war broke out on December 3 following the pre-emptive
Pakistani air attack on Indian territory. Bangladesh won its independence on December 16 after nine months of
Liberation War against Pakistan.
6. India and Russia sign deals

Russia offered to help India set up at least 10
more nuclear reactors and manufacture
light-utility helicopters in line with the
Make in India campaign as the two
countries stepped up their defence and
strategic partnership.
As India and Russia sought to strengthen a
once-close relationship, the two countries
signed 20 agreements including a contract to
implement the third and fourth reactors of
the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and a
14 joint investment fund of $1 billion for Indian
14 infrastructure and hydroelectric projects.
Other strategic deals covered oil supply,
infrastructure and an increase in direct
diamond sales to India by Russian firm
Alrosa.
KAMOV HELICOPTERS
For the chopper deal, public sector unit
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or an Indian
private firm could partner for the
production of Kamov 226 T helicopters in
India as bidding for these reconnaissance
and surveillance helicopters is restricted for
Indian firms and their joint ventures.
1. IISc, IIT-B make it to top 40 in varsity rankings

The Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore) is Indias top ranked university but stands at 25 in a ranking of
universities from BRICS and other emerging economies according to the Times Higher Education BRICS &
Emerging Economies Rankings 2015 covering 18 countries.
The rankings show that

India now has four
universities in the top 40
IISc, IIT Bombay, IIT
Roorkee and Panjab
University, Chandigarh
and seven more in the
top 100.
OVERALL RANKING
Chinas Peking
University and Tsinghua
University occupy the
first and second
positions. Taiwan is the
next best represented
country in the list.
The rankings are on the
16 lines of the World
16 University Rankings and
are composed of 13
performance indicators
grouped into five
differently weighted
areas: teaching, research,
citations, industry income and international outlook.
GLOBAL SCENE
Emerging economy universities lag the best in the world by a fair distance - Indias top-ranked university, IISc
Bangalore, was ranked between 276th and 300th in the 2014-15 World Rankings, while Peking University, the
BRICS and emerging economies top ranked university was 48th.
2. India last among BRICS in Web index

India ranks behind China and other BRICS nations in a comprehensive index aimed at measuring the Internets
contribution to social, economic and political progress.
Though China is notorious for its great Internet firewall, the nation is far ahead of India when it comes to
translating the power of the Internet into economic potential, says the Web Index released by the World Wide
Web Foundation.
Indias Internet penetration rate is comparable to Nepal or Namibias, and despite promises of a digital
revolution, the Web is still inaccessible to a large swathe of the population, says the report.
Affordability is Indias biggest concern as the cost of broadband access in the country is greater than in countries
in the neighbourhood such as Bangladesh.
WIDENING EXISTING INEQUALITIES
Making Internet
access more
affordable is critical
for fighting inequality
and creating jobs, the
report says. Yet, in
the poorest countries,
the relative costs of
basic Internet access
remain over 80 times
higher than in the rich
world a
phenomenon that
seems to be widening
existing inequalities.
Currently, the means
and freedom to fully utilise the Web are within reach of only one in seven people on the planet, the report notes.
While over four billion people enjoy no rights to the Internet at all, the rights of another two billion Internet
users are severely restricted.
Such restrictions are also on the rise because of pervasive government censorship and snooping. The general
outlook on privacy and online freedom of expression in South Asia is gloomy, says report citing laws such as
Indias Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, which gave undue powers to government agencies to
intercept communications.
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3. India improves rating on global corruption index
India has showed some improvement in
addressing corruption this year,
ranking 85th among countries as
against 94th last year, graft watchdog
Transparency International India (TII)
said.
Denmark retained its position as the
least corrupt country in 2014 with a
score of 92 while North Korea and
Somalia shared the last place, scoring
just 8, it said.
In Indias neighbourhood, China moved
to 100th place, down from 80th last year,
while Pakistan and Nepal were at 126th
position. Bangladesh was 145th and
Bhutan 30th in the ranking. Sri Lanka
was ranked 85th with India.
Afghanistan was at a bleak 172.
CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX
(CPI)
According to the Corruption Perception
Index (CPI) report by TII, the CPI score for India increased by 2 points in 2014 from its 2013 score, helping
Indias rank move up to 85 in 2014 from 94 in 2013.
The improvement in CPI for India was driven primarily by two data sources from the World Economic
Forum and World Justice Projects (WJP) index.
RELATED INFORMATION: TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

Transparency International (TI) is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and
political corruption in international development.
Originally founded in Germany in 1993 as a not-for-profit organization, Transparency International is now an
international non-governmental organization. It publishes an annual Global Corruption Barometer and
Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide. The headquarters are located in
Berlin, Germany.
4. India betters rank in net freedom

India is only partly free with a rank of 30 out of 65 countries in Internet freedom but as of May this year, it
has improved its score, a new report says.
The improvement
in Indias score,
from 47 out of 100
in 2012-13 to 42 out
of 100 in 2013-14, is
the largest by any
country. Among
BRICS and South
Asian nations,
Brazil and South
18 Africa rank better.
18
FREEDOM ON
THE NET 2014
REPORT
In its Freedom on
the Net 2014 report
released recently,
Freedom House, an
independent US-
based watchdog group, ranked the countries on 21 categories under three broad heads -- obstacles to access,
limits on content and violations of individuals rights.
India improved because of the reduced number of incidents in which ICT (Information Communications
Technology) connectivity and access was restricted, the relative transparency in allocation of spectrum, less
content blocking and reduced known incidents of physical attacks on internet users for content posted online,
the report says.
Key Internet controls that existed in India between May 2013 and May 2014 included political, social, and/or
religious content being blocked, localised or nationwide shutting down of information communication
technology, pro-government commentators manipulating online discussions and Internet or phone users being
arrested for political or social writings.
Mass blocks on access like those imposed following the Kokrajhar riots in 2012 did not occur in 2013 but court-
imposed blocks increased. Of particular cause for concern in India, along with the infamous Section 66A of the
Information Technology Act, is the proposed web filter.
PART FOUR | ECONOMY
PART FOUR | ECONOMY
1. Easy exit norms for foreign investors in construction sector

To help attract foreign funds in construction of townships, hospitals and hotels, the government relaxed the FDI
policy for this sector by easing exit norms and reducing built-up area and capital needs.
The revised norms relating to construction development sector were notified by the Department of Industrial
Policy and Promotion (DIPP). India allows 100 per cent FDI in the sector through the automatic route.
The new policy has done away with the three-year lock-in period for repatriation of investment.
The investor will also be permitted to exit on completion of the project or after development of trunk
infrastructure, that is, roads, water supply, street lighting, drainage and sewerage.
REASONS BEHIND THE MOVE
The government expects the new measures would result in enhanced inflows into the construction development
sector.
The measures are also likely to result in creation of much needed low cost affordable housing in the country and
development of smart cities.
For affordable homes, the government exempted the conditions of minimum floor area and capital requirement
if investees/joint venture companies commit at least 30 per cent of the total project cost for low-cost housing.
RELATED INFORMATION: DIPP

Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion was established in the year 1995, and in the year 2000 Department
of Industrial Development was merged with it. It works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
Government of India.
While individual Administrative Ministries look after the production, distribution, development and planning
aspects of specific industries allocated to them, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion is responsible for
the overall industrial policy. It is also responsible for facilitating and increasing the FDI flows to the country. 19
2. Government relaunches Kisan Vikas Patras

The government relaunched Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs) and
offered to double the investment in 100 months as it looked to
boost savings in the economy and step up investment.
The revamped scheme offers an annualized return of 8.7%, but
requires one to pay tax on the interest that accrues on
investment. As a result, some experts believe that the real rate of
return may be negative during periods when the rate of inflation
is high.
In contrast, public provident fund (PPF) offers a similar interest
rate but have a 15-year term. But, given that it is a completely
tax-free product, the actual returns are much higher. On the flip
side, PPF investment is capped at Rs 1.5 lakh, while there is no
such cap on KVPs, which come in denomination of Rs 1000, 5000,
10,000 and 50,000.
PART FOUR|ECONOMY
3. Government approves ordinance to raise FDI in insurance to 49%

Government approved promulgation of an ordinance to hike foreign direct investment (FDI) cap in the
insurance sector to 49 per cent from 26 per cent, as the legislation could not be passed in the Parliament session
that ended.
The Insurance Bill, which has been pending since 2008 in the
Rajya Sabha, seeks to increase the composite foreign
investment limit in insurance companies to 49 per cent from
current level of 26 per cent.
The 49 per cent cap would include both FDI and foreign
portfolio investments.
SIGNIFICANCE
The proposed hike in foreign investment limit to 49 per cent in
the insurance sector has potential to attract up to $7-8 billion
(about Rs 50,000 crore) from overseas investors, giving a major
boost to the segment.
There are 52 insurance companies operating in India, of which
24 are in the life insurance business and 28 in general
insurance business.
4. Nod to dilute stake in public sector banks

The Union Cabinet gave its approval to allow Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to dilute government holding up to 52
per cent in a phased manner to raise over Rs. 1.68 lakh crore to meet their additional capital requirements under
BASEL-III capital adequacy norms.
Out of 27 PSBs, Government of India [GoI] controls 22 through majority holding. In the remaining 5 banks, State
Bank of India holds majority stake. These 27 PSBs control 70 per cent of total branches, deposits and credit in the
20 Indian banking system. GoI has regularly been infusing incremental capital in PSBs.
20 Basel-III capital adequacy norms will be fully phased in and applicable by March 31, 2019. Basel III is the
international regulatory framework for banks.
RELATED INFORMATION: BASEL III

Basel III (or the Third Basel Accord) is a global, voluntary regulatory standard on bank capital adequacy, stress
testing and market liquidity risk.
The third installment of the Basel Accords was developed in response to the deficiencies in financial regulation
revealed by the financial crisis of 200708.
5. WTO rules against U.S. import duties on Indian steel products

The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled against the U.S. imposing high duty on imports of certain Indian
steel products, an order hailed by India as a significant victory that will
help domestic manufacturers and exporters.
The Appellate Body of the WTO ruled that the high duty imposed by the
U.S. on the certain Indian steel imports was inconsistent with various
provisions of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures
(ASCM).
The move would help Indian domestic manufacturers, which has been
suffering due to inconsistent practices by the U.S. Department of
Commerce. The implication of this ruling is that the U.S. has to amend its
domestic law to be WTO compliant.
PART FIVE| POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
PART FIVE | POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Special SC Bench to hear, monitor social issues

The Supreme Court set up a special Bench, called the Social Justice Bench, comprising two judges devoted to the
delivery of speedy justice in a range of social issues related to the downtrodden and socially marginalised
groups.
A brainchild of Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu, the Social Justice Bench will be headed by Justice Madan B.
Lokur and also have Justice U.U. Lalit.
The Supreme Court explained that the purpose behind constituting the new Bench was to streamline cases
highlighting social issues and thus facilitate the Supreme Courts monitoring and review of the governments
action in such cases.
FOCUS AREAS
The special Bench will handle issues related to the release of food grains lying in stock for use in drought-
affected areas, framing of a fresh scheme for their public distribution, taking of steps to prevent the untimely
death of women and children for want of nutritious food, hygienic mid-day meals in schools, clean drinking
water, provision of safety and secured living conditions for women forced into prostitution.
2. Ordinance to amend Land Act

Seeking to strike a balance between farmers welfare and the strategic and developmental needs of the country,
the Union Cabinet cleared an ordinance to unshackle defence, infrastructure and rural power projects caught in
land acquisition procedures.
Through this
executive order, 21
the Cabinet
amended the
Right to Fair
Compensation
and
Transparency in
Land
Acquisition,
Rehabilitation
and
Resettlement
Act, 2013.
The 2013 Act
was the UPA 2
government's answer to forced acquisitions, the previous laws silence on rehabilitation and re-settlement of
displaced persons, low rates of compensation and the urgency clause which allowed complete dispossession
without prior notice to affected families under the Colonial 1894 land acquisition law.
AMENDMENTS
Recent amendments have now relaxed the requirements of consent and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) survey
for projects in the following areas:
1. Defence and defence production
2. Rural infrastructure (including rural electrification)
3. Affordable housing
PART FIVE|POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
4. Industrial corridors
5. Social infrastructure projects including PPPs in which ownership rests with the government
The second important aspect of the amendment is to speed up developmental and security related projects
without compromising on the benefits/compensation to be given to the farmers.
The higher rates of compensation, as originally prescribed in the existing Act, would continue.
THE 2013 ACT
Under the 2013 Act, compensations were hiked up to four times and twice the market value in rural areas and
urban areas, respectively.
The 2013 law had also required consent from 70 per cent of the affected land owners in case of their lands being
acquired for a public private partnership (PPP) project. If the acquisition was meant for private companies,
consent from 80 per cent of the affected owners was required.
The provision also mandated a Social Impact Assessment survey to be held along with the process of getting the
families' consent.
LAND ACT AMENDMENT WIDENS SCOPE OF RELIEF
The existing Act has been amended to include 13 statutes previously exempted from the rigours of payment of
compensation.
The statutes are- Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958, Atomic Energy Act 1962,
Damodar Valley Corporation Act 1948, Indian Tramways Act 1886, Land Acquisition Act 1885, Metro Railways
(Construction of Works) Act 1978, National Highways Act 1956, Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines Act 1962,
Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act, 1948, Coal Bearing Areas Acquisition and
Development Act 1957, Electricity Act 2003 and Railways Act 1989.
The present amendments bring all these exempted 13 Acts under the purview of this Act for the purpose of
compensation as well as rehabilitation and resettlement. Therefore, the amendment benefits the farmers and the
affected families.
22 What does the Ordinance mean?
22
For Industries For Farmers
Ordinance envisages projects in defence, rural Farmers' compensation will remain the
housing and industrial corridors as exempt from same.
seeking 80% approval from affected persons.
Private hospitals, educational institutions and hotels 13 statutes that were previously exempted
will be included under definition of public purpose, from the rigours of compensation have now
and exempt fromSocial Impact Assessment (SIA).
been included.
The Ordinance aims to make land acquisition easier Multi-crop land can be acquired for five
for industries, as delays in approvals have restricted purposes without consent of affected
growth in industry and infrastructure, according to families: national security, defence, rural
stakeholders. infrastructure, industrial corridors and social
infrastructure
PART SIX| SOCIAL ISSUES
PART SIX | SOCIAL ISSUES
1. Elderly unable to access social security schemes- UNFPA

The inability to use social security schemes remains one of the biggest stumbling blocks for the elderly in India,
says a study conducted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Though aware of various social security schemes including the Indira

Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi
National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) and Annapurna Scheme,
the elderly are not able to access them, says the UNFPA report.
Because of the inability to use social security schemes, only 18 per cent
of the elderly belonging to poor households are beneficiaries of the
IGNOAPS, while only 3.5 per cent utilise the Annapurna Scheme and
only a quarter of the elderly widowed women utilise the IGNWPS.
The report also reveals high levels of morbidity across a spectrum of
ailments and impairments, both chronic and life debilitating. This was
further compounded by gender differentials in accessing healthcare and
lack of awareness about health schemes and services.
UNFPA report emerged from its seven-State study conducted with the technical support from leading research
organisations including the Population Research Centre; Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru;
Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi; and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
RELATED INFORMATION: UNFPA

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities is a
member of the United Nations Development Group.
The work of the UNFPA involves promotion of the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health 23
and equal opportunity. This is done through major national and demographic surveys and with population
censuses.
The data generated are used to create programmes to reduce poverty and address issues concerning the rights of
particular minority population groups.
2. India to reach replacement levels of fertility by 2020

Fertility is falling faster than expected in India, and the country is on track to reach replacement levels of
fertility as soon as 2020, new official data shows.
SAMPLE REGISTRATIONSURVEY (SRS)
The 2013 data for the Sample Registration Survey (SRS), conducted by the Registrar General of India, the
countrys official source of birth and death data, was released recently.
The SRS shows that the Total Fertility Rate the average number of children that will be born to a woman
during her lifetime in eight States has fallen below two children per woman.
STATEWISE STATUS
Just nine States all of them in the north and east, except for Gujarat havent yet reached replacements levels
of 2.1, below which populations begin to decline.
West Bengal now has Indias lowest fertility, with the southern States, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal
Pradesh. Among backward States, Odisha too has reduced its fertility to 2.1.
PART SIX|SOCIAL ISSUES
INFANT MORTALITYRATE (IMR)

The news on the other key
indicator in the SRS - the infant
mortality rate (IMR) - is less
positive. Indias IMR has fallen to
40 deaths per 1,000 live births, and
49 deaths of children under the age
of 5 for every 1,000 live births, but
at these rates is unlikely to meet its
Millenium Development Goals for
2015.
IMR has fallen faster in rural areas
than in urban areas.
Among the metro cities, Chennai
has the lowest IMR (16). Among
states, Kerala has by far the best
IMR at 12 deaths per 1,000 live
births; the next best states, Delhi
and Maharashtra, have IMRs that
are twice that of Kerala.
Another worrying trend that
continues is the unnaturally higher
mortality rates both for infant girls
and for girls under the age of five
than for boys, a trend that runs
contrary to the global trend.
24 RELATED INFORMATION: INDIAN CENSUS AND REGISTRAR GENERAL

24 The Indian Census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical information on different characteristics of
the people of India.
The first census of India was conducted in the 1870s and attempted to collect data across as much of the country
as was feasible.
The first of the decennial censuses took place in 1881. Until 1961, responsibility for arranging, conducting and
analysing the results of the census was exercised by a temporary administrative structure that was put in place
for each census and then dismantled. From that time on, the office of the Registrar General and Census
Commissioner of India has existed as a permanent department of central government; each state and union
territory has a supervisory Directorate of Census Operations.
1. India to provide software, mirrors for largest-ever telescope

India will provide software, vital mirrors and control systems to build the "largest-ever" telescope as part of a
global project involving the United States, Canada, China and Japan.
THIRTY METER TELESCOPE (TMT)

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will be located just below the summit of
Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. This is one of the astronomy sites,
which witnesses a large number of clear nights and stable atmosphere.
TMT will be the world's largest optical-infrared advanced ground-based
observatory that will operate in optical and mid-infrared wavelengths. It
will also be equipped with the latest innovations in precision control and
phased array of segmented mirror. Precisely aligned, these segments will
work as a single reflective surface of 30 m diameter.
INDIA'S ROLE
India's role will be primarily of creating control systems and software that
keep the mirrors aligned and collects the data. India will contribute around
92 polished mirrors.
Polishing is a big challenge as one needs to smoothen the surface and
remove the roughness to get precision. A special facility has been created in
Hosur (Tamil Nadu) for this purpose.
2. ISRO's GSAT-16 communications satellite launched successfully into orbit 25

India's advanced communications satellite GSAT-16 was carried into orbit by European Ariane 5 rocket, that
blasted off from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.
The Ariane 5 rocket also carried the US telecommunications satellite DIRECTV-14 into orbit.
The GSAT-16 is equipped with Ku and C-band transponders to boost
telecommunication transmissions on the Indian subcontinent.
With transponders in the C, extended C and Ku-bands, the INSAT and
GSAT series of satellites provide services like telecommunication, television
broadcasting, weather forecasting, disaster warning and search and rescue
operations.
GSLV- MARK III

India uses Ariane rockets to put its heavy communication satellites in
geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) as it does not have a rocket to carry a three or four-tonne satellite.
ISRO is developing one such rocket called the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-Mark III which
will be able to launch heavier satellites.
3. GSLV Mark III, India's largest rocket, launched successfully
PART SEVEN|SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
India successfully launched its biggest ever rocket, including an unmanned capsule which could one day send
26 astronauts into space, the latest accomplishment of its ramped-up space programme.
26 The rocket, designed to carry heavier communication and other satellites into higher orbit, was launched from
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
ISRO scientists have been riding high since an Indian spacecraft successfully reached Mars in September on a
shoe-string budget, winning Asia's race to the Red Planet and sparking an outpouring of national pride.
SIGNIFICANCE
Although India has successfully launched lighter satellites in recent years, it has struggled to match the heavier
loads sent up by other countries.
The new rocket, weighing 630 tonnes and capable of carrying 4 tonnes, is a boost for India's attempts to grab a
greater slice of the $300-billion global space market.
The rocket - officially named the Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III - was carrying an unmanned
crew capsule which ISRO said successfully separated from the rocket and splashed down in the Bay of Bengal
off India's east coast. The Indian-made capsule is designed to carry up to three astronauts into space.
ISRO says the crew capsule project would take at least another seven years to reach the point where an astronaut
could be put into space.
4. New Horizons: NASA probe wakes up for Pluto encounter

A NASA probe launched eight years ago to explore Pluto has woken up from its last hibernation in deep space
and is now preparing to take first detailed images of the dwarf planets surface and its moons in July 2015.
OBJECTIVE
NASAs New Horizons spacecraft was launched in 2006. It will reach Pluto and its moons in July 2015.
Generally, the probe seeks to understand where Pluto and its moons fit in with the other objects in the Solar
System.
ICE DWARFS
Planetary scientists currently classify the planets into groups: Earth, Mars,
Venus and Mercury are the terrestrial planets, which are mostly rocky
objects; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the gas giants. Pluto
belongs to a third category that could be called ice dwarfs. They have solid
surfaces but, unlike the terrestrial planets, a significant portion of their
mass is icy material.
Pluto and Charon are also widely considered to be among the largest
objects in the Kuiper Belt, a vast reservoir of icy objects located just outside
of Neptunes orbit and extending out to about 50 astronomical units from
the Sun.
KUIPER BELT
The Kuiper Belt is thought to be the source of most short-period comets those with orbits shorter than two
centuries so scientists really want to compare the composition and surface properties of Pluto and its moons to
those of cometary nuclei.
RELATED INFORMATION: CHARON

Charon is the largest satellite of the dwarf planet Pluto. It was discovered in 1978. It was followed by the 2005
discovery of two other natural satellites of Pluto (Nix and Hydra), and two more in 2011 and 2012 (Kerberos and
Styx).
27
PART EIGHT|ENERGY
PART EIGHT| ENERGY
1. Rosneft to supply oil to Essar refineries

Russias Rosneft signed an oil and oil products supply deal with Essar Oil
refineries in India. Supplies might begin in 2015.
While Essar Oil will secure long-term supply of crude oil, raw material security and
products to its refineries, the arrangement will allow Rosneft to expand its
distribution area and build deliveries to the region.
Rosneft is the worlds largest public oil and gas company by liquid hydrocarbon
production and reserves.
SIGNIFICANCE
Analysts said securing crude oil supplies from Russia will help Essar reduce its imports from Iran. Essar is
heavily dependent on crude oil imports from Iran for its refinery in Vadinar, Gujarat.
Since Russia is affected by economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the EU (European Union) due to its
alleged involvement in Ukraine, Rosneft, with this deal, will have a secured market outlet for its oil and oil
products.
2. Indian n-facilities under IAEA safety umbrella

Paving the way for import of fuel for its nuclear reactors, India will soon complete the process of placing its
civilian reactors under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
The last two reactors units 1 and 2 of the Narora Atomic Power Station in Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh
will come under the safeguards of the international atomic energy body.
So far 20 facilities have been placed under IAEA safeguards. These reactors are now eligible to use imported
28 uranium. These include unit 1 and 2 of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), units 1 to 6 of Rajasthan
28 Atomic Power Station, units 1 and 2 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, and units 1 and 2 of Kakrapar Atomic
Power Station.
In addition to the reactors, the Nuclear Material Store, Away from Reactor (AFR) fuel storage facility, both at
Tarapur, the Uranium Oxide Plant, the Ceramic Fuel Fabrication Plant, Enriched Uranium Fuel, Enriched
Uranium Oxide Plant, Enriched Fuel Fabrication Plant and the Gadolinia Facility and the entire Nuclear Fuel
Complex in Hyderabad have been placed under the IAEA safeguards.
BACKGROUND
The development completes the mandatory process under the Indo-U.S. Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.
Under the Indo-U.S. nuclear cooperation agreement, India was to sign and ratify the Additional Protocol of the
IAEA. A separation plan was chalked out after the deal, segregating the military and civilian reactors. The
civilian reactors were to be placed under the IAEA safeguards, which would enable India to use the much
needed international fuel for civilian reactors.
RELATED INFORMATION: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the
peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.
The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957. Though established independently of
the United Nations through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute, the IAEA reports to both the United
Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
The IAEA has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The IAEA has two "Regional Safeguards Offices" which are
located in Toronto, Canada, and in Tokyo, Japan.
PART EIGHT| ENERGY
The IAEA and its former Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
2005. The IAEA's current Director General is Yukiya Amano.
3. Pakistan, Russia sign $1.7-billion energy deal

For the first time, Pakistan and Russia signed an energy deal worth $1.7 billion to lay a gas pipeline from
Karachi to Lahore, a move that may lead to further improvement in their ties.
The pipeline would be used to transport imported LNG (Liquefied natural gas) from Karachi to Punjab
province.
Pakistan is developing new LNG pipelines as an alternative to the apparently doomed Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas
pipeline project.
SIGNIFICANCE
The energy agreement was signed during the visit of Sergei Shoigu, the first visit by a Russian Defence Minister
to Pakistan in 45 years. The last such visit to Pakistan was made by Soviet Unions Defence Minister Andrey
Grechko.
During Mr. Shoigus visit, Islamabad and Moscow also inked a defence and military cooperation deal.
Pakistan, over the past few years, has carefully courted Russia to boost bilateral relations. Earlier this year,
Russia lifted arms sales embargo to Pakistan, and a final go ahead was given for the purchase of Russian MI-35
helicopter gunships.
29
PART NINE|DEFENCE
PART NINE| DEFENCE
1. Naval LCA makes first flight from ski-jump

In a defining moment for Indian Naval Aviation, the first prototype (NP1) of Naval Light Combat Aircraft
(LCA), the first indigenously designed and developed 4th plus generation combat aircraft designed to operate
from the decks of air-craft carriers, had a successful first flight from ski-jump facility of Shore-Based Test Facility
at INS Hansa in Goa.
LCA (Navy)
is designed
with stronger
landing gears
to absorb
forces exerted
by the ski
jump ramp
during take-
off, to be
airborne
within 200m
as against
1000m
required for
normal runways. Its special flight control law mode allows hands-free take-off relieving the pilot workload, as
30 the aircraft leaps from the ramp and automatically puts the aircraft in an ascending trajectory.
30 SHORE BASED TEST FACILITY
The Shore Based Test Facility has been created to replicate the aircraft carrier with a ski jump for take-off and
arresting gear cable for arrested landing by Aeronautical Development Agency with the participation of the
Indian Navy, Goa shipyard and with Russian agencies providing the design support and specialised equipment.
2. DRDO conducts maiden test-flight of Panchi

