21-22 may

International Day of Families observed with theme Men in Charge? Gender Equality

15 May: International Day of Families

International Day of Families was observed on 15 May 2015 with themeMen in Charge? Gender Equality and Children’s Rights in Contemporary Families.

The 2015 theme aims to highlight gender equality and rights of children within families. It also highlights prevention of family violence through fair family law frameworks and a variety of programme interventions.

The day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues related to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. It highlights different areas of interest and importance of families.

The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families.

On this day, a series of awareness-raising events like and conferences, radio and television programmes, newspaper articles and cultural programmes related to theme is held in different part of the world.

Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai won the 2015 Man Booker International Prize

Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai on 19 May 2015 won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for 2015. His name was announced as the sixth winner of the award at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

With this award, Krasznahorkai born in 1954 received a cash prize of 60000 pound. He joined the league of other awardees, namely Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare (2005), Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe (2007), Canadian author Alice Munro (2009), and American writer Philip Roth (2011) and American writer Lydia Davis (2013).

Innovative Hungarian writer Krasznahorkai gained recognition in 1985 with his book Satantango, which later was adapted for the cinema in collaboration with the filmmaker Bela Tarr.

Awards and Honours conferred on Laszlo Krasznahorkai
• In 1993, he received the German Bestenliste Prize for the best literary work of the year for The Melancholy of Resistance.
• He has been honoured with numerous literary prizes, amongst them the highest award of the Hungarian state, the Kossuth Prize.
• Krasznahorkai and his translator George Szirtes won the 2013 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for Satantango
• He won the Best Translated Book Award in the US two years in a row, in 2013 for Satantango and in 2014 for Seiobo Their Below

The judging panel for the 2015 Man Booker International Prize was chaired by writer and academic Marina Warner.

About Man Booker International Prize
Man Booker International Prize is an international literary award given every two years to a living author of any nationality for a body of work published in English or generally available in English translation.

The Man Booker International Prize is sponsored by Man Group plc, which also sponsors the Man Booker Prize for Fiction.

Eminent Economist Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri passed away

Eminent economist and academics Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri passed away on 20 May 2015 in Pune, Mahrashtra. He was 81.

Chaudhuri who also served as the policy advisor to the previous UPA government was known for providing valuable policy inputs to the Indian planning process and the economy as a whole through his research papers.

He also was known for authoring a research paper on challenges of economic reform in the context of both State and market failures in 1990, just before the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Union and India’s lurch towards globalization.

Affectionately among his peers and students as MDC, he served as the Director of the Delhi School of Economics (DSE) in New Delhi and was also a visiting professor of economics at the Universities of Harvard and Minnesota in USA.

He studied with Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen at Shantiniketan in West Bengal. He furthered his education at Kolkata’s Presidency College before completing his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) of USA, where he studied modern economics under the eminent economist Paul Samuelson.

He was conferred with the Padma Bushan in 2005 by the government for his contributions in the field of Trade and Industry.

TP Senkumar appointed as DGP of Kerala

A 1983 batch IPS officer TP Senkumar was on 20 May 2015 appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Kerala.

The decision was taken by the State Cabinet in a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

He will succeed KS Balasubramanian, who is retiring on 31 May 2015.

At present, Senkumar is the DGP (Prison) and has got service till June 2017.

Earlier, he served the state in various capacities including as the chief of the intelligence wing and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

He has investigated many high profile cases including Vithura and Pandalam sexual assault cases, Liz financial fraud case and French spy case among others.

He obtained President’s police medal in 2009 for his services.

Maharashtra decided to amend Factories Act, 1948 to allow women to work in night shifts

State Government of Maharashtra on 20 May 2015 decided to make amend Section 66(1)(c) of the Factories Act, 1948, so that women employees can work in night shifts.

Section 66(1)(c) of the Factories Act, 1948restricted women from working at a factory between 7 PM and 6 AM.

The decision was taken following demands from several labour union leaders and politicians to allow women to work post 7 pm. However, the factory managements will have to provide security to women working in night shifts.

With this decision, Maharashtra joined the league of selected states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh that allow women to work in night shifts or are in the process of doing so.

The other proposed changes to the Factories Act, 1948 include
• Workers to be eligible for paid leave after working for 90 days in a year instead of the existing 240 days or more.
• It would not be mandatory for workers to take the management's permission for overtime, the limit for which in three months will be increased to 115 hours from the current 75.

The decision of the state government to change the 67-year-old existing law will bring a much needed help for workers working in more than 14000 factories across the state.

Anti Terrorism Day observed across India

21 May: Anti Terrorism Day/ Martyrdom of Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi

Anti-Terrorism Day was observed across India on 21 May 2015. The day is annually observed on the death anniversary of seventh Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was assassinated at an election rally near Chennai by a suicide bomber from the LTTE on 21 May 1991.

The day is observed to make people aware of the ongoing terrorist activities and the precautions to be taken by the commoners to prevent these acts of terrorism. Its motive is to promote unity, peace and harmony across the nation.

On this day, government employees are administered an anti-terror and violence pledge. Apart from this, several discussions, debates, cultural programmes and lecturers are held on the issue of terrorism and violence across the country.

