Demographic Dividend: Advantage India

Demographic Dividend refers to the rise in the rate of economic growth due to a rising
share of working age people in a population. India's demographic dividend- i.e. its
working-age (15-59 years) population, as of now, largely consists of youth (15-34 years),
and as a result its economy has the potential to grow more quickly than that of many
other countries including neighboring China. Technically, this usually occurs late in the
demographic transition when the fertility rate falls and the youth dependency rate
declines.

According to economists, the working population in India is set to rise considerably over
the next decade or more. By 2020, the average Indian will be only 29 years of age,
compared with 37 in China and the U.S., 45 in Western Europe, and 48 in Japan.
Moreover, by 2030, India will have the youngest median age of 31.2 years, while Chinas
will be 42.5 years. Most major economies will see a decline of working age adults (20-64
years).

This means that India will see a significant rise in working age adults India's
dependency ratio, that is the number of dependents to working people is low at 0.6,
compared with the developed countries. That ratio is going to decline further with
fertility rates continuing to fall. The demographic dividend is a window of opportunity
in the development of a society or nation that opens up as fertility rates decline when
faster rates of economic growth and human development are possible when combined
with effective policies.
Government has undertaken some measures to impart skills to the Indian workforce to
reap the benefits of demographic dividends. Major challenge of skill development
initiatives is also to address the needs of huge population by providing skills in order to
make them employable and help them secure decent work.

Government established National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to contribute

significantly (about 30 per cent) to the overall target of skilling / up skilling 500 million
people in India by 2022, mainly by fostering private sector initiatives in skill
development programmes and providing funding. Major objectives of NSDC are :

Upgrade skills to international standards through significant industry involvement and

develop necessary frameworks for standards, curriculum and quality assurance
 Enhance, support and coordinate private sector initiatives for skill development
through appropriate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models; strive for significant
operational and financial involvement from the private sector
Focus on underprivileged sections of society and backward regions of the country
thereby enabling a move out of poverty; similarly, focus significantly on the unorganized
or informal sector workforce.
Play the role of a "market-maker" by bringing financing, particularly in sectors where
market mechanisms are ineffective or missing
Prioritize initiatives that can have a multiplier or catalytic effect as opposed to one-off
impact.

Thus government seems serious about harnessing the potential of demographic

dividend through development of skills. However, more holistic measures are needed to
make the Indian work force not just economically competitive but also efficiently
competitive.

Moreover, measures should have pan Indian presence and not just concentrated in
metropolitan cities as most of the workforce is likely to come from the rural hinterland.
It will not just help in increasing the economic development but will also help in curbing
the regional and social inequalities.

MECHANISMS FOR GROWTH IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND

During the course of the demographic dividend there are four mechanisms through which the
benefits are delivered.

1. Labour Supply: The first is the increased labour supply However, the magnitude of this
benefit appears to be dependent on the ability of the economy to absorb and productively
employ the extra workers rather than be a pure demographic gift.

2. Increase in savings: The second mechanism is the increase in savings. As the number of
dependents decreases individuals can save more. This increase in national savings rates
increases the stock of capital in developing countries already facing shortages of capital and
leads to higher productivity as the accumulated capital is invested.

3. Human Capital: The third mechanism is human capital. Decrease in fertility rates results in
healthier women and fewer economic pressures at home. This also allows parents to invest
more resources per child, leading to better health and educational out comes.
4. Increase in Demand: The fourth mechanism for growth is the increasing domestic demand
brought about by the increasing GDP per capita and the decreasing dependency ratio.

Immigrate and emigrate

The difference between immigrate and emigrate is that immigrating is the act of
entering a foreign country to live while emigrating is the act of leaving a country to live
in another. Consider the differences in our above examples, My grandparents
immigrated to the United States.

In-migration means moving into a different region of the same country or territory
however out-migration means moving out of one community, region, or country in order
to reside in another.

Declining Sex ratio - Reasons and Government's

initiatives to tackle it
Sex Ratio : The sex ratio is the number of females per 1000 males in a particular area
at a given time.

Sex ratio is an important demographic indicator.

Scenario of sex ratio in India

In 2015, the sex ratio in India was 943 females for 1000 males. Sex ratio varies from
region to region.

In the latest census, Kerala has 1084 females per 1000 males, making it the best state
to have a good sex ratio.

With a ratio of 877 females per 1000 males, the state of Haryana suffers from the lowest
sex ratio.

There has been a great improvement in the sex ratio of India. In 2012, India had a ratio
of 940 females per 1000 males.

Factors responsible for declining sex ratio

- Education The role of education has a great influence on the sex ratio scenario of
India. Child marriages are a common part of the Indian society. Most of the girls are
prone to the issue of child marriage at a very early age. This makes them to stay away
from the education and are compelled to take the responsibilities of the household. Due
to illiteracy, people are unaware about the power and role of women in today's era.

- Poverty Poverty is one of the factor which is responsible for the declining sex ratio.
States like Tamil Nadu have a high sex ratio but the poverty rate is low. There are
states wherein due to poverty, a lot of girls are denied of nutritious food . This deprives
the women and girl child from a living a healthy life.

- Social status of women In most parts of India, women are merely considered as an
object. People are worried about the dowry issue with the birth of a girl child. Due to
financial problem, most of the families in rural areas prefer male child over female.

- Lack of empowerment of women - There is a lack of empowerment of women

especially in the rural areas. Women do not enjoy opportunities as men do. Due to lack
of education, women are unable to establish their roles in many places. The state of
Uttar Pradesh has become like a grave for girls.

- Male domination Majority of the places in India follow the patriarchal system.In
India, males are considered to be the only bread earners. The methods of sex
determination and female foeticide are adopted which is main reason of declining
number of females especially in North India.

- Infant and Maternal Mortality Infant mortality rate is the number of death of babies
before the age of one. Due to female foeticide, the sex ratio declines terribly. Maternal
mortality also contributes to the declining sex ratio as most of the women die during the
childbirth due to improper care and less facilities.

Schemes to combat the problem of sex ratio

Due to the declining sex ratio, the government has introduced certain schemes to tackle
the issue.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao This is one of the important campaign introduced by the
government led by Narendra Modi to generate awareness and improve the efficiency of
the welfare services meant for women. The initiative was launched by Prime Minister
Modi on 22 January 2015 in Haryana.

Sukanya Samriddhi Account This scheme has been notified by the Ministry of
Finance on 2 December, 2014. The initiative aims at opening a new account for the girl
child. The account can be operated by her after the age of 10. The account can be
opened in a post office or a public sector bank.

The Girl Child Protection Scheme The scheme is aimed at preventing the gender
discrimination by protecting the rights of the girl child. It also tries to eliminate the
negative attitudes and practices against the girl child.

