International Day for the Right to the

Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights

Violations observed

27-MAR-2016

24 March: International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims

The International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims was observed on 24 March 2016 across the world.

To mark the occasion, all Member States of the UN, international organizations and civil society organizations conducted awareness programmes on the importance of protection of human rights.

The day was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December 2010 with the following objectives

• To honour the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice

• To pay tribute to those who have devoted their lives to, and lost their lives in, the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all

• To recognize, in particular, the important work and values of human rights crusader Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero,of El Salvador, who was assasinated on 24 March 1980

UNSC extended mandate of UN

Assistance Mission in Somalia until

March 2017

27-MAR-2016

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 24 March 2016 extended the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) till 31 March 2017.

A resolution in this regard was unanimously approved by all the 15 members of the Council in order to support an inclusive, free, fair and transparent electoral process in 2016 and universal elections by 2020.

About the UN Assistance Mission in

Somalia

• It was established in May 2013 by the UNSC to create and galvanize the political and strategic environment of Somalia in which stabilisation and peace-building can proceed.

• It supports the Federal Government of Somalia’s agenda of peace, security and nation-building and will help the country move towards free and fair elections in 2016.

• It is led by Nicholas Kay, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, and two Deputy Special Representatives.

• It consists of a number of sections including Political and Mediation Group, Rule of Law and Security Institutions Group, Human Rights, etc.

• Its headquarters is in the Somali capital Mogadishu. In addition, it has a liaison office in Nairobi, Kenya.

Pakistan, Iran signed 6 MoUs to

strengthen bilateral relations

27-MAR-2016

Pakistan and Iran on 25 March 2016 signed 6 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in health, commerce, finance and foreign services.

The MoUs were signed in Islamabad during Iranian President Dr Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Pakistan. This was the first visit by an Iranian head of state in 14 years to Pakistan and also the first visit after lifting of international sanctions on Iran.

Highlights of MoUs

1. MoU to enhance cooperation between Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy and Iran’s School of International Relations

2. MoU for cooperation and information exchange between the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and the Central Insurance of Iran

3. MoU on Five Year Strategic Trade Cooperation Plan: This is the key agreement among the 6 MoUs signed. It sets an ambitious target of 5 billion US dollars per annum bilateral trade in 5 years from the current 250 million US dollars.

4. MoU for cooperation on health research, training, medicine and medical technology

5. MoU on extending cooperation between the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture of Iran.

6. MoU on cooperation between the Institute for Political and International Studies of Iran and Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR) of Pakistan

Besides signing of the above agreements, Dr Hassan Rouhani and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional issues including opening new border crossings, possibilities of cooperation between Gwadar and Chabahar ports, export of electricity from Iran to Pakistan and counter terrorism cooperation.

Fortune released 2016 World's

Greatest Leaders list

27-MAR-2016

Fortune Magazine on 24 March 2016 released the World's Greatest Leaders list. This was the third annual list from the magazine and consists of leaders from a wide spectrum of activities – politics, business, religion, etc.

The leaders were chosen after a poll by the readers on the basis of how they inspire others to act.

While the list was topped by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal figured in the list at the 42nd position for his contributions towards curbing pollution in one of the most polluted cities in the world.

Key leaders figured in the list

Leader (Rank)	Position
Jeff Bezos (1)	CEO, Amazon
Angela Merkel (2)	Chancellor, Germany
Aung Saan Suu Kyi (3)	Leader, National League for Democracy
Pope Francis Pontiff (4)	Roman Catholic Church
Tim Cook (5)	CEO, Apple
Sheik Hasina (10)	Prime Minister, Bangladesh
Nikki Haley (17)	Governor, South Carolina
Reshma Saujani (20)	Founder & CEO, Girls Who Code
Maurizio Macri (26)	President, Argentina
Christine Lagarde (36)	Managing Director, IMF
Amina Mohammed (39)	Minister of Environment, Nigeria
Arvind Kejriwal (42)	Chief Minister, New Delhi
Justin Trudeau (48)	Prime Minister, Canada
Tshering Tobgay (50)	Prime Minister, Bhutan

Health Minister JP Nadda launched

Rotavirus vaccine as part of Universal

Immunization Programme

28-MAR-2016

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda on 26 March 2016 launched the rotavirus vaccine as part of the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) of the country.