UP FDA asked Nestle to withdraw 2014 batch of Maggi

Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (UP FDA) on 20 May 2015 asked Nestle India to withdraw a batch of snack Maggi noodles from the market. UP FDA ordered the removal of the batch of popular snack after it found that the product contained high level of lead in it.

UP FDA said the order pertained to a 2014 batch of Maggi noodles. It also said that the batch of the noodles contained high levels of addedmonosodium glutamate (MSG), a taste enhancer.

During its routine tests conducted on two dozen packets of instant noodles in Kolkata, UP FDA found high lead concentration of 17.2 parts per million (ppm) in these packets, which is nearly seven times more that the permissible limit, which is between 0.01 ppm and 2.5 ppm.

About Nestle India
Nestle India is a subsidiary of Swiss conglomerate Nestle SA, which sells noodle, ketchups, sauces, soups and other products under the Maggi brand. Its products covers around 60 percent market share in the instant noodle category.

The Company was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlein Vevey, Switzerland.

Nestle India have eight manufacturing facilities across India and they are in Moga (Punjab) set up in 1961; Choladi (Tamil Nadu) set up in 1967; Nanjangud (Karnataka) set up in 1989; Samalkha (Haryana) set up in 1993; Ponda and Bicholim (Goa) set up in 1995 and 1997, respectively; and Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) set up in 2006; and Tahliwal (Himachal Pradesh) set up in 2012.

The Nestle India’s Head Office is located in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Tathagata Roy sworn in as Governor of Tripura

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tathagata Roy on 20 May 2015 was sworn in as the Governor of Tripura. He became the 16th Governor of the state.

The Chief Justice of Tripura High Court, Deepak Gupta, administered the oath of office at a ceremony held in Raj Bhavan.

Roy succeeded Padmanabh Balkrishna Acharya, who is also the Governor of Nagaland.

Roy, a university teacher before joining politics, was president of the West Bengal state unit of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) from 2002 till 2006. Currently, he is a member of the Bhartiya Janta party (BJP) National Executive, the party's central policy making body.

Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak temple received ISO 9001-2008 certification

Siddhivinayak temple of Mumbai on 20 May 2015 received International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001-2008 certification for best quality practices.

The temple facilitates darshan and also funds various activities of public interest like education, drought management in state and others.

Siddhivinayak temple is the first temple in Mumbai to receive ISO certification.

The certificate was presented by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to to the Siddhivinayak Trust chief officer Mangesh Shinde in an event held at the temple.

The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shri Ganesh. It is located in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was originally built by Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil on 19 November 1801.

Shanmuganathan sworn in as Meghalaya Governor

V Shanmuganathan on 20 May 2015 was sworn in as 15th Governor of Meghalaya at the Raj Bhawan in Shillong.

His oath of office and secrecy was administered by Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court Uma Nath Singh. Shanmuganathan was appointed as the new Governor on 12 May 2015.

For over four months, Meghalaya was without a permanent governor and West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi was given the additional charge of the state governor’s office after the former incumbent KK Paul was removed from the post in January 2015.

Born on 21 November 1949, he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1962. Later, he joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and served in many party positions and has been in-charge of the Defence, Research and Documentation and Overseas Friends of BJP Cells.

Shanmuganathan is a gold medalist post-graduate in Political Science and M Phil in same subject is a prolific writer and had written three books related to culture and social aspects in Tamil. One of these books titled A Remarkable Political Movement became very famous.

Six Major Banks fined 5.7 billion US dollars on Forex Benchmark Rates manipulation charges

Six of the world’s biggest banks were on 20 May 2015 fined5.7 billion US dollars on Foreign Exchange Benchmark Rates manipulation chargesby various authorities in the USA and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.

The fines were imposed on Citicorp, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Barclays Plc, Royal Bank of Scotland Plc, UBS Group AG and Bank of America Corp. as part of the settlements they reached with the government agencies in which they pleaded guilty to the charges under the Anti Trust laws and agreed to pay fines.

As part of the settlement with the US Justice Department the four banks viz., Citicorp, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Barclays Plc and Royal Bank of Scotland Plc agreed to plead guilty to felony charges of conspiring tomanipulate the price of US dollars and euros in the Forex Spot Market. However,UBS Group AG of Switzerland, the first to cooperate with antitrust investigators, was granted immunity from the charges.

Two banks- Deutsche Bank AG and HSBC Holdings Plc are still under investigation facing similar charges.

How the currency markets were manipulated?

The banks benefitted by influencing global foreign exchange bench mark rates by aligning positions and pushing transactions through at the same time. They formed a cartel for this purpose and used online chat rooms to discuss their positions before the rates were set and suppress competition in the market. The severity of this illegal practice is compounded by the fact the four banks which pleaded guilty to charges have major stakes in the 5 trillion US dollars per a day world’s Forex market.

Fines imposed by various authorities

By the Anti Trust division of US Justice Department: Citicorp parent Citigroup Inc. will pay 925 million US dollars, the highest of the banks penalized. Barclays, JPMorgan and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc agreed to pay 650 million, 550 million and 395 million US dollars respectively as fines.

