23-24 september eng

23 September

PV Chandran elected President of Indian Newspaper Society for 2015-16

PV Chandran was on 18 September 2015 elected as President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) for the year 2015-16. His name was chosen for the post during the 76th annual general meeting of INS in Bengaluru, Karnataka. 
Chandran, who represents Grihalakshmi as a whole-time director, will succeed Kiran B. Vadodaria. Grihalakshmi is a Malayalam magazine published by the Mathrubhumi group of publications.

On the other hand, Somesh Sharma of Rashtradoot Saptahik was elected as the Deputy President, Akila Urankar of Business Standard was chosen as the Vice-President and Mohit Jain of The Economic Times was chosen as the Honorary Treasurer. 
Beside this, a 41-member executive committee was also elected.

Two Bills on Reservations to Specially & Economically Backward Classes passed in Rajasthan Assembly

Two separate bills providing for 5 percent and 14 percent reservation for Specially Backward Classes (SBC) and Economically Backward Classes (EBC) respectively were passed on 22 September 2015 by the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.

The beneficiaries under the SBC quota are-Banjara/Baldiya/Labana, Gadiya Lohar/Gadoliya, Gujar/Gurjar, Raika/Rebari/Debasi and Gadariya/Gadri/Gayari .

The purpose of the bills is to ensure advancement of backward communities and financially weaker sections of unreserved categories in the state.

However, the reservations will be enforced during admissions to educational institutions and appointments to state government services only.

These reservations are in addition to the existing reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Class (OBC) categories.

Hence, in order to protect them from judicial scrutiny, the Assembly also passed resolutions requesting the state government to make efforts to get the bills included in the ninth schedule of the constitution.

Titles of the bills are: Rajasthan Special Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutes in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Bill 2015 and Rajasthan Economically Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutes in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Bill 2015.

Why the Assembly wants the bills in the Ninth Schedule?

The Ninth Schedule to the Constitution of India protects any legislation inserted within it from judicial review. It was inserted by the first amendment to the constitution in 1951.

Now, with the extension of affirmative action to SBCs and EBCs, the cumulative reservations in the state will exceed 50 percent limit imposed by the Supreme Court of India in the M R Balaji v Mysore AIR case of 1963.

Hence, in order to protect them from any judicial scrutiny the state legislature proposed to include them in the schedule.

At present, a similar legislation- The Tamil Nadu BCs, SCs and STs (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institution and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Act, 1993-is placed under the schedule that was inserted by the 76th amendment to the constitution.

Zayn Khan elected as President of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India

Zayn Khan was on 22 September 2015 unanimously elected as the President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). His appointment was necessitated by the death of R Bharath Raj, who passed away while serving as President on August 15.

Khan is a resident of Hyderabad and represents the Western India Automobile Association. He has years of hands-on experience in the sport and has contributed a lot for the technical side of the sport in India. 
As head of the stewards development, training and deployment, Khan has extensive knowledge about rallying. He also has experience in officiating at the international level. 
About The Federation of Motor Sports Club of India (FMSCI)
• FMSCI was formed in the year 1971 as a federation of five clubs to promote motorsporting events in the country.
• It is a Private Limited company registered under Section 25 of the Indian Companies Act 1956.
• It is also recognised as the National Sports Federation (NSF) by the Indian Government for the promotion and governance of motorsports in India.
• Its main functions are formulation of sporting rules for various types of motorsports, issue of competition licenses, permits to clubs to organize motorsporting events, training and deputation of sporting officials and to raise the standard of Indian Motorsports to International levels.

Draft of Revised Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour released

The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment on 22 September 2015 released the draft of Revised Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour.

The revised scheme seeks to address anomalies associated with the original scheme of 1978 like low rehabilitation package, lack of provisions for special category beneficiaries, lack of monitoring, etc.

Features of the Revised Scheme

• It will be a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) unlike the original scheme which is a Central Sponsored Scheme (CSS). Hence, the Union Government will bear the entire expenditure under the scheme.
• The rehabilitation package will be 1 lakh rupees per adult male beneficiary
• For special category beneficiaries such as young children including orphans, girl child rescued from beggar rings and forced prostitution the package will be of 2 lakh rupees.
• For disabled people the package will be 3 lakh rupees
• The amount of assistance for survey of bonded laborers shall be 4.50 lakh rupees per sensitive district.
• The expenditure on awareness generation will be to the tune of maximum 10 lakh rupees per state.

UN Broadband Commission released State of Broadband Report 2015

The United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission on 21 September 2015 released the State of Broadband Report 2015. As per the report, the global broadband growth is slowing down sharply as 4 billion people are still offline.

The report reveals that 57 percent of the world’s people remain offline and unable to take advantage of the enormous economic and social benefits the Internet can offer.
The State of Broadband 2015 is the fourth edition of the Commission’s broadband connectivity report.
Highlights of the report

• New figures in the report confirm that 3.2 billion people are now connected, up from 2.9 billion last year and equating to 43 percent of the global population.
• While access to Internet is approaching saturation levels in the developed world, the Net is only accessible to 35 percent of people in developing countries.
• The situation in the 48 UN-designated Least Developed Countries is particularly critical, with over 90 percent of people without any kind of Internet connectivity.
• The top ten countries for household Internet penetration are all located in Asia or the Middle East.
• The Republic of Korea continues to have the world’s highest household broadband penetration with 98.5 percent of homes connected.
• Qatar with 98 percent penetration is ranked second and Saudi Arabia with 94 percent is ranked third.
• Iceland has the highest percentage of individuals using the Internet with 98.2 percent penetration.
• Monaco remains very slightly ahead of Switzerland as the world leader in fixed broadband penetration, at over 46.8 percent of the population compared with the Swiss figure of 46 percent.
• There are now six economies where fixed broadband penetration exceeds 40 percent, these are Monaco, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, Liechtenstein and France.
• The Asia-Pacific region now accounts for half of all active mobile broadband subscriptions with Macao, China easily taking top place with 322 active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 people.
• In total, there are now 79 countries where over 50 percent of the population is online, up from 77 in 2014.
• The top ten countries for Internet use are all located in Europe. The lowest levels of Internet access are mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa with Internet available to less than 2 percent of the population in Guinea (1.7%), Somalia (1.6%), Burundi (1.4%), Timor Leste (1.1%) and Eritrea (1.0).

India's ranking in State of Broadband Report 2015
According to the State of Broadband 2015 report, India’s broadband penetration ranking has fallen to 155th position from 113th position in 2013. While India's overall broadband penetration (mobile and fixed line) ranking improved to 136 from 142 in 2014, it is still way behind Syria, Zimbabwe and Ghana.
However, the number of people with broadband access on mobile phones has gone up to 5.5 percent of the population compared with just 3.2 percent in 2013.

About The State of Broadband Report
Produced annually by the Broadband Commission, The State of Broadband Report is a unique global snapshot of broadband network access and affordability, with country-by country data measuring broadband access against key advocacy targets set by the Commission in 2011.
Released annually in September in New York, it is the only report that features country-by-country rankings based on access and affordability for over 160 economies worldwide.
About United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission

• The United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission for Digital Development was established in May 2010 by International Telecommunication Union and UNESCO in response to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's call to step up UN efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
• The Commission aims to boost the importance of broadband on the international policy agenda and believes that expanding broadband access is key to accelerate progress.
• The Commission comprises a high-powered community, top CEO and industry leaders, senior policy-makers, government representatives, international agencies and academia.

24th Vyaas Samman conferred on eminent Hindi writer Dr Kamal Kishore Goenka

Eminent Hindi writer Dr Kamal Kishore Goenka was conferred with 24th Vyaas Samman for the year 2014 on 22 September 2015. He was awarded for his work 'Premchand ki Kahaniyon ka Kaal Kramanusaar Adhyayan'. 
Goenka's work is a critical analysis of the work by Hindi literature's towering giant Munshi Premchand.

