23-24 june 2015

 

23 june

Typhoon Kujira struck south China's Hainan Province

Kujira: Typhoon that made landfall in south China's Hainan Province

Typhoon Kujira struck China on 22 June 2015. The typhoon made its landfall in south China’s Hainan province with heavy rain in the drought hit island. It also carried packing winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour.

Typhoon Kujira is the eighth typhoon of 2015.

The National Meteorological Center yesterday issued a yellow alert, the third highest ranking of its four-level warning system for Typhoon Kujira.

The typhoon led to evacuation of more than 40000 people and cancellation of 63 flights at the Meilan International Airport in the provincial capital. Haikou and Sanya Phoenix International Airport has canceled 99 flights.

The typhoon weakened into a tropical storm one hour after its landfall in Hainan.

Columbia’s FARC blew up oil pipeline in Catatumbo

FARC-EP or FARC: A guerilla movement based in Columbia

FARC was in news on 17 June 2015 as the militant organisation blew up a major oil pipeline in the municipality of Catatumbo in northern Colombia.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People's Army (FARC-EP) is a left wing militant organization established in 1964.

It is Colombia's largestrebel group and Latin America's oldest left-wing insurgency. It is active in Colombia, Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador.

Like any left-wing militant organisation, its aim is to overthrow the government in power.

It was established as a communist-inspired peasant army fighting for land reform and to reduce the gulf dividing rich and poor in the Andean country.

However, in recent times, the FARC has been criticized for eschewing its beliefs in favor of illegal drug trade, kidnapping and extortion activities.

Now, Colombia is one of the world's top cocaine producers and the FARC is estimated to make around 500 million US dollars from the illicit drug trade per annum.

FARC has been engaged in peacetalks with the Columbian government, since November 2012, aimed at ending more than 50 years of conflict.

There has been agreement on several points and the negotiations continue to be held in the Cuban capital, Havana.

There has been a spike in attacks on army and public infrastructure by FARC since it suspended unilateral ceasefire on 22 May 2015 which it declared in December 2014.

‘Pitcairn Island passed law to allow same-sex marriage

Pitcairn Island, the world’s smallest country by population, legalised same-sex marriage. The law change was unanimously approved by the local council. 

Although the news was made public on 22 June 2015 but it had come into effect on 15 May 2015. The new law wasn’t published online by the Island, as its website encountered some technical issues.

Pitcairn Island, a tiny speck in the Pacific with a small population of 48 people, passed the law on suggestion of British authorities. The law was passed after England, Wales and Scotland legalised the same-sex marriage in 2014. 

Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands, officially named the Pitcairn Group of Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the last British Overseas Territory in the Pacific.  It was settled by mutineers of the British navy vessel Bounty and their Tahitian companions in 1790. 

The four islands – Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno – are spread over several hundred miles of ocean and have a total land area of about 47 square kilometres (18 sq mi). Only Pitcairn, the second largest island measuring about 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) from east to west, is inhabited.

The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes the Pitcairn Islands on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

 

GADL, Oman Airport Management Company signed MoU on Aviation Consultancy Services

GMR Airport Developers Limited (GADL) on 17 June 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC) for providing aviation training and consultancy services.

The MoU is aimed atknowledge sharing and skills development for the OAMC staff by the GADL.

GADL is a subsidiary of Bengaluru based GMR Infrastructure Limited.

Under the agreement GADL will provide

• Consultancy services and support to OAMC for smooth take-over of the new terminal at the Salalah Airport. The terminal is set to be operational in December 2015.
• On-site support for six months at Salalah Airport, which will help OAMC team to learn and adapt some of the best practices of Delhi and Hyderabad airports developed by the GADL.
• Training to OAMC team at GMR Aviation Academy in Hyderabad.

GMR Group is the world's 4th largest private airport developer with the completion of four international projects and more in the pipeline in the Middle East and South East Asia.

IEP released Global Peace Index 2015

Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on 16 June 2015 released the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2015. The GPI 2015 measured peace, its causes and its economic value during 2014.

The GPI 2015 ranked the nations according to their level of peacefulness. It measured peace for 162 countries constituting 99.6 of the world population. Among these 162 countries, India was placed at the 143rd position, the same as 2014.

The index gauged global peace using three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation.

Highlights of GPI in terms of three broad themes

Societal safety and security: The Index analysed the effects of urbanisation on violence, and finds that peace generally increases with higher levels of urbanisation. However, countries that have weak rule of law, high levels of intergroup grievances and high levels of inequality are more likely to experience deteriorations in peace as urbanisation increases.

This domain improved slightly during 2014, driven by falls in the homicide rate and the likelihood of violent demonstrations.

However, this improvement was counterbalanced by deteriorations in the ongoing conflict and militarisation domains, owing to increases in deaths from internal conflict, non-payment of UN peacekeeping dues, and a continuing deterioration in the impact of terrorism indicator.

Ongoing domestic and international conflicts: The Index identified drivers of six major Middle East and North Africa (MENA) conflicts occurring in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Israel and Lebanon, which include challenges to government legitimacy, deepening sectarian divides, the destabilising presence of ISIL and the cross-cutting proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The most substantial changes in the Index occurred in the MENA where several countries suffered from an upsurge in violence related to sectarian strife and civil conflicts, resulting in the region being ranked as the least peaceful in the world, overtaking South Asia from last year’s GPI.

Militarisation:Since 1990, there has been a slow and steady decrease in measures of global militarisation, with large changes in militarisation occurring rarely and usually associated with larger, globally driven geopolitical and economic shifts. Further, countries with weak Positive Peace factors are more likely to use the military for internal suppression.