By The Federal Reserve System: The country’s banking regulator imposed fines of more than 1.6 billion US dollars collectively on the five banks for unsafe and unsound practices. Besides, Bank of America Corp. was imposed a fine of 205 million US dollars for failing to detect and address conduct by traders who discussed the possibility of entering into agreements to manipulate currency prices.

BY DFS, CFTC, etc: As part of a settlement the London-based Barclays will pay 1.3 billion US dollars to the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. The bank also agreed to terminate the services of eight employees engaged in currency trading between London and New York.

The recent settlements bring the total fines and penalties paid by the five banks, excluding the Bank of America, to resolve the two-year old currency investigations to about9 billion US dollars. In November 2014, the financial market regulators of USA and the UK imposed fines up to 3.4 billion US dollars on them.

Indigenously developed Astra Missile successfully test fired from ITR Chandipur in Odisha

Indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, Astra was successfully test fired at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur in Odisha on 20 May 2015. It was test-fired aboard a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

The present test was a part of the series of tests planned to test the missile’s subsystems like propulsion, navigation and guidance and the smooth separation of the missile from the aircraft, etc.

The previous test was conducted on 18 March 2015 from the same place.

About the Astra missile
• Astra is India’s first beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) that is capable of engaging its target at ranges of 37 km or beyond. It has operational range of 60km.
• The all-weather missile has been indigeniously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It is a state-of-the-art missile in the sense that it travels at supersonic speed (4780 km/h), possesses Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) with active radar terminal guidance, uses smokeless propulsion system to evade enemy radars and has the capacity to engage in multi-target scenario.
• The 3.8 metre long missile is the smallest of the DRDO-developed missiles and can be launched from different altitudes.
• It can reach up to 110 km when fired from an altitude of 15 km, 44 km when launched from an altitude of eight km and 21 km when fired from sea level.
• The missile will be inducted into the armed forces by 2016 after few more tests, including pre-induction trials.

Union finance Ministry constituted Shah Committee to look into the issue of MAT on FIIs

Union finance Ministry on 20 May 2015 constituted Shah Committee to look into the issue of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) on Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs).

The committee will be headed by Justice A P Shah while the other members are Dr. Girish Ahuja, a chartered accountant and former Associate Professor of Commerce, Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi and Dr. Ashok Lahiri, former Chief Economic Adviser and Executive Director, ADB and currently Chairman of High Level Committee to interact with Trade and Industry on tax laws.

Further, the committee would examine the matter relating to levy of MAT on FIIs for the period prior to 1 April 2015.

It will also examine all the related legal provisions, judicial/quasi judicial pronouncements and such other relevant aspects as it may consider appropriate. The committee has been requested to give its recommendations on the above issue expeditiously.

The committee shall set its own procedure for regulating its work. The term of the committee will be for one year or such period as may be notified by the Government from time to time.

The committee may interact with various stakeholders as it may deem fit. The committee may also invite officers from Department of Revenue including the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) for consultations/discussions as may be necessary.

Union Finance Ministry had announced the decision to set up the committee on 7 May 2015. The committee was appointed to resolve the contentious issue of MAT between the tax authorities and the foreign investors.

As per the Finance Act, 2015 the 20 percent MAT on Capital Gains made by FIIs is waived off from the financial year 2015-16. However, the issue of imposing MAT for past years (till 2014-15) has become controversial as the FIIs raised objections to 68 notices (in lieu of 602 crores rupees) issued by the International Taxation Wing of the Income Tax Department in lieu of MAT.

Union finance Ministry constituted Shah Committee to look into the issue of MAT on FIIs

Union finance Ministry on 20 May 2015 constituted Shah Committee to look into the issue of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) on Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs).

Further, the committee would examine the matter relating to levy of MAT on FIIs for the period prior to 1 April 2015.

The committee shall set its own procedure for regulating its work. The term of the committee will be for one year or such period as may be notified by the Government from time to time.

9th Session of the India-South Africa Joint Ministerial Commission held in Durban

9th Session of the India-South Africa Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) was held in Durban on 19 May 2015. The session was co-chaired by Minister for External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of South Africa Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Main points discussed during the 9th session of JMC
• To make it more result-oriented, the two ministers agreed to work under the framework of a five year strategic programme of cooperation and decided to establish a new Joint Working Group on Trade & Economic matters on it.
• They also identified priority areas of cooperation and they are defence, deep-mining, science and technology, agriculture & food processing and insurance.
• Both sides also agreed to set up a Sub-Committee on Science & Technology and promote cooperation in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• Swaraj and Mashabane also discussed regional and multilateral issues including BRICS, IBSA, IORA, counter-terrorism, cyber security, reforms of multilateral institutions, especially the United Nations Security Council.

Besides, prior to the JMC meet, Swaraj also met President Jacob Zuma and extended the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to him to attend the third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) in October 2015 in New Delhi.

The two ministers, Swaraj and Mashabane decided to hold the next Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission in India at mutually convenient dates in 2017.

ISRO announced to launch ASTROSAT in October 2015

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 19 May 2015 announced that ASTROSAT will be launched in October 2015 by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-34 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Features of ASTROSAT
• ASTROSAT is the first dedicated Indian space observatory mission aimed at studying distant celestial objects.