Aapki Beti, Humari Beti Haryana has the lowest sex ratio in India. To cope up with
this issue, the Haryana government launched this scheme. A sum of Rs 21000 would
be deposited by the state government in the account of every new born girl. The
scheme would be implemented in both rural and urban areas. It would target the girl
child of Scheduled Caste and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

PCPNDT Act: The Indian government has passed Pre-Conception and Pre-natal
Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) (PCPNDT) Act in 2004 to
ban and punish prenatal sex screening and female foeticide. It is currently illegal in India
to determine or disclose sex of the foetus to anyone. However, there are concerns that
PCPNDT Act has been poorly enforced by authorities.

Facts and figures

- India has the largest population of children with 400 million.

- One out of the sixth girl child dies due to female foeticide.

- 75% of the married women in India were underage during the time of their marriage.

- Kerala has the highest female sex ratio.

- In union territories, Daman and Diu has the lowest sex ratio whereas Pondicherry has
the highest sex ratio.

The Carbon Cycle

All living things are made of carbon. Carbon is also a part of the ocean, air, and
even rocks. Because the Earth is a dynamic place, carbon does not stay still. It is
on the move!

In the atmosphere, carbon is attached to some oxygen in a gas called carbon

dioxide.
Plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to make their own food and grow. The
carbon becomes part of the plant. Plants that die and are buried may turn into
fossil fuels made of carbon like coal and oil over millions of years. When humans
burn fossil fuels, most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon
dioxide.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and traps heat in the atmosphere. Without it
and other greenhouse gases, Earth would be a frozen world. But humans have
burned so much fuel that there is about 30% more carbon dioxide in the air today
than there was about 150 years ago, and Earth is becoming a warmer place. In fact,
ice cores show us that there is now more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than
there has been in the last 420,000 years.

Crop rotation
Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar or different types
of crops in the same area in sequenced seasons. It is done so that the soil of farms is
not used to only one type of nutrient. It helps in reducing soil erosion and increases soil
fertility and crop yield.

The primary advantages of crop rotation include preserving fertile soil, enhancing the
health of crops and minimizing the amount of pests, while the primary drawbacks and
challenges include lingering fungi and pests. Another major drawback is the time
involved in preparing the soil for new crops.

Certain insects and pests feed on different types of crops. By rotating crops, a person
removes the food resource preferred by one pest. Therefore, that particular pest
eventually dies. It is also less likely that pest populations build up. A reduction in the
pest population improves the quality of the soil and mitigates the amount of crops that
are destroyed each season. Rich soil and healthy plants also contribute to fewer weeds.
Fewer weeds and stronger plants minimize the amount of chemicals needed to grow
crops.

Rotating crops often requires more time in preparing fields for crops ahead of rotations.
This point is especially true when rotating every two years instead of every three to four
years. Also, the fungi and pests left behind from a previous crop can potentially harm
the new crop. Some crops coexist better with weeds and fungi, and a new crop may
have a more difficult time. Plant debris can also cause diseases when the new crop is
planted.
What are footloose industries? two examples?
Footloose industry is a general term for an industry that can be placed and located at
any location without effect from factors such as resources or transport. Footloose
industries are those that can be placed and located at any location i.e. not necessarily
near raw material source only (unlike the early iron and steel industry that had to locate
close to iron ore and coal etc). These are not weight losing or raw material specific.
Footloose industries locate in pleasant environments near transport routes and near the
markets, universities, etc. Hi-tech industry such as computing is one of the examples.
Footloose industries are usually non-polluting and can locate close to residential
areas.Diamonds and computer chips are some examples of footloose industries.

Cadastral map
A cadastral map is a map defining land ownership. The land register cadastral map is
further defined by the Act as a map showing all registered geospatial data relating to
registered plots. The cadastral map consists of cadastralunits, each of which
represents a single registered plot of land.

Difference between Rabi and Kharif crops

Kharif crops sown between April and May while Rabi crops are sown between

September and October.

Kharif crops are harvested after monsoon rains while Rabi crops are produced after

winter.

Kharif crops are popularly known as monsoon crops while Rabi crops are called winter or

spring crops.

Kharif crops are completely relying over the rain like if less or more in quantity while

Rabi can deal with whatever water is present for irrigation. Rain has less impact over

Rabi crops.

The major examples that can be counted as Kharif crops are sunflower, rice, sugar cane,

soya bean and tea while Rabi crops can be wheat, barley, pea, gram and mustard.

Active volcanoes in india

Barren Island, one of the most easterly of the Andaman Islands, is the only confirmed
active volcano in India. The island along with the rest of the Andamans is the
the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and lies some 135 kms northeast of the territory's
capital, Port Blair.
Difference between a national park, wildlife Sanctuary, and a
biosphere reserve
National Park ------No human activity or settlement allowed.
Villagers cannot graze their animals, Extremely strict rules about jungle produce collection
(Tendu leaves, Honey etc.)

Wildlife Sanctuary-------People are not allowed to live (some exceptions though) but some
human activities are allowed, such as grazing, firewood collection.
Tourism is permitted.
A Sanctuary can be upgraded as a National Park. However a National Park cannot be
downgraded as a Sanctuary.

Biosphere reserve-----------------People are allowed to live, own private land and carry on their
traditional activities. (In the outer-zone)

In-situ biodiversity conservation (Natural Home)

In this case, you identify an area with high biodiversity (= this area has lot of number and
variety of plants and animals)
And then, you isolate and protect this area from human activities by establishing a natural
park/sanctuary/biosphere reserve etc.
Very essential for Big animals like elephants, rhinos, tigers: they require huge area.

Ex-Situ biodiversity conservation (artificial home)

examples: seed banks, zoo, botanical gardens, aquariums

Rain Water Harvesting:

Rain water harvesting is one of the most effective methods of water management and

water conservation. It is the term used to indicate the collection and storage of rain

water used for human, animals and plant needs. It involves collection and storage of
 rain water at surface or in sub-surface aquifer, before it is lost as surface run off. The

augmented resource can be harvested in the time of need.

The importance of developing rainwater harvesting system are briefly given below in

points:

1. The gathered rainwater can be used for agricultural purposes. The environment

may be helped to get rid of the tendency to drought.

2. The requirement of water for feeding the live-stocks can be met.

3. The ever-increasing demand for water can be satisfied.

4. The quantity of the subterranean water can be increased.

5. Wastage of water flowing through drain, gutter, or any water-cause can be

stopped and damage to water-course of any type may be stopped.

6. Water-logging on roads and thoroughfares can be checked and localities can be

saved from being inundated.

7. The quantity of water can be raised and soil erosion can be checked.

How does patriarchy impact the position of the middle class

working women in India?