General Highlights of GPI 2015

• In 2014, the global GPI score remained stable. However, while the average level of global peacefulness was stable, a number of indicators and countries did deteriorate while others improved.
• Over the past eight years, the average country score deteriorated by 2.4 percent highlighting that on average the world has become slightly less peaceful.
• Iceland is the most peaceful country, followed by Denmark and Austria at second and third positions, respectively.
• Others in the top 10include New Zealand, Switzerland, Finland, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Czech Republic. All the ten highest ranking nations in the GPI are stable democracies.
• Guinea-Bissau had the largest improvement in peace, resulting in a rise of 24 places in the rankings to 120th. The next four largest improvements occurred in Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Tajikistan and Benin.
• A common theme among the largest improvers was a fall in the level of organised conflict, which occurred in all of the four aforementioned African nations.
• Cancelling out its strong improvement in the 2014 edition of the GPI, Libya experienced the largest deterioration this year. Its score deteriorated substantially and consequently it fell 13 places down to 149th to become the 14th least peaceful country.
• The second biggest decline was recorded for the Ukraine, due to the conflict between Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government as well as the instability caused by Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
• Terrorism has grown steadily over the last decade, a trend that shows no sign of abating. Deaths caused by terrorism increased by 61 per cent in 2013, which resulted in almost 18000 people being killed in terrorist attacks. Of those deaths, 82 per cent occurred in just five countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria. 
• The threat of terrorism has also affected many of the world’s most peaceful countries, with terrorist attacks occurring in France, Denmark and Australia in the last year.
• The economic impact of violence on the global economy in 2014 was substantial and is estimated at 14.3 trillion US dollars or 13.4 per cent of world GDP.
• This is equivalent to the combined economies of Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Since 2008, the total economic impact on global GDP has increased by 15.3 per cent, from 12.4 US trillion dollars to 14.3 US trillion dollars.
• The major expenditure categories are military spending at 43 per cent, homicide and violent crime at 27 per cent and internal security officers, including police, at 18 per cent.
• While the cost of UN peacekeeping has more than doubled since 2008, it still only accounts for less than 0.17 per cent of violence containment expenditure.
• The report outlines new findings onPositive Peace,highlighting its impact on peace, development and other important societal goals.
• Positive Peace is also statistically associated with many other outcomes considered desirable: stronger business environments, better performance on well-being measures, gender equality and better performance on ecol

India and GPI 2014

• India is ranked 143rd out of 162 countries and maintained the same position compared to the GPI 2014.
• The number of casualties from internal conflict rose where a Maoist insurgency stills runs rife. 
• The downgrade in India’s score is tempered by an improvement in political stability. 
• The world’s second most populous country witnessed an historic election in 2014 as the Bharatiya Janata Party secured India’s first one-party majority since the mid-1980s.
• Rankings of India’s neighbours: Bhutan (18), Nepal (52), Bangladesh (84), Sri Lanka (114), Pakistan (154) and Afghanistan (160).
• India spent fourth largest violence containment expenditure during 2014 with 342 billion US dollars on PPP basis only behind USA, China, Russia. This is equivalent to 4.7 per cent of India's GDP, or 273 US dollars per person.

About Global Peace Index (GPI)

GPI as a measure of world peace was launched in 2007. The 2015 release was 9th in the series.

It is the world's leading measure of global peacefulness produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace. The Index is composed of 23 indicators, ranging from a nation’s level of military expenditure to its relations with neighbouring countries and the percentage of prison population in 162 countries.

The IEP is a Sydney-based international and independent think tank dedicated to shifting the world’s focus to peace as a positive, achievable, and tangible measure of human well-being and progress.

Maharashtra topped the list of States and UTs in IPR filing in 2013-14: IBEF report

India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) in the third week of June 2015 released a report on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) filing in India during 2013-14.

While Maharashtra topped the list of states and Union Territories (UTs), Bengaluru was the top city in IPR filing.

The top five states and UTs: Maharashtra (2892), Karnataka (1639), Tamil Nadu (1436), Delhi (1009) and Andhra Pradesh (879).

Bengaluru lead patent hunt as Samsung R&D Institute (84); Infosys (83); Wipro Ltd (59); Samsung India Software Operations Pvt. Ltd. (66) top filers from among technology companies.

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumakuru and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) figured in the top 10 scientific bodies and institutions with 32, 24 and 12 filings respectively.

About India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF)

It is a trust established by the Department of Commerce, Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Its primary objective is to promote and create international awareness of the Made in India label in markets overseas and to facilitate dissemination of knowledge of Indian products and services.

 

World Anti-Doping Agency published Anti-Doping Rule Violations Report for 2013

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 15 June 2015 published the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) Report for 2013.

It is the first of its kind comprehensive report released by WADA on ADRVs and it illustrates the incidence of doping in global sport during 2013.

Russia has maximum number of dope offenderswith 212 testing positive while the figures for Turkey and Indiawere 155 and 91 respectively that stood at second and thirdpositions.

Highlights of 2013 Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) Report

• Globally, 1953 sanctions were levied for testing positive for banned substances (ADRVs) committed during 2013.
• The sanctions were handed out to athletes and athlete support personnel from 115 countries in 89 sports after testing 207513 samples.
• Out of 1953 athletes, 1687 were actually caught for using banned substances while 266 violated other rules (non-analytical ADRVs).
• Non-Analytical ADRVs refer to violations related to Articles 2.2 to 2.8 of the World Anti-Doping Code, that do not involve the detection of a prohibited substance by a WADA-accredited laboratory but instances like failure to submit to a test, possession, use or trafficking of a prohibited substance.
• Non-Analytical ADRVs include athletes and athlete support personnel.
• If non-analytical Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) are taken into account Russia (225), Turkey (188) and France (108) stood at the top three positions.
• Among sports disciplines, weightlifting (248), athletics (235), cycling (153), wrestling (92) and football (74) were top five with large number of dope cases.

