29-30 Sept 2015 Eng

Meghalaya Governor Shanmuganathan got additional charge of Governor of Manipur

Governor of Meghalaya V. Shanmuganathan was appointed as the Governor of Manipur by the President Pranab Mukherjee on 28 September 2015. He was given the additional duties of Manipur after the demise of incumbent Dr. Syed Ahmed Khan.
He will discharge the functions of the Governor of Manipur, in addition to his own duties, until regular arrangements are made.

64-year-old Shanmuganathan, who joined BJP in 2003, was appointed as Governor of Meghalaya on 20 May 2015. 
Ahmed, a former congress leader from Maharashtra, was appointed as the Governor of Manipur on 16 May 2015. He was shifted to the north-eastern State from Jharkhand, where he was holding the post of Governor from August 2011 when the UPA Government was in power at the Centre.
According to article 153, there shall be a Governor for each State but the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act 1956 facilitated the appointment of same person as governor for two or more states.

Union Ministry of Tourism launched new initiatives on World Tourism Day

The Union Ministry of Tourism on 27 September 2015 launched several new initiatives to augment tourism related infrastructure and manpower in the country.

The initiatives were launched in New Delhi to mark the World Tourism Day.

The details of some of the new initiatives launched are

Medical and Wellness Tourism Board

• It has been formed to tap the potential and advantages that India has in the field of medical and wellness tourism. 
• It will be chaired by the Union Tourism Minister.
• Besides the chairman, it will have members representing the related Government Departments, Tourism & Hospitality sector and experts in the Medical, Wellness and Yoga. 
• It will be established with an initial corpus of 2 crore rupees.
• Along with regular medical facilities, the AYUSH facilities will be promoted by the board.

Tourism Vision Document 2030

• It goes into the challenges for the sector and details the way towards Vision 2030. It has been commissioned by the Experience India Society and prepared by KPMG. 
• Ashok Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management (AIH & TM) – Centre of Excellence:
• It will supply trained manpower to the Hospitality Industry and tourism industry.
• It is part of the HRD division of India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.,(ITDC) a PSU under Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.
• It provides the students with a world class contemporary education to have an edge over others in the field. 
• The courses offered will be a blend of the rich heritage and culture of India and hospitality management education system. 
• It will be operated from Hotel Samrat in New Delhi.

Ministry of Railways launched Indian Railway Knowledge Portal

Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 28 September 2015 launched Indian Railway Knowledge Portal for dissemination of detailed information on Indian Railways.

It is an initiative of the National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR) which allows the user to access most of the available knowledge about Indian Railways at one location due to linkage of websites, documents and much more.

The portal was launched through video-conferencing established between Ministry of Railways, Rail Bhawan and NAIR Headquarters at Vadodara.

The portal has made it easier for users to access information about Indian Railways, Railway Research and Development, use of ICT in Indian Railways, major International Railway Journals, existing Indian Railway Libraries and World Railways from a single web page.

Indian Railway Knowledge Portal also provides e-access to existing libraries of Railways. Also, National Informatics Centre (NIC) has clustered all the libraries to a single interface via e-Granthalaya. Besides, information regarding fan clubs, heritage, and rail museums across the world can also be accessed from the portal.

Boat with 200 onboard capsized in River Koholi in Kamrup district of Assam

River Koholi: Situated in Kamrup district of Assam
A mechanised boat capsized in River Koholi in Assam’s Kamrup district on 28 September 2015. The overcrowded boat that was carrying nearly 200 people capsized after its engine failed from functioning in the middle of the river and hit against the post of a bridge.

The boat was heading from Chaygaon to Champupara to attend a boat race. Till now, about 30 people were missing, while no casualties were reported. 
The local residents have begun rescue operations and NDRF and SDRF personnel have rushed to the spot.

World Heart Day 2015 celebrated with theme creating heart-healthy environments

29 September: World Heart Day

The World Heart Day was celebrated on 29 September 2015 across the world with creating heart-healthy environments.

The purpose of the day is to ensure people participation across the globe in the world’s biggest intervention against cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The theme creating heart-healthy environments is chosen to remind the fact that 80 percent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke are avoidable.

Hence, creating heart-healthy environments is the key to curtail the menace across the world.

World Heart Day in India

On the occasion of the World Heart Day, health workers and NGO activists conducted many awareness campaigns across the country to spread awareness about CVD.

As per a recent report of Cardiology Society of India (CSI), CVD accounted for around 30 percent for all deaths in the country in 2014.

Further, more than one-third of Indian adults have hypertension, of which 60 per cent people are not even aware that they suffer from the condition.

At present hypertension is the biggest killer in the country.

Background

World Heart Day was founded in 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading causes of death, claiming 17.3 million lives annually.

At the global level, the World Heart Federation (WHF) promotes observation of the day.

WHF is a Geneva-based non-governmental agency committed to fight heart related health risks across the world.

India signed 123.51 Million US dollar Loan Agreement with Asian Development Bank

India on 28 September 2015 signed a 123.51 million US dollar loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to upgrade tourism infrastructure and services in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

The agreement was signed by M Teresa Kho, Country Director for ADB in India and Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic Affairs, Union Ministry of Finance.
The loan will be used for development and conservation of the places of tourist attractions. It will also be used to improve basic tourism facilities and to build the capacity of sector agencies and local communities in the States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. 
It will also support conservation of important heritage structures including some century-old structures, new facilities including centers for arts and crafts in the three states. Eco-parks and eco-tourism will also be developed to help the states attract more tourists. 
Moreover, to improve income opportunities for the local communities, more than 4000 community members will be trained in tourism-related skills such as guides, crafts, and other recreational activities. And at least 30 community-based societies will be made operational to manage heritage sites.
This is the third tranche loan agreement and it is a part of the 250 million US dollar multi-tranche financing facility named Infrastructure Development Investment Program for Tourism that was approved by ADB in 2010.

Indo-British van driver Dee Patel honoured with Pride of Britain Award

Prince Charles of Britain on 28 September 2015 awarded Indo-British van driver Dee Patel with the Pride of Britain Award. Patel had risked his life to save others.

Daily Mirror newspaper organised a ceremony at the Governor House in London where Patel was given the award in the outstanding bravery category.

When Patel set off for his routine job on 18 May 2005, he noticed a car ahead of him that was dangerously out of control on the M25 motorway.  Soon, he realised that the driver of the car, a young woman, slumped unconscious over the steering wheel. It was when Patel, without wasting any time, came for the rescue of the woman.

