Nations Information Centre in Buenos
Aires
Tamar Hahn of Israel was on 10 February 2016 took the charge as the director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Buenos Aires that serves Argentina and Uruguay. She was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Prior to this appointment, Hahn was the Regional Adviser for Resource Mobilization and Partnerships at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama City, Panama, since 2013.
United Nations Information Centres (UNIC)
• The network of 63 United Nations Information Centres are key to the UN Organization’s ability to reach the peoples of the world and to share its story with them in their own languages.
• These centres which work in coordination with the UN system reach out to the media and educational institutions, engage in partnerships with governments, local civil society organizations and the private sector, and maintain libraries and electronic information resources.
• These are the principal sources of information about the United Nations system in the countries where they are located.
• These are also responsible for promoting greater public understanding of and support for the aims and activities of the United Nations by disseminating information on the work of the Organization to people everywhere, especially in developing countries.
Adele named IFPI Global Recording Artist of 2015
11-FEB-2016
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), international music trade body, on 8 February 2016 named Adele the Global Recording Artist of 2015 across all music formats.
The singer is the third recipient of the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year award. The award is a unique accolade that reflects an artist’s worldwide popularity across physical formats, downloads and streams.
Of the top 10 artists featuring in IFPI’s 2015 global chart, Ed Sheerantook second place and Taylor Swift ended up on the third place.
IFPI’s Global Recording Artist award and top 10 chart is the first and only ranking to accurately capture the popularity of artists across streaming channels, alongside digital and physical album and singles sales on a global basis.
Taylor Swift was the recipient of the Global Recording Artist of the Year award for 2014.
About Adele
• Adele is an English singer and songwriter.
• In 2006, she was given a recording contract by XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on Myspace.
• In 2007, she received the Brit Awards Critics Choice award and won the BBC Sound of 2008 poll.
• Her debut album was 19, which was released in 2008. It is certified seven times platinum in the UK, and double platinum in the US.
• At the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009, she received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
• She released her second studio album, 21, in early 2011. The success of 21 earned her numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of World Records.
• She is the first woman in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three simultaneous top 10 singles as a lead artist, and the first female artist to simultaneously have two albums in the top five of the Billboard 200 and two singles in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100.
• 21 is the longest-running number one album by a female solo artist in the history of the UK and US Album Charts.
• In 2012, Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world.
• In 2013, she won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the James Bond theme Skyfall.
• In June 2013, she was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to music.
About IFPI
• The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide.
• It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland.
• Its stated mission is to promote the value of recorded music, safeguard the rights of record producers and expand the commercial uses of recorded music.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company agreed to store crude oil in
India's Strategic Storage
11-FEB-2016
The UAE's national oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on 10 February 2016 agreed to store crude oil in India's maiden strategic petroleum storage. The strategic reserve will help guard against global price shocks and supply distribution.
The decision was taken during the state visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India from 10 February to 12 February 2016.
Main Highlights of Bilateral Meeting
• It will take half of the 1.5 million tonne (MT) Mangalore facility, that is, 0.75 MT (6 million barrels). ADNOC will use this facility as a warehouse for trading its oil.
• Out of 0.75 MT, ADNOC agreed to give two-third of the oil to India for free, that is, 0.50 MT will belong to India, which will be used in cases of emergencies.
• UAE will use to stock oil at Mangalore facility when prices are low and supply to its customers when rates are good.
Besides, India also offered UAE refinery projects, petrochemical plans, pipelines and LNG terminals for investment. These include:
• ONGC petrochemical project, Dahej, Gujarat: Offered 26 percent stake in 700 million US dollars project
• BPCL’s Bina refinery, Madhya Pradesh: offered 24 percent equity in 200 million US dollars project that seeks to expand the refining capacity from 6 million tons to 7.5 million tones
• HPCL’s petrochemical plant on Andhra coast: Offered 25-40 percent stake in 530-850 million US dollars project
• UAE can also invest in the planned 60 million tons in Maharashtra and the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Paradip-Surat gas pipelines.
Besides ADNOC, Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) has also evinced interest in hiring a part of the maiden strategic storage.
About Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited
• To store about 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil as strategic reserve, India established a company Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL).
• ISPRL is a Special Purpose Vehicle and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB).
• The company is involved in managing the construction of underground storage at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka. Engineers India Limited (EIL) is the Project Management Consultant for all three projects
• The 1.33 million tonnes Visakhapatnam storage and 2.5 million tonnes Padur stockpile together with 1.5 million tonnes Mangalore storage will be enough to meet nation's oil requirement of about 10 days.
Besides, India is looking at building four more strategic crude oil facilities at Bikaner in Rajasthan, Rajkot in Gujarat, Padur in Karnataka and Chandikhole in Jajpur district of Odisha.