Report with respect to India

• India’s National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) reported third largest ADRVs during 2013 with 91 instancesjust behind Russia and Turkey.
• Out of the 91 Indians, 20 were women athletes.
• When non-analytical ADRVsare considered, India had total 95 ADRVs and stood fourth in the WADA list behind Russia, Turkey and France .
• Among sports disciplines, track and field athletes lead the Indian dope cheats with 30 (28 sanctioned after testing positive with two of them committing non-analytical ADRVs) out of a global total of 280.
• Weightlifting came second with 19 from the discipline caught for doping with nine wrestlers committing Anti-Doping Rule violation. 
• Other sports involved in the doping are power lifters (8), bodybuilding (8), judo (7), boxing (4), aquatics (2), cycling (2), kabaddi (2), cricket (1), football (1), taekwondo (1) and volleyball (1).

The report, when combined with the 2013 Annual Testing Figures (ATF) Report released in 2014 will be of value to the anti-doping community’s efforts to protect clean athletes in every country around the world.

The 2013 ATF Report disclosed the results of all the tests performed by WADA-accredited laboratories on urine and blood samples collected during 2013.

 

EU launched Operation EU NAVFOR Med against migrant-traffickers

To stop human traffickers from bringing migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe, the European Union (EU) on 22 June 2015 launched a three-phase naval operation named EU NAVFOR Med (European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Sea). 

The first phase of the naval operation was officially launched by EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg.

Phase – 1 involves Information gathering on whereabouts of traffickers, patrolling of high seas and monitoring of smuggle networks. It will see participation of about 10 countries which include among others Italy, France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Lithuania and probably also Finland.

The two follow-up phases of the operation which requires United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Libya’s approval would see
• Phase – 2: Active intervention to board and disable smuggler vessels and arrest the traffickers
• Phase – 3: Extend the actions into Libyan territorial waters and possibly inside the country itself

The operation will not target the migrants but it will target those who are making money on their lives and too often on their deaths. It also wants to dismantle the business model of the traffickers by destroying their boats.

The operation was launched in backdrop of death of 800 migrants in April 2015 when their rickety boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2015, about one lakh migrants have entered Europe most of them landing in Italy, Greece and Malta. 

So far in 2015 alone, 2000 migrants have died.

Nepal-India Treaty of Transit amended to facilitate import of vehicles into Nepal

Nepal-India Treaty of Transit of 1999 was amended on 22 June 2015 to allow the movement of vehicles imported from a third country into Nepal through four border points. 

The four border points are Raxaul-Birgunj, Jogbani-Biratnagar,Sunauli-Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj Road-Nepalgunjborder points.

The amendment was done after Nepal requested India to allow movement of vehicles on their own citing the requirements of additional handling facilities, special carriers and equipment needed, which added to the cost and time of clearance of vehicles from Kolkata port into Nepal. 

To this effect, a Letter of Exchange was finalised between India and Nepal though the two governments had discussed the matter during the third meet of Nepal-India Joint Commission held on 25 July and 26 July 2014. 

Earlier, there was no provision under Nepal-India Treaty of Transit that allowed import of third country motor vehicles transiting India to be moved on their own power. Before this agreement such vehicles were allowed only by railway wagons and trucks or trailers after proper sealing by Indian Customs.

 

Russia won European Team Athletics Championships 2015

Russia on 21 June 2015 won the European Team Athletics Championships by winning 10 of the 40 events on the program. The championships were held in Cheboksary, Russia.

This is the fourth time that Russia won the title since the inception of games in 2009.

In totality, Russia won the 368.5 points, 22 points ahead of Germany which secured second place. France had their best finish at the championships, coming third by winning 319.5 points.

However, Sweden, Finland and Norway finished at the bottom of the table and these countries will now drop to the second tier of the championships for 2016. The Czech Republic, Greece and the Netherlands will replace them after they all earned promotion at the second-tier competition in Heraklion, Greece.

The top four teams of 2015 league competition including Czech Republic, Greece, Netherlands and Belgium will be promoted to the super league.

Some of the winners of the European Team Athletics Championships 2015:
• Renaud Lavillenie of France: Olympic pole vault champion won with a leap of 5.85 meters 
• Christophe Lemaitre of France: Won 100 meters in 10.26 seconds
• Darya Klishina of Russia: Two-time European indoor long jump champion jumped 6.95 meters to win
• Kuchina of Russia: Won High jump event by clearing 1.99 meters
• Sergey Shubenkov of Russia: World bronze medallist won 110m hurdles
• Anna Shchagina of Russia: Won the 1500m event

 

SoftBank Corp, Bharti Enterprises Limited and Foxconn formed a JV named SBG Cleantech Ltd

Japan headquartered telecommunications and Internet major SoftBank Corp, Bharti Enterprises Limited and Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group on 22 June 2015 formed a Joint Venture (JV) named SBG Cleantech Limited. This JV is aimed at promoting the adoption of clean and safe energy in India.

SBG Cleantech will be a harbinger of solar and wind energy. The venture will invest in developing renewable energy plants across India. SBG Cleantech will be committed to contribute to Union Government's mission of 24x7 power for all and achieving 100GW solar and 60GW wind target by 2022.

The company intends to participate in the 2015-16 round of solar power plant tenders ‎under the National Solar Mission (NSM) program and state-specific solar programs. SBG Cleantech will not only work towards eliminating energy deficit but will also provide clean environment.

SBG Cleantech will have Manoj Kohli, a Bharti Enterprises Limited veteran, as its executive chairman and Raman Nanda will be the Chief Executive Officer of the company. The company will be headquartered in Delhi.