He was awarded a citation along with a cash amount of 2.5 lakh rupees by eminent Hindi writer Prof Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari. 
About the Vyas Samman
• The award was instituted in 1991 by the KK Birla Foundation. It is presented to an outstanding literary work in Hindi published during the last 10 years. 
• Ram Vilas Sharma was the first person to receive the award for hisBharat ke Pracheen bhasha parivar aur Hindiin 1991.
• Vishwanath Tripathi received the award for the year 2013 for his memoir 'Vyomkesh Darvesh' that is a biography of the noted Hindi scholar Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi. While, Narendra Kohli received the award for his work 'Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati' in 2012 and Ramdarash Misra for his collection of poems 'Aam K Patte' in 2011.

OECD released International Migration Outlook 2015

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on 22 September 2015 released the International Migration Outlook 2015.

It analysed recent development in migration movements and policies in OECD countries and some non member countries.

Also, the report delineated the evolution of recent labour market outcomes of immigrants in OECD countries.

Highlights of International Migration Outlook 2015

• Immigration flows are on the rise in most OECD countries. They increased sharply for the first time since 2007 and are back to their pre-crisis level with 4.3 million permanent entries to the OECD in 2014.
• Germany is consolidating its position as one of the main immigration countries, now second only to the USA in the number of migrants it receives.
• One in ten immigrants to the OECD is Chinese and 4.4 percent from India.
• Overall, the average employment rate of immigrants in the OECD area increased by 1.3 percentage points during 2011-14, compared with 0.5 percentage points for the native population.
• Asylum seeks in OECD countries reached an historical high in 2014 and levels continue to increase in 2015.
• Between 2000-01 and 2010-11 the number of doctors and nurses emigrating to OECD countries from countries with severe shortages in health workers like India grew by more than 80 percent.

Korea Caravan 2015 organised by Korea-Andhra Pradesh Friendship Forum held in Vishakhapatnam

Korea-Andhra Pradesh Friendship Forum organized the Korea Caravan 2015 in Vishakhapatnam on 22 September 2015. This is for the first time that Caravan was held outside New Delhi.

During this, Andhra Pradesh government announced to create a Korea Desk, which would be an exclusive cell to be opened in the State Secretariat, to issue necessary clearances and give swift response to investors.

Besides, it also called upon the Koreans to join hands with the Indians to set up various industries in the State and in building the capital Amaravathi.

On the other hand, Ambassador of Korea to India Joongyu Lee, while addressing the gathering, reiterated the faith and confidence in the potential of Andhra Pradesh as was reflected by the World Bank’s recent report on ‘Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms.

The report ranked the state second in ease of doing business category. Andhra Pradesh was ranked with a score of 70.12 percent, below Gujarat which stood at the top with a score of 71.14 per cent.

Cisco’s Executive Chairman John T Chambers elected Chairman of US-India Business Council

John T Chambers, the Executive Chairman of Cisco, was on 21 September 2015 elected as the next Chairman of US-India Business Council’s (USIBC) by the Council’s Board of Directors.
Chambers name was officially announced at the USIBC’s 40th Anniversary Leadership Summit that kicked off the US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.

He succeeded Ajay Banga, the President and CEO of MasterCard, who has been the longest-serving chairman of the Council.
Chambers will assume the charge on 1 January 2016 following the end of four-year term of Banga on 31 December 2015. 
US-India Business Council (USIBC)
The US-India Business Council (USIBC) is the premier business advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening the economic and commercial relationship between the United States and India. 
It was established in 1975 at the request of both the United States and Indian governments; the Council is the largest bilateral trade association in the United States with liaison presence in New York, Silicon Valley, and New Delhi.
The Council’s mission is to promote bilateral trade relations between India and the United States through pro-growth policies that will advance commercial partnerships from 100 billion US dollars to 500 billion US dollars by the end of the decade.
Mukesh Aghi is the president of USIBC.

Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai of Odisha won Community Impact Award at Google Science Fair

A class 9th student from Koraput district of Odisha, Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai, bagged the prestigious Community Impact Award at the fifth Google Science Fair held in California on 22 September 2015.

Lalita is a student of DPS Damanjodi in Koraput, Odisha and she got the award for developing a low-cost bio-absorbent based water purifier, which aimed at cleaning waste water by flowing through difference layers of corn cobs.

As a part of the award, 13 years old Lalita won 10000 US dollars as prize money. She will also receive support from Google for one year for her project.

Winners of the fifth annual Google Science Fair

• Grand Prize- Olivia Hallisey (16), United States
• Community Impact Award- Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai (13), India
• Virgin Galactic Pioneer Award- Pranav Sivakumar (15), United States
• Lego Education Builder Award- Anurudh Ganesan (15), United States
• Google Technologist Award- Girish Kumar (17), Singapore
• Incubator Award- Eliot Sarrey (14), France
• Scientific American Innovator Award- Krtin Nithiyanandam (14), United Kingdom
• National Geographic Explorer Award- Deepika Kurup (17), United States

About Google Science Fair

The Google Science Fair is an online science competition sponsored by Google, National Geographic, Galactic, Lego, Virgin and Scientific American. The competition is open for 13 to 18 years old students from all over the world. The first ever Google Science Fair award was announced in July 2011.

Union Cabinet approved signing of Joint Declaration of Intent between India and Germany

The Union Cabinet on 22 September 2015 approved the signing of Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between India and Germany. It was approved with minor amendments in the earlier MoU for facilitating implementation of the programme Indo-German Strategic Partnerships in Higher Education.

The amendments in the earlier MoU include
• The term ‘Strategic’ will be removed from the title of the programme to make it Indo-German Partnership in Higher Education and
• The funding period for the programme will be changed from 2015-19 to 2016-20, that is, from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2020. 
The strengthened education relationship through this Joint Declaration of Intent will enable the higher education institutions in both the countries to benefit mutually to enhance innovative partnerships in the field of education, research and skill development. 
It will be beneficial for faculty development and to foster advanced research in the identified priority areas of challenges for India.

Millennium Development Goals: Delhi State Report 2014 released

The Institute of Human Development (IHD) on 22 September 2015 released a report titled Millennium Development Goals: Delhi State Report 2014.
It was prepared by the IHD in collaboration with the Delhi Planning Board (DPB).

Highlights of the report
• The proportion of people below the poverty line in Delhi estimated for 2011-12 was 9.9 percent in comparison to 15.7 percent during 1993-94, the base year for MDG.
• While the under-5 child mortality rate was 83.1 in 1992, it dropped to 28 in 2012.
• Infant mortality rate was 25 in 2012 against 36 recorded in 1998.
• Percentage of underweight children (under 3 years) decreased from 36.2 percent in 1992-93 to 24.9 percent in 2005-06.
• Tuberculosis prevalence rate reduced to 67.7 per one lakh population in 2010 as opposed to 284.5 recorded in 2004.
• While the percentage of slum households in 2001 was 16.3, it came down to 11.3 in 2011.
• Teledensity (number of connections for 100 individuals) increased from 41.8 in 2004 to 218.9 in 2011.
• While around 29.1 percent of households have personal computers, only 17.6 percent households having internet facility.
• Net enrolment ratio in primary education was 97.6 percent during 2012-13 and proportion of pupils completing it was 99.7 percent in 2010-11 against the 100 percent target envisaged by the MDG.
• The youth literacy rate that is between 15 and 24 years old was 96.46 percent during 2011-12.
• Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector was 17.1 in 2011-12.
• While the proportion of seats held by women in the state Assembly was 4.3 percent in 2013, it increased to 8.6 percent in 2015.

CCS cleared multi-billion deals for Apache attack and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from US

Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on 22 September 2015 approved the deal to buy 37 military helicopters from the United States (US). The deal is worth 3.1 billion US dollars.

The deal of 37 helicopters comprises of 22 Apache attack helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers from US defence contractor Boeing. These helicopters will replace the old Soviet-era aircraft.

