21 September
Invasive Giant African Land Snails sighted at Goa University
The Giant African Land Snail (GALS) was spotted in the campus of the Goa University at Taleigao. GALS (Achatina fulica) is listed as one of the world’s 100 most invasive species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
This snail was spotted by Nandakumar Kamat, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany at the university.
About Giant African Land Snail
• The species is a threat to agro-horticulture
• It is a threat to the public health as they act as a vector of human diseases like Eosinophilic meningitis, caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a parasite that nematode commonly, resides in the pulmonary arteries of rats.
• They range from 7 cm to 20 cm in length and in case of specimens in Goa they were of 11 cm in length.
• They are known to be dangerous, as they can reproduce faster and take over entire ecosystems and become a menace to crops.
Invasive species are plants, animals, or pathogens that are non-native (alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause harm. They can harm the environment, the economy or even, human health.
International Day of Peace observed with theme Building Blocks for Peace
21 September: International Day of Peace
International Day of Peace was observed across the world on 21 September 2016. The 2016 theme for the day is The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.
The day is dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
To inaugurate the day, the United Nations Peace Bell was rung at UN Headquarters in New York City. The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents except Africa, and was a gift from the United Nations Association of Japan, as "a reminder of the human cost of war"; the inscription on its side reads, "Long live absolute world peace".
Earlier in September 2015, the 193 member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The new ambitious 2030 agenda calls on countries to begin efforts to achieve these goals over the next 15 years. It aims to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all.
The Sustainable Development Goals are integral to achieving peace in our time, as development and peace are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
Ola ties-up with Yatra for Cab Booking Interface Integration
Transportation app Ola on 20 September 2016 tied-up with Yatra.Com for Cab Booking Interface Integration. It has integrated its application interface on Yatra.com.
Through this integration, users will be able to book a ride directly through Yatra.Com's app without having the Ola application installed on their devices.
It will also give customers the access to availability, booking, estimation and tracking across categories, directly on the Yatra app.
Ola has also opened up its Application Programming Interface (API) to other apps like Makemytrip, Oyo Rooms and others to extend its mobility offerings to a larger user base.
Third list of Smart Cities released
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu on 20 September 2016 released the third list of Smart Cities that will get funding for initiating urban reforms. The list includes names of 27 new cities.
With this, the number of cities selected under Smart City Mission for financing implementation of smart city plans has gone up to 60.
The 27 smart cities announced are from 12 States including 5 from Maharashtra, 4 each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, 3 from Uttar Pradesh and 2 each from Punjab and Rajasthan. Nagaland and Sikkim have made it to the smart city list for the first time.
Monika Kapil Mohta appointed as India's Ambassador to Sweden
Monika Kapil Mohta was on 17 September 2016 appointed as the India's Ambassador to Sweden.
She is presently the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and looks after India's relations with a large part of the Asia-Pacific region.
Mohta is an 1985 batch Indian Foreign Services officer. Previously, she has served as the ambassador of India to Poland and Lithuania.
India-Sweden Relations
The two countries have a cordial relationship and growing economic cooperation. The development cooperation between Sweden and India began in 1953 and was initially mainly in the form of import support.
In the 1990s, India became the largest recipient of Swedish aid and the support included loan-financed projects in the energy sector and grant support in the areas of natural resources, health and education.
The 60 years of Swedish support has contributed to create conditions that enable poor people to improve their lives and have build relationships between Swedish and Indian people.
National Board for Wildlife approves first phase of Ken-Betwa project
The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) on 20 September 2016 approved 10000 crore rupees Ken-Betwa project, India’s first inter-State river interlinking project.
With this, India will have a river project will be located within a tiger reserve for the first time.
About Ken-Betwa project
• It will irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region but will also submerge about 10 percent of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
• The main feature of the project is a 230-km long canal and a series of barrages and dams connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers.
• It will irrigate 3.5 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and 14000 hectares of Uttar Pradesh in Bundelkhand.
• The key areas are the Makodia and Dhaudhan dams, the latter expected to be 77 m high and responsible for submerging 5803 hectares of tiger habitat in the Panna tiger reserve.
• Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh, Raisen, and Vidisha districts of Madhya Pradesh and Mahoba, Jhansi and Banda districts of Uttar Pradesh will benefit from assured irrigation supply, water supply and power.
• On the other hand, about 6388 people in 10 villages will be affected due to the submergence by Daudhan reservoir.
• Around 13499 people living in the 28 villages will be affected due to the submergence by Makodia reservoir and will have to be resettled.
• Seventeen lakh residents of nearby towns and villages in both States will benefit from improved drinking water and irrigation facilities.
Aung San Suu Kyi honoured as 2016 Humanitarian of the Year by Harvard Foundation
Nobel laureate and Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was on 15 September 2016 honoured as the 2016 Humanitarian of the Year by the students and faculty at the Harvard Foundation.
She gained international prominence as the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar in 1990.
About Aung San Suu Kyi
• Suu Kyi, elected head of Myanmar’s government in April 2016, was placed under house arrest in 1989 for protesting against the country’s dictatorship and served 15 years in detention.
• During her early years, Suu Kyi was held in solitary confinement and could not see her husband Michael V Aris—at the time a visiting professor at Harvard—or her two sons.
• In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.
About Humanitarian of the Year honour
• The Harvard Foundation bestows its Humanitarian of the Year honour to an individual whose works and deeds have served to improve the quality of lives and have inspired us to greater heights.
• Past award recipients include Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai and United Nations Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon.
Economic Freedom of the World 2016 Report released: India stands at 112th spot on WEF Index
India's Centre for Civil Society in collaboration with Canada's Fraser Institute on 15 September 2016 released the Economic Freedom of the World 2016 Annual Report.
The report is based on data from 2014 and measures the World Economic Freedom (WEF) Index by analysing the policies and institutions of 159 countries and territories.
Highlights of the Index
• Hong Kong topped the index followed by Singapore and New Zealand at second and third position.
• The other top 10 countries in the Index are Switzerland, Canada, Georgia, Ireland, Mauritius, the UAE, Australia and the UK.
• The 10 lowest-ranked countries are: Iran, Algeria, Chad, Guinea, Angola, Central African Republic, Argentina, Republic of Congo, Libya and lastly Venezuela.
• Other notable countries are- the United States (16), Germany (30), Japan (40), France (57) and Russia (102).
• The economic freedom has increased throughout the world during the past three decades. Between 1985 and 2014, economic freedom among high-income countries rose from 6.9 to 7.7 points.
• Nations in the top quartile of economic freedom had an average per-capita GDP of 41228 US dollars in 2014, compared to 5471 US dollars for bottom quartile nations.
• In addition, life expectancy is 80.4 years in the top quartile compared to 64.0 years in the bottom quartile.
India's Position in World Economic Freedom (WEF) Index
• India has slipped 10 positions and fetched 112th spot among all 159 countries in the Index.
• It ranks behind Bhutan (78), Nepal (108) and Sri Lanka (111) but stood higher than China (113), Bangladesh (121) and Pakistan (133) in the Index.
• India has fared badly in all categories i.e. legal system and property rights (86), sound money (130), freedom to trade internationally (144) and regulation (132) except the size of the government (8).
About Economic Freedom of the World Report
The Fraser Institute produces the annual Economic Freedom of the World report in cooperation with the Economic Freedom Network, a group of independent research and educational institutes.
It uses a ten-point scale that measures the degree of economic freedom in five broad areas-
• Size of government: expenditures, taxes, and enterprises
• Legal structure and security of property rights
• Access to sound money
• Freedom to trade internationally
• Regulation of credit, labor, and business
22 September
Union Cabinet approves merging of Rail budget with Union Budget
The Union Cabinet on 21 September 2016 approved merger of Rail budget with Union Budget. It also decided to advance the date of presentation of the annual budget from the last day of February to start of February.
In addition, it also decided to merge the Plan and the Non-Plan classification in the Budget and Accounts. All these changes will be put into effect simultaneously from the Budget 2017-18.