The vaccine is being introduced initially in four states, which are Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha and will be expanded to the entire country in a phased manner.

The rotavirus vaccine was developed indigenously, under a public-private partnership by the Ministry of Science and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Apart from the rotavirus vaccine, three new vaccines are also being introduced as part of UIP including Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV),Measles, Rubella (MR) vaccine and Adult Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine.

With these new vaccines, India’s UIP will provide free vaccines against 12 life threatening diseases to 27 million children annually, the largest birth cohort in the world.

About Rotavirus

It is a most common causative agent of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea (MSD) among infants below 11 months age group in India. It spreads from person to person due to bacterial agents that are primarily transmitted through contaminated food or water.

In India, diarrhoea caused by rotavirus kills nearly 80 thousand children under the age of 5 years and lead to 10 lakh hospitalizations every year. India accounts for 22 percent of the global deaths that occurs due to diarrhoea-causing rotavirus.

About Universal Immunization

Programme

• Universal Immunization Programme is a vaccination program launched by the Government of India in 1985.

• It became a part of Child Survival and Safe Motherhood Programme in 1992 and is currently one of the key areas under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) since 2005.

Indian-American Nandita Bakhshi

named President, CEO of Bank of the

West

28-MAR-2016

Indian-American Nandita Bakhshi was appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of the West, a unit of French banking giant BNP Paribas. Her appointment was announced by the bank on 16 March 2016.

She will take over the roles of President and CEO-designate effective from 1 April 2016 and will assume the role on 1 June 2016.

Bakhshi succeeded Michael Shepherd who will take on the role of Chairman of BNP Paribas USA, the new holding company for all BNP Paribas subsidiaries in the US. Shepherd will continue to serve as Chairman of BancWest Corporation and of Bank of the West.

Nandita Bakshi earned a bachelor's degree in History at the University of Calcutta and masters in International Relations and Affairs at Jadavpur University.

A New England News 'Woman of the Year' award recipient, Bakhshi also serves on the board of the Consumer Bankers Association. She previously held several leadership roles at different top Banks in US like

• Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer Banking at TD Bank in the US

• Executive Vice President and Head of North American Direct Channels

• Executive Vice President of Consumer Deposits and Payments at Washington Mutual in Seattle, now JP Morgan Chase

• She also held leadership positions at FleetBoston, now Bank of America, as well as at First Data Corp., where she was the managing director of their mobile payments division

About Bank of the West

Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with 75.7 billion dollar in assets as of 31 December 2015. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 offices in 22 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with 185000 employees.

Indian-origin professor Surya Deva

appointed UN Adviser on Human

Rights and Businesses

28-MAR-2016

Indian-origin law professor, Surya Deva was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as an Adviser on human rights and multinationals and businesses.

Deva’s appointment to the position was approved on 24 March 2016 in Geneva by the UNHRC.

After the appointment, Deva will serve as a member of the four-member Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.

Who is Surya Deva?

• Surya Deva is an Associate Professor at the School of Law of City University of Hong Kong.

• His research interests lie in Business and Human Rights, Corporate Social Responsibility, India-China Constitutional Law and Sustainable Development.

• He recently wrote a background paper for India's National Framework on Business and Human Rights.

Hockey India Second Annual Awards

2015 conferred

28-MAR-2016

Hockey India on 26 March 2016 conferred the Hockey India 2nd Annual Awards 2015 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The Late Captain Shankar Laxman won the coveted Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award. P.R Sreejesh and Deepika won the Dhruv Batra Player of the Year Award for Men and Women respectively, at the awards ceremony.