The deal, which was being delayed from 2012, also contains proposals to place follow-on orders for 7 more CH-47F Chinook and 11 more AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters.

On the one hand, the Apache, armed with fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles, has the ability to track up to 128 targets in just 60 seconds and prioritise threats. The missiles, in addition, enhance the helicopter gunships with heavy anti-armour abilities.

On the other, the Chinook’s main duty includes transporting troops, artillery and battlefield resupply.

CCEA approved 1575 crore rupees road project in Odisha

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 22 September 2015 gave its nod to four-laning of the 112-km Cuttack-Angul section of the National Highway-42 in Odisha.

The total estimated cost of the project will be 1575 crore rupees and it will be built on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.

The project will be implemented under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase III.

Maximum grant from the government for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) will be up to 40 percent of the total project cost.

The bids for the project have been invited on the basis of provisions of the Model Concession Agreement.

Once completed, the road will greatly help reduce the time and cost of travel of traffic. It will also give a boost to socio-economic condition of the people living in the region.

On the other hand, the activities related to the project will also provide employment opportunities to local labourers.

Background

The road project was earlier awarded to Ashoka Buildcon Ltd in 2011 during the UPA-II regime. The concession agreement was signed in March 2012. However, the concession agreement was terminated on mutual consent due to non-fulfilment of condition precedents by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as per the provisions of the agreement.

World Rhino Day observed across the world

22 September: World Rhino Day
The World Rhino Day was observed on 22 September 2015. The day is observed to celebrate all five species of rhino and they are Black, White, Greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan rhinos.
The World Rhino Day was first announced by WWF-South Africa in 2010. The following year, World Rhino Day grew into an international success, encompassing both African and Asian rhino species, thanks to the efforts of two determined women.

In India, the day was observed with all-day awareness programmes atKaziranga National Park (Assam), Manas National Park (Assam)and Laokhowa Burachapori (Assam). 
Rhinos in Numbers
According to the organisation Save the Rhino, there are around 29000 rhinoceros left in the world. The number has declined from 5 lakhs rhinos at the turn of the 20th century to 70000 in 1970.
Out of these, in both the wild and in conservation, there are just 5055 black rhinos, 20405 white rhinos, 3333 greater one-horned rhinos, less than 100 Sumatran rhinos and a maximum of 61 Javan rhinos.
There is only one remaining male Northern white rhino named Sudanin Ol Pejeta Conservancy of Kenya.
Background
The day is credited to two women, namely Lisa Jane Campbellof Chishakwe Ranch and Rhishja and it all started with an email.
In mid-2011, Lisa Jane Campbell of Zimbabwe who already was planning ahead for World Rhino Day, searched online for ideas and potential collaborators, and found Rhishja’s blog. Lisa Jane sent Rhishja an email, and the two found they shared a common goal of making World Rhino Day a day of celebration for all five species of rhino. 
Since then, World Rhino Day has grown to become a global phenomenon, uniting NGOs, zoos, cause-related organizations, businesses, and concerned individuals from nearly every corner of the world.

ADB lowered India’s Growth Forecast for 2016 from 7.8% to 7.4%

Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 22 September 2015 lowered India’s gross domestic (GDP) growth projections for the fiscal year (FY) 2016 to 7.4 percent from 7.8 percent projected in its March 2015 Outlook.
For FY2015, Indian economy growth is forecasted at 7.8 percent which is lower than the earlier forecast of 8.2 percent.
The causes for the lowering of growth projections has been the economic slowdown in industrial countries, weak monsoon, and stalled action of some key structural reforms.

However; there are few upsides that may give help the economy to bounce back and they are:
Inflation is trending down:The report projects inflation to average 5 percent in FY2015, rising to 5.5 percent in FY2016, on improved growth and an uptick in commodity prices. Continued soft consumer prices will help Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in further reducing interest rates in the second half of FY2015. The positive impact of monetary easing on the real economy would be strengthened with further headway on economic reforms.
Tax revenue:Healthy growth in tax revenue, along with higher than usual asset sales, allowed the government to increase growth enhancing capital expenditure by a robust 39.0 percent. 
Net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows: Net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows touched 10.2 billion US dollars in the first quarter of FY2015, a year-on-year rise of more than 29 percent, net portfolio inflows turned negative.
Current Account Deficit:In FY2015, it has been projected to remain at 1.1% of GDP, well below the highs of recent years. This happened on account of slow growth in industrial economies and the weakening of currencies of some of India’s major trading partners. In FY2016, a recovery in oil prices and improved industry and investment demand should see both imports and exports pick up, with the current account deficit seen increasing slightly to 1.5% of GDP.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2014, ADB assistance totaled 22.9 billion US dollar, including co-financing of 9.2 billion US dollar.

Union Cabinet approved setting up of Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 September 2015 gave its green signal for setting up of Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC).

It will be a national level institute with an aim to provide increased accessibility in education, workplace and other activities of life to 5 million hearing-impaired people.

ISLRTC will be set up as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It will function under the umbrella of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Initially, the institute will be located at the Institute for Physically Handicapped, New Delhi.

Structure of ISLRTC

The Centre will be a society consisting of a President. There will be 12 members in the General Council. The Executive Council will have a chairperson and nine members. The institute will also include some ex-officio and others as experts from national-level societies of Universities or Academic Institutions for deaf people.

Focus area of ISLRTC

The institute will concentrate on the development of sign language interpreters, research and development and new technology.

Researchers developed SafePay prototype system to prevent mass credit card fraud

A team of researchers have developed an inexpensive, secure method named SafePay prototype system to prevent mass credit card fraud using existing magnetic card readers. The research was led by Yinzhi Cao, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at Lehigh University.

The findings of the research were published on the official website of Lehigh University on 21 September 2015.
This novel technique works by transforming disposable credit card information to electrical current and driving a magnetic card chip to simulate the behavior of a physical magnetic card.
Characteristic feature of SafePay
• It is compatible with existing magnetic card readers and due to this it will greatly relieve the burden of merchants in replacing card readers and at the same time protect cardholders from mass data breaches.
• It is related to Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) which are systems consisting of computational elements that control physical entities. 
• The computational elements in SafePay consist of a mobile device and a server which distributes disposable credit card numbers. 
• The physical entity is the magnetic credit card chip controlled by a mobile application inside a customer's mobile device.

How SafePay works?
• First, the user downloads and executes the mobile banking application which communicates with the bank server. 
• During transactions, the mobile application acquires disposable credit card numbers from the bank server, generates a wave file.
• He then plays the file to generate electrical current and then drives the magnetic card chip via an audio jack or Bluetooth.
Critical elements of SafePay
• Disposable credit card information that expires after a limited time or number of usages. So, even if the information is leaked, it cannot be used for future transactions.
• A magnetic credit card chip that makes it completely compatible with existing readers. 
• A mobile banking application that automates the process making it extremely user-friendly.

Haryana Government to develop Gurgaon as Smart City

Haryana government on 22 September 2015 declared that it will develop Gurgaon as a smart city with its own resources. However, it will follow Union Government’s guidelines on Smart Cities Mission and technical assistance.

It was declared that the state will arrange 500 crore rupees of its own for Gurgaon for the first phase which will be spent over a time span of 5 years.

Notably, Gurgaon had not made to centre’s list of 98 cities that will be developed as smart cities under the Smart Cities Mission. Haryana itself had nominated its two cities, Karnal and Faridabad, on the basis of the parameters laid down for selection under the mission.

Odisha Government decided to implement 5 sub-schemes for transgenders

The Odisha Government in the third week of September 2015 decided to implement five sub-schemes introduced by the central government for empowerment of transgenders.

The state government’s newly created Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) will implement the sub-schemes.

The department has also prepared a proposal for recognition of transgenders. Upon recognition, the department will provide them with certificates as third gender.  Also, parents of every transgender will get financial assistance of 1000 rupees.