 

Rajasthan topped the list of States commissioning grid connected Solar Power projects

Rajasthan topped the list of states commissioning grid connected solar power projects in the country with an installed capacity of 1147 megawatt. The list was released by the Union ministry of New and Renewable Energy on 4 June 2015.

Gujarat, which remained the undisputed leader in solar energy generation till 2014, came second with an installed capacity of 1000MW.

Top 5 states commissioning grid connected Solar Power Projects

States	Installed Capacity (Megawatt)
Rajasthan	1147
Gujarat	1000
Madhya Pradesh	563.58
Maharashtra	363.7
Andhra Pradesh	248.4

In the last one year, Rajasthan government has inked agreements with private players to develop solar parks with a cumulative capacity of 26000 MW. Once fully operational, these parks can attract investments worth more than 1.50 lakh crore rupees.

The state has also signed MoUs with power developers like SunEdison, Adani Enterprises, Reliance Power and Azure Power that will generate 14000 MW solar power. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is already in the process of commissioning 680 MW in the state.

Sister Nirmala Joshi, former head of Missionaries of Charity, died

Sister Nirmala Joshi, who succeeded Mother Teresa as the head of Missionaries of Charity, died on 22 June 2015 following a prolonged illness in Kolkata. She was 81. Sister Nirmala's life was devoted to service, caring for poor and underprivileged.

On 13 March 1997, six months before Mother Teresa's death in 1997, Sister Nirmala was selected as the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity. In April 2009, Sister Mary Prema was elected to succeed Sister Nirmala during a general chapter held in Calcutta.

Sister Nirmala was born in Ranchi on 23 July 1934 to a Brahmin soldier who came from Nepal. She had joined the Order at the age of 17

 

India to be the Partner Country for Russian Industrial Trade Fair Innoprom 2016

India on 22 June 2015 decided to be a partner country in the major Industrial Fair named INNOPROM 2016 to be held at Yekaterinburg, Russia in July 2016. India accepted the invitation extended by the Russian Government in December 2014.

This acceptance of invitation was conveyed to Minister of Industry and Trade of Russian Federation Denis Manturov by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman during a bilateral meeting held at St. Petersburg on 19 June 2015.

Nirmala Sitharaman was on a three day visit to Russia to participate in annual St. Petersburg International and Economic Forum (SPIEF) held from 18-20 June 2015 at St Petersburg, Russia. She led a strong delegation of 30-member from Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). 

During the visit, the minister held bilateral discussions with Viktor Khristenko, Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Union; Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade and Mandrey Slepnev, Member (Trade), Eurasian Economic Union.

Major points discussed during the meet includes
• Issue of renewal of Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) between India and Russia
• It was agreed to take all necessary steps to ensure that the target of bilateral investment of 15 billion US dollars each way by the year 2025 signed during the last Annual Summit is achieved. 
• Both sides agreed that the present level of investment and trade between the two countries which is presently in the range of 11 billion US dollars and 13 billion US dollar is very low.

She also participated in the panel discussion on The Eurasian Economic Union: A new Compass in Global Economic Relations.

 

EPFO made UAN mandatory for all employers under Employee Provident Fund Act, 1952

Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 22 June 2015 notified an order to make Universal Account Number (UAN) mandatory for all employers covered under the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. 

The UAN facility that remains portable throughout the lifetime of an employee was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1 October 2014. The deadline for completing the formalities of UAN is August 2015.

Till date, EPFO has issued more than four crore UANs to employers across the nation and more than 56 lakh workers have activated their portable PF account numbers.  

Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952
The Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 came into effect on 4 March 1952. The Act was enacted as per Directive Principles of State Policy mentioned in the Constitution of India. It provides that the State shall within the limits of its economic capacity make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old-age, sickness & disablement and undeserved want.

Presently, the following three schemes are in operation under the Act:
• Employees' Provident Fund Scheme, 1952
• Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 1976
• Employees' Pension Scheme, 1995 (replacing the Employees' Family Pension Scheme, 1971)

 

Task Force report on enabling the Private Sector to grow pharmaceutical sector released

The Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar on 22 June 2015 released the Task Force report on enabling the Private Sector to lead the growth of pharmaceutical sector.

The Task Force gave recommendations towards concerns and constraints facing the sector and suggested measures that would augment domestic production.

The Pharmaceutical Sector is suffering due to multiple decision making authorities. The Task Force recommended a Joint Committee which can take care of their problems.

Moreover, Task Force recommended measures to enhance regulatory support; suggested strengthening of infrastructural support; and recommended fiscal and financial support to the sector.

In addition, the Task Force has also recommended measures for promoting skill development aligned to the need of the industry, strengthening the Research and Development capability of the sector, pricing strategy for the sector.

Background
In order to provide thrust to the Pharmaceutical sector, a Task Force on Enabling the Private Sector to lead the growth of Pharmaceutical Sector was set up by the Department of Pharmaceuticals. The Task Force was headed by Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals.

It consisted of representatives from Planning Commission, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology and various Industry Associations including CIIO, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, FOPE etc.

 

Maharashtra declared Blue Mormon as State butterfly

Maharashtra Government on 23 June 2015 declared the Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) as the State butterfly. Blue Mormom is the second largest butterfly found in India after the southern birdwing. 

With this, Maharashtra became India’s first state to have a State butterfly.  

The decision to declare Blue Mormom as the state butterfly was taken at a meet of the State Wildlife Board in Mumbai.

Blue Mormom
It is a large, swallowtail black coloured velvet winged butterfly. They carry bright blue spots on wings and red spot in the body. 

The species of butterfly is primarily found in Sri Lanka and South India (mainly restricted to the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, South India and coastal belts).  Occasionally it is also spotted in the mainland of Maharashtra between Vidarbha and Western Maharashtra.