Panchi, the wheeled version of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Nishant, capable of taking off from and
landing on small airstrips, had its maiden flight from an airfield at Kolar in Karnataka.
Panchi has been designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) facility at Bengaluru.
IMPROVEMENTS
Nishant, which has an underbelly airbag, is launched by a
catapult, and lands with the help of an onboard parachute.
Panchi has all the surveillance capabilities of Nishant, but it
can stay in the air longer because it does not have to carry the
airbag and the parachute systems of the other. It is also a light
vehicle with its body made of composites, and has a high
degree of stealth because it has a low radar cross-section
signature.
Nishant which has already been with the Army, was designed
PART NINE|DEFENCE
for battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance, tracking of targets and artillery fire correction. A sophisticated
image processing system was used for analysing the images transmitted by it.
RELATED INFORMATION: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV)

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone and also referred to as an unpiloted aerial
vehicle and a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is an
aircraft without a human pilot aboard. ICAO classify unmanned aircraft into two types:
Autonomous aircraft currently considered unsuitable for regulation due to legal and liability issues
Remotely piloted aircraft subject to civil regulation under ICAO and under the relevant national aviation
authority
UAVs are usually deployed for military and special operation applications, but are also used in a small but
growing number of civil applications, such as policing and firefighting, and nonmilitary security work, such as
inspection of power or pipelines. UAVs are often preferred for missions that are too dull, dirty or dangerous for
manned aircraft.
31
PART TEN|ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY
PART TEN| ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY
1. India named among moderate-performers on climate change

India was named as a moderate-performing country in combating climate change with Australia being the worst
in this sphere, according to a report released at climate negotiations in Lima (Peru).
India was ranked
31 in terms of its
performance in
tackling climate
change among
the world's top
emitters of
greenhouse gases.
India continues to
profit from the
very low level of
per capita
emissions, but
overall CO2
emissions have
risen constantly
over the past five
years to about
40per cent, said
the Climate
32 Change
32 Performance
Index 2015 report
by Germanwatch
and Climate
Action Network
(CAN) Europe.
The report was
released within
the confines of the
UN climate talks in Lima. The talks aimed to establish the draft text of a new international climate change
agreement to be signed by all countries at the next major talks in Paris in late 2015.
WORST PERFORMING INDUSTRIAL COUNTRY
Australia was the worst performing industrial country in terms of tackling climate change in 2014, the report
says. The report by two non-government organisations said that the poor ranking was due in part to policy
changes made by the current coalition government.
Recently, a UN environment programme report also named Australia alongside Canada, the US and Mexico as
the only countries that were likely to miss their current 2020 targets to cut emissions.
The Climate Change Performance Index ranked Denmark as the best performing nation, followed by Sweden
and the UK. Saudi Arabia ranked last on the index.
THE INDEX
The Climate Change Performance Index covers the performance of countries across five areas- the level of
emissions, the trends in emissions, energy efficiency, renewable energy policies and the approach to climate
change at national and international levels.
2. Coral Bleaching Alert System (CBAS)

High-end satellite technology is coming to the aid of protecting earths largest biological structures the coral
reefs which have taken millions of years to form and are declining at alarming rates worldwide.
Coral bleaching is one of the

main reasons for increased
deterioration of reef health.
Once they start bleaching, the
corals expel the symbiotic
organism (zooxanthellae)
from which they derive food
and die as a result.
Corals are sensitive to
changes in temperature and
this aspect has come in handy
for scientists to forewarn about the possibility of coral bleaching. When exposed to higher temperatures over an
extended period of four to five weeks, the corals bleach and this in turn affects the marine ecosystem.
CORAL BLEACHING ALERT SYSTEM (CBAS)
Scientists at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) are using satellite technology
to glean data on Sea Surface Temperatures (SST). Based on an average temperature for a particular period, they
assess if the coral reefs are facing thermal stress and forewarn about the probability of bleaching.
Exploiting the potential of satellite technology, INCOIS has started the Coral Bleaching Alert System (CBAS) for 33
Indian coral reefs located in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and elsewhere in India.
It is also issuing coral bleaching advisories regularly on a bi-weekly basis and hosting the information on its
website, besides providing it to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and other coastal authorities.
Continuous monitoring through the advisories issued by INCOIS would enable the authorities to prepare
bleaching response plans and also better manage interactions leading to coral bleaching.
INCOIS in collaboration with Space Application Centre carried out mapping of the coral reefs of India. Eco-
morphological zonation of coral reefs has been generated using Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite data for
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Kachchh, Malvan and Gulf of Mannar. These maps provide baseline
information on coral area and eco-morphological diversity.
3. First green diesel-powered flight

A Boeing aircraft, ecoDemonstrator, completed the worlds first flight using green diesel, a sustainable biofuel
made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil and animal fats.
Green diesel offers a tremendous opportunity to make sustainable aviation biofuel more available and more
affordable. Sustainable green diesel is widely available and used in ground transportation. This fuel is
chemically similar to HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) aviation biofuel approved in 2011.
WIDELY AVAILABLE
With production capacity of 800 million gallons (three billion litres) in the U.S., Europe and Asia, green diesel
could rapidly supply as much as one per cent of global jet fuel demand.
On a lifecycle basis, sustainably produced green diesel reduces carbon emissions by 50 to 90 per cent compared
to fossil fuel.
PART TEN|ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY
4. Nationwide hydrology data soon

With flood damage in the country pegged in the range of Rs. 6,000 crore a year, according to official estimates,
India is poised to adopt a World Bank-funded hydrology project. Such a project has already made a difference in
13 States which opted for it in the earlier two phases.
Under the proposed expansion of the project,
States will be able to generate and digitise their
own hydrologicaldata without waiting for
central help. The project for the whole country
is estimated to cost Rs. 3,000 crore.
The project, the first phase of which began some
20 years back, has digitised real time data in 13
States.
SIGNIFICANCE
There is no reliable hydrological data and some
of the figures are as old as 1993. The project, in
partnership with the Union Water Resources
Ministry and other agencies, was aimed at
developing monitoring systems in the States.
The project has completed two phases and
established the basis for a Hydrological
Information System (HIS) for reliable records.
The project gives data which can help release of water from reservoirs and prevent untimely floods. The data
also uses satellite to help figure the amount of snow melt, and make projections on the flows into the reservoir.
Apart from flood prevention, the data and real time monitoring of water flows also helps in analysing and
testing proposed projects.
34
34
RELATED INFORMATION: HYDROLOGYAND HYDROINFORMATICS
Hydrology is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth, including the
hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability.
Hydroinformatics is the adaptation of information technology to hydrology and water resources applications.
5. Mountains of plastic afloat in the oceans

Nearly 269,000 tonnes of plastic comprising an estimated 5.25 trillion plastic particles are floating in the worlds oceans,
including the Bay of Bengal. This estimate does not take into account the amount of plastic waste found in the shorelines, on
the seabed, suspended in the water column and that consumed by marine organisms.
Of the 269,000 tonnes of floating plastic waste, the larger plastic items are predominant (an estimated 233,000
tonnes).
In this regard, the North Pacific Ocean is the most polluted ocean in the world. In the southern oceans, the
Indian Ocean has far more plastic particles and mass than the South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans put
together.
These results of the study from the Five Gyres Institute, California, were published in the journal PLOS ONE.
PROBLEMS CAUSED BY PLASTIC WASTE
If plastic waste discarded on land causes several problems including death of cattle due to plastic ingestion, the
outcome is worse in the case of the marine organisms.
Plastic debris found in oceans has greater potential to degrade into smaller particles (through the action of light
and weathering processes) and spread from the point of origin. Marine organisms and sea birds consume the
small plastic particles.
According to the study, since plastic has a greater propensity to adsorb persistent organic pollutants, organisms
that consume the plastic particles end up consuming the pollutants, as well.
MISSING SMALL PARTICLES
Compared to earlier studies, the scientists found the amount of microplastic floating in the oceans was far less.
The relatively smaller quantities of microplastic on the ocean surface reflect its loss or systematic removal.
(The plastic particles are found in three size ranges microplastic (less than 4.75 mm), mesoplastic (4.75-200
mm) and macroplastic (above 200 mm).)
According to study, UV degradation, biodegradation by bacteria and other microorgansims, ingestion by marine
organisms and settling to the ocean bottom due to increased weight may be some of the processes by which
microplastic particles are removed from the sea surface.
Contrary to the earlier notion, many more marine organisms have been found to consume microplastic particles.
This could be either from direct ingestion of the particles or by preying on smaller organisms that have already
consumed the plastic waste. This could lead to bioaccumulation of plastic in bigger marine animals and sea
birds.
35
PART ELEVEN|HEALTH
PART ELEVEN| HEALTH
1. Ebolas ground zero tracked down

Insect-eating bats that inhabited a remote village in Guinea may have been the source of the worlds biggest
Ebola epidemic, scientists said.
More than 20,000 cases of

Ebola, with thousands of
deaths, have been recorded
by the World Health
Organization (WHO) since
a two-year-old boy died in
the village of Meliandou
(Guinea) in December 2013.
The finger of suspicion
points at insectivorous
free-tailed bats Mops
condyluru- for the recent
outbreak of Ebola
epidemic.
RESERVOIR
The Ebola virus holes up in
a natural haven, also called
a reservoir, among wild
36 animals which are not
36 affected by it.
The virus can infect humans who come into contact with this source directly, or indirectly through contact with
animals that have fallen sick from it.
Highly contagious, the virus is then passed among humans through contact with body fluids.
A known reservoir is the fruit bat, a widespread tropical African species that in some countries is killed for food,
offering an infection pathway to hunters and butchers of the mammal. But the role of fruit bats in the current
outbreak has never been confirmed. In contrast, free-tailed bats, a cousin species, have been found in lab tests to
be able to carry the virus but not fall sick with it.
2. Huge population at fluorosis risk

With drinking water in thousands of habitations
in 19 States still containing fluoride above the
permissible levels, the Union Health and Family
Welfare Ministry fears that a huge population is at
risk of serious health conditions such as skeletal
fluorosis.
The problem is most severe in Rajasthan ,

Telangana and Karnataka. Assam, Andhra
Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha,
West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh too face the
problem.
PART ELEVEN|HEALTH
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION GUIDELINE

The World Health Organization guideline value for fluoride is 1.5 mg per litre, with a target of between 0.8 and
1.2 mg per litre to maximise benefits and minimise harmful effects. Fluoride levels in the body depend on
climate and intake of the chemical from drinking water and other sources, the WHO says.
FLUORIDE CONTAMINATION
Fluoride contamination affects the teeth and bones and long-term excessive exposure causes abdominal pain,
excessive saliva, nausea, vomiting, seizures and muscle spasms.
The WHO says fluroide levels above 1.5 mg per litre causes pitting of tooth enamel and deposits in bones. Levels
above 10 mg per litre cause the crippling skeletal fluorosis.
NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF FLUOROSIS
The government started the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis in 2008-09. In 2013-14,
the programme was brought under the National Rural Health Mission, which has so far covered 111 districts.
The programme includes surveillance of fluorosis in the community, training and manpower support,
establishment of diagnostic facilities, treatment and health education.
The Indian Council of Medical Research also has formed a task force on fluorosis to address issues related to
prevention and control.
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PART TWELVE| CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS
PART TWELVE| CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS
1. 2014 Lima climate change talks

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP20 or CMP10 was held in Lima, Peru. This was the 20th
yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 20) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties (CMP 10) to the 1997 Kyoto
Protocol.
United Nations members reached an

agreement on how countries should tackle
climate change. Delegates approved a
framework for setting national pledges to be
submitted to a summit next year.
The talks proved difficult because of divisions
between rich and poor countries over how to
spread the burden of pledges to cut carbon
emissions.
It ended in a compromise that some
participants believe keeps the world on track
to reach a new global treaty by the end of next
year.
THE AGREED DOCUMENT CALLS FOR:

An "ambitious agreement" in 2015 that reflects "differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities" of each
nation.
38 Developed countries to provide financial support to "vulnerable" developing nations.
38 National pledges to be submitted by the first quarter of 2015 by those states "ready to do so".
Countries to set targets that go beyond their "current undertaking".
The UN climate change body to report back on the national pledges in November 2015.
BACKGROUND
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has declared in its successive reports and the same was
officially agreed in Copenhagen that the average temperature of the planet has to be restricted to a two degree
Celsius rise from pre-industrial levels by end of 21st century in order to avoid dangerous runaway climate
change.
Since 1992, when UN climate change negotiations under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) began, one sentence in the original principles of the convention has defined the talks: "The
parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind, on the
basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) and respective
capabilities".
In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol came into effect mandating signing countries to reduce their emissions by five per
cent below 1990 levels till 2012. But the US has never ratified it on grounds that developing countries must also
commit to reducing emissions.
In the 2012 climate talks at Doha, Kyoto Protocol was extended till 2020 for a second round where ratifying
countries had to reduce emissions by 18 per cent below 1990 levels. However, three of the original signatories,
Canada, Russia and Japan did not ratify this time and with US already out, countries contributing most of the
emissions do not come under any obligation in the period 2013-2020.
There are four dimensions to the UNFCCC talks in tackling climate change--mitigation, adaptation, finance and
technology. India and other developing countries have maintained for years that since industrialised nations
PART TWELVE|CONFERENCE AND SUMMITS
contributed to the vast majority of carbon emissions since the beginning of industrial age; it is up to them to rein
in emissions first.
This is the fundamental premise of 'equity' that India has espoused. Let developing countries reach levels of life
standards close to what developed countries have achieved and then they will consider reducing total
emissions. This is the interpretation that India, China and all developing countries have made of the 'common
but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities' as defined in UNFCCC. They cite lack of economic
and technological capabilities to mitigate their contribution to climate change from Green House Gas (GHG)
emissions at this stage of development.
Developing countries, like India, also espouse Green House Gas (GHG) emissions per unit of GDP as the best
parameter to measure a country's contribution to global emissions due to economic activity. This is because
GHG emissions from energy consumed to produce one unit of GDP has been a yardstick promoted by many
independent organisations, economists and climate scientists to measure economic standards. India stands by
this metric while developed nations led by US advocate total emissions as the yardstick.
39
PART THIRTEEN| COMMITEES AND REPORTS
PART THIRTEEN| COMMITEES AND REPORTS
1. Subramanian panel counsels caution on GM food crops

The government-appointed High-Level Committee to review environmental laws, while proposing a near
complete overhaul of the regulatory system, sounded a note of caution on genetically modified (GM) food crops.
In its report submitted recently on the review of six laws, the committee, headed by the former Cabinet Secretary
TSR Subramanian, said while other Ministries naturally would aggressively push for early field trials and
induction of GM food crops, the role of the Environment Ministry should be to advise due caution.
It also noted that the average Indian farm is of very small size, which could lead to severe adverse impact on
biodiversity through gene-flow in case of induction of GM food crops. Since there are no independent expert
agencies in the country, perhaps the Environment Ministry may ask for greater assurance in respect of potential
adverse effects in the medium and long run.
ELMA
The panel also took this aspect of assurance and good faith further in its new proposed law, the Environment
Laws (Management) Act (ELMA). Under this, the application for environmental clearances expects the applicant
to be honest and truthful the concept of utmost good faith is statutorily introduced, and the consequences
of breach are also set out.
NEMA AND SEMA
The committee also suggested setting up of special environment courts presided over by a sessions judge and
higher penalties. It proposed to create new agencies, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA)
at the national level and the State Environment Management Authority (SEMA) as the pivotal authorities to
process applications for a one-window composite environmental clearance. The NEMA and SEMA will replace
the Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Boards.
40 The panel also takes away the role of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which, under the proposed ELMA,
40 will only be able to judicially review the decisions of the Appellate Boards.
The special environment courts shall dispose of cases expeditiously within six months. The aggrieved parties
may approach an appellate board presided over by a retired High Court judge.
The proposed new law will have an overriding effect on all other relevant laws.
RELATED INFORMATION: GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS

Genetically modified crops (GMCs, GM crops, or biotech crops) are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of
which has been modified using genetic engineering techniques. In most cases the aim is to introduce a new trait
to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species.
Examples of such traits in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, or environmental conditions,
reduction of spoilage, or resistance to chemical treatments (e.g. resistance to a herbicide), or improved nutrient
profile of the crop.
There is broad scientific consensus that food on the market derived from GM crops poses no greater risk to
human health than conventional food. However, opponents have objected to GM crops per se on several
grounds, including environmental concerns, like- whether food produced from GM crops is safe, whether GM
crops are needed to address the world's food needs, and economic concerns raised by the fact these organisms
are subject to intellectual property law.
PART THIRTEEN|COMMITTEES AND REPORTS
2. Tax cash withdrawal beyond a limit in a day: Shome panel

A high-level official panel proposed levying of banking transaction tax on withdrawal of cash beyond a specified
limit in a day to check black money.
The report by the Parthasarathi Shome Committee,

appointed by the previous UPA government, also
suggested taxing farmers with large land holdings in
addition to a host of measures to widen the tax net.
Making a case for banking cash transaction tax (BCTT), the
report of the Tax Administration and Reform Commission
(TARC) said that IT Act should be suitably revised to
include in its ambit cash withdrawals exceeding specified
amounts in a day from bank accounts other than savings
accounts.
Highlighting that there is no instrument at present that
captures details of cash withdrawals from bank accounts, it
said such information would help the Income Tax
department widen its information base on the use of black
money.
BCTT was introduced in June, 2005, to track unaccounted
money and trace its source and destination, but was
withdrawn in April, 2009.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
The report further said that large farmers should be brought
under the tax net. Talking about other steps to widen the tax
net, it said a conducive environment and tax culture should
be created to encourage unorganised retailers to pay tax 41
dues voluntarily.
The panel also recommended that the wealth tax base could be increased by including intangible financial assets
in the base while considerably raising the threshold and decreasing the wealth tax rate. It also pitched for tax
administration measures to improve SMEs (Small and medium-sized enterprises) tax compliance.
PART FOURTEEN| SPORTS
PART FOURTEEN| SPORTS
1. Indian men, women win World Cup Kabaddi

titles
The Indian men's team continued their winning streak by
clinching the fifth Kabaddi World Cup title, while the
women's side bagged the crown for the fourth consecutive
time.
The Indian men's team defeated Pakistan, while the
womens team beat New Zealand.
42
42
PART FIFTEEN|ORGANISATION IN NEWS
PART FIFTEEN| ORGANISATION IN NEWS
1. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formally ended its combat mission in Afghanistan. The War in Afghanistan
refers to the intervention by NATO and allied forces in the Afghan civil war. The war followed the September 11, 2001
attacks in U.S., and its aims were to dismantle al-Qaeda and denying it a safe basis of operation in Afghanistan by
removing the Taliban from power. On 28 December 2014 NATO formally ended combat operations in Afghanistan and
transferred full security responsibility to the Afghan government.
ABOUT NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military
alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a
system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any
external party. NATO's headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium.
A SHORT HISTORY OF NATO
It is often said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in response to the threat posed by the
Soviet Union. This is only partially true. In fact, the Alliances creation was part of a broader effort to serve three
purposes: (1) deterring Soviet expansionism, (2) forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe
through a strong North American presence on the continent, and (3) encouraging European political integration.
Since its founding in 1949, the transatlantic Alliances flexibility, embedded in its original Treaty, has allowed it
to suit the different requirements of different times. In the 1950s, the Alliance was a purely defensive
organization. In the 1960s, NATO became a political instrument for dtente. In the 1990s, the Alliance was a tool
for the stabilization of Eastern Europe and Central Asia through the incorporation of new partners and allies.
Now NATO has a new mission: extending peace through the strategic projection of security. 43
MEMBER STATES OF NATO

At present, NATO has
28 members. In 1949,
there were 12 founding
members of the
Alliance: Belgium,
Canada, Denmark,
France, Iceland, Italy,
Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, the United
Kingdom and the
United States. The other
member countries are:
Greece and Turkey
(1952), Germany (1955),
Spain (1982), the Czech
Republic, Hungary and
Poland (1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia (2004), and Albania and Croatia
(2009).
PART SIXTEEN| PERSONALITIES
PART SIXTEEN| PERSONALITIES
1. Anil Sinha
Senior IPS officer Anil Kumar Sinha was appointed the new CBI Director to succeed
Ranjit Sinha who retired in a glare of controversy with the Supreme Court directing
him to recuse from 2G spectrum scam case probe.
2. K.Balachander
Veteran director K. Balachander, who was known in the South Indian film circles as Iyakkunar Sigaram (a peak
among directors), passed away, leaving behind a rich legacy of not just film and television work but a long list of
technicians and actors he introduced in a career spanning nearly five decades.
The two biggest stars of the Indian film industry Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth are among those whom he
mentored.
Mr. Balachander was the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2010.
3. Nedunuri Krishna Murthy

Doyen of Carnatic Classical music Nedunuri Krishna Murthy passed away.
He set tunes to an array of the compositions of Annamayya and Bhadrachala Ramadas and compiled those
works with notations in his books on Bhakta Ramadas and Annamayya.
He was a recipient of string of prestigious awards including coveted Sangeetha Kalanidhi.
RELATED INFORMATION: CARNATIC MUSIC
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent,
with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil
Nadu.
44 It is one of two main subgenres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu traditions; the other
subgenre being Hindustani music, which emerged as a distinct form because of Persian and Islamic influences in
44 North India.
The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even
when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in gyaki (singing) style.
The most outstanding performances, and the greatest concentration of Carnatic musicians, are found in the city
of Chennai. Various festivals are held throughout India and abroad which mainly consist of Carnatic music
performances, like the Madras Music Season, which has been considered as one of the world's largest cultural
events.
4. Veenapani Chawla
Veenapani Chawla, acclaimed theatre personality and founder of the Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts and
Research, passed away.
Winner of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puruskar for her contribution to Indian theatre as a director, Chawla was
considered a pioneer of experimental theatre in India.
5. V.R. Krishna Iyer
The legendary jurist V.R. Krishna Iyer, who took up the cause of the poor and the
underprivileged in his capacities as a Minister in Kerala, a Supreme Court judge, and post-
retirement, a human rights activist, passed away.
Justice Iyer is known for a jurisprudence that stood out for its emphasis on reforming the criminal justice system,
for landmark judgments, and for the environmental struggles.
PART SEVENTEEN| AWARDS
1. Leviathan bags Golden Peacock

The Russian film Leviathan by Andrey Zvyagintsev bagged the Golden Peacock award for best film at the 45th
International Film Festival of India (IFFI), held in Panaji (Goa).
Israeli director Nadav Lapid bagged the award for best director
for his film The Kindergarten Teacher.
The special jury and centenary award went to Indian film Ek
Hazarachi Note directed by Shrihari Sathe.
Dulal Sarkar from India was named best actor (male) for
Chotoder Chobi while Alexel Serebriakov also received the
award for best actor (male) for Leviathan. Alina Rodriguez from
Cuba and Sarit Larry from Israel won the awards for best actor
(female) for Behavior and The Kindergarten Teacher
respectively.
RELATED INFORMATION: IFFI

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952,
is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia.
Held annually in the state of Goa, the festival aims at providing
a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the
excellence of the film art; contributing to the understanding and
appreciation of film cultures of different nations in the context of their social and cultural ethos; and promoting
friendship and cooperation among people of the world.
The festival is conducted jointly by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Directorate of Film Festivals
and the government of Goa. 45
2. Three Gond artists win Ojas Art Award

Three artists, who work with the tribal art form of Gond, were selected to display their artworks at the upcoming
mega literature festival in Jaipur.
The trio -- Bhajju Shyam, Venkat Raman Singh Shyam and Roshni
Vyam -- were picked as the winners of the inaugural Ojas Art Award
recently.
The award has been coorganised by Delhi-based art body Ojas Art
with Teamwork Arts, which produces the Zee Jaipur Literature
Festival.
Noted Gond artist Bhajju Shyam, who has previously exhibited at the
Museum of London and toured UK, Germany, Holland, Italy and
Russia, bagged the first prize.
His best-known work, "The London Jungle Book" is a visual
travelogue of the 43-old artist visit to London in 2002. In 2001, he received a state award for Best Indigenous
Artist.
RELATED INFORMATION: GONDS AND THEIR PAINTING

The Gonds are among the largest tribes in Central India. Though predominantly centered in Madhya Pradesh,
they are also present in significant numbers in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and
Odisha.
The Gonds paint their walls with vibrant depictions of local flora, fauna and gods such as Marahi Devi and
Phulvari Devi (Goddess Kali). The artists use natural colors derived from charcoal, colored soil, plant sap,
leaves, and cow dung.
These mystical art forms are created by putting together dots and lines. The imaginative use of the line imparts a
sense of movement to the still images. The paintings are an offering in worship of nature, and are also a mode of
seeking protection and warding off evil.
3. Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Madan Mohan Malaviya

The President's Office announced the Bharat Ratna award to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously)
and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
RELATED INFORMATION: BHARAT RATNA AWARD

Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian
award of India. Instituted on 2
January 1954, the award is conferred
"in recognition of exceptional
service/performance of the highest
order", without distinction of race,
occupation, position, or sex.
The award was originally limited to
achievements in the arts, literature,
science and public services but the
government expanded the criteria to
include "any field of human
endeavour" in December 2011.
Recommendations for the Bharat
46 Ratna are made by the Prime
46 Minister to the President, with a
maximum of three nominees being
awarded per year.
Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh
in the Indian order of precedence,
but are constitutionally prohibited
from using the award name as a title.
FOLLOWING IS THE LIST OF BHARAT RATNA WINNERS:

CNR Rao - 2014
Sachin Tendulkar - 2014
Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi - 2009
Ustad Bismillah Khan - 2001
Lata Mangeshkar - 2001
Pandit Ravi Shankar - 1999
Gopinath Bordoloi - 1999
Amartya Sen - 1999
Jayaprakash Narayan - 1999
Chidambaram Subramaniam - 1998
MS Subbulakshmi - 1998
APJ Abdul Kalam - 1997
Aruna Asaf Ali - 1997
Gulzarilal Nanda - 1997
Satyajit Ray - 1992

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhai Tata - 1992
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad - 1992
Morarji Desai - 1991
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - 1991
Rajiv Gandhi - 1991
Nelson Mandela - 1990
BR Ambedkar - 1990
MG Ramachandran - 1988
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan - 1987
Acharya Vinobha Bhave - 1983
Mother Teresa - 1980
K Kamraj - 1976
VV Giri - 1975
Indira Gandhi - 1971
Lal Bahadur Shastri - 1966
Pandurang Vaman Kane -1963
Zakir Hussain - 1963
Rajendra Prasad - 1962
Purushottam Das Tandon - 1961
Bidhan Chandra Roy - 1961
Dhondo Keshave Karve - 1958
Govind Ballabh Pant - 1957
Jawaharlal Nehru - 1955
Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya - 1955
Bhagwan Das - 1955
Chandrasekhara Venkataraman - 1954
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - 1954 47
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari - 1954
4. Fidel Castro wins Chinas alternative peace prize

