19-20 October 2015
19 october
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi conferred Harvard University’s 2015 Humanitarian of the Year Award
Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2014 Kailash Satyarthi was on 16 October 2015 conferred with the 2015 Humanitarian of the Year Award. The award is given annually by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations of the Harvard University.
He was awarded for his continuing contribution to the cause of child rights and abolition of child slavery.
Satyarthi was successful in getting the issue of child protection included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that was adopted by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2015.
His co-sharer of the Nobel Peace Prize 2014 Malala Yousufzai of Pakistan was conferred with the Humanitarian of the Year award in 2013.
In 2014, this award was conferred on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
About the Award
Each year, the Harvard Foundation of Harvard University presents the Humanitarian Award to an individual whose works and deeds have served to improve the quality of our lives and have inspired us to greater heights.
This award is given in the name of the Rev. Professor Peter J. Gomes, Plummer Professor and Minister in Harvard's Memorial Church, and is authorized by the Dean of Harvard College and the President of Harvard University.
The past winners of this award include luminaries like Martin Luther King Sr, Kofi Annan, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Javier Perez de Cuellar; Bishop Desmond Tutu and John Hume among others.
Housing.com appointed Mani Rangarajan as CFO
Realty giant Housing.com on 18 October 2015 appointed Mani Rangarajan as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The appointment was made to strengthen its senior management team.
Rangarajan holds over 20 years of experience and has successfully played executive level roles in companies such as Yahoo! and Citigroup. He also played vital roles in many Silicon Valley start-up companies, like Boku, Kosmix and Media Boost.
Rangarajan obtained an MBA degree from the Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He also received a post graduate management diploma from IIM Calcutta and is also a Cost & Works Accountant.
About Housing.com
Housing.com is a Mumbai-based real estate search portal, which was founded by a group of 12 students from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in June 2012. The website allows the users to search for housing based on location, number of rooms, budgets and various other filters.
Since 2012, the company has raised four rounds of funding. It fetched a funding of 2.5 million US dollars in Series A funding from Nexus Venture Partners in June 2013.
FIFA suspended Kuwait Football Association
Zurich-based Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on 16 October 2015 suspended Kuwait Football Association (KFA) with immediate effect.
It was banned because of interference of the government officials in the running of the sports by the KFA.
The suspension will be lifted only when the KFA and its members (the clubs) are able to carry out their activities and obligations independently.
Effect of the decision
As a result of this decision and in accordance with the Paragraph 3 of Article 14 of the FIFA Statutes, no team from Kuwait of any sort (including clubs) can have any international sporting contact, and neither the KFA nor any of its members or officials can benefit from any development programme, course or training from FIFA or the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Earlier in 2007 and 2008 also, KFA was banned for government interference and the current ban could have significant ramifications for the February 2016 elections to decide upon a new FIFA leader.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, a former oil minister, is the honorary president of the KFA and Kuwait football team is presently ranked 128 in the FIFA rankings.
Baichung Bhutia appointed as AIFF’s Advisor
All India Football Federation (AIFF) on 18 October 2015 appointed the former India Football captain Baichung Bhutia as the advisor for overall issues of the game and the Federation.
Bhutia is already the chairman of the AIFF's technical committee.
The former India Football captain will be advising the Federation on improving the National Team's performance and will also help in the development of the squad for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He will also advice on the licensing criteria of State FAs, development of Clubs and all other domestic Competitions, both men and women and across all age groups.
About All India Football Federation (AIFF)
All India Football Federation (AIFF) was established on 23 June 1937 to manage the game of association football in India. It also oversees the running of the India national football team and controls the I-League, India's premier domestic club competition.
The Federation gained the FIFA affiliation in the year 1948.
Praful Patel is currently the president of the Federation.
Renowned Egyptian writer Gamal al-Ghitani died
Renowned Egyptian novelist and journalist Gamal al-Ghitani died on 18 October 2015 in Cairo, Egypt. He was 70.
Al-Ghitani was born on 9 May 1945 in Gihena, Egypt. He began writing at a young age. His first short story was published when he was only 14.
For critically commenting on the regime of Gamal Abd el-Nasser, the second President of Egypt, Al-Ghitani even faced imprisonment from October 1966 through March 1967.
Al-Ghitani also worked as a journalist for the Egyptian newspaperAkhbar El Yom(The Day's News) in 1969. He was also the editor-in-chief of the literary periodical Akhbar Al-Adab(Cultural News) from 1993 to 2011.
He was awarded with the Egyptian National Prize for Literature in 1980. In 2005, he won a French Award for translated literature Laure Bataillon, one of the highest French awards to be conferred upon non-French writers.
Some of his most famous works are Hikayat el-Gharib, Khitat al-Ghitani, Naftha Masdur, Rinn and so on.
Indian shuttler PV Sindhu defeated by Li Xuerui in 2015 Denmark Open final
PV Sindhu was on 18 October 2015 defeated by Li Xuerui in the 2015 Denmark badminton open women’s singles final. For Sindhu, it was her maiden super series final.
In the final match held in Odense, third largest city in Denmark, Sindhu lost to the Chinese Olympic champion in the straight sets 21-19 21-12.
Till now, Prakash Padukone and Saina Nehwal are the only Indians to win the championships who won it in the men’s and women’s singles categories in 1980 and 2012 respectively.
The Denmark Open, or formerly known as Danish Open, is an annual badminton tournament organized by Danmarks Badminton Forbund. Except for a brief interruption between 1955 and 1964, it has been held annually since 1935.
Novak Djokovic won 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis title
World Number 1 ranking Novak Djokovic on 18 October 2015 won the 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis title in the men’s singles category.
To clinch the title, the top seeded Serbian player defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 6-4 in the final match held in Shanghai, China.
It was the third Shanghai title for Djokovic in four years, having defeated Andy Murray (the UK) and Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) in the 2012 and 2013 finals respectively.
