13-14 MAY 2016
The Drowned Detective by Neil Jordan
The Drowned Detective: Neil Jordan
The Drowned Detective authored by Neil Jordan depicts genre-defying story about a private investigator who arrived in a small Eastern European city because he was told about the opportunities opening up in former Soviet countries.
The story moves as the detective sets up, along with a colleague from that country, an agency to trace missing people and criminals.
Summary
•The book’s first few pages are about a wayward minister who cheats on his wife.
•The minister is tracked by the detective whose name is Jonathan.
•One day, an elderly couple approached Jonathan to investigate the disappearance of their daughter.
•Jonathan feels compelled to find the daughter as the faded photograph of the little girl reminds him of his own daughter.
•The story moves on as Jonathan encounters a young woman who jumped inside the river that divides the city.
•Jonathan plunges in the river after the woman to only find himself dragged into her ghostly world of confusion, coincidence and intrigue.
Who is Neil Jordan?
•Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish film director, screenwriter and novelist.
•He won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Crying Game.
•He also won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for The Butcher Boy.
•His other novels are: The Past, Night in Tunisia, Sunrise with Sea Monsteramong others.
Maharashtra declares drought in 29000 villages
Maharashtra government on 12 May 2016 declared drought in over 29000 villages of the state, most of them in parched Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.
The government through a corrigendum issued from Mumbai clarified that wherever reference is made to a 'drought-like situation' in the state manual, it would be read as drought. The reference is made in accordance with an assurance it gave to the Bombay High Court recently.
The state is strictly implementing various schemes and taking measures to mitigate the water scarcity in drought-hit areas, and more particularly in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.
The villages that have now been declared as affected by drought were already receiving benefits from the government and that the Drought Manual provided only for the word drought-like.
Earlier on 7 May 2016, the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested 10000 crore rupees as relief for the parched state. Of this, 7500 crore rupee was to be spent on completing irrigation projects in Marathwada and Vidarbha over the next three years, while the remaining would be used for projects in Western Maharashtra.
Indian-American, Manjit Singh, appointed as member of President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based
US President Barack Obama on 12 May 2016 appointed an Indian-American engineer, Manjit Singh, as the member of President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
The announcement came along with several other appointments made by the US President.
Manjit Singh
• Singh is the President of Agilious, a software technology consulting firm he founded in 2013.
• He is the co-founder of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national Sikh American media, policy and education organization.
• He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation and also as a Member-at-Large of The Board of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan in Washington.
• He is an engineering graduate of Bombay University.
• He also received a Master of Science degree from the State University of New York in US.
President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
The President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships brings together leaders and experts in fields related to the work of faith-based and neighborhood organizations in order to make recommendations to the Administration on how to improve the partnerships it forms to serve people in need. The Council is charged with:
• Identifying best practices and successful modes of delivering social services.
• Evaluating the need for improvements in the implementation and coordination of public policies relating to faith-based and neighborhood organizations.
• Making recommendations to the President and the Administration on changes in policies, programs, and practices.
The Council, after conducting its research, reviews, and deliberation, submits written reports of its recommendations.
Union Cabinet approved to sign inter-governmental agreement between India and Mauritius
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 May 2016 approved to sign the inter-governmental agreement between India and Mauritius. The agreement is on cooperation in cooperatives and related fields.
Salient features of the agreement
• The agreement between the two countries will be for duration of five years after which it will be automatically extended for another five years.
• It provides for promoting cooperation through short and medium term programmes within the framework of the joint activities mentioned in it.
• A work plan will be drawn up by mutual agreement between the two parties to give effect to the objectives of the agreement.
Background
• Mauritius Government showed keen interest to develop Institutional Mechanism between Cooperative Development Fund (CDF) set up by it and National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) so as to benefit from NCUI's experience in Cooperative Development.
• A joint meeting was held in September 2012 in Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare followed by Ministerial level meeting after a year in September, 2013.
• It was discussed for the possibility of signing an MoU between the two countries for exchange of legislation governing cooperatives, exchange of information and technicalities pertaining to the cooperative sector, establishment of institutional linkages and deputation of experts under ITEC programme.
• A delegation of two senior officials from the Mauritius Government visited cooperative organisations of India to explore the possibilities of bilateral cooperation in the field of cooperatives.
President Pranab Mukherjee confers Florence Nightingale Awards to 35 Nurses
President Pranab Mukherjee on 12 May 2016 conferred the Florence Nightingale Awards to 35 nurses from across the country on the occasion of International Nurses Day at the Rashrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
These awards are given by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals in India.