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro won this years Chinas Confucius
peace prize, portrayed by organisers as an alternative to the Nobel
prize, which they see as biased against China.
The committee that sponsors the prize praised Castro for his
contributions to peace, in contrast to the view held by many in the
west of Castro as a dictator who ran an oppressive one-party state for
nearly five decades while seeking to export communist revolution.
RELATED INFORMATION: CONFUCIUS PRIZE
The sponsors of the Confucius prize are academics and private
businesspeople who say they are independent of Chinas government.
Named for ancient Chinas most famous sage, the prize was launched in 2010 after the Nobel peace prize was
awarded to imprisoned Chinese dissident writer Liu Xiaobo. Chinas government furiously condemned Lius
award.
Prior recipients of the prize include former UN secretary general Kofi Annan and the Russian president,
Vladimir Putin.
1. Artefacts from the lost Port of Muziris

In an effort to understand the early history of our country better, an exhibition on one of Indias most significant
archaeological excavations Unearthing Pattanam: Histories, Cultures, Crossing was held at the
National Museum (New Delhi).
48
48
The material evidence unearthed at the excavation site, located about 25 km north of Kochi (Kerala), points to
the possibility that Pattanam may have been an integral part of the legendary Port of Muziris.
MUZIRIS
Muziris Port, which finds a mention in Indian and European classical sources and was the centre of global spice
trade more than 2,000 years ago, mysteriously disappeared in the 14th Century.
The chronology of the site spans three millennia from circa 1,000 BCE, with evidence of habitation across the
Iron Age, the Early Historic, Medieval and the Modern cultural periods.
RELATED INFORMATION: NATIONAL MUSEUM

The National Museum in New Delhi is one of the largest museums in India. It was established in 1949. It
functions under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
It also houses the National Museum Institute of History of Arts, Conservation and Museology, which was
established in 1983 and now is a Deemed University and runs Masters and Doctoral level courses in History of
Art, Conservation and Museology.
PART NINETEEN| PLACES
1. Sunderbans
On 9 December 2014 an oil spill occurred at the Sela river of Sundarbans, Bangladesh, a UNESCO World
Heritage site when an oil-tanker named Southern Star VII, carrying furnace oil was sunk in the river after it had
been hit by a cargo vessel.
The event was very threatening to trees, plankton, vast populations of small fishes and dolphins. It occurred at a
protected Sundarbans mangrove area, home to rare Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins.
What is Sunderbans? The Sundarbans is a natural region in Bengal. It is the largest single block of tidal
halophytic mangrove forest in the world. The Sundarbans covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres, of
which 60 percent is in Bangladesh with the remainder in India.
The Indian side of Sundarbans is also a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve located in the
Sundarbans delta in the state of West Bengal and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger.
49
PART TWENTY | BOOKS AND AUTHORS
PART TWENTY| BOOKS AND AUTHORS
1. The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years

The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years is a book by President Pranab Mukherjee.
In the book, Mukherjee has chronicled the fascinating period of the 1970s and early 1980s, including the crucial
emergency period, leading upto the assassination of Mrs Gandhi in 1984.
2. Nehru & Bose Parallel Lives

Nehru & Bose Parallel Lives is a book by Rudrangshu Mukherjee. In the book, the author takes the reader
through the different phases of the lives of Nehru and Bose. Thus this book provides material for scholars
perusing the history of the Indian freedom struggle and that of its principal actors.
50
50
1. UN declares June 21 as Yoga Day

The United Nations declared that June 21 will be International Day of
Yoga.
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly approved by consensus a
resolution establishing a day to commemorate the ancient practice,
which Modi called for in September during his inaugural address to the
world body.
51
PART TWENTY TWO | EDITORIALS
1. Gaining space
The Indian Express | Category:Science and Technology
India has signalled its entry into the market for launching heavy geostationary satellites with the successful take-off of
its heaviest launch vehicle till date, the 630-tonne GSLV Mk-III. The experimental flight, budgeted at Rs 155 crore, also
carried an unmanned crew module designed to test ISROs capability in atmospheric re-entry. Together, the GSLV Mk-
III fitted with a passive or dummy cryogenic upper stage and the Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry
Experiment, which successfully separated from the rocket and re-entered the Earths atmosphere before falling into the
Bay of Bengal, redress ISROs lack of a vehicle capable of launching communication satellites in the four-tonne class on
deep space missions. They also bring India closer to a future manned space mission.
Achieving re-entry capability without which humans cannot be sent to space is significant, as neither
Chandrayaan nor Mangalyaan has to bother with returning. India successfully launches lighter satellites for itself and
others, but the GSLV had been stuck at two-three-tonne payload capacity. With the Mk-III, India would no longer be
dependent on foreign space agencies to send up its heavier communication satellites, while it can put similar payloads
into Earths orbit for others. If the Mars mission showcased ISROs arrival in the space research and precision service
markets, the GSLV Mk-III is expected to raise Indias weight further in the $300 billion global space arena.
With the government placing the space establishment centrestage in scientific research and application, India can look
forward to enhanced forex earnings and technological clout. But with the Mk-III launch following on the heels of
Mangalyaans entry into Marss orbit, and the fourth satellite in the Indian Regional Navigational Satellites System
series that provides India with its own navigation systems scheduled for launch next March, it is also time to build a
socio-academic narrative around a space programme that has successfully sent probes to Mars and the Moon on its
first try. The execution of these complex technological projects should be manoeuvred to attract critical R&D projects
from the West, which still elude India. A still deeper change is necessary to not only attract the young to science and
engineering but also encourage them to stay there.
52
52 2. After the drawdown
Pioneer | Category:India and World
With US-led Nato forces formally ending their 13-year-long combat mission in Afghanistan, the country now moves
into a new era, marked by uncertainty and fears of instability. There is no telling how the security situation will evolve.
The Afghan forces are now in-charge, but though they have been trained by some of the world's best military forces,
India included, they remain woefully ill-equipped. Yes, they have, on many occasions, bravely defended their
positions and managed to hold their own; however, only time will tell if theyll be able to fend off the bigger challenges
that lie ahead. Already, the Taliban has upped the ante and taken back areas, such as in the Helmand Province, from
where it had previously been flushed out. Terror attacks have been on the rise in recent months, with even heavily
fortified foreign enclaves coming under fire. Though it is unlikely that the Taliban will return to Kabul to rule all over
the country, the group will possibly take back more of its old strongholds.
To that extent, the situation may worsen in the immediate future a major concern not just for Afghanistan but all
regional players. From India's point of view, the big question is: Will the change in Afghanistan's security equation
impact the flow of jihadis into Kashmir? The answers to almost all of Afghanistan's security questions will primarily be
determined by two factors: First, the kind of support that the international community continues to provide
Afghanistan and second, the impact of and response to Pakistan's policies in that country. In the first case, it is
comforting to note that about 13,500 foreign soldiers will remain in Afghanistan, as part of a larger post-war rebuilding
programme called Resolute Support.
Though this is a far cry from the 1,40,000 foreign troops stationed in the country at the height of the war in 2009, it is
still a fairly big contingent to the extent, that some in the West have wondered if the end-of-combat announcement
was merely ceremonial. The contingent has also been empowered to do its job: A recent change in the US-Afghanistan
bilateral security agreement, for example, allows foreign troops to engage in counter-terrorism operations. In the
second case, Pakistan can be expected to continue supporting terror groups in the hopes of securing strategic depth in
Afghanistan. How Kabul negotiates with Islamabad on this issue and to what extent the international community
pressures Pakistan to correct its course is still unclear. Another important element in the Afghan transition process is
the National Unity Government in Kabul. Headed by two erstwhile rivals who are bound by a vaguely-worded
power-sharing agreement, it is hardly a stabilising force in itself. Nevertheless, given that the flow of international aid
is almost entirely dependent on how this Government functions, the new leaders might just work together long
enough for the Afghan polity to mature in the post-Karzai era.
3. A good time to usher in reforms

The Asian Age | Category: Economy
India can certainly count her blessings for being better placed than most countries amidst the global turmoil. The fall in
crude oil prices by 49 per cent over six months has helped bridge some of the current account deficit and helped
decrease the oil subsidy bill significantly. Together with falling global commodity prices, inflation, too, has cooled
almost to the comfort level of the Reserve Bank of India. If the government had only managed gold imports better, it
would have made a significant difference to the current account deficit. The two major global problems are slowing
growth and depreciation of currencies against the strengthening dollar. The Indian rupee, one of the best-performing
currencies till recently, has been hit with foreign institutional investors (FIIs) getting out of the Indian stock markets
and going back to the US markets as they thought interest rates would be increased by the US Federal Reserve. The
rupee, recently, lost its value because of this, and also because of dollar-buying by importers and external commercial
borrowers scurrying to cover their dollar exposure. However, with the Fed announcement that it is not in a hurry to
raise rates, the FIIs will probably be back in the Indian and emerging markets.
But what has been good for the oil-importing countries has been disastrous for the oil-producing countries. Russia has
been one of the worst affected as oil revenues accounted for almost 50 per cent of its GDP. The weakened rouble has
caused a huge crisis in Russia and could to some extent impact Indo-Russian trade, particularly the pharmaceutical
industry. Russia has impressive gold reserves and, to that extent, may be able to tide over its economic crisis, but
Moscow could depend more on New Delhi and Beijing since the US sanctions. Europe has been unable to see growth
for over a year and is not likely to recover soon. The export-dependent emerging markets are also facing slower
growth. China is still the strongest though it is cooling down its overheated economy and is expected to see lower
growth. 53
In this scenario, while India remains an attractive investment destination for both foreign direct investment and
portfolio investment, RBI governor Raghuram Rajans Make for India call is significant as it would cut Indias
dependence on exports and decrease expensive imports. India will be cushioned to that extent against the global
economic turmoil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi certainly has a challenge on his hands and has to quicken the pace of
bringing in reforms that would facilitate ease of doing business and cut corruption.
4. Tsunami, a decade later

The Tribune | Category: Environment and Ecology
A decade ago, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck beneath the Indian Ocean near Indonesia, generating a massive
tsunami. The world's worst recorded natural disaster claimed the lives of 2,27,000 people in 14 countries and deprived
about 1.4 lakh survivors of livelihoods. The immediate economic cost was estimated at $9.9 billion but the long-term
cost of environmental damage was immense. Salt water contaminated land, wiped out agriculture and damaged
ecosystems. A decade later, it is stock taking time. Are we better prepared to mitigate such disasters in future?
According to the UN Office for Disaster Risk, there are more efficient early warning systems, better evacuation
procedures in place and a greater awareness globally of the broad damage that disasters can inflict on our societies. A
positive that emerged out of the destruction was that the tsunami acted as a wake-up call. The sheer magnitude of the
disaster spurred the international community into immediate action. Barely three weeks after it struck, various
countries united in Hyogo, Japan, to craft the milestone Hyogo Framework for Action, the world's first comprehensive
agreement on disaster reduction. A new framework will be on the table next year at the Third UN World Conference
on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), in Sendai, Japan.
In India alone, 12, 405 people were killed and 6,47, 599 displaced. The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre, (ITEWC)
was set up. Processes and standard operating procedures have been put in place but a lot remains to be done.
According to Section 41 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, "local authority shall ensure that its officers and
employees are trained for disaster management; ensure that resources relating to disaster management are so
maintained as to be readily available for use." While there is a state plan and a district plan to tackle disaster, there is
no village-level plan. Prediction alone does not help. Preventing a natural hazard from becoming a disaster requires
effective empowerment of grassroot-level functionaries. A training policy for leaders of local bodies will ensure
minimum response time, the key to management and ensure they adopt a proactive approach, not a reactive one.
5. Rise in global inequality

The Hindu | Category: Economy
The findings from the latest International Labour Organisation report on real wages point to a mix of proactive
initiatives and policy paralysis in different contexts. The study notes that continuing deceleration in the growth of
global real wages and discriminatory pay gaps based on gender and nationality could sharpen household income
inequalities. A most striking finding is that labour productivity growth outstripped increases in real wage between
1999 and 2013 in the advanced economies. The consequent flattening of wage rises in these countries in the last two
years is therefore no surprise. Globally in 2013, wages adjusted for inflation grew on average 0.2 per cent less a month
than in the year before, to 2 per cent. Dashing hopes of a return to the pre-crisis rates of 3 per cent in 2007 are
significant regional variations in wage increases. The world average for the preceding two years drops by nearly a half
if the progress achieved by China is discounted. The nearly 6 per cent growth in real wages for Asia and Eastern
Europe, vis--vis the less than 1 per cent increase in Latin America and the Caribbean, point to sharp regional
variations.
The distribution of wages also significantly influences differing levels of inequality. Wage gaps and job losses
accounted for a 90 and 140 per cent increase in inequality in Spain and the United States respectively. These are
countries among advanced economies with the maximum increase in inequality between the top and bottom 10 per
cent of the population. Conversely, more equitable paid employment accounted for 87 and 72 per cent reduction in
inequality between the high-end and low-end segments in Argentina and Brazil respectively. Admittedly, an increase
in wages would impact on the cost of production, profitability and competitiveness of firms. But at the macro-level,
wage stagnation also feeds into a decrease in domestic consumption, investment and exports. Clearly, the current cut
off your nose to spite your face approach to policy-making has to give way to more constructive means of mitigating
54 inequalities to sustain economic growth. Based on its effectiveness in the developing and advanced countries, the ILO
54 recommends that a minimum wage floor should be set in a manner that balances the needs of workers and their
families with broader economic factors. Collective bargaining is the other key institution that has a proven record of
narrowing wage inequalities, subject of course to the extent to which employees are covered under such bodies.
Moreover, the cumulative cost of inequality to growth is by no means insignificant. This has been borne out by studies
of educational attainments among the economically disadvantaged sections.
6. Art of persuasion
The Indian Express | Category: Economy
Reforms are sometimes about getting the timing right. Thus, diesel decontrol was an easy decision, given the steep
slide in global crude prices. But this isnt the case with the goods and services tax (GST), where the Centre is still
struggling to get the states on board. For the states, the sole concern seems to be revenues which again has to do
mainly with timing. The previous government erred in not rolling out the GST when economic growth as well as
revenue collections of the states were buoyant. The ongoing economic slowdown has led to a renewed fiscal crisis for
most states. They are, hence, reluctant to implement the GST without adequate guarantees of being compensated for
any revenue losses arising from the switchover to the new indirect tax regime. The Centre, on its part, has not really
gone beyond giving general assurances.
The GST aims at replacing a system where the Centre and the states levy a plethora of taxes at varying rates, creating
barriers to the free movement of goods and services within the country. Compare this to the EU, where 28 independent
nations could come together to forge a single market through a uniform system of levies. The GST will subsume
multiple levies under one Central and one state-level tax. Further, it is to be imposed on the value-added principle,
with producers at each stage of the value chain claiming credit for taxes paid on their inputs. This will do away with
any cascading of taxes. But for that, no product or levy should be exempted from the GST. The demand by the states to
keep out petroleum products or entry tax/ octroi is preposterous: The inability to set off tax on, say, diesel consumed
in producing a good against tax paid on the latter undermines the very idea of a value-added tax.
The only way out of this imbroglio is for the Centre to come out with a clear and transparent formula for estimating
revenue losses and compensation thereof. While the states may be unreasonable in asking that such provisions be
incorporated in the Constitution amendment bill paving the way for the GST, the Centre could be more specific and
generous, if only to ensure the passage of this much-delayed reform. The GST will ultimately result in greater revenue
buoyancy by boosting all-round economic activity. But it may not be easy to convince the states of that today.
7. Shocking & unbelievable!

The Tribune | Category:Health
As though the present healthcare scenario was not dismal enough, the government has reportedly decided to slash the
health budget by 20 per cent. It will worsen the health of the nation. The cut is done to check the fiscal deficit for 2014-
15. Barring the successful polio drive, which was supported by several international agencies, India can't boast of any
achievement on the health front. In 2012 the number of TB cases was at 3.1 million, out of the 8.7 million cases globally.
Approximately 65.1 million Indians live with diabetes today and half of them are ignorant of their disease. More
newborns die in India than in poorer neighbours such as Bangladesh, and preventable illnesses such as diarrhoea kill
more than a million children every year.
As such India's expenditure on healthcare is among the lowest in the world at just about 1 per cent of the GDP,
whereas the US spends 8.3 per cent of its GDP. The decision is more shocking because Prime Minister Narendra Modi
had aroused high hopes about upgrading basic health infrastructure by making medical services more affordable for
the poor and lowering the cost of medicines before coming to power. Generic drugs were high on the new
government's agenda. It is in rural India, which depends on the government-run healthcare system, that most diseases
take the shape of an epidemic due to ignorance and poverty.
Incidentally, private sector healthcare is growing at 15 per cent annually, thanks to an expanding middle class. This cut
would mean further reducing the efforts for awareness campaigns and control of the spread of community diseases.
What will be the fate of the HIV control programmes and an alarming growth of drug-resistant TB in India?
Democratically elected governments do not cut on healthcare even when there is zero per cent growth in the economy.
The government can find several other means to reduce the fiscal deficit; it should not be done at the cost of public
health. 55
8. No room for complacency
The Hindu | Category: Nation
Maoist guerrillas struck again, killing 14 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force in Chhattisgarh, their biggest
attack so far this year. It came just a few days after Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh claimed that the day was
not far when his State would become Naxal-free. While it is a fact that the Naxals have been on the back foot in the
last few months, to dismiss their strike capability would be a mistake, as the attack on the CRPF men has proved yet
again. The sustained security operations in the Red Corridor may have shrunk the Naxals area of influence, but they
still hold sway in large swathes of land where the presence of the state is close to zero. Also, they are very motivated,
and their knowledge of the local topography is much better than that of the security forces. On the other hand, the
CRPF personnel, who are at the forefront of the anti-Naxal operations, have to struggle against too many odds and
thus become easy prey to such attacks.
For years, governments refused to acknowledge the fact that the Naxalite problem had its roots in the socio-economic
deprivation that has existed in large parts of central and eastern India. While that acknowledgment has reluctantly
come, at least partially, on the ground it is very often being treated as a pure law and order problem. A strong law and
order component is an essential part of the overall strategy, but it should not be the only component. As the recent
sterilisation-related tragedy in Chhattisgarh showed, the poor and marginalised tribal people in the entire region have
little to thank the administration for. Instead of bringing in development, the state has brought more violence into their
lives. The Naxalites have also treated them as pawns in their fight against the state. As a result, the people of this
region are caught between the devil and the deep sea. The core issue is to bring about improvement in the lives of the
tribals. The government says it cannot bring in development due to the presence of the Naxalites. But as and when
they are gone, will the government be able to ensure that the civil administration brings about changes in the region?
The sterilisation tragedy was a demonstration of administrative callousness. With the current governments thrust on
industry and the core sector, Chhattisgarh and the other affected States may well see a rapid increase in activities such
as mining. That will only add to the misery of the tribals, with their land and forest and water resources suffering
further damage. Mining is no doubt necessary, but care should be taken to ensure that mining activities are carried out
with enough sensitivity to the needs and concerns of the people living there, and not in callous disregard of their
interests.
9. The seasons resonance

The Hindu | Category: Culture
The rare but reassuring instance of a large turnout of youngsters in Chennai at Hindustani vocal recitals organised
under the aegis of the National Centre for the Performing Arts recently also raised some broader issues of relevance
that go far beyond this annual year-end music season in the city. Aficionados and patrons often mildly agonise over
meagre attendance at concerts. They may well be right. They may want to draw comfort in the fact that classical music
is no longer an exclusive preoccupation of the classes. Whether that was always the case in this country is itself
arguable. For the roots of the Carnatic and Hindustani styles of music go back to the bhakti tradition, the movement
from below that swept across the length and breadth of pre-colonial India. In our times, Indian cinema, corporate
sponsorships, the democratic process, and the search for cultural identities under globalisation have contributed to
preserving this broad continuity. The year-end music season is unprecedented in its mix of numbers, variety, depth
and range of classical music and dance, and the pattern of performances by top artistes, lecture-demonstrations,
discussions and debates among musicologists pioneered by The Music Academy has kept the music and dance
tradition not only alive but also refreshed and enriched it over the years.
The common refrain among teenagers and young adults is that this genre of singing belongs to a bygone era, qualified
somewhat when the names of celebrity musicians are associated with a particular tradition of singing. The pioneering
work of the pan-Indian Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC
MACAY) stands out for this reason. To be sure, there are a good many performing musicians vocalists and
instrumentalists alike from among the younger generations. The point rather is that there is not enough of a
following for classical music among non-musician youth today. With the result, youngsters are noticeably missing
when it comes to simply taking time out to listen to others perform on stage. The enthusiasm of children who exhibit
their talent on reality television shows also deserves mention. But here again, the inculcation of a taste for the arts
56 means a good deal more than the mere acquisition of technical knowledge and craftsmanship. It obtains in the
56 discovery of the subliminal powers of music. The entrapments of an instrumentalist approach to life may not be the
most conducive to this end in the fine arts. Indian classical music is, above all, a product of the composite culture of
this land. To lay emphasis on the distinctness of different styles of singing may not be inappropriate, but that should
not be at the expense of recognising the shared foundations and intermingling of different traditions.
10. Tread carefully

The Indian Express | Category: Polity and Governance
Recently, the Lok Sabha passed a series of amendments to the Companies Act, 2013. The bill adds penalties for
companies accepting deposits from the public in contravention of the act and also dilutes the restrictions for entering
into related-party transactions. The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2013, introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 12,
was not referred to the relevant standing committee, and was passed after only a two-and-a-half-hour discussion.
While many of the changes were required, some provisions of the bill and the manner of its passage in the Lok Sabha
raise questions.
The dilution of restrictions on related-party transactions is particularly worrisome. Section 188 of the unamended act
requires that, for a company to enter into an agreement with a related party (directors, CEO, key managerial personnel
or their relatives), it has to be approved by three-fourths of the formers minority shareholders (special resolution).
This requirement is essential for promoting the rights of minority shareholders in companies, and relevant for a market
like India, where many companies are promoter-driven and managed. One member of Parliament explicitly pointed
this out during the debate. Another amendment exempts related-party transactions between companies and their
subsidiaries from the requirement of a special resolution. These proposed changes appear to strike at the heart of
minority-shareholder rights that were expanded under the Companies Act, 2013.
In his reply to the discussion in the House, the finance minister stated that the amendments were required to increase
the ease of doing business in India. Indeed, many of the changes do serve that purpose. However, on related-party
transactions, while the minister insisted that the amendments amount to mere procedural simplifications, their
substance significantly affects minority shareholders. It is essential that such important legislative proposals invite
more discussion. The 2013 act took almost eight years of consideration by Parliament. Critical amendments to the act
should not be cleared in one afternoon.
11. Moving forward on insurance

The Hindu | Category: Polity and Governance
The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, which aims to increase the flow of foreign investment into the capital-starved
insurance industry, is now just a step away from getting into the statute books. The Bill was first introduced in
Parliament way back in 2008 but failed to receive support from parties across the political spectrum, including from
the BJP, which now heads the government. The Rajya Sabha select committee, which went into the provisions in detail
and whose report was tabled in Parliament recently, has recommended a 49 per cent composite cap on foreign
investment while retaining the condition that management and control of the company has to remain in Indian hands.
With the Cabinet quickly adopting the amendments suggested by the select committee, the stage is now set for the Bill
to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha where despite the Congresss support the Bill is not likely to have easy passage.
The Congress has hinted that it would like to delay the Bill at least until the Budget session in order to make the
government sweat, as one party member has said. In effect, the party wants to do to the BJP what the latter did to the
Congress on the same issue when it was leading the government.
Political games aside, the adoption of the Bill is expected to open the tap for the flow of foreign investments into the
insurance industry as foreign players have been waiting for the increased limit. Backed by a higher level of ownership,
foreign companies would also be willing to share technical expertise with their Indian partners. The 49 per cent cap
will include both foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign portfolio investment. Though this might disappoint those
who would have liked the entire limit to be appropriated for FDI, the fact is that there are not too many companies that
are profitable and mature to list on the stock markets. The scope for FII investment is therefore limited. As the
committee has rightly observed, incremental foreign investment should ideally be used to increase the capital base
rather than to buy out local promoters who might want to liquidate a part of their stake. Segments such as health
insurance require sharp focus, and the market is also big given that the social security system is weak in the country.
The committee has done well in not agreeing to lower the limit of paid-up capital from Rs.100 crore for health 57
insurance players; a lower threshold would have made it easy for non-serious players to enter the sector. Expansion of
the insurance industry is also important for the development of the infrastructure sector as the industry is typically a
provider of funds for long-term investment. This augurs well for the BJP governments focus on developing
infrastructure.
12. A strong response is needed in Assam

The Asian Age | Category: Nation
The scale of the human tragedy in Assam, where at least 76 adivasis were brutally killed in Sonitpur and Kokrajar
districts by Bodo militants, is so severe that New Delhi was forced to view these as terrorist attacks rather than
simmering militancy. The Centre has already instructed the Army to take on the terrorists, sending a signal of its
resolve to act firmly against elements like the National Democratic Front of Bodoland. In an ideal world, extreme
militancy driven initially by ideological differences or due to lack of development or uneven development in different
areas may have been tackled by trying to convince the rebels to surrender and join the mainstream. But the rules of
engagement have now changed due to such blood-letting by these rebels, who have access to sophisticated weaponry
and appear determined to create anarchy.
The Bodo Security Force may have given up its struggle years ago, but it has only been replaced by disparate groups of
militants using the forests of Bhutan and Myanmar for cover. Historically, the plantation workers came to Assam as
indentured labour during the days of the Raj. It is a testament to their desire for peaceful existence that they are using
bows and arrows to defend themselves in this day and age. The recent history of the beautiful state of Assam, with its
natural endowments, has been punctuated by the arrival of Bangladeshi migrants, leading to even greater social
upheaval, as the militants get more target groups to unleash terror against in the name of religion as well as atavistic
sons of the soil arguments.
The only way the state government and the Centre can handle this is to step up the offensive through the security
forces, which must be cautioned to act on each and every cue given by the intelligence agencies. Failure to respond
adequately to several alerts by the intelligence agencies in the last few months may have allowed the latest massacre to
take place unhindered. Also, the Army and Unified Command that run counter-insurgency operations must take
greater responsibility for the existing situation as the AFSPA has been in force for more than 20 years. There is no
alternative to a state of preparedness in the face of a complex problem of groups of rebels in a state of remarkable
multi-ethnicity and a multiplicity of languages. While the Centre has made available 35 companies of paramilitary
forces, it stands to reason that the Assam police must also have its firepower enhanced with modern weaponry. The
time has come for a strong response, and it should not matter that the state government is run by the Congress, that is
politically opposed to the current dispensation at the Centre.
13. Abe gets second chance

