Comprehensive News Analysis - 22 October 2016

Table of Contents:

A. GS1 Related:
B. GS2 Related:

1. World Bank pat for Almatti dam

2. New Saudi scheme brings cheer to migrant workers

3. Bangladesh to adopt Indian correctional system for its jails

4. Rules for Rs. 40,000 cr. forest fund to be ready in a month

C. GS3 Related:

1. Smooth-coated otter sighted in Krishna mangrove

2. Many States skip meet on GM crops

3. Centre warns banks of Pak cyber attacks

4. Regional connectivity scheme to take off in Jan., Centre offers slew of sops

5. India’s dissent over capping aviation emissions baffles IATA

D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials : A Quick Glance

The Hindu

1. China’s tightrope walk

The Business Line

1. It’s time for a fiscal stimulus

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
G. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS
H. Fun with Practice Questions 🙂
I. Archives

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Useful News Articles

A. GS1 Related

Nothing here today folks!

B. GS2 Related
  1. World Bank pat for Almatti dam

Category: International Relations

Topic: International Organizations

Key Points:

  • The World Bank has chosen Almatti dam, one of the largest reservoirs in Karnataka, for the World Bank’s Award of Excellence for best utilisation of funds for renovation to enhance the strength of the dam.
  • The World Bank had granted Rs. 72 crore to the Krishna Bhagya Jal Nigam Limited to prevent seepage which could damage the dam.
  • According to the officials of Nigam, the project was taken up under the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) for strengthening the reservoir.

 

  1. New Saudi scheme brings cheer to migrant workers

Category:  International Relations

Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points:

  • Saudi Arabia has launched a scheme that is expected to benefit a large number of Indian expatriates facing retrenchment.
  • There has been a tightening of expatriate labour and employment laws in Saudi Arabia.
  • The restrictions were such that 40 per cent of the employees in companies and shops had to be Saudi nationals.
  • According to the new support scheme, business establishments in yellow and red categories can continue to employ the expatriates after paying a special monthly fee.

 

  1. Bangladesh to adopt Indian correctional system for its jails

Category: International Relations 

Topic: India and its Neighbourhood

Key Points:

  • Bangladesh plans to adopt the correctional and rehabilitation systems used in Indian prisons.
  • A visiting Bangladeshi delegation visited the State Institute of Correctional Administration, Hyderabad and Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration, Vellore, run by the jails department.
  • The team viewed a painting on old punishment systems and studied the ‘Feel the Jail’ system.
  • Bangladesh wants to use India’s jail officers curriculum and make Dhaka’s old central jail a museum.

 

  1. Rules for Rs. 40,000 cr. forest fund to be ready in a month

Category: Polity and Governance   

Topic: Government Initiatives  

Key Points:

  • The Environment Ministry will frame rules, within a month’s time, to help States use a Rs. 40,000-crore corpus earmarked to restore forests.
  • These rules are essentially a follow-up to the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill passed by the Parliament in the monsoon session.
  • Most Indian States stand to receive funds worth Rs. 6,000 crore per annum for conservation, protection, improvement and expansion of forest and wildlife resources.
  • According to the Environment Ministry, most of the money will be used to restock and improve degraded forests.
  • It is important to note that degraded forests make up more than 40 % of the total forest cover of the country, and create more than 15-crore man days of direct employment.
  • Also, many of the jobs so created will be in tribal and backward areas.
  • Apart from creation of direct employment, the utilisation of these amounts will result in increased availability of timber and various other non-timber forest products, and thus will help in improvement of the overall living standards of the forest dependent communities.

 

C. GS3 Related
  1. Smooth-coated otter sighted in Krishna mangrove

Category: Environment and Ecology

Topic: Conservation

Key Points:

  • Smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata) was sighted in the mangrove forests adjacent to the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary. This is the first reported sighting.
  • Authorities are planning to submit the archived data such as photographs and videos of the otters to the IUCN for geo-mapping as it will help in its conservation and attract research.
  • It is important to note that male otters are polygamous. They mate with up to four females, according to the IUCN. The Smooth-coated otters predominantly prey on fish but often eat shrimp and crab.