About Pride of Britain Awards

The Pride of Britain Awards was founded by Peter Willis in 1999. It is an annual award ceremony which takes place in the United Kingdom. The award is given to British people who have shown immense bravery in the hours of crisis.

The winners for the awards are chosen by a panel of distinguished judges. The awards are organised in association with the Daily Mirror, Lidl, Good Morning Britain and The Prince’s Trust.

NLC set up its first 10 MW solar power plant

Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) on 28 September 2015 set up its first 10 MW solar power plant at Neyveli. It is the first renewable energy project of the corporation.

The plant spread on 54 acres was installed by the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) at a cost of 74.60 crore rupees.

There are 48000 Solar Photo Voltaic Modules in the plant. Each module has the capacity to generate 240 MW power. The plant would evacuate power through the 33-KV power station located in Neyveli. The entire power would be fed to the sole beneficiary, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company (Tangedco).

During the trial run period, the plant generated 8.65 lakh units of electricity.

Union Ministry of Road Transport launched Green Highways Policy, 2015

Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari on 29 September 2015 launched Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy, 2015.

The policy that seeks to promote green covers along National Highway corridors was launched at the National Conference in New Delhi.

Main Highlights

• The Green Highway Policy will make it compulsory for road developers to set aside 1 percent of the Total Project Cost (TPC) for Highway Plantation and Maintenance.

• The policy seeks participation from the various segments of community including farmers, private sectors, government institutions and NGOs.

• The scheme will supposedly spend 1000 crore rupees for trees plantation along National Highways in the fiscal year 2015-16.

• Once implemented, the scheme will help in creating huge employment opportunities and entrepreneurship development.

• Besides, the policy will also help in cutting down the carbon footprints and hugely benefit the environment.

Green Highway Fund

• The policy calls for creation of fund account called Green Highways Fund (GHF) for developing green covers along the NH corridors.

• The GHF will be created from the fund collected through 1 percent of the TPC contributed by the developers.

• NHAI will act only as a Fund Manager for maintaining the Account and releasing payments

Background

The policy is the revised version of the Circular dated 20 May 1976 that called for maintenance of trees and plantation of new ones on existing roads to be done from funds allocated for maintenance and repair of National Highways.

The Circular was updated on 26 November 1996 thereby permitting public sector corporations/reputed private companies/voluntary organizations to develop & maintain tree plantation.

Wipro selected as member of Dow Jones Sustainability World Index

A leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, Wipro Limited on 28 September 2015 was selected as member of the global Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) - 2015 for the sixth consecutive year.

A total of 317 companies were selected as the DJSI World constituents for the year 2015-16 out of 1845 companies that were assessed from around the world. A total of 76 companies participated globally in the IT Services of which 8 have been selected for the World Index.

Wipro is a member of DJSI World and Emerging Markets Indices.

About Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI)

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) was launched in September 1999. DJSI evaluates the sustainability performance of the largest 2500 companies listed on the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index.

The DJSI World has two subset indexes, which are the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World 80 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World ex US 80.

1st Indo-Africa ICT Expo launched in Nairobi

Indian Government in conjunction with ICT Authority of Kenya, India’s Telecom Export Promotion Council (TEPC) and National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) on 28 September 2015 launched the 1st Indo-Africa ICT Expo in KICC, Nairobi.

There are over 100 technology companies who are showing their latest products and solutions at the Indo-Africa ICT Expo cum Conference.
This event was attended by over 2000 visitors and over 300 conference delegates. This Expo is considered as a platform to build synergy among India & African countries to showcase innovative & diversified products & services.
About TEPC
TEPC was set up by the Union Government to promote and develop export of Telecom Equipment and Services. 
TEPC as a Council plays a critical role in furtherance of Telecom export from India and assist Indian member companies in easy facilitation of their respective exports. 
The Council caters to the complete Telecom Ecosystem including Telecom Hardware Manufacturing, Telecom Service Provision, Telecom Software, and Consultancy. 

ICT Authority of Kenya
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Authority is a State Corporation under the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology of Kenya. 
The corporation was established in August 2013 to rationalise and streamline the management of all Government of Kenya ICT functions

China’s Didi Kuaidi joined hands with Ola to compete Uber in India

China’s largest taxi-hailing company, Didi Kuaidi Joint Co. on 28 September 2015 announced that it has invested in Ola to fight their common competitor, Uber Technologies Inc. However, the amount of investment was not disclosed by either of the companies.

For some time, Ola has been in talks with investors to raise over 500 million US dollars. The company even fetched an investment of 400 million US dollars from a clutch of investors led by DST Global in April 2015.

Didi’s investment in Ola will help the Indian taxi-aggregator to spread its roots in small cities, which will give it an upper hand over US-based Uber and home-grown Meru Cabs.

In February 2015, China’s two leading taxi-hailing apps, Didi Dache andKuaidi Dache announced their merger to create one of the world's largest smartphone-based transport services company Didi Kuaidi.

Reliance signed strategic pact with EDIC to manufacture defence equipment

Reliance Defence Limited (RDL) on 28 September 2015 signed a strategic pact with UAE’s Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC) for collaboration in Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) category.

As per the agreement, both the companies will discover the prospect for manufacturing and building capabilities in defence vehicles, aviation and associated areas, defence equipment and armament manufacturing, defence electronics, commercial and naval ships.

The aim of the pact is to create synergy to bring down operational costs and leverage each other’s capabilities.

About RDL

Reliance Defence Limited was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure Limited (RIL).  RDL has 11 subsidiaries in niche segments of the sector.

About EDIC

Emirates Defence Industries Company is UAE’s premier integrated national defence services and manufacturing giant. The company aims at providing world-class facilities, technology and support services.

Delhi HC admitted plea challenging validity of Article 370 of Constitution of India

The High Court of Delhi on 28 September 2015 agreed to hear a PIL that challenges the constitutional validity of Article 370 of the Constitution of India that deals with the special status of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).
The PIL was filed by a 22-year old girl Kumari Vijayalakshmi Jha and it was agreed to be heard by a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath who posted the hearing on the matter for 19 October 2015.

