5-12 jan, 2014, current affairs

8/13/2019 5-12 jan, 2014, current affairs

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Current events for the week

5-12 Jan, 2014


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

national perspective ____________ _____________ _______ _____________ ____________ _______ __________Tribal c lashes in Assam________________ ____________ ________ ____________ _____________ _______ ____

A Statehood demand ________________________________________________________________________Collaborating MGNREGS and NBA_____________________________________________________________

About Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan ______________________________________________________________Fresh guidelines for phone interception__________________________________________________

Assam to follow Chaibagaan time ________________________________________________________global perspective ______________________________________________________________________

What is a polar vortex?________________________________________ _____________________economic perspective___________________________________________________________________

FDI in railways____________________ ______________________ ______________________ _____Retreating Himalayas________________________________________________________________________

health & medicine_______________________________________________________________________Advantages of Xpert test_________________________________________________________________

TB in India_______________________________________________________________________________Efforts by Indian government __________________________________________________________________

personalities ____________________________________________________________________________Notes & Referencesvery water tribunal __________ ______________________ _________________Interstate water sharing disputes in India _______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____Dispute sett ling mechanism _______________________ ______________________ _________________About water dispute tribunals ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ ____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Constitution o f Tribunal ________________________________________________________________________Composition_________________________________________________________________________________

Adjudication of water d isputes___________________________________________________________________Powers of Tribunal____________________________________________________________________________FillingofVacancies____________________________________________________________________________

DissolutionofTribunal_________________________________________________________________________


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NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

G L O B A L L E A R N I N G C E N T R E F O R I N D IA I N A U G U R A T E DIndia has laid the foundation stone for the global learning centre to be set up by the software services firm,

Consultancy Services; on the Techno city campus in Thiruvananthapuram and will have facilities to t50,000 professionals every year. TCS claims it as the worlds largest corporate learning and developm

centre. The centre would produce world class professionals to meet the future needs of the IT industry. project is expected to provide direct employment to over 2000 skilled and unskilled people for four years.

TCS will run programmes to upgrade the skills of the local youth and equip them to work in the constructiothe centre.

T R I B A L C L A S H E S I N A S S A MKarbi and Rengma Naga tribes faced violent clashes between the ethnic insurgent Karbi Peoples Libera

Tigers (KPLT) and the Rengma Naga Hills Protection Force (RNHPF) in relief camps in the Bokajan arecentral Assams Karbi Anglong hills district.

A S T A T E H O O D D E M A N D The KPLT is a breakaway faction of the ethnic insurgent Karbi Longri N.C. Hills Liberation Front (KLNLThe KLNLF is demanding a separate State comprising two hill districts Kabri Anglong and Dima Hasa

and is now engaged in talks with the Centre and the State government. When the KLNLF signed the Suspenof Operation agreement with the Centre and the Assam government, about 20 cadres of the outfit parted w

and formed the KPLT in 2010. The KPLT has been demanding creation of a Hemprek Kanthim (self-rhomeland) for the Karbi people. The KLNLF itself was a breakaway faction of the erstwhile insurgent ou

United Peoples Democratic Solidarity.

The RNHPF was formed in 2012 for protection of the Rengma Nagas from KPLT attacks. The outfit has bdemanding creation of a regional council for the Rengma Nagas of Karbi Anglong.

C OLLAB ORATING MGNRE GS AND NB AWith over 620 million people practicing open defecation in the country, GOI has decided to widen the scop

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to include works relatinrural sanitation in collaboration with the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan (NBA). This is aimed at strengthening

base of rural livelihood and creating durable assets in rural areas and infrastructure at a village level. Mspecifically, it shall accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to provide privacy and dignity particularl

women.As per Para 4 (1) IV (i) of the Schedule- I of the MGNREG Act rural sanitation related works, such

individual household latrines, school toilets, Anganwadi toilets can be taken up either independently oconvergence with schemes of other Government Departments to achieve an open defecation-free status. amendment made to the existing guidelines incorporates various changes including taking up Indivi

Household Latrine (IHHL) works either under NBA or independently under MGNREGS, as per the choicthe beneficiary. The design and specifications shall continue to be laid down by the Ministry of Drinking W

and Sanitation.