Pioneer | Category: India and World
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decisive victory in the snap election that he had called for is good news for
India. Mr Abe has long been an India-friendly politician. What is important is that he has struck a close and warm
rapport with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at a time when New Delhi and Tokyo have begun to greatly
enhance bilateral engagements, and when both are involved in kick-starting their respective economies.
While this is not to presume that another leader in Mr Abe's place would have turned the clock back on ties with
India, it helps that the person at the helm there is the one with whom this Government has been doing business with
the most satisfactory results. Only recently, Japan committed $35 billion investments into India over the next five years
to build infrastructure and smart cities and possibly bullet trains. With Mr Abe in command, this commitment will get
the push it needs in the coming months. There is another reason, beyond the economy, for India to be secure about in
Mr Abe's victory: That of Tokyo maintaining its assertive position on issues relating to China.
The Japanese Prime Minister has steered his country away from the traditional pacifism which had become Tokyo's
foreign policy calling card, to a more belligerent approach to his country's national interests. This suits New Delhi's
geo-political designs at a time when Beijing is showing no signs of backing down on its own aggressive nationalism
and rubbing countries, especially in South and South East Asia, the wrong way. Of course, Mr Abe is no anti-China
58 hawk; nor does New Delhi would want him to be. At the same time, it helps to have a resurgent Japan on New Delhi's
58 side.
But, despite his resounding victory in a low voter-turnout election, Mr Abe is not going to find governance smooth
sailing. If he fails to manage the challenges and gets caught in the quicksand of domestic politics, his position could
weaken and this will have a direct impact on the ambitious bilateral hopes India and Japan share for the next decade
or so at the least. He has to reset the economy, as it is clear from the low turnout that people are upset with his
handling of the issue. He has to quickly demonstrate tangible deliverables on what has come to be known as
Abenomics'. Can he reform the over-protected farm sector? What can he do to revive an economy which has to
contend with the demographic of an ageing, contracting and less productive population?
While the desertion of the long-held pacifist policies has come as welcome relief to the Japanese people by and large, it
has ruffled many feathers in the neighbourhood, giving rise to new challenges. Besides China, even South Korea is
upset over Mr Abe's attitude (towards a set of islets that are a bone of contention between Seoul and Tokyo). The re-
elected Prime Minister has enough to ponder over.
14. Reform by decree

The Indian Express | Category: Polity and Governance
Recently, the Union cabinet recommended the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the land acquisition act. The
ordinance seeks to expand the list of projects exempted from the requirement of the consent of affected families and a
social impact assessment (SIA) to include defence production, affordable housing, industrial corridors and PPP
projects in highways, ports, etc. Even though the act had bipartisan support when it was passed in 2013, it is a deeply
flawed legislation. Rather than encouraging the shift of land from agriculture to more productive uses, it rests on
outdated assumptions about the political economy of land and the disruptive effects of industrialisation, and places
onerous obligations on those who start projects. Dialling back such provisions was urgently needed.
The executives prerogative to promulgate ordinances, however, is designed as an emergency power, to be used when
Parliament is not in session. It follows that ordinances are not to be used by the government as a cover for its political
unwillingness or failure to engage and persuade the Opposition in Parliament. Therefore, even as the land acquisition
ordinance promises much-needed change to the act, it raises troubling questions about the manner in which the Modi
government seems determined to bring in crucial reforms. Further, given its provisional nature and the fact that it
requires parliamentary approval to become law, it is not the best way to signal the more stable and predictable policy
environment that is necessary to revive growth. In fact, reform-by-ordinance only underlines dispiriting signals about
the ability of the Modi government to deliver on its tall promises.
The government must realise that there is no alternative: it must face up to its Rajya Sabha disadvantage, which seems
likely to persist in the foreseeable future. It will have to do the hard and patient labour of politics to win over the
required support across party lines. The fact also is that, despite the clamour provoked by the activities of Sangh
Parivar outfits over conversions, or the governments Rajya Sabha predicament, the just concluded winter session of
Parliament was a relatively productive one even the Upper House did far better than in the winter session of 2013
and its overall productivity was 59 per cent, compared to 25 per cent the year before. Given that many of the
amendments sought to be brought in even had the support of some Congress-ruled states, the proposed land
acquisition ordinance seems not just short-sighted, therefore, but also unnecessary.
15. Bharat Ratna

The Indian Express | Category: Awards
Who gets the Bharat Ratna is decided by the government of the day and the political imprint on the choice has
generally been unsubtle. Its no surprise, then, that the Modi-BJP government has conferred the honour on Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, and, posthumously, on Madan Mohan Malviya distinguished figures, both, who belong to the same
political tradition and pantheon. Yet, the award to Vajpayee and Malviya also celebrates values that have a wider
resonance, that need to be retrieved and reaffirmed.
While Malviya will be remembered as a freedom fighter who was among the first leading lights of the Hindu
Mahasabha, he was also the founder of Banaras Hindu University. BHU has Hindu in its name but it is an institution
built on an idea that was encompassing and ambitious. Educationists today have much to learn from Malviyas vision
of the university as a self-governing emancipatory space, independent of the state. Similarly, to celebrate Vajpayee is to 59
honour a spacious view of politics that is all too relevant today.
As prime minister, Vajpayee seemed to belong to his party while reaching across the political divides to create a
growing cache of trust and goodwill. At a time when the BJPs post-1992 edges were still sharp and it was being seen
by many as a political untouchable, he was the right man in the wrong party, who almost single-handedly made it
look a more affable and coalitionable political force. He did not just nurture the NDA as an accommodative space for,
at one time, as many as 24 parties, he was also the leader who drew crucial lines between parivar, party and
government. In the late 90s, Vajpayee used his masterful oratory and his crafted silences to restrain the RSS and
compel it to backtrack when its attempts to impose its regressive agenda on his government became too bold. As he
did this, Vajpayee did not have a decisive majority to back him, only his irrefutable stature and statesmanship. The
ability to take the wider view, and to rise above his own party and government, was also mirrored in his promise to
Kashmiris that their concerns would be considered within the ambit of insaniyat, not simply the Constitution, and in
the historic bus journey he undertook to Lahore.
In the aftermath of Gujarat 2002, Vajpayee reminded Narendra Modi, then chief minister of the state, of his
rajdharma. Vajpayees inability as PM to enforce it will remain a blemish on his record. But as the Modi government
honours the statesman now, it must ask itself what Vajpayee might think of the noise that surrounds his birthday
celebrations this year from the HRD diktat to organise official events on Christmas Day to the RSS-VHPs ghar
wapsi campaign that has stoked minority anxieties. Amid the clamour, this is something we all need to reflect on.
16. Cautionary signals

The Mid-Year Economic Review for 2014-15 is realistic in its projection of 5.5 per cent growth during this fiscal.
Economic data released recently on industrial output, trade deficit and inflation clearly show that the growth impulse
is still weak and that the economy is yet to attain a steady state. The 4.2 per cent fall in industrial output recorded in
October has raised doubts over the strength of the ongoing economic recovery. October, being a festival-season month,
ought to have seen a rise in manufacturing to meet demand for goods, but output, especially of consumer goods,
dipped. However, trade data for November showed a rebound in non-oil, non-gold imports machinery imports
were up by 20.32 per cent indicating that the dip in industrial output in October may be an aberration and that
November could throw up better numbers. Corroborating this assessment is the fact that the auto industry had a good
month in November with car sales rising by 9.52 per cent. But in the same month, the trade deficit widened to an 18-
month high due to a surge in gold imports driven by lower duties, a fall in international prices and festival season
demand. Notably, the deficit widened despite a contraction in the crude oil import bill by $1.26 billion, or 9.73 per cent.
Though export growth recovered to 7.27 per cent in November after a fall during October, from hereon the going is
likely to be tough for exporters given the uncertain global environment caused by falling oil prices. Petroleum
products exports, which account for a fifth of Indias total exports, dipped by 14.15 per cent in November, reflecting
the difficult market conditions abroad. Though it is not time to worry yet, the government and the Reserve Bank of
India need to monitor the trade data closely and prepare to take corrective action on gold. What should worry
policymakers is the fact that fresh investment, which is critical to the revival of growth, is just not happening. The Mid-
Year Economic Review refers to how private investment is not picking up, and to make up for this it suggests that
public investment should accelerate. This is easier said than done given the sorry state of government finances. The
Review notes that there is likely to be a revenue shortfall of Rs.1.05 lakh crore during this fiscal due to overestimation
in the Budget and slow revival. Indeed, meeting the fiscal deficit target of 4.1 per cent is going to be rather tricky in this
backdrop. In the short term, therefore, it is difficult to see public investment as a saviour. It may at best be an option to
consider in the medium term, and that is assuming there are no setbacks in the next year or two. The only way forward
now is to encourage and support private investment for which the government and the RBI need to work together.
17. A barbaric massacre of children in Pak

The Asian Age | Category: India and world
As Pakistan reels from the senseless, utterly barbaric massacre of 132 innocents mostly children in an Army school
in the western city of Peshawar on a day that will be seared into the memory of a city and a country already scarred by
60 years of terror and violence, there is little question that the Pakistani Taliban are seeking more than just revenge.
60 The Tehreek-i-Taliban, in accepting responsibility for the worst terror attack in the history of Pakistan since the 2008
Karachi port bomb attack that killed 150 people, say they want the Army to feel the pain of their families and
females being killed. Except, most of the students in this Army school were civilians.
While questions remain about whether the TTPs school attack is the proverbial red rag to the Army bull, an invitation
for a full-blown confrontation or a sign that this was the last strike by the crippled militants, the fact that it has taken
six months for the TTP to mount their retaliation lulled the Nawaz Sharif government, the pro-Taliban Imran Khan-led
Tehreek-i-Insaf government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the all-powerful Army, into a false sense of complacency.
The Pakistan Army in particular, trying to worm its way back into the good books of the Barack Obama administration
by offering up one Al Qaeda or Taliban kill while attempting to derail the Nawaz government, will now have to weigh
the consequences of challenging the Taliban given that Pakistans economy is already at a tipping point after street
protests by Imran Khans party brought the country to a standstill. A war within can only split the country down the
middle.
The establishments proverbial doublespeak, where it has run with the Taliban hares and hunted with the US hounds
while using the Taliban as proxies to destabilise Afghanistan and India, must end. It must know that the TTPs avowed
goal has always been an all-out war against the government of Pakistan as a prelude to establishing an Islamic state
that straddles the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Peshawar can only be the first of attacks to come on Pakistans other, and equally vulnerable, cities and schools. Thus
far, the Army and the civilian elected government have worked at cross-purposes. But with this one act of cruel
cowardice, the Taliban may have brought the government, the Opposition and the Army together.
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel peace laureate, survived a Taliban attack in 2012. Today, 132 schoolchildren have not.
Pakistans home-grown terror, which threatens to spill over into India as much as China and Afghanistan, cannot be
allowed to come home to roost.
18. Losing its lustre

The Hindu | Category: International
Both U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Ral Castro must be commended for doing things their
predecessors failed to do in establishing diplomatic relations between their countries. With their decision, negotiated
secretly over the past two years with the help of the Vatican and the Canadian government, restrictions on travel,
banking and business will be eased, as prisoners held in both countries are repatriated. President Obama has also
promised to push for an end to the trade embargo with Cuba through Congress, whose permission he needs to re-
establish full relations with the estranged Caribbean neighbour. Relations between the U.S. and Cuba were snapped
after Mr. Castros revolutionary brother Fidel Castro seized power in 1959 and established a communist state,
nationalising all assets. The U.S.s attempt to depose Fidel Castro, famously called the Bay of Pigs invasion, failed in
1961. Since then, the two countries have wasted no opportunity to hurt each others interests, unevenly matched as
they were. The U.S. was unable to get other countries to back its sanctions against Cuba, while Cuba has obviously
suffered economically for its isolation, even as its economy took a severe downturn after the collapse of its ally, the
Soviet Union, in 1991 and the withdrawal of subsidies by Russia subsequently.
Since 2008, after Fidel Castro handed over charge to Ral Castro, the country embarked on a series of economic
reforms, and amongst other important changes opened a channel of negotiations with President Obama. Mr. Obama
still has some heavy lifting ahead of him: the Republicans, who count the Cuban refugee community in the U.S.
amongst its supporters, have already announced they would oppose the move. With their decision, announced
simultaneously in Washington and Havana, the two leaders have chosen to put the dominant narrative of rancour and
hypernationalism aside in favour of what Mr. Obama said was in the best interests of both countries. India has done
well to immediately extend its greetings to both countries on the decision. New Delhi may do even better to heed Mr.
Obamas reasoning for this most significant change in U.S. policy, which hits closer home, especially for Mr. Modi,
Indias first Prime Minister born after Partition. Both the U.S. and its smaller neighbour Cuba, said the U.S. President,
had been hardly well served by a rigid policy that is rooted in events that took place before most of us were even
born. The Nobel Prize-winning American author Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Cuba for years, famously wrote:
Every mans life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man
from another.
61
19. Humanitarian decision
Pioneer | Category: Polity and Governance
The Union Government's decision to de-criminalise suicide attempts is a welcome step in the direction of a
humanitarian approach towards people who are driven to taking their lives. For some convoluted reason, the law has
held that people who attempt suicide are to be punished.
The action that follows effectively punishes the unfortunate victim twice over; he is tormented first by the
circumstances that led him into taking the step, and tormented again by the law. The Union Government's resolve to
scrap Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code will mean that no longer will attempted suicide be punishable with
imprisonment or fine. This move should be followed by measures the Government must take with the cooperation of
social activists engaged in the field to provide effective counselling to people who try to end their own lives.
While it is true that many agencies are already working in the area, the system needs to be upgraded, and the network
of helplines manned by expert counsellors should be enlarged. If the Centre and the State Governments have to get a
grip on the issue, which is of immense social importance, they must ramp up the process by which attempted suicides
can be tracked and tackled.
As of now, there is a very loose system in place, and the statistics generated are often unreliable. (Suicides have been,
of course, tracked, and there are statistics on them.) Section 309 had outlived its purpose long ago and should have
been scrapped. The Law Commission of India had six years ago suggested doing away with the provision of the IPC,
which it termed as unreasonable because it inflicted further pain on the victim. Since then, several States and Union
territories concurred with this view and sought a repeal of the Section.
One reason for the failure of the authorities so far to strike down Section 309 was that legal opinion itself had been
divided. While the Law Commission held that attempt to suicide was a manifestation of a diseased condition of
mind deserving care and treatment, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had in 1996 upheld the validity of
Section 309 on the ground that the Constitution, which gives the right to life, cannot also give the right to take one's
life.
But attempted suicide is not about the right to die' after all, a person trying to end his life does not do so in
voluntary violation of the right to live'; he is simply so desperately driven that he sees no way out except death. De-
criminalisation of attempted suicide does not vest upon a person the right to end his or her life. Had the contrary been
the case, the debate on active euthanasia would stand settled.
Fears have been expressed that the abolition of Section 309 could weaken other relevant provisions such as Section 306,
which makes abetment to suicide a penal offence. This fear is misplaced because the spirit of the law behind the two
Sections is different. In any case, once Section 309 is repealed, lawmakers will surely make changes that are deemed
necessary to continue holding abetment to suicide as a punishable offence. Nor will the abolition of Section 309 be a
boon to suicide bombers, because suicide bombers are also covered by provisions that deal with murder, terrorism,
disruption of peace and so on.
20. New satellite takes wing

The Hindu | Category: Science and Technology
India has a new bird in the sky the communication satellite GSAT-16 that was successfully launched recently,
aboard Europes Ariane 5 rocket. GSAT-16 has 48 transponders, the largest number thus far on a communication
satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation. It will join a constellation of 10 satellites that form the Indian
National Satellite (INSAT) system. Its transponders, operating in various frequency bands, will provide much-needed
augmentation of the existing 188 transponders on the INSAT system that broadcast television programmes, provide
educational and tele-medicine services, carry telephone conversations, and relay data. In addition, close to 95
transponders have been leased on foreign satellites, principally to meet the needs of Direct-To-Home (DTH) television
channels. Vikram Sarabhai, who founded the countrys space programme, had the farsightedness in the 1960s itself to
recognise how important communication satellites and the services they provide would be to a developing nation. It
was a vision that his successors turned into reality, with the first of the indigenously-built INSAT satellites being
launched in July 1992.
After the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) became available in the mid-1990s, the country has not had to look
62 abroad to launch its remote sensing satellites. That transition has yet to happen with communication satellites. The
62 current Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) has hitherto been trouble-prone, and the version equipped
with an indigenous cryogenic stage replacing an imported Russian one made its first successful flight only in January
this year. Even if the GSLV becomes a reliable launcher like the PSLV, it can only carry communication satellites
weighing up to about 2.2 tonnes. ISRO has already launched considerably heavier communication satellites on the
Ariane 5, including the GSAT-16 that weighs close to 3.2 tonnes. Launching these satellites abroad is expensive. The
price tag for the GSAT-16 comes to about Rs.900 crore. Of this, the foreign launch costs come to around Rs.560 crore
not including insurance. Had the next-generation GSLV Mark III, which can take four-tonne communication satellites,
been operational, that launch might have cost only about half as much. But the cryogenic engine for the upper stage of
the Mark III is still being developed. ISRO expects to have the Mark IIIs cryogenic engine and stage ready in two
years time. The sooner that happens, the better.
21. Away from the farm

That less than 58 per cent of rural households in India engage in farming may seem surprising. But as data from a
recent National Sample Survey Office report shows, even so-called agricultural households which have at least one
family member employed in farming derive over 40 per cent of their average monthly incomes from non-farming
sources. These findings, based on a nationwide survey for the 2012-13 crop year, only confirm what some market
analysts have highlighted: A Credit Suisse report in 2012 estimated that the share of agriculture per se in rural GDP
has dropped to roughly a quarter, from almost half at the start of this century. In other words, while agriculture may
be 95 per cent or more rural, rural is becoming less and less agricultural.
This growing urbanisation of the rural should be welcomed for the simple fact that agriculture cannot support the 69
per cent Indians living in rural areas (the official definition of rural is problematic, but that is a separate point).
Growing fragmentation of holdings has led to farming becoming unviable in terms of employing entire households.
Indeed, agricultures own future lies in moving people away from farms, so as to ensure the minimum viability of
holdings that makes it worthwhile to invest in mechanisation and other yield-enhancing technologies. Farming, like
any other profession, needs to reap the gains from specialisation and division of labour. Ultimately, only those
interested in and good at agriculture need to be in this business. But that calls for creating more non-farm jobs in the
countryside and further delinking rural livelihoods from agriculture.
The last decade from 2003-04 to 2011-12 was a golden one not just for the Indian economy (which grew by an
average 8.3 per cent a year), but also for agriculture (which saw the production of almost every crop go up alongside
rising rural incomes). One reason why this happened was precisely the diversification of the rural economy that
helped wean people away from land. Three-fourths of all new factories during this period came up in rural India:
given the surplus labour in the countryside and constraints of physical space in urban areas/ cities, thats how it
should be. We need such growth to be restarted, for the sake of the Indian economy and for agriculture itself.
22. A misplaced concern

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reportedly, wants a strong rupee. The rupee has actually been the best-performing
emerging market currency this year, in contrast to 2013, when it was the second worst-performing after the Indonesian
rupiah. But more revealing is the real effective exchange rate (REER), which measures the rupees average value
against a basket of 36 currencies after adjusting for inflation differentials vis--vis the countries concerned. This
indicator may be more relevant, especially given that whatever little weakening the rupee has seen in 2014 about 1.9
per cent has had more to do with the dollars general strengthening worldwide than any vulnerabilities specific to
the Indian currency. Between September 2013 and November 2014, the rupees REER has appreciated by 10.7 per cent.
The REER ruled at 99.32 in September 2013 over a base year value of 100 for 2004-05 meaning, the rupee was
undervalued.The current REER, at 109.97, points to an overvalued rupee.
The point is that the rupee today is not weak or vulnerable, as it was during July-September 2013. The US Federal
Reserves mere mention of tapering its extraordinary bond-buying programme (quantitative easing), then, triggered
massive capital outflows and shorting of the rupee by global currency traders. The current year, by contrast, hasnt
witnessed any run on the rupee. Foreign institutional investors have pumped in nearly $43 billion into the Indian
equity and debt markets, despite the US Fed completely winding down its quantitative easing and hinting at hiking 63
interest rates (even if not immediately). That being the case, the concerns over the rupee breaching the 63-to-the-dollar
level seem somewhat misplaced.
Equally flawed is the yearning for a strong rupee and linking it to national pride. A strong rupee isnt a bad thing, if
it is accompanied by or rather, is a result of low domestic inflation and rising productivity levels. But a strong
rupee that is simply an outcome of volatile capital inflows only erodes the countrys export and manufacturing
competitiveness. We have seen this in the past and also know what happens when the tide of capital flows reverses, as
in 2013. Modis government would do better to focus its attention on containing inflation and supply-side reforms that
help boost productivity levels in the economy. An environment congenial to growth and investment will also help
attract foreign capital flows, thereby contributing to a stronger rupee. Either way, a strong rupee cannot be an objective
as much as the virtuous byproduct of a growth process that is sustainable and based on sound economic
fundamentals.
23. Many faces of terrorism

The Hindu | Category: India and World
A day after the Taliban massacre of schoolchildren in Peshawar, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said his government
would not rest until the last terrorist was eliminated from Pakistan. He further promised there would be no distinction
made between good Taliban, the code for militants used by the Pakistani establishment for strategic purposes in the
region, and bad Taliban, for those who attack the Pakistani state. The bail granted by an anti-terrorism court in
Pakistan to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is an immediate setback to that promise. Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency
in its charge sheet described Lakhvi as the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and a commander of the Lashkar-
e-Taiba. Indian investigators have said he was among those directing the Mumbai terrorists on the phone from
Pakistan. Coming as it did when Pakistan was still reeling from the Peshawar outrage, and less than 24 hours after its
political leadership expressed a new resolve and determination against terrorism, the bail to Lakhvi has
understandably shocked India. The let-down has been greater because India, led by its government, had come together
in an unprecedented demonstration of solidarity as Pakistan grieved for the children killed in Peshawar. The Indian
Parliament, which just recently passed a resolution against the school attack, has now passed a resolution against the
bail order. The thin silver lining is that the Sharif government plans to appeal the bail, and that instead of walking free,
Lakhvi has been detained for three months under the Maintenance of Public Order law.
More than five years have passed since the court proceedings in the Mumbai case began in Pakistan. The trial has
suffered, from lacklustre prosecution with the lawyers citing security fears, frequent disruptions due to transfer of
judges, and political rhetoric about insufficient evidence supplied by Delhi, as well as the demand for proof. All
this while, Hafiz Saeed has become increasingly visible, and is allowed to hold public rallies and mobilise people and
funds for his organisation, which makes no secret of its desire to see rivers of blood in India. Altogether, it is difficult
to escape the conclusion that Mr. Sharifs words may count for nothing when it comes up against entrenched and
powerful actors, including the security establishment, the administrative and legal bureaucracy, and the judiciary. But
prevail he must, as must other Pakistani voices demanding an all-out change in the policies Pakistan has followed.
India must put aside its shock and anger at the grant of bail to Lakhvi and stand by these voices solidly, for it is they
that give hope of peace between the two countries and stability in the region.
24. The cost of convenience

The Hindu | Category: Environment and Ecology
Despite several committees constituted by the Union government highlighting the many problems posed by thin, non-
biodegradable, single-use plastic bags, and a body of evidence also indicating their ill-effects, the government
emphatically stated recently that there would be no ban on manufacture and use of plastic bags in the country. But
such a ban is already in place in a few States. Unfortunately, the other viable alternative of levying charges or raising
taxes to curb its use was overlooked. The stand taken by the government is in stark contrast to the European Unions
decision. In a commendable move, EU member-states decided last month to cut the number of lightweight plastic bags
consumed per person in a year. The member-countries would either limit the number of bags used to 90 per person a
year by 2019 and 40 bags by 2025, or charge for all bags by 2018. Even in a country where plastic manufacturers
constitute a powerful lot, in September this year California decided to ban single-use plastic bags from July 2015;
though many cities have a similar ban, California is the first State in the U.S. to do so. Several countries that have either
64 banned it or made it chargeable have seen a precipitous drop within a short time in the number of thin bags used. For
64 instance, in 2002, Ireland witnessed a 95 per cent reduction in plastic bag litter once tax on such material was levied. It
is proven beyond doubt that mandatory charge on single-use bags is a potent tool to reduce consumption. There is no
reason why India cannot look at this option. After all, reducing litter should be the first goal under the Swachh Bharat
Mission.
For a few minutes of convenience, people mindlessly turn to single-use plastic bags, apparently oblivious to its
persistence in the environment, both on land and in the oceans, for hundreds of years. Besides ending up in landfills or
as litter in all possible places, they very often clog drainage systems and even prevent the recharge of groundwater
aquifers. The bigger ramification is the death of cattle and a huge number of marine animals every year due to plastic
bag ingestion. The production process is energy-intensive. It is for these reasons that in 2012 the Supreme Court
observed that in the absence of tough measures, the next generation will be threatened with something more serious
than the atom bomb. It is strange and surprising that in a country where reuse and recycling are part of the ethos, the
rampant use of disposable plastic bags has become second nature. At a time when solid waste management even for
biodegradable waste is non-existent, it is naive to think of ever managing single-use bag waste.
25. Satyarthi and Malala: Warriors of peace

The Asian Age | Category: Awards
Even as the official exchanges between India and Pakistan find it hard to extricate the narrative from long-term mutual
suspicion, and as guns and bombs of terrorists with roots across the border seek to create mayhem to disrupt the
democratic process in Kashmir, a 60-year old Indian, Kailash Satyarthi, and Malala Yousazai, a Pakistani girl who is no
more than 17, gave their orations in Oslo as joint winners of this years Nobel Prize for peace, in which they didnt ask
for the impossible.
They merely made appeals from the heart to educate the worlds children and free them from bondage, fear and
despair. The need was for transformative compassion, as Mr Satyarthi put it, and quoted Gandhi to say that if the
message of real peace was to be realised in the world, we must begin with children. The most terrible violence was that
which squelched childrens dreams, the champion of saving childhoods urged the world.
At an alarming and shaming 60 million, India reportedly has a third of the worlds children in bondage, some in
intergenerational bondage, and it is their cause that Mr Satyarthi has served for some two decades. His appeal from
Oslo, as he received his prize, was to liberate them, feed them, educate them, and set them free to work on their
dreams.
The Indian stalwart of saving childhoods reminded governments that if a mere one week of world military spending
was cut, the money freed could put all of the worlds children into classrooms. He urged governments to put more
money into education and called on businesses to come up with innovative ideas to achieve that end. Union finance
minister Arun Jaitley could lend the Nobel laureate his ears as he sets about the Budget-framing exercise in earnest in
the coming weeks.
What was important in Mr Satyarthis message to globalise compassion for children were the question of agency.
The solution was not confined to conferences, governments and inter-government agencies, but depended to a great
extent on individual initiatives. His clearest message: Every minute counts, every child counts, every childhood counts.
The Indian laureate urged people to rise above neutrality in this matter, and his Pakistani counterpart, still a chit of a
girl who fights with her brothers (as she informed her distinguished international audience), seemed the very
embodiment of his message. She said once the terrorists took hold and destroyed 400 schools in her region and began
to attack girls, the choice before her was to remain silent and be killed or speak up and be killed. The boldness of this
heroic Pashtun girls imagination is clear from her message that education is lifes necessity and must not be withheld
from any child anywhere in the world.
26. By the Brahmaputra