In her plea, she challenged the constitutional validity of Article 370 on the grounds that it was a temporary provision or interim arrangement until a separate Constitution for J&K was framed by the State Constituent Assembly. With the dissolution of the State’s Constituent Assembly on 26 January 1957, the Article 370 also lapsed. Constituent Assembly of J&K was constituted in October 1951 for framing the J&K Constitution.
She further argued that continuation of the temporary provision of Article 370 and continuation of J&K Constitution, which never got the assent/approval of President of India or Parliament or Government of India, even after dissolution of Constituent Assembly of J&K, amounts to fraud on the basic structure of our Constitution as it is against the sovereignty, integrity, unity of the nation, sovereignty of Parliament etc.
Earlier in July 2015 J&K High Court had ruled that the status of Article 370 cannot be altered and in July 2014, Supreme Court of India had dismissed a plea that challenged the special status granted to J&K under Article 370 of the Constitution and asked them to move to the J&K High Court.

Article 370 of the Constitution of India provides special autonomous status to state of Jammu and Kashmir. The article is drafted in Part XXXI of the Constitution, which relates to Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions.

Maharashtra Government declared 2017 as Visit Maharashtra Year

The Maharashtra government on 28 September 2015 declared the year 2017 as the Visit Maharashtra Yearto promote tourism in the state and thus to attract more tourists. The government also launched international tourism promotion project Maharashtra International Travel Mart 2015 (MITM).

For attracting more tourists, the ministry of tourism of Maharashtra planned a lot of new initiatives to put Maharashtra on the global tourism map. One such initiative is an international Buddhist Conclave, which will be a B2B exhibition and will be held in March 2016. 
About Maharashtra International Travel Mart (MITM) 2015
MITM is a flagship global tourism promotion platform conceived by the state's Tourism department to attract buyers and sellers of tourism industry from across the globe to explore common growth opportunities in tourism in the state.
This first ever MITM will take state's tourism growth story on the global level. Tourism in the state will be developed through a transparent public-private-partnership (PPP) model along with an integrated tourism development plan for coastal tourism.

NGT issued notice to Union Government on plea seeking stay on Lakhwar HEP

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 28 September 2015 sought response from the Union Government on a plea that challenged the construction of the 300 MW Lakhwar multi-purpose project being built by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL). 
The bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued a notice to Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Water Resources and UJVNL. The notice was issued on a plea of members of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan. 
The members of the petition namely Bhim Singh Rawat and Manoj Kumar Misra in their plea sought stay on construction of 204 meter high concrete dam with a 40 kilometer reservoir on river Yamuna near Lohari village in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand.

According to the plea, the Lakhwar project, which was part of the composite Lakhwar-Vyasi project, did not get any Environment Clearance (EC) from the Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC). 
They further argued that there was no evaluation of the project in terms of its environmental costs and impacts, as required under the EIA Notification.

Lakhwar Hydro-Electricity Project (HEP) Issue
Lakhwar Project was initially developed as part of the composite project called Lakhwar-Vyasi project. The composite project got the administrative approval from MoEF in 1986.
Subsequently, the two projects were bifurcated and sought to be developed separately. As a result, the Vyasi HEP, a 2x60 MW run-of-the-river hydroelectric project downstream of Lakhwar HEP, was appraised in accordance with the EIA Notification and granted EC in 2007.
However, the Lakhwar Project was not given any EC by the EAC as it did not satisfied the EIA notification.
About Lakhwar project
The 300-MW Lakhwar project, a gravity dam located in the Upper Yamuna River Basin in Dehradun district received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on 3 February 2014. It will produce 612.93 Million Units of electricity every year and will also provide water for other purposes like driniking, irrigation and industrial usage. 
The states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Himachal Pradesh will benefit from the drinking water and water for irrigation produced by the project.
It received clearance for development in 1986 under the Uttar Pradesh’s Irrigation Department and was developed till 1992 and dropped due to financial crunch. Later, it was transferred to the UJVNL. 
The cost of the Lakhwar project is almost 4000 crore rupees and its completion is expected by the year 2019.

Strong Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars: NASA

New findings from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)provide a strong evidence that liquid water flows intermittently on the present-day Mars. The findings were published in the journal Nature Geoscience on 28 September 2015.

The researchers detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious streaks are seen on the Red Planet using an imaging spectrometer on MRO. 
These darkish streaks appear to fade and flow over time. They darken and appear to flow down steep slopes during warm seasons, and then fade in cooler seasons. They appear in several locations on Mars when temperatures are above minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit and disappear at colder times.
These downhill flows known as Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL),often have been described as possibly related to liquid water. 
Garni crater on Mars
Dark narrow streaks called Recurring Slope Lineae originate out of the walls of Garni crater on Mars. The dark streaks here are up to few hundred meters in length. They are hypothesized to be formed by flow of briny liquid water on Mars. 
The detection of hydrated salts on these slopes means that water plays a vital role in the formation of these streaks. The spectrometer observations show signatures of hydrated salts at multiple RSL locations, but only when the dark features were relatively wide. 
When the researchers looked at the same locations and RSL weren't as extensive, they detected no hydrated salt.  The MRO's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) observations now have documented RSL at dozens of sites on Mars.

The scientists interpret that the spectral signatures were caused by hydrated minerals called perchlorates. The hydrated salts most consistent with the chemical signatures are likely a mixture of magnesium perchlorate, magnesium chlorate and sodium perchlorate. 
Perchlorates have previously been seen on Mars.

Conclusion
There is a strong evidence for hydrated salts at all four locations in the seasons when recurring slope lineae are most extensive, which suggests that the source of hydration is recurring slope lineae activity. The findings strongly support the hypothesis that recurring slope lineae form as a result of contemporary water activity on Mars.

30 September

Jayant Prasad appointed as Director General of Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses

Former Indian ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad was on 29 September 2015 appointed as the Director General of Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), the prestigious New Delhi-based think tank on strategic affairs.

The post of Director General of IDSA had been vacant since August 2014. Prasad takes charge at IDSA at a special moment as 2015 marks the fiftieth year of existence of the think tank.
He began his career by specialising on the South Asian neighbourhood, he most prominently served in Afghanistan as the Indian Ambassador during 2008-2010 and as Ambassador to Nepal during 2011-2013.
Prasad has also served as India’s permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Ambassador to Algeria, and also as a counsellor for trade access and development cooperation at the Indian Mission to the European Union in Brussels.

About Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)

• IDSA was established in New Delhi on 11 November 1965 as an autonomous body to promote national and international security through generation and dissemination of knowledge on defence and security-related issues.
• IDSA is governed by an Executive Council, whose members are distinguished personalities from various walks of life. The Council is headed by a President.
• It is funded by the Indian Ministry of Defence and functions autonomously.

Union Government appointed four Brand Ambassadors for Digital India Programme

Union Government on 29 September 2015 announced that four brand ambassadors for Digital India programme were appointed.