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For all works taken up by the Gram Panchayats, including the rural sanitation works taken up based onabove guidelines, the cost of the material component including the wages of the skilled and semi-ski

workers shall not exceed forty per cent at the Gram Panchayat level.

ABOUT NIRMAL BHARAT ABHIYANIn order to ensure sanitation facilities in rural areas with the broader goal to eradicate the practice of odefecation, a comprehensive programme called Total Sanitation Campaign was launched by Rajiv GanNational Drinking Water Mission, Government of India to cover all households with water and sanita

facilities and promote hygiene behaviour for overall improvement of health and sanitation in rural areas. Total Sanitation Campaign which was introduced in Cuddalore and Coimbatore districts initially in 1999

extended in phases to all other districts in Tamil Nadu by 2004.

A nominal subsidy in the form of incentive is given to the rural poor households for construction of toilets. key intervention areas have been identified as Individual Household Latrines (IHHL), School Sanitatio

Hygiene Education, Community Sanitary Complex and Anganwadi Toilets. The Scheme laid strong emphon Information, Education and Communication (IEC), capacity building and hygiene education for effec

behaviour change, with the involvement of PRIs, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), NGOs, etc. Scheme has now been renamed as Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA).

OBJECTIVES: -

The main objectives of the NBA are as under:

Bring about an improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas. Accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to achieve the vision of Nirmal Bharat by 2022 with

gram Panchayats in the country attaining Nirmal status.

Motivate communities and Panchayati Raj Institutions promoting sustainable sanitation facilthrough awareness creation and health education.

To cover the remaining schools not covered under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and AnganwCentres in the rural areas with proper sanitation facilities and undertake proactive promotion of hyg

education and sanitary habits among students.

Encourage cost effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable sanitation Develop community managed environmental sanitation systems focusing on solid & liquid w

management for overall cleanliness in the rural areas.

ELIGIBILITY FOR AVAILING INCENTIVE/ ASSISTANCE UNDER NBA/ MGNREGS F

CONSTRUCTION OF IHHL

Above Poverty Line (APL) households restricted to SCs/STs, Small and Marginal farmers, Landlabourers with homestead, Differently Abled and Women headed households. Households under thcategories should be identified by a Committee comprising of Block Development Officer (Vil

Panchayats), Deputy Block Development Officer (Adi-Dravidar Welfare) and Village PanchPresident concerned and the list prepared by the Committee should be approved by the Gram Sabha

Below Poverty Line (BPL) Household.


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All houses constructed under Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) or Chief Ministers Solar Powered GHouse Programme or any other Central/State housing scheme shall also be eligible for IHHL u

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) and MGNREGS. However, the households which have availed the benefit of IHHL under TSC/NBA or already hav

toilet shall not be eligible for assistance /incentive.

SANC TION OF W ORKSA combined list of all the eligible beneficiaries from a Village Panchayat desirous of constructing IndiviHousehold latrines (IHHL) shall be prepared. The District Programme Coordinator/ District Collector

issue the administrative sanction under MGNREGS for all the IHHLs that are approved by Grama Safor the year,clearly indicating the labour portion under MGNREGS and the material portion to be conver

from NBA. The Village Panchayat is the implementing Agency.

FRESH GUIDELINES FOR PHONE INTERCEPTION

The Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Lawful Interception and Monitoring of Telecom Ser

Providers (TSP) have been announced by The Union government for interception of telephones. Accordin

the norms:

Requests would include interception and monitoring under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, for voice, SGPRS, MMS, Video and VoIP calls.

Apart from the nine Central agencies namely, the IB, the NCB, the DE, the CBDT, the DRI, the CBI,NIA, RAW and the Defence Ministry State Directors-General of Police and the Commissioner of Poin Delhi, are authorised to request intercepts.