In early 2015, Djokovic joined Roger Federer and Rod Laver as the only men in the Open era to reach all four major finals. His only defeat came in the final of the French Open against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.
Apart from the Grand slam titles in Australia, the UK (Wimbledon) and the USA, he won six other titles in the 2015 season that include Indian Wells Masters, Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Italian Open, China Open and Shanghai Open.
Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay elected as non-permanent members of UNSC
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 15 October 2015 elected Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay to serve as non-permanent members on the UN Security Council (UNSC).
These members will serve the UNSC for two-year terms beginning on 1 January 2016 until 31 December 2017.
Egypt and Senegal will replace Chad and Nigeria from Africa Group, Japan will replace Jordan to represent Asia-Pacific Group, Uruguay will replace Chile to represent Latin America and Caribbean States Group and Ukraine will replace Lithuania to represent Eastern European Group.
The Western European and Others Group did not contest for any seats in 2015, as its two seats (currently held by New Zealand and Spain) are up for election every even calendar year.
New Composition of UNSC
With the new non-permanent members now the composition of UNSC stands as follows:
Five permanent Council members:China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States with each wielding veto power
Non-permanent members until end of 2016:Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela
Non-permanent members until end of 2017:Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay
Under the UN Charter, the UNSC has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Each of the Council’s members has one vote. Under the Charter, all UN Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
Great Britain beat India to win Sultan of Johor Cup Hockey tournament
Great Britain on 18 October 2015 defeated Indian junior men's hockey team and captured Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC).
Great Britain defeated defending champions India by 4-3 in sudden death penalty shootout in the final after the match had ended 2-2 in regulation time.
For the third place, the host Malaysia defeated Argentina to settle for Bronze.
Other Awards
Fair Play Award: Australia (finished fifth in the tournament)
Top Goal Scorer:Luke Taylor of Great Britain (10 goals)
Best Goalkeeper:Chris Wyver of Great Britain
Best Player:Harjeet Singh of India
Participating countries in the 2015 edition of the tournament were: Malaysia, Australia, Great Britain, India, Argentina and Pakistan.
About Sultan of Johor Cup
Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJ Cup) is an annual international under-21 field hockey tournament held in Malaysia. It is the only invitational junior hockey competition played at international level.
The championship started in 2011 and is named after the Sultan of Johor, ceremonial head of the Malaysian state of Johor.
So far, India is the more successful team in the tournament reaching 4 finals out of 5 editions. The 2014 edition of the International U-21 hockey Tournament was won by India.
Union Government extended stock limits on pulses to four categories of stocks
The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on 18 October 2015 extended stock limits on pulses to four categories of stocks that were exempted under the order issued in September 2015.
The four categories of stocks are-pulses sourced from imports, stocks held by exporters, stocks to be used as raw-materials by licensed food processors and stocks of Large Departmental Retailers.
The extension of stock limits is aimed at easing supply side pressures on pulses by checking hoarding activities.
In September 2015, a Central Order was issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 imposing stock limits on pulses, edible oils and edible oil seeds for one year up to 30 September 2016.
The order wasin addition to the following measures undertaken by the government to cool down pulse prices in the open market.
• Export of pulses was banned.
• Zero import duty on pulses was extended.
• Around 5000 tonnes of pulses were imported from Price Stabilization Fund.
• The minimum support price (MSP) has been increased to 4625 rupees per quintal for Urad and Arhar dal and to 4850 rupees per quintal for Moong dal.
• A buffer stock was created by procurement and imports of pulses.
• States are directed to take strict action against hoarders and black marketers.
• It was decided to bring transportation, handling and milling charges of imported pulses under the Price Stabilization Fund.
• States were encouraged to lift stocks of imported pulses.
• Distribution of pulses through retail outlets-Kendriya Bhandar and Safal-at subsidized prices.
Swadhar Greh scheme approved by Haryana Government for women in distress
The Haryana Government on 18 October 2015 approved Swadhar Grehscheme, which will assure economic and social security to women in distress. The scheme aims at creating a supportive institutional framework catering to their primary needs in difficult situations.
The scheme will work upon providing basic amenities, such as shelter, food, clothing and health along with economic and social security to women in distress. Also, the scheme will make sure that the special needs of these women are taken care of.
Highlights of the scheme
• Under the scheme, Swadhar Greh will be set up in every district with capacity to accommodate 30 women.
• The Greh will cater to the needs of shelter, food, clothing, medical treatment and care of the women in distress.
• It will enable them to regain their emotional strength.
• It will provide the women with legal aid and guidance to enable them to take steps for their readjustment in family or society.
• More than one Greh will be established in big cities and districts with over 40 lakh population or those districts where there is a need for additional support to women.
• Women above 18 years of age can take benefit of the component.
• Children accompanying the women can also avail the benefit of the component.
The scheme promises to provide the benefits to women who are deserted and are without social and economic support, prisoners released from jail and are without family, survivors of natural disasters left homeless and are without social and economic support.
Swadhar Greh will also cover female victims of domestic violence, family tension or discord, who are made to leave their homes without any means of subsistence and have no special protection from exploitation and/or facing litigation on account of marital disputes.
Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence by Maithili Rao launched
Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence: Maithili Rao
The book titled Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence authored by Maithili Rao was launched on 18 October 2015.
The book, which was launched on Smita Patil’s 60th birth anniversary, acquaints the readers with a remarkable journey of the short-lived actress. It traces the journey of the actress from her childhood to stardom. The book shows glimpses of Patil’s controversial marriage and untimely tragic death.
The book also throws light on Patil’s several unfortunate forays into mainstream commercial cinema.
In addition, the book offers a sharp analysis of some best movies of the New Indian Cinema, including Bhumika, Mandi, Manthan, Umbartha,Bhavni Bhavai, Akaler Sandhane, Chakra, Chidambaram, Mirch Masala.