10 Marks

Answer: Patriarchy refers to the domination of the men over the society and its
resources. In the modern, though women are an active participant in the workforce, they
face restrictions and hardships due to a patriarchal model of society.
1. It has been observed that due to the patriarchal set up of the society, the labour of the
women is under-valued and under-paid. Generally, women are allotted only the low
paying and less-valued jobs.
2. Under the patriarchal model, middle class women are forced to perform dual
responsibility of work as well as home. Even when the middle class women are allowed
to work professionally, they are expected to perform the household chores and the
functions of caring and nurturing, without any compromise. This puts an additional
burden on the working women.
3. Patriarchy also creates several stereotypes which place additional burdens and
restrictions on women, in terms of mobility and social life. Middle class women are often
forced to comprise with their professional life.
4. The life of a middle class women is linked inextricably with her husband/family, such
that, it becomes an impediment to the growth and development of their professional life.
5. finally, the labour of the women is not recognised as income, and is often treated as an
additional income only. Thus, the concept of a women as the bread-winner has been
unable to find its place in the society.
6.
Why do some of the most prosperous regions in India have
an adverse sex ratio for women? Give your arguments.

10 Marks

Answer: While there is no direct reason for prosperous regions to have an adverse sex
ratio, there does exist a number of socio-cultural reasons:
1. One of the main reasons is the socio-cultural discrimination faced by the female sex.
While there is an economic advancement in a particular region, a similar advancement
in socio-cultural sphere lags behind. Thus, many families in the prosperous regions
continue to practice socio-cultural discrimination against women, which often translate
into sex-preference of male child.
2. An economic reason for adverse sex ratio in the prosperous regions could be the high
level of working male migration into the regions of economic prosperity. India,
particularly, being a male-dominated society has a majority of workers as males. Thus,
the inflow of large number of male workers render the region with a highly adverse sex
ratio.
3. Widespread availability of technology and modern means of diagnostics could be
another reason of lower sex ratio. Under the framework of patriarchy, and the
 associated social evils there are a number of restrictions and obstacles for women that
create long-term hurdles for a healthy development of the society, in general, and
women in particular.

Discuss the various economic and socio-cultural forces that

are driving increasing feminization of agriculture in India.

10 Marks

Answer: A trend towards an increasing feminization of agriculture in India might be

taking place because:
1. Agriculture, in India, is generally labour-intensive and uses obsolete technology. Since
most of the agricultural families are poor, the participation of women is a common sight.
While men undertake the tasks of visiting the market or urban centers for other jobs,
women shoulder the task of farming and threshing.
2. With greater number of State sponsored welfare programmes, male members are
enrolled for state-aided activities. As a result, the task of farming falls upon the women
members of the family.
3. Due to increasing urbanisation and industrialisation near the villages, the male
members hand-over the responsibility of farming to women and start working at the
industrial centers for better pay. This causes an increase in the women worker in
agriculture.
4. Further, in India, women have a relatively lower level of education and training as
compared to men. Thus, there are a lesser number of employment opportunities
available to them. Forced with no other option, women have to work in unskilled jobs,
like agriculture and manual labour.

How do the Indian debates on secularism differ from the

debates in the West?
 Answer: The concept of secularism originated in the West, to refer to the separation of
the religion and the state. However, the concept of secularism has also been present in
the Indian culture and Constitution, in a different and broader way:
1. Secularism in West stands for a complete separation of the state and religion. In India,
on the other hand, State and religion are not compartmentalised. Rather, state is seen
as the protector and regulator of various religious communities.
2. The concept of Secularism in West has been evolved in a temporal sense, that is, out of
the influence of the religion. But, in India, the concept of secularism is often entwined
with that of religion, in the form of concepts like- universalism and sarvadharma
sambhav.
3. Since there is a deep inter-linkage between religion and culture in India, it is hard to
define secularism, on lines similar to the West. Secularism, in India, is thus defined in
terms of Rights of the Individual and the community.
4. The concept of secularism, as understood in India, does not stop the state from
managing and regulating the affairs of the religious groups. The Constitution of India,
itself, provides for the rights of the religious communities in relation to the individuals,
other communities and the state itself.
Thus, there is a major difference in the understanding of the secularism in the West and
in India.

Most of the unusual climate happenings are explained as an outcome

of the El-Nino effect. Do you agree.

Answer: A warming of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America that
occurs every 2 to 7 years ,when upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water does not occur,is
called EL-NINO.
EFFECTS OF EL-NINO:

1. El Nino can have impacts on weather at various locations around the globe. Off the east
coast of southern Africa, drought conditions often occur. In countries such as
Zimbabwe, the effects of drought can be devastating. In 2002, a moderate El Nino
unexpectedly wrecked the monsoon and produced a massive drought in India.
2. The clouds and rain associated with warm ocean waters also shift toward the east.
Thus, rains which normally would fall over the tropical rain forests of Indonesia start
falling over the deserts of Peru, causing forest fires and drought in the western Pacific
and flooding in South America.

3. Sometimes El-Nino effect support monsoon and lead to above average rainfall. In
1997, even before the monsoon began, waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean had
warmed sharply, leading to one of the most powerful El Nino events in the last century.
As such a phenomenon typically suppresses monsoon rains over India, a severe
drought was widely predicted. As it turned out, the monsoon that year ended with above
average rains.

4. It causes die-offs of plankton and fish and affects Pacific jet stream winds, altering
storm tracks and creating unusual weather patterns in various parts of the world.

Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and
Gulf of Mexico. Why?

Answer: The frequency of cyclones over Northwest Pacific is quite high (about 35 % of
the global annual average) which influences the Bay of Bengal also. The South China
sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mexico are tropical cyclone prone areas, the reason
behind it are as follows :-
1. Average warm temperature throughout the year (proximity to equator) keeps ocean
temperature high, which is a necessary phenomenon for formation of cyclone.

2. The variation in air pressure and moisture plays important role in making tropical
cyclone in these areas.

3. The warm ocean current plays important role in making these regions prone to tropical
cyclones.

Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the
symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub continent.
 Answer: The symptoms of climate change in Indian sub-continent has appeared clearly
in late Nineteenth century after the revelation through various research report and
analysis. One of the major reason behind climate change in Indian peninsula is
shrinking Himalayan glaciers. The relationship between the shrinking Himalayan
glaciers and the symptoms of climate change can be brought out through following
interpretation :-
1. The Shrinking glacier as an increased seasonal melt coupled with rains are bringing
more intense floods and irregular flow of water in glacier rivers is bringing drought
condition.

2. Because of melting of ice the Sea level is rising at around 3.5 mm per year and the
frequency of tropical cyclones is predicted to increase in recent future as a result of ice
melting.
3. The irregular rainfall pattern and monsoonal rainfall has been observed in recent years
which is due to glacier shrinking.
4. The biodiversity in Himalayan drainage and Himalyan region has been disturbed and
became vulnerable for extinction.

Why did the Green Revolution in India virtually by-pass the eastern
region despite fertile soil and good availability of water?

Answer: Green revolution in India has not been possible with fertile soil and good
availability of water only but with various other factors, which were absent in Eastern
region of the country. The factors can be accumulated as following :
1. Lack of Canal and channelized Irrigation :- Absence of this has resulted into
unavailability of water in required areas as the reason that it depends on rainfall only.

