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Comprehensive News Analysis
03-10-2016
B. GS2 Related
1. OPEC’s roll of the dice
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/opecs-roll-of-the-
dice/article9176506.ece
Category: International Relations
Topic: Regional Groupings
Key Points:
The agreement reached at the extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to trim the cartel’s collective output by about 700,000 barrels a day
It is an effort to balance supply and demand in the global oil market
The output cut, announced for the first time in eight years, is a tacit admission by the group’s largest producer Saudi Arabia that its ‘pump-at-will’ approach has hurt its economy
With demand growth for petroleum slowing far more rapidly than previously predicted, the success of the production curbs in reviving oil prices will significantly hinge on cartel discipline — something that has often been lacking in the past 2. Breaking out of election mode
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/breaking-out-of-election-mode-writes-venkaiah-naidu/article9176494.ece
Category: Governance Topic: Federalism
Key Points:
With India on the cusp of achieving rapid economic growth, we must ensure that development on all fronts is not hampered by frequent elections.
In the Past:
Holding of simultaneous elections between 1952 and 1967
Reasons in favour of Simultaneous elections
The cycle of continuous elections was affecting the developmental process and good governance
The process of separate elections was forcing the political class to typically think in terms of immediate electoral gains rather than focus on long-term programmes and policies for the overall progress of the nation and its people
Holding elections simultaneously would certainly save money, time and energy, and ensure effective governance, according to the Chief Election Commissioner
It would help in better coordination between the governments at the Centre and in various States
The country will achieve progress and remain strong only when the Centre and States act as equal partners, irrespective of the political differences of those governing at the national and regional levels
It would make our democracy stronger and healthier as it would provide a level playing field to all the players across all States
It will vastly reduce the burden on the exchequer
It will put an end to the practice of frequent deployment of police and other government staff on election duty in different States
Regarding Model Code of Conduct (MCC):
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has pointed out that the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct puts on hold the entire range of development activities of the Union and State governments
Frequent elections lead to imposition of MCC over prolonged periods of time leading to policy paralysis and government deficit
Challenge:
conducting concurrent elections is a humongous logistical task in terms of deployment of personnel, EVMs and other material
Conclusion:
The time has come to make a beginning and ensure political and administrative stability both at the Central and State levels for the country to march unhindered on the path to progress
Need build a political consensus on the issue, constitutional amendments to be put in place for fixed tenure of the legislative bodies for the process to be kick-started
3. N-deal with Japan ‘ready’ to be sealed http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ndeal-with-japan-ready-to-be-sealed/article9176599.ece
Category: International Relations
Topic: India-Japan
Key Points:
The India-Japan nuclear agreement, under discussion since 2008, is “ready to be signed”
According to the sources, the nuclear cooperation agreement which also needs to be cleared by the Japanese parliament or Diet
While India has refused to sign the NPT and CTBT treaties, it issued a unilateral moratorium on testing many years ago
Japan has been insisting that the nuclear deal include a clause that would cut off nuclear supplies should India test a weapon
India has thus far resisted the move, as this would disrupt its nuclear power programme
Japanese government sources are quoted as saying the “the pact will include a clause to halt Japanese cooperation with India if New Delhi conducts a nuclear test,” indicating that India has given in on this point
Japan has conceded on India’s demand that it be allowed to reprocess nuclear fuel from Japan, as long as India submits to inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA
If the deal is signed, it will be a big boost for India’s nuclear power industry as the two major U.S. companies planning plants in India — GE and Westinghouse — are both Japanese owned
India is also keen on Japanese funding for its clean energy projects
A deal with Japan, the world’s only victim of nuclear weapons as well a country deeply scarred by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, would be a powerful vote of confidence in India’s nuclear programme, in a year it hopes to push its bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group
C. GS3 Related
1. India ratifies Paris Climate agreement
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-ratifies-paris-climate-deal/article9176422.ece
Category: Environment Topic: Climate Change
Key Points:
India ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change by depositing the instrument of ratification with the United Nations
It was on the occasion of the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
A special event was organised to mark the occasion, also observed as the International Day of Nonviolence, at the UN headquarters
India is the 62nd country to ratify the agreement
India accounts for 4.1 per cent of the emissions, a UN statement said Gandhiji’s Relevance
Living through an age of triumphant industrial capitalism, Gandhi had warned of the dangers posed by the unbridled exploitation of natural resources
Gandhiji foresaw the pivotal role environment would occupy in development debates decades later
He was as an avid and early environmentalist
Encapsulating the whole idea of sustainable development more than seven decades ago he had said, “The earth, the air, the land and the water are not an inheritance from our fore fathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us”
2. Prognosis is good for India’s organ transplant programme
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/prognosis-is-good-for-indias-organ-transplant-programme/article9176579.ece
Category: Science and Technology Topic: Technology
Key Points:
India’s still nascent organ transplant programme is making progress
Efforts to increase the knowledge base are taking off and crucial policy decisions are taking shape
Officials of the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), National Informatics Centre (NIC) and other stakeholders will meet to draw a road map for documenting patient progress, networking all transplant hospitals of the country and also figure out the official policy to treat out-of-turn requests for organs
It’s not enough to have a database of donor pledges
The NIC is developing a national registry of organ and tissue donors
While the national registry will have robust data of donors that can be viewed by all hospitals, and where they can feed in details of patient progress, there are concerns ranging from maintaining donor confidentiality to ensuring that it is an inclusive exercise
3. Firms press accelerator to boost consumption http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/firms-press-accelerator-to-boost-consumption/article9176567.ece
Category: Indian Economy
Topic: Growth and development
Key Points:
The last year has seen a profusion of companies that are looking to give consumers loans of amounts smaller than those doled out by banks
Other companies looking to improve the credit ratings of consumers unable to secure loans
Still others trying to speed up the process by which electronic payments are made, and thereby incentivising consumption
In doing so, these companies are bolstering the one leg of the economy that is emerging as a prime driver of growth — personal consumption
The Bharat Microfinance Report 2016 by Sa-Dhan said — 61 per cent — of the non-income generating microfinance loans given in fiscal 2016 went towards financing consumption
The second-highest segment was housing, at 18 per cent.
Private Final Consumption Expenditure — the measure of how much is spent on food, clothing, footwear, electronics, etc. — worked out to 55 per cent of India’s GDP in the first quarter of this financial year
It shows how important private consumption is to the economy
In order to facilitate this consumption, a number of micro-lending companies that cater to those people looking for small loans that banks are not typically ready to give have sprung up
The Risk:
Lending is done at a certain interest cost
If it is done for consumption then it could generate a lot of NPAs since the loans are not being put to income generation uses
D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials
The Indian Express: Anatomy of the Urban Flood
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-urban-planning-agrarian-settlement-urban-floods-monsoon-poor-drainage-system-3061984/
Category: Indian Economy
Topic: Planning
Key Points:
A spectre, to misquote Karl Marx, it appears, is haunting India’s new urbanisation — the
spectre of agrarian pasts
In the last 15 years, it has repeatedly stalked Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Uttarakhand,
Guwahati, Srinagar in the form of urban floods
The fault lies in forgetting our agricultural past and ignoring climate change
It took us centuries to develop the complex systems of values assigned to lands in the
agrarian settlement
These values are based on soil conditions, gradient, location relative to other geographic and
geological features such as ground water, surface water, drainage patterns etc
Lands were strategically exploited for production, left fallow to recover, left unoccupied to
provide buffers against the cycles of excesses of nature
Urbanisation alters this agrarian imprint with new logics of efficiency and economy of service
delivery
After land use conversion for urbanisation, the boundaries change into rigid geometric
patterns
In the 1970s, lands that served ecological functions were occupied by the poor who migrated
into the city and found no housing
With increasing pressure for land monetisation, governments and public utilities are all
vying with each other to capture and convert land parcels to new uses
Ridge systems, stream paths, accumulation points in the valleys — all play critical roles in
managing precipitation and drainage — have been flattened
Conclusion:
We must recentre our policy and retrain our engineers into acknowledging our agrarian
past
We must manage urbanization well by careful observation, data gathering over long
periods of time, modelling the behaviour of nature in the altered context
We must review and revise revenue laws and rules that govern land categories and shape
land use change
How?