About New India Cinema Movement
New India Cinema movement or Parallel Cinema began with the production of Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome in 1969 and Uski Roti. The movement highlighted the cinemas of social significance and artistic sincerity, presenting a modern, humanistic perspective in contrast with the fantasy world of the popular cinema.
Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen were the pioneers of this movement which was characterized by significant themes and innovative treatment.
Saketh Myneni of India won 2015 Vietnam Open Tennis Trophy
India's tennis player Saketh Myneni on 18 October 2015 won the Vietnam Open tennis trophy in the men’s singles category. In the title clash, he defeated Australia's Jordan Thompson 7-5 6-3.
In the men’s doubles category, he, along with other Indian Sanam Singh, ended runner-up after losing the final 6-1 3-6 8-10 to Tristan Lamasine and Nils Langer of France and Germany respectively.
For Myneni, this is his first singles ATP Challenger title of the 2015 season and the second overall singles title at the Challenger level.
His only other title was the Indore Open that he clinched in October 2014.
With the present victory, Myneni pocketed 90 points and expected to break into top 150 from the present 168th rank.
Infosys announced to acquire Noah Consulting for 70 Million US dollars
India’s second largest software services exporter Infosys Ltd on 19 October 2015 announced a definitive agreement to acquire Noah Consulting, LLC. The acquisition, an all cash deal, is worth 70 million US dollars.
This acquisition is part of Infosys’ strategy to bring next generation data analytics solutions to the oil and gas industry
This acquisition combines Noah’s deep industry knowledge, information strategy planning, data governance and architecture capabilities with Infosys’ ability to provide technology and outsourcing services on a global scale to oil and gas clients.
Noah Consulting is a leading provider of advanced information management consulting services for the oil and gas industry and John Ruddy is the President of the firm.
National Cadet Corps National Games 2015 concluded
The National Cadet Corps-National Games 2015 on 17 October 2015 was concluded with a spectacular finale in Delhi.
The winners were presented with trophies for each event of the 11-day long sports event. Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh NCC Directorates won the Raksha Mantri Overall Championstrophy.
The games were conducted by the Directorate General of NCC Lt. General Aniruddha Chakravarty, and were attended by around 2000 cadets from 17 states and UTs directorates.
The games saw competitions in seven sports disciplines, Football, Hockey, Athletics, Kabbadi, Kho-Kho, Volleyball and Shooting.
About NCC National Games -2015
The NCC National Games holds its origin in 1997 when they were held as a part of the NCC Golden Jubilee Celebrations. Later, it was decided to conduct different games on the regional levels.
Since 2013, the NCC National Games are being conducted in a centralized format at Delhi. The games aim at identifying the sportsperson in the cadets and provide them with a feel of a major sporting event and prepare them with essential match temperament and further their sporting careers.
Apple ordered to pay $234 million to University of Wisconsin for infringing patent
The federal court in Madison, Wisconsin of the USA on 16 October 2015 ordered Apple Inc to pay more than 234 million US dollars in damages to the University of Wisconsin-Madison's patent licensing arm-WARF.
The damages were in lieu of incorporating its microchip technology into some of the company's iPhones and iPads without permission.
However, the amount was less than the 400 million US dollars as demanded by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) as the jury observed that the Apple had not willfully infringed WARF's patent.
Background
In January 2014, the WARF filed a case against the Apple alleging infringement of its 1998 patent on a "predictor circuit," developed by a team led by Indian-origin computer science professors Gurindar Sohi and Terani Vijaykumar.
As per the WARF, the technology was used by the company for improving the performance of computer processors-Apple's A7, A8 and A8X processors, found in the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus and recently released iPhone 6s and 6s plus as well as several versions of the iPad.
Incidentally, the WARF sued the leading chip maker Intel Corp (INTC.O) for infringing the same patent in 2008 and got 110 million US dollars as compensation.
Parents of St. Therese dubbed 'the Little Flower' canonised; Became first couple in modern times
Pope Francis on 18 October 2015 canonised the parents of St. Therese Lisieux- Louis and Zelie Martin-at a special ceremony held at the St. Peter's Square in Vatican. With this, they became the first couple to be canonized in modern times.
The Martins were beatified in 2008 and became eligible for sainthood on the recommendation of the Congregation for practicing Christian service in the family and nurturing the vocations of their daughters.
The Martins bore nine children, however, only five of whom survived. All five became nuns, including the youngest, Therese, at age 15.
About St. Therese
• She is popularly known as the Little Flower around the world. She belonged to France.
• She is a highly influential model of sanctity because of the simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life.
• Together with St. Francis of Assisi, she is one of the most popular saints in the history of the church.
• She was canonized in 1925 and died at the age of 24 in 1987.
Process of Cannonisation
Cannonisation is the act by which the Catholic Church or Eastern Orthodox Church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints.
Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process. Later, different processes, such as those used by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church were developed.
There are four steps to canonization that the saints have to go through:
Servant of God → Venerable → Blessed → Saint
Five years after a person dies, a bishop can request that he or she be considered for canonization. The first step is to collect the testimony of witnesses who can recount facts about the person's exercise of Christian virtues. At that point the person can be given the title of Servant of God, or Venerable.
After more investigation the Congregation for the Cause of Saints can recommend to the pope that the person be beatified. This means that the person can be honored in public worship limited to a specific diocese or area. After beatification the person receives the title Blessed.
Finally the Congregation can recommend canonization. When the pope canonizes a person, he declares that the person can be looked on as a model of Christian virtue and can be honored in the public worship of the universal church. After canonization the person who was named Blessed acquires the title of Saint.
Vivo assigned the Title Sponsorship of Indian Premier League
Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) on 18 October 2015 assigned title sponsorship of Indian Premier League (IPL) to Brazilian mobile company M/S Vivo.