The appointments were took place in the first week of July 2015 as part of the Digital India Week campaign.

List of Brand Ambassadors

• Satwat Jagwani, All India IIT-JEE —Advanced Topper -2015 (Student) 
• Krati Tiwari, All India IIT-JEE —Advanced Girl Topper -2015 (Student) 
• Ankit Fadia, Author & Ethical Hacker
• Pranav Mistry, Samsung USA (Computer Scientist & Author of 6th Sense)

The services of these Brand Ambassadors will be used for generating mass awareness for the programme for a period of one year since their nomination.

Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping held at the UN headquarters in New York

Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping was held on 28 September 2015 at the UN headquarters in New York, the USA. It was held on the margins of the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly.

Besides the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, it was attended by leaders of more than 50 countries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the president of USA Barack Obama.

The high-level summit reviewed the ongoing operations of 125000 strong UN Peacekeeping force and announced commitments to modernize the force.

The leaders further called for stringent punishments to those personnel who are indulging in sexual offences during their assignment period.

About United Nations Peacekeeping

• It helps countries torn by conflict create the conditions for lasting peace.
• It was founded in 1948 and operates under the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
• It is comprised of 125000 civilian, police and military personnel with contributions coming from over 120 countries.
• It has an average annual budget to the tune of 8.2 billion US dollars.
• At present, it is involved in 12 peacekeeping missions across four continents.
• Its largest unit is in Democratic Republic of the Congo with an authorized strength of 26211 personnel.
• By August 2015, India was the largest contributor to the mission with 7794 military and police personnel on the ground next only to Bangladesh (9432) and Ethiopia (8309).

Fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2015-16 announced; Repo rate cut by 0.50 percent

Fourth bi-monthly monetary policy statement 2015-16 was announced on 29 September 2015 by Raghuram Rajan, the Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The monetary policy cut the repo rate, the rate at which RBI lends to commercial bank, by 0.50 percent from 7.25 percent to 6.75 percent with immediate effect.

As a result, the reverse repo rate, the rate at which RBI borrows from commercial banks, stands adjusted to 5.75 percent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 7.75 per cent.

However, the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks was kept unchanged at 4 percent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).

Further, RBI will continue to provide liquidity under overnight repos at 0.25 percent of bank-wise NDTL at the LAF repo rate and liquidity under 14-day term repos as well as longer term repos of up to 0.75 percent of NDTL of the banking system through auctions; and continue with overnight/term variable rate repos and reverse repos to smooth liquidity.

Comment

The RBI lowered the repo rate against the backdrop of deflationary tendencies-lowering inflation and decelerating nominal GDP-in the economy.

As the headline consumer price index (CPI) inflation reached its lowest level in August 2015 since November 2014, except high prices of onion and pulses, and is expected to reach 5.8 percent in January 2016 the RBI shifted its focus to augmenting supply side economic activity.

As a result, the repo rate was decreased by 50 basis points or 0.50 percent to give boost to the decelerating merchandise exports and increase the investor confidence on the Indianeconomy amidst sluggish growth trends across the world.

Piyush Goyal launched Access to Clean Cooking Energy and Electricity - Survey of States Report

Piyush Goyal Union Minister of State (IC) for Coal, Power and New and Renewable Energy, on 29 September 2015 launched ‘Access to Clean Cooking Energy and Electricity - Survey of States Report’. 
The study was conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment & Water (CEEW) in collaboration with Columbia University with support from the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation.
The analysis in the report provides a first of a kind multi-dimensional evaluation of the state of energy access in India.

Highlights of the Report
• It highlights that about 300 million Indians rely on kerosene for lighting, and more than 800 million relying on traditional biomass.
• It says that the access to modern forms of energy is still a significant barrier to our development. 
• It suggests that there is a need to focus beyond aggregate figures on electrification and LPG connections, and be sensitive to the numerous drivers which will determine how India will ensure true energy access for all.
Some of the key questions explored in the ACCESS study include:
• Is energy access just a binary measure?
• What are the right metrics for measuring energy access?
• Have existing energy access programs been effective?
• What policies to improve energy access are preferred by the rural population?
The ACCESS report is a result of India's largest energy access survey; covering over 8500 households across 714 villages and 51 districts in six of the most energy poor states (Bihar, Jharkand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal).

CCMB scientists developed nano-particle-based drug delivery method to fight fungal keratitis

Scientists of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB)-Hyderabad on 26 September 2015 announced that they have developed a nano-particle-based drug delivery method to fight fungal keratitis.

However, the method was tested only on animal model systems so far and clinical trials are awaited.

The research team was led by the CCMB-Director Ch Mohan Rao.

What is Fungal Keratitis?

• In general terms, it means inflammation of cornea due to fungal infection.
• Under this condition, the fungi (Fusarium) reach the cornea and then release enzymes to breakdown and use its components as nutrients.
• It is a major eye disease that could lead to loss of vision if not treated in time. 
• It is mostly prevalent in rural areas and the farming community is worst affected. For the fungi, sugar cane and paddy leaves are the most conducive habitat.

How the method works?

Under the method, specific enzymes were identified by scientists that are released by the pathogen and the host.

To counter those enzymes, smart polymer-based biocompatible nano particles were developed that carry the formulation and kill the fungus thus saving the destruction of cornea.

The success of the method will be of importance, as it could be replicated to treat other diseases like cancer

INS Kochi, indigenously built largest warship, dedicated to the nation

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar on 30 September 2015 dedicated the INS Kochi at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.

It is the largest warship built so far in India weighing over 7500 tonnes.

Its nearest competitor is INS Kolkata that was commissioned in August 2014 and weights around 6800 tonnes.

Features of INS Kochi

• It incorporates an array of state-of-the-art weapons and sensors including long-range surface-to-surface BrahMos missile.
• It weighs 7500 tonnes spanning 164 metres in length and 17 metres at the beam.
• It is propelled by four gas turbines and can achieve speeds in excess of 30 knots.
• It has 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) and AK 630 Close in Weapon System (CIWS) designed to take on air and surface targets.

• It is the second in the Indian Navy, next to INS Kolkata, to have Multi-Function Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar(MF-STAR) to provide target data to Long Range Surface to Air Missile system (LR-SAM).
• It is equipped to operate two Sea King or Chetak helicaptors.
• It was designed by Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Mazagon Dock Ship builders Ltd. in Mumbai.
• It is the second ship of the Kolkata-class (Project 15A) Guided Missile Destroyers.