Merger of Railway Budget with the General Budget
The arrangements for merger of Railway budget with the General budget have been approved by the Cabinet with the following administrative and financial arrangements-
• The Railways will continue to maintain its distinct entity -as a departmentally run commercial undertaking as at present
• Railways will retain their functional autonomy and delegation of financial powers etc. as per the existing guidelines
• The existing financial arrangements will continue wherein Railways will meet all their revenue expenditure, including ordinary working expenses, pay and allowances and pensions etc. from their revenue receipts;
• The Capital at charge of the Railways estimated at 2.27 lakh crore rupees on which annual dividend is paid by the Railways will be wiped off. Consequently, there will be no dividend liability for Railways from 2017-18 and Ministry of Railways will get Gross Budgetary support. This will also save Railways from the liability of payment of approximately 9700 crore rupees annual dividend to the Government of India.
The decision scraps over nine-decade old tradition of having a separate Railway Budget. The presentation of separate Railway budget started in the year 1924, and has continued after independence as a convention rather than under Constitutional provisions.
The merger will help in
• The presentation of a unified budget will bring the affairs of the Railways to centre stage and present a holistic picture of the financial position of the Government.
• The merger is also expected to reduce the procedural requirements and instead bring into focus, the aspects of delivery and good governance.
• Consequent to the merger, the appropriations for Railways will form part of the main Appropriation Bill.
Advancement of the Budget presentation
As per the plan, the advancement of date of the presentation of the budget would be decided after taking into account dates of assembly elections. All proposals on the railways will be included in it. The government will also ensure that there is a separate discussion on the railways each year.
Advancement of day of budget presentation is going to help by
• Advancement of the date of budget presentation would help the government in following ways.
• The advancement of budget presentation by a month and completion of Budget related legislative business before 31 March would pave the way for early completion of Budget cycle and enable Ministries and Departments to ensure better planning and execution of schemes from the beginning of the financial year and utilization of the full working seasons including the first quarter.
• This will also preclude the need for seeking appropriation through 'Vote on Account' and enable implementation of the legislative changes in tax; laws for new taxation measures from the beginning of the financial year.
Merger of Plan and Non Plan classification in Budget and Accounts:
• The merger of the plan and non plan classification in Budget and Accounts from 2017-18 would help in resolving the following issues
• The Plan/Non-Plan bifurcation of expenditure has led to a fragmented view of resource allocation to various schemes, making it difficult not only to ascertain cost of delivering a service but also to link outlays to outcomes.
• The bias in favour of Plan expenditure by Centre as well as the State Governments has led to a neglect of essential expenditures on maintenance of assets and other establishment related expenditures for providing essential social services.
• The merger of plan and non-plan in the budget is expected to provide appropriate budgetary framework having focus on the revenue, and capital expenditure.
22 September
MS Dhoni named captain of India's all time Test XI by Wisden
Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the third week of September 2016 was named the captain of the all-time India Test XI chosen by cricket magazine Wisden.
Dhoni has received the honours ahead of Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Azharuddin.
The openers in the team are Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag, followed by Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, all-rounder Kapil Dev and Dhoni.
Veteran Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev along with Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan have been named as pacers, while legendary Bishen Singh Bedi, Harbhajan Singh and Team India coach Anil Kumble are the spinners. Azharuddin has been named as the 12th man.
Wisden is one of the most reputed cricket magazines in the world, announced the team to mark India's 500th Test match starting on 22 September 2016 against New Zealand at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.
Wisden Test XI: Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni (captain, wicketkeeper), Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Bishan Singh Bedi, Mohammad Azharuddin (12th man).
Union Cabinet approves submarine optical fibre cable connectivity with Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The Union Cabinet on 21 September 2016 approved the provision of a direct communication link through a dedicated submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) between Mainland (Chennai) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The project to be completed by December 2018 will connect the mainland Chennai with Port Blair & five other islands viz. Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Havelock, Kamorta and Great Nicobar.
Highlights
• The estimated cost for development of the project is 1102.38 crore rupees including operational expenses for 5 years.
• It will equip Andaman & Nicobar Islands with appropriate bandwidth and telecom connectivity for implementation of e-Governance initiatives and establishment of enterprises & e-commerce facilities.
• It will also enable the provision of adequate support to educational institutes for knowledge sharing, availability of job opportunities and fulfill the vision of Digital India.
