25-26 FEB 2016

Railway Budget 2016-17: Statistical Highlights

25-FEB-2016

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 25 February 2016 presented the Rail Budget 2016-17 in the Lok Sabha. This was the third rail budget of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government and the second railway budget for Suresh Prabhu.

Railway Budget 2016-17: Highlights

The major statistical highlights of the Budget encompassing Financial Performance 2015-16 and Budget Estimates 2016-17 are given below:

Financial Performance 2015-16

• Net reduction in Gross Traffic Receipts by 15744 crore (Revised Estimates) in 2015-16 compared to the Budget Estimate (BE) target of 183578 crore rupees. Passenger earnings scaled down keeping in view the persistent negative growth trend since 2013-14 both in the suburban and non-suburban non-PRS segment of travel.

• Freight earnings impacted mainly on account of low demand from the core sector resulting in resetting the target in RE 2015-16 to 111853 crore rupees.

• Stringent economy and austerity measures adopted to contain the Ordinary Working Expenses (OWE) due to which budgeted Ordinary Working Expenses of 119410 crore rupees decreased in the Revised Estimates 2015-16 to 110690 crore rupees that is by 8720 crore rupees.

• BE provided for an appropriation of 34900 crore rupees to the Pension Fund. However, based on trend, the pension outgo moderately decreased to 34500 crore rupees in RE.

• Internal resource generation diminished and appropriation to DRF moderated to 5500 crore rupees in RE from the BE 2015-16 provisioning of 7900 crore rupees. Excess of receipts over expenditure in RE 2015-16 stands at 11402.40 crore rupees.

• Plan size for 2015-16 is currently estimated at 100000 crore rupees.

Budget Estimates 2016-17

• Gross Traffic Receipts kept at 184820 crore rupees. Passenger earnings growth has been pegged at 12.4 percent and earnings target budgeted at 51012 crore rupees.

• The freight traffic is pegged at incremental traffic of 50 million tonnes, anticipating a healthier growth in the core sector of economy. Goods earnings is accordingly proposed at 117933 crore rupees.

• Other coaching and sundries projected at 6185 crore rupees and 9590.3 crore rupees respectively.

• OWE provides for the implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

• Pension outgo budgeted at 45500 crore rupees in 2016-17.

• Higher staff cost and pension liability impacts the internal resource position of the Railways.

• Appropriation to Depreciation Reserve Fund (DRF) from revenue placed at 3200 crore rupees and that from Production Units at 200 crore rupees.

• A withdrawal of 3160 crore rupees from DRF on net basis proposed though the gross expenditure to be met from DRF in the Annual Plan estimated at 7160 crore rupees.

• 5750 crore rupees proposed to be appropriated to the Capital fund. With a draw-down of 1250 crore rupees from previous balances in the fund, plan requirement of 7000 crore rupees for repayment of principal component of lease charges to IRFC met.

• Railways are preparing a Plan size of 121000 crore rupees in 2016-17.

Railway Budget 2016-17: Major Initiatives

25-FEB-2016

The Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 25 February 2016 presented the Railway Budget 2016-17 in the Lok Sabha. The theme of the Rail Budget was “Overcoming challenges – Reorganize, Restructure Rejuvenate Indian Railways: Chalo, Milkar Kuch Naya Karen”.

In this regard, Railway Budget 2016 – 17 unveiled certain initiatives and schemes ranging from cleanliness drive to development of infrastructure to improving the overall quality of life in train journeys with a plan size of 121000 crore rupees.

Railway Budget 2016-17: Highlights

Major Schemes and Initiatives

Improving quality of travel

For the unreserved passenger – Two initiatives were under taken for this segment of passengers.

1) Antyodaya Express – These are unreserved and superfast service

2) Deen Dayalu Coaches – Unreserved coaches with potable water and higher number of mobile charging points

For the reserved passenger – Four initiatives were undertaken for this category of passengers

1) Humsafar - Fully air-conditioned third AC service with an optional service for meals

2) Tejas – They will showcase the future of train travel in India and operate at speeds of 130 kmph and above. They will also offer onboard services such as entertainment, local cuisine, Wi-Fi, etc. through one service provider for ensuring accountability and improved customer satisfaction.

3) Utkrisht Double-Decker Air-conditioned Yatri Express (UDAY) – These will be overnight double-decker express and will run on the busiest routes. This service has the potential to increase carrying capacity by almost 40 percent.

4) SMART (Specially Modified Aesthetic Refreshing Travel) Coaches– New coaches will be introduced with facilities such as automatic doors, bar-code readers, bio-vacuum toilets, water-level indicators, accessible dustbins, ergonomic seating, etc.

Undertaking Navarambh – A new beginning

The following initiatives were announced by the Minister in order to realize the Government’s vision of transforming the Indian Railways.

Navinikaran (Organisational Restructuring): It is proposed to reorganize the Railway Board along business lines and suitably empower Chairman, Railway Board. In this direction, cross functional directorates to be set up in Railway Board to focus on areas like non-fare revenues and speed enhancement and steps will be taken to strengthen PPP cell to improve ease of doing business.

Sashaktikaran – To improving planning practices a Railway Planning & Investment Organisation will be set up for drafting medium (5years) and long (10 years) term corporate plans

A National Rail Plan will also be prepared to harmonise and integrate the rail network with other modes of transport and create synergy for achieving seamless multi-modal transportation network across the country.

Aekikaran (Consolidation): A holding company of companies will be formed to manage the assets owned by IR.

Shodh aur vikas: A dedicated research and development organisation and a Special Railway Establishment for Strategic Technology & Holistic Advancement (SRESTHA) will be set up. While RDSO will focus only on day to day issues, SRESTHA would drive long term research.

Vishleshan (Analyzing data): A dedicated, cross functional team called Special Unit for Transportation Research and Analytics (SUTRA) would be set up for carrying out detailed analytics leading to optimized investment decisions and operations

Navrachna (Innovation): 50 crore rupees will be allotted for providing innovation grants to employees, startups and small businesses.

Avataran: Under this scheme seven missions were announced for the transformation of Railways.

Mission 25 Tonne: The objective is to make infrastructure suitable to carry 25-tonne axle load. It is proposed to introduce 10-20 percent freight loading through 25-tonne axle-load wagons in 2016-17 and 70 percent by 2020.

Mission Zero Accident: Two specific sub missions would form part of this overall mission.

1) Elimination of unmanned level crossings: 40 percent of our accidents and 68 percent of deaths on Indian Railways takes place at level crossings. The goal is to eliminate all unmanned level crossings on Broad Gauge by 2020.

2) Train Collision Aviodance System (TCAS): The goal is equip 100 percent of the high density network with TCAS by 2019.

Mission PACE (Procurement and Consumption Efficiency): A comprehensive review of procurement and consumption of HSD including arresting leakages will be will carried out with an objective to save 1500 crore rupees in 2016-17.

Mission Raftaar: It will be complementary to the Mission 25 tonne. It would target doubling average speeds of freight trains and increasing the average speed of superfast mail/express trains by 25 kmph by 2021.

Mission 100: The target is to commission at least 100 sidings by 2018.

Other two initiatives are Mission beyond book-keeping for accounting reforms and Mission Capacity Utilisation to prepare a blueprint for making use of the capacity created once DFC is commissioned.

Initiatives to improve customer interface- The following initiatives were announced to improve interface with customer.

• Skilling front-end staff and those employed through service providers

• Information boards in trains enumerating the on-board services

• GPS based digital displays inside coaches to provide real time information regarding upcoming halts

In addition, all A1 class stations will be manned with duly empowered Station Directors supported by cross functional teams; to make one person accountable for all facilities on trains.

Pilgrimage centres: Steps will be undertaken on priority basis to provide improved passenger amenities and beautification on important pilgrimage centres across the country. The identified centres are - Ajmer, Amritsar, Bihar Sharif, Chengannur, Dwarka, Gaya, Haridwar, Mathura, Nagapattinam, Nanded, Nasik, Pali, Parasnath, Puri, Tirupati, Vailankanni, Varanasi and Vasco.

Porters- They will be provided with new uniforms and will be trained in soft skills. They also will be called sahayak.

Entertainment: It is proposed to invite FM Radio stations for providing train borne entertainment and extend Rail Bandhu to all reserved classes of travelers and in all regional languages.

Initiatives to improve passenger Suburban traffic: To augment suburban railway system the following initiatives were announced.

• Early award of tenders for elevated suburban corridors between Churchgate-Virar and between CSTM-Panvel

• Reviving Ring Railway system in Delhi

• Launching a new investment framework for developing suburban systems in partnership with State Governments

• Development of suburban rail network in Ahmedabad, Bangaluru, Hyderabad Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram

Initiatives to building terminal capacity – In order build terminal capacity following initiatives were announced.

• Rail side logistics parks and warehousing facilities will be developed in PPP mode

• 10 goods sheds will be developed by TRANSLOC, the Transport Logistics Company of India, in 2016-17

• India’s first rail auto hub will be inaugurated in Chennai

• Development of cold storage facilities on vacant land near freight terminals will be developed with preferential usage for local farmers and fisherman

Rail Development Authority: It will be set up with the following mandate

• To enable fair pricing of services

• Promote competition

• Protect customer interests and determine efficiency standards

A draft bill will be prepared by the Ministry after holding extensive stakeholder consultations in this regard.