Earlier, the state government has declared Yellow-footed Green Pigeon as state bird, Giant Squirrel as state animal, Mango as state tree and Jarul as the state flower.

Bhuvan Ganga Mobile Application launched to aid National Mission for Clean Ganga

To aid National Mission for Clean Ganga, the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on 23 June 2015 launched Bhuvan Ganga mobile application and a web portal. 

The app will allow people to upload pictures of pollution sources of river Ganga for further action by the concerned authorities.

The application and web portal was launched after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the National Remote Sensing Centre (ISRO).

Purpose of the user-friendly Bhuvan Mobile App and Portal 
• The android based app will help in monitoring Union Government’s flagship Clean Ganga Mission. 
• It will be used as a tool to support decision making and planning for the Clean Ganga Mission. 
• It will enable public to collect and report information on various pollution sources that affects the water quality of river Ganga.

Bhuvan Ganga Portal is an exclusive web portal deployed in ISRO Bhuvan’s geoportal with all geospatial layers related to river Ganga. 

The first version of the app is available for download in the Bhuvan Ganga web portal (http://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/ganga).

Austria to file complaint against UK's Hinkley Point C nuclear project in European Court of Justice

Austria on 23 June 2015 decided to file a legal complaint against the European Commission (EU)’s approval to the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project in the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The petition is expected to be filed on 29 June 2015.

In October 2014, the EC gave the approval for UK Government’s around 17 billion British pounds subsidy for construction and operation of the project over a period of 35 years.

Austria, a non-nuclear power state, opposing the EC’s decision on the following grounds

• The EC’s approval is based on procedural flaws as it has not considered all the things which it should have considered before giving its nod, hence, it UK’s aid is illegal.
• Nuclear power is not a sustainable form of technology – neither in environmental nor in economic terms.
• Any form of direct or indirect subsidies to nuclear power should not be encouraged and there should be complete internalization of all external costs based on the polluter pays principle.
• Austria doesn’t consider nuclear power to be eligible for the European Fund for Strategic Investments [EFSI].

The decision of Austria is expected to be supported by Luxemburg, another nuclear-free state in the European Union (EU).

Features of Hinkley Point C nuclear project

• Under the project two nuclear power plants will be established at Somerset in south-west England.
• The two reactors will produce in total 3.3 GW of electricity - the largest output produced by a single plant in the UK representing 7 percent of total UK electricity generation.
• It will be built by French energy firm EDF, and two Chinese companies- CGN and CNNC with an estimated 24.5 billion US dollars.
• It will use the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) technology which is not yet operational anywhere in the world. There are only three projects currently under construction in France, Finland and China which will rely on this technology.
• Underthe contract for difference agreement between the UK Government and the nuclear operators the Government will pay the difference between the strike price (government fixed price to sell nuclear power) and the market price.
• The operator will also benefit from a State guarantee covering any debt which the operator will seek to obtain on financial markets to fund the construction of the plant.
• For implementing the contract for difference agreement, the credit guarantee and planned level of public support, the government is expected to doll out 17 billion British pounds as a form of subsidy to the project operators.
• It will be the first one in Western Europe ever since the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan in 2011 and the first nuclear plant of UK in over two decades.
• Start of operations is scheduled for 2023 with an expected operational lifetime of 60 years.

 

WHO’s IARC classified lindane, DDT, and 2,4-D as carcinogenic to humans

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on 23 June 2015 classified lindane, DDT and 2,4-D as carcinogenic to humans. IARC is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The decision was taken in this regard after the conclusion of mandatory eight day meeting by a working group of 26 experts from 13 countries in Lyon (France). The group was set up by the IARC,as part of Monographs Programme, to evaluate the carcinogenicity of the three agents.

Gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (Lindane): IARC classified the pesticide as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1)based on sufficient evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

It has been used extensively for insect control, including in agriculture and for treatment of human lice and scabies. High exposures have occurred among agricultural workers and pesticide applicators; however, the use of it is now banned or restricted in most countries.

Large epidemiological studies of agricultural exposures in the USA and Canada showed a 60 percent increased risk of NHL in those exposed to lindane.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT): IARC classified the pesticide as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A) based on sufficient evidence in experimental animals and limited evidence of its carcinogenicity in humans. Epidemiological studies found positive associations between exposure to DDT and NHL, testicular cancer, and liver cancer.

There was also strong experimental evidence that DDT can suppress the immune system and disrupt sex hormones. 
Although most uses of DDT were banned (under the Stockholm Convention) from the 1970s, DDT and its breakdown products are highly persistent and can be found in the environment and in animal and human tissues throughout the world. Exposure to DDT still occurs, mainly through diet.

2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D): IARC classified the herbicide as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on inadequate evidence in humans and limited evidence in experimental animals. There is strong evidence that 2,4-D induces oxidative stress, a mechanism that can operate in humans, and moderate evidence that 2,4-D causes immunosuppression, based on in vivo and in vitro studies.

Since its introduction in 1945, 2,4-D has been widely used to control weeds in agriculture, forestry, and urban and residential settings. Occupational exposures to 2,4-D can occur during manufacturing and application, and the general population can be exposed through food, water, dust, or residential application, and during spraying.

About IARC Monographs Programme

• It identifies and evaluates environmental causes of cancer in humans.
• It evaluates chemicals (e.g. formaldehyde), complex mixtures (e.g. air pollution), occupational exposures (e.g. work in coke production), physical agents (e.g. solar radiation), biological agents (e.g. hepatitis B virus), and personal habits (e.g. tobacco smoking).
• After evaluation, IARC classifies carcinogens in five categories ranging from carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) to probably not carcinogenic to humans (Group 4).
• Since 1971, more than 900 agents have been evaluated, of which more than 400 have been identified as carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, or possibly carcinogenic to humans.
• IARC only classify the agents and does not recommend regulations, legislation, or public health interventions, which remain the responsibility of individual governments and other international organizations.