About Kolkata-class warships

• It was conceived as follow-on of the earlier Delhi class warships.
• Under the Project 15A three ships were conceived so far-INS Kolkata, INS Kochi and INS Chennai.
• While the INS Kolkata is already in operation, the INS Chennai is expected to join the navy in 2016.

Can’t force political parties to keep poll promises: SC

The Supreme Court (SC) of India on 28 September 2015 refused to entertain a PIL by advocate Mithilesh Kumar Pandey asking political parties to fulfill their pre-election promises or stay away from post-poll alliances. 
A Bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu and comprising of Justice Amitava Roy said that it was not the judiciary’s job to force political parties to fulfill their pre-election promises or stay away from post-poll alliances. 
The petitioner through his plea argued that the court should lay down guidelines for framing of manifestoes to stop false and illegal promises made by political parties, including regularization of illegal colonies. He termed those manifestoes as an act of cheating to voters. He also said that the post-poll alliances between political parties defeat the mandate of people.

However, the apex court said that the judiciary was not the cure for every problem in the political system and left it for better adjudication in the people's court.
The Bench asked the petitioner to show the law that says promises made by political parties are enforceable in law. Only if the promise is enforceable, you can say there is cheating. Otherwise, where is the question of cheating?
The court before dismissing the petition held that if it asks the political parties not to opt for post-poll alliance, then it will have to go for fresh elections, which means huge cost to the exchequer.

NOC Online Application Portal and Processing System for the National Monument Authority launched

Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma on 29 September 2015 launched the NOC Online Application Portal and Processing System (NOAPS) for the National Monument Authority (NMA), Ministry of Culture in New Delhi.

An initiative of the National Monument Authority, NOAPS will make the approval procedure more efficient for construction related activities in regulated/restricted areas in the vicinity of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments in different cities of India.

NOAPS is designed by National Informatics Centre (NIC). The portal runs on the state of the art technology and expertise provide by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which is in the process of mapping all 3886 ASI protected monuments.

NOAPS will also help the citizens to apply for NOC online. The portal will provide them with a unique registration ID with which they can check the status of their applications from time to time.

Also, ISRO will lend a hand to the Ministry of Culture to calculate accurate measurements of Geo Co-ordinates of various monuments.

The NOC Online Application Portal and Processing System will offer great convenience to the people as there will not be any need for the people to run to local offices to get NOC for their property which is nearby to monuments.

International Translation Day observed across the world

30 September: International Translation Day
The International Translation Day was observed across the world on 30 September 2015 with the theme The Changing Face of Translation and Interpreting.

Established by the International Federation of Translators (FIT), the annual celebration of the International Translation Day is an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of translators who endeavour to make the world a slightly smaller place by breaking down language barriers.
The work of translators is seen as being of growing importance due to growing opportunities for international travel and globalisation of trade markets. The event is marked with a series of dedicated events, seminars and symposiums across the world. 
Background
The idea to observed 30 September as International Translation Day came out in 1991 by FIT itself to show solidarity of the worldwide translation community in an effort to promote the translation profession in different countries. 
International Translation Day itself coincides with thefeast day of St Jerome, a Christian scholar and priest who was the first person to translate the Bible into Latin from the original Hebrew, making it accessible for the first time to a far wider audience. St Jerome is the patron saint of translators. 
Since then, International Translation Day is celebrated every year on 30 September on the feast of St Jerome. The theme of every year is decided by FIT itself. Based on that theme, a poster is published each year and is used to promote the event. 
The poster is chosen based on a competition to which any individual or organisation is invited to submit entries.

Hungry Bengal: War, Famine, Riots and the End of Empire authored by Janam Mukherjee

Hungry Bengal: War, Famine, Riots and the End of Empire: Janam Mukherjee
The book titled Hungry Bengal. War, Famine, Riots and the End of Empire authored by Janam Mukherjee was in news in fourth week of September 2015.
The book Hungry Bengal highlights the tumultuous period in the history of Bengal before the independence and after partition of India.  It says that Bengal represented both as a major front in the Indian struggle against colonial rule, as well as a crucial front in the British/American conflict with Japan during World War II.

It highlights that for the British the priority was to save the empire from imminent collapse, for the majority of the Indian population the 1940s were years of acute scarcity, violent dislocation and enduring calamity. 
It tells that there are three major crises that shaped the social, economic and political context of pre-partition Bengal and they were
• The Second World War
• The Bengal famine of 1943 
• The Calcutta riots of 1946
The book also examined the intricately interconnected events, foregrounding the political economy of war and famine in order to analyse the complex nexus of hunger, war and civil violence in colonial Bengal at the twilight of British rule.

Understanding European Refugee Crisis

In recent months, Europe has been facing the most severe refugee crisis since the World War-II. In early 2015, around 3 lakh people knocked its doors seeking asylum. It is in addition to the 6.25 lakh applications received in 2014.

As per an estimate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the migrant influx is continue to grow as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are still reeling under compounded problems of terrorism, sectarian violence and civilian unrest.

Who are these refugees?

Though the African originated refugee problem is chronic for Europe, recent influx has many new sources.

Majority of refugees are from war-torn Syria. Since the beginning of civil war in 2011, around 2 million left the country to neighbouing Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. They were given shelter and other basic facilities in the UN sponsored camps.

However, in recent times, as the refugee camps have becoming overcrowded and there is no end in sight to the ongoing conflict in Syria, refugees started heading towards safe heavens in Europe in search of greener pastures.

Besides Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Libya, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia are other major source countries.

Why are they heading towards Europe?

Reasons for migrant influx towards Europe are many. They differ from country to country and can be categorized under two heads-Push factors and Pull Factors.

Push factors:

• Continuous terrorist activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan
• Shia-Sunni sectarian violence in Syria and Iraq
• Gross human rights violations in the form of compulsory national service in Eritrea driving around 5000 people from the country
• Increasing lawlessness due to power vacuum in Somalia forcing the citizens to cross the Mediterranean

Pull Factors

• Geographic proximity: For majority of asylum seekers, only the Mediterranean Sea is standing between their trouble-ridden present and wishful future. Hence, the crisis has become synonymous with the phrase Mediterranean Migrant Crisis.
• Faith in the European Administration:The firm belief among the refugees that the rule-bound and humanitarian governments in Europe won’t deny them the legitimate basic right to life which is evident from the fact that migrants are reluctant to seek asylum in the well-off Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, etc in spite of their cultural affinity.
• Employment opportunities: As the European labour market is more matured; the migrants see immediate employment opportunities for themselves to restart their lives.