List of the winners

Award	Winner
Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award	Late Shankar Laxman
Hockey India Dhruv Batra Award for Player of the Year (Men)	P.R Sreejesh
Hockey India Dhruv Batra Award for Player of the Year (Women)	Deepika
Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21)	Harjeet Singh
Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21)	Preeti Dubey
Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year	Savita
Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year	Kothajit Singh
Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award Midfielder of the Year	Ritu Rani
Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year	Rani
Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution	Baldev Singh
Hockey India President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement	Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy

Anything But Khamosh: The

Shatrughan Sinha Biography authored

by Bharathi S Pradhan

28-MAR-2016

Anything But Khamosh: The Shatrughan Sinha Biography: Bharathi S Pradhan

The book entitled Anything But Khamosh: The Shatrughan Sinha Biography was in news in the fourth week of March 2016. The book was authored by Bharathi S Pradhan.

The book describes film actor Shatrughan Sinha’s journey from Patna to Film Institute of India (now FTII) in Poona and his tryst with the celluloid in Mumbai.

This Pradhan’s work also traces Sinha’s political journey. In 2003, Sinha set a record as the first film star to be sworn-in as a Union Cabinet Minister.

He also held two portfolio - the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Jan 2003-May 2004) and the Ministry of shipping (August 2004) - during the NDA Government.

President’s Rule imposed in

Uttarakhand

28-MAR-2016

President Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on 27 March 2016 following the approval of the recommendation of the Union Cabinet by the President Pranab Mukherjee. The Cabinet recommended president rule in the state citing a constitutional breakdown.

President signed the proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation.

Under suspended animation, the legislative assembly though is not dissolved but the legislative power of the state is taken over by the parliament from the declaration of the president rule. An assembly remains in this state until further notice from the president.

Why Presidential Rule was imposed?

The need of presidential rule in the state arose after 9 congress legislators in leadership of former Chief Minister and leader of the rebel group Vijay Bahuguna rebelled against Harish Rawat government and pulled back their support to it. Due to this division the government lost majority in the house of 70 seats where it needs support of at least 36 legislators to run the government.

Meanwhile, under the Anti-Defection law, 1985 Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal disqualified the nine Congress MLAs whose rebellion and association with the BJP earlier this month had triggered the latest crisis.

Other causes for the decisions include

• Consideration of reports received from Governor KK Paul. The governor had described the political situation as volatile and expressed apprehensions over possible pandemonium during the scheduled trial of strength in the State Assembly on Monday.

• The release of video as part of a sting operation conducted against the Chief Minister in which he was found involved in horse trading by offering allurements like money for support.

President Pranab Mukherjee conferred

Padma awards 2016 on 56 awardees

28-MAR-2016

President Pranab Mukherjee on 28 March 2016 conferred Padma Awards 2016 on 56 eminent personalities at the Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

The President presented five Padma Vibhushan, eight Padma Bhushan and 43 Padma Shri awards at the function.

The Union Government announced Padma awards 2016 for 112 eminent persons on 26 January 2016. Out of them 56 received the awards while the rest including superstar Rajinikanth, actor Priyanka Chopra and tennis star Sania Mirza, will be given the honour at a separate function to be held in April 2016.

List of recipients:

Padma Vibhushan

• Founder of Reliance Industries late Dhirubhai Hirachand Ambani (posthumous)

• Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan

• Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

• Indian-American economist Avinash Kamalakar Dixit

• Renowned dancer Yamini Krishnamurti

Padma Bhushan

• Actor Anupam Pushkarnath Kher

• Badminton star Saina Nehwal

• Former CAG Vinod Rai

• Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry

• Hafeez Sorab Contractor

• Barjinder Singh Hamdard

• Alla Venkata Rama Rao

• Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy

Padma Shri

Some the prominent personalities among the 43 awardees include:

• Actor Ajay Devgn

• Filmmaker Madhur R Bhandarkar

• Scientist Dr Mylswamy Annadurai

• Athlete Deepika Kumari

• Celebrated chef Mohammed Imtiaz Qureshi

World Theatre Day 2016 observed

globally

28-MAR-2016

27 March: World Theatre Day

The International Theatre Institute (ITI) Centres and the international theatre community across the world celebrated the World Theatre Day (WTD) on 27 March 2016.