Under pre-matric scholarship, the transgender day scholar will get 150 rupees and the hostelers will get 350 rupees for 10 months. Similarly, the transgender students will get monthly post-matric scholarship of 550 rupees, and the hostelers will get 1200 rupees for 10 months.

In addition, 15000 rupees per transgender trainee will be given for 200 hours for their skill development course. One batch will consist of 30 trainees. The stipend will be 1000 rupees per month for the trainee

Telangana-Chhattisgarh inked Power Supply pact to buy 1000 MW power

Telangana Government on 22 September 2015 entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Chhattisgarh for purchasing 1000 mw of power. The PPA would be in force for the next 12 years.
The supply pact aims at bridging the demand-supply gap in Telangana, particularly when the demand spikes up during the Rabi crop season and the summer months. 
According to a press release issued by the Telangana Government, this is in addition to the PPA both the states had earlier signed in November 2014 for 1000 mw. 
The transmission line that will help Telangana to bring power from Chhattisgarh is currently under construction between Wardha (Maharashtra) and Dichpally (Telangana). The 765-kv double-circuit line will have capacity to handle 4350 mw of power.

Consultative workshop on Climate Change Mitigation in Urban Sector held in New Delhi

Union Ministry of Urban Development on 21 September 2015 organised a consultative workshop on ‘Climate Change Mitigation in Urban Sector’in New Delhi. 
During the workshop, Union Ministry of  Environment, Forests and Climate Change made a detailed presentation on ‘Environmental Guidelines for Buildings’containing about 30 parameters to be complied with for efficient management of energy, water, land, solid waste, air quality and noise levels during pre-construction, construction and post construction period.
The workshop was organised to sensitize the states and other stakeholders to the need for green construction in view of the fact that building sector consumes 40 percent of electricity generated in the country, 30 percent of raw materials and 20% each of water and land resources besides generating 30 percent of solid waste and 20 percent of effluents.

States broadly agreed to ensure compliance with the proposed Environmental Guidelines for construction projects in urban areas stating that the stipulations are feasible for implementation.
Broad consensus that emerged on the following major provisions are:
• At least 1% of connected applied load of power shall be met from renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic cells or wind mills or hybrid mode. All common area lighting must be of LED/Solar lights. Energy meters must be installed to measure over all energy consumption.
• Regular Energy Audit shall be ensured through energy auditors certified by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
• One tree shall be planted for every 100 sq.mt of land area. When trees are to be cut or transplanted, compensatory plantation of 3 trees for every cut to be ensured.
• Rain Water Harvesting Plan to be designed providing one recharge bore for every 3,000 sq.mt of land area.  A minimum of 30% of area open to sky (un-built) to be left unpaved to facilitate ground water recharge and reduce heat island effect. Area covered with grass will be treated as unpaved area.
• Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) shall be installed to ensure treatment of 100% solid waste generated and adopting decentralized STPs for larger projects.
• Natural flow of storm water channels can’t be altered without the approval of competent authority. Entry and exit points of such channels must be retained.
• Organic waste composter/Vermiculture pit with a minimum capacity of 0.3 kg/tenement/day to be installed.
• Separate wet and dry bins to be provided at the ground level facilitating segregation of waste. All non-biodegradable waste shall be handed over to authorized recyclers.
• Fertile top soil must be retained to the maximum and for reuse on the site, since it takes about 500 years for formation of one inch of fertile top soil.
• Possession of buildings to be handed over only after drainage and water connections are in place and No Objection Certification obtained from the competent authority.

9th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (RPBD) to be held in Los Angeles

The 9th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (RPBD) will be held at Los Angeles, California, USA from 14 November to 15 November 2015. 
The Theme for RPBD Los Angeles will be – The Indian Diaspora: Defining a New Paradigm in India-US Relationship, capturing the ethos of ongoing relationship between India and USA and the important role being played by Diaspora in this regard. 
The 9th session of RPBD will be organised by Consulate General of India, San Francisco, and the Embassy of India, Washington DC in collaboration with the major community organizations of People of Indian Origin in the USA and the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA).
The date to organise the RPBD was announced by Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs and External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on 22 September 2015 in a Joint statement with the US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington DC. 
Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (RPBD)
RPBDs are important Diaspora engagement meets conducted annually by the Union Government outside the country as part of a comprehensive programme to reach out to the growing Indian Diaspora community globally. 
Past Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
• 1st RPBD was held in New York, the US in 2007
• 2nd RPBD was held in Singapore in 2008
• 3rd RPBD was held in The Hague, Netherlands in 2009
• 4th RPBD was held in Durban, South Africa in 2010
• 5th RPBD was held in Toronto, Canada in 2011
• 6th RPBD was held in Mauritius in 2012
• 7th RPBD was held in Sydney, Australia in 2013
• 8th RPBD was held in London, the UK in 2014

Union Government released National Health Profile 2015

The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda on 22 September 2015 released the National Health Profile (NHP) 2015 prepared by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI). The E-book (digital version) of NHP was also released for the first time. This is the 11th edition of NHP.

The National Health Profile covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, along with comprehensive information on health infrastructure and human resources in health. 
NHP 2015 for the first time also incorporates the health data from ESIC and Railways.
The NHP 2015 indicates that significant progress has been made in the country for various health outcomes, which is an encouraging signal.
Highlights of the National Health Profile 2015
• Every government hospital serves an estimated 61000 people in India with one bed for every 1833 people. 
• In undivided Andhra Pradesh, every government hospital serves over 3 lakh patients while in Bihar; there is only one bed for every 8800 people.
• Every government allopathic doctor serves a population of over 11000 people, with Bihar and Maharashtra having the worst ratios. 
• India now has cumulatively 9.4 lakh allopathic doctors, 1.54 lakh dental surgeons and 7.37 lakh AYUSH doctors of who more than half are Ayurvedic doctors. 
• India’s 400 medical colleges admit an estimated 47000 students annually.
Cancer Data
• As per NHP 2015 data, there will be 19 percent increase in cancer among men by 2020 with mouth cancer registering the highest spike and a 23 percent increase among women with gall bladder cancer showing the sharpest increase. 
• The cancer incidence in men will rise from the current 522164 to 622203 in 2020. 
• Despite the countrywide ban on gutkha, mouth cancer will register a 51 percent jump. 
• There will be a 48 percent increase in prostate cancer, 31 percent increase in liver cancer and 22 percent increase in lung cancer. 
Spread of Communicable diseases in India as per NHP 2015
• Deaths from most communicable diseases have been falling steadily in India. Despite recording over 10 lakh cases, deaths from malaria are officially down to just over 500 annually.
• Odisha accounted for over one in three cases of malaria in 2014. 
• The number of recorded chikungunya cases has fallen since a 2010 outbreak, but Maharashtra accounts for nearly half of all cases. 
• Just over 40000 cases of dengue were officially reported in 2014 and 131 deaths. 
• While the number of cases of Acute Diarrhoeal Disease has risen every year to 1.16 crore in 2014, mortality from the disease has been steadily declining.
• However, 2014 saw a sharp spike in cases and deaths due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, a disease concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal. 
• Japanese Encephalitis concentrated in Assam and Uttar Pradesh also rose last year. 
• Pulmonary tuberculosis remains the biggest communicable disease killer in India, accounting for over 63000 deaths in 2014. 
About National Health Profile
• The National Health Profile is released every year by CBHI since its launch in 2005. 
• It helps in understanding the goals, our strengths and weaknesses and it is also an important means to strategize. Good compiled data enables the policymakers to make evidence-based policies.
• The data is not only important for understanding the health indicators of the country, but it also provides an opportunity to monitor the situation. 
• It highlights substantial health information under 6 indicators viz. demographic, socio-economic, health finance and health status indicators, comprehensive information on health infrastructure and human resources in health in India.