India imports 79 percent of its crude oil needs out of which UEA makes up for 8 per cent of our oil imports.
Elephanta Island to get electricity from Independence Day 2016
11-FEB-2016
Elephanta Island: Famous for its Hindu cave sculptures depicting the cult of Shiva
UNESCO world heritage site, Elephanta Island was in news in the second week of February 2016. It was in news because the island, which was dependent upon diesel-powered generators for electricity until now, will be completely electrified by Independence Day 2016.
It will connected to the State (Maharashtra) electricity grid and for this Maharashtra Chief Minister has fast tracked a 25 crore rupees project to draw undersea power cables network between the mainland Mumbai and the island.
Elephanta Island is a popular tourist destination and it houses caves which were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
Also called the 'City of Caves', the island is situated in the Sea of Oman close to Bombay. It contains a collection of rock art linked to the cult of Shiva. Here, Indian art has found one of its most perfect expressions, particularly the huge high reliefs in the main cave.
Elephanta Island (otherwise known as the Island of Gharapuri) is a home of nearly 1200 residents and is located around 10 km off Mumbai coast.
UNESCO Report on Fight against Discrimination and Racism in
Football presented
11-FEB-2016
UNESCO report entitled Colour? What Colour? was presented on 9 February 2016 at the General Assembly of the European Club Association in Paris.
The report was launched by UNESCO and Juventus in November 2015 to present measures to fight on racism and discrimination in international football.
Features of the Report
• It takes stock of what has been done and is being done against racism and discrimination in the sport.
• It examines ways to assess actions undertaken and envisages other complementary actions, as well as offering examples of best practice.
• Football Clubs and the European Club Association can and should play a key role in promoting football as a powerful educational tool to fight against racism.
• The values of inclusion, anti-racism and anti-discrimination should be taught through football from a young age.
• The foreword to the Report stated that the values of solidarity, respect, equal dignity and tolerance are the foundations for the struggle against the scourges of racism and all forms of discrimination.
Recommendations of the Report
• Building on lessons learned from the success of political correctness in influencing change of use of vocabulary. No other instrument is more efficient than self- regulation by the supporters themselves.
• Learning from the history of political correctness can help create a context in which ‘self-censorship’ changes linguistic habits and traditions in the football stadium
• Limiting sanctions of fans and other actors to individuals. Collective sanctions are ethically wrong, highly controversial and counterproductive.
• Identifying and sanctioning individual perpetrators is feasible by way of contemporary technology and close collaboration with authorities. Charity work may be preferred over fines assanctions.
• Taking the education imperative seriously. There is consensus on the essential role of education in the combat against racism and discrimination.
• Local initiatives by individual clubs and civil society organisations are useful and effective.
• In addition to challenging the use of racism and discrimination as part of the fan experience, broader humanistic education should provide alternative models to the current ultra-competitive model of sport.
• Developing a sustainable concept of ‘civic brand management’. As fully-fledged corporate entities, professional clubs must be more aware of the ‘corporate social responsibility’ that comes with increased economic power.
• Committing to a longer-term vision and sustainability of efforts could come from a visionary group of clubs by introduction of a ‘quality label’ that would involve brand ambassadors and supporter groups.
Discrimination in Football
• Discrimination in the selection of players has existed from the origins of the game. Since the 1970s especially in Europe, multi-ethnic teams have become the norm.
• Xenophobic and racist attitudes and behaviours as well as hooliganism and violence by fans persisted or even appeared where they were previously absent throughout the last decades of the twentieth century.
• Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, we have seen significant change. As awareness of racism and discrimination and measures to mitigate them has made progress in society at large, this awareness has also increased within the football community.
• Racism has been tackled by both bottom-up and top-down initiatives. Multiculturalism is valued in the sport and the stands, and ethnic exclusion is a regrettable abnormality.
Union Environment Ministry released Draft National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-2031)
11-FEB-2016
Draft National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-2031) prepared by the Committee under the chairmanship of JC Kala was released on 3 February 2016 by Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate (MoEF).
The Committee was constituted by the MoEF to review the implementation of the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) and to suggest a new Plan of Action for Wildlife Conservation.
It will be the third National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP-3) of the country. The other two are
• NWAP-1, adopted in 1983 and implemented from 1983 through 2001.
• NWAP-2, revised plan was put in place for the period 2002-2016.
The MoEF called for suggestions and comments on the released draft NWAP-3 latest by 17 February 2016.
Highlights of the Draft Plan
• It is based on the premise that essential ecological processes that are governed, supported or strongly moderated by ecosystems, are essential for food production, health and other aspects of human survival and sustainable development. And maintenance of these ecosystems which can be termed as Life Support Systems is vital for all societies regardless of their stage of development.
• It also emphasizes on other two aspects of living resource conservation which are preservation of genetic diversity and sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems which has direct bearing on our scientific advancements and support to millions of rural communities.
