Oxfam released report titled An
Economy for the 1%
19-JAN-2016
Oxfam on 18 January 2016 released a report titled An Economy for the 1%. The report analysed growing trends of concentration of wealth across the world and suggested remedies to correct the anomaly.
Further, the report was named as such by taking a cue from the report of Credit Suisse, a global financial services company, which revealed that the richest 1 percent had accumulated more wealth than the rest of the world put together.
Highlights of the report
• In 2015, just 62 individuals had the same wealth as 3.6 billion people – the bottom half of humanity. This figure is down from 388 individuals as recently as 2010.
• The wealth of the richest 62 people has risen by 44 percent in the five years since 2010 – that's an increase of more than half a trillion dollars (542 billion US dollars) to 1.76 trillion US dollars.
• The wealth of the bottom half fell by just over a trillion dollars in the same period (2010-15) – a drop of 41 percent.
• Since the turn of the century, the poorest half of the world’s population has received just 1 percent of the total increase in global wealth, while half of that increase has gone to the top 1 percent.
• The average annual income of the poorest 10 percent of people in the world has risen by less than 3 dollars each year in almost a quarter of a century. Their daily income has risen by less than a single cent every year.
To address the issue of growing inequalities, the report suggested following measures
Pay workers a living wage and close the gap with executive rewards – It can be achieved by increasing minimum wages towards living wages; with transparency on pay ratios; and protecting workers’ rights to unionize and strike.
Promote women’s economic equality and women’s rights – It can be achieved by providing compensation for unpaid care; ending the gender pay gap; promoting equal inheritance and land rights for women; and improving data collection to assess how women and girls are affected by economic policy.
Keep the influence of powerful elites in check – It can be achieved by building mandatory public lobby registries and stronger rules on conflict of interest; ensuring that good-quality information on administrative and budget processes is made public and is free and easily accessible.
And, by reforming the regulatory environment particularly around transparency in government; separating business from campaign financing; and introducing measures to close revolving doors between big business and government.
Change the global system for R&D and the pricing of medicines so that everyone has access to appropriate and affordable medicines- It can be achieved by negotiating a new global R&D treaty; increasing investment in medicines including in affordable generics;
Share the tax burden fairly to level the playing field – It can be achieved by shifting the tax burden away from labour and consumption and towards wealth, capital and income from these assets; increasing transparency on tax incentives; and introducing national wealth taxes.
Use progressive public spending to tackle inequality – It can be achieved by prioritizing policies, practice and spending that increase financing for free public health and education to fight poverty and inequality at a national level.
And, by refraining from implementing unproven and unworkable market reforms to public health and education systems, and expand public sector rather than private sector delivery of essential services.
About Oxfam
• Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations working together with partners and local communities in more than 90 countries.
• The name Oxfam comes from the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, founded in Britain in 1942.
• Oxfam International was formed in 1995 by a group of independent non-governmental organizations. Their aim was to work together for greater impact on the international stage to reduce poverty and injustice.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader
Daulatrao Aher died
19-JAN-2016
Former Maharashtra health minister and Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dr Daulatrao Aher died on 19 January 2016 following prolonged illness in Nashik. He was 74.
About Dr Daulatrao Aher
• He was an ENT surgeon, hailing from Devla taluka of Nashiki in Maharastra.
• He was a member of the 13th Lok Sabha of India from Nashik constituency in 1989-1991 and was elected MLA from Nashik for three terms -- 1985-90, 1995-99 and 1999-2004.
• He served as the state health minister from 1995-99 in the then Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government.
• He was the chairman of Nashik's leading educational institute Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj and associated with several other social organisations.
French President Francois Hollande
declared economic emergency
19-JAN-2016
French President Francois Hollande on 18 January 2016 declared a state of economic and social emergency to redefine country’s economic and social model.
To tackle the emergency, Hollande unveiled a 2 billion euro plan to revive hiring and catch up with a fast-moving world economy.
Also, the government has proposed series of economic measures to revive long-stagnant economic growth and reduce chronic unemployment, which has been around 10 percent for years.
Proposed measures to be taken by
French Government are:
• Under a two-year scheme, companies employing fewer than 250 people will receive a 2000 euro bonus for each new employee with a contract of more than six months, under certain conditions.
• One billion euros will be spent on training schemes for unemployed people.
• About 500000 vocational training schemes will be created.
• Updating country’s labour-friendly business model in an increasingly online and border-free economy.
• Loosening of France's rigid working time rules.
• Integrating youth from France's troubled suburbs, including minorities who face job discrimination, into the global economy.
The government will also include a few measures in draft economic reform laws which will be presented in the parliament in the coming weeks.
Draft report of R V Easwar Committee
to simplify Income-tax Act, 1961
released
19-JAN-2016
Union Ministry of Finance on 18 January 2016 released the draft report of Justice R V Easwar (Retd) Committee to simplify the provisions of Income-tax Act, 1961.