This requires homegrown multidisciplinary expertise
Import modelling tools and sensor technologies
Historical data must be generated, captured and curated
We can hire international consultants but native intelligence must be affirmed and
nurtured in our cities
F. CONCEPTS IN NEWS
1. India-Japan
2. Paris Climate deal
3. OPEC
4. Urbanisation
5. Simultaneous elections
Tags
NSG, Nuclear technology, climate change, federalism, private consumption
G. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
OPEC: http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/24.htm
Practice Questions
Date: 03 October, 2016 Category: International Relations Topic: Regional Groupings Source: Hindu Difficulty level: Moderate Type: Factual
1] Which of the following is true regarding OPEC?
i. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization
ii. OPEC has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (a)
Date: 03 October, 2016 Category: Governance Topic: Federalism Source: Hindu Difficulty level: Moderate Type: Analytical
2] Which of the following is/are true regarding federalism?
i. Cooperative federalism refers to a concept in which the state governments, local governments, and the federal government share responsibility in the governance of the people
ii. competitive federalism refers to getting states to compete for investments with each other as well as the centre
a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans(c)
Date: 03 October, 2016 Category: Geography Topic: India - Japan Source: Hindu Difficulty level: Easy Type: Factual
3] Which of the following statement/s is are true?
i. The famous cities of Nagoya and Osaka are located in the Honshu island of Japan ii. The islands in order from south to north are Hokkaidu, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu
a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans(a)
Date: 03 October, 2016 Category: Geography Topic: Indian Borders Source: World Map Difficulty level: Easy Type: Factual
4] Which of the following is true?
a. Durand Line: India-Afghanistan b. Radcliff Line: India-China c. Mc Mohan Line: India-Myanmar d. None of the above
Ans(a)
Date: 03rd October, 2016 Category: Environment
Topic: Climate Change Source: Hindu Difficulty level: Moderate Type: Factual
5] Which of the following is not one of the INDC’s of India?
i. India to reduce the Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 3o to 35 Per Cent by 2030 from 2005 Level
ii. India to create additional Carbon Sink of 2.5 to 3 Billion Tonnes of Co2 Equivalent through Additional Forest and Tree Cover by 2020 a. Only 1 b. Only 2 c. Both 2 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans(d)
Current News Analysis
04-10-2016
A.GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
1. Karnataka starts release of water, ends defiance of SC
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka-starts-release-of-water-ends-defiance-
of-sc/article9180876.ece
Category: Centre-State Relations
Topic: Inter-State Water Disputes
Key Points:
Post the unanimous resolution in the State legislature, Karnataka has ended its defiance of the
Supre e Court s orders a d has egu the release of 6,800 cusecs of water for irrigation
purposes from the KRS dam.
The decision comes in the wake of the Supreme courts observation on Sep 30th, warning
Karnataka not to invite contempt of court and ordered it to release 6,000 cusecs a day from
October 1 to 6.
The state legislature had passed a resolutio to e po er the “tate go er e t to release water to State irrigation canals. This means a portion of water could be released to neighboring
Tamil Nadu as well.
A carefully drafted resolution was passed by the two Houses — which had on Sep 23rd passed a
resolution that water could be drawn only for drinking purposes — stated that given the
increase in storage levels in the 4 reser oirs i the Cau er asi for the past da s, the “tate government may take an appropriate decision regarding the release of water for irrigation in the
best interests of the State.
2. SC a t i terve e, says Ce tre; High-power technical team can inspect Cauvery basin and
report back to the court
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-cant-intervene-says-centre/article9179481.ece
Category: Centre-State Relations
Topic: Inter-State Water Disputes
Key Points:
In its review petition filed in the SC, Karnataka said the order to direct the release of water and
setup the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) was violative of the National Water Policy of 2012,
which placed the requirement of drinking water as 1st priority over needs of irrigation.
Centre said that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to direct the setting up of CMB under
Article 262 of the Constitution and under the provisions of the Inter-State River Disputes Act,
1956.
Article 262 allows for a parliamentary law — Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 — to prohibit
the Supreme Court from intervening in inter-State water disputes.
Section 6 (2) of the 1956 Act states that the orders of tribunals set up by the govt under it has
the same force as an order of the Supreme Court. In short, the statutory law excluded the SC
from intervening against the 2007 final award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT).
Once the tribunal has pronounced a final award, it would fall on the Centre to work out a water-
sharing scheme based on the tribunal award. This scheme would be sent to the Parliament for
promulgation. It is the Parlia e t s sole right to a ul, ar , odif the Ce tre s s he e.
The Centre argued - The Supreme Court, by ordering the setting up of the CMB, has robbed the
Centre of its powers under the 1956 Act to frame a scheme based on the tribunal order. The
final authority is vested in the Parliament.
The Centre has instead suggested that the Secretary, Union Water Resources Ministry, set up a
high-po er te h i al tea i his apa it as the Chair a of the Cau er “uper isor Committee. This team would be led by G.S. Jha, Chairman of the Central Water Commission. The
team would proceed immediately to inspect the Cauvery river basin and report back to the
Supreme Court in 30 days.
3. Centre to amend rules on foreign funding
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-amend-rules-on-foreign-
funding/article9181035.ece
Category: Indian Polity
Topic: NGO’s, Pressure Groups
Key Points:
The Ministry of Home Affairs plans to further tighten the noose around NGOs, as it is all set
to amend the Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules making it compulsory for all voluntary
organisations to have dedicated accounts only in banks with core banking facilities to o
ensure their real-time access.
This would allow the security agencies to monitor the accounts on a real-time basis
The MHA is also making rules to ensure that no NGO is allowed to receive foreign funds
under the prior permission category more than once. The move comes in the backdrop of
Amnesty International India receiving foreign funds under the prior permission category at
least thrice
The new rules under Foreign Contribution Regulation are expected to be notified soon.
Most NGO s do ot ha e their FC‘A a ou ts i a ks ith core banking facilities, as
mandated. Most NGO s have opened their FCRA accounts in cooperative banks or State
government-owned apex banks.
4. Russia welcomes surgical strikes
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/russia-welcomes-surgical-strikes/article9181510.ece
Category: International Relations
Topic: India-Pak, India-Russia
Key Points:
Russia has welcomed the surgical strikes by India, saying every country has a right to defend
itself and this comes just days after it asked Islamabad to take concrete & effective steps to stop
the activities of terrorist groups operating in its territory,.
Russia has assured that it has always been with India in fighting cross-border terrorism.
Russia assured India that it need to worry about the Russia-Pakistan military exercise, since it did
ot take pla e i the Pakista -o upied I dia “tate of Ja u a d Kash ir
C.GS3 Related
1. BSF foils Uri-style attack in Baramulla but militants flee
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bsf-foils-uristyle-attack-in-baramulla-but-militants-
flee/article9181082.ece
Category: Security
Topic: India-Pakistan
Key Points:
Militants mounted a Uri-style attack at the Baramulla Army camp on Sunday night which was
repelled by the BSF jawans but at the cost of one casualty on the Indian side.
Security and Intelligence agencies suspect the militants were planning Uri-style attack on the
Army camp as one compass, one GPS and a wire cutter was recovered from the encounter site.
Kashmir has been very volatile in the past 87 days of street agitation and violence. There is
growing militant activity in the area as security agencies have stumbled upon videos of local
youth joining the militant ranks.
2. NIA picks up IS suspect from T.N.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/nia-picks-up-youth-with-suspected-is-
links-from-kadayanallur/article9179461.ece
Category: Internal Security
Topic: ISIS, NIA
Key Points:
A day after 6 youths were arrested in Kerala for their alleged links with the Islamic State (IS), the
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a man from Tirunelveli district for suspected
links with ISIS.
Acting on intelligence inputs gathered from Kerala, Delhi and Telangana, the NIA team fanned
out and conducted searches in Kozhikode and Kannur districts of Kerala and raided a hideout,
where it arrested five persons.
A senior intelligence officer privy to the raid said the suspect had gone to Turkey via Saudi
Arabia with an Indian passport, and worked closely with hard core religious groups there.
Even as he was about to be sent to Germany for a yet-to-be identified assignment by the ISIS,
the suspect lost his passport. After getting a temporary passport for him in Turkey, his friends
sent him back to India where he was arrested.
3. India Fair to boost intra-BRICS trade
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/india-fair-to-boost-intrabrics-
trade/article9181013.ece
Category: Economy
Topic: Multi-lateral treaties, BRICS
Key Points:
To stimulate trade among the BRICS nations, India, for the 1st time, will host a trade fair for the
bloc that also includes Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.
Intra-BRICS trade in 2014 stood at just $297 billion — less than 5% of the $6.5 trillion worth
trade that the five countries had with the world that year. Goods imports from the world into
the BRICS countries stood at $3.03 trillion in 2014, while global goods exports of BRICS countries
stood-out at $3.47 trillion that year.
The first ever BRICS Trade Fair & Exhibition will be held from October 12-14 in New Delhi, ahead
of the BRICS political summit in Goa. This initiative was a proposal made by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi last year.
The focus area of the Fair is Buildi g B‘ICS – I ovatio for Colla oratio . The Fair is meant to
give boost to intra-BRICS economic ties.
Established companies, start-ups and innovators from BRICS will showcase their offerings and
expertise to help technology solution providers share knowledge to help deal with challenges in
sectors such as -healthcare, education, energy efficiency, waste management and urbanization
management.
4. Reliance signs a JV with Dassault Aviation for Rafale
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/reliance-group-gets-an-edge-in-defence-
play/article9181005.ece
Category: Economy
Topic: Defence JV, Offset Clause in FDI
Key Points:
Reliance Group has signed an agreement with Dassault Aviation of France, the makers of Rafale
fighter jets, for a JV in India to be named as Dassault Reliance Aerospace, to execute and
implement offsets for the recently-concluded Rafale MMRCA deal.
The Rafale Jet deal that India signed has a 50% offset clause which has to be adhered to by
Dassault and its partners in India. This amounts to about Rs. 30,000 crore.
Due to the size of the offsets that India has mandated, there are likely to be other Indian offset
partners as well for Dassault. This will open up opportunities for the MSME sector through
sourcing and contracting.
The Joint Venture would focus on aero structures, electronics and engines and add value to the
infrastructure and supply chain in India for the aviation and aerospace sector.
D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials
The Hindu
1. In black and white; the Ce tre s ove to op up la k o ey
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/in-black-and-white/article9180987.ece
Category: Economy
Topic: Black Money
Key Points:
The Ce tre s poli to op up la k o e fro the e o o gi i g ta pa ers amnesty to declare undisclosed income of the past by paying tax on it at a higher rate of
45% has yielded a surprisingly positive outcome.