• It adopts landscap e approach in conservation of all uncultivated flora and undomesticated fauna that has ecological value to mankind irrespective of where they occur.
• It accords special emphasis to rehabilitation of threatened species of wildlife while conserving their habitats which include inland aquatic, coastal and marine eco-systems.
• It also takes note of concerns relating to climate change on wildlife by integrating it in to wildlife management Planning.
• It underlines the fact that despite being one of 12 mega biodiversity countries of the world, national planning has not taken serious note of adverse ecological consequences of reduction and degradation of wilderness areas from the pressures of population, commercialization and development projects.
• Accordingly, the plan has brought to focus the alarming erosion of our natural heritage comprising of rivers, forests, grasslands, mountains, wetlands, coastal and marine habitats arid lands and deserts
• The plan underscores the increasing need for people’s support for conservation of wildlife and to this effect recommends strengthening the core buffer multiple use surround structure with higher inputs for eco-development, education, innovation, training, extension, conservation awareness and outreach programs.
• The plan is alive to communities, inhabiting forest lands and other wilderness areas, to be treated appropriately in the light of Forest Rights Act and their inadequacy of resources and strong dependence on natural biomass resource.
• The plan takes note of and addresses rising human animal conflict owing to shrinkage, fragmentation and deterioration of habitats generating animosity against wild animals and protected areas.
YES Bank partnered with Smartbox to help reduce delivery returns for e-commerce firms
11-FEB-2016
YES Bank on 9 February 2016 announced its tie-up with Smartbox Ecommerce Solutions for solving challenges related to last mile delivery for e-commerce firms.
The bank will help power the payment solutions for Smartbox network of Automated Parcel Delivery Terminals.
The cash on delivery (COD) model continues to account for over 50 per cent of the e-commerce market which is expected to reach a size of 100 billion US dollars by 2020. YES Bank's partnership will address this challenge and help reduce costs for e-commerce companies while offering additional convenience to online shoppers.
With the association of YES Bank and Smartbox, COD will be handled as CSOD (Card Swipe On Delivery) on the terminals, which will eventually reduce the burden of handling cash on the entire ecosystem.
About YES Bank
• Yes Bank is India's fifth largest private sector bank.
• It is the only bank in the last two decades which was awarded Greenfield Bank licence by the RBI.
• Yes Bank is a full service commercial bank and has steadily built a corporate, retail & SME banking franchise, financial markets, investment banking, corporate finance, branch banking, business and transaction banking, and wealth management business lines across the country.
HeyBiz tied up with Su-Kam Power
11-FEB-2016
HeyBiz, a sales-marketing-support application for SMEs, on 9 February 2016 announced its association with Su-Kam Power Systems Limited, a power back-up solution provider.
The partnership aims at digitising HeyBiz’s dealers and distributors network that will help in connecting with local customers.
Key highlights of the tie-up
• The tie-up will enable HeyBiz users to chat and discuss with Su-Kam Experts or local dealers and get insight on product details, prices and dealers' location throughout the country.
• Users can also schedule a service on real time chat with ease and convenience.
• HeyBiz will promote and sell Su-Kam consumer products like inverters, batteries, UPS, solar panel, power accessories to its users.
About HeyBiz
• HeyBiz is a mobile application, which connects both customers and business on mobile with real time chat.
• It allows the customers to enquire about services, product or support related to the business.
About Su-Kam Power Systems Limited
• Su-Kam Power Systems Limited is an India-based power solutions provider which sells its products in more than 70 countries.
• The company provides power back-up solutions for both domestic as well as industrial markets, and focuses on eco-friendly energy solutions like solar power.
• It was founded by Kunwer Sachdev in 1988 as a cable TV company with an investment of 10000 rupees.
NATO, EU signed agreement on Cyber Defense Cooperation
11-FEB-2016
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) on 10 February 2016 signed an agreement to improve cooperation in cyber defense.
The technical agreement signed at NATO headquarters at Brussels, Belgium will help the two in countering the modern forms of hybrid warfare.
The deal establishes a framework for emergency response teams from the NATO and the EU to exchange information and share best practices.
The new agreement will facilitate information-sharing to improve cyber incident prevention, detection and response at both the EU and NATO.
Since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, NATO and the EU, which have 22 member countries in common, have accelerated cooperation in a number of defense-related fields
.
Assam CM Gogoi unveiled Vision Assam 2030
11-FEB-2016
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on 10 February 2016 unveiled a draft document, 'Vision Assam-2030: Everything for Everyone-Achieving inclusive and Sustainable Development'. The document was released to ensure inclusive and sustainable development of the state.
The vision document was released during the two-day partnership conference in connection with implementation of sustainable development goals that began in Guwahati on the same day.