The day is celebrated worldwide on May 12 every year to commemorate the birth day of Florence Nightingale and to mark the nurses’ contributions towards public health.
About Florence Nightingale awards
• These awards are given to the outstanding nursing personnel employed in Union, State/Union Territories.
• Nurses working in government, voluntary organizations, mission institutions and the private institutions can apply with the due recommendation of concerned State Government.
• The awards carry 50000 rupees cash prize, a certificate, a citation certificate and a Medal.
International Nurses Day
• Nurses Day was first proposed by the Dorothy Sutherland (an officer from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare) in the year 1953.
• It was proclaimed first by then President of US Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• It was first celebrated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in the year 1965.
• May 12 was declared to be celebrated as the birthday anniversary of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale in January in 1974.
India, China, four others sign agreement enabling automatic sharing of country-by-country reporting
Six countries, namely India, China, Israel, New Zealand, Canada and Iceland, signed a Multilateral Competent Authority agreement for the automatic exchange to boost transparency by multinational enterprises (MNEs). The signing ceremony took place in Beijing on 12 May 2016.
With this, the total number of signatories came up to 39.
Highlights
• The pact allows all signatories to bilaterally and automatically exchange Country-by-Country Reports ("CbC MCAA") with each other, as contemplated by Action 13 of the BEPS Action Plan.
• It will help ensure that tax administrations obtain a complete understanding of how MNEs structure their operations, while also ensuring that the confidentiality of such information is safeguarded.
• The OECD/G20 BEPS Project set out 15 key actions to reform the international tax framework and ensure that profits are reported where economic activities are carried out and value created.
• BEPS is of major significance for developing countries due to their heavy reliance on corporate income tax, particularly from MNEs.
ALSO READ:UN, IMF, World Bank and OECD formed Platform for Collaboration on Tax
• Country-by-country reporting will require MNEs to provide aggregate information annually, in each jurisdiction where they do business, relating to the global allocation of income and taxes paid, together with other indicators of the location of economic activity within the MNE group.
• It will also cover information about which entities do business in a particular jurisdiction and the business activities each entity engages in.
Background
G20 leaders endorsed the wide-ranging BEPS package in November 2015, marking an historic opportunity for improving the effectiveness of the international tax system.
The signed package was a result of more than two years of discussions involving all OECD and G20 countries. The discussions also included more than a dozen developing countries.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
OECD is an international economic organisation of 34 countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It aims at promoting policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
• The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems.
• It works with governments to understand what drives economic, social and environmental change.
• It measure productivity and global flows of trade and investment.
• It analyse and compare data to predict future trends.
• It set international standards on a wide range of things, from agriculture and tax to the safety of chemicals.
In 1948, the OECD originated as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), to help administer the Marshall Plan for reconstruction of a continent ravaged by war.
Singaporean, Hong Kong terms added to Oxford Dictionary
Several Singaporean and Hong Kong English terms, including wah, shiok and yum cha, are now officially recognised as acceptable English.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) added 19 Singaporean terms and 13 Hong Kong terms in its March quarterly update.
The dictionary included formations of English that are mostly used in Singapore or Hong Kong. The OED records the meaning and development of the English language.
Some words from Hong Kong and their meaning
• Yum cha – Type of Chinese brunch
• Compensated dating- The practice of teenage students providing companionship or sex in exchange for money or gifts
• Dai pai dong -It means an open-air food stall
• Kai fong- Neighbourhood association, traditional mutual aid organisations
•Guanxi- The system of social networks and influential relationships which facilitate business and other dealings
• Lucky money - Red envelopes containing money typically handed out by elders and adults at Lunar New Year
• Sandwich class - An informal term used to refer to the middle class
• Milk tea -A drink made from black tea and milk, usually evaporated or condensed
• Shroff -A cashier, especially at a car park
•Sitting - out area - Small recreational spaces provided in urban areas
•Siu mei -Generic name given to roasted meats
•Yum cha- A type of Chinese-style brunch tea
• Wet market- A market selling fresh meat and produce
Some words from Singapore and their meaning
•HDB -it is used for a public housing estate
• Chilli crab- It is a dish consisting of crab cooked in a sweet and spicy gravy containing red chillies and tomato
•Killer - This is used for objects thrown or falling from high-rise buildings, endangering people
•Lepak (a Singaporean and Malaysian term)– It means to loiter aimlessly or idly; to loaf, relax, hang out
• Teh tarik (a Singaporean and Malaysian term)– It means sweet tea with milk, prepared by pouring the liquid back and forth repeatedly between two containers so as to produce a thick foam on top; a drink of this.