Sustainability and Social Initiatives: In order to fulfill its Corporate Social Responsibilities the following initiatives were announced.

• AYUSH systems of medicine will be introduced in 5 Railway hospitals

• Gang men will be provided with devices called Rakshak for intimating them about approaching trains

• To provide toilets and air-conditioning in cabs for our loco pilots

• To set up two chairs – one C T Venugopal chair on Strategic Finance, research and policy development and another Kalpana Chawla chair on geo-spatial technology

• 100 students across Engineering and MBA schools will be offered for 2-6 months internships each year in the Indian Railways

Union Cabinet approved Promotion of Payments through Cards and Digital means

25-FEB-2016

Union Government on 24 February 2016 approved introduction of steps for promotion of payments through cards and digital means. The move aims at reducing cash transactions.

Under the move no surcharge, service charge, convenience fee will be levied on card and digital payment. Steps will be taken for payments beyond a prescribed threshold mandatory through cards or digital mode.

As per the decision, several short term (to be implemented within one year) and medium term (one year to two years) by the Government Ministries/ Departments/ Organisations.

Major highlights of promotion of payments through cards and digital means

• It will be instrumental in reducing tax avoidance, migration of Government payments and collections to cashless mode

• It will discourage transactions in cash by providing access to financial payment services to the citizens to conduct transactions through card/digital means

• It will help in shifting payment ecosystem from cash dominated to non-cash/less cash payments

Features of the proposals for promotion of payments through cards and digital means include

• Steps for withdrawal of surcharge/service charge/convenience fee on card/digital payments currently imposed by various Government Departments/organisations and introduction of appropriate acceptance infrastructure in Government Departments/organisations

• Rationalization of Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on card transactions and a differentiated MDR framework for some key transaction segments

• Mandating payments beyond a prescribed threshold only in card/ digital mode

• Introduction of formulae linked acceptance infrastructure by the stakeholders of certain card products

• Rationalisation of telecom service charges for digital financial transactions

• Promotion of mobile banking

• Creation of necessary assurance mechanisms for quick resolution of fraudulent transactions and review the payments ecosystem in the country

Background
In this direction, Union Government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the past have taken several initiatives so as to make transition from cash payment to cashless payment through use of cards and digital mode.

In 2007, Union Government notified the Payment and Settlement Systems Act which has resulted in deeper acceptance and penetration of modern card/ digital payment systems in the country.

Further, Aadhaar Enabled Payment Systems (AEPS) has been brought to effect to leverage upon biometric verification and a domestic card network namely, RuPay.

RBI recently approved giving licences for sh.com/current-affairs/rbi-granted-inprinciple-approval-to-11-payment-banks-applicants-1440050855-1" target="_blank">setting up of Payments Bankswith the objective of greater financial inclusion through providing small savings accounts and payments/remittance services to migrant labour workforce, low income households, small businesses and other unorganised sector entities.

Union Cabinet approved $150 million Credit to Iran for Chabahar Port Development

25-FEB-2016

Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 February 2016 approved the proposal for loan of 150 million US Dollars to Iran for the development of Chabahar Port.

The credit will be provided from EXIM Bank and was made by Union Ministry of Shipping.

The Cabinet authorized the Ministers of Finance, External Affairs and Shipping to approve the final contract with Iran and for resolution of any issue arising in implementation of the project.

It also authorized the Union Ministry of Shipping to form a Company in Iran for implementing the Chabahar Port Development Project and related activities.

As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Iran on 6 May 2015, India on a ten year lease will equip and operate two berths in

Australia won Trans-Tasman Trophy of Cricket against New Zealand

25-FEB-2016

Australia on 24 February 2016 won Trans-Tasman Trophy of Cricket against New Zealand and became World Number 1 in ICC Test ranking.

It replaced India in the test rating by defeating New Zealand by 2-0 in two-Match Series.

The second test played in Christchurch was the last international test outing for New Zealand’s Wicketkeeper batsman and Skipper Brendon McCullum, who announced his retirement on 22 December 2015 and already retired from the other two forms of the game viz. T20 Internationals and One day Internationals.

He retired after playing 101 tests with a score of 6453 runs and 38.64 average.

Brief details of the Series

First Test, held at Wellington in which Australia won by an innings and 52 runs.

Player of the match - AC Voges (Australia)

Second Test, held at Christchurch in which Brendon McCullum made am/current-affairs/new-zealand-cricketer-brendon-mccullum-scored-fastest-test-century-in-54-balls-1456127647-1" target="_blank">record breaking century in 54 balls but still Australia won the Test by 7 wickets.

Player of the match - JA Burns (Australia)

Union Cabinet approved India-Maldives Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation of Income from International Air Transport

25-FEB-2016

Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 February 2016 gave approval to sign an agreement between India and Maldives for the avoidance of double taxation of income from international air transport.

Features of the Agreement

• It will provide tax certainty for airline enterprises of India and Maldives.

• It provides for relief from double taxation for airline enterprises of both the countries way of exemption of income derived by the enterprise of India from the operation of aircraft in international traffic, from Maldivian tax and vice-versa.

• The country, to which the product or enterprise belongs to, will impose the tax on the profits from the operation of aircraft in international traffic.

• Mutual Agreement Procedure is also provided to resolve difficulties or doubts which arise during the interpretation or application of the Agreement.

Rail Budget History and Important facts

25-FEB-2016

In technical sense, Railway Budget is an annual financial statement that shows estimated receipts and expenditures related to the Indian Railways in the coming financial year.

However, in the real sense, it is treated as a key policy document that unveils the Government’s initiatives and programmes related to the development of the Indian Railways.

Railway Budget is a unique feature of the Indian Parliamentary system. Probably, India is the only country in the world to have a budget dealing with a specific segment of the transport sector. A separate budget for the Railways also signifies the fact that the central role the Railways play in the economic and social life of the country.

urrent-affairs/railway-budget-201617-highlights-1456384292-1" target="_blank">Railway Budget 2016-17: Highlights

Key facts related to Indian Railway Budget

• A separate Railway Budget, which is different from the General Budget, was first introduced in 1924 on the basis of recommendations of the 10-member Acworth Committee.

• The committee, which submitted its report in 1921, was headed by British railway economist William Mitchell Acworth. It was appointed by the British Government to suggest measures for improving financial performance of the Railways.

• It is presented by the Union Railway Minster annually as a money bill in the Lok Sabha. The first ever live telecast of the Railway budget took place on 24 March 1994.

• Though the term Railway Budget is no where mentioned in the Constitution of India, it is introduced and passed in the Lok Sabha under the Articles 112 and 204 of the Constitution that govern the General Budget.

• Usually, the Rail budget is presented annually few days prior to the presentation of the General Budget. It precedes the submission of the Economic Survey of the previous financial year.

• The Indian Railways is one the largest Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in India. It holds the distinction of providing employment to around 1.36 million.

• The first passenger train under the tag name of Indian Railways ran on 16 April 1853 between Bombay and Thane in present day Maharashtra.

• The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) located in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi introduced Computer reservation system for the first time in July 1986.

• Lalu Prasad Yadav holds the record of presenting the budget for six years in a row. He was the Union Minister of Railways between 2004 and 2009 under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government.

• In 2002, Mamata Banerjee became the first women minister to present the budget. She also holds the distinction of presenting the budget under two different governments – National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the UPA.

• In 2014, Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda presented the first railway budget, under the NDA Government headed by Narendra Modi.

Railway Budget 2016-17: Highlights

25-FEB-2016

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 25 February 2016 presented the Railway Budget 2016-17 in the Lok Sabha. In his second Rail Budget, Prabhu outlined a capital plan of 121000 crore rupees in 2016-17.

A saving of 8720 crore rupees for Budget estimates of 2015-16 will be effected in 2016.

Theme of the Budget is Overcoming challenges – Reorganize, Restructure Rejuvenate Indian Railways: ‘Chalo, Milkar Kuch Naya Karen’.

Railway Budget of 2016-17 is based on three pillars and they are Nav Arjan (New Revenues), Nav Manak (New Norms) and New Sanrachna (New Structures).

Nav Arjan (New Revenues)
It exploits new sources of revenue so that every asset, tangible or non-tangible gets optimally monetized.

New Manak (New Norms)
A Zero Budgeting approach to the financials of the ensuring year, improvement in efficiency yardsticks and procurement practices to bring them in line with international best practices

Nav Sanrachna (New Structures)
Need to re-imagine the conventional ways of solving issues like co-operation, collaboration and communication, creativity and communication to the hallmark of decision-making and actions.