Vivo was assigned the sponsorship after PepsiCo suddenly pulled out from a five-year deal that was supposed to end in 2017.
PepsiCo became title sponsors of the IPL in 2013 after they bid a whopping 396.8 crore rupees for five seasons. Before Pepsi, DLF had paid 200 crore rupees to become title sponsors of the tournament from 2008 till 2012.
PepsiCo's decision to end its deal with IPL was reportedly caused by the spot-fixing scandal which shook the game in 2013.
Besides, Nike was retained as the apparel sponsor of the Indian cricket team during the annual meeting of the working committee of BCCI.
India among top ten investors in the USA in 2015: Baker & McKenzie
India was among the top 10 investors in the USA in 2015. It was revealed by the Cross Border Merger & Acquisition Index of Baker & McKenzie that was released on 18 October 2015.
As per the maiden report of its kind by Baker & McKenzie, Indian companies invested around 1.7 US billion dollars in the US companies in 2015 alone.
Further, majority of these investments were in the health care sector totaling 1.5 billion US dollars making it the fourth largest investor in the sector behind Germany with 2.8 billion US dollars investment.
Regarding future, the report was also optimistic that Indian companies will continue to invest in the coming months as they are cash rich and, hence, less immune to fluctuations in the global economy.
Union Government modified National Blood Policy, 2002 towards better blood utilisation
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 19 October 2015 modified National Blood Policy, 2002 to identify two major initiatives towards better utilisation of blood and blood components. These initiatives were recommended by the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC).
The firstis permitting the transfer of blood from one blood bank to another in case of shortage. This was not allowed earlier and will help in transfer of blood to places of scarcity and is part of reforms to the handling of blood units in the country.
The second is fixing an exchange value for surplus plasma available at some blood banks in the country. The exchange value is fixed at 1600 rupees per litre.
Further, the blood banks with surplus plasma can exchange it for consumables, equipments etc. or plasma derived products, as per their need. This exchange, however, cannot be in terms of cash.
The second step is expected to increase the availability of essential life saving medicines like human albumin, immunoglobulins, clotting factors, etc. which are all derived from plasma. This step would also reduce the country’s dependence on import of these products.
Need for such initiative
A shortage of blood units has been a recurring problem since the Supreme Court had banned paid donation on 1 January 1998 and had mandated government to phase out replacement donation in five years.
Accordingly, the National and State Blood Transfusion Councils were established in the 1996 to promote voluntary donations.
However, since few people donate blood regularly, hospitals ask family members of patients to donate blood so as to pre-emptively replace the blood withdrawn from the blood bank.
According to the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), India has 2760 licensed blood banks.
About National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC)
NBTC is the apex body under the Ministry of Health for formulating policy matters pertaining to the organisation, operation, standards and training of a sustainable and safe blood transfusion service for the country.
It was set up under the directions of Supreme Court in 1996.
First time in eight years fiscal balance turned surplus in August 2015: CGA
The Controller-General of Accounts (CGA) in the second week of October 2015 announced that India’s fiscal balance turned from deficit to surplus for the first time in 8 years.
Fiscal deficit-difference between revenue and expenditure excluding borrowings- for August 2015 was pegged at -15808 crore rupees that indicates surplus of revenues over expenditure.
The surplus amount in the exchequer is significant due to the fact that the fiscal deficit was 73005 crore rupees during the same period in the previous fiscal-August 2014.
In August 2015, the total expenditure was only 131214 crore rupees against the total revenue of 147022 crore rupees.
The government could achieve surplus due to sharp surge in revenue receipts and decline in its total expenditures.
However, the 15.8 thousand crore rupees surplus was not wide enough to offset the fiscal deficit in the 2015-16 financial year.
Between April and August 2015, the cumulative fiscal deficit was 3.69 lakh crore rupees against 3.97 lakh crore rupees during the same period in 2014.
NATO launched military exercise Trident Juncture in Italy
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies and partner nations on 19 October 2015 launched the Alliance’s Trident Juncture military exercise at the Trapani air force base in Italy. Trident Juncture will end on 6 November 2015.
The three week long intensive training involves 36000 troops from more than 30 nations across Italy, Spain and Portugal.
The Trident juncture is the largest NATO exercise for over a decade and will increase readiness and ability to work together. It will also demonstrate that NATO is capable of responding to threats from any direction. The exercise will also certify next year’s NATO Response Force headquarters and the functions of the new very-high readiness Spearhead Force.
Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index report 2015 released
The 2015 Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index (MMGPI) report was released on 19 October 2015. This seventh edition of MMGPI report measured 25 retirement income systems against more than 40 indicators, under the sub-indices of Adequacy, SustainabilityandIntegrity.
The 2015 report rated Denmark as the country with the best retirement system for the fourth consecutive year in 2015, with an overall score of 81.7.
This study of retirement income systems in 25 countries confirmed that there is great diversity between the retirement systems around the world with scores ranging from 40.3 for India to 81.7 for Denmark.
Highlights of the Report
• Australia was ranked as having the most adequate pension system, however there was decline in the overall score from 79.9 in 2014 to 79.6 in 2015, moving further away from an elusive A grade that is given to pension systems that score above 80.
• Denmark held onto the top position for the fourth consecutive year in 2015 with an overall score of 81.7. Denmark’s well-funded pension system with its good coverage is the primary reason for its top spot.
• Denmark and Netherlands are the only countries to achieve an A grade in the history of the index.
• A number of countries have changed grade, with the Netherlands joining Denmark with an A-grade. Mexico and Italy improved to a C-grade.
• None of the countries in this study has an E-grade system, which would be represented by an index value below 35.
• India’s retirement system ranks last in the 2015 Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index (MMGPI) report.