The Russian Dramatist Anatoly Vasiliev was the World Theatre Day International Message Author 2016. Vasiliev is a noted Russian theatre director and one of the leading European contemporary stage directors.

World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the ITI. Various national and international theatre events are also organized to mark the occasion. One of the most important of these is the circulation of the World Theatre Day International Message through which, at the invitation of ITI, a figure of world stature shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace. The first World Theatre Day International Message was written by Jean Cocteau (France) in 1962.

At the 9th World Congress of the ITI in June 1961, President Arvi Kivimaa, on behalf of the Finnish Centre of the ATI, proposed that a World Theatre Day be instituted. The proposal, backed by the Scandinavian centres, was carried with acclamation.

Krzysztof Warlikowski was the International Message Author of the World Theatre Day 2015.

About International Theatre Institute

• The International Theatre Institute was created by theatre and dance experts, with the assistance of UNESCO, in 1948.

• It has developed into the largest organization for the performing arts with over 100 Centres and Cooperating all over the world.

• ITI organizes the International Dance Day and World Theatre Day every year at the UNESCO, Paris.

Mizoram, JICA signed MoU on Capacity

Enhancement on Sustainable

Agriculture and Irrigation

Development

28-MAR-2016

The Government of Mizoram and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on 24 March 2016 signed a MoU on Capacity Enhancement on Sustainable Agriculture and Irrigation Development in the State.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of State Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma and Satoru Fujita, Team Leader and Deputy Director, Rural Development Department, JICA.

Features of the MoU

• As part of the MoU, JICA will undertake technical cooperation project in 4 rural develop blocks in Aizawl, Kolasib, Serchhip and Champhai districts.

• It is primarily a technical cooperation project under which training programmes on sustainable agriculture and irrigation development

• The training programmes will take place for three times between October 2016 and September 2021 in Japan.

• The entire project will be based on a development study that was conducted by JICA between 2013 and 2015, under which a 20-year master plan was prepared

• All the expenses for training will be borne by the Japanese Government.

Himachal Pradesh government

released Sixth Economic Census report

28-MAR-2016

Sixth Economic Census of Himachal Pradesh was released on 27 March 2016 by Pradeep Chauhan, the Economic Advisor of Himachal Government.

Despite the difficult geographical conditions, Himachal Pradesh became the first state in the country to complete this process of economic census.

Highlights of the census

• Growth rate in number of establishments has been recorded nearly 60 percent more in comparison to fifth census held in 2005.

• The unemployed youth of the state are adopting retail trade, construction, tourism and transport related activities for employment.

• The numbers of female workers have been increased almost three times during past seven years and more than 49 thousand units are being run by female, out of four lakh twelve thousand units.

• The handicraft and handloom units were included first time in the census and total 12172 such units were recorded.

The census was conducted in all the 12 districts of the state. More than 12 thousand trained employees completed this economic census operation.

63rd National Film Awards announced

28-MAR-2016

The 63rd National Film Awards were announced on 28 March 2016.

The awards will be presented by Directorate of Film Festivals of India to honour the best films of 2015 in the Indian cinema. The award ceremony will be held on 3 May 2016.