Major Highlights

• Wants to double investment in Railways
• Delay in running of 95% trains will be ended by 2020
• Rail tickets will be available at all places by 2020
• Aimed at increasing speed of passenger train by 80km/hr
• LIC has agreed to invest 1.5 lakh crore rupees over 5 years on extremely favourable terms
• Dedicated freight corridor project gaining momentum. New freight corridors announced: Delhi-Chennai, Kharagpur-Mumbai, Kharagpur-Vijayawada.
• Poised to commission broad gauge lines at the rate of 7 km per day against 4.5 km over last five years
• Plan to generate 9 crore man-days employment by 2017-18 and 14 crore man-days by 2018-19
• Institutional financing will be introduced for funding projects
• Action of 139 Budget announcements on 2015-16 has been initiated
• Aimed at eliminating unmanned level crossings by 2020
• Aimed at generating revenues of order of 184820 crore rupees in 2016, which is 10.1 percent higher than revised target of 2015
• North-East India, especially Mizoram and Manipur, to be connected through broad gauge soon
• To commission 2800 km of new tracks in 2016-17
• Bids for setting up 2 locomotive factories was finalised and the new factories will be set up with an order book of 40000 crore rupees.

sh.com/current-affairs/rail-budget-history-and-important-facts-1456385614-1">Rail Budget History and Important facts

• Indian Railways to surpass ambitious target of commissioning 2500 kms of broad gauge lines, almost 30% higher than last year
• Catering service will be managed by IRCTC in phased manner
• e-ticket facility for foreign debit and credit card holders will be provided
• Cancellation facility through 139 helpline number will be provided
• Journalists to get facility of e-booking of tickets on concessional passes
• Bar-coded tickets will be introduced on pilot basis, this will help to tackle menace of ticketless travel
• Overnight double-decker trains to be introduced on business travel routes
• Long distance superfast train Antyodaya Express for unreserved passengers will be launched
• Fully unreserved superfast trains to be introduced on dense traffic routes
• Deen Dayal coaches for long distance trains for unreserved passengers will be introduced
• Full-fledged Railway University will come-up soon
• Railways to increase the quota of lower berths for women and senior citizens
• Bidding for redevelopment of few large and medium stations will be undertaken
• Enhanced capacity of e-ticketing system from 2000 tickets/min to 7,200/min.
• A framework will be formulated where net saving from electrification will be able to finance capital expenditure.
• Wi-Fi will be provided at 400 railway station in 2016-17, as compared to 100 in 2015-16
• 2000 km of electrification proposed for 2016-17
• Chennai will have India's first rail auto hub
• Railway Ministry will partner with Tamil Nadu Government to develop suburban network in Chennai through innovative financing methods

h.com/current-affairs/bibek-debroy-committee-on-railway-restructuring-submitted-report-to-union-ministry-of-railways-1434374105-1" target="_blank">Bibek Debroy committee on railway restructuring submitted report to Union Ministry of Railways

• For suburban rails, Railway Ministry will work with Karnataka Government
• Ring Railway to be redeveloped in partnership with the Delhi government.
• FM radio stations will be invited to provide train borne entertainment via PA systems
• Rail Bandhu magazine will be published in all regional languages
• GPS-based digital display in coaches for showing upcoming stations will be installed
• Elevated rail corridors from Churchgate to Virar and CST to Panvel are planned
• Coolies have been renamed and will be called 'Sahayaks'
• Children's menu, baby foods, baby boards to be made available for travelling mothers
• IRCTC will make available local cuisine of choice, hygienic food. Local cuisine of choice will be made available to passengers
• All new Railway stations to be built as per Accessible India guidelines
• No hike in railway fares.
• The companies owned by Railways to come under a holding companies
• Two dedicated freight corridors by 2019
• 50 crore rupees kept aside for providing innovation grants to start-ups
• Drones will be used for remote monitoring of ongoing projects
• 33 percent sub-quota for women under all reserved categories
• Advertising revenue to be increased by more than four times in 2016-17

Rail Budget 2015-16

Railway Budget 2015-16: Statistical Highlights

Railway Budget 2015-16: Major Initiatives

Railway Budget 2015-16: Quality of Life in Journeys

Tamil film Kanavu Variyam to be honoured with Remi Award

25-FEB-2016

Kanavu Variyam, a Tamil movie directed by a Chennai-based techie Arun Chidambaram, in the third week of February 2016 was selected for the prestigious Remi Award.

The award will be handed over to Chidambaram during the 49th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, which will be held from 8 April 8 to 17 April 2016.

The story of Kanavu Variyam revolves around power cuts, which is the most familiar problem faced by people in Tamil Nadu.

The previous recipients of the Remi Award, which is given to independent films and filmmakers, include George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, the Coen Brothers and Ang Lee.

About WorldFest

• WorldFest was founded over 50 years ago as Cinema Arts, an International Film Society in August 1961.

• It became the third competitive international film festival in North America, following San Francisco and New York.

• It is the oldest Independent Film & Video Festival in the World.

• It was founded by award-winning producer/director Hunter Todd to present a quality film festival for the Independent filmmakers.

United States won WTO dispute against India's solar rules

25-FEB-2016

A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel on 24 February 2016 ruled in favour of the United States in its challenge to New Delhi's alleged discrimination against US solar exports.

The panel agreed with the US that India's localisation rules discriminated against imported solar cells and modules under India's National Solar Mission.

The US Trade Representative's office called the ruling a significant victory that will hasten the spread of solar energy across the world and support clean-energy jobs in the United States.

Key highlights of the ruling

• The three-member panel, presided by former New Zealand trade envoy David Walker, determined that India's local content requirements are inconsistent with the national treatment obligations in Article 2.1 of the Agreement on Trade-related Investment Measures (TRIMs Agreement) and Article III:4 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994.

• The Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) measures are not justified under the general exceptions in Article XX (j) or Article XX(d) of the GATT 1994.

What was the matter?

• In 2013, the US launched a dispute against India at the WTO, complaining that its DCR measures violated core norms of trade-related investment provisions, national treatment provisions for treating imported products on a par with domestically manufactured products, and financial subsidy rules.

• The US complaint alleged that the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission subsidies were available only if developers used equipment produced in India, violating a key global trade rule.

• The US argued that the rules are a barrier to solar products made in America and elsewhere but also effectively raised the cost of generating solar power in India and were extending the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.

• The United States stated that its solar exports to India had fallen by 90 per cent from 2011, when India imposed the rules.

People of Bolivia rejected fourth term for President in referendum

25-FEB-2016

Bolivia's Electoral Commission on 24 February 2016 announced that people of the country rejected an amendment to the Constitution in a referendum with 51.3 percent vote.

With this vote, the incumbent President Evo Morales stands disqualified for contesting the Presidential election for fourth term in 2019.

The referendum was sought by Evo Morales who is barred by the Constitution from re contesting after completion of his present 5-year term.

At present, Evo Morales is into his third term and his most recent victory was in 2014. Prior to 2014, he was elected to the Presidency twice - in 2006 (under the 1967 Constituion) and 2009.

As per the most recent and the 17th Constitution, which was promulgated by Evo Morales in 2009, the President of Bolivia is allowed to re-elect only once.

Mizoram launched National Food Security Act, 2013

25-FEB-2016

National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 was officially launched in Mizoram on 24 February 2016. The Act was launched by state Food civil Supplies and Consumer affairs Minister John Rotluangliana at Aizwal.

The Act will become effective in the state from 1 March 2016.

The state has decided to allocate 3 kilogram of rice in addition to the 5 kilogram covered by Food Security Act.

As per Census 2011, a total of 644882 people will be covered by Food Security Act which is 81.88 percent of people living in rural areas and 48.60 percent of urban areas.

In addition, the state government has also decided to provide 8 kilogram of Rice at the rate of 15 Rupees to those not covered by Food Security Act.

National Food Security Act (NFSA)
The National Food Security Act (NFSA) came into effect on 5 July 2013. It aims at providing legal entitlement to 5 kg of subsidised foodgrains per person per month at 1 rupee to 3 rupees per kilogram to two-thirds (67 percent) of the country’s population.

Union Cabinet approved proposal to establish Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and SETU in NITI Aayog

25-FEB-2016

Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 February 2016 gave its nod for a proposal to establish Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Self Employment and Talent Utilisation (SETU) in NITI Aayog with appropriate manpower.

It was observed that AIM is a mission and SETU is an approach to encourage innovation ecosystem and entrepreneurship.

The proposed Mission activities will be implemented in a focused manner with the establishment of AIM and AIM Directorate.

Features of the Mission

• Mission High Level Committee (MHLC) would guide the Mission to take all decisions relating to approval of requisite guidelines which include Grand Challenge areas, prize money and implementation of various elements of AIM and SETU.

• Mission Director and other appropriate manpower will be hired by NITI Aayog.

• They will be established with an initial sum of 500 crore rupees and 1000 crore rupees respectively.

• New Delhi will be headquarters to the Mission.

Background

The AIM and SETU are being initiated as a follow up of Union Budget 2015-16 announcements. Expenditure Finance Committee of NITI Aayog (EFC) considered the proposal on 28 August 2015 and constituted an Expert Committee on Innovation and Entrepreneurship to work out detailed contours of AIM and SETU under the Chairmanship of Prof. Tarun Khanna, Director, South Asia Institute, Harvard University, USA.

The Committee recommended for the short-term where action can be taken relatively quickly to deliver almost immediate payoffs, medium-term that can be addressed within a 5-7 years time frame and long-term, which are likely to have long gestation period, but will lead to a profound transformation in the entrepreneurial fabric of the country.

The Committee also emphasized the need to establish clear systems to monitor implementation, execution, and impact.

Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee sworn-in as Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court

25-FEB-2016

Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee on 23 February 2016 took oath as the 28th Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka.

Governor Vajubhai R. Vala administered the oath to Justice Mukherjee in a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan.

About Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee

• Born on 10 October 1955, Justice Mukherjee obtained his M.A., LL.B. from University of Calcutta.

• He joined legal profession on 5 July 1982 as an advocate.

• He practiced mainly in civil and writ matters.

• He was elevated as Permanent Judge of the High Court of Calcutta on 15 September 2000.

• He took oath as Judge of Karnataka High Court on 15 April 2015.

• He was appointed as Acting Chief Justice of High Court of Karnataka on 1 June 2015.

West Bengal Government announced to constitute two task forces for tribals, Gorkhas

25-FEB-2016

West Bengal Government on 24 February 2016 announced its decision to constitute two task forces for the development of Adivasis and Gorkhas living the state.

One task force will work for the tribals of the Terai-Dooars and the other for the Gorkhas living in the Darjeeling Hills region in northern part of the State.

These task forces will have working authority akin to the development boards constituted earlier.

The decision to the effect was taken at the State Cabinet meet held on 17 February 2016. But the announcement was made by State Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Arup Biswas at a meeting of the Dooars Siliguri Terai Bhartiya Nepali Development Forum (DSTBNDB) held on 24 February.

Earlier, the State Government had set-up six development boards for the Lepchas, Bhutias, Sherpas, Tamangs, Mangars and Khambu-Rais inhabiting in the north Bengal region.

About Dooars region

Dooars, meaning door, is synonymous with the term Terai used in Nepal and northern India and form the only nitrate rich soil in India.

These areas are the floodplains and foothills of the eastern Himalayas in North-East India around Bhutan and the region is divided by the Sankosh River into the Eastern and the Western Dooars, consisting of an area of 8800 square kilometer.

The Dooars region politically constitutes the plains of Darjeeling District, the whole of Jalpaiguri district and Alipurduar district and the upper region of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal and the districts of Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Goalpara and Bongaigaon in the state of Assam.

RBI cancelled Certificate of Registration of 26 NBFCs

25-FEB-2016

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 22 February 2016 cancelled the certificate of registration of the 26 non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).

RBI cancelled the certificate of registration of these 26 NBFCs in exercise of the powers conferred on it, under Section 45-IA (6) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

Following the cancellation of registration certificate, these companies cannot transact the business of a non-banking financial institution as laid down under clause (a) of Section 45-I of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

The NBFCs whose registration was cancelled includes

• Labh Lease and Finance Ltd
• Advantage Finvest Limited
• Mathura Financial Services Limited
• Wizard Fincap Limited
• M.J.K. Mercantiles Private Limited
• Avorik Vyapaar Private Limited
• Bengani Resources Private Limited (Formerly known as Mayuri Vinimay Private Limited)
• Bajaj Auto Holdings Limited
• Alpha General Leasing & Finance Private Limited
• Binikom Vyapaar Private Limited
• MIS Consultants Private Limited
• S.J. Finance & Consultants Private Limited
• Ganpati Vincom Private Limited (Presently, Savi Global Realtors Limited)
• Delton Impex (P) Ltd
• Abirami Financial Services [India] Limited
• ITI Capital Markets Limited
• Breakeven Business Credits Private Limited
• Pathik Overseas Limited
• J.M.B. Commercial & Credit Limited
• Esjay Estates Limited
• Cosmat Investment Private Limited
• Pavai Trading Co. Private Limited
• Modern Vintrade Private Limited
• Swadhaar Finserve Private Limited
• Punwire Holdings Limited
• IDFC Finance Limited

US court ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay 72 million dollar for cancer death

25-FEB-2016

Missouri state court of United States on 22 February 2016 ordered Johnson & Johnson Company to pay 72 million dollars to the family of Jacqueline Fox, who died of ovarian cancer caused due to the use of the company's talc-based Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for several decades.

In a verdict, jurors in the circuit court of St. Louis awarded the family of victim, 10 million dollars as actual damages and 62 million dollars as punitive damages.

US lawyers claimed that this verdict as the first of its kind by a U.S. jury to award damages over the claims.

Johnson & Johnson faces several hundred lawsuits claiming that it, in an effort to boost sales it failed to alert the consumers about the hazardous effects of talc-based products for decades.

Earlier in October 2013, a federal jury in Sioux Falls, South Dakota found that plaintiff Deane Berg's use of Johnson & Johnson's body powder products was a factor in her developing ovarian cancer. But it did not award any damages.

.Economic Survey 2015-16: Sectoral Overview - IV

26-FEB-2016

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on 26 February 2016 presented Economic Survey of India 2015-16 in the Parliament.

The Survey reviews the developments in the Indian economy over the previous 12 months, summarises the performance on major development programmes and highlights the policy initiatives of the government and the prospects of the economy in the short to medium term.

Expenditure on Social Infrastructure

• Expenditure on education as a proportion of GDP has hovered around 3 per cent during the period 2008-09 to 2014-15.

• Similarly, there has not been any significant change in the expenditure on health as a proportion of GDP, which has remained stagnant at less than 2 per cent during the same period.

Education

• Though India has made considerable progress in education over the years, there still persist inequalities in access and achievements across regions and populations.

• There has been perceptible improvement in the education of girls, with the Gender Parity Index becoming favourable at all levels of school education, except for SC students in higher education and ST students at all levels of education, for which special efforts have to be made.

Employment Scenario

• As per the fourth Annual Employment-Unemployment Survey conducted by the Labour Bureau during the period January 2014 to July 2014, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) (usual principal status) is 52.5 for all persons.

• The LFPR of women is significantly lower than that of males in both rural and urban areas.

• A notable aspect of the employment situation in India is the large share of informal employment and growth in informal employment in the organized sector.

• The share of informal employment in total employment has remained above 90 per cent throughout the period 2004-05 to 2011-12.

Health and Sanitation

• According to the World Bank’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Index 2015, India’s level of immunization is very low.

• With the aim of covering all those children who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated, against seven vaccine-preventable diseases by 2020, Mission Indradhanush was launched in December 2014 and has covered 352 districts of the country so far.

• Swachh Bharat Mission: More than 122 lakh toilets have already been constructed in rural areas since the beginning of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).

Poverty

• The incidence of poverty declined from 37.2 per cent in 2004-5 to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 for the country as a whole with a sharper decline in the number of rural poor.

• The estimates were based on the Tendulkar Committee methodology using household consumption expenditure survey data collected by the NSSO in its 68th round (2011-12).

Technology for Efficient Delivery of Services

• The government has introduced the game changing potential of technology-enabled Direct Benefits Transfers (DBT), namely the JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) Number Trinity solution.

• It offers possibilities for effectively targeting public resources to those who need them most, and including all those who have been deprived in multiple ways.

• It is paving way for expenditure rationalization and is ensuring the removal of, so far undetected, fake and duplicate entities from the beneficiary lists.

• So far, it resulted in substantial savings of public money for giving renewed focus on social welfare schemes.

Climate Change and Sustainable Development

• In tune with .com/current-affairs/unga-adopted-transforming-our-world-the-2030-agenda-for-sustainable-development-1443240152-1" target="_blank">Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Accord at the global level, many initiatives have been taken by India at the domestic level.

• India has submitted ambitious targets in its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) in the renewable energy sector, mainly from solar and wind energy.

• India’s INDC is comprehensive and covers all elements, i.e. adaptation, mitigation, finance, technology and capacity building.

• With a potential of more than 100 GW, the aim is to achieve a target of 60 GW of wind power as well as

• 100 GW of solar power installed capacity by 2022.

• India has also taken the initiative of setting up an 66104-1" target="_blank">International Solar Alliance (ISA), an alliance of 121 solar-resource-rich countries, lying fully or partially between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.

Outlook for Indian Economy

Overall Growth

• With improved industrial growth supplementing the buoyant services sector, overall economic growth has also picked up in recent months. This trend is expected to continue in near future.

• Amidst uncertainties at the global level, the Indian economy stands out as a haven of macroeconomic stability, resilience and optimism.

• India’s GDP growth could be in the range of 7.0 to 7.75 per cent during the 2016-17 financial year.

• With focus on reforms in key sectors coupled with stable macroeconomic conditions, the above growth prospect for the economy in the next year appears reasonable.

• However, the outlook will be conditioned by a number of factors and strongest of them being weak global demand.

• In the short run, Indian growth may fall short of its growth potential of 8-9 per cent. Yet, the economy could continue weathering the global sluggishness with resilience and consolidate the gains in macroeconomic stability in 2016-17.

External sector

• As a proportion of GDP, the CAD is likely to be in the low range of 1-1.5 per cent.

• India’s external sector outcome continues to be strong and sustainable because of strong macroeconomic fundamentals and low commodity prices.

• As such, while export slowdown may continue for a while before picking up in 2016-17, continuance of low global commodity prices augurs well for sustaining low trade and current account deficits.

• In 2015-16, the rupee values of exports and imports (of goods and non-factor services) are both projected to decline. Notably, such a dual decline would be the first since 1965-66.

• While export decline will be on account of the sluggish global demand and imports decline due to steep decline in international crude oil prices.