The Indian Express | Category: India and World
The completion of the Zangmu dam on the Tibetan Plateau has revived the debate over the ecological impact of
damming the Brahmaputra. China has argued that Zangmu is a run-of-the-river project on the Yarlung Zangbo the
Brahmaputra in India which will not have any impact downstream. But many in India arent convinced, because of
Chinas refusal to be open about its dams, despite the the two nations setting up an expert-level mechanism in 2007 to
share river flow data and signing a bilateral agreement last year to provide information on dams on the Brahmaputra. 65
New Delhi must move beyond a bilateral approach and convince Beijing of the need for a transnational body, with
representatives from Bangladesh and Bhutan as well, to monitor and develop the Brahmaputra basin in a
comprehensive and transparent manner.
Reportedly, China plans to construct a series of dams on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra. There is concern that
so many dams would reduce the flow into India and upset the flood patterns of the Brahmaputra. Indias response to
Chinese dam building has been to propose over 150 hydro-power projects in Arunachal and Assam. Studies have
revealed that water availability in the Brahmaputra has declined in recent decades, while reports suggest that China
has plans to transfer huge volumes of water from rivers in Tibet to the water-scarce Yellow River basin. Communities
living in the Brahmaputra basin have over the centuries adapted to the ebb and flow of this gigantic river. Any radical
change in its flow would have a catastrophic impact on lives and livelihoods in the Northeast and Bangladesh.
Water could become a source of great conflict in the Himalayan region in the absence of careful planning.
Unsustainable exploitation of the Brahmaputra could trigger major ecological changes in the seismically sensitive
region. Indeed, nations need water and power, but river management is about more than mere dam building.
Institutional mechanisms that would ensure more transparency in river basin management could help build trust
among countries and facilitate the development of this large region, which includes some of the poorest people in the
world. There is a need to go beyond the narrow nationalist approach.
27. Testing times for India-Russia ties

With 20 agreements worth billions of dollars signed in one day, Russian President Vladimir Putins visit to India was a
productive one. The deals touched most of the fields India and Russia cooperate on, from oil, energy and infrastructure
to military training, even as the two countries set a bilateral trade target of $30 billion between them by the year 2025.
What is more, the opening of Indias rough-diamond procurement policy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will mean
Mumbai can dream of becoming a worldwide hub for the industry. Finally, President Putins offer of 12 nuclear
reactors is the clearest and most welcome indicator yet that Russia does not share the concerns of other suppliers about
Indias liability laws. However, there is no denying that the old lustre of the India-Russia friendship has dimmed
somewhat, and many of the affirmations in the Druzba-Dosti joint statement of friendship they issued seem
problematic. Even before his arrival in Delhi, President Putins decision to decline the offer to address a joint session of
Parliament indicated that all is not well in the relationship. The problems seem evident: Russia has watched with
displeasure as India has diversified its military imports, especially when it comes to helicopter and aircraft purchases.
The slide is not recent, and last year a senior Russian official had made the countrys displeasure clear when he
demanded India treat Russia as an old partner, calling the decision to buy fighter aircraft and missiles from France,
the U.S. and Israel illogical and unfair. For its part, India was outraged by the Russian decision to lift its embargo on
defence sales to Pakistan, and the first-ever Russia-Pakistan framework agreement that was finalised last month. Given
that India still maintains about 70 per cent of its defence inventory from Russian hardware, and is one of Russias
biggest buyers, the unhappiness on both sides may not change the equations of dependence between them, but it must
be addressed. In this context, it is significant that Mr. Modi said the relationship with Russia would remain Indias
closest relationship and it would be the most important defence partner. It is increasingly important for New
Delhi and Moscow to reassure each other in spheres other than the commercial ones of defence, energy and trade.
Given Russias growing isolation from the West, and Indias growing closeness to the U.S. President Barack
Obamas visit is coming up in January 2015 their relationship is bound to be challenged in many ways. The U.S.
State Departments statement criticising the India-Russia deals gives a glimpse of those challenges already, and the
assurance in Mr. Modis tweet will likely be tested further in the coming months: Times have changed, our friendship
has not...
28. The Gita doesnt need govt boost

The Asian Age | Category: Nation
The Bhagavad Gita is undoubtedly one of the great texts of the world, and one of its most ancient. It has high religious
significance for some, and also great secular meaning for those who read it for the sheer beauty of its words, and the
66 valuable lessons it offers for negotiating the complexities of life. It came out of a striking civilisation. The book has been
66 read with care at universities around the world, not only at mutts and scriptural seminaries. For all these reasons it is
conspicuously wrong-headed, even ridiculous, to seek to convert the mighty Gita to political uses. The reason is that
such attempts will be laughed out of court by ordinary people who quote chapter and verse from it in their daily lives
and interactions. The Gita is an exalted body of work. It has no need for official exaltation by this government or any
other.
When external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj prescribed in the company of sundry notables of the Sangh Parivar that
the Gita should be made Indias Rashtriya Granth, or national book, she was in no way enhancing the magnificence
of the famous text, for that is hardly possible. What is more likely is that by making a proposal whose intent appears
nothing more than low politics, she will draw the ire of even those of her partys opponents who might otherwise have
nothing but praise for the Gita.
In any case, how is any book to be made a so-called national book by passing an order, notifying it in the gazette,
making its study compulsory for citizens? All these methods will elicit ridicule. Indeed, it is hard to think of any
famous book in the world, such as the ancient Iliad, or even great religious texts like the Bible and the Quran, that are
national books anywhere. As someone said at a level most mundane, but not wrong for that reason, that it was enough
in a deeply diverse democracy that its Constitution for ideological and political purposes be deemed the countrys
basic law, document or text. Certainly the privileging of a scriptural text would divide society. Ms Swaraj is originally
a socialist who has found herself in saffron company for decades. Since she is now trying to get official recognition for
a revered and admired text, many might think she is doing so in order to curry even more favour with the RSS than
she has already. Since the formation of the Narendra Modi government, Ms Swaraj, who is naturally ebullient,
articulate and reasonably moderate in many of her attitudes, seems to have found herself disregarded and in some
degree of isolation. This may just explain her strange espousal.
29. No closure for Bhopal

For thousands of residents of Bhopal, the disaster began the night they choked on the air which smelt of burnt chillies,
and it hasnt ended yet. The survivors got a pittance as compensation, thanks to an out-of-court settlement by the
Indian government, and the late Warren Anderson, then chief executive officer of Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL),
was not extradited for trial in India. Justice seemed remote then, and 30 years later even more so. Bhopal will be
remembered for the horrors of industrial negligence and the havoc caused by methyl isocyanate gas and other
chemicals, and equally so for its aftermath of apathy and criminal callousness. Recently, survivors appealed against a
court ruling to reverse the decision that a U.S. firm could not be sued for ongoing contamination from the chemical
plant. According to official estimates, 3,787 persons died and over 550,000 were injured, while unofficial estimates put
the death toll much higher. The affected population continues to suffer from severe long-term health impact. The plant,
which has tonnes of toxic waste, is yet to be cleaned up, and various agencies are still wrangling over whose
responsibility it is and who will pay. UCILs plant manufacturing the pesticides Sevin and Temik was dumping waste
on 6.4 hectares on the premises. Tests of the groundwater and waste dumps have shown the presence of mercury and
other toxic substances, and chemical contamination has made water in the tubewells around the plant unfit for
drinking.
According to the law of the land, UCIL was fully responsible for the wastes and for the clean-up. The question of
criminal liability was never really settled, though in the minds of the people there was no doubt about it. Andersen
and the company were spared a trial while thousands of survivors continue to lead a life of pain and trauma. Some
UCIL employees and its former chairperson Keshub Mahindra were convicted of causing death by criminal negligence
and sentenced to two years in prison in 2010, but they were released on bail. If anything, the disaster should have
taught some important lessons in environmental protection and law, compensation and criminal liability, but it didnt.
Bhopal was not a tragedy, it was a disaster waiting to happen. What is tragic is the predictability of events even after
the gas leak: the lack of sensitivity and concern for the survivors, not even bothering to clean up the mounds of toxic
waste, not attending seriously to the health issues, and making people run around for years for their rights. It is farcical
that the government should enhance compensation for the survivors after having shortchanged them in the first place.
Thirty years on, it is time for some serious reflection on the sensitivity of the state to such disasters.
30. Code red 67

The Indian Express | Category: Science and Technology
When one of the worlds most renowned scientists makes what could be perceived as an anti-science statement, it will
create waves. While unveiling a new platform based on a rudimentary form of artificial intelligence (AI) that allows
him to speak, Stephen Hawking expressed, in the most unambiguous terms, his concerns that further development of
AI would spell the end of the human race because humans evolve biologically, and slowly, and would be
superseded by the much faster pace at which computers would be able to adapt and redesign themselves. A few
weeks ago, Silicon Valley hero Elon Musk founder of SpaceX and Tesla and occasional dabbler in fanciful urban
transportation for the future compared AI to a demon, warning that it is our biggest existential threat.
Such pronouncements echo deeply held concerns about what it could mean to be replaced as the most intelligent
species on the planet. A variety of cultural artefacts have imagined apocalyptic futures in the face of such a threat.
Arguably the most famous is Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which helpful AI HAL becomes
increasingly, terrifyingly malevolent as the movie goes on. But there are plenty of other parables of what our over-
reliance on technology and computers could lead to The Terminator, The Matrix and Blade Runner, to name a few.
TVs Battlestar Galactica grappled with the inevitable confrontation that differential treatment of human-equivalent
intelligent life even if it has been created through a few lines of code sets up.
Though we are yet some distance from a time when cylons might kill us all, the AI we use today in autonomous
weapons raises ethical questions: who is to be held accountable for a rogue robot? Can we trust a machine incapable of
morality or discretion to hold the power of life and death?
31. Golden rule

In spite of the recent spike in gold imports they were up by 280 per cent to $ 4.17 billion in October the RBI
surprised the market by rightly scrapping its regressive 20:80 scheme, which compelled traders to export a fifth of
the gold they imported. This rule was put in place last year, alongside a 10 per cent import duty (up from 2 per cent)
and bars on who could import gold, in response to the burgeoning current account deficit and the rapidly depreciating
rupee.
But these measures, which amounted to financial repression, are believed to have led to a surge in smuggling activity
and hurt the domestic jewellery industry. By doing away with this ill-advised policy, not only has the RBI restored
calm to the market, which was, on the contrary, expecting more curbs, it has also removed a distortion. Players will
now be free to respond to market signals.
Gold is the classic store of value, it is a hedge against high inflation and becomes more attractive when people lose
faith in other investment instruments. In India, gold imports started rising dramatically 2008-09 onwards while we
imported $ 28.8 billion worth of gold in 2009-10, this increased to $ 40.7 billion in 2010-11 and $ 56.5 billion in 2011-12.
Part of the reason for this was the structurally high inflation in India. Also, globally, investors, including central banks,
were losing confidence in fiat currencies and there was a move towards investing in gold from $ 766 per troy ounce
in 2007-08, prices peaked at $ 1,654 in 2012-13. But instead of addressing the illness, Indias response was to treat the
symptom. The current account deficit is firmly under control, particularly due to declining oil prices brent crude oil
is at a four-year low of $ 73. And inflation, too, seems to be under check in fact, most gold imports today seem to be
genuine consumer demand rather than for investment purposes. There was, therefore, elbow room and a strong case to
remove import curbs.
The use of instruments of financial repression sends out a disquieting signal to the outside world. In future, it would
be better to keep the focus on tackling the disease, not the symptom.
32. Heat on climate change

Pioneer | Category: Environment and Ecology
68 Given that the Twentieth Conference of the Parties' of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
68 could have had a worse end, it is a matter of some relief that at least the participants agreed on a broad, if not entirely
satisfactory, agreement, bringing the developed and the developing countries on one page.
From India's perspective, if one goes by the remarks of the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Mr
Prakash Javadekar, the deal is fine, since it urges nations to provide financial support to developing countries to meet
the latter's mitigation goals, and takes into account the fact that the per capita carbon emission in developed countries
is higher than those in the developing world. These two have been subjects of intense debate, with countries such as
India pointing out that the developed nations could not demand unreasonable cut-backs in emission from the
developing ones since that would severely compromise industrial growth of the latter.
The developing bloc also, correctly, said that the developed nations had reached a level after having polluted the
environment enough and, therefore, they should put in more money where their mouth is. The final agreement has, in
view of the conflicts that threatened to derail the talks in Lima, Peru, steered clear of many politically sensitive issues.
The watered-down agreement may not appeal to environmental activists, but then these people are not in the
business of running Governments or meeting aspirations of economic development. While the activists can afford to
have a one-track approach, a Government has to be multi-dimensional. Had the friction not been resolved in the nick
of time in Lima, the disagreement could have threatened the Paris 2015 deadline to finalise an international agreement
on climate change.
While India did not want to be seen, along with a few other countries, as an obstacle to that end, it certainly was not
prepared to bear the burden of cleaning the environmental mess created and left behind by the developed world. New
Delhi also made it clear that while it is committed to the reduction of emission levels, it would do so in a phased and
realistic manner and not be pushed hastily into it. It is here that the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities' kicks in. While all sides agree on the need to tackle climate change, those who polluted the most to
reach a level where they can afford more than the rest to clean up, should accept the responsibility. Interestingly,
China, which has signed a separate climate change agreement with the US, seemed on the same page as that of India.
Beijing blocked a European Union suggestion that would bind countries to accountability for the promises they made.
The Lima success apart, India should not be celebrating much because the country does face a serious climate change
issue. Over the next few months, in the run-up to the Paris meet, New Delhi has to share its action plan to contribute in
containing the rise in global temperature, besides other issues. The new Government has to demonstrate that
commitment even as it proceeds to trigger higher economic growth. How the Narendra Modi regime manages the two
traditionally conflicting' interests, remains to be seen.
33. Reason for hope

The Hindu | Category: International
People familiar with the chequered history of Irans nuclear programme cannot but view with hope the further
extension until June 2015 of the current round of talks between the original five nuclear weapons-states and Germany
(P5+1) vis--vis Tehran. The new deadline is the second since the November 2013 temporary deal, which paved the
way for Iran to open its nuclear infrastructure to international inspections and brought the country relief from
sanctions to a substantial extent, mainly in terms of oil export revenues. The tortuous record on the nuclear imbroglio
was initially marked by Irans willingness to cease uranium enrichment following mediation by Britain, Germany and
France. But a blatant refusal by the Bush administration to respect Irans right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty to strengthen its civilian energy capacity stoked a predictable nationalistic backlash. Washingtons stance
subsequently received sanctity through a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions. U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry and former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw are on record as saying that the dispute could have been
long resolved but for the influence of geopolitics in the Middle East.
The credibility of the current negotiations has been enhanced considerably with the Obama administrations readiness
to recognise Irans legitimate interests as a state-party to the NPT. This is not to deny the existence of fundamental
disagreements. One is Tehrans demand that a final deal include the immediate and permanent withdrawal of
crippling economic sanctions. The U.S. and its partners are unwilling to concede, insisting rather on a reduction of
operational centrifuges to a point that it would take at least one year for Iran to generate weapons-grade uranium to
produce one nuclear bomb. The other is the pressure building up in the Republican-dominated U.S. Congress to
further step up sanctions because of the failure to reach a final agreement. But then, the Iranian leadership has set its
political stakes on the removal of these economic obstacles, against which there is growing discontent among even the
pro-western sections of the population. Conversely, Washington and its allies, including Britain, would like to exploit 69
this mood to build bridges with a state they see as being relatively stable in an otherwise volatile region. For countries
of the subcontinent, as also the non-nuclear weapons-states, the stand-off over Iran testifies to the continuance of a
major irony in the unequal global nuclear bargain. That irony is that, except Germany, Tehrans adversaries are
themselves nuclear weapons-states countenanced by the discriminatory NPT. Herein lies the hurdle to disarmament.
34. A deep cut

The Indian Express | Category:Economy
Wholesale price index inflation fell to a low of zero in November its lowest since July 2009 from 7.52 per cent a
year ago. Equally, inflation computed using the consumer price index, the RBIs preferred measure, has come crashing
down to 4.38 per cent from 11.6 per cent a year ago. This is largely a story of moderating food and fuel prices. For
example, CPI vegetable inflation has come down from 61.6 per cent last year to minus 10.9 per cent. Overall, food and
beverage inflation, which has a weight of approximately 57 per cent in the CPI, has decreased to 3.5 per cent from 14.72
per cent in November 2013. Similarly, the increase in the prices of fuel and light, 3.27 per cent, is less than half of
what it was a year ago, 7 per cent. Could the stage finally be set for the RBI to announce a rate cut?
Sceptics would argue that the November numbers have benefited from a favourable base effect. Further, they would
say that the fiscal advantages of the dramatic decline in crude prices are countered by poor tax revenue growth and the
slow pace of disinvestment it will still be a challenge to meet the deficit target of 4.1 per cent of the GDP.
Importantly, survey-based inflationary expectations are still high and there is an upside risk to agricultural prices as
well as for energy because of geopolitical uncertainty. But on the other hand, the clincher: even the RBIs inflation
forecast for March 2015 is 6 per cent, its target for January 2016. Coupled with the 4.2 per cent contraction of industrial
production in October and the flat growth of gross fixed capital formation in the July-September quarter, the big
picture seems to point to the need for a rate cut.
In the December policy review, the RBI pointed out that banks are already flush with funds and that a future easing
of monetary policy would primarily have signalling effects for a while. But these effects could be substantial and
push growth at the margins. The possibility of a rate cut before the February 3, 2015, review is still open. What is
needed is a significant and deep reorientation of the repo rate. Tinkering wont do.
35. Chequing out

Recently, the Union cabinet gave its approval for public-sector banks (PSBs) to raise capital by diluting government
shareholding to 52 per cent in a phased manner in order to meet Basel III adequacy norm requirements, which will
kick in in March 2019. Of the Rs 2,39,720 crore common equity tier I capital requirement, PSBs will reportedly now be
able to raise Rs 1,60,825 crore from the market. This would bring the governments net outstanding tier I capital
infusion requirement down to Rs 44,395 crore. The cabinets approval is well timed. With interest rates softening and a
rate cut by the RBI thought to be imminent, prices of government securities are going up. PSBs, with their vast
holdings of government paper, are slated to book enormous treasury profits. Coupled with the fact that some PSBs are
currently trading at a discount to their book values, and have registered respectable earnings growth (22 per cent
versus private banks 17 per cent) in the quarter ending September, and given that the NPA (Non-performing asset)
crisis seems to be bottoming out, there is sure to be significant investor interest and appetite for the stake sale.
But by stopping at just 52 per cent, the government has not been bold enough. Currently, PSBs are hamstrung by a
variety of obligations that their private-sector counterparts are exempt from. As the P.J. Nayak Committee to review
bank governance points out, by bringing its control below 50 per cent, the government would be levelling the playing
field PSBs would be freed from Central Vigilance Commission oversight, for instance, and constraints on employee
compensation. In fact, by diluting its stake up to a point where it is still the dominant, though not majority,
shareholder, the government would stand to gain from increased financial returns, while retaining its position of
influence.
But in order to sell stakes below 50 per cent, the Centre would need to go through Parliament, because PSBs are not
entities registered under the Companies Act but statutory bodies created by the legislature. It is time for the
government to reconsider this arrangement. As recommended by the Nayak report, the government should
70 incorporate PSBs under the Companies Act and repeal the legislation that created them. Its the right time to do this.
70
36. Opportune time for reform
The BJP-led government is proceeding apace to rein in petroleum subsidies, which have been a major fiscal headache
for successive governments. First, it turned to the task of wiping out under-recoveries on diesel and freeing its pricing.
Secondly, the direct benefit transfer scheme for cooking gas is being rolled out across cities. Another recent step is the
decision to do away with the supply of subsidised kerosene through the public distribution system (PDS). Just as in the
case of cooking gas, the idea behind stopping subsidised kerosene supply through the PDS is to ensure that subsidies
are targeted at those who deserve them and that leakages are plugged. It is estimated that as much as 40 per cent of the
subsidised kerosene supplied through the PDS is diverted, mainly to adulterate diesel. The governments decision to
stop PDS supply appears well-founded. According to 2011 Census data, kerosene is no longer a fuel of choice for
cooking but is used mainly for lighting. Cooking gas has replaced kerosene in urban and semi-urban areas as per the
Census; biomass is the cooking fuel of choice in rural areas, with less than 2 per cent of rural households using
kerosene as a medium. Armed with these findings, the government now wants to move to a cash transfer system for
rural households that deserve subsidy.
The move will help the government cut down kerosene subsidy to about a fifth of what prevails now. According to
data from the Petroleum Ministry, kerosene subsidy, shared between the government and the oil companies, was
Rs.31,250.47 crore in 2013-14. This will come down to Rs.5,852.14 crore in the next year following the latest move. The
decision, while helping to cut the Central budget deficit, shifts the onus to the States, which will now have to identify
households that use the fuel for lighting. The choice will be between direct transfer of cash subsidy to these households
on a regular basis, or upfront subsidy for them to install solar lighting systems. With the kerosene subsidy issue thus
addressed, the government should now turn its attention to cooking gas subsidy. The fuel is also used by the middle-
class and the rich who do not deserve the subsidy. With oil prices sliding, the time is opportune for the government to
align cooking gas prices to the market without much pain being felt by consumers. Those found deserving of subsidy
can be taken care of by the direct cash transfer mechanism. The time is also ripe for the government to attempt some
serious reform of the pricing policies of the oil companies, which are rather opaque at this moment. The policy of
linking pricing of fuels such as petrol, diesel and cooking gas with their respective landed costs needs review.
37. An imaginative deal

Recently, the 160-member World Trade Organization (WTO) wrote history when its General Council approved its first
major global trade deal since its inception nearly two decades ago. The WTO got into a logjam when New Delhi put its
foot down, and refused to sign the trade facilitation agreement unless a solution was found to the food stockpiling
issue. The resultant impasse had even put a question mark over the very future of the WTO. Sensing the disastrous
consequences of a WTO failure, Washington swiftly went into a bilateral huddle with India. Once the two sides agreed
on a solution to the contentious issue, the decks were cleared for the WTO to ink its maiden trade agreement.
Quarantining the public food stockpiling issue has ensured that the members commitment for a multilateral trading
system remains intact. India and others felt that the Bali agreement put at risk their food security policies. The WTO
General Council has now agreed to keep the negotiations for a permanent solution on public stockholding for security
consideration independent of the outcomes on talks on other issues. It has also decided to let the peace clause, agreed
in Bali, to remain in force until a permanent solution is found. The agreement clearly addresses Indias concerns. The
WTO has set for itself an accelerated time frame of December 2015 to arrive at a lasting solution to the issue. A stricter
deadline reflects a sense of seriousness in not letting the issue linger indefinitely. In a way, it also assures the
developed world that its concerns over the trade-distorting food subsidies remain a priority focus. With the General
Council adopting the Protocol of Amendment, the process of implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement has
finally begun. Essentially, it is aimed at modernising the trade infrastructure and easing regulations to smoothen
global trade.
Since the Doha Round, the WTO has been struggling to be relevant in the midst of diverse interest blocs. It is hoping to
shore up its image with the less-ambitious but procedurally significant trade facilitation agreement. The public
stockholding issue almost spoiled the party for the WTO but now there is no need to redo Bali. Significantly, the WTO
General Council has also given itself a deadline of July 2015 to agree on a work programme to implement the Bali
Ministerial Decisions. If it reveals a prudential compromise, the historic deal also underscores the acute anxiety among 71
members to work towards strengthening the multilateral trading system. Surely, the deal must spur member-nations
to discover ways and means to deliver fast on the Bali decisions. The moot question, however, is: will the deal
embolden the WTO attempt liberalising the more sensitive areas of trade as was intended by the Doha Round?
38. For more internet freedom

Pioneer| Category: India and World
At a time when Internet freedom around the world is declining, it is heartening to note that the situation is improving
in this country. Between May of 2013 and 2014, India rose from rank 47 to 42 on a scale of one to 100, according to the
annual Internet freedom survey conducted by the US-based Freedom House. The five-rank jump may not seem much
at first glance, but, given that India is one of the few countries to have made any gain at all, this is definitely a
significant achievement. The overall Internet freedom score is based on developments in three segments: First,
obstacles to Internet access; second, limits on content; and third, violation of user rights. The improvement in India's
ranking has primarily been the result of the Government removing the blocks on content that it placed during the
exodus of North-Easterners in 2012. At that time, social media tools had been widely abused to threaten people of the
North-East across the country, and the Government was right in intervening and blunting tools that were being used
to disrupt law and order. That said, had the Government not eventually removed the blocks, it would have been
accused, and rightly so, of curbing free speech. That it has acted, shows it's capable of maintaining that fine line
between the rights of an individual and the welfare of the collective. That said, this is still a work in progress. The
Government is figuring its way around content administration, and occasionally it does stumble and fall as its many
requests to Internet service providers to take down politically-sensitive material in the run-up to the general election
stand proof.
With regard to removing obstacles to Internet access, India has had a mixed performance. On the one hand, it offers
some of the cheapest Internet access opportunities in the world (with a vast majority of Internet users accessing their
mobile phones to go online). On the other hand, the lack of telecommunication infrastructure makes it difficult to
connect with those living outside of urban areas. This explains why Internet penetration in India is still at a low 15 per
cent. However, given India's vast population, even a 15 per cent penetration means that the country is home to the
third-largest number of Internet consumers, after China and the US. Moreover, as this number will only grow
exponentially in the coming years, issues of Internet freedom, and more generally, Internet governance, will gain
centre-stage. In this context, India is at a pivotal point and this is best exemplified in the kind of churning that is
seen with regard to cyber laws. Take, for instance, the poorly drafted Section 66A of the Information Technology
(Amendment) Act of 2008, which has been widely criticised for curbing user rights online. The law is already being
challenged in the courts as being unconstitutional. Meantime, both the Government and the Supreme Court have
sought to prevent the abuse of the law.
39. Rethink the death penalty