 

  1. Many States skip meet on GM crops

Category: Science and Technology 

Topic: Bio-technology

Key Points:

Background:

  • Genetically-modified mustard, India’s first transgenic crop, entirely developed by Indian researchers and with public money, had been declared safe for cultivation by a technical committee of India’s apex body that clears GM crop trials.
  • This development had prompted States such as Bihar — an important cultivator of mustard — to challenge GM mustard.
  • In fact, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month asking him to overrule clearance to GM mustard.
  • The Ministry of Environment and Forests held a meeting on 21st October, 2016 with representatives from several States to discuss impediments to research in genetically modified crops. These talks included a) the manner in which field trials ought to be conducted and b) choosing appropriate locations in States that can be designated as test-sites. 

What activist groups say?

  • Anti-GM activist groups are of the opinion that the technical clearance to GM mustard opens the crop to “imminent commercialisation” that will “contaminate” India’s mustard gene pool.
  • They also allege that the results of tests on GM mustard weren’t fully open to public scrutiny. 


  1. Centre warns banks of Pak cyber attacks

Category: Internal Security  

Topic: Cyber-Security

Key Points:

  • The Centre’s cyber security arm has issued a fresh warning to all banks cautioning them that cyber criminals from Pakistan may target their information infrastructure.
  • This alert was issued by the Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In), the nodal agency under the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
  • (CERT-In) is working closely with the Reserve Bank of India to enhance financial sector security apparatus.
  • This development assumes importance as it occurs in the wake of the biggest security breach in Indian banking affecting over 32 lakh accounts.
  • The agency has also mailed various banks on Thursday, including State Bank of India, Axis Bank and HDFC Bank, asking them to report details of the debit cards breach.

 

  1. Regional connectivity scheme to take off in Jan., Centre offers slew of sops

Category: Indian Economy 

Topic: Infrastructure

Key Points:

  • The Centre unveiled a regional connectivity scheme, known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik).
  • This scheme has flights priced at Rs. 2,500 for one hour of flying time to and from regional airports.
  • Under the scheme, airlines will be offered a slew of sops at smaller airports such as waiver of landing and parking charges.

 

  1. India’s dissent over capping aviation emissions baffles IATA

Category: Indian Economy 

Topic: Infrastructure

Key Points:

  • Recently in Montreal, global airline body International Air Transport Association (IATA) has expressed disappointment over India’s opposition to a global pact for curbing aviation emissions proposed by the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
  • Although 65 countries signed the pact committing to cap emissions at 2020 levels, India and Brazil were among countries that opted out.
  • They opted out as they felt the deal would be unfair for developing countries where the civil aviation market is not mature and the airlines are limited compared to the developed economies.

 

D. GS4 Related
E. Important Editorials: A Quick Glance
The Hindu
  1. China’s tightrope walk

Key Points:

  • China’s third-quarter growth was 6.7 percent.
  • Increased Government spending, and a robust property market has aided this.
  • Earlier this decade the Chinese government began a ‘rebalancing’ of the economy by shifting the focus away from a production and export-led model to an increasingly domestic consumption and services reliant one.
  • This shift in focus has had some success.
  • Consumption has contributed 71 per cent of GDP growth in the first three quarters of 2016.
  • With the Government leading investment in infrastructure as a means to stabilise growth, public spending climbed 12.5 per cent in the nine-month period, widening China’s fiscal deficit.


The Business Line

  1. It’s time for a fiscal stimulus

Key Points:

  • In pursuance of the Budget announcement earlier this year, the Government of India constituted a five-member committee to review the working of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act.
  • Among other things, the committee was asked to examine the need for and feasibility of pursuing a ‘fiscal deficit range’.


F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
  • Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act
  • International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
  • GM crop
  • UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik)
  • Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In)


G. BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGS IN NEWS

Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In) 

  


H. Fun with Practice Questions 🙂
Question 1: Recombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) allows genes to be transferred
  1. across different species of plants
  2. from animals to plants
  3. from microorganisms to higher organisms

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

a) 1 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3


Question 2: Consider the following statements:
  1. Regional connectivity scheme will be implemented by Airports authority of India
  2. The RCS routes would cover a length between 200 to 800 km, but this criteria would not apply to hilly areas, islands, North-east region and for helicopter operations.

Select the correct answer:

a) Only 1

b) Only 2

c) Both 1 and 2

d) None of the above 


Question 3: World development report is published by

a) IMF

b) WEF

c) World Bank

d) UNDP 


Question 4: Sea otter is
a) Reptile

b) Mammal

c) Amphibian

d) fish


Question 5: India shares largest land border with :
a) Pakistan

b) Bangladesh

c) Myanmar

d) Nepal


Check Your Answers

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