• The mission is capable of performing observations in Ultraviolet (UV), optical, low and high energy X-ray wavebands at the same time.
• The satellite will be launched to a 650 km near equatorial orbit around the Earth.
• ASTROSAT carries four X-ray payloads, one UV telescope and a charge particle monitor.
• Apart from ISRO, four other Indian institutions, viz., Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and Raman Research Institute (RRI) are involved in the development of payloads among which two of them were developed in collaboration with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and University of Leiscester (UoL), UK.

The ISRO also announced that the spacecraft is fully assembled and in the coming days it will undergo several environmental tests like Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) , Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Thermal Vacuum, Vibration and Acoustic tests.

Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the new headquarter of Coal India Ltd at Rajarhat in West Bengal

Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the new headquarter of Coal India Ltd at New Town Rajarhat in West Bengal on 15 May 2015.

The inauguration was held in the presence of Union Minister of state for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal and the Minister of State for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Babul Supriyo.

The new building came up at a sprawling 27000 Sq. Ft. area and it was built by the National Building Corporation (NBCC), a public sector company of Urban Development Ministry.

Coal India Limited (CIL), a Maharatna company, is the largest coal producer company in the world. It contributes around 81% of the coal production in India.

US President Barack Obama entered Guinness Book of World Record

President of the United States (US) Barack Obama on 20 May 2015 entered Guinness Book of World Record for reaching a million followers in a span of mere 5 hours after going live.

Barack Obama debuted on Social Media Platform Twitter with @POTUS account.

He beat the previous record, which was set in April 2014 by Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr., after the actor reached a million followers in 23 hours and 22 minutes.

The US President already has the account @BarackObama, which has amassed nearly 60 million followers. However, the new @POTUS account is associated with the presidential office - or as Obama puts it.

Ecologists found a new species of fish called Pethia striata in Western Ghats, Karnataka

Ecologists on 20 May 2015 found a new species of fish called Pethia striata in Tunga River in the Kudremukh National Park, Karnataka.

The discovery of the new species was published in the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists by researchers from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).

The male of the species measures 3-4cm in length and is red in colour, while the female is grey with a striking pattern of scales.

The species was distinct in several ways, but the most striking characteristics were the pattern of scales which form oblique bars and the black blotch just before the tail.

The fish from Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, is currently known to be found only in the two streams of Mudba and Turad, a region populated by wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.

Pethia striata is found in small groups of 3-4 individuals in shallow pools and would be an addition to the largest family of fish, scientifically called Cyprinidae, which includes common carp, goldfish, and zebrafish.

Some of the recently discovered new species in the Western Ghats include a little jumping spider in the Southern Ghats, a new frog species in Central Ghats.

In 2014, 14 new dancing frog species were discovered in the forests of Western Ghats.

NASA’s Spacecraft provided first direct measurement for Type Ia Supernovae caused by white dwarfs

Kepler and Swift spacecraft of NASA provided supporting evidence and the first direct measurement of supernovae (stellar explosions) which can enable scientists to understand what causes supernovae. This was revealed by studies published in journal Nature on 20 May 2015.

The studies proved that Type Ia supernovae, which produce unprecedented brightness, can either be caused by merging with another white dwarf or by pulling too much matter from a nearby companion star. A white dwarf is the Earth-sized remnant of a star like the sun.

Kepler’s Study

The Kepler spacecraft, known for its planet-hunting prowess, has provided the data for three new and distant supernovae, viz., KSN 2011b, KSN 2011c and KSN 2012a. The dataset includes measurements taken before the violent stellar explosions even happened and this is the first direct measurement of supernova.

These supernovae were identified as Type Ia supernovae with the aid of powerful telescopes at the Gemini and the WM Keck Observatories atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

On the analysis of dataset, scientists led by Robert Olling, research associate at the University of Maryland, found that shock wave generated in all directions by these explosions were not disrupted. This proved that there was no evidence of a companion star nearby and concluded the cause to be the collision and merger of two closely orbiting stars, most likely two white dwarfs.

Study of Swift dataset

Swift spacecraft captured the supernova designated iPTF14atg first on 3 May 2014 in the galaxy IC 831, located about 300 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices.

The Swift study led by California Institute of Technology (Caltech) graduate student Yi Cao, proved that Type Ia supernovae can also arise from single white dwarfs by pulling too much matter from a nearby companion star.

According to the analysis of Cao, when the supernova debris slammed into and swept around its companion star, it created a region of Ultra Violet (UV) emission and the peak temperature exceeded 19000 degrees Fahrenheit (11000 degrees Celsius) or about twice the surface temperature of the sun.

Conclusion

Type Ia supernovae are destructive explosions of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs and are used empirically to measure cosmological distances. The first direct measurement of such supernovae can help the scientists understand the mysteries of dark energy – a mysterious force that appears to be accelerating cosmic expansion.

Mirage 2000 fighter jet landed on Yamuna Expressway as part of developing road runways

Mirage 2000 fighter jet of Indian air force (IAF) on 21 May 2015 landed successfully on Yamuna Expressway as part of developing road runaway for emergency landing.

It's a kind of first for military aviation in India. IAF conducted the successful trial run of landing on Yamuna Expressway near Mathura under the plan of use of national highways in emergency situations.