'Vision Assam 2030' envisions a transformed future for the people of Assam free from all forms of deprivation, inequities and insecurity within the next 15 years.
With this, Assam became the first state to have a vision document on sustainable development goals.
Background
The 'Vision Assam 2030’ is based on the United Nations the official agenda, Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The agenda was adopted as a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015 for sustainable development comprising 17 goals and 169 targets.
The 17 goals include ending poverty in all forms, ending hunger, achieving good health for all, quality education for all, gender equality, clean sanitation and water, affordable and clean energy, employment and economic growth, industrialisation and innovation, reducing inequalities, responsible consumption and production, climate change, protecting life under water, conserving life on land, achieving justice and peace and partnerships to achieve these goals.
Veteran director Aurobindo Mukherjee passed away
11-FEB-2016
Acclaimed film director Aurobindo Mukherjee passed away on 10 February 2016 in Kolkata, West Bengal. He was 97.
Mukherjee was the maker of cult Bengali classics like Agniswar,Mouchak and Nishi Padma in the early 1970s.
Renowned actor Jaya Bhaduri was the discovery of Mukherjee. He launched Bhaduri in Dhanyee Meye in 1971.
Mukherjee’s first film, Kichhukhon, got him the President's Award. His film Nishi Padma, starring Uttam Kumar and Sabitri Chatterjee, was remade in Hindi by Shakti Samanta as Amar Prem. Mukherjee wrote the screenplay for the movie, which earned him a Filmfare Award.
Marine Museum inaugrated at Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre in Digha
11-FEB-2016
The Marine Museum was inaugurated on 3 February 2016 at the Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre (MARC) of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Digha, West Bengal.
It was inaugurated along with one day National Seminar on Coastal Zone Management and Marine Biodiversity at East Medinipur district of West Bengal.
Features of the Marine Museum
• The newly constructed museum that is thrown open to the public contains Fish gallery, Coral gallery, and Molluscan gallery with more than 500 marine species display.
• The species include fishes, sea snakes, molluscs, corals, crabs, prawns, lobsters, echinoderms, horse-shoe crabs etc.
• It displays several awareness posters related to marine life, marine biodiversity and conservation.
• It would help the students and public for the purpose of awareness on marine biodiversity conservations as well as serve as a platform for the students having interest on marine biology from all over India.
About Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
• It is a premier Indian organisation in zoological research and studies. It was established on 1 July 1916 to promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in the region.
• The activities of the ZSI are coordinated by the Conservation and Survey Division under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• It acquired the Zoological collections of more than a century old from former Museum (1814 -1875) of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and Zoological Section of the Indian Museum (1875-1916) in Calcutta.
• The expansion programme of the survey was initiated with the increasing interest in the life sciences and with the advent of country´s Five Year Plans.
• It got around 17 regional centers across the country and one among them is Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre (MARC) in Digha, West Bengal which completed 25th years of service to the nation on faunal inventory and research.
National Assembly of France voted for stripping of nationality for
terrorists
11-FEB-2016
National Assembly, the Lower House of the bicameral Parliament of France, on 9 February 2016 passed a proposal to amend the Constitution to strip people convicted of terrorist offences of their French nationality.
National Assembly voted by 162 to 148 to incorporate a passport-stripping clause into the Constitution, despite misgivings by some lawmakers that it is too extreme.
A follow-up vote is scheduled on 10 February 2016 in which the lower house is due to reaffirm the vote.
To change the constitution, the government's proposal will need approval by the upper house of parliament, the Senate, and then finally by both houses by a three-fifths majority.
Earlier on 9 February 2016, parliament overwhelmingly voted to extend the current state of emergency by another three months, giving police and security forces increased powers.
Background
French President Francois Hollande launched the long process to change in the Constitution after the 13 November 2015 Paris attacks by Islamic State terror group that killed 130 people.
The measure to strip terror convicts of French nationality has strong public support but has deeply divided Hollande's ruling Socialist Party.
Christiane Taubira resigned as justice minister in January 2016 over her opposition to it and Hollande's former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has publicly condemned the amendment.
MoEF notified Wild Boar as Vermin for a year in Uttarakhand
11-FEB-2016
Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) on 3 February 2016 notified wild pig as vermin for a period of one year from the date of issue of the notification in Uttarakhand.
The notification claimed that in exercise of the powers conferred by section 62 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Union government declared wild pig (sus scrofa) listed to be vermin.
It declared the animals to be vermin across 13 districts (71 of 79 sub divisions) of Uttarakhand.
What is being declared to be Vermin?
• It will allow state authorities to carry out an extermination of the declared species on a large scale without attracting penal provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Forest staff, police men or anybody who has got licensed revolver can kill the animal.
• The forest department will provide ammunition by giving 50 percent fund for purchasing the bullet, the remaining amount of which will be paid to the user once they provide the video-graphical evidence along with empty bullet used to kill the pig.