Issued involved

The following issues are intertwined with the ongoing migration crisis in the Europe.

Dublin procedure: The Dublin procedure established that the first EU country where a migrant or refugees enters is responsible for processing asylum claim. This put tremendous pressure on countries like Greece and Italy where most asylum seekers arrived first.

As most asylum seekers want to go to Germany, Sweden or France questions are raised as to why register and house them in a country where they do not want to stay any way.

Fault lines within the EU: The crisis opened up structural fault lines within Europe. Majority of smaller countries with low financial resources, like Hungary, are not willing to share the burden.

Also, few of them advocated that the big countries like France and Germany should shoulder the burden as it is the result of their participation in the NATO-led war in the source countries.

Further, there is a growing disagreement among the larger nations on the formula to relocate refugees with the European Union.

Europe’s moral dilemma: As many of the European economies are still under the shadow of the global financial crisis of 2008, how far they can accommodate the interests of migrants without resorting to austerity measures.

In addition, denying rights to legitimate asylum seekers is nothing but violation of the article 18 (Right to Asylum), Article II-78 and Article III-266 of the European Constitution on which the EU exists.

Schengen Agreement: In the past one month, countries like Germany and Hungary suspended the implementation of the agreement-in order to control migrant influx-whose sole purpose is to facilitate movement of people across international borders without undergoing mandatory checks.

Integration of migrants: The most pertinent problem related to migrant rehabilitation is how far their integration will be successful given the growing anti Islam sentiment in the European society.

Steps taken so far

At a summit level meeting on 23 September 2015, the European Union nations agreed to give an additional 1.1 billion euros to the UN agencies involved in rehabilitation of the migrants.

EU stepped upfunding to maritime surveillance in order to avoid drowning incidents in the Mediterranean. As per an estimate, in 2014 alone, 3500 people found dead or missing in the sea while en route to nearby European islands.

The European Commission proposed internal relocation of 120000 migrants on the basis of a mandatory distribution key using objective and quantifiable criteria-40 percent of the size of the population, 40 percent of the GDP, 10 percent of the average number of past asylum applications, 10 percent of the unemployment rate.

Further, the formula applies to nationalities of applicants with an EU-wide average recognition rate of 75 percent or higher.

Besides Europe, the USA and Australiastated their willingness to accommodate 10000 and 12000 refugees respectively in next one year.

Lessons for India

Refugee problem is not new to India as it faced sudden migrant outburst from Bangladesh in 1971, Afghanistan following USSR’s intervention in 1979 and Sri Lanka during the civil war between the armed forces and the LTTE.

Still, taking a cue from the ongoing crisis, India should step up its diplomatic engagement to bring out a special convention on climate refugees.

For India, the engagement is of prime importance due to the fact that half of Bangladesh lies in the Low Elevation Coastal Zone (LECZ)-within 10 meters above sea level-that is prone to submergence as sea levels are set to rise due to climate change.

Further, Maldives, another neighbor, is also facing the threat of extinction due to the same reason.

Conclusion

The ongoing crisis is a grim remainder of the fact that majority communities across the world still deprived of essentials due to chronic problems like hunger, poverty, terrorism, mal administration, sectarian violence, etc.

Though we came a long way in nurturing peace, security and socio-economic development, millions of people still struggle for basic necessities of life.

It is high time the world leaders should come together and fix the problem of migration once for all to ensure timely achievement of recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals.

21st meeting of the Western Zonal Council held in Panaji

The 21st meeting of the Western Zonal Council was held at Panaji on 29 September 2015. The council was chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting planned upon developmental issues which have mostly social and economic bearing. Issues related to internal security were also discussed in the meeting.

Highlights

• The council called for the enhanced Centre–State co-operation and focused on the development of all the states in India.

• It also called upon all the states to take up issue of terrorism seriously and formulate their strategy to combat this menace.

• Every specialized agency of the central government was asked to consider providing their surplus lands for the construction ofAffordable Housing.

• The council in depth discussed on relaxation of certain provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011 and the Ministry of Environment & Forests will examine the matter on priority for bringing in suitable amendment to it so as not to affect development.

• The council helped amicably resolved the issue of pollution in Damanganga and Kolak River between Government of Gujarat and the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli.

• It was decided in the meeting that the next Western Zonal Council will be held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Background

The idea of creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1956.

In the light of the vision of Pandit Nehru, five Zonal Councils were set up vide Part-III of the States Re-organisation Act, 1956. These are North, South, West, East and Central Zonal Council. Besides, North-Eastern States Council was set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972.

The Western Zonal Council comprises the States of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

Union Government launched National Institutional Ranking Framework along with its Web portal

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Zubin Irani on 29 September 2015 launched the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) document for educational institutions along with its web portal.

The portal and the framework will enable parents, students, teachers, educational institutions and other stakeholders to rank institutions on the basis of a set of objective parameters and a transparent process. 
The Framework will be effective from April 2016.

Highlights of National Institutional Ranking Framework
• The NIRF follows an Indian approach which considers India-centric parameters like diversity and inclusiveness apart from excellence in teaching learning and research.
• It will facilitate a level playing field in ranking for institutions which have been working in languages other than English and excelled relatively in the recent past. 
• The framework is designed such that institutions belonging to different sectoral fields such as Engineering, Management etc. will be compared separately in their own respective peer groups. 
• The institutions will be ranked on five parameters, viz., (1) teaching learning and resources; (2) research, consulting and collaborative performance; (3) graduation outcomes; (4) outreach and inclusivity and (5) perception. 
• The methodology of ranking is open to all Indian institutions that wish to be part of the system, but is not mandatory; it is also aimed at empowering the institutions to compete for international ranking systems like QS and Times.
Developed by a team of experts in education and heads of institutions, the portal and the framework is presently available for engineering and management institutions.
The framework for engineering and management institutes will be extended to other disciplines like architecture, pharmacy and humanities and for universities as well. 
Methodologies, parameters and process for ranking universities along with architecture and planning institutions under the NIRF would be made available online within November 2015.
The framework was drafted by a core committee that included National Board of Accreditation Chairman Surendra Prasad, IIT-Kharagpur director P.P. Chakraborty, IIT-Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi, besides the Higher Education Secretary and HRD Ministry officials.

First-ever US-India-Japan Trilateral Ministerial dialogue held

The first-ever US-India-Japan Trilateral Ministerial dialogue was held on 29 September 2015. It was held on the sidelines of the 70th UN General Assembly session in New York. 
The trilateral meet was attended by the Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
During the meet, the foreign ministers of Japan, the United States and India agreed to coordinate policies in addressing China's increasing maritime activities.