Economic Survey 2015-16: Sectoral Overview - III

26-FEB-2016

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on 26 February 2016 presented Economic Survey of India 2015-16 in the Parliament.

Exports & Imports

• Exports and imports together constitute 42 per cent of the GDP, even at the reduced levels in 2015-16.

• After reaching unsustainably high levels, trade and current account deficits moderated on import restrictions in 2013-14 and continued so in 2014-15.

• India’s merchandise exports have been declining continuously since December 2014, which is in line with the performance of export growth in different countries.

• During April-January 2015-16, India’s exports declined year-on-year by 17.6 per cent to 217.7 billion US dollars and this decline was broad-based.

• The decline in India’s exports owed to sluggish global demand and low global commodity prices, particularly petroleum.

• In keeping with the global trends of slow growth, imports have declined by 15.5 per cent in 2015-16 (April-January) to 324.5 billion US dollars.

• Lower imports of petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) were the main reason for the decline in total imports.

• The moderation in trade deficit continues through in 2015-16 with further decline in global crude oil prices, with trade deficit in 2015-16 (April- January) placed at 106.8 billion US dollars.

• The composition and direction of trade is undergoing changes and sectors that are resilient are accounting for higher proportions to total trade and also changing the trade direction.

• During 2015-16 (April-December), there was a broad-based decline in exports to Europe, America, Africa, Asia and the CIS.

• Imports from all five regions declined, with the highest decline of 21.5 per cent in imports from America in 2015-16 (April-December).

Trade Scenario

Balance of Payments

• Despite the decline in merchandise exports during the first half (H1) of 2015-16, India’s BoP position remained comfortable.

• Some of the salient external sector developments are - lower trade deficit and modest growth in invisibles resulted in lower CAD, continued increase in FDI inflows and NRI deposits and net outflow of portfolio investment.

• Although, there was a net outflow under portfolio investment, capital/financial flows were in excess of the CAD and the absorption of the same by the RBI led to an accretion in reserves.

• Trade deficit (on BoP basis) declined from 74.7 billion US dollars in 2014-15 (April- September) to 71.6 billion US dollars in 2015-16 (April-September).

• The surplus of net invisibles increased by around 1 billion US dollars to 57.2 billion US dollars in the first half of 2015-16.

• Moderate growth in invisibles surplus coupled with lower trade deficit, resulted in a lower CAD of 26.8 billion US dollars (1.3 per cent of GDP) in 2014-15 and 14.4 billion US dollars (1.4 per cent of GDP) in H1 of 2015-16.

• Net portfolio investment recorded an outflow of 8.7 billion US dollars in H1 of 2015-16 as against net inflow of 22.2 billion US dollars in H1 of 2014-15.

• Net FDI reached the level of 16.7 billion US dollars in H1 of 2015-16 (15.1 billion US dollars in H1 of 2014-15).

• During H1 of 2015-16, net capital/finance flows was 24.9 billion US dollars as against 36.5 billion US dollars in H1 of 2014-15.

Foreign exchange reserves

• India’s foreign exchange reserves at 351.5 billion US dollars, as on 5 February 2016, mainly comprised foreign currency assets amounting to 328.4 billion US dollars, accounting for about 93.4 per cent of the total.

• With an increase in reserves in 2015-16, all traditional reserve-based external sector vulnerability indicators, namely foreign exchange cover for imports and short-term debt, have improved.

• Low levels of CAD coupled with moderate rise in capital inflows resulted in accretion in foreign exchange reserves of 10.6 billion US dollars in H1 of 2015-16.

Exchange rate

• During 2015-16 (April-January), the average exchange rate of the rupee depreciated to 65.04 rupees per US dollar as compared to 60.92 rupees per US dollar in 2014-15 (April-January).

• This was mainly on account of the fact that the dollar strengthened against all the major currencies because of stronger growth in the USA.

• This trend was also due to the fact that China’s growth and currency developments this year deteriorated, impacting the outlook on other emerging markets owing to risk-aversion perceptions of global investors.

• However, on the positive side, the rupee has performed better than the currencies of most of other emerging markets (except the Chinese yuan).

External debt

• India’s external debt stock increased by 8.0 billion US dollars (1.7 per cent) to 483.2 billion US dollars at end-September 2015 over end-March 2015.

• This rise in external debt occurred on account of long-term debt, particularly commercial borrowings and NRI deposits.

• India’s external debt has remained in safe limits, with an external debt to GDP ratio of 23.7 per cent and a debt service ratio of 7.5 per cent in 2014-15.

• India’s foreign exchange reserves provided a cover of 72.5 per cent to total external debt stock at end-September 2015 vis-à-vis 71.9 per cent at end-March 2015.

Economic Survey 2015-16: Sectoral Overview - II

26-FEB-2016

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on 26 February 2016 presented Economic Survey of India 2015-16 in the Parliament.

Agriculture

• The contribution of agriculture and allied sectors to the GVA (at 2011-12 prices) has been declining.

• The growth rates in agriculture have been fluctuating at 1.5 per cent in 2012-13, 4.2 per cent in 2013-14, (-) 0.2 per cent in 2014-15 and a likely growth of 1.1 per cent in 2015-16.

• The uncertainties in growth in agriculture are explained by the fact that 60 per cent of agriculture in India is rainfall dependent and there have been two consecutive years of less than normal rainfall in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

• Food grains production during 2015-16, estimated at 253.16 million tonnes, is expected to be higher by 1.14 million tonnes over the production of 252.02 million tonnes during 2014-15.

The survey suggested following measures to increase productivity in agriculture sector:

• Need to scale up investments to expand water efficient irrigation to achieve ‘more crop per drop’ to improve productivity in agriculture.

• The low and skewed distribution of irrigated area needs to be corrected through appropriate policy measures.

• Effective use of other inputs like fertilizers, quality seeds and pesticides is also required, along with irrigation, to reach optimal agricultural potential of India.

• The success of dairy, an allied sector, has been the result of an integrated cooperative system of milk collection, transportation, processing and distribution.

• In order to minimize the seasonal impact on suppliers, the diversification of the produce through value added products, as happened in the dairy industry, should be adopted by allied sectors in agriculture.

• Reducing post-harvest losses through investments in storage facilities and drying facilities will also help ensure food security for the population.

Industrial, Corporate and Infrastructure Performance

• Overall growth: The industrial sector has continued to perform well in the wake of various reforms measures undertaken by the government in recent years.

• The growth is expected to strengthen further to 7.3 per cent for 2015-16 as per the AE released by the CSO.

• Within the industrial sector, manufacturing is expected to register a growth of 9.5 per cent.

• In the first nine months of 2015-16, the growth rate in terms of the IIP was 3.1 per cent as compared to 2.6 per cent in the corresponding period of 2014-15.

• The eight core infrastructure-supportive industries in IIP, which have a 38 percent, registered a cumulative growth of 1.9 per cent during April-December 2015-16 as compared to 5.7 per cent during April-December 2014-15.

• After the launch of the initiatives in September 2014, there was nearly 40 per cent increase in FDI inflows during October 2014 to June 2015 over the corresponding period of the previous year.

• Foreign Direct Investment: During April-November 2015-16, total FDI inflows were 34.8 billion US dollars as compared to 27.7 billion US dollars during April-November 2014-15, showing a 26 per cent increase.

• The FDI equity inflows also increased from 18.9 billion US dollars during April-November 2014- 15 to 24.8 billion US dollars during April-November 2015-16, showing a 31 per cent growth.

• Electricity: During 2014-15, electricity generation was 1048.4 billion units (BU) as against a target of 1023 BU, registering Y-O-Y growth of 8.4 per cent.

• A total of 3030 MW of grid-connected power generation capacity from renewable energy sources like solar and wind has been added during April – December 2015. With this, the cumulative generation capacity reached 38820 MW from these sources.

• Roads: Under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), total length of 26, 177 km road has been completed as on 31 December 2015.

• Civil aviation: This sector witnessed an improvement of 20.4 per cent in domestic traffic and 7.8 per cent in international passenger traffic during April - November 2015-16 over the same period of the previous year.

Services Sector

• National level: It has emerged as the most dynamic sector globally and remains the key driver of India’s economic growth.

• In 2015-16, the services sector registered a growth of 9.2 per cent (constant prices), mainly due to the lower growth of 6.9 per cent in public administration, defence and other services vis-à-vis 10.7 per cent growth achieved in 2014-15.

• India’s services sector growth in the pre-crisis period (Before 2009) was 9.3 per cent which declined to 8.6 per centin the post crisis period.

• In States: The share of services in the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) varies across states.

• Out of the 23 states and union territories (UT), the services sector accounted for 87.5 per cent of Delhi’s GSDP, followed by Maharashtra at 63.8 per cent, with growth rates of 8.2 per cent and 5.7 per cent respectively.

• On the other extreme, services sector accounted for only 30.2 per cent of the GSDP in Arunachal Pradesh in 2014-15.

• Exports: India’s services exports increased from 16.8 billion US dollars in 2001 to 155.6 billion US dollars in 2014, making the country the eighth largest services exporter in the world.

• The share of India’s services exports in global services exports, at 3.2 per cent in 2014, is nearly double that of its merchandise exports in global merchandise exports at 1.7 per cent.