Indian Diaspora in the US launched Mission 2022

The three million strong Indian Diaspora in the United States (US) launched Mission 2022 on 22 September 2015. It was launched in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to make US-India partnership a defining partnership of the 21st century.

The Mission 2022 will have a series of dialogues with the Diaspora over the next seven years as India turns 75. These dialogues will be held every six months.
The growing Indian-American Diaspora is heavily invested in the American system and can rise to be the backbone of this critical partnership and help fuel the US & India's mutual growth story.
The Mission was launched during a reception hosted by CII and Indian Diaspora.

Indra Nooyi, Shobhana Bhartia awarded with 2015 Global Leadership Award of USIBC

PepsiCo Chairman Indra Nooyi and Hindustan Times Group chairperson Shobhana Bharatia were on 22 September 2015 awarded with the 2015 Global Leadership Award of the US-India Business Council (USIBC).

They were honoured for their roles as top women leaders in the Business world and their commitment to drive a more inclusive global economy. 
Apart from them, renowned Indian-American artist Natvar Bhavsar was awarded with the Artistic Achievement Award. He is well-known for his abstract expressionism and colour-field painting.
Formed in 1975, the US India Business Council is the premier business advocacy organization, comprised of top-tier US and Indian companies advancing US-India commercial ties. It is the largest bilateral trade association in the United States with liaison presence in New York, Silicon Valley and New Delhi.

24 September

Alexis Tsipras sworn in as PM of Greece for second time in 8 months

Alexis Tsipras of Syriza party on 21 September 2015 was on sworn in as the Prime Minister of Greece by the President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

It was the second sworn in for him as his party stood victorious in the general elections held to the parliament in January 2015 also.

In the recent elections held on 20 September 2015, Syriza secured 35 percent of total votes resulting in 144 seats in the 300-seat Parliament.

Syriza formed a coalition government with the Independent Greeks Party, a partner in the previous government as well.

The snap polls were called after Syriza lost its majority in August 2015 in the Parliament.

Some of its members left the party as they were opposed to the European Union sponsored 86 billion US dollar bailout package for which Tsiparis agreed to.

The present victory for Syriza is expected to give another opportunity for Greece to effectively deal with its chronic financial crisis and emigrants influx from Syria.

About Alexis Tsipras

• Born in 1974 in Athens, he joined the Young Communists in the 1980s.
• In 1991, he organised a highly publicised occupation of his high school during which students slept and ate together.
• He took over leadership of the SYRIZA party in 2008 at the age of 34. 
• The party is an amalgam of left wing groups, ranging from Maoists to Greens, who came together before the 2004 elections to the Parliament.
• In January 2015, he became the youngest Prime Minister of Greece since 1865 at 40.
• He became the first PM to take a civil rather than a religious oath of office as he did so without the traditional oath on a Bible and blessing of basil and water from the Greek Archbishop.

First India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue held in Washington

The first India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue was held on 22 September 2015 in Washington, the USA.

The meeting was co-chaired by the External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Also, it was attended by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman and US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

The purpose of the dialogue was to ramp up bilateral economic exchange to 500 billion US dollars and enhance regional security.

It was the first of its kind as the element of commerce was added to the bilateral strategic dialogue that is being held annually since 2010.

The first Annual Dialogue on India-US Strategic Partnership was held in October 2010 in Washington, the USA and the last stand alone strategic dialogue was held in New Delhi in July 2014.

From a modest 5.6 billion US dollars in 1990, the bilateral trade in merchandise goods has increased to 66.9 billion US dollars in 2014 representing an impressive 1094.6 percent growth in a span of 24 years.

Further, both the countries face similar security threats in the form of terrorism originating from the Af-Pak region.

Baseball legend Yogi Berra died

Baseball legend Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra died on 22 September 2015 at his home in New Jersey. He was 90. 
The Hall of Fame catcher’s was part of the New York Yankees dynasty that dominated baseball through 1950s. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.
His humorous quotes made him one of America’s most beloved sports icons. He also inspired the cartoon character Yogi Bear.

Berra spent his 19-year career with the New York Yankees. He was a three-time American League Most Valuable Player and 13-time World Series champion.  He is one of only five players to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times. 
Bera retired after 2120 major league games with a batting average of .285. In his career, he hit 358 home runs and played in more World Series games than any other Major League Baseball player.

Michel Kafando reinstated as president of Burkina Faso

Michel Kafando was on 23 September 2015 reinstated as the president of Burkina Faso in the capital Ouagadougou.

The reinstatement was a result of an agreement reached between the RSP and the national army.

Kafando had been the interim president of the country, since November 2014, after the fall of Blaise Compaore regime.

He, along with the country’s Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida, was detained and overthrown from the position by the Regiment of Presidential Security (RSP) on 17 September 2015 in a coup.

During the one week interregnum, the RSP declared General Gilbert Diendere as the chief of the newly established National Democratic Council (NDC) to oversee the governance in the country.

However, the RSP and Diendere had to step down as they faced stiff opposition from the national army, citizens and international players including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

In the ensuing unrest after the coup, ten people were killed and scores were injured during their clash with the RSP.

About RSP

It is an autonomous secret service organisation responsible for security to the President. For long time, it has been considered as loyal to Blaise Compaore who ruled the country for 27 years after seizing power in a coup in 1987.

Joint Statement on the First India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue released

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and US Secretary of State John Kerry on 22 September 2015 issued a joint statement on the First India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.

It was released in Washington, the USA, after conclusion of first of its kind bilateral dialogue that was joined by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman and US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

The purpose of the dialogue was to ramp up bilateral economic exchange to 500 billion US dollars and enhance regional security.

It was the first of its kind dialogue as the element of commerce was added to the bilateral strategic dialogue that is being held annually since 2010.

The major takeaways of the dialogue are

• Launching of a new high-level dialogue between India's Foreign Secretary and the US Deputy Secretary of State on regional and global Issues. 
• Reiteration of the USA of their support for India's membership of the four major multilateral export control regimes including the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). 
• India's greater participation in internet governance. Program to further cooperation on internet and cyber issues. 
• Stepping up cooperation in fighting terrorism. Joint declaration on combating terrorism to expand counter terror partnership. 
• Close consultation in the run up to Paris Conference on Climate Change. 
• Further cooperation in the area of Space to facilitate US satellite components on Indian commercial space launch vehicles.
• The two sides also decided to launch an Ocean Dialogue, aimed at promoting sustainable development of blue economy.  
• The two countries also decided to elevate the Secretary- level trilateral with Japan to a Ministerial-level. As a result, Kerry and Swaraj would meet their Japanese counterpart in New York in the last week of September 2015 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

Comment

The first of its kind dialogue on commerce and strategic issues is an indication of deepening relations between both the countries.

From a modest 5.6 billion US dollars in 1990, the bilateral trade in merchandise goods has increased to 66.9 billion US dollars in 2014 representing an impressive 1094.6 percent growth in a span of 24 years.

Further, both the countries face similar security threats in the form of terrorism originating from the Af-Pak region.

WADA and China signed MoU on Performance Enhancing Drugs

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) on 22 September 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Performance-Enhancing Drugs (PEDs).

The purpose of the MoU is to enhance the cooperation between the WADA and Chinese authorities in eliminating illegal manufacture and supply of PEDs.

Key features of the Agreement

• It will help track and eliminate the illegal manufacture and supply of PEDs and also raw materials for the production of PEDs in China.
• WADA and INTERPOL will be instrumental in providing information to Chinese law enforcement about illegal manufacturers and suppliers of PEDs across China.
• It will allow anti-doping authorities worldwide to use information they receive from Chinese and other global government agencies to investigate possible anti-doping rule violations under the revised World Anti-Doping Code.
• Under the agreement, GASC will develop formal links with organizations from across the Chinese law enforcement industry and counterparts worldwide including the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency. 
• World Customs Organization (WCO) that has formal partnerships with WADA will also play a role in achieving objective of this agreement.