• The carcass has to be burnt as per the norms with regard to wildlife. Videography of this method of disposal will have to be furnished to the forest official of the area.
Background
The Uttarakhand Government has reported harm to life and property, including large-scale destruction of agriculture, due to overpopulation of wild pig in areas outside forests. The forest department has sent the proposal to the MoEF to declare both wild pig and neel gai (blue bull) vermin in July 2015. However, it is only wild pig, which has been permitted.
India ranked 37 in USSC’s 2016 Intellectual Property Index
12-FEB-2016
India ranked 37 out of the 38 economies surveyed in the 2016 Intellectual Property Index (IPI). The index was released on 10 February 2016 by the Global Intellectual Property Centre (GIPC) of the United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC).
Out of the 38 economies surveyed, while the USA topped in terms of intellectual property protection by securing 28.61 points out of 30,Venezuela was at the bottom of the index.
The index was prepared on the basis of 6 key parameters including patents, trademarks and copy rights related rights and limitations, trade secrets, enforcement and participation in international treaties.
In the index, India secured 0.18 less than the 2015 index (7.05) due to its bar on patentability of incremental changes under Section 3(d) of the Patent Act 1970, compulsory licensing provisions and uncertainty regarding computer-related inventions (CRI).
Further, India’s non participation in the major international treaties including the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement was also a reason for its poor performance in the index.
Karnataka Mobile One project won 2016 Best m-Government
Service Award at World Government Summit
12-FEB-2016
Karnataka’s Mobile One project on 10 February 2016 won 2016 Best m-Government Service Award at the 4th World Government Summit in Dubai, the UAE.
The project was selected for the award in the One Stop App category at the international level.
To win the award, the Mobile One competed with projects from about 64 countries of which the e-governance apps of the UK and Kazakhstan were also shortlisted.
Features of Mobile One project
• It brings together around 4000 services of multiple states and central government departments as well as private service providers at one place.
• The services can be accessed in the form of an application that include government services like utility bill payments, income and property tax payment, SAKALA services, bus and railway ticket booking.
• In addition, various private services in the categories of healthcare, banking, travel, legal, agriculture and other areas are also provided by the application.
• The services can be accessed as an App on smartphones, a web portal or through short messege service (SMS) and interactive voice response system (IVRS).
• The project was launched in December 2014 by the President Pranab Mukherjee.
Indian-origin Davinder Singh named vice-chair of ICC Commission
on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-corruption
12-FEB-2016
Indian-origin lawyer Davinder Singh in the second week of February 2016 was appointed as a vice-chair of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Commission on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-corruption.
With this appointment, Davinder Singh, a citizen of Singapore, became one of three vice-chairs of the commission. Other two vice-chairs are François Vincke of Belgium and Iohann Le Frapper of France.
About Davinder Singh
• He is the Chief Executive Officer of Drew & Napier LLC.
• He graduated from the National University of Singapore, and was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1983.
• He litigated cases in the Singapore Courts in almost every area of the law, including landmark cases.
• He also has an active international arbitration practice involving complex commercial disputes and multiple jurisdictions.
• He was the only Singapore lawyer to win the Outstanding Contribution to the Legal Profession Award at the Chambers APAC Awards 2014.
• He also led the team which won the Cross-border Dispute/Litigation of the Year award for its successful prosecution of one of the largest corruption cases in Brunei Darussalam.
• He was also a former Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency from 1988 to 2006.'
About ICC & Commission on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-
corruption
• ICC is the largest, most representative business organization in the world.
• ICC has three main activities: rule setting, dispute resolution, and policy advocacy.
• Its hundreds of thousands of member companies in over 180 countries have interests spanning every sector of private enterprise.
• ICC was formed in 1919 and its headquarters is located in Paris, France.
• The Commission on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-corruption works closely with the ICC on corruption related issues.
• The focus of the commission is on issues related to anti-money laundering, counter terrorist-financing, public procurement and anti-corruption clauses in model contracts (Commercial Law and Practice).
States can clampdown mobile internet access under Section 144 of CrPC: Supreme Court
12-FEB-2016
The Supreme Court on 11 February 2016 ruled that States can clampdown mobile internet access under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) if there is apprehension that a public agitation can turn aggressive and disturb public tranquillity.
The ruling was delivered by a bench led by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur while dismissing a plea filed by law student Gaurav Sureshbhai Vyas against a Gujarat High Court order.
The petitioner contended that the high court’s order, which upheld a clampdown on mobile internet access under Section 144 of the CrPC during the Patidar agitation, was a violation of the right to freedom of speech and expression granted under the Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution.
The Gujarat high court, in September 2015, ruled that the clampdown was only minimal restriction and not a violation of free speech, which extends to unhindered access to internet.