India's Decline in the MMGPI Report 2015
India’s retirement system ranked last in the 2015 MMGPI report. India’s index value fell from 43.5 in 2014 to 40.3 in 2015, primarily due to a recent review conducted by the Economic Intelligence Unit that showed a material reduction in its household savings rate. Also in the same group are Indonesia, China, Japan and South Korea.
However, the National Pension System (NPS) is gradually gaining popularity in India. Continuing to improve education and communication will help increase coverage of pension arrangements for those working in the organized sector, particularly popularizing the corporate model of NPS.
The central government’s recent initiative Atal Pension Yojana (APY) that was launched in June 2015 is expected to encourage workers in the unorganized sector to voluntarily save for retirement.
MMGPI's suggestions to improve each country’s Retirement Income System
• Increase the state pension age and/or retirement age to reflect increasing life expectancy and thereby reduce the level of costs of the publicly financed pension benefits
• Promote higher labour force participation at older ages, which will increase the savings available for retirement and limit the continuing increase in the length of retirement
• Encourage higher levels of private saving, both within and beyond the pension system, to reduce the future dependence on the public pension and rebalance the expectations of many workers
• Increase the coverage of employees and/or the selfemployed in the private pension system, recognising that many individuals will not save for the future without an element of compulsion or automatic enrolment
• Reduce the leakage from the retirement savings system prior to retirement to ensure that the funds saved are used for the provision of retirement income
• Review the level of public pension indexation as the level and frequency of increases are critical to ensure that the real value of a pension is maintained, balanced by its long term sustainability
• Improve the governance of private pension plans and introduce greater transparency to improve the confidence of plan members
About Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index (MMGPI)
• The MMGPI report is the world’s most comprehensive comparison of pension systems.
• The Index is produced by the Australian Centre for Financial Studies and Mercer with the Index funded by the Victorian State Government.
• The report covers nearly 60 percent of the world’s population, and suggests how governments can provide adequate, sustainable benefits that protect their citizens, against longevity risk.
• The MMGPI is an important reference for policy makers around the world to learn from the most adequate and sustainable systems.
VK Malhotra appointed as head of the All India Council of Sports
The Union Government on 19 October 2015 named veteran sports administrator Vijay Kumar Malhotra as the President of the All India Council of Sports. His position will be in the rank of Minister of State.
The council also includes former sportspersons, including PT Usha, Limba Ram, N Kunjarani Devi, IM Vijayan, Baichung Bhutia and P Gopichand.
Malhotra acted as the Senior Vice President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the acting President of the IOA after the arrest of Suresh Kalmadi in connection with the alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Malhotra had also been the President of the General Association of National Sports Federations and the President of the Archery Association of India.
He was born on 3 December 1931 in Lahore, Pakistan. He holds a Doctorate in Hindi Literature.
About All India Council of Sports
The Government of India on 24 July 2015 constituted the All India Council of Sports as an advisory body for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The council advises the Ministry on matters relating to the promotion and development of sports and games in the country.
A few of the objectives of the council are:
•Popularizing sports amongst the youth as a way of life
•Increasing outreach of sports to rural and tribal areas, areas affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), North-East and Jammu & Kashmir
•Implementation of policies for promotion of sports and games in the country
•Preventing drug abuse in sports, fraud of age and sexual harassment of women in sports
•Promotion of sports sciences and sports medicine
•Integration of sports in educational curriculum in schools, colleges and universities
Union Government increased import duty on wheat to 25% from 10%
Union Government on 19 October 2105 raised the basic customs duty on wheat to 25 percent from 10 percent. This increase will be valid till 31 March 2016.
A statement from the Ministry of Finance said that the duty has been raised in view of the continued fall in international prices of wheat and the anticipated adverse impact of increased imports during the first half of financial year 2015-16.
The increase in custom duty will presumably help protect Indian farmers against cheaper imports.International wheat prices have fallen considerably over 2014. The price of wheat in the US was 216 dollars a tonne on 16 October 2015, which was -25.7 percent of what it was in 2014.
Apart from this, the government also exempted specified biodiesel from central excise duty.
However, its inputs namely, RBD Palm Stearin, Methanol and Sodium Methoxide are chargeable to central excise duty leading to CENVAT credit accumulation.
Central excise duty has been exempted on RBD Palm Stearin, Methanol and Sodium Methoxide used in the manufacture of such biodiesel subject to actual user condition for a period up to 31 March 2016.
Justin Trudeau elected as the Prime Minister of Canada
Canada's Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau was on 19 October 2015 elected as the Prime Minister of Canada after his Liberal Party won 189 seats, a majority of Parliament’s 338 seats. The party needed 170 to gain a majority.
The Conservative Party was next with 97 seats, followed by the New Democratic Party at 28 seats and Bloc Quebecois with 9 seats. With this, nine-year reign of Conservative Party PM Stephen Harper and his party came to a sudden end.
Justin Trudeau at 43 years of age became the second youngest Prime Minister in Canadian history. The earlier youngest prime minister was Joe Clark, a Conservative, who took office in 1979 the day before he turned 40.
Justin Trudeau is a former school teacher and member of Parliament since 2008. He is the son of Pierre Trudeau, who led Canada for most of the next 16 years and was Prime Minister until 1984 with a short interruption and remains one of the few Canadian politicians known in America.
Comment
The victory of Justin Trudeau in the Parliamentary elections 2015 is seen as a sea of change. For many Canadians, the election became something of a referendum on Conservative Stephen Harper's approach to government which often focused on issues important to core Conservative supporters, rather than to much of the population.
While, Trudeau, during election campaigns, became the lightning rod for the two-thirds of Canadians who have wished for leadership different than that Stephen Harper was providing.
Urvashi Rautela crowned Miss Diva 2015
Model-actress Urvashi Rautela on 18 October 2015 was crowned as Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva 2015at a star-studded event in Mumbai. With this, she became India’s representative for the Miss Universe pageant.