Why WADA chosen China?

The MoU follows the recent US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA’s) Operation Cyber Juice on steroid and PED operation in which majority of substances originated from Chinese laboratories.

Under the operation, it was proved that a large volume of doping products was obtained via the internet from Chinese chemical manufacturing companies and laboratories.

The partnership signifies a significant breakthrough in the joint law enforcement-anti-doping effort to clamp down on the illegal production of PEDs in China, which are then exported to the outside world and all too often reach the hands of athletes.

Revered monk of the Hindu monastic order Swami Dayanand Saraswati died

Revered monk of the Hindu monastic order, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, died on 23 September 2015 in his ashram in Rishikesh. He was 85 years old.

He was a renowned traditional teacher of Advaita Vedanta and also the founder of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati was born as Natarajan Gopala Iyer on 15 August 1930 in Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu. He completed his early schooling from the District Board School at Kodavasal. Later, he moved to Chennai and started his career as a journalist for the weekly magazine Dharmika Hindu.

In 1952-53, the public talks of Swami Chinmayanand ignited Saraswati’s interest in Vedanta. Thereafter, Saraswati attached himself to the newly formed Chinmaya Mission. Within the first year of the inception of the mission, he was made its secretary.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati also set up the Acharya Sabha. The Sabha brought together the pontiffs from all over the globe on a common platform to take up the cause of Hinduism and discuss the challenges that it faced.

UNDP to provide support for Arunachal Vision 2030

The United National Development Programme (UNDP) on 23 September 2015 stated its intention to provide support in implementation of Arunachal Vision 2030 of Arunachal Pradesh.

Also, the multilateral agency will extend the cooperation to CM’s Mission on Skill Development and Employment Generation in the state.

An announcement in this regard was made by Dr Jaco Cilliers, the country head of UNDP India, during his meeting with the Chief Minister of the state Nabam Tuki in New Delhi.

About Arunachal Vision 2030

In January 2015, the Arunachal Pradesh cabinet gave its approval for preparing the Draft Arunachal Vision – 2030 document.

It covers medium and long term development goals and respective strategies encompassing six broad areas like enabling infrastructure, economic potential, social sectors, social harmony, border development and resource mobilisation.

Features of CM’s Mission on Skill Development

• It aims at improving employability of educated unemployed youth.
• Its objective is to provide one lakh jobs for unemployed youth between 2012 and 2017.
• Under the initiative, job melas, skill development, interview rallies are organised in regular intervals. 
• Till date more than 31000 youths have been employed or self employed.

Census 2011 data on Households with or without Educational level of matriculation and above released

The Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India on 24 September 2015 released the Census 2011 data on Households with at least one member aged 15 years and above with or without educational level of matriculation and above by Household Size.

The released data showed an increase of 10 percent in the decade 2001-2011 over the decade 1991-2001.

Key Findings from all over India

Around 122.9 million, which is 49.5 percent of the total households in India, with at least one member of age 15 years and above, had one matriculate or more in the decade 2001-2011. During the decade 1991-2001, there were 39.4 per cent of households in India with at least one matriculate and above.

The number of households with at least one graduate and above was 41.4 million (16.7 per cent) in India in 2011. There were around 23.6 million (12.2 per cent) households with at least one graduate and above in 2001.

There are 21.9 million (8.8%) households with at least one female graduate and about 33.2 million (13.4%) households with at least one male graduate and above.

NITI Aayog constituted T Haque Expert Group on Land Leasing

Agriculture Division of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog in the fourth week of September 2015 constituted an Expert Group on Land Leasing. The expert group will be headed by former Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) chairman T Haque.
The 10-member committee was formed in pursuance to decision taken in the meeting held under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, on 24 August 2015.

The committee comprises of members from Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Maharashtra, Assam, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Joint Secretary HS Meena from the Department of Land Resources. While JP Mishra, the Adviser (Agriculture) in NITI Aayog will act as the member secretary. 
Works to be performed by the expert committee includes
• To review the existing agricultural tenancy laws of states, including hilly states and schedule areas.
• It will examine the distinctive features of land system in erstwhile zamindari, ryotwari and mahalwari areas.
• It would also suggest appropriate amendments, keeping in view the need to legalise and liberalise land leasing for much needed agricultural efficiency, equity, occupational diversification, and rapid rural transformation.
• It will also prepare a model agricultural land leasing act in consultation with states. 
Besides, the Aayog also extended the tenure of the Task Force on Agriculture Development up to October 2015. It was formed to frame policy recommendations in areas such as land, national common market, crop prices, fertiliser use, seeds and genetically modified (GM) technology and agrarian distress. 
Task force, which was constituted in 16 March 2015 under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya, was supposed to finalise its report by 31 August 2015.

Haryana Government increased the pension given to World War Soldiers

Haryana Government on 23 September 2015 increased the pension given to the ex-servicemen or widows of soldiers who took part in World War I and World War II. The pension has been increased by 1500 rupees.

The Finance Department approved the increased pension. It has been decided that 4500 rupees per month will be given to the war-widows and ex-servicemen who participated in the World Wars. Earlier, the amount of pension was 3000 rupees per month.

The state government will have to bear an additional burden of 8.57 crore rupees due to the raise in pension.

Earlier on 8 May 2014, the pension was doubled from 1500 rupees to 3000 rupees per month.

It was also announced that the state government will continue to provide financial assistance of 51000 rupees for the marriage of grand daughters of the ex-servicemen.

India-US Ministerial Energy Dialogue 2015 held

The India-US Ministerial Energy Dialogue was held on 21 September 2015 at the US Department of Energy, Washington. Indian delegation was led by Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Power, New and Renewable Energy and US delegation was led by Dr Ernest Moniz, the US Secretary of Energy.

During the Dialogue, both the sides reviewed the progress made by the six Working Groups of the Energy Dialogue and identified new areas for cooperation.
The six Working Groups included Working Groups on (a) Coal; (b) New Technology and Renewable Energy; (c) Petroleum and Natural Gas; (d) Power and Energy Efficiency; (e) Sustainable Development and; (f) Partnership to Advance Clean Energy-Research (PACE -R).
Highlights of the India-US Energy Dialogue 2015
• The focus of the meeting revolved on various dimensions of clean energy in order to ensure that people have access to adequate and affordable energy for better quality of life and sustainable livelihood. 
• The need to develop a robust energy data management system to develop better simulation of the energy scenario in India in the future was also recognised. 
• Collaboration in the area of fracking of shale gas, especially water less fracking in India, was identified as areas of future cooperation under the Energy Dialogue as India had proven reserves of shale gas and US had well developed expertize for Shale gas extraction.  
• In the power and energy efficiency working group, it was decided to work in the future on energy efficiency in Low Waste Heat Utilisation, Data Centre energy efficiency and Space cooling. 
• It was also agreed to significantly scale up Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy (PEACE) and develop innovative mechanisms to encourage participation of private sector investments for off-grid solutions. 
• It was agreed to expeditiously conclude the following MoUs (a) between National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the US and NTPC of India to improve power plant efficiency; (b) to enhance cooperation on energy security, clean energy and climate change; as well as (c) on Gas Hydrates.
• The US side offered support to India’s Project Tiger designed to protect the population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats. The Sides agreed to work together to use the latest technology to combat poaching and protect of tigers in India.
The United States and India are already working together on a number of important energy initiatives.  These are:
Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE): Established in 2009, PACE continues to be the cornerstone of cooperation and is on track to help the Indian government achieves its energy and development related missions.  So far it has mobilized 2.4 billion US dollars for clean energy finance.
Joint Clean Energy R&D Centre (under PACE-R): It is pushing technological innovation in solar energy, biofuels, and energy efficiency for buildings.  
Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy (PEACE) initiative:Launched in 2013, the initiative works to bring electricity access to roughly 300 million people (nearly the population of the United States).
PACESetter fund:The fund is aimed at providing 8 million US dollars in partnership with the Indian Government to support innovation in energy access delivery.