• Foreign Tourist Arrivals: FTAs registered a growth of 10.2 per cent and there was nearly 9.7 per cent growth in Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) in 2014.

• However, It decelerated to 4.5 per cent in terms of FTAs and fell by 2.8 per cent in terms of FEEs in 2015.

Economic Survey 2015-16: Sectoral Overview - I

26-FEB-2016

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on 26 February 2016 presented Economic Survey of India 2015-16 in the Parliament.

GDP Growth

• India registered robust growth of 7.2 per cent in 2014- 15 and 7.6 per cent in 2015-16, thus becoming the fastest growing major economy in the world.

• India’s growth is impressive because global growth averaged 3.1 per cent in 2015, declining from 3.4 per cent registered in 2014.

India’s increasing importance to global growth

• India’s share in world GDP has increased from an average of 4.8 per cent during 2001-07 to 6.1 per cent during 2008-13 and further to an average of 7.0 per cent during 2014 to 2015 in current PPP terms.

• India’s contribution to global growth in PPP terms increased from an average of 8.3 per cent during the period 2001 to 2007 to 14.4 per cent in 2014.

• India vs USA: During the 1990s, the USA’s contribution to the global GDP growth in PPP terms was, on an average, around 16 percentage points higher than India’s.

• The picture changed dramatically in 2013 and 2014 when India’s contribution was higher than that of the USA by 2.2 and 2.7 percentage points respectively.

Aggregate Demand

Three visible changes are taking place in aggregate demand.

1) With improving growth in private consumption, its contribution to GDP growth is getting aligned to its GDP share.

2) Aided by the growth in capital goods, the growth of fixed capital formation has picked up.

3) The substantial erosion of global demand for Indian output, manifest in loss of Indian Exports, acts as a drag on domestic growth.

Against this backdrop, India’s ambitious growth targets in the near future will be met on the strength of domestic consumption which increased from 56.2 per cent in 2011-12 to 59.8 per cent in 2015-16.

Growth in Gross Value Added

• The Gross Value Added (GVA), which broadly reflects the supply or production side of the economy, registered an increase in the growth rate from 5.4 per cent in 2012-13 to 7.1 per cent in 2014-15. For 2015-16 it is pegged at 7.3 per cent.

• Growth rate of GDP at market prices for the years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 is currently estimated to be 5.6 per cent, 6.6 per cent and 7.2 per cent respectively.

• The difference between GDP and GVA is product taxes net of product subsidies and indicates net indirect taxes (NIT).

• NIT growth is consistently higher than GVA growth (both at constant prices) thereby placing GDP growth higher than GVA growth in the recent quarters.

Share of Public Sector in GVA

• The public sector constitutes about a fifth of the Indian economy in terms of GVA at basic prices, while the private corporate sector a little above one-third. The household sector contributes the rest.

• One conspicuous change over the four-year period from 2011-12 to 2014-15 was the decline in the shares of the public and household sectors in total GVA, which was fully taken over by the private corporate sector.

Per capita Income

Per capita income, defined as Net national income (NNI) divided by the estimated population, recorded a healthy growth rate between 2013 and 2015 and the trend was reinforced in 2015-16.

The Saving-Investment Balance

• The gross domestic savings rate in the economy declined by 1.6 percentage points of the GDP from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

• In tandem with the trends in gross savings, fixed investment as proportion of GDP declined by 3.5 percentage points from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Public Finance

• The Budget 2015-16 sought to contain the fiscal deficit at 5.56 lakh crore rupees (3.9 per cent of GDP) as against 5.13 lakh crore rupees (4.1 per cent of GDP) in 2014-15.

• In spite of the challenges posed by the lower-than-projected nominal GDP growth, the fiscal deficit target of 3.9 per cent of GDP seems achievable.

Prices and Monetary Management

Prices

• Consumer Price Index: Headline inflation, based on the CPI (combined for rural and urban areas) series, dipped to 4.9 per cent during April-January 2015-16 as against 5.9 per cent in 2014-15.

• Food inflation in terms of the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) declined to 4.8 per cent during April-January 2015-16 as compared to 6.4 per cent in 2014-15.

• CPI-based core (non-food, non-fuel) inflation also remained range-bound, inching marginally upwards from 4.2 per cent in March 2015 to 4.7 per cent in January 2016.

• Wholesale Price Index: Headline (WPI) inflation declined following the global trend of declining commodity and producers prices.

• The substantial decline in price of the Indian basket of crude oil, through its direct and second round effects, partly contributed to the decline in general inflation for the second successive year.

• The astute policies and management of inflation by the government through buffer stocking, timely release of cereals and import of pulses and moderate increase in MSPs of agricultural commodities helped in keeping prices of essential commodities under check during 2015-16.

Monetary Developments

• With the easing of inflation and moderation in inflationary expectations, the RBI reduced the repo rate by 100 basis points between January and September 2015.

• The RBI kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.75 percent in its most recent and the sixth bi-monthly monetary policy statement on 2 February 2016.

New initiatives in the Banking sector

The performance of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCB) during the current financial year remained subdued.

The sluggish growth of bank credit can be attributed to following factors

• Incomplete transmission of the monetary policy as banks have not passed on the entire benefit to borrowers

• Unwillingness of the banks to lend credit on account of rising Nonperforming Assets/NPAs

• Worsening of corporate balance sheets, forcing them to put their investment decisions on hold

• Interest rates in the bond market being more attractive to borrowers

However, on the positive note, there was considerable increase in the opening of basic savings bank deposit accounts during 2015-16 underthe Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.

Michael Pesch appointed CEO of Infosys Consulting Holding

26-FEB-2016

IT giant Infosys on 19 February 2016 appointed Michael Pesch as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Infosys Consulting Holding AG, effective April 1 2016.

Pesch will focus on expanding the reach of Infosys consultants and experts in digital transformation and design-led innovation, as well as increasing Infosys’ expertise in large-scale SAP programmes.

Pesch will also serve as the Regional Head for the DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) countries, bringing an integrated approach to IT transformation to every client engagement in the region.

About Michael Pesch

• Michael Pesch holds more than two decades of experience in global consulting and management roles.

• Before Infosys, he served as Chief Executive Officer of arvato Systems Group. During his tenure at arvato, he successfully established new cloud oriented services and led fourfold growth of consulting and IT services business across Europe, U.S. and China.

Economic Survey of India 2015-16: Highlights

26-FEB-2016

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on 26 February 2016 presented Economic Survey of India 2015-16 in the Parliament.

The Economic Survey reviews the developments in the Indian economy over the previous 12 months, summarises the performance on major development programmes and highlights the policy initiatives of the government and the prospects of the economy in the short to medium term.

Main Highlights
GDP Growth: The growth rate of GDP at constant market prices is projected to increase to 7.6% in 2015-16 from 7.2% in 2014-15.

Real GDP growth for 2015-16 is expected to be in the 7% to 7.75% range.

Twin balance sheet problem: Resolving the challenge of twin balance sheet problem – the impaired financial positions of the Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and some corporate houses would require 4 Rs:Recognition, Recapitalization, Resolution, and Reform.

Energy: 2014-15 witnessed the highest ever increase in generation capacity of 26.5 GW compared to the average annual addition of around 19 GW over the past five years.

Horticulture: The percentage share of horticulture output in agriculture is more than 33 per cent. The share of plan outlay for horticulture, which was 3.9 per cent during Ninth Plan, has increased to 4.6 per cent during the Twelfth Plan.

Over the last decade, the area under horticulture grew by about 2.7% per annum and annual production increased by 7%

Milk Production: Production of horticulture crops have outpaced the production of food grain since 2012-13.

India ranks first in milk production, accounting for 18.5% of world production achieving an annual output of 146.3 million tonnes during 2014-15 as compared to 137.69 million tonnes during 2013-14 recording a growth of 6.26%.

Per capita availability of milk in India increased from 176 grams per day in 1990-91 to 322 grams per day by 2014-15.

Food Security: According to the data of the 66th round of the National Sample Survey (2009-10), the average dietary energy intake per person per day was 2147 Kcal for rural India and 2123 Kcal for urban India. 57 % of households had calorie intake below 2160 Kcal/Consumer unit/day.

India has the second highest number of undernourished people at 194.6 million person (FAO, State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2015) which warrants immediate attention.

Fiscal Management: Fiscal Deficit target of 3.9% for 2015-16 seems achievable.

The total expenditure for 2015-16 was estimated at Rs.17.77 lakh crore which was 5.7 per cent higher than the revised estimates of 2014-15.

A growth of 25.5 per cent was envisaged in capital expenditure, reiterating the focus on quality of expenditure.

Direct taxes grew by 10.7% in the first 9 months of 2015-16 while indirect taxes were also buoyant.

The aggregate capital expenditure of the government increased by 0.6% in 2015-16. This occurred both in the centre and states, with the former contributing 54% and the latter 46%.

Services: Services Sector remained the key driver of economic growth contributing almost 66.1 percent in 2015-16.

Services Sector continues to be the key driver of India’s economic growth and it accelerated to 10.3 per cent in 2014-15 from 7.8 per cent in 2013-14 and it is expected to be 9.2 per cent (constant prices) in 2015-16 as per the advanced estimates. This is due to lower growth in Public Administration, Defence and other Services.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): There has been a rising trend in FDI equity inflows to the services sector in the first seven months of 2015-16 with FDI inflows growing by 74.7 per cent.