The operations were conducted with active support from the government of Uttar Pradesh, Yamuna Expressway Authority, toll authorities of JP Infratech and the civil police.

This sucessful trial run gives a push to the planning of authorities to convert the upcoming Agra-Lucknow Expressway, which is the longest greenfield expressway in the country, as India's first road runway. For this, Uttar Pradesh government had given a green signal on 11 May 2015.

The 308km Agra-Lucknow expressway is expected to cost 13000 crore rupees. It will pass through Firozabad, Shikohabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Kannauj and Mohanlalganj.

Pre-requisite for road runway

For the road runway, the particular stretch of the road should be straight, level, located at a non-undulating round without any slope and also free of waterlogging and free of floods.

The road runway segment will not have electricity poles, masts or mobile phone towers. There will be portable ground lighting systems that can be quickly placed on the roadsides to guide aircraft during landings.

China, Pakistan, Sweden, Germany and Singapore are among the countries that have road runways. Road runways assume importance if airbases are crippled during hostile situations.

22 may

World Bank approved 250 million dollar credit for Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar

The World Bank on 20 May 2015 approved 250 million US dollar credit for the Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar Programme. The credit will be provided to improve the effectiveness of elementary school teachers in Bihar by making them more qualified, accountable and responsive.

The credit is being provided from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm, and the credit is on IDA terms with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period.

The programme will be implemented over a five year period and will support the state in
• Development of high quality education institutions
• Ensure certification for unqualified elementary school teachers and continuous professional development of teachers in service
• Help effective teacher management and performance and improve teacher accountability at the school level

The problem of quality of education in Bihar

Among many problems affecting Bihar education system, quality of education is the worrisome problem. The quality of education in turn is the result of lack of trained teachers in Bihar. By 2020, the number of teachers is expected to exceed 6 lakhs but the state’s training capacity is less than 5000 teachers annually. It means state needs to train at least ten times more teachers annually.

Further, this has been compounded by years of underinvestment in teacher education in Bihar since the 1990s.

Besides, the problem of absenteeism is also affecting the quality of education in Bihar. Though in recent past between 2003 and 2010, Bihar experienced a 10 percent reduction in absenteeism rates, still teacher absenteeism continues to be quite high.

How World Bank programme will help address the problem?
The programme will be part of the Bihar government's school education reform programme, also known as Manav Vikas programme, which is being implemented to improve the quality of education especially for elementary level children.

The programme will benefit some 450000 teachers in government elementary schools in Bihar, particularly the 65000 new unqualified entrants who will receive certification through Open Distance Learning (ODL).

As a result, it is expected that some 21.2 million elementary school students will gain access to improved classroom teaching and learning.

Institutions like the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), Primary Teacher Education Centers (PTECs) at the district level and Block Resource Centers (BRCs) and Cluster Resource Centers (CRCs) at the sub-district level will also be strengthened to function as local learning centers.

This program will help the state improve the learning environment and the performance of teachers in schools, with strong monitoring, evaluation and governance mechanisms.

For a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism, the program will introduce a number of initiatives which include Teacher Education Management Information System (TEMIS) and Teacher Education Institutional Development Index (TEIDI) among others.

• World Bank Country Director in India:Onno Ruhl

Union Cabinet approved PSLV Continuation Programme for launching 15 flights PSLV-C36 to PSLV-C50

The Union Cabinet on 21 May 2015 approved Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Continuation Programme consisting of fifteen operational flights PSLV-C36 to PSLV-C50.

As part of the programme fifteen operational flights PSLV-C36 to PSLV-C50 will be launched during the period 2017-2020 at a cost of around 3090 crore rupees.

The programme will help meet the demand for the launch of satellites at a frequency of four to five launches per year, with a greater focus on enhancing the level of participation by the Indian industry.

It will also enable the launch of satellites required for Earth Observation, Navigation and Space Sciences along with the possibility of clinching commercial launch service contracts.

PSLV Success Story
Since its first operational flight in 1997, the PSLV has made the country self-reliant in the launching capability of satellites for earth observation, disaster management, navigation and space sciences. It has also emerged as a versatile vehicle to carry out Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO), Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and low inclination Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions.

So far, PSLV has completed three developmental and twenty-five operational flights and the last twenty-seven flights have been successively successful. The last successful launch was of PSLV-C26 that took place on 16 October 2014.

The PSLV Continuation Programme will sustain this capability and self-reliance in the launching of similar satellites for national requirements.

Akhil Reed Amar appointed as member of the National Council on Humanities of US

Akhil Amar, an Indian-American professor from Yale University, was on 21 May 2015 appointed as a member of the prestigious National Council on Humanities of United States (US) by President Barack Obama. Presently, Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at the Yale University.

He has been serving as the Professor at both Yale College and Yale Law School since 1985. He had held various posts of professorships, including Southmayd Professor (1993-2008), Professor (1990-1993), Associate Professor (1988-1990) and Assistant Professor (1985-1988).

Akhil Amar also had worked as a law clerk from 1984 to 1985 to Judge Stephen Breyer. He was co-editor of Processes of Constitutional Decision-making, a constitutional law casebook. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Freedom Advisory Board of the National Constitution Center and Constitutional Accountability Center.