Titanic composer James Horner died

James Horner, the two-time Oscar-winning composer, died on 23 June 2015 in a plane crash in California, United States. He was 61. He was an accomplished concert hall composer and later he moved into writing film scores.

His first major movie score was in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) film. He had also composed for the Avatar and Titanic, both are highest-grossing films of all time. Till date, he has 95 soundtrack and 158 composes to his credits which includes music of over 100 films.

He was recognised for his work on two other Best Pictures- Braveheart and A Beautiful Mind. He also received nominations for An American Tail, Field of Dreams, Apollo 13 and House of Sand and Fog.

In 1997, Horner won two Oscars (Academy Awards)  for Best Original Score and along with Best Original Song for My Heart Will Go On in the biggest Hollywood hit movie Titanic directed by James Cameron. He had also won 2 Golden Globe Awards, 3 Satellite Awards, 3 Saturn Awards and was also nominated for 3 British Academy Film Awards.

 

Kerala’s Trinity College of Engineering launched student satellite TASSAT project

Trinity College of Engineering in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in the fourth week of June 2015 launched the Trinity Adrak Student Satellite (TASSAT)building project. The student satellite project is scheduled for completion by 2018.

The satellite was named so because the funding for the ambitious initiative came from an Oman-based company called Al Adrak.

As part of the TASSAT project CubeSats and NanoSats at a regular pace will be built. The former is a small satellite with a mass of less than 1.33 kilograms and a volume of 1 liter. It is crafted using off-the-shelf materials. The latter is a satellite featuring a mass ratio anywhere between 1 to 10 kilograms.

 

Lucknow zoo renamed after last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah

Uttar Pradesh Government on 23 June 2015 renamed the Lucknow Prani Udyan, popularly known as Lucknow zoo, as Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Prani Udyan, Lucknow.  

Shah was the last Nawab of Oudh under whom the province was annexed by the British under the policy ofDoctrine of Lapse in 1856. Later, Shah was exiled to Matia Birj in Bengal. 

Lucknow Zoo established in 1921 and named after England’s Prince of Wales as Prince of Wales Zoological Gardens was renamed as Lucknow Prani Udyan on 4 June 2001.

Since independence, it is the first incident in which a monument was named after a Nawab of Oudh or Avadh. 

Besides, the state government also renamed Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary of Unnao district as Shaheed Chandra Shekhar Azad Pakshi Vihar, Nawabganj. The sanctuary was named after revolutionary freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad because of Azad’s parental ties with Unnao district. 

Azad was born on 23 July 1906 in Alirajpur district in Madhya Pradesh but his father Sitaram Tiwari, belonged to Badarka village in Unnao district.

The decisions of renaming the zoo and bird sanctuary were taken at a cabinet meet chaired by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Carlyle Group committed up to 500 million US dollars to Magna Energy Ltd.

The Carlyle Group, an American global alternative asset manager, on 22 June 2015 announced that it is committing an equity line up to 500 million US dollars in Magna Energy Ltd.

Magna is a new upstream oil and gas company co-founded by two former Cairn Energy officials.

Funding for the investment will come from Carlyle International Energy Partners (CIEP), a fund that focuses on oil and gas exploration & production, midstream, and refining and marketing in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia.

The equity line will be invested in oil and gas opportunities across South Asia with special focus on Indian sub continent and Myanmar.

The investment will also help Magna to achieve its objective of creating a full-cycle oil & gas company through acquisitions and local licensing rounds.

Magna’s primary focus will be development and production with a secondary focus on exploration.

Magna’s expertise combined with additional capital and significant industry knowledge from Carlyle will help further develop the local oil and gas industry across the Indian Subcontinent, leading to greater energy security, job creation and economic growth.

 

SEBI relaxed the IPO norms for technological start-ups to raise funds from capital market

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 23 June 2015 relaxed the norms for technological start-ups to raise funds from the capital market while easing the norms for issuance of Initial Public Offering (IPO) by companies.

It reduced the post-listing lock-in period for tech start-up promoters to six months, instead of three years for other IPOs. 

Moreover, the exchanges will have a separate platform for the start-ups that is Institutional Trading Platform (ITP) and it will facilitate capital raising as well for start-ups. This platform is accessible to companies which are intensive in their use of technology, information technology, intellectual property, data analytics, bio-technology and nano-technology.

This will offer products, services or business platforms with the substantial value addition and with at least 25 percent of the pre-issue capital being held by QIBs (Qualified Institutional Buyers), or any other company in which at least 50 percent of the pre-issue capital is held by QIBs.

However, no person in such a company shall hold 25 percent or more of the post-issue share capital.

SEBI also reduced the requirement of market capitalisation of public shareholding of the issuer for Fast Track Issues (FTI) from 3000 crore rupees to 1000 crore rupees in case of Follow on Public Offering (FPO) and to 250 crore rupees in case of Rights issue.

It also rationalised the framework for reclassification of promoters as public. This framework will bring in consistency and also enable investors to take informed decisions based on any such move by the company/promoters.

While streamlining the process of IPOs, SEBI allowed Registrar and Share Transfer Agents (RTAs) and Depository Participants (DPs) to accept application forms and make bids on the stock exchange platform.

 

Maharashtra government decided to amend MPDA Act, 1981

Maharashtra’s state cabinet on 23 June 2015 approved the proposal to amend the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act, 1981. The amendment will be done to include criminal activities related to sand mafia and black marketing under its bracket.