2. Lack of Technology :- It leads to remain the agriculture in primitive mode and made the
per hectare production low.

3. Agricultural Pattern :- The eastern region preferred Rice and other crop production while
green revolution was most successful in Wheat.
4. Lack of Awareness :- The lack awareness among the farmers of the region made them
unaware of scientific methods like- using HYV seeds and chemicals

5. Lack of Appropriate govt. policy :- The inadequate policy and inappropriate

governmental support kept farmers away from the collection of required finance for
adopting scientific method.

interculture
the practice of mixed cropping, where two or more different crops are grown
together on the same area of land.

Weeds have a direct influence on crop yields, and all crops suffer to a greater or
lesser extent from weeds. A farmer actually needs to be educated and informed
about the extent of his suffering in the absence of any method of weed control.

Most measures were beyond peasants spending capacity. Studies on these

aspects were conducted only for cotton, wheat and groundnut, and besides
studying the extent of the harm done to these crops by weeds, trials included the
comparison of different methods of weed control such as hand weeding,
employing mechanical means, and using chemical weedicides.

Rhino Population

World Rhino Day, which falls on 22 September

Desertification: Causes, Effects and Control of

Desertification

It is land degradation occurring in arid, semiarid and dry sub-humid areas of the world. It

is a process where in fertile lands become arid through land mismanagement or climate

changes. Many deserts in the world are man-made.

Causes of Desertification:

1. Overgrazing:
By pounding the soil with their hooves, livestock compact the substrate, increase the

proportion of fine material, and reduce the percolation rate of the soil, thus encouraging

erosion by wind and water. Grazing and the collection of firewood reduce or eliminate

plants that help to bind the soil.

2. Increased population:

Livestock pressure on marginal lands accelerates desertification.

3. Deforestation practices:

Loss of vegetation results in surface runoff as there are no plants to bind the soil and

resulting in soil erosion and depletion of nutrients.

4. Increased food production from marginal lands in arid or semi- arid areas.

5. Irrigation projects in areas with no drainage facility.

6. Shifting of sand dunes by wind storms.

Effects:

Major impact of desertification is biodiversity loss, and loss of productive capacity, such

as the transition from grassland dominated by perennial grasses to one dominated by

perennial shrubs. In extreme cases, it leads to the destruction of lands ability to support

life.

Control of Desertification:
1. Afforestation and planting of soil binding grasses can check soil erosion, floods and

water logging.

2. Crop rotation and mixed cropping improve the fertility of the soil. It would increase

production which can sustain large population.

3. Desertification can be checked by artificial bunds or covering the area with proper

type of vegetation.

4. Shifting of sand can be controlled by mulching (use of artificial protective covering.)

5. Salinity of the soil can be checked by improved drainage. Saline soil can be

recovered by leaching with more water, particularly where water table of the ground is

not very high.

Watershed management

Watershed management is a term used to describe the process of implementing land

use practices and water management practices to protect and improve the quality of
the water and other natural resources within a watershed by managingthe use of those
land and water resources in a comprehensive manner.WATERSHED management
basically involves harmonising the use of soil and water resources between upstream
and downstream areas within a watershed toward the objectives of natural resource
conservation, increased agricultural productivity and a better standard of living for its
inhabitants.

Biomass Energy
Biomass energy is the energy which is contained inside plants and animals. This can include
organic matter of all kinds: plants, animals, or waste products from organic sources. These sorts
of energy sources are known as biofuels and typically include wood chips, rotted trees, manure,
sewage, mulch, and tree components. Chlorophyll present in plants absorbs carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere and water from the ground through the process of photosynthesis. The same
energy is passed to animals when they eat them. It is considered to be as renewable source of
energy because carbon dioxide and water contained inside plants and animals are released back
in to the atmosphere when they are burned and we can grow more plants and crops to create
biomass energy.

Advantages of Biomass Energy

In many ways, biomass is a new source of power. While wood has always served as a fuel source

for fires and ovens and conventional heating methods, biomass energy advancements are a few

steps beyond that. Now these biomass fuel products are harvested and mass-produced and used

in everything from engines to power plants.

1. No Harmful Emissions: Biomass energy, for the most part, creates no harmful carbon dioxide

emissions. Many energy sources used today struggle to control their carbon dioxide emissions, as

these can cause harm to the ozone layer and increase the effects of greenhouse gases, potentially

warming the planet. It is completely natural, has no such carbon dioxide side effects in its use.

2. Clean Energy: Because of its relatively clean use, biomass energy, when used in commercial

businesses such as airlines, receives tax credit from the US government. This is good for

the environment and good for business. It does release carbon dioxide but captures carbon
dioxide for its own growth. Carbon dioxide released by fossil fuel are released into the

atmosphere and are harmful to the environment.

3. Abundant and Renewable: Biomass products are abundant and renewable. Since they come

from living sources, and life is cyclical, these products potentially never run out, so long as there

is something living on earth and there is someone there to turn that living things components and

waste products into energy. In the United Kingdom, biomass fuels are made from recycled

chicken droppings. In the United States and Russia, there are plentiful forests for lumber to be

used in the production of biomass energy.

4. Reduce Dependency on Fossil Fuels: It has developed as an alternate source of fuel for many

homeowners and have helped them to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels.

5. Reduce Landfills: Another benefit of this energy is that it can take waste that is harmful to the

environment and turn it into something useful. For instance, garbage as landfill can, at least

partially, be burned to create useable biomass energy.

6. Can be Used to Create Different Products: Biomass energy is also versatile, as different

forms of organic matter can be used to create different products. Ethanol and similar fuels can be

made from corn and other crops. With so many living things on the planet, there is no limit to

how many ways it can be found and used.

Disadvantages of Biomass Energy

Besides above advantages, there are also some downsides to it. Lets see below some of its

disadvantages.

1. Expensive: Firstly, its expensive. Living things are expensive to care for, feed, and house, and

all of that has to be considered when trying to use waste products from animals for fuel.

2. Inefficient as Compared to Fossil Fuels: Secondly, and connected to the first, is the relative

inefficiency of biomass energy. Ethanol, as a biodiesel is terribly inefficient when compared to

gasoline, and it often has to be mixed with some gasoline to make it work properly anyway. On

top of that, ethanol is harmful to combustion engines over long term use.

3. Harmful to Environment: Thirdly, using animal and human waste to power engines may

save on carbon dioxide emissions, but it increases methane gases, which are also harmful to the

Earths ozone layer. So really, we are no better off environmentally for using one or the other.

And speaking of using waste products, there is the smell to consider. While it is not physically

harmful, it is definitely unpleasant, and it can attract unwanted pests (rats, flies) and spread

bacteria and infection.