Natasha Assadi from Bangalore was crowned 1st runner up while Naveli Deshmukh from Aurangabad was crowned 2nd runner-up.
Born on 25 February 1994 in Nainital, Uttarakhand, Rautela had won the I Am She – Miss Universe Indiain 2012 but was dethroned from crown due to a controversy over her age. She had also been a winner of the title of Miss Asian Supermodel 2011in South Korea.
About Miss Diva pageant
A part of Femina Miss India pageant, Miss Diva competition chooses India's representatives for Miss Universe and other pageants after Miss Universe Organization awarded back the franchise to Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.
Konkan Railway to set up a tunnel technology institute at Margao in Goa
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced on 19 October 2015 that Konkan Railway will establish a tunnel technology institute at Goa's Margao town. The institute will enable training for the technology, which is still not available in India.
The institute, which is first of its kind in the nation, will be established in the honour of former Railway Minister George Fernandes, who is said to be the driving force behind the Konkan Railway. The institute will be called as George Fernandes Institute of Tunnel Technology.
The proposed institute aims at being a depository of knowledge on tunnels and underground structures. The institute will provide training of tunnel technology and consultancy services for tunnels and underground construction.
About Konkan Railway
Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) was formed in 1990 as company and was incorporated as a public limited company under the Companies Act, 1956, with its headquarters at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai.
It is a railway line, which runs along the Konkan coast of India between Mumbai and Mangaluru. It was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation. The line covers a total distance of 736 kilometres.
Moody's released a report on the Global Green Bonds Market
Moody’s Investors Service on 19 October 2015 released a report on the global green bonds market titled Third Quarter Issuance Lags, but COP21-Linked Increase Is Likely.
The report says that in the third quarter (Q3) of 2015, the global green bond issuance reached 7.5 billion dollar, compared to bond issuance of 27.2 billion dollar in Q3 2014. But the increase is down from Q2, Moody's expects issuance will pick up in the last quarter and exceed 40 billion dollar for the full year 2015.
Major highlights of the report
• Issuance continued to break new ground in the third quarter in terms of noteworthy and first-time transactions
• 7.6 billion dollar issued in Q3 lagged the 13.4 billion dollar that came to market during the second quarter of the year, but did outpace the first quarter's 6.3 billion dollar.
• Based on the 9-month average monthly volume of 3.02 billion dollar, green bonds would end the year at 36.3 billion dollar, or just shy of the 36.5 billion dollar issued in 2014.
• The organisation expects the volume will pick up towards the end of the year to coincide with the December 2015 United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris and is likely to exceed 40 billion dollar for the full year 2015.
• Moody's further notes that nearly half of the third quarter's issuance proceeds, or about 4 billion dollars, are being earmarked for renewable energy projects. This is followed by 18.8%, or about 1.7 billion dollar, earmarked for sustainable water management followed closely by 1.6 billion dollar allocated to energy efficiency projects.
• Investment-grade issuance continued to dominate in the third quarter, but high-yield green bonds gained as a share of all Moody's-rated green bond transactions.
• Nearly 18% of issuance in the third quarter was attributable to below-investment grade issuers, up from just 5% in the second quarter.
Highlights in case of India
• India has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022
• India that came up as an early leader in Asia’s incipient green bond is expected to be a prominent driver of regional issuance in coming years.
• India has established itself as an early leader in Asia’s nascent green bond market, with three India-based issuers came to market in third quarter (July to September 2015).
• It is expected that along with China, India will be a prominent driver of regional issuance in coming years, given ambitious targets on building out renewable energy capacity
What is a green bond?
A green bond, like any other bond, is a fixed-income financial instrument for raising capital through the debt capital market. In its simplest form, the bond issuer raises a fixed amount of capital from investors over a set period of time, repaying the capital when the bond matures and paying an agreed amount of interest (coupons) along the way.
APSEZ inked MoU with IPGA to handle pulses across its ports in country
Gujarat-based Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) on 19 October 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to handle pulses across its ports to ensure smooth and cost efficient availability of the commodity across the nation.
The MoU is intended to develop a dedicated and efficient supply chain for pulses, using Adani Ports’ facilities to all key consumption centers in the country. This will help ensure smooth and cost efficient availability of pulses.
According to port sources, Adani has developed the world class facilities for an agricultural market place at its all ports. It has largest dedicated covered warehouse space inside ports for Agri goods.
Besides, the company has also tied up with partner agencies to provide collateral management and trade fiancé services at the port itself.
At present, India imports nearly five million tonnes of pulses annually for domestic consumption, mainly from Canada, Australia and regions around the Black Sea.
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ)
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) is part of Adani Group and represents a large network of ports with India’s largest Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Mundra.
APSEZ Port Business is integral to its Logistics Business done in the name of Adani Logistics Ltd. and is India’s largest private port operator with presence across 8 locations with state of the art infrastructure.
Mundra Port, located in the Kachchh district of Gujarat state is the largest among all ports of APSEZ and acts as a gateway for north-western India.
India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA)
India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), is the apex organisation of the import and export trader of pulses and grains in the country. It acts as a decisive facilitator for the pulses trade in India on behalf of the 400 members and pivotal associations who represent a cross section of over 10000 stakeholders in the supply chain.
UK unveiled Counter-Extremism Strategy to fight growing radicalisation
The Government of UK on 19 October 2015 unveiled Counter-Extremism Strategy to fight growing radicalization of its residents especially the youth.
The strategy is comprehensive as it covers all the forms of extremism-violent and non-violent; Islamist and Neo-Nazi and delineates various preventive measures to curb extremist tendencies.