The 4 month window granted for tax evaders to come clean initially received a
lukewarm response , but later over 64,200 assesses have disclosed undeclared assets
worth at least Rs.65,250 crore.
Warnings from the PM himself about impending tough action and possible jail terms
defaulters in declaring black money has added pu h to the Fi a e Mi istr s pit h.
The Central Board for Direct Taxes (CBDT) has rightly focused on demystifying and
propagating the scheme, so the defaulters were reassured that they would not be
persecuted.
The tax revenues from this disclosure provide a cushion for the Centre with regard to
fiscal deficit management si e it had t set any revenue expectations from this
scheme.
However, the Centre must not consider this to be the end of its campaign on black
money. CBDT is well aware that Rs.65,250 crore is just the tip of the iceberg — it had
sent 7 lakh letters to suspected evaders based on information on about 90 lakh high-
value transactions that took place without PAN card details.
CBDT must crack down on such evaders and build up its data-mining techniques to
expand the existing shallow tax base of India. While the depart e t s efforts has
revealed undisclosed income of over Rs.58,000 crore in the last 2.5 years, and more is
being pursued from tax havens where Indian holdings have come to light, all of this is
similar to treating the symptoms of a disease without addressing the root cause.
If the Centre is really serious about putting an end to I dia s thri ing black economy, it
needs to take bolder steps and, as a starter it can make electoral funding transparent,
curb the misuse of tax-free income sops for farmers by the wealthy, and incentivize
cashless transactions.
2. The elusive peace in Colombia
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/the-elusive-peace-in-
colombia/article9180991.ece
Category: International Relations
Topic: Colombia-FARC
Key Points:
Colombia has narrowly missed out on an opportunity to end its 5 decade long civil war. If a
ajorit of the ele torate had oted es i “u da s refere du o a pea e deal reached
between the government and the guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC), the process of disarming the rebels would have been immediately set in motion.
The peace deal was rejected by a very thin majority, throwing the future of peace into an abyss.
The popular anger against FARC is understandable. FARC is accused of massacres, trading in
illegal narcotics and running extortion mafias.
The major riti is is that justi e is ei g sa rifi ed for the sake of a hie i g pea e . U der the terms of the current deal, ost of FA‘C s rank and file would be permitted to lead civilian
lives. The FARC leadership will be judged by special tribunals with reduced sentences.
Despite its imperfections, this was the best opportunity in decades to end the civil war in which
both parties have committed grave crimes. The atrocities committed by FARC are well-
documented and at the same time government troops and the army-backed right-wing
paramilitaries too stand accused of excessive use of force, human rights violations and turning
the Colombia into a war zone.
President Santos differed from his predecessors by realizing that there was no military solution
to this conflict, leading to negotiations with the rebels 4 years ago with Cuba serving as a
mediator.
The No ote does t e essaril ea that the ou tr ill be pushed back into war. Both
Preside t “a tos a d FA‘C hief Ti o he ko ha e said that they would continue efforts to
establish peace.
The Colombian government should also try to win over the opposition, which would strengthen
its appeal to the public for a deal. The alternative to peace is to send FARC back to the jungles
and risk a potential resumption of the civil war.
F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
Cauvery Management Board
Inter-State River Disputes Act, 1956
Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
Surgical Strikes
2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS Links to Refer
Inter-State River Disputes Act, 1956
Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal
http://wrmin.nic.in/forms/list.aspx?lid=366
http://wrmin.nic.in/forms/list.aspx?lid=378
3. Tags
Cauvery Water Dispute
Colombia-FARC Peace Deal
Reliance-Dassault
NIA-ISIS
FCRA
Practice Questions
Date: 4th October, 2016
Category: Centre-State Relations
Topic: Inter-State Water Disputes
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Conceptual
1. Which of the following statements are correct with regard to the Inter-State Water Disputes Act
i) It aims to satisfy Article 262 of the Indian Constitution.
ii) The Tribunal shall have the same powers as are vested in a civil court under the Code of Civil
Procedure
a) i) and ii) only
b) i) only
c) ii) only
d) None
Ans (a)
Date: 4th October, 2016
Category: Internal security
Topic: Security Organisations
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
2. Consider the following statements:
1. BSF is mandated to guard the India-Pakistan Border alone
2. BSF is mandated to guard India-Pak and as well as India-China Border
Which are correct?
(a.) 1 only
(b.) 2 only
(c.) Both 1 and 2
(d.) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (d)
Date: 4th October, 2016
Category: Environment
Topic: Endangered Species
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Difficult
Type: Conceptual
3. Which of the following bird in India is endangered due to the effects of use of Diclofenac?
a)Indian Vulture b)Peacock
c)Great Indian Bustard d)Great horned owl.
Ans (a)
Date: 4th October, 2016
Category: International Relations
Topic: Narcotics
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
4. FARC, which has been recently in news, is a militant-narco group of which country?
(a). Colombia (b). Brazil
(c). Peru (d). Ecuador
Ans (a)
Date: 4th October, 2016
Category: National organizations - NPS
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
5. Which of the following statements are correct with regard to NIA?
1. NIA acts as the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency.
2. NIA was established by executive resolution of the Central government.
(a.) 1 only
(b.) 2 only
(c.) Both 1 and 2
(d.) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (a)
Current News Analysis
05-10-2016
A. GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
1. Cauvery board formation put off, SC gives nod for technical team
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cauvery-board-formation-put-off-sc-
gives-nod-for-technical-team/article9184455.ece
Category: Polity
Topic: Inter-state river waste disputes
Key Points:
The Supreme Court put on hold its order to constitute the Cauvery Management Board
(CMB) and finally settled for the Centre’s suggestion to appoint a technical team to visit
the Cauvery basin and report back on the ground reality there. The centre said while the
CMB was recommended by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in its final order in
2007, the tribunal award itself was under challenge in the Supreme Court. “I am only
asking this court to defer its order for the constitution of the Board till disposal of the
appeals,” Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi submitted.
Technical team – It will be led by G.S. Jha, Chairman, Central Water Commission will
visit the river basin along with nominees of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and
Kerala to submit a report in the Supreme Court by October 17. The court will hear the
matter on October 18.
Tamil Nadu’s stand – It accused the Centre of playing into the hands of the Karnataka
government to deny the people of Tamil Nadu their share of Cauvery water.
Meanwhile, the Apex court ordered Karnataka to release 2,000 cusecs of water from
October 7 to 18.
The court recorded Karnataka’s submission that, pursuant to the apex court orders, it
has released 17.5 TMC water from September 5 to 30. This was disputed by Tamil Nadu,
which said that only 16.9 TMC was released during the period. Tamil Nadu submitted
that Karnataka was in deficit of 4.6 TMC in September and has to release 22 TMC in
October as per the 2007 tribunal award. Karnataka informed the court that it would
complete the release of 3.1 TMC by October 6.
2. Latin America gradually marches towards the Right
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/latin-america-gradually-
marches-towards-the-right/article9185692.ece
Category: International
Topic: Latin America
Key Points:
It was not a good time for Latin America’s Leftists. Colombia rejected a peace deal with
Marxist rebels, delivering a very public victory to Alvaro Uribe, the conservative former
President who campaigned passionately against it. The voters in Brazil too handed a
resounding defeat to the Leftist party that once controlled their country, knocking it down
in municipal elections.
It was just another sign of the shift to the Right in Latin America. In less than a year,
voters have thwarted the Leftist movement in Argentina and elected a former investment
banker as President of Peru, while lawmakers impeached the Leftist leader of Brazil.
Factors responsible: The sharp drop in commodities prices has eroded economic growth
around Latin America and the support Leftist governments once drew from it. The clout
of evangelical Christian mega-churches is expanding, and they are confronting socially
liberal policies and channelling widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo; Leaders
embracing market-friendly policies are eclipsing the Leftists who exerted sway around
the Americas in the previous decade. Once-powerful Leftist Presidents like Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva of Brazil and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina now face
corruption inquiries.
3. Santos, FARC scramble to save deal
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/santos-farc-scramble-to-
save-deal/article9185693.ece
Category: International issues
Topic: FARC - Colombia
Key Points:
Colombian government opened a new national dialogue to seek peace with FARC
(Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army) rebels as both sides
scrambled to revive a peace deal to end the half-century conflict.
In an address a day after voters rejected the agreement in a referendum, Colombian
President Juan Manuel Santos asked the government’s chief negotiator Humberto de la
Calle to “begin discussions as soon as possible addressing all the necessary issues to have an agreement and realise the dream of every Colombian to end the war with the FARC”.
Overview:
FARC – It is a guerrilla movement involved in the continuing Colombian armed conflict
since 1964. It has been known to employ a variety of military tactics in addition to more
unconventional methods, including terrorism.
4. Hurricane Matthew
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/hurricane-matthew-
hits-haiti/article9185694.ece
Category: International issues
Topic: Disasters
Key Points:
Hurricane Matthew churned across the Caribbean toward Haiti with devastating force
after claiming its first victims in the impoverished island nation. More than 6,400 people
had been evacuated to temporary shelters immediately across Haiti.
Cuba evacuated some 316,000 people from the east of the island.
C.GS3 Related
1. EU vote paves the way for Paris deal ratification
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/eu-vote-paves-the-way-for-
paris-deal-ratification/article9185699.ece
Category: Environment
Topic: Ratification of Paris pact
Key Points:
A majority of the members voted in favour of ratifying the Paris Agreement in a
historic vote held at the plenary session of the EU Parliament in Strasbourg.