4. Consume More Fuel: Finally, using trees and tree products to power machines is inefficient

as well. Not only does it take a lot more fuel to do the same job as using conventional fuels, but

it also creates environmental problems of its own. To amass enough lumber to power a nation

full of vehicles or even a power plant, companies would have to clear considerable forest area.
This results in major topological changes and destroys the homes of countless animals and

plants.

5. Require More Land: Combustion of biomass products require some land where they can

easily be burnt. Since, it produces gases like methane in atmosphere; therefore it can be produced

in those areas which are quite far from residential homes.

These are all things that have to be carefully considered and weighed when determining if

biomass energy is a viable alternative energy source.\

Dry Land Farming in India

Dry farming or Dry Land Farming refers to an improved system of cultivation whereby

maximum amount of water is conserved by soil and water management. It involves

efficient system of soil and crop management in the regions of low land and uneven

distributed rainfall.

Importance of Dry land Farming for India

Considering the present rate of development of irrigation facilities and also water

potentiality of the country, it is estimated that at any point of time 50% of cropped area

in India will remain under Rainfed farming system. Such vast areas as of now consume

hardly 25% of total fertilizer consumption of the country. Due to poor level of

management, crop productivity is also very low resulting in socio economic

backwardness of the people.

BIODIVERSITY:-

Biological diversity or biodiversity is the term given to the variety of life on Earth.

It is the variety within and between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms

and the ecosystems within which they live and interact. iodiversity comprises all the

millions of different species that live on our planet, as well as the genetic differences

within species. It also refers to the multitude of different ecosystems in which species

form unique communities, interacting with one another and the air, water and soil.

Why is Biodiversity Important?

Biodiversity has a number of functions on the Earth. These are as follows:

Maintaining balance of the ecosystem: Recycling and storage of nutrients,

combating pollution, and stabilizing climate, protecting water resources, forming and

protecting soil and maintaining ecobalance.

Provision of biological resources: Provision of medicines and pharmaceuticals,

food for the human population and animals, ornamental plants, wood products,

breeding stock and diversity of species, ecosystems and genes.

Social benefits: Recreation and tourism, cultural value and education and research.

The role of biodiversity in the following areas will help make clear the importance of

biodiversity in human life:

 Biodiversity and food: 80% of human food supply comes from 20 kinds of plants.

But humans use 40,000 species for food, clothing and shelter. Biodiversity provides

for variety of foods for the planet.

Biodiversity and human health: The shortage of drinking water is expected to

create a major global crisis. Biodiversity also plays an important role in drug

discovery and medicinal resources. Medicines from nature account for usage by

80% of the worlds population.

Biodiversity and industry: Biological sources provide many industrial materials.

These include fiber, oil, dyes, rubber, water, timber, paper and food.

Biodiversity and culture: Biodiversity enhances recreational activities like bird

watching, fishing, trekking etc. It inspires musicians and artists.

Reason for Loss of Biodiversity

The earths biodiversity is in grave danger. In the present era, human beings are the most

dangerous cause of destruction of the earths biodiversity. In 2006, the terms threatened,

endangered or rare were used to describe the status of many species. The evil quartet identified

by Jared Diamond is overkill, habitat destruction, secondary extinctions and introduced species.

Factors identified by Edward Wilson are described by the acronym- HIPPO standing for habitat

destruction, climate change, invasive species, pollution, human overpopulation and over-

harvesting.
Habitat destruction is a major cause for biodiversity loss. Habitat loss is caused bydeforestation,

overpopulation, pollution and global warming. Species which are physically large and those

living in forests or oceans are more affected by habitat reduction.

Some experts estimate that around 30% of all species on earth will be extinct by 2050.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), globally about one

third of all known species are threatened with extinction. Even it is estimated that 25% of all

mammals will be extinct within 20 years.

Even if a small element of an ecosystem breaks down, the whole systems balance is

threatened. Fresh water ecosystems are nowadays the most threatened ecosystems. Invasive

species refer to those that would normally remain constrained from an ecosystem because of the

presence of natural barriers. Since these barriers are no longer existing, invasive species invade

the ecosystem, destroying native species. Human activities have been the major cause for

encouraging invasive species.

Species can also be threatened by genetic pollution- uncontrolled hybridization and gene

swamping. For instance, abundant species can interbreed with rare species thus causing

swamping of the gene pool. Over exploitation is caused by activities such as over fishing, over

hunting, excessive logging and illegal trade of wildlife. Over 25% of global fisheries are being

overfished at unsustainable levels.

Global warming is also becoming a major cause for loss of biodiversity. For example if the

present rate of global warming continues, coral reefs which are biodiversity hotspots will

disappear in 20-40 years. 10% of all species might become extinct by 2015, if global warming

continues.

Thus we can see that biodiversity which is crucial for the well being of life on earth, is coming

under the threat of many factors related to human activities. There is an urgent need to take

action to protect the magnificent biodiversity of our planet. We must create economic policies in

order to maintain the Earths biodiversity and take appropriate measures to protect habitats and

species.

Richter scale

The Richter scale, developed in the 1930s, is a base-10 logarithmic scale, which
defines magnitude as the logarithm of the ratio of the amplitude of the seismic waves to
an arbitrary, minor amplitude.

What is the meaning and aim of Social Forestry?

Social forestry is the forestry by the people and for the people, whose main purpose is to
fulfill the needs of forestry which are - manure, food, fruit, fibre and productive capacity.
As a whole social forestry's main objective is to reconstruct the ecosystem and conserve
the environment. The National Commission for Farmers has determined the following
objectives for social forestry -

(i) To cooperate soil conservation and to prevent spoiling the productive capacity of soil.

(ii) To increase fuel availability and to increase the food modification by increasing fruit
production.
(iii) To encourage plantation of large and beautiful trees which provide shadow to
enhance the natural beauty and to plant all around the cultivation field to increase
production.

(iv) ' To encourage environment conservation by

plantation and to create general consciousness regarding environment conservation.

(v) To enhance the natural beauty of the villages and cities by plantation.

Social forestry programme has certain problems.

These are:

(1) The lack of information among people and ignorance regarding social forestry
programme.

(2) Illegal tree-cutting.

(3) In many states there are unsatisfactory activities regarding social forestry.

(4) Social forestry has not been implemented extensively.

(5) Corruption and misuse of the fund which is for the purpose of social forestry.

Main agencies for agriculture finance

Sources of Agricultural Finance:

This can be divided into two categories:

(i) Non-institutional sources.

(ii) Institutional sources

(i) Non-Institutional sources are the following:

(a) Moneylenders

(b) Relatives

(c) Traders

(d) Commission agents

(e) Landlords

(ii) Institutional sources:

(a) Cooperatives

(b) Scheduled Commercial Banks

(c) Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)

(a) Co operatives:

(i) Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACSs) provide short and medium term

loans.

(ii) PCARDBs provide long term loan for agriculture.