The draft recommendations of the 10-member committee contain 27 suggestions for amendments under the Income-tax Act, 1961 and 8 recommendations for reform through administrative instructions.
Highlights of the draft report
Recommendations to facilitate
speedier disposal of tax disputes-
• Amendment to Section 255(3) to enhance the monetary limit for Single Member Bench (SMC) cases before the Tribunal to rupees one crore from the present rupees 15 lakhs
• Amendment to Section 254(2) to reduce the time-limit for rectification of orders of the Tribunal from the present four years to 120 days
• Deletion of section 143(1D) – Avoiding undesirable delay in issue of refunds
Recommendations to promote ease of
doing business and simplify
procedures-
• Tax deduction at source (TDS) rates for individuals and Hindu undivided families (HUFs) to be reduced to 5 percent as against the present 10 percent
• Proposal for certain amendments in rule 30 and 31 in relation to time and mode of payment of TDS and filing of statement of TDS under the provisions of section 200
• A presumptive income scheme for professionals should be launched. The presumptive tax is levied on an estimated income.
• Deferment of Income Computation and Disclosure Standards (ICDS) to make the process of refunds faster
• Exemption to non-residents not having Permanent Account Number (PAN), but who furnish their Tax Identification Number (TIN) in their country of residence from the applicability of TDS at a higher rate under section 206AA
• Amendment to section 234C to provide relief where a new business is started during the financial year
• Grant of timely refund with interest and also providing for payment of higher interest in case of delayed refund
• Release of property attached under section 281B on submission of bank guarantee
Comment
The RV Easwar Committee was constituted on 27 October 2015 to study and identify the provisions/phrases in the Income-tax Act, 1961. The committee was also mandated to suggest measures to improve the ease of doing business, reduce litigation and accelerate the resolution of tax disputes.
The constitution of the committee is in tune with the Government’s intention to reform the taxation processes, both direct and indirect, that are long overdue for decades.
While the RV Easwar Committee was focused on the indirect tax regime, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Constitution Amendment Bill, 2015, which is pending with the Rajya Sabha, is aimed at overhauling the indirect tax structure.
ReNew Power commissioned 40 MW wind project in Karnataka
19-JAN-2016
Clean energy firm ReNew Power Ventures on 18 January 2016 announced the commissioning of 40 megawatt wind power project in Karnataka.
With this, the total wind capacity commissioned by ReNew Power has reached 693 megawatts and in Karnataka, it raised to 68.4 megawatts from earlier 28.4 megawatts.
It commissioned first of its kind wind project at Bhesada, Rajasthan.
It installed tallest Hybrid Towers in India for the first time with 30 meters higher than conventional towers.
A lattice / tubular tower combination of 120 meters height from S97 series of Suzlon has been set up on-shore (at Nani Ber district of Kutch, Gujarat) in the world for the first time.
It has 20 operational wind projects located in 5 States. They are:
State
Number of Wind Projects
Location of the Project
Total Capacity of Production of Clean Energy in megawatts
|
Gujarat |
2 |
Jasdan, a municipality in Rajkot district, Nani Ber district of Kutch |
25.2 |
|
Karnataka |
3 |
Chikodi in Belgaum district, Raichur district and Tadas in Haveri district, |
68.4 |
|
Rajasthan |
5 |
Devgarh, Rajgarh, Bhakrani, Bhesada and Dangri villages |
161 |
|
Maharashtra |
9 |
three are in Vaspet |
358.65 |
|
Madhya Pradesh |
1 |
Mandsaur |
14.4 |
World Bank to fund 20 million US dollar for reconstructing Indira Gandhi Zoological Park
19-JAN-2016
In a global first, the World Bank in third week of January 2016 decided to extend an assistance of 20 million US dollar to help reconstruct the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP), which got devastated during cyclone Hudhud in October 2014, in Visakhapatnam.
It is the very first time in the history of the World Bank that it is directly involved in a zoo. The decision is a new addition in the portfolio of the bank as part of its ever-expanding work on urban regeneration.
The funding is a part of the 370 million US dollar Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project for which the bank is extending assistance of 250 million US dollars from 2015-2020.
The four coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari are expected to get 20 million US dollar for forest restoration and disaster prevention measures.
Destruction by Cyclone Hudhud in IGZP
• According to a damages needs assessment report by the World Bank, almost 40 percent of the trees of the complex were flattened and a larger number were damaged.
• Some 180 birds and animals escaped from their enclosures as the cages were badly damaged and 11 animals died due to the cyclone.
• The enclosures for tiger, python and the white tiger were severely damaged.
• The offices including the veterinary hospital were also affected and the compound wall was breached in several places.
• The adjoining Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary was also damaged.
About Indira Gandhi Zoological Park
• Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is situated amidst Kambalakonda Reserve Forest in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• The park is named after the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
• It was declared open to the public on 19 May 1977.