Trade: Overall exports declined by about 18% in the first three quarters. Realizing India’s medium term growth potential of 8-10 percent will require rapid growth of export.

To achieve trajectory similar to China, India’s competitiveness will have to improve so that its services exports, currently about 3 percent of world exports, capture nearly 15% of world market share.

Trade deficit declined to 106.8 billion US dollars in April-January 2015-16 from 119.6 billion US dollars in corresponding period 2014-15.

Public Debt: At the end-September 2015, India’s external debt has remained in safe limits as shown by long term debt accounted for 82.2% of India’s total external debt, vis-à-vis 82.0% at end-March 2015.

The proportion of short term debt to total external debt decreased from 18.0% at end-March 2015 to 17.8% at end-September 2015.

External debt to GDP ratio of 23.7% and debt service ratio of 7.5% in 2014-15 are at comfortable levels, it adds.

Human Capital: Increasing investment in human capital is a key requirement to improve productivity of the population says the Economic Survey. The total expenditure on Social Services including Education, Health, Social Security, Nutrition, Welfare of SC/ST/OBC etc. during 2014-15 (RE) was 7% of GDP while it was 6.5% during 2013-14.

According to Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2014, there is sharp decline between 2007 and 2014 in the number of children in Standard V who can read a textbook of Standard II, in both government and private schools.

The expenditure on health as a percentage of total expenditure on social services increased from 18.6% in 2013-14 to 19.3% in 2014-15 (RE) and 19.5% in 2015-16 (BE).

The ‘under five mortality’ has declined from 126 in 1990 to 49 in 2013.

Employment: The proportion of economically active population (15-59 years) has increased from 57.7% to 63.3% during 1991 to 2013, as per Sample Registration System (SRS) data for 2013.

The employment growth in the organized sector (Public and Private combined) increased by 2% in 2012 over 2011, while it increased by only 1% in 2011 over 2010.

The annual growth rate of employment for the private sector was 4.5 % in 2012 over 2011 whereas the public sector registered a marginal growth of 0.4 % in the same year.

According to the Labour Bureau during the period January 2014 to July 2014 has shown that the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is 52.5 % for all persons.

The LFPR for rural areas stands at 54.7% which is much greater than that for rural areas i.e. 47.2 %.

The LFPR for women is significantly lower than that for males in both rural and urban areas.

The Unemployment Rate is 4.7 % in rural areas and 5.5% in urban areas. The total unemployment rate reported is 4.9% as per the Labour Bureau Survey.

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO, 2012-11) reported unemployment rate of 2.3% for rural areas, 3.8% for Urban Areas and 2.7% for India as a whole.

Lok Sabha passed Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016

26-FEB-2016

The Lok Sabha on 25 February 2016 passed Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The bill seeks to amend the Delimitation Act, 2002 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

These Acts regulate allocation of seats to the national and state legislatures, and delimitation (that is, fixing boundaries) of parliamentary and assembly constituencies.

Features of Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Objective: The Bill aims to empower the Election Commission to carry out delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal that were affected by the enactment of the Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015.

Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015: Under the 2015 Act, 51 Bangladeshi and 111 Indian enclaves were exchanged between India and Bangladesh on 31 July 2015. Enclaves are territories belonging to one country that are entirely surrounded by another country.

Addition powers to Election Commission: The Bill amends the Acts in order to give additional powers and responsibilities to the Election Commission. It states that the Election Commission may amend the delimitation order to
a) exclude from the relevant constituencies the Indian enclaves that were transferred to Bangladesh; and
b) include in the relevant constituencies the Bangladeshi enclaves that were transferred to India.

RP Act, 1950 and Delimitation Act, 2002: The Section 9 of the 1950 Act and Section 11 of the 2002 Act provide the Election Commission the responsibility to maintain up-to-date delimitation orders.

Responsibility of EC under Delimitation orders: Delimitation orders specify the boundaries of territorial constituencies. This responsibility includes

a) Correcting printing mistakes and inadvertent error

b) Making necessary amendments if the name of any territorial division mentioned in the delimitation order has been altered.

The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister for Law and Justice, DV Sadananda Gowda, on February 24, 2016.

Earlier, Union Cabinet approved the amendment to the Delimitation Act, 2002 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950 on 17 February 2016.

India and UK Institutions signed agreements for collaboration in Crop Sciences

26-FEB-2016

Union Ministry of Science and Technology and a consortium of top UK research institutions signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 24 February 2016 for establishment of a joint India-UK collaboration programme in crop science.

It was agreed by all the parties on the importance of crop science as an area of enormous potential for scientific collaboration, and of great importance for global food security in India and beyond.

Highlights of the Agreement

• The agreement contemplates the establishment of a joint Indo-UK Plant Science Centre in India.

• It was aimed to enhance collaborative research, promote knowledge exchange, and support capacity building to develop resilience in food security.

• It foresees joint projects focusing on the fundamental science underpinning yield enhancement, disease resistance and drought resistance; research into crop re-breeding; and the translation of fundamental research into sustainable agriculture practice.

The collaboration will help in growing the partnerships of both the countries in translational and applied research. It would create opportunities for leading experts in the UK and India to come together to tackle global challenges in the areas of food security, crop science and biotechnology.

Ex-DRDO Chairman Dr Avinash Chander received Aryabhata Award 2013

26-FEB-2016

Former Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and ex-DRDO chief Dr Avinash Chander on 25 February 2016 received the prestigious Astronautical Society of India's Aryabhata Award 2013.

He received the award from Dr R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to Union Government and Dr A S Kiran Kumar, Chairman ISRO, at ASI-ISRO Awards function held at Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad.

Besides, Dr.Ranganath R Navalgund, Vikram Sarabhai Distinguished Professor, received the Aryabhata Award for the year 2012.

About Aryabhata Award

• It was named after the fifth century Indian astronomer and mathematician and also in commemoration of the first Indian Satellite launched on 19 April 1975, Aryabhata.

• It is presented every year to an individual for outstanding lifetime contribution to the promotion of astronautics in India.

• It consists of a citation and one lakh rupees in cash.

Goverdhan Mehta conferred Cross of the Order of Merit, Germany’s prestigious award

26-FEB-2016

Renowned researcher in Chemical Sciences Goverdhan Mehta on 23 February 2016 was conferred with Federal Republic of Germany’s prestigious Cross of the Order of Merit.

Achim Fabig, the German Consul General in Chennai, presented the award to Hyderabad-based professor Mehta.

About Goverdhan Mehta

• At present, Mehta is the National Research Professor and Lilly-Jubilant Chair Professor at the University of Hyderabad, which is among the top 10 Universities in the country.

• He has served as the Director of the IISc, Bengaluru from 1998 to 2005.

• He has also served as the President of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA).

• He was the VC during 1994-1998 of the University of Hyderabad.

• He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and has been conferred with Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur by the President of France.

• He is a recipient of the Indian Government's Padma Shri Award.

About Cross of the Order of Merit

• The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany was instituted in 1951 by Federal President Theodor Heuss.

• It is the only honour that may be awarded in all fields of endeavour.

• It is the highest tribute the Federal Republic of Germany can pay to individuals for achievements in political, economic, social or intellectual realm and for all kinds of outstanding services to the nation in the field of social, charitable or philanthropic work.

Bangladeshi cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza appointed UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador For Youth

26-FEB-2016

Bangladeshi cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was on 25 February 2016 appointed as National Goodwill Ambassador For Youth by the United National Development Programme (UNDP).

In this regard, UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative Robert Watkins presented Mortaza with a certificate of his official appointment in Dhaka.

With this appointment, Mortaza also became the first personality to be appointed as a goodwill ambassador for youth development in Bangladesh.

In his new role, Mortaza, who is leading the national cricket team both in ODIs and T20 formats, will advocate for youth employment in Bangladesh and help in country’s efforts in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The appointment is part of the UN’s efforts to rope in prominent individuals from the worlds of arts, sciences, entertainment, sport, etc as goodwill ambassadors to promote and realise the ideals enshrined in its Charter.

At present, around 55 percentage of Bangladesh’s total population are in working age group and only 17 percent of employed youths are in regular paid employment.

Yoichiro Ueno appointed President and CEO of Honda Cars India

26-FEB-2016

Japanese auto maker Honda Motor Company on 23 February 2016 announced that it had appointed Yoichiro Ueno as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its car operations in India.

Ueno will replace Katsushi Inoue on 1 April 2016. Inoue has been named Operating Officer of Honda Motor and Chief Operating Officer for regional operations (Europe region).

Who is Yoichiro Ueno?

• Yoichiro Ueno has been the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. since January 2011.

• He was previously the Assistant Vice President of Automobile Sales of American Honda Motor Co. Inc., where he was involved in the overall planning and coordination of sales and marketing in the US market.

• He has been associated with Honda Motor Co. Ltd. for over 30 years and has vast experience in the automobile industry, having served in markets outside Japan like New Zealand and Thailand and worked with overseas division and countries such as Asia and Oceania, China and North America.