This inclusion will help the state to act against those who are involved in black marketing of essential commodities as well as sand mafia.

At present, the Act is applicable only for slumlords, bootleggers, drug offenders, dangerous persons and video pirates.

The state government said that repeat offenders involved in illegal trafficking of sand would also be booked under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA).

Other approvals of the Cabinet include 
• Approval to setting up of Government Agriculture College at Muktainagar in Jalgaon district
• Nod to provide 1000 crore rupees for the 2505 crore rupees Wardha-Yavatmal-Nanded new Railway line

 

Scientists discovered a way to guide electric discharges using lasers

Scientists discovered a way to guide current or electric discharges by using lasers (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation).

The discovery was published on 19 June 2015 in an article by a team of researchers, led by Professor Morandotti, titled Laser-assisted guiding of electric discharges around objectsin Science Advances of the international journal Science.

Researchers demonstrated that the ability of lasers in ionizing aircan be used in directing and even steering electric discharges around obstacles. Thus, electric discharges were made to follow a designated smooth path along a straight or parabolic trajectory or even S-shaped trajectory.

To prove this, the researches placed an object between the two electrodes (located few centimeters apart) and observed that the discharge leapt over the obstacle, without damaging it, and returned to its laser guide on the other side.

Though electric arcs or lasers have long been used in technologies such as combustion engines, pollution control applications, lighting, machining and micromachining the present finding has many potential applications that includes the ability to control the path of lightning.

Researchers conducted the experiments at the Advanced Laser Light Source facility of the INRS Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications research centre in Varennes, Canada.

It was funded by European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) and the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research among others.

FBIL overnight Mumbai Inter-Bank Offer Rate (MIBOR) to become effective from July 22

The Board of Financial Benchmarks India Private Limited (FBIL) on 22 June 2015 decided to adopt FBIL overnight Mumbai Inter-Bank Offer Rate (MIBOR) from 22 July 2015.

FBIL overnight MIBOR is a new method to set the overnight interest rate benchmark that will be based on traded levels instead of contributions from market participants.

Key characteristics of FBIL overnight MIBOR

• The new overnight MIBOR will be administered by the FBIL Board which will replace National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Thomson Reuters in administering the overnight rate benchmark.
• The new benchmark rate will replace the current MIBOR benchmark interest rate administered by FIMMDA-NSE (Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India – National Stock Exchange).
• It will be based on trade-weighted call money transactions conducted on Clearing Corporation of India's (CCIL) trading platform between 9 am – 10 am.
• Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL) will be the calculating agent for the new benchmark rate.
• It will be in contrast to the current MIBOR, which is compiled by polling market participants and is used to benchmark overnight pricing of call money rate in India.
• It reflects Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) response to the rigging controversy that affected the London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) in 2014.

Background

In the wake of developments involving misconduct relating to financial benchmarks in international financial markets, the RBI set up theCommittee on Financial Benchmarks headed by P Vijaya Bhaskar in June 2013. The Committee reviewed the process of computation and dissemination of major financial benchmarks in India and gave recommendations on the governance framework.

As part of the measures to initiate reforms in the area of benchmark setting, FBIL was jointly formed by FIMMDA, Foreign Exchange Dealers’ Association of India (FEDAI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).

FBIL was incorporated in December 2014 and has commenced operations in February 2015. The Board of Directors of FBIL is headed by Usha Thorat, former Deputy Governor RBI, with CES Azariah, DG Patwardhan, Dr. NR Prabhala, DVSSV Prasad and Sangeet Shukla as the other directors.

Union Ministry of Finance issued Draft Proposals for Facilitating Electronic Transactions

Union Ministry of Finance on 22 June 2015 issued draft proposals for facilitating electronic transactions in the country. E-transactions mean authorization of transfer of money through electronic means and flow of funds directly from one account to another.

The goal of the proposed policy is to provide the necessary incentives to use E-transactions to replace the use of cash - either in government transactions, or in regular commerce over a period of time through policy intervention.

Key highlights of the Draft Proposal

• It aims to build a transactions history to enable improved credit access and financial inclusion
• It seeks to encourage Government, Corporates, Institutions and merchant establishments to facilitate non cash payments
• Utility service providers could be advised to give a discount to users for small ticket payments through E-payments, on the lines of BSNL, which provides an incentive of 1 percent of the billed amount if the payment is done through electronic mode
• It envisages adoption national E-payment gateway PayGov Indiafor collection of revenue, fee, penalties etc.
• Tax benefits could be provided to merchants for accepting electronic payments, e.g. an appropriate tax rebate can be extended to a merchant if at least say 50% value of the transactions is through electronic means.
• It proposes to levy a nominal cash handling charge on transactions greater than a specified level.
• It also proposes to mandate that settling of high value transactions of, say, more than 1 lakh rupees could only be done through electronic means.
• To facilitate high value transactions by a credit cardholder, the ceiling of 2 lakhs rupees could be increased to say 5 lakhs rupees or more.
• It proposes to improve broad band connectivity to enable mobile based payments on a wider scale

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech for the Union Budget 2015 - 16 had called for incentivizing credit or debit card transactions and disincentivizing cash transaction so as to curb the flow of black money.

Red Tape to Red Carpet... and then some written by Gina Rinehart released

Book titled Red Tape to Red Carpet... and then some authored by Gina Rinehart was released on 23 June 2015. Rinehart is Chairperson of the Australian mining company Hancock Prospecting Group. 

The book highlights the industry of Red Tape which thrives on doubt and Red Carpet which is built on trust.

The book was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in presence of Australian Minister for trade and investment, Andrew Robb, and former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating.

Indian Railway Team won World Railway Championship 2015 in Tennis and Volleyball

The Indian Railway Team on 23 June 2015 won the World Railway Championship 2015 in Tennis and Volleyball.