Additionally, authorised security agencies can seek information under Section 92 of the Criminal ProceCode (CrPC) of call records (CDRs), home and roaming network, CDR by tower location andcalling/called number, location details of target number within home or roaming network, and so on.

Only the Chief Nodal Officer of a telecom company can provide interception if the order is issued bySecretary to the Government of India in the Home Ministry, in case of Government of India, or a Secreto the State Government in charge of Home Department, in case of State Government. In unavoid

circumstances, such orders can be issued by an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the GOI has been fully authorised by the Union Home Secretary or the State Home Secretary.

Interception is subject to eight checks before monitoring is allowed. These include receiving the requestsealed envelope, ensuring the delivery of interception by an officer not below the rank of sub-inspectopolice or equivalent.

The SOP mandates that, any request received by telephone, SMS and fax, should not be accepted unany circumstances.

The SOP require that if a request is made on e-mail, unless a physical copy is not reached to the telecservice provider within 48 hours the interception should be terminated and an intimation provided to

concerned Home Secretary as a part of the fortnightly report.


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The SOP require that records pertaining to such interception, such as letter and envelope, intercept forminternal interception request form should be destroyed within 2 months of discontinuance of interceptiosuch messages.

The date and time of the actual provisioning of target in the TSP network should be mentioned, too. The interception order of the State Home Secretary in which the subscriber is registered should be hono

by the State in which the subscriber is roaming. In effect, no new order from a second State that mainvolved, or from the Union Home Secretary, is needed.

ASSAM TO FOLLOW CHAIBAGAAN TIME Assam has decided to follow chaibagaan time, a daylight schedule British tea planters introduced m

than 150 years ago. The state government feels that it will help save energy and improve lifest

impacted by the IST( Indian Standard Time)-induced late start of daylight work schedule.

Chaibagaan or bagaan time was set one hour ahead of IST for tea estates, collieries and oil industrAssam. Most tea estates still follow this time, so does the 112-year-old Digboi Refinery in easAssam.

Established on September 1, 1947, IST corresponds to the time schedule along the 82.5E longitude Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. States located to the west of this longitude have more daylight h

compared to those in the east. Advocates of dual time zones say bagaan time would help increase productivity, reduce domestic

commercial power consumption and curb alcoholism.

But the Centre's Department of Science and Technology (DST), after examining the feasibility of setup dual time in 2007, turned down a proposal to advance the clock in the northeast by an hour ci

acute administrative challenges.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

P O L A R V O R T E X B R E A K S T E M P E R A T U R E R E C O R D S I N U SThe so-called "polar vortex" of dense, frigid air blamed for at least 21 cold-related deaths across the US spr

to the East and the Deep South, shattering records that in some cases had stood for more than a century.

WHAT IS A POLAR VORTEX?

Polar vortex is a lobe of dense, cold air that's normally bound in by a jet stream. The polar vortex is not li

hurricane or easterlies that develops and goes away. Its a normal feature thats part of the polar climate.

Earth, the polar vortices are located in the middle and upper troposphere and the stratosphere. They surrothe polar highs and lie in the wake of the polar front. These cold-core low-pressure areas strengthen inwinter and weaken in the summer due to their reliance upon the temperature differential between the equ

and the poles.They usually span less than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) in which the air is circulating in a

clockwise fashion (in the Northern Hemisphere). As with other cyclones, their rotation is caused by the Coreffect.


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HEALTH & MEDICINE

TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL IN INDIAThe number of labs/private hospitals in the country offering the WHO-approved tests like Gene Xpert, LProbe Assay (LPA) for diagnosing TB disease at a subsidised price has reached 54.