Highlights of the dialogue
• The three leaders agreed that the rule of law should be observed and that disputes should be settled peacefully to maintain peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region. 
• They also agreed to launch a trilateral meeting of experts to enable joint rescue and relief efforts in the event of major disasters. 
• The three countries agreed to work together to maintain maritime security through greater collaboration.
• They also underscored the importance of international law and peaceful settlement of disputes, freedom of navigation and over flight and unimpeded lawful commerce, including in the South China Sea was also underscored. 
• They expressed interest in exploring trilateral cooperation on women's skill enhancement and economic empowerment to further social and economic development.
Besides, the three ministers also launched an experts-level group on regional connectivity to identify collaborative efforts that can help strengthen regional connectivity, including between South and Southeast Asia. This was done with an aim to capitalise on collective capacities in promoting regional economic linkages.
Next meeting will be held on assisting infrastructure development in South and Southeast Asia.

NDTV signed 100 crore rupees deal with Taboola

NDTV Convergence, the digital wing of NDTV group, on 30 September 2015 signed a strategic deal with the US-based content recommendations engine Taboola worth around 100 crore rupees for 3 years. The deal is signed to boost the entire network of desktop and mobile sites of NDTV.

As per the agreement, Taboola will serve as the exclusive, multi-platform content discovery partner across all the sections of NDTV. Besides, Taboola will also provide advertisers with an option to target the premium NDTV audience through native content marketing. Both the companies will also work together to increase the user engagement.

About NDTV

New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network that was founded by Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy in 1988.

NDTV’s digital wing, NDTV Convergence owns and operates its flagship portal and all other digital sections of the Group.

About Taboola

Taboola is a content marketing platform that was founded in 2007 by Adam Singolda. It provides a widget, Content You May Like, for the websites of the content creators. The widget shows the links, articles, slideshows and videos from within the site and from other publishers.

DNA sequencing-based blood test to diagnose Ebola and other pathogens developed

A team of researchers completed a proof-of-principle study on a DNA sequencing-based real-time blood test that can be used to rapidly diagnose Ebola and other pathogens. The study was published online in Genomic Medicine on 28 September 2015.

The team was led by Charles Chiu, associate professor of laboratory medicine at University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

The Study

The study combined nanopore sequencing with metagenomic analysis for detection of pathogens in complex clinical samples in the setting of human infections.

First, the team pioneered a technique called metagenomic analysis that do not require suspected pathogens to be identified beforehand in order to detect their unique genetic fingerprints. This is unlike most commercially available or research-based genetic diagnostic tests that target specific pathogens.

Secondly, to obtain the quick results from the blood test of the Ebola-affected patient, the team then using the combination of pioneered technique and visualization software in a laptop to leverage an emerging DNA-sequencing technology known as nanopore sequencing.

Nanopore sequencing technology is a new technique which distinguishes individual nucleic acids by the distinctive perturbations they create in electric currents as they individually pass through microscopic pores.

The team sourced the experimental DNA nanopore sequencer called MinION from the Oxford Nanopore Technologies. The device is small enough to fit in the palm of the hand and is powered by a USB connection to a laptop.

Results of the Study

First, the team detected the genetic fingerprints of Ebola in stored blood samples from two African patients, who had severe hemorrhagic fever. The entire diagnosis was completed in 5 hours of opening the samples, out of which the DNA sequencing took only 10 minutes.

Second, the researchers were able to detect Chikungunya virus, from a Puerto Rican outbreak, just as quickly in a blood sample from a donor with no symptoms, but who eventually reported having fever and joint pains.

Third, in another example of the technique's power, detection of hepatitis C virus in blood from an infected UCSF patient, present at a much lower concentration than the other viruses, took just 40 minutes from the start of sequencing.

Why the study is unique?

The study is unique because for the first time nanopore sequencing was combined with metagenomic analysis for detection of pathogens in complex clinical samples in the setting of human infections.

The specialty of the test is that it can be used even where lab space and medical infrastructure are limited.

The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment launched Accessible India campaign

Social justice and empowerment minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot on 24 September 2015 launched the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) that focuses on building accessible government buildings for persons with disabilities (PwDs).

The campaign was initiated by the government to increase the accessibility of the physical environment in the country. In addition, the campaign focuses on enhancing the accessibility and usability of Public Transport, and information & communication.

Highlights

• The department has planned to make public buildings in 50 cities of the country including four cities of Maharashtra namely Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur accessible to PwDs.

• The states will pick at least 50-100 public buildings that will be made accessible to PwDs via retrofitting of ramps, lifts, toilets and signage.

• Motorized tricycles costing about 45000 rupees each for which the centre will give 30000 rupees subsidy each will be provided to people with 70-90% disability.

17th All-India Govt Whips Conference held in Visakhapatnam

17th All-India Government Whips Conference was held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from 29 September to 30 September 2015. The conference was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, while the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs M. Venkaiah Naidu presided over it.
The two-day conference was attended by 179 Whips from various state assemblies, legislative councils and the two houses of Parliament.

Highlights of the Whips Conference
• Deliberation on releasing of more funds to Members of Parliament (MPs) if the funds allocated to them for the local area development are utilized properly to meet the demands of people at the lower rung in the society.
• The conference highlighted the need for MPs to assess the needs of the people in their respective constituencies especially at the village level in the areas of education, medical aid and cleanliness and sanitation.
• It was decided to form an All Party Coordination Committee to ensure smoother functioning of the Parliament, legislative councils and state assemblies. 
• It was decided to adopt measures that will help in ensuring that MLAs, MLCs and MPs behave in a more refined manner in their respective houses.
• Discussion on MP Local Area Development Scheme to ensure proper utilization and implementation of the scheme was held.
Three-member Emoluments Commission
During the conference it was decided that the salaries and allowances of MPs will be reviewed in every five years and for this purpose it was decided to appoint a three-member independent Emoluments Commission. 
The commission will be formed in consultation with Speaker of Lok Sabha and chairman of Rajya Sabha will recommend salaries and other allowances for the MPs. 
The commission will consist of a Chief Commissioner who shall be a person of eminence in the field of public affairs with knowledge of functioning of Parliament and two more commissioners. 

About Whips Conference
The Whips Conference is aimed at providing a suitable forum for periodical meetings and exchange of views amongst all the Whips in Parliament and the State Legislatures on matters of common concerns. It also looks forward to evolve standards to strengthen the working of institution of Parliamentary democracy.