Complete list of winners

Award	Winner
Best Feature Film	Baahubali: The Beginning
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film Of A Director	Neeraj Ghaywan for Masaan
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment	Bajrangi Bhaijaan
Best Children's Film	Duronto
Best Direction	Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Bajirao Mastani
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration	Nanak Shah Fakir
Best Film on Environment / Conservation / Preservation	Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal
Best Film on Social Issue	Niranayakam
Best Actor	Amitabh Bachchan for Piku
Best Actress	Kangana Ranaut for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Best Supporting Actor	Samuthirakani for Visaranai
Best Supporting Actress	Tanvi Azmi for Bajirao Mastani
Best Child Artist	Gaurav Menon for Ben
Best Male Playback Singer	Mahesh Kale for Katyar Kaljat Ghusali
Best Female Playback Singer	Monali Thakur for Moh Moh Ke Dhaag (Dum Laga Ke Haisha)
Best Cinematography	Sudeep Chatterjee for Bajirao Mastani
Best Screenplay (Screenplay Writer Original)	Juhi Chaturvedi for Piku and Himanshu Sharma for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Best Screenplay (Screenplay Writer Adapted)	Vishal Bhardwaj for Talvar
Best Screenplay (Dialogues)	Juhi Chaturvedi for Piku and Himanshu Sharma for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Best Editing	Kishore Te for Visaranai
Best Music Direction (Songs)	M. Jayachandran for Kathirunnu (Ennu Ninte Moideen)
Best Music Direction (Background Score)	Ilaiyaraaja for Tharai Thappattai
Best Lyrics	Varun Grover for Moh Moh Ke Dhaag (Dum Laga Ke Haisha)
Special Jury Award	Kalki Koechlin for Margarita with a Straw
Best Special Effects	Baahubali : The Beginning
Best Choreography	Remo D'Souza for Deewani Mastani (Bajirao Mastani)
Best Animated Film	Fisherwoman Tuktuk
Best Art Direction	Shriram Iyengar, Saloni Dhatrak and Sujeet Sawant for Bajirao Mastani
Best Costume Design	Payal Saluja for Nanak Shah Fakir
Best Make-up Artist	Preetisheel G. Singh and Clover Wootton for Nanak Shah Fakir
Special Mention	Ritika Singh for Irudhi Suttru
Best Hindi Film	Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Best Tamil Film	Visaaranai
Best Telugu Film	Kanche
Best Sanskrit Film	Priyamanasam
Best Kannada Film	Thithi
Best Marathi Film	Ringan
Best Maithili Film	Mithila Makhaan
Best Punjabi Film	Chauthi Koot
Best Bengali Film	Sankhachil
Best Konkani Film	Enemy
Best Assamese Film	Kothanodi
Best Haryanvi Film	Satrangi
Best Khasi Film	Onaatah
Best Manipuri Film	Eibusu Yaohanbiyu
Best Mizo Film	Kima’s Lode Beyond the Class
Best Odiya Film	Pahada Ra Luha
Best Malayalam Film	Pathemari

World Bank approved $250 million

loan to Support Electricity Distribution

Sector Reforms in Rajasthan

28-MAR-2016

The World Bank Board on 25 March 2016 approved a 250 million US dollar Development Policy Loan (DPL) for Rajasthan. The loan was granted to support the government of Rajasthan in improving the performance of its electricity distribution sector under the State’s 24x7 Power for All program.

The First Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform Development Policy Loan for Rajasthan will be the first in a series of two operations for a comprehensive turnaround of Rajasthan’s electricity distribution sector.

The key areas that the operation will support

• Strengthening governance in the distribution sector in the state by giving more operational autonomy to the utilities

• Establishing targets for reducing the gap between the cost of supply and revenue recovery

• Providing incentives to employees for improving performance

• Financial restructuring and recovery in the sector through transferring considerable amount of the debt of the DISCOMs to the state

• Bringing in more discipline in DISCOMs submissions to regulatory commission towards revenue requirements and initiatives towards reducing the costs of energy procurement

• Improving the operational performance of the DISCOMs

The loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 18 years.