As per the rules of the Paris pact, adopted last year the cumulative emissions of the
ratifying parties must cross the minimum required threshold of 55 per cent of global
emissions for it to enter into force. EU’s vote will help the treaty to cross this
minimum. Accounting for approximately 12 per cent of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions globally, the EU-28 nations will add to the 52 per cent of global emissions
that the 62 ratifying parties have covered already.
France said that the EU is looking to formally submit its ratification instruments very
shortly, which will ensure that the treaty comes into force by November 7, when the
22nd Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change takes off in Marrakesh, Morocco. As per the rules, the Agreement will enter
into force 30 days after at least 55 parties, representing at least 55 per cent of global
emissions have ratified it.
2. New regime at RBI
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/new-regime-at-rbi-debuts-with-rate-
cut/article9185779.ece
Category: Economy
Topic: RBI
Key Points:
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided at its first policy review to reduce
the benchmark repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 6.25 per cent. The Reserve
Bank of India’s key policy interest rate has now been cut to its lowest level since
2011.
The decision of the MPC is consistent with an accommodative stance of monetary
policy in consonance with the objective of achieving consumer price index inflation
at 5 per cent by Q4 of 2016-17.
MPC also, hinted that there was scope for policy interest rates to ease further when he
said the neutral rate is 1.25 per cent, which is lower than the 1.5-2 per cent regime
that prevailed under the previous governor Raghuram Rajan.
The neutral rate is the difference between the risk free rate and inflation - a key
determinant of the policy rate.
RBI says NPA situation to be dealt with firmness, pragmatism –
The NPA situation is an important issue for the RBI and India. RBI said it will deal
the situation with firmness and pragmatism so the economy does not feel any lack of
credit to support the growth in the economy. But we must remember that the situation
has not occurred overnight and therefore will require skill and thoughtful endeavour
to resolve.
Just five sectors contribute 61 per cent of the stressed assets of the banking sector –
infra, steel, textiles, power and telecom. The sectors are each individually important
and dealing with stressed assets will require skill and creativity. There are many
reasons that led to this situation, but now helping banks to deal with this situation is
of the utmost importance for the country. We will move at various levels to address
the situation and we have indeed done so. We are working with the banks and the
government on the subject.
3.Final black money tally may increase by Rs.10,000 crore
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/final-black-money-tally-
mayincrease-by-rs10000-crore/article9185677.ece
Category: Economy
Topic: Black money
Key Points:
The final black money disclosures tally may grow by an estimated Rs.10,000 crore, as
part of the declarations made under the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS), as the
Income Tax department is expected to submit final verification of the records to the
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently announced Black money amounting
to Rs.65,250 crore was declared through the one-time declaration window as part of
Income Declaration Scheme (IDS).
D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials
The Hindu
1. Clinching the N-deal with Japan
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/clinching-the-ndeal-with-
japan/article9185683.ece
India has completed agreements for civil nuclear cooperation with 11 countries so
far, including the U.S., Russia, Australia, Canada and South Korea, but the upcoming
agreement with Japan could be the most significant.
Japan is the only country to have been the victim of a nuclear attack, and its decision
to sign an agreement with India, a country that has not signed the Treaty on the Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), would be a first. Reservations in Japan
against nuclear energy have hardened after the Fukushima accident. Tokyo’s support to the deal so far is therefore an indication of the importance it accords to relations
with India.
For India, the civil nuclear agreement with Japan is especially important for the
message of trust it would convey to Nuclear Suppliers Group members in a year the
country hopes to have its admission accepted. Japan’s support at the NSG has been particularly marked. In fact, India and Japan share many multilateral platforms,
including membership of the G-4 group that is knocking at the UN Security
Council’s door for reform.
Beyond symbolic reasons, Japanese nuclear energy technology and safety parameters
are widely considered to be cutting-edge, and many critical parts needed for Indian
reactors are made by Japanese manufacturers. These will not be available to India
until the agreement is done. Although India has even considered trying to
manufacture them locally, there won’t be alternatives to Japan for several years. Even the U.S. civil nuclear deal, that is yet to be actualised, is contingent on the deal with
Japan, given that the current discussions for six reactors in Andhra Pradesh are with
Westinghouse, which is owned by the Japanese company Toshiba.
It may appear baffling why the deal has taken so long to negotiate. The main sticking
point has been India’s refusal to sign the NPT, as it considers the treaty unfair to the developing world. This is why New Delhi is keen on ensuring that in the haste to seal
the deal by the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Japan this winter, it doesn’t
give in to pressure to adhere to anything more than its own self-declared moratorium
on testing.
The Japanese insistence on a nullification clause that the agreement would cease as
soon as India tests will be judged with this balance in mind. Particularly post-
Fukushima, Japanese manufacturers will also be expected to be more generous with
India on the liability issue, given their own experience with the enormous cost of
cleaning up. As always, and even more so than with the India-U.S. agreement, the
devil will be in the detail of the final draft.
2. Bolstering growth amid risks
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/bolstering-growth-amid-
risks/article9185684.ece
The Monetary Policy Committee’s decision, at its maiden meeting, to cut the
benchmark repurchase (repo) rate by 25 basis points held no surprise for markets.
What had been on watch was the language of the policy statement, the extent of
consensus in the committee and the manner in which the new Reserve Bank of India
Governor and chairman of the MPC, Urjit Patel, presented the central bank’s positions.
Articulating the main concern that informed the newly constituted rate-setting
panel’s rationale for reducing interest rates, Mr. Patel said the global demand
environment was clearly looking far bleaker than previously anticipated, with the
forecast for world economic growth set to be downgraded further. The focus, he
signalled, therefore needs to remain on supporting the domestic economy through an
accommodative monetary stance. That the MPC has opted to lay primacy on
‘supporting growth’ while keeping its sights firmly trained on the RBI’s central remit to target a medium-term retail inflation objective of 4 per cent, within a band of
plus/minus 2 per cent, bodes well. Decision-making by committee is never easy, and
given the short time the MPC had since its constitution last month, the lucidity of the
policy statement shows its six members have hit the ground running. While the minutes of the meeting that will reveal each member’s arguments will
become available on October 18, all six voted for the rate cut. The decision reflects
the broad consensus that the risks to growth from global uncertainty and financial
markets volatility remain high, especially ahead of the U.S. presidential election, and
that a rate stimulus was warranted given the recent slowing in retail inflation. Even as it expects an improvement in the outlook for food inflation on the back of
increased sowing and supply management measures undertaken by the government,
the MPC has been cautious in flagging the risks to the trajectory for price gains. In
the panel’s opinion, the main factors that could play a contributory role in furthering a fresh ‘cost spiral’ would be the higher house rent allowances mandated by the
Seventh Pay Commission, the increase in minimum wages and the possible spillovers
through minimum support prices. Multiple factors augur well for the outlook for both
the industrial and services sectors. But the worsening trade demand could offset the
gross value added (GVA) momentum, the MPC noted, while retaining the RBI’s GVA growth forecast of 7.6 per cent. That the panel has made a decisive start to
rate-setting through deliberation is clear; how it weathers harsher domestic and
external challenges, should they emerge, remains to be seen.
F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
Non-performing assets
UNFCCC – Paris pact
Gross value addition (GVA)
Monetary policy committee
Inter-State river water disputes act, 1956
River boards act, 1956 – Cauvery water management board
Art 262
2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS Links to Refer
Paris pact http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php
3. Tags
INDC
Nuclear non proliferation treaty (NPT)
Income declaration scheme
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Practice Questions
Date: 5
th October, 2016
Category: International issues
Topic: Disasters
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Conceptual
1. Which country was recently hit by Hurricane Mathew?
a) Haiti
b) West Indies
c) Australia
d) Mexico
Ans (a)
Date: 5
th October, 2016
Category: Environment
Topic: UN Climate award
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
2. Which Organization won the 2016 UN Climate award for promoting the use of clean
technologies to promote sustainable development?
(a.) Union ministry of environment and forests
(b.) National Green corps
(c.) Swayam Shikshan Prayog – an Indian NGO
(d.) Environment management and policy research institute (EMPRI)
Ans (c)
Date: 5th October, 2016
Category: Environment
Topic: Climate change
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Difficult
Type: Conceptual
3. How many times India has hosted Conference of parties (COP) to UNFCCC i.e. Climate
change summit?
a) Once b) Twice
c) Thrice d) India has never hosted it
Ans (a)
Date: 5th October, 2016
Category: Indian constitution
Topic: SC Judgments
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
4. The famous Keshavananda Bharati case -1973 is related to
(a.) Basic structure of the Indian constitution
(b.) Preamble
(c.) Both a and b
(d.) Neither a nor b
Ans (c)
Date: 2nd
October, 2016
Category: Rivers
Topic: Kaveri Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
5. Consider the following rivers :
1. Arkavathi 2. Sharavathi
3. Netravathi 4. Kabini
Which of the above are tributaries of River Cauvery?
a. 1,2 and 3
b. 1,3 and 4
c. 1 and 4 only
d. 2 and 3 only
Ans (c)
Current News Analysis
06-10-2016
A. GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
1.Nobel prize - 2016
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/nobel-prize-in-medicine-awarded-
to-yoshinori-ohsumi/article9180014.ece
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/physics-nobel-awarded-for-
discoveries-on-exotic-matter/article9184032.ece
Category: International awards
Topic: Nobel Prize
Key Points:
Nobel Prize in Medicine - The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi, professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology for his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy - a fundamental process for degrading and recycling cellular components.