Maharashtra Government finalised PMC for Shivaji memorial in Arabian Sea

26-FEB-2016

Maharashtra Government on 24 February 2016 finalised a Project Management Consultant (PMC) for the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial in the Arabian Sea. The project scheduled to be completed by 2018 will be executed at an expense of 84 crore rupees.

The consultant was finalised at a meeting headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. As per the decision a consortium of Egis India Consulting Engineers Pvt Ltd and Design Associates were appointed as the PMC.

PMC will finalise the concept design, float tenders and oversee the implementation of the project. Chairperson of the Oversee committee MLC Vinayak Methe said that the agreement will be signed with the consortium within a week’s time.

The JJ School of Art had submitted a schematic diagram for the memorial on the 16 hectare rocky terrain.

Italy approved Gay Civil Union’s Bill

26-FEB-2016

In Italy, Senate on 25 February 2016 approved a bill recognising civil unions for same-sex and heterosexual couples. The motion was approved by a 173-71 vote.

The text maintains provisions including the right to a residence permit for foreign partners and to take a same-sex partner's name.

However, it removed the provision that would have allowed gay adoptions and other clauses.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi put his government on the line for the bill, resorting to a confidence vote in the Senate yesterday to push through the amended text. He removed the gay adoption provision to overcome opposition from several lawmakers. Italy is a Catholic country.

The bill now needs to go before a vote in the lower house (Chamber of Deputies), and will become an act within two months after being approved there.

Gay rights groups have voiced anger, on the streets and on social media, saying the bill has been diluted too much.

Earlier in 2015, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy had violated human rights by failing to offer enough legal protection for same-sex couples.

Italy is the only major European country to have so far given no legal rights to same-sex couples.

Union Government appointed three Information Commissioners to Central Information Commission

26-FEB-2016

Union Government appointed three Information Commissioners on 25 February 2016. These are Bimal Julka, Divya Prakash Sinha and Amitava Bhattacharyya.

They were administered the oath of office by the Chief Information Commissioner Radha Krishna Mathur.

Before being appointed ICs, Bimal Julka was holding the post of Secretary of Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He is a retired IAS officer and his area of eminence includes Administration and Governance.

Divya Prakash Sinha was holding the charge of Secretary (Security) in Union Government. He is a former IPS officer and had vast experience in security.

Amitava Bhattacharyya was holding the charge of Chairman, Staff Selection Commission. He is a former IAS officer and well known for Administrative and Governance Skills.

The three information commissioners will hold the posts till they turn 65.

With this, for the first time since the inception of Central Information Commission (CIC) in 2005, it will have the full complement of the chief and 10 information commissioners.

This will also be the first time that all the information commissioners except a law professor are from the government or the public sector.

Central Information Commission

• It was constituted by the Union Government which includes 1 Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and not more than 10 Information Commissioners (IC) who will be appointed by the President of India.

• It has its Headquarters in Delhi. Other offices may be established in other parts of the country with the approval of the Union Government. It is an independent body to exercise its powers.

• Candidates for CIC/IC must be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.

• CIC/IC shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any State or Union Territory. He shall not hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession.

• Appointment Committee includes Prime Minister (Chair), Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and one Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.

YES Bank won Green Bond Pioneer Award

26-FEB-2016

YES Bank, India's fifth largest private sector bank, on 23 February 2016 received the prestigious Green Bond Pioneer Award for being the Pioneers in Emerging Markets-India in an award ceremony at London Stock Exchange (LSE), London.

YES Bank was recognised for its pioneering efforts in the Green Bonds market, including the highly successful issuance of India's first ever Green Infrastructure Bonds.

YES Bank is the only Indian bank to be recognized in these first ever Green Bond Awards. Winners in other categories include World Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Peoples Bank of China (PBoC) and Ile De France amongst others.

About YES Bank

• YES Bank is India's fifth largest private sector bank.

• It is the only bank in the last two decades which was awarded Greenfield Bank licence by the RBI.

• YES Bank is a full service commercial bank and has steadily built a corporate, retail & SME banking franchise, financial markets, investment banking, corporate finance, branch banking, business and transaction banking, and wealth management business lines across the country.

About Green Bond Pioneer Awards

• The Green Bond Pioneer Awards are organized by Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), an international investor-focused not-for-profit which focuses on mobilizing the 100 trillion US dollar bond market for climate change solutions.

• CBI has launched the Awards at its inaugural Conference on Global Leadership in the Green Bonds Sector to increase awareness on green bonds in the global investor and corporate community, and also to acknowledge global leadership in the sector.

Forbes released inaugural 30 Under 30 Asia List

26-FEB-2016

Forbes on 25 February 2016 released its inaugural 30 Under 30 Asia List in Singapore. The list included 300 young innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders across Asia in 10 categories who are under 30 years of age.

These are transforming business, technology, industry, media, culture and more and judged by some of the most accomplished and acclaimed individuals in each category.

Forbes 30 Under 30 Global List for 2016

From India, 56 were included in the list. Some of the prominent among them were –

• Sania Mirza (Tennis)

• Virat Kohli (Cricket)

• Saina Nehwal (Badminton)

• Shraddha Kapoor (Actress)

• Arunima Sinha (Mountaineer)

• Chaitanya Tamhane (Writer & Director)

• Raghav Verma (Co-founder Chaayos)

• Mehul Agrawal (Co-founder Cars24)

• Kanika Tekriwal (Co-founder JetSetGo)

• Ritesh Agarwal (Co-founder OYO Rooms); He also featured in Forbes 2016 30 Under 30 List

Union Government decided to allow birth companions during delivery in public health facilities

26-FEB-2016

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 25 February 2016 decided to allow birth companions during delivery in public health facilities. The decision is aimed at reducing Maternal Mortality Ratio and Infant Mortality Rate in India.

The presence of a female relative during labour is a low cost intervention that has proved to be beneficial to the women in labour.Pre-requisites for a birth companion

• The birth companion has to be a female relative and preferably one who has undergone the process of labor.

• In facilities where privacy protocols are followed in the labour room, the husband of the pregnant woman can be allowed as a birth companion.

• She should not suffer from any communicable diseases.

• She should wear clean clothes.

• She should be willing to stay with the pregnant woman throughout the process of labour.

• She should not interfere in the work of hospital staff and the treatment procedures.

• She should not attend to other women in the labour room.

Who are Birth Companions?

• Birth companions are women who have experienced the process of labour and provide continuous one - to - one support to other women experiencing labour and child birth.

• Birth companions provide emotional support (continuous reassurance), information about labour progress and advice regarding coping techniques, comfort measures (comforting touch, massages, promoting adequate fluid intake and output), and advocacy (helping the woman articulate her wishes to the other).

WHO stand on labor companionship
The World Health Organization promotes labor companionship as a core element of care for improving maternal and infant health (WHO 2002). The regional plan of action for maternal and neonatal health care includes the monitoring of maternal and foetal well-being, and encourages the presence of a companion to provide support during labour and delivery as one of the interventions to improve neonatal health.

Mumbai Police created 16 no-selfie zones

26-FEB-2016

Mumbai Police on 25 February 2016 created 16 no-selfie zones around the city. The action was taken in response to several deaths of people taking selfies.

This enforcement of the order is police’s bid to discourage people from putting themselves at risk while taking selfies.

The spots include popular sea-fronts like Bandra Bandstand, Marine Drive and Juhu Chowpatty.

The process of identifying and marking certain spots in the city as 'No Selfie Zones' was initiated by Mumbai police in January 2016.

India is home to 19 of the world's 49 reported selfie deaths since 2014. These include two people who died earlier in February 2016 after one tried to take a selfie near a dam in the town of Nashik. A classmate who jumped in to try to save the man also drowned.

In January 2016, an 18-year old woman drowned after falling into the ocean at Mumbai’s Bandstand Fort, a site frequented by tourists.

Rajendra Singh became first non-navy officer to head Indian Coast Guard

26-FEB-2016

The Union Government on 25 February 2016 appointed Rajendra Singh as the Director General (DG) of Indian Coast Guard, the country’s coastal protection force. This is the first time an officer who is not from the Indian Navy has been elevated to the position.

The director general's post has so far only been held by officers who were commissioned in the Indian Navy.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet had cleared the name of Singh as the next DG, with the Department of Personnel and Training issuing an order.

Singh will replace Vice Admiral HCS Bisht who has been promoted as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command.

About Rajendra Singh

• Rajendra Singh had joined the Coast Guard in 1980.

• He is currently the Additional Director General.

• He was awarded the Tatrakshak Medal (TM) by the President on 15 August 1990.

• In recognition of his distinguished service, he was awarded President’s Tatrakshak Medal (PTM) on 15 August 2002.

• Having served in various capacities both ashore and afloat, he has track record in the field of Operations, Administration, Human Resources (HR) and Policy and Plans.

• He has commanded every class of ship in service of the Coast Guard.

About Indian Coast Guard

• The Indian Coast Guard protects India's maritime interests and enforces maritime law, with jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India, including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone.

• It was formally established on 18 August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India as an independent Armed force of India.

• It operates under the Ministry of Defence.

• The Coast Guard works in close cooperation with the Indian Navy, the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Revenue (Customs) and the Central and State police forces.