5-6 feb 2015 eng

5 feb

Gujarat Handloom Corporation signed MoU with E-commerce firm eBay

Gujarat State Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation (GSHHDC) on 4 February 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global e-commerce giant eBay.

Through this MoU, GSHHDC seeks to expand the sales base from retail shops to the online market and to increase the market share of handloom and handicraft products of Gujarat.

In the first phase, sale of products will start within the next fifteen days through eBay. While in the second phase, GSHHDC will tie-up with online shopping Web sites such as Snapdeal and Flipkart.

Moreover, looking at the potentiality of online market, GSHHDC announced to launch its own e-commerce portal by April 2015 under the Garvi-Gurjari brand to reach out to a bigger customer base and boost sales in overseas markets.

Gujarat State Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation (GSHHDC)
• GSHHDC  is a Gujarat government undertaking which owns Garvi-Gurjari stores across the country.
• It was established in 1973 with the main objective of identification, revival, development of handicrafts and handlooms of Gujarat.
• Presently, it has 23 showrooms and within next three years it plans to expand the number to 300.

 

LC Goyal appointed as the Union Home Secretary

Union Government on 4 February 2015 appointed LC Goyal as Union Home Secretary. At the time of his appointment was serving as Union Rural Development Secretary. 

The term of Goyal will be for a period of two years from the date of taking over the charge. Goyal succeeded Anil Goswami who resigned on 4 February 2015.


Earlier, Goyal had served in the Home Ministry as Joint Secretary (Internal Security). He is a 1979-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.

SMAP: NASA’s first satellite to collect global soil moisture

SMAP: Soil Moisture Active Passive

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) was in news in fourth week of January 2015. It is NASA’s first Earth satellite designed to collect global observations of the vital soil moisture.
The satellite was launched aboard United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

The satellite is built to measure moisture in the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of soil. It can measure the moisture content of the soil from its spot in orbit about 426 miles (685 kilometers) above Earth's surface.

SMAP is equipped with a 20 feet (6 meters) mesh antenna which is the largest of its kind that NASA has ever flown in space can complete an orbit of the earth once in every 98.5 minutes. Its antenna is designed to spin at about 14.6 revolutions per minute while mounted to the end of a long arm on the satellite's body.

 

Two algal species Ulva paschima Bast, Cladophora goensis Bast discovered off India’s west coast

Two new endemic and bloom-forming algal species, named Ulva paschima Bast and Cladophora goensis Bast were discovered off the west coast of India. 

The discovered species have excellent carbon capture properties, that is, they are capable of absorbing carbon dioxide from atmosphere and reduce global warming. 

These species were discovered by Dr. Felix Bast and two research students working with him Satej Bhushan and Aijaz Ahmad John from the Central University of Punjab, Bhatinda. The findings were published in the journals PLOS One and Indian Journal of Marine Sciences.


These two species were determined by using a mix of morphological as well as molecular characteristics. Molecular evidence was particularly strong because the nearest match is less than 90 per cent sequence identity. 

This is the first molecular study on Indian algae, and first algal species discovery for last 40 years.

Importance of the discovery
• It can further the research on use of algae as a potential candidate for carbon sequestration as they grow at a high rate and can also absorb atmospheric CO. 
• These two species of algae can also be used as bio fuels. 
• Its cultivation will not lead to any bio invasion, that is, it will not overgrow local flora and thus will not wreak havoc on the local habitats. This is because these species of algae are endemic to the western coast of India. 
• The cultivation of these species does not require use of fertilisers or presticides or any expensive cultivation systems such as photobioreactors. They are capable of spontaneous growth along the shoreline and can sequester CO. 
• The discovery of these species can aid in production of pharmaceutical products from algae similar to the algal species Kahalalide-F, which is used in clinical trials against prostate and breast cancers. Kahalalide-F isolated from Bryopsis, is closely related green algae to Cladophora as well as Ulva.

Union Government announced 850 crore rupees development package for Andhra Pradesh

Union Government on 4 February 2015 approved a development package and ad hoc support of 850 crore rupees for Andhra Pradesh.

The development package was provided for the development of backward areas and Rayalaseema and North Coastal region of the State. Under Sections 46 (2) and 46(3) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Union government is committed to provide the development package.

Out of the total 850 crore rupees, 350 crore rupees will be provided for the development activities in seven backward districts of the State and 500 crore rupees will be provided as an ad hoc support for bridging the resource gap that might have arisen in the Union Budget 2014-15.

Besides this, the Union government also decided to provide tax sops to promote industrialization and economic growth in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. These are:

  • The manufacturing industries set up in the backward region will be given 15 percent additional depreciation on new plant and machinery in the first year of installation.
  • An additional investment allowance of 15 percent would be given to industries set up in the backward regions.
  • The additional depreciation allowance and investment allowance will be provided without insisting on an investment of above 25 crore rupees.

 

Union Government constituted Anil Baijal Panel to suggest a framework to assess CSR activities

The Union Government on 3 February 2015 constituted a High Level Panel to suggest a framework to assess Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities undertaken by companies under the Companies Act, 2013.

The panel will be headed by former Union Home Secretary Anil Baijal. It will have members from the Department of Public Enterprises and Corporate Affairs Ministry including:

• Deepak Nayyar, Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University

• Onkar S Kanwar, Apollo Tyres Chairman and Managing Director

• Kiran Karnik, Former Nasscom President

The Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) will jointly provide the secretarial and technical support to the panel.

Terms of Reference of Anil Baijal panel

• To evaluate money spent on CSR activities by the companies.

• To recommend suitable methodologies for monitoring compliance of the CSR provisions.

• To suggest measures to be adopted by the companies for systematic monitoring and evaluation of their own CSR initiatives.