(b) Commercial banks, including RRBs, provide both short and medium term loans for

agriculture and allied activities.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is the apex

institution at the national level for agriculture credit and provides assistance to the
agenciesmentioned above. The Reserve Bank of India plays a crucial role in this sphere

by giving overall direction to rural credit and financial support to NABARD for its

operations.

At the time of Independence the most important source of agricultural credit were the

moneylenders. In 1951 (the year when planning was initiated in the country)

moneylenders accounted for as much as 71.6 per cent of rural credit. This was because

there was no other source or from where the farmers could borrow money.

Hence the moneylenders exploited the poor farmers. Thus, they used to charge

exorbitant interest for their loans. The moneylenders used to manipulate their accounts

and force the farmers to sell their produce to them at low price. The government has

therefore undertaken various steps to regulate the activities of the moneylenders.

The most important move was to free the agriculturists from the clutches of the money

lenders and the expansion of institutional credit to agriculture.

The Government has helped the cooperatives in a number of ways to

expand their operations:

I. 14 major commercial banks were nationalised in 1969.

II. 6 more banks were nationalised in 1980.

III. In 1975 an institution was established by the government to meet the requirements

of rural credit Regional Rural Bank (RRBs).

IV. In July 1982 National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was

set up.

V. India now has a wide network of rural finance institution (RFI).

Why is fisheries categorised as sunrise sector in India? Examine the problems and prospects and measures
taken by the government to boost this sector.

Fisheries is a sunrise sector in India, has recorded faster growth than that of crop and
livestock sectors with diverse resources.Fisheries sector occupies a very important place
in the socioeconomic development of the country, as it contributes to economic growth
and human welfare

Prospects

1) about 14 million people are employed in this sector either directly or indirectly
2) The demand for the fish and processed fish food is increasing very rapidly in the
world having high nutritive value.
3) Fisheries sector contributes to 1.4% of total national GDP
4) It will boost the development in the marine sector
5) Besides being a major source of revenue, fisheries sector is increasingly contributing
to nutritional security of the country

Problems faced are

1) loss of biodiversity
2) depletion of fish stocks
3) The adverse impact of climate change which lead to the migration of fish species
4) The shoreline degradation and loss of coral reefs
5) Lack of well-planned strategy for the fishermen and the industry
6) Lack of implementation of new technologies in the fishing sector.

Measures taken by the government include

1) Integrating all the existing schemes under Blue Revolution: Integrated Development
and Management of Fisheries
2) Establishment of Brood bank for commercially important species to ensure
production and supply of certified broods to hatcheries in the country.
3) For development of cold water fishery, Directorate of Cold water Fisheries Research
(DCFR) has been established
4) Establishment of Shrimp Broodstock Multiplication Centres (BMCs) for increasing
production and productivity of shrimp aquaculture
5) Improving the man power requirements of the fisheriess programes and the facilities
required for technical training
6.Promote and create awareness about integrated farming method where fishes are
grown in artificially created pond,run off water with fertilizer nutrients from fields can
be used

Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan

glaciers and the symptoms of climate change in the Indian
sub-continent.
The Himalayan glaciers are shrinking at an alarming rate of 0.50% annually, and are
expected to shrink by 45% by 2100, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Changes Fifth Assessment Report. The shrinking Himalayas are symptomatic
of the adverse effects of the global warming caused by the climate change in the Indian
subcontinent.

The Himalayan glaciers are vulnerable to climate change and can set off a series of
events that can all affect the countries in the Indian subcontinent. For example, the
preliminary reports of a study funded by the USAID have showed that glaciers supply
5% and 30% of the water in the Ganges and Indus respectively. Thus, the melting of the
glaciers could impact the levels of water flowing through the major rivers of the Indian
subcontinent. This, in turn, could impact the livelihoods of the millions of people living on
the Gangetic plains etc. and adversely impact agriculture in these regions. Of all this
could eventually lead to lessening food security and put the millions of people in the
sub-continent at risk of food shortages. The IPCC report also states that climate change
could severely impact the production of rice and maize in India. Also, it is estimated that
the agricultural loss due to climate change will amount to over $7 billion by 2030, and
will affect the income of 10% of the population.
Explain the differences between Indias eastern and western
coastal plains.
The differences between India's eastern & western coastal plains are as follows:

1. Eastern coastal plains lie along India's east coast and is washed by the Bay of Bengal.
Western Coastal Plains, on the other hand, are washed by the Arabian Sea.

2. While the WCP is intersected by the mountain ridges, ECP runs smoothly from North
to South with a broad plain and a level surface.

3. ECP (width 80-100 km) is wider than WCP (50-65 km). WCP are sometimes so
narrow that Western Ghats touch the sea water.

4.Large rivers make deltas on the ECP but short swift rivers do not form any deltas on
the WC.

5. EC is sandy with alluvium and slopes gently towards the sea.It is formed by fertile
alluvial soil. Hence, experiences well developed agriculture.
WC is relatively rocky with sand and sand dunes.It is mainly formed by coarse grained
soil and thus is infertile. It slopes abruptly down to the sea.

6. EC is smooth and unfit for making ports. But, WC is broken and indented for ports.
Hence, large number of ports are along the WC.

7. Heavy rainfall in WC as compared to EC.

Weathering and Erosion:

Weathering involves two processes that often work in concert to decompose rocks.
Both processes occur in place. No movement is involved in weathering. Chemical
weathering involves a chemical change in at least some of the minerals within a
rock. Mechanical weathering involves physically breaking rocks into fragments
without changing the chemical make-up of the minerals within it. Its important to
keep in mind that weathering is a surface or near-surface process. As you know,
 metamorphism also produces chemical changes in rocks, but metamorphic chemical
changes occur at depth where either the temperature and/or pressure are
significantly higher than conditions found on the Earths surface.

As soon as a rock particle (loosened by one of the two weathering processes) moves,
we call it erosion or mass wasting. Mass wasting is simply movement down slope due
to gravity. Rock falls, slumps, and debris flows are all examples of mass wasting. We
call it erosion if the rock particle is moved by some flowing agent such as air, water
or ice.

So, here it is: if a particle is loosened, chemically or mechanically, but stays put, call
it weathering. Once the particle starts moving, call it erosion.

Why do Western Ghats don't have River Deltas whereas Eastern

Ghats have?
Wastern rivers do not form Delta whereas they form Estuaries because,

1. Deccan plateau is eastward sloping i.e Western coast is elevated compared to

eastern coast.Hence, there is no ground available for delta formation at Wastern
ghat.
2. Most of the Western flowing rivers originate in Western ghat, now if they travel
toward Western coast then they have to travel lesser distance than eastern flowing
rivers before getting into the sea. On way to Wastern coast throgh hard rocks and
over higher gradient, they couldn't collect large amount of Slit and flow with very
high speed compare to East flowing rivers.
3. Hard Rocks of Western ghat don't allow Western flowing rivers to widen their
mouth into sea, so these rivers form Estuaries whereas Eastern rivers flow through
broken hills and mountain ranges. So, they are widened and flow with lesser
velocity before entering into sea. So, they deposite sediments and silt before
entering into sea and can form a Delta.