• It covers an area of 625 acres and is situated amidst the scenic Eastern Ghats of India. It is surrounded by Eastern Ghats on three sides and Bay of Bengal on the fourth side.
• Nearly eighty species of animals numbering to about eight hundred are present in the zoo.
UNWTO released World Tourism
Barometer
19-JAN-2016
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on 18 January 2016 released the World Tourism Barometer, which reviewed trends in tourism at the regional and global level for 2015 and enumerated prospects for 2016.
As per the publication, international tourist arrivals grew by 4.4 percent in 2015 to reach a total of 1184 million in 2015. In numbers, around 50 million more travelers were recorded in 2015 compared to that 2014.
Highlights of World Tourism Barometer
• 2015 marks the 6th consecutive year of above-average growth, with international arrivals increasing by 4 percent or more every year since the post-crisis year of 2010.
• The tourist arrivals, in 2015, were largely influenced by exchange rates, oil prices and natural and manmade crises in many parts of the world.
• Growth in advanced economy destinations (5 percent growth) exceeded that of emerging economies (4 percent), boosted by the solid results of Europe (5 percent).
• By region, Europe, the Americas and Asia and the Pacific all recorded around 5 percent growth in 2015.
• Arrivals to the Middle East increased by 3 percent, while in Africa points to an estimated 3 percent decrease mostly due to weak results in North Africa, which accounts for over one third of arrivals in the region.
• Results from the UNWTO Confidence Index remain largely positive for 2016, though at a slightly lower level as compared to the previous two years.
• Based on the current trend and this outlook, UNWTO projects international tourist arrivals to grow by 4 percent worldwide in 2016.
• Among the world’s top source markets, China, with double-digit growth in expenditure every year since 2004, continues to lead global outbound travel.
• Expenditure from the United States , the world’s second largest source market, and the United Kingdom, the third largest, was boosted by a strong currency and rebounding economy.
Union Government to introduce new
category of award for Most Film
Friendly State/UT
19-JAN-2016
The Union Government on 18 January 2016 decided to institute a new award category under the National Film Awards titled The Most Film Friendly State/UT.
The new award will be conferred for the first time at the 63rd National Film Awards to be held on 3 May 2016.
The decision to create a new category of award was taken as part of the government’s effort to promote the Indian film industry and India’s Soft Power.
Besides, in a bid to promote India as a filming destination and facilitate filmmaking, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) also decided to set up a film facilitation office at the NFDC premises under the supervision of the Ministry.
The decision was taken after the ministry's meeting with filmmakers, including national award-winner Shyam Benegal.
The Eagles' guitarist Glenn Frey passed
away
19-JAN-2016
Glenn Frey, a founding member and guitarist of the Eagles, one of the most popular and commercially successful artists of the 1970s, passed away on 18 January 2016 in New York, the USA. He was 67.
Frey succumbed to complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia.
Who was Glenn Frey?
• Glenn Lewis Frey was best known as a founder member of rock band the Eagles.
• During the 1970s, he played guitar with the band, as well as piano and keyboards.
• He was also one of the primary singers of the Eagles. He sang lead vocals on songs such as Take It Easy, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Tequila Sunrise, Already Gone, Heartache Tonight, and so on.
• After the breakup of the Eagles in 1980, he embarked on a successful solo career. He released his debut album, No Fun Aloud in 1982 and went on to record Top 40 hits like The One You Love, Smuggler's Blues, Sexy Girl, The Heat Is On, etc.
About the Eagles
• The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner.
• The band holds five number-one singles, six Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums.
• At the end of the 20th century, two of their albums, Their Greatest Hits and Hotel California, were ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the United States.
• Hotel California is ranked 37th in Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The band was ranked number 75 on the magazine's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
• The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Sikkim declared first organic farming
state of India
19-JAN-2016
Sikkim was on 18 January 2016 declared as the first organic farming state of India. The declaration was made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating the Sikkim Organic Festival 2016 in Gangtok, Sikkim.
Besides making the declaration, the Prime Minister also handed over the Organic Certificate to Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling.
On this occasion, he also launched three new orchid species developed in Sikkim. The new species are
• Cymbidium Sardar (after Sardar Patel)
• Cymbidium Deen Dayal (after Deen Dayal Upaddhyay)
• Cymbidium Namo (after Narendra Modi)
The Sikkim Organic Festival 2016 was held on the sidelines of the 2-day long National Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Farmers Welfare that began on 17 January 2016.
The conference was attended by agricultural scientists, State Agriculture Ministers, Agriculture Production Commissioners and Agriculture Secretaries among others.
During the conference, the participants discussed important issues on agriculture and made a presentation before the Prime Minister.
Mindtree acquired a Salesforce
Platinum Consulting Partner Magnet
360
19-JAN-2016
Mindtree on 18 January 2016 signed a definitive agreement to acquire Magnet 360, a Salesforce Platinum consulting partner. It was a deal to accelerate leadership in cloud computing and digital transformation.