Nobel laureate in Medicine, Christian de Duve coined the term autophagy (meaning self
eating) in 1963.
Nobel Prize in Physics - British-born scientists David J. Thouless, F. Duncan Haldane
and J. Michael Kosterlitz won the Nobel Physics Prize for deep new ideas in quantum
theory of matter, using topology.
The discovery opened the door on an unknown world where matter can assume strange states. They have used advanced mathematical methods to study unusual phases, or states, of matter, such as superconductors, superfluids or thin magnetic films.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry – It has been awarded to Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa for developing molecular machines.
2.Singapore PM says India needs to remove bottlenecks for more investment
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-needs-to-remove-bottlenecks-
singapore-pm/article9189369.ece
Category: Bilateral
Topic: Indo-Singapore
Key Points:
Citing land acquisition, over-regulation and legal hassles among the biggest bottlenecks, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong said India is not as open for business as investors hope. He further said “For trade to grow, India must make a strategic decision that you want to encourage interdependence and more openness and more trade-based economy”. The Singapore Prime Minister’s words are significant as the city state is the biggest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India. In the last financial year, it overtook Mauritius on FDI inflows, accounting for US$13.7 Bn, which was more than one third of all FDI coming into India.
While India and Singapore have stepped up contacts as a part of the centre’s Look east
and Act east policy, bilateral trade between India and Singapore has declined year on year, down 11.2% in 2015-2016 to US $15 billion compared to 2014-2015, with Indian exports dropping 21.2% in a year.
3. ICJ rejects disarmament case against India
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/un-court-rejects-disarmament-case-
against-india/article9189370.ece
Category: International issues
Topic: UN - ICJ
Key Points:
International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected nuclear disarmament cases filed by the Pacific nation of the Marshall Islands against Britain, India and Pakistan, saying it did not have jurisdiction. The United Nations’ highest court – ICJ ruled that the Marshall Islands had failed to prove that a legal dispute over disarmament existed between it and the three nuclear powers before the case was filed in 2014.
The Marshall Islands originally filed cases against all nine nations that have declared
or are believed to possess nuclear weapons: the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. But only the cases against Britain, India and Pakistan got to the preliminary stage of proceedings.
Note - In a landmark 1996 advisory opinion, the court said that using or threatening to use nuclear arms would “generally be contrary to” the laws of war and humanitarian law. But it added that it could not definitively rule on whether the threat or use of nuclear weapons would be legal “in an extreme circumstance of self-defence, in which the very
survival of a state would be at stake.” The judges in 1996 also unanimously stated that there is a legal obligation “to pursue in good faith” nuclear disarmament talks.
4. U.S. poll offers Kremlin a window of opportunity in Syria
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/us-poll-offers-
kremlin-a-window-of-opportunity-in-syria/article9190091.ece
Category: International issues
Topic: Syria
Key Points:
According to analysts in Russia and U.S. - Russia is using the waning days of the Obama administration to strengthen President Bashar Al-Assad’s hold on power, expand the territory he controls in Syria and constrain the options of the next U.S. President in responding to the civil war.
According to them, the current strategy of President Vladimir Putin of Russia is to move aggressively in what he sees as a prime window of opportunity - the four months between now and the 2017 presidential inauguration.
Russia’s intervention in the war represents the Kremin’s most important military foothold in West Asia in decades and has enabled Moscow to showcase the military’s ability to project power.
C.GS3 Related
1. Union cabinet apporoves bill to protect HIV community from bias
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bill-to-protect-hiv-community-from-
bias-gets-approval/article9188216.ece
Category: Science & Technology
Topic: Developments
Key Points:
The Union Cabinet approved the long-awaited amendments to the HIV Bill, to provide
stronger protection to the country’s HIV community. The Bill prohibits discrimination
against people living with HIV (PLHIV) in accessing healthcare, acquiring jobs, renting
houses or in education institutions in the public and private sectors.
According to the 2015 Global Burden of Diseases (GBD), there are approximately 21 lakh
estimated to be living with HIV in India and the percentage of patients receiving
antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment currently stands at a mere 25.82% as against the
global percentage of 41%.
The Union ministry of Health affairs said HIV and AIDS Bill, 2014 will bring legal
accountability and establish a formal mechanism to probe discrimination complaints against
those who discriminate against such people. It seeks to prevent stigma and discrimination
against people living with HIV.
These amendments will allow families that have faced discrimination to go to court against
institutions or persons being unfair. It also requires that no person shall be compelled to
disclose his HIV status except with his informed consent, and if required by a court order.
It lists various grounds on which discrimination against HIV-positive persons and those
living with them is prohibited. These include the denial, termination, discontinuation or
unfair treatment with regard to employment, educational establishments, health care services,
residing or renting property, standing for public or private office, and provision of insurance.
D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials
The Hindu
1. Dis uiet o e Cau e y’s flo s
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/disquiet-over-cauverys-
flows/article9189257.ece
When the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) proposed the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board, it did so for very good reasons. During monsoon deficit years, the pattern of flows in the different sub-basins will not match the schedule of water deliveries worked out on the basis of normal year readings. The CMB was conceived as a body that would monitor the storage position in the Cauvery basin and the trend of rainfall, and assess the likely inflows for distribution among the States.
The tribunal was emphatic in its final award: the CMB is integral to the resolution of disputes, between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and also Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and Tamil Nadu and Kerala, over the schedule of releases for irrigation downstream. For the Central government to now oppose the setting up of the CMB, taking cover under Article 262 of the Constitution and the provisions of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 that forbid the Supreme Court from intervening in inter-State water disputes is little more than a streak of twisted logic. Indeed, the Section of the 1956 Act that gives the orders of tribunals set up by the government under it the same force as an order of the Supreme Court is being invoked not to strengthen the orders of the Cauvery tribunal but to subvert one of its crucial recommendations.
The Supreme Court’s direction to the Centre to constitute the CMB was in keeping with the tribunal order, and not in contravention of it, as the government was trying to make it appear.
The fact that the Centre did such a hasty U-turn on the CMB while making its submission in the Supreme Court suggests that political factors may have been at play. The Assembly election in Karnataka, where the BJP has high stakes, is less than two years away. In contrast, Tamil Nadu, where the BJP has no real base, has recently concluded its election. If there is a good legal argument against the setting up of the CMB, it is that a larger, three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court is already seized of the matter. Tamil Nadu’s plea to constitute the CMB had been clubbed along with the main appeal filed challenging the 2007 final award of the CWDT.
In the short term, the Supreme Court’s acceptance of the suggestion that a technical team
visit the Cauvery basin and report back on the ground realities seems to be the only certain way of depoliticising the dispute. But any long-term solution will necessarily have to be on the basis of the well-thought-out recommendations of the CWDT, and the mechanism provided for the sharing of waters in a year of distress.
F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
Nobel Prize
International court of justice (ICJ)
Water management board
Inter-State river water disputes act, 1956
River boards act, 1956 – Cauvery water management board
Arab spring – Syrian crisis
2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS Links to Refer
International Court of Justice (ICJ) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Court_of_Justice
3. Tags
HIV
ICJ
Practice Questions
Date: 6
th October, 2016
Category: Environment
Topic: Climate change Source: The Hindu Difficulty level: Medium Type: Factual
1. Which of the following islands have experienced highest coral bleaching so far due to climate change?
a) Kirbatti islands
b) Marshall islands
c) Cook islands
d) Palau islands
Ans (b)
Date: 6
th October, 2016
Category: Indian rivers
Topic: Cauvery Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium Type: Factual
2. Which of the following islands is/are a part of Cauvery river basin?
(1) Srirangapatnam
(2) Srirangam
(3) Shivanasamudram
(a.) (1) & (2) only
(b.) (1) & (3) only
(c.) (2) & (3) only
(d.) All 3 are correct
Ans (d)
Date: 6th October, 2016
Category: Economy Topic: FDI
Source: The Hindu Difficulty level: Easy Type: Factual
3. In 2015-16, which country overtook Mauritius on FDI inflows, accounting for US$13.7 Bn, which was more than one third of all FDI coming into India?
a) Singapore b) U.K.
c) Netherlands d) Maldives
Ans (a)
Date: 6th October, 2016
Category: S&T
Topic: Developments Source: The Hindu Difficulty level: Medium Type: Factual
4. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is related to
(a.) Human papiloma virus (HPV)
(b.) Hepatitis
(c.) Human Immuno deficiency virus (HIV)
(d.) None of these
Ans (c)
Date: 6th October, 2016
Category: International
Topic: UN - ICJ Difficulty level: Medium Type: Factual
5. Consider the following statements regarding International Court of Justice (ICJ) :
1. It is the primary judicial branch of the UN
2. It settles legal disputes submitted to it by states and provides advisory opinions on legal
questions submitted to it by UN General Assembly.
Which are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (c)
Current News Analysis
07-10-2016
A. GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
1. SC threatens to snap BCCI funding for domestic cricket
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/sc-threatens-to-snap-bcci-funding-for-
domestic-cricket/article9192927.ece
Category: Indian polity
Topic: Judiciary
Key Points:
The Supreme court threatened to pass an order within 24 hours to stop all BCCI
payments to State cricket associations for hosting domestic matches, including Ranji
Trophy. The court warned BCCI that there will be no domestic cricket matches if the
BCCI and its members do not fall in line with the Lodha committee reforms.