Water Scarcity:
Causes of Water Scarcity:
1) No Proper Planning
2) Not proper linkages of rivers and canals
3) lack of investment in many areas
4) Misuse of ground water and due to which ground water level has gone down.
5) Overuse for domestic purposes and irrigation
6) Pollution , due to which there is a problem of clean water
7) Climate Change
Problems due to Water Scarcity:
1) Health problems due to lack of drinking water
2) Problems in irrigation due to lack of water, which impact the production
3) Diseases due to unclean water
4) Industrial demands of water not needed and which creates problem
5) Drought like situation due to lack of water

How far do you agree that the behavior of the Indian monsoon has
been changing due to humanizing landscapes? Discuss.

Indian monsoon is very uncertain and yet remains critical to Indias agricultural
output and economic density. In the recent years Indian monsoon is changing its
behaviour due to numerous factors which include
El- Nino: Change in heating and cooling pattern in the Pacific Ocean which is
more or less independent of human factors.

Cloud cover: This is partly due to non-human causes as well as partly due to
human causes. Cloud cover over parts of the Indian Ocean affects the monsoon
behaviour.

Forest cover: Reduction in forest cover due to human exploitation of land

resources led to change in climate pattern which in turn is affecting the monsoon
pattern.

Global warming: This is due to various man-made actions which is affecting the
monsoon behaviour by the change in elements responsible for monsoon formation.
Differences in heating patterns of Tibetan plateau and Indian Ocean are causing the
monsoon change and its seasonability.

Effects of monsoon change:

Rainfall is concentrated in few months causing heavy floods and leaving out longer dry
spells.
More unpredictability in the already unpredictable monsoon posing difficulty in policy
formulation.
Problem of water management.

The monsoon is changing as much due to humanizing landscapes, population growth and
exploitation of natural resources, as it is due to natural factors.

The problem however is that India is far ill equipped for any large shifts in climate ranging from
increase in rainfall to changes in seasonal and geographical distribution of rain. Our approach
should be to reverse this climate change at the same time adapting to the inevitable climate
change.

Q.No.19: Smart cities in India cannot sustain without smart villages.

Discuss this statement in the backdrop of rural urban integration.

New GOI policy envisages selecting 100 cities across India and making them Smart by
developing them in the following ways:

Good infrastructure water and sanitation services, 24 x 7 electricity supply etc

Smart solutions such as providing public data, electronic service delivery, 100%
treatment of water waste, monitoring water quality etc.
Promote development.
 Housing for All
Provides employment

The new smart cities initiative will increase the rate of already existing migration from villages
to cities and creates more burden on cities. So it is imperative to develop smart villages to reduce
migration and address(in complementary way) few other issues related to smart cities project.
1. As of now, around 69% of Indian population is living in villages without basic amenities like
drinking water, affordable medical care and sanitation. In order to enable villages to supply raw
materials to cities, it is necessary to develop villages first.
2. It has been estimated that by 2050 around 70% of the people will be living in cities. To reduce
burden on cities we should develop smart villages as a viable alternative.
3. Every city has its own population capacity and high influx creates problems like rise in law
and order problems as well as property and power rates.
4. The ratio of school dropouts at school or college level is quite high amongst the rural youth
which is negatively impacting the education policy and targets of the Govt.
5. To act as complementary to the proposed smart cities, villages need to be upgraded without
which the development stands handicapped.
6. In order to benefit from smart cities, villages should be in a position to receive the fruits of
smart cities and this needs villages to have facilities like communication, electricity, IT and
education.
7. 2nd Smart Cities India 2016 expo will host a special session on Smart Villages and will
assemble pradhans, sarpanchs, innovators and influencers who are working towards the vision
for Smart Villages in India.

Coming to villages and making their youth educated can only be achieved if we plan smart
village and this is the right time to do so.

What are El Nio and La Nia?

El Nio and La Nia are opposite phases of what is known as the El Nio-Southern
Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. The ENSO cycle is a scientific term that describes the fluctuations in
temperature between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central Equatorial Pacific
(approximately between the International Date Line and 120 degrees West).

El Nio means The Little Boy, or Christ Child in Spanish. El Nio was originally recognized by
fishermen off the coast of South America in the 1600s, with the appearance of unusually warm
water in the Pacific Ocean. The name was chosen based on the time of year (around December)
during which these warm waters events tended to occur.

La Nia means The Little Girl in Spanish. La Nia is also sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El
Nio, or simply "a cold event."

La Nia episodes represent periods of below-average sea surface temperatures across the east-
central Equatorial Pacific. Global climate La Nia impacts tend to be opposite those of El Nio
impacts. In the tropics, ocean temperature variations in La Nia also tend to be opposite those of
El Nio.

During a La Nia year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the Southeast and cooler
than normal in the Northwest.

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)

Indian Regional Navigation Satellites system (IRNSS) is indigenous group of 7 satellites
which are developing by Indian Space research organization(ISRO) to provide accurate
information about geographical location,weather and time acorss India and its
surrounding border areas of approximately 1500 KM.
Out of 7 satellites , 4 will be placed in geosynchronous and 3 will be place in
geostationary orbit of earth which will provide following applications-
a)Civilian use-
_It provide geographical location and knowledge for town planning and infrastructure
_It helps in agriculture by telling about soil type and weather conditions
_It will helps to locate difficult location in rescue operation during disasters
_It will also be used in traffic control and road management
_It will help in terrestrial navigation of hiker and travellers
_It help to integrate phone and computers with the help of global positioning system
b)Military use -
_It will precisely tells about bombs missile and war weapons during war period
_It helps armed forces to check the anti national activities by gathering information
about the radical groups and aggressive neighbours

This system will help India to become self reliant and have following significance-
_Integrity of Indian scientific community will increase which helps in integration of
commercial ties with SAARC countries in space technology and research.It will also
improve diplomatic relation of India with these countries
_It application in agriculture, aviation , etc can help to boost Indian economy
_Indian is coming up with projects like Smart cities , AMRUT where IRNSS can help in
infrastructure and town planning
_It will raise the standard of India and place it with countries like US CHINA Russia
which also have global navigation system
_It will help to improve domestic as well as international border security of India.

Thus navigation satellite have ability to help India in sustainable and inclusive growth
which in turn raise the global stature of India

Global Positioning System

Today GPS is under dual-use system that can be accessed by both military and civilian
users. GPS provides continuous positioning and timing information, anywhere in the
world under any weather conditions. Because it serves an unlimited number of users as
well as being used for security reasons, GPS is a one-way system, which means that
users can only receive the satellite signals.