Indian Air Force won 2015 Baba Farid Gold Cup hockey title

Indian Air Force (IAF) on 23 September 2015 won the 2015 All India Baba Farid Gold Cup hockey title in Faridkot, Punjab.

IAF defeated the Army XI 2-1 to lift the 24th edition of the championships.

Incidentally, all the three goals were scored in the first half of the match. The second half of the play went goaless despite both the teams getting several opportunities.

Army XI was the first to open the account with a goal by Bachittar in the ninth minute.

In the IAF side, Devinder Singh was the lone scorer with his equalizing goal in the 20th minute and the decide4r at the 33th minute.

Ex-Penguin India publisher Chiki Sarkar launched publishing company Juggernaut

The former publisher of Penguin India and editor-in-chief of Random House India, Chiki Sarkar, on 23 September 2015 launched her own publishing company, Juggernaut.

Sarkar has founded the company in collaboration with ex-CEO of Web18, Durga Raghunath. At presnt, Raghunath is the CEO and co-founder of news portal, Firstpost.

About Juggernaut

Newly formed publishing firm Juggernaut will publish 50 titles each year starting from April 2016.  They will be distributed and stocked by Hachette India.

The emphasis of the company will be on digital publishing, and it will soon roll out its digital program.

Juggernaut’s investors are William Bissell, MD of Fabindia, Nandan Nilkeni, former CEO and co-founder of Infosys, and Neeraj Aggarwal, CEO of Boston Consulting Group in India.

NSSO released 68th Round data on Status of Education and Vocational Training in India

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on 22 September 2015 released the data of 68th Round on Status of Education and Vocational Training in India. 
This  report  is  based  on  the  employment  and  unemployment  survey  conducted  in  the  68th  round  of  NSS  during  July  2011  to  June  2012.  The survey was spread over 12737 FSUs (7469 villages and 5268 urban blocks) covering 101724 households (59700 in rural areas and 42024 in urban areas) and enumerating 456999 persons (280763 in rural areas and 176236 in urban areas).

Literacy rates in General
• 18.2 percent of households in rural areas and 5.9 percent in urban areas do not have a single literate member in the age-group 15 years and above who could read and write a simple message with understanding.
• Literacy rate among persons of age 7 years and above was 74.7 percent in 2011-12 of which 70 percent were in rural areas and 86 percent in urban areas.
• The male and female literacy rate in rural areas was 79.1 percent and 60.6 percent respectively. In urban areas, the literacy rates were 91.1 percent for males and 80.3 percent for females.
• Among persons of age 15 years and above, only 2.4 percent had technical degrees or diplomas or certificates. The proportion was 1.1 percent in rural areas and 5.5 percent in urban areas.

Current attendance in educational institution among persons of age 5-29 years
• About  57.7  percent  of  people  in  the  age  group  5-29  years  were  estimated  as ‘currently  attending’  educational  institutions.  
• In  rural  areas, 57.4  percent  of  the persons  of age  5-29  years currently  attended educational  institutions  compared  to 58.5 percent in urban areas.
• Among persons of age 5-29 years, about 64.5percent were currently attending ‘Government and local body educational institutions’, 22.5 percent were currently attending private unaided institutions and 12.3 percent were currently attending private aided institutions.
• ‘To  supplement  household  income’  was  the main  reason  for  more  than  70 percent of males for currently not attending any educational institution.
• ‘To attend domestic chores’ was the single reason for more than half of females not attending any educational institution.
• About 27 percent in rural areas and 26.4 percent in urban areas reported that they never attended any educational institution as ‘education not considered necessary’.
• About 3.6 percent in rural areas and 3.4 percent in urban areas reported that they never attended any educational institution as the schools were too far.
• In  rural  areas  24.7  percent  of  males  and  28.4  per  cent  of  females  and  in  urban areas,  22.9  percent  of  males  and 29  percent  of  females  reported  the  reason ‘education not considered necessary’ for never attending educational institution.
• Among males,  nearly 25  per  cent  in  rural areas  and 33.2 per  cent  in  urban areas reported the  reason  ‘to  supplement  household  income’
• Among  females, nearly  29.3  percent  in  rural  areas and  28.1 percent  in  urban  areas reported  the reason ‘to attend domestic chores’ for never attending educational institution.

Vocational Training among persons of age 15-59 years
• Among persons of age 15-59 years, about 2.2 percent reported to have received formal vocational training and 8.6 percent reported to have received non-formal vocational training.
• In rural areas, nearly 1.6 percent of males compared to 0.9 percent of females and in urban areas, nearly 5 percent of males compared to 3.3 percent of females reported to have received formal vocational training.
• In rural areas, nearly 11.1 percent of males compared to 5.5 percent of females and in urban areas, nearly 13.7 percent of males compared to 4.3 percent of females reported to have received non-formal vocational training.
• Among rural males who received/were receiving formal vocational training, the share was the highest (22.3 percent) for field of training ‘driving and motor mechanic work’ while among urban males it was the highest for ‘computer trades’ (26.3 percent).
• Among rural females, who received/were receiving formal vocational training the share  was  the highest  for  ‘textile  related  work’  (32.2 percent)  while  among  the urban females it was the highest for computer trades’ (30.4 percent).

Comment 
The data on vocational education is worrisome as the rate of vocational training had barely increased between 2004-05 when the data was last collected and 2011-12. 
This was despite former UPA government led by Manmohan Singh had announced an ambitious National Skill Policy in 2009 and created a National Skill Development Coordination Board earlier.

The data poses a serious challenge for the Skill India Mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government which aims to train about 40 crore people by 2022.

Uninor re-branded as Telenor India

Telenor Group on 23 September 2015 announced that it had changed its brand identity along with legal company name from Uninor, its subsidiary in India, as Telenor India Communications Pvt. Ltd. 
Telenor in its release said that the renaming will not change its commitment to bring the best value to its 40 million customers.

Telenor Group
Telenor Group is one of the leading mobile operators in the world, with 189 million mobile subscriptions. It has mobile operations in 13 markets, as well as an interest of 33% in VimpelCom Ltd., operating in 14 markets.
The company headquartered in Oslo, Norway provides tele, data and media services in the Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia. In Asia it is operational in Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Myanmar.
Uninor in context of India
Launched in 2009 under the brand name Uninor had emerged as a preferred mass-market brand. It captured the fourth position in most of its operating circles. 
The company was launched as per the agreement between Unitech Group and Telenor Group. The two organisations agreed to enter a joint venture where Telenor would inject fresh equity investments of 61.35 billion rupees into Unitech Wireless to take a majority stake in the company.

Martin Winterkorn resigned as Chief Executive Officer of Volkswagen

Martin Winterkorn on 23 September 2015 resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Volkswagen. Winterkorn's resignation came following the revelation that the carmaker manipulated US diesel car emissions tests.

Winterkorn, in his eight years service in the company, oversaw a doubling in Volkswagen's sales and an almost tripling in profit. He joined Volkswagen in the early 1990s in a quality-monitoring role, before working in product management, technical development and research roles.
He started his auto career in 1981 at Audi, serving on the board for quality assurance after an engineering stint with Bosch. 
About the scandal hovering over Volkswagen
The world's second-largest carmaker Volkswagen is being engulfed by an emissions scandal which has wiped nearly 26 billion Euros off its market value this week.
Volkswagen admitted that it deceived US regulators in exhaust emissions tests by installing a device to give more positive results. It programmed its cars to detect when they were being tested and alter the running of their diesel engines to conceal their true emissions.
Around 11 million vehicles worldwide are involved and it is setting aside 6.5 billion euros to cover costs of the scandal. The case has sparked US criminal investigation and worldwide legal action with financial consequences for the company.
As per the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Volkswagen could face penalties of up to 18 billion US dollars.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland on 23 September 2015. He is the first Prime Minister of India to visit Ireland in 59 years. Last Prime Minister to visit Ireland was Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1956.
During his visit, Modi held discussions with Prime Minister Enda Kenny of Ireland, who also hosted a Working Lunch in honour of the visiting dignitary.
At present, Modi is on a two-Nation tour namely Ireland (23 September 2015) and the United States of America (23 September to 28 September 2015).