The Apex court indicated its intention to direct the reimbursement of Rs. 400 crore
disbursed by the BCCI to State cricket associations on September 30 in a Special
General Meeting (SGM). The SGM had happened merely two days after the Supreme
Court-appointed Justice R.M. Lodha committee moved the apex court with a plea to
replace the current BCCI top brass for causing impediments to the panel’s work to usher in transparency in the cricket administration.
Ultimatum to BCCI - A Bench led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur gave an
ultimatum to the BCCI to give an undertaking by October 7 to unconditionally
comply with the reforms of the Justice Lodha Committee upheld by the Supreme
Court.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal who represented the BCCI responded “it was not possible” for the Board to persuade all the member State associations to fall in line within the next few hours.
2.East Aleppo faces destruction shortly
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/east-aleppo-faces-destruction-
by-dec/article9193592.ece
Category: International issues
Topic: Syrian crisis
Key Points:
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan da Mistura made an impassioned
appeal to save eastern Aleppo, warning the city faced total destruction and urging
Islamist fighters to leave so civilians can get aid.
Addressing himself to the Russians and the Syrian government, he asked: “Are you really ready to continue this type of level of fighting using that type of weapons, and de
facto destroy the whole city of eastern Aleppo ... which is home to 275,000 people for the
sake of eliminating 1,000 al Nusra fighters?”
3. India, Sri Lanka eye economic pact
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/india-sri-lanka-eye-
economic-pact/article9194758.ece
Category: Bilateral
Topic: Indo – Sri Lanka cooperation
Key Points:
India and Sri Lanka will sign an Enhanced bilateral economic partnership - Economic
and Technical Co-operation agreement (ETCA) by the end of 2016 to allow the free flow
of services, investments and technology. This will be in addition to the existing Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two nations.
Impact: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that closer economic
ties can accelerate growth among India’s five southern States and Sri Lanka and categorically denied there was any military engagement involved in the island nation’s negotiations with China for its ‘One Road, One Belt’ initiative.
Sri Lanka’s PM also suggested the creation of a larger special zone of economic co-
operation around the Bay of Bengal to India, which takes on board Singapore, Indonesia
and Malaysia in addition to BIMSTEC countries. He further said Sri Lanka is
negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Singapore, while India already has
comprehensive economic partnership pact with the latter, so there is scope for a trilateral
arrangement to boost the three economies.
Note - BIMSTEC stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation. Its members are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.
C.GS3 Related
1.GM mustard unlikely to get approval this rabi season
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/markets/commodities/gm-mustard-
unlikely-to-get-approval-this-rabi-season/article9193436.ece
Category: Bio-technology
Topic: GM crops
Key Points:
Union ministry of Environment said GM mustard, which was open for public consultation
and received a nod from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), is unlikely
to be approved during the ongoing season.
The crop is facing opposition from organic food proponents. Environmental activists have
petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a moratorium on release of the crop without adequate
and comprehensive bio-safety data, including feeding studies, which according to the petition
has not been conducted.
One of the crucial points of contention is has remained that the Ministry has not released the
bio-safety dossier into the public domain despite orders from the Central Information
Commission.
D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials
The Hindu
1. Chief minister in a hurry
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/chief-minister-in-a-
hurry/article9194782.ece
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will clearly leave no stone unturned in giving his
prohibition policy a legislative punch. Within days of the Patna High Court striking a
blow to the total prohibition regime in the State, the government notified the Bihar
Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, and approached the Supreme Court to challenge the
High Court order.
The haste throws some light on Mr. Kumar’s political strategy, which is aimed at
distinguishing himself in a crowded landscape. Prohibition was his main campaign
outreach to women voters in the 2015 Assembly elections.
Having won the votes of women in earlier elections on schemes such as bicycles for
schoolgirls, prohibition gave his Janata Dal (United) an added moral aura he was
fighting a no-holds-barred election against his former ally, the BJP, and he was
fighting in alliance with Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal.
In the event, he was returned to the Chief Minister’s post, but with the RJD getting a greater number of MLAs than the JD(U). Mr. Kumar’s natural claim to the big post draws from his personal credibility, seen to be more potent than his party’s. This connect with a wide cross-section of the public, as a politician empathetic to aspirations for a
dignified, socially and educationally empowered life, had him in the fray for a larger
national role during his BJP-allied days, and so too in his current anti-BJP politics.
The prohibition plank, with its Gandhian overtones and empathetic message to women,
gives Mr. Kumar a chance to arrogate to himself the mantle of a moral campaigner
nationally. In the immediate term, it allows him to set himself apart from the RJD’s rougher politics, and change the subject soon after his government found itself emitting
the wrong message on law and order, particularly when Mohammad Shahabuddin was
briefly out on bail. By attempting to overcome the High Court order, Mr. Kumar may
have underlined his assertiveness, but he has, in the process, missed the opportunity the
court gave him to reconsider the harsh punishments outlined in the previous law, with all
the questions they pose for civil liberties, as well as the very architecture of the
legislation.
The prohibition regime forces the deployment of the police to seal the State’s border, and away from more mindful policing within, which was the change Mr. Kumar’s long chief ministership promised. The punishment worked into the current law gives the police
greater opportunity for rent-seeking. This may alienate the very constituencies that keep
him in the running for a role larger than his party’s electoral footprint.
2. Stamping down on prejudice
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/stamping-down-on-
prejudice/article9194780.ece
The revival of the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014, and the
Union Cabinet’s approval for provisions that make discrimination against people
living with the virus punishable, are positive steps. Such laws, however, can only
deliver benefits within the overall constraints imposed by an underfunded public
health system.
Where the legislation can make some difference, with active monitoring by
HIV/AIDS support groups, is in ensuring that acquiring the infection does not mean
an end to education, employment, access to housing and healthcare due to
discrimination. The success of the anti-discrimination aspects hinges on the readiness
of governments to accept the inquiry findings of ombudsmen, to be appointed under
the law, and provide relief. Since the new law is intended to both stop the spread of
the disease and help those who have become infected get antiretroviral therapy as
well as equal opportunity, it will take a high degree of commitment to provide
effective drugs to all those in need. In August, the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare put the number of people getting free treatment nationally at 9,65,000, of
which 53,400 are children. This must be viewed against the most recent estimate last
year, that 2.1 million people live with HIV in India, of whom 7,90,000 are women.
Regional variations in access to diagnosis and treatment must be addressed.
The legislation and the structure of complaints redress that it proposes should
provide some relief to thousands of families that face discrimination in admitting
children to school, an infected individual getting a job, or treatment in hospital. Unlike many other diseases, however, HIV/AIDS has received global attention and
funding, thus building up pressure on governments to come up with supportive
policies. Communities will now have the opportunity to ensure that the strongest
element of the prospective law, assuring confidentiality of HIV status, is enforced. A
breach could invite imprisonment and a fine. Yet, the proposals approved by the
Cabinet fail on one important count: the insurance industry is allowed to use actuarial
calculations to limit access to products to people with HIV. The Centre’s initiative is palpably weak, since a universal system would not discriminate against people with
any form of illness, and would fully embrace the goal of health and welfare for all.
National AIDS Control Organisation data for 2015 indicate that while there is an
overall decline in HIV prevalence among visitors to antenatal clinics, there was a rise
in nine States. The government must get down to business and close such gaps.
F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
Lodha committee – BCCI reforms
Arab spring – Syrian crisis
One road – One belt initiative
FTA - Economic cooperation & technology agreement
GM crops
National AIDS control organization
HIV
2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS Links to Refer
Genetic engineering approval
committee (GEAC)
National AIDS Control Organisation
(NACO)
http://dbtbiosafety.nic.in/committee/geac.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_AIDS_Control_Organisation
3. Tags
HIV
ETCA
One road one belt initiative
Practice Questions
Date: 7
th October, 2016
Category: Bio-technology
Topic: GM crops
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
1. Which of the following statements are correct about Genetic Engineering Approval
Committee (GEAC)
(1). It is a statutory organization that works under the Union ministry of Earth sciences
(2). It permits the use of Genetically Modifies Organisms (GMO) and products thereof
for commercial applications.
a) (1) only
b) (2) only
c) Both (1) & (2)
d) Neither (1) nor (2)
Ans (b)
Date: 6
th October, 2016
Category: Polity & governance
Topic: Reforms
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
2. 'Lodha Committee’ appears in news. It is related to?
(a.) BCCI reforms
(b.) ICC reforms
(c.) Olympics
(d.) Sports in general
Ans (a)
Date: 7th October, 2016
Category: International issues
Topic: Arab Spring
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Easy
Type: Factual
3. Recently, a series of uprisings of people referred to as `Arab Spring’ started from Tunisia.
It is still active in
(a) Egypt
(b) Lebanon
(c) Syria
(d) Libya
Ans (c)
Date: 7th October, 2016
Category: Indian Polity
Topic: DPSP
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Conceptual
4. Consider the following Statements regarding the DPSP/Directive Principles of State
Policy:
1. The Principles spell out the socio-economic democracy in the country
2. The provisions contained in these Principles are not enforceable by any court.
Which of the statements given below are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 & 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (c)
Date: 7th October, 2016
Category: National Organizations
Topic: NACO
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
5. Consider the following statements regarding National AIDS control organization
(NACO) :
1. It works under the Union ministry of Health and Family Welfare
2. It is the nodal organization for formulation of policy and implementation of programs for
prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in India
Which are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (c)
Current News Analysis
08-10-2016
A. GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
1. SC blocks BCCI funds to State cricket units
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/sc-stops-bcci-funds-to-state-
associations/article9198068.ece
Category: Indian polity
Topic: Judiciary
Key Points:
The Supreme Court went for the financial jugular of the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI)'s 25 State cricket associations, barring them from using
BCCI funds till they accept the Justice Lodha Committee’s reforms in letter and
spirit.