As India continues to stand in favour of the death penalty, it is increasingly finding itself in the margins of world
politics and international standards on this issue. On a UN General Assembly resolution to establish a moratorium on
death penalty, a vast majority of the countries have voted in favour of abolishing the penalty. Although the resolution
does not have binding value, it does carry considerable moral and political weight. Amnesty International reported
that 114 of the UNs 193 member-states voted in favour of the resolution and 36 voted against it, while 34 abstained.
Around 140 countries worldwide have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, and the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights is strongly against it. The International Criminal Court envisages life imprisonment even
for crimes against humanity such as genocide. Customary international law does not prohibit the death penalty
currently, but global opinion is rapidly moving towards an abolition.
Given this global trend, India gave the following reasons for its retentionist position: (a) the sovereign right to
determine its own laws; (b) the death penalty is exercised in the rarest of rare cases; and (c) India guarantees rule of
law and the necessary procedural safeguards for a fair trial. But this justification is grossly inadequate. Abolition is
now firmly entrenched in the human rights discourse and no longer limited to national criminal justice policy, making
the sovereignty defence much weaker. As far as the rarest of rare jurisprudence is concerned, the Supreme Court in
72 Sangeeth (2013) agrees that this principle laid down in Bachan Singh (1981) has received erroneous and inconsistent
72 interpretations in most judgments since Machhi Singh (1983). The court concedes that the test has become arbitrary
and judge-centric rather than principle-centric. In an interview to Frontline , Justice A.P. Shah said: Clearly, the two
prisoners in Ravji s case who were wrongly sentenced to death were executed as a result of these flawed judgments,
constituting the gravest known miscarriages of justice... As far as the due process of law is concerned, the stealthy
killings of Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru, as well as the undue delay in handling mercy petitions, deftly spelt out in
Shatrughan Chauhan (2014), reflect flawed executive action that cannot always be corrected by judicial intervention.
Even if public opinion in India currently favours the death penalty, the move towards a more enlightened approach
can be initiated in Parliament. As India endeavours to play a stronger role in world politics, it is time to rethink its
stand on the death penalty with more clarity.
40. A welcome U-turn

In making it clear that his government intends to move quickly on the 2011 Protocol to the existing 1974 Land
Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made an important and necessary
correction to the Bharatiya Janata Partys neighbourhood vision. While in opposition, the BJP had refused to lend
support to the constitutional amendment required for implementing the Protocol as it involved ceding territory to
another nation. Led by its Assam unit, the BJP was then of the view that it would compromise the countrys territorial
integrity as India would cede more land to Bangladesh than it would get. In reality, the exchange involves enclaves
that are non-contiguous, and deep inside Indian or Bangladesh territory. There are 111 Indian enclaves totalling about
17,160 acres, or 70 sq km, in Bangladesh; India has 51 Bangladeshi enclaves, totalling 7,110.02 acres, or about 28 sq km.
India does not govern the Indian enclaves in Bangladesh, and vice versa . As a result, these islands of alien
populations have had no access to the development, job opportunities, laws or rights of either the country to which
they belong or the one that surrounds them. Instead, they have become a law and order and security challenge on
either side of the border. A second part of the protocol envisages formalising control of territory in adverse
possession, that is, Bangladesh land contiguous with the border, inhabited by its citizens and de facto under its control,
but falling on the Indian side of the border, and vice versa . Under this, India will get formal control of about 2,777
acres, or 11 sq km, and Bangladesh 2,267 acres, or 9 sq km.
With the BJP now ready for it, the constitutional amendment can be passed quickly. The Cabinet must then ratify the
Protocol before implementation can begin. The Protocol is essential to completing an unfinished task left over from
history, that of properly demarcating the border between India and Bangladesh. Prime Minister Modi sought to hard-
sell the land swap to his party as an instrument of internal security and a means to prevent illegal migration, perceived
by the BJP as two sides of the same coin. As important is the humanitarian aspect, as the Protocol can bring a huge
improvement in the lives of thousands of people. When it is implemented, the 14,000 or so residents of the Bangladeshi
enclaves in India will have the option of becoming Indian citizens. In addition, at least some of the 37,000 or so Indians
in the enclaves in Bangladesh are expected to cross over. Both New Delhi and Dhaka must ensure that any population
transfers, and consequent changes to the demography on either side, are handled in a just, equitable, even-handed and
non-discriminatory manner.
41. Strengthening accountability

In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court recently quashed a two-judge committee set up by the Chief Justice of
the Madhya Pradesh High Court to probe allegations of sexual harassment against a judge of the court. By insisting on
the strict implementation of in-house procedures in cases of complaints against judges, this judgment marks a step
towards greater transparency and certainty in proceedings relating to judges. In this case, the charges of harassment
were levelled by a former Additional District and Sessions Judge of the Madhya Pradesh Higher Judicial Service. Her
writ petition claimed that the in-house procedure envisaged by the Supreme Court was ignored by the High Court.
Looking at how the judiciary addressed her complaint, the Supreme Court concluded that the prescribed procedures
were not followed, and ordered a fresh probe. This commendable move reasserts the Courts seriousness of purpose in
ensuring a gender-sensitive process of internal investigation on sexual harassment complaints.
One of the first investigations into judicial misconduct was the impeachment process against Justice V. Ramaswami of
the Supreme Court, in 1991. That case brought to the fore the inadequacies of the impeachment process under the
Constitution and made evident the absence of legal authority in the Chief Justice of India to take any action in such
situations. In a subsequent case of allegations against Chief Justice A.M. Bhattacharjee of the Bombay High Court, the 73
Supreme Court for the first time laid down an in-house peer review procedure for correcting [the] misbehaviour of
judges. In 2008, these in-house procedures were employed in investigating allegations against Justice Soumitra Sen,
leading to impeachment proceedings. The Supreme Court has now taken this prescription further by declaring that
these procedures be widely publicised and made available on the judiciarys websites. However, it has to be noted that
apart from the far-fetched impeachment process prescribed under the Constitution, there is as yet no institutional
design or statutory law that can adequately support a transparent process of judicial inquiry, so as to enhance the
accountability and legitimacy of the institution. The courts continue to be insular, oblivious to the principle of open
justice a stand justified on the ground of safeguarding judicial dignity and independence. Be it over criticism against
judicial appointments or judgments like Swatanter Kumar (2014) that prohibited media reporting of sexual harassment
allegations made by an intern against a judge, the judiciary has often been too defensive, deflecting criticism and
hardly acknowledging the need for transparent accountability.
42. An avoidable controversy

The Union governments attempt to replace German with Sanskrit as the third language taught in Kendriya
Vidyalayas for Classes VI to VIII in the middle of an academic year is oblivious to the interests of students as also to
the need to ensure credibility in dealings with other nations. Its explanation is that a memorandum of understanding
signed between the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) under the previous regime with the Goethe Institut/Max
Mueller Bhavan to teach German as a third language is illegal and violative of the National Education Policy.
Several school systems in the country include foreign languages such as French and German as even a second
language, and so far no one has ever questioned their legality. In this case, German was only one of the options for the
third language offered by the KVS and the MoU was never intended to make it compulsory. The fact that over 70,000
students across 500 schools opted for it speaks volumes about the preference among students and parents to learn a
foreign language to boost their career prospects. Student preference for Sanskrit as a third language remains unclear.
The HRD (Human Resource Development) Ministry seems insensitive to the impact of its decision so late in the
academic year on students who have taken up the language. It is obvious that the present regimes eagerness to
demonstrate its commitment to Sanskrit overrides the interests of students, as well as the notion of sanctity of
agreements reached with institutions backed by foreign states.
The Supreme Court has questioned the haste with which Sanskrit is sought to be introduced in the middle of an
academic year. The governments claim that it will ensure that students are not put undue stress by adopting an entry
level syllabus and marking system shows that its keenness to promote Sanskrit is mere tokenism. The court seems to
have endorsed the policy of introducing the learning of Sanskrit, described as the mother of many languages, as a
third language, but only wants the decision to be implemented from the next academic year. To be fair, the November
11, 2014, office memorandum replacing German says students can learn either Sanskrit or any other modern Indian
language as third language. German will be relegated to the non-serious hobby class. The moot question, however, is
whether at all Sanskrit should be counterpoised against German when there should be a place for both the languages,
with students being allowed to choose Sanskrit or another modern Indian or European language. Such counterpoising
is all the more ironic considering that German academia has had a long tradition of scholarship in Sanskrit and Indian
studies
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74
PART TWENTY THREE| ARTICLES
1. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: a tool for progressive India
Yojana-January, 2015 | Category: Development

TAKING A cue from philosophy (cleanliness is next to godliness), the emphasis laid on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is for
a very noble cause. A country with 74 per cent population being literate is still grappling with the problem of
sanitation and lack of cleanliness even after 67 years of independence. It is recognized worldwide that while
inadequate sanitation causes diseases, improvement in it contributes in bringing positive health and decent living.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) enjoin upon the signatory nations to extend access to improved
sanitation to atleast half the urban population by 2015 and 100 per cent access by 2025. This implies extending coverage
to households without improved sanitation and providing proper sanitation facilities in public places to make Cities
open defecation free. However, some times, there are assessments causing worry regarding sanitation scenario in our
country. The WHO/UNICEF joint monitoring programme for water supply and sanitation has said that at its present
pace, India would take time till 2054 to meet its Millennium Development Goals 2015 on sanitation. Orissa will take
largest time till 2160 to reach there, according to a worldwide survey released on 27th March, 2012.
There are a few key issues which need to be looked at for making Swachh Bharat Abhiyan successful. These are mainly
the following:
i) Availability of water in all habitations:
ii) Availability of private or public toilets in all habitations;
iii) An appropriate sewage and garbage disposal system;
iv) Basic facilities to maintain cleanliness; 75
v) Mass awareness to make this Abhiyan successful;
Availability of Water
As on 1st April, 2014, out of 16,96,664 habitations in the country, only 12,49,695 have adequate (40 litres per capita per
day) provisions for drinking water. A large number of villages still depend on village ponds or wells or other natural
resources which in some cases, even dry during peak summer. In fact, we have no certain way of really estimating the
load of sewage in our cities, because of the different ways in which people source water and the different ways in
which people dispose sewage. The present method of measuring sewage is most rudimentary. It is assumed that 80 per
cent of the water officially supplied by municipalities is returned as sewage. As per the data available through the
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), 2005-06, the toilets connected to piped water system are only 18.8 per cent.
To maintain cleanliness all around. we need appropriate quantity of water. It seems that more than the quantum of
water that is supplied, the problem is its management and equal supply to all. In the current water system, there are
enormous inefficiency losses in the distribution system because of leakages and bad management. Effective measures
are, therefore, required to ensure that water reaches everybody in the city and not just a few if Swachh Rharat Ahhiyan
has to he made successful.
Availability of Toilets
Worldwide, around 2.5 million people lack access to basic sanitation facilities such as a latrine, a third of whom live in
India. As per UN MDG report. it is estimated that around 626 million people in our country dont have access to a
closed toilet and consequently practice open defecation. As per NSSO 69th Round (2012). 59.4 per cent of Rural and
8.8per cent of Urban Households do not have latrine facility.
Appropriate Sewage and Garbage Disposal System

It is important to note that unsafe disposal of the human excreta imposes significant threat to public health and
environmental cost particularly to urban areas. A study has shown that t costs around 60 per cent of the countrys
GDP. As indicated in the National Urban Sanitation Policy, impacts of poor sanitation are especially significant for the
urban poor (22 per cent of the total urban population), women, children and the elderly. It is also observed that
inadequate discharge of untreated domestic/municipal waste water has resulted in contamination of 75 per cent of all
surface water across India.
Facilities for Cleanliness
The success of the abhiyan could be ensured only if the basic facilities such as water supply, provision of washing
soap/powder/liquid, appropriate sewage/ disposal system for excreta/garbage are available to all the households.
There are a few who have them, some others can afford it but are not giving it due priority and a sizeable number of
people are either deprived of it or cannot afford it. For such people, some special efforts have to be made.
Need for Mass Awareness
Every segment of population, from primary school children to elderly persons need to be properly sensitized about
inherent linkages of sanitation for public health. Besides roping in the educational institutions, particularly the schools
in awareness campaigns, optimum use needs to be made of social media as well as electronic and print media to
spread the message to grass root level.
For ensuring an effective sanitation policy, the following also need to be considered:
i) Need for mass awareness;
ii) Social and occupational aspects of sanitation;
iii) Coordination among administrative bodies/institutions;
iv) Comprehensive approach;
v) Optimum use of technology;
vi) Reaching the unreached;
viii) Bridging the demand-supply gap.
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76 Social and Occupational aspects of Sanitation
A lot more is needed to be done towards elimination of manual scavenging. Effective steps are required to be taken for
remedial measures to deal with the occupational hazards faced by sanitation workers in our country. This can be made
possible mainly if we ensure construction of toilets for those households which have none so far.
Coordination among Administrative Bodies/Institutions
The role of administrative bodies and line departments dealing with sanitation should be clearly delineated. Every
institution should fulfil its identified role and duplication should be avoided to ensure attainment of optimum results.
Convergence
Convergence is essential to make such a nation-wide programme successful. Through convergence with MNREGS.
MPLADS and other schemes, the following steps should be taken up:
i) Construction of toilets in households, schools, anganwadis, SLWM and community sanitary complexes.
ii) Construction of individual household toilets based on a community approach, under the MPLAD scheme and
one time grant for operation and maintenance of the community toilets.
iii) Adopting convergence of TSC with other Centrally Sponsored Schemes like PURA, lAY, NRHM, Adarsh Gram
Yojana and other schemes and Departments/Ministries.
Operation and Maintenance of Sanitation Installations
Operation and maintenance of sanitation installations needs to be given due importance. This can be made possible by
promoting proper usage, regular upkeep and maintenance of households, community and public sanitation facilities.
There is also a need to strengthen urban local bodies to provide or cause to provide, sustainable sanitation services
delivery.
Comprehensive Approach
There should be no piecemeal approach for improving sanitation in our-country. Investment in sanitation, as
suggested under National Urban Sanitation Policy, should take into account, the full cycle of safe confinement,
treatment and safe disposal.
Sanitation programmes would also have to use a menu of different approaches, such as financing at the household
level and a range of affordable sanitation options for potential consumers. This may require working with a range of
new partners, including public health officials, grass-root organizations and private sectors.
Optimum Use of Technology
Various cost effective tools and techniques for water supply and sanitation have been evolved by many agencies at
international level. In this regard, it may be suggested that various cost effective measures and techniques
demonstrated by institutions like Sulabh International should be applied widely.
Reaching the Unreached
It has been observed that urban poor communities as well as residents in informal settlements have been constrained
by lack of tenure, space or economic constraints, in obtaining affordable access to safe sanitation. This issue needs to be
addressed effectively, particularly to make Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a success among the unserved and poor segments
of our society. The National Urban Sanitation Policy has also suggested that atleast 20 per cent of the funds under the
sanitation sector should be earmarked for the urban poor. Similarly, some subsidy may also be considered for rural
poor to enable them to undertake the construction of toilets in individual households.
It has been accepted that smaller cities cannot afford a sewage drainage system, let alone a sewage treatment system.
The waste system requires capital investment in infrastructure and more important than that, it needs funds for
operation, particularly energy costs for pumping and treatment. The cost of capital investment or the cost of operation
and maintenance are not paid for by even the richer users who use water and thus generate waste. Large parts of the
modern cities remain unconnected to the sewage system as they live in unauthorized or illegal areas or slums, where
the State services do not reach.
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Bridging the Demand Supply Gap
To address the problem of sanitation, the supply should be as per demand. This means that the basic facilities and
support should be provided to the unserved areas and deprived population residing in specific pockets rather than the
Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) or PRIs expecting them to move around as per available infrastructure.
Capacity Building and Training
To ensure the success of the programme, it is necessary to mobilize mass support. Hence, specific agencies need to be
identified to train the functionaries at the State level, elected representatives and officials/functionaries of PRIs and
ULBs.
Monitoring and Evaluation
A mechanism needs to be introduced for monitoring the progress and performance of sanitation programmes at the
State/District and City levels. The use of report cards and review of progress through citizens, monitoring committee
also may be considered.
Rewarding the Successful Districts / Cities
Though it is for common public interest, suitable reward for districts! cities having attained sanitation beyond an
identified level may be considered. This will generate a competitive spirit among different districts/cities striving for
total sanitation.
National Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy 2012-2022, which was formulated by the Ministry after a long
consultation needs to be given due consideration to achieve the goal of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in a time bound
manner. Besides, other efforts which are required are performance benchmarking of states and districts, improving
behaviour change communication strategies, streamlining and strengthening institutional structures for planning,
implementation and monitoring of sanitation at all levels, attention to incentives and capacity building issues, and
according special attention to special segments and difficult areas.
Credit Facilitation
As a large number of BPL families and weaker sections have not been able to build up toilets in their houses, it is
advisable that the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation may consider providing a fixed capital to the banks in the
form of security for financing construction of toilets for these weaker sections.
Communication Strategy
To make the programme successful. a National communication strategy should be in place laying emphasis on
flexibility of approach including regional and sub-regional strategies. Training frontline workers and community
leaders such as PRIs, religious leaders etc. to communicate effectively on sanitation and hygiene would certainly
increase the knowledge and understanding among family members on the importance of sanitation and hygiene.
Actual toilet construction and usage can also be promoted through effective use of existing social networks or
interpersonal relationships such as family, friends, acquaintances, neighbours and colleagues that bind people together
to enhance the communication process.
All Block Panchayats may be equipped with appropriate sets of gadgets for exhibiting films in villages of GPs under
the Block as per a plan. Atleast every block should have a cultural team such as street theatre group, folk music group,
puppet show group etc for media activities, social marketing and social mobilization drive in each village. Innovative
communication strategies are also required to trigger behaviour change and should be based on target oriented
approach.
Decentralized Incentive based Approach
Gram Panchayats play a central role in achieving the sanitation outcome in the villages. They should incentivize on
staggering basis to motivate them to achieve total sanitation and also sustain it through a community led approach.
Besides, funds should also be provided to GPs which have attained higher level of coverage to ensure that ODF status
is attained within a short time frame.
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78 Rewarding Sustainability
With a view to encourage panchayats to perform effectively, financial incentives may also be considered for PRIs for
effective management of sanitary and water systems and tariff recovery efficacy.
It is also necessary to provide assured supply of water to the toilets. As an incentive for attaining and sustaining
sanitation for more than a year, a GP could be provided piped water supply system with higher level of supply.
Appointment of a dedicated grassroot level worker (Swachhta Doot) at the village level may be considered. They can
be incentivized link to the effective demand generation and improvement in sanitation coverage.
Village Water, Health and Sanitation Committees (VWHSC) should mandatorily be made a Standing Committee of the
Gram Panchayats by the states. They would be the implementers of the programme at Gram Panchayat levels.
Community Toilets
In addition to Community toilets, which are limited to provisions for landless and floating population apart from
provision at common places like bus stands and market places in the rural areas, tie-up should be made with NHAI to
provide public toilets along highways. There should also be Government orders to make appropriate sanitation
facilities essential at petrol pumps, restaurants and dhabas.
Sensitization
It is also necessary to sensitize the political leadership at national, state and district levels on the principles of demand
driven approaches to total sanitation and to enable high level political support for sanitation. The political support is
also essential for providing adequate funding to this sector.
State governments may be encouraged to introduce regulation making it obligatory to PRIs to ensure that all
households in the GP have access to sanitation facilities.
The school children would work as crucial change agents in making this mission a success. They would not only apply
the basic approaches to cleanliness in their own lives, but they would also carry the message all around in the society.
With this perspective, focus has to be laid on ensuring mandatary provisions oftoilet facilities in all the schools across
the country. In a recently organized My School-My Voice Open Parliament for Children in New Delhi, it was
observed that negative effect on health due to poor sanitation and lack of toilets in the schools emerged as one of the
main reasons for the drop out. In the said programme, it was pointed out that many children had school due to lack of
cleanliness in their school. Some children had stopped going to allergies so their parents did not send them to school
fearing they would fall ill.
The concept of Bal Panchayat evolved in Sikkim needs to be replicated in other parts of the country too. These Bal
Panchayats helped to have and persuade their friends to attend the school. Besides the sports meet and cultural
programmes, they have also taken up cleanliness drive which earlier used to be directly undertaken by their teachers.
This concert of providing the labour component in participatory mode along with teachers, community, panchayat and
block officials for construction drive of the toilets by Sikkim children this needs to be followed in other parts of the
country as well. To make Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign successful, inclusive approach needs to be emphasized.
The other important role is that of the women in both rural and urban areas. The household arrangement and its
cleanliness is mainly under the controlled domain of the women household members. Hence, focus needs to be given
on sensitizing the women force about the significance of their lead role in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan where not only they
will apply various practices on their own, but would also ensure its strict adherence by their children as well as elder
members in the family.
Though, it has been emphasized that toilets were more important than temples in a country where 70 per cent of rural
households do not have a toilet (as per 2011 Census), it is ironic to note that a substantial portion of households with
access to toilets are not using them. A survey conducted by Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (RICE)
has indicated that 40 per cent of surveyed households in the States of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya 79
Pradesh and Bihar that had a latrine, still atleast I person in such household was still defecating in the open. This study
confirms the notion that just building toilets without focusing on behaviour change is not going to be enough. The
people need to make the association between good health and use of toilets.
Monitoring
Monitoring is the backbone of such a vast programme. It is necessary to identify defunct/misuse sanitation facilities
through effective monitoring. It would be appropriate to introduce real-time monitoring system maintained by the
Ministry in convergence with identifications like BPL card number/Aadhar in addition to visual evidences.
Role of the Civil Society
En making this programme a success, civil society can play a key role by getting involved in monitoring the
implementation of plans and checking the utilization of funds.
Capacity Building
Capacity building is essential for effective implementation of the programme. There should be a tie up with
International institutions of repute for mandatory training of Centre/State officials engaged in the sanitation sector. It
is desirable that a national level institute on water and sanitation on the lines of National Institute of Rural
Development is to be set up by the Ministry for capacity building at various levels. This suggestion has also been made
by the Working Group on Rural Domestic Water and Sanitation for the 12th Plan 2012-17.
Government of India along-with the State Governments has been endeavouring for achievement of sanitation goals
and also for promoting partnership with public, private and non-governmental agencies for improved provisions,
maintenance and management of sanitation facilities. To achieve the target of total sanitation by the year 2019,
government needs additional support from all sections of society. It is imperative that the Indian corporate sector takes
this challenge within the ambit of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). If sufficient manpower/material support
could be generated through the funds available under CSR in addition to governmental efforts, it may help in
translating the goal of Swachh Bharat by 2019 into a reality.
2. Pacific bridge
Frontline-Dec 26, 2014 | Category: India and the World
Prime Minister Narendra Modis short but action-packed visit to Fiji gives India an opportunity to extend its
development partnership throughout the Pacific region.
DAWN was just a glow on the horizon when the flight carrying Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at the Nausori
airport on November 19 where Fijis Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, was waiting with his entire Cabinet to
welcome him. The 20-kilometre stretch of road from Nausori to the capital, Suva, was lined with banners, hoardings
and crowds of schoolchildren waving flags. Beaming groups of Fijians of Indian origin and curious indigenous Fijians
joined the crowd.
There was excitement in the air at the visit of the first foreign dignitary to Fiji after its transition to democracy (the
September 17 elections ended military rule) and the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country in 33 years. It was a
red-letter day for Fijis Indian minority; old-timers recalled the rapturous welcome that greeted Indira Gandhi in 1981.
An unprecedented crowd of over 10,000 filled up Albert Park in central Suva to watch the traditional solemn iTaukei
welcome ceremony accorded to Modi. Addressing a civic meeting, Modi said: There are times when we think of each
other as distant lands, separated by oceans and seven time zones. Let us join hands to create an ocean of opportunity
that stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
India has had friendly ties with countries in the South Pacific region since their independence in the 1970s. Pacific
Island states have often supported India in the United Nations and other international organisations.
80 But a series of military coups in Fiji strained the relationship. The distance between them increased further, especially
80 after the Indian High Commissioner was expelled and the mission closed down in Fiji after the 1987 coup. But with ties
revived, New Delhi has been in the past few years viewing the South Pacific as an extension of its Look East policy. In
2003, India became a dialogue partner in the regional grouping, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), which helped
formulate its policy for the South Pacific region.
Modi began his personal outreach to the Pacific region with a bilateral visit to Fiji and a meeting with the leaders of the
Pacific Island Countries (PIC) especially invited to Suva for the occasion. There are 14 island states in the South Pacific:
Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the
Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Leaders of all the 14 countries were present at
the meeting with the exception of Solomon Islands, which was holding its elections that day and was represented by
its Ambassador.
India has been in regular contact with Pacific Island states at the PIF and the U.N. But Modis invitation to the Pacific
leaders was meant to take the relationship to another level: he proposed a regular India-Pacific Islands Cooperation
(FIPIC) meeting. He invited the Pacific leaders to the next meeting to be held in mid-2015 in one of the coastal locations
in India.
With the changing global political dynamics and the shift in focus to the Asia-Pacific region, the significance of the
South Pacific island states has increased. Strategically located, the South Pacific region lies on the major sea routes
along which trillions of dollars worth of cargo is transported. The search for future resources has also drawn attention
to the vast marine and mineral resources of the South Pacific. The southern Pacific region once used to be dominated
by Australia, backed by the naval presence of the United States. Chinas interest in the region centred on its tussle with
Taiwan to gain diplomatic recognition. In the past decade, China has become a major aid donor to the Pacific states.
Two days after Modis visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also was on his way home from the G20 summit in
Australia, paid a three-day state visit to Fiji. The Chinese leader also met the leaders of seven Pacific Island states in Fiji
(China does not have diplomatic relations with five Pacific states that recognise Taiwan). Chinas presence has been
increasing in the Pacific Islands; it is building large infrastructure projects in the islands and Chinese businessmen are
making inroads into the countrys retail sector.
China has been closely involved for decades in the region, which is in its neighbourhood. Indian assistance to the
South Pacific states cannot be compared to that of Chinas, but the island states appreciate the Indian experience of
development cooperation. The Indian emphasis has been to share its own development experience and align it with
the expressed needs of the recipient countries. The small economies have only a limited capacity to absorb assistance
because of the lack of infrastructure and the shortage of trained manpower. With the Pacific Islands, the development
assistance has often been geared for immediate needs such as requests for ambulances or chainsaws for a project that
entail the clearing of forests.
Overseas aid
Only one of the 14 island states, Papua New Guinea, is a large country. Fiji is a small-sized country and the rest are
micro-states, whose populations number only a few thousands. Though they are small in land area, they are spread
over an enormous expanse of the ocean. Their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) are huge; Kiribatis EEZ, for instance, is
larger than Indias EEZ.
Fishing, tourism, subsistence farming, remittances, and sale of exotic postal stamps and coins are the main sources of
income for some of the small islands. Most of them are dependent on overseas aid; many of them fall under the U.N.
list of Least Developed States (LDCs) and the region is among the most indebted in the world. Poor connectivity
within the region, large distances, lack of trained personnel, limited infrastructure, proneness to natural disasters, and
poor revenues are some of the constraints the island states face.
Gratified at two state visits to Fiji in quick succession, Bainimarama claimed that the meetings with the Pacific Island
leaders in Fiji were an indicator of Fijis leadership in the South Pacific. The meetings with the Pacific leaders also 81
served to clear the air for Bainimarama, who had been strongly criticised by some of them for his coup in 2006.
Bainimarama won a decisive victory in the elections this September.
Modi announced a grant of $5 million to strengthen and modernise village, small and medium industries in Fiji, a line
of credit of $70 million for a co-generation power plant at Rarav Sugar Mill, and another $5 million to upgrade the
sugar industry in Fiji.
At the Pacific leaders meeting, Modi offered a Pan-Pacific system on the lines of the Pan-African e-system that
connects 34 African countries for e-learning and diagnostics. Among the other proposals was a special Adaptation
Fund of $1 million to provide technical assistance and training for capacity building in the Pacific Island countries. A
solar energy project at the community level, which is popularly known as the solar grandmothers project, is under
way in eight island countries, where it has proved to be a great success and will be extended to all the 14 countries. The
assistance offered annually to each Pacific Island state will be increased from $125,000 to $200,000. Modi also
announced visas on arrival for all the 14 Pacific countries.
A major concern is the effect of climate change on the islands. Low-lying islands in the Pacific are the most vulnerable
to rising sea levels because of global warming; some like Vanuatu already feel the effects as the sea gouges away huge
chunks of its coastline. Modi pointed out that India, too, was a nation with a long coastline and more than 1,000 islands
that faced the searing impact of climate change. India spends more than 6 per cent of its GDP in adapting to its
consequences and had a comprehensive national plan and strategy to both mitigate and adapt to climate change, he
said.
Fiji is the data collection hub for Indias Mars Orbiter Mission. Modi thanked Fiji for hosting Indian scientists for
monitoring the mission. The Pacific leaders showed keen interest in the space applications and data for weather
forecasting, agriculture, resource mapping of the Pacific, conservation, climate change and natural disasters. The
meeting in Suva was the first direct interaction between India and the Pacific leaders. Fiji rates India as an important
development partner. With its new friendship with the Pacific leaders, India has the opportunity to extend its
development partnership throughout the region.
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PART TWENTY FOUR| ESSAY
1. The Benefits of Multipolar World