The focus of the strategy is on four areas:
1. Countering extremist ideology
2. Building a partnership with all those opposed to extremism
3. Disrupting extremists
4. Building more cohesive communities.
Highlights of Counter-Extremism Strategy
• A full review of public institutions such as schools, further and higher education colleges, local authorities, the NHS and the civil service to ensure they are protected from entryism or infiltration by extremists
• An official investigation into the application of Sharia law in the UK
• Extremism disruption orders to stop individuals engaging in extremist behaviour
• Closure orders for law enforcement and local authorities to close down premises used to support extremism
• Tougher powers for broadcasting regulator Ofcom so action can be taken against radio and television channels showing extremist content
• Demands that internet service providers do more to remove extremist material and identify those responsible for it
• Anyone with a conviction or civil order for extremist activity will also be automatically barred from working with children and vulnerable people
• Parents of children aged up to 17 years can request the government to cancel passport of children if they feel they are making plans to join terror groups.
Comment
As per an estimate around 700 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist organizations, like ISIS, in conflict zones in Syria and Iraq. Among them, around 50 people have died as fighters in the conflict.
Against this backdrop, the strategy seems a right step to contain the menace of extremism in the country. However, the UK government should strike the balance ‘right’ while implementing the strategy as Muslim minorities, constituting around 4.5 percent of population, should not feel insecure as the result of its implementation.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated IDFC Bank
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 October 2015 inaugurated the IDFC Bank in New Delhi.
IDFC Bank Limited, which started its operations on 1 October 2015, is an Indian Banking company with headquarters in Mumbai that forms a part of IDFC, an integrated infrastructure finance company.
IDFC Bank was granted a universal banking license in July 2015 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
IDFC was incorporated on 30 January 1997. It founded a non-operative financial holding company (NOFHC) in 2014 to manage its five subsidiaries IDFC Bank, IDFC MF, IDFC Alternatives, IDFC IDF & IDFC Securities to conform with RBI guidelines.
Union Ministry of Environment extended validity of Environment Clearance to 7 years
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) extended the validity of Environment Clearance (EC) from 5 years to 7 years by amending the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2006. The draft notification regarding this was issued on 29 April 2015.
This increase in period of validity of EC for longer time would provide more leeway to corporations to manoeuvre and manipulate the actions and activities.
What are the amendments?
• The validity of the prior environmental clearance granted for all other projects or activities would be seven years. Earlier it was five years.
• In the case of Area Development projects and Townships, the validity period shall be limited only to such activities as may be the responsibility of the applicant as a developer.
• The period of validity in Area Development projects and Townships can be extended by the regulatory authority concerned by a maximum period of seven years if an application is made to the regulatory authority by the applicant within the validity period.
• Further, the regulatory authority may also consult the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) or State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) , as the case may be, for grant of extensions in Area Development projects and Townships.
• There would be no condonation for delay for any application for extension filed 90 days after the validity period of EC.
Maharashtra Government declared 14708 villages as drought-hit
Government of Maharashtra on 16 October 2015 declared 14708 out of 40053 villages as drought-hit where the monsoon rainfall was deficient by over 50 percent.
As a relief measure to farmers in the drought-hit villages, the government announced several steps including waiver of land revenue and electricity charges among others.
This is the second straight year of drought for Maharashtra where the south-west monsoon was deficient by 27 percent.
Also, Maharashtra also became the second state in the country as Karnataka declared 27 out of 30 districts as drought-hit in August 2015.
The drought-hit villages in Maharashtra are spread across 20 of the 35 districts in the state, including all eight districts of the Marathwada region.
The drought-hit districts are:Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Akola, Yavatmal, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Latur, Nanded, Beed, Jalna, Osmanabad, Hingoli, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar.
Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises approved
The forty second plenary of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) on 16 October 2015 approved the Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises (CFS-FFA) in Rome, Italy.
The objective of the first of its kind global framework is to tackle hunger in protracted crises. To achieve this, the framework suggestedthe following 11 principles covering 3 broader areas
Area I: Address critical manifestations and build resilience
Principle 1: Meet immediate humanitarian needs and build resilient livelihoods
Principle 2:Focus on nutritional needs Adapt to specific challenges
Area II: Adapt to specific challenges
Principle 3: Reach affected populations
Principle 4:Protect those affected by or at risk from protracted crises
Principle 5: Empower women and girls, promote gender equality and encourage gender sensitivity
Principle 6: Ensure and support comprehensive evidence-based analyses
Principle 7: Strengthen country ownership, participation, coordination and stakeholder buy-in, and
accountability
Principle 8:Promote effective financing
Area III: Contribute to resolving underlying causes of food insecurity and under nutrition in protracted crises
Principle 9: Contribute to peace building through food security and nutrition
Principle 10: Manage natural resources sustainably and reduce disaster risks
Principle 11: Promote effective national and local governance
Importance of CFS-FFA
As the prevalence of under nutrition is typically three times higher in protracted crises situations than in the rest of the developing world, the framework suggests a long term and sustainable model to fight food insecurity and achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It also emphasizes women’s empowerment and the agricultural productivity of smallholders, noting that both are often neglected in responses to crisis situations.
About CFS
• The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) was set up in 1974.
• It is an intergovernmental body and serves as a forum for review and follow-up of food security policies.
• It reports annually to Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).
• It is made up of Members, Participants and Observers.
• Its membership is open to all Member States of The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) or The World Food Programme (WFP) and non-Member States of FAO that are Member States of the UN.
Libya's internationally recognised Parliament rejected UN-backed Peace Deal
Libya's internationally-recognized parliament on 19 October 2015 refused to sign the United Nations (UN)-backed peace deal that proposed a power-sharing arrangement with rival Islamist-led authorities.
The internationally recognised parliament is based at far eastern town of Tobruk whereas Islamist-led government is based at Tripoli
Why the deal was rejected?
On 8 October 2015, the UN's Special Envoy for Libya Bernardino Leon announced a proposal to foster unity between the warring factions along with a list of candidates to head the new body.
However, the Tobruk lawmakers rejected the deal for a unity government because it included amendments added by Islamists without its consent.