The court said several statements and actions of the BCCI are grossly out of order and
may even constitute contempt. In case the State associations continue to resist the
Lodha reforms, their shares would be invested in fixed deposit accounts until they
change their minds.
2.SC stays Bihar High Court order quashing prohibition
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/supreme-court-stays-patna-high-
court-order-quashing-bihar-liquor-ban/article9197615.ece
Category: Indian Polity
Topic: Judiciary
Key Points:
The Supreme Court gave a green signal to the Bihar government by staying a Patna
High Court order quashing the State's prohibition law, while observing that there are no
rights to be claimed regards anything to do with liquor. The Bench was hearing a petition
filed by the Bihar government against the High Court order dated September 30 which
quashed the notification banning consumption and sale of liquor in the State. In its
appeal, the Bihar government has urged the apex court to decide whether State could
impose absolute prohibition on distribution and consumption of liquor and whether an
individual could claim right to consume liquor as his or her fundamental right under the
Constitution.
The Apex court bench observed “Liquor and fundamental rights do not go together.
There is no privilege or fundamental rights to be claimed in liquor business”
Note – Despite the Bihar high court order, on Gandhi Jayanti (Oct 2nd) the State
government had come out with a new law banning liquor, with harsher provisions like
arrest of all adults in the event of recovery of the contraband in their house.
In its notification, the government notified the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016
to ensure that the ban on sale and consumption of alcohol including Indian Made Foreign
Liquor (IMFL) as well as spiced and domestic liquor, continued in the State.
3. Indo-Pak border to be sealed by 2018
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-to-seal-border-with-pakistan-
by-december-2018-rajnath/article9197898.ece
Category: Bilateral
Topic: Indo – Pak
Key Points:
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said a time-bound action plan would be formulated
in order to completely seal the 3,323-km-long border between India and Pakistan by the
end of December, 2018. It was decided in the wake of rising tensions between India and
Pakistan following the surgical strikes across the Line of Control.
The minister further said the procedure for sealing the international border would be
developed in a planned manner, with a mechanism in place for its periodic monitoring at
multiple levels in the defence establishment as well as the governments of the 4 Border
States.
4. Colombian President wins Nobel Peace Prize-2016
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/nobel-peace-prize-
awarded-to-colombian-president-juan-manuel-santos/article9197500.ece
Category: International awards
Topic: Nobel prizes
Key Points:
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 has been awarded to Colombian President Juan
Manuel Santos for his efforts to end his country's 50-year civil war.
He negotiated a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(Farc) guerrilla group but the peace deal was rejected by a narrow majority of
Colombians when it was put to referendum. The award should also be seen as a
tribute to the Colombian people who, despite great hardships and abuses, have not
given up hope of a just peace, and to all the parties who have contributed to the peace
process.
C.GS3 Related
1.Apex court stays commercial release of GM mustard
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/sc-stays-commercial-release-
of-gm-mustard/article9198701.ece
Category: Bio-technology
Topic: GM crops
Key Points:
The Supreme Court stayed the commercial release of Genetically Modified (GM) Mustard
crop for 10 days and asked the Centre to take public opinion on such seeds before releasing
them for cultivation, even as the government approval is awaited.
Note - Mustard is one of India’s most important winter crops which is sown between mid-
October and late November.
Counsel appearing for petitioner Aruna Rodrigues who had filed the plea seeking a stay on
the commercial release of GM mustard crop and prohibition of its open field trials, alleged
that the Centre was sowing the seeds on various fields and said the bio-safety dossier had to
be put on website but this had not been done yet. The advocate alleged that without doing
relevant tests, they were carrying out field trials of the crop and sought a 10-year
moratorium on them.
He further said a Technical Expert Committee (TEC) report had said that the entire
regulatory system was in shambles and a 10-year moratorium should be imposed. The plea
had also urged the court to prohibit open field trials and commercial release of Herbicide
Tolerant (HT) crops including HT Mustard DMH 11 and its parent lines/variants as
recommended by the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) report.
2. Fin minister says 80 per cent Jan Dhan accounts have balance now
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/80-per-cent-jan-dhan-accounts-
have-balance-now-says-jaitley/article9198691.ece
Category: Economy
Topic: Financial inclusion
Key Points:
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said 80% percent of the 24 crore new bank accounts created under the centre’s Jan Dhan Yojana now have balance in them. He was participating in a panel discussion at the World Bank on financial inclusion and de-risking or measures to prevent the illicit use of the banking system. He further mentioned “All programmes of the government that give assistance to weaker sections of the society - rural employment guarantee, subsidy on food and fertiliser etc are being transferred through these accounts now. Getting them connected to an insurance scheme in the next goal”.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the progress made by India in financial inclusion is a model that is inspiring for the rest of the world. Other speakers also lauded India’s progress in financial inclusion.
3. DIPP says Pension funds may fuel start-ups
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/pension-funds-may-fuel-
startups/article9199623.ece
Category: Economy
Topic: Pension funds
Key Points:
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) said in order to boost start-ups the government will consider a slew of policies that could enable pension funds as well as insurance firms such as LIC to invest in start-ups. Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had recently taken steps to increase their exposure in stock markets. So definitely their money needs to be leveraged for start-ups.
DIPP, the nodal Central government department for start-ups and its related policy ‘Start-up India’ said it has personally written to over 100 corporates to utilise their Corporate Social Responsibility funds for start-ups and incubators. It was further said the government had already set up a Rs.10,000 crore Fund Of Funds, which would in four years help mobilise private investments worth around Rs.50,000 crore for investments into start-ups.
4. Forex reserves touch record high
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/forex-reserves-touch-
record-high-of-372-billion/article9199627.ece
Category: Economy
Topic: FOREX reserves
Key Points:
As per the Reserve Bank data, India’s foreign exchange reserves scaled a new high of $371.99 billion, up $1.223 billion for the week to September 30. The increase was on
account of a $1.468-billion surge in the foreign currency assets.
Previously, they had touched a high of $371.279 billion in the week to September 9.
Foreign currency assets which are a major component of the overall reserves surged by
$1.468 billion to $346.71 billion, the Reserve Bank said.
D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials
The Hindu
1. The lure of the exotic and esoteric
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-lure-of-the-exotic-
and-esoteric/article9199647.ece
If wonderful discoveries happening in biology had acted as a trigger for Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan to switch from physics to chemistry, the nearly matured and well-established field of chemistry failed to enthuse Yoshinori Ohsumi, and he shifted to biology.
Autophagy a fundamental process for degrading and recycling cellular components was known long before he ventured into the field, but it was his paradigm-shifting research that revealed the importance of this fundamental process that comes into play every other minute. His seminal work helped reveal that vacuoles in yeast and lysosomes in human cells are not just garbage bins but recyclers and fuel producers. Right from the stage of embryo development to countering the negative effects of ageing, autophagy plays an important role.
As in the case of many Laureates, Dr. Ohsumi’s initial years were more than frustrating, but he prevailed. His approach to science is an antithesis to what is generally seen in today’s young researchers, and that precisely is what helped him break new ground and bag the Nobel Prize this year only the third Laureate since 2010 to not share the Prize for Physiology or Medicine with others.
But lysosomes and other cellular bodies would be severely impacted if molecular machines in our body failed to work synchronously to carry materials around in a cell and for several other functions. Though not as elegant as the molecular machines at work inside us, the work done by Jean-Pierre Sauvage, J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa, the winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has set the ball rolling in the endeavour to realise Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman’s dream more than 50 years ago of building very small machines. Though very primitive at this point in time, science will see one of the biggest revolutions when the cogs and cranks of their work are finally put together to build machines on a nanoscale; nanomachines will find applications in diverse fields, from medicine to electronics. Much like the nanomachines of tomorrow, David J.
Thouless, F. Duncan M. Haldane and J. Michael Kosterlitz’s theoretical explanations for exotic states of materials by using topological concepts will give birth to a completely different class of products. This year’s Nobel-winning physicists, they predicted the exotic behaviour that other scientists later found at the surface of materials and inside very thin layers, such as superconductivity and magnetism in extremely thin materials. Physicists are now looking beyond the ordinary to find new and exotic phases of matter that change in a stepwise fashion.
2. A Nobel push for peace in Colombia
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-nobel-push-for-peace-
in-colombia/article9199648.ece
In a long year of war and strife, it is a silver lining that the Nobel Committee in Oslo was spoilt for choice in deciding upon the recipient of the 2016 Peace Prize. A landmark nuclear deal brought a peaceful closure to Iran’s purported nuclear weapon ambitions and paved the way for better relations between Tehran and the West, making the key negotiators leading contenders for the Prize.
The yeoman efforts of the White Helmets of Syria, a group of local volunteers in Aleppo and other parts of war-ravaged Syria who help rescue people injured or stranded in bomb attacks in war zones, merited recognition. But the ending of one of the longest-running civil wars was the achievement that got the highest recognition by the Committee.