He holds a BA degree from Yale College and a JD from Yale Law School.

Palmyra, an ancient Syrian city, captured by ISIS militants

Palmyra: An ancient Semitic World Heritage Site located in Homs Governorate, Syria
Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants on 21 May 2015 seized full control of ancient city of Palmyra in Syria. It is an oasis in the Syrian Desert.

Palmyra, also known as the Pearl of Desert and Tadmur, is located 215 km to the northeast of the Syrian capital Damascus and is a World Heritage Site because of its architecture.

The art and architecture of Palmyra dates back to 1st to the 2nd century AD and were built in Graeco-Roman style with local traditions and Persian influences. It was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world standing at the crossroads of several civilizations.

A grand, colonnaded street of 1100 metres' length forms the monumental axis of the city, which together with secondary colonnaded cross streets links the major public monuments including the Temple of Ba'al, Diocletian's Camp, the Agora, Theatre, other temples and urban quarters.

The site was designated a national monument by Syrian government and was protected by the National Antiquities law 222 as amended in 1999. A buffer zone was established in 2007 but has not yet been submitted to the World Heritage Committee.

Why the capture of Palymra is of concern?
The capture of strategic Palmyra raises security concern as it potentially opens the way for ISIS to advance towards key government-held areas, including the capital Damascus and Homs.

Further, the loss of the al-Tanf crossing in Homs province means the Syrian government does not control any of the country's border posts with Iraq.

On the cultural front, the control of Palmyra raises the concern that this ancient city may also face the fate similar to ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud of Iraq. This is because ISIS has been demolishing those ancient sites which pre-date Islam and trafficking artefacts to get funds.

Union Cabinet gave its approval for setting up Ammonia-Urea Complex at Namrup in Assam

The Union Cabinet on 21 May 2015 gave its approval for setting up of a new Ammonia-Urea Complex at Namrup in Assam. The complex will be set up on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode by a joint venture (JV).

In the proposed JV, PSU Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL), Government of Assam and Oil India Limited (OIL) shall have 11 percent, 11 percent and 26 percent equity holding respectively and balance 52 percent by private/public sector entity (entities) which would be inducted through a competitive bidding process.

Features of the Ammonia-Urea Complex
• It will be of 8.64 lakh metric tonnes annual capacity and will be operationalised with an investment of 4500 crore rupees.
• The plant will be highly energy efficient unit of international standard with latest technology and with same amount of natural gas available to the existing units, the production of urea from the new unit will be more than double that is 3.6 to 8.64 lakh metric tonnes annually.
• The entire production of urea from this unit shall be neem coated so that benefits of neem coating are available to the farmers of the North-Eastern region also.

Importance of the Ammonia-Urea Complex
It will meet the growing demand of urea in the North-East Region, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand and will ease the pressure on infrastructure due to long distance transportation of Urea from Western and Central Regions and thereby saving in government subsidy on freight.

It will accelerate the economic development of the region by opening up of new avenues for the people of the North-East in terms of employment and increased agriculture production.

At present, India is importing around 80 lakh metric tonnes of urea to meet the domestic demand of 310 lakh metric tonnes per anuum. With the operationalisation of this new unit along with the revival of the five units as approved by the Union Cabinet in recent months namely Talcher (Odisha), Ramagundam (Telangna), Barauni (Bihar), Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Sindri (Jharkand) of Fertilizer Corporation India Limited (FCIL) India is likely to start export of urea which will save about 600 crore rupees annually for government due to reduction in cost of production and import substitution.

O Panneerselvam resigned as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam resigned on 21 May 2015. He tendered his resignation to the Governor Konijeti Rosaiah.

He resigned minutes after Jayalalithaa was elected as the legislature party leader at a meeting in Chennai. With this, his eight months long tenure as Chief Minister of the state came to an end

He was appointed as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 29 September 2014 as replacement of former AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, who resigned after being convicted in the 18 year old disproportionate assets case of over 66 crore rupees. She was awarded a four year prison term by Bangalore Special Court after it found her guilty of amassing unaccounted wealth.

Earlier in September 2001 also he was appointed as the Chief Minister of the state after Jayalalithaa was barred from holding office by the Supreme Court of India. He served the office till 2002.

Blue whales spotted for the 1st time in 100 years off Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra

A group of researchers from the Konkan Cetacean Population Study (CPS) team between March and May 2015 spotted two Blue Whales (mother-calf pair) and four Bryde’s whales near Kunkeshwar off the Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra.

This is for the first time after 100 years that the Blue Whales were sighted off the coast of Maharashtra. Last time, a blue whale was sighted in waters of Maharashtra was in 1914.
According to the records of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) – a dead blue whale had washed ashore at the time.

The blue whales were spotted on 28 March 2015 approximately 2.7km offshore at a depth of 16 metres, while the Bryde’s whales were spotted four times on 11 April, 16 April, 30 April and 6 May 2015.

The whales were spotted during a survey carried out by researchers to study Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins along the Maharashtra coast under United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project on Mainstreaming Coastal and Marine Biodiversity. The project is being implemented by the Maharashtra State Mangrove Cell.