Mindtree added more than 100 certified Salesforce experts with the acquisition of Magnet 360. This strengthens its ongoing focus on delivering customer success by helping clients digitize their entire back-end value chains.
About Magnet 360
• It has been a Salesforce partner since 2004.
• It brings strong expertise across Salesforce Sales, Service and Marketing Cloud implementations.
• It is headquartered in Minneapolis with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
• It works with some of the world’s largest companies across the full suite of Salesforce solutions such as CRM, branded sites and communities, social campaign strategy and management, and marketing automation.
About Mindtree
• It works with the slogan Welcome to possible.
• It delivers digital transformation and technology services from ideation to execution, enabling Global 2000 clients to outperform the competition.
• It was recognized as the EPG Emerging Azure partner of the Year in FY15 by Microsoft.
• It was declared the Gold category award winner of the LearningElite awards 2015 by the Chief Learning Officer Magazine, for its innovative learning and development practices.
• It was named the Firm of the Year for the Information Technology Sector at the CNBC-TV18 India Risk Management Awards.
• Krishnakumar Natarajan, MD & CEO of Mindtree was awarded the Best CEO under the IT/ITES (Mid-sized companies) category at the India’s Best CEO 2014 awards by Business Today-PricewaterhouseCoopers
BCCI banned Ajit Chandila & Hiken
Shah for involvement in 2013 IPL spot-
fixing scandal
19-JAN-2016
The Disciplinary Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on 18 January 2016 pronounced the orders in the cases related to the involvement of Ajit Chandila and Hiken Shah in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.
Ajit Chandila was banned for life, while Hiken Shah was banned for 5 years from playing or representing cricket in any form or to be associated in any way with the activities of the Board or its affiliates.
The disciplinary committee took the decision after they were held guilty of misconduct and corruption within various articles of the BCCI Anti Corruption Code.
However, the hearing and the final order related to Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf has been scheduled for 12 February 2016 as Rauf requested for more time to respond to the findings of the enquiry against him.
Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated Barry
Hawkins to win sixth Snooker Masters
title
19-JAN-2016
Ronnie O'Sullivan on 17 January 2016 won his sixth Snooker Masters title after defeating Barry Hawkins 10-1 in the final at the Alexandra Palace in London.
O'Sullivan had previously won the event in 1995, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2014, equalling the record set by Stephen Hendry.
About Ronnie O'Sullivan
• Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan is an English professional snooker player.
• He is one of the most successful players in the sport's modern era.
• He is regarded by many commentators as the most naturally gifted player in snooker history, and is frequently described as a genius.
• He is also noted for his mercurial temperament and for his ambivalent relationship with the sport, from which he has repeatedly threatened to retire.
• He made his first century break at the age of 10.
• His first maximum break came at age 15.
• He turned professional in 1992 and soon earned the nickname The Rocket because of his rapid playing style.
• He achieved his first major professional success when he won the 1993 UK Championship at the age of 17 years and 358 days, making him the youngest player ever to win a ranking title.
• He is also the youngest player to have won the Masters.
• He holds the record for the most competitive century breaks, with 807.
• He also holds the record for the most ratified maximum breaks in professional competition and for the three fastest competitive maximum breaks, the quickest in 5 minutes and 20 seconds.
About Snooker Masters
• The Masters is a professional invitational snooker tournament.
• The tournament is held every year since 1975.
• It is the second longest running tournament behind the World Championship.
• It is one of the Triple Crown events. It is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit.
• Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry hold the record for the most Masters titles, each having won the tournament six times.
Guenter Butschek appointed as CEO
and MD of Tata Motors
19-JAN-2016
Guenter Butschek was on 18 January 2016 appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of India's biggest auto maker Tata Motors' Group.
He was appointed after post of Managing Director of Tata Motors was vacant for two years since the death of Karl Slym on 26 January 2014 after falling from a hotel building in Bangkok. He is expected to join the company by 15 February 2016.
Butschek will lead all operations of Tata Motors in India and in international markets including South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and South Africa. However, Jaguar Land Rover would continue to be managed by its Chief Executive Officer and Director, Ralf Speth, who is also on the Board of Tata Motors.
He joins Tata Motors after his stint as the Chief Operating Officer at Airbus and Member of the Group Executive Committee.
Prior to Airbus, He worked at Daimler AG in international automotive management for more than 25 years.
He handled the sections like production, industrialization and procurement. He held position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Beijing Benz Automotive, a joint venture between Daimler AG and Beijing Automotive Industrial Holding in Beijing, China as his last role in the company.
Viktor Troicki defeated Grigor Dimitrov
to win 2016 WTA Apia International
Sydney title
19-JAN-2016
Viktor Troicki on 16 January 2016 outlasted Grigor Dimitrov in an epic 82-minute third set to claim the 2016 WTA Apia International title of Tennis in the men’s single category.
Troicki defeated Bulgaria’s Dimitrov by 2–6, 6–1, 7–6, (9–7) score in the final match played at Sydney, Australia. The Serbian player has become the fourth player in the Open era to claim back-to-back Sydney International titles.