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 has been awarded to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos after his government painstakingly concluded negotiations by signing an accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), winding down hostilities in a 52-year-old civil war. The accord, signed on September 26, 2016, provided for the disbanding of FARC militants and for the rebels to join the political process as a routine political party, besides conceding demands by FARC to address inequities in Colombia’s rural areas through development programmes and land distribution. FARC also agreed to dismantle drug production facilities in areas in its control which had helped finance the war against the Colombian government. This was a landmark accord that provided an opportunity not just for peace but also for better prospects in the war against drug production and trade in Colombia.
Merely a week after the accord, the government received a setback as its attempt to get the accord ratified through a referendum failed. About 50.23 per cent of the voters who turned out (the turnout was less than 40 per cent) voted against the peace agreement. Both the government and FARC have ruled out a return to war despite this setback, and even the advocates of the “no” vote, including former President Álvaro Uribe, have sought fresh negotiations for what they deem to be a better accord. The Nobel committee recognises that despite the setback there is the need for a broad-based dialogue to further the peace process. In doing so, it has provided Mr. Santos the persuasive pulpit he had lost following the referendum. The award should enable his government to seek a
renewed accord that does not militate against the previous one and seals a durable peace. The Peace Prize is a testimonial to the patience required to bring about closure to complex, long-running conflicts. In this case at least, it is well-deserved.
F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
Lodha committee – BCCI reforms
Alcohol prohibition in India – Art 47 (DPSP)
GM crops
Civil war in Colombia
Financial inclusion
Start up India
FOREX reserves
2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS Links to Refer
World Bank Group (WGP)
Foreign exchange reserves of India
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank_Group
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_exchange_reserves_of_India
3. Tags
BCCI
GM - Mustard
DIPP
PMJDY
Practice Questions
Date: 8
th October, 2016
Category: Indian Economy
Topic: FOREX reserves Source: The Hindu Difficulty level: Medium Type: Factual
1. Which one of the following groups of items is included in India’s foreign – exchange
reserves?
(a) Foreign currency assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and loans from foreign countries
(b) Foreign currency assets, gold holdings of the RBI and SDRs
(c) Foreign currency assets, loans from the World Bank and SDRs
(d) Foreign currency assets, gold holdings of the RBI and loans from the World Bank
Ans (b)
Date: 8
th October, 2016
Category: Indian Economy
Topic: Financial inclusion Source: The Hindu Difficulty level: Medium Type: Factual
2. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has been launched for
a) Providing housing loan to poor people at cheaper interest rates
b) Promoting women’s Self Help Groups in backward areas
c) Promoting financial inclusion in the country
d) Providing financial help to marginalised communities
Ans (c)
Date: 8th October, 2016
Category: International awards Topic: Nobel Prize
Source: The Hindu Difficulty level: Easy Type: Factual
3. The 2016 Nobel Peace prize was awarded to (a) National Dialogue Quartet – Tunisian mediators (b) Organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons (c) Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (d) UN peacekeeping force
Ans (c)
Date: 8th October, 2016
Category: International organizations
Topic: Reports and indices Source: The Hindu Difficulty level: Medium Type: Conceptual
4. Which organization issues the Global Economic Prospects report periodically?
a. The Asian Development Bank
b. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
c. The US Federal Reserve Bank
d. The World Bank
Ans (d)
Date: 8th October, 2016
Category: Bio-technology
Topic: Biofortification Difficulty level: Medium Type: Factual
5. Consider the following statements Bio-fortification:
1. It is the idea of breeding crops to increase their nutritional value.
2. It is seen as an upcoming strategy for dealing with deficiencies of micronutrients in the
developing world.
Which are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (c)
Current News Analysis
09-10-2016
A. GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
1. Operation Ginger
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/operation-ginger-titfortat-across-
the-line-of-control/article9202758.ece
Category: Bilateral
Topic: Indo-Pak
Key Points:
Few weeks in the summer of 2011 witnessed two of the bloodiest cross-border
surgical strikes between India and Pakistan in which at least 13 soldiers were killed,
and six of them decapitated. Five of those heads were carried across the border as
trophies - two to Pakistan and three to India. To carry out the revenge attack at least
seven reconnaissance - physical and air surveillance mounted on UAV missions
were carried out to identify potential targets.
Indian Reconnaissance - In revenge, the Indian Army planned Operation Ginger,
which would turn out to be one of the deadliest cross-border raids carried out by the
Indian Army in recent memory.
Consequently, three Pakistani army posts were determined to be vulnerable: Police
Chowki, a Pakistani army post near Jor, Hifazat and Lashdat lodging point. The
mission was to spring an ambush on Police Chowki to inflict maximum casualty.
A few days after the beheading, Indian Army discovered a video clip from a Pakistani
militant who was killed in an encounter while crossing into Kashmir, showing
Pakistanis standing around the severed heads of Adhikari and Singh displayed on
raised platform. After repeated recce over two months, the Indian Army launched
Operation Ginger on August 30, 2011. The operation had lasted 45 minutes- at least
eight Pakistani troops had been killed and another two or three more Pakistani
soldiers may have been fatally injured in the action.
2.India rejects Pak references at U.N.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-rejects-pak-references-at-
un/article9202823.ece
Category: Bilateral
Topic: Indo-Pak
Key Points:
India has strongly rejected Pakistan’s references on Kashmir at the U.N., saying such
remarks is a self-serving attempt by Pakistan to bring extraneous issues to the world body
for its territorial aggrandisement.
India, exercising the Right of Reply after Pakistan’s envoy to the U.N. raised the Kashmir issue at the U.N said that Pakistan had made references to the Indian State of
Jammu and Kashmir in a self-serving attempt to bring extraneous issues before the
committee. Such efforts were a flagrant misuse of the body for Pakistan’s own territorial
aggrandizement. India said, recalling that the Special Committee on Decolonisation was
concerned only with Non-Self-Governing Territories.
It asserted that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India.
Pakistan responded by saying that the United Nations recognised that all people under
alien subjugation had a right to self-determination. Raking up the Kashmir issue again at
the U.N., Pakistan had said the non-implementation of the U.N. Security Council
resolutions for a plebiscite in Kashmir was the most persistent failure of the U.N.
Pakistan further said the U.N. has a moral responsibility towards people suffering under
colonial domination and foreign occupation.
3. Death toll in Haiti due to Hurricane Matthew rises
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/hurricane-matthew-lashes-
haiti-toll-increases/article9201594.ece
Category: International
Topic: Disasters
Key Points:
Hurricane Matthew killed almost 900 people and left tens of thousands homeless in
Haiti before plowing northward over waters just off the U.S. southeast, where it caused
flooding and widespread power outages.
Matthew triggered mass evacuations along the U.S. coast from Florida through Georgia
and into South Carolina and North Carolina.
C.GS3 Related
1.I dia to light up IEA’s global LED progra e
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/india-to-light-up-ieas-global-led-
programme/article9202453.ece
Category: Science & Technology
Topic: Conservation of energy
Key Points:
The International Energy Agency (IEA) said India, through its company Energy
Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has performed exceedingly well in terms of
vastly improving access to LED lighting while reducing their cost drastically.
IEA at the World Sustainable Development Summit - 2016 said the LED programme
by EESL has been so successful that IEA is partnering with it to take the initiative
global. The Agency is also planning to implement the LED program in Indonesia.
Note – The price at which EESL has been purchasing LED lights to distribute under
the government’s Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme has
been consistently falling over the last couple of years. The company purchased LEDs
at Rs.310 per piece in 2014, and the price fell to Rs.55 as of March 2016. Along with
this, production has also been ramped up to about four crore per month from the 10
lakh a month that were produced two years ago.
LED lights consume 80 per cent less electricity than incandescent bulbs. UJALA
also helps the centre in achieving the objectives of the National renewable energy
policy (A target of producing 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022)
D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials
The Hindu
F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
1. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
Operation Ginger
Surgical strikes
Tropical and Temperate cyclones
Conservation of energy
International Energy Agency
2. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS
IN NEWS
Links to Refer
International Energy
Agency
UJALA scheme
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Energy_Agency
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Efficient_Lighting_Programme
3. Tags
EESL
IEA
UJALA
UNSC resolutions
Practice Questions
Date: 9
th October, 2016
Category: International
Topic: UN
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Difficult
Type: Conceptual
1. Consider the following statements about the Special Committee on decolonization:
1. It was created by the UN General Assembly with the purpose of granting
Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
2. 1990–2000 as the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.
Which are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (c)
Date: 9
th October, 2016
Category: Energy
Topic: Renewables
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
2. Which International organization recently supported the Indian company Energy
Efficiency Services Limited – EESL’s energy conservation initiatives to make it global?
a) International Energy Agency (IEA)
b) Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
c) Organization for Economic cooperation and development (OECD)
d) World Energy Summit
Ans (a)
Date: 9th October, 2016
Category: Bilateral
Topic: Surgical strikes
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Easy
Type: Factual
3. ‘Operation Ginger’ was in news. It is related to -
(a) Cross-border surgical strikes between India and Pakistan
(b) Cross-border surgical strikes between India and China
(c) Green revolution
(d) Organic farming
Ans (a)
Date: 9th October, 2016
Category: International organizations
Topic: Reports and indices
Source: The Hindu
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Factual
4. Which organization releases the World trade and development report?
a. The Asian Development Bank
b. UN Centre for trade and development
c. World Trade organization
d. The World Bank
Ans (b)
Date: 9th October, 2016
Category: Energy
Topic: IEA
Difficulty level: Medium
Type: Conceptual
5. Consider the following statements about the International energy agency:
1. It is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework
of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
2. The IEA acts as a policy adviser only to its member states.
Which are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (a)