Steps taken by Rajasthan Government

in Electricity Distribution Sector

Reforms

• Rajasthan Government has issued and notified the Electricity Distribution Management Responsibility Ordinance (the first of its kind for any Indian state). The ordinance provides for financial restructuring, long-term planning, corporate governance, regulatory compliance and policy directives.

• It has decided to lay out clear performance targets with the management of the DISCOMS for better accountability in the sector for which annual Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) will be signed between the state government and each of the three DISCOMs.

• The DISCOMs have developed their Employee Performance Incentive Schemes that provides for a financial incentive to employees based on their performance in reducing Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses in their respective sub-divisions.

• The state and the DISCOMs have entered into tripartite MoUs with Union Government for the implementation of the UDAY program.

• The state has also set up the Rajasthan Energy Development Corporation Ltd, a company expected to optimize power purchases on behalf of DISCOMS.

• To reduce distribution losses, several measures have been undertaken like smart and pre-paid metering, regular energy audits, unified billing system, increased usage of IT systems and effective employee engagement.

Mint can help fight cancer: CIMAP

Researchers

28-MAR-2016

Researchers at CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) Lucknow discovered that mint plant has medicinal values that can cure cancer.

As per their research, a compound called L-Menthol derived from Mentha plant, commonly known as mint, can also be used in anti-cancer drugs.

The research was published in international journal, OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology.

Key highlights of the research

• L-Menthol compound can kill the colon cancer cell line without affecting the normal cell line.

• Mentha compound inhibits the division of cancer cell and prevent its growth and spread to other organs of the body.

• Production of L-menthol is cost-effective, non-destructive and easily available in comparison to anti-cancer compound used at present obtained from the bark of European Yew tree.

• The Mentha is available in abundance across the world. While the European Yew tree is found only in Europe and some parts of Africa and Asia.

• Menthol can be derived easily without damaging the plant. On the other hand, the European Yew tree has to be cut down for using bark for deriving anti-cancer compound.

• The discovery can be very useful for farmers in India where Mentha is grown in large quantity.

Syrian Army recaptured historic city of

Palmyra from Islamic State

28-MAR-2016

Palmyra: An ancient Semitic World Heritage Site located in Homs Governorate, Syria

Palmyra was in news on 26 March 2016 as the Syrian Army recaptured the historic city from Islamic State (IS) terror group.

The city was captured by the IS in May 2015 and since then the Army of Syria fought for its control with the support of national aviation and Russian Aerospace Forces.

The loss of Palmyra represents one of the biggest setbacks for the Islamic State that declared a caliphate in 2014 across large parts of Syria and Iraq.

About Palmyra

• Palmyra, also known as the Pearl of Desert and Tadmur, is an oasis in the Syrian Desert.

• It is located 215 km to the northeast of the Syrian capital Damascus and was a World Heritage Site because of its architecture.

• The art and architecture of Palmyra dates back to 1st to the 2nd century AD and were built in Graeco-Roman style with local traditions and Persian influences.

• It was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world standing at the crossroads of several civilizations.

• A grand, colonnaded street of 1100 metres length forms the monumental axis of the city, which together with secondary colonnaded cross streets links the major public monuments of the city.

• Some of the important monuments include the Temple of Ba'al, Diocletian's Camp, the Agora, Theatre, other temples and urban quarters.

• The site was designated a national monument by Syrian government and was protected by the National Antiquities law 222 as amended in 1999.

• A buffer zone was established in 2007 but has not yet been submitted to the World Heritage Committee.

World Bank approved $100 million

loan to Jordan for creating jobs for

Jordanians, Syrian refugees

28-MAR-2016

The World Bank on 27 March 2016 agreed to provide concessional 100 million US dollar loan to Jordan for creating one lakh jobs for Jordanians and Syrian refugees. The loan will be provided at rates usually reserved for the poorest countries.

The announcement was made by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim during a joint visit of Kim and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Jordan.

Usability of the Loan

• The long-term loan is part of an attempt by the international community to improve conditions for refugees in overburdened host countries Jordan and Lebanon.