About Viktor Troicki
• Viktor Troicki is a Serbian professional tennis player of Russian and Serbian heritage.
• He won his first ATP singles title at the 2010 Kremlin Cup by defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round and Marcos Baghdatis in the final.
• He won his second ATP singles title at the 2015 Apia International Sydney beating Mikhail Kukushkin in the final.
• He also won an ATP doubles title with Christopher Kas at the 2010 PTT Thailand Open.
• His biggest achievement was winning the deciding rubber in Serbia's Davis Cup final against France in 2010, which eventually lifted him to his career-high singles ranking of World No. 12 in June 2011.
About 2016 Apia International Sydney
• The 2016 Apia International Sydney was a joint 2016 ATP World Tour and 2016 WTA Tour tennis tournament.
• It was played on outdoor hard courts in Sydney, New South Wales.
• It was the 123rd edition of the tournament and took place at the NSW Tennis Centre in Sydney, Australia.
• It was held as part of the Australian Open Series in preparation for the first Grand Slam of the year.
Current Affairs Recap of the Day: 20
January 2016
20-JAN-2016
Jagranjosh.com brings the Current Affairs Recap of the Day to provide the reader a tool to recap and revise the important current affairs of the day in bulleted form. It will be helpful in preparation for competitive exams like IAS/PCS, SSC, Bank, MBA and etc.
• ISRO successfully launched the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) 1-E satellite on-board the - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C31
• Name of the tectonic plate on which the Russia volcano Zhupanovsky is situated and it erupted on 19 January 2016 – The Philippines Plate
• The Indian driver who won the prestigious Lady Wigram Trophy in Christchurch, New Zealand is - Jehan Daruvala
• The senior journalist and former editor of daily Loksatta who passed away on 19 January 2016 in Mumbai is – Aroon Tikekar
• The state government that approved 35 percent reservation for women in all government jobs including reserved and unreserved category is – Bihar
• The state government which signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a skill training programme for the youth is –Maharashtra
• The city in which the 4-day long 46th Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum (WEF) began on 20 January 2016 – Davos, Switzerland
• The country in which a unity government was formed under an UN-brokered deal – Libya
• The state for which Union Government sanctioned 33000 crore rupees for infrastructure development projects on 19 January 2016 -Tamilnadu
• He was appointed as the chairman of Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes on 18 January 2016 - Justice KL Manjunath, (Retd.)
• The state that approved Uber India’s expansion plans on 19 January 2016 - Karnataka
• The famous newspaper group which unveiled new logo for it RoofandFloor entity on 19 January 2016 - The Hindu
• The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper who faced 4-year ban by the International Cricket Council for doping – Kusal Perera
• NASA on 7 January 2016 announced a new program to coordinate its own efforts for detecting and tracking near-Earth objects called -Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO)
• The name of the programme sponsored by the European Union for developing methods of using nuclear weapons to deflect asteroids and comets from colliding with the Earth is – NEOShield
• The Indian cricketer who took 161 innings to become the fastest in the world to score 7000 ODI runs – Virat Kohli
• He was appointed as the head of the Committee on Yoga Education in Universities by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development -Prof H R Nagendra
• The 8th India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue was held in -London
Union Government released results
from Phase-1 of NFHS-4 Survey
20-JAN-2016
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 19 January 2016 released the results from the Phase-1 of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) 2015-16.
Phase-1 of the NFHS-4 included 13 States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and 2 Union Territories (UTs) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry.
Findings of Phase-1 of NFHS-4 Survey
Maternal & child health:
• Results showed promising improvements in maternal and child health and nutrition.
• After the last round of National Family Health Survey in 2005-06, infant mortality has declined in all first phase States/Union Territories for which trend data are available.
• All 15 States/Union Territories have rates below 51 deaths per 1000 live births, although there is considerable variation among the States/UTs.
• Infant mortality rates range from a low of 10 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to a high of 51 deaths per 1000 live births in Madhya Pradesh.
• Almost all mothers have received antenatal care for their most recent pregnancy and increasing numbers of women are receiving the recommended four or more visits by the service providers.
• More and more women now give birth in health care facilities and rates have more than doubled in some States in the last decade.
• More than nine in ten recent births took place in health care facilities in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Puducherry, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, providing safer environments for mothers and new-borns.
Fertility rate:
• Overall, women in the First Phase States/UTs are having fewer children.
• The total fertility rates (TFR) or the average number of children per woman, range from 1.2 in Sikkim to 3.4 in Bihar.
• All First Phase States/UTs except Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya have either achieved or maintained replacement level of fertility– a major achievement in the past decade.
Immunization:
• Full immunization coverage among children age 12-23 months varies widely.
• At least 6 out of 10 children have received full immunization in 12 of the 15 States / UTs.
• In Goa, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Puducherry more than four-fifths of the children have been fully immunised.