Dipayan Dey (Batch: GS-4A)
According to the Oxford dictionary, multipolar means having many poles or extremities. Multipolarism in the
context of world politics means the state of the world order marked by the distribution of power among more than two
nation states which have almost equal military, cultural, economic and political influence.
As we glance through the pages of contemporary world history starting from the post World War II period, we can see
that the most significant consequence of that period was the emergence of a bipolar world order, i.e. the capitalistic
USA versus the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). The clash between the capitalist and socialist ideologies led
to display of strong military intimidation and deterrence of nuclear weapons between the two sides. The tensions
between the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) nations led by the US and the Warsaw nations led by the
USSR culminated into the infamous Cold War. In 1989, the fall of Berlin Wall marked the beginning of the gradual
disintegration of the bipolar world order which was followed by the cessation of the USSR on 26th December 1991,
much to the joy of the US and her NATO allies. Thus, the chapter of Cold War was concluded with the end of bi-
polarism and the emergence of the pompous hegemony of the US. But, within a decade certain developments, internal
as well as external, shook the very foundation of the Land of Liberty and challenged her global hegemony. The
criticisms levelled against the George W. Bush administration, terrors appalling attack on the twin towers and the
Pentagon followed by the failure of major banks of the US and its economy in the Subprime Mortgage Crisis episode in
2007 led to the questioning of the capability of the US government to manage her internal affairs, let alone her external
engagements. In the first decade of the 21st century as US was bound to shift her focus on internal issues, it left a
vacuum in the global arena only to be filled up by the emerging superpowers. From the behaviour of the global leaders
of emerging nation states, vibes of the non-French European leaders of the 19th century could be felt. In 1815, the
rulers of Great Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia formed the Quadruple Alliance to challenge the European 83
hegemony of Napoleon Bonaparte of France. After Napoleon was overthrown, the Quadruple Alliance formed the
Concert of Europe under which the members agreed to ensure that no single European state could become as powerful
as France under Napoleons leadership. Out of this agreement of the concert the concept of Balance of Power (BOP)
was born. Today the concept BOP has become the guiding principle of the multipolar world order.
Focus of this new world order has shifted from the declining superpower USA to the emerging BRICS nations and the
European Union (EU) nations. As the BOP has taken the centre stage of the world politics, no single powerful nation
can declare its hegemony over other nations. The forces of the multipolar world order has led to the acceptance of
mutual appreciation and cooperation as the best tools for achieving political, social and economic goals of nations
without hampering global harmony . Today our world is facing problems which are beyond national boundaries and
pose threat to all of humanity. Fundamentalism, terrorism, cyber terrorism, exploitation of women & children, drug
trade, economic crises, epidemics, global warming, etc. are few such examples. Most of the above are perpetrated by
individuals and entities that have no national identity and are solely guided by their selfish interests to achieve their
goals at the cost of humanity. The multipolar world order calls for the integration of the knowledge and resources of
nations to collectively combat these threats effectively and to restore word peace. Nations can reap security and
synergetic benefits by pooling in their resources. Security benefits include economic stability, security against
terrorism, security against violation of human rights and bullying, security for protection of national interests of
nations, food security, energy security, etc. By synergetic benefits we mean those benefits that arise from international
practices such as multilateral trade agreements, etc. A synergetic relationship is one where the combined benefits
exceed the sum of the individual benefits (i.e. 2+2=5), where resources are combined to take advantage of the
economies of scale. This paper deals with a broad presentation of the benefits that arise to nations and to the world in
general, in select but important dimensions of a multipolar world setting.
Economic Dimension - Multipolar World as the Propagator of Economic Stability
The rampant spread of globalisation along with an ever increasing competition among business enterprises,
unpredictable consumption patterns of individuals and entities, unchecked corruption in developing and
underdeveloped countries, unscrupulous economic speculation, etc. have led to an international economic scenario
more erratic than ever. To negate this erratic state of the global economy, problems such as high rates of inflation,
depression, volatility of markets & exchange rates, financial crises, large swings in economic activities, etc. can be
counteracted by integration of economic policies, resources and technology. Today, financial and economic stability is
not only a domestic concern but also a multilateral one as recent financial crises have shown that economies of various
nations are interconnected. For example, the repercussions of the US Subprime Mortgage Crisis of 2007 was not only
restricted to the US but was also felt across the globe. As aptly put by the International Herald, In an interconnected
world, American home owners woe can be felt from Beijing to Rio de Janeiro. Not to forget the cumbersome and the
prevailing Eurozone Sovereign Debt Crisis that began in 2008, where many member nations of the EU failed to repay
their public debt. What would have been the situation if the Indian Government defaulted in the payment of the
principal amount to the investors of its government bonds, let alone the interest?
This is where the benefits of the multipolar world get amplified. This world order promotes integration of economic
resources & policies and paves the way for the formation of international forums for such integration. The
International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, etc. are few such examples. These international entities are a
conglomerate of nations who provide technical assistance, economic surveillance and loan services to its member
nations during the time of their economic distress. They also formulate global policies & set standards which are
required to be strictly followed by its member nations to promote a sound and stable international economy. The IMF
currently serves its 188 member nations who share a common global economic vision. Amidst the debt crisis in
Eurozone, hopes were intact due to the timely interventions and regular assistance of the IMF, the European Financial
Stability Facility and other entities.
Now, synergetic benefits arise to economies across the globe that can come in the way of accession of nations to
multilateral trade agreements (MTAs). MTAs are aimed at reduction of tax barriers and tariffs that would lead to
greater and faster exchange of capital, know-how and technology across economies which would in turn lead to
84 growth and expansion of existing businesses, creation of new ventures, growth of employment, development of
84 infrastructure, improvement in the standard of living of the citizens, etc. A fine example of an MTA would be the Doha
Development Agenda (DDA), a.k.a. the Doha Round of Trade Agreement of the World Trade Organisation. In the
DDA, participating nations decided to reduce the trade barriers to facilitate trade. Unfortunately the outcome of the
DDA is still unclear due to the differences in the opinions of between the developed and the developing nations. The
members are working hard to come to a conclusion whereby all nations would be equally benefited on the basis of
their contribution. In a study published by the Lead Economist of the World Bank, Kym Anderson stated that with the
agreement into force, the global income would increase to the tune of $3000 billion per year, $2500 billion of which
would accumulate in the hands of the developing nations. The Copenhagen Consensus ranked the DDA as the 2nd
best investment for global welfare in terms of cost-benefit ratio.
Counter Terrorism Dimension- Multipolar World as the negator of Terrorism
Multipolar world paves way for global consciousness and such consciousness among people have led to the peaceful
co-existence of several powerful nations. In such a system an attack on any country would be regarded as an attack on
all countries. Today, multipolarism has created a zero tolerance towards perpetrators of terrorism, where terrorism &
fundamentalism are accepted as outright threat to all of humanity and global harmony. Nations are bound to share
their knowledge and resources to form a greater and a faster system of counter terrorist response. For example, in the
wake of the heinous 9/11 attack, the Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC) of the United Nations (UN) was established
to facilitate collective counter terrorism by its member nations and to provide technical assistance to many countries
prone to attacks or close to terrorist hotspots.
In the recent episode of the ruthless massacre of children and teachers at The Army Public School in Peshawar by the
perpetrators Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, millions of people across the globe shared their concerns for the school children
and their families. India, who shares an intense rivalry with Pakistan, put aside her differences and put humanity as
her top agenda as millions of Indians across the globe expressed their grief and anger against the perpetrators. The
internet was the prime mediator of emotions and opinions of the people. At Twitter the hashtag #IndiawithPakistan
received an enormous reception from its users. Thus, from the above it can be seen that it is the global consciousness
and concern for the safety of humanity that has urged citizens of various countries to become vocal against the heinous
crimes perpetrated by the terrorists. Thus, Multipolarism plays an important role in the integration of mind-sets of
citizens of various nations where national boundaries and differences diminish. Such integration at an emotional level
is the most powerful weapon to pursue any actions against terrorism since people would be united in the cause
without any form of reluctance.
International Policies Dimension- Multipolar World as the Preserver of Interests
A multipolar world setting ensures well-tailored and independent foreign policies suitable for a nation. It provides an
environment where voices of all nations become equivocal irrespective of their size and power. A nation is free to
accept those policies are that are favourable and reject those which are unfavourable to them. Since national Interests
are paramount to any nation and tops its priority list, the forces of this world order ensures that such interests of a
remain unthreatened as long as they do not pose threat to the world peace.
A fine example that would best describe multipolarism as the preserver of interest would be the episode where India
refused to sign on the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), along with Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan. The NPT
recognised the USA, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom as Nuclear Weapon State i.e. according to the
NPT nuclear weapons would be restricted to the above five nations only. India freely expressed her opinion that it felt
that the NPT was discriminatory as only five powerful nations were authorised by it to monopolise over the right to
the possession of nuclear weapons. In order to retain her political and diplomatic influence and most importantly, in
order to protect her constitutional identity as a Sovereign nation, India refused to accede on the NPT. The letter from
the then Indias Permanent Representative to the UN, Hardeep Singh Puri (IFS) rightly expressed, India cannot accept
externally prescribed norms or standards on matters within the jurisdiction of its constitutional provisions and
procedures or are contrary to its national interests or infringe on its sovereignty. North Korea who was a signatory of
the NPT in 1985, announced its withdrawal in the year 2003 without much difficulty.
Human Rights Dimension- Multipolar World as the Guarantor of Human Rights
In a multi-polarised world the advancement of information sharing technology, the internet and the mobile 85
technology, helps in spreading planetary consciousness and the awareness of rights of an individual effectively. People
have become more receptive about their surroundings and are well acquainted with treat people the way you want to
be treated. Such consciousness of individuals come together to form the consciousness of a nation and the
consciousness of nations come together to form a world order where serving Humanity becomes the paramount
objective. This system creates zero tolerance for crimes against humanity and violation of rights of an individual. Not
even the most powerful nation can escape justice and is subject to constant questioning by the rival nations if it has, on
any grounds, violated human rights.
On 9th of December 2014, a day prior to the International Humans Right Day, the United States Senates Select
Committee on Intelligence released an executive summary of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Detention &
Interrogation Programme, in short named as the Torture Report. The revelations of the report served a hard blow to
human rights activists across the globe. The detainees were interrogated by the CIA officials who applied Enhanced
Interrogation Techniques (EITs) to elicit sensitive information. EITs is a mere euphemism used by the US
Government during the George W. Bush administration to cover up inhumane torture applied on the detainees. What
is more shocking is that the US is a signatory of United Nations Convention against Torture (1984). The committees
Torture Report was an effort to bring into light the hypocrisy of the administration and the perpetrators into justice as
the US realises the importance of abiding by international law and maintaining a clean image in front of her
international peers which would highly influence their future relations. The report managed to draw a vast array of
criticisms from leaders from various nations across the world which includes China, Russia, Great Britain,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, North Korea, Germany, etc. just to name a few. The Russian foreign ministry for example,
has urged the human rights community and relevant international organisations to seek from Washington a full
disclosure of offenses. UN Special Reporter on Counter Terrorism & Human Rights, Ben Emmerson called on the US to
prosecute those responsible for the crimes outlined in the report. Thus, in a multipolar setting there is a check on the
ambitious intents of nations as constant vigilance of their conducts does not allow them to manipulate and violate laws
to meet their goals.
Conclusion
A multipolar world order calls on nations for a collective approach to tackle situations which would otherwise prove
to be detrimental to global peace. The collective approach not only benefits nations in terms of economic synergies,
stability, protection against terror, disaster, food and energy shortages but also, most importantly, leads to the
integration of outlook, emotions and mental disposition of citizens of various nations. Such integration leads to
negation of racism, misconceptions and prejudice among people, and paves the way for universal acceptance of fellow
beings. The multipolar order has gifted the world Global Democracy where not only the rich and the powerful have a
say, but everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
2. What ails Indian sports?

Anisha Shrivastava
Ever heard the quote The battle of waterloo was won on the play fields of Eton, for those who have not let me
explain it to them- the Duke of Wellington, who saved the day at Waterloo, was educated at Eton. The British believed
the real reason which tipped the balance in their favour in wars was the superior character of its young men built at
Eton while playing sports like cricket. Eton was one of the famous English boarding schools that trained English boys
for career in the military, civil service and the church. Etons main motive was to instil in their students discipline,
personal courage and leadership in the service of king and country by providing them lessons of life with the help of
different sports. This shows how sports can play a major role in ones life and for a country as a whole.
Sports play vital role in our life in many ways. They help us in achieving physical fitness and mental strength. High
excellence in speaking is music, excellence in movement is sports. Thus, sports encourage us to excel in all fields of our
life. Sports helps to develop a spirit of sportsmanship and inculcate lasting values including leadership quality,
discipline, hard work, team effort, enhances performance, develops a new way of thinking, develops a sense of
86 tackling conflicts and patriotism.
86
The most significant aspect about sports is that they are associated with morale of the people. I would like to evoke an
incidence in this regard. After dismantling the apartheid policy in South Africa, There were widespread tensions
between white and black factions of the society. South Africa hosted 1995 Rugby World Cup. The then president
Nelson Mandela, realizing the importance of South African performance in boosting morale of the people as well as for
racial harmony, supported his team passionately by meeting the players many times and being present in the stadium
to watch all their matches. Consequently, South Africa won the Rugby World Cup. Nelson Mandela, wearing a
springbok Rugby shirt and baseball cap, presented Cup to South African Captain Francois Pienaar. The moment is
thought to be one of the most famous victories of any sport.
In order to meet the increasing demands of the changing times, at national as well as international level, the
government of India has taken upon itself to implement programs to promote excellence in sports; a separate
department was set up in 1982. Subsequently, the first ever National Sports Policy was announced in 1984. Its main
objective includes the effective and optimum utilization of various sports facilities and all matters pertaining to sports
promotion and sports management. The SAI, offers a number of promotional schemes, these schemes are: National
Sports Talent Contest (NSTC), Sports Projects Development Area (SPDA), Sports Hostel Scheme, National Coaching
Scheme.
The basic objective of these schemes is to provide an inspiration to the budding sportspersons. It is also intended to
enable them to continue to give their best in further pursuit of the sports of their choice. However, the present sport
scenario depicts a different picture. We are a nation of 1.25 billion people but its excruciating to say that we stand
nowhere at the world stage in sports. In 2012 Olympics Games India celebrates its best performance a harvest of 6
medals, 2 silvers and 4 Bronzes. Just going by the law of overages we represent 1/6 of the global population and so 6
medals is far less than what we are capable of. The Indian Hockey Team sank to its worst showing at the Olympic by
not winning a single match and ending up with the wooden spoon. Competing with World Class athletes at Olympic
and other stages call for world class facilities and international exposure of our athletes which is lacking in Indian
sports.
India has a potential to reach the zenith of sports horizon. It has resources, capital and above all- Passion, passion to
excel. And yet sixty seven years after independence- we still are far from realizing this ambition. The reason lies
mostly, if not solely, at the disproportionate enthusiasm of people for different sports. And the sport, for which people
are enthusiastic about, automatically receives much more facilities and perks. In the hierarchy of sports division (on
the basis of enthusiasm for the game) cricket would top the list, hockey would lie somewhere in the middle, while
boxing and other sports will lie in the bottom rug. And this is reflected in the kind of treatment the players in these
games get. The most recent example is of Indian woman boxer Sarita Devi, who was not, offered any support from
Indias Boxing Association after she refused to accept her bronze medal at the 17th Asian Games, Owing to an unfair
decision as claimed by her.
In recent times, doping is the latest setback to hit the Indian Sports. Indian athletes are usually from poorer
backgrounds and may not have had access to education and therefore depend entirely on their coaches and supporting
Staff for making sure they do not consume prohibited substances. As a result, a number of times they unknowingly
take prohibited substances as dietary supplements. But intention is of no significance in a doping case and as a result,
they face suspensions and stripping of medals. Recently six Indian athletes faced 2 years ban.
In India the mentality of the parents is like If its a girl than she will be a doctor and if its a boy then he will be an
engineer. Scarcely have we heard that She will be the next Sania Mirza or he will be next Sushil Kumar. These very
ideals are adversely affecting the Indian Sport situation. You see it is okay for a child to indulge in games as a hobby,
but as a profession, its a big NO from the parents. A child may excel in a sport, but if he isnt academically rich, he is
looked down upon as an idler, a useless chap with a bleak future. When the aspirations of parents towards the
upward mobility of their child are so high, there is gigantic pressure on the child to perform well in studies so that he
can sustain himself in the near future. Whenever a child is to be admitted in any of school parents compare different
schools on the basis of Board Results and the schools achievements in the field of sports is never counted by them.
Such a biased attitude towards sports is inculcated in us at the time of our birth itself. As a result Sports as a career 87
option never pops-up in our minds. Therefore, it is necessary to wipe out such a prejudiced attitude towards Sports
prevalent in the society. Parents need to understand the importance of sports in their childs life and should support
and encourage them to become a good sports person. And we on our part should not only restrict sports to our hobbies
but also try to pursue as a career.
Absence of sports hierarchy from grass root level to national level is another major concern with Indian Sports. There is
no appropriate mechanism to nurture the talent at schools, colleges, village, taluka and district levels and then promote
the talented athletes to state and national levels. As a result, many gifted athletes are not able to reach at the top most
echelons of sports and are lost. And dearth of sports infrastructure at grass root level makes things worse. As a
solution, sports associations should be established at schools, colleges, village, taluka, district and state levels which
will be surprised by respective sports academics at that level. These associations should have competent staff to
administer sports facilities at the academics as well as other needs of athletes like proper nutritional plan, anti-doping
awareness campaign, fair and timely selection trials, conditioning camps, overseas exposure etc. These academics
should become a breeding ground for the future champions. They should focus on identifying and nurturing the latest
sports talent in particular regions. For example promoting football in North eastern and South Indian States, Kabbaddi
and wrestling in North Indian States, archery in States with significant tribal population like Chhattisgarh. This can be
done by organizing talent hunt competitions and sporting at village, district and state levels.
Another reason why sports in India suffer is our over indulgence in cricket. During a tournament, we notice that while
a cricket team travels by air for an international match, reaches its destination by an air conditioned bus and stays in a
five star hotel, apart from the fame and hero worship they get, a hockey team cant cover the expenses of travelling
even if it wins. When the Indian Hockey Team won the prestigious Asian Cup in 2007, the news was totally
overshadowed by the overwhelming win of the Indian Cricket Team in the T20 World Cup. The Central and State
governments, who so gladly went all out in an effort to financially reward the cricketers, failed to even give the hockey
players a simple pat on the back. In such a state of affairs, we just cannot expect the budding players to blossom,
players to be motivated, even the potential stars might be disillusioned by such strange insights. The best of a player
comes forth by competition; and lack of competition leads to stagnation of a sport which further discourages potential
suitors, leading to further reduced competition. Most of the Indian sports are stuck in the vicious cycle, waiting to get
out. And this is further decelerating any potential advent in the progress of sports.
In the midst of all these I want to highlight that Hockey is not our national game. In fact we dont have a national
game. There is no provision which mention a national game for India in the constitution. One is safe to say that Hockey
is De-Facto national game of India, the prime reason being its splendid history in our country sports profile and
previous performances in Olympics (which now is just history). So to provide hockey a better status and to promote it
at higher level, some provisions should be made and amended in Indian Constitution.
Administrative issues are the prime concern with Indian Sports. There is no common code / law for governing the
administration (elections, funding, schedules and events, qualifications and time limit for different admin posts etc.) of
different sports associations. These associations have their own constitutions and rules. As a result, they are neither
transparent nor fair to athletes as well as officials. A tussle between Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India
about which is the official governing body caused enormous harm to Indian hockey including the worst ever show by
Indian hockey in the Olympics with 12th and last position in 2012 Olympics. A law should be enacted to tackle above
problem which includes guidelines for basic administration structure for all sports.
In appropriate representation of ex-sportspersons in administrative bodies has been a common problem with all sports
in India. Most of the associations have their official staffs which is alien to that sport. It leads to dissatisfaction among
players as their problems are not understood and solved by that superimposed staff. To solve this problem, a
minimum quota should be reserved for ex-sportspersons for administrative posts in all associations. Resides, decisions
should not be imposed on the players and their advice and feedback should also be considered.
88 Afunding
huge amount of money is required in contemporary sports which brings our attention to funding. In India, sports
88 on sports.is inadequate as compared to global standards. For Example, we spend only one fourth of that of China does
Besides, most of funding in India comes from the government as compared to USA where 90% of the
endowment comes from private organizations. Though Indian corporate sector is willing to lend more financial
support to Indian sports but due to lack of transparency in spending adequate incentives, they refrain away from
throwing their money in a black box. Improving transparency in sports spending is the only way out along with
providing more incentives to corporate sector. Technology can be exploited in this regard as a part of e-governance to
put all the data online regarding sports budget, sponsorships and spending. Beside, all the sports associations should
be brought under RTI.
As already mentioned, sports are an outcome of human nature to achieve excellence and perfection but in India, sport
is not seen as a viable career option due to lack of remuneration and job security to athletes in public as well as private
sector. As a result, parents hesitate to choose it as a profession for their child and focus more on academic excellence.
Further, there is no reservation of seats under sports quota in the esteemed educational institutions of the country like
IITs and IIMs which focus only on academics. Government should make a provision to pay stipend to state, national
and international level players something similar to sports allowance in many countries. In addition, to augment
old age security for athletes, government should provide for pensions to the retired sportspersons.
Sports in India are also marked with the problem of gender bias with women finding it hard to reach at the topmost
echelon of Indian sports. Sports are considered too rough for Indian women to participate and hence they remain by
and large male dominate. For example Indias male cricket team is so famous that none bother to look over the
performance of Indias female cricket team ever. Even all the sports channels are busy at telecasting the live and repeat
telecast of matches played by males but take no interest in promoting the work of females. However, the picture has
changed significantly, in last few years with emergence of new generation of women athletes in sports like Badminton,
tennis, Archery, Shooting, Boxing, Athletics, Weight lifting and Wrestling. But still, there is a long way to go and there
remains a lot of potential which is yet to be tapped. Media and Cinema can play a constructive role in transforming.
Indian sports by spreading awareness, popularizing and revolutionizing the women participation. Recent interest
shown by Indian media and Cinema like Chak De India, Marry Kom to highlight the performance of women athletes
is a step in right direction.
To sum up, sports are indispensable for the growth of an individual grooming of humanity and building of a nation.
Parents and schools needs to change their attitude towards sports. Schools should promote different sports activities
apart from just concentrating on academics. Like in China, Schools have professional physical educators and exercise
facilities and students failing to reach the required physical standards are no allowed to go on to higher schools. This is
reflected in every international sport meet when China tops the medal tally. Countries that want to excel at any Olypic
Games for that matter must go to Chinese way. The Chinese government has opened more than 850,000 gyms and
more than 3,000 specialized sports facilities. Athletes in China go through a gruelling 7 to 8 hours per day training
regime from the age of 4, and they do this away from home. It is too much to ask for but India can develop special
sports schools that strike a balance between sports and academics, with customized curricula for athletes.
Having set the responsibility of everyone it is time that we also accept and owe responsibility to encounter the ailments
of sports. We need to change our outlook towards sports. We need to understand that professional success depends on
education and sports equally. Education can build our knowledge but our personality is fostered by sports. Cramming
answers, mugging formulae and replicating them on answers sheets can fetch us numbers in boards. But our success in
the marathon of life is determined by our attitudes towards sports, Our involvement in sports. Life is unpredictable.
There are ups and downs, success and failures, happiness and sadness. Our excellent Report lards cannot do anything
to handle all these emotions. It is sportsmanship as well as leadership quantity, discipline, hard work, team effort and
patriotism learnt through sports that helps us sail our ships in the storms of life. Now time has come for us to reiterate
our commitment and redefine our approach towards sports. Indias quest to become a global superpower will remain
incomplete until we establish our self as a sports superpower. Since sports are about excelling in our life, it India has to
become a prosperous shinning valley for the world, sport has to play the role of a lighthouse.
It is time, India Wake up.
89
PART TWENTY FOUR | ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
PART TWENTY FIVE | ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
PART I: Contains multiple choice questions (MCQs) on current affairs for practice. In this issue, we have
covered probable questions for General Studies Preliminary (Paper I) drawn from the October, 2014 issue of
FOCUS magazine.
2. World Food Prize
(Q1). Which of the following countries has reverted 3. World Media Summit awards
to permanent winter time?
(a) Norway (a) A-3, B-2, C-1
(b) Canada (b) A-2, B-3, C-1
(c) Russia (c) A-1, B-2, C-3
(d) Sweden (d) A-1, B-3, C-2
(Q2). Pushkar, famous for its annual Pushkar Camel (Q7). Match the following:
Fair is located in the district of
(a) Udaipur List I (Person)
(b) Dungarpur A. Hiroshi Amano
(c) Kishanganj B. Eric Betzig
(d) Ajmer C. Edvard I. Moser
D. Patrick Modiano
(Q3). Sulawesi Island is a part of
(a) Malaysia List II (Nobel Prize-2014)
(b) Indonesia 1. Nobel Prize in Physics
(c) Thailand 2. Nobel Prize in Chemistry
(d) China 3. Nobel Prize in Physiology
90 4. Nobel Prize in Literature
90
(Q4). Centre of Development of Advanced
Computing is located at (a) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
(a) Nagpur (b) A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
(b) Gandhinagar (c) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
(c) Ahmedabad (d) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
(d) Pune
(Q8). First Nobel laureate from India
(Q5). Which of the following authors has won Man (a) Ronald Ross
Booker Prize? (b) Rudyard Kipling
(a) Richard Flanagan (c) Rabindranath Tagore
(b) Thomas Keneally (d) C.V. Raman
(c) Peter Carey
(d) Joshua Ferris (Q9). ____________, a famous paralympian and also
known as blade runner was recently sentenced
(Q6). Match the following: to imprisonment.
(a) Franz Nietlispach
List I (Person) (b) Mike Kenny
A. Ashwika Kapur (c) Oscar Pistorius
B. Sanjaya Rajaram (d) Lee Pearson
C. P. Sainath
(Q10). Identify the correct statement/s.
List II (Award) (1) The United Nations Human Rights Council
1. Panda Award (UNHRC) is a United Nations system inter-
PART TWENTY FIVE| ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
governmental body whose member states are (1) The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY),
responsible for promoting and protecting which insures families of unorganised sector
human rights around the world. workers for medical care, will be transferred
(2) The UNHRC is the successor to the UN from Union Health Ministry to Ministry of
Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). Labour and Employment.
(2) The RSBY, operationalised in 2008 by the UPA
Codes government, will be merged with the
(a) Statement 1 is correct Universal Health Assurance Mission (UHAM)
(b) Statement 2 is correct proposed by the NDA government.
(c) Both are correct
(d) Both are incorrect Codes
(a) Statement 1 is correct
(Q11). Venetian Macau Open is associated with (b) Statement 2 is correct
(a) Golf (c) Both are correct
(b) Tennis (d) Both are incorrect
(c) Equestrian
(d) Formula One (Q16). Which of the following countries has been
declared free of Ebola by WHO?
(Q12). Identify the correct statement/s. (a) Sierra Leone
(1) In Billiards, there are 15 red and six coloured (b) Guinea
balls and one cue ball. The player has to pot a (c) Ivory Coast
red first, then a colour, and again a red, and so (d) Nigeria
on. At the end of the frame the player with
more points wins.. (Q17). Amur Falcons annually arrive in the state of
(2) Snooker is played with three balls: white, red __________ in India.
and yellow. The white and yellow balls are the (a) Mizoram
cue balls of the two opponents respectively (b) Nagaland
and the objective is to score some set points. (c) Arunachal Pradesh
The player who scores the required points first, (d) Assam 91
wins.
(Q18). Which of the following South East Asian
Codes countries has signed debt-for-nature swap with
(a) Statement 1 is correct USA?
(b) Statement 2 is correct (a) Indonesia
(c) Both are correct (b) Malaysia
(d) Both are incorrect (c) Thailand
(d) Cambodia
(Q13). Conference of Parties (COP) - 6 to the WHO
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (Q19). Western Ghats in which of the following states
was held in receive more monsoon rainfall?
(a) Vienna (a) Maharashtra
(b) Paris (b) Kerala
(c) Moscow (c) Goa
(d) London (d) Karnataka
(Q14). Delamanid is a new drug for (Q20). Indias first long-range sub-sonic cruise missile
(a) MDR TB is
(b) HIV (a) Akash
(c) Ebola (b) Brahmos
(d) None of the above (c) Nag
(d) Nirbhay
(Q15). Identify the correct statement/s.
(Q21). Central Glass and Ceramics Research Institute (Q25). Which of the following organizations has
is located in launched Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF)?
(a) Lucknow (a) Asian Development Bank
(b) Kolkata (b) Bank of Japan
(c) Bhubneswar (c) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
(d) Hyderabad (d) World Bank
(Q22). Identify the correct statement/s. (Q26). Identify the correct statement/s.
(1) Nordic countries- Iceland, Norway, Sweden, (1) Japan, South Korea and Indonesia are part of
and Finland have least gender gap according Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
to World Economic Forum. (2) Singapore is not part of AIIB.
(2) Nicaragua, Rwanda and the Philippines have
the highest gap. Codes
(a) Statement 1 is correct
Codes (b) Statement 2 is correct
(a) Statement 1 is correct (c) Both are correct
(b) Statement 2 is correct (d) Both are incorrect
(d) Both are incorrect (Q27). Which of the following countries has been
ranked highest in ease of doing businesses?
(Q23). Identify the correct statement/s. (a) Hong Kong
(1) Two of every three persons incarcerated in (b) Singapore
India have not yet been convicted of any crime, (c) Australia
and Muslims are over-represented among such (d) New Zealand
undertrials.
(2) The disproportionate presence of members of (Q28). Yal Devi Express links
the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (a) Colombo and Kandy
and Muslims among undertrials points not (b) Colombo and Trincomalee
92 simply to a technical breakdown but also to the (c) Colombo and Jaffna
92 increased vulnerability of these groups, and (d) Colombo and Nuwara Aliya
probably bias.
(Q29). Which of the following Soviet nations has been
Codes first in legalizing gay relationships?
(a) Statement 1 is correct (a) Estonia
(b) Statement 2 is correct (b) Latvia
(c) Both are correct (c) Belarus
(d) Both are incorrect (d) Lithuania
(Q24). Identify the correct statement/s. (Q30). Dilma Rousseff is the President of
(1) According to Lancet, increased toilet coverage (a) Chile
has little health impact in India. (b) Argentina
(2) One key possible explanation for the absence (c) Uruguay
of a health impact could be the patchy (d) Brazil
implementation of the scheme, and uneven
rates of use of toilets. (Q31). Which of the following is not a Baltic state?
(a) Estonia
Codes (b) Latvia
(a) Statement 1 is correct (c) Belarus
(b) Statement 2 is correct (d) Lithuania
(d) Both are incorrect (Q32). Which of these are the neighbouring countries
of Tunisia?
(a) Libya and Algeria (d) Indonesia