UP Land Revenue Act, 2015 came into effect
12-FEB-2016
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Land Revenue Act, 2015 became effective on 11 February 2016. The new code that unifies many Acts replaced at least 39 old land revenue acts.
The new revenue act also replaced the pre and post British era British era Land Revenue Act of 1901 and Zamindari Abolition and Land Reform Act 1950.
The Act will enable Dalits of the state to sell their land to non-Dalits without approval of the administration. It empowers rural women, as the new provisions ensure that wife gets equal rights on the gram samaj land given out on a lease. Earlier, women didn’t have their name on such lease.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on 6 February 2016 launched this new revenue code booklet at a programme in Lucknow.
Four Indian-Americans elected to National Academy of Engineering
of USA
12-FEB-2016
and two Indians were on 8 February 2016 elected to National Academy of Engineering (NAE) of the USA for their outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or education.
While Indo-Americans Anil K Jain, Dr Arati Prabhakar, Ganesh Thakur and Dr K R Sridhar were part of 80 newly-elected members, Reliance Industries CMD Mukesh Ambani and former technocrat Sam Pitroda were part of 22 foreign members.
About Anil K Jain
• An undergraduate from IIT-Kanpur, he was elected for his contributions to the engineering and practice of biometrics.
• At present, he is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at Michigan State University.
• His research interests include pattern recognition, computer vision and biometric recognition.
• He has been assigned six U.S. patents on fingerprint recognition (transferred to IBM in 1999) and two Korean patents on surveillance.
• He was a consultant to India's Aadhaar program that provides a 12-digit unique ID number to Indian residents based on their fingerprint and iris data.
• He authored several books including Introduction to Biometrics (2011), Handbook of Biometrics (2007) and Handbook of Multibiometrics (2006) among others.
About Dr Arati Prabhakar
• She is the director of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Virginia.
• She was elected as a fellow for national leadership to advance semiconductor and information technologies.
• Her first service to national security started in 1986 when she joined DARPA as a program manager.
• As the founding director of DARPA's Microelectronics Technology Office, she led a team of programme managers whose efforts spanned areas such as optoelectronics, infrared imaging and nanoelectronics.
• In 1993, President William Clinton appointed her as the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
• She chaired the Efficiency and Renewables Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Energy.
About Ganesh C Thakur
• He is the president of Thakur Services Inc. in Houston, Texas.
• He was named a member for leadership in the implementation of integrated reservoir management techniques.
• He is a world-recognized leader in reservoir engineering and management and interdisciplinary practice of water flood management.
• He served as an ambassador of technical capabilities to national oil companies and government ministries in China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Angola, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Venezuela, etc.
About K R Sridhar
• He is the principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy Corporation in California.
• He was selected for the contributions to transport phenomena and thermal packaging of electrochemical systems and generation of clean, reliable and affordable power.
• Prior to founding Bloom Energy, he was director of the Space Technologies Laboratory (STL) and a professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Arizona.
• His work for the NASA Mars programme to convert Martian atmospheric gases to oxygen for propulsion and life support was widely recognised.
About National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
• It was founded as a private, independent and non-profit organisation in 1964.
• It provides engineering leadership with a mission to promote a vibrant engineering profession and giving insights to the US government on related matters.
• Its membership honours those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or education.
• Along with the new members announced for 2016, the total US membership goes up to 2275 and the number of foreign members to 232.
• Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAE’s Annual Meeting in Washington DC on 9 October 2016.
UAE named women ministers for happiness, tolerance
12-FEB-2016
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 11 February 2016 appointed women ministers to the newly created portfolios for happiness and tolerance, and youth affairs.
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum named eight women as he revealed his latest cabinet line-up of 29 ministers.
The cabinet that has eight new ministers, including five women with an average age 38.
Ohoud al-Roumi, who had served as director of the council of ministers' office, was appointed Minister of State for Happiness. She will also keep her former post. The post of Minister of State for Tolerance was created to promote tolerance as a fundamental value in UAE society.
Other female ministers include
• Shamma al-Mazroui (22) was appointed minister for youth
• Lubna al-Qassimi - Minister for Tolerance, she is a veteran minister of international cooperation and development
• Noura al-Kaabi - Minister of State for the Federal National Council or Parliament
• Jamila al-Muhairi - Minister of State for Education
• Najla al-Awar - Minister of Community Development
• Reem al-Hashimi - State Minister for International Cooperation Affairs
• Maitha Alshamsi - State Minister
Several key ministries remained in the hands of members of the ruling families and they are
• Sheikh Saif bin zayed al-Nahyan - Portfolio of Interior
• Sheikh Abdullah - Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, which has been merged with the portfolio of international cooperation
• Sheikh Mansour - Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs
• Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid - Defence portfolio
• Sheikh Hamdan – Minister of finance
• Suhail al-Mazroui - Oil Minister
Pulitzer Prize-winning Composer Leslie Bassett died
12-FEB-2016
Leslie Bassett, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, passed away on 4 February 2016 in Oakwood, Georgia. He was 93.