• To identify strategies for monitoring and evaluation of CSR initiatives through expert agencies and institutions to facilitate adequate feed back to the government with regard to the efficacy of CSR expenditure.

• To look at whether a different monitoring mechanism is required for government companies undertaking CSR works. If it is found necessary, then necessary suggestions will be made.

About Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) norms defined under Clause 135 of Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013 came into effect on 1 April 2014.

The CSR norms is applicable to companies with an annual turnover of 1000 crore rupees and more, or a net worth of 500 crore rupees and more, or a net profit of five crore rupees and more.

The CSR norms also require companies to set-up a CSR committee consisting of their board members, including at least one independent director.

It also encourages companies to spend at least 2 percent of their average net profit in the previous three years on CSR activities

Around 14000 crore rupees are expected to be spent towards CSR activities by companies in 2015-16.

JK group chairman Gaur Hari Singhania died

JK group Chairman Gaur Hari Singhania died on 4 February 2015 following a heart attack in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He was 80.

He was the president of JK Organisation and a promoter director of JK Cement Ltd since its inception in 1994.

 

A sports lover, he was also the chief patron of Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association’s (UPCA), he opened Sir Padampat Singhania Bridge Academy to promote bridge as a sports.

In the field of education, he contributed to various universities and had opened a university at Udaipur, Rajasthan.

He also served as chairman of Merchants of Uttar Pradesh, the Employers Association of Northern India. Apart from that he was the founder chairman of UP Stock Exchange and founder patron of Associated Chamber of Commerce.

Besides, he served as Director in various corporations, such as in Pradeshiya Industrial Investment Corporation of Uttar Pradesh, UP State Industrial Development Corporation and Uttar Pradesh State Sugar Corporation.

World Cancer Day observed across the world

4 February: World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day (WCD) 2015 was observed across the world on 4 February 2015.

The tagline for the WCD 2015 was Not beyond Us. The tagline signified that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and that they are within our reach.

The WCD 2015 explored how we can implement what we already know in the areas of prevention, early detection, treatment and care so as to impact the global cancer burden for the better.

The WCD 2015 focused on four key areas. These include:

  • Choosing healthy lives
  • Delivering early detection
  • Achieving treatment for all
  • Maximising quality of life

The global cancer epidemic is huge and is set to rise. Currently, 8.2 million people die from cancer worldwide every year, out of which, 4 million people die prematurely (aged 30 to 69 years).

In 2016 alone, nearly 9 million people are likely to die of cancer, and the number of deaths will increase to 13 million per year by 2030.

About World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day is an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) which aims to unite the world’s population in the fight against cancer and save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease and pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action.

Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) is a leading international non-governmental organisation that unites the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, to promote greater equity, and to integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda.

UICC was founded in 1933 and is based in Geneva. It has a membership of over 800 organisations across 155 countries. Moreover, it is a founding member of the NCD Alliance, a global civil society network that now represents almost 2000 organisations in 170 countries.

World Cancer Declaration

World Cancer Declaration sets out 9 Targets to be achieved by 2025 with the overarching goal to reduce cancer death by 25 percent by 2025. The 9 Targets are:

  • Strengthen health systems for effective cancer control
  • Measure cancer burden and impact of cancer plans in all countries
  • Reduce exposure to cancer risk factors
  • Universal coverage of HPV and HBV vaccination
  • Reduce stigma and dispel myths about cancer
  • Universal access to screening and early detection for cancer
  • Improve access to services across the cancer care continuum
  • Universal availability of pain control and distress management
  • Improve education and training of healthcare professionals

 

Justice MM Das appointed as Chairman of Commission of Inquiry probing Chit Fund Scam

The Odisha Government on 4 February 2015 appointed Justice Madan Mohan Das as Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry probing multi-crore chit fund scam in Odisha.

The post was lying vacant since 28 January 2015 after the death of Justice Radha Krushna Patra who was heading this one-man commission.

Justice Das is a retired judge of Orissa High Court and hails from a family of lawyers. Born on 5 February 1952, he is a Chemistry graduate from Ravenshaw College and post-graduate in Public Administration from Utkal University.

The One-man Commission was constituted in July 2013 following a number of chit fund companies vanished overnight after duping thousands of gullible investors to hundreds of crores of rupees.

In the first phase, commission had received about 5.5 lakh claims. Meanwhile, the State government began digitisation of chit fund claim documents received by the probe panel to expedite the refund of money to duped investors.

Micromax became India’s biggest and world’s third largest smartphone vendor

Homegrown handset maker, Micromax took over Korean electronics giant Samsung and became India’s biggest smartphone vendor and third largest in the world. This was revealed by a report released by research firm Canalys on 4 February 2015.

According to the report, in October-December 2014 (Quarter 4), Micromax controlled 22 percent market share in smartphones shipments in India compared to 20 percent market share of Samsung.

The top four players in India by units shipped were Micromax, Samsung, Karbonn and Lava.

Micromax’s flagship line of products very effectively targeted the 9000 rupees to 12000 rupees segment with products like Canvas Nitro and Canvas Hue. This important segment helped Micromax to achieve the numero uno position.

Over the last few quarters, Samsung has gradually lost its market share in India to domestic players like Micromax, Lava, Karbonn as well as global rivals like Motorola and Xiaomi.

Globally too, Samsung has been facing tough competition from Apple and Chinese tech major Xiaomi. Its share in the smartphone market has also witnessed a decline in the past couple of years.

In 2014, Samsung had 24.5 percent share of the global smartphone market, 31.3 percent in 2013 and 30.3 percent in 2012.

Apple managed to close the gap with rival Samsung after nearly 3 years at number two position in the global smartphone market as iPhone sales increased in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) as well as the US in Q4 of 2014.

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