• Blur– It means confused or ignorant
• Chinese helicopter –It is a derogatory term and refers to a Singaporean whose schooling was conducted in Mandarin Chinese and has limited knowledge of English.
• Char siu (a Singaporean and Malaysian term)– It means roast pork marinated in a sweet and savoury sauce
• Shiok (a Singaporean and Malaysian term) – It means cool, great, delicious, superb
• Sabo (a Singaporean and Malaysian term) – It means to harm or play a prank on. The action of intentionally causing inconvenience, trouble, or harm to others, esp. to gain a personal advantage.
• Wah (Indian English and Singaporean term) – It is a expression of delight or surprise
• Sotong (a Singaporean and Malaysian term) - Squid or cuttlefish
• Wet market (a South Asian term) - It is a market for the sale of fresh meat, fish, and produce
• Ang moh (a Singaporean and Malaysian term) - It is used for a light-skinned person, especially of Western origin or descent; a Caucasian
• Hawker centre (a Singaporean and Malaysian term)- It is used for a food market at which individual vendors sell cooked food from small stalls, with a shared seating area for customers
Oxford adds words into the English dictionary after it qualified certain criteria’s like several independent examples of use of the word, evidence the word has been in use for a reasonable amount of time and more.
Delhi no longer most polluted in the world; Iran’s Zabol most polluted: WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 12 May 2016 in a survey announced that New Delhi is no longer the worst polluted city in the world in terms of air quality.
However, India is home to four of the five cities in the world with the worst air pollution.
As per the report, in terms of PM2.5 measurement, New Delhi ranked as the 11th worst city in the survey. The national capital had an annual average PM2.5 measurement of 122.
Key highlights of the survey
•The dirtiest air was recorded at Zabol in Iran, which suffers from months of dust storms in the summer. Zabol clocked PM2.5 measure of 217.
•The next four cities in the list were Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna and Raipur.
•New Delhi was the survey's 11th worst city, measured by the amount of particulate matter under 2.5 micrograms found in every cubic metre of air. Delhi had an annual average PM2.5 measurement of 122.
Key highlights of WHO’s urban air quality database
•More than 80% of people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed WHO limits.
•Populations in low-income cities are the most impacted.
•98% of cities in low- and middle income countries with more than 100000 inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality guidelines. However, in high-income countries, that percentage decreases to 56%.
Union Cabinet approves for MoU between SEBI and FSRA Abu Dhabi
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 May 2016 gave its approval to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), Abu Dhabi.
Key features of the MoU
• The MoU is for mutual co-operation and technical assistance between the two financial regulators.
• It will promote further development of economic links and cooperation between the two signatories
• It will help to create conditions for development of securities markets in the two countries.
• It would also contribute towards strengthening the information sharing framework between the two regulators.
Background
Apart from Abu Dhabi, SEBI also signed bilateral agreements with a number of countries which include Mauritius, Bangladesh et
SEBI is signing MoUs with different country’s financial jurisdictions who are not a signatory to the multilateral MoU of International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
SEBI is a signatory to global market regulators' grouping IOSCO's MoU which encourages the exchange of information and assistance
Kenya to close Dadaab, world's biggest refugee camp
The Kenyan Government on 11 May 2016 announced that it will close Dadaab refugee camp. The camp, which is home to 330000 Somali refugees, is often referred to as the world's largest camp.
The government cited reasons of pressing national security for the decision. The government also stated that the camp has become safe haven for terrorist organizations like al-Shabaab, a Somali-based Islamist group.
About Dadaab Refugee Camps
•According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the camp was established in 1991 to receive Somalis fleeing civil war.
•The Dadaab camps Dagahaley, Hagadera and Ifo were constructed in 1992.
•The more recent Ifo II and Kambioos camps were opened in 2011 after 130000 new refugees, who fled Somalia due to severe drought, arrived.
•As of August 2015, Hagadera was the largest of the camps, containing just over 100000 individuals and 25000 households. On the other hand, Kambioos is the smallest camp with fewer than 20000 refugees.
•As the population of the Dadaab camps expanded, UNHCR contacted German architect Werner Shellenberg who drew the original design for Dagahaley Camp and Swedish architect Per Iwansson who designed and initiated the creation of Hagadera camp.
Italian Parliament approves same-sex civil unions
The Italian parliament on 11 May 2016 passed legislation legalizing same-sex civil unions, with 372 voting in favour, 51 against and 99 abstaining. With this, it has become the last country in Western Europe to do so.
The bill to this effect was approved by the Senate on 25 February 2016 and the Chamber of Deputies on 11 May 2016. However, the bill has yet to be signed into law by the Italian President.
Key highlights of the bill
•The new law grants same-sex couples many of the same rights as married heterosexual couples.