With the launch of Improving Access to Affordable & Quality TB Tests (IPAQT) the number people accesthese labs for the subsidised tests has risen to 30,000. Of them, over 15,000 people have availed the Xpert te

ADVANTAGES OF XPERT TEST

It can diagnose more people who have TB and with a greater degree of confidence. It can turn in results in ab

two hours. And unlike smear microscopy, Xpert can also indicate resistance to rifampicin a first-linedrug. Almost 98 per cent of people who are resistant to rifampicin are also resistant to isoniazid, another f

line TB drug. Xpert can help doctors know if a patient suffers from MDR-TB even before starting treatmentWhile the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) uses Xpert and other WHO-approved diagno

tests like LPA only for retreatment cases (where the patient had earlier been successfully treated for Tprivate practitioners prefer Xpert even in the case of fresh cases (those who have never before been down

TB disease).A ban on the serological test, one of the major decisions taken in early 2012 by the government of India, wil

a long way in correctly diagnosing TB disease on time. The serological TB test diagnoses TB disease basethe presence of antibody response. But its a fact that the presence or absence of antibody response does

reflect the true TB disease status. Hence, serological test is a highly unreliable for diagnosing TB disease.With the serological test banned, many labs are offering TB Gold blood test. TB Gold test can only diagn

latent TB (TB infection) and cannot and should not be used for diagnosing TB disease.

TB IN INDIAIndia has the world's highest burden of TB. TB kills one person every 2 min in India and 750 people every

Global TB control is unattainable without enhanced control of TB in India.E FFORTS B Y INDIAN GOVE RNME NTIndia's Revised National TB Control Program (RNTCP) has made great progress in the last decade, and

quality-assured TB diagnosis and treatment is available to all patients who seek care in the public secThe Government of India (GOI) recently approved the National Strategic Plan for 2012-2017 with an ambit

goal of universal access to quality TB diagnosis and treatment for all patients in India. This goal of univeaccess will mean increasing the capacity to manage and treat all forms of TB (including drug-resistant TB

well as substantially great engagement of the private sector in India which manages nearly half of all TB cas

INITIATIVE FOR PROMOTING AFFORDABLE QUALITY TB TESTS (IPAQT)

Initiative for Promoting Affordable, Quality TB tests (IPAQT) was launched in March 2013, to improveaffordability of WHO-endorsed TB tests. It is a coalition of private labs in India, supported by industry

nonprofit groups (e.g., Clinton Health Access Initiative), that has made WHO-endorsed tests availablaffordable prices to patients in the private sector.

IPAQT aims to facilitate the delivery of WHO-endorsed tests to the TB patient at affordable prices,


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promote the use of WHO-endorsed TB tests by building awareness about these new, validated/endorsed among health providers, laboratories, and patients.

PERSONALITIESJUSTICE B.S. CHAUHAN

Justice B.S. Chauhan, a Judge of the Supreme Court, has been selected to Chair the Cauvery Water DispTribunal. The tribunal has been without Chairman since April 2012, when Justice N.P. Singh resigned on he

grounds.

Notes & ReferencesV E R Y W A T E R T R I B U N A L The tribunal was constituted on June 2, 1990. By an interim award issued on June 25, 1991, it dire

Karnataka to release 205 tmcft each year to Tamil Nadu. Of this quantum, Tamil Nadu was to release 6 tmcPondicherry. The tribunal gave its final award on February 5, 2007. Thereafter, the Tamil Nadu governmfiled applications for certain clarification on the award and sought some directions. Petitions filed by the p

States and the Centre under Section 5(3) of the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, seeking an explanatioguidance, have been pending before the tribunal since 2007.

INTERSTATE WATER SHARING DISPUTES IN INDIA

Dispute States involved

1.

The Krishna-Godavariwater dispute

2. Godavari3. Narmada4. The Cauvery water

dispute

5. The Ravi-Beas6. Vansadhara--7. Mandovi/Mahadayi

Maharashtra,Karnataka,AndhraPradesh(AP),MadhyaPradesh(MP),andOrissa

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and

Odisha

Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

Punjab and HaryanaAndhra Pradesh and Odisha

Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra


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DISPUTE SETTLING MECHANISM

Constitutionalprovisions

Entry 17 in the state list: Water, irrigation and canalwater development and storage is a state subject.

Entry 56 in the union list: regulation and developmentof water under the control of the union is declared byparliament by law to be expedient in the public interest.