Bassett won the Pulitzer for music for Variations for Orchestra, which premiered in Rome in 1963.
Who was Leslie Bassett?
• Leslie Bassett studied composition with Homer Keller at the University of Michigan.
• Bassett was a member of the Gamma Pi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at California State University-Fresno, 1942.
• He also composed Echoes from an Invisible World, which was commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy for the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976.
• He wrote Hammered Strings and Whistling Pipes specifically for the husband-and-wife duo Phillip and Joy Hayner, faculty members at Piedmont College, to perform at a ProMusica Concert Series event in 2011.
Book titled A Kingdom for his Love launched by Amar Chitra Katha
12-FEB-2016
A Kingdom For His Love: Vani Mahesh and Shinie Antony
A fiction book titled A Kingdom For His Love was launched in February 2016 by Amar Chitra Katha (ACK). The book is co-authored by Vani Mahesh and Shinie Antony.
The authors through the book want to retell the Sanskrit play'Swapnavasavadattam', by one of the earliest and most celebrated playwrights Bhasa. It is an immersive novel about two people coming together against all odds for the sake of true love.
The book is the first romance fiction published by the comic book publisher after it announced the launch of ACK Stories Alive imprint recently. Over all it is the second novel after the first novel 'Counter Theft' was published in July 2015.
The story explores the timeless romance of King Udayana and princess Vasavadatta from rival kingdoms set in an ancient era. Udayana, the ruler of Kausambi renowned for his magical Veena, Ghoshavati, which when played by him can subdue even the wildest creature is tricked and captured by members of the rival kingdom Ujjaini.
Udayana falls in love with beautiful princess Vasavadatta of Ujjaini. Being from rival kingdoms, they have to overcome the enmity between two kingdoms to be together.
Ministry of Railways signed MoU with Telangana for rail expansion
12-FEB-2016
The Ministry of Railways and State Government of Telangana on 11 February 2016 inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the formation of Joint Venture (JV) companies for development of railway infrastructure in the state.
The MoU was signed in the backdrop of Railway Minister’s Budget announcement regarding setting up of Joint Ventures with States for focused project development, resource mobilization, land acquisition, project implementation and monitoring of critical rail projects.
Key highlights of the MoU
• The signing of MoU is going to be a stepping stone for formation of JV companies.
• The MoU envisages formation of a Joint Venture companies having 51% stakes of the respective State Government and 49% stakes of Ministry of Railways. Thus, the JV companies will be fully owned by the Government.
• The companies will primarily identify projects and possible financing avenues in addition to Govt of India and the State Governments. After finances for a project are tied up, project specific Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) will be formed. These SPVs can have other stake holders from Industries, Central PSUs, State PSUs etc. However, the JV companies will be the mandatory stake holders with minimum 26% shares in the SPVs.
• The ministry of Railways will sign a concession agreement of 30 years with the project SPV for safe and sound operation, revenue sharing and providing technical & marketing logistics to the SPV. The revenue sharing will be based on already established formula being used for inter zonal apportionment of revenue.
• The most important aspect of the MoU is that the ownership of the land will vest with the SPVs. This will give financial leverage to the company to exploit commercial potential of the land. This is likely to result in making project viable which are otherwise not viable.
• At the end of concession period, the railways will have option to take over the assets at a nominal price. This is largely in line with average codal life of the assets as most of the assets will need large scale replacement after 30 years.
Soviet football legend Anatoli Ilyin passed away
12-FEB-2016
Soviet football legend Anatoli Ilyin passed away on 10 February 2016 in Moscow, Russia. He was 84.
Ilyin was the scorer of the first ever UEFA European Championship qualifying goaland the strike that earned the Soviet Union Olympic gold in 1956.
The legendary footballer won five Soviet Top League titles and two Soviet Cups during a club career spent at home-town Spartak Moskva. He was the league's top scorer in 1954 and 1958, and in all managed 106 goals during a 13-year playing career.
Ilyin also participated in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. He earned 31 caps and scored 16 goals for the Soviet Union from 1952 to 1959.
Union Health Minister launched National Framework for
Elimination of Malaria 2016-2030
12-FEB-2016
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on 11 February 2016 released the National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) 2016-2030at New Delhi. The framework outlines India’s strategy for elimination of the disease by 2030.
NFME document defines goals, objectives, strategies, targets and timelines to eliminate malaria from the country. It will serve as a roadmap for advocating and planning malaria elimination from the country in a phased manner.