Background
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are of immense strategic significance for India. The geographical configuration and the location of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands chain in the Bay of Bengal safeguard India's eastern seaboard. Provision of secure, reliable, robust, and affordable telecom facilities in these islands is of importance from a strategic point of view to the country and also an important requirement for the socio-economic development of the islands.
Currently the only medium of providing telecom connectivity between Mainland and Andaman & Nicobar Islands is though satellites, but the bandwidth available is limited to 1 Gbps. Satellite bandwidth is very costly and its availability is limited due to which future bandwidth requirement cannot be met solely through it. Then, there is an issue of redundancy, that is, no alternate media is available in case of any emergency. Lack of bandwidth and telecom connectivity is also hampering socio-economic development of the islands.
Hence it is essential to have submarine OFC connectivity between the Mainland India and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, being the only option for catering to projected future bandwidth requirements.
India, Samoa tax information exchange agreement approved
The Union Cabinet on 21 September 2016 gave its approval for signing and ratification of agreement between India and Samoa for the exchange of information with respect to Taxes.
This agreement will stimulate the flow of exchange of information between the two nations for tax purposes which will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance.
As of now, there are no financial implications between the two nations. Only in the event of extraordinary costs exceeding 500 US dollars, the same will be borne by India. India has similar provisions in other such tax information exchange agreement.
Salient features of the Agreement
• It enables the competent authorities of the two nations to provide assistance through exchange of information that is relevant to the administration and enforcement of the domestic laws of the two countries concerning taxes covered by this Agreement.
• The information received under the Agreement shall be treated as confidential and may be disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts or administrative bodies) concerned with assessment, collection, enforcement, prosecution or determination of appeals in relation to taxes covered under the Agreement. Information may be disclosed to any other person or entity or authority or jurisdiction with the prior written consent of the information sending country.
• The Agreement also provides for Mutual Agreement Procedure for resolving any difference or for agreeing on procedures under the Agreement.
• The Agreement shall enter into force on the date of notification of completion of the procedures required by the respective laws of the two countries for entry into force of the Agreement.
Negotiations for entering into an Agreement for the exchange of information with respect to Taxes were finalized between India and Samoa in June 2016 and both countries have agreed on the text of the Agreement.
Section 90 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 allows the Union Government to enter into an agreement with a foreign country or specified territory for exchange of information for the prevention of evasion or avoidance of income-tax chargeable under the Income-tax Act, 1961.
Girish Chandra Gupta sworn in as Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court
Justice Girish Chandra Gupta on 22 September 2016 was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court.
West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathi administered the oath of office to Justice Gupta at the Raj Bhavan.
Justice Gupta replaced Manjula Chellur, who has taken over as Chief Justice of Bombay High Court.
Justice Gupta was functioning as the acting Chief Justice of the high court since 22 August 2016 after Chellur's transfer.
It is after 30 years that a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court has been made its Chief Justice. On 1 November 1986, Justice Chittatosh Mookerje was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.
About Justice Girish Chandra Gupta
• Justice Girish Chandra Gupta was born on 1 December 1954.
• He enrolled as an advocate on 20 September 1982.
• He practised in the Calcutta High Court for 17 years in civil, constitutional, company, arbitration and commercial matters.
• He was made a permanent Judge of the Calcutta High Court on 15 September 2000.
• He is slated to retire in December 2016.
Adi Godrej conferred Clinton Global Citizen Award
Adi Godrej, the Chairman of Mumbai-based Godrej Group, on 19 September 2016 was conferred the 10th Annual Clinton Global Citizen Award for leadership in business and philanthropy.
The award recognises Godrej's leadership in transforming the intersection of business and philanthropy and making the Godrej Group a global example of what can be achieved through inclusive, sustainable business strategies.
The award was presented by Hikmet Ersek, CEO and President of Western Union, in the presence of former US President Bill Clinton.
Some of the other awardees for the year 2016 include Jon Bon Jovi for the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation in the US, President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia and Hawa Abdi of Somalia.
About Adi Godrej
• Adi Burjorji Godrej is an Indian industrialist and businessman.
• He is the Chairman of the Godrej Group.
• As of 2015, he is the 405th richest person in the world with a net worth of 4.0 billion US dollars.