(b) Algeria and Morocco
(c) Libya and Egypt (Q38). Saffir-Simpson Scale is used to measure
(d) Egypt and Morocco (a) Earthquakes
(b) Radioactivity
(Q33). Which of these is not a neighbouring country (c) CO2 emission level
of Bolivia? (d) Cyclones
(a) Columbia
(b) Peru (Q39). World Economic Outlook (WEO) is published
(c) Brazil by
(d) Argentina (a) International Monetary Fund
(b) World Economic Forum
(Q34). Which of these Nordic countries has (c) World Bank
recognised the Palestine State? (d) European Central Bank
(a) Norway
(b) Sweden
(c) Finland (Q40). Identify the correct statement/s.
(d) Denmark (1) A tropical cyclone is a rapidly-rotating storm
system characterised by a low-pressure centre,
(Q35). Who is the new President of Indonesia? strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of
(a) Noto Mihardjo thunderstorms that produce heavy rain.
(b) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (2) Tropical cyclones typically form over large
(c) Prabowo Subianto bodies of relatively warm water. They derive
(d) Joko Widodo their energy from the evaporation of water
from the ocean surface, which ultimately re-
(Q36). Which of these is not a neighbour of Brazil? condenses into clouds and rain when moist air
(a) Columbia rises and cools to saturation.
(b) Venezuela
(c) Equador Codes 93
(d) Uruguay (a) Statement 1 is correct
(b) Statement 2 is correct
(Q37). Which South East Asian country is buying (c) Both are correct
naval vessels from India? (d) Both are incorrect
(a) Malaysia
(b) Thailand
(c) Vietnam
PART II: A bunch of 15 relevant questions on various themes of General Studies (Main) Examination have
been put in this issue for practice.
GENERAL STUDIES (MAIN) PAPERS
Answer the following in 200 words:
INDIAN HISTORY & NATIONAL MOVEMENT
Q1. Do you think Mahatma Gandhis support to Khilafat Movement had diluted his secular credentials? Give your
argument based on the assessment of events.
Q2. Bring out the ideological basis of the Moderate Extremist divide in the Indian National Congress.
Q3. How did the movement for the liberation of women receive a great stimulus from the rise and growth of the
nationalist movement in India?
Q4. Why and how did Congress come to accept the partition of the country?
Q5. Trace the development of Gandhara and Mathura schools of art in India.
GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD
Q1. What do you understand by Polar Vortex? How does it affect weather of a place, its habitants and agricultural
output?
Q2. What are Glaciers? How are they formed? Bring out the causes of rapid decline in glacial ice cover and its
impacts.
Q3. The first green revolution which was confined to limited areas of production has outlived its utility. Hence
there is a need for a second green revolution on a larger scale. Suggest measures for implementing a
comprehensive second green revolution on Pan-India scale.
Q4. Examine the causes and extent of landslides in India and suggest remedial measures.
Q5. How do you distinguish between the process of soil formation and soil forming factors? What is the role of
94 climate and biological activity as two important control factors in the formation of soils?
94
SOCIAL ISSUES
Q1. Discuss the various factors associated with the increase of juvenile crimes in India.
Q2. Change in gender roles is an important factor in the increase of violence against women. Discuss
Q3. Critically examine the minimal effect of Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 on inheritance of agricultural
land by women.
Q4. Increase in elderly population demands a better legislation for geriatric care. Discuss
Q5. Critically examine the impact of internal migration on cities and on hinterland.
PART TWENTY SIX| SOLUTIONS
PART TWENTY SIX| SOLUTIONS
Solutions are given hereunder for the multiple choice questions on current affairs given in November, 2014
issue of FOCUS magazine.
(Q1)- Answer (b) (Q39)- Answer (c)
(Q2)- Answer (d) (Q40)- Answer (b)
(Q3)- Answer (c) (Q41)- Answer (c)
Exp: Incheon is the third city in South Korea after (Q42)- Answer (c)
Seoul (1986) and Busan (2002) to host the Asian (Q43)- Answer (a)
Games. (Q44)- Answer (d)
(Q4)- Answer (c) (Q45)- Answer (c)
(Q6)- Answer (d) (Q47)- Answer (a)
(Q7)- Answer (a) Exp. Internet governance should not be confused
(Q8)- Answer (b) with E-Governance, which refers to
(Q9)- Answer (c) governments' use of technology to carry out
(Q10)- Answer (d) their governing duties.
(Q11)- Answer (c) (Q48)- Answer (a)
(Q12)- Answer (b) (Q49)- Answer (a)
(Q14)- Answer (b)
(Q15)- Answer (b)
Exp: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the
international governing body for the sport of
badminton. 95
(Q16)- Answer (b)
(Q17)- Answer (c)
(Q18)- Answer (c)
(Q19)- Answer (c)
(Q20)- Answer (d)
(Q21)- Answer (c)
(Q22)- Answer (d)
(Q23)- Answer (a)
(Q24)- Answer (c)
(Q25)- Answer (c)
(Q26)- Answer (b)
(Q27)- Answer (c)
(Q28)- Answer (c)
(Q29)- Answer (a)
(Q30)- Answer (c)
(Q31)- Answer (b)
Exp: NASA launched Mars Balance Mass Challenge.
(Q32)- Answer (c)
(Q33)- Answer (a)
(Q34)- Answer (b)
(Q35)- Answer (b)
(Q36)- Answer (d)
(Q37)- Answer (b)
(Q38)- Answer (d)
PART TWENTY SEVEN| FOCUS SPECIAL
PART TWENTY SEVEN | FOCUS SPECIAL
ROLE OF CURRENT AFFAIRS AND IMPACT OF FOCUS MAGAZINE

(AN OVERALL ANALYSIS)
PART I- ROLE OF CURRENT AFFAIRS IN 2014 GENERAL STUDIES (MAIN) PAPERS- I, II, III
The world is increasingly becoming a close knit global village, connected by faster and emerging modes of
communication, where flow of information is transcending national boundaries and getting access to all forms of data,
information, happenings, events, decisions, treaties, and all things of importance is just a click of mouse away.
In this context, UPSC through Civil Service (Main) Examination-2014 has embarked on the path of judging
candidates comprehensive awareness, knowledge and understanding of global, national and local issues influencing
and impacting socio-economic development, security, environmental issues and related policies in our country; and
that is why most of the questions asked in General Studies- Paper I, II, III are designed and drawn mainly from
current issues and happenings - either directly or contextually.
General Studies- Paper I, II & III contained 65 (25+20+20) questions in totality. Out of these, the breakup of questions
having current affairs context in each of the paper is given hereunder:
Sr. Paper No. of questions Questions having Current Affairs (%)

No. asked Current affairs
context
01 General Studies- Paper I 25 11 44%
96 02 General Studies- Paper II 20 17 85%
96 03 General Studies- Paper III 20 16 80%
Total (Paper I, II &III) 65 44 68%
Thus, it can be confidently emphasised that current affairs play prominent role in clearing UPSC (Main) Examination.
PART II- IMPACT OF FOCUS IN ATTEMPTING CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS
FOCUS magazine completely adheres to the thought process of UPSC and tries to inculcate all exam specific matter
from best sources for the benefit of the aspirants. To evaluate this, let us now diagnose all the three papers and throw
light on the impact of FOCUS magazine in attempting those. The diagnosis is given in the table hereunder:
Impact of FOCUS in attempting questions asked in General Studies- Paper I, II & III in
Civil Service (Main) Examination- 2014
GENERAL STUDIES- PAPER I

Question 3: Taxila university was one of the oldest universities of the world with which were associated a
number of renowned learned personalities of different disciplines. Its strategic location caused its fame to
01 flourish, but unlike Nalanda, it is not considered as a university in the modern sense. Discuss.
Covered in: FOCUS MARCH 2014

Editorial: Nalanda is not about nostalgia/ Page 77 (Direct)
Question 10: The New Economic Policy 1921 of Lenin had influenced the policies adopted by India
02 soon after independence. Evaluate.
Covered in: FOCUS JUNE 2014

Editorial: Reshaping of Plan panel long overdue/Page 83 (Contextual)
03 Question 11: How does patriarchy impact the position of a middle class working woman in India?
97
Covered in: FOCUS AUGUST 2014
Issue: ILO report on jobs / Page 21(Contextual)
04 Question 12: Why do some of the most prosperous regions of India have an adverse sex ratio for women?
Give your arguments.
Covered in: FOCUS COMPENDIUM (MAIN) 2014

Editorial: Change is coming, slowly/ Page 51 (Contextual)
05 Question 13: The life cycle of a joint family depends on economic factors rather than social values.
Discuss.

Issue: Abuse on elders increase by 50% this year: Helpage /Page 23 (Direct)
06 Question No. 15: How do the Indian debates on secularism differ from the debates in the West?
Covered in: FOCUS JULY 2014

Editorial: End to illegal fatwas / Page 80 (Contextual)
07 Question No. 16: Most of the unusual climatic happenings are explained as an outcome of the El-Nino
effect. Do you agree?

Editorial: A weak El Nio and the monsoon/ Page- 56 (Direct)
08 Question No. 19: Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of
Mexico. Why?
Covered in: FOCUS OCTOBER 2014

Issue: Cyclone Hudhud/ Page 14 (Direct)
09 Question No. 20: Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the symptoms
of climate change in the Indian sub-continent.
Covered in: FOCUS JANUARY 2014

Issue: Himalayas lost 13 % of glaciers in forty years/ Page 38 (Direct)
GENERAL STUDIES- PAPER II

01 Question 1: Starting from inventing the basic structure doctrine, the judiciary has played a highly
proactive role in ensuring that India develops into a thriving democracy. In light of the statement, evaluate
the role played by judicial activism in achieving the ideals of democracy.

98 Editorial: Time limit for trials: Another Supreme Court blow to criminals in politics/Page- 78 (Contextual)
98
02 Question 2: Though the federal principle is dominant in our Constitution and that principle is one of its
basic features, but it is equally true that federalism under the Indian Constitution leans in favour of a strong
Centre, a feature that militates against the concept of strong federalism. Discuss.
Covered in: FOCUS JULY 2014, AUGUST 2014

Editorial: (1) Continuing with the spoils system/ Page- 65 (Contextual), (2) Time for decentralization/Page
64 (Contextual)
03 Question 3: The Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and its Members as envisaged in Article
105 of the Constitution leave room for a large number of un-codified and un-enumerated privileges to
continue. Assess the reasons for the absence of legal codification of the parliamentary privileges. How can
this problem be addressed?

Editorial: Time limit for trials: Another Supreme Court blow to criminals in politics/Page- 78
04 Question 4: What do you understand by the concept freedom of speech and expression? Does it cover
hate speech also? Why do the films in India stand on a slightly different plane from other forms of
expression? Discuss.
Editorial: Words that wound/ Page 72 (Direct)

05 Question 5: Instances of Presidents delay in commuting death sentences have come under public debate as
denial of justice. Should there be a time limit specified for the President to accept/reject such petitions?
Analyse.
Covered in: FOCUS COMPENDIUM (MAIN) 2014

Editorial: Back to life: Those on death row have some rights too/ Page 243 (Direct)
06 Question 8: The setting up of a Rail Tariff Authority to regulate fares will subject the cash strapped Indian
Railways to demand subsidy for obligation to operate non-profitable routes and services. Taking into
account the experience in the power sector, discuss if the proposed reform is expected to benefit the
consumers, the Indian Railways or the private container operators.
Covered in: FOCUS JANUARY 2014

Editorial: Faring better / Page 63 (Contextual)
07 Question No. 09: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in India can be most effective when its tasks
are adequately supported by other mechanisms that ensure the accountability of a government. In light of
the above observation assess the role of NHRC as an effective complement to the judiciary and other
institutions in promoting and protecting human rights standards.

Editorial: The truth behind encounters / Page 70 (Contextual)
08 Question No. 13: Should the premier institutes like IITs/IIMs be allowed to retain premier status, allowed
more academic independence in designing courses and also decide mode/criteria of selection of students.
Discuss in light of the growing challenges. 99

Editorial: Temples of learning: More IITs, IIMs, needed, but ensure sanctity/ Page 72 (Direct)
09 Question No. 15: Two parallel run schemes of the Government viz. the Adhaar Card and NPR, one as
voluntary and the other as compulsory, have led to debates at national levels and also litigations. On merits,
discuss whether or not both schemes need run concurrently. Analyse the potential of the schemes to achieve
developmental benefits and equitable growth.

Editorial: Identifying citizens: NPR, UIDAI need to function in unison / Page 67 (Direct)
10 Question No. 16: With respect to the South China sea, maritime territorial disputes and rising tension affirm
the need for safeguarding maritime security to ensure freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the
region. In this context, discuss the bilateral issues between India and China.

Issue: Vietnam to buy naval vessels from India to patrol disputed South China Sea / Page 12 (Contextual)
11 Question No. 19: India has recently signed to become founding a New Development Bank (NDB) and also
the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) .How will the role of the two Banks be different? Discuss
the significance of these two Banks for India.
Covered in: FOCUS OCTOBER 2014, JULY 2014

Editorial: (1) A new bank for Asia / Page 76 (Direct), BRICS Build New Architecture for Financial
Democracy / Page 46 (Direct)
12 Question No. 20: WTO is an important international institution where decisions taken affect countries in
profound manner. What is the mandate of WTO and how binding are their decisions? Critically analyse
Indias stand on the latest round of talks on Food security.
Covered in: FOCUS NOVEMBER 2014

Issue: WTO reaches deal to modernize global trade / Page 15 (Direct)
GENERAL STUDIES- PAPER III

01 Question 2: "While we aunt Indias demographic dividend, we ignore the dropping rates of
employability." What are we missing while doing so? Where will the jobs that India desperately needs
come from? Explain.
Covered in: FOCUS JANUARY 2014, MARCH 2014

Issue: Non-farm jobs to shrink by 25 pc in 7 years: CRISIL/ Page 17 (Contextual), (2) Most rural
population engaged in non-farm work: NCAER survey / Page 17 (Contextual)
02 Question 4: In the villages itself no form of credit organization will be suitable except the cooperative
society. -All India Rural Credit Survey.
Discuss this statement in the background of agricultural nance in India. What constraints and challenges
100 do nancial institutions supplying agricultural nance face? How can technology be used to better reach
100 and serve rural clients?

Editorial: An ambitious plan for inclusion /Page 72 (Contextual)
03 Question 5: The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and
Resettlement Act, 2013 has come into effect from Ist January, 2014. What are the key issues which would
get addressed with the Act in place? What implications would it have on industrialization and agriculture
in India?
Covered in: FOCUS SEPTEMBER 2013

Editorial: Lok Sabha passes landmark land Bill / Page 16 (Direct)
04 Question 7: Explain how Private Public Partnership arrangements, in long gestation infrastructure
projects, can transfer unsustainable liabilities to the future. What arrangements need to be put in place to
ensure that successive generations' capacities are not compromised?

Editorial: Pricing public transport / Page 66 (Contextual)
05 Question 8: National Urban Transport Policy emphasises on 'moving people' instead of 'moving vehicles'.
Discuss critically the success of the various strategies of the Government in this regard.
Covered in: FOCUS SEPT 2014

Editorial: Ensuring traffic discipline/Page 75 (Direct)
06 Question 10: Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is not as
attractive as are business professions, engineering or administration, and the universities are becoming
consumer-oriented. Critically comment.

Editorial: Temples of learning: More IITs, IIMs, needed, but ensure sanctity/Page 72 (Direct)
07 Question 11: Can overuse and free availability of antibiotics without Doctor's prescription, be
contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the available mechanisms for
monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various issues involved.
Covered in: FOCUS MAY 2014

Editorial: Rationalise use of antibiotics: This is necessary to limit resistance to drugs / Page 69
(Direct)
08 Question 12: In a globalized world, Intellectual Property Rights assume significance and are a source of
litigation. Broadly distinguish between the termsCopyrights, Patents and Trade Secrets.

Editorial: Discussions, the way forward/Page 55 (Direct)
09 Question 13: Should the pursuit of carbon credits and clean development mechanisms set up under
UNFCCC be maintained even though there has been a massive slide in the value of a carbon credit?
Discuss with respect to India's energy needs for economic growth. 101

Editorial: Doing more on climate/ Page 75 (Contextual)
10 Question 14: Drought has been recognized as a disaster in view of its spatial expanse, _ slow onset and
lasting effects on vulnerable sections. With a focus on the 801titeetber guidelines from the National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), discuss the mechanisms for preparedness to deal with likely El
Nino and La Nina fallouts in India.

Editorial: Much needed revamp/Page 65 (Contextual)
11 Question 16: "The diverse nature of India as a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society is not immune to
the impact of radicalism which is seen in her neighbourhood? Discuss along with strategies to be adopted
to counter this environment.

Editorial: An ill wind blows through West Asia/Page 62 (Contextual)
12 Question 17: International civil aviation laws provide all countries complete and exclusive sovereignty
over the airspace above their territory. What do you understand by 'airspace' What are the implications of
these laws on the space above this airspace? Discuss the challenges which this poses and suggest ways to
contain the threat.
Covered in: FOCUS MAY 2014, JULY 2014

Editorial: (1) On track: DGCA demands real-time reporting/Page 69 (Contextual), (2) Safety first:
Aviation authorities must be proactive in conflict zones/Page 65 (Contextual)
13 Question 18: How does illegal transborder migration pose a threat to India's security? Discuss the
strategies to curb this, bringing out the factors which give impetus to such migration.

Editorial: Fruits of pragmatism/Page 62 (Contextual)
NUTSHELL
In a nutshell, the impact of focus is given hereunder:
Sr. Paper Questions having Current issues related Impact of Focus in (%)
No. Current affairs to questions covered
context in FOCUS
01 General Studies- Paper I 11 09 82%
02 General Studies- Paper II 17 12 71%
03 General Studies- Paper III 16 13 81%
102 Total (Paper I, II &III) 44 34 77%
102
Thus by, going through FOCUS magazine alone of the last 12 months, seventy seven percent (77%) of the
current affairs questions could be confidently attempted by the aspirants in the UPSC Main
Examination.

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FOCUS

PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL

1. Denmark claims contested Arctic territory 7

2. Pak builds trench along Afghan border 8

3. US, NATO formally end Afghan combat mission 8

4. U.S., Cuba restore ties after 50 years 9

5. Ukraine votes to drop non-aligned status 10

6. Thailand, China sign railway deal 10

7. Shinzo Abe re-elected as Japan's prime minister 11

8. Mauritius names new prime minister 11

PART TWO | INDIA AND THE WORLD

2. Committee tables report on Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh 12

3. China, Maldives sign accord on bridge construction 13

4. China launches major water project in Sri Lanka 13

5. Bhutan, not India, first recognised Bangladesh 14

6. India and Russia sign deals 14

PART THREE | NATIONAL NEWS

2. India last among BRICS in Web index

3. India improves rating on global corruption index 17

4. India betters rank in net freedom 18

PART FOUR | ECONOMY

2. Government relaunches Kisan Vikas Patras 19

3. Government approves ordinance to raise FDI in insurance to 49% 20

4. Nod to dilute stake in public sector banks 20

PART FIVE| POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

2. Ordinance to amend Land Act 21

PART SIX| SOCIAL ISSUES

2. India to reach replacement levels of fertility by 2020 23

PART SEVEN| SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2. ISRO's GSAT-16 communications satellite launched successfully into orbit 25

3. GSLV Mark III, India's largest rocket, launched successfully 25

4. New Horizons: NASA probe wakes up for Pluto encounter 26

PART EIGHT | ENERGY

2. Indian n-facilities under IAEA safety umbrella 28

3. Pakistan, Russia sign $1.7-billion energy deal 29

PART NINE | DEFENCE

2. DRDO conducts maiden test-flight of Panchi 30

PART TEN | ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY

2. Coral Bleaching Alert System (CBAS) 33

3. First green diesel-powered flight 33

4. Nationwide hydrology data soon 34

5. Mountains of plastic afloat in the oceans 34

PART ELEVEN | HEALTH

2. Huge population at fluorosis risk 36

PART TWELVE | CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS

PART THIRTEEN | COMMITTEES AND REPORTS

2. Tax cash withdrawal beyond a limit in a day: Shome panel 41

PART FOURTEEN | SPORTS

PART FIFTEEN |ORGANISATIONS IN NEWS

PART SIXTEEN | PERSONALITIES

3. Nedunuri Krishna Murthy 44

4. Veenapani Chawla 44

5. V.R. Krishna Iyer 44

PART SEVENTEEN | AWARDS

2. Three Gond artists win Ojas Art Award 45

3. Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Madan Mohan Malaviya 46

4. Fidel Castro wins Chinas alternative peace prize 47

PART EIGHTEEN| HISTORY AND CULTURE

PART NINETEEN| PLACES

PART TWENTY| BOOKS AND AUTHORS

2. Nehru & Bose Parallel Lives 50

PART TWENTY ONE| MISCELLANEOUS

PART TWENTY TWO| EDITORIALS