•Partners in a civil union can apply for public housing as couples. The law also makes this right available to unmarried heterosexual couples.
•The same-sex couples can also inherit their partners’ pensions. Property inheritance rules will be the same as for married couples.
Timeline
•During a protest on 13 January 2007, 50000 gay rights activists protested in Milan in favour of the creation of a new law regulating same-sex unions.
•According to a poll conducted in February 2007, 67% of Italian Catholics backed the draft bill proposed by the Prodi coalition, and 80% of Italians said they supported the law.
•On the other hand, the Autumn 2006 Eurobarometer survey showed that only 31% of Italians thought that same-sex marriages should be allowed throughout Europe.
•A Eurispes poll conducted in early 2009 showed that 40.4% of Italians supported same-sex civil marriage, while 18.5% supported civil unions but not marriage.
•On 15 December 2013, the newly elected secretary of the Democratic Party, Matteo Renzi announced that the party will work on the recognition of same-sex relationships. Renzi subsequently became Italian Prime Minister in February 2014.
•Later, the Supreme Court of Cassation upheld the Judgment 138/2010 of the Constitutional Court, by stating that opening marriage to same-sex couples was not unconstitutional nor was a constitutional right, but a Parliament decision only, as well as introducing Civil Unions or Civil Partnerships.
•On 10 June 2015, the Chamber of Deputies, which is the lower house of the Italian Parliament, passed a motion that obliged the government to approve a bill regarding civil unions between persons of the same-sex.
•On 21 July 2015, the European Court of Human Rights, in the caseOliari and Others v. Italy, ruled that Italy violates the European Convention on Human Rights by not recognizing same-sex couples' right to family life.
•On 7 October 2015, a bill which would establish same-sex civil unions and gender-neutral cohabitation agreements was submitted to parliament. It had its first reading in the Senate on 14 October 2015.
•In January 2016, a poll showed that 46% were in favour and 40% against civil unions for same sex couples. With regards to same-sex marriage, 38% were in favour and the majority of 55% were against. Finally, 85% of those polled were against adoption by same-sex couples.
•On 25 February 2016, the bill was approved by the Italian Senate in a 173-71 vote.
Nirankari Spiritual leader Baba Hardev Singh dies in Canada road accident
Baba Hardev Singh, the Spiritual leader and chief of Nirankari Mission, died on 13 May 2016 in a road accident in Montreal, Canada. He was 62.
Hardev Singh was in a SUV travelling on westbound Highway 30. He was on a tour, visiting several centres, and was scheduled to visit the Pointe-Claire establishment.
Baba Hardev Singh
• Born on 23 February 1954, Baba Hardev Singh became a member of the Nirankari Seva Dal in 1971.
• After the assassination of his father Gurbachan Singh, who headed the Sant Nirankari Mission in 1980, he succeeded as the chief leader (satguru) of the organization.
• In 2005, he established the Nirankari Museum in Sant Nirankari Sarovar complex in New Delhi.
• He had 10 to 15 million followers around the world.
Sant Nirankari Mission
• The mission was established in 1929, by Baba Buta Singh who previously belonged to the Nirankari sect. He was succeeded by Baba Avtar Singh.
• The mission began as a reform movement within Sikhism.
• It started in form of the Sant Nirankari Movement or Universal Brotherhood Movement that believed in the importance of a living leader.
• Sikhism, on the other hand, believes in the Sikh scriptures as their final guru. It was this difference that caused the Sant Nirankari movement, which separated from mainstream Sikhism in 1929.
• The mission flourished after base of the mission was shifted to Delhi from West Punjab, after partition of India in 1947.
• As of 2016, the organization has 2000 centers and millions of followers all over the globe.
Haryana Backward Classes Act 2016 notified
Haryana Government on 13 May 2016 notified the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Act 2016.
The act was enacted to provide reservation to Jats and four other castes in services and admission in educational institutions in the state.
Highlights of Haryana Backward Classes Act 2016
• The Act provides 10 percent reservation in service for Class III and IV posts and six percent reservation in Class I and II posts to the Jat, Jat Sikhs, Ror, Bishnoi, Tyagi, Mulla Jat or Muslim Jat in Schedule III.
• It provides 10 percent reservation for admissions to educational institutions to people belonging to these castes.
• It provides 16 percent reservation for Class III and IV posts and 11 percent in Class I and II posts in schedule I to the people belonging to Backward Classes of A category.
• These people would also get 16 percent reservation in admissions in educational institutions.
• The Act would also provide 11 percent reservation for Class III and IV posts and six percent in Class I and II posts in Schedule II to the people belonging to Backward Classes of B category.