Article 262: Explicitly grants parliament the right tolegislate over the matter in entry 56 and also gives

primacy over Supreme Court.

Inter-state River WaterDispute Act (ISRWD)

1956

Include provisions for the establishment of tribunals toadjudicate where direct negotiations have failed.

Centre has been entitled with the power of establishment oftribunals and confirms the enforcement of the adjudication

of the tribunals.

ABOUT WATER DISPUTE TRIBUNALS

CONSTITUTION OF TRIBUNALWhen any request under section 3 is received from any State Government in respect of any water dispute the Central Government is of opinion that the water dispute cannot be settled by negotiations,

Central Government shall, within a period not exceeding one year from the date of recof such request, constitute a Water Disputes Tribunal for the adjudication of the water dispute: Prov

that any dispute settled by a Tribunal before the commencement of Inter-State Water Disp(Amendment) Act, 2002 shall not be re-opened.

COMPOSITIONThe Tribunal shall consist of a Chairman and two other members nominated in this behalf by the Chief Jus

of India from among persons who at the time of such nomination are Judges of the Supreme Court or of a HCourt. The Central Government may, in consultation with the Tribunal, appoint two or more person

assessors to advise the Tribunal in the proceedings before it.

ADJUDICATION OF WA TER DISPUTES


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As per the ISRWD act when a Tribunal has been constituted the Central Government shall refer the wdispute and any matter appearing to be connected with or relevant to the water dispute to the Tribunaadjudication.

The Tribunal shall investigate the matters referred to it and forward to the Central Government a resetting out the facts as found by it and giving its decision on the matters referred to it within a perio

three years. Provided that if the decision cannot be given for unavoidable reason, within a period of tyears, the Central Government may extend the period for a further period not exceeding two years.

If, upon consideration of the decision of the Tribunal, the Central Government or any State Governmis of opinion that anything therein contained requires explanation or that guidance is needed upon

point not originally referred to the Tribunal, the Central Government or the State Government, as the may be, within three months from the date of the decision, again refer the matter to the Tribunal for fur

consideration, and on such reference, the Tribunal may forward to the Central Government a furreport within one year from the date of such reference giving such explanation or guidance as it de

fit and in such a case, the decision of the Tribunal shall be deemed to be modified accordinProvided that the period of one year within which the Tribunal may forward its report to the Cen

Government may be extended by the Central Government, for such further period

it considers necessary. If the members of the Tribunal differ in opinion on any point, the point shall be decided according to

opinion of the majority. The Central Government shall publish the decision of the Tribunal in the OffGazette and the decision shall be final and binding on the parties to the dispute and shall be given effec

by them. The decision of the Tribunal shall have the same force as an order or decree of the Supreme Co

POWERS OF TRIBUNAL The Tribunal shall have the same powers as are vested in a civil court in respect of the following mat

namely :-

summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath Requiring the discovery and production of documents and material objects requisitioning of any dat

may be required by it.

Issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or for local investigation; Any other matter which may be prescribed.

The Tribunal may require any State Government to carry out, or permit to be carried out, such surveysinvestigation as may be considered necessary for the adjudication of any water dispute pending before it

A decision of the Tribunal may contain directions as to the Government by which the expenses ofTribunal and any costs incurred by any State Government in appearing before the Tribunal are to be pand may fix the amount of any expenses or costs to be so paid, and so far as it relates to expenses or co

may be enforced as if it were an order made by the Supreme Court.

FILLING OF VACANCIES

If, for any reason a vacancy (other than a temporary absence) occurs in the office of the Chairman or any o

member of a Tribunal, such vacancy shall be filled by a person to be nominated in this behalf by the CJustice of India and the investigation of the matter referred to the Tribunal may be continued by the Trib

after the vacancy is filled and from the stage at which the vacancy occurred.


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DISSOLUTION OF TRIBUNAL

The Central Government shall dissolve the Tribunal after it has forwarded its report and as soon as the Cen

Government is satisfied that no further reference to the Tribunal in the matter would be necessary.

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5-12 jan, 2014, current affairs