In the parliamentary form of Government, Whips of various political parties are the vital links of the internal organisation of parties, inside the legislatures. The efficient and smooth functioning of Parliament and State Legislatures depends, to a considerable extent, upon the office of the Whip.
The 16th whips conference was held in Goa and had suggested nine recommendations for better house management, better coordination among party members, setting aside one-day for private bills and resolutions, privileges, members’ training, number of working days of assembly in a year.

Sportzlive appointed as official marketing partner for 2nd Indian Badminton League 2016

Sportzlive was on 30 September 2015 appointed as the official marketing partner for 2nd Indian Badminton League that is scheduled to be held from 2 January to 17 January 2016. Sportzlive's appointment was approved by the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

Sportzlive primarily focuses on investing and creating Sports Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in the Indian Sub-Continent. Indian Badminton League 2 will feature six franchisee teams across India who will beef up their teams with the very best Indian and International Badminton players. 
The player auction for the IBL 2 is scheduled for 20 November 2015. 
About Sportzlive
• Sportzlive is a company based in Delhi NCR region, primarily focussed on investing and creating Sports IPR in the Indian Sub Continent Market.
• Sportzlive's key promoters are Gaurav and Atul, who bring with them more than 25 years of collective sports and media experience to the company.

Tamil Nadu Government increased MSP for paddy crops

The Tamil Nadu government on 30 September 2015 increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the paddy crops for the kharif season. The decision to increase the price was taken by Chief Minister J Jayalalitha.

Recently, the Union Government had fixed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for fine quality paddy and the common variety at 1450 and 1410 rupees per quintal respectively. 
But, considering the welfare of farmers, the state government decided to provide additional 70 rupees for the fine quality paddy and procured it at 1520 rupees per quintal.
Similarly, an additional 50 rupees will be provided to the MSP of 1410 rupees for the common variety to procure paddy from farmers at 1460 rupees per quintal.
The revised MSP will come into effect from 1 October 2015 in the state.

Indian-American environmental engineer Kartik Chandran named MacArthur Fellow

Kartik Chandran, an Indian-American associate professor of earth and environmental engineering at Columbia Engineering, on 29 September 2015 was named a 2015 MacArthur Fellow. He was also given a genius grant of 625000 US dollars for working on a novel solution to the world's need for food, clean water and energy.

Chandran has won the prestigious accolade for his work in transforming wastewater from a pollutant requiring disposal to a resource for useful products, such as commodity chemicals, energy sources and fertilisers.

Kartik Chandran is an IIT Roorkee graduate who uses microbes to turn wastewater into fertilizer, energy and potable water.

His work on the global nitrogen cycle and engineered wastewater treatment has been recognized globally.

Chandran received a 1.5 million US dollar grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2011 to create a new model in water and sanitation in Africa.

He has also won the Water Environment Research Foundation Paul L. Busch Award (2010), a National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2009) and a National Academies of Science Fellowship (2007).

About MacArthur Fellows Program

The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as Genius Grant, is a five-year grant awarded every year by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to approximately 20 to 40 citizens or residents of the United States who have shown exceptional merit and promise for continued and enhanced creative work.

The award is called as one of the most significant awards that is truly no strings attached.

Praveen Dixit appointed as Maharashtra DGP

Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau chief Praveen Dixit was on 29 September 2015 appointed as the state's Director General of Police (DGP). 
Dixit, a 1977-batch IPS officer who was heading the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) will have tenure of just over a year. 
Dixit succeeded Sanjeev Dayal who retired from his office on 30 September 2015.

Apart from Dixit’s appointment, the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced some other appointments and they are
• Senior officer Vijay Kamble, who headed the State Security Corporation till now, replaced Dixit as the new Director General of ACB. 
• Satish Mathur, 1981-batch IPS officer, was appointed as Director General and Managing Director of State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation (MSPHWC). Till this appointment, he was DG of Legal and Technical Department and succeeded Arup Patnaik, who also retired on 30 September 2015. 
• Meera Borwankar, Additional Director General of Police (Prisons), has been promoted and posted as Director General of Legal and Technical Department.

Financial Times released data on FDI in H1 2015; India emerged most-favoured destination

London-based business daily Financial Times (FT) on 29 September 2015 released Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) data for the period January – June (H1) of 2015. As per the data, India in the first half of 2015 surpassed China to emerge as the most-favoured destination for FDI.

India received 31 billion dollar of foreign capital inflows through FDI during January-June 2015 while China with 28 billion dollars is placed at number two position. India and China are followed by the US with 27 billion dollars at third place. 
Main Points with respect to India
• FDI inflow into India grew 47% to 24 billion dollar in 2014, a year when many other major FDI destinations posted declined.
• India has more than doubled its mid-year investment levels, attracting 30 billion dollars by the end of June 2015 compared to 12 billion dollars in the first half of 2014.
• Ranking of top destinations for greenfield investment (measured by estimated capital expenditure) in the first half of 2015 shows India at number one having attracted roughly 3 billion dollar more than China and 4 billion dollar more than the US.
• In 2014 India ranked fifth in terms of capital investment, after China, the US, the UK and Mexico.

The report was released on the day when Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) of India cleared 18 proposals worth about 5000 crore rupees. FIPB is the nodal authority that scrutinises overseas investment proposals for India. 
Other highlights of the FDI data
• Apart from India, Vietnam as a country that is also on track to continue from a successful FDI showing in 2014 and is holding firm at number seven.
• Indonesia sits at number six is moving up the charts. It recorded an increase of 62 percent in investment to nearly 14 billion dollars in the first half of 2015. Indonesia entered the list of top 10 FDI destinations in 2014 and was ranked at 10th position.  
• Brazil is plummeting down the FDI charts and, if current trends hold, will fall out of the top 10 list by the end of 2015 after holding on at number nine 2014. In line with a drastic tailing off of economic growth, FDI into Brazil has been in decline since a peak year of 2011.

Top 10 destinations – H1 2015

Country	Capex (billion dollars)
India	31
China	28
US	27
UK	16
Mexico	14
Indonesia	14
Vietnam	8
Spain	7
Malaysia	7
Australia	7

The report was published at a time when the FDI into emerging markets as a group is falling off a cliff. Research from fDi Markets found 97 of 154 countries typically classed as emerging markets experiencing declines in capital expenditure on greenfield investment projects in the first six months of 2015 compared with the same time period 2014