During his visit to Ireland, Modi presented reproductions of a selection of manuscripts and papers available in the National Archives of India pertaining to two Irish officials, Thomas Oldham (1816-1878) and Sir George Abraham Grierson (1851-1941), in recognition of their contributions in India to the Prime Minister of Ireland Enda Kenny.
Important events that happened during Modi’s visit to Irelandincludes
• The two nations agreed to develop closer partnership and cooperation.
• The two nations agreed to chart out a roadmap for collaboration in the digital world and for this they agreed to held talks between Joint Working Group on Information Technology soon. 
• To help the professionals from the two countries they displayed interest in concluding social security agreement.
• The two nations agreed to have direct air services by airlines of both countries. The stance would help in promoting business links along with tourism ties, which is growing at 14 percent per year. 
• India sought Ireland’s support for the reforms of the UN Security Council within a fixed time frame, particularly for successful conclusion of inter-governmental negotiations in the 70th year of the United Nations. India sought Ireland’s support for India’s permanent membership of the reformed Security Council.
• India also sought Ireland’s support for India’s membership of the NSG and other international export control regimes. 
India and Ireland share much in common like colonial history. Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution are inspired by the Irish Constitution. Institutions like Geological Survey of India and the first Linguistic Survey of India were created with the help of Irish experts.

Delhi Government approved Slum Policy for in situ rehabilitation of slum dwellers

 

The Delhi Government on 22 September 2015 approved a slum policy for in situ rehabilitation of slum dwellers. The decision on the new policy was taken at a meeting of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).

The DUSIB meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

As per the policy announced, the relocation of the slums will only be done if there is any court order or the concerned cluster has intruded a street, footpath, park etc. or the encroached land is required by an agency for a public project.

Further, the flats constructed under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) will be offered at revised rates to registered wait-listed applicants of 1985 Special Registration Scheme.

The cut-off date of eligibility for rehabilitation and relocation of slum clusters is 14 February 2015, superseding the earlier date of 4 June 2009 as notified in the 2013 guidelines. This means that all slums that came up till the day the AAP government took charge will not face demolition now.

CCS cleared 8000 crore rupees Integrated Air Command & Control System

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on 23 September 2015 approved the proposal for Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) worth around 8000 crore rupees. The system aims at integrating all air and ground sensors.

The proposal was sanctioned by the Defence Acquisition Council in November 2014.

Once set-up, the system will offer a composite air situation picture to the air headquarters as it will be integrating Air Force, Army and civilian radars.

What is Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS)?

Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) is an automated command and control system for Air Defence. It is planned by the Indian Air Force. The system is specially designed to provide an appropriate solution to identify the track information in the air.

Features and capabilities of IACCS

• Adaptable to legacy systems
• High availability rate
• Automation of tactical functionalities viz. Interception, Aircraft recovery, Threat evaluation etc.
• Flight Plan ingestion & collision resolution
• Post mission analysis
• Situational awareness and Analysis

Stuti Narain Kacker appointed Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

A 1978 batch IAS officer, Stuti Narain Kacker, on 23 September 2015 was appointed as the head of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). She was appointed by the Union Women and Child Development Ministry.

Kacker is a former Secretary at the Department of Disability Affairs in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. She looked after the management committee of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).

Before the appointment of Kacker, the panel had remained headless for almost a year. The position was vacant from October 2014 when former UPA appointee Kushal Singh’s tenure ended. Recently, the Supreme Court even commented over a long delay in appointing a chairperson for the panel.

About NCPCR

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in March 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, an Act of Parliament in December 2005.

It deals with education, child development, elimination of child labour, child psychology, care of neglected, vulnerable and marginalised children and other children related laws.

Heritage Flying Expedition held to commemorate 1965 Indo-Pak war

Heritage Flying Expedition: Expedition conducted by South Western Command to commemorate 50 years of 1965 Indo-Pak war
The Heritage Flying Expedition was in news on 22 September 2015 as the Pushpak aircraft, which formed a part of the Heritage Flying Expedition, touched down at Sanganer airport in a ceremony attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

The aircraft, which is more than 55-years-old, was used for Air Observation role in the 1965 and 1971 operations. The aircraft was rebuilt and refurbished to flying standards with no modern equipment. Pushpak aircraft is being flown by Brigadier AS Sidhu and Lieutenant Colonel Arvind Saini.
The expedition commenced on 14 September 2015 from Bathinda and flew all along the Western border from Amritsar (Punjab) to Naliya in Kutch (Gujarat). More than 3500 kms were flown in the vintage aircraft. 
The aim of this heritage flying expedition was to honour the martyrs, who had laid down their lives during the Indo-Pak war of 1965. The expedition generated awareness among the present generation on the type of aircraft and difficulties under which our predecessors flew.

Abdul Bari Siddiqui elected Bihar Cricket Association President

Abdul Bari Siddiqui, a senior leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was on 23 September 2015 elected as President of Bihar Cricket Association (BCA). He was chosen as the President after an election, which was held in accordance to direction of the Supreme Court of India. 
BCA elections were held in August 2015 under the direction of the apex Court which had appointed former Patna High Court judge Justice Dharampal Sinha as electoral officer-cum-observer for the polls.

A statement issued by Justice Dharampal Sinha said that Siddiqui defeated Vinod Kumar, a former president of BCA, by a margin of 30 votes in the election. 
At present, Siddiqui is the chairman of the state’s Badminton Association.
Some other appointments based on the results of election include
• Working President of the cricketing body: International umpire Laliteshwar Prasad Verma
• General Secretary: Ravi Shankar Prasad 
• Treasurer: Ram Kumar
• Five Vice Presidents were elected: Sunil kumar Singh, Gopal Bohra, Anand Kumar, S Mumtazuddin and N K Jamuar

Filmmaker Rahul Rawail resigned from Oscar Selection Jury

Filmmaker Rahul Rawail on 23 September 2015 resigned from the Oscar Selection Jury. He resigned from his post citing differences with chairperson of the Jury Amol Palekar.
He resigned following the selection of National award-winning Marathi film Courtas India’s official entry for Oscars 2016 (88th Academy Awards) by the jury.
Court was selected to officially represent India at the 88th Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category. Court directed by debutant Chaitanya Tamhane is a commentary on India's judicial system.

Court was also named the Best Picture at the National film awards 2015, besides winning 17 international honours after being premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2014.

Rahul Rawail
Rahul Rawail is an Indian film director in Bollywood known for his films like Love Story (1981), Betaab (1983), Jeevan Ek Sanghursh (1990), Anjaam (1994). His recent film was Jo Bole So Nihaal (2005). 
He was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Director twice. 
Rawail has launched a few of the Bollywood actors through his films like Kumar Gaurav and Vijeta Pandit in Love Story, Sunny Deol in Betaab, Kajol in Bekhudi (1992), and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997).

MoEF Committee gave environmental clearance for Ramagundam Urea plant

A committee under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on 24 September 2015 gave environmental clearance for the proposed 5465 crore fertiliser plant in Ramagundam, Telangana.

Earlier in January 2015, National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), Engineers India Limited (EIL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCIL) together formed a joint venture company (JVC) for setting up two new Ammonia and Urea plants at the existing site of Ramagundam Fertilizer plant. 
The JVC is named as Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited. The gas-based plant will have the capacity to produce 1.1 million tonnes of urea per annum. It is expected to be commissioned in 2018-19. 
This plant, which became obsolete for the past decade, was originally established as a coal-based plant. Subsequently, the plant could not survive due to shortage of raw material such as Phosphate.