Blue whales are marine mammals and they are the largest animals on Earth. They can reach an average length of 23-27 metres, with the largest known being 33 metres.

These animals tend to be open-ocean species, but they do come close to the shore to feed. Blue whales are resident or migratory, usually seen alone or in pairs.

The mammal is found across the Indian Ocean, southern parts of the Sri Lankan coast and quite often they have been found to migrate to parts of Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. In the recent past, another sighting of the mammal was observed in 2010 along the coast of Mangalore.

British magazine SportsPro released World’s 50 Most Marketable 2015 report

The British sports business magazine SportsPro on 20 May 2015 released the World’s 50 Most Marketable 2015 report. According to SportsPro's listing of the top 50 most marketable athletes in the world for 2015, Eugenie Bouchard, Tennis player from Canada, topped the list.

While, FC Barcelona soccer Neymar stood at second place and was followed by Golfer Jordan Spieth at the third place.

List of top 10 most marketable athletes

Rank	Athlete	Sport	Nationality
1	Eugenie Bouchard	Tennis	Canada
2	Neymar	Soccer	Brazil
3	Jordan Spieth	Golf	USA
4	Missy Franklin	Swimming	USA
5	Lewis Hamilton	Auto Racing	Great Britain
6	Virat Kohli	Cricket	India
7	Stephen Curry	Basketball	USA
8	Kei Nishikori	Tennis	Japan
9	Katarina Johnson-Thompson	Athletics	Great Britain
10	Usain Bolt	Athletics	Jamaica

Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli was placed at the sixth position ahead of United States basketball star Stephen Curry. Another Indian, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal was placed at the 44th position.

On the other hand, Tennis player Novak Djokovic was placed at 14th position while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were at 16th and 22nd respectively.

Athletes across the world were ranked on the basis of different criteria including age, home market, charisma, willingness to be marketed and crossover appeal. The SportsPro team and external industry experts analysed the players for several weeks.

IGBC reported India registered 3 billion sq ft green building footprint

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) on 21 May 2015 reported that India has registered green building projects of over three billion sq ft area. The achievement has put India at the second position in the world green building footprint. IGBC aims to rope in 10 billion sq ft by 2022.

IGBC is a part of the industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which is involved in promoting the green building movement in India.

The reason for this significant progress is the fact that stakeholders are realising that green buildings make good business sense. This key proposition is encouraging them to go the green buildings way.

A green building is one which uses less water, optimises energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building.

The residential building sector is one of the largest consumers of electricity in India. Continuous urbanisation and the growth of population result in increasing power consumption in buildings.

UN observed International Day for Biological Diversity

22 May: International Day for Biological Diversity

The United Nations (UN) observed the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) on 22 May 2015. The theme for the year 2015 isBiodiversity for Sustainable Development.

This year theme highlights the relevance of biodiversity in achieving the goal of sustainable development. It also highlights the importance of efforts made to establish a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda (2015-2030).

The selection of the theme also underlines the adoption of theGangwon Declaration at the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in South Korea in 2014.

The Gangwon Declaration recognised the importance of biodiversity in achieving SDGs and called for the further integration and mainstreaming of biodiversity in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

May 22 was proclaimed as the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) in December 2000 to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues and to commemorate the adoption of Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act.

Earlier 29 December was designated as IBD to commemorate the date of entry into force of the CBD.

US Army developed Blast proof wallpaper to protect soldiers from explosions

The United States (US) Army developed Blast proof wallpaper to protect soldiers from explosions. A prototype was displayed at an exhibition of army innovations held at the Pentagon on 21 May 2015.

The ballistic wallpaper was displayed at the Department of Defense Lab Day among 100 innovations from US Army engineers.

The prototype was designed by army engineers in the United States. The new thing about this ballistic wallpaper is that it can be quickly and easily applied by non-specialised units at short notice. This provides significant potential tactical advantages.

The prototype is lightweight sticky wallpaper lined with tough Kevlar fibres could be carried by troops to reinforce the walls of temporary buildings. The special fabric acts as a net to stop shrapnel flying around and injuring soldiers or civilians who are stuck inside.

The idea is to coat the inside of structures to reduce the danger of debris to occupants. The lining reduces the amount of debris sent flying at the occupants of a building in the event of an explosion.

Small blast trials had been carried out near Fort Polk in Louisiana, while larger testing had been conducted at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida

Nelong Valley in Uttarakhand opened first time for tourists after closure in 1962

Nelong Valley: A picturesque valley located 45 km away from the Indo-China border

Authorities of the Gangotri National Park in Uttarakhand on 21 May 2015 opened the Nelong Valley for tourists for the first time since its closure in 1962.

However, foreign tourists are still not allowed into the valley.

Nelong valley, situated 45 km away from the Indo-China border in the Uttarkashi district, was closed for civilians after the 1962 war between both the countries.

After the war, villagers were shifted out of the valley and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) checkpoints were set up to augment the security along the border.

Located at a height of 11600 feet, it is a cold desert offering a view of the Tibetan Plateau in China and home to snow leopard and the Himalayan blue sheep.

Andaman & Nicobar Police proposed to reserve 33% seats for women

Andaman & Nicobar Police on 21 May 2015 proposed to reserve 33 percent of the seats for the posts of constable and sub-inspector for women.