According to them, the amendments included in the peace deal would have given the unity government the power to fire all senior Libyan officials not unanimously approved by its members.
Further, they saw this as an attempt to remove their fiercely anti-Islamist army chief, Gen Khalifa Hifter, whose forces have been battling Islamist militias nationwide for over a year.
On the other hand, the government at Tripoli objects to the deal because it does not provide sufficient guarantees that Islamic law will be implemented. Though it did not officially reject the deal but claimed that it would lead to further complications.
The country became politically unstable after Western forces toppled late dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
World Statistics Day observed across the world
20 October: World Statistics Day
The World Statistics Day was observed across the world on 20 October 2015 with the themeBetter Data, Better Lives. This year celebrations mark the second observance of the World Statistics Day.
The theme emphasizes the critical role of high-quality official statistical information in analysis and informed policy decision-making in support of sustainable development. The theme also reflects the importance of sustainable national statistical capacity to produce reliable and timely statistics and indicators measuring a country’s progress.
The year 2015 marks the bicentenary of the birth of George Boole, whose work on the application of the principles of logic as a form of algebra underpins modern computer science.
Background
The UN General Assembly in its resolution 69/282 decided to celebrate 20 October as the World Statistics Day once in every five years.
The first World Statistics Day was celebrated in 2010 and was deemed an overwhelming success, with activities organized in more than 130 Member States and by at least 40 international and regional organizations and entities.
WHO released Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015
World Health Organization (WHO) on 19 October 2015 released the Global status report on road safety 2015. The report reflects information from 180 countries and indicates that worldwide the total number of road traffic deaths has gone up to 1.25 million per year.
The report shows that road safety strategies are saving lives. But it also tells us that the pace of change is too slow.
The report says that in the last three years, 17 countries have aligned at least one of their laws with best practice on seat-belts, drink–driving, speed, motorcycle helmets or child restraints.
Highlights of the report
• Road traffic fatalities take an unacceptable toll – particularly on poor people in poor countries.
• In the last three years, 79 countries have seen a decrease in the absolute number of fatalities while 68 countries have seen an increase.
• Countries that have had the most success in reducing the number of road traffic deaths have achieved this by improving legislation, enforcement, and making roads and vehicles safer.
• It highlights that road users around the world are unequally protected.
• It says that the risk of dying in a road traffic crash still depends, in great part, on where people live and how they move around.
• A big gap still separates high-income countries from low- and middle- income ones where 90% of road traffic deaths occur in spite of having just 54% of the world’s vehicles.
• Europe, in particular the region’s wealthier countries, has the lowest death rates per capita; Africa the highest.
• The report reveals that globally:
a) 105 countries have good seat-belt laws that apply to all occupants
b) 47 countries have good speed laws defining a national urban maximum speed limit of 50 Km/h and empowering local authorities to further reduce speed limits
c) 34 countries have a good drink–driving law with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit of less than or equal to 0.05 g/dl as well as lower limits of less than or equal to 0.02 g/dl for young and novice drivers
d) 44 countries have helmet laws that apply to all drivers, passengers, roads and engine types require the helmet to be fastened and refer to a particular helmet standard
e) 53 countries have a child restraint law for occupants of vehicles based on age, height or weight, and apply an age or height restriction on children sitting in the front seat.
f) More attention required to protect vulnerable road users and improve vehicle safety
• Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable, making up 23% of all road traffic deaths. In many regions this problem is increasing; in the region of the Americas, for example, the proportion of motorcycle deaths out of all road traffic fatalities rose from 15% to 20% between 2010 and 2013. In the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions a third of all road traffic deaths are among motorcyclists.
• Pedestrians and cyclists are also among the groups with the least protection, making up 22% and 4% of global deaths respectively.
• The report also found that some vehicles sold in 80% of all countries worldwide fail to meet basic safety standards, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where nearly 50% of the 67 million new passenger cars were produced in 2014.
Suggestion of the Report
The report suggests that an urgent action is needed to achieve the ambitious target for road safety reflected in the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: halving the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2020.
Global status report on road safety 2015
The Global status report on road safety 2015 comprises a narrative text combining evidence, facts and best practices with conclusions drawn following the analysis of the data collected for 180 countries.
The report is the third in its series and is the official monitoring tool of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
The publication of the report follows the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which includes an ambitious road safety target and precedes the 2nd Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety that will be held in Brasilia, Brazil, 18-19 November 2015.
UNESCO released Gender and Education for All 2000-2015 report
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 12 October 2015 released a report entitledGender and Education for All (EFA) 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges. It was compiled by UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report (GMR) and UN Girl’s Education Initiative.
As per the report, which delineated educational attainments among girls across the world, only fewer than half the countries have achieved the goal of ensuring gender parity in both primary and secondary education before 2005.
Highlights of the report
• Although the goal of gender parity has not been met by all, progress towards gender parity is one of the biggest education success stories since 2000.
• No country in sub-Saharan Africa has been able to meet the gender equality goal.
• The number of countries that have achieved the goal of gender parity in both primary and secondary education has risen from 36 to 62 since 2000.
• 62 million girls are still denied their basic right to education, the number of out-of-school girls has declined by 52 million in the last 15 years.
• Gender gaps in youth literacy are narrowing. However, fewer than seven out of every ten young women in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to be literate by 2015.
• Challenges in achieving gender parity are- school-related gender based violence and child marriages. In 2012, almost one in five women who married was aged 15 to 19.
• To remedy the situation- the report suggested for providing education as a free service, giving alternative secondary education options for out-of-school adolescents and integrating gender issues into all aspects of policy and planning.
Report with respect to India
In India, gender gaps in primary and lower secondary education have closed due to adoption of multiple strategies that include free textbooks for girls, back-to-school camps and bridging courses, recruitment of female teachers, and national programmes to increase demand for schooling among rural and disadvantaged girls among others.