The objectives of the NFME are to
• Eliminate malaria from all low (Category 1) and moderate (Category 2) endemic states/UTs (26) by 2022
• Reduce incidence of malaria to less than 1 case per 1000 population in all States/UTs and the districts and malaria elimination in 31 states/UTs by 2024
• Interrupt indigenous transmission of malaria in all States/ UTs (Category 3) by 2027
• Prevent re-establishment of local transmission of malaria in areas where it has been eliminated and to maintain malaria-free status of the country by 2030
The milestones and targets are set for 2016, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2027 and 2030 by when the entire country has sustained zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria for 3 years and initiated the processes for certification of malaria elimination status to the country
The NFME 2016-2030 also defines key strategic approaches such
as
• Programme phasing considering the varying malaria endemicity in the country
• Classification of States/UTs based on API as primary criterion (Category 0: Prevention of re-introduction phase; Category 1: Elimination phase; Category 2: Pre-elimination phase; Category 3: Intensified control phase)
• District as the unit of planning and implementation
• Focus on high endemic areas
• Special strategy for P. vivax elimination
An enabled environment and necessary resources would remain critical to realize the objectives in the pathway to malaria elimination.
Expectations from States/Union Territories
• By the end of 2016, all states/UTs are expected to include malaria elimination in their broader health policies and planning framework
• By the end of 2017, all states are expected to bring down API to less than 1 per thousand population
• By the end of 2020, 15 states/UTs under category 1 (elimination phase) are expected to interrupt transmission of malaria and achieve zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria
• It is also envisaged that in states with relatively good capacity and health infrastructure, such as, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra, accelerated efforts may usher malaria elimination sooner - within two to three years
• As per the targets under the 12th Five Year Plan, the country is to achieve API<1 at state and district level by 2017 and pave way to malaria elimination in subsequent years
Wipro acquired US-based HealthPlan Services for 3150 crore
rupees
12-FEB-2016
Wipro on 11 February 2016 announced signing of a definitive agreement to acquire HealthPlan Services from Water Street Healthcare Partners.
Wipro will acquire 100 per cent of HealthPlan Services' shares for a purchase consideration of 460 million US dollars. However, the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed in the next 60-90 days.
The acquisition will help the country’s third largest software services firm strengthen its position in the U.S. health insurance market.
About HealthPlan Services
• Headquartered in Florida, U.S., HealthPlan was founded in 1970.
• It is a leading independent technology and Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) provider in the U.S. health insurance market.
• It offers technology platforms to health insurance companies. It connects its payer clients to over 40 public exchanges and over 150 private exchanges in the U.S.
India, UAE signed nine agreements including renewable energy
and finance
12-FEB-2016
India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 11 February 2016 signed nine agreements. The agreements covered a wide range of sectors like the sphere of cyber security, infrastructure, renewable energy and finance.
The pacts were inked after talks between visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
The signed agreements were
• MoU on Technical Cooperation in Cyber Space and Combating Cyber Crime: The agreement signed between the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates and the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of India MoU provides for technical cooperation in Cyber Space and in the area of Combating Cyber Crime.
• MoU on Establishing a Framework for Facilitating the Participation of UAE institutional investors in Infrastructure Investments in India: The MoU aims at establishing a framework for facilitating the participation of UAE institutional investors in Infrastructure Investments in India.
• General Framework Agreement on Renewable Energy Cooperation: The framework agreement provides for bilateral cooperation through extensive projects, investments, cooperation in R & D in renewable and clean energy. Knowledge sharing platforms could also be enacted.
• MoU on Cooperation in the Exploration and use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes: It was inked between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency and establishes a framework for cooperation in space science, technology and applications including remote sensing; satellite communication and satellite based navigation.
• MoU for bilateral cooperation in the field of insurance supervision: The MoU between Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDA) and the Insurance Authority of UAE aims at promoting cooperation between the concerned authorities in the field of insurance supervision through a framework for cooperation and by increasing mutual understanding through the exchange of regulatory and relevant supervisory information to ensure compliance with their respective laws and regulations.
• Executive Programme for Cultural Cooperation (EPCC) between India and UAE: The Cultural Exchange Programme 2016 – 2018 follows from the existing bilateral cultural agreement (1975) and provides for a range of cultural exchange activities under the new EPCC.
• Letter of Intent on Cooperation for skill development and recognition of qualifications: It was inked between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), India and The National Qualifications Authority (NQA), UAE and provides collaboration on skill developments and mutual recognition of qualifications.
• MoU for exchange of information on trade and business opportunities: The MoU was signed between Dubai Economic Council (DEC) and Export-Import bank of India. It provides for both parties to exchange information on trade and business opportunities and to further the goal of facilitating procurement of Indian goods and services by Dubai Government.
• MoU on Indian Rupee (INR)/UAE Dirham (AED) Bilateral Currency Swap Arrangement: The agreement between Reserve Bank of India and Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates promotes bilateral financial relations through currency swap arrangement between the RBI & Central Bank of UAE.