• Since the last round of National Family Health Survey, the coverage of full immunization among children has increased substantially in the States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Sikkim, West Bengal and Meghalaya.
Family planning:
• Married women are less likely to be using modern family planning in eight of the First Phase States/UTs.
• There has been any increase in the use of modern family planning methods only in the States of Meghalaya, Haryana, and West Bengal.
• The decline is highest in Goa followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• Despite the declines, about half or more married women are using modern family planning in eight of the 15 States/Union Territories.
Nutrition:
• Poor nutrition is less common than reported in the last round of National Family Health Survey.
• Fewer children under five years of age are now found to be stunted, showing intake of improved nutrition.
• In nine States/UTs, less than one-third of children are found too short for their age.
• While this reveals a distinct improvement since the previous survey, it is found that in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya more than 40 percent of children are stunted.
• Wasting is still very high by international standards in all of the States/UTs.
• Anaemia has also declined, but still remains widespread. More than half of children are anaemic in ten of the 15 States/UTs.
• More than half of women are anaemic in eleven States/UTs. Over-nutrition continues to be a health issue for adults.
• At least 3 in 10 women are overweight or obese in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu.
Drinking water, sanitation & cooking
fuel:
• Indian families in the First Phase households are now more inclined to use improved water and sanitation facilities.
• Over two-thirds of households in every State/Union Territory have access to an improved source of drinking water, and more than 90 percent of households have access to an improved source of drinking water in nine of the 15 States/UTs.
• More than 50 percent of households have access to improved sanitation facilities in all First Phase States/UTs except Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
• Use of clean cooking fuel, which reduces the risk of respiratory illness and pollution, varies widely among the First Phase States/UTs, ranging from only about 18 percent of households in Bihar to more than 70 percent of households in Tamil Nadu and more than 80 percent of households in Puducherry and Goa.
About National Family Health Survey
• The NFHS-4 is the fourth in a series of national surveys.
• The previous surveys were carried out in 1992-93 (NFHS-1), 1998-99 (NFHS-2) and 2005-06 (NFHS-3).
• NFHS-4 is the first of the NFHS series that collects data in each of India’s 29 States and all 7 Union Territories.
• Also, NFHS-4, for the first time, will provide estimates of most indicators at the district level for all 640 districts of the country included in the 2011 Census.
• In NFHS-4, women aged 15-49 years and men aged 15-54 years are interviewed.
• When the survey is completed throughout the country, approximately 570000 households would be covered for information.
Maharashtra Government and Tata
Trust signed MoU for skill training of
youth
20-JAN-2016
The Maharashtra Government and Tata Trust on 19 January 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a skill training programme for the youth in the state.
The programme has been undertaken under the Maharashtra Government’s Kushal Maharashtra, Rojgaryukt Maharashtrainitiative.
Key highlights of the skill training
programme
• Under the skill training programme for the youth, skill development and vocational training centres will be set up in 10 districts in Maharashtra.
• Virtual classrooms will also be set up in 100 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Maharashtra.
• The Trust will improve infrastructure in Industrial Training Institutes.
Andhra Pradesh Government
reconstituted the Commission for
Backward Classes
20-JAN-2016
Andhra Pradesh Government on 18 January 2016 reconstituted the Commission for Backward Classes with immediate effect.
AP Commission for Backward Classes (APCBC) will be a two member commission with Justice KL Manjunath, (Retd.) as its chairman and Member Secretary, APCBC as the other member.
The Chairman of APCBC shall hold office for a term of three years from the date of assumption of office.
The Commission was not constituted since, 24 September 2011, when the previous commission term expired.
About Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes (APCBC)
In compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court in Mandal Case (Indra Sawhney Vs Union of India 1992) to set up permanent B.C. Commissions, the Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes was constituted under the A.P. Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993 and started functioning from 31 March 1994.
The body of the Commission consists of the following Members nominated by the State Government.
• A chairperson who is or has been a Judge of High Court or a retired Judge of the Supreme Court
• A Social Scientist
• Two persons who have special knowledge matters relating to backward classes; and
• A Member Secretary who shall be an officer of the government in the rank of Secretary to the Government.
Bihar Cabinet approved 35 percent
reservation for women in government
jobs
20-JAN-2016
The Bihar Cabinet on 19 January 2016 formally approved 35 percent reservation for women in all government jobs in the state.
The decision was taken in the cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The 35 percent reservation for women will be applicable to in all government jobs including reserved and unreserved category.
The Bihar Government is already providing 35 percent reservation for women in recruitment as police constables and sub-inspectors and 50 percent reservation as primary school teachers and in the Panchayati Raj system.
In 2015, during campaigning for the Bihar assembly polls, Nitish Kumar, as chief ministerial candidate of the Grand Alliance of Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress, had promised 35 percent reservation for women in all government jobs if he formed a government again.
Soon after being sworn-in as chief minister in November 2015, Nitish Kumar reiterated his stand to provide 35 percent reservation for women.