The decision to keep 33 percent women in police will help the vulnerable sections like women, children and the old to voice their grievances without fear and help resolve many problems in a significant way.

At present, women police consists only 18 percent part Andaman and Nicobar police.

Earlier in June 2014, Gujarat Government also announced 33 percent quota for women in police force.

On the other hand, Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2015 approved 33 percent reservation for women in police forces of all union territories, including Delhi, citing difficulties faced by women complainants to approach the male-dominated police force.

Environmental Democracy Index 2015 released; India at 24th position

Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Access Initiative on 20 May 2015 released the first Environmental Democracy Index (EDI) for the year 2015. The index evaluates the environmental democracy in 70 countries based on recognised international standards.

The index evaluates whether Governments are enacting national laws to promote transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in environmental decision making. It is assessed and analysed by more than 140 international lawyers and experts.

India was ranked at 24th position out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index that is topped by Lithuania at the first position, Latvia at the second and Russia at the third position.

Highlights of the Environmental Democracy Index
• 79 percent of countries assessed earned only fair or poor ratings for public participation adding that many nations lag on providing citizens basic environmental information.
• Nearly half (46 percent) of the countries do not provide any ambient air quality data online for their capital cities.
• In 73 percent of the countries, courts hear environmental cases. But very few countries have assistance for marginalized groups.
• Around 64 percent of countries with laws on the books do not release any information to the public on emissions or wastewater discharges, pollutants that can impact human health and the environment.
• Only 14 percent of the countries have legal mechanisms that help women access courts to obtain redress when their environmental rights are violated.
• The index found that wealth is an important facilitator for environmental democracy, as is being a signatory of a major treaty like the Kyoto Protocol or the Aarhus convention.
• Right to environmental information has been established in the 93 percent of the assessed countries.

The Top 10 Countries with Strong National Laws for Environmental Democracy

Rank	Countries	Score
1	Lithuania	2.42
2	Latvia	2.31
3	Russia	2.25
4	United States	2.16
5	South Africa	2.16
6	United Kingdom	2.14
7	Hungary	2.12
8	Bulgaria	2.10
9	Panama	2.02
10	Colombia	1.99

10 Lowest-Scoring Countries for Environmental Democracy Laws

Rank	Countries	Score
61	Belize	0.82
62	Cambodia	0.76
63	Jordan	0.76
64	Saint Lucia	0.73
65	Nepal	0.68
66	Sri Lanka	0.67
67	Congo	0.66
68	Namibia	0.59
69	Malaysia	0.58
70	Haiti	0.51

About Environmental Democracy Index
The Environmental Democracy Index (EDI) is the first comprehensive index designed specifically to measure procedural rights in an environmental context.

The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Bali Guidelines for the Development of National Legislation on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters provide EDI with an international standard against which national laws can be assessed.

India reached 6th position in terms of scientific publications

Department of Science and Technology on 21 May 2015 said that India reached sixth position in terms of scientific publications. Earlier, India stood at the tenth position in terms of publishing scientific research papers in different journals.

Secretary, Department of Science and Technology Ashutosh Sharma gave this information at a function organised by Research Council UK (RCUK) in New Delhi to mark the progress between United Kingdom and India in the field of scientific research.

At present, India and UK are collaborating in various sectors in fields like nuclear energy, solar energy, monsoon and public health, rejuvenation of Ganga River and climate change. In 2011, the scientific collaboration between India and UK was just few million pounds, which has risen to 150 million pounds, at present.

Shuttler Saina Nehwal of India ranked No.1 in single rankings released by BWF

Badminton World Federation (BWF) on 21 May 2015 released the latest single’s rankings. The ranking was topped by Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal. She was followed by Li Xuerui of China.

Saina Nehwal regained the top position ahead of the Australian Open. In April 2015, she secured the number one position for the first time. But she subsequently slipped from the top spot.

She has won two titles in 2015 -India Open Super series and India Grand Prix Gold, and also reached the final of the prestigious All England Open, which is a Super Series Premier event.

Meanwhile, Nehwal's compatriot and two-time World Championship bronze medalist PV Sindhu dropped to number 12.

In men’s singles, K Srikanth retained his fourth place. Even P Kashyap and HS Parnnoy also maintained their 13th and 15th positions, respectively.

Veteran jazz musician Bob Belden passed away

Veteran jazz musician Bob Belden passed away on 20 May 2015 after suffering a heart attack. He was 58. Belden was a jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and producer who was among the first American musicians to perform in Iran since its 1979 revolution in 2015 when he toured there.

Belden was known for conceiving and producing multi-artist thematic albums, including Miles From India (2008), on which Indian and American musicians performed Miles Davis tunes. One of his most popular releases was the 2001 Blue Note album Black Dahlia, an orchestral suite.

He conducted, orchestrated and wrote arrangements for iconic jazz musicians Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, and McCoy Tyner. Belden also served as an A&R executive for legendary jazz label Blue Note Records.

Belden earned three Grammy Awards throughout his career for 1996's Miles Davis and Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (Best Historical Album, Best Album Notes) and for 1998's Miles Davis Quintet set 1965-'68: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (Best Album Notes).