• He received his undergraduate degree from HL college and his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and a member of Tau Beta Pi.
About Clinton Global Citizen Awards
• The Clinton Global Citizen Awards was established in 2007.
• It embodies the former US President's call to action by honouring outstanding individuals who exemplify global citizenship through their vision and leadership.
• Past recipients of the award include Mexican businessman and philanthropist Carlos Slim, Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien, Moroccan entrepreneur Mohammad Abbad Andaloussi, Afghan women's rights activist Suraya Pakzad, Pakistani labour rights activist Syeda Ghulam Fatima among others.
Junaid Ahmad appointed as World Bank Country Director for India
Junaid Ahmad was on 21 September 2016 appointed as the World Bank Country Director for India. He will succeed Onno Ruhl who completed his four-year term recently.
Ahmad joined the World Bank in 1991 as a young professional.
About Junaid Ahmad
• Hailing from Bangladesh, Ahmad was previously the Chief of Staff to World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim.
• Prior to joining the president’s office in January 2016, Ahmad was Senior Director for Water Global Practice, a position he held since the creation of the Global Practices in July 2014.
• An economist by training, he holds a PhD in Applied Economics from Stanford University and a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University.
• Later he worked in the World Bank on infrastructure development in Africa and Eastern Europe.
• He has also held several management positions, leading the bank's programme in diverse regions, including Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as in India and South Asia.
IOCL, GAIL sign MoU for taking equity stake in Dhamra LNG terminal
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and GAIL (India) Limited on 21 September 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dhamra LNG Terminal Private Limited (DLTPL) for taking equity in the 5 MMTPA capacity LNG Receiving, Storage and Regasification Terminal.
The Dhamra LNG terminal is being built by Adani Enterprises Ltd at Dhamra Port, Odisha.
Highlights of the MoU
• As per the MoU, DLTPL shall be an equal Joint Venture of Indian Oil and GAIL on one hand and Adani Group on the other.
• Indian Oil and GAIL will acquire 39 percent and 11 percent equity respectively in DLTPL, with the balance 50 percent stake being held by Adani group.
• Indian Oil and Adani group will each divest 1 percent of their respective stake to a credible financial institution which will then have 2 percent stake in the terminal.
• Apart from equity, Indian Oil and GAIL intend to book regasification capacity of 3.0 and 1.5 MMTPA respectively in the terminal.
Background
• Presently, the states in eastern India viz. Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal are not able to get the benefits of natural gas in sectors like Domestic, Transport, Industries etc., as the region does not have gas infrastructure by way of LNG Terminals and cross-country gas pipeline grid.
• The LNG Terminal at Dhamra Port will provide the potential customers in these states a clean and economically viable alternative which will also help in reducing the carbon footprint.
• This will also provide momentum to the economic growth of this region by attracting new industrial projects.
• The LNG Terminal will also meet the gas requirements of three oil refineries of Indian Oil situated in Barauni, Haldia and Paradip.
• The three fertilizers plants at Barauni, Sindri and Gorakhpur which are being revived by Govt. of India will also benefit from this terminal.
CCEA approves 5176 crore rupees Capital Grant for GAIL pipeline project
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 21 September 2016 approved the partial capital grant of 5176 crore rupees to GAIL (India) Limited for development of 2539 km long Jagdishpur-Haidia and Bokaro-Dhamra Gas Pipeline (JHBDPL) project.
This grant is 40 percent of the total estimated capital cost of 12940 crore rupees.
Highlights of the JHBDPL project
• JHBDPL project will connect Eastern part of the country with National Gas Grid.
• It will ensure the availability of clean and eco-friendly fuel i.e. Natural Gas to the industrial, commercial and transport sectors in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.
• This Capital Grant will encourage the supply of eco-friendly fuel at affordable tariffs to industries and will encourage industrial development in these states.
Other Development
The CCEA also approved the simultaneous development of City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks in cities namely Varanasi, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Cuttack etc. en-route of JHBDPL project.
These distribution networks will be developed by GAIL in collaboration with the concerned State Governments. It will bring clean cooking fuel at the door step of Domestic households as well as provide clean fuel to transport sector in the eastern region.