• More than 4.8 million Syrians have fled their country since the start of the Syria conflict in 2011. Jordan hosts about 640000 registered Syrian refugees and Lebanon more than one million.

• The financing will be used to develop and strengthen existing special economic zones to attract international and domestic investments. Additional details of the job-creation plans will be announced in coming months.
The concessional loan was announced three days after Lebanon was also awarded 100 million US dollar to ensure universal school enrolment for Lebanese and Syrian refugee children by 2017.

The concessional loan is a part of World Bank Group’s strategy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to promote peace and stability as the necessary conditions for development. The strategy is aimed at focusing directly on the causes of conflict, while helping countries address its consequences and to recover and rebuild. The new strategy is built on four main pillars:

• Restore trust between citizens and their governments with greater accountability and improved services

• Promote increased regional cooperation around the shared priorities of education, energy and water

• Support countries and communities hosting large numbers of refugees, to strengthen their resilience

• Prepare for reconstruction whenever and wherever peace emerges

To raise the volume of financing needed to implement the new strategy, and to rally the international community around the common goal of promoting peace and stability in the region, the World Bank Group has partnered with the United Nations and the Islamic Development Bank Group.

Haryana cabinet approved draft bill on

reservation to Jats and four other

castes

28-MAR-2016

Haryana cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on 28 March 2016 approved the draft bill on reservation to Jats and four other castes in government jobs and educational institutions.

The BJP led government assured that the bill would be tabled in the ongoing Budget session of the state Assembly which is scheduled to continue till 31 March 2016.

The Bill proposes reservation for Jats and four other castes Jat Sikhs, Rors, Bishnois and Tyagis by creating a new classification in the Backward Classes category.

The government plans to provide 10 per cent reservation in educational institutions and Class-III and IV government jobs for these communities.

It has proposed 6 per cent reservation for Jats and the four other castes in Class-I and Class-II jobs.

Apart from giving reservation to Jats, Haryana government has also proposed to bring a separate Bill for the setting up of a permanent Haryana Backward Classes Commission.

Background

Jat leaders have been demanding reservation in the existing Backward Classes (BC) category. The BC quota is bifurcated into two BC-A and BC-B having 16 and 11 per cent reservation, respectively.

They launched a stir demanding reservation in BC category in February 2016. The agitation had taken a violent turn and left 30 people dead and 320 persons injured and resulted in huge damage to property.

UNEP released Global Trends in

Renewable Energy Investment 2016

28-MAR-2016

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the fourth week of March 2016 released the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2016.

The report, which was prepared by the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate and Sustainable Energy Finance and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, assessed investment trends in the renewable energy sector across the world in 2015.

As per the report, all investments in renewables totalled 286 billion US dollars in 2015, some 3 percent higher than the previous record in 2011.

Coal and gas-fired electricity generation drew less than half the record investment made in solar, wind and other renewables capacity.

The report further revealed that within the developing-economy category, the “big three” of China, India and Brazil saw investment rise 16 percent to 120.2 billion US dollars in 2015.

Highlights of the report

• 2015 produced a new record for global investment in renewable energy. The amount of money committed to renewables excluding large hydro-electric projects rose 5 percent to 285.9 billion US dollars, exceeding the previous record of 278.5 billion US dollars achieved in 2011.

• Global investment in renewable power capacity at 265.8 billion US dollars was more than double dollar allocations to new coal and gas generation, which was an estimated 130 billion US dollars in 2015.

• The huge weight of conventional generation capacity already built meant that new, clean technologies only accounted for just over 10 percent of world electricity in 2015. However, this did prevent the emission of some 1.5 gigatonnes of CO2 in 2015.

• The year 2015 was also notable as the first in which investment in renewables excluding large hydro in developing countries outweighed that in developed economies.

• The developing world including China, India and Brazil committed a total of 156 billion US dollars, up 19 percent on 2014, while developed countries invested 130 billion US dollars, down 8 percent.