In the Tennis (World Railways) Championship 2015, Indian Railway Team defeated France by a margin of 3-1 in the finals and won USIC Tennis Championship 2015. It was held at Nuremberg, Germany from 31 May 2015 to 6 June 2015. 

In the Volleyball (World Railways) Championship 2015, Indian Railway Team defeated Russian team in the finals and won USIC Volleyball Championship 2015. It was held at Gomel, Belarus from 10 June 2015 to 17 June 2015.

In 2011, the Indian Railway Tennis Team won Silver Medal during last USIC Tennis Championship and it won Bronze Medal during the USIC Volleyball Championship. 

About USIC
USIC (Union Sportive Internationale des Cheminots) is an international railways sporting association with members from various countries. The purpose of USIC is to encourage the practice of amateur sports among railway employees in all over the world.

It encourages a spirit of comradeship in accordance with the Olympic ideal and develops a spirit of loyalty, tolerance and democracy among them.

Steffi Graf appointed as Kerala’s Ayurveda brand ambassador

To promote Kerala’s tourism departments Visit Kerala Scheme, Kerala government on 23 June 2015 appointed tennis legend Steffi Graf as Ayurveda brand ambassador. 

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the decision to appoint Graf as Brand Ambassador was taken by the state Cabinet. 

An agreement in this regard was reached between the state’s tourism department and former World number one tennis player of Germany, who had bagged 22 Grand slam single titles, which is second only to 24 singles titles won by Margaret Court of Australia.

Her 22 singles titles also marks the record for most Major wins by a tennis player (male or female) since the introduction of the Open Era in 1968. 

In 1988, she became the first and only tennis player (male or female) to achieve the Calendar Year Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year.

She retired from professional tennis in 1999, and married to former World No. 1 men’s tennis player Andre Agassi in October 2001.

 

Three Indians won inaugural Queen's Young Leaders Award in UK

Three Indians on 22 June 2015 won the inaugural Queen's Young Leaders Award in the UK for taking the lead in transforming the lives of others and making a lasting difference in their communities. These winners are Ashwini Angadi, Devika Malik and Akshay Jadhao.

 

These three Indians are among 60 others who received the Queen's Young Leaders award from the British monarch at a gala ceremony in Buckingham Palace. The first 60 recipients of the Queen's Young Leaders Award will meet the Queen Elizabeth II and David Cameron.

Ashwini Angadi was awarded for using her own experiences as a visually impaired student to lobby for more braille and audio books. She runs Belaku Academy in Bengaluru, offering education to disabled students from rural areas. 

Akshay Jadhao won for his efforts in launching education and skills courses in the rural farming region of Vidarbha, Maharashtra. While, Devika Malik was chosen for her Wheeling Happiness Foundation which promotes inclusion, raises funds for disabled people and promotes equality for those with disabilities. 

The award does not come with any cash incentive, but offers each of the winners a year-long mentoring opportunity through an online course. The award will run for a period of 4 years and the search is already on for the next round of 60 with a vision to cover each Commonwealth country by 2018.

About Queen's Young Leaders Award
Queen's Young Leaders Award was set up by Queen Elizabeth II to recognise exceptional young people from across the Commonwealth. It was launched by her grandchildren Prince William and Prince Harry in 2015. 

Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust presents this award to recognise young people from across the 53 countries of the Commonwealth who are taking the lead in transforming the lives of others.

 

Inderjeet Singh, Jinson Johnson won gold at Asian Athletics Grand Prix

Inderjit Singh and Jinson Johnson of India on 23 June 2015 bagged gold at the first leg of the Asian Athletics Grand Prix in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Inderjit won the gold in Shot Put by throwing 19.83 meters while Johnson won the gold in 800 meter event with a time of 1:48.52.

This was Inderjeet's second gold in an international event in June 2015, having won the shot put event at the Asian Championships in Wuhan, China on 3 June 2015.

In the first leg, India won a total of eight medals which included 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 Bronze medals. The list is as follows:

Athlete	Medal	Event
Inderjit Singh	Gold	Shot Put (men)
Jinson Johnson	Gold	800 meter (men)
Ankit Sharma	Silver	Long Jump (men)
M Gomathi	Bronze	800 meter (women)
Rajiv Arokya	Bronze	400 meter (men)
MR Poovamma	Bronze	400 meter (women)
Sarbani Nanda	Bronze	100 meter (women)
Gayathry Govindraj	Bronze	110 meter hurdles (women)

The gold medallist of an individual event will get 1500 US dollars while the silver and bronze winners will pocket 800 US dollars and 500 US dollars, respectively.

 

UK-based philanthropist Benni Joseph Mavelil selected for VK Krishna Menon Award 2015

Benni Joseph Mavelil, a UK-based philanthropist, was on 21 June 2015 selected for the VK Krishna Menon Award in recognition of his outstanding professional and altruistic achievements, contributions and services to the community and wider multicultural society.

Mavelil, President of the UK Knanaya Catholic Community, will receive the award at a function hosted by the VK Krishna Menon Institute in 2015.

At present, Mavelil is a registered Manager and Director for the Ideal Fostering in Birmingham, United Kingdom. He is originally from Koodalloor, Kerala and has been living and working in the UK for over a decade. He graduated from St. Stephens College of Delhi.

About V K Krishna Menon Award
The VK Krishna Menon award is given to outstanding Indian patriots who served in the Diaspora and have been distinguished in various fields including science, literature, business, politics, diplomacy and philanthropy.

The VK Krishna Menon Institute was established in 2006 to commemorate and facilitate the life, times and achievements of VK Menon. It awards people from India and diaspora from Asia for significant accomplishments in various fields.