Precise Positioning Service

The term SPS, or Standard Positioning Service, refers to a civilian GPS receiver that
has no differential corrections. The receiver is using information broadcast from the
GPS (NAVSTAR) satellites alone

Namami Gange: National Mission for Clean Ganga

An Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission called Namami Gange has been launched with a
sum of Rs. 2,037 crores. In addition a sum of Rs. 100 crores has been allocated for developments
of Ghats and beautification of River Fronts at Kedarnath, Haridwar, Kanpur, Varanasi,
Allahabad, Patna and Delhi in the current financial year.

Namami Gange approaches Ganga Rejuvenation by consolidating the existing ongoing efforts
and planning for a concrete action plan for future. The interventions at Ghats and River fronts
will facilitate better citizen connect and set the tone for river centric urban planning process.

Following are proposed actions to be taken up under Namami Gange:

I. Nirmal Dhara- ensuring sustainable municipal sewage management

II. Nirmal Dhara- managing sewage from Rural Areas
III. Nirmal Dhara- managing Industrial discharge
IV. Aviral Dhara
V. Ensuring ecological rejuvenation by conservation of aquatic life and biodiversity
VI. Promotion of Tourism and Shipping in a rational and sustainable manner
VII. Knowledge Management on Ganga through Ganga Knowledge Centre

Indian National Cyber Security Policy 2013

Mission of National Cyber Security Policy 2013

To protect information and information infrastructure in cyberspace, build capabilities to prevent

and respond to cyber threats , reduce vulnerabilities and minimize damage from cyber incidents

through a combination of institutional structures, people , processes, technology and cooperation.

National Cyber Security Policy 2013 Key Highlights

To meet with the various objectives of the cyber security policy, here are the strategy that will be

put in place.

Policy aims at creating a national level nodal agency that will co-ordinate all matters

related to cyber security in the country

It will encourage organizations to develop their own security policies as per international

best practices.

The policy will ensure that all organizations earmark a specific budget to implement their

security policies and initiatives.

 Policy plans to offer various schemes and incentives to ensure that proactive actions are

taken for security compliance.

To create an assurance framework, policy will create conformity assessment and

certification of compliance to cyber security best practices, standards and guidelines

Policy aims at encouraging open standards that facilitate interoperability and data

exchange among different IT products and services.

A legal framework will be created to address cyber security challenges arising out of

technological developments in cyber space.

The policy also plans to enforce a periodic audit and evaluation of adequacy and

effectiveness of security of Information infrastructure in India.

The policy will create mechanisms to get early warnings in case of security threats,

vulnerability management and response to the security threats thereof

A 24X7 operational national level computer emergency response team (CERT-in) will

function as an umbrella organization that will handle all communication and coordination

in deal with cyber crisis situations.

Digital signature
A digital signature is a mathematical scheme for demonstrating the authenticity of a
digital message or documents. A valid digital signature gives a recipient reason to
believe that the message was created by a known sender, that the sender cannot deny
having sent the message (authentication and non-repudiation), and that the message
was not altered in transit (integrity).

Digital signatures are a standard element of most cryptographic protocol suites, and are
commonly used for software distribution, financial transactions, contract management
software, and in other cases where it is important to detect forgery or tampering.

Zika virus
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a member of the virus family Flaviviridae and
the genus Flavivirus.[3] It is spread by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes, such as A.
aegypti and A. albopictus.[3] Its name comes from the Zika Forest of Uganda, where the
virus was first isolated in 1947.[4] Zika virus is related to the dengue, yellow
fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses.The infection, known as Zika
fever or Zika virus disease, often causes no or only mild symptoms, similar to a very
mild form of dengue fever

What is genetic engineering?

Genetic engineering is the process of manually adding new DNA to an
organism. The goal is to add one or more new traits that are not already
found in that organism. Examples of genetically engineered (transgenic)
organisms currently on the market include plants with resistance to some
insects, plants that can tolerate herbicides, and crops with modified oil
content.An organism that is generated through genetic engineering is considered to be
a genetically modified organism (GMO). Genetic engineering techniques have been
applied in numerous fields including research, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, and
medicine.

What is Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear medicine is the branch of medicine that involves the administration
of radioactive substances in order to diagnose and treat disease. The scans
performed in nuclear medicine are carried out by a radiographer. This
speciality of nuclear medicine is sometimes referred to as endoradiology
because the radiation emitted from inside the body is detected rather than
being applied externally, as with an X-ray procedure,

Mega Food Park

The Mega Food Park is comprehensive concept which main motive is to

establish direct linkages from the farm to processing and on to the consumer markets,
through a network of collection centres and Primary Processing Centres (PPC). Efficient
logistics facilities that will inter-connected with the collection centres, the primary
processing centres and a central processing centre.
It is basically a Central Processing Centre that act as the nuclei of all value addition
activities facilitated by Primary Processing Centres and also as point of aggregation and
primary handling to provide ready to use raw materials to be processed further in the
 units to be set up in the CPC. The PPCs will be fed by field Collection Centres which will
be the first point of contact with growers.

Indias first Mega Food Park. i.e The Srini Mega Food Park at Chittoor in Andhra
Pradesh.

National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill (NJAC), 2014

The issue of appointing a National Judicial Appointment Commission has been in

debates recently. This was due to the fact that certain sections are of the opinion that
such an arrangement would impede against the principle of separation of power and
judicial independence, which constitute a part of the Basic Principles of Indian
Constitution.
However, the Bill was still passed by the Parliament. The Bill was introduced in Lok
Sabha on August 11, 2014, along with the Constitutional (121 Amendment) Bill, 2014.
The Bill provides for the procedure to be followed by the NJAC, for recommending
persons for the appointment as Chief Justice of India and other Judges of the Supreme
Court, and Chief Justice and other Judges of the High Court.

Provisions of the Bill

The Bill provides that whenever a vacancy arises in the Supreme Court, or the High
Court, the Central Government will make a reference to the National Judicial
Appointment Bill. Existing vacancies will be notified to the NJAC within thirty days of the
Act entering into force.
When a vacancy arises due to the completion of term, a reference will be made to the
NJAC, six months in advance.
For vacancies due to death or resignation, a reference must be made to the NJAC
within thirty days of its occurrence.

WHAT IS GST?

The GST is a value added tax to be levied on both goods and services (except for a list
of exempted goods and services), at both the Centre and state level. This
comprehensive tax covers all stages from manufacture to sale. The tax will be levied
only on the value added at each stage of the life cycle. The GST, as mentioned above is
an indirect tax and will be borne by the customer.

There is a view that GST is likely to improve tax collection and boost Indias economic
development by achieving the benefits of a common market without causing any
cascading effects at the manufacturing and trading stages. Currently, a manufacturer
needs to pay tax when a finished product moves out from a factory, and it is again taxed
at the retail outlet when sold. GST will be is levied only at the destination point, and not
at various points (from manufacturing to retail outlets).