• A large element in this turnaround was China, which lifted its investment by 17 percent to 102.9 billion US dollars, or 36 percent of the world total. Next to China, the USA was a distant second, with 44.1 billion US dollars in 2015 or up by 19 percent compared to 2014.

• India saw its commitments rise 22 percent to 10.2 billion US dollars in 2015.

• Renewable generation costs continue to fall, particularly in solar photovoltaics. In the second half of 2015, the global average levelised cost of electricity for crystalline silicon PV was 122 US dollar per MWh, down from 143 US dollar in the same period in 2014.

Gujarat government decided to set up

first organic farming university of

India

28-MAR-2016

Gujarat government on 27 March 2016 decided to set up country’s first university focusing on organic farming. Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel made the announcement and called the farmers to switch to organic farming and its ways from conventional method of farming.

The state government is committed to promote organic farming and allocated a fund of 10 crore rupees towards the university in its 2016-17 annual budget. It also took steps like setting up of a cell to implement its new organic farming policy.

The location of the university is yet to be decided and also expected to be chosen near to agriculture Kamdhenu University in Gandhinagar district.

The university will exclusively focus on organic farming and research. Gujarat is most suited for organic farming as a significant portion of agricultural land in the state is rainfed.

What is organic farming?

Organic farming system in India is not new and is being followed from ancient time.

It is a method of farming system which primarily aimed at cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way, as to keep the soil alive and in good health

It will use organic wastes (crop, animal and farm wastes, aquatic wastes) and other biological materials along with beneficial microbes (biofertilizers) to release nutrients to crops for increased sustainable production in an eco friendly pollution free environment.

CAG report can’t be sole basis for any

liability or prosecution: Karnataka HC

28-MAR-2016

The Karnataka High Court on 24 March 2016 ruled that the report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) cannot be the sole basis for any liability being caused or for prosecution to be launched.

The verdict was delivered by a Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice Ravi Malimath.

The bench termed that the action of the State-owned KPCL in recovering 52.37 crore rupees from EMTA Coal Ltd. and Karnataka EMTA Coal Mines Ltd was illegal as it is solely based on a CAG report.

The bench further ruled that the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the basis of a CAG report cannot provide legal basis for Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) for proceeding against the two companies.

To substantiate its judgment, the bench cited the Supreme Court’s verdict in Arun Kumar Agarwal Vs Union of India case.

In the 2013 case, the SC ruled that reliefs cannot be granted merely based on CAG reports as they are subject to parliamentary debates and scrutiny before being accepted or rejected.

Background

• The Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) was allotted certain coal mines by the Union government for captive consumption of coal in its thermal power projects in Karnataka.

• To this end, the KPCL, in 2002, selected EMTA Coal Ltd. for the formation of a joint venture for development of captive mines and supply of coal from them.

• The CAG, in its report in March 2013, observed that the KPCL paid 52.37 crore rupees in excess to Kolkata-based EMTA Coal Ltd. and Karnataka EMTA Coal Mines Ltd.

• The excess payments was due to the fact that the payment was made without deducting the price for 8.28 lakh tonnes of coal rejects out of the total production of coal from one of the KPCL’s open-cast mines during 2008–12.

• Based on the CAG’s report, the CBI registered a criminal case against unknown officials of KPCL, EMTA and KEMTA for causing loss.

• Stating the CAG report as an evidence for excess payments, the KPCL issued notices to the two companies in July and December 2014 and March 2015 demanding for payback of the amount.

• Against these notices, the EMTA and Karnataka EMTA approached the high court for redressal.

About CAG

• The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) was established under the Article 148 of the Constitution.

• It is primarily responsible for auditing all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government.

• It is an independent body in the sense that it submits its reports directly to the Parliament.

• Its reports are taken into consideration by the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs), which are special committees in the Parliament of India and the state legislatures.