Union Government sanctioned 33000
crore rupees for infrastructure projects
in Tamilnadu
20-JAN-2016
Union Government on 19 January 2016 sanctioned 33000 crore rupees for the development of infrastructure projects in Tamilnadu.
Union Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the sanctioned amount and at his discretion, he announced additional 17000 crore rupees. With this, the total amount sanctioned was raised to 50000 crore rupees.
The infrastructure projects include construction of Rail-Over-Bridges, upgradation of state highways into National Highways and major bridges in the state.
Some Infrastructure Projects, for
which the funds sanctioned, are
• Four-laning of 3 National Highways (NH) accounting a length of 105 kilometers and two flyovers in Marthandam and Parvathipuram, at an estimated cost of 2766 crore rupees.
• 39 NH projects for a length of 1974 kilometers at an estimated cost of 12000 crore rupees, which already are under progress.
• 9 new NH projects for a length of 1300 kilometers at an estimated cost of 12500 crore rupees.
• 4 flyovers in Kanyakumari district in Ozhiginaseri, Vadaseri, Thuckalay and Chettikulam at a cost of 300 crore rupees.
Veteran journalist Aroon Tikekar
passed away
20-JAN-2016
Senior journalist and scholar Aroon Tikekar passed away on 19 January 2016 in Mumbai. He was 72.
Tikekar, who has written over 20 books, passed away due to breathing-related complications.
About Aroon Tikekar
• Aroon Tikekar worked as a college teacher for some years.
• Then, he became the Language and Literature Expert and Acquisitions Specialist at the US Library of Congress Office in New Delhi.
• His career in newspapers started with a job as Reference Chief with the Times of India. As Archival Research Chief at the Times of India, he was responsible for writing the official history of the 150 years old newspaper.
• From 1991 to 2002, he worked as an editor of the Marathi newspaper Loksatta.
• He is also the recipient of several literary and journalism awards.
• In June 2010, as President of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, he inaugurated the Observer Research Foundation's Maharashtra@50 Study Centre.
• In October 2010, he lashed out against the University of Mumbai's decision to drop Rohinton Mistry's controversial book Such a Long Journey from its syllabus.
PSLV-C31 successfully launched
IRNSS-1E satellite
20-JAN-2016
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 20 January 2016 successfully launched the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) 1-E satellite. The satellite will provide navigation, tracking and mapping services to the Indian sub continent.
The satellite is the fifth of the IRNSS constellation. It was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on-board the PSLV-C31.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C31 was the 32nd consecutively successful mission of the PSLV. The 'XL' configuration of PSLV was used for this mission.
This is the eleventh time ‘XL’ configuration was flown, earlier ten being PSLV-C11/Chandrayaan-1, PSLV-C17/GSAT-12, PSLV-C19/RISAT-1, PSLV-C22/IRNSS-1A, PSLV-C25/Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, PSLV-C24/IRNSS-1B, PSLV-C26/IRNSS-1C, PSLV-C27/IRNSS-1D, PSLV-C28/DMC-3 and PSLV-C30/ASTROSAT missions.
Features of IRNSS-1E
• IRNSS-1E, weighing 1425 kg, is the fifth of the seven satellitesconstituting the IRNSS.
• IRNSS-1A, 1B and 1C and 1D, the first four satellites of the constellation, were successfully launched by PSLV in July 2013, April 2014, October 2014 and March 2015 respectively.
• IRNSS -1E carries two types of payloads – navigation payload and ranging payload.
• The navigation payload of IRNSS-1E will transmit navigation service signals to the users. This payload will be operating in L5-band and S-band.
• A highly accurate Rubidium atomic clock is part of the navigation payload of the satellite.
• The ranging payload of IRNSS-1E consists of a C-band transponder which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite. IRNSS-1E also carries Corner Cube Retro Reflectors for laser ranging.
Features of IRNSS
• It consists of seven satellites to provide real-time data on the position of objects to aid road, air and maritime traffic apart from providing mapping and tracking services.
• It is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland.
• It would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS), which will be provided to all users, and Restricted Services (RS) that will be provided to authorised users only.
• Out of the seven satellites of the system, three are geostationary and four are non-geostationary.
• The remaining satellites of this constellation, namely, IRNSS-1F and IRNSS-1G, are expected to be launched in February 2016 and March 2016 respectively.
• By using the IRNSS as a platform, the Government of India is planning to launch its own Global Navigational Satellite Services, GINS (Global Indian Navigation Satellite) system. It is similar to the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the USA.
Indian driver Jehan Daruvala won Lady
Wigram Trophy motor race
20-JAN-2016
Sahara Force India Academy racer Jehan Daruvala on 16 January 2016 won one of New Zealand's most prestigious events, the Lady Wigram Trophy.
It was Daruvala’s maiden victory in Formula cars since making the switch from karting in 2015.