• Those belonging to BC-B category would also be entitled for 11 percent reservation for admission in educational institutions.
• A total of 71 castes fall in the list of BC-A category of Schedule, whereas six castes have been included in the list of BC-B category in Schedule II.
Apart from this, the notification states that notwithstanding anything in this Act, the state government may provide for horizontal reservation for such category or categories of persons within Backward Classes, as it may deem necessary from time to time.
• For appointments and admission to educational institutions, reservation shall be made for members of Backward Classes as specified in the schedule.
• No person belonging to creamy layer of Backward Classes shall be considered for admission in educational institutions or for appointment in services against the seats reserved therein for Backward Classes.
• The government shall, by notifications, after taking into consideration social, economic and such other factors as deemed appropriate specify the criteria for exclusion and identification of persons belonging to Backward Classes as creamy layer. The criteria fixed under sub-section two shall be reviewed every three years
• The notification also states that where seats reserved for Backward Classes for admission in educational institutions are not filled up in an academic year due to non availability of candidates with requisite qualifications, the same shall, after the display of final list of admissions for that year, be made available to general category candidates.
Union Cabinet approves National Intellectual Property Rights Policy
The Union Cabinet on 12 May 2016 approved the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy that will lay the future roadmap for intellectual property in India.
The Policy recognises the abundance of creative and innovative energies that flow in India, and the need to tap into and channelise these energies towards a better and brighter future for all.
The National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy will endeavor for a “Creative India; Innovative India: रचनात्मक भारत; अभिनव भारत”.
About the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy
• The National IPR Policy is a vision document that aims to create and exploit synergies between all forms of intellectual property (IP), concerned statutes and agencies.
• It sets in place an institutional mechanism for implementation, monitoring and review.
• It aims to incorporate and adapt global best practices to the Indian scenario.
• This policy shall weave in the strengths of the Government, research and development organizations, educational institutions, corporate entities including MSMEs, start-ups and other stakeholders in the creation of an innovation-conducive environment. This will help in stimulating creativity and innovation across sectors. It also facilitates a stable, transparent and service-oriented IPR administration in the country.
• The Policy recognizes that India has a well-established TRIPS-compliant legislative, administrative and judicial framework to safeguard IPRs. These meets international obligations while utilizing the flexibilities provided in the international regime to address its developmental concerns. It also reiterates India’s commitment to the Doha Development Agenda and the TRIPS agreement.
The mission aims at stimulating a dynamic, vibrant and balanced intellectual property rights system in India to:
• Foster creativity and innovation and thereby, promote entrepreneurship and enhance socio-economic and cultural development
• Focus on enhancing access to healthcare, food security and environmental protection, among other sectors of vital social, economic and technological importance.
The Policy lays down the following seven objectives:
• IPR Awareness:Outreach and Promotion - To create public awareness about the economic, social and cultural benefits of IPRs among all sections of society.
• Generation of IPRs- To stimulate the generation of IPRs.
• Legal and Legislative Framework - To have strong and effective IPR laws, which balance the interests of rights owners with larger public interest.
• Administration and Management - To modernize and strengthen service-oriented IPR administration.
• Commercialization of IPRs- Get value for IPRs through commercialization.
• Enforcement and Adjudication- To strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for combating IPR infringements.
• Human Capital Development - To strengthen and expand human resources, institutions and capacities for teaching, training, research and skill building in IPRs.
These objectives are sought to be achieved through detailed action points. The action by different Ministries/Departments shall be monitored by DIPP which shall be the nodal department to coordinate, guide and oversee implementation and future development of IPRs in India.
Fatma Samoura named first female secretary general of FIFA
FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) Council on 13 May 2016 named a Senegalese UN diplomat Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura as its first female Secretary General (SG).
Samoura, 54-year-old, will assume the role of FIFA Secretary General before mid-June after undergoing an eligibility check administered by an independent review committee. This eligibility check will be conducted as per Article 37 of the FIFA Statutes.
The announcement was made by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City.
About Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura
• Samoura is a 21-year veteran of United Nations programmes who is currently the UN’s Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria.
• Fatma is a woman with international experience and vision who has worked on some of the most challenging issues of our time.
• Since starting her UN career as a senior logistics officer with the World Food Programme in Rome in 1995, Samoura has served as country representative or director in six countries, namely Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Madagascar and Nigeria.
• She speaks French (her mother tongue), English, Spanish and Italian.
• Prior to joining the UN, Samoura spent eight years in the private sector, working in the fertiliser trading sector for Senchim, a subsidiary of Industries Chimiques du Senegal.