In August 2015, Daruvala won Rookie of the Year at the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC series championships in the Netherlands.
About Lady Wigram Trophy
• The Lady Wigram Trophy is a New Zealand motorsport race trophy formerly awarded to the winner of the Wigram Airfield race.
• It made up part of the Tasman Series and classes like Formula Holden, Formula 5000, Formula Pacific and Formula Three.
• Formula 1 greats like Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and Bruce McLaren were all former winners of the Lady Wigram Trophy.
Ministry of Shipping initiated Project Green Port to make Indian ports cleaner and greener
20-JAN-2016
The Union Ministry of Shipping on 19 January 2016 started Project Green Ports, which will help in making the Major Ports across India cleaner and greener.
Project Green Ports will have two verticals:
• Green Ports Initiatives
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan
Features of Green Port Initiatives
It includes twelve initiatives which will be implemented under strict time bound fashion in order to achieve the targets.
Some of these initiatives are:
• Preparation and monitoring plan
• Acquiring equipments required for monitoring environmental pollution
• Acquiring dust suppression system
• Setting up of sewage/waste water treatment plants/ garbage disposal plant
• Setting up projects for energy generation from renewable energy sources
• Completion of shortfalls of Oil Spill Response (OSR) facilities (Tier-1)
• Prohibition of disposal of almost all kind of garbage at sea, improving the quality of harbour wastes etc.
Features of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan
The Ministry has identified 20 activities with certain time-line to promote cleanliness at the port premises.
Some of the activities include:
• Cleaning the wharf
• Cleaning and repairing of sheds
• Cleaning and repairing of port roads
• Painting road signs, zebra crossing, pavement edges
• Modernizing and cleanliness of all the toilet complexes in the operational area
• Placement of dustbins at regular intervals
• Beautification and cleaning of parks
• Putting boards indicating cleanliness messages
• Cleaning and repairing of all drainages and storm water systems
• Tree plantation
In order to achieve these objectives, regular training will be provided to the staff in order to generate awareness and inculcate a positive attitude towards keeping the environment clean and green.
INSEAD launched Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2015-2016
20-JAN-2016
INSEAD, one of the world's leading and largest graduate business schools, on 19 January 2016 launched the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) 2015-16. It was released in Davos, Switzerland on the sidelines of the 46th annual summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The report measured the ability of 109 countries, across the globe, to compete for talent and was prepared with the theme Talent Attraction and International Mobility.
On reflecting the theme, the report focused on findings linked to the significant correlation between movement of talent and economic prosperity.
Among the 109 countries surveyed, the countries that ranked high in global talent competitiveness were- Switzerland (1), Singapore (2), Luxembourg (3), the USA (4) and Denmark (5)
The countries that were at the bottom of the index – Mali (105), Tanzania (106), Ethiopia (107), Burkina Faso (108) and Madagascar (109)
Compared to its 78th rank in the 2014-15 report, India slipped 11 places to rank 89th in the GTCI 2015-16.
Eight key messages mentioned in the report
• Mobility has become a key ingredient of talent development: creative talent cannot be fully developed if international mobility and 'brain circulation' are not encouraged.
• The migration debate needs to move from emotions to solutions: countries will find it advantageous to address movements of people through a talent perspective.
• Management practices make a difference in attracting talent: apart from monetary incentives and standard of living, another important differentiator in talent attraction is the professionalism of management and investment in employee development.
• While people continue to move to jobs and opportunities, jobs are now moving to where the talent is: some countries have started to attract the attention of international investors because of creative talent at a reasonable cost.
• New 'talent magnets' are emerging: While the US, Singapore and Switzerland have long been attractive to talent, competition may become fierce among emerging talent hubs such as Indonesia, Jordan, Chile, South Korea, Rwanda and Azerbaijan, as more aspire to join these increasingly attractive destinations.
• Low-skilled workers continue to be replaced by robots, while knowledge workers are displaced by algorithms: as mobility continues to be redefined in new ways, notably through technology, knowledge workers are affected and this shift signals that entire sectors of activity may be displaced.
• In a world of talent circulation, cities and regions are becoming critical players in the competition for global talent: agility and branding of cities seem to be more critical differentiators than size as an increasing number of large cities adopt imaginative policies to attract global talent.
• Scarce vocational skills continue to handicap emerging countries: gaps in vocational skills continue to exist in emerging countries such as China, India, and South Africa, and particularly in Brazil where talent capabilities show signs of weakening on all fronts. This is also true for some high-income countries such as Ireland, Belgium and Spain.
Report with respect to India
• Compared to its 78th rank in the 2014-15 report, India slipped 11 places to rank 89th in the GTCI 2015-16.
• India’s ranking is worst among the five BRICS countries, with China leading the pack with a global rank of 48.
• The report pointed out that there are no signs of an improved regulatory and market landscape to enable the Make in India campaign.
• One of the challenges for India is to attract talent from abroad, particularly in the context of large emigration rates of high-skilled people in the past.